When both the IABP and the PCPS are used, they exhibit an excellent circulation assisting effect. In this case, however, sequela such as hypoxic encephalopathy may well occur after the heart failure is remedied. The invention provides an intraaortic balloon catheter capable of preventing such sequela. The balloon catheter of the invention includes a catheter main body part which is to be inserted into an aorta, and a balloon section formed on an outer peripheral portion of the catheter main body, to be inserted into the aorta together with the main body, and to be expandable and contractible in the aorta under the control of the IABP. An end portion of the catheter main body functions as an introductory portion of the catheter, and has a blood feed hole formed therein for introducing, into an artery such as the aortic arch, arterial blood of high oxygen concentration fed from a circulation assisting unit such as the PCPS. The catheter main body has a blood feed passage communicating, at one end thereof, with the blood feed hole which leads to the aorta, and communicating, at the other end thereof, with a PCPS connection port. The blood feed passage is used for sending the arterial blood of high oxygen concentration to the aorta via the blood feed hole.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a blood circulation assisting apparatus, and more particularly to an intraaortic balloon catheter with a blood feed passage formed therein for assisting blood circulation.
2. Description of Related Art
As a circulation assisting method for treating cardiogenic shock due to acute cardiac infarction, artificial cardiopulmonary withdrawal, a low output failure symptom after open heart surgery, and various types of heart failure appearing in emergency medical care, intraaortic balloon pumping (hereinafter referred to as "IABP") is generally used, in order to reduce afterloads on the heart and increase the amount of blood flowing through the coronaria to thereby restore the cardio function. Actually, however, there are many serious cases in which cardiac function cannot easily be restored by simply using the IABP. Recently, improved medical care results have been obtained in such serious cases, using both the IABP and a percutaneous cardiopulmonary support (hereinafter referred to as "PCPS). The PCPS is a simple cardiopulmonary assisting unit which comprises a centrifugal pump, an artificial lung, a blood intake passage and a blood feed passage. In this unit, the blood pulled by the blood intake passage is subjected to gas exchange, and then guided to the blood feed passage.
Although the use of both the IABP and the PCPS exhibits an excellent circulation assisting effect, it is disadvantageous in light of long-term prognosis, since it may well cause sequela such as hypoxic encephalopathy after the heart failure is remedied. In the case of using the conventional femoral arterial blood feeding method, the blood into which oxygen is sufficiently introduced by the PCPS is hard to circulate through the brain. This difficulty is considered the reason why the hypoxic encephalopathy cannot be eased.

Intraaortic balloon catheter with blood feed passage formed therein for assisting circulation


A drive circuit for driving a semiconductor light emitting element includes a board, a first pattern formed in a first layer of the board so as to be electrically connected to an anode of the semiconductor light emitting element, and a second pattern formed in a second layer of the board so as to be electrically connected to a cathode of the semiconductor light emitting element, and the first pattern and the second pattern are formed so as to overlap with each other when viewed in a direction along a normal line of the board.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a drive circuit for driving a semiconductor light emitting element.
2. Related Art
Light source devices are each provided with, for example, a semiconductor laser and a drive circuit for driving the semiconductor laser, JP-A-5-95148 discloses such a light source device.
Incidentally, it is preferable that a light source device such as a semiconductor laser has high efficiency. However, the drive circuit commonly has a parasitic inductance. The influence of the parasitic inductance becomes significant in the case in which the current flowing through the semiconductor laser is large, and the amount of the current flowing through the semiconductor laser varies. Therefore, in the related art, it is difficult to sufficiently increase the efficiency of the light source device because of parasitic inductance of the drive circuit.
It should be noted that the problem occurs not only in the case in which the light source device is provided with the semiconductor laser, but also in the case in which the light source device is provided with a semiconductor light emitting element such as an LED.

Drive circuit for semiconductor light emitting element, and light source device, lighting device, monitor device, and image display device using the drive circuit


A radiotelephone system comprised of a radiotelephone-pair suitably intercoupled theretogether to permit transfer of data, such as NAM information, therebetween. A first of the radiotelephone-pair comprises a radiotelephone of conventional construction. A second radiotelephone of the radiotelephone-pair comprises a radiotelephone having circuitry to transmit efficiently an information signal upon a cellular, communication system of increased capacity. The data sequence contained in the first radiotelephone is transferred to the second radiotelephone to permit a communication link to be formed between the second radiotelephone and a cellular, communication network.

The present invention relates generally to wireless communication systems, and, more particularly, to a mixed-mode transceiver system for a radiotelephone-pair which permits generation of a communication link with a fixed station of the communication system by the transmission of a code contained in either one of the radiotelephones comprising the radiotelephone-pair.
A communication system which transmits information between two locations includes, at a minimum, a transmitter and a receiver interconnected by a transmission channel. Communication between the transmitter and the receiver is effectuated by transmission of the information, in the form of an information signal, upon the transmission channel.
In one type of communication system, a radio communication system, the transmission channel is comprised of a radio-frequency channel which interconnects the transmitter and the receiver. To transmit an information signal (sometimes referred to as a baseband signal) upon the radio-frequency channel, the information signal must be converted into a form suitable for transmission thereof upon the radio-frequency channel.
Conversion of the information signal (i.e., the baseband signal) into a signal suitable for transmission upon the radio-frequency channel is accomplished by a process referred to as modulation wherein the information signal is impressed upon a radio-frequency electromagnetic wave. The radio-frequency electromagnetic wave is of a frequency of a value within a range of values of frequencies which defines the radio-frequency channel. The radio-frequency electromagnetic wave is commonly referred to as a carrier signal, and the radio-frequency electromagnetic wave, once modulated by the information signal, is referred to as a modulated, information signal.
The information content of the resultant, modulated, information signal occupies a range of frequencies, centered at, or close to, the frequency of the carrier signal. Because the modulated, information signal may be transmitted through free-space upon the radio-frequency channel to transmit thereby the information content of the information signal between the transmitter and the receiver of the communication system, the transmitter and the receiver need not be positioned in close proximity with one another.
Various modulation techniques have been developed to modulate the information signal upon the carrier signal to transmit thereby the information signal upon the radio-frequency transmission channel. Such modulation techniques include, but not by way of limitation: amplitude modulation (AM), frequency modulation (FM), and phase modulation (PM).
The receiver of the communication system which receives the modulated, information signal transmitted upon the transmission channel contains circuitry to detect, or to recreate otherwise, the information signal. Typically, the circuitry of the receiver includes circuitry (sometimes consisting of several stages) to convert downward in frequency the received, modulated, information signal. The process of detecting, or recreating, the information signal is referred to as demodulation, and such circuitry for performing demodulation is referred to as demodulation circuitry.
A plurality of modulated, information signals may be simultaneously transmitted as long as the simultaneously-transmitted, modulated, information signals are comprised of carrier signals of dissimilar frequencies, and the resultant, modulated, information signals do not overlap in frequency.
A receiver includes tuning and other filter circuitry to pass only certain of the signals received by the receiver. Such tuning and other filter circuitry form frequency passbands for passing signals, or component portions of signals, having frequencies within the passbands of such circuitry.
The broad range of frequencies of which the carrier signal may be comprised, and upon which the information signal may be modulated, is referred to as the electromagnetic frequency spectrum. Regulatory bodies have divided the electromagnetic frequency spectrum into frequency bands; the frequency bands may be further divided into frequency channels, such channels may, for example, form the transmission channels, as above-described, of a communication system. Regulation of the transmission of radio-frequency signals in certain of the frequency bands of the electromagnetic frequency spectrum minimize interference between simultaneously-transmitted, modulated, information signals.
Portions of a 100 MHz frequency band extending between 800 MHz and 900 MHz are allocated in the United States for radiotelephone communication. Radiotelephone communication, may, for example, be effectuated by a radiotelephone (or other transceiver) utilized in a cellular, communication system. A radiotelephone is operative both to transmit and to receive radio-frequency, modulated, information signals. Two-way communication is permitted between the radiotelephone and a remotely-located transceiver.
In general, a cellular, communication system is comprised of a fixed communication network which transmits modulated, information signals to, and receives modulated, information signals from, radiotelephones. The fixed, communication network is created by positioning numerous base stations at spaced-apart locations throughout a geographical area. A base station forms a fixed site which contains circuitry to receive modulated, information signals transmitted by one, or many, radiotelephones, and to transmit modulated, information signals to the one, or many, radiotelephones. Because both the fixed site formed of the base station and a radiotelephone permits both transmission and reception of modulated, information signals, two-way communication between a radiotelephone and a base station is permitted. The base stations are connected to a conventional, wireline telephone system through switching centers.
The position at which each of the base stations of the cellular, communication system is located is carefully selected so that at least one base station is within the reception range of a radiotelephone positioned at any location throughout the geographical area. Because of the spaced apart nature of the positioning of the base stations, portions of the geographical area throughout which the base stations are located are associated with individual ones of the base stations. Portions of the geographical area positioned proximate to each of the spaced-apart base stations define "cells" wherein a plurality of cells, each associated with a base station, together form the geographical area encompassed by the cellular, communication system. A radiotelephone positioned within the boundaries of any of the cells of the cellular, communication system may transmit, and receive, modulated, information signals to, and from, at least one base station.
Radiotelephones utilized in such a cellular, communication system are of many varied constructions. One construction of radiotelephone, referred to generically as a mobile radiotelephone, is affixed in position in a vehicle, such as an automobile. Affixation of the mobile radiotelephone in the vehicle is advantageous for the reason that the power required for operation of the mobile radiotelephone may be supplied by the vehicular power supply. Therefore, the mobile radiotelephone may be operated at relatively high power levels to increase the transmission range, and reception range, of modulated, information signals transmitted by the mobile radiotelephone. However, because the mobile radiotelephone is affixed in position within the vehicle, portability of the mobile radiotelephone is minimal in some constructions, and in other constructions, although permitting of removal from the vehicle, the portability of the radiotelephone is limited due to the generally large physical size of the mobile radiotelephone. Further, because the mobile radiotelephone is powered by the vehicular power supply when affixed to the vehicle, subsequent to removal of the mobile radiotelephone from the vehicle, an alternate source of power is required to permit operation of the mobile radiotelephone.
Portable radiotelephones are of constructions to permit convenient carriage by a user. To permit such portability, a portable power supply (e.g., a battery pack) is affixed to the portable radiotelephone to power the portable radiotelephone thereby. Because the portable power supply stores only a finite amount of energy, the time period during which the portable radiotelephone may be powered is limited. Once the stored energy of a portable power supply is depleted beneath a minimum level, the supply must be replaced with another portable power supply to permit continued operation of the portable radiotelephone.
To increase the length of time during which the portable radiotelephone may be powered by a single portable power supply, attempts are made to minimize the power level at which the portable radiotelephone is operated, and generally, the maximum power level at which the portable radiotelephone may be operated is less than the maximum power level at which the mobile radiotelephone may be operated. The maximum transmission and reception range of a portable radiotelephone is, therefore, generally less than the maximum transmission and reception range of a mobile radiotelephone.
It may be discerned that radiotelephones are constructed to optimize certain design parameters. Optimization of certain of the design parameters prevents optimization of other of the design parameters. For instance, a portable radiotelephone design optimizes the physical dimensions thereof to increase thereby the portability of the device. The maximum output power of such a portable radiotelephone cannot be optimized, as the size of the power supply would be too large. Conversely, a mobile radiotelephone may be constructed to maximize operational power output levels as a mobile radiotelephone generally need not optimize size parameters.
In the past, therefore, careful consideration of the intended use of the radiotelephone was required to ensure that the radiotelephone was of a construction which optimized desired ones of the design parameters.
The need of a user alternately to utilize a mobile radiotelephone in which certain ones of the design parameters are optimized, and a portable radiotelephone in which other ones of the design parameters are optimized in some instances requires the user to purchase both a mobile radiotelephone and a portable radiotelephone. In the past, when a user required both a mobile radiotelephone and a portable radiotelephone, payment of an access fee was required to provide each of the radiotelephones with distinct access codes to permit each of the radiotelephones to access the communication network (i.e., the fixed sites comprised of the spaced-apart base stations) of the cellular, communication system. Even when simultaneous use of the two telephones was not anticipated or desired, the user was required to obtain such access codes for each radiotelephone.
Disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,029,233, by Michael P. Metroka, co-inventor of the present invention, is a radio arrangement in which two separate radiotelephones are intercoupled such that an access code, required to form the communication link with the communication network, contained in one of the radiotelephones may be transferred to the other of the radiotelephones to permit the other of the radiotelephones to form a communication link with the communication network. Such an arrangement is advantageous as a user is required to obtain only one access code, and, hence, pay only one access fee, but is still able to utilize both of the radiotelephones.
As an example, a user having both a mobile radiotelephone and a portable radiotelephone may pay an access fee to provide the portable radiotelephone with an access code to permit thereby the portable radiotelephone to form a communication link with the communication network. By intercoupling the portable radiotelephone containing the access code with the mobile radiotelephone, the access code contained in the portable radiotelephone may be transferred to the mobile radiotelephone. The access code transferred to the mobile radiotelephone may be utilized by the mobile radiotelephone to form a communication link with the communication network. One such radiotelephone arrangement is the 9800XL extended system sold by Motorola, Inc. The access code contained in one of the radiotelephones is conventionally contained (but not by of necessity) in the portable radiotelephone as, once the user exits the vehicle in which the mobile radiotelephone is affixed, the portable radiotelephone may be carried by the user and then thereafter be utilized to form a communication link with the communication network to communicate therethrough.
Increased usage of cellular, communication systems has resulted, in many instances, in the full utilization of every available transmission channel of the frequency band allocated for cellular, radiotelephone communication. As a result, various ideas have been proposed to utilize more efficiently the frequency band allocated for radiotelephone communications. More efficient utilization of the frequency band allocated for radiotelephone communication increases the transmission capacity of a cellular, communication system.
One such manner by which the transmission capacity of the cellular, communication system may be increased is to utilize a digital, or other discrete, modulation technique. When an information signal is converted into discrete form, a single transmission channel may be utilized to transmit, sequentially, more than one signal. Because more than one information signal may be transmitted upon a single transmission channel, the transmission capacity of an existing frequency band may be increased by a multiple of two or more.
Another such manner by which the transmission capacity of the cellular, communication system may be increased is to reduce the bandwidth of each transmission channel upon which the modulated, information signal is transmitted. Such a reduction in the bandwidth allocated for each transmission channel, of course, requires the bandwidth of the modulated, information signal to be commensurately reduced. For example, by reducing the bandwidth of each of the transmission channels of the allocated frequency band by a factor of two, the transmission capacity of an existing frequency band may be increased by a multiple of two. Reduction in the bandwidth of the transmission channels by other multiples, of course, results in a similar, corresponding increase in transmission capacity.
Adoption of any of the above-mentioned ideas for increasing transmission capacity of an existing, cellular system would require use of a radiotelephone construction capable of generating modulated, information signals which may be transmitted upon such a system of increased capacity. For instance, utilization of a digital, or other discrete, modulation technique would require a radiotelephone capable of forming a discretely-encoded, modulated, information signal. Similarly, utilization of a reduced-bandwidth, modulation technique would require a radiotelephone capable of forming a modulated, information signal of the reduced bandwidth.
The great majority of existing radiotelephones are of constructions which permit transmission of modulated, information signals upon existing cellular, communication systems. Such existing radiotelephones do not generate modulated, information signals capable of generating the signals, as above-described, required to utilize advantageously proposed, cellular communication systems of increased capacity. Therefore, to obtain benefit of the increased capacity of proposed, cellular, communication systems, purchase of radiotelephones of new design would be required.
To permit continued use of existing radiotelephone constructions, systems proposed to implement any of the above-mentioned ideas permit both use of radiotelephone constructions of existing design as well as radiotelephone constructions of designs permitting advantageous utilization of the systems of increased capacity. Radiotelephone constructions of existing design are still, and would remain, quite functional and operable in such systems of increased capacity. Additionally, in many instances, the transmission channels of the frequency band allocated for cellular, radiotelephone communication are fully utilized during only certain periods of the day (for example, during morning and evening rush hour time periods). Further, only certain, cellular systems, generally those located at, or close to, certain urban centers, have reached such full utilization of the existing frequency band. In short, even with the introduction of such systems of increased capacity, radiotelephone constructions of existing design will still be quite useful.
Therefore, because radiotelephones of existing construction may be utilized even subsequent to implementation of cellular systems of increased capacity, utilization of such radiotelephones of existing design will certainly continue. However, such continued use of radiotelephone constructions of existing design would not permit advantageous utilization of the additional transmission capacity of a cellular, communication system of increased capacity. What is needed, therefore, is a system which permits a radiotelephone construction of existing design to utilize the features of a cellular, communication system of increased capacity at minimal cost.


Provided is a suturing apparatus for endoscope capable of suturing an opening of a wound, with an endoscope inserted into cavity of a digestive tract, to the same extent as the surgical operation.

In the natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (hereinafter, referred to as NOTES), for example, a focus in cavity of a digestive tract or abdominal cavity is removed by a flexible endoscope inserted into the cavity of digestive tract such as a mouth, an anus or a vagina.
For example, NOTES includes surgery for removing, with a flexible endoscope, a gastric wall in which a through hole is formed, more specifically, removing a tumor lying deeper than a submucosa in the gastric wall, that is, a tumor lying in a muscularis propria.
As shown in FIG. 32, NOTES also includes surgery for removing, with a flexible endoscope S, a tumor or the like formed in a pancreas, liver or the like by inserting the flexible endoscope S from a mouth, forming a hole h in a gastric wall with a tip of the endoscope S, and causing the tip of the endoscope S to enter abdominal cavity from the hole h.
When the tumor in the gastric wall, pancreas or the like is removed by performing such NOTES, a removed region or the hole h in the gastric wall needs to be sutured after the removal. Conventionally, the flexible endoscope S enables the removal of tumor or the like, however, the removed region cannot be sutured at the cavity of the digestive tract.
Because of this, surgery in which a tumor or the like is removed with the flexible endoscope S and suturing is performed with a laparoscope is performed at present. Unfortunately, in such a case, a scar stays on a body surface because a hole for inserting the laparoscope from the body surface into the abdominal cavity needs to be formed in an abdominal wall.
If not only removal but also suturing can be performed with the endoscope S at the cavity of the digestive tract, the surgery can be performed without forming a scar on the body surface. Therefore, a technique for suturing the removed region at the cavity of digestive tract has been developed recently (for example, Patent Literature 1).
As for suturing an incised part in surgery, end faces of both edges are sutured while butting against each other in order that biological tissues easily adhere to each other. However, according to the technique disclosed in Patent Literature 1, outer faces of edges are sutured while facing each other. In other words, the outer faces of both edges in the incised part of a gastric wall are sutured in surface contact with each other. The suturing according to the technique in Patent Literature 1 therefore causes a problem that a wound is not completely closed because it is difficult to promote the adhesion of the biological tissues in the contact area.
Moreover, a part on a tip side with respect to the sutured part protrudes into the stomach in a heaped up manner at the edges of the incised part. The sutured part may cause various problems with respect to food provided to the stomach.
Further more, the part on the tip side with respect to the sutured part is not supplied with blood at the edges of the incised part. The biological tissues may necrose.
As described above, according to the technique that has been developed for suturing the removed part at the abdominal cavity, it is difficult to suture a wound similarly to a surgical operation. Therefore, development of a technique capable of suturing a wound similarly to a surgical operation has been required.

Abstract: The suturing apparatus includes a front arm 11, a rear arm 12, arm moving means 13 for causing the front arm 11 and the rear arm 12 to move closer to or away from each other, and rocking means for relatively rocking the front arm 11 and the rear arm 12. The rear arm 12 includes a needle-like member 14 provided on a surface on a side of the front arm 11 so that an axial direction thereof becomes parallel with a direction in which the front arm 11 and the rear arm 12 are moved closer to or away from each other. The front arm 11 is provided with a housing space 16 capable of housing a tip of the needle-like member 14 when the front arm 11 and the rear arm 12 are moved closer to each other. Each of the housing spaces houses an engagement member 21 capable of being engaged with the needle-like member 14. The engagement members 21 housed in the respective housing spaces 16 are connected to each other by a suture thread 22.

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION KAGAWA UNIVERSITY


In a wafer processing tape, circular or tongue-shaped notched parts facing the center of an adhesive layer, as seen in a plan view, are formed so as to correspond to a pasting region to a wafer ring to a depth that reaches a release substrate from the side of a base material film. Due to the formation of the notched parts, when a peeling force acts on the wafer processing tape, portions of a tacky material layer and the base material film which are more outward than the notched parts are peeled off first, and a portion that is more inward than the notched parts remains on the wafer ring in a protruding state. Accordingly, a peeling strength between the wafer processing tape and the wafer ring can be increased and the wafer processing tape can be suppressed from being peeled off from the wafer ring during processes.

In recent years, there has been a rapid increase in demands for a wider range of functions, lighter weight, and smaller sizes in mobile-related devices. Accordingly, there has been a stronger need for high-density packaging of semiconductor chips. In particular, development has been focused on stacked multi-chip packages in which semiconductor chips are laminated. In some stacked multi-chip packages, semiconductor chips are laminated and bonded to each other in a die bonding process. The introduction of a wafer processing tape that can be used to fix a semiconductor wafer in a dicing process or used concomitantly for bonding a semiconductor chip to a lead frame or the like in a die bonding process is being promoted in manufacturing processes of such semiconductor chips (for example, refer to Patent Literature1).
When fabricating such a wafer processing tape, first, an adhesive film comprising an adhesive layer formed on a release substrate and a dicing film comprising a tacky material layer formed on a base material film are prepared and then pasted together with the adhesive layer and the tacky material layer facing each other. Next, the base material film, the adhesive layer, and the tacky material layer are pre-cut in accordance with a wafer shape to obtain a wafer processing tape with a desired shape.

Tape for processing wafer, method for manufacturing tape for processing


A mechanism is described for the computer-aided generation of anonymized data records (44) for developing and testing application programs that are intended for use in a productive network. A method according to the invention comprises the provision of at least one productive database containing data records (40) that contain productive data elements to be anonymized, the provision of at least one non-productive database containing data records (42) that, in regard to the character string length of the data elements contained therein, at least partly correspond to the productive data records, the determination of a first data record (40) from the productive database and of a second data record (42) from the non-productive database and also the generation of anonymized data records (44) by replacing the data elements to be anonymized in the first data record (40) by data elements of the second data record (44).

The development and testing of new applications requires the presence of data that can be processed by the new applications in trial runs. In order to be able to attribute a reliable information content to the results of the trial runs, it is essential that the data processed in the trial runs are equivalent in a technical respect (for example, as concerns the data format) to those data that are to be processed by the new applications subsequent to the development and test phase. For this reason, within the framework of the trial runs, those application data are frequently used that were generated by the currently productive (predecessor) versions of the applications to be developed or to be tested. These data, hereinafter referred to as productive application data or simply as productive data, are normally stored in databases in the form of data records.
The use of productive application data for development and test purposes is in practice not without problems. Thus, it has emerged that the data spaces accessible by the developers on the basis of their respective authorization in the productive environment are frequently not large enough to obtain reliable results. The results of trial runs also vary from developer to developer on the basis of their individual-specific data space authorizations. The data space authorization of individual persons can indeed be temporarily expanded for the trial runs; this measure is, however, expensive and, in the case of sensitive or confidential data in particular, is not possible without further checks or restrictions.
Another approach in regard to the use of sensitive or confidential productive application data within the framework of trial runs is to perform the trial runs on a compartmentalized and access-protected central test system. However, the technical cost associated with setting up such a central test system is high. In addition, such a procedure does not permit any delivery of data to (decentralized) development and test systems for error analysis.
The above-explained and further disadvantages have led to the insight that the use of productive data for development and test purposes is ruled out in many cases. An alternative to the use of productive data was therefore sought. On the one hand, said alternative should present a realistic copy of the productive data in regard to the data format, the data content, etc. On the other hand, the additional technical precautions, in particular as concerns the protection against unauthorized access (authorization mechanisms, fire walls, etc.) should be capable of being kept to a minimum as far as possible.
It has emerged that the above-cited requirements are fulfilled by test data that are generated by a partial anonymization (or masking) of productive data records. By anonymizing sensitive elements of the productive data, the potential damage that could be anticipated in the event of unauthorized accesses is reduced. This makes it possible to relax the safety mechanisms. In particular, the test data for trial runs and for error analysis can be loaded onto decentralized systems. Since on the other hand, however, the technical aspects (data format, etc.) of the productive application data do not have to be altered or have to be altered only slightly by a suitable anonymization mechanism, the anonymized test data form a realistic copy of the productive data.
A data record can be anonymized by erasing the data elements to be anonymized or by overwriting such data elements by a predefined standard text identical for all the data records, while the data elements not to be anonymized are retained unaltered. Such a procedure leads to anonymized data records without (substantial) changes arising in the data format. It has, however, became apparent that trial runs using such anonymized data records do not reveal all the weak points in the application to be developed or to be tested and frequently errors occur during initial use of the application in the productive environment.
The object underlying the invention is to disclose an efficient approach to providing anonymized test data. In this connection, the test data are intended, in particular, to be as faithful a copy as possible of the productive data in order to optimize the information content of the trial runs. At the same time, the probability of failure of the application to be newly developed in the productive environment is intended to be minimized and the maintenance expenditure associated therewith is intended to be reduced.

Generation of anonymized data records for testing and developing applications


The present invention relates to novel inhibitors belonging to the family of antistasin-type serine proteinase inhibitors, to their isolation from the medical leech Hirudo medicinalis, to DNA sequences encoding the novel inhibitors, to variants obtained by recombinant DNA technology or peptide synthesis, pharmaceutical compositions containing the inhibitors, and to their use in diagnosis and therapy.

Antistasin is a cysteine-rich serine proteinase inhibitor originally isolated from the salivary glands of the Mexican leech Haementeria officinalis (Tuszynski et al., J. Biol. Chem. (1987), 262, 9718-9723). Considerable interest has been focused on this polypeptide of 119 amino acids as it is a highly selective, tight binding inhibitor of the blood coagulation factor Xa and thus a potent anticoagulant in vitro and in vivo (Viasuk et al., Thromb. Haemostasis (1991), 65, 257-262). In addition, antistasin seems to have marked antimetastatic properties (Tuszynski et al., J. Biol. Chem. (1987), 262, 9718-9723).
Amino acid sequence analysis revealed that antistasin contains two homologous domains; no sequence similarity was found to other known proteins suggesting that antistasin is the prototype of a new family of serine proteinase inhibitors (Nutt et al., J. Biol. Chem. (1988), 263, 10162-10167). Meanwhile, only one protein related to antistasin has been identified: ghilanten, isolated from the giant Amazonian leech Haementeria ghilianii is nearly identical to antistasin with respect to amino acid sequence (>90% identity) and functional properties. Recently, a cDNA sequence containing a highly conserved 6-fold repeat with homology to the C-terminal halves of the antistasin-domains has been identified in Hydra (Holstein et al., FEBS Lett., (1992), 309, 288-292); however it, is unclear whether the putative protein encoded by this cDNA sequence has any activity as proteinase inhibitor or antimetastatic agent.
In the present invention novel members of the family of antistasin-type inhibitors are presented. These polypeptides, named hirustasin (Hirudo antistasin), have been isolated from the medical leech Hirudo medicinalis, and their amino acid sequence and characteristics as proteinase inhibitors have been determined. As illustrated in further detail below hirustasin and variants thereof obtained by recombinant DNA technology or peptide synthesis have therapeutic potential in disorders related to the action of serine proteinases such as trypsin, chymotrypsin, tissue kallikrein and cathepsin G, and as antimetastatic agents.
Although the putative reactive site residues of hirustasin and antistasin are nearly identical (FIG. 1), hirustasin neither affects the catalytic activity of isolated factor Xa nor the blood coagulation cascade in vitro.

Antistasin type serine protease inhibitors


A method, apparatus, and article of manufacture for monitoring and regulating access to a database. Requests for the database are intercepted and evaluated against one or more restrictions established by a database administrator for the database and generating an indication signal representative of the evaluation. The intercepted requests are rejected or allowed in accordance with the indication signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates in general to client-server computer systems, and more particularly, to managing client application requests to database servers in a client-server computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
Computers are increasingly being used in the client-server configuration. In a client-server configuration, multiple computers are interconnected by a communication network, wherein certain computers perform client functions and other computers perform server functions. A client computer generates requests and a server computer processes the client's requests. A particular computer can at times a client and at other times a server.
One application of the client-server architecture is on-line transaction processing. Airline reservation and banking systems are classic examples of on-line transaction processing.
Another application is business information processing. For example, many businesses store information in decision support systems which include large databases containing information on their business, their customers and their competitors. The decision support databases are manipulated and queried for customer profiling, target marketing analysis, etc. Typically, decision support databases store and operate on large amounts of data.
The principal advantages of the client-server architecture include the distribution of work and the sharing of resources. Data, application programs, data storage devices, processing power, printers, communication subsystems, etc., can be shared. The client-server architecture also makes it possible to keep a centralized database, which is shared, as opposed to maintaining multiple copies of the same data, which incurs the overhead of insuring that the data remains consistent at all locations.
With continuing improvements in computer and communications technologies, the client-server architecture is being increasingly utilized. Computers can now be interconnected with local area networks and wide area networks, including wired telephone lines, cellular systems, satellite communication links, etc. The increased speed of communication networks that has been achieved have expanded the practical applications of client-server systems. Furthermore, improvements in distributed servers, in which multiple computers act as servers that individually or together process client requests have increased the applicability of the client-server architecture. For example, a distributed transaction processing system is possible using distributed servers.
Furthermore, recent development of industry standards have made open distributed systems possible. In an open system, various types of computers running under various operating systems can be interconnected to form an open distributed client-server system. Open distributed systems allow application developers to quickly create client-server database applications which can be run without modification against any database in an open distributed system. Open Database Connectivity (ODBC), available from Microsoft.RTM. Corporation, is a standard database access application programming interface (API) which makes open distributed systems possible.
Once significant cost associated with the client-server architecture is the cost of processing client requests on a database server. In client-server systems, a client generates a request which may include a login request, a query request, etc. The request is transmitted to a server via a communication network that interconnects the client and server computers. The server processes the request and transmits a response message to the client. Some of the query requests may be quite complex, and the response message may contain very large data sets.
The costs associated with processing client requests include communication network time (e.g., satellite, telephone line, and/or cellular communication links) and database server time. These costs are particularly acute in open systems where the ease of application development, combined with users nearly unrestricted ability to submit complex queries, often creates situations where sever resources are saturated due to processing large numbers of queries and networks are saturated due to communicating of large data sets. Furthermore, as more clients are simultaneously connected to a server system, the bandwidth of the communication network must be increased to accommodate the many clients.
Thus, in the client-server industry, there is an intensely felt need for managing client requests of database servers while still providing the advantages of open distributed system architecture.

Management of client requests in a client-server environment


A projection inspector which projects the image of an object being measured onto a screen for a visual inspection. It may be used with a microscope for observation in detail. Unlike the conventional projection inspector, the inspector fully exhibits high degree of measuring function even at the time of inspecting an object having a surface color and shape that can be difficultly imaged, and projects the object's image onto the screen to inspect it, and further enables the object's image to be more correctly observed or inspected using a microscope. The projection inspector is provided with a projection lens mount that is movable two-dimensionally and mounts a projection lens that constitutes a portion of the projection optical system over a plate on which the object to be measured is placed, and the object's image is projected onto the screen via the projection optical system as it is irradiated with the light of illumination, wherein the projection lens mount is replaceable by a microscope mount having an eyepiece, a reference index is provided in the visual field of the eyepiece, and the plate is provided with an indicator that indicates the amount of movement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a projection inspecting machine, in which an image to be measured can be projected onto a screen for observation inspection and in which the image to be measured can be observed more correctly through a microscope.
2. Background of the Prior Art
There has been known a projection inspecting machine. In this conventional inspecting machine, a projection lens mount attaching base is disposed above a table capable of moving two-dimensionally. This table serves to support an object to be measured placed on it. A projection lens mount attaching base constitutes a part of a projection optical system and is served as a base to which a projection lens is to be attached. An observation inspection is carried out by observing an image of the object to be measured, the object projected, in an enlarged scale, onto a screen by means of emission of an illumination light through a projection optical system.
In this conventional projection inspecting machine, it is an important point that an observation inspection is carried out rapidly and correctly with respect to the object to be measured based on the image thereof. To this end, attention is paid to a method as to how to improve the projection accuracy of an image of the object to be measured onto the screen. However, much difficulty is encountered. The reason is that some objects have surface colors and shapes which are difficult to be shown as an image. Examples of such colors and shapes are black, mat-finished plastic step, R surface, and the like. Since there is limit in intensity of illumination, resolution, transmission factor, etc., if the object to be measured has such unfavorable colors and/or shapes, the conventional projection inspecting machine has difficulty in exhibiting its measuring function to the full extent.


Various embodiments address the problem of efficiently reading data from nonvolatile memory. Nonvolatile memory circuit, method, and manufacturing method embodiments relate to a virtual ground array of nonvolatile memory cells which are read by precharging the drains of multiple nonvolatile memory cells and measuring the resulting currents. Power consumption and read margins are improved by reading multiple cells. Unnecessary bit line precharging can be avoided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present technology relates to a read operation performed in nonvolatile memory, and in particular relates to precharging particular bit lines of the nonvolatile memory.
2. Description of Related Art
FIG. 1 shows a prior art schematic of a circuit reading data stored on nonvolatile memory by precharging a bit line, and measuring the data with a sense amplifier and ground connected to other bit lines.
Nonvolatile memory cells M100, M101, M102, and M103 all have a gate connected to a common word line. The shown cells are part of a larger virtual ground array of nonvolatile memory cells. Circuitry 102 and 104 represent Y-pass and main bit line circuitry. The schematic of FIG. 1 shows in particular a read operation being performed on nonvolatile memory cell M100. To perform the read operation, circuitry 104 connects a bit line connected to the source of nonvolatile memory cell M100 to a ground voltage, and circuitry 102 connects a bit line connected to the drain of nonvolatile memory cell M100 to a sense amplifier 108. After the drain of nonvolatile memory cell M100 is sufficiently precharged, then the sense amplifier 108 measures the current I200 to determine the data value stored in nonvolatile memory cell M100.
In practice, the read operation in FIG. 1 has undesirable characteristics. There is no guarantee that the current measured by the sense amplifier 108 is equivalent to the current I200 flowing through the nonvolatile memory cell M100. If the voltages of other current carrying terminals of other nonvolatile memory cells is less than the precharge voltage of the drain of nonvolatile memory cell M100, then leakage current such as current I202 will result. For example, this leakage current can result from array data dependency, such as when a sensed memory cell has a neighboring memory cell with a very low threshold voltage. Such leakage current is undesirable, because the read margin of the sense amplifier is reduced. Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce leakage current that occurs during a read operation.
One approach to decreasing leakage current is to precharge not just the bit line connected to the drain of the nonvolatile memory cell storing data to be read, but to precharge an additional bit line on the drain side of the nonvolatile memory cell storing values to be read. Precharging these additional bit lines results in a low voltage difference between these additional bit lines and the bit line connected to the drain of the nonvolatile memory cell storing data to be read. Due to the precharged additional bit line(s), leakage current is low, and the sense amplifier has a high read margin.
However, this approach to decreasing leakage current is still problematic. Power consumption is unnecessarily high, because bit lines are precharged other than the bit line connected to the drain of the nonvolatile memory cell storing data to be read. Also, the leakage current problem, rather than being eliminated, is simply moved, so that current is diverted not from the bit line connected to the drain of the nonvolatile memory cell storing data to be read, but from another bit line. This continued current leakage also represents a continuing issue with power consumption. Accordingly, it would be desirable to reduce power consumption during a read operation.

Method and apparatus for reading data from nonvolatile memory


An on demand location sharing technique protects the location of a client device until the user of the client device elects to share the location. The location of the user device is not broadcasted to other user devices. In an on demand request for the location or from initiation from the user, the location of the user device is shared with other users. In an embodiment, the on demand location sharing technique may be used in a messaging service application used in wireless devices.

There is an increased trend for wireless devices to employ location-based services that determine the location of a user in order to provide the user with information and services associated with their location. Often, the location-based service relies on a geographical location of the wireless device which may be obtained automatically through a satellite-based receiver in the wireless device or inferred from a location tracking application. In some instances, the user loses the ability to guard the privacy of their location when utilizing a wireless device configured with services that may determine and track their location automatically.


The present invention enables the passive initiation of a deployment sequence for a countermeasure payload. The invention comprises an initiator coil that is positioned inside an electromagnetic countermeasure launcher. When the electromagnetic countermeasure launcher electromagnetically generates propulsive force to propel a payload to its deployment position, inductive coupling between one or more propulsion coils of the launcher and the initiator coil induces current to flow in the initiator coil, which thereby initiates the deployment sequence.

Countermeasure systems are employed by military vessels to confuse or otherwise frustrate the targeting systems of an approaching missile or similar threat. Countermeasure devices, such as flares, chaff, acoustic emitters, IR emitters, and the like, are deployed to present a false image (i.e., decoy) of the vessel to these targeting systems. The false image is presented so as to draw the threat toward the false image and, therefore, away from the actual vessel. The false image manifests sufficiently far from the actual vessel so that damage caused by the threat when it strikes the decoy is mitigated or avoided all together.
Conventional countermeasure systems utilize arrays of cartridges, each of which carries one or more countermeasure payloads. As part of a representative launch sequence for such a cartidge, a firing circuit provides a first electrical signal to an excitation coil located in the bottom of the launch tube of the cartridge. The energized excitation coil induces a flow of current in a firing coil that is operatively coupled with a chemical-propellant charge. The excited firing coil initiates the ignition of the chemical-propellant, which generates an explosive force that propels the cartridge to its deployment position.
The ignition of the chemical-propellant charge simultaneously initiates a delay timer, which may be either a pyrotechnic delay or an electronic fuse. This delay timer enables the delayed ignition of a bursting charge contained within countermeasure payload. This enables the payload to be deployed appropriately when the cartridge reaches its desired deployment position.
Countermeasure deployment systems known in the prior-art have limited effectiveness against relatively sophisticated sensor platforms, however. This is due to the fact that the ignitions of the chemical-propellant engines used in a conventional countermeasure system emit characteristic launch signatures that have thermal, aural, and visual aspects. In particular, these signatures include a thermal bloom, a cloud of smoke, noise, a thermal trail and a smoke trail. In many cases, the thermal bloom heats the area immediate to the launch area, which results in a residual local thermal signature.
An electromagnetic countermeasure launcher has been developed that, among other things, has little or no launch signature. This electromagnetic countermeasure launcher is described in detail in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/535,480, filed Sep. 26, 2006, of which the instant application is a continuation-in-part. By replacing the chemical propulsion system of the prior-art with an electromagnetic propulsion system, however, the means for initiating the delay timer used to ensure proper countermeasure deployment is eliminated.
In order to induce an electric current in a firing coil or activate an electronic fuse, a conventional dedicated firing circuit could be included in the electromagnetic countermeasure launcher. The inclusion of such a circuit, however, reduces overall system reliability, increases control complexity, and add infrastructure cost.
Alternatively, a firing coil or electronic fuse can be initiated by means of an accelerometer in each cartridge. Each accelerometer would sense the acceleration associated with the launch of its cartridge and energize its associated delay timer. Unfortunately, a warship is subject to many sources of shock and vibration (e.g., explosions, collisions, etc.) that could be mistakenly interpreted by the accelerometer as an acceleration associated with payload launch. As a result, this approach increases the possibility of accidentally deploying a payload too early or of launching a payload that will not deploy properly.


An administrator selects a logical server for deployment. In response, a logical-server management program displays representations of potential real-server targets for said logical server. The representations include respective ratings for the real-server targets. The representations further include indications of a real-server technology involved in deploying said logical server to a respect real-server target.

Data centers and similar large computer systems often involve a variety of hosting technologies including physical servers representing various hardware platforms and virtual-machine servers, which can also involve a variety of technologies. In the event of a failure or an upgrade, it may be necessary to move a workload from one host to another. In general, a target host is of the same type (platform or virtual-machine technology) as the source host. Accordingly, management software can allow an administrator to select a workload to be moved and a technology for the target host. Representations of hosts based on different technology are dimmed or hidden so that the administrator can clearly identify suitable target hosts.

Logical server management interface displaying real-server technologies

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method, apparatus and system producing for electrodynamic machinery are disclosed. In one embodiment, an integrated stator-housing structure for constructing electrodynamic machines includes one or more field pole members. Each field pole member can have a first pole face and a second pole face. Also, the members each can have a field pole core being configured to produce a flux path in a direction from the first pole face to the second pole face. In one embodiment, the integrated stator-housing structure can also include a housing structure configured to support the one or more field pole members. The housing structure is configured to mate with one or more other housing structures to form an enclosure of an electrodynamic machine. In another embodiment, the housing structure is composed of potting compound formed with the one or more field pole members in, for example, a mold. In this case, the integrated stator-housing structure includes the potting compound and the field pole members. In a specific embodiment, the flux path is straight from the first pole face to the second pole face.

Traditional motor and generator structures are usually designed to accommodate rotor assemblies having relatively large spinning diameters located near the axial center of the rotor. Further, the techniques for manufacturing conventional motors typically require assembly of their components in an axial manner. FIGS. 1 and 2 depict the axial assembly of components for typical motor structures.
FIG. 1 illustrates commonly-used motor components and assembly techniques for a traditional brushed direct current ("DC") electric motor. Brushed DC electric motor 100 includes an end plate 102, a rotor assembly 104, and a housing 106. End plate 102 includes brushes 101 to make and break contact with commutation segments on commutator 103, thereby commutating power to a rotor assembly 104. The rotor assembly also includes a shaft 105 and windings 107. Housing 106 is deep-drawn (i.e., it has been formed to have a deep housing cavity) and is configured to capture a first bearing (not shown) and one end of the shaft 105. Note that housing 106 can provide datum surfaces to locate and align end plate 102. End plate 102 is configured to capture a second bearing (not shown) and the other end of shaft 105. To assemble brushed DC electric motor 100, rotor assembly 104 is axially inserted into housing 106, with end plate 102 subsequently being secured to housing 106.
FIG. 2 illustrates commonly-used motor components and assembly techniques for a traditional brushless direct current ("DC") electric motor. Brushless DC electric motor 200 includes a first plate 208, a yoke 206 composed of laminations, a rotor assembly 204, and a second plate 202. Laminated yoke 206 supports coils (not shown) and provides a mounting surface for joining first plate 208 with second plate 202. To assemble brushless DC electric motor 200, rotor assembly 204 is inserted axially through the center of laminated yoke 206. Then, first plate 208 is positioned and secured with second plate 202.
While functional, the assembly techniques used to produce motors 100 and 200 are generally suboptimal for motors that have rotors with relatively small spinning diameters near their axial centers and relatively large spinning diameters near their ends.
In view of the foregoing, it would be desirable to provide improved assembly techniques for motors that have rotors with relatively small spinning diameters near their axial centers and relatively large spinning diameters near their ends.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus and method for constructing electrodynamic machines


In an embodiment of isolation environment-based information access, programs—including operating systems and applications—running on a computing-based device can be isolated in an environment such as a virtual machine. Information including commands and/or data transmitted between the computing-based device and the program(s) being run, as well as information associated with the program(s) and the computing-based device, is accessed without being detected by the program(s). In one implementation, the information includes state information as well as commands and/or data—including sensitive information, such as usernames and passwords. In another implementation, the information can be used to secretly access the program(s).

Computer systems are widely used by consumers and business entities for a variety of functions. In many instances these functions can be associated with sensitive and/or confidential information. This has attracted the attention of individuals who wish to devise methods to attack the computer systems of others and can gain unfettered control of the systems without being detected.
Presently, attacks can be carried out in a variety of manners, and from a variety of sources. This has been exacerbated by the proliferation of widespread Internet access, allowing users to download files from locations around the globe, which may include infected content such as viruses, worms, etc.

Isolation environment-based information access


The present invention is a process for making an olefin product from an oxygen-containing organic feedstock comprising:                providing a mixture of said oxygen-containing feedstock, an hydrocarbon and optionally an inert diluent,        contacting said mixture in a reaction zone having an inner surface (the MTO reactor) with a zeolitic catalyst at conditions effective to convert at least a part of the oxygen-containing organic feedstock to olefin products (the MTO reactor effluent),        recovering a reactor effluent comprising light olefins, a heavy hydrocarbon fraction and undesired by-products,        wherein:        at least a part of the inner surface is passivated such that the undesired by-products are reduced by comparison with a non passivated inner surface and/or        one or more sulphur compound is co-injected with the said oxygen-containing feedstock and the hydrocarbon and said sulphur compound is capable to reduce the undesired by-products by comparison with a non injection of sulphur compound.

US20040152935 discloses a method and system for reducing the formation of metal catalyzed side-reaction byproducts formed in the feed vaporization and introduction system of a methanol to olefin reactor system by forming and/or coating one or more of the heating devices, feed lines or feed introduction nozzles of/with a material that is resistant to the formation of metal catalyzed side reaction byproducts. The invention also may include monitoring and/or maintaining the temperature of at least a portion of the feed vaporization and introduction system and/or of the feedstock contained therein below about 400° C., 350° C., 300° C., 250° C., 200° C. or below about 150° C. The temperature can be maintained in the desired range by jacketing at least a portion of the feed vaporization and introduction system, such as at least a portion of the feed introduction nozzle, with a thermally insulating material or by implementing a cooling system. Said material that is resistant to the formation of metal catalyzed side reaction byproducts is preferably stainless steel such as AlSI (American Iron and Steel Institute) 316.
WO2007102916 relates to a process for producing light olefins from oxygenates wherein internal reactor surfaces are protected from metal-catalyzed coking preferably by employing a protective layer. A specific embodiment of this prior art is a process to convert a feed stream comprising an oxygenate in the reaction zone of a fast-fluidized-bed reactor at conversion conditions in the presence of a catalyst to yield a product stream comprising light olefins, wherein the one or more of the internal surfaces of the reaction zone comprises a protective layer resistant to metal-catalyzed coking. In this prior art is explained that metal-catalyzed coking leads to the formation of filamentous carbon, which promotes corrosion of reactor walls and coking of the catalyst. The carbon fibres may effect obstruction or clogging of moving parts (e.g., valve hinges) and increased pressure drops or even plugging of restricted spaces (e.g., diplegs). Metal-catalyzed coking also may be associated with carburization, although examination of iron surfaces exposed to conditions related to the present invention indicates that filamentous carbon is the principal concern. The protective layer may be formed on the one or more of the internal surfaces of the reaction zone. Effective materials can be selected from one or more of, tin, chromium, antimony, aluminum, germanium, bismuth, arsenic, gallium, indium, lead, copper, molybdenum, tungsten, titanium, niobium, zirconium, tantalum, hafnium, silver, gold, platinum, and mixtures, intermetallic compounds and alloys, as well as silicon and alumina. Preferred metals are selected from one or more of the group consisting of tin, chromium, nickel, antimony, aluminum, germanium and silicon. The metal-containing coatings can be applied by painting, electroplating, cladding, spraying, chemical vapor deposition, and sputtering. Preferably, the paint is a decomposable, reactive, metal-containing paint which produces a reactive metal which interacts with the reaction-zone internal surface. In a further alternative embodiment, one or both of aluminum and silicon can be applied to metal surfaces such as steels by well known deposition techniques.
A diluent can be mixed with methanol, said diluent is preferably steam.
It has now been discovered in the process of the previous prior art that not only coking is reduced but the undesired by-products such as CO, CO2, methane and hydrogen are reduced and that such reduction of undesired by products is amplified by the presence of an hydrocarbon fed with the methanol.
It has been observed, in addition of the MTO reaction to produce olefins, a reforming of the methanol catalyzed by the inner surface of the reactor. Said reforming is significantly increased when ethylene or other hydrocarbon is co-fed with methanol in the MTO reactor over zeolite or phosphated zeolite.
It seems that this reforming of methanol is increased when the catalyst has been regenerated in the reactor. Without being binded by an explanation the inventors think that during the regeneration which is e.g. a burning of the coke present on the catalyst by air or air enriched with oxygen the temperature in the reactor can reach 500 to 800° C. and then the inner surface of the reactor gets catalytic properties.
It was found that the injection of a small amount of DMDS could significantly reduce this effect due to sulfidazing the reactor walls. This reduction is amplified when ethylene or other hydrocarbons is co-fed with methanol in the MTO reactor.

Process to make olefins from organics with reduced side reactions

Abstract: The present invention is of high interest for the catalyst of the ZSM type such as ZSM-5 optionally containing phosphorus and regenerated in the MTO reactor.


To prevent particle emissions, the start of injection of an internal combustion engine is controlled as a function of a detected dynamics of an operating parameter of the internal combustion engine. The dynamics is detected by comparing the temporal change of the operating parameter to a threshold value. The control may be carried out such that, in particular, a value of the start of injection, determined with the aid of a regulation, is frozen for a specific holding period following the detection of the dynamics.

Different types of combustion engines such as Otto engines or Diesel engines may be used in the drive train of a motor vehicle. With the aid of the internal combustion engine the energy obtained from the combustion of fuel is able to be utilized for driving the motor vehicle. Examples of internal combustion engines are Otto engines operated using gasoline, and Diesel engines which are operated using Diesel fuel.
Electronic controls may be employed in order to ensure the efficient operation of the internal combustion engine. For example, such a control may be used to control an injection of the fuel into a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine.
In this context, German Published Patent Application No. 10 2008 001 992 describes a method for controlling the injection process for a Diesel engine, by which reduced emissions in the form of soot particles are achievable. The method is based on an adaptation of the combustion characteristic via the injection pressure.
German Published Patent Application No. 10 2008 004 361 describes adapting the combustion characteristic of a self-igniting Otto engine via the evaluation of various combustion position features. The combustion position features may be, for instance, the maximum combustion pressure position, the 50%-energy conversion position, or the like.
German Published Patent Application No. 39 30 396, Japanese Published Patent Application No. 60-19943, and Japanese Published Patent Application No. 60-32961 describe methods in which the combustion characteristic is adapted via the injected fuel quantity.
German Published Patent Application No. 102 49 755, German Published Patent Application No. 103 44 423, German Published Patent Application No. 103 44 428, and German Published Patent Application No. 10 2007 052 615 described methods in which the combustion characteristic is obtained by subdividing the injection process into a pre-injection and a main injection, or into a main injection and a post-injection.

Method and device for controlling an internal combustion engine


A shock absorber has a spring positioned within a chamber. The spring provides a spring force on a piston that offsets a hydraulic force such that the forces on the piston are generally balanced when a vehicle is at rest.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to hydraulic shock absorbers used to dampen relative motion between a vehicle body and a vehicle wheel. More particularly, the present invention relates to such shock absorbers featuring a gas chamber and a pair of fluid chambers in which the piston is spring-biased.
2. Description of the Related Art
In conventional hydraulic shock absorbers for vehicular applications, a piston is positioned within a cylinder. A piston rod that is coupled to the piston projects from one end of the cylinder. The hydraulic shock absorber is connected to the wheel and the vehicle body at opposing ends. Typically, the connection locations comprise a rubberized portion (see JP-A-Hei 5-60166, for example).
As is known, the piston is formed with multiple communication passages that allow for fluid to flow from one chamber to another chamber through the piston. The fluid flow is controlled to provide the desired degree of damping. In other words, damping force is generated as the hydraulic shock absorber for a vehicle is extended or contracted due to movement of the hydraulic fluid from one fluid chamber to the other through the communication passages formed in the piston.
Of course, one fluid chamber will have a smaller volumetric change during movement because the piston rod is positioned within that chamber. In other words, as the piston moves down, the volume of the chamber occupied by the piston rod increases, which decreases the amount of fluid that can flow into that chamber. In order to accommodate the difference in volumes, the other chamber has a moveable wall defined by a free piston. The free piston typically separates the other chamber from a gas chamber. The gas chamber is commonly filled with high pressure gas such that the free piston is biased by high-pressure gas (see JP-A-2001-317582, for example).
Conventional hydraulic shock absorbers have a bump stop that is positioned between the cylinder end and the piston, as disclosed for example in JP-U-Hei 5-22885 and JP-A-Hei 10-141421. The bump stop is designed to prevent the piston from colliding with the cylinder in a fully extended position. The bump stop typically is formed of rubber, a compression coil spring, or the like. The bump stop is not in contact with the piston during normal use and is compressed between the cylinder body and the piston during extreme extension of the shock absorber.


A frequency detecting and converting apparatus comprises a plurality of frequency-dividers, a multiplexer, a pulse width detector, a comparing unit and an encoder. The invention automatically detects the operating frequency of an input clock signal, divides the frequency of the input clock signal by a pre-defined integer according to the detected operating frequency and finally generates an output clock signal with an operating frequency required for an integrated circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of clocks and, more specifically to a frequency detecting and converting apparatus for automatically detecting the frequency of an input clock signal and then dividing the frequency to a desired frequency required for an integrated circuit (IC).
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, main operating frequency of IC is fixed. For example, a universal serial bus (USB) controller normally operates at 6 MHz (low speed) or 48 MHz (high speed). Thus, a clock frequency provided to the USB controller is generated by an oscillator having a frequency of 6 MHz or 48 MHz. Instead, an output clock frequency of an oscillator having a frequency of 6 MHz or 12 MHz is multiplied with a phase-locked-loop up to a resultant clock frequency of 48 MHz.
Oscillators on the market usually are restricted to different sizes, selling prices and popularity with respect to different frequencies. If an IC is limited to use an oscillator having a fixed frequency, the flexibility in production and application may lessen as the oscillator is in a short supply or has a big size.

Frequency detecting and converting apparatus


An amplifier circuit is disclosed in which a first amplifier stage and at least one second amplifier stage are each arranged between a signal input and a signal output. These amplifier stages are designed with a first gain factor and with a switching input. The amplifier circuit also has a third amplifier stage with a second gain factor, which is arranged between the signal input and the signal output. A control circuit is coupled to each amplifier stage for gain adjustment. The control circuit has a first control block designed for single-ended signal processing, and a second control block designed for push-pull signal processing. It is designed to supply control signals from the first control block to the amplifier stage when the gain of the first and at least one second amplifier stage is varied, and to supply control signals from the second control block to all of the amplifier stages when the gain of the at least one third amplifier stage is varied.

The introduction of third-generation mobile radio systems requires very precise compliance with power levels of transmitted signals. For example, the UMTS/WCDMA mobile radio standard demands control of the emitted transmission power in order that the plurality of users who are transmitting in one frequency band do not excessively interfere with one another. The power control which is carried out both by the base stations and by the mobile stations is based on a "soft transition" between two different signal levels during a transmission or a reception process, thus avoiding interference signals in the process. There is therefore a fundamental requirement on the one hand to comply with the spectral requirements of the respective mobile radio standard, and on the other hand to reduce any phase or amplitude error in the transmitted signal.
A monitoring range of 80 dB is specified with an accuracy of 1 dB for the third-generation UMTS/WCDMA mobile radio standard and the CDMA2000 standard. Both pure voltage-controlled amplifiers and programmable amplifiers whose gain can be adjusted in discrete values can be used for these requirements.
In a programmable amplifier (PGC Programmable Gain controlled Amplifier), amplifier stages with a high gain are normally suitably combined with further amplifier stages with low gain. This makes it possible to cover a wide gain range with adequate resolution and accuracy at the same time. In order, by way of example, to cover the required range of 80 dB gain with an accuracy of 1 dB, it is known for a gain block to be provided in a programmable amplifier, in each case having five or six 1 dB stages and a second gain block with 13 6 dB gain stages.
When the gain in an amplifier such as this is changed to be a multiple of 6 dB, that is to say for example from 5 to 6 dB, the second gain block with the 6 dB steps is activated, and its gain is increased or reduced by 6 dB. At the same time, the overall gain of the first block is changed appropriately in the opposite direction in 1 dB stages.
By way of example, the first gain block with the 1 dB stages switches from a gain of +5 dB to a gain of 0 dB, while the second gain block changes its gain from 0 dB to +6 dB. The splitting of the programmable amplifier into two gain blocks with different resolution and different gain advantageously makes it possible to reduce the space consumed and the power.
On the other hand, FIG. 4A illustrates one frequent problem with a known programmable amplifier. In the example, the gain of 6 dB in the programmable amplifier is reduced to 5 dB. The gain of 6 dB means that the second amplifier block in the programmable amplifier is active with one amplifier stage, while the first amplifier block with the 1 dB amplifier stages is switched off. In order to make a reduction to 5 dB, the first block with its amplifier stages is now activated, and is used with full gain. At the same time, the second amplifier block is switched off.
This leads to an excessive signal level in the region of the transition of the gain from +6 dB to +5 dB, as is illustrated in FIG. 4A. Such an excessive signal level leads to an amplitude error and a phase error in the signal to be transmitted, and thus increases the bit error rate. Furthermore, downstream circuits can also be damaged by the high input value.

Controllable amplifier circuit with a variable discrete-value gain, use of the amplifier circuit and method for operation of an amplifier whose gain can be adjusted in discrete values


A door lock able to be prevented from being locked by an unexpected exterior force includes a main body, a fixing member and a handle. The main body is provided with a sleeve at the center extended outwards from two sides. One end of the sleeve is matched with a lining tube that is linked with a button. Via rotating the button for an angle, projections of a stopper attached with one end of the button is to be guided into a blocking groove of the lining tube, enabling the button to be locked in the blocking groove so that the button can not be pressed down, able to prevent the button from being locked by an unexpected exterior force.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a door lock, particularly to one able to prevent from being locked by an unexpected exterior force.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, a conventional door lock mainly includes a shell 10, a dragging mechanism 11 set inside the shell 10, a sleeve 13 extended axially from the shell 10, a set of driving tubes 14 in the sleeve 13 and a fixing member 15 set outside the sleeve 13.
The fixing member 15 is used to keep a door lock fixed on a door. Each driving tube 14 is connected with a L-shaped handle 16 at one end, which is able to drive the driving tube 14 to spin against the sleeve 13 axially while the handle 16 is turned, so that the dragging mechanism 11 in the shell 10 is drawn back. One of the driving tubes 14 is fixed with a button 17 provided with an extending body 170 at one end and provided with a sliding groove 140 at an outer annular rim. The sliding groove 140 communicated with an insert groove 141 at its one end can let the button 17 move along it axially. When the button 17 is pressed down, the extending body 170 is to slide along the sliding groove 140 to enter the insert groove 141, keeping the button 17 locked, unable to open the door lock.
But, the extending body 170 of the button 17 in the conventional door lock is very easy to be guided into the locking groove 141 by an unexpected exterior force. Therefore, when a door is opened, the button 17 sometime is casually pressed by an exterior force, such as an impact of the door against a wall, to make it locked. If such a door with the lock kept in the locked condition is pushed or pulled to close unintendedly, a person may be locked outside the door, unable to open it.


A carrier including a bottom plate, an intermediate cover, and a top cover for manufacturing a memory device is introduced herein. A printed circuit board is disposed on the bottom plate, and memory elements are arranged and disposed on the PCB. The intermediate cover is used to press peripheral regions of the printed circuit board, and to expose the regions where the memory elements are formed on the printed circuit board. The printed circuit board is closely attached to a surface of the bottom plate by fixing the intermediate cover. The top cover is used to cover the memory elements formed on the printed circuit board after some manufacturing processes, and by exerting an external force, the formed memory elements are clamped down, so as to protect the memory elements from being affected by the printed circuit board in the following thermal process due to the thermal stress deformation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier for manufacturing a memory device, a method using the same, and a portable memory device using the manufacturing method.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, the technology and material of an electronic integrated circuit have been developed rapidly, and the volume of a chip is increasingly reduced, but the function becomes increasingly powerful and the applications thereof have been gradually reached anywhere. Therefore, the products manufactured by using the electronic integrated circuit gradually becomes light, thin, short, and small, such as electronic dictionaries, digital cameras, and various other digital products. Furthermore, because of the gradually mature chip packaging technology, in the current market, a single chip or multiple chips are packaged into a quite slim card, to form a removable memory with a volume smaller than that of an existed magnetic recording medium by utilizing the characteristic that the chip may store a large amount of data. Such electronic media are all called memory card.
Currently, SD (secure digital) memory card is one of the most commonly used memory cards. The SD memory card uses a standard of a flash memory, for example, and is applied in portable devices, such as digital cameras, personal digital assistants (PDA), and multi-media players. The technology of the SD memory card is formed based on a format of a multi-media card (i.e., so-called MMC), but the SD memory card is slightly thicker than the MMC. The SD memory card has a high data transmission rate and the standard with which the SD memory card uses is updated continually. The profile of the common SD memory card is about 32 mm×24 mm×2.1 mm.
In recent years, as the demand for data storage capacity is increased, and the development trends of electronic devices towards light weight, thinness, shortness, and smallness, the substrate area of the memory card is gradually reduced. A miniSD specification was also introduced for the SD cards in the year of 2003, so as to reduce the size of the memory card, for example, the size is about 20 mm×21.5 mm×1.4 mm.
However, as the size of the memory card is increasingly reduced, the size of the memory dies in the memory card is also reduced accordingly, and the used printed circuit board also becomes much thinner and smaller. Under this circumstance, a carrier used in the manufacturing process plays a crucial role. How to ensure the efficiency of the memory card and to protect the components in the memory card from being damaged becomes a topic deserving further consideration.
For example, the memory card meeting the miniSD specification requirement is only 1.4 mm in thick, so the thickness of the employed printed circuit board (PCB) must be lower than 0.16 mm. If such a specification is adopted, during the process of manufacturing the memory cards, PCB manufacturers cannot overcome the problem of the bending of the PCB, i.e., the bowing problem in the field, which also causes the problem that the components cannot be installed successfully by using the Surface Mounted Technology (SMT), or deformation occurs during the reflow process. Accordingly, the problem of empty soldering occurs during a soldering process, and as a result, the flash memory may suffer a short circuit problem. This is also one of the reasons why the yield rate of the manufacturers of the miniSD memory card cannot break through 60%.
Some PCB manufacturers have suggested amending the layout of the PCB to connect the plate edges, i.e., through the manner of the edge connector of gold fingers, which however cannot overcome the aforementioned problems, so the yield rate cannot be enhanced efficiently.
In addition, some SMT manufacturers also employ a two-piece manufacturing carrier, including a bottom plate and a top cover, in which the top cover is used to press each flash memory, so as to overcome the bowing problem of the PCB. However, the conventional method is merely to add the top cover in the reflow process, which can only avoid thermal deformation occurring in the reflow process, but cannot overcome the bowing problem that has already occurred before the material of the PCB is purchased. Therefore, the two-piece manufacturing carrier only may enhance the yield rate by 10%-15%, but the additional operation steps wastes some extra working hours.

Method using a carrier for manufacturing a memory device and manufacturing method of a memory device using the same and memory device using the same


A circuit utilizable for protecting an integrated circuit feature from electrostatic discharge is disclosed. A first bipolar transistor has its emitter connected to the IC feature and its collector connected to ground. A second bipolar transistor has its emitter connected to the IC feature and its collector connected to its base and to the base of the first bipolar transistor. A field effect transistor has its gate and drain connected to the IC feature and its body connected to its source and to the collector and base of the second bipolar transistor and to the base of the first bipolar transistor. A diode has its cathode connected to the body and the source of the field effect transistor and to the collector and base of the second bipolar transistor and to the base of the first bipolar transistor.

Electrostatic discharge (ESD) in semiconductor integrated circuits (IC's) is a well-known problem. The inadvertent presence of a sudden voltage spike in an IC can cause physical destruction of IC features. For example, ESD-induced spikes can rupture the thin gate oxide of a field effect transistor (FET), or simply degrade the p-n junction of a semiconductor device, effectively destroying proper IC operation.
There are three basic models for simulating the effects of ESD events on semiconductor devices: the human body model, the machine model, and the charged device model. These models can be used to construct testers to quantify the resistance of devices to ESD events, and to model the effectiveness of a proposed ESD protection circuit using standard circuit simulation techniques.
The human body model is intended to simulate the effect of human handling on semiconductor devices. In FIG. 1, the capacitance C1 simulates the capacitance of the human body and is generally chosen to be 100 pf. The resistance R1 simulates the series resistance of the human body and is usually modeled as 1.5 K.OMEGA.. The capacitor C1 is charged to an initial voltage V1 and then discharged into the device under test (DUT). Devices which can withstand precharge voltages on the order of 2 to 3 Kev are considered acceptable by industry standards. A widely followed standard for testing according to the human body model is presented in MIL-STD-883C, notice 8, method 3015.7, "Electrical Discharge Sensitivity Test" (1989).
The machine model or "zero ohms" model utilizes the circuit of FIG. 1, except that C1 is 200 pf and R1 approximates "zero ohms." In a practical construction, R1 is in the range of 20 to 40 ohms. The discharge time constant of the machine model is much less than the human body model, and parasitic circuit components have more influence over the maximum current and voltage seen by the DUT during the discharge. A device that can withstand 400 volts is considered acceptable by industry standards. This model is commonly used in Japan and is covered in EIAJ Standards of the Electronic Industries association of Japan,, IC-121 Book 2 (1988).
The charged device model is used to simulate the ESD failure mechanisms associated with machine handling during the packaging and test of semiconductor devices. According to this model, an IC package is charged to a potential (100 volts to 2000 volts) by triboelectricity or by the presence of large electric fields. Then, the device is discharged to ground via any of the device pins. The charging is normally done via the substrate pin and the discharge is initiated by touching a device pin with a grounded low inductance probe. The time constant for this discharge process is less than 150 ps, and the discharged energy depends on the package capacitance.
A conventional input protection network is illustrated in FIG. 2. When the polarity of the ESD stress is negative with respect to ground, diode D2 becomes forward biased. As long as the diode series resistance is low enough, voltages seen by the circuit remain low enough to minimize on chip power dissipation and protect the CMOS gate oxide. For example, the human body model charged to 3 KeV corresponds to an instantaneous current of 2 amps. Therefore, the diode series resistance should be no more than 4 ohms in order to keep total voltage seen by the circuit to 8 volts, corresponding to the worst case breakdown for a 10 nm gate oxide typical of a 0.5 .mu.m CMOS process.
When the ESD stress is positive with respect to ground, there are two possibilities for current flow. First, diode D2 charges up until it reaches reverse breakdown, at which point the rise in voltage at the input tends to be clamped. Unfortunately, the reverse breakdown for D2 may be higher than the gate oxide breakdown, thus allowing voltages damaging to input or output device buffers to pass. Second, diode D1 becomes forward biased and begins to charge up Vcc until some breakdown mechanism on the die, such as parasitic field turn-on, gate oxide breakdown, or latchup, clamps the rise in Vcc. It is this mechanism that causes failures internal to the die during ESD stress.
A problem with conventional ESD solutions is that many IC's require inputs to be at voltage levels well above the positive supply voltage or below ground potential. The conventional solutions clamp the input voltage at a diode drop above Vcc or below ground. Clearly this is unacceptable when the magnitude of the input voltage is above Vcc or below ground. Thus, it is desirable to have an ESD protection circuit that is able to dissipate ESD stress from such inputs.

ESD protection for inputs requiring operation beyond supply voltages


The laser medical device includes a Nd:YAlO.sub.3 laser crystal; a pumping system which illuminates the laser crystal with light irradiated from a pumping light source and achieves population inversion of Nd.sup.3+ ion in the laser crystal; and a resonant cavity for resonating light emitted from the Nd.sup.3+ ion to output a laser light having a predetermined wavelength, wherein the wavelength of the laser light falls within the transparent range of quartz optical fibers. The laser medical device may also include a quartz optical fiber for transmitting the laser light; an optical fiber injector for focusing the laser light output by the resonant cavity on one end of the optical fiber; and an optical fiber pen which is coupled to another end of the optical fiber for aiming the laser light transmitted through the optical fiber at a desired location of a subject. These devices use Nd:YAlO.sub.3 crystal as an active laser material and output laser light having a wavelength, such as 1341.4 nm and 1079.5 nm, within the transparent range of the quartz optical fiber. In such a band, Nd:YAlO.sub.3 laser crystal has good performance characteristics for becoming a high power CW laser or a large energy pulsed laser. Therefore, Nd:YAlO.sub.3 crystal can be used to develop laser medical devices having good clinical effects that are convenient for therapy such as for endoscopic operations.

This invention is concerned with a medical laser device, especially with a medical device which outputs a laser light that can be transmitted through a general medical optical fiber, and which can output high laser power and can be conveniently used in clinical treatments.
A CO.sub.2 gas laser medical machine is a commonly used type of laser medical device, whose 10.6 .mu.m output laser power is almost absorbed by water and tissue of the human body, and whose laser light has a low penetrating ability through tissue. Therefore, it is widely used in gasification and incision of the surface focus of infection. But 10.6 .mu.m CO.sub.2 laser light cannot be transmitted through the general medical quartz fiber. Although a lot of funds have been invested to research a kind of infrared optical fibre which can transmit 10.6 .mu.m CO.sub.2 laser light, the progress is slow and the cost of fibre is much higher than that of the quartz optical fibre. Moreover, it is inconvenient to use a flexible joint arm to transmit light, and impossible to be used in endoscopic operations.
Additionally, 10.6 .mu.m CO.sub.2 light has a low penetrating ability through tissue, and it is hard to reach deeper micro vessels, so it is not so good to stanch bleeding. As is known to all, laser light at different wavelength has different effects on the organism. Therefore, it is necessary to develop other new wavelength and highly effective laser medical devices for clinical applications.

Fujian Institute of Research on the Structure of Matter, Chinese Academy of Sciences