A high pressure sensor which uses a ruby as a pressure sensor is disclosed. This system includes a high pressure Hg lamp which is used to excite the ruby R1 and R2 lines because it has a spectrum which is a good match to the ruby absorption spectrum. The Hg lamp output is filtered to pass wavelengths shorter than about 6300 angstroms so as not to affect the detection system. The light is directed through a dichroic mirror which passes all of the lamp output. The lamp output is then coupled into the optical fiber and carried to the test point. A small ruby is cemented to the end of the fiber and the whole crystal is aluminized. Some of the fluorescence will couple into the fiber and be carried back to the dichroic mirror which reflects ruby fluorescence into the detector but passes any of the original lamp light. The aluminum coating on the ruby increases the amount of fluorescence that is collected. In this configuration, the ruby serves as an optically dynamic pressure sensor, since the fluorescence of the ruby produces known spectral wavelength shifts in response to pressure changes in its environment.

The present invention relates generally to high pressure transducers and more specifically to an optical pressure sensor which produces an optical response that varies with its ambient environment, and measures pressures which are characterized by sudden extreme changes in pressure, such as a nuclear detonation.
The Minuteman intercontinental ballistic missiles in the United States are housed underground in concrete silos so that they may withstand the nuclear detonation of sea launched ballistic missiles and near misses of Soviet intercontinental ballistic missiles. These hardened silos allow the United States to withstand a first strike nuclear confrontation initiated by foreign powers, and strike back.
The sufficiency of the hardened silos is tested by a detonation of munitions in proximity with silo models to produce a shock wave that simulates a nuclear detonation. These tests need to be monitored by pressure sensors, but most commercially available pressure sensors which have an electrical output, do not have the adequate pressure range of electrical bandwidth to measure the extreme variations in pressure characterized by a simulated nuclear detonation during silo testing.
Most high pressure sensors are based on electrically sensing the elastic response of a body to an external pressure. For pressures well below the elastic limit of typical materials (nominally 100,000 psi), a macroscopic change is usually observed such as the flexing of a diaphragm. An electrical transducer such as a strain gauge is used to sense the deflection of the sensor. In piezoelectric sensors the elastic material and electric transducer are combined in one material. For higher pressures, where the microscopic structure of the material is strongly perturbed, it is often possible and preferable to directly measure the change in some material property (such as resistance).
For a sensor geometry which imposes tension on the elastic sense element, measurement is limited to pressures below its yield point; that is those tensions which do not cause permanent distortion. A material can usually withstand greater compressional stress than tensile stress if the material is free of defects and the pressure is applied uniformly from all directions. Sensors based on compression must be used above the yield point of the material.
Available sensors typically convert the strain in the elastic material to an electrical signal by means of an electrical transducer. All of the methods used to sense linear displacement (such as metallic or semiconductor strain gauges, changes in inductance or capacitance, acoustic frequency, Hall effect, etc.) can be applied to measure the strain in the sensor. Direct pressure sensing transducers can also be used which employ piezoelectric or piezoresistive materials.
Since all the sensors involve mechanical motion of the combined elastic and electrical sensor in response to the applied pressure, the dynamic response or transfer function will depend on size and stiffness of the sensor. A higher resonant frequency of the device can be obtained by making the the sensor as small as possible and using a stiff sensor material. The sensors will provide a linear output for frequencies up to 20% of the resonant frequency. Their useful bandwidth can be extended by standard signal processing techniques which can deconvolve the frequency dependent sensitivity of the sensor near resonance. Pressure sensors based on small bonded strain gauges appear to have the highest frequency response which extends to about 0.100 KHz (based on a natural resonance of 500 KHz). Piezoelectric sensors extend to several 10's of KHz. Both types can measure up to around 100,000 psi. The low frequency limit usually depends on the design of the elastic sensor. The electrical transducers will generally respond to static pressures.
In summary, pressure sensors are commercially available which can provide measurements to 100,000 psi with a bandwidth of 100 KHz. It is not likely that commercially available sensors can achieve significantly higher bandwidth and respond to the high pressures of interest here.
The test of providing a high pressure transducer which has a sufficient pressure range to measure a pressure consonant with a nuclear detonation is alleviated, to some extent, by the systems disclosed in the following U.S. Patents, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference:
U.S. Pat. No. 4,654,528 issued to Cloud, Jr. et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,859,519 issued to Weischedel; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,028 issued to Kerlman et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,044,258 issued to Frangel; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,577,510 issued to Bur et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 4,366,714 issued to Adorni; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,970,862 issued to Edelman et al; PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,894,243 issued to Edelman et al; and PA1 U.S. Pat. No. 3,940,974 issued to Taylor.
The above-cited patents disclose state-of-the-art nuclear explosion detectors and pressure sensor systems. To measure the extreme changes in pressure that characterize a nuclear detonation, one must have a pressure transducer with an extremely wide pressure range that accommodates changing conditions. Mechanical sensors possess inherent limitations that prevent them from having adequate pressure ranges for this use. Hybrid optical-mechanical pressure sensors also suffer from limited bandwidth. Purely optical pressure sensors in which some optical material property is modified by pressure have the potential for large bandwidth and greater pressure range. In addition, they offer immunity from EMI which can be a problem. Such sensors have been used extensively for static pressure measurement but have not been applied to the measurement of dynamic pressures such as those encountered in shock waves.
In view of the foregoing discussion, it is apparent that there currently exists the need for an optical high pressure sensor system which has a sufficient pressure range to make the requirement measurements on silo models. The present invention is intended to satisfy that need.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Air Force


Disclosed is an AAL2 (ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) Adaptation Layer 2) switching apparatus. A cell deassembler for deassembling a payload of a received ATM cell into a CPS (Common Part Sublayer) packet, and generating a first VPC (Virtual Path Connection) by using the header of the ATM cell. A header converter for receiving the CPS packet from the cell deassembler and converting the first VPC into a second VPC by using a lookup table which have a number of VPCs and CIDs (Channel Identifiers) for changing the VPC. A cell assembler for receiving the CPS packet from the header converter, assembling an ATM cell which have the CPS packet and an ATM header generated from the second VPC.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an AAL2 (ATM Adaptation Layer 2) switching apparatus and method, and in particular, to a switching apparatus and method using a memory mapping technique.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, ATM (Asynchronous Transfer Mode) refers to an ATDM (Asynchronous Time Division Multiplexing) packet transmission technique. In the ATM, a basic information transmission unit becomes a "cell." In the ATM, every type of information is handled in an ATM cell with a fixed length of 53 bytes. Further, in the ATM, a protocol is simplified on the assumption that information is transmitted at high quality. Consequently, a switching process can be realized by hardware, and a switching delay can be reduced, thus achieving high-efficiency packet switching. Meanwhile, AAL serves to provide services having different communication characteristics in an ATM layer, such as voice, image and data services, to an upper application in a proper format. In particular, AAL2 is a protocol for providing a timing-dependent service such as voice and image services encoded at a variable rate in a transceiver.
of 53 bytes of the ATM cell, 5 bytes are used for a header and the remaining 48 bytes are used for an information field. The ATM cell, a data stream with a fixed length, becomes a unit of multiplexing and switching. The header includes VCI (Virtual Channel Identifier), VBI (Virtual Bus Identifier) and VPI (Virtual Path Identifier), for identifying a connection to which the cell belongs, and further includes CLP (Cell Loss Priority) for indicating whether to discard the cell during traffic congestion, PT (Payload Type) for distinguishing network control information, and HEC (Header Error Control) for detecting and controlling a header error.
However, since the ATM cell has a fixed of 53 bytes, a band (or byte) waste problem may occur when small-sized information such as voice information is transmitted. For example, since the 53-byte ATM cell is used even when transmitting 2 or 3-bytes of small information, 45 or 46 bytes of the 48-byte information field are wasted. To solve this problem, a CPS (Common Part Sublayer) packet has been proposed. The CPS corresponds to the AAL2, and the CPS packet has a variable length depending upon the size of information to be transmitted. During information transmission using the CPS packet, a plurality of CPS packets may be included in the information field of the ATM cell. In order to transmit information using the CPS packets, a new switching apparatus and method is required. Conventionally, a switching apparatus for switching packets in the AAL2 layer is realized by software. However, when the switching apparatus is realized by software, the capacity can hardly exceed 4K CIDs (Channel Identifiers) due to its performance limitations. However, when the AAL2 switching apparatus is realized by hardware, a large number of flip-flops (twice the number of connections supported) are required in order to convert a specific input CID into a specific output CID. Further, an FPGA (Field Programmable Gate Array) capacity for realizing the switching apparatus is increased.


The described arrangements and procedures use a directory, with its integrated view of resource identity across a distributed system to dynamically execute and manage workflow solutions responsive to changes in the directory. Specifically, a state change to an object in a directory is detected. Responsive to detecting the state change, the state change is mapped to a corresponding workflow, which includes sequences of tasks. The identified sequences of tasks are then executed to achieve a desired state in the directory. The desired state is based on the detected state change.

All large corporations, and many small to medium sized organizations, face significant challenges in coordinating the provisioning of resources for employees and contractors. Every time a new application is installed or a new employee is hired, administrators must create multiple directory entries to match (e.g., grant or authorize access) users to the proper resources. Thus, simple events such as a new hire can turn into a laborious exercise, requiring enrollment in e-mail systems, intranet systems, remote-access systems, computers and corresponding peripheral hardware may need to be ordered, telephones provisioned, office space allocated, and the like. Similarly, if an employee leaves the company, you must judiciously remove the user from all these systems and resources.
In light of this, promotions, transfers, mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, marriage, divorce, name changes, and so on, can cause substantial logistical problems that can not typically be solved with a simple drag and drop of directory objects from one domain to another. Instead, users or resources must generally be deleted from one domain and then completely re-created in another domain; not to mention the logistical problems caused by moving entire groups of users and/or resources between domains. Thus, in today's fast-paced world of mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, and reorganizations, ensuring that employees have proper access to company resources can be a full-time job for an army of information technology workers.
These resource provisioning activities traditionally occur within organizations in an uncoordinated and decentralized fashion, and often result in delays, duplication of administrative effort, and unnecessary expense. For example, the costs show up with an increasing number of calls to a help desk because directories aren't synchronized or because users can't access physical resources or applications. However, it's not just about cost and replication of effort; it's also about risk. The risks of provisioning in an uncoordinated and decentralized fashion become evident when users who are no longer with a company still exist in some of the directories and can access the company's valuable resources.
Many organizations have developed their own jury-rigged solutions to the problems of automating the provisioning process by using a workflow, which is a series of predefined actions or procedures to coordinate complex sequences of actions. Workflows have always been expensive to produce, inflexible, and difficult to maintain. For example, one problem with conventional procedures to implement workflows is that workflows are typically based on a "fire and forget" paradigm. The "fire" aspect means an individual such as a network administrator is generally required to manually identify and execute a particular workflow sequence to implement a predefined policy in response to a specific event. This is a problem because there can be any number of workflows used to implement policies within an organization. Locating a proper workflow to implement in a timely manner is not always a simple procedure and it is susceptible to human error.
The "forget" aspect of the fire-and-forget paradigm of conventional workflow implementation means that even though group policies are typically based on a domain or unit within an organization, no one particular entity such as a network administrator (typically has an easy way to predict which machines or resources will be affected by a workflow. This is especially true in a distributed networking environment, where peripheral devices may be added and removed from the network at any time. Additionally, because a workflow may consist of any number of long running operations that can take hours, weeks, or longer to complete, there is no easy way for an administrator to coordinate transactions and/or monitor statuses such as the success or failure of the tasks that are implemented by the workflow.
Moreover, once workflows have been implemented, it is typically not a simple task for an administrator to determine which particular workflow of multiple workflows was used to implement a particular policy that affected machines and/or resources.
For instance, consider that a particular workflow is executed to implement a policy granting one or more computers or users on a network access to specific network resources or physical facility resources to which the computers/users previously had no access. Afterward the workflow has been implemented, it is determined that one or more machines or users were erroneously granted access to those network resources or physical facilities. It may be crucial to organizational interests (e.g., security) to determine exactly which machines, users, and/or resources were affected by the workflow. However, to accomplish this it will be necessary to identify the particular workflow that resulted in the erroneous grant of resources. Unfortunately, traditional workflow systems and procedures do not typically provide an easy way for an administrator to identify such information.
These types of problems also arise within "hire-and-fire" scenarios within an organization. For instance, after a person leaves an organization, an administrator must typically coordinate the inverse of any provisioning that occurred from when the person was hired to the time that the person left the company's employment. The organization's provisioning may have been implemented by any number of various workflows. Unfortunately, traditional workflow systems and procedures do not typically provide an easy way for an administrator to identify the one or more workflows that may have been used to provision the person. Thus, any modification to the person's network and physical resource access, and any modification to associated business operations to reflect the persons new non-employee status is typically performed in an uncoordinated and decentralized fashion, possibly resulting in delays, duplication of administrative effort, unnecessary expense, and increased risk.
Yet another problem with traditional workflow implementations are that they are not typically "self-healing", or self-correcting. This means that if a particular operation of a workflow fails in some manner, one or more corrective actions may not be taken in response to the failed operation. In other words, if a computer that is executing one or more aspects of a workflow malfunctions or for some other reason becomes unavailable, there is typically no mechanism to ensure that conditional aspects of a workflow that may have depended on un-implemented or failed aspects of the workflow have been satisfied. Additionally there is not mechanism to ensure that the un-implemented (or failed) aspects of the workflow are eventually implemented. This lack of a self-correcting behavior is especially important to consider in a distributed computing environment, wherein more than one computer, and possibly dozens, hundreds, or even thousands of computers may be involved in executing any one task or operation of a workflow.
The following arrangements and procedures address these and additional problems of traditional systems and procedures to define and implement workflows.

Workflow management based on an integrated view of resource identity


Examples of the present disclosure describe systems and methods for discrete processor feature behavior collection and analysis. In aspects, a monitoring utility may initialize a set of debugging and/or performance monitoring feature sets for a microprocessor. When the microprocessor receives from software content a set of instructions that involves the loading of a set of modules or code segments, the set of modules or code segments may be evaluated by the monitoring utility. The monitoring utility may generate a process trace of the loaded set of modules or code segments. Based on the process trace output, various execution paths may be reconstructed in real-time. The system and/or API calls made by the microprocessor may then be compared to the process trace output to quickly observe the interaction between the software content and the operating system of the microprocessor.

Conventional microprocessors typically comprise various feature sets for monitoring software behavior. These feature sets are configured to identify and report on potential software bugs and performance concerns in problematic code. Generally, such reports are verbose enough to retrace execution paths for processors executing binary code. Such reports, however, are ineffective in determining or analyzing the interaction between software and a system kernel to discern whether the software is potentially malicious.
It is with respect to these and other general considerations that the aspects disclosed herein have been made. Also, although relatively specific problems may be discussed, it should be understood that the examples should not be limited to solving the specific problems identified in the background or elsewhere in this disclosure.

Discrete processor feature behavior collection


An internal temperature estimation unit, which reads a detected temperature of a cell of a battery for an electric power tool to estimate an internal temperature of the battery based on the detected temperature, includes: an initial-value setting device which reads, when a discharge/charge of the battery is started, the detected temperature and sets the detected temperature as an initial value; and a temperature increase amount calculation device which calculates a temperature increase amount of the cell of the battery based on a latest value of the detected temperature and the initial value set by the initial-value setting device; the internal temperature estimation unit outputs the temperature increase amount as an estimated value representing the internal temperature of the battery.

A conventional battery used as a power source of an electronic device has a problem in which the battery is deteriorated when a temperature during charge or discharge deviates from a given temperature range.
Therefore, it has been conventionally proposed to incorporate a sensor for temperature detection (such as a thermistor) together with a battery, into a battery pack to be attached to an electronic device. Specifically, it is configured that the sensor for temperature detection detects a temperature of a cell of the battery (hereinafter, also simply referred to as battery temperature), during charge to the battery or discharge from the battery to the electronic device. It has been proposed that, when a temperature detected by the sensor deviates from an acceptable temperature range, the charge/discharge is suspended or a charge/discharge current is reduced (see Patent Document 1, for example).
That is, when the battery temperature increases and deviates from the acceptable temperature range during the charge or discharge, the charge to/discharge from the battery is suspended or the charge/discharge current is reduced so as to suppress a temperature increase in the cell of the battery, thereby protecting the battery.

Internal temperature estimation unit for battery for electric power tool, and apparatus for electric power tool


The packing unit comprises a parallelepipedic hollow body forming side walls and other side walls opposite to the former; it also comprises a lid attached to one side wall and which is pivotable between an open position and a closed position, in which a slit is formed between the lid and side walls; it further comprises an adhesive sealing tape which, in the closed position, has a first portion adhered to the lid, a second portion which partly conceals the slit and a third portion adhered to the side wall on which a label is fixed.

This invention relates to a packing unit seal, said packing unit: [a] comprising a hollow parallelepipedic shaped body having a bottom wall suitable for forming the base of said packing unit, a first side wall, two second side walls adjacent said first side wall and a fourth side wall opposite said first side wall, all being attached to said bottom wall and to the adjacent side walls; [b] comprising a cover member attached to said fourth side wall and capable of pivoting between an open position and a closed position, in which there is formed a slit between said cover member and said side walls other than said fourth side wall; [c] being suitable for comprising a set number of identical articles; and [d] having an identifying label, located on one of said side walls other than said fourth side wall and suitable for referring to said number and to said articles.
Said warranty arrangement is particularly applicable to packing units in the form of a box having a lid, generally made from cardboard, for containing a set number of articles of like characteristics, wherein the number and the characteristics are specified on an identifying label together with the brand name and the name of the article. This label is located on one or more of the box surfaces.
In practice, in the warehouses of the manufacturer, of the marketing enterprise, of the distributors, of the retailers and of the users, the said articles, boxed in a set number, are located on shelves and are grouped together so that at least one of their identifying labels remains visible, whereby it is an extremely simple task to locate the article.
Nevertheless, when the time comes to update the stock or take the inventory, the content of each and every one of the stored boxes has to be counted, since there is no certainty that the number of articles contained therein is the same as that appearing on the label, since it is not sufficient simply to inspect the boxes on the shelves to ascertain whether any of them have been opened and one or more of the articles contained therein have been removed.
It would, therefore, be desirable to have an arrangement of the elements of the boxes which allowed the contents thereof to be observed at a glance, without it being necessary to examine the interior thereof.
It is an object of this invention to overcome the abovementioned drawback. This object is achieved with a seal of the type first mentioned above, said packing unit seal comprising an adhesive sealing tape which, in the said closed position, has a first portion adhered to said cover member, a second portion partly concealing said slit and a third portion adhered to said side wall on which said label is located, said third portion being in the proximity of said label.
This seal is obviously located on a visible part of the packing unit in the stored position thereof, and it is preferably broken the first time the packing unit is opened without the need of tools.
The invention also contemplates that the sealing tape be made of non-transparent material, may be torn directly by hand without the need for tools and that it be formed by one or more tongues, appendices or extensions of the label itself.


For a given tone generating channel, tone waveform sample data corresponding to a plurality of sampling cycles (e.g., 100 samples) are arithmetically formed collectively. Once performance information such as MIDI event data is supplied to a tone generator MIDI driver from an application program such as a MIDI sequencer, the MIDI driver, in response to an input MIDI signal, assigns new tone generation to a designated tone generating channel of a tone generator task, and prepares tone controlling parameters to be set in the designated channel. The tone generator task arithmetically forms tone waveform data by use of the tone controlling parameters and passes the tone waveform data to a CODEC circuit functioning as an A/D converter. The program and a general-purpose operating system are sequenced and executed by a preemptive multitask management program. In this way, it is possible to reduce overheads involved in arithmetically forming tone waveform samples.

The present invention relates to a tone generating method and device which permit a tone to be formed by a general-purpose processor having a computing unit.
The present invention also relates to a tone generating method which forms a tone waveform by executing a tone generating program on a programmable computing unit such as a CPU or DSP.
Conventionally known tone generating devices in general comprise a MIDI (Musical Instrument Digital Interface), a performance input section for receiving performance information from a keyboard or sequencer, a tone generator section for forming a tone waveform, and a microprocessor or central processing unit (CPU) for controlling the tone generator section in accordance with the input performance information. The CPU performs tone generator driver processing (performance processing) such as assignment of each tone to a selected channel (channel assignment) and parameter conversion in accordance with the input performance information, and supplies the converted parameters and a tone generating instruction (note-on signal) to the channel assigned by the tone generator section. The tone generator section is implemented by an electronic circuit such as an LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit) and forms a tone waveform on the basis of the supplied parameters.
However, the known tone generating devices were dedicated to tone generation purposes, and it was absolutely necessary in the past to employ such a dedicated tone generating device in order to generate tones.
For a solution to the problem, an improved tone generating device has been proposed, in which the CPU executes a specific application program to generate tones on the basis of the application program. This tone generating device can be implemented by a general-purpose computing unit which can perform tone generating and other functions by executing not only the tone generating application program but also other application programs. A general-purpose computer such as a personal computer can be employed as the hardware of such a tone generating device, which executes a tone generator program for tone generating operations. In this way, a so-call "software tone generator" is provided by the general-purpose computer.
In cases where tone are generated by executing an application program on a general-purpose device having a computing unit (CPU), it has been customary that tone waveform samples are formed for individual tone generating channels every sampling cycle (i.e., conversion timing of a D/A converter employed). Thus, when the CPU executes necessary operations for each of the tone generating channels, some preparatory operations are performed by the CPU, such as reading, into the CPU registers, of various registers' values used in the last calculations for the channel. Also, after termination of tone generating processing for the channel, it is necessary to write the CPU registers' values into a memory for next execution of the processing.
However, because the tone waveform sample forming or calculating process is performed sample by sample in each of the tone generating channels, the conventional software tone generator would present a problem that much of the CPU's calculating time is spent on the preparatory operations rather than the tone generating process (resulting in increased overheads), so that the calculating efficiency and response and tone forming speed of the tone generator would be undesirably lowered. That is, in performing the tone waveform sample forming process for the individual tone generating channels every sampling cycle, it is necessary for the CPU to cause the various data used in the last calculations for the channels to be restored from the memory to the above-mentioned registers and also, after termination of the waveform forming calculations, cause the registers' stored contents to be saved into the memory for next execution of the process. Thus, much processing time is required for operations other than the primary waveform forming calculations.
Further, in the known tone generating methods where the CPU performs both the tone generator processing and the performance processing, the "performance processing" is one for creating control information for controlling tones to be generated on the basis of input performance information, and the "tone generator processing" is one for forming waveform data on the basis of the created control information. For example, the CPU normally executes the performance processing such as detection of depressed keys while it executes the tone generator processing every sampling cycle in response to an interrupt signal. After formation of waveform data is completed for one sample in the tone generator processing, the CPU reverts to the performance processing.
The performance information (MIDI event information) is generated by a player's performance operation or reproduction of an event via a sequencer, and the generated performance information is processed in the performance processing. Namely, whenever such performance information is generated, the CPU must execute the performance processing in addition to the normal tone generator processing; thus, non-periodic generation of the performance information would lead to a temporary increase in the calculating amounts. However, according to the known tone generating methods which are not arranged to properly deal with such a temporary increase in the calculating amounts, the tone generator processing is preferentially executed in a periodic fashion irrespective of whether performance information has been input or not, so that the performance processing would sometimes be delayed appreciably.
The delay in the performance processing may be avoided by raising the priority of the performance processing; however, in such a case, the operation of the tone generator processing would become instable, causing the number of simultaneously generated tones to be temporarily reduced or a tone waveform to be broken off.


Examples of systems and methods are provided for designing a remote view of a local application. A system may receive a request from a remote client device to launch a local application at a local server. The system may select a configuration file associated with the local application and with the remote client device. The configuration file may comprise a control code for at least one user action to control the local application. The system may provide the configuration file directed to the remote client. The system may receive from the remote client device, a control code from a configuration file previously provided to the remote client device. The system may control the local application based on the received control code. The system may provide display output data of the local application directed to the remote client device.

One approach to the design and implementation of computer networks, particularly with regard to the development of client/server applications, includes designing client applications and client devices so that the majority of the heavily used resources are at a remote computing device, such as a centralized server, connected via a network. These client devices generally have minimal memory, disk storage, and processor power, but are designed under the premise that most users connected to a powerful server do not need the additional processing power. With these client devices, the total cost of ownership is minimized, because of the reduced resources and because the clients can be centrally administered and updated from the server.
One operational issue faced when deploying a new application in such a client/server configuration is that a significant amount of efforts may be involved to customize the new application for execution on a client device. An application developer may have to re-write the server portion and/or the client portion of the application to ensure satisfactory user experience on client devices having varying graphics and processor capabilities.
In a server-centric system, an application is typically designed to run on the server platform and minimal effort is put into customizing user experience for the application on a client device. In general, a graphical view of the output of the application, as would be seen at a display connected to the server, is provided to the client device. In such a server-centric system, a user of a remote client device can control the application running on the server by using the graphical control objects, such as scroll bar, radio buttons and drop-down lists that would be displayed on the display at the server. However, when the client device has a relatively small display, such a system may not provide satisfactory user experience. For client devices with relatively small displays, such as a mobile phone or a personal digital assistant, these graphical objects as seen on the small display are typically much smaller than the size of a human finger used to manipulate the graphical objects. Even if the client device allows zooming in, the user experience suffers because a user needs to constantly manipulate the display by adjusting zooming and scrolling the display.
In a client-centric system, an application may be written for a client device and ported to the operating system of the client device. Thus, in a client-centric system, a large part of the application may be run on the client device, with some support from the remote server. In practice, a client-centric system also has certain shortcomings. Every time a new device is introduced in the market, the application may have to be ported to the new device. Depending on the details of the software and hardware environment of a new device, this task of porting the application may require significant resources, making such portability impractical. In a typical client-centric system, the client device user interface and features are compiled and built before shipping the client device to a customer. The client graphical user interface (GUI) is static and can be changed by a tedious and user intensive procedure. It is difficult to create a personalized GUI for users. Furthermore, introducing new features, changing application functionality or GUI needs a tedious user-initiated process or new code development.
A better technique for deploying applications in a client/server environment is needed.

Method and system of specifying application user interface of a remote client device


Electronic devices that include an acene-thiophene copolymer and methods of making such electronic devices are described. The acene-thiophene copolymer can be used, for example, in a semiconductor layer or in a layer positioned between a first electrode and a second electrode.

Traditionally, inorganic materials have dominated the electronic device industry. For example, silicon arsenide and gallium arsenide have been used as semiconductor materials, silicon dioxide has been used as an insulator material, and metals such as aluminum and copper have been used as electrode materials. In recent years, however, there has been an increasing research effort aimed at using organic materials rather than the traditional inorganic materials in electronic devices. Among other benefits, the use of organic materials may enable lower cost manufacturing of electronic devices, may enable large area applications, and may enable the use of flexible circuit supports for display backplane and integrated circuits.
A variety of organic semiconductor materials have been considered, the most common being fused aromatic ring compounds as exemplified by small molecules such as pentacene-containing compounds, tetracene-containing compounds, anthracene-containing compounds, bis(acenyl)acetylene compounds, and acene-thiophene compounds. Several polymeric materials have also been considered such as regioregular polythiophenes such as poly(3-alkylthiophene) and polymers having fused thiophene units or bis-thiophene units. However, at least some of the polymers tend to undergo oxidation, which can lead to diminished electronic device performance.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electronic devices containing acene-thiophene copolymers


The machine includes a frame (11) and a film (12) for one of two substrates (1, 2) to be pressed onto the other under a plate (4). It is then possible to polymerize by points a glue joint (3) so as to assemble the two substrates. Accurate displacement means (7, 8, 9, 10) and observation means (13, 14, 15) are also provided. Application for the embodiment of liquid crystal cells.

One of the major stages for the production of a liquid crystal cell is the assembling of a first glass plate coated with a counter-electrode generally made of ITO (indium and tin oxide) with a second glass plate supporting etched patterns, these patterns constituting a matrix of display points or pixels. A glue joint disposed at the periphery of the first plate ensures the fixing of the two plates. Microballs provide a spacing of several microns between the two plates. This spacing is then filled with liquid crystals.
Generally speaking, an assembling machine is constituted as shown on FIGS. 1a-1d. These figures include (cf. FIG. 1a) an electrode carrier EC and a counter-electrode carrier CEC, both carriers being provided with prepositioning slugs. The first plate CE equipped with its counter-electrode and the glue joint UV and the second plate E equipped with its electrodes and spacers are positioned on the CEC and EC supports (FIG. 1b). Each of the two plates is kept in position via suction on its plate carrier. An arm B is provided so as to return the first plate CE and superimpose it on the second plate (FIG. 1c).
After alignment, the counter-electrode plate is laid on the electrode plate. Suction, which was keeping the first plate glued to the arm, is suppressed and the arm is brought back to an idle position (FIG. 1d).
After having cut suction under the electrode plate E, the cell may be disposed, the latter needing to then undergo polymerization of the glue by means of pressing under vacuum and being exposed to ultraviolet rays.
This type of machine does not enable one plate to be uniformly pressed onto the other plate and do not enable the glueing operation to take place in situ. In fact, if the two plates are properly placed opposite each other, they are not glued to each other at this stage. Therefore, it is necessary to have another working station, which implies an unloading of the preassembled cell followed by loading into a frame for under-vacuum pressing and isolation from the glue under ultraviolet rays. These multiple operations systematically result in having alignment defects.
Furthermore, these machines of the prior art do not make it possible to carry out a precise alignment of one plate onto the other plate at the time of preassembling. Now, in order to assemble a counter-electrode having an optical mask with an electrode having the shape of an active matrix, it is essential to know that the positioning precision is about several microns. Therefore, it is vital to have available means allowing for the precise alignment of marks located on the two plates.

Machine for assembling liquid crystal cells

France Telecom Etablissement Autonome De Droit Public

Societe D'Applications Generales D'Electricite et de Mecanique Sagem


The present invention discloses a display module using blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light sources to excite RGB fluorescent powders to emit light, which comprises a light guide plate, at least one blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light source, a diffuser plate, a liquid crystal layer and a fluorescent-powder excited layer. The blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light sources emit a short-wavelength light with the wavelength ranging from 360 to 460 nm; the light guide plate will guide the short-wavelength light to the diffuser plate; the diffuser plate will further diffuse the short-wavelength light; the diffused short-wavelength light will pass through the liquid crystal layer and reach the fluorescent-powder excited layer where the short-wavelength light excites the fluorescent powder to emit light. The excited layer has multiple grids where RGB fluorescent elements are disposed, and each grid has only one single-color fluorescent element. The liquid crystal layer can determine whether the short-wavelength light diffused by the diffuser plate is allowed to pass through a specified grid to excite the fluorescent element to emit light. The present invention combines the advantages of low voltage as in LCD and high brightness as in self-lighting PDP, and the present invention has the benefits of higher brightness, less light loss, and reduced cost.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display module using blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light sources, particularly to a display module using blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light sources to excite RGB fluorescent powders to emit light.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) panel, a backlight module in the rear side emits light, and the light is uniformly spread to the front side via the backlight module and an assemblage of prisms; the liquid crystal molecules will align according to received image signals, which can determine whether the light to pass through or not.
The backlight module is one of the key components of LCD panel. As liquid crystal itself does not emit light, sufficient brightness and uniformly distributed light source, which enables the LCD panel to present pictures, is provided by a backlight module.
LCD panel has been universally used in monitors, notebooks computers, digital cameras, projectors, etc., which have high growth potential, and therefore, the demand for the backlight module and its related elements and parts also increases persistently. The growth of the demand for backlight module is primarily motivated by the demand for large size panels used in notebook computers, monitors, etc., wherein low price is the stimulating factor of the demand.
In a Plasma Display Panel (PDP), inertial gases or a mercury vapor are filled into an evacuated tube, and a voltage is applied to create an isoionic effect, and an ultraviolet ray is thus emitted to excite RGB fluorescent elements to generate the trichromatic colors; the exciting time is used to control brightness.
A PDP comprises a front glass plate and a rear glass plate. The front glass plate has transparent ITO holding electrodes and conductivity-enhancing bus electrodes. A transparent dielectric layer overlays the electrodes, and MgO further overlays the dielectric layer in order to protect the dielectric layer against ion impact. The rear glass plate has address electrodes (i.e. data electrodes), a dielectric layer, and strip-like barrier ribs. RGB fluorescent materials are printed inside each barrier rib. Inertial gases Ne and Xe are filled into the space between two glass plates, and then, two glass plates are sealed, with the pressure thereinside at a high vacuum state of only several hundred Torr.
PDP has the advantages of high contrast, mature technology, no residual image, capability of implementing a large-size panel, and having a wide viewing angle. However, PDP is very expensive and consumes too much power, and the effect of the transparent ITO is not well enough. A voltage is used to create an isoionic effect to generate an ultraviolet ray, and the spectrum thereof is too wide; thus, the performance is unstable.
The top benefit of LCD is a very low radiation, and in comparison with PDP, LCD also consumes less power. However, if LCD is compared with CRT by the price per inch of the panel, a LCD panel is much more expensive than a traditional CRT TV.
In re those discussed above, the present invention provides a display module using blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light sources to overcome the problems.

Display module using blue-ray or ultraviolet-ray light sources


A power-down electrical locking protection device for an underground explosion protection frequency converter comprises a reversing control part and a locking control part. The reversing control part comprises a reversing handle (1), a sector plate (2) of a reversing switch, and an isolated reversing switch (3). The locking control part comprises a locking button (4), a locking positioning plate (5), and an auxiliary control point (6). The reversing handle (1) is fixedly connected to the sector plate (2). The reversing handle (1) is connected to the isolated reversing switch (3). The locking button (4) is fixedly connected to the locking positioning plate (5). The locking button (4) is connected to the auxiliary control point (6). A positioning stud (7) is fixed outside a cupboard door (8). The locking button (4) is electrically connected to a PLC module and a power supply. The isolated reversing switch (3) is connected to a discharge resistor. The power-down electrical locking protection device for an underground explosion protection frequency converter has the following advantages: the discharge time does not need to be calculated manually and the usage is stable and safe.

Converters bring low-loss and high-performance characteristics to electric driving applications. However, ordinary converters cannot be used in coal mines, where the atmosphere has high gas concentration and high humidity. In recent years, a variety of explosion-proof converters applicable to mines were developed in China and foreign countries. For these converter products, safety is especially important because these converters are applied in working environments with high gas concentration.
The application of such converters involves a cover opening process after converters being powered off. Most existing converter products employ a pure mechanical locking structure and require manual calculation of safe discharge time and manual control of the cover opening process. Those kinds of products all have instability factors in terms of safety level and device control, which have impact on stability and reliability of the product to some degree.

Power-down electrical locking protection device for underground explosion protection frequency converter

CHINA MINING DRIVES & AUTOMATION CO., LTD.


An apparatus is disclosed for automatically cutting stock material for a grid. The apparatus comprise at least one saw assembly positionable to selectively cut the stock material into individual grid elements for the grid, a conveyor system operable to present the stock material for cutting by the at least one saw assembly, and a computer controller operable to generate instructions directing the operation of the conveyor system and the positioning of the at least one saw assembly so as to automatically cut the stock material into the grid elements.

When transparent glass panes first became available for widespread use by consumers, large panes of such glass were prohibitively expensive and difficult to form. As a result, early windows and doors were constructed of a plurality of small, inexpensive, easily manufactured glass panes. Early windows and doors were characterized by a grid-like cross-hatched appearance as a result. The windows and doors of many old houses are a testament to this early technology.
Glass manufacturing technology rapidly advanced, however, making possible the introduction of the "picture window", a name sometimes applied to large panes of glass. While large uninterrupted panes of glass gained substantial popularity as early as the 1940's, doors and windows having multiple glass panes are considered by many to be more aesthetically pleasing. The irony of technology, however, is that the earlier design of windows and doors consisting of multiple panes of glass separated by dividing elements is now much more expensive to produce than a single pane window.
In order to meet the demand for doors and windows having the appearance of older style, multiple-pane assemblies, a number of techniques have been adopted to give an aesthetically pleasing appearance to a single large pane of glass.
It is commonly known to produce a unitary latticework of wood, metal or plastic, and apply this latticework to one side of a large contiguous sheet of glass. From a distance, the ordinary observer sees the assembly as comprised of multiple panes of glass constructed and assembled by the latticework. In fact, if two identical such latticework appliques are placed on opposite sides of a single pane of glass, it is difficult, without close inspection, to perceive that the assembly is, in fact, a decorative simulation of multiple panes of glass.
In recent years, with the escalating cost of energy, more and more buildings have incorporated insulated glass windows and doors in place of earlier single pane windows and doors, which are notoriously poor insulators. Modern insulated glass consists of multiple glass sheets, separated by spacers at the perimeter of the sheets, and then sealed together with a semi-flexible rubber-like compound. Such a sandwich of glass and air provides an enclosed insulating air space, which results in desirable thermal insulating properties.
Double-paned assemblies, however, are not easily disguised by latticework appliques to simulate the appearance of multi-panel windows and doors. Because there is a space of approximately 3/8" between the glass panels, the application of a latticework applique is not aesthetically pleasing. A more suitable visual effect is obtained by inserting a latticework assembly between the two glass panes. Windows and doors containing such internal latticeworks have become very popular in modern commercial and residential buildings.
The construction of an insulated window using such internal grid work is, however, a process which is relatively work-intensive. Because there are an infinite number of sizes and shapes of windows and doors in use today, the manufacture of grid work for glass panes dictates the availability of an equally infinite variety of gridwork assemblies. This problem is further compounded by the popularity of two distinct gridwork styles: those which are primarily rectangular in appearance, i.e., having essentially vertical and horizontal members; and those which have a diamond appearance, where the intersecting members of the grid are inclined at angles which are not strictly horizontal or vertical.
The manufacture of each individual gridwork element, therefore, requires several steps. First, the type of gridwork pattern to be incorporated in the window or door must be determined. Further, the dimensions of the finished insulated glass pane must be determined. The final determination is the spacing of the various intersection gridwork elements. With these parameters, it is possible to cut the individual intersecting elements of the grid to their appropriate lengths. Finally, the intersecting elements must be notched along their length, so that the completely assembled gridwork will have a uniform thickness, measured from front to back, to fit within the appropriate insulated glass insulation space.
The material which is most commonly used for the construction of this gridwork is an extruded aluminum tube of rectangular cross-section, which is painted or clad in an appropriate color. Originally, the manufacture of the gridwork required the determination steps above-described, followed by manual cutting of the extruded aluminum element from an elongated piece of stock material, known as a muntin bar. Muntin bar is typically supplied in lengths of 144", providing enough stock material for several individual grid elements.
In the existing technology, the manufacture of the gridwork is done essentially by hand, with manual computation of the lengths of grid elements required to be cut from the available lengths of muntin bar. Likewise, manual computations of the locations for notching the grid elements are performed. It is important to note that when manufacturing diagonally-oriented of grid elements, it is frequently necessary to insure that the ends of the elements are cut at the appropriate angle, so that the ends will fit flush with the interior surface of the spacer which separates the panes of the insulated glass. This additional requirement further complicates the manufacture of diagonally oriented grid elements.
Recently, a number of computer programs have become available which assist the workmen in the cutting and notching of grid elements, by providing information regarding the angles of the ends of the grid elements, as well as the precise location for the notches where the grid elements will fit together. Still, the cutting and notching operations take place manually, requiring the workmen to move the raw stock muntin bar into position against either a cutting saw or router, and positioning the angle of the cutting saw or router manually, based on the computations made either manually, or by the computer program. Modern systems, such as the muntin notcher and muntin angle and trim saw produced by McKeegan Equipment & Supply Company of Plymouth, Michigan, provide minimal digital readout settings, and manual stops for manual positioning of the muntin bar at the cutting or notching stage of a machine. These processes, even though improved, are still work-intensive, time-consuming and expensive. The present invention overcomes each of these limitations.

Automated apparatus for cutting and notching stock material


An electronic cigarette case comprising a case body to accommodate electronic cigarettes is provided, the electronic cigarette case further comprises a storage managing module, a storage and a data transmission interface, the storage and the data transmission interface are in communication with the storage managing module, the storage managing module will read external data from external electronic equipments through the data transmission interface and write the external data into the storage for storing; or the storage managing module will read the stored data from the storage and transfer them to the external electronic equipments through the data transmission interface. Thus, the electronic cigarette case and the mobile storage device can be integrated as a whole to make it friendly for users to be carried.

At present, the product of electronic cigarette is widely used since it is not only easy to be carried and able to store electronic cigarettes, but also able to charge the bodies of the electronic cigarettes through the built-in reserve battery when the electronic cigarettes are exhausted of power.
Nowadays, the demand for data storage becomes more and more widely, users should use mobile storages such as U disk or SD card in many cases. In some cases, the storage of important data or the display of documents may be delayed because of not carrying along the mobile storage, thus bringing inconvenience to living, work and study. Besides, it is easy for users to forget this, that and the other when carrying too many electronic products, and difficult to manage their belongings to cause inconvenience. It will bring great convenience if the data storage function can be integrated into the common electronic cigarette case.

Electronic cigarette case with the ability of mobile data storage

HUIZHOU KIMREE TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD. SHENZHEN BRANCH


Technologies for calibrating radars and tracking space objects. Some of such technologies enable a technique for calibrating a radar based on using -A- an elemental antenna (308), which can be embedded on a housing hosting a set of antenna elements, or -B- an antenna (146) mounted to a reflector. Some of such technologies enable a radar site containing a first 1D phased array (112) and a second 1D phased array (112), where the first 1D phased array sends a set of signals and receives a set of reflections based on the set of signals, and the second 1D phased array receives the set of reflections.

There are various ways to track various space objects (e.g., low earth objects, satellites, debris). For example, some space objects can be tracked via 2D phased array radars. However, these systems are technologically disadvantageous because of large size, technological complexity, and high financial costs. Some of such technological disadvantages can be overcome by steerable dish radars. However, these systems are technologically disadvantageous because of low tracking rates, mechanical steering, and limited beaming abilities.

Calibrating radars and tracking space objects


Provided are a semiconductor device having a buried word line structure in which a gate electrode and a word line may be buried within a substrate to reduce the height of the semiconductor device and to reduce the degradation of the oxide layer caused by chlorine ions from the application of a TiN metal gate, and a method of fabricating the semiconductor device. The semiconductor device may comprise a semiconductor substrate defined by a device isolation layer and comprising an active region including a trench and one or more recess channels, a gate isolation layer on the surface of the trench, a gate electrode layer on the surface of the gate isolation layer, and a word line by which the trench may be buried on the surface of the gate electrode layer.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a semiconductor device having a buried gate electrode and a method of fabricating the same.
2. Description of Related Art
Recently, there has been increasing research on the buried word line cell array transistor (BCAT) in which a word line (WL) may be buried below the surface of a semiconductor substrate using a metal (and not a polysilicon) as a gate electrode in the structure of a conventional recess channel array transistor (RCAT). Unlike a polysilicon gate in a conventional DRAM, a word line having 0.5 F pitch/interval can be formed using a BCAT technique, and accordingly, the area of the cell can be reduced.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device comprising a gate structure according to the conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 1, an active region 26 is defined in a substrate 10 by a device isolation layer 12, and a trench 14 is formed in the substrate 10. A gate insulating layer 16 is disposed on the bottom surface and the inner surface of the trench 14. A metal gate electrode 20, which fills the trench 14 on the gate insulating layer 16 and protrudes beyond the substrate 10, is formed. Spacers 24 are formed on both sides of the protruded metal gate electrode 20, and a capping pattern 22 is disposed on the upper surface of metal gate electrode 20. An active region of a source and drain is formed in the substrate adjacent to both sides of the metal gate electrode 20. The metal gate electrode 20 can serve as a gate electrode and a word line.
In the semiconductor device, the metal gate electrode 20 is buried into the substrate 10 and also protrudes beyond the surface of substrate, and accordingly, the spacer 24 for supporting the metal gate electrode 20 is required. Therefore, in the above structure, the semiconductor device having a height corresponding to the protruded portion of the metal gate electrode 20 is formed. Thus, the above structure is not ideal for embodying a thinner device.
A titanium nitride (TiN) metal gate may be formed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method. In order to secure the thermal stability at a temperature above 1000° C., a resistivity of the word line below 40 kohm/line and a superior gate diode integrity (GOI) characteristic is used as the gate electrode of the BCAT. For example, in order to secure a step coverage above 10:1, a TiN layer formed by a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) method using TiCl4 and NH3 is used for forming the metal gate. However, chlorine ions in TiCl4 are diffused into the oxide layers and silicon channels, thereby forming traps in the oxide layers. As a result, degradation characteristics of the oxidation layer occur below −3V, which is in the operation voltage region due to trap assisted tunneling (TAT). As a result, reliability of the device is reduced.
FIG. 2 is a graph illustrating gate voltage-current characteristics of the semiconductor device having a gate structure according to the conventional art.
Referring to FIG. 2, gate voltage-current characteristics of a polysilicon gate electrode according to the conventional art is denoted by Line A, and gate voltage-current characteristics of a gate electrode and a word line formed of titanium nitride (TiN) according to the conventional art as illustrated in FIG. 1 are denoted by Line B. Line B shows a higher current value as compared to Line A for a gate voltage within the range of approximately −3V to −5V, which indicates an increase of the leakage current. The degradation of the oxide layers due to the occurrence of chlorine ions from applying the TiN layer, which is formed using a CVD or an atomic layer deposition (ALD) method, is one of the causes of the problems described above.

Semiconductor having buried word line cell structure and method of fabricating the same


Disclosed are anhydrous gel deodorant compositions comprising from about 0.001% to about 50% by weight of deodorant active, fragrance, or combination thereof, from about 0.01% to about 20% by weight of a gellant; from about 1% to about 50% by weight of a nonpolar volatile solvent having a solubility parameter of less than 8.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5, a vapor pressure of from about 0.01 mm Hg to about 6 mm Hg at 25.degree. C., and a boiling point at 1 atm of less than about 250.degree. C.; from about 1% to about 15% by weight of a polar solvent having a solubility parameter of from 12.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5 to about 25 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5 and optionally a moderately polar solvent having a solubility parameter of from about 8.0 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5 to less than 12.5 (cal/cm.sup.3).sup.0.5, preferably 1,2-hexanediol. Other preferred embodiments include those which contain combinations of triclosan and triclocarban for improved deodorant efficacy. These compositions provide improved performance and skin feel characteristics, and are especially effective at providing deodorant application which is milder to the skin, and improved product clarity.

Human body malodors are generally believed to be caused in part by microbial interaction with sweat gland secretions which produces pungent fatty acids. Aside from cleansing, one way such odors are controlled is by the topical application to the underarm of an antiperspirant or deodorant composition.
Deodorant compositions in gel form are especially popular as a means for preventing or masking malodor arising from perspiration. These gel deodorants compositions are typically in the form of a solid or soft solid stick and, like other antiperspirant or deodorant products, are also applied topically to the underarm or other area of the skin. The gel deodorants, however, typically glide onto the skin more easily than many other antiperspirant or deodorant products, and leave little if any visible residue after application. These gel deodorants typically contain a gellant, a polar solvent to solubilize the gellant, and a deodorant active such as an antimicrobial active, perfume or other odor masking material. Commonly used gellants in such systems include fatty acid salts, examples of which include sodium or potassium salts of C.sub.12 -C.sub.22 fatty acids. Polar solvents commonly used in combination with the fatty acid salts to form the gel structure of the composition include monohydric or dihydric alcohols, especially ethanol and glycols such as propylene glycol, dipropylene glycol and other higher molecular weight polypropylene glycols. Many of these gel deodorants, however, are not mild to the skin and can cause an excessive skin irritation.
It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide an anhydrous gel deodorant composition that is milder to the skin and causes less skin irritation, and further to provide such a composition that also has good skin feel characteristics during and after topical application. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide such a composition wherein the composition comprises a nonpolar volatile solvent in combination with a polar solvent, and further to provide such a composition which optionally comprises a moderately polar solvent.


Castable refractory for a slide gate plate is mainly formed of alumina raw material and amorphous carbon raw material of 2 to 15 wt %, and contains silicon carbide and/or boron carbide, the total content thereof being equal to 0.5 to 10 wt % (the content of boron carbide is equal to or less than 3 wt %, and when the content of boron carbide is less than 0.5 wt %, silicon carbide is set to 3 wt % or more), 2 to 10 wt % magnesia of 1 mm or less in particle size, 0.2 to 3 wt % silica fine powder of 5 micrometers or less in particle size, and 0.1 to 5 wt % salt of condensate of formalin and aromatic sulfonate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to castable refractory for a slide gate plate which is used for a molten steel container, such as ladle, a tundish or the like, and has high resistance to corrosion and spalling and excellent structure stability before heated.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional a molten-metal accommodating vessel such a ladle, a tundish or the like, a slide gate device is disposed at a steel outlet port which is formed on the bottom portion of the molten-metal accommodating vessel, and castable refractory has been known as being used as plate refractory for the slide gate device. However, the castable refractory itself can hardly keep sufficient corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance to molten steel. Therefore, as disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Sho-58-188559 or No. Sho-64-48661, brick which is excellent in corrosion resistance and abrasion resistance is used as a core member for the core portion of the vessel which is directly brought into contact with the molten steel and the castable refractory is used as an outer-periphery member for holding the brick.
As described above, the conventional castable refractory for a slide gate plate has been used to surround the core member which is directly brought into contact with the molten steel because it is inferior to brick in corrosion resistance, spalling resistance and abrasion resistance. Therefore, it has been hitherto difficult to use the castable refractory as a core member. However, if it is possible to use a slide gate plate formed of only castable refractory as a core member to be brought into contact with molten steel metal without using brick, it is apparent that the manufacturing cost could be lowered. Accordingly, it has been required to develop novel castable refractory which has high resistance to corrosion and spalling and high temperature strength (i.e., high resistance to abrasion).


In a plastic housing of the "Flameproof Enclosure" ignition protection type, one part of the housing is provided at the parting plane with a rib (31) and the other housing part is provided with a groove complementary thereto. The cross-sectional dimensions of the groove are larger than the cross-sectional dimensions of the rib (31). The gap-like space obtained thereby is filled with a coating which adheres integrally either to the rib (31) or to the walls (14, 15) of the groove (13). This gives rise, between the coating and the other part to which it does not adhere integrally, to a gap which meets the requirement placed on an "ex-gap" of a flameproof housing.

The "Flameproof Enclosure" ignition protection type is a type of ignition protection, in which electric operating equipment and other appliances are accommodated in a closed housing. The housing must satisfy specific test conditions. It is necessary, inter alia, to ensure that, if an ignitable gas mixture ignites in the housing, no particles and no hot gases can escape outward which may possibly ignite the atmosphere in the vicinity of the housing, if an ignitable gas mixture is also present there. This condition relating to the retention of ignitable particles and hot gases can be achieved if the cover of the housing forms with the housing a so-called "ex-gap". During passage through the "ex-gap", the particles and gases are sufficiently cooled to be no longer capable of causing any damage outside the housing.
So that the "ex-gap" can perform its function, it must be sufficiently narrow and long, and the gap width should under no circumstances increase over time. In this case, in particular, the gap width is an essential criterion which, where large volumes are concerned, has hitherto been possible to adhere to sufficiently only by means of housings manufactured from metal. Housings injection-molded from plastic present the problem that the housing dimensions in the region of the parting plane between lower part and upper part of the housing and cover are subject to such pronounced material-related and process-related tolerances that it has not been possible to satisfy the conditions for an "ex-gap" there.
It has therefore been necessary hitherto, in the case of housings produced from plastic, to ensure the "Flameproof Enclosure" ignition protection type by connecting upper part and lower part of the housing integrally to one another at the parting plane by means of a sealing compound. However, the housing is consequently closed permanently and the electric operating equipment inside the housing can be reached only when the housing is destroyed.

Plastic housing of the flameproof enclosure ignition protection type


A method and components for adapting a standard rectangular or other pre-existing junction box for mounting within cylindrical concrete piers and other curved structures commonly employed for supporting light poles and other mechanisms wherein the front wall portion of the adapted junction box and the face plate member associated therewith for controlling access to the interior portion of the junction box are both shaped and configured to conform to the specific curvature associated with the outer surface of the curved structure into which the adapted junction box will be mounted. The present components enable the adapted junction box to be completely embedded within the curved structure such that the exposed front wall portion thereof including the face plate member lie substantially flush with the outer surface of the curved retaining structure. Although a generally rectangularly shaped junction box can be easily adapted for substantially flush mounting within a curved structure, the present adapter components will likewise work equally as well with other junction box configurations including junction boxes having a curved front wall portion already associated therewith to produce an overall assembly having a front wall portion that is compatible with the curvature of the outer surface of the particular curved structure into which it will be encased. The present adaptation allows more convenient access to the interior portion of the junction box and provides a more weatherproof and tamperproof junction box as compared to the known square or rectangularly shaped junction boxes which are often times used in curved structure applications.

Electrical junction boxes are generally formed as box-like structures, such as the known, standard rectangular, square, round, and octagonal shaped steel and PVC junction boxes commonly employed in many different applications, which applications often include the surface or flush mounting of such junction boxes on a planar wall, either interiorly or exteriorly. Significantly, a flush mounting within curved structures such as cylindrical concrete piers is not realizable with the standard junction boxes, and on those occasions when rectangular, square, round, or octagonal shaped junction boxes have been either attached to or encased within concrete piers, unique problems have arisen. For example, in such situations, installed standard junction boxes have sometimes been completely recessed within the curved structure so as to prevent any portion thereof from protruding beyond the outer surface of the curved structure. While this arrangement of the junction box within the curved retaining structure helps to prevent mechanical or environmental damage to the junction box, it also makes access to and work within the junction box more inconvenient and difficult. Alternatively, such junction boxes, or portions thereof, have been installed to protrude beyond the outer surface of the curved structure into which they are mounted, making access to and work within the boxes more convenient, but such arrangement leaves portions of the junction boxes more vulnerable to damage from external sources. The latter configuration is also less weatherproof and tamperproof than is generally desired. Thus, there is a need for means to adapt standard junction boxes for flush mounting in cylindrical or curved shaped structures of various sizes, such as in cylindrical concrete piers commonly used for supporting light poles and other structures.
Co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/316,944, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,730, previously filed by this Applicant, discloses a junction box specifically configured for flush mounting within a curved structure, which junction box has a curvilinear or arcuate shaped front wall portion that is specifically designed to match the curvature of the curved structures, such as cylindrical concrete piers. That junction box construction is intended to replace the conventional rectangular and/or square shaped junction boxes for mounting applications within a curved structure. While such a construction is quite advantageous, the plethora of differently sized curved structures with which the junction boxes may be employed results in a need to keep an inventory of junction boxes that have different front wall curvatures. Keeping a large inventory of different junction boxes, however, can be costly and can require significant storage space.
Until now, there has been no known means for adapting a conventional or standard junction box for flush mounting within a curved structured or for adapting a junction box having an arcuate shaped front wall portion for flush mounting within a curved structure that has a curvature different from that of the curved junction box. Although many of the known prior art devices, including the devices disclosed in co-pending U.S. application Ser. No. 08/316,944, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,730 have different box-like shapes, no known prior art devices have included means for making standard non-curvilinear or non-arcuate shaped junction boxes compatible for ready use in a wide variety of differently curved structures, such as cylindrical concrete piers. Consequently, for these and other reasons, the constructions of this application offer significant advantages in applications where it is desirable to adapt a pre-existing or standard junction box for flush mounting within a curved structure, especially since they permit the advantages realized by the junction boxes of co-pending application Ser. No. 08/316,944 now U.S. Pat. No. 5,553,730 to be realized while also minimizing the need for extensive additional inventory of junction boxes.

Junction box construction for use in curved structures


A recording apparatus for recording information on a record medium is provided with: a controller for generating a start address of each time-unit piece of main information divided by a predetermined time unit based on time information corresponding to the main information; a processing device for coding and compressing the main information by every predetermined compression unit to generate a plurality of compression-unit pieces of compressed data; and a recording device for recording the plurality of compression-unit pieces of compressed data and the generated start address as at least a portion of access information for the main information onto the record medium.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a method of and an apparatus for recording information on a record medium such as an optical disc, and an apparatus for reproducing the information from the record medium, and more particularly, to an improvement in the access time as for the information recording and reproducing apparatuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
Along with the recent development in the multi-media technique, the high density recording of video and audio information is frequently performed. The high efficiency encoding process of the video and audio information has been developed as a technique to record as much information as possible onto the record medium having a limited record capacity. Especially, the method proposed by the MPEG (Motion Picture Experts Group) that is an international standardization meeting for accumulation medium animation image encoding (hereafter, referred to as an MPEG method) is noted as a standard for the compression method by means of high efficiency encoding of the video information.
In the consecutive frame pictures, the pictures ahead of and behind each other are generally similar to each other. The MPEG method is a method of noting this point and generating, on the basis of a plurality of frame pictures transferred at an interval of a few frames, a different frame picture existing between the pertinent plurality of frame pictures, by means of an interpolation operation based on a moving vector of an original picture and the like.
In this case, in a case of recording the different frame pictures, only by recording information with respect to a difference between the plurality of frame pictures and the moving vector, at a time of reproducing, it is possible to refer to them, predict from the above mentioned plurality of frame pictures and thereby reproduce the appropriate different frame pictures. As a result, it is possible to carry out the compression record of the video data.
Here, in the MPEG method, a unit of GOP (Group of Picture) is used, as a minimum unit which enables a reproduction without referring to other pictures. FIG. 7 shows a bit stream in such a high efficiency encoding process constituting this one GOP. Each frame indicates one frame picture. In FIG. 7, one GOP is composed of twelve sheets of frame pictures. However, in the frame pictures, a frame picture illustrated by a sign (I) is referred to as an I picture (Intra-coded picture), and it means the frame picture which can be reproduced as a perfect frame picture from the picture itself. And, a frame picture illustrated by a sign (P) is referred to as a P picture (Predictive-coded picture), and it is a predictive picture generated by decoding a difference from the predictive pictures which are compensation-reproduced on the basis of a demodulated I picture or other P pictures. And, a frame picture illustrated by a sign (B) is referred to as a B picture (Bidirectionally predictive-coded picture), and it means a predictive picture reproduced by using not only the demodulated I picture or P picture but also a future I picture or P picture recorded on an optical disk and the like to predict. FIG. 7 shows a predictive relation (interpolation relation) between respective pictures by using an arrow mark.
Here, as to data generation amount of one GOP, there are two different generation ways. FIG. 8A shows the GOP recorded by controlling a compression rate and the like such that the data generation amount (n, n, n) for each GOP 100 is always constant. If the data generation amount is constant, an address of each GOP and the data amount have proportional relation between each other. Thus, it is possible to easily search the appropriate address corresponding to a target time. On the other hand, FIG. 8B shows the GOP generated without controlling so as to make the data generation amount constant (a, b, c). At this time, in respective recorded GOPs 101, 102 and 103, the data amounts included therein become different from each other.
Now, noting the data amount generated in a case that recorded video information is reproduced, the picture in which movement of an original picture is large has slightly relative relation between respective pictures, so that the data amount generated in one GOP becomes large. On the other hand, the picture in which the movement of the original picture is slight has largely relative relation between the respective pictures, so that the data amount generated in one GOP becomes small. According to the method shown in FIG. 8A, each GOP is adapted to have always constant data amount irrespective of a content of a moving component of the original picture. Thus, image quality is made worse for the video picture whose movement is large, and uselessness is induced in the video picture whose movement is small. As a result, the method shown in FIG. 8B is desired in order to make the image quality uniform and to effectively utilize a record capacity of the optical disk. It is concluded that it is appropriate to differentiate the data amount for each information unit such as the GOP, in the information recording method by means of the ordinary high efficiency encoding process.
Next, as shown in FIG. 9, when recording on the optical disk the video information compressed, together with audio information to which a predetermined process such as a compression and the like is applied, the compressed video information is time-axis-divided and multiplexed into one data stream. And, the video information and the audio information which are time-division-multiplexed are recorded with a packet data as a unit.
In the multiplexed stream data recorded in this way, as shown in FIG. 10, for the sake of convenience of the access at a time of reproducing, time-axis information is added for every packet. In the MPEG method, this time-axis information is referred to as PTS (Presentation Time Stamp). In the PTS, a reproduction time of the video information or the audio information with respect each of the packets is described with 1/90000 sec as one unit (that is, 90000 Hz). At a time of multiplexing the video information and the audio information to record, as shown in FIG. 10, the same PTSs are described and recorded on the corresponding video packet and audio packet. Thus, the reproducing apparatus refers to the PTSs and causes the packet of the video information and the packet of the audio information, in which the same PTSs are recorded on both packets, to be synchronized with each other, and thereby can reproduce the video information and the audio information by causing them to be synchronized with each other.
On the other hand, the PTS can be used as elapsed time information at a time of reproducing. That is, by storing the PTS obtained from the optical disk at a time of starting the reproduction, by obtaining a difference between the PTS detected in a middle of the reproduction and the PTS at the time of starting the reproduction, and by dividing the difference by 90000 (=90 kHz), it is possible to obtain the elapsed time from the beginning of the reproduction.
However, in case of the recording method of FIG. 8B in which the data amounts are different in each GOP, there is a problem that it takes a relatively long time until the reproducing apparatus starts reproducing the target information since the arbitrary time to specify the target information is specified to the reproducing apparatus. Hereinbelow, this problem will be explained in more detail.
In the above mentioned information reproducing apparatus, when the target time is given to it, it refers to the time axis information e.g. the PTS, and then accesses the information according to a predetermined procedure.
Namely:
i) it accesses the lead address of the record medium; PA1 ii) it judges the approximate position from the specified target time, and slides the optical pickup device to the approximate position; PA1 iii) it reproduces the information from the position to which the optical pickup has been slid, and detects the PTS thereat; and PA1 iv) it calculates the elapsed time from the detected PTS, judges the approximate position again from the difference between the calculated elapsed time and the target time, and slides the optical pickup device again to the approximate position; and PA1 v) it repeats the above processes i) to iv) until it accomplishes a convergence at the target position.
That is why it takes a certainly long time to accomplish the convergence.
There are some methods to reduce the access time.
For example, there is a method of dividing the software to be recorded onto the record medium into a certain number of chapters depending on the content of the software, and recording the lead address of each chapter at a predetermined portion on the record medium. According to this method, the compressed and multiplexed video information and the multiplexed audio information are recorded in the video and audio information area in FIG. 11A, while the lead address of each chapter is recorded in the access information area, which is located at the inner circumference side of the record medium, in FIG. 11A. Here, by dividing the compressed information by each block (corresponding to the chapter) of 2048 bytes, the serial number from the lead of each block may be assigned to the address for each block, for example. The access information based on this method is shown in FIG. 11B.
Further, other than the above mentioned methods, there is a method of calculating the data amount for each GOP in a recording apparatus, and recording all of the lead addresses of GOPs to the access information area. The access information based on this method is shown in FIG. 11C.
However, according to the method by use of the access information of FIG. 11B, the access time can be reduced by the time period corresponding to the lead address of each chapter. Namely, in order to access the address corresponding to the target time specified arbitrarily, the aforementioned processes i) to iv) should be performed.
On the other hand, according to the method by use of the access information of FIG. 11C, if the number of frames constituting the GOP is changed in the middle of the record medium, the elapsed time for each start address is also changed, resulting in that it is difficult to search the address precisely when the target time is specified.

Method of and apparatus for recording information on record medium and apparatus for reproducing the same


Systems and methods for microbolometer focal plane arrays provide for the selection of microbolometers within the microbolometer focal plane arrays. In accordance with an embodiment, a microbolometer focal plane array includes a plurality of microbolometers forming a microbolometer array, wherein contacts within the microbolometer array are shared by the microbolometers; a first plurality of switches adapted to provide a voltage to respective ones of the plurality of microbolometers; a second plurality of switches adapted to receive an output signal from respective ones of the plurality of microbolometers; and a third plurality of switches adapted to selectively short respective ones of the plurality of microbolometers in the microbolometer array.

Microbolometer structures are generally fabricated on monolithic silicon substrates to form an array of microbolometers, with each microbolometer functioning as a pixel to produce a two-dimensional image. The change in resistance of each microbolometer is translated into a time-multiplexed electrical signal by circuitry known as read out integrated circuit (ROIC). The combination of ROIC and the microbolometer array are commonly known as a microbolometer focal plane array (FPA). Additional details regarding microbolometers may be found, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,756,999 and 6,028,309, which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
Each microbolometer in the array is generally formed with two separate contacts, which are not shared with adjacent microbolometers in the array. One contact is used to provide a reference voltage for the microbolometer while the other contact provides a signal path from the microbolometer to the ROIC. A drawback of having two contacts per microbolometer is that the contacts do not scale proportionally as semiconductor processing technologies transition to smaller dimensions. Consequently, as microbolometer dimensions are reduced, the contacts consume a greater percentage of the area designated for the microbolometer, which reduces the area available for the desired resistive portion of the microbolometer and impacts microbolometer performance.
For conventional approaches that implement shared contacts within a microbolometer array, there may be some susceptibility to column-to-column short defects. For example, if a column-to-column short defect occurs, the data from the microbolometers (microbolometer read outs) within the columns associated with the column-to-column short defect may exhibit high noise and crosstalk.
As a result, there is a need for improved techniques for implementing microbolometer focal plane arrays.

Systems and methods for selecting microbolometers within microbolometer focal plane arrays


A wiper arm device for a wiper arm (20), having at least one fastening part (44) which is provided for connecting at least one articulation part (38) of the wiper arm (20) to a drive shaft (24) of a wiper drive (16), wherein the fastening part (44) has at least one fastening boss (46) for fastening the fastening part (44) to the drive shaft (24) and at least one articulation boss (48) for fastening the articulation part (38) to the fastening part (44).

A wiper arm device for a wiper arm, having at least one fastening part which is provided for connecting at least one articulation part of the wiper arm to a drive shaft of a wiper drive has already been proposed, wherein the fastening part has at least one fastening boss for fastening the fastening part to the drive shaft and at least one articulation boss for fastening the articulation part to the fastening part.

Wiper arm device, wiper arm, and screen wiper system


A tool includes a pair of levers having a middle portion pivotally coupled together and having a handle formed on one end and a bar formed on the other end. The bars each have a cavity. A pair of jaws each has a stud for engaging with the cavity of the bar and for allowing the jaws to be secured to and disengaged from the bars. One of the jaws includes a jut or a pin or a protrusion for engaging with the recess or the cavity or the aperture of the other jaw and for forming various kinds of pliers. The jaws each includes a knurled surface for forming a pair of pliers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a tool, and more particularly to a plier-type tool having replaceable jaws.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Typical plier-type tools, such as pliers, crimping tools, ear tag clamping tools, retaining ring fitting tools, each includes a pair of levers having a handle formed in one end and a jaw formed in the other end. The jaws are solidly secured or provided on the handle and may not be disengaged from the handle for replacing the other tools. The users thus have to buy a number of tools each for a particular use.
The present invention has arisen to mitigate and/or obviate the afore-described disadvantages of the conventional tools.


A front equipment mount for attaching a piece of equipment to a front end of a wheeled vehicle having an independent front suspension includes a longitudinal frame and a transverse frame member connected to the longitudinal frame. The longitudinal frame has a forward and end which is positionable proximate the front end of the vehicle and a rearward end which is attachable to the vehicle rearward of the front suspension. The transverse frame member has opposed left and right ends connectable to respective left and right suspension members of the vehicle. The piece of equipment is attachable to the forward end of the longitudinal frame such that the weight of the piece of equipment is supported by the left and right suspension members as unsprung weight.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a mount for attaching equipment such as a snowplow, bucket loader or fork lift to the front of a wheeled vehicle, and in particular to such a mount which can support the equipment as unsprung weight on a vehicle having independent front suspension.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is well known to attach equipment such as a snowplow, bucket loader or fork lift to the front of a wheeled vehicle such as a tractor, truck, all-terrain vehicle (ATV) or other vehicle. Mounting such equipment on a tractor is a relatively straight forward procedure because tractors do not typically have any suspension system; i.e. the axles of a tractor are rigidly affixed to the chassis. The equipment can, therefore, be mounted in any convenient location on the vehicle with little concern as to the effect of the weight of the equipment on the handling of the vehicle.
When mounting front-mounted equipment on a truck, ATV, or other vehicle having a suspension, the weight of the equipment becomes a concern. Typically, the equipment is bolted to the frame of the vehicle and the weight of the equipment and any load supported thereon becomes sprung weight, meaning that the weight must be supported by the springs in the vehicle's suspension, and too much sprung weight on the front of a vehicle can cause the front suspension to sag, bottom out, or even collapse.
This problem as been previously addressed in vehicles having solid beam-type front axles by supporting the weight of the equipment on the front axle. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 2,091,343 issued to G. C. Soule et al. in 1937 discloses a snowplow mount for a truck with a beam axle. The weight of the snowplow is carried by brackets which hook over and attach to the front axle. The plow is stabilized by a framework which extends rearwardly under the truck and bolts to the truck frame forward of the rear wheels. The result is that the weight of the snowplow is not carried by the truck's suspension, but instead becomes unsprung weight supported only by the axle and front wheels. The only force transmitted to the frame is an upward force near the rear of the vehicle which, due to the length of the framework, is only a fraction of the weight of the plow. Similar inventions are disclosed by Canadian Patents 326,141 and 535,370.
While equipment mounts as described above work acceptably well in older vehicles or large trucks having solid front axles, they are not applicable to newer light trucks, sport utility vehicles or ATVs having independent front suspension since these vehicles have no axle to which to attach the equipment mount. What is needed is an improved front equipment mount capable of mounting a snowplow, bucket loader, forklift or similar piece of equipment to a wheeled vehicle with independent front suspension wherein the mount is designed to support the equipment as unsprung weight.

Front equipment mount for a wheeled vehicle