Disclosed is a method and system for processing the tasks performed by an IC layout processing tool in parallel. In some approaches, the IC layout is divided into a plurality of layout portions and one or more of the layout portions are processed in parallel, where geometric select operations are performed in which data for different layout portions may be shared between different processing entities. One approach includes the following actions: select phase one operation for performing initial select actions within layout portions; distributed regioning action for local regioning; distributed regioning action for global regioning and binary select; count select aggregation for count-based select operations; and select phase two operations for combining results of selecting of internal shapes and interface shapes.

The invention relates to the design and manufacture of integrated circuits, and more particularly, to systems and methods for performing physical verification during the circuit design process.
The electronic design process for an integrated circuit (IC) involves describing the behavioral, architectural, functional, and structural attributes of an IC or electronic system. Design teams often begin with very abstract behavioral models of the intended product and end with a physical description of the numerous structures, devices, and interconnections on an IC chip. Semiconductor foundries use the physical description to create the masks and test programs needed to manufacture the ICs.
A Physical Verification (PV) tool is a common example of an EDA tool that is used by electronics designers. PV is one of the final steps that is performed before releasing an IC design to manufacturing. Physical verification ensures that the design abides by all of the detailed rules and parameters that the foundry specifies for its manufacturing process. Violating a single foundry rule can result in a silicon product that does not work for its intended purpose. Therefore, it is critical that thorough PV processing is performed before finalizing an IC design. Physical Verification tools may be used frequently and at many stages of the IC design process. PV tools may be used during design and at tape-out to ensure compliance with physical and electrical constraints imposed by the manufacturing process. In addition, PV tools may also be used after tape-out to verify and ensure manufacturability of the design and its constituent elements.
PV tools read and manipulate a design database which stores information about device geometries and connectivity. Because compliance with design rules generally constitutes the gating factor between one stage of the design and the next, PV tools are typically executed multiple times during the evolution of the design and contribute significantly to the project's critical path. Therefore, reducing PV tool execution time makes a major contribution to the reduction of overall design cycle times.
As the quantity of data in modern IC designs become larger and larger over time, the execution time required to process EDA tools upon these IC designs also becomes greater. For example, the goal of reducing PV tool execution time is in sharp tension with many modern IC designs being produced by electronics companies that are constantly increasing in complexity and number of transistors. The more transistors and other structures on an IC design, the greater amounts of time that is normally needed to perform PV processing. This problem is exacerbated for all EDA tools by constantly improving IC manufacturing technologies that can create IC chips at ever-smaller feature sizes, which allows increasingly greater quantities of transistors to be placed within the same chip area, as well resulting in more complex physical and lithographic effects during manufacture.
To achieve faster results, it is therefore desirable to perform EDA processing upon an IC layout using multi-processing approaches, e.g., concurrent or parallel processing. Examples of systems that support parallel processing include multi-CPU/processor computers and distributed processing systems having multiple networked nodes.
There are, however, significant obstacles for EDA vendors that wish to implement a parallel processing solution for IC layouts. Consider an example parallel processing approach in which an EDA tool geometrically divides an IC layout into multiple areas/portions and independently processes each portion using a different CPU. Such an approach is shown in FIG. 1 in which an example IC layout 107 has been divided into multiple geometric layout areas/portions 107a, 107b, 107c, and 107d. For PV processing, each layout portion 107a, 107b, 107c, and 107d may be processed for DRC correctness using a separate processor or CPU. Polygon 101 is located on a first layer and extends across all four layout portions 107a-d. Polygon 103a-d all reside on a second layer. Polygon 103a is located in layout portion 107a. Polygon 103b is located in layout portion 107b. Polygon 103c is located in layout portion 107c. Polygon 103d is located in layout portion 107d.
Consider further if the PV tool needs to perform geometric operations across multiple layout portions. An example of a geometric operation that is commonly performed by PV tool is the "polyEnclose" operation that selects polygons on a first layer (layerA) that enclose polygons on a second layer (layerB). This operation may be performed with count-based select to identify polygons on the first layer that enclose a specific number of polygons on the second layer.
The problem that arises is that the separate processors handling the different layout portions individually will not have enough information within its own respective layout portion to adequately perform the required processing. With respect to the example of FIG. 1, assume that the polyEnclose operation is performed to identify all objects on a first layer that encompass four objects on the second layer. Here, it can clearly be seen that polygon 101 on the first layer encompasses four polygons 103a-d on the second layer. Therefore, the correct result is that polygon 101 is selected.
However, polygon 101 also extends across multiple layout portions 107a-d. Assuming each layout portion 107a-d has been assigned to a different processor for processing, the data corresponding to any single layout portion may not provide enough information that would allow its corresponding processing entity to know the entire boundary of the polygon 101 or the number of polygons on the second layer that fall within that boundary. As can be seen from this simple example, the output of the select operation depends not only on the input data in the current layout portion, but also on the input data in other layout portions as well. Therefore, none of the processing entities would separately have enough data to make the proper identification of polygon 101 if each layout portion 107a-d is processed independently.
The present invention provides a method, system, and computer program product for facilitating multi-processing of IC designs and layout. In some embodiments, the invention provides an approach for handling geometric select operations in which data for different layout portions may be shared between different processing entities. The approach comprises the following actions: select phase one operation for performing initial select actions within layout portions; distributed regioning action for local regioning; distributed regioning action for global regioning and binary select; count aggregation for count-based select operations; and select phase two operations for combining results of selecting internal shapes and interface shapes.
Further details of aspects, objects, and advantages of the invention are described below in the detailed description, drawings, and claims. Both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description are exemplary and explanatory, and are not intended to be limiting as to the scope of the invention.

Method and system for parallel processing of IC design layouts


A guiding mechanism and method are provided for properly aligning molds or portions thereof, such as ejector plates, as they are cycled. The guiding mechanism is an improvement over conventional bushings which require that the mold in which the bushings are mounted to be removed from the press and disassembled and thereafter, the press fitted bushings are pressed out. Herein, the bushings are provided with a replaceable insert or portion that is easily disconnected from the remainder of the bushing such as by unthreading a threaded insert from a threaded bushing body without removing the mold half from the press. A first replaceable insert can be mounted in the bushing body which is sized to receive the leader pin to guide the leader pins therein and align the mold halves as they are moved to the closed position. Alternatively, the inserts are mounted on the pins and are sized to be received in the bushings which guides the pins and inserts therein to align the mold halves or to guide the mold ejector plates for movement thereon. The first replaceable insert is replaceable with the a second insert of the same size as the first insert. The method of running a press includes the cycling of the mold halves until the pin or bushing inserts are worn, and then replacing the worn inserts by disconnecting them from the insert bodies and connecting new inserts to the insert bodies without removing the mold from the press or disassembling the mold halves.

In injection molding, molds are held and clamped in a mold press for cycling of the molding unit by closing and opening the mold halves. When the mold halves are brought together, they can form one mold cavity in single cavity molds, and more than one cavity in multi-cavity molds. During molding cycles, the mold halves are aligned with each other by leader guide pins on one of the mold halves entering aligned bushings in the other mold half. Typically, the mold halves are vertically aligned with the cavity or upper mold half provided with a lower cavity plate in which the leader pins are mounted and the core or lower mold half having an upper plate in which the bushings are mounted. Generally, four leader pins are mounted at the corners of the lower plate of the cavity half and four bushings are correspondingly located at the four corners of the upper plate of the core half. The pins are aligned with corresponding bushings and are sized to provide a slight clearance, generally on the order of approximately 0.001 inches, between the pins and their corresponding bushings. However, during mold fitting and assembly, there will usually be some slight misalignment between the mold halves. Thus, as the molding unit is cycled, the leader pins cooperate with the bushings to provide for a higher degree of alignment between the mold halves relative to each other as they are brought together for forming of a molded article and, during mold construction, to correct for any misalignment that has occurred such as due to misalignment of press platens.
In a growing number of molds, hot runner molding has become increasingly common to improve the efficiency of the injection molding process. When hot runners are used, the material in the sprue and runners, instead of being hardened and removed from the mold along with molded articles, is kept hot by means of the heating elements built into the mold and remains in the mold between shots. In this manner, the plastic molding material in the sprue and runners in a given shot remains hot enough and soft enough to be pushed into the mold cavity on the next shot and become a molded article. As the charge of heated plastic molding material is injected through the upper stationary cavity half of the mold, this half is typically termed the "hot half" while the core is referred to as the "cold half" providing a temperature differential between the two during molding operations.
In addition to the usage of the hot runner molding, the development of engineered thermoplastics used as molding material which are cycled at increasingly higher temperatures can produce relatively high temperature differentials between the cavity and core halves of the mold. As the lower plate of the cavity half of the mold is hotter than the upper plate of the core half, the amount of thermal expansion the cavity half will undergo will be greater than that in the core half. This causes the leader pins to move a greater extent than the bushings from their original positions. As the original clearance between the pins and bushings is relatively slight, any thermal expansion can cause interference therebetween. Interference between the pins and bushings caused by such thermal expansion generally leads to faster wearing of the pin and bushing contacting surfaces, such as by galling and scoring surface damage, over that encountered if thermal expansion was not a problem. Such wear of the leader pins and bushings can progress to the point to where it impairs their ability to perform their alignment function for the mold halves. In extreme situations, scoring of the pins and bushings can cause the mold halves to lock up as the pins and bushings essentially become welded to each other. As is apparent from the above, there are two primary sources of leader pin to bushing wear. One is where the pins and associated bushings are correcting misalignment by moving one mold half into proper registration with the other mold half. The other is when unequal thermal expansion is occurring between the mold halves causing the leader pins and their bushings to move off of their coinciding center points producing interference between the mating components.
Other bushings that need to be replaced and require a tearing apart of the mold to replace them are the bushings that are mounted in an ejector assembly having ejector pins that push out and eject the mold article from the mold cavity. The ejector assembly has stationary pins and ejector plate bushings which slide on the pins with cycling of the mold. Thus, bushings and/or pins are subject to wear and the misalignment problems described herein, and require a tearing apart of the mold to demount the old worn bushings and to replace them with new bushings. Hereinafter, (unless specified otherwise) the term "bushings" is used generically for the bushings in either mold or die half or in the ejector plate; and the term "pins" is used generally for mold half leader pins or the pins which guide the ejector plate.
The pins and/or bushings can be provided with a lubricant so that the pin more readily slides into and out of the bushing during a molding cycle despite the close tolerances therebetween. However, in many plastic molding applications, it is necessary to mold plastic parts in a production process that is free of oil, grease, or other liquid lubrication. This type of lubrication can migrate to the molding surface and ultimately to the molded part. In addition, the molded part may contact the leader pin upon ejection from the mold. Typical examples of where these are unacceptable occurrences would be plastic parts for medical applications, parts for the food packaging industry, electronic parts, and clear acrylic parts for lenses or displays. Moreover, where engineered thermoplastics are run at very high temperatures, most common forms of lubrication tend to break down so that they are no longer effective. Finally, even in applications allowing for use of lubrication, failure to maintain a proper amount of lubrication can lead to premature wear. As in apparent, in these "dry" applications or where the lubricants used to fail, the pins and bushings will be more quickly subject to wear and damage.
To run molds in proper alignment, worn pins and bushings must be removed from their associated mold plates and replaced with new components. Removal of damaged leader pins and bushings is a cumbersome and time consuming process. First, the molding unit must be shut down and the mold must be removed from the press. The bushings and pins are typically press or force fitted into bores in their respective mold halves. The mold is then disassembled with the pins and bushings then being pounded out of their respective mold or ejector plates and replaced with new pins and bushings, which are force fitted into the respective bores in the mold halves. The mold is then reassembled and installed back into the press until the pins and bushings once more need to be changed over. As is apparent, the above process leads to significant downtime reducing production efficiency which is undesirable.
To reduce the amount of downtime, molders sometimes attempt to avoid the significant time associated with the required disassembly of the plates by turning down the leader pins such as by 0.005 inches or opening the bushings a similar amount so that they do not make contact during molding cycles. When this occurs, the leader pins and bushings no longer serve their aligning function and another alignment mechanism is required on the mold halves, such as a side lock utilizing parallel surfaces which do not interfere when unequal thermal expansion occurs. Thus, there is a need for guiding mechanisms for mold halves which can be used in a wide variety of applications and run for a greater number of cycles. In addition, it is desirable for the guiding mechanism to be easily replaceable, such as if it is worn, without having to remove the mold from the press and then disassemble the mold.
It is desirable to retrofit existing molds without having to do any machining thereof when installing new, easily replaceable bushings that can be replaced without having to remove the mold from the press. That is, it is undesirable that the molds would have to be re-machined to accept replaceable bushings as this would result in additional down-time and labor costs. Further, machining of molds at the parting line leaves areas for flashing or collection of unwanted material along the parting line. Additionally, it is desirable to provide, easily replaceable bushing inserts for current mold designs that do not require the molds to be custom-made or custom designed for a special design of a bushing.

Demountable mold pin and bushing system and replaceable bushings therefor


A main object of the present invention is to provide a liquid crystal display using a ferroelectric liquid crystal, showing the mono-stability operation mode using a material showing the chiral smectic C phase via the smectic A phase in the temperature lowering process as the ferroelectric liquid crystal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to liquid crystal display using ferroelectric liquid crystal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Since liquid crystal display has features that it is thin and is low in power consumption and other features, the use thereof has been expanding in various articles from large-sized displays to portable information terminals and the development thereof has been actively made. Conventionally, for liquid crystal display, a TN system, an STN multiplex driving system, an active matrix driving system in which thin film transistors (hereinafter, it may be referred to as "TFT element") are used in TN, and others have been developed and made practicable. However, nematic liquid crystal is used therein; therefore, the response speed of the liquid crystal material is as small as several milliseconds to several tens of milliseconds and it cannot be said that these sufficiently cope with display of moving images.
Ferroelectric liquid crystal (FLC) exhibits a very short response time in order of microseconds, and thus FLC is a liquid crystal suitable for high-speed devices. About ferroelectric liquid crystal, there is well known a bistable liquid crystal which has two stable states when no voltage is applied thereto and is suggested by Clark and Lagerwall (FIG. 4). However, the liquid crystal has a problem that the liquid crystal has memory property but graduation display cannot be attained since the switching thereof is limited to two states, namely, bright and dark states.
In recent years, attention has been paid to ferroelectric liquid crystal in which the liquid crystal layer thereof is stable in a single state (hereinafter referred to as "monostable") when no voltage is applied thereto as a liquid crystal making it possible to attain graduation display by the matter that the director (the inclination of the molecule axis) of the liquid crystal is continuously changed by a change in applied voltage so as to analogue-modulate the light transmission thereof (NONAKA, T., LI, J., OGAWA, A., HORNUNG, B., SCHMIDT, W., WINGEN, R., and DUBAL, H., 1999, Liq. Cryst., 26, 1599., FIG. 4).
As the liquid crystal showing such mono-stability, in general, a ferroelectric liquid crystal having the phase change of cholesteric phase (Ch)-chiral smectic C (SmC*) phase without the transition to the smectic A (SmA) phase in the temperature lowering process is used.
On the other hand, as the ferroelectric liquid crystal, there is a material having the phase change of Ch-SmA-SmC* so as to show the SmC* phase via the SmA phase in the temperature lowering process. Among the ferroelectric liquid crystal material reported so far, most of them are those having such a phase sequence compared with the former material without the transition to the SmA phase. It is known that such a ferroelectric liquid crystal having such a phase sequence in general has two stable states with respect to one layer normal line so as to show the bi-stability (FIG. 5).
As a method for processing such ferroelectric liquid crystal for providing the mono-stability, a polymer stabilizing method can be presented. The polymer stabilizing method is a stabilization method by injecting a ferroelectric liquid crystal mixed with an ultraviolet curable monomer in a liquid crystal cell with the alignment process applied, and executing the ultraviolet ray irradiation in a state with the direct current or alternative current voltage applied for the polymerization. However, a problem is involved in that the production process is complicated and the driving voltage is made higher.
In general, as the technique for subjecting liquid crystal to alignment process, there is known a method of using an alignment film. The method is classified into the rubbing method and the photo alignment method. The rubbing method is a method of subjecting a substrate coated with a polyimide film to rubbing treatment to align chains of the polyimide polymer in the direction of the rubbing, thereby aligning liquid crystal molecules on the film. The rubbing method is excellent in controllability of the alignment of nematic liquid crystal, and is generally an industrially applicable technique. However, according to this method, there are problems of the static electricity or dust generation, unevenness of the alignment limiting force or the tilt angle due to the rubbing condition difference, irregularity at the time of the large area process, or the like. Compared with the nematic liquid crystal, due to the high molecule order, the alignment control is difficult, and thus it is not suitable for the alignment processing method for the ferroelectric liquid crystal, which can easily generate the alignment defect.
On the other hand, the photo alignment method is for aligning the liquid crystal molecule of the film by directing a light bean with the polarization control to a polymer or a monomolecale for generating the photo excitation reaction (decomposition, isomerization, dimerization) so as to provide the anisotropy to the polymer film or the monomolecular film. This method is advantageous in that the quantitative alignment process can be controlled without generation of the static electricity or the dusts, which is the problem of the rubbing method. However, even by using this method, an example of realizing the mono-stability operation mode using the ferroelectric liquid crystal essentially having the bi-stability has not been found so far. Therefore, in order to realize the highly precise color display by the color filter system or the field sequential color system by enabling the graduation display, due to the narrow material selection range for the ferroelectric liquid crystal, it has been difficult to achieve the various demanded characteristics.

Abstract: The present invention achieves the object by providing a reactive liquid crystal layer having a reactive liquid crystal fixed on at least one facing surface of the two alignment films in a liquid crystal display comprising two aligned substrates comprising a substrate, an electrode layer and an alignment film, disposed so as to have the alignment films face with each other, and a ferroelectric liquid crystal sandwiched between the aligned substrates.


Provided is a method for prevention or treatment of a cancer, comprising co-administering (a) an FGFR inhibitor and (b) an anti-c-Met antibody or antigen-binding fragment thereof to a subject in need thereof, wherein the anti-c-Met antibody or the antigen-binding fragment thereof specifically binds to an epitope comprising 5 or more contiguous amino acids within the SEMA domain of c-Met protein.

1. Field
A method of combination therapy for prevention and/or treatment of a cancer including co-administering an FGFR inhibitor and an anti-c-Met antibody or an antigen-binding fragment thereof to a subject in need thereof is provided.
2. Description of the Related Art
c-Met, a typical receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK) present at the surface of cells, binds to its ligand, hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) to promote intracellular signal transduction. This not only promotes the growth of cells but is over-expressed in many types of cancer cells and is widely implicated in cancer incidence, cancer metastasis, cancer cell migration, cancer cell penetration, angiogenesis, and the like. For these reasons, c-Met has been emerging as an important target for cancer treatment.
There have been many studies on the possibility of c-Met as a new target for cancer treatment, and several drugs relating to c-Met have been developed and subjected to clinical trials. However, research suggests that most c-Met inhibitors cannot sufficiently exhibit their effects due to cross-talk with downstream and/or other signaling pathways as well as feedback effects of a downstream signaling pathway and other receptor tyrosine kinases. Therefore, new ways to inhibit c-Met have been sought, including the use of a combined therapy with other pre-existing drugs.
Accordingly, there is a need for the development of an efficient combination therapy using an anti-c-Met antibody and a drug targeting other tumor-related protein.

Method of treating cancer using anti-c-Met antibody and FGFR inhibitor combination therapy


A protection device usable with a signal measurement device to limit power level of radio frequency (RF) signals propagated to the signal measurement device can include a direct current (DC) block capacitor, a variable impedance limiter, and a detector. The variable impedance limiter includes a PIN diode electrically connected with a primary signal path of the protection device along a limiter signal path. The detector includes a Schottky detector diode and a limiting resistor electrically connected with the primary signal path along a detector signal path. The detector is configured to generate a DC bias current to adjust resistance of the variable impedance limiter in response to an RF signal.

In electronics, a limiter circuit is a circuit that allows radio frequency (RF) signals below a specified input power to pass while attenuating the peaks of stronger signals that exceed the specified input power. Limiter circuits are commonly used, for example, in radio detection and ranging (radar) systems, to protect receivers from high power transmitters that use the same antennas.
FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a pair of limiter circuits A, B associated with commercially available devices that use PIN diodes. If the power of a signal at an input 14 is within range, the signal propagates to the output 16 of the limiter circuit A, B unattenuated, with PIN diodes 2, 4 exhibiting a small capacitance. As the power of the signal increases and the PIN diodes 2, 4 detect a threshold voltage present in the forward direction, the PIN diodes 2, 4 begin to conduct. In the limiter circuit of FIG. 1A, the positive polarity component of an RF signal received at the input 14 is shunted to ground when a single PIN diode 2 detects a voltage exceeding a threshold. A return path is provided for the PIN diode 2 via an inductor 6 connected to ground. In the limiter circuit of FIG. 1B, the positive polarity component of an RF signal received at the input 14 is shunted to ground when a first PIN diode 2 detects a voltage exceeding a threshold and the negative polarity component of the RF signal received at the input 14 is shunted to ground when a second PIN diode 4 substituted for the return path detects a voltage exceeding a threshold.
FIG. 1C is an example plot approximating power curves for limiter circuits such as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B. As reflected in the power curves, the limiter circuits begin limiting at relatively low powers. Further, the power curves are frequency dependent. A PIN diode stores a relatively large charge in an intrinsic region of the PIN diode. The charge is removable at low frequencies to allow the PIN diode to turn off. The PIN diode, therefore, obeys the standard diode equation for low frequency signals. At higher frequencies, there is not enough time to store the charge and the PIN diode does not turn ON, allowing high power, high frequency signals to pass through the limiter circuit unattenuated.
The power response characteristics of limiter circuits as shown in FIG. 1A-1C make such limiter circuits generally undesirable for use with high precision signal measurement devices, particularly signal measurement devices intended for use measuring very high frequency signals, and/or which can be exposed to high power, very high frequency signals from an input source.

High power input protection for signal measurement devices


A process for simultaneously controlling the pH and level of target ions of a liquid composition, more particularly the use of Reverse Electro-Enhanced Dialysis (REED) for extraction of low-molecular, charged species generated in a reactor. Even more particularly, the invention relates to a process for simultaneous pH control and control of inhibitors in an ongoing fermentation or catalytical system, where the pH is controlled by at least one primary Reverse Electro-Enhanced Dialysis (REED) stack and the level of target ions by at least one secondary REED stack, where the primary REED is one of a Cation REED (CX-REED) or an Anion REED (AX-REED) and the secondary REED is the other of a CX-REED and an AX-REED.

Controlling the pH and/or level of target ions of a liquid composition is an important industrial process used within such broad technical fields as metal refining and purification of organic substances from a fermented liquid.
A number of processes have been introduced in order to control the pH and/or level of target ions of a liquid composition. Among said processes are micro- and ultrafiltration processes, ion-exchange processes and electrodialysis processes.
E.g. bioreactors are used extensively in the industry for production of a wide range of organic chemicals, pharmaceutical proteins, amino acids, starter cultures, biofuels etc., or for biodegradation purposes. Most often, the bioreactor contains microorganisms that require a certain pH level to sustain optimal functionality.
Standard means for pH regulation in bioreactors includes titration of alkaline or acidic neutraliser directly into the bioreactor, to neutralize acidic or alkaline metabolites produced by the microorganisms. However, salts of these metabolites often inhibit growth when reaching a certain concentration.
The build-up of some salts and metabolites, such as inhibitors for biological reactions, sets a limit to the productivity of a bioreactor in normal batch operations. Possible solutions to minimize inhibition include perfusion systems, where fermentation broth with inhibitors is continuously extracted through a filter process (e.g. ultra- or microfiltration), while retaining the microorganisms and adding fresh substrate solution to the fermenter. In perfusion systems, it is still necessary to regulate bioreactor pH through titration of neutralizer and valuable substrate components are lost with the permeate.
The use of ion-exchange membranes, as utilized in electrodialysis and the so-called Donnan Dialysis processes, allows for a more selective extraction of small charged species compared to membranes typically used in ultra- and microfiltration. However, conventional electrodialysis suffers from membrane fouling when combined directly with bioreactors and neutralizer titration is still necessary for pH control.
EP patent 1 237 823 discloses an apparatus and a method for transferring ionic species from a first liquid to a second liquid in an electro-enhanced dialysis cell comprising either cation exchange membranes or anion exchange membranes.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,114,554 discloses a process for removing acid from a cathodic electrocoating bath in which electroconductive substrates are being coated with cationic resins, at least a portion of the coating bath being subjected to an ultrafiltration, and at least a portion of the ultrafiltrate being subjected to a specific electrodialysis treatment in a direct current operated electrodialysis cell comprising anion exchange membranes.

Process for controlling the pH and level of target ions of a liquid composition


A connection assembly for an exhaust extraction system which is designed to vent the exhaust from a vehicle tail pipe includes, in combination, three primary components. One component is an annular sleeve which is constructed and arranged to assemble onto the vehicle exhaust pipe. Next, there is a nozzle locator ring which slides onto the annular sleeve such that one end of the sleeve extends beyond one side of the nozzle locator ring and the opposite end of the sleeve extends beyond the opposite side of the nozzle locator ring. The third component is an exhaust nozzle assembly which includes a generally cylindrical nozzle and a pair of magnet packs located circumferentially 180 degrees apart. An extension sleeve inserted into the annular sleeve includes a series of baffles to deflect and direct vehicle exhaust.

The present invention relates in general to exhaust extraction systems for emergency vehicles, such as a fire truck or ambulance. More particularly, the present invention relates to the design of an extension sleeve that includes baffles to deflect and direct the vehicle exhaust.
Emergency vehicles, such as a fire truck, create an interesting exhaust-removal challenge due to the nature and manner of use of the vehicle in preparation for an emergency run. A fire truck is usually backed into the fire house garage bay and readied for its next run in this manner. When an alarm call comes in, the engine of the fire truck is started by the driver while he waits for everyone to put on their turn out gear and get on board. During this brief time interval before the truck leaves the station, the engine is cold and generates the dirtiest exhaust gases which need to be vented to the outside atmosphere.
The exhaust system of a fire truck is typically arranged so that the "tail" pipe exits from the right side of the truck in front of the rear axle. While this location places the exiting exhaust gases near the center of the fire house, it is an advantageous location for present day exhaust extraction systems. For the most part these present day exhaust extraction systems use a flexible exhaust hose which is connected at one end to the fire truck exhaust pipe and at the opposite end to an overhead duct which leads out of the fire house. A high pressure blower is used to forcibly remove the exhaust gases from the fire house. A hose adapter or nozzle assembly of some type is typically used to connect the flexible hose to the exhaust pipe. With secure and sealed connections and so long as there are no perforations or open seams in the exhaust extraction system, all of the vehicle exhaust gases will be safely vented out of the fire house and into the atmosphere. The use of a flexible hose to remove exhaust gas from a running engine is not new. Automobile mechanics have used such hoses for years. However, there is one important difference between use by a mechanic and use as part of an exhaust extraction system which is attached to an exhaust pipe of a fire truck. Once everyone is onboard the fire truck, it is ready to leave the fire house and there is usually no one left to disconnect the exhaust hose from the exhaust pipe. Even if personnel were left behind, safe handling of the vehicle exhaust would dictate that the vehicle be pulled out of the fire house and then have the hose removed. This would involve a start up and stop procedure at the very time the fire truck is trying to leave quickly on the emergency run. Even if someone was left behind and could disconnect the exhaust hose prior to the fire truck departing, this would allow exhaust gas to be dispersed into the fire house, the very event which exhaust extraction systems are designed to prevent.
In order to address this disconnect concern, present day exhaust extraction systems try to provide an automatic disconnect feature such that the adapter or nozzle connecting the flexible hose to the exhaust pipe comes off automatically after the fire truck has reached the door of the fire house. While present exhaust extraction systems which are offered commercially have approached this design challenge in slightly different ways, most systems provide an extra length of flexible hose which is held by a saddle and suspended from an overhead track by means of a spring-biased balancer. The spring-biased balancer supports the hose and the induced spring-tension force facilitates the release of the hose from the exhaust pipe as the fire truck leaves the fire house. As the fire truck begins to pull out of the fire house, the distance between the exhaust pipe and the duct work connection increases. This pulls on the flexible hose which in turn pulls the balancer down the track toward the door. The loop of excess hose between the balancer saddle and the duct hose connection allows this movement. When the balancer reaches the track stop, the balancer cable begins to uncoil which increases the resisting spring force. At some point, the resisting spring force of the balancer becomes greater than the force needed to separate the adapter from the exhaust pipe. Continued travel of the fire truck causes the hose adapter/nozzle to separate from the exhaust pipe.
In 1999, U.S. Pat. No. 5,927,759 was issued to Hyslop and is directed to a unique connection assembly for an exhaust extraction system. The structure disclosed in the '759 patent is disclosed herein as part of the description of the present invention.
In terms of fire truck exhaust pipe arrangements, some vehicles include a curved or angled section that directs the exhaust downwardly and rearwardly in the direction of the rear wheel. When this style of exhaust system is to be fitted with the style of connection assembly disclosed in the '759 patent, it is necessary to cut off the curved or angled section of the exhaust pipe. This is required because the annular sleeve component of the '759 patent is designed to fit onto a straight, cylindrical pipe section, not a curved or angled section.
Once this curved or angled section is removed, the vehicle exhaust is directed outwardly from the side of the vehicle, not downwardly and rearwardly as is desired. While there is no issue or concern when the flexible exhaust hose is connected, the problem arises when the exhaust hose and nozzle (24) of the '759 device are pulled free as the fire truck leaves the fire house. Once these portions are pulled off, what is left is a straight conduit assembly connected to the straight pipe section. As such, the fire truck exhaust is directed outwardly, not downwardly and rearwardly. As fire fighters have to work around the fire truck, directing the hot exhaust outwardly instead of downwardly and rearwardly is a problem that needs a solution.
The present invention provides an improvement to the '759 patent, by configuring the insert sleeve that remains with the fire truck with a series of baffles that allow the fire fighters to orient the insert sleeve and thereby direct the baffles so that the exhaust is deflected and directed in the desired direction, preferably downwardly and/or rearwardly.


An ink jet printer head, including at least one ejector unit having, in one of opposite surfaces thereof, a plurality of nozzles each of which ejects a droplet of ink toward a recording medium, a cover member which has at least one first opening and is fixed to the one surface of the ejector unit such that the nozzles of the ejector unit are exposed through the first opening, a frame member including a bottom wall to which the other surface of the ejector unit is fixed, at least one sealing portion which seals the ejector unit and the cover member to each other along a periphery of the first opening of the cover member, at least one first adhering portion which adheres, and thereby fixes, the cover member to the one surface of the ejector unit, so as to provide a subassembly including the ejector unit and the cover member, and at least one second adhering portion which adheres, and thereby fixes, the subassembly including the ejector unit and the cover member, to the bottom wall of the frame member, such that the other surface of the at least one ejector unit is fixed to the bottom wall of the frame member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink jet printer head including an ejector unit having a plurality of nozzles each of which ejects a droplet of ink toward a recording medium, and a cover member (e.g., a cover plate) which is fixed via a sealing portion (e.g., a sealing agent) to the ejector unit, and also relates to a method of producing an ink jet printer head.
2. Discussion of Related Art
For example, Document 1 (i.e., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-067341 A1) or Document 2 (i.e., Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-234144 A1) discloses an ink jet printer head including an ejector unit having a plurality of nozzles each of which ejects a droplet of ink toward a recording medium, and a cover plate which is fixed via a sealing agent to the ejector unit.
More specifically described, the ink jet printer head disclosed by each of the above-indicated two publication documents employs a plurality of ejector units each of which has, in an outer surface thereof, a plurality of nozzles arranged in at least one array; a cover plate which has a plurality of openings and covers the ejector units such that the array of nozzles of each of the ejector units is exposed through a corresponding one of the openings; and a frame member supporting the ejector units and the cover plate. The ink jet printer head is assembled in a state in which the array of nozzles of each one of the ejector units is accurately positioned relative to the array of nozzles of the other ejector unit or units. In this state, a sealing agent is provided, between the cover plate and each of the ejector units, along the periphery of a corresponding one of the openings of the cover plate, so that the cover plate covers the respective outer surfaces of the ejector units. Respective opposite surfaces of the ejector units that are opposite to the respective outer surfaces thereof are covered by a bottom wall of the frame member. When an adhesive is charged into through-holes that are formed through the thickness of the bottom wall of the frame member, the ejector units are fixed, with the adhesive, to the bottom wall in the above-indicated state. Simultaneously, the cover plate is fixed, with the adhesive, to the bottom wall of the frame member.
Although, in the above-described ink jet printer head, the ejector units are fixed to the bottom wall of the frame member, with the adhesive charged via the through-holes formed in the bottom wall, the dimensions and positions of the through-holes are more or less limited in view of the structure and strength of the bottom wall, and accordingly the positions where the adhesive is applied are limited. Thus, the adhesive strength of the ejector units cannot be sufficiently increased.
In addition, in a state before the ejector units and the cover plate are finally fixed with the adhesive to the frame member, the ejector units and the cover plate are just temporarily adhered to each other with the sealing agent only. Therefore, the cover plate and each of the ejector units may be displaced relative to each other and accordingly the sealing agent may flow or move. Consequently defects of adhesion, such as bubbles or uneven adhering, and/or defects of sealing, such as gaps or uneven sealing may occur to those portions of the printer head that are sealed by the sealing agent.

Ink jet printer head and method of producing ink jet printer head


A system for transmitting electric power between a direct voltage network and alternating voltage networks through VSC-converters. A first station which transmits electric power is in voltage regulating mode. Switching members at a second station are adapted to be alternatingly switched in and out upon occurrence of a sudden change of power so as to alternatingly connect one of the poles of the direct voltage network through an associated resistance to ground. A ground current generated therethrough is detected by a ground current measuring member of the first station, which is thereby informed about the unbalance. The first station then takes corrective measures to reduce or eliminate the unbalance.

The present invention relates to a system for transmitting electric power. A direct voltage network is connected to at least two alternating voltage networks through a respective power station. The power stations transmit electric power between the direct voltage network and the respective alternating voltage network. Each station includes at least one VSC-converter adapted to convert direct voltage to alternating voltage, and conversely, to convert alternating voltage to direct voltage. An apparatus of a first station regulates the direct voltage of the direct voltage network at the first station to a predetermined nominal value. The station detects the occurrence of a predetermined unbalanced state at the converter of the second station, and upon such detection, controls a switching member to connect the direct voltage network at the first station through a resistor to ground for shunting electric power and thereby restore the direct voltage of the network to the nominal value.
Such a system has recently become known through the thesis "PWM and Control of Two and Three Level High Power Voltage Source Converters" by Anders Lindberg, Kungliga Tekniska Hogskolan, Stockholm, 1995. The publication describes a system for transmitting electric power through a direct voltage network for High Voltage Direct Current (HVDC). It points out that the invention is not restricted to this application, but for purposes of describing t he invention, the application of the invention to systems of the type defined above is illustrative.
Prior to the issuance of the thesis, facilities for transmitting high voltage direct current through a direct voltage network used a line-coummutated CSC (Current Source Converter) converter in power transmission stations. The development of IGBTs (Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistor, i.e., a bipolar transistor having an insulated gate) has resulted in a circuit component for high voltage applications which is suitable for connecting in series to form valves in converters, since they may easily be turned on and turned off. These VSC (Voltage Source Converter) converters for forced commutation are now an alternative to the commutated CSCs for transmission of electric power between a direct voltage network for supplying High Voltage Direct Current, and alternating voltage networks. They offer several important advantages with respect to line-commutated CSCs in HVDC, including control of active and reactive power flow independently of each other without the risk of commutation failures in the converter, or the risk of transmission of commutation failures between different HVDC links which may take place in a line-commutated CSC. Furthermore, there is the possibility of feeding a weak alternating voltage network or a network that does not generate its own power (a "dead" alternating voltage network) as well as other advantages.
In a plant of the type which converts a direct voltage network to two alternating voltage networks using VSC-converters, the direct voltage of the direct voltage network is determined by one of its power stations. It is desirable to manage a power unbalance, i.e., when the active power fed into the direct voltage network differs from the active power fed out from the direct voltage network, without any rapid telecommunication between the station with the voltage regulating apparatus and the other stations along the direct voltage network. The most probable unbalance occurs when a station is blocked out of operation as a protective measure. Blocking may have many different causes, such as an occurrence of an over-voltage or an over current condition, of the station, or a detected internal failure. If the flow of active power before the blocking of the station was from the direct voltage network to the alternating voltage network, the direct voltage will increase after the converter of the station is blocked.
To limit the resulting over-voltage occurring in the direct voltage network, switching members connect the direct voltage network connected to the station through a resistor to ground for shunting or draining electric power from the direct voltage network. The voltage regulating station detects the over-voltage occurring at the direct voltage network, and in response thereto, regulates the voltage by changing the active current orders thereof, so that power fed into the direct voltage network is reduced, or the direction of power transfer is reversed, until the nominal voltage and balance is achieved. A disadvantage of a system of this type is that a voltage regulating station has to detect an over-voltage of the direct voltage network before it takes care of the power unbalance problem. This means that an over-voltage has time to occur in the entire direct voltage network with the risk that other converters will block as a consequence of this over-voltage, resulting in an even higher voltage on the direct voltage network, disabling further converters and accelerating the failure of the stations. Such failures may have very severe consequences.

System for signalling power unbalance between electric power stations


A computer system 1 has a PBX 2, a terminal device 3, and a management server 4. The PBX 2 has a line controller, an extension controller 2b, an interface, a memory that stores identification information and an enciphered file, a decoder that decodes the enciphered file, a comparator that compares the identification information and the enciphered file decoded by the decoder, and a controller. The terminal device 3 reads the identification information from the PBX 2 and transmits that to the management server 4. The management server 4 has an authenticator that receives a request for authentication when the terminal device 3 logs in, an issuer that issues the enciphered file according to the identification information, and a database that stores the issue date in correlating with the identification information.

The present invention relates to a computer system using identification information, which can prevent erroneous setting from occurring during a setting work of a computer, and to a control method of a computer system.
Further, the present invention relates to a computer system using identification information, which includes a management server that manages and gives a license to permit the execution of a program using the identification information and a computer that is executed with the given license, and to a control method of a computer system
When a computer is installed, various kinds of setting information need be inputted in consideration of the installation circumstance or operation circumstance. If the setting information is erroneously inputted, the computer may not be normally operated. Accordingly, an installer who performs the setting work is required to perform the work accurately after understanding the installation circumstance, the functions of the computer or the like and a method of inputting the setting information.
For example, an exchange, which is an example of a computer, has a function of connecting an external line and an extension line and a function of connecting the extension lines to each other. In the exchange, setting for the phone number of the external line or the extension line, an incoming group, a function key of an extension phone connected to the extension line, and the like needs be performed. If setting is erroneous, an outgoing call from the extension line or an incoming call from the outside cannot be made, which causes an obstacle to business. If doing so, it will take much time to make clear the hardware trouble in the exchange or the simple erroneous input of a setting worker. Accordingly, the installer preferably performs the setting work after receiving training for the installation of the exchange and being skilled.
Since the installer purchases the exchange from one distributor of a manufacturer and a dealer, it is difficult for the manufacturer or the dealer to grasp all installers through the management. Even when an installer who does not receive training on the installation and lacks skill installs the exchange, it is difficult for the manufacturer or the dealer to pay attention to the installer through the management. Accordingly, when the trouble described above occurs, the manufacturer or the dealer, as well as the installer, does not cope with the trouble, which causes a problem on credit.
When the manufacturer or the dealer cannot grasp all installers, other bad effects may occur. In the computer, the term of repairing in which a trouble occurring at the beginning of operation is repaired free is provided as the free warranty term through the service of the manufacturer. However, if the trouble occurs in the installed computer, even when the free warranty term is expired, the installer may erroneously report the operation date, and thus the manufacturer or the dealer may provide the installer with the parts for repairing free.
That is, as regards the installation work, an installer who receives training provided by the manufacturer or the dealer and is confirmed by the manufacturer or the dealer preferably performs the installation work of the computer. However, at present, as for the installation work, an installer who does not receive training and lacks skill and an installer who receives regular training are intermingled.
In order to prevent the installer from erroneously reporting the operation date, a technology has been suggested in which, when the program is incorrectly operated, the execution of the program stops (for example, see JP-A-2-293930). In a method of preventing a fraudulent use described in JP-A-2-293930, in order to cause the content of an original disc not to be copied, an identification code is stored in advance in a ROM region in which writing of the disc cannot be performed. Then, when the program is executed, the identification code is read out from the ROM region to judge whether or not the identification code is one required for executing the program. By doing so, it is judged whether or not it is the original disc. Then, if it is judged that it is not the original disc, the execution of the program stops.
Another customer may purchase additionally required functions at option, in addition to basic functions. It is preferable in that the customer purchases the required functions at low cost. For example, a private branch exchange (hereinafter, referred to as PBX), which is an example of a computer, has a function of connecting the external line and the extension line and a function of connecting the extension lines to each other. If connectable extension lines are gradually sold under the license, the customer having a small size can purchase at low cost and expand the functions, if necessary, afterward, thereby ensuring ease of purchase.
Selling under the license is given through a memory card in which available functions are stored. That is, a customer who wants to use a function A and a function B purchases a memory card in which the license to the function A and the function B is stored. Then, the purchased memory card is installed in the PBX and the restriction to the function A and the function B is released, and the function A and the function B are enabled.
As a technology for restricting the execution of the program (for example, see JP-A-2001-202493), a technology has been suggested in which an application with an executable expiration date is stored in an IC card.
In the technology described in JP-A-2-293930, based on the previously stored identification code, it is judged whether to execute or to stop the program, but the manufacturer cannot grasp that the product starts to be used. That is, if the program is executed in a state that the manufacturer cannot grasp, the warranty term for the product cannot be accurately managed.
In the technology described in JP-A-2001-202493, for example, when the customer who purchases the memory card with the license to the function A and the function B stored therein wants to purchase a function C additionally, he needs to purchase newly a memory card in which the license to the function C, in addition to the function A and the function B, is stored. Accordingly, the customer purchases again the functions A and B, which are bought already by the customer.
Further, the dealer needs to prepare memory cards in which various functions are combined and the management is complicated.

Computer system using identification information and control method thereof


Embodiments of the present invention disclose a method, computer program product, and system for reconstructing a sequence of communications that occurred during a period of database activity monitor unavailability. A database activity monitor receives a first sequence of queries. The database activity monitor determines whether the database activity monitor became unavailable, and, in response to determining that the database activity monitor is unavailable, restarts the database activity monitor. The database activity monitor receives a second sequence of queries, and approximates a third sequence of queries, wherein the third sequence of queries occurred subsequent to the first sequence of queries and prior to the second sequence of queries. The database activity monitor validates the third sequence of queries with reference to a set of security policies.

Database activity monitoring is a database security technology for monitoring and analyzing database activity in near real time. Programs for database activity monitoring typically operate independently of the database management system, which is a software system designed to allow the definition, creation, querying, update, and administration of objects on a database. Typical programs for database activity monitoring operate using an interception based method of monitoring database activity. In the interception based method, a client sends queries to a database, which are intercepted by a database activity monitor. Once intercepted, the query data is parsed in order to determine the type of query and the database object affected by the query. Programs for database activity monitoring have the ability to compare the intercepted query with a predefined set of security policies. If the program determines that the intercepted query violates an established security policy, then the program sends an alert to the database security administrator that a query violates an established security policy.

Query flow reconstruction in database activity monitoring systems

International Business Machines Corporation


A substrate processing method includes (A) supplying to the substrate a first processing liquid containing a removing agent for deposit, a solvent having a boiling point lower than that of the removing agent and a thickener, (B), after (A), supplying to the substrate a second processing liquid containing an organic polymer to be a gas diffusion barrier film, (C), after (B), heating the substrate at a predetermined temperature equal to or higher than the boiling point of the solvent and lower than the boiling point of the removing agent to promote evaporation of the solvent and reaction between the deposit and the removing agent, and (D), after (C), supplying a rinsing liquid to the substrate to remove the deposit from the substrate. The gas diffusion barrier film prevents a gaseous reactive product generated by the reaction in (C) from diffusing around the substrate.

In a process of manufacturing a semiconductor device, a process is performed to etch an etching target film (e.g., an interlayer insulating film, a metal film, etc.) formed on a substrate such as a semiconductor wafer or the like using a resist film as a mask material and pattern the film into a predetermined pattern.
Meanwhile, in recent years, attention has been paid to a Cu multilayer wiring technique that makes use of a low dielectric constant film (low-k film) as an interlayer insulating film. In such a Cu multilayer wiring technique, a dual damascene method is employed in which embedded wiring trenches or holes are formed in the low-k film and Cu is embedded in the embedded wiring trenches or holes. As a low-k film, an organic low-k film is often used. When such an organic low-k film is etched, a sufficient selectivity of the organic low-k film with respect to a resist film which is also an organic film cannot be obtained. Therefore, an inorganic hard mask film such as a Ti film, a TiN film, or the like is used as a mask material for etching. That is, the hard mask film is etched in a predetermined pattern using a resist film as a mask material, and the low-k film is etched using the hard mask film etched in the predetermined pattern as a mask material.
After etching, it is necessary to remove unnecessary deposits such as a resist film, a hard mask film, or the like remaining on the substrate. The removal of such unnecessary deposits is performed by, for example, continuously supplying a removal liquid to the center of a semiconductor wafer as a target substrate by a single-wafer-type cleaning apparatus while rotating the semiconductor wafer, and spreading the removal liquid over the entire surface of the semiconductor wafer by a centrifugal force (see e.g., Patent Document 1, Patent Document 2 and Patent Document 3).

Substrate processing apparatus, substrate processing method, and storage medium storing program for executing substrate processing method


A process for treating drinking water at greater than atmospheric pressure to remove radon and the apparatus for carrying out the process. The process involves introducing water under pressure into a pressure vessel maintained at a pressure about equal to the pressure of the water to be treated. This water is continuously fed onto the upper surface of a packed column and allowed to fall downwardly through the packed column. A gas is drawn upwardly through the packed column causing the radon gas to be expelled from the water into the gas, and the gas stream is forced through a carbon absorber. Preferably, the tank is cylindrical and has a blower which draws air upwardly through the packed column and then returns it downwardly through a gas conduit thereby continuously recirculating the gas. A carbon absorber also maintained at the same pressure as the pressure vessel is in the gas-full passageway and absorbs radon gas. The water level in the bottom of the pressure vessel is maintained by introducing pressurized gas through a control valve operated by a liquid level sensor.

The field of the invention is water treatment, and the invention relates more particularly to processes for removing radon from drinking water.
It is well known that radon can be removed from drinking water by aeration of the water. The radon gas, being highly volatile, tends to be released from the water particularly when the water is aerated. While the present invention is directed toward radon removal, it is, of course, useful for removing other volatile contaminants present in potable water.
Various pieces of equipment have been suggested for radon removal such as that in U.S. Pat. No. 4,371,383. This process involves spraying water into a tank which has splash plates. An air blower circulates air through the spray of water and exhausts the air to the atmosphere. A similar approach is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,869,832 where water from a well is sprayed onto the top of a packed column and trickles downwardly through the column. An air blower moves air upwardly along the column and exhausts the air at the top of the column to the atmosphere. A similar process is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,045,215. This equipment uses a horizontal tray with baffles. As the water moves downwardly through this device, air is blown upwardly through the perforations frothing the water on the trays and evaporating the radon and other contaminants from the water. The contaminants are then vented to the atmosphere.
While such systems are effective to remove radon and other volatile contaminants, they merely vent these contaminants to the atmosphere. Furthermore, the water in the vessels is maintained at essentially atmospheric pressure during the treatment process and must be repressurized to bring it back to line pressure for distribution.

Process and apparatus for removing radon from water


In a pressurized cleaning apparatus comprising a pressure generation unit for pressurizing a fluid, in particular for supplying a pressurized fluid via a hose attachment, preferably via a hand-held pistol or a spray nozzle, an operating unit is provided that is designed to make it possible to set a maximum operating pressure of the pressure generation unit at which the pressure generation unit is deactivated.

The present disclosure relates to a pressure cleaning device having a pressure generating unit for pressurizing a fluid, in particular for delivering a pressurized fluid via a hose attachment, preferably via a hand gun or via a cleaning nozzle.
Such a pressure cleaning device having a pressure generating unit for pressurizing a fluid is known from the prior art. In that case, the pressurized fluid is in particular provided for delivery via a hose attachment. In that case, the hose attachment is in the form of a hand gun or cleaning nozzle. In that case, a maximum operating pressure of the pressure cleaning device, at which the pressure generating unit is deactivated, is preset and cannot be adapted and/or set in an application-specific manner.

Pressurized cleaning apparatus comprising a pressure generation unit


An engine start control device capable of starting upon receiving generated power from a generator which is driven by a starter, includes a fuel injection timing setting device which makes a power generation waveform of the generator correspond to a crank pulse signal, and outputs a fuel injection signal to an injector for injecting fuel to the engine in conformance with a crank pulse signal for when a voltage of the generated power reaches a peak value after a starting operation of the starter.

Heretofore, battery-less fuel injectors for multiple cylinder internal combustion engines, which avoid excess load on a generator when the engine starts, are known (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, First Publication No. 2002-106397). In such battery-less fuel injectors, after the internal combustion engine is started by a recoil starter or a kick starter, in the case where it is not clear from which cylinder a crank pulse signal output from a signal generator derives, fuel is injected to each of the cylinders in a predetermined order each time a reference pulse signal is generated.
However, in the above-described conventional technique, although fuel injection immediately after engine startup commences is performed in a temporary order, since the start operation is performed manually using a recoil starter or a kick starter, the output voltage of the generator changes when the engine starts, and the supply voltage to the injectors is unstable. Therefore, there is a problem in which sufficient fuel is not supplied, and startability deteriorates. Furthermore, since the engine must be started within a limited time while pulling on the rope of the recoil starter, or while giving a kick, in the conventional technique in which fuel is injected in a temporary order, a start operation which drives the generator for a certain period is required. Hence, there is a problem in which there is a load at startup.
Therefore, the present invention has an object of providing an engine start control device and a start control method, that can improve startability.

Engine start control device and start control method


An electrical connector system is disclosed and may include a header connector and a receptacle connector. The contacts in the header connector may be edge-coupled to limit the level of cross-talk between adjacent signal contacts. For example, a differential signal in a first signal pair may produce a high-field in the gap between the contacts that form the signal pair, and a low-field near a second, adjacent signal pair. The contacts in the receptacle connector may be broadside-coupled and configured to receive the contacts from the header connector while minimizing signal skew. For example, the overall length of the contacts within a differential signal pair may be the same. The contacts in the connector system may include differential signal pairs, single-ended contacts, and/or ground contacts. The connector system may be devoid of any electrical shielding between the signal contacts.

Electrical connectors provide signal connections between electronic devices using signal contacts. Often, the signal contacts are so closely spaced that undesirable interference, or "cross-talk," may occur between adjacent signal contacts. As used herein, the term "adjacent" refers to contacts (or rows or columns of contacts) that are next to one another. Cross-talk may occur when one signal contact induces electrical interference in an adjacent signal contact due to intermingling electrical fields, thereby compromising signal integrity. With electronic device miniaturization and high-speed, high-signal integrity electronic communications becoming more prevalent, the reduction of cross-talk becomes a significant factor in connector design.
One commonly used technique for reducing cross-talk is to position separate electrical shields, in the form of metallic plates, for example, between adjacent signal contacts. The shields may act as a ground connection, thereby reducing cross-talk between the signal contacts by preventing the intermingling of the contacts' electrical fields. The metallic plates may be used to isolate an entire row or column of signal contacts from interfering electrical fields. In addition to, or in lieu of, the use of metallic plates, cross-talk may be reduced by positioning a row of ground contacts between signal contacts. Thus, the ground contacts may serve to reduce cross-talk between signal contacts in adjacent rows and/or columns.
As demand for smaller devices increases, existing techniques for reducing cross-talk may no longer be desirable. For instance, electrical shields and/or ground contacts consume valuable space within the connector, space that may otherwise be used to provide additional signal contacts and, thus, increase signal contact density. Furthermore, the use of shields and/or ground contacts may increase connector cost and weight. In some applications, shields are known to make up 40% or more of the cost of the connector.
In some applications, electrical connectors may be used to couple two or more devices with connecting surfaces that do not face each other (e.g., printed circuit boards that are perpendicular to each other). Such applications typically require right-angle connectors, which may use signal contacts with one or more angles. The total length of each signal contact in the connector may depend on the degree and/or the number of its angles. These variables are usually determined by the signal contact's relative position in the electrical connector. Consequently, some or all of the signal contacts in an angle connector may have different lengths. Signal skew typically occurs when two or more signals are sent simultaneously but are received at a destination at different times. Therefore, a need exists for a high-speed electrical connector that minimizes signal skew and reduces the level of cross-talk without the need for separate internal or external electrical shielding.


A detection circuit for open, close and suspension states of a high and low level effective switch in a vehicle. The circuit includes an optocoupler circuit module, a low-level active path module, a high-level active path module, a filtering and debouncing module, a transient suppression module, and a wiring terminal. The optocoupler circuit module is connected to the low-level active path module, the high-level active path module and the low-level active path module are connected in parallel to the filtering and debouncing module, and the filtering and debouncing module is connected to the transient suppression module, and then connected to the external high-level active switch or low-level active switch through the wiring terminal. Whether it is a high-level active switch or a low-level active switch, the detection circuit can distinguish whether the switch is in the closed or suspended state, and the strong and weak voltages are isolated.

Heavy-duty vehicles have the characteristics of customization, low output, and quick modification. There is no uniform standard among component manufacturers, which makes some switching signals active at a high level, and some active at a low level. Next, when the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) installs buttons or external switches, some are connected to the power supply, and some are connected to the common ground, which also makes some switch signals active at the high level, and some active at the low level. The difference of these switching levels brings difficulties to hardware circuit design and programming. Therefore, a general detection circuit that can distinguish between closed and suspended states of a high-level or low-level active switch is needed to meet the requirements of current general vehicle controllers for switching status detection.
At present, in order to solve the problem that the same circuit is not compatible to detection of the high active level, low active level and suspended state of the external switch, related patents have provided solutions, including patents as follows.
1. In the patent with the application number 2012103387591 and entitled "a switch state detection circuit", in order to distinguish between high and low levels and suspended states, a high-level and low-level periodic inversion circuit is added, so as to present three types of signals of a power supply voltage, a power ground, and high-level and low-level inversion signals at an input terminal of an input/output (I/O) port of a single-chip microcomputer for switch state detection. However, the high-level and low-level periodic inversion circuit needs to be connected to each I/O port of the single-chip microcomputer for switch state detection through a resistor, which not only increases the wiring difficulty, but also occupies an I/O port resource of the single-chip microcomputer. A scanning period of the I/O port of the single-chip microcomputer for switch state detection needs to be shorter than an inversion period of the high-level and low-level periodic inversion circuit, so as to distinguish whether an input terminal signal is a high-low inversion level, a high level, or a low level, which leads to complicated programming.
2. In the Chinese patent with the application number 2018105454615 and entitled "a circuit capable of detecting suspension and high and low levels of an input port", a switch is pulled up from a suspended state to an analog voltage value between a power supply voltage and a power ground. A port voltage is sampled periodically by an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) port of a single-chip microcomputer, thereby distinguishing the three states of the switch connected to the power supply, switch grounding, and switch suspension. However, this method occupies very important ADC resources of the single-chip microcomputer, and cannot be applied to the single-chip microcomputer without ADC, and increases the programming difficulty at the same time.
3. In the Chinese patent with the application number 2012104409297 and entitled "a 3-state control signal input-output (IO) circuit", on the basis of pulling up a switch from a suspended state to an analog voltage value between a power supply voltage and a power ground, the analog quantity is converted into a digital TO level signal using two comparators. The output of the two comparators corresponding to the high-level input is 11, the output of the two comparators corresponding to the low-level input is 00, and the output of the two comparators corresponding to the suspended input is 01, which requires two TO ports of a single-chip microcomputer to distinguish the three switch input states. Therefore, this method is not suitable for situations with many switching inputs, and the comparator is generally larger, which increases the printed circuit board (PCB) area.
In summary, the current existing methods still have disadvantages of complicated circuits, consumption of single-chip microcomputer resources, and non isolation of external inputs. Therefore, there is an urgent need for a general circuit with an isolated TO port to distinguish between the closed state and the suspended state of the high-active switch or the low-active switch.

Detection circuit for open, close and suspension states of high and low level effective switch in vehicle

DB (CHONGQING) INTELLIGENT TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE CO., LTD.

Chongqing Yingdi Industry (Group) Co., Ltd.


A method for the early detection of electrochemical corrosion and coating degradation utilizing an inexpensive, in situ electrochemical metallic sensor for sensing coating and material degradation, particularly for materials such as aluminum 2024-T3, 7075, 6061, cold rolled steel samples, and coated metal structures such as automobiles, bridges, aircraft, and ships has been developed. The sensor utilizes AC Impedance or Electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS) to acquire a precise, low-frequency impedance signature and is comprised of conductive ink deposited on a coating in the shape of the outline of a quadrilateral or other configuration. The resulting apparatus is comprised of a coated, metallic coupon used as a sensor, while a metallic grid electrode is deposited onto the steel coupon, thereby eliminating the need for a remote or counter electrode (i.e., reduction from a traditional, three-electrode system to a two-electrode system). Relying on the relatively lower impedance of the metallic grid electrode versus the coated metal, the electrodes are able to demonstrate a lower, interfacial impedance than the three-electrode testing system. This two-electrode approach eliminates the need for an electrolyte use in conventional, three-electrode AC Impedance testing and enables in-situ analyses of metallic and/or coating systems.

1. Field of Invention
The invention pertains to the field of electrochemical corrosion chemistry. The corrosion sensor has potential applicability in a wide variety of painted metal structures, including highways and bridges, storage tanks, pipelines, locks and dams, towers, aircraft, vehicles, and ships. The most important benefit of this technology will be increased safety and reliability. The field-operational sensors will allow maintenance inspectors to detect the early stages of coating degradation/corrosion well before serious deterioration has occurred. Maintenance can then be scheduled based on the actual condition of the structure and need not be performed on an elapsed time schedule. Thus, the sensor could also potentially save maintenance cost in three ways:
Allowing an "as required" maintenance schedule PA1 Initiating repairs before it becomes costly to perform them PA1 Providing quantitative data regarding rates, and mechanisms of degradation.
Additionally, the ability to quantify corrosion rates and correlate laboratory and field exposure should become very important in the development and selection of new materials and processes. This added intelligence should enable structure lifetimes to be increased more economically than currently feasible.
In view of the tremendous economic and environmental cost of maintenance of infrastructures, the potential commercial applications of this technology to the construction and the military industries are enormous. Structure or hardware will have an increased lifetime utility with lowered lifetime maintenance cost. The commercial ramifications of electrochemical corrosion sensor development are also important to the insurance industry where the potential economic benefits could be substantial. Additionally, increased safety will be one of the most important benefits of this technology.
2. Description of the Related Art
An atmospheric in-situ sensor has been previously conceived for early detection of corrosion on painted steel..sup.1 FNT .sup.1 Simpson, T. C. Moran, P. J., Hampel, H., Davis, G. D., Shaw, B. A., Arah, C. O., Fritz, T. L., and Zankel, K. L., "Electrochemical Impedance Measurements for Evaluating and Predicting the Performance of Organic Coatings for Atmospheric Exposure", Corrosion Testing and Evaluation: Silver Anniversary Volume, ASTM STP 1000, R. Baboian and S. W. Dean, Eds., American Society for Testing and Materials, Philadelphia, 1990, pp. 397-412.
The prototype sensor (1), (FIG. 1) as developed earlier, was a painted steel coupon approximately 1" by 1". A gold grid electrode (2) was deposited onto the steel coupon (3) by electron beam. This eliminates the need for a remote or counter electrode. Standard Electrochemical Impedance Spectroscopy (EIS) testing requires counter electrode because of the high impedance of the electrolyte. The monitor uses the fact that the gold grid electrode impedance is much lower than that of the coating on a metal. This results in low interfacial impedance between the electrodes and allows for a two electrode testing. This two electrode method enables an in-situ real time analysis of a metal/coating system, previously unavailable. Furthermore, it has been determined that the contact of the gold grid electrode with the coating does not accelerate or initiate corrosion of the coating at the contact point. Electrical lead wire (4) from the painted gold grid, acts as the reference and the counter electrode. Electrical lead wire (5) from the back of the sample acts as the working electrode. Electrical lead wire (6), from the front of the sample, acts as the counter electrode.
This technique was abandoned for a more practical approach using a low adhesive strength tape to lay the pattern of the grid. This technique proved to be simpler in design and allowed for easier application of the paint.
Silver paint was added to the scope of testing to provide another low cost alternative to the gold paint since there was concern that the carbon paint might not give accurate results due to its low electrical conductivity and suspected low abrasion resistance. The values for the measured electrical conductivity of the deposited electrodes are shown in Table 1.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Current Resistance of Electrodes Taken from Opposite Corners of the Paint Grid. Cure Temperature Resistance Electrode (C.) (Ohms) ______________________________________ Gold (Au) 50 4.5 Gold (Au) 80 2 Silver (Ag) 50 .4 Carbon 50 675 ______________________________________
It was found that the conductivity of the gold paint increases with cure temperature as supported by the specification sheet sent with the paint. However, there was concern that elevated cure temperatures might adversely alter the integrity of the coating. Therefore the lowest possible recommended cure temperature of 50.degree. C. was chosen for all the paints.
Each coupon is comprised of two wires (13, 14), a painted electrode grid (10), an the coated sample (11). One wire (14) is bonded to the metal on the backside of the coupon and acts as the working electrode. The second wire (13) is bonded to the painted grid and acts as the reference and counter electrode. This two electrode approach have thus far been tested using the AC Impedance technique with success.
The following paints have been utilized for the electrodes:
Gold Paint (FIG. 2)
The gold paint used as a painted electrode (2) was the EPO-TED H81E form Epoxy Technology, Inc. The EPO-TEK H81E is a two component, gold filled epoxy. The paint is 100% solids (solventless) and will not outgass. In addition, the gold paint has high electrical conductivity resulting in low interfacial impedance between the gold and the coating. A drawback of the gold paint is the price.
Silver Paint (FIG. 3)
The silver paint used for painted electrodes is the 102-05F electrically conductive ink form Creative Materials, Inc. The 102-05F is one part 85% silver epoxy. The epoxy has high solvent resistance and has excellent adhesion and is resistant to scratching and abrasion. The silver epoxy is a lower cost alternative to the gold epoxy.
Carbon Paint (FIG. 4)
The carbon paint used for painted electrodes is the 104-18 electrically conductive ink from Creative Materials, Inc. The 104-18 is one part 85% carbon epoxy. Even though the electrical conductivity of the carbon is less than that of the gold paint, the carbon paint still has a much greater conductivity as compared the coating to which it will be applied. Results were similar to the gold paint electrodes. Carbon conductive paint is the most cost effective alternative to the gold paint electrodes. Carbon conductive paint is the most cost effective alternative to the gold and silver paints.
Nickel Paint
Nickel paint was used a electrode material because it is inexpensive and offers high conductivity. Its corrosion resistance is greater than that of the silver paint and its abrasion resistance is greater than the carbon paint.

Electrochemical sensors for evaluating corrosion and adhesion on painted metal structures


A hand-held power tool (1;101) includes a drive (6;110) located in the power tool housing (2;102) for driving a working tool (111), and a torsional pendulum (4; 120; 220; 320; 420; 520) at least partially mounted on the housing (2; 102) for compensating vibrations generated by the drive (6; 110).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a hand-held power tool and in particular to a hand-held power tool with a working tool periodically displaceable along an axis, such as hammer drill, combination hammer, chisel hammer, impact wrench, keyhole saw, and saber saw.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In a hammer drill, e.g., a drive accelerates a drill along a displacement axis. A pulse and/or a torque is applied to the drill, driving the drill in a workpiece. A complementary pulse that acts in an opposite direction, is applied to the user holding the power tool by the handle.
With periodically or cyclically operated hammer drills, the user must apply correspondingly a counter-force that periodically varies with time. This counter-force is perceived by the user as troublesome vibrations.
To improve the handling of the hammer drill, means is employed that uniformly distribute the generated forces over a period of time. Corresponding damping systems are excited by the cyclically generated forces and dissipate the excitation over a period of time. Alternatively or in addition, the damping systems dissipate the excitation, converting it to heat.
According to French publication FR 22 37 734, a passive vibration compensator is used for preventing vibrations in hand-held power tools.
German Publication DE 815 179 discloses an arrangement of two, axially oscillating, passive vibration compensators along a percussion mechanism for preventing vibrations.
German Publication DE 12 181 970 discloses a passive vibration compensator in form of a hollow cylinder.
European Publication EP 1 710 052 discloses a passive vibration compensator that surrounds a guide tube of the percussion mechanism and is displaced therealong.
Despite the use of numerous and different damping systems, vibrations, e.g., periodic torques, are still applied to a user of a hand-held power tool.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is a hand-held power tool in which application of torques and vibrations to the power tool user is reduced to a most possible extent.

Hand-held power tool with vibration compensator


A wide angle tom-tom holder including a mounting base having a bottom coupling hole coupled to a top end of an upright support, two ball socket assemblies respectively fastened to the mounting base, two balls respectively turned in the ball socket assemblies, and two L-shaped supporting rods respectively connected to the balls and adapted for holding a respective drum, wherein the mounting base has an extension block at one side, two upward coupling chambers respectively defined within the extension block, two projecting blocks respectively disposed in the upward coupling chambers, two mounting through hole respectively made through the center of the projecting blocks; each ball socket assembly has an upper shell and a hollow bottom shell fixedly fastened together and defining a ball socket therebetween for holding one ball, the upper shell having a vertical through hole connected to one mounting through hole of the mounting base by a screw bolt and a nut, and a tubular flange downwardly raised from a bottom side thereof around the vertical through hole and mounted around one projecting block of the mounting base.

The present invention relates to tom-tom holders, and more particularly to a wide angle tom-tom holder which can be conveniently adjusted to change the angular positions of the drums carried thereon.
FIG. 1 shows a tom-tom holder for holding drums on an upright support of a drum stand according to the prior art. This structure of tom-tom holder comprises a mounting base supported on an upright support of a drum stand and defining two circular recesses, two cup plates fixedly fastened to the mounting base over the circular recesses and defining with the circular recesses a respective ball socket, two balls respectively turned in the ball sockets between the circular recesses of the mounting base and the cup plates, and two angle rods respectively extended from the balls and adapted for holding a respective drum. This structure of tom-tom holder is functional. However, because the two ball sockets which are defined between the circular recesses of the mounting base and the cup plates are immovable, the pitch between the two angle rods cannot be widely adjusted.


A slot machine issues a ticket with a ticket ID; a server manages a remaining amount in to the ticket; a ticket liquidating machine liquidates the ticket by exchanging the ticket for cash. A pouch pay terminal is held by a pouch payer and a cashier terminal is set at a cashier counter. Both the pouch pay terminal and the cashier terminal communicate with the server and can acquire remaining amount in a ticket and perform liquidation of tickets obtained form a player. The persons operating the pouch pay terminal and the cashier terminal take the liquidated tickets to the ticket liquidating machine to get cash they have already paid to the players.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technology for preventing illegal use of recording media that can be used instead of cash.
2. Description of the Related Art
It has become common to set slot machines having a function of issuing a ticket with a barcode printed thereon (hereinafter, "ticket") in amusement shops or gambling shops such as casinos. A player inserts cash in the slot machine and can play games within the amount of the cash. When the player stops playing or hopes liquidation, he presses a dedicated button on the slot machine so that the slot machine ejects a ticket with a value corresponding to the remaining amount assigned thereto.
The player can use the ticket on another slot machine or use the ticket on some other day and play games within the remaining amount. When the player wants to liquidate the ticket, he:                (1) inserts the ticket in a ticket liquidation machine (Refer to U.S. Pat. No. 6,048,269),        (2) carries the ticket to a cashier counter and request a person in charge of the cashier counter (hereinafter, "cashier") for liquidation of the ticket, or        (3) carries the ticket to a person responsible for pouch pay (hereinafter, "pouch payer") and request the pouch payer for liquidation of the ticket.
FIG. 1 is a schematic of conventional a ticket manage system provided in a casino. A plurality of slot machines 10 are set in the casino and players can play games by inserting cash, such as coins and/or bills, into the slot machines 10. Each slot machine 10 is provided with a liquidation button. When the player presses the liquidation button, the slot machine 10 dispenses a ticket 20 with a value corresponding to remaining amount.
Information concerning the ticket 20 is managed in a ticket management database 50 in a server 40. More specifically, the ticket management database 50 stores therein information such as a ticket ID, a ticket state, and a remaining amount for each ticket output by the slot machines 10. In the example shown in FIG. 1, the ticket state of "unprocessed" for the ticket ID 1111 indicates that the corresponding ticket has not been subjected to liquidation, while the ticket state of "processed" for the ticket ID 1112 indicates that the corresponding ticket has been subjected to liquidation.
When liquidating the ticket 20, the player inserts the ticket 20 into a ticket liquidation machine 60 and performs a prespecified liquidating operation. As a result, the ticket liquidation machine 60 dispenses cash equivalent to the amount in the ticket 20. The player can also liquidate the ticket 20 by carrying the ticket 20 to a cashier counter and requesting the cashier for liquidation. As a result, the cashier pays back cash equivalent to the amount in the ticket 20. The player can also liquidate the ticket 20 by carrying the ticket 20 to a pouch payer and requesting the pouch payer for liquidation. As a result, the pouch payer pays back cash equivalent to the amount in the ticket 20.
The cashier uses a cashier terminal 70, or the pouch payer uses a pouch pay terminal 80 to send information such as the ticket ID to the server 40 and receive information such as the amount remaining in the ticket 20 from the server 40. When the liquidation process is over, the cashier terminal 70 or the pouch pay terminal 80 sends a notice that indicates that the liquidation complete to the server 40. As a result, the ticket state of the ticket 20 in the ticket management database 50 is changed to "processed".
As described above, conventionally, a ticket can be liquidated by using the ticket liquidation machine 60, or by taking the ticket to the cashier or the pouch payer.
However, because the tickets fall in the hands of the cashier or the pouch payer, they can be misused. For example, when the cashier or the pouch payer liquidates a ticket, the liquidated ticket remains in their hands and they can intentionally give that ticket to a malicious third party, or due to their carelessness, that ticket can fall in the hands of the malicious third party. The malicious third party can create a forged ticket by the ticket ID printed on the ticket, by manipulating the barcode that represents the ticket ID, and use the forged ticket to make money.
There is a need of a technology that can prevent illegal use of recording media, such as tickets, that can be used instead of cash.

Recording medium management system and recording medium liquidation apparatus