An applicator for applying joint compound or mud to wallboard has six embodiments with a head, a mud outlet and a mud hose. The applicator has a handle and a control valve for controlling the flow of mud. Each embodiment also has a screed on the head above the mud outlet which extends beyond the end of the head. The screed smoothes down the mud applied to the wall and wipes away any excess mud. The first embodiment has a fan-shaped head with baffles to define multiple flow ports. The second and third embodiments have a rectangular head and a pair of retractable corner stops which align the mud outlets flush with the corners of drywall sections. The third embodiment adds a dispersion mechanism for varying the width of the outlet. The fourth embodiment of the applicator has a wedge-shaped head and a V-shaped screed with flow ports in the sidewalls that are designed to apply mud to right-angled corners. The control valve of the final embodiment has a cylindrical core with a slot which selectively aligns with a slot in the mud chamber. The control valve is operated by a spring-biased lever which contacts the wall. The lever has a pair of arms and a wheel on each arm. The arms extend from an outer edge of the control valve past the mud outlet to automatically open flow when the head is pressed against the wall.

Some interior walls are fabricated from sheets of wallboard or drywall. During installation, the wallboard sheets are fastened or nailed to frame studs. Many of the nails will form small recesses or indentations in the surfaces of the wallboard sheets. These surfaces must be smooth in order for the wall to have a seamless appearance after texture or other wall treatments are applied. The process of smoothing the wall surface, commonly known as "floating," is performed by applying a thin layer of joint compound or "mud" to the wall to fill in the indentations. The mud is screeded or smoothed before it hardens to make the wall appear over its entire surface. In the prior art, this work is typically accomplished by laborers who apply the mud by hand. Screeding is typically performed by running a drywall knife over the mud applications. This process is time consuming and often results in uneven or inconsistent results.


The present invention discloses a method for preparing bread by fermentation with compounded sourdough, and belongs to the technical field of food. The method compounds saccharomycetes and lactic acid bacteria to prepare the compounded sourdough. Compared with spontaneous sourdough, the fermentation performance is similar, the quality is stable, the culture period is shortened, and the compounded sourdough can be used to replace the spontaneous sourdough to prepare bread by fermentation. Moreover, the nutritional value of the compounded sourdough bread is much higher than that of the commercial yeast bread using only a single type of yeast, both in terms of the total content of free amino acids and the content of essential amino acids. The compounded sourdough provided by the present invention has extremely high industrial application value.

At present, more and more people eat bread as their daily staple food, and the consumption of bread in many countries around the world is increasing year by year. Bread is food made from wheat flour, yeast, table salt and water as main raw materials added with an appropriate amount of auxiliary materials by processes of dough preparation, fermentation, shaping, proofing, baking, etc., and is rich in nutrients, easy to digest and absorb, convenient to eat and easy to store. With economic development and changes in consumption concepts, more and more modern people prefer safe and healthy foods without addition. As one of the main raw materials for bread making, yeast has also attracted the attention of the masses of consumers.
Sourdough (natural yeast) fermentation, despite an ancient bio-fermentation technology, can be combined with the modern technology to produce foods that are preservative-free and more beneficial to the health of the intestines. However, due to the long incubation time, complex matrix, and cockamamie culture process, spontaneous sourdough is easy to be contaminated during back-slopping process, and the flavor of the final product is unstable. So, this method is limited to be used in family or handicraft workshops and difficult to be used for industrial production.

Method for the preparation of bread by compounding natural yeast


A filtered terminal block assembly comprises a dielectric insert (20) having a cavity (48) including a pocket (50) and a bore (52), a ground plate (16) to which the dielectric insert (20) is disposed and having an opening (46) in alignment with the bore (52), a filter element (24, 26) having an inner end disposed in the cavity (48), an electrical contact (14) extending through the filter element (24, 26), the pocket (50) and the bore (52) with an outer end of the filter element (24, 26) electrically connected to the electrical contact (14), a ground member (22) electrically connected between the filter element (24, 26) and the ground plate (16), and an electrically-conductive thixotropic material (54) in the pocket (50) and along an inner surface of the cavity (48) electrically connecting an inner end of the filter element (24, 26) to the electrical contact (14).

A commercial filtered terminal block assembly similar to that of the present invention requires more assembly operations which increases the cost of manufacturing it. A subassembly is first assembled which comprises placing a housing with electrical contacts therein onto assembly tooling, a plate of the assembly tooling is moved laterally and is positioned along a bottom surface of the housing with posts of the electrical contacts being located in slots of the plate, an inner metal washer, ferrite tubular bead and outer metal washer is placed onto each of the posts, tubular capacitors are placed onto the posts over the washers and ferrite tubular beads, solder is added to the outer washers whereafter the outer washers are soldered to the posts and the outer ends of the tubular capacitors. The plate is removed, solder is placed around the inner washers, then the inner washers are soldered to the posts and inner ends of the tubular capacitors thereby forming the subassembly.
The subassembly is then moved to other assembly tooling, a ground plate having holes through which the tubular capacitors extend is placed on the housing and centered so that the holes are centered relative to the tubular capacitors, tubular ground members are placed over the tubular capacitors and they rest on the ground plate, solder paste is applied onto the tubular ground members at the tubular capacitors and at the ground plate where the tubular ground members engage, the tubular ground members are then soldered to the tubular capacitors and the ground plate. Standoffs are then mounted onto the ground plate thereby completing the assembly of the commercial filtered terminal block assembly.
As can be discerned, the assembly of the various parts to form a filtered terminal block assembly requires a large number of assembly operations including three soldering operations and assembly tooling. It is desirable therefore, to reduce the number of assembly and soldering operations to provide filtered terminal block assemblies thereby reducing the cost of manufacturing the filtered terminal block assemblies.


An antitheft device for vehicles includes a central unit able to inhibit or enable normal function of the vehicle engine responsive to a coded radio signal emitted by a portable unit activated by a radio signal emitted by the central unit. The central unit includes a first memory, a device to transmit at a first frequency a first coded radio signal, CODE 3 chosen at random from a list of codes stored in the first memory device and to receive and recognize a second coded radio signal CODE 4. The portable unit includes a control and command device including a second memory device to receive and recognize the first coded radio signal, CODE 3, emitted by the central unit, a device to transmit at a second frequency a second coded radio signal, CODE 4, chosen in a list of codes stored in said second memory and tied to the first coded radio, signal CODE 3. The central unit is able to command the deactivation of the device which inhibits the engine of the vehicle responsive to the said second coded radio signal.

These are of the types which comprise:
(1) a central electronic unit mounted in the vehicle and powered by its battery, which can be activated to: activate or deactivate; PA1 (2) a device which, when activated, blocks the operation of the vehicle's engine; PA1 (3) a small; self-contained, battery powered transmitting unit, activated by a push button, carried by the user when he leaves the vehicle.
By pressing the push-button, the user sends a coded signal, at a single high frequency, which is received by the central unit. If the code is correct, the central unit will activate or deactivate the device which blocks operation of the vehicle engine.
Other systems are known, where an electronic key substitutes for the transmitting circuit in order to deactivate operation of the vehicle engine. Both of these systems are inconvenient to use.
With a transmitter activated system it is necessary for the user to consciously generate the signal which activates or deactivates the device which blocks operation of the vehicle engine. Therefore, if he forgets to consciously activate the antitheft system, the vehicle will be either partially or totally unprotected.
It is also possible for potential thieves to discover the code by monitoring the radio transmission from some distance, usually on the order of tens of meters, and recording the user's transmission when he uses his own transmitter.
The system activated and deactivated by the electronic key requires the conscious insertion and removal of the key itself in order to deactivate or activate the antitheft system, and if one forgets to remove the electronic key the vehicle will be unprotected.
UK-A-2051442 discloses a security system for a car comprising a control unit for installation in the car and a portable unit to be carried by the driver, which transmits, on recognizing a uniquely coded first signal transmitted by the control unit, a uniquely coded second signal to the control unit. The latter, on recognizing it cancels the disablement of car engine operation.
The security system above presents the drawback that it is also possible to discover the electronic key's code, using an easily obtained suitable measuring device, if one has access to the key itself for a few minutes.


A device for damping runout vibration of a rotating shaft system at least including a rotating shaft and a rotating body rotatably supported by the shaft. A ring (24) is provided outside a bearing (23) fitted on a rotating shaft with a clearance between the ring and an outer ring of the bearing. A vibration damping mechanism includes, in order to suppress runout vibration of a rotating shaft system from the radially outside of the ring (24), a blade spring (25) compressed by a preload and a stopper (26) for setting an operation limit of the blade spring.

In rotating machinery, any imbalance of the involved rotating-shaft system induces significant vibrations near its primary critical speed. To suppress such vibrations, the rotating-shaft system may be balanced to cancel the imbalance inducing the vibrations.
No matter to what degree the imbalance is corrected, if any sympathetic vibration can be still produced, some procedure to suppress the vibration should be applied to the rotating shaft system. Up to the present, the prior-art of vibration control methods for a rotating-shaft system has been proposed as listed below.
The simplest method provides a suppressing effect by elastically suspending a bearing using an elastic body. For example, the elastic body employed in this method may a rubber vibration isolator as described in Tallian, T. E., and Gustafsson, O. G., ASLE Trans., Vol. 8, 3 (1965), or a blade spring as described in Masayoshi Itoh, Kikai Sekkei [Machine Design] 6,12 (1962), 30. Kirk, R. G., and Gunter, E. J., J. Engineering for Industry, 2(1972), 221, and Ota, H., and Kanabe, Y., J. Applied Mechanics, Vol. 98, 1 (1976), 144, teach that a suppressing effect can be produced by applying the dynamic vibration absorber theory to an elastic suspended system.
Iwata, Nova, Kiron [Articles on Mechanical Engineering], 49-446, 10 (1983), 1897 realizes the specified values of the optimized parameters defined by the dynamic vibration absorber theory using an active control.
In the art of aircraft gas turbine engines, a squeezing film damper bearing is widely used to inhibit vibrations, as described in, e.g., Morton, P. G., Proc. Instn. Mech. Eng., 180 (1965), 295, and Hirsch, F., and Childs, D., Mech. Eng. 5 (1984), 66.
Recently, an active vibration control of a rotating-shaft system, which is supported by a magnetic bearing using a variety of control theories, has been established, as described in, e.g., Japanese Patent Early-Publication No. 2003-166535.
In particular, methods of vibration suppression of a centrifugal separator have been developed and realized, as listed below.                1) As shown in Japanese Patent Early-Publication No. 07-088401, a separation cylinder is supported by a rotating shaft to be rotated like a pendulum. The rotating shaft is provided with a buffer device in which a hydraulic damper is combined with a rubber damper.        2) As shown in Japanese Patent Early-Publication No. 10-180147, a cylinder whose center axis is a rotation axis houses a plurality of balls. A ball balancer automatic corrects any imbalance by moving the balls.        3) Japanese Patent Early-Publication No. 2003-144977 discloses a means for stopping the rotation of a motor when a driving shaft jointed to a rotor contacts a vibration detector.
Further, methods of vibration suppression of a washing machine are being developed and realized, as listed below.                1) Japanese Patent Early-Publication No. 05-131075 discloses a method of vibration suppression of a washing machine. In this method, the damping force of a suspension, which supports a water tank of the washing machine, is varied by means of varying the damping force based on the output of a vibration sensor, which detects the vibrations of the washing machine.        2) Japanese Patent Early-Publication No. 11-207082 discloses a method of vibration suppression of a washing machine. In this method, the washing machine is suspended from a vibration isolator, which is provided with a hanging bar, an upper sliding member, and a sliding cylinder. On the inner periphery of the sliding cylinder, a viscoelastic material having thixotropic properties is used.
Unfortunately, the forgoing devices and methods of vibration suppression involve the disadvantages listed below.                1) Because the elastic constant of the rubber damper can be significantly varied as a result of variations in the age or temperature, controlling and maintaining the associated parameters with high precision involve difficulties.        2) To provide an elastically suspended structure with a bearing, the arrangements of the rotating machinery must be modified, and this results in complex arrangements. It may compromise the safety of the rotating machinery.        3) Even if the optimized values are determined based on the dynamic vibration absorber theory, controlling the parameters, typically, the damping coefficient, at the optimized values, involves difficulties.        4) The forgoing methods using the squeeze film damper bearing or the variety of control theories require complex and large devices and thus increase the cost if they are applied to common rotating machinery.        5) Because most of the forgoing methods are designed to suppress the steady-state vibration and thus to provide damping effects thereon, their advantages for unsteady-state vibrations are unknown.
Accordingly, there are needs to provide a device and a method that can readily suppress the vibrations of the rotating-shaft system by a simple arrangement without fine adjustments for the parameters.

Device and method for damping vibration of rotating shaft system


An acronym expansion system of the present invention receives electronic documents and extracts acronyms and their corresponding expansions. A part-of-speech tagger decomposes text into string tokens or words and tags them with their part-of-speech, while an acronym identifier determines whether a word is a potential acronym based on various conditions. An expansion identifier retrieves lists of words preceding and following a potential acronym to search for the expansion. The resulting word lists are examined sequentially to identify and retrieve an expansion for the potential acronym. An expansion extractor receives the potential acronym and a processed word list to retrieve the expansion of the potential acronym from that list. The extractor may utilize information from prior search iterations, and verifies an extracted expansion against a set of rules to remove spurious expansions.

1. Technical Field
The present invention pertains to text analysis and processing systems. In particular, the present invention pertains to a system that identifies acronyms and extracts the appropriate acronym expansion from text.
2. Discussion of Related Art
An acronym is a word that is formed from the initial letter or letters of each component of a compound term (e.g., NATO, RADAR, SNAFU, etc.), while an abbreviation is a shortened form of a written word or phrase that is used or substituted for the whole word (e.g., "amt" is an abbreviation for amount). Acronyms and abbreviations tend to overlap and are frequently used in daily verbal discourse, in written documents and in electronic documents and web pages on the Internet. In certain communities (e.g., military, engineering, medicine, etc.), numerous acronyms are employed constantly. For example, a page of a military document commonly includes in excess of ten acronyms.
Acronyms may present challenges to readers in several manners. In particular, individuals unfamiliar with a certain acronym tend to have difficulty understanding the acronym and using the acronym in vocabulary. For example, commonly known acronyms, such as "LASER" and "CDROM", are widely understood, while infrequently used or subject specific acronyms may be difficult for readers to understand (e.g., "AABFS" for Amphibious Assault Bulk Fuel System). Further, individuals preparing and/or compiling information for customers (e.g., librarians, technical writers, etc.) are aware of acronyms and typically provide convenient manners to search and access an acronym expansion. Systems that provide these types of services in the digital and electronic media are commonly referred to as "digital libraries" and "document databases". In order to be effective, a digital library should recognize acronyms and the corresponding expansion during a search. This process may be performed manually; however, preparing acronym lists with corresponding expansions in this fashion becomes prohibitive due to the effort required and is prone to errors.
The related art has attempted to overcome these problems by providing various systems for acronym expansion. For example, the AcronymFinder system enables access to a manually compiled list of acronyms on the Internet. This system receives manual submissions of acronyms and corresponding expansions to update the list. The compiled list (e.g., in excess of 150,000 acronyms) is available for embedding in applications.
The Acronym Finding Program (AFP) is an early acronym extraction system designed primarily for an optical character recognition (OCR) environment. This system utilizes a few simple heuristics for acronym identification and expansion. For an example of this type of system, reference is made to Taghva et al., "Recognizing Acronyms and Definitions", Proceedings of the Fourth International Conference on Document Analysis and Recognition, pp. 191–198, 1999, Los Alamitos, Calif.: IEEE Computer Society, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
A further system, TLA, is derived from ATP and uses five heuristics. This system produced a performance of 68% recall and 91% precision on a set of computer science technical reports. For an example of this type of system and performance, reference is made to Yeates, "Automatic Extraction of Acronyms from Test", Proceedings of the Third New Zealand Computer Science Research Student's Conference, pp. 117–124, 1999, Hamilton, New Zealand, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Another acronym extraction system employs text compression algorithms. This system uses zero-order compression models as a manner to extract acronym expansions, where the model parameter settings are learned using an encoded training set. For an example of this type of system, reference is made to Yeates et al., "Using Compression to Identify Acronyms in Text", Proceedings of the IEEE Data Compression Conference, pp. 582–589, 2000, Los Alamitos, Calif.: IEEE Computer Society, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Yet another acronym extraction system exploits duality of patterns and relations. The system is seeded with extraction patterns for acronym expansion relations. After an initial set of extractions has been obtained, the extracted instances are utilized to learn new patterns and the process repeats until convergence. For examples of this type of system, reference is made to U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,629 (Sundaresan et al.) and to Yi et al., "Mining the Web for Acronyms Using the Duality of Patterns and Relations", Proceedings of the ACM CIKM '99 Second Workshop on Web Information and Data Management", pp. 48–52, Kansas City, Mo., the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties.
Still another system for acronym expansion is a heuristic extractor and server commonly referred to as "Acrophile". This system includes three versions of varying capability that use acronym identification and expansion extraction rules. For an example of this type of system, reference is made to Larkey et al, "Acrophile: An Automated Acronym Extractor and Server", Proceedings of the ACM Digital Libraries Conference, pp. 205–214, 2000, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
The related art systems described above suffer from several disadvantages. In particular, the AcronymFinder system is highly inefficient due to the list being generated by manual submissions. Further, the list is typically generic and static and may not suit or be tailored to various needs of particular organizations. Although the above-described systems extract acronyms and corresponding expansions, the results produced by these systems have limited accuracy. This tends to frustrate readers since the systems may omit acronyms within text or provide incorrect expansions for the acronyms, thereby requiring the reader to perform an additional task of ascertaining the correct expansion in another manner (e.g., manually). Thus, there exists a need in the art for a system that processes electronic text and documents and produces acronyms and corresponding expansions with a high degree of accuracy.

Acronym extraction system and method of identifying acronyms and extracting corresponding expansions from text


‘Blossom’ is a new variety of Lupinus hybridus that exhibits numerous and large-shaped pinkish-colored flowers.

The present invention comprises a new and distinct cultivar of Lupinus hybridus known by the varietal name 'Blossom'. The new variety was developed in Great Britain. The new variety is a result of cross breeding a Russell Hybrid Lupinus Seedling #WCL 045/96 (female parent) (unpatented) and an unknown Lupinus male parent (unpatented). The purpose of the breeding program was to develop a cultivar that exhibited improved color, habit, and bloom form from other Lupinus varieties known to the breeder. The new variety exhibits better color, more flowers, and has flowers more closely packed on the spike than Lupinus variety. 'The Chatelaine' (unpatented). The new variety is similar in growth habit to its female parent, but differs in flower color. The new variety was first asexually reproduced by basal cuttings/tissue culture in Great Britain. The new variety has been trail and field tested and has been found to retain its distinctive characteristics and remain true to type through successive asexual propagations. Characteristics that distinguish the new variety from other known to the breeder include:                •Clear and intense flower color;        •Flower form — papilionaceous, with closely packed and large flowers; and        •Vigorous growth habit.
The new variety was grown in open soil with additional organic fertilizer applied. The new variety initiates and develops roots in 21 days at 15° C. A finished and flowering plant is produced in 36 weeks in a 21 cm container. The new variety exhibits sparse, but thick roots, that exhibit some branching.


A system and method is provided for detecting unauthorized actions with respect to encrypted data on a media disk, the media disk including a first portion for prerecorded content and a second portion for written content. The method includes reading an identifier on the media disk, wherein the identifier includes one or more sections located in one of the first portion for pre-recorded content, the second portion for written content, and both the first portion for pre-recorded content and the second portion for written content, determining whether the identifier includes a section located in the second portion written content, comparing the identifier with one or more predetermined types of identifiers for which a section is located in the second portion for written content, and if the identifier is of a type that is one of the one or more predetermined types of identifiers, detecting an unauthorized action.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of digital rights management. More particularly, this invention relates to security and systems and methods that ensure that content is accessed, copied and controlled in secure ways in an electronic environment.
2. Description of the Related Art
Entities, including people, companies, systems and computers transfer information faster than ever since the advent of the Internet and technologically advanced electronic appliances. Facsimile machines, computers, and electronic appliances such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) and wireless phones with Internet access enable the quick transfer of information to remote locations around the world.
The quick transfer of information is not without drawbacks. Information in digital form, while readily transferable, is also readily accessible to many more entities than ever before. So-called "hackers" attract attention by quickly retrieving information from computer systems before being detected. Similarly, world-wide web pages quickly disseminate electronic content on the Internet, such as MP3 data containing copyrighted material. Thus, electronic content reaches individuals to whom it was not intended. For this reason, electronic content providers, businesses and citizens are increasingly concerned about security issues.
The issue concerning security of electronic content and the Internet is timely and hotly debated. For example, Alanis Morissette addressed the issues of copyright and royalties to a U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee headed by Orrin Hatch in a hearing entitled "Online Entertainment and Copyright Law: Coming Soon To A Digital Device Near You."In her speech, Alanis highlighted the differences in goals between content creators, content providers and content users. Commercial content providers desire compensation for the electronic content. These content providers are concerned with the prevalent copying of content without compensation, such as compact disks (CDs) and digital video disks (DVDs). Individual content users are often at cross purposes with content providers, desiring unauthorized copying of content, including digital music, software programs, movies, digital books and the like. Content creators, who desire as wide an audience as possible, are often torn between dissemination goals and compensation goals.
The speed with which appliances, computers and the like disseminate electronic content caused an increase in complex security techniques. These complex security techniques attempt to ensure the security of the content and the transactions. For example, one security technique protects electronic transactions and content by using a time stamp or a counter to determine whether a transaction is authentic. Other security techniques focus on cryptography and mathematical algorithms.
Cryptographic solutions not only provide confidentiality to transactions and content, but provide methods for authentication, integrity (e.g., verifying that a message has not been modified in transit), and non-repudiation (preventing false denials of transactions). Some cryptographic solutions are referred to as restricted algorithms that typically are used by low-security applications. More recently, cryptographic keys protect content by requiring a key for both encryption and decryption of content. Key-based cryptographic solutions enable the spreading of an algorithm without risking security breaches because the security onus is on the keys themselves.
There are a number of cryptographic key solutions. One type is the symmetric key solution in which an encryption key can be calculated from the decryption key and vice versa. A more secure key solution is the public-key solution, or asymmetric solution, in which the key used for encryption is different from the key used for decryption. The public-key solution is part of the ISO authentication specifications, commonly known as the X.509 protocols. More specifically, the X.509 protocols provide a framework for authentication across networks, such as the Internet. The X.509 protocols do not specify a particular algorithm. Instead, the protocols focus on using public-key certificates. Under the specification, each user has a distinct name and has a signed certificate with a name and a public key issued by a trusted certification authority (CA). Typical fields in an X.509 certificate include: version; serial number; algorithm identifier; issuer; period of validity; subject; subject's public key; and signature. More specifically, a version field identifies a format for the certificate. A serial number is unique for the certification authority. The algorithm field identifies the type of algorithm used to sign the certificate and includes necessary parameters to run the algorithm. The issuer field identifies the name of the CA. The period of validity field provides the time period during which the certificate is valid. The subject field identifies the name of the user. The subject's public key field provides the algorithm name, parameters and such related to the public key.
Communicating using certificates configured according to the X.509 protocol is known in the art. A user desiring to communicate with another retrieves the destination certificate from a database and verifies authenticity. Verifying authenticity often involves several CAs if there is a hierarchy of CAs between the user's CA and the destination CA. After verification, communication may take place. Typically, timestamps are used to confirm that messages are current. A three-way protocol is one authentication protocol that does not use timestamps, however, additional steps are required involving the user checking a random number that was originally generated by the user, sent to the destination, and received back from the destination. Likewise, the destination checks a random number received from the user that was originally generated at the destination.
Another known security technique is fingerprinting messages. Fingerprinting is typically accomplished using a hash function. There are a number of types of hash functions. A common hash function is the one-way hash function that provides a fixed-length hash value, h, after operating on an arbitrary-length pre-image message. The h is unique to the message associated with it. However, the security of the h depends on the number of bits of the hash. A practical size is 128 bits. There are a number of different types of hashing algorithms, including the Message Digest (MD) 4 algorithm, the MD5 algorithm, which is more complex than the MD4 algorithm. Another type of hash function is the n-hash algorithm. A more complicated hash algorithm than the one-way hash, an n-hash algorithm implements a randomizing function, hashing and logical exclusive OR functions.
The descriptions of cryptographic solutions above represent a sampling of known digital security systems. Another aspect of the security of electronic content concerns digital rights management (DRM). DRM entails the establishment and management of rights and permissions for digital content and supports distribution of digital content. DRM is necessary for digital distribution of educational, professional and trade content as well as entertainment content.
Some known DRMs use the extensible Rights Markup Language (XML) to implement access and use controls for the exchange of secure digital content. Markup languages are typically based on the Standard Generalized Markup Language (SGML). SGML is a standard language for defining the format in a text document that allows sharing of documents among computers, regardless of hardware and operating system configurations. Markup language files use a standard set of code tags embedded in text that describes the elements of a document. The web browser interprets the code tags so that each computer having its own unique hardware and software capabilities is able to display the document while preserving the original format of the document. An SGML document uses a separate document type definition (DTD) file that defines the format code tags embedded within it.
Other DRM schemes are implemented with C, Fortran and other known programming languages. Known systems include Interleaf, ArborText, and TexCel.
As discussed above, content providers, content creators and content users are in conflict. Known DRM systems fail to resolve the conflicts between these stakeholders in the electronic content world. More specifically, to resolve the conflicts, a DRM is needed that meets content users expectations, including allowing a consumer fair use of content. Further, content providers, including content owners and manufacturers need a DRM that maintains content security, supports new and expanded business models and brings high value to the marketplace for the content. To maintain content security a new system would require advanced techniques for detecting unauthorized copying of encrypted data.

System and method for detecting unauthorized copying of encrypted data


Systems and methods are presented for detecting, by a universal serial bus (USB) drive operatively coupled with a computing device, power from the computing device, and determining, by the USB drive, that drivers associated with the USB drive have been installed on the computing device. The systems and methods may determine that drivers associated with the USB drive have been installed by sending, to the computing device, a digital signal indicating a predetermined keystroke until the USB drive receives a response from the computing device, and receiving, from the computing device, a feedback response to the digital signal indicating the predetermined keystroke has been received. The systems and methods further executing, by the USB drive, a macro to download a payload to the computing device from a server computer, causing by the USB drive, the payload to execute on the computing device, and causing, by the USB drive, the downloaded payload to be deleted from the computing device.

Information security is the practice of defending information from unauthorized access, use, replication, or destruction. Worldwide spending on information security is in the billions of dollars annually and growing fast. To ensure that information systems and data are secure, companies and governments employ various security controls such as firewalls, anti-virus protection, encryption of sensitive data, etc., and retain numerous personnel to implement these solutions and to respond to any breach of security controls. None of these controls are effective against a user plugging in a compromised Universal Serial Bus (USB) drive into his or her computer.


A method of forming a semiconductor structure includes, in a radio frequency (RF) deposition chamber, depositing a titanium film using physical vapor deposition and forming a graded hard mask film by reactive sputtering the titanium film with nitrogen in the RF deposition chamber. The graded hard mask film is a titanium nitride film with a graded vertical concentration of nitrogen. The method may further include, during deposition of the titanium film and during formation of the graded hard mask film, modulating one or more parameters of the RF deposition chamber, such as modulating an auto capacitance tuner (ACT) current, modulating the RF power, and modulating the pressure of the RF deposition chamber.

The present application relates to semiconductors, and more specifically, to techniques for forming semiconductor structures. Integrated circuits may include a plurality of semiconductor devices and interconnect wiring. Metal interconnect wiring may connect the semiconductor devices from above a semiconductor portion of a substrate. Multiple levels of metal interconnect wiring about the semiconductor portion of the substrate may be connected together to form back-end-of-line (BEOL) interconnect structures. Within such structures, metal lines may run parallel to the substrate with conductive vias running perpendicular to the substrate. The conductive vias interconnect the different levels of the metal interconnect wiring.

Hard mask films with graded vertical concentration formed using reactive sputtering in a radio frequency deposition chamber

International Business Machines Corporation


A corrugated paperboard container (10) has a bottom (11), opposite side walls (12, 13) and opposite end walls (14, 15). The end walls include an end panel (18) that is foldably connected to the bottom, and end flap panels (16, 17) that are foldably connected to the side walls. A roll-over flap (23) is connected to the end wall by a web (24), and a notch (20) is in the top edge of the end flap panels. The end wall panel and end flap panels are folded into overlying relationship, and the roll-over flap is folded over an upper edge of the end wall panel, with the web lying in the notch. A projection or hook (41) extends into one side of the notch to engage an edge of the web to retain the web in the notch. A blank for making the container is also disclosed. A cover (50, 70) for the container, and a blank for making the same, include an end wall panel (54, 75) and end flap panels (57, 58), with a roll-over flap (23, 76) connected to the end wall panel, and a hook (41) to engage an edge of the web joining the roll-over flap to an end panel of the cover. In one embodiment of a cover, crushed areas (61, 62) are formed in the cover to provide a depression for receiving an edge of the end flap panels, and in another embodiment, a cover lock tab (73) extends downwardly from the end walls of the cover for engagement in hand hold openings (80) in the ends of a container.

Various styles of containers, including paperboard boxes, are known in the prior art for containing a variety of products. Cut poultry pieces, for example, are frequently packed in a paperboard container, and sometimes the poultry pieces are packed with ice. These containers are generally referred to as poultry trays, and are usually made from a unitary blank of corrugated paperboard, which may be treated on one or both sides with wax or other material to impart rigidity and resistance to water degradation.
Conventional paperboard containers are configured for either machine set up or manual set up, and generally are either rectangular or octagonal in plan view, with four sides or eight sides, respectively. An example of a prior art eight-sided container is disclosed in applicant=s prior patent U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,648. The embodiment shown in FIGS. 1 and 3 of that patent is configured for manual set up, and has three overlapping end panels 18, 24 and 24, with notches 30 formed in the top edges of the two end panels 24, and a roll-over flap 34 foldably joined to the top edge of end panel 18 by short narrow webs formed between transverse cuts or relief slits 37 extending in spaced relationship transversely across cut lines 36 and 38, and interrupting the cut lines. Pairs of short cuts or slits 39 are formed in the webs parallel to the cut lines 36 and 38, but spaced from one another on opposite sides of the cut lines a distance approximately equal to the combined thickness of the three overlapped end panels. The slits 39 promote bending or folding of the webs along fold lines extending through the slits.
To erect the container, the two end panels 24 are folded inwardly into overlapping registry with one another, and the end panel 18 is then folded into overlapping relationship with panels 24. The roll-over flap 34 is then folded inwardly and downwardly over the upper edges of the panels 24, causing the webs to drop into notches 30, and the upwardly extending portions of panels 24 on opposite sides of the notches to project upwardly through the cuts formed by the cut lines 36 and 38. The relationship of the relief slits 37 and cut lines 36 and 38 causes a "heel" to be formed on the edge of the roll-over flap, and this heel produces an over-center effect when the roll-over flap is folded over the panels 24. The heel engages against the inner surface of the innermost end panel 24 to keep the roll-over flap in its folded position, and thereby maintains the container in erected condition.
While the arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,648 provides a simple and effective self-locking system for holding the container in its erected condition, the thickness of the material of the webs causes them to take a slightly "rounded over" shape as they are pulled down into the notches 30, and they tend to exert a pull on the roll-over flap in a direction to disengage it. Additionally, in order to insure that the webs and related components can be operatively engaged with one another, specific dimensional relationships are maintained between the distance from the bottoms of the notches to the bottom of their associated panels 24, and the distance which the relief slits 37 extend above the cut lines 36 and 38, i.e., the length of the relief slits is slightly exaggerated, contributing to a "loose" fit between the components of the self-locking arrangement.
A solution to this was offered in applicant's co-pending patent application, published Mar. 13, 2003, under publication number US-2003-0047592-A1. The container disclosed in this application is similar to that used in U.S. Pat. No. 5,752,648, but is modified to achieve a tighter fit between components of the self-locking arrangement and provide a more reliable interlocking of the components. More specifically, the container disclosed in US-2003-0047592-A1 has a bottom wall, opposite side walls, and opposite end walls, with means on the end walls that interlock to hold the container in its erected condition. The container is made from a unitary corrugated paperboard blank having a bottom panel that forms the bottom wall, opposite side wall panels foldably joined to opposite sides of the bottom panel and that form the side walls, and end panels extending from opposite ends of the bottom panel and side wall panels, respectively, at least some of the end panels overlapping to form the end walls. At least one notch is formed on an upper edge of at least one of the end panels, and a roll-over flap is formed on an upper edge of another end panel, in positions to interlock with one another when the end panels are folded into operative relationship with one another to form an erected container.
In particular, the self-locking structure in US-2003-0047592-A1 has a plurality of notches formed in the edge of at least one end panel, defining at least one tab projecting upwardly from the edge of the panel, and the roll-over flap is foldably joined to its associated end panel by webs formed between a cut line that lies parallel to the fold for the roll-over flap, and relief slits that extend transversely across the cut line. The webs are adapted to lie in the notches, with said at least one tab projecting into a slot formed by the cut line when the roll-over flap is folded inwardly and downwardly over the end panels. The webs are at least partially crushed on the side thereof that faces downwardly in the notches so that they lie substantially flat in the notches. In addition, the dimensional relationships of the self-locking arrangement are made tighter to effect a tighter fit between components, producing a more reliable interlock. Specifically, the distance from the bottom of the notches to the bottom of their associated panels is made smaller than in a tray having a conventional self-locking arrangement, and the length of the relief slits is also made smaller.
However, the prior self-locking roll-over flap as disclosed in the co-pending patent application identified above, and as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2 attached hereto, may come unlocked under stress, e.g., when force is exerted against the side walls by product in the container, causing the package to partially disassemble.
Accordingly, there is need for a self-locking arrangement that provides a tight, secure fit between components, and that does not come unlocked under stress, insuring that a container incorporating the arrangement reliably remains in its erected condition.

Self-locking roll-over flap with hook lock


The disclosed methods in the application relates to making an adapter-tagged restriction library. The library or libraries created with the disclosed methods avoid the self-ligation of the restriction fragments. The application further disclosed methods of using the library or libraries to measure the methylation level of a genome, or comparing methylation levels among two or more genomes. The measurement of the global methylation levels can be achieved with quantitative PCR method by measuring the number of restriction fragments in the libraries. It also can be used for next generation Sequencing (NGS), Copy Number Variation (CNV), restriction site mutation, endogenous gene jumping, and exogenous DNA insertion, somatic hypermutation, gene knockout/knock in etc.

Genomic DNA molecules contain methylated bases in vivo. Such methylation affects a number of physiological functions, such as gene expression. DNA Methylation also carries important pathological consequences, which explains why it became an important research topic in recent years. For example, studies have found that DNA methylation levels differ between normal tissue and cancer tissue. In addition to its implication in cancer, DNA methylation also plays important roles in epigenetic inheritance, embryonic development, postnatal development, as well as bacteria host defense.
Given the importance of DNA methylation, it is crucial to accurately measure the methylation level of a given genomic DNA, or compare the methylation levels between genomic DNA samples. The large size of genomic DNA is difficult to manipulate and study as a whole. The digestion of genomic DNA to smaller pieces by restriction enzymes is one of the commonly used methods. The DNA fragment mixture after restriction enzyme digestion is defined as restriction library. Accurate measurement of genomic DNA methylation level can be reached through accurately tagging the restriction library and subsequently amplifying them in a faithful fashion. Methylation Sensitive Restriction Enzyme (MSRE) play an important role in the analysis of DNA methylation, but traditional methods of tagging the restriction library suffer because of the inaccuracies in ligation process, which is mainly caused by the self-ligation of the restriction fragments. There exists an urgent need for a better and more accurate method of breaking down and amplifying the genomic DNA, as well as accurately measuring the methylation level of one genomic DNA, or comparing the methylation levels between two genomic DNA samples.

DNA restriction library tagging and analysis


An integrated optical device comprising a first semiconductor optical element provided on a first region of the main face of a substrate and a second semiconductor optical element provided on a second region and optically coupled to the first semiconductor optical element is fabricated. A first III-V compound semiconductor layer containing Al element is formed on the main face. A second III-V compound semiconductor layer for forming the first semiconductor optical element is then formed on the first III-V compound semiconductor layer. An etching mask M is formed on the first region. The end point of the dry etching is detected by using the etching mask M to dry-etch the second III-V compound semiconductor layer while detecting Al element. The first semiconductor optical element is thus formed. The second semiconductor optical element is formed on the second region.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an integrated optical device and a fabrication method thereof.
2. Related Background Art
Integrated optical devices that have a semiconductor laser and an optical modulator that is optically coupled to the semiconductor laser provided on a substrate are known (See Japanese Application Laid Open No. H7-263655). Structures for implementing this optical coupling include Butt joint structures. This type of structure is formed as follows. First, an n-type cladding layer, an active layer and p-type cladding layer are formed on a substrate. Thereafter, an etching mask is formed on a p-type cladding layer in a region for forming a semiconductor laser. The n-type cladding layer, active layer and p-type cladding layer in a region for forming an optical modulator are then removed by means of dry etching by using the etching mask. Thereafter, an n-type cladding layer, absorption layer, and p-type cladding layer are grown in a region for forming an optical modulator.
However, the above method makes it difficult to control the etching depth when dry-etching the n-type cladding layer, active layer, and p-type cladding layer. As a result, the fluctuations in the etching depth between lots when fabricating the integrated optical device increase. Hence, the thickness of the n-type cladding layer formed in the region for forming the optical modulator must be adjusted again. In addition, when the fluctuations in the etching depth are large, it is difficult to match the height position of the absorption layer of the optical modulator with the height position of the active layer of the semiconductor laser. As a result, the optical coupling efficiency of the semiconductor laser and optical modulator is reduced.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a method of fabricating an integrated optical device that allows the etching depth to be controlled and an integrated optical device with a high coupling efficiency.

Integrated optical device and fabrication method thereof


A frictionless household implement that includes a pole attached to a work piece that has a cylindrical slip handle for overlying the pole and facilitating frictionless lateral movement of the slip handle over the pole. The end of the pole opposite to the work piece is a rotational handle affixed transversely to the pole.

Garden rakes and other implements have been utilized for thousands of years. Most garden rakes consist of a pole attached to a raking mechanism. It is often difficult to use such rakes because they frequently cause splinters, abrasions or callouses in the hands of the users due to friction between the hands of the user and the pole. Many persons are forced to use heavy and uncomfortable gloves.
A number of patents and devices have been disclosed in the prior art for improving raking mechanisms and in particular, the ease of use of such mechanisms. A first category of prior art rakes include lawn rake devices which have slidable handles to control secondary or multiple rake heads for gathering or picking up leaves and debris. Examples of these patents are Tolliver, U.S. Pat. No. 5,303,536, entitled "Rake With Debris Pile Capacity"; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,378,671, entitled "Rake". A second category of prior art patents includes rake devices which have slidable or rotatable mechanisms which permit the user to adjust the width or swath of a rake head by a time guide or tine stabilizer. Several of these devices also use the stabilizer as a self-cleaning mechanism for the rake. Examples of this category include McLeod, U.S. Pat. No. 4,901,515 and Huspen, U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,379.
A final category of prior art patents discloses the use of handles attached to garden tools to extend the reach of the tool or to provide additional leverage for lifting or pushing the garden tool. Examples of this category include Auernhammer, U.S. Pat. No. 4,197,764 and Davidson, U.S. Pat. No. 4,050,728.
Neither Auernhammer nor Davidson patents describe the use of rotatable or slidable handle on a garden tool. The purpose of the Auernhammer assembly is to allow a hedge clipper to be used for cutting lawn weeds at ground level. The Davidson invention is attached to a shovel or garden tool through a universal joint and simply provides a secondary leverage point for lifting, pushing or pulling the garden tool. None of the prior art devices disclose a rake or implement handle system which minimizes hand friction and wear.
It would be desirable to provide a garden rake which would facilitate the use of a rake by providing slidable and rotatable handles. The rake could therefore be used without undo friction or splinters on the hands of the user. The concepts of the present invention are equally applicable to numerous other garden and household implements such as brooms, mops, squeegees, hoes and the like. These and other objects of the present invention, become apparent from the following summary and detailed description which follow.

Mechanism for garden and household implements and the like


A thermal therapy catheter includes a catheter shaft having an outer surface that is insertable into the body lumen. The catheter shaft carries an energy-emitting element. A multi-lobe balloon is positioned around the outer surface of the catheter shaft adjacent to the energy-emitting element, with opposing ends of the multi-lobe balloon being sealingly connected to the catheter shaft to form a chamber between the multi-lobe balloon and the outer surface of the catheter shaft. Fluid is circulated between the outer surface of the catheter shaft and the multi-lobe balloon in a defined fluid flow path to firmly contact the wall of the body lumen and thereby cool the body lumen tissue while thermally treating targeted tissue at a depth from the body lumen wall.

The aforementioned U.S. application Ser. No. 09/303,259 is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
The present invention relates to a thermal treatment catheter, and more particularly to a catheter having a thin outer wall and a defined fluid flow path within the outer wall to improve the effects of conductive cooling of the wall of the body conduit in which the catheter is inserted.
The prostate gland is a complex, chestnut-shaped organ which encircles the urethra immediately below the bladder. Nearly one third of the prostate tissue anterior to the urethra consists of fibromuscular tissue that is anatomically and functionally related to the urethra and the bladder. The remaining two thirds of the prostate is generally posterior to the urethra and is comprised of glandular tissue. The portion of the urethra extending through the prostate (i.e., the prostatic urethra) includes a proximal segment, which communicates with the bladder, and a distal segment, which extends at an angle relative to the proximal segment by the verumontanum.
Although a relatively small organ, the prostate is the most frequently diseased of all internal organs and is often the site of a common affliction among older men, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as well as a more serious affliction, cancer. BPH is a nonmalignant, bilateral expansion of prostate tissue occurring mainly in the transition zone of the prostate adjacent to the proximal segment of the prostatic urethra. As this tissue grows in volume, it encroaches on the urethra extending into the region of the bladder neck at the base of the bladder. Left untreated, BPH causes obstruction of the urethra which usually results in increased urinary frequency, urgency, incontinence, nocturia and slow or interrupted urinary stream. BPH may also result in more severe complications, such as urinary tract infection, acute urinary retention, hydronephrosis and uraemia.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be treated using transurethral thermal therapy as described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,588 entitled DEVICE AND METHOD POR ASYMMETRICAL THERMAL THERAPY WITH HELICAL DIPOLE MICROWAVE ANTENNA and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,575,811 entitled BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA TREATMENT CATHETER WITH URETHRAL COOLING, both of which are hereby incorporated by reference. During transurethral thermal therapy, the transition zone of the prostate is heated to necrose the tumorous tissue that encroaches on the urethra. Transurethral thermal therapy is administered by use of a microwave antenna-containing catheter which includes a multi-lumen shaft. The catheter is positioned in the urethra with the microwave antenna located adjacent to the hyperplastic prostatic tissue. Energization of the microwave antenna causes the antenna to emit electromagnetic energy which heats tissue within the prostate. A cooling fluid is circulated through the catheter to preserve tissue such as the urethral wall between the microwave antenna and the target tissue of the prostate.
The commercially available Targis(trademark) system from Urologix, Inc. of Minneapolis, MN employs a thermal therapy catheter that embodies the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,588, and is a product capable of performing thermal therapy of the prostate with microwave energy delivered from an applicator positioned in the urethra. The TargiST system has achieved substantial clinical and commercial success, indicating the efficacy of microwave thermal therapy for treating prostate disease. This therapy is benefitted by further developments in the technology of thermal therapy catheters to enhance the effects of microwave treatment of the prostate.
The present invention is a device and method for treating tissue adjacent to a body lumen such as a urethra. A catheter shaft having an outer surface is insertable into the body lumen, and the catheter shaft carries an energy-emitting element. A multi-lobe balloon is positioned around the outer surface of the catheter shaft adjacent to the energy-emitting element, with opposing ends of the multi-lobe balloon being sealingly connected to the catheter shaft to form a chamber between the multi-lobe balloon and the outer surface of the catheter shaft. Fluid is circulated between the outer surface of the catheter shaft and the multi-lobe balloon in a defined fluid flow path to firmly contact the wall of the body lumen and thereby cool the body lumen tissue while thermally treating targeted tissue at a depth from the body lumen wall.


Processes for preparing conjugated linoleic acid are described wherein a conjugated linoleic acid lower alkyl ester is subjected to hydrolysis in the presence of an enzyme to form a hydrolyzate comprising a conjugated linoleic acid and a lower alkanol, wherein at least a portion of the lower alkanol is continuously removed; the hydrolyzate is separated into an organic phase and an aqueous/alcoholic phase; and the conjugated linoleic acid is separated from the organic phase.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to fatty acids and, more particularly, to a new process for the production of conjugated linoleic acid by enzymatic hydrolysis of its esters.
2. Prior Art
Linoleic acids with conjugated double bonds, which are commercially available as "CLA" (conjugated linoleic acids), are physiologically active and are used as food additives. Conjugated linoleic acid is normally produced from triglycerides which have a high percentage content of—normally unconjugated—linoleic acid, such as thistle or sunflower oil for example. The triglycerides are isomerized in the presence of basic catalysts or enzymes and then saponified. A disadvantage in this regard is that, on the one hand, the saponification step yields many unwanted waste materials and, on the other hand, large quantities of alkalis are required, which can quickly result in corrosion in the reactors used. To avoid this, linoleic acid alkyl esters have more recently been used as preferred starting materials and, in a first step, are isomerized to the CLA esters and then saponified. However, even this process is not entirely convincing because it is also attended by disadvantages, such as for example poor yields, drastic reaction conditions, unwanted secondary products and long reaction times.
Accordingly, the problem addressed by the present invention was to provide a process for the production of conjugated linoleic acid which would reliably avoid the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art.

Processes for preparing conjugated linoleic acid from conjugated linoleic acid esters


A crank chamber structure for an engine which is designed to reduce vibratory noise, to achieve a reduction in weight and cost, and to improve lubricating performance. The crank chamber structure is positioned between a block-side skirt section and a case-side skirt section respectively provided in a cylinder block and a lower case. The skirt sections are curved outwardly to permit the crank chamber to enclose peripheral loci of connecting rods, and further to permit the crank chamber to be formed by a curvilinear surface whose radius is smaller at successively higher positions above the crankshaft axis, thereby providing a substantially egg-like cross-sectional shape. An opening is provided in the lower case by the case-side skirt section being collapsed to taper toward an oil pan-mating surface of the lower case so as to communicate with the oil pan.

FIG. 20 illustrates one example of a conventional engine as disposed in a vehicle. In this engine 202, a cylinder head 206 is disposed on a cylinder block 204. A head cover 208 is positioned on the cylinder head 206. A lower case 212 is positioned below the cylinder block 204 and cooperates therewith for rotatably supporting a crankshaft 210 which extends lengthwise of the engine along its rotational axis A. An oil pan 214 is provided below the lower case 212. A baffle plate 216 is located in the oil pan 214. A crank chamber 218 is defined between the cylinder block 204 and the lower case 212.
One end of a connecting rod 220 of the engine 202 is connected to an eccentric crank of the crankshaft 210, and the other end thereof is linked to a piston 222 which is reciprocally supported in a cylinder 224. A plurality of crank-connecting rod-piston-cylinder arrangements are disposed in sidewardly spaced relation along the length of the engine in a conventional manner.
As illustrated in FIGS. 21 and 22, the cylinder block 204 is provided with: sleevelike cylinder-retaining sections 226 for press-fitting the cylinders 224 therein; block-side journal sections or walls 228 located below the cylinder-retaining sections 226 for rotatably supporting the crankshaft 210; and block-side skirt sections or walls 230 connected to the block-side journal sections 228. The skirt section 230 has a lower case-mating part 232 provided at a lower end thereof which defines a lower case-mating surface 234. Reference numeral 236 denotes a block-side blow-by gas passage.
A valve-driving mechanism 240 (FIG. 20) in the cylinder head 206 is disposed in a valve drive chamber 238. In addition, the cylinder head 206 has a head-side blow-by gas passage 242 provided therein for communicating the block-side blow-by gas passage 236 and the valve drive chamber 238 with one another. A breather chamber 244 is provided in the head cover 208 which communicates with the head-side blow-by gas passage 242. The breather chamber 244 communicates with one of an intake system or, e.g, a throttle body 246.
Referring now to FIGS. 23-27, the lower case 212 is provided with: case-side journal sections or walls 248 for rotatably supporting the crankshaft 210 in conjunction with the block-side journal sections 228; and case-side skirt sections 252 connected to the case-side journal sections 248 by means of ribs 250. The case-side skirt section 252 has a block-mating part 254 provided on the top thereof which defines thereon a top block-mating surface 256. In addition, the case-side skirt section 252 has an oil pan-mating section 258 provided on the bottom thereof which defines thereon an oil pan-mating surface 260. Reference numeral 262 denotes a case-side blow-by gas passage; 264 a case-side oil drop passage; 266 an oil pump; and 268 an oil strainer.
Turning now to FIGS. 28 and 29, the oil pan 214 is illustrated and includes a bottom portion 270 and a peripheral wall or skirt portion 272. The peripheral wall portion 272 has a lower case-mating flange 274 provided on the top thereof which defines a lower case-mating surface 276. The baffle plate 216 is provided in the oil pan 214 supported on the peripheral wall portion 272, and is offset downwardly from the lower case-mating surface 276 toward the bottom portion 270. The baffle plate 216 has a strainer-adapted hole 278 formed therethrough for inserting the oil strainer 268 therethrough.
As illustrated in FIG. 20, in the engine 202, the crank chamber 218 is oriented in a plane perpendicular to the crankshaft axis is formed into a substantially trapezoidal shape by means of the block-side skirt sections 230 and the case-side skirt sections 252, both of which skirt sections are substantially planar-shaped. The crankshaft 210 and the lower ends of the connecting rods 220 are rotated in the crank chamber 218.
Examples of such a crank chamber structure are disclosed in published Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-276163, Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 2-103153, and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 3-122210.
According to above-mentioned Application No. 4-276163, a ladder frame structure is provided in which both ends of a plurality of shaft-supporting caps are successively arranged on side walls for supporting a crankshaft from below. The side walls mate with skirt portions of a cylinder block. The ladder frame structure is characterized by a linear-shaped connecting beam which is oriented in the axial direction of the crankshaft for connecting lower portions of the aforesaid caps together. The connecting beam consists of a single member.
According to above-mentioned Application No. 2-103153, a lower case structure is provided for covering lower portions of independent main bearing caps which cooperate with crank journals in a cylinder block. The lower case structure is characterized by a lower case which is fixed to the cylinder block by fixing bolts. The lower case includes the following: a mounting flange portion which is mountable on the cylinder block by being brought into contacting engagement with a lower edge of the cylinder block; an underside-supporting portion which is forced into impinging engagement with the underside of the main bearing cap; and a stomach portion positioned on the peripheries of rotational loci of a crank counterweight and a connecting rod. The stomach portion connects the mounting flange portion and the underside-supporting portion with one another. The stomach portion has a semi-circular shape in cross-section. Further, one of the aforesaid fixing bolts penetrates both the underside-supporting portion and the main bearing cap. The other of the fixing bolts is driven through the aforesaid mounting flange portion.
According to aforesaid Application No. 3-122210, a lower block is provided in which skirt portions and bearing cap portions are integrally combined together. The lower block is characterized by arcuate ribs which extend from the skirt portions for connecting between the bearing cap portions so as to be spaced from rotational loci of the crankshaft webs and the connecting rods. The lower block also has a return opening for return oil provided at a position of the rib where a fresh air-introducing passage for ventilating blow-by gas is absent, between the bearing cap portions around the lower run of crankshaft rotation.
Other examples of crank chamber structures are disclosed in published Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 6-29537 and Japanese Utility Model Application Laid-Open No. 1-113116.
According to above-mentioned Application No. 6-29537, an engine block having cylinders arranged in a V-shaped configuration is provided with upper and lower sections of a crank case. The lower section is provided with outer case walls which are opposed and parallel to each other. In addition, both ends of semi-cylindrical-shaped inner case walls are connected to the top of the outer case walls. The inner case walls extend along outlines of the connecting rods. As a result, a crank chamber is partitioned from an oil reservoir. Further, the inner case walls are provided with a plurality of passages which communicate with the oil reservoir.
According to aforesaid Application No. 1-113116, a slanted engine is provided in which bearing caps are coupled to a cylinder block, thereby supporting a crankshaft. The engine is characterized in that a curvilinear baffle plate and the bearing caps are integrally formed together between bearing portions of the bearing caps. The baffle plate is separated from an oil surface along rotational loci of the connecting rod and the crank weight. In addition, an oil return hole opens at an upper portion of the baffle plate. Further, a blow-by gas passage is punched at the upper portion of the baffle plate. The passage is positioned toward the oil pan rather than the baffle plate.
Attention is now directed to a construction of the crank chamber 218 of the engine 202 and, as illustrated in FIGS. 23-27, the lower case 212 has large openings 280 positioned between the opposed case-side skirt sections 252. The openings 280 are in communication with the oil pan 216. In addition, the oil pan-mating surfaces 260 are provided at the bottom of the skirt sections 252.
FIG. 30 illustrates another construction of the crank chamber 218, in which the cylinder block 204 is provided with block-side skirt sections 230 which have a substantially semi-cylindrical shape. The skirt sections 230 are directed in the axial direction of the crankshaft 210, and the lower case 212 is provided with case-side skirt sections 252 which have a substantially semi-cylindrical shape. The case-side skirt sections 252 mate with the block-side skirt sections 230, thereby forming a generally cylindrical-shaped crank chamber 218.
However, a problem with the lower case 212 illustrated in FIGS. 23-27 is that the openings 280 are so wide that the oil pan-mating surfaces 260 are enlarged. As a result, the cylinder block rib and the lower case 212 are reduced in rigidity and strength, although serving as a case which surrounds the crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods 220. This causes an inconvenience in that such reduced rigidity and strength is a source of vibratory noise which occurs when the engine is run.
A further problem with the planar-shaped skirt sections 230, 252 shown in FIGS. 21-27 as well as the cylindrical-shaped skirt sections 230, 252 shown in FIG. 30 is that a surface area of the case enclosing the crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods 220 is increased. This causes further inconveniences in that such an increased surface area involves increases in weight and cost, and further, since the planar shape is responsible for reduced rigidity and strength, such an increased surface area is the cause of vibratory noise when the engine 202 is run.
Further, since the planar-shaped skirt sections 230 and 252 illustrated in FIGS. 21-27 form the crank chamber 218 which opens downwardly in a substantially trapezoidal shape, such configuration is liable to disturb rotational wind produced from the crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods 220, both of which are rotated in the crank chamber 218. In addition, the cubic volume of gases in the crank chamber 218 increases. Thus, when the crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods 220 are rotated, the gases are thereby stirred up, which results in air resistance. Therefore, output loss from the engine 202 increases.
Since the crank chamber 218 opens downwardly in a substantially trapezoidal shape, a spray of oil splashed in the crank chamber 218 by respective rotations of the crankshaft 210 and connecting rods 220 is blown into the oil pan 214 through the openings 280 at high speeds. Then, another problem lies in that such oil is caused to impinge on the peripheral wall portion 270 or the baffle plate 216, thereby producing aeration. This brings about yet another inconvenience in that the amount of aeration in the oil, which oil is drawn from the oil strainer 268 and is thereafter conveyed to each section of the engine 202 by means of the oil pump 266, increases, thereby reducing the lubricating performance of the engine 202.
In the crank chamber 218, the spray of oil turns to oil mist. The oil mist is moved into the breather chamber 244 in the head cover 208 after flowing through the case-side blow-by gas passage 262, the block-side blow-by gas passage 236, and the head-side blow-by gas passage 242 in this order. In this case, as illustrated in FIG. 20, if the crank chamber 218 opens downwardly in a substantially trapezoidal shape, and further if a passage inlet 282 of the case-side blow-by gas passage 262 is positioned close to the oil pan 214, then an increased quantity of the oil mist is moved into the breather chamber 244. Then, still another inconvenience is that the breather chamber 244 must be made larger in cubic capacity, thereby increasing the height, weight, and cost of the engine 202.
Turning now to a construction of the crank chamber 218 illustrated in FIG. 30, the lower case 212 has wide openings 280 provided between the case-side skirt sections 252, which openings 280 communicate with an oil pan (not shown). Similarly to the above, this construction also causes inconveniences in that the reduced rigidity and strength as earlier mentioned contribute to vibratory noise when the engine 202 is run. Further, such splashed oil as previously described reduces the lubricating performance of the engine 202, with consequential increases in the height, weight, and cost of the engine 202.
As illustrated in FIGS. 23-27, the case-side journal sections 248 in the lower case 212 are connected at both ends thereof to the respective case-side skirt sections 252 by means of a pair of ribs 250. The journal section 248 is thereby integrally combined at both ends thereof with the block-mating sections 254 and the oil pan-mating sections 258. The former mating section 254 is positioned on the top of the skirt section 252, while the latter mating section 258 is located on the bottom of the skirt section 252. As a result, the case-side journal section 248 is supported at both ends thereof on the skirt sections 252, the block-mating sections 254, and the oil pan-mating sections 258, which sections 252, 254, and 258 are remote from the axis of the crankshaft 210. As a result, support in the axial direction of the crankshaft 210 is insufficient when the engine 202 is run. This causes an inconvenience in that the journal section 248 is deformed in the axial direction of the crankshaft 210, resulting in vibratory noise.
As illustrated in FIGS. 23-27, the lower case 212 is provided with the planar-shaped case-side skirt portions 252 which extend from the block-mating sections 254 to the oil pan-mating sections 258. The lower case 212 also has the wide openings 280 positioned between the skirt sections 252, which openings 280 communicate with the oil pan 214. Referring now to the lower case 212 as shown in FIG. 30, planar-shaped case-side outer skirt sections 284 are positioned in outward directions of the semi-cylindrical case-side skirt sections 252. The outer skirt sections 284 extend from the block-mating sections 254 to the oil pan-mating sections 258. In addition, the wide openings 280, which communicate with the oil pan 214, are provided between the case-side skirt sections 252.
In the lower case 212, the planar skirt section 252 extending between the mating sections 254 and 258 is thereby formed into a longitudinal face. Such longitudinal face is reduced in rigidity in a direction in which the longitudinal face is bent. Consequently, the skirt section 252 experiences greater deformations due to vibration incurred with operation of the engine 202. This causes inconveniences in that such vibrations are conducted to the oil pan 214, resulting in noise emission, or resulting in breakage of the baffle plate 216, depending upon the shape of the baffle plate 216.
In the lower case 212 shown in FIG. 30, the semi-cylindrical case-side skirt sections 252 and the planar case-side outer skirt sections 284 are connected together at the block-mating sections 254. As a result, two wall portions are formed adjacent to the block-mating sections 254. This creates a problem in that such wall portions are useless sections. Further, in the lower case 212 illustrated in FIG. 30, the skirt section 252 has an oil drop hole 286 provided therethrough. This causes an inconvenience in that the skirt section is reduced in rigidity, thereby emitting the vibratory noise.
As shown in FIG. 23, the lower case 212 has case-side mounting boss portions 290 arranged on the block-mating sections 254 for sealing block-adapted outer seal surfaces 288 of the block-mating surfaces 256. However, the seal surfaces 288 are provided so as to deviate from the axis which extends between the centers of the boss portions 290. In addition, the boss portions 290 are provided at respective positions spaced apart from the ribs 250. The ribs 250 support the journal sections 248 on the case-side skirt sections 252, the block-mating sections 254, and the oil pan-mating sections 258. As a result, an inconvenience arises in that the lower case-mating surfaces 234 of the cylinder block 204 and the block-mating surfaces 256 of the lower case 212 cannot be fitted together with sufficient surface pressure, resulting in a reduction in sealing performance, because the block-adapted outer seal surfaces 288 are displaced from the axis extending between the centers of the boss portions 290. A further inconvenience is that, when the engine 202 is run, then the mounting boss portions 290 permit transmission of vibration caused by the crankshaft 210 directly to the oil pan-mating sections 258 and the case-side skirt sections 252 from the case-side journal sections 248, resulting in the vibratory noise, because the boss portions 290 are not directly connected to the above-described ribs 250, but instead are spaced apart therefrom.
As shown in FIG. 25, in the lower case 212, a passage inlet 282 of the case-side blow-by gas passage 262 and a passage outlet 292 of the case-side oil drop passage 264 are positioned adjacent to the journal section 248, and are further oriented in a direction toward the oil pan 214 beneath the passages 282 and 292. As a result, oil falling from the oil drop passage 264 drops directly into the oil pan 214, and then collides therewith. Then, one problem is that oil mist and aeration are liable to occur. Further, blow-by gas containing a large amount of the oil mist near the crankshaft 210 is drawn from the inlet 282 of the oil drop passage 264, and then the oil mist is moved into the breather chamber 244 in large quantities. For this reason, the breather chamber 244 must be made larger in cubic volume. This causes an inconvenience due to an increase in the height, weight, and cost of the engine 202. Another inconvenience lies in that oil containing the aeration is drawn from the oil strainer 268, and then the aeration in the oil fed to each section of the engine 202 by means of the oil pump 266 increases in quantity, thereby reducing the lubricating performance of the engine 202.
Referring to FIG. 26, the lower case 212 has a strainer-mounting boss portion 294 positioned on the oil pan-mating surface 260. As illustrated in FIG. 27, the oil strainer 268 is directly mounted on the boss portion 294. In addition, a bracket-mounting boss portion 296 is provided on the oil pan-mating surface 260, and the oil strainer 268 is indirectly mounted on the bracket-mounting boss portion 296 through a strainer-adapted bracket 298. As a result, the oil strainer 268 experiences a large amount of deformation from the case-side journal section 248 because the oil strainer 268 is mounted on the journal section 248 which is subject to deformation due to vibration from the crankshaft 210 when the engine 202 is run. For this reason, the strength of the oil strainer 268 and the strainer-adapted bracket 298 must be increased, which causes another inconvenience of increased weight and cost.
As illustrated in FIGS. 28 and 29, the oil pan 214 has the baffle plate 216 mounted on the peripheral wall portion 272. The baffle plate 216 is positioned toward the bottom 270 rather than the lower case-mating surface 276. In addition, a strainer-adapted hole 278 opens through the baffle plate 216, through which the oil strainer 268 is inserted. As a result, there is an inconvenience in that the oil pan 214 requires a working process including mounting the baffle plate 216 on the oil pan 214, with a concomitant rise in cost of the oil pan 214. Further, since the strainer-adapted hole 278 which receives the oil strainer 278 is included on the baffle plate 216, then the oil dropping from the aforesaid hole 278 produces aeration near a strainer suction opening 300. This causes a further inconvenience in that the quantity of aeration in the oil increases, thereby reducing the lubricating performance of the engine 202.
Moreover, since the baffle plate 216 is mounted on the peripheral wall portion 272 so as to entirely cover the bottom 270 of the oil pan 214, this causes an inconvenience due to the increased dimension, weight, and cost of the baffle plate 216, and another inconvenience as a source of noise emission. Further, since the baffle plate 216 is mounted on the peripheral wall portion 272 at a position toward the bottom 270 rather than the lower case-mating surface 276, and is further spaced apart from the revolving crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods, then rotational wind from the crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods 220, both of which are rotated in the crank chamber 218, is subject to disturbance. In addition, gases in the crank chamber 218 are increased in cubic volume. Then, when the crankshaft 210 and the connecting rods 220 are rotated, the gases are thereby stirred up, which results in air resistance. This creates another inconvenience of increased output loss from the engine 202.


The present invention provides a system and apparatus for monitoring temperature and airflow from multiple sensors node for maintaining proper conditions within a refrigerated tractor-trailer unit or reefer. The system provides a mesh network of multiple sensors, which communicate between sensors and with a processing unit of a reefer unit for monitoring the condition of transported goods.

1. Field of the Present invention
The present invention relates to an advanced sensor architecture for use in refrigerated tractor trailer units ("reefers"). More specifically, the present invention relates to a mesh network of multiple sensors which communicate between sensors and with a processing unit of a reefer unit.
2. Description of Related Art
Heat energy can enter a closed container, like a trailer, in many ways. It can be conducted through trailer walls. It can flow around gaps in door openings or through cracked door seals. Heat can be conducted in through the trailer floor or out through the ceiling. A structural member or a steel bolt will act as a channel for heat if it passes through from outside to inside. Better reefer trailers have internal structures for rub-rails and E-tracks that are separated and insulated from the outside walls.
Other sources of heat are often the loads themselves. Exothermic foods such as chocolate ice cream, broccoli and beans will actually increase load temperature.
Mobile refrigeration units are designed to maintain, not change temperature. Reefers are not designed to chill down field loads from 100 degrees ambient temperature to 40 degrees storage temperature. They are designed to remove any increased heat and to keep product temperature stable.
Reefers also control humidity by condensing moisture from the air. To do these things, refrigeration units require four things: thermal integrity of the trailer to prevent the inflow of additional heat; sufficient BTU capacity to remove the expected amount of heat; sufficient airflow, measured in cubic feet per minute (cfm), to exchange the air inside a trailer about once every minute; and sufficient air velocity to move the air through the trailer and over and through the load.
The complex nature of reefer units creates frequent breakdowns which result in loss of products from spoilage. Recent research done by the University of Florida, in cooperation with the Florida and the U.S. Department of Agriculture, indicates that 46 percent of the drivers surveyed had loss claims, averaging one claim in a little over two years. Claims from high temperature, gases and humidity averaged more than $7,500. Yet, according to researchers, more than a third of drivers rarely or never check cargo temperatures before accepting a load, and more than half rarely or never use any recording thermometer to monitor the load in transit.
In theory, refrigerated loads come from temperature-controlled storage, spend no time on docks or in higher temperatures and the interior of a pre-cooled trailer maintains its temperature even when its doors are opened in the yard and the trailer is backed into its dock. In actuality, loads are often too warm when they are loaded, drivers don't shut their reefers off before opening doors and debris in the floor channels blocks airflow.
When a pre-cooled reefer operates with the doors open; warm, humid outside air is sucked in. The moisture hits the evaporator, which ices up. That cuts off cold airflow, while warm air fills the previously pre-cooled trailer. The same effect results when debris gets into return air passages, blocking the flow of cold air. The function of a refrigeration unit is to maintain the temperature of a load, which means removing heat from any sources, both from inside the load and outside. When cooling, the load is the warmer object, and the air surrounding the load is, or should be, cooler. That cooler air must be in contact with the load in order for it to remove heat energy. If the air does not flow then the temperature of the air in reefer unit will quickly reach the same temperature as the load. As the load warms up, so will the air. Then no cooling, not even temperature maintenance, will occur.
During the entire process of heating and cooling, the interior of the reefer is not actively monitored or managed. Further, all of the items within the reefer are treated the same and no record is kept for any single item being transported.

Apparatus for establishing a mesh network for reefer sensor architecture


A monitoring method and a monitoring device for a motor-driven door, wherein a stationary unit and a monitoring device mounted on the movable door communicate bidirectionally with one another, wherein data and/or signals of at least one door safety sensor are relayed to the stationary unit, and wherein a waking device is automatically wakened cyclically or is wakened by a vibration sensor and wakes the control device, which in turn wakes the transmitter/receiver and actively queries the stationary unit assigned individually to it as to whether the monitoring device must remain active or be switched back to a power-saving idle state.

The invention relates to a monitoring method and a stationary unit for a motor-driven door. In this connection the term door will be understood as any means with which a building or a site can be closed, and it includes, for example, sliding doors, rolling doors, sectional doors or swinging doors.
In particular, the invention relates to a method implemented by a battery-powered monitoring device mounted on the door leaf or door curtain, which device is intended for wireless data exchange via a bidirectional radio link with a stationary unit, and to a method for fail-safe and power-saving operation of the monitoring device.
From the prior art (DE 10302812 A1) there is known a monitoring device and a monitoring method for a motor-driven building closure, especially a door. This prior art door is equipped with a motor-drive group for driving a movable door wing and with a controlling device for control and monitoring of the movement of the wing. The controlling device comprises a first fixed electrotechnical unit and a second movable electrotechnical unit, which is mounted to ride on the wing and which can communicate with the fixed unit. A riding transmitter-receiver is provided on the wing next to the riding unit and a fixed transmitter-receiver is provided next to the fixed unit, whereby the two transmitter-receivers permit the two units to communicate wirelessly with one another. In this prior art door, the transmitter-receiver is capable of pulsed operation and the riding transmitter-receiver as well as the riding unit can be switched from a power-saving waiting state to an operating state. The riding transmitter-receiver is automatically controllable, in the sense that it repeatedly switches from a waiting state to the operating state and back to the waiting state, if during the operating state it has not detected an activating, uncoded signal from an optional fixed unit in the form of sufficiently high field strength.
This prior art device has the disadvantage that a plurality of doors cannot be operated simultaneously with this door controller. The transmitter-receiver of a first door switches automatically to an operating state. If it receives a signal with sufficiently high field strength, it remains active. In this way, it may happen that the transmitter-receivers of a plurality of doors mounted in parallel with one another remain active concurrently and thus consume power unnecessarily.
Further prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 5,412,297 A) is a closing-edge unit, which monitors a door for proper and obstruction-free closing. According to this prior art there is provided a vibration sensor, which senses the door movement and activates control electronics equipped with a microprocessor and a signal transmitter sufficiently long that it detects the door movement. After being wakened, the transmitter outputs a continuous first "heartbeat" signal. As soon as the closing-edge unit has detected an obstruction, it sends another heartbeat signal, which is different from the first heartbeat signal. If the door controller receives this second heartbeat signal or does not receive either of the two heartbeat signals, either the door movement is stopped or the door movement is reversed, until the door is completely open. The "heartbeat" signal is interrupted, for example, in the event of a defect of the closing-edge unit.
This prior art method has the disadvantage that, for flawless functioning, the vibration sensor must be exposed during the entire door movement to vibrations that are sufficiently strong that it can reliably detect the door movement. In the case of linear movement of a smoothly running door, this conceals the danger that the vibration sensor may misinterpret this condition as a stationary door, causing the first heartbeat signal to be turned off and in turn a malfunction. Certainly this problem could be avoided by using a vibration sensor with very high sensitivity. However, such a sensitive vibration sensor would have the disadvantage that the closing-edge unit would be wakened and fully activated whenever a vibration was sensed, thus causing normal power consumption. If the vibration sensor senses a signal, for example because strong wind is "shaking" the door, the entire electronics are wakened, and so the power consumption of this prior art device is relatively high. Furthermore, this device has the disadvantage that it cannot reliably distinguish whether the door is executing a closing movement or an opening movement. Under some circumstances, this causes the entire electronics to be awake, to transmit its "heartbeat" signal and thus to consume power even during the opening movement, in which monitoring is not necessary for many doors.
The cited disadvantages also apply to the prior art closing-edge unit according to U.S. Pat. No. 7,123,144 B2, since the closing-edge unit described therein also functions only in a manner dependent on detection of a door movement by a motion detector.
Also known from the prior art (US 2006/0028157 A1) is a device that sends out a "check signal" as soon as a pneumatic sensor is tripped by the fact that the door has encountered an obstacle. Stopping and reversing of the door are initiated on the basis of this "check signal", which is received by a door controller.
This prior art device has the disadvantage that it is decidedly unsafe, since the door controller cannot reliably determine whether it is capable at all of receiving the "check signal".

Monitoring method and stationary unit for a motor-driven door


Non-limiting examples of the present disclosure describe insight-based routing that is used to improve processing of a service request through a help desk service. A request for support (e.g. technical support) can be received through a modality of a help desk service. The request is evaluated, where an evaluation of the request comprises analyzing an issue associated with the request as well as user-specific signal data associated with a customer and generating insights. A support agent is matched to the customer based on an evaluation of the request. The support agent is selected from a pool of support agents based on application of a model that analyzes support agent data in correlation with the generated insights. An interaction between the matched support agent and the customer may be initiated through a modality of the help desk service.

The task of connecting agents and customer is not a simple one. Typically, agents of a help desk are unfamiliar with the customers they are helping and customers are unfamiliar with the agents who they are receiving assistance from. This can lead to inefficient processing during a help request as well as reduced customer satisfaction. Furthermore, agents may be unaware of a frustration level of a customer. For instance, recent poor customer service experiences may be a catalyst for the customer leaving a help desk service. As such, examples of the present application are directed to the general technical environment related to improving processing efficiency and customer satisfaction when routing communications through a help desk service, among other examples.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Insight based routing for help desk service