A dual-port memory circuit includes a memory cell having a pair of nodes, a first port having a first pair of bit lines and a first word line connected to said memory cell, and a second port having a second pair of bit lines and a second word line connected to said memory cell. A detection circuit detects that data is written from one of the first and second ports in a state where the memory cell is selected by both the first and second ports. A control circuit decreases a potential of one of the nodes in response to a detection output of the detection circuit.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to semiconductor integrated storage devices, and more particularly to a dual-port type semiconductor integrated memory circuit.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
There is an increasing need for improvements in the functions and performance of electronic devices. The cost of semiconductor integrated circuit chips has become cheaper and cheaper. As a result, in many cases, a plurality of CPUs (Central Processing Units) are installed in a system in which an entire load of the system is decentralized to the CPUs. In such a system, a dual-port memory is widely used. The dual-port memory has a write port and a read port, and examples thereof are a first-in first-out memory (FIFO) memory and a last-in first-out memory (LIFO).
FIG. 1A is a block diagram of a conventional system having a dual-port memory. As shown in FIG. 1A, a dual-port memory DPM is interposed between two CPUs, labeled CPU.sub.L and CPU.sub.R, and used in common thereto. THe dual-port memory DPM receives address control information and read/write control information from the CPU.sub.L via a control line L1, and sends and reads data to and from the CPU.sub.L via a data bus DB1. Simultaneously, the dual-port memory DPM receives address control information and read/write control information from the CPU.sub.R via a control line L2, and sends and reads data to and from the CPU.sub.R via a data bus DB2. During the above operation, the two CPUs can independently access the dual-port memory DPM without recognizing each other.
The system shown in FIG. 1A is applied to, for example, an instrument. In this case, a peripheral device for use in the instrument is connected to the CPU.sub.L, which receives data from the peripheral device and writes the data into the dual-port memory DPM. A peripheral device used to output the measured data is connected to the CPU.sub.R, which processes the data read out from the dual-port memory DPM and outputs it to the peripheral device. In this manner, the entire process comprising of the measurement process and the output process are shared by the two CPUs, and hence each of the CPUs processes a reduced load at an increased speed.
FIG. 1B is a block diagram of the dual-port memory DPM shown in FIG. 1A. Individual circuits other than a memory cell array 10 are separately provided with a left port and a right port. The left and right ports can independently access the memory cell array 10. An address signal consisting of bits A.sub.0L -A.sub.nL is applied to a left address buffer 31 via the left port, and some of the bits are transferred to a left-row-decoder 21, which selects a specified row. The remaining bits of the address signal are output to a left-column decoder 23, which selects a specified column. In this manner, at least one specified memory cell becomes electrically connected to a left I/O (Input/Output) circuit 25, and thereby data can be written into or read out from the specified memory cell. Control signals /CS.sub.L and /WE.sub.L applied to the left port control a left I/O buffer 33 and thereby data can be written into or read out from the specified memory cell via the left I/O circuit 25. It will be noted that a "/" denotes a low-active signal and corresponds to a "bar" attached above the top of the reference indicating the signal. With respect to the right port, there are provided a right address buffer 32, a right row decoder 22, a right column decoder 24, a right I/O circuit 26 and a right I/O buffer 34, all which operate in the same manner as the corresponding elements in the left port.
In order to establish the above-mentioned independent memory access operations, each memory cell of the dual-port memory DPM is configured as shown in FIG. 1C. Load elements 12 and 13 are made of, for example, high-resistance polysilicon. MOSFETs (Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors) 14 and 15 are cross connected to each other. The four structural elements 12-15 form a flip-flop 11, which stores data in the same manner as in the single-port static memory. In the dual-port memory, two data transfer means are connected to the flip-flop 11. More specifically, one of the two gates of the flip-flop is connected to left-port bit lines BL.sub.L and /BL.sub.L via a pair of transistors 16 and 17 connected to a left-port row select line WL.sub.L. In the same manner as the above, the other gate of the flip-flop is connected to right-port bit BL.sub.R and /BL.sub.R via a pair of transistors 18 and 19 respectively connected to a right-port row select line WL.sub.R. With the above structure, it becomes possible to independently access the memory cell array 10 via the left and right ports.
Generally, in order to transfer data between two devices operating at different bit rates, a rate buffer is provided between the two devices. For example, in order to transfer data processed by the CPU to a printer, a buffer is provided because the bit rate of the CPU is much higher than that of the printer. The buffer temporarily stores data from the CPU, and the stored data is read out therefrom so that the transfer bit rate matches that of the printer. Generally, such a buffer is formed with an FIFO memory.
The FIFO memory is formed as shown in FIG. 1D. The FIFO memory specified by reference numeral 40 comprises of the aforementioned memory cell array 10, a write circuit 41, a write pointer 42, a read circuit 43 and a read pointer 44. A write clock signal /W is input to the write pointer 42, which sequentially generates information indicating the memory cell into which data should be written. That is, the write pointer 42 generates a write address signal in accordance with the write clock signal /W. The write circuit 41 writes input data applied to a terminal Din into the specified memory cell.
A read clock signal /R is input to the read pointer 44, which sequentially generates information showing the memory cell from which data should be read out. That is, the read pointer 44 generates a read address signal in accordance with the read clock signal /R. The read circuit 43 reads data from the memory cell specified by the read pointer 44, and outputs the readout data to a terminal Dout. Reset signals /RST are input to the write pointer 42 and the read pointer 44, which are reset so as to show address "zero" in response to the respective reset signals /RST. Each of the write and read pointers 42 and 44 is formed with a counter, which counts the number of pulses. For example, the write pointer 42 counts the number of pulses contained in the write clock signal /W after it is reset. The read pointer 44 counts the number of pulses contained in the read clock signal /R after it is reset. It will be noted that the read pointer 44 starts to operate after the write pointer 42 starts to operate. With this operation, it is possible to prevent the counter value of the read pointer 44 from exceeding that of the write pointer 42.
A description will now be given, with reference to FIG. 2A, of the write operation of the dual-port memory DPM. In FIG. 2A, parts which are the same as those shown in FIGS. 1A through 1D are given the same reference numerals. Load transistors 51-54 are connected to pairs of bit lines BL and /BL in the respective ports (BL.sub.L, /BL.sub.L ; BL.sub.R, BL.sub.R), and maintain these bit lines at a predetermined level. Load transistors 59-62 are connected to the pairs of data lines DB and /DB in the respective ports (DB.sub.L, /DB.sub.L ; DB.sub.R, /DB.sub.R), and maintain these data lines at a predetermined level. Transistors 55-58 for use in column selection are interposed between the pairs of bit lines BL and /BL and the pairs of data lines DB and DB in the respective ports. The transistors 55 and 56 are controlled by a column select signal Y.sub.L, and the transistors 57 and 58 are controlled by a column select line Y.sub.R. Sense amplifiers (not shown in FIG. 2A for the sake of simplicity) in the read circuit 43 are connected to the respective pairs of data lines, and sense the differences between the respective pairs of data lines. The write circuit 42 is connected to the data lines, and controls the write operation in the memory cells. In order to explain the write operation via the right port with reference to FIG. 2A, only a related write circuit part (comprising of transistors 63-66) is shown in FIG. 2A.
It will now be assumed in FIG. 2A that data "H" is written into a selected cell via the right port and the left port does not select a row on which the write operation is being carried out. That is, a "H"-level signal is applied to the word line WL.sub.R, and a "L"-level signal is applied to the word line WL.sub.L. In order to write ("H" representing a high output) into the selected cell, "H" is applied to an input node IN.sub.R, and ("L" representing a low output) is applied to an input node /IN.sub.R. At this time, the transistors 63 and 66 of the write circuit are ON, and the transistors 64 and 65 thereof are OFF. Hence, the level of the data line DB.sub.R switches to "H", and the level of the data line /DB.sub.R switches to "L". The respective levels of the data lines DB.sub.R and /DB.sub.R are transferred to the bit lines BL.sub.R and /BL.sub.R via the transistors 57 and 58, respectively, and hence the levels of the bit lines BL.sub.R and /BL.sub.R switch to "H" and "L", respectively. Hence, a node C of the memory cell 11 switches to "H" and a node /C thereof switches to "L", so that the transistors 15 and 14 are turned ON and OFF, respectively. In this manner, data "H" is written into the memory cell 11. In this state, the level of the bit line /BL.sub.R when it is switched to "L" is a floating level with respect to the ground level due to load currents I1 and I2 from the transistors 54 and 62, respectively. However, there is a slight difference between the floating level and the ground level because normally the transconductance values gm of the load transistors 54 and 62 are set to be smaller than that of the transistor 66 for use in data writing. Generally, such a slight difference is equal to hundreds of millivolts. During the data write operation, the floating level is written into the node /C of the cell via the transfer transistor 19. This floating level is a level which is enough to turn OFF the other cross-coupled transistor 14. Hence, a stable write operation can be carried out.
In the case where the right and left ports select the different rows, data is written into the dual-port memory in the same manner as in the case of the single-port memory. This means that a special problem does not occur. However, a problem will take place if the right and left ports select the same row. This problem will be described below with reference to FIG. 2B.
The operation executed when the same rows are selected via the right and left ports is different from the operation executed when the different rows are selected in that the row select line WL.sub.L in the left port is maintained at the "H" level. Hence, a current is generated which flows from the load transistor 52 connected to the bit line /BL.sub.L of the left port to the node /C of the memory cell via the transfer transistor 17 of the left port. If the right and left ports select not only the same row but also the same column, the column select transistor 56 of the left port is ON, and hence a current flows from the load transistor 60 of the left port to the node /C of the memory cell. The above-mentioned currents flowing to the node /C of the memory cell from the left port are absorbed, through the transfer transistor 19 of the right port and the column select transistor 58 of the right port, by the transistor 66 which is a structural element of the right-port write circuit. In this manner, the transistor 66 of the write circuit must absorb a larger amount of load current when the same column and the same row are selected by the left and right ports. Further, the level of the node /C of the memory cell is a level obtained by dividing the difference between the levels of the bit lines /BL.sub.L and /BL.sub.R by the ratio of the transconductance values of the transistors 17 and 19. Generally, the transistor 17 has the same channel length and channel width as those of the transistor 19. Hence, the level of the node /C is high with respect to the ground level, being equal to, for example, 1.5 V. This level of the node /C does not make the transistor 14 turn OFF, and hence the write operation is unstable.

Dual-port type semiconductor integrated memory circuit


The present invention provides for novel methods and kits for reducing the complexity of a nucleic acid sample to interrogate a collection of target sequences. In one embodiment complexity reduction can be accomplished by extension of a locus specific capture probe followed by amplification of the extended capture probe using common primers. The locus specific capture probes may be attached to a solid support. Multiple DNA sequences may be amplified simultaneously to produce a reduced complexity sample. The invention further provides for analysis of the above sample to interrogate sequences of interest such as polymorphisms. The amplified sample may be hybridized to an array, which may be specifically designed to interrogate the desired fragments for the presence or absence of a polymorphism.

The past years have seen a dynamic change in the ability of science to comprehend vast amounts of data. Pioneering technologies such as nucleic acid arrays allow scientists to delve into the world of genetics in far greater detail than ever before. Exploration of genomic DNA has long been a dream of the scientific community. Held within the complex structures of genomic DNA lies the potential to identify, diagnose, or treat diseases like cancer, Alzheimer disease or alcoholism. Exploitation of genomic information from plants and animals may also provide answers to the world's food distribution problems.
Recent efforts in the scientific community, such as the publication of the draft sequence of the human genome in February 2001, have changed the dream of genome exploration into a reality. Genome-wide assays, however, must contend with the complexity of genomes; the human genome for example is estimated to have a complexity of 3×109 base pairs. Novel methods of sample preparation and sample analysis that reduce complexity may provide for the fast and cost effective exploration of complex samples of nucleic acids, particularly genomic DNA.
Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) have emerged as the marker of choice for genome wide association studies and genetic linkage studies. Building SNP maps of the genome will provide the framework for new studies to identify the underlying genetic basis of complex diseases such as cancer, mental illness and diabetes. Due to the wide ranging applications of SNPs there is still a need for the development of robust, flexible, cost-effective technology platforms that allow for scoring genotypes in large numbers of samples.

Complexity management of genomic DNA by locus specific amplification


A cylinder injection valve that injects fuel inside a cylinder and an intake passage injection valve that injects fuel inside an intake passage are provided. When it is determined that deposit greater than or equal to a predetermined amount accumulates, the fuel is forcibly injected by the cylinder injection valve (deposit removing control). The deposit removing control is performed when a pressure of the fuel supplied to the cylinder injection valve is greater than or equal to a predetermined value and an engine load is relatively high. On the other hand, the deposit removing control is not performed when the pressure of the fuel supplied to the cylinder injection valve is greater than or equal to the predetermined value and the engine load is low.

Conventionally, as a gasoline internal combustion engine (hereinafter also referred to as "engine") that is mounted, for example, on a vehicle, a so-called dual injection type engine is known, which has a dual injection system that includes a cylinder injection valve and an intake passage injection valve. Such a dual injection type engine has a problem that deposit is formed and accumulates on the cylinder injection valve, at an injection hole that faces a combustion chamber in a cylinder so as to be exposed to combustion gas having a high temperature.
To address the above problem, in a fuel injection device described in Patent Document 1, when only a port-injection injector (intake passage injection valve) is used due to, for example, duration of a low load operation such as an idling for a predetermined time period or longer, it is determined that the deposit greater than or equal to a predetermined amount accumulates on a cylinder-injection injector (cylinder injection valve). Then, even if the operation state is supposed to use the port-injection injector, the fuel is injected forcibly by the cylinder-injection injector so as to remove the deposit that accumulates on the injection hole (deposit removing control).

Fuel injection device for internal combustion engine


Recycling energy in a clock distribution network is provided. A method includes creating a resonant clocking circuit including a clock grid. The method further includes providing resonant structures distributed in the clock grid. The method further includes providing switches that control the resonant structures to switch between a non-resonant mode and a resonant mode. The method further includes determining a switch size that minimizes power consumption of the resonant clocking circuit by iteratively increasing sizes of the switches and, for each iterative increase in size, determining power consumed by the resonant clocking circuit.

Integrated circuits (large scale, very large scale, etc., including system-on-chip (SOC) configurations) employ one or more master (i.e., primary) clock signals to synchronize logic operations. Clock distribution systems distribute master clock signals from sources of periodic signals to circuit destination nodes. To synchronize operations of integrated circuits, the clock distribution systems are designed such that the clock transitions (i.e., rising edges and/or falling edges) at each destination node within the integrated circuit occur substantially simultaneously. However, variations in the clock signal occur at different nodes due to physical features of the clock distribution system (e.g., distance from the source and performance variations of components). These clock signal variations are called "skew." If the design of a clock distribution system results in skew that exceeds margins permitted by timing requirements of the integrated circuit's design, the integrated circuit may not function as intended.
Further, the clock distribution system consumes a large portion of the total system power of the integrated circuit. Resonant clocking is a technique that reduces the power required to drive the clock distribution system by recycling energy using coupled LC (inductance and capacitance) oscillator circuits which are incorporated in the clock distribution system. Oscillations of resonant clocking systems are tuned to specific frequencies. As such, integrated circuits (e.g., processors) that operate at different frequencies must be able to enable and disable resonant clocking.

Setting switch size and transition pattern in a resonant clock distribution system


The thermosetting coating composition in a powdery form, includes (a) a binder resin prepared by the steps comprising preparing a starting material monomer mixture of two different polymerization reactions, each of the polymerization reaction being carried out in an independent reaction path, and then concurrently carrying out both of the two different polymerization reactions in one reaction vessel; (b) a colorant; and (c) a crosslinking agent. The coating film is prepared by curing the above thermosetting coating composition.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermosetting coating composition in a powdery form, and a coating film prepared by curing the above coating composition. More specifically, the present invention relatives to a thermosetting coating composition in a powdery form comprising, as the main components, two or more resinous components chemically bonded to each other or suitably dispersed therein, and a coating film prepared by curing the above coating composition.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
The resin materials usable in the preparation of powder coating may be roughly classified to thermosetting resins and thermoplastic resins. When a thermoplastic powder coating is applied, heat is supplied to a powder coating on the base material (undercoating), to thereby melt particles of the powder coating, so that the particles are made flowable to form a levelled coating film.
On the other hand, when compared to coating films prepared from a thermoplastic resin, a coating film prepared from a thermosetting resin is generally more tough and more resistant to solvents and detergents, and shows better adhesion to metal base materials, so that the coating film prepared from a thermosetting resin does not undergo softening when exposed at a high temperature. However, aside from the desired properties mentioned above, the curing of the thermosetting resin coating film gives rise to the following problems in order to obtain a coating film having good levelling property and flexibility.
In other words, the coating films prepared from the thermosetting resin powders are likely to be cured or solidified upon heat application before the formation of a levelled coating film, thereby giving a relatively rough finish which is often referred to as "orange peel" surface. In such a case, the coating film substantially has no gloss or luster on the orange peel surface. In order to solve the problem of the orange peel surface, proposals have been made to use thermosetting resin coatings using an organic solvent as a dilution agent. However, in these thermosetting resin coatings, the organic solvents are evaporated and released to the air, which gives rise to undesirable environmental and safety problems.
Besides having good gloss, high impact strength, and high resistance to solvents and chemicals, the coating films prepared from the thermosetting resin coatings have to have excellent flexibility. For instance, metallic sheets are designed to be molded by deflection or bending at various angles in the manufacturing of automobiles, etc., and it is essential to have good flexibility in the thermosetting resin coating film.
In order to meet such demands, U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,924, of which the disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a particular crystalline polyester useful for the powder coating composition. Also, WO 89/65320, of which the disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, discloses a powder coating composition comprising an amorphous polyester, a semi-crystalline polyester, and a polyisocyanate crosslinking agent.
However, coating films prepared from these powder coating compositions disclosed above do not have a sufficient level of weatherability.
An object of the present invention is to provide a thermosetting coating composition which gives excellent gloss, levelling property, chroma, and weatherability in the resulting coating film prepared therefrom, and also gives an excellent storage stability in the resulting coating.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a coating film prepared from the above thermosetting coating composition.
These and other objects of the present invention will be apparent from the following description.


A system for provisioning competitive local exchange carrier customers includes a server operatively linked with a CLEC, a provisioning agent and an ILEC. The server receives customer information from an agent or other order initiator. The server stores in a database ILEC identification information, CLEC identification information, plan information, the received customer information and order initiator information. The customer information is transmitted by the server to the CLEC. An ILEC is selected for said customer as a function of the customer and plan. The server determines whether a selected plan is available for the customer corresponding to the customer information and ILEC. The server transmits the customer information and plan information to the ILEC if the plan is available for that customer from the selected ILEC. The server also transmits all of the special feature block codes and USOCs associated with the plan.

1. Field of Invention
This invention is directed to a method and apparatus for provisioning of service orders by competitive local exchange carriers, and more particularly to a method and apparatus which allows order initiators such as sales agents to process new customers for a variety of telephone plans and telephone companies.
2. Background
It is known in the art to provide local phone service to telephone end users utilizing competitive local exchange carriers (CLEC). These local phone companies provide connection between the customer and the incumbent local exchange carrier (ILEC). The ILEC is the traditional regional phone company and provides the traditional telephone service, including long distance in some cases. By virtue of the Telecommunications Act of 1996, the CLEC is authorized to resell the services of the ILEC to telephone end users. The CLEC becomes the de facto sales force for the ILEC as well as the virtual local phone company as it appears to the consumer.
As a result of government regulation, at both the federal and state levels, as well as a variety of service classes and telephone line features which can be offered (one or more of call waiting, caller ID, missed call callback, voice mail, and the like), each individual ILEC may offer a number of different service classes as a function of telephone line features offered by the ILEC in particular geographic areas, as well as a function of governmental ILEC regulation and technological capabilities. Accordingly, the various service classes and telephone line features offered by ILECs may not only be different between competitive ILECs, but an individual ILEC may offer a variety of service classes and features as a function of price, or customer location within the region. ILECs have developed a number of proprietary codes to identify each of their various service classes and telephone line features. Furthermore, state regulation may cause ILECs and therefore CLECs to offer different plans at different pricing to different customers even if located in the same geographic or demographic sales area.
Many CLECs utilize agents to enlist customers. The agents do the service order taking (obtaining of the information and providing the information regarding a type of service to the CLEC) for each customer. These orders are relayed to the CLEC so that an order may be initiated. For this, the agent receives a commission. The commission is a function of at least one of the type of plan, the policy of the CLEC, the number of plans sold by the agent (either in quantity or dollar value) or any other contractual arrangement between the agent and the CLEC. For example, the commission may be a percentage of the sale price of the contract, or may be a flat fee.
The prior art system was satisfactory, however, it suffered from the disadvantage that the process was complex and susceptible to human error. The provisioning of service orders is a cumbersome process in which the order initiator, usually an agent or employee of the CLEC, must be cognizant of a myriad of business rules, USOC codes, ILEC service class codes, service block codes and feature block codes. Therefore, even if the order initiator has extensive training, given the numerous ordering rules, the opportunity for human error is immense.
Furthermore, the prior art provisioning system requires that the order initiator, reenter customer name and address data from the CLEC billing engine or CRM software to an ILEC, enabling transcription errors. This factor is further compounded by the multiple ILECs for which the CLEC might be a reseller. Each ILEC has discrete and varying ordering system interfaces which the CLECs must use to provision orders.
The sales agents are often small neighborhood shops, having employees unsophisticated with CLEC or ILEC operations. These agents typically place orders with CLECs by telephoning a CLEC customer service representative and verbally conveying the order information, including customer name and address and plan type. This information must then be reentered into the ILEC provisioning system by the CLEC including providing the proper ILEC codes.
In many cases, the customers referred by agents are prepaying for service. Given the prepayment status of the end customer, the agent takes payment directly from the customer and then telephones a CLEC customer service representative to advise of the payment. At a later date, the CLEC will then collect the payment from the agent via mail or physical cash collection. As a result, there are delays in cash flow as well as transcription errors in posting and collection.
Accordingly, a system and method for overcoming the shortcomings of the prior art is desired.

System and method for provisioning competitive local exchange carrier customers


The invention relates to a microporous membrane, which is provided with high safety even under a condition that the interior temperature of a battery becomes high, and which has high permeability and high mechanical strength at the same time.

Microporous membranes made of polyolefin, such as polyethylene and polypropylene, have been used as separators for batteries such as lithium ion secondary batteries, wherein non-aqueous electrolytic solutions are used. Such a polyolefin separator is known to have high chemical resistance and moreover shutdown function, by which the micropores are blocked up at a temperature close to the melting point of a material due to melting thereof. Therefore, the separator can also play the role of a safety element that, when an abnormal reaction occurs in a battery to raise the battery temperature, terminates the battery reaction by shutdown so as to prevent the battery temperature from rising abnormally. From the viewpoint of the shutdown function, a polyethylene separator having a low melting point is more advantageous. Thus, JP-A-5-25305, JP-A-8-64194 and JP-A-8-29174 disclose techniques where a low density polyethylene having a low melting point is mixed into a high density polyethylene, thereby lowering the shutdown temperature.
On the other hand, when the interior temperature of the battery becomes high, the separator arranged between the electrodes may be ruptured or shrink, so that the electrodes may be contacted with each other, thereby causing an inner electrical short. For the purpose of avoiding such a trouble and keeping the geometry unchanged without rupture of the membrane up to a high temperature, various techniques are disclosed. For example, JP-A-4-126352 and JP-A-5-234578 disclose a blend of polyethylene and polypropylene, and JP-A-7-304110 discloses the lamination of a polyethylene separator and a polypropylene separator.
However, if the heat shrinking force and the heat shrinking percentage in a vertical direction toward the winding direction of a laminate of electrodes and a separator (in other words, in a transverse direction to the separator) are large, a phenomenon occurs that the separator shrinks and goes inside the electrodes when the interior temperature of the battery becomes high. As a result, the electrodes are exposed at both ends of plus and minus electrodes to cause an inner electrical short. Since the battery safety is not ensured for this reason, a further improvement has been desired.
Further, for the purpose of controlling the inner electrical short that may occur when the interior temperature of the battery becomes high, a temperature at which the separator is broken through is important as well as the heat shrinkage properties thereof. The separator becomes susceptible to be broken through by projections, such as electrodes, when exposed to a high temperature, thereby causing the inner electrical short. On the contrary, when the separator is hardly broken through even under a high temperature condition, it is possible to control the inner electrical short and ensure the battery safety. In particular, such a break through temperature of the separator becomes more important for battery safety as the battery capacity becomes higher and the separator becomes thinner.
Accordingly, the property that a temperature at which the pores of the separator are blocked up is low, or the property that the temperature at which the membrane is ruptured is high, alone is hardly able to inhibit the inner electrical short that occurs under a condition where the interior temperature of the battery becomes high and thus to ensure the safety. Hence, it important for the separator that the break through temperature is high and the shrinking force and shrinking percentage in the transverse direction are low under a high temperature condition.
In addition to the above-mentioned safety attributes, properties required for the separator for batteries are high permeability and high strength. For example, JP-A-2-21559 discloses a technique for preparing a separator for batteries by heat-mixing polyethylene having a viscosity average molecular weight of not higher than 300,000 and polyethylene having a viscosity average molecular weight of not lower than 1,000,000 in a good solvent to form a gel film; removing the solvent; and then uniaxially or biaxially stretching the gel film to obtain a separator. However, the disclosure of the specification thereof is actually limited only to a separator obtained through uniaxial stretching, and its porosity (in the present invention, this is defined as void content) is 80% and its strength is pretty low. In addition, the techniques disclosed in JP-A-2-94356 and JP-A-5-21050 are also related to uniaxial stretching in the machine direction.
When a membrane is highly oriented only in a single direction like the membranes obtained through uniaxial stretching as disclosed in those literatures, only membranes which are easily torn, low in piercing strength at ambient temperature and also low in the break through temperature can be obtained.
JP-A-5-318585 discloses a technique, in which a high molecular weight polyethylene having an intrinsic viscosity [η] of 5 or more is used and a membrane is prepared through a biaxial stretching carried out so as to obtain strength in the machine direction higher than that in the transverse direction. The technique comprises carrying out the transverse stretching and the longitudinal stretching in this order, and the magnifying power of the longitudinal stretching is larger than that of the transverse stretching. Therefore, even when the longitudinal stretching is carried out after the extraction of any plasticizer while keeping the length in the transverse direction constant, closure of the pores upon longitudinal stretching cannot be prevented from occurring. As a result, a sufficient permeability can hardly be obtained. Moreover, the piercing strength is low and the break through temperature is low, because of high orientation in the machine direction.
In a technique disclosed in JP-A-11-322989, a microporous membrane, which is low in its transverse shrinkage, and a method for the production thereof are included. However, the disclosure of the specification thereof is limited only to a membrane, which is high in its porosity and low in its piercing strength. Further, the membranes disclosed therein are those obtained through uniaxial stretching, and therefore its break through temperature is low.
JP-A-2003-119306 discloses a microporous membrane, which is low in its transverse shrinkage under high temperature conditions, and a method for the production thereof. The disclosure of the specification thereof is limited only to the lowering of shrinkage, and there is no mention of the strength of the microporous membrane under conditions including high temperature conditions. Further, the examples described therein only illustrate microporous membranes, which are high in gas transmission rate. In such microporous membranes, the low gas transmission rate, the high strength and the high break through temperature, as defined in the present invention, can barely be achieved at the same time.
As mentioned above, a microporous membrane having high permeability and high strength, which is provided with high safety when used as a separator for batteries even under high temperature conditions has not been obtained hitherto.
An object of the present invention is to provide a microporous membrane having high permeability and high strength, which is provided with high safety when used as a separator for a battery even under high temperature conditions.

Polyolefin microporous membrane and method of evaluating the same

Abstract: The polyolefin microporous membrane is characterized by a membrane thickness of 5 to 50 μm, a void content of 30 to 60%, a gas transmission rate of 40 to 300 sec/100 cc/20 μm, a piercing strength of not less than 2.5 N/20 μm and a break through temperature of not lower than 110° C.

Abstract: The separator in accordance with the present invention is used to exhibit high safety under a high temperature condition as well as high permeability, and therefore it is particularly useful as a separator for miniaturized high capacity batteries of a non-aqueous electrolytic solution type.


An acoustic echo suppression circuit is provided in a hands-free communication unit. The suppression circuit includes a variable loss circuit which is responsive to noise detection circuits. If the acoustic echo canceler fails to remove all environmental noise, the detection circuits enable the variable loss circuit to suppress the residual noise.

This invention relates to an acoustic echo suppression circuit and, more particularly, to an art of acoustic echo suppression for cancelling residual echo signals which have been left unremoved by an echo canceller.
A conventional hands-free communication unit using a microphone and a loud speaker has been applied to a wide variety of fields such as a speaker phone system, a teleconferencing system, a phone conference system, cellular phone system used in an automobile or the like.
The hands-free communication unit allows two parties to communicate with each other bilaterally by collecting a talker's voice signal through a microphone and amplifying the received voice signal through a loud speaker. The received voice signal amplified through the loud speaker is likely to be collected by the microphone, causing the howling effect. Additionally an acoustic echo is caused by reflection of the talker's or receiver's voice or transmission delay under a certain communication environment. Therefore this hands-free communication unit requires to eliminate such howling effect as well as removing the acoustic echo.
The Japanese Patent Publication Laid-Open No. 14476 (1993) titled "Speaker Phone Unit" discloses a hands-free communication unit using an echo canceller for removing the acoustic echo and howling effect. The above speaker phone unit comprises an acoustic echo/howling canceller for removing an acoustic echo and howling effect, respectively and a channel echo/howling canceller constructed in the same way as in the acoustic echo/howling canceller. The acoustic echo/howling canceller removes acoustic echoes of the voice signals collected by a microphone. The channel echo/howling canceller removes channel echo and howling caused by wraparound of a hybrid circuit. As a result, this system keeps its communication quality from deterioration caused by a channel echo resulted from the received voice signal returning to a hybrid circuit and a peripheral noise such as the noise accompanied with running of the automobile, external noise or background noise.
The above speaker phone unit assumes transfer characteristics of the acoustic echo based on the received voice signal through the acoustic echo canceller and cancels the acoustic echo of the sounds collected by the microphone. For example, in the cellular phone system in an automobile, when the peripheral noise such as a wind blast accompanied with running of the automobile becomes louder, the microphone collects such peripheral noise as well as the acoustic echo therein, which is input to the acoustic echo canceller. The acoustic canceller fails to cancel the signal having transfer characteristics other than those assumed, thus leaving the residual echo unremoved and deteriorating communication quality.

Hands-free communication unit having residual acoustic echo suppression means for suppressing residual echoes which have been left unremoved by an echo canceller, a bilateral communication system and a method for suppressing residual echoes


Briefly stated, the present invention provides a vertical current flow semiconductor device (17). The vertical current flow semiconductor device (17) includes a semiconductor substrate (12) having an intermediate conductor layer (16) on a surface of the substrate (12). An active layer (11) that is used for forming active elements (20, 21, 22, 23) of the vertical current flow semiconductor device (17) is on the intermediate conductor layer (16). The intermediate conductor layer (16) forms an ohmic contact with the active layer (11).

The present invention relates, in general, to semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to a novel method of manufacturing a vertical current flow semiconductor device.
In recent years, a class of power semiconductor devices typically referred to as an insulated gate bipolar transistor (IGBT) had been developed by the semiconductor industry. Of particular interest had been an enhanced insulated gate bipolar transistor (EIGBT).
Previous methods for creating enhanced insulating gate bipolar transistors (EIGBTs) typically involved forming a series of P and N regions in a checkerboard pattern on one surface of a semiconductor wafer, growing an epitaxial layer to cover the P and N regions, and diffusing a field effect transistor structure in the epitaxial region above the P and N areas. The EIGBT's drain electrode was a conductor that electrically connected the P and N regions. The drain electrode was created by first removing material from the wafer surface opposite the P and N regions until the P and N regions were exposed. Then the drain electrode was formed by covering the exposed P and N regions with a conductor. Because a large amount of material had to be removed from the wafer before the P and N regions were exposed, the resulting wafer typically had a thickness of approximately 100 to 130 microns. Such thin wafers were difficult to handle in a wafer processing area and resulted in a high incidence of wafer breakage thereby increasing the EIGBT's cost. To ensure that the removal procedures did not inadvertently obliterate the P and N regions, the regions typically were formed with a thickness of approximately 50 microns. Formation of such deeply diffused regions required diffusing at temperatures of approximately 1250 degrees centigrade for approximately 50 hours which resulted in a high manufacturing cost. Additionally, the removal operations utilized to expose the P and N regions had wide tolerances that resulted in non-uniform thickness of the P and N areas. The P and N thickness variations resulted in EIGBTs that had widely varying operating characteristics such as source-drain voltage drop, maximum drain current, and turn-off time.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a method for producing EIGBTs that uses thick wafers that are easy to handle, that has a low manufacturing cost, and that results in EIGBTs with consistent operating characteristics.

Vertical current flow semiconductor device utilizing wafer bonding


A handle tool with high sensitive electronic strain measurement comprises a driving portion for driving an object; a handle connected to the driving portion; the handle having an integrating element; a first groove and a second groove being formed at two sides of the handle and are near the driving portion; a length of the first groove being greater than that of the second groove; a strain gauge being embedded in the first groove; the strain gauge being electrically connected to the integrating element; the strain gauge being deformable with the deformation of handle of the tool body; the twisting force applied to the handle being calculated by the integrating element. A display and at least one adjusting button are installed on the integrating element; the display serves for displaying the twisting force calculated on by the integrating element and the adjusting button serves to change the display unit or calibration or reset.

In some prior art tool bodies, strain gauges are installed for getting the twisting forces applied to the tool body. However generally, theses strain gauges have no sufficient sensitivities for providing a precise twisting force value. Thereby it will cause that the tool body with precise control cannot be used.
In one improvement, the tool body is formed with a round recess and the strain gauge is installed in the recess. However since the recess has a round shape and the strain gauge is installed at a center of the recess, but is operation, the stresses of the tool body are concentrated on the lateral wall of the recess and thus as a result, the deformation of the strain gauge is smaller and thus it cannot provide a precise value about the measured twisting force. Thereby this way can be effectively increase the sensitivity of the strain gauge.
In another improvement, U.S. Pat. No. 4,006,629, two sides of a handle tool are formed with grooves and four strain gauges are installed in the grooves. However in the patent, a conductive wire for a display of the handle tool is exposed out. It is easy to be collided or broken so as to make the strain gauges cannot work. Thereby the structure is complicated and four strain gauges are used. These all increase the cost of the handle tool.

Handle tool with high sensitive electronic strain measurement


An LED lamp includes a rectifier, an integrated circuit and a string of series-connected LEDs. The lamp receives an incoming AC signal such that a rectified version of the signal is present across the LED string. The integrated circuit includes a plurality of power switches. Each power switch is coupled so that it can separately and selectably short out a corresponding one of several groups of LEDs in the string. As the voltage across the string increases the integrated circuit controls the power switches such that the number of LEDs through which current flows increases, whereas as the voltage across the string decreases the integrated circuit controls the power switches such that the number of LEDs through which current flows decreases. LED string current flow is controlled and regulated to provide superior efficiency, reliability, anti-flicker, regulation against line voltage variations, power factor correction, and lamp over-voltage, over-current, and over-temperature protection.

Light-Emitting Diodes or "LEDs" are increasingly being used for general lighting purposes. In one example, a group of so-called white LEDs is powered from an AC power source. The term "AC LED" is sometimes used to refer to such circuits. AC LED circuits that utilize opposing strings of parallel-connected LEDs are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,495,147, 6,830,358, 7,045,965, 7,138,770, 7,264,381, and 7,344,275. AC LED circuits involving bridge-rectified LED strings are described in the following U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,463,280 and 7,276,858. U.S. Patent Application Publication US2007/0008721 shows a network of parallel-connected AC LEDs connected in multiple ways.
FIG. 1 (Prior Art) is a diagram of one AC LED lamp circuit that requires neither an AC-to-DC converter nor a rectifier. Although a DC voltage can be supplied, an AC voltage is typically supplied between input terminals 1 and 2. Terminals 1 and 2 may, for example, be coupled to receive 110VAC line power. If the voltage on terminal 1 is higher than the voltage on terminal 2, then current flows from terminal 1, through current-limiting resistor 3, to node 4, then through a first string of series-connected LEDs 5 to node 6, then through current-limiting resistor 7, and to terminal 2. If the voltage on terminal 1 is lower than the voltage on terminal 2, then current flows in the opposite direction from terminal 2, through current-limiting resistor 7 to node 6, through a second string of series-connected LEDs 8 to node 4, then through current-limiting resistor 3, and to terminal 1.
FIG. 2 (Prior Art) is a diagram of a second AC LED lamp circuit. This circuit employs a full-wave rectifier 9. A DC or AC signal is received on terminals 10 and 11. Terminals 10 and 11 may, for example, be coupled to receive 110VAC line power. On each half-cycle of an incoming AC signal, both LED strings 12 and 13 emit light, but the extra cost of providing the full-wave rectifier 9 is involved. As in the case of the circuit of FIG. 1, current flow is limited by providing current-limiting resistors 14 and 15.
Effective use of the AC LED circuits of FIGS. 1 and 2 generally requires good control and matching of the line AC voltage to the voltage drop across the LEDs to ensure stability, and/or requires adding current-limiting resistors as illustrated to limit the current variation as the line voltage or LED voltage drop changes. A disadvantage of the current-limiting resistor approach is power loss. This power loss results in lower efficiency of the LED lamp and higher heat generation.
In a 110VAC operational example of the circuit of FIG. 2, an effective 625 ohm resistance is disposed in series with the LED strings operating at 110VAC and forty milliamperes RMS. This results in one watt of resistive power loss for a four watt LED lamp. This amounts to a twenty-six percent loss of efficiency. In a 220VAC operational example, an effective 2.5 k ohm resistance is disposed in series with the LED strings operating at 220VAC and twenty milliamperes RMS. This results in one watt of resistive power loss for a four watt LED lamp. This amounts to a twenty-six percent loss of efficiency. Because the RMS voltage drop across the current-limiting resistances is approximately twenty-six percent of the AC line RMS voltage, a ten percent increase in the AC line voltage results in approximately a forty percent increase (10 percent/26 percent) in LED current. This increase in LED current causes seventy percent more power loss across the resistances, causes increased heat dissipation, and causes a roughly fifty percent increase in power consumption. Likewise, a ten percent reduction in line voltage results in an observable thirty-six percent drop in LED current.
To avoid such resistive power losses, capacitor-coupled AC LEDs have been proposed. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,972,528 and 7,489,086 disclose using a capacitor in series with parallel-connected opposing LED pairs for high frequency decoupling. A disadvantage of this approach is the need to provide a high value capacitor. Another disadvantage is its reliance on a stable dV/dt and its general incompatibility with triac dimming. Such a circuit can be driven with a high frequency AC source controller, but doing so requires complicated circuitry for the high frequency driver.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,577,072 sets forth another approach that uses non-monolithic circuitry comprising a switch connected to a string of LEDs in parallel with storage capacitors. The switch is turned off when the line voltage drops below a certain level so that the LEDs are supplied by the capacitors. This is not a loss-less approach because the drained capacitors require recharging through the switch. Furthermore, light output of the LEDs is not regulated against changes in line voltage.

AC LED lamp involving an LED string having separately shortable sections


A method of operating an aircraft system includes receiving flight information and trajectory intent information other than current values by an engine control system associated with an engine of the aircraft system from a flight control system associated with the aircraft system; and operating an engine associated with the engine control system using the received non-current information. An aircraft includes an engine positioned on the aircraft; a full authority digital engine controller (FADEC) communicatively coupled to the engine; and a flight control system positioned on the aircraft and communicatively coupled to the FADEC, the flight control system configured to transmit other than current values of flight information and trajectory intent information to the FADEC and to receive other than current values of at least one of engine health and parameters used to estimate engine health from at least one of the FADEC and a separate flight control center positioned offboard the aircraft.

The field of the invention relates generally to flight control systems, and more specifically, to methods and systems for integrating engine control and a flight control system.
At least some known aircraft include an engine control system, sometimes referred to as a full authority digital engine control (FADEC). The FADEC is a system that includes a digital computer and its related accessories that control all aspects of aircraft engine performance. The FADEC receives multiple current input variables of the current flight condition including, for example, but not limited to, air density, throttle lever position, engine temperatures, engine pressures, and current values of other engine parameters. The inputs are received and analyzed many times per second. Engine operating parameters such as fuel flow, stator vane position, bleed valve position, and others are computed from this data and applied as appropriate to provide optimum engine efficiency for a given current flight condition.
The aircraft also typically include a flight control system, which may include a system typically referred to as a flight management system (FMS). The FMS is a specialized computer system that automates a wide variety of in-flight tasks, including the in-flight management of the flight plan. Using various sensors, such as, but not limited to, global positioning system (GPS), inertial navigation system (INS), and backed up by radio navigation to determine the aircraft's position, the FMS guides the aircraft along the flight plan. From the cockpit, the FMS is normally controlled through a Control Display Unit (CDU) which incorporates a small screen and keyboard or touch screen. The FMS transmits the flight plan for display on the EFIS, Navigation Display (ND) or Multifunction Display (MFD).
The FADEC and FMS are separate system that in some cases may communicate current values of parameters. However, many parameters that reside in the FADEC that would be useful to the FMS and many parameters that reside in the FMS that would be useful to the FADEC are not communicated between the two separate systems.

Method for integrating engine control and flight control system


Alternative representations are generated from a user's audible or visual data submission (e.g., user's picture) for use as part of an online account profile or user identification in an online service (e.g., online gaming user profile) or computer device. A specific representation is selected for use with the online account or computing device. Furthermore, a specific representation of the user's audible or visual data that is suitable for a particular display device (e.g., television, cellular telephone) can be generated and presented.

As online services that require account names or "User IDs" become more and more populated with user communities, the number of names readily available for user selection dwindles. Early in an online service's life cycle, one might be able to request the name "Bill" and actually have that name issued to them. On an older or more populated service, someone requesting the name "Bill" will likely find that name is already taken, and be offered a number of system-generated alternative selections, like "Bill——————" or "Bill060675" or "Wild_William."
New online services and computer systems are being created that rely increasingly upon unique user identifying marques that include not just text display names, but upon photos, 3D models, and eventually small audio or video clips.
In cases where such richer media is used by a user to identify oneself, exclusivity is rarely a concern because photographs, audio and video clips tend to be unique by their nature. Richer media does, however, present a challenge in how it is presented to users. For example, photographs tend to display much better on higher resolution computer monitors than they do on lower-resolution (e.g., NTSC) television sets.
When online services and systems are consumed via a range of devices (e.g., televisions, cellular phones, PCs, personal digital assistants, etc.) and make use of richer media for personal identification, the problem arises of how to display the uniquely identifying media such that it looks and/or sounds best.
Previous online service offerings have supported some forms of richer media for personal identity. MSN Messenger is an example wherein a 96×96 pixel picture can be added to one's personal profile. This poses some limitations and demands upon users to get a good-looking picture representation. For example, if a user submits a large photo, MSN Messenger's smaller 96×96 pixel representation of that picture is generally unrecognizable. The picture is distorted to the point of being unrecognizable as the application system scaled, skewed, downsized, decolorized, and otherwise distorted it. The end result can be displeasing for customers.
The concept of image alternatives in itself is not new. Photo editing applications like Adobe Photoshop have offered users "thumbnail previews" of various image filters. However, such alternative representations have been conventionally been used for editing purposes.
An effective and efficient system and method for generating alternatives into an online system or computer system for managing and customizing accounts eludes those skilled in the art.

System and method for generating suggested alternatives for visual or audible submissions


In a galvano scanner system (1), a light position detection unit (30) is mounted so as to match the scanning center of the workpiece surface (7), the light position detection unit being provided with a two-dimensional light position sensor (32) disposed in the center and four one-dimensional light position sensors (33(1)) to (33(4)) concyclically disposed at equal angles about the center of the two-dimensional light position sensor. An origin position command is given to galvano scanners (3, 4), laser light is irradiated at low output, and the offset adjustment value is calculated based on the detection output of the two-dimensional light position sensor (32). Next, the galvano scanners (3, 4) are pivoted left, right, up, and down; the perpendicularity in relation to the workpiece surface (7) is determined and the distance from the workpiece surface (7) is calculated based on the detection output of each one-dimensional light position sensor (33); and the scale adjustment value is calculated on the basis thereof. Adjustment can be carried out with good accuracy in a simple manner in comparison with the case in which such an adjustment is made in alignment with a scale on a workpiece surface while visually observing visible laser light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the offset and scale of a galvano scanner system.
2. Description of the Related Art
A galvano scanner system is used for scanning a laser light in various laser machining devices in accordance with a fixed drive pattern. In the case that the system is used as a laser-marking device, for example, a galvano scanner system provided with an X-axis galvano scanner and a Y-axis galvano scanner is mounted in a laser machining device and laser light emitted from a laser light source is two-dimensionally scanned along a work surface by the scanners in accordance with a fixed drive pattern to provide predetermined markings on the work surface. A galvano scanner system is also used as a laser drawing device for projecting laser light onto a wall surface or the like.
In the final assembly step in a galvano scanner system, the scale (amount of movement of laser light on the workpiece surface in relation to an input command) and offset (distance by which the laser light spot formed on the workpiece surface deviates from the center position of scanning on the workpiece surface when the galvano scanner is positioned at the original position) of laser light irradiated onto the workpiece surface (scan surface) are adjusted. The adjustment work is generally carried out by irradiating visible laser light onto a workpiece surface and causing the light to conform to a scale on the workpiece surface while visually observing the laser spot on the workpiece surface. In the case of a galvano scanner system used in a laser drawing device that projects laser light onto a wall surface or the like, the scale is affected by the distance to the wall surface and the perpendicularity in relation to the wall surface. Therefore, the distance and the perpendicularity must also be adjusted.
Japanese Laid-open Patent Application 2003-220485 discloses a laser marking device provided with a function for using guiding laser light, which is visible laser light, to project, onto a workpiece via a galvano half mirror, a guide image that corresponds to a pattern to be printed. With the laser marking device, an irradiated point of guiding laser light is scanned onto a workpiece by rotating a galvano mirror on the basis of the same coordinate data in the same manner as during a print operation, and a guide image of the print pattern is projected onto the workpiece surface. The error between the projected position of the guide image and the desired position on the workpiece can be confirmed and the print position can be adjusted prior to the start of printing.
A method for adjusting the offset of a galvano scanner system and a method for adjusting the scale in a simple manner have not been proposed in the art. Also, a method has not been proposed in which the distance to the workpiece surface can be measured without affecting the scale adjustment and in which it can be determined if the light is sufficiently perpendicular in relation to the workpiece surface.
In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide a method for adjusting a galvano scanner system in which the offset can be adjusted in a simple manner.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for adjusting a galvano scanner system in which the scale can be adjusted with good accuracy in a simple manner on the basis of the measured distance to the workpiece surface and the determination of the perpendicularity in relation to the workpiece surface.

Method for adjusting galvano scanner system


A coffee brewing apparatus has a first cylinder for containing hot water having a top opening, a vertically extending shaft fixedly connected to the first cylinder, the shaft having a hot water release channel vertically therethrough and a pressure-operated hot water release valve disposed in the channel, a vertically movable piston, a vertically movable second cylinder for holding ground coffee therein having top and bottom openings and disposed below the first cylinder coaxially therewith, and a vertically movable plunger sealingly and slidingly connected with the shaft. The plunger has an internal cylindrical chamber and a shallow hot water spreading chamber in a bottom section thereof. When the plunger is lowered, the bottom section thereof enters the second cylinder and compacts the ground coffee therein. As the piston enters the first cylinder through the top opening thereof and further descends, the hot water in the first cylinder is pressurized so that the hot water release valve opens and pressurized hot water in the first cylinder is released through the hot water release channel in the shaft, the cylindrical chamber and the hot water spreading chamber of the plunger to be poured onto the ground coffee in the second cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coffee brewing apparatus, which is used particularly in an automatic coffee dispenser.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of popular coffee brewing methods is to pour hot water onto ground coffee so that the hot water extracts coffee ingredient while passing through the ground coffee. In a simple method, the hot water passes down through the ground coffee by its own gravity. There is also a conventional method in which the hot water is forced to pass through ground coffee under pressure.
FIG. 3 shows a conventional coffee brewing system used in an automatic coffee dispenser. The system includes a water supply line 210, a water shutoff valve 211, a water heater 212, a hot water supply line 213, a hot water shutoff valve 214, and a coffee brewing apparatus 200, which is shown in elavational section.
The coffee brewing apparatus 200 includes a hot water supply cylinder 201 for containing hot water, a piston 202, a cylindrical ground coffee holder 203, a strainer 204 and a coffee outlet funnel 205. The top open end of the ground coffee holder 203 is removably and sealingly fitted to the bottom open end of the hot water supply cylinder 201. The strainer 204 is tightly interposed between the ground coffee holder 203 and the coffee outlet funnel 205. The piston 202 is adapted to sealingly and slidingly fit the hot water supply cylinder 201 internally.
A predetermined quantity of ground coffee 203c is deposited in the holder 203 before it is fitted to the hot water supply cylinder 201. The water provided through the water supply line 210 to the water heater 212 is heated up to a near boiling temperature at a regulated pressure. A predetermined quantity of hot water 201w is provided from the water heater 212 into the hot water supply cylinder 201 through the hot water supply line 213 by opening the valve 214 for a predetermined time period. Then, the piston 202 is lowered into the cylinder 201 so that the hot water 201w in the cylinder 201 and most of the air trapped in the cylinder 201 are forced down through the ground coffee 203c in the holder 203. The hot water extracts coffee ingredient from the ground coffee 203c while passing therethrough and comes out through the strainer 204 and the coffee outlet funnel 205, as shown by an arrow in FIG. 3.
Another popular conventional coffee brewing method is to deposit ground coffee into hot water and blow air into the mixture of the hot water and the ground coffee so that the ground coffee is agitated in the hot water. This method, however, is not adequate for producing strong coffee because it requires a comparatively large quantity of hot water per unit quantity of ground coffee.
Whereas some disadvantages are known pertaining to the method by the apparatus 200 shown in FIG. 3. Since the ground coffee 203c is loosely deposited in the ground coffee holder 203, granules of the ground coffee 203c tend to shift from one place to another in the holder as the hot water flows down in the holder. This results in a creation of a partial hot water flow path in the holder, which is known as "channeling". The channeling effect causes the ground coffee in the holder to be subjected to the hot water unevenly. Since the channeling occurs randomly in the holder, coffee liquid of varied density tends to be produced in each coffee making process. In the above described coffee brewing method by the apparatus 200, the hot water starts to flow down through the ground coffee as soon as the cylinder 201 starts receiving hot water before the piston 202 enters the cylinder 201 to force the hot water down. This early flow of hot water also causes undesirable "channeling" in the ground coffee.


The present invention relates to providing a method and a network node that prevents radio bearers from being dropped if a mismatch in RLC Mode exists between source Node and target Node.

The present invention finds application particularly in next generation networks as defined by 3GPP and which is commonly know as Long Term Evolution (LTE). However, the techniques may be applicable also in connection with other types of radio networks, such as WCDMA, GSM, CDMA etc. Thus, may for instance Radio Base Station (RBS) as used hereinafter refer to eNodeB (eNB) in LTE as well as NodeB (NB) in WCDMA or any other node handling a radio interface in a radio network.
The radio network equipment vendors choose in the product implementation, in cooperation with the operator, which Radio Link Control (RLC) Mode to use for a certain radio bearer with a certain Quality of Service Class Identifier (QCI). With the low round trip time in LTE, different RLC Modes may be suitable for real-time services. Therefore, it can be foreseen that some vendors select unacknowledged RLC for real-time services like Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP), while others select acknowledged RLC.
According to the 3GPP standard, reconfiguration of RLC Mode of data radio bearers (DRBs) is not supported in E-UTRAN, resulting in the radio bearer being dropped during handover if there is a mismatch in RLC Mode between Source eNB and Target eNB for a certain radio bearer with a certain QCI.

Handover in a radio communication network


An acceleration sensor is constructed by a substrate, a cylindrical dead-weight movable electrode to be displaced by acceleration, a fixed electrode from the inside of which a cylinder is hollowed, a cylindrical anchor arranged on the substrate for supporting the dead-weight movable electrode with elastic transformable structural material and beams. When acceleration is applied from the outside, the cylindrical detecting face of the dead-weight movable electrode and the cylindrical detected face of the fixed electrode are in contact on a two-dimensional plane parallel to the substrate and the acceleration sensor detects the contact. A radial interval between the detecting face of the dead-weight movable electrode and the detected face of the fixed electrode is set in view of the elastic modulus of the beams so that external force can be detected isotropically and the acceleration sensor detects acceleration on a two-dimensional plane nondirectionally.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an acceleration sensor for sensing earthquake vibrations and others, and particularly to such a sensor which detects accelerations in many directions on a two-dimensional plane at approximately the same sensitivity and may be built in a gas or other flow meter so as to shut off the valve of a gas pipe.
2. Description of Related Art
As a conventional type acceleration sensor, an acceleration sensor disclosed in Japanese examined utility model publication No. Sho 50-19154 and a dynamic quantity sensor for detecting dynamic quantity such as angular velocity and acceleration which is disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publications No. Hei 6-123631 and No. Hei 6-123632 are well-known.
The acceleration sensor disclosed in Japanese examined utility model publication No. Sho 50-19154 is formed by assembling an anchor displaced depending upon applied acceleration, a beam for supporting the anchor and a fixed electrode for detecting contact with the anchor which are respectively made of metallic material by machining. However, this acceleration sensor needs a troublesome assembly work of each member, size reduction is difficult and it is unsuitable for mass production.
A semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor disclosed in Japanese unexamined patent publications No. Hei 6-123631 and No. Hei 6-123632 can detect dynamic quantity of the low level of acceleration and a frequency with high precision, difficulty in assembling each member is obviated because each member is formed in the same semiconductor process and it is regarded as promising because it can be manufactured at a low price and is suitable for mass production.
This semiconductor dynamic quantity sensor detects changes of capacitance between movable electrodes which are moved together with an anchor supported by four beams so that it can be moved in two directions of X and Y, and fixed electrodes which are provided on the side of a substrate so as to measure acceleration. This sensor can detect acceleration in all directions on an X-Y plane by calculating the magnitude of acceleration detected in each direction of X and Y.
However, an arithmetic circuit for processing a signal synthesization based upon each result of detection in the directions of X and Y is required to detect the magnitude of acceleration in the diagonal direction on the X-Y plane, thus complicating signal processing circuit.

Acceleration sensor having coaxially-arranged fixed electrode and movable electrode


A method for making an article from rhenium and in particular a rocket nozzle. First a molybdenum mandrel is formed with a portion having the desired shape of the nozzle. A layer of rhenium is deposited over the nozzle portion, and then rhenium wire is wrapped around this rhenium layer. A second rhenium layer or a layer of ruthenium is then deposited over the layer of rhenium wire. Alternating layers of rhenium wire and deposited rhenium or ruthenium are applied until a desired thickness is obtained. A layer of molybdenum is applied to can the assembly and the assembly is subject to hot isostatic pressing. Finally, the molybdenum is etched away leaving the rhenium nozzle.

Currently, mono-propellant and bi-propellant radiation cooled rockets use nozzles and thrust chambers made of a columbium alloy, (Cb.sub.103), covered with a fused silica coating for oxidation protection. These columbium nozzles and thrust chambers can withstand temperatures as high as 2400.degree. F. A need has developed in the rocket propulsion industry for structures, such as nozzles, that can withstand even higher temperatures. Because of its mechanical integrity and toughness at high temperatures, rhenium is an ideal metal for such structures. However, rhenium has a very high melting point and a very high strain hardening coefficient. As a result, conventional processes for manufacturing rhenium articles such as powder metallizing and chemical vapor deposition are both expensive and difficult to control.
Accordingly there is a need for a new and improved method of manufacturing thick film, net shape articles from rhenium.

Method for making a rhenium rocket nozzle


A platform carriage comprises a wheeled load-supporting platform having a rizontal surface. A handle is pivoted at a rear end of the platform to be foldable forwardly onto the platform. The handle comprises a pair of rods interconnected by a cross bar. The cross bar is located below the free upper ends of the bars so that the free rod ends form individual hand grips. Each hand grip is inclined forwardly and laterally inwardly. The handle forms a projection which extends upwardly when the handle is folded over, and a carriage can be stacked thereon such that a recessed mating element on the next upper carriage mates with the projection of the next lower carriage to stabilize the stack of carriages.

The invention concerns a platform carriage with a push/steering handle disposed at a rear end of a load supporting platform, and a plurality of stationary rollers, at least one of which being a rotary steering roller.
Platform carriages with push/steering handles are known for example in industrial transport facilities. They comprise a loading platform to carry the load to be transported, under which generally two pairs of wheels or rollers are located. Usually the pair of wheels at the end of the platform located remote from the handle, is formed by stationary jack rollers (i.e., rollers which cannot turn about a vertical axis) and the pair of wheels located adjacent the handle comprise steering wheels which are rotatable about a vertical axis. While in this manner the steering forces may be kept low, the maneuvering ability is severely restricted, a disadvantage that especially in storage facilities designed for space saving with narrow aisles leads to considerable problems. The handle which is used for pushing, pulling and steering and is mounted at one of the two ends of the platform is in the form of a closed sliding grip bow; to move the platform carriage, a force is applied to a horizontal cross bar of the handle, which is not suited to an optimal transmission of such force, especially for steering. Furthermore, no manually correct hand grips can be provided, in particular because the bar forming the sliding grip may be smaller in diameter for static and other reasons than would correspond to an optimal grip diameter; such platform carriages are thus not in keeping with ergometric innovations.
It is the object of the invention to further develop the known state of the art in a manner such that while keeping improved ergometrics in mind, production would be made more economical and applications safer.

Wheeled platform carriage with an upright handle

Bielefelder Kuchenmaschinen- und Transportgerate-Fabrik vom Braucke GmbH


A thin GaAs Substrate can be provided with a copper back-metal layer to allow the GaAs Substrate to be packaged using conventional plastic packaging technologies. By providing the GaAs Substrate with a copper back-metal layer, the GaAs Substrate can be made thinner than 2 mils (about 50 microns), thereby reducing heat dissipation problems and allowing the semiconductor die to be compatible with soft-solder technologies. By enabling the semiconductor die to be packaged in a plastic package substantial cost savings can be achieved.

Two of the most common types of semiconductor die packages currently used are plastic packages and ceramic packages. Ceramic packages are preferred over plastic packages in some instances (e.g. when hemeticity and/or high frequency is required), but plastic packages are generally preferred over ceramic packages because plastic packages are less expensive.
Plastic packages are routinely used to package silicon die, however, attempts to package GaAs semiconductor die in plastic packages have proven somewhat problematic. For example, although relatively thick GaAs die (i.e. those die having a thickness greater than about 3 mils) can be packaged in plastic, power dissipation characteristics of thick GaAs die limit the maximum power capabilities that can be implemented.
In order to overcome the power dissipation problems and allow more complex circuits, attempts have been made to reduce the thickness of the GaAs die to less than 3 mils. However, the die handling processes associated with packaging are incompatible with thin, i.e. less than 3 mils, GaAs die. The use of a thick, about 18 μm, gold back metal layer has been proposed in an attempt to strengthen GaAs die thinned for power dissipation purposes. Unfortunately, the thick gold back-metal layer is incompatible with plastic packaging processes for at least two reasons: 1) the thick gold causes embrittlement of the soft-solder used in plastic packaging processes to attach the semiconductor die to the lead-frame; and 2) gold tends to de-laminate from a plastic package.
What is needed, therefore, is a way to allow high-powered GaAs semiconductor die to be used in plastic packages. By allowing a high-powered semiconductor die to be used in a plastic package, substantial cost savings could be achieved without performance loss.

Method for manufacturing thin GaAs die with copper-back metal structures


A method for treatment of mitral annulus dilatation comprises reducing the circumference of the mitral valve annulus. The method further comprises inserting an elongate body into the coronary sinus in the vicinity of the posterior leaflet of the mitral valve, fixing the position of the elongate body relative to the coronary sinus, and changing the shape of the elongate body in order to remodel the mitral valve annulus.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a device and a method for treatment of mitral insufficiency and, more specifically, for treatment of dilatation of the mitral annulus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Mitral insufficiency can result from several causes, such as ischemic disease, degenerative disease of the mitral apparatus, rheumatic fever, endocarditis, congenital heart disease and cardiomyopathy. The four major structural components of the mitral valve are the annulus, the two leaflets, the chordae and the papillary muscles. Any one or all of these in different combinations may be injured and create insufficiency. Annular dilatation is a major component in the pathology of mitral insufficiency regardless of cause. Moreover, many patients have a mitral insufficiency primarily or only due to posterior annular dilatation, since the annulus of the anterior leaflet does not dilatate because it is anchored to the fibrous skeleton of the base of the heart.
Studies of the natural history of mitral insufficiency have found that totally asymptomatic patients with severe mitral insufficiency usually progress to severe disability within five years. At present the treatment consists of either mitral valve replacements or repair, both methods requiring open heart surgery. Replacement can be performed with either mechanical or biological valves.
The mechanical valve carries the risk of thromboembolism and requires anticoagulation, with all its potential hazards, whereas biological prostheses suffer from limited durability. Another hazard with replacement is the risk of endocarditis. These risks and other valve related complications are greatly diminished with valve repair.
Mitral valve repair is theoretically possible if an essentially normal anterior leaflet is present. The basic four techniques of repair include the use of an annuloplasty ring, quadrangular segmental resection of diseased posterior leaflet, shortening of elongated chordae, and transposition of posterior leaflet chordae to the anterior leaflet.
Annuloplasty rings are needed to achieve a durable reduction of the annular dilatation. All the common rings are sutured along the posterior mitral leaflet adjacent to the mitral annulus in the left atrium. The Duran ring encircles the valve completely, whereas the others are open towards the anterior leaflet. The ring can either be rigid, like the original Carpentier ring, or flexible but non-elastic, like the Duran ring or the Cosgrove-Edwards ring.
Effective treatment of mitral insufficiency currently requires open-heart surgery, by the use of total cardiopulmonary by-pass, aortic cross-clamping and cardioplegic cardiac arrest.
To certain groups of patient, this is particular hazardous. Elderly patients, patients with a poor left ventricular function, renal disease, severe calcification of the aorta, previous cardiac surgery or other concomitant diseases, would in particular most likely benefit from a less invasive approach, even if repair is not complete. The current trend towards less invasive coronary artery surgery, without cardiopulmonary by-pass, as well as PTCA will also call for a development of a less invasive method for repair of the often concomitant mitral insufficiency.

Method for treatment of mitral insufficiency


In a hydrocarbon upgrading process, a hydrocarbon feed is treated in at least one of a steam cracker, catalytic cracker, coker, hydrocracker, and reformer under suitable conditions to produce a first stream comprising olefinic and aromatic hydrocarbons. A second stream composed mainly of C4+ olefinic and aromatic hydrocarbons is recovered from the first stream and is fed together with a methylating agent to a reaction zone containing a catalyst under reaction conditions including a temperature of about 450° C. to about 700° C., such that aromatics components in the second stream undergo dealkylation, transalkylation and/or methylation and aliphatic components undergo cracking and aromatization to produce a third stream having an increased xylene content compared with said second stream and a C3− olefin by-product. The C3− olefin by-product is recovered and para-xylene is removed from at least part of said third stream.

Xylene isomers find wide and varied application. They are especially valuable as intermediates in chemical processes. By way of example, para-xylene (PX) is a feedstock for terephthalic acid, which finds use in the manufacture of polyester fibers and films, meta-xylene (MX) is used in the manufacture of dyes, and ortho-xylene (OX) is used as a feedstock for phthalic anhydride, which finds use in the manufacture of plasticizers. PX is currently the most valuable of the xylene isomers and, although research related to obtaining (e.g., producing or purifying) PX is too voluminous to mention, there is still intensive research in the area.
There are many possible feeds currently used to obtain PX. The majority of para-xylene produced today comes from catalytic reforming, which involves dehydrogenation and dehydrocyclization of naphtha feedstocks. The effluent of the reforming process, known as reformate, is rich in aromatics, particularly benzene, toluene, and mixed xylenes (BTX), and is used as feedstock to aromatics plants. Processes exist to increase the yield of para-xylene over the equilibrium mixture in the reformate, including selective toluene disproportionation and selective methylation of benzene and/or toluene with methanol.
Recently, significant research has focused on finding alternative sources and methods for producing BTX and particularly para-xylene. For example, although steam cracking, or pyrolysis, is the preferred method of producing light olefins (ethylene, propylene, and butenes) from heavier hydrocarbon feedstocks, the process also generates a by-product termed pyrolysis gasoline, steam cracked naphtha (SCN) or pygas. Pygas is a complex mixture of C6 to C10+ hydrocarbons that is rich in aromatics, particularly benzene and toluene, but also contains C8, C9, and C10+ aromatics. Similarly, catalytic cracking, particularly fluid catalytic cracking (FCC), in addition to producing fuels and light olefins, generates a C6 to C10+ aromatic rich stream which is similar to pygas and is generally known as cat naphtha. These processes also produce C4 and C5 olefinic streams (containing di-olefins and acetylenes) which have some utility but tend to be of lower value than aromatic products and lighter olefins (ethylene and propylene). There is, therefore, significant interest in developing methods of upgrading alternate feed sources, such as pygas and cat naphtha, to increase the yield of ethylene, propylene, BTX; and preferably para-xylene and propylene. There are some processes proposed to upgrade these streams to produce BTX but they consume expensive H2 and co-produce lower value light saturates rather than higher value light olefins.
For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,635,792 discloses a process for producing BTX and liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) from a hydrocarbon feedstock having boiling points of 30° C. to 250° C., such as reformate and pyrolysis gasoline. In the process, aromatic components in the hydrocarbon feedstock are converted to BTX-enriched components in the liquid phase through hydrodealkylation and/or transalkylation, and non-aromatic components are converted to LPG-enriched gaseous materials through hydrocracking. The process employs a catalyst comprising platinum/tin or platinum/lead on mordenite, zeolite beta, or ZSM-5. U.S. Pat. Nos. 7,297,831 and 7,301,063 disclose similar processes.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,176,339 discloses a process for producing xylenes from reformate, which process comprises: (a) providing a reformate containing hydrogen, C1 to C5 hydrocarbons, C6 to C7 hydrocarbons comprising benzene, toluene or mixtures thereof, and C8+ hydrocarbons; (b) removing at least a portion of said hydrogen from said reformate to produce a product containing C6 to C7 hydrocarbons comprising benzene, toluene, or mixtures thereof, and C8+ hydrocarbons; and (c) methylating at least a portion of the benzene, toluene, or mixtures thereof present in said product with a methylating agent under vapor phase conditions and in the presence of a catalyst effective for the methylation to produce a resulting product having a higher para-xylene content than the reformate, wherein the catalyst comprises a zeolite-bound-zeolite catalyst and/or a selectivated zeolite and the zeolite comprises ZSM-5. A similar process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,629,498.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,563,358 discloses process for producing BTX-enriched product from a hydrocarbon feed comprising: (a) C6+ non-aromatic cyclic hydrocarbons; (b) C8+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least one alkyl group containing two or more carbon atoms; and (c) C9+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least three methyl groups, by contacting the feed in the presence of hydrogen with a catalyst comprising at least one Group VIII metal and a large or intermediate pore molecular sieve having an alpha value, before incorporation of the Group VIII metal, from about 2 to less than 100 under conditions sufficient for (i) forming aromatic hydrocarbons from C6+ non-aromatic cyclic hydrocarbons; (ii) dealkylating C8+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least one alkyl group containing two or more carbon atoms; (iii) transalkylating C9+ single-ring aromatic hydrocarbons having at least three methyl groups; and (iv) disproportionating toluene, to produce a product containing an increased amount of BTX compared to the feed. A preferred hydrocarbon feed is steam cracked naphtha.
In U.S. Applications U.S. Ser. No. 61/421,917 filed Dec. 10, 2010 and U.S. Ser. No. 13/303,855, filed Nov. 23, 2011, we have described a hydrocarbon upgrading process comprising (a) treating a first hydrocarbon stream in at least one of a steam cracker, catalytic cracker, coker, hydrocracker, reformer, and the like, under suitable conditions to produce a second stream comprising C6 to C10+ aromatic hydrocarbons; (b) dealkylating and/or transalkylating and/or cracking (D/T/C) the second stream by contact with a suitable catalyst under suitable reaction conditions to produce a third stream having an increased benzene and/or toluene content compared with the second stream and a light paraffin by-product; and (c) methylating at least a portion of the third stream with a methylating agent to selectively produce para-xylene. By integrating different upgrading steps, this process offers significant advantages in terms of higher petrochemical yields and lower energy consumption as compared with existing processes for enriching the BTX content of hydrocarbon streams.
Further investigation into the process described in U.S. Ser. No. 61/421,917 and U.S. Ser. No. 13/303,855 has, however, now shown that, by feeding the methylating agent to the D/T/C step under conditions that favor the production of light olefins as well as benzene and/or toluene, the feedstock window (broader carbon number) of the process can be increased, feed preparation can be simplified, and hydrogen usage can be reduced. In addition, the process generates additional aromatic rings and co-produces light (C3−) olefins, which are in high demand in the chemical industry, rather than lower value products, such as LPG. Further, the need for a separate methylating step can be avoided, thereby reducing capital cost.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Process for the production of xylenes and light olefins


In a housing cover, particularly a valve cover for an internal combustion engine, having a seal surface extending around its circumference at one side thereof with a seal structure molded onto the seal surface, deformable projections are formed on the side opposite the seal surface for engaging the housing cover by a tool when the seal is molded onto the seal surface.

The invention relates to a housing cover, particularly for the valve operating mechanism of an internal combustion engine, which includes, at one side thereof, a gasket structure molded thereon.
In many industrial areas, machines are used which employ oil or coolant in a surge-like fashion. In an internal combustion engine for example, the valve shafts are disposed in an oil spray. Because the oilsprayed or splurged around the rocker arms and valve shafts, it is necessary to seal the area including the oil or coolant against the ambient area. In order to make those areas accessible, they are generally provided with a removable cover. To prevent the escape of liquid, there is a gasket disposed between the housing and the housing cover. To facilitate assembly, the gasket is generally pre-mounted to the housing cover.
It is known to mold the gasket onto the housing cover. This is generally done by placing onto the side of the housing cover on which the gasket is to be disposed a tool which has cavities in the form of the gasket and injecting into these cavities a liquid seal material under high pressure. In order to retain the seal material in the cavities and prevent it from being squeezed out, the edges of the tool must be seated on the housing cover in a seal-tight manner. To achieve an appropriate seal the tool usually has, at the contact areas with the housing cover, wedge-like projections by which the housing cover is engaged and which, as a result, provide for a good seal structure.
The wedge-like projections do not only provide for the seal tightness, but they also accommodate manufacturing tolerances of the housing cover. Since it is not certain that the housing cover has always the same thickness in the area where the seal is to be applied, but the tool always comes down to the same working position the housing cover or the tool may be damaged if there is no tolerance adjustment. The wedge-like raised areas of the tool are therefore generally so dimensioned that they penetrate to a greater or smaller degree into the surface of the housing cover whereby they can accommodate relatively large manufacturing tolerances. To accommodate the manufacturing tolerances, the wedge-like projection however penetrate the housing cover to a much greater degree than it would be necessary to insure a proper seal. This has the disadvantage that unnecessarily large impressions are made into the housing cover
It is the object of the present invention to provide a housing cover with a seal structure in such a way that the impressions formed do not need to exceed the depth required for providing a good seal that is that they do not need to accommodate manufacturing tolerances.

Housing cover with compensating elements

Glockler-Dichtsysteme Gunter Hemmrich GmbH


Described is a technique for controlling an electronic device by manipulating a headphone cord. This may be accomplished by sensing various bends and/or bend patterns to the cord. The cord may include a resistive member such as a rod or hollow member for providing tactile feedback to a user. The resistive member may provide a bending resistance or a collapse that provides a tactile sense of when the bend produces an effect for controlling the electronic device. A degree of bend may be determined by the sensors and a controller may provide a control input to the electronic device based on the determined bend. In one instance, the volume of the electronic device may be decreased based on the degree of bend.

When using headphones with a portable electronic device, a user may find it cumbersome to control the device in certain situations. For instance, controls for the portable electronic device may not be accessible when, for example, the device is located within a user's pocket. To improve the accessibility of controls, some headphones include in-line media controls. Accessing these controls, however, often requires the user to find and manipulate buttons, knobs, or dials, which may be inconvenient and not necessarily intuitive. Moreover, these controls are often located on an additional component which may have a different form factor than the headphone cord. Accordingly, these, often bulky, components may not conform to the overall aesthetics of the headphone design.

Bendable cord for controlling an electronic device