A combined system of an image processing machine (e.g., a copying machine) and a sheet handling machine. They are placed with an image reading part (e.g., a glass plate of the copying machine) therebetween. In the combined system, one-sided or two-sided original sheets and processed sheets are orderly stacked on respective final tray after they are finished processing if the original sheets are stacked orderly in the initial tray, i.e., the original sheets are laid on the final tray with the order of the page numbers maintained from the order at the initial tray, and the processed sheets are also stacked on the finish tray with the same order. In a simple mode: the original sheet is placed on the image reading part, processed (copied), reversed and ejected to a first final tray, while the process sheet (copy sheet) is processed and ejected onto the finish tray without reversing. In a reverse mode: an original sheet is first placed on the image reading part, first processed, recycled (reversed), second processed and ejected to a second final tray without reversing, while the process sheet is first processed, recycled (reversed), second processed, reversed and ejected to the finish tray.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image processing machine (such as a copying machine) that can process (e.g., copy on a copy sheet) an image on each side of an original sheet equipped with a document handler that can automatically reverse the original sheet.
2. Related Art
An example of a conventional automatic reversible sheet handler for use with a copying machine is explained according to the Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application Nos. H1-117167 and H1-167125. The sheet handler includes: an initial tray on which a plurality of original sheets are stacked; a placing mechanism for taking the uppermost sheet of the initial tray and placing it on a contact glass through which the image of the sheet is copied; a sheet remover for removing the sheet from the contact glass; a reverser for reversing the sheet removed from the contact glass and placing it again onto the contact glass; and an ejecting mechanism for reversing the sheet removed from the contact glass and ejecting it to a final tray.
The movement of the sheets in the sheet handler is explained referring to FIGS. 5A, 5B, 6A and 6B. First a "simple mode" function of the sheet handler is explained. In FIG. 5B, four original sheets R1, R2, R3 and R4 are stacked on an initial tray 1, and the printed surface of each sheet is downside (the triangle indicates the printed surface, and the number in the triangle is the page number). When the sheet handler is activated in the simple mode, the uppermost sheet R4 is first taken in and placed on the contact glass. After the printed surface of the sheet R4 is copied, the sheet R4 is removed from the contact glass, reversed upside down, and laid on a final tray 3 (FIG. 5A). The next sheet R3 is similarly carried and laid upon the previous sheet R4 on the final tray 3. Thus, when all the sheets are copied, the sheets are stacked on the final tray 3 as shown in FIG. 5A. Note that the page order of the original sheets on the initial tray 1 is maintained on the final tray 3.
In a "reverse mode", a plurality of (two in the case of FIG. 6A and 6B) two-sided (i.e., each side of the sheet is printed) sheets R1 and R2 are stacked as shown in FIG. 6B on the initial tray 3. When the sheet handler is activated in the reverse mode, the uppermost sheet R2 is first taken out from the initial tray 1 and, not directly placing it on the contact glass, but reversed upside down before placing it on the contact glass. After the page 4 of the sheet R2 is first copied on the contact glass, the sheet R2 is reversed and the page 3 is copied. When the sheet R2 is removed from the contact glass after the both surfaces are copied, the sheet R2 is further reversed and laid on the final tray 3. As shown in FIG. 6A, page 4 of the sheet R2 faces down on the final tray 3. The next sheet R1 is similarly handled and laid onto the previous sheet R2 on the final tray 3 as shown in FIG. 6A. In this mode also the page order of the original sheets on the initial tray 1 is maintained on the final tray 3.
As explained above, when two-sided sheets are handled by the conventional sheet handler, every sheet is reversed three times in order to maintain the page order. Such sheet handler does not match a high speed copying machine.
An improvement addressing the problem is made in Japanese Patent Application No. H1-192544, in which the improved sheet handler includes: an initial tray on which a plurality of original sheets are stacked; a placing mechanism for taking the uppermost sheet on the initial tray and placing it on a contact glass through which the contact surface (downward surface) of the sheet is copied; a reverser for reversing the sheet removed from the contact glass and placing it again onto the contact glass; and an ejecting mechanism for removing the sheet from the contact glass and either a) ejecting the sheet onto a first final tray after reversing or b) ejecting the sheet onto a second final tray without reversing. The sheet handler can also operate in a simple mode or in a reverse mode. In the simple mode, an original sheet on the initial tray is placed on the contact glass and the contact surface of the sheet is copied. Then the sheet is reversed after it is removed from the contact glass, and ejected onto the first final tray. In the reverse mode, a sheet on the initial tray is placed on the contact glass and the contact surface of the sheet is copied. After the first surface is copied, the sheet is reversed upside down to make the second surface face the contact glass and the second surface is copied. After both surfaces are copied, the sheet is ejected onto the second final tray without reversing. In the reverse mode, the finished original sheets stacked on the second final tray maintain the original page order at the initial tray.
The sheet handler is improved in the treating time, but it has a drawback. The order of copying operation is irregular, i.e., the copying order will be as [page 3.fwdarw.page 4.fwdarw.page 1.fwdarw.page 2] if the two-sided original sheets are naturally prepared as shown in FIG. 6B on the initial tray 1.

Image processing machine with an automatic sheet handler


A silver halide emulsion is disclose, containing silver halide grains, in which at least 50% by number of the silver halide grains is accounted for by (1) cubic grains (2) having a chloride content of not less than 90 mol %, (3) an iodide content of from 0 to 2 mol % and (4) a bromide content of from 0.1 to 10 mol %, and (5) containing dislocation lines in the peripheral region and (6) having rounded corners.

The recent rapid directivity to digitization has led to increased opportunities of subjecting silver halide photographic materials to digital exposure. Along with such a trend, photographic color paper as a photographic material for color prints is desired with respect to suitability for exposure at a relatively high intensity for an extremely short time at the level of milli-seconds to nano-seconds and aptitude for scanning exposure.
There have been employed silver chloride emulsions or high chloride silver halide emulsions in color paper to achieve rapid processability. Further, it is commonly known that doping iridium compounds is effective to improve reciprocity law failure characteristics as a matter of properties of silver halide emulsions. There are disclosed high chloride silver halide emulsion grains having a high bromide region in the vicinity of the corners of the grains, as described in JP-A No. 64-26837 (hereinafter, the term JP-A refers to Japanese Patent Application Publication); high chloride silver halide emulsion grains in which a bromide-localized region is selectively doped with an iridium compound, thereby leading to superior latent image stability and reciprocity law failure characteristics, as described in JP-A No. 1-105940. There is also disclosed a method of forming a bromide-localized region by using silver bromide fine-grains doped with an iridium compound, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,627,020. However, neither of the foregoing methods was sufficient for improving latent image stability in the initial stage after exposure.
In digital exposure systems of the recent subject, it was proved that sufficient practical qualities were not achieved by only known techniques for improving latent image stability, in exposure suitability at a high intensity for an extremely short time. Techniques adaptable to such a digital exposure system include, for examples, chemical sensitization and spectral sensitization suitable for formation of a bromide-localized phase, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,691,119; and the use of a silver iodochloride emulsion, as described in European Patent Nos. 750,222 and 772,079.
However, it was proved in studies by the inventors of this application that the foregoing techniques for improving aptitude for digital exposure was not only insufficient for improving latent image stability but also resulted in marked deteriorated pressure resistance and pre-exposure storage stability of photographic materials. It is desired to immediately solve this matter.
JP-A No. 2001-188311 discloses a method for improving reciprocity law failure and coating solution stability, in which silver halide grains contain a bromide-rich or iodide-rich phase in the vicinity of the grain surface and introduction of such a rich phase is separated into two occasions, before and after addition of mercapto compounds. However, it was proved that using only this method was insufficient for improving storage stability of silver halide emulsions.
There were disclosed techniques for improving photographic performance such as sensitivity, fogging and reciprocity law failure by using silver iodochloride grains exhibiting iodide content decreasing from the grain surface in the direction of depth, as disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-174870, and high chloride silver halide grains having a maximum iodide content in the corners greater than that of the major faces, as disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-296718. However, there is further desired a technical improvement to achieve enhanced photographic performance and storage stability.
With regard to selenium sensitization, JP-A No. 5-66513 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,240,827 disclosed photographic elements comprising silver chloride grains containing a selenium compound on the grain surface, in which photographic performance, except for sensitivity was unclear and there was no description regarding gamma, a latent image and other performances required in photographic materials for print, so that it was difficult to provide a practical silver halide photographic material satisfying recently required performances. JP-A Nos. 5-313293, 9-5922 and 9-5924 disclosed silver halide photographic materials applying selenium or tellurium sensitization to silver chloride or high chloride silver bromochloride grains, in which improvement for performance such as latent image stability and coating solution stability were unknown and of which effects on sensitivity and gamma were insufficient to meet the recent demand for silver halide photographic material.
There were disclosed techniques for applying 8th group metal complexes containing an aqua ligand to silver halide grains, including a silver halide grain emulsion containing an iridium complex having halogen and aqua ligands and also having an iridium complex containing layer localized on the grain surface, as disclosed, for example, in JP-A No. 11-202440, and a silver halide emulsion containing high chloride silver halide grains occluding an iridium complex having an aqua ligand, as disclosed in JP-A No. 2001-356441. There were also disclosed techniques for applying 8th group metal complexes containing an organic ligand to silver halide grains, including a silver halide emulsion containing high chloride silver halide grains occluding a six-coordinate complex of metals other than iridium and an iridium complex containing a thiazole or substituted thiazole ligand, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,018, and a silver halide emulsion containing high chloride silver halide grains occluding an iridium complex containing an aqua or thiazole ligand and an iridium complex containing a halogen ligand, as disclosed in JP-A No. 2002-162708. However, the foregoing techniques were insufficient to meet recent requirements for enhanced sensitivity, latent image stability and digital exposure suitability.
Further, there was also disclosed introduction of dislocation lines into silver halide grains, for example, JP-A No. 2001-255613 disclosed a silver halide tabular grain emulsion containing dislocation in the fringe portion of (111) major faces, JP-A No. 2003-15244 disclosed a silver halide tabular grain emulsion comprising (111) major faces having epitaxial junctions in the corner portion and containing dislocation lines in the epitaxial portion, JP-A No. 11-218866 disclosed a silver halide tabular grain emulsion containing dislocation lines in the fringe portion or in the vicinity of the corner, and JP-A Nos. 2000-241922 and 2001-133921 disclosed a silver halide emulsion comprising regular crystal grains containing dislocation lines. However any one of the foregoing disclosures concerns techniques of silver halide emulsion mainly comprised of silver iodobromide, intended for color negative photographic materials and there was no disclosure regarding introduction of dislocation lines into silver halide regular crystal grains mainly comprised of silver chloride.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Silver halide emulsion and silver halide photographic material


A battery connector has an insulative housing, a plurality of contact terminals mounted in the insulative housing and a washer mounted on the insulative housing. The insulative housing has a first surface, a second surface, a third surface and a plurality of notches defined through the third surface. Each notch communicates with a first opening and a second opening respectively defined on the first surface and the second surface. Each contact terminal has a flat base portion and a U-shaped resilient portion extending from the base portion. The base portion has a second contact portion. The resilient portion has a first contact portion. The washer encloses around the periphery of the insulative housing and is adjacent to the first surface. Therefore, when the battery connector is mounted to a circuit board, the washer prevents or moisture from getting into the battery connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a battery connector, and more particularly to a moisture proof battery connector.
2. Description of Related Art
A battery connector is used as a device connected between a battery and an electronic product for conducting electricity to the electronic product.
Most of the electronic products may malfunction easily when they are operated in high humidity environment for a long time or fall in liquid. Particularly, since the electrical connection between the electronic product and the battery often lacks moisture proof structures, wet air may easily get into the electrical product and eventually result in a short circuit, rustiness or other abnormal situations.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a battery connector to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


An actuation device for adjusting a powered control device opposite the adjusting direction. The actuation device comprises an actuation element axially displaceable in a housing by a feed device at least in the adjusting direction. The actuation device includes an emergency actuation arrangement that may be actuated from outside the housing of the device. The emergency actuation arrangement is connected in motion with the feed device via a direction-switched coupling device. The feed device includes at least one motor for turning a rotating spindle. The at least one motor is rigidly connected with a rotating sleeve mounted capable of rotating in the housing and surrounding the rotating spindle. The rotating sleeve is capable of being set in a direction opposite the feed direction of the rotating spindle relative to the housing.

Actuator systems for shifting a control device that is pressure-loaded against the shift direction may incorporate an actuator element housed in a system enclosure that is axially movable at least in the shift direction by an internal advance mechanism.
An actuator system of this type has been known in prior art, serving to actuate control devices such as valves, pressure regulators and the like but most particularly for use in submarine oil and gas exploration and production equipment. The actuator system can be employed equally well in comparable land-based, difficult-to-access or remote equipment.
When the switching device is shifted against the direction of the pressure load, the actuator element is moved axially so that in its extended forward position it serves to shift the control device into the operational ready-state. When the actuator element is homed, i.e., moved back and away from the shift direction, the control device is deactivated. An actuator system of this type is provided with a suitable enclosure protecting it from the elements in a marine or land-based environment. With current actuator systems, however, it is not possible in an emergency to manually operate the system by simple external intervention.


A method and chemical composition and material structure for improving fretting wear in substrates, particularly carbon-carbon composite (CCC). The invention relates to trilayer coatings, comprising a base of hard ZrO2, a middle layer of Al2O3, and a top layer of lubricious ZnO. The coatings of the present invention exhibit conformality and pore-filling down to approximately 100 microns into a carbon-carbon composite to which they are applied. The methods for preparing the coatings include a chemical vapor infiltration route, such as an atomic layer deposition (ALD) process, to uniformly and conformally coat the porous and open structure of CCC with a solid lubricant trilayer of ZnO/Al2O3/ZrO2 that results in significant improvement (65%) in fretting wear.

The present invention relates generally to the field of coatings for various substrates, including carbon-carbon composite (CCC). In some embodiments, the invention relates to coatings comprising trilayers of ZnO/Al2O3/ZrO2.
Carbon-carbon composite (CCC), a well-recognized aerospace structural material, is known for its high-temperature strength and low relative density. For example, jet engine manufacturers use composite variable stator vane bushings, such as CCC, in commercial and military jet engines. Conventional pure (untreated) CCC exhibits fretting wear after a certain amount of operational use and subsequently must be replaced at a significant cost.
Fretting (oscillatory) wear of pure (uncoated) CCC limits its lifetime in applications, such as bushings used in jet engine blisks (blade integrated disks), which are compressor impellers with integrated blading for commercial and military jet engines. Commercial, porous CCC bushings still require replacement as part of routine scheduled-based maintenance by jet engine manufacturers.

Anti-fretting wear coating for substrates


A method for producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine includes the steps of producing a speed vector including values being representative of instantaneous speeds of the engine during a sampling period, determining a mean engine speed n during said sampling period from the speed vector, determining a value Px, being representative of the frequency contribution of the speed vector at the frequency x*n, where x is a pre-selected order, and producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque on the crankshaft during said sampling period, wherein T is derived from a mathematical expression including a polynomial having at least a term k*n*Px, where k is a polynomial constant. A device for producing a value T is also disclosed.

The present invention relates to a method for producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine. It also relates to a device for producing such a value.
For engine diagnostic purposes, a useful parameter is the engine torque generated on the crankshaft of an engine. Faults or irregularities in the function of the engine will result in diminished or irregular engine torque. In a more detailed diagnosis, once a faulty engine torque value has been detected, it could be further analysed so as to provide information regarding the likely source of error, such as an injector fault or other error source. Thus, it is desirable to provide a measure of the engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an engine in a vehicle. Previously, a number of methods have been proposed for determining the engine torque from selected measurements performed on the engine and using different mathematical methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,483, Moine et al. describes one such prior art method for calculating the torque of an engine, including the detection of the passage before a sensor of each of the teeth of the inertial flywheel of an engine, and using the time of passage of each of these teeth in the calculation of a torque of an engine. Another method of this type is described in EP 1 052 488, Abida et al.
It is desirable to provide a measure of the mean engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an engine in a vehicle that is useful for engine diagnostic purposes. It is desirable to provide a measure of the mean engine torque that may be used for diagnostics of an engine during normal operating conditions. It is desirable to provide a measure of the mean engine torque that may give a sufficiently accurate measure whilst being limited to reasonable requirements for processor capacity, storage space etc.
According to an aspect of the present invention, a method for producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine is provided, the method comprising the steps of
producing a speed vector including values being representative of instantaneous speeds of the engine during a sampling period,
determining a mean engine speed n during said sampling period from the speed vector
determining a value Px being representative of the frequency contribution of the speed vector at the frequency x*n, where x is a pre-selected order, and
producing a value T being representative of the mean engine torque on the crankshaft during said sampling period wherein T is derived from a mathematical expression including a polynomial having at least a term k*n*Px, wherein k is a polynomial constant.
The method according to the invention provides a useful measure of the mean engine torque that has the advantage of being applicable to situations in which the vehicle is under load, i.e. during normal driving conditions. It has further the advantage that it is executable using a relatively low number of samples and using relatively few calculations, resulting in a fast calculation that may be made without need for additional processing power in the vehicle.
The mean engine torque obtained using the method may be calculated at regular intervals during use of the vehicle and logged to provide a stored log being a chart over the vehicle's behaviour over time. When the vehicle is serviced, the log may be studied and conclusions regarding the state of the engine and possible necessary repair or replacement work.
A further advantage is that the mean engine torque measure obtained may be used to objectively evaluate the function of the engine. An ideal engine torque measure may be set for certain engine conditions and comparing the calculated engine torque with the ideal torque give an indication whether the engine fulfils the desired requirements or not.
The internal combustion engine may be used in different applications, such as in vessels or vehicles. Vehicles include e.g. cars, heavy duty vehicles and tracked vehicles. Preferably, the expression includes the polynomial: k0+k1*Px+k2*n+k3*n*Px, wherein kθ, k1, k2 and k3 are polynomial constants, and advantageously T=k0+k1*Px+k2*n+k3*n*Px.
Advantageously, the selected order x may be equal to the number of cylinders of the engine divided by two. This selection of the order has been found to reflect the effect of a four-stroke engine particularly well. For two-stroke engines, the selected order x may instead be equal to the number of cylinders.
Advantageously, the sampling period corresponds to at least 10 rotations of the engine. Such a sampling period is long enough to ensure that the mean engine torque value includes the effect of all of the cylinders of the engine.
Advantageously, the speed vector comprises values t being representative of instantaneous speeds of the engine being the passages of time between subsequent rotational indexing references arranged in connection with a flywheel or crankshaft of the engine. This embodiment provides an efficient and relatively reliable method for calculating values being representative of instantaneous engine speeds.
In particular when a flywheel is used, the arrangement of the rotational indexing references is irregular at some locations. In this case, the method may comprise a compensation step when generating the speed vector, wherein effects of any irregularities in the arrangement of the rotational indexing references are compensated for.
Preferably, the value Px representing the power contribution for the frequency x*n is determined using a Fourier series analysis of the speed vector. In this case, the speed vector should preferably include at least 500 samples so as to give satisfactory resolution.
Alternatively, the value Px may be determined by using a Fast Fourier Transform for the phase-amplitude transformation of the speed vector.
In this case, the RMS value of the area under the peak at the frequency n*x in the phase-amplitude transformation is used as Px.
If Fast Fourier Transform is used in combination with selecting the RMS value of the xth order peak as Px, it has been found that good results are obtained when the speed vector includes at least 1000 samples, preferably at least 2000 samples.
Regardless of the phase-amplitude transform method used, the values t may advantageously be sampled with a sample interval with a duration of less than or equal to 10 microseconds, preferably less than or equal to 1 microsecond.
The loading conditions during the sampling period may be selected so as to correspond to at least 50% load, preferably to at least 60% load. This is advantageous since the conditions correspond to normal conditions when a vehicle such as a truck is in use.
Further, the engine speeds during the sampling period may be selected to be at least 1000 rpm. For cars, higher engine speeds are used, and the engine speeds during the sampling period may be selected to be at least 1500 rpm.
Advantageously, a value T produced according to the invention may be compared to reference value Tref being representative of the engine torque of a standard engine, to enable evaluation of the engine for which the value T was determined.
In a second aspect of the invention, a device for the production of a value T which is representative of the mean engine torque generated on a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine, comprising
a measuring device for measuring instantaneous speeds of the engine during a sampling period,
calculation means for producing a speed vector of values being representative of the instantaneous speeds of the engine measured during said sampling period,
calculation means to derive a mean engine speed n during said sampling time using the speed vector,
calculation means to derive a value Px being representative of the power contribution for the frequency x*n from the speed vector, where x is a pre-selected order, and
calculation means to derive the desired value T being representative of the mean engine torque on the crankshaft during said sampling period wherein T is derived from a mathematical expression including a polynomial having at least a term k*n*Px, wherein k is a polynomial constant, stored in a memory.
A device according to the invention provides the same advantages and may be combined with especially advantageous features in accordance with the method according to the invention as described above.
The calculation means may but must not all be comprised within one and the same calculation unit, such as a processor unit, a microprocessor, an embedded processor or other suitable calculation unit.
Advantageously, the measuring device may comprise a sensor being arranged for sensing the passage of subsequent rotational indexing references arranged in connection to a flywheel or a crankshaft of the engine, said passages of time being the values t of the speed vector being representatives of instantaneous speeds of the engine.
Preferably, the measuring device comprises a calculation means for determining the speed between subsequent rotational indexing references. The calculation means may but need not be comprised in the same calculation unit as the previously mentioned calculation means of the device.

Method for determination of mean engine torque


A method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for remotely controlling a video conferencing device registered with a video conferencing management server. The method includes establishing a connection to the video conferencing management server via a local access network (LAN), receiving a list of video conferencing devices registered with the video conferencing management server, selecting a video conferencing device from the list of video conferencing devices registered with the video conferencing management server, downloading a remote control application from the video conferencing management server, receiving registration information for the selected video conferencing device from the video conferencing management server, the registration information including at least an internal LAN address of the selected video conferencing device, establishing, using the registration information, a connection directly with the selected video conferencing device, and controlling the selected video conferencing device using the remote control application.

1. Technological Field
The present disclosure relates to a method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for remotely controlling a video conferencing device from a computer device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional videoconferencing systems comprise a number of end-points communicating real-time video, audio and/or data streams over and between various networks such as Wide Area Network (WAN), Local Area Network (LAN), and circuit switched networks.
A number of videoconference systems residing at different sites may participate in the same conference, most often, through one or more Multipoint Control Units (MCUs) performing, i.e., switching functions to allow the audiovisual terminals to intercommunicate properly.
As videoconferencing involves various resources and equipment simultaneously interoperating at different localizations and capabilities, there is a need for the possibility to manage the resources involved both for scheduled and ad hoc videoconferences.
Videoconferencing systems are therefore often provided with a management system. A management system is a module that is used to schedule or book resources at any given point in time. The management system allows a user to request resource usage at a given time, and either allow or disallow the usage at that time. Management systems are often used for scheduling the use of meeting rooms, network resources, video systems, etc. The management system is connected to a database containing updated information regarding all accessible resources such as, but not limited to, MCUs, gateways, routers, end-points, etc. The management system generally operates with an intuitive web interface requiring no additional installation on the user terminal other than a conventional web browser.
In a typical office environment tens or even hundreds of employees may share access to a plurality of different video conferencing systems in meeting rooms or the like. When utilizing different types of systems, operation and settings are easily forgotten. Since many employees share one or more endpoints, personal information such as last numbers called/received, speed dial listings, or the like, may be erased from such a shared endpoint.
In addition, control devices for a video conferencing device generally comprise numerical keyboards only. Numerical keyboards work well to dial numerical numbers, however, common Uniform Resource Identifiers (URIs), such as e-mail addresses, used in video conferencing is cumbersome to type using the multi-tap text entry available using numerical keyboards.
As most users of video conferencing devices already have a keyboard available at their desk (i.e., the keyboard connected to their computers), it is beneficial to control their desk video conferencing systems using their computer to also control their video conferencing device.
A software remote for wireless communication devices is known from U.S. Patent Publication No. 2008/02235362, incorporated entirely by reference herein. However, the conventional remote control may be complex within a company LAN as it deals with communication from external devices sending requests through a firewall to a video conferencing management server which in turn, proxies the request to a specific video conferencing device or delegates the request to a management platform.

Method, system, and computer-readable storage medium for remote control of a video conferencing device


Compositions and methods are provided for preparing an hsiRNA mixture and for silencing of gene expression in vivo. The composition relates to a mutant RnaseIII. The methods are directed to reacting a preparation of dsRNA with an effective amount of a mutant RNAse III to produce the hsiRNA mixture.

RNA interference (RNAi) employing short double-stranded RNA (siRNA) is a powerful tool for silencing gene expression (WO 01/29058, WO 01/68836, WO 01/75164). Large fragments of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) elicit a non-specific response in mammalian cells through activation of the interferon (IFN) response pathway that leads to suppression of translation and cell death (Yang, et al., Mol. Cell. Biol. 21:7807-7816 (2001) and Wianny, et al., Nat. Cell Biol. 2:70-25, 25-33 (2000)). The standard method for generating siRNA is based on chemical synthesis of a pre-determined short sequence. In addition to the high cost of this method, computer models are generally required to predict the short sequences effective for RNAi experiments.
A mixture of short lengths of dsRNA obtained through partial digestion of large dsRNA with RNase III in the presence of magnesium ion buffer has been shown to "knock-down" the expression of cognate genes in cultured mammalian cell lines via RNAi (Yang, et al., Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 99:9942-9947 (2002)). However, achieving partial digestions yielding the right size range of product is often a difficult and time-consuming process and requires gel separation to obtain fragments of the desired size. Furthermore the inclusion of all possible sequences contained in the starting material is not ensured. US published application US-2004-0038278, herein incorporated by reference, describes how RNase III in the presence of transition metal ions can produce a heterogeneous mixture of fragments of a size suitable for gene silencing. This is a significant improvement on existing methods of making siRNA fragments. However, it would be desirable to increase the flexibility of the methodology for example to permit non-critical incubation times that can vary in a broad range as determined by the convenience of the experimenter and/or to increase the range of buffers that might be used to create a heterogeneous siRNA mixture.

Compositions and methods for generating short double-stranded RNA using mutated RNAse III


A housing (1) for an assembly in a vehicle drive-train having a first housing component (1A) and a second housing component (1B). The first and second housing components (1A, 1B) are aligned with and coupled to one another. A shaft (6) for supporting a structural element (7) of the assembly is arranged inside the housing. The shaft (6) is supported respectively in the first and the second housing components (1A, 1B). The shaft (6) serves to align the first and second housing components (1A, 1B) relative to one another. A transmission having such a housing (1) is described as is a method for producing such a housing (1).

Assemblies for vehicle drive-trains are known. Such an assembly may be for example a transmission or a drive motor. Such assemblies as a rule have a housing in order to shield structural elements of the assembly from their surroundings and to support the structural elements. Such housings often consist of several individual housing components, which are joined together during the construction of the assembly. During this it is usually important that the housing components are exactly aligned relative to one another. Usual means for aligning two such housing components are cylindrical pins (locating pins) and/or a centering collar.
Housings for assemblies with two housing components are also known, in which a shaft is arranged between the housing components in such manner that one end of the shaft is supported in one housing component and the other end of the shaft in the other housing component. This is often the case in transmissions. In such cases, however, the halves of the housing are not aligned relative to one another by means of the shaft, but instead the position of the shaft is aligned by virtue of the housing components. Thus, here too cylindrical pins or other means must be used for the correct alignment of the housing components.

Housing with two aligned housing parts for a unit of a vehicle drive train


A semiconductor storage device includes: a stacked body having a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of gate electrode layers alternately stacked in a first direction, the plurality of gate electrode layers including a first gate electrode layer and a second gate electrode layer, the second gate electrode layer adjacent to the first gate electrode layer in the first direction, and the plurality of insulating layers including a first insulating layer located between the first gate electrode layer and the second gate electrode layer; a semiconductor layer extending in the first direction; a first charge storage layer disposed between the semiconductor layer and the first gate electrode layer, the first charge storage layer including silicon and nitrogen; a second charge storage layer disposed between the semiconductor layer and the second gate electrode layer, the second charge storage layer sandwiching the first insulating layer with the first charge storage layer.

A three-dimensional NAND flash memory in which memory cells are three-dimensionally arranged provides high integration and low cost. In the three-dimensional NAND flash memory, for example, a memory hole passing through a stacked body is formed in the stacked body in which a plurality of insulating layers and a plurality of gate electrode layers are stacked alternately. A charge storage layer and a semiconductor layer are formed in the memory hole, thereby forming a memory string in which a plurality of memory cells are connected in series. Data is stored in the memory cells by controlling an amount of charges stored in the charge storage layer.

Semiconductor storage device and method of manufacturing the same


A method of inducing apoptosis in apoptosis-inducible cancer cells by administering thereto an apoptosis-inducing effective amount of the compound benzamide riboside or salts thereof.

Compounds shown to be effective in the treatment of cancer cells typically affect such cells by inducing maturation (i.e. slowing growth) of the cells or by killing the cells (i.e. necrosis), because the compound itself is toxic. Compounds which slow cancer cell growth or are toxic to the cancer cells are often disadvantageous because the compounds themselves often adversely affect normal cells.
It has been discovered that cancer cells can be induced to kill themselves (i.e. to undergo programmed cell death, hereinafter referred to as "apoptosis"). Accordingly, compounds which can induce cancer cells to kill themselves are less likely to adversely affect the patient because the compound affects normal cells to significantly less of a degree than cancer cells (i.e. normal cells are able to recover at doses which are effective for the treatment of cancer cells).
More specifically, the process of necrosis is characterized by the inflammation of a colony of cells which include both cancer and normal cells. When cells are contacted with a necrosis-inducing agent, the cells breakdown into relatively large fragments with DNA typically withstanding any significant fragmentation (i.e. DNA being typically greater than 100,000 bases). Thus, both cancer cells and normal cells are affected.
The mechanism of apoptosis is not clearly understood. It is believed that apoptosis arises due to a change in the gene expression in the cell causing the cell to program and induce its own death. The result is a breakup of the genetic messenger, DNA, into smaller enveloped components which can be absorbed by adjacent cells without harmful effect.
Apoptosis is characterized by the selective programmed destruction of cancer cells into relatively small fragments with DNA becoming highly fragmented (i.e. the resulting fragments typically have no more than about 200 bases.) During apoptosis, cell shrinkage and internucleasomal DNA cleavage occurs, followed by the fragmentation of the DNA. Eventually the cell disintegrates into small fragments.
Thus, there is a significant difference in the results achieved by necrosis as compared with apoptosis. The cellular material remaining after necrosis is large and relatively difficult for unaffected cells to assimilate. In the aftermath of apoptosis, because the remaining material is in relatively small units, they are readily assimilated by unaffected cells.
Thus apoptosis-inducing agents possess significant advantages over compounds which induce necrosis. Such agents are not only selective for cancer cell destruction, but also enable the fragmented cellular material to be safely assimilated by the body.
Benzamide riboside has been shown to be a compound capable of inducing differentiation of cancer cells. More specifically, benzamide riboside has been shown to be cytotoxic to S49.1 lymphoma cells by Karsten Krohn et al.,.J. Med. Chem., Vol. 35, pp 511-517 (1992) and to human myelogenous leukemia cells by Hiremagalur N. Jayaram et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., Vol. 186, No. 3, pp. 1600-1606 (1992), each of which is incorporated herein by reference.
As indicated in H. N. Jayaram et al., benzamide riboside inhibits the enzyme inosine 5'-monophosphate dehydrogenase (IMP dehydrogenase) which is necessary for cell growth. However, in vitro inhibition of IMP dehydrogenase requires very high concentrations of benzamide riboside, suggesting that the compound may require conversion to a different form to exert IMP dehydrogenase inhibitory activity. Accordingly, benzamide riboside has been described as a prodrug.
More recently, Kamran Gharehbaghi et al. Int. J. Cancer, Vol. 56, pp. 892-899 (1994) disclosed that benzamide riboside exhibited significant cytotoxicity against a variety of human tumor cells in culture through a derivative of benzamide riboside, benzamide adenine dinucleotide (BAD).
The references discussed above show that benzamide riboside acts through its dinucleotide derivative. While an inhibition of cell growth was observed, there was no reported observation of apoptosis. This is because human myelogenous leukemia K562 cells used for these studies possess a genetic makeup which is strongly resistant to apoptosis. Therefore, the work done to date on benzamide riboside has focused on inhibition of cell growth through reduction of IMP dehydrogenase and not to a method of inducing cells to undergo apoptosis, which is clearly an advantageous process for cancer cell destruction.

Method of inducing apoptosis in cancer cells

Advanced Research & Technology Institute


A garment hanger adapted for hooking over a clothes rail. The garment hanger having a hanger frame for supporting a garment, a hanger support hook adjacent an apex of the frame, and a handle portion depending downwards from an end of the frame. The frame being generally perpendicular to a notional vertical plane containing the clothes rail. The end being offset downwardly from the apex and laterally of the notional vertical plane. The handle portion has a handle positioned substantially directly below the end for use by a user for more easily handling the hanger when it is loaded with one or more garments.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a garment hanger designed for easier usage by many different types of users.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a garment hanger includes an upper garment support for a jacket or other upper body garment, a lower garment support for trousers or other lower body garment such as a skirt, and a hook for suspending the garment hanger on a transverse clothes rail.
When a garment or suit positioned on a conventional garment hanger has to be placed or removed from the clothes rail this often becomes difficult since access to a crowded clothes rails is typically hindered. It will be even more difficult for a person of normal height to hook the hanger over a high clothes rail, or for a person of short stature or with a disability to hook the hanger even on a conventional height rail, without tilting of the hanger, which may cause the trousers on the hanger to slide sideways and crumple, or to slip off the hanger.
Moreover, some conventional garment hangers are made with thin, wire like frames or far-too-flexible plastic. As a result, the weight of the clothes is distributed which or when lifted causes undue pressure on the hand, which often is at an uncomfortable angle.
The same inconvenience arises in other numerous quite different operations involving conventional garment hangers, such as transporting clothes on such a garment hanger, even for a short distance, demonstrating a suit to a customer in a shop, removing or placing a garment when several garments positioned on individual hangers are packed closely on the clothes rail, etc.
In other words, conventional garment hangers are simply not ergonomically suited to the structural and functional characteristics of human hand and arm, nor to the manner in which the hangers are used.


A semiconductor device includes a semiconductor substrate having a plurality of isolation regions, a plurality of trenches, where each of the plurality of trenches is formed in a corresponding isolation region, of the plurality of isolation regions, and where the plurality of trenches are arranged, in parallel, along a first direction, a plurality of gate lines formed on the semiconductor substrate in a second direction crossing the plurality of trenches, an insulating layer formed between each of the plurality of gate lines, a first air gap formed in at least one of the plurality of trenches, the first air gap extending in the first direction, and a second air gap formed in at least one of the insulating layers, the second air gap extending in the second direction.

1. Field of Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same and, more particularly, to a semiconductor device including an isolation region and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of Related Art
With increasing integration degree of devices, device size and spacing between devices become smaller, which may result in operating errors or deterioration of electrical characteristics due to interference between the devices.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


A test system includes row decoder, column decoder, row test controller, and test circuit. The row decoder activates one of first through M-th row signals based on plurality of row input signals. The column decoder activates one of first through N-th column signals based on plurality of column input signals. The row test controller outputs first through N-th column output signals, which are activated, when row test enable signal is activated. The row test controller outputs the first through N-th column signals as the first through N-th column output signals respectively when the row test enable signal is deactivated. The test circuit includes first through M-th row test blocks, each of which includes first through N-th test units. The test circuit simultaneously performs short test of the first through N-th test units included in row test block when the row test enable signal is activated.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments relate generally to test systems, and more particularly to test systems that can test a plurality of test units.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As manufacturing processes of semiconductors have been developed, design rules to design semiconductor may increase. The design rules are verified through test units having various layout patterns on a silicon wafer. The number of pads which transfer signals between test units and outside of a test system including the test units is relatively small compared to the number of the test units.

Test system that performs simultaneous tests of multiple test units


A circuit device for performing hierarchic row decoding in semiconductor memory devices of the non-volatile type, which memory devices include an array of memory cells with column-ordered sectors, wherein each sector has a respective group of local wordlines linked to a main wordline. The circuit device includes a main wordline driver provided at each main wordline, and a local decoder provided at each local wordline. This circuit device further comprises, for each main wordline, a dedicated path connected between the main wordline and the local decoders of the associated local wordlines and connected to an external terminal arranged to receive a read/program voltage, the dedicated path enabling transfer of the read/program voltage to the local decoders.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit device adapted to perform hierarchic row decoding in semiconductor memory devices.
The invention relates, particularly but not exclusively, to a device as above, which is adapted to perform hierarchic row decoding in non-volatile semiconductor memory devices comprising at least one array of memory cells with column-ordered sectors, wherein each sector has a respective local wordline group linked to a main wordline, the circuit device having a main wordline driver provided at each main wordline and a local decoder provided at each local wordline.
One of the most widely used memory array architectures in the manufacture of non-volatile memory devices integrated in a semiconductor, is a NOR type. In such architecture, memory cells that locate in the same row of the array have their gate terminals in common, and memory cells that locate in the same array column have their drain terminals in common. Moreover, all the cells in an array sector have their source terminals in common.
To individuate a particular memory location, it is sufficient that a given row and a given column be selected, for only one memory cell can situate at their intersection. In non-volatile memories, a cell comprises a floating gate transistor having, moreover, drain and source conduction terminals.
The solution proposed has a specific application to decode architectures of the hierarchic type and reference will be made to such architectures for convenience of illustration.
2. Description of the Related Art
A first known type of architecture for non-volatile memory arrays comprises row-ordered sectors and corresponding row decoders associated with each sector.
This architecture uses up much circuit space, since a decoder for each sector must be provided, as well as local column decoders, to avoid the xe2x80x9cdrain stressxe2x80x9d phenomenon.
It is important to further consider that the memory array rows are materialized by polysilicon stripes laid to interconnect all the gate terminals of cells in one row.
From an electrical standpoint, each polysilicon stripe may be regarded as a distributed RC network. For example, the time constant of an array row defined by the RC network is approximately 10 ns, even when the number of cells is relatively small, e.g., 1024.
The above time value represents the time required for an electric signal to propagate through an array row, and directly affects the memory access time, which is required to be the shortest possible, as is well known.
Owing to the high density of cell integration in the integrated memory circuit, the local bitlines and the main bitline are formed by a process that consists of depositing two different layers or metal levels; short-circuiting the polysilicon row and shortening the row charge time become impossible unless a third metal level is provided.
Another known technical solution provides for the non-volatile memory arrays to be column-ordered. In this case, the array rows are shared by all sectors, and the size of a sector is set by the number of columns.
With an architecture of that type, the parasitic capacitance of each bitline is kept quite low, this being of substantial benefit to the circuit portion that is to read the memory contents.
Also, row decoding can be shared by several sectors, with attendant savings of circuit space.
Where an array is fabricated using a technological process that provides for two metal levels, one level is utilized to form the bitlines and the other level utilized to short-circuit the row for lower parasitic resistance during the charging phase.
Although advantageous on many counts, this prior architecture also has a drawback in that, each time that a cell is addressed, all the cells in the same row are biased and subjected to xe2x80x9cgate stressxe2x80x9d.
Furthermore, the information stored in non-volatile memories of the flash EEPROM type must be erased in groups or packets of bits. Erasing is the single operation where the source terminal is biased, and since all the cells have this terminal in common, they must be erased simultaneously, even though they can be written and read independently.
More particularly, flash memories are erased by the sector, meaning that all the cells linked to the same source line are erased simultaneously.
A circuit device adapted to perform erasings by negative voltages in column-ordered memory arrays is disclosed in the Applicant""s Published European Patent Application No. 0 991 075. This device is also shown schematically in FIG. 1 in relation to a single array sector, generally designated 1.
It should be noted that the cells contained in the sectors of the non-volatile memory array associated with the device 1 are ordered into plural wordlines or local rows, designated LWL (Local Word Line). In parallel with each array row, a main row- or wordline is provided, which is designated MWL (Main Word Line) and extends through all the sectors that have main rows in common. Within each sector, the circuit device 1 is connected upstream of each local wordline LWL of the memory array.
The memory device is supplied a single supply voltage Vdd, in the range of 2.5 to 3.6 Volts, and is connected to a second reference voltage GND, e.g., a signal ground.
The device 1 comprises a plurality of local decoders 2 connected between each local wordline LWL and the main wordline MWL, to which said local lines are linked.
The device 1 further includes, provided at each main wordline MWL, a main wordline driver 3, which comprises basically a pair of MOS transistors mounted in a pull-up/pull-down configuration and connected between first TVGLOB and second TSRC bias terminals to correspondingly receive first VGLOB and second SRC bias signals.
Each local decoder 2 comprises a first transistor M1 of the PMOS type having one of its conduction terminals connected to the main wordline MWL and the other connected to the local wordline LWL.
The body terminal of transistor M1 receives the first bias signal VGLOB, its gate terminal receiving a first tripping signal PCH.
The gate terminals of all the transistors M1 of the local decoders 2 associated with the array rows in one sector are connected together and receive the same voltage signal.
The local decoder 2 further comprises a second transistor M2 of the NMOS type having one of its conduction terminals connected to the main wordline MWL and the other connected to the local wordline LWL.
The body terminal of transistor M2 receives the second bias signal SRC at a negative voltage (about xe2x88x928V) during the erase phase, and the transistor gate terminal receives a second tripping signal NCH. The value of the second bias signal SRC is 0V (GND) for the other operations.
The gate terminals of all the transistors M2 of the local decoders 2 associated with the array rows in one sector are connected together and receive the same voltage signal.
Advantageously, an NMOS transistor M3 is connected with its conduction terminals between the local wordline LWL and the second bias terminal TSRC, the latter receiving the second bias voltage SRC as a negative voltage during the erase phase, and the signal ground GND for the other operations.
The body terminal of transistor M3 is connected to the second bias terminal TSRC, its gate terminal receiving a signal DISCH.
The gate terminals of all the transistors M3 of the local decoders 2 associated with the array rows in one sector are connected together and receive the same voltage signal.
In essence, this circuit device performs a row decoding of the hierarchic type by virtue of an additional transistor M3 in the local decoders 2 having one conduction terminal connected to the local wordline and the other connected to a ground voltage reference.
The technological trend toward the use of devices with ever higher cuts and densities in the field of memory devices poses important design problems, which are well recognized and have power consumption in the various modes (read, program, erase, etc.) of the device operation as their major aspect.
It should be noted, however, that most of the above power consumption is attributable to the use of xe2x80x9cboostedxe2x80x9d voltage generators that comprise charge pump systems integrated to the device. These systems include, for example, the systems employed to generate the read voltage, of about 6V, to the cell gate, and to generate the program voltages, in the 1.5 to 9V range and xcx9c4V, to the cell gate and drain, respectively.
Power consumption is in such cases directly proportional to the capacitive loads switched in during the various modes of the device operation.
Furthermore, xe2x80x9cboostedxe2x80x9d voltage generators have limited efficiency, cannot supply large currents with the output voltage maintained at a desired value, and involve substantial area overhead.
Thus, it can be appreciated that a reduction in power consumption achieved by reducing the driven loads would be a design contribution of great interest on several counts.
In conventional devices, however, the read and program voltages, applied to terminal TVGLOB, will of necessity reach the gate terminal of a selected cell through a driver 3, which is connected to the main wordline MWL, for example as shown in FIG. 1 illustrating the hierarchic decoding circuit device just described.
Note should be taken, moreover, of that the read and program voltage generators are to drive, additionally to the load of the selected main wordline MWL, the capacitive load from the substrates of the pull-up transistors of all the drivers 3, which represents a much heavier contribution because there is just one supply terminal provided for the drivers 3 of the main wordline MWL (in the extreme, it might serve all the main wordline drivers throughout the device).
In addition, the capacitive contributions from the local decodes (specifically, the substrates of the P-channel transistors) should be taken into account.
Thus, the overall switched load at each voltage variation at terminal TVGLOB is a sizable amount. It will be appreciated that this situation results in a high expenditure of power during all the operations involving xe2x80x9cfastxe2x80x9d switching of terminal TVGLOB (such as the transition from program to verify, and vice versa, during the program phase).
In view of a current-sensing approach method providing for the cell to be suitably biased at its terminals (e.g., Vgate=6V, Vdrain≈1V, Vsource=0V), and for the sensed electrical quantityxe2x80x94a function of the programmed state of the cellxe2x80x94to be its drain current, whereas the voltage-sensing method provides for the cell to be suitably biased at its drain and source terminals (Vdrain≈1V, Vsource=0V) and for its drain current to be forced to a suitable value, the sensed electrical quantity as a function of the programmed state of the cell being therefore the voltage produced at the cell gate, it is to be emphasized that the aforementioned problems equally affect the current- and voltage-sensing approach methods.
In other words, with conventional hierarchic row decoding, the gate terminal of a selected cell can only be reached electrically by going through a main wordline driver, and this regardless of which sensing method is used.
It should be further noted that, in conventional hierarchic row-decoding devices, the function of selecting the cell gate terminal is not disjoined from the function of transferring read and program voltages. In particular, in such conventional devices, the main wordline is to select an addressed cell by carrying itself the analog read and program voltages to the gate terminal of the cell.
An embodiment of this invention provides a novel circuit device for hierarchic row decoding, whereby a substantial reduction can be achieved in the capacitive loads that the various circuit systems are to drive during the memory cell programming and reading.
The circuit device for hierarchic row decoding also makes the architecture more flexible, in the sense that appropriate design options (far less critical than those of conventional devices) effectively lessen the capacitive loads driven in the presence of increased device cut.
The circuit device avoids a double function for the main wordline by having it perform the single duty of controlling a suitable switch to enable transfer of the read/program voltage to a local decoder, and through the latter, to the gate terminal of a selected cell.
In other words, the function of transferring the read/program voltage is served by a dedicated path which is distinct from the cell selecting path, and which in no way involves the overall row decode, the main rows and their drivers.
The features and advantages of a device according to the invention will be apparent from the following description of an embodiment thereof, given by way of non-limitative example with reference to the accompanying drawings.

Circuit device for performing hierarchic row decoding in non-volatile memory devices


A system for use in controlling and/or testing an underwater hydrocarbon production system, has a number of control modules for controlling well trees. The control modules are provided, not at the trees, but at a control center for location underwater. The trees are in communication with associated ones of the control modules.

FIG. 1 shows, diagrammatically, a typical arrangement for the control of fluid extraction from each of, in the example, four wells of a hydrocarbon extraction field. Such arrangements are typical for a field of subsea wells. The field is connected to an umbilical 1 terminated by a seabed umbilical termination assembly (UTA) 2 which, typically, supplies control signals to subsea control modules (SCM's) 3 mounted on Christmas trees (XT's) fitted to the wellheads. Sometimes, the UTA 2 feeds control signals directly to an SCM 5 mounted on a manifold 6 which controls the fluid extraction output from the field. Alternatively, the manifold 6 can be controlled by an SCM 3 mounted on one of the Christmas trees or its functions shared between several SCM's on more than one tree. Typically, the umbilical 1 also feeds hydraulic fluid under pressure to operate hydraulically operated devices such as chokes and valves, plus electric power supplies to the SCM's, and sometimes electric power to operate electrically operated devices as well. The umbilical 1 also carries electrical signals from sensors fitted to the system, such as pressure and temperature sensors, to provide monitoring data to assist the operator in controlling the field. The other end of the umbilical 1 terminates on a surface vessel or a platform or sometimes on land, which carries the controlling equipment and interfaces to the operator. The extracted fluid output from each well is fed to the manifold 6 and then to the field output flowlines 7 to the surface vessel, platform or land base.
One disadvantage of this system is that the Christmas trees 4 and the manifold 6 are heavy and complicated by the attachment of a SCM to each of them, thus making them expensive to manufacture and install. A further disadvantage is that the UTA 2 is also heavy and complicated.

Controlling and/or testing a hydrocarbon production system


A case opening apparatus that is part of a larger case loading and sealing machine which includes a loading bay for holding container blanks in vertical stacks, a means for removing the uppermost container blank from said stack and transferring it into an overhead rail system, and a case opening apparatus utilizing suction above and below the container blank The case opening apparatus includes an arm that has dual pivots so that by two separate motions it opens and thereafter erects a container blank for subsequent loading and sealing in preparation for shipment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to case opening and loading devices. In particular, the present invention relates to an improved downward case opening apparatus as part of a larger case opening, loading and sealing machine having a vertical magazine for holding case blanks. Blanks are loaded from the magazine into an overhead conveyor which transfers them to the opening apparatus, said apparatus utilizing vacuum suction, gravity and friction to open large numbers of cases in a short amount of time.
2. Description of the Prior Art.
In the art, and in the industry, the terms "case" and "carton" (or "box") define two completely different things. A "case" refers to a generally large corrugated cardboard container into which a pre-determined number of smaller containers (e.g. cartons, bottles or cans) are placed for shipping and/or storage. A "case" of beer generally refers to twenty-four 24 cans or bottles of beer in such a corrugated cardboard container. The inside and outside surfaces of a "case" are smooth, but the typical case has wavy corrugated cardboard between such surfaces.
In contrast, a "carton" or "box" is defined by a generally smaller single-unit cardboard container into which a product (e.g. cereal or detergent) is placed. A "carton" of cereal is likely to be found on a grocery store shelf. A "case" might contain twelve (12) cereal boxes in it for shipping to the grocery store. A "carton" typically consists of one sheet of stiff cardboard, with no corrugation in between.
The present invention relates to the opening of larger "cases". Such cases are typically manufactured from a single piece of corrugated cardboard, or the like, and cut into a predetermined pattern and provided with indented fold lines to facilitate folding into rectangular containers. The manufacturer usually fold the pattern once to make it flat. This brings the opposite edges together so that they may be joined. These flat blanks are shipped in this compact form, and must be opened into a rectangular shape by the user for insertion of products and sealing.
There are numerous devices in the prior art designed to open flattened case blanks for the insertion of products or articles therein. There are also several carton/box opening devices designed to open cartons for the insertion of particular products therein. The primary differences between case-opening machines and carton-opening machines concern the volume (size) of the blanks to be opened, and the material out of which the blanks are made. Both of these aspects affect the speed at which the opening of blanks takes place. Cases are generally much larger than boxes, and therefore require machines that take up more space and are of more sturdy construction than carton opening machines.
Because of the high volume of container blanks that pass through case-opening machines, it is desirable to have a large magazine to hold the flattened blanks prior to being opened.
One of the most common methods of opening folded container blanks utilizes vacuum suction cups attached to the end of a movable arm in conjunction with a frictional surface The arm swings up to bring the vacuum suction cup into contact with the lowermost container blank from a magazine The blank is pulled from the magazine by the suction cup as the arm swings back down, and it is forced against a deflectional surface This friction puts pressure on one or more corners of the flat blank which causes it to open. The opened blank is thereafter moved onto a conveyor mechanism for insertion of product and sealing U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,298,289, 4,066,009, 4,109,444, 4,197,790, and 4,471,601 utilize this method. Unfortunately, this method of opening blanks suffers from several disadvantages. Most importantly, it is slow because a single cycle requires the blank to be pulled down, opened, and moved completely off the arm before the next cycle can be started. A further disadvantage of this method is the requirement that the magazine of blanks be above the swinging arm, and that said magazine be tilted at an angle corresponding to the upswing of the arm. Tilted magazines are generally difficult to load with container blanks, and usually do not have very large capacity.
Several variations of the swinging vacuum arm and deflection surface method of opening container blanks are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,289,820, 3,293,998, 3,533,333, 3,564,980, 3,613,526, 4,331,435, 4,348,853, 4,531,931, 4,621,485 4,629,446, and 4,892,513. Most of these patents utilize upper and lower vacuum suction cups in conjunction with a deflectional surface for opening container blanks U.S Pat. Nos. 3,613,526 and 4,531,931 utilize three (3) separate arms having suction cups thereon. However, each of these patents suffers from the drawback of slowness because of the lag time between cycles; and most also require tilted or small capacity magazines of blank containers.


A supplemental inflatable restraint system with a controllable current source comprises a sense element, a switch device coupled to the sense element, and a squib coupled to the switch device, wherein the sense element, switch device and squib are coupled in a series circuit between a power source and a ground. A deploy control circuit is coupled to the switch device, and, in response to a deploy command, forward biases the switch device allowing electric current to flow through the sense element, switch device and squib to deploy a supplemental inflatable restraint. A current control circuit is coupled to the sense element and switch device and responds to the current flow through the sense element and regulates the switch device, effectively limiting current through the series circuit to a predetermined value.

A typical supplemental inflatable restraint activation circuit is shown in FIG. 1. The circuit is provided with power source 10 comprising vehicle battery 12 supplying power through diode 14 and comprising storage capacitor 16 providing power through diode 18. Storage capacitor 16 is used in the event vehicle battery 12 is disconnected during a deployment situation. During a sudden deceleration of the vehicle in which it is desirable to deploy the supplemental inflatable restraint system, electromechanical sensors 20 and 24 close, closing the current path between power source 10 and ground through squib 22, which is an ignitable initiator that causes inflation of the supplemental inflatable restraint.
In the systems of the type shown in FIG. 1, when the sensors 20, 24 close during a sudden deceleration such as would require deployment of the supplemental inflatable restraint, the current that passes through the sensors is limited only by the electrical resistance of squib 22 and the energy input from power source 10. The result of the high current flow through sensors 20 and 24 causes arching of the contacts as the sensors' switches close. This arcing destroys the switches by damaging contact surfaces so that the switches cannot be re-used. If electrical type switching devices are used, the high current initiated through the electrical switching devices can destroy those devices.
What is desired is a suitable controlled current source for use during deployment of a supplemental inflatable restraint.

Current source for a supplemental inflatable restraint system


A disclosed gaming machine provides a gaming machine with a non-volatile memory storage device and gaming software that allows the dynamic allocation and de-allocation of memory locations in a non-volatile memory. The non-volatile memory storage devices interface to an industry standard peripheral component interface (PCI) bus commonly used in the computer industry allowing communication between a master gaming controller the non-volatile memory. The master gaming controller executes software for a non-volatile memory allocation system that enables the dynamic allocation and de-allocation of non-volatile memory locations. In addition, the non-volatile memory allocation system enables a non-volatile memory file system. With the non-volatile memory file system, critical data stored in the non-volatile memory may be accessed and modified using operating system utilities such as word processors, graphic utilities and compression utilities.

This invention relates to non-volatile storage for gaming machines such as slot machines and video poker machines. More particularly, the present invention relates to hardware and methods for providing battery backed random access memory on gaming machines.
As technology in the gaming industry progresses, the traditional mechanically driven reel slot machines are being replaced with electronic counterparts having CRT, LCD video displays or the like and gaming machines such as video slot machines and video poker machines are becoming increasingly popular. Part of the reason for their increased popularity is the nearly endless variety of games that can be implemented on gaming machines utilizing advanced electronic technology. In some cases, newer gaming machines are utilizing computing architectures developed for personal computers. These video/electronic gaming advancements enable the operation of more complex games, which would not otherwise be possible on mechanical-driven gaming machines and allow the capabilities of the gaming machine to evolve with advances in the personal computing industry.
Typically, utilizing a master gaming controller, the gaming machine controls various combinations of devices that allow a player to play a game on the gaming machine and also encourage game play on the gaming machine. For example, a game played on a gaming machine usually requires a player to input money or indicia of credit into the gaming machine, indicate a wager amount, and initiate a game play. These steps require the gaming machine to control input devices, including bill validators and coin acceptors, to accept money into the gaming machine and recognize user inputs from devices, including touch screens and button pads, to determine the wager amount and initiate game play. After game play has been initiated, the gaming machine determines a game outcome, presents the game outcome to the player and may dispense an award of some type depending on the outcome of the game.
To implement the gaming features described above on a gaming machine using a components utilized in the personal computer industry, a number of requirements unique to the gaming industry must be considered. One such requirement is the storage of critical game information. Traditionally, gaming machines have been designed to store critical game information such as general accounting information (e.g. credits input the gaming machine and credits dispensed from the gaming machine) and a state of a game being played on the gaming machine using a non-volatile memory storage device. For example, game state information stored in a non-volatile memory might include the state of game currently being played on the gaming machine as well as game history information on a number of previous games played on the gaming machine that may be recalled when a malfunction such as a power failure has occurred or when a player has a dispute with the outcome of a previous game played on the gaming machine. A battery backed random access memory (RAM) is an example of a non-volatile memory storage device used previously on many types of gaming machines.
The non-volatile memory storage device may be designed to store critical game information for long periods of time. The length of period of time may be dictated by the gaming jurisdiction where the gaming machine is operated. For example, a battery backed RAM storage device may be designed to store data for a minimum of five years and even as long as seven years without replacing or maintaining the battery. Thus, to limit the battery size, cost and maintenance requirements for long storage periods, electronic RAM memory hardware with a low power consumption is required.
A typical modern video gaming machine contains several devices such as the microprocessor, RAM memory, ROM memory, mass storage devices, video display controller, sound generation hardware, etc. which share commonality with commercially available devices designed for personal computers. The typical system architecture of a modern personal computer control chipset precludes the connection of memory devices to the system bus unless those devices adhere to the strict specifications of the memory controller. All currently available control chipsets on personal computers require the use of dynamic memory devices, such as traditional Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM) or Synchronous DRAM. These devices consume too much DC power to allow effective use of battery technology for data backup for critical data storage requirements lasting multiple years. Thus, to utilize hardware components designed in the personal computing industry in the gaming machine, non-volatile memory storage devices compatible with personal computing hardware are needed.
The preservation of critical game information also influences the design of gaming software executed on the gaming machine. Gaming software executed on gaming machines is designed such that critical game information is not easily lost or corrupted. Therefore, gaming software is designed to prevent critical data loss in the event of software bugs, hardware failures, power failures, electrostatic discharges or tampering with the gaming machine. The implementation of the software design in the gaming software to meet critical data storage requirements may be quite complex and may require extensive of use the non-volatile memory hardware.
Traditionally, in the gaming industry, game design and the game platform design have been performed by single entities. Thus, a single gaming machine manufacturer will usually design a game and then design and manufacture a gaming machine allowing play of the game. Further, for game design on a pre-existing gaming machine, game development is usually always performed by the manufacturer of the gaming machine. The approach of the gaming industry may be contrasted with the video game industry. In the video game industry, games for a particular video game platform are typically developed by many companies different from the company that manufactures the video game platform. One trend in the gaming industry is a desire to create a game development environment similar to the video gaming industry where outside vendors may provide games to a gaming machine.
Issues involving the security, the accessibility and the efficient use of the non-volatile memory on gaming machines provide a few barriers to opening up game development to outside vendors as well as to game development in general. Traditionally, software designs for non-volatile memory utilization have used a fixed memory map approach where all of the required non-volatile memory needed to store critical data and perform critical operations are determined before the code is initialized on the gaming machine and remain fixed once the game is launched. The fixed memory approach may be inefficient because temporary non-volatile memory space, which may be required by many gaming software units for the temporary storage of data, is not used for other purposes when it is not being used by a particular gaming software unit. Typically, the amount non-volatile memory on a gaming machine is limited by the hardware requirements such as the power consumption. Thus, to ensure there is enough of the limited non-volatile memory available on the gaming machine, a game designer must be aware of all of the non-volatile memory requirements needed by the different elements of the gaming machine software and not just those utilized for the presentation of game. This requirement is a barrier to an open game design environment and, in general, slows down the game development process.
Another limitation of the fixed non-volatile memory approach is the difficulty of modifying the fixed non-volatile memory map to install new software. When a software installation requires a different amount of memory in different locations than what is available with the current fixed map on the gaming machine, the non-volatile memory is usually re-initialized to generate a new fixed map. The re-initialization of the non-volatile memory destroys all critical data stored in the non-volatile memory and is also time consuming which is undesirable to the gaming machine operator. Thus, a deployment of a new game on a gaming machine is usually an infrequent occurrence. In contrast, in the video game industry, games are frequently and easily deployed on any given platform.
Another barrier to game development and an open game development environment is the accessibility of the non-volatile memory. Currently, gaming machine software development tools do not provide easy or standard methods for allocating and determining the contents of the non-volatile memory. These deficiencies make producing error free software involving the non-volatile memory more difficult and may be deterrent to many game designers.
Finally, the fixed memory approach for non-volatile memory may be infeasible for an open game development environment because of security issues. In the fixed memory approach, it is undesirable to provide the locations in memory where critical data is stored because it increases the potential for tampering with the gaming machine. For instance, a person might alter a non-volatile memory location to illegally obtain a jackpot. Thus, for security reasons, it would be undesirable to use a fixed memory approach in an open game development environment because the locations of critical data in the non-volatile memory would have to be openly shared.
In view of the above, to improve the game development process for gaming machines, it would be desirable to provide a more accessible, less complicated, more secure and more efficient methods and apparatus of providing non-volatile memory hardware and software on a gaming machine.

High performance battery backed ram interface


A device (10) for reading a magnetic stripe card and/or smart card (22) comprising a slot (12) for feeding the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card (22). A rotary unit (18) for rotating a fed magnetic stripe card and/or smart card (22) from the feeding plane (24) into a reading plane (32) extending at a predetermined angle (W1) relative to the feeding plane (24) is arranged behind the slot (12) as viewed in feed direction (P1). Further, the invention relates to a method for preventing skimming attacks.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to a device for reading magnetic stripe cards and/or smart cards, in particular EC (electronic cash) cards and credit cards, which comprises a slot for feeding magnetic stripe card and/or smart cards in a feed direction, a fed magnetic stripe card and/or smart card being arranged in a feeding plane during feeding. Further, the invention relates to a method for preventing skimming attacks, in which a magnetic stripe card and/or smart card is fed to a device for reading magnetic stripe cards and/or smart cards, the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card being arranged in a feeding plane during feeding.
2. Discussion
In automated teller machines, POS systems, payment terminals and other devices in which magnetic stripe cards and/or smart cards, for example EC cards, credit cards or bank cards, are inserted for payment or withdrawal of cash, there is the problem that people attempt, with intent to defraud, to unauthorizedly read out the data stored on the cards and to spy out data associated with the card to thus be able to withdraw cash by means of these data in an unauthorized manner. Such attempts to spy out the data are referred to as skimming attacks.
Numerous methods are known by which one attempts to detect skimming modules that are arranged outside in front of the feeding slot for the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card. For example, the corresponding areas are monitored by means of cameras, and changes in the structure are detected.
To prevent this, recently more and more very small miniature skimming modules are inserted into the same slot into which the magnetic stripe card and/or smart card is inserted. These modules are designed such that they can read out the data of the cards, while these cards are accepted normally within the device for reading magnetic stripe card and/or smart cards.
From the document DE 10 2006 049 204 B2, it is known to insert EC cards into an automated teller machine with their longer longitudinal side first and thus transversely to the reading direction of the magnetic stripe card. In this way, it shall be prevented that skimming modules mounted on the outside of the automated teller machine can read out data when the card is drawn in. The direction of movement of the card is then changed in the automated teller machine so that now it is transported with its short side first and the magnetic stripe card can be read out during this transport via a stationary reading head.

Device for reading magnetic stripe and/or smart cards and method for preventing skimming attacks


Field order in a sequence of video frames is determined based on magnitude or relative motion of a motion vector between a bottom field of a current frame and a top field of a next frame, and magnitude or relative motion of a motion vector between a top field of the current frame and a bottom field of the next frame. Field order of two interlaced frames of a video sequence is determined by assembling two new frames from the two interlaced frames by combining a bottom field of the first frame with a top field of the second frame and by combining a top field of the first frame with a bottom field of the second frame. The field order is top field first if the number of zipper points in the first new frame is smaller than the number of zipper points in the second new frame.

With the multitude of scanning, transmission and display formats, it becomes increasingly likely that material generated for a targeted application display will end up being shown on other display devices with differing capabilities. This may be the case for spatial resolution, amplitude resolution, color resolution, frame rate, scanning format, etc. Alternatively, a given display device may end up having to show materials which differ in these aspects. Streaming video applications is one example where this might occur. Historically, interlaced and progressively scanned material has been targeted for different applications. However, video streaming applications have led to cases where both interlaced and progressive material are shown using only one display scan format. Video streamed to a progressively scanned PC display may consist of a combination of television and film content, or interlaced and progressive material.
How to best display interlaced material on progressive scan displays or vice-versa is a difficult problem and has been the subject of many de-interlacing, subsampling, interpolation, and frame-rate change, etc. studies. What further complicates the problem in the streaming video case is the fact that it is often not known whether the streamed material is progressive or interlaced to begin with. During a movie segment the material may be progressive scan, but during commercials the content may switch to interlaced format.
Because the streamed video data may not always convey the correct scanning information (if at all), it may be useful to be able to deduce the scanning format from the raw video itself. Due to the existence of (bad) edits in the material, the fact that interlaced material is often assembled into frames using two consecutive fields, etc. makes a method for automatically determining scan format useful. Moreover, even film material which has undergone field pulldown will have a mixture of both progressive and interlaced-like content.
In addition, for display, compression, or processing of interlaced material, it is important that correct timing of fields be maintained. If the top and bottom fields of interlaced material are not displayed in the proper order, severe visual artifacts can occur especially for high motion scenes. Displaying fields in reverse order results in data not being shown in chronological order. If compression or processing of interlaced material uses temporal motion models, then maintaining correct chronological order of fields is important. Otherwise, compression efficiency or video quality may be sacrificed.
In many traditional video applications, the proper field order can be obtained from some temporal side information stored or transmitted with the interlaced video. However, in today's emerging and converging world of television and Internet streaming video, it becomes increasingly possible that information about field order is lost or not known. Interlaced video may be processed for both interlaced and progressive display, and it may undergo some editing operations which may alter the display order of the fields. In some cases, only the raw interlaced video data may be known and information about the field order may not be given.
The present invention is therefore directed to the problem of developing a method and apparatus for automatically detecting the correct field order from only the interlaced video data, without any side information knowledge except for the spatial resolution, as well as for differentiating between progressive and interlaced material using the video content itself.

Method for detecting interlaced material and field order


Current command values are used instead of detected current values to estimate axis error by calculation. An axis error command value is generated according to a speed command value, and a difference between the generated axis error command value and the estimated axis error value is used to control an estimated frequency value.

In technology for estimating axis error in a position sensor-less vector control method, as described in Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2001-251889, voltage command values, detected current values, and a speed command value, which are outputs in vector control, are used to estimate axis error by calculation, and the calculated value is then used to estimate a frequency by calculation. The description in the control method also stipulates that command values for axis error are basically set to 0.

Highly responsive permanent magnet motor controller

Hitachi Industrial Equipment Systems Co., Ltd.


An information processing device that includes a referring unit configured to refer to a table in which a characteristic of each piece of first information is expressed as distribution of model parameters in a plurality of semantic classes. The semantic classes are in units of pieces of the first information. An obtaining unit is configured to obtain second information to be searched. A calculating unit is configured to calculate similarities between the second information and the respective pieces of the first information. A first reading unit is configured to read the pieces of the first information from the table in descending order of the similarity.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a recording medium. Particularly, the present invention relates to an information processing device, an information processing method, a program, and a recording medium that are favorably used to recommend predetermined information to a user.
2. Description of the Related Art
The widespread diffusion of the Internet has enabled users to easily search for desired information. Also, purchase of items at a shop on the Internet (a so-called net shopping) has become widespread.
For example, a user searches for a shop that sells a necessary item on the Internet, determines the shop on the Internet on the basis of information provided as a search result, and purchases the item at the shop.
Under these circumstances, the user side wants a function enabling easier search for items, whereas the shop side wants a function enabling more efficient selling of items. In accordance with such a demand, for example, when a user purchases an item, the shop recommends another item related to the purchased item. Accordingly, the user can advantageously know (recognize) the related item(s) and purchase the items at the same time (purchase a plurality of items at one time by saving a trouble). Also, the selling side can efficiently sell items because a plurality of items can be sold at the same time advantageously.
As such a recommending method, Patent Document 1 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-334256) suggests a method using a collaborative filtering device. In recommendation using the collaborative filtering device, on the basis of personal information such as a history of items purchased by a user (user A), another user (user B) having a history similar to the history of user A is selected. Then, recommended information is selected from the history of the selected user B (for example, information common to the users A and B is selected as recommended information), and the selected information is provided to the user A.
On the other hand, Patent Document 2 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-215665) suggests a method using content-based filtering. According to this suggestion, a sentence in content is represented as a vector of a keyword, the keyword represented by the vector is weighted in a TF (term frequency)×IDF (invert document frequency) method or the like, and cosine measure in a vector space is used as similarity. Accordingly, similar content is searched for and a search result is recommended to the user side.

Information processing device, information processing method, program, and recording medium


A load-balancing method for a multiplicity of controlled drives, especially individual electric motors of the rolls of a leveling machine for metal strip, in which all of the motors have speed and current-control circuits and are interconnected by a superordinate memory programmable computer or controller. A respective load-balancing controller, preferably of the PI type, is provided between the computer and the input to the current controller to vary the current setpoint signal supplied to the latter by the speed controller in each system.

When a controlled drive system is referred to herein, we mean to indicate a drive system having an electric motor which can be provided with a feedback type of control. When a plurality of controlled drive systems are used to distribute a driving force onto a common element, as is the case for example in a metal strip processing line, the drives for individual rolls of a leveling machine, twin-drive roll stands, apparatus for fabricating or processing textile and paper and the like, to avoid an asymmetric load distribution upon the individual drive system and the detrimental effect this may have upon the drive systems and the workpiece, it is desirable to effect a load balancing.
For example, the asymmetric load distribution can be compensated by a control process in which the difference between the armature currents of two successive drives produces a signal which is used, in turn, to reduce the speed setpoint in the speed control circuit of the more strongly loaded drive to thereby bring about a load balancing. This form of load balancing is based upon a cascade regulation system, i.e. each pair of drives successively along the workpiece produces such a difference signal and that difference signal is used to reduce the speed setpoint of the more strongly loaded drive of the pair. The signal for load balancing must first be compared to an output from the slower speed controller and then supplied to the current controller. This has the drawback that the load-balancing system operates with relatively high inertia, i.e. cannot respond rapidly to load fluctuations. Such a load-balancing system is not suitable for machines with high dynamic requirements as is the case, for example, with metal strip leveling in a roller-type leveling machine wherein individual drives are provided for the leveling rollers.

Control method, especially for load balancing of a plurality of electromotor drives