An applicator for applying dry fertilizer or livestock waste in the form of a slurry beneath the soil surface with minimum soil displacement includes a leading spring-cushioned, conical-shaped, wavy coulter angularly offset from the direction of travel which displaces soil laterally in forming a furrow adapted to receive fertilizer. The coulter is trailed by a single, or a pair of, rotary blade(s) which fill the furrow created by the conical-shaped, wavy coulter, covering the deposited fertilizer. A second embodiment includes a second wavy coulter disposed between the leading coulter and the trailing rotary blades for directing soil in a laterally opposed direction from the soil displaced by the leading coulter in forming a wider furrow. The single conical coulter and dual conical coulter embodiments are interchangeable in the applicator, and can be removed and replaced with a curved shank and sweep assembly to convert to sweep fertilizer application.

Historically, livestock waste, particularly in solid form, has been spread on the surface of the soil by a manure spreader using a flail to fling the material to the rear. A more modern side-discharge spreader also deposits the material on the surface of the soil.
The advent of confinement systems for animals which include pits below the confinement area produces a large amount of animal waste in a slurry form which must be handled and disposed of. Typically, the slurry is pumped in a large tank carried by a wagon, but originally it was for the most part, spread or sprayed on the surface of the soil.
This procedure has, as a principal objection, a strong odor which remains after the waste is spread. Moreover, surface spreading of animal waste is not desirable with the potential runoff of nitrates and phosphorus into rivers and streams. This is objectionable because livestock waste is high in nitrogen, and swine waste is also high in phosphorus and with increasing concern with the quality of drinking water, this procedure is becoming less and less acceptable.
Various methods have been proposed for depositing the slurry underground. One method is to use a fertilizer knife, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,592,294 and to weld a large pipe to the rear of the knife to deliver the slurry behind the knife and into the slot cut in the soil by the knife. This leaves a very narrow band of fertilizer having a high concentration of nitrogen and other nutrients.
Another method of subsoil delivery of animal waste employs a standard chisel plow shank with an attached wide cultivator sweep, in an attempt to distribute the slurry further laterally and to avoid the concentration which occurs in the case of a simple fertilizer knife, described above.
This method, however, presents still another problem—namely, the cultivator sweep unnecessarily tills the soil and may result in burying surface residue. This may be a separate problem, particularly for farmers whose land may have been designated HEL, because there are federal requirements to maintain a certain percentage of crop residue on the surface of such soil. Both the chisel plow shank (which is a wide shank) and cultivator sweeps are designed to create a plowing action that mixes the soil with the residue, buries a large percentage of the residue, and leaves a furrow of exposed liquid behind the shank.
A more recent improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,865,131. This device uses a spring-cushioned coulter running ahead of the applicator for cutting an initial slot in the residue and providing a break line in the soil to be parted by a trailing shank. The shank spreads the initial slot and deepens it. The shank includes a shoe provided with a pair of wings extended laterally. The shoe is in the form of a tillage point which fractures and lifts the soil in front of the shank. The wings lift the soil laterally of the shank from the center toward the outward ends of the wings to provide slots for promoting lateral distribution of the slurry.
The applicator of the '131 patent is suitable for delivering higher application rates of slurry, in the range of 9,000 to 10,000 or more gallons per acre. However, the ground speed of the '131 patent is limited to a range of 3-5 miles per hour. At these slower speeds, the soil is lifted sufficient to form lateral fissures in the soil at a depth of approximately 5 to 6 inches which permits the slurry to flow laterally of the applicator shank. Any greater speed would cause too much soil disruption, lifting and redistribution (i.e. tillage) due to the use of a forward portion of the shoe which acts like a plow point, having a surface which is inclined upwardly and rearwardly for fracturing and lifting the soil in front of the shank. Another recent improvement is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,973,884.
The rotary liquid slurry injector of the present invention requires less horsepower and results in a much more desirable flow of heavy residue. It provides excellent residue flow for 24 hour operation, including dew-soaked residue.

Fertilizer applicator with coulter for minimum soil displacement


A position-finding system is comprised of a terminal having a global positioning system (GPS) for finding a position thereof, and a server which calculates altitude data, based on terrain data in an area in which the terminal is. The terminal includes a controller which selects one of three-dimensional position-finding in which a position is calculated through the use of four or more satellites and two-dimensional position-finding in which a position is calculated in a circumference in which only three satellites can be captured, in accordance with the altitude data provided from the server.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a position-finding system for finding a position of a terminal, a server used in the position-finding system, a mobile terminal used in the position-finding system, a GPS receiver used in the position-finding system, a method of finding a position of a terminal in the position-finding system, and a program for causing a computer to carry out the method.
2. Description of the Related Art
In these years, a global positioning system (GPS) is mounted not only in devices used outdoors such as a car navigation system or a measurement unit, but also in a mobile terminal such as a mobile phone. With popularization of GPS, a device including GPS is required to have higher sensitivity and accuracy.
In a conventional method of finding a position of something through the use of GPS, a position was measured only with GPS. In contrast, there has been suggested a method of finding a position of something through the use of GPS, including the step of receiving preliminary or assistant data such as navigation message received from a satellite, through a network.
When a small terminal such as a mobile phone is used for finding a position thereof through the use of GPS, it is often impossible to capture a satellite, for instance, if the terminal is surrounded by buildings or the terminal is used indoors. Thus, it is requested that a position of a user of a terminal can be found, even if it is difficult for the terminal to capture a satellite.
In a method of finding a position of a terminal having GPS, four or more satellites are usually used. If a terminal can capture only three satellites, it would be necessary for the terminal to receive assist data comprised of data indicative of an altitude of the terminal, in which case, accuracy of the altitude data exerts serious influence on accuracy of a position found by the method.
A terminal having conventional GPS cannot receive altitude data. Hence, if the terminal can capture only three satellites, the terminal carries out two-dimensional position-finding on the assumption that an altitude of the terminal is equal to a predetermined altitude. Thus, if an actual altitude of the terminal is highly different from the predetermined altitude, a position of the terminal could be found with small accuracy, that is, the result of position-finding is accompanied with a significant error.
Recently, there have been suggested various methods of finding a position of a terminal at high speed by receiving assistant data from a server existing in a network.
For instance, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2002-351767 has suggested a method of displaying a contracted map in a display screen of a mobile terminal. The suggested method includes the steps of receiving positional data of the mobile terminal through the use of GPS, receiving a contracted map from a map server in accordance with the received positional data, and automatically selecting a scale of a map in accordance with accuracy of the positional data.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 4-370711 has suggested a method of finding an automobile through the use of GPS, including the steps of storing altitude data of nodes defining roads, into map data, receiving altitude data from the map data, corresponding to a position of an automobile detected by a navigation detector, if three-dimensional position-finding by GPS cannot be carried out, and calculating a current position of an automobile by carrying out two-dimensional position-finding through the use of the received altitude data.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 8-285932 has suggested a GPS receiver comprised of an antenna through which data signals are received from a GPS satellite, a demodulator for demodulating the received data signals, a digital map including altitude data, a reader for reading the altitude data out of the digital map, a calculator for calculating a position, a velocity vector and a current time of the GPS receiver, based on the demodulated data signals, the altitude data, and a difference between estimated time of the GPS receiver and time of the GPS satellite, a display for displaying the calculation results, and a unit for estimating time gap, based on data of past time gap. If data about time gap cannot be received from the GPS satellite, the unit compensates for the data received from the GPS satellite.
However, a fixed altitude is often used as altitude data in a base station or a cell, and accordingly, such fixed altitude is often quite different from an actual altitude in dependence on terrain.

GPS position-finding system and method of finding position of GPS terminal


A torque control for a hydrostatic piston pump that provides for a servo piston rod that is connected to the swashplate of the pump and connected to a servo piston within a first cavity that receives compensation pressure that urges the servo piston toward the swashplate. The servo piston has a stem that extends into a bore and is in contact with the stem of a maximum displacement piston that extends into a second cavity that is acted upon by system pressure to urge the maximum displacement piston toward the swashplate. Additionally, within the second cavity is a set of Bellville washers that surround the stem of the maximum displacement piston to limit the movement of the maximum displacement piston toward the swashplate.

This invention relates to an improved hydraulic pump that is able to limit the amount of torque produced within the pump. More specifically and without limitation, this invention relates to a torque limiting system within a hydraulic piston pump.
The pressure compensated hydraulic piston pump is widely used in industry as a means of driving a wide range of hydraulic devices. The pressure compensated pump delivers a fixed maximum volume of fluid at pressures below the design level and then an abrupt cutoff of the flow as the design pressure level is reached. Such pumps are usually equipped with a variable pressure control which allows the cutoff pressure to be easily adjusted. The operation of the pump can be ascribed as follows: the pump is driven by an external power source through a shaft. A cylinder block is connected to and rotates with the shaft. A series of pistons in the cylinder block rotate with the block and rests against the side of a tilted swashplate which is located within the pump housing.
As the cylinder block rotates the pistons move back and forth in the block with their displacement controlled by the angled swashplate to the axis of the driveshaft. Valve orifices allow entry of fluid into the pump on the backstroke of the pistons and out of the pump on the forward stroke of the pistons. The inlet and outlet to the pump are located in an end cap. At a fixed rotational speed and fixed swashplate angle the pump will deliver a constant flow of fluid at varying pressures. A pressure compensating valve senses the hydraulic system pressure and as the pressure approaches the maximum operating pressure selected, opens a pressure compensating conduit to allow a flow of fluid under pressure. The pressure from the conduit then causes movement of a piston, thus causing movement of the swashplate.
Despite these advances in the art, a problem occurs when there is a need for a torque limitation upon the shaft used to drive the piston pump. Traditional torque control requires a displacement feedback in order to regulate pressure to achieve a constant torque curve. Hence, when the need of the hydraulic piston pump is only to clip the maximum input torque this displacement feedback is not required. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide for a torque control that is able to clip the maximum input torque without displacement feedback.
Attempts in the art have been made to solve this problem. For instance, in Cowan (U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,892), a helical spring is used in combination with altering the compensation and system pressures in order to control the piston pump. This system has many disadvantages including the use of a helical spring (which may be very large to achieve the desired effect) that requires additional mechanical parts and also results in compensator pressure working against the system pressure causing inefficiencies. Thus, there is a need in the art to provide a torque control that is able to limit the torque on a shaft that overcomes the stated problems.
Therefore, it is a principal object of the present invention to provide a torque control for a hydrostatic piston pump that will clip the maximum input torque of the piston pump without displacement feedback that improves upon the state of the art.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a torque control for a hydrostatic piston pump that does not use a helical spring element to control the maximum torque output of the hydrostatic cylinder piston pump.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a torque control for a hydrostatic piston pump that allows for compensator pressure and system pressure to act in the same direction to facilitate the control of the torque limiting control for a hydrostatic piston pump.
These and other objects, features, or advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the specification and claims.

Torque limiting device for hydraulic piston pump


To provide a method for manufacturing a semiconductor substrate provided with a single crystal semiconductor layer which can be used practically even when a substrate with a low upper temperature limit, such as a glass substrate, is used. An oxide film is formed on a single crystal semiconductor substrate; accelerated ions are introduced into the single crystal semiconductor substrate through the oxide film to form an embrittled region in the single crystal semiconductor substrate; a supporting substrate is bonded such that the supporting substrate and the single crystal semiconductor substrate face each other with the oxide film interposed therebetween; separation is performed at the embrittled region into the supporting substrate to which a single crystal semiconductor layer is bonded and part of the single crystal semiconductor substrate by heating of the single crystal semiconductor substrate; first etching is performed on a surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer bonded to the supporting substrate with a substrate bias applied; the single crystal semiconductor layer is irradiated with a laser beam and at least part of the surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer is melted and solidified; and second etching is performed on the surface of the single crystal semiconductor layer with no substrate bias applied.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing a silicon-on-insulator (SOI) substrate having a so-called SOI structure in which a single crystal semiconductor layer is provided on an insulating surface, and a method for manufacturing a semiconductor device having the SOI structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Integrated circuits have been developed, in which a semiconductor substrate called a silicon-on-insulator (hereinafter also referred to as "SOI") having a thin single crystal semiconductor layer on an insulating surface is used instead of a silicon wafer manufactured in such a manner that an ingot of a single crystal semiconductor is thinly sliced. The integrated circuit using an SOI substrate has attracted attention as an integrated circuit which reduces parasitic capacitance between a drain of a transistor and the substrate and improves the performance of a semiconductor integrated circuit.
As a method for manufacturing SOI substrates, a hydrogen ion implantation separation method is known (e.g., see Patent Document 1). The hydrogen ion implantation separation method is a method in which hydrogen ions are implanted into a silicon wafer to form an embrittled region at a predetermined depth from a surface of the silicon wafer, and the silicon wafer is separated at the embrittled region, whereby a thin silicon layer is bonded to another silicon wafer. In addition to the heat treatment for separation of a silicon layer, it is necessary to perform heat treatment in an oxidizing atmosphere to form an oxide film over the silicon layer, remove the oxide film, and perform heat treatment at 1000° C. to 1300° C. to increase bonding strength.
On the other hand, a semiconductor device in which an insulating substrate made of high heat resistance glass or the like is provided with a silicon layer is disclosed (e.g., see Patent Document 2). In this semiconductor device, an entire surface of crystallized glass whose strain point is greater than or equal to 750° C. is protected by an insulating silicon film, and a silicon layer obtained by a hydrogen ion implantation separation method is bonded to the insulating silicon film.
On the surface of the silicon layer obtained by a hydrogen ion implantation separation method, there exists defects due to an ion implantation step or the like for forming an embrittled region. Therefore, a technique of removing the defects by vapor-phase etching is disclosed (see Patent Document 3).
[Reference]
    [Patent Document]    [Patent Document 1] Japanese Published Patent Application No. 2000-124092    [Patent Document 2] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H11-163363    [Patent Document 3] Japanese Published Patent Application No. H11-102848

Method for manufacturing SOI substrate and semiconductor device

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


A cleaning disc for removing contaminant matter from a rotatable feed roller belonging to an imaging device. The disc comprises a cleaning layer, which may be a tack layer or an abrasion layer, engageable with the roller and rotatable therewith. The cleaning layer removes the contaminant matter as the cleaning layer engages and rotates with the roller. The cleaning layer is attached to a substrate for supporting the cleaning layer, the substrate having a protruding portion thereof sized to be slidably received in the recess to fix position of the disc to act as a pivot with respect to the feed roller. In addition, a protective layer is removably attached to the cleaning layer for protecting the cleaning layer prior to use.

This invention generally relates to apparatus and methods for cleaning feed rollers and more particularly relates to a cleaning disc and method for cleaning a feed roller belonging to an imaging device.
Cleaning devices for cleaning feed rollers of imaging apparatus are known. One such device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,227,844 titled "Cleaning Sheet And Method For Cleaning Paper Path Feed Roller Surfaces" issued Jul. 13, 1993, in the name of Himangshy R. Bhattacharjee, et al. This patent discloses passing a cleaning sheet along a paper path of an imaging machine to clean feed roller surfaces in the paper path. The cleaning sheet includes a substrate carrying a coating of synthetic polymeric material in a pattern which assures contact between the coating and the feed surfaces to be cleaned. The coating material has a tack which enables the coating to pick-off particles of unwanted material from the feed roller surfaces and capture the picked-off particles for movement with the cleaning sheet along the paper path and out of the machine. Thus, the cleaning sheet disclosed in this patent moves through the machine along the same path as a sheet of receiver medium would move through the machine. It would appear, however, that use of this device gives rise to at least the risk that the particles picked-up from the feed rollers may be inadvertently redeposited on other printer components (e.g., printhead) laying along the paper path. Moreover, it appears no means is provided to control the amount of time the cleaning sheet remains in contact with the feed rollers because the sheet is apparently automatically fed through the machine at the normal operating feeding rate of the machine. Thus, heavily contaminated feed rollers may require multiple pass-throughs of the cleaning sheet before the feed rollers are adequately cleaned.
Therefore, there has been a long-felt need to provide a suitable cleaning apparatus and method for cleaning a feed roller belonging to an imaging device, so that the problems stated hereinabove are overcome.

Cleaning disc and method for cleaning a feed roller belonging to an imaging device


The invention relates to h4-1BBSV receptor polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, methods for producing the polypeptides, in particular by expressing the polynucleotides, and agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides. The invention further relates to methods for utilizing such polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and antagonists for applications, which relate, in part, to research, diagnostic and clinical arts.

Many biological actions, for instance, response to certain stimuli and natural biological processes, are controlled by factors, such as cytokines. Many cytokines act through receptors by engaging the receptor and producing an intra-cellular response.
For example, tumor necrosis factor (TNF), both alpha and beta, are cytokines which act through TNF receptors to regulate numerous biological processes, including protection against infection and induction of shock and inflammatory disease. The TNF molecules belong to the "TNF-ligand" superfamily, and act together with their receptors or counter-ligands, the "TNF-receptor" superfamily. So far, nine members of the TNF ligand superfamily have been identified and ten members of the TNF-receptor superfamily have been characterized.
Among the ligands there are included TNF-.alpha., lymphotoxin-.alpha. (LT-.alpha., also known as TNF-.beta., LT-.beta. (found in complex heterotrimer LT-.alpha.2-.beta.), FasL, CD40, CD27, CD30, 4-1BB, OX40 and nerve growth factor (NGF). The superfamily of TNF receptors includes the p55TNF receptor, p75TNF receptor, TNF receptor-related protein, FAS antigen or APL-1, CD40, CD27, CD30, 4-1BB, OX40, low affinity p75 and NGF-receptor (Meager, A., Biologicals, 22:291-295 (1994).
All members of the TNF-ligand superfamily are expressed by activated T-cells, implying that they are necessary for T-cell interactions with other cell types which underlie cell ontogeny and functions. (Meager, A., supra).
Considerable insight into the essential functions of several members of the TNF receptor family has been gained from the identification and creation of mutants that abolish the expression of these proteins. For example, naturally occurring mutations in the FAS antigen and its ligand cause lymphoproliferative disease (WatanabeFukunaga, R., et al., Nature, 356:314 (1992), perhaps reflecting a failure of programmed cell death. Mutations of the CD40 ligand cause an X-linked immunodeficiency state characterized by high levels of immunoglobulin M and low levels of immunoglobulin G in plasma, indicating faulty T-cell-dependent B-cell activation (Allen, R. C., et al., Science, 259:990 (1993). Targeted mutations of the low affinity nerve growth factor receptor cause a disorder characterized by faulty sensory innovation of peripheral structures (Lee, K. F., et al., Cell, 69:737 (1992).
TNF and LT-.alpha. are capable of binding to two TNF receptors (the 55- and 75-kd TNF receptors). A large number of biological effects elicited by TNF and LT-.alpha., acting through their receptors, include hemorrhagic necrosis of transplanted tumors, cytotoxicity, a role in endotoxic shock, inflammation, immunoregulation, proliferation and anti-viral responses, as well as protection against the deleterious effects of ionizing radiation. TNF and LT-.alpha. are involved in the pathogenesis of a wide range of diseases, including endotoxic shock, cerebral malaria, tumors, autoimmune disease, AIDS and graft-host rejection (Beutler, B. and Von Huffel, C., Science, 264:667, 668 (1994). Mutations in the p55 Receptor cause increased susceptibility to microbial infection.
4-1BB ligand, a member of the TNF family of ligands, is induced by T-cell activation. Signalling through a 4-1BB receptor enhances proliferative T-cell responses. Among known 4-1BB receptors is the inducible murine T-cell 4-1BB receptor which is a member of the TNF receptor family. It is expressed on activated T-cells as both a 30-kDa monomer and a 55-kDa homodimer (Pollok, K. E., et al., J. Immunol., 150:771 (1993). The 4-1BB receptor binds 4-1BB ligand with a high affinity, and has been identified and cloned (Goodwin, R. G., et al., Eur. J. Immunol., 23:2631 (1993). 4-1BB ligand was highly expressed on mature B and macrophage cell lines and anti-micro-activated B-cells. Recently, the human homolog of the murine 4-1BB receptor and its ligand have been cloned (Schwarz, H. J., et al., Gene, 134:295 (1993). Data suggests a potential role for the interaction of 4-1BB receptor with its ligand in the process of T-cell activation.
A gene has also been recently identified which is induced by lymphocyte activation. The sequence of the full length 1.4 kb cDNA has been characterized as a new member of the nerve growth factor/tumor necrosis factor receptor family and is considered to be the human homolog of the murine T-cell-specific receptor 4-1BB. This receptor gene can be induced in lymphoid and differentiated non-lymphoid cell types. Expression of the protein encoded by this gene has been found on a subset of activated T or B lymphocytes. Activation-dependent expression of the protein is found not only in T lymphocytes, but also in B lymphocytes, monocytes and diverse non-lymphoid cell types (Schwarz, Blood, 85 (4):1043-1052 (1995).
The effects of TNF family ligands and TNF family receptors are varied and influence numerous functions, both normal and abnormal, in the biological processes of the mammalian system. There is a clear need, therefor, for identification and characterization of such receptors and ligands that influence biological activity, both normally and in disease states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize additional NGF/TNF family receptors akin to 4-1BB which enhances proliferative T-cell responses and may be employed, therefore, for preventing, ameliorating or correcting dysfunctions or disease or augmenting positive natural actions of such receptors.


An imaging lens system and an imaging system that includes the imaging lens system are provided. The imaging lens system includes an aperture stop, a first lens group with positive refractive power, and a second lens group with positive refractive power, arranged in that order from an object side to an image side. The first lens group includes a positive lens L11, and a negative meniscus lens L12 that has a convex surface on the object side. The second lens group includes a negative lens L21 that has a concave surface on the object side, a positive lens L22 and a positive lens L23 each of which has a convex surface on the image side, a negative meniscus lens L24 that has a convex surface on the object side, and a positive lens L25 that has a convex surface on the object side.

1. Technical Field
Example embodiments of the present invention generally relate to an imaging lens system and an imaging system incorporating the imaging lens system.
2. Background Art
Conventionally, imaging systems such as cameras that capture images of a subject are known.
In recent years, various types of cameras that capture images of a subject and perform image processing on the captured images are being commercialized, such as cameras that perform high-definition examination on a subject at a finite distance.

Imaging lens system and imaging system including the same


The present invention provides CMOS structures including at least one strained pFET that is located on a rotated semiconductor substrate to improve the device performance. Specifically, the present invention utilizes a Si-containing semiconductor substrate having a (100) crystal orientation in which the substrate is rotated by about 45° such that the CMOS device channels are located along the <100> direction. Strain can be induced upon the CMOS structure including at least a pFET and optionally an nFET, particularly the channels, by forming a stressed liner about the FET, by forming embedded stressed wells in the substrate, or by utilizing a combination of embedded stressed wells and a stressed liner. The present invention also provides methods for fabricating the aforesaid semiconductor structures.

In the semiconductor industry, it has become more and more difficult in recent years to improve device performance. Mobility enhancement is a known way to improve complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) device performance, without excessive device scaling. For example, it is known that the electron and hole mobility are affected by the wafer surface orientations as well as the current flow directions. This is because of the anisotropic effective mass behaviors of the inversion layer carriers.
Currently, CMOS devices are formed on a Si-containing semiconductor substrate that has a single crystal orientation. In a typical semiconductor substrate, the surface orientation is defined as the surface normal vector out of the crystal plane of the semiconductor wafer. The current direction of a CMOS can be designed at device layout. Under normal operation, the CMOS current always flows from the source to the drain side modulated by the gate terminal. Therefore, the current flow direction can be controlled by rotating the gate conductor mask and active silicon masks with respect to the wafer notch. Another way of changing the channel direction is to rotate the wafer at 45 degrees and have the notch along <100> instead of <110> direction.
In one example, CMOS devices can be formed upon a Si-containing substrate having a (100) surface orientation, i.e., crystal plane, with a notch or wafer flat located at the <110> direction. Such a Si-containing wafer is shown in FIG. 1; in this figure G represents the gate, S represents the source region, D represents the drain region and the bolded arrow represents the direction of current flow. In the illustrated Si-containing semiconductor wafer, the current flow is the <110> direction for both nFETs and pFETs. For a (100) oriented semiconductor wafer, the current flow is typically insensitive to the current flow directions, if the gates are laid out either parallel or perpendicular to the wafer notch.
Another way of increasing the device performance is to induce a local mechanical stress upon the channel of the CMOS devices. In some technologies, the local mechanical stress created in the channel can degrade the carrier mobility and cause layout related performance variations. Moreover, the optimal stress type and direction with respect to current flow direction is different for nFETs and pFETs. Furthermore, the optimal stress type and current direction for nFETs and pFETs are not compatible with the requirements for advanced litho where the gates are oriented in one direction.
Recently, studies have shown that nFET devices on a 45° rotated (100) semiconductor wafer (in which the channel is along the <100> direction) could be more sensitive to a uniaxial stress effect (See, FIG. 2). Also, it has been shown that pFETs on rotated wafers could have higher performance than those on non-rotated wafers because of higher hole mobility. Furthermore, holes are less sensitive to the transverse compressive stress induced by a stress induced shallow trench isolation region, thus in such structures including a rotated wafer there is less performance degradation compared to a normal wafer.
Despite these advances, there is a need for providing strained CMOS structures, particularly strained pFETs, on rotated semiconductor wafers to improve the device performance and to couple that with local mechanical stress to improve the electron and/or hole mobility in the channel of the particular CMOS structure.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Strained complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) on rotated wafers and methods thereof

International Business Machines Corporation


A method and apparatus that combines the same basic hardware elements in several ways to perform a plurality of arithmetic operations over different numbers of operands of different lengths. The allowed options include the multiplication and summing of several operands in a single operation. The reuse of hardware elements is obtained by the use of a multiplication hardware structure together with multiplexer logic (or similar selection logic) at appropriate points in the hardware structure, which allows a minimum of extra hardware and a small number of extra gate delays along any critical path, thereby ensuring that the flexibility to use different operand lengths and numbers of operands incurs only a small penalty in processing speed and/or chip area in a VLSI circuit implementation.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to the field of hardware designs for performing arithmetic operations. More specifically, the invention relates to the hardware designs for performing multiplication, sums of products, and the like.
2. Background Information
Fast multiplication and addition are key arithmetic operations in digital signal processing (DSP), as well as other forms of computer data processing. In DSP especially, it is often necessary to multiply several pairs of numbers and accumulate the results by addition into a single number. Mathematically, this operation is called a "dot product." It can be written a.sub.1 *b.sub.1 +a.sub.2 *b.sub.2 + . . . +a.sub.n *b.sub.n, where the a.sub.i and b.sub.i sequences are paired up, and each corresponding element is multiplied, with the results accumulated. In a typical digital filter, the first sequence may be a fixed sequence of filter coefficients, while the second sequence may be a contiguous set of data samples from a longer input sequence. For example, the finite impulse response (FIR) filtering operation consists of performing the dot product operation with these sequences to produce an output sample, then "shifting" the input sequence in time by one, so that the earliest sample is no longer included while one later sample is appended. The dot product operation is then repeated on the new pair of sequences to form the next output sample, and so on.
Many useful variations of this basic idea exist. For example, the filter coefficients may be changed at regular intervals, including as often as every output sample. This is commonly done, for example, in adaptive filtering, where an adaptation algorithm such as "least mean squared" (or "LMS") is used to change the filter coefficients. As another example, the input sequence may be shifted by more than one input sample between each output sample. When the filter coefficients are properly chosen, this technique can be used to reduce the sampling rate of a digitally sampled signal. As still another example, two or more sets of filter coefficients may be applied to the same input sequence in turn between each shift of the input sequence. When the filter coefficients are properly chosen, this technique can be used to increase the sampling rate of a digitally sampled signal.
Infinite impulse response (IIR) filters are also widely used in DSP. These filters employ feedback, whereby the values of previous outputs are multiplied by filter coefficients and summed with other results to produce each successive output sample. While such filters are not described as a single dot product operation, they may often be described using several dot products.
Still other important DSP algorithms use sums of products. For example, the "sum of squares of differences" operation is written as (a.sub.1 -b.sub.1).sup.2 +(a.sub.2 -b.sub.2).sup.2 + . . . (a.sub.n -b.sub.n).sup.2. This is used, for example, to measure the amount of difference between the vectors a and b, each of length n. When b represents a desired or known vector, it is common to search among a set of candidate vectors for the vector that minimizes this difference. In this case, the sum of squares of differences operation is repeated many times during the operation of the complete system.
The precision requirements for these multiplication and addition operations can vary tremendously, as can the desired representations of the numbers involved. For example, in some applications it is desired to use floating point number representations; in others, the fixed point representation is sufficient and is more cost effective. Among fixed point representations, the number of integral and fractional digits can vary, as can the total number of digits. Additionally, the numbers may be signed or unsigned. Beyond the data representations themselves, certain details of the processing operations are important. For example, multiplication and addition operations produce outputs with a greater number of digits than their inputs. Thus, when such operations are composed, the number of digits in the results can grow dramatically. Commonly, the exact results include digits that do not represent useful information, so some digits are discarded using truncation and rounding. The art of discarding digits that are not useful is both important and complex.
The precision requirements for the multiplication and addition operations are generally related to: the precision of the input data; the precision of the coefficients; the type of processing algorithm; and certain parameters of that algorithm such as how truncation and rounding are performed. The analysis of these requirements is sufficiently complex that a whole branch of mathematics, known as Numerical Analysis, has been developed for them.
In response to the widespread need for fast multiplication and addition with a variety of precisions and data representations, an extensive literature has been created and many hardware and software implementations have been developed. For most implementations, the complexity increases roughly as N*M where N and M are the number of bits of the two input operands. Thus, for N by N multiplication, the complexity increases as N.sup.2. Algorithms are known that reduce this complexity for very large operands, but for most applications, the operand sizes are not large enough to make these algorithms practically useful. On the other hand, many ideas have been developed that do effectively exploit properties of hardware technologies and multiplication algorithms to speed up implementations having a particular precision and numerical representation.
The straightforward approach to multiplication is adding up a set of appropriately shifted partial products, each generated by multiplying the multiplicand by one of the digits of the multiplier. The only difficulty about addition is carries between digits, since the carry out from a particular digit depends on the carry into that digit, so that the carry propagation aspect of addition is inherently sequential. Since it is possible that a carry may propagate across all the digits of a sum, the number of sequential steps required for the addition is equal to the number of digits being added. Many techniques are known for reducing the maximum number of sequential steps requires for the addition; however these techniques generally require more hardware.
Many hardware designs for fast multiplication embody an extended version of the straightforward multiplication algorithm, consisting of a first part that generates partial products, a second part that sums the partial products to two numbers (referred to as "carry" or "C" and "save" or "S") whose sum is the correct answer, and a third part that adds together C and S to produce the answer. The partial product generation may include any form of multiplicand preprocessing, such as Booth encoding. The numbers C and S are developed in such a way that carry propagation is largely or completely avoided during the second part. The apparatus implementing the second part is generally known as a "Carry Save Adder," sometimes abbreviated "CSA." Carry propagation is unavoidable during the third part of the multiplication algorithm, but only two numbers are then involved, and any of the known techniques can be used to speed up the addition. The third part of this multiplication algorithm is also called the "Carry Propagate Adder," sometimes abbreviated "CPA".
The variations among hardware multiplier designs of this type generally involve one or more of the following: the method for generating partial products, the method for reducing them to numbers C and S, the method for performing the final addition of numbers C and S, and the method for modifying the partial products and/or carry save adder to accommodate signed number representations.
Because of the inherent complexity of multiplication, fast multiplication hardware has commonly been developed for a single number representation at a single precision. Certain variations cause few design changes, such as signed versus unsigned numbers. For this reason, such variations are commonly found within a single hardware multiplier. Other variations can be provided by appropriate modifications of the inputs and/or outputs. For example, the position of integral and fractional parts in a fixed point multiplier can be varied by shifting inputs and outputs; smaller operands can be accommodated by padding the inputs with zero or sign digits as appropriate. This padding of input digits has significant drawbacks: since the inherent complexity of an N by N multiplier increases as N.sup.2, use of half-length operands reduces the inherent complexity by a factor of 4, which corresponds intuitively to using 1/4 of the multiplier hardware.
More generally, systems applications may use several of the DSP algorithms that were just briefly described, and may use other algorithms involving multiplications and additions as well. Depending on the total throughput required by the application, it may be necessary to provide dedicated hardware multiplication and addition circuits for each operation through which data flows in fixed connection patterns, or on the other hand, it may be possible to reuse one or more hardware multiplication and addition circuits with data flows directed by a control element. An example of the second approach is a programmable DSP chip or RISC CPU chip containing hardware multiplication circuitry. These programmable circuits usually implement complex numerical algorithms by the sequential composition of simpler operations into and out of register files that store intermediate results, coefficients, and so on. For example, a sum of squares of differences algorithm may be implemented by a first operation that takes the difference of two numbers, a second operation that squares the result, and a third operation that accumulates the result of the second operation into a running sum. In case each operation takes a single cycle, the algorithm would then be completed in 3 cycles.
However, since the inherent complexity of multiplication is higher than that of addition or subtraction, hardware designers often optimize the clock speed of their designs by pipelining the multiplication operation, so that it completes after more than one cycle. For example, a particular design might complete in 3 cycles but allow a new multiply operation to be started on every cycle. In such a case, the sum of squares of differences algorithm discussed earlier might complete in 5 cycles. Depending on certain details of the hardware design, it might be possible to overlap the calculation for the next pair of vector elements so that on average, each pair of elements would be subtracted, squared, and summed in 3 cycles.
While many design variations are possible that involve more or less parallel hardware, it is generally desirable for designs to require as few cycles as possible to complete an algorithm; this is especially important for the most widely used algorithms, including those mentioned in the foregoing. If a first design uses K cycles while a second uses L>K, then the first design is also more cost-effective if it uses less than L/K as much hardware. Implementers of systems applications are generally desirous of designs that are fast, cost-effective, and reconfigurable.


Described is an orthopedic crutch with an adjustable hand grip that can slide along the vertical supports and be fixed to the supports at different vertical elevations to accommodate the user.

The present invention relates to an orthopedic crutch and, more particularly, to an orthopedic crutch with an adjustable hand grip.
Many different orthopedic crutches have been designed and manufactured to assist injured and handicapped individuals. Since individual users vary in height, efforts have been made to design and construct orthopedic crutches which are adjustable to the height of the user. For the most part, such orthopedic crutches tend to require complex adjustment mechanisms and procedures to accomplish adjustment.
Recently, however, an orthopedic crutch has been proposed which can be adjusted comparatively simply by the user without assistance. Such a crutch is disclosed in Hansen et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,979,533, dated Dec. 25, 1990. The crutch described comprises two vertical supports with an upper arm rest and a third vertically adjustable lower support. The lower support fixes the overall height of the crutch. In addition, a hand grip is provided which is also relatively easily adjusted to provide proper spacing between the hand grip of the crutch and the arm rest.
The present invention provides an alternative adjustable hand grip for an orthopedic crutch which is also simple and easy to operate by the user without the need of assistance.

Orthopedic crutch with adjustable hand grip


A device may receive a job request that requests performance of one or more operations by resources of a high-performance computing environment, and may process the job request, with a policy execution model trained with policy parameters, to identify policies to apply during execution of the job request. The device may process the job request, with a forecast object model trained with job data and profile data, to generate a forecast of resources and licenses required from the high-performance computing environment. The device may process the job request, other job requests, the one or more of the policies, and the forecast, with a heuristic model, to determine a schedule for the job request, and may process the schedule and current constraints on the resources and the licenses, with a linear programming model, to determine an optimized schedule for the job request.

High-performance computing provides the ability to process data and perform complex calculations at high speeds, and may be employed to solve large problems in science, engineering, or business. A high-performance computing environment aggregates computing power (e.g., clusters of computers, processors, and/or the like) in a way that delivers much higher performance than is obtainable from a typical desktop computer or workstation.

Utilizing machine learning to concurrently optimize computing resources and licenses in a high-performance computing environment


An apparatus for allowing a calling party to transmit a message for scheduled delivery from a network-enabled device. The apparatus includes a server for receiving a message request in response to a command from the network-enabled device, for generating one or more message addresses from the message request, and for transmitting the message request to one or more telecommunication networks corresponding to the one or more message addresses.

The present application relates generally to systems and methods for providing messages to a user of a telecommunications device.
It is generally well known that users of prescription drugs often forget to take their medication as prescribed. Studies show that medication non-compliance, defined as the failure to take drugs on time or in the dosages prescribed, is the cause of over 100,000 deaths annually in the United States and leads to billions of dollars of increased medical costs. A variety of systems and tools have evolved for reminding patients to take their medications, and once-popular medication reminder systems such as calendars and alarm clocks have yielded to technological innovation. Talking pillboxes, vibrating alarms, and similar gadgets are widely available and frequently used to ensure that medication is properly taken. As with their predecessors, however, these devices are easily forgotten, misplaced, or simply ignored.
More recently, the number of services offering the delivery of pre-scheduled reminders using voice-messaging systems has been steadily increasing. Often offered by pharmacies to regular customers, these services employ scheduling software and pre-recorded messages to provide medication reminders, known as courtesy calls, using customer information stored in electronic records. As currently implemented, however, such systems suffer a significant drawback because no contingency action is performed in the event that a call recipient fails to answer. In these instances, it may be desirable to alert a designated concerned party concerning the unsuccessful delivery of the medication reminder.
A second drawback to voice messaging systems is the long distance phone charges attendant to the operation of a courtesy call service. Where numerous customers are located outside the area of local phone coverage, as is frequently the case with, for example, mail order and online prescription services, the costs associated with delivering courtesy calls to distant customers may be prohibitively expensive. Although electronic mail is a cost-effective solution to long-distance telephone fees, the difficulty of verifying customer receipt of the communication makes it a less attractive alternative. Moreover, although the popularity of electronic mail has been growing rapidly, it has not yet found common use in many homes.


One embodiment provides a system that facilitates redistribution of content objects with a different name without requiring re-computation of the original authentication information. During operation, the system determines, by a content producing device, an original manifest which indicates at least an original name associated with a content object, wherein the name is a hierarchically structured variable length identifier (HSVLI) which comprises contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level. The system renames the content object with a new name. The system also creates a new manifest which indicates the new name, wherein the new manifest includes original authentication information associated with the original manifest.

Field
This disclosure is generally related to distribution of digital content. More specifically, this disclosure is related to verifying the original producer of content in a content centric network (CCN) by using manifests that rename objects and include authentication information for the original producer.
Related Art
The proliferation of the Internet and e-commerce continues to create a vast amount of digital content. Content-centric network (CCN) architectures have been designed to facilitate accessing and processing such digital content. A CCN includes entities, or nodes, such as network clients, forwarders (e.g., routers), and content producers, which communicate with each other by sending Interest packets for various content items and receiving content object packets in return. CCN interests and content objects are identified by their unique names, which are typically hierarchically structured variable length identifiers (HSVLI). An HSVLI can include contiguous name components ordered from a most general level to a most specific level.
In addition to the identifying name and a payload, CCN content objects can include a signature for the content producer. The signature binds the name, payload, and identity of the signer (e.g., the producer). The name is used to match, route, and forward the content. In order to move or redistribute the content to serve the content from a location that is not reachable by the same name (e.g., from a web-cache location other than the one corresponding to the name), a system can either update the routing information or rename the content. However, updating the routing information can result in computational overhead due to modifying the routing tables (e.g., Forwarding Information Bases) at intermediate routers within a CCN. Furthermore, renaming the content breaks the binding security association between the unique name of the content and the authentication information of the producer (e.g., the signature and the identity), leaving a receiving CCN entity with no way to authenticate the original producer of the content.

Method and system for verifying renamed content using manifests in a content centric network


A collapsible funnel and a method for making a collapsible funnel is disclosed. In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, the collapsible funnel may be provided with a screen for filtering fluids placed into the funnel. In accordance with another aspect of the invention, a funnel is provided which includes multiple adjacent panels and a glue strip adjacent to one end, which enables the funnel to be manufactured with conventional process machines.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible funnel and a method for making a funnel and more particularly to a funnel packaged in a collapsed form and adapted to be quickly and easily expanded into a funnel, the funnel being formed from a piece of flat stock with a plurality of adjacent panels and a glue strip adjacent one end which enables the panels to be attached together and folded several times so that the collapsed configuration of the funnel is the size of a single panel, one embodiment of the funnel including a screen for filtering fluids placed in the funnel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Various funnel systems are known for use with various fluids. A common application of such funnel systems relates to the use of various fluids in various vehicles including automobiles. For example, motor oil is normally provided in a sealed can or a container with a screw off cap. Such motor oil is sold in most retail distribution markets as well as in various service stations. In order to avoid spilling the oil all over the engine, normally a re-usable funnel is used and inserted into the oil receiving receptacle of the engine. In many applications, such funnels are not readily available and as such consumers who purchase oil in service stations take the chance of spilling oil on various engine parts while attempting to pour the engine oil into the engine oil receiving receptacle on their automobile engine.
In order to resolve this problem, various systems have been developed, for example, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,101,870; 5,104,012; 5,033,521; 4,239,130; 6,112,949; 5,060,849; 5,601,230 and French Patent No. 2 565 956. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,104,012 discloses a container with a flexible tube removably attached to the exterior of the container in a flattened position that is adapted to be attached to a spout on a container to form a dispenser for dispensing the fluid within the container. U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,949 discloses a container with an extendable bellows-like tube disposed within the container that is adapted to be pulled out when the cap is removed to form a dispenser for the fluid within the container. U.S. Pat. No. 5,033,521 discloses an oil cap for sealing the inlet port of an oil receiving receptacle on an automobile. The cap is configured with a collapsible funnel. U.S. Pat. No. 5,101,870 discloses a fluid container with a disposable funnel formed to the contour of an upper portion of the container and adapted to fit over the top outside of the container and be secured thereto by way of the cap. With such a configuration, when the cap is removed, the disposable funnel is inverted and inserted into the oil receiving receptacle to enable the fluid within the container to be poured into the oil receiving receptacle without making a mess. U.S. Pat. No. 4,239,130 discloses an oil caddy adapted to be secured in a trunk of an automobile or other vehicle which includes a canister for holding an oil can and a funnel attached to the upper portion of the canister. The funnel in this embodiment is not disposable. French Patent No. 2 565 956 discloses a collapsible funnel system formed from a number of concentric rings which are configured such that in an expanded configuration, the concentric rings form a funnel. The patents disclosed above all disclose various types of funnels for use with various fluids. Unfortunately, all of these systems are rather complicated and thus expensive which explains why none of these systems are in widespread use.
Other funnel-type systems are known which are less expensive to produce. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,060,849 discloses a carton for carrying, for example, a case of oil containers. The carton is provided with various die cuts which enable the carton to be folded in two different configurations thus providing a dual purpose carton. In one configuration, the carton may be folded into a box for simply carrying various fluid containers. In the alternate configuration, the carton can be refolded into a funnel to facilitate pouring of the fluid content within one of the containers. U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,230 discloses another less expensive type funnel system. In particular, the '230 patent discloses a box for carrying multiple fluid containers. The lid of the box is die cut and preformed with fold lines which are prestamped to enable a portion of the lid to be removed from the top of the box and folded into a funnel. The problem with the systems disclosed in the '849 and '230 is that these patents disclose a funnel system in which a single disposable funnel is provided for a multiple number of fluid containers. Unfortunately, with such a design it is very likely that once the funnel is formed and used once it will likely be discarded and not available for use for the remaining fluid containers. Thus, there is a need for a collapsible funnel for use with a fluid container which will likely be available for use with each individual fluid container.


An image transfer system configured with an image transmission apparatus, an image transfer apparatus and the image saving apparatus. The image transmission apparatus transmits image data recorded in a storage medium to the image transfer apparatus. The image transfer apparatus receives the image data, records the image data into a first storage device and transfers the image data to the image saving apparatus in response to a request issued from the image saving apparatus. The image saving apparatus receives the image data and records the image data into a second storage device. The image saving apparatus includes: the second storage device; a communication unit; a recording control unit for controlling read/write of management information; a request receiving unit from a user; a decision-making unit as to whether or not target image data are recorded; an image requesting unit for the target image data; and an image recording unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image saving apparatus, an image transfer apparatus and an image transmission apparatus.
2. Description of Related Art
The camera disclosed in Japanese Laid Open Patent Publication No. 2006-80860 transmits reduced image data generated to express a reduced image based upon a main image to another device before transmitting the main image.

Image saving apparatus, image transfer apparatus and image transmission apparatus


A system may be configured to receive information regarding a geographical location of a user device; and compare the geographical location of the user device to geographical locations of a set of gateway devices. The gateway devices may be associated with a cellular network, and the gateway devices may communicatively couple one or more network devices associated with the cellular network to an access point that is not associated with the cellular network. The system may further select a particular gateway device based on the geographical location of the user device and the geographical locations of the particular gateway device; and store or output information regarding the selected particular gateway device.

Wireless networks, such as cellular networks, may provide network connectivity to user devices, such as cellular telephones. Cellular telephones may access cellular networks using cellular radio access technologies ("RATs"), such as a third generation ("3G") RAT, a fourth generation ("4G") RAT, and/or another cellular RAT. Cellular telephones may also access cellular networks via one or more other networks, such as a wireless local area network ("WLAN"), also sometimes referred to as a "WiFi network."
Some cellular network providers may support services, such as video conferencing, voice calls, or the like. When connected to a WiFi network, a cellular telephone may use such services. For example, when connected to a particular WiFi network, a cellular telephone may use a video conferencing service associated with a particular cellular network provider. The cellular network provider may deploy several gateway devices, such as Evolved Packet Data Gateways ("ePDGs"), which may allow the cellular network provider to provide the video conferencing service to the cellular telephone via the WiFi network. These ePDGs may be located in geographically distinct locations (e.g., in different cities or states within a particular country).

Gateway selection based on geographical location


A sliding device for a fifth wheel coupling, which includes two guide rails mounted on a vehicle in the longitudinal direction thereof and a slide which can be displaced on the guide rails. A locking device mounted on the slide can be brought into an open position and a locked position by an actuator. In order to improve handling of the sliding device, at least one locking sensor for detecting the locked position is provided. The locking sensor is connected to a display device and/or to the vehicle electronics.

A sliding device is a device which bears the fifth wheel coupling and allows the coupling to be adjusted in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and in particular to be moved into various positions.
After adjusting the sliding device, particularly during a trip, it might occur that the driver will forget to lock the sliding device mechanism so as to hold the fifth wheel coupling in a given position. This may lead to uncontrolled shifting during travel, and to hazardous situations. E.g., when traveling on a steep downhill grade or when undergoing braking, the front of the semi-trailer may strike the cab of the tractor.
Additionally, with known sliding devices, problems may occur relating to distribution of the load to various axles, and relating to the overall length of the tractor-semitrailer combination. Improper load distribution may affect driving characteristics, may cause excess tire wear, and may lead to undesirable loading of axles whereby allowed limits are exceeded. The length of the tractor-semitrailer aggregate may come to exceed legal limits. If the tractor-semitrailer aggregate is too short, the front of the semi-trailer may collide with the tractor cab or chassis, on turns. A further drawback of known sliding devices is that substantial driver time and effort are consumed in adjusting the length of the tractor-semitrailer aggregate, with the driver having to alight from and reenter the cab multiple times to check the changed length. This adversely affects the economic advantages of employing a sliding device in the first place.
Sliding devices are known, e.g. from DE AS 1780488, EP 0503954 A1, and DE 19944684 C1.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 6,736,420 B2 discloses a sliding device wherein a sliding device which bears the fifth wheel coupling is slidably mounted on two guide rails equipped with toothed beams. The slide bears a locking device comprising locking pieces which engage the toothed beams.
One of the locking pieces is connected to an opening lever, and the other locking piece is connected to a locking piece lever member, wherewith the opening lever and locking piece lever member are themselves interconnected. The opening lever is connected to an actuating device, which may be, e.g., a pulling-handle bar for manual actuation or an actuator driven by a pressure medium. In the open condition, the two lever elements assume a bent (unaligned) position, and in the locked condition the two lever elements assume a straightened (aligned) position. With this known sliding device it is necessary for the driver to visually monitor the position of the slide before he begins driving.

Sliding device for a fifth wheel coupling


A twin motor fan unit is provided with two fan members mounted to parallel rotational shafts of a motor. The motor fan unit includes a rectifying plate to partition the fan members. The rectifying plate prevents turbulence at the rear faces of the respective fans that would otherwise be caused by mutual interference of the air stream leaving the fan. As a result, the motor fan unit enables an increased quantity of air to flow through the motor fan unit and also achieves a reduction in operating noise.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a motor fan unit incorporated in a cooling system such as a radiator or a condenser for automobiles.
2. Description of the Related Art
A prior art motor fan unit, normally is single fan member mounted to a rotation shaft of a motor. But recently, a twin type motor fan unit wherein each fan member is disposed and mounted in parallel to accelerate its function has been developed.
However, such twin type motor fan unit has a problem that, due to the peculiar construction of the fan members disposed in parallel, a mutual interference of cooling winds generated by the fan members when the fan members are turned causes a turbulence in the fan's rear stream, thereby hampering a smooth flow of air, decreasing the cooling capacity and inducing noise inevitably.


A system and method automatically plays programming selections corresponding to the user's preferences as specified in a playlist. The user can create a playlist and transfer the playlist to a receiver. The receiver scans the content in all of the channels that are being broadcast to the receiver to determine if any of the programming matches the selections on the playlist. If there is a match, the receiver automatically tunes the receiver to the matching program.

At any given moment, millions of people listen to the radio as either an activity in and of itself or to complement an activity that they are already engaged in, for example, driving. Unfortunately, many are dissatisfied with traditional radio because nearly half of all conventional radio systems broadcast in one of only three formats: country music; contemporary music; and news. In addition to the limited number of choices in programming, listeners are also constantly barraged with commercials. In some markets, listeners will hear up to eighteen minutes of commercials each hour. Thus, the limited choices and frequent commercials cause listeners to desire a superior system for receiving broadcasts that feature a variety of genres, with limited interruptions from commercials. One solution is satellite radio. Satellite radio can broadcast numerous channels of varied programming to receivers simultaneously. The producers of satellite radio can air these broadcasts with minimal commercial interruptions, thus enhancing the listeners' experience, such as the satellite radio service to be provided by Sirius Satellite Radio of New York, N.Y.
Having many radio channels provided by satellite signaling vastly improves a listener's enjoyment of radio. However, the multitude of channels may render it difficult for a listener to constantly scan and flip through all channels to select a program he would like to hear. Thus, it is desirable to have a system that allows a listener to create a playlist that contains selections of programming or types of programming he wants to hear, and to have the system automatically seek and tune in the selections listed in the playlist.

System and method for creating and receiving personalized broadcasts


A connector for a microphone includes a connecting member provided with a hook having a slot, a tubular member having an end formed with a plurality of hooks and fitted on the connecting member, an adjusting ring having a flange engaged with the hooks of the tubular member and an inner side formed with internal threads, and a fixing collar having an end formed with external threads engageable with the internal threads of the adjusting ring and a longitudinal notch engageable with the slot of the connecting member, whereby the microphone can be firmly and easily engaged with the connector.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention is related to an improvement in the structure of a connector for a microphone.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional connector 1 for a microphone 12 is provided with a button 11 adapted to engage with a slot 121 at the bottom of the microphone 12. However, there is a clearance between the connector 1 and the microphone 12 thus causing the microphone to move from side to side and therefore making it very inconvenient to use.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an improvement in the structure of a connector for a microphone which can obviate and mitigate the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Structure of a connector for a microphone


A method for determining a threshold value for controlling output power of a mobile communication terminal in a W-CDMA system, includes: calculating a first value by dividing an average energy per a PN chip of downlink DPCCH by a total received power spectral density of downlink; calculating a second value by dividing the total received power spectral density of downlink by a white noise power spectral density; calculating a chip unit SIR by adding the first and second values; and determining a symbol unit threshold value for controlling ON/OFF of terminal output power by adding the chip unit SIR and a processing gain according to the number of chips per symbol. Accordingly, a symbol unit threshold value for controlling output power can be easily determined irrespective of a value of a data rate and a spreading factor.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to communication systems, and more particularly to a system and method for controlling a mobile terminal in a communication system when, for example, it includes W-CDMA (Wideband Code Division Multiple Access) systems.
2. Background of the Related Art
Generally, in a mobile communication system, a base station should receive the same level of wireless power output from a plurality of mobile terminals. This helps to maintain a channel capacity fixedly allocated to the base station.
When the output power of one of the terminals is higher, an adjacent mobile terminal regards the output power of the first mobile terminal as noise and thus increases its own output power in order to secure a stable signal-to-interference ratio (SIR).
In addition, if there is noise caused by a bad wireless link state, mobile terminals will raise their wireless transmission power or output power. Because the adjacent terminal also performs the same operation, the situation will develop where the plurality of mobile terminals will competitively raise their own output powers, and this will cause many problems. For example, the fixed channel capacity of the base station may be consumed, the channel capacity for communications may be reduced, the reliability of the system will deteriorate, and a load burden to the system will increase.
In order to solve such problems in the W-CDMA mobile communication system, first, each mobile terminal will monitor the state of a radio channel (that is, radio link) periodically. If the radio channel is not in good condition, the terminal shuts off its output power, and then when the radio channel gets back to good condition the terminal will turn its output power back on.
FIG. 1 illustrates a general W-CDMA system, which includes a user equipment (UE) 10 for providing mobile communications to a user, a base station 20 for serving as a wireless interface for the UE, and a switching center 30 connected by wire to the base station for switching a call.
The W-CDMA system operates as follows. When the UE, that is, a mobile communication terminal, pages an opposite party desired for communication while being moved within a service region formed by the base station, the wirelessly connected base station transmits a corresponding signal to the switching center. The switching center 30 then analyzes the received signal and sets a communication path through switching, and accordingly the mobile terminal 10 communicates with the desired party. The wireless communication path, that is, the radio channel, formed between the terminal and base station can transmit and receive video as well as voice and data.
FIG. 2 illustrates a downlink frame used in the W-CDMA system. The frame has a 10 ms period and includes a plurality of slots (slot#0˜slot#15). One slot includes a first data field, a TPC (Transmit Power Control) field, a TFCI (Transmit format Combination Indicator) field, a second data field, and a pilot field. The first and second data fields constitute a data channel (that is, a DPDCH (Dedicated Physical Data Channel), and the TPC, TFCI, and pilot fields constitute a control channel (that is, a DPCCH (Dedicated Physical Control Channel).
Each slot has 2560 chips. The TPC field is used for designating an output power control function. The TFCI field indicates a construction of a frame format. And, pilot field provides information for measuring a quality of the DPCCH to obtain frame synchronization and control ON/OFF of output power of the mobile communication terminal.
Generally, in the W-CDMA system, in order to decode a current radio channel, a mobile terminal needs to obtain synchronization of the radio channel. In addition, the mobile terminal must periodically report a synchronization state of the radio channel or a quality of the radio channel to an upper layer. In determining the frame synchronization state using a pilot channel (pilot field), the mobile terminal uses quality measurement of a CRC (Cyclic Redundancy Check) and DPCCH. The mobile communication terminal especially performs the frame synchronization by using the pilot channel (pilot field) of the DPCCH.
Also, in the W-CDMA system, ON/OFF of output power is controlled according to a quality of the DPCCH, and in this case two threshold values are set to control ON/OFF of output power of the mobile terminal. The first threshold value is used for turning OFF output power and the second threshold value is used for turning ON output power.
A W-CDMA system standard known as 3GPP TS 25.101 proposes to use the two threshold values to determine a quality of the control channel as follows: the first threshold value (Qout) is to be set with a 30% downlink TPC command error ratio level and the second threshold value (Qin) is to be set with a 20% downlink TPC command error ratio level. This standard, however, only proposes conditions for determining threshold values for controlling ON/OFF of output power of a mobile communication terminal, does not mention a method for determining the threshold values themselves. A need therefore exists for a method of determining the threshold values for controlling ON/OFF of output power of a mobile terminal in a W-CDMA system.
The above references are incorporated by reference herein where appropriate for appropriate teachings of additional or alternative details, features and/or technical background.

Method for determining threshold value for on/off controlling output power of mobile communication terminal


A memory stores a hash value of content management data. When an IEEE1394 interface authenticates a personal computer connected thereto via a network, the IEEE1394 transmits content management data to the personal computer while receiving a hash data of the content management data from the personal computer. The IEEE1394 interface then determines whether the received hash value of the content management data matches the stored hash value of the content management data. This arrangement prevents the unauthorized copying of content data, and limits the number of uses of the content data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transmitter device, a transmitting method, a receiver device, a receiving method, a communication system, and a program storage medium, and, more particularly, a transmitter device, a transmitting method, a receiver device, a receiving method, a communication system, and a program storage medium, for preventing unauthorized copying of content data and for limiting the number of uses of the content data.
2. Description of the Related Art
Providers, who provide content data such as images and sound, or computer programs to a user, typically encrypt the content data before supplying them to the user in order to prevent unlimited copying of the content data.
In this environment, only an authorized user who owns a predetermined encryption/decryption key can use the content data.
To further strongly prevent unauthorized use of the content data, some devices use a technique which allows a unit for reproducing content data and a unit for driving a recording medium storing the content data to mutually or cross authenticate each other.
To limit the number uses of the content data, a provider stores, in a recording medium, data to be used for management of the number of uses of the content data, together with the content data, and provides these data to a user. When the device for driving the recording medium reads the content data stored in the recording medium, the device determines, based on the data for the management of the number of uses of the content data, whether the number of reads of the content data exceeds a predetermined number. When the number of reads of the content data exceeds the predetermined number, the provider inhibits the use of the content data.
The data managing the number of uses is stored in a recording medium together with the content data. If the data managing the number of the uses is transferred back to the original recording medium after the use of the content data, the user uses the content data unlimited number of times.
When the content data is moved to a second recording medium, the data managing the number of the uses may be moved to a third recording medium together with the content data. After the content data is moved to the second recording medium, the data managing the number of the uses may be moved back to the original recording medium from the third recording medium along with the content data. In this way, a user may copy the content data unlimited number of times.
In the movement process of the content data to another recording medium, the copying of the content data is repeatedly performed unlimited number of times by impeding the deletion of the content data or the data managing the number of the uses. The user can freely use the content data in a limitless fashion.

Transmitter device, transmitting method, receiver device, receiving method, communication system, and program storage medium


A method for making a semiconductor device, comprising (a) providing a structure comprising a gate electrode (207) disposed on a substrate (203); (b) creating first (213) and second (214) pre-amorphization implant regions in the substrate such that the first and second pre-amorphization implant regions are asymmetrically disposed with respect to said gate electrode; (c) creating first (219) and second (220) spacer structures adjacent to first and second sides of the gate electrode, wherein the first and second spacer structures overlap the first and second pre-amorphization implant regions; and (d) creating source (217) and drain (218) regions in the substrate adjacent, respectively, to the first and second spacer structures.

In the past, Metal Oxide Semiconductor Field Effect Transistors (MOSFETs) were frequently fabricated as bulk semiconductor devices in which the device features were defined on the surface of a bulk semiconductor wafer. However, as MOSFET devices have continued to shrink in size, and as the transistor densities in these devices have increased accordingly, the disadvantages associated with bulk MOSFETs have become increasingly apparent. These disadvantages include an often less than ideal sub-threshold voltage rolloff, short channel effects, drain induced barrier lowering, high junction capacitance, ineffective isolation, and low saturation current.
As a result, many MOSFET devices today are fabricated on Semiconductor-On-Insulator (SOI) wafers rather than on bulk substrates. SOI wafers feature a thin semiconductor layer which is disposed over a (typically oxide) dielectric layer. Transistors fabricated on such wafers offer the potential of superior performance characteristics due to the thin film nature of the semiconductor substrate and the electrically insulating properties of the underlying dielectric layer. Hence, compared to analogous bulk devices, SOI MOSFETs may manifest superior short channel performance, near-ideal subthreshold voltage swings (which results in low off-state current leakage), and high saturation current.
However, despite their advantages, SOI devices present their own set of challenges. One of these challenges is the floating-body effect, a phenomenon manifested as a decrease in voltage between the source and the drain regions. This effect is especially problematic for partially depleted SOI MOSFETs of the type currently used in some memory devices.

Methodology to reduce SOI floating-body effect


A system includes a router transceiver unit that is configured to be disposed on-board a vehicle system. The vehicle system may have at least a source vehicle and a separate linked vehicle that are communicatively linked with each other through a system network of the vehicle system. The router transceiver unit is configured to be communicatively coupled to a requesting operational component of the source vehicle and the system network. The router transceiver unit is also configured to receive a local data packet from the requesting operational component that is directed toward a target operational component of the linked vehicle. The router transceiver unit includes an encapsulation module that is configured to transform the local data packet into an in-tunnel data packet, wherein the local and in-tunnel data packets have different packet formats.

A vehicle system that includes multiple vehicles coupled together to travel together along a route may be known as a vehicle consist. For example, a vehicle system may include one or more powered vehicles that may be mechanically linked (directly or indirectly) to non-powered vehicles. The powered and non-powered vehicles of the vehicle system may travel as a group along a designated route. In cases where the vehicle system includes multiple powered vehicles, the vehicle system may coordinate operations of the powered vehicles to move the vehicle system. For example, a train may include a locomotive consist that has one or more locomotives mechanically coupled to one or more rail cars. Locomotives in a single consist may include a lead locomotive and one or more remote locomotives. The lead locomotive may control operation of the remote locomotive(s). More specifically, the lead locomotive may coordinate tractive and braking operations of the different locomotives to control movement of the locomotive consist. In some cases, a single train may include a plurality of such locomotive consists. The locomotive consists may communicate with one another to coordinate tractive and braking operations of the train.
Two or more of the vehicles in a vehicle system may each include an on-board controller or other electronics that are connected to a respective on-board vehicle communications network. In certain cases, it may be desirable to link the individual on-board vehicle communications networks, such that electronics of one vehicle can communicate with electronics of other vehicles. However, in certain systems, it may be the case that electronics on different vehicles will have the same network address (e.g., IP address). For example, in certain PTC (positive train control) systems or other train safety systems, standards may be adopted requiring that in each PTC-equipped locomotive, equipment used for PTC communications and control (e.g., PTC radio and PTC controller) have the same network addresses, as a function of category. For example, all PTC radios may have a first common network address, all PTC controllers may have a second common network address, and so on. This enables on-board electronics to communicate with each other within the corresponding vehicle communications network using the same known network addresses. For example, for communicating a PTC message to a PTC radio, a PTC controller can generally transmit a message to a common network address, without having to determine a specific network address for the PTC radio or otherwise.
If multiple vehicles each have on-board equipment with the same network address, however, and the network address cannot be changed because of system constraints (e.g., PTC standards), then connecting the vehicles in a local area network can cause addressing conflicts. This may result in poor network performance, system communication errors, control system errors (e.g., the wrong vehicle subsystems receiving and responding to the wrong messages), system inoperability, or the like.

System and method for communicating data in a vehicle system


An automated conveyor sortation and item discharge system for sorting items of varying sizes and weights to designated output destinations along a conveyor. A serpentine configuration is provided by use of a continuous notched conveyor belt layer, which can have no discharge capabilities, or can include

Modern high volume package delivery systems often include package conveying systems that accept packages from one or more loading stations, and transports the packages to a variety of output destinations such as chutes, bins, and subsequent conveyor systems.
One of the most conventional types of conveyors is a belt conveyor, which includes the use of an endless flexible belt which passes over at least two cylindrical rollers, one of which is a drive roller. Packages are placed atop the upwardly-directed "working" surface of the belt conveyor, and are transported in a generally straight direction from end of the conveyor to the other.
Although such conventional belt conveyors have advantages, including simplicity, they also have disadvantages in that they conventionally only provide a "straight-line" transporting feature. This can be restrictive to package delivery system designers who may have the need to move a package or other product from an origin through a tortuous, curved, path to a destination.
Therefore, it has been known in the prior art to provide flexible conveyor chains such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 3,776,349 to Kampfer, entitled "Fabricated Conveyor Chain", which discloses the concept of providing a fabricated flexible conveyor chain, which includes a plurality of link units 11 linked together by a plurality of pivot pins 12. Although the pivot pins 12 provide a linking feature between the link units, they fit loosely enough within their mounting holes to allow sideward relative pivoting of the link units. A similar type of "hard pin" connection is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,262,550 to Kampfer, entitled "Conveyor Chain", in U.S. Pat. No. 2,884,118 to Williams, entitled "Articulator Conveyor Chain", and also in U.S. Pat. No. 5,176,247 to Counter et. al., entitled "Sideflexing Conveyor Chain including Low Centerline Hinge Pin".
Although such "hard pin" connection configurations as described above have their advantages, they have disadvantages in that they tend to be complex, expensive, noisy, and difficult to maintain. Furthermore, they tend to provide a multitude of hard "pinch points", which are disadvantageous when in a human workplace environment. A "smooth" but flexible conveyor configuration is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,084,687 to Lapeyre, entitled "Conveyor Having Resilient Conveying Surface", but this configuration appears to be quite complex, requiring the use of link members 20 which are linked to modules 20 to support and convey flexible members 32 supported thereon.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to provide a package conveyor system which can transport packages or other items along a tortuous path, yet is simple in construction, quiet in operation, and cost-effective to manufacture, operate, and maintain.