A method for removing an individual surface mounted electrical component from a printed circuit board retaining a plurality of other components. The individual component has a plurality of leads connected to circuitry on said board by a connection alloy comprising at least two constituent metals and having a given melting point less than that of either of said constituent metals. The method includes the steps of obtaining a removal alloy composed of a plurality of constituent metals and having a particular melting point below the given melting point; heating the removal alloy to a temperature greater than the particular melting point but below the given melting point so as to produce a molten state thereof; contacting the connection alloy on all of the leads with the molten removal alloy and causing thereby a reaction producing a molten state for the connection alloy; and separating the individual component from the printed circuit board while retaining thereon the other components.

This invention relates generally to a method for removing components from a printed circuit board and, more particularly, to such method for removing selected surface mounted components without disturbing other components on the board.
Printed circuit boards are used widely in the electronics industry to simplify circuit assembly. Typically, such boards will retain a large number of closely spaced apart surface mounted components. When a given electrical component becomes dysfunctional, it can be economically efficient to replace only the defective component rather than the entire circuit board. However, replacement of a dysfunctional component without damaging that component or other components on the board can be difficult because of their placement in close proximity on the printed circuit board.
The most common technique used for removal of solder mounted components entails the application of heat to melt attaching solder and removal thereof with a vacuum solder "sucker". Problems associated with that technique include the generation of excessive heat, inducing mechanical strain on leads and creation of static electricity, all of which can endanger either the component being removed or adjacent components on the board. Also known are methods in which molten solder is removed by an absorbent wicking material. Examples of the wicking method are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,164,606 and 4,934,582. U.S. Pat. No. 3,210,182 discloses another method in which a solder bath is employed to remove all components from a printed circuit board. All such prior component removal methods have exhibited individual and collective deficiencies including high cost, use difficulty and unreliability.
The object of this invention, therefore, is to provide an improved method for reliably separating defective individual surface mounted electrical components from printed circuit boards.

Method for removing electrical components from printed circuit boards


A system and method for toner classification from device printouts includes applying machine learning to electronic documents formed from scanned printout images. A training set is formed by scanning documents known to be printed with OEM toner, supplemented by scanning documents known to be printed with non-OEM toner. When new printouts are made, they are scanned and analyzed by an AI/ML server and classified as printed by OEM toner or by non-OEM toner.

Document processing devices include printers, copiers, scanners and e-mail gateways. More recently, devices employing two or more of these functions are found in office environments. These devices are referred to as multifunction peripherals (MFPs) or multifunction devices (MFDs). As used herein, MFPs are understood to comprise printers, alone or in combination with other of the afore-noted functions. It is further understood that any suitable document processing device can be used.
There are various types of problems a low quality, non-OEM toner or ink can cause to MFP's resulting in damage of the equipment over time. One prominent way non-OEM toner causes havoc on a printer, especially with refilled cartridges, is when toner powder or ink leaks into an inner working mechanism of the printer which ends up ultimately damaging it. Low quality, non-OEM toner or ink can cause MFP problems when it is not of the same quality or does not meet the printer manufacturer specifications. There are incompatibility issues which may not be visible to the naked eye when pages are printed, but which will eventually in the long run cause damage to the printer head.
The non-OEM toner is lower quality and will produce lower quality output. This may result in additional service calls to determine the cause and remedy. Hence usage of bad (non-OEM) toner not only gives poor print quality jobs but also results in the potential of causing damage to printer equipment.

System and method for toner classification from device printouts


An improved gas diffusion electrode composed of a perovskite-type oxide dispersed in a mixture of carbon black and a hydrophobic binder polymer. An improved catalyst for use in the electrochemical reduction of oxygen comprising a perovskite-type compound having alpha and beta sites, and having a greater molar ratio of cations at the beta site. A particularly good reduction catalyst is a neodymium calcium manganite. An improved method of dispersing the catalysts with carbon in a reaction layer of the electrode improves performance of the electrode and the oxygen reduction process. This is provided by adding carbon black to an aqueous solution of metal salts before it is heated to a gel and then to a char and then calcined. Optionally, a quantity of the desired oxide catalyst can be premixed with a portion the carbon before adding the carbon to an aqueous solution of the metal salts to be heated. The amount of premixed metal oxide is chosen in conjunction with the amount of metal salts to provide the desired molar ratio after heating and calcining of the aqueous solution.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gas diffusion electrodes, catalysts, and electrolytic cells suitable for chlor-alkali electrolysis, metal-air batteries, fuel cells and the devices concerned with electrochemical oxygen reduction, such as oxygen sensors.
2. Background of the Invention
Gas diffusion electrodes are used as oxygen cathodes suitable for chlor-alkali electrolysis, metal-air batteries, and fuel cells.
A gas diffusion electrode has a multilayer structure composed of a gas diffusion layer, a reaction layer, and a current collector for electrical connection. Gas phase oxygen is exposed to the gas diffusion layer. The reaction layer resides between the gas diffusion layer and an electrolyte.
After passing through the gas diffusion layer, oxygen is consumed through a reduction reaction on an oxygen reduction catalyst in the reaction layer. The reaction proceeds according to the following equation:O2+2H2O+4e−=4OH−
The gas diffusion layer is required to allow the oxygen to pass therethrough rapidly and to diffuse uniformly into the entire reaction layer. The gas diffusion layer is also required to prevent the electrolyte from permeating to the gas phase. The gas diffusion layer is comprised of a material formed of carbon particles bonded to each other with a material, such as polytetrafluoroethylene, having high water repellent properties. The gas diffusion layer must also conduct electrons from the current collector to the reaction layer.
The reaction layer contains uniformly dispersed oxygen reduction catalyst particles in electronic continuity with the gas diffusion layer and current collector. In the reaction layer, a large interface area is formed among the oxygen, electrolyte, electrons, and the oxygen reduction catalyst.
The particles for forming the reaction layer can be prepared, for example, by mixing carbon particles, inter-mixed with an electrode catalyst with a dispersion of a fluorinated resin such as polytetrafluoroethylene, dispersing the mixture thus formed using a dispersing agent such as an alcohol, filtrating and drying the dispersion thus formed, and pulverizing the dried material into fine particles. Methods for processing the gas diffusion electrode layers are disclosed by Furuya in U.S. Pat. No. 6,630,081 and 6,428,722.
The current collector may be, for example, a wire mesh or a foam material, which is composed of nickel, silver, or the like.
Mainly noble metals such as platinum and silver, either dispersed in or supported on carbon black in the reaction layer, have been used and investigated as oxygen reduction catalysts for concentrated alkaline solution.
In the chlor-alkali application, utilization of an oxygen consuming cathode instead of a hydrogen evolving cathode provides the opportunity of reducing the specific power requirement since the theoretical operating voltage is lower by approximately 1.23V.
However, the over-voltage of electrochemical oxygen reduction gas diffusion cathodes using previous catalysts is high or increases over time. In the case of industrial chlor-alkali electrolysis, if the over voltage is too high, economical advantages of electrolyzers using gas diffusion cathodes are not realized compared to conventional electrolyzers using hydrogen cathodes. Accordingly, a stable catalyst with high catalytic activity for electrochemical oxygen reduction is needed to lower the over-voltage. Such a catalyst may also provide benefits for oxygen cathodes used in non chlor-alkali applications.
T. Hyodo et al. has shown Pr0.6Ca0.4CoO3 perovskites to outperform Pt as an oxygen reduction catalyst in alkaline electrolyte, at least for 200 hours where air is the oxidant. Similarly, M. Hayashi et al. have shown La0.8Rb0.2MnO3 to outperform Pt for 100 hours. Kudo et al. reported that a Nd0.8Sr0.2Co1-yNiyO3 catalyst electrode was stable over 300 hours with a potential >−50 mV relative to a Hg/HgO reference electrode at a presumably low current density and for Nd0.8Sr0.2CoO3 at 100 mA/cm2 the potential was 150 mV, and 250 mV for Nd0.8Ca0.4CoO3. G. Karlsson demonstrated 200 mV at 150 mA/cm2 with Nd0.2Ca0.8MnO3. Yuasa et al. reported approximately 60 and 65 mV relative to a Hg/HgO reference electrode at 400 mA/cm2 current density for a very short test of 3 hours in duration for La0.8Sr0.2MnO3 and La0.8Sr0.2Mn0.8Fe0.2O3.T. Hyodo et al. also claimed Fe in the perovskite composition aided stability when running La0.5Sr0.5FeO3 approximately 225 mV relative to Hg/HgO reference electrode at 325 mA/cm2 current density for 90 hours.
Thus many perovskite-type oxides have been shown to have high catalytic activity, where the over-voltage of gas diffusion electrodes using these catalysts was lower than that of gas diffusion electrodes using platinum or silver. However, neither the stability of perovskite-type oxides in a concentrated alkaline solution nor the long-range durability of gas diffusion electrodes using perovskite-type oxides have previously been confirmed, especially at high current density.

Gas diffusion electrode and catalyst for electrochemical oxygen reduction and method of dispersing the catalyst


A plurality of wipe-containing moisture-resistant flapped envelopes are interconnected end-to-end to form a train of envelopes stored in roll form and containing wipes or towelettes treated with cleanser or other skin-treating agent. Each flap is held closed in the roll until the flap's associated envelope is unrolled from the end of the roll, whereupon the flap falls open and the envelope's contents may be easily removed without any need for peeling or unzipping the flap.

Toiletry rolls of the above general type have long been known, and are intended to have a range of uses for cleaning the skin. A particular advantageous use for products of this type is as a cleanser or wipe for the anal region in place of conventional toilet paper, or as a supplement thereto. Another use is for hand or facial cleansers. The term "toiletry" as used herein is to be understood to refer to the full range of uses, and not only to uses associated with elimination.
One example of a known product of this kind is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,349 to Chaney. A plurality of separable packets of moisture-tight material are interconnected in end-to-end succession, each packet comprising an outer "overwrap" containing an inner "impregnated" or moisturized "applicator" (towelette or wipe). The overwrap is sealed around the moistened applicator, providing a moisture-tight envelope for it. The opening of the overwrap to expose the applicator must be accomplished by separating the two layers of the overwrap, as by gripping the two juxtaposed layers of the overwrap and peeling them apart (col. 3, lines 61-75). This requires two hands and is a relatively awkward manipulation.
Another example of a product of the same general kind as the present invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,478 to Aronsen. Again, the packets are sealed all around and must be opened by a manipulatively awkward peeling apart or separation of layers, involving in this case manipulation of lift tab 110 of an adhesive closure flap to raise a closure face coated with resealable adhesive 108 (col. 6, lines 6-17).
Still another example of a product of the same general kind as the present invention is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,921,802 to Thompson. Here, each moisture resistant packet comprises moisture resistant coatings or films 1a and 3a (FIG. 2) forming an envelope around the moist pad or wipe 2. The packet is opened by grasping the tab 4 with one hand and tearing off the sheet 3 (carries waterproof film 3a) with the other hand (col. 2, lines 21-23).
The present invention improves on these and other similar prior products by providing wipe-containing packets or envelopes which surround the wipes with a moisture-resistant barrier but which do not have to be opened by manipulation with two hands, or which can be more conveniently opened than the prior art devices. The result is improved convenience in the use of a product of this general type.
The objects and advantages of the invention will be more clearly understood from the following detailed disclosure.


A method, apparatus, system, and signal-bearing medium that in an embodiment set a resource indicator to indicate that a processor is using a resource in a logically-partitioned electronic device, determine whether a current partition in the logically-partitioned electronic device owns the resource, and clear the resource indicator after the processor is done using the resource. When a partition gives up ownership of a resource, a resource ownership state is changed to indicate that the partition does not own a resource, and the partition waits to continue executing until other processors have cleared their respective resource indicators. In an embodiment, the resource indicator is in a cache line that is local to the processor, which allows resources to be dynamically allocated with improved performance.

Computer technology continues to advance at a rapid pace, with significant developments being made in both software and in the underlying hardware upon which the software executes. One significant advance in computer technology is the development of multi-processor computers, where multiple computer processors are interfaced with one another to permit multiple operations to be performed concurrently, thus improving the overall performance of such computers. Also, a number of multi-processor computer designs rely on logical partitioning to allocate computer resources to further enhance the performance of multiple concurrent tasks.
With logical partitioning, a single physical computer is permitted to operate essentially like multiple and independent virtual computers (referred to as logical partitions), with the various resources in the physical computer (e.g., processors, memory, and input/output devices) allocated among the various logical partitions. Each logical partition may execute a separate operating system, and from the perspective of users and of the software applications executing on the logical partition, operates as a fully independent computer.
A resource shared among the logical partitions, often referred to as a hypervisor or a partition manager, manages the logical partitions and facilitates the allocation of resources to different logical partitions. The system administrator (a human user or a component in the computer) can move resources from one partition to another in order to manage the workload across the various partitions. The movement of such resources is dynamic, i.e., it occurs without a reboot or re-IPL (Initial Program Load) of the impacted partitions. When a resource is moved from one partition (partition A) to another partition (partition B), the partition manager needs to ensure that partition A cannot access the resource after it has been removed from partition A. In order to accomplish this, the following sequences of operations are typically taken:
Partition A uses the resource via the following sequence:                a) A processor in partition A invokes the partition manager.        b) The partition manager verifies that partition A owns the resource.        c) The partition manager allows the processor in partition A to use the resource under the same invocation as step a).
A resource is removed from partition A via the following sequence:                1) The system administrator asks partition A to give up a specific resource.        2) Partition A frees up the resource from an operating system perspective in partition A and invokes the partition manager on one of partition A's processors in order to notify the partition manager that partition A is giving up the resource. The partition manager, executing on a processor owned by the partition A, marks the resource as not in use, so that a subsequent attempt by partition A to use the resource fails.        3) The processor that marks the resource as not available checks the partition manager's other data structures to ensure that partition A is not using the resource. If the data structures indicate that the resource is in use, the call to free the resource fails. Otherwise the resource is freed and made available for use by the other partitions.
A problem occurs with the above scenarios in that a race condition exists between them. To understand the race condition, consider the following example. When a processor P1 in partition A is between steps b) and c) attempting to obtain the use of the resource, another processor P2 also in the partition A is between steps 2) and 3) and frees the resource for the entire partition A. The processor P1 subsequently performs step c), causing the partition A to still be using the resource even though the partition manager has already given the resource to another partition B. If both the partition A and the partition B attempt to use the resource at the same time, errors or unpredictable results can occur. Thus, to solve this problem the partition manager needs to prevent this race condition, so that a malicious or errant partition cannot have access to a resource that it does not own.
One technique for addressing this problem is for the partition manager to use a global spin lock for both of the above sequences a-b-c and 1-2-3. A global spin lock is a simple but inefficient polling method where the process that is waiting for the lock to be unlocked does not accomplish any other work. This technique tends to have poor performance characteristics because of high contention for the cache line that contains the global spin lock.
Another technique for addressing this problem is for the partition manager to implement a spin lock on per-resource instance basis, that is, every resource has its own spin lock. While this technique yields better performance than does the global spin lock, it still can lead to cache line contention under performance sensitive calls to the partition manager for highly-used resources, and performance tends to be particular poor if a partition has a large number of processors.
Without a better way of allocating resources among logical partitions, the performance of logically-partitioned systems will continue to suffer.

High performance synchronization of resource allocation in a logically-partitioned system

International Business Machines Corporation


Some embodiments include methods of forming transistor gates. A gate stack is placed within a reaction chamber and subjected to at least two etches, and to one or more depositions to form a transistor gate. The transistor gate may comprise at least one electrically conductive layer over a semiconductor material-containing layer. At least one of the one or more depositions may form protective material. The protective material may extend entirely across the at least one electrically conductive layer, and only partially across the semiconductor material-containing layer to leave unlined portions of the semiconductor material-containing layer. The unlined portions of the semiconductor material-containing layer may be subsequently oxidized.

Fabrication of integrated circuitry may comprise formation of transistors on a semiconductor substrate. The transistors may be used in logic or memory. For instance, if the transistors are utilized in memory they may be utilized to form memory cells, such as memory cells of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM) array.
Continuing goals of integrated circuit fabrication are to increase throughput, reduce process steps, and reduce costs. Transistor fabrication comprises numerous steps, each of which slows throughput and carries risk of error. It would be desirable to develop methods for transistor fabrication which reduce the number of process steps relative to conventional methods.


A method and device for collecting, storing, shipping, preparing and analyzing condensate derived from the exhaled breath of a user. Using the mouthpiece (15) of the device (10), a human subject inhales drawing air through a check valve (30).

Recent medical research indicates that human airway acidity and ammonia levels may be indicative of several events including the onset of asthmatic symptoms. Furthermore, this research indicates that the acidity measurements taken from a condensed sample of exhaled breath can be correlated to the actual conditions inside the airway.
Many known devices for collecting condensate from a user's breath rely on gravity to form a condensate pool from which a sample for testing may be drawn. These types of devices require that condensate droplets become large enough to overcome water's naturally tendency to stick to the walls of a collecting tube. Then, when the amount of condensate eventually becomes large enough, a risk of loss of collected condensate sample through seepage out of the collection area may arise due to ineffective sealing of the collection area. Even when an adequate condensate sample had been collected, a risk of contamination occurred due to the necessity to transfer the sample from a collecting tube into test tubes or test devices. Moreover, where the collecting tube is not cooled in some way, condensate formation takes an inordinate amount of time. In some cases, the collecting tube is inserted into an ice bucket or may even be separately cooled by refrigeration systems in order to increase the amount and speed of condensate formation. In other cases, use of a Teflon® collecting tube has been tried to make the tube walls more slippery to enhance the speed and amount of condensate collected. All of these arrangements tend to be either expensive, complicated, ineffective, bulky, inefficient or time-consuming to use. In addition, other condensate collecting and testing devices generally do not provide the ability in a single device both to quickly and efficiently collect condensate while also delivering test substances such as gases or liquids into the condensate without contamination. Moreover, such devices are not typically portable and do not lend themselves easily to use by patients in their own homes. Another disadvantage of devices of the prior art is that they usually do not enable patients to collect condensate samples, prepare those collected samples for testing and then also perform certain tests themselves on the samples.
What is needed is a device and method for condensate collection which solves the problems and shortcoming already described and, in addition, collects a greater amount of condensate from a given amount of exhaled breath in a shorter time than previously possible while also advancing the art by providing a multi-functional valve for use in such a condensate collection device that simultaneously assists in solving several of those problems.

Method and device for collecting and analyzing exhaled breath


A sewing machine comprises a holding device, by means of which the front end of the needle thread can be clamped and held. Further, a cutter is available, by means of which the front end of the needle thread can be cut off directly over the workpiece.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for the production of a seam in a workpiece, the seam comprising a starting point and an end point; the seam being produced by means of a sewing machine, which comprises a hook and a needle having an eye; the seam further comprising a needle thread supplied to the eye and a looper thread; and a front end of the needle thread extending out of the eye of the needle prior to the start of production of the seam; the method comprising the following steps: production of the seam; stopping the sewing machine with the needle outside the workpiece, the needle thread extending from the end point of the seam to the eye of the needle, and the looper thread extending from the end point of the seam toward the hook; cutting the needle thread by means of a first cutter and cutting the looper thread by means of a second cutter, short remaining threads remaining on the workpiece. The invention futher relates to an apparatus for putting the method into practice, the apparatus comprising a sewing machine which has a hook and a needle, driven to reciprocate up and down and having an eye, for the production of a seam in a workpiece, the seam comprising a needle thread supplied to the needle and a looper thread, the seam taking a course which has a starting point and an end point, and, prior to the start of production of the seam, a front end of the needle thread being provided that extends out of the eye of the needle; a driving motor for the sewing machine for driving and stopping the sewing machine with the needle out of the workpiece; a first cutter for the needle thread and a second cutter for the looper thread of the seam, the workpiece, after the cutting of the needle thread and the looper thread, having short remaining threads, and a control unit connected with the driving motor and the cutters.
2. Background Art
A sewing machine is known from a leaflet, Durkopp Adler AG 504, imprint D/GB/F 11.90, putting into practice the method of the generic type of producing a two-thread lock stitch seam for a group of stitches, for instance a lock stich seam on safety belts. Such a stitch group consists of a number of stitches lined up to form a seam taking a given, closed course. Stitch groups of this type are required to provide for a certain solidity of seam and to offer the possibility that any thread tail pieces produced are cut off as short as possible where extending out of the workpiece. To this end, the sewing machine is provided with thread cutters working close to the workpiece surfaces and being embodied for instance as thread burn-cutters.
For the requirements of solidity of seam to be fulfilled, very tight stitches must be produced by the needle thread being pretensioned correspondingly. For this to be carried out controllably, attention must be drawn to the fact that the friction occurring during stitching is not too high between the thread and the workpiece, which is again influenced by the thickness of the needle. This is opposed by the fact that too low a friction between the thread and the workpiece will prevent regular stitching at the beginning of the seam.
So as to obtain sufficient solidity of seam, the beginning and the end of the seam are usually secured against becoming undone. A way of securing a seam consists in that stitches are produced at the beginning and end of the seam, having a reduced stitch length or no stitch length at all. Other ways of securing a seam consist in that the stitches produced at the beginning and end of a seam overlap each other. When synthetic threads are used, for instance in safety belts, additional securing of a seam results from the fact that the tail pieces cut off by a thread burn-cutter are thickened.
Owing to the conditions described, in these stitch groups, an accumulation of threads will inevitably result at the joint of the seam, i.e. where the starting point and the end point of the seam are close to each other. This will affect the quality and appearance of the stitch group, which becomes especially unpleasant when thread of some thickness, for instance of a diameter of 0.8 mm, are used.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,345,887 teaches a method of producing a seam in which, at the beginning of seam production, a thread clamp acts periodically on the thread supplied to the needle from a thread supply, withdrawing the thread by a certain length so that any excess of needle thread is avoided to accumulate on the lower side of the workpiece, this aiming at ensuring an impeccable appearance of the seam on the lower side of the workpiece. In this case, a needle-thread end piece is produced at the starting point of the seam, which leads through the workpiece, there however being insufficiently secured, so that it is necessary, for a certain solidity of seam to be ensured, to sew again along the starting point of the seam.

Method and apparatus for the production of a seam in a workplace


A destaging method is provided for destaging a storage apparatus system comprising a disk control apparatus that functions as a data storage unit and is provided with disk apparatuses and a first cache memory, and an information processing apparatus that is connected to the disk control apparatus and provided with a second cache memory. The method includes a first step, in which upon an interruption of the functions of the disk control apparatus as the storage unit for the information processing apparatus, the information processing apparatus transfers to the first cache memory data scheduled to be written onto the disk apparatuses and that is currently stored in the second cache memory, and a second step, in which the disk control apparatus manages data to be stored in the disk apparatuses by dividing the data into a plurality of management groups and, when all data that belong to one of the management groups remained in the second cache memory and scheduled to be written onto the disk apparatuses are ready in the first cache memory, beginning writing onto the disk apparatuses the data that belong to the one of the management groups remaining in the first cache memory are scheduled to be written.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a destaging method for a storage apparatus system, as well as to disk control apparatus, a storage apparatus system and a program.
2. Related Background Art
In recent years, the management method used for cache memory in computers has often been the write-back method. This is due to the fact that the write-back method requires less frequent access to disk apparatuses, which can prevent a decline in the processing performance of the computer resulting from disk access penalty. However, since managing the cache memory using the write-back method involves delaying the writing of data onto disk apparatuses, dirty data to be written onto disk apparatuses usually remain in the cache memory.
For this reason, a processing to write onto the disk apparatuses the dirty data remaining in the cache memory (i.e., destaging) must be performed when shutting down the computer.
Destaging must be performed in sequence from upper hierarchy to lower hierarchy in each storage hierarchy within a computer system. This is to make certain that there is no dirty data left in upper hierarchy cache memory. According to conventional technology, the destaging of the lower hierarchy is performed only after the destaging of all upper hierarchy is completed.
However, as the performance of computers continued to improve in recent years, larger capacity cache memories have been mounted on computers, and such cache memories require longer time for destaging.
This becomes a major problem especially when destaging must be performed in an unexpected power outage, for example. This is due to the fact that the time during which power supply is provided by a backup battery mounted on a computer system in power outage situations is limited. If destaging is not completed within the short time during which power is provided by the battery, the dirty data stored in the cache memory will be lost. This can significantly compromise the reliability of the computer system. On the other hand, making certain that the data would not be lost would involve providing a large capacity battery. However, this would not only increase the cost of the computer system, but would also require a large occupying area to mount the battery on the computer.

Destaging method for storage apparatus system, and disk control apparatus, storage apparatus system and program


Disclosed here is a method of a network access point configured to operate in a wireless network. The wireless network comprises at least one wideband channel. The wireless network further comprises one or more wideband terminals configured to transmit and receive in the wideband channel, and one or more narrowband terminals configured to transmit and receive in one or more narrowband channels comprised within the wideband channel. The method comprises initiating a downlink transmission for at least one of the one or more wideband terminals and for a first narrowband terminal and transmitting a preamble over the wideband channel for synchronization of the at least one wideband terminal and the at least one narrowband terminal, wherein a first transmission power of the preamble in a first narrowband channel comprised within the wideband channel is higher than a second transmission power of the preamble in the remainder of the wideband channel not comprising the one or more narrowband channels. Also disclosed is an arrangement of an AP and a computer program product.

Internet of Things (IoT) is expected to increase the number of connected devices significantly. A vast majority of these devices will likely operate in unlicensed bands, in particular the 2.4 GHz ISM (Industrial, Scientific and Medical) band.
However, there will typically also be an increased demand for using the unlicensed bands for services that traditionally have been supported in licensed bands. As an example of the latter, third generation partnership project (3GPP) that traditionally develops specifications only for licensed bands have now also developed versions of Long Term Evolution (LTE) which will operate in the 5 GHz unlicensed band.
Technologies that are typically expected to dominate for IoT services are Bluetooth Wireless Technology, in particular Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE), and future versions of IEEE 802.11. With respect to IEEE 802.11, there are currently efforts to standardize a long range low power (LRLP) mode which at least to some extent builds upon IEEE 802.11ax
IoT applications may typically have rather different requirements and features compared to applications like e.g. file down-load and video streaming. Specifically, IoT applications would typically only require low data rate, and the amount of data transmitted in a single packet may many times only be a few bytes. In addition, the transmissions to and from many devices may typically be very seldom, e.g. once every hour or even less.
The number of IoT devices is expected to be huge which means that although the amount of data to each of the devices may be small, the aggregated IoT data may still be substantial.
Many use cases for IoT applications can typically be found in an ordinary house, and may be related to various sensors, attenuators, etc. The requirements for coverage are therefore substantially less demanding than what usually can be achieved by e.g. a cellular system. On the other hand, the coverage which can be obtained by e.g. Bluetooth or 802.11b/g/n/ac may not suffice. This may typically be true if one of the devices is outdoors whereas the other device is indoors so that an exterior wall with rather high penetration loss, such as a concrete wall, is in between the devices.
The straight-forward approach to increase the range of a communication link is typically to reduce the bit rate that is used. Reducing the bit rate by necessity means that it will take longer to transmit a packet of a certain size. As a side effect of this, the channel will typically be occupied for a longer time. However, with a large number of devices sharing the same channel, the channel may be congested if this sharing is not done in an effective manner. The need for long packets and the increased number of users will typically make this congestion even more pronounced.
Moreover, the amount of non-IoT data, e.g. data down-load and video streaming, sent over the same channel may also increase. This implies that to obtain good performance for both IoT applications and non-IoT applications some coordination should preferably take place.
An obvious, and probably the simplest, way to do such coordination is probably by time sharing between the systems.
However, as the data rate for the IoT system is very low for the individual links, it may likely be hard to obtain good spectrum efficiency in this way.
Therefore, there is a need for methods and arrangement of a network access point for enabling simultaneous communication between devices, e.g. IoT-devices and non IoT-devices, operating on different frequency ranges and physical distances in a wireless network.


A signal processing circuit is provided with a signal input layer having a plurality of signal input sections which receive signal input; a plurality of signal processing layers whereupon a plurality of signal processing sections, which are arranged corresponding to each of the signal input sections and processes in parallel signals from the signal input sections, are dispersed; and connecting lines for associating and connecting the signal input sections with the signal processing sections, respectively. The size of a region occupied by each of the signal processing sections on the signal processing layers is larger than the arrangement intervals between the signal input sections on the signal input layers.

The inventor of the present invention and others have proposed a technology of a recording/reproducing apparatus using SNDM (Scanning Nonlinear Dielectric Microscopy) for nanoscale analysis of a dielectric recording medium. In the SNDM, by using a plurality of conductive probes having a small projective portion on the tip, which are used for atomic force microscopy (AFM) or the like, the resolution of measurement can be increased to sub-nanometer. Recently, by applying the technology of SNDM, a super high-density recording/reproducing apparatus has been developed, wherein the recording/reproducing apparatus records data into a recording medium having a recording layer made of a ferroelectric material (refer to a patent document 1).
On the recording/reproducing apparatus using such SNDM, the information is reproduced by detecting the positive/negative direction of polarization of the recording medium. This is performed by using the fact that the oscillation frequency of a LC oscillator, which includes a high-frequency feedback amplifier including a L component, the electrically conductive probe mounted on the amplifier, and the capacitance Cs of a ferroelectric material under the probe, is changed by a change ΔC in small capacitance, which is caused by the extent of a non-linear dielectric constant due to the distribution of the positive/negative polarization. That is, this is performed by detecting a change in the distribution of the positive/negative polarization, as a change in oscillation frequency Δf.
Moreover, in order to detect the difference in the positive/negative polarization, an alternating electric field is applied at sufficiently lower frequency than the oscillation frequency, by which the oscillation frequency changes with the alternating electric field. At the same time, a ratio of the change in the oscillation frequency, including a code or sign, is determined from the non-linear dielectric constant of the ferroelectric material under the probe. Moreover, by FM (Frequency Modulation)-demodulating and extracting a component caused by the alternating electric field, from a high-frequency signal of the LC oscillator, which is FM-modulated in accordance with the change ΔC in the small capacitance associated with the application of the alternating electric field, the record information recorded in the ferroelectric recording medium is reproduced.
The plurality of probes used here are arranged in a one-dimensional or two-dimensional matrix on a circuit substrate. Moreover, if signals detected on the respective plurality of probes are processed, independently and simultaneously, a plurality of signal processing devices, which correspond to the respective plurality of probes, are formed on the same circuit substrate. At this time, in order to form the signal processing devices (more specifically, the aforementioned LC oscillators or the like) correspondingly to the probes, the size of each of the signal processing devices needs to be determined depending on an interval in the arrangement of the probes
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laying Open NO. 2003-085969

Signal processing circuit and reproducing apparatus


The present invention, in the various exemplary embodiments, provides a RGB color filter array. The red, green and blue pixel cells are arranged in a honeycomb pattern. The honeycomb layout provides the space to vary the size of pixel cells of an individual color so that, for example, the photosensor of blue pixels can be made larger than that of the red or green pixels. In another aspect of the invention, depicted in the exemplary embodiments, the honeycomb structure can also be implemented with each pixel rowing having a same color of pixel cells which can simplify can conversion in the readout circuits. In another aspect of the invention, the RGB honeycomb pixel array may be implemented using a shared pixel cell architecture.

Imaging devices, including charge coupled devices (CCD) and complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) imagers, are commonly used in photo-imaging applications.
A CMOS imager circuit includes a focal plane array of pixels, each of the pixels including a photosensor, for example, a photogate, photoconductor or a photodiode for accumulating photo-generated charge a portion of the substrate. Each pixel cell has a charge storage region, formed on or in the substrate, which is connected to the gate of an output transistor that is part of a readout circuit. The charge storage region may be constructed as a floating diffusion region. In some imager circuits, each pixel cell may include at least one electronic device such as a transistor for transferring charge from the photosensor to the storage region and one device, also typically a transistor, for resetting the storage region to a predetermined charge level prior to charge transference.
In a CMOS imager, the active elements of a pixel cell perform the necessary functions of: (1) photon to charge conversion; (2) accumulation of image charge; (3) resetting the storage region to a known state; (4) transfer of charge to the storage region; (5) selection of a pixel cell for readout; and (6) output and amplification of a signal representing pixel charge. Photo charge may be amplified when it moves from the initial charge accumulation region to the storage region. The charge at the storage region is typically converted to a pixel output voltage by a source follower output transistor.
CMOS imagers of the type discussed above are generally known as discussed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,140,630, U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,868, U.S. Pat. No. 6,310,366, U.S. Pat. No. 6,326,652, U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,524 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,333,205, assigned to Micron Technology, Inc., which are hereby incorporated by reference in their entirety.
With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, which respectively illustrate top-down and cross-sectional views of a conventional CMOS pixel cell 100, when incident light 187 strikes the surface of a photodiode photosensor 120, electron/hole pairs are generated in the p-n junction of the photodiode photosensor 120 (represented at the boundary of n-type accumulation region 122 and p+type surface layer 123). The generated electrons (photo-charges) are collected in the n-type accumulation region 122 of the photosensor 120. The photo-charges move from the initial charge accumulation region 122 to a floating diffusion region 110 via a transfer transistor 106. The charge at the floating diffusion region 110 is typically converted to a pixel output voltage by a source follower transistor 108 and subsequently output on a column output line 111 via a row select transistor 109.
Conventional CMOS imager designs, such as the one shown in FIG. 1 for pixel cell 100, provide approximately a fifty percent fill factor, meaning only half of the cell 100 is dedicated to converting light to charge carriers. As shown, only a small portion of the cell 100 comprises a photosensor 120 (e.g., photodiode). The remainder of the pixel cell 100 includes isolation regions 102, shown as STI regions in a substrate 101, the floating diffusion region 110 coupled to a transfer gate 106′ of the transfer transistor 106, and source/drain regions 115 for reset 107, source follower 108, and row select 109 transistors having respective gates 107′, 108′, and 109′. In the conventional pixel cell 100 layout, each of the reset, source follower and row select transistor gates 107′, 108′, 109′ are aligned consecutively, sharing source/drain regions 115 and requiring significant surface area for each pixel cell 100. As scaling of pixels continues to decrease the pixel's 100 total area, it becomes increasingly important to create high sensitivity photosensors that utilize a minimum amount of surface area, or to find more efficient pixel cell layouts to minimize the area required by non-photosensitive components of the pixel cell in order to maintain relatively large areas for the photosensors.
A CMOS imager circuit is often associated with a color filter, such as a Bayer color filter for discerning varying wavelengths of light. Referring now to FIG. 3A, a color filter 30 is typically a polymer-based film sensitive to different wavelengths in the visible spectrum. Each pixel of a CMOS imager is covered with a color filter, typically a red, blue, or green filter. These color filters together comprise a color filter array ("CFA") arranged in a specific pattern. This pattern, or sequence, of filters can vary, but the "Bayer" CFA 50 pattern, has been widely adopted due to the human eye's sensitivity to green light. A typical Bayer CFA 50 pattern consists of rows of alternating red (R) and green (G) color filters and alternating blue (B) and green color filters as shown in FIG. 3A. Each color filter 30 in a Bayer CFA 50 corresponds to one pixel in an underlying CMOS imager. However, as pixel cell size decreases, the imager's sensitivity to blue light also decreases; thus, the conventional Bayer CFA 50 may not allow an underlying pixel to accurately detect blue light.
There is, therefore, a need and desire for a pixel cell with improved fill factor and a color filter array for use with the pixel cells. Additionally, there is a need and desire for a pixel cell arrangement in which the size of individual pixel cells may be customized.


A software protection system comprises a memory system and a microprocessing system. The memory system is configured to store a software program comprised of a plurality of program instructions that, when executed, have a program order. The microprocessing system is coupled to the memory system and is configured to, when executing the software program, determine a next program instruction of the plurality of program instructions in the program order based on an order identifier, fetch the next program instruction from the memory system, determine if the next program instruction requires decrypting, decrypt the next program instruction responsive to determining that the next program instruction requires decrypting, and execute the next program instruction.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention relates to software protection technologies.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Computing security has increased in importance as security threats have become ubiquitous. In particular, software protection has gained importance as software piracy has become commonplace.
Often times, software applications are encrypted in order to prevent unauthorized use. Under authorized circumstances, the software is decrypted prior to run-time, much like a data file would typically be decrypted. However, once a software application is decrypted, the application resides in memory in an unencrypted and vulnerable state.
One prior art solution that seeks to avoid this problem is to decrypt at run-time the program instructions that constitute a software application. Specifically, encrypted program instructions are fetched from memory by a microprocessor for execution by the microprocessor. A decryption module within the microprocessor decrypts the program instructions. The decrypted program instructions are then passed to other elements of the microprocessor for execution. Problematically, this prior art approach limits the microprocessor to executing encrypted software applications.

Systems and methods for protecting software

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


A hydrophilic ester polyurethane foam is flame laminated to a substrate using a thin sacrificial layer, preferably a sacrificial foam layer. The sacrificial layer in the resulting laminate structure has a thickness of 1.5 mm or less, and preferably is substantially burnt away. The resulting laminate exhibits good bond strength along its length and width without loss of liquid wicking and absorptive properties.

Polyurethane foams are generally prepared by the reaction of an active hydrogen-containing compound (i.e., a polyol) and a polyisocyanate, in the presence of a blowing agent such as water, and usually a reaction catalyst and foam stabilizer. The cellular polymer structure of polyurethane foam has a skeletal framework of relatively heavy strands forming an outline for the cell structure. The skeletal framework strands are connected by very thin membranes, often called windows, which form the cell walls. In open-celled foams, some of the windows are open or torn in each cell, thus forming an interconnecting network open to fluid flow (liquid or gas). However, conventional polyurethane foams are not sufficiently porous or open-celled to allow significant fluid flow through the foam structure.
Reticulation relates to methods for removing or breaking the cell windows of polyurethane foams. Mechanical, chemical and thermal methods for reticulating foams are known. As one example, a foam may be reticulated by melting the windows with a high temperature flame front or explosion, which still leaves the strand network intact. Alternatively, the cell windows may be etched away using the hydrolyzing action of water in the presence of an alkali metal hydroxide. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,125,542; 3,405,217; 3,423,338; 3,425,890 and 4,670,477 for descriptions of various reticulating methods for polyurethane foams.
Household cleaning sponges and mop heads most commonly are formed from cellulose. Paper pulp is the primary ingredient for cellulose sponges. The pulp is reacted with carbon disulfide to form a soluble cellulose xanthate compound. This compound is dissolved into a honey-like liquid viscose and mixed with reinforcing fibers to add strength to the pulp mixture. The cellulose is formed with a double cell structure to replicate natural sea sponges. Sodium sulfate crystals are added to the pulp, and this mixture is heated in a mold to melt the crystals. Heating regenerates the mix to pure cellulose and leaves the signature sponge holes where the crystals have melted away. Bleaching chemicals and humectants maintain the moisture level and color purity of the cellulose sponge. While the cellulose has good water absorption and wicking, it has lower wet integrity than other materials. Moreover, upon drying, the cellulose becomes hard and brittle such that it must be pre-wet before using for wiping.
Open celled ester and ether polyurethane foams have greater softness and flexibility than cellulose, and retain flexibility upon drying without humectants. As compared to cellulose, foams have greater wet strength, better wet integrity and exhibit less swelling when wet. Foams also can be foamed to have a double cell structure to more resemble natural sea sponges. Generally, polyurethane foams can be produced more cheaply than cellulose. However, polyurethane foams are hydrophobic, lacking good liquid absorption and wicking characteristics, which makes them less suitable for household sponges and mop heads. Even after the polyurethane foams are post-treated with surfactants in an attempt to improve water absorption and wicking, they still do not match the performance of cellulose for these properties.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,756,416 discloses chemically reticulated ester polyurethane foams that have liquid absorption and wicking characteristics comparable, if not superior to, cellulose sponges. After the ester polyurethane foams are chemically treated in a caustic solution, they have water absorption rates of at least 20 pounds of water per square foot per minute. Such foams also have greater water holding capacity and wet strength than cellulose.
Often in designing sponges for household consumer and industrial applications, multiple material layers are combined together to offer additional properties and alter sponge appearance. For example, a hydrophilic ester polyurethane layer may be combined with a layer of nonwoven or another polymeric layer, such as a melamine or a polyethylene foam. When foams and other layers are bonded together, some manufacturers prefer that the bond be transparent to the consumer. In other words, consumers prefer sponges that do not have a stiff glue line between layers.
One foam joining method without glue or adhesive is flame lamination. A surface of a foam layer is heated to a temperature sufficient to locally melt and repolymerize the foam. The foam layer is then joined to a second layer while the surface is polymerized. Upon cooling, the melted surface hardens to form the bond between the foam layer and the second layer. Non-hydrophilic ester polyurethane foams are commonly recognized to give a stronger flame lamination bond than ether polyurethane foams. See U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,900,087 and 5,891,928. On the other hand, flame lamination using hydrophilic ester polyurethanes has seldom been practiced, and its limitations rarely studied.
When flame-laminated, non-hydrophilic ester polyurethane foams typically have a bond strength of over 10 oz/inch [109 N/m], as measured by tear strength test method ASTM D3574. By contrast, the hydrophilic ester foams typically have lower bond strengths, such as in the range of 4 to 9 oz./inch [43.8 to 98.5 N/m]. Although this lower bond strength could be satisfactory for some applications if it were uniform across a substrate and predictable, the bond strength appears to vary with the relative humidity of the process area. As the relative humidity increases, the bond strength drops to unacceptably low levels, particularly at the outer edges of the surface to be laminated.
Industry thus seeks ways to improve flame lamination for hydrophilic ester polyurethane foams.
One approach to improving flame lamination bonding uses a sacrificial non-hydrophilic ester foam layer between layers sought to be joined. This approach has been used when bonding ether polyurethane foam layers together because some ether polyurethane foams are known to form only very weak flame lamination bonds by themselves. A sacrificial foam layer typically is not required when bonding ester polyurethane foams because non-hydrophilic ester foams in general are considered flame laminable. Nevertheless, this has not been true for hydrophilic ester polyurethane foams. In view of the lower bond or tear strength exhibited and the adverse effects of relative humidity, improvements for flame lamination bonding of hydrophilic ester polyurethane foams continue to be sought.

Flame laminable hydrophilic ester polyurethane foams


A device or arrangement for recording video and/or audio data with at least one receiving and recording device and a connected or integrated additional audio and/or video data storage means of limited capacity, of 2 to 10 minutes, preferably 3.5 to 6.5 minutes which, when the receiving device is set in operation, commences storage of the data received and stores it in the same sequence as reception and for the storage period corresponding to the limited storage capacity and then in the sequence in which it is stored erases it or disposes of it and accordingly fills up the storage space with the continuously received data and upon commencement of the per se known storage on per se known storage material (recording tape cassettes, video cassettes) either stops or continuously transfers the received data for recording purposes, with a time lag corresponding to the limited capacity of the interim storage means, to the per se known recording carrier.

The invention relates to a video and/or audio signal receiving and recording arrangement comprising a receiver and a recording apparatus.
Such arrangements are known for example as video recorders with integrated playback device (monitor) or a separate television set. In another technical field, they are known as radio cassette recorders with an integrated radio receiver part.
Known from German Offenlegungsechrift 31 26 430 is a recording instrument, for example a dictating instrument, with an automatic starting device which switches on the dictating instrument and in particular the drive for the recording carrier when the amplitude of the signal to be recorded is above a response threshold. This construction avoids unnecessary tape use since the instrument works only when an effective signal is present.
With such a recording instrument, in order to avoid the commencement being recorded in a distorted fashion after the recording has started, since the recording instrument has as yet failed to reach the necessary running speed of the recording carrier, a delay part is provided which delays the recording of the signal on the recording carrier by a period of time which corresponds to the time which the recording carrier needs to reach its desired speed.
It is possible furthermore to ascertain from the magazine Funkschau 1960, No. 22, pp. 559 to 561, in the case of a magnetic tape recorder with an automatic starting facility which only begins to run when there is a signal to be recorded, to delay the recording signal by a few seconds, for example by using an endless auxiliary tape, in order to lose as little signal as possible at the start.
It is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,606 in the case of live radio transmissions to delay the original signal by a certain period of time prior to transmission so that there is a possibility of monitoring the transmission and possibly of suppressing undesired passages without the receiver being aware of the fact.
Finally, radios or television sets are known in which, during transmission, the listener/viewer is able to replay a few seconds of the previously received transmission. Upon termination of this replay, the playback of the original transmission is resumed again at this point in time, in which case the part of the original transmission which continued to run during the replay is lost. A recording according to the invention is in this case neither intended nor possible.
Audio and/or video recordings of a live programme are usually made in that the receiver is switched on, the transmission channel or frequency which is of interest is located and the recording is commenced at a moment when the viewer or the listener passes the appropriate command to the recording instrument which is ready to make the recording. Furthermore, it is already known to pre-programme a recording, i.e. to record without the listener or viewer directly experiencing the transmission.
With such recording instruments, it is deemed a drawback that when the listener or viewer receives a video and/or audio transmission and then, during the transmission, for example during a piece of music or during a part of a programme such as for example a news or information programme, decides that he wishes to record this transmission, can only make a recording from the time this decision is taken but not retroactively and therefore completely.
On the other hand, for technical and economic reasons it is not possible to take the precaution of recording all transmissions and then afterwards just keep a small part and erase the rest. That would require an excessive consumption of recording material, etc.

Video and/or audio signal receiving and recording arrangement


There is provided a starting clutch control apparatus which is capable of controlling transmission torque of a starting clutch according to changes in accelerator operated amount without preparing a plurality of data maps of torque coefficients in advance. A clutch controller determines a clutch instruction torque based on torque coefficient, engine speed, and engine speed correction amount, and controls the engagement state of the starting clutch according to the clutch instruction torque. Therefore, it is possible to control the engagement state of the starting clutch in response to sudden operation of an accelerator, and to finely control the degree of engine blow-up according to an accelerator operated amount. Only one data map for determining the torque coefficient according to a rotational speed ratio of a clutch input shaft to a clutch output shaft is required to be stored in a data storage section, and hence it is possible to prevent an increase in the amount of data stored in the data storage section.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates a starting clutch control apparatus which controls torque transmitted by a clutch in starting a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Conventionally, a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. S63-305039 has been known as an example of a clutch control method for controlling torque transmitted by a starting clutch which connects or disconnects an engine to or from the shift mechanism of an automatic transmission.
In the starting clutch control method described in this publication, the ratio of rotational speeds of a clutch input shaft and a clutch output shaft of the starting clutch is detected, a torque coefficient C corresponding to the present clutch speed ratio is read out from a data map of torque coefficients C set in advance relative to speed ratios, and a clutch control torque Tcl is calculated based on the torque coefficient C and the present engine speed so as to control torque transmitted by the starting clutch.
In the method in which the starting clutch is controlled using the clutch control torque Tcl calculated as above, only one relationship between the gear ratio of the starting clutch and the capacity coefficient C is set, and hence the clutch control torque Tcl cannot cope with sudden operation of an accelerator.
To address this problem, in a method disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. H09-72353, accelerator operated amount are divided into three ranges, and a data map of torque coefficients C relative to gear ratios of a starting clutch is prepared in advance for each of the three ranges, a data map of these torque coefficients C is complemented by present accelerator operated amount, and calculate clutch control torque Tcl, so that torque transmitted by the starting clutch can be responsive to e.g. sudden operation of an accelerator.
However, in the method in which the data map of torque coefficients C is prepared for each range of accelerator operated amounts so as to calculate clutch control torque Tcl, torque transmitted by the starting clutch can follow changes in accelerator operated amount, but it is necessary to prepare a plurality of data maps of torque coefficients C in accordance with accelerator operated amounts.


A micro-organ culture is provided that includes a nutrient medium in a culture vessel, the vessel containing an oxygen concentration not substantially greater than that in the atmosphere and a population of non-fetal animal cells disposed in the nutrient medium for greater than 24 hours. The population of cells is derived from an organ which has an in vivo structure including an epithelial tissue and an adjacent stroma. The population of cells consists of a plurality of cell types, the population including both stromal and epithelial tissues of the in vivo tissue structure. Furthermore, the population of cells has a volume described by a first, second and third dimension such that at least one dimension is no greater than 0.45 mm. The stromal and epithelial tissues are preserved in the nutrient medium devoid of an internally disposed synthetic support structure or sandwich structure.

Eukaryotic cell culture was first achieved in the early 1950s. Since that time, a wide range of transformed and primary cells have been cultivated using a wide variety of media and defined supplements such as growth factors and hormones as well as undefined supplements such as sera and other body extracts. For example, fibroblasts taken from a part of an animal such as the skin, can be routinely cultivated through many cell generations as karyotypically diploid cells or indefinitely as established cell lines. Epithelial cells however have morphological and proliferative properties that differ from fibroblasts are more difficult to cultivate. Indeed, in vitro, epithelial cells are commonly overgrown by fibroblasts when the two cells are grown together.
A diverse range of media have been developed for growing epithelial cells in a clonally competent manner. In some cases these cells can produce at least partially differentiated epithelium. Approaches to cultivation of epithelial cells in particular skin epithelia (keratinocytes) have included the following: cultivating cells on a feeder layer of lethally irradiated fibroblasts (Rheinhardt et al. 1975, Cell 6:331-343); cultivating keratinocytes on semi-synthetic collagen matrices (Eisenberg 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5, 282,859; Bell 1990, EP 0361957); adding biological extracts including pituitary extracts and sera to specialized media; and utilizing a range of growth supplements including epidermal growth factor, and insulin (Boisseau et al. 1992, J. Dermatol. Sci. 3(2):111-120; Willie 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,655).
The skin.
Numerous attempts have been described for growing epithelial cells in such a way as to mimic human skin for purposes of wound treatment, in particular treatment of burns. The skin consists of two types of tissue. These are: (1) the stroma or dermis which includes fibroblasts that are loosely dispersed within a high density collagen matrix as well as nerves, blood vessels and fat cells; (2)the epidermis which includes an epidermal basal layer of tightly packed, actively proliferating immature epithelial cells. As the cells of the basal layer replicate, some of the young cells remain in the basal layer while others migrate outward, increase in size and eventually develop an envelop resistant to detergents and reducing agents. In humans, a cell born in the basal layer takes about 2 weeks to reach the edge or outer layer after which time the cells die and are shed. The skin contains various structures including hair follicles, sebaceous glands and sweat glands. Hair follicles are formed from differentiating keratinocytes that densely line invaginations of the epidermis. The open ended vesicles that formed from such invaginations collect and concentrate the secreted keratin and a hair filament results. Alternatively, epidermal cells lining an invagination may secrete fluids (sweat gland) or sebum (sebaceous gland). The regulation of formation and proliferation of these structures is unknown.
The constant renewal of healthy skin is accomplished by a balanced process in which new cells are being produced and aged cells die. There is a need to understand how this precise regulation comes about in order to counteract abnormal events occurring in aging, and also through disease and trauma that disrupt the balance. For example, psoriatic cells proliferate and die at an accelerated pace taking only about 15% of the time normally observed. Epidermal neoplasia arises when the epidermal cells multiply without control and rapidly overtake the number of cells normally dying. In chronic wounds, normal epidermal and dermal regeneration fails to occur.
Cultivation of skin in vitro.
Numerous attempts at growing skin in vitro have been undertaken. These attempts almost all include the step of separating the keratinocytes in the epidermis from fibroblasts and fat cells in the dermis. Where separation of keratinocytes is not performed, whole organs have been used. Attempts to cultivate organs in vitro have been limited to incubating organs in a serum containing medium (Li et al. 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88(5):108-112). Where isolation of keratinocytes is performed, these cells are grown in a manner that permits the formation of a stratified epidermis. The epidermis prepared in this manner lacks hair follicles and sweat glands and the natural relationship between the epidermis and the dermis is not preserved. Cultivation methods including growing keratinocytes on non viable fibroblasts (Rheinwald et al. 1975, Cell 6:331-343); or placing the keratinocytes from the animal on a dermal substrate of collagen and fibroblasts that is synthetic or has been derived from an alternative source from that of the epidermis (Sugihara et al. 1991, in vitro Cell Dev. Biol. 27:142-146; Parenteau et al. 1991, J. Cell Biochem. 45(3):245-251).
Most existing in vitro models of the epidermis lack hair follicles, sweat glands and sebaceous glands (for a review of epidermal cell culture, see Coulomb et al. 1992, Pathol. Biol. Paris, 40(2):139-146). Exceptions include the gel-supported skin model of Li et al. (1991) who utilized skin explants with dimensions of 2.times.5 mm.sup.2 and 2.0 mm thick that remained viable for several days in the presence of serum containing media.
It would be desirable to have an in vitro model of the skin in a serum free environment where the natural intercellular relationships that occur in vivo are maintained so as to more accurately study how skin is formed and remains viable. For example, insights into how hair follicle formation occurs would have significant therapeutic applications including treatment for balding men, for patients undergoing chemotherapy and for skin grafting.
An in vitro model of the skin that closely mimics the properties of skin in vivo would have utility in screening assays in which compounds could be tested for their ability to repair or damage the skin (Kao et al. 1985, Toxicol. Appl. Pharmacol. 81:502-516; Goldberg ed. 1989, Alternative Methods in Toxicology, vol. 7, pp. v-vi, New York:Liebert). Requirements of a reproducible model for screening might include consistency in tissue architecture and nutritional environment in vitro, as well as prolonged viability and proliferation of cultures beyond 24 hours to observe threshold effects of compounds being screened. This level of consistency cannot be achieved in the presence of undefined media supplements such as sera or tissue extracts that vary between batches and cannot be adequately controlled. The dependence of a model on external growth supplements such as growth factors is also undesirable as growth factors or hormones may be included among the compounds to be tested. At present, existing in vitro skin models either require exogenous factors (Boyce et al. 1983, J. Invest. Dermatol. 81:33-4) or serum (Li et al. 1991, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 88(5):108-112) or are only viable for short periods of time.
Epithelia.
The skin is one example of an epithelial tissue supported by stromal tissue containing fibroblasts. Epithelial tissues are found in every part of the body where an interface between an organ and the environment arise. Epithelial cells cycle continuously in an uninjured body and form the covering tissue for all the free surfaces in the body including the skin. In some cases, such as in the pancreas, the epithelial cells line numerous invaginations and secrete enzymes into open spaces that enable the organ to function. The lung is another example of a highly invaginated organ, each invagination in the lung being lined with epithelial cells through which air diffuses from the environment in to the body. Once again, these epithelial ells have characteristic properties. The lining of the gut is also composed of specialized epithelial cells that not only form a barrier but contain specialized structures for selectively absorbing food. All the epithelia are supported by a stroma of connective tissue.
There is a need for in vitro methods of culturing and maintaining organ cultures in which the cells preserve their naturally occurring intracellular relationships for extended periods of time. The availability of a tissue model in which differentiation, cell proliferation and cell homeostasis occurs would have utility in understanding the mechanisms by which organs are maintained in a healthy state and consequently how abnormal events may be reversed.

Yissum Research and Development Company of The Hebrew University of Jerusalem


An actuator includes an electrically conductive coil defining a longitudinal axis (L) and having a plurality of winding turns. A magnet is spaced from the winding turns in radial direction. A first conductive element has a mid region covering the coil on a side thereof facing away from the magnet. A second conductive element has a mid region covering the magnet on a side thereof facing away from the winding turns of the coil. The first conductive element projects beyond the coil in axial direction and the second conductive element projects beyond the magnet also in axial direction. The first and second conductive elements have respective collar-shaped projections whereat the first and second conductive elements project beyond the coil and the magnet, respectively. At least one of the first and second conductive elements is made of soft-magnetic powder composite material.

Such an actuator is known from U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,702, for example.
In the case of such actuators, the first conducting element and the second conducting element usually consist of a ferromagnetic material of high permeability. Such actuators contain an oscillatory mass-spring system, which is excited so as to produce oscillations when an alternating current is driven through the turns of the electrically conductive coil.
The at least one magnet has a magnetization with a magnetization direction which is ideally perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the coil. If a current now flows through the coil, a Lorentz force acts in the direction of the longitudinal axis of the coil. As described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,476,702, the interaction of the magnetic lines of force emerging from the collar-like projections of the first conducting element and the second conducting element or the magnetization of the magnet, which advantageously likewise consists of a material of high permeability, results in a further force, which acts in the same direction as the described Lorentz force. Since the magnetic lines of force are conducted in specific directions by the first and second conducting elements, both component parts are in this case referred to as conducting elements.
In the case of an actuator of the generic type, either the coil with the first conducting element or the magnet with the second conducting element is mounted in a sprung manner, while the respective other assembly is mounted statically. If a current now flows through the coil, the abovementioned forces result in a shift in the spring-mounted assembly and therefore in a movement of the actuator. In this way, valves can be opened or closed, for example. If an alternating current flows through the coil instead of the direct current, the direction of the acting forces reverses along with the current flow direction. In this way, the spring-mounted assembly is caused to oscillate. By targeted selection of the amplitude, frequency and phase of the applied alternating current, the oscillation of the actuator can be controlled very precisely. In this way, for example, oscillations can be produced or an oscillation in phase opposition can be superimposed on already existing oscillations and these already existing oscillations can thus be compensated for.
One disadvantage is the fact that the excitation force that can be achieved with the actuator in accordance with the prior art is relatively low in relation to the physical volume required for this. In addition, the usable frequency range in which the actuator can be operated on alternating current is subject to restrictions. Firstly, the first natural frequency of the system, which is the lowest frequency at which the actuator can be operated, cannot be shifted to lower frequencies. Secondly, the working range in the higher-frequency range is limited owing to the low amount of coil installation space and the use of coils with a small wire diameter associated therewith.
It is known from the prior art to form the first and the second conducting elements of the actuator as a laminate stack comprising many thin layers of ferromagnetic laminations with high permeability in order to reduce losses as a result of ring currents which are produced around the magnetic lines of force. For this purpose, for example, electric steel laminations or iron laminations which are separated from one another by thin insulating layers are suitable. In this way, ring currents around the magnetic lines of force can only result in orders of magnitude of the thickness of these laminations. Although the losses are thus reduced and therefore the efficiency of the actuator can be increased, the achievable excitation forces are still very low in relation to the physical volume.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,244,526 and 7,053,741 have disclosed the use of an electromagnetic actuator as a fuel injection valve. However, high excitation forces are not required for this, with the result that the force required for switching a valve can be applied without any problems by an already described actuator. In addition, owing to the special configuration of the actuator in said documents, the radial extent of the actuator with respect to the longitudinal axis of the coil is markedly reduced. That is to say that the movable portion of the actuator is arranged below the statically mounted portion in both documents, with the result that the radial extent is naturally markedly reduced. However, the required volume is still relatively large, even when it now has a different shape than in the case of the first-described embodiment of an actuator. Such an arrangement is unsuitable for operation on alternating current, however.
In addition, the working principle of the actuators described in said documents is different. Both actuators manage without any magnets. The excitation force is only produced by the magnetic field produced by the coil and not, as is the case in this case, also by a current which is flowing in the magnetic field of the magnet and the Lorentz force caused hereby.


A robotics module for a storage library includes a robot assembly and a cable mechanism within a housing. A cable is routed around the cable mechanism. An end of the cable is connected to the robot assembly to communicate with the robot assembly. The cable mechanism enables the cable to be pulled out from cable mechanism as the robot assembly moves away from the housing. The cable mechanism prevents the cable from being retracted back into the cable mechanism after the robot assembly has moved out of the housing by wedging the cable with a roller. The cable mechanism enables the cable to be retracted back into the cable mechanism while the robot assembly is in the housing by pulling the roller away from the cable. A retraction handle assembly enables the cable to be manually retracted back into the cable mechanism while the robot assembly is in the housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to storage libraries for handling and storing media elements such as cartridges and for reading and writing to the media elements using media element players such as drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to a self extending, retractable communications cable mechanism for use with a communications cable connected to a media element handling robot assembly of a storage library robotics module.
2. Background Art
An automated data storage library generally includes media storage elements such as cartridges, media element players such as drives, and media element handling components such as a media element handling robot assembly. The library includes individual cells which hold respective cartridges. The robot assembly includes a picker which is operable to move about the library and selectively load a cartridge from a cell into a drive. The picker is generally operable to remove cartridges from cells and drives and load cartridges into cells and drives.
Certain storage library designs enable the libraries to be expandable for capacity upgrades. Many storage library expansion solutions require complex installation techniques at the library user's site. Some solutions require costly robot assembly duplication, while other solutions require skilled personnel to link existing robot assemblies with the expansion mechanics. It would be desirable if storage library capacity expansion did not require manipulation, addition, modification, etc., to the robot assembly already part of the storage library.

Self extending, retractable communications cable mechanism for storage library robotics module


A spinal implant includes a body, plate, and bone screws. The body includes a first wall having second and third walls joined thereto to define legs. In an embodiment, the body and plate are of unitary construction. In alternative embodiments, the body is formed from a first material and is configured for positioning between vertebral bodies. In other embodiments, the body is separate from the plate. The plate has a main portion and a flange. The main portion has a first screw hole oriented towards the first vertebral body at an oblique angle relative to the horizontal axis of the body. The flange has a second screw hole oriented towards the second vertebral body and substantially parallel to the horizontal axis. The flange is coupled to the main portion and extends past the main portion. Each bone screw is insertable through a screw hole of the plate for attachment to bone. A kit including a body, bone screws, and a plurality of different plates is also provided.

Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to devices and methods for treating spinal conditions and, more particularly, to spinal implants configured for positioning within the intervertebral space between adjacent vertebral bodies.
Background of Related Art
The human spine includes thirty-three vertebrae. The vertebrae interlock with one another to form a spinal column. Each vertebra has a cylindrical bony body (vertebral body), two pedicles extending from the vertebral body, a lamina extending from the pedicles, two wing-like projections extending from the pedicles, a spinous process extending from the lamina, a pars interarticularis, two superior facets extending from the pedicles, and two inferior facets extending from the lamina. The vertebrae are separated and cushioned by thin pads of tough, resilient fiber known as intervertebral discs. Intervertebral discs provide flexibility to the spine and act as shock absorbers during activity. A small opening (foramen) located between each vertebra allows passage of nerves. When the vertebrae are properly aligned, the nerves pass through without a problem. However, when the vertebrae are misaligned or a constriction is formed in the spinal canal, the nerves get compressed and may cause back pain, leg pain, or other neurological disorders.

Spinal implants, spinal implant kits, and surgical methods


The heat exchanger plates have the section shown, with raised sections on the upper and lower faces in which run the flow pipes of one of the fluids. Notches are created on the longitudinal ends to allow these pipes to communicate, their supply and evacuation from a lateral face of the plate, whereas the other fluid enters and leaves via the longitudinal faces. The exchanger is therefore easier to make. The plates are manufactured by extrusions and only machined to create the notches.

Heat exchangers are commonly used in several technical fields, such as transports, air conditioning, thermal work or fuel cells. Many families also exist if we consider their structure, or the way in which the pipes for transporting the fluids are constructed and positioned. The heat exchangers of which the invention is part comprises plates in which the fluid transport pipes are encased. Such a structure offers the advantages of being compact while maintaining good mechanical resistance, in particular with respect to fluids at high pressure. A recent example is described in the document U.S. Pat. No. 6,467,535 B1, where the plates comprise an external envelope defining a volume which walls, one part with the envelope, divide into flow pipes for the two fluids. Such plates may be made from a single piece by an extrusion process which, conjointly with an adequate thickness of the envelope and the walls, ensures the desired level of resistance.
However, connecting the plate pipes still causes some problems. As the pipes are parallel and adjacent, the channels which take the two fluids to and from the exchanger must be also, alternating on the width of the plate, which creates constraints as assembly is difficult and the channels must also withstand the fluid pressures, whereas it is unlikely that it is possible to construct with the same resistance as the pipes. The connections thus become the weak points of the heat exchanger, and it is not possible to reinforce them.


A silver halide light sensitive photographic element is disclosed comprising a support bearing at least one yellow image forming hydrophilic colloid layer comprising yellow image dye forming couplers and a substituted bisphenol light stabilizer compound which has a melting point of greater than 20.degree. C., wherein the yellow image forming layer contains less than 10 wt % high boiling permanent solvent relative to the total amount of yellow coupler in the layer. In preferred embodiments of the invention, the yellow image forming layer is substantially free of high boiling permanent solvent. Light stability for yellow image dyes formed in an exposed and processed photographic element may be significantly improved where the yellow dyes are formed in a photographic layer which is substantially free of organic solvents, or which contains only a very low level of organic solvents, in combination with a substituted bisphenol light stabilizer compound which is a solid at room temperature.

Various techniques are known for dispersing hydrophobic photographically useful compounds such as photographic couplers into photographic element layer coating compositions comprising hydrophilic colloids.
Photographic dye forming couplers, as well as other hydrophobic photographically useful compounds, are typically incorporated into a hydrophilic colloid layer of a photographic element by first forming an aqueous dispersion of the couplers and then mixing such dispersion with the layer coating solution. An organic solvent is typically used to dissolve the coupler, and the resulting organic solution is then dispersed in an aqueous medium to form the aqueous dispersion.
The organic phase of these dispersions frequently includes high boiling or permanent organic solvents, either alone or with low boiling or water miscible solvents which are removed after dispersion formation. Permanent high boiling solvents have a boiling point sufficiently high, generally above 150.degree. C. at atmospheric pressure, such that they are not evaporated under normal dispersion making and photographic layer coating procedures. Permanent high boiling coupler solvents are primarily used in the conventional "oil-protection" dispersion method whereby the organic solvent remains in the dispersion, and thereby is incorporated into the emulsion layer coating solution and ultimately into the photographic element.
The conventional "oil in water" dispersion method for incorporating hydrophobic couplers is described, e.g., in U.S. Pat. No. 2,322,027 by Jelly and Vittum. In such conventional process, the coupler is dissolved in a high boiling water immiscible solvent, mixed with aqueous gelatin, and dispersed using a colloid mill or homogenizer. The presence of the high boiling solvent provides a stable environment for the hydrophobic coupler, as well as generally increasing the reactivity of the coupler upon photographic processing.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,801,170 of Vittum et al. discloses preparing separate dispersions of a coupler and a high boiling point solvent and mixing the two dispersions with a silver halide emulsion. U.S. Pat. No. 2,787,544 of Godowsky et al. discloses a method of making mixed packet photographic systems. A dispersion of high boiling point solvent is mixed with a dispersion of coupler. Both these processes help prevent crystallization of the coupler prior to layer coating by keeping the solvent and the coupler separate until just prior to coating, while providing solvent in the coated layer to enhance coupler reactivity in the photographic element.
While the presence of high boiling solvents in certain coupler dispersions in photographic elements is frequently desirable to provide, e.g., adequate coupler reactivity upon photographic processing, lower thermal yellowing, modified dye hues, enhanced dye dark stability, and reduced crystallization, there are also certain advantages which may result from the substantial elimination of high boiling permanent solvent from a photographic element imaging layer. U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,398, e.g., discloses photographic elements with coupler-containing layers having substantially no high boiling solvent. Alternative methods for delivering hydrophobic materials, such as color couplers, to aqueous based photographic compositions without using high boiling solvents are well known in the art. Such techniques involve, e.g., deposition of the couplers from basic aqueous solutions or volatile low boiling or water miscible organic auxiliary solvents followed by removal of the auxiliary solvent by evaporation or washing, mechanical dispersion methods wherein solid compounds are directly dispersed in an aqueous composition, and latex loading methods wherein, e.g., a coupler is loaded into a latex polymer by mixing a solution of the coupler in a low boiling or water miscible organic solvent with an aqueous suspension of the latex followed by removal of the solvent. Minimizing the amount of permanent coupler solvent coated in a photographic element is useful, e.g., for reducing the coated thickness of photographic layers. Reductions in coupler solvent level also afford concomitant reductions in gelatin level which leads to further reductions in coated dry thickness. Layer thinning is advantageous for reasons such as improved image sharpness due to reduced light scattering during exposure and increased developability due to shorter diffusion paths through the multilayer structure. This increase in developability can lead to lower silver and/or coupler coated levels, hence lower materials cost.
The use of substituted bisphenols and blocked bisphenols as light stabilizers for yellow image dyes has been known for many years. These materials have been described in detail in, e.g., BP 1,267,287, DE 4,307,439, DE 4,320,828, EP 508,398, EP 538,862, U.S. Pat. No. 4,782,011, U.S. Pat. No. 5,294,530, U.S. Pat. No. 5,426,021, U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,855, U.S. Pat. No. 5,441,861, U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,569, and WO 91/008,515. These documents all teach the use of these light stabilizers with yellow dye forming image couplers in the presence of an oil former, or coupler solvent. U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,515 also teaches that these light stabilizers are preferably dissolved in a high boiling solvent, the amount being preferably 10 to 100%, relative to the coupler. It is also noted in U.S. Pat. No. 5,059,515 that if the stabilizers are liquid, they can themselves act as photographic solvents. However, it is stated that it is required for such embodiment that the stabilizers be so free-flowing that they have the properties of known photographic solvents such as di-n-butyl phthalate or tricresyl phosphate.
It would be advantageous to be able to provide a yellow image forming layer in a photographic element which has no or only very low levels of permanent solvent to enable the advantages discussed above, while including light stabilizers to effectively enable good yellow dye light stability.
It has been unexpectedly discovered that the light stability for yellow image dyes formed in an exposed and processed photographic element may be significantly improved where the yellow dyes are formed in a photographic layer which is substantially free of organic solvents, or which contains only a very low level of organic solvents, in combination with a substituted bisphenol light stabilizer compound which is a solid at room temperature.


An underseat storage bin is used with a pivotable vehicle bench seat in a vehicle having a floor surface. The bench seat is pivotable between a horizontal seating position and an upright stowed position for providing access beneath the seat. The bench seat is supported on seat support members at opposing ends. The storage bin includes a blow-molded bin structure having first and second ends removably attachable to the seat support members. The bin structure includes a plurality of generally vertical compartment walls arranged to form a plurality of storage compartments. At least one of the storage compartments extends substantially the entire length of the bench seat for storing long items. The compartment walls form open bottoms therebetween, such that the vehicle floor surface forms the bottom of each storage compartment for supporting items stored in the storage bin.

A need exists in vans, mini vans and extended cab pick-up trucks for out-of-sight storage space for such items as jumper cables, breakdown flares or reflectors, fire extinguishers, gloves, first-aid kits, flashlights, etc. Underseat storage trays are known, but generally, their storage capacity is limited and the accessibility of objects stored in the tray is poor.
Known underseat storage trays, generally, are not long enough to hold longer items such as umbrellas, fishing rods, gun cases, etc. Such storage trays are also typically not easily removable, which may limit available floor space when the seat is folded to an upright position.
Such storage trays are also problematic because a typical plastic or metal tray may create a vehicle rattle problem as flashlights or other hard objects bounce around the tray as the vehicle is driven. In addition, such trays are, generally, expensive to manufacture because they are typically metal or injection molded plastic components, and such trays add an additional manufacturing step at the assembly plant if the tray must be installed in the vehicle separately from the vehicle seat. For example, the tray may be mounted directly to the vehicle floor pan, which results in significant assembly costs.
It is, accordingly, desirable to provide an improved underseat storage bin.