A box for storage of passenger oxygen masks in an aircraft has a housing which contains a network for distributing oxygen from a general pipe or from a chemical generator and a door arranged to be beneath the box when it is in position in an aircraft. An inside face of the door or of the housing carries cradles defining a retaining position for each of the oxygen masks and latches that are displaceable responsive to closing the door from a position in which they define mask-retaining sockets to a position in which the latches release the masks.

The present invention relates to boxes for stowing breathing masks used on board airplanes to receive passenger masks. Such a box generally comprises a housing or frame which contains a network for distributing oxygen from a general pipe or from a chemical generator, a door placed beneath the box when it is in position, and door locking means which are releasable, e.g. by feeding the network at a pressure greater than a determined threshold, or under electrical control. The feed pressure threshold is selected in such a manner that the rate at which oxygen is supplied to passengers ensures they can survive during the time required to reach a safe altitude from the maximum cruising altitude of the airplane. This pressure threshold generally lies in the range 3 bars to 4 bars.
The masks are typically placed on the inside side of the door in such a manner as to drop out when the door is opened, leaving the masks connected to the box solely via their respective feed hoses and pull cords for opening individual cocks for feeding the masks with oxygen.
Proper stowage of a plurality of masks in a single box is difficult and takes a long time. It must be certain that when the door of a box is opened the masks will drop out without tangling their feed hoses. It is not appropriate to lock the masks into individual retaining sockets since they would then run the risk of not dropping out when the box opens.
It is an object of the invention to provide a box facilitating stowage of masks without impeding their release.
To this end, there is provided a box whose inside face of the door or whose housing is provided with cradle means defining a retaining position for each mask and with latches that are displaceable responsive to closing the door from a position in which they define mask-retaining sockets to a position in which the latches release the masks.
The latches can be independent, thus making it possible to connect and position all of the masks in succession without those that have already been installed impeding placement of others or running the risk of dropping out. Nevertheless, the latches can be all interconnected, in which case the masks are forced so as to wedge them in their sockets. In either case, a convenient way of moving the latches during closure consists in providing them with resilient means for holding them in the position where they define the sockets and in providing means on the box or the box housing that act as a cam while the door is being closed and push back the latches, overcoming the retaining force of the resilient means.
The above features, and others, will appear more clearly on reading the following description of a particular embodiment given by way of non-limiting example and from the comparison which is made with a conventional mask box. The description refers to the accompanying drawings.


A route searching system for a vehicle navigation system for navigating on a road network, for use when the road network database is organized in terms of road segments and the destination is a road intersection. The destination road segment for a particular guided route is selected so that the destination road segment is accessible from the destination intersection. This is of benefit when the destination road segment is one permitting only one way travel, and thereby avoids selecting as the destination road segment a one way road permitting travel only into the destination intersection. This allows selection of an optimum route without dictating that the route pass through a one way segment leading only into the destination intersection. Another improvement is destination road segment filtering, whereby if a destination road segment is chosen such that travel on it is zero distance, then that destination road segment is deleted from the guided route, and instead the end of the previous road segment on the guided route is indicated as being the destination. This eliminates unnecessary instructions being given to the driver when he arrives at the destination intersection.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to navigation systems and more particularly to a vehicle navigation system for selecting a route on roads and highways and even more particularly to routing to a destination at an intersection of two roads using a road segment based database.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle navigation systems are well known; see Yamada, U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,336 incorporated herein by reference disclosing a route searching system using a database describing road information including road intersections. See also Link et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,270,937, incorporated herein by reference, disclosing a vehicle navigation/position system which searches road segments stored in a road map data memory for determining vehicle position in respect to roadway map coordinates.
Vehicle navigation systems require that road information be stored in a database. The road information is often in the form of road segments, where a road segment is a length of a road between two nodes. Typically a node is an intersection with another road or with an artificial boundary such as a state boundary. The information stored in the database describes each road in a particular geographical area for purposes of. route guidance and display of a map showing the roads.
Two main formats are used for storage of road information in the database. The first format, typically favored in the United States for instance, is road segment based database. In this case the information pertains to the road segments.
The other format is an intersection (node) based database where the emphasis of the stored information is on the nodes (intersections) themselves and the roads are defined as the connections between nodes. It is not unusual that for a particular geographic area only one type of database is available. This is often because such databases are provided by third party commercial services and it is sometimes not economically feasible to provide both types of databases for a particular geographical area. An example of a node based database for a navigation system is disclosed in Ichikawa U.S. Pat. No. 5,410,485 assigned to Alpine Electronics Inc., incorporated herein by reference; see FIG. 20. An example of a segment based database for a navigation system is disclosed in Loughmiller, Jr. et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,914,605 assigned to ETAK Inc., incorporated herein by reference, see column 12 line 46 and following and FIG. 6A.
Hence it is not unusual for a navigation system to be required to operate with a database which is segment oriented. Such a navigation system in most cases operates satisfactorily; however the present inventor has determined that in certain circumstances suboptimum performance is provided when the destination is at a road intersection.

Navigation system having intersection routing using a road segment based database


Machining of the present invention is machining of polishing work to be polished by movement of polishing sheet relative to work, in a state where polishing sheet is in contact with a surface of work to be polished. In the machining, work is arranged in contact with polishing sheet in a state where work is sandwiched between first simultaneous machining material with hardness lower than that of work, and second simultaneous machining material with hardness higher than that of work, and work is polished by relative movement of polishing sheet from first simultaneous machining material toward second simultaneous machining material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a machining method and a machining device of a component for polishing a component to be polished by movement of a polishing material relative to the component to be polished.
2. Description of the Related Art
Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. S56-102457 discloses a method of grinding a component that is an aggregate of plate-like/rod-like bodies.

Machining method and machining device of component

PANASONIC INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY MANAGEMENT CO., LTD.


An anti-glare film including a light reflectance of 3.8% or less and a transmission image clarity of 80% or less. The transmission image clarity of the anti-glare film may be from 5 to 70%. The anti-glare film includes a transparent substrate layer, and an anti-glare layer formed on at least one surface of the transparent substrate layer. The anti-glare layer may be a cured product of a curable composition including one or more types of a polymer component and one or more types of a curable resin precursor component, and in particular, at least two components selected from a polymer component and a curable resin precursor component can be phase separated through liquid phase spinodal decomposition. The anti-glare film can satisfactorily provide anti-reflection properties, anti-glare properties, and transparency.

Anti-glare films are widely used as films that prevent reflection of outside scenery on a display screen of an image display device, such as an LCD and an organic EL display, and improve visibility. The anti-glare film is formed with recesses and protrusions on the surface and is configured to reflect and scatter light from outside to achieve anti-glare properties. However, when the scattering of the light from outside is too great, the entire display of the image display device may turn white or display may turn dull color, leading to a decrease in visibility. Also, the recesses and protrusions in the surface and the pixels of the image display device interfere with one another making brightness distribution difficult to see and tending to cause sparkle.
The anti-glare film described in JP 2016-33659 A (Patent Document 1) is designed to suppress such a reduction in visibility or generation of sparkle by the anti-glare film. The anti-glare film includes a transparent support and an anti-glare layer, which is formed on the transparent support, including a surface formed with recesses and protrusions. In the anti-glare film, a total haze is from 0.1 to 3%, the surface haze is from 0.1 to 2%, a ratio RSCE/RSCI is 0.1 or less, where a light reflectance ratio RSCI is measured by the specular component included method and a light reflectance RSCE is measured by the specular component excluded method, the average value of areas of polygons, which are formed in a Voronoi partition of the surface formed with recesses and protrusions by taking the tops of the protrusions as seeds, is from 50 to 150 μm2, and a coefficient of variation of the areas of the polygons is from 40 to 80%.
However, with this anti-glare film, black color of the display image is focused to be black, and specular reflection tends to be increased and anti-glare properties are not sufficient. Also, to improve visibility, the light scattering properties must be degraded to reduce haze. This inevitably leads to a reduction in anti-glare properties. That is, anti-glare properties and visibility are in a trade-off relationship, and satisfying both properties in a compatible manner is considerably difficult. Thus, for example, in applications where high transparency is required, anti-glare properties are difficult to express. Also, in display devices with medium-sized screens (e.g. PCs such as notebook type PCs, or laptop type PCs, and desktop type PCs, televisions, and the like), it is difficult to achieve a balance in properties such as visibility, anti-glare properties including anti-reflection properties, and transparency and meet the high demands for each individual property.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Anti-glare film, method for producing same, and use of same


Compositions including a non-pathogenic lactic acid-producing bacteria, such as a Bacillus species, spores or an extracellular product of B. coagulans, formulated for oral administration to the intestinal tract for inhibiting bacterial gastrointestinal infections are described. Methods and systems using the compositions for treating gastrointestinal infections, particularly sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) are also disclosed.

Probiotic agents are organisms that confer a benefit when they grow in a particular environment, often by inhibiting the growth of other biological organisms in the same environment. Examples of probiotics include bacteria and bacteriophages which can grow in the intestine, at least temporarily, to displace or destroy pathogens and provide other benefits to the host organism (Salminen et al, Antonie Van Leeuwenhoek, 70 (24): 347-358, 1996; Elmer et al, JAMA, 275:870-876, 1996; Rafter, Scand. J. Gastroenterol. 30:497-502, 1995; Perdigon et al, J. Dairy Sci., 78:1597-1606, 1995; Gandi, Townsend Lett. Doctors & Patients, pp. 108-110, January 1994; Lidbeck et al, Eur. J. Cancer Prev. 1:341-353, 1992). Probiotic preparations were systematically evaluated for their effect on health and longevity in the early 1900's (Metchnikoff, E., Prolongation of Life, Wilham Heinemann, London, 1910; republished by G.P. Putnam's Sons, New York, N.Y., 1970). Since the discovery and widespread use of antibiotics in about 1950 to treat pathological microbes, the use of probiotics has been limited.
The widespread use of antimicrobial drugs, especially broad spectrum antibiotics, has produced serious consequences. Individuals taking antibiotics often suffer from gastrointestinal upset when beneficial microorganisms in the gut are killed, thus changing the balance of the intestinal flora. This imbalance can result in vitamin deficiencies when vitamin-producing gut bacteria are killed and additional illness if a pathogenic organism overgrows and replaces the beneficial gut microorganisms. In addition, widespread antibiotic use has produced increasing numbers of antibiotic-resistant pathogenic microorganisms, including vancomycin-resistant bacteria. Microorganisms that are resistant to multiple drugs have also developed, often with multiple drug resistance spreading between species, leading to systemic infections that cannot be controlled by use of known antibiotics. Thus, there is a need for preventive and therapeutic agents that can control pathogenic microorganisms without the use of antibiotic chemicals.
Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS) refers to the sudden and unexpected death of an apparently healthy infant, typically between the ages of three weeks to five months, peaking at about three months of age. Generally, the death is due to cardiorespiratory failure in which the child dies quietly with no symptoms that would indicate grave illness before death, although infections in the few weeks before death have been observed in about 85% of SIDS victims. Although SIDS is a leading cause of infant mortality in the developed countries of the world, its cause is not well understood.
Several researchers have reported that various toxigenic bacteria and their enterotoxins are implicated in the aetiology of SIDS (Amon S. S. et al., Lancet 1: 1273-1277, 1978; Gurwith M. J. et al., Am. J. Dis. Child. 135:1104-1106, 1981; Cooperstock M. S. et al., Pediatr. 70:91-95, 1982; Donta S. & Myers M., J. Pediatr. 100:431-434, 1982; Amon S. S. et al., J. Pediat. 104(1):34-40, 1984; Murrell T. G. et al., Med. Hypoth. 22:401-413, 1987; Blackwell C. C. et al., J. Clin. Pathol. 45(11 Suppl.):20-24, 1992; Lindsay J. A. et al., Curr. Microbiol. 27:51-59, 1993; Murrell W. G. et al., J. Med. Microbiol. 39(2):114-127, 1993; Mach A. S. & Lindsay J. A., Curr. Microbiol. 28:261-267, 1994; Siarakas S. et al., Toxicon 33(5):635-649, 1995). Bacterial species implicated in SIDS include Clostridium perfringens, C. difficile, C. botulinum, Staphylococcus aureus and Escherichia coli, although the correlation between the presence of particular bacterial species and SIDS has not been entirely consistent between studies (Gurwith M. J. et al., Am. J. Dis. Child 135:1104-1106, 1981; Blackwell C. C. et al., J. Clin. Pathol. 45(11 Suppl.):20-24, 1992; Murrell W. G. et al., J. Med. Microbiol. 39(2):114-127, 1993; Lindsay J. A. et al., Curr. Microbiol. 27:51-59, 1993; Siarakas S. et al., Toxicon 33(5):635-649, 1995). Clostridium species, particularly C. perfringens and C. difficile, are most often associated with fecal samples obtained from children who have died of SIDS. Bacterial toxins found in fecal matter and serum of SIDS babies may be etiological agents of SIDS. These bacterial toxins include C. perfringens enterotoxin and alpha-toxin, Staphylococcus enterotoxin B, E. coli heat-stable toxin (STa), C. difficile toxins A and B, and C. botulinum toxin (Blackwell C. C. et al., J. Cliff. Pathol. 45(11 Suppl.):20-24, 1992; Murrell W. G. et al., J. Med. Microbiol. 39(2):114-127, 1993; Siarakas S. et al., Toxicon 33(5):635-649, 1995). C. perfringens Type A enterotoxin has been particularly implicated because of its ability to modulate cytokine production by human animal cells (Lindsay J. A., Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 22(4):257-277, 1996). Some of these toxins act synergistically (Siarakas S. et al., Toxicon 33(5):635-649, 1995). In animals, C. perfringens is responsible for death of several young species (e.g., lamb, pony) and C. difficile causes pseudomembranous colitis (Murrell T. G. C. et al. Med. Hypotheses 22:401-413, 1987; Murrell W. G. et al, J. Med. Microbiol. 39:114-127, 1993).
Although different hypotheses have been offered to explain how these bacteria and/or bacterial toxins may cause or contribute to SIDS, it is generally thought that SIDS results from a series of events in which pathogenic bacteria enter the gut, colonize and produce cytotoxin that initiates a cascade of reactions that lead to silent death (Lindsay J. A., Crit. Rev. Microbiol. 22(4):257-277, 1996; Murrell W. G. et al., J. Med. Microbiol. 39:114-127, 1993). The cytotoxin may damage intestinal tissue resulting in more efficient systemic absorption of the enterotoxin, without systemic migration of the bacteria. Moreover, intestinal injury may result in increased production of cytokines (e.g., interferon-gamma, tumor necrosis factor and interleukins) that exacerbate the effects of the toxins leading to a biochemical cascade that alters the circuits that control cardiorespiration, leading to irreversible shock and death (Lindsay J. A. et al., Curr. Microbiol. 27:51-59, 1993; Mach AS. & Lindsay J. A., Curr. Microbiol. 28:261-267, 1994). For example, toxin-induced changes in cell membrane permeability leading to abnormal levels of intracellular ions (potassium and/or calcium) in heart tissue may lead to cardiac failure. These explanations for SIDS are consistent with other studies that have shown an association between intestinal injury and the development of a septic state and distant organ failure in the absence of systemic bacterial infection (Deitch E. A. et al., Shock 1(2): 141-145, 1994).
Because SIDS occurs generally in young infants, before the immune system as fully developed, a vaccine against bacterial pathogens associated with SIDS would usually not be effective to prevent SIDS-associated infections because the infant would not produce a sufficient immune response to the immunogen. Anti-toxin antibodies (e.g., as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,539) have limited efficacy because they do not limit growth of the toxin-producing bacteria which can continue to produce toxin and the antibodies may produce an allergic reaction when orally administered. Thus, there is a need for preventive and therapeutic agents that can control the growth of SIDS-associated pathogenic microorganisms, without the use of antibiotics that can affect the beneficial microflora of the infant's gut or contribute to development of microbial drug resistance. Probiotics, which can be taken internally because they are generally regarded as safe, can be used replace or preclude growth of gut pathogens associated with SIDS. Moreover, because of their mode of action, probiotics do not produce antibiotic side effects or lead to drug-resistant pathogens.
Lactic acid producing bacteria (e.g., Bacillus, Lactobacillus and Streptococcus species) have been used as food additives and there have been some claims that they provide nutritional and therapeutic value (Gorbach S. L., Ann. Med. 22(1):37-41, 1990; Reid, G. et al., Clint. Microbiol. Rev. 3(4):335-344, 1990). Some lactic acid producing bacteria (e.g., those used to make yogurt) have been suggested to have antimutagenic and anticarcinogenic properties useful for preventing human tumors (Pool-Zobel B. L. et al., Nutr. Cancer 20(3):261-270, 1993; U.S. Pat. No. 4,347,240). Some lactic acid producing bacteria also produce bacteriocins which are inhibitory metabolites responsible for the bacteria's antimicrobial effects (Klaenhammer T. R., FEMS Microbiol. Rev. 12(1-3):39-85, 1993; Barefoot S. F. & Nettles C. G., J. Dairy Sci. 76(8):2366-2379, 1993).
The therapeutic use of probiotic bacteria, especially Lactobacillus strains, that colonize the gut has been previously disclosed (Winberg et al, Pediatr. Nephrol. 7:509-514, 1993; Malin et al, Ann. Nutr. Metab. 40:137-145, 1996; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,911).
Selected Lactobacillus strains that produce antibiotics have been disclosed as effective for treatment of infections, sinusitis, hemorrhoids, dental inflammations, and other inflammatory conditions (U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,995). L. reuteri produces antibiotics with activity against Gram negative and Gram positive bacteria, yeast and a protozoan (U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,960 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,678). L. casei ssp. rhamnosus strain LC-705, DSM 7061, alone or in combination with a Propionibacterium species, in a fermentation broth has been shown to inhibit yeast and molds in food and silage (U.S. Pat. No. 5,378,458). Also, antifungal Serratia species have been added to animal forage and/or silage to preserve the animal feedstuffs, particularly S. rubidaea FB299, alone or combined with an antifungal B. subtilis (strain FB260) (U.S. Pat. No. 5,371,011).
Bacillus coagulans is a non-pathogenic gram positive spore-forming bacteria that produces L(+) lactic acid (dextrorotatory) in homofermentation conditions. It has been isolated from natural sources, such as heat-treated soil samples inoculated into nutrient medium (Bergey's Manual of Systemic Bacteriology, Vol. 2, Sneath, P. H. A. et al., eds., Williams & Wilkins, Baltimore, Md., 1986). Purified B. coagulans strains have served as a source of enzymes including endonucleases (e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,336), amylase (U.S. Pat. No. 4,980,180), lactase (U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,651) and cyclo-malto-dextrin glucano-transferase (U.S. Pat. No. 5,102,800). B. coagulans has been used to produce lactic acid (U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,164). A strain of B. coagulates (referred to as L. sporogenes Sakaguti & Nakayama (ATCC 31284)) has been combined with other lactic acid producing bacteria and B. natto to produce a fermented food product from steamed soybeans (U.S. Pat. No. 4,110,477). B. coagulans strains have also been used as animal feed additives for poultry and livestock to reduce disease and improve feed utilization and, therefore, to increase growth rate in the animals (International PCT Pat. Applications No. WO 9314187 and No. WO 9411492).

Probiotic lactic acid bacterium to treat bacterial infections associated with SIDS


A finishing apparatus for use with a host reproduction apparatus to form properly collated sets of copies produced by the reproduction apparatus. The finishing apparatus includes first and second stapling units each having a stapler head and a clincher head for stapling an edge of a stack of copy sheets. The stapler head of the first stapling unit and the clincher head of the second stapler unit are located to a first side of a stack member supporting a stack of sheets, and the clincher head of the first stapling unit and the stapler head of the second stapling unit are located on a second and opposite side of the stack supporting member.

This invention relates in general to finishing apparatus for use with reproduction apparatus, and more particularly, to a finishing apparatus for properly collating and stapling sets of copy sheets produced by a reproduction apparatus.
Today's ever-increasing document information flow, in the form of paper documents, typically involves the reproduction of a series of ordered document pages on a reproduction apparatus. Such ordered document pages, as is well known, may be fed to the reproduction apparatus automatically using an automatic document recirculating feeder, or manually. The tendency with automatic document feeders is to feed an ordered set of document pages in a last-to-first (LTF) page order, while that with manual feeding is to feed the same set in a first-to-last (FTL) page order. It is also possible with an automatic document feeder, with manual feed, as well as with electronic data (for example, from a computer) to feed pages in either a first-to-last page order or last-to-first page order.
In either case, copy sheets of such document pages as disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,134,672, issued Jan. 16, 1979 ((Burlew et al.); 4,462,681, issued Jul. 31, 1984 (Aerts et al.); and 5,080,340, issued Jan. 14, 1992 (Hacknauer et al.) are produced by, or exit, a reproduction apparatus in the order in which the ordered document pages were fed to the reproduction apparatus. Furthermore, depending on the overall capabilities of a particular reproduction apparatus, the copy sheets may be exiting the reproduction apparatus in an image-face up or an image-face down orientation. Proper collection and stapling of such copies exiting from a reproduction apparatus requires that a set of the exiting copies be arranged in a first-to-last (FTL) image order, front-to-back, and that the set be stapled in a front-to-back direction. Stapled as such, the crown of each staple is on the front of the stapled set, and the clinched stapled legs are to the backside of the stapled set.

Finishing apparatus for stapling sheets stacked first-to-last or last-to-first


Apparatus and method are provided for accessing information in a storage area including a storage area which is accessible by a first buss and a second buss. The access by the first buss is clocked by a first clock signal and the access by the second buss is clocked by a second clock signal. The first clock signal has a first clock frequency and the second clock signal has a second clock frequency. A terminal receives a base clock signal having a frequency of at least the sum of the first clock frequency and the second clock frequency. An access to the storage area by the first or second buss is made during a cycle of the base clock.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to clock schemes in computer systems and memory devices, and in particular to a memory capable of being time-shared by multiple masters using different clocks.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a technique for accessing three random access memories (RAMs): DSRAM 2 (for storing Data), an ISRAM 3 (for storing instructions) and data buffer 7 (for buffering data). DSRAM 2 and ISRAM 3 communicate directly with central processing unit (CPU) 1 via busses 12 and 11, respectively, at the CPU's clock rate frequency. Since RAMs 2 and 3 are directly accessible by the CPU they each have a zero wait access time.
Data buffer 7 is a general purpose data buffer in communication with memory buss 6. Typically memory buss 6 (or System Buss) has a slower clock rate frequency different from that of CPU 1. In addition, data buffer 7 typically has a slower access time than DSRAM 2 and ISRAM 3 because it has lower bandwith requirements. Generally, this is because the buffer 7 supports devices that are slower than the CPU 1.
Memory buss 6 communicates with CPU peripheral buss 4 via a bridge 5. A controller, such as hard disk drive controller 8, controls a disk drive 9. Typically, data flowing to and from a device temporarily is stored in data buffer 7. Thus, a data transfer between the CPU and Disk drive, for instance, traverses a CPU buss 4, a bridge 5, a memory buss 6, and a data buffer 7. A host terminal 10 is in communication with memory buss 6 as well and communicates to the CPU 1 in the same manner.
The size of both the instruction RAM 3 and data buffer 7 are chosen individually. The size of instruction RAM 3 depends upon the maximum program size executed by the CPU, while the size of the data buffer 7 depends upon the data transfer requirements of the application. Once chosen, unless a hardware change is made, the sizes of the instruction RAM 3 and memory 7 are inflexible. A designer therefore must know a priori the size of the instruction set and the transfer requirements for a particular application. Compromises generally are made, making such a selection process an inefficient solution.
Sometimes instruction RAM 3 falls short of the size necessary to store a program (e.g., code). In this case, a portion of data buffer 7 must be allocated to store a portion of the instruction set. Since the CPU does not have direct access to the data buffer 7, it cannot obtain instruction codes stored in a zero access wait time as it could have if it were coupled directly to the memory.
On the other hand, more buffer space may be required to handle larger data transfers. If the data buffer memory 7 is too small, data must be segmented, resulting in lower transfer rates. Accordingly, the memory configuration illustrated in FIG. 1 is inefficient.
There is a need to provide a more flexible memory, and for a configuration which provides a simpler way of allocating memory. There also is a need to provide for controlling such memory allocation in software, and for a memory access technique which is efficient and energy conserving.


A system and method enrolls a speaker with an enrollment utterance and authenticates a user with a biometric analysis of an authentication utterance, without the need for a PIN (Personal Identification Number). During authentication, the system uses the same authentication utterance to identify who a speaker claims to be with speaker recognition, and verify whether is the speaker is actually the claimed person. Thus, it is not necessary for the speaker to identify biometric data using a PIN. The biometric analysis includes a neural tree network to determine unique aspects of the authentication utterances for comparison to the enrollment authentication. The biometric analysis leverages a statistical analysis using Hidden Markov Models to before authorizing the speaker.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to a computerized voice authentication system, and more particularly, to using biometrics in a system that both identifies and verifies a speaker.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, biometrics refer to a person's unique physical attributes such as voice, eyes, and fingerprints. Thus, biometric verification provides a powerful new paradigm for user-friendly, albeit reliable, security. In fact, biometric verification can be more reliable than PIN (Personal Identification Number)-based systems, which can verify who a person claims to be, but not whether the person actually is the claimed person. By way of an example, an alphanumeric PIN presented to an ATM machine can verify that the person claims to be the account holder having the PIN. But without biometric verification (or human intervention), the ATM machine cannot verify that the person actually is the account holder. This limitation poses problems in the case of identity thefts and other breaches and in the case where it is inconvenient to enter a PIN.
Humans perform biometric analysis using inherent senses such as sight and sound to discriminate between people based on physical attributes. Computers use biometric verification uses voice print matching, iris and retina scans, facial scans, and the like to verify a person's identity. However, implementing biometric analysis within computerized systems has been limited by expense, processing power, and amount data needed to represent physical attributes.
One problem with computer-implemented biometric verifications is identifying who is to be verified. In other words, a computer can compare two voices, such as a test voice against a training voice, in order to verify a match, but cannot effectively select the training voice from a large database of stored training voices. Thus, current techniques require a two-step process in which a person must first identify who they claim to be before being verified.
Accordingly, there is a need for a robust biometric authentication system and method for identifying and verifying a person with biometric analysis. Moreover, the solution should present a one-step process to a user by using a common voice sample for both identification and verification.


This invention relates to a pedal bearing system for a pedal bearing housing of a bicycle pedal bearing, in which a cartridge case is used, with an outer bearing ring of an end of the pedal bearing including a case-centering ring that retains the cartridge case.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a pedal bearing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Such a pedal bearing system is known, for example, from DE-GM [German Utility Patent] 89 15 623. In principle this pedal bearing system is a so-called cartridge pedal bearing. It is important for this that there is a cartridge case that totally encloses the pedal bearing in the pedal bearing housing, in addition to the pedal bearing housing that is connected to the bicycle frame.
To be differentiated from this are the pedal bearing systems in which the outer rings of the bearing are incorporated in the fastening rings with which the pedal bearing is fastened to the pedal bearing housing of the bicycle frame.
In the known pedal bearing the bearing races are machined-turned on the pedal bearing axle and on the cartridge case. The pedal bearing system is then preassembled with the bearing balls and is ready for installation in the pedal bearing housing.
For this purpose one end of the cartridge case is threaded for screwing into the pedal bearing housing of the bicycle frame. The other end is encircled by a case-centering ring that is then likewise screwed into the pedal bearing housing.
Although the known cartridge pedal bearing has proved outstanding in practice, it is the purpose of this invention to improve the known pedal bearing so that the structural cost is reduced while retaining its reliability, and so that simplified assembly of the cartridge pedal bearing is nevertheless made possible.


A tool set includes two grips installed with a tool-mounting rod and a positioning member between. The tool-mounting rod is pivotally linked with plural tools. Each of the grips has a through hole for a projecting bar respectively projected at two ends of the positioning member. The positioning member has plural jags, slopes and restricting grooves. One of the projecting bars is mounted with a spring. In using, choose a tool and swing it up to lean on the slope, and then, press down the tool to move against the slope to enter the restricting groove. Then the spring is to elastically push the positioning member back to its original position, keeping the tool restricted in the restricting groove immovably for operating it safely.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a tool set, particularly to one that can be operated stably and folded up quickly for carrying around.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Commonly, as shown in FIG. 1, a conventional portable tool set 1 consists of two grips respectively provided with a pivotal connecting rod 11 at their two ends for pivotally linking with various tools 12. Each of the tools 12 is provided with a mounting hole 120 at its one end, able to be swung out for using and swung in for storing. But, it is obvious that the tools 12 are not kept immovable while they are rotated out for practical operation, letting them apt to swing or slide further so that the hand of a user may easily get hurt.


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device including: preparing a semiconductor substrate with a gate oxide layer on the top thereof; depositing a polycrystalline silicon layer on the top of the semiconductor substrate; depositing a protection layer overlying the top of the polycrystalline silicon layer; etching the protection layer and the polycrystalline silicon layer to form a gate body block; forming an oxide layer overlying the gate body block and the semiconductor substrate; polishing the oxide layer through Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) until the top of the gate body block; removing the protection layer on the top of the gate body block; and forming a metal silicide layer on the gate body block.

A Laterally Diffused Metal Oxide Semiconductor (LDMOS) is widely applied in the fields of a cellular phone base station, television and radio, radar, etc. A radio frequency characteristic of the LDMOS requires the resistance of its gate to be as low as possible in contrast to other types of Metal-Oxide-Semiconductor (MOS) field effect transistors. In order to lower the resistance of the gate, a process for lowering the resistance is performed on the gate, that is, a metal silicide is formed on the gate to lower the resistance of the gate.
In the prior art, the low-resistance gate satisfying the LDMOS requirement is typically manufactured in the following process.
The first step is to deposit a polycrystalline silicon layer on a semiconductor substrate.
The second step is to etch the polycrystalline silicon layer to form a gate body.
The third step is to define a body region and a drift region and to perform source/drain region implant and P+ implant.
Referring to FIG. 1A, the fourth step is to deposit a thick oxide layer 12 on the top of the gate body 11 and the semiconductor substrate 10 to form a structure as illustrated in FIG. 1A.
Referring to FIG. 1B, the fifth step is to polish the thick oxide layer 12 through Chemical Mechanical Polishing (CMP) until the top of the gate body 11 to form a structure as illustrated in FIG. 1B.
Referring to FIG. 1C, the sixth step is to form a titanium-silicon compound layer 13 on the top of the gate body 11 to form a structure as illustrated in FIG. 1C.
The seventh step is to remove the thick oxide layer 12 through dry etching.
In the foregoing fifth step, polishing the thick oxide layer until the gate body in practice may inevitably damage polycrystalline silicon constituting the gate body and consequently change starting voltages of a polycrystalline silicon resistance and a chip, thus degrading the performance of the device.

Method for manufacturing laterally diffused metal oxide semiconductor device

PEKING UNIVERSITY FOUNDER GROUP CO., LTD.

FOUNDER MICROELECTRONICS INTERNATIONAL CO., LTD.


A method of making a coated ball-shaped frozen dessert product in which an ice cream mix is coated around a center material. The method includes charging an edible center material into a rotary kettle, spraying an ice cream mix which has been adjusted to a temperature of -15.degree. C. to -35.degree. C. into the rotary kettle (the rotary kettle being at a temperature of -35.degree. C. to -15.degree. C.), while concomitantly feeding cooling air at a temperature of -15.degree. C. or below and coating the ice cream mix around the edible center material. In accordance with the method of the present invention, a spherical and spheroidal three-dimensional product can be efficiently produced. The frozen dessert product is free from any undesirable taste and does not contain needle holes or surface damage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of making a coated ball-shaped frozen dessert product, which comprises coating an ice cream mix of an ice cream, a lact, an ice milk, an edible ice or the like around a center material such as an aqueous or oily edible material, a fresh frozen fruit, a fresh frozen fruit flesh, a fresh frozen vegetable, a dry fruit, a nut or the like.
2. Background Information
As a conventional method of forming a coated frozen dessert product, the following m methods are k known irrespective of the presence or absence of a so-called center material.
First, there is a method of formation using a vitaline device which is a freezing device generally used in the industry of frozen dessert products.
In the method using this vitaline device, for example, first, an ice cream mix (an ice cream mix of an ice cream, a lact ice, an ice milk, an edible ice or the like) which has been sterilized and aged is poured into a metallic container having an optional shape, and the metallic container filled with this ice cream mix is dipped in a brine (calcium chloride aqueous solution) which has been cooled to between -30 and -35.degree. C. to form the mix into an optional shape. Subsequently, a metallic needle (pin) or stick is inserted into the ice cream mix of the metallic container, and the ice cream mix of the metallic container is frozen sufficiently. Then, water at room temperature is put on the outside of t he metallic container to slightly melt the surface of the frozen ice cream mix of the metallic container. In this state, the metallic needle (pin) or stick inserted in advance is lifted up, and the frozen ice cream mix (shaped frozen ice cream mix) shaped in the optional form is taken out of the metallic container. The shaped frozen ice cream taken out of the metallic container is inserted into a chocolate tank or a gum liquid tank to coat the surface of the shaped frozen ice cream. Thereafter, this coated shaped frozen ice cream is dipped into liquid nitrogen to freeze the chocolate or the gum liquid as a coating layer. When the metallic needle (pin) is inserted therein, this metallic needle (pin) is taken out of the frozen dessert product at this time. In this manner, the coated frozen dessert product is obtained.
Next, there is a method not using the above-mentioned vitaline device, namely, a method of formation not using a brine.
The method not using the brine can further be divided into a method using a metallic container and a method not using a metallic container.
In the case of the method using the metallic container, an ice cream mix is poured into the metallic container. Subsequently, a metallic needle (pin) or stick is thrust into the ice cream mix of the metallic container, and the mix is frozen in cooling air of from -30 to -40.degree. C. in this state. When it is completely frozen, the metallic needle (pin) or stick previously thrust into the ice cream mix of the metallic container is lifted up to take the product off. Then, chocolate or the like is coated thereon to form a coated frozen dessert product.
Meanwhile, in the case of the method not using the metallic container, an aerated ice cream mix leaving a freezer is discharged from a nozzle of an optional shape, and cut using a cutter knife. Chocolate or the like is coated on the surface of the thus-shaped ice cream mix to form a coated frozen dessert product.
However, the methods of forming the frozen dessert product by the above-mentioned conventional techniques involve the following drawbacks.
First, in the method using the vitaline device, namely, in the method using the brine, a daily control is required in order not to put the calcium chloride aqueous solution as the brine on the surface of the frozen dessert product. The reason is that if even a small amount of the brine is put on the frozen dessert product, a frozen dessert product having a bitter taste (foreign taste) peculiar to the brine is provided, and it becomes an unacceptable frozen dessert product. Further, in the case of using the metallic needle (pin), instead of the stick, a device for thrusting the pin into the ice cream mix of the metallic container and a pin sterilizer are needed, increasing the cost of equipment. Further, in this case, a pin hole is left in the surface of the frozen dessert product, and the frozen dessert product has such a damage thereon.
On the other hand, even in the method in which the ice cream mix is shaped by freezing the metallic container filled with the ice cream mix in cooling air without using the brine but upon using the pin, a device for thrusting the pin into the ice cream mix of the metallic container and a pin sterilizer are likewise needed, increasing the cost of equipment. Further, in this case, a pin hole is left in the surface of the frozen dessert product, and the frozen dessert product has such a damage thereon.
Still further, in the case of using neither the brine nor the metallic container, a step of aeration of the ice cream mix, an extrusion-shaping step and a cutting step are needed, involving problems that a method of making the product is complicated and the cost of equipment is increased.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a method of making a coated ball-shaped frozen dessert product which is free from occurrence of a foreign taste owing to a calcium chloride aqueous solution scattering and being adhered to a product by the use of a brine that can occur in the production using the vitaline device.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a method of making a coated ball-shaped frozen dessert product which is free from problems that a pin hole is left in the product and the cost of equipment is increased.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method of making a coated frozen dessert product having a ball-shape, namely, a spherical or spheroidal three-dimensional product, which is uniform and has no damaged surface.

Method of making coated ball-shaped frozen dessert product


Enables identification and detection of processing and type of digital content, while using multiple electronic watermarks. One embodiment provides a data processing detection system having an embedding apparatus for adding a predetermined additional signal to digital content, including a watermark design unit and embedding signal generators for generating multiple types of additional signals, correlated with each other and of differing robustness from each other for the processing of the content data, and a synthesis unit for adding the multiple types of additional signals to the content data; and detection apparatus for detecting additional signals in the digital content, and for detecting the additional signals embedded by the embedding apparatus, including an individual detector for detecting in the content data multiple additional signals, and a determination unit for examining deterioration levels of the additional signals to determine the type of processing performed for the content data.

Since it is easy to copy digital content (hereinafter referred to simply as content), as well as to alter it, unauthorized users can readily copy or alter such content. Recently, for example, digital music content, such as CD (compact disk) recordings, has become popular as one example of music distribution. In addition, an audio compression technique is also available that can compress data of the music content, without greatly deteriorating the tone quality. Thus, an activity tends to occur that the data of music content, such as on a CD, are compressed and the compressed data are distributed via a network, such as the Internet.
In order to prevent this activity, a method is required whereby it is possible to distinguish between data constituting original content and legal copies thereof from unauthorized copies. For this purpose, electronic watermarking techniques, or electronic signing techniques, have been developed.
Electronic watermarking is a technique whereby predetermined watermark information is embedded, as an additional signal, in content data. Once such watermark information has been embedded in content data, a special computer processing application is employed to detect the watermark information so it can be used for content authentication. That is, when the content data is changed by altering the content, the watermark information detected from the content data is accordingly changed (deteriorated). Thus, the alteration of the content can be identified by examining the state of the watermark information.
Various methods for inserting electronic watermarks into content have been proposed, and various conditions, such as the resistance of the watermark, can be selected by setting the embedding level and the embedding position of the watermark information to the content data. The robustness of watermarks represents the level whereat watermark information, i.e., an additional signal, can be maintained relative to an alteration of content data effected by content processing. That is, an electronic watermark that can be detected even after content data has been greatly altered possesses high resistance to the deterioration that results from processing. Whereas an electronic watermark that can be detected only when little processing or altering of content data has taken place has low resistance to such deterioration.
An electronic watermark that exhibits exceptionally high resistance to the deleterious effects accruing from the alteration of content data and that is resistant to all forms of processing is referred to herein as a robust electronic watermark. While an electronic watermark that exhibits low resistance to the processing of content data and that suffers great deterioration, even when content data is only slightly altered, is herein referred to as a fragile electronic watermark. And an electronic watermark that exhibits an intermediate resistance to the processing of content data, suffering great deterioration when subjected to a specific type of processing but resisting the potentially damaging effects of other types of processing, is herein referred to as a semi-fragile electronic watermark.
When a content creator embeds a robust electronic watermark in content data, the electronic watermark, even after the copying or the processing of the content data, need only be detected for the creator of the original content data to be identified. Further, when a fragile electronic watermark is embedded in content data, since only a little data processing is required for the electronic watermark to be deteriorated, whether the data has been processed can be readily ascertained.
In addition, when a semi-fragile electronic watermark is embedded in content data, it can easily be ascertained whether a specific process, one by which the electronic watermark is easily deteriorated, has been performed. For example, when content data for digital music, such as that which has been recorded on a CD, are compressed, as a result of the compression processing, generally, the amount of data retained in low frequency bands is reduced only a small amount, while in high frequency bands, to reduce the size of the musical content, as great an amount of data is deleted as it is possible without degrading the tone quality. Therefore, when the music content has been compressed, watermark information embedded only in the high frequency bands of the content data is destroyed. Determination as to whether the music content has been compressed can be ascertained by performing an electronic watermark detection process.
When digital music content is distributed via a network, data compression is generally performed in order to reduce the amount of data to be transmitted. Therefore, when a semi-fragile electronic watermark, which suffers deterioration when data is compressed, has been embedded in digital music content, if deterioration of the electronic watermark is detected it is assumed that the music content has been compressed, and the possibility exists that the music content was distributed by an unauthorized user. Furthermore, means for preventing the copying and the alteration of data by unauthorized users has also been proposed that uses both the electronic watermarking technique and an electronic signing technique.
Electronic signing is a technique whereby signature information is added to data to guarantee the legality of content. Assume that a creator, A, of predetermined digital data m employs the electronic signing technique to prove that he or she prepared the digital data m. In this case, first, creator A generates a signature s, comprising digital data that differ from the digital data m, using a signature function S and the digital data m.s=S(m)
Creator A retains the signature function S, a secret function that is not distributed to other parties, and transmits the paired digital data m and signature s to a third party, B. Then, upon the receipt of the digital data m and the signature s, to ascertain whether digital data m was actually prepared by creator A, third party B employs the verification function V and the following equation to determine whether the signature s is correct,determination results (true or false)=V(m,s).
The verification function V returns a logical true when s=(Sm), and a logical false in all other cases. Since this verification function V is distributed by creator A, the function can be obtained by third party B. Finally, when the result obtained by using the verification function V is true, third party B can confirm that the digital data m is correct when the result obtained using the verification function V is true, or that the digital data m is not correct when the result obtained using the verification function V is false.
As is described above, since the signature s that is generated depends on the digital data m, if even one bit of the digital data m is changed, accordingly, the value returned for the signature s will be entirely different. That is, for digital data m′, obtained by altering the digital data m,V(m′,s)is always false. Thus, a change in the data effected by the processing of the digital data m can be detected.
Next, assume that a forger O prepares digital data x and forges a signature s for a creator A, in order to falsely represent that the digital data x was prepared by creator A. Since forger O does not know the signature function S, the forger can not directly calculates=S(x).
And even though theoretically it would be possible for forger O to useV(x,z)to calculate all possible signature values z, and eventually to find a z=s that would return a logical true when used in V(x,z), in actuality, the amount of time that would have to be expended to obtain a value that corresponds to the correct signature s would be enormous, and realistically, such a search would be impossible.
However, while the electronic watermarking or the electronic signing technique can detect the copying or the processing of content, advantageously, more detailed information should be obtained in order to eliminate unauthorized copying and distribution. For example, since the above described music content may be distributed or copied legally via a network, means is required that can distinguish between authorized copying and distribution and unauthorized copying and distribution.
When the fragile electronic watermark that is easily destroyed by copying or alteration is used, the possibility that content data has been copied or processed can be detected. However, in this case, the content in which the electronic watermark is embedded and that is being distributed can not be distinguished from the content in which the electronic watermark was originally embedded.
Therefore, to prevent the unauthorized copying and distribution of content, simple detection performed to determine whether the content data have been changed is not sufficient, and a technique is required that satisfies the following conditions:                1. The content is a target the alteration of which can be detected.        2. The content has been changed and the type of change can be identified.        3. The copying and alteration of the content can not be hidden.
The hiding of copying and changing of content is a process used to disguise content that has been copied or altered and make it appear to be content that has not been copied or changed.
In the above description given for music content, the watermark information embedded in high frequency bands is destroyed during the compression of the content data. However, when the same data as the watermark information embedded in the high frequency band is obtained by using a specific method, and is added to content data that has been decompressed, the watermark information is distinguished from compressed content data, so that in appearance this data does not differ from the content data that has not been compressed. Therefore, this processing is effectively avoided to prevent the unauthorized copying and distribution of content.
Conventionally, the type of processing used for content is identified, to a degree, by embedding in the content multiple types of electronic watermarks having different resistances. However, as is described above, processing performed to hide the copying and handling of the content can not be prevented. The copying or the processing of content is not easily performed by using electronic watermarking and another encryption technique; however, basically, the processing performed to hide the copying or the handling of content can not be prevented.
When unauthorized copying or processing is to be prevented by using electronic signing, even a slight change in the content data is detected, while on the other hand, even authorized processing can not be performed for the content data. Further, since the determination results are false for all changes of content data, the processing type and the processing level can not be identified.

Embedding, processing and detection of digital content, information and data

International Business Machines Corporation


A multi-stage connector in which a plural number of housings 25 and 29 are molded from resin in a state in which the housings 25 and 29 are stacked on each other so that opening portions 37 of the housings 25 and 29 face in opposite directions to each other and in which side portions of the housings 25 and 29 are connected to each other by a band portion 27 which will be removed later when the housings 25 and 29 are assembled. The band portion 27 connects the housings 25 and 29 to each other so that the opening portions 37 of the housings 25 and 29 face the same direction when the housings 25 and 29 molded from resin are arranged in line in one plane while connected to each other by the band portion 27. After solderless-contact terminals and coated wires are installed, the band portion 27 is removed, and the housings are connected to each other while stacked on each other so that the opening portion 37 of one housing is covered with a surface of an adjacent housing corresponding to the side opposite to its opening portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a multi-stage connector comprising a plurality of substantially identical housings each having an opening portion formed in one surface of the housing, and terminal receiving chambers exposed to the outside through the opening portion, the housings being connected to one another so that the opening portion of one housing is covered by a surface of an adjacent housing corresponding to the side opposite to the opening portion of the one housing, and a method for producing and assembling the same.
2. Related Art
An example of a conventional multi-stage connector having a plurality of housings stacked on one another and connected to one another is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,629,279. As shown in FIGS. 10 and 11, which are a front view and a plan view of the connector, respectively, a first housing 1 and a second housing 3 are integrally molded while connected to each other by hinge portions 5. In FIG. 10, the housings 1 and 3 are provided with terminal receiving chambers 11 and 13 which have opening portions 7 and 9 formed above the terminal receiving chamber 11 and 13. Solderless-contact terminals 15 and 17 are received in the terminal receiving chambers 11 and 13, respectively.
As shown in FIG. 10, coated wires 19 are solderlessly forced, by a solderless-contact jig 21, into the solderless-contact terminals 15 received in the first housing 1. Further, coated wires 19 are solderlessly forced into the solderless-contact terminals 17 of the second housing 3 in the same manner as described above. After that, for example, the second housing 3 is turned around a hinge 5 in the direction of the arrow P in FIG. 10, so that the housings 1 and 3 are stacked on each other to thereby form such a male connector as shown in FIG. 12. FIG. 13 is a perspective view showing the male connector integrally molded with the first and second housings 1 and 3 and a female connector 23 to which the male connector is fitted.
The conventional multi-stage connector is, however, molded such that the opening portions 7 and 9 of the first and second housings 1 and 3 face in the same direction, as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11. Although this is an advantage in that solderless-contact terminals and coated wires can be installed easily from the same direction, because the housings 1 and 3 are molded side by side, the size of the mold is necessarily large. This increased size makes it difficult to mold large numbers of multi-stage connectors each having a plurality of housings (for example, two housings here) in a single mold.
Further, in the conventional multi-stage connector, the opening portions 7 and 9 face each other when the first and second housings 1 and 3 are stacked and connected to each other. Accordingly, the solderless-contact terminals 15 and 17 received in the terminal receiving chambers 11 and 13 face each other reversed in the vertical direction. It is therefore necessary to install terminals of a partner female connector 23 taking into account the directions of the terminals; or the partner housings must be designed so that the terminals of the partner housings face each other reversed in the vertical direction. Thus, a problem arises in that much labor is required for assembling and producing the multi-stage connector.

Multi-stage connector and method for producing and assembling the same


A catalytic oxidizer having a combined central catalyst chamber and a spiral heat exchanger for treatment of air hydrocarbon vapor mixture including an outer shell of circular cross section having a tangentially directed longitudinal inlet aperture, a parallel exhaust aperture, an end cover plate and having a catalytic chamber centrally and coaxially positioned in the outer shell including an inlet port and an outlet port, the catalytic chamber including an upstream plenum, a catalyst core member and a downstream plenum, having perforated partitions for separating the catalyst core member from the inlet plenum and the exhaust plenum, and a coaxial spiral plate heat exchanger surrounding the catalytic chamber including a spiral inlet passage formed by coiled plates connected at one end to the inlet aperture and at the other end to an outlet associated with the inlet plenum defining a first heat exchange region, the coiled plates being spaced apart to create an intermediate spiral exhaust passage, the heat exchanger being sealed at opposite ends defining a second heat exchange region; and including a by-pass device for detecting and venting excess pressure in the catalyst chamber; wherein inlet flow passes through the spiral inlet passage inwardly and an opposed exhaust flow passes outwardly in the adjacent spiral exhaust passage, the exhaust, being heated by catalytic combustion in the core, heats the inlet flow.

The present invention relates to a portable catalytic oxidizers for use in the destruction of hydrocarbon vapors in order to purify an air stream and prevent pollution. Typically the most common application of such catalytic oxidizers is in the destruction of vapors extracted insitu from soils that have been contaminated with hydrocarbons, typically by a hydrocarbon leak from a storage tank. Such applications normally involve the clean-up of vapors contained in an air stream generated during clean-up of hydrocarbon spills where the contaminated air stream is near ambient temperatures. The hydrocarbon content of the air stream is diluted if necessary to keep it below the lower explosion limit (LEL). In prior art devices directed to such applications, the catalyst employed for catalytic combustion usually employs platinum group metals, typically comprised of finely divided platinum and/or (palladium) deposited on a high surface area alumina substrate, which in turn is deposited on a honeycomb support structure of stainless steel or ceramic. The advantage of a catalytic combustion process is that it can be operated at a much lower temperature and lower hydrocarbon concentration than is possible with ordinary flame combustion. Many applications involve very low concentrations of hydrocarbon where catalytic combustion is efficient, while flame type combustion is not practical.
The catalytic oxidizers used in hydrocarbon spill cleanup, such as the present invention, normally operate with inlet air hydrocarbon vapor mixture concentrations less than 25% of the lower explosive limit (LEL). The air hydrocarbon vapor mixture source may have much higher concentration, frequently in the explosive range. In such cases, the preferred mode of operation is to provide controlled dilution of the source stream with air, so as to maintain the inlet concentration to the catalytic unit within acceptable limits. If the inlet air hydrocarbon vapor mixture concentration exceeds the lower explosive limit (LEL), an ignition might occur within the catalytic unit. Excess pressures resulting from such ignition of high air hydrocarbon vapor mixture concentration have typically been compensated for in prior art catalytic converters by providing a vessel having substantial wall thickness and mass to contain such overpressures. Other prior art devices employ blast vents and doors to relieve excess pressures.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a catalytic oxidizer that is portable, compact and minimizes the overpressure that can develop due to ignition of air hydrocarbon vapor mixture mixtures within it.
Applicant is aware of several forms of prior art catalytic oxidizers, commonly called catalytic incinerators. These incinerators are commonly assembled by piping the basic elements together and enclosing the heated portion including the catalyst in an insulating jacket. Such incinerators are generally of the form including a catalyst chamber, a heater, a heat exchanger of fixed-tube-sheet construction employing a plurality of heat exchanger tubes, thermocouple sensors, piping and automatic controls. One such device is covered by U.S. Pat. No. 3,898,040 to F. Tabak which discloses a compact integrated design for an incinerator that combines a burner with a catalytic operation. While the Tabak incinerator differs markedly in structure, it combines heat recovery and catalytic combustion in a singular shell. Other catalytic fume incinerators are of an integrated design but of different heat exchanger configuration from the applicant's current invention are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,861,873 to Worn and U.S. Pat. No. 4,770,857 to Ludwig. Further patent to U.S. Pat. No. 3,466,152 to Yamamoto et. al., discloses a synthesizing reactor disclosing a vessel having a substantial weight in thickness employing high pressure synthesis including a plurality of spaced catalyst chambers, each having an in and an outlet, and a heat exchanger is disposed in a separate chamber employing flow tubes and baffles to facilitate heat exchange between unreacted gas and reacted gas.
Contrary to Yamamoto and the other prior art, the current invention has identified a problem hitherto not recognized by the prior art which is that catalytic oxidizers used for the clean-up of hydrocarbon spill operations require portability, with explosion protection adapted to be carried to various sites or remote locations. The current invention has solved this problem by combining an counterflow, spiral-path, heat exchanger coaxially wrapped around a central catalyst core employing an electric heater, a safety relief device for relief of excess pressure and an insulated outer shell into a compact integrated assembly thus minimizing piping, insulation and generally the weight of materials needed to assemble the unit by utilizing the improved heat transfer of the spiral path counter flow heat exchanger configuration.
It is therefore desirable to provide an improved portable and highly efficient, lightweight, compact catalytic oxidizer for the destruction of hydrocarbon vapors for purification of an air stream and to provide a method of oxidizing hydrocarbon vapors by utilization of a catalytic oxidizer apparatus having a coaxial heat exchanger which is simple to operate, highly efficient, explosion resistant and is portable.


A composite foam cushion for a sound control device. The cushion includes a core formed of a polymeric foam material and a polymeric coating overlying at least a portion of the core of polymeric foam material. The polymeric coating includes an outer coating layer and an inner polymeric coating layer bonded to the core of polymeric foam material. The inner coating layer may provide the cushion with strength, while providing a high degree of flexibility and suppleness to closely conform around contours and obstructions. The outer coating layer may provide the cushion with enhanced abrasion resistance and/or chemical resistance while having an aesthetically pleasing feel and appearance.

A conventional cushioned headphone device includes a pair of cushions configured to press against a user's head and at least partially surround the outer ears of the user. In addition to isolating the user's ears from outside sounds, such cushions are intended to at least partially conform around irregularities of the head and outer ear of the user, as well an any intervening structures (e.g., eyeglass frames). However, known cushions lack the level of conformability to closely follow the contours of a user's anatomy while retaining sufficient durability to withstand continued use.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide alternative configurations of foam cushions for headphones and earmuffs that are configured to closely conform to the user's anatomy which have an aesthetically pleasing feel and appearance, yet sufficient durability to withstand continued use.


The present invention relates to photo-tunable dopant compositions comprising a photo-reactive chiral compound capable of undergoing a photochemical reaction resulting in the loss of chirality, and a triplet sensitizer. The present invention also relates to a display comprising a substrate, a liquid crystalline layer thereon, wherein the liquid crystalline layer comprises a nematic host, at least one chiral dopant, a photo-reacted compound, and a triplet sensitizer, and at least one transparent conductive layer. The present invention also relates to a method of tuning a cholesteric liquid crystal material comprising providing at least one mesogenic compound, at least one triplet sensitizer, and at least one photo-reactive chiral compound; combining the at least one mesogenic compound, at least one triplet sensitizer, and at least one photo-reactive chiral compound to form a mixture; and irradiating the mixture for a period of time.

Chiral nematic (also referred to as cholesteric) liquid crystals can be made to exhibit different optical states under different electrical field conditions and are characterized by a unique combination of properties, including optical bistability, making them particularly useful in display applications. Depending upon the magnitude and shape of the electric field, the optical state of the material can be changed between light scattering and light reflecting states, or any one of a number of intermediate states there between which can be made to reflect any desired intensity of colored light along a continuum of such states, thus providing gray scale.
With such chiral nematic materials, a low electric field pulse generally results in a light scattering focal conic texture. The application of a sufficiently high electric field pulse, i.e., an electric field high enough to homeotropically align the liquid crystal directors, will, upon removal of the pulse, drive the material to a light reflecting twisted planar texture that can be any desired color depending upon the pitch length of the liquid crystal. The light scattering and light reflecting states can be made to remain stable at zero field. If a sufficiently high electric field is maintained, the material is transparent until the field is removed. When the field is turned off quickly, the material reforms to the light reflecting state and, when the field is turned off slowly, the material reforms to the light scattering state. Electric field pulses of various magnitudes below that necessary to drive the material from the stable reflecting state to the stable scattering state will drive the material to intermediate states that are themselves typically stable. These multiple stable states indefinitely reflect colored light of an intensity between that reflected by the reflecting and scattering states. Thus, depending upon the magnitude of the electric field pulse the material exhibits stable gray scale reflectivity. Application of mechanical stress to the material can also be used to drive the material from the light scattering to the light reflecting state.
The color reflected by a chiral nematic liquid crystal depends upon the pitch length of the liquid crystal, which is in turn dependent upon the amount of chiral material in the liquid crystal. The pitch length of the liquid crystal materials may be adjusted based upon the following equation (1):λmax=navpo  (1)where λmax is the peak reflection wavelength, that is, the wavelength at which reflectance is a maximum, nav is the average index of refraction of the liquid crystal material, and po is the natural pitch length of the chiral nematic helix. Definitions of chiral nematic helix and pitch length and methods of its measurement, are known to those skilled in the art such as can be found in the book, Blinov, L. M., Electro-optical and Magneto-Optical Properties of Liquid Crystals, John Wiley & Sons Ltd. 1983.
The wavelength of the reflected light can also be controlled by adjusting the chemical composition, since cholesterics can either consist of exclusively chiral molecules or of nematic molecules with a chiral dopant dispersed throughout. In this case, the dopant concentration is used to adjust the chirality and thus the pitch. For most concentrations of chiral dopants, the pitch length induced by the dopant is inversely proportional to the concentration of the dopant. The proportionality constant is given by the following equation (2):po=1/(HTP.c)  (2)where c is the concentration of the chiral dopant and HTP (helical twisting power) is the proportionality constant.
One of the original approaches to photo-tuning of helical pitch length and λmax, of cholesteric liquid crystals was to add chiral dopants that were photoactive (see, A. Yu. Bobrovsky, N. I. Boiko and V. P. Shibaev Liq. Cryst. 25 (1998), p. 679; A. Yu. Bobrovsky, N. I. Boiko and V. P. Shibaev Liq. Cryst. 26 (1999), p. 1749; P. van de Witte, J. C. Galan and J. Lub Liq. Cryst. 24 (1998), p. 819; M. Brehmer, L. Lub and P. van de Witte Adv. Mater. 10 (1998), p. 1438).
The main principle of the development of such light-controllable liquid crystal is based on the synthesis of photochromic copolymers whose macromolecules consist of mesogenic (as a rule, nematogenic) and combined photo-tunable chiral dopant (PTCD) groups, which are chemically linked in the common monomer unit. In this case, mesogenic fragments are responsible for the formation of the nematic phase, chiral groups provide the twisting of the nematic phase and formation of helical supramolecular structure. Finally, photo-tunable chiral dopant fragments can easily change their molecular structure under the light irradiation.
The irradiation with a certain wavelength leads to the photo-induced transformations of the photo-tunable chiral dopant affecting both the configuration and shape of the side-chain group. This leads to a decrease both in the anisotropy of photo-tunable chiral dopant group and the helical twisting power of a given chiral group. A decrease in helical twisting power leads to the untwisting of the cholesteric helix, which is accompanied by a shift in the selective light reflection maximum to longer wavelengths. Thus, using light irradiation as the external control factor, one may effectively modify the optical properties of polymer films by changing the local supramolecular helical structure.
As noted above, selective adjustment of the pitch length of a liquid crystal, and hence the color reflected thereby, can be accomplished by using photo-tunable chiral dopants (PTCDs). Irradiation of a photo-tunable chiral dopant with, for example, ultra violet (UV) light or other high energy source such as laser, results in conversion of chiral photo-tunable chiral dopant to an achiral molecule or to a racemic mixture. When one or more photo-tunable chiral dopants are included in a chiral nematic liquid crystal material, the pitch length of the resulting liquid crystal mixture can be either extended or shortened by varying exposures to UV light. By irradiating different regions of the material with different amounts of UV through the use of masking techniques, the pitch lengths of each region can be tuned to reflect a different color, thereby creating different colored pixels or regions of spot color in the liquid crystal material itself.
U.K. Patent Application No. GB 2355720 discloses a process of preparing a reflective film by using a photodegradable chiral compound. GB 2355720 describes a process for preparing a reflective film by coating a polymerizable cholesteric liquid crystal (CLC) material onto a substrate, aligning the material into planar orientation, and polymerizing the material by exposure to actinic radiation, characterized in that the polymerizable material comprises at least one photodegradable chiral compound that loses its chirality when being exposed to actinic radiation. Also disclosed is the use of said reflective film in optical, electrooptical, information storage, decorative and security applications, a liquid crystal display device, and a photodegradable compound.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,614 discloses a tunable chiral material (TCM) that can be changed from chiral to achiral or to a racemic mixture by irradiating with, for example, UV light or a high energy source such as laser. Further disclosed is a light modulating liquid crystal cell comprising a light modulating chiral nematic liquid crystal material including a tunable chiral material, wherein different regions of the liquid crystal material exhibit different reflection wavelengths. The cell is prepared by partially exposing the liquid crystal material with the tunable chiral material to photo-irradiation, e.g. through a photomask, leading to a change of the chirality of the tunable chiral material and thus to a change of the helical pitch in the exposed parts of the chiral nematic liquid crystal material.
WO 98/57223 discloses a multi domain liquid crystal display device comprising a layer of nematically ordered liquid crystalline material containing a chiral dopant sandwiched between two substrates. The liquid crystal layer comprises at least two types of sub-pixels in which the twist senses of the liquid crystalline material are mutually opposite, and the composition of the chiral dopant in the different types of sub-pixels is different. The device is manufactured by sandwiching between the substrates a layer of liquid crystalline material containing an isomerisable chiral dopant with a first twist sense and a non-isomerisable chiral dopant with an opposite twist sense, and photoirradiating the layer through a photomask. This causes the isomerisable dopant in the exposed parts of the layer to convert its chirality and thus its twist sense, leading to a change of the helical pitch in the exposed parts.
However, in order to achieve desired change in chiral materials as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,668,614 and WO 98/57223, irradiation with UV light of high intensity and long duration is required. Therefore high lamp powers and long irradiation times are needed, which is a serious drawback for mass production. This is especially disadvantageous in case the isomerizable chiral compound is used in a photocurable or photopolymerizable liquid crystal mixture, where the light used to induce a change in the isomerizable chiral compound also has the undesirable effect of inducing a premature polymerization process in the mixture. Furthermore, UV irradiation of the mixture with high radiation doses (i.e. high radiation intensities and long radiation periods) can cause undesired degradation of the other components of the liquid crystal mixture.

Sensitized photochemical switching for cholesteric liquid crystal displays

Industrial Technology Research Institute


Provided is a metal interconnection structure of a semiconductor device, having: a lower metal layer disposed on an insulating layer formed on a semiconductor device; a contact plug disposed on the lower metal layer; a supporting layer disposed to surround the contact plug; an upper metal layer disposed on the contact plug and the supporting layer; and an air layer interposed between the lower and upper metal layers to insulate the lower metal layer from the upper metal layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a metal interconnection structure of a semiconductor device and a method of forming the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
As semiconductor devices become more highly integrated, metal lines become increasingly multi-layered. Therefore, metal interconnection structures and the methods of forming the metal interconnection structures have been actively researched and developed in order to improve performance of the semiconductor devices.
FIG. 1 is a cross sectional view for explaining an example of a conventional method of manufacturing a metal interconnection structure.
Referring to FIG. 1, an interlayer insulating layer 102 is formed on a semiconductor substrate 101. Next, a contact hole 103 is formed to penetrate the interlayer insulating layer 102 and expose an active region of the semiconductor substrate 101. Next, a metal contact 104 is formed to fill the contact hole 103 with a metal layer. Next, an insulating layer 105 is formed on the interlayer insulating layer 102 and the contact hole 103. Next, a trench is formed to penetrate the insulating layer 105 and expose an upper surface of the metal contact 104. Next, a lower metal layer 106 is formed to fill the trench with a metal layer. Next, an inter-metal dielectric layer 107, a via hole 108, a via contact 109, and an upper metal layer 110 are formed with the same as the aforementioned steps.
On the other hand, as copper (Cu) lines having excellent electrical characteristics become more popular, techniques for forming metal interconnection structures by using a damascene method have been widely used.
FIG. 2 is a cross sectional view showing a metal interconnection structure formed by using the damascene method.
Referring to FIG. 2, an insulating layer 202 is formed on an underlying layer 201. Next, a trench 203 is formed by removing a portion of an upper portion of the insulating layer 202. Next, a contact hole 204 having a narrower width than the trench 203 is formed to penetrate the insulating layer 202 from the bottom surface of the trench 205. Next, an insulating layer 206 is formed on the insulating layer 202 and the metal layer 205. Next, the trench 203 and the contact hole 204 are filled with a lower metal layer 205, and then, a planarization process is performed. Subsequently, a trench 207 is formed by removing a portion of an upper portion of the insulating layer 206. Next, a contact hole 208 having a narrow width than the trench 207 is formed to penetrate the insulating layer 206 from the bottom surface of the trench 207. Next, the trench 207 and the contact hole 208 are filled with an upper metal layer 209, and then, a planarization process is performed.
By using the damascene method, Cu metal lines having excellent electrical characteristics can be easily implemented. On the other hand, in order to improve characteristics of the semiconductor devices, techniques of using an insulating layer having a low dielectric constant to insulate the lower metal layer 205 from the upper metal layer 209 have been researched and developed.
Currently, an insulating layer having a dielectric constant of about 2.0 to 3.0 has been researched. However, in a metal interconnection structure using the insulating layer having a low dielectric constant and a method of forming the metal interconnection structure, there are various problems. Therefore, it is expected that it takes a relatively long time to implement a practical metal interconnection structure using the insulating layer having a low dielectric constant.

Metal interconnection structure of semiconductor device and method of forming the same


An inductive compensation apparatus for smooth compensation of a transmission bus and methods of operating the same result in improved impedance of the transmission bus for transfer of data signals. The inductive compensation apparatus having an input and an output and a transmission bus with an effective impedance comprises a first capacitance connected to the input and a second capacitance connected to the output. A first bus compensator is connected between the input and the first capacitance to compensate the first capacitance and raise the impedance of the transmission bus. A second bus compensator is connected between the first capacitance and the second capacitance to compensate the first capacitance and the second capacitance and raise the impedance of the transmission bus. A third bus compensator is connected between the second capacitance and the output to compensate the second capacitance and raise the impedance of the transmission bus for improved data transfers on the transmission bus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to compensating transmission buses and more particularly to inductive compensation of capacitive parasitics of transmission buses to raise the effective impedance of the transmission buses.
2. Description of the Related Arts
As computer technologies continue to grow by leaps and bounds, users of the computer technologies have an insatiable desire for faster systems with increased storage and retrieval capabilities. To address these desires of the users, faster and more powerful CPUs (central processing units) and larger hard disk drives and multiple disk drive enclosures are constantly being developed.
An interface called SCSI (small computer system interface) is a common interface used to connect and communicate storage devices with a CPU. The SCSI specification enables diverse peripheral devices and one or more computer systems to work together. SCSI devices connect to a computer using a SCSI bus in a daisy chain configuration as opposed to being connected in a parallel configuration. The SCSI bus comprises a multitude of transmission lines for control and data signals. One reason for the SCSI popularity among computer systems is that SCSI is a device independent interface. Each SCSI device masks the internal operation of a peripheral from other peripherals and the computer, even though the SCSI devices are connected to the same transmission bus. The computer CPU does not need to know much about each peripheral in order for the computer to communicate with the peripheral. SCSI peripherals are referred to as a logical units rather than physical or actual units and are treated as storage abstractions. The ability for a computer system to treat SCSI devices in abstract terms makes SCSI a popular physical layer.
In applications of high performance data rate transfers in multiple disk drive enclosures which include dedicated multiple disk drive storage and server applications for computer systems, the SCSI physical layer has its limitations. The limitations stem from the fact that as a SCSI disk drive component is connected to the SCSI bus, the SCSI disk drive introduces parasitic capacitance to each SCSI transmission line of the SCSI bus that the SCSI disk drive is connected. The parasitic capacitance or capacitive loads lower the effective impedance of the SCSI transmission line. If the lowered effective impedance is not compensated, reflections and termination problems from impedance mismatches will cause transmission errors of signals on the SCSI transmission lines, particularly at high performance data rates. Ideally, the impedance of the transmission lines of the SCSI bus should be maintained at or about 90 ohms. Currently, many of the multiple disk drive enclosures limit the number of disk drives within the enclosures connected to the SCSI bus in order to reduce the capacitive loading on the SCSI bus so that the impedance of the transmission lines of the SCSI bus are maintained around the 90 ohms range.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an apparatus and methods of operating the same which compensate capacitive loading from disk drives connected to a transmission bus so that the number of disk drives in a multiple disk drive enclosure is increased without suffering reflections and termination problems associated with impedance mismatches.

Method and apparatus for smooth inductive compensation of transmission bus capacitive parasitics


A method for a keypad assembly including a keycap layer 110 having multiple user interface key caps flexibly coupled to a carrier portion, a luminescent layer 120 disposed toward a backside of the plurality of key caps, the luminescent layer carrying a plurality of switch domes each aligned with a corresponding one of the plurality of key caps of the key cap layer. In some embodiments, a backing material is applied to a backside of the user interface key caps.

In the past, keypads on cellular radiotelephones have comprised a multi-layered structure having a large part count and that is relatively thick, thus limiting in the thinness of the devices in which the keypad may be integrated. Typical keypads include user interface forming user accessible key caps, which are sometimes interconnected by a web. The key caps are each aligned over a corresponding switch-dome mounted on a carrier made of Mylar or some other carrier material. The carrier and dome assembly is disposed on a switch contact circuitry layer.
To provide keypad lighting, it is known to dispose a luminescent layer between the dome carrier and the key caps. The luminescent layer however includes cutouts through which plunger portions of the key caps may contact the domes to actuate switches on the circuit layer. This configuration lacks luminescence directly below or behind the key caps where it is desired most. Instead, the key caps are lighted indirectly by dispersed light, some of which emanates from circumferential areas surrounding the keys.
The various aspects, features and advantages of the disclosure will become more fully apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the following Detailed Description thereof with the accompanying drawings described below.

Thin keypad assemblies and components for electronics devices and methods


A device for making automated transaction decisions comprising a memory to store a series of historical records and results, where each record contains a set of data values for a corresponding set of variables, a transaction input unit to convey corresponding data values of a transaction for which a decision is to be made, a decision output unit to convey a recommended decision, a self-configuring modeler to configure itself based upon information stored in memory in order to predict expected results from any set of data values, and a controller coupled to the modeler and the transaction input unit to generate a decision output.

Human Decision Makers
Traditionally, the way decisions have been made has been to have a human expert assess the situation based upon their past experience and to make a judgment. This judgment then leads to an action which is described as a decision.
An advantage of this approach is that there already exist a number of experts who can be contracted to perform assessments—there is no need to create a new decision system. However, this advantage is counter balanced by several disadvantages—such experts may not exist in sufficient quantity and quality, may not be readily available when needed (24×7), may not be able to process information quickly enough, and may not make good decisions in situations where there are multiple uncertainties that interact in complex ways to affect the outcome of the situation.
To address the availability, repeatability, and uncertainty problems, computer-based decisions systems have been envisioned that would make decisions in lieu of experts, though perhaps with their input in building the decision system.
Expert Systems
Principal approaches to automating such decisions have been referred to as Artificial Intelligence, Expert Systems or Rule Based Systems. These systems consist of a number of conditional propositions (if X then Y or if X then Y with probability P) that compose a database of rules. When a transaction arrives, the values of its variables are then compared to the conditional propositions to reason to a likely outcome. Once an end state has been reasoned to, the system recommends a decision based upon that reasoning.
If a good rule base is in place, an automated decision can be made even at times when no human expert is available, and if the rules are superior to the judgment of a single individual it is possible that even better results will result—in any case a rule based system will have consistently repeatable results. For this system to be successful, it must have a good rules database. The process of deriving a rules database is usually called knowledge engineering. In this process, an expert in the creation of rules (called the knowledge engineer) is paired with a domain expert. The knowledge engineer then interviews the domain expert and tries to derive a set of rules.
In practice, this knowledge engineering process is often not very successful. Not only does it require access to a domain expert and to a knowledge engineer, but also it requires the domain expert to be articulate about the domain in terms that are meaningful to the knowledge engineer, and the knowledge engineer to be skillful at learning about the domain. Often this is not the case. Many experts are good at making judgments about situations but poor about explaining why they make those judgments. Because knowledge engineers themselves are not domain experts, they often encode rules specified by the experts, but the rules turn out to be overly simplistic.
A particularly frequent problem is that experts often explain their judgments after the fact by reference to obvious correlations between variables. For instance, an insurance products expert may observe that all the purchasers of maternity care insurance are women, and the knowledge engineer might encode this in an expert system as if gender=female then interest-in-maternity-care-insurance=high with probability P. A problem is that while gender has a high correlation with maternity care, it isn't a good discriminator. That is, while all people interested in maternity care insurance may be female, there may be many more females who are not interested in the insurance than who are. A better discriminator measure might include age, marital status, or enrollment in a Lamaze class. Quite often experts do not consciously recognize or cannot articulate these good discriminators, and the resulting automated models are often not very fast, and they are not very accurate.
Data-Derived Models
An alternative to the expert systems approach is to dispense with the expert and derive models directly from the data itself. In effect, this is equivalent to what the expert does when they build up experience over time—except that the automated system can build its expertise over far more transactions, and an automated system is capable of more reliable memory and more precise assessments of the degrees of correlation and discrimination among the variables. Therefore, in theory, data-derived models can be more accurate in their predictions than human experts are.
In practice, exhaustively determining all the cross-correlations can be computationally infeasible. Therefore a number of methods have been developed to "guess" at potential models, and apply heuristics to optimize them until they result in a sufficiently good, but probably suboptimal solution. Among these approaches are neural networks and genetic algorithms, as well as Bayesian networks. Some of these heuristic methods (but not including Bayesian networks) is that they generate "black-box" models. That is, it is fundamentally impossible to see what they have "learned", or "why" they are producing certain recommendations.

Data manipulation and decision processing