A process for producing a cable, such as, for medium-tension or high-tension power transmission or distribution, having at least one coating layer made of a thermoplastic polymer material. The process includes at least the following steps: (a) extruding a thermoplastic material of at least one thermoplastic polymer and at least one dielectric liquid; (b) passing the thermoplastic material through at least one static mixer; and (c) depositing and shaping the thermoplastic material around a conductor belonging to the cable so as to obtain a layer of thermoplastic coating on the conductor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for producing a cable, in particular for medium-tension or high-tension power transmission or distribution.
More particularly, the present invention relates to a process for producing a cable, preferably for medium-tension or high-tension power transmission or distribution, which has at least one coating layer made of a thermoplastic polymer material.
2. Description of the Related Art
The need for products that are highly environmentally friendly, obtained from materials that do not damage the environment, either during production or during use, and that are readily recyclable at the end of their life, is particularly felt even in the sector of power cables, telecommunications cables, data transmission cables and/or combined power/telecommunications cables.
However, the use of environmentally friendly materials is decidedly conditioned by the need to limit the costs and yet maintain performances, under the most common working conditions, that are equivalent to or even better than those of conventional materials.
In the sector of medium-tension or high-tension power transmission cables, the different coatings, which surround the conductor commonly consist of a crosslinked polymer material based on polyolefins, in particular crosslinked polyethylene (XLPE) or ethylene/propylene (EPR) or ethylene/propylene/diene (EPDM) elastomeric copolymers, which are also crosslinked. The crosslinking, carried out after the step of extruding the polymer material around the conductor, gives said material satisfactory mechanical performances, even under hot conditions in continuous use and under conditions of current overload. The polymer material is usually crosslinked via a radical route, by adding organic peroxides, or via a silane route, by means of introducing onto the polyolefin chains hydrolysable silane groups which, in the presence of water and of a suitable condensation catalyst give rise to the crosslinking.
However, it is well known that crosslinked materials are not recyclable, as a result of which both the process wastes and the cable coating material at the end of its life can be disposed of only by incineration.
Electrical cables are also known which have an insulation consisting of a multilayer winding of a paper or paper/polypropylene laminate impregnated with very large amounts of a dielectric liquid (commonly known as bulk-impregnated cables or oil-filled cables). By completely filling the spaces present inside the multilayer winding, the dielectric liquid prevents the occurrence of partial discharges and thus perforation of the electrical insulation. Dielectric liquids that are commonly used include products such as, for example: mineral oils, polybutenes, alkylbenzenes and the like (see for example patents U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,543,207, 4,621,302, EP-A-0 987 718 and WO 98/32137).
However, it is known that bulk-impregnated cables have many drawbacks compared with cables with extruded insulation, as a result of which their use is currently restricted to specific fields of application, in particular to the production of high-tension and ultra-high-tension direct-current transmission lines, both for terrestrial installations and, above all, for underwater installations. Specifically, the production of bulk-impregnated cables is very complex and expensive, not only because of the high cost of the laminates, but also because of the difficulties inherent to the winding steps of the laminate and its subsequent impregnation with the dielectric liquid. In particular, the dielectric liquids used are required to have a low viscosity under cold conditions so as to allow high-speed and uniform impregnation, and at the same time they are required to have little tendency towards migration during the laying and functioning of the cable, so as to avoid losses of said liquid from the cable ends or due to breakage. In addition, bulk-impregnated cables are not recyclable and their use is limited to working temperatures lower than 90° C.
In the context of power cables with a non-crosslinked extruded coating, the use of thermoplastic materials of different kinds has been proposed in the prior art.
For example, patent application WO 96/23311 discloses a low-voltage, high-current cable in which the insulating coating, the inner sheath and the outer sheath are made of the same non-crosslinked polymer material, coloured black by addition of carbon black. The use of the same material in the different layers does not require the abovementioned components to be separated in a recycling process. For a maximum working temperature of 90° C., the possibility of using heterogeneous thermoplastic elastomers consisting of a polypropylene matrix in which is dispersed an elastomeric phase consisting of EPR or EPDM copolymers is indicated.
Patent application EP-0 893 801, in the name of the Applicant, discloses a cable comprising a conductor and one or more coating layers, in which at least one of said coating layers comprises, as non-crosslinked base polymer material, a blend comprising: (a) a crystalline propylene homopolymer or copolymer; and (b) an elastomeric ethylene copolymer with at least one α-olefin containing from 3 to 12 carbon atoms, and optionally with a diene; said copolymer (b) being characterized by a 200% tension set value (measured at 20° C. for 1 minute according to ASTM standard D 412) of less than 30%.
Patent application EP-A-0 893 802, in the name of the Applicant, discloses a cable comprising a conductor and one or more coating layers, in which at least one of said coating layers comprises, as non-crosslinked base polymer material, a blend comprising: (a) a crystalline propylene homopolymer or copolymer; and (b) a copolymer of ethylene with at least one α-olefin containing from 4 to 12 carbon atoms, and optionally with a diene; said copolymer (b) being characterized by a density of between 0.90 and 0.86 g/cm3, and by a composition distribution index, defined as the percentage by weight of the copolymer molecules having an α-olefin content which is not more than 50% of the total average molar content of α-olefin, of greater than 45%.
Patent application WO 00/41187, in the name of the Applicant, discloses a cable comprising a conductor and at least one coating layer based on a non-crosslinked polymer material comprising a heterogeneous copolymer having an elastomeric phase based on ethylene copolymerized with an α-olefin and a thermoplastic phase based on polypropylene. The elastomeric phase in said heterogeneous copolymer represents at least 45% by weight relative to the total weight of the heterogeneous copolymer, and the heterogeneous copolymer is substantially free of crystallinity derived from polyethylene blocks. The elastomeric phase preferably consists of an elastomeric copolymer of ethylene and propylene which comprises from 15% to 50% by weight of ethylene and from 50% to 85% by weight of propylene, relative to the weight of the elastomeric phase.
Patent application WO 99/13477 discloses an insulating material consisting of a thermoplastic polymer forming a continuous phase which incorporates a liquid or readily fusible dielectric, which forms a mobile interpenetrating phase in the solid polymer structure. The weight ratio between the thermoplastic polymer and the dielectric is between 95:5 and 25:75. The insulating material can be produced by hot-blending the two components in a batchwise or continuous manner (for example by means of an extruder). The resulting blend is then granulated and used as insulating material for the production of a high-tension electrical cable by means of extrusion around a conductor. The material can be used either in thermoplastic form or in crosslinked form. Among the thermoplastic polymers the following are indicated: polyolefins, polyacetates, cellulose polymers, polyesters, polyketones, polyacrylates, polyamides and polyamines. It is particularly suggested to use polymers of low crystallinity. The dielectric is preferably a synthetic or mineral oil, of low or high viscosity, in particular a polyisobutene oil, naphthenic oil, polyaromatic oil, α-olefinic oil or silicone oil.
The Applicant believes, however, that the technical problem of obtaining an electrical cable with a coating consisting of a thermoplastic polymer material which has mechanical and electrical properties that are comparable with those of cables with an insulating coating made of crosslinked material, remains to be solved. In particular, the Applicant set itself the problem of producing a cable with a non-crosslinked insulating coating which has good flexibility and high mechanical strength under both hot and cold conditions, and at the same time high dielectric rigidity, without using potentially pollutant products during the life cycle of the cable, that is to say from its production to its disposal.
In view of the abovementioned problem, the Applicant has found that although the addition of dielectric liquids to thermoplastic polymer materials significantly increases the electrical properties of the material (in particular the dielectric rigidity), it presents many problems from the point of view of industrial implementation.
Specifically, the Applicant believes that the dielectric liquid added to the thermoplastic polymer material needs to maintain the properties of the material (thermomechanical properties, ease of handling) without giving rise to phenomena of exudation of said dielectric liquid. In addition, the dielectric liquid should distribute itself uniformly within the material, so as to ensure high electrical performances throughout its thickness. For example, when the coating made of thermoplastic polymer material is the insulating coating, it is important that the dielectric liquid should distribute uniformly itself throughout the coating thickness and should be present, in particular, in the interface zones between the inner and outer semiconductive layers usually present in a medium-tension and/or high-tension electrical power transmission and/or distribution cable. In this way, the resulting cable can ensure substantially constant performances over time, and thus a high level of reliability, even at elevated working temperatures (of at least 80° C., preferably of at least 90° C.).
In particular, the Applicant has found that the action of mixing the dielectric liquid into the thermoplastic material, which can take place during an extrusion process, does not make it possible to obtain a coating with a substantially homogeneous distribution of the dielectric liquid throughout its thickness. Specifically, the dielectric liquid tends to become concentrated in the inner zones of said coating, to the detriment of the outermost zones, which are actually the zones that are most sensitive to partial discharges and, thus, to perforation.

Process for producing a cable with a recyclable coating comprising a thermoplastic polymer and a dielectric liquid


A hydraulically tilting dual bale spear having multiple bale tines is presented. The bale spear has a first frame and a second frame connected to one another at a pivot point. A hydraulic cylinder is positioned between the first frame member and the second frame member. When activated, the hydraulic cylinder tilts the second frame with respect to the first frame member thereby providing a safer, faster and more efficient way to gather and pick up bales. The benefit over a non-tilting dual bale spear is that it allows the operator to pick up two bales without stopping or dragging the first bale across the ground and ripping the net wrap. It also allows the operator to level out the two bales once picked up for easier off load onto a truck or trailer.

Hay is an important feed for cows, horses, goats, and other ruminants. Traditionally, hay was harvested and stacked for drying by hand. However, since the industrial revolution, harvesting, baling and stacking hay has become increasingly more mechanized. Initially, mechanization was developed to bale hay in small rectangular hay bales. A major improvement in the hay baling art was the development of large round hay balers. These round balers collect cut hay from the ground, roll it to produce a round hay bale that is many times larger than traditional square bales. These round bales are quite efficient as the round baler compresses the harvested crop mat. Using a large round baler improves the efficiency of a baling operation as less bales are required, as compared to square bales, which reduces the amount of bales that must be made, moved or used
While the development of large round hay bales is an improvement over the prior art, the use of large round hay bales presents certain problems. Namely, large round hay bales are heavy, dense and therefore they are difficult to pick up, move and control. In addition, due to the fact that often times hay is cut on more-marginal or variable land, using machinery to pick up and move large round bales on rolling or hilly terrain can be difficult, dangerous and inefficient. I addition, due to the fact that farming operations are growing and becoming more mechanized, it is becoming difficult to meet the efficiency and cost demands required by modern farming operations with conventional equipment.
Thus a primary object of the present invention is to provide a device that improves the efficiency of moving large round hay bales.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that improves the safety of moving large round hay bales.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that improves that amount of control a user has when moving large round hay bales.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that easily allows for more than one large round hay bale to be picked up and moved at a time.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is simple and easy to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is inexpensive.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a device that is rigid and durable while being adjustable.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification, drawings and claims.


A collapsible tent structure includes a side frame and a top frame. The side frame comprises posts. Each post comprises an upper end and an upper section. The top frame comprises a top connector and top rods. Each top rod comprises an outer end and an inner end. The inner end of the top rod is pivotally connected to the top connector. Each top rod comprises two struts, a sliding bracket, a fixed bracket and a sliding socket. Each strut comprises an upper end and a lower end. The fixed bracket is secured to the upper section of the post. The sliding bracket is inserted onto the upper section of the post. The sliding socket is secured to the upper end of the post. The upper ends of the struts are pivotally connected to the top rod near the outer end of the top rod, while the lower ends of the struts are pivotally connected to the sliding bracket and the fixed bracket, respectively. The outer end of the top end is connected to the sliding socket.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a collapsible tent structure, and more particularly to a tent able to extend its top frame to expand the canopy to cover a larger area.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional tent structure has a foldable design with the canopy and frame integrally formed. However, this design has a fixed size not able to expand or retract its top frame. The canopy has a suitable size to cover the area as needed.
This conventional structure was designed to have the canopy frame and the tent structure formed with many rods directly connected with connectors. This design allows the tent only to be folded or open but not to expand or retract.


A laser diode is driven by a first, integrating, amplifier receiving a d.c. reference voltage V.sub.ref and negative feedback from a back-facet photodiode, and by a second, wideband, amplifier receiving the data and the negative feedback.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to laser drive circuits, and more particularly to drive circuits to which a modulating signal may be applied.
2. Related Art
Before considering such circuits in detail, it will be helpful to examine the laser behaviour. FIG. 1 shows a graph of light output power against input current for a typical semiconductor laser diode. The curve marked A illustrates a typical characteristic at room temperature. It is characterised by a slope S and by a turn on current I.sub.t. This characteristic is however temperature-dependent, and typical graphs for higher and lower temperatures are shown in curves B and C respectively. It is apparent from an examination of these graphs that in order to drive the laser with a modulating signal it is necessary to provide some standing current to bring the laser into an operating region, and to vary this current in accordance with the modulating signal. Reference D indicates a typical range of drive current for operation on the curve A, in which it can be seen that the light output varies between substantially zero and some desired maximum. It can also be observed that applying this same range of current at the higher temperature (Graph B) results in a lower maximum power output, and also results in the laser being driven considerably below cut-off. This is particularly unsatisfactory since, once driven below cut-off, an increasing current to being the device back into the operating region introduces a delay which can degrade performance when attempting to modulate with a high bit-rate digital signals. On the other hand, applying the same range of currents to the low temperature case (Graph C), a much higher light output is obtained, but with a considerable minimum light output (this is referred to as a low extinction ratio); this however causes problems in demodulation.
One solution to this problem is to use a Peltier cooler with appropriate control circuitry to maintain the temperature of the device reasonably constant. This however results in an increase in expense.
Variations in turn-on threshold may be accommodated by the use of a known mean-power controller, a schematic diagram of which is shown in FIG. 2. Here a laser diode 1 is driven with a current I and produces a light output L=S.I Watts. The light output is sensed by a back facet monitor photodiode 2 which drives a current of K.L. amps into a load resistor 3 of resistance R. The mean light output is determined by a voltage reference source 4 producing a voltage V.sub.ref and the voltage developed across the load resistor 3 is compared by an integrated transconductance amplifier 5 with the voltage developed across the load resistor 3 to control the current fed to the diode. A modulating current is fed to the laser diode 1 from an external current source connected at an input 6.
If the amplifier 5 has a transconductance-bandwidth product G, then the laser output ignoring any modulation input is: ##EQU1##
We see that the light output for .omega.=0 is independent of S, and thus the mean power setting is held constant. In the event that a modulating current I.sub.data is applied to the input 6, the light output is then given by: ##EQU2##
We see that here at high frequencies the gain is dependent on S, and thus the situation shown in FIG. 3 obtains, where the operating regions for the same current drive swing are shown. At high temperatures a poor extinction ratio is obtained, whereas at low temperatures the laser can be biased below cut-off, or even reversed biased, with the turn-on delay penalty. It can moreover be seen that the gain for low frequency data is low, falling to zero at d.c., the feedback control of the amplifier 5 effectively removing the d.c. component from the data. Thus this type of drive is suitable only for data having a symmetrical waveform; specifically it is extremely unsuitable for burst data drives such as may be used in TDMA systems such as passive optical networks.
According to the present invention there is provided a laser driver comprising a data input for receiving data signals; means for providing a feedback signal representative of the laser light output; a first amplifier having gain at d.c. and lower frequencies connected to receive the data signals, a d.c. reference signal and the feedback signal to provide current to the laser; and a second amplifier having gain at higher frequencies connected to receive the data signals the feedback signal to provide current to the laser.
Preferably the first amplifier is an integrating amplifier having, below a threshold frequency, a higher gain than the second amplifier and, above the threshold frequency, a lower gain than the second amplifier.
If desired the driver may have gain adjustment means whereby the gain provided by the driver to data signals may be rendered equal at d.c. and at a frequency above the passband of the first amplifier.

British Telecommunications public limited company


A built-in self test architecture for testing one or more integrated circuits. Each circuit is provided with an interface compatible with IEEE standard 1149.1 and one or more scan registers containing scan cells for supplying input test data to, and receiving output test data from, the internal circuitry of the integrated circuits, a pseudo-random pattern generator for supplying patterns of test data to the boundary scan register, and a pattern compressor for compressing the output test data into a signature. The architecture also includes a single clock multiplexer, located external to the integrated circuits, for selectively supplying a system clock or a test clock to the testing components of each integrated circuit.

As the degree of integration of VLSI circuits continues to increase, there exists a correspondingly increasing need for fast and reliable methods for testing such circuits. It has been estimated that costs associated with integrated circuit chip testing increase in proportion to the square of the number of devices on the chip. Accordingly, an easily-implemented, fast, and reliable chip testing method is needed.
A known and commonly used technique for testing integrated circuit chips is the boundary scan method, in which a boundary-scan cell is provided adjacent to each pin of an integrated circuit. A boundary scan cell typically includes one or more flip-flops and allows input test data to be supplied to, or output test data to be sampled from, the integrated circuit. The boundary scan cells for each pin of a chip (or from each pin of a plurality of interconnected chips) are connected to form one or more shift registers. FIG. 1 shows an exemplary boundary scan cell. The boundary scan cell includes multiplexers 2 and 4, and flip-flop elements 6 and 8. Data, in the form of test data or instructions, is input to the first inputs of multiplexers 2 and 4 on line NDI, while the output of a previous boundary scan cell is input to the second input of multiplexer 2 on line SDI. The output of multiplexer 2 is determined by a control signal on line SHIFT/LOAD, and the output of multiplexer 4 is determined by a control signal on line MODE. When a LOAD signal is input to multiplexer 2 on line SHIFT/LOAD, flip-flop 6 samples the data on line NDI. When a SHIFT signal is input to multiplexer 2 on line SHIFT/LOAD, the flip-flop 6 samples the output of the previous scan cell. The data sampled by flip-flop 6 may be serially passed through to a successive boundary scan cell via scan data out line SDO, or may be supplied to flip-flop 8. Flip-flop 8 is an intermediate storage element which samples and stores a value for use in a future test. Multiplexer 4 receives normal data on line NDI at one input, and receives test data stored in flip-flop 8 at a second input. Multiplexer 4 outputs data on line NDO under the control of the MODE signal. Thus, if scan cells are each connected to respective data pins of an integrated circuit, test data stored in the flip-flop 8 of each scan cell can be supplied to the data pins under the control of the MODE signal. Flip-flops 6 and 8 operate according to separate clock signals A and B to enable flip-flop 8 to source the output of the boundary scan cell while new data is input to flip-flop 6.
Referring now to FIG. 2, an arrangement of boundary scan cells around a group of interconnected integrated circuits on a circuit board is shown. Collectively, the boundary scan cells around each integrated circuit form a shift register. This arrangement allows the interconnections between the circuit components in each of the integrated circuits to be tested by shifting test data into all of the boundary scan cells associated with integrated circuit output pins and loading input test data in parallel through the component interconnections into the cells associated with integrated circuit input pins. This arrangement also allows the integrated circuits on the circuit board to be tested by isolating the internal logic circuitry of each chip from the surrounding circuit elements while an internal self-test is performed. The boundary scan cell method also permits a limited slow-speed static test of the internal logic circuitry of a chip by allowing test data to be input to the chip and the chip output data analyzed. Because the boundary scan register permits parallel loading of cells at both the input and output pins of an integrated circuit and permits the shifting out of the results, the register effectively samples data flowing through a component without interfering with the operation of the component. While boundary scan cells offer numerous benefits, a functional test of the operation of the complete system of interconnected integrated circuits requires separate automatic test equipment (ATE) or a system-level self test.
Additionally, thorough testing of the internal functions of each integrated circuit is typically not feasible using only this test technique.
A built-in self test (BIST) architecture typically includes a pattern or operand generator for producing test operands, each of which is applied to the internal logic circuitry of the integrated circuit. The results of each test operand are compressed into a "signature" which is compared to predetermined signatures to detect faults. BIST architecture is advantageous because the test circuitry is fabricated on the chip with the main logic functions, while having a minimal impact on the main logic functions. Further, since the test results are processed by BIST circuitry, the number of tasks which must be performed by external components is reduced, and maintenance software is simplified. BIST also allows for testing at full system clock rates, significantly reducing test time. BIST further allows for testing any number of different types of circuits, independent of specific chip logic functions, at the wafer, chip, or system levels, both before and after assembly into a computer.
However, known BIST architectures have limitations. In particular, BIST architectures require a means for selecting a system clock for normal operations and a test clock for test operations. In typical BIST architectures, a clock multiplexer is provided in each integrated circuit having a BIST capability. Examples of such architectures include U.S. Pat. No. 4,701,920 to Resnick et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,138,619 to Fasang et al. In such an arrangement, there are significant and variable delays in the clock distribution circuitry. Because different clock multiplexers are used for each integrated circuit in a system, the clock signals supplied to the different circuits may have varying phases (skew). Further, many known BIST architectures include customized interfaces, which often require an increase in the number of input or output pins needed to fabricate the integrated circuit.
It would be advantageous for a BIST architecture to include an industry standardized, low pin-count interface. It would also be advantageous for a BIST architecture to allow the testing using either known, externally supplied test data or pseudo-random test data patterns generated on the chip. It would further be advantageous for a BIST architecture to eliminate the need for an on-chip clock multiplexer to allow the main integrated circuits to operate at a high speed, while allowing the test circuitry to operate at a lower speed, and avoiding significant and variable clock delays and skews.

Fast bist architecture with flexible standard interface


This disclosure details exemplary battery pack designs for use in electrified vehicles. Exemplary battery packs may include a battery array that includes one or more interconnected array frames. A split thermal fin may be held within the one or more array frames. The proposed designs of the split thermal fin enable a reduction of the amount of thermal interface material required between the thermal fin and a support structure (e.g., a heat exchanger plate) of the battery pack.

Electrified vehicles differ from conventional motor vehicles because they are selectively driven by one or more traction battery pack powered electric machines. The electric machines can propel the electrified vehicles instead of, or in combination with, an internal combustion engine.
The traction battery pack includes a plurality of battery cells that store energy for powering electrical loads. The battery cells can generate heat during charging and discharging operations. This heat should typically be dissipated in order to achieve a desired level of battery performance. Heat exchanger plates, often referred to as "cold plates," may be used for dissipating the heat. A thermal interface material (TIM) may also be used to increase the thermal conductivity between the battery cells and the heat exchanger plate.

Battery array frames with split thermal fin designs for reducing thermal interface material usage


Systems and methods of analyzing biological fluid biomarkers, calculating biomarker data, transmitting data to a transceiver device, and storing the data and/or analytics in a database and/or on at least one remote computer server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to a system and method including a device for sensing and collecting biological fluid inputs and transmitting inputs to a remote computing device for analyzing the biological fluid inputs.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, biomarkers from biological fluid have significant prognostic and/or diagnostic utility, such as predicting disease, nutritional imbalance, or psychological or physical stress; however, many of the most utilized biomarkers are collected from blood. The ability to predict events through non-invasive means, such as sweat detection, provides great utility to persons under physical stress, particularly individuals in the process of physical activity or exercise. The ability to monitor sweat biomarkers real time and continuously during activity allows an individual to make informed decisions regarding hydration, nutrition, and exertional status, and recovery all variables that moderate physical performance.
For example, hydration status is a predictor of physical performance; dehydration as low as 1% of body mass can impair performance. Prior art detection and treatment, as shown in FIG. 1, is currently at the stages of when symptoms present, performance degrades, and/or injury presents. Determining hydration through sweat biomarkers before dehydration symptoms present has many benefits, such as reducing fatigue, cramps, and headaches. Therefore, developing a device and system for non-invasively obtaining biomarkers, such as through sweat, is needed.
Sweat contains a multitude of biomarkers; any substance aqueously dissolvable in the blood can present in the sweat by way of eccrine glands. The sweat biomarkers can be small molecules, proteins, metabolites, and/or electrolytes. Well-known electrolytes in sweat are sodium and potassium. As shown in FIG. 2, potassium concentration is not dependent upon sweat rate due to the passive diffusive transport of potassium, while sodium and chloride concentrations in sweat are dependent upon sweat rate due to the active transport of sodium. Thus, monitoring sodium or chloride concentrations is an accurate, indirect means of indicating hydration status of an individual. Therefore, developing a sweat biomarker monitoring device that can communicate to an individual real-time biomarker data is needed.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,198,953 for method and system for continuous sweat collection and analysis by Webster, et al. filed Mar. 11, 1999 and issued Mar. 6, 2001 is directed to a method and system of the invention provide especially for continuously obtaining and analyzing, on a real time basis, sweat from a selected area of skin on the body of a person, especially a neonate, being diagnosed for cystic fibrosis, by causing sweating of the selected area of skin, by placing an electrically positive iontophoretic electrode device of a set of said devices over the selected area of skin preferably within a previously placed receiving and holding device which, following the induction of sweat and removal of the electrically positive iontophoretic electrode device, receives a sweat-sensing electrode device that continuously sends electrical signals to sweat analysis circuitry for providing a digital readout of the ionic composition of the sweat.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,388,534 for an apparatus providing skin care information by measuring skin moisture content by Jang, et al. filed Sep. 24, 2007 and issued Mar. 5, 2013 is directed to an apparatus for providing skin care information, the apparatus including: an electrode unit supplying a voltage to a user's skin and detecting a current signal in the user's skin; a measurement control unit measuring the user's skin moisture content and sweat gland activity by using the detected current signal; a data calculation unit deriving skin moisture content information by using the skin moisture content and the sweat gland activity, and generating skin care information corresponding to the skin moisture content information; and an information provider providing the user with the generated skin care information is provided.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,575,549 for an apparatus and method for increasing, monitoring, measuring, and controlling perspiratory water and solid loss at reduced ambient pressure by Miller filed Jul. 30, 2004 and issued Aug. 18, 2009 is directed to a device for increasing, monitoring, and measuring perspiration water and solid loss at reduced ambient pressure, comprising a sealed chamber capable of maintaining less than atmospheric pressure for an extended period of time and a gasket-sealed door accessing the chamber. An algorithm allowing for continuous calculations of sweat loss and fluid replacement requirements of the occupant of the chamber is disclosed.
US patent application 2014/330,096 for performing a physiological analysis with increased reliability by Brunswick filed Nov. 12, 2012 and issued Nov. 6, 2014 is directed to a method for performing an electrophysiological analysis implemented in a system includes: a series of electrodes to be placed on different regions of the human body; a DC voltage source controlled so as to produce DC voltage pulses; a switching circuit for selectively connecting the active electrodes to the voltage source, the active electrodes forming an anode and a cathode, and for connecting at least one other high-impedance passive electrode used to measure the potential reached by the body; and a measuring circuit for reading data representative of the current in the active electrodes, and data representative of the potentials generated on at least certain high-impedance electrodes in response to the application of the pulses, the data allowing a value to be determined for the electrochemical conductance of the skin.
US patent application 2014/350,432 for assessment of relative proportions of adrenergic and cholinergic nervous receptors with non-invasive tests by Khalfallah and Brunswick filed Aug. 8, 2014 and issued Nov. 27, 2014 is directed to a system and method for assessing relative proportions of cholinergic and adrenergic nervous receptors in a patient is disclosed. The system includes: an anode, a cathode, and passive electrode for placement on different regions of the patient body. The method generally includes: applying DC voltage pulses of varying voltage values to stress sweat glands of the patient, collecting data representing the current between the anode and the cathode and the potential of the anode, the cathode, and the passive electrode for each of the different DC voltage, and computing data representing the electrochemical skin conductance of the patient. The computed data representing the electromechanical skin conductance of the patient is reconciled with reference data from control patients having known relative proportions of cholinergic and adrenergic nervous receptors. Thus, the relative proportions of cholinergic and adrenergic nervous receptors in the patient can be determined.
US patent application 2015/019,135 for motion sensor and analysis by Kacyvensky, et al. filed Jun. 3, 2014 and issued Jan. 15, 2015 is directed to the performance of an individual being monitored based on measurements of a conformal sensor device. An example system includes a communication module to receive data indicative of a measurement of at least one sensor component of the conformal sensor device. The sensor component obtains measurement of acceleration data representative of an acceleration proximate to the portion of the individual. A comparison of a parameter computed based on the sensor component measurement to a preset performance threshold value provides an indication of the performance of the individual.
Published article by Liu, et al. in Conf Proc IEEE Eng Med Biol Soc, 2014:1678-81, discusses the implementation of a microfluidic conductivity sensor—a potential sweat electrolyte sensing system for dehydration detection.
Although biomarkers in sweat are appreciated, specifically electrolytes and glucose, a system and method is still lacking that continuously analyzes sweat biomarkers in real time and transmits data to a user, which informs the user of his or her health status.

System and method for measuring biological fluid biomarkers


A base fabric for a stent graft is a woven fabric constituted by a fiber having a total fineness of 1 to 40 decitex and a single yarn fineness of 0.1 to 2.0 decitex and has a yarn density of 150 strands/2.54 cm or more in both longitudinal direction and lateral direction, a thickness of 1 to 90 μm, and a tensile strength of 50.0 N/cm or more in both longitudinal direction and lateral direction. According to the present invention, the base fabric for a stent graft having thinness, high strength, low permeability, durability, and flexibility can be obtained.

Aneurysms, which are abnormal dilatations of arterial walls, are abdominal aortic and thoracic aortic aneurysms. The abdominal aortic aneurysm is usually an aneurysm in the abdominal part of an artery located in the vicinity of two iliac arteries or near renal arteries. In addition, the thoracic aortic aneurysm is an aneurysm in the thoracic part of the aorta. There is the risk of rupturing an aneurysm to cause fatal massive bleeding if the aneurysm is left unattended without being treated.
A surgical bypass operation is usually performed for treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm. In this operation, a graft is placed in an affected part or a dilated segment. This operation, which is a treatment technique by incision by a transperitoneal or retroperitoneal procedure, the treatment technique of resecting an aneurysmal part and replacing a resected part with a synthetic graft, has been risky. Complications due to the operation include myocardial ischemia, renal failure, impotence, intestinal ischemia, infections, lower limb ischemia, spinal cord injuries with paralysis, aorta-internal organ fistulas, and the like. In the worst case, death is caused. Surgical treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm has a high mortality rate.
Also, the surgical treatment of an abdominal aortic aneurysm has such problems that its mortality rate is high, a recovery period is prolonged because of making a great incision of the abdomen and opening the abdominal cavity, it is difficult to suture a graft to the aorta, natural thrombotic activity which supports and strengthens the graft is lost, and emergency surgery is required when an artery is ruptured. In addition, since many patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms are elderly and therefore may have other chronic diseases such as cardiac disease, lung disease, liver disease, and (or) renal disease, it cannot be said that they are ideal for persons targeted for the operation.
When an aneurysm is generated in the thoracic aorta, reconstruction by an operation is a treatment method performed widely, like the case of the abdominal aortic aneurysm. In this operation, treatment of replacing an aneurysm segment with a prosthesis instrument is performed. However, this operation always has a high risk as described above as well as has a high mortality rate and a high morbidity rate.
On the other hand, a lot of researches on treatment methods using catheters have been conducted. The treatment methods using catheters have been facilitated by development of stent grafts. The treatment methods can shorten a period in which a patient is in a hospital and an ICU and have an advantage that a morbidity rate and a mortality rate due to an operation are low.
Generally, a surgical incision of an artery distant from an affected part, such as a common femoral or brachial artery, is made to transport a stent graft through a catheter inserted therefrom to the affected part under fluoroscopy. An introducer with an appropriate size is fitted in a guide wire, and the catheter and the guide wire are passed into an aneurysm. Then, the stent graft is advanced to an appropriate position along the guide wire through the introducer. Most stent grafts are self-expandable but may require an additional intracatheter procedure, such as balloon angioplasty, for fixing the position of a stent graft. A standard angiogram can be obtained by injecting an X-ray contrast medium into an affected part following the placement of the stent graft.
Since the above-mentioned catheter has a large diameter of typically around 20 French (Fr) (3 Fr=1 mm), it cannot be said that it is lowly invasive in the current situation, and reconstruction by a surgical operation is necessary for closure of the incised part of an artery. In addition, patients with small vessels are out of the scope of its application, since it is difficult to insert a stent graft, and have not yet retained the benefit of this treatment. Accordingly, it is necessary to design a stent graft that can be held by a catheter with a smaller diameter. Specifically, such thought as to narrow a stent and a fabric when being folded and to keep flexibility is put into the stent graft to enable its insertion into even minimum vessel when it is inserted into a vessel and/or the like.
It is conceivable that a conventional fabric is more thinned for improvement in a base fabric for a stent graft. However, when it is simply thinned, there are the problems of decreasing the strength of the fabric and increasing its permeability. Thus, disclosed is a base fabric on the surface of which microfibers are raised and which has a thickness of 0.2 mm or less in the state where the base fabric is compressed during insertion and has a thickness of 0.4 mm or more after placement into a vessel (e.g., see Patent Literature 1). Also, disclosed is the technology of making yarn constituting a woven fabric and/or the like have 5 to 40 denier to make a thin structure (see Patent Literature 2).

Base fabric for stent graft, and stent graft


An electrical venous stimulation apparatus comprising a powered signal generator, the signal generator configured to generate a specified electrical output signal. The apparatus also includes a plurality of electrodes in electrical communication with the signal generator and configured, to be placed in electrical communication with a subject, The electrical output signal sent to the subject, includes an output voltage, electrical current, and waveform that changes with time in a preprogrammed repeating cycle. The output voltage, electrical current, and waveform are configured to elicit a physiological response that stimulates a plurality of peripheral nerves in the subject, activates a venous muscle pump mechanism in one or more limbs of the subject, and non-invasively alter the physiology of target vein(s), wherein the target vein(s) is caused to distend under the surface of the subject's skirt.

The single standard practice for gaining peripheral venous access in a medical patient has not changed significantly in over 80 years. Typically, the standard practice involves the use of a tourniquet applied to an upper portion of a patient's arm. The application of a tourniquet stops the flow of blood to the heart and allows whatever pressure is available from the arteries and capillaries to fill and distend the veins. A medical practitioner, such as a doctor, physician's assistant, paramedic, or nurse, may then access the distended vein with a needle to draw blood, or insert a peripheral venous catheter or other such cannula into the distending vein to administer drugs or other fluids. This is a painful, sometimes dangerous, time consuming, and inaccurate method.
In a majority of patients, this approach is sufficient for either the drawing of blood for hematology analysis, or for the placement of an intravenous cannula to administer fluids, including but not limited to volume expanders (e.g., colloids (e.g., blood, dextran, hydroxyethyl starch, stroma-free hemoglobin), crystalloids (e.g., normal saline, Ringer's lactate, glucose/dextrose, Hartmann's Solution), blood-based products (e.g., red blood cells, plasma, platelets), blood substitutes (e.g., oxygen-carrying substitutes), buffer solutions (e.g. intravenous sodium bicarbonate, Ringer's lactate), nutritional formula (e.g., peripheral parenteral nutrition), or drugs including but not limited to antibiotics, analgesics or chemotherapy into the blood stream of a patient. However in most patients, geriatric patients or cancer treatment patients for example, gaining venous access can be difficult and problematic for any number of reasons, which may lead to medical practitioners requiring multiple related attempts to successfully gain intravenous access to the patient's vein(s). Repeated attempts to gain venous access in a patient may result in a variety of adverse issues including hematomas, fluid infiltration into the surrounding tissue (which, with chemotherapy agents, can cause severe local reactions), pain, shock, discomfort, vasoconstriction, and in emergency situations, may require the practitioner to switch to either a central venous access approach or a "cut-down" (opening the tissue) to gain access to a vein.
There are many types of patients in whom these problems can result. Elderly or geriatric patients frequently have frail veins or are peripherally shut down due to dehydration. Pediatric and neonatal (newborn) patients are especially difficult to gain venous access to, due to small veins and the significant immaturity of their bodies. Patients who have lost blood volume through trauma, shock, or dehydration (such as ER and paramedic patients, patients injured in road traffic accidents or military combat, crush victims, famine victims, etc.) are likely to be peripherally shut down, making it difficult to locate and raise a vein, but are often the patients in whom medical practitioners most rapidly need to gain venous access. Obese patients are vet another patient group in which medical practitioners encounter difficulties in locating or raising a vein for venous access. Cancer treatment patients also present difficulties for medical practitioners to gain venous access due to, among other things, phlebitis.
Other methodologies and devices have been employed to attempt to locate target veins for venipuncture or determine when a proper and successful venipuncture has been achieved. However, such devices and methodologies are either passive, non-invasive devices and techniques, or they are invasive mechanical devices and techniques that actually first require the puncture of the target vein in order to determine the position of the needle within the vein (which does not otherwise aid in locating the target vein or increasing the ease of inserting the needle into the target vein). One example of a passive technique and device is the use of a strong source of visible or ultraviolet light placed against the skin of the patient in an attempt to read the reflectivity of the underlying iron in the patient's red blood cells in the target vein, through the patient's skin. While this passive technique may help to locate a target vein, it does not increase the ease of achieving successful venipuncture. Additionally, the vein will often roll away from the needle when the medical practitioner tries to inset it. The drawback to using active mechanical devices that need to puncture the lumen to determine the position therein is that, if the machine performing the venipuncture goes too far and pushes the needle completely through the opposite side of the target vein, the result is a double penetration of the vein requiring the tip of the needle to be withdrawn back into the lumen of the vein. Accordingly such mechanical techniques are flawed in that they permit the possibility of a double penetration which may result in blood leaking from the second vein puncture causing a hematoma in the patient.
Accordingly, there is a need for a more rapid, reliable, less painful, more efficient, safer and repeatable method of accessing a patient's veins in the hands, arms, feet or legs, to allow easier venous access by medical practitioners. In addition, there is a need for a medical apparatus that can cause a more rapid, reliable, and repeatable distension or expansion of veins in a patient's hands, arms, feet or legs across a broader patient spectrum including geriatric, pediatric, neonatal, and trauma patients, to assist medical practitioners in gaining venous access.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Venous electrical stimulation apparatus and methods and uses thereof


In one embodiment, an array of content addressable memory (CAM) cells include a first plurality of CAM cells and a second plurality of CAM cells. The second plurality of CAM cells has a width sufficient to address a height of the array. A first plurality of CAM drivers are coupled to the array to drive the first plurality of CAM cells. The first plurality of CAM drivers prevent the first plurality of CAM cells from participating in a match when the array is in a test mode.

(1). Field of the Invention
The invention relates to testability. More specifically, the invention relates to testability of content addressable memory.
(2). Background
Content addressable memory (CAM) addressed caches have gained increasing popularity for use in microprocessor caches. This popularity increase is primarily due to the elimination of the need for a final decode and that such caches permit high set associativity and low power consumption at the expense of some added chip area. Unfortunately, such CAM addressed caches create testing problems because neither the SRAM portion of the array, nor the CAM locations, are directly addressable. In fact, each CAM cell is formed with several transistors, but the only output is a match line indicating match or no match. A match is determined by whether any cell in the row of the match line drives the match line. Thus, CAM testing necessitates developing a scheme whereby only a single column and row are tested at any one time. It may not be possible to develop an algorithmic scheme for such testing and, in any event, such testing would be prohibitively expensive and time consuming for mass marketed components.
In one embodiment, an array of content addressable memory (CAM) cells includes a first plurality of CAM cells and a second plurality of CAM cells. The first plurality of CAM cells is used as a decoder. The second plurality of CAM cells is algorithmically tested on addresses provided by the first plurality of CAM cells.

Method and apparatus for testing a CAM addressed cache


The invention relates to an engine mount pendulum support device for supporting an engine relative to the body of a motor vehicle. The engine mount pendulum support device comprises a first attachment region for attaching the engine mount pendulum support device to the body, which attachment region comprises a first attachment surface for contact with the body, a second attachment region for attaching the engine mount pendulum support device to the body, which attachment region comprises a second attachment surface for contact with the body, a third attachment region for attaching the engine to the engine mount pendulum support device, wherein the first attachment region and the second attachment region are elastically connected to the third attachment region via a first elastic mount and via a second elastic mount, wherein the first attachment region and the second attachment region are firmly connected to each other by a connection member.

Engine mounts serve for supporting an engine relative to the body of the vehicle. For this purpose, the engine mounts are equipped with elastic mounts, which are capable of elastically absorbing the vibrations of the engine and thus insulate against them. Most frequently, the elastic mounts are configured in such a way that they are capable of effectively absorbing the vibrations of the engine only in one direction; this is often in the direction of the force of gravity of the engine. Movements of the engine perpendicular to this direction of vibration of absorption, be they vibrations or induced by the inertia of the engine, can be absorbed by the elastic mount only with difficulty. Therefore, some engine mounts are provided with a pendulum support that absorbs the occurring torques during the driving operation. In this case, the pendulum support constitutes another connection between the engine and the body.
JP 2005 075 223 A and JP 2005 075 157 A show engine mounts with pendulum supports in which the pendulum support is attached to the body without being spaced apart from the attachment of the elastic mount, but is configured in such a way that it is attached to the same location on the body as the elastic mount.


A semiconductor chip package includes a main board; a ceramic substrate having a cavity within which at least one chip is electrically mounted, the cavity being placed at a lower portion of the ceramic substrate facing the main board; and a conductive shielding layer provided with a predetermined thickness on the outside of the ceramic substrate. The ceramic substrate includes: at least one first ground line electrically connecting the conductive shielding layer with the main board; at least one second ground line electrically connecting the conductive shielding layer with the chip; and at least one signal line electrically connecting the chip with the main board. Thus, manufacturing costs are lowered because of the reduced number of components being used, miniaturization in device design can be achieved because of the small volume of the package, and the ground performance can be improved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor chip package for packaging a semiconductor chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the electronics market, demands for portable systems are drastically increasing. To meet such increasing demands, slim and lightweight components must be mounted in those systems.
To realize such slim and lightweight components, there are needs for a technique for reducing a size of individual devices, a system-on-chip (SOC) technique for integrating a plurality of individual devices into one chip, and a system-in-package (SIP) technique for integrating a plurality of devices into one package.
FIG. 1A is a cross-sectional view illustrating an example of a related art semiconductor chip package. Referring to FIG. 1A, a related art semiconductor chip package 10 includes at least one chip 12 flip-chip bonded onto a substrate 11 by using a plurality of bump balls 13, and a metal can 15 formed of a metallic material on the substrate 11. The metal can 15 protects the chip 12 and a passive component from the external environment. Also, the metal can 15 prevents high-frequency signals generating during chip operation from affecting an adjacent package, or blocks external harmful electromagnetic waves.
FIG. 1B is a cross-sectional view illustrating another example of a related art semiconductor chip package. Referring to FIG. 1B, a related art semiconductor chip package 20 includes at least one chip 22 wire-bonded onto a substrate 21 by using a plurality of metal wires 23, and a metal can 25 formed of a metallic material on the substrate 21. The metal can 25 protects the chip 22 and a passive component 24 from the external environment. Also, the metal can 25 prevents high-frequency signals generating during chip operation from affecting an adjacent package, or blocks external harmful electromagnetic waves.
Undescribed reference numerals 16 and 26 in FIGS. 1A and 1B indicate main boards on which the semiconductor chip packages 10 and 20 are mounted, respectively.
In the related art semiconductor chip packages 10 and 20, the passive components 14 and 24 such as a resistor, a capacitor and a coil are mounted on the substrates 11 and 21 besides the chips 12 and 22, and the metal cans 15 and 25 are also mounted on the substrates 11 and 21 to shield the chips 11 and 22 and the passive component 14 and 24 from the external environment. For this reason, the related art semiconductor chip packages 10 and 20 have limitations in that assembly processes of the semiconductor chips 10 and 20 are complicated and take long time to complete, lowering operational productivity. Also, miniaturization of the semiconductor chip packages 10 and 20 is limited because of the metal cans 15 and 25.
Also, the substrates 11 and 21 must include separate ground lines (not shown) electrically connected with ground terminals of the chips 12 and 22, and separate ground lines (not shown) electrically connected with the metal cans 15 and 25 mounted thereon. Hence, the substrate structure is complicated, increasing manufacturing costs.


A web of material, typically paper, metal or film and most commonly roll photographic plate material, passes between a first, driven, roller made from material with a high coefficient of friction, typically neoprene rubber, and a second, driven, roller made from material with a low coefficient of friction, typically metal or nylon. The high-friction drive roller (only) is positionally adjustable. The web is driven straight ahead, without appreciable undesirable steering or skew, over a broad range of adjustments of the separation, and the parallelism, between the two rollers. The web motion is responsive substantially to only the high-friction drive roller, and the web speed may accordingly be regulated, including so as to be maintained highly uniform, in response to the drive roller (only).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally concerns the improved drive, or transport, of webs between opposed rollers. The present invention particularly concerns a straight transport between opposed rollers of a paper, metal or film media, including large film plates, within a laser imager. During the improved transport undesirable steering and skew, and susceptibility to mechanical tolerances and adjustments, are beneficially reduced.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Many materials processing and handling tasks require driving a continuous roll or web of a material between rollers. Such tasks include the movement of paper, metal or film material between rollers in film imagesetters and platesetters used in the graphic arts.
Particularly during transport of a paper, metal or film media in imagesetters and platesetters, each medium must typically be driven as straight as possible, with the axis of web travel continuously perpendicular to the rollers' axis. In this manner images may be accurately positionally recorded on the medium.
The state of the art in the drive of webs of paper, metal or film within laser imagesetters and platesetters is a pair of opposed rollers consisting of a driven roller and an idler roller. Both rollers are typically made of a material with a high coefficient of friction such elastomeric synthetic rubber. One roller is typically located above the web material and the other below.
In this arrangement several mechanical relationships and alignments are very critical. If appropriate relationships and alignments are not maintained then the web that is driven between the rollers will tend to be steered, or skewed, from off its required straight path of travel, wasting the web and disrupting production. Each roller must be a cylinder rotating about a central axis. Even the slightest imperfection or contamination on the surfaces of the rollers tends to degrade both these requirements, causing that the cylindrical roller should effectively exhibit a diameter which is, at least regionally, both (i) non-uniform and, simultaneously, (ii) slightly eccentric about its axis of rotation.
It is further useful that the speed of the web should be maintained as uniform as is possible. This is because, in a laser imagesetter or platesetter, the medium of the web is being imaged in and upon successive image lines by a scanning light beam. The successive image lines are typically very close together, as many as 1200 per inch and more. The human eye is very sensitive to variations in grey tones, and image discontinuities, that result when successive lines, or regions of lines, are either relatively closer together, or relatively further apart, than are other line regions.
Many strategies exist to maintain the medium in constant uniform motion past the laser marking station of the imagesetter or platesetter, thereby to image the successive lines at a constant and uniform separation. The strategies may involve a high inertial mass in the drive mechanism relative to the mass of the moved, and imaged, web. Alternatively, a dynamic feedback control of the positional drive of the web may be employed. Regardless of the means by which precisely uniform motion is imparted to the web, the ultimate drive of the web is by frictional contact between the web and each of two opposed rollers. If the friction between the web and either, or both, of the rollers varies ever so slightly during the course of imaging--which may be common with minute changes in temperature, vibration, air drafts, contamination, etc.--then minute variations in speed may be imparted to the web. Nonetheless that these speed variations are minute, they are visually detectable in high quality images, and are thus undesirable.
Opposed rollers for web drive must be maintained substantially parallel, and, also, at a distance of separation appropriate to produce a desired compressive force against the web. The compressive force must typically be adjusted in order to account for (i) variations in the friction presented by surface(s) of the two sides of the medium and/or the two rollers, and/or for (ii) for wear in the bearings and/or the drive mechanism of either or both rollers. The adjustment of compression force is accomplished by mechanically adjusting and aligning the rollers, relative to a frame and to each other, in both (i) parallelism and (ii) separation.
The required alignment is commonly accomplished by positioning at least one end of each roller in two spatial dimensions. This adjustment is, in accordance with the tolerances and required exactitude of any particular system, typically fairly complex and intricate. An initial adjustment of the (i) parallelism and (ii) spacing of the rollers is typically made in accordance with visual observations and/or by the use of gauges. Then, an initial coarse adjustment having been made, the actual result of the roller spacing and alignment on web transport is typically visually observed. Further, fine, adjustments are typically required to be, and are, made in response to empirical observations. The entire procedure of successive observations and adjustments is time consuming. The quality of the ultimate alignment is uncertain, and strongly dependent upon the skill of the technician performing the adjustments and observations. The transport rollers may--depending upon the sensitivity of the system to variations, the stability of variables, and/or the required exactitude of web movement--have to be re-aligned undesirably often.
Accordingly, it would be desirable, at least in the instances of the movement of paper, metal or film webs between rollers in film imagesetters and platesetters, if any of the quality, reliability, constancy and/or maintainability of the web transport could be improved. The web would desirably be driven in a highly exact, straight, path for lengthy periods of time during such hard use of the transport rollers as induced normal wear, tear, and variation. During movement of the web the speed of movement would desirably be maintained exactingly constant. If and when alignment and/or adjustment of the web transport rollers were to be required, it would be useful if such alignments and/or adjustments were readily and easily accomplishable to a uniform accuracy and effect.
Meanwhile that the movement of paper, metal or film webs between rollers in film imagesetters and platesetters might desirably be improved, it is known that webs may be transported between opposed rollers that differ in any of innumerable characteristics. Each one of opposite rollers may be, for example, possessed of surface characteristics as suit the processing of the web surface with which it comes into contact. Such processing may include printing or embossing. It might even be hypothesized that some characteristic or characteristics of the oppositely-disposed transport rollers might facilitate, or improve, their function in the uniform, reliable and/or maintainable transport of the web. However, even if it is postulated that one or more surfaces of two opposed rollers should facilitate the transport of a web therebetween, it is uncertain how this (these) roller's(s') surface(s) should work for the particular case of a paper, metal or film medium in a film imagesetter or a platesetter. Where in the transport path should the roller(s) of improved characteristics be positioned? Where should it (they) be positioned relative to the two sides of the paper, or film? Should either, or both, rollers be adjustable, and how should it (they) be so adjusted? If frictional contact between the web and the rollers is to be maintained uniform in order that drive velocity of the web may be maintained highly constant, then how is this to be done?
Because the solution presented by the present invention to the long-persisting difficulties of transport of paper, metal or film material between rollers in film imagesetters and platesetters will be seen to be elegant, straightforward, and highly effective, there may well be a tendency, as with all simple improvements that work well, to denigrate the erudition of the solution and/or the significance of the improvement obtained thereby. However, one rebuttal to such an hypothesized diminution of the stature of the present invention might be to provide a proverbial routineer in the art with (i) an imagesetter or platesetter and (ii) a great box of rollers of diverse characteristics, a so-called box of the "prior art". Although it might well be imagined that the use in the imagesetter or platesetter of rollers of differing characteristics might have some effect upon the transport of the paper, metal or film web, it is entirely unclear as to just exactly what should be done where and how, and to what effect, in order to ensure a reliable and straight transport of the web with less susceptibility to mechanical tolerances than was presented by previous methods.

Reduced-skew web drive between rollers of differing coefficients of friction, particularly to transport paper, metal or film in a laser imager


A collapsible intermodal transport platform and methods for its operation are disclosed. The invention comprises first braces that rotate about a mounting point on the frame that supports a cargo loading surface. The first braces are positioned along the platform so as to provide lifting and stacking fitments at the standard overhead crane lifting points when in a lift configuration. The first braces may be rotated inboard down to the loading surface, thereby presenting stacking blocks at the crane lifting points for stacking several platforms together. Second braces attach to the first braces to assist in load distribution. The frame may comprise center feet extensions to further assist in load distribution. Other features and aspects disclosed lend to the invention's low weight and high carrying capacity, as well as its unique load securing features.

Bulk cargo may be transported over long distances using various modes, such as ship, truck or railcar. Typically, the cargo is transported in rectangular, box-like containers that may be permanently connected to a wheeled chassis (such as in the case of a truck trailer or railcar), or may be independent containers that can be temporarily fixed to and transported on a railcar or truck chassis. The independent containers, referred to as intermodal containers, allow for a single load to be transported by multiple modes, e.g., truck and rail, without moving the cargo from one container to another. These containers are also used to transport cargo by ship, where several containers are often stacked on atop the other.
Over time, standards have developed to help ensure that intermodal containers are compatible with the various modes of shipment. For instance, the length and width of intermodal containers must comport with the railcar or trailer chassis on which they will be hauled, attachment points must be properly positioned for mating, and the container height must allow for passage under overpasses or through tunnels while in transit. In addition, it is desirable that intermodal containers be of standard exterior dimensions so as to conserve space and provide load stability when positioning and stacking the containers on ship decks or in storage yards. The standard intermodal container is shaped like a rectangular box having a length of forty feet (˜12 meters), a width of eight feet, and providing structural lift and stack points at each of its eight corners. These points, referred to herein as the Forty Foot Points, correspond to a standard position used by overhead cranes throughout the shipping industry to move cargo containers. Though intermodal containers may be longer than forty feet (some European containers are now 45 feet (˜14 meters) long, while many North American containers are 53 feet (˜16 meters) long), the longer containers still provide structural fitments for lifting and stacking at the Forty Foot Points.
Intermodal standardization has lead to efficiencies in the logistics industry. For example, certain high-speed rail lines are dedicated to transporting dual-stacked intermodal containers because of the amount of cargo they can contain in a stacked configuration. While it may take cargo in a rail boxcar two weeks to travel from Chicago to the West Coast of the United States, the same cargo loaded on intermodal cars may be there in a two days.
However, the inevitable need to relocate empty intermodal containers is not efficient, because the containers take up as much space empty as they do full. Even when empty, each container usually requires its own trailer chassis for highway transport, because just two standard containers stacked together would be too high for truck transport. At most, rail well cars can only move two standard intermodal containers at once, regardless of whether they are full or empty. Thus, it costs nearly as much to haul an empty container as a full one, but without the revenue from the transport of cargo to offset the cost. Even if container relocation is unnecessary, the empty containers still present a disadvantage in that they take up just as much space when stored in a yard as do full containers. In addition, conventional intermodal containers must be loaded and unloaded one pallet at a time by a forklift that enters and exits through one end of the container. Not only is this a slow process that presents spatial constraints to the forklift operator, it does not allow for the loading of lengthy materials such as pre-formed steel beams, lumber, or other materials not suitable for palletizing.
Flatbed trailers and railcars solve some of these problems because a flatbed can be efficiently loaded from any direction, and can accommodate loading of items as lengthy as the flatbed itself. Flatbeds can also be efficiently stacked when not in use. However, flatbeds are not used for intermodal transport because they cannot be stacked when loaded, and do not provide the requisite structural fitments at the Forty Foot Points for lifting by an overhead crane. Rather, traditional flatbeds are permanently affixed to a trailer or railcar chassis, requiring that cargo transported by flatbed be moved from one flatbed to another in order to continue transport via another mode.
A solution to this problem is to enhance the traditional flatbed design by providing it with structural members at the appropriate lift positions, but allowing those members to collapse or be removed when the flatbed is to be stored or relocated. Though such designs have been attempted, they have not been adopted due to issues with safety, durability and functionality. The collapsible designs that have emerged have been manually operated by removing and hammering in pins, have involved manual installation of structural members, and/or have allowed gravity to slam heavy components together. Though springs and counterweights have been used to assist with manual manipulation, the high level of operator involvement lends to safety hazards and is very time consuming. Moreover, the necessity of structural fitments at the Forty Foot Points conflicts with the desire to enable side and/or top loading of large materials. Thus, there is a desire to move the structural members out of the way to allow for full-length, full-width loading, but then back into place prior to transport. This is preferably done without enabling components to extend laterally beyond the side envelope of the flatbed, as this could cause a safety hazard in transit should a component come unpinned. Prior art collapsible intermodal designs have been functionally limited to forty-five feet of usable deck length and eight feet of usable deck width. Though the fitments must be eight feet apart in width, there is a desire for the deck width to exceed this, such as up to 102″.
Finally, prior art attempts at intermodal flatbeds have been limited in the amount of load they can support during lifting operations. By removing the side walls and top of a traditional intermodal container, the tensile load during lifting is fully concentrated at the points along the flatbed where the structural members connect. This point loading can lead to deformation of the flatbed if it is not sufficiently strong. Though the flatbed can be made stronger by adding more steel, this adds weight to the empty load. A heavier empty weight results in less cargo carrying capacity because government weight restrictions on total weight will be reached with less cargo. Despite these issues and challenges experienced in connection with prior art attempts to provide a collapsible intermodal solution, there remains a long felt need for a suitable intermodal transport platform for the logistics industry.


A system for determining identification of a patient communicating over a computer network with a medical provider with certainty is provided using biometric data captured by said medical provider with subsequent biometric data generated by biometric sensors proximal to a patient. Using previously captured biometric information concerning physical characteristics unique to the patient and comparing such to subsequently generated biometric data from the patient, a medical provider can determine the identity of a patient attempting communication over a computer network with the medical provider.

With the evolution of personal computing devices and smartphones and pad computers and the like in recent years, advances have been achieved in the ability for patients to ascertain health conditions as well as problems remotely. Through the employment of biometric sensors and monitoring devices which are in wired or wireless communication with a computing device running software adapted to the task of converting received sensor data to conventional test outputs, patients can monitor or test themselves for a wide variety of health issues.
Such computing devices in recent years have evolved to be able to communicate data over wireless and wired networks, to virtually any point on the globe. As a consequence, physicians and medical providers have been provided with a valuable means to actually monitor patients and their health conditions in real time rather than just examining such patients on rare or even scheduled visits to the health provider. As can be discerned, the ability to test and monitor patients for known or suspected health conditions remotely and frequently, provides an exceptionally valuable tool to physicians and health providers in the monitoring of known health conditions as well as in testing over time durations for diagnosing unknown but suspected health conditions.
For example, a heart patient having suspected heart rhythm disturbance called bradycardia, where the heartbeat slows, may actually present in an office visit after the exercise provided by walking through parking lots and hallways, as having a normal heartbeat. However, upon arriving home and relaxing, the condition may return and if not diagnosed and treated promptly, can cause severe problems such as hypoxia and even life threatening issues. There are many such conditions which are not conclusively ascertainable by the physician during a visit by the patient to the medical facility. The ability of the patient thus, to remotely test for a suspected condition over time and provide results to the physician of such testing, is consequently a valuable tool in the early and accurate diagnosis of a health problem which appears inconsistently.
However, issues exist concerning the provision of such testing data from the patient in remote locations. First and foremost for the physician is the proper identification of the patient identity before employing the transmitted testing data from a remote source. Should the data from the wrong patient be communicated and employed for a different patient, the physician can make a diagnosis resulting in great harm to the patient to which the wrong data is applied. Further, in some cases, patients have been known to fraudulently submit testing data from other persons as their own. As such, it is critical that the physician or medical service provider, receiving a data stream correlating to a health condition test, be certain, without any doubt, that the data received relates only to a single patient.
The system herein provides a method for positively identifying data or a data stream communicated to a remote medical provider, as being specifically related to a single person or patient. Using one or preferably a plurality of biometric readings from a patient, which when electronically communicated to the medical provider, the identity of the patient may be confirmed with certainty by comparing the transmitted biometric readings to stored such readings which are pre authenticated as matching a single patient. It thus provides medical providers a means to ascertain, with certainty, that the medical testing data being communicated over a network to that medical provider, is associated and concerns only one possible patient. Further, the system prevents fraudulent medical testing or monitoring information from being transmitted to the medical provider over the network either intentionally by the patient or unintentionally by third parties.
The forgoing background and examples of patient authentication through the employment of biometric readings are intended to be illustrative and not exclusive, and they do not imply any limitations on the invention described and claimed herein. Various other limitations of the related art are known or will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon a reading and understanding of the specification below and the accompanying drawings.

Biometric patient identity verification system


The present disclosure relates to a polymer electrolyte membrane for medium and high temperature, a preparation method thereof and a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell including the same, more particularly to a technology of preparing a composite membrane including an inorganic phosphate nanofiber incorporated into a phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) polymer membrane by adding an inorganic precursor capable of forming a nanofiber in a phosphoric acid solution when preparing phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole and using the same as a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane which is thermally stable even at high temperatures of 200-300° C. without degradation of phosphoric acid and has high ion conductivity.

With fossil fuel depletion, rapid climate change and high risk of nuclear power generation, interests are increasing in future energy systems based on renewable energy sources. However, since the inflow of energy such as wind power or solar heat is intermittent and difficult to expect, an energy storage system (ESS) capable of maintaining balance between the changing energy demand and intermittent supply is necessary (non-patent document 1).
For stable use and supply of renewable energy with high production variability, large-scale storage of surplus energy and long-range transportation should be possible. Hydrogen is drawing attentions as a promising renewable energy carrier. But, due to low volumetric storage density, hydrogen makes economical large-scale storage and long-range transportation difficult. The methods for hydrogen storage developed thus far include compression under high temperature (CGH2; compressed gaseous hydrogen) and storage as liquefied hydrogen (LH2; Liquid hydrogen). However, there are problems of relatively low density or maintenance of low temperature. In order to overcome this problem, the compound-hydrogen storage technology using chemical reactions is emerging as a new solution. In particular, chemical hydrogen storage through reversible catalytic (de)hydrogenation reaction of liquid organic hydrogen carriers (LOHC) is the newest promising hydrogen storage technology. The LOHC technology is widely applicable from household energy supply to grid stabilization and load leveling since it enables convenient and safe energy storage for a long time and the current gasoline infrastructure can be utilized as it is.
Recently, a power generation system which converts the chemical energy of hydrogen contained in an LOHC material directly into electrical energy by directly connecting an LOHC reactor with a fuel cell is being studied. Since LOHC dehydrogenation nonmetal catalysts react usually at 250-300° C., the development of a fuel cell system which exhibits high energy density at medium and high temperatures and is easy to handle is required (non-patent document 2).
A molten carbonate fuel cells (MCFC) and a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) which are operated mainly at high temperatures are difficult to be used as direct LOHC fuel cells because the fuel cell performance is very low at operating temperatures of 250-300° C. A phosphoric acid fuel cell (PAFC), which can be operated at 200° C., is limited in applications because it is applicable only to stationary power stations and is difficult to be downsized due to corrosion by liquid electrolytes during operation.
However, a high-temperature proton exchange membrane fuel cell (HT-PEMFC) using a phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole (PBI) electrolyte membrane, which can be operated at high operating temperatures of 100-200° C., is a clean and effective energy conversion device that can be used as a mobile or stationary power source due to the advantages of high energy density, low corrosivity and easy handling. It exhibits a peak power density of about 500-800 m/cm2 in H2/air. The operating temperature of the HT-PEMFC is limited due to loss of phosphoric acid occurring when the fuel cell is exposed to water of 140° C. or lower or it is operated at 200° C. High-temperature fuel cells such as a protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC) operating at −350° C. or a solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC) operating at 800° C. achieve power densities of 2000 mW cm−2 and 1400 mW cm−2 at 700° C. But, the fuel cell performance at low temperature is low as 100 mW cm−2 at 350° C. An intermediate-temperature fuel cell (ITFC) exhibits high fuel cell performance at intermediate (200-300° C.) operating temperature unlike the high-temperature fuel cell (350° C. or higher). When compared with the fuel cells operating at low temperature, the ITFC is advantageous in that toxicity due to reaction impurities such as carbon monoxide or sulfur dioxide is low and problems related with liquid components such as water treatment, acid leakage and electrode flooding can be minimized. And, when compared with the fuel cells operating at high temperature, the ITFC allows a wide variety of material options and compact stack designs. Therefore, it also provides a way to cost reduction also in solid fuel cell systems for high temperature.
The inventors of the present disclosure have prepared a composite membrane including an inorganic phosphate nanofiber incorporated into a phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole polymer membrane by adding an inorganic precursor capable of forming a nanofiber in a phosphoric acid solution when preparing phosphoric acid-doped polybenzimidazole and have completed the present disclosure by identifying that it can be used as a high-temperature polymer electrolyte membrane which is thermally stable even at high temperatures of 200-300° C. without degradation of phosphoric acid and has high ion conductivity.

Polymer electrolyte membrane for medium and high temperature, preparation method thereof and high temperature polymer electrolyte membrane fuel cell comprising the same

Korea Institute of Science and Technology


A patch containing tulobuterol in the low concentration and having the stable release-controllability, prepared by laminating an adhesive layer consisting of a rubber, an adhesive resin and a plasticizer on a backing, wherein 1 to 4 w/w % of tulobuterol in the lower concentration as an active ingredient and 0.1 to 3 w/w % of a higher fatty acid as a drug-releasing controlling agent are contained in the adhesive layer.

Various dermally absorbable type preparations containing tulobuterol have been recently proposed as preparations making up the demerits of the oral preparation containing tulobuterol (See Japanese Patent Publication A 11-228395, Japanese Patent No. 2753800 (Japanese Patent Publication A 7-285854), WO 97/14411 and Japanese Patent No. 2633089 (Japanese Patent Publication A 5-194202)).
A patch prepared by dissolving tulobuterol into an adhesive has such a demerit as the duration necessary to sustain its effective serum concentration is not attained.
Therefore, techniques to increase the concentration of tulobuterol or to contain much amount of it by thickening an adhesive layer have been tried.
For example, in Japanese Patent Publication A 11-228395, a tulobuterol-patch which has a structure to fully dissolve tulobuterol is proposed. However, when such a patch is preserved for a long time due to the high concentration of tulobuterol, the preparation is apt to receive the influence by changes of circumstances such as temperature, etc. For example, even if the preparation has a good quality just after preparing it, with the passage of time there is a possibility that drug-release pattern becomes different from one at the earlier time because tulobuterol crystallizes in the adhesive layer or changes of the concentration occurs.
In general essential physical properties such as adhesivity and shape retention of a patch are broken down and it is impossible to stably release the drug when a large amount of ingredients, which are either essential or unessential, are contained in the patch.
In regard to a patch containing much amount of tulobuterol, when the amount of an adhesive is too much, the essential physical properties become worse and during application of the patch, it gives an uncomfortable feeling to a patient and there is also a possibility to drop it out due to rubbing with clothes.
Further, in regard to a patch in which tulobuterol is much dissolved in the higher concentration, it can not help containing much amount of tulobuterol and therefore, it is neither economical nor practical.
On the other hand, a patch in which both soluble type tulobuterol and crystalline type tulobuterol are contained in the specific rates (see Japanese Patent No. 2753800), a patch prepared by recrystallizing tulobuterol in an adhesive (see WO97/14411), a patch consisting of tulobuterol and a specific co-polymer, wherein tulobuterol is suspended or microcapsulized and they are included in the adhesive layer, or a patch prepared by constructing matrix layers, adhesive layers or reservoir layers, and by laminating theses layers (see Japanese Patent No. 2633089), etc., were proposed as a dermally absorbable type patch which is aimed for a long lasting preparation of tulobuterol.
However, in regard to these patches, when they are preserved for long time, they are apt to receive the influence by changes of circumstances such as temperature, etc. For example, owing to the temperature rising in summer, tulobuterol in crystals, suspensions or microcapsules contained in the patch dissolves and on the contrary, owing to the temperature dropping in winter, the dissolved tulobuterol begins to crystallize. Also in case of laminated type preparations, owing to changes of circumstances, movement (transfer) of ingredients such as tulobuterol and other ingredients occurs between matrix laminated layers and reservoir-layers, and the release pattern of tulobuterol from the patch is changed and there is a possibility to give the influence to the therapeutic effect of tulobuterol.
As well, these patches require complex techniques for suspending tulobuterol, microcupsulation of it and stable blending it into the matrix, and selection of the condition for recrystallization of it in the matrix, construction of the matrix and the reservoir layer, laminating, etc. They are problematic.


An 8B/10B encoder which provides an output of one of a pair of opposite disparity non-complementary 8B/10B command code outputs responsive to RD and selected command inputs.

High data rate transmission requires special encodement considerations to provide a high level of confidence that the transmitted data is being accurately reproduced at the receiver. The so called 8B/10B code is one type of encoding for serial data transmission which has become standard after adoption by ANSI X3T9.3 Fibre Channel Working Group. The code and equipment are described by Widmer et al in "A DC-Balanced Partitiones-Block, 8B/10B Transmission Code," IBM Journal of Research and Development, Volume 27, 1983, pp. 446-451.
Among other characteristics, the 8B/10B code satisfies the DC balance requirement which means that the coded transmission has a time averaged zero DC level. DC balance simplifies transmitter and receiver design and improves precision of the system. To accomplish this objective the 8B/10B code provides a unique way to encode 8 bit raw data blocks into 10 bit code words where the 10 bit code words are selected to maximize the number of binary data transitions. The high transition rate improves the ability of the receiver to stay locked in synchronism with the transmitter.
An important aspect of the 8B/10B code is the implementation of the concept called "running disparity" (RD). The running disparity is the cumulative sum of the disparity of all previously transmitted data blocks, where the disparity is defined as the difference between the number of ones and zeroes in a fixed size transmission block. The 8B/10B code does not use, as valid code bytes, all the 1024 bytes in the 2.sup.10 space. Only those bytes with a disparity of +2, 0, or -2 are valid.
By limiting the allowable RD during data transmission to -1 or +1, a simple scheme is enabled such that:
a code word with zero disparity can be sent regardless of current RD; PA0 a code word with +2 disparity can be sent only if current RD is -1; and PA0 a code word with -2 disparity can be sent only if current RD is +1.
A related patent application, filed concurrently with the instant application, discloses "Method and Apparatus for Performing Running Disparity," inventor Marc Gleichert, Ser. No. 07/839,602, filing date Feb. 21, 1992, assigned to the same assignee, is incorporated by referenced herein.
The 8B/10B coding of an 8 bit byte of raw data is carried out in two nibbles, a 5 bit nibble and a 3 bit nibble. The 5 bit nibble is encoded to 6 bits and the 3 bit nibble is encoded to 4 bits. The 8B/10B coding is set forth in Table 1 and 2 as given below by Widmer et al.
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ 5B/6B ENCODING abcdei NAME ABCDE K D-1 abcdei D1 ALTERNATE ______________________________________ D.0 00000 0 + 011000 - 100111 D.1 10000 0 + 100010 - 011101 D.2 01000 0 + 010010 - 101101 D.3 11000 0 d 110001 0 D.4 00100 0 + 001010 - 110101 D.5 10100 0 d 101001 0 D.6 01100 0 d 011001 0 D.7 11100 0 - 111000 0 000111 D.8 00010 0 + 000110 - 111001 D.9 10010 0 d 100101 0 D.10 01010 0 d 010101 0 D.11 11010 0 d 110100 0 D.12 00110 0 d 001101 0 D.13 10110 0 d 101100 0 D.14 01110 0 d 011100 0 D.15 11110 0 + 101000 - 010111 D.16 00001 0 - 011011 + 100100 D.17 10001 0 d 100011 0 D.18 01001 0 d 010011 0 D.19 11001 0 d 110010 0 D.20 00101 0 d 001011 0 D.21 10101 0 d 101010 0 D.22 01101 0 d 011010 0 D/K.23 01101 x - 111010 + 000101 D.24 00011 0 + 001100 - 110011 D.25 10011 0 d 100110 0 D.26 01011 0 d 010110 0 D/K.27 11011 x - 110110 + 001001 D.28 00111 0 d 001110 0 K.28 00111 1 - 001111 + 110000 D/K.29 00111 x - 101110 + 010001 D/K.30 01111 x - 011110 + 100001 D.31 11111 0 - 101011 + 010100 ______________________________________
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ 3B/4B ENCODING fghj NAME FGH K D-1 fghj D1 ALTERNATE ______________________________________ D/K.x.0 000 x + 0100 - 1001 D.x.1 100 0 d 1001 0 D.x.2 010 0 d 0101 0 D/K.x.3 110 x - 1100 0 0011 D/K.x.4 001 x + 0010 - 1101 D.x.5 101 0 d 1010 0 D.x.6 011 0 d 0110 0 D.x.P7 111 0 - 1110 + 0001 D/K.y.A7 111 x - 0111 + 1000 K.28.1 100 1 + 1001 0 0110 K.28.2 010 1 + 0101 0 1010 K.28.5 101 1 + 1010 0 0101 K.28.6 011 1 + 0110 0 1001 ______________________________________ Note: K.x Restricted to K.28 K.y Restricted to K.23, K.27, K.28, K.29 , K.30
All the possible 5 bit data values are listed in column "ABCDE" and their corresponding, valid 6 bit 5B/6B codes are listing in the column labeled "abcdei" and in the column labeled "ALTERNATE." If the running disparity has a positive value immediately before the instant that the encoding of the particular raw data is to commence, then, the valid encoded data for that particular byte must be selected from the column of the Table which will not change the RD or will decrease it. From Table 1, since this would correspond to the "+" condition in Column D-1, the only valid code would be in column "abcdei."
The prior art Widmer et al paper describes combinatorial circuits to carry out the above encoding. Accordingly, for codes with disparity +2 and -2, prior 8B/10B encoders provided logic which selected the proper valid code, responsive to the RD value, from the column "abcdei" or from "ALTERNATE." Note that the ALTERNATE code is the complement of the "abcdei" code. Prior art 8B/10B encoders could only provide one code or its complementary codes for any raw data input.
Although the 8B/10B encoders in the prior art perform running disparity computations, they were only capable of providing complement forms of encodement. Since other portions of the transmitters and control systems are occasionally required to issue commands which require knowledge of the running disparity, (RD), it has been required that circuitry outside of the decoder has been necessary to track or perform RD computation. For example, RD tracking or computation has been necessary to send the proper command to the 8B/10B encoder to instruct it to generate the end of frame delimiter in accordance with the ANCI X3T9.3 standard.
Accordingly, there are instances in conjunction with encoding where it would be advantageous for the 8B/10B encoder to provide other functions responsive to RD in addition to selecting the "ALTERNATE" form of a particular code.

8B/10B encoder providing one of pair of noncomplementary, opposite disparity codes responsive to running disparity and selected commands