The present invention relates to a pressurized package and a method for manufacturing and filling a pressurized package. The pressurized package has an outer container (10) and an inner container (20) situated within the outer container (10). In the outer container (10) a chamber (11) for material (12) to be dispensed is arranged and in the inner container (20) a propellant chamber (21) for propellant (20) is arranged, which are separated from each other in a manner that is impermeable to liquid and gas. The outer container (10) is closed by a cover part (15) on which a valve part (16) is arranged for dispensing the material (12) from the chamber (11) outwards. To improve pressurized packages of this type, a pressurized cartridge (30) containing a propellant (22) is arranged in the inner container (20), and the pressurized cartridge is associated with an opening mechanism (31) for at least one-time opening of the pressurized cartridge (30) to the propellant chamber (21) of the inner container (20). The opening mechanism (31) reacts to filling of the chamber (11) with material (12) to be dispensed.

The present invention relates to a pressure container and a method for manufacturing and filling a pressure container. The pressurized package has an outer container and an inner container within the outer container. In the outer container a chamber for material to be dispensed is arranged and in the inner container a propellant chamber for propellant is arranged, which are separated from each other in a manner that is impermeable to liquid and gas. The outer container is closed by a cover part on which a valve part is arranged for dispensing the material from the chamber outwards. To improve pressurized packages of this type, a pressurized cartridge containing a propellant is arranged in the inner container, and the pressurized cartridge is associated with an opening mechanism for at least one-time opening of the pressurized cartridge to the propellant chamber of the inner container. The opening mechanism reacts to filling of the chamber with material to be dispensed.
This type of container is used, for example, in gas operated setting tools, wherein they contain a dispensable fuel.
Liquid hydrocarbons stored in the pressure containers is used to drive the aforementioned setting tools. The replaceable pressure containers or gas bottles are equipped with a dosing head, which is fastened onto the gas bottle by means of a snap-on connection. The pressure container/gas bottle and dosing head system is then introduced into the setting tool.
In the case of the pressure container, it is desirable that there is no penetration of propellant into the material to be dispensed chamber and that there is no escape of propellant or material to be dispensed into the environment. It is also desirable to attain a maximum fill volume of material to be dispensed or fuel in the pressure container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,069,590 discloses a pressure container, wherein an inner thin-walled metal container, in particular one made of aluminum, is arranged in an external, thick-walled container (e.g., likewise made of aluminum). At the opening of the pressure container, the two containers are rolled onto each other, whereby the opening is closed with a cover part, in which a valve is arranged. When this is done, the material to be dispensed is arranged inside the inner container, while the propellant is arranged in the outer container. In this case, the propellant is introduced into the outer container through a rubber stopper arranged in the floor of the pressure container, in that the rubber stopper is perforated using a needle. The drawback here is that when acceleration forces act upon the pressure container, the inner container, because of the relatively large fill volume with material to be dispensed, is heavily mechanically stressed. Furthermore, there can be a loss of propellant from the outer container at the rolled flanged edge. The ratio of propellant to medium to be dispensed in the case of fuel—pressurized packages for setting tools is approx. 5/40 (e.g. 5 g/40 g). Particularly in longer periods of storage, therefore, with a loss of 3–4 g of propellant/year, the pressurized package can become unusable in virtue of the loss of propellant.
It is therefore advantageous if the propellant is arranged in the inner container, because a loss of material to be dispensed or fuel, affects the operation of the pressurized package less seriously than a loss of propellant.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,360,131 discloses a pressurized package, wherein the propellant is arranged in an inner container and the material to be dispensed is in an outer container. The inner container is sealed and contains a propellant, which comprises at least two constituents. After the lapse of a pre-determined interval of time after manufacturing and filling of the pressurized package, the formation of the propellant is done by combining its constituents. The advantage in this instance is that there is no connection favoring diffusion between the inner container and the valve.
The drawback in this instance is the use of a propellant comprised of two or more constituents, which results in relatively high manufacturing costs. It is difficult to generate a propellant pressure that is sufficient to maintain a gaseous fuel in the pressurized package completely in its liquid phase at ambient pressure and temperature.

Pressure container and method for manufacturing and/or filling of pressure container


Apparatus for identifying rock properties in real-time during drilling, are provided. An example of an embodiment of such an apparatus includes one or more acoustic sensors positioned to detect drill sounds emanating from the drill bit and the rock encountered during drilling operations, connected to select components of a drilling rig to maximally pick up the drill sounds of the drill bit engaging rock during drilling operations. The apparatus also includes an inductive telemetry, wireless telemetry, or wired transmitting system. The apparatus also includes a computer to analyze the acoustic signals received from the acoustic sensors through the respective transmitting system for lithology type and petrophysical properties.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to hydrocarbon production, and more particularly, to identifying rock types and rock properties in order to improve or enhance drilling operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
Measuring rock properties during drilling in real time can provide the operator the ability to steer a drill bit in the direction of desired hydrocarbon concentrations. In current industrial practice and prior inventions, either resistivity or sonic logging while drilling (LWD) tools are employed to guide the drill bit during horizontal or lateral drilling. The center of these techniques is to calculate the locations of the boundary between the pay zone and the overlying rock (upper boundary), and the boundary between the pay zone and underlying rock at the sensors location. The drill bit is steered or maintained within the pay zone by keeping the drill string, at the sensors position, in the middle, or certain position between the upper and lower boundaries of the pay zone. The conventional borehole acoustic telemetry system, which transmits data at low rate (at about tens bit per second), is employed to transmit the measured data to surface.
Since the sensors are located 30-50 feet behind the drill bit, theses conventional LWD steering tools only provide data used in steering the drill bit 30-50 feet behind the drill bit. As the result, it is only after the 30-50 feet that the operator finds out if the selected drilling path is or is not the desired one. Therefore, these tools are not true real-time tools.
Some newer types of systems attempt to provide data at the drill bit, at real-time, while still utilizing conventional borehole telemetry systems (having a relatively slow bit rate). Such systems, for example, are described as including a downhole processor configured to provide downhole on-site processing of acoustic data to interpret the lithologic properties of the rock encountered by the drill bit through comparison of the acoustic energy generated by the drill bit during drilling with predetermined bit characteristics generated by rotating the drill bit in contact with a known rock type. The lithologic properties interpreted via the comparison are then transmitted to the surface via the conventional borehole telemetry system. Although providing data in a reduced form requiring only a bit rate speed, as such systems do not provide raw data real-time which can be used for further analysis, it is nearly impossible to construct additional interpretation models or modify any interpretation models generated by the downhole processor. Further, they require additional and potentially expensive hardware that must be positioned between the drill bit and the drill string.
Some newer types of borehole data transmitting systems utilize a dedicated electronics unit and a segmented broadband cable protected by a reinforced steel cable positioned within the drill pipe to provide a much faster communication capability. Such systems have been employed into conventional LWD tools to enhance the resolution of the logged information. However the modified tools still measures rock properties at the similar location which is 30-50 feet behind the drill bit.
Looking outside the field, some seismic signal technology includes utilization of a vibration sensor positioned on a mud swivel to pick up the seismic signal generated by drill bit drilling the rocks. It is understood, however, that such a position does not provide for sufficient reception of the pilot signal. Another form of seismic signal technology provides a dedicated coupling connector encircling the drill pipe at a location near the mud swivel to carry vibration sensors. The strength of seismic signal may be weakened due to its travelling through the connector to the vibration sensors. Besides requiring the addition of the coupling connector which comprises an annular stator/retaining ring enclosing an insulating rotor, such technology requires the signal to be transferred externally through a combination rotor-stator-brush wiper engagement methodology. Studies have demonstrated that signal accuracy is reduced by this transmission method. Both these two technologies are designed for rotary table type drill rigs which have almost been phased out by a new type of top drive drill rigs.
Accordingly, recognized by the inventor is the need for apparatus, computer readable medium, program code, and methods of identifying rock properties during operational drilling that can be used in real-time steering of the drilling bit during the operational drilling, and more particularly, apparatus specifically designed to fit top drive type drill rigs and having acoustic sensors strategically positioned on the drill rig to maximally pick up the drilling sound which is generated by drill bit biting the rocks (hereafter termed as drilling acoustic signals), a signal transmitting system to transmit signals at high accuracy, and a computer/processor positioned to receive acoustic signals from the acoustic sensors and configured to process the acoustic signals and evaluate lithology type and other petrophysical properties of the rock that is currently in contact with an operationally employed drilling bit, in real-time utilizing acoustic information contained within the acoustic signals and/or evaluated characteristics of the acoustic signals. Also recognized is the need for methods of employing the apparatus.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Apparatus for evaluating rock properties while drilling using drilling rig-mounted acoustic sensors


A loading dock-aid is described that facilitates the lifting and placing of heavy dock plates between the edge of a dock and the back end of a delivery truck. The dock-aid has a lifting boom with a hooked end portion that is inserted into prescribed holes in the dock plate and that is connected via a yoke framework to a roller and an extended handle. The handle provides leverage for a workman to exert pressure thereon and lift up the dock plate. The roller allows the workman to position the whole apparatus in a specific location to then lower the dock plate over the gap between the truck and the dock.

In many business or warehouse environments, there is a loading dock available for delivery trucks to pull u next to for loading or unloading. A typical loading dock is an extension of the building floor through an opening in the side wall and, among other features, can have a dock ledge and bumper strip about as wide as the rear end of the trailers that make deliveries. The driver backs the trailer up to the edge of the loading dock and the loading or unloading operations start.
A common piece of equipment found wherever a loading dock exists is a dock plate or dock board, a device made from heavy gauge aluminum and designed to bridge the gap between the end of the trailer and the edge of the loading dock. In many cases, this gap could be anywhere from six to twelve inches, which would prevent any wheeled loading equipment, such as dollies or forklifts, from moving heavy materials on or off the trailer. In addition to this spatial separation, there quite often is an elevational difference between the two platforms. Dock plates can weigh anywhere up from to two or four hundred pounds and can be up to six feet in length by six feet in width and they are meant to be stored out of the way of the loading dock until needed.
The problem with this system is that it is necessary to move this heavy and awkward dock board in and out of a particular dock as the delivery trucks arrive and depart. In many situations, this means taking two men from their normal duties and causing them to handle this task, not a very efficient use of manpower. In certain cases, it was found to be necessary to build a mechanical system with a dock board right into the loading dock area and then, one person could activate the mechanism as necessary. This might not prove to be all that advantageous though where there are more than one dock where deliveries are made. In that case, it would take a large capital outlay to fit these mechanisms to each dock. The solution to this problem is in a device that allows a single person to move a dock plate easily, quickly and efficiently by himself.


The present invention is a method of creating a secure sandbox within which a plurality of downloaded software components can execute in a secure manner. The software components can be of any type, e.g., Java, ActiveX, Netscape plugin, etc. The invention implements a security monitor that is injected to the address space of an arbitrary monitored application such as a Web browser, e.g., Internet Explorer, Netscape Navigator, etc. The monitored application then executes in a secure mode in which every software component downloaded executes in a secure sandbox. The security monitor detects when such a software component is downloaded and is operative to create the sandbox around it before it is permitted to execute. If the software component attempts to commit an action that breaches security, it halts the software component's execution and issues a warning to the user. The security monitor detects attempted security breaches by the software component in accordance with a user configurable security policy. Such a policy may include limiting file read/write access, access to directories, disk access, creation and the reading/writing of network connections, access to system resources and services and access to the address spaces of other processes.

Recent developments in World Wide Web (the Web) technology have turned Web browsers from passive document viewers to active platforms for downloadable software components. In this new computing paradigm, software components are automatically and transparently downloaded from remote sites and executed locally as the user browses through Web documents. Today, such software components conform to either of two different standards: Java applets or ActiveX controls. In the future, however, additional standards may emerge.
An advantage of this new computing paradigm is that it offers a richness of features and capabilities. However, at the same time, it exposes Web users to alarming high security risks. Never before was there a scenario in which unknown software components were downloaded from remote locations and executed, sometimes without the user even being aware of it. This creates a huge security hole and an opportunity for introducing malicious software such as Trojan horses into a computer and any network it is connected to. Since the computer is connected to a network such as the Internet, this security hole can serve as a means for carrying out information theft. For example, a downloaded component can collect sensitive data and transmit it over the Internet to competitors or criminals.
These security implications are known and different approaches have been taken to solve them. The Java programming language and environment were designed from the ground up with security in mind. Java applets execute in what is termed a secure `sandbox,` which is a run time environment in which applets are prevented from executing certain actions. For example, Java applets are not permitted to access local storage, modify system parameters or to establish a network connection to an untrusted site.
However, ActiveX controls, unlike Java, are composed of native Windows code and enjoy the same access privileges as any other Windows application. Thus, they have the same full access privileges that the currently logged in user has. This includes, for example, file and disk access, creating and accessing network connections and making system modifications.
A solution to these security related problems has been proposed which makes use of a system of authenticated certificates. The authenticated certificates are encrypted electronic signatures issued by trusted organizations which serve to identity the source of the downloaded ActiveX control. This mechanism enables the user to decide whether to trust the software author and permit the downloaded ActiveX control to run on their computer.
Although the authentication system somewhat relieves the security problem, it falls far short of providing an adequate and robust solution. As a security mechanism, it does little more than simply advise the user as to the identity of the software author. Anyone can obtain an electronic certificate, and having one only certifies the author's identity. It does nothing to verify their trustworthiness.
In addition, such a security system is also biased towards larger software authors and vendors because people are more apt to be familiar with and trust them. Thus, small vendors and little known individual software authors are discriminated against. This is in sharp contrast with the intention that the emergence of component technologies, e.g., ActiveX, Java, would foster a more specialized industry segmentation whereby numerous small but highly specialized software vendors would supply reusable components to be integrated into applications by high level solution providers.


An elastomeric check valve that may be installed within pre-existing process lines or plumbing that includes an internal bore. In various aspects the disclosed check valve has a stem or stem assembly configured to engage the bore to retain the check valve in place and an elastomeric sealing disk or member. At least a radially outer portion of the elastomeric sealing disk or member is biased or biasable in a selected direction away from a plane that is coincident with a central portion of the elastomeric sealing disk. Fluid may flow through a channel in the stem through a stem assembly and around the elastomeric sealing disk in the selected direction, but is substantially prevented from flowing around the elastomeric sealing disk in a direction opposite to the selected direction, when the check valve is installed within the bore.

One-way or so-called "check valves" are used in a variety of applications to control fluid flow through process lines and plumbing, including various systems for the transport of source, intermediate, product, and waste fluids. A processes design may call for such a valve in order to control the direction of fluid flow, allowing for flow in one direction but not the opposite direction. Such valves are, of course, available as off-the-shelf, inline check-valve assemblies, but such assemblies take up space and have particular connection requirements (e.g., type, location, and orientation of inlet and outlet connectors) that the process design must take into account. Designing for and sourcing compatible inline check valve assemblies can add significant cost and time when specifying complex combinations of process devices and plumbing. In the case of less detailed designs or, especially, in retrofit adaptations of existing process systems and devices, adding inline check valve assemblies may require that sections of tubing, hoses, or pipes be cut and/or rerouted in order to allow for the installation of those assemblies. Redesigning process systems or devices to incorporate inline check valve assemblies may be cost and time prohibitive, and in some cases there may not be enough space available to incorporate a particular assembly.


DNA constructs comprising a first DNA segment that corresponds to at least a portion of a gene in the monolignol biosynthetic pathway, a spacer DNA segment, and a second DNA segment that is complementary to the first DNA segment can be used to reduce or modulate the lignin content in plants. In some embodiments, DNA constructs comprise at least a portion of a gene for 4CL, C3H, CCR, C4H or CCoAOMT. Vascular-preferred and constitutive promoters can be used to drive expression of the constructs.

Lignin, a complex phenolic polymer, is a major component in cell walls of secondary xylem. In general, lignin constitutes 25% of the dry weight of the wood, making it the second most abundant organic compound on earth after cellulose. Although lignin contributes to the strength and rigidity of the stem, and protects microfibrils from physical, chemical and biological attack, it hinders the process of converting wood into paper. In order to liberate wood fibers for the production of paper, most of the lignin must be removed from the processed wood chips. Extracting lignin from wood fibers is a difficult and expensive process, involving harsh chemicals and yielding toxic waste products.
Consequently, practitioners have searched for more cost-effective and environmentally-friendly methods of reducing the lignin content in wood products. One alternative involves genetically modifying the biosynthetic pathway of lignin. For example, Chiang et al. have attempted to reduce the lignin content in a plant by genetically modifying the plant's monolignol biosynthetic pathway. See WO 02/20717. The method involved transforming a plant with multiple genes from the phenylpropanoid pathway, including key lignin control sites in the monolignol biosynthetic pathway such as the enzymes 4-coumarate-CoA ligase (4CL), coniferyl aldehyde 5-hydroxylase (CALD5H), S-adenosyl-L-methionine (SAM)-dependent 5-hydroxyconiferaldehyde, O-methyltransferase (AldOMT), coniferyl alcohol dehydrogenase (CAD) and sinewy alcohol dehydrogenase (SAD). Meanwhile, others have attempted to reduce lignin content by individually introducing copies of these genes into plant genomes. See e.g. WO 00/58489 (Scald); WO 99/24561 (4CL). Practitioners also have employed these genes in antisense strategies to modulate lignin biosynthesis. See e.g. WO 99/24561. While some of these methods successfully down-regulated lignin synthesis, the down-regulation of lignin can be detrimental to plant phenotype. Anterola et al., Phytochemistry, 61:221-294 (2002). Thus, improved methods for modulating lignin expression are needed.
A recent method of silencing gene expression at the mRNA level has emerged as a powerful alternative to prior technologies. RNA interference (RNAi) is a post-transcriptional process triggered by the introduction of double-stranded RNA (dsRNA) which leads to gene silencing in a sequence-specific manner. The initial discovery of RNA interference in C. elegans (Fire et al., Nature, 391:806-811 (1998) and U.S. Pat. No. 6,506,559) has been followed by numerous examples of organisms where introduction of dsRNA can induce the sequence-specific silencing effect. For example, RNAi has been reported to occur naturally in organisms as diverse as nematodes, trypanosmes, plants, fungi and animals. In nature, RNAi most likely serves to protect organisms from viruses, modulate transposon activity and eliminate aberrant transcription products.
Studies in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster suggest that RNAi is a two-step mechanism (Elbashir et al., Genes Dev., 15(2): 188-200 (2001)). First, long dsRNAs are cleaved by an enzyme known as Dicer into 21-23 ribonucleotide (nt) fragments, called small interfering RNAs (siRNAs). Then, siRNAs associate with a ribonuclease complex (termed RISC for RNA Induced Silencing Complex) which target this complex to complementary mRNAs. RISC then cleaves the targeted mRNAs opposite the complementary siRNA, which makes the mRNA susceptible to other RNA degradation pathways.
RNAi may offer an alternative to prior methods of controlling lignin synthesis. Before the potential can be realized, however, DNA constructs that can initiate RNAi processes in the context of lignin synthesis must be developed.


A tank comprising a rounded bottom section with an inlet located at the lowest point of the rounded bottom section having openings to direct fluid against the curved side walls to form a circulation cell. An outlet is provided inside the tank located above and in close proximity to the inlet. The design of the tank, inlet and outlet provide a circulation pattern that can mix, maintain and resuspend fluids and slurries.

Some industrial liquids require constant agitation for rheological or processing reasons. Typically, such fluids are dilatant or thixotropic in nature.
Additionally, slurries consisting of small solid particles suspended in a liquid medium typically require some level of agitation in order to keep the solids from settling. Often in industrial processes slurries are stored and mixed in tanks with a mechanical agitator such as a propeller. Circulation pumps then move the slurries from the tanks through distribution piping loops that deliver the slurries to points of use with unused slurry returning to the storage or day tanks.
This invention eliminates the need for mechanical agitators in tanks for many industrial processes. Eliminating the mechanical agitator reduces capital equipment, operation and maintenance costs and the potential for the mechanical agitator to fail and contaminate the fluid. In addition, some fluids are shear sensitive and can be damaged by mechanical agitation.
Rotating mechanical equipment (like mechanical agitators) tend to be rather "dirty" devices producing a continuous shower of wear by-products. This shower of particles poses a threat of contamination particularly in the pharmaceutical and semiconductor industries.
Others have utilized high purity gas bubbling through slurry tanks as a way to eliminate mechanical agitators. Gas bubble agitation has its drawbacks including the cost of a high purity gas, disposal of the spent gas, gas entrainment in the slurry, plugging of the gas spargers/septa, reduced energy efficiency and ineffectiveness at maintaining all but slow settling solids in suspension.
Thus, there still remains a need for a reliable, clean and relatively low shear means to mix industrial fluids in tanks.


A method of dispensing ferrules onto a work surface without requiring bend motion of the workman. The method utilizes a dispenser which is loaded from the top using a stack of nested ferrules on a retainer which is easily removable to free the ferrules in the dispenser. The dispenser has means for returning the ferrules in the applicator while releasing only the lowermost ferrule. A new universal ferrule is disclosed which allows only one adapter to be required for the stud welding tool. A portable cart can hold an applicator, a box of ferrule clips and means for disposing of the used clips is provided for wheeling the entire unit to and along the work area.

I have a previous U.S. Pat. No. 4,600,118 which relates to the application of ferrules for stud welding. This invention involves improvements in ferrule applicators over my earlier patent (as will be explained in detail hereinafter). In addition, this invention utilizes new and novel ferrules which are stronger, less susceptible to breakage, chipping, moisture problems, and different type ferrules have uniform outside dimensions in certain critical areas, which eliminates the present requirement for changing the ferrule holder of the stud welding gun when utilizing different sizes of ferrules and studs.
The invention utilizes a prepackaged stack of ferrules which the operator inserts into the applicator from the top end, snaps off the notched end at the bottom of the rod holding the ferrules, and then withdraws the rod, thus placing the applicator in operating condition. A unique method of making and packaging the stacks of ferrules also is disclosed.
This invention further utilizes a cart on which the applicator and ferrule package can be stored and which is provided with a receptacle for used ferrule clip assemblies. The cart can be wheeled along the deck or surface on which the applicator is applying ferrules thus allowing the operator to move along the work area without having to bend over or drag a box of ferrules with him.
Use of this invention allows the operator to apply ferrules without bending over, thus reducing the likelihood of back injury so prevalent among construction workers.


According to an embodiment of the present invention, an interrupt control circuit that controls a plurality of interrupt requests for interrupt handling executed by a processor, includes: an interrupt control module unit as a detecting unit determining whether or not there is an interrupt request masked with interrupt handling executed by a processor during the interrupt handling; and an interrupt control circuit including a priority mask flag indicating whether or not there is the interrupt request. With such configuration, it is possible to simply determine whether or not there is another masked interrupt request.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an interrupt control circuit, and more particularly to interrupt control circuit and method for providing information necessary for handling plural interrupt requests with a processor.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, application-specific embedded systems have been widely used in the fields of household electrical appliance and automobile and various other fields. In the embedded systems, a processor should control more and more units, which leads to an increase in the number of interrupt signals to be processed with the processor. For example, if the processor needs to control an electronic control unit, data backup as well as system control should be carried out in some cases. In such cases, the processor receives an interrupt request for the system control and an interrupt request for the data backup.
Interrupt handling for the system control cannot keep pace with state changes of the electronic control unit unless being completed during a predetermined period. As a result, a failure would occur upon the system control. Hence, a real-time response is required of the processor to surely complete interrupt handling for the system control during a predetermined period from when an interrupt occurred and send back the processing result. On the other hand, as for interrupt handling for the data backup, no particular problem occurs even if a period from the interrupt occurrence to the completion of handling varies from time to time. Hence, the processor does not need to have so high response.
An allowable processing time of the processor varies depending on operational conditions of the electronic control unit. For example, if an operation speed of the electronic control unit is high, the processing time is short. If the speed is low, the time is long. If the allowable processing time of the processor is short or the number of actions to be processed increases, high throughput is required of the processor. Hence, if the processor can accept all interrupt handling requests, and an excessive number of interrupts occur, it is impossible to handle all the interrupts in some cases. To that end, the processor is provided with an interrupt control circuit for controlling interrupt handling in such a manner that an interrupt to be handled in non-real time is temporarily masked and held, and an interrupt to be handled in real time is processed if the throughput of the processor is not so high.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-284760 discloses a conventional interrupt control circuit example. Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2005-284760 describes a method of grouping plural interrupt requests and setting a mask on a group basis. According to this method, a predetermined interrupt request out of the plural interrupt requests can be easily masked.
However, the inventors of the subject application have found that the related art faces the following problems. In the related art, there is a possibility that a higher-priority interrupt request is masked while the processor excutes interrupt handling. The processor checks each register storing interrupt requests and determines whether or not any masked interrupt request remains. If the number of registers to be checked by the processor is small, no particular problem arises. However, if the processor should check as many registers as several tens to several hundreds of registers, it takes lots of time to check all the registers.


A system, apparatus, and method for routing traffic in a SoC from I/O devices to memory. A coherence switch routes coherent traffic through a coherency port on a processor complex to a real-time port of a memory controller. The coherence switch routes non-coherent traffic to a non-real time port of the memory controller. The coherence switch can also dynamically switch traffic between the two paths. The routing of traffic can be configured via a configuration register, and while software can initiate an update to the configuration register, the actual coherence switch hardware will implement the update. Software can write to a software-writeable copy of the configuration register to initiate an update to the flow path to memory for a transaction identifier. The coherence switch detects the update to the software-writeable copy, and then the coherence switch updates the working copy of the configuration register and implements the new routing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems on chips, and in particular to methods and mechanisms for routing transactions in a system on chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
Systems on chips (SoCs) are increasing in complexity and size due to continual technological advances in the electronics industry. A common SoC may include multiple input/output (I/O) devices connected to a processor complex containing one or more processors. The processor complex may typically include one or more processors and one or more caches, and the processor complex may be coupled to a CPU port of a memory controller through which the processor complex may access a memory. The I/O devices may be coupled to a coherency port on the processor complex and access memory through the CPU port of the memory controller.
A portion of the traffic from the I/O devices may be cache coherent. Another portion of the traffic from the I/O devices may be low-performance transactions, and some of the low-performance transactions may be directed to non-shareable memory. Typically, the cost of checking every transaction for cache coherency is high, in terms of hardware, performance, and power. In addition, the traffic from the I/O devices may compete with the processor complex for memory bandwidth on the CPU port on the memory controller. Furthermore, the traffic from the I/O devices may also unnecessarily cause snoop activity to take place in the processor complex.


An automatic adjustment and control structure for writing liquid comprising a storage of writing liquid (1), an adjustment portion (2), an automatic adjustment and control element (3), a writing tip (4) and a guiding wick (5), wherein said automatic adjustment and control element is fixed within said adjustment portion and seals said storage of writing liquid, said adjustment portion defines an air aperture (21), one end of said guiding wick is deeply inserted into said automatic adjustment and control element and the other end is joined with said writing tip. The whole structure is very simple and the main performance thereof has advanced over high-class writing utensils and it is very fit for various types, purposes and classes of writing utensils.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a structure of a writing utensil, and more especially to an automatic adjustment and control structure for writing liquid which enlarges the capability of storage, strengthens the ability of anti-leakage and improves the utility.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Currently there are certain drawbacks in traditional writing utensils, such as leakage, unsmooth writing, poor capability and short useful life. Additionally the writing liquid often has not been substantially utilized. However, all of these have brought users so much inconvenience. By research people discover that the key factor resulting in the drawbacks above-mentioned is ill structure of writing utensils. These drawbacks could not be overcome unless the structure has been improved.
Present writing utensils throughout the world including fountain pens, ball pens, roller pens, markers, and so on have three main types on the basis of structure, though their variety and function are quite different.
One type is a filter structure used widely which depends on a roll-shaped fibrous means to absorb, store and supply the writing liquid. However, it has stored finite writing liquid and has poor utilization ratio that is only about 60 percent, which results in short useful life. In addition, when writing since the writing liquid reduced gradually the writing liquid has been pulled by a force directed from the writing tip, while it has also been absorbed by a force caused by the roll-shaped fibrous means. The two forces are converse so as to induce unsmooth writing. Moreover, it is prone to leak when the roll-shaped fibrous means is full of writing liquid.
Another type is a storage structure usually applied on fountain pens. This structure adopts a special sheet-shaped storage to control the supply of writing liquid and prevent from leakage. Unfortunately, the whole structure is very complicated and requires to be molded integrally. The design, manufacture, craft and precision thereof are substantially technical. Additionally, the channels for air and writing liquid are both tiny and single, so once any one of them has been blocked, the use of the whole writing utensil will be influenced unavoidably. Its shape and capability would be restricted for its function and posture.
Still another type is by utilizing a "floating lid", which belongs to the field of ball pens. The "float lid" is liquid which controls flow of air and the writing liquid. This structure has poor capability because it has been technically restricted by the diameter of the storage hole. The flow of writing liquid is easily affected by shake and temperature. At present this structure is only used in ball pens and gel pens.
These years some new structures have occurred, such as "spring valve", "glove valve" and a combination of a filter structure and a storage. But some of them have uneven flow of writing liquid during use and then it often requires pressing the writing tip, so these writing utensils can not write continuously. During the air pressure changed or the ambient temperature rose, causing the air within the writing utensils to expand, since the valves do not have function of self-adjustment, when pressing the writing tip again, writing liquid is easily to burst forth. The convey line of other structures is the common single channel for both air and writing liquid, upon that the flow out of writing liquid and the inflation of air are performed in a same channel but from converse directions, which has effect on the pass in and out of air and writing liquid. Moreover, the outlet of the convey line is located below the capillary storage, so the overflowed writing liquid by air expansion reaches the bottom of the capillary storage first and then in stock, thereby affecting the capability and air exhaust of the capillary storage. If the air within the writing utensil expands again, its practical function would be dropped off remarkably.
Although structures of writing utensils are improved to a certain extent, some so-called new structures are more complicated rather than overcome the known drawbacks, but also bring a lot of new trouble. These new structures are not accepted and recognized by people seems that improvement of structures is not easy and simple.
Generally, the present structures of writing utensils could not escape from the former pattern. The drawbacks deriving from ill structures come down historically, but the research and development to structures are really lagged, especially at the times that the society and science advance rapidly.

Automatic adjustment and control structure for writing liquid


An apparatus associated with identifying a critical thread based on information gathered during meeting point processing is provided. One embodiment of the apparatus may include logic to selectively update meeting point counts for threads upon determining that they have arrived at a meeting point. The embodiment may also include logic to periodically identify which thread in a set of threads is a critical thread. The critical thread may be the slowest thread and criticality may be determined by examining meeting point counts. The embodiment may also include logic to selectively manipulate a configurable attribute of the critical thread and/or core upon which the critical thread will run.

In computer systems, a processor may have one or more cores. A core may be tasked with running one or more threads. Thus, a multi-core processor may be tasked with running a large number of threads. These threads may run at different speeds. When the threads are related to each other, as they are when they are associated with a parallel application, imbalances in thread execution speed and thus thread completion time may lead to power inefficiencies. These issues may exist in single-core systems and/or in multi-core systems (e.g., simultaneous multithreading system (SMT), chip level multithreading system (CMP)) running parallel applications.
Consider the following situation. If a core is running multiple threads, each of which is handling a portion of a parallel workload, and one of the threads is running slower than the other thread(s), then that thread will likely complete its assigned portion of a parallel workload after the other(s). The other thread(s) may waste energy while waiting for the slower thread to complete. If n (n being an integer greater than one) cores exist, but m (m being an integer less than n) cores are idle because they are waiting for another core(s) to complete, power is being wasted by the waiting cores. In some systems, threads that complete their work ahead of other threads may be put to sleep and thus may not consume power. However, putting a core to sleep and then waking up the core consumes time and energy and introduces computing complexity. In a tera-scale environment, tens or even hundreds of cores in a processor may run highly parallel workloads. In this environment, tens or even hundreds of cores may be waiting for a slow core to complete, multiplying power inefficiency caused by workload imbalances between cores.


This invention discloses a novel multicomponent system or a single compound that is capable of performing triplet-triplet annihilation up conversion process. (TTA-UC) A solution or solid film that comprises this TTA-UC system or compound is provided. This system or compound can be used in an optical or optoelectronic device.

Opto-electronic devices that make use of organic materials are becoming increasingly desirable for a number of reasons. Many of the materials used to make such devices are relatively inexpensive, so organic opto-electronic devices have the potential for cost advantages over inorganic devices. In addition, the inherent properties of organic materials, such as their flexibility, may make them well suited for particular applications such as fabrication on a flexible substrate. Examples of organic opto-electronic devices include organic light emitting devices (OLEDs), organic phototransistors, organic photovoltaic cells, and organic photodetectors. For OLEDs, the organic materials may have performance advantages over conventional materials. For example, the wavelength at which an organic emissive layer emits light may generally be readily tuned with appropriate dopants.
OLEDs make use of thin organic films that emit light when voltage is applied across the device. OLEDs are becoming an increasingly interesting technology for use in applications such as flat panel displays, illumination, and backlighting. Several OLED materials and configurations are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,844,363, 6,303,238, and 5,707,745, which are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.
One application for phosphorescent emissive molecules is a full color display. Industry standards for such a display call for pixels adapted to emit particular colors, referred to as "saturated" colors. In particular, these standards call for saturated red, green, and blue pixels. Color may be measured using CIE coordinates, which are well known to the art.
One example of a green emissive molecule is tris(2-phenylpyridine) iridium, denoted Ir(ppy)3, which has the following structure:

In this, and later figures herein, we depict the dative bond from nitrogen to metal (here, Ir) as a straight line.
As used herein, the term "organic" includes polymeric materials as well as small molecule organic materials that may be used to fabricate organic opto-electronic devices. "Small molecule" refers to any organic material that is not a polymer, and "small molecules" may actually be quite large. Small molecules may include repeat units in some circumstances. For example, using a long chain alkyl group as a substituent does not remove a molecule from the "small molecule" class. Small molecules may also be incorporated into polymers, for example as a pendent group on a polymer backbone or as a part of the backbone. Small molecules may also serve as the core moiety of a dendrimer, which consists of a series of chemical shells built on the core moiety. The core moiety of a dendrimer may be a fluorescent or phosphorescent small molecule emitter. A dendrimer may be a "small molecule," and it is believed that all dendrimers currently used in the field of OLEDs are small molecules.
As used herein, "top" means furthest away from the substrate, while "bottom" means closest to the substrate. Where a first layer is described as "disposed over" a second layer, the first layer is disposed further away from substrate. There may be other layers between the first and second layer, unless it is specified that the first layer is "in contact with" the second layer. For example, a cathode may be described as "disposed over" an anode, even though there are various organic layers in between.
As used herein, "solution processable" means capable of being dissolved, dispersed, or transported in and/or deposited from a liquid medium, either in solution or suspension form.
A ligand may be referred to as "photoactive" when it is believed that the ligand directly contributes to the photoactive properties of an emissive material. A ligand may be referred to as "ancillary" when it is believed that the ligand does not contribute to the photoactive properties of an emissive material, although an ancillary ligand may alter the properties of a photoactive ligand.
As used herein, and as would be generally understood by one skilled in the art, a first "Highest Occupied Molecular Orbital" (HOMO) or "Lowest Unoccupied Molecular Orbital" (LUMO) energy level is "greater than" or "higher than" a second HOMO or LUMO energy level if the first energy level is closer to the vacuum energy level. Since ionization potentials (IP) are measured as a negative energy relative to a vacuum level, a higher HOMO energy level corresponds to an IP having a smaller absolute value (an IP that is less negative). Similarly, a higher LUMO energy level corresponds to an electron affinity (EA) having a smaller absolute value (an EA that is less negative). On a conventional energy level diagram, with the vacuum level at the top, the LUMO energy level of a material is higher than the HOMO energy level of the same material. A "higher" HOMO or LUMO energy level appears closer to the top of such a diagram than a "lower" HOMO or LUMO energy level.
As used herein, and as would be generally understood by one skilled in the art, a first work function is "greater than" or "higher than" a second work function if the first work function has a higher absolute value. Because work functions are generally measured as negative numbers relative to vacuum level, this means that a "higher" work function is more negative. On a conventional energy level diagram, with the vacuum level at the top, a "higher" work function is illustrated as further away from the vacuum level in the downward direction. Thus, the definitions of HOMO and LUMO energy levels follow a different convention than work functions.
More details on OLEDs, and the definitions described above, can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 7,279,704, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety.
Photon up conversion based on triplet-triplet annihilation (TTA) emerges as a promising wavelength-shifting technology. The sensitized TTA mechanism allows the use of low power noncoherent continuous-wave excitation sources. In the sensitized TTA process, the triplet sensitizers first absorb lower energy light. The sensitizers then transfer the energy to the triplet states of the acceptor molecules. Two triplets can collide and produce a higher energy excited singlet state and the corresponding ground-state species. The excited singlet state can undergo radiative decay, giving out a photon that is significantly higher in energy than the exciting light. Castellano and others have introduced various heavy metal-containing sensitizers such as iridium and platinum complexes. Red to green, red to blue, and green to blue up conversion have been achieved using different systems. Photon up conversion using TTA has been demonstrated in both dilute solutions and solid films.
To date almost all the TTA-UC systems consist of one sensitizer and one acceptor. The acceptor functions as the emitter. Baluschev et al reported a one-sensitizer-two-acceptor TTA-UC system. (Chem. Eur. J. 2011, 17, 9560-9564). In this system, the authors intended to improve the triplet-triplet energy transfer (TTT) by introducing two acceptors. meso-tetraphenyl-tetrabenzoporphyrin Palladium (PdTBP) was used as the sensitizer. 3-(4-tert-butylphenyl)perylene (phenyl perylene, E1) and 1,3,5,7-tetramethyl-8-phenyl-2,6-diethyl dipyrromethane⋅BF2 (BODIPY, E2) were used as the acceptors. The two acceptors had the same concentration in the TTA-UC system. There was no energy transfer between the two acceptors. Therefore, this multicomponent system relies on the TTA-UC of individual acceptor and works essentially as a one-acceptor system.
It is critical for TTA-UC to have high efficiency to warrant any practical applications. Theory has predicted only 11% of upconversion efficiency. However, experimental results have shown higher numbers than the theoretical limit. There are several limitations for the conventional TTA-UC system. For example, the system works well in dilute solution; but it has much reduced efficiency in the solid state. Solid state films were normally fabricated by dispersing the sensitizer and acceptor in an inert matrix. The concentration of the acceptor cannot be too high since it will reduce the PLQY. However, the TTA process relies on the collision of two acceptor triplets; the distance between the molecules cannot be far away, i.e. the concentration should not be too low. There is a need in the art for novel compounds that can overcome the problems presented by the conventional TTA-UC system. The present invention addresses this unmet need.


This invention is an acoustic fiber-based substrate composed primarily of insulation-type spun fibers or blends of such fibers and wheel spun fibers. The fibers are bound with a water-dispersible latex binder, or an agri-binder such as starch in conjunction with cellulose fiber. The insulation-type spun fibers can be first quality virgin, post-industrial waste-stream or post-consumer waste stream fiber. The substrate is wet-formed from a very dilute aqueous dispersion of ingredients onto a mesh forming screen, as on a Fourdrinier paper machine. By virtue of the insulation-type spun fiber dimensions, morphology and orientation: very low density wet-mats can be formed from a sufficiently dilute suspension. With respect to other wet-formed substrates, the invention is much lower in density and more highly porous, and, thus, the substrate is highly absorbing, exhibiting noise reduction coefficients, NRC values of about 0.80 or greater. Such NRC values have only been achieved with dry-formed, or air-laid processes in which the fiber are bound with formaldehyde emitting reactive resins.

The invention relates primarily to the field of acoustical and/or insular building materials, and, more specifically, to such building materials made by wet-forming techniques.
Conventional fiber-based acoustic substrates, such as acoustical ceiling, wall and duct board panels, can either be wet or dry-formed. Acoustic substrates formed by wet-forming techniques generally incorporate short, fine diameter fibers in the formulation. These fibers are compacted by the gravity force of dewatering. It is well settled in the art that compaction, or packing, of fibers has an inverse impact on acoustical absorption performance.
Additionally, conventional wet-formed acoustic substrate formulations require a significant amount of cellulose fiber, e.g. paper fiber, to be incorporated into the substrate formulation in order to achieve sufficient wet-web strength for the material to successfully flow through a wet-form manufacturing process. Due to its chemistry, affinity for water and tendency to hydrogen bond both with water and itself, cellulose fiber has a densifying impact on the wet-formed fiber compositions, which, in turn, limits the level of acoustical absorption that can be achieved by the material. For at least the above reasons, conventional wisdom is that wet-formed fiber based substrates are typically limited in sound absorption capability.
One conventional attempt to overcome this negative impact on acoustic performance has been to add low density foamed materials to the formulation. Though these low density foamed materials provide bulk and thickness to the product which promotes acoustic performance, they fill up the pores of the material, which, in turn, limits the level of acoustical absorption that can be achieved by the material. Presently, the most sound-absorbing wet-formed materials have a porosity of about 90% which, in turn, provides a noise reduction coefficient (NRC) value of approximately 0.75. One widely used low density foamed material is perlite. In addition to the previously mentioned limitation it has on acoustics, perlite, because of its fine cellular pore structure and hydrophilic capillarity, is also difficult and slow to dry.
Additionally, current wet-formed fiber-based acoustic structures are substantially, if not entirely composed of wheel spun fibers, such as mineral fibers, which results in substrates that are generally inflexible, unconformable and high in density, i.e. 12-16 lb/ft3. These substrates which are typically ½ inch to 1 inch thick are friable and break easily. Furthermore, the wet-formed substrates do not absorb impact energy and are easily dented and deformed during handling and/or installation. This is a particular issue with fiber-based acoustical substrates as they posses densities low enough to achieve the limited sound absorption characteristics described above.
At the same time, conventional dry-formed acoustic fiber-based substrates are less dense and highly acoustical and are capable of achieving NRC values typically in the range of 0.80-1.00. Unfortunately, the types of binders compatible with the dry-forming process, including low cost phenol-formaldehyde thermosetting resins and other more expensive reactive thermosetting resins, emit carcinogenic formaldehyde as the resin cures. In addition, these dry-formed products are often inhomogeneous and poorly formed. Further, these resins have associated process and environmental problems. For example, the resins deposit on process equipment, requiring frequent shut-downs and cleaning of the equipment. Phenolic and other thermoset resins used to bind such substrates also do not allow for the molding and embossing of the substrate as the cured binder does not soften and flow when subjected to heat or steam.
Accordingly, there is a need for a product which; delivers high acoustical performance heretofore achieved only in dry-formed materials and which does not possess the aforementioned drawbacks of conventional dry-formed materials.


The electron device of the present invention has a carbon-based linear structural body including at least one conductive particle, a first electrode and a second electrode disposed at both end of the carbon-based linear structural body, so as to subject the carbon-based linear structural body including at least one conductive particle to connect between the first electrode and the second electrode. A process of manufacturing the electron device includes steps of: forming a carbon-based linear structural body including at least one conductive particle, using a catalyst of a first island and a second island selected from two or more of islands of the catalyst on a substrate; and forming a first electrode and a second electrode so as to connect the first electrode with the first island and one end of the carbon-based linear structural body, and the second electrode with the second island and the other end of the carbon-based linear structural body.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron device, which is suitable for single electron transistors utilizing carbon nanotubes which are self-organizing nanostructures, and to an efficient process of manufacturing the electron device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A single electron transistor is a three-terminal element utilizing the single electron effect. The single electron effect is also called the Coulomb blockade effect, and this effect is based on a phenomenon derived from the fact that there exists no smaller quantity of electricity than the unit electric charge amount of an electron. When a capacitor is made to approach the nanometer level in size, the electrons stored in the capacitor can move between the electrodes due to the tunnel effect. However, when the capacity of the capacitor electrodes is extremely small (e.g., about 10−18 farads), the change in the static electric potential, which arises due to one electron tunneling, greatly changes the voltage applied to the capacitor (the tunnel junction). If this change reverses the orientation of the voltage applied to the tunnel junction, the tunnel phenomenon will actually not arise. By using this phenomenon that the tunnel phenomenon does not arise in a finite voltage range, it is possible to make electrons discretely tunnel one-by-one. This is called the single electron effect. A conventional process of manufacturing and a structure of a single electron transistor which utilizes this effect is shown in FIGS. 8A and 8B. In this single electron transistor, a Ti thin film is oxidized locally by AFM anodization using a carbon nanotube AFM cantilever "21" in which a carbon nanotube having a diameter of 1 to 2 nm "23" formed on a silicon tip "22", and Ti metal islands "24", "26", and a Ti oxide film capacitor "25" are formed. In this manufacturing process, because AFM (Atomic Force Microscope) is used, operation at the atom level is possible and the single electron transistor having a size of nano meter level can be obtained, as shown in FIG. 8B. However, because the anodizing phenomenon is utilized for forming the Ti metal islands, there are limits in size reductions thereof. It has therefore been desired to provide a single electron transistor, which can easily be manufactured and can be made even finer, and to provide an efficient process of manufacturing such a single electron transistor.

Electron device and process of manufacturing thereof

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


An improved skate assembly which permits interchanging and reversing of ice blades and in-line rollers. The arrangement provides for such interchange through utilization of a pair of rotatable cams which are utilized to couple the blade support to the toe and/or heel of the boot. Also, an interlocking notch/projection may be employed to achieve secure mounting of the blade support subassembly to the boot. Also disclosed is an attachment mechanism which can be used by the hands, and which requires no external tooling.

The present invention relates to an improved skate assembly, and more particularly to an improved skate assembly which permits rapid, secure, and convenient interchange between ice blades and in-line rollers. The arrangement is designed to provide rigid, solid and secure attachment between the shoe and the blade element, regardless of whether the blade is an ice blade or an in-line roller frame. As a further feature of the invention, roller frames are adjustable in the length dimension to accommodate more than one shoe size.
Skates having interchangeable blades have been known in the past. These devices, having interchangeable features, have typically required extensive and/or cumbersome effort in order to accomplish and/or achieve the change. Furthermore, while utilization of one size blade to be accommodated on different shoe sizes has been accomplished with ice blades, such a feature has been achieved only with a certain amount of difficulty with rollers, particularly in-line rollers. The arrangement of the present invention, in addition to providing a secure and sound coupling between the shoe and the surface blade support member, also provides a means for adjusting the length of the in-line roller support frame so as to permit the utilization of a limited number of blade designs and manufactured lengths for accommodating a variety of shoe sizes. Such an arrangement permits the user to achieve a better balance along with a blade availability which can accommodate a variety of different preferences with respect to blade design, configuration, wheel count, and the like.
A common disadvantage in the utilization of interchangeable blades is that of achieving a firm attachment between the shoe and the blade frame. Specifically, it has been known that any looseness or play in the attachment can contribute to unsatisfactory performance. The present arrangement, by contrast, provides a firm, sound, and otherwise appropriate means for achieving secure releasable attachment between the shoe and the blade frame, with the in-line roller frame being designed to provide an adjustable length feature as well. Additionally, the design of the attachment pedestal secured to the shoe portion is at least partially in the form of an inverted truncated pyramid, thereby enhancing the stability and rigidity of the coupling arrangement.
Further, it is well-known that in-line skate wheel assemblies typically wear unevenly during use. Thus, it is desirable to provide a convertible skate assembly which provides for having a reversible blade assembly to extend the useful life of the wheel assembly. Further yet, there is a need to provide an attachment mechanism which does not require additional tools to facilitate adapting and securing the reversible blade assembly to the boot mounting brackets.


A transition adapter connects two different multi-conductor cables. The adapter includes a board holder, a printed circuit board mounted on the board holder, and input and output connectors mounted on the circuit board. The board holder has a base member and wall members extending from opposite edges of the base member. The printed circuit board has input contact areas, output contact areas and conductor traces connecting the respective contact areas. Each connector has a plurality of contacts, with each contact having a wire receiving portion and a terminal portion. The terminal portions engage and are connected to the contact areas on the circuit board. By connecting the conductors of the cables to the contact wire receiving portions, the two cables are properly connected to each other.

Computer work stations must be connected to cables for receiving voice and data communications. For multiple station installations in a single room, the wiring passing through and along walls comprises round conductor cables having a plurality, usually four pairs, of twisted unshielded conductors extending through the round conductor cables. From the wall, wiring is in the form of flat conductor undercarpet cables which pass from the building pathways, in or along the walls, into the open office or work space environments.
In wiring the various terminals, the two cables must be simply and effectively joined in a manner which does not create significant crosstalk. Additionally, the system must be highly adaptable for different work place layouts and to permit work place layouts to be changed or modified.
In typical installations, a plurality of terminals are located in a work space. Each terminal is connected to an outlet adjacent to the work station through a conventional patch cord. The outlets are connected by undercarpet or flat cables to a transition point where the undercarpet cables are connected to round conductor cables. The round cables pass through or along walls to a cross-connect patch panel. The cross-connect patch panel is then connected to an interface equipment station through a patch cord.


An interior of a nozzle in an ejector is formed with a swirling space in which a refrigerant swirls, and a refrigerant passage in which the refrigerant that has flowed from the swirling space is depressurized. The refrigerant passage includes a minimum passage area part most reduced in the refrigerant passage area, and a divergent part that gradually enlarges in the refrigerant passage area from the minimum passage area part toward a refrigerant ejection port. Plate members, which reduce a velocity component of the refrigerant flowing into the minimum passage area part in a swirling direction, are disposed within the refrigerant passage.

Up to now, Patent Document 1 discloses a depressurizing device that is applied to a vapor compression refrigeration cycle device, and depressurizes the refrigerant.
The depressurizing device of Patent Document 1 has a main body portion that defines a swirling space for swirling refrigerant, and allows refrigerant in a gas-liquid mixing state, which is swirled in the swirling space, to flow into a minimum passage area part where a refrigerant passage area is most reduced, and to be reduced in pressure. In the gas-liquid mixing state, a gas-phase refrigerant and a liquid-phase refrigerant on a swirling center side are mixed together. With the above configuration, a state of the refrigerant flowing into the minimum passage area part is brought into the gas-liquid mixing state regardless of a change in the outside air temperature to suppress a variation in the refrigerant flow rate flowing out to a downstream side of the depressurizing device.
Further, Patent Document 1 also discloses an ejector using the depressurizing device as a nozzle. The ejector of this type draws a gas-phase refrigerant flowing out of an evaporator due to a suction action of an ejection refrigerant ejected from a nozzle, mixes the ejection refrigerant with the suction refrigerant in a pressure increase part (diffuser portion), thereby being capable of increasing the pressure.
Therefore, in the refrigeration cycle device (hereinafter referred to as "ejector refrigeration cycle") having the ejector as the refrigerant depressurizing means, a motive power consumption of the compressor can be reduced with the use of the refrigerant pressure increase action in a pressure increase part of the ejector, and a coefficient of performance (COP) of the cycle can be improved more than that of a normal refrigeration cycle device having an expansion valve as the refrigerant depressurizing means.


An objective is to avoid a situation where a mobile station UE, which is not a CSG member, uses a CSG cell as an Scell in CSG control. A radio base station eNB according to the invention includes a management unit 12 configured to manage at least one of a Pcell list and an Scell list, a reception unit 11 configured to acquire at least one of Pcell member information and Scell member information from a mobile station UE in a cell #10, and a control unit 13 configured to determine whether or not the mobile station UE can connect to the cell #10 as a Pcell and determine whether or not the mobile station UE can configure the cell #10 as an Scell by referring to the management unit 12 based on at least one of the Pcell member information and the Scell member information.

In LTE (Long Term Evolution)-Advanced, a mobile station UE is configured to be capable of performing CA (Carrier Aggregation) using multiple cells (or CCs: Component Carriers).
When the CA is performed, a Pcell (Primary cell) which is a highly reliable cell guaranteeing connectivity and an Scell (Secondary cell) which is an supplementary cell are configured for the mobile station UE.
The mobile station UE firstly connects to the Pcell and then can add the Scell as needed.
The Pcell is a cell similar to an LTE cell which supports RLM (Radio Link Monitoring), SPS (Semi-Persistent Scheduling) and the like. When the mobile station UE changes the Pcell to another cell, handover processing is needed.
On the other hand, the Scell is a cell configured for the mobile station UE in addition to the Pcell. The Scell is added and deleted by RRC (Radio Resource Control) signaling.
The Scell is a cell which is in a deactive state just after being configured for the mobile station UE, and is enabled to perform communications (be schedulable) only after being activated in a MAC (Media Access Control) layer.
Then, the 3GPP employs CSG (Closed Subscriber Group) control which is a mechanism to limit mobile stations UE allowed to connect to a small cell which is a phantom cell.
For example, the CSG control is used to provide a service only to a specific mobile station UE in a small cell.
As illustrated in FIGS. 6 and 7, a mobility management node MME manages a list of mobile stations UE allowed to connect to a cell #10 which is a CSG cell. When finding the cell #10, the mobile station UE reports that the mobile station UE is one allowed to connect to the cell #10 to a radio base station eNB by "Proximity Indication" or "Measurement report." The mobility management node MME is configured to allow the mobile station UE to connect to the cell #10 when the mobile station UE is included in the list.

Mobile communication system, radio base station, mobility management node, and mobile station


A method of implementing a fast dynamic channel allocation escape procedure in a wireless communication system includes a pre-code allocation procedure, a signal-independent code allocation procedure, and a post-code allocation procedure. The pre-code allocation procedure receives and processes a measurement trigger signal, retrieves system measurements from a centralized database, and determines physical resources to be reassigned. The code allocation procedure checks the availability of a code set in the cell and generates timeslot sequences for the available timeslots. A code set is assigned to the available timeslots in a timeslot sequence, wherein a successful assignment is a solution. The interference signal code power (ISCP) is calculated for each solution and the solution having the lowest weighted ISCP is selected as an optimal solution. The post-code allocation procedure stores the reallocation information in the centralized database and creates a physical channel reconfiguration request message.

In wireless communication systems, RRM is generally responsible for utilizing the air interface resources. RRM is used to guarantee quality of service (QoS), to provide efficient use of the radio resources, and to increase system capacity. RRM consists of admission control, handover, power control, and congestion control functionalities. Admission control can be divided into user admission control and call admission control (CAC). User admission control accepts or rejects the radio resource control (RRC) connection requested by a wireless transmit/receive unit (WTRU). Call admission control accepts or rejects a request to establish or modify a radio access bearer (RAB) in the radio access network (RAN). Call admission control is located in the controlling radio network controller (C-RNC).
There are two dynamic channel allocation (DCA) functions, slow DCA and fast DCA (S-DCA, F-DCA). The S-DCA allocates the radio resources to cells while the F-DCA allocates the radio resources to bearer service. Two F-DCA functions, which could be in the form of algorithms, are executed by RRM at steady state operation: one for background interference reduction and one for an escape mechanism.
The F-DCA escape mechanism is used to solve a link problem of a user. It is used as an escape mechanism for a specific user (or part of user services) or a base station that experiences high interference or that cannot satisfy QoS by reassigning the radio resources to an existing radio bearer. The F-DCA escape mechanism runs in a cell for all WTRUs in steady state with real time (RT) services. It does not apply to non-real time (NRT) services.
Only one F-DCA function is preferably run at a given time in a C-RNC, because the output of one function may affect the decision of another function. If more than one of these functions are triggered at exactly the same time, the priority of these functions is such that the escape mechanism runs first, CAC runs second, and the background interference reduction algorithm runs last.
It is desirable to provide an improved escape mechanism, which satisfies the foregoing requirements.

Method for implementing fast dynamic channel allocation escape mechanism in radio resource management


A process for producing a producing a product of the formula:R—CF═CHR1 wherein R is F or CF3 and R1 is F when R is F and is H when R is CF3 by reacting a reactant of the formula:CF3—R2 wherein R2 is selected from

Trifluoroethylene, CF2═CHF or R1123, and 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoropropene, CF3—CF═CH2 or R1234yf, are very useful, high-priced, high-demand monomers for the preparation of fluorocarbon polymers. The need for trifluoroethylene and tetrafluoropropylene as a monomer for producing fluorocarbon polymers has enormous growth potential as the need for fluorocarbon polymers is expected to grow rapidly.
There is, however, no cost effective and simple way to produce trifluoroethylene (R1123) and tetrafluoropropylene (R1234yf). Trifluoroethylene can be produced from CCl2FCClF2 (R113) by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium and at least one other metal selected from gold, tellurium, antimony, bismuth and arsenic as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,283,379. Trifluoroethylene can also be prepared from CF2═CClF (R1113) by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising palladium or platinum on a magnesium oxide carrier as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,089,454. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,892,135 it is disclosed that trifluoroethylene is prepared. in high yield and selectivity by contacting, in the vapor phase, at least one halogenated ethane CF3CClFX where X═H, Cl or F, e.g., 2,2-dichloro-1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, by reaction with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst comprising at least one component selected from metals, metal oxides, metal halides, and metal oxyhalides of ruthenium, copper, nickel, and/or chromium and the halogen of the halides and the oxyhalides is fluorine and/or chlorine. European Patent Publication No. 0 747 337 A1 disclosed a process for the preparation of chlorotrifluoroethylene and trifluoroethylene by the reaction of 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane with hydrogen in the presence of a catalyst system comprising 12–22% of Cu as well as a Group VIIIB element on a carbon support. WO 9729065 A1 discloses a process in which a gaseous feed of steam and a saturated hydrohalocarbon having a fluorine substituent and one or more further halogen substituents, e.g., 1,1,1,2-tetrafluoroethane, is passed through a heated reaction zone and the fluorinated alkene, e.g., trifluoroethylene, is recovered. French Patent 2,729,136 discloses a process, which enables the doping of the catalyst for stability. A stream of fluoroalkane containing BF3 and, optionally N, is passed continuously over an AIF3 catalyst at 400–600° C. Passing a mixture. of CF3CH2F 59.8, N 59.9, and BF3 15.8 mmol/h over an AIF3 catalyst at 470° C./1 atmosphere and 65 h gave a conversion of CF3CH2F of 12.8 and 13.7%, and selectivity for CF2:CHF of 94.5 and 98.5%, respectively; vs. 14.2%, 7.7%, 95.8%, and 97.4%, respectively., after 15 and 63 h in the absence of BF3. In Japanese Patent No. JP 43-008454 trifluoroethylene is prepared. by a 1-step reaction of CCl2FCClF2 and hydrogen over a Pd or Pt catalyst at 200–300° C. A 1:2 molar CCl2FCClF2:hydrogen feed was passed through a quartz tube (20×700 mm.) containing 5% Pd—C with a space velocity of 144 L./l hr to give the following results: reaction temp., % CCl2FCClF2 conversion, and mole % trifluoroethylene in the product given—: 200° C., 60.0%, 65.3%; 250° C., 69.4%, 56.4&; 300° C., 86.5%, 30.8%, together with 39.2 mole % CClF2CHClF. In Journal of Electroanalytical Chemistry (1997), 435 (1–2), 255–258 there is disclosed that chlorotrifluoroethene was the unique product described in the literature from the electroredeposition of 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane (R 113). Preliminary results on new electrosynthetic possibilities of the electroredeposition. of R 113 on Pb and Cd cathodes in MeOH—H2O solutions. containing. ammonium salts and different cations are reported. The essential result was that trifluoroethene, difluoroethene, difluoroethane and fluoroethane were produced instead of chlorotrifluoroethene when Pd2+ salts were added into the electrolyte. The use of a hydrogen diffusion anode permitted conducting the electrosynthesis in a monocompartimental cell without undesirable by-products. Japanese Patent publication JP 2002275106 relates to a Process for producing fluorinated aliphatic compounds by pyrolysis of perfluorocarboxylic acids and their halides and esters. The pyrolysis is carried out in the presence of a catalyst comprising a carrier most preferably chosen among active carbon, MgO, CaO, BaO, ZnO, Al2O3, NiO, and SiO2 promoted with alkali metal halides selected from the series comprising fluorides, chlorides, bromides, iodides of sodium, potassium, rubidium, cesium at approximately. 100–450° C. to prepare fluorinated aliphatic compounds comprising perfluoroolefins, polyfluoroolefins and their derivatives, and optionally, in the presence of additional HF to form fluorinated aliphatic compounds comprising polyfluoroalkanes and their derivatives. Thus, pyrolysis of perfluorovaleric acid Me ester using SiO2/KF as catalyst at 240° C. gave 95.1% perfluoro-2-butene.
Russian Patent RU 218814 Cl relates to a Thermal decomposition process for the integrated production of perfluorocarbons. The production. of industrially important fluorocarbons, in particular tetrafluoroethylene, hexafluoropropylene, and octafluorocyclobutane, is accomplished via the thermal decomposition of difluorochloromethane with steam and tetrafluorochloroethane. The pyrolyzate is subjected to tempering, freed of HCl (for the production. of hydrochloric acid), neutralized, compressed, and condensed in a three-step process receiving a polymerization inhibitor before the first and second condensation steps. From the second-step condensate, low-boiling substances are removed by rectification and tetrafluoroethylene is recovered. The bottoms fraction is combined with the first-step condensate and the resulting mixture is subjected to a multi-step rectification to yield fractions of difluorochloromethane/hexafluoropropylene and tetrafluorochloroethane/octafluorocyclobutane azeotropes, from which hexafluoropropylene and oectafluorocyclobutane are isolated. In the third condensation step, difluorochloromethane or indicated azeotropes are additionally. introduced. The third-step condensate is added to still fraction-first-step condensate mixture and, from the combined mixture before isolation of above-indicated azeotropes, the first tetrafluoroethylene-containing gases (which are transferred into the pyrolyzate compression stage) and then, optionally, trifluoroethylene are rectified into a light-boiling fraction. The tetrafluoroethylene concentration in the third-step condensate is maintained at 10–30%. In Chinese patent No. 1351903 hydrodechlorination catalysts for preparing trifluorochloroethylene and trifluoroethylene is composed of Ru (or Pd and Pt) and Cu as active compounds.; lanthanide-rich rare earth metal mixtures (or La) and lithium as modifiers; and coconut shell activated carbon as support. In WO 2004 080937 there is disclosed a process for manufacture of fluorinated monomers. The process is disclosed for the conversion of fluorocarbons into fluorinated unsaturated compounds useful as monomers or other chemical precursors, such as C2H2F2. The process comprises reacting a hydrocarbon feed and a fluorocarbon feed in a high temperature reactor at a sufficiently high temperature and sufficiently short resident time to form a reaction product mixture having the fluorinated unsaturated compound as the major reaction product, and cooling it to a temperature sufficiently low to inhibit polymerization of the unsaturated compound. The reaction product may then be processed by removal of higher molecular weight compounds and acids and optionally separated into product components.
Despite these processes, there is a need for a relatively inexpensive and simple process for the production of trifluoroethylene and tetrafluoropropylene, and particularly one that does not require the use of hydrogen gas and is thereby enabled to avoid the major concern with safety related issues associated with the handling of hydrogen gas in large scale production.

Catalytic method for the production of fluoroalkylenes from chlorofluorohydrocarbons

Abstract: and

Abstract: wherein R3 is H, F or Cl and R4 is H or Cl,in the presence of a suitable catalyst, with a reducing agent selected from methane, methyl chloride and mixtures thereof, in a gas phase reaction.


A frame is provided at the front end of the adapter card receiving area of a personal computer which includes card guides, a flex bar for retaining inserted cards and a dual function blocking member which has opposed blocking surfaces so arranged that they retain the locking bar respectively in a lock and open position respectively and transition between the two with simple, one-hand activation.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates, in general, to personal computers adapted to receive adapter cards and, in particular, to apparatus for facilitating the installation and removal of adapter cards.
1. Background
Most personal computers are designed to receive adapter cards to permit flexibility of selection of subsystems such as those for video, sound or telephone connection. The mechanics of receiving adapter cards has not changed significantly from that employed in the original IBM personal computers introduced in the 1980 time frame. One end of the elongate card has an L-shaped metal bracket with a tab at one end and a notch at the other end in the short leg of the L.
The tab is received in a slot and the short leg of the L rests on a frame member. A small screw passes through the notch into the frame member to hold the card in place, At the other end of the card, for long cards, the card edge is retained on either side by projecting guide ribs.
While this arrangement has been satisfactory the cards do come out enough to cause problems--especially during shipping. This is a significant problem as end users expect a working system and do not expect or wish to open the covers and press adapter cards into place.
In some cases displaceable blocking ribs have been placed above the card guides to restrain the cards but these have proven only partially effective and are inconvenient to use. With such ribs, it is difficult to use both hands to insert or remove a card.

Card retention latch including card guide and locking frame

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for fabricating semiconductor device is disclosed. The method includes the steps of: providing a substrate having a gate structure thereon and an interlayer dielectric (ILD) layer around the gate structure; forming a dielectric layer on the gate structure and the ILD layer; forming a patterned hard mask on the dielectric layer; forming an opening in the dielectric layer and the ILD layer; performing a silicide process for forming a silicide layer in the opening; removing the patterned hard mask and un-reacted metal after the silicide process; and forming a contact plug in the opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a method for fabricating semiconductor device, and more particularly, to a method of removing patterned hard mask composed of TiN and un-reacted metal after a silicide process is carried out.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the trend in the industry being towards scaling down the size of the metal oxide semiconductor transistors (MOS), three-dimensional or non-planar transistor technology, such as fin field effect transistor technology (FinFET) has been developed to replace planar MOS transistors. Since the three-dimensional structure of a FinFET increases the overlapping area between the gate and the fin-shaped structure of the silicon substrate, the channel region can therefore be more effectively controlled. This way, the drain-induced barrier lowering (DIBL) effect and the short channel effect are reduced. The channel region is also longer for an equivalent gate length, thus the current between the source and the drain is increased. In addition, the threshold voltage of the fin FET can be controlled by adjusting the work function of the gate.
However, epitaxial layer loss or damage by cleaning agent is commonly observed during current fabrication for FinFET, thereby affecting the performance of the device. Hence, how to improve the current FinFET process has become an important task in this field.

Method for fabricating semiconductor device


A fluidic nozzle having multiple operating modes comprising a fluidic oscillator circuit having an oscillation chamber having an upstream end and a downstream end and a power nozzle at the upstream end for introducing a jet of a liquid (water) into the oscillation chamber. An outlet throat at the downstream end has a width, which does not allow the oscillation circuit to fill up and start to oscillate without entrained liquid. A pair of control ports are at the upstream end of the oscillation chamber and a pair of feedback passages connect said control ports to downstream ends of said oscillation chamber adjacent said outlet throat. A pair of controllable entrainment holes are provided in the oscillation chamber at the upstream end and a valve opens and closes the entrainment holes, such that when the entrainment holes are open to air, air is entrained and the oscillator does not oscillate. Closing the air entrainment holes initiates oscillation and the issuance of a sweeping liquid jet through the outlet throat.

In many nozzle applications where liquid such as water is being projected into a hot tub spa, it is desirable that the liquid spray nozzle issue a spray which oscillates between a certain included angle between the extreme positions of the jet for massaging effect and also that the jet of liquid used (water) be mixed with emollients or other operating liquids in one mode of operation, and in another mode of operation that air be entrained with the water.
The present invention provides a fluidic nozzle having multiple operating modes wherein a fluidic oscillator circuit having an oscillation chamber with an upstream end and a downstream. A power nozzle is positioned at the upstream end for introducing a jet of liquid such as water into the oscillation chamber. An outlet is provided at the downstream end of the oscillation chamber and has a width which does not allow the oscillation circuit to fill up and start oscillation without entrained liquid. A pair of control ports is provided at the upstream end of the oscillation chamber adjacent the power nozzle and a pair of feedback passages connects the control ports to the downstream ends of the oscillation chamber adjacent the outlet throat. A pair of air entrainment holes in the oscillation chamber is provided at the upstream end, and means for opening and closing the entrainment holes such that when the entrainment holes are open to air, air is entrained and the oscillation does not occur. When the entrainment holes are closed or connected to a source of liquid chemicals or emollients, oscillation is initiated to issue a sweeping jet of liquid through the outlet throat. Moreover, the means for opening and closing the entrainment holes can be coupled to a source of emollient liquid for mixing with the water from the power nozzle. Thus, there is disclosed a fluidic nozzle capable of operating in dual modes: (1) a straight jet or an unoscillating mode, and (2) an oscillating mode in which the nozzle issued a spray with certain included angles between the extreme positions of the jet. The mixing feature is a third mode.
The typical users include hot tub jets and sprayers where a chemical is mixed with the water or other operating liquids.

Fluidic nozzle with multiple operating modes