An infant support pillow having an outer concentric curved periphery and an inner curved boundary, the inner curved boundary being provided with a fabric body wrap comprising a T-shaped member having a fabric leg extending longitudinally therefrom and having transversely extending straps attached at right angles thereto, the fabric leg being adjustable in length and the transversely extending straps being attachable in various positions to an underside of the support pillow to form a seat in which an infant can be placed, the dimensions of which seat may be adjusted to accommodate infants of various sizes, the outer concentric curved periphery and inner curved boundary forming a pair of interconnected curved arms which are adjustable inwardly and outwardly with relation to a central circular opening formed by the inner curved boundary to permit the diameter of the central circular opening to increase or decrease, thereby causing the body of an infant to be elevated in a reclining position or, alternatively, causing the body of an infant to sink into the central circular opening to permit the infant to be held in an upright or sitting position, and the inner curved boundary being further provided with a pocket into which the fabric body wrap may be folded and hidden when not in use.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an infant support pillow. More particularly, the present invention relates to an infant support pillow having a T-shaped fabric belt consisting of an adjustable longitudinally extending fabric leg with transversely extending straps which can adjustably wrap around the arms of the support pillow and attach at an underside thereof to form a seat for an infant. The arms of the support pillow may be pulled inwardly or outwardly and secured with the T-shaped fabric belt to fit snugly against the body of an infant and elevate the infant in a reclining position or, alternatively, to form a well in which an infant may be held in an upright or sitting position. The pillow is provided with a pocket on an underside thereof into which the T-shaped fabric belt can be tucked away when not in use.
2. The Prior Art
There are a number of patents that show or relate to infant support pillows. Some support pillows are designed particularly for infants, and some can accommodate adults or older children in addition to infants. It is believed to be novel to provide an infant support pillow with an attached body wrap comprising a T-shaped belt having a longitudinally extending fabric leg attaching at a first end to the support pillow and attaching at a second end to transversely extending straps to secure an infant within the central circular opening of the support pillow. A preliminary patentability search was conducted on this invention and the following listed references were uncovered in the search:
The above patents are not considered to be particularly pertinent to the present invention. Tandrup U.S. Pat. No. 5,826,287 shows an infant support cushion with crotch and waist encircling Velcro closures. However, the Tandrup patent comprises a modular system consisting of a plurality of connectable cushions designed for use in combination with a seat.
Bowman U.S. Pat. No. 5,439,008 shows an infant support cushion with a diaper-type Velcro restraint. However, the Bowman patent comprises a number of detachable pieces which can be used in various combinations by attachment to a wedge-shaped support member provided with Velcro strips to support an infant in a reclining position.
Alexander, et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,871,210 shows a booster seat with a harness apparatus attachable thereon to secure a young child in a chair.
Leach U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,109 shows a harness apparatus for securing a young child in a chair.
Witter, et al., Design U.S. Pat. No. 313,141 shows a tooth pillow having a centrally located pocket into which a child""s tooth can be deposited in anticipation of a visit from the xe2x80x9cTooth Fairy.xe2x80x9d The pillow has a U-shape which appears to mimic the shape of a molar.
Knecht U.S. Pat. No. 2,404,505 shows an upright cushion pad having a flexible crotch band and elongated tapes which meet and can be tied at the back portion of the upright cushion pad.
The present invention comprises an infant support pillow having interconnected curved arms terminating in rounded ends which are spaced apart from each other to form generally a horse-shoe shaped member. The support pillow has an inner curved opening into the center of which an infant may be placed in an upright or semi-upright position. The support pillow is provided with a fabric body wrap comprising a T-shaped belt which attaches at a first end to a central location within the curved opening in the support pillow and which attaches at a second end to transversely extending straps. The ends of the transversely extending straps are provided with one half of a hook and loop fastener, and the underside of the arms of the support pillow are provided with one half of a loop fastener which corresponds to the hook and loop fastener located on the straps. The fabric leg of the body wrap is provided with two pairs of adhesive strips of hook and loop fastener attached longitudinally along the fabric leg, which upper and lower pairs of hook and loop fastener respectively correspond to one another to permit the fabric leg to be shortened in length by folding the fabric leg onto itself such that the hook and loop fasteners come into contact in a number of variable positions to accommodate a premature infant and to permit lengthening of the fabric leg as the infant grows. When the body wrap is employed, the fabric leg can pass between the legs of an infant and the transversely extending straps of the body wrap can pass across the chest and beneath the arms of an infant and continue across the arms of the support pillow, attaching at an underside thereof in a number of variable positions. The arms of the support pillow are adjustable inwardly and outwardly in relation to the inner circular opening of the support pillow, whereby the diameter of the inner circular opening may be increased or decreased to fit snugly against the body of an infant, to elevate the infant in a reclining position, or to form a well into which the body of the infant may be placed in an upright or sitting position. When the transversely extending straps pass across the arms of the support pillow and attach at an underside thereof, the arms of the support pillow are secured in the desired position. The outer curved periphery of the support pillow is provided with peripheral recessed portions over which the transversely extending straps pass and are secured at an underside of the arms of the support pillow. These recessed portions permit the straps to be held securely in place and prevent slipping of the straps along the curved arms of the support pillow. The support pillow is further provided with a pocket located centrally along the inner curved boundary thereof into which the fabric body wrap can be folded and hidden from view when the fabric body wrap is not in use.


A radio base station according to the present invention includes a common control information acquisition unit 11 to acquire common control information broadcast by a first neighboring radio base station; a neighboring radio base station information acquisition unit 12 to acquire radio base station information held by a second neighboring radio base station via a wired network; and a communication parameter determination unit 13 to determine a communication parameter to be used based on a first communication parameter, a second communication parameter, and a third communication parameter, the first communication parameter included in the acquired common control information and used by the first neighboring radio base station, the second communication parameter included in the acquired common control information and used by a radio base station neighboring the first neighboring radio base station, the third communication parameter included in the acquired radio base station information and used by the second neighboring radio base station.

A mobile communication system needs to be designed in such a way that communication parameters (e.g., such as a spread code, frequency, time slot, neighboring cell list, and transmission power) do not overlap between macro-cell radio base stations, of which their respective macro cells adjacent to each other.
To achieve this, a mobile telecommunications carrier has estimated an area that radio waves from each macro-cell radio base station can reach by conducting a simulation taking into consideration an installation location and a configuration (antenna configuration) of each of the radio base stations, thereby setting communication parameters in each macro-cell radio base station.
When installing a new macro-cell radio base station for the increase in traffic thereafter, the mobile telecommunications carrier needs to set again the communication parameters in each macro-cell radio base station.
Such a method for setting the communication parameters is based on the result of the estimation of the area that the radio waves of each macro-cell radio base station can reach by the simulation. For this reason, when errors actually occur in the result of the estimation of the area that the radio waves of each macro-cell radio base station can reach, the communication parameters sometimes overlap between the radio base stations under which respective macro cells adjacent to each other, and that will bring interference.
In recent years, studies have been made for operational methods of a so-called femto-cell radio base station (Home eNB) which is a radio base station installed in a small area such as a home.
The number of the femto-cell radio base stations to be installed is expected to increase much more than the number of the macro-cell radio base stations installed. The increase of the femto-cell radio base stations leads to an increase in workload required for the method for setting the communication parameters.
As a method for reducing the workload required for the method for setting the communication parameters, there has been proposed a method as follows. In the method, a radio base station in a W-CDMA mobile communication system receives and demodulates a downlink radio signal transmitted by a neighboring radio base station, thereby determining a downlink scrambling code already used by the neighboring radio base station. Then, a downlink scrambling code to be used by the radio base station is automatically determined based on the result of the determination.

Radio base station and mobile communication method for determining a communication parameter


Apparatus for dispensing a cut tape comprising, structure for receiving a cut tape, structure for feeding the cut tape from the receiving structure, the feeding structure including a solenoid operable for causing the feeding structure to feed the cut tape; and structure for controlling the feeding structure, the controlling structure including a microprocessor, the solenoid electrically connected to the microprocessor, the controlling structure including a switch electrically connected to the microprocessor, and the microprocessor programmed for causing the solenoid to operate in response to actuation of the switch.

This invention is generally concerned with cut tape dispensing apparatus of the type which is used in a mailing machine, and more particularly with cut tape dispensing apparatus in a mailing machine base which includes structure for operating the tape dispensing apparatus.
As shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,315 for a Mailing Machine Cut Tape Module, issued Jan. 8, 1985 to Clinton E. Hooper and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, it is known in the art to provide a tape feeding module which includes a frame, and includes a receptacle which is slidably connected to the frame for movement relative thereto against the force exerted by a spring. The receptacle is dimensioned for storing a stack of cut tapes, and includes a rack gear which is movable therewith. The module additionally includes a pinion gear which is disposed in meshing engagement with the receptacle's rack gear and is affixed to a shaft journaled to the frame. Moreover, the module includes a roller which is mounted on the shaft and is disposed in tape feeding engagement with the stack. As thus constructed and arranged, the receptacle and thus the rack gear is manually movable, against the force exerted by the spring, for rotating the pinion gear, and thus the roller to feed cut tapes one at a time from the stack.
Customer feedback concerning the manual operating characteristics of cut tape feeding structures, of the type disclosed in the above U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,315, has established that such structures are perceived to be inconvenient and awkward to operate, due to the need to manually move mechanical components against a force exerted by a spring.
Accordingly:
an object of the invention is to provide a mailing machine including improved cut tape dispensing apparatus; and
another object is to provide a mailing machine base including cut tape dispensing apparatus and structure for operation thereof.

Mailing machine cut tape dispensing apparatus


The cut-off frequency of a transistor drops remarkably when the collector-emitter voltage of the transistor is driven into the quasi-saturation region of about 1 V. To prevent this problem, the collector-emitter voltage of the transistor is detected and compared with a predetermined reference voltage by comparison-limiting means. The comparison-limiting means limits the base current of the transistor and thus restricts the drop in the collector-emitter voltage. Limiting the voltage drop in this manner prevents the transistor from being driven into the quasi-saturation region. The reference voltage is set to the p-n junction voltage in the forward direction. Hence, the drop in the collector-emitter voltage is limited to a value near this reference voltage.

This invention relates to a transistor circuit for obtaining a large amplitude voltage signal from a transistor circuit such as the collector of the transistor.
A large amplitude A-class amplifying circuit is used in an operational amplifying circuit or in a low frequency power amplifying circuit or the like as a circuit for driving a push-pull output stage. In this circuit, driving transistors are caused to operate in the saturation region at the time of maximum voltage output or minimum voltage output.
The inventor has found that when the amplifying transistors operate in the saturation region or in the quasi-saturation region in this manner, the following problem occurs.
When an amplifying transistor operates in the saturation region (i.e., the operation region in which the collector-emitter voltage V.sub.CE is about 0.25-0.4 V), the output voltage-vs.-distortion ratio characteristic becomes a so-called "hard-clip" characteristic and comes to contain higher harmonics of especially high values. Hence, the output distortion increases and has an adverse effect on the tone quality in an audio amplifier.
On the other hand, the amplifying transistor operates in the quasi-saturation region (i.e., the operation region in which the collector-emitter voltage is about 1 V) before it reaches the saturation region. In the operation of the transistor in this quasi-saturation region, the cut-off frequency f.sub.T markedly lowers as shown in FIG. 5 whereby the phase shift of the transistor becomes great and, consequently, causes an increase in the instability of the nagative feed-back action in the negative feed-back circuit.
When, for example, a driving transistor in a large amplitude A-class transistor amplifying circuit for driving two push-pull output transistors acting between two power source voltage +V and -V, is driven into its quasi-saturation region, the push-pull output V.sub.OUT drops to a point immediately above the power source voltage -V. In this instance, the push-pull output V.sub.OUT is caused to exhibit a local oscillation wave form V.sub.OCS such as shown in FIG. 4 due to a large phase shift in the negative feed-back circuit resulting from a remarkable lowering in the cut-off frequency f.sub.T.

Transistor amplifying circuit for preventing the operation of an amplifying transistor in the quasi-saturation region


A method for determining an interconnect delay at a node in an interconnect having a plurality of nodes. The method includes performing a bottom-up tree traversal to compute the first three admittance moments for each of the nodes in the interconnect. The computed admittance moments are utilized, in an advantageous embodiment, to compute a pi-model of the downstream load. Next, the equivalent effective capacitance value Ceff is computed utilizing the components of the computed pi-model and the Elmore delay at the node under evaluation. In an advantageous embodiment, Ceff is characterized by:Ceff=Cfj(1−e−T/τdj)where Cfj is the far-end capacitance of the pi-model at the node, T is the Elmore delay at the node and τdj is the resistance of the pi-model (Rdj) multiplied by Cfj. The interconnect delay at the node is then determined utilizing an effective capacitance metric (ECM) delay model.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to semiconductor design automation systems, more particularly to the simulation of integrated circuit designs of such systems, and more particularly to the accurate determination of net (wiring) performance for such integrated circuit designs.
2. Description of the Related Art
Development of a working integrated circuit chip is a process that involves creating a design specification, creating the logical design of the chip (typically in schematic form), validating the design, re-designing as necessary, fabricating the chip and testing the chip. Costs tend to be "end-loaded," i.e., greater towards the end of the process than towards the beginning. The earlier in this process that a design error is detected, the earlier it can be corrected, saving a great deal of cost over a late-detected error. As a result, increasingly sophisticated steps are being taken to validate the design of a new chip, as early in the design process as possible.
Design validation requires thorough examination of the integrated circuit design and expected functional characteristics, taking into account a number of different factors, such as logical correctness of the design, timing factors (including net delay performance, effects of parasitic capacitances, etc.). Among these factors, net performance (specifically, net delay) is one of the most important. Many timing-related problems have been discovered in chips whose designs appear to be "logically" correct, at least on paper. This is because it is difficult for the designer to anticipate such delay contributors as wiring delays, i.e., net delays and the cumulative effects of distributed resistances and capacitances on the chips, especially from a post-layout point of view. The accuracy of delay determination affects not only the chip performance, but whether a chip meets its original design specification.
Virtually all integrated circuit designers today use semiconductor design automation systems which facilitate the capture, simulation, layout, and verification of integrated circuit designs. With the advance of semiconductor process technology, integrated circuits are becoming increasingly fast, and the once relatively small delays caused by interconnections, i.e., wiring, on a chip are becoming a more dominant factor in integrated circuit performance. As a result, the ability to accurately model and calculate wiring delays is becoming a crucial requirement for any semiconductor design automation system. These wiring delays, i.e., the time required for a critical threshold voltage at a receiving node to be crossed after the application of a driving signal at a driving node, are known as "net delays."
One of the by-products of an integrated circuit design on a semiconductor design automation system is a "net-list" which contains a complete description of all of the devices, e.g., transistors, resistors, etc., required and how they are connected. The connections are described in the form of "nets" (short for "networks") or descriptions of the point-to-point wiring connections between components. A single net may connect to many components. Any chip design will have a great number of nets. The net-list includes a list of net interconnections, thus the name "net-list".
From any driving point to any receiving point on a net, there is an associated delay. This time is due to a complicated combination of parasitic capacitances, wiring resistances, wire lengths, etc. Some nets have multiple drivers, e.g., a number of open-drain or tri-state drivers, or loops, e.g., clock rings, making their (accurate) analysis particularly complicated. The delay for a net is determined by modeling the net and analyzing the delay according to the model. One of the most serious problems in delay calculation (determination) is that accurate models tend to complicate delay calculations, resulting in expensive delays in the design cycle while computation-intensive net delays are being calculated. As a result, most prior-art net delay calculation techniques compromise on the accuracy (faithfulness to reality) of the model of the net in order to decrease the amount of calculation time required. Unfortunately, in doing so most such techniques sacrifice enough accuracy that the results of delay calculation are only very rough approximations of actual chip performance. As a result, many chips, particularly those with complicated timing relationships between signals, have subtle timing-related problems when they are built. The designs of such chips must then be altered, re-simulated, etc., and a new chip must be fabricated. This process is extremely costly.
Despite it being more than fifty (50) years old, the Elmore delay metric is widely employed in conventional Physical design tools. The popularity of the Elmore delay model is not surprising considering that it is, firstly, a fairly accurate measure of the true delay at far-end nodes, i.e., nodes far from the driving source. Secondly, it is expressible as a closed-from expression involving only the resistors and capacitors of the circuit under evaluation. Thirdly, it is a provable upper bound on the true delay for all inputs and finally, it is additive, i.e., the delay from node A to node C of a path passing through node B is the sum of delays from nodes A to B and from nodes B to C. Additivity offers the advantage of decoupling optimization problems into sub-problems, allowing optimal algorithms, e.g., for buffer insertion and wiresizing. However, the only attribute (and arguably the most important) that the Elmore delay lacks is consistent accuracy at all nodes. The Elmore delay can be inaccurate by orders of magnitude, especially for near-end, i.e., nodes close to the driving source.
Consequently, several other delay metrics based on higher-order moments have been proposed, see e.g., A B. Kahng and S. Muddu, "Two-pole Analysis of Interconnection trees," Proceeding IEEE Multi-Chip Module Conference, Santa Cruz, February 1995, pp. 105–110 and A. B. Kahng and S. Muddu, "A General Methodology for Responses and Delay Computations in VLSI Interconnects," UCLA CS Dept. TR-940015, 1994. While these approaches are typically more accurate than Elmore and simpler than truly actuate methods, see e.g., L. T. Pillage and R. A. Rohrer, "Asymptotic Waveform Evaluation for Timing Analysis," IEEE TCAD, 9(4), 352–366, 1990, some of the simplicity of the Elmore delay is lost. All of these metrics use multiple moments of the transfer function, which makes them non-additive.
Accordingly, what is needed in the art is an improved signal delay metric that mitigates the above-discussed limitations in the prior art.

Method and system for determining an interconnect delay utilizing an effective capacitance metric (ECM) signal delay model

International Business Machines Corporation


A golf scorecard for keeping score of the game of golf and automatically totalling a player's score without the need of a writing instrument. The scorecard has one or more series of consecutive numbers printed thereon along a predetermined pattern. Each of the numbers is concealed by formation made of a coating of opaque material adherable to the scorecard and capable of being removed by scraping a rubbing same to reveal the number thereunder. When in use, a user scrappes only those formations indicative a score made on each consecutive hole of a game of golf by adding consecutive formations from the last scraped formation until it totals his score on every hole. The numbers identified under the formations that are scraped reveal his cumulative total score at each consecutive hole of the game of golf. In particular, the scorecard is for use with a miniature golf putting course.

In the game of golf, it is necessary to keep one score on a scorecard and the score of every hole of golf is written on the card. The cards provide for the keeping of scores for different players. This is usually done by the use of a written instrument, such as a pen or pencil, and a linear grid is provided such that the score of each of the four players can be written down in side-by-side relationship, at every hole of golf.
For the miniature golf putting game, a similar card is utilized together with a writing instrument to keep score, the difference being that the rating of the scores per hole is lower than the real game of golf and it usually does not exceed 3 for every hole up to 18 holes.
A disadvantage of these conventional scorecards is that if one does not possess a writing instrument or losses or breaks the lead of a writing instrument, then he can no longer keep written scores and each player must memorize the score for every hole. This is difficult when there are four players playing together. Also, when writing instruments are used with scorecard at miniature golf putting courses, often these instruments are utilized to write graffiti on the walls of the golf putting layout or are used to cause other damage to the miniature putting golf course. Furthermore, these cards are often lost, particularly with the miniature putting game as there is no means to attach the card and it usually carried in one's pocket.
Another disadvantage of the conventional golf scorecard is that, at any time during the game of golf, if a player needs to know is actual score during the game, it is necessary for him to total previous holes played to obtain is actual total. If he wishes to compare it with his opponents, he must also total their scores. This is time consuming and errors can be made in the addition of these scores.

Golf scorecard with automatic totaling system


There is provided a radiation curable ink jet composition including: a monomer A that has one of a (meth)acryloyloxy group and a (meth)acryloyl group and has a cyclic structure containing one or more nitrogen atoms and one or more oxygen atoms in addition to the (meth)acryloyloxy group and the (meth)acryloyl group; and a monofunctional monomer B other than the monomer A; in which the content of the monomer A is equal to or less than 25% by mass with respect to the total mass of the composition, and in which mol average Tg of the monomer A and the monofunctional monomer B is equal to or greater than 45° C.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a radiation curable ink jet composition and an ink jet recording method using the composition.
2. Related Art
In recent years, a radiation curable ink jet composition that is cured by being irradiated with radiation has been used in an ink jet recording method for the purpose of forming an image with high waterproofness, high solvent resistance, high scratch resistance, and the like on a surface of a recording medium. Typically, the radiation curable ink jet composition is configured of a polymerizable compound such as a monofunctional monomer or a polyfunctional monomer and an organic material such as a photopolymerization initiator. Therefore, one of important issues of the radiation curable ink jet composition is to reduce odor of printed, cured, and dried image.
For example, JP-A-2007-321034 discloses an ultraviolet curable process color jet ink that exhibits an excellent curing property and excellent adhesiveness to the recording medium and generates less odor from the printed image by a combination of various photopolymerization initiators with low volatility that generate less odor from the printed image after curing and drying.
JP-A-2015-14009 discloses an ink jet ink that generates less odor in a printing stage and during use by an end user without degrading flexibility by containing at least 50% by weight of trimethylolpropane formal acrylate (CTFA) such that the content of high Tg monomer is less than 5% by weight.
However, the ultraviolet curable process color jet ink disclosed in JP-A-2007-321034 cannot reduce odor of the ink itself though it is possible to reduce the odor of the printed image. Therefore, there is a concern of unpleasant odor filled during printing and health hazard of an operator or the like. In contrast, the ink jet ink disclosed in JP-A-2015-14009 cannot secure coating film hardness due to insufficient glass transition temperature (Tg) and cannot secure a sufficiently low odor property of the printed image due to appearance of an unreacted monomer or a decomposition product of the initiator from the surface of the coating film.

Radiation curable ink jet composition and ink jet recording method


A bus system for carrying out data transfer between one bus master and a plurality of bus slaves. The bus system includes plural directional couplers which are formed by arranging respective parts of lines drawn from the bus slaves, without being in contact with, in the neighborhood of, and in parallel with a line drawn from the bus master. The line drawn from the bus master to a terminating resistance is wired to be folded. The directional couplers are further formed by arranging parts of the lines drawn from the bus slaves alternatively with respect to a first line part of the line drawn from the bus master ranging from the bus master to a fold of the line drawn from the bus master and with respect to a second line part of the line drawn from the bus master ranging from the fold to the terminating resistance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of signal transmission between devices such as multiple processors and memories (for example, between digital circuits constructed by CMOSs or between their functional blocks) in an information processing apparatus, and in particular to a technique for speeding up bus transmission which a plurality of elements are connected to a same transmission line for transferring data. In particular, the present invention relates to a bus to which a plurality of memory modules and a memory controller are connected and to a system using that bus.
2. Description of Related Art
As a bus system that is connected with many nodes and intended for high-speed data transfer, is mentioned a non-contact bus line of Japanese Unexamined Patent Laid-Open No. 7-141079 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,402). FIG. 5 shows the basic system of the conventional technique. In this technique, data transfer between two nodes is realized by utilizing crosstalk, i.e., using a directional coupler. Namely, FIG. 5 shows a technique in which transfer between a bus master 10-1 and slaves 10-2–10-8 is carried out utilizing crosstalk between two lines, i.e., between the line 1-1 and a line 1-2–1-8. The technique of FIG. 5 is suitable for transfer between the bus master 10-1 and the slaves 10-2–10-8, or data transfer between a memory controller and memories.
However, in the conventional technique of 7-141079 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,638,402), the line length occupied by a directional coupler decides module intervals. Accordingly, in order to shorten the module intervals, it is necessary to shorten the line length of the directional coupler. However, shorter line length becomes a cause of reducing the transmission efficiency, i.e., degree of coupling, and thus, it is impossible to make each interval less than certain length. Thus, a first problem is to realize high-density mounting of memories by making intervals between memory modules smaller.
A second problem is that, as transmission speed becomes higher in high-speed data transmission, waveform distortion increases owing to frequency-dependent effects such as the skin effect. This appears as a phenomenon that pulse waveform becomes dull at its rising and falling shoulders, and owing to this influence, appears as an increase of skew when a receiver takes in the pulse waveform. Namely, since the shoulders of the pulse waveform inputted into the receiver become dull, time when a signal exceeds or falls short of the receiver's reference voltage (Vref) increases. As a result, receiver's take-in time increases, causing the increase of the skew.
The reason why the skin effect makes the shoulders of the pulse dull is described as follows.
A high-speed pulse has a high-frequency component depending on the reciprocal of its transition (rise or fall) time. For example, the frequency bank (fknee) of a pulse having the transition time Tr can be written by the following equation:fknee=0.35/Tr  (1)
Accordingly, when it is assumed that a pulse of 1 Gbps is transmitted and 30% of it is the transition time, then, fknee=0.35/(0.3 [ns])˜1 GHz. In this case, resistance increase owing to the skin effect is calculated as follows.
The volume resistivity ρ of copper at 20 [° C.] is 1.72*10^−8 [Ω·m]. In the case of a standard line (linewidth 0.1 [mm] and line thickness 0.030 [mm]) in a board, DC resistance becomes 5.7 [mΩ/mm]. Here, "^" expresses the power. Further, resistance per unit length owing to the skin effect is:r=2.6×10^−6√{square root over (f)}[Ω/mm]  (2)and, at 1 GHz, it becomes:r=82[mΩ/mm].Thus, in comparison with the DC resistance 6 [mΩ/mm], the resistance in the transmission time increases 13 times. Namely, the high resistance appears only at the transition time, and this leads to the dull wave waveform. This is because a resistance component becomes larger as the frequency becomes higher, thus having larger effects at rising and falling times. As a technique for overcoming this, a driver can be used to make the pulse waveform steeper at the transition (rise and fall) times. For example, an article, "Limits of Electrical Signaling (Transmitter Equalization)"; IEEE HOT interconnect V (1997, 9/21–23), pp. 48 describes an equalizer system using DAC (Digital Analog Converter) of a driver (transmitter). This is realized in the driver by changing transition waveform steeply all the more when the quantity of dullness is larger. In the case of using this technique, the driver becomes complex and it is difficult to mount many devices on LSI.
As a third problem, a plurality of memories have different line lengths depending on their distances from a memory controller. This causes time differences in read and write data. Data arrival times are different depending on chip locations, and its correction makes system design very difficult. Thus, removal of these time differences is a problem.

Bus system, memory system, printed circuit board and directional coupler


A method for secure payment transactions over a network between a support help desk computing system and a customer computing system is provided. The method includes establishing a chat session between the help desk and the customer using a chat application program; receiving a purchase order from the customer; communicating a unique URL payment link to the customer, wherein the URL payment link is configured for allowing the customer to establish communication with an order processing system to provide sensitive payment information to the order processing system; receiving the sensitive payment information at the order processing system communicated from the customer; encrypting the sensitive payment information; providing the encrypted sensitive payment information to the help desk, wherein the encrypted sensitive payment information is displayed in a masked format on a display of the help desk; and completing the purchase order using the encrypted sensitive payment information.

End customers typically reach out to a customer support desk center to (a) address issues that they are facing with their products; (b) seek information on products that they have purchased; or (c) to purchase a service or product. Customers reach out to support desk centers through different support channels such as phone, e-mail or chat through a network. It is also likely that during the process of a customer interaction, a customer service representative or associate may be able to convince a customer to upsell a product or service. In those customer-associate interactions, where there is a need for the customer to purchase something, the resulting transactions are typically handled through credit card payments. Traditionally the customer would provide the credit card information to the associate verbally, who would then go ahead and complete the order on behalf of the customer. This introduces serious risk because of the exposure of sensitive credit card information to the associate. It is also likely that this information is captured as part of the voice quality recording during such transactions.
For example, if in need of assistance, a customer may reach a customer support desk center through online chat. Upon initiation of an online chat session, the customer support desk center may assign a chat associate to engage with the customer. During the chat dialogue, the associate discusses with customer the underlying issues and, ideally comes to an understanding of the issue or problem causing the need for the customer service chat. As the associate is becoming aware to the problem that the customer is facing or what the customer may require to alleviate the issue, the associate may find the need to sell a product or service plan to customer. Ideally, the product or service can be purchased through an online sale through billing the customer's credit card for the required product or service. Generally, to complete a sale, the associate will complete the order details of the product to be purchased and collects the credit card information from the customer through the established chat channel, wherein the customer provides the associate with the credit card information. The credit card information is then inputted by the associate and verified thereby completing the sales process and placing the order through customer support desk center's (or other third party's) order processing system.
While the above scenario has served customer support services in the past, there are, however, a number of shortcomings to this approach. First, communicating credit card information through chat is insecure and may be susceptible to malicious activity of identity thieves or other internet hackers. Secondly, the transaction processing is not automatic and it is time consuming for an associate as all credit card related information is exchanged serially over the chat channel (an individual chat stream is limited in the number of characters which may be typed into the chat window). In a more nefarious situation, an unscrupulous associate may intentionally misuse a customer's credit card details for personal gain. Alternatively, a customer's credit card information may get recorded through screen recording/capture where it can then be viewed by people other than associate.
As such, there is a need for a system and method that provides for secure online credit card transactions through a chat channel wherein a customer's credit card information is securely transmitted to an order processing system without the need for providing such credit card information to the customer support desk center's associate. Further, there is also a need for a method and system for protecting any other sensitive information communicated over a chat session, such as, but not limited to, a customer's social security number or bank account numbers. The present invention addresses these and other needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

System and method for secure payment transactions during a chat session


An apparatus for mounting antennas is disclosed herein. The apparatus includes an enclosure having at least three adjoining side walls defining an interior space. Each of the walls includes an exterior surface and means on the exterior surfaces for mounting a plurality of antennas to the walls. The enclosure defines at least one opening to allow access to said interior space. The antennas may thus be mounted to the enclosure to be pointed in at least three opposing directions approximately 120 degrees apart, while the interior space and exterior walls of the enclosure provides a convenient and substantially weatherproof area to store support equipment for operation of the antennas.

This invention relates to directional antennas and radio communications, and more particularly to an apparatus for mounting directional antennas.
Wireless telecommunications systems utilize radio signals to exchange information between fixed-wire base stations and free-standing mobile stations. In cellular communications applications, for example, each base station transmits from an antenna over a fixed-area range called a "cell." In order to provide service to mobile telephones over a large geographic area, many cells are positioned over the area to provide complete coverage.
In typical cellular configurations, base station antennas create large, hexagonal or circular-shaped macrocells with the main antennas located at the center of the cell. The transmissions from the base station ideally propagate outward 360 degrees from the antennas. These cells are often referred to as "omni-directional." These omni-directional cells require the base station antennas to be mounted in an array that allows them to be pointed in a plurality of directions to provide 360 degrees of coverage. In order to provide this wide range of unobstructed coverage, the antennas must be mounted in a clear area, often located high above the ground on antenna towers.
In most cellular applications in densely occupied urban areas, the cellular antennas are mounted more closely to street level on towers projecting from the rooftops of buildings. These towers have proven to be unsightly, especially where the towers mount several antennas and their associated circuitry, cabling and other necessary equipment within the plain view of persons on the ground. The unsightliness of these structures can result in the unwillingness of building owners to allow necessary cellular antennas to be installed on their buildings.
Therefore, there is a need for an improved apparatus for mounting directional antennas and related equipment in a fashion that allows omni-directional propagation while maintaining a pleasant appearance.


A current-perpendicular-to-the plane magnetoresistive sensor with a self-pinned in-stack longitudinal bias structure is provided comprising a ferromagnetic bias layer formed of material having a negative magnetostriction coefficient and a spacer layer for antiparallel coupling to a free layer. The negative magnetostriction of the bias layer interacts with the lapping-induced stress anisotropy of the sensor stack to provide strong pinning of the magnetization of the bias layer in a direction parallel to the ABS and antiparallel to the direction of the magnetization of the free layer. Magnetostatic coupling of the bias layer magnetization with the free layer provides a longitudinal bias field to stabilize the free layer magnetization.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates in general to magnetoresistive sensors for reading information signals from a magnetic medium and, in particular to a magnetoresistive read head with a self-pinned in-stack pinned bias structure for free layer domain control.
2. Description of Related Art
Computers often include auxiliary memory storage devices having media on which data can be written and from which data can be read for later use. A direct access storage device (disk drive) incorporating rotating magnetic disks is commonly used for storing data in magnetic form on the disk surfaces. Data is recorded on concentric, radially spaced tracks on the disk surfaces. Magnetic heads including read sensors are then used to read data from the tracks on the disk surfaces.
In high capacity disk drives, magnetoresistive (MR) read sensors, commonly referred to as MR sensors, are the prevailing read sensors because of their capability to read data from a surface of a disk at greater track and linear densities than thin film inductive heads. An MR sensor detects a magnetic field through the change in the resistance of its MR sensing layer (also referred to as an "MR element") as a function of the strength and direction of the magnetic flux being sensed by the MR layer.
The conventional MR sensor operates on the basis of the anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) effect in which an MR element resistance varies as the square of the cosine of the angle between the magnetization in the MR element and the direction of sense current flowing through the MR element. Recorded data can be read from a magnetic medium because the external magnetic field from the recorded magnetic medium (the signal field) causes a change in the direction of magnetization in the MR element, which in turn causes a change in resistance in the MR element and a corresponding change in the sensed current or voltage.
Another type of MR sensor is the giant magnetoresistance (GMR) sensor manifesting the GMR effect. In GMR sensors, the resistance of the MR sensing layer varies as a function of the spin-dependent transmission of the conduction electrons between magnetic layers separated by a nonmagnetic layer (spacer) and the accompanying spin-dependent scattering which takes place at the interface of the magnetic and nonmagnetic layers and within the magnetic layers.
GMR sensors using only two layers of ferromagnetic material (e.g., Ni—Fe) separated by a layer of nonmagnetic material (e.g., copper) are generally referred to as spin valve (SV) sensors manifesting the SV effect.
FIG. 1 shows an SV sensor 100 comprising end regions 104 and 106 separated by a central region 102. A first ferromagnetic layer, referred to as a pinned layer 120, has its magnetization typically fixed (pinned) by exchange coupling with an antiferromagnetic (AFM) layer 125. The magnetization of a second ferromagnetic layer, referred to as a free layer 110, is not fixed and is free to rotate in response to the magnetic field from the recorded magnetic medium (the signal field). The free layer 110 is separated from the pinned layer 120 by a nonmagnetic, electrically conducting spacer layer 115. Hard bias layers 130 and 135 formed in the end regions 104 and 106, respectively, provide longitudinal bias for the free layer 110. Leads 140 and 145 formed on hard bias layers 130 and 135, respectively, provide electrical connections for sensing the resistance of SV sensor 100. In the SV sensor 100, because the sense current flow between the leads 140 and 145 is in the plane of the SV sensor layers, the sensor is known as a current-in-plane (CIP) SV sensor. IBM's U.S. Pat. No. 5,206,590 granted to Dieny et al. discloses a GMR sensor operating on the basis of the SV effect.
Another type of spin valve sensor is an antiparallel pinned (AP) spin valve sensor. The AP-pinned spin valve sensor differs from the simple spin valve sensor in that an AP-pinned structure has multiple thin film layers instead of a single pinned layer. The AP-pinned structure has an antiparallel coupling (APC) layer sandwiched between first and second ferromagnetic pinned layers. The first pinned layer has its magnetization oriented in a first direction by exchange coupling to the antiferromagnetic pinning layer. The second pinned layer is immediately adjacent to the free layer and is antiparallel exchange coupled with the first pinned layer because of the selected thickness (in the order of 8 (E) of the APC layer between the first and second pinned layers. Accordingly, the magnetization of the second pinned layer is oriented in a second direction that is antiparallel to the direction of the magnetization of the first pinned layer.
The AP-pinned structure is preferred over the single pinned layer because the magnetizations of the first and second pinned layers of the AP-pinned structure subtractively combine to provide a net magnetization that is less than the magnetization of the single pinned layer. The direction of the net magnetization is determined by the thicker of the first and second pinned layers. A reduced net magnetization equates to a reduced demagnetization field from the AP-pinned structure. Since the antiferromagnetic exchange coupling is inversely proportional to the net pinning magnetization, this increases exchange coupling between the first pinned layer and the antiferromagnetic pinning layer. An AP-pinned spin valve sensor is described in commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,465,185 to Heim and Parkin.
Another type of magnetic device currently under development is a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) device. The MTJ device has potential applications as a memory cell and as a magnetic field sensor. The MTJ device comprises two ferromagnetic layers separated by a thin, electrically insulating, tunnel barrier layer. The tunnel barrier layer is sufficiently thin that quantum-mechanical tunneling of charge carriers occurs between the ferromagnetic layers. The tunneling process is electron spin dependent, which means that the tunneling current across the junction depends on the spin-dependent electronic properties of the ferromagnetic materials and is a function of the relative orientation of the magnetic moments, or magnetization directions, of the two ferromagnetic layers. In the MTJ sensor, one ferromagnetic layer has its magnetic moment fixed, or pinned, and the other ferromagnetic layer has its magnetic moment free to rotate in response to an external magnetic field from the recording medium (the signal field). When an electric potential is applied between the two ferromagnetic layers, the sensor resistance is a function of the tunneling current across the insulating layer between the ferromagnetic layers. Since the tunneling current that flows perpendicularly through the tunnel barrier layer depends on the relative magnetization directions of the two ferromagnetic layers, recorded data can be read from a magnetic medium because the signal field causes a change of direction of magnetization of the free layer, which in turn causes a change in resistance of the MTJ sensor and a corresponding change in the sensed current or voltage. IBM's U.S. Pat. No. 5,650,958 granted to Gallagher et al describes a MTJ sensor operating on the basis of the magnetic tunnel junction effect.
Two types of current-perpendicular-to-plane (CPP) sensors have been extensively explored for magnetic recording at ultrahigh densities (>20 Gb/in2). One is a GMR spin valve sensor and the other is a MTJ sensor. When the CPP sensor is used, magnetic stabilization of the free (sense) layer using hard bias layers in the end regions to provide longitudinal bias can be difficult due to the need for insulating layers to avoid current shorting around the active region of the sensor. Therefore, there is a continuing need to improve the magnetic stabilization of CPP type magnetoresistive sensors to improve sensor stability.

Self-pinned in-stack bias structure for magnetoresistive read heads


Sealing element consisting of a body with at least one synthetic sealing lip provided to it. This synthetic sealing lip is pressed against the part that moves in relation to the part in which the body is provided. This pressure is realized with the aid of a spring. To spread the load in the spring evenly, the spring is made such that the moment of resistance against bending is substantially constant across the full extent of the spring.

Such a sealing element is generally known in prior art and is applied from very small to very large dimensions. Particularly for larger dimensions of, for example, an opening to be sealed, a comparatively large prestress of the lip against the part which can move relative to it is frequently required. Examples of this are lengths of pipeline which can move in relation to each other in high pressures lines. To guarantee such a high pressure of the lip against the moving part, various measures have been suggested in the prior art. One suggestion concerned bringing the lips under fluid pressure. Another suggestion comprised the installation of springs to press the lip against the related part. Particularly in cases of high pressure and for relatively small sealing elements, the problem exists of there not being enough space to insert a spring which can provide sufficient closing force.


A data determination apparatus of the present invention includes a state transition model storage unit to store a state transition model representing a state transition, a state management unit to hold an operating state of an own apparatus based on the state transition model, a communication permission list storage unit to store, as a communication permission list, communication permitted data whose communications are permitted in respective operating states, a communication unit to obtain communication determination data, and a determination unit to determine whether or not the communication determination data is communication permitted data whose communication has been permitted in a current operating state, using the current operating state and the communication permission list.

In recent years, the number of cases where an industrial control system is connected to a network has increased in the industrial control system, so that the number of cases where the system becomes a target of a cyber attack has increased. The following methods have been adopted in the industrial control system in order to detect intrusion into the network by the cyber attack.
A conventional intrusion detection system defines a communication where a pair of a transmission destination address and a transmission source address, a protocol, and so on are permitted, using that network communication in the industrial control system is static. Then, the intrusion detection system sets a communication other than the permitted communication to be abnormal, thereby taking a countermeasure of a white-list type to detect intrusion of an unknown attack as well (see Patent Documents 1 and 2).
There has also been proposed a method of defining a communication sequence to be permitted and managing a communication state of being unconnected, being under communication, being subject to an abnormality process or the like in each communication sequence (see Patent Literature 2).
There has also been proposed a method of defining an application whose communication is to be permitted, thereby detecting network intrusion by execution of an unauthorized program (see Patent Literature 3).

Data determination apparatus, data determination method, and computer readable medium


The invention relates to a rotary tool, in particular a drill (2), which extends along a longitudinal axis (4), having an end face (6); a center (12); at least two main cutting edges (8), each of which extends from the center (12) outwards towards a cutting corner (10); a flute (20) associated with each main cutting edge (8), a flank on the end face (18), associated with each main cutting edge (8); a rake angle (γ) between the respective main cutting edge (8) and the flute (20); a ground face (26) which forms a point thinning (30) in the area of the center (12), extends into a radially outer area and defines the rake angle (γ) in the area of the main cutting edge (8). The rotary tool is characterized in that the rake angle (γ) formed by the ground face (26) is constant along the main cutting edge (8), and the flank (18) of the other main cutting edge (8) is formed by the ground face (26). An advantageous, excellent cutting behavior is thereby achieved along the main cutting edge (8). The invention further relates to a method for manufacturing the rotary tool, which is then especially simple to produce.

EP1 748 859 B1 describes what is known as a spade bit in which two main cutting edges are connected in the region of a center via a chisel edge. The main cutting edges lie in a common horizontal end face plane. The main cutting edges also extend in a straight line. In the area of the center and the chisel edge, a point thinning is made in a separate grinding step, the ground face thereby being formed extending outward in a radial direction to a cutting corner and forming a face land which is oriented at a rake angle. Blind holes having a flat bore base can be reliably produced with a spade bit of this sort.
EP 1 230 058 B1 describes a drill bit with main cutting edges onto each of which joins a flank, the flanks respectively having two sub-regions that transition into one another homogeneously and edgelessly. A method for grinding the drill bit is also described in which the flank is formed as a curved surface in one sub-region. In operation, the load on the drill bit is less due to this embodiment with a shoulderless surface profile.

Rotary tool and method for manufacturing a rotary tool


There is disclosed herein a new form of print media product which provides enhanced realism through a three-dimensional effect. It includes a master sheet or card having a background picture, along with a picture of a person or an object printed or disposed on a substrate and which substrate is directly adhered to the surface of the card to provide a substantially continuous profile edge around the picture and which edge preferably is substantially perpendicular to the surface of the background picture. This arrangement enables a shadow to exist along this profile edge and to give an enhanced three-dimensional effect. In the case of a trading card, the reverse side preferably has detailed biographical information and detailed life sports statistics. In alternative embodiments, the profile item formed by the picture and its substrate can be removable from another object such as a magazine cover. In other embodiments, the profile can have an opening therein, or be in the form of a box or the like, to allow a material object to be inserted and removed therefrom. In each instance, the profile (picture and its substrate) is relatively thin and flexible to allow the object (e.g., trading card, post card, magazine cover, etc.) to be flexed without destroying or deteriorating the combination of the profile and underlying card or other object.

It is desirable in many instances to obtain some form of immediate visual impact. This can be readily obtained through television, video productions, motion pictures, and the like. Unfortunately these media are not susceptible of the many and diverse uses of print media such as portability, compactness and the like because they simulate reality through the use of motion pictures. However, products involving the print media have not been changed in any significant extent for years.
Enhanced realism has been tried through the use of colorful packages and covers such as those found on magazines and books, the use of holography on trading cards, and in other ways. Considering trading cards as an example, premium type cards have been developed in recent years which use high quality lithography. Some cards are printed on glossy cardboard stock with crisp color photographs of a player on the front and back. Other products, such as postcards, have included 3-D pictures, holograms and embossing to enhance the realism of the pictures.
There are many applications where there is a need for something to provide a sense of enhanced reality. High quality photography, 3-D photographs, and holography to some extent partially achieve this objective; however, many of the past attempts have been viewed only as novelties and have, in fact, reduced the realism of the scene. For example, a trading card display case manufactured by TRI Cards, has been promoted and includes cut portions of cards layered with bits of wood on top of a base card and off-set in an enclosure case made of plastic material to attempt to make the player appear to be moving. Scheyer, U.S. Pat. No. 3,868,283, discloses an attempt to provide a three-dimensional picture, not a trading card, in which portions of a photograph are spaced away from a background by a lightweight piece of spacial material. It is a relatively bulky item compared to the usual thin and flexible trading card, and only appears to be a novelty item due to the unnatural placement of the subject versus the background. The viewer can easily determine that the object is not realistic by viewing it from a different angle than 90.degree. and by seeing the edges.

Print media products with enhanced realism


A carrier structure for a planetary gear system has a pinion shaft rotatably supporting a pinion gear, a carrier body fixedly supporting the pinion shaft, needles disposed between an internal periphery of the pinion gear and an external periphery of the pinion shaft, a pinon washer disposed between each end face of the pinion gear and the carrier body and mounted on the pinion shaft for supporting thrust load of the pinion gear, and a support portion provided in the pinion washer for supporting the thrust load of the needles. The pinion washer has sliding surfaces mating with the pinion gear and the carrier body, to respectively. At least one of the sliding surfaces is provided with a plain bearing member. When the pinion gear is rotated, the thrust of the needles can be born by the support portion of the pinon washer. Also, when the pinion gear is rotated, the portion to slid about the support portion is the end face of the needle, the external peripheral surface of the pinion shaft and the internal peripheral surface of the pinion gear.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a carrier structure for a planetary gear system applicable for an automatic transmission of an automotive vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
A planetary gear system includes a sun gear as an external gear, a ring gear as an internal gear and pinion gears-meshing with the sun gear and the ring gear and rotatably supported on a carrier. When such a planetary gear system is employed in an automatic transmission, a predetermined transmission ratio is established by fixing one of the sun gear, the internal gear and the carrier, for example.
One example of the carrier structure of the planetary gear system is partially illustrated in FIG. 13. As shown, the carrier structure includes a pinion shaft 31 rotatably supporting a pinion gear 30, a carrier body 32 fixedly supporting the pinion shaft 31, needle bearings 33 interposed between the internal periphery of the pinion gear 30 and the external periphery of the pinion shaft 31. Between opposite end faces of the pinion gear 30 and the carrier body 32, a plain washer 34 and a locking washer 36 provided with a plain bearing member 35 on a sliding surface are interposed. A tip end of a locking portion 37 of the locking washer 36 is bent to engage with an engaging recess portion 38 formed in the carrier body 32.
Also, a conventional carrier structure of a planetary gear system has been disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 141483/1993. In the disclosed construction, the planetary gear system includes a pinon shaft rotatably supporting a pinion gear, a carrier body fixedly supporting the pinion shaft, needle bearings interposed between the inner periphery of the pinon gear and the external periphery of the pinion shaft and pinion washers disposed between opposite end faces of the pinion gear and the carrier body and fitted on the outer periphery of the pinion shaft to support the thrust load on the pinion gear. A flange extends from the inner peripheral edge of each of the pinion washers in the axial direction. The flange is inserted between the internal periphery of the pinion gear and the external periphery of the pinion shaft for bearing the thrust load of the needle bearing.
However, in the case of the carrier structure of the planetary gear system illustrated in FIG. 13, addition of the locking washer 36 should cause the locking washer 36 to slide at a rotation speed of the pinion gear 30 to make a pV (pressure.times.velocity) value greater. Therefore, it becomes necessary to add the plain washer 34 between the pinion gear 30 and the locking washer 36 so that sliding is caused between the pinion gear 30 and the plain washer 34 and between the plain washer 34 and the locking washer 36 to lower the pV value (particularly, average slip speed V). thus requires a greater amount of parts by addition of the plain washer and so forth to cause lowering assembling ability.
On the other hand, in the case of the carrier structure of the conventional planetary gear system as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 141483/1993, support for the thrust load of the pinion gear is born by the pinion washer. Therefore, heat generation amount is large thus degrading durability.

Carrier structure for planetary gear system


A process for producing a solid, intumescent, phosphorus-containing flame retardant for thermoplastic synthetic resins, comprises evaporating to dryness the reaction product of (a) 1 mole of phosphoric acid, phosphorous acid or polyphosphoric acid, (b) 0.5-2 moles of ethylene oxide or glycol, and (c) 0.2-1 mole of melamine, and tempering the thus-obtained solid at 100.degree.-250.degree. C. The product so obtained can be added to such resins to render them flameproof without deleterious side effects such as discoloration.

The present invention relates to the manufacture and use of solid, intumescent, phosphorus-containing flame retardants.
Intumescent agents have a flame-retarding effect in that under more intense heat, for example, under the effect of a fire, they expand into a heat-insulating, low-flammability coke layer. Thus, they suppress, inter alia, the dripping of molten, possibly burning material.
Intumescent flame-retarding systems are known, especially for painting compositions and coatings. In certain individual cases, such systems are also utilized in thermoplastic polymers. In general, the intumescent mixture consists of the following components:
(a) a salt of phosphoric or polyphosphoric acid (for example, ammonium phosphate), PA0 (b) a polyhydroxy compound (e.g., pentaerythritol), PA0 (c) a nitrogen compound (e.g., melamine), and PA0 (d) optionally, a halogen compound (e.g., chloroparaffin).
(See, e.g., D. G. Brady, J. Fire Retard. Chem., 4 [1977] 3: 150.)
Intumescent coating compounds based on ammonium polyphosphate are disclosed, for example, in DOS's [German Unexamined Laid-Open Applications] Nos. 1,794,343 and 2,359,699. Because of their use of an inorganic polyphosphate, however, such compositions exhibit disadvantages when mixed with thermoplastics and lead to poor physical properties of the resultant synthetic resin. The flame-retardant mixtures for polypropylene proposed in DOS No. 2,800,891 likewise contain ammonium polyphosphate or aminophosphates and, thus, are burdened by the same deficiencies.
DOS No. 2,506,096 describes the treatment of cellulosic material with the reaction products of aqueous phosphoric acid and ethylene oxide. These are neutralized and applied to the cellulose in the dissolved condition. Such solutions, or also concentrated oily or viscous masses made therefrom, are unsuitable for thermoplastic processing. In particular, their water solubility constitutes a special disadvantage since the agent, in the presence of water, is removed to the greatest degree from the marginal layers wherein it is especially to be effective.
In contrast thereto, U.S. Pat. No. 4,010,137 describes flame-retardant compositions, for example, of polypropylene, which contain a mixture, prepared at an elevated temperature, of polyphosphoric acid, pentaerythritol and melamine. However, this flame retardant must be produced under considerable mechanical agitating power in the melt at temperatures of up to 250.degree. C. A further disadvantage is that the product must additionally be thermally degassed to be able to be incorporated into the synthetic resins using the customary processing temperatures without danger of foaming. In this treatment, the agent not only loses a substantial part of its actually desirable foamability, but also loses its white color and becomes yellowish to brown.
Therefore, there is still a need for an intumescent flame-retardant formulation for thermoplastic synthetic resins, such as polypropylene, distinguished by an easy method of manufacture, and by possession of the properties of being colorless, conveniently incorporable into polymeric compositions, compatible, and highly efficacious as a flame retardant, all at the same time.

Flame retardant thermoplastic synthetic resin


A turbine engine support including a pair of arms for use in an arrangement of an engine having an inner case, an outer case and an interim fairing, the engine support arms comprising integrally formed arms arranged to extend from the outer case to the inner case and to be connected to the cases by a first and second end region respectively, and with an intermediate region of the pair of arms arranged to extend through the fairing, the pair of arms having a common first region located in the region of the outer case with the arms diverging from each other towards the inner case, and a fastening arrangement connecting the outer case to the arms, the fastener arrangement accessible from a direction extending between the two arms towards the first end region.

The present invention relates to turbine engine support arm, a turbine engine support assembly and a method of forming a turbine engine support arm.
In jet engines it is essential that the integrity and stability of the turbine be maintained. FIG. 1 is a schematic view of an outer rear fan case 10, an intermediate core fairing 12 and a turbine inner case or intercase 14.
The outer case 10 and the core fairing 12 are often connected by upper and lower splitters 16 and 18. The splitters are elongate in the direction of intended air flow and have aerodynamically shaped ends to reduce the drag of the splitters. Vents 20 are provided in the core fairing 12.
Should a turbine blade become loose then it is essential that the engine be held in place despite its out of balance state.
To assist in maintaining the engine in place the intercase 14 is indirectly connected to the outer case 10 by aligned inner supports 22 with aligned outer supports 24 connecting the core fairing 12 to the fan case 10. Each support 22 and 24 make up a single arm that is pivotally connected at one end to the inner case 14.
The supports 22 and 24 are shown schematically in FIG. 1. They each comprise a titanium assembly made up of a number of different parts. When the engine is being assembled, the supports are connected between the intercase 14 and core fairing 12 and the core fairing 12 and the fan case 10. To assist in assembling the supports, the fairing is divided into at least four parts in a circumferential direction which can be assembled after the supports 22 and 24 are in position to surround the supports in the region of the fairing.
Each support 22 and 24 is complicated to fabricate because of the number of different parts that have to be assembled. In addition each support 22 and 24 must be connected together to form the arm. Then the arms have to be individually connected to the outer case and the inner case. Furthermore, the parts take time and require precision machining. In addition because of the many parts that have to be assembled the greater the risk that assembly is defective in some way and the greater the maintenance costs and the greater the risk of parts becoming loose during use.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,540,682, GB 2 188 987, WO 2005/012696, GB 712783, GB 728670 and DE 19852603 relate to turbine engines.


A read-only memory device includes a number of MIS transistors forming memory cells arranged in a matrix configuration to provide a NOR type memory device with high current driving capability for the memory cells. Bit lines and column lines are arrayed alternately in common in each cell column so as to be used in common by adjacent memory cells in the word line extending direction. The bit lines for reading out signals from the memory cells function as the sources or drains of the HIS transistors of the memory cells, whereas the column lines for supplying the constant voltage to the memory cells function as the drains or sources of the MIS transistors of the memory cells. For column selection, there is provided a first selection switch for selecting a group consisting of a plurality of bit lines and a plurality of column lines. A second selection switch and a third selection switch are provided for selecting the bit line and the column line of the group, respectively. Since the bit lines and the column lines may be used fixedly, the second and the third selection switches may be arranged with a layout allowance and, if these second and third selection switches are formed by MIS transistors similar to those of the memory cells, the direction in common with the memory cells may be the channel direction to contribute to improved circuit integration. The MIS transistor constituting the memory cell may be of such a construction in which the source and drain regions may be provided below the thick insulating film formed on the substrate surface, such as field oxide film. This results in more effective utilization of the area on the substrate to realize a higher degree of integration. The self-alignment process promotes the circuit integration more effectively.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a read-only memory device adapted for reading out data programmed in a memory cell and, more particularly, to a read-only memory device having NOR type memory cells.
2. Description of the Prior Art
With the read-only memory device (ROMs) adapted for storing a large amount of data and reading out the stored data when necessary, a demand for a higher degree of integration has been raised in keeping pace with propagation of OA equipment or electric computers.
As a typical structure for realizing such high integration, there is known a mask ROM having a NAND type cell circuit construction which has a so-called multi-gate structure provided with a gate electrode layer formed by two polysilicon layers, and a shallow groove or trench, as disclosed for example in "8M and 16M mask ROM Employing Shallow Trench" in a monthly magazine entitled "Semiconductor World", October, 1987, pages 33 to 38. On the other hand, there is known a mask ROM having a NOR type cell circuit construction which has its source-drain region constructed by a diffusion region, as disclosed for example in "16 Mb ROM Design Using Bank Select Architecture" in 1988 Symposium on VLSL circuits, Japan Association of Applied Physics, material, VL-7, pages 85 to 86.
FIG. 1 is a circuit diagram showing essential portions of the mask ROM having the NOR type memory cells. With this mask ROM, each of the memory cells 200 arranged in a matrix configuration and adapted to be selected by word lines W.sub.1 to W.sub.8 is constituted by each one MOS transistor, the source-drain region of which is formed by a diffusion region which proves to be common bit lines 205, 206 and 207 for each column. With this mask ROM, virtual grounding lines 201 and main bit lines 202 are formed alternately, with the direction normal to the extending direction of the word lines as the longitudinal direction. These virtual grounding lines 201 and the main bit lines 202 are wired with a shift of one bit line one so as to be connected to different columns for one and the other of memory cell blocks. Thus the same bit line may be connected to the virtual grounding line 201 or to the main bit line 202 by alternative selection or bank selection of selection transistors 203 and 204. For readout, a given column is selected by column selection transistor 208 and a word line is selected so that data may be read out by means of the main bit line 202 and sense amplifier 209 and transmitted to an output terminal.
In FIG. 2, which shows the layout of the mask ROM shown in FIG. 1, the region indicated by numerous dots indicates polysilicon layers which are arrayed parallel to one another with the X-direction as the longitudinal direction. The region sandwitched between a pair of contact holes 211, 211 in the Y-direction represents a memory block. A diffusion region 213 where the contact hole 211 is formed is roughly of a pattern the form of a letter H. Diffusion regions 205 to 207, . . . indicate bit lines functioning as the source-drain region. The channel of the transistor of each cell is formed in the lower portions of the word lines W.sub.1 to W.sub.8. Programming in performed by introducing impurities into the channel with the use of a mask pattern 212. Gate electrodes SO.sub.i , SO.sub.i+1 of a selection transistor 204 and gate electrodes SE.sub.i , SE.sub.i+1 of a selection transistor 203 used for bank selection are extended parallel to the word lines W.sub.1 to W.sub.8, and are arranged on both sides of the memory block.
With the above described NAND type cell, the memory driving capability is lowered when the number of serially connected transistors is increased with a view to achieving a higher degree of integration.
On the other hand, with the NOR type cell mask ROM, the following layout problems are raised.
The transistor channel of each cell is formed at the lower portion of the word lines W.sub.1 to W.sub.8, with the channel direction being the X-direction. However, with the selection transistors 203, 204 for bank selection, the channel region is formed between the bit lines 205 to 207, . . . and the substantially H-shaped diffusion region 213, despite the fact that the gate electrodes SE.sub.i, SE.sub.i-1, SO.sub.i and SO.sub.i+1 thereof run parallel to word lines W.sub.1 to W.sub.8. Thus the channel direction of these selection transistors is the Y-direction. Therefore, with the selection transistors 203, 204 for bank selection, the channel stop region need to be formed between the adjoining channels in the lower portions of the gate electrodes SE.sub.i, SE.sub.i-1, SO.sub.i and SO.sub.i+1. Thus, while it suffices in the memory cell region to perform channel stop ion implantation in alignment with word lines W.sub.1 to W.sub.8, it is necessary to perform ion implantation separately from that for the memory cell region. Since the channel stop region cannot be formed in alignment with the polysilicon layer, it is necessary to provide a margin to take account of mask deviation. The necessity for providing such a margin results in limitations on the memory block side region and consequent difficulties in improving the degree of integration of the memory device.


A timing recovery device in a digital television receiver using a VSB system is disclosed. In the present invention, the timing recovery device independently determines whether the detected hsync signal is reliable and operates if the detected hsync signal is reliable.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a digital television receiver and more particularly to a timing recovery device in a digital television receiver using a vestigial side band (VSB) system.
2. Discussion of Related Art
As the next generation of digital TV system, the High Definition Television (HDTV) has been continually developing to ultimately bring the theater right into the living room of a viewer. When compared with an existing analog TV, a digital TV not only has a higher resolution and a larger size in the horizontal direction, but produces a vivid sound comparable to a compact disc via a multi-channel. However, due to the many ways to transmit the data, a standardization of the digital TV (DTV) is still being settled among companies mainly in U.S.A, Europe and Japan.
In U.S.A., a VSB system proposed by Zenith has been adapted as a transmission format, a Motion Picture Expert Group (MPEG) has been adapted as a video compression format, a Dolby AC-3 has been adapted as an audio compression format, and an existing but compatible display method has been adapted as a display format. To transmit compressed image data under the above standards for a DTV, an error correction coding (ECC) is executed on the compressed image data. Particularly, a synchronizing signal is inserted between data at predetermined periods before transmission, thereby facilitating the recovery of the data at a receiving side.
The synchronizing signal is classified into two kinds, where one is a horizontal synchronizing (hsync) signal commonly called xe2x80x98a data segment synchronizing signalxe2x80x99, and the other is a vertical synchronizing (vsync) signal commonly called xe2x80x98a field synchronizing signalxe2x80x99. The hsync and vsync signals of the digital TV differ from the horizontal and vertical synchronizing signals of a National Television System Committee (NTSC) television.
FIG. 1 shows a transmission signal frame of the digital TV in a VSB system. As shown, one frame is comprised of two fields, where each field includes 313 data segments and where each data segment includes 832 symbols of 4 hsync signals and 828 data symbols. Because the hsync signal does not undergo the ECC process, each data segment includes 4 symbols of hsync signal and 828 symbols of ECC signal. Also, one of the 313 data segments in each field is a vsync segment containing a training sequence and the remaining 312 are general data segments.
Also, before transmission from a transmitting side such as a broadcasting station, the signal to be transmitted is passed through a mapper by which the signal is changed into desired power levels. For a terrestrial broadcasting type of 8 VSB, the output level of the mapper corresponds to one of 8-step symbol values (amplitude level) xe2x88x927, xe2x88x925, xe2x88x923, xe2x88x921, 1, 3, 5, 7. Moreover, according to a predetermined agreement, the mapper forcibly inserts the 4 symbols of the hsync signal for every 832 symbols and forcibly inserts the vsync signal in the position of every 313th data segments.
Furthermore, with two logic levels, a prescribed logic level of the hsync signal xe2x80x981, 0, 0, 1xe2x80x99 is continually repeated in every data segment. The output level of the mapper is xe2x80x985xe2x80x99 if the hsync signal is in a logic level of xe2x80x981xe2x80x99 and the output level of the mapper is xe2x80x98xe2x88x925xe2x80x99 if the hsync signal is in a logic level of xe2x80x980xe2x80x99. Namely, the hsync signal has only the two logic levels, which are continually repeated in every data segment.
FIG. 2 shows a receiving side such as a digital TV receiver in the related art. The receiving side receives a Radio Frequency (RF) signal modulated by a VSB mode through an antenna. A tuner 21 tunes the RF signal to select a frequency of a desired channel and converts the selected frequency into an Intermediate Frequency (IF). A Frequency Phase Locked Loop unit (FPLL) 22 demodulates the IF signal into base band signals I and Q, and locks both the frequencies and the phases. Specifically, the FPLL 22 is a circuit integrating a frequency tracking loop FLL and a phase locked loop (PLL). Thus, the FPLL unit 22 first locks a frequency and upon locking the frequency, locks a phase.
The Q signal is used for the recovery of a carrier in the FPLL 22 while an analog-to-digital (A/D) converter 23 converts the I signal from the FPLL 22 into a digital signal of fixed bits (for example 10 bits). Using the digital signal of fixed bits, the sync signal recovery unit 24 recovers the hsync signal and the field synchronizing signal inserted by the transmission side. The synchronizing signals are used in a timing recovery and an equalization.
Particularly, the synchronizing signals are output to an equalizer/ECC 26. The hsync signal and the field synchronizing signal may be interfered by linear distortion of amplitude and ghost resulting from signal reflections off of structures such as buildings and mountains. Accordingly, the equalizer/ECC 26 conducts an equalization utilizing the restored hsync signal and the field synchronizing signals as training signals to correct interferences to the data, and conducts ECC to correct any errors caused during the transmission through the transmission channel. A video decoder 27 then decodes the equalized and error corrected signal utilizing a Moving Picture Expert Group (MPEG) algorithm and the decoded signals are displayed to the viewers.
Moreover, data is transmitted according to an Advanced Television Systems Committee (ATSC) VSB transmission system proposed in a U.S. digital TV. At the receiving side, as shown in FIG. 2, a same clock as was used in the transmitting side should be generated to recover the transmitted data. This timing recovery is generated by implementing a timing recovery unit 25. Under the current proposed ATSC standard, the timing recovery is implemented by using the hsync signals inserted by the transmitting side.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a timing recovery device of a digital TV in the related art. As shown, the timing recovery unit 25 includes a timing error detector 31 which extracts the timing error information from the digital signal output by the A/D converter 23; a loop filter 32 which filters only a low frequency signal component of the timing error information; and a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 35 which converts an output frequency in accordance with the low frequency signal component of the timing error information to adjust the sampling timing of the A/D converter 23. In this case, the timing error detector 31 receives a control signal from the synchronizing recovery unit 24 to determine a section of the digital signal for performing a timing recovery. Particularly, FIG. 4 shows a block diagram of a hsync signal recovery unit 24 as disclosed in a co-pending application Ser. No. 09/131,387 entitled xe2x80x9cSignal Recovery System,xe2x80x9d which is fully incorporated herein.
As shown in FIG. 4, the signal recovery unit 24 includes a correlating detector 41 which determines a correlation relation of the digital signal output by the A/D converter 23 with a known hsync signal pattern, i.e. searches for successive groups of the four symbols of the hsync signal within the digital signal; an integrator 42 which adds the data output by the correlating detector 41 for a period of 832 symbols to distinguish the hsync signal section from the data section; a slicer 43 which compares the output value of the integrator 42 with a first predetermined threshold value and outputs a signal indicating the hsync signal section if the output value is over the first predetermined threshold value; and a confidence counter 44 which checks the reliability of the hsync signal section output by the slicer 43 and outputs the control signal indicating a recovery of the hsync signal and the recovered hsync signal if the checked reliability is above a second predetermined value.
Accordingly, the timing error detector 31 of the timing recovery unit 25 extracts the timing error information from the digital signal output by the A/D converter 31 and determines the section of the digital signal for operation, i.e. the hsync signal section, using the control signal from the sync signal recovery unit 24. Thus, upon a recovery of the hsync signal by the sync signal recovery unit 24, the timing error detector 31 initiates the detection of the timing error information within the detected hsync signal section.
The loop filter 32 then filters only the low frequency signal component of the timing error information extracted by the timing error detector 31 using the control signal, to thereby output the filtered signal to the VCO 35. The VCO 35 converts the output frequency in accordance with the low frequency signal component of the timing error information and adjusts the sampling timing, i.e. the A/D clock of the A/D converter 23. The A/D converter 23 is synchronized to the recovered A/D clock and converts the analog signal into the digital signal according to the A/D clock. Thus, the timing recovery unit 25 serves to recover the timing to be used as an A/D clock of the A/D converter 23 using the hsync signal detected by the sync signal recovery unit 24.
Generally, the sync signal recovery unit 24 may lose the once recovered hsync signal due to noise or because the received signal may not be fully synchronous to the A/D clock generated in the receiver. Because the timing recovered by the timing recovery unit 25 is used to adjust the A/D clock, the system would be more efficient if the timing recovery unit 25 stops operating when the hsync signal section is erroneously detected.
However, in the above system, the timing recovery unit 25 may continue to perform timing recovery, regardless of whether the hsync signal section is erroneously detected. For example, the reliability of a correctly recovered hsync signal may be stacked and have well passed the second predetermined value. As a result, even if the once recovered hsync signal is lost, thereby reducing the reliability of the confidence counter 44, the sync signal recovery unit 24 would continue to output the control signal indicating a recovery of the hsync signal until the reliability falls below the predetermined value. Accordingly, the timing recovery unit 25 would continue to perform timing recovery utilizing an erroneously recovered hsync signal.
Moreover, the hsync signal section may slip by, for example, 1 symbol when the received signal is not fully synchronous to the A/D clock generated by the timing recovery unit 25. In such case, the sync signal recovery unit 24 may also continue to output the control signal indicating a recovery of the hsync signal and the timing recovery unit 25 would perform timing recovery on the position where the hsync signal is slipped by 1 symbol, until the reliability falls below the predetermined value. Once the hsync signal is re-recovered, the timing recovery is re-initiated and performed from scratch without regard to the previously generated clock, even when the hsync signal section has been slipped by a few symbols.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to solve at least the problems and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an efficient timing recovery device in a digital TV to improve the performance of a digital TV receiver.
Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objects and advantages of the invention may be realized and attained as particularly pointed out in the appended claims.
To achieve the objects and in accordance with the purposes of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a timing recovery device in a digital TV includes a sync signal recovery unit which obtains a correlation value of an input signal with a known hsync signal, integrates the obtained value during a predetermined time, compares the integrated value with a predetermined threshold value, and outputs a control signal indicating a recovery of the hsync signal if the recovered hsync signal section has a minimum reliability; and a timing recovery unit controlled by the correlation value and the control signal from the hsync signal recovery unit to perform timing recovery.


An endoscope having at the tip of its inserting section a detecting device for detecting physical or chemical changes allows transmission of signals from the detecting device without requiring a dedicated signal line for this detecting device. For example, an electronic endoscope apparatus of the type which has an inserting section extending from an operating section, includes: a detecting device for detecting physical and chemical changes, such as a humidity sensor or a gas sensor, provided at a tip of the inserting section; a notifying device for notifying of the detection results of the detecting device by, for example, displaying them through a monitor; an image-sensing device, such as a CCD, for forming an image signal having a blanking period; and a signal line. A switching device transmits the signals from the detecting means time-sequentially with and during the blanking period of the signals from the image sensing means. With this construction, an increase in the diameter of the endoscope inserting section can be avoided in spite of the provision of the detecting device.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an endoscope apparatus having at the tip of its inserting section a detection means for detecting physical or chemical changes.
2. Description of Related Art
In place of the fiber-type endoscope, which transmits optical images through an optical fiber, an electronic endoscope utilizing a photoelectric-conversion-type image sensor is beginning to find its way into the market, due to its multifunctional character. However, the electronic components inside such an electronic endoscope, including the image sensor, are rather sensitive to environmental conditions, such as temperature, humidity and disinfectant gas, so that when placed under any severe condition for a long period of time, the electronic components may become irreparably damaged.
The flexible sheathing tube of an endoscope consists of a rubber tube having a bendable structure, so that it, particularly, is subject to generation of cracks or pinholes, through which water is likely enter. Also, when sterilizing the endoscope with a disinfectant gas, intrusion of gas may occur through these cracks or pinholes, resulting in the electronic components inside the electronic endoscope, in particular, the semiconductor devices, being damaged. Further, any cracks or pinholes may allow infectious, disease-causing organisms to get into the electronic endoscope during an operation; therefore, the endoscope cannot be sufficiently sterilized by washing in antiseptic solution alone, and there is the possibility of a second patient being infected with a disease. In view of this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1991-236825 and Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1985-37301 have proposed endoscope structures according to which a humidity sensor is provided inside the endoscope, thereby detecting any leakage of water into the endoscope.
In the technical means described in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 1985-37301, in which any water leakage is detected by a humidity sensor provided in the tip section of the endoscope, the electronic components inside the electronic endoscope may become damaged to such a degree as to be irreparable by the time the sensor has detected the leakage.
In view of this, the endoscope described in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1991-236825 adopts a structure in which the electronic components mounted in the electronic endoscope are collectively arranged in a waterproof structure forming an image sensor unit, with the humidity sensor being arranged on the external surface of this image sensor unit. The humidity sensor is connected to a water-leakage detecting circuit inside an endoscope controller through a dedicated signal line for leakage detection, thereby making it possible to transmit a water-leakage detection signal before the electronic components have been damaged by water leakage. With this prior-art technique, any water leakage can be repaired before the electronic components have been damaged thereby, thus enabling the image sensing unit to be used again.
However, the above-described prior-art technique has a problem in that the humidity detecting means is provided in the tip section of the endoscope, which means a dedicated signal line for humidity detection has to be separately provided. As a result, an increase in the diameter of the inserting section is inevitable as compared to that of an endoscope apparatus not equipped with such a humidity detecting means.
Apart from this, Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 1985-69620 discloses an endoscope having a solid-state image sensing device in the tip section thereof, according to which at least one network tube is formed by a plurality of conductors which constitute outlet paths for image signals obtained by this solid-state image sensing device and inlet paths for drive signals for driving the solid-state image sensing device, with a bundle of light-guide fibers, an air/water-supply channel, or a forceps channel being inserted into this network tube. Due to this construction, the tube diameter of the inserting section is reduced as compared to that type of endoscope in which a plurality of conductors are arranged as separate channels, by the space occupied by those channels.

Endoscope apparatus which time-sequentially transmits sensor signals with image signals during a blanking period