The method for the long-term storage of waste nuclear fuel of a nuclear reactor consists in that, first, prior to the waste fuel assembly of the nuclear reactor being disposed in a steel case and the latter being hermetically sealed with a cover, a material which is chemically inert in relation to the material of the casing of the fuel elements of the waste fuel assemblies, to the material of the body of the case, to air and to water, is arranged in the steel case, the steel case is mounted in a heating device, the steel case is heated along with the material arranged in said steel case until said material passes into a liquid state, and then the waste fuel assembly which has been extracted from the nuclear reactor is arranged in the steel case in such a way that the fuel part of the fuel elements of the waste fuel assemblies is lower than the level of the liquid material in the steel case, the waste fuel assembly is fixed in this position, and the case is hermetically sealed by the cover, whereupon the hermetically sealed steel case is extracted from the heating device and mounted in a storage facility which is cooled by atmospheric air. This technical solution makes it possible to ensure long-term safe storage of waste fuel assemblies of a nuclear reactor in storage facilities with cooling using atmospheric air, in particular with natural circulation of atmospheric air, and also to transport the waste fuel assemblies to a factory for processing so as to ensure an increased level of safety.

Long-term (for decades) safe storage of waste nuclear fuel (WNF), particularly waste fuel assemblies (WFA) of nuclear reactors poses a complex technical challenge. This is due to the fact that there is a high radiation potential associated with radioactivity of fuel materials' nuclear fission products contained in WNF, and also with radioactivity of secondary nuclear fuel (Plutonium) and minor actinides (Neptunium, Americium, Curium) formed during operation of nuclear reactor (NR) when exposed to neutrons of primary nuclear fuel.
Damage of the principal safety barrier, the casing of fuel element (FE), resulting from corrosion, thermal and mechanical impact, will lead to escape of radioactivity and will cause serious radioecological consequences.
The problem is further complicated by the fact that WNF is an irremovable source of afterpower, emission of which gradually decreases over time, but even after many years it requires an organized heat removal, the failure of which will cause an increase in WNF temperature and loss of hermetically sealed state of FEs casing.
Currently, the customary method for long-term storage of WNF consists in arranging WFA in cooling ponds (CPs) filled with water which removes afterpower of WFA. Since water in the CPs may be radioactive, it is cooled using a heat exchanger connected to an external source of cooling water.
The prior art discloses methods for storage of waste nuclear fuel in cooling ponds.
For example, there is a method known in the art for storage of waste nuclear fuel by placing cases perforated at their top and filled with desalinated water in ponds with desalinated water. The level of water in the cases and the pond is kept below the edge of the holes by intermittently feeding desalinated water from a stand-alone reservoir to the cases and the pond. In addition, it has been proposed to feed water to the cases intermittently, upon reaching maximum allowable level in test cases with a maximum value of afterpower (RU patent 2403633, G21C19/06, G21F9/36, 2010).
The prior art also discloses a method for storage of radioactive materials, including a) submersion of a container having a top part, a bottom part and a cavity inside the container housing for filling of water, b) installation of a radioactive material inside the cavity of the container placed for water filling, c) lifting of the submerged contained until its top part is disposed above water reservoir surface level with the main part of the container remaining below water reservoir surface level, and d) removal of water from the cavity of the container with the top part of the container remaining above water reservoir surface level, and the remaining part of the container being submerged (US patent application US2009069621, G21F5/005, 2009).
There is known a method used in waste nuclear fuel storage facilities, at NPPs and waste nuclear fuel reprocessing plants. For long-term storage of waste nuclear fuel in cases filled with water, placed in a water pond under a beam floor using suspension rods, the supporting parts of the cases are installed on the bottom of the pond, and the upper end of the cases is placed under the beam floor with a clearance of 100+150 mm and case density based on 30+50 cases per square meter of the pond bottom area (RU patent 2407083, G21C19/22, 2010).
The practice of using such method for WNF storage has shown that over time under the action of corrosive processes there occurs a loss of tightness of the container or case with waste nuclear fuel in cooling ponds as well as radioactive contamination of water.
In order to prevent this phenomenon, lately a "dry" storage of WFA has been used, wherein the WFA, after being stored in cooling ponds for some time (approximately three years) and after reduction of afterpower, is removed from the cooling ponds and placed into hermetically sealed cases, which are placed in an air-cooled "dry" storage facility.
It is known that as a result of the accident at the Fukushima-1, due to failure of water cooling system power supply, there occurred evaporation of water in the cooling ponds, overheating of FEs, destruction of their bodies accompanied by the formation of a large quantity of oxygen formed during zirconium-steam reaction, and emission of radioactivity to the environment.
In view of such a situation, it seems quite reasonable to switch to the "dry" WNF storage, omitting the stage of "wet" storage inside the cooling ponds.
There are known methods for storage, which utilize a "dry" storage technique, described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,802,671, DE 3816195, U.S. Pat. No. 5,887,042, U.S. Pat. No. 8,098,790.
The prior art describes a method for transportation and/or storage of nuclear materials, wherein the nuclear materials are arranged inside a container with radiation shielding made of cast lead arranged over metal framing (US application US2010183110, G21F5/008, 2010)
This invention provides for presence of at least one level of radiation shielding which consists of at least one metal framing which is aligned along the longitudinal axis and enveloped with a block of lead or one of lead alloys, cast over the metal framing, with metal framing being equipped with at least one element for preventing cast lead (or one of its alloys) block from moving longitudinally. In addition, the said metal framing is embedded in the block cast from lead (or one of its alloys) at least by a portion of its length along the longitudinal axis, and in the preferred embodiment—along the whole length of the block. Thus, a solid mechanical connection of a metal framing and the lead (or one of its alloys) block is created, and a relative longitudinal movement of these two elements relative to each other in case of a free falling of a package, is precluded.
The prior art also describes a method for storage of waste nuclear fuel in a convection-cooled container, wherein a bag with waste fuel is arranged inside a metal tank with hermetically sealed covers, with the tank having heat-removing side and end ribs, which at the same time act as distancing and damping elements. The tank is mounted inside the housing of the container while creating a clearance for air passage, with the ribs of the tank being in contact with the bottom and the side surface of the container's interior. The housing of the container is formed of outer and inner metal casings, space between which is filled with a radiation protection material, for example, with a heat-resistant concrete and/or neutron-absorbing composition. Between the casings, there are reinforcing heat-removing elements made in the form of perforated metal plates welded onto the inner casing and tightly contacting with the outer casing, mounted along the tangent to the inner casing. In the bottom part of the housing, the inlet cooling ducts are made, and in the cover, the outlet cooling ducts are made. In case of depressurization of the tank, the cooling ducts are closed with blind covers (RU patent 2231837, G21F5/008, 2004).
The disadvantage of this technical solution is that there is a possibility of radioactivity emissions to the environment in case of depressurization of metal tank, inside which the bag with the waste nuclear fuel is placed.
The closest analog of the claimed invention is the method for "dry" storage of WNF from reactors of nuclear submarines (NSs), wherein the unloaded waste removable part (WRP) along with the active core with WNF being a part of it, is, immediately after unloading, placed into one of the boxes of the preliminary cooldown storage facility in a steel hermetically sealed tank, inside of which a liquid melt of Pb—Bi, preliminarily heated above its melting temperature, was contained. A hermetically sealed cap is mounted atop of the tank. After disconnection of the heating system, reduction of the afterheat and solidifying of the eutectics, the tank with the WRP is moved to the box of the long-term cooldown storage facility for its further storing for 3-5 years or more (Zrodnikov A. V, et al.). Problems and approaches to handling of waste nuclear fuel of liquid-metal reactors of nuclear submarines. Higher education institutions bulletin Nuclear power industry—Ministry of Education and Science of the Russian Federation, Obninsk: No 1, 2007, p. 16).
The disadvantage of the closest analog lies in the extremely limited field of use—only the active cores of the reactors of NSs, unloaded in whole as a part of WRP, having a very low level of afterpower at the time of unloading. This is caused by two factors: 1) reactors of NSs are mainly operated at low power levels; and 2) refueling is timed to confine with the yard repairs of the NSs, that's why the unloading is performed after a sufficiently long period upon shutdown of the reactor.
For reactors of civil-use nuclear power plants, such method of unloading and storage of WNF is inapplicable due to high level of afterpower, caused by operation of the reactor, mainly, at nominal power level, and a short period of cooldown prior to unloading of the WNF. For the same reason, it is inapplicable to use eutectic Pb—Bi alloy having a low melting temperature (123.5° C.) as a heat-transfer medium, because this heat-transfer medium will be in a liquid state for a long time and will not function as an additional safety barrier.
Moreover, such storage method does not allow transportation of WNF to a reprocessing plant in accordance with the applicable regulatory documents. A labor-consuming disassembly of the active core, being a source of a high nuclear and radiation hazard, is required.

Method for long-term storage of waste nuclear fuel


For assessing the functioning of an ejection unit of an inkjet print head, a comparison of a residual pressure wave with a residual pressure wave reference is employed. To enable assessment during printing, multiple residual pressure wave references are provided, each relating to a condition relevant to the residual pressure wave. Such a condition may relate to an actuation status of an adjacent ejection unit which may cause crosstalk, for example. When performing the assessment, the condition during assessment is taken into account, for example for selecting a suitable residual pressure wave reference, such that an appropriate and correct assessment can be performed independent from the conditions during assessment.

A piezo actuated inkjet print head is well known in the art. Such an inkjet print head is commonly provided with a number of ejection units. Each of such ejection units comprises a pressure chamber and a fluidly connected nozzle. The pressure chamber may be filled with a liquid such as an ink and a droplet of the liquid may be expelled through the nozzle by application of a suitable pressure wave in the liquid in the pressure chamber by actuating a piezo actuator that is operatively coupled to the pressure chamber for generating such a pressure wave.
It is also known in the art that the ejection units are sensitive and may become malfunctioning due to a gas bubble, commonly an air bubble, entrapped in the nozzle or pressure chamber. Similarly, dirt or debris may enter the nozzle and cause malfunctioning. Other causes for malfunctioning include liquid residues around the nozzle, electrical failures, drying of the liquid in the nozzle resulting in increased viscosity and deposits of dissolved compounds of the liquid and many more.
When an ejection unit malfunctions, it means that a droplet is not formed correctly. Still after generating a pressure wave, either for droplet ejection or not, a residual pressure wave remains in the liquid and then slowly damps. Characteristic properties of such a residual pressure wave are known to provide detailed information on the cause of the malfunctioning. Therefore and as known, sensing and analyzing such a residual pressure wave may provide detailed information on an operating state of an ejection unit.
In particular, analysis of the residual pressure wave may include comparing the sensed residual pressure wave with a residual pressure wave reference. For example, a residual pressure wave detected from a well functioning ejection unit may be used to determine whether a sensed residual pressure wave corresponds to a well functioning ejection unit. Then, if from an analysis a significant difference between the sensed residual pressure wave and the residual pressure wave reference is derived, it may be concluded that the ejection unit is in a malfunctioning state.
A disadvantage of the above-described known analysis method is that the conditions during which the residual pressure wave is sensed need to be identical to the conditions under which the residual pressure wave reference has been detected. In the prior art, it is therefore known to sense a residual pressure wave when all other ejection units are not actuated, for example, as those other ejection units may cause cross-talk thereby disturbing the sensed residual pressure wave. For example and as a consequence, the detection of an operating state is commonly only performed when the print head is in a non-printing state. However, it is desirable to be able to detect an operating state of an ejection unit also when the print head is in a printing state. More in general, it is desirable to have more flexibility in conditions that are suitable for sensing and analyzing a residual pressure wave.

Method for detecting an operating state of an inkjet print head nozzle


A novel L-sorbose dehydrogenase (SDH) and a novel L-sorbosone dehydrogenase both derived from Gluconobacter oxydans T-100, a DNA which encodes the SDH and/or SNDH, an expression vector which contains the DNA, a host cell transformed by the expression vector and a process for producing the SDH and/or SNDH, which comprises culturing the host cell in a medium and recovering the SDH and/or SNDH from the resulting culture. The SDH and SNDH of the present invention are useful enzymes having preferable properties for the production of 2-keto-L-gulonic acid, as well as L-ascorbic acid. According to the production method of the present invention, the SDH and SNDH having such preferable properties can be produced in large amounts by genetic engineering.

2-Keto-L-gulonic acid (hereinafter referred to as 2KLGA) is a key intermediate in the synthesis of L-ascorbic acid. For industrial production, 2KLGA is chemically synthesized from L-sorbose by oxidation according to the Reichstein's method.
On the other hand, it is well known that many microorganisms have an ability to convert L-sorbose to 2KLGA through a two-step enzymatic oxidation by SDH and SNDH. Namely, SDH catalyzes the. oxidation of L-sorbose to L-sorbosone, and SNDH catalyzes the oxidation of L-sorbosone to 2KLGA. However, because of the low productivity of 2KLGA obtained by using these microorganisms, they have not been applied to the industrial production yet.
It is desirable to provide efficient and simplified methods for the production of 2KLGA.

L-sorbose dehydrogenase and novel L-sorbosone dehydrogenase obtained from gluconobacter oxydans T-100


In a process of manufacturing semiconductor chips, first, the reverse of a wafer, on the obverse of which many chips are formed, is ground so as to shape the wafer with a predetermined thickness. Then, the reverse of the wafer is polished or etched so that the broken layer which is formed during the back grinding is removed. Next, grooves are formed on the reverse of the wafer in a predetermined depth along streets formed between the chips. Finally, the wafer is cleft along the grooves so as to be divided into separate chips. By this process, the broken layer formed on the reverse of the wafer is removed after the back grinding, then the wafer is divided into separate chips by use of the cleavage; therefore, chipping is effectively reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for manufacturing semiconductor chips, particularly with extremely thin chips which are as thin as 200 xcexcm or less.
2. Description of Related Art
In the manufacturing process of semiconductor chips, many semiconductor chips are formed on the obverse of a wafer such as a silicon wafer by processing the wafer by a predetermined manner, and the wafer is then diced with a dicing machine along streets, which are formed between the chips, to separate the chips. Because of the increased number of smart cards, cellular phones and laptop personal computers, the semiconductor chips that are assembled into small devices have been required to be light-weighted and small-sized. In view of such requirements, after forming the chips on the obverse of the wafer, the reverse of the wafer is ground by a planarization apparatus so as to make the wafer thin (as thin as 200 xcexcm or less), and then the wafer is diced to separate chips by the dicing machine. In this dicing, the dicing machine performs a full-cut (a processing method for completely cutting and dividing the wafer) for the wafer along the streets so as to separate the chips.
However, a broken layer (also called a spoiled layer or a damaged layer) is formed on the reverse of the wafer during the reverse face grinding, and the broken layer causes breakage of the extremely thin wafer with the thickness of 200 xcexcm or less in the process afterwards. Moreover, when completely cutting the extremely thin wafer by the full-cut with the dicing machine, many inferior chips are generated due to chipping (cracks) around the chips, especially chipping (cracks) on the reverse of the wafer.
The present invention has been developed in view of the above-described circumstances, and has as its object the provision of the method of manufacturing the semiconductor chips by which extremely thin semiconductor chips can be manufactured without generating cracks or chipping.
In order to achieve the above-described objects, the present invention is directed to a method for manufacturing semiconductor chips, comprising the steps of: grinding a reverse of a wafer so as to shape the wafer in a predetermined thickness, the chips being formed on an obverse of the wafer; removing, by at least one of polishing and etching, a broken layer formed on the reverse of the wafer in the reverse grinding step; forming grooves on the reverse of the wafer in a predetermined depth along streets formed between the chips; and cleaving the wafer along the grooves so as to separate the chips.
According to the present invention, first, the reverse of a wafer, on the obverse of which many chips are formed, is ground so as to shape the wafer with a predetermined thickness. Then, the reverse of the wafer is polished or etched so that the broken layer which is formed during the back grinding is removed. Next, grooves are formed on the reverse of the wafer in a predetermined depth along streets formed between the chips. Finally, the wafer is cleaved along the grooves so as to be divided into separate chips. By polishing or etching the reverse of the wafer after the back grinding so as to remove the broken layer formed during the back grinding, the strength of the chips is improved. Moreover, by dividing the wafer from which the broken layer is removed into separate chips by using the cleavage, cracks and chipping of the reverse of the wafer are effectively reduced.

Method for manufacturing semiconductor chips


The invention relates to a denture system comprising an implant (1) for osseointegration into a jawbone and comprising an abutment (2) with an insertion stem (6) that can be inserted into a receiving opening (4) of the implant (1). At least one shoulder (9) is formed on the insertion stem (6), said shoulder running at least partly in a radial manner with respect to a longitudinal axis of the insertion stem. At least one stop (5) is provided on an inner circumferential surface of the receiving opening (4), said stop running at least partly in a radial manner. In a first rotational position between the insertion stem (6) and the implant (1), the abutment (2) can be moved relative to the implant (1) in an axial direction, and in a second rotational position in which the insertion stem (6) is rotated about the longitudinal axis relative to the implant (1) by an angle with respect to the first rotational position, at least one shoulder (9) axially engages behind a stop (5) such that a movement between the implant (1) and the abutment (2) in an opposite axial direction is blocked.

Known by the terms tooth implant or dental implant, a wide variety of denture systems have been available on the market for years and have in some cases been used with great success. The terms tooth implant or dental implant generally denote the denture per se and should not be confused with the actual implant body which, as a replacement for a tooth root, is correctly designated as the implant. In the text below, the terms tooth implant and implant body or implant are clearly distinguished, where the tooth implant designates the denture, which comprises the implant body for anchoring in the jawbone. Two-part and three-part tooth implants are mainly available on the market, of which the three-part implants for replacement of an individual tooth generally consist of an endosteal implant or implant body, an abutment (also called a connection part or implant post), and a crown, a bridge or another prosthetic.
The abutment allows the dentist to orient the crown with respect to the implant, such that the exact position of the crown in the dental arch is not dependent only on the position of the implant body. For this purpose, the abutment has to be positioned in the implant according to a predefined orientation, after the implant has been anchored in the jaw.
Customary implant forms include blade, needle, screw, cylinder and cone implants, which are each used for different indications. In principle, subperiosteal and endosteal implants can be used. Commonly used endosteal implants are substantially cylindrical and are screwed or hammered into a drilled hole in the jawbone or directly into the jawbone. At the coronal end, the implants are provided with an open blind bore for receiving the abutment. In the last few decades, the material mainly used has been titanium, since it has a modulus of elasticity similar to the jawbone and has excellent biocompatibility. Alternatively, ceramics can be used, e.g. zirconia ceramic. In such tooth implants, the crown, mostly made of conventional dental ceramic and/or metal, is adhesively bonded or cemented onto the abutment or the one-part implant/abutment construction or secured thereon by mechanical means.
EP 0 879 024 B1 discloses a system in which a solid conical abutment is screwed into an implant. A receiving opening of the implant is likewise correspondingly formed with a conical shape. A conical shape of this kind is favored by dentists since it simplifies the implantation, in particular also the taking of impressions and the production of master models. The conical implant-abutment connection places high demands on the precision fit of the components, since it is both a form-fit and also a force-fit connection. Since the dental implants have to take up considerable alternating loads during chewing, even the very slightest mobility between the screwed components leads to abrasion and wear. Moreover, the screwing-together of abutment and implant is a complicated procedure in which the threads first of all have to engage in each other and then the abutment, generally by being rotated several times, is introduced axially into the implant.
WO 2006/084346 A1 discloses an implant system with an abutment made of a non-metallic material, which system comprises an implant and a prosthesis support, which in turn comprises an abutment and a collar element. Essential features of the implant system are that the parts of the implant system are pushed linearly into one another and adhesively bonded to one another. Between a substantially cylindrical base post and a head part, the abutment has a cylindrical neck part with a lower projection, which is designed as a polygon and serves for the radial positioning of the abutment in a corresponding recess in the shoulder of the implant. The central bore in the implant for receiving the base post is provided with an inner thread, which allows a screw cap or a spacer to be screwed in during the process of incorporation. After the incorporation, a collar element is pushed over the neck area of the abutment, and the base post is adhesively bonded into the threaded bore of the implant. A central and continuous axial channel is provided in the abutment to allow the adhesive to flow off A disadvantage of this system lies in the considerable technical effort in producing the central axial channel in the abutment and in the mechanical loads and stresses to which the abutment is exposed.
EP 1 728 486 A1 discloses an implant system with an implant and an abutment, in which the abutment is provided with means for blocking the abutment in rotation in the implant. A receiving opening in the implant is designed in such a way that a base portion of the abutment can be inserted substantially with a form fit into the receiving opening at the desired angle position and is secured in this position by a separate screw on the implant.
In the known systems in which an abutment is pushed into an implant, the abutment has to be held in position by application of a force while, for example, an integral bond is formed by the adhesive material. As a result of the pressing force, adhesive is distributed along the superposed surfaces, can partially swell out of the interstices and, during hardening, can change the position between abutment and implant, e.g. by lifting the abutment in the implant (pump effect). This causes difficulties, particularly in the case of bone-level implants. When inserting the abutment, the person providing the treatment is often under pressure of time, since the adhesive material often hardens quickly. The person providing the treatment scarcely has time to check the correct position of the abutment relative to the implant, and there is a risk of incorrect positioning. For a patient, the time waiting for the abutment to be secured is unpleasant, since constant pressure applied to the jawbone has to be withstood.


A system and method for canceling interference present in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) channel signal received at a CDMA receiver that is caused by multipath components of a transmitted pilot channel signal or by soft handoff conditions is computationally efficient because it operates at symbol rates. The channel signal from which such multipath interference is canceled can be either a traffic (data) channel or the pilot channel itself. Interference signals are produced in groups corresponding to the fingers of the CDMA rake receiver. The interference signals corresponding to each finger are used to cancel interference in the other fingers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a method and device for suppressing interference between the pilot channel and other channels in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) mobile telephone system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In accordance with Telecommunications Industry Association (TIA) standard IS-95 for CDMA telephone systems, each base station operates a pilot channel, a sync channel and forward traffic channels. These channels operate in the same frequency bandwidth and are made orthogonal to one another by the use of Walsh codes. Nevertheless, the orthogonality is degraded in a multipath environment and during soft handoff, and multipath components can interfere with one another. A non-orthogonal or noise contribution causes degradation in the pilot and traffic channel signals and the resulting output of the Rake detector. The pilot channel has the greatest likelihood of interfering with the other channels because it represents approximately 20 percent of total transmitted base station power. The pilot channel is an unmodulated, direct-sequence spread spectrum signal transmitted continuously by each CDMA base station. The pilot channel allows a mobile station to acquire the forward channel timing, provides a phase reference for coherent demodulation, and provides a basis for signal strength comparisons between base stations to facilitate soft handoff.
It has been suggested to cancel multipath noise contributed by the pilot signal. In one such system, a recursive method is used to reconstruct and subtract the multipath noise from the Rake finger inputs on the current symbol interval from the estimated channel coefficients on the previous symbol interval. A disadvantage of this system is that its circuit implementation is complex, computationally intensive, and uneconomical because the noise is canceled from the received signal before the signal is despread. It would be desirable to provide a system and method that suppresses interference caused by the pilot signal that is less complex and more economical than prior systems. The present invention addresses these problems and deficiencies in the manner described below.
The present invention relates to a system and method for canceling interference present in a code-division multiple access (CDMA) channel signal received at a CDMA receiver that is caused by multipath components of a transmitted pilot channel signal. The channel signal from which such multipath interference is canceled can be either a traffic (data) channel or the pilot channel itself. Some embodiments of the present invention can cancel interference from either the traffic channel or the pilot channel in accordance with a selector input signal. Although the terms xe2x80x9cpilot channelxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ctraffic channelxe2x80x9d are used herein for convenience because they are used in the IS-95 CDMA specification, it is understood that any analogous CDMA system in which an unmodulated channel and a data channel based upon the unmodulated channel are referred to by other names is within the scope of the present invention.
In a CDMA receiver that includes a conventional n-finger Rake receiver, the system includes n cancellation circuits, one corresponding to each finger. Each cancellation circuit (corresponding to one of the fingers) produces nxe2x88x921 interference signals, each corresponding to one of the other nxe2x88x921 fingers. In embodiments of the invention in which pilot channel interference is canceled from the traffic channel, the cancellation circuit (corresponding to one of the fingers) produces each of the nxe2x88x921 interference signals in response to the receiver""s locally generated traffic channel pseudonoise (pn) sequence corresponding to that finger and one of the receiver""s n locally generated pilot channel pn sequences corresponding to another one of the fingers. In embodiments of the invention in which pilot channel interference is canceled from the pilot channel itself, the cancellation circuit (corresponding to one of the fingers) produces each of the interference signals in response to the receiver""s locally generated pilot channel pn sequence corresponding to that finger and one of the receiver""s n locally generated pilot channel pn sequences corresponding to another one of the fingers. In an exemplary embodiment, the cancellation circuit interpolates the locally generated pilot channel pn sequence corresponding to another finger before using into generate intermediate samples between pn chips. Also, in the exemplary embodiment, the interpolator is a digital filter having an impulse response approximating a convolution of the output filter of the transmitter and the input filter of the receiver.
Each cancellation circuit also produces nxe2x88x921 correction signals. The cancellation circuit (corresponding to one of the fingers) produces each of the nxe2x88x921 correction signals in response to the interference signal corresponding to another one of the fingers and the received pilot channel signal corresponding to that other finger. The received pilot signal of the other finger represents an estimate of the gain and phase of the multipath pilot signal to be canceled.
The system also includes n correction circuits, one corresponding to each finger. In embodiments of the invention in which pilot channel interference is canceled from the traffic channel, the correction circuit (corresponding to one of the fingers) subtracts each of the nxe2x88x921 correction signals corresponding to that finger from the received traffic channel signal corresponding to that finger. In embodiments of the invention in which pilot channel interference is canceled from the pilot channel itself, the correction circuit (corresponding to one of the fingers) subtracts each of the nxe2x88x921 correction signals corresponding to that finger from the received pilot channel signal corresponding to that finger.
The present invention is more efficient, economical and consumes less power than prior cancellation systems because, by subtracting the interfering multipath pilot signal components from the received traffic or pilot signal, i.e., after the receiver has despread it, the cancellation and correction circuits can operate at symbol rates rather than chip rates.

Interference suppression in a CDMA receiver


A pump assembly is provided that includes a gerotor pump and a manifold. An aspirating member is positioned between a pump inlet cavity in the manifold and a fluid reservoir. Fluid flow generated by operation of the pump is diverted by a flow control valve and accelerates as it passes between the aspirating member and the manifold. The resulting decrease in static pressure draws the fluid out of the reservoir where it mixes with the higher velocity fluid. As the combined fluid is slowed, the static pressure increases to xe2x80x9csuperchargexe2x80x9d the inlet cavity to improve the inlet fill and reduce cavitation. An inlet port in the gerotor pump corresponds to the inlet cavity in the manifold. The timing and geometry of an input port is optimized to prevent noise inducing pressure spikes while maintaining sufficient back pressure in the pump chambers to collapse entrapped vapor bubbles in the fluid.

The present invention relates generally to a positive displacement fluid pump and more specifically to a gerotor pump assembly suitable for use in hydraulic systems.
In a positive displacement fluid pump commonly referred to as a gerotor pump, a ring gear and a pinion gear inside of the ring gear are supported in a pump housing for rotation about parallel, laterally separated centerlines. The teeth on the respective gears cooperate to define a plurality of variable volume pumping chambers whereupon during rotation of the gear members, a pumping chamber increases in volume to a maximum volume and then decreases in volume. Fluid from the relatively low pressure inlet port of the pump is drawn into pumping chambers that are increasing in volume. Upon further rotation of the gerotor when the pumping chambers are decreasing in volume, the fluid is pushed out through the outlet port of the pump at a relatively higher pressure. The inlet and the outlet ports are separated angularly or xe2x80x9ctimedxe2x80x9d to prevent the pump chambers from simultaneously overlapping both the inlet port and the outlet port.
A common limitation exhibited by many gerotor pumps is excessive noise caused by cavitation (the rapid formation and collapse of bubbles in the pumped fluid). Cavitation in gerotor pumps is generally caused by the pump speed being greater than the time required to fill the pumping chambers. The incomplete charge of the pumping chambers entraps air or other vapor within the fluid. If not accounted for, the entrapped vapor bubbles collapse in the discharge port creating noise inducing pressure pulses that also decrease pump efficiency. The present invention provides a pump assembly with improved charging and timing conditions to reduce cavitation and resulting noise.
The present invention provides a new and improved positive displacement pump assembly with improved timing, porting geometry and inlet fluid mechanics to improve fill and reduce cavitation.
In accordance with an embodiment of the present invention, a pump assembly is provided that includes a gerotor pump and a manifold. An aspirating member is positioned between an inlet cavity in the manifold and a fluid reservoir proximate the pump assembly. High pressure fluid diverted by a flow control valve accelerates as it passes between the aspirating member and the manifold. The resulting lower static pressure draws the fluid out of the reservoir where it mixes with the relatively higher velocity diverted fluid. As the combined fluid is slowed, the static pressure increases to xe2x80x9csuperchargexe2x80x9d the inlet cavity resulting in an improvement in the inlet fill and a reduction in cavitation.
In accordance with another embodiment of this invention, a gerotor pump is provided with a plurality of pump chambers defined by the teeth of a ring gear and a pinion gear. The pumping chambers expand in an inlet half of a crescent-shaped cavity created between the ring gear and the pinion gear and collapse in a discharge half of the crescent-shaped cavity. An inlet port in a planar member faces the inlet half of the crescent-shaped cavity. A discharge port in the planar member faces the discharge half of the crescent-shaped cavity and is timed relative to the inlet port for pumping the fluid. The timing and geometry of the input port and output port are optimized to prevent noise inducing pressure spikes while maintaining sufficient back pressure in the pump chambers to collapse entrapped vapor bubbles in the fluid.
Various additional aspects and advantages of this invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of the accompanying drawings.

Positive displacement fluid pump having improved fill characteristics


A novel thermally insulated enclosure includes an insulated wall and a magnet assembly coupled thereto for mounting the insulated enclosure to ferromagnetic structures. In a particular embodiment, the magnet assembly includes a plurality of magnets coupled to the insulated wall. In another particular embodiment, the magnet assembly is a removable magnetic device that can be connected and disconnected from the insulated enclosure. In another particular embodiment, the magnet assembly is a removable magnet carrier that can be incorporated into the structure of the insulated enclosure.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to thermally insulated enclosures, and more particularly to systems for mounting thermally insulated enclosures.
Description of the Background Art
There has long been a high demand for portable insulated containers such as, for example, coolers, food and beverage containers, water coolers, lunch boxes, etc. Such containers are frequently transported in highly dynamic and, therefore, unstable environments such as, for example, on off-road vehicles, boats, construction trailers, heavy construction equipment, etc. When transporting containers in such environments, it is almost always necessary that they be secured down in order to prevent any problems associated with tipping and/or sliding. Doing so typically entails securing the enclosure to a stable structure via some suitable fastener (e.g., elastic cord, rope, strap, etc).
Although tipping and sliding problems can be prevented by fastening the enclosure to a stable structure via mechanical fasteners, there are disadvantages to doing so. For example, the enclosure can only be secured in locations where there are available structures (e.g., eye bolt) for the mechanical fasteners to engage. Another disadvantage to the current solution is the inconvenience associated with having to make sure the enclosure is accompanied by the fastener. Not only is it inconvenient to always keep a fastener on hand, but it is also inconvenient to have to remember to secure the enclosure. For example, forgetting to secure lunchboxes down on work trailers is a very common problem that often results in it falling off while the trailer is moving. As another example, the current solutions also impose challenges on heavy equipment operators because they typically have to remain on the equipment for long periods of time and, therefore, have to keep their coolers nearby. This is problematic in that there are typically not very many convenient structures to which an enclosure can be mounted via fasteners.
In efforts to alleviate the aforementioned problems, manufacturers have incorporated various types of slip preventative features into the design of many insulated enclosures. For example, friction promoting features (e.g., rubber, treads, etc) are often formed on the bottom surfaces of insulated containers.
Although friction promoting features can increase the amount of friction between the bottom surface of the container and the underlying surface, it is typically insignificant in such unstable environments.
What is needed, therefore, is an insulated enclosure that can be secured to a structure without additional fasteners. What is also needed is an insulated enclosure that can be secured to structures where no fastener structures are available. What is also needed is an insulated enclosure that is simpler to secure onto structures.


A light quantity control apparatus includes a first base plate, at least one drive device mounted on the first base plate, a shutter blade mounted on the first base plate and engaging the drive device, an intermediate plate disposed above the shutter blade, a diaphragm blade disposed above the intermediate plate, a second base plate disposed above the diaphragm blade, and a protruding guide formed on the first base plate to support the shutter blade thereon. The protruding guide includes a closing region where the shutter blade completely closes the opening, an opening region where the shutter blade opens the opening, and an inclined surface formed at the closing region and/or the opening region. The inclined surface gradually narrowing a gap with respect to the intermediate plate so that a movement of the shutter blade is reduced by the inclined surface to prevent rebounding thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light quantity control apparatus used in various camera devices such as video cameras and still cameras. Specifically, it relates to a light quantity control apparatus such as a diaphragm for regulating the amount of light in a photographing operation or a shutter for blocking the light in a photographing operation.
2. Description of the Related Arts
This type of light quantity control apparatus is comprised of a ring shape base plate integrated in the photographing lens part and having an optical axis aperture, one or a plurality of blade members revolvingly mounted to this base plate and a border on the aperture, and an electro-magnetic drive unit interlocked to the blade member and mounted to said base plate. By applying an electric current to this electro-magnetic drive unit, said blade member revolves and the aperture is blocked or the diameter of the aperture is reduced.
Tokkaihei 10-221740 describes shutter blades that block the optical axis aperture and the stop blades that regulate the size of the optical axis aperture overlapped on one base plate via an intermediate plate to adjust the quantity of light and to open and close the shutter.
Such a structure has the problem of the blade members rebounding and returning to the opposite direction when they are closed if opened or closed with force at high speed. This problem is notable with a stopper means to regulate that operation is established between the drive device and the blade members. Conventionally, the amount of rebounding is considered so the range for blade movement is enlarged. Therefore, the light quantity control apparatus becomes larger thereby creating the problem of difficulty in incorporating them into a lens barrel where space is limited.
An object of the present invention is to provide a light quantity control apparatus that has a small diameter around the optical axis of a photographic lens enabling arrangement and is capable of securely opening and closing blade members at high speeds.
In order to achieve the aforementioned purpose, this invention is composed as follows.
First, at least two drive means are mounted to the first base plate having an optical axis and shutter blades are arranged to the first base plate. Next, the light quantity apparatus comprises the overlapping intermediate plate, stop blades and the second base plate in that order, and on the first base plate, a protruding guide to guide the swinging of the shutter blades. Near the closing region and/or the opening region of this protruding guide an inclined surface is formed to gradually narrow the gap with the intermediate plate. Further, the shutter blades are formed by the vertical overlapping of at least two blade materials. The protruding guide is composed of a first guide member to guide the upper level blade and a second guide member to guide the lower level blade. The second guide member is formed with an inclined surface so it is possible to prevent the rebounding of the shutter blades when they are opened or closed.
In addition, these two guide members can be configured so that the first guide member is higher than the second guide member and that difference in height is part larger than the thickness of the shutter blade and that difference in height is smaller than the thickness of the shutter blade or the second guide member side is configured so that the oblique portion becomes larger thereby comprising an operating part in which more than two shutter blade members have little friction and a control portion which conversely has large friction for optimum closing and opening.
Also, it is possible for the structure of this invention to have a plurality of protrusion guides formed in the shutter""s opening and closing region.
First, the optimum embodiment is to have at least two drive means mounted to the first base plate having an optical axis and shutter blades arranged to the first base plate. Next, the light quantity apparatus comprises the overlapping intermediate plate, stop blades and the second base plate in that order, an interlock means to interlock one of the aforementioned drive means and the aforementioned shutter blades, a stopper means to regulate the opening region and closing region, a protruding guide to guide the swinging of the shutter blades disposed on the first base plate, and an inclined surface formed to gradually narrow the gap with the intermediate plate near the closing region and/or the opening region of this protruding guide.


A tape recorder capable of pressing a pinch roller against a capstan shaft with a slight pressing force in the pause state which includes an operation lever reciprocally moved by interlocking with recording, reproducing and stopping operations; a rotational lever rotated by interlocking with the operational lever and effected by a predetermined biasing force; a pinch roller supporting metal fitting interlocking only with the rotation in response to the recording or reproducing operation of the rotational lever and given the biasing force as a force pressing the pinch roller against the capstan shaft; a small spring having a comparatively small biasing force interposed between the supporting metal fitting and the rotational lever; and a play lever reciprocally moved by interlocking with the recording, reproducing and stopping operations, so as to rotate the pinch roller supporting metal fitting and to make the pinch roller contact the capstan shaft.

The present invention relates to a tape recorder capable of pressing a pinch roller against a capstan shaft with a slight pressing force under the state of a temporary stop on the way to recording or reproduction, that is, the state of a pause.
Some tape recorders are provided with a so-called pause function for temporarily stopping a tape from running during recording or reproduction.
As an example of such tape recorder, a motor drive circuit is cut off as a pinch roller is pressed against a capstan shaft and a tape running is temporarily stopped.
If a pinch roller is pressed against a capstan shaft with a large pressing force at the time of recording or reproduction during the state of a pause, the pressing force in such a case is considerably larger, so that the pinch roller becomes deformed by the pressing force against the capstan shaft when the pausing state is continued for a long time, and then thereafter, the tape running cannot be performed smoothly, and recording and reproduction become unstable in characteristic.
In order to eliminate such a disadvantage, a tape recorder has been proposed where tape running is temporarily stopped by cutting out a motor drive circuit and at the same time the pinch roller is separated from a capstan shaft.
If the pinch roller is separated from the capstan shaft under the state of a pause, a tape is displaced downward by its own weight caused by slackened tension of the tape. When the tape recorder is restarted under such state, the tape becomes unstable in characteristic for recording and reproduction on that portion because the tape is started from the displaced state.

Dual spring loaded operating mechanism for a tape recorder


An example method is performed by a rich communications services (RCS) server. The RCS server maintains metadata and RCS messages associated with a message thread, where the message thread provides open group chat (OGC) communications among a plurality of participants. The RCS server receives a lock request from a participant of the message thread to lock the message thread and in response thereto modifies the metadata associated with the message thread to indicate that the message thread is locked. A request to join the message thread is then received by the RCS server, where the request is rejected in response to the RCS server determining that the metadata associated with the message thread indicates that the message thread is locked.

Wireless communication systems have developed through various generations, including a first-generation analog wireless phone service (1G), a second-generation (2G) digital wireless phone service (including interim 2.5G and 2.75G networks) and third-generation (3G) and fourth-generation (4G) high speed data/Internet-capable wireless services. There are presently many different types of wireless communication systems in use, including Cellular and Personal Communications Service (PCS) systems. Examples of known cellular systems include the cellular Analog Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMPS), and digital cellular systems based on Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA), Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA), Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA), the Global System for Mobile access (GSM) variation of TDMA, and newer hybrid digital communication systems using both TDMA and CDMA technologies.
More recently, Long Term Evolution (LTE) has been developed as a wireless communications protocol for wireless communication of high-speed data for mobile phones and other data terminals. LTE is based on GSM, and includes contributions from various GSM-related protocols such as Enhanced Data rates for GSM Evolution (EDGE), and Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS) protocols such as High-Speed Packet Access (HSPA).
Access networks using various communication protocols (e.g., 3GPP access networks such as W-CDMA, LTE, etc., or non-3GPP access networks such as WiFi, WLAN or wired LAN, etc.) can be configured to provide Internet Protocol (IP) Multimedia Subsystem (IMS) services via an IMS network managed by a mobile network operator (e.g., T-MOBILE®) to users across a communications system. Users that access the IMS network to request an IMS service are assigned to one of a plurality of regional application servers or application server clusters (e.g., groups of application servers that serve the same cluster region) for supporting the requested IMS service.
One type of communication that may be supported by IMS services may be referred to as Rich Communication Services (RCS). RCS is designed to provide enhanced communications between mobile devices, including mobile devices that are supported by different operators. Among other things, RCS provides for enhanced messaging, which may include chat, file sharing, location sharing, and so forth.


A protective case for an electronic reading device includes a back cover, wherein the back cover is configured to secure the electronic reading device. The back cover includes a plurality of metal plates, each of the plurality of metal plates disposed in a predetermined location. The protective case also includes a front cover, wherein the front cover includes a plurality of magnets, each of the plurality of magnets being disposed in a predetermined location and one or more of the plurality of magnets being positioned based on the location of one or more corresponding metal plates. The front cover also includes a Hall sensor magnet positioned on top of a magnet shielding, wherein the Hall sensor magnet is positioned between the magnet shielding and the back cover of the protective case when the protective case is in a closed position.

The "background" description provided herein is for the purpose of generally presenting the context of the disclosure. Work of the presently named inventors, to the extent it is described in this background section, as well as aspects of the description which may not otherwise qualify as prior art at the time of filing, are neither expressly or impliedly admitted as prior art against the present invention.
Mobile computing devices, such as laptops, PDAs, media players, game consoles, touchpads, smartphones, e-readers etc., have evolved to become more and more sophisticated. With the rapidly developing technologies on Internet data storage, data transmission, and wireless communication as well as on data-handling capabilities of mobile computing devices, consumers increasingly spend extended time using such devices, such as watching videos, viewing photos, video conferencing, reading books, Internet browsing, sending emails, on-line chatting, playing video games, etc. To suit consumers' demand for portability, the design trend of various mobile computing devices continues to emphasize making the devices smaller and thinner. Most modern portable computing devices are installed with a touchscreen panel that is fixed to the device body. To view the display screen hands-free in an ergonomic view angle to reduce related visual discomforts, a user usually needs to position the device in an inclined angle (or an upright position) on a horizontal resting surface, e.g., a desk. Most mobile computing device products are not equipped with a built-in stand for supporting the device in an upright position. External accessories of various configurations are typically used to prop such a device in a user-intended orientation. In some of the accessory products, a stand is integrated with a protective case customized for a device model; while others are designed exclusively as a stand.

System and methods for device case magnets


A package assembly includes a substrate, an electronic component, and an encapsulation body. The electronic component is located on the substrate and electrically connected to the substrate. The encapsulation body encapsulates the electronic component with the substrate. A portion of the substrate corresponding to the electronic component defines a plurality of through holes. A diameter of each of the plurality of through holes gradually reduces from a top surface of the substrate toward a bottom surface of the substrate. The plurality of through holes prevent melting remnants of the encapsulation body from flowing outside of the substrate.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure generally relates to package assemblies and methods for manufacturing the same, and more particularly to a package assembly with a plurality of through holes on a substrate.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a package assembly defines a plurality of through holes on a portion of substrate to dissipate heat, and the portion usually corresponds to large grounding pads. The plurality of through holes are filled with filling materials. However, if a large sized electronic component, such as a flip-flow chip, is packed on the substrate, air between the electronic component and the substrate is not easy to escape from the through holes, due to the filling materials filled in the plurality of through holes. As a results, cavities are unfortunately formed between the electronic component and the substrate, which leads to a weak performance of the package assembly.

Package assembly and method of manufacturing the same


An implementation of a single qubit phase gate for use in a quantum information processing scheme based on the υ=5/2 fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state is disclosed. Using sack geometry, a qubit consisting of two σ-quasiparticles. which may be isolated on respective antidots, may be separated by a constriction from the bulk of a two-dimensional electron gas in the υ=5/2 FQH state. An edge quasiparticle may induce a phase gate on the qubit. The number of quasiparticles that are allowed to traverse the edge path defines which gate is induced. For example, if a certain number of quasiparticles are allowed to traverse the path, then a π/8 gate may be effected.

Quasiparticles of the υ=5/2 fractional quantum Hall (FQH) state are known as Ising anyons. Evidence supporting the υ=5/2 FQH state having non-Abelian anyons described by the Ising anyon model may be found, for example, at R. L. Willett, et al., Measurement Of Filling Factor 5/2 Quasiparticle Interference: Observation Of Charge e/4 And e/2 Period Oscillations, and W. Bishara, et al., The Non-Abelian Interferometer.
Though Ising anyons obey non-Abelian statistics, they do not have computationally universal braiding. That is, braiding transformations alone cannot generate a computationally universal gate set. Thus, in order to use them for quantum computation, it would be desirable to supplement the usual topologically-protected gates, which may be obtained either by braiding anyons or by using measurement-only anyonic quantum computation to generate braiding transformations without moving computational anyons. Measurement-only anyonic quantum computation is described and claimed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 12/187,850, filed Aug. 7, 2008, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference.
One gate that is desirable for quantum computation is the so-called π/8 phase gate, which is a one qubit gate. It would be desirable to generate this gate for Ising anyons in a way that does not require moving the computational anyons.

Use of sack geometry to implement a single qubit phase gate


A method and arrangement for providing air to a gas turbine inlet, to facilitate energy production, are provided. In general, preferred methods involve both cooling air to be delivered to the gas turbine inlet, and also reducing the humidity content thereof. Preferred apparatus to accomplish the methods include: a water spray cooling arrangement; a liquid desiccant contactor; and, a vapor compression chiller arrangement. Preferably, cold solutions for operation of the water spray cooler and the liquid desiccant contactor are provided via absorption chiller arrangements.

Gas turbine arrangements are widely utilized for the production of electrical power. Such arrangements generally involve: a compressor, which takes ambient air and compresses it to about 15-20 bar, increasing the temperature to about 600-700.degree. F. (315-371.degree. C.); a burner, through which the compressed air passes, which increases the temperature of the gases to at least about 2000-2200.degree. F. (1080-1190.degree. C.); and, an expander, in which the gases are expanded to about ambient pressure with a typical temperature reduction to about 1000.degree. F. (540.degree. C.). Energy released during the expansion process is used to drive a generator, for production of power.
Typical gas turbine arrangements are rated for percent of design output, percent of design air flow and percent of design heat rate, vs. compressor inlet temperature. This is exemplified in FIG. 1, which reflects such plots for a General Electric model MS7001 turbine, a gas turbine rated for 145,400 KW (145 megawatt) output at 100% design output.
Upon examination of FIG. 1, it will be understood that the gas turbine involved is rated for 100% design output at compressor inlet (air) temperatures of about 59.degree. F. (15.degree. C.). As the gas temperature (inlet temperature) increases above 59.degree. F. (15.degree. C.), output, i.e. energy production, drops off rapidly, for example to a figure of about 90% of the rated value at about 84.degree. F. (29.degree. C.), and only about 84% output at 100.degree. F. (38.degree. C.). On the other hand, energy production is favored by inlet air temperatures below 59.degree. F. (15.degree. C.). It is noted that there is a linear or nearly linear relationship between energy production, i.e. percent of design output, and compressor inlet air temperature, over the temperature range shown.
It is also noted that there is also a linear or nearly linear relationship between percent of design air flow, i.e. volume of air passing through the turbine for a given percent design output, and temperature of compressor inlet air. As the compressor inlet air temperature is increased, percent of design air flow decreases. Alternatively stated, output requires a decrease in air flow, as air temperature increases. A General Electric MS7001 is rated for an air flow of about 3,255,000 lb of air/hr at 100% design air flow.
Further, there is a linear or nearly linear relationship between percent of design heat rate, and compressor inlet air temperature. As the compressor inlet air temperature is increased, the percent of design heat rate increases. This figure can be directly related to the amount of fuel or energy needed in the burner, to appropriately increase the temperature of the gases, for use in the gas turbine. A plot of percent design heat consumption versus inlet temperature is also provided.
FIG. 1 exemplifies a well known and widely observed phenomenon in industries utilizing gas turbines for power production, the particular turbine presented merely being an example. The General Electric MS7001 turbine was selected, since it is one of the newest, most efficient, designs available. As with any conventional turbine, as the ambient temperature increases, power output from the arrangement decreases. This means that the power production for such systems can be expected to vary, seasonally, with wide swings in ambient air temperature. Efficiency is substantially decreased if the ambient air, channeled to the turbine inlet, is hot. In many instances as much as a 30% decrease in maximum of power production occurs just through a swing of ambient temperature from about 30.degree. to 90.degree. F. (-1.degree. to 32.degree. C.).

Method and arrangement for cooling air to gas turbine inlet


An apparatus for inserting a paper or film object or a stack of such objects into an envelope. A feeding apparatus moves the object toward an insertion station and a vacuum drum has a surface adapted to engage and move the envelope toward the insertion station. A ramp element is coupled to the vacuum drum and is adapted to support a leading portion of the envelope as the envelope moves with the vacuum drum.

Converting equipment is known for automatically stuffing envelopes. Such equipment may include components for feeding a pre-printed web of paper, for cutting such web into one or more discrete sheets for collating sheets, and for feeding such discrete sheet collations into envelopes. Such equipment may further include components to convey the stuffed envelopes to a specified location. The industry has long known devices which accomplish these and other functions. However, improvements are needed where high volumes of paper piece count and high speeds are required without sacrificing reliability accuracy and quality of end product.
More particularly, a large roll of paper is typically printed in discrete areas with piece specific information. That is, the initial roll of paper comprises vast numbers of discrete areas of already-printed indicia-specific information with each discrete area defining what is to eventually comprise a single page or sheet of indicia specific information. To complicate the process, a variable number of sheets with related indicia must be placed into the envelopes so that the content of one envelope varies from the content of another by sheet count and, of course, by the specific indicia on the included sheets. As one example, financial reports of multiple customers or account specifics may require a varied number of customer or account specific sheets to be cut, respectively collated, stuffed and discharged for delivery. Thus, the contents of each envelope include either a single sheet or a "collation" of from two to many sheets, each "collation" being specific to a mailing to an addressee.
In such an exemplary operation, a financial institution might send billing or invoice information to each of its customers. The billing information or "indicia" for one customer may require anywhere from one final sheet to a number of sheets which must be collated, then placed in that customer's envelope. While all this information can be printed in sheet size discrete areas, on a single roll, these areas must be well defined, cut, merged or collated into sheets for the same addressee or destination, placed into envelopes, treated and discharged. Thus, a system for conducting this process has in the past included certain typical components, such as a paper roll stand, drive, sheet cutter, merge unit, accumulate or collate unit, folder, envelope feeder, envelope inserter, and finishing and discharge units. Electronic controls are used to operate the system to correlate the functions so correct sheets are collated and placed in correct destination envelopes.
In such multi-component systems, the pass-through rate from paper roll to finished envelope is dependent on the speed of each component, and overall production speed is a function of the slowest or weakest link component. Overall reliability is similarly limited. Moreover, the mean down time from any malfunction or failure to repair is limited by the most repair-prone, most maintenance consumptive component. Such systems are capital intensive, requiring significant floor plan or footprint, and require significant labor, materials and maintenance capabilities and facilities.
In such systems, inserting apparatus are known for inserting a single discrete sheet of material or a stack of such sheets into envelopes. Some conventional systems of this type use vacuum drums. In systems of this type, high levels of maintenance are required for components such as valves that are continuously being energized and deenergized. Likewise, in systems of this type, the deenergizing of vacuum components during an inserting operation has been observed to ramp down over a period of time rather than instantaneously, which results in unintended forces being applied, for example, onto envelopes. This, in turn, results in poor control of the inserting operation.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide improved inserting apparatus for the insertion of discrete paper or film objects into envelopes in a high speed handling machine. It is also desirable to provide a converting apparatus and related methods that address inherent problems observed with conventional converting apparatus.

Inserting apparatus for discrete objects into envelopes and related methods


A table or desk is provided with a horizontally enlarged worksurface, and a bracket-supported rear panel arrangement can be readily mounted to a project upwardly along a rear edge of the worksurface. The panel arrangement includes a pair of upright brackets which have C-shaped lower parts which create a clamping engagement around the rear edge of the worksurface so that special constructional features on the worksurface are not required. The brackets have upright parts which project upwardly and, along rear vertical edges thereof, have attachment structure for permitting an upright panel to be attached thereto, which panel is then disposed directly adjacent the rear edge of the worksurface and projects upwardly and longitudinally thereof. The bracket includes first and second attachment structures associated therewith, with one attachment structure permitting a grid-like panel to be mounted thereon. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the grid-like panel, the second attachment structure permits a privacy screen or tack board to be attached to the brackets, the latter being spaced rearwardly of the location where the grid-like panel mounts.

Office and educational environments make extensive use of tables, particularly freestanding tables, for defining working or training stations. The demand for increased storage space for accessories and supplies, and/or the need for greater privacy, however, have resulted in many prior tables of this type being modified to permit mounting of an upright support adjacent the rear edge of the worksurface so as to mount either an upright privacy screen and/or accessories which support or mount supplies or the like. These prior attempts have primarily involved the provision of an upright rail or support arrangement which has required support legs which fixedly attach to the worksurface, with the worksurface often being provided with special mounting hardware recessed therein for fixedly attaching the legs of the mounting rail. Arrangements of this type are disadvantageous, however, since not only does the attachment or detachment of the rail from the worksurface require a greater effort because of the mechanical connections involved, but the construction of the worksurface requires special manufacturing manipulations and special parts which increase the cost and complexity of the worksurface, and which detract from the appearance of the worksurface when the upright support rail is not utilized.
It is an object of this invention to provide a table or desk which optionally permits an upright rear panel to be readily mounted on or removed from the worksurface adjacent the rear edge thereof, which arrangement overcomes disadvantages of the type mentioned above inasmuch as the upright panel arrangement of this invention can be easily and effectively mounted on or removed from the rear edge of the worksurface without complex mechanical manipulations, and the arrangement can be mounted on the worksurface without requiring any special constructional features of the worksurface so as to simplify the manufacture thereof.
Briefly, according to the present invention, a table or desk is provided with a horizontally enlarged worksurface, and a bracket-supported rear panel arrangement can be readily mounted to a project upwardly along the rear edge of the worksurface. The arrangement includes a pair of upright brackets which have lower parts which create a clamping engagement around the rear edge of the worksurface so that special constructional features on the worksurface are not required. The brackets have upright parts which project upwardly and, along rear vertical edges thereof, have attachment structure for permitting an upright panel to be attached thereto, which panel is then disposed directly adjacent the rear edge of the worksurface and projects upwardly and longitudinally thereof. The bracket includes first and second attachment structures associated therewith, with one attachment structure permitting a grid-like panel to be mounted thereon, which grid-like panel in turn accommodates mounting of other accessories thereon. Alternatively, or in conjunction with the grid-like panel, the second attachment structure permits a privacy screen or tack board to be attached to the brackets, the latter being disposed so as to be spaced somewhat rearwardly of the location where the grid-like panel is mounted, if utilized.
Other objects and purposes of the invention will be apparent to persons familiar with structures of this general type upon reading the following specification and inspecting the accompanying drawings.


A synthesis is described for intermediates which are readily amenable to the large scale preparation of hydroxyethylurea-based chiral HIV protease inhibitors. The method includes forming a diastereoselective epoxide from a chiral alpha amino aldehyde.

1. Field of the Invention
Synthesis of many HIV protease inhibitors containing a hydroxyethylamine or hydroxyethylurea isostere include the amine opening of a key intermediate chiral epoxide. The synthesis of the key chiral epoxide requires a multi-step synthesis starting from L-phenylalanine and results in a low overall yield. The diastereoselectivity of the reduction step of the intermediate amino chloromethylketone is low and use of explosive diazomethane prevents the scale up of the method to multikilogram productions. The present invention relates to a method of preparing retroviral protease inhibitors and more particularly to a diastereoselective method of forming chiral intermediates for the preparation of urea containing hydroxyethylamine protease inhibitors.
2. Related Art
Roberts et al, Science, 248, 358 (1990), Krohn et al, J. Med. Chem. 344, 3340 (1991) and Getman, et al, J. Med. Chem., 346, 288 (1993) have previously reported synthesis of protease inhibitors containing the hydroxyethylamine or hydroxyethylurea isostere which include the opening of an epoxide generated in a multi-step synthesis starting from an amino acid. These methods also contain steps which include diazomethane and the reduction of an amino chloromethyl ketone intermediate to an amino alcohol prior to formation of the epoxide. The overall yield of these syntheses are low and the use of explosive diazomethane additionally prevents such methods from being commercially acceptable.
Tinker et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,268,688 discloses a catalytic process for the asymmetric hydroformylation to prepare optically active aldehydes from unsaturated olefins. Similarly, Reetz et al U.S. Pat. No. 4,990,669 discloses the formation of optically active alpha amino aldehydes through the reduction of alpha amino carboxylic acids or their esters with lithium aluminum hydride followed by oxidation of the resulting protected beta amino alcohol by dimethyl sulfoxide/oxalyl chloride or chromium trioxide/pyridine. Alternatively, protected alpha amino carboxylic acids or esters thereof can be reduced with diisobutylaluminum hydride to form the protected amino aldehydes.
Reetz et al (Tet. Lett., 30, 5425 (1989) disclosed the use of sulfonium and arsonium ylides and their reactions of protected α-amino aldehydes to form aminoalkyl epoxides. This method suffers from the use of highly toxic arsonium compounds or the use of combination of sodium hydride and dimethyl sulfoxide which is extremely hazardous in large scale. (Sodium hydride and DMSO are incompatible: Sax, N. I., "Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials", 6th Ed., Van Nostrand Reinhold Co., 1984, p. 433. Violent explosions have been reported on the reaction of sodium hydride and excess DMSO, "Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards", 3rd Ed., Butterworths, 1985, p. 295. Matteson et al Synlett., 1991, 631 reported the addition of chloromethylithium or bromomethylithium to racemic aldehydes.
Tet.Letters, Vol. 27, No. 7, 1986, pages 795-798 discloses in general the oxidation of carbonyl compounds to epoxides or chlorohydrines using chloro- or bromomethyllithium. The reference however is silent about amino aldehydes as well as optically active compounds.

Method for preparing intermediates useful in synthesis of retroviral protease inhibitors


A thermoformed mold is supported by a quick change tooling system including a pair of parallel spaced elongated channel members each defining an open bottom cavity for receiving in precision alignment an elongated rail member secured to a supporting press platen. Each channel member is releasably locked to its rail member by a pair of couplers each including a stud projecting downwardly in the channel member and received within a corresponding cylinder within the rail member. The cylinder has locking balls which releasably grip the stud in response to axial movement of a fluid actuated spring biased piston surrounding the cylinder.

In the production of custom thermoformed articles or parts, such as parts produced by blow molding, vacuum molding, rotomolding, compression molding, resin transfer molding and reaction injection molding, it is frequently necessary to change the large and heavy tools or molds within the thermoforming press in order to produce different parts. Since the molds are normally positioned on and secured to a platen of the thermoforming press with bolts and/or clamps with bolts, it is necessary to remove each of the bolts and/or clamps and then manually slide the mold onto the forks of a forklift truck for transporting the mold to a storage location or rack. Another mold for producing another part is then picked up by the forklift truck and delivered to the thermoforming press where the second mold is manually positioned or aligned on the press platen and secured to the platen by the bolts and/or clamps. Commonly, the exchange or replacement of the molds, including the removal of the bolts and/or clamps from the first mold and the precise positioning or alignment of a second mold on the platen and the securing of the second mold with the bolts and/or clamps, requires substantial time, for example, sometimes up to two hours. During this period, the press is not operating, and the operator of the press is not producing.
The present invention is directed to an improved quick change tooling system which is ideally suited for use with thermoforming molds which have substantial weight and size. However, the system may also be used with other heavy and/or large tooling such as fixtures, whenever it is desirable to replace quickly one tooling with another tooling. The quick change tooling system of the invention provides for changing the tooling or molds in minutes instead of hours and thus minimizes down time of the molding press and non-productive time of the press operator. The quick change system of the invention further provides for accurately positioning the mold or other tooling on a platen and for quickly and positively locking the tooling to the platen in a predetermined position with precision alignment, thus eliminating the use of hand tools, bolts, clamps, shims and the like. In addition, the quick change tooling system of the invention is durable, accommodates thermal expansion of the tooling and provides for minimizing the inventory of parts produced on different tooling since the tooling set up time is minimized and a smaller number of parts may be produced more efficiently and more economically.
In accordance with one embodiment of the invention, a pair of inverted channel members are secured to the bottom surface of a mold, and the channel members define open bottom cavities which receive corresponding rail members secured to the top surface of a press platen. A precision fit is provided between the rail members and the channel members to obtain precise location and alignment of the mold on the press platen, and a set of air actuated locking couplers positively secure or lock the channel members to the rail members. Preferably, each of the locking couplers includes a knob or stud projecting downwardly within the cavity of the channel member. The stud has an enlarged head portion which is received within a locking cylinder having circumferentially spaced balls for engaging the head portion of the coupler stud. A spring loaded piston surrounds the balls and normally holds the balls in a locking position, and the balls retract to a released position in response to pressurized air acting on the piston.
Other features and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, the accompanying drawings and the appended claims.

Quick change tooling system for a thermoforming mold and the like


Essentially anhydrous energetic compositions, including explosives, propellants, flares, and gas generators, are initially formed at process temperatures above the solidification temperature of contained oxidizer salts as stable, melt-in-fuel emulsions having a continuous fuel phase and a discontinuous molten oxidizer phase. Surfactants are employed which cause the compositions to retain general fuel phase continuity and oxidizer phase discontinuity upon solidification. The final product is a firm or solid emulsion generally characterized by an intimate dispersion of discrete solid oxidizer cells in a fuel continuum, the product having excellent storage stability and water resistance.

Aqueous emulsion explosives of the water-in-oil type are well known, as in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,161,551; 3,164,503 and 3,447,978. U.S. Pat No. 4,248,644 teaches non-aqueous melt-in-fuel emulsion technology wherein essentially anhydrous molten salts are emulsified with an immiscible hydrocarbon fuel. The hydrocarbon fuel forms the continuous phase and the molten oxidizer forms the discontinuous phase. A fuel-continuous emulsion in obtained which is grease-like or extrudable at ambient temperatures.
Until recently, developments in non-aqueous melt-in-fuel emulsion explosives have been directed toward soft or pumpable explosives for commercial blasting operations. However, U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 578,177; 578,178; 578,179; 597,415 and 597,416 teach unstable melt-in-fuel emulsions which are castable. These emulsions are formulated so as to be unstable; that is, when cooled, the continuous phase is disrupted as the discontinuous droplets of molten oxidizer crystallize and knit together, forming a rigid structure.
Such compositions derived from unstable emulsions suffer from several disadvantages: The carefully regulated intimacy of fuel and oxidizer mixing achieved during process refinement is subject to the disruptive effects of oxidizer crystal growth and interknitting with potentially adverse effects on performance, sensitivity and storage life of the product. Further, the disruption of the fuel continuum increases the exposure of the oxidizer salts to the effect of moisture which also adversely affects both storage life and performance.
It has not been apparent heretofore that castable energetic compositions can be made from stable non-aqueous emulsions which retain oxidizer phase discontinuity during solidification of the individual oxidizer cells. In contrast to cast compositions made from unstable emulsions, the compositions of the present invention become solid, rigid or firm following cooling without significant disruption of the fuel phase continuum or substantial interknitting of the separate oxidizer cells. As expolsives, the shear sensitivity of the compositions may be reduced and the safety enhanced through internal lubrication by the fuel continuum. As propellants, elastomeric properties may be achieved superior to those of compositions exhibiting the more brittle, interknit crystalline structure resulting from unstable emulsions. In all such castable compositions made from stable emulsions, whether explosives, propellants, flares or gas generators, a high degree of fuel and oxidizer intimacy is maintained on solidification; and superior water resistance and shelf life result from preservation of the fuel continuum.
It is the principal objective of this invention to obtain solid, rigid or firm energetic compositions from stabe non-aqueous emulsions such that the fuel continuous geometry and intimacy of ingredients characteristic of the fluid emulsion is maintained in the final solid product. It is another objective to formulate the compositions in a manner which will permit continuous processing, cooling, optional admixing of additives, and loading or packaging, before solidification. Another objective is to achieve supercooling to or near to ambient temperatures before solidification in order to reduce cast defects resulting from thermal shrinkage. A further objective is to achieve water resistance in the compositions. Other objectives are to achieve internal lubrication and reduced shear sensitivity in explosive compositions and substantially to prevent interknitting of oxidizer crystals so as to achieve improved elastomeric properties in propellants and plastic bonded explosives.
Because the oxidizer cells in the final product are typically sub-micron in certain dimensions, the products are referred to as microcellular composite energetic materials.
Since the discontinuous phase of the fluid emulsion as first formed remains substantially discontinuous in the final solidified product, and since the continuous phase remains substantially continuous in the final solidified product, microcellular composite formulations can also be referred to as solid emulsions. This term is intended to include those microcellular formulations which have solidified as a result of either or both phases having become solid.

Microcellular composite energetic materials and method for making same


A vibrator drive circuit is configured to drive a vibrator mass 3 in a prescribed vibration direction. The vibrator drive circuit includes a drive unit configured to drive a vibrator based on a reference signal SG1 of a predetermined frequency to cause the vibrator to vibrate in a vibration direction, a phase detector configured to detect a vibration waveform of the vibrator in the vibration direction and to output an output voltage Vcnt in accordance with a phase difference between reference signal SG1 and a vibration waveform thereof, and two capacitors each formed of a movable electrode provided in the vibrator and a fixed electrode provided to face the movable electrode, the output voltage Vcnt being applied to the fixed electrode. The phase detector is configured to adjust the output voltage Vcnt in accordance with the phase difference, thereby changing electrostatic force in each of the capacitors for controlling the phase difference to be 90 degrees.

A vibration-type angular velocity sensor serves as a sensor for measuring the magnitude of the angular velocity by causing a vibrator to vibrate at a predetermined frequency in a prescribed vibration direction, thereby generating Coriolis force in accordance with the angular velocity acting from the outside, and detecting the displacement amount of the vibrator caused by the Coriolis force in the direction orthogonal to the vibration direction. The vibrator is supported by a spring structure or the like, and the Coriolis force is increased in proportion to the vibration velocity of the vibrator. In order to improve the sensitivity of the angular velocity sensor, it is necessary to increase the vibration amplitude of the vibrator in the vibration direction to increase its vibration velocity. Thus, the above-described angular velocity sensor generally serves to detect the vibration amplitude of the vibrator and apply positive feedback with a drive signal for driving the vibrator, thereby causing the vibrator to self-excite at a resonance frequency (see, for example, PTD 1).
Among the conventional angular velocity sensors, there is a known angular velocity sensor that is equipped with a plurality of vibrators for measuring the tri-axial angular velocity (see, for example, PTD 2). In general, when a plurality of vibrators are mounted in an angular velocity sensor, the resonance frequencies of the vibrators are varied. Accordingly, a drive circuit for causing the vibrators to self-oscillate should be provided for each of the vibrators. This poses a problem that the drive circuit is increased in circuit scale, and power consumption. Furthermore, in the case where the plurality of vibrators are caused to self-oscillate at different resonance frequencies, it becomes necessary to separately generate synchronous detection signals synchronized with the corresponding resonance frequencies of the vibrators in order to synchronously detect the vibrating component of the Coriolis force. This also poses a problem that not only the drive circuit but also the control circuit for synchronously detecting the vibrating component of the Coriolis force is increased in circuit scale, so that power consumption is also increased. In order to solve the above-described problems, according to the conventional technique disclosed in PTD 2, a plurality of vibrators are coupled structurally dynamically to cause the resonance frequencies of the vibrators to coincide, so that drive circuits for driving a plurality of vibrators are implemented by a single circuit.


A magnetic wheel includes: a balance block; a magnetic body which is provided in the balance block and attaches the balance block to an attachment object with a magnetic force; and a magnetic shielding block which is provided in the balance block and guides a magnetic field generated in the magnetic body toward the attachment object.

In general, aquatic creatures living under water, such as barnacles, sea squirts, serpula, mytilus galloprovincialis, freshwater shellfish, lagoon bugyul body, visible bluish, greener and so on, adhere to and live in a surface of the body of a ship, which does various damage to the ship.
For example, aquatic creatures adhered to the ship body may increase frictional resistance to seawater, thereby decreasing a sailing speed of the ship and increasing fuel consumption, which is at an economic disadvantage.
Conventionally, a cleaning work by a worker of moving a ship to be cleaned to a land dock and stripping off attachments of the wall of the ship by jetting water with a high pressure hose has been generally used. Since this method requires a preparation procedure to move the ship to the dock, there is a disadvantage that long cleaning time is taken and many workers are mobilized.
A diver may clean the bottom of the ship under water, without moving the ship. However, even for a diver skilled at underwater work environments, it takes a long time to clean a wide range of ship body and the level of difficulty in the cleaning work increases due to poor visibility.
In order to avoid the problem that cleaning the bottom of the ship by a worker is difficult to remove attachments efficiently and requires many workers, there has been proposed a method of applying paints mixed with toxic material in order to prevent marine creatures from adhering and parasitizing in the surface of a ship.
However, the proposed method causes other problems of seawater pollution and detrimental effects on other marine creatures to destroy the aquatic ecosystems and is therefore forbidden by international organizations. In addition, when the toxicity decreases after lapse of certain time, paints should be again applied after cleaning.
In order to overcome such a problem, there has been proposed a technique that a cleaning robot removes deposits while moving along the wall of a ship under water.
"An underwater robot for cleaning and inspection of the bottom of a ship" disclosed in KR Patent Registration No. 10-0811540 is a propulsive apparatus which moves along the wall of a ship body and cleans the wall using a brush fixed at the underwater robot.
However, this method causes upsizing of cleaning equipment due to a propeller, which results in difficulty in efficient cleaning of the ship bottom having a large curvature, and requires many sensors used to stably move the robot along the wall of the ship body, which results in high costs.
In order to clean the bottom of a ship, it is important to closely attach a cleaning apparatus to the ship bottom. To this end, there has been proposed a method of using a magnetic wheel.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view showing a conventional magnetic wheel.
As shown in FIG. 1, the conventional magnetic wheel is used in such a manner that a ferromagnetic circular plate and a magnet are rotated together.
This magnetic wheel is commonly used since a magnetic force, line is concentrated on a ferromagnetic floor when the magnetic wheel is attached to the floor, and its structure is simple.
However, an adsorptive force may be rapidly weakened if there occurs an empty space between any circular plate and the floor.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view showing another conventional magnetic wheel.
The magnetic wheel shown in FIG. 2 maintains an adsorptive force to some degrees even when there occurs an empty space between any circular plate and the floor, unlike the magnetic wheel shown in FIG. 1.
However, this magnetic wheel has poor efficiency since only some of magnets used contact the floor.
In addition, the vicinity of the magnetic wheel is affected since a strong magnetic field ejects to a portion which is in no contact with the ferromagnetic floor. If a worker is present in the vicinity of the magnetic wheel, the worker may be injured due to the magnets.
Further, when the magnetic wheel is rotated, since the magnets are arrange at constant intervals, the adsorptive force to the floor may not be uniformed.
The above description is only provided as a background to assist in understandings of the present invention but is not intended to elucidate the technique known in the art to which the present invention belongs.


A turbomolecular pump comprising a rotor and a stator housed in a casing and an exhaust mechanism is formed between the rotor and the stator; wherein the turbomolecular pump has a valve body for opening and closing a suction port provided in the casing, and a valve driving mechanism for opening/closing-driving the valve body, wherein the valve driving mechanism is provided integrally with the turbomolecular pump.

The present invention relates to a turbomolecular pump for exhausting a gas by an interaction between a rotor and a stator and/or by an action of threaded rotor rotating at a high speed.
A general construction of a conventional turbomolecular pump is illustrated in FIG. 4. The turbomolecular pump comprises a rotor R including a main shaft 10 and a rotary cylinder 12 rotating integrally therewith, a stator S including a fixed cylinder 14 surrounding the shaft 10, and a cylindrical casing 16 surrounding the rotary cylinder 12, which are assembled on a base B. A conductance adjusting valve 100 and a gate valve 110 are provided between the pump and an apparatus A to be evacuated in the upstream of the turbomolecular pump.
In the conventional turbomolecular pump as described above, however, driving mechanisms 101, 102 for the individual valve units are provided in the proximity of the valves near the turbomolecular pump. This has posed a problem of scaling-up of the valve units, resulting in a larger overall structure of the turbomolecular pump including the valves.


A method, system, and computer program product for vehicle presence indication. The method includes receiving a request including an announcement type at a first vehicle. The receiving is from a second vehicle via a mobile ad-hoc network that includes the first vehicle and the second vehicle. The announcement type is initiated at the first vehicle in response to receiving the request.

The present disclosure relates generally to vehicle presence indication, and more particularly, to utilizing an ad-hoc network to request a first vehicle to announce its presence to the occupants of a second vehicle.
Mobile ad-hoc networks include a collection of mobile nodes that form an ad-hoc network without the assistance of centralized structures. An ad-hoc network may be formed when a number of wireless communication devices join together to form a network. Terminals in ad-hoc networks can operate as hosts and/or routers. Thus, an ad-hoc network may be easily reconfigured to meet existing traffic demands in an efficient fashion. Moreover, ad-hoc networks do not require the infrastructure required by conventional access networks, making ad-hoc networks an attractive choice for the future.
An increasing number of vehicles are becoming equipped with telematics systems which may be used for a number of purposes, including collecting road tolls, tracking fleet vehicle locations, recovering stolen vehicles, providing automatic collision notification and providing wireless communication between vehicles. In many cases, the telematics systems include wireless communication devices which allow the vehicles to participate in and form mobile ad-hoc networks. As more vehicles are equipped with wireless communication devices capable of participating in mobile ad-hoc networks it would be desirable to use the wireless communication devices to provide communication between two or more vehicles. Additionally, it would be desirable to utilize the mobile ad-hoc networks to request that one vehicle announces its presence to the driver of another vehicle.