Methods for processing data to be recorded to optical media are provided. In one example, a method includes receiving a request to record data to optical media. The method then maps a source path for the data from a root directory through any intervening parent directories to the file location of the data, and saves the source path in a database. When saving the source path to the database, node identifiers are used to represent individual nodes of the source path with corresponding keys to the node identifiers saved in a path table. The method further provides for the complete source path for each file of the data to be recorded to be retrieved in one step when processing and recording the data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the recording of data onto optical media, and more specifically to a method for more efficiently processing data files selected for recording to an optical media.
2. Description of the Related Art
The storage of data to optical media has gradually, but steadily, increased in popularity and frequency of use. A typical consumer computer owner and operator counts a re-writable compact disc, or other optical media, drive among standard equipment for the home or office computer system. As the use of optical media continues to grow, so too does the demand for faster and less complicated recording applications and processes.
As is known, the process for recording data to an optical media generally includes the selection of data files to be recorded, also known as "burned," to an optical media, the processing of the files for recording, and the actual burning of the files to the target optical media. The recording speed of the selected data is effected by such variables as the quantity, size, and location of the selected files, the time required to process the selected data files for burning to a target optical media, and the write speed of the optical media recording device selected for the burn.
In pursuing efforts to increase the speed of recording to optical media, or decreasing the recording time, the quantity, size and location of selected files can be treated as constants, and hardware improvements are regularly improving the recording speed of optical media recording devices. The processing of data files for recording presents additional opportunities for developing faster recording to optical media while maintaining simplicity for ease of consumer use.
The prior art processing of files in preparation for burning to optical media consists generally of a plurality of process operations including such operations as the examination of selected data files, the creation of record data structures, the determination of a writing order, the creation of ordering data structures, the generation of a file system, and other such process operations to enable the locating of selected source files and burning of the files to a target optical media.
One of the plurality of process operations performed in the preparation of selected files to be burned to optical media is the generation of the file system. Typically, the generating of the file system includes the mapping of the source path of each of the files selected to be burned to an optical media, in addition to a plurality of process operations completed to place each of the selected files onto the target optical media. All files to be burned to an optical media are entered into a database. This database calls a source path from a path table or path tree configured to contain a file source path for each of the files selected to be recorded. During a typical recording process, the processing of the files in preparation for the burn includes the verification of each of the selected files to ensure that they exist in the location identified, that they can be opened, that they are the size that they have been identified to be, and other such verification processes. Each file in the constructed database is verified, and as each file is verified, the database calls the path tree or path table to locate a selected file at its source using the stored source path.
FIG. 1A shows a block diagram 10 of this single process of calling the source path. A database 12 is constructed during the processing of the files selected for recording to an optical media in preparation for the burn. The database 12 includes, for example, the source file name, location, size, type, and other such identifying data. The processing operations include, for example, the verification of the selected files in which the general integrity of the files is verified in preparation for burning the files to a target media. As each file is verified, the database 12 calls the path tree 14 to obtain the source path for the selected file.
Prior art processing is typically configured to conserve memory. Often, the conservation of memory resources is at the cost of performance. In the example of the processing of data files in preparation to burn to a target optical media, the conservation is exemplified in the manner in which the path tree 14 stores and retrieves source paths of files. Each time a source file is stored to the path tree 14, a short-hand or key is used to identify each node of the source path. FIG. 1B shows a block diagram of an exemplary source path 20 with nodes identified by keys 0–6. In FIG. 1B, a source path that is on root c:\ is shown. The root, c:\, is shown in block 22 and is identified as node 0 at 24. In the exemplary source path 20, each node is a directory that can be traced back to root c:\ at node 0, 24. By way of example, file2 in block 52 is in the directory source6 in block 46. The directory source6 is identified as node 6 at 48. As can be seen, source6 in block 46, is a sub-directory of source5 in block 42, which is a sub-directory of source4 in block 38, which is a sub-directory of source3 in block 34, and so forth back to the root, c:\ in block 22. Each of directories source1 at 26, source2 at 30, source3 at 34, source4 at 38, source5 at 42, and source6 at 46, can contain any number of files or additional sub-directories. Each directory is shown in FIG. 1B as being identified as a node. By following arrows 21, each node can be traced back to its parent, and eventually to the root, c:\at 22. An exemplary path for file2 in block 52 is therefore file2 in block 52 at node 6, 48, which is traced to node 5 at 44, which is traced to node 4 at 40, which is traced to node 3 at 36, which is traced to node 2 at 32, which is traced to node 1 at 28 and back to the root at node 0, 24. A typical path statement for file2 at block 52 would be: c:\source1\source2\source3\source4\source5\source6\file2. A short-hand path notation for the same file might instead be: 6\file2, where it is known that "6" represents node 6 at 48, and the key for identifying node 6, 48, is known or identified in the path tree 14 (see FIG. 1A).
When files are processed during preparation for burning to optical media, the use of nodes in source paths conserves memory by utilizing a short-hand notation instead of the complete source path. FIG. 1C shows a typical source path 52a for file2 at 52 as described above in reference to FIG. 1B. The illustrated source path 52a identifies file2 at 52 as a file in the directory at node 6, 48. In order to verify file2 at 52, however, the entire source path must be identified in order to verify a correct source path for the file, and to locate and verify the file as described above. The source path 52a therefore calls "get(6)" to return the source path to the last node before the file, and then adds the file, file2 at 52, to the node. The prior art convention of storing the source paths using short-hand notation traces the file from the first identified node to the root. In the instant example, the returned path might look like: 6→5→4→3→2→1→0, where the returned source path traces through each node back to the root. Because the path tree has stored the key for each of the identified nodes, the complete source path is provided. Further, because each path for each of the files in the database 12 (FIG. 1A) is stored in short-hand notation as illustrated, memory is conserved.
As stated above, the conservation of memory is often at the expense of performance. In the instant example, although memory is saved in the use of the illustrated short-hand notation, each time a file is processed, the path is traced back through each identified node to the root. If a file is close to the root, the processing speed is only minimally impacted as the tracing is through minimal nodes. In the case of files that are located deep within a directory's hierarchy, however, the processing is more complex as files are traced through more and more nodes. When the number of files being processed is great, performance degradation is compounded. A typical recording operation to optical media can include hundreds, even thousands, of files, and processing performance in the manner as just described can be significantly impacted.
In view of the foregoing, what is needed is a method for processing files in preparation for burning to optical media that quickly and accurately identifies the selected file source paths without significantly degrading system performance. The method should be able to be implemented in existing applications, and should be configured to provide a consumer with fast and efficient file processing of selected files for burning to optical media without requiring specialized knowledge or skill on the part of the consumer.

Method and system for processing data selected for recording to optical media


Ski-boot includes a rigid shell shaped to accommodate the foot, and a rigid cuff which is shaped to surround the ankle and is hinged on the shell so to be rotatable about a transversal reference axis; the shell being provided with a front sole and with a substantially duckbill-shaped front appendix which protrudes from the tip of the shell to form an extension of the front sole, and is structured so as to engaged in the front jaw of a specific ski fastening device; the front appendix having, on each lateral side, a respective side groove which starts on the appendix upper face at a distance from the appendix tip ranging between 10 and 20 millimeters, and continues by flanking the shell tip while increasing its depth, so to form a descending slope above which a corresponding prong of the front jaw of the ski fastening device is arranged.

As is known, more recent alpine or Telemark ski boots are made up of a rigid shell made of plastic material and which is shaped so as to accommodate the foot of the user, and is inferiorly provided with a front sole and with a rear heal usually made of non-slip elastomeric material; of a rigid cuff made of plastic material and which is C-shaped so as to surround the ankle of the user from behind, and is hinged to the upper part of the shell so as to rotate about a transversal reference axis substantially coinciding with the articulation axis of the ankle; of an inner liner made of soft and thermal insulating material and which is removably inserted into shell and cuff, and is shaped so as to surround and protect both the foot and the lower part of the leg of the user; and of a protective upper tongue made of plastic material, which has its lower end hinged to the shell, immediately above the tarsal-phalangeal area of the foot, and extends along the upper part of the shell up to beneath the cuff, so as to cover the longitudinal slit of the shell which allows the shell to be temporarily widened in order to facilitate the insertion of the foot into the liner.
The rigid shell of alpine and Telemark ski boots is also frontally provided with a substantially duckbill-shaped, protruding appendix, which protrudes from the ogival tip of the shell while remaining locally substantially coplanar to the front sole, and is structured so as to be firmly and stably coupled, though easily releasable manner, to the toepiece of the ski fastening device which in turn is firmly attached on the middle part of the downhill ski.
In the practice of Telemark skiing, it is also essential to be able to significantly lift the heal of the ski boot from the ski below, while always keeping the tip of the boot firmly anchored to the ski, whereby the front part of the shell of Telemark ski boots is provided at the top with a programmed-deformation gusseted folding which straddles the metatarsal area of the foot, so as to allow the front part of the shell to bend forwards with respect to the tip, so as to go along with the natural movement of the skier's foot.
The ski fastening device is structured instead so as to go along with both the deformations of the shell as a result of the bending of the skier's foot, and with the cyclical lifting of the boot heal from the ski below, thus always and in any event keeping the tip of the boot, or better the duckbill-shaped appendix of the shell, firmly anchored to the ski.
More in detail, the toepiece of the most recent ski fastening devices is structured so as to fix the boot above the ski, tightening the shell at the front sole or solely at the duckbill-shaped protruding appendix, thus allowing the shell to rotate, with respect to the ski beneath, about a horizontal reference axis which is arranged immediately close to the duckbill-shaped protruding appendix and is locally perpendicular to the center line plane of the boot and to the center line plane of the ski.
Unfortunately, recent studies on the kinematics of the movement of the alpine and Telemark ski boot on the ski have shown that, during the initial part of the lifting movement of the boot heal from the ski, the ski fastening devices are not able to transfer the push of the skier to the ski beneath, thus resulting in a part of the skier's movement not implying a forward push.


The present invention provides system and method for delayed answering of a call to a cellular phone which can operate in either a distributed or a centralized manner. In particular, the system and method according to the present invention allows the cellular phone user upon receiving a call to play a message to the caller, such as informing the caller to “hold on” for a short time and that the user will be available shortly. The present invention provides a number of advantageous alternatives to provide a cellular phone user flexibility in answering incoming calls.

The present invention relates to improved features for cellular telephones.
The tremendous growth in the use of cellular telephones has greatly increased the probability that people will receive telephone calls when they are in public places, such as meetings, movie theaters and retail stores. Answering such calls in such public places can create problems for the person receiving the call. For example, the person receiving the call may not want to interrupt and disturb an important meeting by answering the phone call, or disturb other people who may be trying to watch a movie, or other public performance. Further, the person may want to preserve privacy by not answering the call until they are in a more private place. In addition, the environment may be too noisy for successful communication and the receiving telephone user may want to get to a quieter setting before answering. For all these reasons, people receiving calls in public places may wish to delay answering the call.
However, if there is a delay in answering the call, or the call is connected without the receiving party speaking into the phone, the caller may disconnect, thinking that the call attempt failed.
This set of circumstances creates the current situation where people are forced to rush out of the public place with the telephone ringing or buzzing, or to answer the call with a quickly spoken 'hold on' message and then get to a more private place as soon as possible.
Therefore, there remains a need in the field for improvements in delayed answering of calls to cellular phones.

Triggered playback of recorded messages to incoming telephone calls to a cellular phone


An electrical component includes an initial structure (40) molded of an insulative first material and having a plurality of regions (81, 82, 83) that each forms a passage (42), with the regions being largely separated to leave gaps (90, 92, 94) between them, but with the regions joined by small tabs (44). The initial structure is plated everywhere, including along the passages and on the tabs. A quantity of second insulative material (108) is overmolded to the plated initial structure to fill the gaps between them but not some portions of the passages. The tabs then can be cut away to electrically isolate the platings on the different regions, and to thereby electrically isolated contacts, such as the outer conductors of coaxial connectors, installed in the passages while the regions that form the passages are mechanically held together by the overmolding second material.

Applicant claims priority from U.K. patent application GB 0101597.3 filed Jan. 22, 2001.
An interface component can be used to electrically couple connectors at the ends of cables to traces on a circuit board. One type of such component includes a molded plastic body that is molded to leave passages, and which is selectively plated to plate the passages and to form tracks leading from the platings on the passages to different mounting feet terminals that connect to different traces on the circuit board. One problem encountered in the production of such a device is that it is very difficult to assure that areas between the tracks are not plated, which would short circuit the different tracks. This is a particular disadvantage for small structures and a mass production processes. An interface component and method for producing it which assured separation of different tracks connecting different passages to different terminals, would be of value.
In accordance with one embodiment of the present invention, an electrical component and method of manufacture are provided, that includes an insulator with metal plating tracks that connect plated contact-holding parts to terminals, which assures electrical separation of the different tracks. The component includes an initial structure molded of insulative material and having a plurality of regions that each forms a contact-holding part such as a passage and that forms a terminal, the regions being separated from each other except by thin connecting tabs. A metal plating plates the initial structure, including the contact-holding parts such as passages, the terminal and areas that connect each passage application to a terminal as well as the connecting tabs. A quantity of a second insulative material is overmolded to the plated initial structure to lie between the largely separated regions so as to mechanically connect them. The plated tabs then can be easily removed to electrically separate the platings on the different regions.
One component is used to interface between traces on a circuit board and at least two connectors. The component has a flat bottom surface for lying adjacent to the circuit board, and has a plurality of terminals formed by posts that project into holes in the circuit board. The posts are formed during the molding of the initial structure and are plated, to connect to platings on the circuit board holes.
The contact-holding parts of the initial structure which are plated, may comprise passages that receive coaxial connectors. Each coaxial connector includes an outer contact that is connected to one region of the plating on a component passage, and an inner contact separated by insulation of the coaxial connector from the outer contact. An additional inner conductor surrounded by insulation, is inserted into the rest of the passage, and has an inner end connected to the inner contact of the coaxial connector and has an outer end which connects to a trace on the circuit board.
The novel features of the invention are set forth with particularity in the appended claims. The invention will be best understood from the following description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Molded and plated electrical interface component


An expansion valve comprises an orifice 30 formed in a valve body 10 and a valve member 9 fixed to a movable member 18. Movement of a diaphragm 4 is transmitted to an actuating rod 17 via a member 16, and the actuating rod 17 actuates the movable member 18 to control the opening rate of the path between the valve member 9 and the orifice 30. A seat nut member 100 affixed to the orifice 30 has a large-diameter hole 108 and a small-diameter hole 110 directly communicating with each other. Hot pressurized refrigerant introduced into the large-diameter hole 108 heats a seat portion at the exit of the large-diameter hole, and prevents moisture in the refrigerant from freezing there.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an expansion valve for use in an air conditioner of a car, refrigerating display case, or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 5 shows a cooling cycle of an air conditioner. The cooling cycle 50 comprises a compressor 51 driven by a motor or its equivalent, a condenser 52 for cooling and condensing a gaseous refrigerant heated and pressurized by the compressor 51, a liquid tank 53 for separating the refrigerant condensed by the condenser 52 into vapor and liquid and for removing moisture and dust from the refrigerant, an expansion valve 54 for expanding the refrigerant from the liquid tank 53, and an evaporator 55 for heat exchange between air and the refrigerant to cool the air to be blown into the compartment, which all are connected by a pipe network.
A general aspect of a conventional expansion valve, 54, used in the refrigeration cycle is shown in the cross-sectional view of FIG. 6, and its valve chamber is shown in FIG. 7 in an enlarged scale.
In FIG. 6, the expansion valve comprises a valve portion A for decreasing the pressure of a highly pressurized liquid refrigerant, and a power element portion B for controlling the opening rate of the valve portion A.
The power element portion B includes a power element outer shell 3 comprising an upper cover portion 1 and a lower support portion 2 (diaphragm receiver), and a diaphragm 4 sandwiched and welded between outer circumferential edges of the upper cover portion 1 and the lower support portion 2. The diaphragm 4 divides an interior space in the power element outer shell 3 into upper and lower chambers, namely, a pressurizing chamber 5 and an equalizing chamber 6, and the pressurizing chamber 5 communicates with the interior of a heat-sensitive cylinder 8 through a conduit 7.
The heat-sensitive cylinder 8 is provided at an exit portion of an evaporator (not shown) to detect the temperature of the refrigerant near the exit of the evaporator and to convert the temperature into a pressure which is the pressure of the power element space (pressurizing chamber 5). The pressure, when increased, gives a force for pressing the diaphragm 4 downwardly and for moving the valve member 9 in its opening direction.
The valve portion A comprises a valve body 10 in form of an outer shell made of brass and having an inlet 11 for introducing pressurized refrigerant and an outlet 12 for delivering depressurized refrigerant. The valve body 10 defines a valve chamber 13, and an equalizing path 14 communicating the valve chamber 13 with the equalizing chamber 6.
The valve body 10 includes a hitching member 15 which is fixed to its lower threaded end by screw engagement. Assembled to and in the valve body 10 are a movement regulating member 16 which cooperates with the diaphragm 4 to regulate downward movements of the diaphragm 4; actuating rods 17 for transmitting the displacement of the diaphragm 4 to the lower mechanism (although only one actuating rod is illustrated, three rods are provided at predetermined intervals in the circumferential direction of a valve mover 18 to move vertically in three vertical holes formed in the valve body 10); a valve member 9 brought into contact with or away from a valve seat 19 (the drawing illustrates a needle valve supported on the valve mover 18); a biasing spring 20 which energizes the valve member 9 upwardly (toward the valve seat 19); and an adjusting member 21 for adjusting the biasing force of the spring 20.
The adjusting member 21 is a polygonal nut, e.g. a hexagonal nut, which is slidably received in the inner polygonal hole of the hitching member 15 and engages with an adjusting bolt 22 by screw engagement to move up and down in response to a rotation of the adjusting bolt 22. The adjusting bolt 22 has a polygonal lower end 22a to be rotated for adjustment, and rotatably received in the hitching member 15 through the seal of an O-ring 23 such that the lower end 22a projects downwardly from the lower end of the hitching member 15.
The hitching member 15 has a threaded open end with which a protective cap 25 having a seal packing 24 on its inner circumferential surface is removably attached such that an operator can rotate the adjusting bolt 22 by removing the protective cap 25.
FIG. 4 is a fragmentary view of an orifice portion shown in FIG. 7. The orifice, 150, formed in the valve body 10 has one end behaving as the valve seat 19. The valve body 9 moved to and away from the valve seat 19 provides a flow path 160.
In case of an expansion valve in which the orifice 150 has a small inner diameter D1 across the inner wall 152 and is relatively long and in which refrigerant flows in the direction shown by the arrow F, the refrigerant running through the orifice 150 suddenly expands in the flow path 160 between the orifice 150 and the valve body 9.
Eventually, the temperature of the refrigerant decreases, for example, from 40.degree. C. higher than the room temperature within the orifice 150 to -20.degree. C. after expansion.
In this process, moisture contained in the refrigerant is likely to cohere into water drops on surfaces of the valve member 9 and the valve seat 19 and often bars the flow path.

Expansion valve and refrigerating system


In converting a color in a source gamut to a color in a destination gamut, selection of a conversion technique is determined for the source color based on the hue aspect of the source color, a maximum chroma of the destination gamut associated with the source color's hue aspect, and the lightness value of the source color relative to a lightness value associated with the maximum chroma. In converting a set of colors such as in a digital color image, selection of a conversion technique is performed for each color in the color image, independent of the color aspects of, and/or the conversion technique selected for, neighboring colors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to computer-implemented color management systems, and processes, and more particularly to selection of a technique for performing gamut mapping from a source gamut to a destination gamut, wherein the selected technique can be a combination, or hybrid, of conversion techniques.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a color management system, gamut mapping is performed to convert, or map, colors between a source gamut and a destination gamut. Each color device has a gamut, which represents the colors that are reproducible by the device. Device gamuts may differ in the sense that not all colors from one device can be reproduced by another device. If a source device's gamut is larger (i.e., contains more reproducible colors) than a destination device's gamut, gamut mapping is performed to convert colors in a source image to colors reproducible by the destination device.
Mapping color data for use with a given device, and its associated gamut, typically entails the use of a gamut mapping algorithm (GMA), which maps colors that fall outside the gamut to an in-gamut color. Gamut mapping is typically performed in a color appearance color space, which is device-independent, and which defines a color with regard to its lightness, chroma and hue aspects. In contrast, a device dependent color space defines a color in terms of its color components. For example, in an RGB device-dependent color space, a color is defined in terms of red, green and blue color components, and in a CMYK color space, a color is defined in terms of cyan, magenta, yellow and black color components.
Ideally, one GMA would be used to map any type of source color data from a source gamut to a destination gamut. However, it has been found that no one GMA works best for all color data. In fact, a number of GMAs have been developed, which have been tested for different types of color images, device gamuts and rendering intents. As a result, knowledge has been gained as to which GMAs are optimal under certain situations. However, colors in a color image can vary widely with respect to their lightness, chroma and hue aspects such that the use of a single GMA to convert all of the colors in the image can result in undesirable results, such as the appearance of artifacts (e.g., uneven transitions in an image and/or a "washing out" of saturated colors) in the output.
Thus, a conventional approach which maps between source and destination gamuts using a single conversion technique for all colors in a source image is not optimal, since it does not take into account specific aspects of each color to be mapped.


Methods and apparatus are provided for improving the jitter tolerance in an SFP limit amplified signal. Jitter tolerance is improved in a communications receiver by applying a received signal to an SFP limiting amplifier; and applying an output of the SFP limiting amplifier to a low pass filter to improve the jitter tolerance. The low pass filter optionally applies a programmable amount of attenuation to high frequency components of the output. The low pass filter slew rate controls (i.e., rotates) a data eye representation of the received signal to increase the data eye representation along a time axis. The noise margin of the received signal can optionally be improved by applying an output of the low pass filter to an all pass filter. A slew rate controller can evaluate the data eye statistics to determine a setting for the low pass filter.

Digital communication receivers typically must sample an incoming waveform and then reliably detect the sampled data. Signals traveling through a dispersive medium typically suffer from group delay and attenuation. The group delay creates pulse spreading, inter-symbol interference and other noise. In order to compensate for such channel distortions, communication receivers often employ well-known filtering, amplification and equalization techniques. For example, zero equalization or decision-feedback equalization (DFE) techniques (or both) are often employed. Such equalization techniques are widely-used for removing intersymbol interference and to improve the noise margin. See, for example, R. Gitlin et al., Digital Communication Principles, (Plenum Press, 1992) and E. A. Lee and D. G. Messerschmitt, Digital Communications, (Kluwer Academic Press, 1988), each incorporated by reference herein.
Communication receivers also often amplify a received signal with a small form factor pluggable (SFP) limiting amplifier. When the dispersive signal passes through the SFP limiting amplifier, however, the output of SFP limiting amplifier exhibits pulse width shrinkage resulting in loss of jitter tolerance. A need therefore exists for methods and apparatus for improving the jitter tolerance in an SFP limit amplified signal.

Methods and apparatus for improved jitter tolerance in an SFP limit amplified signal


An inkjet image forming apparatus having an array type print head to stably deliver a printing medium through a printing zone. The inkjet image forming apparatus includes an array type print head including a nozzle part to discharge ink to a printing zone, a first rolling unit having a first nip portion to nip the printing medium, wherein the first nip portion is disposed before the printing zone to deliver the printing medium to the printing zone, and a second rolling unit having a second nip portion to nip the printing medium, wherein the second nip portion is disposed downstream of the first rolling unit in a delivery direction of the printing medium. A distance between the first nip portion and the second nip portion is less than or equal to 3 inches.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates to an inkjet image forming apparatus, and, more particularly, to an inkjet image forming apparatus having an array type print head.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is an apparatus to print an image on a printing medium according to input image signals. Examples of the image forming apparatus include printers, copiers, facsimiles, and devices combining functions thereof.
Of various image forming apparatuses, an inkjet image forming apparatus is designed to print an image by ejecting fine droplets of ink onto desired positions on a printing medium. An inkjet image forming apparatus basically includes a print head having an ink discharge nozzle part, and a delivery device to deliver a printing medium.
The delivery device may adopt any one of various shapes of delivery members to deliver a printing medium. For example, the delivery device may deliver a printing medium by attaching the printing medium to a drum or belt, or by use of rollers arranged along a delivery path with a certain interval.
Using the rollers assures a simplified configuration and driving mechanism, and thus is advantageous to reduce the size of the inkjet image forming apparatus. However, such a roller delivery type setup may cause vibrations of a printing medium between rollers arranged downstream and upstream of a print head, thereby risking deterioration in print quality.
More specifically, if a printing medium vibrates in a printing zone where ink is discharged from a print head to a printing medium, a gap between the print head and the printing medium (head gap) varies, causing ink droplets to be ejected to unwanted positions on the printing medium, resulting in deterioration in print quality. In the worst case scenario, the print head may be brought into contact with, and contaminated by, a nozzle part of the print head.
Recently, there has been developed an inkjet image forming apparatus (hereinafter, referred to as an "array head type inkjet image forming apparatus") to enable high-speed printing using an array type print head wherein a nozzle part has a length corresponding to a width of a printing medium.
In the array head type inkjet image forming apparatus, a print head does not move during printing, and an image is printed on a printing medium as the printing medium passes through a printing zone below the print head. However, the array head type inkjet image forming apparatus may suffer from serious deterioration in print quality due to vibration of a printing medium between rollers.

Inkjet image forming apparatus having array type print head


A system and method are provided to increase data rates available in mmWave wireless communication systems by adapting a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) in a next generation mmWave wireless communication system. The system and method advantageously employ the characteristics of mmWave antenna arrays, including multiple antenna elements in each antenna array, to implement the MIMO scheme by establishing multiple beamformed communication links between a mmWave transmitter and receiver. An outgoing signal is divided into multiple signal elements to correspond to the multiple beamformed links and each of the multiple signal elements is transmitted by the transmitter across a different one of the multiple beamformed links to be reassembled at the receiver. An antenna element allocation scheme is incorporated to assign specific numbers and configurations of antenna elements at each of the transmitted and receiver to each of the multiple beamformed communication links.

1. Field of the Disclosed Embodiments
This disclosure relates to systems and methods for implementing a multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) scheme in a next generation millimeter wave (mmWave) wireless communication system.
2. Related Art
The universe of wireless devices of all types running increasingly sophisticated applications has drastically increased the demand for available bandwidth to pass large amounts of data at a high data rate. This demand is expected to continue to increase. Communications in the mmWave region of the radio-frequency (RF) spectrum have emerged as providing a unique solution to the need for increased bandwidth to support high data rate wireless transmissions. Transmitting, for example, in the mmWave region of the RF spectrum offers extremely high data throughputs as a result of the ultra-wide bandwidth available. What was once considered a tradeoff for this advantage to communications in this region of the RF spectrum, i.e. that mmWave communications are highly directional with directional antenna beam forming arrays being required to sustain reasonable transmission distances based on the atmospheric absorption of the transmitted RF energy, is now considered to offer some unique opportunities for mmWave communication schemes.
Wireless communications in the mmWave range of the RF spectrum experience a high level of atmospheric RF energy absorption. Understanding that the transmitted RF energy in this frequency region would be quickly absorbed by oxygen molecules in the atmosphere over long distances, wireless technology developers focused on this characteristic as a benefit for certain applications. Previously, the high levels of atmospheric absorption and resultant range limitations were viewed as rendering mmWave technologies unsuitable for certain wireless applications. As there emerged a need for short-range high data throughput transmission paths, however, mmWave technologies emerged as a solution. An ability to provide reasonably interference free high data rate communications is now considered a significant plus for communications in the mmWave communication region of the RF spectrum.

Implementing MIMO in mmWave wireless communication systems


This disclosure pertains, inter alia, to scaffold loading and delivery devices, assemblies, systems and methods of using the same.

A variety of medical conditions are treatable by the implantation of expandable devices into natural body lumens. For example, it is commonplace to implant stents into the vasculature of diseased patients to mitigate the risks associated with vessel stenosis. Other examples of conventional tubular medical implants include woven grafts and stent-grafts that are used to span vascular aneurysms, expandable devices that are used to bypass strictures in the ureter and urethra, and stents that are used in the peripheral vasculature, prostate, sinus, airways, and esophagus, among others.
While biostable and biodegradable polymeric stents have been proposed to address the limitations of metallic stents, including potential issues with thrombosis, chronic injury, and vascular remodeling, their use has been limited by the fact that polymeric stents may undergo stress relaxation if left in a crimped delivery configuration for an extended period of time, such as during shipping and storage.
There is a continuing need for devices and systems that offer the possibility of loading polymeric tubular implants into a delivery system by a healthcare professional just prior to implantation, thereby avoiding the possibility that the implant undergo stress relaxation during shipping and/or storage in a loaded or crimped configuration.


A dishwasher includes a pump assembly for establishing a recirculated wash fluid flow within a washing chamber. The pump assembly includes a housing having a recirculation portion and a drain portion. The recirculation portion includes an inlet passage, a recirculation passage and a pump mount. The inlet and recirculation passages share a common wall and open into the pump mount. The pump assembly further includes a pump having a housing, a motor drivingly connected to an impeller and a conduit having inlet and outlet portions projecting from the housing. The inlet and outlet portions are concentrically arranged within the conduit and fluidly connected with the impeller. With this arrangement, the pump unit can be readily secured to the pump mount and, during operation, draws washing fluid in through the inlet and redirects the washing fluid to the recirculation passage of the housing at approximately 180° from the inlet.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to the art of dishwashers and, more particularly, to a pump having an integrated inlet/outlet portion employed in a dishwasher.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In a typical dishwasher, washing fluid is pumped from a sump into upper and lower wash arms that spray kitchenware with a washing fluid. Preferably, the washing fluid is heated, filtered and recirculated during an overall wash operation. Prior to recirculating the washing fluid, the fluid is directed through one or more filters designed to remove a majority of soil particles entrained with the washing fluid. Preferably, the soil particles are directed to a soil collection chamber. Periodically, the system will be purged in order to drain the collection chamber of the soil.
In recent years, it has become increasingly common to provide a series of straining or filtering units in connection with an overall dishwasher pumping system such that different sized soil particles are collected at varying locations. For example, a strainer can be employed to retain large soil particles, while a fine filter can be utilized to remove smaller particles. That is, the smaller particles are able to pass through the strainer, which essentially constitutes a first filtering unit, and are caught by the second or fine filter. In connection with the pumping and filtering operation, it is also known to incorporate a mincer or chopper in order to minimize soil particle size, typically just prior to a drainage operation in order to prevent clogging of a drain hose.
In addition, it has become increasingly important to perform the pumping and filtering operations with a more compact and simplified structure. In an attempt to increase load size and, moreover, to provide space for larger articles of kitchenware, manufactures are attempting to find methods to increase the overall capacity of the dishwasher. One such method is directed to utilizing the space under the appliance to locate pumps, various electrical connections, and certain plumbing pieces.
Obviously, the capacity of the dishwasher to will depend on a number of factors, including the actual arrangement of support racks, the location of washing arms in the appliance, and the manner in which pump housings and other structure are configured in the area below the appliance. Although various dishwasher pumps and housings are known in the art, there still exists a need for improvements in this field in order to further enhance the overall performance and capacity of the dishwasher.

Dishwasher pump with integrated inlet/outlet portion


A portable electronic scoreboard comprising a housing with a display face, an electronic mechanism disposed within the housing, and a score registering assembly. The housing back configuration is amenable to releasable attachment to a pole or a flat surface such as a wall. The housing back face configuration comprises a longitudinal channel capable of disposition adjacent to a pole and a strap fastener extendable about the pole. The housing back configuration also comprises a pair of flat surfaced wings having slots capable of receiving bolts of the like to secure the housing to a wall. The score registering assembly may be positioned to detect the successful passage of a basketball through a basketball goal. The score registering assembly comprises a paddle and a switch. The paddle actuates the switch if a basketball passing through the goal causes the paddle to change from a ready to a reactive position. The switch thereby detects successful scores and communicates such scores to the electronic mechanism for processing and display. The score registering assembly also comprises a self-locking adjustable arm attachment assembly for securing the score registering assembly to the basketball goal. The arms of the attachment assembly are laterally adjustable and configured with grooves to permit clamping engagement with the rim plate portion of the basketball goal.

Because of the popularity of basketball, particularly in the United States, many people play the sport and devote considerable time to the development of their basketball skills. Millions of basketball goals have been mounted on barns, telephone poles, garages, and the like so basketball enthusiasts can conveniently enjoy a game of basketball or the solitude of shooting a few baskets. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of basketball poles installed at homesites next to a driveway or the street, to which a backboard and a goal are attached. Additionally, portable basketball standards are now becoming commercially available for those basketball enthusiasts who do not have sufficient space to have a basketball standard installed, or who are not permitted to permanently install a basketball standard where they live. As soon as the backboard and goal or the portable basketball standard are in place, a game of basketball soon ensues.
If there is not enough players to play a game of basketball, a free throw or 3-point shooting contest or any of a number of games derivative from basketball such as "HORSE" or "Around the World" may be played. When a game of basketball is played at a home installed basketball standard, whether indoor or outdoor, there are usually a couple of aspects of the game which differ from and actual regulation game. Usually, a friendly game of basketball at a school yard, on a driveway, or in the street will not have officials to regulate play, nor will there be a scoreboard. Unfortunately, due to the lack of these two elements, arguments or disputes over the score, who gets possession of the ball first, and how long to play have disrupted many a friendly game. Players in a friendly neighborhood game have usually circumvented the need for officials by calling their own fouls and infractions, but heretofore, there has not been any true substitute for a scoreboard other than the players mentally keeping track of the score and/or calling out the score after each basket. Most scoreboards available are intended for institutional use rather than home use. Such scoreboards are large, heavy, complex, and expensive, and not a viable option for the basketball enthusiast who would like to have scoreboard capability at home. Of course, flip card scoreboards have been used, but unless a person other than the players is available to flip the cards to the appropriate score after each basket is made, the game is interrupted while one of the players moves the flip cards to the correct score. Hence, the flip card scoreboards are rather for the convenience and enjoyment of spectators, if any, than the players.
Being unable to keep score automatically has been a source of frustration during friendly neighborhood play. Also, some of the features of a college or professional game can not be simulated for home or school yard play. For example, most friendly neighborhood games do not enjoy the use of a shot clock or a time clock with a final buzzer. To provide visual display and audio signals could also enhance the basketball enthusiast's enjoyment during home or school yard play.
It would be an advance in the art if a device were provided that could keep score and otherwise regulate aspects of the game of basketball for the basketball enthusiast playing the game at his own home or a local school yard. It would be a further advance if the device were portable, could be programmed to regulate play during other basketball derivative games, and utilized means that would automatically register baskets made.

Indoor/outdoor portable basketball scoreboard


A cooking device for cooking sweet corn allows the ears of corn being cooked to be suspended within a microwave oven cavity so that the corn may be cooked in a greatly reduced time compared to conventional cooking methods, while providing even cooking results. The cooking device comprises a base supporting one or more vertical supports capable of suspending ears of corn within a microwave oven cavity. Holders, inserted into the ends of ears of corn to be cooked, are received by the vertical support(s) for suspending the ear of corn.

The traditional method of cooking sweet corn (i.e., "corn-on-the-cob") involves boiling the ears of corn in a large pot of water. This method requires extensive clean-up and is somewhat dangerous, since a relatively large amount of boiling water is required. Cooking corn in water is also time consuming because the user must first bring the water to a boil before the corn begins to cook. Further, any time boiling water must be used in the kitchen, there is the likelihood that the user or members of the user's family could accidentally be scalded.
With the advent of microwave ovens, it became possible to cook sweet corn more safely and quickly, without boiling water. Typically, to cook sweet corn in a microwave oven, the corn is placed on a microwave safe plate or dish and placed in the oven for the desired amount of time. However, this method (placing the corn on a microwave dish) results in uneven cooking of the corn, requiring frequent turning of the ears of corn to achieve the most even cooking. Turning the ears of corn increases the cooking time, which hinders the user in reaping the full benefits of the microwave oven. Turning of the ears of corn also subject the user to the possibility of minor scalding from steam emanating from the corn as it cooks.
Accordingly, it would be advantageous to provide an apparatus for cooking ears of sweet corn in a microwave oven that allows the ears of corn to be suspended within the microwave oven cavity, thereby providing greatly reduced cooking time and even cooking results.


A portable cutter used for cutting different widths of thin sheet material. The portable cutter includes a right angle measurement bar with scale adapted for receipt against a front side of an open top storage box. The storage box is used for holding a large roll of thin sheet material therein. At least one cutting blade tool is adjustably mounted along a length of the measurement bar. The cutting blade tool includes a cutting blade disposed between a horizontal upper blade guide arm and a horizontal lower blade guide arm. Attached to a portion of the lower blade guide arm is a magnet holder with magnet used for releasable attachment to the measurement bar.

(a) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a portable cutter used for cutting thin sheet roll material and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a portable cutter mounted on an open side of a storage box. The storage box is used for holding a large roll of thin sheet material. The portable cutter includes at least one adjustable cutting blade tool for cutting different widths of the thin sheet roll material as it's unrolled from inside the storage box.
(b) Discussion of Prior Art
Heretofore, different types of plastic, cloth and other thin sheet materials, having different lengths, have been sold in a large, single roll inside a storage box. As the material is rolled, it is placed on a table and cut to length and width by hand and using a knife or scissors. The method of cutting thin sheet material is time consuming and quite often inaccurate in measurement leading to wasted material. The subject invention provides unique combination of structure and function for eliminating the need for cutting thin sheet material by hand or using complex roll cutting equipment.

Portable cutter with adjustable cutting blade tools for cutting different widths of thin sheet roll material


A disc stack separator and an accelerator disc for a disc stack separator, especially a centrifugal nozzle separator, has curved blades mounted on a cone-shaped shell. The blade configuration assists in directing flow to space for the nozzles in the centrifugal separator bowl in an optimal manner, thus reducing the power consumption of the separator.

The disclosure relates to an accelerator disc for a disc stack separator and a disc stack separator using such accelerator disc.
A disc stack separator consists of a feed pipe for a suspension or solid/liquid mixture, a stack of filter discs, an accelerator disc and a bowl. The solid/liquid mixture is directed by the feed pipe to a so called accelerator disc which directs the mixture into the rotating bowl. The accelerator disc has the form of a cone with its top pointing upwards towards the feed pipe and fitting underneath the stack of filter discs. While the feed pipe is stationary, the accelerator or accelerator disc and the bowl rotate normally at a speed of up to 15,000 rpm. In the disc stack, which is also rotating, the mixture is separated into a light fraction and a heavy fraction, which may include solid particles. The whole mixture is transported by a feed pipe into the accelerator. The light and heavy fraction are separated and moved through the accelerator by the centripetal pumps to the outlet.
The heavy fraction will be discharged from the periphery of the bowl at regular time intervals.
The heavy and light fraction is transported by the centripetal pumps through channels in the rotating shaft upwards and discharged through a discharge pipe. The heavy fraction is discharged through nozzles in the wall of the bowl in case of a nozzle separator. Due to the rotation, the light fraction concentrates in the centre and the heavy fraction is sent to the circumference.

Accelerator disc for a disc stack separator


Cosmetic composition, in particular one for making up the eyes, comprising:. (a) at least one aqueous phase comprising at least one film-forming polymer, PA1 (b) at least one fatty phase comprising at least one wax, and PA1 (c) at least one silicone selected from the group consisting of:. (i) oxyalkylenated silicones, and PA2 (ii) linear polysiloxane-polyoxyalkylene block copolymers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a composition, in particular one for making up the eyes, comprising oxyalkylenated silicone derivatives. These compositions have improved cosmetic properties, in particular of staying power.
2. Description of the Background
Many mascara formulations exist on the market. However, the consumer still expects an improvement in the properties of these mascaras, namely the lengthening of the eyelash, better adhesion of the composition to the eyelash, better shaping, also referred to as weighting, of the eyelashes, better staying power of the make-up over time and better resistance to mechanical stresses. For example, some users wish to be able to keep the same make-up on for the day and the evening. It is also known that rubbing the fingers on the eyelids and the contact of spectacles with the eyelashes tend to crumble the mascara away. In particular, the presence of pigments and/or fillers in compositions for making up the eyelashes makes these compositions particularly subject to crumbling. The compositions known to date have not solved these problems satisfactorily.
The object of the present invention is to provide a composition, in particular one for making up the eyes, which dries rapidly and has improved properties of lengthening and weighting of the eyelashes, of staying power and of mechanical strength.


A support system for a marine engine provides a plurality of mounts that have primary axes that are aligned in parallel relation with a piston symmetry plane of the engine. These primary axes of the mounts are also aligned with the central axes of the cylinders of the engine. This arrangement improves the damping function of the mounts and more effectively isolates engine vibrations from the marine vessel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally related to a mounting system for a marine engine and, more particularly, to a mounting system for a four cylinder in-line engine that is tilted, or slanted, within the structure of a marine vessel.
2. Description of the Related Art
Those skilled in the art of marine propulsion systems are aware of various different methods for supporting an engine in relation to a marine drive unit, such as a sterndrive device. These support techniques typically involve a plurality of mounts which attach the marine engine to the marine vessel. The mounts typically comprise a metallic structure that is combined with an elastomeric material for the purpose of supporting the marine engine in such a way that vibrations are damped and prevented from being transmitted directly to the marine vessel structure.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,456, which issued to Lambrecht et al. on Mar. 27, 1973, describes a sterndrive unit propeller trimming arrangement. The system comprises a boat hull and a sterndrive unit which includes and is supported by an engine and which further includes a marine propulsion lower unit tiltable vertically and swingable horizontally independently of the engine, together with means mounting the sterndrive unit on the boat hull including means for selectively vertically displacing or tilting the forward end of the engine relative to the rear of the engine.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,929,089, which issued to Lambrecht et al. on Dec. 30, 1975, describes a sterndrive hydraulic trim control system including a tilt position indicator. The unit includes a sterndrive leg fixed to the rear of an engine and including a part which is tiltable vertically and swingable horizontally independently of the engine. It includes a rearwardly located elastomeric mount connected to the sterndrive unit and adapted for connection to a boat hull for vibrationally isolating and supporting the sterndrive unit from the boat hull. It also provides a pivotal axis relative to which the sterndrive unit is tiltable relative to the boat hull, an elastomeric part, a bracket fixed to the elastomeric part and adapted to be fixed to the boat hull, an arm fixed to the elastomeric part remotely from the bracket, and a jacking mechanism connected between the engine and the arm for tilting the sterndrive unit relative to the boat hull while also supporting and vibrationally isolating the engine from the boat hull.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,479, which issued to Fujii et al. on Jul. 14, 1992, describes a suspension system for an engine and transmission assembly mounted transversely in a vehicle. It has a main axis of moment of inertia extending in a left and right direction of the vehicle, a single first mount located at a first end of the engine and transmission assembly and at least one additional mount located in the vicinity of an opposite second end of the assembly. The center of gravity of the assembly is located on a main axis of moment of inertia of the assembly extending between the first and second ends and is closer to the first end than to the second end.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,450,922, which issued to Doi et al. on Sep. 19, 1995, describes an automobile power plant mounting structure. The power plant is mounted on both sides in a transverse direction by mounts. Each of the mounts is placed within a triangle defined by a point on a primary inertial axis of the power plant on the transverse side of the power plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,478,264, which issued to Law on Dec. 26, 1995, describes a marine engine mounting system which includes a vibration absorbing assembly for mounting a marine engine to a stringer. It includes a mounting bracket adapted for attachment to the marine engine, a base adapted for attachment to a stringer, and first and second resilient vibration absorbing members supported within the mounting bracket and selectively connected to the base. The first resilient member is relatively more resistant in a horizontal direction for cushioning horizontal thrust loads acting upon the bracket with respect to the base.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,634,832, which issued to Nakase et al. on Jun. 3, 1997, describes an induction system for a four-cycle watercraft engine. Various induction system configurations adapt a four-cycle multi-cylinder engine for use in small personal watercrafts. This is accomplished by canting the engine at an angle to a vertically extending plane and positioning the induction system on the upper portion of the cylinder head.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,027,384, which issued to Nitta et al. on Feb. 22, 2000, describes a four-cycle engine for a small jet boat. The engine is provided which is suitable for use in a vehicle or an apparatus such as a small jet boat to be operated on the premise that it often overturns. An oil pan is disposed below the bottom of a crankcase, the spaces and the components are communicated with each other via a communicating hole which is formed in the bottom of the crankcase.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,386,309, which issued to Park on May 14, 2002, describes a mount assembly for an automotive power plant. The mounting structure for a vehicle includes an engine side mount assembly, a transmission side mount assembly, and front and rear mount assemblies. The engine side mount assembly includes a mount which is less stiff in the front and rear directions than in the upward and downward directions of the vehicle and is arranged such that an axis of the mount is parallel to an inertial axis of a moment of inertia of the power plant.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,390,863, which issued to Imanaga on May 21, 2002, describes an outboard motor which includes an engine holder, an engine disposed above the engine holder in a state wherein the outboard motor is mounted to a hull, a mount unit including upper and lower mount devices for mounting the outboard motor to the hull and a bracket through which the upper and lower mount devices are mounted to the hole.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,884, which issued to Hawener et al. on Jul. 9, 2002, describes a suspension system for a drive assembly of a motor vehicle. The drive assembly is secured above a subframe to a separate cross member by way of two engine mounts, with a third mount being provided on a transmission housing or on a distributor drive. The cross member is secured separately and rigidly to the subframe at the vehicle body.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,645,019, which issued to Shiomi et al. on Nov. 11, 2003, describes an outboard engine system. An inertia force generated longitudinally by a piston is countervailed by an inertia force generated by a crankshaft and inertia forces laterally generated vibrate a body of the outboard engine system laterally about a phantom center point of vibration. An elastomeric member resiliently supporting the system body on a hull has a rigidity in a tangent direction about the phantom center point of vibration.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,014,519, which issued to Batten et al. on Mar. 21, 2006, discloses a marine propulsion system with a tilted in-line engine. The engine is disposed at a tilted angle relative to a vertical plane in order to reduce the maximum height requirement space of an engine compartment of a marine vessel. The crankshaft axis of the in-line engine can be located on a vertical vessel symmetry plane or can be offset from it. The crankshaft of the in-line engine can be disposed parallel to the vessel symmetry plane, within the vessel symmetry plane, or perpendicular to the vessel symmetry plane.
The patents described above are hereby expressly incorporated by reference in the description of the present invention.


An improved method of forming insulated gate field effect transistors is described. In accordance with the method, gate electrodes are formed from metal such as aluminum together with wirings electrically connecting the gate electrodes. The gate electrodes are anodic oxidized by dipping them as an anode in an electrolyte to form an oxide of the metal covering them. Since the connecting wirings are covered with a suitable organic film before the anodizing, no aluminum oxide is formed thereon so that it is easy to remove the connecting wiring by usual etching.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to an electric circuit and a method for forming the same.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As from '80s, gate electrodes of MOS type semiconductor integrated circuits have been formed mainly from silicon. This is because of the small differential electron energy between the silicon gate and the underlying semiconductor channel region and the great heat resistance of silicon which make it possible to utilize the self-aligning fabrication technique for forming source/drain regions. On the contrary, the self-aligning fabrication technique is not available in the case utilizing aluminum gate electrodes which had been broadly employed prior to the silicon gate. This is because aluminum does not have a sufficient resistance to heat. Aluminum gates have been considered out of date for this reason in spite of the low electric resistance thereof.
Recently, however, it has been reported to utilize the self-aligning fabrication technique for forming source/drain regions also in the case of aluminum gates by employing laser annealing techniques. It has also been proposed that interlayer insulation from the gate electrodes can be sufficiently performed by forming anodic oxide films on the gate electrodes together with wirings formed from the same material at the same time. The gate electrodes and the wirings are generally referred to for both simply as gate electrode wirings hereinbelow because they can not always be exactly distinguished from each other. The aluminum oxide films have a sufficient corrosion resistance and a sufficient pressure resistance and are utilized to form the so-called offset structure between the gate and the source and drain regions as described in Japanese Patent Application No.Hei3-340336, Japanese Patent Application No.Hei4-30220 or Japanese Patent Application No.Hei4-34194 of the same applicants.
Several problems, however, have been pointed out in the technique utilizing anodizing gate electrode wirings. For example, even if the external surfaces of the gate electrode wirings are coated with aluminum oxide films, the adhesivity between them fluctuates depending on the location of the surfaces so that the aluminum oxide films sometimes partially comes off from the underlying gate electrode wirings. In addition to this, the anodic aluminum oxide film are formed with substantially disparity of the thickness depending on the location on the gate electrodes. Furthermore, since the aluminum oxide films have an extremely strong resistance against corrosion, it is difficult to remove them by usual wet etching or dry etching so that other materials such as silicon oxide existing near the aluminum oxide films tend to be etched during the removal of the aluminum oxide films. Furthermore, since the gate electrode wirings are integrally connected to each other during the anodizing in order to treat the gate electrodes as an anode, unnecessary portions connecting the individual gate electrodes must be removed after the anodizing to separate them. The unnecessary portions, however, are also coated with aluminum oxide and therefore it is very difficult to remove them. Furthermore, it is also difficult to open necessary contact holes through the corrosion-proof aluminum oxide films to access the underlying gate electrode wirings so that neighboring circuit elements are also corroded.
On the other hand, it is proposed to partially remove the gate electrode wirings coated with aluminum oxide and to open contact holes by exposing necessary portions to high energy laser illumination as described in Japanese Patent Application No.Hei3-348130. The underlying gate electrode wirings are damaged by the high energy laser light so that it seems impossible to form contact holes by this method.

Method of making thin film transistor with anodic oxidation

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A telephone set incorporated in a facsimile system using two or more telephone numbers called by respective call signals having different patterns, which are stored in a pattern data memory when the call signals are received and detected in a registering mode and with which the pattern of a call signal received when the telephone set is not in the registering mode is compared to determine the telephone number being called. The registering mode is established by an operator-controlled mode setting device. The patterns of the call signals are detected by a pattern detector in the registering mode, and the detected patterns are registered in the pattern data memory, so that the telephone number called by each call signal is determined by a pattern determining device as a result of comparison of the pattern of each call signal with the registered patterns in the pattern data memory. A selective call signal processing device is operated upon reception of a facsimile call signal in a distinctive ringing ON mode also established by the data input device, so that facsimile communication is initiated without distinctive ringing based on the facsimile call signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a telephone set (a combination of a telephone transmitter and a telephone receiver) adapted to receive two or more call signals having different patterns which call respective telephone numbers. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with improvements in such telephone set wherein the patterns of such call signals are registered in relation to the telephone numbers, so that the telephone number called by each call signal received from a calling party can be recognized by the telephone set of a called party.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
There is known a telephone set adapted to utilize a so-called "distinctive ringing service (D/R service)" available from a telephone exchange company. This telephone set of distinctive ringing type uses two or more telephone numbers on one telephone line. The distinctive ringing service provides the telephone set with telephone call signals which have different patterns as illustrated at (a) through (d) in FIG. 17, when the respective telephone numbers are called by a remote telephone transmitter of the calling party, so that the ringing device of the facsimile system of the receiving or called party generates different types of ringing sound depending upon the telephone numbers called.
Where such a telephone set of distinctive ringing type is incorporated as a telephone portion of a facsimile system, one of the telephone numbers is used exclusively for facsimile communication with a facsimile portion of a remote facsimile system, while the other telephone number or numbers is/are exclusively used for telephone communication with a telephone portion of the remote facsimile system. The telephone number called by the remote facsimile system of the calling party can be recognized by the specific type of the ringing sound generated according to the specific pattern of the appropriate call signal received at the called party. Alternatively, one or more telephone sets of distinctive ringing type connected to one telephone line can be effectively used by two or more users to which respective different telephone numbers are assigned.
One proposed telephone set of distinctive ringing type includes memory means for storing the patterns of the call signals corresponding to the respective telephone numbers, comparing means for comparing the pattern of each received call signal with the stored patterns, pattern determining means for determining the telephone number called by the received call signal, on the basis of a comparison by the comparing means, and processing means for effecting a processing operation according to the telephone number determined by the pattern determining means. Where this telephone set is used in a facsimile system wherein one of the telephone numbers is assigned to receive a facsimile signal from the calling party, for example, the pattern of the call signal corresponding to that facsimile reception telephone number is registered or stored in memory means as the facsimile reception pattern, so that the facsimile signal received with the call signal is automatically processed for recording of an image represented by the facsimile signal, when the pattern of the received call signal is the same as the registered facsimile reception pattern. An example of such facsimile system is disclosed in JP-A-4-58855.
The facsimile reception pattern of the call signal calling the facsimile reception telephone number is registered by the user by listening to the ringing sound generated according to that received call signal. For example, a plurality of telephone numbers used for a telephone set of distinctive ringing type are called by call signals which have different patterns as indicated at (a) through (d) in FIG. 17. One of these patterns is selected and registered as the facsimile reception call signal pattern. The call signal indicated at (a) has only one ON state per period. The call signal indicated at (b) has two ON states per period. The call signal indicated (c) has three ON states per period, which consist of a first short ON-time, a second short ON-time and a third long ON-time. The call signal indicated at (d) has three ON states per period, which consist of a first short ON-time, a second long ON-time and a third short ON-time. To register one of these call signal patterns as the facsimile reception pattern, the following method is considered. That is, all of these patterns are first stored in memory means, and the call signal calling the facsimile reception telephone number is received from a telephone exchange company upon calling from a remote telephone or facsimile transmitter as the calling party. The user of the telephone set of the called party recognizes the pattern of the received signal by listening to the ringing sound generated according to the ON-OFF pattern of the received call signal, and selects the corresponding one of the stored call signal patterns as the facsimile reception pattern. This way of registering the facsimile reception pattern requires the user to simply select one of the stored patterns which corresponds to the type of the ringing sound generated upon reception of the call signal calling the facsimile reception telephone number.
However, it is difficult for the user to correctly distinguish the pattern of the received call signal (facsimile reception call signal) from the patterns of the other call signals, by listening to the ringing sound corresponding to the received call signal. In the example of FIG. 17, it is rather difficult to distinguish the three-ON-state patterns indicated at (c) and (d) from each other, since both of these two patterns have three ON states. Accordingly, the user may incorrectly recognize the pattern of the received call signal and selects the wrong pattern as the facsimile reception pattern corresponding to the facsimile reception telephone number. Described more specifically, it is easier to distinguish the different patterns (c) and (d) from each other by listening to the ringing sounds corresponding to these different patterns, than by listening to the ringing sound corresponding to only one of these patterns. In other words, it is difficult for the user not familiar enough with the ringing sounds, to correctly recognize the pattern of the received call signal by simply listening to the ringing sound of the received call signal only. Some telephone exchange companies use two or more different two-ON-state call signals which have different combinations of ON-times and OFF-times and which may include the pattern as indicated at (b) in FIG. 17. In this case, too, the user feels difficulty in correctly recognizing the pattern of the call signal which is received for the purpose of registering the facsimile reception call signal pattern. Some users do not even know the patterns of the call signals.

Telephone set capable of initiating facsimile communication without distinctive ringing upon reception of facsimile call signal


The present invention relates generally to an arrangement for extending service support in a communications system, especially a telecommunications system, said system comprising distributed hardware and software components which interact in order to provide services to one or more users, and the improvement is primarily implemented by introducing in said system an interface which also provides services to mobility-based applications. More specifically there is according to the present invention introduced a service interface for mobility-based applications for thereby providing the applications in question with location information.

The present invention relates to an arrangement for extending service support in a communications system, especially a telecommunications system, said system comprising distributed hardware and software components which interact in order to provide services to one or more users.
More specifically the present invention has been developed in connection with such an arrangement in order to provide improved service interface for mobility-based applications.
By application is meant a distributed system consisting of a set of objects that interact and make use of the functions supported by the Distributed Processing Engineering, DPE, to perform certain functions. An application is designed and implemented by an application designer.
When an application is configured and installed in the telecom system domain or Service Provider system,. it becomes a service to be offered to the user. Several applications can be combined and offered as one service to the user.
Further, a service is brought to the user through a session, the session concept being adopted for example from the TINA service architecture, but possible with some different interpretation.
Briefly, a session may be defined as a period of activity that a user has with the telecom system domain or service provider domain.
A mobility-based application is a type of application which was born with the introduction of mobility in the telecom system domain and which uses actively mobility related information in the realisation of its mission. In fact, without mobility such an application is meaningless.
Examples of such mobility-based application are taxi dispatch, fleet management, public safety, trucking, etc. Other mobility-based applications are information services to mobile users. For instance, traffic information or weather reports will be filtered based upon the current position of the user, while stock information will be filtered using the user profile. Another example of information services is a local Yellow-pages service extended with on-line information such as movies currently playing at local theatres or merchandise on sale at the local supermarket [IB94].
There is no such well-defined service interface for mobility-based applications in current mobile networks and systems such as GSM (Global System for Mobile Communication), UPT (Universal Personal Tele-communication), etc. and definitely not in the future mobile distributed system.
An object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement whereby the application design can be improved in relation to prior art.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement wherein the information contained in a mobile distributed system can be utilised in a far more effective manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an arrangement by which a service interface is offered by a mobile distributed system to mobility-based applications.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a service interface which contains a set of operations that any mobility-based applications can request in order to obtain for example desired location information.
The above objects are achieved in an arrangement as stated in the preamble, which is characterised by the features as stated in the enclosed patent claims.
Further features and advantaged of the present invention will appear from the following description taken in conjunction with the enclosed drawing, as well as from the appending patent claims.

Arrangement for extending service support in a communication system


A computer-implemented method, system and computer program product for integrating an application engine with processes depicted by a flow-chart created by a Business Process Management (BPM) engine are presented. Execution of a first application, which is generated by a first application engine, is initiated. The first application performs a first subtask that is depicted by a first component of a flow-chart that has been previously generated by the BPM engine. A Workflow Integration Subsystem (WIS), which provides an interface between the first application engine and the BPM engine, selects the flow-chart that contains the first subtask performed by the first application. The BPM engine calls other application engines to perform other subtasks that supplement the first subtask, such that the first subtask and the other subtasks combine to perform an entire task that is depicted by the flow-chart.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to the field of computers, and specifically to logic for managing processes running on computers.
2. Description of the Related Art
One criterion in which software can be classified is level of specificity. That is, some software is designed for a specific function, while other software is designed for a broader range of functions that may be related to, and may actually include, the specific function of the narrower software. Narrowly designed software may be referenced as a Vertical Market (VM) software application, while an exemplary broader software may be a Business Process Management (BPM) software solution. A BPM software solution is typically based on and/or generates a flowchart of global business processes. For example, a VM software application may be a data entry program used to apply for a land title search, while a BPM software solution may be a tool that allows a user to flowchart all steps taken to sell a real estate mortgage. When a next step in the flowchart is to be taken, a back-office VM software application is called by the BPM software to perform that next step. Current processes require a complex and non-scalable system of Application Program Interfaces (APIs) to call the back-office applications. Building such custom integration solutions usually results in multiple VM application code bases and much greater effort required for VM software maintenance and upgrades. An alternative to multiple code bases is to integrate with a single BPM engine.

Application workflow integration subsystem

International Business Machines Corporation


Majority and minority logic can be implemented by voltage controlled switching of magneto-electric layers of magneto electric magnetic tunnel junction (ME-MTJ) devices. A ME-MTJ device includes an exchange bias-controlled switching element and a pinned ferromagnetic layer on an antiferromagnetic layer. In one case, the switching element includes a magneto electric (ME) layer on a free ferromagnetic (FM) layer, and is separated from the pinned FM layer by an insulator. To implement a majority or minority logic gate a single ME-MTJ device may be used where the device is provided with three electrodes contacting the ME layer in an overlaying relationship with the ME layer. The orientation of the pinned FM layer indicates whether the gate is a majority or a minority logic gate.

Significant research effort has been devoted to find alternative devices that can perform the Boolean logic operations commonly implemented through the use of Complementary Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (CMOS) transistors. One such Boolean logic operation is the majority function, where a true value (logical one value) is returned if and only if more than 50% of its inputs are true. In CMOS, the majority function logical gate is formed from complex circuitry. However, the majority function, as well as the minority function, have numerous applications. For example, a full adder can be implemented using a majority function to determine a carry output. In addition, the majority function can be part of a threshold determination or a median calculation.

Majority- and minority-gate logic schemes based on magneto-electric devices

BOARD OF REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA

BOARD OF REGENTS, THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS SYSTEM

THE RESEARCH FOUNDATION FOR THE STATE UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK


Connector block (3) comprising at least one contact member (22) provided with a first contact terminal (10) for electrical contact to a contact terminal (60) of a mating connector (2), a second contact terminal (9) and a spring subdivision (13) giving the contact member a resilient capacity in its axial direction, the first contact terminal (10), the second contact terminal (9) and the spring subdivision (13) being integrally made and the spring subdivision (13) having a corrugated compression spring with equally spaced sinusoidal subdivisions, each of the first contact terminals (10) being provided with bent extremity (16).

The present invention relates to a connector block comprising at least one contact member in at least one cavity, each contact member being integrally made and provided with a first contact terminal for electrical contact to a contact member of a mating electric element, a second contact terminal and a corrugated spring part giving the contact member a resilient capacity in a predetermined axial direction and being provided with at least a substantially flat middle section.
Such a connector block is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,773,877, which discloses a connector for an electronic tester for testing an electronic device such as a printed circuit board. The known connector is provided with one or several resilient contact pins, each of said pins having a plunger member and a spring, which plunger member and which spring of each of the contact pins are jointly formed in one piece from a portion of metal sheet. In some of the embodiments shown, the spring has at least a substantially flat middle section. However, parts of the spring may be folded about folding lines. The spring may have an undulating or meander pattern or a zig-zag-shape. More details regarding this prior art connector block will be given below when FIG. 3 is explained. However, the known spring contact member is provided with a sharp contact point which makes the known connector unsuitable for many connecting and disconnecting operations: the sharp contact point would destroy the contact terminal of a mating connector within a very short time period.
EP-A-0,009,314 discloses an electrical connector suitable for micro-circuit technology. The connector comprises several connecting elements disposed in rows and columns. Each of the connecting elements is stamped and formed in one piece from sheet metal in strip form. Two identical sinuous portions extend from a strap, the end portions of which function as contact terminals for contacting conductors on e.g. printed circuit boards. The sinuous portions render the contact element resilient in an axial direction. Upper and lower spring sections extend from the strap portion. During operation, the entire connecting element is inserted in a corresponding cavity in the connector body in such a way that contact dimples, provided on the contact terminals are electrically contacting the upper and lower spring sections. The spring sections provide a shorter electrical path than that of the sinuous spring portions. However, both the sinuous spring portions and the spring sections for providing a short circuit are bent relative to the strap portion. Moreover, the end portions of the sinuous portion are bent to form a U-shape. Thus, these known contact members need many bending steps during manufacturing and are difficult to be made.

Connector with spring contact member and shorting means


A metal frame having at least one wheel attached in a way that permits the frame to be moved from one location to another. Attached to the frame is a chain saw that can be used in more than one cutting position using remote controls attached to the metal frame and controlled by the operator. The operator controls the saw's cutting position either vertically or horizontally with a tension rope that moves the saw to the desired cutting position. The saw's throttle is controlled by a flexible cable attached to a throttle assembly at the saw and a handle attached to the right side of the metal frame allowing the operator to control the cutting speed of the chain saw from high rpm to idle speed.

The reason for this invention is to provide an easier way to use a chainsaw for cutting down trees. A conventional chainsaw is shown in FIG. 7, and normal use of such a chainsaw when cutting trees close to ground level puts stress on the user's knees and back. This invention reduces the stress.
The present invention is a dual purpose device that cuts in a horizontal and a vertical position. With one pull of a tension rope the chainsaw changes angles for cutting in a horizontal position. Another pull of the tension rope and the chainsaw returns to the vertical position for cutting vertically. The chainsaw in the horizontal position is used to cut down trees. The chainsaw in the vertical position is used to prune, cut the felled trees into shorter lengths, and cut cord wood. It can also be modified to cut at any angle between horizontal and vertical by installing an adjustable locking bracket. The tension rope can be attached to a movable lever that when pulled would perform the same pivoting action as pulling the tension rope by its handle.


OCR processing involves: acquisition of images from image capturing devices; determination of location/size/style for each character; normalization; smoothing for large corners; smoothing by the deletion of individual protruding and extraneous dots; extraction of features; pattern matching; automatic error correction using a word dictionary; and output of recognition results.. In the present invention, high speed software processes accomplish smoothing large corners and deletion of individual protruding and extraneous dots. In this software processing, the smoothing process is performed by shifting bit rows and using only the logical operators NOT, AND, and OR; not used are the often employed conventional conditional branch commands, such as the "if then else" and "switch" statements. This smoothing method (using only NOT, AND, and OR) contributes to a substantial reduction in the processing speed.

The present invention relates to a processing method for OCR (Optical Character Recognition) and image enhancement, and in particular, to a software smoothing method.
A special hardware device is conventionally employed for the performance of OCR related processes. An example is an MCA (Micro Channel Architecture) option card, having a 68020 or a 68040 Motorola (TM) processor and associated memory which is employed to perform an image process, a smoothing process, and a pattern matching process.
At present, high speed CPUs are widely available at low prices, and OCR related processes can be performed using software only; special hardware is not required for such tasks. The merits of using software for OCR operations are that only a relatively small investment is required, and OCR functions can be easily and flexibly altered by the employment of new versions of software.
If only software is used to perform processes that have heretofore been hardware functions, there is a general reduction in processing speed accompanied by a drastic reduction in cost performance. If measures are taken to forcibly increase speed, they may be accompanied by a drop in the character recognition rate, the basic function originally demanded of OCR operations, and the occurrence of other problems. For example, a character to be scanned may be so small that a large corner appears when the size is normalized, and a correct outline can not be extracted when noise carried by one dot reflects in the vertical and horizontal directions.
It is very important in such cases that smoothing be performed in order to avoid the possibility that the character recognition rate will be reduced.

High speed outline smoothing method and apparatus including the operation of shifting bits of the current, preceding, and succeeding lines left and right

International Business Machines Corporation


A bearing structure which is cooperated with a shaft and is disposed in a bearing tube comprises an oil bearing and a cylindrical sealing member. The oil bearing has an axial hole. The shaft passes through the axial hole. The cylindrical sealing member covers a top surface and at least a portion of a sidewall of the oil bearing. The cylindrical sealing member has a through hole defined in its center. The shaft passes through the through hole.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a fan, a motor and a bearing structure thereof, and in particular, to a fan, a motor and a bearing structure thereof capable of preventing oil leakage.
2. Related Art
Many apparatuses (e.g., fans) use motors to transmit power. Accordingly, the quality of the motor greatly influences the quality of the apparatus. If the motor works unstably, the operation of the overall apparatus will be inevitably influenced. The bearing in the motor is one of the key factors to influence the quality of the motor.
The conventional motor frequently uses a ball bearing. However, the ball bearing has a high cost, cannot resist the impact of exterior force, and cannot provide the sufficient lubrication while rotating at a high speed. Thus, the prior art uses an oil bearing to replace the ball bearing. However, when the oil bearing is mounted on a bearing tube, a sufficient combining force has to be applied to prevent the axial detachment of the shaft. The combining force is directly applied to the oil bearing to make the aperture in the oil bearing shrink. Thus, the wear between the shaft and the oil bearing becomes serious, and the lifetime of the product is shortened.
The typical oil bearing is made of a porous material, in which a plurality of micro voids is formed and lubrication oil is contained therein. When a shaft is rotating in the oil bearing, the capillary phenomenon of the micro voids draws the lubrication oil into a gap between the shaft and the oil bearing, thereby lubricating the shaft and the oil bearing. However, because the shaft wears against the oil bearing for a long period of time, the lubrication oil evaporates and transforms at the high temperature and thus influences the lubrication function of the oil bearing. When the motor operates in an upside-down manner, the lubrication oil leaks from the gap between the shaft and the oil bearing due to gravity and cannot be recycled, causing insufficient lubrication.
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional oil bearing 10 has an axial hole 101 for telescoping a shaft 11 therein. The oil bearing 10 is disposed in a bearing tube 12 of a stator seat. Because a top surface 102 of the oil bearing 10 directly contacts the air on the outside, the lubrication oil, which is driven by the rotating shaft 11, leaks to the outside from the top surface 102 of the oil bearing 10, the gap between the oil bearing 10 and the shaft 11, and the gap between the oil bearing 10 and the bearing tube 12. In particular, when the oil bearing 10 is used in an upside-down manner, the leakage condition becomes more serious such that the lifetime of the oil bearing 10 is shortened. Alternatively, the resultant lack of lubrication oil causes the overall operation to become rough, or causes the oil bearing to become damaged by the frictional force between the shaft and the oil bearing.
In order to solve this problem, as shown in FIG. 2, an annular flat baffle 13 is disposed on the top surface 102 of the oil bearing 10 in the prior art so as to interrupt the leakage path of the lubrication oil. However, the effect of this method is limited. The lubrication oil still leaks outward from the gap between the oil bearing 10 and the shaft 11, the gap between the baffle 13 and the shaft 11 and the gap between the oil bearing 10 and the bearing tube 12.
Thus, it is desired to provide a fan, a motor and a bearing structure thereof capable of effectively preventing the problem of oil leakage and thus lengthening the lifetime of the fan, motor and oil bearing.

Fan, motor and bearing structure thereof