Methods and devices for harvesting veins from the body. The methods and devices allow vein harvesting using laparoscopic procedures. A working space is created over the vein using standard laparoscopic procedures and a side-hooked wire is inserted into the working space and twisted to insert the side-hook under the vein. The wire is then pulled or drawn along the vein to separate the vein from the surrounding tissue. In an alternative embodiment, vein separation is accomplished by threading a soft rubber tube under the vein, grasping the ends of the tube so as to surround the vein, and then pulling the tube along the vein. In other embodiments, the working space is created with everting balloons.

Numerous surgical procedures have been developed to replace arteries that have come blocked by disease. The aortocoronary bypass surgery is perhaps the most important of these bypass operations. The coronary arteries supply blood to the heart. As a result of aging and disease, coronary arteries may become blocked by plaque deposits, stenosis, or cholesterol. In some instances, these blockages can be treated with artherectomy, angioplasty or stent placement, and coronary bypass surgery is not required. Coronary bypass surgery is required when these other methods of treatment cannot be used or have failed to clear the blocked artery. In the coronary bypass surgery, a vein is harvested from elsewhere in the body and grafted into place between the aorta and the coronary artery beyond the point of blockage.
The coronary bypass surgery requires a length of vein or artery for the graft. It is preferred to use a vein taken from the patient undergoing the bypass surgery. The patient is a ready source of suitable veins that will not be rejected by the body after transplantation and grafting onto the aorta and coronary artery. The saphenous vein in the leg is the best substitute for small arteries such as the coronary arteries, and it is the preferred vein for use in coronary bypass surgery. This is because the saphenous vein is typically 3 to 5 mm in diameter, about the same size as the coronary arteries. Also, the venous system of the legs is sufficiently redundant so, that after removal of the saphenous vein, other veins that remain in the leg are adequate to provide adequate return blood flow. The cephalic vein in the arm is an alternative that is sometimes used.
In a typical operation previously required to harvest the saphenous vein, the surgeon cut into the leg to allow access to the saphenous vein and cut the vein from the leg. To expose the vein, the surgeon makes a series of incisions from the groin to the knee or the ankle leaving one or more skin bridges along the line of the incisions. (Some surgeons make one continuous incision from the groin to the knee or ankle). Handling of the vein must be kept to a minimum, but the vein must be removed from connective tissue that requires some force to remove. After exposing the vein, the surgeon grasps it with his fingers while stripping off the surrounding tissues with dissecting scissors or other scraping instruments. The surgeon uses his fingers and blunt dissection tools to pull and lift (or mobilize) the vein from the surrounding tissue. The vein is mobilized or pulled as far as possible through each incision. To reach under the skin bridges, the surgeon lifts the skin with retractors and digs the vein free. While stripping the vein, the surgeon will encounter the various tributary veins that feed into the saphenous vein. These tributaries must be ligated and divided. To divide and ligate tributaries that lie under the skin bridges, the surgeon may need to cut one end of the saphenous vein and pull it under the skin bridge to gently pull the vein out from under the skin bridge until the tributary is sufficiently exposed so that it may be ligated and divided. When the vein has been completely mobilized, the surgeon cuts the proximal and distal ends of the vein and removes the vein from the leg. After removal, the vein is prepared for implantation into the graft site, and the long incisions made in the leg are stitched closed.
The procedure described above can be used to harvest veins for a femoral popliteal bypass, in which an occluded femoral artery is bypassed from above the occlusion to the popliteal artery above or below the knee. The procedure can also be used to harvest veins for the revascularization of the superior mesenteric artery which supplies blood to the abdominal cavity and intestines. In this case, the harvested vein is inserted between the aorta to the distal and patent (unblocked) section of the mesenteric artery. For bypass grafts of the lower popliteal branches in the calf, the procedure can be used to harvest the umbilical vein. The harvested vein can also be used for a vein loop in the arm (for dialysis) between the cephalic vein and brachial artery. The procedures may be used also to harvest veins for femoral-tibial, femora-peroneal, aorto-femoral, and iliac-femoral bypass operations and any other bypass operation.
As can bee seen from the description of the harvesting operation, the harvesting operation is very traumatic in its own right. In the case of coronary artery bypass, this operation is carried out immediately before the open chest operation required to graft the harvested vein into the coronary arteries. The vein harvesting operation is often the most troublesome part of the operation. The long incisions created in the leg can be slow to heal and very painful. Complications resulting from the vein harvesting operation can also hinder the patient's recovery from the entire operation.
The method of vein harvesting presented herein is accomplished with endoscopic procedures. This allows the veins to be harvested in an operation that requires only a few small incisions. Endoscopic surgical techniques for operations such as gall bladder removal and hernia repair are now common. The surgeon performing the operation makes a few small incisions and inserts long tools, including forceps, scissors, and staplers into the incision and deep into the body. Viewing the tools through an endoscopic laparoscope, or a video display from the endoscope, the surgeon can perform all the cutting and suturing operations necessary for a wide variety of operations. The procedures are also referred to as laparoscopic surgery, minimally invasive surgery, or video-assisted surgery. References to endoscopic surgery and endoscopes below is intended to encompass all these fields, and all operations described below with reference to endoscopes can also be accomplished with laparoscopes, gastroscopes, and any other imaging devices which may be conveniently used.
Minimally invasive procedures for vein removal have been proposed. Knighton, Endoscope and Method for Vein Removal, U.S. Pat. No. 5,373,840 shows a method of cutting the saphenous vein at one end, and grasping the vein with graspers or forceps, then sliding a ring over the vein while holding it. Knighton uses a dissecting tool with an annular cutting ring, and requires that the saphenous vein be overrun or progressively surrounded with the dissecting tool and the endoscope, so that after the endoscope has been inserted as far as it will go, the entire dissected portion of the vein has been pulled in the lumen of the endoscope. As shown in FIGS. 1 and 10 of Knighton, the method requires deployment of the forceps inside the annular dissection loop, and it requires deployment of the loop and graspers inside the endoscope lumen. The blood vessel must be cut and grasped by the forceps before it can be dissected by the dissecting ring.
The method of vein harvesting presented below may use a balloon to assist in dissecting the harvested vein. An everted balloon stored inside a cannula or trocar may be inserted through one of the small incisions and inflated so that it everts out the end of the cannula and forces its way along the vein to create a tunnel. Endoscopic balloons have been used for retraction and dissecting in other applications, but not for dissection and tunneling for harvesting blood vessels. Kieturakis and Mollenauer, Apparatus and Method for Developing an Anatomic Space for Laparoscopic Hernia Repair, U.S. application Ser. No. 07/893,988 shows a balloon designed to separate the peritoneum from the overlying fascia (skin, fat, and connective tissue). This creates a working space for laparoscopic repair of hernias. The balloons described below provide additional features making it suitable for use in endoscopic or laparoscopic vein harvesting.
It is an object of the inventions presented herein to provide methods and devices for harvesting veins with a less traumatic operation than the operations presently used to harvest veins.

Methods and devices for blood vessel harvesting


A tool for removing, installing and storing of automobile lug nuts having a tubular body with a cavity able to house a plurality of lug nuts from at least one tire. The tool also having a means to retrieve said lug nuts from said tubular body comprising of a piston and pushing mechanism slidably affixed to the tubular body via a threaded rod and a slot. The tubular body having dual handles able to remove lug nuts without the need to remove the hexagonal tip from the lug nuts.

1. Field of the Invention
Generally, this invention is directed towards removing and storage of automobile lug nuts in an easy and quick fashion. More specifically, this invention relates to a socket tool having an elongated cavity for storage and a unique mechanism for removal of automobile lug nuts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
One of the problems noticed when changing a flat tire is the loss of automobile lug nuts during the process. These automobile lug nuts seem to have the unique ability to find the remotest location to hide from the person changing the tire. Much time and effort can be lost simply trying to find the lug nuts that have been accidently kicked around and lost.
Another problem notice when removing a flat or spare tire from an automobile is the inconvenient position the bottom lug nut tends to become. Lug wrenches need to be substantially long in order to give a person leverage to remove the tight lug nuts on automobiles. The lengthy lug wrenches tend to hit the ground when rotated while removing the lug nuts and thus need to be removed and reinserted onto the lug nuts at different angles to continue. This problem tends to happen frequently for the lug nuts in close proximity to the ground or bottom of the tire rim. This process is lengthy and time consuming especially for people not mechanically inclined.
Several approaches have been provided for the removal of lug nuts, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,609, "A socket wrench comprises a socket head having an opening for slidably receiving a nut and flange disposed at an opposite end of the opening and extending inwardly into the opening; a pipe having one end secured to the socket head; and a driver receptor secured to the other end of the pipe. The flange includes a central opening that is smaller than the inside diameter of the pipe and that communicates with the interior of the pipe, thereby permitting an end portion of a long bolt to extend into the interior of the pipe when a nut is screwed down along the bolt."
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,396,819, "A socket wrench has a rotatable cylindrical body with an elongated interior channel for storing a plurality of nuts. The channel has a nut opening at a first end for receiving and removing nuts from the channel. A longitudinally slidably and axially rotatable roller grip assembly is provided on the exterior of the body. The roller grip assembly is attached to an interior backplate that moves longitudinally within the body channel. the roller grip assembly allows an operator both to urge the stored nuts toward the nut opening of the wrench, eject the nuts from the chamber, and to hold the wrench while the body is rotating."
In the art taught by U.S. Pat. No. 3,855,883, "A nut retaining socket wrench device includes a tubular body member having a tool receiving socket at its proximate end and a nut engaging socket at its distal end. An axially movable plunger is coaxially supported within the body member and carries at its distal end a frustoconical resilient plastic plug for releasably engaging the bore of a nut engaged by the distal socket. The plunger is spring biased to position the plug proximate the outer end of the distal socket and is urged inwardly when a nut is tightened on a bolt by the end of the bolt."
While some of the prior art may contain some similarities relating to the present invention, none of them teach, suggest or include all of the advantages and unique features of a socket wrench for quickly removing and storing automobile lug nuts as the invention disclosed herein.
For the foregoing reasons, there is a need for device that can easily remove lower lug nuts and store them in an easy and fashion.

Tubular tool for removing, installing and storing of auto lug nuts


The invention relates to a composition comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, a system for screening out UV radiation, characterized in that it contains:

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The invention present relates to sunscreen compositions comprising, formulated into a cosmetically acceptable carrier, at least one system for screening out UV radiation, and containing:
(a) at least metal oxide mineral pigment, and
(b) at least one specific hydroxyalkylurea compound.
2. Description of Background and/or Related and/or Prior Art
It is well known that light radiation with wavelength of from 280 nm to 400 nm permits tanning of the human epidermis and that rays with wavelengths of from 280 to 320 nm, which are known as UV-B rays, cause skin burns and erythema that can harm the development of a natural tan; this UV-B radiation should therefore be screened out.
It is also known that UV-A rays, with wavelengths of from 320 to 400 nm, which cause tanning of the skin, are liable to induce an impairment in the skin, especially in the case of sensitive skin or skin that is continually exposed to solar radiation. UV-A rays in particular bring about a loss of elasticity of the skin and the appearance of wrinkles, leading to premature aging. They promote the triggering of the erythemal reaction or amplify this reaction in certain individuals and may even be the cause of phototoxic or photoallergic reactions. It is therefore desirable also to screen out UV-A radiation.
UV-A and UV-B rays should therefore be screened out, and cosmetic compositions for protecting the human epidermis containing UV-A- and UV-B-screening agents currently exist.
The UV-screening agents most commonly used are organic and soluble in oils or in aqueous media; they generally have, within their structure, a chromophore group linked to a solubilizing group, which is generally a fatty chain in the case of liposoluble UV-screening agents or else a carboxylic or sulfonic acid group in the case of water-soluble UV-screening agents.
Many cosmetic compositions intended for photoprotection of the skin have been proposed to date, and the use of metal oxide nanopigments, such as TiO2 nanopigments, in anti-sun products is increasingly common since they make it possible to obtain very high protection indices in combination with conventional UV-screening agents.
The anti-sun compositions are quite often in the form of an emulsion, of oil-in-water type (i.e., a cosmetically and/or dermatologically acceptable carrier consisting of a continuous aqueous dispersing phase and of a discontinuous fatty dispersed phase), or of water-in-oil type (aqueous phase dispersed in a continuous fatty phase), which contains, in varying concentrations, one or more conventional lipophilic organic screening agents and/or conventional hydrophilic organic screening agents capable of selectively absorbing the harmful UV radiation, these screening agents (and the amounts thereof being selected as a function of the desired sun protection factor, the sun protection factor (SPF) being expressed mathematically as the ratio of the dose of UV radiation required to reach the erythema-forming threshold with the UV-screening agent to the dose of the UV radiation required to reach the erythema-forming threshold without the UV-screening agent. In such emulsions, the hydrophilic screening agents are present in the aqueous phase and the lipophilic screening agents are present in the fatty phase.
One of the major drawbacks of the anti-sun compositions known to date that contain metal oxide, in particular titanium oxide, mineral pigments is that, once applied to the skin in the form of a film, they engender, on the latter, a whitening effect that is cosmetically undesirable and in general not very well liked by users. The higher the concentration of pigments in the composition, the more marked this effect is. In order to prevent this problem, it would, of course, be possible to use reduced amounts of pigments, but the resulting emulsions, which would admittedly result in an acceptable transparency on the skin, would then no longer offer suitable protection in the UV range, which greatly limits the advantage of such an operation.
Another difficulty lies in the fact that conventional anti-sun emulsions based on protective pigments produce, after application to the skin, an uneven, nonhomogeneous, or even coarse, distribution of the pigments on this skin, which may be harmful to the quality of the overall photoprotective effect. This poor pigment distribution that is observed at the surface of the skin is often linked to the fact that, in terms of the initial composition itself (before application), there is a substantial lack of homogeneity (poor dispersion of the pigment in its carrier).
The inclusion of titanium oxide pigments (Tioveil AQ) in a depigmenting lotion containing kojic dipalmitate has already been proposed. This formulation does not make it possible to remedy the technical problems mentioned above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Sunscreen compositions comprising metal oxide mineral pigments and hydroxyalkylurea compounds

Abstract: (a) at least metal oxide-based mineral pigments, and

Abstract: (b) at least one hydroxyalkylurea of formula (I) below:

Abstract: in which R1, R2, R3 and R4 each independently represent a hydrogen atom, a C1-C4 alkyl group or a C2-C6 hydroxy-alkyl group that may contain from 1 to 5 hydroxyl groups, at least one of the radicals R1-R4 representing a hydroxyalkyl group, and also a salt, solvate or isomer thereof, said composition containing no kojic dipalmitate.

Abstract: The invention also relates to the use of a hydroxyalkylurea of formula (I) in a composition comprising, in a cosmetically acceptable carrier, at least metal oxide-based mineral pigments, for reducing, or even eliminating, the whitening effect on the keratin material after application.


The process of rendering web pages can be significantly improved with a content delivery system that pre-renders web content for a client device. A web page “program” can be pre-executed and the result delivered to a requesting client device, rather than or before sending a traditional set of web page components, such as a markup language document, cascading style sheets, embedded objects. This pre-execution can relieve the client device of the burden of rendering the web page, saving resources and decreasing latency before the web page is ready, and can reduce the number of network requests that the client device must make before being able to display the page. Disclosed herein are methods, systems, and devices for creating and delivering pre-rendered web pages for accelerated browsing.

Technical Field
This application relates generally to distributed data processing systems and to the delivery of content to users over computer networks.
Brief Description of the Related Art
Websites are the front-end to online businesses, software-as-a-service platforms, enterprise software, web applications, media and entertainment, and other platforms, products, and services. The speed at which web pages load is of critical importance to content providers. If a page takes too long to load, end-users will have a negative experience, and may abandon the site, product, and/or service. Moreover, end-users' tolerance for delays in web page loading is decreasing.
A variety of technologies have been developed to improve website speed and reliability, including distributed computer systems known as content delivery networks (CDNs) which are typically operated and managed by service provider on behalf of participating content providers, who designate content to be delivered to end-users over the CDN infrastructure. The CDN typically comprises a set of content servers distributed around the Internet, along with command and control, logging, security and other infrastructure to facilitate and enhance the delivery of content.
The speed at which a web page loads is affected by the time it takes to retrieve content, as well as the time it takes to render the content in a browser or other application executing on the client device. A web page is composed of many different components—such as embedded images, style sheets, multimedia, AJAX, and other objects—that are referenced in a markup language document describing the overall page presentation characteristics, such as an HTML document. Typically, a client application retrieves each of these components and then, per the presentation instructions in the markup language document (and dynamically fired AJAX instructions), creates the page. In a sense, the markup language and components represent a program that the client application executes to paint a web page on the screen for a user. Retrieving the components takes time and is dependent on such factors as client-server distances and server load. Executing the web page "program" to render the page takes time and is dependent on such factors as client device CPU speed, available memory, interface speed and other processing constraints. As page functionality and complexity increases, along with the popularity of processing-constrained mobile devices, the execution of the "program" becomes particularly problematic.
The teachings hereof address the need to improve web page loading time, user experience, and related needs. The teachings hereof present technical changes and improvements to the function, operation, and performance of individual computers and distributed computing systems, such as content delivery networks, to achieve such ends. The teachings also provide other benefits and improvements that will become apparent in view of this disclosure.

Creation and delivery of pre-rendered web pages for accelerated browsing


Para-xylene is produced from a paraselective toluene disproportionation reactor, effluent is distilled to eliminate toluene and benzene in at least 2 distillation columns, and the xylenes are crystallized at least once at between +10.degree. C. and -30.degree. C. The separated mother liquor is adsorbed on a zeolitic sieve in the presence of toluene in a simulated moving bed. This latter produces a raffinate containing toluene which is depleted in para-xylene which is distilled in a distillation column, and an extract which is enriched in para-xylene and contains toluene, which is recycled. The para-xylene crystals are purified by washing with toluene and distillation or by partial melting followed by washing with molten high purity para-xylene.

The present invention concerns a process for the production and improved separation of aromatic C8 hydrocarbons from a feed which is rich in para-xylene, such as a C8 cut from the Mobil toluene disproportionation process.
It has long been recognized that certain zeolitic materials catalyse certain hydrocarbon conversions as described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 4,305,808. Particular hydrocarbon conversions which have been claimed are alkylation, transalkylation and disproportionation. Toluene disproportionation is claimed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,052,476; 4,007,231; 4,011,276; 4,016,219 and 4,029,716.
In their article in Oil and Gas Journal vol. 69, No 48 (1971), Grandio et al. describe a process for the disproportionation of toluene in the liquid phase using zeolitic catalysts in the absence of hydrogen.
It should be noted that in the first known processes, the composition of the xylenes obtained corresponds to the thermodynamic equilibrium at the operating temperature, namely 20% to 25% of p-xylene of the total of xylenes and ethylbenzene.
More recent patents, for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,380,685, describe alkylation, transalkylation and paraselective disproportionation of substituted aromatic compounds to form dialkylbenzenes. In the case of toluene disproportionation, the p-xylene concentration in the effluent produced exceeds the thermodynamic equilibrium. The catalyst used is based on zeolites characterized by a constraint index of 1 to 12, a silica/alumina ratio of at least 12/1 and comprising various metals and phosphorous; examples of the zeolites used are ZSM5, ZSM11, ZSM12 and ZSM35. Further, those catalysts must be treated to restrict diffusion of ortho- and meta-xylene through the pores of the crystal and to reduce re-isomerization of the p-xylene formed. This treatment essentially consists of precoking under well defined conditions which may be accompanied by addition of a small quantity of an oxide which is difficult to reduce (antimony, phosphorous, boron or magnesium), or by a surface treatment. Examples of methods for the preparation of such an effective catalyst are described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,173,461.
The process using those catalysts, termed the MSTDP process, has been described in two publications:
Selective toluene disproportionation process proven at Italian refinery, Gorra F., Breckenridge L. L., Guy W. M., Sailor R. A., Oil and Gas Journal Vol. 90, No. 41, 60-67 (1992) and in "Mobil's toluene to PX process proves itself", Mobil Research and Development Corp., European Chemical News Vol. 54, No. 1418 (1990).
These publications describe the production of xylenes containing 80-95% of p-xylene for a conversion of 30% of toluene per pass.
A number of patents claim this process and describe catalyst preparations. Examples are European patent EP 26,962; U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,260,843; 4,274,982; 4,908,342; 5,173,461; and WO 93/17987.
In all cases, the disproportionation effluent has a simplified composition of close to: 70% toluene--15% benzene--15% xylenes. The composition of the xylene fraction is 85% p-xylene, 15% o-+m-xylene and ethylbenzene.
The present invention relates to an improved process for the separation of a C8 aromatic mixture to obtain p-xylene of sufficient purity for the production, for example, of terephthalic acid. One known method for the separation of p-xylene from a C8 aromatic cut consists of carrying out fractional crystallization; examples of existing processes are those or Chevron, Krupp, Amoco, Maruzen and Arco U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,177,255 and 3,467,724). Those processes use the following procedure: the feed containing at least 20% of p-xylene is cooled to between 50.degree. C. and 70.degree. C. to cause crystallization, the crystals containing 85% to 90% of p-xylene and the mother liquors, 7% to 8%; the crystals are melted again and recrystallised at -10.degree. C. After filtering the crystals and washing with toluene, for example, 99.5% pure p-xylene is obtained.
A further method for the separation of p-xylene from an aromatic C8 mixture is the liquid chromatographic method termed a simulated counter-current method claimed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,985,589 which uses zeolites to selectively adsorb the p-xylene. The Parex and Aromax processes use this method or a simulated co-current method (U.S. Pat. No. 4,402,832).
The advantages and disadvantages of those processes have been widely studied and described for different cases.
The prior art is also illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,329,060 and EP-A-0 531 191 which describe a combination of adsorption, crystallization and isomerization steps for aromatic C8 cuts to produce very high purity para-xylene.
The peculiarity of the mixture obtained at the outlet from the paraselective disproportionation reactor in the MSTDP, after separation of the lighter hydrocarbons by distillation, is that it is particularly rich in p-xylene as it contains 75% to 85% of p-xylene.
This mixture can be treated in different ways:
1. High temperature crystallization
This means a temperature which is, for example, in the range +10.degree. C. to -25.degree. C. The yield of pure p-xylene is close to 83% when the concentration of p-xylene in the C8 cut in the effluent is 80 weight %. This yield is limited by the fact that the mother liquor still contains more than 40% of para-xylene due to the liquid-solid thermodynamic equilibrium.
2. Two-temperature crystallization
In this case, a first crystallization at a temperature in the range +10.degree. C. to -25.degree. C. leads to the production of pure para-xylene, the mother liquor is recrystallized at a lower temperature (-50.degree. C. to -70.degree. C.), the p-xylene-rich crystals are recycled to the feed to the first crystallization, the mother liquor from the second crystallization contains no more than about 10 weight % of p-xylene.
The global yield of para-xylene from the two-stage crystallization method for an initial feed of 80 weight % of para-xylene is about 97 weight %.
The disadvantage of this process is high energy consumption.

Production of para-xylene from an effluent from paraselective toluene disproportionation using a crystallization process combined with simulated moving bed adsorption


System, method and program for managing electronic sticky notes. At a first workstation, a user defines content of an electronic sticky and specifies one or more workstations to receive and display the electronic sticky note. The first workstation sends to a server, via one or more networks, a definition of the electronic sticky note and the specification of the one or more workstations to receive and display the electronic sticky note. The server sends a request, via one or more networks, to the one or more workstations to display the electronic sticky note. The request includes a definition of the electronic sticky note. The server can verify that the one or more workstations are currently on line and/or verify that the user is authorized to send the electronic sticky note to the one or more workstations.

Electronic sticky notes are well known today. For example, a Magic Notes program by Eskil Software and Jhoos Sticky Postit Notes1.0 program by Jhoos sticky Postit Notes allow a user to create electronic sticky notes. Electronic sticky notes resemble tangible paper stick-on notes, although electronic sticky notes are displayed on a computer screen. Typically there is a reminder message printed on the electronic sticky note, such as a "Pick up the kids" or "Prepare report on productivity". The user enters text for the electronic sticky note through his or her workstation (where the electronic sticky note application executes), and the electronic sticky note appears on the computer screen of the same workstation where it was created. The electronic sticky note can appear in the "desktop" display or on top of another window in the display, as specified by the person who created the electronic sticky note. Generally, electronic sticky notes are personal reminders to the person who created them.
Other types of messages are also known. For example, instant messaging such as Microsoft Instant Messager program and IBM Sametime program are known to create "chat" sessions. One person at a workstation initially specifies a group of people by name who are invited to a chat session or can select an icon representing a predefined group of such people. For example, the user defines a group of instant messaging "buddies" in a list at a client workstation. The members often make up a group when the client connects to the instant messaging server. The server keeps track of the participants of each chat session. For example, the server returns status information (online, available, etc.) for each member. When the person types a message on his or her workstation, it appears in a chat session window on his or her workstation, and the workstation also sends it to the server with an identity of the originator of the message and the identity of the group of people in the chat session. In response, the server identifies the other members/participants of the group. Then, the server sends the message to the instant messaging clients on the workstations of the other members/participants in the group where the message appears on the display screens of these other workstations. This occurs in near real time. Upon receipt, the workstation of each member/participant displays in a chat session window the message sent by the originator along with the identity of the originator. Unlike, electronic sticky notes, instant messaging is a live, typically two-way communication between the participants. Generally, the sender of the instant message expects an instant message response or some other form of acknowledgment from the recipient.
Electronic mail or "e-mail" is also well known. A person creates text for an e-mail at his or her workstation, and specifies one or more recipients by their e-mail addresses. The person then "sends" the e-mail, and it proceeds to an Internet Service Provider which identifies the Internet Protocol addresses of the recipients. The ISP then forwards the e-mail to each recipient, and it proceeds through routers, network switches, firewalls, and/or other ISPs to the intended recipients. At the recipient's workstation, there is a note that the e-mail is waiting to be read, and the recipient can then request the e-mail from his or her ISP.
An object of the present invention is to improve usefulness and versatility of "electronic sticky notes".

International Business Machines Corporation


An optical reception circuit and an identification level controlling method for an optical reception circuit are disclosed wherein reception sensitivity degradation arising from transmission waveform degradation by chromatic dispersion can be suppressed. The optical reception circuit includes a photoelectric converter for converting reception light into an electric signal, a pre-amplifying unit for amplifying the electric signal, a main amplifier for amplifying an output of the pre-amplifying unit, a monitor for monitoring the output of the pre-amplifying unit, and a controller for controlling an identification level in the main amplifier based on an output of the monitor. The monitor includes a limiter amplifier for amplifying the output of the pre-amplifying unit, and an average value detector for detecting a time average value of an output amplitude of the limiter amplifier.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical reception circuit and a controlling method for the same, and particularly to a technique suitable for the improvement, for example, in the reception sensitivity characteristic of an optical receiver used for optical communication.
2) Description of the Related Art
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a configuration of essential part (main signal unit) of an optical receiver. The optical receiver (main signal unit 100) shown in FIG. 11 includes a photoelectric converter 110 having a light reception device 111 such as an avalanche photodiode (APD), a pre-amplifying unit 120 having a preamplifier (output differential amplifier) 121, and a main amplifier 130 having a limiter amplifier (differential amplifier) 131. In the optical receiver (main signal unit 100), light received by the light reception device 111 is converted into a current signal corresponding to a light amount (light intensity) of the received light. Then, the current signal is converted into a voltage signal of a value corresponding to that of the current signal and amplified to a required voltage level by the preamplifier 121. The amplified voltage signal is outputted as a differential voltage signal from a non-negated (positive phase) output terminal and a negated (negative phase) output terminal of the preamplifier 121 to the limiter amplifier 131.
In the limiter amplifier 131, the reference voltage (identification voltage) is adjusted (fixed) to a time average value (that is, identification level=50%) of the amplitude of the differential voltage signal (bipolar sign) so that the limiter amplifier 131 identifies and regenerates the data. In other words, a magnitude comparison result between the reference voltage and an input voltage signal is outputted as a data identification result.
Incidentally, the amplitude of the output voltage of the amplifiers 121 and 131 in the optical receiver is likely to be varied by dispersion in fabrication or an operation condition (temperature variation and so forth) of them. Therefore, it is preferable to automatically control the identification level to the time average value of the amplitude of the differential voltage signal. Therefore, also a technique is known wherein, for example, as shown in FIG. 12, an identification level controller 140 is provided so that the reference voltage for the limiter amplifier 131 is automatically adjusted (controlled) to the time average value of the amplitude. The automatic adjustment is implemented, for example, by monitoring the output voltage of the limiter amplifier 131.
It is to be noted that, as another known technique, a technique proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 9-270755 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 1) is available. The technique relates to an automatic threshold value controlling circuit used in an optical reception apparatus, and it is an object of the technique that, even if an offset voltage for malfunction prevention is applied, a threshold value voltage (which corresponds to the reference voltage mentioned hereinabove) is controlled to a time average value of the amplitude of reception data so that, even if the duty ratio of the reception data is degraded by a non-linear characteristic of a preamplifier, the degraded duty ratio can be corrected.
To this end, in the technique disclosed in Patent Document 1, where the amplitude of the reception data is in a linear region of the preamplifier, the identification voltage is controlled to the time average value of the amplitude of the reception data. However, where the amplitude of the reception data is in a non-linear region of the preamplifier, the identification voltage is controlled so as to be higher than the time average value of the amplitude of the reception data.
Also a technique proposed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. HEI 6-310967 (hereinafter referred to as Patent Document 2) is available as a further known technique.
This technique relates to an identification level controlling method for a system wherein the reception signal level in burst reception or the like varies by a great amount in time. In such a system as just described, it is necessary to control the identification level dynamically depending upon the reception signal level. Therefore, the system includes a peak detection circuit for detecting a peak level of a reception signal and a bottom detection circuit for detecting a bottom level of the reception signal, and outputs a substantially middle value between a peak value and a bottom value as a threshold value.
As a result of increase of data traffic in recent years, high-speed and great capacity communication is essentially required. Construction of a great capacity photonic network using high density wavelength division multiplexing (Dense Wavelength Division Multiplexing) is proceeding. The form of a network varies from a point-to-point type to a ring or mesh type, and a complicated configuration is applied wherein the path and the transmission distance differ depending upon the wavelength. If the transmission distance differs, then also the influence of chromatic dispersion on the transmission light differs.
For example, the optimum identification level differs in response to the chromatic dispersion amount as seen in FIG. 5. It can be recognized that, where the identification level is fixed to 50%, the BER degrades significantly from 1E-12 to 1E-6 at a positive dispersion of 1,600 ps/nm. Therefore, in an optical receiver, it is necessary to absorb the influence of the chromatic dispersion so as to satisfy a desired reception sensitivity characteristic. However, while various controlling methods of an identification level including the techniques disclosed in Patent Documents 1 and 2 have been proposed as a countermeasure for improving the reception sensitivity characteristic of an optical receiver, a method for suppressing degradation of the reception sensitivity caused by an influence of chromatic dispersion has not been proposed as yet.

Optical reception circuit and identification level controlling method for the same


The invention relates to a means of deterring the theft of the medallion of a vehicle hood ornament. By substituting for the wire clip of the conventional hood ornament assembly a protective sleeve in which is contained a cotter pin having its upper portion or head heat treated to harden it, the assembly provides substantial resistance to the medallion being manually pulled out of the mounting base to expose any portion of the cotter pin. If the cotter pin is exposed, the hardened steel head portion and protective sleeve resist cutting by ordinary hand tools.

This relates to a guarded vehicle ornament that prevents or deters the theft of the hood ornament.
In more recent years, the automobile manufacturers for safety reasons have designed the hood ornaments so that the ornament will give without breaking if it strikes any object. It is known in the art that many of these vehicle hood ornaments are thus retained in place within a mounting assembly by means of a wire clip positioned within a helical spring with the end of the clip bent over the end of the spring. This arrangement allows the hood ornament to be pushed forwardly or backwardly after which it will return to its original position upright position without breaking and without injury to any person that comes into contact with the ornament. Unfortunately, this mounting assembly also allows the ornament to be pulled upwardly from of its mounting base by compressing the helical spring and exposing the head of the wire clip which can then be rather easily cut by wire cutters or other means and the hood ornament removed. Thus, these hood ornaments, especially those for "luxury cars", are favorite items for theft, especially by vandals who use the medallion portion of the ornament to make pendants, bracelets, etc. Due to the ease by which hood ornaments can be taken, and the expense of replacing the entire assembly that includes the medallion, there exists a need to more securely attach the hood ornament to prevent its unauthorized removal while still allowing the ornament to yield for safety reasons if it strikes an object or person.


An output circuit for semiconductor integrated circuit includes control means. It receives an input signal, a reference signal, and a control signal, each having first and second states. When both reference and control signals are in their first state, the control means provides a signal in accordance with the input signal. Output means develops an output signal according to the state of the signal developed by the control means. The timing at which the control signal is placed in its first state is delayed relative to the reference signal in its first state. The time of delay is controlled to change the timing of occurrence of the output signal from the output means.

The present invention relates to an output circuit disposed within a semiconductor integrated circuit device, for outputting signals from other circuits within the integrated circuit device.
An example of conventional output circuits for a semiconductor integrated circuit device is shown in FIG. 1. The output circuit 1 comprises an output section 101 and a control section 102. The output section 101 includes a P-type MOSFET 5 and an N-type MOSFET 6 whose conduction paths are connected in series between a voltage supply +V.sub.cc and a point of ground potential. The junction of the conduction paths of the MOSFET's 5 and 6 provides an output node N1. The control section 102 comprises a NAND circuit 3 which has its output coupled to the gate of P-type MOSFET 5, and a NOR circuit 4 which has its output coupled to the gate of N-type MOSFET 6. An output control signal OE and an input signal O are supplied to NAND circuit 3, and an inverted version of the output control signal OE from an inverter 2 and the input signal O are supplied to NOR circuit 4. Output control signal OE and the input signal O are produced by other circuits within the semiconductor circuit device in which the output circuit 1 is disposed.
When output control signal OE is at a low (L) level, output node N1 exhibits a high impedance state, and when the output control signal OE is at a high (H) level, an output signal DO is developed at the same level as the input signal O, at the output node N1.
More specifically, when the output control signal OE is at the L level, the output signal from NAND circuit 3 is at the H level and, therefore, P-type MOSFET 5 is non-conductive, regardless of whether input signal O is at the H level or at the L level. At the same time, since an H level signal resulting from inverting the L level output control signal OE in the inverter 2 is applied to NOR circuit 4, the output signal from NOR circuit 4 is at the L level and, therefore, N-type MOSFET 6 is also non-conductive, regardless of whether the input signal O is at the H level or at the L level. Accordingly, a high impedance state is exhibited at output node N1.
Next, let it be assumed that the output control signal OE is at the H level and the input signal O is also at the H level. The output signal from the NAND circuit 3, to which both the output control signal OE and the input signal O are applied, is at the L level and, therefore, P-type MOSFET 5 is turned on. NOR circuit 4 receives the inverted version of the H level output control signal OE, which is at the L level, and the input signal O at the H level, and, accordingly, develops an output signal at the L level. Therefore, N-type MOSFET 6 is non-conductive. As a result, output node N1 is placed at the H level which is the same level as input signal O.
When the output control signal OE is at the H level and input signal O is at the L level, NAND circuit 3 develops an output signal at the H level and, therefore, P-type MOSFET 5 is non-conductive. NOR circuit 4 receives an L-level signal, which is the inverted version of the H level output control signal OE, and the L level input signal O. Accordingly, the output of NOR circuit 4 is at the H level so that N-type MOSFET 6 is conductive. Consequently, output node N1 is at the L level same as output signal O.
A circuit board 103 shown in FIG. 2 contains semiconductor integrated circuits 9 and 10 which may be a processor and a co-processor. Semiconductor integrated circuit 9 includes a logic circuit 7 and an output circuit 110, and semiconductor integrated circuit 10 includes a logic circuit 8 and an output circuit 120. The output circuit shown in FIG. 1 may serve as output circuits 110 and 120.
Logic circuit 7 includes a latch circuit 72 which couples a signal DO2 from output circuit 120 of semiconductor circuit 10 to a logic gate 71 when a H level clock signal C.sub.1 is applied to latch circuit 72 from a clock signal generating circuit (not shown). Latch circuit 72 latches signal DO2 from output circuit 120 at the falling edge of clock signal C.sub.1. Logic gate 71 performs an arithmetic operation on the signal applied thereto, and couples the result of the arithmetic operation to a latch circuit 73. Latch circuit 73 receives a clock signal c.sub.2 from the clock signal generating circuit (not shown), and couples the output form logic gate 71 to a logic gate 74 when clock signal C.sub.2 is at its H level. Latch circuit 73 latches the output from the logic gate 71 at the falling edge of the clock signal C.sub.2. The logic gate 74 performs an arithmetic operation on the signal from the latch circuit 73 and couples the operation result to the output circuit 110 as an input signal 01 in synchronization with the rising edge of clock signal C.sub. 2. The logic circuit 7 also includes an output control signal generating circuit 75. When logic gate 74 is ready for providing the arithmetic operation result, the output control signal generating circuit 75 provides a H-level output control signal OE1 to output circuit 110 in synchronization with a rising edge of the clock signal C.sub.2. After coupling the operation result from logic gate 71, output control signal generating circuit 75 restores output control signal OE1 to the L level in synchronization with the rising edge of clock signal C.sub.2. (See FIGS. 3b and 3d.) Thus, output circuit 110 produces an output signal DO1 at the same level as the output signal 01 of the logic gate 74.
Similar to the logic circuit 7, the logic circuit 8 also includes a latch circuit 81, a logic gate 82, a latch circuit 83, a logic gate 84, and an output control signal generating circuit 85, and operates in a similar manner to logic circuit 7. Respective component circuits of logic circuit 8 develop signals similar to those which are generated by the corresponding component circuits of logic circuit 7.
Latch circuit 72, of the logic circuit 7, is coupled to output circuit 120 via a line 121 on board 103, and latch circuit 81 of logic circuit 8 is coupled to output circuit 110 via a line 122 on board 103.
For the correct operation of the semiconductor integrated circuits 9 and 10, a time period T.sub.0 between the rising edge of the output control signal OE1, or the output control signal OE2 (from the output control signal generating circuit 85), and the occurrence of the output signal DO1, or the output signal DO2 (from output circuit 120), must be within a time period T.sub.1 extending between the rising edge of clock signal C.sub.2 and the falling edge of clock signal C.sub.1, which occurs after the rising edge of signal C.sub.2. In semiconductor integrated circuit 9, for example, the input signal 01, applied to the output circuit 110, is the result of the arithmetic operation performed by the logic gate 74 on the output of the latch circuit 73. Latch circuit 73 couples the result of the arithmetic operation performed by the logic gate 71 to the logic gate 74 in synchronization with the rising edge of clock signal C.sub.2. Input signal 01 appears as output signal DO1 through output circuit 110. Accordingly, when the output control signal OE1 occurs in synchronization with the rising edge of clock signal C.sub.2, there is a delay between the rising edge of the output control signal OE1 and the occurrence of the output signal DO1. The delay is provided by logic gate 74 and output circuit 110. If logic gate 74 provides a longer delay and, accordingly, input signal 01 and output signal DO1 are developed after clock signal C.sub.1 changes to the L level, as indicated by dash-and-dot lines in FIGS. 3c and 3e, the output signal DO1 from output circuit 110 is not latched properly.
Accordingly, it is necessary to choose and place on circuit board 103 semiconductor integrated circuits 9 and 10 that can produce output signals DO1 and DO2 within time period T.sub.1.
A reference time period is used for the selection of semiconductor integrated circuits suitable for use as circuits 9 and 10. This reference time period is such that if the output signals DO1 and DO2 are generated within the reference time period, those semiconductor integrated circuits which generate such output signals are judged to be acceptable, whereas those semiconductor integrated circuits which do not generate the output signals DO1 or DO2 within the reference time period are rejected. The reference time period is obtained by simulating circuits 9 and 10, and an arrangement and interconnections of semiconductor integrated circuits on circuit board 103.
It is difficult, however, to produce characteristic models of transistors in semiconductor integrated circuits 9, 10 and of signal transmission paths. Therefore, the precision of the simulated reference time period for selection is low. Accordingly, the reference time period used for selection of suitable semiconductor integrated circuits is formulated by adding a margin of error to the simulated or calculated reference time period. This produces such tight tolerances such that even acceptable semiconductor integrated circuits may be unnecessarily rejected.

Output circuit with output enabling inputs


Disclosed is a display and dispensing lottery ticket dispenser designed to be attached in a side-by-side relationship with a similar type dispenser. More particularly, this invention relates to a lottery ticket dispenser that has side engagement members for attaching two dispensers together.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a display and dispensing lottery ticket dispenser designed to be attached in a side-by-side relationship with a similar type dispenser. More particularly, this invention relates to a lottery ticket dispenser that has side engagement members for attaching two dispensers together.
Description of the Prior Art
The use of modular-like structures for displaying and dispensing lottery tickets has long been known in the art. Normally, when a number of such dispensers are located together at a point of sale location, they are arranged in a stacked arrangement with one dispenser being stacked on top of another in a locked relationship as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,399,005 issued to Schafer on Mar. 21, 1995.
The stacking and locking features of the Schafer invention have proven to be highly popular and successful in utilization with modular ticket dispensing structures to form a stacked arrangement, but such invention is not applicable for fastening such dispensers in a side-by-side relationship so that two adjacent stacks of dispensers can be affixed to one another. Accordingly, there has been a need in the industry for the provision of a means for attaching two ticket dispensers together in a side-by-side relationship.
One solution that has been developed for meeting the above attachment need is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,717,256 B1 issued to Jensen. The Jensen invention discloses the use of a coupling plate that is located between two adjacent dispensers for serving as a connecting structure for the adjacent dispensers. Although the Jensen invention provides a means for attaching two adjacent dispensers together in a side-by-side relationship, it is preferable for simplicity purposes to eliminate the engagement member disclosed in Jensen. Another type of engagement structure for forming a side-by-side relationship of two lottery ticket dispensers is disclosed in U.S. patent application. Ser. No. 14/345,359 filed in the name of Barrett et al. Disclosed in such application is the use of a lottery ticket dispenser that includes a pair of projecting nodes on one side of the dispenser that are meant to engage slots in the sidewall of an adjacent unit to attach the two dispensing units together in a side-by-side relationship. Although the Barrett et al. structure appears to disclose a means for attaching two adjacent dispensers together there still appears to be a need for an improved structure that provides a reliable and simplified means for serving as a connecting means between two adjacent dispensers.

Lottery ticket dispenser with side-by-side engaging members


A device and method of clock synchronization for external memory interface. The device, and method, generating a clock output from a phase lock loop block via a sub-module clocking component; multiplexing the clock output through a global clock into different clock domains; clocking the data and an address or a command path by each clock domain; clocking the phase compensation FIFO by clock domain and clock phase alignment clock; generating the pointer for the phase compensation FIFO from central pointer generator block; and synchronizing the pointer of the adjacent intellectual property module with a parent intellectual property module.

Advances in integrated circuit design and manufacturing have brought about significant benefits in today's electronics. Faster and denser circuits with ever increasing functionality are now feasible. Along with these positive developments, many challenges arise. The miniaturization of integrated circuits has made it feasible to place an entire system on a chip. The system on a chip designs present challenges, such as signal integrity, power distribution and dissipation, as well as clock signal distribution and synchronization. System-on-chip (SoC) designs have different intellectual property (IP) blocks that operate on independent clocks and signals crossing the clock domains could experience errors and the single clock synchronization is difficult to achieve.
U.S. Ser. No. 10/528,513 B1 discloses an integrated circuit comprises programmable resources; a plurality of hard blocks; and a programmable connector coupled to the programmable resources, the plurality of hard blocks; wherein the programmable connector is configurable to route signals between a first hard block and a second hard block in a first mode of operation and to route signals.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,388,795B1 discloses a memory controller includes a phase locked loop (PLL) to generate a differential reference clock and a first clocking component coupled to the PLL. The first clocking component includes a first delay locked loop (DLL) to receive the reference clock and to generate transmit and receive delay de-skew clock signals, a first set of phase interpolators to provide data transmit de-skewing and a first set of slave delay lines to provide data receive de-skewing.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,352,774B2 discloses an inter-clock domain data transfer FIFO circuit provides a circuit that transfers data between two clock domains of unrelated frequencies. The gate count is kept relatively low, thereby allowing data transfer between the two clock domains at one data item per cycle of the lower of the two frequencies. Depending on the frequency difference between the data producer and consumer, the initial latency could be as low as a fraction of a cycle and no more than two cycles of the consumer's clock. The operation of the data transfer FIFO circuit has been verified using gate-level simulations for several ratios of clock frequencies.
The aforementioned references may strive to provide clocking system on a functional chip. Nevertheless, they have a number of limitations and shortcomings.
For instance, the clocking system in the aforementioned references only use full-rate clocks or double frequency clocks to generate double data rate (DDR) transfers. Furthermore, the aforementioned references typically use free-running phase compensation FIFOs that requires additional logic and queues to handle backpressure at the host interface.
Accordingly, there remains a need to have an improved clocking system for supporting stitching of a plurality of intellectual property (IP) module to operate as a single wide interface on a silicon die.

Clocking system and a method of clock synchronization


This document presents a communication scheme for use in a wireless network utilizing a fragmented frequency spectrum and supporting dynamic radio carrier allocation. At least two radio carriers on non-contiguous frequency channels are allocated for use in communication with a network element of the wireless network, and one of the allocated radio carriers is commonly used by all client stations communicating with the network element.

Modern wireless telecommunication systems aim to efficient utilization of the available frequency spectrum so as to maximize capacity and throughput. Multiple systems or sub-systems may even be allocated to share a common frequency band which is shared in a dynamic manner between the systems. Such a spectrum utilization may result in a fragmented frequency spectrum, where free frequency channels available for a network element of one of the systems are scattered with reserved frequency channels being allocated between the available frequency bands.


A system and method for detecting an intruder into an area to be guarded is provided. The system includes a plurality of detection units, each of the plurality of detection units having at least one infrared sensor and having a first field of view external to and directed generally along the perimeter, and located within the area to be guarded. The infrared sensor may be a passive sensor. The detection units include a camera for recording intrusion within a second field of view and a controller. The controller is responsive to output of the infrared sensor, for determining when an intruder has entered the first field of view, whereupon an operator activates the camera.

Systems for protecting guarded areas and detecting intruders are known in the art. One example of a intruder detection system is an electrical or electronic fence which provides an alarm whenever there is an intrusion, since such a change indicates that the fence has been touched. Such systems only detect intrusion when the intruder enters or is about to cross a boundary or a guarded perimeter.
Various existing security systems are discussed in pages 33-41 of an article entitled "Was kann man erwarten--was ist zu beacten?" by Bernd Bull , published in vol 19, no 4 of the "Protector", September 1991 in Zurich.
Other detection systems use cameras which continually view the secured area. Any change in the view is visible to an operator providing he is continuously watching the screen. Such systems allow the operator to distinguish between the actual view and a pre-recorded view. Furthermore, the cameras need to be switched on all the time and during the hours of darkness require relatively expensive lighting or special night cameras.
Other detection systems actively search for intruders by continually scanning the area to be guarded. One example of a scanning system seeks to detect objects which are not among the known objects of the background or movement at a significant rate. If an intruder has been detected, the scanning systems typically track the location of the intruder.
Japanese Patent No. A 8055286 to Kawamoto Yuichi describes an active infra-red sensor device using a plurality of sensor poles so that the infrared rays emitted by the infrared light source of one sensor pole are detected by the next sensor pole. A disadvantage of active infra-red sensor devices is that they can only detect objects which break the beam emitted by the infrared light source between the transmitting and receiving sensor poles. Thus, to detect objects outside a perimeter boundary, the sensor poles also need to located outside.

System and method for detecting an intruder

State of Israel/Ministry of Defense Armament Development Authority - Rafael


An improved cam shaft configuration for internal combustion engines is provided wherein the oil is efficiently diverted from the camshaft cap to adjacent camshaft lobes. A reorientation of the camshaft oil diverter improves the distribution and increases the quantity of oil flow without building in additional oil passages to supply oil to cams, that would introduce additional expense without substantially alleviating existing prior art lubrication deficiency problems. The invention obviates the known prior art configurations that suffer from the drawback of insufficient distribution of lubricating oil to adjacent camshaft lobes that is effected by oil diverter configurations.

A typical concern with valve train lubrication in internal combustion engines is assuring the furnishing of an adequate supply of oil on the cam lobes while the engine is operating at all engine conditions. When the camshaft, particularly in an overhead cam engine, is operating, it is critical that the cam lobes are well lubricated. Lubricating is typically done using the engine oil. Without adequate oil supply to the cam lobes, components can overheat and fail. Accordingly, an adequate supply of oil to lubricate the lobes is critical to an engine under all operating conditions and engine speeds, including low engine speeds.
An example of one current method of supplying oil is to allow oil to bleed off out of top holes in lash adjusters through holes in roller finger followers. The oil then flows by gravity along the top surface of the body of the roller finger follower toward the areas in need of lubrication. While this works acceptably for some geometries of cam and roller configurations, oil does not always flow properly for all configurations.
A difficulty occurs with those geometries of overhead cam engines when one of the two sets of valves is located above all but the valve contacting tip portion of the roller finger followers such that gravitational force will cause the oil to flow away from rather than toward the critical areas in need of lubrication. In other words, the oil will flow off of the roller finger follower and down to the tappet gallery floor, thus providing no lubrication to the cam lobes and roller of the roller finger follower.
Some attempted solutions to this problem include adding extra oil passages around the cams to supply oil directly to the cam lobes, at the added cost, added for weight for additional parts and loss of oil pressure in the overall system; or by adding parts that force oil to be sprayed onto the cams at the expense of additional parts and the resultant loss of oil pressure in the overall oil system. A prior art attempt to remedy the inadequacy in a 90 degree V-type automotive engine was found to divert an insufficient quantity of oil, to the camshaft lobe. Thus, a need exists for an oiling mechanism that will assure adequate oil supply to the cam lobes at all engine speeds while not losing oil pressure or adding significant cost increases.

Vertically oriented camshaft cap oil diverter


Disclosed is a cellular communication system in which each of terminals communicates with a host device through one of subordinate devices of which the terminal is placed in the service area, wherein the host device and the subordinate devices are connected in series through dedicated lines, the host device determines the channel capacities and corresponding counts of time slots for the subordinate devices in accordance with the traffics of the subordinate devices, the channel capacities are transmitted from the host device to the subordinate devices through prescribed time slots of the dedicated lines, and the subordinate devices communicate with the host device in the time slots determined by the channel capacities.

1, Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cellular communication system which comprises a host device, plural subordinate devices, and plural terminals and particularly, to the cellular communication system in which each terminal communicates with the host device through the subordinate device of which the terminal is placed in the service area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 3 shows a block diagram showing a conventional cellular communication system. In FIG. 3, reference numeral 101 represents a host device which has four interfaces for communicating with subordinate devices. Reference numerals 102, 103, 104, and 105 represent subordinate devices which are connected with host device 101 through dedicated lines 110, 111, 112 and 113 in a star configuration, respectively. Reference numerals 120 to 125 represent terminals which communicate with host device 101 through subordinate devices 102 to 105.
The cellular communication system is one of data relay systems. In the cellular communication system, host device 101 dynamically assigns one of subordinate devices 102 to 105 to each of terminals 120 to 125 in order to keep communication quality best. For example, host device 101 gives terminal 120 the instruction to communicate through subordinate device 102 when terminal 120 is placed in the service area of subordinate device 102. Host device 101 gives terminal 121 to 125 the similar instructions. Terminals 120 to 125 move across service areas of subordinate devices 102 to 105. Therefore, the number of terminals which are in the service area of each of subordinate devices 102 to 105 fluctuates or the traffic of each of subordinate devices 102 to 105 fluctuates with the lapse of time. Moreover, the numbers of terminals which are in the service areas of subordinate devices 102 to 105 and, therefore, the traffics thereof, are uneven if subordinate devices 102 to 105 are not located at regular intervals. Consequently, the channel capacities of dedicated lines 110 to 113 were determined by the maximum number of terminals which gather in their respective service areas. Heretofore, dedicated lines 110 to 113 had the fixed channel capacities which were determined in such a way.
However, because the channel capacities of dedicated lines 110 to 113 were fixed while the traffics which pass through subordinate devices 102 to 105 are variable, unused channels or unused time slots increased when the traffics decreased. Thus, the channel capacities of dedicated lines 110 to 113 were not used effectively.
In order to overcome the aforementioned disadvantages, the present invention has been made.
An object of the present invention is to provide a cellular communication system in which a host device flexibly changes the channel capacities of lines in accordance with the traffics of subordinate devices, whereby the channel capacities of lines are effectively used even when the system is used under the condition that the traffics fluctuate or are uneven.
According to the invention, there is provided a cellular communication system in which each of terminals communicates with a host device through one of subordinate devices of which the terminal is placed in the service area, wherein the host device and the subordinate devices are connected in series through dedicated lines, the host device determines the channel capacities and corresponding counts of time slots for the subordinate devices in accordance with the traffics of the subordinate devices, the counts of time slots are transmitted from the host device to the subordinate devices through prescribed time slots of the dedicated lines, and the subordinate devices communicate with the host device in the time slots determined by the counts of time slots.
In the above cellular communication system, each subordinate device communicates with the host device in the time slots of the determined count starting from the time slot following the last time slot for the preceding subordinate device.
In the above cellular communication system, the host device determines the counts so that the total of the counts does not exceed the counts of time slots in a frame minus the counts of preoccupied time slots.
These and other objects, features and advantages of the present invention will become more apparent in light of the following detailed description of the preferred mode embodiment thereof, as illustrated in the accompanying drawings.


An oil circuit for a continuous variable valve timing (CVVT) device includes a main oil passage from a cylinder block toward a cylinder head to feed oil from a main gallery to a cam shaft, and a control oil passage branching off from the main oil passage on a side of the cylinder block and formed so as to feed the oil from the main oil passage to the continuous variable valve timing devices via an intake-side oil control valve and an exhaust-side oil control valve. The oil is fed to the cam shaft, the intake-side CVVT device, the exhaust-side CVVT device and a timing chain tensioner at one time. Thereby, the hydraulic pressure the hydraulic pressure applied to two cam shafts can be equally maintained, and the tension of a belt or a chain can be simultaneously regulated so as to improve the driving force of a crank.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a continuous variable valve timing device and, more particularly, to an oil circuit for a continuous variable valve timing device.
2. Description of Related Art
A dual continuous variable valve timing (CVVT) device makes it possible to continuously regulate lift timing of intake and exhaust valves according to the operation state of an engine, thereby improving output of the engine, reducing harmful components of exhaust gas, and increasing fuel efficiency.
Responsiveness and operation of the CVVT device are ensured depending on whether or not hydraulic pressure of oil fed by an oil pump reaches an optimal time of point and is continuously transmitted. At this time, in the structure that simultaneously controls two variable mechanisms, i.e. intake and exhaust valves, a hydraulic circuit is required not only to be free from variation in hydraulic pressure if possible but also to be connected in parallel to one passage. Further, in order to drive a cam in cooperation with a crank, the cam must interact with the crank by means of a chain or a belt. In this case, tension of the chain or the belt transmitting a driving force must be also regulated.
In detail, in order to properly realize the CVVT device, hydraulic pressure applied to two cam shafts must be uniformly supplied and ensured to a predetermined level or more. If not so, malfunction caused by a time difference cannot be prevented. In order to accurately cooperate with the crank, the tension of a driving force transmitting means such as a belt or a chain must be simultaneously regulated even the moment the CVVT device is operated.
FIG. 1 illustrates an oil circuit for a conventional continuous variable valve timing (CVVT) device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the oil circuit for a CVVT device includes a main oil passage 120 disposed from a cylinder block toward a cylinder head and guiding oil fed from a main gallery 110, and an oil circuit 160 disposed on a side of the cylinder head to feed the oil passing through the main oil passage 120 to the CVVT device 150 by way of an oil filter 130 and an oil control valve 140.
However, the conventional CVVT device has problems in that, since the oil circuit 160 is disposed on the cylinder head side, the oil cannot be fed to a timing chain tensioner 170 in a non-CVVT device that is free of the oil circuit, and that, since the oil is separately fed to the cam shafts, the cooperation between the crank and the cam is correctly performed.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.

Oil circuit for continuous variable valve timing device


Spreadsheet formula and function creation and use with electronic computing devices are provided. When a user moves content (e.g., a spreadsheet cell) into a spreadsheet formula/function bar, a cell reference for the content may automatically be created and disposed in the formula/function bar, and if a user enters a math operation in a spreadsheet cell, corresponding operation sentence structure (syntax) may be automatically inserted into the formula/function bar. One or more formulas or functions may be automatically suggested as a user begins entering a formula/function. An always visible formula/function guide may be presented or displayed to provide helpful information on arguments/components of a formula/function, and help resources may be provided in a help resources interface with respect to application functionality and spreadsheet formulas/functions.

With the advent of computers and computer software, users have become accustomed to receiving, entering, editing, filtering and otherwise utilizing data of various types. Spreadsheet applications have become very popular for allowing users to handle large amounts of data and for performing many different computations and data organization functions. Spreadsheet application users may enter and manipulate large amounts of data with the help of a variety of mathematical and data organizing formulas and functions. Unfortunately, entering and modifying spreadsheet application formulas and functions can be a difficult task for many users owing to the typically unique structure (or, syntax) used by their spreadsheet applications. In addition, with the advent of touch-enabled computing devices, entering and manipulating such formulas and functions using a touch interface often is particularly difficult. And, while many touch-enabled devices provide pop-up soft keyboards, such soft keyboards often consume half or more of the available display space of a given device making entry and use of such formulas and functions frustrating to the user.
It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.

Formula and function generation and use in electronic spreadsheets


A remote automated cellular test set can be disposed in a first location and accessed via a communication network from a second location that is remote from the first location. The access to the test set can be by a technician's terminal which can remotely initiate the execution of certain commands by a first cellular phone (a test phone) in the first location. A second cellular phone is connected to the first cellular phone by an audio looping technique that permits a technician at a remote location to use the test phone at the first location as if that technician were physically located at the first location.

The present invention is directed to an apparatus for testing cellular service in one location from a remote location and a method for operating such an apparatus. More specifically, the present invention provides a remote cellular automated test set including at least two cellular phones where the test set is remotely controllable.
Use of cellular communication techniques continues to grow. More and more users subscribe to services provided by various cellular service providers. Typically the service providers provide services over wide geographic areas. As a consequence, it is difficult for the provider to have the technical resources for trouble-shooting service problems in each of these geographically disparate areas. In the past, when a service provider has received a complaint about service in a geographic area remote from where technical support capabilities are present, the service provider has had to send a technician and equipment to the remote geographic location and perform tests to attempt to discern the source of the service problem. For example, where the service provider has its technical support located in Salt Lake City, Utah with no technical support in Boise, Id. where service is provided, and one or more subscribers report service problems arising in Boise, it was necessary to send a technician with the appropriate equipment to Boise to diagnose the system problems. This creates logistical problems for the deployment of technical resources. It prevents the achievement of efficiencies and cost savings which could be realized by centralizing or consolidating technical resources. It is therefore desirable to have the ability to perform necessary testing from a remote location without need of sending personnel to disparate geographic areas.

Method and apparatus for testing cellular services in a first location from a second location remote from the first location


An apparatus for reversing ventricular remodeling with electro-stimulatory therapy. A ventricle is paced by delivering one or more stimulatory pulses in a manner such that a stressed region of the myocardium is pre-excited relative to other regions in order to subject the stressed region to a lessened preload and afterload during systole. The unloading of the stressed myocardium over time effects reversal of undesirable ventricular remodeling.

Congestive heart failure (CHF) is a clinical syndrome in which an abnormality of cardiac function causes cardiac output to fall below a level adequate to meet the metabolic demand of peripheral tissues. CHF can be due to a variety of etiologies with that due to ischemic heart disease being the most common. Inadequate pumping of blood into the arterial system by the heart is sometimes referred to as "forward failure," with "backward failure" referring to the resulting elevated pressures in the lungs and systemic veins which lead to congestion. Backward failure is the natural consequence of forward failure as blood in the pulmonary and venous systems fails to be pumped out. Forward failure can be caused by impaired contractility of the ventricles or by an increased afterload (i.e., the forces resisting ejection of blood) due to, for example, systemic hypertension or valvular dysfunction. One physiological compensatory mechanism that acts to increase cardiac output is due to backward failure which increases the diastolic filling pressure of the ventricles and thereby increases the preload (i.e., the degree to which the ventricles are stretched by the volume of blood in the ventricles at the end of diastole). An increase in preload causes an increase in stroke volume during systole, a phenomena known as the Frank-Starling principle. Thus, heart failure can be at least partially compensated by this mechanism but at the expense of possible pulmonary and/or systemic congestion.
When the ventricles are stretched due to the increased preload over a period of time, the ventricles become dilated. The enlargement of the ventricular volume causes increased ventricular wall stress at a given systolic pressure. Along with the increased pressure-volume work done by the ventricle, this acts as a stimulus for hypertrophy of the ventricular myocardium which leads to alterations in cellular structure, a process referred to as ventricular remodeling. Hypertrophy can increase systolic pressures but also decreases the compliance of the ventricles and hence increases diastolic filling pressure to result in even more congestion. It also has been shown that the sustained stresses causing hypertrophy may induce apoptosis (i.e., programmed cell death) of cardiac muscle cells and eventual wall thinning which causes further deterioration in cardiac function. Thus, although ventricular dilation and hypertrophy may at first be compensatory and increase cardiac output, the process ultimately results in both systolic and diastolic dysfunction. It has been shown that the extent of ventricular remodeling is positively correlated with increased mortality in CHF patients. It is with reversing such ventricular remodeling that the present invention is primarily concerned.

Apparatus for reversal of myocardial remodeling with pre-excitation


A computer readable medium is provided embodying instructions executable by a processor to perform a method for triggering a software rejuvenation system or method, the method includes receiving a request for resources at a node, determining an estimated response time to the request for resources, determining that the estimated response time is greater than a first threshold, and triggering the software rejuvenation system or method at the node, the triggering including broadcasting an alert upon determining one of, a number of estimated response times is greater than the first threshold is greater than or equal to a dynamic second threshold, and a prior alert is received from another node.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to software rejuvenation, and more particularly to a system and method for accelerating software rejuvenation by communicating rejuvenation events.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Large industrial software systems require extensive monitoring and management to deliver expected performance and reliability. Some specific types of software failures, called soft failures, have been shown to leave the system in a degraded mode, where the system is still operational, but the available system capacity has been greatly reduced. Examples of soft bugs have been documented in several software studies. Soft failures can be caused by the evolution of the state of one or more software data structures during (possibly) prolonged execution. This evolution is called software aging. Software aging has been observed in widely used software. An approach for system capacity restoration for telecommunications systems has been developed that takes advantage of the cyclical nature of telecommunications traffic was proposed. Telecommunications operating companies understand the traffic patterns in their networks well, and therefore can plan to restore their smoothly degrading systems to full capacity in the same way they plan their other maintenance activities. Experience has been that soft bugs occur as a result of problems with synchronization mechanisms, e.g., semaphores; kernel structures, e.g. file table allocations; database management systems, e.g. database lock deadlocks; and other resource allocation mechanisms that are essential to the proper operation of large multi-layer distributed systems. Since some of these resources are designed with self-healing mechanisms, e.g. timeouts, some systems may recover from soft bugs after a period of time. For example, for a specific Java based e-commerce system, when the soft bug was revealed, users were complaining of very slow response time for periods exceeding one hour, after which the problem would clear by itself. Host based worm disruption system that throttles the rate of connections out of a host has been reported. An approach for virus detection based on the inspection of the binary representing the process and the execution of a pattern-matching algorithm against known virus signature has been reported.
When an e-commerce system is a victim of a worm attack, software rejuvenation must be quickly triggered to avoid extensive infection of the e-commerce server and its network neighborhood. Therefore, a need exists for a system and method for accelerating software rejuvenation by communicating rejuvenation events.

Accelerating software rejuvenation by communicating rejuvenation events


A system and method for updating dirty data of designated raw device is applied in Linux system. A format of a command parameter for updating the dirty data of the designated raw device is determined, to obtain the command parameter with the correct format and transmit it into the Kernel of the Linux system. Then, a data structure of the designated raw device is sought based on the command parameter, to obtain a fast search tree of the designated raw device. Finally, all dirty data pages of the designated raw device are found by the fast search tree, and then are updated into a magnetic disk in a synchronous or asynchronous manner. Therefore, the dirty data of an individual raw device can be updated and written into the magnetic disk without interrupting the normal operation of the system, hereby ensuring secure, convenient, and highly efficient update of the dirty data.

1. Field of Invention
The invention relates to a method for updating dirty data of a designated block device, and in particular to a system and method for updating dirty data of a designated raw device that is not based on a file system.
2. Related Art
In order to expedite magnetic disk input/output speed of the upper level application programs processed by Kernel, the Kernel of a Linux system tries its utmost in buffering the disk data accessed during system operation into a memory. When the memory is busy, the Kernel synchronously buffers the stored data into a magnetic disk and releases a part of space of the buffered memory according to a specific rule. Thus, when a user intends to read data from the magnetic disk, and in case that the Kernel checks and finds that the required data is presently stored in the buffer memory, then it reads the required data from the buffer memory immediately; otherwise, it reads the required data from the magnetic disk. Meanwhile, when a user intends to write data into the magnetic disk, the Kernel first stores the data into the buffer memory, as such, the write request of the user can be successfully accomplished immediately.
In the above-mentioned method for delaying writing data into the magnetic disk, a plurality of requests of writing data into adjacent areas of the magnetic disk can be gathered up to be executed in a single write action, hereby reducing frequency of movements of magnetic head and raising the efficiency of writing the data into the magnetic disk. However, this kind of mechanism usually would result in the discrepancy between data buffered in the memory and the data stored in the magnetic disk. Such data in the buffered memory not identical to that stored in the magnetic disk is referred to as dirty data.
In general, Kernel manages the buffer-stored data in a memory page manner, for example, in a block device of the raw device not based on a file system, each of the opened block devices, such as the magnetic disk, partitions, LVN logic volume, etc., all having a fast speed search number used to index all the buffer-stored data pages, wherein the memory page of which data is not identical to that of the magnetic disk is referred to as a dirty page. In case a power outage occurs and there are too many dirty data pages, then part of the buffer-stored data may be lost for being not be able to be written into the magnetic disk in time.
In order to reduce the risk of losing the buffer-stored data mentioned above, in the prior art, the Kernel would search dirty data, that have not been updated for a long time, in the buffer memory of all the opened block devices at regular time intervals or when the memory occupied by the buffer-stored data becomes too large, and then write the searched dirty data into the magnetic disk, thus ensuring that important data would not be lost due to the above-mentioned buffer-storing mechanism.
Though in the prior art, the Kernel would write the dirty data synchronously into the magnetic disk at regular time intervals or when the memory occupied by buffer-stored data is getting too large, yet in order to raise the memory utilization rate to its utmost extent, in practical application, the Kernel would buffer quite a lot of dirty data to be written in the buffer memory. Usually, these dirty data belong respectively to a plurality of opened block devices. In case that the user intends to write the dirty data of a block device which he deems important into the magnetic disk immediately, then this can be achieved by merely closing this block device, or by writing the dirty data of all the block devices synchronously into the magnetic disk through a forced update order. However, this kind of approach not only wastes time, but also delays the crucial moment for user to preserve and save important data. As such, when the percentage of dirty data of user designated block device occupied in the buffer memory is relatively small, the above-mentioned problem would become more evident and pronounced.

System and method for updating dirty data of designated raw device


A security wrap (20) for protecting an electronic component includes a substrate (22) having a first side and a second side opposite to each other. A security screen (26) is disposed over the first side of the substrate (22) and includes a pair of screen terminals (48) and a frangible and electrically conductive path (46) between the pair of screen terminals (48). A layer of adhesive (30) is over the first side of the substrate (22) and bonds the first side of the substrate (22) to the electronic component with the security screen (26) sandwiched there between.

Currently, security wraps form a solid security screen masking an area of the electronics to be protected. Removal of the security wrap is physically difficult due to the manner in which the security wrap is attached to the device, usually by gluing, soldering or encapsulation with a resin material. However, they offer little in the way of tamper resistance or indication of tampering except by visual inspection. Some systems have an alarm circuit which may disable the device or simply give a visual indication that the security wrap has been removed, but there is no detection of an attempt to remove or bypass the security wrap by drilling a hole through it or simply lifting up a corner of the wrap.
In addition, coating with resins or encapsulating the security wrap creates a heavier and thicker construction whilst industry is striving to develop thinner and lighter devices to maximize internal space for more components to add greater functionality into portable electronic devices such as point of sale (POS) terminals and other applications and/or to make the devices smaller and lighter.
Further, for some devices, such as credit card readers, there is a need to operate pre-assembled components of the device, for example curved metal discs known as metal domes for keypad buttons and so it is not feasible to encapsulate or coat the security wrap with resins. Resins create a hard shell that prevents the mechanical operation or tactile feedback of such components. The resin typically forms a permanent coating such that repair of the PCB or components is no longer possible.
Hence there is a desire for a security device that, in conjunction with a adhesive, summarily breaks or damages a conductive circuit, forming part of a security screen, thereby affecting an electrical state change to initiate an alarm, when removal is attempted.


A SCGP may provide a smart location guide (e.g., via GPS) to help keep the user from wandering off and getting lost. The SCGP may help the user travel independently via bus, car, and on foot. The SCGP may also notify the caregiver if the user wanders off or gets lost and may generate reports (e.g., via text, charts, graphs) showing the caregiver situations in which the user is likely to wander off or get lost. The SCGP may facilitate staying in touch with the user by allowing the caregiver to send the user reminders and important information, and to share pictures, videos, text messages, and voice messages with the user.

People with memory problems may sometimes (e.g., when rushing to leave for work in the morning) have difficulty remembering to take important items (e.g., their medicine) with them and/or may leave behind items they bring with them. Furthermore, people with memory problems may sometimes (e.g., when it is dark and difficult to see) have difficulty remembering how to get to various destinations (e.g., from a grocery store to home) and/or may forget where they are going and may wander aimlessly. While many people with memory problems can live independently these difficulties may make it harder for them to do so and are of concern to their caregivers.

Smart caregiver platform methods, apparatuses and media