A method of recovering bromide from bromine-containing smelting ash relates to the field of high efficient separation and recovery of bromine by total wet method. It especially relates to the method of high efficiency separation of bromine salt and lead, zinc recovery of circuit board smelting ash by two-step method. It mainly comprising: sub-molten salt leaching, washing, separate Lead and zinc by adjusting the pH of industrial sulfuric acid, membrane separation and concentration, reuse of water, crude bromine salt recovery by evaporation crystallization of bromine salt. Compared with the traditional baking and recycling process of ash, the invention adopts sodium hydroxide submolten salt leaching technology and membrane separation and concentration technology, to reduce the reaction temperature and tailings discharge greatly, which has a good effect of energy saving and emission reduction.

Recycling and utilization of waste electronic and electrical equipment is a major challenge for mankind. Brominated flame retardants (BFRS) are one of the main chemical flame retardants because of their good fireproofing effect on plastics and textiles. Therefore, a large part of waste electronic appliances are made of brominated flame retardant plastics, whether this kind of plastic can be recycled safely has become one of the environmental protection focuses. Brominated flame retardant plastics can be recycled in the following ways: 1. Landfill; 2. mechanical recovery; 3. incineration without energy recovery; 4. incineration to recover energy; 5. burn or cleave to recover bromine or hydrobromic acid. Several processes can be used to recover bromine or hydrobromic acid from bromine flame retardant plastics: 1. Incinerate with municipal solid waste method; 2. Pyrolysis/gasify; 3. Copper smelting method. With the development of copper smelting technology and equipment, the coordinated disposal of brominated flame-retardant plastics by copper smelting has become the direction of development. The organic matter containing brominated flame retardants is incinerated or co-smelted, which will produce a large amount of brominated ash, the main component of which is sodium bromide. Sodium bromide is an important bromine salt, mainly used in photographic film, medicine (sedatives), pesticides, spices, dyes and other industries. At the same time, sodium bromide dissolved in water low toxicity, irritant, belongs to dangerous goods. Therefore, the brominated materials in smelting ash have high resources and certain environmental risks, which must be recovered reasonably.
Due to the presence of cuprous bromide and other substances in bromine smelting ash, the separation of bromine is hindered. Zhang Yi of Chinese academy of sciences institute of process engineering, proposed a high concentration electrolyte solution between molten salt and conventional electrolyte by studying the comparison between conventional electrolyte solution and the molten salt medium in fluid mechanics, thermodynamics, chemical kinetics of these aspects in common and differences, for the first time, the technology of secondary molten salt recovery is proposed for vanadium extraction from vanadium slag. This kind of high concentration alkali metal ionizing medium solution can provide negative oxygen ions with high chemical activity and high activity, which is called submolten salt unconventional medium. The medium has good physicochemical properties such as high fluidity, low boiling point, high OH-activity coefficient, high chemical reactivity and adjustable separation function, etc. Based on the superior characteristics mentioned above, 100% leaching rate can be achieved, and there is no pollution emission.

Method of recovering bromide from bromine-containing smelting ash


The invention relates to an apparatus for actuating a control element, for example, an air flap, for a heating or air-conditioning system (34) in a motor vehicle, having an actuating drive (32), an electrical circuit (1) which controls the actuating drive (32), and a control section (36) for inputting control commands. The actuating drive (32), the circuit (1) and the control section (36) are connected to one another via at least one electrical cable (3). In order to provide an improved apparatus for actuating a control element, particularly with regard to reducing the production costs, the circuit (1) is arranged outside the actuating drive (32) and outside the control section (36) and, in particular, is preferably integrated in the databus (3). This allows identical actuating drives to be used cost-effectively for the different control elements.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for actuating a control element for a heating or air-conditioning system in a motor vehicle.
The introduction to the description of DE-OS 195 32 280 discloses the capability to use software to enter the identification codes or subscriber number of the various loads or electrical devices in order to address one of a number of devices, with the identification code being sent to the device via a connecting cable. Furthermore, it is stated in the introduction to the description that the individual devices can also be coded with the identification code via their connecting apparatus. Such a connecting apparatus is described in the exemplary embodiment in the cited document, in which the identification code is produced by interrupting specific conductor tracks.

Apparatus for actuating a control element for a heating or air-conditioning system in a motor vehicle


A task management method is disclosed. The method includes sending a query command by a host to an electronic storage device at a variable interval to determine a status of a task queue of the electronic storage device; obtaining a response information. The response information includes a status of the task queue, and the status of the task queue includes an information about whether a task preparation in the task queue is to be completed.

The present invention relates to the field of electronic storage devices, and in particular, to a task management method and a host of an electronic storage device.
A portion of the electronic storage device is equipped with a task queue that allows the electronic storage device to arrange multiple data transmission requests from its host. For example, for a storage technology conforming to the eMMC5.1 standard proposed by the Joint Commission on Electronic Devices Engineering (JEDEC), multiple task requests can be sent to a storage device by a host through a communication circuit, and the current task can be internally processed by the electronic storage device while the other tasks are being processed. After the pre-processing is completed, the task is ready to be completed, and data can be carried by the host when the read-write channel is not occupied, thereby reducing the waiting time in the process. Generally, the preparation status of each task in the task queue of the electronic storage device is periodically queried by the host at a fixed interval, or a single query is performed by the host for the task preparation before the data transmission is completed.
In the practice of the prior art, inventors of the present invention find that, because the tasks in the task queue of the electronic storage device are periodically queried by the host at a fixed interval, in some cases, the query interval is too long and the preparation of the task cannot be timely known by the host. This condition results in an increase in latency, while in other cases, a short query interval can result in a waste of data bus transmission capability between the host and the electronic storage device.

Task management method and host for electronic storage device


Near real time downloading and verifying of a subscriber's remote record request is provided to control a DVR using the existing satellite network. The insertion of the programming request into the continuous broadcast stream enables near real time processing of the request by a subscriber IRD to accommodate same day and even last minute remote programming requests. The use of a back channel to verify the request provides the subscriber with assurance that the request has been processed successfully and flexibility to change services on the fly.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to satellite broadcast television, and more specifically to a near real time system and method for downloading and verifying a subscriber's remote record request via the satellite broadcast network to control a recording device such as a DVR or VCR.
2. Description of the Related Art
Satellite television programming has become widely available and has become a popular alternative to analog broadcast and cable services. Service providers such as DIRECTV® and EchoStar Communications Corp. (Dish Network™) provide a wide variety of programming. The basic architecture for a satellite television network 10 is illustrated in FIG. 1.
As shown in FIG. 1, a DIRECTV® Access system 10 includes four primary components; a satellite broadcast center (SBC) 12 that manages subscriber services and billing and stores and uplinks programming content and authorization data, one or more satellites 14 that broadcast the uplinked programming on a number of transponders, subscriber sites 16 that download and play selected programming and a back channel 18 such as the public switched telephone network for communicating billing information to the SBC through a "callback" function.
Satellite broadcast center 12 includes a video server 20 that receives video and associated audio services from a program provider(s) and converts them into separate audio and video packets that are stored in the server. These packets are of a fixed length and each has an identifier header which labels the type of packet, audio, video, CA, program guide, etc. . . . .
A conditional access management center (CAMC) 24 receives (a) subscription information such as subscribed services, rating limits, and credit and billing limits from a subscriber service center 26, (b) subscriber programming selections during the "anniversary callback" or other special callbacks to report billing information and (c) current billing information including payment status, limits, etc. from a network billing center 28 and (a) sends new billing charges to billing center 28 and (b) generates Conditional Access (CA) packets 30 including audio/video encryption information, valid customer services, changed subscribed services, rating limits, credit limits etc. The CA packets 26 are assigned to a specific subscriber CAM, sometimes referred to as an Access Card.
A bridge router 32 is used to form multi-purpose transport (MPT) packets 34. These generic packets can be used for a variety of purposes, most typically to download software upgrades to the subscriber IRD. The packet includes a payload, e.g. the software upgrade, and a header that specifies the nature of the payload.
An uplink system 36 inserts a CA packet 30, an audio/video packet 22 or an MPT packet 34 into a transport packet that is inserted with other transport packets into an RF broadcast stream. The transport packet includes a payload, e.g. the A/V, CA or MPT packet, and a header that specifies the type of packet in the payload. A high power amplifier upconverts the RF signal to a higher frequency and power level, which is broadcast to the satellite via transmitter 38.
Subscriber site 16 includes a dish 40 where a low noise block downconverter amplifies the satellite signal and converts it to a lower frequency. This signal is then sent from the dish to the subscribers integrated receiver decoder (IRD) 42 where the individual transport packets are extracted from the RF signal. The IRD then routes the video and audio packets 22 to the audio and video decoders, the MPT packets 36 to the appropriate devices, and the CA packet 30 to a conditional access module (CAM) 44. The CAM determines if the subscriber is authorized to watch the program, and if they are, sends an authorization to decode the audio and video packets and direct them to a television 46 for viewing and/or a recording device 48 such as a VCR or digital video recorder (DVR) that provides many other features and services such as Tivo® or ReplayTV®.
The wide variety of programming available through digital satellite and cable services renders it likely that programs will be shown at times that are not convenient for a viewer. This, in turn, results in the desirability of recording such programs for later viewing at a more convenient time. Advanced models of satellite and cable receivers/decoders allow a subscriber to program the receiver to record a program for later viewing. The subscriber selects the program to be recorded from an on-screen program guide using a standard TV remote and the receiver sends IR or serial commands to the VCR or DVR to execute the recordings at the proper time. A subscriber may also connect from their home computer via the internet to a service center such as DIRECTV.com to access the program guide and select programming, review current billing information or even pay on-line.
If the subscriber purchases any pay per view events, this information is then stored on the CAM, and at predetermined intervals, the CAM will initiate a callback to the Conditional Access Management Center via the phone lines 18, where all of the subscriber's purchase information is transmitted. This purchase information is then sent to the Billing Center 28 where it gets processed for billing to the subscriber.
Television related products and services are available that greatly enhance the flexibility and capability of a standard video tape recorder (VTR) or DVR in conjunction with off air, cable or satellite broadcast programming. Tivo, Inc. offers features such as Season Pass™, Wish List™ and Smart Recording™ that record every episode of a selected program even if scheduling changes, find and record programming based on preferences and suggest programming based on viewing habits. Sonic Blue offers ReplayTV® with features such as Commercial Advance™ that seamlessly removes all commercials from programming and MyReplayTV™ which allows a user, whether you are at work or on vacation, if you can get online, you can setup recordings, view your personal Channel Guide or Find Shows. The record requests are downloaded once daily during the nightly "call back" that is made for billing purposes via a public phone line.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Satellite television network and near real-time method for downloading and verifying a subscriber remote record request


Where it was generally thought that the smallest breakdown products of proteins had no specific biological function on their own, it now emerges that the body may utilize the normal process of proteolytic breakdown to generate important compounds such as gene-regulatory or anti-tumor compounds. Such anti-tumor compounds are useful for the treatment or prevention of tumors and can be used as part of a pharmaceutical composition. The invention provides a pharmaceutical composition for the treatment of a subject suffering from or believed to be suffering from a tumor, said pharmaceutical composition comprising: a therapeutically effective amount of anti-tumor peptide or a functional analogue or derivative thereof together with a pharmaceutically acceptable diluent, wherein the peptide is preferably selected from the group VVC, LAG, AQG, LQGV (SEQ ID NO:1), QVVC (SEQ ID NO:), MTRV (SEQ ID NO:6), AQGV (SEQ ID NO:2), LAGV (SEQ ID NO:3), LQAV (SEQ ID NO:7), PGCP (SEQ ID NO:8), VGQL (SEQ ID NO:9), RVLQ (SEQ ID NO:10), EMFQ (SEQ ID NO:11), AVAL (SEQ ID NO:12), FVLS (SEQ ID NO:13), NMWD (SEQ ID NO:14), LCFL (SEQ ID NO:15), FSYA (SEQ ID NO:16), FWVD (SEQ ID NO:17), AFTV (SEQ ID NO:18), LGTL (SEQ ID NO:19), QLLG (SEQ ID NO:20), YAIT (SEQ ID NO:21), APSL (SEQ ID NO:22), ITTL (SEQ ID NO:23), QALG (SEQ ID NO:24), GVLC (SEQ ID NO:25), NLIN (SEQ ID NO:26), SPIE (SEQ ID NO:27), LNTI (SEQ ID NO:28), LHNL (SEQ ID NO:29), CPVQ (SEQ ID NO:30), EVVR (SEQ ID NO:31), MTEV (SEQ ID NO:32), EALE (SEQ ID NO:33), TLAVE (SEQ ID NO:38), VEGNL (SEQ ID NO:39), LNEAL (SEQ ID NO:40), VLPALP (SEQ ID NO:4), MGGTWA (SEQ ID NO:41), LTCDDP (SEQ ID NO:42), VLPALPQ (SEQ ID NO:43), VCNYRDV (SEQ ID NO:44), CPRGVNP (SEQ ID NO:45), QPLAPLVG (SEQ ID NO:46) or DINGFLPAL (SEQ ID NO:47).

Cancer is the second leading cause of human death next to coronary disease. Worldwide, millions of people die from cancer every year. In the United States alone, as reported by the American Cancer Society, cancer causes the death of well over a half-million people annually, with over 1.2 million new cases diagnosed per year.
Worldwide, several cancers stand out as the leading killers. In particular, carcinomas of the lung, prostate, breast, colon, pancreas, and ovary represent the primary causes of cancer death. These and virtually all other carcinomas share a common lethal feature. With very few exceptions, metastatic disease from a carcinoma is fatal. Moreover, even for those cancer subjects who initially survive their primary cancers, common experience has shown that their lives are dramatically altered. Many cancer subjects experience strong anxieties driven by the awareness of the potential for recurrence or treatment failure. Many cancer subjects also experience physical debilitations during or following treatment. Furthermore, many cancer subjects experience a recurrence.
Due to the recurrence rates and side effects of current cancer treatments, improved cancer treatments represent a great need in society. Preferrably, those treatments are small molecules that are easily adsorbed by the body, cheap and easy to manufacture, effective, and do not have many of the side effect associated with current cancer treatments.

Treatment of tumors using short peptides from human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG)


A control system (100) for an emergency braking system (200) using at least one transmitter/receiver sensor (210) comprising: means for causing automatic transition, from a first state (310) in which the emergency braking system (200) is inactive to a second state (320) in which the emergency braking system (200) is active, in dependence upon satisfaction of a first condition (412); and means for causing automatic transition from the second state (320) to the first state (310) in dependence upon satisfaction of a second condition (421) different to the first condition (412) wherein transition from the second state (320) to the first state (310) does not occur in dependence upon the first condition (412) no longer being satisfied, and/or transition from the first state (320) to the second state (310) does not occur in dependence upon the second condition (421) no longer being satisfied.

A transmitter/receiver sensor is an inexpensive and practical sensor for detecting an environment near to a vehicle. A transmitter/receiver sensor comprises a transmitter and a receiver. The transmitter transmits a signal that is reflected by the environment near to a vehicle. The reflected signal is detected by the receiver. The transmitter may transmit electro-magnetic waves (e.g. radio detection and ranging (radar) or light detection and ranging (lidar)) and the receiver may then detect the reflected electromagnetic waves. Perhaps more commonly the transmitter may transmit ultrasonic sound waves and the receiver may then detect the reflected ultrasonic sound waves.
The use of transmission and reflection to sense the environment may result is false positives if there is another source of the signal and/or if there is a strong reflection from anything other than a hazard and/or if the sensor is slow to respond to a change in environment.
Other environmental detection systems are possible but they are often more complex. For example a stereoscopic camera system may be used to image an environment external to a vehicle. Computer vision analysis may be used to identify and track objects. The parallax effect may be used to range an identified object. This system, however, requires at least two cameras and also image processing capabilities. It can also only range an identified object and has poor performance where this is not possible.
Vehicle driver assistance systems are systems that operate automatically or semi-automatically to assist a driver.
Examples of vehicle driver assistance systems include, for example, automatic higher-speed collision avoidance system, parking assistance systems, automatic braking systems, automatic torque control/vectoring systems, cruise control systems, automatic lighting systems, automatic windscreen wiper systems. Some of these driver assistance systems automatically control acceleration and/or deceleration of the vehicle and these systems are called acceleration-control driver assistance systems in this document. Some of these driver assistance systems automatically cause emergency braking, for example full-stop braking, of the vehicle and these systems are called emergency-braking-control driver assistance systems (also called emergency braking systems) in this document. Full-stop braking is braking that applies a deceleration not less than 5 m/s2, sufficient to quickly stop the vehicle, until the vehicle has stopped, there has been a collision, or an event has caused an interrupt (e.g. a driver has caused an interrupt by for example depressing the accelerator pedal or e.g. the system has caused an interrupt because there is no longer a threat, for example because an obstacle has moved).
It will be appreciated that the intervention of a driver assistance system is a positive experience for a driver when the intervention is helpful or necessary.
It will be appreciated that the intervention of a driver assistance system is a negative experience for a driver when the intervention is neither helpful nor necessary.
An incorrect automatic intervention by a driver assistance system may be particularly concerning and/or unwelcome for acceleration-control driver assistance systems and emergency-braking-control driver assistance systems (also called emergency braking systems). These incorrect automatic interventions may occur, for example, when the vehicle driver assistance system uses a transmitter/receiver sensor and the transmitter/receiver sensor gives a false positive, causing an automatic intervention.
As an example a vehicle driver parking assistance system may among other functions provide an emergency-braking-control driver assistance systems (also called emergency braking systems) that uses an ultrasonic transmitter/receiver sensor for avoiding low speed collisions. However, the incorrect intervention of the emergency-braking-control driver assistance system arising from false positives from the ultrasonic transmitter/receiver sensor may be problematic if it prevents or interferes with low-speed vehicle movement desired by a vehicle driver. Low speed is speed less than a threshold speed, which may be 15 km/h, for example.
It is an aim of the present invention to provide an improved driver assistance system that uses a transmitter/receiver sensor.

Control of a vehicle driver assistance system


An external tank has a biological destructive lighting system mounted perpendicularly to an electrolytic device within an externally mounted pipe. This pipe has an inflow from a source and an outflow connected to the side of the tank that has a tangentially mounted flow directional device facilitating tangential flow therein. An inner tank housed within the external tank has one or more holes at its bottom portion for permitting liquids to flow therein and up through a outflow piping system connected to an upper conical portion of the inner tank; the clean water flowing therein flows out through a top portion of the external tank using this outflow pipe. A waste pipe is mounted to a side of the external tank facilitating the removal of unwanted materials therefrom including solids like sand and liquids like oil.

Currently, there are various ways to purify water including distillation, reverse osmosis filtration and deionization. However, in most cases removing materials such as sand, metals, petroleum products, as well as eliminating bacteria and algae renders the purification process both expensive and slow. To solve these problems, engineers have created large reclamation systems.
Typically, three tanks are manufactured and laid out to permit the settlement of sand and other suspension materials to the bottom of the tanks; ordinarily, this process happens in still lakes wherein the materials simply sink to the bottom of the lake. Thus, because this settlement process requires a large amount of time, each of the tanks needs to be enormous so as to permit a large amount of water to be processed for a particular city, factory, car wash or other environment.
Contaminated water enters a first tank and once filled it proceed over a dam between the first and into the second tank. Here oil and hydrocarbons are permitted to rise to the surface thereof before a float valve is opened thereby allowing water to flow from the center of the tank into the third tank. There the water is cleaner than in the other two tanks such that it is substantially freer of oil and suspended solids than in the other tanks.
However, this type of system creates other problems unrelated to the removal of sand, oils and other suspended materials. In particular, the large volume of water tends to promote the growth of bacteria, algae and other lifeforms; this thereby creates a further treatment issue that needs to be dealt with before the water may be put back into circulation.
Thus, there needs to be a solution that separates the water from solids, oils and organics that does not have the disadvantage of lengthy processing time as well as overcomes the problems of large volume inherent in prior art systems. Further, it would be desirable for such a system to not use water filtration.
Accordingly, there remains a need in the art for an inexpensive compact system that meets all of these requirements.


The present invention provides interlayers that comprise a polymer film onto which micro lines have been formed from a conductive material. The interlayers comprising such films can be incorporated, for example, into a two glass pane multiple layer glazing. Such glazings can be used, for example, in automobile windscreens or rear window applications or other applications that require a heated glazing panel.

Poly(vinyl butyral) (PVB) is commonly used in the manufacture of polymer layers that can be used as interlayers in light-transmitting laminates such as safety glass or polymeric laminates. Safety glass often refers to a transparent laminate comprising a poly(vinyl butyral) layer disposed between two layers of glass. Safety glass often is used to provide a transparent barrier in architectural and automotive openings. Its main function is to absorb energy, such as that caused by a blow from an object, without allowing penetration through the opening or the dispersion of shards of glass, thus minimizing damage or injury to the objects or persons within an enclosed area. Safety glass also can be used to provide other beneficial effects, such as to attenuate acoustic noise, reduce UV and/or IR light transmission, and/or enhance the appearance and aesthetic appeal of window openings.
In automobiles and some architectural applications of multiple layer laminated safety glass, or multiple layer glazings, there exists a desire to heat the glass, to, for example, allow for the defrosting of the glass. Such defrosting can be accomplished by, for example, using Tungsten or Wolfram wires stitched onto a polymer layer that is then laminated between two layers of glass to form a rear window. Another conventional approach uses a very thin metal layer applied to glass in a laminated glass assembly. In either case, an electrical potential is applied across the conductor and the resistance to the resultant current produces heat.
While the above-cited methods are effective at defrosting the multiple layer glazing in which the conductive components are included, they can present difficulties in manufacture. Further, defrosters exposed to the environment, such as surface-applied conductive lines on a glass laminate, can be mechanically damaged, resulting in loss of function. Conventional defrosters, as described above, also tend to either provide less functionality than desired or a greater degree of visual contamination than desired.
What are needed in the art are improved multiple layer glazing constructs that provide easy and inexpensive fabrication and that provide ready defrosting or heating in the finished application.


This invention relates to a kit and methods adapted for use in a vehicle glove compartment box, which provides assistance in various vehicular scenarios related to traffic tickets, DWIs, car wrecks, avoiding repossessions, and using lemon laws. The kit includes a container, camera, and booklet and is small enough to fit conveniently inside a vehicle glove box. The booklet contains sequential step-by-step instructions to assist the user with the vehicular scenarios and is written in a simple and easy-to-read format that does not require a legal dictionary to decipher. In simpler terms, the present invention provides common sense tips to help protect one's legal rights.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a kit and method adapted for use in vehicular applications.
2. Related Art
Life can be filled with unpleasant circumstances which demand attention. During a lifetime of driving, an individual may be confronted with traffic tickets, car wrecks, purchasing a lemon, or, unfortunately, even being involved in a repossession or DWI. When confronted with these issues, one may be unsure of the various legalities and practical considerations involved. For example, one may be unaware of what to say or admit to the officer, whether to pursue an uninsured driver, or when to remain silent.
Other kits have attempted to address similar needs. The Business in a Box™ is such a kit and can be found at www.business-in-a-box.com. It provides a collection of business document templates which address cover letters, contracts, policies, spreadsheets, board resolutions, and checklists. However, this kit fails to address the before-mentioned vehicular needs. For example, although it may be small enough to fit inside a glove compartment box, the Business in a Box™ kit fails to provide clear, step-by-step instructions for dealing with traffic tickets, car wrecks, repossessions, purchasing lemons, and DWIs. Rather, the Business in a Box™ only addresses corporate concerns and has nothing to do with vehicular scenarios. Therefore, the inventors of the present application realized there is a need in the art for a quick and efficient, easy-to-understand guide to approaching these vehicular issues. The present invention addresses those needs.

Kit adapted for use in a vehicle glove compartment box


Corrosion of iron-containing metal surfaces in a hydrocarbon fluid having a temperature of from about 175.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C. and containing a corrosive amount of naphthenic acid is inhibited by adding to the fluid or to a feed therefor, in a total additive amount sufficient to effect corrosion inhibition in said fluid, one or more thiophosphorus compound, a salt thereof, an alkyl or aryl ester thereof, an isomer thereof, or some combination of the foregoing, thereby to effect inhibition of naphthenic acid induced corrosion in the fluid.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the inhibition of metal corrosion in acidic hot hydrocarbons, and more particularly to the inhibition of corrosion of iron-containing metals in hot acidic hydrocarbons, especially when the acidity is derived from the presence of naphthenic acid.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
It is widely known in the art that the processing of crude oil in its various fractions has led to damage of the iron-containing metal surfaces of associated apparatus due to naphthenic acid corrosion. Generally speaking, naphthenic acid corrosion occurs when the crude being processed has a neutralization number or total acid number (TAN), expressed as the milligrams of potassium hydroxide required to neutralize the acids in a one gram sample, greater than 0.5. The corrosive problem is known to be aggravated by the elevated temperatures necessary to refine and crack the oil and by the oil's acidity which is caused primarily by high levels of naphthenic acid indigenous to the crudes. Sulfur in the crudes, which produces hydrogen sulfide at higher temperatures, also aggravates the problem. The temperature range of primary interest for this type of corrosion is in the range of about 175.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C., especially about 205.degree. C. to about 400.degree. C.
While various corrosion inhibitors are known in various arts, the efficacy and usefulness of any particular corrosion inhibitor is dependent on the particular circumstances in which it is applied. Thus, efficacy or usefulness under one set of circumstances often does not imply the same for another set of circumstances. As a result, a large number of corrosion inhibitors have been developed and are in use for application to various systems depending on the medium treated, the type of surface that is susceptible to the corrosion, the type of corrosion encountered, and the conditions to which the medium is exposed. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,447 describes certain corrosion inhibitors as useful against corrosion in relatively low temperature oxygenated aqueous systems such as water floods, cooling towers, drilling muds, air drilling and auto radiator systems. That patent also notes that many corrosion inhibitors capable of performing in non-aqueous systems and/or non-oxygenated systems perform poorly in aqueous and/or oxygenated systems. The reverse is true as well. The mere fact that an inhibitor that has shown efficacy in oxygenated aqueous systems does not suggest that it would show efficacy in a hydrocarbon. Moreover, the mere fact that an inhibitor has been efficacious at relatively low temperatures does not indicate that it would be efficacious at elevated temperatures. In fact, it is common for inhibitors that are very effective at relatively low temperatures to become ineffective at temperatures such as the 175.degree. C. to 400.degree. C. encountered in oil refining. At such temperatures, corrosion is notoriously troublesome and difficult to alleviate. Thus, U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,447 contains no teaching or suggestion that it would be effective in non-aqueous systems such as hydrocarbon fluids, especially hot hydrocarbon fluids. Nor is there any indication in U.S. Pat. No. 3,909,447 that the compounds disclosed therein would be effective against naphthenic acid corrosion under such conditions.
As commonly used, naphthenic acid is a collective term for certain organic acids present in various crude oils. Although there may be present minor amounts of other organic acids, it is understood that the majority of the acids in a naphthenic based crude are naphthenic in character, i.e., with a saturated ring structure as follows: ##STR1## The molecular weight of naphthenic acid can extend over a large range. However, the majority of the naphthenic acid from crude oils is found in gas oil and light lubricating oil. When hydrocarbons containing such naphthenic acid contact iron-containing metals, especially at elevated temperatures, severe corrosion problems arise.
Various approaches to controlling naphthenic acid corrosion have included neutralization and/or removal of naphthenic acids from the crude being processed; blending low acid number oils with corrosive high acid number oils to reduce the overall neutralization number; and the use of relatively expensive corrosion-resistant alloys in the construction of apparatus used in the processing of crude oil. These attempts are generally disadvantageous in that they require additional processing and/or add substantial cost to treatment of the crude oil. Alternatively, U.S. Pat. No. 4,443,609 discloses certain tetrahydrothiazole phosphonic acids and esters as being useful as acid corrosion inhibitors. Such inhibitors can be prepared by reacting certain 2,5-dihydrothiazoles with a dialkyl phosphite. While these tetrahydrothiazole phosphonic acids or esters have good corrosion and inhibition properties, they tend to break down during high temperature applications thereof with possible emission of obnoxious and toxic substances.
It is also known that phosphorus-containing compounds impair the function of various catalysts used to treat crude oil, e.g., in fixed-bed hydrotreaters and hydrocracking units. Crude oil processors are often in a quandary since if the phosphite stabilizer is not used, then iron can accumulate in the hydrocarbon up to 10 to 20 ppm and impair the catalyst. Although nonphosphorus-containing inhibitors are commercially available, they are generally less effective than the phosphorus-containing compounds.
A significant advancement in phosphorus-containing naphthenic acid corrosion inhibitors was reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,994, in which the present inventor is identified as a co-inventor. Therein it is disclosed that metal corrosion in hot acidic liquid hydrocarbons is inhibited by the presence of a corrosion inhibiting amount of a dialkyl and/or trialkyl phosphite with an optional thiazoline.
While the method described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,941,994 provides significant improvements over the prior art techniques, nevertheless, there is always a desire to enhance the ability of corrosion inhibitors while reducing the amount of phosphorus-containing compounds which may impair the function of various catalysts used to treat crude oil, as well as a desire for such inhibitors that may be produced from lower cost or more available starting materials.

Control of naphthenic acid corrosion with thiophosporus compounds


Packages for housing consumable products or secondary containers having consumable products and methods of making and using same are provided. In a general embodiment, the present disclosure provides a tray having first and second opposing side walls, a front wall, a back wall, a bottom wall, and an interior wall that divides the tray into at least two separate compartments. The interior wall may include first and second adjacent panels joined by one of a perforation and a score. The perforation and/or score will allow the tray to be configured, at least, as one tray having two separate compartments, or as two separate and discrete trays.

The present disclosure relates generally to packaging. More specifically, the present disclosure relates to trays for storing and displaying products and/or secondary containers having consumable products. Several aspects of storing and displaying products and/or secondary containers having consumable products may be discussed in the present disclosure including, but not limited to, protecting the products from being damaged during shipping, storing or handling, and providing several different configurations of the same package for retail display.
Packaging for consumable products come in a variety of sizes, shapes, materials and designs. These sizes, shapes, materials and designs generally differ, for example, for aesthetic reasons or marketing purposes. Consumable product packaging having certain functional features, however, can provide advantages to a user of such packages in addition to possible aesthetic and marketing advantages.


An expandable gate is described which includes a top horizontal guide rod, a bottom horizontal guide rod and vertical bar members extending from the top guide rod to the bottom guide rod. Each of the bar members has a top guide rod slot and a bottom guide bar slot and the top guide rod extends through each of the top guide rod slots and the bottom guide rod extends through each of the bottom guide rod slots. The vertical bar members may slide horizontally on guide rod members between an open expanded position where the bars are spaced further apart from one another and a closed collapsed position where the bars are closer together. The bar members each have spring connection holes at spaced locations between said top guide rod slot and said bottom guide rod slot. Elongated flexible tension bar springs are provided which lie flat when no forces are applied to the springs. Each of the bar spring have a central opening and have an elongated upper end opening and an elongated lower end opening. The springs have overlapping ends are positioned between adjacent bar members. First connectors rigidly attach a central portion of each spring to a bar member. Second connectors slidingly attach an upper end portion and a lower end portion of each spring to a bar member and the springs urge the vertical bar members to move closer together to the collapsed closed position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an expandable gate. More specifically, it relates to an expandable gate which utilizes spring members to hold adjacent vertical bar members in a compact collapsed position.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A variety of expandable gate structures have been proposed over the years. Examples of some of such prior art structures include the following. Snead, U.S. Pat. No. 67,143 discloses a very early version of a collapsible gate the type which is now known as a "lazy tongs" door or gate. Snead also teaches the use of an intermediate washer C to prevent the rubbing of the bars and slots D to allow for the extension and limit of the same. This patent teaches that the general field of collapsible gates was known at least as early as 1867.
Shonnard, U.S. Pat. No. 1,790,027 discloses a safety device for elevator doors which essentially provides guards or curtains 14. This patent was selected because it also shows in FIG. 1 a well known form of "lazy tongs" gates 9 which are composed of vertical bars 10 united by slidable crossed bars 11.
Catalano et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,990,880 discloses a gate which includes as its main parts a mesh 12 and rails 14. The mesh 12 includes four sets of strips or links as compared with two sets in folding gates as theretofore known. Catalano teaches that as far back as anyone in the folding gate industry can remember, folding gates have been made with only two sets of strips, and it has been the universal belief until the Catalano invention that a smaller mesh could not be produced on the basic or standard construction of strips. Basic or standard construction includes two sets of strips such as shown in FIG. 1 as 24 and 26. All the strips 24 are parallel and lie in a common plane and similarly all of the strips 26 are parallel and lie in a common plane.
Mutch, U.S. Pat. No. 2,348,561 discloses yet another "lazy tongs" form of collapsible gate but which includes springs 41 and 42 in sleeves 38 and 39 which house telescopic rods 37 and 38. The springs have a normal tendency to slide the rods outwardly leaving the gate in an open position as shown in FIGS. 1 and 3. The gate is collapsed by lifting operating member 34 upwardly as shown in FIG. 2. Upon a downward push or force on the operating member 34 when in the position shown in FIG. 2 the rods 37 and 38 are forced inwardly in sleeves 39 and 40 against the normal outward thrust of the springs 41 and 42 at the same time said sleeves moving downwardly and opening the gate during this downward thrust.
Horn, U.S. Pat. No. 3,213,555 discloses a self-opening gate which may use a single folding or collapsible gate but preferably embodies two companion gates 14 and 15. Each gate is foldable or collapsible and comprises an upper normally horizontal rail 16 and a similar horizontal lower rail 17 and vertical pickets 18, these vertical pickets having upper ends crossing and pivotally connected at 19 to the upper rail 16. When a person walks from left to right along a boardwalk and toward the gates the depressible end portion of the boardwalk gradually swings or pivots down and tensions the springs 74. This causes the gate to move to the phantom open position shown in FIG. 3.
Kiesling, U.S. Pat. No. 2,433,763 discloses a vertically operating collapsible gate 31 which includes frame parts 15 and 16 which constitute channel members. This device discloses yet another "lazy tongs" arrangement. Kiesling employs a strong spring 25 which controls certain leftwardly and rightwardly loose play in the gate.
Newton, U.S. Pat. No. 3,722,140 discloses a vertical gate which includes a shaft 10 which carries three pulleys 12, 14 and 16 which are secured to the shaft for rotation. Barrier members 32 are secured to cables 24 and 26. In operation, the gate normally assumes the position shown in FIGS. 1 and 2 with cables 24 and 26 maintaining the barrier members in a raised or closed position to prevent livestock or the like from passing through the gate with the cables 40 and 42 supporting the free ends of the treadle means 34 and 36 in a raised position. To open the gate, the operator of a vehicle merely drives the vehicle onto the treadle means 34, as shown in FIG. 3. The weight of the vehicle depresses the inner end of the treadle means 34 and acts through cables 40 and pulleys 12 to rotate the shaft 10 and the pulleys 14 and 16. Rotation of the pulley 16 acts to raise the counter-weights 28 and 30 to increase their potential energy, allowing the barrier means 32 to fall under the force of gravity to a collapsed position.
There remains a need for an expandable gate which easily opens to an expanded open position and easily and automatically closes to a compact closed position. There further remains a need for an expandable gate which eliminates the need to utilize the "lazy tongs" type of design which is often prone to causing pinching injuries by the scissor action of the gate bar members.


A linear guide is fastened onto a chassis of a positioner and an elongated bearer for positioning a head is guided at one end on the linear guide and extends transversely thereto. When the bearer is braked, inertial forces arise which cause elastic excursions of the bearer and set it into oscillation. A drive for the bearer is allocated to the end of the bearer opposite the linear guide. The drive is a linear motor containing an iron or core and produces a restoring torque when there is an angular deviation of the secondary part attached to the bearer, which results in reduction of oscillations of the bearer and more rapid achievement of the processing position.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention relates to a positioning apparatus for a positioning head that can be moved in a guide plane, in particular for equipping electrical circuit boards with components, whereby a chassis of the positioning means comprises a linear guide that defines the x direction, in which an elongated bearer that extends transversely thereto can be moved by means of a drive, on which bearer the positioning head can be moved in the y direction.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An apparatus of this sort is known for example from U.S. Pat. No. 4,836,111. According to this reference, the bearer is guided on a guide rail of the chassis in a double bearing, which defines both the direction of motion and also the angular position of the carriage. A simple wheel-type support bearing on the opposite side serves for the simple support of the bearer on a support rail.
A drive unit is allocated to the double bearing, the unit driving the carriage in the direction of the linear guide. The transverse bearer is provided with a transverse guide on which a positioning head is movably mounted. This head is movable between a component supply and a processing location for the assembly, in order to transport components retrieved from the component supplies to their assembly location on the circuit board.
When the bearer is braked rapidly, transverse forces result from its inherent weight, as well as from the mass of the equipping head, which forces lead to an elastic excursion of the bearer in the x direction. These excursions correspond to the excursions given a crosspiece fixed at one side, and are particularly large at the unguided end. A component can be placed precisely only if the corresponding oscillations in the bearer have decayed sufficiently.

Positioning apparatus for a positioning head


A method and system for voice enabled text entry. The method includes receiving a first user-entry with a communications device and creating a transient grammar set as a result of receiving the first user-entry, where the transient grammar set is based on the first user-entry. The method further includes providing an indication that the transient grammar set is created, the indication being provided using the communications device. The method still further includes receiving a second user-entry with the communications device and responsively selecting a text string from the transient grammar set, where the text string corresponds with the second user-entry.

I. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to telecommunications. More particularly, the present invention is directed to method and apparatus for communicating using text messages.
II. Description of Related Art
In a typical text messaging system, such as may be used on the Internet, a user types a text message to be sent to a recipient in its entirety, such as with a personal computer. The message is then transmitted, when completed, to the intended recipient. Such text messaging systems may include instant messaging applications, short-message-system applications, short-mail applications, or email applications. In such applications, the process of entering text messages in their entirety is typically time consuming and prone to error due to typographical mistakes and the like. Such drawbacks are further magnified when the user is employing one of a number of communications devices that have a reduced number of keys for sending text messages. Such communications devices include, for example, wireless phones that are capable of connecting to the Internet and/or the World Wide Web.
Because such communications devices typically have twelve keys (traditional telephone keys) that are used for information entry, multiple letters of the alphabet, in their alphabetic order, are usually assigned to a subset of those keys. Typically the digits two to nine have three or four letters associated with them. Symbols and other special characters may be accessed via a menu that is available on the communications device, or a selection key (such as '*' or '#') may be available to change the key assignments to represent symbols and/or shift between upper and lower case letters. Thus, this limited key set on such communication devices does not easily lend itself to typing text messages in their entirety.
In this regard, methods such as "triple-tapping" are typically used to enter text. "Triple-tapping", which is known, is an approach for text entry where a user taps a key once to enter a first letter (or symbol) associated with that key, a second time to enter a second letter or symbol associated with that key and a third time to enter a third letter or symbol associated with that key. In fact, since such devices typically have certain keys that have four letters (as was noted above) or symbols associated with them, a fourth tap would be needed to enter a fourth character associated with a key. Also, there is usually a time-out period in which successive taps must occur, otherwise the communication device assumes the letter corresponding with the last tap is the desired letter and enters that letter. If the user waits longer than this period to hit a successive key tap, deletion may be needed to correct the entry of an unwanted character. Therefore, such a method for text entry may be time consuming, inefficient and prone to error due the successive key taps needed to enter a single character.
Alternative methods of text entry have been implemented in an attempt to overcome the shortcomings of the triple-tapping technique. However, these solutions also have drawbacks. For example, an alternative text entry method for communication devices having limited key sets is the so-called T9 text entry technique. In the T9 technique, a user hits the keys associated with the desired characters or symbols only once, regardless of the alphabetic position (or order) of the desired character relative to the group of characters associated with a particular key. These key taps are then compared with a list of text strings and one or more "matches" may be presented to the user. The "matches" are based on the various combinations of letters that match text strings included in a list contained in the communications device, such as a mobile phone.
One drawback with T9 text entry is that if the desired text string does not exist in the text list, a user typically has to delete the entire entry, switch to a different text entry mode (such as to triple-tapping entry), and reenter the desired text string. Another drawback of the T9 approach is that it is not easily compatible with the entry of acronyms. Since most acronyms are not correctly spelled words, they are typically not recognized by such a technique. As with the triple-tapping technique, overcoming these aspects of such a text entry technique may be time consuming for the user and prone to error, such as including an incorrect "match" in a text message.
Another approach that has been used for communication devices that have limited keys, or text entry capabilities, is the use of collapsible keyboards that attach to such communications devices. While allowing a complete keyboard to be used, such an approach requires the user to transport another piece of equipment in order to have a more efficient text entry technique available to them. Because users of such mobile communications device typically want to reduce the amount of equipment they need to carry, such an approach is counter to that goal. Additionally, such an approach still has the drawbacks of a user typing entire text messages that were noted above (e.g. being time consuming and prone to error).

Method and system for voice-enabled text entry


An apparatus, system and method of print registration are provided. The invention includes first and second optical channel modules configured to communicate light from a page to a sensor module. The sensor module sums the light from the first and second optical channel modules and detects one or more light transitions as a first registration mark of a first image of the page moves past the first optical sensor module and as a second registration mark of a second image of the page moves past the second optical channel module. The invention determines that the first image and the second image are registered if the sensor module detects a single light transition as the first registration mark and the second registration mark pass the first and the second optical channel modules. In addition, the invention determines that the first image and the second image are mis-registered if the sensor module detects a plurality of light transitions as the first registration mark and the second registration mark pass the first and the second optical channel modules.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to print registration and more particularly relates to image registration with a single optical sensor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Printing systems such as duplex image printing systems and color image printing systems often register two or more separate images on one or two sides of a page. The page may be paper, a printed form, a continuous feed printed form, or a carton. Registration involves aligning each image in a desired position relative to each other image or images. Images are mis-registered when one or more images are not aligned as desired relative to the other images.
For example, a duplex printing system prints a first image on the anterior side of a page and a second image on the posterior side of the page. The first image and the second image are considered to be registered if they are aligned relative to each other so that the first image and the second image occupy equivalent areas on the anterior and posterior sides of the paper. When printing color images, the color separated images are deemed to be properly registered when two or more of the color separated images are aligned relative to each other on one side of the page.
Current printing systems often employ registration marks to align the two or more images. FIG. 1 depicts a registration mark system 100 of the current practice. A page 105 is imprinted with a first registration mark 110. In a certain embodiment, the first registration mark 110 is part of an image. The first registration mark 110 may also be preprinted on a single sheet form, preprinted on a continuous feed form, or be a physical characteristic of the page 105. In addition, the first registration mark 110 may be printed on the anterior side of the page 105 and a second registration mark (not shown) may be printed on the posterior side (not shown) of the page 105. Alternately, a color registration mark 105 may be printed for each color separated image of a color image printed on one side of the page 105.
FIG. 2 illustrates a registration detection device 200 of the current practice. The registration detection device 200 includes two optical sensors 205. A paper transport module (not shown) moves the page 105 with the first registration mark 110 of a first image past the first optical sensor 205a and the second registration mark (not shown) of a second image past the second optical sensor 205b. When the first registration mark 110 is in the same position relative to the first optical sensor 205a as the position of the second registration mark relative to the second optical sensor 205b, the first image and the second image are considered to be registered.
In Operation, the first optical sensor 205a detects the first registration mark 110, and the second optical sensor 205b detects the second registration mark. A logic module (not shown) measures the time interval between the detection of the first registration mark 110 and the second registration mark. If the time interval is smaller than a specified limit, the first image and the second image are considered to be registered. If the time interval is larger than the specified limit, the first image and the second image are considered to be mis-registered.
It is a drawback of such a system that the registration detection device 200 must include at least two optical sensors to register the images on the page 105. In addition, the registration detection device 200 requires that the logic module have sufficient sophistication to measure the time interval between the each instance when each optical sensor 205 detects a registration mark 110. Two optical sensors and the sophisticated logic increase the cost of the registration detection device 200.
What is needed is a process, apparatus, and system that detects image registration with a single optical sensor. Beneficially, such a process, apparatus, and system would reduce the cost of a registration detection device.

Apparatus, system, and method for image registration


A chip antenna module includes: a chip antenna including a body portion, a radiating portion, and a grounding portion, wherein the body portion is formed of a dielectric substance, and wherein the radiating portion and the grounding portion are disposed on different surfaces of the body portion from each other; and a substrate having a plurality of layers and including feeding pads bonded to the radiating portion, grounding pads bonded to the grounding portion, and dummy wiring layers disposed on at least one layer among the plurality of layers, below the feeding pads, wherein a resonance frequency of the chip antenna is determined by a number of the dummy wiring layers.

1. Field
The following description relates to a chip antenna module.
2. Description of Related Art
A 5G communications system is implemented in higher frequency (mmWave) bands, e.g., 10 GHz to 100 GHz bands, to achieve higher data transfer rates. In order to reduce propagation loss of radio waves and increase a transmission distance of radio waves, beamforming, large-scale multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO), full-dimensional MIMO (FD-MIMO), array antennas, analog beamforming, and large-scale antenna techniques are considered for implementation in the 5G communications system.
Mobile communications terminals such as a cellular phone, a personal digital assistant (PDA), a navigation device, a notebook computer, and the like, supporting wireless communications, have been developed to have functions such as code division multiple access (CDMA), a wireless local area network (WLAN), digital multimedia broadcasting (DMB), near field communications (NFC), and the like. One of the most important components enabling these functions is an antenna. Since a wavelength is as small as several millimeters in a millimeter wave communications band, it is difficult to use a conventional antenna. Therefore, a chip antenna module that is suitable for the millimeter wave communications band is desirable.


A cable connector assembly (100) includes an insulative housing (2) including a front mating portion and an opposite rear end, and a pair of wing portions (29) extending along a front-to-rear direction from the rear end to form a terminating area therebetween, a number of contacts (3) received in the insulative housing with tail portions (32) exposed beyond the rear end of the insulative housing and in the terminating area, a cable (4) including a number of conductors (40, 42) electrically connecting with corresponding tail portions of the contacts in the terminating area to form a number of terminations and an outer jacket enclosing the conductors, a stiffener (8) defining a receiving cavity receiving the outer jacket of the cable and assembled between the pair of wing portions of the insulative housing to locate in the terminating area, and a cover (5) enclosing the rear end of the insulative housing, the terminations between the cable and the contacts, and the stiffener.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cable connector assembly, and particularly to a cable connector assembly used for high-speed transmission with low-profile.
2. Description of Related Art
There exists in the art an electrical connector known as a Serial Advanced Technology Attachment (Serial ATA) connector which is generally used for disk drives and storage peripherals. Especially, the Serial ATA connectors according to the Serial ATA standard are featured in fewer electrical contacts than other conventional electrical connectors and are relatively tiny in configuration. Further, for in accordance with current miniature trend, Serial ATA connectors are improved as low profile type. Therefore, the dimensions including height, width, length and thickness are decreased. Usually, such a Serial ATA cable connector assembly comprises an insulative housing retaining a plurality of contacts therein, a spacer assembled to the housing and the contacts, a cable electrically connecting with tail portions of the contacts, and a cover enclosing junctions between the cable and the contacts, rear end of the insulative housing, and the spacer via over-mold manner. However, with the decrease in dimensions of all elements, the thickness of the cover which protects the electrical connection between the cable and the contacts and protects the cable from being pulled to be separated from the contacts is not thick enough to realize functions above.
Thus, an additional protective member is needed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,951,477 and 6,793,520 disclose such additional protective members. U.S. Pat. No. 6,951,477 adapts a carrier connecting with grounding contacts and bounding the outer periphery of the cable with grounding conductors soldered with the grounding contacts and signal contacts electrically connecting with signal conductors of the cable via IDC means. However, to achieve the electrical connection between the cable and the contacts, IDC and solder technologies are adapted at the same time which is complex to operate and time consuming. U.S. Pat. No. 6,793,520 discloses a cable clamp comprising a first cable clamper and a second cable clamper assembled to the outer periphery of a cable and assembled together via some latch means formed thereon. However, the first and second cable clampers have different structures from each other which increase manufacture difficulty and are relatively costly. In addition, there is no positioning means to indicate the assembly of the cable to the housing and contacts, and this is not helpful to industry atomization.
Hence, a cable connector assembly having an improved protective stiffener is desired.

Cable conductor assembly with protective stiffener


This disclosure describes methods and systems for encoding and decoding signals from a host signal such as audio, video or imagery. One claim recites a method comprising: receiving a host signal carrying an auxiliary signal; extracting data representing at least some features of the host signal, said extracting utilizes one or more processors; using the data representing at least some features of the host signal to determine a key; and detecting the auxiliary signal in a transform domain associated with the key, the detecting utilizes one or more processors. Other claims and combinations are provided as well.

Digital watermarking is a process for modifying physical or electronic media to embed a machine-readable code into the media. The media may be modified such that the embedded code is imperceptible or nearly imperceptible to the user, yet may be detected through an automated detection process. Most commonly, digital watermarking is applied to media signals such as images, audio signals, and video signals. However, it may also be applied to other types of media objects, including documents (e.g., through line, word or character shifting), software, multi-dimensional graphics models, and surface textures of objects.
Digital watermarking systems typically have two primary components: an encoder that embeds the watermark in a host media signal, and a decoder that detects and reads the embedded watermark from a signal suspected of containing a watermark (a suspect signal). The encoder embeds a watermark by altering the host media signal. The reading component analyzes a suspect signal to detect whether a watermark is present. In applications where the watermark encodes information, the reader extracts this information from the detected watermark.
Several particular watermarking techniques have been developed. The reader is presumed to be familiar with the literature in this field. Particular techniques for embedding and detecting imperceptible watermarks in media signals are detailed in the assignee's application Ser. Nos. 09/503,881 (now U.S. Pat. No. 6,614,914), 60/278,049 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,403, which are hereby incorporated by reference.


A clock generating circuit includes a phase comparison circuit that generates a delay control signal corresponding to the relative phases of an output clock signal and a reference clock signal. A voltage controlled delay circuit generates the delayed clock signal by inverting a signal applied to its input and delaying the signal by a delay that is determined by a delay control signal. A selection circuit couples either the reference clock signal or the delayed clock signal to the input of the voltage controlled delay circuit. When the reference clock signal is coupled to the input of the voltage controlled delay circuit, the clock generating circuit functions as a delay-lock loop. When the delayed clock signal is coupled to the input of the voltage controlled delay circuit, the voltage controlled delay circuit operates as a ring oscillator so that the clock generating circuit functions as a phase-lock loop.

Many electronic systems, such as memory devices, use a clock generating circuit that generates an internal clock signal that is phase aligned to an external clock signal. The phase alignment is necessary so that data can be exchanged reliably between the electronic systems and external devices.
A phase locked loop (PLL) is a clock generating circuit that is often used to generate an internal clock signal that is aligned to an external clock signal. FIG. 1 is a functional block diagram of a conventional phase locked loop (PLL) 100. The PLL 100 includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 104 that receives a VCO control (VCTRL) signal and generates a VCO clock (VCOCLK) signal. The PLL 100 also includes a phase frequency detector (PFD) 108 coupled to the VCO 104. The PFD 108 compares the phase of the VCOCLK signal to the phase of the reference clock (RCLK) signal to generate an UP and a DN signal depending on the relative phases of the VCOCLK and RCLK signals.
The PLL 100 also includes a VCO control circuit 112 coupled to the PFD 108. The VCO control circuit 112 receives the UP and DN signals, and generates the VCTRL signal. The VCTRL signal is a phase error signal having a magnitude that increases responsive to the UP signal and decreases responsive to the DN signal.
FIGS. 2(a) and 2(b) are example signal timing diagrams illustrating various signals generated during operation of the PLL 100 of FIG. 1. In the example of FIG. 2(a) the VCOCLK signal leads the RCLK signal, and in response to a rising edge of the VCOCLK signal, the PFD 108 drives the DN signal high. The DN signal remains high until the PFD 108 receives the next rising edge of the RCLK signal. In FIG. 2(a) the UP signal always remains low because the RCLK signal never leads the VCOCLK signal. When the DN signal is high, the VCTRL signal decreases, which adjusts the VCOCLK signal so that the phase of the VCOCLK signal is aligned to the phase of the RCLK signal.
In the example of FIG. 2(b), the RCLK signal leads the VCOCLK signal. In response to a rising edge of the RCLK signal, the PFD 108 drives the UP signal high. The UP signal remains high until the PFD 108 receives the next rising edge of the VCOCLK signal. The DN signal always remains low because the VCOCLK signal never leads the RCLK signal. As shown in FIG. 2(b), when the UP signal is high, the VCTRL signal increases, which adjusts the VCOCLK signal until it is aligned with the RCLK signal.
When the PLL 100 is initially powered, the frequency of the VCOCLK signal may be different from the frequency of the RCLK signal. The UP and DN signals cause the frequency of the VCOCLK signal to be gradually pulled toward the frequency of the RCLK signal. If the frequency of the VCOCLK signal is less than the frequency of the RCLK signal, the UP signal causes the frequency of the VCOCLK signal to increase until the frequencies of the VCOCLK and RCLK signals are closely matched. If the frequency of the VCOCLK signal is greater than the frequency of the RCLK signal, the DN signal causes the frequency of the VCOCLK signal to decrease until the frequencies of the VCOCLK and RCLK signals are closely matched. When the frequency of the VCOCLK signal is closely matched to the frequency of the RCLK signal, the PLL 100 is considered "locked." The VCTRL signal is then used to adjust the phase of the VCOCLK signal until the VCOCLK and RCLK signals are phase aligned. However, it can require a considerable period of time for the PLL 100 to achieve a locked condition.
A delay locked loop (DLL) is also used as a clock generating circuit to align an external clock signal to an internal clock signal. FIG. 3 is a functional block diagram of a conventional DLL 300. The DLL 300 includes a variable delay line (VDL) 304 that receives an external clock (RCLK) signal and generates a delayed clock (DELCLK) signal in response to the RCLK signal. The DLL 300 further includes a phase detector 308 that receives the RCLK and DELCLK signals and generates an UP and a DN signal. The respective values of the UP and DN signals depend on the phase difference between the RCLK and DELCLK signals.
If the DELCLK signal lags the RCLK signal by less than one cycle, the DN signal goes high and remains high until the next rising edge of the RCLK signal. When the DELCLK signal lags the RCLK signal by less than one cycle, the UP signal remains low.
If the DELCLK signal lags the RCLK signal by more than one cycle, the UP signal goes high and remains high until the next rising edge of the DELCLK signal. When the DELCLK signal lags the RCLK signal by more than one cycle, the DN signal remains low.
A delay controller 312 generates a DADJ signal in response to the UP and DN signals from the phase detector 308. The delay controller 312 applies the DADJ signal to the VDL 304 to adjust the variable delay of the VDL 304. The phase detector 308 and the delay controller 312 operate in combination to adjust the variable delay of the VDL 304 as a function of the detected phase between the RCLK and DELCLK signals until the phase difference between the RCLK and DELCLK signals is approximately zero.
FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b) are signal timing diagrams illustrating various signals generated during operation of the DLL 300 of FIG. 3. In FIG. 4(a) the DELCLK signal lags the RCLK signal by less than one cycle. In response to a rising edge of the DELCLK signal, the PD 308 drives the DN signal high where it remains until the next rising edge of the RCLK signal In FIG. 4(a) the UP signal always remains low because the RCLK signal never leads the DELCLK signal.
In FIG. 4(b) the DELCLK signal lags the RCLK signal by more than one cycle. In response to a rising edge of the RCLK signal, the PD 308 drives the UP signal high where it remains until the next rising edge of the DELCLK signal. In FIG. 4(b) the DN signal always remains low because the VCOCLK never leads the RCLK signal.
As discussed before with reference to FIGS. 4(a) and 4(b), the DLL 300 adjusts only the phase of the DELCLK signal. Thus, the DLL 300 typically provides faster lock than the PLL 100 because the PLL 100 must initially adjust the frequency of the VCOCLK signal. However, since the DLL 300 uses the RCLK signal to generate the DELCLK signal, any jitter present in the RCLK signal will be present in the DELCLK signal. Thus, the DLL 300 is typically used when there is a relatively clean (i.e., less jittery) RCLK signal or jitter can be tolerated.
Accordingly, there is a need for a clock generating circuit that allows an internal clock signal to be quickly aligned to an external clock signal, and which is not susceptible to high frequency jitters in the external clock signal.

Clock generating circuit with multiple modes of operation


An exhaust device (100) for a kitchen exhaust system incorporating a range hood (11) is disclosed, which is capable of substantially reducing generation of noise while efficiently evacuating fumes from the kitchen without a suction loss. The exhaust device (100) comprises a vent box (20) communicating with an exhaust duct (40), which may be housed in the hood (11) or in a housing box (10) provided above the hood (11). The vent box (20) includes a connection enclosure (20a) in its upper portion, which converges toward the duct (40). The vent box (20) contains a pair of partitions (21) each having a tilted plate (22), which provide a pair of vent routes (23). Between the partitions (21) is provided a drive motor (31) and in each vent route (23) is provided a sirocco fan (33) driven by the motor (31) whose blades (33a) are converged toward the motor (31).

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to an exhaust system. This invention more particularly relates to an exhaust device to expel fumes from a kitchen.
2. Prior Art
Fumes including oil particles, smoke, odor and steam as well as harmful gaseous substances are unavoidably produced in a kitchen from cooking and imperfect combustion of cooking gas. Such fumes should be immediately expelled from the kitchen to keep the air in the kitchen always clean. Otherwise, the fumes will adversely affect not only people working in the kitchen but also the gas combustion of the cooking utensil. Such fumes will also stain the kitchen walls. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 3-274325 discloses a ventilation fan that directly sucks and exhausts fumed kitchen air. It is also widely practiced to arrange a range hood over a gas table or range to directly suck up and exhaust fumes through an exhaust pipe or duct with the help of a blower.
Naturally, an exhaust system with a range hood can more effectively suck and evacuate fumed kitchen air than a ventilation fan or fans. For this reason, a range hood is often utilized for a so-called "system kitchen." It is true that the nearer a range hood is to a gas range, the more effective the exhaustion of fumed air from a kitchen will be.
However, the use of range hoods is not without a problem; there exists a major drawback in a conventional range hood system, i.e. unpleasant noise is generated during the operation of the system. This drawback is mainly due to the relatively limited dimension of an exhaust duct opening. A range hood is generally provided with a large opening to sufficiently cover a cooking range in order to collect most, if not all, fumed air directly therefrom, while an exhaust duct connected to the range hood is generally provided with a limited dimension which is much smaller than that of the range hood opening since exhaust ducts in general must be installed through walls and above ceilings. Exhaust ducts often have a dimension as small as 15 cm across. Exhaust ducts are also destined to be bent at a number of places on their way to the exit openings. Therefore, a powerful blower must be employed to forcibly expel fumes through such a narrow and bent duct, which will naturally generate much unpleasant noise. Noises are also generated when the fumed air running in an exhaust duct hits corner walls of the duct.
Any obstructive factor or element in the ventilation route of a range hood system not only deteriorates the expellant efficiency but also generates noises. Considering the fact that an exhaust duct is made much narrower than the opening of a range hood, through which fumes are expelled from a kitchen into the open air, there has been felt a demand for an exhaust device that can powerfully suck fumes into a range hood and into an exhaust duct to expel same into the open air with a much reduced noise level.
Some kitchens are furnished with a fresh air supply system in addition to an exhaust system to cooperatively provide an improved exhaustion of fumes. For such a kitchen, an exhaust system with a capacity "400 cubic meter/h" will sufficiently do the work to exhaust much of fumed air, however, an exhaust system with a capacity "500 cubic meter/h" or so will be required even with such a kitchen to also expel most of oil containing smoke from the kitchen. Without such a fresh air supply system, a kitchen will need an exhaust system having a capacity as powerful as "700 cubic meter/h, max." to exhaust substantially all fumed air containing oil particles and smoke. Such a powerful system does not match a small duct having a dimension of only about 15 cm across. If installed, such a powerful system will generate very unpleasant noise.
So-called "sirocco fans" may be employed in an appropriate way to reduce the noise level, however, a sirocco fan including its casing generally comes in a rather large overall dimension, demanding a substantial change in designing of the whole kitchen system including the design of its range hood, which is usually not feasible without major modification to the sirocco fan itself when the limited space of a kitchen is considered.
The inventor of the present invention has made efforts to find a way to effectively and substantially eliminate such noises from a kitchen exhaust system which incorporates a range hood, and has finally arrived at the present invention.


A current sensor includes a magnetoresistive element that has a stripe shape and that has a sensing axis in a certain direction. The magnetoresistive element includes element portions that are disposed so as to be spaced apart from each other in a longitudinal direction of the stripe shape, and permanent magnet portions, each of which is disposed between adjacent ones of the element portions. Each element portion has a layered structure including a free magnetic layer whose magnetization direction is changed with respect to an external magnetic field, a non-magnetic intermediate layer, and a ferromagnetic pinned layer whose magnetization direction is pinned. The permanent magnet portion includes a hard bias layer, and an electrode layer that is disposed so as to cover the hard bias layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to current sensors that measure the magnitude of a current, and more particularly, to a current sensor including magnetoresistive elements.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, in the fields of, for example, electric cars and solar batteries, a current sensor including magnetic detection devices which output an output signal due to an induction field caused by a measurement current has been used. An example of a magnetic detection device included in such a current sensor is a magnetoresistive element such as a giant magnetoresistive (GMR) element.
A GMR element has a basic film structure including an antiferromagnetic layer, a ferromagnetic pinned layer, a non-magnetic material layer, and a free magnetic layer. The ferromagnetic pinned layer is formed on the antiferromagnetic layer so as to be in contact with the antiferromagnetic layer, and has a magnetization direction that is pinned in a certain direction due to the exchange coupling magnetic field (Hex) which occurs between the antiferromagnetic layer and the ferromagnetic pinned layer. The free magnetic layer is stacked on the ferromagnetic pinned layer with the non-magnetic material layer (non-magnetic intermediate layer) interposed between the free magnetic layer and the ferromagnetic pinned layer, and has a magnetization direction which is changed due to the external magnetic field. In a current sensor including GMR elements, the current value of a measurement current is detected using electrical resistance values of the GMR elements which are changed depending on the relationship between the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer which is changed due to application of the induction field caused by a measurement current and the magnetization direction of the ferromagnetic pinned layer. As a current sensor including GMR elements, a current sensor has been proposed in which a hard bias layer for applying a bias magnetic field to a free magnetic layer is formed to enhance the linear relationship (linearity) between the electrical resistance value of a GMR element and the intensity of the external magnetic field (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-66821).
In such a current sensor, GMR elements are disposed so as to be oriented in the longitudinal direction of the stripe shape thereof and to be parallel to each other. Hard bias layers which also serve as an electrode are formed at the ends and the midpoint of each of the GMR elements in the longitudinal direction of the stripe shape. Each of the GMR elements is stacked on the hard bias layers, and is electrically connected with the adjacent GMR elements through the hard bias layers disposed at the ends of the GMR element.
To further improve the measurement accuracy in a current sensor, reduction in an output signal offset, reduction in gain variation, and improvement of the linearity of the output characteristics are required. In contrast, a current sensor including magnetoresistive elements has a problem in that an offset occurs in an output signal due to the hysteresis in the R-H curve for a magnetoresistive element. In the current sensor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-66821, by applying a bias magnetic field from a hard bias layer to a free magnetic layer, the magnetization direction of the free magnetic layer is initialized so that the hysteresis is reduced.
However, in the current sensor described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-66821, the free magnetic layer of a GMR element is directly stacked on the hard bias layers. Therefore, in a contact portion which is in the free magnetic layer and which is in contact with a hard bias layer, the magnetization direction is strongly pinned due to the bias magnetic field from the hard bias layer. Even when the induction field from a measurement current operates, the magnetization direction is not changed, causing the contact portion to serve as a dead zone from which an output signal is not obtained. Thus, when a dead zone is present, there arises a problem in that the hysteresis is not sufficiently reduced.


A method for providing secure communications through a communications network comprising ATM channels and TDM channels. The communications network includes at least one closed user group of network elements configured to communicate with only other network elements in the closed user group. The method receives a connection setup request at an ingress ATM switch, via a UNI attached to the ATM switch, in response to a call initiated through a TDM channel. The UNI interfaces a first network element of the closed user group with the ATM switch. The method further verifies that an ATM End System Address (AESA) contained in calling party information of the connection setup request is consistent with the attached UNI. Additionally, the method establishes a connection with at least a second network element of the closed user group through an egress ATM switch in the communications network when the AESA is consistent with the attached UNI.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of telecommunications. More particularly, the present invention relates to secure asynchronous transfer mode (ATM)-based telecommunications networks.
2. Background Information
In current time division multiplexed (TDM)-based telecommunications networks, signaling messages for managing telephone calls are carried on a network different from a network carrying the telephone conversations themselves. In fact, the control network, which carries the messages that establish and tear down connections, is physically separate from the bearer network, which carries the customer, or bearer traffic. In other words, control and bearer traffic are segregated. One reason for the segregation is to prevent unauthorized access to voice connections. Control traffic in the typical voice network will be referred to as narrowband control traffic, in contrast to ATM control traffic.
A new voice trunking system using ATM technology has been proposed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/287,092, entitled "ATM-Based Distributed Virtual Tandem Switching System." The architecture represents a new paradigm of networking that requires re-thinking network security. In this system, shown in FIG. 1, voice trunks from end office switches 16, 18 are converted to ATM cell streams by a first or second trunk inter-working function (T-IWF) device 10. The T-IWFs 10 are distributed to each end office 16, 18, and are controlled by a centralized control- and signaling inter-working function (CS-IWF) device 12. The CS-IWF 12 performs call control functions as well as conversion between the narrowband Signaling System No. 7 (SS7) protocol and a broadband signaling protocol. The T-IWFs 10, CS-IWF 12, and an ATM network 14 of ATM switches form the ATM-based distributed virtual tandem switching system. According to this voice trunking over ATM (VTOA) architecture, trunks are no longer statistically provisioned as DSO time slots. Instead, the trunks are realized through dynamically established switched virtual connections (SVCs), thus eliminating the need to provision separate trunk groups to different destinations, as done in TDM-based trunking networks.
In the VTOA architecture, narrowband control and bearer traffic are still segregated. ATM control and bearer traffic, however, are not carried on distinct, physically separate networks. That is, signaling messages that control switched virtual connections (SVCs) traverse the same communications links as the bearer traffic carried by the SVCs. Thus, new security risks are present. For example, unauthorized access to the ATM SVCs should be prevented, just as unauthorized access to voice connections in the typical network is currently prevented.
Moreover, in complex multi-service multi-carrier networks, additional security requirements are required. For example, interception and malicious alteration or replay of sensitive operations, administration, and maintenance (OAM) and control messages should be prevented.
Consequently, current security practices and infrastructures must be adapted to make certain that deployments of this new architecture are as secure as the existing TDM voice network.

Secure ATM-based distributed virtual tandem switching system and method


A system and method for assigning taxability codes to purchases, and processing tax invoices, by company groups. A user, identified to one of a group of companies, inputs a requisition. Tax code and tax location are identified in a front end process applicable to the object of the requisition and converted into a converted tax code and tax jurisdiction and fed to a back end processor. Responsive to converted tax code and the tax jurisdiction for the corresponding company group, the back end prepares a purchase order which is transmitted to a supplier. Responsive to an invoice from the supplier and company group and tax code indicia from the purchase order, the back end processes and selectively pays, short pays, or rejects the invoice.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a system and method for processing tax codes by company group in a front-end processor to bridge to a back-end purchasing system.
2. Background Art
When companies purchase goods, there are certain requirements for taxation. Taxation requirements differ by county, city, state, country and other locales, creating processing problems in paying those taxes correctly. Most companies use tax packages to determine taxability, based on where the goods are shipped; however, this does not take into account items that are purchased for research purposes or government contracts, which are not taxable. In certain companies, the people ordering the goods know the taxability and the shipping information, and can determine the taxability at the time of the order, but they are not usually the ones who interface with the tax packages; this is usually left to the Accounts Payable area.
There is a need in the art to provide an automated process for assigning taxability codes to purchases by company groups, and to automatically adapt to those company groups the processing of tax payments.
There is a further need to provide in a front end for the assignment of taxability codes, to thereby reduce the amount of work required on a back end process for resolving tax issues.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved system and method for processing tax payments.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a system and method for assigning taxability codes to purchases by company groups, and to automatically adapt to those company groups the processing of tax payments.

System and method for processing tax codes by company group

International Business Machines Corporation


A probe card registration method is for registering a probe card for use in inspecting electrical characteristics of a target object in a probe apparatus for performing the inspecting. The probe card registration method includes detecting a height of a load sensor provided at a mounting table for mounting thereon the target object by using a first imaging unit disposed above the mounting table; contacting the load sensor with a probe by moving the load sensor by the mounting table; and stopping the movement of the load sensor when the load sensor starts to make contact with the probe. The method further includes calculating a height of a needle of the probe based on a height of the load sensor and a stop height thereof.

In general, a probe apparatus includes a mounting table for mounting thereon a target object such as a semiconductor wafer or the like, a probe card disposed above the mounting table, and an alignment mechanism for aligning probes of the probe card and electrode pads of the target object placed on the mounting table. The electrical characteristics of the target object are inspected after the target object and the probes are aligned by the alignment mechanism. The alignment mechanism has a first camera attached to an alignment bridge and a second camera attached to the mounting table. The alignment of the target object and the probe card is carried out by detecting the electrode pads or the like of the target object with the first camera and detecting the probes with the second camera.
Therefore, when a new probe card is to be used, the new probe card needs to be registered in a probe apparatus. In order to register the new probe card, there arises a need to input data on a needle height of a probe which can be obtained when the probe card is installed in the probe apparatus (a distance from the origin to the probe needle), and the second camera moves to a position directly under the probe by the mounting table to find the probe. Next, the second camera is moved up from that position and detects the needle height of the probe. The needle height of the probe is calculated based on the rising distance of the second camera.
When the data on the needle height of the probe is inputted, the needle height of the probe when the probe card is installed in the probe apparatus needs to be estimated based on a design value of the probe card in order to determine an initial position of a mounting table in starting a registration process. After the data on the needle height of the probe is inputted, a mounting table 1 is moved up from the initial position in accordance with the input value and stops at the position, as shown in FIG. 6A.
Thereafter, an operator moves the mounting table 1 through a MMI (man machine interface) (not shown) such that a tip of a probe 3A of a probe card 3 is positioned at a central portion in the screen of the second camera 2 while being focused. The X, Y and Z coordinates of the probe 3A at this time are registered in the probe apparatus as probe registration coordinates. At this time, the movement of the mounting table 1 is restricted so that the mounting table 1 does not contact with the probe card 3, as indicated by a dashed dotted line shown in FIG. 6A. As a result, the probe card can be prevented from being damaged by an excessive rising of the mounting table 1.
However, if there is an error in the input data of the needle height of the probe 3A, it is difficult for the second camera to detect the specific probe. Further, even when the mounting table 1 is moved up from the initial position within the movement restriction, the mounting table 1 may contact with the probe 3A of the probe card 3 and damage the probe card 3, as shown in FIG. 6B, if an initial height of the mounting table 1 is set higher than that of the original position.

Method for registering probe card and a storage medium storing program thereof


A drink holder consists of a holder and a rectangular insulation blanket. The holder has a tab fitting between a window glass and an automobile's inner door panel, a connector joining the tab and a hook mating with its counterpart on the insulation blanket. On the upper longer side of the insulation blanket, there is a ring structure with a cross section of a hook corresponding to the hook of the holder. A flexible hook and loop band encloses the shorter sides of the insulation blanket allowing it to accommodates drink containers with different diameters. The insulation blanket also has a stopper located on its inner side wall preventing the drink container from sliding through.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a drink holder to be used in an automobile. This invention can be used on any automobile while the user conveniently carries the drink container with him. The holding device is completely detachable from the car and has no adhesive means.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many patents concerning drink holders in an automobile require adhesive means to attach the drink holder to the car or the device does not fit on all cars. All of the prior arts that the examiner allowed me to review concerning my application Ser. No. 07/886,148 and 08/074,352 required some degree of attention from the user to align the drink container with its receptacle. This invention provides an insulation blanket and allows the user to attach and detach the drink container from its holder with minimal attention.