The present invention provides a tire having a low rolling resistance, a high abrasion resistance, a low heat build-up and a high tear resistance. The low rolling resistance tire having a tread made of a rubber compound comprises a rubber component, carbon black and silica as reinforcing agents, wherein the rubber component comprises a natural rubber in an amount of 70% by weight or more, the rubber compound further contains a surface-treated calcium carbonate having a surface area by nitrogen adsorption of 15 m.sup.2 /g or more and 0 to 5 parts by weight of a softener per 100 parts by weight of the rubber component, and the amount of the carbon black and silica satisfy the following relations (1) and (2), and the amount of the surface-treated calcium carbonate satisfies the relation (3) in terms of parts by weight per 100 parts by weight of the rubber component:. (1) 35.ltoreq.(Carbon black content)+0.75.times.(Silica content).ltoreq.50, PA1 (2) 0.2 .ltoreq.0.75.times.(Silica content)/(Carbon black content).ltoreq.1.0, and PA1 (3) 0.05.ltoreq.(Calcium carbonate content)/(Silica content).ltoreq.0.40.

In general, requirements for automobile tires are high abrasion resistance, low rolling resistance, low heat build-up, high tear resistance, high groove cracking resistance, high skidding resistance, etc. These properties need to be well balanced. In recent years, the demand for conservation of resources has grown also in the art of tires from the standpoint of environmental protection. Among the foregoing properties, low rolling resistance, which leads to the enhancement of energy efficiency, and high abrasion resistance, high tear resistance and low heat build-up, which prolong the life of tires to enhance the cost performance of materials, are particularly focused. In particular, tires which are used under a large additional load, e.g., tires for truck, commercial car, bus, electric car running with a heavy storage battery on board, etc. are requested to exhibit improvements in the foregoing properties, i.e., low rolling resistance, high abrasion resistance, high tear resistance and low heat build-up while maintaining other general properties. While the automobile is running, the portion of the tire which comes in contact with the ground moves circumferentially and continuously as the tire rotates. During this process, the tread of the tire which has come in contact with the ground undergoes compression deflection, bending deflection and shear deflection under a load while the tread which has been released from the ground restores its original shape. Thus, the various portions of the tire do a repeated work of deflection and restoration. Since the rubber compound constituting the tread exhibits a viscoelasticity in which deflection lags behind stress, it undergoes hysteresis loss during the repeated work of deflection and restoration, converting a part of the driving energy applied to heat energy. This hysteresis loss constitutes the mast part of energy loss accompanying the rolling of the tire called rolling resistance. Thus, the reduction of rolling resistance means nothing but the reduction of the hysteresis loss of the rubber compound constituting the tread. In order to reduce rolling resistance, the formation of the tread by using a rubber compound comprising a rubber polymer which provides a reduced hysteresis loss and carbon black having a large particle size as a reinforcing agent or a reduced amount of carbon black has been attempted. However, the particle size of carbon black relates to its reinforcing effect. Thus, the larger the particle size of carbon black is, the lower abrasion resistance and tear resistance are. Further, when the content of carbon black is reduced, the lowered reinforcing effect is caused, deteriorating abrasion resistance and tear resistance. Therefore, the reduction of rolling resistance without impairing other properties by this method is limited. Accordingly, it is a common practice to form a tread in a 2-layers construction (cap/base). In some detail, the cap, which comes in contact with the ground, is made of a rubber compound having an excellent abrasion resistance while the base, which does not wear in operation, is made of a rubber compound having a low rolling resistance regardless of abrasion resistance. Even in this method, the rolling resistance relates to the sum of the hysteresis loss of the cap and base. If the tread comprises a cap/base construction in which the base is made of a rubber compound having a lower hysteresis loss to exhibit an even lower rolling resistance, the tire undergoes tearing during the terminal period of operation and thus shows a reduced life. Therefore, even such a cap/base construction cannot reduce the rolling resistance to the desired level while maintaining the desired abrasion resistance and tear resistance. From the standpoint of the foregoing problems, JP-A-3-7602 (The term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application") proposes a method which comprises the formation of a base by a rubber compound comprising carbon black and silica incorporated therein as reinforcing agents to drastically reduce the rolling resistance of the tire while maintaining endurance of carcass (heat build-up) and tear resistance. Since silica disadvantageously enhances the viscosity of the rubber compound and hence deteriorates the processability thereof as compared with carbon black, it is necessary that the rubber compound having silica incorporated therein comprises a large amount of a softener incorporated therein to have a better processability in order to put itself into practical use. However, if a softener is incorporated in the rubber compound in a large amount, the resulting rubber compound exhibits a reduced abrasion resistance. Therefore, silica is mostly incorporated in the base in the cap/base construction, although the use of silica provides a rubber compound having a low rolling resistance.


A method of processing packets includes receiving packets and assigning the packets to different pages, where each page represents a fixed amount of memory. The different pages are distributed to different pools, where each pool has a unique mapping to banks, and where each bank is a set of memory resources. The different pages from the different pools are assigned to different banks in accordance with the unique mapping.

A packet processing device usually needs to buffer the packets into a packet memory while it processes them. The size of some packets (for example Ethernet packets) is not known upfront, so the device needs to start storing the packet into the packet memory without knowing how large the packet is. Moreover, packets arrive at the device in an interleaved fashion, so the device is simultaneously storing several incoming packets into the packet memory.
One solution is to reserve as much packet memory as the maximum possible packet size, so once the start of a packet is detected, the packet starts to be stored at the current memory pointer; then the current memory pointer is updated by adding the maximum packet size, and becomes the memory pointer where the next incoming packet will be stored at. Once the packets are processed and transmitted, their space in the packet memory (the fixed maximum packet size) can be freed and reused for other packets. In this scheme, the management of the packet memory by the packet memory manager is simple and each packet is associated with a single pointer into the packet memory (where the packet starts).
The problem with this solution is that it wastes a lot of packet memory since a maximum packet size is allocated for each packet regardless of the size of the packet. This implies that the packet memory needs to be very large to accommodate all the packets that need to be simultaneously processed to meet the bandwidth demands of the device. Since the packet memory is a very expensive resource (especially if it is implemented on-chip using SRAM), this solution is not cost effective.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide improved techniques for packet memory management in high bandwidth packet processors.

Apparatus and method for packet memory datapath processing in high bandwidth packet processing devices


An exhaust manifold and related method have a hybrid clamshell construction including an outer manifold half stamped from a first metal and having a first wall thickness, as well as an inner manifold half stamped from a second metal that is different from the first metal and has a second wall thickness which is different from the first wall thickness. Opposite side edges of the outer and inner manifold halves are rigidly interconnected to define a hollow manifold bottom. Port and outlet flanges are rigidly attached to inlet and outlet sides of the manifold body.

The present invention relates to exhaust manifolds for internal combustion engines and the like, and in particular to a hybrid clamshell construction and method therefor.
Exhaust manifolds for internal combustion engines are well known in the art, and serve to direct the flow of exhaust gases from the engine heads or exhaust ports to the atmosphere through an exhaust system, which may include catalytic converters, mufflers, tailpipes and the like. Since exhaust manifolds are exposed to extremely high temperatures during operation, and experience temperature fluctuations during use, they typically have a very heavy-duty, one-piece, cast iron construction. Different portions of the exhaust manifold are subjected to a variety of different temperatures, depending upon their proximity to the engine head or exhaust port, exhaust back pressure in the system, manifold wall thickness, and other dynamics of the flow of exhaust gases through the manifold. These localized temperature gradients, and the geometry of the manifold, generate substantial stress and strain within the manifold itself, which must be considered during the design of the manifold to ensure sufficient durability and efficient exhaust gas flow. The cycling of the manifold between extremely hot operating temperatures and cool ambient temperatures can also result in thermal fatigue which weakens the manifold, and can adversely impact the engine exhaust gas dynamics, as well as engine efficiency itself.

Exhaust manifold with hybrid construction and method


Provided is a method and an apparatus for controlling an electric device. The apparatus includes a cabinet defining a recess, and a sensor disposed within said recess for sensing the presence of a foreign object in close proximity to the sensor. A veneer at least partially conceals the sensor disposed within said recess from view when observed from an ambient environment of the cabinet. A controller is responsive to a signal transmitted by the sensor indicative of the presence of the foreign object adjacent to the sensor to transmit a control signal for controlling operation of the electric device operatively connected to communicate with the controller.

1. Field of the Invention
This application relates generally to capacitive sensors and, in particular, to a cabinet, piece of furniture or other object including an integrated capacitive sensor for controlling operation of an electric device.
2. Description of Related Art
Capacitive sensors are found in many devices and applications. Light switches, elevator buttons, computer touch-screens and controls on electronic equipment are examples of a few common applications. Typically, the capacitive sensors are in plain view, clearly delineated on the applicable device. For example, a wall switch with a touch pad, the appearance of buttons in an elevator, a touch-sensitive screen itself, and various indicia and/or discrete touch surfaces in other equipment are exposed and readily viewed by individuals, even when such sensors are not actively being used.
An exposed sensor can give objects an unsightly appearance for users to view.


Chewable medicament tablets are made from coated rotogranules of a medicament wherein the rotogranules are formed from a granulation mixture of medicament, e.g. ibuprofen, polyvinylpyrrolidone, sodium starch glycolate and sodium lauryl sulfate and the rotogranules are coated with hydroxyethyl cellulose or a mixture of hydroxyethyl cellulose and hydroxypropyl methylcellulose and a process for making such tablets and a method of providing taste masking of medicaments utilizing such coated rotogranules in a tablet.

Orally administered medicaments are given to the patient in many forms, such as liquid solutions, emulsions, or suspensions, or in solid form such as capsules or tablets (as used herein, the term "tablet" means any shaped and compressed solid dosage form, including caplets). Medicaments administered in tablet or capsule form are usually intended to be swallowed whole. Therefore, the often disagreeable taste of the active ingredient need not be taken into account in formulating the medicine, except for the provision of means to prevent the taste from being apparent during the short time that the medicine is in the mouth. Such means may include the provision of an appropriately thin and quickly dissolving coating on the tablet, the use of the gelatin capsule form (the gelatin outer shell of the capsule keeps the active ingredient inside until the capsule has been swallowed), or simply compressing a tablet firmly so that it will not begin to disintegrate during the short time that it is intended to be in the mouth.
Children, older persons, and many other persons have trouble swallowing whole tablets and even capsules. Therefore, in cases where the dosage to be administered cannot be made into a very small tablet or capsule, it is desirable to provide the medicine either in liquid form or in a chewable solid form, in addition to the tablet or capsule that is designed to be swallowed whole. Even where the medicine can be formulated as a liquid, it is desirable also to be able to provide a chewable solid form because it is usually more convenient to carry a supply of tablets with oneself all day than a container of liquid medicine.
A common problem with chewable tablet forms is the often disagreeable taste of the active ingredient which manifests itself during chewing. In some cases, the taste of the active medicament in a tablet can be overpowered by adding flavoring ingredients to the tablet so that when it is chewed, the taste of the active ingredient is simply overpowered. For instance, this has been done with children's aspirin where the dosage is small enough so that the amount of flavoring agents needed to mask the taste of the medicine is not so great that the tablet becomes unreasonably large. A different approach is taken with a commercially available children's size tablet of acetaminophen (acetyl para-aminophenol or "APAP") wherein the APAP is present in granules that are coated with ethyl cellulose. A significant proportion of the APAP remains shielded by the coating (and therefore does not contribute to taste) while the tablet is in the mouth, despite some breakage of the ethyl cellulose coating during compression of the tablet and some additional breakage of the coating during chewing. The APAP becomes bioavailable via permeation through the coating (although ethyl cellulose is not soluble in aqueous fluids, water does permeate through the coating) and from the granules where the coating is broken.
The present invention is directed to the discovery of a granulating and coating process for active medicaments which can achieve a better balance between taste masking and bioavailability than ethyl cellulose or other previously known coating combinations.

Rotogranulations and taste masking coatings for preparation of chewable pharmaceutical tablets


A liquid ejection head includes a nozzle plate, a channel plate, a common-liquid-chamber member, and a deformable damper area. The nozzle plate includes plural nozzles to eject droplets of liquid. The channel plate includes individual liquid chambers communicated with the nozzles. The common-liquid-chamber member includes a common liquid chamber to supply the liquid to the individual liquid chambers. The deformable damper area forms a wall face of the common liquid chamber. The channel plate has an end in a direction perpendicular to a nozzle array direction in which the nozzles are arrayed. The end is opposed to a portion of the damper area and has a relief at a side facing the damper area to permit deformation of the damper area.

1. Technical Field
Embodiments of this disclosure relate to a liquid ejection head and an image forming apparatus including the liquid ejection head.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image forming apparatuses are used as printers, facsimile machines, copiers, plotters, or multi-functional devices having two or more of the foregoing capabilities. As one type of image funning apparatuses employing a liquid-ejection recording method, for example, inkjet recording apparatuses are known that use a recording head (liquid ejection head or liquid-droplet ejection head) for ejecting droplets of liquid (e.g., ink).
In a liquid ejection head, when an individual channel is pressurized to eject a droplet, pressure fluctuation occurring in the individual channel is changed into a pressure wave and the pressure wave is also propagated to a common liquid chamber (a common channel) for supplying liquid to plural individual channels. When the pressure wave propagated to the common liquid chamber is inversely propagated to the individual channel, the pressure of the individual channel is caused to fluctuate so that a meniscus of a nozzle cannot be controlled. Consequently, a droplet cannot be ejected at a desired droplet speed and a droplet amount (droplet volume) or no droplet is ejected. When the pressure wave propagated to the common liquid chamber is propagated to an adjacent individual channel so that mutual interference influencing the liquid occurs, unintentional leakage or ejection of a droplet from the nozzle or instability of an ejection state is induced.
Hence, for example, in an art like described in JP-2011-056924-A, a part of a wall surface of a common liquid chamber is formed as a deformable damper area to attenuate a pressure wave propagated to the common liquid chamber, and a channel plate has such a size that an end surface in a direction perpendicular to a nozzle array direction does not reach the damper area in order to reduce the size thereof.
An attenuation effect (damper performance) produced by the damper area is proportional to a deformation amount (volume change rate) of the damper area, and the deformation amount is proportional to a first power of a long side, a fifth power of a short side and a minus third power of a thickness if the damper area takes a rectangular shape seen on a plane. Accordingly, increasing the short side of the damper area is effective for enhancing the damper performance.
When the short side of the damper area provided on a liquid ejection head has a length in a direction perpendicular to a nozzle array direction and the long side of the damper area has a length in the nozzle array direction, an increase in the short side of the damper area causes an increase in the length (referred to as "head width") in the direction perpendicular to the nozzle array direction of the head, resulting in an increase in the size of the head.
On the other hand, when maintenance and recovery operations are carried out to maintain the performance of the liquid ejection head, a nozzle face of the head is capped with a cap member. In order to reliably carry out the capping of the nozzle face with the cap member, the length (head width) of the short side of the head is increased to secure an area capped by the cap member.

Liquid ejection head and image forming apparatus including same


The invention discloses a method for reducing service loss in interworking between SS7 signaling network and M3UA. In the method, when state of an M3UA ASP-related signaling point changes, the SS7 signaling network may be notified by using messages defined in existing protocols or other messages. Thus, when performing service interworking with M3UA, the SS7 signaling network determines whether service interaction may be performed with M3UA in accordance with the state of current ASP-related signaling point. If the current ASP-related signaling point is unavailable, the SS7 signaling network will not perform service interaction. As a result, the service loss in interworking between SS7 signaling network and M3UA may be reduced without any affect on the normal service interworking between SS7 signaling network and M3UA. In addition, the method may conform to existing protocol standards, and implemented in a simple and easy way.

Signaling systems are critical to the modern communication networks. The good performance of a telecommunication networks depends on the reliable transmission of signaling messages through the telecommunication equipment. A series of specifications and techniques, such as the matured narrow-band No. 7 signaling system, have been introduced in the conventional telecommunication networks to ensure the reliability of a signaling system.
With the gradual maturity of the Internet Protocol (IP) packet-based network technology, it becomes possible to utilize the IP packet-based network to transmit services such as voice service, data service, and multimedia service, etc. This requires combining the IP packet-based network with the conventional circuit switched network for service transmission. In order to achieve the interworking between the conventional circuit switched network and the IP packet-based network, a set of Signaling Transport (SIGTRAN) protocols was constituted by the Internet Engineering Task Force (IETF) for transmitting the signaling of the conventional circuit switched network over the IP network. The MTP3 User Adaptation Layer (M3UA) protocol is a protocol in the set of the SIGTRAN protocols for adaptation of the interface primitive between the Message Transfer Part 3 (MTP3) layer and the upper layer users of the MTP3 layer. M3UA is designed to enable the transparent transmission of messages between the MTP3 (Message Transfer Part 3) and the upper layer users of the MTP3 layer.
The M3UA protocol is used for interworking between SS7 signaling and IP network as well as the transmission of MTP3 user messages over the IP network. The basic application model of the M3UA protocol is as shown in FIG. 1. From the viewpoint of the Telephone User Part (TUP)/ISDN User Part (ISUP)/Signaling Connection Control Part (SCCP) (TUP/ISUP/SCCP . . . ), the Message Transfer Part (MTP) is only a channel for message transmission, i.e., the Message Transfer Part (MTP) is used to ensure the reliable and accurate transmission of user part messages to the user part of the destination signaling point (SP). The MTP includes 3 parts, i.e., Message Transfer Part 1 (MTP1), Message Transfer Part 2 (MTP2), and Message Transfer Part 3 (MTP3). While the M3UA is used for implement user adaptation function of the MTP3.
In the M3UA protocol, several SS7 signaling network management messages are specified as follows:
Destination Unavailable (DUNA): when a related signaling point of an SS7 signaling network has a failure and thus becomes unavailable, the M3UA of the Signaling Gateway (SG) will send the DUNA message to notify the relevant Application Server Process(es) (ASP(s));
Destination Available (DAVA): when a related signaling point of an SS7 signaling network recovers from a failure and thus becomes available, the M3UA of the SG will send the DAVA message to notify the relevant ASP(s);
Destination State Audit (DAUD): this message is used for the ASPs to audit the state of a related signaling point of the related SS7 signaling network to the SG;
Signaling Congestion (SCON): when a related signaling point of the SS7 signaling network is congested, the M3UA of the SG will send the SCON message to notify the relevant ASP(s);
Destination User Part Unavailable (DUPU): when the MTP user part of a related signaling point of the SS7 signaling network becomes unavailable, the M3UA of the SG will send the DUPU message to notify the relevant ASP(s).
As described above, in the specification for SS7 signaling network management messages in M3UA protocol, it is specified explicitly that the signaling gateway (SG) should use the corresponding SS7 signaling network management messages in the M3UA to notify the relevant ASPs whenever the state of a signaling point in SS7 signaling network changes.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing the application of the SS7 signaling network management messages in M3UA. As shown in FIG. 2, whenever the state of an SS7 signaling point "A" changes, the relevant SS7 Signaling Transfer Point (STP) will notify the SG by using the SS7 MTP3 signaling network management messages, such as Transfer Prohibit (TFP)/Transfer Allowed (TFA)/Transfer Congestion (TFC)/User Part Unavailable (UPU). Then, the SG notifies the relevant ASPs by using the M3UA SS7 signaling network management messages, such as DUNA/DAVA/SCON/DUPU. In this way, the ASPs may learn about the state of the relevant signaling points in the SS7 signaling network quickly. However, though the M3UA protocol specifies explicitly the SS7 signaling network management messages and the corresponding processing schemes as described above, the relevant SS7 signaling points can not learn about the change in the states of the signaling points at the ASP side of M3UA when the states of the signaling points at the ASP side changes, because the M3UA does not notify the SS7 network of the change. Accordingly, an upper layer service user of the signaling points at SS7 side may not know the state change in the signaling points at the ASP side of M3UA, e.g., a failure in a signaling point at the ASP side of M3UA. This may result in a loss of service sent from an SS7 signaling point to the ASP side of M3UA, i.e., the loss of the relevant signaling services. Therefore, the reliability of communication can not be guaranteed.

Method for reducing service loss in interworking between SS7 signaling network and M3UA, and a signaling gateway


An apparatus, system, and method for replicating a snapshot volume in a first storage system to a second storage system includes mapping information corresponding to data in the first storage system that is transferred from the first storage system to the second storage system so that a file system in the second storage system can mount the data after replication. Replication of the snapshot volume can be accomplished using a remote copy mechanism. The snapshot volume can be obtained from a primary source volume P-VOL and a differential source volume D-VOL. If the corresponding destination volumes are not known, a search is conducted to locate appropriate volumes in the second storage system. Mapping information regarding these destination volumes is utilized to enable the file system in the second storage system to mount the replicated snapshot volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to storage systems. More specifically, the invention relates to making a replica of a snapshot image in a remote network attached storage (NAS) system, and to enabling a remote NAS system to mount the snapshot image after making the replica of the snapshot image.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally speaking, there are two major storage system types: SAN (Storage Area Network) and NAS (Network Attached Storage). SAN employs block level access to data in its storage system, while file level access is used in NAS.
"Snapshot" is a mechanism for taking a point in time (PIT) copy of a file system in the NAS system. There are various ways of implementing the snapshot mechanism. Copy on write (COW) is one of the most popular implementations in the NAS system.
"Remote Copy" is a mechanism for creating a volume pair between two separate storage systems. One main purpose of remote copy is to prepare for catastrophic events or disasters, and to enable disaster recovery (DR). Although the NAS system is a file level storage system, it can collaborate with the remote copy mechanism in a disk array storage system residing in the backend of the NAS system.
It is possible to use both the snapshot mechanism and the remote copy mechanism at the same time. More specifically, the snapshot image can be copied by using remote copy operations. However, in the prior art, it is not possible for a local file system of a remote NAS system to mount the copied snapshot image because the snapshot module in the remote NAS system does not have sufficient information regarding logical units corresponding the snapshot image.
Examples of prior art patents include: "Method and System for Providing a Static Snapshot of Data Stored on a Mass Storage System", Richard S. Ohrann et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,152; "Storage System Assuring Data Integrity and A Synchronous Remote Data Duplexing", Akira Yamamoto, U.S. Pat. No. 6,408,370; and "Heterogeneous Computer System, Heterogeneous Input Output System and Data Backup Method for the Systems", Yasuko Fukuzawa et al, U.S. Pat. No. 6,529,976. The entire disclosures of all of these patents are hereby incorporated by reference.

Method for replicating snapshot volumes between storage systems


An improved support for potted plants comprising a vertical post formed of one or more hollow sections secured to a horizontal apertured anchor plate. The anchor plate, which rests on the bottom of the pot, is held in place by the weight of the soil in the pot. The vertical post is extendable in length by the addition of post segments. The section of the post in the pot is apertured to provide feeding ports for the plant and the sections are interconnected by a coupling having tabs extending laterally thereof for anchoring plant ties.

Many varieties of potted plants require some kind of mechanical support. This is true for vines, young trees and other types of indoor plants.
The ordinary wooden stake or slender stick typically employed for this purpose is not satisfactory, since the loose potting soils in which such plants are grown do not firmly anchor the stake. As a result, the stake is loosely supported and shifts out of the desired position for supporting the plant.
Further, as the plant grows, the original stake becomes too short for the plant and needs to be replaced with a longer one. While the original stake may by this time have stabilized with the settling of the soil, the newly installed stake will now present the same problem of instability that was encountered with the first stake.
There is also the possibility of root damage that occurs each time a stake is driven into the soil adjacent the plant. Some plants are especially sensitive to such damage, and the stake replacement operation should be avoided where possible.
Another problem involving plant damage that is not attributable directly to the present staking method may be alleviated through the use of the improved plant support of this invention. The damage, in this case, is that which occurs in connection with repotting. In the process of removing the plant from the original container, it is typically noted that after digging around the edge of the pot, it is still necessary to pry the root ball loose or to pull on the plant by its trunk in order to dislodge it from the pot. As this is done, the loose potting soil falls away from the root of the plant, and the roots of the plant may be torn or seriously disturbed. Further damage may occur as the plant is installed in the larger container and again in the restaking operation.
What is needed, then is a type of hollow plant feeding support that may be more securely anchored in the loose potting soil medium and used for watering the plant at various levels in the pot. The length of the support should be extendable, so that replacement of the support will not be required as the plant grows and the support provides tie supports along its length.

Extendable support post for potted plants


A system and method for providing secure, on-demand printing of documents delivered to a printing device is disclosed. A user logs onto a delivery system using a mobile device and selects a document to be printed along with a destination printing device. The delivery system encrypts the document to be delivered and creates a key that is sent to the mobile device. The delivery system sends the encrypted document to the destination printing device where it is stored. When the user is physically at the destination printing device, a connection is established between the mobile device and the destination printing device. The mobile device identifies to the printing device the document to be printed and sends the key to the printing device. The printing device uses the key to decrypt the document and then prints the document.

In today's rapidly paced society, professional and personal demands on messaging technologies, such as voice mail, e-mail, facsimile and pagers, have greatly increased. The development of this technology, in turn, has increased demands on mobile people who rely on these messaging devices for a variety of business and social communications. Specifically, these expectations have forced the mobile professional to demand the ability to receive messages regardless of time, location, or availability of messaging devices. According to a recent study by Pitney Bowes Inc. of Stamford, Conn., a typical business professional receives 169 messages a day. Many of these messages are delivered using some form of electronic and mobile communication such as cellular telephones, facsimiles, analog/digital telephone, pagers, e-mail transmission, and personal data assistants. These messages help determine the mobile professional's daily plans, keep him/her in contact with his/her community and enable him/her to accomplish his/her professional and personal goals.
Users, recognizing the capabilities of these devices, have relied on these devices such that they have become nearly indispensable tools for many businesses and individual consumers. Specifically recognized as invaluable are the inherent capabilities of a facsimile as an effective means of quickly and efficiently transmitting many types of documents from one known and specified location to another known and specified location. Facsimile machines are indispensable global tools, because they are used throughout the world and are accessible by and compatible with any other facsimile in the world. In addition, the use of facsimile machines has significantly improved the speed of transmittal of documents as compared to the sending of such a document through the postal services and/or various other express courier services, which, in general, require overnight delivery. Furthermore, facsimile machines have eased the travel burden on mobile professionals by eliminating the total number of printed documents they must carry to offsite meetings. With the aid of facsimile machines, any forgotten necessary documents may be retrieved by a simple facsimile.
In another messaging scenario, an individual may desire to print a hard copy of a document, an e-mail message or attachments to an e-mail message. In typical document messaging systems, a user desiring to print a document or message must be physically connected to a local printer or networked to a shared printer to print the document or message.
There are problems, however, with conventional document messaging systems. For example, a person desiring to print a document or message, or receive a facsimile of a document or message, must know the location of the device, and in the case of a facsimile, the facsimile number where a message may be received. If the message is a confidential communication, the user will desire to be present at the precise time the document or message is printed to claim the printed document or message before others see it. Otherwise, if the receiving facsimile machine or printer is in a public location, there is a risk that the message will be printed and left in an accessible location before the intended recipient gets there. Thus, if the intended recipient is not physically present at the facsimile machine or printer when the printing occurs, the intended recipient may never receive the message, and/or any confidentiality may be broken.
Similarly, if a shared network printer is being used to print a document or a message, there is a risk that the document or message will be printed and left in an accessible location before the user gets there to retrieve the printed document or message. Accordingly, any confidentiality may not be maintained.
Thus, there exists a need for a messaging system that can provide secure, on-demand printing of documents or messages delivered to a printing device, thereby ensuring receipt by the intended recipient and ensuring confidentiality of the contents of the document or message.

Method and system for secure delivery and printing of documents


An avalanche diode is formed in an N layer (20) of a bipolar integrated circuit. The diode comprises a first (P) region (22) and N region (21) disposed inside the first region. The portion of the first region which resides under the N region and close to the interface with the latter has a first doping level. A second (P) region (23) extends under the N region with a second doping level higher than the first close to the junction. A third P region (30) is disposed under the N region and overlaps the second P region. The third region has, at its interface with the N region, a doping level intermediate the first and second doping levels.

The present invention relates to the field of bipolar integrated circuits, and more particularly to avalanche diodes designed to serve as voltage references in such circuits.
Avalanche diodes have been thoroughly studied, and it is known, when discrete components are achieved, how to obtain satisfactory avalanche diodes. However, when manufacturing integrated circuits, numerous requirements are to be met, namely, a large number of elementary components are simultaneously achieved and all these components have to be achieved with a minimum number of manufacturing steps.
FIG. 1 is intended to review the main technological steps and structures achievable in a bipolar integrated circuit. Such a circuit is generally achieved on a substrate 1 of a first (generally P) conductivity type, on which is formed an epitaxial layer 2 of a second conductivity type (N). At the interface between the substrate 1 and the epitaxial layer 2 can be formed N.sup.+ -type buried layers, resulting from a dopant implantation carried out in the substrate prior to epitaxial growth. The epitaxial layer is divided into wells by P.sup.+ -type deep diffused regions 5 or by regions 6 with shallower diffusions extending from the surface and joining regions 7 resulting from a P-type implantation in the surface of the substrate 1 prior to epitaxy. In each well, provided or not with a buried layer, it is then possible to form various types of components. The prevalent component is the NPN transistor comprising a P region 10 corresponding to the base of an NPN transistor. Inside this P region 10 is formed an N.sup.+ -type region 11 corresponding to the transistor emitter. These P and N.sup.+ diffusions, 10 and 11, respectively, can be used in structures other than an NPN transistor. However, they are still called, when it is desired to designate their nature and their doping type, P base diffusions for the regions formed simultaneously with the base and N emitter diffusions for regions formed simultaneously with the emitters of the NPN transistors. For example, the collector contact of the NPN transistor is achieved on an N.sup.+ region 12 which is an N emitter diffusion. Moreover, as shown in the right-hand portion of FIG. 1, P.sup.+ -type regions 13 are generally provided, serving, for example, as emitter and collector for PNP power transistors.
To sum up, from the surface of an N type well, it is possible to form:
a first P-type region corresponding to the base of the NPN transistors, PA1 second P-type region corresponding to the emitters of the PNP transistors, PA1 a third P-type region corresponding to an insulation diffusion (entire insulation diffusion such as diffusion 5 or partial insulation diffusion such as diffusion 6), PA1 an N.sup.+ -type diffusion corresponding to the emitters of the NPN transistors. PA1 r designates the resistance per square of the P layer 22,
A priori, it is possible to form avalanche diodes by reversely biasing a junction formed from two regions of opposite type among the above regions.
In practice, one of the avalanche diode structures which gives the most satisfactory results is a structure of the type illustrated in the cross section view of FIG. 2A and in the top view of FIG. 2B. This avalanche diode is formed in an N well 20 (the underlying P substrate is not shown). The avalanche diode comprises an N.sup.+ emitter region 21 formed in a P base region 22. Substantially in the middle of region 21 a highly doped P diffusion 23 has been previously formed, so that it is the interface between the N region 21 and the P region 23 which corresponds to the junction liable to provide the avalanche effect. This is intended to provide on both sides of the junction substantially homogeneous concentrations of N dopant and P dopant so that the avalanche surface is clearly defined. Indeed, in the absence of region 23, the avalanche junction would be the junction between region 21 and region 22. Since the P region 22 has been obtained through diffusion, its doping level is higher at the surface than depthwise and the avalanche would tend to occur preferably near the surface, which causes numerous drawbacks as regards the definition of the junction surface liable to be set to avalanche mode and as regards the characteristics of the avalanche junction since the upper surfaces of a layer are the most likely to be polluted and damaged with age. Indeed, moving electrical charges may happen to be in the oxide coating the junction surfaces. The presence of these charges changes the avalanche conditions, causing excessive noise and often a change in time of the avalanche voltage value.
Of course, the N.sup.+ region 21 is substantially more highly doped than the P.sup.+ region 23 so that all this N.sup.+ region has substantially the same doping level, even where the upper portion of P.sup.+ region 23 was formed. The P.sup.+ region 23 can, for example, correspond to a P emitter region of the PNP transistor or to a P insulation region. A metallization 24 is provided on the N region 21 and a metallization 25 is provided on the apparent surface of the P region 22.
Thus, the described structure provide a satisfactory definition of the avalanche voltage. Preferably, the area of the junction between layers 21 and 23 is as small as possible so that the current density in this diode is relatively high, which provides a more reliable definition (less noisy) of the avalanche voltage, necessary for defining a reference voltage. However, a drawback of this structure is that the avalanche current will flow through the annular portion of P region 22, designated by resistance R.sub.1, pinched between the N.sup.+ diffusion 21 and the epitaxial layer 20. This pinched region has a relatively high resistance which is defined with a relative inaccuracy and which depends upon the accuracy of the relative positioning of regions 21 and 23. Hence, the avalanche voltage which is accurately defined at the junction between regions 21 and 23 is less accurately defined between electrodes 24 and 25 due to the presence of the access resistance R.sub.1. If the structure is ring-shaped as shown in the top view of FIG. 2B, the resistance of the above pinched region will be: EQU R.sub.1 =r/2.pi. Log(d2/d1)
where
d1 designates the diameter of the junction region between layers 21 and 23, and
d2 designates the diameter of the substantially horizontal junction region between regions 21 and 22.
In order to reduce the value of R.sub.1, d1/d2 should approach 1. However, it is not possible to freely select these values because they are imposed by the fact, on the one hand, that the diameter d1 has to be as small as possible to obtain a high current density at the junction to prevent the avalanche diode from being noisy and, on the other hand, that the difference between values d1 and d2 is fixed by technological parameters and especially by the positioning accuracy of two successive masks.
Thus, an object of the invention is to provide a new avalanche diode structure implementable in an integrated circuit and using no additional manufacturing steps other than the steps normally provided for in a bipolar integrated circuit, this structure being such that the access resistance to the avalanche diode is reduced.

Avalanche diode in a bipolar integrated circuit


A new variety of Gentiana L. plant (Japanese gentian) which is a double flower type and has about 3 (2.9 on average) side shoots with only one node.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Japanese gentian, Gentiana L., which has been given the variety denomination 'Ashiro 29-2076'.
This new gentian is a double flower type and has about 3 (2.9 on average) side shoots with only one node. It is adapted for use as cut flowers or pot flowers.


Semiconductor devices useful as light emitting diodes or power transistors are provided. The devices produced by depositing a Zn—O-based layer comprising nanostructures on a Si-based substrate, with or without a metal catalyst layer deposited therebetween. Furthermore, a pair of adjacent p-n junction forming layers is deposited on the ZnO-based layer, where one of the pair is an n-type epitaxial layer, and the other is a p-type epitaxial layer. One or more epitaxial layers may, optionally, be deposited between the ZnO-based layer and the pair of adjacent p-n junction forming layers.

Semiconductor devices having metal oxide layers of adjacent epitaxial p-type and n-type structures which form p-n junctions are known as semiconductor diodes, or p-n diodes, and are useful as light emitting diodes (LEDs) and power transistors. The further development of this technology has enabled their efficiency to rise exponentially, making them more widely useful in various applications. Among recent research trends are those that seek to reduce costs of producing semiconductor diodes, while enlarging the diode surface area and maintaining high performance and efficiency.
Generally, semiconductor diodes are manufactured using single crystal substrates of GaN, ZnO, Al2O3 (sapphire), SiC, SiO2 (quartz) and silicon. Large area substrates (e.g., greater than about 15.24 centimeters (cm) (6 inches)) of single crystal GaN and ZnO are not widely used due to their high cost, even though their lattice matching with p-type and n-type films is almost equal, which permits growth of superior quality single crystalline epitaxial films for making the best LEDs.
Silicon is known to be among the least costly of the suitable substrate materials, with high quality single crystal wafers having large surface area with about 20.32 cm (8 inches) to about 30.48 cm (12 inches) in diameter, or greater, available for deposition of metal oxide layers thereon. However, silicon substrates have their own drawbacks, including large lattice mismatch and increasing flexibility as their surface area increases, which hinders growth of high quality epitaxial layers of GaN, ZnO, or other oxides thereon, and subjects the deposited epitaxial layers to stress that increases the risk of fracture or other distortion of the crystal structures, respectively.
Many techniques have been developed to reduce the lattice mismatch, such as by first depositing MgO thin layers on the Si-based substrate, then growing an AlGaN layer, and finally depositing the GaN p- and n-type epitaxial layers. Still, there remain unacceptable degrees of defects in the quality of the epitaxial layers, which reduce the efficiency of semiconductor diodes produced this way.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide semiconductor devices that use less expensive Si-based substrates for semiconductor diodes having epitaxial semiconductor layers made of GaN, notwithstanding the lattice mismatch between Si and GaN. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Light emitting diodes having zinc oxide fibers over silicon substrates


The present invention relates to an unleaded aminated aviation gasoline of high motor octane number (MON) and low toluene insoluble deposit formation containing an additive for controlling said deposits selected from the group consisting of high molecular weight hydrocarbyl amines, high molecular weight hydrocarbyl succinimide, high molecular weight hydrocarbyl substituted Mannish bases, and mixtures thereof, and optional carrier oil(s), to an additive concentrate for controlling toluene insoluble deposits, and to a method for producing the additive concentrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to unleaded aminated aviation gasoline of high octane number of low deposit formation, to an additive for controlling deposits, to an additive concentrate for controlling deposits and to a method for producing the additive concentrate.
2. Description of the Related Art
The high octane requirements of aviation gas for use in piston driven aircraft which operate under severe requirements, e.g., aircraft containing turbo-charged piston engines, require that commercial aviation fuels contain a high performance octane booster. The organic octane boosters for automobile gasolines (Mogas) such as benzene, toluene, xylene, methyl tertiary butyl ether, ethanol, and the like, are not capable by themselves or in combination of boosting the motor octane number (MON) to the 98 to 100+ MON levels required for aviation gasolines (Avgas). Tetraethyl lead (TEL) is therefore a necessary component in high octane Avgas as an octane booster.
Compositionally, Avgas is different from Mogas. Avgas, because of its higher octane and stability requirements, is typically a blend of isopentane, alkylate, toluene and tetraethyl lead. A typical Avgas base fuel without octane booster such as tetraethyl lead has a MON of 88 or higher, typically 88 to 97. Mogas, which has lower octane requirements, is a blend of many components such as butane, virgin and rerun naphtha, light, intermediate and heavy cat naphthas, reformate, isomerate, hydrocrackate, alkylate and ethers, or alcohols. Octane requirements of Mogas are based on research octane numbers (RON). For a given fuel, the RON is on average 10 octane numbers higher than its corresponding MON. Thus, the average premium Mogas possesses a MON of 86 to 88, whereas current Avgas must have a MON of 99.5. MON, not RON, is the accepted measure of octane for Avgas and is measured using ASTM D2700-92.
Conventional octane booster for Mogas, such as benzene, toluene, xylene, methyl tertiary butyl ether and ethanol are capable of boosting the MON of unleaded Avgas to the 92 to 95 MON range if added to Avgas in high enough concentrations. As noted previously, this is insufficient to meet the needs of 98+ MON high octane Avgas.
With the phasing out of tetra-ethyl lead as an octane booster resort must be made to other means for boosting octane.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,470,358 teaches a high octane unleaded aviation gasoline comprising unleaded aviation gasoline base fuel having a motor octane number of 90-93 and an amount of at least one aromatic amine effective to boost the motor octane number of the base fuel to at least about 98, the aromatic amine having the formula
wherein R1 is C1-C10 alkyl, n is an integer of from zero to 3 with the proviso that R1 cannot occupy the 2- or 6-position on the aromatic rings.
Alternatively the fuel can comprise the same base fuel and an amount of at least one aromatic amine effective to boost the motor octane number of the base fuel to at least 98, said aromatic amine being a halogen substituted phenyl-amine or a mixed halogen and C1-C10 alkyl substituted phenylamine again with the proviso that the alkyl group cannot occupy the 2- or 6-position on the phenyl ring.
Preferred halogens are Cl or F. When R1 is alkyl, it occupies the -3, -4, or -5 (meta- or para-) positions on the benzene ring. Alkyl groups in the 2- or 6-position result in aromatic amines which cannot boost octane to a MON value of 98. Examples of preferred aromatic amines for octane improvement include phenylamine, 4-tert-butylphenylamine, 3-methylphenylamine, 3-ethylphenylamine, 4-methylphenylamine, 3,5-dimethylphenylamine, 3,4-dimethylphenylamine, 4-isopropylphenylamine, 2-fluorophenylamine, 3-fluorophenyl amine, 4-fluorophenylamine, 2-chlorophenylamine, 3-chlorophenylamine and 4-chlorophenylamine. Especially preferred are 3,5-dimethylphenylamine, 3,4-dimethylphenylamine, 2-fluorophenylamine, 4-fluorophenylamine, 3-methylphenylamine, 3-ethylphenylamine, 4-ethylphenylamine, 4-isopropylphenylamine and 4-t-butylphenylamine.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,851,241 and its continuation U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,134 are directed to aviation fuel compositions which contain a combination of an alkyl tertiary butyl ether, an aromatic amine and optionally a manganese component such as methyl cyclopentadenyl manganese tricarbonyl (MMT). The base fuel to which the additive combination may be added may be a wide boiling range alkylate base fuel. According to the patents the combination of the alkyl tertiary butyl ether, the aromatic amine and, optionally, the manganese component result in a synergistic combination while boosts the MON of the fuel to a degree greater than the sum of the MON increases for each additive when used individually in the base fuel.
Unleaded aminated aviation gasoline, however, has been found to exhibit the formation of toluene insoluble deposits in a test designed to determine the deposit formation capability of fuel (U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,005). Toluene insoluble deposits are not easily washed away by fuel, represented in the test procedure of U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,005 by n-heptane and toluene. It would be desirable to find a way to control the toluene insoluble deposits associated with such fuel.

Unleaded aminated aviation gasoline exhibiting control of toluene insoluble deposits

ExxonMobil Research & Engineering Company


A waveguide arrangement for transmitting microwaves, and for measuring a limit level or a filling level, is provided, the waveguide arrangement for transmitting microwaves including a waveguide tube having a rectangular or elliptical inner cavity and an outer wall; and a jacket, an inner wall of which corresponds at least in sections with a shape of the outer wall of the waveguide tube.

For level measurement or for limit level determination, measuring instruments are used which use a high-frequency front-end, e.g., for measuring a level by means of microwaves, especially radar waves. Waveguides may be used to transmit the microwaves from a generator to an antenna system of the measuring instrument. Because at least some of these measuring instruments are used in environments with high temperatures and/or temperature fluctuations, it may be necessary not only to provide a waveguide with high conductivity, but also to ensure high robustness against high temperatures and/or temperature fluctuations. This may allow, for example, the construction of a radar antenna system with high temperature resistance, which is coupled via the waveguide arrangement with a high-frequency generator to generate the radar signal. The electronics of the generator may be specified for a considerably narrower temperature range, so that the waveguide arrangement can be exposed to different temperatures or temperature ranges. Some of these measuring instruments use long waveguides, for instances due to this reason, whose production may be complex due to the length thereof.

Waveguide arrangement having a waveguide tube with an outer wall spaced from an inner wall of a jacket by a distance less than 100 μm


A secrecy system and a decryption method of on-chip data stream of nonvolatile FPGA are provided in the present invention. The nonvolatile memory module of the system is configured to only allow the full erase operation. After the full erase operation is finished, the nonvolatile memory module gets into the initial state. Only the operation to the nonvolatile memory module under the initial state is effective, and thereby the encryption region unit is arranged in the nonvolatile memory module. Only the decryption data written into the encryption region unit under the initial state can make the nonvolatile memory module to be readable, so that the decryption of the system is finished, which greatly improves the secrecy precision.

There are many classification methods of the integrated circuit, which may be classified as Memory, Microprocessor (CPU), Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) and programmable logic device. The programmable logic device may also be classified as SPLD, CPLD and FPGA. Nowadays the FPGA has become the mainstream. The programmable logic device is called FPGA hereinafter.
FPGA chip is a chip required control program after power is on. FPGA chip is not a fixed circuit, but a chip which can change its function with regard to requirements, and the function can be changed with the input data.
Based on character of storing programming data, FPGA is classified as volatile FPGA and nonvolatile FPGA. Volatile FPGA usually stores programming data stream using SRAM memory. When a device is powered up, it is typically programmed by an external CPU, or the programming data stream would be loaded automatically by an external nonvolatile memory. After power is off, all the loaded data would be disappeared. The nonvolatile FPGA has retained the programming data stream in the memory itself, so that the nonvolatile FPGA can get into a working state after power is on. After power is off, all the loaded data would be retained.
Because FPGA is a general device, different users may design their own intellectual property on FPGA, and apply to different technical fields. The intellectual property of the user is stored in the FPGA device in a form of data stream, so that FPGA generates a function that the user requires. If the data stream in the FPGA device is stolen by a lawbreaker, the same FPGA device may be bought, and the stolen data stream is used to program and download the FPGA device, so that user system is totally copied, and the intellectual property of the user may be produced and sold.
Programming and downloading of the data stream of the volatile FPGA are loaded from a plug-in nonvolatile device, or loaded from an external Central Processing Unit (CPU). Therefore, a hacker may obtain the intellectual property of the user by intercepting the downloaded data externally. The data stream of the nonvolatile FPGA is inside the device, which is more safety relative to the volatile FPGA. However, the hacker may obtain the intellectual property of the user by a special way.
The problem of data encryption of the nonvolatile memory has been long existed. Data in a memory could be originally read out. Data of this type of memory does not lose after power is off, giving opportunity for a lawbreaker to directly remove the device from a circuit board of a system. The device is put in the lawbreaker's own laboratory to research how to decrypt and then to read out the data.
In order to solve the contradiction between the memory being readable and the data requiring encryption, Karl M. Guttag and Steve Nussrallah of Texas Instruments Inc. (Texas Instruments Incorporated, Dallas, Tex.) have proposed a method of data encryption of nonvolatile memory as early as 1982, by adding a bit of data as Security Bit. When the memory is required to be read and written normally, the Security Bit is not set (such as "0"). When the memory is required to be encrypted, the Security Bit is set (such as "1"). Any read operations would be automatically prevented by the memory circuit, and then, the only method to convert the Security Bit back into "0" and normally read and write the memory is erasing all data together with the Security Bit. Therefore, the purpose of protecting data of user is reached.
So far, all the methods of encryption of data stream have one thing in common, that the memory is readable by default. When the data needs to be encrypted, the data becomes unreadable by setting one or more security bits, forming an encryption state. However, if the memory is erasable, only when the security bits and data are all erased, it is revert to a default state, so as to reach the purpose of secrecy.
With the development of decryption technology, the security bit of a device may be already found out by the exiting inverse design technology. If the security bit is found out and destroyed, the memory may become a readable state, and data therein can be read. Furthermore, if the security bit is set to be only one bit, or the positions of the security bits are relatively concentrated, only the security bits may be just erased by an exact positioning erasing, so the data is easily decrypted.

Secrecy system and decryption method of on-chip data stream of nonvolatile FPGA


Provided is an oral solid preparation of a compound anti-tubercular drug, wherein the active ingredients are rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol hydrochloride. The compound oral solid preparation is a coated tablet with coated core or a coated three-layer tablet, wherein the two active ingredients rifampicin and isoniazid do not come to contact with each other directly. The compound oral solid preparation not only improves the stability of the compound preparation, but also improves the bioavailability of rifampicin.

The present invention relates to an oral solid formulation of compound anti-tubercular drug and preparation method thereof, in particular, to an oral solid formulation of a four-ingredient compound anti-tubercular drug comprising rifampicin, isoniazid, pyrazinamide and ethambutol hydrochloride as active ingredients.
Tuberculosis is a type of chronic infectious diseases caused by tubercle bacillus, which may involve with various tissues and organs in the body, e.g. lung, kidney, intestine, bone etc. Among others, lung tuberculosis is the most frequently found type. Tuberculosis is a major problem influencing the health of people in developing countries. Recently emergence of mycobacterium infections in HIV infected individuals is also on the rise, and becomes a stubborn problem in developed countries. According to the official statistical figures published by World Health Organization (WHO), the number of diagnosis confirmed patients suffering from active tuberculosis in the world is over 20 million, while the number of newly founded patients is up to 8.7 million per year, in which the incidence of lung tuberculosis in Asia occupies 70% of total in the world. India and China occupy the first and second highest incidence of lung tuberculosis in Asia. Antibiotics are commonly used to treat tuberculosis in clinical practice. However, in contrast to treat typical bacterial infections, it requires longer time for the tuberculosis patients to be completely cured, and generally, the treatment will last for about 6-12 months. In view of the clinical treatment status, due to the long period for taking in pills, drug resistance easily generates. To some extent, the phenomenon of drug resistance is increasingly aggravating in the world mainly due to the improper treatment measures carried out, especially due to the single use of one specific kind of antibiotics, or the patient does not normally take in pills according to the prescription, such as missing doses and insufficient dosage. According to "Multidrug and extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: 2010 global report on surveillance and response. Geneva, Switzerland: World Health Organization, 2010" which is recently finished, it is estimated that 440 thousand people in the world suffer from multidrug-resistant tuberculosis, in which one of the third have died. In view of the drug-resistant phenomenon constantly occurs, WHO and International Union against Tuberculosis and Lung Disease have both announced that it has been in the state of emergency regarding to the treatment of lung tuberculosis. Since the continuing emergence of the drug-resistant phenomenon, the fixed dose combination (FDC method) has been widely used for treating lung tuberculosis. One of the commonly used compound drugs in FDC method is a four-ingredient compound drug, i.e. in addition to the rifampicin(R) and isoniazid(H) which are most efficient for the tuberculosis treatment, it further contains pyrazinamide(Z) and ethambutol hydrochloride(E). Such a four-ingredient compound drug may be a compound drug tablet and capsule, etc, and has been formally approved and accepted by WHO for the tuberculosis treatment. Such a four-compound drug consists of a compound formulation, which increases the compliance of the patients and can reduce the occurrence of drug-resistance to some extent.
Rifampicin(R) is also known as rifampin, which is a semi-synthesized rifamycins derivative. Rifampicin is a brick red color crystal, and has a melting point of 183° C. Rifampicin is poorly soluble in water (solubility: 1.3 mg/ml in water, pH 4.3; 2.5 mg/ml in water, pH 7.3; 100 mg/ml in water, DMSO), and is unstable in acid. Rifampicin can easily react with isoniazid, and also may be oxidized by factors of air, light exposure, etc. The molecule structure of rifampicin is as below:

Rifampicin is an efficient broad-spectrum antibacterial drug, and has a strong effect on inhibiting or eliminating tubercle bacillus. The anti-tubercular effect is only slightly weaker than isoniazid, but is stronger than streptomycin. The minimum inhibitory concentration is about 0.02-0.05 μg/ml. Rifampicin has effect on the bacteria not only in the multiplication stage, but also in the rest stage. Rifampicin is also effective to the strains showing drug-resistance to other anti-tubercular drugs. Rifampicin can eliminate tubercle bacillus in macrophage, fibrotic cavity, caseous focus, and also have strong inhibiting effect on gram positive coccus, such as staphylococcus aureus, streptococcus, and pneumococcus. For gram negative coccus, such as meningococcus, gonococcus, as well as leprosy bacillus, rifampicin also possesses strong inhibiting effect. High concentration of rifampicin inhibits varida virus and chlamydia trachomatis. The single use of rifampicin tends to generate drug-resistance, and thus is usually combined with other first-line pharmaceuticals for the initial treatment and retreatment of patients suffering serious diseases, so as to enhance the efficacy and retard the generation of drug-resistance. There is no cross drug-resistance between rifampicin and other anti-tubercular drugs. Rifampicin may selectively inhibit the RNA polymerase of the bacterial-dependent DNA and block the synthesis of mRNA, but has no effect on the RNA polymerase of animal molecules.
Isoniazid (H) is also known as rimifon, and the chemical name is 4-pyridylcarbonylhydrazine. Isoniazid is easily soluble in water, slightly soluble in ethanol, and very slightly soluble in ethyl ether. The structure of carbonylhydrazine is not stable, and in acidic or basic condition, it can be hydrolyzed to form isonicotinic acid and hydrazine. The free hydrazine increases the toxicity, and light, heavy metals, temperature, pH, etc can accelerate the hydrolysis thereof.
The molecule structure of isoniazid is as below:

Isoniazid has a good bacterial inhibiting effect on tubercle bacillus, and has a good efficacy. The dose of isoniazid is used in a small range, and the toxicity is relatively low, which is easily to be accepted by the patients. The oral absorption rate is 90%, and the serum drug concentration reaches the peak in 1-2 hours after administration. The Vd is 0.61±0.11 L/kg, and the protein binding rate is very low. Isoniazid is mainly used in the progressive stage, dissolving and spreading stage, absorption stage of lung tuberculosis, and also can be used in tubercular meningitis and other extrapulmonary tuberculosis, etc. Isoniazid is usually used in combination with other anti-tubercular drugs in order to enhance the efficacy and overcome the drug-resistant bacteria.
Pyrazinamide (Z) is slightly soluble in water and ethanol, and very slightly soluble in ethyl ether. Pyrazinamide has an effect on accelerating the reaction of rifampicin with isoniazid. The molecule structure of pyrazinamide is as below:

Pyrazinamide has a good bacterial inhibiting effect on human type tubercle bacillus, and shows the largest bacterial eliminating effect at pH 5-5.5. In particular, it is the current best bacterial eliminating drug for tubercle bacillus slowly growing in phagocyte under acidic condition. The minimum inhibitory concentration of pyrazinamide is 12.5 μg/ml. When it reaches a concentration of 50 μg/ml, pyrazinamide can eliminate tubercle bacillus. The intra-cellular concentration of the drug for inhibiting tubercle bacillus is 10 folds lower than the extracellular concentration. It almost has no inhibiting effect under neutral and basic conditions. The mechanism may be involved with pyrazinoic acid. When pyrazinamide penetrates into the phagocyte and into the body of tubercle bacillus, the amidase in the bacterial body deamidates the amide group of pyrazinamide, converts it to pyrazinoic acid, and exerts the bacterial inhibiting effect. In addition, since pyrazinamide is similar in chemical structure with nicotinamide, pyrazinamide interrupts the dehydrogease by substituting nicotinamide, prevents the dehydrogenation effect, and avoids the utilization of oxygen by tubercle bacillus, and thus taking influence on the regular metabolism of the bacteria and causing them to be eliminated.
Ethambutol hydrochloride (E) is easily soluble in water, is easy to absorb moisture, and provides atmosphere for the reaction between rifampicin and isoniazid. The molecule structure of ethambutol hydrochloride is as below:

Ethambutol hydrochloride is suitable for treating tuberculosis in combination with other anti-tubercular drugs. The single use of ethambutol hydrochloride tends to generate drug-resistance. Ethambutol hydrochloride has strong activity for the bacteria in the growth and reproduction stage, but has almost no effect on the bacteria in the resting stage.
RHZE combination has a certain importance in clinical practice, but problem also occurs. First, if rifampicin is in direct contacts with isoniazid, they will tend to react with each other, especially in the stomach acidic condition. This makes the bioavailability of rifampicin in a compound drug lower than that of singly used rifampicin, and thus the treatment effect would be compromised or the lower level of rifampicin can generate drug-resistance for patients. It is reported in references (e.g. see Sosa et al, 2005, Ars Pharm, 46:353-364) that under the condition of gastric acid (pH 1-3), the direct contact between rifampicin and isoniazid is easily to react and generate isoniazone. The experiments conducted by Singh et al (see Singh et al, 2000, Pharm. Pharmacol. Commun. 6: 405-410) also demonstrate the fact. It indicates in the research that under the stomach acidic condition, rifampicin decompose to 3-formyl-rifamycin in the absence of isoniazid. In the presence of isoniazid, the generated 3-formyl-rifamycin rapidly reacts with isoniazid, and forms isoniazone via a second order reaction. Since isoniazone is not stable in the acidic condition, it regenerates 3-formyl-rifamycin and isoniazid via a slow first order reaction in a reversible way. In such a complex reaction, rifampicin is further degraded, while isoniazid is recovered. Although isoniazone has some anti-bacterial activity, the anti-bacterial activity is lower than that of rifampicin. Meanwhile, in RHZE combination, pyrazinamide has catalytic effect on the reaction between rifampicin and isoniazid, and ethambutol hydrochloride, which is easy to absorb moisture, provides conditions for the reaction between rifampicin and isoniazid. These are some of the major factors which cause the formulation unstable, and the bioavailability in a compound drug is lower than that in singly used rifampicin. Second, the solubility of rifampicin is also a problem. Rifampicin is a drug having a low solubility, high hyperosmoticity and is easier to dissociate. Its solubility is pH dependent, and shows a large solubility difference in different pH conditions in gastrointestinal tract. Some experiments indicate that at pH 1.4, the solubility reaches about 125 mg/ml, and 80-90% dissolves in 10 minutes. But at pH>3, the solubility is less than 6 mg/ml. If a simple enteric coating method is applied to render rifampicin not to release in stomach, but release in intestinal tract instead, the insolubility of rifampicin in intestinal tract also will directly lead to a decrease of the bioavailability of rifampicin.
Therefore, the problem to be solved by many drug research and development institutions and manufacturers is how to improve the bioavailability of rifampicin in four-ingredient (RHZE) compound formulations. In this regard, some related researches have been reported. For example, WO02/11728 discloses that rifampicin and a pH-dependent carrier are dissolved in media to prepare solid dispersions, so as to increase the solubility of rifampicin. However, the present inventors found in our experiments that since the amount of pH-dependent carrier used is relative low, the large amount release of rifampicin in acidic condition is difficult to control. The patent cannot achieve the same effect of the solid formulation as in the present invention with respect to the bioavailability of rifampicin in RHZE compound drug. The rifampicin solid dispersion in the inventive solid formulation not only increases the solubility and dissolution rate of rifampicin, but also ensures less release or no release of rifampicin in the acidic stomach condition and thus the reduction of the reaction between rifampicin and isoniazid in the body. Meanwhile, the fact that the excipients reduce contact of rifampicin with isoniazid in the formulation ensures the stability of the formulation during storage. The in-vivo and in-vitro stability of rifampicin in the RHZE compound drug facilitates to improve the bioavailability of rifampicin in the compound drug, ensures the therapeutic efficacy and reduces the generation of drug-resistance.

Oral solid formulation of compound anti-tubercular drug and preparation method thereof


An internal EGR control device for an internal combustion engine, which is capable of properly controlling an internal EGR amount, while causing conditions of burned gases to be reflected thereon in controlling the internal EGR by changing valve-closing timing of an exhaust valve. An internal EGR control device sets a target internal EGR amount EGRINCMD as a target of the internal EGR amount according to detected operating conditions of an internal combustion engine, and a target internal EGR amount EGRINC is determined by correcting the target internal EGR amount based on a gas state equation, using obtained temperature and pressure of exhaust gases, and a calculated gas constant R. Then, according to the corrected target internal EGR amount EGRINC, the valve-closing timing of an exhaust valve is calculated, and a variable valve mechanism is controlled based on the calculated valve-closing timing of the exhaust valve.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an internal EGR control device for an internal combustion engine, for controlling internal EGR which causes burned gases to remain in cylinders.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there has been proposed an internal EGR control device of this kind in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. S62-10411. In this internal EGR control device, the amount of internal EGR caused to remain in cylinders is controlled by changing an intake cam phase and an exhaust cam phase with respect to a crankshaft by a variable intake cam phase mechanism and a variable exhaust cam phase mechanism, respectively, and by changing the lift of an intake valve by a variable intake lift mechanism. Specifically, the opening and closing timing of intake and exhaust valves is controlled by controlling the above-mentioned intake/variable exhaust cam phase mechanism and the variable intake lift mechanism depending on operating conditions of the engine which are determined e.g. according to the rotational speed of the engine and the opening of a throttle valve.
As described above, in the conventional internal EGR control device, the internal EGR amount is controlled only by controlling the opening and closing timing of the intake and exhaust valves depending on the operating conditions of the engine. However, even when the operating conditions of the engine are the same, if conditions of burned gases are different, the internal EGR amount is also different. For example, if temperature or pressure of burned gases is different, the internal EGR amount is also different, and even if the temperature or pressure is same, if the composition of burned gases is different, the internal EGR amount is different accordingly. Therefore, in the conventional internal EGR control device, it is not possible to properly control the internal EGR amount which actually remains in the cylinders, depending on the conditions of burned gases.

Internal EGR control device for internal combustion engine


Profiled clamp that includes two half shells, each having a clamping head on a respective first end and a connection geometry on a respective second end. The profiled clamp also includes a clamping element to which the clamping heads are connected and a spring element preloaded to bear against an inside of the half shells. At least one of the two half shells is tiltable with respect to the clamping element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a profiled clamp having two half shells, which have respectively on a first end a clamping head and respectively on a second end a connection geometry for connecting the second ends. The clamping heads are connected to a clamping element, and at least one half shell can be tilted with respect to the clamping element.
2. Discussion of Background Information
A profiled clamp of the above-noted type is known, for example from DE 198 82 234 T1. The clamping element is embodied or formed as a tightening screw, which is guided with play through openings in the clamping heads so that both half shells can be tilted with respect to the tightening screw. In this way, it is possible to attach the profiled clamp preassembled to connecting flanges, that is, with an already preassembled tightening screw. After placement of the profiled clamp on the flanges of the lines to be connected, the half shells are connected to one another via their connecting geometry and subsequently the clamping element is tightened so that the diameter of the profiled clamp is reduced and thereby clamped. The disclosure of DE 198 82 234 T1 is expressly incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Profiled clamps are as a rule used to connect two lines that have connecting flanges at their ends, which are surrounded by the profiled clamp. For this purpose, the profiled clamp generally has a V-shaped profile. During the clamping of the profiled clamp, not only a radial force is exerted on the flanges, but also an axially directed force that presses together the flanges of the lines.
However, the placement of the known profiled clamps having two half shells is relatively difficult. The position of the half shells to one another and to the clamping element is not defined, when the half shells are not connected to one another. For precise alignment, in order to be able to connect the half shells to one another, it is then necessary to position both half shells. Under cramped spatial conditions, the placement of these profiled clamps is therefore difficult.


A two step rocker assembly is provided having a lever body, a first roller assembly mounted to the lever body, and a center shaft extending through the first roller assembly. A second shaft extends through the lever body and defines a first pivot point. A coupling lever is pivotally connected to the second shaft and has an opening for receiving the center shaft. The coupling lever is rotatable about the first pivot point. A latch pin is mounted to the lever body. A second roller assembly is mounted on the center shaft. A spring lever is pivotally connected to the second shaft and is connected to the center shaft. The spring lever is rotatable about the first pivot point. A spring member is mounted on the lever body and engages the spring lever to bias the spring lever and the center shaft into the first position.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may or may not constitute prior art.
Internal combustion engines include an arrangement of pistons and cylinders located within an engine block. Each cylinder has at least two valves. These valves control the flow of air to the combustion cylinders and allow for venting of combustion exhaust gasses. A valve train is used to selectively open and close these valves. In some valve trains, it is desirable to control the degree that the valves are opened or closed (i.e., the amount the valve travels). In order to selectively control the valve lift, a 2-step rocker arm assembly is connected to the valve and actuated by a camshaft.
A typical 2-step rocker arm assembly includes an inner and an outer rocker arm actuated by the camshaft. The camshaft typically includes a low-lift cam and a high-lift cam. The camshaft engages the inner and outer rollers of the rocker arm assembly which in turn selectively positions the connected valve between a low-lift mode and a high-lift mode. The low-lift mode causes the valve to travel a first distance and the high-lift mode causes the valve to travel a second distance that is greater than the first distance. While useful for its intended purpose, there is room in the art for an improved rocker arm assembly having improved features to aid in manufacturability.


A wind deflector for reducing noise at a vehicle roof opening has a wind deflector blade (1) which is pivotally mounted by at least one pivot bearing to pivot about a pivot axis C extending crosswise to the direction of travel. The pivot bearing has two partial bearing shafts (6, 7) which are spaced apart axially on a longitudinal edge (8) of the wind deflector blade and are mounted in bearing blocks (12, 13) on the roof which, for axial insertion of the partial shaft (6, 7), are open at their respective axial ends and are closed at the opposite ends (14, 15) for axial supporting of an end of the partial shafts (6, 7). Between the two partial shafts (6, 7) there is a coil spring (16) which is biased at one end on a first spring housing (17) fixed to the roof in the region of a first partial shaft (6) and at the other end on a second spring housing (18, 19) on the wind deflector blade side in the region of the second partial shaft (7).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a wind deflector.
2. Description of Related Art
Vehicles such as cars or automobiles are often provided with a sunroof in the form of a vehicle roof opening and a sliding or folding roof panel or a louvered roof opening, for example. It is well known that variously loud noise occurs at the front edge of vehicle roof openings according to the traveling speed and degree of opening. Therefore, it has been found expedient to provide on the front edge of the roof opening a wind deflector which in its working position is directed obliquely upwardly in the direction of travel and deflects upwardly the air passing over the vehicle roof, so reducing noise and furthermore preventing an undesired and violent draught of air in the interior of the car. The wind deflector in question is preferably mounted in pivotal manner close to the front edge of the roof opening in such a way as to pivot about a pivot axis extending crosswise to the direction of travel, being preferably resiliently pretensioned into its working position and is furthermore provided with a restoring means which, upon closure of the vehicle roof opening, tilts the wind deflector back into its inoperative position for example through the sliding roof.
The construction of the pivot bearing for the wind deflector or wind deflector blade is problematical for various reasons. For example, there is known from German Patent Application DE-A-3100731 a wind deflector of the type indicated above, the pivot bearing of which is connected in the manner of a multi-part hinge rigidly to the roof frame and is also rigidly connected to the wind deflector, accommodating an integral bearing shaft. This pivot bearing, which furthermore comprises a leg spring for automatic pivoting of the wind deflector into the working position, is of relatively complicated construction and requires complicated assembly stages which provide, among other things, for screwing the two pivot bearing parts to the wind deflector or roof frame respectively.
Furthermore, it is known for the pivot bearing in question to be connected to the wind deflector and the roof frame by a clip connection. The disadvantage of a clip connection however is that it cannot accept such a high loading as the aforementioned hinged bearing. Another disadvantage with a clip connection is that it only permits a limited choice of material. Finally, a clip connection permits only a relatively coarse production tolerance for the pivot bearing. It has already been attempted to overcome the problems underlying the pivot bearings for wind deflectors by using a lifting mechanism instead of a pivot bearing. However, this requires a very complicated construction and also special sealing measures. Corresponding wind deflector constructions are known for example from UK Patent 20079 697 and German Patent DE 31 37 191 C2.


A large plastic refuse container including a floor, a front wall, a rear wall, a first end wall, a second end wall and a floor. The plastic refuse container including two attached and opposing side fork pockets to enable the lifting of the container with a fork lift device.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a plastic container and specifically a large plastic refuse container that includes two external side fork pockets secured to walls of the container in a manner that facilitates the lifting of the container with the forks of a refuse truck. Additionally, this invention relates to a refuse container drain, and a refuse container that can be stacked and nested for shipping purposes.
2. Prior Art
The use of plastic to fabricate refuse containers is well known in the art. Until recently however, all large plastic refuse containers, i.e., those having a volume of a yard or more were manufactured by roto-molding, or by blow molding. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,813 (Lee, et al.) discloses a blow molding apparatus useful for fabricating a plastic container. In contrast, the large plastic refuse container of this invention is manufactured using plastic injection molding techniques. As a result many problems directly related to injection molding the container had to be overcome in designing the plastic refuse container of this invention.
The use of lift tubes associated with refuse containers is well known in the art as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,623,631 (Ford); 3,823,972 (Ramer); and 4,335,828 (Robinson, et al.) However, the lift tubes of the containers disclosed in those patents are all integral to the walls of metal containers.
The use of a metal lift tube sleeve in conjunction with a plastic container is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,849 (Adsit). However, the metal lift tube of the '849 patent is incorporated into the container during the roto-molding process. Additionally, the lift tubes of the '849 patent are integral to the inside dimension of the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,416,374 (Smith) describes stackable or nestable, plastic containers. The containers include platforms in the top portion of the open, inner dimension of the container that are complementary to depressions in the bottom dimension of the same container allowing multiple containers to be stacked, one on top of the other, for shipping and handling purposes. The '374 patent does not disclose stacking platforms associated with external elements of a plastic container.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,917,257 (Edelhoff) discloses a small plastic refuse container including an integrally molded-in pocket that supports the container during mechanical lifting.
Other embodiments of plastic containers are known in the art. The art, however, is devoid of large plastic refuse containers having attachable side fork pockets.


An ignition circuit and method for a hot surface ignitor. The ignition process and apparatus enforces a short warm-up period for the hot surface ignitor where approximately half power is supplied at start-up to the ignitor until the ignitor warms to a point where its impedance is increased. By warming the ignitor gradually, the system power supply is not pulled down to a level which may cause malfunction of other electronics connected to the same supply. Further, the voltage level to the ignitor is controlled so that service life of the ignitor is extended.

The present invention is directed to the field of ignition devices for combustible fluids and is more particularly directed to hot surface ignitors.
Ignition systems for combustible fluids are used in many different applications. One well-known application is for ignition of gas in a furnace.
Typically, a temperature sensor measures the temperature of a known space. As shown in FIG. 1, a thermostat 105 may receive a temperature signal from the temperature sensor and compare the temperature value represented by the signal to a stored desired temperature. If the temperature signal is below the desired temperature, the thermostat may cause a furnace 110 to start.
Referring now to FIGS. 1 and 2, the furnace uses an ignition system, such as a hot surface ignitor 112A, to ignite gas in the furnace at start-up. In the past, a relay 112B has closed at start-up of the furnace, the closure causing gas to be released in the furnace and heating of hot surface ignitor. The hot surface ignitor is powered by a power supply 115.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,978,292 issued on Dec. 18, 1990 to Donnelly et al. (the '292 patent) and 4,925,386 issued on May 15, 1990 to Donnelly et al. (the '386 patent) teach modified ignition circuits and methods. In particular, a triac was used in place of the relay in the ignition circuit and a flame detector was used to provide feedback. The triac was switched on and off by a microprocessor. The microprocessor operated to tightly control the operating voltage of the ignitor to the minimum required level which achieved ignition of the gas. The microprocessor would control the power reaching the ignitor by limiting the on-time of the triac. On start-up, an on-time was picked which was more than sufficient to ignite the chosen fuel. At successive start-ups, the on-time was shortened until the flame detector did not detect flame on a particular start-up. The on-time was then lengthened back to a point which was known to cause a flame.
Still, a problem existed with using even a triac in the switching of the ignitors in which their impedance increases as their temperature increases. This is true in silicon nitride ignitors in particular. When the ignitor is cold, its resistance is very low. This resistance increases as the ignitor warms. When the relay closed and energized the cold ignitor, a large load appeared on the system transformer. The shaded area of FIG. 2A represents the on time of the hot surface ignitor compared to the supply voltage (which is 100% here). This temporarily pulled down the system transformer output voltage which occasionally caused low voltage-related problems for other components connected to the system transformer.


The present invention relates to a gymnastic machine (M) for carrying out strength exercises by a user comprising a support frame (1), at least one arm (2), movable with respect to said support frame (1), to carry out a gymnastic exercise by said user, wherein said at least one arm (2) comprises a first end (21), rotatably coupled with said support frame (1), and wherein on said at least one arm (2) a plurality of weights (7) can be removably applied, at least one detecting system (S) for detecting the displacement of said at least one arm (2) with respect to said support frame (1), comprising at least one magnetic element (12), at least one magnetic sensor (11), for detecting the magnetic field generated by said magnetic element (12), capable of generating an electric signal related to said detected magnetic field, and a control logic unit (13), operatively connected to said magnetic sensor (11), for acquiring and processing said electric signal related to said detected magnetic field.

The present invention relates to a gymnastic machine provided with a data detecting system.
The present invention also relates to a data detection system.
The present invention also relates to the method of operation of the gymnastic machine.
More specifically, the invention relates to a gymnastics machine of the said type, designed and realized in particular for performing gymnastic exercises for strengthening the musculature, and in particular biceps, quadriceps, dorsal, pectoral, triceps and deltoids, to enable a user, who carries out such exercises, to monitor and analyze data related to the performed exercise.
In the following, the description will be directed to gymnastic machines for pectoral muscles, triceps and deltoids, but it is clear that the same should not be considered limited to these specific uses.
As is well known, at present for carrying out exercises for training the strength of the pectoral muscles, triceps and deltoids, a user employs a machine known as a chest press, of the type comprising a stationary base and at least one part movable with respect to said base, mutually coupled by a junction or a pin.
The moving part typically has also a handle for the user so that the latter can lift up a weight, typically disc-shaped, loaded on a load bar fixed to the mobile part.
During the exercise, the user moves the movable part from a first position, wherein the movable part is resting on the stationary base, to a second position, wherein the movable part is arranged in a distal position relative to the stationary base.
The resistance opposed by the movable part and from the disk to the displacement by the user, allows the user to train a specific muscle district, in particular the pectoral, triceps and deltoids muscles.
Current strength gymnastic machines do not allow to acquire and then process activity data.
Usually the data, such as the weight of the disc or discs loaded on the mobile part, the number of repetitions performed by the user, the duration of the exercise, and the like are manually annotated by the user himself or by an assistant.
This procedure is often unsuitable for the user, both in terms of time spent for the manual acquisition and in terms of tools sizes needed for the user to record the data manually.
Also, manually scanned data are not processed automatically. In general, they are analyzed by competent personnel, who makes a subjective valuation.
The patent application US2014/0256516 is part of the prior art on gymnastic machines equipped with data acquisition systems.

Gymnastic machine provided with a data detecting system, data detection system and, method of operation thereof

Abstract: The present invention also relates to a system (S) applicable to said exercise machine (M).

Abstract: The present invention also relates to a method of operation of said exercise machine (M).