A digital counting circuit, including a binary counter supplying output sals to an adjacent code encoder that processes the received signals and transmits its output to a binary decoder. The encoder has a plurality of D-type flip-flop devices to which selected outputs of the binary counter are connected. The circuit operates so that only one input change to the binary decoder is permitted for each change of count from the binary counter. This prevents any erroneous counts from momentarily appearing on the output lines of the binary decoder.

(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an adjacent code system and more particularly to a system in which the output signal of a binary counter appears at the output of a decoder that has a selected line for each state of the binary counter. As part of the operation of the system the output signal of the binary counter is converted to an adjacent code. An adjacent code can be defined as any code that produces only one bit change for each successive state change in a counting sequence. The conversion to an adjacent code takes place in the present invention to enable the output signal of the binary counter to be presented without "glitches" at the output of the decoder. The term "glitches" will be explained later.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
Digital counters are widely used in present-day circuit applications for a variety of functions. For example, they are frequently used for scanning keyboards and switch matrices. They are used to scan output displays, such as the well-known seven-segment LED displays. They are also used for timing, for instance, in real time clocks and as baud rate generators in serial communications. Many other such applications also exist.
There are many codes that can be used to represent the states of a digital counter. In the case of standard binary systems, each state is assigned a unique string of binary digits, called bits. Each bit is either a logic "0" or a logic "1." One of the most common codes used is the "binary" code in which each number in a set of integers from "0" to "2.sup.n -1" is expressed as a weighted sum of "n" bits and each bit is weighted according to its position in the string. The bit that is located at the farthest position to the right is called the least significant bit and has a weight of 2.sup.0. The next bit to the left has a weight of 2.sup.1. The weight increases by a factor of two with each successive bit. The bit that is farthest to the left is the most significant bit and has a weight of 2.sup.n-1.
A binary counter normally sequences through these binary codes in the ascending order of their equivalent numbers. Some binary counters operate in descending order. While the binary code can be efficiently implemented in counters, this approach has the disadvantage of producing glitches when the output of such a counter is decoded.
Decoding is the process of identifying which state a counter is in, i.e., its present value. This process often means the assigning of one output line of the decoder to each state of the counter. The condition of this output line signifies whether or not the counter is in the state assigned to that line. There are many ways to do this. Some counters are self-decoding; in that case, each output line of the counter corresponds to a different state. Other counters require additional combinations of logic to decode their states. For counters requiring decoding, the use of only combinational logic for decoding may result in decoding glitches.
The errors called "glitches" consist of unwanted, narrow pulses that appear in the output of a logic gate. They occur when two or more inputs to a gate are intended to change simultaneously, but fail to do so. The gate output may change once when the first input changes and again when subsequent inputs change. For instance, when going from one to two in binary, the change is from 01 to 10. If on a counter the second bit changes prior to the first bit, the output goes from 01 to 00 to 10. If the first bit changes prior to the second bit the output goes from 01 to 11 to 10. The intermediate states formed at the output of a logic gate are undesirable narrow pulses called glitches. In this way, multiple output changes can take place when either none or one is desired. One way of avoiding such glitches in the decoding of counting systems is to use "adjacent" codes. As mentioned previously, an adjacent code has the property of requiring only one bit change for each successive state in a counting sequence. This property is significant, because it prevents glitches when the decoding of states takes place. This is because multiple input changes to the decoding gates cannot occur for any state change. Unfortunately, a binary code is not "adjacent" and decoding by using combinational logic will generally produce glitches.
This problem can be avoided by using sequential logic. One way is to decode the binary counter one state early for each state with combinational logic. This decoded state can then be latched simultaneously with the changing state of the counter. This is done by using a counter clock to serve also as the latching clock. The counter clock in such a case must have a frequency that is twice that of the "least significant" bit of the binary counter. In this way, the glitches output from the decoder are hidden by the latch without adding clocking delays to the decoder. The disadvantage of this solution is that a counter clock is required to latch the decoder outputs.

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


The invention concerns a process for detecting the zero crossings of a data signal by employing of a comparator. To be able to accurately detect zero crossings even when the data signal is distorted due to transmission over a system with filtering characteristics, an auxiliary voltage corresponding to half the value of the difference between the measured maximum value of the data signal and the measured minimum value is generated. An additional voltage is formed by comparing a reference quantity that is proportional to the auxiliary voltage with the respective instantaneous value of the data signal and is added to the auxiliary voltage to form a total voltage. The total voltage is used to form the reference voltage of the comparator.

The present invention concerns a process for detecting the zero crossings of a data signal by means of a comparator.
Such a process is disclosed, for example, in the book by U. Tietze and Ch. Schenk "Halbleiter-Schaltungstechnik" Semiconductor Circuitry 3.sup.rd edition, 1976, pages 296 and 297. In this known process, a difference amplifier receives a reference voltage at one input and at another input it receives an input voltage to be monitored. In this known process, a maximum voltage appears at the output of the difference amplifier when the input voltage is higher than the reference voltage, and a minimum output voltage occurs when the input voltage is lower than the reference voltage, so a zero crossing of the input voltage can be detected due to the change in output voltage if the reference voltage is selected accordingly.
The aforementioned process does not lend itself to accurate detection of zero crossings of a data signal if the data signal has been transmitted over a system with filtering characteristics. Such a system exists, for example, with symmetrical lines in communications technology, where transformers are normally used. The transformers result in high-pass characteristics. As a result, the individual pulses transmitted have a rather marked pulse tilt even in the case of data signals with a constant signal level. The full swing of the next pulse of the data signals begins at the end of the pulse tilt of each individual pulse of the data signal, so it is impossible to accurately detect the zero crossing with a comparator having a fixed threshold because of the significant rise time of the individual pulses of the data signal. This then results in a phase jitter that is random because it depends on the data content. This is not negligible in accurate measurements and therefore must be suppressed.

Data signal zero crossing detection process


A method and apparatus for detecting quoted text within a document, such as an email message or email thread, is described. A text comparison is performed to identify a block of quoted text within the document. The boundaries of the block of quoted text are identified by performing a character-by-character analysis on text surrounding the identified block of quoted text. The block of quoted text is elided so that an individual can easily identify the block of quoted text as having previously been viewed.

A. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to detection of quoted text within a document, and more particularly, to the detection and display of quoted text within an email message.
B. Background of the Invention
The importance of email technology in society today is well known. Email applications have become a common tool in both business and personal communication. A significant factor in the widespread adoption of email technology is the relative ease in which individuals may communicate using email. An individual may communicate a message to another individual by simply typing the message into a computer and clicking a mouse button. A response to this email can then be generated in a similar manner. A typical result of this process is an email thread in which multiple messages between multiple individuals are displayed on a computer screen, in which a history of messages and responses to an individual is shown.
FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary network on which email messaging may occur. As shown, each of the computer clients, Client A 120, Client B 121, Client C 122, and Client D 123, are coupled to a network 100. This network may be a private network, a public network such as the Internet, or combination thereof. The computer clients (120, 121, 122, 123) are able to communicate with each other through virtual connections on the network 100, including email communications. This email communication between the multiple computer clients (120, 121, 122, 123) may produce an email thread in which messages from the clients (120, 121, 122, 123) are embedded. Over time, this email thread may become lengthy and complex due to the number of parties communicating and the number of messages embedded within the thread.
FIG. 2 illustrates an exemplary email thread having multiple related email messages from different individuals embedded therein. This email thread 200 represents a typical exchange between multiple individuals whereby a number of related email messages are generated, sent to particular individuals and displayed as a conversation thread. As shown, the email thread 200 has an original email message (represented by a box) 210, located at the bottom of the thread, which was sent to Client B 121 from Client A 120. The email thread also has a second email message (represented by a box) 220, located in the middle of the thread, which was sent to Client C 122 and Client D 123 from Client B 121. A third email message (represented by a box) 230, located at the top of the email thread 200, was sent from Client C 122 to Client A 121, and provided a copy of the message to Client B 121 and Client D 123.
The email thread 200 may become confusing if the various email messages embedded within the thread are not properly highlighted or elided from the thread to enable a reader of the thread to identify email messages that she has not previously seen. In order to avoid confusion within a lengthy email thread, each text message needs to be clearly delineated from the other messages. Also, an individual should be able to quickly identify messages within this thread that have not been previously viewed. Accordingly, text, within email messages, that is being quoted from a message originally sent or previously read by the individual should be appropriately highlighted or elided. This highlighted or elided quoted text will allow the individual to more quickly identify message text that has not been read.
Referring to FIG. 2, the text within the email thread 200 should be highlighted or elided according to which client is displaying the thread 200. For example, if the thread 200 is displayed to a recipient on Client A 120, then the original text message 210 should be highlighted or elided because it was originally sent by the individual on Client A 120. If the thread 200 is displayed on Client B 121 to another recipient, then the original text message 210 should be highlighted or elided because it was previously read and the second text message 220 should be elided because it was originally sent by the recipient on Client B 121. This described format presents the email thread in a simple arrangement and better enables email communication between the various clients (120, 121, 122, 123).
Some current email applications delineate messages within an email thread by looking at headers within the thread. For example, as shown in FIG. 2, these applications would look for email headers 240 to segregate each of the text messages within the thread 200. However, these applications fail to specifically highlight or elide quoted text in relation to the recipient or client that is viewing the email thread 200. Oftentimes, in response to an email message, an individual may wish to input text or answer particular questions found within the body of the received email message itself. The responding email thread may become further difficult to read if this inserted text is not clearly identified within the thread.
Some current email applications also fail to properly compensate for modification, translation and interpretation errors caused by a network or email application. As an email file is being interpreted by different email applications, errors may occur within the body of the file such as an incorrect character coding or a mistranslated word. These errors may make it difficult to identify quoted text in the email thread because the quoted text was slightly and erroneously modified by an application. For example, characters may be incorrectly encoded by certain email applications or words may be mistranslated by translation software. These modifications result in erroneously modified blocks of text. Current email applications may be unable to compensate for such events and may display erroneously modified block of quoted text as new text that has not been previously viewed.
Current email applications also generally lack a dynamic ability to properly compensate for characters or HTML markups. As emails are processed by various applications, certain characters may be inserted (such as a ">" or "{") for various purposes that may present certain problems in identifying quoted text. For example, some email applications rely solely on an identifier, such as ">" to identify quoted text. If this identifier is not inserted, then the application may be unable to properly identify quoted text. Also, inserted characters may cause an email application to miss quoted text because the quoted text was improperly modified, through the insertion of the character, by the email application. Furthermore, current web-based or mark up language compatible email applications may not be able to account for HTML markups that provide certain functionality such as text characteristics or locations when attempting to identify quoted text. As a result of these shortcomings in current email applications, certain email threads may be difficult to read or have unread text buried within other messages.
Accordingly, what is desirable is an improved system for addressing the above-described limitations of prior systems.


There is provided herein a power drive adapter for a pencil sharpener or other manually rotatable tool which affixes a shank to the tool. In one embodiment this affixation includes a peripheral edge positioned on the tool and a shank attached to that edge. In another embodiment a holder member having a yolk of dual prongs is fitted with a power drive compatible shank. The inner surface of the prongs has grooves for engaging protruding edges positioned on the tool. As a result, the holder member securely grasps the manually rotatable tool (pencil sharpener) at one extremity and presents at its other extremity a shank for insertion into the chuck of the chosen electric drive.

Not Applicable
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of power driven tools, and more particularly to an adapter for applying power drive to a hand held tool. More specifically, this invention relates to the conversion of a manual pencil sharpener to a power driven device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the field of power tools, such as electric drills and electric screw drivers, a chuck is used to accept and clamp onto shanks of drill bits or other rotary tools. Unfortunately, many manually operated, hand held devices, such as the pencil sharpener described herein, are not fitted with a shank that can be grasped by a chuck, and are therefore not useable with common power drives.
Accordingly, it is the principal objective of the present invention to provide an adapter for converting manual hand held tools or devices to operate on common power drives.
It is a further object to provide such an adapter for specifically converting a hand held pencil sharpener to operate on a common electric drill or electric screw driver.
The present invention accomplishes these and other objects by providing a shank adaption for the pencil sharpener, or other manual tool, by the affixation of a shank to the base of the tool. In one embodiment a peripheral edge is provided on the tool and a shank is attached to that edge. Alternatively, a dual prong yolk device in the form of a concave holder member is fitted with a power drive compatible shank on one end thereof for insertion into the chuck of the chosen electric drive. The inner concave surface of this holder member exhibits a groove therein for engaging a protruding edge on the manual tool.


A process for testing a commercial polyolefin condensed mode operation on a pilot plant scale is provided. A feed stream including one or more olefin monomers and one or more inert fluids can be introduced to a fluidized bed contained within a reactor housing having a length to diameter ratio of 1.0 to 20. The one or more olefin monomers can be contacted with one or catalysts within the fluidized bed at conditions sufficient to produce a polyolefin. A cycle gas stream can be withdrawn from the housing, the cycle gas stream having a gas velocity of 1.0 ft/sec to 3.0 ft/sec and including the unreacted monomers and the inert fluids. The cycle gas stream can be compressed to a pressure above the reaction pressure within the housing. The cycle gas stream can be cooled to a temperature that is above the dew point of the cycle gas, and a portion of the compressed cycle gas stream can be removed to create a side stream of the compressed cycle gas stream. The side stream can be cooled to a temperature that is below its dew point to create a gas-liquid mixture, and the cycle gas stream and the cooled side stream including the gas-liquid mixture can be returned to the reactor housing.

In commercial gas phase polymerization processes, a gaseous stream containing one or more monomers is passed through a fluidized bed under reactive conditions in the presence of a catalyst. A polymer product is withdrawn from the reactor while fresh monomer is introduced to the reactor to replace the removed polymerized product. Unreacted monomer and catalyst is withdrawn from the fluidized bed and recycled back to the reactor.
Commercial gas phase polymerization processes usually operate in condensed mode. Condensed mode operation is achieved when a portion of the reactor cycle gas is condensed into liquids before the gas enters the bottom of the reactor. The reactor cycle gas is typically condensed by a combination of two things. The first is increasing the concentration of an induced condensing agent (ICA), usually isopentane, to increase the cycle gas dew point temperature. The second is increasing reactor rates to lower the temperature of the cycle gas below its dew point. As production rates increase, the cycle gas cooler lowers the cycle gas temperature to offset the heat of reaction and maintain a steady reactor temperature. The combination of the higher dew point temperature and the lower cycle gas temperature leads to condensation in the cycle gas. The condensed liquid is used to vaporize in the reactor, which removes more of the heat. As such, operating in condensed mode allows otherwise cooling limited plants to increase production rates by improving system heat removal.
Pilot plants have been used to mimic commercial systems on a small scale. Pilot plants are cheaper to build and cheaper to operate. Pilot plants allow an operator a less expensive way to experiment, investigate and trouble shoot problems without the risks and expenses associated with larger scale productions.
Pilot plant reactors, however, are not capable of operating in condensed mode because production rates and heat removal systems are limited. Pilot plant reactors operate with a bottom bell temperature that is higher than commercial-scale reactors. The inlet temperature of a pilot plant reactor is typically 17° F. below reactor temperature at full rates. This difference between the inlet temperature and reactor temperature is much lower than commercial-scale reactors, where inlet temperatures are typically about 40° F. to 85° F. below reactor temperature.
There is a long felt but unresolved need to mimic condensed liquid effects in gas phase polymerizations using condensed mode on a smaller, pilot scale. Not having a capability to study at small scale creates capital and safety risks when trying new catalysts or making new polyolefin products at commercial scale. Some catalysts, for example, might cause severe fouling problems as soon as liquids are formed in a commercial reactor and cause plant shut-downs. Condensing liquids might also increase the formations of sheets or agglomerates or cause gels in sensitive polyolefin products.
The only option to date has been to blindly scale-up new catalyst and product technology to large scale commercial plants that operate at high space time yields ("STY"). STY is the polymer production rate per reactor bed volume (lb/hr per cubic foot of reactor bed volume) in condense mode. This option, however, takes on the risks of shutting down the large commercial plant when something goes awry.
There remains a need, therefore, for new systems and methods to mimic commercial reactor operation at commercial gas velocities in condense mode to study the role of the condense mode in pilot plant facilities.

Pilot plant scale semi-condensing operation


A curable composition and an adhesive which exhibit a temporarily fixing effect very quickly and which are completely cured quickly at room temperature, and a bonding method using such a composition. The curable composition including a component (A)], which is a polymerizable acrylic liquid composition, a component (B), which is cumene hydroperoxide, a component (C), which is a reducing agent containing vanadium or copper, or a reducing agent comprising ethylene thiourea, and a component (D), which is a basic compound having a primary, secondary, or tertiary amine structure.

Heretofore, an acrylic resin has been widely used in the fields of molding materials, coating compositions, adhesives, etc., in view of its good durability and environmental friendliness, among other things.
An acrylic adhesive is used for bonding by polymerizing and curing an acrylic monomer or oligomer utilizing an organic peroxide and a reducing agent which decomposes the organic peroxide to generate radicals, which function as a polymerization initiator.
A combination of an organic peroxide with a reducing agent is generally called "a curing initiator system". Further, a "two-pack type acrylic adhesive" is an acrylic adhesive comprising two agents of (A) a composition containing an organic peroxide and (B) a composition containing a reducing agent, and it is also called a two liquid chief agent type adhesive since the two agents (A) and (B) are in the form of a liquid in most cases.
The two-pack type acrylic adhesive is used for a method of mixing the above two agents (A) and (B) immediately before use and applying the mixture to an object to be bonded, and a method of applying the above (A) to a surface of one object to be bonded and applying the above (B) on a surface of the other object to be bonded, and contacting both surfaces.
Cumene hydroperoxide, which can be used for (A), is an organic hydroperoxide having a hydroperoxide group, and is commonly used by virtue of a long half-life at room temperature.
The reducing agent, which can be used for (B) is roughly classified as a mixture of an ethylene thiourea derivative with a metallic soap or a mixture of an ethylene thiourea derivative with a metal chelate compound. An adhesive using such a reducing agent, which is cured at a high speed at room temperature as compared with an epoxy adhesive, has been developed (Patent Documents 1 to 4).
However, even with such a reducing agent, no adhesive which is cured in seconds at room temperature while maintaining adhesive characteristics ultimately required, has been realized. Accordingly, a temporary fixing jig is used for the purpose of preventing misalignment in the bonding position or falling, during the period from bonding till fixing by curing, at present. When using an acrylic adhesive at the present state of the art, a lot of temporary fixing jigs must be used in the bonding site. Therefore, for example, productivity in production of steel plate products cannot be improved, thereby preventing the cost reduction.
An adhesive which can bond an object at a determined position without use of a temporarily fixing jig, which overcomes the above problem, has been strongly desired.    Patent Document 1: JP-A-52-018478    Patent Document 2: U.K. Patent No. GB 715382    Patent Document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 3,591,438    Patent Document 4: U.S. Pat. No. 3,625,930

Curable composition, bonding method and assembly


It is intended to provide a substance inhibiting an odor caused by sotolone. The present invention provides an inhibitor of an odor caused by sotolone, comprising an antagonist of an olfactory receptor OR8D1 as an active ingredient.

A large number of malodorous molecules differing in polarity or molecular weight are found in our living environments. Various deodorization methods have been developed so far in order to deodorize these diverse malodorous molecules. In general, such deodorization methods are broadly classified into biological methods, chemical methods, physical methods, and sensory methods. Among the malodorous molecules, highly polar short-chain fatty acids or amines can be deodorized by the chemical method, i.e., neutralization reaction. Sulfur compounds such as thiol can be deodorized by the physical method, i.e., adsorption treatment. Still, there remain a large number of malodorous molecules which cannot be dealt with by the conventional deodorization methods. Also, the deodorization method based on adsorption treatment has a problem that it tends to cause the re-emission of a malodor. In addition, these conventional methods may mask even odors other than the malodor of interest. Thus, a deodorization method which can overcome these problems has been demanded.
Another known method involves deodorizing a malodor by providing another more strongly perceivable order using an aromatic. This method, however, may cause the unpleasant odor of the fragrance. In addition, when masking the malodor by using another odor from, for example, a perfume and an aromatic, an odorous substance which exhibits an effective deodorizing effect on the malodorous substance of interest must be searched. Heretofore, sensory tests by experts have been conducted for the evaluation of odors. Such sensory tests, however, present problems such as the need of fostering experts capable of evaluating odors and low throughputs. Thus, the previous search for an odorous substance which exhibits a deodorizing effect has not been easy to achieve.
In mammals such as humans, the olfactory sense works by the mechanism where odor molecules bind to olfactory receptors on olfactory nerve cells present in the olfactory epithelium lining the nasal cavity to transmit the responses of the receptors thereto to the central nervous system. In humans, approximately 400 olfactory receptors are reportedly found, and genes encoding these receptors account for approximately 3% of all human genes. In general, a set of olfactory receptors is associated with a set of odor molecules. This means that individual olfactory receptors can respond to a plurality of structurally similar odor molecules with different affinities, while individual odor molecules can be recognized by a plurality of olfactory receptors. According to another report, an odor molecule activating a certain olfactory receptor functions as an antagonist inhibiting the activation of a different olfactory receptor. These combined responses of a set of olfactory receptors provide perceivable individual odors.
Accordingly, when a certain odor molecule coexists with a different odor molecule, the different odor molecule may inhibit the response of a receptor corresponding to the certain odor molecule, resulting in the final perception of a different odor. Such a mechanism is called the antagonism of an olfactory receptor. The alteration of an odor caused by this receptor antagonism is a preferred deodorization approach because this approach, unlike the deodorization methods which involve adding an odorant, for example, a perfume and an aromatic, can specifically cancel the perception of a malodor and does not cause an unpleasant odor derived from such an aromatic.
Skin tanning agents (also called self-tanning agents or sunless tanning agents) are skin cosmetics which colors the skin. Mainly, dihydroxyacetone (DHA) is used alone or in combination with, for example, erythrulose as an ingredient which causes the skin color to turn brown. Such an ingredient reacts with the upper layer of the skin to color the skin brown. Although this coloring is believed to proceed through browning reaction, the details of a mechanism underlying this reaction have hardly been elucidated. The browning reaction is also called Maillard reaction in the field of food chemistry. This term refers to the reaction through which a nitrogen-containing compound such as an amino acid or a protein is polymerized with a reduced sugar to form a brown polymer called melanoidin. The Maillard reaction is involved in food coloring or aroma component formation caused by the heating, etc. of foods.
3-Hydroxy-4,5-dimethyl-2(5H)-furanone (sotolone) is a substance known to have an odor expressed as a "curry-like flavor", a "caramel aroma", "burnt sugar", "burn", "spicy", etc. (Non-Patent Documents 1 to 4). Sotolone generally works as an off-flavor having an unpleasant smell similar to that of crude drugs at high concentrations, but produces a syrup-like aroma at low concentrations. Sotolone reportedly induces the response of an olfactory receptor OR8D1 (Non-Patent Document 5).


Methods and systems for hybrid layer 2 address learning are disclosed. In one method, a packet with a layer 2 source address is received. Next, it is determined whether to implement hardware-based learning or software-based learning based on a classification of the received packet. In response to determining that software-based learning is required, the source address and corresponding forwarding information in the packet are learned using software. In response to determining that hardware-based learning is required, the source address and corresponding forwarding information are learned using hardware.

Open systems interconnect (OSI) layer 2 forwarding devices, such as Ethernet switches, maintain one or more forwarding tables to provide destination information for forwarding layer 2 packets. A typical forwarding table includes a list of destination addresses and corresponding forwarding information. The forwarding information can include an output port or other information for forwarding a received packet to its destination. For example, when a packet is received at the forwarding device, the packet can be examined to determine its destination address. Next, a lookup is performed in the forwarding table to determine the forwarding information corresponding to the destination address. The packet can then be forwarded to the port corresponding to the destination address in the forwarding table.
Conventional layer 2 forwarding devices, such as media access control (MAC) forwarding devices, build forwarding tables by learning the ports associated with destination addresses. Address learning may include building a forwarding table by associating the source address of a received packet with the port of the forwarding device on which the packet is received. Subsequently received packets having a destination address matching the learned source address of the received packet can be forwarded to the corresponding port listed in the forwarding table. If a packet arrives and there is no entry in the forwarding table for the packet's destination address, the packet will be flooded to all output ports. Because such flooding wastes bandwidth, it is desirable to learn MAC addresses as quickly as possible.
Conventional layer 2 MAC learning systems build and maintain forwarding tables by utilizing either a software-based or hardware-based approach. One software-based approach includes identifying that MAC learning is required by the absence of an entry corresponding to the MAC source address in a received packet and forwarding the packet to a central processor for software-based learning. Next, the central processor may implement a security policy to determine whether MAC learning is allowed. If MAC learning is allowed, the central processor can add the MAC source address to the hardware forwarding table associated with the appropriate source port. Subsequent packets with the same source MAC address will not require MAC learning because the MAC address is stored in the forwarding table.
One hardware-based approach utilizes a hardware module for learning MAC addresses. In particular, the hardware module can recognize that MAC address learning is required for a given MAC address by searching the MAC forwarding table for an entry corresponding to a source MAC address. If the entry is not present, the hardware adds the entry to the forwarding table. A software-managed shadow table can be utilized for user interface applications, such as displaying the MAC address forwarding table. Software polling or an interrupt mechanism may drive the software-managed shadow table. However, software is not utilized for learning or building the forwarding table.
The software-based approach described above has the advantage of flexibility over the hardware-based approach. For example, MAC security features, such as limiting the number of learned MAC addresses for a given port, VLAN, or port/VLAN combination, preventing learning of MAC addresses that have not been expressly allowed by an administrator, or providing 802.1x security, can be readily implemented using the software-based approach. 802.1x refers to a port-based access control protocol where devices must be authenticated before being granted access to a LAN. Software MAC learning may be implemented such that MAC address learning is only permitted for MAC addresses that have been authenticated. Utilizing the software-based approach, specific MAC addresses can be dynamically prevented from accessing the network. However, one disadvantage of the software-based-approach is that the MAC address learn rate is limited by the availability of the system processor. This may result in a delay between receiving a given source MAC address and incorporating the MAC address into the hardware forwarding table. As discussed above, undesirable layer 2 flooding of packets can result until software-learning is complete. In addition, software-based learning increases the burden on the system processor that performs the learning.
The hardware-based approach can be advantageous over the software-based approach for a number of reasons. For example, new MAC addresses can be learned at line rate. Another advantage is that there is no unnecessary layer 2 flooding because there is negligible delay between receiving a packet requiring MAC source learning and adding the entry to the hardware forwarding table. Finally, performing hardware-based learning decreases the load on the processor, thus allowing other software modules additional processing time. One disadvantage of the hardware-based approach is the lack of flexibility. For example, while hardware can be designed to implement MAC security features, it cannot be updated to implement new security features unless the hardware is designed to allow such flexibility. Regardless of the flexibility of the initial hardware design, there will always be new features that existing hardware cannot implement. For such features, a hardware redesign will be required.
Accordingly, in light of these problems associated with software-based and hardware-based layer 2 address learning, there exists a long felt need for improved methods and systems for layer 2 address learning, such as MAC address learning.

Methods and systems for hybrid hardware- and software-base media access control (MAC) address learning


A turboshaft engine for a helicopter, comprising a case inside which a gas generator and a turbine are accommodated, the turbine being mounted on a power shaft that extends along a longitudinal direction. The turboshaft engine further comprises means for removably mounting the power shaft into a reduction gearbox inside which at least one gear of a first reduction stage is accommodated. The means for removably mounting the power shaft include a pinion having a central bore, the shape of which is adapted to that of the power shaft in such a way that the pinion can slide over the power shaft; furthermore, the contour of the pinion is adapted to the shape of the gear of the first stage in such a way that the pinion can form a leading input pinion of the gearbox in said gear once the power shaft has been mounted in the reduction gearbox.

A turboshaft engine comprises, in a known manner, a gas generator and a turbine mounted on a shaft, referred to as a power shaft, extending in a direction, referred to as a longitudinal direction. Said power shaft is designed so as to be able to be mechanically connected to a reduction gearbox. Said reduction gearbox is for example, in the case of a helicopter, a power transmission gearbox connected to the rotor(s) of the helicopter. When the power shaft of the turbine and the reduction gearbox are mechanically coupled, the power of the power shaft is transmitted to the power transmission gearbox, and this makes it possible to set into rotation the rotor(s) of the helicopter.
The power shaft of the turbine is, for its part, set into rotation by the turbine which receives the gases produced by the gas generator and which expands them, and this makes it possible to transform the kinetic energy of the received gases into a mechanical energy recovered by the power shaft.
The turbine can be a free turbine of the gas generator or a turbine connected to the gas generator. Throughout the text, the invention is described in connection with a free turbine. That being said, the invention also applies to a turboshaft engine comprising a turbine connected to the gas generator.
The power shaft thus comprises two ends, one end, referred to as the power end, which is designed to be connected to the reduction gearbox, and an opposite end, referred to as the free end, which typically supports the blades of the free turbine. Said power end is generally applied to the front of the turboshaft engine in the region of the reduction gearbox and is thus also referred to by the term front end. Reference is thus made to front mounting of the turboshaft engine on the reduction gearbox.
The inventors have sought to design a turboshaft engine which can be easily mounted on a reduction gearbox and detached therefrom, for example for maintenance operations. The inventors have sought in particular to propose a solution which makes it possible to connect the power end of the power shaft to a reduction gearbox.

Turboshaft engine embeddable in a reduction gearbox


The described subject matter includes techniques and components for minimally invasive, selective capture and release of analytes. An aptamer is selected for its binding affinity with a particular analyte(s). The aptamer is functionalized on a solid phase, for example, microbeads, polymer monolith, microfabricated solid phase, etc. The analyte is allowed to bind to the aptamer, for example, in a microchamber. Once the analyte has been bound, a temperature control sets the temperature to an appropriate temperature at which the captured analyte is released.

The present application relates to, but is not limited to, selective capture and release of analytes. For example, the present application relates to minimally invasive extraction, purification and concentration (PC) of analytes.
A need exists for techniques to selectively capture and release analytes with minimal harm to the analytes. For example, such techniques are applicable to extraction of analytes for biochemical analysis. Other applications include detection of harmful components in pharmaceuticals or food, extraction of harmful environmental agents, selective release of drugs at a target location in the body, and the like.
As an example, there is a desire to develop highly integrated biological analysis devices that can be used to perform general biochemical analysis. One component in these devices is sample preparation, which involves extraction and PC of applicable analytes.
Some techniques have employed solid-phase (SP) gels for retention of target molecules. A common shortcoming of SP devices is that their capture mechanisms are often indiscriminate with respect to the target analyte. For example, hydrophobic and ion-exchange SP device are limited because they extract impure compounds with similar physical or chemical properties as the target. With applications in drug delivery or chemical assays, where specific molecules need to be released, introducing impurities can be problematic. In addition, elution of molecules using harsh pH or solvent gradients is common in SP devices. For certain biomedical applications, these elution schemes can present potential health hazards. Furthermore, it is desirable to selectively release the captured molecules for applications in which their use is location-specific.
Biotechnology research, such as proteomics and genomics, utilizes biological mass spectrometry, which is label-free and offers increased resolution detection. In particular, matrix assisted laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry (MALDI-MS) is useful because it permits relatively simple data interpretation, good detection limits and parallel processing. MALDI-MS is based on a soft ionization technique in which analytes are cocrystallized with an energy-absorbing matrix material on the surface of a substrate (called a MALDI analysis plate). Notwithstanding its broad utility, the overall quality and efficacy of quantifiable MALDI-MS generally depends on the purity of the introduced sample. Techniques involving sample preparation, such as analyte extraction, have increasingly been employed to condition biological samples prior to MALDI-MS analysis. This can entail the separation, purification and concentration of analytes preceding quantitative analysis. For example, analyte extraction can be used to retrieve and isolate a rare analyte from a complex mixture of undesirable constituents such as salts, particulates, solvents or physiological tissue so as to enrich and enhance the analyte's MALDI-MS detection.
Solid-phase extraction (SPE) as a sample preparation procedure prior to MALDI-MS that can be used to provide pure and concentrated samples to enable increased sensitivity analysis. During SPE, an analyte of interest within a fluid phase is exposed to a solid phase (e.g., microbeads coated with a thin layer of a functional material). The analyte interacts through surface chemistry with the coating and therefore is retained by the solid phase. This allows impurities and non-target compounds remaining in the liquid phase to be removed by rinsing. Next, a reagent (such as an organic solvent) is generally used to disrupt the interaction between the solid phase and the analyte, thereby eluting the analyte for further analysis. Other sample preparation techniques include electrokinetic sample stacking, liquid-liquid extraction, and dialysis. The off-line nature of MALDI-MS makes it suitable for coupling to off-line SPE approaches, which facilitate high-throughput processing designs with small dead volumes.
In some SPE protocols, one challenge is to effectively concentrate and purify minute quantities of analytes, while minimizing absorptive losses and maximizing recovery in as compact an elution volume as possible. Microfluidic technology has been utilized to attempt to overcome this obstacle. Miniaturization helps facilitate the handling of limited sample quantities, the reduction of dead volumes, an increase the effective surface-to-volume ratio to promote efficient chemical reactions, and integration. Also, microfabrication allows for massive parallelization of sample processing, while being amenable to MALDI-MS which can lower analysis costs. Existing microfluidic SPE devices utilize physisorption capture of the target analyte by gels or membranes. For example, some techniques use a commercial reversed-phase gel (Poros) on some microfabricated silicon chips for sample enrichment of alcohol dehydrogenase. The proteins are eluted by addition of a polar solvent (e.g., acetonitrile), which changes the surface polarity of the support to release the bound analyte. Ion-exchange supports, such as some methacrylate based gels, depend on adjustment of charged molecules on the retention media to interact with analytes. Strong pH reagents can be introduced to subsequently release the molecules of interest. Alternatively, other techniques use a packed 2.5 mm column of C18 microbeads for the reverse-phased preconcentration of ephedrine on a poly (vinylpyrrolidone) chip which is then eluted using an acetonitrile-borate buffer solution.
Existing microfluidic SPE devices, however, remain inadequate to address the current demands in MALDI-MS analysis, which increasingly requires processing of complex biological or chemical samples, such as blood, serum, or tissue mass. A given analyte should be detectable amongst cellular debris, non-specific molecules, and salts within such samples. Standard functional chemistries for solid-phase purification often lack selectivity to target analytes since impurities usually exhibit similar physical properties (e.g., hydrophobicity or ionic charge) which allow their simultaneous retention. For unambiguous, sensitive detection of biomolecules by MALDI-MS, it is useful that the analyte extraction be specific, e.g., the analyte and no impurities are retained by the solid phase. Moreover, recovery of biomolecules using traditional techniques generally requires an adjustment in pH or application of a solvent gradient. This can compromise the integrity of sensitive compounds (which can already be in rare supply) and can further complicate the protocol by requiring the handling of potentially harsh reagents.
Biosensors are used for the detection and analysis of biomolecules that are disease relevant biomarkers such as genes, proteins, and peptides. They can include of a molecular recognition component and a transducer converting the binding event into a measurable physical signal. An important class of biosensors includes affinity biosensors, which rely on highly selective affinity receptors recognizing target biomolecules. Traditionally used affinity receptors include antibodies and enzymes, which are known to have limitations such as instability, poor regeneration, and physiologically-dependent production. These limitations can be addressed by biosensors that employ alternative, synthetically generated affinity receptors, in particular aptamers.
Aptamers include oligonucleotides that recognize target molecules specifically by highly selective affinity interaction; they are isolated through a synthetic procedure called systematic evolution of ligands by exponential enrichment (SELEX), whereby very large populations of random sequence oligomers (DNA or RNA libraries) are screened against the target molecule in an iterative procedure. Aptamers have been developed to target a variety of biomolecules (e.g., small molecules, peptides, and proteins) in diverse applications, such as target validation, drug discovery, and in particular, diagnostics and therapy. The intense attention received by aptamers can be attributed not only to their high specificity, but also to characteristics that are lacking in more established affinity receptors such as enzymes, lectins, and antibodies. These include enhanced stability at room temperature, and more easily modified terminal ends, as compared to their conventional affinity receptor counterparts (e.g., antibodies and enzymes), so as to facilitate attachment to stationary surfaces. Moreover, aptamer-target binding is generally reversible under changes in environmental parameters such as pH and temperature. Thus, aptasensors can be regenerated via such experimental stimuli, which can also be exploited to allow controlled release and recovery of target biomolecules.
Microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) have been applied to biosensing, leading to minimized sample consumption, improved robustness and reliability, reduced costs, and the possibility of parallelized, high-throughput operation. In particular, microfluidic devices have been used for affinity biosensing, such as microcantilever immunosensors for myoglobin and nanoparticle-antibody conjugated array sensors for detecting food-born Escherichia coli. Microcantiliever aptasensors have been used for specific detection of Thermus aquaticus DNA polymerase. Biomolecules are detected after binding by monitoring surface stress induced deflection of the cantilever by an interrogating light source. Alternatively, love-wave microfluidic aptasensors have been used to detect multifunctional serine protease thrombin and Rev peptide, fabricated from polymethylmethacrylate on top of a quartz substrate. Nanostructures such as single-walled carbon nanotubes have been functionalized with aptamers to detect thrombin. The selectivity of the thrombin aptamer has been tested against elastase to which the conductance of the SWNT-FET showed no change.
Aptasensing of arginine vasopressin (AVP) for the diagnosis and therapy of septic shock (induced by severe infection) and congestive heart failure, conditions that restrict the cardiovascular system's ability to provide adequate perfusion in order to maintain organ functionality is a clinical application of aptasensors. Both disorders are indicated by elevated levels of AVP, a cyclic polypeptide neurohormone that is synthesized in the hypothalamus and promotes vasoconstriction. Specifically, physiological concentrations of AVP in plasma markedly increases up to tenfold that of average levels (5-10 pM) in order to maintain arterial pressure and hence, blood perfusion. As shock progresses however, the initial abundance of AVP in plasma decreases. Thus, the ability to monitor and control AVP over time can reveal the homeostatic status of the patient, and could potentially provide therapeutic solutions for septic shock and congestive heart failure. Platforms for vasopressin include immunoradiometric assays (IRA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISA). The use of these assays is often hindered by several limitations: time-consuming and complicated radio and fluorescent labeling protocols; excessive use of sample and auxiliary reagents; and limited long-term stability and shelf-life. Moreover, prolonged incubation times can result in slow diagnostic turnaround (3-11 days), which renders these techniques rather ineffective for therapeutic management of AVP.

Selective capture and release of analytes

THE TRUSTEES OF COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK


A satellite communication system (1110) provides geographic protocol conversion for message delivery between communication transceivers (1118, 1118') operating within at least two geographic areas (1116, 1116'). The satellite based communication system (1110) comprises a first communication transceiver (1118) which provides two-way message delivery within a first radiotelephone network (1114) located within at least a first geographic area (1116), the two-way message being encoded in a first predetermined message transmission protocol. The first communication transceiver (1118) further enables two-way message delivery with a communication satellite (1120), the message also being encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol. The communication satellite (1120) comprises a satellite transceiver (1312, 1328, 1310), for enabling the two-way delivery of the message encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol with the first communication transceiver (1118), and a protocol converter (1314) for converting the message encoded in the first predetermined message transmission protocol into a message encoded in a second predetermined message transmission protocol. The satellite transceiver (1312, 1328, 1310) further enables two-way delivery of the message encoded in the second predetermined message transmission protocol with at least a second communication transceiver (1118') operating within a second geographic area (1116').

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to global satellite communication systems and more particularly to a global satellite communication system providing transmission protocol conversion for cellular radiotelephone systems based on the geographic coverage areas provided.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Numerous nationwide communication systems, such as nationwide paging systems, have also been proposed and a number of such systems are currently in operation around the world. While these systems fulfill the need to deliver information on a limited nationwide basis, they fall short of providing true nationwide information delivery. This is due to the fact that such nationwide systems were limited only to those service areas where the nationwide system service provider had a communication system infrastructure in place, which was generally only in the major metropolitan areas. Such nationwide systems have provided a centralized message input, or collection, point to which all messages to be handled by the system were directed. The messages were then distributed by landline or by satellite to each of the cities in the network. The messages, as they were received in each of the network cities, were then processed as a conventional message for transmission throughout the local systems. Because the messages were transmitted throughout the nationwide system, problems with message throughput are expected as the number of subscribers belonging to the system increases.
Networking such nationwide systems to provide information delivery on a global basis reaching far beyond the immediate boundaries of the nationwide system service provider is a goal of many of these systems. However, such systems would at best, only provide limited global system coverage in the manner described for the present nationwide systems. It would also be anticipated that the problems with message throughput would become even more severe when the messages are distributed throughout the global system, and transmitted in each of the cities making up the global system.
One solution to the problem of limited nationwide paging coverage, and complete global paging coverage, is by means of a satellite based communication system, in which the satellite, or satellites, would be active in transmitting the messages directly to the ground based communication receivers. The success of such a satellite based communication system would depend directly on how many users can be covered by the system to help defray the very high costs associated with satellite systems, both paging users and cellular radiotelephone users. In addition, the acceptance of a global communication system would depend on the utility the system offers the end-users.
Acceptance of a satellite based communication system is complicated by the fact that there are several "standard" paging protocols, and several "standard" cellular transmission protocols in use around the world. These paging protocols include such digital signaling formats as the Golay Sequential Code (GSC) and POCSAG signaling formats, and such analog tone signaling formats as the Motorola 5/6-tone signaling format and the ZVEI and CCIR 6-tone signaling formats. Many other signaling formats are in use, as well, around the world. New signaling standards, such as the ERMES European paging standard will also be in place in the future. To facilitate a global satellite communication system, the system would have to provide service in a number of signaling formats in order to gain the broad acceptance required to make such a system cost effective.
Numerous cellular communication systems are in use today which operate using well known cellular signalling protocols. New cellular signalling protocols are being proposed to improve cellular communications and the number of subscribers which may be handled within the systems. The conventional and new cellular communication protocols are not compatible. As a result, communication between cellular transceivers operating in one cellular communication system cannot directly communicate to cellular radiotelephones operating in non-compatible cellular communication systems without first converting to an analog voice message which is handled through the public switched telephone network. When cellular radiotelephones become available to communicate directly through satellites, cellular radiotelephones will be unable to communicate directly, again due to the cellular communication protocol differences which can be present. There is a need to provide geographic protocol conversion of cellular communication protocols to enable communication between non-compatible cellular communication systems. To facilitate a global satellite cellular transmission system, the system would have to provide service in a number of cellular transmission protocols also in order to gain the broad acceptance required to make such a system cost effective.
In addition to the problems associated with processing multiple signaling formats and cellular transmission protocols, the assignments of operating frequencies for pagers and cellular radiotelephones operating in the global system is subject to national and regional conventions regulated by the International Telecommunications Union (ITU) and national regulatory agencies, such as the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), as the communication satellite sweeps over the earth. This would require the satellite communication system to adhere to the local laws and regulations in a particular nation or region in order that service be provided on a global basis. Such a satellite based communication system must be capable of selectively transmitting over limited geographic areas on a number of different operating frequencies.
Pagers operating within the system which allow the end-user to roam, or travel, from place-to-place throughout the world would also need to be frequency-agile, in order for the pager to maintain communication with the satellite transmissions throughout the world. However, because the satellites are capable of delivering messages in a variety of signaling formats, the requirement of the pager to process different signaling formats is eliminated.

Global satellite communication system with geographic protocol conversion


To gain a better understanding of tumor angiogenesis, new techniques for isolating endothelial cells (ECs) and evaluating gene expression patterns were developed. When transcripts from ECs derived from normal and malignant colorectal tissues were compared with transcripts from non-endothelial cells, over 170 genes predominantly expressed in the endothelium were identified. Comparison between normal- and tumor-derived endothelium revealed 79 differentially expressed genes, including 46 that were specifically elevated in tumor-associated endothelium. Experiments with representative genes from this group demonstrated that most were similarly expressed in the endothelium of primary lung, breast, brain, and pancreatic cancers as well as in metastatic lesions of the liver. These results demonstrate that neoplastic and normal endothelium in humans are distinct at the molecular level, and have significant implications for the development of anti-angiogenic therapies in the future.

It is now widely recognized that tumors require a blood supply for expansive growth. This recognition has stimulated a profusion of research on tumor angiogenesis, based on the idea that the vasculature in tumors represents a potential therapeutic target. However, several basic questions about tumor endothelium remain unanswered. For example, are vessels of tumors qualitatively different from normal vessels of the same tissue? What is the relationship of tumor endothelium to endothelium of healing wounds or other physiological or pathological forms of angiogenesis? The answers to these questions critically impact on the potential for new therapeutic approaches to inhibit angiogenesis in a specific manner.
There is a continuing need in the art to characterize the vasculature of tumors relative to normal vasculature so that any differences can be exploited for therapeutic and diagnostic benefits.
One technique which can be used to characterize gene expression, or more precisely gene transcription, is termed serial analysis of gene expression (SAGE). Briefly, the SAGE approach is a method for the rapid quantitative and qualitative analysis of mRNA transcripts based upon the isolation and analysis of short defined sequence tags (SAGE Tags) corresponding to expressed genes. Each Tag is a short nucleotide sequences (9-17 base pairs in length) from a defined position in the transcript. In the SAGE method, the Tags are dimerized to reduce bias inherent in cloning or amplification reactions. (See, U.S. Pat. No. 5,695,937) SAGE is particularly suited to the characterization of genes associated with vasculature stimulation or inhibition because it is capable of detecting rare sequences, evaluating large numbers of sequences at one time, and to provide a basis for the identification of previously unknown genes.


A controller for applying sequential compression to a patient's limb includes a variable speed motor connected to a rotary vane pump, and an electronic control circuit to drive the motor at a speed which will in turn drive the pump at a corresponding speed to provide intended output pressure. The controller provides automatic regulation of preset pressure and operates in a fully automatic manner. The controller is contained within a compact housing which can be floor or bed mounted and which has an output connector integral with a unitary manifold assembly for coupling to a tubing set by which sequentially pressurized air is directed to respective compartments of one or more compression sleeves disposed about a patient's limbs.

Blood flow in patient's extremities, particularly the legs, markedly decreases during extended terms of confinement. Such pooling or stasis is particularly acute in surgery and during recovery periods immediately thereafter.
Blood flow compressive devices, such as shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,013,069 and 4,030,488 develop and facilitate the application of compressive pressures against a patient's limb and in so doing promote venous return. The devices comprise a pair of sleeves which are wrapped about the patient's limbs, with a controller for supplying the pressurized fluid to the sleeves. Such sleeve devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,402,312 and 4,320,746.
One use for the above-mentioned devices is the prevention of deep venous thrombosis (DVT) which sometimes occurs in surgical patients when they are confined to bed. When a DVT occurs, the valves that are located within the veins of the leg can be damaged which in turn can cause stasis and high pressure in the veins of the lower leg. Patients who have this condition often have leg swelling (edema) and tissue breakdown (venous stasis ulcer) in the lower leg.
In a known controller, fluid supplied by the controller to the sleeves is generated by a piston compressor, and the flow is controlled by a flow control valve which is part of a separate flow control assembly to provide intended flow and pressure to the sleeves. The separate flow control assembly adds to the complexity and cost of the equipment. The size and weight of the equipment is also affected by the presence of the flow control assembly and the linear piston compressor typically employed.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,031,604 a controller for applying compressive pressure to a patient's limb employs a linear oscillator compressor driven by a pulse signal the number of which is adjusted to energize and de-energize the compressor to provided intended output pressure. Feedback pressure control is employed using a pressure sensor.

Sequential compression device controller


A tie-down comprising a flexible strap adapted to be wrapped around an object to be tied down, a first member at one end of the strap having a first hole formed therein and a second member to which the other end of the strap is attached having a second hole formed therein in alignment with the first hole. A fastener having a head and a threaded shank is arranged with the head engaging the first member and with the shank extending through the first and second holes and having a threaded end portion projecting out of the second hole. A nut is threaded on the projecting end portion of the shank and engaged against the second member for being turned to act through the fastener for drawing the first and second members together to tighten the strap around the object and place the fastener and the strap under a predetermined tension. The fastener has an indicator for indicating the tension in the fastener and thereby indicating the tension in the strap. The first member is formed for observation of the indicator.

This invention relates to tie-down devices and, more particularly, to a tie-down device having a strap and a tension indicator for indicating the tension in the strap.
Straps are often used to tie down equipment in moving vehicles such as aircraft and trucks or to hold down stationary equipment which is subject to vibration. Equipment such as tanks, containers, accumulators, and reservoirs are often susceptible to damage by a strap which is wrapped tightly around the equipment. Overtensioning of the strap may also create excessive stress on a bolt connecting two ends of the strap, resulting in failure of the bolt or strap. Insufficient tightening of the bolt may result in loosening of the strap through vibration which would allow the equipment to move from its secured position and possibly cause damage to the equipment or surrounding structure.
Previously, torque wrenches have been used to measure the torque applied to the bolt in an attempt to determine the tension in the strap. However, this method is only an indirect measurement of the tension in the strap and is often inaccurate since torque values do not accurately indicate preload and can change as threads wear or corrode. Furthermore, the torque value obtained is often unreliable and not repeatable since the thread and nut friction account for a large percent of the applied torque. Variations in the coefficient of friction due to machining, surface treatment and surface contamination, such as grease, may further vary the torque reading from the actual tension in the bolt.

Tie-down with strap and strap tension indicator


A method of and system for directional drilling alternate between rotary drilling and sliding drilling with the bit remaining in continuous contact with the bottom of the bore hole.

It is very expensive to drill bore holes in the earth such as those made in connection with oil and gas wells. Oil and gas bearing formations are typically located thousands of feet below the surface of the earth. Accordingly, thousands of feet of rock must be penetrated in order to reach the producing formations. Additionally, many wells are drilled directionally, wherein the target formations may be located thousands of feet laterally away from the well's surface location. Thus, in directional drilling, not only must the depth be penetrated but the lateral distance of rock must also be penetrated.
The cost of drilling a well is primarily time dependent. Accordingly, the faster the desired penetration location, both in terms of depth and lateral location, is achieved, the lower the cost in completing the well. While many operations are required to drill and complete a well, perhaps the most important is the actual drilling of the bore hole. Drilling directionally to a target formation located a great distance from the surface location of the bore hole is inherently more time consuming than drilling vertically to a target formation directly below the surface location of the bore hole.
There are a number of directional drilling techniques known in the art for drilling a bore hole along a selected trajectory to a target formation from a surface location. A widely used directional drilling technique includes using an hydraulically powered drilling motor in a drill string to turn a drill bit. The hydraulic power to operate the motor is supplied by flow of drilling fluid through the drill string from the earth's surface. The motor housing includes a slight bend, typically ½ to 3 degrees along its axis in order to change the trajectory of the bore hole. One such motor is known as a "steerable motor." A steerable motor can control the trajectory of a bore hole by drilling in one of two modes.
The first mode, called rotary drilling mode, is used to maintain the trajectory of the bore hole at the current azimuth and inclination. In rotary drilling mode, the drill string is rotated from the earth's surface, such that the steerable motor rotates with the drill string.
The other mode is used to adjust the trajectory and is called "sliding drilling" or "slide drilling." During sliding drilling, the drill string is not rotated. The direction of drilling (or the change in the bore hole trajectory) is determined by the tool face angle of the drilling motor. Tool face angle is determined by the direction to which the bend in the motor housing is oriented. The tool face can be adjusted from the earth's surface by turning the drill string and obtaining information on the tool face orientation by measurements made in the bore hole by a steering tool or similar directional measuring instrument. Tool face angle information is typically conveyed from the directional measuring instrument to the earth's surface using relatively low bandwidth drilling mud pressure modulation ("mud pulse") signaling. The driller (drilling rig operator) attempts to maintain the proper tool face angle by applying torque or drill string angle corrections to the drill string from the earth's surface using a rotary table or top drive on the drilling rig.
Several difficulties in directional drilling are caused by the fact that a substantial length of the drill string is in frictional contact with and is supported by the bore hole. Because the drill string is not rotating in sliding drilling mode, it is difficult to overcome the friction. The difficulty in overcoming the friction makes it difficult for the driller to apply sufficient weight (axial force) to the bit to achieve an optimal rate of penetration. The drill string also typically exhibits stick/slip motion such that when a sufficient amount of weight is applied to overcome the friction, the weight on bit tends to overshoot the optimum magnitude, and in some cases the applied weight to the bit may be such that the torque capacity of the drilling motor is exceeded. Exceeding the torque capacity of the drilling motor may cause the motor to stall. Motor stalling is undesirable because the drilling motor cannot drill when stalled, and stilling lessens the life of the drilling motor.
Additionally, the reactive torque that would be transmitted from the bit to the surface through the drill string, if the hole were vertical, is absorbed by the friction between the drill string and the borehole. Thus, during drilling, there is substantially no reactive torque experienced at the surface. Moreover, when the driller applies drill string angle corrections at the surface in an attempt to correct the tool face angle, a substantial amount of the angular change is absorbed by friction without changing the tool face angle. Even more difficult is when the torque applied from the surface overcomes the friction in stick/Slip fashion. When enough angular correction is applied to overcome the friction, the tool face angle may overshoot its target, thereby requiring the driller to apply a reverse angular correction. These difficulties make course correction by sliding drilling time consuming and expensive as a consequence.
It is known in the art that the frictional engagement between the drill string and the borehole can be reduced by rotating the drill string back and forth ("rocking") between a first angle and a second angle measured at the earth's surface. See, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 6,503,48 issued to Richarson. By rocking the string, the stick/slip friction is reduced, thereby making it easier for the driller to control the weight on bit and make appropriate tool face angle corrections. A limitation to using surface angle alone as a basis for rocking the drill string is that it does not account for the friction between the wall of the bore hole and the drill string. Rocking to a selected angle may either not reduce the friction sufficiently to be useful, or may exceed the friction torque of the drill string in the bore hole, thus unintentionally changing the tool face angle of the drilling motor. Further, rocking to angle alone may result in motor stalling if too much weight is suddenly transferred to the bit as friction is overcome.
Another difficulty in directional drilling is controlling the orientation of the drilling motor during sliding drilling. Tool face angle information is measured downhole by a steering tool and displayed to the directional driller. The driller attempts to maintain the proper face angle by manually applying torque corrections to the drill string. However, the driller typically over- or under-corrects. The over- or under-correction results in substantial back and forth wandering of the tool face angle, which increases the distance that must be drilled in order to reach the target formation. Back and forth wandering also increases the risk of stuck pipe and makes the running and setting of casing more difficult.
A further difficulty in directional drilling is in the transitions back and forth between sliding drilling and rotary drilling. Substantial reactive torque is stored in the drill string during both sliding and rotating drilling in the form of "wraps" or twists of pipe. During drilling, the drill string may be twisted several revolutions between the surface and the drilling motor. Currently, in transitioning between sliding drilling and rotary drilling (and vice versa), the bit is lifted off the bottom, which releases torque stored in the drill string. When drilling resumes, the bit is lowered to the bottom and the reactive torque of the steerable motor must be put back into the drill string before bit rotation resumes to a degree such that earth penetration is effective. Moreover, when sliding, drilling commences, the driller has little control over the tool face angle until the torque applied to the drill string stabilizes at about the amount of reactive torque in the drill string, which adds to the difficulties inherent in controlling direction. As a result, slide drilling has proven to be inefficient and time consuming.

Continuous on-bottom directional drilling method and system


A substrate holding apparatus includes a rotary table rotatable about a vertical center axis for supporting a substrate in a horizontal plane, and substrate travel regulating pins fixed to the rotary table and arranged at positions in contact with the outer edge of the substrate so that the center of gravity of the substrate supported on the rotary table is spaced from the center axis for regulating the travel of the substrate in a horizontal direction. Centrifugal force generated with respect to the substrate when the rotary table rotates about the center axis, urges the periphery of the substrate towards the travel regulating pins so that the resulting frictional force prevents rotary slippage between the substrate and the rotary table as rotation of the latter relates to the latter. The structure of this apparatus is simple because the substrate holding portion does not include a movable portion. It is easy to mount a substrate onto this apparatus because it is not necessary to align the orientation flat and the like at a predetermined position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a substrate processing apparatus for rotating a substrate to process the surface thereof, and more particularly relates to apparatus for processing a substantially circular substrate such as a semiconductor wafer with a cut such as an orientation flat or a notch formed therein, or processing a complete circular substrate such as an optical disk substrate mounted on a rotary table. The surface of the substrate is processed by applying processing solutions such as detergent and etchant to the surface thereof. The present invention further relates to a substrate holding apparatus for holding and rotating a substrate in such a substrate processing apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
A spin coater, a spin drier, a spin developer used in the processing steps of a semiconductor wafer are known as substrate processing apparatus. Apparatus of this type includes a substrate holding apparatus for holding and rotating a wafer. A predetermined process is carried out on the surface of the wafer by providing a resist solution, a developer and the like on a rotating wafer, or by dropping a resist solution or a developer on a stationary wafer and then rotating the wafer.
It is well known that during wafer processing the generation of a contaminant or a defect on the surface of a semiconductor wafer must be suppressed. Consider a case where a wafer skids on a substrate holding apparatus during rotation of the wafer in a rotary substrate processing apparatus. This may result in the bottom of the wafer being abraded against the wafer holding apparatus to generate particles, or the flow of the processing solution on the surface of the wafer may be disturbed. There is also a possibility of damaging the bottom of the wafer. It is necessary to prevent the wafer from skidding in order to avoid such problems.
A conventional substrate holding apparatus known to prevent such skidding of a wafer is shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. The substrate holding apparatus of FIGS. 1 and 2 is described in the document of Japanese Patent Application No. 61-285752 filed on Nov. 29, 1986 in Japan by the same assignee of the present application, claiming priority based on Japanese Patent Application No. 61-190246 filed on Aug. 13, 1986 in Japan. The Japanese Application 61-285752 was laid-open to the public as Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 63-153839 on Jun. 27, 1988 and published as Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-9607 on Feb. 8, 1991.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional substrate holding apparatus 30 includes a rotary plate 36 secured to the upper end of vertical shaft so as to be rotatable in a horizontal plane about the center axis of a vertically mounted shaft 34 having the center bottom fixed to the that extends upward from a motor (not shown). The rotary plate 36 includes six arms 52 projecting radially at equal intervals.
Every other arm of the six arms, i.e. three arms 52 have a fixed claw 38 on the surface of its respective tips for supporting the bottom of a wafer 32 and for regulating the travel of the wafer 32 in the horizontal direction. The remaining every other three arms 52 have a movable claw 40 on the surface of its respective tips for supporting the bottom of the wafer 32, and pivotable between a position of urging against the periphery of the wafer 32 and a position not urging the periphery of the wafer 32. The claws 38 and 40 are arranged around the center of rotation in a circular manner.
The movable claw 40 is provided on a swingable arm 50 provided on the tip of arm 52 and pivots with swingable arm 50. Movable claw 40 includes a wafer supporting portion 42 for supporting the lower surface of the wafer, with its own axis coaxial with the center axis of rotation of swingable arm 50, and a claw portion 44 projecting from the top of the wafer supporting portion 42 and displace from the center axis of wafer supporting portion 42. When the tip of the inner surface of the claw portion 44 is directed towards the center of the rotary plate 36, wafer 32 is urged towards the center by the claw portion 44. The wafer 32 is released from the urged position by the movable claw 40 pivoting so that the tip of the inner surface of the claw portion 44 is directed sideward.
The mechanism of driving the movable claw 40 includes a link rotatable plate 48 provided at the center of the upper face of the rotary plate 36, a link 46 having one end attached swingably to the link rotatable plate 48, a swingable arm 50 having one end attached rotatably to the other end of the link 46 and the other end swingable attached to the base of the claw portion 40, a biasing mechanism not shown for biasing the link rotatable plate 48 counterclockwise, and a driving mechanism not shown for rotating clockwise the link rotatable plate 48 through a predetermined angle against the biasing force of the biasing mechanism.
Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, the conventional substrate holding apparatus operates as follows. The link rotatable plate 48 is rotated clockwise through a predetermined angle using the driving mechanism not shown. Each movable claw 40 pivots by a predetermined angle counterclockwise about the center axis thereof, as shown in solid lines in FIG. 1, by means of the link 46 and the swingable arm 50. This causes the claw portion 44 to be displaced counterclockwise from the center and take a position not pressing the edge of wafer 32. With the movable claw 40 at this position, the wafer 32 is mounted on the wafer supporting portion of the fixed claw 38 and the movable claw 40. Then, the driving mechanism of the link rotatable plate 48 is stopped. The link rotatable plate 48 is rotated through a predetermined angle counterclockwise by the biasing mechanism not shown. The movable claw 40 pivots through a predetermined angle clockwise, as shown in chain lines with two dots in FIG. 1, by means of the link 46 and the swingable arm 50. This causes the claw portion 44 of the movable claw 40 to move toward the center of the rotary plate 36. The side face of the wafer 32 is pressed by the claw portion 44. The wafer 32 is fixed in the substrate holding apparatus 30 by means of the three claw portions 44 of the movable claws 40 pressing against the side face of wafer 32. Wafer 32 can be fixed in the substrate holding apparatus 30 even if the wafer 32 has a circular configuration.
The substrate holding apparatus 30 of FIGS. 1 and 2 requires a mechanism for driving the movable claw 40 to hold the wafer 32. This mechanism includes the link mechanism and the mechanism for driving this link in the substrate holding apparatus 30 shown in FIGS. 1 and 2. Such a mechanism for driving the movable claw 40 is complicated.
A substrate holding apparatus similar to apparatus 30 is also described in the document laid open on Jun. 10, 1987 as Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 62-128142 and published on Jan. 8, 1981 as Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-785. This apparatus includes similarly a movable wafer clutch portion for clutching the circumference of the wafer. Therefore, the apparatus described in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3-785 has problems similar to those of the apparatus shown in FIGS. 1 and 2.
FIGS. 3 and 4 show a conventional substrate holding apparatus 60 for holding a wafer 62 without using a movable portion. Referring to FIGS. 3 and 4, the substrate holding apparatus 60 includes a rotary plate 66 having the bottom center portion fixed to the end of a shaft 64 of a motor not shown and rotatable in a horizontal plane about the center axis of the shaft 64. A wafer holding member 76 for holding the bottom of the wafer 62 at the location of an orientation flat 82 of the wafer 62, and four wafer holding members 70 are secured to the upper face of the rotary plate 66. The wafer holding members 70 are arranged on a circle on the upper surface of rotary plate 66 with the center of the circle coinciding with the central axis Z of shaft 64. The wafer holding member 76 is slightly displaced inward toward the central axis, Z about which the other wafer holding members 70 are arranged circularly. When wafer 62 is placed on substrate holding apparatus 60, the arc 68 out of the contour line of wafer 62 except for the portion of orientation flat 82 is hold by wafer holding members 70. The portion of orientation flat 82 is held by wafer holding member 76. At this time, the arc 68 of wafer 62 is coaxial with the central axis Z of shaft 64.
The wafer holding member 70 includes a wafer supporting portion 72 fixed on the rotary plate 66 for supporting the bottom of the wafer 62, and a travel regulating portion 74 provided at the center of the wafer supporting portion 72 for regulating the horizontal travel of the wafer 62 supported by the wafer supporting portion 72.
The holding member 76 provided to abut on the orientation flat 82 of the wafer 62 includes a wafer holding portion 78 fixed on the rotary plate 66 for supporting the bottom of the orientation flat 82 at the central portion thereof, and a skid regulating portion 80 projecting from the center of the wafer supporting portion 78 for regulating the horizontal travel and the rotation in the circumferential direction of the wafer 62 to prevent the wafer 62 from skidding with respect to the substrate holding apparatus 60. The wafer holding member 76 is displaced towards the inside of the arc 68 in contract to the other wafer holding members 70 being in contact with arc 68 from outside.
The conventional substrate holding apparatus 60 of FIGS. 3 and 4 operates as follows. The wafer 62 is positioned so that the orientation flat 82 is located above the wafer holding member 76. The positioned wafer 62 is mounted upon the wafer supporting portion 72 of the wafer supporting member 70 and upon the wafer supporting portion 78 of the wafer supporting member 76. Thus, the wafer 62 is supported horizontally with a predetermined distance from the upper face of the rotary plate 66. As described above, the horizontal travel of the wafer 62 is regulated by the travel regulating portion 74 and the skid regulating portion 80. While plate 66 is being rotated by a motor (not shown), skid regulating portion 80 of the wafer holding member 76 prevents the wafer 62 from skidding and rotating relative to the rotary plate 66 while the orientation flat 82 is pressed against the portion 80.
It is understood from the above description that the orientation flat 82 of the wafer 62 must be positioned appropriately with respect to the wafer holding member 76 having the skid regulating portion 80 in the conventional substrate holding apparatus 60 of FIGS. 3 and 4. It is therefore necessary to provide a mechanism for aligning the wafer 62 with respect to the rotary plate 66 in the apparatus (not shown) for providing the wafer and in the substrate holding apparatus 60. Such an aligning mechanism is not preferable because it will complicate the mechanism.
The substrate holding apparatus 60 of FIGS. 3 and 4 had another problem which will be described hereinafter. Wafers having a notch which is cut in a V-shape and smaller than the orientation flat 82 instead of the orientation flat 82 are beginning to be used. A notch has a smaller cut towards the center of the wafer in comparison with an orientation flat 82. Though the skid regulating portion is positioned at a location corresponding to the location of the notch, the displacement of the skid regulating portion towards the center of the wafer becomes smaller in comparison with the case of a wafer with an orientation flat. It is therefore difficult to prevent the skid of the wafer with such a skid regulating portion. Furthermore, in the case of a substrate for an optical disk which is a complete circle without any cut-out portions like an orientation flat or a V-shape notch. The skid regulating portion cannot be displaced with respect to the complete circular substrate. In principle, the apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 cannot prevent the substrate from skidding. Although the apparatus of FIGS. 3 and 4 have a simple structure, it can only hold substrates that have a relatively large cut-out portion such as a semiconductor wafer with an orientation flat.

Substrate holding apparatus of a simple structure for holding a rotating substrate, and a substrate processing apparatus including the substrate holding apparatus


The invention refers to a plate package for a plate heat exchanger, a method for manufacturing a plate package, a use of a plate package, and a plate heat exchanger. The plate package includes a plurality of heat exchanger plates (1), which are stacked on each other and which each includes a number of portholes. The plates (1) are compression molded and permanently connected to each other in a number of joints in such a manner that the plates between each other form a first passage for a first fluid and a second passage for a second fluid. The plate package is designed to permit at least one of the fluids to flow through the respective passages at a predetermined maximum working pressure. The plate package has an increased strength achieved by subjecting at least one of the passages to at least a local inner plastic deformation of the plate package.

The present invention refers to a plate package for a plate heat exchanger, which package includes a plurality of heat exchanger plates, which are stacked on each other and which each includes a number of portholes, wherein the plates are compression moulded and permanently connected to each other in a number of joints in such a manner that the plates between each other form a first passage for a first fluid and a second passage for a second fluid, wherein the plate package is designed to permit at least one of said fluids to flow through the respective passages at a predetermined maximum working pressure. The invention also refers to a method for manufacturing a plate package for a plate heat exchanger, which package includes a plurality of heat exchanger plates, which are stacked on each other and which each includes a number of portholes, wherein the plates are compression moulded in such a manner that the plates in the plate package between each other form a first passage for a first fluid and a second passage for a second fluid and wherein the plate package is designed to permit at least one of said fluids to flow through the respective passages at a predetermined working pressure. Furthermore, the invention refers to a use of a plate package, and a plate heat exchanger.
Such plate packages are used in plate& heat exchangers for a plurality of various applications. The plates are normally manufactured in stainless steel and permanently connected to each other by brazing. As braze material copper is normally used. Such plate packages and plate heat exchangers have very high explosion pressures, i.e. they withstand very high inner pressures in one or several of the passages without braking of the plate package. The high explosion pressures are achieved thanks to the high ductility of the used materials and the capability of the materials to obtain a high yield limit through cold working. The explosion pressure may also be increased by increasing the sheet thickness of the heat exchanger plates, the pressure plate and the frame plate.
There is of course a general interest of increasing the strength of such plate packages. In addition, in such plate packages, a certain spread in the pressure fatigue quality arises since the permanent connection between adjacent plates in certain joints could be defect or possible be partly missing. During use of a plate package in a heat exchanger, the plate package is frequently subjected to pulsating pressure, wherein the highest pressure pulses define, and are not permitted to exceed, the highest permitted working pressure. These high pressure pulses lead to high stresses in such defect joints and in joints around defect joints or around areas where the joints are partly missing for any reason. High stresses are of course also present in all highly loaded areas even if the joints are free from defects.
During the manufacture of such plate packages, a pressure test of the plate package takes place today before delivery thereof. Such a pressure test typically takes place at a test pressure corresponding to 1,3-1,8× the maximum working pressure depending on pressure vessel code, operation conditions, i. e. the strength of the material at the designed temperature in relation to the strength at the test pressure temperature. If the plate package withstands this pressure, the quality is regarded to be sufficient. The test pressure level is such that it does not give rise to any visible or measurable plastic deformation of the materials in the-plate package.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,917 discloses a way of manufacturing another type of plate heat exchanger. Two substantially plane plates are laid adjacent to each other and joined to each other at point- or line-shaped weld joints. Thereafter a deformation pressure is supplied by the supply of a pressurised medium to the interspace between adjacent plates. The deformation pressure is such that the plates will be deformed and obtain a wavy shape. In such a way, the desired passage between the plates is created.

Plate package, method of manufacturing a plate package, use of a plate package and plate heat exchanger comprising a plate package


A testing base for a semiconductor device includes a retaining seat, a base board and a press unit. The retaining seat has a top side formed with a receiving cavity. The receiving cavity is adapted to receive the semiconductor device therein. The base board is mounted in a bottom portion of the receiving cavity of the retaining seat. The base board has a contacting side that confronts a contact mounting side of the semiconductor device when the semiconductor device is received in the receiving cavity. The contacting side is provided with a plurality of conductive contact pads adapted to connect electrically and respectively with contact members on the contact mounting side of the semiconductor device. The base board further has a plurality of contact terminals that extend outwardly through the retaining seat and that are connected electrically to the contact pads. The press unit is mounted on the retaining seat and is operable so as to press the semiconductor device toward the base board to ensure electrical connection between the semiconductor device and the base board.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a testing base for semiconductor devices, more particularly to a testing base for semiconductor devices of different specifications.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the fabrication of semiconductor devices, it is important to test the semiconductor devices. Due to the different specifications of the semiconductor devices, it is necessary to prepare testing bases having different specifications for the semiconductor devices, thereby resulting in higher fabrication costs.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide a testing base suitable for use with semiconductor devices of different specifications.
According to the present invention, a testing base for a semiconductor device includes a retaining seat, a base board and a press unit.
The retaining seat has a top side formed with a receiving cavity. The receiving cavity is adapted to receive the semiconductor device therein.
The base board is mounted in a bottom portion of the receiving cavity of the retaining seat. The base board has a contacting side that confronts a contact mounting side of the semiconductor device when the semiconductor device is received in the receiving cavity. The contacting side is provided with a plurality of conductive contact pads adapted to connect electrically and respectively with contact members on the contact mounting side of the semiconductor device. The base board further has a plurality of contact terminals that extend outwardly through the retaining seat and that are connected electrically to the contact pads.
The press unit is mounted on the retaining seat and is operable so as to press the semiconductor device toward the base board to ensure electrical connection between the semiconductor device and the base board.

CTS Computer Technology System Corporation