The present invention is directed to a barricade light control switch apparatus for operating a battery powered barricade light unit. The apparatus comprises a light unit housing, light source, battery, and circuit means for controlling operation of the light source, and a reed switch. A magnet retained by a magnet carrier is positionable in either of two positions and controls operation of the reed switch. When the magnet carrier is in a first position the magnet is positioned in proximity to and closes the reed switch. When the magnet carrier is in a second position the magnet is positioned away from and opens the reed switch. Retention means preclude unintended movement of the magnet carrier. A method for controlling a barricade light unit is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to battery operated light units typically situated atop barricades placed along the road-side to mark constructions zones or otherwise warning passing motorists. More particularly, the invention pertains to a light control switch apparatus which controls the barricade mounted light unit and which is constructed and operates in a manner which minimizes breakdown obviating repair thus reducing the cost of operation.
2. Background of the Invention
Barricade mounted light units are required to be used in virtually every road construction project in order to warn and alert motorists generally to the presence of the construction zone and particularly to the presence and location of a specific hazard. A typical barricade mounted light unit is configured to operate in either a steady burn mode or in a flashing mode. The typical highway project requires the use of many illuminated barricades which represent a significant expense regardless of whether they are purchased by the construction company, provided by a municipal entity or rented from a barricade provider.
In any event, the cost associated with providing and using illuminated barricades must take into account both the outright damage sustained by the barricades when in use as well as mere wear and tear. Specifically, in addition to the cost of performing what are often significant repairs required to correct the damage incurred when barricades are struck, however inadvertently, by passing automobiles and trucks, ongoing the maintenance and repair associated with the light unit itself is also of significant concern.
Typically, a switch is provided to control operation of the light unit and specifically select between a steady burn mode in which the light source is substantially continually illuminated, and a flashing mode in which the light source is observed to be alternatively on and off. To date, virtually every lighting unit has relied upon a simple low-cost mechanical switch which serves to make or break a contact in an electrical circuit via a mechanical, moveable member.
Other than in cases of collision damage, it has been found that a significant number of illuminated barricades which are removed from service for failure of the light unit to properly operate require repairs to the mechanical switch. The light unit is of course used out-doors and is continually subjected to the weather for extended periods of time. The mechanical switch appears to be unable to reliably withstand the riggers of the elements over long periods of time as rain, snow and other harsh conditions often serve to cause corrosion of the switch contacts which may, in turn, cause the switch to remain permanently in either one or the other of its positions. If the switch is not repaired a potential liability may exist if mandated lighting regulations are not adhered to.
The typical road-side barricade is illuminated with either an incandescent or LED based light source which, of course, due to portability is in virtually every case, battery powered. An additional expense attributed to the operation of illuminated road-side barricades are the batteries themselves, which of course must be periodically replaced. Thus, a second switch may, in some cases, be provided in order to preclude the light from being continually on thus conserving battery life, many prior art illuminated barricades incorporate a photo cell which serves to turn on the light only upon detecting darkness. However, since a photo cell based illuminated barricade will continue to illuminate the light unit whenever dark, and even when the barricade is not in active use as when in storage off the construction site, a dedicated on/off switch may totally disable the light unit. Accordingly, if an on/off switch is provided, premature battery replacement will be required if a defective on-off switch is not repaired.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide for a lighting control which is not susceptible to damage inflicted by environmental conditions and the like.
In addition to the simple mechanical switch arrangement used by conventional prior art barricade light units, a further prior art light control mechanism is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,157 granted to Carpenter et al. on Nov. 21, 1995, which relates to a barricade light with light emitting diode. As disclosed, contained within the light emitting diode assembly retrofitted to conventional barricade light is a printed circuit board mounted pulse activated switch which is activated externally through the use of a hand-held control unit. The electronic switch mechanism comprises at least, in part, an integrated circuit and two on-board copper input plates. Activation of the hand held device generates an electronic pulse which is received by one of the input plates. As disclosed, the hand held actuator must be positioned extremely close to the light unit, usually within five centimeters, in order to turn the light on or off.
While preventing the unintended operation of the light units, one potential limitation and disadvantage of this prior art device is the necessity for the operator to have possession of a working hand-held actuator to operate the switch. The light units cannot be operated if the actuator is broken or if it is forgotten or lost by the operator. Further, the complexity of the circuitry required by this prior art apparatus and the potential need to possess multiple actuators and repair and replace same most certainly adds to the cost of the barricades.
Accordingly, it is an object of the invention to provide a light unit control switch which is reliable, durable, inexpensive and minimizes the need for repair.
These and other objects of the present invention will become apparent in light of the present specification, claims, and drawings.

Barricade light control switch apparatus


A method for in-situ generation of nanoflower-like manganese dioxide catalyst on filter material is provided. The method comprises: immersing a filter material in a solution containing sodium lauryl sulfate and nitric acid; first modifying the surface of the filter material by using the sodium lauryl sulfate so that a charge layer is wound around the surface of the filter material and tightly absorbs H+ in an acid solution; and then adding potassium permanganate as an oxidant to react with H30  on the surface of the filter material to generate nano flower-like manganese dioxide in situ on the surface of the filter material, so as to obtain a composite filter material having a denitration function.

The present invention belongs to the technical field of functional filter materials, and in particular relates to a method for in-situ generation of nanoflower-like manganese dioxide catalyst on filter material.
China is in the stage of rapid economic development, and the demand for energy is very large, especially the demand for electricity is increasing. China's coal-based energy structure determines that China's electric power is mainly based on thermal power generation, and most of the power plants are coal-fired power plants. In addition to ensuring rapid economic development, coal-fired power plants will generate a large amount of pollutants such as dust, sulfur dioxide and NOx toxic gases. At present, filter-bag dust collectors are mainly used in industry to control a large amount of dust and trace particles generated by coal-fired power station boilers, the core of the filter-bag dust collector is filter material. Polyphenylene sulfide filter material (PPS filter material) has become the first choice for filter bags of coal-fired power plants because of its stable chemical structure, acid and alkali corrosion resistance, hydrolysis resistance, dimensional stability, and the like.
However, there is no effective control method for the filter bag dust collector to discharge nitrogen oxides from industrial exhaust gas. Therefore, researching a composite functional filter material having both dust removal and denitration functions has become a hot spot for many researchers. Chinese patent application No. CN 103949115 A discloses a method for in-situ generation of nanoflower-like manganese dioxide catalyst on filter material, where the surface of the filter material is uniformly coated with a layer of polydopamine by oxidation self-polymerization of dopamine, and then by virtue of chelation of the polydopamine layer with divalent manganese ions, a denitration catalyst is generated in situ on the surface of the polydopamine-coated filter material fiber in the presence of potassium permanganate serving as an oxidant to prepare a composite filter material having a denitration function. However, its disadvantage is that the surface of the filter material is modified by using dopamine, and the uniformly coated polydopamine layer affects the gas permeability of the filter material, thereby affecting its dust removal function; and the preparation process is complicated.
On the other hand, if the denitration catalyst is directly attached to the filter fiber, such disadvantages that the catalyst load is uneven, the gas permeability is poor, the low temperature activity is poor, and the binding force between the catalyst and the filter fiber is weak are caused. Therefore, it is very important to study a composite filter material capable of uniformly and firmly supporting a denitration catalyst and having excellent low-temperature activity.

Method for in-situ generation of nanoflower-like manganese dioxide catalyst on filter material


A lapping machine includes upper and lower lapping wheels and a sprocket having a common centered rotational axis. A rotational drive source for at least one of the upper and lower lapping wheels provides rotational movement about the axis. At least two independently locatable gears or sprockets disposed radially exterior of the upper and lower lapping wheels rotatably carry a carrier between the upper and lower lapping wheels, in which a material carried within an opening formed in the carrier travels at least partially radially exterior of both lower and upper lapping wheels during operation of the machine.

Lapping machines, such as lapping machine 10 shown in FIG. 1, typically include at least a ring sprocket 16 having a lower lapping wheel 128 and a center sprocket 12. The ring sprocket 16 has a radius 18 and center sprocket 12 has a radius 14. During operation of lapping machine 10, center sprocket 12 rotates about a center axis 24. Teeth of a carrier 20 mesh with the teeth of ring sprocket 16 and the teeth of center sprocket 12 so that carrier 20 is urged into simultaneous rotational movement about its center axis 26 and planetary movement between radius 14 and radius 18. Carrier 20 includes one or more openings 22 for carrying a work piece 28, such as a disk that is exposed to lower lapping wheel 128 during operation. The diameter 30 of carrier 20 is a fixed distance, equal to the difference between radius 18 of ring sprocket 16 and radius 14 of center sprocket 12. As a result, if a carrier 20 having a diameter greater than diameter 30 is desired, it would be necessary to replace at least one of the center sprocket 12 and ring sprocket 16, which is a costly proposition. In addition, with the construction of lapping machine 10, it is similarly apparent that the maximum size of a disk work piece 28 must be less than diameter 30.
Such known machines suffer from the drawback that to accommodate a larger size carrier, the machine must be significantly enlarged, taking up a similarly increased amount of space in a manufacturing facility, thereby reducing production efficiencies. In addition, storage provisions must be made to store differently sized lapping wheel not in use. Further, in the event larger carriers, even only incrementally larger carriers, can be used for applications previously unknown, these machines lack the flexibility to accommodate the marginally larger carrier, unless further sizable investment in a larger lapping wheel is made.
What is needed is a lapping machine that can accommodate differently sized carriers, and further, can accommodate carriers, and even work pieces, having a dimension greater than the difference between the radius of the ring sprocket and the radius of the center sprocket.


A one-side or both-side transmission mode is properly automatically selected in accordance with an original, thereby enabling desired image communication of the user to be properly executed. A CPU discriminates whether effective image data is included on both sides of an original image read by a reading circuit or not. If at least one sheet of original in which the effective image data is included on both sides exists, a both-side transmission of the image data read from both sides of the original is executed, and in the other cases a one-side transmission of the image data read from the front side of the original is executed. When a compulsory front side reading mode is selected by the operation of an operation unit, even if at least one sheet of original in which the effective image data is included on both sides exists, only the front side of the original is read and the read image data is transmitted in the one-side mode.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a facsimile apparatus for reading and transmitting both-side information, a control method of such a facsimile apparatus, and a computer-readable memory medium in which a control program for the facsimile apparatus has been stored.
2. Related Background Art
The facsimile apparatus specified in the ITU-T recommendation T4, T30, or the like fundamentally has a construction such that information of a one-side original is transmitted. That is, the original on the transmitter side relates to the one-side information and the received image data is recorded onto one side of a recording paper on the receiver side.
In recent years, the consciousness regarding the realization of the saving of resources has been being increased. In printers, copying apparatuses, and the like, the number of apparatuses having what is called a both-side recording system for recording image data onto both front and reverse sides of one sheet of paper is increasing. In association with it, in recent years, even in a facsimile apparatus, a hardware construction and a communicating procedure for reading and transmitting both-side original have been proposed.
As a transmitting system of both-side image data, there has been known a both-side alternation transmission in which an image on the front side of an original and an image on the reverse side are alternately transmitted with respect to each page, a both-side continuation transmission in which the whole image on the front side of an original is transmitted and, subsequently, all of the image on the reverse side is transmitted, or the like.
In the ITU-T recommendation T30 or its tentative plan, a communicating procedure regarding the both-side transmission has been proposed. According to the system proposed in the recommendation, the image data itself of one side of the front or reverse side of the original is transmitted as a facsimile message that is almost similar to the image of one page which is obtained in case of the conventional one-side transmission and information such as page number and side is added to a post message signal, and they are transmitted.
Functions of the transmitter and receiver regarding the both-side transmission are notified by a DCS signal or a DIS signal. Functions regarding the both-side recording of the receiver are notified by a DIS signal.
In the conventional facsimile apparatus for performing the both-side transmission, either a mode for performing the both-side transmission or a mode for performing the one-side transmission has been determined by a specific communication mode designating operation of the user. For example, since it is not practical to permanently set the communication mode to a both-side transmission mode, it is a general way to set a default mode to a one-side transmission mode and set the both-side transmission mode every communication by a specific operation as necessary.
However, it is very troublesome to execute the operation for performing the setting operation to set whether an original is a both-side original or not or the operation for specifically setting the both-side transmission mode every communication.
If the one-side or both-side mode is erroneously set, there is a problem such that a transmission different from the transmission which the user inherently wants to perform is executed. In other words, there occurs a problem such that in spite of a fact that the original is the both-side original, if the user forgets to designate the both-side transmission mode, the one-side transmission is executed, so that information on the reverse side to be inherently transmitted cannot be transferred to the reception side. On the contrary, a problem such that if information of a one-side original is transmitted in the both-side transmission mode, information of a white paper on the reverse side is wastefully transmitted.

Facsimile apparatus, control method of facsimile apparatus, and computer-readable memory medium storing therein control program for facsimile apparatus


A work vehicle of the present invention includes an engine, a cooling core, a fan, a hydraulic drive unit, and an idle reduction execution unit. The cooling core is mounted in the work vehicle. The fan is configured to blow air to the cooling core and to be capable of making regular and reverse rotations. The hydraulic drive unit is configured to drive the fan by driving the engine. The idle reduction execution unit is configured to stop the engine based on a state of rotation of the fan caused by the hydraulic drive unit and based on an idle state. The idle reduction execution unit stops the engine on a condition that the fan makes regular rotation and the idle state has continued for a predetermined time, and does not stop the engine on a condition that the fan makes reverse rotation.

A work vehicle such as bulldozer is mounted with a work implement such as blade, a hydraulic pump driven by an engine, a fan driven by a hydraulic oil emitted from the hydraulic pump, and a cooling core for cooling a coolant or the like flowing to the engine, by means of an airflow generated by the fan. By way of example, the cooling core includes a radiator, an oil cooler, or the like.
In the work vehicle configured in this manner, earth/sand and/or grit/dust generated during work may be stirred up and enter the cooling core and the like and, while the work vehicle is kept driven for a long time, earth dirt, grease dirt, and/or other foreign matters may be caught on a top surface of cooling fin serving as a component of the cooling core, which may possibly result in clogging with the dirt sticking to and deposited on the surface. This condition deteriorates the heat dissipation ability of the cooling core, and therefore requires regular cleaning of the cooling core.
Accordingly, there has been proposed a configuration in which the fan is adapted to be capable of reverse rotation and the fan is rotated in the reverse direction to thereby blow off dirt and the like sticking to the cooling core (see for example Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2004-197682).
Meanwhile, with the aim of energy saving and environmental protection, there has been a recent demand for incorporation of an idle reduction capability in the work vehicle. The idle reduction capability is a capability of automatically stopping the engine when an idle state of the work vehicle has continued for a predetermined time. The idle state means a state where the work vehicle is kept on standby with the engine running. For example, Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2003-65097 proposes a configuration in which the engine in the idle state is stopped when the work vehicle has not been operated for a predetermined time.


Embodiments of the present invention are directed to flexible, user-adapted, continuous searching, on behalf of a particular user, for points of interest relevant to the user's current location within a specifically computed personal region of interest. In a general case, the personal region of interest is computed as a function of the user's level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest. The level of disposition towards the searched-for points of interest may, in turn, be based on two or more of the user's location, the current date and time, a history of the user's interaction with the POI-searching system, including user-initiated searches and user selections from displayed search results, a user profile developed for, and continuously updated on behalf of, the user, and a current context for the search, as specified by a search query or by other context-specifying means. The personal region of interest generally defines an abstract area, volume, or hypervolume within which method and system embodiments of the present invention search for points of interest.

Search techniques are the cornerstone of information retrieval in many different information-distribution environments and problem domains. For example, search methods based on card catalogs and the Dewey Decimal System provided the foundation for library research for many decades prior to the advent of cheap personal computers. For a significant period of time, dial-up information systems were the primary searching tool available for scientific and medical researchers. Currently, Internet search engines are among the most frequently used and highest-revenue-generating tools provided on the Internet, and electronic searching is being incorporated into an ever-increasing number of different electronic devices, from automobile navigation systems to cell phones.
One increasingly widely available information-retrieval method offered to users of various electronic devices involves locating points of interest ("POIs") with respect to a user's current location, as specified by the user or as detected by global positioning services ("GPS") devices incorporated into the electronic devices, including automobile navigation systems, cell phones, personal digital assistants, mobile personal computers, and other electronic devices. FIGS. 1A-C illustrate and example of currently available location-based POI searching. In this example, as shown in FIG. 1A, the user's current location is indicated by a graphical object 102 superimposed on a street map. Next, as shown in FIG. 1B, a radius 104 with an endpoint coincident with the user's current location specifies a disk-like search area 106 within which the user wishes to locate points of interest. The radius 104 may be specified by the user or may be a default distance value incorporated into the location-based POI search system. As shown in FIG. 1C, the location-based POI search system then finds and displays the locations of a class of points of interest specified by the user. For example, in FIG. 1C, the user has specified, through a text query or through interaction with a user interface, a desire to find gift-card shops proximal to the user's current location. The location-based POI search system has located and displayed the locations of three gift-card shops 108-110. Although the display formats, query inputs, and other features and characteristics of various location-based POI search systems vary, currently available location-based search systems essentially display a map for a region that includes a user's location and that is annotated with points of interest corresponding to a search query or, alternatively, may provide a list of POIs and corresponding addresses and/or travel directions.
FIG. 2 illustrates the data components of the location-based POI search system described above, with reference to FIGS. 1A-C. The location-based POI search system employs a map database 202 as well as a points-of-interest database 204. These two database components, along with software-encoded logic for receiving, parsing, and executing search requests and displaying search results, enable location-based POI search queries to be fielded from, and location-based POI search results to be returned to, users of a large number of different types of electronic devices, from personal computers to automotive navigation systems and cell phones.
FIG. 3 is a simple control-flow diagram that illustrates logical steps executed by a generalized, currently-available location-based POI search system, such as the location-based POI search system discussed above, with reference to FIGS. 1A-C. In step 302, a location is received from a user, either specified by the user through a user interface, or obtained via a GPS component or other location-determining component of an electronic device. Next, in step 304, a suitable map corresponding to the received location is searched for, and retrieved from, the map database, and indication of the user's location is superimposed on the map, as shown in FIG. 1A. Next, in step 306, a search query is received from the user. The search query may be typed into a user interface, selected from an icon display on a touch screen, or generated by other, similar means. Then, in step 308, the radius of the search area is obtained or determined. The radius of the search area may be specified by a user, or retrieved as a default value from memory or from a database. Then, in step 310, the POI database is accessed in order to identify relevant POIs and their corresponding locations within the search area, according to the specification of desired POIs represented by the received search query. Finally, in step 312, indications of the identified POIs within the search area are superimposed graphically onto the map and displayed to the user. Many of these steps may be combined together in various types of search systems, and, as discussed above, lists of POIs may be returned, rather than annotated maps.
Location-based POI searches provide great convenience and utility to users of various devices. However, the currently available POI search systems and methods, discussed above with reference to FIGS. 1-3, are associated with a number of deficiencies. First, currently available POI searching generally returns the same results to any user specifying a particular type of search. For example, a location-based search for sporting-goods stores would return the same result to a sophisticated professional athlete or professional team manager who has traveled to a city for an upcoming professional sporting event as returned a high-school student looking for a pair of sneakers close to home. The professional athlete or professional team manager would likely not be interested in general department stores with shoe departments that sell sneakers, while the high-school student likely would not be interested in a high-end store selling professional sports equipment. Moreover, the professional athlete or professional team manager may be willing to travel many miles for a necessary piece of equipment, while the high-school student might be willing to walk or ride a bus to a destination within a distance of no more than several miles from home. POI searches are not well-tailored to particular users, particular user's contexts, and particular user's circumstances, and generally return a large amount of unneeded and unappreciated information, while often not returning results that would be of great benefit to a particular user. For this reason, users of location-based POI search systems, designers and vendors of location-based POI-search software, and designers, manufacturers, and vendors of a wide variety of electronic devices that feature location-based POI searching have all recognized the need for location-based POI searching better adapted to particular users.

Method and system for continuous, dynamic, adaptive searching based on a continuously evolving personal region of interest


A method of manufacturing a billet for cold forging according to the present invention is characterized by the first spheroidizing annealing step of spheroidizing a carbide in a blank, the drawing step of drawing the blank at a predetermined sectional area reduction ratio after the first spheroidizing annealing step, and the second spheroidizing annealing step of promoting the dispersion of the internal carbide for an increased spheroidizing ratio after the drawing step. The drawing step has a drawing ratio of approximately 20%. The blank is cut to a desired dimension between said first spheroidizing annealing step and said second spheroidizing annealing step.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a billet for cold forging with high deformability and maintained hardenability, which can continuously be cold-forged without the need for process annealing, a technique for manufacturing such a billet for cold forging, a method of continuously cold-forging such a billet into a disk-shaped part with a shaft such as a connecting rod for an engine, and a cold-forging die apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, crankshafts and connecting rods for use in engines for motorcycles have mainly been manufactured by a hot forging process. It is the general practice to heat the material to a temperature equal to or higher than its recrystallization temperature and forge to shape.
Materials for use in the hot forging process include a thermally refined steel and a thermally unrefined steel. The thermally refined steel is a steel that has been heated to about 1200° C. and thereafter quenched and tempered for increased strength and toughness. A carbon steel that is used as the material of crankshafts is usually treated with heat.
The thermally unrefined steel is a steel with added vanadium that has been heated to about 1200° C. and thereafter air-cooled for increased strength and toughness.
Crankshafts have portions, i.e., worms and tapers, that are required to have a higher hardness than other portions thereof. The crankshafts need to contain carbon (C) in order to increase the hardness of these portions by subsequent induction hardening. Therefore, the material which is to be hot-forged into crankshafts is usually a carbon steel according to JIS S48C.
The carbon steel S48C is composed of 0.45–0.51 wt % of C, 0.15–0.35 wt % of Si, 0.6–0.9 wt % of Mn, 0.03 wt % or less of P, 0.035 wt % or less of S, 0.3 wt % or less of Cu, 0.2 wt % or less of Ni, and 0.2 wt % or less of Cr.
The carbon steel S48C has such cold forgeability that its upsetting ratio ranges from about 70 to 75%. If the carbon steel S48C were cold-forged at an upsetting ratio of 90% or more, then it would crack and fail to be deformed to desired shape.
The defonnability of the carbon steel S48C is affected by elements including Si, F, S, and Cu. Si is effective to increase the hardness and tensile strength of the steel and speed up the growth of crystal grain upon heat treatment, but tends to reduce stretchability and impact values for thereby impairing the forgeability of the steel. P in the form of a solid solution in ferrite also increases the hardness and tensile strength of the steel, but is liable to reduce impact values, making it easy for the steel to crack and cause cold brittleness. If the carbon steel S48C contains a large amount of S, then it precipitates manganese sulfide (MnS) that tends to start cracking when the steel is cold-forged, so that the steel is apt to crack when machined. If the carbon steel S48C contains a large amount of Cu, then the ferrite hardness increases to the extent that impairs the cold forgeability of the steel.
From the standpoint of keeping a desired level of hardenability, it is preferable to contain the same amount of C as with the above material for hot forging. Mn is also desirable to be contained in the same amount as with the above material for hot forging because Mn in the form of a solid solution in ferrite lowers the transformation temperature of the steel, allowing the steel to be easily quenched.
The hot-forging process is disadvantageous in that since die surfaces used tend to be easily worn, hot-forged products have poor dimensional accuracy and need to have a large finishing allowance to be removed when they are machined, and hence are machined with low efficiency. Furthermore, because hot-forged products have a large lathing allowance, the number of lathes required to machine the hot-forged products increases, resulting in a large amount of initial investments.
In addition, inasmuch as the material is hot-forged after it has been heated, scales are produced from the material during the hot-forging process. Furthermore, the hot-forging process makes it difficult to keep the working environment clean because the die surfaces need to be coated with a parting agent.
The cold-forging process is capable of solving the above problems with respect to the dimensional accuracy of forged products, the working environment, and the initial investments. However, the greatest problem of the cold-forging process is that the deformability of the material that is cold-forged is so small that the material tends to crack during the cold-forging process.
One conventional cold-forging process for manufacturing a crankshaft is shown in FIG. 25 of the accompanying drawings.
As shown in FIG. 25, the conventional cold-forging process is carried out by slowly cooling a rolled billet to soften the billet, deep-drawing and upsetting the billet while it is cold, thereafter softening the billet at an intermediate stage to remove strains introduced by the deep-drawing and upsetting steps, roughly shaping the billet into a crankshaft while it is cold, finally shaping the crankshaft while it is cold, removing an outer circumferential edge of the crankshaft while it is cold, forming a pin hole in the crankshaft while it is cold, and thereafter finishing the crankshaft by grinding the shank thereof and induction-hardening the crankshaft.
The conventional cold-forging process is liable to cause the billet to crack in the upsetting stage more frequently than the hot-forging process. To prevent the billet from cracking, the billet is softened in the intermediate stage to cancel strains developed so far in the cold-forging process. If the billet tends to be deformed greatly, then it is necessary to add more softening steps in the intermediate stage.
With softening steps introduced in the intermediate stage, however, the cold-forging process which would otherwise be continuous except for die changing is interrupted, and heat-treatment apparatus need to be installed to operate somewhere in the entire cold-forging process. Consequently, the cold-forging process is also problematic though the problems are not as serious as those of the hot-forging process.
It is an object of first and second inventions to provide a composition for a billet for cold forging which can continuously be cold-forged, i.e., does not need an intermediate softening step in the cold-forging process, and can well be hardened, and a method of manufacturing such a billet for cold forging.
An object of a third invention is to provide a method of manufacturing such a billet for cold forging with a simplified spheroidizing step required to manufacture a billet that can continuously be cold-forged.
In the manufacture of crankshafts for use in engines for motorcycles, there is a process of forming a split-type crankshaft in the form of a disk with shafts attached to both sides thereof, and connecting the split-type crankshaft with a pin. One conventional process of forming such a split-type crankshaft is disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 58-215237, for example.
According to the disclosed process, a round bar is forged into a disk-shaped crank body with a shaft, and a counterweight is formed separately from the disk-shaped crank body. Then, the counterweight is integrally joined to the disk of the crank body.
However, the above process is disadvantageous in that the number of steps of the process is large because the crank body and the counterweight are separately formed and then joined to each other.
Furthermore, since the joining step is different from the respective steps of forming the crank body and the counterweight, the joining step needs a preparatory action for joining the crank body and the counterweight to each other.
If the crank body and the counterweight are produced by hot forging, then a grinding process for removing scales from the crank body and the counterweight and a machining process for achieving a desired level of dimensional accuracy are subsequently required. Therefore, the efficiency with which to produce the crank body and the counterweight is relatively low, resulting in a low yield of crankshafts.
It is an object of a fourth invention to provide a method of cold-forging a crankshaft without a machining step to remove scales for thereby increasing a yield and achieving a large cost reduction.
Objects of fifth, sixth, and seventh inventions are to provide a method of cold-forging a disk-shaped part with a shaft, a method of cold-forging a crankshaft, and a method of cold-forging a disk-shaped part with a shaft, respectively, to manufacture a disk shaped part with a shaft which has disk portions of different volumes, by eliminating different steps of forming the disk portions of different volumes separately and joining them to each other, for thereby doing away with the trouble of a preparatory action and increasing a yield.
Japanese laid-open patent publication No. 60-102245 discloses a known apparatus for forging crankshafts.
The disclosed forging apparatus forms splines on the shank of a split-type crankshaft by forging. Specifically, the shank of a split-type crankshaft whose overall shape has been formed by hot forging is set in a lower die, and the counterweight of the split-type crankshaft is pressed by a nib of an upper die to form splines on the shank with a tooth die in the lower die. The nib is divided into separate components, and a resilient member is held against rear surfaces of the nib components. Even when the nib presses a counterweight having a step, the resilient member applies uniform forces the counter-weight around the shank to prevent shank side end surfaces from being displaced.
Although the cold-forging process can solve the problems with respect to the dimensional accuracy of forged products, the working environment, and the initial investments, the cold-forging process is costly in that it places large burdens on dies and hence the dies have a relatively short service life. The nib that is divided into the components to accommodate the height of the counterweight is only effective to handle the existing counterweight, but not applicable to different counter weights that are to be produced.
It is an object of an eighth invention to provide a cold-forging die apparatus which will solve the above problems.


Embodiments of this invention relate to methods and apparatus for establishing additional simultaneous packet data network (PDN) connections between a User Equipment (UE) and an evolved packet core network (EPC) over an untrusted WiFi network. The UE is attached to the EPC through a security gateway over a first PDN connection over which the UE is authenticated and has established an Internet Key Exchange Security Association (IKE SA) and a first Internet Protocol Security SA (IPSec SA). The UE then establishes an additional PDN connection using a new IKE request/response exchange or an enhanced IKE CREATE_CHILD_SA exchange that is cryptographically protected using algorithms and keys negotiated during the first PDN connection, hence improving delay and battery life of the UE as the UE no longer needs, for each additional PDN connection, to negotiate an individual IKE SA and to authenticate the UE.

Since the advent of Mobile internet technologies, users and their demand for the high rate data access has been growing exponentially. Radio access technologies have evolved to support broadband accesses and the packet core network has evolved to cope with packet data demands and the evolved radio access technologies. Long Term Evolution, LTE, specified by the third Generation Partnership Project, 3GPP is a broadband cellular IP access technology that provides increased speed and capacity. The 3GPP-specified Evolved Packet Core, EPC, is the packet core network specified for LTE access. Additionally, the EPC is becoming a common core network for packet switched services for 2G and 3G radio access networks as well as WiFi local access network, WLAN, as specified in 3GPP technical specifications TS 23.401 and TS 23.402.
The EPC sits between the radio access network and packet data networks, PDNs which may be intranets, extranets or the internet. The EPC can operate with IPv4 and/or IPv6 addressing schemes when interworking with a PDN. The interworking point between EPC and the PDNs is the SGi reference point.
The EPC consists of a packet core domain and a user domain. The user domain provides the complete updated information of users on request. It maintains a database to support roaming mobility of the subscriber as well as authentication, authorization and accounting. The user domain consists of multiple nodes comprising Home Subscriber Server, HSS, Authentication Authorization and Accounting, AAA and policy server. The packet core domain provides IP services over 2G (GSM), 3G (WCDMA/HSPAICDMA), 4G (LTE) and Non-3GPP technologies such as WiFi or Wimax.
To provide packet services to UEs attached through the LTE radio access network, the packet core domain uses a Mobility Management Equipment, MME, a Serving Gateway, SGW, and a Packet Data Network Gateway, PDN-GW. The PDN-GW is the demarcation point between the IP networks and the packet core domain and acts as the common anchor point for the PDN connections of UEs connecting or moving from one access network to a different access network while maintaining the same IP address(es).
Using LTE access, UEs connect to EPC via a PDN connection. A PDN connection is an association between a UE represented by an IPv4 address and/or an IPv6 prefix and a PDN represented by an Access Point Name, APN. A PDN connection comprises one or more evolved packet system EPS bearers. The first EPS bearer is established when the UE connects to a PDN, and remains established throughout the lifetime of the PDN connection to provide the UE with an always-on IP connectivity to that PDN. That first EPS bearer is referred to as the default EPS bearer. Any additional EPS bearer that is established by the UE over the LTE access network for the same PDN connection is referred to as a dedicated EPS bearer. An EPS bearer established over an LTE radio access network, RAN, consists of multiple concatenating segments which comprises of a radio bearer from the UE to the base station, known as the evolved node B, eNB, an S1 bearer between the eNB and the SGW and the S5/S8 bearer between the SGW and the PDN-GW.
A UE connected over LTE Radio Access Network, RAN, may establish multiple PDN connections and connect to multiple PDNs simultaneously. Each PDN connection is characterized by a PDN type which indicates the type of connectivity requested for the PDN, i.e., Internet Protocol, IPv4, IPv6 or IPv4/IPv6 and an Access Point Name, APN. When establishing multiple PDN connections for a UE over EPC, one or multiple PDN-GWs can be used depending on the Access Point Name, APN. It is also possible for a UE to have multiple PDN connections with the same APN, in which case all the PDN connections are provided by the same PDN-GW.
UEs with subscriptions in an EPC network can additionally establish a PDN connection with the PDN-GW in the EPC through an untrusted WLAN. In this scenario, the EPC network does not trust the WLAN which is typically the case when the UE connects to its EPC services through a public WiFi hotspot or through a Wi-Fi hotspot that is not owned by the EPC operator. The packet core domain of the EPC includes an evolved Packet Data Gateway, ePDG, which is used as a gateway to the EPC and is responsible for establishing a secure packet data connection over the untrusted WLAN through the packet core domain to the PDN-GW as described in 3GPP TS 23.402. The secure packet data connection consists of an IP security, IPSec, tunnel between the UE and the ePDG established over the SWu interface and of a GPRS tunneling protocol, GTP, tunnel between the ePDG and the PDN-GW established over the S2b interface.
The IPSec protocols comprising Internet Key Exchange version 2, IKEv2, defined by the Internet Engineering Task Force, IETF, RFC 5996, IP Encapsulating Security Payload, ESP, defined by the IETF RFC 4303, and IPSec, defined by the IETF RFC 4301 are used over the SWu interface between the UE and the ePDG. The IKEv2 protocol was originally designed by the IETF to dynamically negotiate keys for IPSec tunnel. However, in the SWu interface, the IKEv2 protocol is used to implement UE attach and PDN connection establishment procedures. When IKEv2 initial exchanges (including IKE_SA_INIT and IKE_AUTH) are successfully setup, the UE attach procedure including user authentication and first/default PDN connection is completed, and the IKE Security Association, SA and the first IPSec SA or tunnel are setup. The IPSec tunnel is used as a user data path for the PDN connection. Notably, the IKE_SA_INIT exchange is used to setup the IKE SA including IKE SPI assignment, negotiate cryptographic algorithms, exchange nonces, and do a Diffie-Hellman exchange, DH, the latter is described in "New Directions in Cryptography", IEEE Transactions on Information Theory, V.IT-22 n. 6, June 1977. The IKE_AUTH exchange is used authenticate the previous IKE_SA_INIT messages, exchange identities and certificates, as well as establish the first IPSec SA or tunnel. During IKE_AUTH exchange, user authentication, profile provisioning IPSec and IP address assignment for the first PDN connection are completed. Once the IKE_AUTH exchange is completed, the first/default PDN connection is setup with the corresponding first IPSec tunnel as the user plane tunnel over the SWu interface. To release the first/default PDN connection, an IKEv2 INFORMATIONAL exchange is used to delete the IKE SA and the first IPSec SA.
The current 3GPP standards, 3GPP TS 23.402 and 3GPP 24.301, support multiple PDN connections over the SWu interface. However, each additional PDN connection establishment uses its own individual initial IKE exchange procedure comprising an IKE_SA_INIT and an IKE_AUTH exchange. In other words, for each PDN connection, an IKE SA is established that comprises negotiating cryptographic algorithms, exchanging nonces, and doing a Diffie-Hellman exchange, DH, all of which use large number of calculation that require high processing power at both the ePDG and the UE. The IKE_AUTH exchange leading to establishment of the IPSec SA also requires extensive processing, computation and signaling not only between the UE and the ePDG but also between the ePDG and the authenticator, i.e., the AAA/HSS server. Large number of calculations and signaling tend to drain the battery life of the UE making implementation and deployment of multiple PDN connections with existing solutions quite costly and not efficient. Additionally, the AAA/HSS authorizes and sends the user profile to the ePDG for each established PDN connection. The ePDG should store the user profile for each additional PDN connection for the UE. Although, the user profiles associated to the established PDN connections for the UE share common attributes, they are stored and treated as individual profiles. As a result, memory usage at the ePDG is not efficient.

Multiple PDN connections over untrusted WLAN access


An LED display includes a wafer-level substrate, a first adhesive layer, a plurality of first light-emitting assemblies, and a first conductive structure. The wafer-level substrate includes a plurality of control circuits, each of which has a conductive contact. The first adhesive layer is disposed on the wafer-level substrate. Each first light-emitting assembly includes a plurality of first LED structures disposed on the first adhesive layer. The first conductive structure is electrically connected between the corresponding first LED structure and the control circuit. Thereby, each first light-emitting assembly including a plurality of first LED structures and a wafer-level substrate having a plurality of control circuits can be connected to each other through a first adhesive layer.

Light-emitting diodes (LED) are widely used nowadays due to their excellent light quality and high luminous efficiency. Generally, a conventional display device adopts a combination of red, green, and blue light-emitting diode chips to form a full color light-emitting diode display device for a better color performance. The full-color light-emitting diode display device can respectively emit three colors of red, green and blue light through three kinds of red, green and blue light-emitting diode chips, so as to form a full-color light for displaying relevant information after the mixing of light. However, the LED display of the related art and manufacturing method thereof still have room for improvement.


A cosmetic package has a sheet material pouch defining a product storage chamber, a neck member with a passage to the storage chamber, a cap on the neck member to close the passage and an applicator wand extending from the cap through the passage into the storage chamber. The pouch is securely attached to the neck member by way of pairs of horizontally extending wedges. The wedges form opposite outwardly directed, semi-elliptical bonding surfaces that intersect at an acute angle. The semi-elliptical bonding surfaces allow the sheet material of the pouch to transition smoothly about the neck member, such that the material can be reliably and imperviously secured to the neck member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to containers for holding cosmetics. More particularly, the invention relates to a cosmetic dispenser package having a pouch-like container portion.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Packaging arrangements for cosmetics, such as, for example, mascara, are often limited by design constraints that determine the shape of the product container and/or the material from which it is made. For example, in order for mascara product to be efficiently transferred onto an applicator inserted in the container, it is generally accepted that the dimensions and cross-sectional shape of the storage chamber should approximate those of the relatively long, cylindrical applicator typically found in mascara packages. For this reason, mascara containers generally have a relatively long cylindrical storage chamber. To avoid the use of excess packaging material, the external shape of the container generally closely approximates the shape and dimensions of the storage chamber. Also, the material from which a cosmetic container is made must generally be selected from one of a limited number of materials that are compatible with cosmetic products, e.g., glass, PE, PP, HDPE, POM, etc. The material should form a barrier that is impervious to escape of the product as well as impervious to contamination from external sources. However, packages having dimensions and made from materials most suitable from a functional and technical standpoint may not be as attractive or as appealing as packages having dimensions and made from materials that are functionally and technically less suitable.
This is particularly true in the cosmetics field, where the appearance and appeal of a package is often as important as the contents of the package. For example, in order to generate renewed consumer interest in a product, it is often desirable to change the appearance of the package by for example changing the shape or other esthetic qualities of the package, e.g., the material from which it is made. As a more specific example, it would be desirable to make a mascara package that has a unique shape, e.g., a pear shape. This is presently less practical because, if the shape of the product storage chamber approximates the external shape of the package, a significant quantity of product in the pear-shaped package would be inaccessible to the applicator brush because it would be too distant from the brush structure. Alternatively, if the shape of the storage chamber differs significantly from the external shape of the package, e.g., a cylindrical storage chamber in a pear-shaped package, substantial additional material would be required in the manufacture of the package to establish or to fill the void between the two shapes. While mascara packages are set forth herein as examples, the principles can be applied to the packages for other cosmetic products, including those that have design constraints less demanding than mascara packages.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,054,946 to Morel discloses an applicator device for cosmetics including an envelope that may have a non-circular cross-section which houses a container with a circular cross-section. The threaded neck and wiper of the device are formed as part of the envelope structure. Thus the envelope must be formed from materials suitable for making a threaded neck and a wiper, e.g., plastic or rubber. Accordingly, the materials from which the envelope can be made are substantially limited. Furthermore, the relatively complex structure of the combined envelope and container would likely add significantly to the cost of manufacturing, assembling and filling the device.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,862,818 to Marinelli discloses a disposable multi-sampler and fitment. The sampler comprises a paquette made of a multi-layer film with the fitment sealing an open end of the paquette. An applicator is provided in the fitment by way of a very thin breakable seal. The fitment has a collar with two wings extending from either side of the collar. An opening in the paquette is secured about the collar such that film of the paquette encloses and is bonded to the collar and the wings. The wings are quite thin, approaching the thickness of the film. This arrangement is said to assist in sealing the collar to the container as the two pieces will behave similarly and provide a good seal as the sampler goes through heat and dwell during the preferred method of manufacturing. It is less clear from the description how thicker portions of the collar will behave as the sampler goes through heat and dwell during manufacture. Accordingly, during manufacture of this arrangement, thicker portions of the collar may present sealing characteristics different from the wings. Furthermore, a relatively acute inside corner is formed at the intersection of the thicker portion of the collar and the base of the thin wings. The acute inside corner at the intersection of the collar and the wings may also present sealing problems during manufacture. In addition, it appears that the very thin breakable seal would not be suitable for repeated re-sealing cycles associated with a durable package used over a longer period of time.
A container with applicator for liquid cosmetics is disclosed in Japanese patent publication 9117322. The Japanese publication discloses a cylindrical container body having a bag within the container body. A coupling with a neck part supports the bag in an opening in the container body. A cap and applicator combination is supported on the neck part such that the applicator extends into the bag. A pressure board is provided in a window in the container body. Make-up material in the bag is said to be made to adhere to the applicator by pushing on the bag with the pressure board. The coupling with the neck part appears to be cylindrical, so the opening in the bag would need to be precision fit, or the manufacturing process would need to be carefully monitored, in order to ensure a secure and impervious seal.
A container and applicator for a cosmetic product, e.g., mascara, is disclosed in French Patent No. 2733673. The container has a rigid tubular body open at one end, an applicator in an inner space, and a neck formed by an insert with a collar and a wiper. Product is held inside the container in a pouch with a flexible wall that is subject to atmospheric pressure when the applicator is in use. In most of the embodiments depicted in the figures, the pouch appears to be attached directly to the rigid tubular body of the container, or sandwiched between the rigid tubular body and the neck insert. As with the previously described art, the attachment of the flexible pouch to the tubular body would need to be precision fit, or the manufacturing process would need to be carefully monitored, in order to ensure a secure and impervious seal.
Due to their shortcomings, it may not be possible to make the foregoing structures in a cost effective, reliable, high-speed manufacturing process.
Accordingly, there is a need for a durable pouch-like cosmetic package that can be made simply, cost effectively, reliably and at high manufacturing speeds.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


An auxiliary scanning feed mechanism has a pair of curved feed guides for guiding a stimulable phosphor sheet along a curved feed path, and first and second roller pairs rotatable in synchronism with each other for gripping and feeding the stimulable phosphor sheet along the curved feed path. The first and second roller pairs have respective first and second drive rollers disposed inwardly of respective curved sections of the curved feed guides and respective first and second driven rollers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet feeding device for feeding a sheet which is scanned in a main scanning direction by a light beam, along a feed path having a curved section. Further, the present invention relates to a radiation image reading apparatus which incorporates therein the sheet feeding device.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a stimulable phosphor which, when exposed to an applied radiation (X-rays, α-rays, β-rays, γ-rays, electron beams, ultraviolet radiation, or the like), stores a part of the energy of the radiation, and, when subsequently exposed to applied stimulating rays such as visible light, emits light in proportion to the stored energy of the radiation. A radiation image information recording and reproducing system uses a sheet provided with a layer of the stimulable phosphor, which is referred to as a stimulable phosphor sheet. The radiation image information recording and reproducing system records radiation image information of a subject such as a human body temporarily on the stimulable phosphor sheet, applies stimulating rays such as a laser beam or the like to the stimulable phosphor sheet, photoelectrically reads light emitted from the stimulable phosphor sheet to produce an image signal, and processes the image signal to reproduce the recorded radiation image information on a photosensitive medium such as a photographic film, or display the recorded radiation image information on a display unit such as a CRT or the like.
The radiation image information recording and reproducing system has an image reading apparatus for reading the radiation image information carried by the stimulable phosphor sheet by applying stimulating rays such as a laser beam or the like to the stimulable phosphor sheet which carries the recorded radiation image information in a main scanning direction and feeding the stimulable phosphor sheet in an auxiliary scanning direction that extends substantially perpendicular to the main scanning direction, and an image recording apparatus for recording an image based on the radiation image information on a photographic photosensitive medium by applying a laser beam to the photographic photosensitive medium in the main scanning direction based on the radiation image information obtained from the stimulable phosphor sheet and feeding the photographic photosensitive medium in the auxiliary scanning direction.
Since the medium to be scanned in the image reading apparatus and the image recording apparatus needs to be smoothly fed in the auxiliary scanning direction, the image reading apparatus and the image recording apparatus have a feed mechanism comprising a pair of rollers (nip rollers) rotatable in pressed contact with each other for feeding the medium in the auxiliary scanning direction.
One known feed mechanism of the above type is known as a light beam scanning mechanism as disclosed in Japanese patent publication No. 5-45108. The disclosed light beam scanning mechanism has a pair of rollers for gripping and feeding a medium to be scanned, the rollers being spaced from each other by a gap smaller than the thickness of the medium, and a roller displacing means for displacing at least one of the rollers to widen the gap between the rollers.
The adjustable gap is effective to prevent the medium from suffering shocks when it enters between the rollers. When the medium is not fed by the rollers, the rollers are prevented from being deformed due to the gap present therebetween. The medium to be scanned can thus be fed accurately and smoothly by the rollers in the auxiliary scanning direction.
When the feed mechanism is incorporated in image reading apparatus and image recording apparatus, the feed mechanism is specifically constructed as shown in FIG. 12 of the accompanying drawings, for example. As shown in FIG. 12, the feed mechanism has first and second roller pairs 1, 2 for gripping and feeding a sheet S such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or a photographic photosensitive sheet in an auxiliary scanning direction indicated by the arrow A, and a turn guide 3 extending through the first and second roller pairs 1, 2 for guiding the sheet S along a predetermined feed path.
The first and second roller pairs 1, 2 comprise respective drive rollers 1a, 2a which are driven to rotate about their own axes and respective driven rollers 1b, 2b movable toward and away from the respective drive rollers 1a, 2a. A light beam, such as a laser beam L, for example, is applied to the sheet S between the first and second roller pairs 1, 2 in a direction substantially perpendicular to the auxiliary scanning direction indicated by the arrow A.
The turn guide 3 has curved sections positioned upstream and downstream, respectively, of the first and second roller pairs 1, 2, each of the curved sections having a relatively large radius R of curvature. The turn guide 3 also has straight sections extending from the curved sections toward the first and second roller pairs 1, 2, the straight sections having respective lengths H1, H2. The feed mechanism has a relatively large length H3 in the horizontal direction to provide a space for feeding the sheet S therein.
In recent years, image reading apparatus and image recording apparatus of reduced size have been desired in the art, and there is a demand for a reduction in the space for feeding the sheet S in the feed mechanism, i.e., the length H3. To meet such a demand, it is necessary to reduce the radius R of curvature and also the lengths H1, H2 of the straight sections.
However, since the sheet S such as a stimulable phosphor sheet or a photographic photosensitive sheet is of high rigidity, if the radius R of curvature and the lengths H1, H2 of the straight sections are reduced, then the driven rollers 1b, 2b which are disposed inwardly of the turn guide 3 tend to be lifted out of position due to the rigidity of the sheet S. For this reason, the sheet S may not be fed accurately by the feed mechanism.
One proposal is to position free rollers near the rollers 1b, 2b for preventing the sheet S from being unduly deformed. However, if the sheet S is curled, then the sheet S impinges upon the free rollers, and the quality of the process of reading image information from and recording image information from the sheet S is lowered. The above problem also arises in feeding various sheets such as rigid sheets of paper other than stimulable phosphor sheets or photographic photosensitive sheets.

Curved guide for radiation image reading device


A correction circuit in a digital phase locked loop is disclosed having a first terminal, a second terminal, a value-discretely tunable oscillator, an integrator, a loop filter, and a feedback path. A correction circuit is connected to an input of the integrator on the input side and to an output of the integrator on the output side. The correction circuit generates a correction word derived from an actuating word fed to the input of the integrator and a word derived from the second frequency word. A periodic error component in the frequency setting word output by the integrator can thus be corrected by the correction circuit.

In telecommunications and mobile radio technology, a requirement exists that the circuits necessary for data transmission are to be realized as integrated circuits in semiconductor bodies. In this case, the development of radiofrequency assemblies is striving for an ever higher integration density and easier portability to more finely patterned semiconductor processes. The desire for easy portability is often impeded by the technology used heretofore, which is essentially based on analog signal processing. For this reason, circuits are increasingly being designed and implemented for radiofrequency assemblies which comprise fully digital signal processing. These circuits additionally have the advantage that they can already be integrated into existing digital elements.
One group of devices that enables fully digital signal processing is the digital phase locked loop (all-digital PLL). The latter is often suitable for use in reception paths of mobile communication devices in which the generation of a pure carrier signal is required.
The inventor is aware that some digital phase locked loops generate interference signals. This is effected primarily if the desired output frequency of the digital phase locked loop is close to an integer multiple of a reference frequency used.
FIG. 6a shows a frequency-power diagram of a digital phase locked loop. It shows the phase noise of the output signal generated by the digital phase locked loop as a function of frequency spacing. It can clearly be discerned that additional interference signals are generated at a spacing of 60 kHz, 120 kHz and 180 kHz from the carrier signal. Thus, by way of example, the interference signal SP1, at a spacing of 60 kHz from the carrier signal, reaches a magnitude of −20 dBc, relative to the resolution bandwidth RBW of the measurement. The further interference signals SP2 and SP3, too, which represent the harmonic components of the interference signal SP1 at 120 kHz and 180 kHz, are possibly not suppressed sufficiently with respect to the carrier signal. These interference signals mean that the transmission quality is impaired and require complex filter measures to suppress them.

Digital phase locked loop and method for correcting interference components in a phase locked loop


A system for processing data within a Trusted Execution Environment (TEE) of a processor is provided. The system may include: a trust manager unit for verifying identity of a partner and issuing a communication key to the partner upon said verification of identity; at least one interface for receiving encrypted data from the partner encrypted using the communication key; a secure database within the TEE for storing the encrypted data with a storage key and for preventing unauthorized access of the encrypted data within the TEE; and a recommendation engine for decrypting and analyzing the encrypted data to generate recommendations based on the decrypted data.

Consumers place a level of trust in financial institutions and vendors when they make a purchase using a financial product (e.g., a credit card or a loyalty membership card), such that their private information, such as the transaction data, would not be exposed to other parties without explicit consent from the consumers. At the same time, consumers respond better to personalized offers than to unpersonalized recommendations.
Banks and merchants are generally unwilling to share consumer data with other organizations, as protection of consumer privacy is of utmost importance to them. In addition, even with explicit consent from the consumers, the banks and merchants are still reluctant to share consumer data with other parties, as they may lose control or ownership of the shared data.
There is a desire to ensure protection of privacy during data processing and transformation. However, the increased privacy leads to technical challenges as additional steps of encryption and decryption may lead to increased infrastructure demands, as well as technical limitations on performance.

System and method for secure electronic transaction platform


A method for diagnosis of a mood disorder or predisposition therefor in a test subject is disclosed. The method includes the steps of determining binocular rivalry rate in the test subject and comparing the binocular rivalry rate with a corresponding reference rivalry rate to diagnose presence or absence of the mood disorder or predisposition therefor. Also disclosed is use of the diagnostic method in genetic linkage studies for the identification of the molecular defect(s) underlying these disorders, and for the identification of compounds which may alleviate such disorders.

A variety of mood disorders exist which compromise to varying degrees the social integration and quality of life of affected individuals. The major forms of mood disorder include bipolar disorder (manic depression) and unipolar disorders (major depression and unipolar mama). Other wood disorders include dysthymic disorder, cyclothymic disorder, seasonal affective disorder and substance-induced mood disorder.
Bipolar disorder is a common condition with a lifetime prevalence of 1.2% to 1.6% (Weissman et al. 1988, Psych. Med. 18:141–153; Kessler et al. 1994, Arch Gen. Psych. 51:8–19). It is characterised by recurrent episodes of mania and depression with symptomatic recovery between episodes.
The pathophysiology of bipolar disorder remains poorly understood despite considerable research (Goodwin et al. 1998, Arch. Gen. Psych. 55:23–25). Although it is strongly heritable, the genetics are complex, with less than fill concordance in monozygotic twins (Mitchell et al. 1993, Aust. & New Zeal. J. Psych. 27:560–580). At least four different susceptibility loci have been identified (Adams et al. 1998, Am. J. Hum. Genet; 62:10841091). A trait-dependent biological marker would assist genetic linkage studies (which are dependent upon the identification of the clinical phenotype) and would potentially lead to an understanding of the underlying molecular defect in bipolar disorder.
In unipolar depression, there are recurrent episodes of depression with symptomatic recovery, but there are no episodes of mania. In unipolar mania there are recurrent episodes of mania but no episodes of depression. Like bipolar disorder, the pathophysiology and specific genetic defects underlying unipolar disorders remain poorly understood.
Current techniques for diagnosing mood disorders rely entirely on subjective interpretation of a patient's condition based on clinical interview. However, apart from being relatively time-consuming, the subjective nature of this technique in interpreting a psychiatric profile does not provide consistently accurate determinations of clinical phenotype. Consequently, misdiagnosis of mood disorders may occur which can thereby affect the prescribed pharmacological and non-pharmacological therapy.
In the 1930s, Hunt and Guilford (1933, J. Abnormal and Social Psychology 28:443–452) found that hospitalised manic-depressive patients displayed slow alternation rates when viewing an ambiguous figure (ie. Wheatstone cube) compared to normal controls. The mean passive viewing number of alterations per minute was 4.25 for manic-depressives and 18.06 for normal controls. A strong implication from this study is that such slower alternation rates may be the result of clinical progression. Moreover, the data from this study support the use of this test to confirm the presence of manic-depressive illness in hospitalised individuals with a life history of illness at least as long as that for the individuals in the study.

Method and apparatus for diagnosis of a mood disorder or predisposition therefor


A melting apparatus for melt-decontaminating radioactive metal waste includes a melting furnace, a high frequency generator, a ladle, a bogie, a cooling unit and a dust collector. In detail, the melting furnace includes a crucible into which the metal waste is input, and an induction coil which is wound around the crucible to melt the metal waste. The induction coil has a hollow hole in which cooling fluid flows. The high frequency generator applies high-frequency current to the induction coil. The ladle supplies molten metal, from which slag has been removed in the crucible, into molds. The bogie is disposed adjacent to the ladle and is provided with the molds, each of which forms an ingot using the molten metal supplied thereinto. The cooling unit cools the cooling fluid and circulates it along the induction coil. The dust collector filters out dust and purifies gas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to melting apparatuses for melt decontamination of radioactive metal waste and, more particularly, to a melting apparatus which melt-decontaminates different kinds of metal waste generated from nuclear facilities, especially, facilities for processing or producing nuclear fuel, thus forming a decontaminated ingot from which radioactive contaminated slag is removed so that the decontaminated ingot can be recycled.
2. Description of the Related Art
Industrial waste, the principal ingredients of which are ferrous metals such as stainless steel and carbon steels, is perceived as being a valuable resource, and its recycle ratio is quite high compared to other kinds of waste.
Generally, the purpose of recycling waste is to cope with a dearth of natural resources and the problem of environmental pollution such as air, water or soil and other kinds of pollution. Particularly, although metal waste is a kind of waste which must be reprocessed to be recycled, given that the cost of recycling metal waste is markedly less than that of using natural resources to produce a product, it is a big loss in terms of protection of the environment or in the economic sense that metal waste is discarded rather than being recycled.
Metal waste which is generated from nuclear facilities can also be reused by a recycling process in the same manner as other industrial metal waste. However, there is the possibility of such metal waste having been made radioactive by artificial neutron irradiation or been contaminated by radioactive substances used in the nuclear facilities. If such metal waste is recycled to produce products without adhering to appropriate regulations and the products are put on the market, an unspecified number of the general public may be exposed to radiation by the contaminated products. Therefore, all of the metal waste generated in radiation controlled areas in a nuclear facility is targeted for control. However, despite the case where the concentration of radio-nuclides in metal waste is infinitesimal so that it barely has any radiological effect on the public and the environment, if the same regulations are applied to the case, economic and social costs may be unnecessarily incurred. Hence, in the nuclear relevant act of South Korea, only when the concentration of radio-nuclides in metal waste is below a clearance level (a clearance limit), in other words, only when the radiological effect on the public and environment attributable to recycling of metal waste is below a disposal criterion that complies with the nuclear relevant act, is metal waste allowed to be discarded (or recycled). Furthermore, a related regulatory agency strictly requires radiation safety management and evaluation of radiological harm so that the radiological effect to the public and environment which is caused by clearance can be minimized.
For example, it is expected that metal waste, such as a filter frame, a powder drum for a natural uranium, nuts, bolts and metal scraps, which were used in facilities for processing and producing nuclear fuel are contaminated with uranium compounds such as UO2, UO2F2 or U3O8. Therefore, such metal waste is regarded as radioactive waste which becomes a target of control, but if the concentration of the source of radiation pollution in the metal waste is below the clearance level, the metal waste is exempted from the regulations and is allowed to be disposed of by a recycling method or the like.
If the shape of metal waste is that of a planar plate or the like which has a comparatively simple geometrical shape and a smooth surface, it can be recycled only by surface decontamination. Radioactive concentration is measured in real time during the decontamination process by a combination of a direct measurement method using a surface contamination monitor which is used in a nuclear fuel processing site and an indirect measurement method using a smear method. However, in the case of metal waste such as a nut or bolt which has a complex geometrical shape, it is impossible to directly measure its surface contamination, or it is difficult to use the smear measurement method. Therefore, such metal waste creates a lot of difficulties during decontamination or radiological monitoring processes.
For the above reasons, a melt decontamination method is used. If metal waste is heated to a high temperature and melted, not only can radioactive substances in the metal be evenly distributed in a medium, but nuclear fuel material which is the source of the pollution can also be contained in slag on molten metal. The melt decontamination method uses these characteristics. If metal waste that has a complex structure which makes surface decontamination and direct radiation measurement difficult is processed by the melt decontamination method, the volume of the metal waste can be reduced, and uranium substances can be easily removed from a metal medium before the decontaminated metal waste is disposed of.
Hitherto, a lot of research into a technique for melt-decontaminating metal waste that contains radioactive substances has taken place. Particularly, it has been reported that if the source of pollution is a nuclear fuel material (uranium radio-nuclide), most of the source of radiation pollution is contained in slag when melted. Although the decontamination effect is different depending on the initial conditions of contamination, the kind of melting additive and operation conditions such as the type of a melting furnace, the amount of uranium that is contained in slag when melt-decontaminating metal waste is over 1,000 times the amount of uranium that is contained in an ingot. It has been reported that as the initial degree of contamination increases, such a tendency also increases.
For example, a system for melt decontamination of radioactive scrap metal was proposed in Korean Patent Registration No. 10-1016223. In this melt decontamination system, U-238, Ce-144, Cs-134, Cs-137, Sr-89, Sr-90, Ni-63, Co-58, Co-60, Cr-51, etc. are the target nuclides to be decontaminated. The system melt-decontaminates metal waste polluted by radioactivity generated in nuclear facilities, thus forming a decontaminated ingot from which slag that contains radioactivity is removed. The decontaminated ingot is recycled, and the slag that contains radioactivity is disposed of as radioactive waste.

Melting apparatus for melt decontamination of radioactive metal waste


Method, system and computer program product for tracking changes in an L1 data cache directory. A method for tracking changes in an L1 data cache directory determines if data to be written to the L1 data cache is to be written to an address to be changed from an old address to a new address. If it is determined that the data to be written is to be written to an address to be changed, a determination is made if the data to be written is associated with the old address or the new address. If it is determined that the data is to be written to the new address, the data is allowed to be written to the new address following a prescribed delay after the address to be changed is changed. The method is preferably implemented in a system that provides a Store Queue (STQU) design that includes a Content Addressable Memory (CAM)-based store address tracking mechanism that includes early and late write CAM ports. The method eliminates time windows and the need for an extra copy of the L1 data cache directory.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to the data processing field and, more particularly, to a method, system and computer program product for tracking changes in a Level 1 data cache directory in a processor in a data processing system.
2. Description of Related Art
A processor, such as a microprocessor, in a data processing system typically employs a built-in Level 1 (L1) memory cache to reduce the average time to access memory. An L1 cache includes both data and instructions and is effective because many programs tend to access the same data or instructions over and over, and by maintaining as much of this information as possible in the L1 cache, the processor may often avoid having to access the slower main memory of the data processing system.
An L1 data cache directory (L1 DCache directory) as used in current systems consists of 32 entries×16 way associative×about 50 bits of address and miscellaneous information (32×16=512 entries×50 bits). This design results in substantial time windows and requires an extra copy of the L1 DCache directory to properly maintain the directory and to avoid losing data due to changes in directory allocation. This extra L1 DCache directory requires a great deal of area in the L1 DCache.
It would, accordingly, be desirable to provide a mechanism for tracking changes in a Level 1 data cache directory in a processor in a data processing system that will eliminate time windows from the design and also eliminate the need for an extra L1 DCache directory.

System and method for tracking changes in L1 data cache directory

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus and method for cleaning and drying a wafer in a single cleaning tank using a cleaning solution including means for producing a hydrogen activation seed from hydrogen-containing gas and means for introducing active gas containing the hydrogen activation seed into the cleaning tank wherein dangling bonds on the wafer are terminated with hydrogen by spraying the active gas containing the hydrogen activation seed on the wafer.

In a semiconductor manufacturing process, cleaning of a wafer is a very important process to remove any impurity such as metal, organic matter, and fine particles that badly affect semiconductor characteristics. However, a wafer surface after cleaned and dried has many dangling bonds thereon which cause the surface to become very active. This produces a difficulty, for example, that the surface is again contaminated and a natural oxide film is nonuniformly formed thereon as the surface makes contact with air upon the wafer being carried. The present inventor has investigated a method of terminating dangling bonds on the wafer surface with hydrogen for stabilization of the wafer surface as a method of preventing the foregoing difficulty.
Such a hydrogen terminating method includes: 1) a method of subjecting a wafer to a dilute fluoric acid processing after a final cleaning process of the wafer for a ultra-pure water processing, 2) a method of processing a wafer with boiled ultra-pure water after final cleaning of the wafer, and 3) a method of processing a wafer in the atmosphere of hydrogen at a temperature of 600.degree. C. or more.
However, these methods are unlikely to completely terminate a wafer surface with hydrogen and are insufficient to prevent recontamination after cleaning.
Further, for drying a wafer, there are used a nitrogen blow and a rotary dryer or the like, however, they are unlikely to completely remove water molecules from the wafer surface and hence a nonuniform natural oxide film is produced.
In view of the drawbacks with the prior art, it is an object of the present invention to provide a wafer cleaning apparatus and a method thereof capable of preventing contamination of a wafer surface after cleaned and production of a natural oxide film on the wafer surface by completely terminating the wafer surface with hydrogen after cleaned.

Wafer cleaning apparatus and method thereof


A louver assembly and a method for installing the louver assembly into an opening in a wall of a structure are provided wherein the louver includes a frame which and a separate louver section which may be mounted within the frame after the frame has been mounted in the opening in the wall. The frame defines a central channel which extends from an interior opening to an exterior opening. The frame includes a frame flange extending from an exterior edge of the central channel so that, when the frame is in a desired position within the hole in the wall, the frame flange extends around the entire perimeter of the hole to seal the perimeter of the hole. The louver section is selectively mountable within the central channel so that it is prevented from passing through the exterior opening. When the louver section is in a desired position within the central channel, the frame is sealed so that air is prevented from passing between the frame and an outer surface of the louver section.

Conventional louver assemblies are generally constructed as single piece assemblies including a peripheral flange which engages the perimeter of a wall opening. Many such conventional louver assemblies are relatively heavy and bulky, making installation difficult, dangerous or even impossible. This is especially the case for louver assemblies weighing over one hundred pounds (for example, 4.times.8 foot louvers). During installation, such conventional louvers have to be maneuvered out of the wall opening and often must be supported by the installer who must reach out through the opening to align the louver and draw it back into the opening. This process is difficult and dangerous, especially when the wind is blowing and/or when air is moving in or out of the wall opening. After such a louver has been installed, the installer must seal the opening to prevent water and cold air from entering the building. On any floor above the first floor of the building, it is difficult (or impossible) to reach the louver and properly seal the louver flange to the building. This is due to the fact that the louver blades prevent the installer from reaching through the opening to access the exterior of the louver or the exterior building surface.
Another known louver assembly includes no outer flange and may, therefore, be installed without being passed to the outside of the building and then drawn back into the wall opening. Such a louver may slide directly into position within the wall opening from the inside of the building. However, the joint between the outside of such a flangeless louver and the wall opening often cannot be properly sealed. Thus, the connection is not air or water tight. The lack of a flange also makes it more difficult to properly align the louver within the wall opening.
Furthermore, connection between such known louvers and duct work is cumbersome. The conventional louver designs provide a one inch wide flat surface around a back exterior of the louver. The ducts are often provided with a one inch flange either on an inside or outside surface thereof, which is then attached to the louver flange using screws. With such an arrangement, achieving a permanent air tight seal is difficult and time consuming.

Louver assembly and method for installing a louver assembly


A low profile head support device has excellent shock resistance and can apply necessary and sufficient biasing forces to a head and a disk drive using the same. The head support device includes a head; head suspension 2 to suspend the head; base arm 4 pivotally secured to actuator axis 10, suspending the head suspension; pivot fulcrum 5 to movably suspend head suspension 2; and spring member 2e to apply a biasing force to head suspension 2, wherein pivot fulcrum 5 is disposed on base arm 4. The head support device can be used in various kinds of information devices such as data processing devices, magneto optical disk drives, optical disk drives or the like.

The hard disk drive (or HDD) to read/write information on a magnetic disk (or disk) employs the disk as a storage medium and read/write data on the disk surface using a magnetic head (or head). The HDD typically comprises a head support device that suspends the head at a predetermined floating height over the disk surface to move the head to a target location on the disk radially.
An example of the head support device with the floating head in a conventional HDD is described as follows with reference to FIGS. 8 and 9. FIG. 8 is a plan view showing the main structure and relation between the head support device and the disk ("disk" also referred to as "recording medium"). FIG. 9 is a perspective view showing the main structure of the head support device in a conventional HDD.
Head support device 91 comprises: comparatively less rigid head suspension ("head suspension" also referred to as "support arm") 92; plate spring 93; comparatively more rigid base arm 94; slider 95 mounted on the surface of one end of head suspension 92 facing disk 98; and a head (not shown) mounted on slider 95 as shown in FIGS. 8 and 9. Head suspension 92 with comparatively less rigidity is bent to form plate spring 93 at one end, and plate spring 93 is connected to base arm 94. Moreover, base arm 94 is secured rotatably on bearing 96, and head support device 91 can move pivotally within a predetermined angle to a target location on the disk radially using actuator 97 connected to base arm 94. Additionally, head actuator 90 consists of head support device 91, bearing 96 and actuator 97.
Disk 98 rotates at a predetermined speed by disk driving means 99. During a reading/writing operation of the HDD, balance between the floating force by air flow generated during rotation of disk 98 and biasing force against the disk surface suspends slider 95 at a predetermined floating height over the disk surface, and the head mounted to slider 95 reads and/or writes data over the disk surface at a predetermined floating height. Plate spring 93 formed on head support device 91 mainly provides slider 95 with the biasing force against the disk surface. Head support device 91 moves pivotally around bearing 96 as a rotation center using actuator 97 connected to base arm 94 to transport the head mounted on slider 95, floating over the disk surface at a predetermined floating height, to a target track location for reading/writing operation.
In the aforementioned head support device 91, floating at a predetermined height over the disk surface, plate spring 93 provided on head suspension 92 must have a function to allow slider 95 to follow disk 98 steadily under fluctuation of biasing forces caused by product quality fluctuation, in a case of vertical shock of disk 98. Therefore, head suspension 92 has typically a thin-plate or apertured structure with lower rigidity as well as a smaller spring constant to provide head support device 91 with a certain level of flexibility. To withstand and absorb external shocks on slider 95, various methods are presented, such as setting the center-of-mass of head support device on a specific position or adding a counter weight to cancel shocking loads (for example, see Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No. 09082052 and H11-039808).
However, in the head support device used in conventional HDDs, a vibration mode such as torsion or the like occurs in positioning the head support device to a target track by pivotal movement because of the lowered resonance frequency owe to the adoption of thin-plate structure of head suspension 92. The drawback is that the time necessary to stabilize the vibration mode increases the reading/writing access time.
Additionally, the conventional structure must absorb external shocks by forming an arch in the thin-plate structure. Upon loading strong external shocks on the head support device, therefore, balance between the floating force by air flow generated in rotation of the disk and biasing force against the disk surface is disturbed to cause a possible risk of the slider 95 jumping from the disk surface because rigidity is especially lower in the slider mounting portion of the head suspension. The slider 95 sometimes collides with the disk by strong external shocks causing damages magnetically or mechanically. The problem is commonly observed in disk drives using the floating head system, such as optical disk drive, magneto-optical disk drive or the like.
Moreover, along with the downsizing trend of PCs, small sized and especially low profile HDD is required urgently. A low profile design is, therefore, needed for head support device that is a main component of the hard disk drive.

Head support device and disk drive using the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


The present invention is premised upon an improved photovoltaic cell assembly that include at least plurality of photovoltaic cells with a photoactive portion with a top surface, a top collection structure on the top surface and an opposing conductive substrate layer on a side of the photoactive portion opposite the top surface. Also including a first conductive element with a first surface and wherein the first conductive element is bent at least once and wherein the first surface is in contact with the top collection structure and/or the top surface of a first photovoltaic cell and the opposing conductive substrate layer of an adjacent second photovoltaic cell; further wherein at least a portion of the first surface is held in contact to the cells by an adhesive.

Thin film solar cells provide several advantages especially when used in building integrated photovoltaic applications—i.e. devices that are integrated into building structures for example as roofing shingles or exterior wall coverings. One such advantage is that these compositions have a high cross-section for absorbing incident light. That is, photovoltaic layers that are very thin can absorb and convert to electricity a relatively high percentage of incident light. For example, in many thin film solar cell devices, photovoltaic layers may have a thickness in the range of from about 1 μm to about 4 μm. These thin layers allow devices incorporating these layers to be flexible.
The conventional approach to assembly of photovoltaic cells is the so-called string & tab method, in which solar cells are connected to each other using tin or solder coated flat wire (buss) ribbons and bonded by soldering and/or other adhesive material such as conductive epoxy. The wire ribbon is typically bonded to buss bar locations on a conductive grid that is applied to the surface of the cell. It is believed that the cross section of the wire may be limited such that thicker wires are too stiff and thin and wide wires obscure too much light. The net result is that interconnect resistance losses as well as the amount of active cell surface area that is blocked by the ribbon can account for significant reduction in photovoltaic cell assembly (hence the PV device) performance. The string and tab process is particularly suited for use in photovoltaic applications, wherein the photovoltaic cells are rigid. This process may be difficult to use with thin film solar cells because the resulting series string of cells may be fragile and susceptible to lost contact of the PV ribbon with the solar cell. Furthermore, the appearance of the large buss ribbons on the surface of the PV device may be aesthetically undesirable to customers.
One approach to interconnecting thin film solar cells is the so-called "shingling" method, wherein the bottom conductive surface of one solar cell contacts the top surface of an adjacent cell. Again, this process may result in solar cell interconnects that are susceptible to lost contact between the devices.
Among the literature that can pertain to this technology include the following patent documents: U.S. Pat. No. 6,936,761; U.S. Pat. No. 7,022,910; U.S. Pat. No. 7,432,438; U.S. Publications 2007/0251570; 2009/00025788; and 2009/0255565, all incorporated herein by reference for all purposes.