A method of filing an endodontically prepared root canal includes the steps of applying filler material to a distal portion of an elongated shaft formed of heat conducting material, inserting the proximal portion of the shaft having the filler material thereon into the root canal, heating the shaft to decrease the surface tension of the filler material and removing the shaft leaving the filler material in the root canal. An obturator system for practicing the method of filling an endodontically prepared root canal employs an elongated heat conductible shaft having proximal and distal portions with filler material on the distal portion, the distal portion of the shaft with the filler material thereon being insertable into a tooth root canal and a heat source serving to selectably heat the shaft allowing it to be removed while leaving the filler material in the root canal.

One of the greatest improvements made in dentistry in this century is the use of endodontics to save natural teeth that become abscessed. In the past, when the root canal of a tooth became abscessed, a fairly frequent occurrence, a dentist could relieve the intense pain produced by the abscessed tooth only by extracting the tooth. In the last couple of decades, procedures have been improved to the point that by the practice of endodontics, most abscessed teeth can now be saved.
Endodontics in general consists of treating an abscessed tooth to relieve the abscess by cleaning out the nerve and pulpal tissue in the tooth root canal so as to remove the material that is the source of infection and thereby remove the infection itself from within the tooth and from within the patient's system.
The typical procedure for treating an abscessed tooth in the modern dental practice is to drill a hole through the coronal area to access the upper end of the root canal. The dentist, or endodontic practitioner, then carefully removes the nerve and pulpal tissue from the root canal and shapes the root canal for receiving an inert filler material. Removal of pulpal material and shaping the root canal is accomplished by the use of dental files that are inserted through the opening in the coronal area and manipulated to scrape away and remove pulpal material and at the same time shape the canal to receive the filler material. After a canal has been cleared of pulpal material it must be filled with an inert material to prevent, or at least substantially reduce the possibility of fluids and material from the body entering into the root canal through the root apical area. The standard filler material that has been in use by dentists and endodontists for many years is gutta percha, a naturally occurring plastic-like material that has characteristics that particularly adapt it for use as a filler material although other types of filler materials have been and in the future undoubtedly will be developed.
Effectively filling a cleaned and prepared root canal is an essential step in a successful endodontic operation. Filler material can be injected directly into a root canal such as by means of a manually employed compacting instrument. Others have suggested the use of mechanical injection devices for injecting filler material directly into the root canal. One of the most successful ways of filling a root canal in modern times has been by the use of an endodontic obturator disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,758,156 and 4,894,011 by Dr. William B. Johnson. These patents are incorporated herein by reference. These patents disclose endodontic obturators utilizing a carrier in the form of a shaft of solid material that is metal or plastic that has formed thereon filler material, such as gutta percha. The gutta percha is heated such as over an open Bunsen Burner or by other techniques and while in semi-liquid state, the carrier with the adhered gutta percha is inserted into the prepared root canal. This technique introduces the gutta percha into the canal and, by means of the carrier, into the full depths of the canal to the apical area. Further, the physical insertion of the carrier serves to compact and force the filler material into irregular areas of the root canal.
The technique employed in these two patents is typically in the form of an elongated tapered shaft that is inserted into and remains in the tooth root canal.
Carriers can be either metal, fiberglass or plastic and in recent years the use of plastic carriers has increased in preference by some practitioners.
The present invention is directed towards an improved system for filling an endodontically prepared root canal. Additional background material relating to the endodontic preparation of root canals and filling root canals can be obtained from the following previously issued United States and foreign patents and technical art:
PATENT NO.INVENTORTITLE674,419KinsmanRoot Canal Filling For Teeth1,463,963MillerRoot Canal Point1,469,992CardDental Root Canal Point1,969,808LentuloRotary Plugging Tool3,318,000ParisDental Root Canal FillingPoint3,534,476WintersMethod and Apparatus forDrilling and Filling RootCanals3,813,779TostiMethod and Apparatus forSealing Root Canals andAnchoring Teeth3,861,043Lieb et al.Dental Pin4,353,698McSpaddenDental Tool4,397,634BiggsSurgical Pins and Method4,457,710McSpaddenDental Instrument4,480,996CrovattoEndodontic Instrument forDental Root Canal Filling4,758,156JohnsonTool for Use in ApplyingFiller Material to anEndodontically PreparedRoot Canal5,051,093FitzmorrisRoot Canal Filling DeviceIncluding ReleasablyReusable Inserter ToolCA 1220369WeisskircherSelf-Adapting RetentiveEndodontic Build-Up PostCH 513640CorneoInstrument for Filling DentalRoot CanalsDE 126184BeustDental Root FillingFR 775073GarnierFilling Paste for SealingObturations of the ToothCreviceFR 2,163,953Aubert & GluckObturator RootOther Cited References:Vol. 4, No. 6Journal ofEndodontics-June 1978Vol. XXV, P.New YorkThe Dental Cosmos185–195OdontologicalSocietyThird Edition,Endodontics-Obturation of the RadicularP. 271–272Ingle and TaintorSpaceJan. 1, 1980British DentalA Newly Designed RootJournal-Negm,Canal Filling MaterialGrant et al.January 1983Oral Surgery-Filing Root Canals withNegmSilver-Percha Cones: AClinical Study

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Endodontic obturator with removable carrier and method of use thereof


A building connection between a plurality of vertical wall studs made with one or more bridging members to brace the wall studs. The one or more bridging members are formed with mounting sections that are received in openings of the wall studs and the mounting sections are bracketed by end sections where bridging members can overlap. The bridging members interface with the web of the wall studs to brace them.

The present invention relates to steel stud building wall systems and especially to an apparatus for stabilizing steel studs to prevent lateral movement and torsion in such systems.
Many buildings are constructed with steel stud wall framing. When a wall is built with any kind of stud, wood or steel, it is generally desirable to fix sequential studs relative to each other against lateral movement and torsion. In steel-stud walls, an elongated steel bridging member is typically inserted horizontally through pre-punched openings in a series of vertical studs for this purpose. Steel studs have excellent columnar strength when they are straight, but a significant portion of that strength is lost if the studs are twisted. Because steel studs are particularly vulnerable to torsion, the bridging members, which are typically channel-shaped and have a horizontal web and two vertical side flanges, are made to closely fit the openings in the vertical studs in order to maximize torque resistance. In additional to mechanical torque, metal studs can twist or bend in response to the heat of a fire when the drywall sheathing, which acts as a firebreak, is destroyed. When metal studs twist or bend, they lose their weight-bearing capacity, multiplying the damage caused directly by fire.
While channel-shaped bridging members closely received in the openings can help restrain the studs from twisting, some twisting can still occur and the studs can still shift or bend parallel to the wall. A variety of sheet metal brackets, beginning with a simple right angle, are used with channel-shaped bridging members to prevent this shifting or bending. These brackets can be connected to the studs and the bridging member by means of separate fasteners, interlocking sections built into the bracket, or a combination of fasteners and interlocking forms.
The prior art also includes short bridging members that span only adjacent studs and have ends tailored for fastening to the wall studs and/or to each other through extensions that are inserted through the openings in the wall studs. These bridging members are typically a fixed length. U.S. Pat. No. 6,164,028, granted to John P. Hughes, teaches a system of connecting such short bridging members by forming one end of the web of each bridging member to extend through the opening in the stud and to closely receive the central web of the stud on both sides, and then attach to the end of another bridging member.
The prior art also includes elongated bridging members with a series of slots that allow the bridging member to not only be inserted through the openings in the wall studs but also mate with the central web of the wall studs on either side of the openings. U.S. Pat. No. 7,168,219, granted to William L. Elderson, teaches such bridging members.
It is an object of the present invention to provide bridging members that can be installed quickly in a variety of wall environments and that can form a strong connection that resists both lateral and torsional loads.


Seal housings with flange collars, floating bushings, seal compressors, floating polished rods, independent fluid injection to stacked dynamic seals, and related apparatuses and methods of use. Embodiments are described that permit the polished rod to float within a tubular shaft, and the tubular shaft to float within a stationary housing, of a seal housing, to permit the seal housing to accommodate rod deviation from center. Flange collars are provided to facilitate the interconnection between seal housings and driveheads that previously were incompatible with one another.

Stuffing boxes are used in the oilfield to form a seal between the wellhead and a well tubular passing through the wellhead, in order to prevent leakage of wellbore fluids between the wellhead and the piping. Stuffing boxes may be used in a variety of applications, for example production with a surface drives such as a pump-jack or a drive head. Stuffing boxes exist that incorporate a tubular shaft mounted in the housing to rotate and seal with the polished rod while forming a dynamic or rotary seal with the housing. Designs of this type of stuffing box can be seen in U.S. Pat. No. 7,044,217 and CA 2,350,047.
Leakage of crude oil from a stuffing box is common in many production applications, due to a variety of reasons including wear from abrasive particles present in crude oil and poor alignment between the wellhead and stuffing box. Leakage costs oil companies' money in service time, down-time and environmental clean-up. It is especially a problem in heavy crude oil wells in which oil may be produced from semi-consolidated sand formations where loose sand is readily transported to the stuffing box by the viscosity of the crude oil. Costs associated with stuffing box failures are some of the highest maintenance costs on many wells.
The integral stuffing box assembly is a system used to reduce wear on seals. At an oil and gas production well, a drive head may be mounted directly on top of a stuffing box above a well head. A polished rod is connected to be rotated by the drive head, and extends through the seal housing into the well, where the polished rod rotates a progressive cavity pump downhole to lift well fluids such as oil from the well. A tubular shaft in the stuffing box forms a dynamic seal with the polished rod as the polished rod rotates within the stuffing box.

Seal housing with flange collar, floating bushing, seal compressor, floating polished rod, and independent fluid injection to stacked dynamic seals, and related apparatuses and methods of use


A music synthesis method, a system, a terminal and a computer-readable storage medium are provided. The method includes: receiving a track selected by a user; obtaining a text; receiving speech data recorded by the user on the basis of the text; and forming a music file in accordance with the selected track and the speech data. The speech of a user can be combined with the track through the music synthesis method of the present application and an optimal effect of music can be simulated such that the user can participate in the singing and presentation of a music, thereby making music more entertaining.

Music is one of important forms of entertainment for people. With the development of a mobile Internet, music may be presented in various forms. In addition to listen to music through a smart device such as a mobile phone, users can also participate in singing and recording of music through various applications.
However, it requires professional skills in singing. Generally, users are required to have a good tone and understand pitch and rhythm of a track. Hence, it will be difficult for a user who lacks music knowledge and has a bad sense of music to participate in singing.
Therefore, how to combine a user's voice with a track to simulate an optimal music effect is the most concern.

Music synthesis method, system, terminal and computer-readable storage medium

Baidu Online Network Technology (Beijing) Co., Ltd.


An apparatus for handling bulk materials includes a rigging frame which supports the upper end of the outer bag of an intermediate bulk carrier. A spool is rotatably mounted on the rigging frame and the inner bag of the intermediate bulk carrier is attached to the spool. The spool is rotated by a pneumatic cylinder thereby winding the inner bag onto the spool and emptying the inner bag.

This invention concerns equipment for handling powdered, granulated or other particulate solid materials and more especially equipment of the kind (hereinafter termed "of the kind referred to") used to assist the discharge of such materials from intermediate bulk containers adapted to be used repeatedly and popularly referred to within the industry as "multi-trip big bags".
Intermediate bulk containers in the form of large bags usually having an inner liner are becoming increasingly commonly used for the storage and dispensing of bulk particulate solids. Those adapted for repeated use have a tubular spout on their underside which must be untied and released to permit discharge.
The inner liner serves many purposes. The outer bag can be used many times without risk of contamination by inserting a replacement liner each time the bag is used. The inner liner prevents egress of very fine powders through the weave or seams of the outer bag. The liner prevents ingress of water to the product during transport of the bag and gives some measure of protection to the product if the outer bag should become damaged.
A major disadvantage of using an internal liner is the problem that occurs during the discharge of material from the bag. The common practice of discharging a bag is simply to hang the bag by four loops, open the spout on the outer bag, and unfasten the goose-neck of the internal liner, thus allowing the product to discharge freely or through a discharging machine. As the bag discharges the level of material eventually drops to a point where there is insufficient pressure to hold the liner against the walls of the bag, with the result that the liner slips and blocks the discharge outlet, or alternatively the liner drops through the spout and runs the risk of becoming entangled with the handling equipment below.
Various attempts to overcome this disadvantage by tying the upper end of the liner to support means before discharge have not proved wholly satisfactory since the liner can still collapse and interfere to some extent with discharge, as it sometimes can even when connected to cord means extendable against resilient means to draw the liner upwardly from the outer bag as emptying proceeds.


Template-generated classes in program code are compiled efficiently through a process of lazy compilation resulting in improved compilation times. Lazy compilation includes the generation of objects representing a class template and a template-generated class as well as the selective compilation of class methods that are invoked in the program code. Code sharing is a further enhancement for increasing compilation speed by providing a system and method for sharing executable object code for compatible methods among different classes generated from the same class template.

Compilers typically convert source code into object code or some other intermediate code representation, such as byte codes. Source code is a set of instructions written in a programming language by a software developer. Object code, in general, is machine code or other low level code, translated from source code toward execution by a system's central processing unit (CPU). Compilation of source code can occur either statically or dynamically.
Statically compiled programs are compiled once and the resulting binary object code is used repeatedly. Typically, static compilation occurs prior to shipping the program to the end user. Therefore, the time required to compile a program in static compilation environments does not effect the performance of the program when executed by the end user.
Dynamic compilation execution environments, such as web browsers, involve the compilation of source code simultaneously or time-sharing with the execution of a program. Dynamic compilation is advantageous because code is shipped in a platform independent form and the compilation can use information about the target machine and security environment. However, the time required to dynamically compile the source code directly impacts the speed of the program execution.
Programming and scripting languages provide the software developer with a set of features and tools for organizing source code within a program. Class templates and classes generated from class templates (hereinafter template-generated classes) are examples of tools provided by some programming and scripting languages within static compilation environments.
In object-oriented programming, a class is a descriptive tool used in source code for characterizing an object as a set of data structures (i.e. fields) or a set of routines (i.e. methods). For example, an array of integers can be represented in a class, IntegerArray. Such a class may include a field for storing the size of the array and another field comprising a data structure for representing the integers stored in an IntegerArray. In addition, the IntegerArray class may include methods for accessing the contents of the array, such as "get" and "set" methods.
Once compiled, the class is represented as an object defining storage allocation for the class fields and specifying the types of data that can be stored within them. In addition, the class object provides access to executable object code for executing class methods. Instances of a class are generated from this class representation.
An instance is an object that exists during program execution that functions in accordance with the guidelines specified by the class representation. An instance stores its own values in the storage allocated for the class fields and executes methods compiled and stored by the class representation. An instance is created when a class is instantiated during program execution. Instantiation is the process of creating an instance of a class, typically, by calling a special operator or function (e.g., "new{ }").
Class templates are useful programming tools for generating classes that provide the same basic functionality, but differ with respect to the types of data that are stored and serviced within the class. FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an object hierarchy involving class templates. A class template 100 generates classes 200 which are used to declare and instantiate instances of classes 300.
A class template has source code forming the foundation for new template-generated classes. Different template-generated classes can be generated from the same class template definition by specifying different parameters. A parameter can be a primitive data type, class, value, or other data structure. Therefore, the use of class templates facilitates the reuse of source code.
The use of class templates also leads to more robust software, because such template-generated classes can be type-checked when compiled. In addition, the use of class templates in generating classes leads to faster software, because the compiler can generate efficient code with the knowledge of the parameters defining such classes.

Lazy compilation of template-generated classes in dynamic compilation execution environments


A series of successively sized segmented arcuate pipe couplings in which anti-mismatch members are provided to prevent the inadvertent connection of two different, but closely sized coupling segments together. The anti-mismatch features are provided on the ends of the arcuate coupling segments which (a) will nest when the proper coupling segments are brought together, but (b) will be in an interference non-nested relationship when a mismatch is attempted. This will prevent the fully bolt tightened connection of the size mismatched coupling segments, as well as a visual indication to a user that a size mismatch is being attempted.

Segmented couplings for pipes are well known in the art, and comprise two or more coupling segments each having a recess for the reception of a sealing gasket adapted to extend over the adjacent ends of a pair of pipes, and which are to be compressed by the coupling segments into sealing relation with the external peripheries of the respective pipes.
Each such coupling segment intended to couple the ends of grooved pipe has radially inwardly extending keys at its opposite axial sides, the keys being for reception in grooves in the respective pipe ends to perform the required mechanical interconnection between the pipes.
The coupling segments are drawn towards each other by traction bolts which extend through radially outwardly extending bolting pads at the respective opposite ends of the coupling segments. In this manner, the end faces of the coupling segments are drawn towards each other for them to clamp onto each other in the case of a "flexible" coupling, or, for the coupling segments to clamp directly onto the pipe exterior in the case of a "rigid" coupling. A "flexible" coupling is well known as one which will permit relative movement of the pipes to limited extents and the angling of the axis of one of the pipes relative to the other, whereas a "rigid" coupling is one which will immobilize the pipes against any such movements. Typical of such flexible couplings are those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,189,969 assigned to the assignee of the present application whose teachings are incorporated by reference herein, as well as the styles 75, 77, 72, and 750 couplings available from Victaulic Company of America, Easton, Pa. Similarly, typical of such rigid couplings are those shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,639,020, assigned to the assignee of the present invention whose teachings are incorporated by reference therein, as well as the style 07 and 005 couplings available from the Victaulic Company of America.
Segmented pipe couplings are also known for the connection to pipes which do not contain a groove at their connection locations. Such commercially available couplings include: the style 90 and 99 plain pipe end coupling; and style 920 and 929 mechanical T couplings; all available from the Victaulic Company of America.
The aforementioned segmented pipe couplings are commercially available in a successive series of seriatim increasingly sized couplings, which are naturally configured to mate with similarly increased sized pipes.
Through inadvertence it is quite possible for a workman to incorrectly receive and connect two different sized arcuate coupling segments which are relatively close in size to each other. As the incorrectly matched coupling segments are tightened about the pipe end, as by tightening their traction bolts, they will not quite match up and form a circle about their inner diameter, against the exterior, and, in the case of a grooved type coupling, within the peripheral groove of the outer circumference of the pipe ends. Further the outboard corners or surfaces of the improperly mismatched segments of different sizes will not line up evenly. This misalignment, in relatively close size coupling segments (e.g., in the order between one-sixteenth to one-quarter of an inch of each other) is oftentimes difficult to readily visually perceive. Thus the worker may in such situations mismatch the individual coupling segments connected about the pipes being connected thereby, without readily realizing that a mismatch has occurred. This results in less than optimum sealing engagement between the pipe ends. Accordingly it is desirable to prevent such an inadvertent mismatch of the individual coupling segments, while providing a segmented pipe coupling having all the other advantages of presently available segmented pipe couplings, such as typically shown in aforementioned U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,189,969 and 4,639,020 and available from Victaulic commercial styles 75, 77, 07, 005, 90, 99, 72, 750, 920, or 929. Further it is desirable to prevent such an inadvertent mismatch by a simple modification of the presently existing coupling segments, which can be accomplished in a low cost manner, and will provide the workman with a readily visual indication that a mismatch is being attempted between closely sized coupling segments.

Anti-mismatch of near-sized coupling segments


In a saturated polyester resin or a composition with the saturated polyester resin as the main component for molding, the melt viscosity at 200° C. is at least 5 dPa·s and not more than 1000 dPa·s, and the product a×b is at least 500 where a (N/cm2) is the tensile breaking strength and b (%) is the tensile breaking elongation of a film shape formed product. Preferably, the polyester resin has a glass transition temperature of not more than −10° C., a melting point of at least 70° C. and not more than 200° C., and an ester group concentration of at least 1000 equivalents/106 g and not more than 8000 equivalents/106 g. A material superior in water resistance, electrical insulation, durability, working environment and productivity as a molding material for an electric electronic component having a sophisticated configuration is provided.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to polyester resins and resin compositions directed to molding, and a formed product using the same. The polyester resins and resin compositions of the present invention are particularly suitable for low pressure molding applications to secure electrical electronic components in a waterproof manner.
2. Description of the Background Art
Electrical electronic components widely used in the field of vehicles and electrical appliances must be electrically insulated in order to achieve the usage objective. For example, electric wires are covered with a resin that has electrical insulation. Reflecting the growing demand for incorporating many more sophisticated electrical components in a restricted small region such as cellular phones during the past several years, various approaches for electrical insulation thereof have been employed. Particularly in the case where resins and the like corresponding to an electrical insulator are to be molded for a product that has a complicated configuration such as a circuit board, a technique to be consistent with the critical configuration is required. For this purpose, the technique of reducing the viscosity of the resin during covering is generally employed. One known method of reducing the viscosity is to impregnate the electrical electronic component with a resin that is dissolved in a solvent to take a liquid form, and then vaporizing the solvent. However, this method had various problems such as bubbles remaining when the solvent is vaporized as well as degrading the working environment if an organic solution is used as the solvent.
Conventionally, a two-part epoxy resin has been used in view of also the durability after molding, as disclosed in various publications such as Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2000-239349 and EP 0 307 665 A2. Specifically, a base resin and a curing agent are mixed immediately before the molding process at a predetermined ratio, molded at low viscosity, warmed and then left for several days to promote cure reaction and be completely solidified. However, it is known that this method imposes various problems such as the adverse effect of the epoxy towards the environment, requiring accurate adjustment of the mixing ratio of the two liquids, and the short available period of time prior to mixing being restricted to only one to two months. Low productivity is also noted due to the requirement of a cure period of several days for hardening. Furthermore, there was a problem of the stress caused by contraction in the resin after curing being concentrated at an area where the physical strength is relatively weak such as at the solder portion bonding an electrical electronic component and the wiring to cause delamination thereat.
As a substitute for the two-part epoxy resin that has been conventionally used despite the above-described problems, the hot melt type resin can be cited as the resin for molding. The problems associated with the working environment based on the usage of the solvent containing type and epoxy based type are overcome in the hot melt adhesive that requires only the resin to be heated and melted in order to reduce the viscosity for molding. Since the hot melt type resin is solidified by just being cooled after molding to express its capability, the productivity is increased. Because it is noted that a thermoplastic resin is generally employed, recycling of the material when ended as a product is allowed by heating and removing the resin by melting. The reason why a hot metal type resin having high potentiality as a resin for molding has not become the material to replace the conventionally-used two-part epoxy resin is due to the fact that a base material suitable therefor has not been proposed.
For example, the relatively economic EVA (Ethylene Vinyl Acetate) which is known as a hot melt type has insufficient heat resistance and durability in the environment where an electrical electronic component is used. The inclusion of various additives to express adhesion may contaminate the electrical electronic component to reduce the electrical performance. Thus, EVA is not suitable. Polyamide that is another hot melt type has high adhesion towards various substrates as a resin without any additives, and is suitable as a resin material for low-pressure molding by virtue of its low melt viscosity and high cohesive force, as disclosed in, for example, EP 1 052 595 B1. However it is known that polyamide is basically highly hygroscopic and will gradually absorb moisture. Electrical insulation which is one of the most important property is often degraded over time.
Polyester that has high electrical insulation and water resistance can be thought of as an extremely useful material for the present application. However, the melt viscosity is generally high. During the molding process for a sophisticated component, an injection molding step at a high pressure of at least several thousand N/cm2 will be required. There is a possibility of the electrical electronic components being fractured during the molding process.
Thus, a base material that meets the requirements of various capabilities as a resin for molding directed to electrical electronic components having complicated configurations was not conventionally proposed.

Polyester resin and resin composition for molding, and formed product thereof


A graphical object is generated according to a first application in a document of a second application. The graphical object is constructed as a composite, data-driven object. The graphical object's data is organized so that the semantic data (e.g., relationship among individuals on an organizational chart) is persisted separately from presentation data (e.g., the layout and style of shapes and connectors for visualizing the organizational chart). The semantic data and presentation data are combined to provide the rendered view of the graphical object within the document. The graphical object displays and functions equivalently to when the graphical object is rendered by the first application.

As the number of applications available for performing tasks on a computing device increases, the need for integration among these applications also increases. For a number of applications, such as word processor applications, spreadsheet applications, graphical applications, and presentation applications, some integration is already available. For example, certain applications allow objects from one or more of the other applications to be embedded within the documents that the application creates. For example, a table generated by a spreadsheet application may be embedded directly amongst text in a word processor document created by a word processor application. The variety of embedding solutions available result in a variety of advantages and disadvantages associated with each solution.

Integration of composite objects in host applications


Semiconductor apparatuses having optical connections between a memory controller and a memory module are provided. A semiconductor apparatus includes a memory controller, at least one socket configured to receive a memory module, and a first optical-electrical module. A second optical-electrical module is mounted in the socket and optically coupled to the first optical-electrical module via at least one optical channel.

1. Field
The general inventive concept relates to semiconductor apparatuses having optical connections between at least two components.
2. Description of the Conventional Art
As data transmission speeds between a central processing unit (CPU) and a main memory module increase, the number of memory modules (e.g., dual inline memory modules (DIMMs)) connected to a single CPU decreases. The number of memory modules is limited because signal integrity may be reduced by impedance mismatch generated when electrical signals are transmitted using various modules. In one example, with respect to a double date rate three (DDR3) memory module, two DIMMs may be connected to a single CPU using conventional electrical connections.

Semiconductor apparatuses having optical connections between memory controller and memory module


Processing of a signal includes identifying a past recurring pattern in the signal with a recurrence matrix, and filtering the signal and the recurring pattern such that the recurring pattern serves as a representation of future signal behavior.

Zero phase filtering can be performed by applying a digital recursive filter to an input signal in both forward and reverse directions, and combining the results to produce an output signal. The square root of the output signal is equal to the magnitude, and the phase of the output signal cancels to zero. Thus, the output signal has precisely zero lag. However, this bidirectional filtering technique does not produce a zero phase response in real time because it lacks future signal behavior.
A zero phase response in real time would be desirable.

Zero phase real time filtering with a recurrence matrix


A separator pan (10) is set into a rearwardly leaning position (FIG. 4 ). A lower portion of the pan sidewall (28) slopes downwardly as it extends outwardly from the pan bottom (12). A spiral rib (32), inside of the pan (10) slopes upwardly as it extends axially outwardly from the interior of the pan (10). Pan (10) is rotated in a direction causing the spiral rib (32) to coil inwardly. Large particles of gold ore, introduced into the pan (10), gravitate out from the pan, owing to the sloping nature of the lower portion of pan sidewall (28). Smaller particles, including small particles of gold, are trapped between spiral rib (32) and sidewall (28) and bottom wall (12) of pan (10). As the pan (10) rotates, these small particles are moved inwardly and into a hub cup (14).

Hand-held and hand manipulated gold pans have been used for many years for separating small gold particles from non-gold materials, and in particular from gold ore and placer found in stream or river beds. This type of gold mining is quite difficult to learn. Also, gold separating by the hand panning method is difficult and tedious even to an experienced gold panner. A principal object of this invention is to provide a frame supported rotating gold pan which includes a spiral rib in its interior leading to a hub cup. Gold ore is introduced into the pan as the pan is rotated. Large pieces of non-gold placer gravitate out from the pan. Small particles, including gold particles, are moved by a spiral rib, to the center of the pan, into the hub cup.

Rotating gold pan for separating gold particles from ore


A system and method for generating a list of suggested scheduled television programs wherein television schedule guide data which comprises characteristics of scheduled programs and optionally relevancy of those characteristics is obtained from broadcast information. User profiles comprising characteristics of television programs previously viewed, the cumulative amount of time programs having those characteristics has been previously viewed, and optionally the relevancy of the previously viewed characteristics is stored. The user is allowed to manually adjust the weights assigned to characteristics so as to override the system assigned weight values. The system calculates the suggested program list from the schedules it receives from broadcast or other means, using the characteristic weights in the user profiles. The user interface displays percentage values currently assigned to characteristics in that user's profile, but smoothes the percentage values by calculating them based on a ratio of characteristic weights to the greater of a preset value such as 500 or the actual weight of the highest weighted characteristic in that user's profile.

Methods and apparatus for generating lists of scheduled programs for watching based on user preferences have previously been suggested by Wehmeyer, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,867,226, which disclosed a television system in which at least program title information for programs which are to be transmitted in the future is transmitted in advance to form a channel guide listing, apparatus is provided for searching for specific television programs which satisfy certain criteria concerning a user's viewing preferences, and upon successful conclusion to the search, the apparatus generates a list of such television programs in order to predict for the viewer certain programs which may be of interest. According to Wehmeyer, et al., a list of predictions of television programs which the viewer might find interesting can be generated from program guide data corresponding to future programs which is broadcast combined with data corresponding to programs previously watched using the apparatus. According to Wehmeyer, et al., whenever a program is watched for a given period of time, for example, 5 minutes or more, the system keeps a record and thereby the viewing habits and preferences can be determined, which allows the system to predict which upcoming programs should be of interest to the users of the apparatus.
The Wehmeyer, et al. apparatus stores information about the particular television shows which the user watches and uses that information as search criteria. Although the search criteria is editable by the viewer to further refine the searches, only limited amount user editable capability is provided.
In addition, present inventors recognized the drawback with some prior methods and apparatus which assume previous viewing of a program with a particular characteristic for even a few minutes should be considered in the selection criteria.
Because of the limitations of the prior systems and methods as described abvoe, suggested programs were often listed which were not very consistent with the viewer's actual preferences and tendencies.

Method and apparatus for generating a list of suggested scheduled television programs


Example embodiments are directed to frequency mapping for a wireless communication system. An example embodiment provides a method frequency reuse method. The frequency reuse method includes assigning frequencies for use and reuse to sectors of a cell of a wireless communication system; and communicating with a mobile station using the assigned frequency. Each of the sectors includes sub-sectors, and each of the sub-sectors have an assigned frequency for communicating with a mobile station within the sub-sector. The frequency assignments for each sector of the cell are different.

1. Field of the Invention
Example embodiments of the present application relate to frequency mapping for a wireless communication system.
2. Background Information
Wireless communication systems enable people to communicate with one another over distances without having to necessarily access landline-connected devices such as conventional telephones. Early wireless communication systems were primarily configured for voice communications. However, technological improvements have enabled the development of third generation (3G) and similar wireless networks for both voice and high-speed packet data transfer such as WiMAX. WiMAX is a telecommunications technology aimed at providing wireless data communication over relatively long distances and is based on the IEEE 802.16e standard.
A base station of a conventional WiMAX communication system provides services to mobile stations within a coverage area referred to as a cell. As used herein, the term cell refers to an entire coverage area of a single base station. A base station providing communication services to a cell includes a plurality of antennas. Each of the antennas provides communication services to a smaller coverage within a cell. As such, each coverage area of a base station may be divided into smaller areas referred to as sectors. In addition, the sectors may be further divided into sub-sectors. As such, one or more antennas of a base station may be configured to provide communication services to only a single sector or sub-sector.
In the previous paragraph and throughout this disclosure, a cell is defined as the aggregate of all collocated sectors at one cellular base station location, which is not consistent with the usage of some organizations in the WiMAX community. It is also noted that in some cases, a base station might be defined as one sector and one carrier only in some organizations in the WiMAX community, whereas in this disclosure, base station is defined as the collection of all sectors and carriers at one cellular base station location.
A base station may include antennas configured consistent with a well-known Reuse 1 frequency pattern or a well-known Reuse 3 frequency pattern. In the Reuse 1 frequency pattern, one frequency is used to communicate with the entire cell. In the Reuse 3 frequency pattern a different frequency is used for each of the three sectors of a cell. However, it is noted that in these well-known patterns different frequencies are not used for different sub-sectors within a sector of a cell. Also, typically, sub-sectors are not used, or if sub-sectors are used, the sub-sectors are not using different frequencies.

Frequency mapping for a wireless communication system


Provided is a mixer including: an amplifier amplifying an input signal using at least one amplifier element; a mixing unit mixing the input signal amplified by the amplifier with a local oscillator signal output from a local oscillator. The mixing unit includes at least one pair of switching elements switching the amplifier, and the switching elements are MOSFETs having gates and body nodes to which a same local oscillator signal is applied. Thus, a time required for turning on the switching elements can be reduced, and 1/f noise is also reduced. Also, an overdrive voltage can be increased with respect to local oscillator signals having an identical intensity. Thus, a relatively low voltage operation can be performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a mixer, and more particularly, to a mixer reducing the time required for turning on a switching element in order to reduce 1/f noise.
2. Description of the Related Art
Direct transformation receivers have been studied as a receiver structure for realizing single chips. Such a direct transformation receiver can reduce external elements such as a filter or the like which burden the processing of a digital signal. Thus, the direct transformation receiver is most suitable for manufacturing single chips using a complementary metal-oxide semiconductor (CMOS) process by which digital circuits are easily realized. A direct transformation receiver may be classified into either a radio frequency (RF) direct transformation receiver transforming an RF signal into a base band signal or an intermediate frequency (IF) direct transformation receiver transforming an RF signal into a specific IF signal and then the specific IF signal into a base band.
A mixer used in such a direct, transformation receiver mixes an RF signal with a local oscillator (LO) signal to output a base band signal.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram of a conventional mixer using a CMOS Gilbert cell used in an RF direct transformation receiver. As shown in FIG. 1, the mixer includes an amplifier 20 and a mixing unit 10.
The amplifier 20 includes a pair of amplifier elements MA1 and MA2 and amplifies an input signal and provides the amplified signal to the mixing unit 10.
The mixing unit 10 includes first and second switching elements MS1 and MS2 switching an output current of the amplifier element MAl and third and fourth switching elements MS3 and MS4 switching an output current of the amplifier element MA2. A local oscillator signal LO+ is input from a local oscillator to gates of the first and fourth switching elements MS1 and MS4, and a local oscillator signal LO− is input from the local oscillator to a common gate of the second and third switching elements MS2 and MS3. Here, the local oscillator signal LO+ input to first and fourth switching elements MS1 and MS4 is 180° out of phase with the local oscillator signal LO− input to the second and third switching elements MS2 and MS3. Drains of the second and fourth switching elements MS2 and MS4 are connected to each other, and drains of the third and first switching elements MS3 and MS1 are connected to each other.
The mixing unit 10 mixes a signal amplified by an amplifier element with a local oscillator signal to output a signal corresponding to a difference between frequencies of the signals. The amplifier elements MA1 and MA2 and the first, second, third, and fourth switching elements MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 constituting the mixer are realized as n-channel metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistor (MOSFET) elements.
However, if the mixer uses such a MOSFET and a current is provided to the first, second, third, and fourth switching elements MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4, the first, second, third, and fourth switching elements MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 require a predetermined turn-on time to be turned on and reach a target voltage. Such a turn-on time increases 1/f noise additionally offsetting a direct current (DC) and deteriorating a noise figure. In particular, the 1/f noise increases with changes from a high frequency to a low frequency. Thus, the first, second, third, and fourth switching elements MS1, MS2, MS3, and MS4 cause such problems in an RF direct transformation receiver outputting a low frequency base band signal.
io,n indicating the 1/f noise output from the mixer can be expressed as in Equation 1:
                              i                      o            ,            n                          =                                            2              T                        ⨯            2                                          I            ⨯            Δ                                                                        t                                    (        1        )            According to Equation 1, a time T may be increased, a supplied current I may be decreased, or a turn-on time Δt may be decreased in order to decrease the 1/f noise. However, a frequency must be lowered to increase the time T. In general, since a receiver and a transmitter use a frequency in a specific band, it is impossible to lower the frequency. If the current I is reduced, the performance of the mixer may be deteriorated. Thus, decreasing the turn-on time Δt may be desirable. Therefore, a method of decreasing the turn-on time Δt of the mixer is required to reduce the 1/f noise in the RF direction transformation receiver.


The present invention is a system for optimizing production of biomass. The system contains one or more growth modules under a shading element that diffuses light. Each of the growth modules has a plurality of vertical growth columns arranged on a bottom manifold. The biomass is grown within a liquid growth medium held within each of the vertical growth columns until it reaches a desired growth. The biomass is then harvested through gravitational flow of the biomass and the liquid growth medium out of the bottom of each growth column. The bottom manifold collects gravitational flow of the biomass and liquid growth media from each growth column and aggregates the output of each individual column into a collective output of the growth module.

Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to the field of alternative energy and the efficient creation of alternative energy resources. More specifically, the present invention relates to a biomass production system and apparatus for producing increased yields of biomass.
Description of the Related Art
Society's practically insatiable appetite for fossil fuel energy is a problem of global proportions and alternative energy sources need to be developed for a variety of reasons. One source of alternative energy can be found in the lipids produced by organisms such as plants, algae, and other photoautotrophic organisms. Photoautotrophic organisms are those that use light to produce energy, most commonly through the photosynthetic process. The lipids are extracted from these organisms through a variety of known processes. Once extracted the lipids are processed for their end use, be it food, pharmaceuticals, or energy products such as biodiesel. In addition, once the lipids are extracted from the organisms, any remaining organic matter can be burned to produce heat energy.
Obtaining alternative energy from living organisms presents a challenge. The amount of lipids produced on a per unit basis is relatively small and attaining large yields of lipids requires a significant number of organisms. Growing a sufficient amount of organisms requires large amounts of space. The challenge is further increased with organisms that require light to produce energy and grow. For example, algae grown on the surface of a pond will only grow to a total depth of about nine inches because light cannot penetrate any deeper. Algae cannot grow in the darkness below this top layer and the liquid beneath is essentially wasted from a production standpoint.


A cross-country ski binding, especially a hiking ski binding which includes a toe iron adapted for mounting on a ski top and having cheeks and sole catches for the front part of a ski boot sole. A heel unit has a cable with end tension springs. Corresponding side cable units connect the tension springs to the toe unit. Each cable unit includes a side cable with a forward end releasaby connected to the toe iron unit. A close wound coil spring is slidable on the side cable between the forward end and a rear stop member. A threaded connecting member has an internal thread and is threaded on the coil spring. The connecting member has an external threaded into the forward end of the tension spring. The threaded position on the sliding closely wounds coil spring with its movement on the cable.

The invention is directed to a cross-country ski binding, especially a hiking ski including a Telemark binding with replaceable side cable length adjustor.
The binding includes a toe iron adapted to be mounted on the top of a ski. The toe iron includes cheeks and sole catches for accommodating and supporting the front part of the sole of a ski boot on the sides, front and upper portions. A tension cable unit is adapted to be passed around the heel of the boot and coupled to a tensioning mechanism through tension springs and side cable units for fixing the ski boot to the toe iron such that during cross-country skiing the boot heel and the heel of the skier's foot may be raised from the ski top.
A particularly satisfactory binding is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,499,838 which issued to Hauglin et al on Mar. 19, 1996. The ski binding includes a heel unit with a cable tightening mechanism including a pivoted lever and connected by side tension springs to a single toe cable extended about a toe iron unit. The connection of the toe cable to the tension springs includes a length adjustment mechanism. One connection includes a threaded rod connected to the toe cable and threaded into the one tension spring. The opposite side connection to the toe cable includes a threaded member slidably mounted on the toe cable with separate internal length adjustment elements and with the threaded member threaded into the end of the opposite tension spring. The threaded member is held on the cable by an end enlargement on the cable.
Swiss Patent 194,783 discloses a different loop binding in which a heel coil spring is connected to a lock cable coil spring with a multi-part threaded coupling to heel encircling spring for length adjustment. The threaded adjustment varies the closed extension of the encircling spring and the force thereof.
Further, it may be necessary with the known binding to adapt the heel of the boot to the tension spring which is to be passed thereabout, for instance, in the form of a groove formed on the heel in which the tension spring must be placed before the binding can be locking in place. Alternative cable assemblies include separate side connecting cable units which are separately connected between a heel unit and a toe iron unit. Such constructions are shown in German patent 603,854. In the '854 patent, various couplings are shown between a heel unit and a toe iron unit including various side cable interconnections with a length adjustment made within the coupling at the heel unit.
The dual side cable connection has the advantage that if either side cable unit is damaged, only the damaged cable unit need be replaced rather than the total connection to the heel unit.

Cross-country ski binding with replaceable side cable length adjustor


Embodiments relate to a headset that filters sounds according to a direction of a gaze of a user wearing the headset. The user wears the headset including an eye tracking unit and one or more microphones. The eye tracking unit tracks an orientation of an eye of the user to determine the direction of the gaze of the user. The direction of the gaze may be different from a facing direction of the headset. According to the determined direction of the gaze of the user, input sound signals generated by the microphones can be beamformed to amplify or emphasize sound originating from the direction of the gaze.

This disclosure relates generally to an audio reproduction system and specifically relates to a system that selectively reproduces an audio from a particular direction.
In an environment with multiple sound sources, a listener may encounter trouble tuning into a particular sound source while tuning out sounds from other sound sources. Such phenomenon is known as a cocktail party effect. Although binaural processing of sounds detected at left and right ears enable auditory focusing to a certain degree, it becomes increasingly difficult to decipher sound from a source of interest as the number of sound sources and the level of interfering sound increases.
The cocktail party effect may pose a more acute problem for people with partial hearing loss. The hearing loss may be attributable to factors such as aging, trauma and hereditary defects. People with hearing impairment would be more severely impacted when there are sound sources that interfere with the sound source that the person wants to tune in.


A guide is adapted to be positioned for encirclement by a helical formation of rod rings free falling from the delivery end of a conveyor. The guide comprises a vertically projecting mandrel terminating at its upper end in a nose cone. The nose cone has a horizontal profile defined in part by at least one element having an outer edge separated by a variable radial distance from a central axis of the mandrel.

1. Field
Aspects of the present invention relate generally to rolling mills in which hot rolled steel rod is formed into a continuous series of rings, and the rings are deposited in an overlapping pattern on a conveyor where they undergo controlled cooling before being gathered into coils in a reforming chamber. Embodiments of the present invention further relate to a guide with an improved and adjustable nose cone adapted to be encircled by the rings as they free fall from the delivery end of the conveyor into the reforming chamber.
2. Description of Related Art
In a conventional rod rolling mill, as depicted diagrammatically in FIG. 6, rod is continuously hot rolled in a rolling mill, the last roll stand of which is shown at 10. The rod may then be preliminarily cooled in one or more water boxes 12 before being formed by a laying head 14 into a continuous series of rings "R" that are deposited in an overlapping pattern on a conveyor 16. After undergoing controlled cooling while being transported along the conveyor, the rings are allowed to free fall from the delivery end of the conveyor into a reforming chamber 18 where they are gathered into coils. The reforming chamber is typically provided with a centrally located guide comprising a vertically projecting mandrel positioned to be encircled by the free falling rings.
The upper end of the mandrel 20 is typically defined by a tapered nose cone 22 having a horizontal profile when viewed from above that is optimally configured and sized to accept and guide rings of a specific rod size. Experience has shown, however, that rings of differently sized rods act differently as they drop from the delivery end of the conveyor. Thus, a nose cone designed to handle one rod size may not be suitable for other rod sizes, the rings of which may not lay flat as they accumulate in the reforming chamber.
In the past, mill operators have sought to address this problem by employing multiple interchangeable nose cones, with each nose cone having a horizontal profile configured and sized to handle a specific rod size. The maintenance of multiple nose cones represents a significant capital investment, and the task of interchanging one nose cone for another is both time consuming and labor intensive.


There is provided a magnetic rubber composition comprising a rubber (A), a thermosetting resin (B) and a magnetic powder (C), wherein a mass ratio (A/B) of the rubber (A) to the thermosetting resin (B) is 0.2 to 5, and a mass ratio [C/(A+B)] of the magnetic powder (C) to the total mass of the rubber (A) and the thermosetting resin (B) is 0.5 to 20. It gives a magnetic rubber molded article excellent in flexibility and abrasion resistance, and a magnetic encoder produced therewith.

Magnetic rubber molded articles made by crosslinking a magnetic rubber composition containing a rubber and a magnetic powder have been used for various applications. One suitable application of a magnetic rubber molded article is a magnetic encoder, which is produced by magnetizing the magnetic rubber molded article. Here, a suitable rubber is an oil resistant rubber such as a nitrile rubber and an acrylic rubber. As a magnetic powder, a ferrite magnetic powder, a rare-earth magnetic powder and so on are properly used, depending on required performance. A magnetic encoder produced using such a magnetic rubber molded article is extensible even when it contains a large amount of a magnetic powder, and have been, therefore, widely used in applications in which flexibility is required. However, a magnetic encoder using such a magnetic rubber molded article is sometimes insufficiently friction-resistant and has been thus used for limited applications.
Patent Reference No. 1 has described a magnetic encoder made by forming an annular product from a magnetic material containing a magnetic powder and a binder, which is then circumferentially multipole-magnetized, wherein the binder is a thermosetting resin and the binder accounts for 10 to 70% by volume of the magnetic material. The reference has described that the magnetic encoder has a large magnetic flux density, is resistant to breakage and detachment from a mounting plate of a magnet unit, exhibits high productivity, is highly reliable and is inexpensive. This magnetic encoder is, however, substantially inextensible and could not been, therefore, used for applications requiring flexibility.
Patent Reference No. 2 has described a bond magnet in which a rare-earth magnetic powder is dispersed in a rubber binder, wherein the rare-earth magnetic powder is coated by an antirust agent and an epoxy resin. For producing the bond magnet, a rare-earth magnetic powder is pre-coated by a film made of an antirust agent and an epoxy resin, and then mixed with a rubber binder and a curing agent. A bond magnet described in an example therein contains a 0.12-fold by weight of an epoxy resin based on a rubber binder. Furthermore, there is described that in the bond magnet, oxidation of a rare-earth magnetic powder can be inhibited. This magnetic encoder is, however, insufficiently abrasion-resistant.

Magnetic rubber composition, magnetic rubber molded article obtained by crosslinking the same, and magnetic encoder


A data frame format, and method for forming a data frame for use in a wireless communication system, which includes both voice and command/control data in each frame. The data frame has two or more voice fields and two or more command fields. Each of the voice fields are equal in size and contain an equal portion of the digital audio data. The voice fields may be further arranged into two or more sub-portions arranged most significant to least significant bit and each of the sub-portions are arranged most significant to least significant bit. The voice fields may further include a check field contiguous to one of the two or more sub-portions to provide the ability to determine whether a selected portion of each of the sub-portions is erroneous. Each of the command fields contain an equal portion of the digital command data. Each of the two or more command fields are interleaved between the two or more voice fields and contiguous to at least one of the two or more voice fields in the data frame. The data frame may also include a frame synchronization field.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to digital radio communications and, in particular, to a data framing format for transmitting a stream of digital data.
2. Background Art
The transmission of digital voice data over a radio frequency communication link is very often implemented by transferring the digital data as discrete packets or frames of information from a transmitter to a receiver, as opposed to transferring the data as a continuous homogenous stream of data. In some digital communication systems multiple types, or configurations, of data packets each having different characteristics, such as length and data type, are employed. In such a system one packet type may configured for voice, another for command, and yet another to acquire and maintain synchronization between the transmitter and receiver. A system incorporating multiple types of data packets may often experience control problems which typically increases system complexity, and which contribute to other undesirable design and operating characteristics.
Cordless telephone devices designed to the CT-2 specification are representative of a digital radio communication system incorporating multiple types of data packets. In the environment of a cordless telephone conforming to the CT-2 specification, a telephone conversation begins with initiation of the radio link. During the course of a conversation both audio data corresponding to the user's voice and command data corresponding to user pressed keys and background operation of the phone are transferred over the radio link. In such a system the ratio of audio data to command data is quite large. This large ratio results in a limited or diminished ability to control and monitor operation of the phone during an ongoing active conversation. The CT-2 specification adds further complexity by omitting the use of a synchronization field during active conversation which, in turn, necessitates further processing of the data stream in an attempt to maintain frame synchronization.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a single data frame type containing both audio and command data in every frame. It is a further object to include a separate synchronization field in each data frame to simplify synchronization of the data packets.
Other prior art digital communication systems are constructed utilizing data packets having segregated fields for synchronization, voice, command and error-correction in each frame. This approach creates an inherent delay in audio data transmission and processing directly related to the arrangement of these packets. In most of these systems, the segregation of the various types of data (i.e. voice, command, sync) requires extensive buffering to bundle the overall frame for transmission and, later, to unbundle the overall frame upon reception. As these systems become more complex--resulting in increased sub-field sizes--this delay will enviably increase.
Delay in digital communication is undesirable. Studies have shown that delay in a digital audio data path decreases the Mean Opinion Score (MOS)--which is an indication of users' subjective observation of the audio quality for the transmission system. Part of the decreased audio quality observed has been attributed to delay itself which when long enough to be noticeable may cause users to speak simultaneously or think that the other is slow in responding. Moreover, degradation of the audio quality has been further objectively attributed to the introduction of delayed echoes in the audio channel. Notwithstanding the nature of any such effect upon the audio quality of the communication system, audio channel delay is recognized as undesirable.
Accordingly, it is a further object of the present data frame to minimize delay in the audio channel of a digital communication system.
These and other objects of the present invention will become obvious to those of ordinary skill in the art based upon the attached specification, drawings and claims.

Data framing format for digital radio communications and method of forming same


The invention relates to a method for operating a telecommunications system having a switching station (BS) and a plurality of internal subscriber stations (HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4) which are connected to it and with whose aid the switching station (BS) can simultaneously operate a limited number of channels of the same or a different type and is characterized in that the switching station (BS) reports to all the internal subscriber stations (HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4) by transmitting a respective busy signal that a channel of the appropriate type is not available, each internal subscriber station (HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4) is changed by the busy signal to a state in which it cannot initiate a connection being set up on the corresponding channel. It furthermore relates to a telecommunications system for carrying out the method, which is characterized in that the switching station (BS) contains a signal generator (SG) which produces a respective busy signal and sends it to all the internal subscriber stations (HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4) when a channel of corresponding type is not available, and each of the internal subscriber stations (HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4) contains a blocking device (B), which can be driven by the respective busy signal and, on reception of the respective busy signal, changes the internal subscriber station (HA1, HA2, HA3, HA4) to a state in which it cannot initiate a connection being set up on the corresponding channel.

The invention relates to a method for operating a telecommunications system having a switching station and a plurality of internal subscriber stations which are connected to it and with whose aid the switching station can simultaneously operate a limited number of channels of the same or a different type, and to a telecommunications system in which the method can be implemented.
It is advantageous for a subscriber to know the current state of, for example, a cordless telecommunications system. In general, information about the system state is transmitted in the form of signal tones (free tone, busy tone). It is disadvantageous that this information is not received until during or after the setting up of a connection. Furthermore, this information is also not adequate for many applications. This is the case in particular when a plurality of subscriber stations are connected to a switching station in a telecommunications system, which switching station is in turn connected to a plurality of exchange lines, and the switching station has only a limited capacity for simultaneously possible internal and/or external connections. The user who wishes to set up, for example, a connection to another subscriber cannot decide just on the basis of the busy tone whether the dialled subscriber number is currently busy or whether the telecommunications system is overloaded and therefore cannot set up the connection. Furthermore, repeated futile dialling of a subscriber number, after each of which attempts a busy tone can once again be heard, which not only severely stresses the user's patience, but also severely loads the battery in the internal subscriber station. This is further compounded by the load of the environment in which the telecommunications system is located, by radio traffic and by the additional loading of the system itself. This futile dialling must be accepted if the dialled subscriber number is actually busy, but these repeated dialling processes are particularly annoying when caused by overloading of the telecommunications system being used.
The object of the present invention is therefore to provide a method and a device by means of which the previously described disadvantages are overcome, that is to say by means of which a subscriber station and/or the subscriber using this subscriber station is better informed about the system state with regard to overloading of the telecommunications system, and by means of which repeated dialling processes are avoided in which it is impossible for a connection to be set up because the telecommunications system is overloaded.
The achievement of this object is defined in terms of the method in the characterizing part of Patent claim 1, and its achievement in terms of the device is defined in the characterizing part of Patent claim 10, advantageous refinements and developments in each case being located in the subsequent subclaims.
The method according to the invention for operating a telecommunications system having a switching station and a plurality of internal subscriber stations which are connected to it and with whose aid the switching station can simultaneously operate a limited number of channels of the same or a different type is characterized in that the switching station reports to all the internal subscriber stations by transmitting a respective busy signal that a channel of the appropriate type is not available, and each internal subscriber station is changed by the busy signal to a state in which it cannot initiate a connection being set up on the corresponding channel.
The transmission of a busy signal to each subscriber station which is connected to the switching station, when all the internal or external channels are busy, results in the internal subscriber station being signalled as to whether a connection is possible before the process of setting up a connection rather than not until during or after the setting up of a connection. If the setting up of a connection is started, because of this information, only when the system has sufficient free capacity, then, once a connection has been set up, a busy tone is produced only when the dialled destination is actually busy. By changing each subscriber station to a state in which it can no longer initiate a connection being set up in the corresponding channels, this indicates to the user, even before the frequently tedious dialling process, that a connection is currently impossible because of the limited system capacity. Furthermore, this measure saves the energy which is required on each occasion for the redialling in the internal subscriber station. It should also be noted in particular that, as a result of this method, the radio traffic which is required in an overloaded telecommunications system for setting up a line can be considerably limited.
A telecommunications system according to the invention having a switching station and a plurality of internal subscriber stations which are connected to it and with whose aid the switching station can simultaneously operate a limited number of channels of the same or a different type is characterized in that the switching station contains a signal generator which produces a respective busy signal and sends it to all the internal subscriber stations when a channel of corresponding type is not available, and each of the internal subscriber stations contains a blocking device, which can be driven by the respective busy signal and, on reception of the respective busy signal, changes the internal subscriber station to a state in which it cannot initiate a connection being set up on the corresponding channel.
This embodiment according to the invention is particularly advantageous for carrying out the method according to the invention, since the signal generator can thus be contained in the signal-processing circuit section of the switching station, and the blocking device can be implemented by the processor of the internal subscriber station.
The method is furthermore characterized in that the respective busy signal is buffer-stored in each internal subscriber station.
The buffer storage results in the respective busy signal not having to be transmitted continuously to the subscriber stations, and nevertheless permanently being available in the subscriber station in the event of a corresponding busy channel.
According to a development of the method, the various types of channels may be external or internal channels.
This distinction allows a subscriber to distinguish from the start whether he can still receive external or internal connections, since a dedicated busy signal is in each case present for them.
According to another development of the method, the various types of channels may be channels for controlling functions of the switching station.
This advantageous development of the method allows the advantages according to the invention to be available not only for connections between the internal subscriber stations and other internal or external subscriber stations, but also for programming or for calling up special functions of the switching station via the service access or accesses which can be dialled like an internal telephone number.
The method is still further characterized in that the various types of channels are voice channels or data channels.
This advantageous development results in the advantages which the invention offers in addition to normal voice connections, for the use of data connections as well. In consequence, for example, cordless fax units can considerably limit their radio traffic.
The method is also characterized in that, if at least one of the channels becomes free, the switching station sends a respective reset signal to all the internal subscriber stations in order to change them once again to a state in which it is possible for them to initiate a connection being set up on the corresponding channels.
As a result of this advantageous refinement of the method according to the invention, the channel state (the state as to whether the internal or the external voice and/or data channels or the channels for controlling functions in the exchange are or are not busy) does not need to be transmitted and checked continuously, but only when a state change occurs. In order to carry out the method, the actually current information about the channel state is permanently present in the subscriber station in that, after any change in the state, it is transmitted to the subscriber station, is stored there and, when new information arrives, is overwritten by it.
In this case, permanently means that the information which was received at an earlier time is in each case overwritten, and the current state is therefore permanently present. The information is lost when the subscriber station is switched off. This is not disadvantageous since the subscriber station is transmitted the respectively current busy signal or reset signal at the latest when a change in the channel state occurs after it is switched on. In this case, it is also necessary to consider the situation in which the internal subscriber station was not able to record a change in the channel state during the phase when it was switched off and thus information which was stored through the switched-off phase would not be up to date. The current channel state can advantageously be transmitted to the internal subscriber station, from the switching station, in an initialization phase after the internal subscriber station has been switched on.
Another refinement of the method is characterized in that visual or audible indications are driven by the busy signal.
This indication option allows the user to know even before a connection attempt whether he can successfully carry out such an attempt and under some circumstances therefore does not need to initiate this, since the capacity of the telecommunications system has already been exhausted in terms of the desired channel.
The information about channel overloading can be transmitted quickly and clearly to a user by such a visual representation by means of an already existing display on the internal subscriber station or by means of additional light or indication units which are present on the internal subscriber station.
By means of the audible information option, the information about channel overloading is transmitted to the user in the conventional manner, this taking place immediately after lifting the handset, or a corresponding action. This can additionally be done for one of the other indication types, or just for the one. The user therefore does not need to monitor specific indications, for example, even before an attempt to set up a connection, but is informed immediately before then, nevertheless, by the indication of a respective busy signal that it is impossible to set up a connection on a corresponding channel. This can be done by the acoustic presentation of the channel information itself or by a cue to look at the visual indications.
Yet another development of the method is characterized in that, a connection which corresponds to a dialled number which is stored in the internal telephone is automatically set up via a channel when the internal subscriber station receives the reset signal for this channel.
By such automatic redialling without involving lines or radio channels, the user is saved having to activate the redialling, and the system is not loaded by pointless redialling attempts to the internal subscriber stations which are connecting to the switching station. If the system load permits a renewed dialling attempt, then all the internal subscriber stations are informed of this and a station whose user wishes to set up a connection can do so immediately and automatically without having to start a futile connection setting up process at specific time intervals. This advantageous refinement of the invention provides a redialling option which, while saving a considerable amount of energy and while maintaining all the advantages which have already been mentioned above in the internal subscriber station, provides the quickest possible possibility for successful redialling.
A further refinement of the method according to the invention is characterized in that radio channels are used at least as internal channels.
A telecommunications system according to the invention is advantageously characterized in that each internal subscriber station contains a memory device for storing the respective busy signal.
Said telecommunications system is furthermore characterized in that each internal subscriber station contains a reset circuit for erasing the respective stored busy signal, and the reset circuit can be driven by a respective reset signal from the switching station which produces the respective reset signal if at least one of the corresponding channels becomes free, and sends said reset signal to all the internal subscriber stations.
Yet another advantageous refinement of a telecommunications system according to the invention is characterized in that each internal subscriber station contains visual or audible indication devices which can be switched on and off corresponding to the respective busy signal for each group of channels.
Finally, a telecommunications system according to the invention is characterized in that the internal subscriber stations are radio telephones, cordless telephones, cordless fax units or other devices for remote data transmission.

Method for operating a telecommunications system, and a telecommunications system in which the method can be used


A semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same are provided. The device includes insulating patterns and conductive patterns stacked alternately, a channel layer formed through the insulating patterns and the conductive patterns, a tunnel insulating layer formed to surround sidewalls of the channel layer, and a charge storage layer formed to surround the tunnel insulating layer. An interfacial surface of the tunnel insulating layer in contact with the charge storage layer includes a thermal oxide layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention generally relates to a semiconductor device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a semiconductor device and a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Discussion of Related Art
With the rapid development of an industry related to memory devices, such as nonvolatile memory devices, the demand for highly integrated memory devices has increased. Conventionally, the integration density of semiconductor devices within a predetermined area has increased by reducing the size of memory cells 2-dimensionally arranged on a semiconductor substrate. However, there is a physical limit in reducing the size of the memory cells. Accordingly, a method of increasing the integration density of memory devices by 3-dimensionally arranging memory cells on a semiconductor substrate has lately been proposed. When the memory cells are 3-dimensionally arranged as described above, the area of the semiconductor substrate may be efficiently used, and the integration density of the memory devices may be improved as compared with a case in which memory cells are 2-dimensionally arranged. In particular, when a 3-dimensional NAND flash memory device is embodied by 3-dimensionally arranging memory strings of a NAND flash memory device, which is advantageous to increase integration density, it is expected that the integration density of the memory devices will be maximized. Therefore, it is necessary to develop a 3-dimensional semiconductor device.

Semiconductor device and method of manufacturing the same


Various constructs and systems for heating a dough-based food item in a microwave oven are provided.

Microwave ovens provide a convenient means for heating a variety of food items, including dough-based products such as pizzas and pies. However, microwave ovens tend to cook such items unevenly and are unable to achieve the desired balance of thorough heating and a browned, crisp crust. Additional complications are encountered with rising dough products, as the package must promote browning and crisping, typically by maintaining surface contact with the food, without restricting the natural expansion of the dough during the cooking process. Thus, there is a need for a microwave cooking package for a dough-based food item that provides the desired degree of heating, browning, and crisping without restricting the expansion of the dough.

Package for browning and crisping dough-based foods in a microwave oven


This air conditioning device, which is installed in a vehicle, is provided with a gas-liquid separator which separates liquid-phase refrigerant and gas-phase refrigerant, guides, to a compressor, the gas-phase refrigerant flowing in from an outdoor heat exchanger during heating operations, and guides, to an expansion valve, the liquid-phase refrigerant flowing in from the outdoor heat exchanger during cooling operations. The gas-liquid separator is provided further rearward inside the vehicle than the outdoor heat exchanger. The compressor is provided further rearward inside the vehicle than the gas-liquid separator.

JP 2013-535372 A discloses an air conditioning loop that can be switched between a cooling mode and a heating mode. The air conditioning loop includes components such as a compressor, an external heat exchanger, an internal heat exchanger, and an evaporator. These components are connected with one another by piping.
However, in the air conditioning loop of JP 2013-535372 A, no specific aspect is disclosed regarding how the components are connected by piping.


A karaoke sound system had a mixer that combines the singer's real-time voice signal from a microphone with the pre-recorded background song/music signal from a player, an amplifier that receives the mixed signal from the mixer to provide amplification or gain boosting, a dedicated channel for the vocal signal from the microphone without using a mixing device, one or more speakers to output the mixed and amplified audio signal, and one or more speakers to output the vocal signal from the dedicated channel. The vocal channel allows the vocals to maintain an overall cleaner and vibrant sound, with a “live feeling” positional presence.

A conventional karaoke system plays a requested pre-recorded song that is mixed with a vocal performance of a singer. Typically, lyrics of the requested song are displayed on a monitor to aid the singer to sing along. A set of instrumental songs are played through the Karaoke system for the singer to sing along with.
Such a conventional karaoke system comprises: (1) a mixer that combines the singer's real-time voice signal from a microphone with the pre-recorded background song/music signal from a player, (2) an amplifier that receives the mixed signal from the mixer to provide amplification or gain boosting, and (3) one or more speakers to output the mixed and amplified audio signal. For stereo output two speakers are used and for mono output one speaker is used.
However, though this configuration works for many standard audio applications, because the vocal and music signals are pre-mixed into one signal for speaker output, the vocals tend to lack definition. Further, the vocals have to compete with the music for sound space, thereby often sounding muddy, far away and without direction.
There is, therefore, a need for a sound system that provides an additional channel dedicated to microphone output along with the conventional output of pre-mixed music and microphone output. There is also a need for such a system to allow the microphone output to be heard clearly with directional presence, without having to compete with the pre-mixed music for sound space.

Sound system with dedicated vocal channel


In a method, system, and computer-readable medium having instructions for a visual treatment for a user interface in a content integration framework, information is received on a tile size for a matrix of tiles and the matrix has one or more tiles with the tile size displayed on a user interface, one or more content images is received for display on the user interface, a position is determined within a first tile of the matrix for rendering a first content image from the one or more content images, a first area of excess space is determined within the tile after positioning the first content image within the first tile and the first area of excess space is dependent on at least one of an aspect ratio of the first content image and a size of the first content image, a reflection of the first content image is rendered within at least a portion of the first area of excess space within the first tile, the first content image is rendered within the first tile of the matrix, and descriptive text associated with the first content image is displayed so that the descriptive text overlays the reflection and not the first content image.

Approaches to aggregating content include requiring a contributor to conform the organization of their content into a single organizational structure adopted by the developer of the software aggregating all of the content. Often each contributor of content must conform each of their organizational structures (e.g. hierarchical) of content to fit into another hierarchical structure and conform their content (e.g. image files) to fit into another user interface. For example, contributors may have to alter their organizational structure to fit into the structure offered and presented by the software aggregating the content.
Unfortunately, the contributors may also have to alter images to fit within the user interface provided by the software that aggregates the content. For example, the contributors may have to determine what portion of an image to discard by cropping or distort their images in order to fit their image within the user interface of software that aggregates content.

Visual treatment for a tile-based user interface in a content integration framework


An integrated circuit device having a selectable data rate clock data recovery (CDR) circuit and a selectable data rate transmit circuit. The CDR circuit includes a receive circuit to capture a plurality of samples of an input signal during a cycle of a first clock signal. A select circuit is coupled to the receive circuit to select, according to a receive data rate select signal, one of the plurality of samples to be a first selected sample of the input signal and another of the plurality of samples to be a second selected sample of the input signal. A phase control circuit is coupled to receive the first and second selected samples of the input signal and includes circuitry to compare the selected samples to determine whether the first clock signal leads or lags a transition of the input signal. The transmit circuit includes a serializing circuit to receive a parallel set of bits and to output the set of bits in sequence to an output driver in response to a first clock signal. A select circuit selects, according to a transmit data rate select signal, data bits within an outbound data value to form the parallel set of bits received within the serializing circuit. Bits within the outbound data value are selected to achieve a first data rate when the transmit data rate select signal is in a first state, and to achieve a second data rate when the transmit data rate select signal is in a second state.

Clock data recovery (CDR) circuits are often used in high speed signaling applications to recover clock and data signals from a signal line. Typically, transitions in an incoming signal are detected and used to generate a clock signal which is used, in turn, to sample data in the incoming signal.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art transceiver device 100 that includes a CDR circuit 101, phase locked-loop (PLL) circuit 103, transmit circuit 105 and application logic 107. The PLL circuit 103 outputs a transmit clock (TCLK) to the transmit circuit 105 and a set of eight clock signals, referred to as phase vectors (PV), to the CDR circuit 101. Data recovered by the CDR circuit 101 is provided to the application logic 107 as receive data, and the application logic 107 outputs data to the transmit circuit 105 to transmit the data via a data output path in response to the transmit clock.
In the circuit of FIG. 1, the phase vectors generated by the PLL circuit 103 are offset from one another by successive 45 degree increments such that, considering an arbitrary one of the phase vectors to have a zero degree phase angle, the remaining seven phase vectors have phase angles of 45, 90, 135, 180, 225, 270, and 315 degrees. The phase mixer 113 selects and interpolates between a pair of the phase vectors according to a phase count value to produce a recovered clock signal, RCLK.
The receive circuit 115 captures a number of samples of the incoming data signal during each cycle of the recovered clock signal. The samples are compared with one another within the phase control circuit 111 to determine whether transitions in the incoming data signal occur early or late relative to edges of the recovered clock signal. Based on the early/late determination, the phase control circuit 111 outputs a control signal (U/D) to the phase mixer 115 which responds by increasing or decreasing the phase count value and thereby delaying or advancing the phase of the recovered clock signal. Eventually, the CDR circuit 101 reaches a phase locked condition in which the recovered clock signal has a desired phase relationship to the incoming data signal (e.g., a sampling clock component of the recovered clock signal becomes aligned with the midpoint of data valid intervals of the input signal), and the phase control circuit 111 begins to toggle the control signal between advancing and delaying the phase of the recovered clock signal.
One limitation of the transceiver device 100 is that the CDR circuit 101 and PLL circuit 103 are usually tuned to a particular input data rate. More specifically, the phase-locked frequency of the recovered clock signal is typically limited to a frequency band centered around the PLL output clock frequency (i.e., frequency of the phase vectors) such that, if the data rate falls outside the frequency band, the CDR circuit 101 will be unable to achieve phase lock. In applications where the transceiver device need only support a single input data rate, phase locking of the CDR circuit may be ensured by specifying the PLL output clock frequency and the frequency of the clock used to generate the input data signal (thereby setting the data rate) to be within a predetermined tolerance. Difficulties arise, however, in applications where the transceiver device 100 must support more than one data rate.
The most direct solution to supporting multiple input data rates within the transceiver device 100 is to design the PLL circuit 103 to support a wide range of reference clock frequencies, thereby permitting a wide range of PLL output clock frequencies and a wide band operation of the CDR circuit 101. Unfortunately, wide-range PLL circuits typically exhibit compromised clock fidelity (e.g. increased clock jitter) and therefore tend to be inferior to PLL circuits designed for a narrower frequency range. An alternative solution for supporting multiple input data rates is to use multiple PLL circuits, each optimized for a different input data rate. The disadvantage of this approach is that the increased power, die area, and design effort of the additional PLL circuit(s) make the resulting device more expensive to produce and operate. Thus, it would be desirable to provide a transceiver device that can support multiple input data rates without requiring multiple PLL circuits and without compromising high speed clock performance.


A composition comprising at least one non-sensitizing pressure sensitive adhesive that is the polycondensate of a silanol endblocked polydimethylsiloxane and a silicate resin; at least one copolymer of vinyl pyrrolidone and a long chain alpha olefin; at least one montmorillonite mineral; and at least one volatile solvent; and a related methods and kits.

Consumers who wear color cosmetics that are applied daily, at a minimum, want the cosmetic to remain on the surface to which it is applied for a reasonable period of time. For color cosmetics such as foundation, eye shadow, or blush, it is desirable that the color cosmetic remain on the skin for the entire day. Modern women are busy—either working in, or outside, the home. Most do not have the time or inclination to reapply cosmetics. Color cosmetics that are applied once-a-day and remain fresh and color true all day are the price of entry.
Primers are popular today and have the same principle as paint primers—to prepare the keratin surface so that the color cosmetic that is applied exhibits better adhesion and provides more even, homogenous color. Primers are particularly useful with color cosmetics that are applied in powder form. For example, eye shadow is very often in a powder form. Powder is easy to apply. It is also "forgiving", which means that if the consumer makes a mistake in applying the shadow to an area where it is not desired, it can easily be removed. However, one problem with powder eye shadow is that it may crease or wear off during the day. Shadows that have glittery effects are particularly prone to flaking off over time.
Accordingly there is a need for primer compositions that will be applied to a keratin surface prior to application of color cosmetic that will improve the wear and adhesion of the color cosmetic to the skin.

Method and compositions for improving wear of color cosmetics