A setback decoder monitors the IF output from a cable-ready receiver and automatically provides a descrambled audio/video signal back to the receiver for output to the subscriber. When the receiver is tuned to a CATV channel which provides signals in a scrambled format, the decoder detects the scrambled signal, determines whether the subscriber is authorized to view the selected program, and descrambles the signal to provide a descrambled output signal to the receiver. The receiver detects the audio/visual output from the decoder and automatically outputs the audio/visual information to the subscriber.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to cable television receivers. More specifically, it pertains to a setback decoder which automatically detects when a scrambled signal is input to a receiver and provides a descrambled output signal to the receiver without requiring any control messages between the decoder and the receiver.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical CATV subscriber installation includes a settop descrambler which is connected between the CATV service provider and the subscriber's television or video cassette recorder (VCR). The descrambler includes a tuner, for tuning the descrambler to a selected CATV channel, and a descrambling module, for providing descrambling of scrambled premium channels that the subscriber is authorized to view. A descrambled video signal is output from the descrambler to the television or VCR on a predetermined carrier frequency, typically corresponding to television channels 3 or 4.
Since the descrambler typically provides a single channel output to the television, many of the built-in functions of the television may become inoperative. For example, the "picture-in-picture" feature requires dual tuners for simultaneous receipt of video signals on two television channels. Since descramblers provide only a single output, the "picture-in-picture" feature becomes inoperative. Additionally, subscribers are often frustrated by the need for multiple remote controllers, one for controlling the descrambler, a second for controlling the television set, and possibly a third for the VCR.
To eliminate the need for a separate tuner within the descrambler, manufacturers have offered televisions with broadband tuners which are capable of accessing the entire CATV frequency spectrum. However, these televisions do not include descrambling capabilities.
Most recently, cable-ready receivers are being developed which receive a radio frequency (RF) CATV input signal and provide an intermediate frequency (IF) output to an associated descrambler. These receivers require the use of a complicated protocol and signaling arrangement between the receiver and the descrambler in order to effectively detect and descramble scrambled CATV input signals viewing by a subscriber. Although the control signaling between the receiver and the descrambler provides full functionality of the receiver while descrambling the desired CATV premium channel, this complex arrangement is costly and difficult to manufacture.
Accordingly, there exists a need for a simple receiver and descrambler arrangement which provides descrambling of scrambled CATV input signals.

Cable television setback decoder automatic control


A locking member formed of resilient material for locking a disk drive within a computer enclosure includes a first cantilevered beam portion positioned along a first side of the disk drive. A first locking protrusion is positioned on the first cantilevered beam portion and is capable of engaging with the enclosure for locking the disk drive therein. A handle portion extends from the cantilevered beam portion for resiliently bending the first cantilevered beam portion inwardly to disengage the first locking protrusion from the enclosure.

Some computers are designed to accommodate a series of removable disk drives where each disk drive is housed within its own housing which can slide in and out of the computer enclosure along a set of guides. An electrical connector at the rear of each disk drive is capable of releasably engaging with a corresponding electrical connector within the computer enclosure for electrically connecting each disk drive to the computer. The disk drive housings are releasably locked in place within the computer enclosure by a pair of locking mechanisms located on opposite sides of each disk drive housing. These locking devices typically consist of pivoting levers having cam surfaces or spring-loaded locking protrusions.


A method of making a shoe, said shoe having an interior sole (10) and an outsole (8) being integrally moulded onto an upper (1) with an insole (4), comprising the following steps: providing of a last (30) having a wedge-shaped recess (32) is its heel area, said recess being defined by a projecting rib (33), providing an upper (1) with an insole (4) on the last (30), said insole (4) being provided with a hole (7) in the heel area, arranging the lower part of the last provided with the upper (1) and the insole (4) in a mould (34), injecting a plastic material into a closed mould cavity formed by the last and the mould, allowing the injected material to harden, whereby the rib (32) of the last (30) forms a corresponding groove (12) between the interior sole (10) and the inner face of the upper (1), removing the upper (1) with the moulded-on soles (8, 10) from the last (30), providing a separately formed insert (13) of a shape substantially corresponding to the shape of the groove (12) and placing the insert in the groove (12).

It is, however, known from GB 2027581 to mould the interior sole integrally with the outsole.
It is also known to use a method of the above type for moulding an outsole integrally with an interior sole on an upper to obtain a shoe with a low sole. At the known method a last is used having a very thin rib defining the wedge-shaped recess forming the interior sole so as to allow the interior sole to abut the inner face of the upper as closely as possible. However, the use of the very thin, projecting rib entails that the last has to be made of a hard metal, such as steel or hard aluminium, to prevent deformation of the rib when it is subjected to the closing pressure of the sole mould. The manufacture of shoe lasts in a hard metal is, however, considerably more expensive than the manufacture of shoe lasts in a plastic material, for which reason the use of metal lasts increases the shoe production costs significantly. Furthermore, in practice it has proved difficult to completely avoid deformation of the thin projecting rib on the last.


An elongate catheter shaft is provided, having a side port aperture through a side wall of the catheter shaft between proximal and distal ends of the shaft. The side port aperture is open to a lumen. Embodiments of the present invention are directed to attached structures disposed in the side port aperture. The attached structures described herein are directed to biasing the catheter shaft in the region of a side port aperture in a straight or curved configuration that resists undesired flexure in the region of the side port aperture and to providing ease of wire guide passage.

Medical delivery catheters are well known in the art of minimally invasive surgery for introduction of fluids and devices to sites inside a patient's body. A well-established technique, known as "long wire guide," for guiding a delivery catheter to a target site in a patient body includes: (1) positioning a wire guide along a desired path to the target site; (2) retaining a proximal portion of the wire guide outside the body; (3) threading the delivery catheter, which has a wire guide lumen throughout its length, onto the proximal end of the wire guide; and (4) advancing the catheter along the wire guide to the treatment site.
One example of a desired path to a target site is the passage through a working lumen or channel of an endoscope to a biliary duct in a. gastroenterological application. Another example of a desired path is through an endovascular lumen to an occluded coronary artery in a cardiological application. The delivery catheter may have a treatment device such as a stent or fluid-inflatable balloon disposed at its distal end for deployment at a target site (e.g., an occluded biliary duct or coronary artery). The catheter may also have a tool such as a cutting wire or cutting needle disposed at or near its distal end (e.g., a papillotome, sphincterotome, etc.), or the catheter may have an aperture for the delivery of a fluid through a second lumen (e.g., radio-opaque fluid for contrast fluoroscopy, adhesive or gelling agent for delivery to a target site, etc.).
Procedures that employ wire guides often require exchange of treatment appliances. For example, a balloon catheter may be replaced with a stent deployment catheter. In a typical application of such a procedure, a balloon catheter is directed to the site of a stenosis (e.g. in an artery, biliary duct, or other body lumen) as described above. Fluid is then used to inflate the balloon so as to dilate the stenosis. Some procedures are effectively concluded at this point. However, many procedures follow dilation of the stenotic stricture with the placement of a stent to maintain patency of the re-opened lumen. This requires that the balloon catheter be withdrawn to allow introduction of a stent-deployment catheter. It is preferable that the wire guide remain in place for guidance of the stent-deployment catheter without having to re-navigate the wire guide back into to the newly re-opened lumen.
In order to prevent undesired displacement of the wire guide, any exchange of long wire guide catheters requires that the proximal portion of the wire guide extending out of the patient's body (or endoscope, depending on the entry point for the desired path to the target site) must be longer than the catheter being "exchanged out" so that control of the wire guide may be maintained as the catheter is being removed. Likewise, the wire guide must be grasped while the entire catheter being "exchanged in" is threaded onto it and directed along the desired path to the target site. In other words, for the operating physician and assistant to be able to hold the wire guide in place while removing one catheter for replacement with another, each of the catheters must be shorter than the portion of the wire guide that is exposed outside the patient's body (and, if used, outside the endoscope). Put another way, the wire guide must be about twice as long as a catheter that is being used over that wire guide. Additionally, in the case of gastrointestinal endoscopy, even more wire guide length is necessary. This is because the shaft of the endoscope through which the wire guide and catheters are placed must have a length outside the body for manipulation and control, and the catheter itself must have some additional length outside of the endoscope for the same reason. As those skilled in the art will appreciate, wire guides having the necessary "exchange length" are cumbersome and difficult to prevent from becoming contaminated.
An alternative technique for guiding a delivery catheter to a target site in a patient body utilizes catheters having a relatively short wire guide lumen in catheter systems commonly referred to as "rapid exchange," "short wire guide," or "monorail" systems. In such systems, the wire guide lumen extends only from a first lumen opening spaced a short distance from the distal end of the catheter to a second lumen opening at or near the distal end of the catheter. As a result, the only lumenal contact between the catheter's wire guide lumen and the wire guide itself is the relatively short distance between the first and second lumen openings. Several known advantages are conferred by this configuration. For example, the portion of the wire guide outside the patient's body may be significantly shorter than that needed for the "long wire configuration." This is because only the wire guide lumen portion of the catheter is threaded onto the wire guide before directing the catheter through the desired path (e.g., a working lumen of an endoscope, an endolumenal passage, etc.) to the target site.
By way of illustration, the prior art pictured in FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate the distal ends of two different types of typical catheters. FIG. 1A shows the distal end of a prior art long-wire catheter shaft 100 with a wire guide 102 disposed in a lumen 104. The lumen 104 extends substantially to the proximal end of the catheter shaft 100. (Note: The wire guides illustrated throughout this specification are drawn to illustrate the concepts being described and may not be shown to scale; preferred wire guides typically have an outer diameter that is nearly the same as the inner diameter of catheter lumens through which they are passed.)
FIG. 1B shows the distal end of a prior art short-wire catheter shaft 110 with a side port aperture 111 and a wire guide 112 disposed in a lumen 114. The length of the lumen 114 used by the wire guide, and consequently the exchange length of the catheter 110, is substantially shorter than that of the catheter 100 shown in FIG. 1A. In addition to a shorter exchange length, the catheter 110 (FIG. 1B) has a reduced surface contact between the wire guide and catheter lumen that results in a reduced friction between the two. This can result in an eased threading and exchange process by reducing the time and space needed for catheter exchange. This economy of time and space is advantageous for minimally invasive surgeries by reducing the likelihood of contamination and reducing the total time and stress of completing surgical procedures.
In certain rapid exchange catheter configurations, the wire guide lumen is open to a side port aperture in the side of the catheter between its proximal and distal ends. In one such configuration, the wire guide lumen only extends from the side port aperture to an opening at the distal end. The rapid exchange catheter illustrated in FIG. 1B is one example of this catheter type.
In another type of rapid exchange catheter configuration, the wire guide lumen extends through the length of the catheter from near its proximal end to its distal end. A side port aperture between the proximal and distal ends opens into the wire guide lumen. This side port aperture allows the catheter to be used in a short wire guide configuration, while the full-length wire guide lumen allows the catheter to be used in a long wire guide configuration. This wire guide lumen configuration is referred to as "convertible" or "dual use." An example of this type of catheter is illustrated in FIG. 1C, which shows a "convertible" catheter shaft 120 with a wire guide 122 disposed through a side port aperture 121 in a distal portion thereof and into a wire guide lumen 124. Specifically, a wire guide 122 may extend through substantially the entire length of the wire guide lumen 124, or the wire guide may extend only through a portion of the lumen 124 between the distal end and the side port aperture 121 (as is illustrated in FIG. 1C).
One common method of producing a side port aperture is by "skiving"—passing a cutter across a catheter surface in a direction transverse to the catheter's longitudinal axis. As shown in the perspective view of a catheter 180 in FIG. 1D, when a semicircular or circular cutter is used to make such a transverse cut, the skived out portion forms a generally elliptical side port aperture 182 that is open to a first lumen 184, which extends generally parallel to the catheter's longitudinal axis. The side port aperture 182 is not open to a second lumen 186, which extends longitudinally through the portion of the catheter 180 opposite the aperture 182.
FIG. 1E shows a catheter 190, wherein the side port aperture 192 was made using an L-shaped cutter or multiple straight cuts to skive out a wedge-like portion of the catheter 190. When the catheter 192 is generally cylindrical, the shape of this wedge-like side port aperture most closely approximates an ungula of a right cylinder. The side port aperture 192 also exposes a longitudinal lumen 194.
While offering advantages as explained above, catheter configurations having side port apertures of the type shown illustrated in FIGS. 1D and 1E may be prone to undesirable flexure (e.g., excessive bending, kinking, twisting, or binding) in the region around the aperture. This may often be due to a lack of full columnar support in the region of the side port aperture. For example, and as illustrated in the catheter 195 shown in FIG. 1F, skiving or using other means to create a side port aperture 196 often removes more of the catheter wall than is strictly necessary to allow passage of a wire guide 197 into/out of a lumen 198.
Undesired flexure can have several negative consequences. For example, kinking or excessive flexure of the catheter may cause one or more lumens to be closed off—thereby preventing their use, or may cause a non-smooth edge to be formed adjacent the aperture that could cause damage (e.g., injure an endolumenal passage of a patient or damage the working channel of an endoscope through which the catheter shaft is being passed).
In addition, and as shown in FIG. 1G, a dual use configuration catheter may tend to allow a wire guide 132 being passed from one end through the length of a catheter 130 (particularly if the catheter is bent/curved while in place in the body of a patient being treated) inadvertently to pass out through the side port aperture 131, rather than proceeding to the other end of the wire guide lumen 134. This presents an obvious problem in that a wire guide, to be useful, must exit the wire guide lumen of the catheter via the desired aperture (such as a desired end aperture or another side aperture).
Accordingly, there is a need for a side port aperture configuration that reduces undesirable flexure of the catheter shaft in the region near the side port aperture providing access into the lumen of the catheter. There is a further need for side port aperture that, in a dual use catheter, is configured such that a wire guide being directed from the proximal end through the wire guide lumen has a reduced likelihood of exiting out through the side port aperture.
There is also a need for a method of manufacturing a catheter having a side port aperture that permits greater precision and variety in the formation and configuration of the aperture than is possible with conventional methods.

Catheter aperture with attachable structure


A method for providing audio-only recording is disclosed. According to the method, a combined video stream and an audio stream are received from a source. The audio stream is digitized, if in analog form. The digitized audio stream is compressed using an audio encoding engine. The encoded audio stream is saved in a storage device. The storage device can be local or on a network. In the case of the input A/V signal being a multiplexed and compressed digital signal, the audio segment(s) are separated using a demultiplexer and saved in a storage device. The encoding format of the stored audio data follows that of the original audio data embedded in the multiplexed A/V stream. To store the audio data in a different encoded format, the audio data is first decoded using an appropriate audio decoder and then re-encoded in the desired encoding format. Alternatively, an audio transcoder can be used to store the audio data in the desired encoding format.

1. Field
The present invention generally relates to multi-media program recording, and more specifically to recording of the audio-only segment of a multi-media program.
2. Background
Digital video recorders (DVRs), personal video recorders (PVRs), DVD players, set-top boxes (STBs), televisions and other similar consumer electronic (CE) devices, provide recording and/or playback of audio/video (A/V) contents. The CE devices, which have a recording feature, record both audio and video mostly in multiplexed form. At times, user may wish to record only the audio segment(s) of the A/V contents, which may be a favorite song, section of a sound track of a movie, news, weather information, stock quotes or other desired audio information of a particular A/V stream. This audio-only recording of A/V contents can be provided as an additional feature in the existing CE devices or can be realized as a separate device receiving an A/V signal. The device could be called a digital audio recorder (DAR), personal audio recorder (PAR), and the like.
Audio-only recording lets the users record the audio segment(s) of an incoming A/V stream. The A/V stream may originate from a number of sources including, for example, analog or digital TV broadcast, movies on DVDs or video CD discs, video-on-demand sources and other similar A/V sources. Audio-only recording feature is useful and desirable since it lets user record audio segment(s) of their liking without being bothered about the video portion. Furthermore, the requirement for storage space is much less in audio-only cases and, hence, removable media with limited storage capacity like memory sticks, compact flash and other similar devices are ideal for storing and carrying the recorded audio contents.
There does not seem to be any conventional mechanism which allows audio segment(s) to be recorded from an A/V stream. Hence, it would be desirable to provide methods and systems that are capable of providing audio-only recording of A/V contents being played.

Method and system for providing audio-only recording of an audio/video signal


The present disclosure provides an alternatingly-switched parallel circuit, an integrated power module and an integrated power package. The alternatingly-switched parallel circuit includes a first bridge arm and a second bridge arm at least partly formed in a chip containing a plurality of first cell groups and a plurality of second cell groups. The plurality of first cell groups are configured to form the first upper bridge-arm switch and the plurality of second cell groups are configured to form the second upper bridge-arm switch, or the plurality of first cell groups are configured to form the first lower bridge-arm switch and the plurality of second cell groups are configured to form the second lower bridge-arm switch. The plurality of first cell groups and the plurality of second cell groups are switched on and off alternatingly.

Power semiconductor devices are core components of energy conversion and system power supply equipment. The performances of the power semiconductor devices directly affect the overall efficiency of the industrial applications, especially for power supply configurations of processors, communication systems and data centers in a large number of electronic products. In all kinds of power supply circuits for processors, in order to meet the requirement of a long system running time, it poses a great challenge to the entire circuit in terms of efficiency and power consumption. On the other hand, high power consumption also means temperature rise and waste of power, which threatens reliable operation of the processor system in a long run, and causes additional cost for heat dissipation for the circuit.
Presently, in power supply circuit of a server system, a data center or other types of processors, the rapid improvement of the performance of the core processor and the enhanced integration of the core processor impose high requirements on the power density and efficiency of the power supply. In such power supply circuits, since the supply voltage is low for the load such as the processor, there is a high conduction loss for the circuit which operates under a low voltage and a large current for a long time. In this case, the conduction loss includes not only the loss on the power devices, but also the loss on the metal connection in the circuit system. Accordingly, there is a demand for reducing the conduction loss in design of the devices and the circuits.
As shown in FIG. 1 is a conventional topology of a power source, which includes a power switch Q1, a power switch Q2, an input power VIN, an inductor L and a filtering capacitor Co. An ideal power package does not have any stray parameters. While in practice, the power package has package stray parameters Z1 and Z2 generated by an interconnect metal layer (RDL), an external pin, a package interconnection, a system board interconnection. When there is a large current flowing in the circuit, the conduction loss will be generated on Q1 and Q2 as well as on the stray parameters Z1 and Z2. With the supply voltage of the load being decreased, the voltage levels of the power devices Q1 and Q2 in the circuit are decreased, and the conduction performance of the power devices is improved, while the stray parameters Z1 and Z2 due to all of the wires and metal connections in the circuit bring an increasingly high proportion of conduction loss.
For example, for a typical 15V power device, a conduction impedance of a metal layer of the device is up to 20% of the entire impedance. In order to improve power density and efficiency, how to reduce conduction loss of other parts than the semiconductor itself and how to fully utilize the interconnect conduction path (including a metal interconnection layer inside the chip, package connection, pins and metal connection of the system board) becomes an important topic.
In order to reduce conduction loss, a highly efficient optimization method is to take full utilization of all the metal connection resources, and make current flowing evenly in time domain. As shown in FIG. 2(a) is a typical circuit in which the conduction paths are conducted in a discontinuous way, delivering power cycle by cycle. In contrast, FIG. 2(b) shows ideal evenly conducted current in which power is transferred continuously through the circuit. Although the power transferred through the two circuits is of the same amount, the conduction loss in the discontinuous conduction mode of FIG. 2(a) is significantly higher than the continuous mode in FIG. 2(b).
Therefore, there is a demand for a novel alternatingly-switched parallel circuit, a novel integrated power module and a novel integrated power package.
The above information disclosed in the BACKGROUND is merely for better understanding of the context of the present disclosure, and may include contents that do not constitute the known prior art of those skilled in the art.

Alternatingly-switched parallel circuit, integrated power module and integrated power package


A rotary blower rotor includes a rotor body having a corrosion-resistant coating covering the rotor body. An abradable coating covers at least a portion of the corrosion-resistant coating for providing an essentially zero operating clearance for increasing a volumetric efficiency of the rotary blower. A rotary blower including a rotor with a corrosion-resistant coating is also provided.

Rotary blowers of the Roots type typically include a pair of meshed, lobed rotors having either straight lobes or lobes with a helical twist with each of the rotors being mounted on a shaft, and each shaft having mounted thereon a timing gear. Rotary blowers, particularly Roots blowers are employed as superchargers for internal combustion engines and normally operate at relatively high speeds, typically in the range of 10,000 to 20,000 revolutions per minute (rpm) for transferring large volumes of a compressible fluid like air, but without compressing the air internally within the blower.
It is desirable that the rotors mesh with each other, to transfer large volumes of air from an inlet port to a higher pressure at the outlet port. Operating clearances to compensate for thermal expansion and/or bending due to loads are intentionally designed for the movement of the parts so that the rotors actually do not touch each other or the housing. Also, it has been the practice to epoxy coat the rotors such that any inadvertent contact does not result in the galling of the rotors or the housing in which they are contained. The designed operating clearances, even though necessary, limit the efficiency of the rotary blower by allowing leakage. This creation of a leakage path reduces the volumetric efficiency of the rotary blower.
One known approach to improving pumping efficiency of a rotary blower is the use of a coating with an abradable material. While known supercharger rotor abradable coatings provide, among other things, increased volumetric efficiency of the rotary blower and sufficient lubricating properties, they have been found to exhibit relatively poor corrosion resistance, limiting their use to supercharger applications in which the supercharger is not be exposed to a corrosive environment. For example, known supercharger abradable coatings are generally incompatible with marine engines that operate in a salt water environment, as the relatively high salt content ambient air may corrode the rotors.

Rotary blower with corrosion-resistant abradable coating


An electro-optical device includes a pair of substrates including a first substrate and a second substrate, an electro-optical material sandwiched between the pair of substrates, a shading film having a predetermined pattern which is at least partially embedded in the first substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material, display electrodes which are placed on the second substrate at the surface facing the electro-optical material, and lines connected to the display electrodes directly or through switching elements. In accordance with the electro-optical device having such a shading film, it is possible to reduce or prevent coating defects in an alignment layer, nonuniform rubbing treatment to the alignment layer, and cracking of a counter electrode due to the steps in the upper layers resulting from the formation of the shading film.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to an electro-optical device including a pair of substrates which sandwich an electro-optical material, such as liquid crystal. More particularly, the invention relates to an electro-optical device in which a shading film is provided on one of the substrates, such as a counter substrate, and the shading film delimits the aperture regions for the individual pixels.
2. Description of Related Art
Electro-optical devices, such as liquid crystal devices, exist in the related art. One type of such a device is an active matrix liquid crystal device in which thin-film transistors (hereinafter "TFTs") for switching pixels are provided. In such a liquid crystal device, pixel electrodes are formed on a TFT array substrate provided with the TFTs, and a counter electrode is formed on a counter substrate which faces the TFT array substrate. While a plurality of pixel electrodes are arrayed in a matrix on the TFT array substrate, the counter electrode is formed uniformly over the entire surface of the counter substrate. Additionally, the TFTs are provided so as to correspond to the individual pixel electrodes. Alignment layers are generally provided on the pixel electrodes and the counter electrode, and a liquid crystal is interposed between the upper and lower alignment layers.
In such an electro-optical device, a shading film, which is referred to as a black matrix (BM) or black mask, formed of metallic chromium (Cr) or the like, is formed in a predetermined pattern, such as in a grid pattern or in a striped pattern, on the surface of the counter substrate on which the counter electrode is to be formed, namely, between the counter electrode and the counter substrate, so as to delimit the aperture regions of the individual pixels (i.e., the regions from which light actually contributing to display is emitted due to transmission or reflection), in other words, so as to delimit the non-aperture regions of the individual pixels (i.e., the regions, other than the aperture regions, from which light actually contributing to display is not emitted due to transmission or reflection). The shading film reduces or prevents light from leaking through the spaces between the pixels. As a result, the image contrast can be enhanced, and when a color filter is provided, color mixing can be reduced or prevented.
Additionally, the related art includes a technique for forming such a shading film, which delimits the aperture regions of the individual pixels, partially or entirely on the TFT array substrate as a so-called embedded shading film. The related art also includes a technique for constructing a shading film partially from the data lines, etc., on the TFT array substrate.

Electro-optical device, method for fabricating the same, and electronic apparatus


An apparatus for inductively transmitting electrical energy from a stationary unit to a mobile unit which is located adjacent to the stationary unit. The apparatus has a coil and a flux guide unit for guiding a magnetic flux occurring during operation of the apparatus with at least one ferromagnetic body, which consists of a multiplicity of individual elements. The flux guide unit has the basic shape of a plate and is arranged on one side of the coil perpendicular to the winding axis thereof in such a way that it covers the cross-sectional area of the coil at least partially. The ferromagnetic body includes individual elements with anisotropic magnetic permeability and has, overall, anisotropic magnetic permeability. In a viewing plane perpendicular to the winding axis of the coil, the individual elements of the ferromagnetic body are aligned with respect to the coil in those regions in which a ferromagnetic body with anisotropic permeability covers winding sections of the coil, in such a way that the preferred direction of magnetic permeability, in which the magnetic permeability has its greatest magnitude in the viewing plane, is at least approximately perpendicular to the winding sections of the coil.

From U.S. Pat. No. 4,800,328, a battery charging apparatus for an electric vehicle is known, in which the primary coil and the secondary coil are wound around a core made of ferromagnetic material, which with transformers is usually composed of a multiplicity of individual plates. This construction has a large weight and a great overall height, both of which are disadvantageous and, in particular, for the vehicle, extremely undesirable according to modern-day standards.
From DE 10 2006 048 829 A1, a system for inductively transmitting electrical energy to a magnetic levitation vehicle along its route is known, whose secondary coil is equipped with a grid-shaped unit for the guidance of the magnetic flux. This flux guide unit is produced from plastic by the pouring of a mixture of casting resin and ferrite powder into a casting mold. In the finished state of the flux guide unit, the casting mold functions as its basic body.
From WO 2010/090538 A1, a coil of a system for inductively transmitting electrical energy is known, which is wound around a flat ferrite core. This ferrite core significantly extends in the longitudinal direction beyond the ends of the coil and has two pole surfaces there, on which the magnetic flux is supposed to leave the core, perpendicular to the longitudinal direction of the coil, in order to extend from there into an area in which its second coil is found in the operation of the inductive transmission system.

Apparatus for inductively transmitting electrical energy


A spiral spring (30) for a discharge device (1) is made of a plastic material with polygonal cross sections (50), and is made integral with at least one dimensionally rigid connecting body (45, 46), such that the spring (30) may also be integrated with further functional parts of the discharge device (1), thereby reducing a number of components in a discharge pump to as few as two components. The components can be produced in integral form in an injection mold before being translated into a working position with respect to each other prior to final removal from the mold.

The discharge device comprises two units which for manual actuation of the discharge device are moved against each other with changes in length of the discharge device, e.g. to constrict a pressure space of the discharge device under manual actuating force and thus to subject the more particularly fluid medium contained therein to pressure. In this arrangement the units configured partly or completely integral with each other or formed by components produced separately and then connected to each other. The pressure space is expediently a pumping space of a pump, e.g. of a plunger pump which is defined at its outer circumference and one end of a housing and at the other end by a piston shiftable in the housing as well as, where required, by an inlet valve and/or outlet valve or the like.
Advantageously the discharge device includes a single spring or several springs e.g. a return spring for the return stroke, one or more valves or the like. This spring can be arranged within the pressure space or outside dry and is expediently a coil or sprial spring the longitudinally adjacent winding sections of which are located spaced away from each other in keeping with the spiral pitch.

Dispenser for media and method for manufacturing a discharge device or the like


A system and method are provided for generating client-side virtual radio stations. The method comprises: receiving server-supplied radio stations at an network-connected radio service client; establishing radio filter characteristics; analyzing the server-supplied radio stations using the filter characteristics; generating a client-side virtual radio station service; supplying the virtual radio station service from a virtual radio station; and, presenting the virtual radio station services on a client-side user interface. The radio filter characteristics may be established using automatic, semi-automatic, or manual selection mechanisms. For example, characteristics may be selected automatically, as learned from an analysis of a user's past and present behavior. The radio filter characteristics may include criteria such as musical genre, song title, artist information, or server source, to name just a few.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to Internet-related communications and, more particularly, to a system and method for managing a client-side, or virtual Internet radio station.
2. Description of the Related Art
As noted in US publication 2002/0157034, Internet Radio involves streaming data content from a server over the Internet to a listener. Sometimes, data may be downloaded in advance to a listener cache for faster playback later. However, since the term "Internet radio" is commonly used in the art, it will be used here as well. Typically, the content for the Internet radio station will include voice and music.
Real-time streaming of content is effected by programs such as RealAudio™, produced by RealNetworks, Inc. Other Internet Radio services include Radio@AOL and Radio@Netscape. RealOne player supports a variety of free and superpass radio channels. Windows Media player has a Radio tuner, which permits a user to "tune" into number of radio stations.
This streaming is usually of highly compressed data content, to allow the audio to be received over dial-up connections in the consumer's home. The dial-up is typically less than 56 kbit/s bandwidth, which means a very high compression ratio is required compared to the "original" CD source material (44.1 ksample/s ×16 bits/sample ×2 channels). Higher bitrate streams can be sent from the Internet Radio, for example, if a broadband network connection is used by the consumer.
Internet "radio stations" differ from traditional "broadcast" stations, as the Internet-based station is not sent out as a broadcast stream. This means that each person who connects to the station, connects to a unique socket and is delivered an independent "stream", over UDP (User datagram protocol), TCP (transport control protocol), or RTP (real-time transport protocol). Consequentially, the load on the server increases in proportion to the number of listeners who are accessing the station.
The client devices that receive Internet radio services, for presentation to the user, typically have a great deal of processing power and memory. Yet these clients present the Internet radio stations with no greater user control options than a conventional AM/FM radio.
It would be advantageous if a user had greater control over the content presented by Internet radio services.
It would be advantageous if a user could select from the content provided by the above-mentioned Internet radio stations to create their own virtual radio station.


A control routine for groups of remotely controlled, variable-position, position-aware, transceiver-equipped actuators manages data discrepancies by issuing a first set of generic actuation commands to start and stop the actuators, then polling the actuators to report their achieved positions. The routine then applies a rule to determine a preferred position value from among the reports and issues a second set of position-specific actuation commands to all of the actuators. The routine can further poll the actuators to confirm the extent to which the commands have been realized, and can retain and apply compensation factors for performance deviations in the individual actuators. The routine can further manage multiple groups of actuators, dissimilar activators within groups, assignment of an actuator to more than one group, and application of variable control factors as inputs modifying the rule applied by the routine for determining the commands to be issued.

Home automation control systems have established a growing industry and can be expected to persist as controller devices, programming methods, function concepts, and communication technologies advance in capability and decline in incremental cost to market. Particular functions continue to extend capability of existing products, adding and refining convenience, security, safety, and enjoyment features.
Among potential beneficial improvements in home automation functionality are apparatus and methods capable of providing substantially simultaneous operation of multiple motor-driven devices. Known devices provide incomplete realization of such functionality. For example, barrier positioners that are motorized, can exhibit varying condition of operation as a consequence of manufacturing tolerances, age, wear, bearing condition, battery state, and other factors. A home automation controller that relies on previous designs to command several barrier positioners simultaneously to first start, then run, then stop in a uniform fashion is unlikely to perform these functions consistently over product life. The consequences of uncertain start delay, nonuniform run speed, and variable response to stop commands include uneven appearance after stopping except at ends of travel (i.e., full up and full down positions), undesirable at least in a high-end consumer product.
What is needed is an apparatus or method that can ensure highly uniform action of multiple, separately-installed actuator devices at least in a home automation environment.

Control for positioning multiple barriers apparatus and method


A retractor instrument assembly having a sleeve with a non-circular cross-sectional shape, an elongated rod slidably received within the sleeve, and a plurality of blades foldably connected together at an end of the elongated rod. The elongated rod has a handle at one end. The blades are hingedly connected to the rod at the end opposite the handle. The blades are movable between a folded configuration and an unfolded configuration. The folded configuration assumes a position which is slidable within the sleeve. The sleeve has a passageway with a triangular cross-section. The blades are of a generally triangular configuration when in the folded position. The plurality of blades includes a first blade connected to the rod, a second blade resiliently connected to one side of the first blade, and a third blade resiliently connected to an opposite side of the first blade. A remote actuator is provided so as to angularly displace the blades relative to the elongated rod.

Laparoscopy is a general term referring to the use of a laparoscope, a device consisting of a tube and an optical system, for exploring the peritoneal cavity or performing surgical procedures. A laparoscope is a specific type of endoscope, which is a device for viewing a body cavity or organ through a natural orifice or through a surgical incision.
The equipment used in laparoscopy normally includes a trocar. A trocar is a hollow steel tube with a pyramid-shaped point at one end. The trocar will fit into a sleeve or cannula, which has a valve at the other end. The equipment used in a laparoscopy also includes an optical system of lenses and eyepieces for viewing, a fiberoptic light system for lighting the operative field, a gas insufflation apparatus to inflate the peritoneal cavity so as to enhance the surgeon's ability to see inside the cavity, and other attachments such as scissors, forceps, electrodes, and electrocautery devices.
Laparoscopy can be performed under general anesthesia or under local anesthesia with mild sedation. Since diagnostic laparoscopy involves extensive manipulation of tender pelvic organs, local anesthesia is not recommended for those procedures. After the patient is positioned in the stirrups, the table is tilted slightly to place the patient in a modified Trendelenburg position. A clear gas, either carbon dioxide or nitrous oxide, is then pumped into the peritoneal cavity through a special needle. The needle is then removed and the incision is enlarged to about one centimeter. The trocar and sleeve are then inserted through the enlarged incision, the trocar is removed, and the laparoscope itself, along with its attachments, is inserted through the sleeve. Sometimes a two-incision technique is used in order to fully visualize the entire abdominal area or to insert a second instrument, such as a retractor. After the procedure, the instruments are removed from the sleeve, and the valve on the sleeve is opened to let the gas out.
In those situations in which a retractor used in the two-incision approach to laparoscopy, the retractor will be inserted through another sleeve in the abdominal cavity. One of the common problems associated with the use of retractors in laparoscopy is the fact that the end of the retractor, which enters the abdominal cavity, is generally smaller than the diameter of the sleeve through which it passes. As such, the retractor has a relatively small surface area within the abdominal cavity that must be used for the manipulation of organs within the abdomen. Since the retractors must be of relatively small diameter, in order to pass through the sleeve, there is the general inability to properly manipulate the organs so as to enhance the ability to carry out the viewing process. Many times, surgeons are generally apprehensive to the use of such retractors during the surgery. The small diameter retractor can potentially puncture the bowels, or other internal organs, during the manipulation within the cavity.
The ability to manipulate the organs during the two-incision process of laparoscopy greatly enhances the ability of the surgeon to properly tend to the needs of the patient. Unfortunately, many retractors, which are used in the surgical procedure, are rigid implements that can only carry out one-dimensional movements within the abdominal cavity. Since the ends of the retractors, within the cavity, are fixed, the only way to manipulate the end is to manipulate the retractor, and the sleeve, within the incision. This has been found to be ineffective for the needs of laparoscopy.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a surgical retractor assembly for use in laparoscopy procedures.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surgical retractor assembly that provides a maximum of surface area within the abdominal cavity.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a surgical retractor that is remotely actuable so as to enhance the ability to manipulate internal organs.
It is still a further object of the present invention to provide a surgical retractor assembly that is easy to use, and adaptable to a wide variety of situations.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a reading of the attached specification and appended claims.


A method is provided that includes receiving, at a hot folder having an associated hot folder print ticket, a submitted print job having an associated submitted print ticket. The associated hot folder print ticket includes at least one hot folder print instruction and the submitted print ticket includes at least one submitted print instruction. The method additionally includes merging the at least one submitted print instruction with the at least one hot folder print instruction to create at least one merged print instruction, which is used to process the print job. Also described are a non-transitory computer-readable medium and a printing device.

Hot folders allow clients, e.g., software applications, to print by saving a file to a particular hot folder over a network. Each hot folder may have an associated set of print instructions (e.g., print quantity, media, and finishing), such that by saving the file to the particular hot folder, that hot folder's associated print instructions will be used when printing the file. Some file types, such as postscript files and some other Page Description Language (PDL) file types, allow the client to specify comprehensive print instructions, including print quantity, print media, and print finishing, via embedded print ticketing. However, not all clients are able to write detailed print instructions. In addition, for clients that are able to write detailed print instructions, users of those clients may not know how print jobs should be set up, in order to include such print instructions. Therefore, many less-skilled users might instead save files to hot folders, in order to apply predefined print instructions. In order to provide flexibility in print instructions for multiple jobs in such a scenario, many different hot folders are typically created, each specifying one or more different print quantities, print media, print finishing, or other print instructions. While other solutions exist, such as saving Job Definition Format (JDF) files in hot folders to specify complete print instructions for associated jobs, these solutions do not provide the client with any way to define even minimal print settings, such as print quantity.
Needed are improved systems, apparatus, and methods for providing hot folder functionality with print ticketing capabilities to provide greater flexibility in specifying print instructions on a job-by-job basis.

Hot folders with blended print ticketing


Provided is a transistor which includes an oxide semiconductor film and has stable electrical characteristics. In the transistor, over an oxide film which can release oxygen by being heated, a first oxide semiconductor film which can suppress oxygen release at least from the oxide film is formed. Over the first oxide semiconductor film, a second oxide semiconductor film is formed. With such a structure in which the oxide semiconductor films are stacked, the oxygen release from the oxide film can be suppressed at the time of the formation of the second oxide semiconductor film, and oxygen can be released from the oxide film in later-performed heat treatment. Thus, oxygen can pass through the first oxide semiconductor film to be favorably supplied to the second oxide semiconductor film. Oxygen supplied to the second oxide semiconductor film can suppress the generation of oxygen deficiency, resulting in stable electrical characteristics.

A technique by which transistors are formed using semiconductor thin films formed over a substrate having an insulating surface has been attracting attention. The transistor is applied to a wide range of electronic devices such as an integrated circuit (IC) or an image display device (display device). A silicon-based semiconductor material is widely known as a material for a semiconductor thin film applicable to a transistor. As another material, an oxide semiconductor has been attracting attention.
For example, a transistor including an amorphous oxide semiconductor film containing indium (In), gallium (Ga), and zinc (Zn) as an active layer is disclosed (see Patent Document 1).

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A nonaqueous electrolyte which is capable of improving the charging and discharging characteristics of a lithium ion rechargeable battery and a lithium ion rechargeable battery with excellent charging and discharging characteristics are provided. The nonaqueous electrolyte is one that is capable of being used in a lithium ion rechargeable battery and includes an electrolytic salt and the compound represented by the following formula (1):

1. Field of the Technology
The present technology relates to a nonaqueous electrolyte and a lithium ion rechargeable battery.
2. Description of the Related Art
Due to high energy density thereof, lithium ion rechargeable batteries have been widely used as power sources for portable electronic devices, such as video cameras, mobile phones, notebook PCs and mini-discs, for which miniaturization and weight reduction are progressing.
Further, since the energy efficiency thereof (power efficiency) during charging and discharging is high in comparison with lead storage batteries or nickel-metal hydride batteries, lithium ion rechargeable batteries may also be used in electric vehicles or for power storage purposes and development regarding medium and large size batteries is actively being pursued.
As the lithium ion rechargeable batteries, ones including an anode formed of a crystalline carbon material such as graphite having excellent lithium occlusion and emission, a cathode formed of a complex oxide of lithium and transition metals, and a nonaqueous electrolyte, are most commonly used. As the nonaqueous electrolyte, for example, ones in which lithium salts such as LiBF4, LiPF6, LiN(SO2CF3)2 or the like are added to a mixed solvent (nonaqueous solvent) of highly dielectric cyclic carbonates, such as propylene carbonate and ethylene carbonate, and low viscosity chained carbonates, such as diethyl carbonate, methyl ethyl carbonate, and dimethyl carbonate, are in general use. However, cyclic carbonates, in particular, propylene carbonate, are reduced and decomposed at the electrically active anode surface, and the occlusion and emission of the lithium regarding the graphite may be disturbed. As a result, the internal resistance of the battery is increased, voltage fluctuations become large, the charging and discharging characteristics of the battery are deteriorated, and the battery life is reduced. Further, electrolytes including ethylene carbonate harden at low temperatures, and the ion conductivity thereof is deteriorated. The deterioration of the ion conductivity of the electrolyte causes an increase in the internal resistance of the battery as well as deterioration in the charging and discharging characteristics.
In consideration of the above-described problem, for example, vinylene carbonate, ethylene sulfide or the like is added to the nonaqueous electrolyte including the highly dielectric cyclic carbonates and the low viscosity chained carbonates. These additives prevent the decomposition of the cyclic carbonates and improve the charging and discharging characteristics of the battery by forming a protective film having ion conductivity on the anode surface. Further, there has been proposed a nonaqueous electrolyte containing pyrocarbonate having an alkyl group as the nonaqueous solvent (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication JP-A 6-333594 (1994)).
However, at present, since there is a demand to further extend the operating time per charging of the lithium ion rechargeable battery, there is a demand for a lithium ion rechargeable battery for which deterioration of the nonaqueous electrolyte due to the charging and discharging cycle, increases in the internal resistance, and voltage fluctuations are small, and which is capable of stably exhibiting high level charging and discharging characteristics across a wide temperature range from a low temperature (for example, approximately −10° C. to 20° C.) to a high temperature (for example, approximately 60° C.)

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Nonaqueous electrolyte and lithium ion rechargeable battery

Abstract: wherein R1, R2, and R3 may be the same or different, and represent a hydrogen atom, or a lower alkyl group, a lower alkenyl group, a lower alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, a lower alkylcarbonyl group, a lower cycloalkyl group or an aryl group, which may be substituted.


A mechanism and method for controlling the rights and/or behavior of applications in a terminal, especially in a mobile terminal, are disclosed. At least some of the messages generated by an application residing in the terminal and destined for a communication network are diverted to an independent controlling entity also residing in the terminal. In the controlling entity, the messages are controlled before being transmitted to the network. Depending on the application and its behavior in the terminal, the control entity may modify the messages or even prevent their sending to the network. The modification may include inserting control data, such as a digest, which can be used to authenticate the application.

The current development towards truly mobile computing and networking has brought on the evolvement of various access technologies, which also provide the users with access to the Internet when they are outside their own home network. The first public communication network that provides a truly ubiquitous World Wide Web (WWW) access is the GSM-based mobile telephone network.
So far, the use of the Internet has been dominated by person-to-machine communications, i.e. information services. The evolution towards the so-called third generation (3G) wireless networks brings along mobile multimedia communications, which will also change the way IP-based services are utilized in public mobile networks. The IP Multimedia Subsystem (IMS), as specified by the 3rd Generation Partnership Project (3GPP), integrates mobile voice communications with Internet technologies, allowing IP-based multimedia services to be utilized in mobile networks.
The new multimedia capable mobile terminals (multimedia phones) provide an open development platform for application developers, allowing independent application developers to design new services and applications for the multimedia environment. The users may, in turn, download the new applications/services to their mobile terminals and use them therein.
A drawback related to the open development platform is the possibility to use fraudulent applications. At present, the mobile terminals and the mobile communication environment lack sufficient technical means for ascertaining that the applications developed for the open platform behave in an appropriate and rightful manner. This allows deceptive application developers to misuse the new communication environment and to develop applications that behave contrary to the agreements made with the operator of the network, for example.
The present invention seeks to eliminate the above-described drawback.

Control of terminal applications in a network environment


Disclosed herein, among other things, are methods and apparatuses for hearing assistance low profile offset spouts. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to a hearing assistance spout consisting of a one-piece spout with a curved path to an off-axis (e.g., offset) port. The spout may be manufactured using metal injection molding to provide for a reflow solder attachment to the hearing assistance microphone. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to placing a full-sized spout off-axis while maintaining an open state that does not restrict the acoustic path, which may allow the offset spout to include a radial seal independent of the microphone body itself. One aspect of the present subject matter relates to an offset spout including a sealed acoustic barrier wall to protect the acoustic inlet of the microphone from debris or moisture.

Modern hearing assistance devices, such as hearing aids, typically include digital electronics to enhance the wearer's listening experience. Hearing aids are electronic instruments worn in or around the ear that compensate for hearing losses by specially amplifying sound. Hearing aids use microphones (e.g., transducers) and other electro-mechanical components that are connected via wires to the hearing aid circuitry.
As hearing assistance microphones become smaller (e.g., MEMS microphones), it is becoming increasingly difficult to place a spout on them without sacrificing the size gains. The accepted method and design of hearing assistance microphones arranges a tube in axial alignment with (i.e., orthogonal to) the acoustic port of the microphone. However, this axial alignment configuration creates a direct line-of-sight path for environmental or biological hearing aid debris (e.g., cerumen) to fall into the microphone's internal components. Additionally, the connection between the orthogonal tube and the microphone acoustic port is subject to strain from tube deflection.
Some existing solutions have attempted to solve these issues with a blind tube, notched, welded in place, and epoxied in situ on the exterior of the microphone. However, matching the tube to the profile of the microphone greatly increases the possibility of slit leakage, and the thin wall of the tube limits the structural integrity of the mount and seal. Some existing solutions have attempted to address this issue by eliminating a spout or microphone port. However, using no port requires a face seal on the microphone that may be unreliable, and increases the sensitivity of the face seal to the variations in manufacturing tolerance found in microphone manufacture.
Some existing solutions require a barrier placed in the acoustic path after the spout. However, such a barrier requires the creation of a seal, and due the thin-wall nature of the method of manufacture, the seal may be prone to slit leaks or delamination during assembly. Additionally, thin-wall manufacturing requires an exterior wall or combination of walls, but these walls may be very sensitive to variations in manufacturing tolerances.
What is needed in the art is an improved system for reducing the amount of environmental or biological hearing aid debris that falls into the microphones internal components.

Low profile offset spout for hearing assistance device


Steam generating gasification reactors for providing high-pressure and high-temperature steam for catalytic gasification of a carbonaceous feedstock can be based on oxygen blown gasification reactors adapted for processing a slurry feedstock comprising at least 40% water. The exhaust from the slurry gasifier comprises at least steam, carbon monoxide and hydrogen. The slurry composition and the oxygen to fuel ratio can be varied to control the ratio of carbonaceous gases in the generator exhaust. By directing substantially all of exhaust gases produced from the slurry gasification reactor through the catalytic gasifier and subsequent gas separation and sequestration processes, a greatly higher energy efficiency and decreased carbon footprint can be realized. The subsequent gas separation process produces a syngas stream which is recycled and directed into the slurry gasifier.

In view of numerous factors such as higher energy prices and environmental concerns, the production of value-added gaseous products from lower-fuel-value carbonaceous feedstocks, such as petroleum coke and coal, is receiving renewed attention. The catalytic gasification of such materials to produce methane and other value-added gases is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,828,474, 3,998,607, 4,057,512, 4,092,125, 4,094,650, 4,204,843, 4,468,231, 4,500,323, 4,541,841, 4,551,155, 4,558,027, 4,606,105, 4,617,027, 4,609,456, 5,017,282, 5,055,181, 6,187,465, 6,790,430, 6,894,183, 6,955,695, US2003/0167961A1, US2006/0265953A1, US2007/000177A1, US2007/083072A1, US2007/0277437A1 and GB1599932.
The process for the catalytic gasification of a carbonaceous material to synthetic natural gas requires the presence of steam to react with carbon either in the gas phase or on the surface of the carbonaceous material to generate methane and carbon dioxide. It has generally been contemplated to utilize coal-fired boilers to generate the required steam. Such methods have the disadvantages of requiring an additional fuel source for the boiler, while producing an exhaust comprising additional acid gases (e.g, carbon dioxide, sulfur dioxide, nitrous oxides), which must be treated and exhausted to the atmosphere or otherwise sequestered. As such, there exists a need in the art to develop apparatuses and processes for the catalytic gasification of carbonaceous materials to synthetic natural gas which more efficiently utilize fuels sources while decreasing the carbon footprint of the overall process.

Steam generating slurry gasifier for the catalytic gasification of a carbonaceous feedstock


According to one general aspect, an apparatus may include a plurality of stacked integrated circuit dies. The dies may include a memory cell die configured to store data in a random access fashion. The dies may also include a look-up table die comprising a random access memory array that, in turn, includes a reconfigurable look-up table. The reconfigurable look-up table may be configured to perform a logic function. The reconfigurable look-up table may include a plurality of random access memory cells configured to store a look-up table to perform a logic function, and a local row decoder configured to activate one or more rows of memory cells based upon a set of input signals. The look-up table stored in the plurality of memory cells may be configured to be dynamically altered via a memory write operation to the random access memory array.

Generally, a programmable logic device (PLD) is an electronic component used to build reconfigurable digital circuits. Unlike a logic gate or logic circuit, which generally has a fixed function, a PLD traditionally has an undefined function at the time of manufacture. Often, before the PLD can be used in a circuit it must be programmed, that is, reconfigured to perform a desired function.
Traditionally a PLD may include a combination of a logic device and a memory device. Generally, the memory is used to store a pattern that was given to the chip during programming. Most of the methods for storing data in an integrated circuit have been adapted for use in PLDs. These generally include silicon anti-fuses, static random access memory (SRAM), erasable programmable read only memory (EPROM), electronically EPROM (EEPROM), non-volatile RAM, etc. In general, most PLDs include components that are programed by applying an unusual level of voltage across a modified area of silicon inside the chip. This high level of voltage breaks or sets (depending on the technology) electrical connections and changes the layout of the electrical circuit.
One of the most common types of PLDs is a field-programmable gate array (FPGA). A FPGA is an integrated circuit designed to be configured by a customer or a designer after manufacturing—hence "field-programmable". The FPGA configuration is generally specified using a hardware description language (HDL), similar to that used for an application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC).
FPGAs include an array of programmable logic blocks, and a hierarchy of reconfigurable interconnects that allow the blocks to be "wired together". A FPGA's logic blocks can be configured to perform complex combinational functions, or merely simple logic gates like AND, XOR, etc.


The invention relates to an optometric apparatus the operation of which is not troublesome, and which is capable of effecting examination with high efficiency. An optometric apparatus for obtaining a correction power of refraction by examining the refractive power of an eye to be examined, comprising: a refractive-power examining device for examining the refractive power of the eye to be examined by selectively disposing in a test window corrective optical systems having various optical characteristics; storage memory for storing a plurality of different items of examination information; a display screen for displaying the examination information stored in the storage memory; and a control mechanism for providing control such that the plurality of items of examination information stored in said storage memory are displayed on the display screen, together with examination information of a present examination item.

The present invention relates to an optometric apparatus for examining the visual function of an eye to be examined.
In a case where a refractive error is present in an eye to be examined, and a correction power is to be obtained for correcting the same, a subjective examination is carried out in which, by using a subjective-type examination unit in which corrective optical systems having various optical characteristics are selectively disposed in test windows, the corrective optical system is changed over while obtaining from a subject responses on appearances of presented test targets, so as to adjust the correction power.
In conducting this subjective examination, the examination is generally effected by initializing the corrective optical systems which are based on objective value data obtained by a device for objectively measuring the refractive power or on data on the values of spectacles which were worn by the subject. In a case where the corrective optical system is to be changed during the examination, there are cases where there arises a need to confirm the data on which the corrective optical system is based. In addition, to conduct an accurate examination, it sometimes becomes necessary to confirm not only the data which served as the basis of the initialization, but also the spectacle value data and unaided visual acuity values. In particular, in a stage where prescription power are adjusted, in the light of optimum prescription it is essential to adjust the powers while making a comparison between the perfect correction values and the spectacle values.
Among the conventional apparatuses, an apparatus is known which is provided with the function of simultaneously displaying on a display the measured data in a present measurement mode and the measured data in the last measurement mode. This apparatus is adapted to selectively dispose corrective optical systems in the test windows of the subjective-type examination unit in correspondence with the measured data in the present measurement mode.
However, the above-described apparatus allows only the present measured data and the immediately preceding measured data to be viewed simultaneously. In order to view other data, it is necessary to select a measurement mode and change it over. At this time, corrective optical systems which correspond to the changed-over measurement mode are disposed in the test windows of the subjective-type examination unit, so that the testing efficiency is not satisfactory.
In addition, in a case where it is necessary to view a plurality of items of data, there are cases where data which have been printed out by an objective-type refractive power measuring device or a lens meter are used, or a chart to which such data have been transcribed is used. However, these forms are difficult to manage, and there are cases where charts which have transcription errors or erroneous print-outs are adopted.

Optometric apparatus capable of simultaneously displaying a plurality of readings taken from different measurements of an eye


A spark plug having a tip provided on at least one of a center electrode and a ground electrode. The spark plug includes a center electrode and a ground electrode disposed providing a gap with the center electrode. At least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode includes a tip forming the gap. The tip has a main constituent of Ir. The tip contains Rh of 7 mass % or more to 31 mass % or less, Ru of 5 mass % or more to 20 mass % or less, and Pt of one-twentieth or more to one-half or less of a Ru content.

A spark plug is used to ignite an internal combustion engine such as a vehicle engine. Generally, the spark plug includes a tubular metal shell, a tubular insulator arranged in an inner hole of this metal shell, a center electrode arranged at the inner hole on a distal end side of the insulator, and a ground electrode whose one end is bonded to the distal end side of the metal shell and the other end includes a spark discharge gap with the center electrode. Further, the spark plug is spark-discharged at the spark discharge gap which is formed between the distal end portion of the center electrode and the distal end portion of the ground electrode, in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine to burn a fuel filled up in the combustion chamber.
As a material forming the center electrode and the ground electrode, a Ni alloy or the like is generally used. Regarding oxidation resistance and wear resistance, the Ni alloy is slightly inferior to a precious metal alloy whose main constituent is a precious metal such as Pt and Ir. However, because of its inexpensiveness compared with the precious metal, the Ni alloy is preferably used as the material forming the ground electrode and the center electrode.
Recently, there has been a trend of high-temperature of a temperature in the combustion chamber. Therefore, if spark discharge occurs between the distal end portion of the ground electrode and the distal end portion of the center electrode made of the Ni alloy or the like, each distal end portion of the ground electrode and the center electrode opposed to one another is likely to generate spark erosion. Therefore, there has been developed a method for improving the wear resistances of the ground electrode and the center electrode by disposing tips at each distal end portion of the ground electrode and the center electrode opposed to one another to generate the spark discharge at the tips.
As the material forming the tips, a material whose main constituent is a precious metal excellent in the oxidation resistance and spark erosion resistance is often used. The material includes Ir, an Ir alloy, a Pt alloy, or the like.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3672718 discloses a spark plug that uses an IR—Rh alloy as a material of a firing end. Specifically, Japanese Patent No. 3672718 discloses the spark plug that includes a precious metal tip "formed from an alloy containing Ir as a main component, Rh in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 35 wt. %, and at least one of Ru and Re in an amount of 0.1 wt. % to 17 wt. % in total." Objects of this invention are the following two points. An object is to provide a spark plug that shows remarkably less susceptibility to wear of a firing end stemming from oxidation/volatilization of Ir constituent at high temperatures as compared with a conventional Ir—Rh alloy, and can secure excellent durability in traveling in an urban area as well as in high speed driving. The other object is to provide a spark plug that can contain a smaller amount of expensive Rh than that of a conventional one and secure durability with low costs (claim 1 and paragraph 0006 in Japanese Patent No. 3672718).
Japanese Patent No. 4672551 discloses a spark plug that includes the precious metal tip "containing Ir as a main component, 0.5 to 40 mass % of Rh, and 0.5 to 1 mass % of Ni, and further containing at least one of Pt and Pd by 4 to 8 mass %" to provide the spark plug that can suppress sweating and peeling of precious metal in a surface of the discharge portion while suppressing spark erosion, oxidative consumption, and abnormal erosion of the discharge portion (claim 1 and paragraph 0006 in Japanese Patent No. 4672551).
Recently, a spark plug that can support various driving styles has been required. That is, a spark plug having excellent durability under any conditions, such as a condition putting emphasis on an output under low oxygen concentration atmosphere by increasing a mixing ratio of fuel to air and a condition putting emphasis on fuel economy under high oxygen concentration atmosphere by decreasing the mixing ratio of the fuel to the air, has been required.
An evaluation of the conventional tip with such viewpoint found the following problem. The inventors examined a composition of the tip that can reduce the oxidative consumption and found the following. The tip made of an Ir—Rh—Ru alloy containing Ir as a main component, Rh, and Ru was able to reduce the oxidative consumption at an Air/Fuel ratio of around 12 and an inside of a combustion chamber being under the low oxygen concentration atmosphere. However, at the Air/Fuel ratio of around 14 and the inside of the combustion chamber being under the high oxygen concentration atmosphere, which have been conventionally put emphasis on, the oxidative consumption proceeded and sufficient durability was not able to be obtained.
An advantage of this invention is a spark plug including a tip provided on at least one of the center electrode and the ground electrode and featuring good durability by reducing oxidative consumption without an influence from oxygen concentration under an environment of this tip being exposed.


A method in a communication system comprising at least one access network controller entity for controlling a plurality of service areas and a core network controller entity. The access network controller entity reports to the core network controller entity movement of a user equipment from a first service area to a second service area. The report contains indication that the user equipment has moved to be served within the second service area. The report contains also information regarding the volume of data that was not communicated between the user equipment and communication means of the first service area while the user equipment was served within the first service area.

Communication systems that enable transmission of data to and from a user equipment, such as a mobile user terminal referred to as a mobile station are known. Data may be transmitted between the user equipment and another node, for example a server or another user terminal. A communication system typically operates in accordance with a given standard or specification which sets out what the various elements of the system are permitted to do and how that should be achieved. For example, it may be defined if the user, or more precisely, a user equipment or terminal is provided with a circuit switched service or a packet switched service or both. Communication protocols and/or parameters which shall be used for the connection are also typically defined. For example, the manner how communication shall be implemented between the user equipment and the elements of the communication network is typically based on a predefined communication protocol. In other words, a specific set of "rules" on which the communication can be based on needs to be defined to enable communication by means of the communication system.
Communication systems that provide mobility for the users thereof are known. The skilled person is aware of the basic principles of such mobile communication systems. A well known example is the public land mobile network (PLMN), known also as a cellular communication network. Another example is a mobile communication system that is at least partially based on use of communication satellites. Examples of mobile communication standards and/or specifications include, without limiting to these, specifications such as GSM (Global System for Mobile communications), GPRS (General Packet Radio Service), EDGE (Enhanced Data rate for GSM Evolution), AMPS (American Mobile Phone System), DAMPS (Digital AMPS), or 3rd generation (3G) communication systems such as the Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS), i-phone and so on.
User equipment (UE) may be served by various service areas (SA) of a communication system. In a typical case the service area can be defined as a certain area covered by at least one base transceiver station (BTS) that serves user equipment (UE) within the service area. The user equipment (UE) within one of the service areas may be controlled by one or several control entities. Examples of the control entities include radio network controllers such as a base station controller (BSC) of the GSM system and a radio network controller (RNC) of the 3rd generation (3G) systems. An access network controller is in communication with appropriate core network (CN) control entities. The core network entities may comprise control nodes such as a mobile switching center (MSC), a serving GPRS support node (SGSN) and various gateway nodes such as a gateway GPRS support node (GGSN) or gateway mobile switching center (GMSC). The network entities may also include nodes for storing information that associates with user equipment subscribing the network or visiting the network, such as appropriate home location registers (HLR) and visitor location registers (VLR). Depending on the implementation, a register node may be integrated with another network entity, or it may be a standalone network node.
A mobile communication system provides mobility for the user equipment in communication over a wireless interface with the network system. The user equipment is enabled to change from a service area to another service area. The change may occur e.g. when a user equipment moves i.e. roams from a cell to another cell. The user equipment may change even from a network system to another network system, as long as the user equipment is compatible with the standard of said other system.
Reception and/or transmission of data may be charged from the user equipment or other party involved in the data communication. Various possible schemes to implement the charging are known. For example, the subscription of the user equipment may be charged based on the capacity that was required for the transmission of data. The capacity may be measured as a volume of the data transmitted and/or received and/or based on time that was used for the data transmission. In some application the charge may also depend on the service the user equipment is using, and so on.
The charge may also depend on the location of the subscriber. For example, the operator of the communication system may have defined Service Areas (SAs) such that the subscriber is charged differently from similar services when located within different service areas. The charge may also depend on both the service the subscriber uses and his/hers location.
It is important that the charging is done correctly and fairly. An important part of the charging function is that the subscriber is not charged from any unsuccessful data transmissions. This unsuccessfully transmitted data will be referred to in the following as unsent data or 'Unsuccessfully Transmitted Data Volume'. The 'Unsuccessfully Transmitted Data Volume' indicates the data volume (typically in octets) that is unsuccessfully transmitted over the radio interface via a radio access bearer (PAB). The data transmission may occur either in downlink (DL) or uplink (UL) direction.
If the subscriber moves from a service area to another service area where a different charge is levied for data transmission, the charging function should be able to charge the subscriber such that the charge includes only cost for the successful data transmissions rather than unsuccessful. That is, if the data cannot be sent while the user equipment is within the first service area but only when the user equipment is within a second service area, the bill should take this into account. However, the inventor has found that this is not possible in the prior art charging solutions.
FIG. 2a is a signalling flowchart in accordance with a prior art operation, and more particularly, illustrates the signalling flow in the context of the current 3G GPRS and/or UMTS systems. The prior art operation is such that when a subscriber changes from a service area to another, the radio network controller (RNC) generates a location report and sends it to a serving GPRS support node (SGSN).
The SGSN may ask for information regarding the Unsuccessfully Transmitted Data Volume from the radio network controller (RNC). This can be done by means of a Data Volume Request. However, the requests and responses may load substantially the interface and the network elements involved. Thus, if the SGSN wishes to receive information about possible unsent data from the RNC, it has to send a separate request for this information back to the RNC. If the subscriber moves rapidly, and thus several service area changes occurs within a short period of time, the SGSN and RNC become substantially heavily loaded. These location reports may occur at one SGSN at a rate of 10 million per a busy hour depending on the manner the network has been planned and the amount of subscriber movements. If the SGSN has to ask for information about unsent data from the RNC every time a location report arrives, the traffic load between the RNC and SGSN may also become substantially high. Therefore, if information about the unsent data is to be collected an easier way of doing so would be advantageous.
The prior art arrangements may not be able to provide exact information about the lost data in specific radio access areas such as in specific cells. A reason for this is that the RNC reports lost data only after being asked to do so.

Monitoring and reporting service failures during handoff situations for adjusting subscriber billing


An igniter assembly includes a bushing for installation in a burner. The bushing has a proximal end and an opposing distal end. A gas tube is secured through a central portion of the bushing, and an electrode assembly is secured through the central portion of the bushing. The electrode assembly includes an electrically conductive conductor element and an insulator element in surrounding relationship to the conductor element. The igniter assembly further includes a flame holder element secured to a distal end of the electrode assembly, and a ground rod secured to the electrode assembly. A distal end of the ground rod defines a spark gap with the flame holder element.

Despite continuing improvements in the fuel efficiency of and reduction in undesirable operating emissions therefrom, modern fuel-fired water heaters still have various operational characteristics which are less than entirely satisfactory. For example, the burner pilots in most if not all conventional fuel-fired water heaters draw their combustion air from the area within the combustion chamber surrounding the pilot burner and its associated main burner. In some water heater combustion chamber configurations this air surrounding the pilot is diluted with exhaust gases. This undesirably reduces the amount of available oxygen for proper pilot combustion.
Another design challenge associated with modern fuel-fired water heaters is that the operating conditions can vary among the facility installations. That is, the fuel supply pressure for the igniter may vary from installation to installation, causing different combustion characteristics.

Igniter assembly and method for operating


A computer implemented method of authenticating a user accessing a secure terminal, comprising obtaining identification information stored in a personal machine readable storage medium exclusively associated with an accessing user attempting to access a secure system, retrieving authentication information exclusively associated with the accessing user from a remote network resource using the identification information, operating one or more privately directed user interfaces to exclusively present to the accessing user a requested alteration to a challenge request generated based on the authentication information and presented via another user interface, receiving a response to the challenge request from the accessing user and granting the accessing user access to the secure terminal in case the response matches the altered challenge request and denying access in case of no match. The privately directed user interface(s) is adapted to make the presentation of the required alteration discernable only by the accessing user.

The present invention, in some embodiments thereof, relates to authenticating a user accessing a secure terminal, and, more specifically, but not exclusively, to authenticating a user accessing a secure terminal according to a user response to a requested challenge request alteration presented exclusively to the accessing user through a privately directed user interface.
Secure terminals, specifically publicly placed secure terminals such as, for example, Automated Teller Machines (ATM), automated kiosks, vending machines for food & beverage, automated ticket purchasing stations and/or the like require high level of authentication due to the sensitivity of a financial transaction conducted by users accessing the secure terminals in an uncontrolled and public environment.
Such secure terminals therefore apply at least some authentication measures for authenticating the users attempting to access them. An example of such authentication is the usage of one or more personal machine readable storage mediums which are exclusively associated with each user attempting to access a secure terminal. The personal machine readable storage medium, for example, a magnetic card, a smartcard, a key fob, a Radio frequency Identification (RFID) tag, a Universal Serial Bus (USB) device and/or the like stores authentication information exclusively assigned to the accessing user and may be used for verifying the accessing user is knowledgeable of the authentication information and is hence assumed to be the person he claims to be, i.e. the accessing user is authenticated.

Private audio-visual feedback for user authentication


An electric power converter has a main circuit section including a semiconductor module and a cooling device; a control circuit substrate section electrically connected to a signal terminal of the semiconductor module, and having a control circuit; and a power wiring section connected to a main electrode terminal of the semiconductor module. The main circuit section is interposed between the control circuit substrate section and the power wiring section.

For example, an inverter of large capacity for performing bidirectional conversion between direct current electric power and alternating current electric power is required in a hybrid automotive vehicle having both an internal combustion engine and an electric motor as a driving source, an automotive vehicle having an electric motor as a driving source, and the like. Therefore, electric power converters including this inverter have been variously developed.
An inverter circuit (i.e., an electric power converting circuit) is constructed by using a semiconductor module including an IGBT element, and the like, therein. However, since the inverter circuit has large capacity, as mentioned above, a large amount of heat is generated. Therefore, as shown in FIG. 6, the conventional electric power converter 9 is constructed by assembling a cooling device 91 for cooling the above semiconductor module 92.
More concretely, the semiconductor module 92 is arranged so as to face the cooling device 91. A power wiring section 93 for supplying an electric current of a bus bar, etc. to the semiconductor module 92 and stopping the supply of the electric current is arranged so as to face the semiconductor module 92. Further, the electric power converter 9 is constructed by arranging a control circuit substrate section 95 through a shield layer 94. The control circuit substrate section 95 controls the operation of the semiconductor module 92. However, it is indispensable that the above shield layer 94 is interposed and arranged to avoid the influence of noises from the above power wiring section 93. For example, the structure of such an electric power converter is shown in JP-A-H11-69774.
However, there are the following problems in the conventional electric power converter 9. Namely, it is indispensable in the above conventional electric power converter 9 that the above shield layer 94 is interposed and arranged to raise the operating performance of the control circuit substrate section 95. Therefore, the number of parts required is increased and it is difficult to reduce costs.
Further, the influence of noises from the power wiring section 93 to the control circuit substrate section 95 can be reduced by the above shield layer 94. However, a connecting line 955 for connecting the control circuit substrate section 95 and the semiconductor module 92 still penetrates portions of the shield layer 94 and the power wiring section 93. Therefore, it is difficult to remove the influence of the noises on the above control circuit substrate section 95.
Further, for example, in the electric automotive vehicle and the hybrid automotive vehicle, as shown in FIG. 25, the direct current of a battery 1500 is converted into an alternating current by an inverter device 1510, and an alternating current generator 1505 is operated. The inverter device 1510 includes plural semiconductor modules.
As is well known, each semiconductor module has an internal semiconductor element (switch element) 1511, a pair of electrodes on both sides of the semiconductor element 1511, and a signal terminal connected to an external control circuit. The semiconductor element 1511 is switched by a control signal inputted from the control circuit 1512 through the signal terminal, and an artificial alternating current is generated.
During operation of the semiconductor module, noises of high frequencies are generated in its electrically conductive portion and are emitted from direct current power lines 1514, 1515 and an alternating current power line 1516. To prevent this, high frequency capacitors 1521, 1522 and 1523 are connected between the direct current power lines 1514, 1515 and the ground and between the alternating current power line 1516 and the ground through a lead wire 1526 so that a noise component is bypassed.
On the other hand, a conventional self-excited type rectifying circuit (see JP-A-07-308070) shown in FIG. 26 includes self-excited type rectifying circuit portions 1532 and 1535 for converting an alternating current supplied from a commercial electric power source 1530 into a predetermined and desirable direct current voltage. Noises generated by a switching operation of a rectifying element 1536 constituting the rectifying circuit portion 1535 are introduced into the commercial electric power source 1530 and have a bad influence on the commercial electric power source.
To prevent this, a noise restraining circuit 1540 is arranged between the self-excited type rectifying circuit portions 1532 and 1535. The noise restraining circuit 1540 includes a noise restraining reactor 1542 arranged in each phase line 1541, a capacitor 1544 arranged between the respective phase lines 1541, and a capacitor 1546 arranged between one phase line and the ground. The noise restraining reactor 1542 and the capacitor 1544 restrain the emission of a normal-mode noise, and the capacitor 1546 restrains the emission of a common-mode noise.
The above inverter device 1510 of the electric automotive vehicle, etc. has the following problems. The lead wire 1526 for connecting the high frequency capacitors 1521 to 1523 to the electric power lines 1514 to 1516 has a large resistance component and a large inductance component. It is necessary to increase the capacities of the high frequency capacitors 1521 to 1523 to obtain a sufficient noise restraining effect by reducing the impedance of a bypass path. Thus, a high frequency electric current transmitted via the high frequency capacitors 1521 to 1523 becomes a leaked electric current, and this leaked electric current creates an error in the operation of the inverter device 1510.
Further, since the semiconductor module is a noise generating source and the high frequency capacitors 1521 to 1523 for bypassing noises are separated from each other, the noises are inevitably emitted to a certain extent from the electric power lines 1514 to 1516 between the semiconductor module and the high frequency capacitors 1521 to 1523.
On the other hand, with respect to the above self-excited type rectifying circuit, only the arrangement of the reactor 1542 with respect to each phase line 1541, and the capacitor 1544 between the respective phase lines 1541, etc. are shown. No concrete mounting method of the capacitors 1544, 1546 is shown. In any case, if the capacitors 1544, 1546 are poorly arranged, cost and a space are correspondingly increased. Further, a resistance component, etc. exists in the lead wire for connecting the capacitors 1544, 1546 to the phase line 1541. Further, the capacitors 1544, 1546 are separated from the rectifying circuit portion 1535 so that noises are easily emitted from the phase line 1541 between the capacitors 1544, 1546 and the rectifying circuit portion 1535.
The present invention is made in consideration of such conventional problems, and a first object of the present invention is to provide an electric power converter capable of reducing the number of parts and restraining the influence of noises from the power wiring section. A second object of the present invention is to provide the mounting structure of a semiconductor device capable of effectively restraining the emission of noises generated in the semiconductor element without externally attaching a special bypass capacitor.

Electric power converter and mounting structure of semiconductor device