An apparatus, method, and system for providing a mechanical divider adapted to shield at least a portion of an active surface of an integrated circuit from out-gassing from underfill material. The mechanical divider is attached to a mounting substrate. The underfill material is dispensed on the mounting substrate. The integrated circuit is placed on both the mechanical divider and on the underfill material after the mechanical divider has been at least partially cured. The mechanical divider may include a base surface adapted to contact the mounting substrate, a lower wall surface extending upwardly from the base surface, an upper wall surface adapted to abut a side wall of the integrated circuit, and a ledge surface extending between the lower wall surface and the upper wall surface, the ledge surface adapted to contact at least a portion of the active surface of the integrated circuit.

With the advancement of integrated circuit technology, the need to miniaturize integrated circuit packaging to meet the needs of this integrated circuit technology has increased exponentially. This requirement has resulted in chip-scale packaging, wherein the ultimate goal is to have both the integrated circuit and the integrated circuit package be virtually the same size.
An integrated circuit package usually includes a mounting substrate and an integrated circuit, such as a semiconductor chip or die. The integrated circuit is located on or in the mounting substrate. One class of chip packaging includes integrated circuits that are produced with solder contacts, on an active surface thereof, for purposes of electrically connecting the integrated circuit to solder deposits on the mounting substrate. The term active surface of an integrated circuit, as used herein, means the surface which carries integrated circuitry. The term back surface, as used herein, means a side of the integrated circuit that is positioned opposite and parallel planar with the active surface.
During packaging, an epoxy underfill material is introduced into a space between the integrated circuit and the mounting substrate and is cured thereafter. The epoxy acts to bond the integrated circuit to the mounting substrate and to protect the solder contacts. The underfill material that has been inserted between the integrated circuit and the mounting substrate typically has a non-uniform profile. The non-uniform profile is often due to the underfill material including both an interstitial portion that is sandwiched between the integrated circuit and the mounting substrate, as well as a fillet portion that extends diagonally from the integrated circuit side walls to the mounting substrate.

Integrated circuit edge protection method and apparatus


The invention is directed to a dispersal or scattering dispenser (cannister) in accordance with the species concept of claim 1, in which the muzzle velocity of the munitions can be changed during the munitions ejection in a target dedicated manner by the chronologically phased opening of a pressure chamber arranged between the gas generator and the munitions tube. Embodiment examples are described and illustrated in the figures of the drawing.

The invention is directed to a dispenser (cannister) for scattering or dispersing of munitions which is composed of a plurality of tube groupings for receiving the munitions to be dispersed.
Such scattering dispensers have already become known in various embodiments. In DE-PS 35 00 163, a dispersing dispenser is disclosed in which, respectively, the first ejection tubes of a tube grouping are connected with a collective gas generator and where the tubes available after ejection of the munitions serve, respectively, as compressed gas reservoirs for the ejection tubes which must be respectively next supplied with compressed gas. By this special design, a uniform coverage of the dispersing surface is achieved whereby the energy consumption is reduced compared to other systems. Various possibilities are proposed for the required velocity variation, for instance, by producing the compressed gas still beyond the ejection process, wherein the munitions space just liberated serves as an additional compressed air reservoir or that additionally a so-called buffer reservoir is filled which communicates with a respective first ejection tube or with additional ejection tubes. Furthermore, throttling points or outlet apertures are provided in the gas communication channels.


The present invention relates to the field of display technology, and particularly to a stereoscopic display device and a cell-aligning packaging method of the same. The stereoscopic display device is divided into a display area and a non-display area surrounding the display area on the periphery of the display area, and comprises a conversion panel and a liquid crystal panel which are aligned to form a cell, a first polarizer is provided between the conversion panel and the liquid crystal panel, the first polarizer is arranged in the display area, and an adhesive lump is provided around the first polarizer and correspondingly to the non-display area between the conversion panel and the liquid crystal panel and is used for bonding the conversion panel and the liquid crystal panel into a whole.

As thin film transistor liquid crystal display (simply referred to as TFT-LCD) technology develops and industrial technology advances, production cost of a liquid crystal display device has been falling gradually, and manufacturing process thereof has been improving. At present, the liquid crystal display technology has become a mainstream technology in the field of flat panel display technology, and meanwhile, due to its own advantages, the liquid crystal display device has become an ideal display device both at the market and in viewers' hearts.
With the gradual increase of living standards, consumers place greater demands on display devices, and three-dimension (3D) stereoscopic display is gradually coming into view. Compared to common display technology, 3D stereoscopic display technology can enable a display image not to be confined to the plane of a screen, but to become stereoscopic and lifelike, so that viewers feel as if they were personally on the scene and experience stronger visual impact. Therefore, 3D stereoscopic display devices of high display quality become an ideal option for users. Among them, autostereoscopic display gains a large amount of popularity due to its exclusive advantage that viewers can experience a stereoscopic effect without wearing 3D glasses. Techniques for realizing autostereoscopic display include many methods such as parallax barrier, lenticular, directional backlight, liquid crystal lens and the like.
The liquid crystal lens method is a technique in which two substrates arranged oppositely and with twisted nematic liquid crystals filled therebetween are used to form a 3D conversion panel. As shown in FIG. 1, rectangles filled by different patterns in FIG. 1 represent electrodes 7 applied with different voltages, the electrodes 7 form a gradient electric filed in a conversion panel 1, and the twisted nematic liquid crystals rotate under the action of the gradient electric field. Since twisted nematic liquid crystals at different positions are subjected to different electric field forces, rotation directions thereof are different, which makes a refractive index distribution of liquid crystal molecules present an effect of multiple lenses (that is, equivalent to lenses of liquid crystal lens). In this way, an image of current viewpoint is projected to a corresponding field of view, and 3D stereoscopic display is thus realized. The liquid crystal lens method not only has the advantages of capability of performing 2D/3D conversion and high transmittance, but can also easily achieve adjustment to the best viewing distance due to adjustable focal length of the liquid crystal lens, so as to achieve an effect of tracking stereoscopic display with naked eyes, thus becoming the most promising stereoscopic display technique.
Currently, the liquid crystal lens method has been applied to display devices which need relatively large visual distance, such as televisions and the like. However, with the development of portable mobile product technology, portable mobile products (such as mobile phones, PADs, palmtop computers) have been increasingly involved in people's life. Compared to televisions, portable mobile products only need relatively small visual distance, and thus it has become a new development direction for current stereoscopic display devices to develop stereoscopic display panels with small visual distance and applicable to portable mobile products, so as to bring 3D stereoscopic enjoyment to consumers using the portable mobile products.

Stereoscopic display device and cell-aligning packaging method of the same


An electrical system for an automotive vehicle has a plurality of electrical generating machines having field windings energized by pulse width modulated drive signals generated by an external electronic voltage regulator. The pulse width modulated drive signals have a duty cycle determined by the electronic voltage regulator. A controller selects one of electrical generating machines to evaluate for failure and evaluates that electrical generating machine for failure by causing the PWM drive signal for the field windings of that electrical generating machine to be disabled. The controller then determines that this electrical generating machine has failed if the duty cycle for the PWM drive signals has then not been increased by the electronic voltage regulator by a pre-determined amount. The electrical generating machines are either generators or alternators. In an aspect, the PWM drive signals for the plurality of electrical generating machines are out of phase with each other.

In certain types of vehicles, such as medium and heavy duty trucks, it is advantageous to provide the electrical system with multiple electrical generating machines, which are alternators or generators depending on whether the electrical system uses alternators or generators. For convenience the discussion herein will be the context of alternators, it being understood that it also applies to generators.
A voltage regulator is used to regulate the output voltage of the alternator. Typically, the voltage regulator varies the voltage of the field of the alternator to regulate the output voltage of the alternator. In many applications, the alternator has an internal voltage regulator.
In certain applications having a single alternator, an external electronic voltage regulator has been used. In one such application, the external electronic voltage regulator is implemented in the electronic control unit (ECU) that is also used as the engine control module of a vehicle. In this application, the external voltage regulator outputs a pulse width modulated drive signal to the field winding of the alternator and varies field voltage of the alternator to regulate the output voltage of the alternator by varying the duty cycle of the pulse width modulated signal. As used herein, an "electronic voltage regulator" is a device that generates a pulse width modulated drive signal that is used to energize the field windings of an electrical generating machine. The device can be implemented in hardware or a combination of hardware and software. The device can be a stand-alone device or can be implemented as part of another device, such as the engine control module of a vehicle. The electronic voltage regulator can generate the pulse width modulated drive by directly generating it or generate it by controlling another device, such as a power switching device by generating a pulse width modulated switching signal that is used to switch the power switching device.
FIG. 1 is a basic schematic showing the topology of a prior art electrical system 100 in which an external electronic voltage regulator is used to control the voltage of an alternator. Electrical system 100 is illustratively an automotive vehicle electrical system and is a part of an automotive vehicle, shown representatively by dashed box 102 in FIG. 1. The external electronic voltage regulator is illustratively implemented in an electronic control unit ("ECU") 110, that is also the engine control module for vehicle 102. More specifically, electrical system 100 has an alternator 104, battery 106, power distribution center 108 and ECU 110 that is the engine control module. ECU 110 includes an electronic voltage regulator 112 that controls the field voltage of field windings 114 of alternator 104. A voltage output (B+) of alternator 104 is coupled through a fusible link 116 to a positive terminal 118 of battery 106. A negative terminal 120 of battery 106 is coupled to ground.
Electronic voltage regulator includes error signal generator 122, PI controller 124, PWM signal generator 126 and power signal driver 128, which is illustratively a high side driver and may be referred to herein as high side driver 128.
The control of alternator 104 is managed by the electronic voltage regulator 112 in ECU 110 based on voltage feedback sense line "B+ Sense" coupled to a "B+ sense" output of alternator 104, which is coupled to the internal voltage output of alternator 104 through a B+ resistor. This sense voltage is compared by error signal generator 122 to a target voltage determined by the ECU 110 based on various parameters known to the ECU 110 from other sensors in the electrical system 100 (not shown in FIG. 1), such as battery temperature, engine speed, engine load and others. The comparison between the sense voltage and the target voltage produces an error signal which is used by PI controller 124 of electronic voltage regulator 112 to calculate the duty cycle for a PWM drive signal applied to field windings 114 of alternator 104 to control the field voltage and thus regulate the output of alternator 104. The field windings 114 of alternator 104 are coupled to an output 130 of ECU 110 at which the PWM drive signal is generated. More specifically, PI controller 124 of electronic voltage regulator 112 determines the duty cycle at which to drive the field windings 114 of alternator 104 and outputs to PWM signal generator 126 the value of this duty cycle, which is the PWM value in FIG. 1. PWM signal generator 126 generates a PWM signal having this duty cycle which is used to switch high side driver 128, which turns on and off the field of alternator 104. High side driver 128 is coupled through contacts 132 of an automatic shutdown relay (ASD) 134 of power distribution center 108 and a fuse 136 of power distribution center 108 to positive terminal 118 of battery 106. High side driver 128 may illustratively be high power switching semiconductor device, such as an SCR, Thyristor, IGBT, power MOSFET, or the like. The objective of this control system is to minimize the error signal, which implies that the sense voltage is being controlled to achieve the target voltage. The PI loop in PI controller 124 of electronic voltage regulator 112 is calibrated to optimize the overshoot, undershoot and settling time performance specifications for system voltage response to various disturbances.

Control and diagnostics of multiple electrical generating machines using an external voltage regulator


A grid bending machine is provided for bending a workpiece. The machine includes first and second guides having inner surfaces defining a cavity therebetween. A stationary anvil is mounted to the first and second guides. A first die is releaseably connected to the stationary anvil. A body is disposed in the cavity and is movable between a first position release position and a second bending position. A second die is releaseably connected to the body and is aligned with the first die. The second die is axially spaced from the first die with the body in the release position and is adjacent the first die with the body in the bending position.

In a die cutting machine, the blanks are cut, but not removed from a large sheet of paper material. After the blanks have been cut, the sheet is moved downstream in the die cutting machine to a blanking station where the sheet is positioned over a frame assembly for support. The frame assembly includes an outer frame and an inner grid having large openings that correspond in size, in shape and in position to the profile of the carton blank previously cut. Below the frame is a mechanism for stacking the carton blanks.
At the blanking station, an upper tool is used in combination with the lower tool or frame assembly to knock the carton blanks from the sheet of paper material while holding the scrap material that surrounds the blanks. The upper tool has a support board that moves vertically up and down in the die cutting machine, and the support board typically has a plurality of stand-offs depending therefrom that hold pushers spaced beneath the board which in turn are used to push the carton blanks from the sheet through the lower tool or frame assembly. A plurality of presser assemblies are also mounted in the support board and depend therefrom to hold the scrap material against the lower tool or frame assembly during the blanking operation so that the blanks may be pushed from the sheet. A presser assembly typically includes a presser rail that is biased downwardly away from the support board by a spring so that the rail is positioned slightly below the pushers. As the upper tool is lowered, the presser rail engages the sheet of paper material first such that a scrap portion of the large sheet of material is secured between the presser rail and the frame. The upper tool then continues to be lowered such that the sheet of material engages an inner grid within the frame while at substantially the same time the pushers engage the carton blanks and knock the blanks out of the sheet of material and through the inner grid. The carton blanks then fall into a stacking mechanism below the frame where the blanks are stacked for further processing.
The inner grid is typically comprised of a plurality of lengthwise and crosswise extending bars. It can be appreciated that the inner grid must be accurately and precisely formed in order to insure the proper operation of the blanking tool assembly. Heretofore, an inner grid member was formed by placing a workpiece between upper and lower dies. A force is exerted on the workpiece thereby causing the workpiece to bend and conform to the shape of the dies. The process is repeated until the a desired inner grid member is formed. While functional, it has been found that this prior fabrication method lacks the precision needed to properly form the inner grid members. Consequently, it is highly desirable to provided a device and method of fabricating an inner grid member of a blanking tool assembly the is more accurate and precise than prior fabrication methods.
Therefore, it is a primary object and feature of the present invention to provide a grid bending machine that bends a workpiece with a high degree of accuracy and precision.
It is a further object and feature of the present invention to provide a grid bending machine that allows for the quick and easy replacement of the dies used to bend a workpiece.
It is a still further object and feature of the present invention to provide a grid bending machine that is simple to utilize.
In accordance with the present invention, a grid bending machine is provided for bending a workpiece. The machine includes first and second guide walls defining a cavity therebetween. A first die releaseably connected to at least one of the guide walls. A body is slidably received in the cavity. The body is movable between a first position release position and a second bending position. A second die is releaseably connected to the body and aligned with the first die. The second die is axially spaced from the first die with the body in the release position and is adjacent the first die with the body in the bending position.
A quick release mechanism may be used for interconnecting the first die to the at least one of the guide walls. A first cylinder is operatively connected to the body for moving the body from the bending position to the release position. A hydraulic actuator is operatively connected to the body for moving the body from the release position to the bending position. A stop member defines the position of hydraulic actuator with the body in the bending position. A drive mechanism is operatively connected to the stop member. The drive member positions the stop member at a user desired position.
A bearing plate interconnects the first and second guide walls and has an upper surface directed toward the cavity. A first plurality of bearings is disposed between the first guide wall and the body and a second plurality of bearings is disposed between the second guide wall and the body. The first and second plurality of bearings facilitate the movement of the body between the release and bending positions.
In accordance with a further aspect of the present invention, a grid bending machine is provided for bending a workpiece. The machine includes a stationary anvil and a first die releaseably connected to the stationary anvil. A body is movable between a first position release position and a second bending position. A second die is releaseably connected to the body and aligned with the first die. The second die is axially spaced from the first die with the body in the release position and is adjacent the first die with the body in the bending position.
The grid bending machine also includes first and second guide walls defining a cavity therebetween for receiving the body. A bearing plate interconnects the first and second guide walls and has an upper surface directed toward the cavity. A first plurality of bearings is disposed between the first guide wall and the body and a second plurality of bearings is disposed between the second guide wall and the body. The first and second plurality of bearings facilitates the movement of the body between the release and bending positions.
A first cylinder is operatively connected to the body for moving the body from the bending position to the release position. A hydraulic actuator is operatively connected to the body for moving the body from the release position to the bending position. A stop member defines the position of hydraulic actuator with the body in the bending position. A drive mechanism is operatively connected to the stop member. The drive member positions the stop member at a user desired position.
In accordance with a still further aspect of the present invention, a grid bending machine is provided for bending a workpiece. The machine includes first and second guides having inner surfaces defining a cavity therebetween. A stationary anvil is mounted to the first and second guides. A first die is releaseably connected to the stationary anvil. A body is disposed in the cavity and is movable between a first position release position and a second bending position. A second die is releaseably connected to the body and is aligned with the first die. The second die is axially spaced from the first die with the body in the release position and is adjacent the first die with the body in the bending position. A stop member defines the bending position of the body. A drive mechanism is operatively connected to the stop member for positioning the stop member at a user selected position.
A bearing plate interconnects the first and second guide walls and has an upper surface directed toward the cavity. A first plurality of bearings is disposed between the first guide wall and the body and a second plurality of bearings is disposed between the second guide wall and the body. The first and second plurality of bearings facilitate the movement of the body between the release and bending positions.
A first cylinder is operatively connected to the body for moving the body from the bending position to the release position. A hydraulic actuator is operatively connected to the body for moving the body from the release position to the bending position. The hydraulic actuator includes a piston. A portion of the piston engages the stop member with the body in the release position.


Thermoplastic compositions of polyketones having an increased flexural modulus are made by intermixing alternating aliphatic polyketones with a stiffening quantity of pentaerythritol.

Some polymer applications call for a high degree of stiffness (high flexural modulus). Examples include some film applications such as photographic film base and packaging material. One approach to obtain such stiff materials is to add fillers such as carbon or silica, or to incorporate fibers, such as glass and carbon fibers into a relatively flexible polymer, thereby forming a composite material. Unfortunately, composites are difficult to repair and recycle. These and other drawbacks can make composites unsuitable in a number of applications.
Polymers of carbon monoxide and ethylenically unsaturated hydrocarbons commonly referred to as aliphatic alternating polyketones (hereafter, "polyketones") are now well known. High molecular weight alternating aliphatic polyketones are of considerable interest because they exhibit a good overall set of physical and chemical properties. This class of polymers is disclosed in numerous U.S. patents assigned to Shell Oil Company exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,880,903 and 4,880,904 which are incorporated herein by reference.
Stiffening polyketones has previously been attained through the formation of composites with the addition of materials such as various glasses and fibers. U.S. Patent No. 5,122,564 provides an example of this approach of the prior art. Stiffening polyketones without necessarily resorting to composite formations would help expand the range of applications for polyketones.


A distance measuring device for measuring the fill level in industrial tanks, which includes electronic transmitting- and receiving elements for short wave electromagnetic waves, such as microwaves, and a cylindrical waveguide which extends through a separating wall and inside of which is a waveguide window separating the two spaces and made of a material, such as quartz glass, which is transmissive with respect to electromagnetic waves. The waveguide and the waveguide window (3) have conically-shaped sections (5) to provide axial support. To protect the waveguide window against destruction due to thermal expansions and pressure fluctuations, the conical section (5) of the waveguide window (3) is in a correspondingly formed conical socket (8). The socket is mounted with play in a cylindrical bore (9) of the waveguide window (3) and is supported by a shoulder (10) of the waveguide in the axial direction. For support in both longitudinal directions, two waveguide windows (3), each with one socket (8), are arranged in a mirror image configuration, and the waveguide is divided into two detachably joined sections so that, when open, the sockets (8) and the waveguide windows (3) can be placed into the cylindrical bores (9) of the sections.

The invention concerns a distance measuring device, in particular for measuring the fill level of industrial tanks. The device is made of electronic transmitting- and receiving elements for short wave electromagnetic waves, such as microwaves, and a cylindrically-shaped waveguide which passes through a separating wall. Inside thereof is a waveguide window which separates the two spaces and is made of a material which is transmissive with respect to electromagnetic waves, such as quartz glass. The waveguide and the waveguide window have conically formed parts to provide axial support for them.
Also known, besides radar instruments for measuring distance, are level measuring devices operating with microwaves, which transmit signals in the microwave range which are reflected by the surface of the medium located in the container and received by the receiver. The distance between the level measuring device and the surface of the medium is determined from the signals with an electronic circuit which may include microprocessors and electronic calculators. To use such microwave level measuring devices with containers, especially industrial tanks, which are subject to high or low operating temperatures and low or high pressures, in particular when they contain explosive and/or corrosive and/or toxic materials, it is necessary to separate the interior of the container from the electronic transmitter- and receiver elements. This is commonly accomplished by arranging inside the waveguide which protrudes through the container ceiling a cylindrically-shaped waveguide window made of quartz glass or the like and which has a low dielectric dissipation factor favorable to the transmittance of microwaves. Thus, the waveguide window constitutes the separator which keeps the electronic elements apart from the content of the tank. When there is a pressure acting from the side of the housing or when there is low pressure on the side of the container, the danger exists that the waveguide window will be pushed out of the waveguide. To prevent this, it is known from U.S. Pat. No. 3,001,160 to provide the waveguide and the waveguide window with conically designed sections. The conical surfaces are in snug contact with each other. In this system the waveguide supports the waveguide window against axial forces, but it has the disadvantage that large temperature fluctuations subject the glass to considerable stress, so that the glass can break or crack. This results not only from the different thermal expansion coefficients of the glass and the waveguide tube, but also the differences in heat dissipation between the two.

Distance measuring device especially for measuring the fill level in industrial tanks


A method for determining blanket performance in a printing press is provided. The printing press includes a plate cylinder having a printing plate transferring an image to a blanket on a blanket cylinder for printing on a substrate. The method includes determining an acceptable range of nip force (Fp) between a plate cylinder and a blanket cylinder in a printing unit, calculating the nip force (Fp) between the plate cylinder and blanket cylinder and determining blanket performance based on the nip force with respect to the acceptable range of nip force. A printing press is also provided.

The present invention relates generally to printing presses and more particularly to blanket cylinders.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,617,773, hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a device for determining incorrectly sized or manufactured blankets. The device includes a first blanket on a first blanket cylinder independently driven by a first motor, a first controller for determining torque values of the first motor, a second blanket on a second blanket cylinder independently driven by a second motor, a second controller for determining torque values of the second motor. A processor determines the existence of a size difference between the first and second blankets as a function of the torque values of the first and second motors.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,433,499, hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses an apparatus for calibrating a tension transducer for a web that includes a pair of nip rollers and a motor for driving at least one of the pair of nip rollers, the motor having at least one roller output being a function of at least one of a motor torque and a motor velocity. A web tension transducer roll is located upstream of the nip rollers, the web tension transducer having a tension output being a function of the actual web tension of the web. A processor receives the at least one roller output and the tension output, the processor calculating a tension correction value as a function of the at least one roller output and the tension output.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,499,639, hereby incorporated by reference herein, discloses a method for dynamically controlling a driver of a nip roller in a web printing press includes controlling the speed of the driver in a tension-control mode during a phase of printing press operation and in a velocity-control mode during another phase of printing press operation. The controlling of the speed of the driver in the tension-control mode is based on the tension in the web upstream of the nip roller so as to maintain the tension at a desired tension value. The controlling of the speed of the driver in the velocity-control mode is based on a predetermined driver velocity ratio for maintaining the web tension.

Method for quantifying blanket performance and printing press


The present invention aims to provide a basket catheter that easily transmits rotational torque on a proximal side to a basket part and can remove a captured foreign matter. The basket catheter (1) has a distal side and a proximal side, has an outer tubular member (2), an inner tubular member (3) disposed in a lumen of the outer tubular member (2) and an expandable basket part (10) disposed on the distal side of the inner tubular member (3) and including elastic wires (15). The inner tubular member (3) includes a hollow coil body (4) formed of a wire wound spirally. In the above basket catheter (1), the elastic wires (15) and the inner tubular member (3) are preferably connected together through a tubular connector (20).

A treatment for a calculus formed in a bile duct or urethra employs basket catheter (forceps) in which SUS twisted wires or shape memory alloy wires, such as Ni—Ti, are woven into a cage shape and employs a balloon catheter for calculus removal. In the basket catheter, a basket part that captures a foreign matter is configured in the following manner. Metal wires are fixed at two points of the catheter: one is at a distal end of the catheter and the other is at a place that is proximal to the distal end. Between those two fixing points, the wires are bent or twisted into a spiral shape to form the cage shape. The basket part is, for example, stored in a resin sheath during delivery into a diseased region and expanded to the cage shape by being exposed from the distal end of the sheath upon capture of a foreign matter. For accurate removal of a foreign matter in a short time, it is necessary to efficiently transmit rotational torque by handle operation at a hand side to the basket part to change a position of the metal wires forming the basket, thereby easily taking in the foreign matter or hooking it.
FIGS. 10 to 11 show a conventional basket catheter. As shown in FIG. 10, the conventional basket catheter 100 has a basket part 110 that can be stored in an outer tubular member 102. The basket part 110 and a handle at a hand side (not illustrated) are connected together through wire members 104 and 105. The wire members 104 and 105 transmit torque and, in FIG. 10, are connected with one another through a connector pipe 106. The wire member is, for example, one in which elastic wires that form the basket part are axially disposed in parallel as shown in FIG. 11. Patent Document 1, for example, discloses a medical basket type holding forceps in which twisted wires are axially and more proximally disposed in parallel than a proximal end part of its cage-shaped part and an operation wire is further connected with the proximal side.

Basket catheter, method for producing the same and medical treatment instrument


An antibacterial and deodorizing leather includes a leather body and an antibacterial and deodorizing layer. The antibacterial and deodorizing layer includes a water-based foaming material and an antibacterial deodorant. The water-based foaming material and the antibacterial deodorant are mixed and arranged on the leather body and then bonded with the leather body by hot pressing. By uniformly mixing the antibacterial deodorant and a bactericide through the water-based foaming material to become gelatinous, the antibacterial and deodorizing layer is arranged on the leather body according to the size of the leather body. Then, the antibacterial and deodorizing layer is tightly bonded with the leather body by hot pressing, achieving the effects of saving costs, simplifying the manufacturing process, and environmental protection.

Because of the breathability, durability and special grain of a genuine leather material, genuine leather products occupy a certain rate in the market. On the contrary, based on the consideration of animal protection and price, artificial leather is developed accordingly. In order to achieve an antibacterial and deodorizing effect of leather products, an antibacterial agent is added to achieve the antibacterial effect in the leather production process. In general, the antibacterial agent is added to a solid foaming material, and then the solid foaming material is attached to the leather by means of solid viscose. However, the leather produced by this method is not only troublesome but also easy to waste materials and increase costs if the size is different in the lamination process. In addition, the solid foaming material and solid viscose need special treatment after recycling so as not to harm the environment. This is not eco-friendly.


A plasma display device is disclosed. In an embodiment, the plasma display device includes a plasma display panel, a circuit board assembly, a chassis base, a signal transmission member, a cover plate, and a reinforcing member. The reinforcing member is assembled to an edge of the chassis base. The reinforcing member includes a main body and a protruding portion protruded therefrom. The protruding portion is protruded toward an internal surface of the cover plate. It secures a space, for the signal transmission member, between the main body and the cover plate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a plasma display device.
2. Description of the Related Technology
Generally, a plasma display device is a display tool that uses plasma generated by gas discharge to display images on a plasma display panel (PDP).
The plasma display device generally includes the PDP, a chassis base, a circuit board assembly, a cover plate, and a casing. The PDP displays an image, and the chassis base supports the PDP. The circuit board assembly is mounted on the chassis base and is electrically connected to the display electrodes and the address electrodes of the PDP through flexible printed circuits, connectors, and so on. The casing surrounds the PDP, the chassis base, the circuit board assembly, and the cover plate while constituting an outer frame of the plasma display device.
Generally, the PDP is manufactured by arranging surfaces of two glass substrates to face each other and seal a space therebetween. A plurality of discharge cells are formed therebetween. In the PDP, images are displayed by exciting phosphors. The phosphors are excited by vacuum ultraviolet radiation which is generated by a gas discharge in the discharge cells. It is possible for the PDP to realize a large, thin, and lightweight display having good qualities of display capacity, brightness, contrast, visual angle, and so on.
The chassis base, which is attached to the PDP, is made of a metal having strong mechanical strength in order to support the PDP. The chassis base plays a role in maintaining strength of the plasma display device. It also mounts and supports the circuit board assembly. Furthermore, it acts as a heat sink of the PDP and as a ground for reducing electromagnetic interference (EMI).
The circuit board assembly is electrically connected to the PDP so as to supply driving signals to the PDP. A plurality of driving integrated circuit (IC) packages are connected to the circuit board assembly and the PDP so that driving signals can be transferred from the circuit board assembly to the electrodes of the PDP.
The cover plate covers the driver IC packages and is fixed on the chassis base via screws. Therefore, the driver IC packages are protected by the cover plate.
The casing includes front and rear covers. The front cover is installed in front of the PDP while the rear cover is installed behind the PDP. Here, the front and rear covers generally constitute a structure that can be assembled or disassembled with respect to each other so that it is possible to fix internal elements.
The above discussion in this section is to provide background information about the plasma display devices. No statements in this section constitute an admission of prior art.


A method of separating drilling/production fluids from solid cuttings from a mixture received from down hole, without the use of shale shakers, de-sanders, or de-sanders, through the steps of flowing the mixture from the well bore into a flow line above the surface of a well; next, flowing the mixture into a single separation zone of a size capable of receiving the mixture directly from the flow line on a continuous basis; circulating or centrifuging the mixture to a desired RPM within the separation zone; providing a liquid permeable barrier surrounding the mixture as the mixture is centrifuged within the separation zone; collecting the liquid in a first retrieval zone after the liquid has penetrated permeable barrier; and collecting the solids that could not penetrate the permeable barrier in a second retrieval zone within the barrier. The flow into the separation zone may be at a rate of 50-2000 gallons per minute; while the permeable barrier is a screen with openings of a size within the range of 50 to 1500 microns. Also, the mixture is circulated at a rate of a range of 15 to 1200 RPM's in order to achieve separation to a suitable degree. The separation zone would include either a horizontal or vertical centrifuge apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the separation of drilling/production fluids and drilled earthen solids drilled cuttings, such as drilled cuttings from downhole. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method of separating drilling/production fluids from the drilled cuttings whereby the drilled cuttings are carried by the drilling/production fluids from the drill bit through the annulus and received at the furthest exit point from the well bore for separation and treatment without having to be pre-conditioned through shale shakers, d-sanders, d-silters or other type treatment.
2. General Background of the Invention
Drilled cuttings are generated during the oil and gas drilling operations as the drill bit cuts the earthen formation and is carried by the drilling fluids to the surface of the well for disposition. Drilling fluids leaving the well bore containing drilled earthen solids (drilled cuttings) require separation from the carrier fluid for continuous re-use of the fluid during the drilling operations. Surface pumps are used to convey the drilling fluids down through the drill string (drill pipe) to maintain formation pressure, aid in the drilling process by adding hydraulic force to the drill bit, as well as prolonging the drill bits useful life span by lubrication of the bit and disbursing heat. Other uses for the drilling fluids would include, but not limited to, maintaining hydrostatic pressure, maintaining a wall cake of the formation surfaces for well bore stability, as well as being used as a medium to convey the drilled cuttings from the well bore to the surface of the well.
In the present state of the art, the manner in which the drilled cuttings are treated after reaching the surface is widely known in oil well drilling and production. Historically, when the drilled cuttings, carried by the drilling fluid reaches the surface of the well, the mixture of drilled cuttings and fluids enter a flow line directly off of the drilling or production string, where the mixture flows. The mixture may encounter a gumbo buster, or the like which is a device for diffusing very large solids from the mixture. Next the cuttings laden fluid is routed to a series of shale shakers, d-sanders and d-silters which enhances the separation of smaller solids further separate the drilled cuttings from the fluids of the mixture. The solids are then collected and discarded into the environment or containerized and returned for disposal, or further treatment before final disposition depending on environmental regulations in a specific area. Depending upon their content, the solids are moved into a decanting centrifuge, where the finer solids are removed from the fluids. If the oil content in the mixture is less than 6.9%, but not limited to, then the solids can be discarded to the environment, (which is a limitation dictated by the EPA,) and the fluids are routed back into the borehole for continued use in the drilling/production operations. This multi-stage process is a very expensive and tedious manner in which to efficiently separate the solids from the fluids. There is a need in the industry to simplify the process by eliminating certain steps and combining the treatment into a single confined treatment area to achieve final separation, and eliminate components in the process.

Method and system for separation of drilling/production fluids and drilled earthen solids


An information processing system is provided which includes an interrupt table including a plurality of entries relating to interrupts requested by entries in a plurality of event queues. The entries of the interrupt table reference identifiers, and the identifiers are assigned to events from a pool of identifiers in accordance with an order in which the events occur.

The present invention relates to information processing systems, and more particularly to a system and method for handling interrupts in an information processing system.
Information processing systems vary in the way that interrupts are presented, and then handled once they are presented. In some systems, responsibility for making sure that an interrupt gets the attention it demands rests with the processor which is the target of the interrupt. In other cases, responsibility for tracking the progress of presenting an interrupt and having it handled rests with one or more units of hardware and/or software other than the processor. For example, an interrupt handler which has access to on or more tables storing interrupt-related information, may have responsibility for tracking pending interrupts and making sure that each interrupts gets the required attention.
In processors which have an internal organization in accordance with the Peripheral Component Interface ("PCI"), the latter alternative is sometimes used. PCI defines a standard way of presenting interrupts. Interrupts in accordance with PCI have bus identifiers or ("BUIDs"), which identify the element of the information processing system that is the source of the interrupt. Each element of a system in accordance with PCI is uniquely identified by the BUID. In addition to the BUID, PCI provides four hardware interrupt lines from each input output ("I/O") adapter and multiple I/O adapters can be connected to one PCI host. These interrupt lines are used to define one of sixteen interrupt "LEVEL" values. When an interrupt in a PCI-enabled system is presented, it might not be handled immediately by a processor to which the interrupt is directed. In such case, information about the interrupt is stored in a table managed by hardware and/or software other than that of the target processor to which the interrupt is directed, and a mechanism is provided for presenting the interrupt to the target processor again at another time. In this way, responsibility for making sure the interrupt gets attention remains with that other hardware and/or software, rather than the processor to which the interrupt is directed.
In accordance with PCI, information about all interrupts in a processor or in a processor node of a network is stored in a single table. For smaller scale information processing systems which have few interrupting sources, this arrangement works well because an interrupt handler program need only scan one table of finite size to determine the status of outstanding interrupts.
However, for larger scale information processing systems, the table becomes very large, making it difficult to scan, and requiring significantly greater impact to processor cycles to scan, retrieve and update interrupt entries than in smaller scale systems.
InfiniBand™ (trademark of Infiniband Trade Association) architecture, referred to herein as "IBA", is implemented where appropriate for providing better performance and scalability at a lower cost, lower latency, improved usability and reliability. One way that IBA addresses reliability is by creating multiple redundant paths between nodes. IBA also represents a shift from load-and-store-based communication methods using shared local I/O busses to a more fault tolerant message passing approach.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art system area network 100 according to IBA. The network shown in FIG. 1 is constructed of a plurality of processor nodes 110, also referred to herein as "hosts", each of which includes one or more processors which function as a logical server at each processor node. As further shown in FIG. 1, the network has a switch fabric 125 including three switches 120 which connect processor nodes 110 and input output (I/O) system nodes 130 together. Each processor node 110 includes at least one host channel adapter ("HCA") 140 for managing communications across the switch fabric 125. I/O subsystem nodes 130 contain target channel adapters ("TCAs") 150, and, and like processor nodes 110, I/O subsystem nodes include one or more ports, and one or more QPs.
Each processor node 110 and each I/O subsystem node 130 connects to the switch fabric 125 through its respective HCA or TCA. Host and target channel adapters provide network interface services to overlying layers to allow such layers to generate and consume packets. When an application running on a processor node writes a file to a storage device, the processor node's HCA generates the packets that are then consumed by a storage device at one of the I/O subsystem nodes 130. Between the processor node and the I/O subsystem nodes, switches 120 route packets through the switch fabric 125. Switches 120 operate by forwarding packets between two of each switch's ports according to an established routing table and based on addressing information in the packets.
FIG. 2 is a prior art diagram further illustrating principles of communications in accordance with IBA. An application, i.e., a consumer 220, active on a first processor node 200 may require communication with another application, which is active as a consumer 221 on a second processor node 201 remote from the first processor node 200 but accessible through switch fabric 125. To communicate with the remote application, the applications on both processor nodes 200, 201 use work queues. Each work queue is implemented by a pair of queues, i.e., a "queue pair" ("QP") 210, or 211, which includes a send work queue and a receive work queue.
An application drives a communication operation by placing a work queue element (WQE) in the work queue. From the work queue, the communication operation is handled by the HCA. Thus, the work queue provides a communications medium between applications and the HCA, relieving the operating system from having to deal with this responsibility. Each application may create one or more work queues for the purpose of communicating with other applications or other elements of the system area network.
Event handling is a major part of controlling communication between nodes of a system area network constructed in accordance with Infiniband architecture. Such networks have network adapters called "host channel adapters" ("HCAs") which manage message passing operations between "consumers", e.g., application programs operating on the "host", and other hosts or data repositories on the network. Events are used to provide notifications, e.g., for the purpose of reporting the completion of work queue elements, as well as errors which may occur during operation. In some types of networks, HCAs utilize event queues (EQs) for posting information regarding an event and its status within the network. Each EQ generates interrupts when certain conditions occur, such as errors or other conditions for which a processor's attention or intervention is either desired or required.
Certain minimum information is required whenever an interrupt is posted within a host. There must be an identification of the source of the interrupt; i.e., the element of the host that requires the processor's attention. There must also be an identification of a processor or group of processors to receive the interrupt. In addition, it is desirable to identify the priority the interrupt. For example, it is desirable and frequently necessary to characterize the severity of the event for which the processor's attention is requested. In such way, interrupts for high severity events can be handled quickly before a problem worsens, and handling of interrupts for low severity events is postponed until the target processor finishes doing higher priority work.
As discussed above, in systems utilizing PCI bus architecture, a unique "bus identifier" or ("BUID") is assigned to each of the various resources of a system ("system resources") which ordinarily generates interrupts. Interrupts according to PCI bus architecture also include an additional four-bit data field known as "LEVEL". These fields BUID and LEVEL are used in combination as "BUID.LEVEL" to identify the particular source of the interrupt.
In general, once an interrupt is generated, it needs to be tracked to assure that it gets the requested attention and that its handling is reported back to the interrupting source or other tracking entity, when appropriate. However, implementing a mechanism for tracking interrupts in advanced host systems can be problematic. As described above, IBA systems include event queues for reporting events. In an IBA implemented host system, there may be hundreds of event queues. An efficient way is needed to track the status of interrupts which are pending and those which have been serviced, given the hundreds of event queues that can generate interrupts.
In such host system, one way of tracking interrupts is to assign a different BUID to each event queue. The LEVEL bits are used to identify different interrupting sources that cause each interrupt to be generated. For example, in the prior art arrangement shown in FIG. 3, a plurality of event queues, i.e., Event Queue 0 (310), Event Queue 1 (311), etc., through Event Queue M (312) generate interrupts to processors Server 0 (320), Server 1 (321), Server 2 (322), etc., through Server J (323) of a host system. In this arrangement, the event queues are part of an interrupt source layer 330. The interrupts make calls to an interrupt presentation layer 340. The interrupt presentation layer 340 embodies the behavior of the processors 320 through 323 in responding to the interrupts presented thereto from the interrupt source layer 330.
Typically, one event queue, e.g., EQ1 (311) will generate interrupts from the several sources that the event queue serves. For example, an event queue may record events for a group of sources such as the send work queue and the receive work queue of a queue pair, a completion queue, the event queue itself, and protection tables, etc. The sources tracked by the event queue can generate interrupts having different priority levels. Each interrupt may also change status during the time that it is tracked. In one implementation, all of these variables could be tracked by using different BUIDs and setting different LEVEL bits for the interrupt. In addition, a table 360 may be kept in main memory 350 for the host system, on which interrupt information is recorded and tracked.
However, this method has three deficiencies. First, in a basic implementation, the same BUIDs cannot be shared by multiple event queues. This usually limits the servicing of an interrupt having a particular BUID to a single processor or limits servicing to a single server number associated with a single thread which is executable on a single processor. Thus, there is a problem of facilitating and tracking interrupts to multiple processors and tracking interrupts to multiple threads on a single processor.
Another problem is that the BUID space for tracking interrupts can become sparse, such that long scans of memory are required to look up and alter entries in the table 360 on which interrupt information is recorded. The table 360 in main memory must maintain entries for every LEVEL of every BUID that is possible within the system. Thus, scanning such table to determine the status of an interrupt consumes much time just to find an entry relating to an active interrupt, given the large numbers of BUID.LEVEL combinations which can be present in the host system to represent all of the sources served by event queues.
Moreover, the BUID space could become even sparser in an arrangement which allows multiple processors to service one event queue, with attendant increases in the amount of memory and the time required to scan that memory. For the foregoing reasons, such arrangement is not well-suited for large scale host systems.
Finally, it is sometime necessary to send an interrupt for the same event to multiple processors to help assure that an interrupt is serviced quickly.
For the foregoing reasons, a new arrangement and method is desired for initiating and tracking interrupt information.

System and method for presenting interrupts

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus resynchronizes a link state database (LSDB) of router with the LSDB of a neighboring router (“neighbor”) while maintaining an existing adjacency with the neighbor in a computer network. An out-of-band resynchronization process executes on the routers to essentially maintain the existing adjacency between the router and neighbor, rather than resetting that adjacency as defined by a conventional resynchronization approach. By keeping the adjacency “up” from the perspective of a routing protocol, such as the Open Shortest Path First routing protocol, the adjacency can be used for continued data traffic to and from the router.

A computer network is a geographically distributed collection of interconnected communication links and subnetworks for transporting data between nodes, such as computers. Many types of computer networks are available, with the types ranging from local area networks (LANs) to wide area networks (WANs). A LAN is an example of a subnetwork that provides relatively short distance communication among the interconnected stations, whereas a wide area network enables long distance communication over a larger geographic area using links provided by public or private telecommunications facilities. The nodes typically communicate by exchanging discrete frames or packets of data according to predefined protocols. In this context, a protocol consists of a set of rules defining how the nodes interact with each other.
Computer networks may be further interconnected by an intermediate node, called a router, to extend the effective "size" of each network. Since management of a large system of interconnect computer networks can prove burdensome, smaller groups of computer networks may be maintained as routing domains or autonomous systems. The networks within an autonomous system are typically coupled together by conventional intradomain routers. These routers manage communication among local networks within their domains and communicate with each other using an intradomain routing (or an interior gateway) protocol. An example of such a protocol is the Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol described in Request for Comments (RFC) 2328, OSPF Version 2, by J. Moy (1998), which is hereby incorporated by reference. The OSPF protocol is based on link-state technology and, therefore, is hereinafter referred to as a link state routing protocol.
Each router running the link state routing protocol maintains an identical link state database (LSDB) describing the topology of the autonomous system (AS). Each individual piece of the LSDB is a particular router's local state, e.g., the router's usable interfaces and reachable neighbors or adjacencies. As used herein, neighboring routers (or "neighbors") are two routers that have interfaces to a common network, wherein an interface is a connection between a router and one of its attached networks. Moreover, an adjacency is a relationship formed between selected neighboring routers for the purpose of exchanging routing information and abstracting the network topology. One or more router adjacencies may be established over an interface.
The adjacencies are established and maintained through the use of the well-known Hello protocol. Broadly stated, the Hello protocol ensures that communication between neighbors is bi-directional by periodically sending Hello packets out of all of the router interfaces. Bi-directional communication is indicated when the router "sees" itself listed in the neighbor's Hello packet. On broadcast and non-broadcast multi-access (NBMA) networks, the Hello protocol elects a designated router (DR) and backup designated router (BDR) for the network.
The infrastructure of a typical router comprises functional components organized as a control plane and a data plane. The control plane includes the functional components needed to manage the traffic forwarding features of the router. These features include routing protocols, configuration information and other similar functions that determine the destinations of data packets based on information other than that contained within the packets. The data plane, on the other hand, includes functional components needed to perform forwarding operations for the packets.
For a single processor router, the control and data planes are typically implemented within the single processor. However, for some high performance routers, these planes are implemented within separate devices of the intermediate node. For example, the control plane may be implemented in a supervisor processor, such as a route processor, whereas the data plane may be implemented within a hardware-assist device, such as a co-processor or a forwarding processor. In other words, the data plane is typically implemented in a specialized piece of hardware that is separate from the hardware that implements the control plane.
The control plane generally tends to be more complex than the data plane in terms of the quality and quantity of software operating on the supervisor processor. Therefore, failures are more likely to occur in the supervisor processor when executing such complicated code. In order to ensure high availability in an intermediate network node, it is desirable to configure the node such that if a failure arises with the control plane that requires restarting and reloading of software executing on the supervisor processor, the data plane continues to operate correctly. Restarting and reloading of control plane software may be necessary because of a failure with the routing protocol process, e.g., an OSPF module, or a software upgrade to the OSPF module. A router that is configured to enable its data plane to continue packet forwarding operations during restart and reload of the control plane software is referred to as a non-stop forwarding (NSF) capable router.
Each router distributes its local state throughout the domain in accordance with an initial LSDB synchronization process and a conventional asynchronous flooding algorithm. The initial LSDB synchronization procedure is performed when the router is initially connected to the network, whereas the flooding procedure is performed to ensure continuous LSDB synchronization in the presence of topology changes after the initial procedure is completed. In order to guarantee convergence of a link state routing protocol, it should be ensured that link state protocol data units (PDUs) that originate after an initial LSDB synchronization between neighbors is completed and delivered to all routers within the flooding scope limits. These limits may comprise an area or the entire AS, depending on the protocol and the type of link-state PDU. An area is a collection or group of contiguous networks and nodes (hosts), together with routers having interfaces to any of the included networks. Each area runs a separate copy of the link state routing algorithm and, thus, has its own LSDB. In the case of OSPF, the PDU is a link state advertisement (LSA) packet comprising a unit of data describing the local state of a router or network. The collected PDUs of all routers and networks form the LSDB for the particular link state routing protocol.
Coherency of the LSDB is needed for link state routing protocols, such as OSPF, to correctly calculate routing information. In order for a NSF-capable router to reload its OSPF routing protocol software, it must be able to download LSA packets received from the neighbors into its LSDB without destroying ("dropping") the adjacencies with those neighbors. An OSPF router typically resynchronizes its LSDB with the LSDB of a neighbor by forcing a finite state machine (FSM) of the neighbor into a particular state, e.g., from a Full state to an ExStart state. The router provides a FSM per neighbor at each of its interfaces and the FSM implements various states of the adjacency between the router and its neighbor.
Yet, the OSPF standard (RFC 2328) does not allow routers to resynchronize their LSDBs without changing the topological view of the network. That is, RFC 2328 does not define a means to resynchronize the databases between two neighbors without "flapping" (i.e., bringing down) the adjacency between the neighbors. Bringing down the adjacency generally disrupts traffic; this is particularly significant if the router supports failure recovery and is still capable of forwarding traffic. Moreover, bringing down all adjacencies of the router creates unnecessary network events, forcing all routers in the network to compute alternate paths.
According to the OSPF standard, after two routers have established an adjacency (i.e., the neighbor FSMs have reached Full state), the routers announce the adjacency states in their router-LSAs. The asynchronous flooding algorithm ensures that the LSDBs of the routers maintain synchronization in the presence of topology changes. However, if routers need to resynchronize their LSDBs, they cannot do so without placing the neighbor FSMs into the ExStart state. This effectively causes the adjacencies to be removed from the router-LSA packets, which may not be acceptable in some cases such as, e.g., when a NSF router restarts after reloading its routing protocol software.
Specifically, restarting of the NSF router should not impact forwarding operations. To that end, the router (i) relearns its prior existing neighbors in order to maintain those existing adjacencies and (ii) acquires all LSA packets of the neighbors to ensure coherency of its LSDB and, ultimately, its routing tables. These actions are preferably transparent to the neighbors so that they do not place their neighbor FSMs (and their adjacencies with the NSF router) into the ExStart state. Placing the neighbor FSMs into the ExStart state destroys ("drops") the adjacencies with the NSF router and causes the neighbors (and other routers) to stop listing those adjacencies in their router-LSAs. This eventually leads to rerouting of traffic around the NSF router, thus making the router non-NSF capable. Yet, as noted, LSDB resynchronization typically requires that the neighbor FSMs be placed in the ExStart state.
The ExStart state is used to decide which router is the master, and to decide upon an initial DD sequence number. Once the ExStart state has been completed the router will move into the Exchange state where the router describes its entire link state database to its neighbor. This description is accomplished by sending Database Description (DBD) packets to the neighbor. Each DBD packet has a DD sequence number and will be explicitly acknowledged by the neighbor. According to the OSPF standard, only one DBD packet may be outstanding at any given time. In conventional resynchronization techniques, all DBD packets are generated and stored in packet buffer memory while awaiting transfer to a particular router's neighbor. As multiple copies of the database information will be stored in the packet buffer memory, it is possible to exhaust the available packet buffer memory of a router, thereby significantly degrading its data forwarding performance.

System and method for providing a link state database (LSDB) snapshot for neighbor synchronization


A cable-spooling casing is suitable for completely or partially spooling transmission cables of earphone for easy carriage. The cable-spooling casing includes a first spooling guide having a first protuberance on its interior surface and a plurality of slots around its perimeter. There is also a second spooling guide having a second protuberance on its interior surface, such that when the first protuberance of the first spooling guide is joined to the second protuberance of the second spooling guide, a groove for spooling cable is formed in the middle. There is at least one clip on the exterior surface of the first cable-spooling guide for fixing the earphone transmission cable in place and at least one back clamp on the exterior surface of the second cable-spooling guide for clamping the cable-spooling casing onto any item worn by a user.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a cable-spooling casing. More particularly, the present invention relates to a casing capable of spooling up the entire length of an earphone's transmission cables for easy carriage and providing an optimal length of transmission cable for individual user's listening needs.
2. Description of Related Art
As electronic industry continues to flourish, the number of miniaturized and lightweight electrical appliances increases exponentially. People can carry these small electrical appliances, for example, a Walkman or a CD player, around while mobile and in the midst of their daily lives. They can listen to music through earphones any time and any place without having to worry about interfering with other people. Nowadays, a hands-free type of mobile telephones is also available so that people can talk to each other through an earphone-microphone set as well.
At present, the earplug type of earphone is still one of the most commonly used products. Most Walkmans, call beepers, or mobile telephones use earplugs because earplugs are lightweight and easy to handle. However, when a user is using an earplug type of earphone, the user's body frequently becomes entangled with the earphone transmission cables during minor movements. Sometimes an earplug is pulled out of the ear and then dropped on the floor. Besides causing some discomfort to the user's ear, frequently dropping the earplug may damage the earphone. Furthermore, a long transmission cable dangling down the ear can cause great inconveniences such as the possibility of interfering with the movement of hands and feet.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need to provide a cable-spooling casing for spooling up redundant cable.


A fabric cover is provided for a portable dog kennel. Preferably, the cover is made from an insulative fabric having a camouflage pattern formed on its outer surface. The cover has a top, side, a front, a back, and a bottom. A doorway formed in the front of the cover to allow a dog to enter and exit the carrier and a door flap is provided to close the doorway. A window is formed in the sides of the cover to expose the vents of the kennel when applied to the kennel, and a window flap sized to close the window. The door of the cover is rollable and the cover includes fasteners to hold the door in an open position. Similarly, the window flap may be secured in an opened position and in a closed position. Side pockets are provided beneath the windows. Preferably, the window flaps are sufficiently long to cover or close the pockets when the flaps are down. The cover can also be provided with a mesh pocket and a clear document pocket.

This invention relates to covers for portable dog kennels, and in particular to an insulated cover having a camouflage pattern which may be used by hunters for their dogs.
Hunters typically will take one or more dogs with them when they hunt. When a hunt occurs in the winter, the dogs can get very cold, and may have no place to warm up when they are not working. This is especially true, if the dogs will be sleeping outdoors overnight.
Portable kennels can be used to hold the dogs when they are not working. However, such kennels are not insulated, and in fact have doors and windows which will allow the air to pass through the kennel. Thus, the kennels will not keep the hunting dogs warm. Further, the kennels are highly visible and may easily be seen by the game being hunted. The game may therefore stay away from the hunter's position, having been effectively warned of their presence.

Insulated cover for a portable dog kennel


A method is described for monitoring a charging process of a battery, in which cell voltages of a plurality of battery cells are measured at regular time intervals, and loading of the battery by a process of switching on an additional electrical load is prevented if the measured cell voltage of one battery cell exceeds a predetermined cell voltage threshold value. A motor vehicle is also described, which is configured to carry out the method according to the disclosure during a battery charging process. In addition, a battery system is described, in which a controller is configured to determine an estimated value as a function of measured battery parameters during a charging process of the battery. The estimated value corresponds to the maximum temperature in the battery if the charging process is continued without interruption.

In hybrid vehicles and electric vehicles, batteries using lithium-ion or nickel-metal hydride technology are used, said batteries having a large number of electrochemical battery cells connected in series. A battery management system is used to monitor the battery and is intended to ensure both monitoring of safety and a service life which is as long as possible. For this purpose, the voltage of each individual battery cell is measured together with the battery current and the battery temperature, and a state estimation (for example of the state of charge or of the state of aging of the battery) is made. In order to maximize the service life, it is helpful to know the maximum capacity of the battery at a given time, that is to say the maximum amount of electrical power which can be output or taken up. If this capacity is exceeded, the aging of the battery can be greatly accelerated.
Also during a charging process of the battery, the battery management system also continuously monitors significant parameters of the battery in order to avoid damage to individual battery cells or to the entire battery. FIG. 1 shows a typical time profile of a charging current I and of a cell voltage of a battery cell U during a charging process, known from the prior art, of a lithium-ion battery. In a first phase P1, referred to as the CC (constant current) phase, the battery is charged with a constant current, with the result that the cell voltage of a battery cell increases. From the point when a predetermined limiting voltage is reached, the battery is recharged in a second phase P2, referred to as the CV (constant voltage) phase at a constant voltage whose value corresponds, for example, to a cell voltage of 4.1 V, and is below a critical maximum cell voltage (switch-off limit Umax). The charging current decreases approximately exponentially in this phase P2. The charging process is ended as soon as either a predetermined charging time is reached or a predetermined value of the charging current is undershot. The described charging strategy is referred to after to its characteristic phases as CC-CV charging.
During the charging process, the battery management system of the battery continuously monitors the temperatures in the battery modules which divide the battery, as well as monitoring all the cell voltages. In the event of the predetermined safety thresholds for a maximum cell temperature or a minimum or maximum cell voltage (for example Umax in FIG. 1) being undershot or exceeded, the battery management system automatically opens the high voltage contactor of the battery and thereby switches it off (to a de-energized state). This safety function is required to protect the battery against irreparable damage which in extreme cases could also lead to instability of the battery pack. The case of a raised battery temperature (above a predetermined operating temperature) is also to be avoided as far as possible during operation since it entails accelerated aging of the battery pack.
For the abovementioned reasons, also during the charging process the battery management system continuously signals the values of the cell voltages and module temperatures to a control device of a charging device which is used to charge the battery. During the charging process, the battery heats up owing to thermal power loss. In order to avoid a situation in which the battery leaves the permitted temperature range during the charging process, as soon as the battery temperature exceeds a predetermined limiting value a main control device of an electric motor vehicle which comprises the battery switches on an air-conditioning compressor.
FIG. 2a shows the time profile of a current IG and of a voltage UG in or on an overall system which comprises the battery, the air-conditioning compressor and the charging device, during the charging process of the battery. FIG. 2b shows the simultaneous profile of a charging current IB and of a charging voltage UB in or on the battery. At two points t1 and t2 there is in each case a switch-on process of the air-conditioning processor. This switch-on process requires at short notice an increase in the current IG which cannot be made available by the charging device alone but instead also has to be supplied from the battery. This results in the charging current IB briefly collapsing at both times. The control device of the charging device measures the dip in the charging current and immediately smoothes out the power loss by increasing the charging voltage UB. Since the air-conditioning compressor requires a very much lower current even shortly after the switch-on process, the battery is charged with an extremely high charging voltage UB shortly after the switch-on process (see abrupt increase in UB shortly after the times t1 and t2 in FIG. 2b). In the event of the charging process of the battery being in a phase with relatively low cell voltages (for example time t1), this is unproblematic. In contrast, in the event of the charging process of the battery being in a phase with relatively high cell voltages (for example time t2), uncontrolled switching off of the battery can occur owing to the infringement of the maximum cell voltage limit.

Method for monitoring a charging process of a battery


An object of the present invention is to provide a numerical control unit which commands definition data of free curved line to directly interpolate a free curved line and also holds down various errors which occurs during the aforesaid process within each allowable value. In the present invention, a program 11 which defines a moving locus with a curved line P(t) represented by the given parameter t is decoded and working commands according to the moving locus are outputted to servo systems 12, 13, and 14 to be controlled. In the output, the curved line P(t) of moving locus is interpolated in a curved line interpolating section 16. In the interpolation, an allowable error Emax in working results and error factors .omega.o, M and K for reference in a data setting section 21, a radius of curvature R(t) of the curved line P(t) is calculated in a radius of curvature calculating section 22, and maximum feed allowable speed Fmax less than an allowable error is calculated from the radius of curvature and the error factors in an allowable speed calculating section 23. In a command speed limiting section 24, when the allowable speed Fmax is lower than command speed CF of working command, command speed in the curved line interpolating section 16 is limited to the allowable speed Fmax, thus preventing a error by excessive speed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a numerical control unit which is applied to program control of machine tools or industrial robotic operations or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, in machine tools or industrial robotic operations, a numerical control unit (NC unit) which decodes and executes a given command program to control the machine tools and the like is utilized.
Numerical Control Unit and Interpolating Operation
A numerical control unit reads in advance a command program in which working commands (position, speed and the like) are sequentially described in a specified format, and, outputs during actual working operations, each command to machine tools and the like at a predetermined time period to execute each specific working operation.
In a recent numerical control unit, in order to improve working accuracy, a command curved line is interpolated so as to make a locus smooth, and interpolation for a two-axes synchronous working operation and the like is performed.
In the above-described interpolation, the interpolating operation is executed by analyzing the command curved line in advance and then approximately reconstructing the analyzed command curved line as a combination of minute blocks of minute straight lines, arcs and the like.
Data Format in Numerical Control Unit
In generating the command program in the foregoing numerical control unit, when cutting work and the like is performed, shape data is sent from a computer aided design system (CAD system) and a command program is generated by utilizing the data (automatic programming) without separately programming.
A B-Spline curved line (Base-Spline) which can draw various curved lines freely is frequently employed for the data format used in the process from he aforesaid CAD design to the automatic generation of the command program. In addition, a NURBS curved line (Non-Uniform Rational B-Spline) which improves non-uniformity in the increase amount of knots of segments of B-Spline curved line has come to be frequently used.
Direct Interpolation in Free Curved Line
The above-described B-Spline curved line or NURBS curved line has a high expressive power in the command curved line so as to represent a freely curved line. On the other hand, the amount of data increases with the improvement of accuracy of a curved line, thereby causing the disadvantage of complicating the aforesaid interpolating operation.
To eliminate the disadvantage, an interpolating system in which an interpolating operation of NURBS curved line is efficiently performed is proposed (See Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 8-305430 Bulletin).
In this system, data to specify a NURBS curved line are directly commanded to a numerical control unit. More concretely, the system is executed in the following order.
First, a command program is described and includes a interpolating command of NURBS curved line in which a command curved line is represented by a function P(t) of the specified parameter t as a variable. Movement per unit of time is calculated by a speed command of the interpolating command and a moving command is outputted. Next, the variation of parameter is calculated during movement based on the calculated moving amount. A value, which is derived after the variation is added to the present value, is substituted for the function of the NURBS curved line in order to obtain a coordinate value to be interpolated, and then the moving amount of each axis relative to the coordinate value is calculated.
Consequently, interpolation of a NURBS curved line can be directly commanded and executed, thereby avoiding complicating the above described interpolation processing operations.
Disadvantage in Prior Art
In the aforesaid direct interpolating system that employs the NURBS curved line, however, the amount of movement per one period in practical interpolation is defined by means of a feed speed commanded by a program so that a disadvantage described hereinafter occurs, and the elimination of the disadvantage has been desired.
Error Caused when the Free curved line Is Interpolated during Discrete-Time Periods
In the case of a free curved line being interpolated during discrete timeperiods, a practically interpolated locus forms a continuity of minute straight lines when it is closely observed. An arc error Ec occurs between the straight line and the commanded line. The arc error Ec is shown by the following formula with a radius of curvature R (mm) in the concerning section of command curved line and with an angle of arc .theta. in a corresponding section. EQU E.sub.c =R(1-cos (.theta.)) (Formula 1)
Error Caused by a Delay of Servo
A servo section by a feedback loop is usually structured from a numerical control unit to an working section of a machine tool and the like. A radius reduction caused by the delay of the servo usually occurs when a curved line locus is drawn in the servo section. If the above-described error that is caused by a delay of the servo exceeds a maximum allowable error during actual working operation, then satisfactory working accuracy can not be obtained.
The error caused by a delay of servo (radius reduction dR (mm)) is shown in the following formula that represents the relationship between a servo loop position control gain .omega.o (rad/sec), a radius of curvature R (mm), and a feed speed F (mm/min). ##EQU1## Error Caused By Mechanical Flexure Due to Centrifugal Force
When a curved line locus is drawn, a mechanical flexure occurs due to centrifugal force, thereby causing an error based on the feed speed and/or the mass of a moving section.
The maximum value of the error Em caused by mechanical flexure due to centrifugal force is expressed by the following formula representing the relationship between a radius of curvature R (mm) in the section of the command curved line, a feed speed F (mm/min), the maximum mass M (kg) of a moving object and the rigidity of feed shaft K (kgf/.mu.m). ##EQU2##
An object of the present invention is to provide a numerical control unit which commands defining data of a free curved line so as to directly interpolate a free curved line and also substantially maintain various errors which occur during the aforesaid process within each allowable value.


An antenna (10, 110, 210) comprising a ground layer (30, 130, 230), a feed layer (50, 150, 250), an antenna layer (40, 140, 240) and a transparent dielectric substrate (20, 120, 220) interposed between two of the layers (30 and 40, 140 and 150, 230 and 250). An electromagnetic field is produced between the ground layer (30, 130, 230) and the antenna layer (40, 140, 240) when the feed and ground layers (50 and 30, 150 and 130, 250 and 230) are exposed to a microwave frequency above 3,000 megahertz for transmission and when the antenna and ground layers (40 and 30, 140 and 130, 240 and 230) are exposed to a microwave frequency above 3,000 megahertz, for reception. The ground layer (30, 130, 230), feed layer (50, 150, 250) and antenna layer (40, 140, 240) are made of an optically transparent and electrically conductive material. About 30% of the visible light impinging on the antenna (10, 110, 210) passes through the antenna.

A microstrip antenna typically comprises a dielectric substrate having a ground layer, a patch layer spaced apart from the ground layer, and a feed layer electromagnetically communicating with the patch layer. The ground layer, patch layer, and the feed layer are made of an electrically conducting material such as copper. It is desirable to provide a patch or slot antenna, which is optically transparent. It is also desirable to provide an antenna that operates at or above microwave frequencies.

Optically transparent microstrip patch and slot antennas


Seals for automotive body applications (such as, windows, hoods, trunks and doors) and building applications (such as, window glazing gaskets and weather strips) should be dimensional stable, provide low compression set and offer outstanding sealing characteristics over a broad temperature range. They must be capable of sealing out noise, wind and water, while providing long-term ultraviolet light resistance. This invention discloses a polymeric composition having excellent characteristics for seals and gaskets including dimensional stability, low compression set and outstanding sealing characteristics, said polymeric composition being comprised of (1) a rubbery polymer which is comprised of repeat units which are derived from (a) butyl acrylate, (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate, (c) acrylonitrile, (d) styrene and (e) a crosslinking agent; (2) at least one thermoplastic resin; and (3) at least one polyhydroxy alcohol. Triethyleneglycol is a representative example of a preferred polyhydroxy alcohol.

Seals for automotive body applications (such as, windows, hoods, trunks and doors) and building applications (such as window glazing gaskets and weather strips) should be dimensional stable, provide low compression set and offer outstanding sealing characteristics over a broad temperature range. Such seals must be capable of sealing out noise, wind and water, while providing long-term ultraviolet light resistance. At the same time, the material used in the seal must offer the degree of flexibility required for the particular application. Window and door weather stripping for automobiles and trucks is a high volume application for such seals. However, seals offering essentially the same characteristics are also needed for sun roof seals, handle gaskets, window spacers, window guides, lock seals, windshield wiper pivot seals and in building applications such as window glazing gaskets and weather seals.
Rubbery blends of polyvinyl chloride (PVC) with a nitrile rubber (NBR) have sometimes been used in seals for automotive body applications. The nitrile rubber is included in such blends as a permanent modifier for the PVC which provides it with a higher degree of flexibility. However, the utilization of standard nitrile rubber in such blends typically results in only moderate compression set characteristics. It is very important for seals to have good compression set characteristics in most applications. For instance, improved resistance to water leaks and wind noise can be attained by utilizing a seal which has low compression set characteristics.
It is known from the teachings of UK Patent Application No. 9214969.9 that low compression set characteristics can be improved by utilizing a technique known as "dynamic vulcanization" via free radical generators, such as azo compounds or organic peroxides. However, this "dynamic vulcanization" technique suffers from the weakness that the azo compounds or organic peroxides required reduce the thermal stability of the polyvinylchloride resin and the ultraviolet light resistance of the nitrile rubber. There is also an increased risk of early crosslinking during processing which leads to scorching and reduced recyclability.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,787 discloses a highly crosslinked nitrile rubber which can be easily blended with PVC to make compositions which have an excellent combination of properties for use in making seals and gaskets for automotive and building applications. The PVC blends made with such highly crosslinked nitrile rubbers offer excellent dispersion behavior, dimensional stability, low compression set, outstanding sealing characteristics, and low temperature flexibility.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,787 more specifically discloses a highly crosslinked nitrile rubber composition which can be blended with polyvinyl chloride to make compositions having excellent characteristics for seals and gaskets including dimensional stability, low compression set, outstanding sealing characteristics and good low temperature flexibility, said highly crosslinked nitrile rubber composition being comprised of (1) a highly crosslinked nitrile rubber having repeat units which are derived from (a) 1,3-butadiene, (b) acrylonitrile and (c) a crosslinking agent, wherein said highly crosslinked nitrile rubber has a Mooney viscosity of about 50 to about 120, a swelling index of less than about 10 percent, a mill shrinkage of less than 10 percent, and a gel content of greater than 90 percent; and (2) from about 1 to about 30 phr of a plasticizer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,380,785, U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,940 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,462,993 disclose a rubbery polymer which can be blended with polyvinyl chloride to make leathery compositions having good heat and ultraviolet light resistance, said rubbery polymer being comprised of repeat units which are comprised of (a) butyl acrylate, or optionally a mixture of butyl acrylate and 2-ethylhexyl acrylate containing up to about 40 percent 2-ethylhexyl acrylate, (b) at least one member selected from the group consisting of methyl methacrylate, ethyl methacrylate, methyl acrylate and ethyl acrylate, (c) acrylonitrile, (d) styrene, (e) a half ester maleate soap and (f) a crosslinking agent.


The present invention provides a flexible light emitter driver circuit which adjusts the luminance of the light emitter diodes (LED) by a manual input signal. The light emitter driver circuit comprises a Duty Ratio Change Logic, a PWM Generate and Control Logic, an oscillator, and a gate driver. The Duty Ratio Change Logic adjusts the duty cycle of the output signal according to the manual input signal. The PWM Generate and Control Logic generates a PWM signal according to the output signal to control the current of the LED, thus adjusts the luminance of the LED. The present invention further provides a highly flexible display system that comprises a light emitter driver circuit which can adjust the LED luminance by manual input signal.

Traditionally, incandescent and fluorescent illuminating devices have been used as light sources in some simple devices such as radio. However, significant advances in the light emitting diode (LED) technology have made LEDs attractive for use in more and more fields, such as automobiles and other devices, because of their long operating life, high efficiency, and low profile.
The electrical characteristics of LEDs are such that small changes in the voltage applied to a LED will cause appreciable changes in the current that passes through the LED. The LED luminance is proportional to the LED current and, a small change in the voltage will cause an appreciable change in the LED luminance. Currently, LED drivers use driver circuits that include voltage source outputs with current limiting resistors or linear current regulators. Current limiting resistors will cause power loss, in these ways, current adjustment method with current limiting resistors or linear current regulators is not precise. Driving LEDs with a current larger than a reference current can reduce the LED's life and produce unpredictable light output. As the application of the LED in the automotive industry expands to include high power applications, such as the rear combination lights (Stop/Turn/Tail), the performance of these driver circuits is no longer acceptable in terms of efficiency and regulation. It would be desirable to have a driver circuit for LEDs that would overcome the above disadvantages.
Nowadays, LEDs are used in many new fields because of their environmental durability, long-time durability, high optics efficiency, etc.; consequently, the LED driver and its design also gained more attention. Because of different manufacturing processes employed by different LED manufacturers, the electrical characteristics of the LEDs from one manufacturer may differ greatly from the electrical characteristics of the LEDs from another manufacturer. Furthermore, the electrical characteristics of the LEDs may also vary according to different types of LEDs. Typically, when the forward voltage (VF) of the LED exceeds 3.6 V, even a small increase of the VF will cause the forward current (IF) to substantially increase. The rapid increase of IF will cause the LED to be brighter and hotter, thus accelerating the LED consumption, shortening the LED's useful life, even destroying the LED. Based on the characteristics of the voltage-current change ratio, the LED driver needs a competent design.
There are two types of LED driver chips comply with high-power LED-driver and general LED-driver. Technically, in order to connect more LEDs, the LED driver chips usually use inductor for storage power and PWM pulses which generate internally from the LED chips to drive the LEDs. There are two ways for adjusting a LED's luminance: by regulating the PWM duty ratio and by regulating a LED's bypass current. The method of adjusting LED's luminance by regulating the PWM duty ratio can be used in the devices that comprise CPU. Regulating a LED's bypass current through a potentiometer does not yield to accurate adjustment because under a constant voltage the LED current changes nonlinearly. Consequently, this method causes imprecise light adjustment and light flickers.
Due to LED voltage-current change characteristics, it is recommended to use a constant voltage to drive a LED. Though the Low Drop Out Regulators (LDO) are not precise and not adequate to stabilize currents, the LDOs are commonly used with the LEDs.
Most of the LED chips nowadays use PWM to control the LED luminance. In order to assure people do not see the PWM pulse, the frequency of the PWM pulse must be higher than 100 Hz. But the LED chips are generally designed for adjustment of the LED luminance during the operation. Some chips in the market allow the adjustment of the LED luminance through regulating the PWM pulse, but the adjustment cannot be done manually. However, in practical applications, such as smart lighting, advertisement, automobile, etc., manual luminance adjustment is preferred. Furthermore, it is hoped when the LED's luminance is adjusted by manually, the LED luminance can be adjusted linearly or proximately linearly.
Therefore, it is needed a system that allows easy and linear adjustment of the LED's luminosity without negatively impacting on the LED's performance, and it is to such system and method the present invention is primarily directed.