A network device may receive, via a single port of the network device, a connection request from a user device and may obtain, based on the connection request, information related to an authentication history of the user device. The network device may determine, based on the information related to the authentication history of the user device, an authentication method to be used by the network device to authenticate the user device and may determine, using the authentication method, that the user device is authenticated. The network device may establish, based on determining that the user device is authenticated, an authenticated communication session with the user device on the single port of the network device. The network device may determine, using an additional authentication method, that an additional user device is authenticated and may establish an additional authenticated communication session with the additional user device on the single port.

Computing and communication networks typically include network devices, such as routers, firewalls, switches or gateways, which transfer or switch data, such as packets, from one or more sources to one or more destinations. A network device may also support an authentication method to facilitate authenticating a user device that connects to the network device.

Supporting multiple authentication methods on a port of a network device at the same time


The present invention discloses a serial transmission driving method, wherein a serial transmission driving device (STD) is connected with a first terminal (FT) and a second terminal (ST) of an equivalent load capacitor through a first differential bus (FDB) and a second differential bus (SDB). FDB and SDB are respectively connected with a high-potential terminal (HPT) and a low-potential terminal (LPT) through a first equivalent resistor and a second equivalent resistor. STD receives a trigger signal (TS) appearing during the transition between a turn-on signal (Ton) and a turn-off signal (Toff), generates a first potential (FP) and a second potential (SP) greater than FP according to TS, and respectively applies FP and SP to SDB and FDB. FP and SP fast change the potential of FT to be greater than that of ST. HPT and LPT maintain potentials of FDB and SDB until Toff ends.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a driving technology, particularly to a serial transmission driving method.
2. Description of the Related Art
The control unit of an industrial control device normally has a serial transmission interface for communication and control. A serial transmission interface has two differential buses to connect with the serial interfaces of the other control units. One differential bus is normally connected with a plurality of control units. The more the control units, the heavier the equivalent load. Therefore, a serial transmission interface is normally hard to drive too many devices in various applications.
Refer to FIG. 1, wherein two differential buses 10 and 12 are connected with a plurality of components, and wherein a component 30 comprises an interface chip 14, a processor 16, a first optical coupler 24, a second optical coupler 26 and a protection element 15. While the differential bus is connected with a plurality of components, the total load thereof, which is represented by a load capacitor 18, is considerably great. The two differential buses 10 and 12 are respectively connected with a high-voltage terminal VCC and a ground terminal through resistors 20 and 22. In the application of the serial transmission interface, only two optical couplers 24 and 26 are arranged between the processor 16 and the interface chip 14, considering the cost factor. The first optical coupler 24 is used in the receiving terminal (a first terminal) of the interface chip 14. The second optical coupler 26 is used in the control terminals (a second terminal and a third terminal) or the data input terminal (a fourth terminal) of the interface chip 14. Because the second optical coupler 26 is simultaneously applied to the control terminals and the data input terminal, the application thereof is considerably limited. The practical limitation is as follows: the transmitter 28 of the interface chip 14 can only transmit the "0" signal because the fourth terminal is grounded equivalently. The "1" signal must be pulled by the resistors 20 and 22. However, the load capacitor 18 is very great because many components and long lines are attached to the two differential buses 10 and 12. Thus, the resistors 20 and 22 are hard to pull the "1" signal. Therefore, the abovementioned serial transmission interface cannot be used in high-speed transmission but can only be used in low-speed transmission.
Below, the conventional technology where two interface chips 14 and 30 transmit signals mutually is described. Refer to FIG. 2 and FIG. 3. Suppose that the high-voltage terminal is at a voltage of 5V, and that each of resistors 20 and 22 has a resistance of 1000 Ohm, and that the other components result in a load capacitor 18 having a capacitance of 0.1 μF. During signal transmission, let a second terminal and a third terminal of the interface chip 14 receive an input digital signal S having a frequency of 2.5 Hz, and let a fourth terminal be grounded equivalently. Two terminals of the load capacitor 18 are respectively Node A and Node B.
The output terminal of the receiver of the interface chip 30 is Node RO. Because the fourth terminal of the interface chip 14 is grounded, the transmitter 28 of the interface chip 14 can only transmit the "0" signal. In FIG. 3, the top graph shows the input digital signal S; the middle graph shows the signals of Node A and Node B, wherein the solid line represents the voltage of Node A and the dashed line represents the voltage of Node B; the bottom graph shows the signal of Node RO. During the time interval about between 2.5 msec and 2.7 msec, the input digital signal S is a high-level signal, and the transceiver logic of the transmitter 28 is "0". At this time, the signals of Node A and Node B are respectively shifted to a low-level voltage and a high-level voltage rapidly; the voltage of Node RO is a low-level voltage. At about 2.7 msec, the input digital signal S is shifted from a high-level signal to a low-level signal, whereby the transmitter 28 is switched off. Then, the resistors 20 and 22 are used to pull the voltages of Node A and Node B, whereby the voltages of Node A and Node B are respectively pulled up and down. The voltage of Node RO jumps to a high-level voltage as soon as the voltage of Node A is higher than the voltage of Node B. Theoretically, Node RO cannot receive signals with good quality unless the duty cycle of the voltage of Node RO is 50%. However, the duty cycle of the voltage of Node RO is 22% in fact because the resistors 20 and 22 are used to pull the voltages of Node A and Node B. Therefore, the pulling force is insufficient obviously. Refer to FIG. 4. While the input digital signal S has a frequency of 5 kHz, Node A is unlikely to have a voltage greater than the voltage of Node B. Thus, the duty cycle of the voltage of Node RO becomes 0%, and Node RO cannot receive any signal. In the abovementioned conventional technology, while the load capacitor 18 has a capacitance of 0.1 μF, the system has no chance to receive normal signals unless the maximum frequency of the input digital signal S is less than 2.5 kHz. Even though signals are received in such a case, the signal quality is very poor.
Accordingly, the present invention proposes a serial transmission driving method to overcome the abovementioned problems.


Systems, methods and software for scheduling and performing self-guided tours (SGTs) of multi-unit residential facilities (MURFs) are provided. For scheduling SGTs, the method includes receiving guest information, payment information, and identification (ID) information from a client device, determining validity of the payment and ID information, and receiving and confirming an SGT tour time. For performing SGTs, the method includes sending property access information to a client device, receiving a trigger from a property access control system indicating that a user of the client device has entered the MURF, providing MURF tour directions to the client device, and receiving tour data for the SGT. The disclosed systems, methods, and software provide prospective tenant users and owners and/or management of MURFs efficient and user-friendly interaction to accomplish and enhance their tour operation experiences.

Apartment complexes provide tours usually during business hours. These tours normally involve leasing agents or representatives being available to show prospective renters around apartment units. Unfortunately, people who work during traditional leasing office hours or odd hours have a hard time touring apartments since a leasing agent should be present to provide entry and monitor prospective renters during tours. Leasing agents usually answer questions and provide additional information that prospective renters may have during a tour. So, if leasing agents do not work outside of traditional hours, properties miss lease opportunities. Additionally, smaller properties and properties with no on-site management at all are at a disadvantage.

Systems and methods for scheduling and performing self-guided tours of multi-unit residential facilities


There is disclosed an apparatus for spraying and patterning, using an electrostatic force, includes a nozzle to which a voltage is applied to exhaust ink, a droplet circulation chamber provided in one end of the nozzle, with a hole provided in one end to spray the ink exhausted from the nozzle based on a particle size of the droplet and to temporarily collect the not-sprayed ink, and a substrate for impacting the ink sprayed from the hole thereon by forming an electric field between the nozzle and the substrate.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to an apparatus for spraying and patterning, using an electrostatic force, more particularly, to an apparatus for spraying and patterning, using an electrostatic force, which may form an electric field from a nozzle to a substrate, using a voltage difference, and perform a primary atomization for liquid via the nozzle and a secondary atomization via an electric field, so as to spray droplets having a preset size enough to move along the electric field out of atomized spraying droplets via a hole to be carbonized to the substrate and to collect droplets having a larger size in a droplet circulation chamber, and which may use an electrostatic force adjusting a carbonization region accurately, using a mask or an electrostatic focusing unit.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Generally, an electro hydrodynamic spraying apparatus includes a nozzle, a substrate or an electrode. Such an electro hydrodynamic spraying apparatus sprays ink, using an electrostatic force generated by a potential difference caused by a voltage applied between the nozzle and the substrate.
The electro hydrodynamic spraying sprays droplets or serial jets, using a force pulling a liquid level. Different from a conventional ink jet, the electro hydrodynamic spraying is able to perform nano-scale patterning and to discharge high-viscosity ink. Also, it is able to generate uniform droplets and discharge a micro-amount of ink. Accordingly, a lot of researches and studies are under progress about patterning in recent.
Meanwhile, conventional electro hydrodynamic spraying is called "electrospray". The electrospray has a small amount of liquid exhausted from a nozzle or capillary tube and it has a limited electric conductivity and a limited surface tension which are required to keep stable spraying.
Moreover, the sprayed droplets may be patterned, using connection to the electric field caused by the mask and the charge density of the droplets generated in the electrospray is so large to require an auxiliary charge control module disadvantageously.

Apparatus for spraying and patterning using electrostatic force


A surface acoustic wave device includes a surface acoustic wave chip having a piezoelectric substrate on which comb-like electrodes and electrode pads are formed, a package housing the surface acoustic wave chip, and electrode patterns provided on a bottom surface of the package. The bottom surface of the package is wider than a top surface of the package. The electrode patterns are away from edges of the bottom surface of the package.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a surface acoustic wave device, a package for the device, and a method of fabricating the device.
2. Description of the Related Art
As electronic apparatuses with higher performances have become smaller in size, electronic devices to be mounted to such apparatuses are also expected to be smaller and have higher performances. Especially, surface acoustic wave (SAW) devices to be used as electronic parts such as filters, delay lines, and oscillators for electronic apparatuses that transmit or receive electric waves have been required to have downsized packages and high performance.
The conventional SAW device has a SAW chip, which is hermetically sealed in a cavity. The SAW chip has a piezoelectricity device substrate (hereinafter, referred to as piezoelectric substrate) on which interdigital transducers (hereinafter referred to as IDT) having comb-like electrodes are formed. This type of the SAW device is described in, for example, Japanese Patent Application Publication 2001-53577, particularly, FIG. 3). The IDT on the input side converts an electric signal applied thereto into a SAW, which propagates on the piezoelectric substrate. The IDT on the output side converts the received SAW into an electric signal that has been subjected to a given modulation.
A description will now be given of a conventional SAW device 100 with reference to FIGS. 1 and 2. FIG. 1 is a perspective view of the SAW device 100, and FIG. 2 is a sectional view taken along a line A–A′ shown in FIG. 1.
Referring to these figures, the SAW device 100 has a package 102 having a cavity 104 in which a SAW chip 120 is housed. Metal patterns, which include IDTs 122, interconnection lines 124, and electrode pads 123, are formed on a circuit-formed surface (main surface) of the piezoelectric substrate 121. The bottom surface of the cavity 104 (die-attached surface) is provided with metal patterns, which include electrode pads 109 aligned with the electrode pads 123 of the SAW chip 120. The SAW chip 120 is flip-chip mounted on the die-attached surface in the facedown state by using metal bumps 112. Thus, the package 102 and the SAW chip 120 are electrically and mechanically connected to each other. The electrode pads on the die-attached surface are electrically connected to foot patterns 114 formed on the bottom surface of the package 102 (opposite to the surface defining the cavity 104) through interconnection lines and via interconnections.
The cavity 104 is hermetically sealed with a metal cap 103 with high reliability. The cap 103 may be fixed to the package 102 by a bonding member 106 (called washer in the following) made of solder or metals such as gold and tin. A metal plating layer 105 is formed on a portion of the package 102 to which the cap 103 is attached. The metal plating layer 105 is electrically connected to a ground foot pattern 113 on the bottom surface of the package 102 via interconnection lines 110 and vias 111 formed in the package 102.
A conventional fabrication method uses multiple-package substrate having multiple SAW devices arranged in rows and columns. The multiple-package substrate is divided into individual packages, each having the above-mentioned structure by dicing or scribing.
In the conventional fabrication process, the multiple-package substrate is divided into the individual packages so that the sidewalls of the packages stand vertically. Thus, this process may damage the metal patterns on the bottom surface of the package 102 on the dicing or scribing lines or in the vicinity thereof. For example, the ground foot patterns 113 and the foot patterns 114 are likely to have a chip by dicing or scribing.

Surface acoustic wave device, package for the device, and method of fabricating the device


An electronic device comprises includes a housing, a slide socket and a slide connector. The slide socket has a sliding slot and a plural of conductive pads. The slide connector includes a main body, a slider and a plural of elastic conductive terminals. The elastic conductive terminals are combined in the main body and partially exposed out of a surface of the slider, wherein the elastic conductive terminals slide into the sliding slot for electrical connecting with the conductive pads through the slider. Thus the slide connector electrically connects with the electronic device through a simple method of sliding. Therefore a gap caused from vibration will be avoided and an electrical connection failure will be decreased.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to electrical connectors and, in particular to slide connectors, slide sockets and electronic devices with the slide connectors.
2. Description of Prior Art
Nowadays electronic imaging devices such as digital cameras or webcams have become essential electronic products in life. Due to a popularity of the internet and social networking sites, users use electronic imaging devices very often and capture images by the electronic imaging devices. Therefore, there is a required demand of using the shoot images immediately. Thus how to achieve an electrically connection between electronic the devices and other electronic devices for transmitting data through a simple way is a research motivation of the present inventor.
Moreover, when external connectors electrically connect with the electronic imaging devices, a displacement will occur between the connectors and sockets if the electronic imaging devices is suddenly moved by accident, an interrupt of electrical connection may occur and a data lost may happen when the interrupt occur during the data transmitting.
In view of the above drawbacks, the Inventor proposes the present invention based on his expert knowledge and elaborate researches in order to solve the problems of prior art.

Slide connector, slide socket and electronic device for electrical connecting with slide connector


A metal-clad laminate that includes a metal foil with low surface roughness and in which the adhesion strength between a liquid crystal polymer film and the metal foil is high, the low transmission loss in a high frequency region is low, and the problems associated with warpage and adhesive leakage are alleviated. The metal-clad laminate includes the liquid crystal polymer film, an adhesive layer, and the metal foil, with the adhesive layer and the metal foil stacked on one surface of the liquid crystal polymer film.

In recent years, there has been a need to downsize electronics. Accordingly, flexible circuit boards that are light in weight and bendable have come to be used as circuit boards instead of rigid circuit boards. To deal with increases in information communication volume and high-speed communication, there has also been a need for multilayer circuit boards and circuit boards in which the low transmission loss in a high frequency region is low.
In the related art, a prepreg made by impregnating a glass cloth or the like with a thermosetting resin, such as an epoxy resin, is used as an insulating substrate for circuit boards. Such an insulating substrate is rigid, and it is difficult to thin the insulating substrate. There is also a problem of variations in permittivity caused by the cloth. Thus, a flexible polyimide film having good dielectric characteristics has been put to practical use as an insulating substrate. However, since polyimides also absorb water, multilayering of circuit boards including a polyimide film causes marked defects. Accordingly, especially in a high frequency region, there is a practical problem in which the transmission loss increases due to a change in relative permittivity and an increase in dielectric dissipation factor which are associated with water absorption of polyimide. Even if circuit boards including a polyimide film are formed into multilayer circuit boards, multilayer circuit boards need to be produced through the steps of adhesive application, stacking, and adhesive curing in multilayering because of the thermosetting properties of polyimides. These many steps lower productivity.
The use of thermoplastic resin films as insulating substrates enables multilayering only through heat-pressing after stacking of circuit boards (e.g., Patent Document 1, identified below), which leads to a significant increase in productivity of multilayer circuit boards. Among thermoplastic resins, liquid crystal polymers have attracted attention as insulating substrates of circuit boards because liquid crystal polymers have good dielectric characteristics due to a rigid main chain and exhibit very low water absorption.
As described above, liquid crystal polymers are thermoplastic polymers. Thus, a metal foil can be directly and thermally pressure-bonded to a liquid crystal polymer film, or can be bonded to a liquid crystal polymer film with an adhesive since an adhesive composition having good dielectric characteristics has been developed (Patent Document 2, identified below).
Patent Document 3 (also identified below) discloses a method for reducing the dielectric loss by bonding a liquid crystal polymer film and a metal foil to each other with an adhesive having better dielectric characteristics than liquid crystal polymers. This method is one of methods for improving the dielectric characteristics of a metal-clad laminate including a liquid crystal polymer film and a metal foil, which are stacked on top of each other. However, this method needs a thick adhesive layer in order to improve the dielectric characteristics and causes a problem in which the adhesive leaks into large areas of vias when circuit boards are stacked and heat-pressed. If the adhesive layer is thin, the adhesive layer has poor ability to fill the unevenness of the metal foil surface to lower adhesion and is unlikely to reduce the stress applied as a result of a difference in thermal expansion in the heating process and a difference in shrinkage in the subsequent cooling process between the liquid crystal polymer film and the metal foil. As a result, cracks may be generated in the adhesive layer.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2003-17859.
Patent Document 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-294335.
Patent Document 3: International Publication No. WO 2014/147903.
Accordingly, as described above, various techniques for improving the dielectric characteristics of flexible circuit boards have been developed. However, the requirements for circuit boards have become more stringent in recent years and, especially, as the requirement increases to further reduce the transmission loss in a high frequency region.
In the related art, for example, a metal foil used for a metal-clad laminate undergoes a surface roughening treatment in order to increase peel strength. However, a surface-roughened metal foil has high electric conduction resistance due to the skin effect, which results in large transmission loss in a high frequency region. Moreover, a liquid crystal polymer film is a material that is hardly bonded even to a surface-roughened metal foil, and no example where a profile-free or low-profile metal foil is bonded to a liquid crystal polymer film with a sufficiently high adhesion strength is known.

Metal-clad laminate, circuit board, and multilayer circuit board


A digital textile printer includes front and rear feeding devices driven by a transfer axil within a driving panel of the front and the rear of a base to prevent distortion and wrinkle phenomena generating defective printing to perform effectively the textile printing even to very thin textile fabrics, an ink-retrieving hole along to the transfer axil on the top of the base to collect the residues of the injected ink passing through a printing material to prevent ink from spreading at the printing material, at least one suction pan in the inside of the base to collect easily the residues of the injected ink to hasten dries of ink, and a heater of rubber material in the inside of the front of the base to hasten dries of the printing material passing through the ink-retrieving hole.

The present invention relates to a digital textile printer, and more particularly a printer performing effectively not only general printing operations to a relatively thick printing material (textile fabrics or papers), such as a banner, an advertising material, or a photograph, but also textile printing operations to very thin printing material, such as textile fabrics.
Generally, in the conventional printer utilizing a technique of subtractive mixture, a digital controller sends digitalized signals to a head of the printer, so that the head may inject proper amounts of ink of three primary colors comprising magenta, yellow, and cyan, and of a black color to a printing material to produce various color tones. Therefore, the latest printer makes it possible for a user to design more easily what she/he wants.
In the technique of subtractive mixture, the head of the printer is equipped with several ink reservoirs, while each ink reservoir contains one color respectively. The head injects proper amounts of ink from each reservoir to produce a new color tone. The head is often further equipped with another ink reservoir containing special color to produce a new color tone, if necessary.
By referencing FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the conventional digital printer will be described briefly in the following statements.
The conventional printer includes a transfer belt 5 with a rail shape on the top of a base 3, while the base 3 is supported by legs 1 contacting with the ground. The one side of a cartridge 9 is fixed with the transfer belt 5, so that a head 7 of the cartridge 9 can be moved via the transfer belt 5. In addition, a transfer axil 50 is connected with a transfer motor (not shown) within a driving panel 18 installed in the one side of the inner upper side of the base 3. Additionally, several transfer rollers 51 on the transfer axil 50 are extruded on the top of the base 3 to make a printing material 17 move to the forward direction, while a press roller 40 equipped correspondingly on the top of each transfer roller 51 presses the printing material 17 to the downward direction.
In addition, a feeding roller 11 installed in the rear side of the digital printer supplies the printing material 17 to the top of the base 3. When the cartridge 9 moves reciprocally to the left or the right direction on the top of the printing material 17, the head 7 moving in combination with the cartridge 9 injects predetermined amounts of each color from the corresponding ink reservoir to perform printing operations. As a result, the printed material is recoiled in a rewinding roller 12 located on the opposite side of the feeding roller 11.
An operation panel 16 covered by a cover 15 is equipped on the top of the base 3. Therefore, a user can input any desirable signal to be printed in the printing material 17.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 2, the printing material 17 is suspended to the feeding roller 11 in the rear of a fixing frame 10 between the legs 1, and the end of the printing material 17 passes through the top of the base 3 supported by the legs 1. In addition, the rewinding roller 12 winding the printing material 17 printed at the base 3 is in the front of the fixing frame 10.
However, the conventional printer described in the above statements has the following problems. After the printing material 17 is put between the several transfer rollers 51 and press rollers 40, the transfer roller 51 rotates to make the printing material 17 move to the front side of the base 3. When the printing material 17 is extremely thin, for example, in the case of textile printing, the speed of the printing material 17 passing through between the transfer rollers 51 and the press rollers 40 is different from that of the printing material 17 before the transfer roller 51. Therefore, a portion of the printing material 17 is often wrinkled, and the wrinkled moving printing material 17 has a tendency of inclining toward one direction only. As a result, when the printing material 17 is distorted or wrinkled, printing colors are overlapped resulting in a high fraction of defective results of the printing operations.
Additionally, the conventional digital printer does not have a feeding means drawing and rewinding the printing material 17 in constant speed to maintain the printing material 17 in a plane. Therefore, the distortion or the wrinkle of the printing material 17 is deepened more to increase the fraction of defective results of the printing operation.


A graphic processor device is implemented on a field programmable gate array (“FPGA”) circuitry comprises a pipeline formatter that sets graphic commands and vertex data into structures, and a rasterizer that interpolates between vertices in the vertex data to generate lines and filling between at least one edge to generate a structure, wherein output of the rasterizer is a stream of fragments that become pixels. The graphic processor device further includes a frame buffer that receives a stream of fragments and blends a plurality of fragments before the plurality of fragments are stored in a frame buffer, and an output processor configured to retrieve a plurality of fragments from the frame buffer and transmits a plurality of pixels according to a predefined resolution.

Developments in the graphics processing industry have been driven in recent years, in part, by PC gaming. A typical high-end gaming workstation requires massive amounts of power and provides visually appealing functionality based on three-dimensional rendering. The resulting graphics processors produce impressively rendered images, but they also have a very limited life cycle and have more features than are required in many secondary markets.
In the past sixteen years, over 500 different graphics processing units (GPUs) have been released by the major GPU manufacturers. Once a new architecture is released, the previously released GPUs typically are not produced or even supported any longer because the market demand has shifted to the new design. This lack of device availability and support creates a tremendous challenge for industrial, safety-critical, and embedded applications that have a much longer life cycle than consumer products.
The competition between the major GPU manufacturers has been motivated by a tremendous growth in the gaming market, which grew by 75% between 2000 and 2005. Since the early 1980s, game console hardware has increased in processing frequency at a rate even exceeding the general CPU processors. The increased pressures for more and more realistic gaming has resulted in considerable focus on the hardware GPU, which could be described as a special purpose accelerator that offloads much of the rendering and rasterization workload from the CPU.
One disadvantage of these circumstances is that the GPUs are not typically suitable for embedded, low-power, or long life cycle applications. However, an advantage is the remarkable performance and interface concepts that have developed GPUs into highly parallel computing machines. The basic motivation for such parallel architectures is simply to keep the GPU processing resources busy so that the CPU can focus primarily on the application's non-graphical requirements. The software interface to the GPU is simple and does not exhibit parallelisms, but the underlying hardware is highly parallel.
The design goals for the gaming GPU architecture often are flexibility, programmability, and scalability with a high-definition output resolution. In one example, the designers used multiple CPU cores that interface to a GPU core with 48 parallel arithmetic logic units (ALUs). To reduce memory bottlenecks, DDR3 memory provides a total memory bandwidth of 22.4 Gbytes/sec. The GPU, which was released in 2005, ran at a clock frequency of 500 MHz. The GPU also has 10 Mbytes of embedded DRAM (EDRAM), which is DRAM that is integrated onto the same silicon with the rest of the GPU circuitry. This EDRAM is used to eliminate the depth buffering and alpha blending bandwidth requirements from the external memory interface bottleneck.
Since many of the GPUs that are released today have targeted such specific, high-volume applications, there are many other applications that are not being adequately addressed. As an example, industrial displays and portable displays both have unique requirements that are often unfulfilled by the mainstream graphics processors. Industrial displays typically require long life cycle support, and portable displays usually require reduced functionality to minimize cost, power, and size. There is a definite need for an alternative graphics processing solution to satisfy such secondary markets.
It is to the provision of solutions to these and other problems that the present invention is primarily directed.


A method for embossing a first grating in a planar material, by means of an embossing body and a counter embossing body, having each a hard surface, the first grating to be embossed comprising alternating substantially parallel and straight ridges and recesses, whereby the top surfaces of the ridges are intended to weaken a direct angular reflection of light by diffuse omnidirectional reflection, thereby producing a visible contrast between the ridges and the recesses. The method comprises on the embossing body providing a first plurality of obtuse pyramids intended to emboss the recesses of the first grating by exerting pressure on a first side of the planar material, the first plurality of obtuse pyramids forming first intermitted lines (row1, row2) corresponding to the intended recesses, and the pyramids in each subset corresponding to one of the first intermitted lines, being separated from each other by a determined distance that creates a gap in the line in such a manner that each gap from a line of pyramids may be connected to a corresponding gap from an adjacent line of pyramids by an imaginary line perpendicular to both of the adjacent lines; and roughening portions of the hard surface of the embossing body, the portions being located between adjacent lines of pyramids and intersecting at least one of the imaginary lines that connect one gap from one line to the corresponding gap from the adjacent line. On the counter embossing body, the method comprises providing a second plurality of obtuse pyramids intended to emboss the ridges of the first grating by exerting pressure on a second side of the planar material opposite to the first side, during embossing the obtuse summits of the pyramid pressing the planar material against a roughened portion of the hard surface of the embossing body, thereby satirizing the top surfaces of the ridges on the first side.

It is known to produce security marks or esthetical improvements of metal coated embossed film in an online production chain using techniques described for example in the publication WO02/30661 to the present inventor. The production method described therein produces a so-called shadow effect that has a considerable contrast ratio. In order to produce this effect, a roller embossing process is used in which imaging pyramids on the embossing rollers are reduced in size or modified in such a way that light arriving under determined angles on the embossed films is reflected or reflected away.
It is known from developments of the intaglio technique in the printing industry that the use of picture elements in groups of parallel lines—image forming pattern elements or latent image structures—may improve the security against copying. Reference is made to publication EP 0 146 151 to De la Rue Giori SA. The relief-like groups of lines allow to make a so-called optical tilting effect, a change of picture at the same location depending on an angle of viewing, or as it is called in relevant literature using the term transitory effects—transitory image. The contrast can be durably improved by coating the recesses of the intaglio template with ink, as it is being done for example in the field of bank notes. The intaglio recesses are the underlying reason for the fact that the tilting effect is lost when copying, and this provides a real improvement of security.
U.S. Publication Pat. No. 4,033,059 describes a more ancient printing variant in which the intaglio technique is used to obtain transitory images on a paper web. A paper web as described in this publication has a longitudinal centerline and a transverse centerline, and comprises a plurality of first regions and a plurality of second regions. The first regions form boundaries separating the second regions, the first regions being substantially in a plane of the paper web. The second regions comprise a plurality of raised out-of-said-plane rib-like elements, the rib-like elements of each second region being disposed parallel to a major rib axis and perpendicular to a minor rib axis. All or most of each first regions have both major rib axis and minor rib axis components. The first and second regions undergo geometric deformation when the web material is subjected to an applied elongation along at least one axis. This approach, which remains interesting in a theoretical consideration, fails in reality because the simultaneous mastering of the contrast ratios in two or more transitory pictures at the same location is very difficult to achieve. When using soft materials, it is possible to obtain a line density of 100 to 1000 lines per inch, and this provides relatively good contrasts in an individual picture.
US publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,296,281 B1 provides a desirable improvement of the security print when embossing groups of lines, as compared to U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,059. The groups of lines are made either by the process of intaglio printing or so-called blind embossing, and are colored with black or colored ink. The use of interrupted line structures in this publication allows to address the disadvantage of U.S. Pat. No. 4,033,059 by improving the varying contrast ratios between two latent pictures.
An example of embossed groups of lines made by the process of blind embossing, wherein lines are colored with ink, for example black ink and the background is a white colored surface of the embossed material is shown in FIG. 1, where a logo made from a combination of the letters "b" and "g" is represented using lines which are perpendicular to line representing the surroundings of the logo. FIG. 2 represents a further example in which the digits 6 and 0 are represented.
An important industrial use of embossing techniques is the online roller embossing of metal coated inner liner planar material, e.g., in the food industry or for tobacco products.
Planar material to be embossed may generally be either inner liners—cigarette pack inner liners—or foils, which may generally be called thin foils. Foils typically may have a thickness from about 5 μm to about 400 μm. Such foils may in some cases be used as inner liners, which are used, e.g., in cigarette packaging—cigarette pack inner liners—and may for example be made out of metal coated paper, e.g., vapor coated base paper or aluminum layered paper. These foils and inner liners are thus thin and relatively un-elastic, i.e., very hard. They are often particularly adapted for food safe packaging because they are to a high degree impermeable to water vapor.
Foils and inner liners can be directly and quickly embossed using rollers with hard steel surfaces.
Following types of inner liners may for example be relevant:                thin metal foils, e.g., aluminum foils;        laminates made out of paper and/or plastic layers and metal foils, and metallized paper or metallized plastic films or laminates or similar substances;        any film, in particular plastic film;        any metal foil or plastic film laminated with paper with a grammage of about 20 to 90 g/m2;        metallized paper or metallized plastic film with a grammage of 40 to 90 g/m2 or metallized plastic film with a thickness of 6 μm to 90 μm;        the surface to be embossed of said materials may be uncoated or coated with lacquer or a slip coating;        the surface of said materials may be of matt or bright type and may be colored; and        metal foil.
It is further known to have simple uses of embossing by using lines in the range of millimeters to obtain mechanical creasing or softening of paper, whereby this does not produce any optical effects such as reflexion of diffraction. Reference is made for example to US publication U.S. Pat. No. 6,458,447 B1.

Method and device for embossing planar material


A first string, having a first string value, that is associated with a sample set of material is received where a second string, having a complementary value relative to the first string value, is also associated with the sample set of material. A reversible hash generator is used to generate a determinative hash using the first string value, where a second hash, corresponding to the second string, is able to be determined directly from the determinative hash and without the reversible hash generator processing the complementary value of the second string. It is determined whether at least one of the first string or the second string is stored in a memory using the determinative hash.

Some storage systems which store biological and/or genetic information use a hash table to quickly determine whether a piece of biological and/or genetic information has already been stored in a system. For example, a hash is generated from a string of RNA or DNA information and that hash is looked up in a hash table in order to quickly determine whether that string has already been stored. It would be desirable if such storage systems could be improved so that they (as an example) use less storage and/or other processing resources.

Reversible hash generators for pairs of complementary sequences


A user-selectable multi-jet assembly (10) for jetted baths/spas includes a faceplate assembly (12) having a first set of three user-selectable ball-type nozzles (14) and a second set of three user-selectable swirler-type nozzles (16). The faceplate assembly 12 is bidirectionally rotatable about an axis A.sub.x between two user-selectable positions in which either the ball-type nozzles (14) or the swirler-type nozzles (16) are selected. The multi-jet assembly (10) includes a housing (46) into which both water and air are supplied and internal distribution tubes (28) through which water is directed into the user-selected nozzles. The faceplate assembly (12) is connected to an internal rear valve plate (50) that cooperates with a stator (52) to effectively interrupt water flow through the nozzles as the faceplate assembly (12) is rotated from one user-selected position to the other.

The present invention relates to an user-selectable multi-jet assembly for jetted baths/spas. In the hot tub and jetted tub/spa market, various types of jets are known for introducing a jet or spray of water and air into the interior of the tub. The most common jets include those having an apertured ball or sphere, known an "eyeball," that can be pointed or steered by the user in a desired direction. Another type of jet, such as that disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,291,621 issued Mar. 8, 1994, includes a rotor body having a plurality of sub-nozzles that spray plural water/air jets into the tub. The rotor body is designed to rotate about an axis to provide a multi-stream water/air jet pattern that rotates or "swirls" about the axis of the rotor.
In general, once a jet assembly is installed into the hot tub or spa, be it a single pointable nozzle or a multi-jet swirling-nozzle assembly, the user is thereafter limited to that jet type. In order to overcome this limitation, a need exists for a multi-jet system in which the user can conveniently select the jet type desired.

User-selectable multi-jet assembly for jetted baths/spas


A vehicle lighting apparatus can help improve irradiation for different speeds of an automobile. The vehicle lighting apparatus includes lamps for installation at front portions of an automobile. An irradiation direction of the lamps can be deflected in left and right directions based on a steering operation of a steering apparatus, and a rate of change of a deflection angle of the lamps with respect to the steering angle is made smaller as the vehicle speed increases to a high speed.

The applicant of the present disclosure previously has proposed, in patent document JP-A-2002-160581, an AFS to improve the safety of an automobile while traveling. As shown in the conceptual diagram of FIG. 1, an automobile (CAR) has a steering sensor 1A for detecting a steering angle of a steering apparatus and a vehicle speed sensor 1B for detecting a vehicle speed. The detection outputs of the sensors 1A, 1B are provided to an electronic control unit ("ECU") 2. The ECU 2 controls the irradiation area, e.g., the irradiation direction of head lamps 3 (i.e., swivel type lamps 3R, 3L) provided at the right and left front portions of an automobile so as to deflect in the left and right directions based on the received detection outputs to change the light distribution characteristics. According to the AFS, when an automobile travels on a curved road, it is possible to deflect the irradiation direction of the swivel type lamps in accordance with the steering angle of the automobile to illuminate the portion of the road ahead of the curve, thereby improving travel safety.
In such an AFS, when the left and right swivel type lamps are controlled to deflect only in accordance with the steering angle, various problems may occur. Trials have been performed in an attempt to eliminate such problems. For example, patent document JP-A-8-301005 proposes a technique in which the changing rate of the deflection of the swivel type lamps is made sufficiently large to control the deflection angle to a large extent when traveling at a high speed, and a portion of the road ahead of the vehicle (in the direction of travel) is irradiated earlier as the speed becomes higher to improve visibility. That patent document also proposes a technique to eliminate an incongruity resulting from the delay of the deflection operation of the swivel type lamps relative to the steering operation when the vehicle moves from a straight road to a curved road. According to that patent document, the swivel type lamps are deflected at a small changing rate even in an area where a steering angle is small such as when traveling state on a straight road.
In the technique disclosed in patent document JP-A-8-301005, the deflection angle of the swivel type lamps is made large during high speed travel of the automobile. However, when traveling on a road, such as a superhighway, with a large radius of curvature, automobiles typically travel at a high speed compared to their speed when traveling on a road with a small radius of curvature. Thus, when the deflection angle of the swivel type lamp is set to a large value during travel at a high speed, the deflection angle may become too large compared to the radius of curvature of the road. Thus, the lamps irradiate an area ahead of the automobile, but off the road. In such cases, the road is not irradiated suitably. Further, according to the technique of patent document JP-A-8-301005, when traveling in a state that is close to the straightly traveling state, although the rate of change of the deflection angle of the swivel type lamp is made small with respect to the steering angle, the deflection operation is not completely stopped. Thus, as described in patent document JP-A-8-3010052, the swivel type lamps may be deflected frequently, which may bother the driver. In particular, when traveling on a superhighway, the vibration from the road surface is applied to the steering, and the steering may vibrate with a small steering angle. In accordance with such a vibration, the swivel type lamps are deflected by a small angle, and it is difficult to eliminate the uncomfortable feeling that may be caused to the driver.


Disclosed is a magnetic excitation coil structure including a magnetic coil sheet formed of a thin film and rolled as a cylindrical body with a hollow hole, and an insulation layer covering the outer surface of the cylindrical body formed by the magnetic coil sheet for protection. The magnetic coil sheet includes a flexible substrate, a dielectric layer attached to the flexible substrate, and a plurality of patterned circuit layers embedded in the flexible substrate and in contact with the dielectric layer. Each patterned circuit layer is separate, and the upper surfaces of the patterned circuit layers and the upper surface of the flexible substrate form a co-plane. The magnetic coil structure provides an electrical function of coil, which is enhanced by the patterned circuit layer due to its high aspect ratio of the electrical circuit, thereby greatly increasing the whole magnetic flux and electromagnetic effect.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a magnetic coil structure, and more specifically to a magnetic excitation coil structure having a thin magnetic coil sheet rolled to form a multiple layered cylindrical body and covered by an insulation layer.
2. The Prior Arts
In general, an electric coil can be manufactured by simply winding a traditional enameled wire to form a ring shape, and is a common electric element used as a normal inductor or providing induced magnetic field for electromagnetic force. In particular, it needs specific magnetic excitation material to increase efficiency of conversion from magnetic flux into magnetic field. It is well known that the electrical property of the coil is improved as the winding density of the enameled wire increases. How to effectively increase the winding density is thus always one of the crucial topics for the manufacturers.
Recently, the rigid board technology has been used to manufacture the coils with the high winding density. In the rigid board technology, the electric circuit pattern is formed as the conductive wire to replace commonly used enameled wire. The aspect ratio of the electric circuit pattern is usually 2:1 or 1:1 only, and it is difficult to increase the aspect ratio up to 1:2 or more. As a result, magnetic flux and electromagnetic effect can not be further improved due to limited winding density, and overall performance and the application field are adversely affected.
Therefore, it is greatly needed to provide a new magnetic excitation coil structure directly employing current manufacturing equipments to increase the aspect ratio up to 1:2 or more, improve electrical performance of coil and enhance magnetic flux and electromagnetic effect, thereby overcoming the above problems in the prior arts.


A developing unit includes a developing hopper for storing a dual-component developer. In the developing hopper, an opening portion is formed at the position opposing the outer peripheral surface of a photoreceptor drum. A developing roller for supplying the developer to the photoreceptor drum to develop an electrostatic latent image is provided inside the developing hopper. The developing roller has a multi-pole magnetic member having a multiple magnetic poles and a non-magnetic sleeve. The multi-pole magnetic member has a multiple number of magnetic poles radially arranged apart from each other. The photoreceptor drum incorporates an opposing magnetic pole formed of a bar magnet having a rectangular section, disposed at a position opposing the magnetic pole across a photosensitive layer. The opposing magnetic pole has a polarity dissimilar to that of the main magnetic pole.

(1) Field of the Technology
The present technology relates to an image forming apparatus based on electrophotography using a dual-component developing system.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
In image forming apparatus based on electrophotography, which are often applied to copiers, printers, facsimile machines, etc., a photoreceptor drum having a photosensitive layer containing photoconductive substances formed on the surface thereof is used as an image bearer, the surface of the photoreceptor drum is uniformly electrified by imparting electric charge, then an electrostatic latent image corresponding to image information is formed using various image forming processes. This electrostatic latent image is developed by supplying a developer containing a toner from a developing roller or the like to form a toner image, which in turn is directly transferred to a recording medium such as paper etc. Alternatively, the toner image may be once transferred to an intermediate transfer element (which will be referred to hereinbelow as "primary transfer"), then the image is transferred from intermediate transfer element to a recording medium (which will be referred to hereinbelow as "secondary transfer"). The toner image thus secondarily transferred is usually fixed to the recording medium by a fusing means.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a configuration of a photoreceptor drum 51, a developing unit 54 and therearound. A developing roller 57 supported by a developing hopper 56 of developing unit 54 is arranged a clearance away from photoreceptor drum 51. Developing unit 57 includes a multi-pole magnetic member 65 having multiple magnetic poles and a non-magnetic sleeve 66 which is rotatably fitted on multi-pole magnetic member 65. Multi-pole magnetic member 65 is a so-called magnet roller having a plurality of magnetic poles 71 to 75 radially arranged apart from each other. A dual-component developer 64 containing toner and carrier is supported on the developing roller 57 surface and conveyed by the magnetic force generated by these magnetic poles 71 to 75. Main magnetic pole 71 arranged at the proximal position between developing roller 57 and photoreceptor drum 51 form a magnetic brush of dual-component developer 64 by its magnetic force so as to form a developing nip area in which dual-component developer 64 is in contact with photoreceptor drum 51.
In the nip area, the toner is attracted to the electrostatic latent image on the photoreceptor drum 51 surface and transfers to the photoreceptor drum 51 surface to develop the electrostatic latent image. The carrier passing by the developing nip area will not adhere to photoreceptor drum 51 surface but returns into developing hopper 56.
A regulating member 58 is disposed at a position near the opening mouth of developing hopper 56 and on the upstream side with respect to the conveyed direction of the developer by developing roller 57, and an agitating member 59 is provided inside developing hopper 56.
FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram showing lines of magnetic force around conventional photoreceptor drum 51, developing roller 57 and therearound. The lines of magnetic force are formed from main magnetic pole 71 toward adjacent magnetic poles 72 and 73 of the opposite polarity. The magnetic flux density becomes maximum at the center of the developing nip area (which will be referred to hereinbelow as "developing nip center"). The magnetic flux density becomes lower than in the developing nip center, in both ends of the developing nip area (hereinbelow, the end on the upstream side of the developing roller's direction of rotation will be called "developing nip front end" and the end on the downstream side of the developing roller's direction of rotation will be called "developing nip rear end").
In the first prior art, the magnet roller has a single main pole magnet having a dissimilar magnetic pole at each end on the outer and inner sides. Also, the photoreceptor drum includes a magnet therein, which is arranged so that its magnetic pole on the magnet roller side has a polarity opposite the magnetic pole on the outer side of the magnet roller. With this arrangement, it is possible to easily form a magnetic brush by a developing roller having only a single main pole magnet therein (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Sho 63-52167).
In the second prior art, in the developing unit, a magnetic element is arranged at a position inside the photoreceptor drum opposing the main pole magnet of the developing roller. With this arrangement, it is possible to widen the developing nip area by increasing the magnetic flux density (see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Hei 04-287061). When the magnetic force of the main pole magnet is too strong, the rubbing force of the magnetic brush formed of the dual-component developer becomes too strong, so that the toner on the photoreceptor drum surface is disturbed by the strong rubbing force, causing image degradation of the resultant image.
Conversely, when the magnetic force of the main pole magnet is too weak, the carrier that is attracted to the photoreceptor drum by electrostatic force in the developing nip rear end the will not return to the developing roller surface but remains developed on the photoreceptor drum surface, hence transfer failure of the toner image occurs in the transfer stage, producing white voids in the resultant image.
In the recent image forming apparatus using fine particulate carrier, in order to form images of high quality, the magnetic force of the main pole magnet toward the developing nip area is weakened or the saturation magnetization of the carrier is lowered. However, when the magnetic brush is made soft so as to avoid disturbance of the toner image developed on the photoreceptor drum from the electrostatic latent image, such measures weaken the developing roller's force for collecting the carrier at the most downstream side of the developing nip with respect to the developer roller's direction of rotation, hence giving rise to the problem that the carrier is developed on the photoreceptor drum surface, causing image defects such as white voids etc. due to transfer failure.


A bioabsorbable surgical fastener comprising a fastener member and an interlocking retainer member. The surgical fastener has a total mass of less than 4 mg/transverse mm, thereby reducing the amount of foreign matter present at the wound site and facilitating faster resorption, while effecting hemostasis. The retainer member preferably has longitudinally extending slots on the lateral sides of the retainer for allowing transverse expansion of the columnar members into which the prongs of the fastener member are locked. Fins on both the lateral and transverse sides of the prongs provide extra strength, and stability during implantation. Stopping surfaces prevent the fastener's barbed tip from exiting the opposite side of the retainer.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to surgical fasteners, and more particularly to two part bioabsorbable fasteners comprising a fastener member and retainer piece.
2. Background of Related Art
Surgical fasteners, or staples, are commonly used in surgical procedures to allow a surgeon to fasten body tissue quickly without the need for time-consuming suturing. Such surgical fasteners may be applied by surgical staplers singly, in succession, or a number may be applied simultaneously.
Some types of surgical fasteners are two-part devices. That is, they are composed of a fastener, or staple, portion, which is generally a pronged U-shaped member, and a retainer portion, which has apertures into which the prongs are engaged and held. Such fasteners, once engaged, are not separable. Therefore, once inserted into body tissue they cannot be easily removed. For this reason, two part fasteners are made of bioabsorbable material, such as glycolide, lactide, or copolymers of glycolide and lactide.
One such fastener is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,060,089 to Noiles. A fastener strip with multiple barbed prongs is disclosed, along with a retainer strip with a plurality of longitudinally spaced openings for receiving the prongs.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,445 to Green discloses a two pronged fastener with a retainer piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,506,670 to Crossley discloses a two part surgical fastener wherein the retainer piece is held to a supporting member by a lug with a frangible member. The prongs of the fastener, upon entering the aperture of the retainer, breaks the frangible member and pushes out the lug, thereby releasing the retainer piece from the supporting member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,513,746 to Aranyi et al. discloses a two piece fastener. The fastener portion has two prongs with outer channels. The retainer piece has extensions with apertures for receiving the prongs of the fastener, and longitudinally extending expansion slots.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,805,617 to Bedi et al. discloses a surgical fastener system comprising parallel rows of staples and receivers with the receivers connected to adjacent receivers by a plurality of linkages.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,667,674 to Korthoff et al. discloses a surgical fastener having an extended base to reduce hemostasis.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,250 to Green discloses a two part surgical fastener. The fastener member has four prongs which mate with four openings in the retainer member. The two inner prongs are bent toward each other by camming surfaces in the corresponding openings in the retainer.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,960 to Green et al. discloses a two part surgical fastener in which the retainer member is provided with slot means to facilitate introduction of fastener prongs.
The following U.S. Design patents also illustrate fasteners: U.S. Pat. No. Des. 280,931; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 286,441; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 286,180; U.S. Pat. No. Des. 286,442 and U.S. Pat. No. Des. 280,932.
In designing and fabricating absorbable surgical fasteners and retainers, there are two competing considerations which must be addressed: first, the fastener/retainer combination must have sufficient mass to achieve effective hemostasis when applied to tissue and second, the fastener/retainer must not be so large as to remain in the body, i.e., fail to absorb, within a prescribed period of time.
Thus, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,534,352 to Korthoff discloses a surgical fastener member with an increased surface area to volume ratio to achieve faster resorption. Korthoff '352 teaches that this increased ratio does not sacrifice tensile strength retention during the period of time necessary for fastened tissue to heal and provides sufficient mass to penetrate tissue without buckling.

Reduced mass absorbable surgical fastener and retainer


A gaming device including a game having at least one round and at least one selection in each of the rounds where the number of selections is made by a player. After the player makes a wager in the game, the gaming device displays at least one selection to the player. The gaming device enables the player to pick the selections to match at least one of the characteristics on the selections with one of the characteristics of a base. The player continues to match at least one of the characteristics of the selections with the characteristics of the base until the player cannot match any of the characteristics of the selections with the characteristics of the base or there are no rounds remaining in the game. The gaming device provides an award or awards to the player based on the number of successfully matched selections in each round of the game.

Gaming devices such as slot machines, video poker machines, blackjack machines and keno machines are well-known. Slot and other machines having primary and secondary or bonus games or schemes are also well known. Such gaming devices have schemes in which a player has one or more opportunities to place wagers and interact with the gaming device. Since players continue to seek more entertainment and enjoyment from different types of gaming devices, it is desirable to provide players with gaming devices with new game schemes where the players have an opportunity to receive winning payouts and are entertained at the same time.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Gaming device having a multi-round, multi-characteristic card game


A drawing instrument such as a drawing triangle (2) comprising a handle (32) and rulers along edges (10, 12) which mutually form a right angle and two acute angles (6, 8). Alternatively, the drawing instrument may be a protractor (36) having a handle (48) with a circular ruler (38) along its peripheral outer edge. Both the drawing triangle (2) and protractor (36) are provided as a three-dimensional, spatial body having a handle (32, 48) formed by an upper, preferably open, part of the spatial body and having outer side edges (10, 12, 38) which preferably are provided with scales and define a common ground plane adapted to rest against a drawing plane, preferably a generally vertical black-board.

The present invention relates to a drawing triangle or a protractor, in particular for blackboard use.
Known accessories of this type for blackboards consist normally of several parts, namely plane members with different shape--such as triangular, circular or semi-circular plane members provided with handles. Such a construction may cause damage, in form of breaks between the plane member and the handle, or local damage to edges and points caused by pressure.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,225,464 discloses a spatial, closed pyramid-shaped drawing implement, which has four flat side surfaces having their central parts recessed in such a manner that drawing straight edges are formed along the outer side edges of all four flat sides. In other words this known drawing implement has up to four usable sides and is not suitable for use on blackboards.

Drawing triangle and/or protractor, in particular for blackboard use


A workpiece transfer system or method is provided for transferring workpieces one set of pallets to another set of pallets using a workpiece transfer device that is movably attached to a robot. The workpiece transfer device uses mechanical devices to align the workpiece relative to the robot so that different types of workpieces can be placed into a pallet without the need of troublesome, expensive and complex image processing in which the workpiece holding positions are processed as images by using an imaging device such as a visual sensor. Preferably, the workpiece transfer device cooperates with a positional adjustment part such that the workpiece that is held by the transfer device contacts the the positional adjustment part to position the workpiece in a depthwise direction of the workpiece, a widthwise direction of the workpiece and a longitudinal direction of the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a workpiece transfer method, a workpiece transfer system, and a workpiece transfer device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a workpiece transfer system in which workpieces are transferred from one set of pallets to another set of pallets.
2. Background Information
Often in automated production lines, a robotically operated transfer device is used to automatically remove (pickup) individual workpieces that have been stacked on a pallet and then transferred to another location or pallet. An example of such a robotically operated device is disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2000-293695. In this publication, the transfer device has a visual sensing or imaging device that is attached to an end of a robot wrist. This imaging device captures images and based on the images captured by this imaging device, the three-dimensional positions of the individual workpieces are determined. Thus, the workpieces can be handled by feedback of the position detection data to the robot.
In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved workpiece transfer system or method in which workpieces are transferred from one set of pallets to another set of pallets. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.

Workpiece transfer method, workpiece transfer system and workpiece transfer device


A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment receive a scope level, find datasource configuration data based on the scope level, find an environment variable based on the scope data, and load a database driver based on the datasource configuration data and the environment variable. A connection to a database server is attempted via the database driver. If the connection is successful, success is reported. If the connection fails, failure is reported. In this way, a connection to a database server may be tested without needing to write and deploy an application.

The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely sophisticated devices, and computer systems may be found in many different settings. Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware (such as semiconductors, integrated circuits, programmable logic devices, programmable gate arrays, and circuit boards) and software, also known as computer programs.
Years ago, computers were stand-alone devices, and all the data that a user needed was stored on the single computer. But today, computers are increasingly connected in networks, and data may be distributed across multiple computers, and each of these computers may have independent subsystems. For example, a web commerce site may have several distributed web servers, application servers, transaction servers, and database servers, and these servers may run on different platforms using different operating systems running on different hardware.
The Enterprise JavaBeans (EJB) component architecture is designed to enable enterprises to build distributed, multi-platform, applications as reusable, server-side components. Its purpose is to solve the enterprise problems by allowing the enterprise developer to focus only on writing business logic instead of focusing on the problems of distributed data and multiple platforms. The Enterprise Java Beans specification creates an infrastructure that handles the system-level programming, such as transactions, security, threading, naming, object-life cycle, resource pooling, remote access, and persistence. EJB also simplifies access to existing applications, and provides a uniform application development model for tool creation use using object-oriented programming techniques.
Object-oriented programming techniques involve the definition, creation, use, and instruction of "objects". These objects are software entities comprising data elements or attributes and methods, which manipulate data elements. Objects also may include data related to events outside of the object to trigger or control methods within the object.
Java is an object-oriented programming language and environment focusing on defining data as objects and the methods that may be applied to those objects. Java supports only a single inheritance, meaning that each class can inherit from only one other class at any given time. Java also allows for the creation of totally abstract classes known as interfaces, which allow the defining of methods that may be shared with several classes without regard for how other classes are handling the methods.
The Java virtual machine (JVM) is a virtual computer component that resides in memory. In some cases, the JVM may be implemented in a processor. The JVM allows Java programs to be executed on a different platform as opposed to only the one platform for which the code was compiled. Java programs are compiled for the JVM. In this manner, Java is able to support applications for many types of data processing systems, which may contain a variety of central processing units and operating systems architectures.
To enable a Java application to execute on different types of data processing systems, a compiler typically generates an architecture-neutral file format—the compiled code is executable on many processors, given the presence of the Java run-time system. The Java compiler generates bytecode instructions that are non-specific to a particular computer architecture. These bytecodes are executed by a Java interpreter. A Java interpreter is a module in the JVM that alternately decodes and executes a bytecode or bytecodes.
A Java bean is a reusable component in a Java application that may be executed using the Java interpreter. Various programs in Java may be created by aggregating different Java beans. Some examples of business objects are customers, orders, and products. In the J2EE (Java 2 Platform Enterprise Edition) SDK (Software Development Kit), the persistent storage mechanism is a relational database. Typically, each entity bean has an underlying table in a relational database, and each instance of the bean corresponds to a row in that table.
A distributed J2EE application uses a datasource to access a database. Configuration of the datasource is error prone since it involves input of parameters from the user. If the datasource is configured on multiple machines or servers, as is common in a distributed environment, checking the validity of the datasource is not possible until the application has been written, deployed, and a test run attempted.
Without a better way to test a database connection, users will be unable to enjoy the full advantages of distributed data. Although the aforementioned problems have been described in the context of the Enterprise Java Bean specification, they can occur in any environment.

International Business Machines Corporation


Methods for increasing oligodendrocyte survival are disclosed. The methods of the invention are useful for the treatment of Multiple Sclerosis.

Deprenyl (also referred to herein as selegiline or R-(xe2x88x92)-N,xcex1-Dimethyl-N-2-propynyl phenethylamine) was first used as an adjunct to conventional drug therapy (L-dihydroxyphenylalanine (L-DOPA) plus a peripheral decarboxylase inhibitor) of Parkinson""s disease (PD) in Europe over a decade ago on the basis that as a selective monoamine oxidase-B (MAO-B) inhibitor, it would elevate brain dopamine levels and potentiate the pharmacological action of dopamine formed from L-DOPA, and yet prevent the tyramine-pressor effect observed with non-selective MAO inhibitors. The combined drug therapy was reported to prolong the anti-akinetic effects of L-DOPA, resulting in the disappearance of on-off effects, reduced functional disability, and increased life-expectancy in PD patients (Bernheimer, H., et al., J. Neurolog. Sci., 1973. 20: 415-455, Birkmayer, W., et al., J. Neural Transm., 1975. 36:303-336, Birkmayer, W., et al., Mod. Prob. Pharmacopsychiatr., 1983. 19: 170-177, Birkmayer, W. and P. Riederer, Hassler, R. G. and J. F. Christ (Ed.) Advances In Neurology, 1984. 40(Y): p.0-89004, and Birkmayer, W., et al., J. Neural Transm., 1985. 64(2): p. 113-128).
Studies examining deprenyl as an adjunct to conventional L-DOPA therapy have reported a short term benefit which was usually lost by 1 year or less. Some, but not all, have reported that the levodopa dose can be decreased when taken in conjunction with deprenyl (Elizan, T. S., et al., Arch Neurol, 1989. 46(12): p. 1280-1283, Fischer, P. A. and H. Baas, J. Neural Transm. (suppl.), 1987. 25: p. 137-147, Golbe, L. I., Neurology, 1989. 39: p. 1109-1111, Lieberman, A. N. et al., N.Y. State J. Med., 1987. 87: p. 646-649, Poewe, W., F. Gerstenbrand, and G. Ransomayr, J. Neural Transm. (suppl.), 1987. 25: p. 137-147, Cedarbaum, J. M., M. Hoey, and F. H. McDowell, J. Neurol. Neurosurg. Psychiatry, 1989. 52(2): p. 207-212, and Golbe, L. I., J. W. Langston, and I. Shoulson, Drugs, 1990. 39(5): p. 646-651).
Increasingly, deprenyl is being administered to Parkinson""s disease patients following reports (Parkinson, S. G. Arch Neurol 46, 1052-1060 (1989) and U.S.A., Parkinson, S. G. N. Engl. J. Med. 321, 1364-1371 (1989)) that it delays the disease progression; a mechanism has recently been proposed to explain its action (See, e.g., Tatton and Redman 1996).
It has now been discovered that certain compounds are capable of increasing survival of oligodendrocytes. The invention provides methods for increasing survival of oligodendrocytes both in vivo and in vitro, of preventing or inhibiting death of oligodendrocytes, of preventing or inhibiting the progression of Multiple Sclerosis, and methods for treating Multiple Sclerosis.
In one aspect, the invention provides a method for increasing survival of oligodendrocytes. The method comprises administering to a subject in need thereof an effective amount of a deprenyl compound such that survival of oligodendrocytes is increased. In certain embodiments, the deprenyl compound is represented by the structure:
in which
R1 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or aryloxycarbonyl;
R2 is hydrogen or alkyl;
R3 is a single bond, alkylene, or xe2x80x94(CH2)nxe2x80x94Xxe2x80x94(CH2)m; in which X is 0, S, or N-methyl; m is 1 or 2; and n is 0,1, or 2;
R4 is alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, heterocyclyl, aryl or aralkyl; and
R5 is alkylene, alkenylene, alkynylene and alkoxylene; and
R6 is C3-C6 cycloalkyl or
or
R2 and R4-R3 are joined to form, together with the methine to which they are attached, a cyclic or polycyclic group;
and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. In certain embodiments: R1 is a group that can be removed in vivo; R1 is hydrogen; R1 is alkyl; R1 is methyl; R2 is methyl; R3 is methylene; wherein R4 is aryl; R4 is phenyl; R5 is methylene; R6 is
In certain preferred embodiments, the deprenyl compound is represented by the structure:
in which
R1 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or aryloxycarbonyl;
R2 is hydrogen or alkyl;
R3 is a bond or methylene; and
R4 is aryl or aralkyl; or
R2 and R4-R3 are joined to form, together with the methine to which they are attached, a cyclic or polycyclic group;
and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
In certain preferred embodiments, the deprenyl compound is represented by the structure:
in which
R2 is hydrogen or alkyl;
R3 is a bond or methylene; and
R4 is aryl or aralkyl; or
R2 and R4-R3 are joined to form, together with the methine to which they are attached, a cyclic or polycyclic group; and
R5 is alkylene, alkenylene, alkynylene and alkoxylene;
and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
In certain preferred embodiments, the deprenyl compound is represented by the structure:
in which
R1 is hydrogen, alkyl, alkenyl, alkynyl, aralkyl, alkylcarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, alkoxycarbonyl, or aryloxycarbonyl;
A is a substituent independently selected for each occurrence from the group consisting of halogen, hydroxyl, alkyl, alkoxyl, cyano, nitro, amino, carboxyl, xe2x80x94CF3, or azido;
n is 0 or an integer from 1 to 5;
and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof.
In certain preferred embodiments, the patient is a human. In a particularly preferred embodiment, the deprenyl compound is (xe2x88x92)-desmethyldeprenyl.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for inhibiting Multiple Sclerosis, comprising administering to a patient an effective amount of a deprenyl compound such that Multiple Sclerosis is inhibited. In a preferred embodiment, the deprenyl compound is (xe2x88x92)-desmethyldeprenyl. In certain embodiments, the patient is a human.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for increasing oligodendrocyte survival in vitro, comprising contacting oligodendrocytes with an effective amount of a deprenyl compound such that oligodendrocyte survival is increased.
In another aspect, the invention provides a method for increasing oligodendrocyte survival in a patient, comprising contacting a oligodendrocyte with a deprenyl compound such that oligodendrocyte survival increases. In preferred embodiments, the patient is a human; the deprenyl compound is (xe2x88x92)-desmethyldeprenyl; and/or the (xe2x88x92)-desmethyldeprenyl is administered transdermally to the patient.


A method of joining two vehicle frame components made from dissimilar materials includes providing a first frame component, and providing a second frame component made from a material which is dissimilar to the material used to make the first frame component, where one of the first and second frame components is a metallic component made of a metallic material. A portion of one of the first and second frame components is positioned within a portion of the other of the frame components in an overlapping manner, thereby forming an overlapping portion. A metallic band is disposed around the overlapping portion, and an inductor is positioned around the metallic band. The inductor is energized to generate a magnetic field for collapsing the band about the overlapping portion at a velocity sufficient to magnetic pulse weld the band and metallic component to each other, thereby securing the first and second frame components together.

This invention relates in general to vehicular body and frame assemblies and in particular to a method for joining together vehicle components, especially those manufactured from dissimilar materials, to form such a vehicle body and frame assembly.
Many land vehicles in common use, such as automobiles, vans, and trucks, include a body and frame assembly which is supported upon a plurality of ground-engaging wheels by a resilient suspension system. The structures of known body and frame assemblies can be divided into two general categories, namely, separate and unitized. In a typical separate body and frame assembly, the structural components of the body portion and the frame portion are separate and independent from one another. When assembled, the frame portion of the assembly is resiliently supported upon the vehicle wheels by the suspension system and serves as a platform upon which the body portion of the assembly and other components of the vehicle can be mounted. Separate body and frame assemblies of this general type are found in most older vehicles, but remain in common use today for many relatively large or specialized use modern vehicles, such as large vans, sport utility vehicles, and trucks. In a typical unitized body and frame assembly, the structural components of the body portion and the frame portion are combined into an integral unit which is resiliently supported upon the vehicle wheels by the suspension system. Unitized body and frame assemblies of this general type are found in many relatively small modern vehicles, such as automobiles and minivans.
Each of these body and frame assemblies is composed of a plurality of individual vehicle frame components that are secured together. In the past, virtually all of these vehicle frame components have been manufactured from a metallic material. Steel has traditionally been the preferred material for manufacturing all of such vehicle frame components because of its relatively high strength, relatively low cost, and ease of manufacture. Vehicle frame components manufactured from metallic materials have been secured together by conventional welding techniques. More recently, however, in an effort to reduce the weight of the vehicle frame assembly, it has been found desirable to use alternative materials to form some or all of the vehicle frame components. Thus, in some instances, it may be desirable to form some or all of the vehicle frame components from materials which cannot be easily secured together, or in some cases cannot be secured together at all by conventional welding techniques. For example, conventional welding techniques cannot be used to secure a metallic vehicle frame component to a non-metallic vehicle frame component. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a method for joining vehicle components together to form a vehicle body and frame assembly, where the components are formed from alternative materials, and particularly those components manufactured from dissimilar materials, such as metallic and non-metallic materials.

Method for joining vehicle frame components


A method and apparatus that allows for the distribution of electronic licenses is disclosed. The method and apparatus may be used in a network or non-network environment to facilitate product licensing and upgrades. Further, the method and apparatus accommodate the use of compact disc read-only media (CD ROM) product distribution. The method and apparatus provide the ability to disable electronically distributed material. Further, the method and apparatus provide the ability to license use of the material by some entity in the distribution chain. The method and apparatus protect multiple electronic licenses by disabling the license such that an enabler key is necessary to enable a license for use. The method and apparatus reduce the cost of electronic distribution by providing the ability to distribute multiple products, product versions, and licenses that are unusable prior to the execution of an enablement procedure. The method and apparatus provide the ability to take advantage of the benefits of CD ROM, or any other (high capacity or otherwise), distribution media. For example, a generic distribution CD-ROM can be manufactured for a wider enduser base that contains multiple product and licensing options. An enduser can contact a fulfillment entity to purchase products contained on the distribution CD-ROM. In return, the enduser receives enabling information that can be used with an enablement procedure operating on the consumer's computer system to enable the purchased product(s). The method and apparatus can be used with a network server product that limits connection access electronically using connection-stratified server connection licenses or connection-stratified server executable files.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of electronic license distribution systems.
2. Background Art
In a non-networked environment, licensing of computer software can be accomplished on a user-by-user basis. That is, a license may be authorized based on the number of physical copies of a computer software program (e.g., application, operating system, etc.) purchased by a user.
In a networking environment, one physical copy of a software program can be licensed for use by multiple users. In this case, the number of users, or connections, is not based on the number of physical copies of a software program. One copy of a software program to execute in a network environment can be licensed for a certain number of users or connections. Thus, licensing in a non-network environment cannot be used to license software in a network environment.
In a network environment, an existing server contains software (e.g., operating system and application software) that may need to be upgraded. For example, a new version of software may become available. Further, it may become necessary to upgrade the number of connections allowed for a software program.
A prior art licensing scheme in a network environment addresses the licensing of network software (e.g., server's operating system). FIG. 6A is a diagram illustrating network software including a "burned in" license. The diagram shows that software 610 comprises executable portion 610A and license 610B, wherein the license 610B becomes a permanent part of software 610. This licensing system encrypts a serial number and application number. The encrypted result is placed in a specific location on the network server. Under this scheme, the encrypted serial and application numbers become a permanent part of the server (i.e., are "burned in").
In another prior art method, software distribution using Compact Disc Read-Only Memory (CD ROM) has become increasingly popular because of a CD ROM's capacity and durability. FIG. 6B is a prior art diagram illustrating storage of executable 620 on a CD ROM that has no intrinsic value. License 622 that contains value may be distributed together with software 620 or separately. Because of its storage capacity, a CD ROM can be used to store multiple products (e.g., software applications) and licensing schemes. Thus, for example, it is possible for a manufacturer offering an extensive product line to distribute its product line using the CD ROM media. Unless the products are protected in some manner, all of the products shipped are accessible to a purchaser that may not have purchased the entire line. Thus, it is necessary to implement a scheme to disable the products shipped on CD ROM. Further, to enable those products that are purchased. The license 622 may be obtained electronically or otherwise when the licenses are too numerous or complex or both to be verbally from a licensing center.

Method and apparatus for electronic license distribution


Delegation-based authorization is described. In one example, a reference monitor receives from a first entity a request and a credential statement comprising a delegation of authority over a fact to a further entity. An authorization node then determines whether the further entity consents to provide the fact to the first entity and evaluates the request in accordance with an authorization policy and the credential statement. In another example, an assertion comprising a statement delegating authority over a fact to a further entity is received at an authorization node from a first entity. An authorization policy is then used to determine that the first entity vouches for the fact if each of these conditions are met: i) the first entity consents to import the fact from the further entity, ii) the further entity consents to export the fact to the first entity, and iii) the further entity asserts the fact.

Authorization policies are used to control access to security-critical services in distributed environments such as computer networks. Such authorization policies can be defined using associated authorization languages, which provide flexibility and expressiveness in the policy specification. These languages allow the authorization policy to be written explicitly as a list of declarative rules.
Requests for access to security-critical services are received at a reference monitor, which is a service serving requests from user terminals. The reference monitor queries an authorization node executing the authorization policy. Access for the user is granted only if the authorization node evaluating the policy succeeds in proving that the request complies with the local policy.
As authorization languages become more expressive, the risk of attack through complex, carefully formulated requests increases. For example, credential-based (also called "claims-based") policy languages for authentication/authorization are becoming increasingly widely used. Such languages subscribe to what is known as the trust management principle: authorization decisions are based on the local policy in union with a (potentially empty) set of supporting credentials (containing assertions) submitted by the requester. Access requests are mapped to queries, so that access is granted if the corresponding query succeeds when evaluated in the context of the policy and the submitted credentials.
If the supporting credentials exceed a certain level of expressiveness, it becomes possible for attackers to infer knowledge about secret facts stored in the local policy, just by submitting credentials and observing the response to a legitimate query. Such attacks are possible when credentials contain statements that are conditioned on the existence of credentials issued by other entities.
Some authorization languages do not allow submitted credentials to contain any conditions, and thus avoid this type of attack. However, this restriction on expressiveness of the authorization language is too high a price to pay in general.
The embodiments described below are not limited to implementations which solve any or all of the disadvantages of known authorization languages and systems.


Lower members each have a bolt bore comprising a large-diameter portion larger than the head of a bolt in diameter, and a small diameter portion extending downward from the large-diameter portion with a stepped portion formed therebetween and having a diameter intermediate between the diameter of the bolt head and the diameter of the shank of the bolt. The small-diameter portion of the bolt bore has fitted therein a hollow cylindrical spacer with an inside diameter larger than the diameter of the bolt shank. The spacer has a lower end supported by a support member and an upper end positioned in the large-diameter portion. A hollow cylindrical elastic member is interposed between the bolt head and the stepped portion for biasing the lower member toward the support member.

The present invention relates to a fixing device, for example, for use in fluid control apparatus which are assembled by fixing a plurality of couplings to a base plate and fixing on-off valves each to some of the couplings, the device being useful for fixing the couplings (lower member), to be disposed between the base plate (support member) and the on-off device (upper member), to the base plate (support plate).
The terms "upper" and "lower" as used herein refer respectively to the upper and lower sides of the drawings. However, these terms are used for the sake of convenience; the fixing device and the fluid control apparatus will be mounted on a horizontal surface, for example, in the illustrated state or as turned upside down, or may be attached to a vertical surface.
For example in fluid control apparatus for use in manufacturing semiconductors, etc., the lower members, i.e., coupling members having bolt bores, to be disposed between a support member and an upper member, i.e., an on-off valve, are fixed to the support member with bolts. To provide a fluid-tight joint between each lower member and the upper member in this case, a seal portion is formed between these members.
The conventional fluid control apparatus has the problem that when the lower members are fixed to the support member, the upper surfaces of the lower members are not always flush with each other, presenting difficulty in mounting the upper member on the lower members. If the upper member is mounted on the lower members with the upper surfaces of the lower members positioned at different levels, there arises the problem that different pressures acting on the seal portions produce a faulty seal.

Device for fixing lower members and fluid control apparatus incorporating same