An apparatus for the display of tile sections having a first side panel with a plurality of tile-receiving slots extending along at least a portion of a top edge of the first side panel, a second side panel with a plurality of tile-receiving slots extending along at least a portion of a top edge of the second side panel, a first cross member having slots engaged within grooves formed on the first and second side panels, and a second cross member having slots engaged with grooves formed in the first and second side panels. The first and second side panels have identical configurations. The first and second cross members have identical configurations. Each of the plurality of tile-receiving slots has a width dimension greater than a thickness of the tile to be received therein.

In the setting of department stores, the display of merchandise often becomes a critical concern. Some merchandise may sell more rapidly in one location of a store than in another location. The introduction of new products for sale also creates problems as to the proper manner for displaying these products. In many instances, the inability to properly display merchandise can determine the success or failure of a product being offered for sale. Ultimately, this can reflect on the profitability of the store offering this merchandise for sale.
One display system was the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,780,349, issued on Oct. 25, 1988 to Gieske et al. This patent described a display system having a structural layer of rigid material with a plurality of holes extending therethrough, a plurality of laminate sections fastened to the structural layer in parallel relationship, a fastening material fastened to the structural layer in the area between the laminate sections, and an attachment cleat affixed to the side of the structural layer opposite the laminate sections. This structural layer is a sheet of pegboard material.
The display of tiles has also been a major problem for those stores which offer tile for sale. In the past, when tile is placed on display, it generally resides in flat surface-to-surface contact with a shelf in a display panel. While this flat display of the tiles is easy to view, it is very difficult to remove one of the tiles from the surface of the shelf for closer inspection. Additionally, it often takes a great deal of space to properly display the tiles in a side-by-side manner.
The lack of clearance between the underside of the tile and the top surface of the shelf makes such removal difficult. Customers often grow very dissatisfied whenever it is necessary to remove several samples for a side-by-side comparison. Under certain circumstances, the shelving lacks proper retaining surfaces. As a result, the tile can have a tendency to fall off the shelf and onto the floor. This results in the breakage of the display tile and also presents the possibility of injury to customers. In general, all of the display panels that have been used for the display of tile have been inadequate for their intended purpose.
One type of system has been employed in the past for the display of tile. This system utilizes flat shelves with holes formed through the shelf. As a result, a person can hook his or her finger through the hole so as to dislodge the tile from the surface of the shelf. Unfortunately, this technique causes the tile to fall off the shelf to the possible injury of others. In other circumstances, broken fingernails result from efforts in trying to remove the tile by this technique.
For any type of display system, it is important to be able to easily manufacture this display system at a minimal cost to the purchaser. In addition, it is necessary to create such a display system that can be easily stored, transported and assembled. If assembly becomes too difficult, then the purchaser may fail to properly assemble the display system. As a result, the display system may never be used or, if improperly assembled, may fall apart quickly after assembly. In other circumstances, tile stores may desire to move a display from one location to another within the store. Whenever it is necessary to move a display, it is important that the display be able to be disassembled in a minimal amount of time for removal and transport. The display may be irreparably damaged if it is difficult to disassemble and transport.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the display of tiles.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus which allows for the easy removal and inspection of tile.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the display of tile which allows the tile to be stored in a convenient and safe manner.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the display of tiles which can be easily assembled and disassembled.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the display of tiles which allows a maximum number of tiles to be displayed in a minimal amount of space.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the display of tiles which allows the various tile sections to be fanned through easily.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for the display of tiles which is easy to use, easy to manufacture, easy to assemble, easy to store and relatively inexpensive.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification.

Apparatus for the display of tile sections


A technique to fabricate a package. A thin wafer supported by a wafer support substrate (WSS) is formed. The WSS-supported thin wafer layer is diced into a plurality of WSS-supported thin dice. A WSS-supported thin die is bonded to a first heat spreader (HS) to form a HS-reinforced thin die.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to the field of semiconductor, and more specifically, to semiconductor packaging.
2. Description of Related Art
The demand for small footprint devices for use in applications such as smart cards, cellular devices, mobile communication, and mobile computing has led to many challenges in fabrication technologies. One such challenge is the development of ultra-thin packages.
Ultra-thin packages require reduced die thickness. The reduction of the die thickness becomes even more difficult as the diameter of the wafer is increased. There are currently four primary methods for wafer thinning: mechanical grinding, chemical mechanical polishing (CMP), wet etching, and atmospheric downstream plasma (ADP) dry chemical etching (DCE). During the fabrication phase, handling ultra-thin devices is difficult. Existing techniques to facilitate handling of ultra-thin dice or wafers have a number of disadvantages. For example, use of adhesive tapes is limited by the non-uniformity of the tape. Most of the available glues are thermally stable up to about 120° C., which may be too low for additional thermal processing. Other techniques such as dicing before grinding (DBG) or dicing by thinning (DbyT) may cause additional damage to the dice or wafers.

Heat spreader as mechanical reinforcement for ultra-thin die


A shock absorber includes a pressure tube forming a working chamber. A reserve tube is concentric with and radially outward from the pressure tube. A baffle tube is positioned radially outward from the pressure tube. A reservoir chamber is formed between the reserve tube and the baffle tube. A piston is attached to a piston rod and slidably disposed within the pressure tube. A rod guide is attached to the pressure tube and supports the piston rod. An electromechanical valve is positioned within the rod guide. A plurality of longitudinal passageways are defined by the baffle tube and at least one of the pressure tube and the reserve tube for transporting fluid between the electromechanical valve and the reservoir chamber.

This section provides background information related to the present disclosure which is not necessarily prior art.
In general, conventional shock absorbers produce damping force characteristics based on a velocity of a piston rod that translates relative to a body of the shock absorber. The shock absorber includes a valve through which oil flows during movement of the piston rod. A pressure differential is generated within the shock absorber based on the configuration and location of the valve. The working pressures provide a resistive or damping force between the piston rod and the body of the shock absorber to provide a desired damping force characteristic of a vehicle's suspension.
Electronically adjustable shock absorbers are also available. These shock absorbers produce damping force characteristics as well but the damping force is adjustable over a damping force range. As such, electronically-adjustable shock absorbers may provide multiple damping force characteristic curves for the same piston rod velocity.
Both conventional and electronically-adjustable shock absorbers may exhibit a lower magnitude of damping force than desired if an insufficient oil fluid volume is present in the shock absorber reservoir chamber or if the fluid is aerated. Many shock absorbers are configured as twin tube shock absorbers where the reservoir contains both a liquid oil fluid and a pressurized gas within the same chamber. The oil fluid level within the reservoir changes during shock absorber operation but the shock absorber is configured to maintain a minimum oil level at all times. In certain shock absorbers, the physical position of the valves relative to the liquid level in the reservoir may induce a mixing of gas and liquid thereby aerating the liquid oil. A resultant lag of damping force occurs due to the compressibility of the gas within the liquid. It is at least one object of the present disclosure to mitigate aeration of the liquid within the shock absorber to minimize a lag in providing a target damping force.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Baffle tube for damper with electromechanical valve

Tenneco Automotive Operating Company Inc.


When an ECU carries out vehicle yaw motion control on such a vehicle that a conversion rate of converting the braking/driving force into a vertical force is larger on rear wheels than on front wheels, a driver-requested braking/driving force is distributed to the four wheels so that a distribution ratio is larger for the rear wheels than for the front wheels. Thus, when roll control necessary as a result of the vehicle yaw motion control is carried out, a target braking/driving force of a turning outer wheel for which the largest control driving force is required becomes hard to reach a driving limit. From the foregoing, when vehicle motion control is carried out with use of a braking/driving force of each wheel, each wheel is prevented from reaching a driving force limit as much as possible.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle braking/driving force control apparatus for independently controlling a driving force and a braking force of each of four (front left and right and rear left and right) wheels of a vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hitherto, there has been known a vehicle braking/driving force control apparatus for independently controlling a driving force and a braking force (both are collectively referred to as braking/driving force) for four wheels of a vehicle. For example, in a vehicle of an in-wheel motor type as a form of an electric vehicle, a motor is arranged inside or closely to the wheel of the vehicle, and the wheel is directly driven by the motor. The motors provided for the respective wheels can be independently controlled for driving. In the vehicle of the in-wheel motor type, each motor is individually controlled for power running or regeneration, and a driving torque or a braking torque applied to each wheel is thus individually controlled, thereby controlling a vehicle travel and a vehicle motion.
For example, in a vehicle travel control apparatus disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-143310, a yaw motion during turning of a vehicle is controlled, and a driving force of each of in-wheel motors is controlled so as to suppress a roll behavior generated in response to a suspension characteristic of the vehicle as a result of the control for the yaw motion.

Vehicle braking/driving force control apparatus


A vacuum cleaning machine comprising a housing that includes a suction nozzle that is adapted to move along a surface to be cleaned and a receptacle coupled to the housing for holding particles removed from the surface during operation of the vacuum cleaning machine. The receptacle is provided with an external opening for the introduction of debris particles therein which are not ordinarily removable from the surface through the suction-generating apparatus. The vacuum cleaning machine can be an upright vacuum cleaning machine and the receptacle can be mounted to the handle. The receptacle can also be incorporated into a dirt cup in a cyclone separator module.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a vacuum cleaner. In one of its aspects, the invention relates to a vacuum cleaner with a facility for collecting large debris particles that are not ordinarily picked up by the suction nozzle.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is typically an upper limit to the size and weight of the dirt and debris particles that can be removed by the vacuum cleaner from a surface to be cleaned. Attempting to use the vacuum cleaner to remove such particles can have deleterious results, such as clogging of the air flow system, jamming of the motor, fracture of vacuum cleaner components, and the like.
Alternatively, the particle can be removed by hand prior to passing the vacuum cleaner over the surface. However, it is then necessary to transport the particle for disposal, thereby interrupting the vacuuming operation, or find a place to temporarily hold the particle until it can be permanently disposed, such as placing it on an item of furniture, in a user's pocket, or in a user's hand. This can be burdensome, particularly if several such particles must be removed, unsanitary, and still requires the user to specially dispose of the particle.

Vacuum cleaner with large debris receptacle


An injector is automatic in that the needle is inserted into the injection site (e.g., a patient's skin) with user or caregiver assistance, the delivery is automatically initiated upon needle insertion, and the needle is retracted automatically after the end of delivery. Preferably the needle is not seen by the user prior to, during or after injection. Prior to and after injection, the needle is hidden in the device so as to avoid any potential injury or health risk to the user or health care provider. The injector includes a housing and a shield arranged to slide relative to the housing and a driver moving during drug delivery. The housing and shield form a cartridge enclosure. The cartridge is shielded and locked after delivery is completed. A needle-locking mechanism can be used in any number of pen-like injectors or safety needles.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the preparation and administration of a product into a living organism (e.g. the human body), and more particularly to an apparatus for automatically and safely delivering the product.
2. Description of Related Art
Previously, various devices have been developed for the delivery of medications into and through the skin of living organisms. These devices include syringes in which a liquid drug solution is delivered through the skin of a user from a syringe chamber by movement of a syringe plunger to move the drug solution from a syringe chamber through a syringe needle inserted under the skin. The drug solution is generally in liquid form, and can be a mixture of the drug (e.g. powdered, lyophilized, concentrated liquid) and a diluent (e.g. dextrose solution, saline solution, water).
It is well known that many people are apprehensive about receiving an injection from a needle. This problem is even more significant for those who must administer their own medication. It is known that needle phobia can be minimized by hiding the needle before, during and after delivery. It is therefore preferable that the person who receives the drug should not see the needle, which often triggers the fear of needle insertion.
It is also preferable for the needle to be protected before and after delivery of the drug. While a needle can be protected with a removable cap, it is preferable for the needle to be secured within the delivery device before the needle is inserted through the patient's skin and after the needle is shielded. Preferably the needle is enclosed in the device after use and locked into final position after injection.
The needle insertion is assisted by the user or caregiver or is automatic, whilst its shielding is automatic, so that the user does not prematurely expose the needle for injection or have to guess when delivery is completed.
It is also preferable for such a device to provide indications for assisting in the correct use of the automatic injector. Indications could be visual, audible or tactile and are provided at the start or completion of any stage of system use.
A user or patient could be injured if an injection device were activated prematurely. Generally, such a device projects its needle from the end of a barrel and ejects the dose. Such actions can cause injury if the needle pierces another person or is injected into an undesired area of the patient (e.g., an eye). Accordingly, it is advantageous if the needle is in a safe location before and after use to prevent accidental injury or contamination.
It is further desirable to have a simple, reliable system that facilitates safe preparation and delivery of a drug. Dosage amounts may vary from one patient to another. At present, there is no easy way for a patient to self-administer a dosage of drug via an automatic injection system where the dosage amount may be easily changed prior to delivery and easily delivered. Moreover, there is a need to further improve the ability of the user to minimize residual drug in the container or system. Also, there is a need to enable the user to eliminate any air bubbles that may be trapped in the drug container prior to use.
It is also desirable to provide a delivery system where the dosage for delivery is easily viewed by the patient prior and after use. The user's inability to see the dosage form prior to use creates a significant sense of unease in the user in that the user wants to ensure that the proper dosage is in the system and ready for delivery. More importantly, the users inability to see the dosage form prior to use leaves the user concerned that the dosage may be faulty, or, for example, have foreign particles trapped and if present, may result in injury or harm to the user.
The user's inability to view the dosage being delivered and the end of delivery leaves the user with a level of uncertainty as to the amount delivered and the delivery being completed. Thus, it is extremely important to the user's peace of mind to provide an area in which to view the dosage prior to and after delivery. As will be discussed in detail later, the injection device of the present application provides this opportunity.
Further, it is desirable to provide a delivery system that is easy to use at a low cost. Moreover, it is desirable to provide a system that is easy to integrate with the drug container, thereby providing flexibility in meeting the requirements of different drug containers like pre-filled syringes/cartridges. For example, it is important to accommodate standard cartridges with a needle cover including a rigid plastic cover. Moreover, it is desirable to have a system that can accommodate cartridges filled on standard filling lines. It is desirable to provide a system characterized by a small number of components indicating low product costs.
The following are exemplary existing automatic injectors.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,114,406 (Gabriel, et al.); and 6,544,234 (Gabriel) disclose a plunger which is telescopically received within a tubular element causing the needle penetration, drug delivery and securing the needle. Beside it being a telescope type mechanism the system is using two springs and the detection of end of delivery is controlled by packaging parts and not by the cartridge only.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,309 (Marshall, et al.) discloses an injector having a drive member held in a rearward primed position by a detent provided in the body of the device. When the device is applied to a patients skin and a rear end cap is pressed forwardly, the forward ends of ribs wedge tongues inward (or pivot) until they clear the detents formed by the forward ends of the slots. A coil spring shoots a cylinder forward for injection and delivery. This invention is involving the packaging parts in order to detect end of delivery and is using two springs—one to penetrate and deliver and the second to shield.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,181 (Crossman, et al.) and U.S. Patent Publication Nos. 2003/0093036 and 2003/0105430 (Crossman, et al.) are mechanisms to deliver drugs in a parenteral method and to shield the penetrating needle after use. Both mechanisms use double springs and do not use the cartridge to detect the end of delivery. In 2003/0093036 (Crossman, et al.) the user is expected to manually trigger the needle shield and to decide when to do that. The evolution between these two applications is in making the device simpler and more accurate. Nevertheless, the basic principles remain the same.
The following exemplary patents are mentioned as they relate to needle retraction mechanisms. Several disclose axially-aligned spring-driven needle extenders and retractors. These include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,779,677 (Frezza); 6,210,369 (Wilmot, et al); 5,391,151 (Wilmot); 5,637,094 (Stewart, Jr., et al.) and U.S. Patent Publication No. 2001/0005781 (Bergens et al.). In all of these references, the function is served by a set of axially-positioned springs; in some, two springs are in use and in others, such as Stewart's and Bergens, even three springs are used. None of the references includes a mechanism for cartridge-shape detection.
In U.S. Patent Publication No. 20030105430 (Lavi, et al.), the functions are served by a mechanism of ten parts, including two springs. The mechanism performs a combination of slide and rotate move, the end of delivery is detected by the packaging parts and not by the shape of the cartridge. The design is characterized by high complexity and costs.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,743,203 (Pickhard) discloses a device for automatically injecting liquids and comprises an axially-divided housing wherein the parts can be removably assembled. The design employs a cartridge with a separate needle assembly and three springs resulting in high complexity.


A purified thermostable enzyme is derived form the thermophilic archaebacterium Archaeoglobus fulgidus. The enzyme can be native or recombinant, is stable under PCR conditions and exhibits double strand specific exonuclease activity. It is a 3′-5′ exonuclease and cleaves to produce 5′-mononucleotides. Thermostable exonucleases are useful in many recombinant DNA techniques, in combination with a thermostable DNA polymerase like Taq especially for nucleic acid amplification by the polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

The present invention is related to the field of molecular biology, and more particular, to polynucleotide synthesis. The present invention also relates to a substantially pure thermostable exonuclease, the cloning and expression of a thermostable exonuclease III in E. coli, and its use in amplification reactions. The invention facilitates the high fidelity amplification of DNA under conditions which allow decontamination from carry over and the synthesis of long products. The invention may be used for a variety of industrial, medical and forensic purposes.
In vitro nucleic acid synthesis is routinely performed with DNA polymerases with or without additional polypeptides. DNA polymerases are a family of enzymes involved in DNA replication and repair. Extensive research has been conducted on the isolation of DNA polymerases from mesophilic microorganisms such as E. coli. See, for example, Bessman et al. (1957) J. Biol. Chem. 223:171-177, and Buttin and Komberg, (1966) J. Biol. Chem. 241:5419-5427.
Research has also been conducted on the isolation and purification of DNA polymerases from thermophiles, such as Thermus aquaticus. Chien, A. et al., (1976) J. Bacteriol. 127:1550-1557 discloses the isolation and purification of a DNA polymerase with a temperature optimum of 80° C. from Thermus aquaticus YT1 strain. U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,818 discloses a purified thermostable DNA polymerase from T. aquaticus, Taq polymerase, having a molecular weight of about 86,000 to 90,000 daltons. In addition, European Patent Application 0 258 017 discloses Taq polymerase as the preferred enzyme for use in the PCR process.
Research has indicated that while Taq DNA polymerase has a 5′-3′ polymerase-dependent exonuclease function, Taq DNA polymerase does not possess a 3′-5′ exonuclease III function (Lawyer, F. C. et al., (1989) J. Biol. Chem., 264:6427-6437; Bemad A., et al. (1989) Cell 59:219). The 3′-5′ exonuclease activity of DNA polymerases is commonly referred to as "proofreading activity". The 3′-5′ exonuclease activity removes bases which are mismatched at the 3′ end of a primer-template duplex. The presence of 3′-5′ exonuclease activity may be advantageous as it leads to an increase in fidelity of replication of nucleic acid strands and to the elongation of prematurely terminated products. As Taq DNA polymerase is not able to remove mismatched primer ends it is prone to base incorporation errors, making its use in certain applications undesirable. For example, attempting to clone an amplified gene is problematic since any one copy of the gene may contain an error due to a random misincorporation event. Depending on the cycle in which that error occurs (e.g., in an early replication cycle), the entire DNA amplified could contain the erroneously incorporated base, thus, giving rise to a mutated gene product.
There are several thermostable DNA polymerases known in the art which exhibit 3′-5′ exonuclease activity, like B-type polymerases from thermophilic Archaebacteria which are used for high fidelity DNA amplification. Thermostable polymerases exhibiting 3′-5′ exonuclease activity may be isolated or cloned from Pyrococcus (Purified thermostable Pyrococcus furiosus DNA polymerase, Mathur E., Stratagene, WO 92/09689, U.S. Pat. No. 5,545,552; Purified thermostable DNA polymerase from Pyrococcus species, Comb D. G. et al., New England Biolabs, Inc., EP 0 547 359; Organization and nucleotide sequence of the DNA polymerase gene from the archaeon Pyrococcus furiosus, Uemori T. et al. (1993) Nucl. Acids Res., 21:259-265.), from Pyrodictium spec. (Thermostable nucleic acid polymerase, Gelfand D. H., F. Hoffmann-La Roche AG, EP 0 624 641; Purified thermostable nucleic acid polymerase and DNA coding sequences from Pyrodictium species, Gelfand D. H., Hoffmann-La Roche Inc., U.S. Pat. No. 5,491,086), from Thermococcus (e.g. Thermostable DNA polymerase from Thermococcus spec. TY, Niehaus F., et al. WO 97/35988; Purified Thermocccus barossii DNA polymerase, Luhm R. A., Pharmacia Biotech, Inc., WO 96/22389; DNA polymerase from Thermococcus barossii with intermediate exonuclease activity and better long term stability at high temperature, useful for DNA sequencing, PCR etc., Dhennezel O. B., Pharmacia Biotech Inc., WO 96/22389; A purified thermostable DNA polymerase from Thermococcus litoralis for use in DNA manipulations, Comb D. G., New England Biolabs, Inc., U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,785, EP 0 455 430; Recombinant thermostable DNA polymerase from Archaebacteria, Comb D. G., New England Biolabs, Inc., U.S. Pat. No. 5,352,778, EP 0 547 920, EP 0 701 000; New isolated thermostable DNA polymerase obtained from Thermococcus gorgonarius, Angerer B. et al. Boehringer Mannheim GmbH, WO 98/14590.
Another possibility of conferring PCR in the presence of a proofreading function is the use of a mixture of polymerase enzymes, one polymerase exhibiting such a proofreading activity. (e.g. Thermostable DNA polymerase with enhanced thermostability and enhanced length and efficiency of primer extension, Barnes W. M., U.S. Pat. No. 5,436,149, EP 0 693 078; Novel polymerase compositions and uses thereof, Sorge J. A., Stratagene, WO 95/16028). It is common practice to use a formulation of a thermostable DNA polymerase comprising a majority component of at least one thermostable DNA polymerase which lacks 3′-5′ exonuclease activity and a minority component exhibiting 3′-5′ exonuclease activity e.g. Taq polymerase and Pfu DNA polymerase. In these mixtures the processivity is conferred by the pol I-type enzyme like Taq polymerase, the proofreading function by the thermostable B-type polymerase like Pfu. High fidelity DNA synthesis is one desirable parameter in nucleic acid amplification, another important feature is the possibility of decontamination.
The polymerase chain reaction can amplify a single molecule over a billionfold. Thus, even minuscule amounts of a contaminant can be amplified and lead to a false positive result. Such contaminants are often poducts from previous PCR amplifications (carry-over contamination). Therefore, researchers have developed methods to avoid such a contamination.
The procedure relies on substituting dUTP for TTP during PCR amplification to produce uracil-containing DNA (U-DNA). Treating subsequent PCR reaction mixtures with Uracil-DNA-Glycosylase (UNG) prior to PCR amplification the contaminating nucleic acid is degraded and not suitable for amplification. dUTP can be readily incorporated by poll-type thermostable polymerases but not B-type polymerases (G. Slupphaug, et al. (1993) Anal. Biochem. 211:164-169) Low incorporation of dUTP by B-type polymerases limits their use in laboratories where the same type of template is repeatedly analyzed by PCR amplification.
Thermostable DNA polymerases exhibiting 3′-5′ exonuclease activity were also isolated from eubacterial strains like Thermotoga (Thermophilic DNA polymerases from Thermotoga neapolitana, Slater M. R. et al. Promega Corporation, WO 96/41014; Cloned DNA polymerases from Thermotoga neapolitana and mutants thereof, Hughes A. J. et al., Life Technologies, Inc. WO 96/10640; Purified thermostable nucleic acid polymerase enzyme from Termotoga maritima, Gelfand D. H. et al., CETUS Corporation, WO 92/03556) These enzymes have a strong 3′-5′ exonuclease activity which is able to eliminate misincorporated or mismatched bases. A genetically engineered version of this enzyme is commercially available as ULTma, a DNA polymerase which can be used without additional polypeptides for the PCR process. This enzyme is able to remove misincorporated bases, incorporate dUTP, but the fidelity is for unknown reasons not higher than that of Taq polymerase (Accuracy of replication in the polymerase chain reaction. Diaz R. S. et al. Braz. J. Med. Biol. Res. (1998) 31: 1239-1242; PCR fidelity of Pfu DNA polymerase and other thermostable DNA polymerases, Cline J. et al., Nucleic Acids Res. (1996) 24:3546-3551).
For high fidelity DNA synthesis another alternative to the use of B-type polymerases or mixtures containing them is the use of thermophilic DNA polymerase III holoenzyme, a complex of 18 polypeptide chains. These complexes are identical to the bacterial chromosomal replicases, comprising all the factors necessary to synthesize a DNA strand of several hundred kilobases or whole chromosomes. The 10 different subunits of this enzyme, some of which are present in multiple copies, can be produced by recombinant techniques, reconstituted and used for in vitro DNA synthesis. As a possible use of these complexes PCR amplification of nucleic acis of several thousand to hundreds of thousand base pairs is proposed. (Enzyme derived from thermophilic organisms that functions as a chromosomal replicase, and preparation and uses thereof, Yurieva O. et al., The Rockefeller University, WO 98/45452; Novel thermophilic polymerase III holoenzyme, McHenry C., ENZYCO Inc., WO 99/13060)
It was aimed according to this invention to develop a high fidelity PCR system which is preferably concomitantly able to incorporate dUTP. According to the present invention a thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity is provided whereas this enzyme enhances fidelity of an amplification process when added to a second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity. The enzyme provided can excise mismatched primer ends to allow the second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity as e.g. Taq polymerase to reassociate and to reassume elongation during a process of synthezising DNA. The inventive enzyme is able to cooperate as proofreading enzyme with a second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity. The enzyme that was found to be suitable for this task is e.g. a thermostable exonuclease III. Preferred is an exonuclease III working from the 3′ to 5′ direction, cleaving 5′ of the phosphate leaving 3′ hydroxyl groups and ideally working on double stranded DNA only. The 3′-5′ exonuclease functions of DNA polymerases are active on double and single stranded DNA. The latter activity may lead to primer degradation, which is undesired in PCR assays. It is preferred that the enzyme is active at 70° C. to 80° C., stable enough to survive the denaturation cycles and inactive at lower temperatures to leave the PCR products undegraded after completion of the PCR process. Enzymes exhibiting these features can be derived from thermophilic eubacteria or related enzymes from thermophilic archaea. Genomes of three thermostable archaebacteria are sequenced, Methanococcus jannaschii (Complete Genome Sequence of the Methanogenic Archaeon, Methanococcus jannaschii, Bult C. J. et al., (1996) Science 273: 1058-1072), Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum (Complete genomic sequence of Methanobacterium thermoautotrophicum ΔH: Functional Analysis and Comparative Genomics, Smith D. R. et al., J of Bacteriology (1997) 179: 7135-7155) and Archaeoglobus fulgidus (The complete genome sequence of the hyperthermophilic, sulfate-reducing archaeon Archaeoglobus fulgidus, Klenk H.-P. et al. (1997) Nature 390: 364-370).
In particular, there is provided a thermostable enzyme obtainable from Archaeoglobus fulgidus, which catalyzes the degradation of mismatched ends of primers or polynucleotides in the 3′ to 5′ direction in double stranded DNA. The gene encoding the thermostable exonuclease III obtainable from Archaeoglobus fulgidus (Afu) was cloned, expressed in E. coli and isolated. The enzyme is active under the incubation and temperature conditions used in PCR reactions. The enzyme supports DNA polymerases like Taq in performing DNA synthesis at low error rates and synthesis of products of more than 3 kb on genomic DNA—the upper range of products synthesized by Taq polymerase—in good yields with or without dUTP present in the reaction mixture. Preferably, 50-500 ng of the exonuclease III obtainable from Afu were used per 2,5 U of Taq polymerase in order to have an optimal PCR performance. More preferably is the use of 67 ng to 380 ng of the exonuclease III obtainable from Afu per 2,5 U of the Taq polymerase in the PCR reaction.
DNA sequence (SEQ ID NO: 20) and the deduced amino acid sequence (SEQ ID NO: 21) of the gene encoding the DNA polymerase from exonuclease III Archaeoglobus fulgidis.
Further, subject of the present invention is a composition comprising a first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity and a second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity whereas the fidelity of an amplification process is enhanced by the use of this composition in comparison to the use of the second enzyme alone. The inventive thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity also includes appropriate enzymes exhibiting reduced DNA polymerase activity or no such activity at all. Reduced DNA polymerase activity according to the invention means less than 50% of said activity of an enzyme exhibiting DNA polymerase activity. In a preferred embodiment the second enzyme of the inventive composition is lacking proofreading activity. In particular preferred, the second enzyme is Taq polymerase.
A further subject of the present invention is a method of DNA synthesis using a mixture comprising a first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity and a second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity. According to this method prematurely terminated chains are trimmed by degradation from 3′ to 5′. Mismatched ends of either a primer or the growing strand are removed according to this method.
The invention further comprises a method according to the above description whereas dUTP is present in the reaction mixture, replacing partly or completely TTP. It is preferred that according to this method uracil DNA glycosylase (UDG or UNG) is used for degradation of contaminating nucleic acids.
Preferably according to this method the mixture of a                first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity and        a second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity produces PCR products with lower error rates compared to PCR products produced by the second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity in absence of the first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity. The method in which the mixture of first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity and a second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity produces PCR products of greater length compared to PCR products produced by the second enzyme exhibiting polymerase activity in absence of the first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity. Further, the first thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′-exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity is related to the Exonuclease III of E. coli, but thermostable according to this method. A further embodiment of the above described method is the method whereas PCR products with blunt ends are obtained.
Subject of the present invention are also methods for obtaining the inventive thermostable enzyme exhibiting 3′ exonuclease-activity but essentially no DNA polymerase activity and means and materials for producing this enzyme as e.g. vectors and host cells (e.g. DSM no. 13021).
The following examples are offered for the purpose of illustrating, not limiting, the subject invention.

Thermostable enzyme promoting the fidelity of thermostable DNA polymerases—for improvement of nucleic acid synthesis and amplification in vitro


Techniques are provided for calibrating on-chip termination impedances on integrated circuits. An on-chip termination (OCT) calibration circuit generates calibration codes that selectively control the conductive states of a set of transistors coupled in parallel. The OCT calibration circuit selects a calibration code that causes the impedance of the transistors to be near a matching impedance. The selected calibration code controls an on-chip termination impedance at a pin. According to some embodiments, the OCT calibration circuit compares a signal from the transistors to two or more reference signals to improve the tolerance range of the calibrated on-chip termination impedance. According to other embodiments, the OCT calibration circuit selects a calibration code based on a signal from the transistors after an extra transistor is turned on by a control signal. The control signal is not used to control the on-chip termination impedance.

The present invention relates to electronic circuits, and more particularly, to techniques for providing calibrated on-chip termination impedance on integrated circuits.
Signal reflection can occur on transmission lines when there is a mismatch between the impedance of the transmission line and the impedance of the transmitter and/or receiver. The reflected signal can interfere with the transmitted signal, causing distortion and degrading signal integrity.
To solve this problem, transmission lines are resistively terminated by a matching impedance to minimize or eliminate signal reflection. Input/output (I/O) pins on an integrated circuit package are often terminated by coupling external termination resistors to the appropriate I/O pins. However, many integrated circuit packages require a large number of termination resistors, because they have a large number of I/O pins. Therefore, it is becoming more common to resistively terminate transmission lines using on-chip termination (OCT) circuits to reduce the number of external components and to conserve board area.
In order to improve the accuracy of on-chip termination (OCT) circuits, a calibration circuit can be used to calibrate the on-chip termination circuit using an off-chip resistor as a reference value. Un-calibrated on-chip termination circuits can have tolerances in the range of +/−30% of the nominal value. A calibration circuit can improve the tolerance range of an on-chip termination circuit, e.g., to within +/−20%.
However, in many applications, a higher degree of accuracy is required. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide further improvements in the tolerance range of on-chip termination circuits without incurring a significant increase in the die size of an integrated circuit.

Techniques for providing calibrated on-chip termination impedance


A hydroprocessing catalyst or catalyst precursor has been developed. The catalyst is a poorly crystalline transition metal molybdotungstate material or a metal sulfide decomposition product thereof. The hydroprocessing using the crystalline ammonia transition metal molybdotungstate material may include hydrodenitrification, hydrodesulfurization, hydrodemetallation, hydrodesilication, hydrodearomatization, hydroisomerization, hydrotreating, hydrofining, and hydrocracking.

In order to meet the growing demand for petroleum products there is greater utilization of sour crudes, which when combined with tighter environmental legislation regarding the concentration of nitrogen and sulfur within fuel, leads to accentuated refining problems. The removal of sulfur (hydrodesulfurization—HDS) and nitrogen (hydrodenitrification—HDN) containing compounds from fuel feed stocks is targeted during the hydrotreating steps of refining and is achieved by the conversion of organic nitrogen and sulfur to ammonia and hydrogen sulfide respectively.
Since the late 1940s the use of catalysts containing nickel (Ni) and molybdenum (Mo) or tungsten (W) have demonstrated up to 80% sulfur removal. See for example, V. N. Ipatieff, G. S. Monroe, R. E. Schaad, Division of Petroleum Chemistry, 115th Meeting ACS, San Francisco, 1949. For several decades now there has been an intense interest directed towards the development of materials to catalyze the deep desulfurization, in order to reduce the sulfur concentration to the ppm level. Some recent breakthroughs have focused on the development and application of more active and stable catalysts targeting the production of feeds for ultra-low sulfur fuels. Several studies have demonstrated improved HDS and HDN activities through elimination of the support such as, for example, Al2O3. Using bulk unsupported materials provides a route to increase the active phase loading in the reactor as well as providing alternative chemistry to target these catalysts.
More recent research in this area has focused on the ultra-deep desulfurization properties achieved by a Ni—Mo/W unsupported 'trimetallic' material reported in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,695. The controlled synthesis of a broadly amorphous mixed metal oxide consisting of molybdenum, tungsten and nickel, significantly outperformed conventional hydrotreating catalysts. The structural chemistry of the tri-metallic mixed metal oxide material was likened to the hydrotalcite family of materials, referring to literature articles detailing the synthesis and characterization of a layered nickel molybdate material, stating that the partial substitution of molybdenum with tungsten leads to the production of a broadly amorphous phase which, upon decomposition by sulfidation, gives rise to superior hydrotreating activities.
The chemistry of these layered hydrotalcite-like materials was first reported by H. Pezerat, contribution à l'étude des molybdates hydrates de zinc, cobalt et nickel, C. R. Acad. Sci., 261, 5490, who identified a series of phases having ideal formulas MMoO4.H2O, EHM2O−(MoO4)2H2O, and E2-x(H3O)xM2O(MoO4)2 where E can be NH4+, Na+ or K+ and M can be Zn2+, Co2+ or Ni2+.
Pezerat assigned the different phases he observed as being Φc, Φx or Φy and determined the crystal structures for Φx and Φy, however owing to a combination of the small crystallite size, limited crystallographic capabilities and complex nature of the material, there were doubts raised as to the quality of the structural assessment of the materials. During the mid-1970s, Clearfield et al attempted a more detailed analysis of the Φx and Φy phases, see examples A. Clearfield, M. J. Sims, R. Gopal, Inorg. Chem., 15, 335; A. Clearfield, R. Gopal, C. H. Saldarriaga-Molina, Inorg. Chem., 16, 628. Single crystal studies on the product from a hydrothermal approach allowed confirmation of the Φx structure, however they failed in their attempts to synthesize Φy and instead synthesized an alternative phase, Na—Cu(OH)(MoO4), see A. Clearfield, A. Moini, P. R. Rudolf, Inorg. Chem., 24, 4606.
The structure of Φy was not confirmed until 1996 when Ying et al. Their investigation into a room temperature chimie douce synthesis technique in the pursuit of a layered ammonium zinc molybdate led to a metastable aluminum-substituted zincite phase, prepared by the calcination of Zn/Al layered double hydroxide (Zn4Al2(OH)12CO3.zH2O). See example D. Levin, S. L. Soled, J. Y. Ying, Inorg. Chem., 1996, 35, 4191-4197. This material was reacted with a solution of ammonium heptamolybdate at room temperature to produce a highly crystalline compound, the structure of which could not be determined through conventional ab-initio methods. The material was indexed, yielding crystallographic parameters which were the same as that of an ammonium nickel molybdate, reported by Astier, see example M. P. Astier, G. Dji, S. Teichner, J. Ann. Chim. (Paris), 1987, 12, 337, a material belonging to a family of ammonium-amine-nickel-molybdenum oxides closely related to Pezerat's materials. Astier did not publish any detailed structural data on this family of materials, leading to Ying et al reproducing the material to be analyzed by high resolution powder diffraction in order to elucidate the structure. Ying et al named this class of materials 'layered transition-metal molybdates' or LTMs.
Since the initial reports of unsupported Ni—Mo/W oxidic precursors, U.S. Pat. No. 6,156,695, there have been several reports describing materials which, when sulfided, claim to have enhanced hydrotreating activities. U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,437 discloses a process for preparing a mixed metal catalyst having a powder x-ray diffraction pattern showing reflections at approximately 2.53 Angstroms and 1.70 angstroms. U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,437 differentiates itself from U.S. Pat. No. 3,678,124 and WO 9903578 based on characteristic full width half maximum line widths of more resolved reflections, present in WO 9903578, claiming that the invention of U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,437 possesses a 'different microstructure' from prior work, WO 9903578.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,722,563 describes preparing a series of catalyst precursors with compositions comprising at least one Group VI metal and one metal from Group VIII through Group X. One of the comparative examples described in the patent yields a comparable powder x-ray diffraction pattern to that obtained in U.S. Pat. No. 6,534,437 and is described as the as-synthesized and dried hexagonal NiWO4 catalyst precursor.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,648,941 discloses synthetic examples of a series of different bimetallic materials and states that the bulk bimetallic catalyst of the invention has a metastable structure and further assert that the crystalline 2θ structure of the metastable hexagonal NiW04 phase in the preferred catalysts of the invention have lattice parameters a=2.92 Å, b=2.93 Å, and c=4.64 Å and that bulk catalyst has a metastable hexagonal structure having an X-ray diffraction pattern with a single reflection between 58 and 65°. As a point of reference, the largest two d-spacings which can be generated in an x-ray diffraction pattern by a hexagonal cell with lattice parameters a=2.92 Å, b=2.93 Å, and c=4.64 Å are 4.64 Å and 2.53 Å.
A. Dias and V. S. T. Ciminelli, J. Eur. Ceramic. Soc, 2001, 21, 2061-2065 reported on the thermodynamic calculations and modeling of hydrothermally synthesized nickel tungstates. They present a series of calculated yield diagrams at various synthesis temperatures highlighting the pH and reagent concentrations which yield NiWO4. All their calculations predict the formation of a nickel tungstate between pH 2 and 7.5, with nickel hydroxide being the main product at higher pH's. The authors show the x-ray diffraction patterns for the samples produced at 200, 230 and 260° C. within and without their predicted yield zones. The x-ray diffraction pattern for the NiWO4 material synthesized at 200° C. can be described as poorly crystalline and the reference asserts that it is important to note that a crystallized material was obtained at 200° C., but with extremely fine particle size indicated by broad X-ray diffraction peaks. The reference asserts this can be explained by the energy barrier for the precipitation, which is closely related to the nature of the rate-controlling step in the dominant formation process. The reference puts forth that higher reaction temperatures accelerate the crystallization process because of greater thermal energy to overcome the energy barrier for transformation, and a consequence, materials with higher crystallinity and/or particle size can be obtained. The reference suggests that the phase obtained at 200° C. is essentially a poorly crystalline, nano-wolframite (NiWO4), and this conclusion is consistent with calculated yield diagrams of the reference.
Y. Bi, H. Nie, D. Li, S. Zeng, Q. Yang and M. Li, Chemical Communications, 2010, 46, 7430-7432 discuss the preparation of NiWO4 nanoparticles as a promising hydrodesulfurization catalyst, stating that all the reflections in a typical powder x-ray diffraction pattern can be indexed undisputedly to the monoclinic NiWO4, Wolframite, phase. The reference asserts that FIG. 1 shows the typical X-ray diffraction (XRD) pattern of the as-made sample and all reflections can be indexed undisputedly to the monoclinic NiWO4 phase (JCPDS card 72-1189). The reference concludes that a close examination reveals that the reflections in the XRD pattern are a little broad, indicating the characteristic feature of nanosized materials.

Poorly crystalline transition metal molybdotungstate


An air displacement pipette has a tubular pipette tip with an upper section surrounding a locking chamber, and a body section leading from the upper section and tapering downwardly to a reduced diameter end. A tubular mounting shaft on the pipette has a distal end configured and dimensioned for axial insertion into the locking chamber of the pipette tip. Coacting surfaces on the distal end of the mounting shaft and the upper section of the pipette tip establish an axially interengaged relationship between the pipette tip and the mounting shaft in response to insertion of the distal end of the mounting shaft into the locking chamber. A sleeve is axially shiftable on the mounting shaft between a retracted position accommodating the establishment of the axially interengaged relationship, and an advanced position disrupting the axially interengaged relationship to thereby accommodate axial ejection of the pipette tip from the mounting shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to air displacement pipettes, and is concerned in particular with an improvement in pipette tips and the manner in which they are releasably retained on and ejected from the tubular mounting shafts of the pipettes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to detachably retain a pipette tip on the tubular mounting shaft of an air displacement pipette. The pipette is equipped with a manually operable ejection mechanism for disengaging and releasing the thus retained pipette tip once it has served its purpose. Retention is commonly achieved by effecting a friction fit between coacting surfaces on the pipette tip and the mounting shaft.
This leads to certain difficulties in that users are often uncertain as to the level of force required to achieve a secure friction fit. An inadequate force can result in the pipette tip becoming prematurely dislodged, whereas an excessive force can result in the pipette tip being jammed in place, which in turn disadvantageously increases the force that must be exerted by the manually operable ejection mechanism when dislodging the pipette tip from its retained position. These problems are exacerbated in multi channel pipettes.
It is also known to provide the cylindrical walls defining the upper ends of the pipette tips with interiorly projecting circular ribs or ridges designed to coact in snap engagement with mating surfaces on the tubular mounting shafts of the pipettes.
However, this also leads to certain difficulties in that in order to achieve a snap engagement, the upper walls of the pipette tips must be radially expanded, which in turn requires the user to exert unacceptably high forces when axially inserting the tubular mounting shafts into the pipette tips. Comparable forces are required to disengage the tips from the mounting shafts. Moreover, slight dimensional variations can have a significant impact, e.g., by either additionally increasing the forces required to engage and release the pipette tips if their internal wall diameters are too small, or resulting in unacceptably loose connections if their internal wall diameters are too large.

Pipette tip mounting and ejection assembly and associated pipette tip


Methods and systems are provided for reducing fuel vapor generation from a fuel tank in a hybrid vehicle. A layer of gel-foam fire retardant is layered over the surface of fuel in the fuel tank. In response to the layer being below a fuel level in the fuel tank, fuel pump operation may be automatically disabled.

Vehicle emission control systems may be configured to store fuel vapors from fuel tank refueling and diurnal engine operations in a fuel system canister. During subsequent engine operation, the fuel vapors are purged to the engine with the purging carefully controlled so as to meet stringent federal emissions regulations.
The inventors herein have recognized that fuel vapor management, including the recovering and disposing of fuel vapors, can add substantial cost and complexity to a vehicle's fuel system. For example, in hybrid vehicles where the reduced frequency of engine operation prolongs the duration between purging opportunities, the use of a sealed steel tank or a bladder tank that can store a large amount of fuel vapors can add substantial costs. As another example, a hybrid vehicle's fuel economy may be affected if the engine has to be operated to enable the stored vapors to be ingested into the engine.
Thus in one example, some of the above issues may be at least partially addressed by a method for a vehicle fuel system, comprising floating a layer of gel-foam fire retardant on a surface of liquid fuel in a fuel tank to reduce an amount of fuel vapors generated in a dome region of the fuel tank, the vehicle being an on-road vehicle. In this way, fuel vapor generation can be reduced at a low cost.
In one example, a vehicle fuel system may include a fuel tank for delivering fuel to engine cylinders. The fuel tank may include a fuel pump coupled therein. A layer of gel-foam fire retardant may be layered on the fuel such that the layer floats on the surface of the liquid fuel. The layer may be a single continuous layer and may remain in place throughout the life of the vehicle, with replacements performed only as necessary. By positioning the layer on the fuel surface, fuel vapor generation (e.g., diurnal losses) may be reduced. Control of the fuel pump may be tied to a position of the layer within the fuel tank so as to enable the pump to be shut off before any of the gel-foam fire retardant is ingested into a fuel pump inlet. In addition, a bottom of the fuel tank may be modified with a depression for housing the fuel pump. For example, the layer of gel-foam fire retardant may be coupled to a fuel level sensor (such as a fuel level sensing arm with a float) that monitors a position of the layer in the fuel tank relative to a threshold position, wherein the threshold position is based on a road incline, vehicle rate of acceleration/deceleration, rate of vehicle lateral acceleration (e.g., turning,), steering wheel angle, yaw, etc. As such, changes to any of these parameters may affect a position of the gel-foam fire retardant relative to a location of the fuel pump inlet. Thus, by enabling pump operation only if the layer is sufficiently distant from the threshold position and by disabling the pump in response to the layer being sufficiently close to the threshold position, ingestion of gel-foam fire retardant in the fuel pump is obviated.
In this way, a simple and cost effective solution is provided for reducing evaporative emissions. By layering a gel-foam fire retardant on the surface of fuel in a fuel tank coupled to an on-road vehicle, the evaporative emissions benefits of a bladder tank can be achieved for a fraction of the cost of a bladder tank. In addition, the use of a gel-foam fire retardant in the layer allows unwanted fuel vaporization to be reduced in the event of tank degradation (e.g., tank rupture). By adjusting fuel pump operation based on the position of the layer within the fuel tank, ingestion of the gel-foam fire retardant into the fuel pump can be reduced. By reducing evaporative emissions, vapor purging frequency is reduced, and fuel economy penalties incurred during the purging of fuel vapors, particularly in a hybrid vehicle, can be reduced.
It will be understood that the summary above is provided to introduce in simplified form a selection of concepts that are further described in the detailed description, which follows. It is not meant to identify key or essential features of the claimed subject matter, the scope of which is defined by the claims that follow the detailed description. Further, the claimed subject matter is not limited to implementations that solve any disadvantages noted above or in any part of this disclosure.

Method and system for fuel vapor control


A motorized operator drive is used with a window having a fixed frame and a movable sash, and a manually driven window operator mounted to the frame. The window operator includes an operator shaft rotatable to drive a linkage mechanism fastened to the sash to selectively move the sash relative to the frame to open or close the window. The drive comprises a housing having a motor end and an opposite nose end. A motor is mounted in the housing at the motor end and has an output shaft. A gear set is mounted in the housing including an input gear driven by the motor shaft and an output gear at the nose end. An adaptor is operatively engaged with both the output gear and the operator shaft to rotate the operator shaft in response to energization of the motor. A bracket is fixedly mounted to the window frame. A rubber grommet resiliently mounts a stud at the housing motor end to the bracket to provide isolation between the drive and the window.

A window typically includes a fixed frame and a movable sash. The sash is mounted either for slidable movement relative to the frame or is hinged for pivotal movement, to open or close the window. One example of such a window is a casement window. Typically, a casement window is provided with a window operator to aid in manually opening and closing the window. An example of such a window operator is shown in Tucker, U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,075, owned by the assignee of the present application. Such a window operator includes a rotatable shaft driving a linkage mechanism for selectively moving the sash relative to the frame to open or close the window. A handle is secured to the shaft using a set screw for ease of operation.
In addition to the above-described window operators, various forms of window operators have been used for awning type windows in which the operator also includes a rotatable shaft. Similarly, certain skylight windows include a skylight window operator such as shown in Tacheny et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,521,993, also owned by the assignee of the present application. Such a window operator also includes a rotatable shaft normally driven by a handle. Additionally, such a window operator can be used in connection with a double hung window in which the sash is slidably mounted in the frame, as by the window operator chain raising and lowering the sash.
Each of the above-described window operators is well suited for its desired operation. Nevertheless, with skylight windows the use of a manual operator may be problematic due to inaccessibility of the operator. To satisfy these concerns, motorized window operators have been used for skylight window operators, such as disclosed in the above-mentioned Tacheny et al. application, as well as Berner et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,945,678, also owned by the assignee of the present application.
Having found success with motorized skylight window operators, there exists a desire to provide motorized operators for other types of windows, such as the above-mentioned casement windows, awning windows or double hung windows. In connection with such desires, it is important to consider the millions of such window operators already installed and in use for which such motorized functionality is desired.
The present invention is intended to overcome one or more of the problems set forth above in a novel and simple manner.


A method for making DRAM cells with minimum active device areas (cell areas) using novel sidewall-spacer bit lines is achieved. A trench is etched in an insulating layer aligned over the device areas and orthogonal to the gate electrodes, and extending over the first and second source/drain areas. A conducting layer is deposited and etched back to form sidewall-spacer bit lines. A planar second insulating layer is formed in which bit line contact openings are etched between the sidewall-spacer bit lines to the first source/drain areas. The contact openings are filled with a third conducting layer to form the bit line contacts. A third insulating layer is deposited and capacitor node contact openings are etched between the sidewall-spacer bit lines and to the second source/drain areas. An insulating layer is deposited and etched back to insulate the sidewall-spacer bit lines in the node contact openings and a fourth con-ducting layer is deposited and etched back to form the node contacts. By this self-aligned method, the minimum unit cell area (device area) can be reduced to about 6F.sup.2, where F is the minimum feature size for the current technology. Any one of the current stacked capacitor structures, such as crown, fin-shaped, and the Like, can now be built on the node contacts to provide memory cells with increased packing density.

(1) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an integrated circuit semiconductor device, and more particularly to a method for fabricating an array of memory cells with minimum cell area that are difficult to achieve in the prior art. The method forms a split bit-line structure using electrically conductive sidewall spacers (as bit lines) which allows for improved self-alignment between bit lines and capacitor node contacts, and thereby reduce the memory cell area.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In recent years the number and density of memory cells on the DRAM chip have dramatically increased. The DRAM chip areas on the substrate consist of an array of closely spaced memory cells with address and read/write circuits along the periphery of the chip. Currently in production there are 64 million memory cells on a DRAM chip with minimum feature sizes less than a half micrometer. The individual DRAM cells are formed from a single access transistor, typically a field effect transistor (FET), and a storage capacitor with a node contact to one of the two source/drain areas of the FET. The capacitor is used for storing information in binary form (0's and 1's) as electrical charge, and the second source/drain area is connected to a bit line that is used to read and write information via peripheral circuits on the DRAM chip. Word lines that also form the FET gate electrodes over the active device are (cell areas) are used to randomly access the individual memory cells.
By the year 2000 the number of memory cells on a DRAM chip is expected to reach 1 Gigabit. This increase in circuit density has resulted from the downsizing of the individual semiconductor devices (FETs) and the resulting increase in device packing density. The reduction in device minimum feature size F is due in part to advances in high resolution photolithography and directional (anisotropic) plasma etching. For example, the minimum feature size F is expected to be 0.25 to 0.18 micrometer (um) for the next product generation. However, it is becoming increasingly difficult to further reduce the unit memory cell size on DRAMs.
This problem is best understood by considering the design layout of the memory cells as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B of the prior art for two conventional layouts. Shown in FIG. 1A is a top view depicting the layout for a conventional diagonal bit-line (DBL) memory cell design. The layout consist of an array of word lines 40 extending over the active device regions 42 to form the FETs. The bit lines 44 extend diagonally over the bit line contacts 46 to one of the two source/drain areas of each FET, while the capacitor node contact 48 is formed to the second source/drain area. The dashed line 50 in FIG. 1A shows one of the enclosed unit memory cell area. In terms of minimum feature size F, the unit cell area is 2F.times.3F=6F.sup.2. In FIG. 1B is shown a second layout for a conventional folded bit line cell array. The corresponding elements are similarly labeled as in FIG. 1A. In this layout the unit cell indicated by the dashed line 52 requires a cell area of 2F.times.4F=8F.sup.2, and as is clearly seen, requires a larger cell area. In either case, since the mode contact 48 and the bit line 44 lie in the same plain on the chip, it becomes increasingly difficult to make reliable DRAM devices because of photolithographic alignment tolerances and the reduction in minimum feature size F for future product.
Several methods for making DRAM cells with stacked capacitors have been described in the literature. More specifically, Park et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,886, describe a method for making DRAM capacitors using sidewall spacers in the node contact opening. Another method is described by Kim, U.S. Pat. No. 5,622,883, for making DRAM cells using landing pads for both the bit line and capacitor node contacts. Also in the prior art of the same reference, a method is described for making capacitor node contacts using sidewall spacers. Still another method is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,409,855 to Jun for making semiconductor devices having capacitors, in which the capacitance is increased while reducing the height difference between the memory cell area and surrounding area on the chip. However, none of the above addresses the problem in reducing the unit cell area.
Therefore there is still a need in the industry to provide a process that forms improved self-aligned node contacts to bit lines for capacitor-over-bit line (COB) DRAM structures with reduced cell areas.

Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) cells with minimum active cell areas using sidewall-space bit lines

Vanguard International Semiconductor Corporation


Disclosed herein is a gait rehabilitation apparatus including a first frame having a bottom surface which is movable at predetermined speed; a second frame extending upwards from a tip of the first frame; a load support unit which is mounted to an upper end of the second frame and is rotatable about a rotation axis thereof; a connection string, one end of which is connected to the load support unit, and the other end of which is connected to an upper body of a rehabilitant; a safety bar which is connected to the second frame and is rotatable so as to be tilted upwards; and a gait assistance link member which has a structure able to be tilted upwards, and is connected to each leg of the rehabilitant entering onto the first frame to assist rehabilitation training of the rehabilitant through mechanical movement of the gait assistance link member.

Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a gait rehabilitation apparatus having a lateral entry mechanism and a lateral entry method using the same, and more particularly, to a gait rehabilitation apparatus having a lateral entry mechanism and a lateral entry method using the same, capable of achieving an improvement in space efficiency by allowing a rehabilitant to laterally enter the gait rehabilitation apparatus when the rehabilitant conducts rehabilitation training using the gait rehabilitation apparatus.
Description of Related Art
Gait rehabilitation robots are apparatuses which assist paraplegic patients or the elderly and patients having weak physical strength in conducting gait training without undergoing large loads on their legs. Such gait rehabilitation robots are classified into a robot which allows a patient to conduct the gait training or live in the state of directly wearing the robot, and a robot which is mounted to a treadmill to allow a patient to repeatedly conduct the gait training.
As conventional gait rehabilitation robots, treadmill type gait rehabilitation robots are disclosed in Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-2009-0104261 published on Oct. 6, 2009 and Korean Patent Laid-open Publication No. 10-2009-0096828 published on Sep. 15, 2009.
In a conventional gait rehabilitation robot, a rehabilitant should move near the treadmill by a wheelchair prior to conducting rehabilitation training on the treadmill. Accordingly, it is required to secure a large space in the rear of the treadmill such that the wheelchair may be moved in order for the rehabilitant to enter the treadmill. In addition, in the treadmill of the rear entry type, an inclined surface or the like is further required in order for the rehabilitant to enter the treadmill, and an extra space is required in the rear of the treadmill in order for the rehabilitant to climb the inclined surface. Moreover, when a therapist pushes the wheelchair on which the rehabilitant is seated, so as to allow the wheelchair to enter the treadmill, there is also a risk of being likely to cause a safety accident.
Thus, in order to solve the foregoing problems, there is a need to develop a method which may prevent the occurrence of a safety accident while using a small space during entry of the rehabilitant into the gait rehabilitation apparatus.

Gait rehabilitation apparatus having lateral entry mechanism and lateral entry method using the same

KOREA INSTITUTE OF SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY


The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaning system and more particularly pertains to a direct port vacuum cleaning system for use in a motor vehicle anytime or anywhere. The system comprises a vacuum generating unit and a vacuum cleaner hose. The vacuum generating unit comprises an electric motor, an impeller and a removable debris canister. The removable debris canister contains a vacuum cleaner hose attachment end and is directly connected to the vacuum cleaner hose. The vacuum generating unit also contains a vacuum exhaust port, located at the opposite end of the vacuum generating unit from the vacuum cleaner hose attachment end. The vacuum generating unit is powered by the vehicle""s battery. The battery""s power is converted from DC to AC by power inversion means.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vacuum cleaning system and more particularly pertains to a direct port vacuum cleaning system for use in a motor vehicle anytime or anywhere.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of vacuum cleaning systems is known in the prior art. Various vacuum cleaning systems are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,091; U.S. Pat. No. 5,189,753, U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,626; U.S. Pat. No. 5,274,878; U.S. Pat. No. 5,239,727; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,991,253.
While these devices fulfill their respective, particular objectives and requirements, the aforementioned patents do not disclose an in-vehicle, direct port vacuum cleaning system. Particularly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,091 describes a central vacuum cleaning system. It requires a vacuum port including a vacuum line located within the panels of the automobile. The vacuum line is difficult to assemble and replace. It is also decreases the suction power of the vacuum.
The present device comprises a direct port vacuum. It does not require piping throughout the vehicle, therefore, it is easily installed and readily removed. In these respects, the in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the existing art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of providing the opportunity to vacuum an automobile anytime or anywhere.
In view of the foregoing disadvantages inherent in the known types of vacuum cleaning systems now present, the instant invention provides an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system which is operated from a vehicle battery and can be used while the vehicle is in use.
The general purpose of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning apparatus and method which has many of the advantages of the vacuum cleaning systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any other vacuum cleaning systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.
To attain this, the present invention generally comprises a vacuum generating unit and a direct port vacuum cleaner hose. The vacuum generating unit is powered by the vehicle""s battery via power inversion means and runs on 110 volts of power.
It is to be understood that the invention is not limited in its application to the details of construction and to the arrangements of the components set forth in the following description or illustrated in the drawings. The invention is capable of other embodiments and of being practiced and carried out in various ways. Also, it is to be understood that the phraseology and terminology employed herein are for the purpose of description and should not be regarded as limiting.
As such, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the conception, upon which this disclosure is based, may readily be utilized as a basis for the designing of other structures, methods and systems for carrying out the several purposes of the present invention. It is important, therefore, that the claims be regarded as including such equivalent constructions insofar as they do not depart from the spirit and scope of the present invention.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system which has many of the advantages of the vacuum cleaning systems mentioned heretofore and many novel features that result in a system which is not anticipated, rendered obvious, suggested, or even implied by any of the prior art vacuum cleaning systems, either alone or in any combination thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system which may be easily and efficiently installed and removed.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system for providing the opportunity to vacuum a vehicle anytime or anywhere. Still another object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system that does not require a vacuum line throughout the vehicle.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system that can be used to blow dry hair, blow up flat tires, blow off debris from the driveway and the like.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an in-vehicle, direct port, vacuum cleaning system that is powered by the vehicle""s battery via power inversion means.


A method facilitates vaporization of a fuel in a direct-injection four-stroke engine including at least one cylinder with a combustion chamber, at least one fluid intake with an intake pipe and a valve, at least one burnt gas exhaust with an exhaust pipe and a valve, a valve controller and fuel injector. The method includes, in the vicinity of the intake phase start, in opening the intake valve so as to allow the intake fluid into the combustion chamber, in opening exhaust valve so as to feed again into this chamber at least part of the burnt gas contained in exhaust pipe; prior to the end of the intake phase, in closing the exhaust valve; in the vicinity of the intake phase end, in closing the intake valve; and during this intake phase, in carrying out at least one fuel injection into the combustion chamber.

The homogeneous operating mode, preferably used for low and medium engine loads, consists in injecting fuel into the combustion chamber very early (for example during the engine intake phase) so as to obtain homogeneous mixing of the fuel with a fluid such as air or a mixture of air and recirculated exhaust gas (EGR).
For the conventional combustion operating mode, preferably used at high engine loads, a fuel injection is performed around the piston compression top dead center and a conventional combustion by self-ignition, then by diffusion occurs.
With this combustion mode, it is also possible to carry out an early fuel injection referred to as "pilot" injection, at the intake phase start for example.
In the homogeneous combustion operating mode, it is advantageous for the fuel injection to occur very early in the engine running cycle in order to obtain a homogeneous mixture, but there are risks of cylinder wall wetting by the fuel injected.
Thus, a fuel injection at the start of the intake phase has the advantage of confining the fuel injected in the bowl the piston of such an engine is usually equipped with, while limiting contact of this fuel with the cylinder wall, but the temperature of the fluid contained in the combustion chamber is not high enough. It is therefore difficult for the fuel injected in this bowl, then in the combustion chamber, to vaporize.
In the conventional operating mode, the pilot injection involves the same drawbacks as regards the injected fuel vaporization difficulties as those mentioned above.
This fuel vaporization difficulty can lead to disruptions in the progress of the fuel mixture combustion and to an increase in the discharge of pollutants into the atmosphere, as well as a fuel overconsumption by the engine.
For gasoline type indirect-injection engines, it is already known to perform vaporization by injecting this fuel in liquid form or in form of fine droplets into the exhaust gas contained in the intake pipe. Upon contact with this hot gas, the fuel vaporizes to mist and mixes not only with this gas, but also with the fluid fed thereafter into the combustion chamber of the engine.
Such a transposition to direct-injection engines is impossible, essentially because fuel injection cannot take place in the intake pipe.
However, better fuel vaporization essentially has the advantage of reducing carbon oxides (CO) and unburnt hydrocarbons (HC) emissions upon combustion of the fuel mixture.
The present invention aims to overcome the aforementioned drawbacks by means of a method using the components usually present in a direct-injection engine.

Method for facilitating vaporization of a fuel for a diesel type direct-injection internal-combustion engine


A wireless communications system has a communications device, which has an RLC entity having a transmitting side and a receiving side. When re-establishing the receiving side, to handle control PDUs, only the receiving side in the RLC entity of the communications device is re-established, a first control PDU corresponding to the receiving side is discarded, and a second control PDU corresponding to the transmitting side is retained and not discarded.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to methods and related communications devices utilized in re-establishing a receiving side in a wireless communications system, and more particularly, to a method and related apparatus for handling control PDUs when only the receiving side of an RLC entity is re-established.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The third generation (3G) mobile communications system has adopted a Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA) wireless air interface access method for a cellular network. WCDMA can provide high frequency spectrum utilization, universal coverage, and high quality, high speed multimedia data transmission. The WCDMA method also meets all kinds of QoS requirements simultaneously, providing diverse flexible two-way transmission services and better communication quality to reduce transmission interruption rates.
Taking a signal communications protocol standard set forth by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) as an example, targeting the Access Stratum (AS), the 3G mobile communications system defines various protocol stacks, such as Radio Resource Control (RRC), Radio Link Control (RLC), Media Access Control (MAC), Packet Data Convergence Protocol (PDCP), and Broadcast/Multicast Control (BMC). In addition, the 3G mobile communications system also provides different levels of transmission quality, and can operate in different corresponding modes according to different transmission quality requirements, such as: Transparent Mode (TM), Unacknowledged Mode (UM), and Acknowledged Mode (AM). TM is appropriate for use in services with high requirements for real-time transmission, UM is appropriate for use in services with requirements for real-time transmission and packet sequencing, and AM is appropriate for use in services with low requirements for real-time transmission, but high requirements for data accuracy.
In AM, the RLC layer combines a transmitting side and a receiving side. The transmitting side and the receiving side each process transmission and reception through the RLC layer, and both sides can share system resources. In some circumstances, the RLC layer must be reestablished, e.g. when changing the size of a protocol data unit. The prior art reestablishes the RLC layer by reestablishing the transmitting side or the receiving side.
Directed at operations corresponding to reestablishing the RLC layer, a communications protocol specification established by the 3GPP (3GPP TS 25.322 V6.4.0 (2005-06), "Radio Link Control (RLC) protocol specification (Release 6)") and a Change Request (R2-052168 "Single Sided RLC Re-establishment", Motorola, 3GPP RAN2 #48 meeting, August 2005) are already described in detail. The details of the communications protocol specification and the Change Request can be summarized as follows: When reestablishment of a transmitting side and/or a receiving side of an AM RLC entity is initiated by an upper layer, the RLC entity should execute the following two operations:    1. If the receiving side of the RLC entity is being reestablished, reset state variables (VR(R), VR(H), and VR(MR)) corresponding to a receiver; set configurable protocol parameters (Configured_Tx_Window_Size and Configured_Rx_Window_Size) corresponding to the receiver to accurate values; set a Hyper Frame Number of the receiving side (downlink of the receiver) to a value set by the upper layer; and discard all control PDUs of the receiving side and the transmitting side, and discard data PDUs of the receiving side. If only the receiving side is being reestablished, the prior arts described above have not yet disclosed a method of handling a timer.    2. If the transmitting side of the RLC entity is being reestablished, reset state variables (VT(S), VT(A), VT(DAT), VT(MS), VT(PDU), VT(SDU), VT(RST), VT(MRW), and VT(WS)) corresponding to a transmitter; set configurable protocol parameters (MaxDat, Poll_PDU, Poll_SDU, Poll_Window, MaxRST, MaxMRW, OSD_Window_Size, and DAR_Window_Size) corresponding to the transmitter to accurate values; set a Hyper Frame Number of the transmitting side (uplink of the receiver) to a value set by the upper layer. In this operation, if only the transmitting side of the RLC entity is being reestablished, discard all control PDUs of both the receiving side and the transmitting side, and discard all already successfully transmitted SDUs of the transmitting end. Segment any not yet discarded SDUs into PDUs again based on a configured size of the PDU. If the transmitting side and the receiving side of the RLC entity are both being reestablished, discard the control PDUs of the receiving side and the transmitting side, and discard the data PDUs of the receiving side. If the transmitting side is being reestablished, regardless of whether or not the receiving side is being reestablished, stop all timers except for Timer_Poll_Periodic, Timer_Status_Periodic, and Timer_Discard, which corresponds to the SDUs that have not yet been discarded. Finally, if needed, inform the upper layer of the SDUs that have already been discarded.
When only the receiving side is being reestablished, the prior art discards all of the control PDUs of the receiving side and the transmitting side, which may cause an error in operation of the system. For example, a Move Receiving Window Super-Field (MRW SUFI) PDU of an SDU discard command has already been transmitted before the receiving side is reestablished, but has been lost in the transmission process, because the prior art discards all of the control PDUs when only the receiving side is being reestablished, the MRW SUFI PDU cannot be retransmitted, such that the SDU discard process cannot be accurately executed in the transmitting side. Likewise, if the RLC layer reset process has already been initiated in the transmitting side before the receiving side is reestablished, but the RESET PDU has been lost in a transmission process, because the prior art discards all of the control PDUs when only the receiving side is being reestablished, including the RESET PDU, the RESET PDU cannot be retransmitted, and the reset process cannot be executed smoothly.

Method and apparatus for handling control PDUS during re-establishing receiving sides in a wireless communications system


A positioning method using global positioning system (GPS) signal and digital broadcasting system (DBS) signal. The method includes detecting a presence status of the GPS signal through a signal detector in a receiver, detecting a presence status of the DBS signal through the signal detector, determining the signal strength of the GPS signal if the GPS signal is detected, determining the signal strength of the DBS signal if the DBS signal is detected, choosing one positioning mode among a plurality of positioning modes in a signal processing unit in the receiver based on signal presence status and the signal strength of a detected signal, and determining a location of the receiver based on the chosen positioning mode. The plurality of positioning modes includes stand-alone GPS mode, assisted GPS (AGPS) mode, assisted GPS positioning with DBS assist mode, DBS positioning with GPS assist mode, stand-alone DBS mode, and assist DBS mode.

Global positioning system (GPS) is currently the most widely used positioning system. Usually, the GPS satellites are located more than 20 kilometers above the surface of earth. GPS signal degrades significantly over such a long distance when it reaches the earth. Generally, a GPS receiver requires at least a sensibility of −130 dBm to acquire a GPS signal in a clear and open sky environment. In urban or indoor environment, the GPS receiver may require a sensitivity parameter ranging from −155 dBm to −160 dBm or more than −160 dBm to perform GPS positioning functions. Furthermore, the performance and accuracy of GPS positioning system will degrade dramatically due to any reflection, blockage and multi-path effect of GPS signals under urban or indoor environment.
With the digitalization of terrestrial analog audio broadcasting and analog video broadcasting technologies, which correspond to two mainstream standards, namely DAB (digital audio broadcasting) and DVB (digital video broadcasting)/ATSC (advanced television system committee) respectively, terrestrial digital broadcasting system (T-DBS), which includes DAB, DVB, and ATSC system, has an unparalleled edge over the global positioning system in terms of signal transmission power, signal transmission distance. Furthermore, the penetration ability of T-DBS signals is much stronger than that of GPS signal broadcasting at L1 carrier frequency level. Terrestrial digital broadcasting system can be used in environments such as basement, stair ways and underground parking lots where GPS positioning fails to perform. In addition, the use of the terrestrial digital broadcasting system can serve as a complement to the GPS in an urban environment where GPS positioning results become unreliable due to the densely built high-rises. Thus, it is to a hybrid positioning technology using T-DBS signal and GPS signal that the present invention is primarily directed.

Novas hybrid positioning technology using terrestrial digital broadcasting signal (DBS) and global positioning system (GPS) satellite signal


Formulating an integrated disaster recovery (DR) plan based upon a plurality of DR requirements for an application by receiving a first set of inputs identifying one or more entity types for which the plan is to be formulated, such as an enterprise, one or more sites of the enterprise, the application, or a particular data type for the application. At least one data container representing a subset of data for an application is identified. A second set of inputs is received identifying at least one disaster type for which the plan is to be formulated. A third set of inputs is received identifying a DR requirement for the application as a category of DR Quality of Service (QoS) class to be applied to the disaster type. A composition model is generated specifying one or more respective DR QoS parameters as a function of a corresponding set of one or more QoS parameters representative of a replication technology solution. The replication technology solution encompasses a plurality of storage stack levels. A solution template library is generated for mapping the application to each of a plurality of candidate replication technology solutions. The template library is used to select a DR plan in the form of a replication technology solution for the application.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to data storage on computer systems, and more particularly to methods for backing up and recovering physically or logically damaged resources on that data storage. Specifically, this invention relates to a method for formulating an integrated disaster recovery plan based upon a plurality of requirements for each of a plurality of data types.
2. Description of Background
Disaster recovery (DR) solutions for information technology (IT) systems encompass application servers, networks and storage systems. In the case of storage systems, there are a plethora of point replication solutions that may be used for providing disaster recovery. As a general consideration, system designers formulate an appropriate DR plan or solution based on user requirements, and then the DR solution is deployed.
At present, DR solution planning is a manual, error prone and time consuming process. The solution space is quite large, with the result that designers may not devise the most cost effective solution. In the storage domain, designing DR solutions is complex because designers have to choose from among various competing alternatives. For example, a typical IT system environment may include an application stack in the form of an application running on top of a database system that is, in turn, running on top of a file system. The file system may obtain its volumes via a volume manager. Finally, the volume manager could, in turn, obtain its storage from a storage controller. In this type of environment, a DR solution can be formulated at the database more than one of the foregoing levels. Selecting an appropriate technology for implementing the DR solution is not a trivial matter. This selection is typically determined with reference to the relative costs of various data replication solutions and level, the file system level, the volume manager level, the storage controller level, or at the DR needs applicable to a given type of data.
DR solution designers are required to design a cost effective disaster recovery solution for an enterprise that may consist of multiple locations and applications. Each application may, in turn, be dealing with many different classes of data each having different DR requirements. Finally, each respective class of application data may require protection for a different type of corresponding disaster, such as virus attacks, machine failure, and site failure. Determining the number of sites and copies to satisfy the foregoing enterprise requirements is not an easy task. As a result, designers generally over-provision the required amount of DR resources.
In many cases, DR solution designers are required to formulate solutions for an existing environment. In these situations, the designer must first assess whether or not it is possible for the existing environment to support all applicable DR requirements. If it is determined that the existing environment has the potential to support these requirements, the designer must then determine how to extend the existing environment to address these requirements in a cost effective manner.
There are very few individuals who possess the necessary expertise to design effective DR solutions. Moreover, the expertise of these individuals is often restricted to a specific category of replication technology (e.g, controller replication or database replication). The DR solutions devised by these individuals rely upon a group of best practices that have proven effective in view of practical experience and empirical observations. Unfortunately, these best practices have not been automated and consolidated into the DR solution process for the purpose of making these practices available to a greater number of designers. Further, the solutions generated by these experts must be deployed in terms of replication sessions for various technologies, which is a manual and error-prone process.
A number of database and third party software vendors provide backup and recovery solutions at the database level, and some claim to offer data recovery at the application level as well. These solutions generate a recovery job with the relevant object names and syntax required to execute the backup and recovery function, along with management tools that track the generated backup. However, these data recovery solutions are intended for single site and may not function effectively in environments which include a multitude of sites. Moreover, these recovery solutions lack a mechanism for determining the optimal technologies to use for backup and recovery tasks. No mechanism is provided to develop optimal schedules for backup. No mechanism exists to determine optimal recovery strategies. Additionally, no mechanism is provided to adapt and refine DR techniques in environments that have dynamically changing application workloads, business objectives, and hardware/software infrastructure. What is lacking is a holistic view of all data stores (databases and files) of an application for data recovery that may span multiple eclectic systems. Accordingly, what is needed is a method for automatically generating a DR solution for use in multi-site IT environments. The need for such a method has heretofore remained unsatisfied.

Methods, systems, and computer program products for disaster recovery planning

International Business Machines Corporation