The object of the present invention is to provide: high-reliability and long-life CO2 refrigerant compressor-use bearings that uses bearing materials high in wear resistance and in baking resistance, and; such a compressor, air conditioner, refrigerator, and hot-water supply machine that each employ these bearings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to new types of CO2 refrigerant compressor-use bearings improved in wear resistance, a compressor that employs these bearings, and such an air conditioner, refrigerator, and hot-water supply machine that each employs the bearings.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Cast iron, bronze-based materials, aluminum-alloying materials, or other metallic materials, or resin-containing materials, or composite materials consisting of resin and a metal, have been employed as bearing materials for conventional refrigerant compressors. Bronze-based materials have contained a great quantity of lead. Numerous types of sliding materials laden with lead have also been most commonly used in other machines. Under these circumstances, the shafts inserted into bearings have been provided with surface treatment to prevent galling. When a bearing material other than cast iron was to be used, the occurrence of galling and unusual wear has been prevented by adopting a material dissimilar to the shaft material.
The bearing materials formed by impregnating graphite-containing carbon materials with aluminum are disclosed in Japanese Application Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 02-248676 and Hei 02-275114.
In conventional compressors, increases in bearing load due to the improvement of performance have led to partial breakage of the lubricating film formed by an oil, and this event has been inciting a so-called "boundary lubrication" status under which local direct contact occurs between the bearing and the shaft. Boundary lubrication is also incited by the operational start of the compressor or the excessive ingress of the refrigerant. Under such boundary lubrication status, conventional metal-based bearings, resin-based bearings, surface-treated shafts, and the like have been prone to suffer galling or thermal seizure. Although bearing loads can be reduced by increasing the inside diameters of the bearings or increasing the length of the bearing section, these methods have had their limits since the space required for the bearings is limited in motor-containing compressors of the enclosed type.
It is known that the lead bronze and antimony alloys in which the lead or antimony having a lubricating property is contained as one of the respective components, composite materials consisting of lead or antimony and carbon, and other materials do not easily cause thermal seizure or galling. At the same time, however, there is also the fear that lead and antimony affect environments and the human body. These elements also fall under the category of the substances whose use is regulated by the pollutants release and transfer registration (PRTR) law. For lead bronze, antimony alloys, and composite materials consisting of lead or antimony and carbon, although the improvement of the respective anti-wear characteristics under an oil-free status or severe conditions is accomplished by utilizing the property that the melting point of each such metal is low. Even so, significant wear occurs to the parts used at high temperature or put into continued use under a severe sliding status.
No such conventional bearings made of carbon materials impregnated with aluminum are disclosed that employ a metal other than aluminum or that a graphite content or the porosity rate obtained after impregnation has been provided is shown.

Abstract: The CO2 refrigerant compressor-use bearings according to the present invention, and the compressor, air conditioner, refrigerator, and hot-water supply machine that employ these bearings, wherein the bearings are characterized in that each bearing comprises a cylindrically shaped member whose graphite-containing carbonaceous base material has pores impregnated with tin or with one type of metal selected from the IB group or the VIII group, except iron, or with an alloy based on these metals, and in that each bearing satisfies at least one of the requirements that the bearing should comprise a carbonaceous base material containing 20 to 50 weight percent graphite, that the Shore hardness of the corresponding member should range from 65 to 120, that the compressive strength of the corresponding member should range from 200 to 500 MPa, that the porosity rate of the corresponding member should range from 0.05 to 2.00 volume percent, and that the metal or alloy contained in the corresponding member should contain at least either vanadium or titanium or both at the rate of 0.2 weight percent or less.


The components of a push button comprise a plunger, a retainer, a spring and an end cap. The plunger has a button at the top, a middle section with an enlarged square cross-section, and a pin of reduced diameter at the bottom end. The plunger slidably strokes up and down within a retainer which has an upper portion that closely holds the button on the top of the plunger and also includes a rectilinear recess sized to receive the square midsection of the plunger. A middle portion of the retainer comprises an enlarged cylindrical cavity bounded above and below by opposing roof and floor surfaces. The roof and the floor have cams that engage the corners of the plunger midsection which cause it to rotate during plunger strokes. A spring within the retainer biases the plunger upward. The assembly of parts is captivated by a retainer end cap.

Push buttons with alternating actuation mechanisms which provide central plunger movement between extended and retracted positions have been employed in various applications including writing instruments, door latching hardware, switch actuation, and hydraulic valve actuation, among others. In some cases, primarily in the field of pen writing instruments, the plunger alternatingly moves been stable extended and retracted positions as the plunger is pushed repeatedly in the same direction. This is often called, "alternating actuation".
However, a problem exists in this field because these devices have complicated or delicate mechanisms which are expensive to manufacture or are insufficiently robust for high-force industrial applications. There is therefore a need for a simplified alternate actuation push button mechanism for rugged operating environments which is inexpensive to manufacture and durable.


In a motor vehicle powertrain that includes a diesel engine, a particulate filter and a torque converter, a method for correcting an indicated engine output torque includes estimating a magnitude of torque being transmitted from the engine to the torque converter while regenerating the particulate filter, determining a reference magnitude of current engine torque being produced while regenerating the particulate filter, determining a torque error from a difference between the estimated magnitude and the reference magnitude, recording the torque error, determining a current torque error from the recorded torque error using a current engine speed and a current reference engine torque as indices to the recorded engine toque error, producing a corrected engine torque from the sum of the current torque error and the current reference engine torque, and using the corrected engine torque to control operation of the transmission.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to motor vehicle powertrain control, and, in particular, to correcting indicated engine output torque for use in transmission control.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Vehicle manufacturers use diesel emission treatment equipment in order to comply with more stringent diesel emissions control requirements. For example, diesel particulate filters (DPF) are now used to comply with updated emissions standards. These filters are cleaned or regenerated periodically by raising the temperature of engine exhaust gas, which oxidizes the soot and ash in the filter as the exhaust gas flows through the DPF.
The DPF regeneration process occurs in three modes: Mode 0 is base, non-regenerative operation, mode 1 pre-heats the exhaust close to the required regenerative temperature, and in mode 2 the exhaust is hot enough for the regenerative cycle to terminate after the particulates in the DPF oxidize.
Each mode of the regenerative process has a unique engine torque map. Moving from one mode to another can cause large variations in engine output torque. These large variations present a problem with respect to control of an automatic transmission located in a vehicle powertrain with a diesel engine having a DPF. For example, a base (mode 0) engine mapping error of +5% at 500 ft-lb is a +25 ft-lb torque error. A mode 1 engine mapping error of −5% at 500 ft-lb is a −25 ft-lb torque error.
The transmission controls, which are calibrated to the base mapping error, might not handle a possible ±50 ft-lb difference in the torque error from base when the engine transitions in and out of the regenerative process. Additionally, the existing adaptive pressure control algorithms will hunt from poor to good shifts each time the regenerative process is entered and exited as the algorithms accommodate to the unique torque maps.
Though it is possible to reduce the torque error through better mapping, it is difficult, if not impossible, to completely eliminate when hardware variability is taken into account. For example, fuel injectors have part-to-part variability, including aging, and the base torque map may change over time. Normally, pressure control adaptive compensates for these effects. However, aging may have a completely different effect on the particulate filter regeneration torque map because the fueling pulses are not the same. Thus the traditional pressure control adaptive is unable to compensate for both modes of engine operation.

Adapting indicated engine torque during regeneration of a diesel particulate filter


A system and method are disclosed for providing a webpage comprising receiving instructions for previewing a page; creating a preview version of the page, wherein links are modified to reflect a location of the preview version; and displaying the preview version of the page.

Webpage designers are turning more frequently to webpage design tools. Often, a user will open and edit multiple webpages simultaneously when using a design tool. The complexity of juggling multiple pages can be difficult to manage and coordinate changes among the various pages. What is needed is a system and method for efficiently creating and modifying a webpage. The present invention addresses such a need.

System and method for providing a webpage


The present invention provides a harmonica having advanced functions and a simple structure, which can produce three fundamental chords in each of major and minor modes and which can be also used as a chromatic harmonica. The harmonica includes a pair of a blow reed and a draw reed in each of an upper part and a lower part of a hole and has four tone rows of a tone row for the upper blow reeds, a tone row for the upper draw reeds, a tone row for the lower blow reeds, and a tone row for the lower draw reeds. To three of the four tone rows are assigned three fundamental chords that each consist of four notes, and the remaining one tone row is used to supplement a note required to configure the chromatic scale.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject invention relates to a four chord harmonica with advanced functions, which can produce three fundamental chords in each of major and minor modes and which can be also used as a chromatic harmonica.
2. Description of the Related Art
With a conventional harmonica, a user can play only two chords, a tonic chord when exhaling and a supertonic chord when inhaling. Accordingly, in base playing or arpeggio playing, the user cannot always provide natural expression appropriate for the chord progression of the song. With respect thereto, there is a "variable chord harmonica" provided by Mr. Haruo Tanahashi (see Patent Document 1). This harmonica enables playing of fundamental triads in a major key by modifying the tone rows of a slide chromatic harmonica; when the slide is not pushed, conventional tone rows are provided, while, when the slide is pushed, the blow notes constitute the subdominant chord and the draw notes constitute the dominant chord.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 10-49141
However, such a harmonica is not suitable for advanced musical expression because of its disadvantage of losing a function as a chromatic harmonica. Despite the use of an expensive instrument of a slide harmonica having a relatively complicated structure, what can be played are mere three chords in a single key. It should be stated that the disadvantage of losing a function as a chromatic harmonica is greater than the advantage of being able to play the three fundamental chords.
Accordingly, purposes of the present invention are to solve the problem involved in the aforementioned related art and to provide a harmonica having advanced functions and a simple structure, which can produce three fundamental chords in each of major and minor modes and which can be also used as a chromatic harmonica.
It can be said that, when considering the present invention, the most difficult technical problem to overcome was eliminating a mere assumption or a stereotype. A conventional slide chromatic harmonica has the following tone rows.
Upper blow notesCEGCUpper draw notesDFABLower blow notesC-sharpE-sharpG-sharpC-sharpLower draw notesD-sharpF-sharpA-sharpB-sharp
The C major scale can be played without pushing the slide, that is only with upper reeds, and when the slide is pushed, all the blow and draw notes are raised by a half step. Namely, two tone rows are required to express the major scale, and the other two tone rows are additionally used to express the other chromatic notes.
It can be conceived by anyone that, by assigning different chord tones to three tone rows among the four tone rows of the upper blow notes, upper draw notes, lower blow notes, and lower draw notes in this slide harmonica, fundamental triads can be produced. However, only with the remaining one tone row, the chromatic scale cannot be expressed, which seems to be inevitable. Anyone considers that, in order to produce fundamental chords, a function as a chromatic harmonica needs to be abandoned instead. Once they assume it to be inevitable, people will not consider the matter any further. Nobody will consider how the lost function can be restored or which tone rows should be provided to configure a harmonica that can produce three fundamental chords and can also function as a chromatic harmonica, for example.
Is this really impossible, I wonder? We can answer to this question as follows. Among the fundamental triads, when the dominant chord is provided as a seventh chord consisting of four notes and each of the remaining two chords is constituted by three notes, 10 reeds are sufficient for an octave. Further, in order to allow the harmonica to function as a chromatic harmonica, five other notes absent in the major scale may be added. Therefore, 15 reeds are necessary and sufficient for an octave. Meanwhile, a slide harmonica has four reeds for one hole, and one octave consists of four holes, so that 16 reeds are provided therein. Thus, if it is only asked whether or not such a harmonica can be configured, without specifically considering which tone rows should be provided, it is possible, and tone rows for enabling the creation of the harmonica certainly exist.
By the way, I also did not initially intend to make such a harmonica. My original purpose was to make a harmonica which can produce four chords, and it was the following simple one.
Upper blow notes Do Mi Sol * Do : C
Upper draw notes Re Fa Sol Ti Re : G7
Lower blow notes * Fa La Do * : F
Lower draw notes Re Fa La * Re : Dm
Fundamental triads and the D minor (Dm) chord were merely assigned to the four tone rows. Then, two disturbing problems arose: one was that there were many blank spaces * because the chords other than the dominant chord were constituted by three notes; the other was that the F and Dm chords, having only one different note, were arranged. Because only four chords can be produced, chords having different characteristics should be desirably assigned; however, the situation will not change even if Dm is changed to A minor (Am) or E minor (Em). I have been thinking that notes should be arranged regularly and as naturally and beautifully as possible; the arrangement should not have anything missing or anything extra, and there should be strong necessity for the whole arrangement.
The aforementioned harmonica admittedly accomplished the original purpose of producing four chords. However, it was obviously imperfect as an instrument. I felt the necessity to fill the blank spaces *. So, then, I tried to build up every chord with four voices. There are three possibilities. The sixth chord, seventh chord, and major seventh chord. Which type should be selected? One approach is to add a note absent in the scale. This is because, although adding a note within the scale merely means filling a blank space *, adding a note absent in the scale can improve the functionality of the harmonica. For example, adding Ti-flat to the tonic chord to make a seventh chord enables playing of the major scale in a key that is a fourth higher than the original key of the harmonica. Also, adding Mi-flat to the subdominant chord enables playing of the major scale in a key that is a second lower than the original key. Further, the Dm chord is made to the D minor sixth (Dm6) chord, which has fewer overlaps with the subdominant chord. Consequently, We get a harmonica that can produce the four chords of the C seventh (C7), F seventh (F7), G seventh (G7), and Dm6 and can play major scales in three keys. This is fascinating enough already. But, we do not need to stop, because we have come here. We notice that it is easy to restore the function as a chromatic harmonica. A conventional chromatic harmonica is set so that, when the slide plate is pushed, all the seven notes are raised by a half step; however, such setting is unnecessary. As there are black keys for five notes in a piano, only five notes should be newly added. Since Ti-flat and Mi-flat are included in the three fundamental chords, when the remaining three notes of Re-flat, Sol-flat, and La-flat are added, the harmonica can produce the three fundamental chords in a major key and also can function as a chromatic harmonica.


The present invention relates to a solid-state laser comprising: a) a semiconductor pump laser, b) a lens integrated on the surface of said semiconductor pump laser, c) a packaging material consisting essentially of a spin-on glass material, wherein the spin-on glass material is processable at a process temperature of less than 225° C., and d) a lasing material layer having a highly reflective coating in both sides. The invention also relates to a process for producing such a solid-state laser, which process comprises applying spin-on glass material onto semiconductor wafers having VCSEL pump lasers using different coating methods, such as spin coating, and curing the glass film layer at temperatures <225° C.; printing desired patterning of the material by contact or proximity lithography methods and forming diffractive lens structures to shape the pump laser radiation into the lasing material which constitutes spin-on glass material doped with rare earth elements, such as erbium (Er) and ytterbium (Yb), or with semiconductor nano-particles or quantum dots.

The use of optically transmitted signals in communication systems is dramatically increasing the throughput rate of data transfer. In a typical network configuration, an electrical signal is converted into an optical signal by either a laser diode or a light emitting diode (LED). The optical signal is then transported through a waveguide, such as an optical fiber, to an optical detector that converts the optical signal into an electronic signal.
A unit can be assembled that incorporates components for performing many of these functionalities in a single module. Such a module may comprise an integrated circuit (IC), one or more light sources such as an LED or a laser diode, and one or more optical detectors such as silicon, InP, InGaAs, Ge, or GaAs photodiode. The optical detector is used to detect optical signals and transform them into electrical waveforms that can be processed by integrated circuitry in the IC. In response, optical signals are output by the light sources, which may be controlled by the circuitry in the IC. The optical detector(s) may be formed, for example, on a silicon, InP, InGaAs, Ge, or GaAs substrate while the optical source(s) are included, for example, on a GaAs, InGaAs, InP, InGaAsP, AlGaAs, or AlGaAsSb substrate. The integrated circuitry can be incorporated into either or both of the two semiconductor chips. The two chips may be bonded together, using for example, flip-chip or conductive adhesive technology.
In many cases, laser diodes are preferred over LEDs as light sources. The laser diode, for example, provides a higher intensity beam than the LED. Additionally, its optical output also has a narrower wavelength spectrum, which is consequently less affected by dispersion caused by transmission through the optical fiber. "Laser diode" is a general term that includes two broad types of lasers. The first type of laser diode is an edge-emitting laser that emits light through an edge of an active region that comprises, for example, a p-n junction layer. The second type of laser diode is a vertical cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL).
Simply put, a VCSEL is a laser made of many layers, e.g., 600, which emits light vertically from a lower surface and in a direction parallel to the direction of its optical cavity, as opposed to an edge-emitting type laser structure. VCSELs have advantages over edge-emitting type structures because, for example, the edge-emitting type lasers must be precisely broken or cleaved individually to form each device during manufacturing. However, with VCSELs, literally millions of laser devices can be made simultaneously in an etching process.
A typical VCSEL comprises a plurality of layers of semiconductor material stacked on top of each other. A region centrally located within the stack corresponds to the active region comprising a p-n junction formed by adjacent p- and n-doped semiconductor layers. This active region is conventionally interposed between two distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRs), each DBR comprising a plurality of semiconductor layers with thicknesses selected so as to facilitate Bragg reflection, as is well-known in the art.
The term "vertical" in Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser pertains to the fact that the planar layers comprising the DBRs and the active region, when oriented horizontally, are such that a normal to the planes faces the vertical direction and light from the VCSEL is emitted in that vertical direction, in contrast with horizontal emission emanating from a side of an edge-emitting laser. VCSELs offer several advantages over edge-emitting lasers, for example, VCSELs are typically much smaller than edge-emitting lasers. Furthermore, VCSELs produce a high intensity output. This latter advantage, however, can be negated if the emitted beam cannot be effectively captured and transmitted to an external location, e.g., via a waveguide. Typically, an optical coupling element such as a lens must be positioned adjacent to and aligned precisely with the VCSEL in order to achieve efficient optical coupling. This process reduces the cost effectiveness of using VCSELs in many instances, especially when a plurality of VCSELs is arranged in a one- or two-dimensional array.
Another advantage afforded by the VCSEL is increased beam control, which is provided by an aperture that is formed in one or more of the semiconductor layers. This aperture is conventionally formed by exposing the stack of semiconductor layers to water vapor to oxidize one of the layers. Initially outer edges of this semiconductor layer begin oxidizing. However, this oxidation progresses inwardly until the water vapor can no longer permeate the layer from the sides, wherein oxidation stops. Thus, a central region of the semiconductor layer remains un-oxidized. When the VCSEL is activated, current will flow through this central region and not the through the surrounding oxide barrier. In this manner, the current flow is confined to a small portion of the active layer. Recombination of electrons and holes within this region causes light to be generated only within a small, localized area within the VCSEL. For the foregoing reasons, this aperture and the layer containing it are conventionally referred to in the art as a current confinement layer.
VCSELs have a range of uses. For example, a specially designed VCSEL has been used to create an optical latch or optical state memory, the VCSEL transitioning and latching in the ON state when an optical input is received. Arrays of such VCSEL's open up possibilities for various massively parallel optical computing applications such as pattern recognition. VCSELs have data communications applications as well as would be clear to one skilled in the art, for example, as transmitters in parallel optical links. For more information about VCSELs, see, for example, "LASERS, Harnessing the Atom's Light," Harbison et al., Scientific American Library, 1998, pages 169–177.
VCSEL arrays are commonly manufactured in a common cathode configuration, i.e., with all the laser cathodes connected together. The VCSEL does not begin lasing until the current through it exceeds a certain laser threshold value. The slope of a curve above this laser threshold is commonly referred to in the art as the differential quantum efficiency (DQE) of the VCSEL.
Vertical cavity surface emitting lasers (VCSELs) include first and second distributed Bragg reflectors (DBRS) formed on opposite sides of an active area. The VCSEL can be driven or pumped electrically by forcing current through the active area or optically by supplying light of a desired frequency to the active area. Typically, DBRs or mirror stacks are formed of a material system generally consisting of two materials having different indices of refraction and being easily lattice matched to the other portions of the VCSEL. In conventional VCSELs, conventional material systems perform adequately.
However, new products are being developed requiring VCSELs which emit light having long-wavelengths. VCSELs emitting light having long-wavelengths are of great interest in the optical telecommunications industry. This long-wavelength light can be generated by using a VCSEL having an InP based active region. When an InP based active region is used, however, the DBRs or mirror stacks lattice matched to the supporting substrate and the active region do not provide enough reflectivity for the VCSELs to operate because of the insignificant difference in the refractive indices between the two DBR constituents.

Solid state lasers and a method for their production


A surface-mountable linear vibrator includes a hollow cylindrical housing of a predetermined thickness having a space therein. An elastic member is fixed to an inner surface of the housing. A vibrating body includes a yoke fixed to the elastic member to be affected by elastic force in an axial direction of the housing, a weight fixed to the yoke, and a magnet fixed to the yoke. A circular substrate member is attached to a lower part of the housing, and provided with (i) a winding coil fixed to the upper surface thereof and (ii) a connection element formed on the lower surface thereof and electrically connected to the winding coil. Power is applied to the winding coil through the connection element.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a linear vibrator for generating vibration by causing a vibrating body, which is elastically installed in a housing, to be in a translational motion, and more particularly to a surface-mountable linear vibrator, in which a substrate member is fixed to a lower part of a housing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Various kinds of vibration generators for generating vibration, serving as an incoming call destination signal, are installed in mobile communication terminals, i.e., mobile phones. Vibrating motors are generally used as the above vibration generators. Each of the vibrating motors converts electrical energy to mechanical energy, and rotates an eccentric weight using the mechanical energy, thereby generating vibration.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view of a conventional coin-type vibrating motor 100, which is used as a vibration generator.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional coin-type vibrating motor 100 comprises a rotor assembly 110, a stator assembly 130, and a housing 102 for accommodating the rotor assembly 110 and the stator assembly 130.
Here, the rotor assembly 110 includes a winding coil 114, a commutator 116, and a weight body 118. The winding coil 114 and the weight body 118 are installed on an insulating body 112, and the insulating body 112 is rotatably installed on a shaft 122, which is vertically placed in the housing 102.
An upper substrate 124 is attached to the lower surface of the insulating body 112, and the commutator 116, including a plurality of segments divided and spaced from each other by a constant interval in a circumferential direction, is attached to the lower surface of the upper substrate 124. Here, the commutator 116 is electrically connected to the winding coil 114.
The stator assembly 130 includes a bracket 132, a magnet 134, and a brush 136.
That is, as shown in FIG. 1, a lower substrate 135 is fixed to the upper surface of the bracket 132, and the lower part of the bracket 132 is bonded to the lower part of the housing 102 having an opened lower surface. The magnet 134 having a disk shape and the brush 136 are fixed to the upper surface of the lower substrate 135, and the brush 136 is electrically connected to an external power source through the lower substrate 135.
When the bracket 132 is attached to the lower part of the housing 102, the upper end of the brush 136 contacts the commutator 116, thereby supplying current to the winding coil 114 through the commutator 116.
A power supply unit 140 including anode and cathode terminals 142a and 142b and lead wires 144a and 144b is installed on the lower substrate 135, and is electrically connected to the external power source. That is, the lower substrate 135 includes a terminal 135a protruded to the outside of the housing 102, and the anode and cathode terminals 142a and 142b are installed on the upper surface of the terminal 135a. The lead wires 144a and 144b electrically connected to the external power source are electrically connected to the anode and cathode terminals 142a and 142b.
Accordingly, a current from the external power source is supplied to the brush 136 of the vibrating motor 100 through the lead wires 144a and 144b and the anode and cathode terminals 142a and 142b, thereby rotating the rotor assembly 110 using the interaction between the winding coil 114 and the magnet 134, and thus generating vibration.
Here, since the commutator 116 of the rotor assembly 110 includes a plurality of the segments, when the rotor assembly 110 is rotated, the commutator 116 contacts the upper end of the brush 136. Thereby, mechanical friction and electrical sparks between the brush 136 and the commutator 116 are generated, thus damaging the brush 136 and the commutator 116.
As a result, the vibrating motor 100 has deteriorated endurance, and a shortened lifespan.
Since the rotor assembly 110 of the vibrating motor 100 is rotated centering on the shaft 122, the housing 102 requires a space necessary for the rotation of the rotor assembly 110. Thus, the vibrating motor 100 cannot satisfy the miniaturization trend, and has a limit in serving as a vibrating generator for mobile phones, which are gradually miniaturized.
In case that the vibrating motor 100 is installed in a mobile phone, the vibrating motor 100 is disadvantageous in that the mobile phone requires a separate space for receiving the power supply unit 140 installed on the terminal 135a protruded to the outside of the housing 102 and the lead wires 144a and 144b are connected to the external power source.
The lead wires 144a and 144b are electrically connected to the external power source by soldering. At this time, failures in soldering cause disconnection or short circuits of the lead wires 144a and 144b, thereby increasing a failure rate of the mobile phone.
Since the available space in the mobile phone is small, it is not easy to handle the lead wires 144a and 144b.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The resist film is provided on the surface of the substrate having electrodes, and openings are provided in the resist film at positions of the electrodes on the substrate. The first metal is supplied into the openings. The first metal is then heated to melt and coagulate it. The second metal is then supplied into the openings on the first metal. The first metal and the second metal are heated to melt and coagulate them. The resist film is finally removed. By this method, excellent solder bumps can be formed on the substrate without remnants of the resist film being left on the substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a semiconductor device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is a strong demand for high density mounting of electronic parts, and the bare chip assembly system is being watched with keen interest. The connecting structure in the bare chip assembly has been changed from face-up mounting using a wire bonding method to face-down mounting using the flip chip joint and solder bumps. In the joint using the solder bumps, the solder bumps are formed on electrodes on the surface of a semiconductor element. Concerning the method of forming the solder bumps, a method using electrolytic plating is known (For example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (Kokai) No. 6-133382 (pages 3 to 4, FIG. 1)).
As shown in FIG. 5A in the attached drawings, in the conventional method of forming solder bumps, a resist (insulating film) 56 is provided on the surface of a semiconductor substrate 50, and openings are provided at the positions of the electrodes in the resist on the semiconductor substrate. Then, the metal 58, which becomes solder bumps, is supplied into the openings by means of electrolytic plating. This metal 58 is formed to a height so that the metal 58 protrudes from the surface of the resist.
According to this method, the larger the thickness of the resist is, the higher the bumps it is possible to form. In the case of forming the solder bumps at narrow pitches, the area of the solder bump becomes smaller, and therefore, it is preferable that the height of the solder bumps is increased so as to ensure a required quantity of solder. When the solder bumps are formed by means of electrolytic plating, it is possible to form solder bumps having a large height at narrow pitches at a relatively low manufacturing cost.
The resist can be provided by coating liquid photo-resist by means of spin coat, of alternatively, it is possible to use dry film resist of uniform thickness. As dry film resist having a large thickness can be easily procured, it is appropriate for forming tall bumps.
In the case where the thick resist is used, a problem is caused in which it is difficult to separate the resist from a semiconductor substrate. In the case where metal, which becomes solder bumps, is formed to such a height that it protrudes from the resist surface, a portion of the plated metal covers the resist surface, and the profile of the plated metal becomes a mushroom-shape, as shown in FIG. 5B. Therefore, it is not easy for a release agent to get between the resist and the plated metal and between the resist and the semiconductor substrate. In the case of using the dry film resist, the dry film resist is separated by causing an alkali solution to penetrate into the dry film resist so that the dry film resist can be swollen. If it is not easy for the release agent to penetrate between the resist and the plated metal and between the resist and the semiconductor substrate, the resist cannot be perfectly separated, and the remnants 60 of the resist remain in the peripheries of the solder bumps and on the surface of the semiconductor substrate in some cases. As the resist remnants 60 absorb moisture, ion migration occurs, which could be a cause of short circuits between the bumps. Therefore, in order not to leave the resist remnants, it is necessary to reduce the height of the solder bumps to be smaller than the thickness of the resist. For the above reasons, in the case where the solder bumps are formed at narrow pitches, it is difficult to ensure a quantity of solder required. When the quantity of solder is low, joining will become defective or the capacity of alleviating stress by the solder bumps is deteriorated, that is, the reliability of joining is lowered.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device


Carbon-containing black glass compositions of matter having the empirical formula SiC.sub.x O.sub.y and derived from the polymer precursors having the residue ##STR1##

Ceramics have been known for many hundreds of years and have been used as coatings or as fabricated parts and are employed wherever their characteristics such as durability, nonporosity, electrical conductivity or nonconductivity, and heat protection are required. One of the more recent ceramic materials is a silicon-carbon-oxygen system, named as a black glass, which can find use in certain situations where extremely high temperatures are present.
Traditionally, the introduction of carbon in glasses was made by impregnating porous glass with a concentrated solution of an organic compound and subsequently firing in a reducing or neutral atmosphere. The carbon-containing product is generally regarded as a composite containing carbon and silica. Elmer and Meissner (Journal of the American Ceramic Society, 59, 206, 1976) of Corning Glass Works reported that the annealing point of reconstructed 96% silicon dioxide glasses is markedly increased by incorporating carbon in porous glass. Furfuryl alcohol was used as the pyrolyzable organic compound. They attributed the increase of about 100.degree. C. in annealing point to the effect of hydroxyl removal from the internal surface of the porous glass by hydroxyl reaction with carbon. The resistivities of samples with less than 2% carbon content approached that of the glass whereas the electrical resistivities of carbon-containing silica with carbon between 4.5-7% are in the range of 1-3 ohm-cm, thus producing electrically conductive glasses. The highest carbon content in the final glasses they could produce is 8.59%.
Smith & Crandall reported in U.S. Pat. No. 3,378,431 a method of making carbon-containing glass by hot-pressing to sintering temperature a mixture of colloidal silica and an organic compound known in the trade as "Carbowax" (polyethylene glycol) in an oxygen-free atmosphere. The black glass obtained from the mixture of 33% "Carbowax" and 67% silicon dioxide showed the presence of 1.2% by weight of carbon. A devitrification-resistant bonded mass of vitreous silicon dioxide and carbon physically inseparable and microscopically indistinguishable from silica was obtained. The black glass has a low thermal diffusivity and more resistance to crystallization than pure vitreous silica. Devitrification temperature increased by 150.degree. C. to 1250.degree. C. as compared with colloidal silica.
Carbon-modified silica glass has been used as a composite matrix by Larsen, Harada and Nakamum (Report No. AFWAS-TR-83-4134, December, 1983, Wright-Patterson AFB, Ohio). In producing fiber-reinforced composites, the processing sequence includes slurry impregnation of silicon carbide fiber in an aqueous slurry of a carbowax (polyethylene glycol) and a silicon-containing compound known in the trade as Cab-O-Sil (a silicon dioxide powder manufactured by Cabot), layout of prepregged fiber tows, and hot-pressing. The composites thus obtained exhibited high porosity and brittle fracture indicative of low toughness. They concluded that the silicon carbide/black glass fiber composite is a promising material, although the property goals were not achieved. There is suspicion that the silicon carbide fibers may have degraded.
More recently, formation of carbonaceous ceramics has been carried out through the use of the sol-gel process. January discloses in U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,510 the use of the sol gel process to form monolithic glasses containing carbon through pyrolysis of the gels of organosilsesquioxanes, metal oxides and metal alkoxides. Monomann in Great Britain Patent 1,359,576 disclosed the formation of silicon and quartz fibers using silsesquioxanes as precursors. Their gelling process used selected organosilicon compounds for the preparation of the ceramic precursor based on the following reaction: EQU .tbd.Si--OR+H.sub.2 O.fwdarw..tbd.Si--OH+ROH (1) EQU .tbd.Si--OH+HO--Si.tbd..fwdarw..tbd.Si--O--Si.tbd.+H.sub.2 O (2)
in which R represents an organic radical such as alkyl groups and aryl groups such as phenyl group.
The uniqueness of the sol-gel process is the ability to obtain homogeneous, purer glassy products by low temperature processes. Also, the use of a liquid sol as the starting material allows the preparation of intractable monoliths of complicated shapes utilizing a liquid path. The advantages of such a procedure over the powder consolidation techniques, such as sintering and hot isostatic pressing, are their formability of complicated shapes and low temperature operation. However, monolithic black glasses produced via hydrolysis and condensation of organoalkoxysilanes are not practical because of the requirement for very long drying periods and delicate gelling conditions. For example, January prepared a 0.66 cubic centimeter methyltrimethoxysilane gel monolith over a drying period of about three weeks, which, upon pyrolysis, yielded a carbon-containing black glass monolith of density 1.6 grams per milliliter.
The very slow drying rate is necessary for reducing cracks during the gelation period. These cracks form as a result of the non-uniform surface tensions created by the evaporation of the split-off water or alcohol molecules in the hydrolysis (1) and condensation (2) reactions.
Silsesquioxanes have also been produced by titanium catalyzed redistribution of methylhydridooligo- and-polysiloxanes by R. M. Laine et al., in Chem. Mater. 1990, 2, 464-472. A gaseous by-product (methyl silane, b.p. -57.degree. C.) is produced during the redistribution reaction.
In the instant invention, a hydrosilylation reaction was used for the gelation process in place of the hydrolysis-condensation route. The hydrosilylation involves addition of silane (Si--H) to vinyl silane (Si--CH.tbd.CH.sub.2) to form an ethylene or methylene linkage as illustrated in the following equations: EQU .tbd.Si--H+CH.sub.2 =CH--Si.tbd..fwdarw..tbd.SiCH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 Si.tbd.(3)
or ##STR2## The features of the hydrosilylation reaction are such that there is neither a small molecule reaction product nor a weight loss during gelation and that the carbons in the ethylene linkage are bonded to the silicon atoms. This gelation reaction completely eliminates the drying problem inherent in the hydrolysis of organoalkoxysilane process. We also found that cyclosiloxane gels cross-linked by hydrosilylation reaction produced upon pyrolysis to high temperature in a non-oxidizing atmosphere high carbon content, high yield and high density black glasses.
N. Harada and M. Tanaka in U.S. Pat. No. 3,957,717 described and claimed an organopolysiloxane gel prepared from cyclosiloxanes and H. Lamoreaux in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,197,432 and 3,197,433 claimed the product gel from reacting cyclosiloxanes containing hydrogens and vinyl groups. The basic idea of reacting silyl hydrogen groups with silyl vinyl groups is found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,439,014 and 3,271,362.
Monomann in Great Britain Patent 1,359,576 disclosed the use of a phenyl group rather than a methyl group as R in order to increase the carbon content of their products. By choosing phenyl group as R, the carbon weight percent can be increased to as high as ca. 30%. However, we have shown in our simulation experiments that the carbon present started to oxidize at 550.degree. C. in flowing air and was completely removed before 1000.degree. C. Therefore, the carbon derived from pyrolysis of the phenyl group is free carbon susceptible to oxidation while our invention results in a carbon-containing material that is oxidation resistant up to about 1400.degree. C.
Okamura et al. reported in U.S. Pat. No. 4,618,591 a method of making silicon carbide-carbon composite molded product by using polycarbosilane as the precursor for a matrix material. The polycarbosilane on pyrolysis forms microcrystalline silicon carbide with inclusion of low oxygen percentage, as indicated by their X-ray diffraction patterns. In contradistinction to this work, this invention produces materials that have different composition ranges and that are overwhelmingly amorphous with a few small diffraction peaks different from silicon carbide.
The stability of a soluble polymer was studied by thermogravimetric analysis by A. Zhdanov et al. and reported in the Russian Journal Vysokomolekulyarnye Soedineniya, Series A, 16 (10), 2345-50 (1974). They precipitated the highly branched, soluble polymer from the reaction mixture as powders by adding alcohols into the reaction vessel before the gel point. Their polymer was different from a network gel produced from a sol-gel process in that it contained a large amount of unreacted Si--H and Si--CH.dbd.CH.sub.2 groups and was readily soluble in aromatic solvents. Also, the polymer powder did not melt when heated up to 500.degree. C. They heated the soluble polymers at 10.degree. C. per minute up to a maximum of 780.degree. C. in both Argon and air and reported the thermogravimetric results as to weight loss at various stages of heating and as to the total weight loss involved. No weight change was observed beyond 780.degree. C. when heated in Argon at a rate of 10.degree. C./min. with a final yield of 87%. The Russians did not characterize the resultant product of this analysis and appeared to have no interest in this product.
In contradistinction to this prior work, this invention is concerned with the product of pyrolysis of the gel polymers formed from cyclosiloxanes as well as with the process to produce such a product. The product of our invention is a hard, glassy material which we call a black glass having oxidation-resistant carbon and which is very useful when cast as a monolith, or one piece object.


Disclosed herein is a system that uses an eye tracker for diagnosing and facilitating rehabilitation therapy of a patient suffering from disability. The system creates a human machine interface (HMI) that integrates various low cost biosensors and artificial sensors for conducting rehabilitation therapy. The system combines spinal and supra-spinal feedback of the patient with the operant conditioning to facilitate visuomotor balance therapy (VBT), thereby reducing fall risk in disability survivors. The operant conditioning setup for shaping of visuomotor learning to bring about new behavior or to modify a certain aspect of an existing behavior is used for rehabilitation therapy that includes a behaviour response apparatus, a reward delivery module, a stimulus delivery system, and a behaviour control system. The system can also be extended to the patient's home for providing telerehabilitation therapy.

In normal day-to-day functioning, human beings need to have accurate and precise eye movements to various sensory stimuli. The complex neural pathways and brain regions involved in production of eye movements during ocular fixation and gaze control include a widely distributed network in the area of brain that includes the cerebrum, brainstem, and cerebellum. The widely distributed network is affected by various neurological and psychiatric disorders in a typical manner, producing characteristic eye movement gaze abnormalities. These eye movement gaze abnormalities provide a diagnostic clue to the underlying condition or disease of the subject. Thus, quantitative recordings of eye movements provide valuable information about the severity, progression or regression of the underlying condition or disease. Further, the quantitative readings provide an objective to evaluate the efficacy of neuro-protective and neuro-restorative therapies. For example, aspects of saccades, i.e., a type of rapid continuous eye movement, can be tested to probe both motor and cognitive aspects of oculomotor behavior.
Saccades help to re-fixate the eye from one object to another. Fixations are separated by saccades to constitute a scan path and are defined as movements of the eye from one point to another. Smooth pursuits can be described as fixation-in-motion and they occur when the eyes are following a moving target. Any deviation from the normal conditions of the aforementioned parameters results in abnormalities such as nystagmus, saccadic palsy and strabismus.
Nystagmus is a condition that causes involuntary rapid movement of one or both the eyes. The eyes may move from side to side, up and down or in a circular motion. Saccadic palsy involves loss of voluntary movement on the contralateral side and is due to cortical damage or a lesion of the paramedian pontine reticular formation in the brainstem pons. The damage to the motor neurons of ocular muscles results in paralysis of the muscle that is often manifested as a Strabismus. The external manifestation of various Parkinsonian disorders and stroke can cause irregularities in blinking. The rate of blinking of the eyes reduces due to incomplete and irregular eye closure.
Different types of oculomotor deficits, as mentioned above, can be used as sensitive bio-markers for various neurological and psychiatric disorders. Many systems and devices are known in the art to tackle problems related to oculomotor deficits. A three-step bedside oculomotor examination system—HINTS acronym for Head-Impulse-Nystagmus-Test-of-Skew can diagnose disabilities in a period of 24-48 hours and is better than a negative MRI with diffusion weighted imaging (DWI). However, expertise in these bedside techniques is limited to specialists. Hence, there is a need for a home-based monitoring and telerehabilitation system, which is not only as accurate as HINTS, but also easy to use.
In a particular rehabilitation application, subjects suffering from stroke are at a high risk for falls. When a person's balance is disturbed, his or her postural stability is maintained with the help of feedback mechanisms received from the brain. In existing feedback mechanisms, operant conditioning for rehabilitation of subjects has been used in isolation. A low-cost posturography system that quantifies postural control when the body is in the upright position has been developed to study center of pressure-center of mass (CoP-CoM) trajectories during voluntary weight-shifting tasks assigned to the subjects. Electromyography (EMG) signals of the subjects were collected and it was observed that muscle responses in a paretic limb were delayed as compared to muscle responses in a sound limb. This research also suggested that agility training programs that challenge dynamic balance may be more effective than static stretching or weight-shifting exercise programs in preventing falls during treatment of the subjects. It also leads to the conclusion that spinal and supra-spinal multisensory integration, in addition to muscle strength, is critical for balance recovery.
Another technique for rehabilitation of the subjects called functional electrical stimulation (FES) that includes neuromuscular electrical stimulation (NMES) of motor nerves and muscles as well as sensory electrical stimulation (SES) of the sensory nerve has been developed to facilitate post stroke therapy. NMES involves a device that sends a series of electrical signals to a group of muscles through electrodes, causing stimulation of the muscles. Prior research shows that NMES evokes lasting changes in corticospinal excitability, where volitionally driven NMES with real time visual feedback may induce neuroplasticity in spinal circuits.
Indeed, feedback mechanisms controlled by the cerebral cortex play an important role during postural perturbations. Further, another research concludes that non-invasive brain stimulation, especially transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) facilitates rehabilitation of subjects by modulating cortical excitability at cerebral cortex. Modulation of cortical excitability is achieved by passing a weak current directly to the brain, thereby enhancing sensory feedback and motor control that facilitates the neuroplasticity mechanism. For an example, anodal tDCS over sensorimotor cortex leads to an increase in the size of the ipsilateral cortical component of the somatosensory system and therefore enhances corticospinal excitability. Further, anodal tDCS over primary motor cortex increases di-synaptic inhibition by increasing di-synaptic interneuron excitability and thereby affects spinal network excitability as well.
Significant research has been done in the past in the area of rehabilitation for subjects by using neuro-stimulation techniques that can be interfaced with a portable apparatus for measuring eye movement for visuomotor rehabilitation. However, none of these pioneering research works in the area of rehabilitation for visuomotor disabilities has used a closed-loop integrated approach where operant conditioning is performed to bring about new behavior or to modify a certain aspect of an existing behavior towards rehabilitation of the visuomotor deficits.
Further, US 2014/0330159 discloses a system for assessing a patient's neurological disability by the means of neuromotor or visuomotor task and recording the patient's performance depending on a level complexity of the task. WO 2014/164453 discloses a method to assess a subject's neurological and psychological status using visual tests. The visual tests include signals from a responsive eye movement, a non-responsive eye movement, an involuntary eye movement, a responsive body movement, a non-responsive body movement, and an involuntary body movement. The accuracy of the movements determines the subject's neurological and psychological status depending upon the performance validity. Although both the patents disclose diagnosis of neurological and psychological disabilities of a patient, they do not disclose any information on integrating the visual feedback with the body movements in order to treat the patient diagnosed with the neurological and psychological disabilities.
In an embodiment presented here for post-stroke balance rehabilitation, the primary focus is on improving the standing balance ability of the stroke patient. In light of the foregoing discussion, we present an embodiment of the system that can apply an eye gaze based diagnostics during a visuomotor task to identify the deficits. Furthermore, we present an embodiment for a system that provides a real time adaptive visual feedback as well as electrical stimulation (NMES and SES) to shape visuomotor learning facilitating normal behaviour while penalizing compensatory mechanisms thereby leading to an effective visuomotor balance rehabilitation therapy for survivors from disabilities.

Smart eye system for visuomotor dysfunction diagnosis and its operant conditioning

Indian Institute of Technology Gandhinagar


Embodiments of the invention are directed to systems, methods, and apparatus for providing continuous power and utilities to a fixture in a manufacturing process. In one embodiment of the invention, a system with robot, such as a robotic arm, and a workstation can be deployed in a manufacturing process. A fixture associated with the manufacturing process can include a mount operable for receiving power from the robot or robot arm, and another mount operable for receiving power from the workstation. An associated control device, such as a programmable logic circuit, can selectively provide power via either mount depending on whether the fixture is mounted to the robot or robotic arm, or to the workstation.

Manufacturing facilities increasingly rely on robotic equipment to perform or otherwise assist personnel in performing manufacturing and process tasks. In some manufacturing facilities, particular tasks can be organized at one or more workstations to permit tasks to be efficiently performed. In certain instances, robotic equipment can be deployed by personnel at a workstation to perform or assist in performing the tasks. Each workstation can include one or more fixtures associated with the workstation depending on the tasks to be performed during a manufacturing process.
For example, at a bicycle manufacturing facility, a workstation for making bicycle frames can be used. Robotic equipment, such as a robotic arm, can be deployed at the workstation to perform various tasks including, but not limited to, welding, punching, cutting, bending, and fastening. In a bicycle frame assembly process, components for a bicycle frame can be arranged by personnel at a bicycle frame assembly workstation. Personnel can manually arrange the components into a suitable frame configuration using a bicycle frame assembly fixture. A fixture can include various clamps, sensors, and other power-driven devices to maintain an initial configuration of components to be assembled. When the components of the bicycle frame are ready to be assembled, a robotic arm can be activated to perform assembly tasks including, but not limited to, welding, bending and fastening to assemble the components of the bicycle frame mounted within or to the associated fixture.
Due to certain safety and design considerations, fixtures may not independently receive power from a power source, whereas robotic equipment such as robotic arms are typically connected to an independent power source. In order to provide power to a fixture of interest, personnel can operate robotic equipment such as a robotic arm, to dock or otherwise connect to the fixture. Once docked to the fixture, the robotic equipment can provide power to the fixture as well as perform its pre-assigned tasks. Using power supplied via the robotic equipment, personnel monitoring the fixture or otherwise performing tasks at the fixture can operate any power-driven devices such as clamps, sensors, and other devices associated with the fixture, and perform their intended tasks.
For example, a robotic arm may dock to a bicycle frame assembly fixture, and may manipulate or otherwise orient the fixture as needed with pre-arranged components of a bicycle frame mounted within or to the fixture. The robotic arm may perform several tasks on the bicycle frame such as welding and bending. However, when the robotic equipment such as the robotic arm is undocked or otherwise disconnected from the fixture, power is no longer supplied to the fixture via the robotic arm, and personnel cannot operate any power-driven devices such as clamps, sensors, and other devices associated with the fixture.
At certain times, the lack of power to a fixture can slow or otherwise hinder certain tasks associated with a fixture. For instance, if personnel need to adjust or otherwise manipulate or monitor clamps, sensors, and other power-driven devices associated with the fixture, robotic equipment such as a robotic arm must be docked or otherwise connected to provide power to these devices. In some instances, safety considerations while operating robotic equipment may limit or prohibit access of personnel to certain workstation areas adjacent to the fixture. In any instance, manufacturing process and cycle times may increase when power-driven devices associated with the fixture need to be adjusted, manipulated, or monitored, and no power to the fixture is readily available. Likewise, manufacturing costs increase accordingly when process and cycle times increase.
Therefore, a need exists for systems, methods, and apparatus for providing continuous power and utilities to a fixture in a manufacturing process.

Systems, methods, and apparatus for providing continuous power to a fixture in a manufacturing process


System components are managed. Based on a first communication path to a component, first identification information for the component is determined. Based on a second communication path to the component, second identification information for the component is determined. Based on the first identification information and the second identification information, an identity for the component is determined. Based on the identity, a set of tests is performed on the component. Based on the failure rate of the set of tests, it is concluded that another component on the first communication path is faulty.

Today's networked computing environments are used in businesses for generating and storing large amounts of critical data. The systems used for moving, storing, and manipulating this critical data are expected to have high performance, high capacity, and high reliability, while being reasonably priced.
As is known in the art, large computer systems and data servers sometimes require large capacity data storage systems. One type of data storage system is a magnetic disk storage system. Here a bank of disk drives and the computer systems and data servers are coupled together through an interface. The interface includes storage processors that operate in such a way that they are transparent to the computer. That is, data is stored in, and retrieved from, the bank of disk drives in such a way that the computer system or data server merely thinks it is operating with one memory. One type of data storage system is a RAID data storage system. A RAID data storage system includes two or more disk drives in combination for fault tolerance and performance.
One conventional data storage system includes two storage processors for high availability. Each storage processor includes a respective send port and receive port for each disk drive. Accordingly, if one storage processor fails, the other storage processor has access to each disk drive and can attempt to continue operation.
Modern computer systems typically use a computer architecture that may be viewed as having three distinct subsystems which when combined, form what most think of when they hear the term computer. These subsystems are: 1) a processing complex; 2) an interface between the processing complex and I/O controllers or devices; and 3) the I/O (i.e., input/output) controllers or devices themselves. A processing complex may be as simple as a single microprocessor, such as a Pentium microprocessor, coupled to memory. Or, it might be as complex as two or more processors which share memory.
A blade server is essentially a processing complex, an interface, and I/O together on a relatively small printed circuit board that has a backplane connector. The blade is made to be inserted with other blades into a chassis that has a form factor similar to a rack server today. Many blades can be located in the same rack space previously required by just one or two rack servers. Blade servers typically provide all of the features of a pedestal or rack server, including a processing complex, an interface to I/O, and I/O. Further, the blade servers typically integrate all necessary I/O because they do not have an external bus which would allow them to add other I/O on to them. So, each blade typically includes such I/O as Ethernet (10/100, and/or 1 gig), and data storage control (SCSI, Fiber Channel, etc.).
The interface between the processing complex and I/O is commonly known as the Northbridge or memory control hub (MCH) chipset. On the "north" side of the chipset (i.e., between the processing complex and the chipset) is a bus referred to as the HOST bus. The HOST bus is usually a proprietary bus designed to interface to memory, to one or more microprocessors within the processing complex, and to the chipset. On the "south" side of the chipset are a number of buses which connect the chipset to I/O devices. Examples of such buses include: ISA, EISA, PCI, PCI-X, and Peripheral Component Interconnect (PCI) Express.
PCI Express is an I/O interconnect architecture that is intended to support a wide variety of computing and communications platforms and is described in the PCI Express Base Specification, Rev. 1.0a, Apr. 15, 2003 (hereinafter, "PCI Express Base Specification" or "PCI Express standard"). The PCI Express architecture describes a fabric topology in which the fabric is composed of point-to-point links that interconnect a set of devices. For example, a single fabric instance (referred to as a "hierarchy") can include a Root Complex (RC), multiple endpoints (or I/O devices) and a switch. The switch supports communications between the RC and endpoints, as well as peer-to-peer communications between endpoints.
The switch includes a number of ports, with at least one port being connected to the RC and at least one other port being coupled to an endpoint as provided in the PCI Express Base Specification. The RC, switch, and endpoints may be referred to as "PCI Express devices".
The switch may include ports connected to non-switch ports via corresponding PCI Express links, including a link that connects a switch port to a root complex port. The switch enables communications between the RC and endpoints, as well as peer-to-peer communications between endpoints. A switch port may be connected to another switch as well.
At least some of the end points may share an address domain, such as a memory address domain or an I/O address domain. The term "address domain" means the total range of addressable locations. If the shared address domain is a memory address domain, then data units are transmitted via memory mapped I/O to a destination address into the shared memory address domain. There may be more than two address domains, and more than one address domain may be shared. The address domains are contiguous ranges. Each address domains is defined by a master end point. Address portions associated with the individual end points may be non-contiguous and the term "portions" is meant to refer to contiguous and non-contiguous spaces. The master end point for a given address domain allocates address portions to the other end points which share that address domain. The end points communicate their address space needs to a master device, and the master device allocates address space accordingly.
Data units may be directed to one or more of the end points by addressing. That is, a destination address is associated with and may be included in the data units. The destination address determines which end point should receive a given data unit. Thus, data units addressed to the individual portion for a given end point should be received only by that end point. Depending on the embodiment, the destination address may be the same as the base address or may be within the address portion.
The end points may be associated with respective ports. Through this association, a given end point may send data units to and receive data units from its associated port. This association may be on a one-to-one basis. Because of these relationships, the ports also have associations with the address portions of the end points. Thus, the ports may be said to have address portions within the address domains.
A goal of PCI Express is to provide a migration strategy to expand from the legacy PCI technology into the new serial-based link technology. In at least some respects PCI Express aids this by being compatible to existing PCI hardware and software architectures. As a result, PCI Express also inherits a global memory address-based and tree topology architecture, which therefore is used in peer-to-peer communications between multiple hosts in various topologies, such as star, dual-star, and meshes, which are typically used in blade servers, clusters, storage arrays, and telecom routers and switches.
The PCI Express architecture is based upon a single host processor or root complex that controls the global memory address space of the entire system. Upon power-up and enumeration process, the root complex interrogates the entire system by traversing through the hierarchical tree-topology and locates all endpoint devices that are connection in the system. A space is allocated for each endpoint device in the global memory in order for the host processor to communicate with it.
In particular, a discovery and configuration cycle is begun in which each switch port and endpoint within the hierarchy is identified. The cycle comprises accessing configuration data stored in the each device coupled to the network switch fabric (e.g., the PCI configuration space of a PCI device). The switches comprise data related to devices that are coupled to the switch. If the configuration data regarding other devices stored by each switch is not complete, additional configuration cycles may be initiated until all devices coupled to the switches have been identified and the configuration data within each switch is complete.
During the aforementioned discovery and configuration operations, information is collected about each device installed in the system. Each PCI Express device stores information about its various device attributes, including capabilities and/or services supported by the device. The attribute information identifies functionality that may be accessed by the PCI Express device, such as mass storage or communication capabilities (via corresponding protocol interfaces), for example. The attributes parameter set (e.g., one or more attribute parameters in a list) is used, in part, to specify capabilities a requesting endpoint would like to access.
The attribute information may be stored in a table structure and may include a device ID, a vendor ID, a class code, a revision ID, a subsystem ID, a subsystem vendor ID, a capability pointer, and various reserved fields. The device ID comprises a 16-bit value assigned by the manufacturer of the device. The vendor ID is a 16-bit value assigned by PCI-SIG (Peripheral Component Interconnect Special Interest Group) for each vendor that manufacturers PCI Express-compliant devices. The class code is a 24-bit value that indicates the class of the device, as defined by PCI-SIG. The subsystem ID and subsystem vendor ID are analogous to the device ID and vendor ID, except they are applicable for devices that include PCI-compliant subsystems.
During link training, each PCI Express link is set up following a negotiation of link widths, frequency of operation and other parameters by the ports at each end of the link.
Fibre Channel is a high performance, serial interconnect standard designed for bi-directional, point-to-point communications between servers, storage systems, workstations, switches, and hubs. It offers a variety of benefits over other link-level protocols, including efficiency and high performance, scalability, simplicity, ease of use and installation, and support for popular high level protocols.
The Fibre Channel protocol ("FCP") uses a single Open-Systems-Interface-like (OSI-like) stack architecture. Devices that are operable with the Fibre Channel protocol typically include a controller (an "FC controller") that embodies the functionality of some of the middle-layers of the FCP stack. Furthermore, FC controllers may involve a "controller chip". As part of the middle-layer FCP functionality, these FC controllers monitor the state of information transmissions over the FC communication links and are designed to take appropriate recovery measures should an unresponsive communication link be encountered.
A typical type of computer system test calls for the processor to execute firmware/software that operates at a lower level than an operating system based program, prior to booting the operating system. These include basic I/O system (BIOS) and power on self test (POST) programs. These types of tests provide relatively low-level control of component functionality and interconnect buses. BIOS and/or POST may use management signal connections (e.g., serial I2C (Inter-IC Bus) connections) to communicate with system components.


Provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for reducing expression of ApoCIII mRNA and protein in an animal. Also provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for increasing HDL levels and/or improving the ratio of TG to HDL and reducing plasma lipids and plasma glucose in an animal. Such methods, compounds, and compositions are useful to treat, prevent, delay, or ameliorate any one or more of cardiovascular disease or metabolic disorder, or a symptom thereof.

Lipoproteins are globular, micelle-like particles that consist of a non-polar core of acylglycerols and cholesteryl esters surrounded by an amphiphilic coating of protein, phospholipid and cholesterol. Lipoproteins have been classified into five broad categories on the basis of their functional and physical properties: chylomicrons, very low density lipoproteins (VLDL), intermediate density lipoproteins (IDL), low density lipoproteins (LDL), and high density lipoproteins (HDL). Chylomicrons transport dietary lipids from intestine to tissues. VLDLs, IDLs and LDLs all transport triacylglycerols and cholesterol from the liver to tissues. HDLs transport endogenous cholesterol from tissues to the liver
Lipoprotein particles undergo continuous metabolic processing and have variable properties and compositions. Lipoprotein densities increase without increasing particle diameter because the density of their outer coatings is less than that of the inner core. The protein components of lipoproteins are known as apolipoproteins. At least nine apolipoproteins are distributed in significant amounts among the various human lipoproteins.
Apolipoprotein C-III (ApoCIII) is a constituent of HDL and of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins. Elevated ApoCIII is associated with hypertriglyceridemia. Accordingly, ApoCIII has a role in hypertriglyceridemia, a risk factor for coronary artery disease (Davidsson et al., J. Lipid Res. 2005. 46: 1999-2006). ApoCIII slows clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins by inhibiting lipolysis, both through inhibition of lipoprotein lipase and by interfering with lipoprotein binding to cell-surface glycosaminoglycan matrix (Shachter, Curr. Opin. Lipidol., 2001, 12, 297-304).
The gene encoding human apolipoprotein C-III (also called APOC3, APOC-III, ApoCIII, and APO C-III) was cloned in 1984 by three research groups (Levy-Wilson et al., DNA, 1984, 3, 359-364; Protter et al., DNA, 1984, 3, 449-456; Sharpe et al., Nucleic Acids Res., 1984, 12, 3917-3932). The coding sequence is interrupted by three introns (Protter et al., DNA, 1984, 3, 449-456). The human ApoCIII gene is located approximately 2.6 kb to the 3′ direction of the apolipoprotein A-1 gene and these two genes are convergently transcribed (Karathanasis, Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1985, 82, 6374-6378). Also cloned was a variant of human apolipoprotein C-III with a Thr74 to Ala74 mutation from a patient with unusually high level of serum apolipoprotein C-III. As the Thr74 is O-glycosylated, the Ala74 mutant therefore resulted in increased levels of serum ApoCIII lacking the carbohydrate moiety (Maeda et al., J. Lipid Res., 1987, 28, 1405-1409). Other variants or polymorphisms that modulated Apo CIII expression were later identified. Some of the polymorphsims elevated ApoCIII. Elevated ApoCIII levels were associated with elevated triglyceride (TG) levels and diseases such as cardiovascular disease, metabolic syndrome, obesity and diabetes (Chan et al., Int J Clin Pract, 2008, 62:799-809; Onat et al., Atherosclerosis, 2003, 168:81-89; Mendivil et al., Circulation, 2011, 124:2065-2072).
Five polymorphisms have been identified in the promoter region of the gene: C (at position −641 of the gene) to A, G (at position −630 of the gene) to A, T (at position −625 of the gene) to deletion, C (at position −482 of the gene) to T and T (at position −455 of the gene) to C. All of these polymorphisms are in linkage disequilibrium with the SstI polymorphism in the 3′ untranslated region. The SstI polymorphic site distinguishes the S1 and S2 alleles and the S2 allele has been associated with elevated plasma triglyceride levels (Dammerman et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A., 1993, 90, 4562-4566). The ApoCIII promoter is downregulated by insulin and this polymorphic site abolishes the insulin regulation. Thus the potential overexpression of ApoCIII resulting from the loss of insulin regulation may be a contributing factor to the development of hypertriglyceridemia associated with the S2 allele (Li et al., J. Clin. Invest., 1995, 96, 2601-2605). The T (at position −455 of the gene) to C polymorphism has been associated with an increased risk of coronary artery disease (Olivieri et al., J. Lipid Res., 2002, 43, 1450-1457). Other polymorphisms in the human ApoCIII gene that have been associated with elevated ApoCIII and/or triglyceride expression include: C (at position 1100) to T, C (at position 3175) to G, T (at position 3206) to G, C (at positions 3238) to G, etc. (Tilly et al., J. Lipid Res., 2003, 44:430-436; Waterworth et al., Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol, 2000, 20:2663-2669; Petersen et al., N Engl J Med, 2010, 362:1082-1089).
In addition to insulin, other regulators of ApoCIII gene expression have been identified. A response element for the nuclear orphan receptor rev-erb alpha has been located at positions −23 to −18 of the gene, in the ApoCIII promoter region. Rev-erb alpha decreases ApoCIII promoter activity (Raspe et al., J Lipid Res., 2002, 43, 2172-2179). The ApoCIII promoter region from positions −86 to −74 of the gene is recognized by two nuclear factors CIIIb1 and CIIIB2 (Ogami et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1991, 266, 9640-9646). ApoCIII expression is also upregulated by retinoids acting via the retinoid X receptor, and alterations in retinoid X receptor abundance affects ApoCIII transcription (Vu-Dac et al., J. Clin. Invest., 1998, 102, 625-632). Specificity protein 1 (Sp1) and hepatocyte nuclear factor-4 (HNF-4) have been shown to work synergistically to transactivate the apolipoprotein C-III promoter via the HNF-4 binding site (Kardassis et al., Biochemistry, 2002, 41, 1217-1228). HNF-4 also works in conjunction with SMAD3-SMAD4 to transactivate the ApoCIII promoter (Kardassis et al., J Biol. Chem., 2000, 275, 41405-41414).
Transgenic and knockout mice have further defined the role of ApoCIII in lipolysis. Overexpression of ApoCIII in transgenic mice leads to hypertriglyceridemia and impaired clearance of VLDL-triglycerides (de Silva et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1994, 269, 2324-2335; Ito et al., Science, 1990, 249, 790-793). Knockout mice with a total absence of the ApoCIII protein exhibited significantly reduced plasma cholesterol and triglyceride levels compared with wild-type mice and were protected from postprandial hypertriglyceridemia (Maeda et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1994, 269, 23610-23616).
Total plasma ApoCIII levels have been identified as a major determinant of serum triglycerides, and epidemiological studies have demonstrated that ApoCIII and ApoB lipoproteins that have ApoCIII as a component independently predict coronary heart disease (Sacks et al., Circulation. 2000. 102: 1886-1892; Lee et al., Arterioscler Thromb Vasc Biol. 2003. 23: 853-858). Studies also demonstrate that ApoCIII is a key determinant in the clearance of triglyceride-rich lipoproteins and its remnants in hypertriglyceridaemic states, including visceral obesity, insulin resistance and the metabolic syndrome (Mauger et al., J. Lipid Res. 2006. 47: 1212-1218; Chan et al., Clin. Chem. 2002. 278-283; Ooi et al., Clin. Sci. 2008. 114: 611-624).
Hypertriglyceridemia is a common clinical trait associated with an increased risk of cardiometabolic disease (Hegele et al. 2009, Hum Mol Genet, 18: 4189-4194; Hegele and Pollex 2009, Mol Cell Biochem, 326: 35-43) as well as of occurrence of acute pancreatitis in the most severe forms (Toskes 1990, Gastroenterol Clin North Am, 19: 783-791; Gaudet et al. 2010, Atherosclerosis Supplements, 11: 55-60; Catapano et al. 2011, Atherosclerosis, 217S: S1-S44; Tremblay et al. 2011, J Clin Lipidol, 5: 37-44). Examples of cardiometabolic disease include, but are not limited to, diabetes, metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance, and genetic disorders such as familial chylomicronemia, familial combined hyperlipidemia and familial hypertriglyceridemia.
Hypertriglyceridemia is the consequence of increased production and/or reduced or delayed catabolism of triglyceride (TG)-rich lipoproteins: VLDL and, to a lesser extent, chylomicrons (CM). Borderline high TGs (150-199 mg/dL) are commonly found in the general population and are a common component of the metabolic syndrome/insulin resistance states. The same is true for high TGs (200-499 mg/dL) except that as plasma TG levels increase, underlying genetic factors play an increasingly important etiologic role. Very high TGs (≧500 mg/dL) are most often associated with elevated CM levels as well, and are accompanied by increasing risk for acute pancreatitis. The risk of pancreatitis is considered clinically significant if TG exceeds 880 mg/dL (>10 mmol) and the European Atherosclerosis Society/European Society of Cardiology (EAS/ESC) 2011 guidelines state that actions to prevent acute pancreatitis are mandatory (Catapano et al. 2011, Atherosclerosis, 217S: S1-S44). According to the EAS/ESC 2011 guidelines, hypertriglyceridemia is the cause of approximately 10% of all cases of pancreatitis, and development of pancreatitis can occur at TG levels between 440-880 mg/dL. Based on evidence from clinical studies demonstrating that elevated TG levels are an independent risk factor for atherosclerotic CVD, the guidelines from both the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III (NCEP 2002, Circulation, 106: 3143-421) and the American Diabetes Association (ADA 2008, Diabetes Care, 31: S12-S54.) recommend a target TG level of less than 150 mg/dL to reduce cardiovascular risk.
ApoCIII-knockout mice had normal intestinal lipid absorption and hepatic VLDL triacylglycerol secretion, but a rapid clearance of VLDL triacylglycerols and VLDL cholesteryl esters from plasma that may explain the observed hypolipidaemia (Gerritsen et al., J. Lipid Res. 2005. 46: 1466-1473; Jong et al., J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 1578-1585). VLDL particles with ApoCIII have been cited to play a major role in identifying the high risk of coronary heart disease in hypertriglyceridemia (Campos et al., J. Lipid Res. 2001. 42: 1239-1249). A genome-wide association study found a naturally occurring ApoCIII null mutation in Lancaster Amish people demonstrated a favorable lipid profile and apparent cardioprotection, with no obvious detrimental effects (Pollin et al., Science. 2008. 322: 1702-1705). The mutation carriers are observed to have lower fasting and postprandial serum triglycerides and LDL-cholesterol, and higher levels of HDL-cholesterol.
The HDL class of lipoproteins comprises a heterogeneous and polydisperse population of particles that are the most dense and smallest of size (Havel and Kane. In, The Metabolic & Molecular Bases of Inherited Disease. 8th Edition. McGraw-Hill, New York, 2001:2705-16). HDL is a macromolecular complex of lipids (cholesterol, triglycerides and phospholipids) and proteins (apolipoproteins (apo) and enzymes). The surface of HDL contains chiefly apolipoproteins A, C and E. The function of some of these apoproteins is to direct HDL from the peripheral tissues to the liver. Serum HDL levels can be affected by underlying genetic causes (Weissglas-Volkov and Pajukanta, J Lipid Res, 2010, 51:2032-2057)
Epidemiological studies have indicated that increased levels of HDL protect against cardiovascular disease or coronary heart disease (Gordon et al., Am. J. Med. 1977. 62: 707-714). These effects of HDL-cholesterol are independent of triglyceride and LDL-cholesterol concentrations. In clinical practice, a low plasma HDL-cholesterol is more commonly associated with other disorders that increase plasma triglycerides, for example, central obesity, insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes mellitus and renal disease (chronic renal failure or nephrotic proteinuria) (Kashyap. Am. J. Cardiol. 1998. 82: 42U-48U).
Currently, there are no known direct therapeutic agents that affect the function of ApoCIII. The hypolipidemic effect of the fibrate class of drugs has been postulated to occur via a mechanism where peroxisome proliferator activated receptor (PPAR) mediates the displacement of HNF-4 from the apolipoprotein C-III promoter, resulting in transcriptional suppression of apolipoprotein C-III (Hertz et al., J. Biol. Chem., 1995, 270, 13470-13475). The statin class of hypolipidemic drugs also lower triglyceride levels via an unknown mechanism, which results in increases in lipoprotein lipase mRNA and a decrease in plasma levels of apolipoprotein C-III (Schoonjans et al., FEBS Lett., 1999, 452, 160-164). Consequently, there remains a long felt need for additional agents capable of effectively inhibiting apolipoprotein C-III function.
Antisense technology is emerging as an effective means for reducing the expression of certain gene products and may therefore prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications for the modulation of ApoCIII.
We have previously disclosed compositions and method for inhibiting ApoCIII by antisense compounds in US 20040208856 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,598,227), US 20060264395 (U.S. Pat. No. 7,750,141), and WO 2004/093783. In the present application, we disclose the unexpected result that antisense inhibition of ApoCIII resulted in the elevation of HDL levels and decrease in postprandial triglyceride levels. This result will be useful, for example, to treat, prevent, delay, decrease or ameliorate any one or more diseases, such as cardiovascular disease (e.g., coronary heart disease or atherogenic diseases). For example, elevated postprandial (non-fasting) triglyceride levels have been identified as a significant risk factor for cardiovascular diseases (Bansal et al., JAMA, 2007, 298:309-16; Nordestgaard et al., JAMA, 2007, 298:299-308), Also, in the present application, inhibition of ApoCIII expression unexpectedly results in increased chylomicron clearance and is therefore important in the prevention of chylomicronemia (Chait et al., 1992, Adv Intern Med. 1992, 37:249-73), a dyslipidemic state caused by improper clearance of chylomicron triglyceride. Severe forms of chylomicronemia can lead to pancreatitis, a life-threatening condition. By inhibiting intestinal ApoCIII, inhibition of lipoprotein lipase would be reduced, and chylomicron triglyceride clearance would be enhanced, thereby preventing pancreatitis.

Modulation of apolipoprotein CIII (ApoCIII) expression


A magnetostatic wave (MSW) signal-to-noise (S/N) enhancer includes a divider for dividing an input signal into a first and a second path signals, first and second microwave-MSW transducers for transducing the first and second path signals into the first and second path transduced signals, and a combiner for combining the first and second path transduced signals in opposite phase to each other. The first path signal contains a desired signal which is higher than a first saturation level and a noise component which is lower than the first path threshold power level. The first microwave-MSW transducer outputs the noise in linear operation and the desired signal in saturation operation. All the component signals of the second path signal including noise are lower than the second path threshold power level and are output in a linear operation by the second microwave-MSW transducer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a receiving apparatus for an FM signal or a PM signal which apparatus can enhance a C/N (Carrier-to-Noise Ratio) of an input signal at a microwave-frequency range before demodulation to enhance an S/N (Signal-to-Noise Ratio) of a demodulated signal, and the present invention also relates to a magnetostatic wave (MSW) S/N enhancer which can be used in the receiving apparatus for enhancing the C/N, more particularly, to the MSW S/N enhancer which can enhance the C/N of a microwave signal input to the receiving apparatus, based on the frequency-selective saturation characteristics of the MSW.
2. Description of the Related Art
In order to improve the threshold of an FM signal, for example, the conventional receiving apparatus for an FM signal or a PM signal has provided with a narrow bandpass filter inserted in a transmission path for a radio-frequency (RF) signal, which filter makes contribution to reduction of an equivalent noise bandwidth. Alternatively, for that purpose, the conventional receiving apparatus has employed a feedback demodulator using a frequency-locked loop (FLL) or a phase-locked loop (PLL).
In case that the signal received by the FM signal receiving apparatus has a uniform noise spectrum, when the signal is a sine wave, relation between a C/N of the received signal and an S/N of the demodulated signal can be represented as follows: ##EQU1## wherein C is a power (W) of the input RF signal, n.sub.o is a noise distribution (W/Hz) including the signal, .DELTA.f is a maximum frequency deviation (Hz.sub.p-p), f is a bandwidth of a demodulated signal (Hz), and B is a transmission bandwidth of the RF signal.
.DELTA.f, f.sub.m and B depend on how the FM signal is modulated in a transmitting apparatus. In case that n.sub.o is uniform with respect to frequency, the S/N of the demodulated signal is definitely in proportion to a ratio of C to n.sub.o, independently of the transmission bandwidth B of the RF signal, as shown in the equation (1). Therefore, even if the feedback demodulator is employed in the receiving apparatus, when the C/N of the received signal is higher than the FM threshold, enhancement of the S/N of the demodulated signal cannot be accomplished and enhancement of the S/N requires enhancement of the C/N itself.

Magnetostatic wave S/N enhancer and receiving apparatus of FM or PM signal using the same


The application describes a highly concentrated, liquid washing or cleaning agent which contains a) 18 to 35 wt. %, relative to the entire washing or cleaning agent, of anionic surfactant of the sulfonate type selected from the group consisting of C9-13 alkylbenzenesulfonates, olefinsulfonates, sulfonated estolides, C12-18 alkanesulfonates and mixtures thereof, b) 15 to 25 wt. %, relative to the entire washing or cleaning agent, of nonionic surfactant selected from the group consisting of alkoxylated fatty alcohols, alkoxylated oxo alcohols, alkyl polyglycosides and mixtures thereof, c) 2 to 15 wt. %, relative to the entire washing or cleaning agent, of anionic surfactant of the sulfate type selected from the group consisting of fatty alcohol sulfates, fatty alcohol ether sulfates and mixtures thereof and d) 0.5 to 20 wt. %, relative to the entire washing or cleaning agent, of fatty acid and/or fatty acid soap.

Given increasing levels of environmental consciousness in industry and among consumers, it is desirable to formulate washing or cleaning agents which are as highly concentrated as possible, can be offered for sale in smaller packages and so generate less waste after the use thereof.
WO 2010/019841 A2, for example, discloses an ultra-concentrated liquid washing or cleaning agent which contains (a) 25 to 60 wt. % of nonionic surfactant, (b) 5 to 30 wt. % of anionic surfactant, (c) 0.5 to 18 wt. % of a cold water dispersion aid and (d) up to 60 wt. % of water.
Today, washing or cleaning agents are offered for sale to consumers in many and varied presentations. In addition to powders and granules, these presentations for example also include liquids, gels or portion packages (tablets or filled pouches).
Portion packages containing liquid washing or cleaning agents are in particular becoming ever more popular, since on the one hand they fulfill the consumer's desire for simplified dispensing and on the other hand an ever increasing number of consumers prefer liquid washing or cleaning agents. In this case too it is desirable to use washing or cleaning agents which are as highly concentrated as possible.
When formulating liquid washing or cleaning agents for packaging in water-soluble pouches care should be taken to ensure that the ingredients of the washing or cleaning agent do not partially or completely dissolve the water-soluble envelope of the pouch before use thereof and so give rise to unwanted leaks.
Stability problems, in particular with regard to the stability of the surfactant system, may also occur in highly concentrated washing or cleaning agents. Highly concentrated washing or cleaning agents (>35 wt. % surfactant) containing large quantities of a surfactant system optimized with regard to stability sometimes exhibit shortcomings in terms of cleaning performance.
It was accordingly an object of the present invention to provide a stable, highly concentrated liquid washing or cleaning agent with good cleaning performance which is also suitable for packaging in a water-soluble envelope.
Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Highly concentrated liquid washing or cleaning composition


A modular BIOS update mechanism provides a standardized method to update options ROMs and to provide video and processor microcode upgrades in a computer system without requiring a complete replacement of the system BIOS. The MBU mechanism provides several advantages. First, new features and BIOS bugs from earlier release may be delivered to an installed base of end-user systems even if direct OEM support cannot be identified. Also, BIOS components may be provided as a validated set of revisions. With resort to a validation matrix, BIOS updates may be managed easily. The modular BIOS update is particularly useful in systems having several independent BIOS's stored within unitary firmware.

Embodiments of the present invention provide techniques for updating system BIOS components of a modern computer system on a modular basis.
As functional elements of a computer system increasingly are being integrated into unitary integrated circuits, multiple BIOS images that formerly may have been stored in isolated options ROM's also may be integrated into a unitary firmware system. This larger scale of integration creates a need to be able to update system BIOSs or elements stored in the unitary firmware without having to replace the entire system BIOS.
For example, Intel Corporation, the assignee of the present invention is designing a single integrated circuit that merges the functionality of a processor, a graphics controller and a memory controller. Thus, the integrated circuit may communicate with firmware that includes both a system BIOS governing input/output transactions throughout the system but also may include a video BIOS for the graphic controller functionality. Video BIOS upgrades may be published independently of system BIOS updates. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for a system BIOS that permits modular updates to BIOS components in the storage medium. For example, it may be advantageous to update the video BIOS without disturbing the entire system BIOS in the storage medium.


An aquarium base is provided by a base member (26, 26a) extending horizontally around a periphery generally coextensive with the periphery of the aquarium tank (22, 22a, 22b), the base member having a lower surface (30, 30a) resting on a horizontal support surface (28), and an upper surface (32, 32a) upon which the aquarium tank rests. The base member has a peripheral skirt (34, 34a) extending generally vertically between the upper and lower surfaces and around the periphery. The peripheral skirt has an upper extension (36, 36a) extending upwardly from the upper surface vertically along and adjacent and outward of the aquarium tank. The peripheral skirt has a first periphery (72, 72a) at the lower surface, and a smaller second periphery (74, 74a) at the upper surface. The peripheral skirt encloses the space (76, 76a) between the horizontal support surface and the bottom of the aquarium tank and has a slot (78, 78a) therethrough, and houses aquarium accessory components in the enclosed space having conduits (82, 94, 102) extending through the slot.

The invention relates to aquariums, and more particularly to an improved base.
The invention arose out of continuing development efforts toward improvements in support structure for aquarium tanks. The present invention provides improved display capability, protection for border frames in the case of glass tanks, enhanced stability, efficient and aesthetically pleasing space utilization, organized and guided multiple conduit routing, and aesthetically pleasing surface profiling.