The thin-film magnetic head of the present invention is provided with an antiferromagnetic layer, a pinned layer whose direction of magnetization is fixed by exchange-coupling with the antiferromagnetic layer, a free layer whose direction of magnetization varies according to external magnetic field, an intermediate layer disposed between the pinned layer and free layer, and a pair of electrode layers for supplying a sense current in a layer thickness direction of the free layer. One electrode layer is connected to the pinned layer. Due to this configuration, a sense current flows through the free layer, the intermediate layer, and the pinned layer, but basically does not flow through the antiferromagnetic layer. As a consequence, the antiferromagnetic layer does not contribute to total resistance of the magnetoresistance element, allowing a high magnetoresistance ratio to be obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a thin-film magnetic head for reading magnetic information on a hard disk or the like by utilizing a magnetoresistance effect, a head gimbal assembly, a hard disk apparatus, and a method of making a thin-film magnetic head.
2. Related Background Art
MR (Magneto Resistive) heads have been in use as thin-film magnetic heads for reading magnetic information on hard disks. The MR heads utilize a magnetoresistance effect in which a magnetic material changes its ohmic value due to changes in external magnetic fields (e.g., leakage magnetic fields from hard disks) when a current is caused to flow through the magnetic material. This magnetoresistance effect can be substantially realized by an MR film that stacks a pinned layer having a direction of magnetization that is fixed by exchange-coupling with an antiferromagnetic layer, a free layer having a direction of magnetization that varies according to external magnetic fields, an intermediate layer disposed therebetween. In GMR (Giant Magneto Resistive) heads utilizing a giant magnetoresistance effect, the intermediate layer is formed from an electrically conductive material such as Cu.
A predetermined sense current is supplied to the MR film of a magnetic head. Then, the angle between the respective directions of magnetization of the pinned layer and the free layer changes due to external magnetic fields. The resistance of the MR element is lowest when the respective directions of magnetization of the individual layers coincide with each other, and is highest when the directions of magnetization are opposite to each other. Reading such a change in resistance as a voltage value can reproduce the magnetic information written on hard disks.
Meanwhile, in thin-film magnetic heads, a CIP (Current In Plane) structure in which the sense current flows in the planar direction of the MR film and a CPP (Current Perpendicular to Plane) structure in which the sense current flows in a direction (film thickness direction) perpendicular to the MR film have been developed (for example, see Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-105912 (FIG. 2)). Since a magnetic shield layer itself can be used as an electrode, the later CPP structure is substantially free from short-circuiting (insulation failure) between the magnetic shield layer and MR film which may become problematic in the narrower lead gap to be achieved in the CIP structure. Therefore, the CPP structure is quite advantageous in attaining a higher recording density on hard disks. Examples of heads employing the CPP structure include TMR (Tunnel-type Magneto Resistive) heads utilizing the magneto resistance effect occurring in tunnel junctions, and CPP-GMR heads.

Thin-film magnetic head for reading magnetic information on a hard disk by utilizing a magnetoresistance effect


Apparatus for performing Raman spectroscopy may include a first laser source having a first emission wavelength and a second laser source having a second emission wavelength. A separation between the first and second emission wavelengths may correspond to a width of a Raman band of a substance of interest. A switch may provide switching between the first and second laser sources. An ensemble of laser emitters may be provided. A Bragg grating element may receive laser light from the ensemble. An optical system may direct light from the Bragg grating element into an optical fiber. A combined beam through the optical fiber may contain light from each of the emitters.

Raman analysis is a well-known analytical technique used for structural analysis of molecular species. Raman analysis exploits the inelastic scattering of light by a substance that carries information about the vibrational spectrum of the constituent molecular compounds. The distinguishing feature of Raman analysis compared with, for example, infrared (IR) or near infrared (NIR) absorption vibrational spectroscopy is the fact that the optical excitation of the sample is done at a much shorter wavelength of light and the corresponding Raman signal is emitted in the spectral band of a much shorter wavelength than the IR absorption lines of the same sample. This feature allows efficient analysis of aqueous solutions and also makes it possible to construct very compact instruments.
Typical Raman systems employed so far use a monochromatic source of incident radiation such as a laser combined with a spectrometer and a detection system such as a CCD camera (dispersive Raman). Another type of a conventionally used Raman system is Fourier transform Raman that uses a scanning interferometer and a single detector for spectral analysis. Lasers that are used for Raman analysis typically emit in the visible, near infrared, or near ultraviolet spectrum. Many variations of radiation detectors have been used in the art, ranging from photomultiplier tubes to CCD cameras.
Traditionally, the cost of Raman spectrometers has been driven by the cost of the laser excitation source, the spectrometer that may use notch filters designed to suppress Rayleigh scattering, cooled CCD camera and the signal analysis module that usually requires a fully functional computer, operating system and specialized software. Some Raman systems also employ a fiber-optic probe for delivering laser light to the sample and collecting the Raman signal.

Compact, low cost Raman monitor for single substances


A down-the-hole hammer drill bit assembly includes a foot valve and a drill component having respective abutment regions in the form of cooperating lugs and shoulders that may be engaged by rotation of the valve relative to the drill bit component to allow the lugs and shoulders to overlap radially to lock the valve at the drill component. The assembly is advantageous to allow coupling and decoupling on-site without the need for specific swaging or hydraulic/pneumatic assembly tools.

The technique of down-the-hole (DTH) percussive hammer drilling involves the supply of a pressurised fluid via a drill string to a drill bit located at the bottom of a bore hole. The fluid acts to both drive the hammer drilling action and to flush rearwardly dust and fines resultant from the cutting action, rearwardly through the bore hole so as to optimise forward cutting.
Typically, the drill assembly comprises a casing extending between a top sub and a drill bit. A piston is capable of shuttling axially between the top sub and the drill bit and is driven by the pressurised fluid so as to be configured to strike a rearward anvil end of the bit to provide the percussive action. A foot valve extends axially rearward from the drill bit to mate with the piston during its forwardmost stroke to control both the return stroke and provide exhaust of the pressurised fluid from the drill head which act to flush rearwardly the material cut from the bore face. Example DTH hammer drills are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,135; U.S. Pat. No. 6,125,952, WO 97/00371; WO 2006/116646; WO 2008/051132 and WO 2013/104470.
The foot valve is repeatedly contacted by the reciprocating piston and is positioned at the region of contact between the piston and an anvil surface of the drill shank. Accordingly, the foot valve is subjected to mechanical and thermal stress and abrasion wear within the drill assembly that limits its operational lifetime. To replace the foot valve, it is necessary to extract the entire length of drill string loaded down the bore hole which is a time consuming exercise and is expensive due to lost drilling. US 2011/0232922 describes a variety of different foot valve embodiments in an attempt to maximise the service life of the valve to mitigate premature detachment of all or part of the valve during use. However, conventional foot valves and DTH drill assemblies are disadvantageous for a number of reasons. Typically, the foot valve is swaged or press-fitted into the drill bit shank which necessitates a mechanical or pneumatic/hydraulic press that is not typically available on-site. Additionally, and following use or damage, removal of conventional foot valves is difficult and time consuming adding to drilling downtime. For example, it is not uncommon for operators, on-site to continue installation and use of a foot valve that has been damaged during transportation or initial assembly as firstly it is difficult to remove the valve and secondly the time delay with returning the foot valve and assembly to the initial swaging press (commonly at a different location) is undesirable. Accordingly, what is required is a foot valve and/or drill assembly that addresses the above problems.


A method and apparatus for making pad structures suitable for wirebonding and, optionally, also for solder-ball connections. Some embodiments include an electronics chip having a substrate with circuitry, a compliant electrically insulating layer deposited on at least a portion of the substrate, and an electrical connection pad, the pad having an electrical connection to the circuitry through an aperture in the insulating layer and a peripheral bonding zone region extending over the insulating layer. In some embodiments, the bonding zone is exclusively over the insulating layer outside of the aperture. In some embodiments, the pads are suitable for both solder-ball and wirebond connections. By making a wirebond connection to an area of a pad over the compliant insulating layer, the underlying circuitry is protected from ultrasonic energy of the bonding process.

Bare electronic chips typically need to be packaged in a package that provides an electric circuit between each electrical connection of the chip and an external connector such as a pin or a ball extending from the package to external circuitry such as a printed circuit board. In designing rules for manufacturing chips having different geometries (such as smaller features of devices such as wiring traces or transistors) it is costly to design, test, and qualify additional features. Chips that run at extremely high frequencies, e.g., upwards of 40 gigahertz, also have rule constraints as to the type, thickness, spacing, and layout of traces and signal pads required to provide adequate signal capability. Further, such chips typically need to be run at very low voltages (e.g., about one volt) and very high currents (e.g., one hundred amps), which must be provided in order to achieve the desired high frequencies.
The circuit side of the chip typically provides pads that are connected to the chip's packaging using, for example, solder-ball connections.
Typical high-performance packaging can include a ball-grid array package having relatively large balls (e.g., in a ball-grid array) with relatively large spacings on one side of the package for external connections, and small closely spaced pads on the same side or the opposite side for connections to a ball-grid-array set of solder-ball connections to the electronic chip (such as a processor, communications, or memory chip).
Wirebonding equipment and manufacturing processes are often less expensive than tight-tolerance solder ball equipment and manufacturing processes, particularly for devices that can accommodate the signal characteristics provided by wirebond connections.
A package typically has a non-conductive substrate (such as a plastic film or layer) with conductive traces (wires) on or in a surface of the substrate. Either solder ball connections or wirebond connects a chip to the package. Some packages include multiple chips, such as one or more logic or processor chips, one or more communications chips (such as for a cell phone or wireless LAN), and/or one or more memory chips, such as a FLASH-type reprogrammable non-volatile memory. Optionally, a cover or encapsulant is used to enclose the chip or chips.
What is needed is a simple, inexpensive, reliable method and apparatus to fabricate packaging for electronic chips, so that solder ball connections or wirebond connections can be used.

Apparatus and method extending flip-chip pad structures for wirebonding on low-k dielectric silicon


A process for protecting a plastic substrate from ultraviolet electromagnetic radiation is provided that includes the application of a composition to the plastic substrate containing between 0.01 and 10 total weight percent of a UV absorber in a non-polymerizing oil present in an amount of greater than 50 total weight percent. The oil is allowed to form a protective layer on the plastic substrate and having said UV absorber dispersed therethrough. The composition is provided including other additives and a volatile organic solvent. The oil and additives are chosen to not produce a colored byproduct as observed by an unaided normal human eye. Compositions are also provided that are limited to the aforementioned components of a UV absorber, an oil, with or without an organic solvent and limited additive to preclude staining of the plastic substrate.

There is a growing trend in the replacement of metal and wood components in vehicles and building structures with plastics. Exemplary of the inroads made by plastic components supplanting other materials are automotive trim, building window trim, and pick up truck bed liners. Unfortunately, functionality in such polymers are susceptible to ultraviolet light exposure damage through bond cleavage and dye oxidation. UV weathered plastics are characterized by color fading, cracking, or becoming tacky, instances where the molecule weight of plastic is reduced.
Historically, attempts to restore the appearance of plastics that have been weathered by UV light exposure have included the application of a plastic surface dressing that temporarily changes the plastic appearance with a dye composition tends to only last a few days before reapplication is required, to apply a dye that permanently affixes to the plastic, or to paint the plastic with a paint specifically designed for plastic surfaces. While dying or painting the UV light degraded plastic surface require considerable preparation, equipment and skill; surface dressing is easily performed with resort simply to a towel, foam pad, or other similar applicator. Unfortunately, surface dressing has a limited restorative effect as a result of water contact such as rain removing the surface dressing compositions, the formation of ring spots on the treated plastic, or a combination of these effects. Additionally, surface dressings tend to fade in appearance with each exposure to rain with little, if any surface dressings lasting more than a few weeks. The resulting plastic also tends to become sticky with repeated usage of conventional surface dressing compositions. Also, as surface dressings have no resistance to ultraviolet damage, even between periods of rainfall, the dressing compositions are themselves quickly degraded.
Thus, there exists a need for a protective composition and process for the use thereof to protect plastics that are exposed to UV light damage. There further exists a need for such a composition specifically for protection of plastic interior and exterior portions of a vehicle that is compatible with vehicle materials and operating conditions.

Plastic protective composition and process for use thereof


A primer feed mechanism mounted on a carrier of an artillery piece includes a body assembly for mounting the primer feed mechanism on the carrier, the body assembly having guide rails and a follower plate; a tray assembly that is movable on the guide rails of the body assembly, the tray assembly including a housing and an injector arm assembly; an actuator drive link connected to the carrier; a quick release link connected to the actuator drive link; and a drive link assembly connected to the quick release link and to the injector arm assembly; wherein one end of the injector arm assembly includes a push pin that reciprocates in the housing to inject a primer and another end of the injector arm assembly includes a follower that travels in the follower plate of the body assembly.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to artillery and, more particularly, to a mechanism for automatically feeding primer cartridges in an artillery piece.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Field artillery pieces operate by detonating a propellant charge behind a projectile in a gun barrel. Typically the propellant charge is detonated by means of a primer cartridge that, in turn, is detonated by the force of an externally applied blow or electrical current. A fresh (unfired) primer cartridge must be used for each firing of the artillery piece.
More responsive and effective artillery fire requires a faster rate of fire and reduced labor intensiveness. Presently, for large caliber artillery pieces with interrupted screw block breech mechanisms such as 155-mm artillery pieces and the like, percussion primers are loaded by hand or using various types of automatic feed mechanisms. In manual loading, one primer is manually placed in the spindle primer chamber and the firing mechanism is then manually moved over the primer in the ready-to-fire position. The manual technique is subject to human errors, injury and problems inserting the primer, especially when the light is dim.
Until the present invention, there have not been effective fail-safe alternatives to manual loading of primers. There is a need for a primer feed mechanism that automatically feeds live primers and ejects spent primer cases in large caliber artillery pieces (for example, a 155-mm gun). Carroll et al. teach one known automatic-type primer feed mechanism in U.S. Statutory Invention Registration H-1121, which is hereby incorporated by reference. One problem with the Carroll et al. mechanism is accidental misfiring of a primer cartridge before proper closing of the breech, which may result in human injury or death. Thus, there is a need for a safe and efficient system for loading primer cartridges in the breech of a gun.

United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Army


The invention provides a text segmentation apparatus comprising means for analyzing an electronic text to determine likelihood of segmentation point for each of sentence ends in the text based on a coherent unit and means for segmenting the text into text segments based on the likelihood of segmentation point. The apparatus is programmed to segment the text segment at the position having the best likelihood of segmentation point within the text segment when the size of any of the segmented text segments exceeds a threshold value to be determined based on the specified text segmentation size. Particularly, the apparatus determines the similarity between the text parts contained in a pair of windows to be set up on the left and right sides of each sentence end position in the text so as to obtain similarity curves. Then, the apparatus determines the likelihood of segmentation point for each sentence end point based on the obtained similarity curves. The apparatus segments the text at the point having the best likelihood of segmentation point and further segments it at the point of the second best likelihood of segmentation point, and so on, until the size of all of the text segments becomes approximately equal to the specified segment size.

After a text has been retrieved through a text search process, a user must make a further search for retrieving the required text part from the displayed text if the searched text is still so bulky as to contain many topics. In such a case, if the user makes a search through the text segments that have been segmented beforehand based on topics, the user will be able to immediately display the desired text segment. And accordingly it may become unnecessary for the user to make a further search for the required part. Therefore, if the text is segmented based on topics, it will be easy to perform various text processing applications.
Several text segmentation methods are disclosed in, for example, Laid Open Japanese Patent Application No. H11-242684, Laid Open Japanese Patent Application No. 2000-235574 and Laid Open Japanese Patent Application No. H10-72724. Laid Open Japanese Patent Application No. H11-242684 proposes a text segmentation apparatus wherein texts are handled in terms of not only association between adjacent sentences but also global sentence association. Japan Patent Application No. 2000-235574 proposes a method for obtaining segmentation points based on a square matrix whose elements include relativeness between the paragraphs, the text being segmented in accordance with a paragraph format and the like. Laid Open Japanese Patent Application No. H10-72724 proposes a method comprising the steps of determining the relativeness at each position based on a plurality of windows, determining the border of the topics for each layer and integrating those borders to identify the topic border.
It is possible to segment a text in terms of topics using the above-referenced methods. However, those referenced methods do not take into consideration the size of the text. In particular, when using such equipments as mobile telephones and PDA devices that have some limitation on the resources, e.g., small size of the display, users may need an extra operation, for example, a scrolling, to display the segmented text segments. In addition, the size of the text segments may be beyond the limit of the storage of such equipment. Accordingly, the text segment that is segmented by one of the above-referenced conventional text segmentation methods cannot be necessarily a desirable segmentation unit to users and/or terminal devices.
Therefore, there is a need for a text segmentation method for segmenting a text in accordance with coherent units as well as a specified text segment size. Also, there is a need for a technique for providing a group of text segments which users can easily read through even if they are displayed on small size display screens of mobile telephones and/or PDA devices.

Apparatus and method for text segmentation based on coherent units


A landscaping dripper system tool that safely enables releasing drip irrigation feeder pipe from the barbs of connected fittings and end-point devices; emitters, sprayers, manifolds, etc. The tool includes a channel and a parallel, recessed knife blade that receives and cuts the irrigation tubing wall, releasing the feeder pipe from the connected barbed fitting. The knife blade tip extends into the channel to a depth based on a standard irrigation tubing wall thickness, so when the operator slides the tubing with attached barb along the channel, the tubing wall is safely cut.

Drip irrigation systems, such as those used in agriculture, commercial and home improvement sales channels, are well known and in widespread use world-wide. Most such drip irrigation systems provide lengths of irrigation conduit ranging from ½-−1 inch (1.2-2.5 cm) poly(vinyl chloride) (PVC) or polyethylene, and serve as a water volume delivery conduit or "back-bone" for ½ inch (1.2-1.3 cm) attaching connectors, "T" fittings and threaded pipe multi-port manifolds having ¼ inch (0.6-0.65 cm) micro barbed feeder ports that connect ¼ inch (0.6-0.65 cm) feeder pipe for delivering water to individual plants, hanging flower baskets, etc. These end-point devices connected thru a network of ¼ inch (0.6-0.65 cm) feeder pipes are capable of supporting ¼ inch (0.6-0.65 cm) dripper line fittings such as connectors, "T"s, elbows, and many varying types of barbed devices including in-line and end-point emitters, drippers, micro sprayers, bubblers, etc. A typical home installation of a drip system may include over 100 end-water drip service points, supported thru a network of ¼ inch (0.6-0.65 cm) micro feeder pipe having from five to ten "backbone" multiport ½ inch (1.2-1.3 cm) manifolds.
During the course of time and seasons, the drip lines and barbed devices need to be replaced (e.g., due to reconfigured gardens). Also, the drip lines can be damaged by general garden digging, rototilling, replacing or adding of plants, and even rodent and animal plastic end-chewing. Furthermore, barbed end-dripping devices can become clogged, leading to the need to replace certain sections of the line. Changing a section of the drip line requires releasing the feeder pipe from the "backbone" manifold end, and replacing some or all of the ¼ inch (0.6-0.65 cm) micro feeder pipe, as well as replacing the end dripping device in some cases. Unfortunately, the multi-station manifold barbs and the barbed dripping devices and fittings are not always easily detached from the feeder pipe, and are often damaged in the repair process. In fact, many suppliers simply suggest that they be discarded along with the damaged feeder pipe section(s), and replaced with new ones. Unfortunately, such actions are wasteful, add to landfills, and are not environmentally friendly.
Common ways to cut out the damaged feeder pipe and install new feeder pipes include using a retractable razor blade, a utility knife, or scissors to cut the pipe. The razor blade, utility knife and scissors, of course, can be dangerous to use when cutting along a slippery micro irrigation pipe.
One approach for solving the problem(s) with detaching micro irrigation tubing is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,928,708, entitled "Hand-Held Device for Selectively Attaching or Detaching a Water Drip System Connector or Plug." The '708 patent discloses a tool that detaches micro drip connectors to typical ½ inch (1.2-1.3 cm) to ⅝ inch (1.55-1.6 cm) polyethylene conduits, but does not use a blade to cut a pipe. The tool grabs a barbed connector and requires the operator to use force to pull the barbed connector out of the conduit, detaching it. This practice can result in tearing of the polyethylene conduit hole by the barb, making the conduit unusable. In addition, the '708 patent does not address the myriad of other barbed fittings and devices such as emitters, in-line and end-point drippers, sprayers or micro feeder pipe. U.S. Pat. No. 6,430,767, entitled "Tool for Installing Emitters for Drip Irrigation," and U.S. Pat. No. 7,185,409, entitled "Installation Tool for Irrigation Emitter Barbs with Cutter," also disclose drip irrigation tools.
According to a 2021 National Gardening Association survey, research showed that 16 million new gardeners were added during the COVID-19 pandemic, many of whom are under 35. Many of those new gardeners are environmentally conscious and eager to use water-saving approaches such as drip irrigation and micro irrigation. Thus, there is a sizable and growing demand for a tool that enables facile and reliable separation of drip irrigation or micro irrigation pipes from barbed connectors so that the barbed connectors can be saved and reused.
This "Discussion of the Background" section is provided for background information only. The statements in this "Discussion of the Background" are not an admission that the subject matter disclosed in this "Discussion of the Background" section constitutes prior art to the present disclosure, and no part of this "Discussion of the Background" section may be used as an admission that any part of this application, including this "Discussion of the Background" section, constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.

Drip irrigation feeder pipe slicer tool and method of detaching barbed fittings and devices using the same


Described is a phacoemulsification device for eye surgery that generally comprises an ultrasonically vibrating aspiration needle that withdraws ocular material from inside of the eye. The ocular material withdrawn from the eye is equally replaced with irrigation fluid provided through irrigation ports in an irrigation sleeve surrounding the aspiration needle. In the event the aspiration needle stops withdrawing ocular material, such as if it becomes occluded with a chunk of ocular material, irrigation fluid is directed to the outside of the eye via at least one irrigation aperture to keep the eye cool where the needle is ultrasonically vibrating.

A cataract is the clouding of the eye's natural lens. The lens is mostly made up of water and protein. As we age, these proteins change and clump together obscuring the lens. Correcting this change is generally done by removing the cataract lens and replacing it with a clear lens implant. One way of correcting the effects of cataracts is through Phacoemulsification eye surgery.
Phacoemulsification is a surgery technique on an eye wherein the internal lens is emulsified with a phacoemulsification, or phaco for short, needle tip driven to vibrate ultrasonically by an ultrasonic producing mechanism in the phaco handpiece. The ultrasonic vibration of the phaco needle creates a significant temperature rise of the needle. The temperature rise occurs essentially instantaneously. The emulsified lens material (mostly fluid) is aspirated from the eye through the phaco needle and replaced with an irrigation fluid made up of a balanced salt solution. Intraocular pressure (TOP) is maintained in the eye while the phaco needle is aspirating ocular material from the eye by constantly infusing saline solution into the eye. This constant replenishment of fluids in the eye is critical to avoid collapse of the anterior chamber of the eye. The irrigation fluid is also the only fluid that cools the heating effects of the vibrating phaco needle, thus preventing burning of eye tissue at the incision site. On occasion, large chunks of ocular material clog the phaco needle, which interrupts the aspiration flow, which in turn causes interruption in the irrigation flow. Though the irrigation flow is interrupted, the phaco needle may still be vibrating causing localized heating and potential localized burning of the eye.
It is to improvements in dealing with localized heating of the eye when aspiration flow is interrupted that embodiments of the present invention are directed.

Occlusion-activated heat suppression infusion sleeve


Disclosed is a breaker for providing successive trip mechanism based on PTC current-limiting device, which includes a first switch having first fixed/movable contact points; a second switch having second fixed/movable contact and connected to the first switch in parallel; PTC current-limiting device connected to the first and second switches in parallel or series and allowing a change of current flow direction from the first switch to the second switch at a fault current; a movable arm to which the movable contact points are installed at an interval therebetween and opening/closing the switches by operating the movable contact points; a fixed arm including first and second fixed arm conductors for guiding current flow toward the first fixed contact point in a normal load current mode and guiding current flow toward the second fixed contact point via the PTC current-limiting device in a fault current mode; and a successive trip means for elastically biasing the second switch by operation of the movable arm in a closing direction when both switches are closed and successively tripping both switches using time taken for releasing the elastic bias of the second switch when the movable arm is operated in a tripping direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a breaker employing a current-limiting device having PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) characteristics, and more particularly to a breaker for limiting and breaking a fault current using successive trips by electrically connecting a current-limiting device having PTC characteristics to a plurality of switches.
2. Description of the Related Art
Breakers are widely used for protecting lines and power equipments installed on the lines against a fault current such as a short circuit current in a power system such as a transmission system and a distribution system.
A conventional breaker includes a switch having a fixed contact point and a movable contact point and serially connected to a line for selective opening and closing, an extinction grid for extinguishing an arc generated in the switch while a fault current of the line is broken, and a movable contact point pivoting means for sensing a fault current and tripping the switch by making an angular motion of the movable contact point.
Seeing the operation of the conventional breaker, the fixed contact point and the movable contact point keep a contacted state between them at an ordinary time by using a certain force applied by the movable contact point pivoting means. However, if a fault current flows along the line, an electron repelling force generated between the fixed contact point and the movable contact point makes the movable contact point be rapidly released from the fixed contact point. Arc is generated between the released fixed and movable contact points, and the generated arc is operated toward the surrounding extinction grid, and then cooled and divided. The arc operated toward the extinction grid results in a voltage drop of the line, which limits a fault current flowing on the line, and the limited fault current is completely broken at an artificial current zero point by means of cooling and division of the arc.
Recently, various attempts have been made for realizing an efficient current-limiting and tripping operation of a breaker by connecting a mechanical switch with a current-limiting device having PTC characteristics that makes abrupt change of resistance according to temperature.
The current-limiting device is heated to increase its temperature abruptly by Joule heat when a fault current flows on a line, and its resistance value is abruptly increased when the temperature exceeds a threshold temperature. Accordingly, the fault current of the line is limited by the current-limiting device, and in this state the switch is mechanically operated to break the line.
If the line is broken, the temperature of the current-limiting device is dropped below the threshold temperature, and accordingly the resistance value of the current-limiting device is restored to its initial value. In addition, if a main cause of the fault current is removed and then the breaker is closed again, a common load current flows on the line.
The following prior art shows a breaker prepared by coupling a current-limiting device with a switch as mentioned above.
First, U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,357 discloses a technique of realizing a breaker by connecting a current-limiting device and switches in parallel. However, U.S. Pat. No. 2,639,357 has a drawback that a fault current is not suitably switched to the current-limiting device.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,038 discloses a technique of realizing a breaker by connecting a current-limiting device with switches in series. However, U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,038 has a problem that the current-limiting device connected with a line in series is continuously heated due to Joule heat at ordinary times, so a power loss is caused even when an ordinary load current flows.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,658 proposes a breaker operated using the successive trip mechanism by connecting a current-limiting device with a plurality of switches in parallel and in series in order to solve the problem of U.S. Pat. No. 4,878,038.
FIG. 1 shows a concept of the successive trip mechanism. As shown in FIG. 1, in the breaker of U.S. Pat. No. 5,629,658, a first switch 10 is connected to a current-limiting device 12 in parallel, and a second switch 14 is connected to the current-limiting device 12 in series. A load current at ordinary times flows through the first switch 10 having a relatively low resistance value. Thus, a problem of power loss caused by Joule heat generated in the current-limiting device 12 does not happen. Meanwhile, if a fault current such as a short circuit current occurs in a line L, the first switch 10 is firstly tripped due to the electron repelling force. According, the fault current flows through the second switch 14 and the current-limiting device 12. If the fault current flows on the current-limiting device 12, the fault current is limited due to the current limiting action of the current-limiting device 12. In addition, the second switch 14 is tripped due to the electron repelling force caused by the fault current and a second switch opening/closing tool separately prepared, so the fault current limited by the current-limiting device 12 is completely broken by the second switch 14.
Japanese Patent Publication No. H10-326554 proposes a more specific structure of a breaker adopting the successive trip mechanism.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing the breaker of H10-326554. As shown in FIG. 2, the breaker of H10-326554 includes a fixed arm 20 directly connected to a power source of a line and having a first fixed contact point 16 and a second fixed contact point 18 to which a PTC current-limiting device is fixed; and a movable arm 26 directly connected to a load of the line to rotate by an opening/closing tool and having a first movable contact point 22 contacting with the first fixed contact point 16, and a second movable contact point 24 contacting with the second fixed contact point 18.
The movable arm 26 is divided into a first movable arm 28 having elasticity and to which the first movable contact point 22 is attached, and a second movable arm 26 to which the second movable contact point 24 is attached. At ordinary times, the first contact points 16 and 22 and the second contact points 18 and 24 are electrically connected with each other, and a resistance between the first contact points 16 and 22 is smaller than a resistance between the second contact points 18 and 24, so most current flows through the first contact points 16 and 22 and the first movable arm 28.
If a fault such as a short circuit occurs in a line to flow a fault current through the line, an electron repelling force acts between the first fixed contact point 16 and the first movable contact point 22 so that the first movable arm 28 moves upward, which makes the first movable contact point 22 be released from the first fixed contact point 16. Accordingly, the fault current flows through the second fixed contact point 18 and the second movable contact point 24, and the fault current is limited by means of the current limiting action of the current-limiting device fixed to the second fixed contact point 24. At the same time, if the opening/closing tool detects the fault current and pivots the entire movable arm 26 upward, the fault current flowing between the second fixed contact point 18 and the second movable contact point 24 is completely broken.
However, the breaker of H10-326554 shows the following problems.
First, during the fault current breaking procedure of the breaker, an arc generated when the first contact points 16 and 22 are released may be operated toward the second fixed contact point 18, and also when the second contact points 18 and 24 are released, a serious arc is generated even between the second fixed contact point 16 and the second movable contact point 24. Arc causes a high temperature capable of melting metal or nonmetal material, so the second fixed contact point 24 composed of a PTC current-limiting device is apt to be melt, damaged or divided due to such an arc.
Second, when the breaker is closed, the second contact points 18 and 24 are firstly closed, and then the first contact points 16 and 22 are closed. Even in this breaker closing procedure, an arc is generated between the second contact points 18 and 24. Thus, the arc generated during the breaker closing procedure is apt to melt, damage or divide the second fixed contact point 24 composed of a PTC current-limiting device.
Third, the second fixed contact point 24 is composed of a PTC current-limiting device that is weaker than general contact point materials, so it is apt to be easily deformed or damaged. In addition, if the contact point itself is composed of a PTC current-limiting device, there is a drawback of shortening an electric life of the breaker as well as a mechanical life.
Fourth, a contact resistance between the first contact points 16 and 22 should be smaller than a contact resistance between the second contact points 18 and 24. However, if a contact resistance between the second contact points 18 and 24 is excessively great in comparison to a contact resistance between the first contact points 16 and 22, a fault current is not adequately switched to the second contact points 18 and 24 though the first contact points 16 and 22 are released before.
The breaker of H10-326554 configures the second fixed contact point 18 with a PTC current-limiting device. However, in this case, though a contact resistance between the second fixed contact point 18 and the second movable contact point 24 is increased to release the first contact points 16 and 22, a fault current may be not adequately switched toward the second contact points 18 and 24.
Fifth, a general contact point material is attached to the fixed arm 20 and the movable arm 26 by means of brazing. However, since the second fixed contact point 18 is composed of a PTC current-limiting device, it is impossible to use brazing for attachment of the contact points.
Sixth, the first movable arm 28 is made of metal with great elasticity. Thus, though the first movable contact point 22 and the first fixed contact point 16 attached to the first movable arm 28 are released due to an electron repelling force when a fault current occurs, the first movable arm 28 may be quickly closed again due to the elasticity of the first movable arm 28, which may resultantly limit the fault current insufficiently.

Breaker for providing successive trip mechanism based on PTC current-limiting device


The present invention relates to a parallel processing system by an OS for single processor capable of operating an OS for single processor and an existing application on a multiprocessor and achieving parallel processing by a multiprocessor with respect to the application, wherein the multiprocessor are logically divided into two groups, i.e., a first processor side and a second processor side, and units of work that are parallelizable within the application operating on the processors on the first processor side are controlled as new units of work on the processors on the second processor side.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a parallel processing system by a multiprocessor, in particular, it relates to a parallel processing system by an OS for single processor capable of operating the OS and an existing application for single processor on a multiprocessor and achieving parallel processing by the multiprocessor with respect to the application.
2. Description of the Related Art
In data processing devices such as mobile terminals including mobile phones and mobile PCs, in the current situation, an operating system for single processor (hereinafter referred to as OS for single processor) and an application for single processor (hereinafter simply referred to as application) are basically executed on a single processor.
In such a situation, if the application is to be used as-is on a multiprocessor basis, it is necessary to execute the application on an OS for multiprocessor instead of the OS for single processor.
As systems that control the execution of OSes and applications for multiprocessor on multiprocessor systems such as the one described above, prior arts are disclosed, for example, in the Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Heisei 3-257652 and Heisei 3-113563.
The Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Heisei 3-257652 discloses a method for controlling the interruption between each processor element in a multiprocessor system consisting of a plurality of processor elements.
The Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Heisei 3-113563 discloses a method for scheduling processes assigned to a plurality of processors in a multiprocessor system.
However, when an existing application is operated on the OS for multiprocessor as in the prior art, there is the problem that the OS for multiprocessor provides services for multiprocessor regardless of the fact that the application uses only one among a plurality of processors, or it proceeds with processing the exclusion of the other processors regardless of the fact that other applications are not operating, such that these extra processing lead to overheads.
Moreover, if the application were modified for use with a multiprocessor, the above problem would be solved, however, it would lead to a different problem that considerable labor and cost would be necessary for the modification.
Furthermore, when the application is used as-is on the existing OS for single processor, there is a high demand that the existing application be operated as-is on a multiprocessor.

Parallel processing system by OS for single processor


An antenna cover is used with an antenna for passing therethrough a radiation of the antenna in order to modify an antenna pattern of the antenna. The antenna cover includes a housing having a first surface and a second surface; and a plurality of through holes penetrating through the housing and extending from the first surface to the second surface. By way of adjusting distances between the plurality of through holes and/or adjusting sizes of the plurality of through holes, the antenna cover functions to adjust the radiation of the antenna from a first antenna pattern to a second antenna pattern.

In consideration of driving safety, it is essential to install a radar on the side of the vehicle to detect obstacles. A popular one of the small and medium-sized radar antennas suitable to be installed on the vehicle side is a block array antenna, which consists of specifically allocated traditional patch antennas. Since it is hard to arbitrarily adjust a detection range of a block array antenna, radar signals received by a signal receiver might include signals reflected by ground or the vehicle itself, particularly when the block array antenna is installed at a lower position of the vehicle near ground and when a relatively large field of view of the block array antenna. As a result, the energy received by the signal receiver would be improperly increased.
In order to solve the problem caused by the relatively large field of view, the prior art uses a lot of additional patch antennas to concentrate the resulting radiation pattern. However, the additional antennas consume additional resources and occupy additional space so as to adversely make the radar bulky and make the design complicated.

Antenna cover adapted to modify antenna pattern


A ball projecting machine having a C-shaped arm that provides the ability to adjust the length or elevation of pitched balls. The C-shaped arm connects a ball projecting head to a stand, with the ball projecting head affixed to one end of the C-shaped arm, and the C-shaped arm is slidably engaged through a frame atop the stand to allow rotation of the ball projecting head about a horizontal axis. A center of gravity of the ball projecting head in combination with the C-shaped arm facilitates stability of the ball projecting machine when the C-shaped arm is slid up or down. A locking device, when loosened, allows the C-shaped arm to slide up or down through the frame.

Ball projecting machines are widely used by both professional and non-professional athletes for baseball and softball batting practice. Conventional ball projecting or pitching machines typically include either one wheel or two counter-rotating wheels or discs that engage a ball and project the ball toward its intended target. In baseball or softball, ball projecting machines are often used to simulate a pitched ball or a batted ball. When simulating a pitched ball, the ball projecting machine is used to project a ball toward an awaiting batter standing 30 to 60 feet away from the pitching machine. It is often desirable for the pitching machine to accurately place a projected or pitched ball into the batter's strike zone, a portion of the batter's strike zone or to a location just outside of the batter's strike zone. When simulating a batted ball, ball projecting machines are typically used to simulate ground balls, line-drives, pop-ups fly-balls, and other batted ball paths in a variety of heights, directions and speeds. Accordingly, such ball projecting machines often include adjustment capabilities for altering the pitch location or location of the projected ball. Such adjustments are typically achieved by loosening locking handles and then moving the ball projecting head, by hand, on one or more axis points to position the head to throw the type of pitch (spin angle) to the desired location. The ball projecting heads are typically rather sizeable and often heavy thereby making rapid and/or fine adjustments to the ball projecting machine difficult. The user sets the ball projecting head at about the position the user believes is correct, locks it into position, and then turns the machine on to throw pitches or project balls.
After one or more test pitches, the user typically needs to readjust the pitch location by making minor adjustments to move the pitch to the left or right or up or down. Each adjustment requiring loosening and tighting of the locking handles. When simulating batted balls to a one or more players, a user typically desires to rapidly and easily reposition the ball projecting head, to achieve different ball flights for various training exercises or drills.
Adjusting the position of the ball projecting head on conventional pitching machines is an inexact science, with the movements being awkward and often difficult to maneuver. Thus, the adjustments often drastically overshoot or undershoot the desired location. Consequently, this adjustment process often requires numerous tries of locking and unlocking until the machine is throwing to the desired location or series of locations.
It would thus be desirable to provide a ball projecting machine that is capable of being adjusted smoothly and easily to simulate a pitched ball or various paths of batted balls. What is needed is a ball projecting machine that can be rapidly and accurately repositioned to a plurality of positions thereby allowing balls to be projected in a variety of different locations


Magnetically responsive photonic nanochains that have been produced by inducing chaining of uniform magnetic particles during their silica coating process and then allowing additional deposited silica to wrap entire structures. The optical diffraction of these nanochains can be switched on and off by applying magnetic fields.

Responsive photonic materials are of great interest due to their broad applications relevant to the controlling of colors. Being efficient and inexpensive, colloidal self-assembly has been widely studied for the fabrication of photonic crystal structures, especially for applications that can tolerate defects. While many studies have focused on tuning the refractive index of the components or the periodicity by incorporating active materials that can respond to environmental changes, in accordance with an exemplary embodiment a magnetically tunable photonic structure by assembling uniform superparamagnetic (SPM) colloidal particles into one-dimensional (1D) chain-like arrays in various liquid media has recently been developed. The dynamic ordering of the magnetic colloids with controllable periodicity along the direction of the external field renders the system a fast, fully reversible photonic response across the visible-near-infrared spectrum. By taking advantage of the magnetic property, in accordance with another exemplary embodiment, a tunable photonic materials whose properties can be manipulated by changing their orientation with external fields has been developed. This was achieved by embedding aligned chains of periodically arranged SPM particles in polymer microspheres so that their relative orientation and correspondingly the diffraction property can be tuned by rotating the external magnetic fields. The division of bulk photonic crystals into many small units tens of micrometers in size brings the benefits of easy fabrication, actuation and broader applications, as the color of these units can be controlled individually or collectively as needed by using external magnetic fields. It can be appreciated that to extend this principle to the fabrication of magnetically responsive photonic structures with significantly reduced dimensions so that color manipulation with higher resolution can be realized has be achieved. The ideal case is to fix individual magnetic particle chains. This will produce the smallest possible photonic nanostructures that can effectively diffract at visible spectrum. In addition to color displays, these optically active magnetic nanochains may find great use in fields such as bio- and chemical sensing and biomedical labeling and imaging.

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA


The present invention relates to solution microarrays. In particular, the present invention relates to an aqueous 2-phase system for solution microarrays and uses thereof. Additional embodiments are described herein.

The identification of the entire genome sequences of many species, including humans, has set the stage for rapid advancements in the field of functional genomics. Information generated from functional analysis of genes will, in the long run, have major benefits for the prevention, diagnosis and management of many diseases which have been difficult to control. Given the large volume of data from the genome of complex organisms, functional genetic studies demand high-throughput methods to rapidly elucidate the function of many genes in parallel. Cell-based microarray systems are simple and low-cost, yet powerful tools that allow large-scale manipulation of genes in cells and analysis of corresponding downstream phenotypes. Currently, these arrays are realized by using either microwell plates that spatially segregate reagents using physical walls or solid substrates (glass or polystyrene) "printed" in certain spots with reagents suspended in a gel material. The printing method, also known as reverse transfection, offers higher density and simplified fluid handling once the reagents are printed and several groups have shown its potential for high-throughput studies of gene function. Nevertheless, this technique is inflexible in timing of delivery and removal of reagents, which limits the possibility of exposure of cells to a biochemical for a desired time period, and addition of certain components is required to stabilize transfection reagents. Most importantly, the printed gel that immobilizes reagents on the surface, by necessity, becomes the substrate to which cells attach and grow. This is a major concern for phenotypic assays since the influence of interactions between cells and their ECM on gene expression patterns of cells is ignored.
New methods are needed for cellular arrays to allow for parallel analysis of multiple genes in one assay.

THE REGENTS OF THE UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN


As new compounds are now provided N-methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine alkyl esters which are effective as an .alpha.-adrenergic and .beta.-adrenergic agent to stimulate the .alpha.-adrenergic and .beta.-adrenergic functions of the central nervous system of mammalian animals and are expectable to be useful for therapeutic treatment of disorders as invoked by reduced biological activities or functions of the .alpha.- and/or .beta.-adrenergic neurons. N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine (C.sub.1 -C.sub.6) alkyl esters are preferred amongst the new compounds of this invention.

We, the present inventors, already synthetized and provided N-methyl-D,L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine and N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine, and N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine may also be termed as L-threo-adrenalinecarboxylic acid and is a compound which is able to penetrate into the brain of mammalian animals when administered intravenously and to increase the levels of the physiologically active mono-amines in vivo and especially the level of adrenaline in the brain and hence exhibits different pharmacological effects (Japanese patent application first application "Kokai" Nos. 225044/83 and 112914/84; E.P. patent application publication No. 0112606; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 523,957 and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 768,345).
The L-threo-adrenalinecarboxylic acid is now studied for its pharmacological activities and expected to be useful as antidepressant and as anti-Parkinsonism drug.
On the other hand, L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl) serine which is sometimes termed as L-threo-DOPS is known to have some activities on the circulatory system and psychotropic activities and also is expected to be useful as anti-Parkinsonism agent like to the known L-Dopa (Japanese patent application first publication "Kokai" Nos. 49252/75; 32540/76; 36233/79 and EP patent application publication No. 0024210).
In the recent years, we have continued our extensive research on the N-methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine to find out that this compound exhibits various and useful physiological activities, and that N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine, namely the L-threo-adrenalinecarboxylic acid is able to penetrate into the brain of mammalian animals through the blood-brain barrier when administered intravenously or intraperitoneally and is able to increase the level of adrenaline in the brain through unknown biological mechanisms. As long as we are aware of, however, synthetic derivatives of the N-methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine have not yet been produced and have not been disclosed in any literatures.
In an attempt to provide new compounds which can exhibit better pharmacological properties than the L-threo-adrenalinecarboxylic acid, we have studied on the synthetic production of new derivatives of N-methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine. As a result, we have now found that such lower alkyl esters of the N-methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine as represented by the general formula (I) shown below can be produced as the new compounds and are capable of exhibiting excellent pharmacological activities. In particular, we have found that N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine lower alkyl esters are able to exhibit higher activities of antagonising the psychopharmacological effects of reserpine in mammalian animals and of reducing the hypothermia and ptosis as induced by the administration of reserpine, and that the new compounds, N-methyl-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine lower alkyl esters (the carboxylates) and particularly N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine lower alkyl esters (the carboxylates) are active as a central nervous system stimulant and are expectable to be effective in therapeutic treatment of some disorders of the central nervous system of man, such as mental depressions, Parkinsonism and senile dementia. According to M. Bourin et al (the "Arzneim-Forsh." Vol. 33, (II), No. 8, 1173-1176 (1983)), the psychopharmacological study of the effects of various known 21 antidepressive or anti-Parkinsonism agents on the reserpine-induced hypothermia, ptosis and akinesia (reduction of motor activity) has revealed that such drugs stimulating the .beta.-adrenergic receptors of the central nervous system directly or indirectly are active to antagonise the reserpine-induced hypothermia, that such drugs stimulating the .alpha.-adrenergic or serotonergic receptors are active to antagonise the reserpine-induced ptosis (eyelid closing), and that such drugs stimulating the dopaminergic receptors are active to antagonise the reserpine-induced akinesia. Accordingly, we have now considered it evident from our tests that at least, the new compounds, N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine lower alkyl esters according to this invention are active to stimulate both the .alpha.- and .beta.-adrenergic functions of the central nervous system of mammalian animals. This is in contrast to that neither of the N-methyl-L-threo-3-(3,4-dihydroxyphenyl)serine (namely, the free L-threo-adrenalinecarboxylic acid) and L-threo-DOPS do actually antagonise the effect of reserpine to induce the ptosis and hence are evidently not active to stimulate the .alpha.-adrenergic functions, as demonstrated in our tests shown hereinafter.

N-methylphenylserine alkyl ester derivatives and uses thereof

Zaidan Hojim Biseibutsu Kagaku Kenkyu Kai


An RM code soft decision decoding method using decision by majority comprises: (a) performing multiplication on a bit group of a codeword, and calculating an information bit's estimate group; (b) summating elements of the group and obtaining a final estimate of the degree's information bit to perform decision by majority; (c) using the final estimate to generate a codeword corresponding to each degree's information bit final estimate, and removing the generated codeword from the codeword of (a); (d) repeating the step (c) for the final estimates of the remaining degrees' information bits other than zero-order information bit; and (e) summating elements of codewords of results performed on the final estimates of the first-order information bit in (d) to estimate the zero-order information bit's final estimate.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for decoding channel codes. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and device for receiving data coded with RM (Reed-Muller) codes through a channel having continuous output values, and decoding the data through a soft decision decoding method using a decision by majority.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In 1954, Muller initially described the RM codes using binary functions, and in the same year, Reed found that the RM codes are expressed as multinomials of a binary field. This important feature makes it possible to decode the original codes using the decision by majority.
The RM codes are more flexible in that they may control a number of errors per codeword as opposed to the existing Hamming codes and the Golay codes, and hence they have been used to various applications. For example, 32-bit first-order RM codes were applied to the communication system of the spaceship Mariner launched in 1969, and the RM codes became a theoretical basis for various channel codes because of combinational and mathematical features provided by the definition of the RM codes.
However, the RM codes were not applied to the spaceship Pioneer since convolutional codes and sequential decoding were discovered, and they lost popularity since it was found that the BCH codes and the Reed Solomon codes outperform the RM codes.
As it has been found that short or first-order RM codes have a minimum length that is identical with that of the BCH codes and they have a very fast maximum likelihood decoding method that is not found in the BCH codes, data transmission rates have been newly applied to fields that require high-speed coding and decoding from the fields that have almost reached their technical limits.
The maximum likelihood fast decoding method found from the RM codes was proposed by Reed, and it is accordingly referred to as the Reed decoding method. The Reed decoding method is a method for correcting and decoding a plurality of errors by using a set of codewords generating equations of the RM codes, that is, it uses decision by majority which is the simplest decoding format. In the case of general codes, the decision by majority is known to be fast but suboptimal, but it is also found to be the maximum likelihood decoding method for the RM codes.
The decision by majority uses estimates of information bits encoded by an encoder from the codewords to be decoded. At least one estimate of the respective information bits may be calculated from the codeword-generating equations. Since many candidates are provided for an identical information bit, the decision by majority is performed on them, and a value of the corresponding bit is determined using the values of 0 or 1 more frequently provided.
Since the codeword-generating equation of the RM codes is defined to be product and sum of regular and simple codes known as the Hadamard codes, the format of the codeword-generating equation is very regular. Hence, a method for obtaining estimates of the information bits from the set of equations is also regular, and when a method for calculating a single estimate candidate is provided, other estimate candidates may be calculated by performing the same calculation on the bits corresponding to an index obtained by adding a predetermined number to a bit index of the codeword used for the first candidate, thereby enabling high-speed decoding.
The Reed decoding method is a maximum likelihood decoding method for high-speed decoding as described above, but since an area for defining calculation related to the decoding method is a binary field, and decoding inputs received through a channel have continuous values, the continuous values are to be converted into binary numbers of 0 and 1 so as to perform the calculation defined in the binary field. In this process, a hard decision for determining corresponding numbers according to codes of the decoder inputs is performed.
A binary field calculation is then performed on the received codeword on which the hard decision is performed to thereby obtain each bit's estimate candidate. The number of respective estimate candidates is determined according to a degree of the RM codes, and the more degrees the RM codes have, the more the number of the estimate candidates increases. The obtained candidates have one of the values 0 and 1, and the corresponding bit is decoded to the value that has more candidates.
The Reed decoding method requires previous performance of a hard decision since it calculates the binary field when obtaining information bit estimates for decision by majority. That is, since the value of the corresponding codeword bit is determined only through input codes of a decoder, the decision according to the input codes of the decoder in the case of a channel with low reliability of the input values of the decoder generates errors for each codeword bit. This reduces the decoder's decoding performance to lower total error correction performance. Also, it is unavoidable that bit errors may be generated with a high probability of ½ when the number of the candidates of decision by majority is even and both values of 0 and 1 have received the same number of votes, and accordingly, codeword patterns that may not be decodable may exist.
A prior art discloses an RM encoding and decoding method for decoding reliability of the codeword configured according to encoding by perforation and zero padding to thereby be applied to variable-length codewords, but it also requires a hard decision on the inputs, thereby failing to solve the above-noted problem.

Method and device for performing soft decision decoding on Reed-Muller codes using decision by majority

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


Responsive to a hypervisor determining that insufficient local resources are available for reservation to meet a performance parameter for at least one resource specified in a reservation request for a particular logical partition managed by the hypervisor in a host system, the hypervisor identifies another logical partition managed by the hypervisor in the host system that is assigned at the least one resource meeting the performance parameter specified in the reservation request. The hypervisor estimates a first cost of migrating the particular logical partition and a second cost of migrating the another logical partition to at least one other host system communicatively connected in a peer-to-peer network based on at least one previously recorded cost stored by the host system of migrating a previous logical partition to the at least one other host system.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates in general to computing environments and more particularly to maintaining a migration cost history by each host system in a virtualized computing environment and efficiently estimating migration costs of multiple logical partitions at each host system based on the migration cost history to enable the host system to select a migration candidate based on estimated migration costs.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a virtualized host system, a hypervisor may manage the allocation of resources into one or more logical partitions, or virtual machine, each representing a separate logical grouping of resources assigned to an instance of an operating system, upon which an application or workload runs. When an application running in a particular logical partition sends a memory allocation request to an operating system in a logical partition, if the logical partition cannot satisfy the resource request with free memory, the operating system rejects the resource request or satisfies the resource request using a performance tradeoff of paging items to disk, which slows down memory accesses.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Estimating migration costs for migrating logical partitions within a virtualized computing environment based on a migration cost history

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A stable, metallic hydride composition and a process for making such a composition. The composition comprises a uniformly blended mixture of a metal hydride, kieselguhr, and a ballast metal, all in the form of particles. The composition is made by subjecting a metal hydride to one or more hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles to disintegrate the hydride particles to less than approximately 100 microns in size. The particles are partly oxidized, then blended with the ballast metal and the kieselguhr to form a uniform mixture. The mixture is compressed into pellets and calcined. Preferably, the mixture includes approximately 10 vol. % or more kieselguhr and approximately 50 vol. % or more ballast. Metal hydrides that can be used in the composition include Zr, Ti, V, Nb, Pd, as well as binary, tertiary, and more complex alloys of La, Al, Cu, Ti, Co, Ni, Fe, Zr, Mg, Ca, Mn, and mixtures and other combinations thereof. Ballast metals include Al, Cu and Ni.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to hydride compositions. In particular, the present invention relates to a metallic hydride composition that can undergo repeated hydrogen absorption/desorption cycles without disintegrating, and a process for making such a composition.
2. Discussion of Background
Metal hydrides are capable of absorbing large amounts of hydrogen which can then be desorbed under the appropriate temperature and pressure conditions. These materials have many applications, particularly in the hydrogen processing and energy conversion fields. They are used for hydrogen storage, hydrogen pumping and compression, heat pumps, batteries, and fuel cells. Hydrides are selective in that they only absorb hydrogen, and also differentially absorb the three isotopes of hydrogen (protium, deuterium, and tritium). Thus, hydrides are useful in hydrogen isotopes purification and separation.
Known hydride formers (loosely called hydrides) include pure metals (Mg, Ti, V, Nb, Pt, Pd, and so forth) and alloys (the La-, Ti-, and Co- alloys, and rare earth-Ni alloys). The capacity of a particular material to absorb or release hydrogen depends on the temperature, the external hydrogen gas pressure, and the surface area of the material. To maximize the surface area and the absorption/desorption efficiency, the hydride is often supplied in the form of small-grained particles or pellets.
In typical applications, the hydride particles are subjected to repeated absorption/desorption cycles. With each cycle, the particle size is reduced until, eventually, the particles disintegrate into a fine-grained powder. The powder forms a dense compact that is not readily permeable to hydrogen, so the efficiency of the process is reduced. It is a poor heat conductor, further reducing the efficiency of both the absorption and desorption phases of the cycle. The compacted powder can expand during the absorption phase, potentially damaging the container. Furthermore, the powder can readily become entrained in the gas stream, migrating and causing contamination of downstream piping and equipment. Even if filters are used, the fine mesh required for the small particles is easily clogged.
Various hydride compositions have been developed in attempts to alleviate the problems associated with pure hydrides. A metal hydride may be mixed with a non-hydridable ballast or matrix metal, as disclosed by Goodell, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,589,919) and Ron et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,292,265). Hydride particles may be contained in a polymeric composition, such as the compositions described by Bernstein, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,433,063), Buhl, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,425), and Blytas (U.S. Pat. No. 4,036,944).
Numerous methods and processes are known for making hydride compositions. Leppard (U.S. Pat. No. 4,459,270) discloses a process for removing hydrogen from an oxygen-containing wet air stream by contact with a hydride composition. The composition is prepared by dry blending tin oxide with 10-50% alumina trihydrate. The mixture is pressed into pellets that are dried, calcined, and impregnated with 0.25-2.5 wt.% each of Pt and Pd. The pellets are dried and calcined in air, reduced in a gas stream of 5% hydrogen and 95% nitrogen, and cooled in nitrogen. When cool, a gas mix containing 1-10% hydrogen in nitrogen is flowed over the pellets.
Helversen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,249,654) discloses a hydrogen storage container having a hydrogen-storing material therein. The material comprises particles of a hydride-forming metal coated on the surface of a diatomaceous earth or other rare earth, porous ceramic, or glass fiber.
A stable hydrogen-absorbing composition and a method for making such a composition are described in commonly assigned and recently filed patent application Ser. No. 07/933,152, filed Aug. 21, 1992, titled Palladium/Kieselguhr Composition and Method. The composition is made by immersing a porous substrate such as kieselguhr in a concentrated solution of tetra-amine palladium (II) nitrate. Palladium from the solution is deposited onto the substrate, which is then removed from the solution, dried, and calcined. This process is repeated until the desired amount of palladium has been deposited onto the substrate. Finally, the material is heat treated to ensure reduction of the palladium to metal.
Hydride compositions such as these, while withstanding repeated cycling better than pure hydrides, eventually disintegrate into a fine powder after a large number of absorption/desorption cycles. Many of these more stable compositions have relatively low hydride content and lower hydrogen-absorbing capability than a pure hydride.
There exists a need for a dimensionally stable hydride composition with a high hydride content that can reversibly absorb large amounts of hydrogen. The composition should have sufficient porosity to allow permeation of hydrogen gas, and maintain its hydrogen-absorbing capacity over a large number of absorption/desorption cycles.

Dimensionally stable metallic hydride composition

The United States of America as represented by the United States Department of Energy


A soft start circuit includes a constant current source for generating a constant current, a first current mirror circuit for generating from the constant current a first mirror current, a second current mirror circuit for generating from the constant current a second mirror current smaller than the first mirror current, and a capacitor into which a difference between the first mirror current and the second mirror current is introduced, wherein a divided voltage of a charging voltage thereof is output as a soft start voltage. The soft start circuit provides a gradual soft start voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply unit for generating a desired output voltage from an input voltage and electric equipment including the power supply unit and, more particularly, to a soft start circuit thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
A conventional direct current stabilized power supply unit includes an error amplifier which amplifies a voltage difference between a feedback voltage which varies depending on the output voltage and a predetermined reference voltage and has an arrangement such that switching control of an output transistor is carried out using an output signal (error voltage) of the error amplifier. More specifically, such a direct current stabilized power supply unit has an arrangement such that a PWM (Pulse Width Modulation) signal of a duty depending on a result of the comparison between the error voltage and a predetermined slope voltage is generated and the output transistor is ON/OFF controlled using the PWM signal (see, for example, JPH7-336999 filed by the applicant of the present application).
Further, the conventional direct current stabilized power supply unit mentioned above includes a soft start circuit for preventing large current from flowing into the load when supplying power (excessively low output voltage). More specifically, the soft start circuit has such an arrangement that, as shown in FIG. 8, a soft start voltage Vss is generated that gradually rises after supplying power by introducing a predetermined constant current i1 (e.g., 100 nA) from a constant current source 11 to a capacitor Css, and PWM comparator PCMP generates a PWM signal of a duty depending on a result of the comparison between the lower of error voltage Verr or soft start voltage Vss and a predetermined slope voltage Vslp.
Certainly, with the conventional direct current stabilized power supply unit as mentioned above, a large current flowing into the load when supplying power can be prevented by using a soft start circuit.
However, with the conventional soft start circuit as mentioned above, it is difficult to cause the soft start voltage Vss to rise gradually due to the following reasons.
In order to attain a gradual rising of the soft start voltage Vss, the capacity of the capacitor Css should be increased or the constant current i1 flowing therein should be made small.
However, an increase in capacity of the capacitor Css needs a large occupied area and this is disadvantageous in promoting integration into LSI. For example, if one desires to reduce the rise of the soft start voltage Vss to 1/10 of the current state, the capacity (occupied area) of the capacitor Css should be expanded by approximately ten times, which suggests integration into LSI is no longer practical, and generally, there is no way to include such a large capacity capacitor Css unless it is mounted externally.
Furthermore, conventionally, a minute electric current i1 of approximately 100 nA is fed to the capacitor Css, and if this current should be reduced further, it poses a problem as how to maintain generation accuracy thereof. When output current of the constant current source I1 is merely reduced, maintaining generation accuracy of the constant current i1 is difficult, and in the worst case, there may be a possibility that a device is not started up at all.

Soft start circuit, power supply unit and electric equipment


Systems and methods of processing audio signals are described. The audio signals comprise information about spatial position of a sound source relative to a listener. At least one audio filter generates two filtered signals for each of audio signal. The two filtered signals are mixed with other filtered signals from other audio signals to create a right output audio channel and a left audio output channel, such that the spatial position of the sound source is perceptible from the right and left audio output channels.

1. Field
The present disclosure generally relates to audio signal processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Sound signals can be processed to provide enhanced listening effects. For example, various processing techniques can make a sound source be perceived as being positioned or moving relative to a listener. Such techniques allow the listener to enjoy a simulated three-dimensional listening experience even when using speakers having limited configuration and performance.
However, many sound perception enhancing techniques are complicated, and often require substantial computing power and resources. Thus, use of these techniques are impractical when applied to many electronic devices having limited computing power and resources. Much of the portable devices such as cell phones, PDAs, MP3 players, and the like, generally fall under this category.


The present mobile processing data center comprises a support structure, which consisting in ISO standard containers of 10, 20, 40 or 53 feet, wherein the container comprises: a) automatic transfer switch; b) uninterruptible power system; c) precision air conditioners; d) cabinets having a bearing and rails system, and 42 RMS in order to install the IT equipment; f) two levels of trays ladder type installed on the top of the cabinets, one tray for data wiring and other for power wiring; g) removable floor panels; and h) additionally the mobile data center comprises a fire protection system “zero-footprint”.

The first data centers required several floors of a building or even the entire building. These facilities usually have a great impact because of the various components that needed for the maintenance of the facilities.
Therefore, the centralized information in this type of data centers is used for computers, communication equipment and other electronic equipment, and with the increasing use of the Internet, it has become essential that this type of data processing centers become much simpler, smaller and therefore that it can be transported from one place to another, in other words to be a mobile data processing center.
In the following patent applications, various mobile data processing centers are observed, being the nearest documents to the present invention.
The first of them is the document US 2006/0082263 A1 which refers to a mobile data processing center which is located inside a container, inside of this container it is located the portion that refers to at least a cooling unit built and disposed to extract the hot air from the second passageway and supply cool air to the first passageway in order to cool the computer equipment inside the container, and other to the electronic equipment, which is a stand-alone system that includes space to accommodate RACKS of 500 "U" of electronic equipment. The RACKS provide 130 kW of power.
The application WO 2010/065903 A1 also relates to data centers having a mobile structure, one or more enclosures for removable electronic equipment, wherein the removable enclosures are hosted in the support structure, a cooling system in fluid communication with the enclosures for the cooling of the electronic equipment in which the cooling system is hosted in the support structure, and a power system connected in operational way to electronic device and the cooling system to supply power to the same in which the supply system comprises a generator hosted in the support structure.
Therefore, there is a specific need for a mobile data processing center, wherein the conventional applications of construction of the previous DPC, do not represent a viable opportunity due to the following reasons:                Lack of physical space in facilities/buildings.        Requirement to update the electromechanical equipment that requires turning off equipments.        Remote locations or difficult access.        Requirements for temporary use wherein the investment (CapEx) is not acceptable by its cost/benefit ratio.        Versatility of movement.
In addition to all the requirements, there are still items and requirements that cannot be ignored in a Data Processing Center such as:                Capacity of growth        Redundancy        Availability        Reliability        Security        Technical support
Here is wherein the Mobile Data Centers that are organized in containers are born. In general terms, the DPC's in containers have given the opportunity to meet the requirements and needs above described in general terms. However, the existing applications have limitations that have been improved with our mobile DPC called "Kio/ATOM".


Caprolactam-derived solvents for use as processing solvents and/or coalescing agents for polyurethane dispersions (PUDs). The caprolactam-derived solvents are suitable for processing solvents and coalescing agents in PUDs created through traditional PUD manufacturing processes or as coalescing agents in PUDs created through solvent-free PUD manufacturing processes. Blends of more than one caprolactam-derived solvent may be used as the processing solvent and/or coalescing agent.

Polyurethane dispersions (PUDs) were developed several decades ago to address the increasing environmental demands on the adhesive industry to produce adhesives containing little or no solvents. In more recent years, PUDs have been used as coatings, adhesives, sealants, and elastomers, among other applications. PUDs are aqueous, anionic dispersions of high molecular weight polyurethanes, and offer the benefits of polyurethane polymers, such as toughness and scratch and chemical resistance, for a wide range of applications.
In general, PUDs are manufactured through one of two processes. A first process, referred to herein as the traditional PUD manufacturing process, includes first making a pre-polymer through a reaction between a polymeric diol, diisocyanate, and a hydrophilic agent in the presence of a processing solvent. The free acid group in the hydrophilic agent enhances the resin water solubility or dispersibility after neutralization with a base, preferably a nitrogen containing base.
However, production of PUD pre-polymers, especially those with low molecular weight and high solids, requires high amounts of processing solvents to control viscosity. N-alkyl pyrrolidones, especially N-methyl (NMP), N-ethyl (NEP), N-butyl (NBP) and other alkyl pyrrolidones, have been used as the processing solvents for many years. However, there is significant regulatory pressure to eliminate the use of N-alkyl pyrrolidones and other solvents due to toxicity concerns. For example, NMP and NEP have been classified as reproductive toxicity category 1B in Europe (European Commission Regulation (EC) No. 1272/2008 (CLP) and (EU) No. 944/2013, respectively, on Dec. 19, 2016), and NMP and similar chemical substances are currently under initial risk evaluation in the United States. As such, PUD producers have been in search of a suitable replacement for NMP. In recent years, one existing class of solvents for use in the traditional PUD manufacturing process include potentially less toxic NMP derivatives, such as those disclosed in U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2015/0057375 to Vandeputte et al.
One alternative to using pyrrolidone based solvents includes using acetone or mixtures of acetone and/or methylethyl ketone (MEK) (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,820,762 to Tsaur) in place of NMP, for the manufacturing of PUDs. This process, referred to herein as a solvent-free PUD manufacturing process, includes the step of removing processing solvents prior to formulating the final dispersion product and, for this reason, the method is considered "solvent-free."
However, these solvent-free based processes are not free of disadvantages. For instance, copious amounts of MEK or acetone are typically required to attain a desired viscosity low enough for the pre-polymer such that the operation requires larger reaction and processing containers making these types of processes complex and expensive. In addition, since these solvents are not coalescing agents, they must be removed completely after making the polyurethane dispersion composition and prior to sale and/or application. Furthermore, the most commonly used hydrophilic agent for the production of the PUD resin, dimethylol propionic acid (DMPA), is not compatible with acetone and MEK, which have been used to replace NMP. As a result, the use of acetone and/or MEK solvents required the use of an expensive hydrophilic agent, dimethylolbutanoic acid (DMBA), which is compatible with such solvents. However, DMBA is significantly more expensive than DMPA. Another drawback to previous methods of formulating PUDs is the presence of residual solvents in the PUD resin which negatively impacts the film forming step in the dispersions. Thus, the customer or end-user has to add coalescing agents in order to achieve the coalescing effect, which adds cost.
In order to avoid the complex 'acetone' process, a 'melt' process may be used, in which the polyols, polyisocyanates and hydrophilic acid components are reacted without the use of any solvent. In this process, the chain extension step is completed after the neutralization and dispersion steps to avoid viscosity buildup. However, this 'melt' process suffers from high viscosities during the production of PUD resins and is not suitable for all the different types of polyols and polyisocyanates for yielding various types of PUD resin chain backbones.
In another process directed to avoid using N-alkyl pyrrolidones or ketones, monomers instead of polyols are reacted with polyisocyanates and hydrophilic agents to produce PUD resins. In this process, the monomers act as the solvent to enable controlling the viscosity during the process. One example is the use of acrylic monomers (acrylic/methacrylic acids and esters) for the production of PUDs. This type of process is complex and is only applied to acrylic modified PUDs and cannot be applicable to other polyol systems such as polyether, polyester, alkyd, polycarbonate (see U.S. Pat. No. 8,859,676), and polyamide, for example.
In other versions of PUDs, polyisocyanates having partially blocked isocyanate groups are used to produce "blocked PUD" systems, which may be used to modify the characteristics of the coating or paint such that a bake cure is required. Such blocked PUDs can be produced by partially blocking the polyurethane pre-polymer, made from polyols, polyisocyanates and a hydrophilic agent, by adding a blocking agent in such quantity that only a portion of the isocyanate groups in the pre-polymer are blocked. The remaining isocyanate groups enable the subsequent chain extension step for the production of PUDs. In another process, partially blocked polyisocyanates (HDI Trimer, IPDI Trimer) are used in the preparation of the pre-polymer. The preparation of blocked or partially blocked PUD systems is well known and described further in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,098,933, 4,835,210, 5,157,074, 7,589,148 and 8,859,676. Controlling the viscosity during the preparation of such partially blocked PUD pre-polymer is even more critical due to the presence of isocyanate moieties from the blocked polyisocyanates.
Thus, what is needed are solvents that are inert and non-reactive (to diisocyanate), compatible with hydrophilic agents, hydrolytically stable over a broad pH range, offer good viscosity control of the PUD resin, are non-toxic and have high solvating power, a moderate evaporation rate, and low odor.

Methods and compositions for polyurethane dispersions using caprolactam-derived solvents


A radiation-hard dynamic random access memory (DRAM) device having reduced sensitivity to single event upset and latchup. The radiation-hard DRAM device includes a high-density configuration of transistors that have undergone neutron bombardment. The high-density configuration of transistors reduces sensitivity to single event upset, but increases sensitivity to latchup. Neutron bombardment reduces the increased sensitivity to single event latchup to effectively provide permanent latchup immunity.

This invention relates generally to memory devices and, more particularly, to solid-state memory devices having reduced sensitivity to single event radiation effects.
Solid-state memory devices are widely used in computers and other electronic devices onboard spacecraft and must be able to operate reliably in the harsh radiation environment of space. Memory devices are generally subjected to two types of radiation effects in space, one caused by overall or total dose radiation and the other by high energy particles. Total dose radiation typically causes slow, overall damage to memory devices, such as aging, and high energy particles cause single event upset and latchup. Single event upset is usually a nondestructive type of event in which a stray charge is deposited in the device, causing one or more of the memory locations to be disrupted. Single event latchup is a potentially destructive type of event in which abnormally high amounts of supply current are drawn by the device, causing loss of data and possible catastrophic damage. A solid-state memory device can be shielded from total dose radiation by a lightweight metal, such as aluminum, but not from high energy particles.
Static random access memory (SRAM) devices have typically been employed as memory storage devices in the space environment because of their reduced sensitivity to radiation effects. However, SRAM's are expensive and, at the present time, cannot be fabricated in dense configurations. Dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices are much less expensive than SRAM's and can be fabricated in dense configurations. However, DRAM's are much more susceptible to radiation effects than SRAM'S, and have typically employed redundancy to prevent single event upset and external circuitry to detect single event latchup. The external circuitry cuts power to any memory device in which a latchup is detected. The memory device can then be repowered, but the data is lost. Accordingly, there has been a need for a solid-state memory device that is not susceptible to single event radiation effects. The present invention is directed to this end.

Radiation-hardened memory storage device for space applications