Systems, methods, and software for controlling roaming of wireless communication devices onto wireless communication networks are provided herein. In one example, method of operating a wireless communication network is provided. The method includes, during a communication session initiation process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication network, receiving a request for policy information for the wireless communication device. Responsive to the request for the policy information, the method includes identifying a network address of a roaming gateway serving the wireless communication device and a paging tracking area identifier for the wireless communication device in the roaming wireless communication network. The method includes processing the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine a roaming authorization status for the communication session, and transferring the roaming authorization status for delivery to the roaming wireless communication system.

Wireless communication systems, such as cellular voice and data networks, typically include multiple wireless access nodes spread over a geographic area through which wireless communication devices can register and receive wireless access to communication services. In many examples, the wireless communication devices are mobile, and can move between wireless coverage areas of the wireless access nodes. Across geographic regions, such as cities and rural areas, wireless coverage areas associated with more than one wireless service provider overlap and provide similar communication services.
These various wireless communication networks can allow a wireless communication device which receives wireless service from a home wireless network operator to also receive service from non-home, or "roaming," wireless network operators via roaming agreements. However, these roaming agreements are typically broad agreements that allow a wireless communication device to roam anywhere on the roaming wireless communication network. When coverage areas of both a home and roaming wireless communication network overlap, a wireless communication device might seek roaming services while still in a coverage area of a home wireless network, such as due to fluctuating radio frequency (RF) conditions or other factors, which can lead to increased and unnecessary roaming costs.
Overview
Systems, methods, and software for controlling roaming of wireless communication devices onto wireless communication networks are provided herein. In one example, method of operating a wireless communication network is provided. The method includes, during a communication session initiation process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication network, receiving a request for policy information for the wireless communication device. Responsive to the request for the policy information, the method includes identifying a network address of a roaming gateway serving the wireless communication device and a paging tracking area identifier for the wireless communication device in the roaming wireless communication network. The method includes processing the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine a roaming authorization status for the communication session, and transferring the roaming authorization status for delivery to the roaming wireless communication system.
In another example, a wireless communication network configured to authorize roaming communications of a wireless communication device onto a roaming wireless communication network is provided. The wireless communication network includes a gateway node configured to receive a request for policy information for the wireless communication device during a communication session initiation process between the wireless communication device and the roaming wireless communication network. Responsive to the request for the policy information, a policy node is configured to identify a network address of a gateway serving the wireless communication device and a paging tracking area identifier for the wireless communication device in the roaming wireless communication network. The policy node is configured to process the network address and the paging tracking area identifier to determine a roaming authorization status for the communication session. The gateway node is configured to transfer the roaming authorization status for delivery to the roaming wireless communication system.

Policy-based roaming control for wireless communication devices


An engine/transmission mount for a vehicle including first and second brackets, the first defining an aperture, the second having spaced legs to either side of the first bracket. An elongated bar which has ends adjacent the legs and extends through the aperture is radially expandable whenever the legs are flexed toward one another by selective application of compressive forces on the legs by operation of a compressive fastener. While prior to operation of the compressive fastener the first bracket is free to slide along the elongated bar, radial expansion of the elongated member fixes the first bracket in a desired axial position.

Field of the Invention
This application concerns a versatile engine and/or transmission mount for a vehicle having a first portion attached to the engine/transmission and having a second portion attached to the vehicle framing structure. One portion supports an elongated pin or bar member and another portion is slidably mounted on the pin or bar member during engine installation. After the engine/transmission is installed and in its desired location relative to the vehicle framing members, an axially directed contractual force is applied on the ends of the elongated bar member which generates a localized radial distortion thereby fixing the position of the one portion relative to the bar member and the other portion.


A fluidic device controls fluid flow in channel from a source to a drain. In some embodiments, the fluidic device comprises a channel and a gate. The channel is configured to transport a fluid from the source to the drain. The gate controls a rate of fluid flow in the channel in accordance with the fluid pressure within the gate. Specifically, the gate is configured to induce a first flow rate of the fluid in the channel in accordance with a low pressure state of the gate, and a second flow rate of the fluid in the channel in accordance with a high pressure state of the gate. In certain embodiments, the first flow rate is greater than the second flow rate. In alternative embodiments, the second flow rate is greater than the first flow rate.

The present disclosure generally relates to fluidic devices for head-mounted displays (HMD) and/or haptic devices, and more specifically to using fluidic devices in virtual reality systems.
Virtual reality (VR) is a simulated environment created by computer technology and presented to a user, such as through a VR system. In some VR systems wearable devices (e.g., glove) allow a user to interact with virtual objects. Circuitry on such wearable devices can be complex, bulky, and in some cases heavy. As a result, conventional wearable devices can detract from a user's experience with a VR system


A new and distinct cultivar of Aglaonema plant named ‘Decora’, characterized by its upright and outwardly arching plant form; compact growth habit; freely clumping habit; full, dense and bushy appearance; upper leaf surfaces green and silver in color; undulate leaf margins; and tolerance to low temperatures.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Aglaonema plant, botanically known as Aglaonema hybrid and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Decora'.
The new Aglaonema is the result of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Apopka, Fla. The objective of the breeding program is to create new compact Aglaonema cultivars with resistance to pathogens and pests.
The new Aglaonema originated from a cross-pollination made by the Inventor in June, 2000, of an unnamed selection of the Aglaonema hybrid cultivar Silver Bay, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with the Aglaonema hybrid cultivar Emerald Beauty, disclosed in U.S. Plant patent application Ser. No. 13,824, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Aglaonema was discovered and selected by the Inventor in June, 2000 as a single plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination in a controlled environment in Apopka, Fla.
Asexual propagation of the new cultivar by cuttings since September, 2002 in a controlled environment in Apopka, Fla. has shown that the unique features of this new Aglaonema are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A vehicle headlight includes: a first illuminator that illuminates a predetermined region ahead of a vehicle with a first light distribution pattern having a cutoff line at an upper end; a second illuminator that illuminates, with a second light distribution pattern, a region near the vehicle on a lower side of the cutoff line of the first light distribution pattern and further toward an outer side in a width direction than a side end of the first light distribution pattern; a target detector that detects a target adjacent to a driving lane ahead of the vehicle with a possibility of movement; and an illumination controller that performs illumination with the second illuminator over a predetermined time after the target has been detected and then terminates the illumination by the second illuminator.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a headlight provided to a vehicle such as an automobile, and particularly relates to a vehicle headlight with which visibility of a target, upon passing by the target adjacent to a driving lane of a vehicle, is improved.
2. Related Art
A headlight of a vehicle such as an automobile projects light emitted from a light source such as, for instance, an incandescent light bulb, discharge lamp, and LED with a projection optical system such as a projector and a reflective optical system such as a reflector.
With such a headlight, switching is possible between a driving beam (high beam) for use during normal driving and a passing beam (low beam) for use when passing an oncoming vehicle.
In order to prevent glare that dazzles an oncoming driver, a cutoff line is formed in a predetermined range at the upper edge of a light distribution pattern for the passing beam, such that light is substantially not radiated above the cutoff line.
In such a headlight, it is known that a desired light distribution pattern is formed through collaborative use of a plurality of light sources or optical systems.
For instance, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication (JP-A) No. 2011-3515 describes that a main light distribution pattern or the like having a cutoff line is formed by a projector unit and a diffused light distribution pattern is formed by a reflector unit.
JP-A No. 2011-161035 describes that a part of a beam emitted by a light source of a projector unit is guided to a reflector by a mirror member to illuminate a shoulder or the like on the driving lane side.
JP-A No. 2001-195910 describes a technique in which an auxiliary light distribution pattern for a passing beam from a projector unit is formed by an auxiliary reflector.
A general light distribution pattern for a passing beam enables a target such as a pedestrian and bicycle beside a driving lane to be illuminated, in the case where the distance from a vehicle is sufficiently far. However, when the vehicle and the pedestrian or the like are in proximity, the pedestrian or the like falls outside the light distribution pattern. Therefore, there have been cases where the pedestrian or the like is not sufficiently visible upon passing, rendering it difficult to perform an appropriate check on whether the path is clear or the like.


A method for lubricating a sealing member in a drug delivery device includes the steps of washing and rinsing the sealing members in hot deionized water following by drying the sealing members. The dried sealing members are tumbled with polymeric silicone and then irradiated at a target dose between 2.5 and 4.0 Mrads. The irradiated sealing members are then utilized in a variety of drug delivery devices including syringes, pre-filed syringes, drug cartridges, and needleless injector ampules.

This invention relates generally to a method of providing lubrication in a drug delivery system and, more particularly, to a method of lubricating a sealing member of a drug delivery system with a polymeric silicone.
Many drug delivery systems, like syringes, prefilled syringes, drug cartridges and needleless injectors include an interior chamber for receiving a medicament and a sealing member. The sealing member is usually slidable within the interior chamber and in a fluid-tight relationship with the walls forming the interior chamber.
The sealing member can take many forms, with two conventional forms being a stopper and an O-ring. The sealing members are often made of rubber or elastomeric materials. The interior chamber of many drug delivery systems is made of glass. The fluid-tight relationship between the sealing member and the wall forming the interior chamber provides a large resistance to movement of the sealing member within the interior chamber. Typically, this resistance has been reduced by pre-treating the walls of the interior chamber and the sealing member with a lubricating solution such as silicone. In the typical coating method, the sealing member is agitated with a solution of the silicone and then the sealing member is removed from the silicone solution and placed in the interior chamber of a drug delivery system. Typically, the walls of the interior chamber have also been pre-treated with a silicone solution.
There are several disadvantages with the typical lubricating method. The first disadvantage is that it requires coating both the sealing member and the interior chamber with a lubricating solution. A second disadvantage is that the lubricant typically is only loosely adhered to the sealing member or the interior chamber. This loose adherence permits the lubricating solution, for instance silicone, to be deposited into a medicament loaded in the drug delivery system. In some instances, spheres of silicone have been found suspended within the medicament solution.
Therefore, a drug delivery system that prevents the lubricant from becoming deposited in the medicament is desirable. This invention includes lubricating only the sealing member and prevents the lubricant from accumulating in the medicament.


An apparatus and system for mechanically connecting components are provided. The apparatus includes a mechanical connecting joint that includes a first joint member formed of a material having a first coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) value, the first joint member comprising a first sidewall, a second opposite sidewall, and a body extending therebetween. The mechanical connecting joint further includes a second joint member formed of a material having a second CTE value, the second CTE being less than the first CTE. The second joint member includes a first leg facing the first sidewall, a second leg facing the second sidewall, and a connecting member extending between the first leg and the second leg. A first gap is formed between the first joint member and the first leg and a second gap is formed between the first joint member and the second leg.

This description relates to component connection assemblies, and, more particularly, to a component connection assembly that includes materials having different coefficients of thermal expansion (CTE).
At least some known applications of coupling components formed of ceramic matrix composite material (CMC) to components formed of metal in high temperature environments because there typically is a difference in CTE between the two materials. Typically, a clamping load applied to CMC between two pieces of metal will be decreased as the component reaches its high temperature operating condition and the metal grows faster and to a greater degree than the CMC. This loss in clamping load is almost always unacceptable and difficult to overcome in design.
The attachment of load bearing CMC component elements has been attempted with bolted joints that include spring elements to maintain clamping load at elevated temperatures. High CTE materials such as A-286 have been used as spacers to compensate for the low CTE of the CMC. Non-cantilevered nozzles and shrouds have also used pin elements to limited success.

Apparatus and system for ceramic matrix composite attachment


A bib has a front side and a rear side, a top and a bottom and opposite side edges. The bib is made from a layer of plastic and two layers of absorbent paper laminated and together. An adhesive is coated on the rear side of the bib adjacent its top and extending between the opposite side edges. A release tape covers the adhesive. A pocket extends between the opposite side edges formed at the bottom of the bib on its rear side having plastic on the inside of the pocket and paper on the outside of the pocket, so that when the pocket is turned inside out, it comes to the front side of the bib and maintains an opened condition. A method for making the bib.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improved self-sticking bib self-sticking bib for protecting a wearer while eating or any other activity that could adversely affect the clothes of a wearer, and a method of making same.
2. Prior Art
One common definition of a bib is a small piece of material fastened under a chin to protect the clothing while eating. As a result, bibs have a connotation that typically associates their use with infants and toddlers. In fact, adults are generally much less apt to spill or splatter food onto their clothing compared to children. Nevertheless, there are certain situations in which it is appropriate or desirable for an adult to don a bib. Such a bib may either be a conventional bib or simply a tucked or otherwise secured napkin covering the chest.
Conventional bibs typically have two strings which tie around the neck to hold the bib in place. Other bibs use snaps, ties, strings, hook and loop fasteners, or the like to attach around the neck. More recently, some bibs have eliminated the strings and ties altogether and have instead used adhesive strips. These strips are located near the shoulder area on the backside of the bib and are used to adhere the bib to the wearer. Thus, bibs provided with an adhesive so they can adhere to a wearer are known from the art. However, such known bibs have various drawbacks, particularly regarding how they are constructed and how they are made.
Although a wide variety of bib designs can be adequate to protect one's clothing, a bib, regardless of design, has no ability to clean and/or sanitize either a food contacting surface or any portion of the wearer's body. For such cleaning and/or sanitizing, one must separately utilize either an agent (e.g. antibacterial lotion) or item (cleansing wipe). In some situations, it would be beneficial if the agent or item formed a part of or was packaged with the bib.
Bibs provided with an adhesive so they can adhere to a wearer are known from the art. However, such known bibs have various drawbacks, particularly regarding their construction and how they are made. A principal drawback lies with bibs that use a pocket at the bottom of the outfacing side to catch drippings. Pockets made for this purpose tend to lie flat and do not stay open, and therefore, do not successfully catch drippings. The principal object of the present invention is to provide a novel improved self-sticking bib that includes a pocket that solves this irksome problem, and a method of making same.


A motor vehicle seat adjustable from an entry position to a use position or vice versa includes first, second and third structural components which are movable relative to each other, and a locking device configured to impede a movement of the second structural component relative to the third structural component, when the first structural element is unlocked by a movement relative to the second structural component.

The invention relates to an adjustable motor vehicle seat.
The following discussion of related art is provided to assist the reader in understanding the advantages of the invention, and is not to be construed as an admission that this related art is prior art to this invention.
Motor vehicle seats, in particular front seats for two-door motor vehicles, typically have a backrest that is designed to fold forward to enable or simplify the entry of passengers or the placement of objects in the rear row of seats. By folding the backrest forward, the vehicle seat can be shifted forward into an unlocking position, known as an easy-entry function, by the longitudinal adjustment of the motor vehicle seat, which usually has an upper rail and a lower rail. When the backrest is folded back, the motor vehicle seat is moved again into a position that enables the entry of a passenger into the motor vehicle seat and a longitudinal adjustment when the motor vehicle seat is occupied.
It would be desirable and advantageous to provide an improved motor vehicle seat to obviate prior art shortcomings.


Fractionated plant extracts, particularly essentially nicotine-free tobacco extracts, useful as tobacco flavorants and methods for preparing and using the same are described herein. These fractionated extracts are stable, non-volatile and relatively odorless under conditions of smoking article or smoking substitute article manufacture and storage, but when thermally provoked, the extracts deliver characteristic flavor to smoking articles or smoking substitute articles. The fractionated plant extracts may be prepared by contacting plant matter with a solvent to produce a crude plant extract; removing the solvent from this plant extract; and isolating a fraction of this extract that when thermally provoked provides the characteristic aroma and flavor of the plant by size exclusion chromatography and monitoring the fraction's integrity by suitable detection means.

Consumers of smoking articles are sensitive to a variety of characteristics that contribute to a pleasurable smoking experience, including among others the aroma of the smoking article itself, the aroma and flavor of the smoke generated by the smoking article upon ignition thereof, and the "mouthfeel" created by the smoke generated by the smoking article which has been inhaled. The term "mouthfeel" refers to the impact, body and other sensations (e.g., harshness, peppery, powdery, etc.) of the smoke produced upon ignition of the smoking article and inhalation of the smoke produced therefrom in the consumer's mouth.
A variety of tobacco flavorants have been used to adjust the characteristics of smoke generated by the ignition of tobacco products. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,136,321; 3,316,919; 3,424,171; 4,421,126; and 4,506,682. Ideally, a smoking article will produce relatively little or no odor during its storage, but will deliver aromatic and flavorful smoke when ignited and will confer a subjectively pleasant mouthfeel when inhaled by the consumer.
Heretofore, investigators have isolated tobacco volatiles--characterized generally as having low molecular weights--and essences of whole tobacco extracts for use as tobacco flavorants. For example, published European patent application 326 370 by Fagg refers to a two-stage extraction process said to be capable of isolating tobacco essences. The process described refers to a water extraction method where a vessel housing an aqueous solution and a predetermined amount of tobacco is initially agitated and then spray-dried to form a dry powder. A second agitative extraction is performed on this spray-dried powder with a different solvent, such as methanol or ethanol, to yield a tobacco essence upon removal of the solvent. Published European patent application 269 545 by Grossman discloses a method said to be capable of extracting components from plant tissues useful as food supplements exhibiting antioxidant capabilities by a combined aqueous extraction and chromatographic fractionation process.
In recent years, it has also become increasingly desirable to produce smoking articles with decreased nicotine content. Although flavorless by itself, nicotine possesses the ability to enhance the contributions of the tobacco components responsible for providing the tobacco's unique aroma and flavor when the smoking article is ignited.
Previously, nicotine extraction processes have employed volatile organic solvents with and without alkaline agents. See, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 1,949,012. One such process, described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,805,667, refers to an ion-exchange chromatography system which is reported to remove nicotine from an aqueous tobacco extract. The tobacco product obtained is said to contain less than 20% of its original nicotine content. However, this and other processes known in the art have been found to be disadvantageous because not only nicotine is removed from the tobacco but other components which characterize the tobacco's aroma and flavor are also removed, thus affording a substantially lower quality tobacco. In this regard, the foregoing processes for nicotine removal compromise the natural aroma and flavor of tobacco.
There exists a need for fractionated plant extracts, especially fractionated tobacco extracts that are essentially nicotine-free, and are useful as tobacco flavorants. In that regard, it would be desirable to develop a process for producing fractionated tobacco extracts which have nicotine selectively removed without eliminating or altering other tobacco components that are responsible for tobacco's distinctive aroma and flavor. It would also be desirable for these fractionated tobacco extracts to release that distinctive aroma and flavor only upon ignition of the smoking article or smoking substitute article to which they have been applied and to be non-volatile and remain substantially inert during manufacturing and storage.

Process for isolating plant extract fractions


Methods and compositions for decreasing the production of methane in ruminant animals, thereby increasing feed utilization efficiency, are disclosed. The methods employ HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors to selectively inhibit the growth of methane-producing bacteria without significantly inhibiting the growth of non-methanogens.

Methane is a waste product of the microbial fermentation of animal feed in the forestomach (rumen) of ruminants. Cattle, sheep and goats convert the products of microbial fermentation, for example, acetate, propionate and butyrate, to meat, milk, wool and leather. Inhibition of microbial methane gas production in the rumen can increase the efficiency of production of beneficial animal products.
Fermentation is the result of the collective action of many different genera of microbes, and this collective action produces both waste methane and worthwhile products. One genus of bacteria, Methanobrevibacter, appears to produce all of the methane in the ruminant forestomach. Hence, it is desirable to have an inhibitor of growth of Methanobrevibacter, which would eliminate methane formation and the loss to the atmosphere of about 6 to 13 percent of the energy of animal feed. Conservation of the energy in indispensable products formed by the other rumen microbes would yield greater efficiency of use of animal feed.
Methane produced in domestic ruminants makes a significant contribution to atmospheric methane. Inhibition of its production would also provide an important environmental benefit by eliminating a major contributor to atmospheric warming.
Currently, a variety of compounds is used to increase feed utilization efficiency and decrease methane production. Monensin (U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,568) and lasalocid are ionophore antibiotics used to alter rumen fermentation. Phthalides enhance propionate production and inhibit methane production in the rumen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,333,923). U.S. Pat. No. 4,225,593 describes the use of aplasmomycin, boromycin and acylated and hydrogenated derivatives thereof to modify rumen metabolism in domestic ruminant animals by reducing the proportion of methane formed, and increasing the proportion of propionate at the expense of methane and/or acetate. Heterocyclic trichloromethyl derivatives (U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,510) have also been used to reduce the production of methane during rumen metabolism and increase the formation of propionate at the expense of acetate, and hence improve the animals' rate of growth and their efficiency of feed utilization.
Prior to applicants' discovery, no antibiotics or drugs were known to inhibit the growth of methanogens without concomitantly inhibiting non-methanogens. Thus it is an important feature of the HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors employed in the present invention that they inhibit the growth of methanogens while minimally inhibiting the growth of non-methane-generating microbes. Few of the commonly used antibiotics that inhibit growth of bacteria or fungi inhibit methanogens.
HMG-CoA reductase inhibitors are well known in the pharmaceutical art to treat hypercholesterolemia in humans. They have not, however, been employed in ruminants.
The present invention relates to the novel use of hydroxymethylglutaryl-CoA reductase inhibitors to inhibit the growth of methane-producing bacteria, and in particular to decrease methane production in ruminant animals, thereby improving feed utilization efficiency.

Method for inhibiting growth of methanogens


A casket handle and removable lug (escutcheon plate) combination frees the lug from a fixed connection to the casket wall in common with the connections of the handle. The lug instead is mounted separately upon the casket, employing spring-urged detents engageable with the lug to hold the lug in assembled relation with the handle and the casket.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to burial caskets, and particularly to the carrying handles thereof and the escutcheon plates employed to cover the attachments of the handles to the walls of the casket.
2. Background and Description of Related Art
These escutcheon plates, commonly called "lugs" in the casket industry, contribute significantly, along with the casket lid and the casket wall contour, to the aesthetic appearance of a casket, the general tone of which is subject to significant alteration merely by the selection of the style of the "lugs".
The lugs also serve the useful purpose of covering and concealing the attachments of the handles to the casket walls. The handles are typically hinged to devises attached to the casket wall, allowing the handles to depend in close proximity to the casket wall when not in use. Where individual handles are provided, they typically comprise a handle bar having two arms each pivoted to a clevis which, in turn, is fastened to the wall of the casket by a bolt passing through the clevis and the casket wall to be secured by a nut on the inside of the casket. Interengageable surfaces of the handle arms and the devises limit the upward and outward swing of the arms to fix the handle in carrying position as though it were attached rigidly to the casket wall.
The lugs, or escutcheon plates, are typically three-dimensional and have a depth from the casket wall sufficient to cover the clevises and usually the pivotal connections of the handle arms thereto. Whether made of die cast or stamped metal, or of molded nonmetallic material, they generally achieve the necessary depth by a peripheral flange which extends from a decorative front surface rearwardly to engage the casket wall.
Heretofore, the lugs and the attachment devises for the handle arms have been secured in common to the casket wall by the same bolts, rendering it necessary to remove the handles in order to remove and exchange lugs to change the appearance of a casket. A more ready interchangeability of lugs would greatly facilitate the distribution and marketing of burial caskets as it would significantly reduce the casket inventory necessary to provide a wide range of aesthetics to suit the tastes of the individual or individuals making the casket selection.

Casket handle with separately demountable lug


The invention pertains to a system for providing information to an information system in a vehicle, comprising: a communication interface (210) to communicate with a server (299) residing outside the vehicle (200); data storage means (220) to temporarily store data received from the server via the communication interface; data gathering means (230) to obtain information about a current situation or event independently of the server; an information system (100) to provide information services to crew and/or passengers or to control systems of the vehicle; and a processor (240). The processor is configured to: detect whether the communication interface is operational, if the communication interface is operational, provide data received from the communication interface to the information system; otherwise, provide data retrieved from the data storage means and adapted on the basis of information obtained from the data gathering means to the information system.

Modern information systems used in passenger vehicles are used to display a variety of information that is of interest to the passengers, such as the next scheduled stop, the scheduled and estimated time of arrival at subsequent stops, real-time journey information, the time of day, the vehicle's speed, etc., or to the crew.
The relevant information is usually obtained from a server residing outside the vehicle, also referred to as a "wayside" server.
When items of information to be displayed are unavailable due to an interruption in the connection to the wayside server, the information system may cause the display system to display empty fields, error messages, or even meaningless signs, while other information that is available and relevant may not be displayed correctly. This may be confusing and annoying to intended recipients of the information, who fail to receive the information that they rely on.
Accordingly, there is a need for information systems and methods that at least partially overcome these problems.

System and method for providing information to an information system in a vehicle


In a row of lottery tickets each ticket has variable image printing game data printed onto a base layer on a substrate and a series of covering layers including at least one sealing layer and at least one scratch-off layer. Simultaneously game information is printed as a multi-color digital image for each ticket using a variable image printing system. The game information graphics can indicate different values for different ones of the tickets. The tickets in the row can be of different series for sale to different retailers. The printing system automatically correlates the game data and game information to ensure no registration errors thus allowing much improved variability and allowing the game to take into account both game data and game information in determining a winning ticket.

Game tickets such as lottery tickets commonly include a substrate on which is printed game data in a game play area which is then covered by a coating of a scratch-off material to allow the player to reveal the game data or selected parts of the game data to play the game. An important aspect of such tickets is that of providing an attractive and aesthetic appearance which acts to attract the customer to purchase. Typically such tickets have an overprint layer applied onto the scratch-off coating so as to identify the areas to be scratched and to provide an attractive appearance, bearing in mind that the majority of the area of the front of the ticket is taken up by the game area. While the material printed is relative simple in most cases, attempts have been made to make the ticket more attractive by applying more complex images onto the game area.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,569,512 (Brawner, Jon M) assigned to Dittler Brothers and entitled Card with integrated overprinting is disclosed lottery tickets which utilize continuous overprint inks that mask the boundaries between their "secure" and "unsecure" portions to inhibit unscrupulous players from successfully tampering with them. The method uses reformulated overprint inks to permit a single set to be applied to both portions of a card. The method is stated to have the advantages that more vibrant and aesthetically pleasing graphics may be displayed as well while utilizing fewer printing stations during the printing process.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,704,647 (Desbiens, Jean-Pierre) assigned to BABN Technologies Corporation and entitled Multi-color overprinting of scratch-off lottery tickets there is disclosed a method of producing a lottery ticket and lottery tickets produced thereby wherein an overprinting layer is provided over a scratch-off layer, the overprinting layer comprising an image obtained from a design in which the colors in the design have been separated into half tone images of each color and are superimposed on the scratch-off layer of the lottery ticket.
Lottery tickets are printed at high speed using printing rollers for the repeated sections of the tickets such as the basic graphics, the security and base layers, the covering layers of varnish and the like, the scratch-off coating and the overprint layer. The game data are printed on the ticket generally using an ink jet printer controlled by a computer to apply the different game data for each of the tickets. The game data generally also includes an identifying bar code (or machine readable code) which again is unique to the ticket concerned. The game data are generally relatively simple often being merely numbers or letters which can be readily printed by the ink jet printer. Thus the overprint images are printed using the conventional printing press which includes a printing roller for each of the different colors. The printing roller system is used because it provides the high speeds necessary for commercial production of such tickets and because it applies inks which can be selected to ensure proper coverage over the underlying material regardless of its characteristics.
In Published US application 2008/0197621 (Grotkowski) published Aug. 21, 2008 and assigned to the present Assignee, which corresponds to Canadian application 2607766 published Jun. 19, 2008 is disclosed a row of lottery tickets of the above general type in which a multi-color digital image for each ticket is printed onto the scratch-off layer using a variable image printing system. At least part of the scratch-off layer can be left free from printed overlay graphics and the multi-color digital image can be printed subsequently at a different location from the ticket manufacturing location. The graphics can indicate different values for different ones of the tickets. The tickets in the row can be of different lengths and the graphics can be different for different length ones of the tickets.
In Published US application 2010/0253063 (Skogster) published Oct. 7, 2010 and assigned to Black and White Paper Mfg AB, which corresponds to PCT published 2009/062297 published May 22, 2009 is disclosed a scratch-off instant game card of the above general type having a secure area for the game data with the game data printed as full colour variable images printed on the secure area. The arrangement disclosed provides one pass printing where the graphics on the ticket surrounding the secure area and the game data on the secure area are printed simultaneously. The application points out that this provides advantages in regard to the appearance of the ticket in that the game data is now a full color image.
Canadian application 2666784 (Grotkowski) published Dec. 2, 2009 discloses a similar arrangement where the game data elements are printed in a game area with a four color design.
Printing techniques are disclosed in prior US patents of the present assignee, as follows:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,145,885 issued Nov. 14, 2000;
U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,477 issued May 22, 2001; and
U.S. Pat. No. 6,347,794 issued Feb. 19, 2002.
The disclosures of each of the above documents is hereby incorporated herein by reference in as much as they disclose printing techniques and lottery ticket constructions that may be incorporated or used herein.
Traditionally instant tickets are manufactured in a segmented (roll to roll) process which involves multiple steps, run independent of each other. The steps are as follows
Base graphics including the game information;
Lilypad(s) defining the game play area;
Variable game data;
Protective/release coatings, scratchoff layer and overprint layer.
More recently production is carried out in an in-line environment in which all of the above steps are performed in a single pass through one press, although the variable game data is applied separately from the graphical portions of the ticket including the game information.
Costs are often incurred to re-manufacture product because of errors which occurred and were not noticed during the production process. The incidences can be very low but the costs are high because, even if a very small percentage of tickets in a production run are non-conforming but not identified during production are released into the marketplace, the customer has the ability to reject the entire game and demand it be reproduced.
One such example is a game entitled Heads or Tails. In the segmented manufacture of this product, base graphics consist of a picture of a coin's head or tail and are printed on an offset press. The variable imaged data consists of a head or tail and are printed on an ink jet imager. In this case the variable data is a black image of a coin which is shown as being either a head or a tail. To win, the image on the coin in the game area has to match the image of the coin in the graphic area. A loser reveals a mismatch. The consequences are significant if the images in the game data area are not synchronized properly. There is a financial loss as well as loss of integrity in the marketplace.
Existing imaging technology used in the lottery industry has been based on the use of multiple imaging heads. Each imaging head is designed to support 1 colour (typically black) which covers a portion of the web. Each head is approximately 4″ wide and it requires 5 heads to image a 20″ wide web. To add a single colour, other than black, in each row of tickets requires an additional 5 heads. Alternatively some of the black heads could be drained and converted to red however this reduces the run width to 2 rows of tickets instead of 5. This is a very expensive alternative and still limits the process to a single additional colour. A further risk is created when trying to run 2 colours (black and one other) on a single ticket as these must be applied in separate printing units.
Multiple checks, production and post-production, manual and machine-based have been developed to enable us to check for the synchronization of the data but the risk remains of an out of sync situation occurring as these checks are subject to errors.


A seat adjusting assembly for a vehicle including a lower track member secured to the floor of the vehicle. An upper track member is slidingly coupled to the lower track member. The lower track member includes at least one slot formed therein. A lead screw having opposing first and second ends is disposed between the lower and upper track members. A support member is connected to the first and of the lead screw. The support member is additionally coupled to the lower track member. The support member includes at least one boss formed thereon. The at least one boss is received in the at least one slot of the lower track member for connecting a support member to the lower track member. The support member includes a neck portion deformable in response to bending of the lead screw for reducing breakage of the lead screw.

Seat adjusting devices, or assemblies for vehicle seats, are well known in the art. For example, seat adjusting assemblies include both manual and electric motor driven designs for moving a seat within an interior of a vehicle. An adjusting assembly utilizing an electric motor may be included as a standard feature in many new vehicles. Such designs typically utilize an electric motor coupled to an adjusting assembly to vary the position of a seat. Such designs may include an electric motor associated with a worm drive-type mechanism associated with a lead screw. The lead screw is mounted to either an upper or a lower track member to facilitate movement of a seat along the track mechanism.
The worm drive mechanism outlined above including a lead screw, often includes numerous parts requiring a complex assembly procedure when installing such mechanisms in a vehicle. There is therefore a need in the art for a simplified seat adjusting assembly reducing the total number of parts and allowing for easy and cost-effective installation of such an assembly in a vehicle.
Additionally, there is a need in the art for a seat adjusting assembly including a lead screw that is securely retained by a track member of a seat track assembly. The retaining of the lead screw should be of sufficient strength to meet crash test standards, as well as allow for easy assembly of a seat adjusting assembly. Further, there is a need for a seat adjusting assembly that accommodates flex and bending of the lead screw without shearing or breaking.

Seat adjusting assembly including lead screw and mounting attachment


An alkyl gycol ether having the following formula

The present invention relates to novel alkyl ethers of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane-1,3-diol. The present invention further relates to the use of these compounds as fragrance materials or as fragrance composition additives in perfumes, cosmetics, consumer products, and the like.
International Publication Number WO 95/21606 discloses 2,2,4-trimethyl-penten-1-yl ester compounds useful as fragrance and flavor compositions. The generic structure of these compounds are shown in general formulas (1) and (2) below.
wherein R is H, or a substituted or unsubstituted C1–C6 alkyl, C2–C6 alkenyl, C6–C12 aryl, or C7–C18 alkylaryl.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,150,007 relates to the use of an adduct of ethylene oxide and 2,2,4-trimethylpentane-1,3-diol as a reactive diluent in water-bourne coatings. The diol-ethylene oxide adducts are a mixture of components having the general formula (3)
wherein x is an integer from 0 to 3.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,763,144 discloses a glycidyl ether having formula (4) as shown below.

These compounds are useful as intermediates in the preparation of photographic stabilizers.
The reaction of ROTiCl3 with R1CH(OR2)2 is disclosed in C.R. Acad. Sci., Ser. C (P. Mastagli, D. Gibert, vol. 227, no. 9, pages 347–249, 1973). One specific product of this reaction is CAS Registry No. [50598-30-6], identified below in formula (5).

This report discusses only the preparation of this material as an example of the utility of the synthetic method studied. No further utility is disclosed.
Synthetic chemical compounds which are able to provide a desirable aroma are of great importance to the fragrance industry. Many of the natural materials which impart such aromas to fragrance compositions are often expensive and of variable quality. Furthermore, such materials are often times unavailable. Accordingly, efforts have been made to find synthetic substitutes for these natural materials. Many of these efforts, however, have resulted in compounds which possess only a small degree of fragrance character, or contribute an undesired odor to the fragrance composition.

Ethers of 2,2,4-trimethylpentane-1,3-diol as fragrance materials

Abstract: wherein R is a C1–C7 saturated, unsaturated, straight-chain or branched, acyclic or cyclic alkyl group, is useful as a fragrance material in perfumes, cosmetics, consumer products, and the like. When R is a saturated, straight-chain or branched, acyclic or cyclic alkyl group, these compounds are especially stable when used as fragrance materials in bleach containing products.


A system and method for interpreting messages sent from an I/O device to an application object in an object-oriented environment, such that the messages interpretation of these messages will be consistent regardless of the I/O device used to generate them. Dynamic binding is used to interpret any object-object interactions that may occur. In general, the message interpretation abilities of the present invention allows additional I/O devices to be used with the object-oriented environment without having to update all the application objects in the environment.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a system and method for communicating signals (referred to as "messages") in a device-independent fashion from an input/output (I/O) device to a software application. More specifically, this invention relates to a system and method for receiving messages from an I/O device, interpreting those messages using object-oriented techniques, and sending the interpreted messages to an application object using an I/O device-independent common protocol.
2. Related Art
In recent years, there has been a move toward creating and using computer programs in an "object-oriented" environment. Such an environment utilizes the concept of "objects," which generally represent manipulatable items having specified "methods." A method represents an operation that an object is capable of performing. The binding of methods into an object is known as "encapsulation."
The items which can be represented by objects include common office objects as well as computer peripherals, computer programs, and documents. An example of such an object (hereafter referred to as an "application object") is one representative of a word processing document. Methods which might be encapsulated within this application object include the ability to invoke a word processing program and to read itself into that word processing program upon receiving a specific message from an I/O device (for example, receiving a left button double-click message from a mouse).
Application objects are typically represented to a user via "icons", which are bitmaps displayed on a visual display device. An icon for a word processing document might, for example, appear as a small grey rectangle with the letters WP in it. The appearance of an icon is typically defined by the bitmap.
Typically, an I/O device such as a mouse allows a user to point to an icon by generating and controlling a pointer marker on the visual display device representative of the I/O device's relative position. In other words, when the I/O device is moved in a given direction, the pointer marker will move in the same direction. In this way, the user can then use the I/O device to move that pointer marker to a desired icon on the visual display device.
The ability to move the pointer marker to the various icons on the visual display device allows a user to utilize the methods of the application objects. This is typically done by moving the icons to various locations on the visual display device, or by using an I/O device to send messages to the application object whose representative icon is pointed to directly. In this way, the icons allow a user to visually relate to the manipulation and interaction of application objects within the object-oriented environment.
An example of manipulating the application objects using icons can be described with reference to the word processing document example above. In this example, a user would manipulate an I/O device such that the pointer marker pointed to the icon representing the word processing document application object. The user could then send the application object a message (for example, by depressing the appropriate button on the I/O device), indicating that the application object is to invoke certain of its methods. In the example noted above, those methods include invoking a word processing program, and causing that program to read in the word processing document.
The above example is one possible way that the application objects can be manipulated in an object-oriented environment to utilize the encapsulated methods of the application objects. As indicated above, icons can typically be moved to other portions of the visual display device using an I/O device. For example, where a mouse is used as the I/O device, by using the pointer marker to point to an icon and depressing and holding one of the buttons on the mouse, a user can move the icon to other portions of the visual display device by moving the mouse.
Again using the above-noted word processing document example, the ability to move icons allows a user to move one of the icons (either the word processing program icon or word processing document icon) representative of an application object on top of the other. In typical object-oriented environments, this "object-object" interaction results in the invocation of the word processing program, and causes that program to read in the word processing document. It should be kept in mind that this result is particular to this word processing document example, and that the results of object-object interactions generally will depend upon the application objects that the icons represent.
As indicated above, I/O devices communicate with object-oriented environments by the sending of messages. In the case of a pointer I/O device such as a mouse, each time one of the buttons on the mouse is depressed, a message is sent to the object-oriented environment. Pushing different buttons or combinations of buttons will typically send different messages. Upon receipt of these messages, it is up to the object-oriented environment as to the interpretation of these messages.
As an example of the interpretation of messages from I/O devices, assume for example that an object-oriented environment contains an application object and icon representative of a word processing program. If a pointer device such a mouse is used to point (with its pointer marker) to the word processing program icon, and then the left button of the mouse is clicked twice, this message needs to be interpreted somewhere in the object-oriented environment. Conventionally, the application object (in this case, the word processing program) itself will receive and interpret this message. Thus, the word processing program would "decide" how to interpret the message. In this example, a message that the left button of a mouse has been depressed might indicate to the application object that the word processing program should now be invoked.
If application object designers knew in advance that a finite number of I/O devices were to be used in conjunction with an application object, then that application object could be designed to interpret all the possible messages which could come from any of those I/O devices. For example, the application object could be designed to interpret messages from both a two button and a three button mouse. In accounting for messages from either of the two I/O devices, the designers could, for example, design the application object so that a message indicating that the third button of the 3-button mouse is depressed is equivalent (that is, achieves the same results) to depressing both buttons of the 2 button mouse simultaneously. Once the application object (or mechanism to generate it) is completed, however, if the designers want the application object to interpret previously unaccounted-for I/O devices such as a four button mouse, portions of the application object (or generating mechanism) may have to be redesigned.
The problem of accounting for new I/O devices is multiplied by the fact that a typical object-oriented environment contains many application objects, and that there may be a considerable amount of redesigning to be done if one or more I/O devices subsequently develop. Thus, it would be desirable to create some scheme which could act as an intermediate between the I/O device and the application objects which would enable a centralized change or addition to be made, if additional I/O devices are implemented, without having to modifying each application object (or mechanism which generates the application object in an object-oriented environment; for example, a word processing program application object can generate a word processing document application object). To minimize the amount of redesigning of the application objects, such a scheme would require that the messages sent to application objects be sent using a uniform protocol, so that designers of the application objects could design all application objects to expect a consistency in the messages received regardless of the type of I/O device used.
In addition to direct interactions with the I/O devices, there are other mechanisms in object-oriented environments which can generate messages which could be equivalent to those generated directly by I/O devices. For example, as indicated above, moving one icon on top of another in an object-oriented environment (that is, an object-object interaction) can cause certain methods of the application objects to be invoked. So that the application objects do not have to be unnecessarily complex, it would be preferable that messages that are sent to the appropriate application object(s) as a result of this interaction are the same message as equivalent messages sent to the application object(s) by an I/O device directly. Otherwise, the application objects would have to be designed to additionally interpret these messages resulting from the object-object interaction individually.
In the situation where one icon is moved on top of another icon as discussed above, the resultant message (that is, the resultant outcome) from this interaction (which is based upon the methods of the application objects which the icons represent) needs to be determined in some way. A conventional technique for making this determination is to use a procedural-based programming environment which can take into account all of the possible combinations of application objects whose representative icons can be dropped on one another.
A problem with the conventional technique, however, is that application objects can be added subsequent to the creation of such a procedurally-based program which were not accounted for by that program. Since the data types of the variables of procedural programs must be known when the program is compiled (that is, the variables are "statically bound"), if variables used to pass a message from one application object to another application object are not of the same type, some data-type conversion must then occur. If the procedural programming environment allows for many different data types, such conversions can become quite cumbersome and complex. What is needed, then, is a system or method for resolving object-object interactions in an environment in which the variables can be "dynamically" bound (that is, bound at run-time), so that data conversions will be unnecessary.
Certain aspects of object-oriented environments which are relevant to the following discussion are noted below. One fundamental aspect of object-oriented environments is that application objects can be organized into classes in a hierarchical fashion. A class defines a certain category or grouping of functions and data within a single entity. Refinement of the methods of the class is achieved by the creation of "sub-classes." In other words, a class can be thought of as a genus, and its subclass as the species. Subclasses allow the introduction of a new class into the class hierarchy, and inherit the behaviors of its superclass while adding new behaviors to the superclass.
Classes are abstract generic descriptions of application objects, methods and behaviors. Instances of a class are created in an object-oriented environment dynamically. An instance is a specific individual entity, something concrete having observable behavior. Instances are dynamically created and deleted. The class, however, is the broad concept under which the instance belongs, and is an abstract concept. The instance inherits all the methods of its class, but has particular individual values associated with it that are unique.
In an object-oriented environment, a class describes certain parameters shared by all instances of the class and certain methods or behaviors. There is only one location in the memory of a computer for the class. There may, however, by numerous instances of the class, each of which has different values and different physical locations in memory.
For example, at the top of an object hierarchy might be an application object called "Office Objects." Methods of Office Objects might include a print method where the user could specify which printer to use by moving the icon of a document to be printed over a printer icon. A class beneath"Office Objects" might be "Word Processors." Methods of application objects in this class might include the ability to send certain control signals to the printers. Beneath this class might be another class such as "Display Write 5". Its methods would be those of that particular word processing program, and would have some formatting information specific to Display Write 5.
In summary, what is needed is an intermediate layer between I/O devices and application objects in an object-oriented environment, such that appropriate messages will be interpreted into a device-independent common protocol, and then be sent to the application objects regardless of the I/O device being used. This would allow for a change to be made in a single location if a new I/O device is to be added. Also, what is needed is a system or method for interactively determining the outcome of an event involving the interaction of two application objects such that the correct message can be sent to the appropriate application object. Such a system or method should use an approach in which the inefficiencies of static binding are overcome.

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods and compositions useful for improving drainage in a fluff pulp drying process are provided. The methods and compositions comprise alkyl ether sulfate and ethylene oxide/propylene oxide copolymer. In particular, the methods and compositions can improve drainage of fluff pulp in fluff pulp drying processes.

Generally, paper pulps are characterized in the industry as paper-grade pulps, dissolving pulps, or fluff pulps. Fluff pulp is a type of pulp generally prepared from wood having long fibers. Fluff pulp is commonly used for products requiring absorbency or moisture protection because fluff pulp is generally hydrophilic. For example, products such as diapers, sanitary napkins, incontinence pads, baby wipes, and medical gowns are typically manufactured from fluff pulp. Accordingly, products manufactured from fluff pulp should have relatively good absorbency, absorption rate, and wet strength as compared to, for example, products manufactured from paper-grade pulp.
The cooking and bleaching of chemical fluff pulps do not significantly differ from the production of paper pulps. However, the web formation, wet pressing, and drying of fluff pulps differ from the production of paper pulp. Generally, fluff pulp is prepared on a pulp drying machine having a wet-end comprising a wire and a press section and a drying section. Generally, fluff pulp is dried on a drying machine such as, for example, a Fourdrinier machine. In a Fourdrinier machine, the pulp (e.g., fluff pulp) is deposited from a headbox onto a continuous, moving open mesh fabric. The water in the slurry drains through the fabric, thus forming a pulp mat. After the initial free drainage through the fabric or wire, the mat is further dewatered as it is carried on the wire by the application of progressively increasing vacuum. The vacuum is applied to the underside of the mat by a series of elements known as vacuum boxes. After drying, the pulp is typically wound onto rolls. The resulting product usually has a moisture content of from about 5% to about 10% by weight.


A method and apparatus automatically initialize and tune a link in a network system. The link couples one router to another router and may be implemented as a high speed, plesiochronous, parallel link. The apparatus includes a first link control unit coupled to a first end of the link and a second link control unit coupled to a second end of the link. The second link control unit is capable of communicating with the first link control unit to achieve automatic adjustment of the operating parameters of the link to maximize signal propagation across and minimize the power consumption of the link. The method of initializing and tuning across a high speed link in a network is also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to network systems, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for automatically initializing, tuning, and testing a plesiochronous, parallel link to achieve improved link performance.
Links (i.e., interconnects) are used for transmitting data between routers in a network. Components that are used for forming links include, for example, integrated circuits, packaging for integrated circuits, printed circuit boards, connectors, cables, drivers, receivers, and other components. The characteristics and dimensions of link components vary, and as a result, can affect link performance. These variations may be due to the variations inherent in manufacturing processes. Acceptable components typically have variations that fall within rigidly-set manufacturing tolerances. Components that fall beyond the predetermined manufacturing tolerances are discarded.
As one example, a printed circuit board may be used as part of a link. The characteristics of the link are affected by the lengths/shapes of the traces on the printed circuit board, the quality of the board, and other factors that are influenced by the variations in manufacturing processes. Thus, the performance of different links may vary, since the characteristics of different circuit boards may vary.
The characteristics of link components may also vary based upon the particular network implementation or design. For example, longer-length links (in a particular implementation) require more power to drive signals across the links.
Additionally, the skew of the signal arrival time (at a receiving end of the link) for parallel signals increases as link components vary in length and/or characteristics. Typically, the skew is greater for longer-length parallel conductors than for shorter-length parallel conductors. As a result of greater skew, the signals along the parallel conductors will have different arrival times at the receiving end of the parallel conductors.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a method and apparatus that automatically compensates for the different component characteristics that are due to variations in the manufacturing processes and/or particular design implementations. It is further desirable to provide a method and apparatus that maximizes signal transmission across a link, while minimizing the power level that is required for signal transmission. It is further desirable to provide a method and apparatus that sets appropriate operating margins in the link to achieve sustained and reliable operation across the link. It is further desirable to provide an apparatus and method that compensates for variations in the manufacturing processes, thereby leading to a reduction in the number of components that are discarded due to rigidly-set manufacturing tolerances.
The present invention provides an apparatus for automatically initializing and tuning a link in a network system. The link is used for coupling one router to another router and may be implemented as a high speed, plesiochronous, parallel link. The apparatus in accordance with the present invention comprises a first link control unit coupled to a first end of the link; and a second link control unit coupled to a second end of the link and capable of communicating with the first link control unit to achieve automatic adjustment of at least some parameters of the link to improve performance of the link. According to an aspect of the present invention, the link control units are each state machines implemented in digital hardware.
The link control units communicate with each other to initialize, tune, and test the link. Communications between the link control units are performed in-band and at slow speed. Additionally, the link control units can communicate with each other even if the parameters of the drivers and receivers in the link are minimally tuned.
As a result of the tuning procedure performed in accordance with the present invention, data transmission can occur across the link at the fastest possible speed and at the lowest possible power level. In addition, the tuning procedure permits the setting of appropriate voltage margins in the receivers in the link to achieve sustained and reliable operations across the link. These voltage margins compensate for noise, power supply voltage variations, temperature variations, and/or other network environmental changes that may affect the timing and/or magnitude of signals that propagate across the link.
According to another aspect of the present invention, the following parameters are among the parameters that may be adjusted in a link:
(1) the terminator resistance on each end of the link;
(2) the DC current level of a driver circuit in the link wherein the DC current is used for maintaining a static signal on the link;
(3) the AC current level of a driver circuit in the link wherein the AC current enables the high-to-low or low-to-high transitions of a signal on the link;
(4) the transmission speed of a signal across the link;
(5) the phase relationship between a receiver clock and incoming data signals on each end of the link; and
(6) the relative delay between individual data lines in the link, in order to reduce any skew between parallel data bits that arrive on each end of the link.
To determine the appropriate parameter settings for the link, known stimuli are transmitted across the link and are subsequently measured on both ends of the link. The known transmitted stimuli include reference voltages and conventional tuning patterns. The stimuli measurement methods include comparing the detected signal voltage levels with known voltage reference levels, comparing the timing of signal transitions with known reference timing signals, and comparing the received signal patterns on each end of the link with known reference patterns.

Automatic initialization and tuning across a high speed, plesiochronous, parallel link


In one embodiment, a matching service that executes an optimized search engine to match two sets of data items. A client input of the optimized search engine may receive an incoming data item from a client device. An edge reader may determine a cluster qualification level estimate between the incoming data item and a target cluster of target data items. The edge reader may use the cluster qualification level estimate to calculate at least one individual qualification level estimate between the incoming data object and at least one target data object of the target cluster. A report generator may generate a report ranking target data item options based on the at least one individual qualification level estimate. A client output of the optimized search engine may send the report to the client device.

A search engine allows a user to sort through a vast amount of data to identify items of interest. A search engine can use a variety of methods to identify those items. For example, a user can provide a set of search terms describing the type of data the user is seeking. The search engine may search each data item for the presence of those search terms or synonyms thereof. Alternately, the search engine can use a priority ranking system that selects data items based upon links from other data items, with the assumption that the more links to the data item, the more important the data item is.
The task of the search engine is very complex when searching a single, limited set of data items. A harder task is searching for a set of data items that is constantly changing, with new data items added and removed at a variable rate. This task becomes significantly harder when search results are to be tailored to each user, as in the case of a dating site or a labor market.
For example, data collected by the Bureau of Labor Statistics over the last 11 years shows a persistent rise in frictional unemployment, despite the advent of job boards and social networking platforms. This rise indicates a strong signal for market inefficiency. Economic research has attributed this decrease in efficiency to automation, rapid labor supply influx, and decreased market transparency. Surprisingly, while job boards and social media platforms often seek to aid in increasing user market exposure, recent research shows that such resources when implemented alone persistently lead to a tragedy of the commons and do not aid in the formation of optimal pairings. These factors have led to a general decline in social welfare as job openings now take longer and are more difficult or expensive to fill. Labor supply is affected as well, as people now find it more challenging to find appropriate positions than in previous years, causing increased levels of underemployment.


A system for removing debris from a drill hole, the system comprising a drill rod, a first lumen extending through the drill rod, and a second lumen extending parallel to the first lumen; a drill bit for mounting to the drill rod, the drill bit being configured to form the drill hole; at least one air channel extending between the proximal end of the drill bit and the distal end of the drill bit, the at least one air channel being configured to be fluidically connected to the first lumen of the drill rod; at least one vacuum channel extending between the proximal end of the drill bit and the distal end of the drill bit, the at least one vacuum channel being configured to be fluidically connected to the second lumen of the drill rod; and a container fluidically connected to the second lumen of the drill rod.

Mankind has had reason to split, cleave or otherwise "break up" rock for centuries, if not millennia. For example, rock has been broken up to make way for human infrastructure (e.g., roads, canals, railways, etc.) and/or to provide materiel to build infrastructure (e.g., roadway surfaces, aqueducts, bridges, etc.).
Methods and apparatus for breaking up (e.g., splitting, cleaving, etc.) rock have progressed from simple manual processes (e.g., dropping rocks from a high place so that the rocks are broken on impact), to the use of simple tools (e.g., hammers, wedges, etc.) to split rock, to the use of sophisticated tools (e.g., explosives and/or hydraulic rock splitting devices).
Splitting or cleaving rock is necessary and/or useful in many different fields of endeavor, and is of particular importance and utility in the modern construction industry. In many geographical areas, the excavation of rock for the construction of a foundation for a building or other structure, excavation of rock for utilities, excavation of rock for roadways, etc., requires either the complete removal, or at least augmentation, of naturally-occurring rock formations (or earlier human-built foundations) in order to allow for the construction of a foundation for a building or some other structure.
In some locations, such as in or near less densely populated areas, the removal of rock may be accomplished through the use of explosives, in accordance with various methods known in the art. In more densely populated areas, however, the use of explosives may be undesirable for many reasons, including but not limited to the dangers associated with the transformation of rock fragments into projectiles by the explosive blast, the noise produced by the explosions, and the generation of surface and subsurface vibrations, shockwaves and the like by the explosives. These vibrations and shockwaves can, among other things, damage and/or weaken nearby structures. In addition, the use of explosives in geological areas where fault lines are present may present additional issues, such as enhanced transmission of shockwaves, vibrations and sound along the fault line.
In addition to the foregoing, there may also be legal prohibitions and/or significant restrictions on the use of explosives in a given area. Such restrictions and/or prohibitions can be quite common in densely or even moderately densely populated areas. In addition to the foregoing, applicable laws and regulations frequently prescribe strict requirements for the proper storage of explosives and require the use of specially trained personnel in connection with their use. Accordingly, the cost of procuring, storing and using explosives for breaking and/or removing rock can be quite high.
Perhaps in part as a result of the foregoing considerations associated with the use of explosives to remove or augment rock (particularly in and/or near populated areas), other methods and apparatus for removing rock have been developed.
Specifically, drills and hydraulic rock splitting devices have been developed for use in splitting rock. Such devices are typically hand-held, being maneuvered into place by a workman and then used in a sequential fashion to split rock.
In use, a hand-held drill is typically first used to bore a hole in a rock, and then a hand-held rock splitter apparatus (e.g., a wedge combined with a tether for receiving the wedge) is placed into the hole and used to split the rock (i.e., the wedge is driven into the tether so as to cause the tether to bear against the side walls of the hole and split the rock). Such apparatus are generally effective, however, not very efficient. Since the hand-held drill and the hand-held splitter apparatus are both typically quite heavy and cumbersome, they require personnel to position and operate them effectively. Moreover, with such a sequential rock splitting process utilizing two different hand-held tools, several discrete steps need to be carried out in order to split the rock. First, the workman needs to bring the hand-held drill to the site that the hole is to be drilled. Then the workman needs to drill the hole into the rock using the hand-held drill in order to form a drill hole in the rock for receiving the splitting apparatus. After the drill hole is formed in the rock, the workman needs to remove the drill from the drill hole and maneuver the splitting apparatus over the hole. Finally, the splitting apparatus (i.e., the tether and the wedge) is placed into the hole and used to split the rock. It will be appreciated that the foregoing procedure is significantly time consuming, requiring a larger workforce and/or additional heavy equipment (i.e., to transport the drill and/or splitting apparatus around the worksite), thereby making the rock splitting project both more time consuming and more expensive.
Thus, there is a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for splitting or cleaving rock which combines the drilling apparatus for drilling a hole in the rock in order to provide a drill hole for receiving the wedge, with the splitting apparatus (i.e., the wedge) for splitting the rock, wherein the combined apparatus can be easily maneuvered into place and used to split a rock without requiring the movement of cumbersome, heavy hand-held tools or a large workforce.
In addition to the foregoing, it has also been recognized that the drilling of a hole in a rock (e.g., to provide a drill hole for receiving a wedge) can generate a significant amount of debris, e.g., in the form of rock chips, ground rock, dust, etc., as the hole (i.e., the "drill hole") is drilled into the rock. Typically, such debris is removed manually from the drill hole (e.g., by sweeping the debris away from the surface opening of the drill hole, by removing the drill from the hole and cleaning out debris by hand, etc.). In some instances, hollow drill shafts and bits are utilized in order to pass pressurized air from an external source (e.g., a compressor) through a drill shaft and into the drill hole, whereby to force debris up and out of the drill hole in the rock under pressure so that it may be cleared away from the surface opening of the drill hole.
However, such approaches for clearing debris from the drill hole suffer from at least two significant drawbacks. First, the debris must be manually collected and taken away, and second, when the rock is pulverized to fine material (e.g., dust), workers are exposed to aerosolized dust and debris which may exacerbate or cause adverse health conditions (e.g., due to being drawn into the lungs) or require additional equipment to work with (e.g., respirators).
Thus, there is also a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for cleanly and efficiently removing debris from a drill hole during drilling without requiring removal of the drill from the drill hole during drilling.

Method and apparatus for removing debris from a drill hole during drilling


A method and composition for treating metal surfaces to improve corrosion resistance and paint adhesion. The composition is a non-corrosive aqueous solution including water, a polymeric compound, an additive, and dispersed silica. In a preferred embodiment, the polymeric compound may be a polymer having a plurality of carboxylic functional groups and a plurality of hydroxyl groups. The polymeric compound may be a bifunctional copolymer or the reaction product of a first polymer having a plurality of carboxylic functional groups (e.g., polyacrylic acid or polymethylvinylmaleic anhydride), and a second polymer having a plurality of hydroxyl groups (e.g., polyvinyl alcohol). The additive is selected from at least one of: (i) an acid of a group IV-B element and a weak base, and (ii) an ammonium salt of a group IV-B compound such as ammonium zirconium carbonate. An exemplary acid of a group IV-B element is fluotitanic acid and an exemplary weak base is ammonium hydroxide. Dispersed silica is added, and any attack of the silica is minimized. The method for improving corrosion resistance and paint adhesion of a metal surface includes contacting the metal surface with a composition as described above and drying the composition in place. Prior to contacting the metal surface with such a composition, the metal surface may be cleaned and rinsed.

Known methods of treating metal surfaces to improve adhesion and corrosion resistance of the painted metal surfaces make use of two general definable classes of chemistries. The first class is based on the traditional conversion coating types of chemistries such as zinc phosphate, iron phosphates, chromium chromate, chromium phosphate, etc. The second class is based on more recent developments in the metal pretreatment industry and is characterized by what is now referred to as dried-in-place technology. The traditional conversion coating chemistries require rinsing of the metal substrate to remove applied conversion coating solution. Dried-in-place chemistries require that the applied solutions be dried on the metal substrate to which they are applied. Thus, they are described as dried-in-place, and the class of traditional conversion coatings have as their major drawback the requirement of rinsing, thereby consuming large volumes of water for rinsing.
An advantage of the dried-in-place class of chemicals is therefore obvious in that no rinsing is required. The traditional conversion coating class of pretreatments is characterized by steps or process stages that include:
1) Cleaning--by use of an alkaline or acid cleaning solution; PA1 2) Rinsing--to remove residual cleaning solution; PA1 3) Pretreatment--with the traditional conversion coating solution; PA1 4) Rinsing--to remove the residual pretreatment solution; and, optionally, PA1 5) a final rinse with a corrosion resistance enhancing material such as chromate. PA1 1) Clean--by use of an alkaline or acid cleaning solution; PA1 2) Rinse--to remove residual cleaning solution; and PA1 3) Application of the dried-in-place pretreatment solution.
The traditional coatings class of materials are therefore often referred to as five stage conversion coatings.
The second class of materials, the dried-in-place class, are typically referred to as three stage processes since their process steps are typically:
Another significant disadvantage of the traditional conversion coatings class is the fact that the rinse water is polluted and requires waste treatment. This adds significantly to the cost of the process because significant capital equipment and liability go along with waste handling and treatment.
There are also chemistries in both classes that have other major drawbacks. These particular chemistries are based on chromium compounds, which show toxicological properties and have been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency and by the Occupational Safety and Health Agency as a risk to the environment and health. Moreover, chemistries based on hexavalent chromium are classified as carcinogens by these agencies.
Attempts have been made to produce chromium-free dried-in-place coatings. In the case of aluminum extrusions, successful replacement of chromium was partially accomplished by use of a fluo acid and a carboxylic polymer, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,596 to Dollman et al. The following formulas applied to clean aluminum extrusions at a concentration of 1% (by weight) of each in water will produce a coating that falls under this technology:
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Compound 1 % Wt. Compound 2 % Wt. ______________________________________ Poly(acrylic acid) 5.0 Hydrofluozirconic Acid 7.4 Water 95.0 Hydrofluoric Acid 0.3 Water 92.3 ______________________________________
Aluminum samples treated by such a composition have acceptable paint adhesive properties in the dry state. The ability to pass other requirements of the American Architectural Manufacturer's Association (AAMA) specifications, however, are somewhat questionable. In some samples tested, the twenty minute cross-hatch boiling water test had variable results, and the 1,000 hour test in 100% relative humidity is inconsistent. In addition, neutral salt spray corrosion resistance is not good.
Another method has been introduced for aluminum extrusions. In this method, the following polymer solution along with a fluo acid is applied to an aluminum surface:
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Compound % Wt. ______________________________________ Poly(acrylic acid) 3.75 Ammonium Bifluoride 0.10 Fluosurfactant 0.04 Water 96.11 ______________________________________
Although this method does not require chromium, it does require different process steps and requires an increase in the number of process steps. Comparing this method with a traditional conversion coating method, the step of treating the metal surface with a conversion coating solution is replaced with an acid cleaning stage, then water rinse, followed by dried-in-place pre-treatment which requires a stainless steel or acid-resistant section. In this method, the following steps are required to treat the metal surface: (1) cleaning the metal surface with an alkaline or acid bath; (2) rinsing the cleaned metal surface with water; (3) cleaning the metal surface with an acid solution; (4) rinsing the metal surface with water; and (5) pretreating the rinsed metal surface with a modified chromium-free solution, such as in Table 2 above. Thus, this method can be referred to as a "five-step, chromium-free, dried-in-place method." As in all methods, these steps are followed by drying and then painting the metal surface.
Nonetheless, there remains a need for a chromium-free coating composition which is capable of improving paint adhesion and corrosion resistance by employing the more convenient, three step dried-in-place method. In addition, there remains a need for such a composition which can improve paint adhesion and corrosion resistance of a variety of metals, not exclusively aluminum and aluminum alloys.
Further, there is a need for a coating composition having a relatively high concentration of constituents to meet application requirements such as some reverse-roll coating systems. Also, from an operational standpoint, a single package system including both the inorganic components and organic components is desirable. Thus, a single package material showing no instability or gelation is desirable.
International Publication No. WO 92/07973 to Reghi discloses a chromium-free corrosion surface treatment which is an aqueous acidic liquid comprising water and: (A) fluozirconic acid; (B) dispersed silica; (C) a particular polymer; and (D) 1-propoxy-2-propanol. Because silica can be undesirably attacked in an acidic composition, such as the composition disclosed by this international publication, concentrates that include silica are usually stable for only a few days. Accordingly, there is still a need for a composition for treating metal surfaces which includes silica and is stable for more than a few days.

Method and composition for treating metal surfaces including dispersed silica


A system and method for managing at least one checked out file of a source control management repository are provided. The system includes a source control repository including at least one checked out file; a database including at least one parameter associated with the at least one checked out file; and a computing device for identifying the at least one checked out file, retrieving the at least one parameter associated with the at least one checked out file, and generating a report including the at least one parameter. The report may be presented to a user via a display or formatted as an XML file to be employed in other computing applications, e.g., automated backups.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates generally to data processing and computing systems, and more particularly, to a method and system for file management of checked out or open files of a source control management repository.
2. Description of the Related Art
The IT world is in a constant state of flux with new technologies, applications and platforms being constantly developed. In this ever-changing environment, application development managers and Chief Information Officers need to eliminate as much risk as possible. Most organizations must manage or support complex multiplatform applications that span the enterprise, including the mainframe server. For example, an online ticketing program for an airline has a web front-end. Its browser-based interface is connected to a back-office application on a UNIX server that also interacts with a DB2 database on the mainframe. While the application has components on several different platforms, it is still considered a single application because it serves a single business purpose—managing airline ticketing processing.
Additionally, the teams working on these complex, multi-tiered projects may be deployed around the world to take advantage of "follow-the-sun" development. For example, at the end of their day, a team in California hands off its development projects to a team in Japan, who then turns it over to a third team in the UK, and that group turns it over to a team in New York and so on.
Furthermore, presently a majority of applications have a web front-end—with all the associated HTML pages and web content—to capitalize on Internet-driven business opportunities. Therefore, Change Control Management (CCM) solutions have emerged as essential infrastructure components in the enterprise-wide application development arena.
Change Control Management software provides life cycle management, source version control and configuration management capabilities. Conventional source control management products are designed to manage code changes as they are checked back into the source control repository. With today's distributed environments and multiple projects underway, developers have many unfinished projects on their machine's that are not checked back up in the source control repositories for long periods of time. Every developer and organization is at a great risk for not managing the code that is not included the checked-in file repository.
Currently, developers have to manually remember the physical location from where the files were checked out and manually backup these files. Then, the developers have to remember the correlation between the physical locations of the file, the software packages it is associated with and the actual backed up location. With a single user involved in a project generally having multiple machines and multiple projects, the problem of keeping track of the checked out files for all the different projects is a very cumbersome and tedious process. This makes it hard to manage multiple files for a single developer and nearly impossible to achieve at an enterprise level.
Therefore, a need exists for techniques to allow users, developers and administrators to easily and conveniently manage checked out or open files from a source control repository.

Managing checked out files in a source control repository


A heater assembly for a heating, ventilation, and/or air conditioning (HVAC) system has a heater and a controller enclosure. The heater has a plurality of heating elements in a frame that has two opposing ends. The controller enclosure has two end walls and a plurality of side walls in a non-rectangular polygonal configuration. One of the two opposing ends of the frame is coupled to one of the two end walls such that an orientation of the heating elements may be changed based on respective locations of the plurality of side walls of the controller enclosure.

HVAC systems are utilized in residential, commercial, and industrial environments to control environmental properties, such as temperature and humidity, for occupants of the respective environments. An HVAC system may control the environmental properties by controlling an air flow delivered to the environment. For example, a heating unit of the HVAC system may have multiple blowers configured to direct respective air flows through a heater assembly to condition each air flow delivered to the environment. A controller enclosure of the heater assembly may contain processing circuitry that regulates operation of a heater of the heater assembly to control the temperature of the air flows directed across the heater. The controller enclosure and the heater may be assembled into a specific orientation of the heater assembly before being transported to an installation site of the heating unit. In some instances, the transportation orientation of the heater assembly may be unstable, thereby increasing a potential for movement of the heater assembly and disturbance to the controller enclosure, the heater, or other components of the heater assembly during transit. As such, it may be desirable to increase the stability of the transportation orientation of the heater assembly during transit.


A vehicular marker lamp including a lamp cover that contains nanosized fluorescent material and light sources that excite the fluorescent material so as to cause the lamp cover to emit colored light.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular marker lamp having a light-emitting module that emits red, amber and/or other colored light and constituting a rear combination lamp.
2. Description of the Related Art
On the back of a vehicle, a vehicular marker lamp, called a rear combination lamp, which combines together a red tail lamp and stop lamp, an amber turn lamp, and the like, is generally mounted. In a conventional rear combination lamp, lamp chambers are designed so that each chamber has a red- or amber-tinted lamp cover together with a white-light lamp bulb, and red or amber light is radiated to the exterior of the lamp by lighting the lamp bulb of the respective lamp chamber (see, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) No. 2001-110205, particularly pages 3 to 5 and FIG. 1 thereof).
However, in this conventional rear combination lamp, the lamp cover itself is tinted, and thus the red or amber color can be discerned even when the lamp is turned off. As a result, the lamp has a poor visibility problem especially when strong sunlight shines on the lamp cover and in like cases, and it is difficult to distinguish whether the light is on or is being emitted by the lamp bulbs or the sunlight is being reflected.