An object is to ensure reachability of data even with movement of a session between communication nodes. A home node HN-1 generates a home session address HSA-1 and establishes a session with communication correspondent 90. On the occasion of movement of the session, the home node HN-1 notifies a foreign node FN-1 that it desires to move the session to the foreign node FN-1. The foreign node FN-1 internally generates an IP address HSA-1, copies a state of the session in the home node HN-1, and thereafter notifies a communication mediator node 1 of correspondence update information “HSA-1→HNA-2” in order to let the communication mediator node 1 pass data addressed to HSA-1 to a home node identification address HNA-2 by tunneling. The communication mediator node 1 passes the data to HNA-2 by tunneling on the basis of the correspondence update information and another communication mediator node 2 again passes the data to a care-of address CoA-2 by tunneling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communication system for implementing movement of a session in communication between communication nodes, a communication controlling method in the communication system, a communication node and a communication mediator node constituting the communication system, a communication mediating program executed by a computer in the communication mediator node, and a session moving program executed by a computer in the communication node and a session moving method.
2. Related Background Art
Among the conventional communication methods of TCP/IP and others, there existed no standard method of moving a session in communication from one communication node to another communication node. Therefore, movement of a session in communication was individually handled in such a way that an application explicitly disconnected the session in communication and then reconnected the session in another communication node. In addition, mechanisms of moving the session were dependent upon respective applications, and thus there existed no common platform. Accordingly, there were strong desires for construction of a common platform for moving a communication session.
In order to facilitate the construction of the common platform, it is necessary to provide a standard method for moving a communication session between communication nodes without special awareness of a communication correspondent and to provide a network with a mechanism capable of facilitating the movement of the communication session without any change in the specifications of the communication correspondent.
The above mechanism requires the following three elements. Namely, the three elements are {circle around (1)} a mechanism for ensuring reachability of data (a mechanism of, after a communication correspondent of a certain communication session sends data, delivering the data to a node of a destination to which the communication session has moved), {circle around (2)} a mechanism for ensuring continuity of the session (a mechanism of, in order to continue the session at the destination as well, on the occasion of movement of the session, copying an interior state on the way of the session in communication, into the destination node and restoring the interior state on the way of the session in the destination node), and {circle around (3)} a mechanism for ensuring continuity of a process (a mechanism of copying an interior state of an application process in communication, into the destination node and restoring the interior state of the process in the destination node).
The element {circle around (1)} (the mechanism for ensuring reachability of data) among these elements is such a mechanism that, while a communication session is established between one communication node and a communication correspondent, even if one end of the communication session moves from one communication node to another communication node, the communication correspondent is allowed to send data to the one communication node and the data thereafter can be surely delivered to the other communication node as a destination of the communication session, and it can be said as an indispensable and important element.
The present invention has been accomplished with focus on the above element {circle around (1)}, and an object of the present invention is to provide a communication system, a communication controlling method, a communication node, a communication mediator node, a communication. mediating program, a session moving method, and a session moving program capable of ensuring the reachability of data even with movement of a communication session between communication nodes.

Communication system, communication controlling method, communication node, communication mediator node, communication mediating program, session moving method, and session moving program


A secure instant messaging system integrates secure text instant messaging and secure file transfers into existing instant messaging systems. At least one certificate authority (CA) is provided that issues a security certificate to a user that binds the user's instant messaging screen name to a public key which is used by other users to encrypt messages and files sent to the user and by the user to decrypt the received messages and files. A subscriber database is used by the CA to keep track of valid users and their associated information, such as: user screen names, user subscription expiration dates, and enrollment agent information. A user sends his certificate to the invention's instant messaging server which publishes the user's certificate to other users by creating a hash value of the user's certificate and sending it to the other users which allows the recipients to decide if they need to update their caches with a new copy of the user's certificate. Instant messages and files are encrypted by a sending user using an encryption algorithm and the recipient's certificate. The sending user can sign instant messages using his private signing key. The security status of each received instant message is displayed to the user.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to instant messaging services across the Internet. More particularly, the invention relates to the secure transmission and reception of messages and files via an instant messaging service across the Internet.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Instant Messaging has changed a large population of Internet users' lives over the few years that such a service has been available. Users have the ability to conduct real-time conversations with other users. Friends and family keep in contact through group chatrooms and one-on-one chats. An entire culture has been created based upon Instant Messaging.
Users have the option to create lists of usernames that the user can monitor. The Instant Messaging programs notify the user when any of the users in the username lists are active and online.
Referring to FIG. 1, User 1 101 communicates to User 2 102 through the Internet 103. Messages sent between User 1 101 and user 2 102 are received and forwarded by the Instant Messaging Service 104. For example, the Instant Messaging Service 104 receives a message sent from User 1 101 and forwards the message to User 2 102 and vice versa. The Instant Messaging Service 104 also tells the users which users on their username lists are logged on.
With respect to FIG. 2, of the instant messaging services currently available from America Online, Incorporated, Microsoft Corporation, Hotmail, and Yahoo, Incorporated, America Online, Incorporated's AOL Instant Messenger (AIM) 201 service is the most popular and is on the forefront of instant messaging technology. AIM has been very successful in the home and consumer market, allowing people to communicate with friends and relatives immediately all over the United States and the world. AIM is so prolific that the phrases "buddy list" (a feature of AIM) and "I-M me" have become part of the current Pop culture.
Instant Messaging has operated in an unsecure environment. Typical consumers do not have any use for secure communications with other users. However, a growing number of people use AIM in the business environment to communicate with co-workers, and with people they do business with at other companies.
While business users find the convenience of AIM very useful for business purposes, they quite often have a nagging worry over the privacy of the information that is sent through this service. These "enterprise" users would like to have assurance that their data cannot be viewed by outside parties such as ISPs, network routers and the AIM service itself. America Online, Incorporated announced in May of 2002 that it would be providing a secure AIM service that would allow users to transmit and receive messages in a secure environment. A non-public Beta test program of the secure AIM product was conducted in May of 2002.
It would be advantageous to provide a secure instant messaging system that provides secure messaging and file transfer between users. It would further be advantageous to provide a secure instant messaging system that operates within the current instant messaging architecture.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The present invention includes panels having longitudinal sides configured for lateral engagement of the panels an include a drainage channel hidden by a jut or wing of the panel arranged immediately beside the channel. The channel collects possible infiltrations through joints arranged between the laterally coupled panels. The panels also include a slot at one end and an extension at the other end which, when are coupled together by overlapping and axial sliding. The panels have a space in which a securing staple is arranged to secure the panels to a support structure. The staple is spaced apart from the channel and hidden by the jut of the next lateral panel, so that the securing devices are isolated from the outside. In a preferred embodiment, one of the sides of the panels has a cross section with a smaller cross section than the rest of the panel so that it can be coupled by longitudinal sliding into a slot of complementary form arranged at the other end of the panels. A total watertight seal is obtained without the need to use weather strips and inner seals.

Known in the art are facing panels for walls in buildings and constructions in general, formed by two flat metal sheets joined together, one of which forms the internal side of the panel while the other forms the outer side, between which sheets is a chamber filled with material of a heat-insulating nature.
This type of flat panels for covering the outer walls of a building or construction is unsuitable for use as a roof or roofing, for the seals between the elements thereof lack sufficient watertightness.
Another type of roof currently used is made up of channeled panels, that is, panels with their outer side provided with longitudinal projections or drawings, which alternate with channels. These roofs have a disadvantage of an aesthetic order, owing to the presence of the projections, and furthermore their attachment to the support beams or purlins is implemented by means of threaded stems which pass through he panels, the heads of these stems being left on the outer side of the panels, which means that they deteriorate easily through the action of atmospheric agents. Similarly, the joints between the panels, formed by weather strips or beads, can suffer wear over time, therefore allowing possible infiltration of rainwater.
Also known are roofing panels of the type described above, which, once placed on the support structure, are joined to each other by means of a flanging operation, which consists in bending together, one around the other, two longitudinal edges of the sheets which compose the two sides of the panel, in order to achieve their watertight joining together. This operation is carried out once the sheets have been fitted on the support structure, using a portable machine which is complex to operate, so that fitting of this type of roofing is slow and costly.

Watertight roof for buildings and constructions in general


The present invention relates to an improved process for making mono- and di-alkoxylated piperazine compounds especially dihydroxyethylpiperazine. The improvement comprises the addition of an acid to the piperazine compound prior to the addition of an alkylene oxide to a reactor wherein the alkoxylated piperazine compound is prepared. Said improvement reduces the concentration of undesirable glycol ether byproducts which contribute undesirable color and foaming of the alkoxylated piperazine compounds.

The present invention relates to the manufacture of mono- and/or di-alkoxylated piperazine compounds from alkylene oxides and a piperazine compound. Common byproducts of these alkoxylated piperazine compounds include glycol ether byproducts. The undesirability of glycol ether byproducts in known, for example see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,334,763 and 5,395,973 which discloses the reduction of ethoxylated or glycol ether amine byproducts in the production of mono-, di-, and triethanolamines by adding carbon dioxide. These byproducts contribute to unwanted color and/or the generation of foam during use, for example in such applications as hard surface cleaning, corrosion inhibition, and the like. Because such byproducts are also undesirable in certain commercial uses of mono- and/or di-alkoxylated piperazine compounds, it would be desirable to have a process to make mono- and/or di-alkoxylated piperazine compounds having better (e.g., less) color and lower tendency to foam.

Process for making alkoxylated piperazine compounds


A method is presented for providing information associated with a geographical area to users of broadcast communication receivers. The information, as well as an indication of the geographical area associated with the information, are transmitted to, and received by, each of the broadcast communication receivers. In each of the receivers, the indication of the geographical area is compared with a geographic code associated with, and stored within, the receiver. Each of the receivers also relays the information to the user of the receiver if the geographic code indicates that the receiver is located within the geographical area.

Nationally-oriented radio and television broadcast programming, such as national newscasts, major sporting events, motion picture presentations, and weekly entertainment programs, have been available for many years. However, such programming typically has been delivered to the consumer by way of a plurality of locally-situated broadcast facilities. For example, radio or television programs of national interest are often broadcast by way of many radio or television stations of local broadcast scope collectively forming a terrestrial wireless broadcast network. Each broadcast station may have an effective range of up to a hundred miles or more, depending on applicable governmental regulations, technical capabilities of the station, and other factors. Of course, each of these stations may also provide more locally-oriented programming, such as local newscasts and sporting events, of primary interest to consumers residing within the station broadcast area.
In addition to normal programming, this infrastructure of networks in the United States also had been employed as part of the federal Emergency Broadcast System (EBS) starting in 1963, which was replaced beginning in 1994 with the current Emergency Alert System (EAS). EAS allows the transmission of messages of national importance under the guidance of the President of the United States, although the system has never been used officially for that purpose. However, EAS is quite often employed at a state and local level for transmission of weather bulletins, child abduction warnings (i.e., "AMBER alerts"), and other time-sensitive events of a local nature. With each of the broadcast stations typically servicing a localized area, the use of such stations for dissemination of locally-oriented EAS alerts and other information is advantageous, since local information generally is not provided to distant geographic areas unaffected by, or uninterested in, the alert.
The development of cable television systems altered the broadcast landscape somewhat, as channels providing purely regional, national, or international programming began to be delivered alongside local television station signals to consumers connected to the system. Thus, even though each separate cable television system typically covers an operating area approximately equivalent to a local television station, providing weather alerts and other important local information to all users of the cable system became more problematic. More specifically, in order to provide geographically-specific information to the surrounding community, the information provided by the local television stations, and passed through by the cable system, had to be supplemented to address the situation in which a consumer was viewing a nationally-oriented channel instead of local programming. In response, cable operators have devised ways to provide the alert information through all of the channels it provides. For example, the cable operator temporarily may block all programming on all channels, or at least the regionally- and nationally-oriented channels, to provide the local alert directly by way of text delivery, audio delivery, or both on every channel. In addition, the information may direct the viewer to tune to a specific cable system channel to access more details regarding the alert.
However, the deployment of broadcast communication systems of national scope or greater, such as current satellite radio (SR) and digital broadcast satellite (DBS) television systems, have further confused the issue. The U.S. government has required such systems to receive and disseminate nationally-oriented EAS messages starting May 31, 2007. However, alerts and other information of a more local nature are much more prevalent, as described above. While DBS television systems now often provide programming from television stations in the local area in their channel line-up, the problem of notifying a viewer tuned to a national channel remains. Further, given that many DBS satellites provide programming to consumers across a wide service area, including one or more entire countries, delivering all locally-oriented information generated within the service area to all users within the area is impractical. For example, given the rather voluminous nature of such information typically transmitted within the U.S. in a given timeframe, the typical viewer may either fail to notice the particular information associated with his or her particular area, or otherwise ignore all of the information being received.

Broadcast communication system and method for providing users with information associated with a geographical area


A fishing bait on a hook may be held in a chosen location by a sinker through which a fishing line passes. The fishing line is connected to the hook, and when fishing the line is pulled, the bait may twitch, enticing fish to strike the bait without moving away from the chosen location.

This invention relates to fishing tackle and more particularly to artificial fishing lures.
Game fish are often territorial. They attack other creatures they perceive as a threat to their habitation, or to their control over a desired location. The territory a game fish defends might be a bed scooped into a lake or stream bottom, a rock or boulder, a log or other sunken object, a coral outcropping, or almost any prominent structural feature below the upper surface of a body of water.
Artificial fishing lures that appear to be moving past a territory being defended by a game fish will not always provoke a strike. Nor will game fish strikes consistently be provoked by fishing lures that are motionless when they are at rest because they may appear to be lifeless.


A word line driver for a semiconductor memory device includes a row decoder for generating a block select signal and driving a main word line in accordance with an address signal, a sub word line enable unit for generating a main decoding signal in accordance with the address signal, a word decoder driver for buffering the main decoding signal and transmitting the main decoding signal to a memory cell block, a block word decoder driver for enabling a sub decoding signal in the memory cell block in accordance with the block select signal and the main decoding signal, and a sub word line driver for driving a sub word line in accordance with the sub decoding signal and the main word line driven by the row decoder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device, and more particularly, to an improved word line driver circuit for a semiconductor memory device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Since word lines in early semiconductor memory devices were composed of polysilicon, which has a relatively high resistance, the time required for a decoding signal to be transmitted from a word line decoder to a memory cell, that is, the data access time, was very long.
A technique for solving the above problem was disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,542,486 and shown in FIG. 1, wherein a metal layer is formed on each word line. Referring to FIG. 1, a memory cell array 1 is divided into a plurality of blocks (1A, 1B, 1C). Each word line is divided into a main word line 15 and sub word lines 3A, 3B, 3C composed of metal material and having an AND gate with a small resistance and a small parasitic capacitance. Only a word line in a specific block is made to be operated in accordance with a cell block select signal.
The operation of the above word line structure will now be described. First, when one of the column decoders (not illustrated) arranged in the y-direction is enabled in accordance with a column address signal, a corresponding main word line becomes high to be active. Then, a specific block is selected by an address in the x-direction, and a block select signal also becomes high. As a result, one of the AND gates 16A, 16B, 16C is turned on to enable a corresponding sub word line, thus completing the operation.
The above-described construction works well in a semiconductor memory device having a small capacity. However, for a device having 64 mega bits or greater capacity, when a metal layer is formed on each word line, the chip area is accordingly increased. This makes practical application of this construction to semiconductor memory devices almost impossible. Furthermore, since the block select signal is used as a gate input signal and is simultaneously inputted to a plurality of AND gates, the load capacity of the block select signal is increased and the enabling speed of the sub word lines becomes slower, resulting in the increased power consumption due to the large load capacity.
Accordingly, as shown in FIG. 2, in a 64 mega bits or greater level device, to improve the enabling speed of the sub word lines in the arrangements of FIG. 1, one metal layer is allocated to a plurality of word lines having a hierarchial structure. In addition, a driving unit is disposed to selectively connect the word lines and the metal layer.
The semiconductor memory device structure shown in FIG. 2 is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,416,748, in which one metal layer is connected to a plurality of word lines. The device structure includes a plurality of main word lines (MWL-1, . . . , MWL-n) composed of a metal material, and a plurality of sub word lines (SWL) connected to one main word line. A column decoder 10 generates a column address. Sub word line driving units (SWD) 20 select a specific sub word line among the plurality of sub word lines. A sense amplifier 30 amplifies a signal of the selected word line. A block decoder (BD) 40 outputs a block select signal. Word line drive decoders (WDD) 50 drive the word lines, and sub decoding drive units (SDD) 60 select one of the word line drive decoders (WDD) 50.
As shown in FIG. 3, each word line drive decoder (WDD) 50 includes NAND gates 51 and 511 each receiving a block select signal (AI1) and the respective main word line decoding signals AI2 and AI3. Inverters 52 and 521 respectively invert the output signal from the NAND gates 51 and 511. A level shifter including PMOS and NMOS transistors converts an inputted voltage (V).
The operation of the semiconductor memory device having the above-described word line drive unit will now be described. The column address enables the column decoder 10 located in the y-direction to make one main word line high to be active, and this main word line then transmits the resultant high active main word line signal to all of the sub word line drive units (SWD) connected thereto. Then, the column address is inputted to the sub decoding drive units (SDD) disposed in the x-direction which make one of the decoding signals of one column high to be active.
The resultant high active decoding signal is transmitted to the word line drive decoder (WDD) of that column as shown in FIG. 3 to drive a selected block, together with a decoding signal from the block decoder 40 enabled by the column address.
In the active word line drive decoder (WDD), the decoding signal is made to be a sub decoding signal for applying power to a sub power node of the sub word line drive unit (SWD) in the selected block. The sub word line drive unit (SWD) located where the high active main word line and the sub decoding signal cross is made active to drive a sub word line.
However, according to the word line drive decoder structure shown in FIG. 3, the block select signal and the sub decoding signal are inputted to the NAND gates, and a plurality of sub word line driving units are simultaneously enabled, resulting in the increased power consumption. Since a sub decoding drive unit is provided in each block, an overlapping power consumption results. Moreover, since a word line drive decoder including the NAND gate, the inverter and a level shifter, and a sub decoding drive unit must be provided in each block, the layout area in fabricating a chip is increased.

Word line driver circuit for semiconductor memory device


A guide system terminal device is provided to facilitate group operation vehicles. The guide system terminal device has a transceiver that receives the traveling environment information from another vehicle, such as for the turn signal, vehicle speed, running position, a road change judgment module that judges course changes by the other vehicle based on the traveling environment information of the other vehicle, and a user interface that outputs the judgment result obtained by road change judgment module. For example, the road change judgment module judges a left/right turn to have occurred when the blinker information acquired by turn signal sensor lasts longer than a prescribed time, and when the maximum value of the change in vehicle speed exceeds a prescribed level.

The present invention pertains to a system and method for guiding a vehicle, and in particular to devices that acquire the running information of at least one other vehicle in a group or convoy of vehicles.
Japanese Kokai Patent Application No. 2001-317953 proposed a type of device that supports running of a group of vehicles. There, the group's destination is input to the navigation system of the leading vehicle, and the recommended route computed to reach the destination is transmitted to the following vehicles.
In the approach proposed by said Japanese Kokai Patent Application No. 2001-317953, the leading vehicle computes the recommended route. Consequently, this technology cannot be adopted if the leading vehicle does not have the function of computing the recommended route.


Disclosed is a system for storage management comprising: receiving capacity information within a predetermined time period from a plurality of storage in a first appliance pool and a second appliance pool, each having a plurality of storage systems; tracking a first capacity limit of the first storage system in the first appliance pool based on the capacity information; performing a first capacity prediction of the first storage system based on the tacked result of the first storage system, wherein the first capacity prediction indicating when the first storage system will be out of space based on the capacity information and the tracked result; generating a first recommendation indicating when an extra capacity of the first storage system should be added based on one or more attributes including the first capacity prediction; and presenting the first recommendation with one or more options.

Customers regularly struggle with storage management issues, often due to data storage being unevenly distributed in systems, some being overwhelmed while their counterparts being greatly underused. Currently, Data Domain (DD) customers have a multitude of different data storage (e.g., Data Domain, DD) systems within either one site alone, or across multiple sites This is critical since data performance varies across systems due to differing backup and restore demands. When a customer tries to solve this issue by manually rebalancing their many clients/folders/M-trees, which are selected directories they allocate for the purpose of being managed across data storage systems, it is often difficult. This is because customers are left to openly guess how much space will be freed by migrating a client/folder/M-tree of data to another destination. We have designed a Recommendation Service that is being developed to provide recommendations about these management issues. The Recommendation Service is a containerized micro-service that interacts with other services and modules to retrieve information about the data storage systems being managed, and provides recommendations based on this data to clients. This disclosure focuses on the Recommendation Service, and includes text taken from the architecture specification.

Method and systems for recommending storage management actions based on capacities of storage systems


A composite cured silicone powder comprising: cured silicone powder (A) that has an average particle size of 0.1 to 500 micrometers; an inorganic fine powder (B) coated on the surface of said cured silicone powder (A); and a surface-active agent (C) coated on the surface of said inorganic fine powder (B); a method for producing the composite cured silicone powder which comprises the step of mixing the following components under conditions of mechanical shearing: (A) a cured silicone powder that has an average particle size of 0.1 to 500 micrometers, (B) an inorganic fine powder, and (C) a surface-active agent.

Cured silicone powders are used as additives, for example, to cosmetics, paints, inks, thermosetting organic resins, and thermoplastic organic resins. Cured silicone powders are particularly well suited for use as internal stress relaxers for thermosetting organic resins and as surface lubricants for organic resin films.
Cured silicone powders can be produced, for example, by grinding silicone rubber, by curing a liquid silicone rubber composition while spray drying (see Japanese Patent Application Laid Open Number [hereinafter referred to as "Kokai"] S59-68333), and by curing a liquid silicone rubber composition while it is dispersed in water (see Kokai S62-243621, Kokai S63-77942, Kokai S63-202658, and Kokai S64-70558).
However, the cured silicone powders afforded by these methods have a strong tendency to aggregate and, as a result, have a poor flowability. Further, they have poor dispersibility in aqueous coating materials, cosmetic materials, or similar aqueous compositions. If a cured silicone powder is non-uniformly dispersed in an aqueous composition and forms aggregates, it is difficult to provide uniform surface dullness, when used in coating materials, and impairs tactile feeling, when used in cosmetic products.
Composite cured silicone powders with adherence of the inorganic fine powder to the surfaces of the composite powders and with improved flowability have been proposed (see Kokai H4-348143, Kokai H5-179144, and Kokai H7-102075). These composite cured silicone powders, however, exhibit poor hydrophilicity, and thus impart poor hydrophilicity to aqueous compositions in those applications where they are blended with such compositions.
It has also been proposed (see Kokai H7-196815) to coat the surfaces of silicone rubber powder particles with a polyorganosilsesquioxane resin, or to coat the surfaces of particles of oil-containing silicone powder with an organic fine powder (see Kokai H9-208709).
However, the aforementioned composite cured silicone powders still had insufficient hydrophilicity and dispersibility in aqueous compositions.

Composite cured silicone powder, method for production thereof, and aqueous composition


A method of assembling a head gimbal assembly. The method comprises a series of steps which include: stacking a base plate, a load beam, and a flexure to form a three-layered stacked series with at least a bottom layer being a base plate series; joining portions of the load beam to the base plate, and the flexure to the load beam in the three-layered stacked series to make a suspension section; attaching a slider to the flexure in the suspension section to make a head gimbal assembly; load-bending a hinge portion formed in the head gimbal assembly; and heating the hinge portion in order to adjust a bending load on the hinge portion at a predetermined bending angle to a predetermined value.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method of assembling a head gimbal assembly (to be referred to as an HG assembly) for a hard disk drive. More specifically, the invention relates to an apparatus and method of assembling an HG assembly by using members in a series state.
2. Description of the Related Art
Referring to FIGS. 25 through 29, the construction of a HG assembly is shown. FIG. 25 is a perspective view showing the appearance of an HG assembly 51 (a suspension section 59 to be described later) before a slider is attached thereto, and FIG. 26 is an exploded view showing the configuration. The HG assembly 51 comprises a stacked layer structure of a base plate 52, a load beam 53, and a flexure 54. A flat surface 53a of the load beam 53 is joined to an opposed flat surface 52a of the base plate 52 by a method to be described later.
In this case, positioning is accomplished such that an opening 53c of the load beam 53 is superimposed on an opening 52c of the base plate 52, a reference opening 53b of the load beam 53 is superimposed on a reference opening 52b of the base plate 52, and an edge 52d of the base plate 52 is aligned with an indicator line 201 along the longer sides of an oblong opening 53d formed in the load beam 53. The load beam 53 is made of an elastic stainless steel having a thickness of approximately 0.038 to 0.05 mm, so that it is made thin, light, and can be kept sufficiently stiff.
Flanges 53e for strengthening the load beam are formed at the edges of a tapered portion 53m excluding an area near the oblong opening 53d. The tapered portion 53m extends longitudinally from the joined portion between the load beam 53 and the base plate 52. The portion where the oblong opening 53d is formed corresponds to a hinge portion 53f. The hinge portion maintains resilience even after it has been bent, as will be described later.
A tapered oval-shaped guide opening 53g and a generally rectangular opening 53h are formed in the tapered portion 53m. A gimbal pivot 53i to be described later, that lifts upwards, is formed in the protruding portion that extends from the center of the hinge portion 53f side of the opening 53h to the center of the opening 53h, and a tab 53j is formed at the leading end of the tapered portion 53m through the medium of a warped support 53k.
The flexure 54 is made of a stainless steel with desired elasticity and a thickness of approximately 20 micrometers, for example, and part of the flexure is fixedly joined to the load beam 53. At this point, the reference opening 54b of the flexure 54 is superimposed on the reference opening 53b of the load beam 53, and the guide opening 54c of the flexure 54 is superimposed on the guide opening 53g of the load beam 53. The portion of the flexure 54 leading from an indicator line 202 is not joined so as to be movable.
An extendable joint 54d is formed in the flexure 54. The joint is disposed in a position to be superimposed on the hinge portion 53f of the load beam 53 so as not to prevent the elastic action of the hinge portion 53f when the flexure is joined to the load beam 53. An arch-shaped opening 54e is formed in the unjoined portion of the flexure 54, and a flexure tongue 54f protruding toward the center of the opening 54e is formed in the center of the bottom close to the leading end of the flexure 54.
An integral-type conducting lead 55 having four leads is also disposed on the flexure 54. In the integral-type conducting lead 55, four leads 55a to 55d (refer to FIG. 26) are provided so as not to touch to each other through a very thin insulating sheet 55e. One end of each of the leads is disposed on a connector portion 54a of the flexure 54. These lead ends are aligned so as to form a multi-connector 55f. The other ends of the leads are formed such that they can be respectively connected to the pads for four bonding pads 56a to 56d (shown in FIG. 29) formed in the slider 56.
The hinge portion 53f of the load beam 53 of the HG assembly 51 excluding the slider 56, configured as described above, is bent by approximately 19 degrees, for example, as shown in the dot-dash line in FIG. 25. This bending occurs due to plastic deformation, so that this bending angle is naturally maintained. Herein, the parts that exclude the slider 56 from the HG assembly 51, shown in FIG. 25, will be referred to as a suspension section 59.
In the slider 56, a magneto resistive read head to be referred to as an MR head 57 for reading data and an electromagnetic induction-type write head 58 are disposed in predetermined positions. Incidentally, the heads in FIG. 26 are just illustrated for reference, so that their positions in the drawing are not accurate ones. Each of the heads has two leads not shown, and leads are connected to the four bonding pads 56a to 56d shown in FIG. 29, respectively. The slider 56 is attached to the flexure tongue 54f of the flexure in FIG. 27 to be described later, with an adhesive.
Next, the arrangement of a pair of flexure arms 54g and 54h formed on both sides of the opening 54e of the flexure 54, a pair of openings 54i and 54j formed in the vicinity of the leading end of the flexure 54, the gimbal pivot 53i formed in the load beam 53, and the slider 56 attached to the flexure tongue 54f will be described.
FIG. 27 is a partially expanded view of the leading end of the HG assembly 51 before the slider 56 is attached, or the suspension section 59. FIG. 28 is a vertical sectional view of the portion indicated by an indicator line 203 in FIG. 27, as seen in the direction of arrow H. FIG. 29 is a perspective view of the leading end of the HG assembly 51 with the slider 56 attached to the flexure tongue 54f.
As described before, the gimbal pivot 53i (shown in FIG. 28) is formed in the load beam 53. The flexure arms 54g and 54h of the flexure 54, which extend without being joined elastically support the flexure tongue 54f coupled thereto. The flexure tongue 54f is brought into contact with and supported by the gimbal pivot 53i due to joining of the flexure 54 to the load beam 53. The contact point is on an axis 200X in FIG. 27, corresponding to the center line of the flexure 54 in the longitudinal direction. An axis 200Y that passes through the contact point and is perpendicular to the axis 200X is also shown in FIG. 27. At this time of the contact, the flexure arms 54g and 54h are bent to some extent to press the flexure tongue 54f against the gimbal pivot 53i.
The slider 56 is attached to the flexure tongue 54f such that its center is generally superimposed over the point where the flexure tongue 54f keeps in contact with the gimbal pivot 53i, as indicated by the broken line in FIG. 28. The slider 56 can be thereby rotated to some extent with respect to the axes 200X and 200Y, and can be tilted to a predetermined degree in all directions.
The four leads 55a to 55d (in FIG. 27) are fixed to the flexure 54 up to a leading end 55g of the insulating sheet 55e. The four leads are also fixed to a platform 53n in the leading end of the flexure 54 through the insulating sheet 55e, on the opposite side of the flexure tongue 54f with the two openings 54i and 54j interposed therebetween.
From the leading end 55g of the insulating sheet 55e to the plat form 53n, the four leads 55a to 55d are bent along the flexure arms 54g and 54h in pairs to shape like cranks, being suspended in air without being brought into contact to each other. The other ends of the paired leads 55a to 55d are bent to extend from the platform 53n to the flexure tongue 54 through the two openings 54i and 54j, and then comprise the lead pads 55h to 55k for the bonding pads 56a to 56d (in FIG. 29), respectively. The bonding pads are formed in the slider 56 to be attached to the flexure tongue 54f.
As shown in FIG. 28, although part of the lead pad 55i is supported by the platform 53n for the strengthening purpose, the lead pad 55i, for the most part, is suspended in air. Further, it is preferable to form the lead pad 55i to have approximately the same thermal capacity as the bonding pad 56b. Other lead pads are formed in the same manner.
Further, as shown in FIG. 27, a pair of crank-shaped limiters 54m and 54n that extend downwards are formed on both sides of the flexure tongue 54f of the flexure 54. When the flexure 54 is joined to the load beam 53, the limiters 54m and 54n are disposed with their leading ends extended downwards through the opening 53h of the load beam 53, as shown in FIG. 28. With this arrangement, if the unjoined portion of the flexure 54 is displaced to be further separated from the load beam 53 by some action, the leading ends of the limiters 54m and 54n are brought into contact with an underside 53q of the load beam 53, thereby serving to prevent the flexure and the load beam from being separated more than necessary.
When the HG assembly 51 configured as described above is assembled, trays or blocks are conventionally prepared as assembling jigs, and the base plate 52, load beam 53, and flexure 54 are positioned by using these assembling jigs to be stacked and then joined to one after another.
In order to complete the manufacturing process of the suspension section 59, the hinge portion 53f of the suspension section 59 of the HG assembly 51 is bent in the direction of arrow F (in FIG. 25) by approximately 19 degrees, for example, before the slider 56 is attached. When the slider 56 is attached to the flexure tongue 54f of the suspension section 59 and then the bonding pads of the slider are electrically connected to the lead pads of leads, trays or blocks are also used as the assembling jigs for positioning or fixing each of the members.
3. Problems to be Solved by the Invention
As described above, when uncompleted HG assemblies are transferred for each of the manufacturing processes, the assembly should always be mounted on the assembly jig such as a tray or a block for transference. For this reason, it becomes necessary to prepare the assembling jigs that are at least numerically equal to the uncompleted HG assemblies remaining at the respective manufacturing processes. Thus, the space efficiency of workspace is reduced, and the workplace is put in disorder. In addition, manufacturing cost rises with the number of the assembling jigs required, and management of these assembling jigs is time-consuming and inconvenient.
The process of attaching the slider and the process of connecting the slider to the leads are performed with the hinge portion of the HG assembly already bent. Accordingly, after these processes are finished, the bending state of the hinge portion might be changed and might not be kept in the desired state.
It is accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a more efficient method of assembling an HG assembly that eliminates the need for assembling jigs such as trays or blocks during its manufacturing processes. Another object of the invention is to provide a method of assembling an HG assembly, which reduces variations in the bending state of the hinge portion, thereby enhancing yield.

Method of assembling a head gimbal assembly

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A solenoid driving circuit contains solenoids, each of which is driven to produce a magnetic field for driving each of keys of a player piano. A NPN transistor is provided to allow or block a flow of current across each solenoid. The solenoid is connected between a DC power source for providing a source voltage and a collector of the NPN transistor whose emitter is grounded. A drive signal, which is subjected to pulse-width modulation, is supplied to a base of the NPN transistor, so that the NPN transistor is switched over between ON and OFF. A diode is introduced to provide prescribed forward voltage for attenuation of the current across the solenoid when the NPN transistor is turned OFF. Herein, an anode of the diode is connected to a connection between the solenoid and NPN transistor, while a cathode of the diode is connected to a cathode of a zener diode having prescribed reverse voltage. An anode of the zener diode is connected to the DC power source. An effective time constant of the solenoid is represented in a mathematical form using the forward voltage, reverse voltage and source voltage as well as a real time constant of the solenoid. So, the solenoid driving circuit designed in such a way that the effective time constant of the solenoid is sufficiently small as compared to a maximum value of an operating frequency of the key of the player piano (i.e., action cutoff frequency of the player piano).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to solenoid driving circuits which drive solenoids, especially solenoids for driving keys of player pianos. This invention is based on patent application No. Hei 9-10535 filed in Japan, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Prior Art
FIG. 10 and FIG. 11 show examples of typical configurations of driving circuits which drive solenoids for driving keys of player pianos. Herein, common parts are designated by same numerals in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.

Design for solenoid driving circuit based on regulations of current ripple and solenoid effective time constant for driving keys of a player piano


An aerosol-assisted method for synthesis of nanostructured metallic electrocatalysts and the electrocatalysts formed thereby. The electrocatalyst may be formed from metals such as, but not limited to, platinum, platinum group metals, and binary and tertiary compositions thereof such as, for example, platinum-ruthenium and platinum-tin. The resulting unsupported electrocatalyst is homogenous and highly disperse.

Fuel cells are receiving increasing attention as a viable energy-alternative. In general, fuel cells convert electrochemical energy into electrical energy in an environmentally clean and efficient manner. Fuel cells are contemplated as potential energy sources for everything from small electronics to cars and homes. In order to meet different energy requirements, there are a number of different types of fuel cells in existence today, each with varying chemistries, requirements, and uses.
As one example, Direct Methanol Fuel Cells (DMFCs) rely upon the oxidation of methanol on an electrocatalyst layer to form carbon dioxide. Water is consumed at the anode and produced at the cathode. Positive ions (H+) are transported across a proton exchange membrane to the cathode where they react with oxygen to produce water. Electrons can then be transported via an external circuit from anode to cathode providing power to external sources.
The kinetic and transport properties of the electrocatalyst and its integration into the fuel cell can have a profound effect on the efficiency and affordability of the fuel cell. The nature of the kinetic and transport properties of an electrocatalyst and its integration in the fuel cell is due in part to the hierarchical structure which combines distinct structural considerations across length-scales. On the scale of 1-10 nm, the key factors affecting activity include the crystallite size and identity of the exposed crystallite faces of the electrocatalyst. On the scale of 10-100 nm the topography of the electrocatalyst microstructure and/or electrocatalyst support are the significant elements. At this level, the transport channel for reactants and products is a direct consequence of the local structure. The local roughness at this level is associated with the surface area as well as the effective diffusivity of reactants and thus greatly influences the catalytic activity.
On the scale of 1-100 microns, the key features are of the electrocatalyst aggregates. The larger gas diffusion channels are a consequence of the agglomerated catalytic structure at this level. On the scale of 0.1-1 mm, the characteristic layer gradations of the fuel cell are apparent, namely the gas diffusion, catalytic and electrolytic membrane layers. Finally, at the scale of 1-10 mm, the fuel cell design and production irregularities become important.
Accordingly, finding novel electrocatalysts and methods for manufacturing them, can lead to significant advancement in fuel cells.
Currently, electrocatalysts can be separated into two basic types: supported electrocatalysts and unsupported electrocatalysts. Supported electrocatalysts comprise a highly dispersed metal composition or alloy such as platinum or platinum ruthenium that is supported by a carbonaceous framework. This high degree of dispersity of the metal increases the surface area of the metal, improving the efficiency of the catalytic reaction. Unsupported electrocatalyst remain attractive because they allow overcoming long-term durability issues associated with carbon support corrosion. n DMFCs, unsupported electrocatalysts have been commonly used, most usually unsupported Pt—Ru black. The amount of precious metal loading in a DMFC anode is in practice much greater than for a hydrogen fuel cell due to the greater complexity of the reaction. This cost can be sustained because the target market for DMFCs is small portable devices. An example of a commonly used unsupported electrocatalyst for DMFCs is Pt—Ru black.
One conventional method of electrocatalyst manufacture is by metallic impregnation or co-precipitation where an aqueous solution of the metallic precursor is contacted with the support substrate. (This method may be referred to herein as the "bulk" method of electrocatalysis synthesis.) After evaporation of the water, the metallic phase can be reduced under hydrogen flow for experimental use. The standard industrial method of producing fuel cell electrocatalysts is by adding a reducing agent, usually formaldehyde or formic acid, to an aqueous mixture of ionic metallic precursors which results in precipitation of the metallic electrocatalyst.
Another approach employs the synthesis of nanostructured materials and has centered on the replication of nanostructured silica templates followed by template removal. Many studies have focused on the synthesis of nanostructured carbon supports for electrocatalyst supports. Mesoporous carbon materials have been synthesized from several mesoporous silica materials. See e.g., R. Ryoo, S. H. J., M. Kruk, M. Jaroniec, Advanced Materials, 2001. 13: p. 677; and C. Yu, J. F., B. Tian, D. Zhao, G. Stucky, Advanced Materials, 2002, 14: p. 1742.
Some researchers believe that SBA-15 is the best template due to its interconnecting micropores between larger mesopores. Silica-templated mesoporous carbons with large surface areas have also been synthesized between the range of 10 nm to 10 μm depending on the choice of silica template. See e.g., Fuertes, A., Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2003. 13: p. 3085.
Various lengths and shapes of monometallic nanowires templated by various silica structures have been reported. See e.g., Bore, M., T. L. Ward, A. Fukuoka, Catalysis Letters, 2004. 98: p. 167-172; Egan, G. L., J. Yu, C. H. Kim, S. J. Lee, R. E. Schaak, T. E. Mallouk, Advanced Materials, 2001. 2: p. 1040; and H. J. Shin, C. H. K., R. Ryoo, Journal of Materials Chemistry, 2001. 11: p. 260.
Bimetallic structures templated by nanostructured silica have also been reported which include Pt—Rh and Pt—Pd nanowires. See e.g., A. Fukuoka, Y. S., S. Guan, S. Inagaki, N. Sugimoto, Y. Fukushima, K. Hirahara, S. Iijima, M. Ichikawa, Journal of the American Chemical Society, 2001. 123: p. 3373. Previous work on the synthesis of nanostructured Pt—Ru electrocatalysts includes the synthesis of a bimetallic Pt—Ru nanowire network templated by mesoporous silica, specifically SBA-15. See e.g., Choi, W. C. and S. I. Woo, Journal of Power Sources, 2003. 124(2): p. 420-425. The SBA-15 silica template is synthesized separately and is then immersed in a solution of Pt and Ru precursors. This infiltration procedure has to be repeated numerous times, usually about ten, before full pore infiltration can be accomplished See e.g., Choi et al, above. Following this approach, a significant increase in the electrocatalytic activity was found when compared to a commercial Pt—Ru black. Impregnation synthesis of a bimetallic network in mesoporous silica presents an interesting material design approach, although it is limited in application due to its complexity, parameter variability and time-consuming synthesis.
However, fuel cells employing the electrocatalysts formed by the methods described above are limited by material homogeneity and are laborious to synthesize. Accordingly, a novel electrocatalyst that can overcome or limit such inefficiencies is desirable. Specifically, it would be desirable to develop enhanced nanostructured materials that are homogeneous throughout the entire sample and which can be synthesized in a scaleable procedure.

Nanostructured anode PT-RU electrocatalysts for direct methanol fuel cells


A removable filter/pod compartment is filled with coffee grounds, tea, or other espresso particulate brewing substance and mounted within a water reservoir. Water is placed in the water reservoir. A bottom cover is connected to upper cup assembly to hold the filter/pod compartment in place. A resilient gasket or valve is positioned between the filter/pod compartment and a filtrate passage. A filtrate splash cover may be attached to the upper edges of the filtrate reservoir. The assembled beverage maker is placed into a microwave oven. As water in the water reservoir begins to heat up, steam is generated, and hot water is displaced upwards through the filter/pod compartment and particulate brewing substance. The heated beverage is automatically emptied into the filtrate reservoir, which is designed to function as a drinking cup for individually-sized portions.

This application relates in general to a device and process for making hot beverages and hot beverages made thereby. Specifically, this application relates to an improved device and process for making coffee and espresso coffee (sometimes called "expresso") beverages or other hot beverages, and more particularly, but not exclusively, to an improved device and process for making coffee, tea, espresso, and the like for individual servings in a microwave oven.
The general method of making espresso is well known. It involves the process or method of forcing hot water or steam through a particulate brewing substance (conventional coffee grounds or extra fine coffee grounds for example). This pressure method for making coffee differs significantly from the common methods for making drip-type or percolation coffees. The espresso may be brewed with a mixture of espresso coffee grounds and cinnamon or other flavored syrups such as almond, orange, hazelnut, chocolate and the like. Espresso generally is a dark full-bodied brew and may also be served as cappucino, caffe latte, caffe Americano, doppio, or macchiato.
Microwave ovens are widely known and used for a variety of heating tasks, including heating water for instant beverages or heating other beverages and foods. Several devices have been proposed for brewing coffee in microwave ovens, described in the related patent and patent applications identified above and incorporated herein by reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,281,785, issued Jan. 25, 1994 (Pasbrig), discloses a device for preparing coffee or tea in a microwave oven. The device has a liquid container, a centrally-located coffee container/filter, a drink container, and a handle. The path of the pressurized heated liquid is from the closed liquid container up through the coffee container/filter into the drink container.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,757,670, issued on Sep. 11, 1973 (Laama et al), discloses a two vessel electric coffeemaker wherein water is forced from the lower metal vessel through a centrally-located coffee container to the upper metal vessel so that the percolate is collected in the upper vessel. An electrical heating element integrally constructed in the base of the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,498,375, issued on Feb. 12, 1985 (Bedini), discloses an automatic coffeepot in which the pressurized, heated liquid is forced up through a coffee-containing filter in a manner similar to Laama et al. A gas flame or electric heating coil is used to heat the coffeemaker.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,642,443, issued on Feb. 10, 1987 (Jorgensen et al), discloses a coffee brewing appliance for making coffee by the percolation method in a microwave oven. U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,396, issued on Jan. 7, 1992 (Katz et al), also discloses a microwave coffee percolating device. These devices disclose a percolating or drip-type technique for making coffee.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,104,957, issued Aug. 8, 1978 (Freedman et al), discloses a coffee brewing appliance comprising a carafe, a filter that fits in the neck of the carafe, and a water reservoir located over the filter. The water reservoir communicates with the filter by way of a thermally-controlled valve. When water in the water reservoir is heated by microwave radiation, the valve opens, allowing the water to flow into the filter, extracting coffee constituents from coffee grounds in the filter, so that a coffee beverage accumulates in the carafe.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,080, issued Mar. 18, 1986 (Grossman), discloses an appliance similar to that of Freedman et al, except that instead of using a thermally-controlled valve to prevent cold water from the water reservoir from contacting coffee grounds in a filter. This device uses a body of non-toxic wax that melts when the water reaches the desired temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,835, issued Jan. 26, 1988 (Welker), discloses a device for brewing coffee in a microwave oven. The device comprises a jug having a top configured as a filter. Water and coffee grounds are placed in the jug, and the filter is fitted in the mouth of the jug. After brewing, the coffee may be poured from the jug, while the coffee grounds are retained by the filter.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,386,109, issued May 31, 1983 (Bowen et al), discloses an espresso coffee maker used in a microwave oven. The water is stored in a microwave transparent reservoir which is adjacent to an aluminum pot. The pot and reservoir are coupled in a fixed spatial relationship by a collar. The collar includes a strainer which presses against a layer of coffee grounds, when the collar is secured to the reservoir. The compressed coffee grounds, in combination with the strainer, form a pressure resistant seal over the opening of the reservoir. The water in the reservoir is heated by microwave energy. The pressure rises to a level sufficient to force steam and water in a downward direction through the coffee grounds into the pot, which stores the espresso coffee.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,381,696, issued May 3, 1983 (Koral), discloses a coffee brewing appliance that is generally similar to that disclosed by Freedman et al.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,512, issued Aug. 24, 1982 (Moore), discloses a tea infuser for use in a microwave oven. The tea infuser is made of microwave-transparent plastic material rather than metal.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,012,059, issued Apr. 30, 1991 (Boatman), discloses a device for heating water in a microwave oven. In Boatman's device, water is heated in a water reservoir, then forced from the water reservoir through a tube into a heating chamber, where it is further heated prior to draining through a filter filled with coffee grounds.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,734, issued Feb. 5, 1991 (Hirsch et al), discloses a method of preparing coffee. In this device a mixture of water and coffee grounds is heated with microwave radiation, whereby a pressure gradient is produced across a filter, forcing filtrate into a vessel.
German No. OS 3,206,803 includes a coffeepot, a filter to receive coffee, and a water container seated one upon the other. The water container is pervious to microwave radiation and the filter is developed so that substantially no liquid can pass through the filter under atmospheric or ambient pressure. The device is placed in a microwave oven where microwave radiation brings the water in the water container to a boil, while the coffee remains screened off. The formation of steam develops such a high pressure in the water container (up to about 3.45 bar) that the water is forced through the filter.


A vapor recovery system is disclosed that provides direct measurements of the oxygen concentration within fugitive vapor emissions displaced from a fuel tank during refueling activity. The hydrocarbon concentration is derived from the oxygen concentration and used to adjust the operating speed of a vapor pump so as to minimize the presence of oxygen in the vapor recovery line.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to vapor recovery systems used in connection with fuel dispensing apparatus, and, more particularly, to a method and system for monitoring the recovered vapor emissions and adjusting the flow rate of pumped vapors to eliminate excess collection of air.
2. Description of the Related Art
The evaporative properties of liquid fuel creates a vapor condition within vehicle fuel tanks in which a volume of volatilized fuel overlies the volume of liquid fuel. During the course of refueling the vehicle, the gasoline flowing into the fuel tank will displace the existing fuel vapor and cause environmentally hazardous vapors to be forced out of the tank and into the atmosphere unless precautionary measures are followed to collect and dispose of the discharged vapors. Rising public awareness of the adverse environmental and health consequences of vapor pollutants has prompted governmental authorities to require that fuel dispensing systems be designed to eliminate the release of vapors into the atmosphere by collecting the vapors for storage and possible recycling. These concerns have led to the development of various systems designed to collect and return the fugitive vapor emissions to a storage tank, which typically corresponds to the on-site underground facility located at the service station where the fuel supply is maintained. The recovered vapors may be further transported to a processing site where the vapors are returned to liquid form in a recycling operation or otherwise disposed of by appropriate means.
One class of conventional vapor recovery systems utilizes a vacuum pump to assist in the collection of fuel vapors and their subsequent transfer to a storage tank. The vacuum pump draws fugitive vapors into an intake line that conveys the collected vapors back to the storage tank. The aspirating action generated by the vacuum pump is normally sufficient to capture the vapor emissions, thereby obviating the need for any sealing element such as a bellows member that is otherwise used to surround the nozzle and seal the vapor recovery passageway to the filler neck of the tank. The inlet port of the vapor intake line need only be disposed in close proximity to the filler neck of the fuel tank from where the vapors emanate.
It is critically important in all such vacuum-assist vapor recovery systems that the volume of gaseous mixtures drawn in through the vapor recovery vacuum inlet closely approximate the volume of vapor being displaced by the gasoline flowing into the fuel tank. If the volume of vapor being collected is less than that being displaced, the non-recovered portion will dissipate into the atmosphere. Conversely, if the volume of vapor being collected is greater than the volume being discharged from the tank, the excess volume will consist of atmospheric air that is recovered along with the vapors. Both conditions are to be avoided. Several configuration have been proposed that focus upon making calculated adjustments to the flow rate generated by the vapor pump based upon measurements produced by sensing apparatus that monitor the fueling and vapor recovery operations.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,355,915 to Payne discloses a vapor recovery fuel dispenser including a vapor pump driven by an electric motor. Sensors are provided to generate pulse train signals representative of the flow rate of the liquid fuel pump and the vapor pump. A controller is provided to control the speed of the vapor pump based upon a comparison of the flow rates of the liquid fuel pump and vapor pump, as indicated by their respective pulse train signals. The controller also monitors whether the liquid pump is operating, whether the vapor pump motor is operating, and the electrical current to the vapor pump motor. Appropriate action is taken by the controller to disable the vapor pump when the parameters being monitored indicate a disabling or error condition.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,417,256 to Hartsell et al. discloses a fuel dispensing system including a vapor pump that provides a vacuum suction along a main vapor recovery path. The system further includes a branch conduit coupled to the main vapor path to provide a branch vapor recovery path, and an adjustable vapor flow valve integrated into the branch conduit and having an adjustable opening, that varies the impedance of the vapor recovery path. A fuel sensor is provided to generate a signal representative of the flow rate of the fuel being dispensed, while a vapor flow sensor supplies a signal indicative of the actual vapor flow rate. A controller is responsive to the flow rate signal for the dispensed fuel and generates a control signal to adjust the vapor flow valve so that the actual vapor flow rate is equalized to a required or desired vapor flow rate calculated on the basis of the liquid fuel flow rate and a ratio-based comparison between the temperatures of the liquid fuel and the atmosphere.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,040,577 to Pope discloses a fuel delivery system comprising a vapor recovery assembly including a recovery pump that draws fugitive vapor emissions through a recovery tube in accordance with a controllable volumetric flow rate. A microprocessor is provided to control the recovery pump so that is withdraws vapor at a flow rate equal to the volumetric flow rate of the fuel delivery pump that regulates the dispensing of fuel. Further adjustments to the vapor flow rate may be made in response to data provided by pressure sensors indicating the hydraulic pressure at the inlet side of the pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,269,353 to Nanaji et al. discloses an apparatus for pumping recovered vapor in a vapor recovery liquid fuel dispenser having a vapor passage used to retrieve fuel vapors. The apparatus includes a vapor pump operative to induce vapors to enter and move along the vapor passage and through a vapor pump inlet to a vapor pump outlet. The vapor pump is characterized by a flow rate correlated to a specified operating speed that is inversely proportional to the pressure differential existing between the vapor pump inlet and outlet. Sensors are provided to generate signals representative of these vapor pump pressures. A transducer generates a liquid fuel flow signal indicative of the flow rate for the fuel being dispensed. Electronic circuitry is provided to derive the vapor pump flow rate from the pressure differential and then implement the appropriate adjustments to the operating speed of the vapor pump so that the vapor pump flow rate is equalized with the liquid fuel flow rate.
The above systems are almost exclusively concerned with adjusting the vapor flow rate on the basis of measurements that are neither directly probative nor specifically indicative of the hydrocarbon concentration of the recovered vapors. Any needed adjustments are instead made in response to direct measurements of the volumetric flow rates of the liquid fuel being dispensed and the withdrawn vapors, which measurements are then used to determine the specific change that is required in the vapor pump operating speed in order to match the vapor flow rate to the liquid fuel rate. The overall purpose of tracking the vapor flow rate to the liquid fuel rate is to ensure that the volumetric quantity of retrieved vapor is the same as the volumetric quantity of vapor being displaced by the dispensed fuel. However, the only true measure of performance is based upon whether and to what extent excess air is being prevented from being pumped into the vapor recovery line along with the vapor emissions. Measured against this performance standard, the accuracy of the above systems is not verifiable, and is potentially inexact, since no measurements are obtained of the retrieved vapor to determine its hydrocarbon or air content.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,507,325 to Finlayson discloses a vapor recovery system for fuel dispensers that incorporates a measurement of a vapor-to-air ratio in its control apparatus regulating the vapor retrieval process. Vapors displaced from the tank are collected through a vapor intake and pumped by a variable rate vacuum pump into a vapor storage tank. A flow meter produces a signal representative of the liquid fuel flow rate. An array of vapor-to-air ratio sensors are provided to produce signals representative of the vapor-to-air ratio as measured at a variety of locations that are proximate to the tank opening. The sensors used by the Finlayson reference operate specifically to detect the physical presence of fuel vapors in the sensing environment. A controller is provided to determine a base collection rate (based on the liquid fuel flow rate) at which to operate the vapor pump, which base pump rate is then adjusted according to the signals generated by the vapor-to-air ratio sensors in order to minimize the amount of fuel vapor that escapes into the atmosphere and to minimize the amount of air contained in the gaseous mixture that is drawn along the vapor intake line.
The vapor recovery system of Finlayson is an advance over the systems described above because it provides a means by which the compositional content of the recovered emissions (i.e., vapor versus air) can be directly measured. This permits a more accurate evaluation of whether the vapor pump is inducing the proper volumetric flow of fugitive emissions into the recovery line. However, there are problems attending the Finlayson system which stem from the fact that the sensors are specifically designed to detect the presence of fuel components. Vapor condensation within the intake line is a recurring problem that results when differentials in temperature and pressure within the vapor recovery system reach threshold conditions. The accumulation or even transient deposition of condensed fuel vapors on fuel-detecting sensors will produce false readings of the fuel content in the monitored environment and lead to improper adjustment of the vapor pump rate. Additionally, since only fuel components are being directly detected, any determination of the air content, which alone provides the truest measure of the efficiency of the vapor recovery process, is based on a calculation and not an actual physical reading.
What is therefore needed in the art is a system that monitors the fugitive vapor emissions displaced from a tank during refueling and that adjusts the vapor recovery rate based on direct measurements of the concentration of air in the monitored environment, from which a hydrocarbon concentration can be derived and used to appropriately vary the operating speed of the vapor pump.

Vapor recovery system employing oxygen detection


A wedge for a concrete post-tension reinforcement anchorage system is shaped such that the compressive force on the tendon after tensioning of the anchorage system is substantially evenly distributed over a length of the outer surface of the tendon that is engaged by the internal surface of the wedge. The external surface of the wedge may have a first section with a first taper angle and a second section with a second taper angle, the second taper angle being larger than the first taper angle. The internal surface of the wedge may have a first section with a first taper angle and a second section with a second taper angle, the second taper angle being greater than the first taper angle. An anchor with a bore with two taper angles and tooth profiles of threading patterns on the internal surface of the wedge are also disclosed.

Concrete is capable of withstanding significant compressive loads, however, it is not as capable of withstanding significant tensile loads. Thus, it is often necessary to reinforce concrete structures with steel bars, cables, or the like to enhance the structure's ability to withstand tensile forces.
The basic principles of providing such reinforcement to concrete structures are known in the prior art. In a post-tensioned reinforcement system, several steel cables (called "tendons") are placed within the concrete framing structure where the concrete will later be poured around them. The tendons are formed of several high tensile strength steel wires wound in a helical pattern around a centrally positioned steel wire. When the tendons are placed within the framing structure, each tendon is held loosely in place, and the ends of each tendon pass through an anchor on each end of a concrete member that composes a portion of the total concrete structure. Once the concrete is poured and has cured for a sufficient amount of time, but not yet to the point of being fully cured, the tendons may be tensioned by a hydraulic tensioner. The hydraulic jack tensioners that may be used in these circumstances are driven by high pressure hydraulic fluid in one or more cylinders in the tensioner, which places the tendon under a high tensile load, for example 30-40,000 pounds force.
A concrete anchor is typically formed as a singular body by casting, forging, or machining and includes a body portion, two generally cylindrically shaped portions, one extending from the front surface of the flange (nose portion) and one extending from the rear surface of the flange (button portion). The front surface of the flange commonly has multiple ribs to help support the force applied to the tendon after tensioning. The rear surface of the flange is used to contact the concrete or other structural surface and provide a load bearing surface during the tensioning of the tendon by the hydraulic jack tensioner. The flange portion typically includes two mounting holes so the anchor can be fastened to the concrete structure, with nails or similar fasteners. Other anchor configurations constructed of multiple bores, separate components for bore holes and concrete bearing flange portions, and with or without nose and button portions are also used.
A bore passes through the nose portion, the flange portion, and the button portion and decreases in diameter along the axis of the bore in the direction from the front surface of the flange to the rear surface of the flange. Due to this decreasing diameter, or tapering, the bore is capable of receiving a wedge that surrounds the tendon. A common taper angle for anchor bores of the prior art is 7°.
Before the concrete is poured around the tendons, each tendon must pass through an anchor that will be located on each side of where the concrete slab will eventually be located. The tendon enters the anchor by entering the bore in the button portion on the rear surface of the flange and exiting the bore in the nose portion on the front surface of the flange. After the tendon exits the anchor, the wedge may be placed around the tendon in the frusto-conical bore of the anchor.
The wedge is generally frusto-conical in shape and is usually composed of two or more segments. The internal surface of the wedge has a gripping structure for gripping the tendon. The outer surface of the wedge engages the bore of the anchor, and as such, the outer surface of the wedge generally matches the taper angle of the bore of the anchor. Therefore, wedges are constructed such that the outer diameter decreases from the front of the wedge to the rear of the wedge.
After the concrete is poured and allowed to partially cure for a sufficient amount of time, the tendon may be tensioned by a hydraulic jack tensioner. When the tendon is tensioned by the hydraulic jack tensioner, the tendon and wedge are forced tightly into the bore. The tensioning force on the tendon passes to the wedge and to the nose, button, and flange portions of the anchor, and ultimately, to the concrete slab. The ribs help distribute that force throughout the body of the anchor and onto the rear surface of the flange portion of the anchor, thus providing the tensile strength to the concrete structure.
While anchor systems and the various components that compose them have been subject to minor changes, the efficiency of anchor systems has stayed rather constant since their inception. In fact, the average overall efficiency of a current anchor system, as measured by the tensile strength at failure compared to the ultimate tensile strength of the tendon, is approximately 95%. With the widespread use of anchor systems in the construction of concrete structures, any improvement in anchor systems will help to maintain the integrity of concrete structures and lead to longer life spans for such structures. In addition, obtaining a more efficient anchorage system would prove especially beneficial for structures built in environments that have a greater likelihood of seismic activity.

Post-tension anchor wedge with flat valleys between pairs of radius tip teeth


A method of providing genetically personalized food recommendations includes storing, in a food micronutrient database accessible through an electronic device, a mapping of individual micronutrients to genetic information, medical information, and therapeutic objectives, a food menu for at least one restaurant, and nutrient data of each menu item on the food menu. The method also includes receiving and storing genetic information, medical information, therapeutic objectives, and dietary preferences of a user. The method also includes receiving input from the user indicating a restaurant where the user plans to eat food, identifying micronutrient(s) that match the genetic information, the medical information, and the therapeutic objectives of the user based on the mapping, identifying menu items that provide the micronutrient(s) and align with the dietary preferences of the user; and outputting to the user a personalized list of food choices at the restaurant that are healthiest for the user.

Achieving and maintaining optimal health and proper function of the human body requires proper nutrition and hydration, including a correct balance of nutrients such as macronutrients (e.g., proteins, carbs, fats) and micronutrients (e.g., vitamins, minerals, antioxidants). Food micronutrient databases have been created to aid individuals in understanding the nutrients found in different foods and making decisions about which foods to consume. Different micronutrient databases may suggest different amounts of food for consumption based on the type of food and the nutrients found therein. However, current food micronutrient databases make assumptions about the optimal amounts of nutrients to consume based on broad averages, without looking at the individual's specific needs. Because each individual is unique and has different requirements for nutrients, the recommendations for the general public may not actually correlate to what any specific individual needs. Thus, current food micronutrient databases may suggest foods and amounts of food that could result in excess unnecessary nutrients or omit vital ingredients, compromising the ability of the food micronutrient database to provide recommendations that accurately portray the needs of the individual.

Genetically personalized food recommendation systems and methods


A method for logging a downhole formation in a wellbore. The method comprises drilling a wellbore with a drill bit coupled to a disconnect device. The disconnect device is then actuated to detach the drill bit from a portion of a conveyance. A logging operation is then performed between two portions of the disconnect device. The disconnect device may then be reattached.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments described herein generally relate to a method of logging a formation after drilling. More particularly, the embodiments relate to a method for selectively actuating a disconnect device and performing a logging operation between portions of the disconnect device.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the drilling, completion, and operation of a wellbore such as a hydrocarbon well, a salt water disposal, or an observation well, various wellbore components are inserted and removed from a wellbore on a lower end of a conveyance. During the completion of a hydrocarbon well it may be necessary to perform a logging operation on the wellbore. The logging operation allows the operator to gain information regarding formations adjacent the wellbore.
The logging operation must be done in an area of the wellbore that is free from any tubular such as casing in order to operate properly. Typically, to perform a logging operation, a wellbore is drilled from the surface. The drill string and drill bit are then removed from the wellbore. A wireline lowers a logging tool into the wellbore. There is the potential for the logging tool to get stuck during run-in or pull-out due to deviations in the wellbore. The wireline supplies the logging tool with a power supply and a means for data conveyance. A logging operation is performed on at least a portion of the wellbore. The wireline then removes the logging tool. A casing is then run into the wellbore and the well is completed.
The time taken to log the uncased wellbore prior to running the casing may cause problems in the completions process. The uncased wellbore may be susceptible to cave in and/or shifting. The cave-in then requires a remediation operation in order to fix the wellbore before the casing is run. Usually this involves making an extra trip in and out of the wellbore with a drill bit, which may be time consuming and therefore costly. The time required to pullout the drill string and run in the logging tool cost the valuable rig time, thereby increasing the overall cost of the completions operation.
Therefore, there is a need for a method for performing a wireline logging operation in a wellbore while the drill string is still in place.


A control apparatus for an internal combustion engine, which makes it possible to ensure quick recovery of a storage amount of oxygen saturated due to a fuel cut, to restore the capacity of a catalytic converter to absorb air-fuel ratio disturbances, and to suppress torque fluctuations through prevention of overcorrection of the air-fuel ratio during normal operation. The control apparatus for an internal combustion engine according to the present invention is equipped with a proportional gain changeover unit. This unit makes a changeover in a proportional gain for proportional calculation in a downstream-side control unit for a predetermined period from a normal proportional gain to a post-fuel-cut proportional gain set larger than the normal proportional gain by a predetermined value, when a fuel cutoff unit starts cutting the fuel supply.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for an internal combustion engine.
2. Description of the Related Art
In present-day automobiles, a three-way catalytic is installed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine to purify the exhaust gas. As is well known, the three-way catalytic exhibits a high purification ratio for any one of HC, CO, and NOx in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, so air-fuel ratio control is performed with oxygen concentration sensors provided upstream and downstream of the catalytic so that the atmosphere of the catalytic is maintained in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.
The air-fuel ratio upstream of a catalytic converter is controlled to a value in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio using the oxygen concentration sensor provided upstream of the catalytic converter. However, the oxygen concentration sensor provided upstream of the catalytic converter is exposed to a high-temperature exhaust gas, causing output fluctuations, so the oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of the catalytic converter is used to correct errors.
The amplitude of fluctuations in the output from the oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of,the catalytic converter is small because the atmosphere exhaust gas temperature is low. Moreover, the exhaust gas has been sufficiently mixed and the air-fuel ratio is close to its equilibrium state in a region downstream of the catalytic, so it is possible to detect a purification state of the catalytic accurately and stably.
Therefore, as long as the air-fuel ratio downstream of the catalytic converter is maintained in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, it is possible to maintain a good purification state of the catalytic.
Thus, there is already well known a method for adjusting the air-fuel ratio upstream of the catalytic converter through proportional calculation and integral calculation, which are performed on the basis of a difference in the air-fuel ratio downstream of the catalytic converter from the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, using a control system for maintaining the air-fuel ratio downstream of the catalytic converter at a value in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio.
Integral calculation, which is designed to generate an output through integration of a difference and thus exhibits relatively low responsiveness, can eliminate a steady difference in the air-fuel ratio downstream of the catalytic converter resulting from fluctuations in the output from the upstream oxygen concentration sensor.
Proportional calculation, which is designed to generate an output in proportion to a difference and thus exhibits high responsiveness, achieves the effect of ensuring quick recovery of a temporary difference in the air-fuel ratio downstream of the catalytic converter resulting from disturbances in the air-fuel ratio upstream of the catalytic converter. The speed of recovery increases in accordance with an increase in proportional gain.
An internal combustion engine repeatedly accelerates and decelerates, and the air-fuel ratio upstream of the catalytic converter fluctuates temporarily. The catalytic is endowed with an oxygen storage capacity with a view to absorbing a temporary deviation in the air-fuel ratio from the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio. The oxygen storage capacity is created by adding a substance having such oxygen storage capacity to the catalytic. The upper limit of the oxygen storage amount in the catalytic is determined by setting the amount of the substance.
The catalytic takes in oxygen in the exhaust gas on the lean side with respect to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and maintains the air-fuel ratio of the atmosphere in the catalytic converter at a value in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio until the oxygen storage amount reaches its upper limit.
The catalytic discharges the oxygen retained thereby on the rich side with respect to the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, and maintains the air-fuel ratio of the atmosphere in the catalytic converter at a value in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio until the oxygen amount reaches it's minimum value "0" is stopped.
The capacity to absorb fluctuations in the air-fuel ratio upstream of the catalytic converter to the lean or rich side is maximized when the oxygen storage amount of the catalytic is about half of its upper limit, so a drop in the exhaust gas purification ratio of the catalytic is minimized.
Since the oxygen storage amount of this catalytic is detectable from a minor change in the air-fuel ratio downstream of the catalytic converter in the neighborhood of the stoichiometric air-fuel ratio, air-fuel ratio control based on an output from the oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of the catalytic converter is performed to ensure that the oxygen storage amount is maintained in a suitable state, namely, at about half of its upper limit (e.g., see JP 06-42387 A).
The invention in the conventional art is designed as described above and therefore has the following problems. The oxygen storage amount rises to its upper limit to be saturated, and the capacity to absorb disturbances to the lean side is minimized when the air-fuel ratio upstream of the catalytic converter becomes considerably lean and the mixture gas becomes almost as thin as the atmosphere due to the fuel cut. Therefore, after the fuel cut, it is desirable to recover the oxygen storage amount to the suitable state, that is, about half of its upper limit as soon as possible and restore the capacity to absorb disturbances in the air-fuel ratio.
In this case, the speed of recovery can be increased when the proportional gain in air-fuel ratio control based on the air-fuel ratio output from the oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of the catalytic converter in PI (Proportion, Integral) control is set large.
However, if the proportional gain is set large, the amount of fuel supplied to the internal combustion engine significantly changes due to a change in the output from the oxygen concentration sensor provided downstream of the catalytic converter during normal operation in which the fuel supply is not cut, thus causing excessive torque fluctuations to deteriorate the marketability of the internal combustion engine to be controlled. As a result, there arises a problem in that the proportional gain cannot be set large.

Control apparatus for internal combustion engine