A method of producing male or female sterile plants comprising providing means for inactivating a herbicide and means for reactivating the thus inactivated herbicide, wherein the herbicide inactivating means is provided within vegetative tissues and the reactivating means is provided in either the male or female reproductive structures of the plant, so that the vegetative, but not reproductive, structures are protected from the phtyotoxic activity of the herbicide when applied to the plant.

Heterosis in crop plants can have a marked effect on yield improvement. In general, hybrids exhibit increased yields in comparison with non-hybrid varieties. Hybrids usually give a greater return unit for growth factors such as water and fertilizer. Hybrids often offer superior stress tolerance, uniformity in product and maturity and also afford a simple breeding opportunity to combine characteristics or traits that may be difficult to combine in other ways. Hybrid vigour in plants is generally of sufficient magnitude to warrant commercial exploitation. Commercial hybrids are used extensively in many crops including corn, sorghum, sugar beet, sunflower and canola. However, owing mainly to the lack of economical hybrid seed production methods, wheat, barley and rice are still grown mainly as inbreds.
Traditionally, hybrid seed production involves planting out separate blocks of female and male parent lines with only the seed from the female parents being harvested. To ensure that this seed is hybrid, self pollination of the female parent line must be minimised by rendering the line male-sterile. Methods for making the female parent line male sterile include mechanical, chemical and genetic methods. In monoecious plants, such as maize, male sterility can be readily achieved mechanically by detasselling of the male infloresence. However most crops are diecious and having male and female organs within the same flower makes such physical emasculation impractical. Genetic approaches have therefore sometimes been used.
Genetic male sterility traits which occur are normally controlled by nuclear genes in which the alleles associated with the sterile phenotype are generally expressed recessively with respect to the corresponding alleles associated with fertility. Where genetic male sterility occurs it is normally associated with a single recessive gene that must be homozygous in order for male sterility to be expressed. In order to make practical use of such genetic male sterility traits, breeders usually develop a phenotypically uniform female line that segregates into male-sterile and male-fertile plants. The male fertile plants, once identified, need to be rogued out which is labour intensive. There is always a problem with maintaining the parental line since male fertile plants cannot be eliminated from the population because they are essential for maintenance of the population. Rather than rely on the existence of natural male sterility alleles it is also possible to use molecular biological methods. Plants may be engineered which express, for example, anti-sense or ribozyme genes that decrease or eliminate expression of key genes necessary for the formation of viable pollen. Such transgenic lines of plants are male-sterile and are used for the production of hybrid seed by crossing using pollen from male-fertile plants. The main problem with such lines is that they can only be maintained in a heterozygous state in subsequent generations, via crosses with the isogenic fertile lines. This can be a problem in hybrid seed production where yield is critical. Although, for example by linking herbicide resistance to male sterility, it may be possible to selectively rogue out the male-fertile plants this still necessitates that the plants are planted initially at extra high densities.
The use of cytoplasmic male sterility for commercial hybrid production requires a stable male-sterile cytoplasm and a source of pollen. The cytoplasmic-genetic system of male sterility requires the existence of three types of line for hybrid production, the A line (cytoplasmic male-sterile), B line (male-fertile maintainer) and R line (male fertile with restorer genes). Three-way crosses produced with this system involve maintenance and production of four lines, an A and a B line of one inbred and male-fertile inbreds of the other two. Reliance on a single source of male-sterile cytoplasm can minimise breeding flexibility and lead to progeny with wholesale susceptibility to particular diseases.
Hybrid seed can also be produced through the use of chemicals that inhibit viable pollen formation. These chemicals, called gametocides, are used to impart transitory male-sterility. However the expense, registerability and reliability of gametocides has limited their use.
A shortcoming of traditional hybrid seed production systems is the need to plant separate rows or blocks of the male and female parent lines. Here low efficiency pollination is an especially acute problem in crop species, such as wheat, that release small amounts of pollen which does not travel far on the wind. In such crops as much as two/thirds of the hybrid-producing field needs to be dedicated to male pollen-donor plants and then hybrid seed production therefore becomes uneconomic.
In order to achieve more economic seed production in wheat and other crops it is necessary to move male and female plants closer together for more efficient pollen transfer; most efficiently by interplanting males and females within centimeters of each other in the same rows. In such a system it would be impractical to harvest only the seed from the (male-sterile) female parents. The contamination with non-hybrid seed originating from the male parent can be minimised by using as low a percentage of such male parent plants in the planting mix as possible and/or by using male plants which are female sterile. A method for constructing a dominant female sterile line has been described (EP 412,006 A1 (1990); Goldman et al., (1994) EMBO. J., 13, 2976-2984) but, as with the male sterile lines, the line has to be maintained as a heterozygote.
Accordingly there remains a need for simple economic methods of hybrid seed production. In particular, in order efficiently to produce hybrid seed there remains a need to provide both male-sterile female parental lines and female-sterile male parental lines which can be easily maintained as pure homozygous lines and which are useful for efficient hybrid seed production. Methods which are described in the art for achieving this include methods wherein hybrid seed is produced from male and female parent lines at least one of which comprises a heterologous chimeric gene, preferentially expressed in floral tissue, which renders the line conditionally sterile dependent upon the exogenous application of a non-phytotoxic substance which can be specifically and locally converted to a phytotoxin by an enzyme which is encoded by the heterologous chimeric gene and which is preferentially expressed in either the male or female reproductive structures. The non-phytotoxic substance may be a pro-herbicide. The advantage of having such conditionally sterile parent lines is that it allows them to be maintained as homozygotes with respect to the sterility trait. Fertility is only disrupted upon exogenous application of the non-phytotoxic substance. In one such example of a conditional male sterility system a gene encoding a deacetylase enzyme (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 6,555,733) is preferentially expressed in tapetal cells of male flower tissue where it converts the exogenously applied pro-herbicide, N-acetyl L phosphinothricin, to the phytotoxin L phosphinothricin and thus prevents viable pollen formation; or alternatively the enzyme is expressed in stigma cells and application of pro-herbicide N-acetyl L phosphinothricin thus prevents viable seed formation. In further similar examples: (i) tapetum preferential expression of a bacterial cytochrome P450 catalyses conversion of pro-herbicide R7402 to a sulphonylurea phytoxin which prevents the production of viable pollen; and (ii) tapetum preferential expression of a phosphonate monoester hydrolase catalyses conversion of glyceryl glyphosate pro-herbicide to the phytotoxin glyphosate which also prevents production of viable pollen. WO 98/03838 describes examples of a conditional female sterility system wherein enzymes capable of converting the pro-herbicides to phytoxins are preferentially expressed in female reproductive structures.
Despite the existence of these methods for making male and female parent lines that are conditionally sterile, hybrid seed production remains far from routine in crops such as wheat. The current inventions concern, inter alia, improvements in the art with respect to the generation of female parent lines which are conditionally male sterile and male parent lines which are conditionally female sterile.
Chemical hybridising agents and pro-herbicides are expensive since they are not manufactured on a large scale. It would be desirable to, instead, use a relatively cheap ready-registered substance such as a commercial herbicide as a chemical hybridising agent. This would also achieve further efficiency since weed control could be combined with chemical hybridisation in a single spray application.

Method of selectively producing male or female sterile plants


To achieve an improved stiffness, the oil pan includes bottom wall having a shallow bottom wall (16), a deep bottom wall (17), and a connecting wall (18) located between the shallow bottom wall and the deep bottom wall, arranged in a lateral direction, and a side wall extending from a peripheral edge of the bottom wall. The side wall includes a first side wall (11) located on a front side of the bottom wall and a second side wall (12) located on a rear side of the bottom wall, the connecting wall being provided with a first rib (31) extending in a fore and aft direction and connecting the first side wall and the second side wall to each other.

The oil pan is known as a box shaped member having an open top, and forming a lower end part of an internal combustion engine. A known oil pan is provided with a plurality of ribs in the bottom wall for increasing the rigidity of the oil pan. See JP2009-185651A, for instance. The ribs extend in the lateral direction in parallel to one another, and the two ends of each rib is connected to the side wall of the oil pan. In order for the ribs not to obstruct the flow of oil, the height of a laterally middle part of each rib is lower than the end parts thereof.
When the bottom wall of the oil pan includes a shallow bottom wall, a deep bottom wall offset downward with respect to the shallow bottom wall, and a connecting wall connecting the shallow bottom wall to the deep bottom wall, the stress generated in the oil pan tends to concentrate in the connecting wall. Therefore, in order to increase the rigidity of the oil pan, it is important to increase the rigidity of the connecting wall.


The present invention provides novel anther-specific genes, their promoters, and uses of the same. Rice seedlings were treated with gibberellin, and then genes and proteins with up-regulated expression were screened using DNA microarray analysis and proteome analysis. As a result, eight types of β-tubulins were identified. Among them, OsTUB8 was expressed specifically in the anther. Thus OsTUB8 was suggested to be involved in male sterility in rice, and it was thought that regulating OsTUB8 expression in plants could alter plant fertility. In addition, OsTUB8 promoters were thought to comprise anther-specific activity. Thus, the present invention can be said to be highly valuable when used as a tool for anther-specific gene expression.

Male sterile crops are industrially important in that they help avoid negative influences pollen dispersal has on the ecosystem, and facilitate plant crossings for selective breeding. Thus, it is hoped that plant gene recombination technology can solve food and environmental problems that are fast becoming modern-day issues. However, as many Japanese consumers are anxious about negative effects genetically modified crops may have on health and the ecosystem, the commercialization of these food products tends to be suppressed. Male sterility generating technology has important implications in solving these problems. In many crops, large numbers of male sterile strains are currently being selected and preserved as a genetic resource to facilitate crossing with other strains in selective breeding.
For this reason, there have been many attempts to produce male sterile crops. For example, a male sterile rapeseed produced by genetic recombination has already been commercialized. It has been reported that calcium- and calmodulin-dependent protein kinases are specifically expressed in the pollen-forming phase, and that recombinant plants with inhibited expression of these genes do not form pollen with normal germinability, causing male sterile plants (Takezawa, D. et al., U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,991, Jun. 20, 2000). In addition, a region that specifically regulates gene expression in pollen has been detected in the expression regulation region (promoter) of the proton translocating pyrophosphatase gene in the tonoplast membrane of Arabidopsis. Transformants in which gene expression is inhibited using this region are reported to become male sterile (Sato, Kyoto University, 2002).

Anther-specific promoter from the rice TUB8 gene and uses thereof

National Institute of Agrobiological Sciences


A serial system and method for blowing antifuses are disclosed. One embodiment of antifuse system includes a plurality of latch devices connected in series from input to output. The system also includes a plurality of antifuses. The antifuses are configured to receive an output signal from a corresponding one of the latch devices. The plurality of latch devices includes a plurality of D flip-flops connected in series. Each of the D flip-flops is configured to receive an output signal from an immediately previous D flip-flop in the serial data flow and to provide an output signal to an immediately subsequent D flip-flop in the flow. In addition, the serial system provides self-detective antifuses, thus creating reliable electrical paths while saving antifuse blowing current resources and time.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention relate to semiconductor devices, and more particularly, to semiconductor devices including antifuses.
2. Description of the Related Art
An antifuse has a high resistance in its initial state. An antifuse can permanently create an electrically conductive path when a relatively high voltage is applied across the antifuse. An antifuse can have a structure similar to that of a capacitor, i.e., two conductive electrical terminals are separated by a dielectric layer. To create an electrically conductive path, a relatively high voltage is applied across the terminals, breaking down the interposed dielectric layer and forming a conductive link between the antifuse terminals. Creating a conductive path through an antifuse is referred to as "blowing an antifuse."
Antifuses are often used in memory cell arrays such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs). For example, after testing a DRAM, failed cells in the DRAM can be repaired by remapping. An antifuse typically stores the remapping.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional parallel antifuse system 100. The illustrated system includes decoders 101-104 and antifuses 111-114. Each of the antifuses 111-114 has a unique address associated with it. The decoders 101-104 are configured to receive and decode signals from a controller (not shown) to blow selected antifuses 111-114. The illustrated system 100 uses a parallel scheme to access the antifuses 111-114 in that each of the antifuses 111-114 are individually and separately accessed using their unique addresses.
As the number of antifuses in a device increases, this parallel scheme can be slow to program and wasteful of chip area. The parallel scheme uses a relatively large logic circuit to decode the addresses of the antifuses. In addition, complex routing may be required to provide access to the antifuses. For example, in a memory device (e.g., DRAM) having large numbers of rows and columns in its memory array, the parallel scheme can substantially complicate the design of the device.
In addition, it is often desirable to detect whether antifuses have been fully blown to determine whether a desired electrical path has been created. In one arrangement, a fixed blowing time is given for each antifuse. Such a fixed blowing time can be redundant or insufficient depending on the antifuses being blown. If it is redundant, it can result in a waste of time and current resources to blow antifuses. On the other hand, if it is insufficient, a desired electrical path may not be established.


A method and system for prioritizing the optimization of sectors within a cellular network using the minimum least squares error (“MLSE”) algorithm is presented. Each sector's throughput and performance metrics are collected over time. Problem sectors are having one or more performance metrics above or below a specified acceptable value are identified. A MLSE algorithm is applied to problem sectors to determine a weight per metric. Next, for each problem sector, the optimized throughput is calculated by substituting the value of a specific problem metric with an acceptable value. Problem sectors are prioritized in order of how much their throughput would improve as a result of an improvement to the problem metric.

Cellular wireless is an increasingly popular means of personal communication in the modern world. People are using cellular wireless networks for the exchange of voice and data over cellular telephones, personal data assistants ("PDAs"), cellular modems, and other devices. In principle, a user can seek information over the Internet or call anyone over the Public Switched Telephone Network ("PSTN") from any place inside the coverage area of the cellular wireless network.
In a typical cellular wireless system, an area is divided geographically into a number of cell sites provided by a radio access network ("RAN"). The RAN typically comprises one or more base transceiver stations ("BTSs"), each of which has one or more antennas that radiate to define a radio frequency ("RF") radiation pattern. The BTS(s) of the RAN may then be coupled with a base station controller ("BSC") or radio network controller ("RNC"), which may in turn be coupled with a telecommunications switch or gateway, such as a mobile switching center ("MSC") or packet data serving node ("PDSN") for instance. The switch or gateway may then provide connectivity with a transport network, such as the PSTN or the Internet for instance.
When a mobile station (such as a cellular telephone, a wirelessly equipped PDA or personal computer, or another suitably equipped device) is positioned in a cell, the mobile station communicates via an RF air interface with the BTS of the cell. Consequently, a communication can be established between the mobile station and another entity, via the air interface and the RAN.
Most cells in a wireless network are usually further divided geographically into a number of sectors (which can be visualized ideally as pie pieces), each defined respectively by radiation patterns from directional antenna components of the respective BTS, or by respective BTS antennae.

Minimum least squares error based analysis for throughput-prioritized radio frequency performance optimization


An apparatus and a method for dividing a stuffed sausage skein, wherein a transport element pair is provided, including rotating opposite transport elements between which the stuffed sausage skein is conveyed in a transport direction and each of which include at least one dividing element. To be able to configure the length of the portions flexibly without mechanical adaptation, the apparatus comprises several adjacently arranged transport element pairs drivable independently of each other with corresponding dividing element pairs. The speed of the transport element pairs is adjusted such that the spacing between the points of separation corresponds to a predetermined length of the divided sausage skein.

Such an apparatus is already known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,050,888.
In the production of sausages, a difference is made between systems for stuffing sausage skeins in a portioned or a constant manner. With the portioning systems, a previously defined volume is discharged from the stuffing pipe of a stuffing machine into a sausage skin. Then, the portion is sealed, for example, by rotating the skin, whereafter the next portion is discharged. Such systems only allow low portioning performances.
With systems for stuffing constant sausage skeins, the product discharge is not stopped during the dividing process. The division of the skein into individual portions is accomplished by constriction with dividing elements. If the skein is thereby additionally subjected to a torsional prestress, a so-called twist at these points can be produced simultaneously by means of twisting. With these systems higher performances are achieved.
There are basically two possibilities for dividing the stuffed sausage skeins.
On the one hand, the continuously stuffed sausage skein can be divided by means of a rotating transport element, e.g. a chain or a toothed belt. To this end, dividing elements are provided at equal spacings on the periphery of the transport element. The dividing elements engage the stuffed sausage skein in pairs and constrict the same so as to produce a portion. The spacings of the dividing elements to each other and, thus, the changes of the sausage length cannot be varied during the production without modifying the system.
To produce other lengths, therefore, a new pair of chains is normally used. Thus, no flexibility with respect to the length of a product is possible. Moreover, the transport elements, i.e. the chain or the toothed belts on which the dividing elements are affixed, are normally subject to a non-variable pitch. Therefore, the exchange of the pair of chains does not allow the production of sausage lengths that do not fit into this pitch. Only those sausage lengths can be produced, that correspond to the integer pitch of the dividing elements. It had already been attempted in EP 1430779 to improve this lack of flexibility. It has already been described therein to fix the dividing elements detachably on the rotating transport elements and to mount them at other positions having a different pitch at the periphery of the transport element. However, since the transport element, that is, the belt or the chain itself, has a specific length, such an embodiment, too, only allows the production of sausage lengths the integer multiple of which corresponds to the length of the transport element. Example: A transport element having a circumference of 500 mm can comprise, for example, five dividing elements which have a constant spacing relative to each other. Thus, sausages having a sausage length of about 100 mm can be produced. With four dividing elements the length of the individual portions is 500 mm/4=125 mm. This means that the desired length can only be selected as a function of the circumference of the transport element. A sausage length of 110 mm is impossible, for example, with the above-described transport element. Moreover, if the operator does not want to exchange a complete set of transport elements for adapting the length, he must perform a mechanical re-equipment each time, which takes plenty of time during which he cannot produce with the system.
Another possibility for dividing the stuffed sausage skein is described, for example, in EP 0472825. Here, a conveyor belt is mounted in the direction of transport behind a flexible displacer pair. The speed of the displacer pair is variable during rotation, so that different lengths of sausages can be produced.
The disadvantage with that second type dividing structure is that the two required systems, that is, the displacer and the conveyor belt for producing products of equal length are mounted behind each other. Specifically, in the processing of a natural intestine problems may arise in the transfer of the first portion from the displacer into the conveyor belt because, due to the natural bend of the intestine, the sausage skein aims at deviating from the theoretical stuffing axis. Moreover, there is no engagement between the conveyor belts and the individual sausage portions in the direction of transport, so that the occurring slip may result in linear variations of the individual portions.

Apparatus and method for dividing a stuffed sausage skein

Albert Handtmann Maschinenfabrik GmbH & Co. KG


The presence and flow of water or other liquids in pipes, such as gas pipes, is observed by viewing through an opening in the pipe. A colorant liquid which disperses in the liquid is inserted into the pipe and an illuminating element such as an chemiluminescent device is positioned in the pipe at the site of suspected liquid.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the tracking of liquid flow in pipelines and more particularly it concerns novel methods and apparatus for ascertaining the presence and direction of flow of water in an in-service gas pipeline.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention is particularly useful in the maintenance of gas pipeline supply systems through which combustible gas is delivered to a public utility or from the public utility to its customers.
When floods and water main breaks occur, water may infiltrate into nearby gas distribution piping through cracks or joints in the piping where the pressure of the water is higher than that inside the piping. The presence of water does not in itself cause a problem; but when the infiltration becomes excessive, the water may severely restrict the flow of the gas or even create a complete blockage of gas flow. In order to ascertain the location along the pipeline where infiltration is occurring, it is important not only to be able to detect the presence of water along the pipeline, it is also important to ascertain its direction and flow at a particular location. It is also important, during the operation of detecting the presence and flow of water in a pipeline, not to interrupt the normal flow of gas through the piping.
Prior attempts to detect the flow of water in a gas pipeline have had limited success. Such prior attempts have involved drilling an opening in the wall of the gas pipe and attaching telescope or viewing tube to the opening. A lens was provided within the tube near the opening so that gas would not escape up through the viewing tube. In order to see the water flow inside the gas pipe, lights, such as flashlights were attached to the outer surface of the viewing tube; and fiber optic lines extended from the flashlights down inside the gas pipe to light up its interior. This technique gave poor results because the interface between the flashlights and the fiber optic lines resulted in much of the light being reflected away from the gas pipe. Also, when the water in the pipeline flowed slowly, it was very difficult to ascertain its direction of flow or that it was flowing at all.
The following patents disclose various arrangements for detecting moisture and contaminants in fluids and for detecting leaks in pipes and vessels.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,585,963 discloses a device for detecting the presence of moisture in fluid flowing in a pipe. According to this patent, the fluid contacts a moisture indicating element which is visible through a window in the pipe and which changes color in response to the moisture.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,375 discloses a device for detecting the presence of contaminants in fluid being applied to a workpiece. According to this patent, the fluid is supplied through a transparent tube within which an optical fiber extends. The optical fiber illuminates the contaminants which can be viewed through the tube wall.
Japanese Patent No. 57-196129 (A) discloses a means for detecting leaks through a suspected leakage site in a pipeline. An inflatable bag, which is coated on the outside with a material which changes color on contact with water, is positioned at the site and is inflated to press the material against the suspected leakage site. Then, if water is leaking through this site, it will contact the material and change color so that it can be seen when it emerges through the leak.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,921,374 discloses an arrangement for preventing groundwater from leaking into a sewer pipe. According to this arrangement, a water-swellable material which contains a dye is positioned at a suspected leakage point above a sewer line. Water which infiltrates into the line becomes colored by the dye and can be detected downstream of the suspected leakage point.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,867 discloses a method of detecting leaks in a pipeline by injecting an odorant into the pipeline and checking for odors downstream of the injection point.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,213 discloses an arrangement for testing a vessel for pressure leaks. The arrangement comprises the injection of a fluorescent dye to a fluid being charged into the vessel under pressure. An illumination means illuminates the outside of the vessel and causes any dye which leaks through the vessel wall to fluoresce.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,566,313 discloses an arrangement for detecting the location of a leak in a vessel such as a swimming pool. According to this arrangement, a dye is injected into the pool near a suspected leakage site and the movement of the dye toward the leak is observed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,580,442 discloses an arrangement for locating air leaks from a fire sprinkling system. According to this arrangement, the normally air filled portion of the system is filled with an aqueous solution of an efficient wetting agent and a water soluble dye. Then, pressure is applied to the system to force the dye through any leaking portions of the sprinkler system.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,141 discloses an injection system for forcing a liquid which exhibits chemiluminescent or bioluminescent properties into an observation chamber.
Russian Patent SU-807-098 discloses an arrangement for detecting leaks from an object. The object is filled with an air-ozone mixture and is placed into a transparent sealed chamber which is filled with ethylene. If the air-ozone mixture leaks out from the object, it will react with the ethylene to produce a chemiluminescent effect such as a visible glow.

Method and apparatus for tracking the flow of liquids in a gas pipe


A method for stabilizing the output frequency of an oscillator comprises providing a temperature model to capture the temperature characteristics of a second oscillator when measured by a first oscillator, measuring a value indicative of the frequency of the second oscillator by using the first oscillator, determine a temperature of the second oscillator based on the measured value indicative of the frequency of the second oscillator and the temperature model, determining a compensation amount for the frequency of the first oscillator from the determined temperature, and providing a compensated output frequency of the first oscillator as a stabilized output.

The application relates to a method and a device for providing a stabilized output frequency of an oscillator. In general, electronic components such as resonator circuits or microelectromechanical systems (MEMs) show a temperature dependent oscillation behavior. If a stable frequency output of an oscillator is desired, any temperature dependency of electronic components may lead to unwanted effects. Thus, it is desirable to provide a stabilized oscillator signal, wherein a temperature dependency of the oscillation frequency is compensated in real time.
Further, temperature measurements on ICs, system in packages and multi-chip modules, etc., are typically done with a temperature sensitive component or structure like a diode or band gap reference. One problem with these is they may have large and variable second and higher order temperature coefficients. This requires a time-consuming calibration procedure to correct if high accuracies at high and low temperatures are required. Another issue is that the transient thermal response of these integrated sensors to a step change in temperature may not match the transient response of the chip area, component or other temperature sensitive element such as a resonator circuit. This can cause problems due to the mismatch in actual and recorded temperatures, if for example real-time temperature information is required for improved circuit operation, e.g. if a temperature measurement is used as part of a feedback circuit. Thus, it is further desirable to provide a method and a device for fast and accurate temperature measurements during operation of the device.

Method for providing a stabilized oscillator signal


A multi-purpose support structure comprises at least four retractable erection tubes and a set of two scissors type connecting rods provided between two abutted erection tubes alternatively pivoted at their centers with the upper and the lower ends of each erection tube being pivoted to the cross connecting rods to form a rectangular frame, the frame may be connected to another one by means of T-shaped pivoting holders to incorporate fixing members to hold in position a piece of canvas on the top surface of the frame or insertion of a container to provide a rack or an accommodation space to receive objects.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-purpose support structure, and more particularly, to one that expands for multiple applications, readily extendable both in width and length by combination with minimum derived members, and foldable for saving storage space.
(b) Description of the Prior Art
Whereas appliances for daily use are compact and multi-purpose designed nowadays to facilitate storage or be readily for conversion to another type of combined use, multi-purpose oriented design has become one of the important means for market expansion to offer agile and diversified optional functions for soliciting the buying urge among the consumers. Accordingly, KD cabinets and racks are available in the market. Usually, those cabinets and racks are essentially comprised of multiples of supports erected into a structure of one or more than one level and then fastened or placement of soft fabrics for accommodation of objects, and dismantled when not used. Said KD structure allows reduced packaging for transportation and sales. However, most of those supports are related to tubes for alternative and cross insertion. Those tubes can be disconnected for storage, but they must be fastened into bundles or bagged. Besides, it consumes too much time for erection.
The primary purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose support structure that is expandable for multiple applications, extendable both in width and length when combined with the minimum derived members, and foldable for storage without knocking down the members. To achieve the purpose, at least four retractable erection tubes with each two abutted erection tubes pivoted each at its both ends to two connecting rods in cross to form a rectangular frame. Wherein, said two cross connecting rods are alternatively pivoted at their centers. Each of said erection tube is composed of an inner tube inserted into an outer tube to become retractable. A pivoting holder is each provided at the upper and the lower top of each rod. An insertion hole is formed at the center of the pivoting holder and two side slots are formed to the pivoting holder to allow the insertion of the upper and the lower ends of two abutted cross connecting rods. Accordingly, while said connecting rods are expanded, the erection tubes stretch outward and reduce longitudinally in dimension to form the rectangular frame. A top surface defined by those upper pivoting holders of the rectangular frame is incorporated with fixing elements to hold a pavement of canvas or similar material, or a container being inserted into the inner space defined by the rectangular frame to become a unit functioning as a support structure for a rack or a container.
Another purpose of the present invention is to provide a multi-purpose support structure that is expandable both in width and length without limitation. To achieve the purpose, a T-shaped pivoting holder containing a three-way trough connected to both ends of each erection tube for the trough to be located between two erection tubes from the outer frame and connected to sets of cross connecting rods for expansion. The central trough of the T-shaped pivoting holder can be further pivoted to longitudinally provided cross connecting rods for segregation and reinforcement purposes in enlarging the volume available by stretching up the support structure. Accordingly, a longer support structure is provided with top surface placed with multiple pieces of canvas to form a camp bed if required.


A coaxial cable connector having an insulator is provided, the connector insulator including a body having a circumferential surface and a central longitudinal axis, the body having a first axial end and a second axial end and having a first reentrant cavity extending from the first end toward the second end, wherein at least a portion of a wall surface of the first reentrant cavity is oblique to a central axis of the body. A corresponding method of insulating a coaxial cable connector is disclosed.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to coaxial cable connectors. More particularly, the present invention relates to a coaxial cable connector insulator and related methodology for effective physical and electrical insulation and improved impedance matching.
2. Related Art
Cable communications have become an increasingly prevalent form of electromagnetic information exchange and coaxial cables are common conduits for transmission of electromagnetic communications. There are several coaxial cable connectors commonly provided to facilitate connection of coaxial cables to each other or to various communications devices. It is important for coaxial cable connectors to insulate cable signals so that cable communications may be exchanged properly.
Typical coaxial cable connector insulators utilize materials and designs which seek to maximize structural and functional efficacy. For example, as depicted in FIGS. 1 and 2, a common insulator 10 is positioned within a typical connector 20 between an outer conductor 50 and an inner conductor 90. The connector 20 has a first end 21 and a second end 22. The portion of the connector 20 extending generally from the insulator 10 to the first end 21 of the connector 20 is a first impedance section 23 of the connector 20. An opposite portion of the connector 20 extending generally from the insulator 10 to the second end 22 of the connector 20 is a second impedance section 24 of the connector 20. Insulators, such as insulator 10, are commonly disposed within the connector 20 to maintain structural concentricity of the relationship between the inner conductor 90 and the outer conductor 50 of the coaxial cable connector 20. Additionally connector insulators are also utilized in matching impedance between portions of the coaxial cable connector, such as between the first impedance section 23 and the second impedance section 24 of the connector 20. Impedance matching is affected by dielectric behavior of insulator materials. The common connector insulator 10 is typically comprised of readily injection moldable thermoplastic, but other known connector insulators are sometimes formed of Teflon® (or PTFE) due to the material's effective dielectric properties and ability to form a good physical barrier, while also lending some structural support to connector components. However, PTFE insulators are generally more costly to manufacture and do not provide optimal structural support. Connector insulators formed of readily injection moldable thermoplastics are cheaper to manufacture than PTFE insulators, because PTFE is not readily moldable and therefore must generally be machined into a desired shape. Thermoplastic insulators provide better structural support, but have less effective dielectric properties than PTFE insulators. Accordingly, common thermoplastic insulator designs have included hollowed out sections to decrease the amount of material forming the insulator, thereby improving dielectric performance. For instance, some common insulators, such as insulator 10 depicted in FIG. 1, comprise a generally ring-like structure having a reentrant cavity 42 extending from an axial end of the insulator 10 and thereby forming a substantially C-shaped cross-section 12. The insulator 10 may have web members 60, which in cross-section view have a generally rectangular-shaped cross-section 62. While the known C-shaped cross-section 12 insulator 10 does enjoy some improved dielectric performance over a solid block ring insulator formed of the same material, the typical disk-like solid mass of radial plastic 14 running orthogonally from the inner axial surface 16 of the insulator to the outer axial surface 18 generates a low unmatched impedance zone that contributes to unwanted signal reflection. Hence, because of the structural deficiencies of PTFE insulators and the dielectric deficiencies of the standard C-shaped cross-section 12 insulators 10, there exists a need for a coaxial cable connector insulator that is cheap and easy to manufacture with good physical properties, better dielectric performance, and improved impedance matching.

Coaxial cable connector insulator and method of use thereof


Disclosed herein is a camera unit including a camera main body, and a stand configured to support the camera main body, in which the camera main body includes a light receiving section and a main body housing in which the light receiving section is accommodated, the stand includes a first arm portion configured to support the main body housing for pivotal motion such that an orientation in an upward and downward direction of an optical axis of the light receiving section is adjustable, and a second arm portion attached for pivotal motion to the first arm portion, and the main body hosing has a protrusion that projects downwardly at a lower portion of the camera unit in a use state of the camera unit.

The present disclosure relates to a camera unit that is attached to an upper edge of a display device.
JP 2018-10117A discloses a camera unit that includes a camera and a stand and that is attached to an upper edge of a display device (for example, a television set or a display of a personal computer). The camera unit disclosed in Patent Document 1 adopts a structure that has three centers of rotation provided for mounting of the camera unit on a display device and for adjustment of the orientation of the camera.

Camera unit having a stand and pivotable arms


An optical instrument, including a chamber, an object exposed to an interior of the chamber, a source of low-pressure gas, the gas comprising at least one of low-pressure molecular hydrogen gas, low-pressure molecular oxygen and a low-pressure noble gas, the source of low pressure gas being fluidly coupled to the chamber, a low voltage source electrically coupled between the object and a remaining portion of the instrument that is exposed to the interior of the chamber so as to maintain the object at a low voltage relative to the remaining portion, and an EUV/VUV light source adapted to direct EUV/VUV light through the low pressure gas in the chamber onto the object. In such a system, when the EUV/VUV light source is activated ions of the low-pressure gas are formed and directed to the object. The ions may be ions of Hydrogen, Oxygen or a noble gas.

Surfaces of optical components in a chamber of an instruments using Extreme Ultraviolet (EUV) light can become contaminated with carbon-containing or oxygen-containing matter resulting in a reduced optical throughput. Various techniques for removal of such contamination are known.
According to one approach, radio frequency (RF) or direct current (DC) discharge devices produce a plasma to generate hydrogen ions to react with the contaminants on surfaces of the optical components and generate a volatile material that disassociates from the surface. Disadvantages of such approaches include: (1) uncontrolled and indiscriminate acceleration of ions in the direction of the optical component causing damage due to ion sputtering, (2) introduction of additional contamination into the instrument due to sputtering of an electrode used to produce the RF or DC voltages, (3) the ions generated are dispersed such that many optical components in a chamber of an apparatus are exposed to the ions, and (4) electrical disturbances arising from the RF and DC devices make them inappropriate for use with lithographic instruments.
According to another approach, a hot filament is used to produce hydrogen radicals (also referred to herein as atomic hydrogen). The radicals react with the contaminants on surfaces of the optical components thereby forming volatile products such as CH4 and H2O that disassociate from the surface.
Disadvantages of such approaches include: (1) thermal disturbances arising from the use of heated filaments (which can reach temperatures of 1500° C.) causing thermal disturbances in an instrument that requires tight temperature control, and (2) evaporation of filament material can cause deposits on optical surfaces possibly causing irreversible contamination of the optical surface.
Accordingly, there remains a need for improved cleaning of optical component in optical instruments.

Methods and apparatus for cleaning objects in a chamber of an optical instrument by generating reactive ions using photon radiation


A manipulator operative in hygienic environments. A swivel operative to flexibly transport gas includes a fixed part comprising a plurality of members divisible to permit the swivel to be cleaned, a moveable part journaled in the fixed part, and a cavity arranged between the fixed part and the moveable part, the cavity operative to decrease a speed of gas flow whereby particles present in the gas are stopped and deposited in the cavity.

Swivels for transport of fluids are used in several connections. The simplest and most frequently used swivels occur, for example, in applications in vacuum cleaners. According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,936,059, a swivel is previously known, the task of which is to introduce particles into a swivel, which particles may be used in a jet beam for cutting purposes. According to U.S. Pat. No. 5,895,077, a swivel is previously known for use in offshore applications. The object of the known swivel is to serve as a coupling which can be divided into two parts in a fast an simple way, while at the same time offering an efficient and reliable seal between the parts. To this end, the known swivel is composed of a female part and a male part, which are rotatably arranged inside each other. The two parts adjoin each other along a substantially cylindrical cut surface. Both parts are arranged with inner channels for flowing fluids and have annular slots in the surfaces facing each other. Between these slots, the male part is provided with sealing rings which are operated by hydraulic means.
The known swivels constitute relatively complicated designs with a plurality of parts which must be made with high precision. The known swivels are also relatively heavy.


A system and method for real time video streaming from a device through a website to a designated group for security, personal, entertainment or commercial applications and to enable responses from those recipients comprises a server operable to bi-directionally communicate with the device and other devices, which are operable to bi-directionally communicate with the server and a module on the server operable to receive notice of an upstream from the device and authenticate a log-in of the device, e.g., a user, transmit content of the upstream to the website, transmit the notice of the upstream to either Designated Recipient Groups or pre-determined recipients, display the content of the upstream on the website, in response to requests, enable placement of information such as advertising and publicity in the content, and enable responses to the content, such as communicating with the user, posting comments, conducting electronic commerce, making appointments and making reservations.

There is a need for a system to enable spontaneous or planned real time video streaming from mobile devices or other sources, through a server, accessible to a pre-selected group of recipients, or, if preferred by the sender, accessible to the general public, and to enable responses from those recipients, such as to alert and forward the video to public safety agencies, to conduct electronic commerce or other transactions, to make reservations or appointments or to send text or data. This is different than existing systems which merely enable public access to archived video upstreamed by the general public, or transmit real time video on a one-to-one basis between users, or which merely transmit upstreamed video accessible to the general public with no control over the recipients and no capability of response by the recipients. Moreover, existing systems do not provide safety or security features.

System and method for real time video streaming from a mobile device or other sources through a server to a designated group and to enable responses from those recipients


To provide a display device which can apply a voltage at which an operating point becomes a saturation region even when a light-emitting element deteriorates without applying a voltage to a driving TFT and the light-emitting element larger than necessary. A monitor pixel has a monitor pixel power supply line, a first light-emitting element, and a first TFT, while a pixel in the display region has a power supply line, a second TFT as a driving TFT, a signal line which gives a signal to a gate of the second TFT, a third TFT, and a second light-emitting element. A potential of the monitor pixel power supply line and a gate potential of the first TFT of the monitor pixel are sampled to be set as a potential of the power supply line of the pixel and a potential of the signal line of the pixel, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an active matrix display device and a driving method thereof. The invention particularly relates to a display device having a switching element such as a thin film transistor (hereinafter referred to as a TFT) and a light-emitting element in each pixel, and a driving method thereof. In addition, the invention relates to an electronic apparatus using the display device and a driving method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, technology to form a TFT has greatly progressed, and application development for an active matrix display device has been promoted. Particularly, since the field effect mobility (also called mobility) of a TFT using a polysilicon film as an active layer is higher than that of a TFT using a conventional amorphous silicon film, high speed operation is possible. Therefore, by using a driver circuit formed by using TFTs over the same substrate as pixels, control of the pixels can be performed. In a display device in which various circuits include TFTs over the same substrate as the pixels, various advantages such as reduction of manufacturing cost, downsizing, increase of yield, reduction of throughput are obtained.
Research has been activated on an active matrix EL display device having an electroluminescence element (hereinafter referred to as an EL element) which is a light-emitting element as a display element included in each pixel of a display device. An EL display device is also called an organic EL display (OELD: Organic EL Display) or an organic light-emitting diode (OLED: Organic Light-Emitting Diode).
In general, since light emission luminance of an EL element has a proportional relation with a current value flowing to the EL element, an EL display device using the EL element as a display element controls light emission luminance with the current value. As a method of a gray scale expression, in a configuration in which the EL element and the TFT (referred to as a driving TFT) are connected in series between two power supply lines, there is a method in which the driving TFT is operated in a saturation region, and a voltage between a gate and source of the driving TFT is changed to control the current value flowing to the EL element. In addition, there is a driving method in which the current value flowing to the EL element is constant, and light emission luminance is controlled by the time when a current flows to the EL element in a predetermined time to express a gray scale (see the following Patent Document 1).
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2001-5426

Display device, display module, electronic apparatus and driving method of the display device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A method, computer program product, and computing system for automatically generating a dialogue graph is executed on a computing device and includes receiving a plurality of conversation data. A plurality of utterance pairs from the plurality of conversation data may be clustered into a plurality of utterance pair clusters. A dialogue graph may be generated with a plurality of nodes representative of the plurality of utterance pair clusters.

The creation of virtual agents or virtual assistants often requires developers to review and understand interactions between various parties from a massive amount of chat transcripts. Rather than spending the time to review these chat transcripts, developers often spend a lot of time going back and forth with subject matter experts to determine how to develop virtual assistants. As such, the development of virtual assistants may experience a bottleneck when creating dialogue for virtual assistants and/or when creating dialogue for specific applications of virtual assistants.

System and method for generating dialogue graphs


An aerosol generating apparatus includes a vial, a cap assembly and a receptacle. The vial stores liquid medicament and includes a puncturable seal held in position by a retaining ring. The cap assembly includes an actuator with an interior bore extending therethrough, a perforated membrane coupled to the actuator, a fastener and a first mating element. The fastener is adapted to detachably secure the cap assembly to the vial such that the perforated membrane aligns with the puncturable seal. The receptacle receives the cap assembly with the vial. The receptacle includes a driving element and a second mating element capable of mating with the first mating element. The driving element aligns and communicates with the perforated membrane when the receptacle engages the cap assembly. The actuator pierces the puncturable seal to displace the liquid medicament through the interior bore to the perforated membrane and the driving element to generate aerosol.

Nebulizer, also known as aerosolizer or atomizer, is used to deliver medication in fine particles/droplets to patients for inhalation. An aerosol generating module, which is a component of a nebulizer, receives liquid medicament to generate aerosol for treating a patient with respiratory conditions, such as Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease (COPD). A typical aerosol generating module includes a perforated membrane and a vibratable element. One way for a vibratable element to generate vibration is through the incorporation of piezoelectric (PZT) materials. Vibration is provided to the liquid passing through the perforated membrane, thereby generating aerosol.
A reservoir or a liquid container such as a vial, with an internal chamber, stores the liquid medicament to be provided to the aerosol generating module. The vibratable element vibrates the perforated membrane, through which the liquid medicament permeates, to generate aerosol. Typically, the aerosol generating module is either permanently secured to the liquid container or integrally formed with the liquid container. The aerosol generating module may be permanently secured to the liquid container by adhesive or other known securing means. Accordingly, once the liquid medicament is depleted, the entire aerosol generating apparatus, including the aerosol generating module, is to be thrown away.
To achieve desired aerosolization, the liquid container may need to be cleaned prior to each use. The same applies to the perforated membrane. If the liquid container and/or the perforated membrane are not cleaned properly, the life of the nebulizer may be shortened. For example, residue may form and block either the perforated membrane or the opening of the liquid container. The foregoing may further lead to faster degradation of the vibratable element, thereby reduce the nebulization efficiency. Insufficient cleaning may also lead to contamination, which may jeopardize medical treatments. The abovementioned risks can be mitigated by using a new set of aerosol generating module and liquid container for every treatment. However, this will substantially increase the patient's financial burden. Therefore, the present disclosure aims to design an aerosol generating apparatus with replaceable components, such as a vial and the assembly thereof. Certain components may be disposed after each treatment, while others can be preserved for repeated use.

Aerosol generating apparatus with replaceable parts


A zero-detection circuit is provided. The zero-detection circuit includes a plurality of transistor stacks. Each transistor stack includes an input transistor and a clocked transistor. Each of the plurality of input transistors receives a data input. An intermediate node is connected to the input transistor stacks. An output stage is coupled to the intermediate node providing an output. The output stage includes a bit selection control circuit receiving a bit selection signal. The bit selection control circuit provides a zero level output of the output stage responsive to a predefined bit selection signal. The transistor stacks comprise silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors.

The present invention relates to a high speed microprocessor zero detection circuit with 32-bit and 64-bit modes.
Silicon-on-insulator (SOI) technology is an enhanced silicon technology currently being utilized to increase the performance of digital logic circuits. Utilizing SOI technology designers can increase the speed of digital logic integrated circuits while reducing their overall power consumption. These advances in technology will lead to the development of more complex and faster computer integrated circuits that operate with less power.
As shown in FIG. 1, SOI semiconductors include a thin layer of silicon placed on top of an insulator, such as silicon dioxide (SiO2) or glass, and a MOS transistor built on top of this structure. The main advantage of constructing the MOS transistor on top of an insulator layer is to reduce the internal capacitance of the transistor. This is accomplished by placing the insulator oxide layer between the silicon substrate and the impurities required for the device to operate as a transistor. Reducing the internal capacitance of the transistor increases its operating speed. With SOI technology faster MOS transistors can be manufactured resulting in higher performance semiconductors for faster electronic devices.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, there is shown the SOI FET and the parasitic bipolar device. With SOI FETs, by placing a MOS transistor on top of a SOI layer, the MOS transistor is actually placed in parallel with a bipolar junction transistor, as illustrated in FIG. 2. If enough current is passed through the MOS transistor, the parasitic bipolar transistor will turn on. The parasitic bipolar transistor has a small current gain.
Normally, parasitic bipolar action does not manifest itself in conventional, bulk, NMOS transistors because the base of the bipolar transistor is always kept at ground potential, keeping the bipolar transistor turned off. In conventional, bulk, PMOS transistors the body of the PFET is tied to a supply rail Vdd. In the SOI FET, the body (B) of the MOS FET device, or base of the bipolar transistor, is floating and can be charged high by junction leakages induced when both drain (D) and source (S) terminals of the MOS FET are at a high potential. Subsequently, if the source (S) is pulled to a low potential, the trapped charge in the base area (B) is available as parasitic base current. The parasitic base current activates the bipolar transistor and generates a collector current at the drain terminal of the MOS FET.
In Arithmetic Logic Units (ALUs) it is necessary to set a condition code register after an arithmetic operation to specify whether or not the result of the operation was zero. The circuits that accomplish this are typically critical timing paths of the microprocessor. A complication is that the ALU must support not only 64-bit data, but also 32-bit data in order to maintain backward compatibility with previous generations of microprocessors.
FIG. 3 shows a typical Domino circuit that would be used as part of a large circuit implementing this function. If zero detection on only 32 bits of the 64-bit datum is desired, the MODE64 signal will be set to 0 on some instances of this circuit, thus disabling the other 32-bits that are not to be included in the computation. This feature is also very important in improving the testability of the Zero-Detection circuit. It is very difficult to make this circuit work with Silicon-on-Insulator (SOI) technology because the bipolar discharge problem associated with SOI technology is very severe for this particular topology.
The 32/64-bit selection has to be included in the NFET tree via transistors T0 to TN, which introduces the bipolar discharge problem because the bodies of transistors N0 through NN can now be charged to the power supply. The number of NMOS transistor stacks, N in FIG. 3, must be large because when the entire circuit is put together it must cover all 64 bits of the datum. N will be anywhere from 4 to 16, which makes the bipolar discharge problem severe, and because the transistors in the stack must be very large to meet the timing requirements, the problem is even more severe. The resulting error from the bipolar discharge is that node PRE may be accidentally discharged, thus giving an incorrect result in the machine.
A principal object of the present invention is to provide a zero-detection circuit. Other objects are to provide such a zero-detection circuit substantially without negative effects and that overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior art arrangements.
In brief, a zero-detection circuit is provided. The zero-detection circuit includes a plurality of transistor stacks. Each transistor stack includes an input transistor and a clocked transistor. Each of the plurality of input transistors receives a data input. An intermediate node is connected to the input transistor stacks. An output stage is coupled to the intermediate node providing an output. The output stage includes a bit selection control circuit receiving a bit selection signal. The bit selection control circuit provides a zero level output of the output stage responsive to a predefined bit selection signal.
In accordance with features of the invention, the transistor stacks comprise silicon-on-insulator (SOI) transistors.

High speed microprocessor zero detection circuit with 32-bit and 64-bit modes

International Business Machines Corporation


A curved leaf spring which is a first urging member surrounds an outer wheel of a second bearing, and urges, through the second bearing, a second end of a worm shaft in a direction in which the distance between the center of the worm shaft and the center of a worm wheel is shortened. A second urging member includes an annular support member received by an end surface of the outer wheel and a plurality of elastic pins extending in a direction in parallel with the axial direction of a support member. The elastic pins have fixed ends fixed to the support member and free ends that come into elastic contact with an end wall of a housing.

This invention is related to an electric power steering system which produces a steering assisting force by an electric motor.
An electric power steering system (EPS) for automobiles employs a reduction mechanism. In a column type EPS, for example, the revolution of the output shaft of the electric motor is reduced through a worm shaft and a worm wheel, whereby the output of the electric motor is amplified and is transmitted to a steering mechanism to assist the torque in the steering operation.
A suitable degree of backlash is necessary for the meshing between the worm shaft and the worm wheel. When, for example, traveling on a rough road, however, there may generate teeth-hitting sound (rattling sound) due to the backlash reversely input from the road surface.
To suppress the generation of teeth-hitting sound, it becomes necessary to strictly adjust the amount of backlash that occurs between the worm shaft and the worm wheel within a range of machining precision of the parts. In assembling the worm shaft and the worm wheel, so far, it is a practice to select the individual parts depending upon the degree of dispersion in the dimensional precision and assemble those which assume suitable degrees of precision when combined together (so-called matching assembly) requiring, however, very laborious work and boosting up the cost of production.
Further, even if the backlash may, at first, have been set in a suitable range owing to the matching assembly, the backlash increases due to wear of the teeth after aging producing abnormal sound.
Therefore, there has been proposed an art for decreasing the backlash by permitting the bearing that supports an end of the worm shaft to advance or retreat to or from the worm wheel in the radial direction, urging the end of the worm shaft toward the worm wheel in the radial direction by using a curved leaf spring that is covering the periphery of the outer wheel of the bearing, and automatically adjusting the distance between the center of rotation of the worm shaft and the center of rotation of the worm wheel (so-called inter-core distance) (see, for example, patent document 1).
There has further been proposed an art for adjusting the backlash by converting part of the urging force of the compression coil spring that urges the worm shaft in the axial direction into an urging force for urging the worm shaft toward the worm wheel in the radial direction (see, for example, patent document 2).    Patent document 1: JP-A-2004-203154    Patent document 2: JP-A-2002-145082
According to the former publication, however, the curved leaf spring often rattles due to the clearance in a direction other than the urging direction. In this case, the rotational torque of the worm shaft fluctuates and the durability of the curved leaf spring decreases. There further remain problems in that sliding sound or hitting sound is generated between the worm shaft and the worm wheel, or hitting noise is generated between the curved leaf spring and the housing.
According to the latter publication, on the other hand, the urging force is obtained in two directions by using a single compression coil spring. Therefore, the structure of the cam mechanism tends to become complex and the operation tends to lose stability.


The invention refers to a method at a user equipment for performing a random access procedure, wherein the UE randomly selects a random access preamble from a given set of preambles to be used for the random access procedure, the method comprising the steps of detecting (420) a partitioning of the given set of random access preambles into a first and a second partition, detecting (430) a certain capability of the UE, and selecting (440) a random access preamble from the fist partition to indicate the certain capability to a base station; the invention further refers to a corresponding method in a base station, a corresponding UE, and a corresponding base station.

There has been a lot of work in 3GPP lately on specifying technologies to cover Machine-to-Machine (M2M) and/or Internet of Things (IoT) related use cases. Most recent work for 3GPP Release 13 and 14 includes enhancements to support Machine-Type Communications (MTC) with new UE categories (Cat-M1, Cat-M2), supporting reduced bandwidth of 6 physical resource blocks (PRBs) (up to 24 PRBs for Cat-M2), and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) UEs providing a new radio interface (and UE categories, Cat-NB1 and Cat-NB2).
The present disclosure refers to the LTE enhancements introduced in 3GPP Release 13,14 and 15 for MTC as "eMTC", including (not limiting) support for bandwidth limited UEs, Cat-M1, and support for coverage enhancements. This is to separate discussion from NB-IoT (notation here used for any Release), although the supported features are similar on a general level.
There are multiple differences between "legacy" LTE and the procedures and channels defined for eMTC (likewise for NB-IoT). Some important differences include new physical channels, such as the physical downlink control channels, called MPDCCH in eMTC, NPDCCH in NB-IoT, and a new physical random access channel, NPRACH, for NB-IoT.
For 3GPP Release 15, new work items, WIs, have been established, such as WI "even further enhanced MTC for LTE, LTE_efeMTC," [WI_eMTC] and "further NB-IoT enhancements, NB_IOTfenh," [WI_NBIOT] that target eMTC and NB-IoT enhancements, respectively. Both these WIs seek to reduce UE power consumption and latency through introducing a possibility to send data as early as possible during the random access procedure. For example, a new work item (WI) entitled "Even further enhanced MTC for LTE (LTE_efeMTC)" (hereinafter, "WI_eMTC") aims to address this goal with respect to eMTC enhancements. WI_eMTC provides as follows:
Support early data transmission: Evaluate power consumption/latency gain and specify necessary support for DL/UL data transmission on a dedicated resource during the random access procedure (after PRACH transmission and before the RRC connection setup is completed) at least in the RRC Suspend/Resume case.
As another example, a new work item entitled "Further NB-IoT enhancements (NB_IOTfenh)" (hereinafter, "WI_NBIOT") aims to address this goal with respect to NB-IoT enhancements. WI_NBIOT provides as follows:
Evaluate power consumption/latency gain and specify necessary support for DL/UL data transmission on a dedicated resource during the random access procedure after NPRACH transmission and before the RRC connection setup is completed.
As used herein, such a feature, where data can be sent during random access procedure, shall be referred to as "early data" feature, meaning that data can be sent earlier when compared to current LTE specifications (that is, after RRC connection setup or resume has been completed).
Currently specified random access and connection control procedures can be found in the following 3GPP Technical Specifications (TS): 3GPP TS 36.321, "MAC protocol specification", v14.2.0, March 2017 and 3GPP TS 36.331, "RRC protocol specification"; v14.2.0, March 2017. The contention based random access (RA) procedure can be found in 3GPP TS 36.300, "E-UTRA and E-UTRAN; Overall description; Stage 2", v14.2.0, March 2017. This procedure is illustrated in FIG. 1 of the present disclosure. The suite of messages in FIG. 1 are commonly referred to as message 1 (msg1) through message 4 (msg4).
Therein, the UE transmits a first message, msg1, comprising a random access preamble to the eNB, wherein this preamble has been selected out of a given or pre-defined set of preambles. The eNB sends a second message, msg 2, comprising a random access response to the UE. Based on msg2, UE sends a third message, msg 3, as scheduled transmission to the eNB. The fourth message, msg4, is sent from the eNB to the UE, in order to resolve a potential contention (due to the fact that two or more UEs have selected the same random access preamble).
The structure of medium access control (MAC) layer protocol data units (PDUs) are defined in 3GPP TS 36.321, "Physical layer procedures", v14, and are also referenced to herein. The structure of the grant included in the MAC random access response (RAR) is defined in TS36.213.
Currently, in LTE, it is not possible to send uplink or downlink data before the contention-based random access procedure has been completed—that is, not before message 4 has been transmitted by the eNB and successfully received by the UE.


A milling method is provided in which a finished part of any desired contour is milled from a blank of any desired contour by the milling tool being guided on a continuous, spiral guide path from the blank continuously to the finished part. In this case, material is continuously removed during the milling operation without ever lifting the tool or clamping the workpiece in place again. This results in a reduced machining time of the workpiece. The continuous, spiral guide path permits a harmonic change of form from the blank to the finished part with smooth guidance of the tool. The method can also be carried out with ceramic tools.

The invention relates to a milling method for producing any desired finished part from any desired blank by a continuous approach from the shape of the blank to the shape of the finished part by continuous material removal, and to a method of producing guide paths for a milling tool used in the milling method. The methods are used in particular in the production of turbine blades.
The prior art of milling methods is described here with reference to the production of turbine blades.
Turbine blades of various size are produced, for example, from parallelepiped-shaped blanks. For this purpose, first of all pieces having planar surfaces and corners of the blank are milled off in order to achieve an initial rough polygonal approximation to the blade shape. The milling tool is then guided along a plurality of guide paths or guide-path sections which in each case run along equidistant surfaces. By the milling of a plurality of such equidistant surfaces, the shape of the finished part is achieved in steps. In this case, the guide path is defined by discrete points and/or curve sections.
According to this method a blade is produced slice by slice and with frequent lifting and renewed application of the milling tool. The result of this is that the milling tool moves through the air during a significant period of time and no cutting takes place during this time.
A reduction in the machining time by increasing the milling speed is limited due to the associated decrease in the machining time of the milling tools used.
The use of ceramic tools is not possible in this traditional milling method, since the milling paths often lead there to an unsteady and intermittent progress of the machining process due to frequent lifting and application of the tool. Since it is known that ceramics are very sensitive to fracture and the milling tool often experiences blows along the milling path, it is not suitable for this milling method.
The object of the invention is to provide a milling method for producing a finished part of any desired contour from any desired blank, which milling method avoids the disadvantages of the method described at the beginning. It is in particular the aim of the invention to reduce the machining time of the workpiece and to use the milling tools in such a way that they are subjected to less wear.
This object is achieved according to the invention by a milling method in which the milling tool is guided along a spiral guide path which runs from a blank of any desired contour continuously down to the desired finished part of any desired contour. Such a spiral guide path can be placed in a workpiece of any shape, irrespective of the contour of the blank and the finished part.
The milling tool is guided along a guide path of this type, as a result of which a milling path is produced which is likewise continuous and basically spiral. The resulting milling path may differ from the guide path covered by inclining the milling tool, whereby however the continuity is retained.
The spiral guide path permits a continuous change in form with continuous material removal from the workpiece, in which case the tool only has to be applied once. The complete milling operation may therefore be effected in a single set-up of the workpiece.
The spiral guide path is distinguished by a smooth and gentle progression which is free of sudden changes of direction. This is the precondition for harmonic guidance of workpiece and tool, this harmonic guidance being free of sudden accelerations and vibrations associated therewith. To this end, the speed of the tool and the workpiece is adapted to the curvature of the guide path.
The main advantage of the method according to the invention lies in the reduction in the machining time of the workpiece and thus in a more cost-effective production. This may be attributed primarily to the continuous material removal. Compared with known methods, the volume of removal per unit of time is greater, since the tool is not directed through the air very often or is not directed through the air at all. The total machining time is further reduced by the workpiece only being clamped in place once. As a result, only one set of clamping positions is required, which further simplifies the method.
A further advantage lies in the smooth tool guidance, as a result of which shocks on the tool are avoided and consequently the use of ceramic tools is made possible. Thanks to their heat resistance, higher milling speeds can be realized, which leads to a further reduction in the milling time.
Furthermore, the continuous material removal and change in form produce the advantage of less distortion of the workpiece.
The milling method according to the invention can be carried out on existing four- or five-axis machine tools. In this case, the number of axes used depends on the complexity of the surface curvature. Whereas simple parts can be milled like clamping positions on four axes, the production of a twisted turbine blade requires milling along five axes.


A semiconductor system includes a memory configured to output a parity bit during a read operation and receive a data mask (DM) signal during a write operation. The semiconductor system also includes a System On Chip (SOC) configured to detect errors by decoding the parity bit during the read operation, and output the DM signal to the memory during the write operation. Since the parity bit is generated in the memory based on data received from outside the memory, the semiconductor device and a corresponding semiconductor system may reduce the size of a storage space for parity bits.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to a semiconductor device and a semiconductor system including the same, and more particularly to a technology for reducing the size of a storage space of parity bits of the semiconductor device.
Due to limitation in operation speed of a semiconductor memory device such as a Dynamic Random Access Memory (DRAM), single data rate (SDR) memories acting as synchronous semiconductor memory devices have been widely used to increase operation speeds of semiconductor memory devices. Synchronous semiconductor memory devices may operate in synchronization with a rising edge of a system clock. The operation speed of the synchronous semiconductor memory devices has been increasing.
Technology of such higher-speed semiconductor memory devices continues to develop with the advent of a double data rate (DRR) memories operating in response to a rising edge and a falling edge of the system clock. Likewise, SDR and DDR memories have become a mainstream of current memory devices in consideration of a user request or characteristics of application products.
Meanwhile, each of SDR and DDR memories has a DQ mask function, where "DQ" is an input/output (I/O) channel of data, and the term "mask" indicates an operation for suppressing input/output of data.
A DQ mask (also Data Mask (DM) herein) signal obstructs progression of some data during the read or write operation, such that the data is not actually read from or written into semiconductor memory devices. For example, SDR and DDR memories generate a DM command for suppressing input data from being written into memory cells during a data write operation.
In more detail, the SDR memory synchronizes the DM signal generated from a DM buffer with a clock signal to generate a DM signal. The DDR memory synchronizes an output signal of a DM buffer with a clock signal for a data strobe (DS) signal of a memory controller. As a result, the DDR memory is synchronized with the output of the DS signal to generate a DM signal.
When performing a termination test of semiconductor memory devices on a wafer, the termination test of a data mask (DM) pad is omitted to improve efficiency of the termination test.
Memory modules associated with a computing device are generally used to process two types of data, i.e., general data and graphic data. For example, processing the graphic data may include displaying image(s) on a screen. A memory module associated with such graphic processing may include a DM module.
The DM module is designed to improve operation of DRAM(s). The data mask (DM) is desired for performing data read or write operation for DRAM(s) at a high speed during a graphic processing time.
The aforementioned high-speed read and write operations of data between the DM module and each of the DRAM(s) are performed using a DM bit signal being input/output to/from a data bus of the corresponding DRAM. For example, the DM bit signal is used to mask a data line to suppress a write operation into a DRAM associated with the DM bit signal.
As the operation frequency of a semiconductor device is increasing to make the operation speed of the semiconductor device faster, the number of data bits simultaneously input/output to/from the semiconductor device is also increasing. As a result, the number of pads arranged in the semiconductor device also continues to increase.

Semiconductor device and semiconductor system including the same


The titanium dioxide pigment of the present invention contains an anatase type crystal in an amount of 98-100% and has an average particle diameter of 0.2-0.4 μm and a whiteness of 95-97 in terms of L value of linseed oil. The titanium dioxide pigment of the present invention has characteristics peculiar to anatase type, for example, optical characteristics such as bluish color tone and physical characteristics such as low hardness, and furthermore has high opacity which is not possessed by conventional anatase type titanium oxide pigments.

Titanium dioxide is used as white pigments in a wide variety of the fields such as paints, inks, plastics and papers, and those which are commercially available at present are roughly classified into anatase type and rutile type according to their crystalline forms. Those of anatase type have the features of higher reflectance for light of short wavelength (showing bluish color tone), smaller absorption of light of ultraviolet portion, lower hardness, lower dielectric constant, and smaller specific gravity as compared with those of rutile type, but are inferior in basic properties of pigments, namely, smaller in refractive index for visible light and lower in opacity than those of rutile type. Thus, the features of anatase type titanium dioxide are not sufficiently utilized. The pigment concentration used in resin compositions which require high opacity is usually not less than 0.5 part by weight of titanium dioxide pigment for 1 part by weight of resin component in the case of paints, inks or the like, and usually not less than 0.05 part by weight in the case of plastics or the like. Commercially available anatase type titanium dioxide pigments have an average particle diameter in the range of 0.1-0.18 μm, and the reason for the anatase type titanium dioxide pigments being low in opacity is that the particle diameter is too small as compared with optimum particle diameter which can give theoretically the highest opacity, although the reason might be due to the basic property that anatase type titanium dioxide pigments are low in refractive index for visible light as mentioned above.
As a method for producing anatase type titanium dioxide pigments having an average particle diameter of not less than 0.2 μm, there is known a method which comprises adding to hydrous titanium oxide a potassium oxide corresponding to 0.2-0.6% by weight calculated as K2O based on the weight of TiO2 in the hydrous titanium oxide and a phosphorus oxide corresponding to 0.15-0.55% by weight calculated as P2O5 as calcination treating agents, preferably further adding an aluminum compound in an amount of not less than 0.2% by weight calculated as Al2O3, and calcining the mixture with heating by gradually raising the temperature from 460° C. to 1020° C. over a certain period of time (JP-A-8-225324). Furthermore, there is known another method which comprises adding to hydrous titanium oxide an aluminum compound corresponding to 0.1-0.5% by weight calculated as Al2O3, a potassium compound corresponding to 0.1-0.7% by weight calculated as K2O and a phosphorus compound corresponding to 0.2-1% by weight calculated as P2O5 based on the weight of TiO2 in the hydrous titanium oxide as calcination treating agents, and calcining the mixture by heating at 1000° C. or higher (JP-A-9-188518).

Titanium dioxide pigment and method for producing the same and resin composition using the same


A method of recording the motion of a physical object moved under human control is described that allows repeated replay of the exact motion using a robot to cause the motion of the object to occur in such a way as to allow a human student to interact with the object and experience the fundamental movements required to reproduce the motion consistently, thereby enhancing motor learning.

Methods and apparatuses have been developed to allow the acquisition of data related to the motion of physical objects under the control of a human subject for the purpose of providing feedback on the performance of the subject in executing the motion in order to enhance training. Objects such as golf clubs, baseball bats and tennis rackets have been outfitted with sensors such as strain gauges, gyroscopes, magnetometers, lasers and accelerometers that provide temporal signals related to the position of the object in order to quantify certain aspects of the performance of swinging the object by a student. The feedback is typically presented as aural or tactile signals that are provided during the swing to signal either proper or improper technique.
Methods have been developed for the programming of industrial robots to execute complex tasks by recording the movements of human operators in performing the desired tasks and translating the recorded motions to a format that can be directly executed by the robot. In these cases, the objective is for the robot to autonomously perform the task essentially free of any human involvement and with higher efficiency than a human operator. Thus, these industrial robots typically operate outside the limitations of human constraints, employing forces or ranges of motion that could severely injure a human.
It is well recognized that the learning of complex motor skills in humans is enhanced by directly stimulating what is termed "muscle memory", otherwise known as motor learning. When a movement is repeated over time, a long-term muscle memory is created for that task that eventually allows it to be performed without conscious effort. This process decreases the need for attention, enables the student to accurately repeat the motion even when under pressure to perform, and creates maximum efficiency within the motor and memory systems. Examples of muscle memory are found in everyday activities that become automatic and improve with practice, such as riding a bicycle, typing on a keyboard, playing a musical instrument, hitting a baseball or swinging a golf club. One way to accelerate motor learning is to cause the limbs of a student to repeatedly trace a desired motion as established by a competent instructor without otherwise interfering with the student's environment. Thus, for example, an industrial robot could be programmed to repeatedly swing a baseball bat or a golf club in a trajectory provided by an instructor and in such a way as to allow the student to naturally and comfortably grip the bat or club while maintaining a normal stance.
Although a competent instructor could conceivably enter swing trajectory information in parametric form into a motion control computer to provide the basis for the robot movement, it is much more natural and efficient to record the temporal parameters of the swing trajectory as performed either by the instructor or the student using a suitably instrumented appliance, then translate those parameters into robot motion control instructions while ensuring careful processing of the recorded data to avoid unintentional motion that could cause injury to the student. Thus, there is a need for a method for acquiring and processing swing trajectory data and translating it to motion control instructions for a suitably designed robot to smoothly replicate the instructor's swing for the student to experience safely.

Method of recording a motion for robotic playback


A tie strap assembly for encircling and securing bundles of articles or discrete items including a looped tie strap or elastic band and a coupler for engaging opposite ends of the strap. The coupler includes an elongated shank having hook shaped arms on one end and an open ring on the opposite end. Protrusions are provided on the ring for capturing one end of the strap and keeper arms protrude from the shank to aid in holding the opposite end of the strap on the hook shaped arms. The ring has an open center for hanging the assembly for storage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to tying strap assemblies and fastening devices for bundling such articles as coiled garden hoses, electric cords and cables, electrical wire bundles as well as for tie wrapping a wide variety of variously shaped discrete articles. More particularly, the present invention relates to a coupling device used in combination with a strap assembly such as but not limited to an elastic band.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The present invention provides significant improvements in tie strap assemblies and coupler devices of the double hook type. With the present invention, the tie strap may comprise a single flexible strand having looped connector end sections, a simple looped or endless strand or a conventional elastic band or loop such as a rubber band. The coupler device may be manufactured utilizing any suitable material, preferably a single molding of such materials as metal, or rigid, semi-rigid or pliable plastics. In this sense, the improved assembly and coupler is extremely inexpensive to manufacture with readily replaceable parts. Since the coupler unit and strap combination can be made non-rigid or deformable the system becomes adaptable to a wide variety of uses and environments. Examples of the double hook type coupling devices and tie strap assemblies are found in the following listed U.S. patents:
U.S. Pat. No.Patentee468,810McAnarney767,204Carpenter1,246,864Brion1,441,737Mickelson3,353,232Brownson4,569,108Schwab
All of these patents require some sort of lacing or tying of either elastic or rope type bands on one end or the other of the coupler device and hence are cumbersome to assemble. Additionally these devices do not provide any means for adjustably positioning the tie strap on the coupler to adjust the tension. The structures do not incorporate any effective means in the coupling device for hanging or storing the articles encircled by the tie strap.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,893,456 to Bosmans and U.S. Pat. No. 6,543,094 to D'Addario are examples of tie strap assemblies wherein the tie strap is either molded integral with or permanently connected to the coupler device.
The following listed patents are exemplary of various designs of tie strap assemblies and coupling devices. These patents are of interest to illustrate the development of the art:
U.S. Pat. No.Patentee1,156,565Timmerman1,181,767Houdyshell3,953,911Fishack4,188,871Teachout4,270,247Freedom4,335,490Teachout5,199,135Gold5,772,371Ackerman


Terminal plates (30) are juxtaposed on a base plate (11) for electrically connecting positive and negative electrodes of a solar battery module (90) to cables (80) for external connection. A rectifying device (50) spans between adjacent terminal plates (30). Each rectifying device (50) has a bypass diode (52) and a metal clip (53) resiliently holds the bypass diode (52). A heat discharging sheet (40) is attached to the lower surface of the clip (53) for discharging heat generated by the bypass diode (52). Heat discharged from a heat discharging surface (40A) of the heat discharging sheet (40) is received by a heat receiving surface (90A) of the solar battery module (90) via a through hole (11B) formed in the base plate (11) and is discharged efficiently from the solar battery module (90).

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a terminal box for an electric or electronic device such as a solar battery module and to a method of providing it.
2. Description of the Related Art
A solar energy generation system supplies direct-current electricity from a solar battery panel on the roof of a house to electric equipment via an inverter or the like. The solar battery panel has a plurality of solar battery modules, and electrodes of the solar battery modules are connected in series or in parallel via terminal boxes.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H11-26035 discloses a terminal box that has two terminal plates juxtaposed on a base plate. Ends of the terminal plates at one side are connected with positive and negative electrodes drawn out from the underside of the solar battery module. The other ends of the terminal plates are connected with cables for external connection. A bypass diode spans between the two terminal plates. The bypass diode shorts an inverse current when there is an inverse load from one cable for external connection to the other. A lead wire of the bypass diode is soldered to the corresponding terminal plate for electrically connection and is placed fixedly on the base plate via a mounting pin that projects from the base plate.
Heat generated in the bypass diode of the above-described terminal box is likely to remain in the bypass diode without being smoothly discharged. Thus, the diode function can be impaired by excessive temperature increase.
The present invention was developed in view of the above problem and an object thereof is to improve heat discharging characteristics.

Terminal box and a method of providing it


A rooftop equipment support includes a polymer material block and a metal fastener support attached to an upper portion of the block. The fastener support has a fastener portion that is configured to receive one or more fasteners for securing piping or other equipment. According to one embodiment, folded-down lips of the metal fastener portion form a channel configured to accept one or more fasteners, such as pipe clamps. In another embodiment, the metal fastener portion is a plate having one or more threaded inserts. The threaded inserts may be located between a sheet metal part of the fastener portion and a top surface of the polymer material block. The polymer material block may be made of a polyurethane foam material. The metal fastener portion may cover at least part of the edges of a top surface of the polymer material block.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention is in the field of devices for supporting equipment, such as pipe runs and HVAC equipment, on rooftops of buildings.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a general need to provide support for rooftop piping systems and equipment, such as electrical conduits, steam or natural gas piping, and HVAC units. It is desirable that support for such equipment elevate the piping or other equipment high enough to clear common rooftop obstacles like expansion joints and seams. The elevation also serves to keep the piping or other equipment from lying directly in standing water. In addition, it is desirable that the supports avoid penetrating any roof membrane on the rooftop. Often such supports are free floating to avoid penetrating the roof membrane, as well as to accommodate movement in the piping systems or other equipment due to expansion or contraction due to temperature fluxuations.
Short links of pressure-treated lumber have often been used as supports. Commonly-available one- or two-hole pipe straps are attached to the links of pressure-treated lumber and are used to secure runs of pipes. There are a number of potential problems with use of wood pieces as rooftop supports. First of all, the wood may rot to the extent that it no longer provides the necessary support. Supporting hardware such as the straps may rust. The wood is heavy and difficult to move. In addition, the wood may be relatively hard, and may rupture the roof membrane. Also, additional tools, such as saws and screwdrivers or socket wrenches, may be required for installation.
Another approach for providing rooftop support for equipment are mounting structures shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,855,342 and 6,679,461. Such devices involve a block of polyethylene foam having a recess in one surface. A channel or strut is located in the recess. Clamping hardware may be secured to the recessed channel or strut. Though this product does overcome many of the disadvantages of pressure-treated lumber supports, there is still room for improvement regarding devices in this field of endeavor.

Rooftop equipment support and method of use