Method and circuit arrangement for adjusting the volume in a mobile telephone. The telephone comprises a transceiver unit and on the other hand a physically separate operating device. A dc voltage level (DC) corresponding to the desired volume is adjusted with a potentiometer (1) in the operating device and the level is converted with an A/D-converter (2) into a corresponding digital control signal. The control signal is read with a microprocessor (3) in the transceiver unit, which further through the hold circuit (4) controls the gain of the audio amplifier (7). A multiplexer (5) may be provided for controlling and selecting a suitable feedback resistor (6) for the amplifier. The A/D-converter can be located in the operating device or in the transceiver unit. When it is located in the transceiver unit the dc voltage level (DC) is transmitted to the transceiver unit, preferably superimposed on the AC-signal received from the microphone, which then is filtered off before the A/D-converter. The connection between the operating device and the transceiver unit may be realized with a cable or a wireless infrared or radio connection.

The present invention relates to a method for adjusting the volume in a mobile telephone comprising a transceiver unit and a physically separated operating device. The invention also relates to a circuit arrangement realizing the method.
In mobile telephones, the speaker amplifier is located in the transceiver unit in order to conserve space and power. It is known to use plus and minus buttons to adjust the volume of the speakers. In practice, however, it was found that a user experiences difficulties in using these plus and minus buttons directly in the transceiver unit, for example as a potentiometer, but for the user this again results in cumbersome adjustment.
It is possible to reduce the number of conductors between the operating device and the transceiver when the speaker amplifier is placed in the operating device, and at the same time audio signal interferences may be reduced. However, this complicates the use of an external speaker, and creates inconvenient currents between the operating device and the transceiver.


A dielectric device having excellent characteristics is provided. This dielectric device comprises such a first electrode layer that constituent elements located on its surface are terminated by halogen atoms and a dielectric film formed on the surface of the first electrode layer terminated by the halogen atoms. When the constituent elements for the first electrode layer located on the surface thereof are terminated by the halogen atoms in order to form a ferroelectric film having a bismuth layer structure, therefore, Bi constituting the ferroelectric film is inhibited from bonding to the constituent elements located on the surface of the first electrode layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dielectric device and a method of manufacturing a dielectric device, and more particularly, it relates to a dielectric device having a dielectric film formed on an electrode layer and a method of manufacturing such a dielectric device.
2. Description of the Background Art
In general, a dielectric device having a ferroelectric film is expected for application to various fields such as that of electronics due to its characteristics such as ferroelectricity. For example, research is made on a nonvolatile ferroelectric memory utilizing polarization hysteresis or the like.
A conventional ferroelectric film is manufactured through a dry process or a wet process. The dry process includes sputtering, vacuum deposition, laser absorption, MOCVD (metal organic chemical vapor deposition) or the like. In the dry process, however, it is difficult to stably form a ferroelectric film close to stoichiometry due to vapor pressures varying with elements. Further, the ferroelectric film is disadvantageously deteriorated in crystallinity. In addition, the manufacturing cost is disadvantageously increased due to low productivity and high-priced equipment. At present, therefore, the dry process is not yet put into practice.
According to the wet process, on the other hand, the chemical composition of the ferroelectric film can be precisely controlled and the ferroelectric film can be homogeneously formed at the molecular level as compared with the dry process. Further, it is also possible to form a ferroelectric film having a large area. In addition, the manufacturing cost can be reduced due to low-priced equipment, and the wet process is suitable for mass production. In general, therefore, the wet process is employed for forming a ferroelectric film on a relatively flat substrate. This wet process includes a sol-gel process employing a metal organic compound or MOD (metal organic decomposition) employing a solution prepared by dissolving metallic salt of carboxylic acid or the like in an organic solvent. The sol-gel process and the MOD are now schematically described.
According to the sol-gel process, a source solution containing a hydrolytic compound of each constituent metal serving as a raw material, a partial hydrolysate of the hydrolytic compound or a partial polycondensate of the hydrolytic compound is applied to a substrate. The coating of the source solution formed on the substrate is dried and thereafter heated at a prescribed temperature in the air or a water vapor atmosphere, thereby forming a film consisting of a metallic oxide on the substrate. Then, the film consisting of the metallic oxide formed on the substrate is baked at a temperature exceeding the crystallization temperature for the metallic oxide, thereby crystallizing the film of the metallic oxide. If the metallic oxide is SBT, the film is crystallized by performing heat treatment at a temperature of about 750° C.
According to the MOD, on the other hand, a source solution containing a heat-decomposable organic metal compound is applied to a substrate. The coating of the source solution formed on the substrate is heated in an atmosphere containing oxygen, thereby evaporating a solvent contained in the coating and thermally decomposing the metal compound. Thus, a film consisting of a metallic oxide is formed on the substrate. Then, the film consisting of the metallic compound formed on the substrate is baked at a temperature exceeding the crystallization temperature for the metallic oxide, thereby crystallizing the film of the metallic oxide. If the metallic oxide is SBT, the film is crystallized by performing heat treatment at a temperature of about 750° C.
In a conventional dielectric device, an electrode layer is formed on a substrate, and a ferroelectric film is thereafter formed on the electrode layer by the aforementioned sol-gel process or MOD.
FIG. 10 is a model diagram for illustrating the crystal structure of a ferroelectric film (SBT film) 105 formed on a lower electrode 104 consisting of Pt by the conventional sol-gel process or MOD. Referring to FIG. 10, elements shown by large characters are in the same plane, and those shown by small characters are in a plane different from that of the elements shown by the large characters.
When the ferroelectric film 105 consisting of SrBi2Ta2O9 (SBT) having a bismuth layer structure is formed on the lower electrode 104 consisting of Pt by the sol-gel process or the MOD as shown in FIG. 10, the ferroelectric film 105 consisting of SBT generally exhibits a layer structure including a pseudo-perovskite layer 105a held between bismuth oxide layers 105b.
It is known that the a-axis direction and the b-axis direction of a ferroelectric substance having a bismuth layer structure exhibit polarization capacities larger than that in the c-axis direction. In order to obtain a dielectric device having excellent ferroelectricity, therefore, it is preferable to form a ferroelectric film on an electrode layer so that the a-axis direction and the b-axis direction are perpendicular to the surface of the electrode layer.
If the ferroelectric film 105 consisting of SBT having a bismuth layer structure is formed on the lower electrode 104 consisting of Pt by the conventional sol-gel process or MOD, however, the ferroelectric film 105 is so easily formed on the lower electrode 104 that the a-axis direction and the b-axis direction of the ferroelectric film 105 are parallel to the surface of the lower electrode 104 as shown in FIG. 10. This is conceivably for the following reason: Bi constituting the bismuth oxide layers 105b easily bonds to Pt constituting the lower electrode 104 due to catalytic action of Pt. When Bi bonds to Pt in this manner, the bismuth oxide layers 105b are conceivably easily formed to extend in parallel with the surface of the lower electrode 104 consisting of Pt. In this case, the a-axis direction and the b-axis direction of the ferroelectric film 105 are parallelized to the surface of the lower electrode 104.
As described above, the a-axis direction and the b-axis direction of the ferroelectric film 105 are parallelized to the surface of the lower electrode 104 consisting of Pt when a wet process such as the sol-gel process or MOD is employed, and hence it is difficult to attain excellent ferroelectricity in general.
In the conventional method of forming a ferroelectric film on an electrode layer by the sol-gel process or MOD, further, heat treatment must disadvantageously be performed at a high temperature of about 750° C. for crystallizing a metal oxide (ferroelectric substance), as hereinabove described.

Dielectric device having dielectric film terminated by halogen atoms


A fixing apparatus comprising a heating roller, a coil provided in the heating roller and configured to generate a high-frequency magnetic field, and capacitors and that constitute a resonant circuit, jointly with the coil. The resonant circuit is excited, sequentially (or alternately) at a plurality of frequencies which are nearly equal to the resonance frequency of the resonant circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fixing apparatus designed for use in an image forming apparatuses such as copiers or printers and configured to fix developer images on paper sheets.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any image forming apparatus utilizing digital technology, such as an electronic copier, comprises a document table and a photoelectric transducer such as a CCD (Charge Coupled Device). An original document is placed on the document table so that it may be copied. Light is applied to, and reflected from, the original document. The light reflected is guided to the photoelectric transducer.
The CCD generates an image signal that represents the image printed on the original document. The image signal is supplied to the laser provided in the apparatus. Driven by the signal, the laser emits a laser beam. The laser beam is applied to the photosensitive drum incorporated in the apparatus, forming an electrostatic latent image on the circumferential surface of the drum. Developer is applied to the drum, converting the latent image to a visible image known as "toner image." A paper sheet is fed to the drum as the drum is rotated. The toner image is transferred to the paper sheet. The paper sheet, now having the toner image on it, is fed to the fixing apparatus provided in the image-forming apparatus.
The fixing apparatus comprises a heating roller and a pressing roller. The pressing roller contacts the heating roller. It rotates together with the heating roller, applying a pressure onto the heating roller. The paper sheet is fed forward through the nip between the heating roller and the pressing roller. As the sheet is fed so, the toner image is fixed on the paper sheet by virtue of the heat generated by the heating roller.
The heat of the heating roller is generated induction heating. The induction heating is performed by a resonant circuit that comprises a coil contained in the heating roller and a capacitor connected to the coil. The resonant circuit is excited at a frequency, passing a high-frequency current through the coil. The coil generates a high-frequency magnetic field, which induces an eddy current. The eddy current brings forth Joule heat, which heats the heating roller.
The resonant circuit has a specific resonance frequency that is determined by the inductance of the coil and the electrostatic capacitance of the capacitor. The resonance frequency may be, for example, 2 MHz. In this case, the output power of the resonant circuit may reach, for example, 1500 W.
Any fixing apparatus that comprises a resonant circuit of such a high resonance frequency and such a large output power is undesirable in view of EMI (Electromagnetic Interference). That is, the high-frequency magnetic field emanating from the coil provided in the resonant circuit adversely influences the other components and devices incorporated in the fixing apparatus.


A method, a computer program and a computer program product for operating a vehicle, which includes as a drive device a least one electric motor, that is associated with at least one electric store, wherein the electric store is charged by an external energy source when the vehicle is at rest. During the charging process, at least initially at least one testing device of the vehicle is activated for monitoring the charging process as well as the rest state of the vehicle, and only when an error state is detected by the testing device at least one safety device of the vehicle is activated.

Methods and devices of the above named type are known from the related art. The use of high voltage and currents in vehicles that have an electric motor as drive device, especially so-called electric vehicles, encompassing only one or more electric motors as drive devices, increases the risk for the user and operator of the vehicle. Especially the charging process is a hazard. Due to unsafe conditions during the charging process of the vehicle using an external energy source, for example at a charging station, a critical situation may arise for example if the vehicle rolls away or the charging process is faulty. The likelihood of errors rises with increasing charging time.
In order to avoid or control such critical situations, current approaches provide for all control units to be operated in fully active mode during the charging process, in order to capture any error conditions and to maintain the vehicle in a safe condition. This has the disadvantage of high energy consumption required for the fully active control units as well as the greatly increased demands on the life of control units and components, which are now operated and therefore strained also during the charging process. Overall, this increases costs, especially maintenance costs, as well as the environmental pollution caused by the vehicle.

Method and device for operating a vehicle, computer program, and computer program product


The flotation apparatus removes ink- and contaminant particles from a fiber stock suspension which is produced during the preparation of waste paper. Admixing of air to the fiber stock suspension is accomplished in stepped diffusors. The fiber stock suspension admixed with air, prior to infeed into a flotation container, is guided through a deflection element effective as an impact mixer and followed by a mixing diffusor having a preferred flow direction. This flotation apparatus is especially suited for eliminating disturbing or spurious substances which are present throughout a relatively wide grain size spectrum. A particularly preferred construction uses one or more closed flotation containers, wherein the air effluxing from the flotation foam can be advantageously re-used for aeration of further infed fiber stock suspension.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a new and improved apparatus for the removal of disturbing or spurious substances, especially printing ink from waste paper suspensions.
Generally speaking, the apparatus of the present development for the removal of disturbing or spurious substances, especially printing ink from waste paper suspensions, is of the type comprising at least one fillable container provided with infeed or inlet openings through which there can be introduced the stock suspension to be cleaned, which is admixed with air bubbles, at locations situated beneath the level of the stock suspension in the filled container. An aeration device for the stock suspension is constituted by stepped diffusors where, at the region of a step jump or transition, the air can be sucked in or pressed or forced in. The container is provided with a dam-up or retardation device having an upper edge over which there can be removed the flotation foam or froth containing the disturbing substances. At least one good stock withdrawal or outfeed line is provided at the container beneath the infeed or inlet openings for the stock suspension to be cleaned, through which the cleaned stock suspension can be removed from the container.
2. Discussion of the Background and Material Information
Such type of flotation apparatuses, especially when processing stock suspensions produced from waste paper, serve to eliminate disturbing or spurious substances including printing ink particles therefrom. Thus, as is known in this technology, air bubbles are admixed into the stock suspension which, in the flotation stage, usually in conjunction with admixed chemicals, form a foam or froth containing the disturbing substances or contaminants which is then removed. Stepped diffusors have been found to be useful for producing the air bubbles and for the admixing thereof with the stock suspension. This is so, because such stepped diffusors promote both the sucking in of air and also the formation and distribution of the air bubbles.
A known flotation apparatus of the aforementioned type has been disclosed, for instance, in the commonly assigned German Petty Patent No. 9,007,266, granted Oct. 11, 1990.
However, in known flotation apparatuses it has been repeatedly determined that the flotation operation does not eliminate all of the disturbing particles which are basically capable of undergoing flotation. In particular, it has been found that the range of the grain size, of the actually eliminated disturbing particles is smaller than the range of the grain size of the disturbing particles actually present in the stock suspension.

Floatation apparatus for removal of distrubing substances, especially printing ink from waste paper suspensions


Method and system for monitoring and comparing, in real time, performance of an aircraft during an approach to touchdown along a conventional approach path and along a contemplated modified approach path to touchdown. In a first procedure, a flight parameter value at a selected location is compared and displayed, for the planned path and for the modified path. In a second procedure, flight parameter values FP(tn) at a sequence {tn}n of measurement times is compared and displayed, for the planned path and for a contemplated or presently-executed modified path. If the flight parameter for the planned path and for the modified path differ too much from each other, the pilot in command has an option of terminating the approach along the modified path.

An aircraft that is ascending following takeoff or descending on approach will have measurable kinetic energy and potential energy components, and these components will change with time in measurable, if not predictable, manners. Desirable energy states for both takeoff and landing can be determined from aircraft manufacturer guidance for these phases of flight. For example, where the approach occurs at an airport with an operable and reliable instrument landing system (ILS), the ILS system may provide data recorded on the aircraft to serve as a standard for comparing observed kinetic and potential energy components for an aircraft near the ground, below 2500 feet altitude and for an assumed straight path to a touchdown site. If the airport has no operable and reliable ILS, or if the aircraft is not near the ground, another mechanism for providing a standard for measurements or estimates is needed. On takeoff, where no electronic guidance comparable to the glide slope is available, the aircraft climb profile can be compared to manufacturer guidance or to observed performance for recorded aircraft departures from the particular airport.
The airline industry has become concerned with the problem of unstable aircraft approaches, because approach and landing accidents often begin as unstable approaches. An "unstable approach" is often defined as an approach where below a threshold altitude (1000 feet for IFR and 500 feet for VFR), the aircraft is not established on a proper glide path and with a proper air speed, with a stable descent rate and engine power setting, and with a proper landing configuration (landing gear and flaps extended). Airlines have developed approach procedures that call for abandonment of an approach that is determined to be unstable.
Development and testing of methods for detecting atypical flights by N.A.S.A. has revealed that high energy during an arrival phase (below 10,000 feet but before beginning an approach) is the most common reason for a flight to be identified as atypical or out of a statistically normal range. An atypical high energy arrival phase often corresponds to aircraft kinetic energy and/or potential energy that requires dissipation of 10–30 percent more energy than is required for a normal arrival phase. A normal arrival phase may correspond to about a 3 miles per 1000 feet elevation change ("3-to-1") slope glide path and decelerating to an airspeed of about 250 knots during descent through 10,000 feet altitude to a standard reference speed around 2,500 feet altitude, when beginning an approach.
More than half of the high energy arrivals identified by atypicality analysis were brought under control within stabilized approach criteria; some of the remainder of the high energy arrivals were abandoned. In contrast, where these findings were used to define and search for a high-energy arrival exceedance, about three times as many exceedances were detected; and the resulting unstable approaches were found to occur more frequently than the recoveries.
It may be possible to identify, by historical analysis, a first class of high energy arrivals where recovery and subsequent stabilization is possible and relatively easy, and a second class of high energy arrivals in which recovery and subsequent stabilization is likely to be difficult or impossible. However, the present procedures for determining presence of a normal or reference (acceptable) approach include an electronic glide slope that extends linearly from the end of a target runway to the aircraft, whereas a normal aircraft approach path is curved and follows the electronic glide slope only from about 1,800 feet above the field to the end of the runway.
A 3-to-1 glide path slope, corresponding to decrease of 1,000 feet in altitude for every 3 nautical miles horizontal travel; is often desirable during an arrival phase. Air speed is 250 knots or less by regulation below 10,000 feet, and the aircraft decelerates to a lower speed before joining the approach path. These parameters are directly available but are unlikely to prove to be the only relevant parameters in determining whether a flight arrival phase is normal or other than normal.
When an energy component value or orientation component value for a completed flight of interest (referred to herein as a "target flight") has been measured or observed and compared with a corresponding value for a nominal flight, this information should be displayed for possible remedial action on a subsequent flight. A flight operator may also benefit from a display of one or more predictions, based upon the observed or measured target FP values, of the behavior of this FP value over a short time interval extending into the future.
What is needed is a system, and corresponding display, that: (1) estimates at least one flight parameter (FP) value that is likely to occur, when an aircraft executes a contemplated maneuver along a modified flight path during an approach to touchdown, if the maneuver begins at the present or a subsequent location; (2) provides at least one measured FP value, during execution of the maneuver; and (3) compares the measured FP value with a corresponding FP value for a planned flight path under similar conditions. Preferably, the system should recommend at least one supplemental maneuver if it appears that the aircraft is unlikely to execute the original maneuver in an acceptable manner.

Real time analysis and display of aircraft approach maneuvers

United States of America as represented by the Administrator of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)


Disclosed herein is a device that is configured to melt at least one of snow and ice, comprising a coil formed from an elongated member having a first end and a second end, the elongated member having a surface comprising at least one of grooves, notches and pores configured to facilitate movement of liquid by capillary action. Corresponding methods and systems also are disclosed.

Snow and ice melting devices typically comprise a system using chemicals that produce heat or lower the melting point of snow or ice, or using electrically or electronically produced heat in order to melt snow and ice. As such, these systems are often used in colder climates to remove snow and ice that accumulates on surfaces such as driveways, sidewalks, parking lots and the like. Also, snow and ice melting devices have been designed to eliminate the need to physically remove snow or ice from a location by shoveling, snow-blowing or plowing.
Currently various snow and ice melting devices are on the market that utilize chemicals, electricity, or some heat exchange medium. Chemicals are corrosive, require constant reapplication and timing according to weather conditions, and frequently have a negative impact on the environment. Electrical systems can be complex and costly to install and maintain, and also may not be moved easily from one location to another. Systems which transfer solar energy from a collecting medium to a heat exchange medium in order to melt snow may be energetically inefficient. Also, both chemicals and electricity typically aid melting but not evaporation, which can cause pooling of water into large puddles which may refreeze and become hazardous. Additionally, these existing processes for melting snow and ice are relatively slow.
Thus there is a need in the art fora product and system that address all of the above listed disadvantages while remaining light weight, easy to handle and relocate, low cost, non-corroding and high efficiency.

Snow and ice melting device, system and corresponding methods


The disclosure describes a method of inhibiting TNF in subjects comprising administering a TNF inhibiting amount of an extract of Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim to a subject. In addition, the present disclosure provides a method of inhibiting TNF in a cell line comprising administering to the cell line a TNF inhibiting amount of an extract from Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim. Finally, the disclosure provides a method of treating a TNF mediated disorder in a subject, comprising administering an effective amount of an extract of Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim to the subject.

It is becoming increasingly evident that tumor necrosis factor (TNF) is a cytokine involved in numerous pathologies afflicting subjects, including animals and humans. For-instance, introduction of the endotoxin from gram(−) bacteria induces the production of cytokines including TNF. Excessive production of such cytokines is thought to be the cause of endotoxic or septic shock. In addition, TNF has been shown to activate latent HIV infected cells in vitro and in vivo. (See Zinnser, Microbiology, 20th Ed. Appleton & Lange, 1992, at p. 1052.)
A crude extract derived from the root of Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim (E. maxim) has been utilized to treat various disorders. This Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim root extract is marketed under the name CM-4™ (trademark of Omega Pharmaceutical, Inc. for an Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim extract as described at page 5 herein). In addition, Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim extract has been marketed in combination with a spleen extract as PCM-4™ (trademark of Omega Pharmaceutical, Inc. for a product containing, as one ingredient, CM-4™ as wells as a mixture of polypeptides).
Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim extract has been used treat anemia, depression, diseases of the heart and blood vessels, the rigors of surgery, convalescence, tuberculosis, and aging. PCM-4™ has also been used to treat HIV+ patients. However, despite the many therapeutic benefits associated with Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim extract, additional properties of this extract are continually being found which are of great value to mankind. The present application provides the surprising discovery and use of Eleutherococcus senticosus maxim extract as an inhibitor of tumor necrosis factor (TNF).

Methods of inhibiting tumor necrosis factor


Approaches are disclosed for switching transport protocol connection keys. A method of automatically changing a message authentication key at each of two endpoints of a connection in a telecommunications network comprises testing a sequence value received in each of a plurality of data segments on the connection; and selecting a next message authentication key, from among a plurality of stored message authentication keys, for use in authenticating subsequently received data segments, when the sequence value matches a specified characteristic.

The approaches described in this section could be pursued, but are not necessarily approaches that have been previously conceived or pursued. Therefore, unless otherwise indicated herein, the approaches described in this section are not prior art to the claims in this application and are not admitted to be prior art by inclusion in this section.
Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is a transport layer protocol that provides a reliable connection-oriented data delivery service to upper-layer applications through the use of sequenced acknowledgment with retransmission of segments when necessary. In a typical TCP implementation, a TCP connection is established between two TCP endpoints that are established on two hosts. A TCP endpoint is maintained by the TCP module (or stack) of a host and is represented as the combination of an Internet Protocol (IP) address of the host and a TCP port number.
TCP uses a stream data transfer mechanism to deliver an unstructured stream of bytes between TCP endpoints. The bytes in the stream are numbered sequentially and are grouped into TCP segments for transmission over the TCP connection between the TCP endpoints. A TCP segment transmitted over a TCP connection includes a header portion and a payload portion, and can be identified by the sequence number of the first byte in the payload portion of the segment.
TCP sequence numbers are primarily used for flow control of data on the TCP connection. When a TCP connection is initially established, each endpoint generates a pseudo-random ISN (Initial Sequence Number). Each endpoint increments its ISN monotonically for each byte of data that the endpoint sends. The flow control mechanism also ensures reliable delivery by requiring the other endpoint to send an ACK (acknowledgment) for data received; each ACK identifies a received sequence number corresponding to successfully received data. The ACK mechanism ensures that the two TCP endpoints are constantly synchronized with respect to data transfer.
The transport service provided by TCP is used by upper-layer applications to exchange application-specific data over the TCP connection. One example of an upper-layer application that uses TCP to exchange data is Border Gateway Protocol (BGP). BGP is a peer-to-peer routing protocol the latest version of which, BGP-4, is defined in RFC1771 that was published by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) in March 1995. In order to exchange routing information, two BGP hosts, or peers, first establish a TCP connection, and then negotiate a BGP session in order to exchange network routes. Another example of an upper-layer application that uses TCP to exchange data is Label Distribution Protocol (LDP). LDP is a protocol defined for the MultiProtocol Label Switching (MPLS) architecture and is described in RFC3036 published by IETF in January 2001. In a MPLS network, two Label Switching Routers (LSRs), or LDP peers, establish a bi-directional LDP session over a TCP connection in order to exchange label-mapping information that maps network layer routing information directly to data-link layer switched paths.
TCP, however, is vulnerable to data injection attacks. In a data injection attack, an attacker guesses parameter values for a valid TCP connection and uses these parameter values to send spurious TCP segments that contain malicious or spurious data payloads. These spurious TCP segments may affect the state of the TCP connection itself or may be intended for an upper-layer application. If the receiving TCP endpoint passes such segments to the upper-layer application various problems may occur when the application acts on or executes the data payloads. The consequences of data injection attacks can be severe. For example, when a BGP session is disrupted by a change in the state of the associated TCP connection, the BGP peers that established the session may have to discard all BGP routes that were exchanged during the session and may have to re-synchronize their routing information with peer routers in the network.
One type of a data injection attack is a to construct and send spurious TCP segments that request closing and re-setting of the TCP connection by setting the RST (reset) bit in the TCP segment's headers.
One prior approach for preventing such data injection attacks minimizes the chances that an attacker would be able to determine the parameters of a valid TCP connection. In this prior approach, a TCP endpoint computes a digital signature (or message digest or message authentication code) for each TCP segment that it sends, and includes the signature in the TCP segment header. The signature is computed based on a key or a password known only to both TCP endpoints, and uses the contents of one or more fields of the TCP segment as input. Thus, in order to successfully launch a data injection attack, an attacker would not only have to determine the valid TCP connection parameters, but would also have to guess the key or password used to produce the TCP segment signature.
One particular implementation of this prior approach, which is used for protecting BGP sessions, is described in RFC2385 published by IETF in August 1998. In this implementation, a TCP OPTION has been defined for carrying a Message-Digest5 (MD5) hash value in a TCP segment. The MD5 algorithm (as defined in RFC1321 published by IETF in April 1992) takes as input a message of arbitrary length and produces as output a 128-bit signature, or "message digest", of the input. In this implementation, every TCP segment sent on a TCP connection contains, in the OPTIONS field of the TCP segment header, a 16-byte MD5 signature produced by applying the MD5 algorithm to the following items in order:                1. The TCP segment pseudo-header (in the order: source IP address, destination IP address, zero-padded protocol number, and segment length);        2. The TCP segment header (excluding the OPTIONS field, and assuming a checksum of zero);        3. The TCP segment data (if any); and        4. An independently-specified key or password known to both TCP endpoints and presumably specific to the TCP connection.
Upon receiving a TCP segment signed with a MD5 signature, the receiving TCP endpoint computes its own digest for the TCP segment from same data and by using its own key. The receiving TCP endpoint then compares the computed digest with the MD5 signature included in the OPTIONS field of the TCP segment. If the computed digest matches the MD5 signature included in the TCP segment, the receiving TCP endpoint validates the TCP segment and passes the payload portion of segment to the recipient upper-layer application. If the comparison fails, the TCP endpoint silently discards the TCP segment and sends back no acknowledgement.
The above approach, however, has numerous disadvantages. One disadvantage of the above approach is that, although difficult, it may not be impossible for an attacker to produce a valid signature for a malicious TCP segment that it wants to inject in the TCP connection. For example, since the MD5 algorithm is prone to a successful cryptanalytic attack, it is not impossible for an attacker to sniff a large number of similar TCP segments and to deduce the key used to create the MD5 signatures for TCP segments. This disadvantage causes serious security concerns, especially for upper-layer applications, such as BGP, that use TCP connections to run sessions for very long periods of time.
Another disadvantage of the above approach is that in some situations it is very difficult to change the TCP connection keys without significant disruption to upper-layer applications. Since both TCP endpoints must use the same key to produce signatures for the TCP segments associated with a TCP connection, when the key associated with a TCP connection needs to be changed, both TCP endpoints must change the key nearly simultaneously in order to prevent loss of data transmitted between the upper-layer applications over the TCP connection.
For example, in a BGP implementation that is in accord with RFC2385, when BGP peers establish a BGP session with each other over a TCP connection, both BGP peers may configure their respective TCP endpoints to use a shared MD5 key or password. The shared MD5 key may be provisioned to the BGP peers beforehand. Some situations may arise, however, which require that the MD5 key must be changed. For example, a MD5 key may need to be changed because of security concerns related to personnel changes (e.g. a network administrator leaving the company). In another example, if the BGP session is a long running session and is established between a BGP peer in an Internet Service Provider (ISP) network and a BGP peer in a customer network, it may be desirable to change the MD5 key periodically in order to prevent a potential attacker from guessing the key by sniffing and analyzing a large number of TCP segments sent over the TCP connection associated with the BGP session.
However, once the BGP session is established there is no practical way to change the MD5 key because BGP uses its own KEEPALIVE mechanism to detect whether the BGP session is active. BGP peers disable the TCP HoldTimer for the TCP connection, and use their own BGP KEEPALIVE HoldTimer, the value of which is negotiated during the establishing of the BGP session. A BGP peer would periodically send BGP KEEPALIVE messages to ensure that the HoldTimer on its BGP peer does not expire. For example, if the BGP peers negotiate the default BGP HoldTimer interval of 180 seconds, absent the exchange of any other BGP messages a BGP peer would send a BGP KEEPALIVE message every 60 seconds or so. If the BGP peer does not receive a communication over the BGP session within the BGP KEEPALIVE HoldTimer interval, it sends out a HoldTimer Expired Error and closes the BGP session.
Thus, if the MD5 key, which is used by a BGP peer in BGP session established over a TCP connection, needs to be changed, the key must be changed on both TCP endpoints within an interval of time that is smaller than the BGP HoldTimer. The interval of time during which the keys are changed on both TCP endpoints must be smaller than the BGP HoldTimer in order to prevent the TCP endpoint from silently discarding TCP segments signed with the old key that carry BGP messages of the BGP session. However, in a large network such as an ISP, it may be difficult to change the MD5 keys on all TCP endpoints that support BGP peers within an interval of time as small as a BGP HoldTimer interval.
Certain protocols such as BGP, RIP and IS-IS use timer-based synchronization to trigger key rollover for a session. However, all such existing key chaining mechanisms depend upon synchronization of the system clocks of the endpoints to accurately accomplish concurrent key rollover. If the clocks are not synchronized at both ends of a connection, password rollover may fail, resulting in a reset of the connection or session.
Another possible approach is to modify TCP to explicitly carry bits or fields that signal a change in MD5 keys. However, this approach requires specialized logic to interpret the signaling, and requires management of signaling messages at the endpoints.
Another possible approach is for a first endpoint to unilaterally change message authentication keys at any particular time, generate a message authentication tag based on the changed key, and send the message and message authentication tag to the second endpoint. If the second endpoint cannot authenticate the message based on a current key, the second endpoint changes key and tries again. If changing to a second key results in successful message authentication, then the second endpoint knows that the first endpoint has changed keys.
However, this approach is computationally expensive because a receiving endpoint must compute multiple authentication tags at each switchover. The endpoints also may have packets held in out-of-order buffers and must properly handle authentication of such packets with several keys. Further, a malicious user who injects a spoofed data segment into the network potentially can force endpoints to repeatedly compute multiple authentication tags.
The preceding approaches are illustrated, for example, in Mynam et al. I and Mynam et al. II, cited above.
Based on the foregoing, there is a clear need for techniques that overcome the disadvantages of the prior approach described above for preventing data injection attacks.

Approaches for automatically switching message authentication keys


A power transmission device is capable of correctly adjusting relative positions of two shafts in a direction of rotation even when the shafts are rotationally driven, and comprises a hollow, outer shaft, to one end of which a drive gear is fixed, an inner shaft, to one end of which a carrier is fixed, and a planetary gear mechanism. The planetary gear mechanism comprises a sun gear, planetary gears supported on a carrier, and a ring gear having internal teeth and external teeth, the internal teeth engaging with the planetary gears. A first gear and a second gear on an input shaft, respectively, engage with outer teeth of the drive gear and the ring gear. When the sun gear is made stationary and the input shaft is rotationally driven, the outer shaft and the inner shaft are rotated with the same number of revolutions in the same direction. When the sun gear is rotated, a position of the inner shaft in the direction of rotation is adjusted relative to the outer shaft.

The present invention relates to a power transmission device constructed to be able to rotationally drive a hollow, outer shaft and an inner shaft put in the concentric relationship with the outer shaft together and to adjust a rotational position (or phase) of the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft, and a plate-material feeding apparatus that incorporates thereinto the power transmission device.
For example, JP-U-63-170039 describes a power transmission device constructed in a manner described above, and a plate-material feeding apparatus that incorporates thereinto the device.
The plate-material feeding apparatus described in JP-U-63-170039 comprises a pair of rolls that interpose therebetween a plate material to intermittently feed the same in constant-length steps to a press machine, a roll release device that moves the both rolls in a direction away from each other, while no plate material is fed to the press machine, to release a clamping force exerted on a plate material by the both rolls, and a plate-material braking device having a pair of braking pieces that interposingly fix a plate material during a period, during which an operation of feeding a plate material to the press machine is not performed.
The plate-material feeding apparatus described in JP-U-63-170039 uses a pair of braking pieces to interposingly fix a plate material when press working of a plate material is performed in the press machine. With some metal mold devices for press machines, however, positioning of a plate material on a metal mold device can be highly accurately performed by providing a pilot pin on an upper metal mold to make the same project downward therefrom, and inserting the pilot pin into a positioning hole formed beforehand on the plate material just before upper and lower metal molds are put together and press working is performed.
For use as a device that feeds a plate material to such press machine, the plate-material feeding apparatus described in JP-U-63-170039 is constructed to temporarily release clamping of a plate material by the pair of braking pieces just before the plate material having been fed to a press machine is subjected to press working.
The power transmission device incorporated into the plate-material feeding apparatus comprises a hollow outer shaft having a first cam integrally fitted thereon, and an inner shaft having a second cam integrally fitted thereon, the both shafts being rotationally driven together. The first cam actuates the braking pieces so as to interposingly fix a plate material while the operation of feeding a plate material to the press machine is not performed, and the second cam actuates the braking pieces so as to temporarily release a plate material just before the press working of the plate material. Timing, in which the braking pieces temporarily releases a plate material, is adjusted by rotating the inner shaft relative to the outer shaft to regulate a rotational position (that is, phase) of the second cam relative to the first cam.
JP-U-7-26034 describes a material feeding apparatus that feeds a material to a press machine of the type described above, and a power transmission device incorporated thereinto.
In the power transmission device, a first shaft that rotates in synchronism with the operation of the press machine, and a second shaft that drives a cam similar to the second cam to temporarily release a plate material are connected to each other through two planetary gear mechanisms. The planetary gear mechanisms comprise a first sun gear fixed to an inner end of the first shaft, a plurality of first planetary gears that engage with the first sun gear, a second sun gear fixed to an inner end of the second shaft, a plurality of second planetary gears that engage with the second sun gear, and a ring gear having inner teeth that engage with the first and second planetary gears. With the device, when the first shaft is rotationally driven, the second shaft is rotationally driven through the first sun gear, the first planetary gears, the ring gear, the second planetary gears, and the second sun gear. Also, the first shaft and the second shaft can be adjusted in relative rotational positions by using a worm gear to revolve the first planetary gears around the first sun gear.
JP-A-11-77199 also describes a material feeding apparatus that feeds a material to a press machine of the type described above, and a power transmission device incorporated thereinto. The power transmission device described in JP-A-11-77199 is the same as that described in JP-U-7-26034 except that a ring gear is omitted, and constructed to use two planetary gear mechanisms and a worm gear.
The plate-material feeding apparatuses described in JP-U-63-170039, JP-U-7-26034, and JP-A-11-77199 is of a type commonly called a roll feed, in which a plate material is fed by a pair of rolls, while a plate-material feeding apparatus commonly called a gripper feed is also known (see, for example, JP-A-63-82271).
The gripper feed described in JP-A-63-82271 includes a first gripper device having a first stationary upper gripper and a vertically movable, first movable lower gripper interposing therebetween a plate material to intermittently feed the same to a working machine such as a press machine, etc. the gripper feed being constructed to lift a second movable lower gripper, while the operation of feeding a plate material to the working machine is not performed, to have the second movable lower gripper and a second stationary upper gripper interposingly fixing a plate material.
With the power transmission device described in JP-A-63-82271, the inner shaft is rotated relative to the outer shaft to be regulated relative to the outer shaft in position in a direction of rotation, and after the regulation, a clamp screw is used to fix the outer shaft and the inner shaft in a manner to make them non-rotatable relative to each other. Accordingly, there is involved a problem that the regulating work cannot be performed in the operation of the plate-material feeding apparatus and the power transmission device, during which the outer shaft and the inner shaft are rotationally driven.
With the power transmission device described in JP-U-7-26034, the first shaft and the second shaft are adjusted in relative rotational positions by revolving the first planetary gears around the first sun gear, so that it is possible to perform the regulating work also while the power transmission device operates, that is, the first shaft and the second shaft are rotationally driven.
However, the power transmission device incorporates thereinto two planetary gear mechanisms and also needs a worm gear that revolves the first planetary gears around the sun gear. The construction using many gears in this manner is complex and involves a problem that backlash of the gears worsen accuracy in regulation.
The power transmission device described in JP-A-11-77199 involves a similar problem to the above.

Power transmission device and plate-material feeding apparatus incorporating thereinto the same


The invention relates to the recombinant production of proteins as well as VLPs which are suitable as a vaccine for therapeutic and prophylactic vaccination. The invention also relates to processes for the production and purification of recombinant papilloma virus proteins and fusion proteins.

Infections with certain (high-risk) types of genital papilloma viruses in humans (HPV), e.g. HPV 16, 18 or 45 are held to be the main risk factor for the formation of malignant tumours of the anogenital tract. Of these, cervical carcinoma is by far the most frequently occurring. According to an estimate aby the WHO, about half a million new cases of this disease occur annually. Because of this frequent occurrence, the connection between HPV infection and cervical carcinoma has been the best investigated:
a) Precursor lesions of cervical carcinoma (cervical intraaepithelial neoplasia: CIN) are caused by papilloma virus infections.
b) The genomes of certain HPV types (e.g. 16, 18, 33, 35, 45) have been proven to occur in more than 95% of tumour biopsies as well as in cell lines derived from them. Depending on the geographic origin of the tumours, 5-70% of these contain HPV 16.
c) In all subsequently examined cases the ORFs E6 and E7 are transcribed (Wettstein et al., in Pfister H. (ed):
Papilloma viruses and human cancer, pp. 155 to 179, Boca Raton, 1990).
d) The proteins E6 and E7 can be proven in all cervicalcarcinoma cell-lines as well as in in vitro transformed human keratinocytes, and the majority of patients with cervical carcinoma have E6- or E7-specific antibodies.
e) The constitutive expression of the E6/E7 proteins is necessary to maintain the transformed condition of HPV-positive tumours.
f) The E6- and E7 genes of HPV 16 and HPV 18 are biologically active in the following experimental systems:                Induction of cellular DNA synthesis in human cells;        Transformation of human keratinocytes and other cells in culture;        Tumour formation in transgenic mice.
Other HPV types (principally HPV 6 and 11) cause benign genital warts (condylomata acuminata) and are only extremely rarely associated with malignant tumours (low-risk types).
As a rule, genital papilloma viruses in humans are transmitted during intercourse and in most cases lead to persistent infection in the anogenital mucous membrane. This led to the conclusion that primary infections induce only an insufficient immune response, or that the virus has developed possibilities of avoiding the immune surveillance in the infected cells. On the other hand there are good indications suggesting that the immune system is involved during primary manifestation or during the malignant progression of papilloma virus infections. (For an overview see Altmann et al. (1994) in Minson A., Neil J., McCrae M. (eds): Viruses and cancer, Cambridge University Press, pp. 71 to 80).
a) In the case of animal papilloma viruses (rabbit papilloma virus and bovine papilloma virus), the clinical manifestation of primary infections can be avoided by vaccination with viral structural proteins or with wart extracts (autologous vaccines).
b) Rodents are protected by vaccination with HPV 16 E6- or E7-positive vaccinia recombinants or by synthetic peptides prior to tumour formation after inoculation of HPV 16-transformed autologous cells.
c) Regression of warts is often systemic and in the case of animal papilloma viruses can be induced by the transfer of lymphocytes of regressor animals.
d) In the case of immuno-suppressed patients (e.g. kidney transplantees or HIV-infectd persons), the incidence of genital warts, CIN and anogenital cancer is increased.
This led to the conclusion that papilloma virus-specific vaccinations aimed at preventing the primary infection and the occurrence of genital cancer should be possible.
1. Avoidance of HPV infections is suitable by vaccination with the structural proteins L1 and L2 of the papilloma virus (prophylactic vaccination).
Because papilloma viruses cannot be propagated to adequate titres in cell cultures or other experimental systems, the viral proteins can only be produced by means of recombinant vectors. Recently, virus-like particles (VLPs) which, after expression of the viral structure proteins L1 and L2 (or L1 on its own), are formed in recombinant vaccinia or baculo virus, have been described. Purification of the VLPs can be achieved very simply by means of centrifugaton in CsCl— or sucrose gradients.
WO 93/02184 describes a method which provides papilloma virus-like particles (VLPs), which are used for diagnostic applications or as a vaccine against infections caused by the papilloma virus.
WO 94/00152 describes a recombinantly produced L1 main capsid protein which mimics the conformational neutralising epitope on human and animal papilloma virions. These recombinant proteins can be used as vaccines which protect against papilloma virus-infections.
2. Treatment of cervical carcinoma or precursor lesions by immunotherapy assisted by early papilloma virus-proteins (principally E6 or E7) which are expressed in the persistently infected cells (therapeutic vaccination).
It is assumed that by this vaccination, cytotoxic T-cells are activated against persistently infected genital lesions. The target population are patients with HPV associated pre-malignant or malignant genital lesions.
Early HPV proteins are produced by expression in E. coli or eukaryotic vectors (e.g. baculo virus or yeast). Purification is however rendered difficult by the low solubility and as a rule requires a combination of ion exchange chromatography, gel filtration and affinity chromatography.
PCT patent application WO 93/20844 discloses that the E7 protein of the papilloma virus from HPV or BPV is therapeutically effective in the regression (not however in the prevention) of papilloma virus-tumours in mammals. In addition, preferred antigenic proteins fragment sequences are described.
So far, however, no VLPs were described which are suitable both for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination. The last-mentioned processes have the disadvantage that, for example, early HPV proteins, because of their low solubility, can only be cleaned with difficulty.
A high particle production would be particularly desirable, in particular in view of a vaccine for prophylactic and therapeutic vaccination.
A disadvantage for the process described so far was that it was not possible to produce VLPs after expression of L1 in E. coli.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Papilloma virus-like particles, fusion proteins as well as processes for their production


A solution for restoring operation of a storage device based on a flash memory is proposed. The storage device emulates a logical memory space (including a plurality of logical blocks each one having a plurality of logical sectors), which is mapped on a physical memory space of the flash memory (including a plurality of physical blocks each one having a plurality of physical sectors for storing different versions of the logical sectors). A corresponding method starts by detecting a plurality of conflicting physical blocks for a corrupted logical block (resulting from a breakdown of the storage device). The method continues by determining a plurality of validity indexes (indicative of the number of last versions of the logical sectors of the corrupted logical block that are stored in the conflicting physical blocks). One ore more of the conflicting physical blocks are selected according to the validity indexes. The selected conflicting physical blocks are then associated with the corrupted logical block. At the end, each one of the non-selected conflicting physical blocks is discarded.

Storage devices based on flash memories have become very attractive in the last years; for example, they are commonly used as mass memories (also known as solid-state mass memories) in several data processing systems. These storage devices are compact, robust and with low power consumption; therefore, they may be advantageous, especially in portable systems (such as mobile telephones), which are typically supplied by batteries.
Typically, flash memories used to implement the above-mentioned storage devices can be erased only in blocks having a relatively large size (for example, 16-32 Kbytes). Therefore, once data has been written into the flash memory, this data cannot be updated unless the corresponding whole block is erased. In order to emulate operation of a random access device (such as a standard hard-disk), a translation layer is provided on top of the flash memory. The translation layer manages any update of the data stored in the flash memory by writing a new version thereof in a different area of the flash memory, and at the same time updating corresponding mapping information.
A problem of the storage devices based on flash memories is that they may remain in an inconsistent condition when a power loss occurs during their operation. The risk is particularly high when the storage devices are used in portable systems (since they typically work in harsh environments).
For example, this may happen during a garbage collection procedure. The garbage collection procedure is used to recover the space taken by the old versions of the data stored in a generic block of the flash memory (being not valid any longer), when this block is full. For this purpose, the last version of the data stored in the (old) block is copied into a new block; at the end of the operation, the old block is erased and the mapping information is accordingly updated. Typically, as described in US-A-2006/0161723 (the entire disclosure of which is herein incorporated by reference), additional blocks of the flash memory are used for storing further versions of the data when the corresponding block is full, so as to implement a tree structure; in this way, it is possible to delay the execution of the garbage collection procedure. Nevertheless, when the tree structure reaches a predefined maximum number of levels, the space taken by the old versions of the data stored in the blocks of the tree structure is again be recovered; as above, the last version of the data stored in the old blocks is copied into a new block, and all the old blocks are erased (thus updating the mapping information).
In any case, a power loss during the garbage collection procedure may leave conflicting blocks in the flash memory for the same data. Moreover, the problem is magnified by the above-mentioned tree structure, since the data is collected from multiple blocks that are all erased at the end so that the garbage collection procedure takes a longer time.
Similar problems may be caused when the power loss occurs during a procedure for moving data stored in the flash memory, during a procedure for writing data into the flash memory, or during a procedure for erasing its blocks. In this case as well, the flash memory may remain in an inconsistent condition.
An approach that has been used to solve the above-mentioned problem is of providing a backup structure, which maintains the required power supply during each procedure involving any update of the stored data (even in case of power loss). However, this solution requires additional dedicated hardware, so that it may be burdensome on the structure of the storage device.
With reference in particular to the power loss during the garbage collection procedure, US-A-2006/0161723 also proposes associating a root counter with each block implementing a root node of the tree structure, which root counter is incremented whenever the data is copied from the old blocks to the new block. In this way, if two conflicting root blocks are found after the power loss, it is possible to discard the old one with the lower root counter. However, it has been noted that this solution is not completely satisfactory. Indeed, the use of the root counter does not allow restoring the storage device in any situation (for example, when the power loss occurred when the copying of the data was still in progress).
Another approach that has been used for the power loss during the writing procedure is of reading back the data after its writing; when the written data matches the desired value, it is validated by writing a specific flag into the flash memory. In any case, this solution requires an additional read procedure and an additional writing procedure; therefore, it may have a deleterious effect on the performance of the storage device.

Restoring storage devices based on flash memories and related circuit, system, and method


An apparatus for producing nitrate granules including a first fluidized bed which is supplied with air that has been conditioned to a relative humidity of less than 30% at 40° C. and heated to a temperature of 40° C. to 100° C. One or more spray nozzles are provided for spraying a nitrate melt into the first fluidized bed to form nitrate granules. The apparatus also includes a second fluidized bed which is in direct communication with the first fluidized bed. Nitrate granules formed in the first fluidized bed flow directly to the second fluidized bed where they are cooled to a temperature of less than 60° C. The nitrate granules produced by the apparatus and process of the invention are spherical in shape, hard and dry and do not break down easily during handling.

THIS invention relates to an apparatus for producing nitrate granules.
International Patent Publication No. WO 01/83374 discloses a method for producing nitrate granules, particularly calcium nitrate granules. A calcium nitrate melt is sprayed into a re-circulating bed of a first fluidised bed granulator, where the re-circulating bed is supplied with air that has been conditioned and heated to a temperature of between 60° C. to 100° C. Calcium nitrate granules formed in the granulator are introduced to a primary cooler in the form of a second fluidised bed where the granules are cooled to from 50° C. to 60° C. by conditioned air. The granules are sorted in a sorter and then cooled in a secondary cooler to a temperature of less that 40° C., before being bagged. The granules so produced are hard, dry and spherical in shape and do not break down easily during handling.
It is an object of this invention to provide a more compact and improved apparatus for producing nitrate granules.

Apparatus for producing nitrate granules


Methods and apparatus for the accurate determination of the identity of human beings by comparing a fingerprint image with previously recorder templates utilize an oil impregnated material to condition a finger by releasing a controlled amount of a lubricant on the finger prior to recording the finger with an electronic scanner. The conditioned finger in then scanned and a fingerprint image is acquired. Different orthogonal sets of features, including but not limited to, minutiae and meniscus or global ridge frequency information are extracted from the fingerprint image. To enhance the matching accuracy, these features are then fused using a rank score combining method. The fused score is compared to a threshold to identify the human being. During the scanning process, the scanned finger is monitored electronically to determine the consistency in position, the quality of the image, and the stationary of the finger. Audible and visual feedback is provided electronically to assist the human being to better position, lubricate, or dry the finger and repeat the process. An apparatus that includes the oil impregnated material in various forms achieves the desired level of lubrication by releasing a controlled amount of lubricant mixture either under mechanical pressure from the finger of a human being, or through an electromechanical device that exerts pressure on the oil impregnated material that releases the controlled amount of lubricant. An apparatus for the accurate determination of the identity of a human being includes an interface that can multiplex a fingerprint scanner with a keypad and a card reader is any desired combination, and network multiple such apparatuses in a daisy chain using the same host computer. The information is provided in the form of any or in combination with any alphanumeric personal identification number, identification number stored in a card, and fingerprints, and is used to create multiple security levels by configuring the same hardware in different ways. A network interface makes possible to interconnect multiple apparatuses in a daisy-chain using an inexpensive RS485-to-RS232 converter or through a local area network.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to methods and apparatus for identifying human beings, specifically to an improved method for reading and analyzing fingerprints. This invention is also useful for acquiring better quality fingerprints without the need of ink or lubricating gel for law enforcement applications.
2. Description of Prior Art
Fingerprints have been a safe means for uniquely identifying human beings for over one hundred years. So far there has not been a single instance of two human beings having the same fingerprints. Fingerprints have been used for human identification by law enforcement for a long time. Recently, as technology has become available, fingerprints have been used for real-time human being identification in access control applications, personal identification (ID), ID verification, in documenting the time of attendance, identification of intruders, and similar applications.
Despite the long history of fingerprints and the reliable identification that they offer, it has been very hard to achieve the same level of identification accuracy with an electronic fingerprint recognition system as is possible by an experienced fingerprint forensic analyst. The discrepancy in the level of identification accuracy with the existing electronic systems is attributed to various reasons. The main reasons primarily relate to:
(a) the weakness of existing electronic systems to extract the characteristic points (Minutiae) from a fingerprint reliably and consistently; PA0 (b) the weakness of the existing electronic scanners to compensate for natural variations and wear of the fingerprint due to dryness from dry and cold weather, the cracking due to hard water, soap, detergent, and contact with abrasive surfaces; PA0 (c) the weakness of existing software to compensate for the variations caused by the conditions enumerated in (b) above. PA0 (a) to provide a non-intrusive, non-objectionable means for fingerprint conditioning, whereas the prior art in this area provides non-friendly, intrusive, and messy substances for finger conditioning; PA0 (b) to provide a fingerprint processing and matching method that, in conjunction with object (a), guarantees negligible false acceptance probability at very low false rejection rate, whereas the prior art in this area has failed to deliver systems that reliably guarantee low false acceptance and low false rejection rates; PA0 (c) to provide an apparatus that incorporates both objects (a) and (b) to realize a high integrity, high reliability real-time fingerprint recognition system, whereas the prior art in this area does not have a system that provides acceptable means for conditioning fingerprints and matching techniques to guarantee the low false acceptance and false rejection rates acceptable in real-time fingerprint recognition systems; and PA0 (d) to provide an apparatus that can integrate fingerprint scanning capabilities with keypad technology and card reader technology and the software to go along with it, so as a security network can easily be built by daisy-chaining those apparatuses to allow for cost-effective security solution to realize an onion-like security concept, whereby the outermost vulnerable perimeter layer is protected by the use of fingerprint verifiable Personal Identification Numbers (PINs) or card passwords, and the less vulnerable interior layers may be protected by conventional keypad or card reader security devices that do not require user ID verification. The prior art in this area does not offer systems that are configurable for multiple ID elements, such as PIN, password, and fingerprints in any desirable combination all operating off the same database and capable of being connected on the same network. PA0 1. A method for accurately determining identity of a human being comprising the steps of: PA0 2. A method for achieving superior identification of a human being comprising the steps of: PA0 3. A method for improving the quality of a fingerprint image (126) from a dry, chapped, or dirty finger (123) of a human being, comprising: PA0 4. An apparatus for improving quality of a fingerprint image (126) of a human being comprising: PA0 5. An apparatus (128) for identification of a human being from fingerprints comprising: PA0 6. A method for the identification of a human being comprising: PA0 7. An apparatus for transmitting data on a serial RS232 port of a computer (106) over longer distance, comprising:
Substances that have been used traditionally by law enforcement to compensate for the tear and wear of the fingerprint of a human being include ink and clear gel. Both means of compensation are messy, leave residues on the finger, and thus completely inadequate for real-time fingerprint capturing for repetitive use of the fingerprint as required in access control applications, personal ID verification, time of attendance determination, and for intrusion control, etc.
Traditionally fingerprint identification systems rely on Minutiae to identify the person to whom the fingerprint belongs to. Minutiae are the points of termination of a ridge, or the points of bifurcation of a ridge in a fingerprint. Practically all methods of fingerprint matching from the Prior Art are based on Minutiae matching. Although Minutiae constitute an irrefutable means of fingerprint matching, the accuracy of Minutiae matching is questionable under a wide variety of finger conditions. For example Minutiae become very unreliable as a means of matching, when a fingerprint is chapped, dry and, in general, worn out from natural wear. Chapped, dry, or worn out fingerprints produce random sets of Minutiae either because ridges become fragmented or because they become very faint to detect. In either case, Minutiae become an unreliable means of accurately identifying fingerprints, and thus the identity of a human being from them.
In our invention, as it will become clear in the next section, the matching method that we use relies on fusing the information contained in the Minutiae with information extracted from another orthogonal set of features that relates to the ridge frequency. By ridge frequency, we imply the rate of succession between ridges and valleys in the fingerprint image at any given direction on the image plane. The ridge frequency information provides information that can be used to discriminate one fingerprint from another. This information is referred to as Meniscus or Global in the invention.
By fusion we mean the process of integrating two different sets of data in a meaningful way. In order to maximize the beneficial results from fusion, the data sets must be orthogonal in the sense that the information in one data set compliments the information from the other. This complimentarity of information is crucial in achieving enhanced performance after fusion of different data sets.
One important attribute of the Meniscus or Global feature set is that it is orthogonal to the Minutiae features in the sense that the microscopic Minutiae structures are not affected by the macroscopic Meniscus/Global ridge structures. This orthogonality is important in our invention, because it allows to fuse the information from the two feature sets in a complimentary fashion, thus enhancing the fingerprint matching accuracy beyond what is feasible by each method individually. Moreover, the two feature sets are structurally complimentary, so when one set becomes unreliable due to finger degradation, the other still maintains a level of quality that allows to do accurate identification. So, the orthogonality allows to use both sets synergistically by fusing them, and enhance the identification accuracy after fusion.
Fusion has been used in other fields and the inventors have many contributions in the field of fusion. However, fusion has never been applied before for human being identification by combining information contained in different orthogonal feature sets from the same fingerprint with the purpose to reduce or, even eliminate all together, the false rejection and false acceptance rates when matching one fingerprint against another. False rejection rate is defined as the rate of failure of a properly authorized human being. False acceptance rate is defined as the rate of acceptance of an unauthorized human being. Although fusion of Minutiae with Meniscus or Global features provides an identification method far superior in terms of accuracy than any method in the Prior Art, there are circumstances that a finger may be either extremely chapped, dry, or worn out from weather, temperature, manual labor, or dirt, that does not leave a trace (fingerprint) on the scanner to capture. Under these conditions, no identification method, no matter how sophisticated can be used for identification: the fingerprint it's not there. It is precisely this situation that our invention provides the only possible remedy for: a conditioning apparatus that when in contact with the finger releases a controlled amount of lubricant, or lubricant mixture, that rebuilds the fingerprint structure so that it becomes visible to the scanner. Furthermore, the same conditioning apparatus can be used to enhance the fingerprint quality so that tighter security levels can be used in a system that identifies human beings from fingerprints.

Method and apparatus for accurate determination of the identity of human beings


There is described a method for casting a component comprising at least partly of fiber-reinforced plastic laminate by which the fiber-reinforcement is arranged in a casting mould, wherein at least one venting duct is placed, wherein said fiber-reinforcement and said venting duct are at least partly wetted by the plastic during the casting process in such a way that venting is achieved through said venting duct, and wherein the surface of the venting duct is at least partially made with a semi-permeable membrane that allows the passage of gases but does not allow or only slowly allows the passage of plastics. Furthermore there is described a component comprising at least partly of fiber-reinforced plastic laminate, wherein the plastic laminate inside comprises of one or more venting ducts, wherein the surface of a venting duct is at least partially made with a semi-permeable membrane that allows the passage of gases but does not allow or only slowly allows the passage of plastics.

Such methods are used to produce fibre-reinforced plastic laminates where hand lay-up or filament winding is undesirable. The fibre reinforcement can be of any known type, such as chop stand or woven fabric mats, multi-axis interlaid scrims, warp-thread reinforced unidirectional performs, single or joined roving bundles, and of any known material, such as glass, Kevlar, carbon or hemp. The fibre reinforcement may be supplemented with pre-fabricated components, such as fibreglass inserts, pultruded rods, etc. and with sandwich core materials such as balsa wood, foam or honeycomb. The plastic or matrix material may be a thermosetting plastic, such as polyester, vinylester, epoxy, etc., or it may be a thermoplastic, such as polyethylene, polypropylene, PVC, ABS, etc. The plastic laminate may be introduced after the completion of the lay-up of the fibre reinforcement, or it may be integrated with the fibre-reinforcement during lay-up, e.g. in the so-called prepreg materials where the fibre-reinforcement is pre-wetted with the plastic laminate in a non-cured but comparatively solid form that can be handled manually and can be cured once in place, or as a thermoplastic interwoven with or laid up along the fibre-reinforcement.
One such method is resin infusion, where fibre-reinforcement is laid up dry in one mould part, another flexible mould part is added following completion of lay-up so as to form a closed mould around the fibre-reinforcement, the mould is evacuated to achieve good consolidation of the fibre-reinforcement under atmospheric pressure, a liquid matrix material is infused to completely fill in all voids between the reinforcement fibres and between the fibres and the mould parts, and after completion of the injection the matrix material is cured, typically by the application of heat to form the completed composite laminate.
In another such method the fibre-reinforcement is manufactured as a combination material where the fibres are interwoven with or surrounded by a thermoplastic. This combination material is laid up dry in one mould part, another flexible mould part is added following completion of lay-up so as to form a closed mould around the fibre-reinforcement, the mould is evacuated to achieve good consolidation of the fibre-reinforcement under atmospheric pressure, and the combination material is heated above the melting point of the thermoplastic, whereby the now liquid thermoplastic completely fill in all voids between the reinforcement fibres and between the fibres and the mould parts, and after completion of this liquid phase the material is again cooled to form the completed composite laminate.
In most of such methods it can be a problem that air can get trapped in the laminate. Air may be trapped in high points due to buoyancy, but it may also be trapped in parts of the laminate where gravity would be expected to assist in the replacement of the air with the matrix material. Such trapping of air may be caused by geometrical conditions or by the reaction during the curing process, e.g. chemical separation or volatile components.
The problem of potential air entrapment has mainly been solved until now by limiting manufacturing to components that can be viewed through a transparent vacuum bag during the process and where the location of air vents in the vacuum bag can be adjusted as a result of observations. This method does not work, however, when manufacturing large structures with partially or completely closed spaces that cannot be accessed during manufacturing.
Various methods have been suggested to reduce the problem of trapped air in laminates.
Document DE 198 13 105 A1 describes a method where the venting area of a breather hole can be expanded with a semi-permeable membrane. Whilst this method can extend the active area of a suction vent, the effect cannot be ensured if one does not know the location of air inclusions. Furthermore, if the vent is placed on an external surface it requires substantial finishing works after moulded.
Document EP 1 181 149 describes a method whereby the entire vacuum bag surface comprises a semi-permeable membrane. This method will remove air from the laminate surface irrespective of where entrapment occurs, but it has the great disadvantage that if the mould surface is on the up side and the vacuum bag surface is on the down side, there is still a large risk of air inclusions close to the surface next to the mould. Due to buoyancy air will tend to move upwards, away from the venting membrane. The method described in EP 1 181 149 also has the disadvantage that it requires the entire surface of one side of the laminate to be covered by costly supplementary materials such as flow-assisting vacuum bags or semi-permeable membranes. Furthermore, for elongated, partially closed structures the removal of the supplementary materials after curing of the laminate may be difficult or impossible, and the supplementary materials may need to be left in place, which in turn could lead to problems over time with accumulation of condensation etc. in voids between the supplementary materials and the laminate.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,665,301 a method is disclosed for manufacturing a fiber reinforced composite article. A vacuum is connected to the fiber reinforcement in a mold via multiple peripheral self sealing micro porous conduits passing between a vacuum chamber and the mold cavity containing the fiber reinforcement for the article. Resin is injected in the mold. The resin flow moves toward the peripheral self sealing micro porous conduits allowing any residual air or volatiles remaining in the dry fiber reinforcement, due to imperfect vacuum, to be drawn out through the peripheral self sealing micro porous conduits into the peripheral vacuum chamber and exhausted through the vacuum pump.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,339 discloses a method of manufacturing a large-sized, thin-walled, elongated molding of fiber reinforced, hardenable synthetic resin where at least one layer of reinforcing fiber is laid against a form-retaining, rigid inner mold part. A flexible outer mold part is placed against the fiber layer. A liquid, hardenable synthetic resin is flowed into the mold cavity to substantially fill the mold cavity. A reduced pressure is induced within the mold cavity to cause the flexible mold part to be tightly drawn against the fiber layer and toward the inner mold part, air to be removed from within the resin, mold cavity and fiber layer and to cause the resin to flow into the fiber layer and mold cavity. Multi-channeled cores may be placed in the so-formed mold cavity to improve the uniformity of resin distribution.

Method for casting a component and a component comprising at least partly of fibre-reinforced plastic laminate


A system and method are described for operating a diesel engine and particulate filter during self-sustained filter regeneration. In particular, a method is described for preventing over-temperature during filter regeneration by limiting excess oxygen supplied to the particulate filter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to engine control strategies for engines and, more particularly, control methods for diesel engines having a diesel particulate filter (DPF).
2. Background Art
Diesel particulate filters (DPFs) are typically used in diesel engines. These filters store particulates generated by engine combustion. When the filter is raised above a predetermined temperature, the retained particles, which are mostly in the form of carbon, are burned off. After a majority of the particles are burned off, the filter can again retain particles generated by the engine.
There are various methods to raise and sustain particulate filter temperature to allow the above-described regeneration. For example, a burner can be used to burn fuel and thereby generate heat. Further, the burner can be controlled based on engine speed and load and temperature as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,158. It is also known that the rate of regeneration is a function of temperature. For example, as described in SAE Paper No. 830180, the rate of regeneration increases with increasing temperature, following an Arrhenius equation.
The inventors herein have recognized that high regeneration temperatures can actually result in a lower integrated fuel economy penalty; and, therefore, it may be desirable to use temperature increasing measures to increase the temperature of the DPF to a level at which the particles (soot) burn rather rapidly. In particular, if enough oxygen is available and the exhaust flow does not absorb too much heat, the reaction may become self-sustaining, i.e., it will continue even after the temperature increasing measures have been deactivated. In other words, it may become unnecessary to use energy, for example, in a burner, to maintain high DPF temperatures sufficient to maintain regeneration.
However, the inventors herein have also recognized a disadvantage with the above approach. In particular, while self-sustained regeneration can decrease a fuel economy penalty, it can cause other disadvantages. In particular, if the reaction rate is too high, the combustion of soot on the filter may result in excessive temperatures that degrade the DPF.
Finally, the inventors have realized that relying on exhaust air flow alone to carry heat away from the DPF may not provide sufficient cooling. In particular, it may not be clear ahead of time if a certain operating condition will allow enough air flow to cool the DPF.

Control for diesel engine with particulate filter


A motorcycle includes an axle of a rear wheel supported for rotation at a rear end of a swing arm. The swing arm is supported at a front end portion thereof for rocking motion on a vehicle body frame. A rear end exhaust portion of an exhaust system connected to a cylinder head provided on an engine body carried on the vehicle body frame forwardly of the rear wheel is disposed at a position higher than the axle. An exhaust control valve for adjusting the flow area in an exhaust pipe, which forms part of the exhaust system, is disposed in the exhaust pipe. The exhaust control valve is disposed forwardly and upwardly of the axle of the rear wheel to dispose the exhaust control valve in a better environment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motorcycle, wherein an axle of a rear wheel is supported for rotation at a rear end of a swing arm supported at a front end portion thereof for rocking motion on a vehicle body frame. A rear end exhaust portion of an exhaust system connected to a cylinder head provided on an engine body carried on the vehicle body frame forwardly of the rear wheel is disposed at a position higher than the axle. Furthermore, an exhaust control valve for adjusting the flow area in an exhaust pipe which forms part of the exhaust system is disposed in the exhaust pipe.
2. Description of Background Art
A motorcycle as described above has been described in, for example, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2002-138828.
In the motorcycle described in the above document; however, the exhaust control valve is disposed on the lower side forwardly of the axle of the rear wheel and the exhaust control valve is positioned close to the rear wheel and the supporting surface of the rear wheel. Therefore, the exhaust control valve is in an environment wherein it is liable to be exposed to dust, rainwater and so forth. In addition, the exhaust control valve in the above document, which has a sliding portion, is preferably disposed in a better environment.


An inkjet printer head includes: (a) a head unit having a plurality of ink inlets and operable to eject an ink which is supplied through the ink inlets from an ink source, for performing a recording operation; (b) an ink channel held in communication with the ink source; (c) a plurality of branch channels held in communication with the ink inlets; and (d) a rollable body movably disposed at a fork at which the ink channel is divided into the branch channels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an inkjet printer head.
2. Discussion of Related Art
There is known an inkjet printer head including: a head unit having an ink inlet, a multiplicity of pressure chambers and a multiplicity of nozzles; an ink supply passage communicating an ink source and the ink inlet so as to supply an ink from the ink source to the ink inlet; and a piezoelectric actuator plate mounted on the head unit and operable to pressurize the ink stored in a selected one or ones of the pressure chambers so that the ink is ejected through a corresponding one or ones of the nozzles which are held in communication with the selected pressure chamber or chambers.
To the ink inlet of the head unit, there is connected a resin member defining an ink channel which is held in communication with the ink supply passage, so that the ink can be supplied into the head unit from the ink source via the ink channel defined by the resin member. There is an arrangement in which a plurality of ink inlets are provided in the head unit, for distributing the ink into a plurality of portions of a nozzle plate which is provided by a lower portion of the head unit, so that the ink can be ejected evenly from the multiplicity of nozzles which are formed through the nozzle plate. In this arrangement, a plurality of branch channels are interposed between the single ink channel and the plurality of ink inlets, so that the ink is supplied from the ink source to each of the plurality of ink inlets via the single ink channel and a corresponding one of the branch channels.
It is common that the single ink channel communicated with the ink source via the ink supply passage is forked or divided into two branch channels as the plurality of branch channels.
JP-2003-220705A discloses an inkjet printer head unit in which an ink channel is divided into two branch channels at a fork that is surrounded by a circumferential wall. The circumferential wall is tapered such that a diameter defined by the circumferential wall is increased as viewed in a direction of flow of an ink supplied from an ink source (see FIG. 11 of JP-2003-220705A), for restraining an air from being accumulated in the fork or the branch channels.
In the arrangement in which the ink channel communicated with the ink source via the ink supply passage is simply divided into the two branch channels, the ink could flow into only one of the two branch channels, rather than into both of the two branch channels. In such an event, however, this state is maintained without the ink being forced to flow into the other branch channel, so that the ink cannot be distributed evenly into the two branch channels.
The provision of the tapered circumferential wall surrounding the fork is effective merely to provide a large ink passage so as to stabilize the flow of the ink therethrough, but does not serve to recover even distribution of the ink into the two branch channels.

Inkjet printer head having arrangement for even distribution of ink into ink inlets


A single-pole multi-throw switch includes a set of selection switches. The set of selection switches includes a set of primary switches, a first set and a second set of secondary switches. The primary set of switches includes a plurality of primary transistors coupled in series for transmitting radio frequency signals. The first set of secondary switches is coupled to the primary set of switches and includes a plurality of first secondary transistors coupled in series for transmitting the radio frequency signals when the primary transistors and the first secondary transistors are turned on. The second set of secondary switches is coupled to the primary set of switches and includes a plurality of second secondary transistors coupled in series for transmitting the radio frequency signals when the primary transistors and the second secondary transistors are turned on.

FIG. 1 shows a single-pole multi-throw switch according to prior art. The single-pole multi-throw switch 100 includes four sets of selection switches 1101 to 1104 and the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 can transmit or receive signals required by the system by turning on one set of selection switch among the four sets of selection switches 1101 to 1104. For example, when the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 is applied to a wireless communication system, the four sets of selection switches 1101 to 1104 can be coupled to different wireless communication modules 1301 to 1304 respectively so the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 can be used to transmit radio frequency signals to the related wireless communication module.
Each set of selection switches 1101 to 1104 includes a plurality of selection transistors 120. When the system uses the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 to transmit signals, only one set of selection switches is turned on. For example, when the system uses the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 and the wireless communication module 1301 to transmit signals, the selection transistors 120 of the set of selection switches 1101 are turned on, and the selection transistors 120 of the other sets of selection switches 1102 to 1104 are all turned off. Each set of selection switches 1102 to 1104 includes 14 selection transistors 120. If the effective capacitance of each of the selection transistor 120 is C, then the effective capacitance of the set of selection switches 1102 will be the effective capacitance of 14 selection transistors 120 in series, that is C/14, and the effective capacitance of the sets of selection switches 1102-1104 will be 3C/14. Namely, when the system uses the set of selection switches 1101 to transmit signals, the effective capacitance of turned-off transistors of the sets of selection switches 1102 to 1104 is the parasitic capacitance and excessive parasitic capacitance can weaken the strength of the transmission signals. In addition, the sets of selection switches 1102-1104 may require a significant size of area, which can be conflict with the needs of mobile electronic devices.
Moreover, when the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 includes even more sets of selection switches, the required area will also increase. For example, according to the structure of the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 in FIG. 1, the size of area may increase significantly when the single-pole multi-throw switch 100 is expanded to include eight sets of selection switches. Therefore, how to reduce the parasitic capacitance and the required area of the single-pole multi-throw switch has become a critical issue to be solved.


A method for manufacturing a shaped article comprising the step of cutting a shaped article from a first article; wherein as the shaped article is cut from the first article the shaped article's cross-section is deformed and wherein the first article's cross-section is shaped such that it compensates for the deformation during the cutting step so as to achieve a shaped article with a desired cross-section. Shaped articles and compositions comprising shaped articles are also described.

For many years coloured particles have been incorporated into cleaning compositions for improving the aesthetics of the cleaning composition. Traditionally, these aesthetic particles are coloured detergent particles for example as described in WO 97/33965. They may also be in the form of noodles as described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,747,000.
The present invention seeks to provide improved aesthetic particles for use in consumer products, particularly cleaning compositions. However, producing shaped articles with complicated cross-sections is technically challenging. The process must be efficient and able to produce aesthetic particles at high speed, but also the aesthetic particles must have a good, reliable shape and meet the technical requirements of the end uses. For example, they may be required to dissolve during a washing process, such as a laundry washing process, whilst being robust enough to withstand handling and storage without breaking. These technical challenges are exacerbated because such particles are typically small, for example having a greatest cross-section of below 8 mm, usually below 6 mm or 5 mm or 4 mm.

Method for manufacturing a shaped article