A helmet including an insert provides the ability of including a highly energy absorbing feature within the insert. The insert includes a structure such as a Bingham plastic which, upon impact, absorbs the energy of the impact by converting from a solid to a liquid. Other energy absorbing features are contemplated. The energy absorption process occurs in one aspect in a nonreversible manner such that once a high enough level impact occurs on the insert, it must be replaced within the helmet. The insert has a fastener which enables it to be replaceable. In this manner, a highly absorbing feature of a helmet can be provided to reduce concussions while not requiring the complete replacement of a helmet.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to impact minimization structures such as helmets, blast walls, protective clothing, helmets, vehicle protection and so forth. The structures incorporate in various methods and structures that use of Bingham plastics, low modulus rubbers, auxetic and structural textiles, incorporated into dissipative and/or sequentially dissipative devices and/or other mechanisms and materials to protect individuals and structures from percussive forces and bludgeoning damage.
2. Introduction
Most protective equipment is designed for protection against penetrating force and piercing damage. Armors act to blunt penetrating force, thus preventing catastrophic piercing damage. Unfortunately, many common threats to individuals and structures come from percussive (compression wave) force. In contrast with penetrating force which rapidly transfers high energy to create focused, piercing damage, percussive impacts transfer large quantities of total energy from lower energy waves at a relatively long rate of transfer resulting in accumulated bludgeoning damage. There is currently a need for improved protective technology targeted to percussive impact and dissipating bludgeoning damage. For example, helmets are used by football players, bike riders, skaters, military applications, and so forth. However, the rate of concussion injury is still high. Similarly, other protective gear is used in many different areas. Military personnel and vehicles need improved protection against impacts of various kinds. It is desirable to improve percussive damage protection technology.
Helmets and other armors are designed to reduce individual damage. Piercing damage is a common result of a transmission of penetrating force, with high peak energy delivered rapidly to a small area. The results of penetrating force are slicing injuries. Reductions in penetrating force can be generally achieved by designs that widen the impact zone to prevent penetration, including those of the technologies described herein. Bludgeoning damage is a common result of a transmitting percussive force, with low peak energy delivered slowly to a large area. The results of percussive force are crushing damage to tissue, concussions or other injuries affecting a broad area. Reductions in percussive force are not amenable to traditional design, and require special attention through designs that dissipate the energy using the described technology.
In other cases, an impact device, in particular of a percussive design, might be also placed near a building and there is a need to protect the building and occupants from the damage caused by the blast, in particular of a bludgeoning type. There also is a need for structures using the described technologies to help prevent or reduce the effects of a blast on buildings or other object.

Impact and explosive force minimization structures


A heatsink module for dual heat sources for dissipating heat generated by a first and a second heat-generating element disposed on a circuit board is provided. The heatsink module includes a first heat-conducting plate, a second heat-conducting plate, a fixing member, a heat pipe, and a pressing flat spring. The first and second heat-conducting plates contact the first and second heat-generating elements respectively. The fixing member when fixed to the circuit board presses the second heat-conducting plate against the second heat-generating element. One end of the pressing flat spring is under the traction of the fixing member fixed to the circuit board, and presses the first heat-conducting plate against the first heat-generating element. The fixing member and the first heat-conducting plate then clamp the heat pipe, so as to conduct the heat generated by the first and second heat-generating elements to the heat pipe via the connecting elements.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a heatsink module structure, and more particularly to a structure of a heatsink module for dual heat sources.
2. Related Art
Generally speaking, a conventional heatsink module installed in a computer is specially designed to dissipate the heat generated by central processing unit (CPU) which generates the most heat. Moreover, the necessary elements including housing, fan, and heat pipe are often modularized for the convenience of manufacturing and installation. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,373,700 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,654,245 both adopt the above structure.
Though the modularized heatsink devices disclosed in the above patents have good heat dissipation efficiency, they are designed to enhance the heat dissipation efficiency for the CPU. Therefore, even if the heat dissipation efficiency is enhanced, the heat generated by other heat-generating chips on a same circuit board cannot be dissipated directly, resulting in the situation that though the efficiency of the heatsink modules is good, the overall efficiency of computers with the heatsink modules cannot be increased effectively.
In order to solve the aforementioned problem, U.S. Pat. No. 7,120,018 further assembles a fan on heatsink fins mounted on a CPU. When the fan operates, the air is guided from an axial direction to a radial direction, and is blown to a northbridge chip near the CPU. A ventilation-enhancing member is assembled beside the northbridge chip to guide the air flow passing by the northbridge chip to other high heat-generating electronic components. Thus, an air flow path for conducting heat is formed, and the overall heat dissipation of all high heat-generating electronic components is achieved through the air flow path. However, when the above niethod of dissipating heat from various heat-generating electronic components through the air flow path is used, only the CPU that adopts the heatsink fins together with the fan has high heat dissipation efficiency. As the air flow passing by the CPU is of a high temperature, other high heat-generating electronic components disposed along the air flow path have low heat dissipation efficiency by means of blowing the high temperature air over the electronic components, and the problem of overall heat dissipation efficiency cannot be solved effectively.


A keyboard musical instrument having a keyboard range display device with which the positions of player's hands or fingers on a keyboard and the keys to be depressed as needed, are visually identified, comprises right hand and left hand range display means for displaying keyboard ranges to be covered by right and left hand fingers, and preferably, note-on position display means. Display data included in play data, is used to turn on each display means. A player immediately and intuitively perceives the range that is defined, so that he can easily move his fingers to correspond with the range. Even when the hands are near each other during a performance, the player can clearly identify the positions of the hands on the keyboard and the fingers to be used for key depression.

As is disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication No. Sho 63-21903, some conventional keyboard musical instruments, such as pianos and electronic pianos, have indicators on the surfaces of keys, or near the keys, to display a note-on position and the type of the note based on the play data. Such a note-on instruction device is so designed that an indicator is ON at a position of a key to be depressed at a key-on time, or that after a preceding key was depressed, an indicator at a position of a key to be depressed next is on. In Japanese Utility Model Publication No. Sho 63-12362 is disclosed a technique whereby a numerical sign indicator is provided for each key to display a numerical sign representative of a finger for key depression. In addition, in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. Hei 7-334073 is disclosed a technique for using LEDs arranged for individual keys on a keyboard to display the positions of keys to be depressed and the positions of the player's fingers on the keyboard for playing.
A note-on instruction device of a conventional keyboard musical instrument displays a note-on position, a note-on duration and a finger number for key depression; however, when a beginner practices playing a musical instrument while looking at the note-on instruction device, in the course of playing, the player easily tends to delay key depression due to reading characters and numerals displayed or to recognizing the shapes of signs displayed.
When the positions or ranges of the hands are determined on the keyboard, the fingers to be used for key depression must likewise be determined. For a note-on instruction device that does not directly instruct the positions of the hands, however, to determine the hand positions, a player must refer to finger numbers displayed to ascertain which finger should be used for the key depression, and must then move the finger to the position of the key that is to be depressed. The problem that has arisen here, therefore, is that the movement of the hand towards an expected position tends to be delayed. Furthermore, in a conventional example used for displaying the positions of fingers, it is difficult to identify the finger positions when the both hands are located near each other.

Keyboard musical instrument with keyboard range indicator

Kawai Musical Instruments Manufacturing Co., Ltd.


A method and apparatus for transmitting a user equipment (UE) assistance information message in a wireless communication system is provided. Upon receiving N consecutive number of indications of early-out-of-synchronization/early-in-synchronization from a lower layer of the UE, the UE transmits the UE assistance information message including the early-out-of-synchronization/early-in-synchronization indication to the network, and starts a prohibit timer for prohibiting transmission of the UE assistance information message including the early-out-of-synchronization/early-in-synchronization indication to the network. Further, the UE cancels a prohibit timer, if running, for prohibiting transmission of a UE assistance information message including an early-in-synchronization/early-out-of-synchronization indication.

3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long-term evolution (LTE) is a technology for enabling high-speed packet communications. Many schemes have been proposed for the LTE objective including those that aim to reduce user and provider costs, improve service quality, and expand and improve coverage and system capacity. The 3GPP LTE requires reduced cost per bit, increased service availability, flexible use of a frequency band, a simple structure, an open interface, and adequate power consumption of a terminal as an upper-level requirement.
A user equipment (UE) performs radio link monitoring (RLM) to determine when there is radio link failure (RLF). When there is RLF, the UE triggers radio resource control (RRC) re-establishment to find another suitable cell. More specifically, the UE performs RLM measurements based on an estimated signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of cell-specific reference signal (CRS), which is mapped to a hypothetical control channel performance. Based on these RLM measurements, the UE determines a percentage of block error rate (BLER) that is experienced. With these RLM measurements, the UE shall determine Qout (out-of-sync) and Qin (in-sync) which correspond to 10% and 2% BLER respectively.
Work has started in international telecommunication union (ITU) and 3GPP to develop requirements and specifications for new radio (NR) systems. 3GPP has to identify and develop the technology components needed for successfully standardizing the new RAT timely satisfying both the urgent market needs, and the more long-term requirements set forth by the ITU radio communication sector (ITU-R) international mobile telecommunications (IMT)-2020 process. Further, the NR should be able to use any spectrum band ranging at least up to 100 GHz that may be made available for wireless communications even in a more distant future.
The NR targets a single technical framework addressing all usage scenarios, requirements and deployment scenarios including enhanced mobile broadband (eMBB), massive machine-type-communications (mMTC), ultra-reliable and low latency communications (URLLC), etc. The NR shall be inherently forward compatible.

Method and apparatus for handling enhanced RLM prohibit timer in wireless communication system


A vehicle starter battery warming system has a number of heating elements contained within a casing or blanket which is positionable about a vehicle starting battery and which has a on/off control switch and a timed thermostatic control in connection with a separate power supply. The separate power supply may include a second battery if desired or conventional AC power. The timed thermostatic control switch functions to allow the user to intermittently operate the heater at an elevated level if desired while the heating elements operate at continuous set level. Additionally, the thermostat control includes a function for increasing the temperature of the warmer so that prior to the usual starting time of the vehicle or equipment that battery is raised to a higher level.

Operating heavy equipment and vehicles in extremely cold weather conditions is often interrupted by an inability to start the vehicles because of the cold temperature draining the batteries. Typically construction workers or other personnel are required to start construction equipment or vehicles by "jumping" the battery, which results in equipment down time and inefficient work. Numerous devices have been described for heating vehicle batteries including the following:
Allison, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,542,489 which discloses a battery thermal chamber heated and cooled by air flowing through the chamber.
Reed, U.S. Pat. No. 5,115,116 discloses a vehicle preheating system with preheating devices arranged on key components of the vehicle including the battery with a timer control. This invention is useful for its stated purposes however it does not provide a heating system which has a base heating level which is selectively increased at a set time before the contemplated vehicle starting time.
Wightman, U.S. Pat. No. 4,591,692 discloses a battery warmer which includes a positive temperature coefficient element.
Mikaila, U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,938 which discloses an arctic vehicle battery heater.
Miyahara, U.S. Pat. No. 4,081,737 discloses a secondary battery charger and heater.
Edlund, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 3,870,855 discloses a combination battery charger motor heater and passenger compartment heater.
As can be seen from the prior art there has never been an invention as the present which includes numerous heating elements wrapped around a vehicle and/or heavy equipment battery and further wherein the heater elements are energized by a power supply and which heating elements are maintained at a base heating level and which heating level is increased at a set time to coincide with the use of the battery at early morning hours or at any other desired time. The use of the present invention provides an efficient use of the power necessary to warm the battery which is provided by the dual heating level system. The present system also increases the life of batteries and increases the efficiency of work personnel required to use heavy equipment in cold climates.


When an entity (such as a customer using a communication device 131, 141, 151 . . . ) attempts to communicate with a target (such as an employee), an arrangement indicates to the customer, “status” information describing at least the employee's present and future ability to communicate with the entity (such as by returning his call). At least one sensing device 111-119 is configured to provide sensing information concerning the target employee's status in response to an action of the target employee with respect to the sensing device. A monitoring server 102 is configured to receive the sensing information and to govern communication to the entity (customer) of the target's “status.” In one implementation, a particular sensing device (such as a cash register 111, computer terminal 112, or time clock 113) is configured to perform both (A) a primary function that is not related to providing the sensing information, and (B) the secondary function of providing the sensing information. In this implementation, the particular sensing device provides the sensing information in response to the person's ordinary use of the particular sensing device as he goes about his job (performing the particular sensing device's primary function), so that the person does not have to explicitly perform any purely presence-related action in order to cause the particular sensing device to communicate the sensing information.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to arrangements for indicating the presence of a "target" such as an individual. More particularly, the invention relates to arrangements for communicating "status" information describing at least the target's present and future ability to communicate with the entity (such as by returning a call).
2. Related Art
Businesses are always looking for ways to develop better rapport between their employees and their customers, to improve overall customer service. One way of achieving this rapport is to facilitate a customer's communication with a given employee. For example, a customer may wish to easily communicate with a particular plumbing expert at a large hardware store on an ongoing basis. The customer's wish may result from a personal trust, or may be based on the particular employees knowledge or expertise.
Conventionally, businesses provide voicemail service so that customers may attempt to reach their trusted employee. However, voicemail systems cannot provide the customer with a reliable indication of whether the employee is in or is reachable in the near future. Moreover, a voicemail message may not be often checked or the employee may be on vacation, resulting in a delayed return call that causes the customer to be dissatisfied.
It is recognized that employees may be instructed to keep their voicemail greetings current so that callers will be warned of any delays or absences. However, this instruction is not always followed because it requires the employee to remember to do so. Moreover, employees may be negligent in checking voicemail, also causing delays that are frustrating to customers who call. Human error or negligence can thus be responsible for diminishing customer satisfaction.
A common alternative to voicemail systems is to have a customer's call forwarded to a central operator who can then explicitly page the employee who is being called. However, this paging practices requires human intervention, and forces the calling customer to wait, regardless of whether or not the employee responds to the page. Further, employment of a live central operator increases personnel costs, a result that is contrary to the intent of automated voicemail systems.
Various features have been proposed in the art. In reverse chronological order by issue date or publication date:
U.S. Pat. No. 6,654,815 (Goss et al.) discloses a contact server for a call center in which customers use various communications technologies to submit a call-back request via the Internet; however, Goss' call-back request arrangement does not appear to tell the customer whether the called employee is present or can call back soon.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2003/0112956 (Brown et al.) discloses a system that automatically forwards calls to a backup party selected in accordance with a context for the call; however, Brown's arrangement does not appear to tell the caller whether the called employee is present or can call back soon.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,574,480 (Foladare et al.) discloses an arrangement for paging an intelligently chosen destination device when a call or other communication is received, based on the identity of a customer and the reason for the communication; however, the Foladare's arrangement does not appear to inherently provide information back to the caller.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0145559 (Sullivan) discloses how a person's location may be tracked using a global positioning system (GPS) device; however, Sullivan's device does not solve the larger problem of communicating information about the person's presence to a calling customer.
Finally, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2002/0085701 (Parsons et al.) discloses a unified communication management system that maintains presence data relating to a person's location, and uses that presence data and context data to automatically forward calls from one of the person's communication's devices to another or to another individual. Parsons' paragraph [0036] focuses on manual and automatic ways in which the person's location may be tracked. However, Parsons' arrangement does not appear to tell the caller whether the called person is present or can call back soon.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an arrangement that would allow customers to quickly and automatically receive a reliable, timely and accurate indication of whether an employee is present at a given time, and when the customer might expect the employee to call back. Preferably, the arrangement would provide this information without requiring the affirmative action of the employee being sought, to remove human error.

Arrangement for indicating presence of individual


A module structure includes a support film layer. The support film layer includes a film layer body and a stress relief gap disposed in the film layer body. The stress relief gap includes a layer gap, and the film layer body is divided into stacked sub-layers by the layer gap. In the module structure according to the embodiments of the present application, the stress relief gap is disposed in the film layer body of the support film layer.

With the continuous development of electronic display technology, requirements for display screens of electronic devices are getting higher and higher. As one of important development directions of the display screens of electronic devices, flexible screens (i.e., flexible display devices) have characteristics such as bendability and strong flexibility, and have multiple advantages such as being light and thin, low power consumption, convenient carrying, strong plasticity and beautiful colors. Therefore, the flexible screens have gradually received more and more attention.

Module structures and flexible display devices

KunShan Go-Visionox Opto-Electronics Co., Ltd.


A refrigerator having a main body including a refrigerating compartment, a cool air duct supplying cool air to the refrigerating compartment, and a sub storage compartment provided in the main body independently maintaining a temperature thereof with respect to the refrigerating compartment and being indirectly cooled or indirectly heated by radiation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator and an operating method therefor, and more particularly, a refrigerator and an operating method therefor controlling the temperature of a sub storage compartment separately provided to a main body.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator generates cool air through a cooling cycle to preserve food for a period of time, and includes a freezing compartment storing food frozen below the freezing point, a refrigerating compartment storing food refrigerated above the freezing point, and a cooling system cooling the freezing compartment and the refrigerating compartment.
Korean Patent Publication No. 2004-49591 discloses a refrigerator provided with an independent compartment, the temperature of which is independently controlled with respect to a refrigerating compartment and a freezing compartment. The refrigerator includes a casing forming the independent compartment, such as a temperature converting compartment, a cool air flowing hole formed in the casing to be connected with the freezing compartment, a heater heating an inside of the casing, and a controller controlling the heater. If the independent compartment needs to have a temperature higher than the refrigerating compartment, the controller operates the heater so that the temperature of the independent compartment increases. If the independent compartment needs to have a temperature lower than the refrigerating compartment, a fan provided in the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment is operated to supply cool air inside the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment to the independent compartment through the cool air flowing hole so that the temperature of the independent compartment decreases.
However, in the conventional refrigerator, cool air and heat are directly supplied into the independent compartment to be contacted to food stored therein, and accordingly, moisture for the food is evaporated, which thereby deteriorates freshness of the food.
FIG. 10 illustrates the temperature variation of a sub storage compartment (not shown) according to a conventional operating method for a conventional refrigerator (not shown). Referring to FIG. 10, a sub storage compartment according to a conventional operating method for a conventional refrigerator is forcedly heated to reach an upper limit temperature, and then the sub storage compartment is forcedly cooled to reach a lower limit temperature.
Also, in the case that the temperature of the independent compartment needs to be decreased after the heater is operated to increase the temperature thereof, the fan of the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment needs to be operated, thereby increasing power consumption.
Also, in the case that the temperature of the independent compartment needs be increased after cool air is supplied to decrease the temperature thereof, the heater needs to be operated, thereby increasing power consumption.
Also, in the case that the temperature of the independent compartment needs to be increased while the refrigerating compartment or the freezing compartment is cooled, the heater and the fan must be simultaneously operated, thereby deteriorating energy efficiency.

Refrigerator with temperature control and operating method therefor


The present invention relates to methods of detecting genetic mutations in mitochondrial cytochrome oxidase c genes that segregate with Alzheimer's Disease and methods for determining the amount of heteroplasmy of mitochondrial nucleic acid. The invention provides methods for detecting such mutations, as a diagnostic for Alzheimer's Disease, either before or after the onset of clinical symptoms.

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a progressive, neurodegenerative disorder that is incurable and untreatable, except symptomatically. Alzheimer's disease affects over 13 million people world-wide. Persons suffering from Alzheimer's disease may have one of two forms of this disease, familial AD or sporadic AD.
Familial Alzheimer's disease is an early-onset disease, generally occurring before the age of fifty, and accounts for only about 5 to 10% of all Alzheimer's cases. Familial AD is inherited and follows conventional patterns of Mendelian inheritance. This form of AD has been linked to nuclear chromosomal abnormalities.
In contrast, the second form of Alzheimer's disease, sporadic AD, is a late-onset disease which is not inherited or caused by nuclear chromosomal abnormalities. This late-onset form of the disease is the more common type of Alzheimer's disease and is believed to account for approximately 90 to 95% of all Alzheimer's cases. The cause of sporadic AD is not known.
It has been recognized that some degenerative diseases, such as Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON), myoclonic epilepsy lactic acidosis and stroke (MELAS), and myoclonic epilepsy ragged red fiber syndrome (MERRF), are transmitted through mitochondrial DNA defects. Mitochondrial DNA defects have also been implicated in explaining the apparently "sporadic" (nonmendelian) occurrence of some degenerative neurologic disorders, such as Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Since all proteins encoded by the mitochondrial genome are components of the electron transport chain, deficits in electron transport function have been reported in Parkinson's and Alzheimer's disease. Of particular interest, it has been reported that defects in cytochrome c oxidase, an important terminal component of the electron transport chain located in the mitochondria of eukaryotic cells, may be involved in Alzheimer's disease.
Recent findings show that the catalytic activity, but not the physical levels of cytochrome c oxidase (COX), are decreased in the blood of individuals meeting the clinical criteria of probable Alzheimer's disease, or in the brains of patients who died with autopsy-confirmed AD. This suggests that COX is functionally abnormal in AD patients.
One report suggesting a relationship between AD and cytochrome c oxidase is Parker et al., Neurology 40: 1302-1303 (1990), which finds that patients with Alzheimer's disease have reduced cytochrome c oxidase activity. It has also been shown by Bennett et al., J. Geriatric Psychiatry and Neurology 5: 93-101 (1992), that when sodium azide, a specific inhibitor of cytochrome c oxidase was infused into rats, the rats suffered impaired memory and learning (a form of dementia). The rats mimicked the effect of Alzheimer's disease in humans. In addition, the sodium azide-tested rats failed to display long term potentiation, demonstrating loss of neuronal plasticity.
Despite these findings, the exact mechanism producing the electron transport dysfunctions is not known for Alzheimer's disease, nor has a genetic or structural basis for these dysfunctions been identified. Without knowing what causes these electron transport dysfunctions and in particular the genetic or structural basis, it is difficult to diagnose or treat Alzheimer's disease, especially the predominant form, sporadic AD.
To date, the diagnosis of probable Alzheimer's disease is by clinical observation and is a diagnosis of exclusion. A structured clinical approach is used to reduce the diagnostic error rate, but the accuracy of clinical diagnosis is rarely better than 70% to 80% in the hands of the most skilled neurologist, and less accurate when conducted outside specialized centers. Current clinical diagnostic practice is, at best 70%-80% specific. Clinical criteria do not rule out senile dementia of the Lewy Body Variant (SDLDB) (approximately 25% of all AD), a dementia form closely related to sporadic AD. In addition, multi-infarct dementia is very often over-reported. Unfortunately, definitive diagnosis can only be accomplished by pathological examination at autopsy. While attempts have been made to diagnose Alzheimer's disease by identifying differences in certain biological markers, including protease nexin II and apolipoprotein E alleles, this approach has not been successful. Incomplete penetrance in AD patients or crossover into normal or other disease populations makes identification of biological markers an unreliable method of diagnosis. Clearly, a reliable diagnosis of Alzheimer's at its earliest stages is critical for efficient and effective intercession and treatment of this debilitating disease. There exists a definite need for an effective diagnostic of Alzheimer's disease, and especially for the more prevalent form, sporadic AD. There exists a need for a non-invasive diagnostic that is reliable at or before the earliest manifestations of AD symptoms.
Not only does the Alzheimer's field currently lack a reliable, early means of detection, there is at present no effective therapy for AD, other than certain palliative treatments. Current therapies in clinical evaluation are designed to treat the symptoms of the disease and not impact the underlying pathology of AD. These therapies include Cognex, Velnacrine, E2020, and other similar agents known in the field. However, since the primary etiologic events in AD are not yet known in the art, rational therapies have not been designed. There exists a need for effective therapies, particularly those that address the primary cause of AD.
The present invention satisfies these needs for a useful diagnostic test for the risk or presence of Alzheimer's disease and provides related advantages as well.

Methods for detecting mitochondrial mutations diagnostic for Alzheimer's disease and methods for determining heteroplasmy of mitochondrial nucleic acid


A fault indicator for indicating the occurrence of a fault in an electrical conductor is automatically configured for an overhead application or for an underground application. The fault indicator has a housing, a battery, a display for indicating the occurrence of a fault, a current sensor for sensing the load current in a monitored conductor, and electromagnetic field sensor to sense the electromagnetic field about the conductor, and a microcontroller for determining whether a fault condition occurred, for determining the magnitude of the electromagnetic field, and for configuring the fault indicator in the overhead configuration if the electromagnetic field is above a predetermined magnitude or configuring the fault indicator for the underground mode if the field is below the predetermined magnitude. In the overhead configuration, voltage inrush restraint is enabled, the fault response time is set within a range of 1 to 50 ms, and the display is operated in bright or dims modes depending upon ambient lighting levels. In the underground configuration, inrush current restraint is enabled, the fault response time is set within a range of 1 to 24 ms, and the display is operated in only the dim mode. Related methods are also disclosed.

The present invention relates generally to current sensing devices for electrical systems, and more particularly to fault indicators for alternating current power systems that are capable of automatically configuring to an overhead application or to an underground application.
Various types of self-powered fault indicators have been constructed for detecting electrical faults in power distribution systems, including clamp-on type fault indicators, which clamp directly over cables in the systems and derive their operating power from inductive and/or capacitive coupling to the monitored conductor; and test point type fault indicators, which are mounted over test points on cables or associated connectors of the systems and derive their operating power from capacitive coupling to the monitored conductor.
Other prior art fault indicators may be either of the manually resetting type, wherein it is necessary that the indicators be physically reset, or of the self-resetting type, wherein the indicators are reset upon restoration of line current. Examples of such fault indicators are found in products manufactured by E. O. Schweitzer Manufacturing Company of Mundelein, Ill., and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,676,740, 3,906,477, 4,063,171, 4,234,847, 4,375,617, 4,438,403, 4,456,873, 4,458,198, 4,495,489, 4,974,329, 5,677,678, 6,016,105, 6,133,723 and 6,133,724.
Detection of fault currents in a monitored conductor by a prior art fault indicator is typically accomplished by magnetic switch means, such as by a configured magnetic reed switch, in close proximity to the conductor being monitored. Upon occurrence of an abnormally high fault-associated magnetic field around the conductor, the magnetic switch actuates a trip circuit that produces current flow in a trip winding to position an indicator flag visible from the exterior of the indicator to a trip or fault indicating position. Upon restoration of current in the conductor, a reset circuit is actuated to produce current flow in a reset winding to reposition the target indicator to a reset or non-fault indicating position, or the fault indicator may be manually reset.
Rather than a target indicator, some prior art fault indicators utilize light emitting diodes (LEDs) to display a fault condition. Whether of the target or LED display type, prior art fault indicators are typically configured for either overhead or for underground applications. This means that a variety of fault indicators must be manufactured, inventoried and sold to satisfy each specific application. Customers must also be careful that the installation of a fault indicator on a power line is of the appropriate configuration for the application. Otherwise, it can be expected that a fault indicator that is configured for an overhead application may not perform correctly or adequately in an underground application, and vice versa.
There is therefore a need for a fault indicator that can automatically determine whether it is installed in an overhead or an underground application, and that can automatically configure itself for the specific application.
There is a further need for such a fault indicator that is normally in an energy conservation mode and that periodically wakes up to monitor the load conditions on the monitored conductor, or is awakened when a fault condition occurs, when the fault indicator is reset after a timed reset period, or when a microcontroller in the fault detector otherwise receives an input or interrupt signal.
The need also arises for a such a fault indicator that will continue to display a prior fault condition for a predetermined amount of time, such as in the range of one hour to twenty-four hours, rather than self-resetting upon restoration of current in the conductor. Such timed reset fault indicators should be capable of self-resetting after termination of the predetermined time.
Some applications also require voltage in-rush restraint and/or current in-rush restraint to prevent false tripping due to a subsequent current inrush, such as when a reclosing relay of a power distribution system closes.
Because of the compact construction and limited power available in self-powered fault indicators, it is preferable that the desired functions of the fault indicator be accomplished with minimal structure and with internal circuitry that has minimal current drain on a high capacity battery. The fault indicator must also provide highly reliable and extended operation over a number of years.
Accordingly, it is a general object of the present invention to provide a new and improved fault indicator that, upon installation on a conductor to be monitored, can automatically determine whether it is in an overhead or underground application.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such a fault indicator that can automatically configure itself for the overhead or underground application.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a fault indicator with voltage inrush restraint and/or current inrush restraint for overhead applications and with current inrush restraint for underground applications.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a fault indicator that automatically configures its response time to a fault condition for the appropriate overhead or underground application.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a fault indicator that automatically configures activation of its display for the appropriate overhead or underground application.

Fault indicator with auto-configuration for overhead or underground application

Schweitzer Engineering Laboratories, Inc.


An apparatus, a signal processing circuit and a method for reproducing data stored on a disc to prevent a buffer memory from experiencing overflow/underflow. Writing information data read from the disc to the buffer memory is performed in response to a reproduction stage clock, and reading from the buffer memory is in response to a signal processing stage clock. The signal processing stage clock for reading information data may be derived from the reproduction stage clock.

As is well known in the field of audio equipment, digital record reproducing systems have been generally adopted for the purpose of reproducing recorded data of high density and high fidelity. In these systems, audio analog signals are converted into digitized data by a PCM(Pulse Code Modulation) technique and this data is recorded on a recording medium, such as a disc or a magnetic tape, to be reproduced. Among these systems, the compact disc is mainly used at present. In this case, a binary digit(bit) corresponding to the digitized data is formed on a disc of about 12 cm in diameter, and is optically read.
A reproducing device for reproducing the data recorded on the compact disc as described above, moves an optical pickup provided with a semiconductor laser and a photo-electric conversion device in a constant linear velocity tracking system(CLV) from the inner periphery side to the outer periphery side of the disc, and by rotating the compact disc the data recorded on the compact disc may be read.
The data read out from the disc is supplied to an RF circuit. This RF circuit extracts a focus error signal and tracking error signal from an output of the optical pickup, and supplies a servo control circuit with these extracted signals. The RF circuit also quantizes the signal read from the disc, and supplies a signal processing circuit with the quantized signal as an eight to fourteen bit modulated(EFM) signal. This signal processing circuit operates an EFM demodulation, a subcode demodulation and an error correction processing, then its output is supplied to a D/A(digital/analog) converter(hereinafter called DAC). An output of the DAC is supplied to a low pass filter(LPF), and an output of the LPF corresponds to a reproduced audio output signal. In a reproduction device used with a CD, in order to prevent a final audio output from causing wow and flutter, the EFM demodulated signal is stored in a buffer memory and read out after the error correction processing using a stable frequency clock signal. This clock signal is synchronous with a clock signal generated by a crystal oscillator.
Besides the well-known audio CD player, a CD-ROM player is another reproducing apparatus using discs. The CD-ROM player reproduces two kinds of data co-existing on the disc, i.e. an audio signal and ROM data, such as image information and character codes. When the audio signal is read out, the reproduction is performed at a normal rate corresponding to audible information. On the other hand, when ROM data is read out, the reproduction is performed at a faster rate, such as a double rate. In such a CD-ROM player, frequent switching from the normal rate to the double rate or from the double rate to the normal rate is performed.
As shown in FIG. 1, to change the reproduction rate, a rate control signal(HS) is used. When the signal HS is changed from "L" to "H", the rate is switched from the normal rate to the double rate, and when the signal HS is changed from "H" to "L", the rate is switched from the double rate to the normal rate. In such cases, the rotation speed of a disc motor does not change instantaneously but changes gradually from the normal rate to the double rate or from the double rate to the normal rate. As a result, a frequency of a reproduction stage clock(VCOCK) generated by a PLL circuit in accordance with the rotation speed of the disc motor flutters frequently in accordance with the motor rotation. The reproduction stage clock controls the rate at which data is written into the buffer memory.
On the other hand, a signal processing stage clock(XCK) for error correction processing and audio output processing is switched promptly. The signal processing stage clock controls the rate at which data is read form the buffer memory. As a result, within a transitional period of the disc motor until the rotation speed reaches the required speed, the frequency difference between the reproduction stage clock(VCOCK) and the signal processing stage clock(XCK) is relatively large.
In the buffer memory, storing(writing) is performed by a reproduction stage frame clock(PFS) synchronous with the clock VCOCK, and reading is performed by a signal processing stage frame clock(XFS) synchronous with the clock XCK which is synchronous with a clock signal generated by a crystal oscillator. For this reason, the address difference between storing and reading caused by the frequency difference exceeds an allowed value for the buffer memory. This means an overflow or underflow, i.e., emptying, which results in a reproduction interruption.
The problem mentioned above is not limited to the CD-ROM player. For example, the problem also exists for a CD player which comprises a shock proof memory to eliminate effects of data pick-up interruption caused by a shock from outside. The shock proof memory, usually a large capacity memory such as 4 MB DRAM(four megabit dynamic random access memory), is employed between the buffer memory and the DAC to store the reproduced output of the buffer memory. The reproduced output is stored to the shock proof memory, then read out. This system is called shock proof.
In the shock proof system, storing to the shock proof memory is controlled to keep a predetermined data quantity in the shock proof memory in the following manner. When storing is interrupted by a shock from outside, the reproduced data in the shock proof memory is reduced because reading-out continues. If the quantity reduction in the shock proof memory is detected, then in order to recover the predetermined quantity in the shock proof memory, a reading rate from the buffer memory is switched to a faster rate. In this case, because the rotation speed of the disc motor changes gradually, the difference between the reproduction stage clock and the signal processing stage clock is increased. As a result, an underflow occurs in the buffer memory, which causes a reproduction interruption.
As described above, in systems such as the shock proof system and CD-ROM in which the reproduction rate is switched, the reproduction can be interrupted because of overflow or underflow.
Sudden speed change also occurs, by a search operation, in a conventional CD player which does not employ the reproduction rate switching. The disc rotates in about 8 Hz when the pickup is at the inner periphery side of the disc, and 3 Hz when the pickup is at the outer periphery side so as to maintain a constant linear velocity(CLV). For this reason, to track the data in the outer periphery side when the pickup is tracking the inner periphery side, the rotation speed of the disc motor should be reduced to below one-half. In the opposite case, when the pickup is at the outer periphery side, the speed should be increased to two times greater to track the data in the inner periphery side. The frequencies of the clocks VCOCK and PFS obtained by supplying the RF circuit and the PLL circuit with the signal from the pickup, are synchronous with the disc rotation rate. For this reason, at the moment when the pickup moves to a target point, for example from the inner periphery side to the outer periphery side, the frequencies of the clocks VCOCK and PFS are higher than their predetermined value for the target point until the disc motor decreases its speed to the predetermined speed. When the pickup moves from the outer periphery side to the inner periphery side, the frequencies of the clocks VCOCK and PFS are lower than their predetermined value for the target point. These cases can result in underflow or overflow, by the frequency difference between the clocks PFS and XFS, which results in the reproduction interruption. Particularly, in the system in which high-speed access is required, a long muting period until the reproduction is restarted is one of the serious problems.
To solve the above problems, although using high-controllability motors which have a shortened transitional period can be effective, these motors are expensive and consume greater electric power. Use of these motors results in an increased price of the CD player set and decreases the marketability of the CD player set.
In the field of disc data reproduction systems, a disc data reproduction apparatus which uses a clock generated by a PLL (Phase Locked Loop) circuit is suggested. Such a reproduction apparatus is, for example, disclosed in the Japanese Patent Laid Open(Ko-kai) 93-28632. In the reproduction apparatus (player) disclosed in the above laid-open patent, a disc is rotated at a constant angular velocity (so-called, CAV) by a spindle motor. The CAV rotation of the disc means that the linear velocity of the tracking changes according to the rotation radius and data transfer rates are not constant. For example, under constant angular velocity, when the data transfer rate represents four times the normal rate at the outer periphery side. the data transfer rate represents 1.6 times the normal rate at the inner periphery side.
To implement the above mentioned CAV player, a calculation circuit which calculates a reference frequency for the PLL circuit and a frequency synthesizer which controls the frequency are required. The calculation is executed according to the address information and optical pickup position information detected by a position sensor. Further, for the usual audio use such as music reproduction, a CAV player must employ other circuits to perform CLV reproduction. As a result, disc data reproduction using a CAV system has a complex structure and increases the price of the player set.

Disc data reproducing apparatus and signal processing circuit


The invention relates to the use of norbixin and an urucum extract enriched in bixin and/or norbixin as a food. The invention also provides a food preparation comprising norbixin, bixin or an extract comprising at least bixin or norbixin, the preparation being intended to be administered orally, for the protection of mammalian skin against UV-radiation.

It is known that solar radiation can be harmful to humans. Indeed, most solar energy is emitted as UV rays, which penetrate deeply into the epidermis. The skin protects itself from solar radiation, by synthesizing melanin, a pigment capable of absorbing UV rays and limiting their deep penetration into the dermis. However, the rate of melanin synthesis varies from one individual to another, and filtration is not sufficient to efficiently protect against the sun's photo damage. In particular, UV-B wavelengths (280-320 nm) cause sunburn on sensitive skin, or when skin is frequently exposed to sunlight. Similarly, UVA wavelengths (320-400 nm) are known to induce skin tanning, to accelerate skin aging and to be involved in the development of many skin cancers.
Many studies have been conducted to develop preparations, usually topical, to protect the skin when frequently exposed to sun. These preparations often include carotenoids, known to be used by plants to protect themselves from sun damage. Carotenoids are orange and yellow pigments and are frequently found in many other living organisms. They belong to the chemical family of isoprenoids and are liposoluble. They are synthesized by algae, green plants and many fungi and bacteria (including cyanobacteria). Animals are not able to produce carotenoids and consequently take them up from their food.
Carotenoids are known for their photoprotective activity, related to their absorption of light rays (screen barrier function) and also to their antioxidant properties, which enable them to effectively neutralize peroxyl radicals and singlet oxygen (Sies and Stahl, 1995, 2004). They can be used externally but also internally, because some of the carotenoids ingested by animals accumulate in the skin. Supplementation with β-carotene and lycopene, alone or mixed with other carotenoids, shows a systemic photoprotection, as measured by a decrease in UV-induced erythema.
A randomized cross-over clinical study showed that a mixture of carotenoids reduces oxidative stress. This study describes the effect of carotenoids in 32 individuals who were non-smokers and in good health who daily received for a period of 3 weeks and in cross-over, separated by a washout of 12 weeks 4 capsules containing, either 1 g of fish oil, or 1 g of fish oil supplemented with a mixture of carotenoids (7.6 mg of total carotenoids including 2.9 mg bixin per capsule). It was observed that the carotenoid mixture reduces the oxidative stress induced by fish oil (rich in the polyunsaturated fatty acids 20:5 and 20:6) consumption. This is illustrated by an increased stability of the LDL measured in an ex-vivo oxidation assay and by the reduced concentration of a DNA-damage marker (8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine) in urine (Kiokias and Gordon, 2003). Another study, performed in mice, showed that an oral administration of various carotenoids, including bixin (200 mg=80 micromoles per kilogram of body weight) before γ-irradiation (1.5-3.0 Gy) reduced the occurrence of chromosomal damage, assessed by the micronucleus test (Thresiamma et al., 1998). Bixin is also able to reduce the side-effects of chemotherapy when orally administered prior to its application (Silva et al., 2001).
The antioxidant activity of norbixin on plasmid DNA was studied by inducing breaks by free-radical hydrogen peroxide H2O2 in the presence of Sn2+ or Fe2+ ions in the Fenton reaction: low concentrations of norbixin (10 μM) protect plasmid DNA in the presence of 10 μM of H2O2 (Kovary et al., 2001). In addition, norbixin increases by a factor of 10 the survival of bacteria (E. coli) when subjected to UV-radiation in the presence of hydrogen peroxide H2O2 or superoxide anion O2.-. The UV-C induced SOS system is reduced by 2.3 times in the presence of norbixin (Júnior et al., 2005). Finally, norbixin has a antimutagenic activity, and reduces by 87% the mutagenic effect of H2O2 on Salmonella typhimurium (Kovary et al., 2001).
More generally, it has been shown in cell-free systems that carotenoids can scavenge superoxide anions generated by the xanthine/xanthine oxidase system. The scavenging ability depends on the carotenoid and decreases in the order of canthaxanthin>bixin>lutein>β-carotene (Corol et al., 2003). For its antioxidant effects, bixin has been proposed to be included in foods (Levy and Levy, 2003).
Based on their properties, liposoluble carotenoids have been included in preparations to be applied to the skin before and during sun exposure in order to protect it from sun damage. Moreover, their pigmenting properties can allow the coloration of the epidermal cells layer in orange, thus accentuating the impression of tanning. A photostable screening cosmetic preparation has been developed to protect human skin against UV-radiation, including a small amount (0.0025 to 0.009% in weight) of bixin in an oily extract mixture (Grollier et al., 1991).
However, carotenoids may also be ingested and play their antioxidant role in the dermal and epidermal cells. The ingested compounds are indeed found in plasma and in various tissues, including skin (Richelle et al., 2006). The human skin contains an average of 0.2 to 0.6 ng/g of total carotenoids, with wide variations between individuals and between areas of the body within the same individual (Stahl and Sies, 2007). Ingestion of food supplemented with carotenoids increases its content in the dermis (Stahl et al., 1998). To be effective, food supplemented in carotenoids must be used for an extended period: longer than 10 weeks (Stahl et al., 2000).
Such an approach has shown its efficacy in several cases: a mixture of 30 to 90 mg/day for 24 weeks of β- and α-carotene (Lee et al., 1999), a tomato extract providing 16 mg/day of lycopene for 12 weeks (Stahl et al., 2001, 2006), an algal extract (Dunaniella salina) providing 24 mg/day of β-carotene, or a mixture (1:1:1) of β-carotene, lutein and lycopene for 12 weeks (Heinrich et al., 2003). The protective effects appear only gradually, and a single dose administration of 120 mg or a daily dose of 90 mg of β-carotene over 23 days is ineffective (Garmyn et al., 1995). However, Kläui et al. (1973) who proposed ingestion of mixtures of carotenoids including possibly bixin for skin protection against UV rays indicate that a treatment starting from 10 to 20 days before exposure to sunlight is sufficient.
Carotenoids are generally considered as low or non-toxic molecules (Agner et al., 2004), even at chronic doses of 3 g/kg in animals (Trumbo, 2005).


A cooling system for a construction machine, which can reduce noise of a cooling fan and can reliably produce cooling air at a required flow rate.

In a construction machine, e.g., a hydraulic excavator, a front operating mechanism including a boom, an arm, a bucket, etc. and an upper swing body are operated by hydraulic actuators, e.g., a hydraulic cylinder and a hydraulic motor. Those hydraulic actuators are operated by a hydraulic fluid delivered from a hydraulic pump which is driven by an engine. The upper swing body is covered with a cover, and the engine and the hydraulic pump are disposed in an engine room formed within the cover. In that type of construction machine, it is usual that, for the purpose of cooling the engine, a cooling fan disposed in the engine room is driven to introduce open air through intake holes formed in the cover, thereby producing cooling air. As the cooling fan, the so-called axial fan (propeller fan) rotated by a driving force from an engine crankshaft is used in many cases. The cooling air produced by the cooling fan is introduced into the engine room and passes through various heat exchangers for cooling them, and is then discharged to the exterior of the engine room through discharge holes formed in the cover. The heat exchangers include, for example, an intercooler for cooling compressed air pressurized by a turbocharger which is mounted on the engine, a radiator for cooling engine cooling water, and an oil cooler for cooling working oil in a hydraulic driving system.
In the above-described cooling fan directly driven by the engine, the rotation speed of the cooling fan is proportional to the engine revolution speed. Therefore, it may occur sometimes that the cooling water for the radiator and the working oil for the oil cooler are overcooled and a longer time is taken for warm-up operation. To avoid such a drawback, a system for driving the cooling fan independently of the engine revolution has hitherto been proposed, for example, which comprises a cooling fan for forcibly cooling a radiator and an oil cooler, a fan hydraulic motor for driving the cooling fan, a variable-displacement fan hydraulic pump capable of controlling the rotation speed of the fan hydraulic motor, a cooling water temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of cooling water, a working oil temperature sensor for detecting the temperature of working oil, an engine revolution speed sensor for detecting the revolution speed of an engine, and a controller for receiving signals detected by those sensors, calculating and outputting a delivery displacement command value for the fan hydraulic pump depending on the cooling water temperature, the working oil temperature and the engine revolution speed, and continuously controlling the rotation speed of the cooling fan by the variable-displacement fan hydraulic pump (see, e.g., Patent Document 1).
Patent Document 1: JP, A 2001-182535

Abstract: The cooling system comprises a cooling fan 25 for producing cooling air introduced to an intercooler 22, a radiator 23 and an oil cooler 24, a fan hydraulic motor 26 for driving the cooling fan 25, a fan hydraulic pump 27 for delivering a hydraulic fluid to the fan hydraulic motor 26, an air temperature sensor 31 for detecting an air temperature T1 at an outlet of the intercooler 22, a cooling water temperature sensor 33 for detecting a temperature T2 of cooling water for the radiator 23, a working oil temperature sensor 36 for detecting a temperature T3 of working oil for the oil cooler 24, and a controller 29 for outputting a control signal corresponding to a maximum value among calculation values N1, N2 and N3 of cooling fan rotation speed, which correspond respectively to detected values T1, T2 and T3 from the air temperature sensor 31, the cooling water temperature sensor 33 and the working oil temperature sensor 36.

Hitachi Construction Machinery Co., Ltd.


Provision of a displacement sensor, which detects an amount of shift at an objective lens, and a controller, which adjusts an emitted power based on a value measured by the displacement sensor and compensation data stored in a memory, permits detection by the displacement sensor of the amount of shift at the objective lens as necessary during recording of data, and the controller is capable of causing emission of an optimum emitted power from a laser source to an optical disk based on the measured value obtained and the compensation data. As a result, elimination of effects of fluctuation in effective power due to objective lens shift is permitted, and it is possible to ensure that the effective power of a laser irradiating the active layer will always be maintained at an optimum laser power.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to an optical disk apparatus and a method for adjusting optical disk apparatus laser power, and relates in particular to an optical disk apparatus and a method for adjusting optical disk apparatus laser power, permitting compensation for factors causing fluctuation in effective power.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, with the digitalization of video data, audio data, and various other types of data, there has been a dramatic increase in digital data volume. Accompanying this, development of optical disk apparatuses suited for high-capacity, high-density applications has proceeded apace. Along with progress in achieving increased density in optical disk apparatuses there has been decreased signal quality in the readout signal, and there have been a great many inventions proposing various methods for obtaining satisfactory signal quality. The factors affecting the signal quality of the readout signal include not only the conditions under which readout takes place and the method employed for carrying out readout, but also the conditions under which recording takes place and the method employed for carrying out recording. Among such recording conditions, the laser power employed at the time of recording will in particular have a large effect on signal quality, and an invention concerned with optimization of the laser power employed at the time of recording is disclosed at Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 11-73700 (1999).
JP-A 11-73700 discloses a procedure for determining an optimum laser power to be employed during recording wherein laser power is varied while carrying out recording at the active layer of the disk and the signal recorded at the disk active layer is thereafter read, with optimum laser power during recording being the laser power producing the greatest amplitude ratio in the readout signal. The sequence of recording operations employed to obtain this optimum laser power for use during recording is called a test write. By carrying out such a test write, it is possible to compensate for such factors as variation in laser power due to apparatus and disk characteristics as well as fluctuation in laser power due to changes in ambient temperature, employment of such an optimized laser power allowing an optical disk apparatus to record data with satisfactory signal quality.
In an optical disk apparatus it is possible for the laser power arriving at the disk active layer, i.e., the "effective power," to fluctuate despite emission of constant laser power from the laser source, and this will tend to cause the optimum laser power to fluctuate as well. As a result, even for the same apparatus-disk combination and even where temperature is held constant, optimum laser power will in general in such a case be nonconstant due to varying conditions at the apparatus, resulting in the problem that it is difficult to cause the laser to irradiate the disk active layer with optimum laser power.
Included among the factors contributing to fluctuation in effective power are objective lens shift, tilt, and servo residual error, and the like. In particular, the effect of shift at the objective lens used in the optical head, i.e., displacement of the center of that objective lens relative to the optical axis of the laser, is large, such objective lens shift being capable of causing fluctuation in the optimum laser power during recording of as much as several percent.
The reason that objective lens shift causes fluctuation in effective power is that objective lens shift causes a change in the fraction of the laser light emitted from the laser source which is incident at the objective lens. Accordingly, despite use of APC (Automatic Power Control) to maintain a constant laser power emitted from the laser source, the laser power exiting the objective lens will nonetheless fluctuate, making it impossible to irradiate the disk active layer with constant effective power.
FIG. 6 is a graph showing laser power exiting an objective lens as a function of shift at the objective lens, the horizontal axis indicating the amount of shift at the objective lens and the vertical axis indicating the laser power exiting the objective lens. Holding laser power emitted from the laser source constant and varying the amount of shift at the objective lens, the laser power exiting the objective lens is a maximum for zero shift at the objective lens, i.e., when the center of the objective lens coincides with the optical axis of the laser. Furthermore, the laser power exiting the objective lens decreases with increasing shift at the objective lens; that is, as the objective lens is displaced in either a positive or a negative direction from the zero-shift arrangement.
Because optical head assembly tolerances cannot be completely eliminated, there will in general be a nonzero shift at the objective lens, i.e., the objective lens will be displaced in either a positive or a negative direction relative to the laser optical axis, when the objective lens is in its neutral state, i.e., at a time when it is not acted upon at all by the objective lens actuator. Moreover, during tracking servo operations, because the position of the objective lens is controlled so as to cause the beam spot to follow any eccentricity in the disk, the objective lens will furthermore be shifted in either a positive or a negative direction from its neutral position by an amount corresponding to such eccentricity. Another cause of objective lens shift is lag in tracking during seek servo operations for moving the optical head in the radial direction of the disk. For these and other reasons, occurrence of objective lens shift is unavoidable.
As described above, a change in objective lens shift will cause a change in the laser power exiting the objective lens, and the amount of objective lens shift at the time that the above-described test write is carried out may be different from the amount of objective lens shift at the time that a user carries out recording or readout. That is, there is an error component due to fluctuation in laser power caused by objective lens shift which is in general present despite the fact that the laser power exiting the laser source at the time of recording is an optimum laser power as determined by carrying out a test write.
Accordingly, as conventional optical disk apparatuses do not permit compensation for variation in optimum laser power due to changes in objective lens shift and other such factors causing fluctuation in effective power, there is the problem that recording is carried out at a laser power other than the optimum laser power at the time of recording, causing decrease in readout signal quality.

Optical disk apparatus and method for adjusting optical disk apparatus laser power


A parallel folded filter has good sealing properties between the folded filter web and the filter housing with the smallest possible amount of sealant. The filter is prepared with an elliptical filter blank, in which the rows (1) of fold lines (locations of predefined fold edges or imaginary fold edges) are at right angles to an axis (4) extending in the direction of the greatest longitudinal extension of the filter blank (2). The circumferential contour of the filter blank (2) is dimensioned such that it assumes a circular shape with the folds stood up (e.g., in a folded state). An adhesive bead (3) is applied along the circumferential contour. A ring-shaped filter housing accommodates the folded filter blank (2) such that a circumferential support surface is present for the adhesive bead (3).

The present invention pertains to a parallel folded filter with a folded filter blank and to a process for preparing a parallel folded filter.
In a parallel folded filter known from the state of the art, a folded filter web is led on both sides to tubular nozzles, by which a self-curing plastic is pressed into the filter web. A plastic ring, which traverses the filter web, is formed upon curing the plastic, as a result of which a tight closure is formed between the plastic ring and the filter web. The filter material located outside the plastic ring is subsequently cut off, so that a round folded filter insert is left, which can be inserted into a corresponding filter housing.
A relatively large amount of plastic is needed in the prior-art parallel folded filter to completely fill out the edge area between the folds. In addition, the removal of the filter insert from the tubular nozzles is made difficult by adhesion effects of the plastic on the inner walls of the tubular nozzles. A parallel folded filter of this type has been known from DE-PS 12 75 870.
In other prior-art parallel folded filters, the folded filter web is first inserted into a filter housing and liquid sealant is then fed in while rotating the filter housing. The sealant is distributed on the inner wall of the filter housing due to the centrifugal force and seals the filter web against the housing. Such a filter is expensive to manufacture and a relatively large amount of sealant is needed, because the entire inner surface of the filter housing must be wetted with sealant.
The basic object of the present invention is to improve a parallel folded filter such that good sealing is achieved between the folded filter web and the filter housing with the smallest possible amount of sealant.
According to the invention, a parallel folded filter is provided with a prefolded blank providing a flat elliptical filter blank with fold lines. The rows of fold lines of the filter blank extend at right angles to an axis extending in the direction of the greatest longitudinal extension of the filter blank. A circumferential contour of the filter blank is dimensioned such that the filter blank assumes a circular shape with the fold formed along the fold lines (a stood up fold position). An adhesive bead extends along a circumferential contour. A ring-shaped filter housing is provided with an inner contour designed to accommodate the folded filter blank. The filter housing has a circumferential support surface for the adhesive bead.
According to another aspect of the invention, a process is provided for preparing a parallel folded filter. A filter blank with fold lines (prefolded) is prepared, in which the rows of fold lines are directed at right angles to an axis extending in the direction of the greatest longitudinal extension of the filter blank. The circumferential contour of the filter blank is dimensioned such that it assumes a circular shape with the folds stood up. An adhesive bead is applied along the circumferential contour. With the folds stood up (i.e., with the fold formed along the fold lines), the filter blank is placed into a ring-shaped filter housing, whose inner contour is designed as a support surface for the adhesive bead.
The advantage of the present invention is essentially that the sealant is applied only in the areas of the filter blank where it is needed for sealing against the filter housing. To prepare the filter blank, an elliptically extending adhesive bead is first sprayed onto a flat filter web, with fold lines based on a prefold. The filter web is then stood up (i.e., with the fold formed along the fold lines) and the filter blank is cut out of the filter web along the outer edge of the adhesive bead.
The circumferential contour of the adhesive bead is dimensioned such that with the folds stood up, a circular shape is obtained for the filter blank. In addition, the adhesive bead is positioned on the filter web such that the rows of folds extend at right angles to the axis of the greatest longitudinal extension of the filter blank. A plurality of filter blanks may be arranged next to one another or one behind the other on a filter web, so that the filter web can be utilized without appreciable waste. The filter blank is then inserted into a filter housing, and the adhesive bead extends in a zigzag pattern over the area of the inner surface of the filter housing.
In addition to the adhesive bead, the filter blank is advantageously also provided with individual bead-like adhesive tracks, which extend in parallel to the axis of the greatest longitudinal extension and act as spacers for the folds.
The process according to the present invention for preparing a parallel folded filter is characterized by the following steps:
a flat, filter blank is prepared with fold lines (preferably based on a previous fold or prefold), in which the rows of fold lines extend at right angles to an axis extending in the direction of the greatest longitudinal extension of the filter blank,
the circumferential contour of the filter blank is dimensioned such that it assumes a circular shape with the folds stood up,
an adhesive bead is applied along the circumferential contour and the filter blank with the folds stood up is placed into a ring-shaped filter housing.
A further advantageous step of the process may be provided including heating the filter housing with the folded filter blank inserted to the melting point of the adhesive, as a result of which the adhesive bead becomes attached to the inner surface of the filter housing. Complete sealing of the edge of the filter blank against the filter housing is achieved as a result. The connection between the adhesive and the inner surface of the housing is supported by rotating the filter housing during the heating.
The various features of novelty which characterize the invention are pointed out with particularity in the claims annexed to and forming a part of this disclosure. For a better understanding of the invention, its operating advantages and specific objects attained by its uses, reference is made to the accompanying drawings and descriptive matter in which a preferred embodiment of the invention is illustrated.


A selection device including an integrator that integrates data representing a state in which each of current cells having relative error between them is used during a predetermined period. Also included is a selector that, on the basis of the integration result of the integrator, selects a control object with a smaller number of uses according to an input signal.

This invention relates to a selection device, and more particularly to a selection device that selects, for example, the outputs of electric cells in a D/A converter, and to various apparatuses using the selection device.
With a conventional digital/analog converter, Din (an integer) unit current cells are selected to produce a current output corresponding to the input digital signal Din. Selecting unit current cells an output current of Io=Icell.times.Din is produced, whereby digital/analog conversion is effected.
In general, current cells have errors due to variations. If an error in each current cell is *i, the error contained in Io will be expressed by the following equation (1): ##EQU1##
Therefore, a differential linear error DNL has the value expressed by equation (2), so that the conversion accuracy is determined with process variations such as variations of manufacturing processes and manufacturing machines being reflected directly in the D/A conversion error: EQU DNL=.epsilon..sub.i ( 2)
To perform high-accuracy conversion, this scheme either uses an expensive high-accuracy process or requires adjustment such as trimming, resulting in higher cost.
A method that has improved this disadvantage is a dynamic element matching method 1!.
In this method, if the conversion time is Ts and the number of bits is n.sub.DA, the current cell used will be changed at intervals of Ts/2.sup.nDA so that all of the cells may be used equally in each conversion. By doing this, the output charge Qout is expressed by the following equation (3): ##EQU2## where Ii is the output current of the ith cell expressed as: ##EQU3## and Iav is a constant expressed as: ##EQU4##
Because of this, an error in each current cell has an effect only on the gain error. This makes it possible to achieve high conversion accuracy even when there are variations in the cells. Namely, an error in each cell is averaged with respect to time, thereby improving the accuracy.
With the dynamic element matching method, however, each cell must be selected in 1/2.sup.nDA of the conversion time, so that the elements are required to operate at high speeds.
As described above, the conventional scheme has the disadvantage that the performance deteriorates significantly due to variations in the elements, such as variations in the current cells. In the case of the dynamic element matching method, the current cells must be changed at a high speed, making it difficult to achieve a high-speed conversion operation.


An apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for migrating wear spots in solid-state drives. A count module counts lifetime write cycles for logical units of a plurality of solid-state memories. Each logical unit has a logical address. An identification module identifies a wear spot on a first logical unit of a first solid-state memory if a count for the first logical unit exceeds a cycle threshold. A migration module dynamically migrates data of the first logical unit to a second solid-state memory, wherein the data is continuously available at an original logical address.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to wear spots and more particularly relates to migrating wear spots in solid-state drives.
2. Description of the Related Art
Storage systems are increasingly using solid-state memories to store data. A solid-state memory may be a semiconductor memory device such as Flash memory. The solid-state memories may be incorporated into a solid-state drive. The solid-state drive may include a plurality of solid-state memories.
Solid-state memories and solid-state drives often have very low access latencies. In addition, solid-state memories and solid-state drives may suffer fewer mechanical failures such as those that are common to hard disk drives.
Data may be written to a solid-state memory such as a Flash solid-state memory by first erasing a data block of the solid-state memory. The entire data block is then written with the modified data. Thus, changing one word in a data block requires that the entire data block be rewritten.
Unfortunately, solid-state memories typically may only be erased and rewritten a finite number of times. For example, a NAND gate flash memory may be designed to be reliably erased and rewritten 100,000 to 300,000 times.
When data is stored in a storage device such as a solid-state drive, certain files and portions of files may be repeatedly modified while other files and portions of files remain relatively static. High use files and portions of files may be referred to as wear spots. The development of wear spots in a solid-state drive may limit the life of the solid-state drive to the relatively short life of the wear spots.

Apparatus, system, and method for migrating wear spots

International Business Machines Corporation


A packaging substrate for a semiconductor device includes: a solder resist on a surface of the packaging substrate, the solder resist having a first opening portion for mounting the semiconductor device; and a speed adjusting opening portion for adjusting a flow speed of an underfill resin when the underfill resin is provided, the adjusting section being positioned in vicinity of the first opening portion of the solder resist.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device packaging substrate and a semiconductor device packaging structure, and more particularly, a semiconductor device packaging substrate and a semiconductor device packaging structure in which an underfill resin is filled between the packaging substrate and a semiconductor device mounted to the packaging substrate in flip-chip bonding.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a method of packaging a semiconductor device which is high in density onto a packaging substrate, flip-chip bonding is used frequently. According to this flip-chip bonding, the semiconductor device is mounted by providing solder bumps on the bottom surface of the semiconductor device as external connection terminals, then setting this semiconductor device in a face-down state to the packaging substrate, and then bonding the solder bumps to electrodes formed on the packaging substrate.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a packaging substrate 1 on which a semiconductor device (semiconductor element) 5 is mounted by the flip-chip bonding in the related art. In FIG. 1, an example in which the semiconductor device 5, such as DRAM, having a center pad structure is mounted on the packaging substrate 1 is shown.
The packaging substrate 1 is a printed-wiring board, and predetermined wiring patterns, electrodes, etc. are formed on its surface. Also, a solder resist 2 for protecting the wiring patterns, the electrodes, etc. is provided on the surface of the packaging substrate 1.
The solder resist 2 is a resin that has insulating performance and also has a function of preventing adhesion of the solder. An opening portion 3 is formed in a portion, in which the electrodes to be bonded to the solder bumps formed on the semiconductor device 5 are formed, of a packaging area 6 of the solder resist 2, in which the semiconductor device 5 is mounted. Therefore, the electrodes (not shown) bonded to the bumps formed on the packaging substrate 1 are exposed to the outside via the opening portion 3.
In the meanwhile, in a case where a difference in thermal expansion between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5 is large, a stress caused due to such difference in thermal expansion in heating is applied to the solder bumps when the semiconductor device 5 is flip-chip bonded to the packaging substrate 1. Thus, a problem arises in packaging reliability. Therefore, in the related art, a stress caused due to a difference in thermal expansion is suppressed by providing an underfill resin 7 between the semiconductor device 5 and the packaging substrate 1 after the semiconductor device 5 is flip-chip mounted on the packaging substrate 1, and thus the packaging reliability is improved (see JP-A-2002-329744, for example).
FIG. 2 is a plan view showing a process of providing the underfill resin 7 between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5. Because the underfill resin 7 is provided between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5, illustration of the semiconductor device 5 is omitted herein and only its packaging area 6 is illustrated, for convenience of illustration.
In order to provide the underfill resin 7, a liquid underfill resin 7 is injected between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5 from an injection starting position 9. In an example shown in FIG. 2, the injection starting position 9 is set in a position of the bottom portion of the opening portion 3 in FIG. 2. The underfill resin 7 when injected from the injection starting position 9 flows upward in FIG. 2 to spread into a space between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5.
In this injection, a flow end surface 7A as a top end portion of the underfill resin 7 is not formed as a linear end but a curved end shown in FIG. 2. This is caused due to the fact that a flow speed of the liquid underfill resin 7 in areas that are located along edge portions 3A of the opening portion 3 and outer peripheral portions 6A of the semiconductor device 5 is higher than that in other areas. More concretely, a flow speed V2 at the edge portion 3A and a flow speed V3 at the outer peripheral portion 6A is higher than a flow speed of the underfill resin 7 on the solder resist 2 indicated with an arrow V1 in FIG. 2 (V1<V2, V1<V3).
Also, FIG. 4 shows an example in which two opening portions 3, 4 are formed in the solder resist 2 to mount the semiconductor device having the pad structure in two rows. As shown in FIG. 4, when the opening portions 3, 4 are formed in parallel and then the underfill resin 7 is injected in the direction that is perpendicular to the opening portions 3, 4, particularly the underfill resin 7 goes around fast conspicuously.
In this manner, a flow speed of the underfill resin 7 is not uniform on the packaging substrate 1, nevertheless this problem was not handled properly in the related art. For this reason, a curved shape of the flow end surface 7A becomes prominent based on a difference in speed when the underfill resin 7 flows from the injection starting position 9 to the opposite side. Then, because the portion of the underfill resin 7 whose flow speed is fast flows to go around the portion whose flow speed is slow, voids 8 are generated in the inside of the underfill resin 7 under certain circumstances, as shown in FIG. 3 and FIG. 5.
FIG. 6A shows an SAT (Scanning Acoustic Tomography) image in which voids 8 are generated in the inside of the underfill resin 7 when the underfill resin 7 is injected between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5 as the first related art. FIG. 6B shows an image when surface grinding is performed in the state shown in FIG. 6A.
FIG. 6C is a cross-sectional view of a semiconductor device packaging structure along the line A-A′ of FIG. 6A. In this case, an Au stud bump 11 formed on the semiconductor device 5 and a substrate conductor (electrode) 13 formed on the packaging substrate 1 is connected via a solder 12. In FIG. 6C, voids are not generated.
FIG. 6D is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device packaging structure along the line B-B′ of FIG. 6A. In this case, the void 8 is generated in the inside of the underfill resin 7 around the solder 12 between the semiconductor device 5 and the packaging substrate 1.
FIG. 6E is a cross-sectional view of the semiconductor device packaging structure along the line C-C′ of FIG. 6A. In this case, the void 8 is generated in the inside of the underfill resin 7 above the packaging substrate 1 between the semiconductor device 5 and the packaging substrate 1.
In this manner, in case the voids 8 are generated in the inside of the underfill resin 7, it is possible that an air in the voids 8 is expanded by the later heating resulting a breakage of the underfill resin 7, or the underfill resin 7 cannot sufficiently absorb a stress caused between the packaging substrate 1 and the semiconductor device 5. Thus, such a problem is caused that the packaging reliability is deteriorated.

Semiconductor device packaging substrate and semiconductor device packaging structure


Dispensing apparatus is provided with motor driven pumps and their drive motors mounted on modular skids which are easily removed for servicing or upgrade. An improved dispense head arrangement is provided with dispense valves located close to a common dispense head. The dispensing apparatus may also be readily reconfigured for use with remotely located tanks in which materials to be dispensed are stored.

1. Field of the Invention
2. Description of the Related Art
The assignee of the present invention has developed a number of important and commercially successful automatic and semi-automatic machines for dispensing liquid and pulverulent materials. Examples of these machines are given in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,851,798; 4,813,785; 4,953,985; 4,967,938; 5,078,302 and 5,119,973. These machines typically include one or more storage canisters for holding material to be dispensed, and arrangements of valves and pumps for delivering the stored material to a dispense head. The dispense head may either be individual for each canister or may be shared among several canisters, having individual fluid paths located within a common dispense head. Improvements have been sought in improving the economy of manufacture of these machines, and to make the machines more readily adaptable as a customer's needs for dispensing apparatus changes.


The present invention comprises a composition for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition, wherein the composition comprises a hydrotalcite material, which has been impregnated with a Lewis acid, and optionally a FCC-catalyst. The hydrotalcite material impregnated with the Lewis acid has been added as a separate component, or incorporated in the matrix of the FCC-catalyst. The Lewis acid is selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the transition metals, and preferably Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Mn, most preferably Zn. Further, the Lewis acid may also be selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the lanthanides and actinides. The present invention also comprises a method for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition. A method for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition, which is to be cracked, is also described. Further, the use of a composition comprising a hydrotalcite material, which has been impregnated with a Lewis acid and optionally, mixed with a FCC-catalyst, is also included.

The present invention comprises a composition and a method for reduction of the content of organically bound sulphur in a hydrocarbon composition in a cracking process. The invention also comprises a method for using a composition for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition.
Legislation regarding environmental aspects sets a limit for the sulphur content in petrol. Petrol is a direct contributor to SOx-effluents, and is also poisoning car catalysts at low temperatures (low temperature activity). The main sulphur contributor in petrol is FCC-naphtha (fluid catalytic cracking-naphtha), and efforts to obtain an effective reduction of the sulphur content must therefore be based on said petrol component.
It is also known to reduce the sulphur content in FCC-naphtha by hydrogenation of a flow of FCC-feed or of FCC-naphtha. Both methods require high investment costs and are expensive to operate. A third method for reducing the sulphur content in FCC-naphtha is to lower the end boiling point of FCC-naphtha since the main part of the sulphur component in FCC-naphtha exist in the heavy fraction. A disadvantage concerning the latter method is that some of the components in FCC-naphtha having highest octane number are also present in the heavy fraction. A lowering of the end boiling point will also reduce the octane number in addition to reducing the yield of naphtha.
WO-86/06090 describes a method for oxidation of SO2 into SO3 wherein a hydrocarbon composition is contacted with a material existing of a spinel composition including an alkaline earth metal, an aluminium component and one or several metals, including zinc. Reducing the sulphur content in FCC-naphtha is not mentioned in WO-86/06090.
From WO-87/06157 is it further known a composition comprising a spinel, preferably a magnesium-aluminium-containing spinel, which has been impregnated with one or several metals to promote oxidation of SO2 to SO3. The metals are preferably selected from the group consisting of IB, IIB and/or the group of platinum metals.
WO 98/48480 describes a process for sulphur oxide sorption using hydrotalcite materials as contact solids. Large crystalline sheet materials having increased sorption of SOX are provided by incorporation of certain organic acid anionic species to modify the hydrotalcite/brucite structure. WO97/48480 does not describes elimination of sulphur as such but elimination of SO2. Eliminating sulphur and eliminating S2 from hydrocarbons are two completely different chemical processes.
Prior art mentioned above comprises compositions for oxidation of SO2 into SO3 in the regenerator of a catalytic cracker. Regarding this process, it is not desirable with SOx-effluents from environmental aspects, and effluents of sulphur made of H2S is more convenient for most refineries, wherein H2S is converted into elementary sulphur. A composition for reducing SOx-effluents, in most cases a metal oxide (MO), possesses the following effect:
oxidizing SO2 into SO3 in the 2 SO2+O2=2SO3 regenerator
reacting with SO3 and create a metal SO3+MO=MSO4 sulphate
submit sulphur as H2S in the cracker, MSO4+4H2=MO+H2S+3H2O and create the oxide state of the metal
The prior art mentioned above does not refer to reduction of the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition or FCC-naphtha as in the present invention. Reduction of the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition or in a hydrocarbon composition which is cracked, is obtained according to the composition of the present invention, and described according to the following reaction:
RS+H2=R+H2S
According to the above mentioned, the chemistry concerning the reduction of the SOx-effluent and the reduction of the sulphur content in FCC-naphtha is different. A composition, which reduces SOx-effluent, can not be expected to reduce the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition or in a hydrocarbon composition which is cracked catalytic.
A composition and method for reducing the sulphur content in FCC-naphtha, which uses a special catalyst or composition, added a known FCC-catalyst comprising a zeolite and a matrix, is known. A catalyst or composition as such which reduces the sulphur content in FCC-naphtha, is described by Wormsbecher et al. in EP-A1-609971, wherein a composition comprises a Lewis acid deposited on an aluminium oxide carrier. EP-A1-609971 also describes that the Lewis acid may comprise components and compounds including Zn, Cu, Ni, Ag, Cd, Lu, Su, Hg, Tl, Pb, Bi, B, Al and Ga deposited at aluminium oxide. The above mentioned patent application also refer to compositions which comprises aluminium oxide and spinel which may be added to catalytic cracking catalysts to reduce the SOx-effluent during oxidation and regeneration of the FCC-catalyst. So far, the industry has not developed compositions comprising catalytic splitting catalysts for reducing the sulphur content in products as petrol and diesel.
EP 798362, Ziebarth et. al describes TiO2-containing compositions which reduce the sulphur content of the product flow from a catalytic cracking-catalyst. The present invention comprises a composition for reducing the sulphur content of a hydrocarbon composition and of a catalytic cracked hydrocarbon composition wherein the composition comprises a carrier made of a hydrotalcite material, different from i.a. Wormsbecher et al and Ziebarth et al.
The present invention provides a composition for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition wherein said composition comprises a hydrotalcite material which is impregnated with a Lewis acid, and optionally an FCC-catalyst. The hydrotalcite material impregnated with the Lewis acid is added as a separate component, or incorporated in the matrix of the FCC-catalyst. Said Lewis acid is selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the transition metals, preferably Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Mn, most preferably Zn. The Lewis acid is also selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the lanthanides or the actinides. Preferably, the composition of the present invention is promoted with a hydrogen transfer promoter, preferably made of Pt.
Further, the present invention provides a method for reduction of the content of organically bound sulphur in a hydrocarbon composition in a cracking process, wherein said composition is contacted with a composition promoted with a hydrogen transfer promotor, comprising a hydrotalcite material impregnated with a Lewis acid and a FCC-catalyst. Said Lewis acid is selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the transition metals, preferably Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Mn, most preferably Zn. The Lewis acid is also selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the lanthanides and the actinides. Said hydrotalcite material is preferably promoted with a hydrogen transfer promoter, preferably made of Pt. According to the method for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition in a cracking process, said hydrotalcite material impregnated with the Lewis acid is added as a separate component, or has been incorporated in the matrix of the FCC-catalyst. The hydrocarbon composition comprises FCC-naphtha, LCO and/or HCO-fractions. Further, the use of a composition comprising a hydrotalcite material, which has been impregnated with a Lewis acid, and optionally mixed with an FCC-catalyst for reducing the sulphur content in a hydrocarbon composition, is also disclosed. The Lewis acid is selected from group comprising elements and compounds of the transition metals, and preferably Zn, Cu, Ni, Co, Fe and Mn, most preferably Zn. Further, said Lewis acid is selected from the group comprising elements and compounds of the lanthanides and the actinides. It is preferred using a composition promoted with a hydrogen transfer promoter, preferably made of Pt. Use according to the present invention is preferably a hydrocarbon composition which is a cracked hydrocarbon composition made of FCC-naphtha. Further on, use of a hydrotalcite material impregnated with a Lewis acid is encompassed, in which said hydrotalcite material has been added as a separate component, or has been incorporated in the matrix of the FCC-catalyst.

Reduction of sulphur content in FCC-naphtha