An electrical outlet box assembly including an outlet box and a lid. The outlet box generally includes a base, an outer wall parametrically bounding the base and extending upwardly therefrom forming a box interior, the outer wall having an upper and lower end, the upper end forming a lip which defines an opening to the box interior. The assembly further includes a lid. The lid has a closed position such that when the lid is in the closed position the opening to the box interior is partially covered forming a receptacle opening having a size substantially similar to an opening of a standard size outlet box. The lid further includes an open position such that when the lid is in the open position, the opening to the box interior is entirely uncovered thereby permitting unrestricted access into the outlet box interior.

An electrical outlet box provides a termination point for wires carrying electrical current through buildings, houses and other structures. Wiring entering an outlet box is typically connected to a particular electrical fixture or receptacle such as a plug outlet or switch. The receptacle is mounted within the box along with a portion of the wiring connected to the receptacle. The box is then typically covered by a face plate having an opening therein to allow access to the outlet or switch while preventing electrified components from being exposed. Outlet boxes may be employed in concealed-wiring installations in which they are located within a wall or ceiling. Alternatively, outlet boxes may be used in exposed-conduit wiring installations where they are exteriorly mounted to a wall, column or ceiling.
Outlet boxes are available in a variety of configurations and sizes. The selection of which type of box to use is dependant upon the specifics of the application. The most commonly employed box is a single-gang outlet box, also referred to as a standard outlet box. The single-gang box is ideal for applications in which only one receptacle is required for the application. Standard outlet boxes have opening dimensions of approximately 3".times.21/4" and are available in a variety of depths. Double-gang and triple-gang boxes are also available, and they typically have the capacity to hold two and three receptacles respectively. A four inch (4") square box is also commonly employed for multiple receptacle applications.
In order to install the receptacle, an installer is required to pull the wire through openings in the outlet box wall. Outlet boxes typically include such openings in the box wall in order to provide entry for the wires into the box. These openings are usually covered by removable portions called "knockouts" which can be easily removed by the installer as required. The pulling of the wires through the knockout openings, however, can prove fairly difficult and time consuming especially when the wire sizes are relatively large. This task becomes even more difficult when the outlet box does not provide adequate room for the installer to manually reach into the box. Large wires sizes such as AWG #6 to #12 are difficult to bend and manipulate, thereby increasing the time required for installation. Such large wire sizes are typically employed in residential applications for clothes dryer installations as well as cooking range installations. This is due to the fact that such devices typically operate at 240-250 volts and carry relatively large amounts of current, 30-50 Amps. The large wire sizes, therefore, are required to safely meet the load requirements of appliances such as ranges and dryers.
Large wires sizes also present a problem of storage of the wires once the receptacle has been connected. After the wires have been pulled through the wall openings into the box and the receptacle hooked up, a certain length of wire along with the receptacle must be stored in the outlet box. It is beneficial to store a sufficient amount of wire in the outlet box so that upon subsequent removal of the receptacle, the stored wire will unfold allowing for the receptacle to be serviced. If an insufficient amount of wire is stored in the outlet box, the wiring will tend to prevent the receptacle from being fully removed thus making any maintenance procedures time consuming and difficult. Storing an adequate amount of wire takes up a significant amount of space, and single-gang outlet boxes may not provide enough space when relatively large wire sizes are used.
Single-gang outlet boxes are ideal for many wiring applications and are commonly used in relatively low current 15-20 ampere, service. The wire sizes used in these applications are relatively small and easy to manipulate compared to the wiring used in dryer and range applications. The opening dimensions of standard sized outlet boxes is large enough to accommodate outlet receptacles used in dryer and range applications. However, the outlet box does not provide adequate space to allow for ease of wire installation or for storage due to the large wire sizes required by heavy current load applications. While increasing the depth of the box provides more storage for the wires, it increases the difficulty of pulling the wires into the box as the wire openings are typically in the bottom of the box or in a side wall close to the bottom. In addition, in certain applications the depth of the box must be kept to a minimum due to space constraints.
The problems associated with large wire sizes has been addressed in the prior art by using an outlet box that is larger than a single-gang box. A larger outlet box provides both the room for an installer to manipulate the wiring in order to pull the wire into the box, as well as providing space for the wire and the receptacle to be stored once the receptacle is installed.
Large outlet boxes include such outlet boxes as the 4" square and the double and triple-gang boxes. The 4" square box is typically surfaced mounted and includes a cover plate that covers the entire box. The cover includes cutouts that provide an opening for the outlet so the appliance may be plugged into the receptacle. Surface mounted boxes present several disadvantages such as taking up wall space and being aesthetically unappealing. Additionally, if a single receptacle is to be used with a 4" box a separated reducing component must be used to provide a mounting surface for the receptacle. The use of an extra component increases both the cost and time associated with the installation.
The double-gang box is typically formed from joining two single-gang boxes side to side, and therefore, has approximately twice the width as the single-gang outlet box. As previously stated, these boxes typically are used when two receptacles or switches are to be installed. While such outlet boxes are typically in-wall mounted, they still present the problem of not being aesthetically appealing since they require two cover plates in order to cover the entire box. In dryer and range applications, typically only one outlet is installed per box, therefore, in order to effectively cover the entire outlet box one cover plate is used to cover the receptacle and a second cover plate is needed to cover the remainder of the box opening. If a standard size single-gang outlet box had been employed, only one cover plate would be necessary, thereby reducing costs and presenting a more aesthetically appealing appearance.
It would, therefore, be desirable to have an outlet box which may be in-wall mounted, have an opening of a standard size single-gang outlet box, while still providing access to the interior of the outlet box in order to facilitate the introduction of wires into the box and provide space for the installation of the receptacle.


A server receives a first echo request message which complies with an Internet control message protocol, extracts filtering information from hear information of the received first echo request message, and when a second echo request message which complies with the Internet control message protocol is received, compares header information of the received second echo request message and the extracted filtering information so as to determine whether to block an attacking packet for the received second echo request message. According to the present invention, the server blocks the attacking packet using the Internet control message protocol, thereby blocking a denial-of-service attack.

A denial-of-service (DoS) attack, hereinafter referred to as "DoS attack", may diminish availability of a network or a server with respect to a website, a domain name server, and the like. More particularly, a distributed denial of service (DDoS) attack, hereinafter referred to as "DDoS attack", may refer to a method for simultaneously performing a DoS attack in multiple zombie computers contaminated by malicious viruses.
Here, an Internet control message protocol (ICMP) may provide information on an error status and a status change between hosts, or between a host and a router, provide a function for responding to a request, and may not require an activated service or a port.
In this instance, an ICMP flooding during the DDoS attack may be performed in a manner in which a large volume of ICMP packets are transferred to a target of an attack, abusing characteristics of the ICMP.
However, conventional schemes for detecting and responding to an attack may have an issue in distinguishing an action of a normal user and an action of a malicious user, and indiscriminately blocking by measuring a traffic may lead to blocking of normal user traffic. Accordingly, there is a need for a scheme for selectively blocking only an attacking traffic by a malicious user while protecting a traffic of a normal user.

Method for blocking a denial-of-service attack

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


An EEPROM memory cell has a floating gate structure that extends over a sharp edge of a memory cell trench and into the trench. Channel hot electron injection techniques are used in conjunction with the floating gate structure to lower required programming voltages and times for the EEPROM cell. Further reductions in programming times and voltages are achieved using trench sidewall diffusions and substrate surface grooves. When used, the floating gate contourally follows the grooves intersecting the surface of the substrate.

Non-volatile floating gate Metal Oxide Semiconductor ("MOS") memories are well known in the industry. In such devices, the conductive state of the transistor memory cell is determined by the voltage of the associated floating gate. Typically, a negatively charged floating gate represents a binary one state while an uncharged floating gate represents a binary zero state.
More particularly, a conventional Electrically Erasable Programmable Read Only Memory ("EEPROM") utilizes a floating (unconnected) conductive gate, in a field effect transistor structure, positioned over but insulated from a channel region in a semiconductor substrate, between source and drain regions. A control gate is then provided over the floating gate, but also insulated therefrom. The threshold voltage (V.sub.T) characteristic of the transistor is controlled by the amount of charge retained on the floating gate. That is, the minimum amount of voltage (i.e., threshold) that must be applied to the control gate before the transistor is turned "on" to permit conduction between its source and drain regions is controlled by the level of charge on the floating gate. A transistor is conventionally programmed to one of two states by directly accelerating electrons from the substrate channel region, through a thin gate dielectric and onto the floating gate.
The memory cell transistor's state is read by placing an operating voltage across its source and drain and on its control gate, and then detecting the level of current flowing between the source and drain as to whether the device is programmed to be "on" or "off" at the control gate voltage selected. A specific, single cell in a two dimensional array of EEPROM cells is addressed for reading by application of a source-drain voltage to the source and drain lines in a column containing the cell being addressed, and application of a control gate voltage to the control gates in a row containing the cell being addressed.
Conventionally, to write data into a memory cell, the cell must be first erased and then written. Each of these operations takes approximately ten milliseconds, and each requires, for example, a 20 V supply of voltage. Decoder circuits are used to sustain the needed high voltages at the appropriate cells. These high voltage circuits generally do not scale down in size with the decreasing line widths now attainable with ever improving lithographic techniques. (By comparison, to read a device typically requires three to five volts applied and read cycle times are on the order of hundreds of nanoseconds.) The present invention is directed toward reducing the conventionally required time and voltage for writing to an EEPROM memory cell.

Method of forming eeprom cell with channel hot electron programming

International Business Machines Corporation


An onboard power supply system for a motor vehicle includes a voltage converter and a voltage source which is electrically coupled with the voltage converter and is constructed for providing a predefined source voltage. The onboard power supply system further has a base energy accumulator which is electrically coupled with the voltage converter and is constructed for providing a predefined base voltage. With respect to the amount, the source voltage is greater than the base voltage. The onboard power supply system also has at least one first selection circuit of at least one first electric consuming device which can be electrically coupled parallel to the voltage converter. Furthermore, the onboard power supply system has at least one second selection circuit of at least one second electric consuming device which can be electrically coupled parallel to the base energy accumulator.

The invention relates to an onboard power supply system for a motor vehicle and to a method and a device for operating the onboard power supply system.
In modern motor vehicles, high demands are made on an electric onboard power supply system with an electric energy accumulator (storage device), particularly in the case of motor vehicles capable of converting kinetic energy of the motor vehicle, for example, within the scope of a braking operation, to electric energy and returning it to the energy accumulator.
It is an object of the invention to create an onboard power supply system of a motor vehicle and a method and a corresponding device for operating the onboard power supply system which permits an efficient operation of consuming devices.
This and other objects are achieved in accordance with the invention. According to a first aspect of the invention, an onboard power supply system for a motor vehicle includes a voltage converter having a first connection and a second connection. The onboard power supply system also includes a voltage source which is electrically coupled with the first connection of the voltage converter and is constructed for providing a predefined source voltage. Furthermore, the onboard power supply system includes a base energy accumulator which, by way of its first connection, is electrically coupled with the second connection of the voltage converter and, by way of its second connection, is electrically coupled with the reference potential and is constructed for providing a predefined base voltage. With respect to the amount, the source voltage of the voltage source is greater than the base voltage. Furthermore, the onboard power supply system has at least one first selection circuit of at least one first electrical consuming device which is arranged so that it can be electrically coupled parallel to the voltage converter. The onboard power supply system also has at least one second selection circuit of at least one second electrical consuming device which is arranged so that it can be electrically coupled parallel to the base energy accumulator.
Such an onboard power supply system permits a particularly power-loss-reduced operation. In particular, power loss allocated to the voltage converter is reduced in that at least a portion of a current for operating the coupled and switched-on consuming devices is not guided by way of the voltage converter, but is preferably fed directly from the voltage source and/or the base energy accumulator to the corresponding consuming devices. If the source voltage is approximately twice as large as the base voltage, the at least one first selection and the at least one second selection is, in each case, acted upon by approximately the same voltage. The voltage assigned to the at least one first selection is a result of a difference between the source voltage and the base voltage. The source voltage and the base voltage are in each case preferably a direct voltage.
The voltage converter may, for example, be constructed as a voltage regulator, thus, for example, as a switching regulator. It may also be constructed, for example, as a unidirectional transformer and therefore provide the base voltage and/or a base current as a function of the source voltage at the first connection on the output side at its second connection. This contributes to the fact that undervoltages at the second connection are compensated. However, the voltage converter may, for example, also be constructed as a bidirectional transformer and, in addition to the unidirectional transformer, also as a function of the base voltage at the second connection, provide the source voltage and/or a source current at the first connection. In this case, overvoltages at the second connection may preferably also be compensated by way of the bidirectional voltage converter. This permits a balancing to the extent that, for example, the first selection and the second selection are in each case acted upon by approximately identical voltages.
The at least one first consuming device of the first selection and the at least one second consuming device of the second selection are constructed so that they can be switched on and off and are thereby acted upon by the respective voltage as a function of their switching condition. High-current consuming devices, for example, such as a starting system, can be assigned to the first selection. A power consumption of the first selection is preferably lower than a power consumption of the second selection. Particularly when a unidirectional voltage converter is used, this can contribute to the fact that energy required for operating the second selection is transmitted from the first connection to the second connection of the voltage converter. If the power consumption of the first selection is lower, the latter, as required, can be operated only to a limited extent or not at all, particularly when a unidirectional voltage converter is used which transmits electric energy from its first connection to its second connection. This can be made possible particularly by the use of a bidirectional voltage converter.
The energy accumulator may be constructed, for example, as a lead accumulator, in which case other constructions can also be used.
In a further advantageous development of the first aspect, the voltage source includes an additional energy accumulator and/or a generator for providing the source voltage. The generator may, for example, be a generator of the motor vehicle. The additional energy accumulator is, for example, constructed as a li-ion accumulator and, in motor vehicles, particularly hybrid vehicles, which have an energy recovery device, thus, for example, during a braking operation, can be called a recuperation accumulator. The generator is operated at least temporarily during an operation of the motor vehicle in order to approximately provide the source voltage, the source voltage also including a voltage provided by the generator for permitting a reliable charging of the additional energy accumulator and/or of the base energy accumulator. The generator can also be operated during a recuperation phase, i.e., during an energy feedback, for example, during the braking operation or during a coasting operation of the motor vehicle in order to, for example, convert kinetic energy of the motor vehicle to electric energy. The generator can, for example, also be constructed as a starter generator and thereby can also be used for starting an internal-combustion engine of the motor vehicle. When both components are present, the generator is preferably electrically coupled parallel to the additional energy accumulator.
According to a second aspect, the invention is characterized by an onboard power supply system for a motor vehicle that has an energy accumulator and a base energy accumulator. The two energy accumulators are electrically connected in series. The energy accumulator is constructed for providing a predefined voltage. The base energy accumulator is constructed for providing a predefined base voltage. The onboard power supply system also has a voltage source which can be electrically coupled with the energy accumulator and is constructed for providing a source voltage. The source voltage is approximately as large as a sum of the voltage and the base voltage. Furthermore, the onboard power supply system has at least one first selection of at least one first electric consuming device which is arranged so that it can be electrically coupled parallel to the energy accumulator. Furthermore, the onboard power supply system has at least one second selection of at least one second electric consuming device which is arranged so that it can be electrically coupled parallel to the base energy accumulator.
This makes it possible to obtain a particularly simple and cost-effective onboard power supply system with a power-loss-reduced operation. In particular, a portion of a current for operating the coupled and switched-on consuming devices is not conducted by way of the base energy accumulator but preferably directly from the voltage source and/or the energy accumulator. The voltage source preferably includes only the generator for providing the source voltage.
In an advantageous further development of the first and the second aspect, one of the first selections is assigned to one of the second selections, specifically such that the respective first selection has approximately the same power consumption as the assigned second selection. The first selection has a predefined number of first electric consuming devices, and the second selection has a predefined number of second electric consuming devices, in which case also only one corresponding electric consuming device may be assigned to the first selection or to the second selection. The first and assigned second selection thereby represents an approximately symmetrical load. This has the advantage that source current essentially flows through the first and assigned second selection, whereby the voltage converter and/or the base energy accumulator can be relieved.
Generally, more than one first selection and more than one second selection may also be present.
In a further advantageous development of the first and second aspect, the respective first selection and the assigned second selection are predefined such that both have approximately the same time-related progression of the power consumption. This can take place, for example, in that the at least one first consuming device of the first selection and the at least one second consuming device of the assigned second selection can be switched on and off approximately isochronously. This makes it possible to obtain a symmetrical load and a power-loss-reduced operation of the onboard power supply system. Consuming devices of the respective selection can also be predefined which also have different power consumptions at different points in time during their operation.
In a further advantageous development of the first and second aspect, the onboard power supply system has at least one additional consuming device which can be electrically coupled parallel to the voltage source. Also, this arrangement of the at least one further electric consuming device can contribute to the fact that a current provided by the voltage converter and/or base energy accumulator can be reduced. In particular, this results in a reduced current demand from the voltage source because the at least one additional consuming device is operated at the source voltage whose amount is larger than that of the base voltage. Preferably, voltage-insensitive loads, such as the seat heaters, and the rear window heater, the steering system, can be used as additional consuming devices.
At least one safety-critical electric consuming device respectively is preferably assigned to the first selection and/or the second selection.
According to a third and fourth aspect, the invention is characterized by a method and a corresponding device for operating an onboard power supply system according to the first aspect, by which faults in line sections assigned to the voltage converter, and/or of the voltage converter itself, are detected. As a function of the detection, the consuming device or the first consuming devices of at least one of the at least one first selection are switched on. This has the advantage that the base energy accumulator can continue to be charged by way of the at least one switched-on first selection. In addition, it is possible to operate at least one second electric consuming device or at least one second selection. This permits a particularly reliable operation of the motor vehicle. The line sections assigned to the voltage converter include, for example, feed lines to the voltage converter and lines arranged between the voltage converter and the respective electric consuming device supplied by it.
Other objects, advantages and novel features of the present invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of one or more preferred embodiments when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Onboard power supply system and method for operating the onboard power supply system

Bayerische Motoren Werke Aktiengesellschaft


A developer contains a set of color toners and black toner for use in a full color image forming apparatus. Each of the color toners contains a color colorant and a first binder resin, and the black toner contains a black colorant and a second binder resin. The difference between softening point and flow starting temperature of said first binder resin is less than the difference between softening point and flow starting temperature of said second binder resin.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner for use in a full color image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Conventionally, full color image forming apparatuses such as full color copying machines, full color printers and the like form full color images using color toners such as cyan toner, magenta toner, and yellow toner in addition to black toner.
Various types of methods are used in full color image forming apparatuses. Among these methods it is typical that an electrostatic latent image is formed on the charged surface of a photosensitive member via optical exposure by a laser beam or the like, and said latent image is developed using specific toner selected among cyan, magenta, yellow, and black toners, said developed toner images being superimposed one upon another to produce a full color image.
In the aforesaid type of full color image forming apparatus, monochrome images are formed using only black toner.
Heretofore, identical binder resins have been used for color toners and black toners alike in the aforesaid full color image forming apparatus.
Black toner alone is frequently used when forming monochrome images rather than full color images. When black toner is formed using the same binder resin as is used for color toner and the black toner is frequently used alone, the black toner is rapidly fatigued in comparison to the other color toners. Furthermore, when black toner is formed using the same binder resin as is used for color toner, the gloss of the black portions of an image formed by said black toner is overly enhanced. Thus, when forming full color images, only the black portions are prominent due to over enhancement, such that there is discordance between said black portions and other portions formed by other color toners.


A thermosetting resin sheet for sealing an electronic component, that is excellent in adhesiveness, onto the electric component; a resin-sealed type semiconductor device high in reliability; and a method for producing the device are provided. The present invention relates to a thermosetting resin sheet for sealing an electronic component, comprising one or more resin components, one of the components being allowable to be a thermoplastic resin, and having a content by percentage of the thermoplastic resin of 30% or less by weight of all of the entire resin components.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thermosetting resin sheet for sealing an electronic component, a resin-sealed type semiconductor device, and a method for producing a resin-sealed type semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the production of a semiconductor device, semiconductor chips are mounted onto an electric substrate that may be of various types, such as a lead frame or a circuit substrate, and subsequently the semiconductor chips, the electric substrate, and other electronic components are sealed with a resin to be covered therewith.
The resin sealing is performed for the protection of the semiconductor device from external stresses, moisture and contaminants, and other purposes. However, when the adhesiveness between the electronic components and the sealing resin is low, interfacial peeling off is easily caused and results in problems such as cracking of the package and breaking of bonding wires therein.
JP-A-2008-60523 describes a sealing film containing a resin component, a filler and a colorant that are each of a specified type, and having a resin layer having a flow quantity in the range of specified values. JP-A-2008-285593 describes a thermosetting type adhesive sheet for sealing, having a viscosity in the range of specified values at 80° C. to 120° C. before thermally set. However, according to JP-A-2008-60523 and JP-A-2008-285593, no sufficient investigations have been made about the adhesiveness about their electronic component(s) and their sealing resin.

Thermosetting resin sheet for sealing electronic component, resin-sealed type semiconductor device, and method for producing resin-sealed type semiconductor device


An aquarium water flow control device for receiving a flow of aquarium water from an aquarium and for controlling a flow of aquarium water thereafter from said aquarium water flow control device is provided. The device comprises an outlet capable of allowing the aquarium water to flow therethrough and a tube having an end positioned proximate to the outlet. The tube extends in a substantially upward direction and is capable of supplying air to the outlet when the outlet is covered with aquarium water and while the aquarium water is flowing through the outlet. The outlet is connectable to a hose leading to an aquarium water filtering device which is capable of extracting the aquarium water and air from the tube through the outlet. The aquarium water flow control device also includes a wall which divides the aquarium water flow control device into a first section and a second section. Flow of aquarium water from the aquarium is flowable into the first section, over the wall, and to the second section where the outlet is located. Preferably, the aquarium water flow control device is rectangular in configuration, and preferably the aquarium water flows into the first section from a box insertable inside the aquarium where the box includes one or more longitudinal slits through which the aquarium water flows.

The present invention relates generally to aquarium water flow control devices, and more specifically to an aquarium water flow control device which includes means for supplying a gas, such as air, to an outlet of the device when aquarium water covers and flows through the outlet.
In order to keep the water in a typical aquarium free from dirt, bacteria, algae, etc., it is necessary to either constantly change the water in the aquarium or to at least continuously filter the water. This is because life forms such as fish and plants which inhabit an aquarium excrete pollutants which can not only cause the aquarium to have an undesirable appearance, but can threaten the lives of the inhabitants. For example, if fish are kept in the aquarium, it is necessary to either constantly change the aquarium water or continuously filter the existing aquarium water so that the fish will not die in feces-ridden water. Constantly changing the aquarium water is normally extremely inconvenient and undesirable because of the following: aquariums are often large; inhabitants of the aquarium must be separated from the aquarium water before the water is to be disposed; and, inhabitants of an aquarium always live longer when not forced to re-acclimate to different aquarium water on a constant basis. As a result, aquarium water is usually continuously filtered rather than constantly changed.
In the case of larger aquariums, and in the case of salt-water aquariums in general, typically a filter is located below the aquarium in a cabinet and a pre-filter hangs on a wall of the aquarium. The aquarium water continuously flows from the aquarium, into the pre-filter, down to the filter, and back up into the aquarium. In this manner, the aquarium water is continuously filtered, and therefore kept free of dirt, bacteria, algae, feces, etc. Consequently, the aquarium has a desirable appearance and the life spans of the inhabitants of the aquarium are maximized.
The typical pre-filter will now be described. Normally, a pre-filter includes a means to keep fish from flowing from the aquarium and into the pre-filter. For example, the pre-filter may include a small box located inside the aquarium. The small box generally has an open top, and the small box is usually connected to a larger box that hangs outside the aquarium, on a wall of the aquarium. The top of the small box is located just at the surface of the aquarium water, and therefore, the aquarium water barely flows over the top of the small box and therein. To prevent fish from flowing with the aquarium water into this small box, the top of this box normally has, for example, upwardly extending flanges (or "teeth") with spaces therebetween. Consequently, while the aquarium water can flow between the spaces into this box, the fish cannot flow along with the water into the box because the spaces between the teeth are too small. Unfortunately, these teeth not only keep fish from flowing into the box, but also somewhat diminish the flow of aquarium water therein.
A siphon tube typically carries the water from the small box, over the aquarium wall, and into the larger box hanging outside the aquarium. The larger box includes an outlet and connected to the outlet is the first end of a hose. The other end of the hose is connected to the filter which is located below the aquarium in a cabinet. After the aquarium water flows into the larger box from the small box, the aquarium water thereafter flows through the outlet of the larger box, along the hose, and to the filter. After the water runs through the filter, the water flows along a second hose, and back into the aquarium. In this manner, the aquarium water is continuously brought from the aquarium, filtered, and carried back into the aquarium.
However, the rate of flow of aquarium water from the aquarium into the larger box is normally not equal to the rate of flow of aquarium water through the outlet of the larger box. As a result, the water level above the outlet and inside the larger box constantly fluctuates. Actually, the water level above the outlet typically cycles back and forth between a maximum water level and a water level of effectively zero, at which time mostly air flows through the outlet. When the water level above the outlet is decreasing and reaches a certain height of only a couple inches above the outlet, the sound of the water flowing through the outlet becomes noisy as the water whirlpools out through the outlet. As the water level above the outlet further decreases, the noise of the water flowing through the outlet increases. Finally, as the water level approaches effectively zero such that mostly air flows through the outlet, the sound of the air and water flowing through the outlet becomes extremely noisy. Subsequently, the water level above the outlet rises back to the maximum level, and this noisy cycle is repeated over and over. Unfortunately, some people find this cycle of noise to be annoying. As a result, this cyclical noise is an undesirable characteristic of prior art pre-filters.
Additionally, the larger box of the pre-filter which hangs on the wall of the aquarium is square shaped. Because the larger box hangs on the wall of the aquarium, the aquarium itself must sit enough away from a wall of the room in which it sits such that there is enough room between the wall of the room and the wall of the aquarium for the larger box to hang. Because the larger box is square, the space required to be left between the wall of the room and the wall of the aquarium is not minimized. Therefore, the aquarium takes up more space in the room in which it is located. Additionally, small children may crawl or walk behind the aquarium, and this can prove dangerous.
The difficulties discussed hereinabove are substantially eliminated by the present invention.


A turbomachine includes a housing and a rotatable shaft, where at least a portion of the rotatable shaft is located in the housing. The turbomachine also includes a magnetic thrust bearing that axially positions the rotatable shaft and a radial bearing that centers the rotatable shaft. The turbomachine includes a flexure including a first portion secured to the housing and a second portion axially moveable relative to the first portion. The second portion of the flexure is connected to the radial bearing, and the second portion moves axially to eliminate thrust loads on the radial bearing and allow the magnetic thrust bearing to carry axial loads.

High speed turbomachines can employ various types of bearings. For example, rolling element bearings, magnetic bearings, foil bearings or fluid film bearings can be employed.
Oil free turbomachines provide many benefits. For one, there are more effective heat transfer surfaces and no issues with oil stability or contamination. Oil free turbomachines have employed magnetic bearings, hydrostatic bearings, or foil bearings. Turbomachines have also been developed using refrigerant lubricated roller bearings and hydrostatic bearings.
Disadvantages of current turbomachines are the expense and complexity of the magnetic bearing, as well as scaling problems with foil bearings that makes large machines unfeasable. Additionally, the power consumption of hydrostatic bearings can be high, and when operated under high loads, the reliability of ball bearings can decrease.


A method and system for playing a game are provided. In one embodiment, a party selects one or more songs. A set of songs is then randomly selected from those songs that were actually played, e.g., by a radio station, during a time period. These randomly-selected songs are the contesting-winning songs. If the song(s) that the party selected matches any of the songs in the randomly-selected set, the party is awarded a prize. Accordingly, the party wins a prize if (1) the radio station plays one of the songs the party selected and (2) that song is one of the randomly-selected songs. The award can be tiered such that the size of the prize increases as the number of songs the party guesses correctly increases.

Interactive mobile phone services provide information and entertainment to users. For example, YES, Inc. runs a service in which anyone with a mobile phone can identify, rate, share, and buy any song that has played on a radio station in the last 24 hours. In operation, a caller dials 888-YES-8888 on his mobile phone to connect to an interactive voice response system. The caller then states the name of the station and the time that the song was played to hear a sample of the song as well as information about the artist, track, and album. Callers are able to rate and buy the song. Stations receive feedback regarding how their audience likes individual songs.


A method of achieving line-to-line synchronization having a high degree of synchronization accuracy. Synchronization is performed by a specific high-speed block of logic which signals the beginning of scans to a PELCLK-based logic at pel boundaries, and provides sub-pel shifting as it passes data between the pel generation logic and a laser control signal. The synchronization error is made as small as propagation delays through a single multiplexer element. Such delays can be controlled to values less than 1/2 ns. The need to stop and restart the clocks is eliminated. All complex pel generation logic is clocked with the relatively low frequency PELCLK without regard to the synchronization task.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for achieving line-to-line synchronization. The invention allows for extremely accurate horizontal synchronizing signal (Hsync) Synchronization while not interfering with clock generation. The method overcomes line-to-line synchronization problems in a simplified design, while providing near-zero line-to-line placement error.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A critical parameter which affects the output quality of any raster scanning device is the accuracy of the line-to-line synchronization. Raster scanning devices such as laser printers or video displays typically supply a horizontal synchronization signal (HSYNC) as the laser, or illuminating beam, crosses the plane of a fixed detection means, usually located before, and near the beginning of each new scan. The HSYNC signal generated on each new scan serves as an indication that the beam is crossing a fixed horizontal reference point. Digital systems such as laser printers, must monitor the HSYNC signal and use it as a reference for the serialization of digital video data for the scan. Since digital systems are clocked at fixed intervals with no synchronous relationship to the physical generation of the HSYNC signal, line-to-line horizontal synchronization error can result.
For example, a digital system with a memory bitmap in which a single bit corresponds to a physical 1/600".times.1/600" area of the printed page might be clocked at a period equal to the time required for the laser to sweep 1/600" across the imaging surface. Therefore, the leftmost serialized bit of any scan is placed at a fixed number of clocks after the clock which first sampled an active HSYNC. Since the HSYNC signal can occur at any position between the clock edges, but the digital logic can produce new bits of video data coincident with the clock edges, the physical placement of the first pel, (a pel being one bit of a memory bitmap used to represent an image in a digital memory system,) may be in error by as much as 1/600". Any inaccuracies in line-to-line synchronization cause misalignment of pels which result in visible artifacts.
The bit is translated by the imaging device into a physical space corresponding to the image resolution, such as 1/600".times.1/600". The time required by the imaging device to sweep across that area is referred to as the pel time. PELCLK is a clock used to operate portions of a digital imaging system whose period is one pel time.
A slice is generally the number of discrete periods into which each pel is subdivided. By operating on a portion of a pel, various duty-cycles and print improvements may be obtained. The slice time corresponds to the pel time divided by the number of slices which make up the pel. SLICECLK is a clock used to operate portions of a digital imaging system whose period is one slice time.
There are three primary methods of reducing line-to-line placement error.
The first involves a high speed slice clock. A design can address line-to-line synchronization by running an internal clock, SLICECLK, at a higher frequency than the clock that is synchronous with the pel generation (PELCLK). The PELCLK signal is usually generated via divider logic which produces a new active edge of PELCLK every n counts of a counter. Using such an approach, it is possible to sample the HSYNC signal at a higher frequency than PELCLK. After sampling an HSYNC signal with the SLICECLK logic, the logic must restart PELCLK for each scan by resetting the divider logic which generates PELCLK. The foregoing method produces a first edge of PELCLK which has a maximum error equal to the period of SLICECLK. For example, if the SLICECLK runs at 4 times the frequency of PELCLK, the placement error can be as much as 1/4 pel, or 1/2400" in a 600 dpi (dot per inch) printer.
While the foregoing method provides more line-to-line synchronization accuracy than simply using PELCLK, PELCLK must either be stopped at the end of a scan and restarted on HSYNC, or it must contain some discontinuity at the point where the PELCLK divider is reset by HSYNC.
A second method utilizes high speed slice clock with PELCLK synchronization on either edge of SLICECLK. Previous Lexmark.TM. printer designs have employed a method using a high frequency clock that samples HSYNC on both rising and falling edges. When an HSYNC is sampled, control logic then generates a SLICECLK which is either the "true" or "inverted" version of the sampling clock dependent on which edge first sampled the active HSYNC signal. As a result, the first SLICECLK edge is within 1/2 of a clock period from the HSYNC signal.
As was the case in the previous method, the PELCLK is generated by logic which divides SLICECLK. The logic turns SLICECLK off at the end of a scan and restarts it when either edge of the high frequency sampling clock sees the HSYNC signal. Since the divider that generates PELCLK is also reset at the end of the scan, the first SLICECLK of a new scan restarts the divider, thus synchronizing PELCLK to within 1/2 of a SLICECLK. For example, if the SLICECLK runs at four times the frequency of PELCLK, the placement error can be as much as 1/8 pel or 1/4800" in a 600 dpi printer.
The foregoing method has the advantage of providing more line-to-line synchronization accuracy than simply using PELCLK or SLICECLK. The accuracy is potentially two times better than using a single edge of SLICECLK. However, the method has disadvantages. The SLICECLK must be stopped at the end of a scan and restarted on HSYNC, thereby producing a discontinuity in SLICECLK both at the end of the scan when attempting to stop the clock, and at the beginning of the scan when attempting to restart a new one. Such discontinuities can result in clock pulse widths that violate timing specifications for clocked components. Since the SLICECLK is high frequency, pausing and restarting the clock without generating glitches becomes more difficult.
Furthermore, as laser printer speeds continue to increase, so must the clock frequencies required to accurately sample HSYNC. At sixteen pages per minute print speed on the Optra.TM. family of printers, a clock frequency of 53 mHz is required to provide 1/4800" line-to-line synchronization accuracy. At 24 pages per minute, a frequency of approximately 85 mHz is required to provide the same accuracy. With today's available silicon geometries, it is impractical to clock an entire complex pel generation logic block at such frequencies.
A third method involves clock selection. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,438,353, 5,109,283 and 5,122,883 describe similar methods of achieving line-to-line synchronization. These patents describe a system which produces the lower frequency PELCLK and achieves synchronization with the HSYNC signal by restarting the PELCLK with its first edge nearly coincident with HSYNC. The designs generate several clocks at the pel frequency. Each clock is successively offset in phase from its predecessor by a delay element. As the HSYNC signal becomes active, the logic examines all clocks and selects the clock which has the closest phase relationship to HSYNC. The selected clock then becomes PELCLK for the scan, and the process is repeated on successive scans. FIG. 1 illustrates such a method.
The clock selection method is advantageous by allowing near perfect accuracy in the phase relationship between HSYNC and the PELCLK. The phase difference between HSYNC and PELCLK can be as small as one delay element. Also, there is no need for high frequency logic which samples HSYNC.
The clock selection method has disadvantages. Most printer systems require the ability to subdivide a pel into slices to perform such actions as pel duty cycle modulation and pel edge shifting. This requires the use of a clock that is higher frequency than PELCLK. If each scan starts a new PELCLK with various phase relationships, it may be difficult or impossible to use higher frequency SLICECLK since it has no consistent phase relationship with PELCLK. In order to use this approach in a system which requires both a PELCLK and a SLICECLK, the design may need to select among phase-shifted SLICECLK's on each new scan and then generate PELCLK by dividing SLICECLK. With a clock selection method, it becomes more difficult to stop and restart SLICECLK due to its higher frequencies.

Method and apparatus for HSYNC synchronization


A drug-containing capsule (20, 30, 40) includes a capsule material (21, 31, 41) and a drug (22, 32, 42) disposed within the capsule material (21, 31, 41) and having a sterilization action for a specific microorganism. The capsule material (21, 31, 41) includes a degradable part (21a, 31a, 41a) formed of a raw material that is caused to biodegrade by the specific microorganism. This results in suppression of release of the drug while the specific microorganism does not proliferate.

There is a known fin including a base member and a hydrophilic film and used for a heat exchanger (for example, Patent Literature 1). The hydrophilic film includes a plurality of types of drug particles that have a surface covered with a capsule material having controlled dissolubility in water and that are different from each other in the timing of exerting the drug action. In this way, the drug particles can exert the drug action for a long term.

Drug-containing capsule, and component for air treatment device


A powered actuator includes a rotating output member that may be operatively connected to one or more cables or mechanical links for release/actuation of a lock, latch, or the like, of a vehicle seat or other component. The powered actuator may be configured to provide a required force on the release cable and/or a required distance of travel. The actuator may also be configured to provide for proper timing of the movement of the release cables if required for a particular application.

Various types of powered actuators have been developed to provide for release/actuation/adjustment/movement of various components. For example, powered actuators may be utilized in vehicle interiors to provide for powered release of latches, locks, or the like. The powered actuators in such situations may be mounted some distance from the latch or lock, and a cable or linkage may be utilized to interconnect the powered actuator and the latch or lock. Different types of latches and locks may have different requirements with respect to the amount of force that is required to release the lock or latch. Also, latches and/or locks typically include a movable input/release member, and the distance that the released member must be moved to provide for proper release of the latch or lock may be quite different depending upon the design of the particular latch or lock. Thus, a variety of powered actuators have been developed to accommodate the various types of latches and locks that may be utilized in various applications.


A male conductor plug for a cord set includes a bi-metallic circuit breaker. The positive, neutral and ground blades extend outwardly from the front end of the plug housing and the reset switch of the circuit breaker extends outwardly from the rear end of the housing. A circular wall extends outwardly from the rear of the housing to form a socket-like enclosure around the reset switch and a flexible water resistant boot is received over the reset switch and inside the wall to prevent the introduction of moisture into the circuit breaker.

The instant invention relates to an electrical cord set and more particularly to a cord set having a circuit breaker combined with the male conductor plug thereof.
Circuit breaking devices for conductor plugs have heretofore been known in the art. In this regard, the Rivers U.S. Pat. No. 2,125,126; Bolesky U.S. Pat. No. 2,508,637; and Kopelman U.S. Pat. No. 4,903,162 represent the closest prior art to the instant invention of which the applicant is aware.
The Rivers patent discloses a male conductor plug for an extension cord set. The conductor plug includes a circuit breaking device which interrupts the plug circuit at a predetermined flow of current. The plug includes a reset button for resetting the breaker after it has been tripped.
The patent to Bolesky discloses another male conductor plug having a circuit breaking device incorporated therein. The circuit breaking device employs a bi-metallic switch which is responsive to excess heat produced by current overloads in the circuit. The bi-metallic switch includes reset means for resetting the switch after actuation.
The patent to Kopelman discloses yet another conductor plug having a fire prevention device combined therewith. One of the conductor plug blades is connected in series with a heat sensitive switch and a time delay switch. The heat sensitive switch is responsive to excessive heat build up in the circuit due to increased current or due to an outside heat source. The heat sensitive switch automatically resets itself, however the time delay circuit is operative to delay re-establishing the electrical circuit for a predetermined time after the circuit has been broken for any reason.


Disclosed herein are synthetic hydrogels suitable for delivering antimicrobial proteins, optionally in combination with bone regenerating agents to injured tissues. The hydrogels can include lysostaphin and one or more bone morphogenic proteins. The hydrogels are composed of a network of crosslinked hydrophilic polymers and adhesion peptides.

Effective treatment of infected segmental bone defects and fractures remains a significant clinical challenge in the field of orthopaedics. Nonunion bone defects are a common clinical scenario accounting for over 600,000 hospital cases per year totaling over 5 billion dollars in costs. The current standard of care includes surgical placement of bone auto- and allografts to facilitate healing. However, these grafting procedures have failure rates reported as high as 13% and donor site morbidity occurs in 20-30% of cases. In the USA, nearly 112,000 orthopaedic device infections occur annually, with Staphylococcus aureus being the most common pathogen. These infections often lead to implant failure and subsequent removal, motivating the development of bi-functional materials that both promote repair and prevent failure due to infection. Furthermore, bacterial infection of bone grafts significantly increases implant failure rates, often leading to corrective surgery, including debridement of infected tissue, and significant morbidity to the patient. Up to 30% of nonunion injuries produce positive bacterial cultures, with staphylococcal species being the most common pathogen. This motivates the development of materials that both promote bone regeneration and prevent failure due to infection.
Lysostaphin is a metalloendopeptidase produced by Staphylococcus simulans. This enzyme has antimicrobial activity specific against staphylococcal species. This specificity is provided by a targeting domain that binds the S. aureus cell wall, and the antimicrobial activity is attributed to a catalytic domain that functions by cleaving the second and third glycine residues in the pentaglycine peptidoglycan cross bridges responsible for bacterial cell wall integrity, leading to cell lysis. The catalytic nature of lysostaphin make its antimicrobial activity independent of the bacterial metabolic state, providing activity against sessile biofilm bacteria. This activity is in contrast to most small molecule antibiotics that require metabolically active bacteria to be effective. Lysostaphin therapy prevents or reduces infection in several small animal models, including systemic infection, wound infection, endocarditis, nasal colonization, keratitis, catheter colonization, ocular infection, and neonatal infections. Biomaterial carriers have been explored to increase lysostaphin stability and retention times at the site of administration, but retention times are still limited to a few hours.
Due to the high failure rates of bone grafting to treat segmental defects, recombinant bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs), such as BMP-2, BMP-7, and BMP-14 have been under development for use in humans. BMP-2 has been FDA approved to facilitate bone formation in anterior lumbar interbody fusion procedures, tibial fractures, and sinus augmentation procedures. However, for effective induction of bone formation, supraphysological doses are delivered, which can result in several unintended side effects such as ectopic bone formation, nerve damage, and significant inflammation. These limitations motivate the development of delivery carriers for controlled BMP-2 release to improve bone healing and reduce unintended side effects.
There remains a need for improved carriers for delivering therapeutic agents to injured and diseases tissues. There remains a need for improved implantable medical devices with reduced failure and infection rates. There remains a need for improved bone graft devices for the treatment of segmental bone injuries and defects.

Lysostaphin containing synthetic hydrogel carriers for bone repair


A three blade fence post straightening device comprises a first row of at least three rollers and a second row of at least three rollers. An axis of rotation of each of the rollers in the first row may be substantially parallel to each other and an axis of rotation of each of the rollers in the second row may be substantially parallel to each other. A forming profile defined between outer surfaces of the respective rollers of each pair of rollers may substantially correspond to a cross section of a three blade fence post, with forming profiles of each pair of rollers being longitudinally aligned to form a substantially straight path through the straightening device. A drive means may be configured to drive each of the rollers in the first row and/or the second row.

Three blade "star posts" are a form of fence post that are typically used to support wire or mesh fencing. Three blade star posts are made of steel and have a generally "Y" or "T" shaped cross-section.
Fences often extend significant distances. Fencing maintenance requires replacing any bent or otherwise damaged star posts with new. Bent star posts typically cannot be manually straightened and are therefore discarded. It is common for properties, particularly farms, to have large piles of damaged star posts that are simply left to rust.


An apparatus for providing reduced feedback delay may include at least one processor and at least one memory including computer program code. The at least one memory and the computer program code may be configured, with the processor, to cause the apparatus to perform at least selecting a frame format to be applied for configuring transmission and reception of data. The frame format may be selected from options including a downlink only format, an uplink only format and a downlink and uplink format. The apparatus may be further configured for communicating the frame format to a transceiver to enable configuration of the transceiver for transmission and reception of data according to the frame format selected. A corresponding method and computer program product are also provided.

The modern communications era has brought about a tremendous expansion of wireline and wireless networks. Computer networks, television networks, and telephony networks are experiencing an unprecedented technological expansion, fueled by consumer demand. Wireless and mobile networking technologies have addressed related consumer demands, while providing more flexibility and immediacy of information transfer.
Current and future networking technologies continue to facilitate ease of information transfer and convenience to users. In order to provide easier or faster information transfer and convenience, telecommunication industry service providers are developing improvements to existing networks. For example, the evolved universal mobile telecommunications system (UMTS) terrestrial radio access networks (UTRAN and E-UTRAN) and the GERAN (GSM/EDGE radio access network) system are currently being developed. The E-UTRAN, which is also known as Long Term Evolution (LTE) or 3.9G, is aimed at upgrading prior technologies by improving efficiency, lowering costs, improving services, making use of new spectrum opportunities, and providing better integration with other open standards. LTE, like many other communication networks, employs base stations that are connected to a network in order to wirelessly communicate with wireless communication devices that may be distributed throughout a coverage area of a given base station.
The base stations, which are typically referred to as eNBs (enhanced node Bs) in LTE, typically serve as wireless communication access points (APs) for a wireless communication device that may be referred to as, for example, a subscriber station (SS), a mobile station (MS), a mobile terminal (MT) or user equipment (UE). A recent focus in relation to wireless broadband access networks has been on improving performance with respect to mobile devices. However, given that network resources are limited or have associated costs, it is desirable to improve performance in balance with and consideration of the costs in terms of network resources.

Methods and apparatus for providing a communication scheme with reduced feed-back delay


A data sensing method for sensing data stored in first and second memory cells includes the steps of: setting a first voltage according to a bit-line voltage corresponding to the first memory cell in response to an enabled level of a first clock signal; providing the first voltage as a sensing voltage in response to a disabled level of the first clock signal; comparing the sensing voltage with a reference voltage to generate a first output voltage; setting a second voltage according to a bit-line voltage corresponding to the second memory cell in response to an enabled level of a second clock signal, a phase difference between the first and second clock signals being 180 degrees; providing the second voltage as the sensing voltage in response to a disabled level of the second clock signal; and comparing the sensing voltage with the reference voltage to generate a second output voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to a sense amplifier, and more particularly to a sense amplifier with a shortened voltage sensing time.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the modern age having the technology changing with each passing day, a non-volatile memory, such as a flash, is widely used in various electronic products. Conventionally, when recorded data stored in a memory cell of the flash is to be read, the memory cell in a flash array is biased through a column decoder and a row decoder so that the memory cell generates a sensing current. Thereafter, a sense amplifier detects the sensing current to judge data values stored in the memory cell.
As the technology is gradually developed, the requirement of the access speed for the flash in the market is getting higher and higher. Therefore, it is one of the important subjects in the industry to develop the technique capable of effectively increasing the data sensing speed of the sense amplifier.

Sense amplifier and data sensing method thereof


A connector system including a header connector with a header body having an internal surface and an external surface. A plurality of first openings and a plurality of second openings extend from the internal surface to the external surface of the header body. A plurality of signal pins are inserted into the plurality of first openings to form an array of pin contacts extending from the internal surface of the header body. A plurality of shield blades are inserted into the plurality of second openings. Each of the plurality of shield blades has at a first end thereof a generally right angle shielding portion configured to be disposed adjacent to a corresponding signal pin. The first ends of the plurality of shield blades are substantially coplanar with the internal surface of the header body.

This invention relates to electrical connectors, and particularly to high-speed electrical connectors for attachment to printed circuit boards.
Conductors carrying high frequency signals and currents are subject to interference and cross talk when placed in close proximity to other conductors carrying high frequency signals and currents. This interference and cross talk can result in signal degradation and errors in signal reception. Coaxial and shielded cables are available to carry signals from a transmission point to a reception point, and reduce the likelihood that the signal carried in one shielded or coaxial cable will interfere with the signal carried by another shielded or coaxial cable in close proximity. However, at points of connection, the shielding is often lost, thereby allowing interference and crosstalk between signals. The use of individual shielded wires and cables is not desirable at points of connections due to the need for making a large number of connections in a very small space. In these circumstances, two-part high-speed backplane electrical connectors containing multiple shielded conductive paths are used. Specification IEC 1076-4-101 from the International Electrotechnical Commission sets out parameters for 2 mm, two-part connectors for use with printed circuit boards.
As users modify and upgrade systems to achieve improved performance, problems related to backward compatibility arise between, for example, CompactPCI® or FutureBus® connectors and modern high-speed shielded connectors. This means that users wishing to upgrade their system performance by changing to a shielded connector system must upgrade both connector elements (header and socket components) and perhaps additionally change the overall packaging of their system. A connector system that provides an increase in performance, while still permitting backwards compatibility with, for example, CompactPCI® or FutureBus® connectors is desirable.


A method of measuring a beam flux rate in a film growth apparatus which includes supplying a hollow cathode lamp with a current that alternates between two current values and does not include a zero current, introducing intensity-modulated spectral light emitted by the hollow cathode lamp into a vacuum chamber of a film growth apparatus, absorbing the light by a beam of atoms projected at a substrate surface, and detecting components synchronized with the modulation of the spectral light obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of using atomic absorption spectroscopy to accurately measure atomic beam flux rate in a vacuum chamber of an apparatus used to grow films, such as a molecular beam epitaxy (MBE) apparatus, a vacuum deposition apparatus, an ion beam deposition apparatus, a laser ablation film fabrication apparatus and a sputter deposition apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Measurement of atomic beam flux rate in a vacuum chamber of an apparatus used to grow films such as an MBE apparatus, vacuum deposition apparatus, ion beam deposition apparatus, laser ablation film fabrication apparatus, sputter deposition apparatus and the like is important with respect to controlling thin-film fabrication. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) makes it possible to measure flux rate regardless of the state of the atoms (discrete, molecule or cluster particle, or ionized states thereof). Measurement of beam flux rate in thin-film fabrication apparatuses has been extensively utilized, with a hollow cathode lamp used as the spectral light source.
In a conventional AAS system using a hollow cathode lamp, constant-intensity light emitted by the hollow cathode lamp is interrupted by a mechanical chopper, detected by a photodetector, and the output of the photodetector is locked-in using a lock-in amplifier. Such a system is described, for example, in "MBE Growth of BiSrCaCuO Films Using Flux Monitoring by Atomic Absorption Spectroscopy," by Y. Kasai, A. Suzuki, H. Tanoue, T. Nagai and S. Sakai, (Advances in Superconductivity (vol. 7 (1995) pp. 897-900), and "Accurate measurement of atomic beam flux by pseudo-double-beam atomic absorption spectroscopy for growth of thin-film oxide superconductors," by M. E. Klausmeier-Brown, J. N. Eckstein, I. Bozovic and G. F. Virshup (Applied Physics Letter vol. 60 (1992) pp. 657-659).
However, a problem with the above method in which a mechanical chopper is used is that the magnetic field generated by the motor used to drive the chopper has an adverse effect on observation of the crystal surface using an electron beam, such as in reflection high-energy electron diffraction (RHEED), destabilizing the RHEED image. Another problem is that of vibration produced by the mechanical parts, while a further problem is that the size of the chopper disks imposes constraints on the disposition of the parts making up the optical system, and using a chopper increases the cost of the apparatus.
The object of the present invention is to provide a method of accurately measuring beam flux rate in a vacuum chamber of an apparatus used to grow films, using atomic absorption spectroscopy, without employing a mechanical chopper.

Method of measuring atomic beam flux rate in film growth apparatus

Agency of Industrial Science & Technology, Ministry of International Trade & Industry


A method and system for designing a part with improved fatigue life and resistance to stress corrosion cracking in which residual stresses existing in the part are accounted for. The performance criteria and operating conditions of the part are assessed and a total stress state is determined from the sum of the residual stresses and applied stresses acting on the part. Unified Fatigue Performance Model or Smith-Topper-Neuber parameters are used to determine fatigue life functions which, in turn, are used in conjunction with a fatigue design diagram to determine the appropriate residual stress to introduce in order to optimize the part's resistance to stress induced failure mechanisms. A residual stress distribution is then designed to avoid distortion of the part while still imparting the beneficial effects of compressive residual stress.

This invention relates to the design and manufacture of metallic parts and, more specifically, to a method and a system for improving a part's resistance to stress induced failure.
The combined stress state of a part is defined as the sum total of the applied stresses acting on the part during operation as well as any existing residual stresses. Existing residual stresses are those stresses imparted to the part during manufacturing operations such as casting, forming, welding, heat treatment, machining, etc. The residual stresses in the part may be of such magnitude that, when added to the applied stresses, the part may fail prematurely. A variety of treatments are known to reduce susceptibility to stress induced failure mechanisms. Most of these treatments are employed to mitigate the impact of existing tensile residual stresses in the part by either reducing existing residual tension, such as by heating, or inducing compression in the part. Such compressive stresses are known to influence fatigue and stress corrosion cracking failure by acting in concert with, and in addition to, any applied stress encountered while the part is in service. Common methods of inducing compression in a part include various shot peening techniques, laser shocking or laser shock peening, as well as deep rolling and burnishing. Such methods are typically performed either during or after production of the part.
It is well known that inducing compressive residual stresses in the surface of a part can improve the performance and service life of the part. However, traditional design techniques do not take into account the residual stresses developed in a part during manufacturing. Instead, existing design techniques generally assume that a part will be stress free upon completion. Accordingly, part designs rarely include any consideration of the effect residual stresses will have on the susceptibility of the finished part with regard to stress induced failure. If it is subsequently determined that tensile residual stresses exist in the part and that these residual stresses will have a significant detrimental impact on fatigue life or stress corrosion cracking, one of the aforementioned methods of inducing compression in the part may be performed as a remedial measure. In this way, the effects of tensile residual stresses within the part are reduced or eliminated and the resistance of the part to stress induced failure is improved. Unfortunately, the implementation of such remedial treatments may result in other difficulties.
When compression is induced in a part to alleviate tensile residual stresses it is necessarily accompanied by an equilibrating amount of tension such that the net forces within the volume of the part sum to zero. This equilibrating tension is sometimes problematic. Parts that are designed with extremely close tolerances may not have enough material to accommodate the magnitude of the equilibrating tension associated with the introduction of compression. This can result in failure in the region where the equilibrating tension develops. Further, the compressive residual stresses introduced in the part may buckle or distort the part's dimensions beyond the desired tolerances thereby destroying the viability of the part. In order to counteract this effect, traditional design techniques often call for an excess of material to be added to the part. This addition of extra material operates to reduce the magnitude of equilibrating tension and the distortion that may occur by the introduction of compressive stresses. However, the inclusion of extra part material may add significant weight as well as cost to the finished part. Furthermore, a part containing excess material will typically not be optimized for the given application if component weight or size is a critical concern.
In its conventional form, Haigh Diagrams have been used to demonstrate the interaction between applied mean stress and applied alternating stress, the combination of which effects the fatigue life of a part. Such diagrams have also been used as a means to predict the service life of a part subject to such stresses. Haigh Diagrams are most often used in conjunction with fatigue life prediction functions such as those developed by Soderberg, Goodman, Gerber and Morrow. Such functions describe the fatigue life that can be achieved for a given combination of alternating and mean stresses.
A typical Haigh Diagram, also referred to as a "Goodman" diagram, is commonly used to evaluate the effect of combined stresses in the region where the mean stress is tensile (Smean>0). In limited circumstances, a Haigh Diagram will be developed that will incorporate both tensile and compressive residual stresses in an effort to demonstrate their effect in the combined stress state. For example one such circumstance is disclosed on pages 150 to 154 of "Metal Fatigue in Engineering" by H. O. Fuchs and R. I. Stephens (Copyright 1980 John Wiley & Sons). In this example the compressive quadrant of the Haigh Diagram is shown in conjunction with the Smith-Watson-Topper fatigue life function. However, a method of using the diagram to optimize the fatigue performance of a particular component under given operational conditions is not disclosed. Despite the sporadic inclusion of compressive residual stresses, the exact effect of compressive stresses has not, until now, been shown or taught with respect to the Haigh Diagram.
Consequently, a need exists for a relatively inexpensive method and system for analyzing the impact of tensile residual stresses developed during the manufacturing process of a part and for determining the desired compressive residual stress distributions to be induced in the part to improve the resistance of the part to stress induced failure mechanisms, improve part performance and to effect a significant weight savings.

Method and system for improving a part's resistance to stress induced failure


A panel light source device includes a light source, a light guide plate for guiding and diffusing light from the light source, and a frame for housing the light guide plate. The frame has a convexity inside thereof and the light guide plate has a concavity on a side or lower surface thereof. The convexity and the concavity are engaged with each other, and the light guide plate is provided in the frame so as to cover at least a part of an upper surface of the light guide plate.

The present invention relates to a display device and a panel light source device, more particularly to a display device and a panel light source device, which have locating portions or engaging portions on a light guide plate and a frame.
As an image display device for various monitors for a personal computer and so on, a liquid crystal display device has been remarkably widespread. The liquid crystal display device generally has a liquid crystal display panel and a backlight unit disposed on at the rear thereof. The liquid crystal display panel performs an image display by controlling light transmitted therethrough. Among some types of liquid crystal display devices, there is one having a side light type backlight. This type of liquid crystal display device has a cathode fluorescent tube as a light source disposed on a side of a display surface for the purpose of thinning the liquid crystal display device.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a liquid crystal display device 10 having a side light type backlight unit. In the drawing, a reference numeral 11 denotes a backlight unit, a numeral 12 a liquid crystal panel (liquid crystal cell), and a numeral 13 a diffusion sheet for diffusing light to make the brightness even on a liquid crystal display panel surface. A reference numeral 14 denotes a prism sheet for converging light to improve a luminance on the front surface of the display, reference numeral 15 is a light guide plate for guiding and diffusing light from a light source, and reference numeral 16 is a frame for accommodating parts of the backlight unit 11 such as the light guide plate and the prism sheet therein. A reference numeral 17 denotes a cold cathode tube 17 as a light source, reference numeral 18 is a bezel for holding and protecting the liquid crystal cell 12 and the backlight unit 11 from the outside thereof. The backlight unit 11 is made of the diffusion sheet 13, the prism sheet 14, the light guide plate 15, the frame 16 and the cold cathode tube 17. The cold cathode tube 17 is disposed inside the frame 16 and is not directly shown in the drawing.
In order to prevent a rattle or a positional shift of each part, it is necessary to locate and fix each part of the backlight unit 11 in the frame 16. Particularly, since the light guide plate 15 is thick in comparison with other optical parts, it is subject to be broken. Alternatively, the light guide plate 15 may sometimes destroy the cold cathode tube 17 by colliding with the cold cathode tube 17. Therefore, it is necessary to locate and fix the light guide plate 15 on the frame 16 accurately. A method for fixing the light guide plate 15 on the frame 16 is that convexities are provided on the light guide plate 15, opening portions are provided on the frame 16, and the convexities and the opening portions are engaged with each other to be located and fixed with each other. Optical sheets, such as the prism sheet 14 and the diffusion sheet 13, are attached to the light guide plate 15 by adhesive to be fixed thereto.
Techniques for forming convexities on a light guide plate and engaging them with holes of a frame as described above are described, for example, in the gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 9-152577. However, there have existed some problems in providing such convexities on a light guide plate. One problem is that the convexities are subject to be broken. The light guide plate is typically formed of acrylic resin. Since the strength of the acrylic resin is not high, the convexities sometimes may be chipped off. Due to difference of thermal expansion ratios between that of the light guide plate and that of the frame, the convexities are stressed, resulting in breakage thereof. Widening spaces between the convexities and the holes is conceived in order to prevent the breakage. However, such space widening causes a rattle between the frame and the light guide plate. Alternatively, also in the case where an impact is delivered to the backlight unit due to dropage and so on, the convexities sometimes may be broken.
On the other hand, in a portable computer or the like using a liquid crystal display device, enlargement of a display screen thereof has been required in recent years while the display device is being miniaturized. For this reason, a border portion of the display device has been made still narrower. This is generally called xe2x80x9cborder narrowingxe2x80x9d of the display device. The border portion is a portion between the display screen area and the end of the display device. According to such border narrowing, a width of the frame has been narrowed. Thus, it has come to be difficult for the holes for fitting the convexities of the light guide plate therein to be provided on the frame.
Against the above-described backlight unit, a backlight unit having convexities provided on a frame and locating holes formed by hollowing out a light guide plate is described, for example, in the gazette of Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. Hei 11-84351. The foregoing problems can be solved by providing the convexities on the frame. However, engaging portions where the convexities and the through holes are engaged cannot emit light. Accordingly, the engaging portions are formed onto the display area as a result of the border narrowing, thus causing a problem that a dark portion is formed on the display screen.
The object of the present invention is to solve the foregoing problems and so on.
One feature of the present invention is a panel light source device including a light source, a light guide plate for guiding and diffusing light from the light source, and a frame for housing the light guide plate, wherein the frame has a convexity inside thereof and the light guide plate has a concavity on a side or lower surface thereof, the convexity and the concavity are engaged with each other, and the light guide plate is provided in the frame so as to cover at least a part of an upper surface of the light guide plate.
In another feature of the present invention as a display device, such a display device that performs a display by controlling light projected from a backlight unit with a display panel, in which the backlight unit includes a light source, a light guide plate for guiding and diffusing light from the light source, and a frame for housing the light guide plate, wherein the frame has a convexity in an inside thereof, the light guide plate has a concavity on a side or lower surface thereof, the convexity and the concavity are engaged with each other, and the light guide plate is provided so as to cover at least a portion of an upper surface of the convexity in the frame.
Still another aspect of the present invention is a display device, which performs a display by controlling light projected from a backlight unit with a display panel, in which the backlight unit includes a light source, a light guide plate for guiding and diffusing light from the light source, and a frame for housing said light guide plate, wherein the frame has a convexity for locating the light guide plate thereon, the light guide plate has a concavity for engaging the convexity therewith, and light from the light source is projected from an upper surface of the concavity.
Various other objects, features, and attendant advantages of the present invention will become more fully appreciated as the same becomes better understood when considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which like reference characters designate the same or similar parts throughout the several views.

International Business Machines Corporation


An oral appliance for the treatment of sleep disorders, such as obstructive sleep apnea, in a user is presented. The oral appliance may include a mouthpiece configured to receive a user's dentition. The mouthpiece may include an oxygen sensor, a pressure sensor, an airflow sensor, an actigraphy sensor, a noise detector, and at least one stimulator for providing stimulation to a user's tongue in the event of decreased oxygen saturation levels, increased pressure applied to occlusal surfaces of the user's dentition, decreased actual airflow levels and/or increased noise levels. The mouthpiece may be provided with pharmaceutical compound reservoirs that deliver pharmaceutical compounds to the oral mucosa of the user, which compounds treat symptoms of sleep apnea. The mouthpiece may further include a microprocessor that receives data from the oxygen sensor, pressure sensor, airflow sensor, actigraphy sensor and noise detector, and activates the at least one stimulator and/or pharmaceutical compound reservoirs.

Sleep apnea is a common medical condition during which a person experiences one or more pauses in breathing, and in some instances, experiences shallow breaths during sleep. While there are several types of sleep apnea, the most common type is obstructive sleep apnea. In this medical condition, one or more of the person's throat muscles relax during sleep causing surrounding tissues in the posterior portions of the mouth, nose and throat to collapse, thereby creating a pharyngeal obstruction that can block the upper airway. Persons suffering from obstructive sleep apnea have inadequate oxygen exchange during sleep, which can lead to daytime fatigue, lack of concentration and mood changes. Left untreated, obstructive sleep apnea can have a significant impact on a person's health, often leading to cardiovascular, stroke and metabolic disorders.
Known methods for treatment of obstructive sleep apnea include both surgical and nonsurgical devices. A popular surgical procedure is uvulopalatopharyngoplasty, which may be performed for patients who have anatomical abnormalities that cause their obstructive sleep apnea and/or make them less likely to tolerate nonsurgical devices. Uvulopalatopharyngoplasty may be a complicated surgery, during which a portion of the soft palate is removed in an effort to prevent closure of the airway by excess tissue during sleep. A disadvantage of this procedure, however, is that the operation is often expensive and may damage throat muscles necessary for swallowing and/or cause other undesirable disorders, such as, nasal regurgitation and numbness of the lower front teeth.
To reduce this risk, various nonsurgical approaches have been employed. One such nonsurgical approach includes using standardized oral appliances to incrementally advance and/or protrude the mandible (lower jaw) relative to the maxilla (upper jaw). These standardized oral appliances, commonly referred to as a mandibular advancement device, ("MAD"), typically include upper and lower dental trays, whereby the lower dental tray is designed to advance the mandible, and hence, move the tongue forward to increase the space in the posterior part of the throat and the oropharynx, which in turn may serve to increase the flow of air during sleep. The distance (degree of advancement) required to protrude and/or reposition the mandible may be, at least in part, dependent on the severity of the individual's obstructive sleep apnea, as well as psychological variables among the users. A disadvantage of using these standard oral appliances is that they may not sufficiently provide for and/or address individualized anatomical variances, such as difference in dental arches, dentition alignment and/or jaw flexibility. Another disadvantage is that in instances where the degree of advancement is excessive, the appliance may lead to long-term temporomandibular joint ("TMJ") disorders, muscular aggravation, dentition discomfort and/or myofascial disorders. As a result, use of these standard appliances has an approximate compliance rate of 75% over a 2-year period. For a detailed study of compliance with use of MAD, see Non-CPAP therapies in obstructive sleep apnoea: mandibular advancement device therapy, see Eur Respir J 2012; 39: 1241-1247, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Thus, such oral appliances may not treat obstructive sleep apnea in a manner that prevents and/or limits impacts on a person's health.
FIG. 1 depicts a system 1 including an intraoral stimulator device 2 used for providing treatment of a sleep disorder. The intraoral stimulator device 2 is powered by a rechargable battery and includes a housing of a hollow dental retainer wire-frame or mouth-guard (in the case of a bilateral configuration) or a molar teeth clip (in the case of unilateral configuration) for positioning on the lower teeth. The housing 4 includes a single pair or two pairs of bilateral electrodes 5a, 5b for positioning ventral-laterally and sublingually at the posterior to middle section under the tongue for recruiting a large section of the genioglossus muscle and base-of-tongue for stimulation to regain muscle tone during sleep. The system 1 includes an external inductive recharger sub-system 6, configured to receive electrical power from a wall outlet 7 and use the electrical power to recharge a rechargeable battery (not shown) provided in the intraoral stimulator device 2 by transferring power through electromagnetic induction. The oral appliance 1 further includes a non-rechargeable battery operated hand-held appliance 3 that communicates instructions to the intraoral stimulator device 2. The non-rechargeable battery operated hand-held appliance 3 is used by the patient's sleep medicine physician to program the stimulation and to set system parameters in the intraoral stimulator device 2. The stimulation can be pre-programmed or can occur as a result of change in the user's breathing pattern, as tested by accelerometer, temperature, piezoelectric film and EMG. Alternatively, the stimulation therapy may be programmed and setup up by a physician so that the therapy begins as soon as the device is turned On and ceases when the device turns Off, without regard to changes in the user's breathing pattern. An issue with continuous stimulation is that over stimulation can lead to nerve and/or muscle fatigue/damage. Moreover, while a physician can set and/or send instructions to the intraoral stimulator, the physician cannot store and or assess the breathing and/or snoring pattern of a patient in a way that allows the physician to modify treatment as may be necessary. The lack of specialized treatment measures in individual patients with unique medical needs can be problematic, particularly because they fail to store patient behavior and/or medical data that can assist medical providers in the design and/or improvement of specialized treatment measures for individual patients. Thus, such intraoral stimulator devices may fail to treat obstructive sleep apnea in a manner that prevents and/or limits impacts on a person's health.
Other methods of treating obstructive sleep apnea include the administration of positive air pressure via a continuous positive airway pressure ("CPAP") machine. The CPAP machine is often assembled for use in combination with various face or nasal masks and may provide continuously pressurized and/or forced air during the person's sleep. A disadvantage of this assembly is that it may cause nasal and/or oral mucosal dryness due to the continuously forced air and may also cause claustrophobia due to the presence of a mask on the patient's face. As a result, use of these assemblies has an approximate compliance rate of 50% over a 5-year period. For a detailed study of compliance with use of CPAP machines, see Long-term compliance with continuous positive airway pressure in patients with obstructive sleep apnea, Can Respir J. 2008 October; 15(7): 365-369, which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Another disadvantage is that standard masks are not properly adapted for a customized fit for persons with unique and/or variable facial anatomies that may be natural or created by loss of muscle tone secondary to facial paralysis and/or stroke. Ill-fitting masks may lead to leakage of air and/or inadequate air intake. In addition, the masks used with CPAP machines have been found to be a breeding ground for bacteria and fungi. Despite routine washing and cleaning measures, the bacteria and fungi on these masks can grow exponentially, and lead to infections, such as pneumonia, in the airways of persons who use them. Moreover, such assemblies may not sufficiently treat obstructive sleep apnea and may fail to promote patient compliance with the treatment method.
The aforementioned treatment techniques may not provide sufficient treatment of obstructive sleep apnea, may cause and/or promote other negative health situations for the user and may not foster compliance with treatment methods.
In view of the disadvantages associated with currently available methods and devices for treating obstructive sleep apnea, there is a need for a device and method that treats obstructive sleep apnea while storing patient behavior and/or medical data relating to a user's breathing pattern, snoring pattern and/or clenching/grinding behaviors, that can assist medical providers in the design, improvement and/or modification of specialized treatment measures for individual patients. Further, there is a need for a device and method that treats obstructive sleep apnea in a single removable oral appliance and prevents and/or limits long-term TMJ disorders, muscular aggravation and/or myofascial disorders that may occur with continued use of currently available appliances.

Removable mandibular pharmaceutical delivery device