A method for session management over a stateless protocol the steps of comparing a first plurality of identifiers contained in a first request with a second plurality of identifiers contained in a second request, and associating the second request with the first request when the comparison is successful. The method may also include the step of calculating a total statistical significance for the plurality of identifiers. The step of associating is performed only when the total statistical significance is greater than a predetermined required significance level. A token for session management over a stateless protocol is formed by digitally hashing a plurality of identifiers contained in a request. The token may have a total significance calculated from a statistical significance associated with each of the plurality of identifiers.

The present invention relates to session management of Internet communications.
The Internet is a worldwide computer network consisting of many smaller networks. The computers on these networks, known as xe2x80x9chostsxe2x80x9d, communicate using a common protocol, for example, the Transmission Control Protocol/Internet Protocol (TCP/IP) networking protocol. Each host is identified by its Internet Protocol (IP) address.
The World Wide Web (the xe2x80x9cWebxe2x80x9d) is a system of interconnected xe2x80x9cpagesxe2x80x9d, or documents, that are provided by software known as xe2x80x9cserversxe2x80x9d running on hosts. The Web pages are written in hypertext markup language (HTML) and are interconnected by hyperlinks. The request for and transfer of Web pages is made possible using the hypertext transfer protocol (HTTP), which runs over TCP/IP. The Web pages are provided to xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d computers that request them from the Web server. The HTTP request is sent by software known as a Web xe2x80x9cbrowserxe2x80x9d running on the client, and the browser then displays the Web page for the user who requested it.
A typical HTTP request includes the following information: the Uniform Resource Locator (URL) of the Web page to be accessed, a xe2x80x9cUser-Agentxe2x80x9d header and might include also xe2x80x9cAcceptxe2x80x9d and/or xe2x80x9cAccept-Languagexe2x80x9d headers. The User-Agent header indicates the browser sending the request and the operating system of the computer where the browser is running in some browsers, the language of the operating system is also sent in the User-Agent header, while in others it is sent in the Accept-Language header. The Accept header contains the MIME types supported by the browser. The IP address of the client is part of the underlying IP packet. If the client is accessing the Internet through a proxy server, then it is the proxy""s IP address which is sent as part of the underlying IP packet. Some proxies report the client""s IP address in an additional HTTP header dedicated for that purpose, for example the xe2x80x9cForwarded-Forxe2x80x9d header or xe2x80x9cClient-IPxe2x80x9d header.
Many applications running on HTTP servers need to maintain state, meaning that they need to save information about the client from one request to another. The server maintains a session for each client that makes requests, so that the server will send the client Web pages based upon the information in previous requests from the same client. One example is a newspaper Web site that charges users for each article that the user reads. The newspaper application needs to remember which articles the user has previously read in order not to charge the user more than once for a particular article. Another example is a Web shopping site having a shopping cart application for storing the goods that the user wishes to buy. The shopping cart application needs to ensure that, as the user browses through the site""s Web pages, the shopping cart retains the goods the user has placed there.
It is well known that HTTP is a stateless protocol, which means that an HTTP server handles each request from a client independently from all other requests from the same client. Therefore, a number to techniques have been developed in order to add state to the HTTP protocol. Examples are xe2x80x9ccookiesxe2x80x9d, altering the URL to include encoded session data. and using the Basic Authentication mechanism described in the Request for Comments (RFC) 1945, chapter 11.1, which can be found on the Internet at info.Internet.isi.edu/in-notes/rfc/files/rfc1945.txt.
A cookie is a message given to a browser by a Web set. The browser stores tho cookie and then sends it back to the server each time the browser requests a page from the server. U.S. Pat. No. 5,774,670 to Montulli describes a method and apparatus for transferring cookies between an HTTP server and a client. Unfortunately, some browsers do not support the use or cookies. Other browsers can be configured by the user not to accept cookies. Several users may use the same browser, for example parents who access the Internet Via a work Internet Service Provider (ISP) account while the children access the Internet via a family ISP account, and some applications might want to distinguish between users in such cases. Furthermore, cookies can be copied from one browser to another with little difficulty, thus compromising security.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,780 to Levergood et al. describes a system for maintaining an HTTP session by altering the URL to include a session identifier. This session identifier may easily be lost when the user clicks on an absolute link. It also exposes internal binary data to the user in an unaesthetic way, and may easily be transferred from one user to another.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,565 to Lewine describes a method for creating a virtual HTTP session using a username and password. European Patent Application 812088 to lyengar describes a method for preserving state by modifying the links in an HTMI document. European Patent Applications 784279 and 807891 to Levine and Carter describe a stateless shopping cart for the Internet. The list of items already selected by the user is sent to the browser by the HTTP server with each HTTP response, and returned to the HTTP server by the browser with each HTTP request. The HTTP server does not have to retain this list from one HTTP request to the next.
There is therefore provided in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for session management over a stateless protocol. The method includes the steps of comparing a first plurality of identifiers contained in a first request with a second plurality of identifiers contained in a second request, and associating the second request with the first request when the comparison is successful.
Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the step of calculating a total statistical significance for the plurality of identifiers. The step of associating is performed only when the total statistical significance is greater than a predetermined required significance level.
There is also provided in accordance with a further preferred embodiment of the present invention a method for session management over a stateless protocol The method includes the steps of receiving a request containing a plurality of identifiers and generating a hash of at least one of the plurality of identifiers. If the generated hash is incompatible with previously generated hashes, information is associated with the generated hash, and a response is sent based upon information associated with the generated hash. If the generated hash is compatible with a previously generated hash, a response is sent based upon information previously associated with the previously generated hash.
Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the method further includes the steps of associating a statistical significance value with each of the at least one identifiers, and calculating a total significance for the hash from all of the associated values. If the generated hash is incompatible with previously generated hashes, a user identification is obtained, and the user identification is associated with the generated hash. The steps of sending a response are performed only when the total statistical significance is greater than a predetermined required significance level, and the response is also based upon the user identification.
There is also provided in accordance with another preferred embodiment of the present invention a token for session management over a stateless protocol, the token formed by digitally hashing a plurality of identifiers contained in a request.
Moreover, in accordance with a preferred embodiment of the present invention, the token has a total significance calculated from a statistical significance associated with each of the plurality of identifiers.

Session management over a stateless protocol


A new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant named ‘Serginho’, characterized by its upright, outwardly spreading and mounded plant habit; freely branching growth habit; early response time; decorative-type inflorescences with elliptic-shaped ray florets; light yellow-colored ray florets; and good postproduction longevity.

The present Invention relates to a new and distinct cultivar of Chrysanthemum plant, botanically known as Chrysanthemum×morifolium and hereinafter referred to by the name 'Serginho'.
The new Chrysanthemum is a product of a planned breeding program conducted by the Inventor in Hensbroek, The Netherlands. The objective of the program is to create or discover new potted Chrysanthemum cultivars that are suitable for year-round production with uniform and vigorous plant growth and good post-production longevity.
The new Chrysanthemum originated from a cross-pollination made on Mar. 21, 2003 in Hensbroek, The Netherlands of a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 1002.34, not patented, as the female, or seed, parent with a proprietary selection of Chrysanthemum×morifolium identified as code number 98.1911.02, not patented, as the male, or pollen, parent. The new Chrysanthemum was discovered and selected by the Inventor as a single flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross-pollination grown in a controlled environment in Hensbroek, The Netherlands.
Asexual reproduction of the new Chrysanthemum by vegetative tip cuttings was first conducted in Hensbroek, The Netherlands on about Dec. 1, 2003. Asexual reproduction by cuttings has shown that the unique features of this new Chrysanthemum are stable and reproduced true to type in successive generations.


A brake disk lock having a lock body which has a first housing section and a second housing section which bound a receiving gap for the reception of a brake disk in a typically U-shaped arrangement. A locking bolt is provided at the first housing section and is movable along a closing direction from a release position into a closed position. In the closed position, the locking bolt engages into an engagement opening of the second housing section and closes the receiving gap. The closing direction of the locking bolt is aligned obliquely to the receiving gap of the lock body at an angle different from 90°.

Such a brake disk lock serves for the securing of, for example, a motorcycle, a motor scooter or a quad bike against unauthorized use. For this purpose, the lock is applied to a brake disk of the parked vehicle such that the brake disk projects into the receiving gap formed by the housing sections. The locking bolt is thereupon moved into the closed position such that the locking bolt is guided through an opening of the brake disk. The lock is hereby captured at the brake disk and the use of the vehicle is prevented until the lock is again released from the brake disk. A latching mechanism is provided at the lock body by which the locking bolt can be selectively latched or unlatched.
A typical break-open attempt to violently open a brake disk lock having a U-shaped structure comprises hammering a chisel into the receiving gap, and indeed into the intermediate space between the brake disk and the lock body. The U-shaped arrangement of the housing sections should hereby be spread apart and ultimately the receiving gap closed by the locking bolt should be opened so that the lock can be removed from the brake disk.
A brake disk lock of the initially named kind is known from DE 10 2005 043 926 A1. To provide improved security against being broken open, in particular with respect to a spreading apart or prizing open at the housing sections by the action of a chisel or the like, the locking bolt in this lock—even if it is in the closed position—is supported at the first housing section displaceably in the direction of the second housing section. The locking bolt can thus be moved even further in its locked position from a normal position of use in the direction of the second housing section, namely into a moved out position. If the second housing section is spread apart from the first housing section of the lock body by a corresponding act of violence, the locking bolt can hereby follow the movement of the violently displaced second housing section and the receiving gap of the lock body continues to remain closed. Whereas such a design has proved itself in practice, the structure and the manufacture of such a brake disk lock are undesirably complex and/or expensive.

Brake disk lock having a tilted locking bolt


A method of manufacturing artificial turf includes the steps of: creating a polymer mixture including at least one polymer and a nucleating agent for crystallizing the at least one polymer, extruding the polymer mixture into a monofilament; quenching the monofilament; reheating the monofilament; stretching the reheated monofilament to form the monofilament into an artificial turf fiber, wherein during the stretching the nucleating agent boosts the creation of crystalline portions of the polymer within the monofilament; incorporating the artificial turf fiber into an artificial turf backing, thereby mechanically fixing the monofilaments of the arranged artificial turf fibers in the artificial turf backing.

Artificial turf or artificial grass is surface that is made up of fibers which is used to replace grass. The structure of the artificial turf is designed such that the artificial turf has an appearance which resembles grass. Typically artificial turf is used as a surface for sports such as soccer, American football, rugby, tennis, golf, for playing fields, or exercise fields. Furthermore artificial turf is frequently used for landscaping applications.
An advantage of using artificial turf is that it eliminates the need to care for a grass playing or landscaping surface, like regular mowing, scarifying, fertilizing and watering. Watering can be e.g. difficult due to regional restrictions for water usage. In other climatic zones the re-growing of grass and re-formation of a closed grass cover is slow compared to the damaging of the natural grass surface by playing and/or exercising on the field. Artificial turf fields though they do not require a similar attention and effort to be maintained, may require some maintenance such as having to be cleaned from dirt and debris and having to be brushed regularly. This may be done to help fibers stand-up after being stepped down during the play or exercise. Throughout the typical usage time of 5-15 years it may be beneficial if an artificial turf sports field can withstand high mechanical wear, can resist UV, can withstand thermal cycling or thermal ageing, can resist inter-actions with chemicals and various environmental conditions. It is therefore beneficial if the artificial turf has a long usable life, is durable, and keeps its playing and surface characteristics as well as appearance throughout its usage time.
In the European patent EP 1837423 a synthetic turf is described whose strands consist of polyethylene.

Artificial turf production using a nucleating agent


The invention relates to two panel elements which are flexibly connected to one another, at least one profiled lateral edge being provided on each of the panel elements for the flexible connection which, as connecting edges, have a suitable bearing and contact surface for an adhesive strip connecting the panel elements, so that the swivel axis is in the area of the adhesive strip. To prevent a transparent effect in the joint area, the connecting edges have a further profiling which enters a form-locking connection when the connecting edges are turned on one another. Furthermore, the invention comprises the method and the facility for producing the flexibly connected panel elements.

The invention relates to panel elements which are flexibly connected to one another. At least one profiled lateral edge is provided on each of the panel elements for the flexible connection. The connecting edges have a suitable bearing and contact surfaces for an adhesive strip which connects the panel elements, so that the swivel axis is in the area of the adhesive strip.
Panel elements, preferably fibreboards, are known from the prior art which, for example, are used as the back wall of cabinets. They are connected to one another by means of separate connecting elements and fixed to the back side of a cabinet. To minimize handling of individual parts, knock-down back walls for cabinets are known which can be assembled without additional accessories. For this purpose, a method for producing foldable fibreboards is proposed according to DE 198 04 787. The fibreboards have at least one visible side, the fibreboard parts being connected to one another by an adhesive or an adhesive strip, at least by section along a connecting edge. Due to this construction, both panel elements form a unit which is foldable. To this end, the panel elements have at least one profiled lateral edge which, as connecting edges, are profiled so that a suitable bearing and contact surface is produced to which the connecting adhesive strip is applied. A swivel axis about which the two panel elements can be folded or turned is produced in the area of the adhesive strip.
In this case, it is considered disadvantageous that the adhesive strip connecting the panel elements remains visible. In particular in the joint area to the visible surface of the connecting panel elements, due to the fact that the swivel axis which is formed by the adhesive strips comes to lie on the visible side of the panel elements. A further disadvantage of this embodiment is that the adhesive strip connecting the panel elements has a transparent effect, so that light action through the adhesive strip is noticeable on the visible side of the panel elements.
Thus, the object of the invention is to further develop flexibly connected panel elements in which the adhesive strips connecting the panel elements are not visible on the visible side and further, a transparent effect is completely prevented in the joint area.

W. Lehbrink GmbH & Co. KG, Maschinenfabrik


A method and apparatus for positioning, aligning and orienting fibers in flowing fluids, to permit fibers such as wood pulp fibers to be accurately imaged and rapidly measured with little operator involvement, utilizing a plugging resistant and fouling resistant sheath flow cell, is described. An embodiment is disclosed which simultaneously determines the distributions of shape (curl) and length of samples of wood pulp fibers. Fibers are transported in a dilute water suspension through a sheath flow cell that orients fibers normal to an imaging system that includes a two-dimensional CCD video camera. Images of fibers are analyzed rapidly by a processor, which calculates the shape and length of individual fibers. The data are displayed on a cathode ray tube screen while a pulp sample is being analyzed, and are stored in processor memory for further analysis.

In pulping and paper making, pulp fibers receive mechanical treatment which affects properties such as fiber length, deformation, flexibility and external fibrillation. This also affects the mechanical, structural and optical properties of sheets made from the fibers. Refining is a key step in optimizing pulps during paper making and has a number of effects on the fibers. For example refining enhances fiber-to-fiber bonding which strengthens a sheet but lowers its opacity. The refining step can also cut fibers to reduce fiber flocculation. It also deforms fibers by creating local defects in fiber walls which increases the wet web stretch but lowers the dry sheet elastic modulus.
Pulp properties such as fiber deformation and length can be changed by mechanical treatment and are distributions for a fiber population. During mechanical treatment several such property distributions change simultaneously. Instrumentation is needed which can determine on a fiber-by-fiber basis the values of more than one pulp property such as fiber length, fiber deformation and fiber flexibility. With regard to deformation, there are different measures of fiber deformation including curl and kink indices and mean and local fiber curvature. These different measures correlate to sheet properties in different ways.
Rapid measurements of fiber properties other than deformation have been made by transporting large numbers of fibers through a flow cell, past an imaging detector or photodetector. In some cells, large numbers of fibers pass through a cell at high fiber concentrations so test results are based on groups or flocs of fibers and are not fiber-by-fiber. Capillary cells are often used for fiber-by-fiber analysis. Such cells align and position each fiber but are subject to fiber clogging. Other types of cells are known for measuring fiber length and width but these cells are subject to fouling wherein resins, dirt and other chemicals present in the suspension with the fibers are deposited on the inside walls of the cell.
Sheath type flow cells wherein a liquid containing the particles to be analyzed is injected into a sheath liquid, have been used in biomedical research and also for plankton analysis but such cells are not suitable for rapidly measuring fiber length and fiber deformation in high aspect ratio fibers because such cells do not orient the fibers with a planar deformation. This does not permit a two dimensional imaging detector to reliably image a fiber, particularly one that is non-oriented.
Fiber diameter has been rapidly measured in non-imaging systems with a non-sheath type flow cell. Such cells that are thick enough to be plug resistant do not constrain fibers to a thin enough region for imaging systems to focus effectively on all fibers which results in unreliable measurements of fiber deformation and fiber length.
Although many commercial image analyzers and dedicated imaging systems are widely used for industrial inspection, some of which characterize the shape of a linear feature in a two dimensional image, none of the systems is capable of measuring the deformation or length of small deformed fibers such as pulp fibers.

Imaging apparatus and method of fiber analysis

Pulp and Paper Research Institute of Canada


The present invention relates to a gate driver for a power transistor comprising a first charging path operatively connected between a first voltage supply and a gate terminal of the power transistor for charging the gate terminal to a first gate voltage. A second charging path is connectable between the gate terminal of the power transistor and a second supply voltage to charge the gate terminal from the first gate voltage to a second gate voltage larger or higher than the first gate voltage. A voltage of the second voltage supply is higher than a voltage of the first voltage supply.

Gate drivers for power transistors of a power or output stage of Class D audio amplifiers are well-known in the art. The power transistors often comprise N-channel field effect transistors such as NMOSs or IGBTs which are popular semiconductor components for the purpose due to their small ON resistance for given footprint or area consumption on a semiconductor substrate. Since the manufacturing costs of a semiconductor substrate are closely linked to its area, area reduction is an effective manner to reduce costs.
However, the design of suitable gate drivers for such N-channel field effect transistors is challenging for various reasons such as a need to raise an instantaneous gate voltage considerably above a drain voltage of the N-channel field effect transistor during operation of the power stage. The high instantaneous gate voltage is needed to turn the N-channel field effect transistor fully on. Placing the N-channel field effect transistor in its fully on-state or conducting state allows it to exhibit low on-resistance and minimize conductive power losses. Since the drain terminal of an outmost power transistor of a power stage in a Class D audio amplifier is connected to the highest DC supply voltage immediately available, often in form of a positive DC power supply voltage or rail, the instantaneous gate voltage must be raised considerably above this highest DC supply voltage for a duration of the on-state or conducting state of the power transistor in question. Bootstrap techniques and circuitry are known in the art for generating such high gate voltages in each gate driver. However, these rely on a pre-charged capacitor for supplying the gate drive voltage to the N-channel field effect transistor of the power stage. When the pre-charged bootstrap capacitor is connected to a gate terminal of an N-channel field effect transistor, its voltage is significantly reduced by the intrinsic gate capacitance of the N-channel field effect transistor due to charge sharing unless the bootstrap capacitance of the bootstrap capacitor is much larger such as 10 or 20 times larger than the intrinsic gate capacitance. However, the intrinsic gate capacitance of suitable N-channel field effect transistors for many types of power stages may be quite large such as several hundred pF, which leads to impractically large capacitance values for integrated bootstrap capacitors of acceptable dimensions, i.e. capacitance values ranging from several nF to more than 20 nF following the above-mentioned rule of thumb. As an alternative, the bootstrap capacitor can be provided externally to a semiconductor die holding the gate driver or drivers. However, this solution is undesirable since power stage topologies such as multi-level H-bridge power stages typically comprises a plurality of cascade or stacked power transistors with associated gate drivers that each need an external bootstrap capacitor. Such a plurality of external bootstrap capacitors adds to the costs of a complete Class D amplifier solution, requires allocation of valuable printed circuit board space and presents a potential reliability hazard.
Accordingly, gate drivers for power transistors, in particular N-channel field effect transistors, capable of raising the gate voltage above the positive DC power supply voltage or rail with a minimal need for external capacitors are highly desirable. In addition, a high power efficiency of the gate driver would be a significant advantage in numerous applications such as class D audio amplifiers for portable and/or battery operated communication and entertainment equipment such as mobile phones, MP3 players etc.


A static storage element distorts metastable feedback signals in an unbalanced feedback loop with the resulting metastable signals eroding and being suppressed as they circulate in the loop. The element exhibits a predetermined output state subsequent to suppression of the eroded signals.

Known multi-state storage circuits often incorporate one or more active elements combined with feedback circuitry to produce a plurality of output states. Reliable achievement of an expected output state in response to a set of inputs can be critical to downstream circuit performance.
FIG. 1 illustrates a known realization of an exemplary multi-state storage circuit 10, a D-type flip-flop. The realization of FIG. 1 is a master, M, slave, S, configuration implemented using inverters with a clock input, line 16 and a data input, line 18.
In FIG. 1, inverter 30 provides an inverted clock signal. Circuit elements 34–40 constitute the "master", M, latch. Circuit elements 44–50 make up the "slave", S, portion. Together, the master and slave create a positive edge triggered behavior, with respect to clock signals CLK on line 16.
Elements 34 and 40 are known non-inverting transmission or pass gates which resemble switches that are either open circuited or conducting. They are connected in an opposite manner to the CLK or inverted CLK signal such that one element is open and the other is conducting at any given time. This prevents contention at the input of inverter 36.
Elements 36 and 38 are inverters which provide a stable feedback loop 42 when CLK is "high" (logic 1 state). In this case, element 34 is open and 40 is conducting.
When CLK is "low" (logic 0 state), the master stage M is sampling the D input. Element 34 is conducting. Element 40 is open circuited. The slave section S, behaves identically but CLK is driven by an inverted clock signal from inverter 30.
During a critical time when the CLK signal, on line 16, rises, the master M transitions from a transparent to latching state while the slave S goes from the latching to transparent state. For reliable operation, the CLK signal must not rise before the logic state of the D input, line 18, has had enough time to pass through elements 34, 36, and 38. This ensures an orderly transition to the latching state since the output of element 40 will drive the input of inverter 36 with the same logic state that element 34 had been conducting.
A metastable condition can occur when the CLK signal rises before the latest D input state change on line 18 has had time to traverse the feedback loop to the output of inverter 38. In this case, multiple logic states can co-exist in the feedback loop 42 when the master section M enters the latching state. In this instance, the feedback loop 42 forms an oscillator that can ring for an unpredictable amount of time, a metastable state, and resolve to an unpredictable final state.
The length of time that the oscillation will persist is related to the duty cycle distortion experienced by the signal as it completes one circuit through the feedback loop 42. The lower the duty cycle distortion, the longer the oscillation will remain.
For optimal flip-flop performance, designers have used symmetrically balanced inverters and pass gates. In such designs, key flip-flop parameters such as set-up and hold times are equal for both logic 1 and 0 data conditions. Balanced inverters and pass gates also result in low duty cycle distortion in the feedback path. Hence, known flip-flop designs can have very low duty cycle distortion and inadvertently provide feedback paths that can remain in the metastable state for relatively long periods of time relative to the period of the CLK signal. The existence of metastable states in digital circuits is inconsistent with reliable operation of such circuits.
There is thus a continuing need for multi-state circuits which promptly suppress metastable states for a given maximum sampling rate. Preferably such circuits could be fabricated using known techniques so as to avoid having to develop new manufacturing methodologies. Additionally, it would be preferred if such circuits could be implemented with minimal additional components.


A drive apparatus for opening and closing a window glass provided in a door having an inner panel is disclosed. The drive apparatus includes a motor provided in the door and a regulator that receives drive force from the motor and selectively open and close the window glass. The door noise includes motor operating noise and vibration transmission noise that is generated when vibration of the motor is transmitted to the inner panel via the regulator. The motor is configured such that a first-order frequency component in vibration of the motor is greater than any other nth component (n is an integer greater than or equal to two), so that the first-order frequency component in the door noise is greater than any other nth frequency component (n is an integer greater than or equal to two).

The present invention relates to a door noise suppressing structure in an open/close body drive apparatus.
Conventionally, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2001-90796 discloses an open/close body drive apparatus. This apparatus uses drive power of a motor to perform opening and closing operation of an open/close body through a regulator fixed to the inner panel in a door.
Noise of the door in which the apparatus according to the above document is used includes noise generated when the motor is activated (motor noise) and noise due to vibration of the inner panel caused by the motor (vibration transmission noise).
In general, the vibration and operating noise of a motor have an order frequency component that is maximized in a high frequency range due to the number of slots and the number of poles of magnets. For example, suppose that the speed of the output shaft of a motor having two poles and eight slots (speed of the rotor after being reduced) is 80 [rpm] (at 12 V, load of 1 N·m), and the speed reduction rate is 79. In this case, the first-order frequency component f1 of the motor is expressed by the following expression.f1=80×79/60=105.3 [Hz]  (1)
The order frequency component fp of the motor at which the order frequency component of the maximum vibration and operating noise exists is a frequency obtained by multiplying the frequency component f1 by the greatest common divisor of the number of poles (2) and the number of slots (8), or 8.fp=105.3×8=842.4 [Hz]  (2)
Since the order frequency component of the maximum vibration and operating noise exists in such a high frequency range, the noise of the door is a high-pitched unpleasant noise.

Door noise suppressing structure in open/close body drive apparatus


A method and system support the definition, authentication, and enforcement of constraints on speech, appearance, movements, associations, and other properties that are used to suggest or exhibit the personality traits and behaviors of animated characters. The system includes a controlling object and one or more personality objects running in any of a wide range of software and hardware environments. Zero or more personality subobjects may be associated with each personality object. The methods provide steps for authenticating an object, controlling associations between objects and subobjects, controlling events involving one or more objects, controlling the proximity of personality objects to one another, controlling the distribution of objects, and mandating the use of auxiliary objects under specified circumstances.

Visual images can have enormous impact on people. As a result, a variety of technologies have been developed to create and manipulate images with the assistance of a computer. Indeed, the field of computer graphics has been and still is one the most intensively pursued branches of computer science, both by theoreticians and by working engineers. Within computer graphics, numerous specialties have emerged, including scientific visualization, rendering methods, animation methods, CAD/CAM, fonts, three-dimensional graphics, and image processing.
Past innovations in computer hardware and software help manage the complex information and support the extensive computations required to render and manipulate images, and new developments continually emerge. Many successful and prominent companies, such as the Evans and Sutherland Computer Corporation, Silicon Graphics, Inc., and Pixar, Inc., specialize in continually improving computer graphics systems.
Unfortunately, different graphics systems do not communicate readily with one another. The database of files that contain information needed to create and manipulate computer graphic images contain a wide variety of different types of information, including point positions, interpolation curves, palettes, colors, light vectors and strengths, texture maps, key frames, and so forth. Information used by one graphics system will not necessarily be available in another system. Sometimes the information is present but is stored in an incompatible or proprietary format. Some progress has been made at defining standard interfaces for accessing and manipulating graphics information, but much work in this area remains to be done.
In short, computer graphics is a large and active industry which focuses on the efficient and rapid manipulation of large amounts of data to produce visual images. People who design and implement graphics systems have very limited time, opportunity, and reason to exchange specific technical ideas with people working in other computer-related industries such as networking, encryption, or business applications such as character licensing and merchandising.
The problem of managing complexity is not limited to computer graphics, but appears in many different forms throughout computer science. As a result, programming languages and other elements of a computing environment provide a wide variety mechanisms for organizing the potentially enormous amount of information required to create a useful working program.
One important type of complexity management mechanism provides some degree of "modularity" or "encapsulation" that separates code into individual components. The various components communicate with one another through some type of interface. Each component hides from the other components certain information that is only used locally by the hiding component, so that the effect of changes to local information is limited as much as possible.
Encapsulation mechanisms specific to a given programming language include Ada packages, Pascal units, Modula-2 modules, C++ objects, and many others. Functions and procedures are used to encapsulate code in a host of programming languages. Other encapsulation mechanisms are typically discussed in connection with the computer hardware or with the operating system software that manages hardware resources; these include interrupt handlers, semaphores, threads, tasks, and processes.
One form of encapsulation which has recently gained in prominence is the use of "objects" or "object-oriented programming." One approach to object-oriented programming relies on a "Component Object Model" ("COM"). COM is described generally in OLE 2 Programmer's Reference, Volume One, ISBN 1-55615-628-6 and in K. Brockschmidt, Inside OLE, second edition, ISBN 1-55615-843-2.
COM defines "component objects" which encapsulate pieces of functionality and make them available for use by "clients." Clients determine what services are available from a component object, and what information those services require and produce, by investigating the component's interface(s).
One version of COM is called "OLE." A wide variety of OLE software components, OLE controls, OLE automation objects, OLE automation controllers, OLE-enabled applications, OLE graphic objects, and related tools are commercially available. A Directory of OLE Components for Visual Development is available from Fawcette Technical Publications of Palo Alto, Calif. Those of skill in the art will recognize that other approaches to object-oriented programming include the Java programming language, and the OpenDoc, Common Object Request Broker Architecture ("CORBA"), and NextObjects approaches.
Conventional object-oriented tools and methods are not well-suited to the creation and control of animated characters. Conventional approaches also fail to address the problem of managing personality manifestations of such characters.
As used herein, "animated characters" are recognizable sequential presentations of a character that are created with the assistance of a computer. Individual still images may be created from animations by "screen dumps" or the like, but animation typically involves more than just an image. Animation includes a coordinated sequence of bitmaps or other audio/visual renderings which portray character activity in a computer-generated environment. Coordination may be achieved by key frames, kinematics, or dynamic simulation, or by traditional animation techniques borrowed from the film industry, such as deformation.
Animation may include images, sounds, or both. It may be two-dimensional, or it may present the illusion of occurring in a three-dimensional environment. Environments may be defined according to standards such as the VRML, Living Worlds, and/or Open Community standards, and others. Animation images are drawn on a computer screen or other display device based on data being retrieved from a computer system's memory.
Animated characters may be avatars which represent humans; they may be agents or other representations of fictional characters; or they may be autonomous creations such as "Bots" or "intelligent agents." For instance, an avatar representing a player in a multi-user interactive game, an animation of Santa Claus squeezing through a chimney, and an animation representing an operating system file manager may each embody an animated character.
Interaction between animated characters, between portions of a character, between characters and objects in the environment, and between characters and humans, is of particular interest here. In theory, character representations should not be limited to simple bitmaps or vectors in paint programs, browsers, or other applications, but should also be able to roam through a diverse and sometimes unpredictable computer-generated environment, using character embodiments based on Java applets, OLE components, agents, avatars, or the like. During these travels, animated characters would encounter one another, computer-generated buildings, tools (guns, telephones, magic wands, and other items with real or imaginary counterparts outside the computer-generated environment), events (absence or presence of other characters or tools, or actions by other characters), and numerous other opportunities for real-time interaction.
However, there are no satisfactory means known to guide such interactions so they conform with and reflect the personalities of the characters. A malign character may masquerade as a trusted personality object, leading objects to cooperate and interact with the masquerading object in unintended ways. A user, either directly or indirectly, may tamper with the content of messages passed between objects and may produce effects similar to masquerade. A malicious programmer may create a lewd scene using the likeness of a popular personality.
Subject to the limits imposed by respect for free speech, it would therefore be useful to place limits on character interactions. Some limits are already imposed by legal means independent of the technology. Although many animated characters lie wholly in the public domain and can thus be manipulated at will without legal liability, other characters include protected intellectual property and/or are associated with the reputation of a particular individual or business. Unauthorized manipulation of such proprietary animated characters can damage the public image or commercial prospects of the characters' owners.
In one case, for instance, a court recognized that an "underground" comic book which placed several well-known and wholesome Disney cartoon characters in a promiscuous, drug-ingesting context completely at odds with their personalities thereby violated Disney's rights. However, the relatively high cost of legal actions discourages many character owners from bringing suit to protect their rights.
One approach to controlling character interaction is to script all interactions in advance. This is the approach taken in films and plays, novels, comic strips, animated debuggers, user interfaces, and many simulations. Even if some "audience" input is allowed during the "performance," the set of possible outcomes is severely restricted and largely predetermined. This approach is not suitable for fully automated environments, where a human playwright, director, or the like is not available. The requirement of constant direct human supervision makes this approach uneconomical as well as impractical for many situations. This approach may also inhibit spontaneity and real-time response.
Another approach which relies heavily on direct human control of interactions is used in video games, interactive games and simulations, mediated war games, fantasy games, role-playing games, and the like. In these environments the animations are avatars whose behavior is controlled mainly by human players, subject to the result of events such as weapon hits and available resources such as spells. The need for constant direct human supervision makes this approach unsuitable for controlling numerous and wide-ranging autonomous animated characters.
Another approach allows characters to interact with one another by modifying one another's properties (courage, intelligence, charisma, and so forth) through a common or shared memory area such as a blackboard. However, the characters are implicitly assumed to be under the indirect control of a single human author (or a small group of authors who trust one another), so no restrictions are placed on access by one character to another character's properties. This approach does not scale well to interactive computer-generated environments which may contain characters scripted by humans that never meet or communicate directly, characters which have never previously interacted, and/or malicious characters.
A different approach allows characters to interact with one another and with their environment by sensing contacts or collisions with one another and with the environment. However, this approach merely determines whether contact has occurred; it fails to take into account the respective personalities of the characters. A contact between a first character and a second character is treated the same by the first character as a contact between that character and a wall or other obstacle.
Some autonomous agents have limited input and output connections to computer-generated environments through one or more sensors and effectors, and a limited ability to learn through interaction with that environment. However, such agents are not integrated with computer animations. They are also not well-suited for real-time interaction with the environment and with animated characters in a way that manifests a personality readily apparent to humans. Indeed, like many other computer programs, such agents are fairly described as "impersonal" and "mechanical."
Some recent approaches recognize the need for rules governing interaction between animated characters, their environment, other animated characters, and users. The need to protect against malicious characters has also been noted recently. But the precise constraints needed have not been set forth, and no detailed means are described which would enable one of skill in the art to provide suitable constraints on interaction.
Thus, it would be an advance in the art if the benefits of object-oriented programming could be combined with computer graphic techniques to provide objects which animate characters in novel ways.
It would be a further advance if manifestations of the personality of such animated characters could be managed and monitored by a suitably programmed computer in order to cost-effectively protect and promote those personalities.
It would also be an advance if character interactions were subject to authentication.
It would be a further advance if the results of contact between two characters depended at least in part on the personalities of the characters.
Such a method and system for controlling animated characters are disclosed and claimed herein.

Controlling personality manifestations by objects in a computer-assisted animation environment


This improved cable-scooping hook device with upper and lower portions and with a pivot pin and hubs is better able to snatch and scoop up a load cable than previous designs. Its tongs-like configuration can have a combination of magnetic hammerheads, weights on top and an extension spring to help force its lower portions, including jaws, to separate, when suspended cargo makes a touchdown onto a platform. To ensure that the load cable is snatched, a bar magnet is suspended from one or both hubs of the pivot pin. A ferrous metal load cable is attracted by the suspended magnet and held in place until the device's jaws close, as a load is lifted by the hoist cables. A person holding a long pole with a hook on its end guides the device to the load cable's location. When the hook reaches the load cable, attached to a load, the device is lowered to make contact with it, whereupon the cable is quickly snatched and scooped up, aided by the magnet's attraction. Another technique is described and illustrated for aiding a nonmagnetic cable to be snatched and scooped up.

The background is similar to Background of Invention, U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,608.
This invention is in the field of material handling, primarily related to cargo hooks. A previous U.S. Pat. No. 5,074,608 by Gabriel also describes a tongs-like cable-scooping device having some of the features of the present invention.
In the past, the operation of loading cargo has been a manual one, a hazard to personnel in such situations as loading an off-shore heaving, swaying ship. Ship personnel have had to manually place a ring attached to a cable onto a cargo hook, for cargo to be lifted by a hoist cable and placed elsewhere. In addition, remote unloading has been performed by applying a signal to a solenoid, as in the case of the Breeze-Eastern cargo hook. Should there be an open circuit between the switch and the solenoid, cargo would be incapable of remotely unloading. Should the application be to suspend cargo from a helicopter, a hazardous environmental condition could exist when manually loading cargo. Toxic waste sites also present a hazard for manually loading and unloading of cargo, such as drums. In other hazardous operations, ammunition and toxic chemicals may need to be transported to another site. It would be safer and less time-consuming not to use ground personnel and use the proposed hook instead.
Presently, Breeze-Eastern, Union, N.J., supplies the military with complex cargo hooks, capable of unloading cargo remotely with the application of a signal to a solenoid within the hook enclosure. Unfortunately, none of their cargo hooks can remotely snatch up a load cable. For remote releasing of cargo, the Breeze hook requires 22-28 VDC at 12 to 15 amperes, for release at dropping capacity for a typical 6000-lb. load, and a minimum release load of 7 lbs. for 15/8 inch travel of the rotatable hook portion, according to their specifications. In comparison,, the proposed cargo-hook requires 1 ampere at the same voltage to produce a jaws' closing force of 10 lbs.
If back-up load retention is not required, then voltage need not be applied to the hook for the electromagnet. The proposed permanent magnets can provide back-up positive load retention.

Automatically-actuated cargo-hook device and manual guidance system for suspended loads


A diagnostic device for determining the amount of change required in a coronary sinus to reduce valve regurgitation. The device includes a distal tube having a distal anchor at a distal end portion of the distal tube, a proximal tube having a proximal anchor at a distal end portion of the proximal tube, and an adjustor to move the distal tube relative to the proximal tube. The proximal tube and the distal tube together form a telescoping elongate body adapted to fit within the coronary sinus, and the device includes a scale to measure the movement of the distal anchor relative to the proximal anchor.

Heart valve regurgitation, or leakage from the outflow to the inflow side of a heart valve, is a common occurrence in patients with heart failure and a source of morbidity and mortality in these patients. Usually regurgitation will occur in the mitral valve, located between the left atrium and left ventricle, or in the tricuspid valve, located between the right atrium and right ventricle. Mitral regurgitation in patients with heart failure is caused by changes in the geometric configurations of the left ventricle, papillary muscles and mitral annulus. Similarly, tricuspid regurgitation is caused by changes in the geometric configurations of the right ventricle, papillary muscles and tricuspid annulus. These geometric alterations result in mitral and tricuspid leaflet tethering and incomplete coaptation in systole.
Heart valve repair is the procedure of choice to correct heart regurgitation of all etiologies. With the use of current surgical techniques, between 40% and 60% of regurgitant heart valves can be repaired, depending on the surgeon's experience and the anatomic conditions. The advantages of heart valve repair over heart valve replacement are well documented. These advantages include better preservation of cardiac function and reduced risk of anticoagulant-related hemorrhage, thromboembolism and endocarditis.
Recently, several developments in minimally invasive techniques for repairing heart valves without surgery have been introduced. Some of these techniques involve introducing systems for remodeling the mitral annulus through the coronary sinus.
The coronary sinus is a blood vessel commencing at the coronary ostium in the right atrium and passing through the atrioventricular groove in close proximity to the posterior, lateral and medial aspects of the mitral annulus. Because of its position adjacent to the mitral annulus, the coronary sinus provides an ideal conduit for positioning an endovascular prosthesis to act on the mitral annulus and thereby reshape it.
Examples of minimally invasive apparatus for heart valve repair can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,432 to Solem, et al., U.S. Ser. No. 09/775,677 to Solem, et. al. filed on Feb. 5, 2001, U.S. Ser. No. 10/303,765 to Solem, et. al. filed on Nov. 26, 2002, U.S. Ser. No. 10/141,348 to Solem, et. al. filed on May 9, 2002, U.S. Ser. No. 10/329,720 to Solem, et. al. filed on Dec. 24, 2002, U.S. Ser. No. 10/714,462 to Solem, et. al. filed on Nov. 13, 2003 and U.S. Ser. No. 60/530,352 to Solem, et al. filed on Dec. 16, 2003 (the '352 application) all of which are incorporated herein by reference.
One specific example of a minimally invasive apparatus for heart valve repair, as described in greater detail in the '352 application, and as shown in FIGS. 10 and 11 herein, includes an elongate body 410 having a proximal anchor 412 and a distal anchor 414 connected by a bridge 416. The proximal and distal anchors 412, 414 are both stents made from nitinol and both anchors have a mesh configuration including loops 54 of zigzag shaped material having alternating peaks 42. The loops 54 are connected at each peak 42 to form rings 56 of four-sided openings. Both the proximal anchor 412 and the distal anchor 414 are transferable between a compressed state, in which the anchors have a diameter that is less than the diameter of the coronary sinus, and an expanded state, in which the anchors have a diameter that is about equal to or greater than the diameter of the coronary sinus.
As shown in FIG. 10, the bridge 416 is connected between the proximal anchor 412 and the distal anchor 414 by links 418, 419. As shown in more detail in FIG. 11, the link 419 has a base 421 and arms 422 that extend from the base and which are connected to the anchor 414. The link also includes a hole 428 which serves as a means through which resorbable thread 420 may be secured to the bridge.
The bridge 416 is made from a shape memory material and is flexible to allow the body 410 to conform to the shape of the coronary sinus. The bridge 416 includes connected X-shaped elements 424 having a space 425 between adjacent elements. The bridge has two states, an activated state in which the bridge 416 has a first length and a non-activated state, in which the bridge has a second length, the second length being longer than the first length. Resorbable thread 420 which acts as a temporary spacer is woven into the spaces 425 to hold the bridge in its longer non-activated state.
The body is inserted into the coronary sinus of a patient with both anchors 412, 414, in the compressed state and the bridge 416 including resorbable thread 420 in the longer non-activated state. After the anchors 412, 414 are placed in a desired location, they are transformed into their expanded state in which they serve to attach the body 410 to the coronary sinus. After a period of time, during which the wall of the coronary sinus grows around the anchors 412, 414, the resorbable thread dissolves and the bridge 416 transforms from its longer non-activated state to its shorter activated state. The shortening of the bridge 416 draws the proximal anchor 412 and the distal anchor 414 closer together, cinching the coronary sinus and reducing its circumference. This reduction of the circumference of the coronary sinus closes the gap causing mitral regurgitation.
Valve annulus reshaping devices, including those described above, may be manufactured such that they can vary in certain dimensions or characteristics. For instance, the devices may be manufactured so that they foreshorten or otherwise change shape by a specific amount depending on how much reshaping of a valve is necessary. In other words, a physician may have a choice between using a reshaping device that severely remodels an annulus, one that only slightly remodels an annulus, or one that is custom designed to remodel an annulus by a specific amount. Additionally, the valve reshaping devices may also be manufactured to have different lengths and/or anchor sizes. Due to varying degrees of the severity of mitral and tricuspid valve leaflet coaptation as well as varying sizes and lengths of heart valve annuli, it would be advantageous for a physician to know how much reshaping of the valve annulus is necessary as well as having an idea of the size and length of the annulus before inserting the valve reshaping device. This knowledge would allow the physician to choose a device that could reshape the valve annulus by an appropriate amount. Thus, there is a need for a device that a physician may use to gauge the amount of reshaping necessary in a heart valve annulus and/or the size and length of the annulus. Such a device would allow the physician to select an annulus reshaping device to insert into a patient that more closely approximates the amount of reshaping necessary for that specific patient as well as a device that may be custom designed to fit the size and length of the patient's annulus.

Diagnostic kit to assist with heart valve annulus adjustment


A high speed camera takes an image in the vicinity of a ball 3 and a club head 12, while a high speed camera 5 takes an image in the vicinity of the top of the swing of a golfer 1, and the images are recorded in a high speed video tape recorder 6. The recorded images are reproduced, swing time, a swing speed and a head speed are detected using a personal computer 15, and a shaft with an optimum flex for the golfer is selected based on the swing time, the swing speed, the swing time and the head speed, or the swing speed and the head speed.

Golf clubs having a variety of shaft flexes are available, and a golfer must select a golf club with a flex the most suitable for him/her. Conventionally, an optimum flex for a golfer used to be determined based only on a head speed produced from time required for a club head to move over a fixed distance till impact.
In recent years, as more people enjoy playing golf, some people complain about their shafts being too stiff or being too flexible. Such complaints do not agree with the head speed standards. Manufacturers have changed their standards into a variety of forms from time to time accordingly, but all such new standards are still based on head speed standards, and other measures have not been taken.
The flex standards described herein are based on frequency values, and standards based on values representing the tip deflection of a shaft plumped horizontally at the butt end by hanging established weight on the tip are also encountered with the same problem. The following Table 1 sets forth the relation between basic flexes and their frequencies.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Flex Frequency (cpm) ______________________________________ L 235 .+-. 10 A 245 .+-. 10 R 260 .+-. 10 S 275 .+-. 10 X 290 .+-. 10 XX 300 .+-. 10 ______________________________________
The inventors et al. conducted sensory evaluation in which a number of amateur golfers appreciated items such as "carry distance", "directional controllability", and "readiness of timing" about golf clubs (drivers) with different flexes. As a result, no significant difference was found about the two items "carry distance" and "directional controllability", while people supposed to use flexes about in the range from 270 to 280 cpm (cycle per minute) with head speeds in the range from 42 to 45 m/sec according to a conventional selecting method selected shafts whose flexes vary from 249 to 288 cpm. The inventors et al. therefore came to believe that an optimum flex for a golfer cannot be determined based only on a head speed.
Note that the swing speeds were also measured at 0.01-second intervals from 0.1 second before till the top of the swing, errors of swing speeds by a number of golfers were smallest at 0.08 second before the top of the swing, and therefore swing speeds were limited to those at 0.08 second before.
As a result of a study for providing golfers with shafts with optimum flexes, the inventors et al. came to a conclusion that the speed of a club head at 0.08 second before the top (hereinafter referred to as swing speed) rather than the speed at the top of the swing, i.e., the state in which the head completely stays still, the amount of strain of the shaft at impact, swing time, and acceleration are the most critical factors for determining optimum shaft flexes for individual golfers.
It is therefore an essential object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for selecting a shaft with an optimum flex for a golfer which makes it possible for the golfer to find a point the most suitable for timing or a flex the most comfortable to hit by measuring one of swing time, swing speed, acceleration and the amount of deflection of a shaft.

Shaft selection aiding apparatus for selecting optimum shaft for a golfer


A tire tread including a tread pattern formed by a plurality of motifs in relief defined by grooves oriented in the transverse direction and in the longitudinal direction of the tread, each of these motifs including a contact face and lateral faces, a plurality of these motifs in relief being connected two by two by at least two rubber connecting elements molded during the molding of the tread. These connecting elements define, with the opposing walls of the motifs in relief to which they are connected, a cavity which closes in contact with the roadway to trap and compress a volume of air once the wear of the tread reaches an appropriate level of wear. For each cavity thus formed at least one rubber element defining the cavity includes at least one orifice which passes completely through said rubber element to cause the volume of the cavity to communicate with a groove.

The invention relates to a tread pattern for tires intended to be fitted on vehicles bearing heavy loads.
In order to obtain satisfactory performance in use, it is known to provide a tread with a tread pattern produced by molding and vulcanization of the rubber materials making up said tread. This tread pattern as a general rule comprises a plurality of motifs which are separated from each other by grooves intended to impart appropriate grip qualities to the tread.
A distinction is made in particular between grooves directed essentially in the longitudinal direction that is to say in the circumferential direction once the tread has been laid on a tire and grooves essentially directed in the transverse direction of the tread, that is to say in the axial direction on the tire.
For a tire fitted with a tread comprising a plurality of motifs in relief which are separated from each other by transverse grooves, towards the exit from the passage in the zone of contact of the tire with the ground, great flexing of the crown of the tire occurs, involving opening of said transverse grooves. These movements of cyclic opening (upon each rotation of the wheel) result in relative sliding between the motifs in relief and the ground which results in abnormally pronounced wear on the edges of the motifs in relief.
To limit these opening movements while maintaining the presence of transverse grooves which are necessary for the grip of the tire and for evacuating fluid present on the roadway, it is known to provide, at the time of molding the tread and the vulcanization thereof, for a plurality of rubber connecting elements to be produced by molding in order to ensure a mechanical connection between the main walls defining the grooves. In order to obtain a satisfactory mechanical effect in the case of a tread pattern for a tread for heavy-vehicle tires, it is known to form in a groove of depth P at least two connecting elements (or "rubber bridges") extending substantially transversely to the direction of said groove, said elements extending in the groove from a depth H as far as the bottom of this groove; each of these connecting elements has an appropriate width to ensure the mechanical strength of the motifs in relief while permitting a sufficient length of ridge to be maintained whatever the level of wear of the tread.
After partial wear of the tread (and before reaching the level of wear corresponding to the operating limit of this tread), these connecting elements come into contact with the roadway and will from that moment on become worn at the same time as the tread. Starting from the moment at which the rubber connecting elements come into contact with the roadway, a particularly appreciable increase in the noise emitted by the tire was noted, for example during travel on smooth ground.


A cooperative system and an associated method are provided for resolving a distressed shipment during transport by a carrier, where the distressed shipment includes one or more parcels rendered temporarily undeliverable by an exception event while in transit from a shipper to a consignee. The inventive method involves the shipper in the task of contacting the consignee for the additional information necessary to resolve the shipment. The system creates a cooperative of participating shippers and carriers, working together to complete a shipment and thereby avoid the delay and expense associated with a premature or unnecessary return.

Many parcels are not deliverable to the consignee on the first attempt, for a variety of reasons. Undeliverable parcels represent a significant logistical challenge for the carrier charged with transporting the parcel from the shipper to the consignee. An undeliverable parcel is sometimes referred to by a carrier as a delivery exception or a distressed shipment.
The shipper or sender, sometimes called the consignor, typically has no involvement in the shipment after the parcel is tendered to the carrier for delivery. Thus, the shipper may have only one opportunity to correctly mark and address the parcel with accurate consignee data.
The carrier often has a limited amount of information about the consignee, including only the consignee address in most cases. Many freight carriers have developed rules for processing a distressed shipment, typically including a number of delivery attempts followed by an intermediate holding period during which the consignee may retrieve the shipment. For the consignee or intended recipient, finding and collecting a temporarily undeliverable parcel requires time and effort.
For the shipper, the burden of accepting returned parcels can be enormously expensive and time-consuming. Returns require as much or more processing than preparing a shipment for delivery. Returned merchandise must be examined for quality, re-stocked and re-shelved, or otherwise processed. The burden on the shipper may develop into a total loss of the merchandise, especially for customized or built-to-order goods.
Thus, there is a need in the art for an improved system and method of handling and resolving distressed shipments in order to minimize the cost of returns and maximize the number of shipments that can be saved and ultimately delivered.

System for resolving distressed shipments


A vehicle transmission torque converter assembly, having: an engine output shaft; a turbine; and a transmission input shaft linkable to either the engine output shaft or turbine via a lock-up clutch. The lock-up clutch is configured to sustain the transmission input shaft being: (i) coupled to the engine output shaft; (ii) coupled to the turbine; or (iii) decoupled.

Some existing automatic transmission designs disclose a torque converter that has an additional clutch with which a transmission input shaft can be uncoupled from a torque converter turbine in order to prevent drag losses during idling, e.g., in the case of a hybrid drive mode. The additional clutch, however adds parts and weight to the vehicle.
Therefore, it is desirable to have a torque converter with a sustainable stage that decouples the transmission input shaft from the turbine and engine output shaft without the need for an additional clutch.


A TFT array substrate, a fabrication method thereof and a display device. The TFT array substrate, comprising: gate lines (19), data lines (20) and a plurality of pixel units, each pixel unit comprises: a common electrode line (11), a gate insulating layer (16), a passivation layer (17) and a pixel electrode (12) in this order, wherein a backup common electrode line (41) is disposed at a position between the gate insulating layer (16) and the passivation layer (17) and opposite to the common electrode line (11), the backup common electrode line (41) is electrically insulated from the data line (20). The TFT array substrate with this structure can avoid the short circuit between the pixel electrode (12) and the common electrode line (11).

Since thin film transistor liquid crystal display (TFT-LCD) has characteristics of small volume, low power consumption, no radiation and so on, it has become the leading products in the flat panel display market at present, wherein a TFT array substrate is the major component of the TFT-LCD.
A conventional TFT array substrate, as shown in FIG. 1, comprises: gate lines 19, data lines 20, and pixel units defined by the gate lines 19 and the data lines 20. Taking one of pixel units for example in FIG. 1, and at the same time referring to the sectional view of the pixel unit along the A-A line as shown in FIG. 2, it can be seen that the pixel unit comprises: a common electrode line 11, a gate electrode 13 of a thin film transistor, a source electrode 14 of the thin film transistor, a drain electrode 15 of the thin film transistor, a gate insulting layer 16, a semiconductor active layer, a passivation layer 17, a pixel electrode 12 and so on; wherein, the pixel electrode 12 is connected to the drain electrode 15 through a through-hole in the passivation layer between the passivation layer 17 and drain electrode 15.
As shown in FIG. 2, the gate insulating layer 16 and the passivation layer 17 are disposed between the common electrode line 11 and the pixel electrode 12, but when the through-hole in the passivation layer is fabricated by the conventional etching process, once the manufacturing error is presented, because the material of the passivation layer and the gate insulting layer is the same or similar to each other, the passivation layer will fracture, and it may also bring about the situation in which the gate insulating layer is eroded (for example, eroded by the etchant) and fractures in the same position. If this position is the location of the common electrode line, it will cause short circuit between the pixel electrode and the common electrode line, thus a bright spot or bright line may be presented on the liquid crystal display panel (display screen).

TFT array subsrate, fabrication method, and display device thereof


A substantially rectangular insertion opening is formed on the upper surface of the housing of the radiation image reading device. An L-shaped projecting portion which runs from the back side periphery to the right side periphery of the insertion opening is integrally formed with the housing and the projecting portion protrudes above the upper surface of the housing, and the top surface of the projecting portion is higher than the upper surface of the housing. When the cassette is inserted into the insertion opening, if the cassette is allowed to come in contact with the side surface of the projecting portion, positioning of the cassette at the insertion opening is simpler. As a result, quicker and easier insertion of the cassette into the insertion opening becomes possible.

This invention relates to a cassette insertion opening structure for inserting a cassette, in which a stimulable phosphor is stored, into a radiation image reading apparatus and also relates to the apparatus on which the insertion opening is provided.
In the past, a stimulable phosphor sheet that is stored in a box-shaped cassette has been used in order to record radiation images which are typically X-ray images for the purpose of medical diagnosis and the like. The stimulable phosphor sheet is one in which a layer of a stimulable phosphor is formed on a support and covered with a protective layer. The stimulable phosphor accumulates radiation energy such as the irradiated X-rays and the like, and also releases the stored energy as photo-stimulated luminescence by irradiating excitation light of a prescribed wavelength.
Generally, after a radiation image is recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet that is stored in the cassette using the radiographing device, the radiation image recorded on the stimulable phosphor sheet is outputted to a film using an outputting device, and/or the radiation image is displayed as a visible image on a display device.
A radiation image reading device which reads out the radiation image from the stimulable phosphor sheet is used in order to output the radiation image on the stimulable phosphor sheet as a visible image. Examples of the radiation image reading apparatus include those disclosed in Patent Documents 1, 2, and 3. In each of these radiation image reading apparatuses, a light scanning unit for irradiating a scanning beam on the stimulable phosphor sheet and a sensor unit for electrically reading the photo-stimulated luminescence emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet by means of a scanning beam are provided inside the housing. In addition, an insertion opening is formed on the housing and the cassette is inserted into the housing through the insertion opening.
However, because the insertion opening is formed as narrow and rectangular, when the cassette is inserted into the insertion opening, positioning of the cassette at the insertion opening is difficult. That is to say, the cassette must be aimed at the insertion opening for insertion therein and thus the cassette cannot be easily handled for inserting it into the insertion opening.
[Patent Document 1] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Tokkai 2004-101988
[Patent Document 2] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Tokkai 2004-102066
[Patent Document 3] Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication No. Tokkai 2004-102078

Cassette insertion opening structure and radiation image reading apparatus


The present invention describes a method including: providing a material A, the material A including a siloxane backbone with a hydride functional group; reacting the material A with a material B in the presence of a catalyst to form a material C, the material B including an alkenyl functional group and an aromatic carbonate functional group; heating the material C to form a material D, the material D including a phenol functional group; and reacting the material D with a material E and a material F to form a material G, the material E including a cyanogen halide, the material F including an acid acceptor, the material G including an aromatic cyanate ester functional group. The present invention further describes a die attach adhesive including a three-dimensional network of substituted triazine rings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of semiconductor integrated circuit manufacturing, and more specifically, to a die attach adhesive and a method of forming such an adhesive.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As the density for non-CPU chips continues to increase, the thickness of the package for the chips must be reduced to accommodate the stacking of multiple die on a single substrate form. Consequently, the bondline thickness (BLT), or thickness of the adhesive between the chip and the substrate, must also be decreased. However, the die attach material must continue to serve as a buffer layer between the chip and the substrate to relieve any stress from mismatch in the coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) which would otherwise cause warpage, cracking, or delamination of the chip.
The latest trends in packaging also involve the elimination of Lead from solder and the raising of the reflow temperature to 260 degrees Centigrade. As a result, the die attach material must be stable at the higher temperatures and be resistant to high humidity while maintaining good adhesion between the chip and the substrate.
Thus, what is needed is a die attach adhesive and a method of forming such an adhesive.

Silicone-based cyanate-ester cross-linkable die attach adhesive


The present invention is directed to a suitable topical composition for cosmetic, pharmaceutical or dermatological use. In a particular aspect, it is a stable nanoemulsion whose particles have a narrow size distribution range. In another particular aspect, the invention is directed to an improved process for producing said composition.

Topical products are being developed continuously nowadays, either to have an effect on the skin or to dispense products through the skin.
Nanoemulsions are colloidal systems that also include micelles, liposomes, virosomes, nano suspensions, micro emulsions and polymeric solutions. Nanoemulsions, based on their physical and chemical characteristics, are a sub-group of micro emulsions.
Micro emulsions are aqueous dispersions of particles composed of a lipid nucleus surrounded by monolayers of surfactants and co-surfactants.
Usually, microemulsions are produced through the mechanical fragmentation of an oleous phase in an aqueous phase in the presence of a surfactant. As is known, the very small size of oleous globules is attained by at least one passage through a high-pressure homogenizer or sonicator. It is generally known that the small size of the globules and the high homogeneity thereof distinguish microemulsions from conventional emulsions, as they are able to carry active agents more efficiently, endowing them with an increasing importance in cosmetic, medicine, and dermatology.
The present invention aims at improving a nanoemulsion-based composition. As understood herein, the composition is nanostructured by virtue of the fact that nanoscale particles are present therein.

Stable topical composition and a process for producing a stable topical composition

EVIDENCE SOLUCÕES FARMACÊUTICAS LTDA EPP


An electrophotographic photosensitive member includes a conductive layer, an intermediate layer and a photosensitive layer in this order on a substrate, in which the conductive layer contains a binder resin and conductive particles. The conductive particles are TiO2 particles coated with oxygen-deficient SnO2, the conductive particles have an average particle size of 0.2 to 0.6 μm and the conductive layer has a volume resistivity of 5×105 to 8×108 Ω·cm. Also this invention provides a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus equipped with such electrophotographic photosensitive member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophotographic photosensitive member, and a process cartridge and an electrophotographic apparatus including an electrophotographic photosensitive member.
2. Related Background Art
Recently an electrophotographic photosensitive member utilizing an organic photoconductive material (organic electrophotographic photosensitive member) is being actively developed.
An electrophotographic photosensitive member is basically constituted of a substrate, and a photosensitive layer formed on such substrate. In practice, however, various layers are often formed between the substrate and the photosensitive layer, for the purposes of covering a defect on the surface of the substrate, improving a coating property of the photosensitive layer, improving adhesion between the substrate and the photosensitive layer, protecting the photosensitive layer from electrical destruction, improving a charging property, and improving a charge injecting property from the substrate to the photosensitive layer. Therefore, for a layer provided between the substrate and the photosensitive layer, various functions are required such as a covering property, an adhesion property, mechanical strength, electroconductivity and an electrical barrier property.
The layer provided between the substrate and the photosensitive layer has been known to be following types:
(i) a resin layer not containing a conductive material;
(ii) a resin layer containing a conductive material; and
(iii) a layer (i) laminated on a layer (ii) mentioned above.
The aforementioned layer (i) has a high electrical resistance as it does not contain a conductive material. Also it has to be provided with a large thickness (film thickness) in order to cover a defect on the substrate surface not subjected to a surface smoothing process.
However, the aforementioned layer (i) of a high electrical resistance, when provided with a large film thickness, results in a drawback of a high residual potential in an initial state of use and after repeated use.
Therefore, for practical use of the layer (i), it is necessary to reduce the defects on the substrate surface and to reduce the film thickness.
On the other hand, the aforementioned layer (ii), being formed by dispersing a conductive material such as conductive particles in a resin and capable of reducing the resistance of the layer, can be employed with a large film thickness thereby covering a surface defect of an electroconductive substrate or a non-conductive substrate (such as a resinous substrate).
However, in case of increasing the thickness of the aforementioned layer (ii), it is necessary, in comparison with the layer (i) which is made thinner, to provide the layer with a sufficient electrical conductivity, whereby the layer (ii) will have a low volume resistivity. For this reason, in order to avoid a charge injection from the substrate or the layer (ii) into the photosensitive layer, constituting a cause of an image defect, over wide environmental conditions from a condition of a low temperature and a low humidity to a condition of a high temperature and a high humidity, it is preferable to provide a layer having an electrical barrier property between the layer (ii) and the photosensitive layer. The layer having an electrical barrier property is, for example, a resin layer not containing conductive particles such as the aforementioned layer (i).
Stated differently, the layer provided between the substrate and the photosensitive layer preferably has an aforementioned configuration (iii), formed by lamination of the layer (i) and the layer (ii).
The configuration (iii) involves an increased number of process steps since plural layers have to be formed, but increases a tolerance for the surface defect of the substrate, thereby significantly widening the tolerance for the substrate and providing an advantage of increasing the productivity.
In general, the aforementioned layer (ii) is called a conductive layer, and the layer (i) is called an intermediate layer (undercoat layer or barrier layer).
A conductive material to be employed in the conductive layer includes various metals, metal oxides and conductive polymers. Among these, tin oxide (SnO2) having excellent resistance characteristics is known as conductive materials of various types such as an ordinary compound with a powder resistivity of 104-106 Ω·cm, a compound which is mixed (doped), at the manufacture of SnO2 conductive material, with a compound of a metal of a valence number different from that of tin, such as antimony oxide or a non-metal element for reducing the powder resistivity to 1/1000-1/100,000, and a non-doped oxygen-deficient SnO2 in which the resistance of SnO2 is reduced to a case of antimony doping without increasing the constituent elements.
As a prior technology relating to the oxygen-deficient SnO2, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-295245 discloses a technology of employing the oxygen-deficient SnO2 in the conductive layer, also Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H06-208238 discloses a technology of coating barium sulfate particles with oxygen-deficient SnO2 for improving the dispersibility in comparison with a case of employing SnO2 only, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H10-186702, though not disclosing an embodiment of oxygen-deficient SnO2, discloses a technology of employing barium sulfate particles for improving the dispersibility, coating titanium oxide (TiO2) thereon for improving the whiteness, and further coating SnO2 thereon for providing the electric conductivity.
Also because of a recent improvement in the charging uniformity of a charging apparatus, the necessity for charge pre-elimination means (such as a pre-exposure apparatus) for preventing a charging unevenness from an output image is decreasing, and there is being requested an electrophotographic apparatus of a configuration without such charge pre-elimination means in view of space saving and cost reduction.
However, in case the charge pre-elimination means such as the pre-exposure apparatus is dispensed with, a ghost image of a rotation cycle of the electrophotographic photosensitive member (a phenomenon in which an exposure hysteresis (such as a solid black image) in a one-rotation-preceding cycle of the electrophotographic photosensitive member appears on halftone image) becomes conspicuous.
The cause for such ghost phenomenon is considered the stagnation in the flow of charges (carriers) in the formation of an electrostatic latent image on the electrophotographic photosensitive member, and, in a configuration including a conductive layer, the flow of charge (carriers) tends to become stagnant because of a larger number of layers in comparison with a configuration without the conductive layer.
As it is possible, up to now, to substantially eliminate the ghost phenomenon by providing the charge pre-elimination means such as the pre-exposure apparatus and by uniformly reducing the surface potential of the electrophotographic photosensitive member before charging, the ghost phenomenon has little been raised as a technical issue. Stated differently, a fact that the ghost phenomenon becomes conspicuous in the configuration without the charge pre-elimination means such as the pre-exposure apparatus is found only recently.
As a prior technology for improving the ghost phenomenon by the structure of the conductive layer, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-271072 discloses a technology of employing a conductive material formed by TiO2 particles coated with SnO2 of which powder resistivity is reduced by antimony oxide doping and increasing a content of the conductive material in order to achieve a smooth flow of the charge (carriers) in the conductive layer.
However, the technology disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H07-271072, requiring an element antimony in addition to tin for coating the TiO2 particles, has a poor reuse property, and a technology utilizing oxygen-deficient SnO2, superior in the reuse property, is being expected.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Electrophotographic photosensitive member, process cartridge and electrophotographic apparatus


A transfer system for use with a tool for processing a work-piece at low or vacuum pressure such as an ion implanter for implanting silicon wafers. An enclosure defines a low pressure region for processing of work-pieces placed at a work-piece processing station within the low pressure region. A two tier multiple work-piece isolation load lock transfers work-pieces from a higher pressure region to the lower pressure for processing and back to said higher pressure subsequent to said processing. A first robot transfers work-pieces within the low pressure region from the load locks to a processing station within the low pressure region. Multiple other robots positioned outside the low pressure region transfers work-pieces to and from the two tier work-piece isolation load locks from a source of said work-pieces prior to processing and to a destination of said work-pieces after said processing.

Axcelis Technologies, assignee of the present invention, designs and sells products for processing of silicon wafers during integrated circuit fabrication. One such product or tool is sold under the designation MC-3. This tool creates an ion beam that modifies the physical properties of wafers that are placed into the ion beam. This process can be used, for example, to dope the silicon from which the unprocessed wafer is made to produce a semiconductor material. Controlled use of masking with resist materials prior to ion implantation as well as layering of different dopant patterns within the wafer produce an integrated circuit for use in one of a myriad of applications.
A variety of other tools are used during integrated circuit fabrication. These tools include rapid thermal processing of wafers under controlled conditions to anneal the wafers. Other tools are used to apply photoresist in controlled patterns onto the wafers. Tools are used to remove photoresist materials from the wafers during an ashing process. Other tools are used to cut the processed wafers into individual integrated circuits.
An ion implantation chamber of an ion beam implanter such as a model MC-3 implanter is maintained at reduced pressure. Subsequent to acceleration along a beam line, the ions in the beam enter the implantation chamber and strike the wafer. In order to position the wafer within the ion implantation chamber, they are moved by a robot into a load lock from a cassette or storage device delivered to the implanter by a conveyor system or by other means of delivery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,486,080 to Sieradzki concerns a system for high speed movement of work-pieces in vacuum processing. The system employs two wafer transport robots for moving wafers from two load locks past a processing station. Additional patents relating to serial end stations are U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,350,097, 6,555,825, and 5,003,183.


System and method for monitoring a fabrication process. Generally, an actual-to-planned variance is calculated by determining a daily part index as a percentage of the delta between the planned quantity and the actual quantity over the planned quantity. A weekly part index is calculated by averaging the daily part index over a predetermined time period. From the weekly part index, a site index is determined that takes into account products fabricated at a particular site. Furthermore, a planned-to-actual variance may be calculated by determining a daily part index as a percentage of the delta between the planned quantity and the actual quantity over the actual quantity. A weekly part index is calculated by averaging the daily part index over a predetermined time period. From the weekly part index, a site index is determined that takes into account products fabricated at a particular site.

In many fabricating processes, plans are generated that estimate the quantity of a product that may be fabricated by a specific date. The plans are used by multiple organizations to plan and monitor the work flow in each respective area. For example, fabricating semiconductor chips generally involves fabricating wafers and performing tests on the wafers or individual die. A fabrication plan is created to estimate the fabrication schedule and quantities of semiconductor chips that may be fabricated within a given time frame or on a specific date.
The fabrication plan is utilized by a test organization to generate a testing plan. The testing plan generally takes as input the quantity of wafers expected to be fabricated on a specific date and determines the quantity of wafers that are to be tested on each day. As indicated above, the testing plan is very dependent upon the fabrication plan.
Many times, however, the plans are not accurate. Large variances between the planned and actual values may have a significant impact on successive systems and processes. For example, if the fabrication plan over estimates the quantity of wafers produced on a specific date, then the testing system may have idle equipment or workers that could be used for another task. Similarly, if the fabrication plan under estimates the quantity of wafers produced on a specific date, then the testing system may not have sufficient equipment and/or workers available to process the quantity provided by fabrication in a satisfactory time frame.
Therefore, there is a need for monitoring manufacturing systems to measure the accuracy of the fabrication plans such that the fabrication plans may be updated to produce more accurate plans.

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A query is received which causes an initial data flow graph that includes a plurality of nodes that are used to execute the query is generated. Thereafter, the initial data flow graph is optimized using a model optimizer that includes an optimizer framework and an application programming interface (API). The optimizer framework provides logic to restructure the initial data flow graph and a rules engine for executing one or more optimization rules. The API allows for registration of new optimization rules to be executed by the rules engine. Execution of the query is then initiated using the optimized data flow graph. Related apparatus, systems, techniques and articles are also described.

Query optimization is based on two main areas: query modeling and query execution. Query designers strive for expressive, understandable and semantical models. The paradigm applied is to declaratively describe a desired result. In contrast, query execution is concerned about the most efficient path of execution. Query execution rarely takes into account concerns such as expressiveness, understandability and semantics. Rather, the only rule it must obey is to guarantee the equivalent informational semantics of the query after and before optimization.
A query optimizer must consider a variety of options and dependencies in order to find the optimal execution path. In addition, the query optimizer must recognize non-trivial patterns that originate from complex business semantics. An optimizer must be maintainable and understandable in order to further develop and change in an iterative manner.