An electronic circuit, including: a logic circuit having a plurality of logic cells; storage cells able to form a shift register, able to be connected to the logic cells; a connection control module having an input for the reception of an identification key, the module connecting the storage cells so as to form a test shift register when the receive input receives a valid identification key, and the module connecting the storage cells so as to form randomly a diversion circuit when the input does not receive a valid identification key. The invention allows the electronic circuit to be protected against fraudulent access in read or write mode. The invention also relates to a smart card including this electronic circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates, in general terms, to synchronous integrated electronic circuits equipped with combinatorial logic means, flip-flops, and test means.
More specifically, the invention relates to an electronic circuit that includes: a plurality of logic cells; a plurality of configurable cells each including at least one multiplexer and one flip-flop; and a plurality of control conductors connected to the configurable cells and in which flow selectively control signals emitted in operation by a control circuit such as an access controller, the configurable cells adopting selectively, as a function of the control signals, a standard operating mode in which they are operationally connected to some at least of the logic cells with which they engage to form a logic circuit, and a test mode in which these configurable cells are operationally connected in a chain to form a shift register equipped with a data input and output.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It is a well known practice today to test the correct operation of the operational elements of an integrated circuit by imposing and/or setting, at pre-set moments, data values present at certain internal points of the integrated circuit.
A technique of this kind for testing internal paths of an integrated circuit (known as "scanpath" or "internal scan method";) is for example described in the publication by M. Williams and J. Angel entitled "Enhancing Testability of LSI Circuits Via Test Points and Additional Logic, IEEE Transactions on Computers, vol. C-22, no.1; January 1973", which is incorporated herein by reference.
According to this technique, each of the flip-flops in the logic circuit, for which it is useful to know the state and/or to impose the content during the standard operation of the integrated circuit, is equipped at its input with a multiplexer.
The different flip-flops and the multiplexers which are associated with them thus constitute as many configurable cells whose accesses are individually controlled by these multiplexers.
The multiplexers of these different configurable cells are collectively controlled by an access controller or "TAP controller" ("TAP" standing for "Test Access Port") which, depending on a selected operating mode, uses this set of configurable cells either as a standard operating circuit, integrated into the logic circuit which it forms with the logic cells, or as a test circuit.
To do this, the TAP controller addresses on different control conductors, by which it is connected to the different configurable cells, control signals, such as a mode control signal, a chaining control signal or a data propagation control signal, which modify the data flow paths within the integrated circuit and which thus allow the controller to capture this data, for the purpose of analyzing it.
In standard operating mode, the TAP controller therefore controls the multiplexers of the configurable cells in such a way that the flip-flops of these cells are connected to surrounding logic cells to define one or more operating sub-assemblies of the integrated circuit.
In test mode, which is normally triggered on receipt by the TAP controller of a test execution command, this controller produces a chaining control signal to connect the flip-flops of the configurable cells in series in such a way as to form a shift register.
This register notably includes a series input and a series output connected to an output and an input of the TAP controller respectively, and a clock input receiving a clock signal to time the data flow.
Initially, the TAP controller loads data in series into the flip-flops of the configurable cells through the input of the shift register formed by these cells.
Then, the TAP controller changes the switching of the multiplexers to form the operating circuit, and controls the execution of one or more clock cycles by this operating circuit. The data loaded into the flip-flops of the configurable cells is then processed by the operating circuit.
The controller then once again changes the switching of the multiplexers to again form the shift register and retrieves, in series at the output of the shift register, the data stored in the flip-flops of the configurable cells during the last clock cycle.
Despite proven interest in this testing technique, its practical application may under some circumstances prove problematic, particularly in respect of integrated circuits processing confidential data.
Indeed, insofar as activating the test mode may allow a fraudster to read the content of the flip-flops of the configurable cells, this test technique has at first sight the drawback of making such circuits highly vulnerable to fraudulent use.
For example, by stopping at various intervals of time a process for the internal loading of confidential data into the integrated circuit and by unloading the content of the shift register, a fraudster may be able to obtain information about confidential data, and even reconstitute it.
By activating the test mode, a fraudster may also access the flip-flops of the configurable cells in write mode so as to insert fraudulent data, or to put the integrated circuit in an unauthorized configuration. He may thus for example access a register controlling a security component such as a sensor in order to deactivate it. He may also inject an erroneous data item for the purpose of obtaining information about a confidential data item.
The fraud may in fact adopt two different strategies, the first of which consists in taking control of the TAP controller and in observing the shift register cell content on the external contact blocks, and the second of which consists in taking control of the configurable cells by exciting them by micro-probing so as to simulate the control of these cells by the control signals emitted by the TAP controller.
An attempt at fraud in accordance with the first strategy may be blocked by a technique which is the subject of a patent application filed simultaneously by the Proprietor.

Protecting an integrated circuit test mode


An integrally woven three-dimensional preform with stiffeners in two directions constructed from a woven base fabric having first, second and third woven fabrics. A plurality of yarns are interwoven over a region between the first and second fabrics such that the first fabric is foldable relative to the second fabric. An additional plurality of yarns are interwoven over a region between the second and third fabrics such that the third fabric is foldable relative to the second fabric. Upon folding of the woven base fabric, the integrally woven three-dimensional preform with stiffeners in two directions is formed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to integrally woven preforms for reinforced composite structures which can be woven flat and folded into their final three-dimensional shape, the final shape having reinforcement in two or more directions.
2. Background of the Invention
The use of reinforced composite materials to produce structural components is now widespread, particularly in applications where their desirable characteristics for being lightweight, strong, tough, thermally resistant, self-supporting and adaptability to being formed and shaped are sought. Such components are used, for example, in the aeronautical, aerospace, satellite, and fuel cell industries, as well as for recreational uses such as in racing boats and autos, as well as countless other applications. A three-dimensional fabric generally consists of fibers extending along a direction in the X, Y and Z directions.
Typically components formed from such fabrics consist of reinforcement materials embedded in matrix materials. The reinforcement component may be made from materials such as glass, carbon, ceramic, aramid (e.g., "KEVLAR"), polyethylene, and/or other materials which exhibit desired physical, thermal, chemical and/or other properties, chief among which is great strength against stress failure. Through the use of such reinforcement materials, which ultimately become a constituent element of the completed component, the desired characteristics of the reinforcement materials such as very high strength, are imparted to the completed composite component. The constituent reinforcement materials may typically be woven, knitted or otherwise oriented into desired configurations and shapes for reinforcement preforms. Usually, particular attention is paid to ensure the optimum utilization of the properties for which these constituent reinforcing materials have been selected. Generally, such reinforcement preforms are combined with matrix material to form desired finished components or produce working stock for the ultimate production of finished components.
After a desired reinforcement preform has been constructed, matrix material may be introduced and combined with the preform, so that the reinforcement preform becomes encased in the matrix material such that the matrix material fills the interstitial areas between the constituent elements of the reinforcement preform. The matrix material may be any of a wide variety of materials, such as epoxy, polyester, vinyl-ester, ceramic, carbon and/or other materials, which also exhibit desired physical, thermal, chemical and/or other properties. The materials chosen for use as the matrix may or may not be the same as that of the reinforcement preform and may or may not have comparable physical, chemical thermal or other properties. Typically, however, they will not be of the same materials or have comparable physical, chemical, thermal or other properties, as the reinforcement preform, since a usual objective sought in using composites in the first place is to achieve a combination of characteristics in the finished product that is not attainable through the use of one constituent material alone. When combined, the reinforcement preform and the matrix material may then be cured and stabilized in the same operation by thermosetting or other known methods, and then subjected to other operations toward producing the desired component. It is significant to note that after being so cured, the then solidified masses of the matrix material are normally very strongly adhered to the reinforcing material (e.g., the reinforcement preform). As a result, stress on the finished component, particularly via its matrix material acting as an adhesive between fibers, may be effectively transferred to and borne by the constituent material of the reinforcing reinforcement preform.
Frequently, it is desirable to produce components in configurations other than simple geometric shapes such as plates, sheets, rectangular or square solids, etc. For instance, complex three-dimensional components require complex three dimensional preforms. One way to achieve a complex component is to combine basic geometric shapes into the desired more complex forms. One such typical combination is made by joining components made as described above at an angle (typically a right-angle) relative to each other to form lateral and transverse stiffeners. Usual purposes for such angular arrangements of joined components are to create desired shapes to form reinforced structures that include one or more end walls or "T" intersections for example. Another purpose for joining components is to strengthen the resulting combination of reinforcement preforms and the composite structure which it produces against deflection or failure when exposed to exterior forces such as pressure or tension. Therefore, it is important to make each juncture between the constituent components, i.e. the stiffener and the base platform or panel portion, as strong as possible. Given the desired very high strength of the reinforcement preform constituents per se, weakness of the juncture becomes, effectively, a "weak link" in a structural "chain."
Various methods have been used in the past for joining composite components or reinforcement preforms to produce a reinforced complex structure. It has been proposed to form and cure a panel element and an angled stiffening element separate from each other, with the latter having a single panel contact surface or being bifurcated at one end to form two divergent, co-planar panel contact surfaces. The two components are then joined by bonding the panel contact surface(s) of the stiffening element to a contact surface of the other component by thermosetting or by an adhesive material. However, when tension is applied to the cured panel or the skin of the composite structure, loads at unacceptably low values can result in "peel" forces which separated the stiffening element from the panel at their interface. This occurs because the effective strength of the joint is that of the matrix material and not of the adhesive used to bond the components.
The use of metal bolts or rivets at the interface of such components has also been used but is unacceptable because such additions at least partially destroy and weaken the integrity of composite structures themselves, add weight, and introduce differences in the coefficient of thermal expansion as between such elements and the surrounding material. In addition, bolts and rivets require additional manufacturing steps and increase part counts.
Other approaches to solving this problem have been based on the concept of introducing high strength fibers across the joint area through the use of such methods as stitching one of the components to the other and relying upon the stitching thread to introduce such strengthening fibers into and across the juncture site. One such approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,331,495 and its method divisional counterpart, U.S. Pat. No. 4,256,790. These patents disclose junctures having been made between a first and second composite panels made from adhesively bonded fiber plies. The first panel is bifurcated at one end to form two divergent, co-planar panel contact surfaces in the prior art manner, that have been joined to the second panel by stitches of uncured flexible composite thread through both panels. The panels and thread are then "co-cured": i.e., cured simultaneously. However, this process requires the preform to be constructed in multiple steps as well as requires the introduction of a third yarn or fiber into the preform. Stitching can also produce damage in the preform that will degrade in-plane performance.
An example of an intersecting configuration is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,103,337, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. This reference discloses a means for joining a reinforcement preform with a preform panel to form a three-dimensional reinforcement preform. The two individual preforms are joined to each other at the junction by means of reinforcing fibers in the form of threads or yarns. Once the two preforms are joined or stitched together, matrix material is introduced to the preforms. While this process and product has proven to be very satisfactory, it requires that the preforms be individually woven or constructed and subsequently stitched together in a separate step.
Another method to improve upon junction strength is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 5,429,853. However, this method is similar to previously described methods because separately constructed distinct elements are joined together by the stitching of a third yarn or fiber between the two.
While the prior art has sought to improve upon the structural integrity of the reinforced composite and has achieved some success, there exists a desire to improve thereon and to address the problem through an approach different from the use of adhesives or mechanical coupling of the separate panel and stiffener elements. In this regard, one approach might be by creating a woven three-dimensional structure on specialized machines. However, the expense involved is considerable and rarely is it desirable to have a weaving machine directed to creating a simple structure.
Another approach is to weave a two-dimensional structure and fold it into shape so that the panel is integrally stiffened, i.e. yarns are continuously interwoven between the planar base or panel portion and the stiffener. However, this typically results in distortion of the preform when the preform is folded. The distortion occurs because the lengths of fiber as-woven are different than what they should be when the preform is folded. This causes dimples and ripples in areas where the as-woven fiber lengths are too short, and buckles in the areas where fiber lengths are too long. These distortions cause undesirable surface anomalies and reduce the strength and stiffness of the component. While this may be relieved by cutting and darting, such procedures are undesirable since they are labor intensive or otherwise may compromise the integrity of the preform.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,446,675, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference, solves the problem with distortion that occurs upon folding a two-dimensional woven preform by adjusting the lengths of the fibers during weaving such that some fibers are too short in some areas and others too long in other areas. Upon folding the preform, the lengths of the fibers are equalized, providing for a smooth transition at the fold.
Another approach for constructing stiffened panels is set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 6,019,138 which discloses a method for making stiffened panels with reinforcing stiffeners in both the warp and fill directions. As disclosed, this method achieves reinforcement in two directions through over weaving, or simply weaving high spots into the panel portion of the preform. Using this method will limit the height of the stiffener that can be achieved. Further, this method requires that the preform be woven using three yarns. The third yarn, which binds the stiffener to the panel portion of the preform, is only periodically woven between the two. Therefore, the stiffener is not completely integrally woven with the panel portion which results in a joint that is weaker than a fully integrally woven joint.
Thus, three-dimensional preforms which can be processed into fiber reinforced composite components are desirable because they provide increased strength relative to two-dimensional laminated composites. These preforms are particularly useful in applications that require the composite to carry out-of-plane loads.
Accordingly, a need exists for an integrally woven preform that provides reinforcement in two or more directions that can be woven in one process using a conventional loom without any special modifications.

Three-dimensional woven integrally stiffened panel


An optical inspection apparatus is provided which suppresses the influence of quantum noise including: light irradiator which irradiates a sample with light; reference light emitter which emits reference light; light interference unit which generates interfering light through interference between transmitted light, scattered light, or reflected light from the sample irradiated with light by the light irradiator, and the reference light emitted by the reference light emitter; light detector which detects the interfering light generated by the light interference unit; defect identifier which identifies the presence or absence of a defect based on a detection signal obtained by the light detector detecting the interfering light; and light convertor which converts at least the state of the transmitted, scattered, or reflected light from the sample, the state of the reference light emitted by the reference light emitter, or the state of the interfering light generated by the light interference unit.

The present invention relates to an optical inspection method and an optical inspection apparatus for inspecting a minute defect on the surface of a sample by irradiating the sample with light and detecting reflected light therefrom.
In the manufacturing lines of semiconductor substrates, thin film substrates and the like, optical inspection apparatuses are used extensively to inspect minute defects on the surface of samples so as to acquire a high product yield (e.g., JP-9 (1997)-304289-A (Patent Literature 1) and JP-2006-201179-A (Patent Literature 2)). Generally, the optical inspection apparatus irradiates the sample surface with a focused light beam of several tens of μm across, detects transmitted light, scattered light, or reflected light from any defect, and focuses the detected light for defect detection. Currently commercialized apparatuses can inspect defects of several tens of nm or more across.
Meanwhile, with advances in fine processing technology, there has been a growing need for inspecting defects more minute than ever. Because a minute defect gives off faintly reflected light when irradiated with illumination light, more sensitive, higher-performing defect detection technology is needed. In particular, given faint light, it is impossible to ignore the influence of fluctuation called quantum noise stemming unavoidably from the uncertainty principle of quantum mechanics. This makes it important to suppress the influence of quantum noise.
One method for detecting such minute defects, as described in JP-2007-232667-A (Patent Literature 3) for example, involves identifying the presence or absence of a defect based on information about the differences in phase and amplitude between the light obtained from the sample typically through homodyne detection or heterodyne detection on the one hand, and reference light on the other hand.

Optical inspection method and optical inspection apparatus


The present invention provides a gray scale display method and apparatus that can be used with a large screen plasma display panel to perform illumination in a binary manner while substantially controlling flicker effects. The gray scale can be displayed by combining illumination and non-illumination periods in each of a plurality of subfields, the subfields being defined by at least a first block and a second block which have different structures. The plurality of subfields are arranged so that the luminance value of each subfield is in an ascending or descending order in the blocks.

Image display apparatuses which use display panels whose display is based on a binary illumination system, represented here by plasma display panels (hereinafter referred to as "PDPs"), achieve gray scale by methods such as a method which divides each field of an image into a plurality of subfields, gives each subfield a predetermined luminance weight, and controls whether illumination is ON or OFF in each subfield. For example, in order to display 256 gray scale, each field of an input image signal is divided into 8 subfields which are assigned luminance weights 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128 respectively, and arranged in order of these luminance weights. Then, each bit of an input image signal, which is assumed to be an 8 bit digital signal here, is allocated to the eight weighted subfields in order from the lowest bit, and displayed. That is to say that, illumination is either ON or OFF in each subfield, with 256 gray scale being displayed by arbitrary combinations of the weights. However, in this kind of conventional method of displaying 256 gray scale using eight subfields, flicker components can be observed when the frequency of each frame is around 50 Hz, such as in the PAL (Phase Alternation Line) system. Particularly in large screen display such flicker components are perceived as surface flickers observed over the whole screen, causing a remarkable loss of picture quality. In contrast, flickers are not felt if the field frequency is doubled by signal processing to 100 Hz. Likewise, occurrence of flickers can be controlled by keeping the frequency at the original 50 Hz, and increasing the speed of illumination. This can be achieved by simply doubling the number of subfields to 16 subfields assigned, for example respective luminance weights 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, and 128, and doubling the number of illuminations.
However, in either of these conventional methods the actual emission response speed in the display apparatus must be doubled, meaning the these methods can not always be implemented in plasma display panels in which operation speed is a problem. Furthermore, even if the speed of the display could be increased, a problem still remains that there is no time margin to increase picture quality to enhance performance overall by improving the quality of moving images by making use of the speed response characteristics, improving luminance, and so on.
In particular, in PDPs and the like constraints in cell discharge characteristics and so on mean that there is a limit to how much speed can be increased. As a result, the value of the highest number of subfields that can be set is limited. In addition, in controlling gray scale by controlling subfields, whose possible maximum number is limited, problems arise such as gray level irregularities when moving images are displayed. Therefore, it is not appropriate to perform subfield emission control with the amount of flickers generated being the sole criterion.

Gradation display method capable of effectively decreasing flickers and gradation display

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A method and system for determining an endpoint in a (near) real-time environment using statistical process control. By utilizing such control, an endpoint of a semiconductor process (e.g., an etch) can be monitored. Monitoring may lead to increased yields by avoiding or reducing error conditions (e.g., under- or over-etching).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a method and system for determining an endpoint of a process in a semiconductor system, and more particularly to a method and system for using laser interferometry for endpoint detection.
2. Discussion of the Background
The fabrication of integrated circuits (IC) in the semiconductor industry typically employs plasma to create and assist surface chemistry within a plasma reactor necessary to remove material from and deposit material to a substrate. In general, plasma is formed within the plasma reactor under vacuum conditions by heating electrons to energies sufficient to sustain ionizing collisions with a supplied process gas. Moreover, the heated electrons can have energy sufficient to sustain dissociative collisions and, therefore, a specific set of gases under predetermined conditions (e.g., chamber pressure, gas flow rate, etc.) are chosen to produce a population of charged species and chemically reactive species suitable to the particular process being performed within the chamber (e.g., etching processes where materials are removed from the substrate or deposition processes where materials are added to the substrate).
Although the formation of a population of charged species (ions, etc.) and chemically reactive species is necessary for performing the function of the plasma processing system (i.e. material etch, material deposition, etc.) at the substrate surface, other component surfaces on the interior of the processing chamber are exposed to the physically and chemically active plasma and, in time, can erode. The erosion of exposed components in the plasma processing system can lead to a gradual degradation of the plasma processing performance and ultimately to complete failure of the system.
Semiconductor processing facilities require constant monitoring. Processing conditions change over time with the slightest changes in critical process parameters creating undesirable results. Small changes can easily occur in the composition or pressure of an etch gas, process chamber, or wafer temperature. Semiconductor processing is an example of a manufacturing process that requires close tolerances of the width of features produced on the wafer. It is important that the width of etched features during processing be controlled within certain critical dimension limits. In many cases, changes of process data reflecting deterioration of processing characteristics cannot be detected by simply referring to the process data displayed. Oftentimes statistical process control (SPC) is necessary to detect these slight changes.
Plasma etching is a fundamental technique used in integrated circuit fabrication. It is very important to determine when the endpoint of the etching process has been reached. If processing is stopped prior to the endpoint some of the etched layer remains. If over-etching occurs, lower layers of the integrated circuit wafer could be damaged. It is important to know when the nominal endpoint has been reached to achieve accurate and repeatable etching.

Endpoint detection using laser interferometry


With an object of providing an agent for treating hepatic disease by inhibiting occurrence of hepatic disease, in particular portal venous invasion, there is disclosed an agent for treating or preventing hepatic disease containing menatetrenone as an active ingredient thereof. This agent for treating or preventing hepatic disease is effective against hepatic cancer, in particular DCP (des-γ-carboxy prothrombin) positive hepatic cancer. Moreover, the agent for treating or preventing hepatic disease containing menatetrenone as an active ingredient thereof according to the present invention exhibits remarkable effects in improving the prognosis after hepatic cancer treatment, and exhibits excellent effects as an agent for inhibiting the recurrence of hepatic cancer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an agent for treating or preventing hepatic disease, and more specifically to an agent for improving hepatic cancer prognosis, having menatetrenone as an active ingredient thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that there is a high rate of portal venous invasion (hereinafter referred to as 'PVI') among hepatocellular carcinoma (hereinafter referred to as 'HCC') patients, and once PVI has occurred the prognosis is very poor. It is known that a high des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (hereinafter referred to as 'DCP') level in HCC patients is closely linked to subsequent development of PVI (see Koike Y., Cancer 2001, 91:561-9). DCP is also called PIVKA-II (protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist II). DCP is a prothrombin that does not have normal coagulation activity, and is known to increase in level in the case of vitamin K (hereinafter referred to as 'VK') deficiency; DCP is thus a protein that is used as a marker for VK deficiency or impaired VK absorption.
Moreover, it has been reported that if VK is administered to HCC patients with a high DCP level, then the serum DCP level drops (see Cancer 1992, 69:31-8), and that upon administering vitamin K-II (hereinafter referred to as 'VK-II') to a DCP-producing HCC cell line in vitro, cell proliferation is inhibited (see Hepatology 1995, 22:876-82).
However, until now no clinical data had been collected with regard to it being possible, by administering VK-II to patients after HCC treatment, to inhibit the occurrence of PVI, and to inhibit the recurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma, thus improving the prognosis.
In view of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide an excellent agent for treating or preventing hepatic disease.

Quinone-based therapeutic agent for hepatopathy


A semiconductor optical device includes a semiconductor laser having an effective refractive index n.sub.c, a first film having a refractive index n.sub.1 and a thickness d.sub.1, a second film having a refractive index n.sub.2 and a thickness d.sub.2, and a third film having a refractive index n.sub.3 and a thickness d.sub.3. The first to third films are successively disposed on a facet of the semiconductor laser. In this structure, the refractive indices and thicknesses of the first to third films are determined so that a characteristic matrix Xa of the three films is equal to a characteristic matrix Y of a single film whose refractive index n.sub.f is the square root of the effective refractive index n.sub.c of the semiconductor laser and whose thickness is obtained by dividing an oscillation wavelength .lambda. of the semiconductor laser by 4n.sub.f as represented by the following equation ##EQU1## where .phi.1=2.pi.n.sub.1 d.sub.1 /.lambda., .phi.2=2.pi.n.sub.2 d.sub.2 /.lambda., and .phi.3=2.pi.n.sub.3 d.sub.3 /.lambda.. Therefore, a non-reflection film having no reflectivity at the oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser is attained, and the production of the non-reflection film is simplified.

FIG. 8 is a sectional view illustrating the structure of a non-reflection film included in a conventional semiconductor laser device disclosed in Journal of the Optical Society of America, Vol. 51, 1961, pp. 714-718, by J. T. Cox, G. Hass, and G. F. Jacobus. In FIG. 8, the non-reflection film comprises a first film 50 having a refractive index n.sub.1 and a thickness d.sub.1 =.lambda./4n.sub.1 (.lambda.: the oscillation wavelength of the semiconductor laser), a second film 51 having a refractive index n.sub.2 and a thickness d.sub.2 =.lambda./4n.sub.2, and a third film 52 having a refractive index n.sub.3 and a thickness d.sub.3 =.lambda./4n.sub.3. Reference numeral 100 designates a semiconductor laser having an effective refractive index n.sub.c, and numeral 101 designates a facet of the semiconductor laser. The refractive indices n.sub.1, n.sub.2, n.sub.3, and n.sub.c have following relations. EQU n.sub.2.sup.2 n.sub.1 n.sub.3 =n.sub.3 EQU n.sub.c >n.sub.1 >n.sub.2 >n.sub.3 ( 1)
A description is given of the operation. Since the refractive indices of the first to third films 50 to 52 disposed on the laser facet 101 satisfy the formula (1) and the thicknesses thereof are .lambda./4n.sub.i (i=1,2,3), the phase of light traveling through the semiconductor laser 100 toward the facet 101 and the phase of light reflected by the facet 101 are opposite to each other, and the amplitudes thereof are equal to each other. Therefore, no reflection of light occurs at the laser facet 101. The semiconductor laser 100 with the non-reflection film does not oscillate because light generated in an active layer is not repeatedly reflected and amplified in the device.
As described above, when the non-reflection film is disposed on the facet of the semiconductor laser device, the laser oscillation is suppressed, whereby a superluminescent diode emitting incoherent light with a broad spectrum or a semiconductor laser amplifier amplifying incident light is realized.
In the prior art semiconductor optical device, however, in order to achieve the non-reflection film, materials having refractive indices that precisely satisfy the relations of the formula (1) are needed. Therefore, it is very difficult to manufacture the non-reflection film.

Semiconductor laser structure having a non-reflection film


The snapshot capability moving into the SAN fabric and being provided as a snapshot service. A well-known address is utilized to receive snapshot commands. Each switch in the fabric connected to a host contains a front end or service interface to receive the snapshot command. Each switch of the fabric connected to a storage device used in the snapshot process contains a write interceptor module which cooperates with hardware in the switch to capture any write operations which would occur to the snapshot data area. The write interceptor then holds these particular write operations until the original blocks are transferred to a snapshot or separate area so that the original read data is maintained. Should a read operation occur to the snapshot device and the original data from requested location has been relocated, a snapshot server captures these commands and redirects the read operation to occur from the snapshot area. If, however, the read operation is directed to the original drive, the read is provided from the original data areas, even if the data had been replaced. The snapshot server determines the existence of particular snapshot devices, allocates their storage locations, provides this information to both the service interfaces and the write interceptors and handles read and write operations to the snapshot device.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to networks, more particularly to storage area networks (SANs) and yet more particularly to creating snapshots of data on the SAN.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage Area Networks (SANs) are becoming more common as a means to lower storage costs and increase storage efficiency while increasing storage flexibility. One common function in an SAN is to copy data from one storage device to another, such as during a backup operation. However, performing the backup operation in the SAN is actually relatively difficult, as the SAN is usually running 7/24, so the particular storage units can never be stopped or taken off line to perform the backup. Further, as a SAN often has tera bytes of data, a backup operation is a time consuming process as well. Because the storage devices cannot be taken off line and the backup takes a long time, snapshotting has been developed.
In a snapshot, the data present in the storage unit is captured or snapshotted at the particular instant in time and remains separated from any further data which is written to the storage device. Thus an operation such as backing up can read from the shapshot, while write operations can occur to the particular device, with a write database keeping track of blocks stored to an alternate location to preserve the older data for the snapshot read.
In the past, two different approaches for providing the snapshot functionality have existed. In the first, the functionality is provided in the storage device itself, so that when it receives a snapshot command, it redirects new write data to a new snapshot area on the storage device so that the old data is preserved for snapshot device reads. While this does provide the functionality, it limits the operation to occurring within the particular storage device, thus not allowing spanning across storage devices as a logical unit, as is commonly done in a SAN. The second approach to snapshotting occurred in the host, with host software running to perform the write capture operations which are necessary for snapshot operations. Again, this is a relatively limiting situation in that other hosts could readily access the storage device and thus completely bypass the snapshot operation. So either the software has to be resident on every host, which is problematic by itself, and further complicated by the need for the hosts to communicate, or the storage device must be limited to access only by a particular host computer. Both of these operations are complicated and are contrary to the general development of SANs. Therefore, it is desirable that a much more flexible method be developed to provide snapshot capability in a SAN which is neither storage device nor host limited.

Fabric with fibre channel fabric snapshot service


A hypoid reducing device that allows the coupling/connection between a hypoid gear set and a motor to be more flexible and have a wider applicability. A hypoid pinion shaft is supported by two bearings in a bearing case portion in a gear case. A hypoid pinion engages with a hypoid gear having an orthogonal axial line. The hypoid pinion shaft is provided with a base end portion that is a solid shaft portion projecting toward a motor beyond the bearing on the motor side. The motor and the bearing case portion of the hypoid gear set are coupled with a separately provided joint case, while the motor output shaft and the base end portion of the hypoid pinion shaft are coupled through coupling members in the joint case.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hypoid reducing device having an improved coupling arrangement for a hypoid gear set and a motor. The hypoid gear set has a hypoid pinion shaft having a hypoid pinion at a tip end as an input shaft. The motor provides the hypoid pinion shaft with rotation driving force.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, in the manufacture of a geared motor, a series of reducers and a series of motors are separately manufactured, so that appropriate combinations can be selected. Therefore, a variety of general-purpose motors can be selected and combined with a specific reducer.
In the manufacture of a hypoid geared motor having a hypoid gear set with hypoid gears, a hypoid pinion must be formed at a tip end of the input shaft of the reducer, and the hypoid pinion must be provided in a gear case in the manner of a cantilever. Therefore, the hypoid pinion is often directly cut into the output shaft of the motor. In other words, the motor shaft could be exclusive, and the number of combinations available for the motors and reducers is limited. Therefore, a variety of general-purpose motors cannot be used.
Conventional hypoid geared motors have allowed the reducer and the motor to be independent and separate, so that combinations for reducers and motors can be more flexible.
FIG. 3 is a sectional view showing an arrangement of a hypoid gear set 100 and a motor 200 developed to form such a geared motor, and such an arrangement is, for example, disclosed by Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2000-228847.
In the hypoid gear set 100 in FIG. 3, there are a hypoid pinion shaft 111, intermediate shafts 112A and 112B, and an output shaft 113. A hypoid pinion 114 is formed at the tip end of the hypoid pinion shaft 111, and a hypoid gear 115 to engage with the hypoid pinion 114 is provided at the intermediate shaft 112A.
When the hypoid pinion 114 engages the hypoid gear 115, the rotation direction of the motor shaft is changed at right angles.
A gear case 119 includes a main body case portion 119A, a coupling case portion 119B, and a pre-stage case portion 119C. The hypoid pinion shaft 111 is rotatably supported by two bearings 118A and 118B separated from each other in the axial direction over the coupling case portion 119B and the pre-stage case portion 119C.
The base end side of the hypoid pinion shaft 111 is hollow, and the motor shaft 201 of a motor 200 is inserted into the hollow space on the base end side. Bolts 204, 205, and 206 are used to couple the flange portion 202 of the motor 200 and the pre-stage case portion 119C, the pre-stage case portion 119C and the coupling case portion 119B, and the coupling case portion 119B and the main body case portion 119A, respectively.
The hollow hypoid pinion shaft 111 having the hypoid pinion 114 at its tip end is rotatably provided independently of the main body case portion 119A of the gear case 119 and the flange portion 202 of the motor 200, so that the hypoid gear set (100) as shown can be combined with various kinds of motors (200).
When the geared motor as described above is used, however, the hypoid pinion at the tip of the input shaft must frequently be changed. For example in the United States of America, there are set standards for motors and flanges. In general the motors and flanges according to these standards are not produced in Japan. Therefore, it is often the case that the geared motors as shown must locally be procured when they are used in the United States. In this case, the tip end of the hypoid pinion shaft must be adapted to such a locally procured motor.
The hypoid pinion must be worked using a special kind of working machine that is not normally available to any factories, and therefore cannot easily be worked to cope with different standards for the motor or flange. This increases both the working cost and manufacturing time.


A monitoring, tracking or security system includes a tamper detection system or employs a tamper detection method. A tamper detection system can include a member having a first surface and a second surface, the second surface being attached to a piece of equipment. The sensing element is disposed on the first surface of the member. The housing is attached to the first surface. A circuit is electrically coupled to the sensing element. The circuit provides an alarm signal in response to the sensing element being distorted.

Automated systems have been developed for securing, monitoring, tracking and locating personnel and equipment. Such systems are typically utilized to prevent theft, misplacement, escape or other losses associated with personnel and equipment as well as to protect secured areas. In general, conventional automated systems have utilized an electronic device or tag unit, which is attached to the person, or equipment being monitored, secured or tracked. The electronic device or tag unit can be an active or passive device.
In one conventional system, such as, the article tracking system disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,150,921, a radio frequency identification system includes three components: (1) a tag, (2) an interrogator, and (3) a control system. The interrogator detects the tag when it passes within an appropriate range. In other systems, the tag or electronic device attached to the person or equipment can actively and periodically provide a signal that indicates the location of the person or equipment. The signal provided by the tag is received by a control center that tracks the location of the item.
Other conventional systems include PIN POINT™ asset tracking systems manufactured by RF Technologies, Inc. the assignee of the present application. Such systems include electronic tags that utilize low power radio signals to provide instantaneous location of any asset or person. The system can maintain a complete log of movements for auditing security, generate instant inventory of all tagged assets, trigger alerts if the tag leaves or enters specified areas, and monitor and control access to and movements of assets. These conventional systems can be utilized in hospitals, industrial/commercial environments and high level security environments.
To prevent removal of the electronic devices or tags (which can thwart the effectiveness of the monitoring or security system), the tags or electronic devices must generally be attached to the equipment or personnel via a tamper prevention or tamper detection system. The tamper detection system senses when the electronic device or tag is removed from the equipment or person. One conventional tamper detection system relies on a conductive strap that is attached to the person or equipment and the tag. If the conductive strap is cut to remove the electronic device or tag from the person or equipment, a circuit senses that the resistance across the strap is increased and provides an alarm. The alarm can be provided audibly or can be provided to a central control system via a wireless signal.
Heretofore, tamper detection systems have been difficult to manufacture for a variety of equipment. For example, straps are generally not desirable for equipment that has relatively flat surfaces. Further, if such straps are connected through non-essential portions of the equipment, such as, handles, the handle can be removed, thereby allowing the equipment to be removed from the tag or electronic device.
Therefore, there is a need for a tamper detection electronic tag which is optimized for attachment to equipment. Further still, there is a need for a more robust, tamper detection system that is less susceptible to false alarms. Yet further, there is a need for a tamper detection system and method that is easy to implement and easy to install.


In a twin-wire former for the production of a paper web, two wire belts (11 and 12) together form a twin-wire zone which is divided into three sections (I, II and III). In the first section (I) the two wires (11, 12) travel over a curved forming shoe (16). They form there a wedge-shaped inlet slot (15) with which a headbox (10) is directly associated. In the second section (II), several resiliently supported strips (27) rest against the lower wire (11) and between each of said strips (27) a rigidly mounted strip (28) rests against the upper wire (12). In the third section (III) both wire belts (11, 12) pass over another curved forming shoe (23).

The present invention relates to a twin-wire former for the production of a fiber web, in particular a paper web, from a fiber suspension. The invention proceeds from the basis of the twin-wire former known from British Patent 1 125 906. The features indicated in the patent include a twin wire former for producing a fiber web and particularly a paper web from a fiber suspension. Two web forming wire belts, in the form of endless loops, travel together to form a twin wire zone. The web travels between and along the path of the wire belts through the twin wire zone. The twin wire zone has three sections and the elements in those three sections are described below. The patent describes features that state, in other words, that the forming of the fiber web from the pulp suspension fed from the headbox takes place exclusively between two wire belts. Thus, there is no so-called single-wire pre-drainage path. In a first section of the twin-wire zone, the two wire belts together form a wedge-shaped inlet slot; a jet of pulp slurry coming from the headbox discharges into-it. The jet strikes the two wire belts at a place where they pass over a curved drainage element; in the case of the aforementioned British patent, this is a stationary, curved forming shoe. Its curved wire guide surface is formed of a plurality of strips with drainage slots between them. This forming shoe is followed (in a second section of the twin-wire zone) by a drainage strip arranged in the other wire loop and, behind the latter, by a drainage strip arranged in the first-mentioned wire loop (and formed by a first suction box). Finally, in a third section of the twin-wire zone there are a plurality of stationary drainage elements developed as flat suction boxes.
It has been attempted for decades with twin-wire farmers of the known type to produce fiber webs (in particular, paper webs) of the highest possible quality with relatively high operating speeds. Due to the forming of the web between two wires, the result, in particular, is obtained that the final fiber web has substantially the same properties on both sides (little "two-sidedness"). However, it is difficult to obtain as uniform as possible a distribution of the fibers in the final fiber web. In other words, it is difficult to obtain a good "formation" since while the web is formed, there is always the danger that fibers will agglomerate and form flocculations. Therefore, it is attempted to form a jet of pulp slurry which pulp slurry is as free as possible of flocculations in the headbox (for instance, by means of a turbulence producer). It is, furthermore, endeavored so to influence the drainage of the fiber suspension during the web-forming that "reflocculation" is avoided as far as possible or that, after possible flocculation, a "deflocculation" (i.e. a breaking up of the flocculations) takes place.
It is known that a curved drainage element arranged in the first section of the twin-wire zone and, in particular, a stationary curved forming shoe developed in accordance with the aforementioned British Patent 1 125 906 counteracts the danger of reflocculation. This is true also of the drainage strips arranged in the British Patent in the second section of the twin-wire zone. Nevertheless, the danger of reflocculation is not completely eliminated in the arrangement according to said British Patent. Since the number of drainage strips there is very small, a large part of the web-forming takes place in the region of the following flat-suction boxes. They, to be sure, are of high drainage capacity so that the web-forming can be completed in the region of the last flat suction boxes (i.e. the so-called main drainage zone, in which a part of the fiber material is still in the form of a suspension, terminates in the region of the flat suction box). The flat suction boxes, however, are not able to avoid reflocculation or to break up flocculations which have already occurred.
In order to control these last-mentioned difficulties, a web-forming device known under the name of "Duoformer D" has been developed (TAPPI Proceedings 1988 annual meeting, pages 75 to 80). This known web-forming device is part of a twin-wire former which has a single-wire pre-drainage zone. In the twin-wire zone there are provided, in the one wire loop, a plurality of strips which are fixed in position but adjustably supported, namely, on the bottom of a suction box which drains in upward direction. Furthermore, a plurality of resiliently supported strips are provided in the other wire loop. By this resilience of the last-mentioned strips, the following result can be obtained: For example, upon an increase of the amount of suspension entering between the two wire belts, the flexibly supported strips can move away somewhat. In this way, the danger (which is present when only firmly supported strips are used) is eliminated of a backing up taking place in the fiber suspension in front of the strips. Such a backing up could destroy the fiber layers which have been formed up to then on the two wire belts. In other words, with this known web-forming device, a drainage pressure, once established, remains constant due to the resiliently supported strips even upon a change in the amount of suspension fed or upon a change in the drainage behavior of the fiber suspension. Therefore, automatic adaptation of the web-forming device to said changed conditions occurs.
With this known web-forming device, fiber webs of relatively good formation can also be formed. With respect to this, however, the demands have increased considerably recently, so that further improvements are desirable.


The present invention determines optimal positions of a variable antenna using an artificial intelligence-based genetic algorithm (GA). The GA acquires a fitness value for an individual of a genetic algorithm population by updating positions of the antenna. The population improves through an evolutionary computational process using a fitness measure based on the signal strength. At the end of the process, the system positions the antenna to the best position found by the GA. Therefore, the final position gives exceptionally clear reception for a chosen received frequency.

When communicating between electronic devices without wires, antennas are used to transmit information between the electronic devices. On the both ends, the antennas are designed to improve the signal strength. Optimizing antenna element properties such as signal phase, signal amplification, and element position minimize the loss of energy when transmitting and thus reduces the amount of power required to transmit the signal and improves the quality of the signal sent. Optimizing such properties for a receiving antenna yields similar results.
Most antennas are designed in ideal laboratory conditions before they are connected to real devices. However, real operating conditions can deviate far from ideal conditions due to the environmental noise, system noise, severe weather conditions, interference with other signals, and terrain. In these unpredictable situations, the antenna does not fulfill its design goal and exhibits significantly degraded performance. One solution to these problems is the use of variable antennas. Conventional styles of variable antennas include directional antennas on rotating mounts and "rabbit ear" television antennas. The position of the variable antenna elements can be changed to adapt to changing signal conditions by either manual adjustment or a motor. Variable antennas generally require many adjustments to find a suitable antenna position to attain acceptable signal reception. Finding the best position of directional antennas on rotating mounts is easy because one would need to rotate the antenna only once around the axis and then pick the best position. However, "rabbit ear" style antennas which have two telescoping elements that can rotate through two different axes are much more complex because such antennas cannot test all possible lengths and angular positions of two elements in a reasonable amount of time. The final antenna positions are unlikely to be optimal because of the vast number of possible positions that such an antenna with two elements can take. Antennas could certainly be built with more elements than "rabbit car" style antennas, such as antennas created by connecting multiple telescoping and rotating elements. In this case, it would be impossible to obtain optimized positions of all elements because of the extraordinary number of possible combinations of element positions.
Although "rabbit ear" style antennas can be used to receive television signals, better reception can be achieved with outdoor antennas mounted on the outside or roof of a household. These antennas are usually large dipole, multiple elements Uda-Yagi, or multiple element bay antennas. All of these antennas have antenna elements that are fixed to a singular frame. Therefore, the angular positions and length of the antenna elements cannot be adjusted. The most movement any of these antennas can have is rotating around their mount point on a roof. While these antennas work well in most situations, their capabilities are limited, to some degree, in that both broadband signal reception and clear signal reception on a specific frequency are required and these two factors are opposing design factors.
Most existing adaptive or smart antennas use an array of fixed elements whose combined signal is controlled by an algorithm that determines proper values for the phase and gain of signals received at each element in the array. These antennas work in cellular towers for cell phone communications. Such antennas only have the ability to electrically modify the signal received by fixed elements in the array. These algorithms are designed to be used in specific antenna systems and the addition of variable length and variable positioning to these antennas would render the control algorithms for these antennas unusable.
What is needed is a system and method for efficiently optimizing positioning of receiving elements of a variable antenna. The needed system and method would be able to dynamically adapt in real time to the continually changing signal environments due to the environmental noise, system noise, severe weather conditions, interference with other signals, clutters, and terrain.

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


Thermoset polymer composite wires including a multiplicity of substantially continuous fibers embedded in a solidified polymer composite matrix and forming a substantially continuous filament, the solidified polymer composite matrix further including a polymer formed by curing a polymer precursor from a liquid state and a multiplicity of nanoparticles having a median diameter of one micrometer or less substantially uniformly dispersed throughout the polymer composite matrix, and optionally, a corrosion resistant sheath surrounding the substantially continuous filament. In some embodiments, the multiplicity of particles includes surface-modified particles having a core and a surface modifying agent associated with the core and reacted with the polymer cured from a liquid state. Stranded cables including one or more such thermoset polymer composite wires, and methods of making and using such thermoset polymer composite wires and stranded cables are also described.

Cable stranding is a process in which individual wires are combined, typically in a helical arrangement, to produce a finished cable. The resulting stranded cable provides greater flexibility than is available from a solid rod of equivalent cross sectional area. The stranded arrangement is also beneficial because the stranded cable maintains its overall round cross-sectional shape when the cable is subject to bending in handling, installation and use. Such stranded cables are used in a variety of applications such as hoist cables, aircraft cables, undersea marine cables and tethers, and electrical power transmission cables.
Stranded electrical power transmission cables are typically produced from ductile metals such as steel, aluminum, or copper. In some cases, such as bare overhead electrical power transmission cables, a stranded wire core is surrounded by a stranded wire conductor layer. The stranded wire core could comprise ductile metal wires made from a first material such as steel, for example, and the outer power conducting layer could comprise ductile metal wires made from another material such as aluminum, for example. In some cases, the stranded wire core may be a pre-stranded cable used as an input material to the manufacture of a larger diameter electrical power transmission cable. Stranded electrical power transmission cables generally may comprise as few as seven individual wires to more common constructions containing 50 or more wires.
During the cable stranding process, ductile metal wires are subjected to stresses beyond the yield stress of the metal material but below the ultimate or failure stress. This stress acts to plastically deform the metal wire as it is helically wound about the relatively small radius of the preceding wire layer or core wire. There have been recently introduced useful cables made using composite wires made from materials that cannot readily be plastically deformed to a new shape, and which may be brittle.
One example of such composite wire cables is provided by a metal matrix composite wire cable containing fiber-reinforced metal matrix composite wires. Such metal matrix composite wires are attractive due to their improved mechanical properties relative to ductile metal wires, but which are primarily elastic in their stress strain response. Some polymer composite wire cables containing fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite wires are also known in the art, for example, the fiber-reinforced polymer matrix composite wires disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,961,990; 5,126,167; 7,060,326; 7,093,416; 7,179,522; 7,438,971; 7,683,262; and PCT International Pub. No. WO 97/00976.

Fiber-reinforced nanoparticle-loaded thermoset polymer composite wires and cables, and methods


A modular dike is used to divide a body of water into two distinct parts. The modular dike uses a plurality of floatable modules. Each module is floated into the body of water and sunk at predetermined locations in the body of water. The modules are aligned in a row within the body of water so that the row of modules forms a dike which effectively segregates the body of water into two distinct parts.

This invention relates generally to water barriers and, more specifically, to barriers which divide water bodies into separate sections, each with a different water quality or elevation.
Numerous hypersaline lakes exist in a dynamic balance between water inflow and evaporation throughout the arid regions in southwestern United States. When activities by man, or nature, change the rate of water inflow from the surrounding watershed, the dynamic balance in the hypersaline water body shifts. Decreases in water inflow produce lower lake water levels and smaller lake volume. If the lake is closed with no outlet, all the dissolved salt contained in the lake must reside in a smaller water volume. A smaller volume with the same total salt produces a higher salinity. In closed water bodies, a lower or higher water elevation represents a significant change in lake volume, thereby inducing significant changes in salinity levels which can cause considerable environmental nuisance or harm to resident fish, wildlife, and vegetation.
A number of approaches have been used for controlling the water quality and elevation of hypersaline lakes in arid regions. One approach is to control only to elevation. In this approach, large pumps are employed to pump excess water to a different area. This approach was recently effective near the Great Salt Lake in Utah. The Great Salt Lake had risen, due to increased in flow, and threatened to inundate a highway. Installation of large internal combustion engine driven pumps and the construction of a lengthy earthen dike allowed excess water to be pumped to another area, thereby lowering the Great Salt Lake. However, the use of large pumps typically entails prohibitively high capital costs and maintenance expenses.
Another approach is to control both elevation and water quality. In this approach, the hypersaline water body is physically divided into separate sections. One section is dedicated to serving as a salt repository while the other section is stabilized at the desired salinity. Typically the salt repository is located so that water from the surrounding watershed does not enter, or is redirected around, the salt repository. If inflow from the watershed decreases, the salt repository can also stabilize the elevation in the stabilized section by varying the water levels within the salt repository. Traditionally, this approach is accomplished by constructing one of a variety of large earthen dikes. The materials used to build such dikes range from hydraulic fill pumped by floating dredges, to sanitary landfill materials, to carefully graded and compacted soils. However, large earthen dikes have significant disadvantages. Being made of earth, dikes are readily susceptible to wave erosion. To minimize damage from wave erosion, large rocks or other xe2x80x9carmoringxe2x80x9d must be placed on the side of the dike. Also, large earthen dikes require relatively flat side slopes in order to maintain slope stability under water. Most notably, the volume of earth required to make a dike increases geometrically as water depths increase. Generally when water depths exceed 25 feet, the large volume of earth required to construct a stable dike makes the dike prohibitively expensive.
An alternative method of dividing water bodies comprises the use of sheet piling such as narrow interlocking strips of steel plate which extend down into the bottom of the water body. However, steel piling is inappropriate in hypersaline lakes because of excessive corrosion rates. Use of alternative materials such as plastics, does not provide the necessary strength in depths greater than 25 feet. Stainless steel or specially coated steel sheet piles are prohibitively expensive. Finally, the sheet pile, once driven into the lake bottom, is difficult if not impossible to remove and relocate.
Another alternative method is the use of inflatable materials such as those used to create inflatable rubber dams. However, inflatable dams require an expensive permanent fixed foundation. If not provided with a permanent fixed foundation, the inflatable dam undergoes large lateral displacements which frequently rupture the connection between the rubber dams and their associated inflation blowers.
Other alternative methods of dividing water bodies have been proposed. In a September, 1997 report by the United States Department of the Interior, Bureau of Reclamation, entitled xe2x80x9cSalton Sea Barrier Curtain Projectxe2x80x9d by Gerald Martin, for example, there is proposed use of a high density polyethylene dam or curtain. The report suggests that the body of water be separated into an evaporative section and a fresher water section. The report recognizes that minor lateral movement is inconsequential so long as it does not damage the barrier nor allow intermixing. The report also recognizes that an absolutely water tight seal is not necessary. This proposed use of a polyethylene curtain has certain advantages compared to the earthen dike and sheet piling concepts because the floating curtain avoids the expense and effort in maintaining an unnecessarily water tight seal along the entire length of the barrier. However, the disadvantages to the use of a polyethylene curtain are significant. The curtain will not resist even minor wind induced currents within the water body and will move large distances if unrestricted. If weighted sufficiently so that lateral movement is impossible, minor currents will push the curtain down, submerging the suspending floats and allowing water to pass from one section to another. Stronger currents will move the curtain laterally to where surface irregularities will snag or tear the curtain again allowing water to intermix.
Yet another alternative method of dividing water bodies makes use of floating concrete structures. Use of floating concrete structures is well known, and various types of floating docks and breakwaters are presently available and in use. However, the prior art types of floating docks and breakwaters have several inherent problems. For one thing, the materials used in such prior art devices to provide buoyancy in both salt and fresh water have consistently been found wanting because of the harsh marine environment. High salinity causes the relentless deterioration of the exposed components and materials thereof. Examples include: woods of various types, hollow fiberglass structures having a variety of shapes and concrete pontoons filled with foams of various types.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,799,093 to Thompson (1974) discloses a floating prestressed concrete wharf which extends the length of previously built concrete wharfs through the use of steel cables. The concrete wharf is encased in a wire reinforcing mesh which acts as temperature and shrinkage reinforcement. However, over time the thinness of the concrete combined with the permeability of concrete will allow highly saline water to enter and corrode the reinforcing steel leading to failure of the wharf. Moreover, the floating nature of the wharf prevents it from submerging, preventing the device from serving as a barrier to divide a water body into separate sections.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,027 to Baxter (1993) discloses a concrete floatation module for use as a floating dock or breakwater. The device recognizes the permeability of concrete and suggests the use of polyolefin fibers. The fibers are impervious to corrosion unlike common metal reinforcing materials. While the improvement suggested by Mr. Baxter greatly enhances longevity, the same floating nature of the module prevents it from dividing a water body.
A submergible breakwater disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,938,629 to Boudrias describes a wharf made of hollow shells in which water can be introduced or withdrawn by an air blower. The units are strung together with a cable system and can be submerged or floated as required. The device uses plastic to ensure air tight chambers in concrete. Under submerged hypersaline conditions, however, the plastic is subject to deterioration and attack from a variety of insects and barnacles. Because the depth of the wharf does not extend down to the bottom of the water body, the device is useless to serve as a barrier to divide a water body into separate sections. Moreover, steel reinforcing within the shells corrodes over time expanding as it oxidizes causing more cracks eventually preventing the breakwater from functioning as described.
Accordingly, there is a need for a method of dividing a body of water into two separate parts which avoids the aforementioned problems in the prior art.
The invention satisfies this need. The invention is a method for segregating a body of water into two distinct parts. The method comprises the steps of: (a) forming a plurality of floatable modules; (b) floating each of the plurality of modules into the body of water; and (c) sinking each of the plurality of modules at individual predetermined locations in the body of water.
The floatable modules are each created by (i) forming a generally horizontal base wall and one or more generally vertical walls and (ii) assembling the generally vertical walls to the base wall in such a manner so as to form a floatable module.
The generally vertical walls of each module are chosen so as to have sufficient height to protrude above the water level of the body of water after the module is sunk at its predetermined location. Each of the plurality of modules is sunk within the body of water such that each module is in close proximation to at least one adjoining module and such that the plurality of modules are aligned in a row that bifurcates a body of water into a first portion and a second portion.
Before or after the modules are sunk at their predetermined locations, each module is sealed to an adjoining module such that the plurality of modules effectively segregates the first portion of the body of water from the second portion.
In a typical embodiment, the floatable modules are largely made from concrete, some or all of the walls of the module being poured and assembled to one another at the shore of the body of water where they can easily be into position at their individual predetermined locations.

Submersible modular dike and method for segregating body of water


An improved intraocular lens is disclosed with at least one filamentary haptic composed of a continuous matrix material interspersed with a toughening amount of discrete particles of a multistage, sequentially produced elastomeric polymer. An improved process for preparing a single-piece intraocular lens is also disclosed. The process involves preparing a composite lens blank by molding pellets composed of a continuous polymeric material interspersed with particles of a multistage, sequentially produced elastomeric polymer about a central optic lens core so as to produce a single lens blank having a toughened annular region surrounding the central optic region, and then machining at least one filamentary haptic from the toughened annular region to prepare the lens.

This invention relates to an improved intraocular lens for implantation in the eye following removal of the natural lens during cataract surgery. More specifically, it relates to such an intraocular lens with at least one filamentary support member, or "haptic", which exhibits an increased resistance to breakage during manipulation.
The filamentary haptic of an intraocular lens is designed to facilitate insertion of the lens into the eye and to provide stable fixation of the implanted lens to prevent the lens from decentering. The filamentary haptic is attached to and extends outwardly from the periphery of the optical lens body. Most intraocular lenses have two haptics displayed at positions 180.degree. apart from each other on the optical lens body.
It is critical that the haptic of the lens exhibits adequate resiliency and significant resistance to breakage during use. Although certain haptic materials such as polypropylene offer acceptable resistance to breakage, other conventionally used haptic materials such as polymethylmethacrylate (PMMA) are brittle and are frequently prone to breakage. This problem becomes especially acute when the haptics are lathe cut from a single lens blank to prepare a one-piece lens with integrally attached haptics. The problem of haptic breakage is a serious one, and efforts have been made to provide the haptics with an increased resistance to breakage.
One such effort is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,037,435. The '435 patent describes preparing intraocular lenses with haptics exhibiting high fracture toughness. The haptics are composed of a polymer matrix with from 0.1 to 0.5 percent by weight of dispersed, solid particles of an inorganic, biocompatible material. The inorganic materials disclosed include titanium dioxide, fumed silica, barium sulfate and copper phthalocyanate. Organic, elastomeric materials such as polybutadiene are also described. Unfortunately, the haptics of these intraocular lenses fail to exhibit significantly increased fracture toughness because the particle concentration in the matrix is too low to have any beneficial impact, and the inorganic materials disclosed do not impart desired toughness properties regardless of concentration. In addition, the incompatibility of conventional elastomeric materials, such as polybutadiene, with a rigid polymer matrix such as PMMA, prevents increasing the concentration of conventional elastomeric particles to an amount necessary to improve breakage resistance without diminishing the physical and mechanical properties of the rigid polymer matrix.
In view of the deficiencies of the prior art, it would be desirable to fabricate an improved intraocular lens with filamentary support haptics that exhibit an enhanced ability to withstand breakage during routine handling.


A hybrid power supply circuit includes a digital circuit, a digital-to-analog converter circuit, and an analog compensator circuit (analog control circuit). According to one configuration, the digital circuit includes a digital pre-filter that substantially matches settings of analog filter circuitry present in the analog compensator circuit. During operation, the digital circuit receives control input indicating how to control a magnitude of an output voltage produced by the power supply circuit. The digital circuit passes the received through the digital pre-filter to produce a (filtered) digital reference voltage. The digital-to-analog converter circuit converts the received digital reference voltage into an analog reference voltage (a filtered rendition of the received control input). The analog compensator circuit receives and uses the digitally pre-filtered analog reference voltage as a basis to control the magnitude of the output voltage produced by the power supply circuit.

Conventional hybrid power supply circuits include both analog and digital circuitry to produce a desired output voltage. In general, a digital portion of a conventional hybrid power supply circuit is desirable because it easily configurable, rendering it useful for many applications. A respective analog portion of a hybrid power supply circuit is typically less configurable, but is an efficient and cost-effective way of maintaining an output voltage within regulation.
During operation, the conventional hybrid power supply circuit can be configured to receive input specifying how to control a magnitude of the output voltage. The digital portion of the conventional hybrid power supply circuit converts the received input into an unfiltered analog reference voltage outputted to respective analog circuitry. The analog circuitry of the conventional hybrid power supply circuit uses the received unfiltered analog reference voltage as a basis to control the magnitude of the output voltage. For example, the conventional hybrid power supply circuit can be configured to produce the output voltage such that a magnitude of the output voltage at least proportionally tracks the analog reference voltage. In such an instance, an increase in magnitude of the analog reference voltage causes the conventional hybrid power supply circuit to increase a corresponding magnitude of the output voltage. Conversely, a decrease in magnitude of the analog reference voltage causes a corresponding decrease in the magnitude of the output voltage.

Pre-filtering in a power supply control circuit


A medicinal recording device is provided which is placed directly upon a patient's medication container. The device consists of at least one strip having a plurality of indicia on raised or recessed detents. The indicia correspond to days and dosages. The patient slides a tab attached to the strip along the strip to the marked button corresponding to the day the medication is taken and/or the number of the dose taken. The tab engages the strip adjacent the selected indicia to releasably lock the tab in position and to prevent unintended sliding of the tab.

A major problem physicians face when they prescribe a medication for a patient is the patient failing to take his or her medication properly. For instance, the patient may take or use the medication too frequently, not enough, or completely forget to take the medication at all. Pharmacists normally instruct patients on the proper way to take their medications, but often the patient will forget the directions or not understand them adequately to begin with. Patients also simply forget whether they took their medication as prescribed or at the prescribed times. This problem exists for all forms of medication, including pills capsules, tablets, liquids, and other solids. The problem also applies to veterinary medication prescribed for treatment of animals.
Taking medication improperly can lead to a variety of difficulties. Overmedication can result in toxicity or unwanted side effects while undermedication can result in inadequate treatment of the condition for which the medicine was prescribed. In either situation, the consequences may be serious and may even result in death.
One attempt to monitor a patient's medication has involved the use of medication boxes having individual compartments for the days of the week, with the more elaborate boxes having multiple dose compartments for each day for up to four times a day dosing. While such boxes are indicative of whether a dose for a particular day or dosing interval has been taken, they are also inconvenient to the patient since they are often bulky and must be carried around separately from the patient's medication. Also, the patient must remember to dole out the doses of medication into the appropriate boxes each week prior to the time that the dose must be taken.
Secondly, another means used to keep track of medication is an alarm device which alerts the patient as to when the next dose of medication is due. Some of these methods include the use of specific medication alarms, beepers, and watch alarms. The disadvantages of these devices include the fact that the patient may forget to set the alarm or the device may fail to function due to dead batteries, etc. Further, these types of devices do not work well for patients who have difficulty hearing as is often the case with older patients, and may be difficult to hear if the patient is in a noisy area.
Another method of monitoring medication includes a recording device comprising a container for holding prescription bottles having an indicia area comprising a grid on the outside of the container, with the days of the week on one axis of the grid and the dose and times on the opposite axis, for keeping a record of the times at which medicinal dosages are taken using buttons or markers. This method, however, is also disadvantageous since the device is bulky for the patient to carry around and the patient must further separately carry the marking devices to place on the recording grid.
Therefore, a primary objective of the present invention is the provision of a novel and improved means for recording periodic medicinal dosages.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a means for recording periodic medicinal dosages which is portable and convenient for a patient to carry.
Another objective of the present invention is the provision of a means for recording periodic medicinal dosages which is self contained and does not require the patient to carry around additional buttons or markers.
A further objective of the present invention is the provision of a means for recording periodic medicinal dosages which is accurate, durable, and economical to manufacture.
These and other objectives will be apparent from the following description of the invention.

Method and means for recording periodic medicinal dosages


A cupholder assembly (10) includes a housing (14) with three intersecting circular cavities (16,18,20) formed therein. The outer two cavities (16,20) may act as receptacles for containers (12). The center cavity (18) includes a removable insert member (30) positioned therein. The insert member (30) includes pivotable arms (42) extending therefrom into the first and third cavities (16,20) to bias containers (12) of varying sizes against their respective cavity (16,20). The insert member (30) may be removed for use of the center cavities (16,18,20) as a storage compartment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to cupholder assemblies for holding containers, and more particularly those adapted to be used in vehicles.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a demand to provide cupholders in vehicles and other seating applications. Cupholders have been located in the center console or arm rest, floor console, and instrument panel. It is also been desirable to provide a cupholder with multiple cavities to receive multiple containers. Furthermore, it has been become important to allow for containers of different sizes to be received in the same cup holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,280,848 issued Jan. 25, 1994 in the name of Moore discloses two intersecting circular cavities establishing a pair of container holders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,984 issued Aug. 16, 1994 in the name of Houck discloses a cupholder assembly having multiple apertures formed therein to receive multiple containers. Each of the apertures or container holders are separate from each other.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,150,946 issued Sept. 29, 1992 in the name of Marfilius et al. discloses a pair of intersecting cavities for receiving containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,838 issued Oct. 19, 1993 in the name of Spykerman discloses an elongated cavity having arcuate cutouts formed on one side to establish the areas for two containers.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,246,269 issued Sept. 21, 1993 in the name of DeDoer et al. discloses two intersecting container holders or receptacles.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,170,980 issued Dec. 15, 1992 in the name of Burrows et al. discloses an enlarged cavity with pivotable arcuate sides to establish separate container holders.
None of the prior art references disclose cupholders formed with a removable insert therebetween which forms a side of the receptacles.


Provided is an injection molded panel having a top side and a bottom side. The panel is configured with at least an elastic portion, the elastic portion including a plurality of undulating deformable strands intersecting with one another at rigid connecting locations, the rigid connecting locations alternatingly extending at opposite sides of the panel at alternating top peaks and bottom peaks, the peaks defining together the respective top side and the bottom side.

References considered to be relevant as background to the presently disclosed subject matter are listed below:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,726,285
U.S. Pat. No. 7,455,365
U.S. Pat. No. 7,472,962
U.S. Pat. No. 7,794,022
Acknowledgement of the above references herein is not to be inferred as meaning that these are in any way relevant to the patentability of the presently disclosed subject matter.


Fishing jig apparatus, comprising a lure body, a hook having a stem, and a flexible strand connecting the stem to the lure body, the stem having a portion terminating at a barb, and a clip on the body to releasably retain said portion, whereby during travel of the line in the water, the lure body grasped by a fish will facilitate hooking of the fish proximate the body and release of the hook to remain connected via the strand to the lure as the fisherman reels in the line connected to said body.

This invention relates generally to fishing lures, and more particularly to improvements in lures enabling hooking of fish in response to and at the time of fish grasping of the lure body, instead of at a hook trailing the lure body, as during "jigging".
There is need for means that will keep a hook or hooks very close to a fishing jig's body, to maximize the chances for a successful strike. There is also need for means that will response to jerking action of the hooked fish by releasing the hook from the fishing jug, or lure body, and will prevent de-hooking during such release.


Disclosed is an optical amplification device comprising a pulser for pulsing a multi-channel signal which has been wavelength division multiplexed; a pulse signal disperser for dispersing the pulsed signal at each wavelength and outputting a dispersed pulse signal; and an optoelectronic converter for converting the dispersed pulse signal to an electrical signal. The number of channels of a multi-channel signal can be counted by counting the number of peaks in a time waveform of the electrical signal. The pulse signal disperser can be realized by using a high dispersion medium having high wavelength dispersion. The pulser can be realized by using an optical switch utilizing a mechanical, acousto-optical or electro-optical effects. The optical signal channel counter can be applied in an optical amplification device and stable optical amplification can be performed by counting the number of channels of an inputted optical signal and outputting pump light in compliance with said number of channels. The number of channels of a multi-channel signal can thus be counted accurately and the configuration of the counter which executes counting can be simplified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a channel counter for counting the number of multiplexed channels of an optical signal in which optical signals with a plurality of mutually differing wavelengths have been wavelength division multiplexed and also to an optical amplification device for wavelength division multiplexing transmission using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Wavelength division multiplexing transmission is a method of increasing transmission capacity in lightwave transmission by using signals with a plurality of mutually differing wavelengths. Since this method requires lightwaves to be combined at the transmitter and divided at the receiver, loss occurs due to these combining and dividing operations. Optical amplification devices are often used to compensate for combining/dividing loss and transmission line loss.
Semiconductor optical amplifiers, Raman fiber amplifiers, Brillouin fiber amplifiers and rare-earth-doped fiber amplifiers are examples of such optical amplification devices. In particular, an erbium-doped fiber amplifier (hereinafter abbreviated to EDFA) which is a type of rare-earth-doped fiber amplifier is frequently used for the reasons that it is not polarization dependent and can be pumped by a semiconductor laser.
Generally, the output level of the EDFA is controlled so as to be constant.
In a conventional configuration of an EDFA, for instance, a portion of the wavelength division multiplexed signal is split by means of an optical coupler injected into the output portion of the EDFA and converted to electric current by a PD module. The output level is kept constant by controlling the pumping laser module by using an optical amplification controller to maintain the current at a constant value.
However, in wavelength division multiplexing transmission, not all of a number of signals determined beforehand are transmitted. In other words, the output level of each channel changes as a result of change in the number of channels of the wavelength division multiplexing signal being inputted.
A control method for limiting this change in output level is to change the output level setting in accordance with the number of channels of the multi-channel signal. A channel counter for counting the number of channels of the multi-channel signal is required in order to perform this controlling operation.
In a configuration of a conventional channel counter, a multi-channel signal inputted to the channel counter is divided into 4 by a 1.times.4 optical coupler and an optical filter module, for example, a fiber grating extracts the signal at each wavelength. A photoreceiver converts each of the signals to electric current and a channel counter counts the number of channels.
A first disadvantage of the above-mentioned conventional configuration is that the circuit configuration becomes complex. In other words, the number of splits, fiber gratings and photoreceivers must all be the same as the number of channels counted.
A second disadvantage is that an increase in the total number of channels cannot be accommodated. This is because it is not possible to count a number of channels which exceeds the number of splits.
There is an additional problem that, since only signals with wavelengths to which the optical filter is transparent can be counted, it is not possible to accommodate modifications to the wavelength placement of every channel.

Optical signal channel counter and optical amplification device using the same


An innerseal is provided for sealing against the lip of a container opening under a cap. The innerseal includes a resiliently-compressible porous synthetic backing layer which fits within the cap, a foil layer, and a wax layer which initially holds the foil and backing layers together. Preferably, a heat-activatable adhesive layer is disposed against the foil layer. The cap is tightened so that the foil layer is pressed against the lip of the container opening. Then, heat is applied to melt the wax and to activate the adhesive layer. This molten wax is absorbed into the synthetic backing layer so that the backing layer and foil layer are separatable by a twisting of the cap. The synthetic backing layer provides improved strength and liquid resistance characteristics over pulpboard type seals, and is cuttable with less dust.

The present invention generally relates to innerseals of the type which seal over a container opening and which are disposed under a cap. More specifically, the present invention relates to a system for applying an innerseal to seal over a container opening in combination with a seal securable in a cap.
Seals are known which are made of a pulpboard layer and a foil layer, with a wax layer inbetween. Such "waxbond" seals are used, for example, on ketchup bottles. In such prior art seals, the seal is inserted into a cap, pulpboard side first. The cap is then tightened over the mouth of the container so that the foil side contacts against a lip of the container opening. Through a heat induction process, the foil is adhered to the lip by a heat-activatable adhesive, and the wax melts. Desirably, most of the melted wax is absorbed by the pulpboard so that the pulpboard layer and foil layer are separated or easily separatable.
A consumer who opens the container for the first time removes the cap, which retains the pulpboard layer inside, thereby separating the pulpboard layer from the foil layer. The foil layer may then be peeled from the container opening to access the container contents. The waxed pulpboard in the cap then subsequently acts as a seal when the cap is tightened after each use.
Unfortunately, conventional waxed pulpboard backing is not completely resistant to liquids. For instance, after the foil is removed, the waxed pulpboard is directly exposed to the container's contents. If the pulpboard has any defects, such as where it is incompletely waxed, liquid contents; e.g., ketchup, fruit juice, etc.; might be absorbed by the pulpboard, causing the pulpboard to degrade and weaken.
Furthermore, pulpboard seals, which generally are of beer coaster stock thickness, may shear or tear when the cap is tightened or loosened. Liquid-soaked pulpboard is especially susceptible to this.
Also, conventional pulpboard is difficult to cleanly cut with a die. This impedes manufacturing efficiency and creates undesired dust in the manufacturing environment.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved layered seal having a cap backing portion and a foil portion with a wax bond inbetween wherein the cap backing portion is strong and resistant to tearing, resistant to liquids, and cleanly cuttable by a die.

Synthetic replacement for pulpboard in waxbond innerseals