The present invention relates to a guide-through assembly (4) for a filling level sensor working according to the principle of delay measurement of guided electromagnetic waves or for a capacitive filling level sensor, which for sealing the interior of the vessel against the interior of the sensor has no elastomeric sealing materials and in particular no elastomeric o-rings seals. This can be ensured by precisely machining the components which are essentially concentrically arranged in the guide-through assembly (4) on their circumferential surfaces (10, 11), so that in an assembled state the components arranged in the guide-through assembly (4), such as the interior conductor (7) and the dielectric materials (9, 12, 14) surrounding the interior conductor (7), contact each other at their mutually adjacent circumferential surfaces (11) in a sealing and positive engagement, so that additional sealing elements are not needed.

For the measurement of filling levels measuring systems are often used which operate by measuring the delay required by an electromagnetic wave sent out from a filling level sensor attached in the vessel cover to reach the filling matter surface and return. When the height of the vessel is known, the desired filling level can be computed. Such sensors, also known as filling level radar in the pertinent art, usually rely on the fact that electromagnetic waves propagate at constant speeds within a homogeneous non-conducting medium and are at least partially reflected at the boundary surface of differing media. Each boundary layer of two media with different dielectric constants causes a radar echo of the incident wave. The greater the difference in the two dielectric constants, the greater the change in wave resistance of the wave propagation and the stronger the echo that will be observed.
To determine the desired wave delay, different radar principles are known. Two frequently used techniques are on the one hand the impulse delay technique (impulse radar) and on the other hand the frequency modulated continuous wave technique (FMCW radar). The impulse radar relies on pulse form amplitude modulation of the wave to be radiated and determines the direct time duration between transmitting and receiving the impulse. The FMCW radar, on the other hand, determines the delay in an indirect manner by transmitting a frequency modulated signal and determining the difference between a transmitted and a received momentary frequency.
Apart from the various radar principles, depending on the application, various frequency areas of electromagnetic waves are used. There are, for example, impulse radar devices with carrier frequencies in the area of between 5 and 30 GHz and also those which work in the base band as so-called mono pulse radars without a carrier frequency.
A series of methods and devices is also known which guide electromagnetic waves to the filling matter surface and back. In principle, a distinction can be made between waves radiated into space and waves guided by a conductor. A filling level measuring device in which microwaves are guided via a coaxial conductor into an antenna for radiating an electromagnetic wave, is known, for example, from EP 0 834 722 A2. Herein, the antenna is configured to be bipartite and comprises a first antenna portion in the form of a solid cylinder of a dielectric material surrounded by a metal sleeve. Adjacent to this first antenna portion is a second antenna portion which radiates the wave signal towards the filling matter. The filling level measuring device itself is attached within a vessel nozzle by means of a flange attachment, wherein a separate sealing element is inserted to provide a seal between the vessel flange and the housing flange.
The filling level sensors working according to the principle of delay measurement of guided electromagnetic waves, also referred to as time domain reflectometry (TDR) filling level sensors, have a different structure with respect to guide-through and signal guidance. In these filling level sensors an electromagnetic wave is guided via a conductor, such as a probe in the form of a metallic cable or rod, to the point of reflection and from there back to the sensor.
These sensors have considerably less damping of the reflected echo signals than those which freely radiate high frequency waves, because the power flows only in the very limited area in the vicinity along the conductive wave guide. Interfering echoes from within the vessel, such as caused by reflections of the wave on structures within the vessel (stirring apparatus, tubes), and which, with freely radiating sensors, make the identification of the one echo from the filling material surface difficult, are largely avoided with sensors having guided waves. This means that the filling level measurement using guided electromagnetic waves is largely independent of the vessel construction and also of the product quality of the filling matter or other operating conditions (e.g. dust, angle of bulk material) and thus leads to reliable measuring results.
Any known conductors of high frequency waves may be used as the wave conductor for guiding the wave, wherein the wave at least partially penetrates the medium which surrounds the metallic conductor or is surrounded by it. Due to its simple mechanical construction and its suitability for all kinds of filling matter, i.e. bulk materials and liquids, the single-wire conductor or the single conductor probe is often used in the filling level measuring field. When it is configured as a rod or cable probe, it is particularly insensitive to filling matter build-up and attachment. DE 44 04 745 C2 describes an exemplary filling level sensor with such a probe.
The conduction path between the electronics and the probe with such filling level sensors almost always comprises the above-mentioned guide-through assembly and an additional coaxial cable which establishes the connection to the sensor's electronics on which the electronic circuit for generating the transmission signal and the evaluation of the reflected signal resides. The coaxial cable can be eliminated in some special cases where the printed circuit board has a direct electrical and mechanical connection to the guide-through assembly. The guide-through assembly has the function of guiding the measuring signal from the sensor attached on the outside of the filling matter vessel to the probe extending on the inside of the vessel. It must also provide mechanical support to the probe. For this purpose, it usually has a metallic process connection which can be fixedly attached in the vessel, e.g. in a cover opening of the same, and which receives an interior conductor to guide the wave. In order to avoid any short circuits, there is an insulating element between the carrier element and the conductor element. The interior conductor connects the coaxial cable usually leading to the electronics on the one hand and the probe protruding into the vessel on the other hand.
Conventional guide-through assemblies for single-conductor probes usually have a coaxial structure, i.e. the interior conductor is coaxially surrounded by the insulating element and the process connection. While this basic structure can be technically realised in various ways, usually certain requirements must be met, such as sealing the vessel atmosphere, pressure resistance, resistance to high tensile forces on the probe, resistance to high temperatures and resistance against an aggressive vessel atmosphere. In particular, to meet the sealing requirements, usually elastomeric sealing elements must be provided in the guide-through assembly in order to seal the interior of the vessel against the interior of the sensor housing.
The structure of a capacitive filling level sensor is very similar to the above-described structure of a TDR filling level sensor. The measuring principle of such capacitive filling level sensors is based on the fact that the filling matter and the vessel together with the measuring probe form an electrical capacitor. In this measuring technique, the filling level is detected by measuring the capacitor's capacitance, which varies as the filling level varies, and which allows the filling height to be determined.
Such capacitive filling level sensors are known, for example, from DE 027 44 864 A1 or DE 030 50 189 A1, from which the structure of capacitive filling level sensors, which is similar to TDR filling level sensors, can be seen. These sensors also have an internal conductor which is insulated with respect to a process connection. To meet the sealing requirements, also in connection with these capacitive filling level sensors, sealing elements must be provided in the guide-through assembly in order to seal the interior of the vessel against the interior of the sensor. Such sealing elements are usually of resilient, partially crystalline or thermoplastic materials, such as polytetrafluoroethylene (PTFE). However, such materials usually have a drawback in that they begin to get brittle or to flow when exposed to high pressures and/or temperatures, which is why such sealing elements are not suitable for filling level sensors exposed to high pressures and/or temperatures.

Coaxial gapless guide-through assembly for a filing level sensor


One embodiment of the present invention provides a system that facilitates receiving content at a client from one or more servers that can potentially provide the content. The client starts by sending a request for the content to a directory server. In response to the request, the client receives a list of candidate servers that can potentially provide the content from the directory server. Once the client has received the list of candidate servers, the client sends a request to one or more of the candidate servers for the content, and subsequently receives the content from one or more of the candidate servers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computer networks. More specifically, the present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for facilitating distributed delivery of content across a computer network.
2. Related Art
The explosion of broadband communications has helped the Internet become a viable distribution mechanism for multimedia and high quality video. Prior to broadband, conventional modems were much to slow for the large file sizes that video demands. Now that more and more people have broadband connections and are requesting ever larger items of content, bandwidth and server utilization is quickly becoming a bottleneck on the distribution end. In some cases, extraordinary events have brought online news sites to a virtual standstill as people flocked to them to see video of the events.
Some companies have tried to solve this problem by creating server farms and clusters. These have been effective in handling routine peaks in demand and creating a level of fault-tolerance, but overall, they have been ineffective in handling demand resulting from an extraordinary event.
Another issue with increased bandwidth is the cost of the increased bandwidth to service providers. The Internet is made up of numerous smaller networks that have peering arrangements between them. Service providers typically have to pay more for information that is passed outside of their network. Likewise, companies typically have to pay more as the level of information they request increases.
Attempts have been made to alleviate these problems by creating peer-to-peer distributed content delivery networks. In these networks, peers that have previously downloaded content become potential servers for the content for other peers that subsequently request the content. While these content delivery networks have succeeded at moving traffic away from the server farms where the information was originally published, they have created new problems.
One of the biggest problems in classic peer-to-peer networks is performance. Quite often, a peer that a client is routed to for downloading content has limited bandwidth and is topologically distant on the network. In this case, download times at the client end can actually increase, and bandwidth cost can increase as well because the traffic has to travel across more networks.
Another major problem with distributed content delivery networks is the increased local traffic resulting from local searches for content. More clients on the network result in more local searches. As these distributed networks grow, they actually degrade or split into smaller subsets of the entire network.
What is needed is a method and apparatus for facilitating the distributed delivery of content across a network without the problems associated with existing distributed content delivery networks.

Method and apparatus for facilitating distributed delivery of content across a computer network


Autonomous unmanned vehicles (UVs) for responding to situations are described. Embodiments include UVs that launch upon detection of a situation, operate in the area of the situation, and collect and send information about the situation. The UVs may launch from a vehicle involved in the situation, a vehicle responding to the situation, or from a fixed station. In other embodiments, the UVs also provide communications relays to the situation and may facilitate access to the situation by responders. The UVs further may act as decoupled sensors for vehicles. In still other embodiments, the collected information may be used to recreate the situation as it happened.

Unmanned vehicles (UVs) can be equipped and configured to launch and carry out a predetermined mission autonomously. These mission capabilities may be enhanced or expanded when a UV is configured to carry a payload, such as one or more cameras, audio or visual signaling devices, communications gear, and/or sensor packages. Many UVs also include information gathering and processing capabilities, and so are able to analyze their surrounding environment and take actions in response. As the sophistication of UVs in these respects continues to develop and increase, UVs become an increasingly useful tool, which is further enhanced by many UVs' ability to go into environments that would be hostile or difficult for a person to enter, and either carry out actions or relay information.

Autonomous unmanned vehicles for responding to situations


It is provided an optical waveguide device in which the radius of curvature of a curved part of an optical waveguide can be lowered and the radiation loss of light in the curved part can be reduced. An optical waveguide device 2 has a ferroelectric optical waveguide substrate and an optical waveguide 5 formed in or on the substrate and modulating electrodes 4A, 4B and 4C. The thickness of the optical waveguide substrate is 30 μm or smaller at least in a region where the optical waveguide is formed. The optical waveguide has curved part having a radius of curvature of 30 mm or smaller.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical waveguide device.
2. Related Art Statement
It is proposed a structure of lowering the thickness of an optical waveguide substrate to attain the velocity matching of microwave and light wave, so as to widen the modulation bandwidth of an optical modulator.
In such kind of a structure utilizing a thinner optical waveguide substrate, it is required to lower the thickness of the substrate around an optical waveguide to a value of, for example 10 μm, for satisfying the velocity matching condition. Such thin optical waveguide may result in the flattening of optical mode field pattern and transmission loss of light due to surface roughness and damage caused by the processing for producing the thin substrate and a groove. The assignee filed a Japanese Patent publication 2002-169133A disclosing two-step groove structure for preventing the flattening of optical mode field pattern and the transmission loss.
According to a device described in Japanese Patent publication H09-211402A, an air layer is provided in a reinforcing substrate to satisfy the velocity matching condition. Further, according to a device described in Japanese Patent publication 2004-341147A, a plate-shaped optical waveguide substrate having a thickness of 30 μm is bonded onto a reinforcing substrate to integrate them.
Further, Japanese Patent publication H04-355714A describes a traveling wave type optical modulator having a crossing part where two optical waveguide branches intersect each other. According to this type of optical modulator, the optical waveguide is folded at one edge of a substrate to lower the substrate length required for applying necessary intensity modulation.


A carrier convertible from a carrying and storage mode to a playing mode. There are two bins which, in the carrying mode, are positioned on either side of one or more boards. The bins interlock with each other and with the boards so that the whole device may be easily carried as a unit. The interlock may be formed from posts and holes, depressions and protrusions, etc. When a user wishes to play bingo or other similar type game, the carrier is quickly and easily converted to playing mode. The latches are disengaged to allow the two bins to separate. This frees the boards from their confinement by the interlock. There is a groove in the backs of the boards. When the boards are set up for play, the grooves are set to rest over and engage either the low front edge of the bins, or the higher back edge of the bins. In this position, the boards provide an inclined surface for holding and displaying multiple bingo cards for convenient viewing and playing.

The game of bingo has become almost a national pastime. For many it is more than a pastime, it is an important part of every week, or even every day. Most people who play the game play multiple cards during any particular round. This can be very difficult to do if you have a limited amount of space. It can also be difficult to track and mark all of your cards as the numbers are called. This is especially true in cases where the cards are flat on the table and/or not close enough to you.

Bingo supply carrier and bingo card support


Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a data storage method, an electronic device, and a computer program product. The method includes: determining the number of at least one first storage apparatus of a storage system, each first storage apparatus being persistent and storing a log that includes record entries of to-be-stored data; and writing, if it is determined that the number is greater than a threshold number, the to-be-stored data into a corresponding memory table from the log where the to-be-stored data is located, wherein data in the memory table will be written to a second storage apparatus of the storage system. In this way, the storage efficiency of the storage system can be improved.

In storage systems, data may be stored based on a tree structure. A conventional storage system usually includes one or more volatile memories and/or one or more non-volatile storage devices. The volatile memory may include, for example, a random access memory (RAM), and the non-volatile storage device may include, for example, a storage disk such as a solid state drive (SSD). In a data storage process, an input/output (IO) operation between the volatile memory and the non-volatile storage device is involved. However, in current storage systems, volatile memories are usually used for processing data to be processed. The method is prone to data loss when the storage systems are powered off or fail, thereby reducing system storage efficiency.

Data storage method, electronic device, and computer program product


A device for administering an injectable product including a casing, an injection mechanism including an injection needle pointing in an insertion direction, and a protective cap for the injection needle wherein, in one embodiment, the administering device includes a removing device for removing the protective cap from the injection needle and, in another embodiment, the administering device includes a needle protecting sleeve shiftable generally in alignment with the casing and generally between a front position, advanced relative to the casing, for protecting the injection needle and to a rear position, retracted relative to the casing, for inserting the injection needle into a tissue. In one embodiment, the needle protecting sleeve is prevented from moving completely into the rear position by a lock when the protective cap is protecting the injection needle.

The present invention relates to a device for administering an injectable product, in particular an injection pen for fluid products such as insulin, which comprises features for protecting an injection needle associated with the administering device. The application claims the priority of German patent application No. 103 39 794.9, filed on Aug. 28, 2003 with the German Patent and Trademark Office.
Administering devices such as injection pens are widely used in medical or therapeutic treatment in which an injectable product has to be repeatedly administered. In the case of diabetes, for example, it is necessary to administer an insulin dosage to the patient at regular intervals. Injection pens for this purpose are designed to be reusable. For each injection, however, a new needle or needle unit with a new, sterile injection needle has to be attached to the administering device. In order, for example, to avoid pricking injuries when removing and attaching a needle unit, and to ensure the sterility of the injection needle, the injection needle is typically surrounded by a protective cap which is placed over the injection needle or needle unit. In order to use the injection pen, the protective cap is generally removed from the injection needle using an aid. In order to further avoid exposing the injection needle, even when the protective cap has been removed, a protective means for protecting the exposed injection needle can be provided on the administering device. The protective means can, for example, be formed by a needle protecting sleeve which surrounds the injection needle in a front position, advanced relative to the casing, and exposes the injection needle in a rear position, shifted backwards relative to the casing.
For administering an injectable product quickly and easily, it is cumbersome to have to carry along a separate aid for removing a protective cap from the injection needle. Furthermore, administering the injectable product quickly and easily can be compromised, since due to the protective means, it is not possible to recognize whether the protective cap has been placed on the injection needle or not.

Administering device with a protective cap removing device and a needle protecting sleeve locking means


A method for displaying an image onto a relief projection surface using a projection system includes the automatic measurement, using a fixed camera, of the distance separating virtual reference frame points projected onto the projection surface, from real reference frame points produced on a three-dimensional screen to set the projection system, acquisition, by the same fixed camera as that used during the setting of the projection system, of an image of a rear face of the three-dimensional screen, identification of the position of a finger in contact with a front face of the three-dimensional screen in the acquired image, and control of an appliance according to the identified position of the finger.

The invention relates to a method for setting a system for projecting an image onto a relief projection surface. Another subject of the invention is a method for displaying an image on this relief projection surface and a system for displaying a three-dimensional image. Finally, also the subject of the invention is an information storage medium for the implementation of the preceding methods.
A "relief" projection surface here describes a surface which is not contained in a plane. Such a relief surface therefore has bumps or hollows, the depth or the height of which relative to a median plane is at least greater than 5 mm and, typically, greater than 1 cm or 5 cm. The median plane is the plane which minimizes the sum of the heights and depths of all the reliefs of the projection surface. Typically, such a projection surface is dished so as to be primarily concave or convex. This projection surface is borne by a three-dimensional screen.
The term "three-dimensional" describes an object or a surface for which, regardless of the reference frame considered, the position of each point of this object or of this surface is defined unambiguously by three coordinates x, y and z along three non-coplanar axes of this reference frame, none of these coordinates being a constant.
The systems for displaying an image on a relief projection surface have in particular been developed to allow for the rapid production of prototypes. For example, such a system is described in the following article:
J. C. Verlinden, A. de Smit, A. W. J. Peeters, M. H. Van Gelderen, Development of flexible augmented prototyping systems, Delft University of technology.
As indicated in this article, one of the difficulties is that it is difficult to set the display system so that the projected image which is in two dimensions, is displayed correctly on the relief surface. More specifically, the difficulty stems from the fact that the image has to be projected very precisely so that the pixels of the image in two dimensions designed to illuminate a particular relief pattern of the three-dimensional screen actually illuminate this particular pattern and not another area of the three-dimensional screen.
Various setting methods have been developed. Most of these methods are manual and therefore take time.
The applicant has also considered an automatic setting method consisting in measuring, using an instrument, the position of the three-dimensional screen relative to the projector to then be able to compute the relationship which links each pixel of the image in two dimensions to a relief of the three-dimensional screen. This method entails knowing very accurately the position of the projector in relation to the position of the instrument for measuring the position of the screen. Now, in practice, it is not easy to fairly accurately position the measuring instrument relative to the projector.
Moreover, it is desirable to enable a user, in the simplest possible way, to select a particular position on the projection surface to automatically trigger, in response, an action.
Prior art is also known from:                Ramesh Raskar et al, Shader Lamps: Animating Real Objects with Image-Based Illumination, Proceedings of the Eurographics Workshop on Rendering, 25 Jun. 2001, pages 1-10,        Morishima S et Al, Hypermask: Talking head projected onto moving surface, Proceedings 2001 International Conference On Image Processing, vol. 3, 7 Oct. 2001, pages 947-950,        PIPER B et Al, Illuminating Clay: A 3-D Tangible Interface For Landscape Analysis, CHI 2002 Conference Proceedings. Conference on Human Factors in Computing Systems. 20 Apr. 2002, pages 355-362,        WO2010/102288A2,        Bennett E et Al, The effect That Touching a Projection Augmented Model Has on Object-Presence, Information Visualisation, 2005. Proceedings, Ninth International Conference On, 6 Jul. 2005, pages 790-795,        FREDERIC DELAUNAY et Al, A study of a retro-projected robotic face and its effectiveness for gaze reading by humans, Human-Robot Interaction (HRI), 2010 5th ACM/IEEE International Conference On, 2 Mar. 2010, pages 39-44,        HRVOJE BENKO, ANDREW D. WILSON, PATRICK BAUDISCH: Precise Selection Techniques for multi-touch screens, ACM, 22 Apr. 2006, pages 1263-1272.

Method for setting a system for projecting an image onto a relief projection surface

Commissariat á l'énergie atomique et aux énergies alternatives


Disclosed are various embodiments of a structural reinforcement system. The system reinforces hollow cavities within various products to increase the structural rigidity of the product. The system generally includes a rigid carrier, a bonding material, and an insert. The rigid carrier provides the primary structural reinforcement within the cavity, and also serves as a substrate to carry the bonding material. The insert is provided to increase the structural rigidity of the reinforcement system.

Cars, trucks, boats, trains, and planes often include frames with hollow cavities. Hollow cavities are often created in these products to reduce overall weight of the product, as well as to reduce material costs. However, introducing hollow cavities into a frame may reduce the overall strength of the frame, and may also increase noise and vibration in other parts of the vehicle.
To alleviate these, as well as other negative effects, hollow cavities often include reinforcements, including various bonding materials. Such reinforcements can decrease noise and vibration while increasing the structural stiffness of the product, thereby allowing for significant weight and material cost reductions. Reinforcement systems can include bonding materials, such as an expandable foam, which is applied to a rigid carrier. The foam expands during the manufacturing process, securing the rigid carrier in place as the foam contacts the walls of the hollow cavity. Reinforcement systems can provide additional structural reinforcement, as well as other benefits, through the use of novel shapes, materials, and configurations.


A directional capacitive proximity sensor circuit capable of providing directional capacitive proximity sensing includes one or more guard electrodes, a first sensor, and a second sensor. The directional capacitive proximity sensor is installed in a device such that the first sensor is positioned near a first component of the device, and the second sensor is positioned near a second component of the device. The first and second sensors measure a capacitance to detect proximity of a user relative to the respective sensor, wherein the detected proximity is interpreted to determine a direction in which the user proximity is detected relative to the directional capacitive proximity sensor circuit. The guard electrode is provided to mitigate stray capacitance to reduce error in the capacitance measurements obtained by the first and second sensors.

In various technological applications, it is oftentimes advantageous to sense the proximity of an object relative to a device. For example, in mobile phone applications implementing a touch screen display, it may be advantageous to detect the proximity of a user's head to the display, such as when the user is participating in a phone call, so that the display panel may be disabled and battery consumption thereby reduced.
One such solution for sensing the proximity of objects involves the use of an optical sensor. However, optical sensors tend to be cost-prohibitive and may be difficult to incorporate in various devices. Another solution for sensing proximity of an object involves the use of a capacitive sensor. However, conventional capacitive proximity-sensing technology is unsophisticated as it is unable to distinguish proximity of an object around (i.e., not directly above) the sensor from proximity of an object above the sensor. For example, in applications in which a mobile phone implements a touch screen display, conventional capacitive proximity-sensing circuitry confuses a user touching the display screen of the mobile phone (in a location near the sensor) with the user holding the phone to his head. As such, conventional capacitive proximity-sensing technology has not been satisfactory for all conditions of use.

Directional capacitive proximity sensor with bootstrapping


A nutritional composition is disclosed which comprises synergistic functional carbohydrates for preventing or treating infection by pathogenic bacteria and/or promoting gut flora balance and health. The carbohydrates have a synergistic activity on promoting bifidobacteria in the intestine. Also disclosed are a method of production of the composition; and a method of treatment of infection by pathogenic bacteria and/or promoting gut flora balance and health which comprises administering an effective amount of the composition.

The present invention relates to a nutritional composition which comprises synergistic functional carbohydrates for prevention or treatment of infection by pathogenic bacteria and/or promoting gut flora balance and health; a method of production of the composition; and a method of treatment of infection by pathogenic bacteria and/or promoting gut flora balance and health which comprises administering an effective amount of the composition.
It has been suggested that there are health benefits associated with growth of bifidobacteria populations in the gut. These benefits include increased defense against pathogenic bacteria, stimulation of the immune system, and health benefits relating to the production of short chain fatty acids (SCFAs), as well as less abdominal sensation. All of these influence gut flora balance and gut health.
It is well known that infection by pathogenic bacteria can be detrimental to health. Examples of these bacteria include Clostridium perfringens, C. difficile, Salmonella and other enteropathogens.
In the past, infection by these harmful bacteria has been allowed to proceed until it must be treated by antibiotics. The antibiotics have a good effect on harmful bacteria. However, they suffer from the problem that they also kill populations of intestinal bacteria that are not harmful and that aid digestion of food. These bacterial populations are often referred to as "friendly."
Therefore, a need exists for a composition that is capable of preventing or combating infection by pathogenic bacteria, increasing defense against pathogenic bacteria, stimulating the immune system, and/or increasing short chain fatty acid production, all of which lead to promotion of gut flora balance and health.
The present invention addresses the problems set out above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of treating irritable bowel syndrome


A step exercising machine including a pivotable mounting rack turned around an axial tube on an arched bar of a base frame and a transverse retaining rod disposed on the arched bar, two transverse mounting shafts bilaterally disposed to the pivotable rack, two pedals respectively turned about two opposite ends of a first mounting shaft and supported on a respective hydraulic cylinder and respectively pushed against the retaining rod by a respective downward driving rod, wherein the pivotable rack is turned around the axial tube of the arched bar forwards and backwards alternatively when the pedals are alternatively moved up and down, causing the pedals to oscillate leftwards and rightwards alternatively.

The present invention relates to step exercising machines, and relates more particularly to such a step exercising machine which forces the pedals to oscillate leftwards and rightwards alternatively, when the pedals are peddled up and down.
FIGS. 4 and 5 show a step exercising machine according to the prior art. This structure of step exercising machine comprises a base 1' having an upright post 11' and a horizontally disposed arched rack 12', a hollow revolving shaft 4' sleeved onto the upright post 11', bearing 44' mounted on the revolving shaft 4' at the top, a top transverse rod 41' and a bottom transverse rod 42' fixedly fastened to the periphery of the revolving shaft 4' at the back side at different elevations, a horizontal gear holder 43' perpendicularly connected to the revolving shaft 4' at the front side to hold a sprocket wheel 5' and a sector gear 51', permitting the sector gear 51' to be maintained in engagement with the rack 12', two pedals 2' adapted for pedaling, and two hydraulic cylinders 3' adapted for providing a damping force to the pedals 2'. Each pedal has a barrel 21 ' at the rear end coupled to one end of the top transverse rod 41', a downward coupling plate 22' disposed below the barrel 21' and coupled to one end of the bottom transverse rod 42', and a bottom ring 23' near the front end. Each hydraulic cylinder 3' has a coupling ring 32' at the rear end of the casing thereof coupled to one end of the bottom transverse rod 42', and a piston rod 31 ' with an eyed end 33' pivoted to the bottom ring 23' of one pedal 2'. Furthermore, a chain 6' is mounted on the sprocket wheel 5', having two opposite ends respectively connected to the downward coupling plates 22' of the pedals 2'; and upright frame 7' may be fastened to the upright post 4' to hold a handlebar 71'. When the pedals are peddled, the revolving shaft is forced to turn forwards and backwards alternatively, thereby causing the pedals to oscillate leftwards and rightwards alternatively. However, this structure of step exercising machine has drawbacks. One drawback of this structure of step exercising machine is that high noises will be produced when the chain and the sector gear are respectively moved relative to the sprocket wheel and the rack. Another drawback of this structure of step exercising machine is that the chain tends to disengage from the sprocket wheel during the operation of the step exercising machine. Furthermore, this structure of step exercising machine is complicated, therefore its manufacturing cost is high.


The present invention provides a Ni--Ti--Pd superelastic alloy material of a composition consisting of, by atomic percent, 34 to 49% nickel, 48 to 52% titanium and 3 to 14% palladium. Optionally, a part of nickel and/or titanium of this alloy is replaced with one or more elements selected from a group of Cr, Fe, Co, V, Mn, B, Cu, Al, Nb, W and Zr such that these elements to be replaced amount to 2% or less in total (by atomic percent), wherein a stress hysteresis between the loading and unloading stresses in the stress-strain curve at temperatures between Af and Af+5.degree. is as small as 50 to 150 MPa. Since the Ni--Ti--Pd superelastic alloy material having the above composition is excellent in hot workability, it can be hot-worked into a wire having a diameter up to the range from 1 to 5 mm and manufactured at a low cost. Then, a final heat-treatment is given to the hot-worked material at a temperature in the range from 300.degree. to 700.degree. C. through a step of final cold-drawing at a reduction ratio in a cross section area of not less than 20%, whereby an excellent superelastic material is obtained, with a stress hysteresis in the range from 50 to 150 MPa, and a residual strain of 0% or close to 0% after unloading, and which can be suitably used for an orthodontic archwire.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a Ni--Ti--Pd superelastic alloy material which presents a small stress hysteresis, its manufacturing method and an orthodontic archwire made of this alloy material.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In general, a metal material loaded with a stress exceeding its elastic limit results in permanent deformation. However, a certain kind of alloy such as Ni--Ti alloy has a function to go back to its original shape after unloading, even if a stress is loaded to provide such an alloy with a strain close to 10% at a temperature exceeding a reverse Martensite transformation finish (Af) temperature (which will be hereinafter referred to as Af temperature) as shown in FIG. 1. Namely, the Ni--Ti alloy or the like has a superelastic function and is called a superelastic alloy.
Incidentally, FIG. 1 is a typical graph of the stress-strain curve for a superelastic alloy in loading and unloading. Referring to FIG. 1, 1 represents a difference between a loading stress P.sub.1 in the flat range from a to b and an unloading stress P.sub.2 in the flat range from c to d, and this difference is called a stress hysteresis.
The Ni--Ti alloy may be practically used for actuators, toys, pipe coupling or the like by taking advantage of its shape memory properties. In addition, the range of use of the Ni--Ti alloy by taking advantage of its superelastic properties has been recently increasing. Thus, the Ni--Ti alloy has been put into practical use in various fields by taking advantage of stress-strain characteristics similar to rubber. Specifically, the Ni--Ti alloy is frequently used for frames of glasses, wires of brassieres, orthodontic archwires, antennas for portable telephones or the like.
Further, an alloy having a composition adapted for such purposes has been manufactured by adding a small amount of a metal element such as Cr, Fe, Co, V, Mn and B to the Ni--Ti alloy in order to improve the workability and alloy characteristics.
In general, a superelastic alloy material is deformed due to a moderate stress in loading and takes advantage of its high force in unloading. Thus, it is preferable that the superelastic alloy material goes back to its original shape due to a stress which is as close to the stress in loading as possible. Namely, the superelastic alloy material preferably presents a small stress hysteresis. Further, it is necessary that a residual strain should be 0%, or be close to 0% in unloading.
FIG. 2 is a graph of the stress-strain curve for a Ni--Ti superelastic alloy. As is apparent from FIG. 2, a stress hysteresis (shown by 1 in FIG. 2) is as large as approximately 300 to 400 MPa, and therefore, there has been a limit in the use of such a Ni--Ti superelastic alloy.
On the other hand, a Ni--Ti--Cu alloy has been developed as a superelastic alloy which presents a small stress hysteresis. FIG. 3 is a graph of the stress-strain curve for the Ni--Ti--Cu superelastic alloy.
It has been found that the stress hysteresis of the Ni--Ti--Cu alloy is reduced as the amount of Cu in the alloy is increased, and that the stress hysteresis in a composition containing, by atomic percent, approximately 10% Cu is reduced down to 100 to 200 MPa and 20% Cu is reduced down to 40 MPa on a laboratory level (S. Miyazaki, I. Shiota, K. Otsuka and H.Tamura. Proc. of MRS Int'l. Mtg on Adv. Mats., Vol. 9 (1989) Page 153, Hiroshi Horikawa and Tatsuhiko Ueki, Advanced Materials '93. V/B: Shape Memory Materials and Hydrides, edited by K. Otsuka et al. Trans. Mat. Res. Soc. Jpn., Volume 18B Page 1113, U.S. Pat. No. 5,044,947). The Ni--Ti--Cu alloy having such a feature is mainly used for orthodontic archwires.
However, the hot workability of the Ni--Ti--Cu superelastic alloy is remarkably reduced as the amount of Cu in the alloy is increased. Thus, an alloy containing a large amount of Cu cannot be manufactured on a factory level. In addition, the stress hysteresis cannot be reduced to only about 160 MPa under the existing circumstances.
Accordingly, the development of a superelastic alloy material which is excellent in workability and presents an extremely small stress hysteresis has been needed. Incidentally, it is necessary for the superelastic alloy material that the residual stress in unloading as described above should show 0% or be close to 0%.

Ni-Ti-Pd superelastic alloy material, its manufacturing method, and orthodontic archwire made of this alloy material


In one aspect, a first device includes a processor and a memory accessible to the processor. The memory bears instructions executable by the processor to receive information pertaining to an event to occur at a first date and a first time, establish an entry at an electronic calendar for the event based on the first date and first time, determine a second date and a second time at which to provide a reminder for the event based at least in part on an event type to which the event pertains, and set the reminder to be provided at the second date and second time.

Electronic calendars are sometimes configured to provide a reminder regarding an event in the calendar prior to the actual event. However, these reminders typically occur at a set time regardless of the particular event, even though different reminders may be desired for different events. Furthermore, there may be instances where a user may wish to have a reminder provided at a specific and/or opportune time depending on the specific event. There are currently no adequate and/or efficient solutions addressing the foregoing.

Establishing a reminder for an event in a calendar


Syringe needles are cut in an efficient manner and safely disposed using a cutting mechanism and a disposal container. The cutting mechanism includes two discs with sharp edges. The discs are displaced toward each other and into an overlapped position. At the same time, the circular discs are rotated around the longitudinal axis of the needle at a high angular velocity and are allowed to pivot upon coming in contact with the needle. The cutting and disposal apparatus includes a housing with a syringe receptacle for receiving the needle of a syringe and a used needle disposal container. The used needle disposal container has an orifice in alignment with the syringe needle receptacle in the housing. A switch associated with the syringe needle receptacle when the syringe needle syringe is inserted into the receptacle automatically activates a motor which imparts the displacement and rotational motion and causes the discs to pivot around their center upon contact with the needle to slice the needle off of the syringe. After the needle is cut off, it falls into the used needle disposal container placed directly below the syringe receptacle. The disposal container is permanently locked and sealed after it is removed from the cutting and disposal device. The container is made preferably from the same type of metal as the syringe needles so that the container together with the used syringe needles inside it can be melted to produce recycled metal.

The present invention is directed to disposal devices for disposing of used syringe needles. In particular, the present invention is directed to a method and an apparatus for disposing of used syringes by cutting off used syringe needles and then storing the cut-off needles in a secured container.
Each year thousands of syringe hypodermic needles are used by hospitals, clinics and other medical facilities. To avoid contamination, practically all needles and most syringes are used only once. After the needles or syringes are used, they have to be properly disposed. One approach for suitable disposal of syringes is to place the syringes with the needles still attached to them into sealed containers. The containers are then periodically emptied into disposal machines. The disposal machines pulverize, sterilize or incinerate the content of the containers so that the resulting ground and sterilized or incinerated particles could be safely placed in a landfill or other non-hazardous disposal sites. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,971,261 to Solomans discloses a device for fragmenting medical waste, including syringes. The device disclosed in the Solomans patent includes a U-shaped stationary member to hold the item to be fragmented and a rotating blade which fragments the item in a shearing-type action. The device also includes an agitating member which continually throws the cut fragments into the path of the rotating blade to further cut the fragments into particles that are sufficiently small to be disposed of after sterilization. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 4,565,311 to Pugliese et al. discloses a machine for destroying used syringes. The machine includes a pair of spaced apart knives which shear parts of the syringe in multiple locations. U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,541 to Hashinoto et al. discloses a hypodermic syringe disposal apparatus which employs mesh gears to crush the syringe. Electrical voltage is applied to the gears so that the hypodermic needle of the syringe is burnt immediately upon coming in contact with the gears. U.S. Pat. No. 3,750,966 to Anderson discloses a device for destroying syringes, which employs a pair of counter-rotating toothed rolls for fracturing syringes into discrete pieces. U.S. Pat. No. 3,322,355 to Bryant discloses a disintegrating machine which grinds hypodermic syringes into small pieces. Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,035,367 discloses a device which crushes medical waste using rotating blades that shear the items into pieces.
The approach of disposing of syringe needles by grinding crushing or pulverizing the entire syringe presents several problems. First, the devices for crushing the entire syringe, including the hypodermic needle, are generally, large, heavy and not easily portable. Therefore, the syringes have to be transported to such devices and, in most cases, the syringes must be temporarily stored prior to being transported. The sharp hypodermic needles on the syringes present a risk that either the medical personnel or the disposal personnel become infected by pricking their skin on the needles during storage or transportation. Second, the syringes can be stolen from temporary storage places or during transport and then reused by drug addicts. Third, the machines for crushing or grinding entire syringes are generally noisy and they vibrate during operation. This necessitates special arrangements for accommodating such machines. Finally, since tremendous forces have to be generated to crush syringes, the crushing machines are relatively expensive to make. They are also expensive to maintain because the parts subjected to stresses wear out requiring frequent maintenance to replace or repair worn out parts.
To obviate the problems inherent in the disposal of used hypodermic needles by crushing or grinding entire syringes, various devices have been designed for the removal of used syringe needles from the syringes, and subsequent disposal of the removed needles separately from the syringes. An inherent problem with removing the used needles from the syringes is the risk of accidental pricking of the skin which may cause infection from a virus, bacteria or microorganism that may be present on the needle.
To address this risk, devices were introduced to automatically unthread or unscrew the hypodermic needles from the syringes and to store the separated needles. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,862,573 to Kelson, et al. discloses a disposal device for blood sampling needles in which a needle is threaded into a reusable sleeve. After the sampling needle is used to draw blood, the needle is unthreaded from the sleeve and discarded. The sleeve may be reused then with a new needle. The disposal device disclosed in the Kelson et al. patent automatically unscrews the needle from the sleeve when the blood sampling needle is inserted into the disposal device. U.S. Pat. No. 4,986,811 to Thead, et al. also discloses an apparatus for removing disposable needles from reusable syringes by unscrewing them from the body of the syringe. The user inserts the needle into the apparatus which automatically rotates the needle to disconnect it from the syringe. Similarly, the Thead et al. '598 patent, discloses a device which unscrews the needle from the syringe and allows the used needle to fall into a container. The device of this patent removes but does not destroy the used hypodermic needles.
One disadvantage of the devices that merely unscrew or unthread used needles from syringes is that the needles are not destroyed immediately after being separated from the syringes. As a result, the used needles that are temporarily stored, transported or discarded can be recovered by drug users, f or example, and reused. The recovered needles that are not properly sterilized before being used again may contribute to the spread of infectious diseases.
One approach to disposal of syringe needles is to snap, shear or bend the syringe needle so that it cannot be reused. This approach is disclosed in several patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,255,996 to Choksi et al discloses a device for severing a hypodermic needle at cannula using a manual cutter. The Choksi et al patent discloses that the cutter should preferably have a blunt shearing edge. It notes that a very sharp, beveled edge would simply dull when abutting the metal cannula. See e.g. column 2, lines 37-41. U.S. Pat. No. 3,796,359 to Dick discloses a syringe needle destroyer having a conical needle guide provided in axial alignment with a relatively small cylindrical passageway. To dispose of a used needle, the needle is inserted into the passageway via the needle guide and the syringe is bent to snap the needle off of the syringe by the bending action. The needle falls into a container for retaining used needles. One disadvantage of the device disclosed in the Dick patent is that the needle guide into which the needle must be inserted is so small that medical users of the device may inadvertently prick themselves with the used needles while attempting to insert the needle, and thus subject themselves to the risk of being infected with disease that may be carried on the contaminated needle. Another disadvantage of this approach is that the device for shearing or bending or snapping of syringe needles produce noise and vibration, both of which are disruptive in the hospital environment. Moreover, the large forces required to effect shearing bending or snapping of needles tend to reduce the useful life of such machines or require frequent maintenance to replace worn out parts.
There is, therefore, a long felt and still unsatisfied need for an efficient and safe manner of disposing of used syringe needles to prevent medical personnel and others from being infected by the used needles which may be contaminated with infectious agents and for an efficient and safe disposal of used syringe needles so as to prevent the contaminated needles from being reused and thereby minimize the spread of diseases.
The present invention fulfills these long felt still unsatisfied needs.
Thus, one object of the present invention is to provide an efficient and inexpensive method for disposing of syringes and hypodermic needles which renders the needles unusable and can be performed without excessive noise and vibration.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an efficient apparatus for disposing of syringes and hypodermic needles which is small enough to be portable and which requires a minimal amount of maintenance.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for disposing hypodermic needles which allows for secured storage and safe disposal of the needles cut off from the syringes.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for disposing of syringe needles, that need not be serviced or maintained for a prolonged time.
A yet further object of the present invention is to provide a method and an apparatus for disposing of syringe hypodermic needles which does not require special accommodations to avoid noise and vibrations.
Other objects of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art upon studying this disclosure. All such objects and all advantages and features of the present invention are intended to be included within the scope of the claimed invention.

Method and apparatus for disposing of used syringe needles


Device for manufacturing lollipops, including a rotatably driven drum provided with lollipop moulds at its circumference, a supply for supplying a strand of lollipop material to the lollipop moulds and a discharge for lollipops formed in the lollipop moulds, wherein the drum is disposed on a hollow shaft and wherein the lollipop moulds are disposed at the circumference of a casing, which defines an annular space with the hollow shaft, wherein the hollow shaft is provided with a first passage and a second passage, each forming a fluid connection between the cavity in the hollow shaft and the annular space, wherein the hollow shaft is provided with a fluid supply and a fluid discharge, which fluid supply is in fluid connection with a pressure source for cooling air, wherein the lollipop moulds comprise lower moulds that are fixed to the casing and the casing with the lollipop moulds forms a detachable part of the device and can be slid on the hollow shaft when being placed or removed.

It is known to make lollipops using a lollipop machine that is provided with a drum rotating about a horizontal shaft, which drum is provided with a series of moulds at its circumference. The moulds are each built up from a lower mould that is fixed to the drum and an upper mould that can be folded up into an open position, in which the leading end of a strand of confectionery can be inserted onto the lower mould, and be folded into a closed position, in which between the upper mould and the lower mould a piece of confectionery has been accommodated. From a direction parallel to the drum axis a stick is then inserted in the mould, and from the opposite direction a pressure piston reduces the mould cavity, in order to shape the lollipop on the stick.
After opening the moulds again by folding up the upper moulds the lollipops are sequentially removed from the lower moulds and transferred by means of a transfer device to a conveyor usually provided with a series of clamps in order to be transported to a next processing station, such as a packaging station.
The moulds including the drum are then rotated further to the point where the strand reaches the moulds in order to be filled again with confectionery. The confectionery is placed in the moulds at a temperature of over 60 degrees C. The confectionery may stick to the steel surfaces of the moulds. In order to prevent this the moulds are passed through a cooling path prior to the lollipops being removed from the moulds. However, this requires time, which adversely affects the capacity. The length of the cooling path can be increased by increasing the diameter of the drum, but this increases the mass of the drum, as a result of which more energy is needed for bringing and keeping the drum in motion and an optional change of drum is difficult.
In case a drum is used having replaceable mould blocks that have the shape of a segment of a circle, in which blocks lower moulds are provided, it is known to provide the fixed drum casing with an annular channel for cooling liquid, wherein a fixed discharge line and a fixed supply line extend radially from the annular chamber to an axis of rotation, and then through the shaft to fixed connections while rotational couplings are placed in between. The radial distance between the annular chamber and the moulds is rather large here, as a result of which the cooling is less efficient. Furthermore replacing the moulds is laborious.
It is furthermore known to cool the moulds on a drum using cooling air, which enters at an end of a stationary hollow shaft, is stopped by a transverse partition in the hollow shaft, then escapes through radial apertures to a stationary chamber, in order to flow out through radial apertures in a wall having the shape of a segment of a circle and situated near the inner surface of the drum for cooling the drum. The cooling air subsequently flows through a slit-shaped space over a circular wall and then to a hollow space of the drum situated within there in order to flow into the hollow shaft again via apertures situated at the other side of the transverse partition and finally exit at the other end of the hollow shaft. The drum is provided with series of lower moulds extending in axial direction and circumferential direction, which lower moulds each can be moved upwards by means of plungers that extend radially outwards from the slit-shaped space. Said known device and cooling system accommodated therein is complex. Replacing the drum is only possible at high costs and involves great effort.


The present invention is drawn toward a black ink-jet ink, comprising a liquid vehicle and a black colorant solubilized or dispersed in the liquid vehicle. The liquid vehicle can include water, a cosolvent, a solubilized naturally occurring amino acid, and an amphoteric surfactant. Other components can optionally be present as well.

Computer printer technology has evolved to a point where very high-resolution images can be transferred to various types of media, including paper. Ink-jet printing involves the placement of small drops of a fluid ink onto a media surface in response to a digital signal. Typically, the fluid ink is placed or jetted onto the surface without physical contact between the printing device and the surface. Within this general technique, the specific method that the ink-jet ink is deposited onto the printing surface varies from system to system, and can include continuous ink deposit and drop-on-demand ink deposit. Regarding drop-on-demand printing systems, the ink-jet inks are typically based upon water and water soluble organic solvents. Essentially, with these systems, ink droplets are propelled from a nozzle by heat or by a pressure wave such that essentially all of the ink droplets ejected are used to form the printed image.
In general, ink-jet inks are either dye- or pigment-based inks. Both are typically prepared in an ink vehicle that contains the dye and/or the pigment. Dye-based ink-jet inks generally use a liquid colorant that is usually water-based to turn the media a specific color. Conversely, pigmented inks typically use a solid or dispersed colorant to achieve color.
There are several reasons that ink-jet printing has become a popular way of recording images on various media surfaces, particularly paper. Some of these reasons include low printer noise, capability of high-speed recording, and multi-color recording. Additionally, these advantages can be obtained at a relatively low price to consumers. However, though there has been great improvement in ink-jet printing, accompanying this improvement are increased demands by consumers in this area, e.g., higher speeds, higher resolution, full color image formation, increased stability, etc. As new ink-jet inks are developed, there have been several traditional characteristics to consider when evaluating the ink in conjunction with a printing surface or substrate. Such characteristics include edge acuity and optical density of the image on the surface, black to color bleed control, dry time of the ink on the substrate, adhesion to the substrate, lack of deviation in ink droplet placement, presence of all dots, resistance of the ink after drying to water and other solvents, long term storage stability, and long term reliability without corrosion or nozzle clogging. Though the above list of characteristics provides a worthy goal to achieve, there are difficulties associated with satisfying all of the above characteristics. Often, the inclusion of an ink component meant to satisfy one of the above characteristics can prevent another characteristic from being met. Thus, most commercial inks for use in ink-jet printers represent a compromise in an attempt to achieve at least an adequate response in meeting all of the above listed requirements.
One characteristic of many ink-jet inks that can be modified to provide improved image quality, particularly with respect to black ink-jet inks, is optical density. As such, investigations continue into developing black ink-jet ink formulations that have improved optical density, and which achieves this improvement without significantly compromising another ink-jetting property.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A method is adopted in a control apparatus for controlling ID information stored in a storage medium in conjunction with a terminal for reading the ID information from the storage medium and used to catalog information for the storage medium into a memory employed in the control apparatus. In an operation to catalog information into the memory of the control apparatus, the terminal receives the information, reads the ID information from the storage medium and transmits the information and the ID information to the control apparatus and the control apparatus catalogs the information and the ID information in the memory by associating the information with the ID information. In an operation to examine information already cataloged in the memory employed in the control apparatus, the terminal reads the ID information from the storage medium and transmits the ID information to the control apparatus; and the control apparatus transmits the information already cataloged in the memory and associated with the ID information to the terminal for displaying the information.

This invention relates to a system using storage media such as an IC card having an electronic circuit chip mounted therein or a magnetic recording card.
With the progress in miniaturization and thickness reduction of integrated circuit chips, a variety of new uses for such have been proposed. In Japanese Patent Laid-open No. Hei 3-38396, a technique is described for utilizing an electronic circuit chip for storing information by mounting the chip on a card along with an antenna device to allow information to be read from the chip by a non-contact reading technique. By storing information about the owner of such a card in a chip mounted on the card, the card can be used as an ID card. In addition, by storing information about an item to which such a card is attached, the card can be used as a tag of the commodity.
The amount of information that can be stored in an electronic circuit chip mounted on a card depends on the size of the card. The larger the amount of information required to be stored in the chip, the larger the size of the card. Because a large card is less portable, if portability is of importance, it is necessary to reduce the size of the card. A small card, however, allows only a small chip with a small amount of information. These relationships apply not only to a card using an electronic circuit chip, but also other storage media such as a magnetic recording card.
To allow information to be stored on a card having an electronic circuit chip, a RAM (Random Access Memory) or other writable memory must be included in the electronic circuit chip. In general, RAM is large and expensive in comparison with a ROM (Read-Only Memory). Thus, a card having an electronic circuit chip including RAM is less portable, and more expensive.

Terminal for use in a system interfacing with storage media


A method for incorporating bus ratio strap options in chipset logic. The method of one embodiment first fabricates a register and multiplexer in chipset logic. The register is programmed with a bus ratio setting. A bus ratio setting is selected to be the output from the multiplexer. The selected bus ratio setting is driven out from the multiplexer to output pins.

This invention relates to the field of computers and computer systems. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for incorporating bus ratio strap options in chipset logic.
In recent years, the price of personal computers (PCs) have rapidly declined. As a result, more and more consumers have been able to take advantage of newer and faster machines. One of the fast growing sectors of the computer industry involves mobile computing. Users in both the business and home markets are now purchasing notebook computers for use on the road. Unlike desktop computers that are powered by an alternating current (AC) source, notebook computers usually run off a battery supply. If a mobile computer is operating at the same performance level as a desktop machine, the power is drained relatively quickly.
In order to extend battery life of mobile computers without widening the performance gap with desktop counterparts, computer manufacturers and designers have instituted power saving technology. One attempt to reduce power consumption entails the use of low power circuit devices. Another power saving method is to use software in controlling system power and shutting down system devices that are not needed.
Another power saving technique is the use of dual-mode mobile processor technology, which relies on the fact that there is a linear relationship between the clock frequency at which a microprocessor operates and the power dissipation of the microprocessor. Dual-mode mobile processor technology allows a mobile PC user to operate the processor at a high performance, high frequency mode when the system is plugged into a wall outlet and automatically switch the processor to a lower performance, lower frequency mode when the system is running solely on a battery. In order to manipulate processor clock frequency in computer systems, methods and circuits are being developed to provide greater control over clock signals.
Some processor designs have included a feature for changing the operating clock frequency. The bus ratio is the multiplier factor used to multiply the frequency of the external clock signal for use within the processor. In one example, the processor clock frequency ratio may be adjusted by setting the state of four pins on the front side of the processor bus. When the processor resets, the new bus ratio is latched into the processor clock circuitry.
Present designs also use external pull-up or pull-down resistors in conjunction with a multiplexer circuit to apply bus ratio setting during a reset sequence. A number of pull-up and pull-down components and circuitry have to be designed into the board assembly in order to enable all desired bus ratio settings. If a bus ratio is controlled through four signals, at least nine components (four pull-ups, four pull-downs, and a multiplexer) have to be included in the board design in order to provide two bus ratio settings. Furthermore, the only way the bus ratio setting can be changed after the system is built is to open up the computer and physically alter the motherboard. Hence, another design problem entails determining what bus ratio settings to maintain on the motherboard.
FIG. 1 is block diagram of a prior art circuit 100 for changing bus ratios. In this example circuit, four control signals 165 are used to control the bus ratio setting for processor 160. The control signals 165 are outputs of a multiplexer 155. Multiplexer 155 switches different input signals to its output pins based on the setting on a select signal 140. Two settings 110, 120 of bus ratios and control lines from the chipset are input signals to the multiplexer 155 here. The bus ratio settings 110, 120 are determined by connecting jumpers between input pins to the multiplexer 155 and pull-up resistors 130 and pull-down 135 jumpers. The bus ratio settings are made when system is assembled. In order for a user to modify the bus ratio settings, a user would have to open up the computer and physically adjust the pull-down 135 connections.
A method for incorporating bus ratio strap options in chipset logic is described. The method of one embodiment first fabricates a register and multiplexer in chipset logic. The register is programmed with a bus ratio setting. A bus ratio setting is selected to be the output from the multiplexer. The selected bus ratio setting is driven out from the multiplexer to output pins.
Other features and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the accompanying drawings and from the detailed description that follows.

Incorporation of bus ratio strap options in chipset logic


A television tuner contains a mixer 1 to which a television signal or an FM broadcast signal is input and outputs an intermediate frequency signal based on the television signal or an intermediate frequency signal based on the FM broadcast signal, an intermediate frequency tuning circuit 2 for tuning to the intermediate frequency signals, and an intermediate frequency amplifier 3 for amplifying the intermediate frequency signal output form the intermediate frequency tuning circuit. The intermediate frequency tuning circuit 2 and the intermediate frequency amplifier 3 are connected to each other via switch diodes 4 and 5, the switch diodes are turned ON upon receiving the television signal and turned OFF upon receiving the FM broadcast signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a television tuner configured to be capable of receiving an FM broadcast signal, in addition to a television signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5 illustrates the construction of the primary portions of a conventional television tuner capable of receiving a television signal and an FM broadcast signal. Either the received television signal or FM broadcast signal is selected and input to a mixer 11, and mixed with a local oscillating signal (not shown) supplied to the mixer 11 to be converted into an intermediate frequency signal in the television intermediate frequency band. The intermediate frequency signal is input to an intermediate frequency amplifier 13 via an intermediate frequency tuning circuit 12.
Here, the intermediate frequency tuning circuit 12 includes a capacitive element 12a, two serially connected inductance elements 12b and 12c, which are connected in parallel to the capacitive element 12a, and a varactor diode 12e connected in parallel to the capacitive element 12a and the inductance elements 12b and 12c via a DC-cut capacitive element 12d. Also, the power supply voltage Vcc supplied to the connection point of the two inductance elements 12b and 12c, is supplied to the mixer 11. The intermediate frequency tuning circuit 12 and the intermediate frequency amplifier 13 are connected to each other by the DC-cut capacitive elements 14 and 15.
The cathode of the varactor diode 12e is supplied with the power supply voltage and the anode thereof is connected to a switch circuit 16. The switch circuit 16 is switched via a resistor such that the anode of the varactor diode 12e is either grounded or connected to the power supply to be supplied with a voltage Ve lower than the power supply voltage.
In the above-mentioned construction, upon receiving the television signal, the television signal of the selected channel is input to the mixer 11. Also, the anode of the varactor diode 12e is grounded via the resistor by the switch circuit 16. Therefore, the voltage between the both ends of the varactor diode 12e becomes the power supply voltage Vcc. By the capacitance value of the varactor diode 12e, the tuning frequency of the intermediate frequency circuit 12 is set to be positioned between a video intermediate frequency P (58.75 MHz) and an audio intermediate frequency S (54.25 MHz), as illustrated in FIG. 6.
Further, upon receiving the FM broadcast signal, the FM broadcast signal of the selected frequency is input to the mixer 11. Moreover, the anode of the varactor diode 12e is supplied with the voltage Ve by the switch circuit 16. Therefore, since the voltage between the both ends of the varactor diode 12e decreases to voltage Vcc−Ve, the capacitance value of the varactor diode 12e increases. By the capacitance value of the varactor diode 12e, the tuning frequency of the intermediate frequency circuit 12 is set to be positioned at an audio intermediate frequency S (54.25 MHz), as illustrated in FIG. 7 (For example, refer to Japanese unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-157128 (FIG. 1, pages 3 to 4)).
Since the FM broadcast signal has a narrow frequency interval (200 kHz) with an adjacent broadcast signal, the selectivity of the intermediate frequency tuning circuit must be sharp in order to avoid interference therebetween. However, since the intermediate frequency amplifier is tightly connected to the intermediate frequency tuning circuit by the DC-cut capacitive element, and the input impedance of the intermediate frequency amplifier is low, there is the problem in that the intermediate circuit is Q-damped and thus the selectivity cannot be sufficiently sharp.

Television tuner being capable of receiving FM broadcast signal


A socket is adapted for being disposed in a sleeve hole of a wrench wherein the sleeve hole has a positioning element disposed on an inner wall of the sleeve hole. The socket includes a main body having a driving portion and a connecting portion at two ends. The connecting portion has a polygonal external surface including plural driven faces arranged around an axial direction. A shared edge is formed between every two adjacent driven faces, and at least one shared edge is formed with a notch for receiving the positioning element. The notch has a triangle cross-section and has a steeper first bottom face and a second bottom face which is more remote from the driving portion than the first bottom face. Thus, the socket can be prevented from moving forward and is easier to remove.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a socket, more especially to a socket for go-through wrenches.
2. Description of the Prior Art
To operate, a conventional go-through ratchet wrench is connected with a tool via a socket or a connector. To position the socket to the wrench, an elastic element is usually disposed on the inner wall of the sleeve hole of the wrench, and the outer wall of the socket is formed with a notch or a groove corresponding to the elastic element. When the elastic element is received in the notch, the socket can not be moved with respect to the wrench temporally for stability during operation. However, as shown in patents TW I232150, TW I245688, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,295,422, the notch of a conventional socket has two symmetrical walls. The two walls are inclined symmetrically. In TW I245688, the cross-section of the notch is square. That is, the two walls of the notch are also symmetrical and are perpendicular to the axial direction of the socket.
One of the walls of the notch is adapted for blocking the elastic element to prevent it from moving further, and the other wall serves as a guiding face to help the elastic element leaving the notch when the socket is going to be removed from the wrench. That is to say, one of the walls plays a role of blocking, and the other wall plays a role of diminishing blocking. If the walls slope too gently, the wall can not block the elastic element well. However, if the walls are too steep, the elastic element is difficult to be guided to leave the notch.


A method and apparatus for calculating a degree of participation of a server in a group of servers is disclosed. In one embodiment, a memory stores timestamps for each access to the server. A processor weights the timestamps to treat more recent accesses as more important than older accesses, wherein older accesses decay in importance exponentially using a half-life constant.

A cluster of servers may include two or more servers. Each server in the cluster provides a redundant backup information to another server in the cluster. Accordingly, server redundancy is desirable such that if a server in the cluster fails, another server in the cluster will automatically take over the failed server.
However, a large number of servers in a cluster may result in a large number of data being exchanged thereby impacting memory and network traffic. As such, servers in the cluster that are minimally accessed may take bandwith and memory space as the data from these servers is unnecessarily replicated to other servers in the cluster for redundancy. Therefore, what is needed is a technique for calculating a degree of participation of a server in a cluster to determine whether the server is to remain in the cluster.

Calculation of the degree of participation of a server in a cluster using half-life decay


A circuit-based technique enhances the power output of electrostatic generators employing an array of axially oriented rods or tubes or azimuthal corrugated metal surfaces for their electrodes. During generator operation, the peak voltage across the electrodes occurs at an azimuthal position that is intermediate between the position of minimum gap and maximum gap. If this position is also close to the azimuthal angle where the rate of change of capacity is a maximum, then the highest rf power output possible for a given maximum allowable voltage at the minimum gap can be attained. This rf power output is then coupled to the generator load through a coupling condenser that prevents suppression of the dc charging potential by conduction through the load. Optimized circuit values produce phase shifts in the rf output voltage that allow higher power output to occur at the same voltage limit at the minimum gap position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to electrostatic generators, and more specifically, it relates to methods for enhancing the power output and lowering the output voltage of an electrostatic generator.
2. Description of Related Art
The "New Generation" electromechanical batteries (EMBs) now under development at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory (LLNL) employ electrostatic generator/motors with a novel geometry. This document describes a design technique for the discharging circuits of those EMBs that can enhance their generator power output substantially over that achievable using conventional circuit design criteria.
The electrostatic generator/motors of our EMBs will employ stator and rotor condenser elements that consist of longitudinal arrays of metal tubes or rods (or azimuthally corrugated metal surfaces). Such condenser elements are described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/96,678, titled "An Improved Electrode Geometry for Electrostatic Generators and Motors" filed Mar. 12, 2013, which is incorporated herein by reference. A schematic end-view of a portion of the stator and rotor of such an array when it is formed of metal tubes is shown in FIG. 1. Also shown in the figure is a section of a more conventional rotor/stator array involving parallel-plane electrodes with rounded edges. More specifically, four metal tubes of the rotor are shown on the left side of the figure. Reference number 10 refers to one such rotor tube. In the figure, each of the rotor tubes is shown to be aligned in the position of maximum capacity with a metal tube of the stator. Reference number 12 refers to one such stator tube. The right side of the figure shows four metal parallel-plane electrodes of the rotor, where each electrode is azimuthally aligned with a metal parallel-plane electrode of the stator. Reference number 14 is directed to one of the rotor electrodes and reference number 16 is directed to one of the stator electrodes. The figure is intended to illustrate a one-eighth section of each of the two different configurations. Thus, the actual embodiment of the tube type geometry would have axially oriented tubes spanning around the stator and the rotor with the given spacing. The same principle applies to the metal parallel-plane stator and rotor geometry.
Among the reasons for selecting the tube-tube geometry instead of parallel-plate geometry is the fact that its voltage-breakdown limit at a given gap is substantially enhanced over that of parallel-plate electrodes having the same gap. Furthermore, the tube-tube configuration has an important additional favorable characteristic that arises from its geometry, as follows: As the rotor elements move azimuthally away from the position of maximum capacity, the gap between the rotor and stator tubes increases monotonically until it reaches its maximum value when the rotor tubes are located midway azimuthally between two azimuthally adjacent stator tubes. As a consequence, the breakdown voltage, which always increases with increasing gap, also increases monotonically with rotation until the moving tubes reach a position corresponding to the maximum gap. As examination of FIG. 1 will show, this property (of a monotonically increasing gap under rotation) is not shared by the parallel-plate geometry, where the minimum gap initially actually decreases under rotation (because of its geometry) even though the inter-electrode capacity is decreasing.

Technique for enhancing the power output of an electrostatic generator employing parametric resonance

Lawrence Livermore National Security, LLC


Provided are an organic light emitting apparatus for use in, for example, a flat device display, and a method of producing the apparatus. The organic light emitting apparatus has sides formed by division at ends of its substrate. Three-dimensional portions are formed on the surface of the substrate along the sides. An inorganic sealing layer is formed to extend toward the three-dimensional portions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an organic light emitting apparatus for use in, for example, a flat device display, and a method of producing the apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
An organic light emitting apparatus having an organic electroluminescence (EL) device as a self light emitting device has been recently attracting attention because of its potential to serve as a flat device display. The organic EL device is obtained by laminating at least a first electrode, a stack layer including an organic light emitting layer, and a second electrode in the stated order on a substrate. The organic EL device is liable to cause the deterioration of its properties owing to moisture or oxygen; a trace amount of moisture peels the stack layer off of an electrode layer, and the peeling is responsible for the occurrence of a dark spot. In view of the foregoing, the organic EL device is covered with an etching glass cover, a sealing agent is stuck to the periphery of the resultant, and the inside of the resultant is mounted with a moisture absorbent so that moisture infiltrating from a sealing surface is absorbed by the moisture absorbent. As a result, the lifetime of the organic EL device is secured.
The realization of a thin, space-saving flat device display using the organic EL device requires a reduction in space of the moisture absorbent around a light emitting area. An example of a method of sealing the organic EL device while eliminating the need for the moisture absorbent is a method involving laminating a sealing layer on the second electrode. A high-performance sealing layer for preventing moisture or oxygen from infiltrating into the stack layer is requested.
A silicon oxynitride film obtained by a CVD method or a sputtering method, or a sealing layer obtained by laminating ceramic and an organic film has been specifically proposed as a sealing layer for an organic EL device. Moisture or oxygen can be shielded by using any one of those sealing layers each formed of an inorganic material for an organic light emitting layer.
By the way, in the production of an organic light emitting apparatus having such organic EL device, from the viewpoint of a reduction in production cost, plural organic light emitting apparatuses are produced on a large substrate, and then division (separation) is performed.
Each of the following proposals has been made as a method of dividing individual organic light emitting apparatuses from a large substrate on which plural organic light emitting apparatuses are formed.
Japanese Patent No. 3,042,192 describes the following invention: scribing and breaking are sequentially performed from both surfaces of a bonded substrate in the division of the substrate so that damage to the substrate in a dividing step is reduced.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-181825 describes the following invention: upon production of organic light emitting apparatuses by plural patterning, a pressure transmitting portion for transmitting a pressure in a breaking step from one substrate to the other substrate is formed, whereby a problem of defective sectioning of the substrate can be solved.
However, when individual organic light emitting apparatuses are divided by employing a general scribing approach from a substrate on which plural organic light emitting apparatuses are formed, the peeling or cracking of a sealing layer occurs at a position where the apparatus is to be divided. As a result, moisture or a gas component infiltrates into a stack layer, thereby leading to the deterioration of display. None of Japanese Patent No. 3,042,192 and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-181825 describes measures for a reduction in occurrence of the peeling and cracking of a sealing layer formed of an inorganic material at a position where the apparatus is to be divided.
The present invention has been made in view of the above-mentioned problems, and an object of the present invention is to provide an organic light emitting apparatus that can be divided without receiving damage to a sealing layer such as peeling or cracking in a step of dividing individual organic light emitting apparatuses from a substrate on which plural organic light emitting apparatuses are formed, and a method of producing the apparatus.

Organic light emitting apparatus and method of producing the same


The mechanisms and techniques described in this document are directed to a journal that allows a navigation-based application to store and restore state of a resource that is programmatically altered. A resource may invoke code that creates and stores an entry in the journal. The entry includes sufficient information to restore the resource from one state to its prior state. In addition, the entry includes a mechanism for creating another entry to undo any changes made by the first entry. In this manner, the journal includes both entries that identify navigations from one resource to another, and entries may be added to undo changes to a resource to restore the resource to a prior state.

The term "Web application" or "Web app" is often used to describe a new type of software application that is commonly deployed as multiple Web pages accessible over the Internet. A conventional Web app includes multiple Web pages representing markup-based documents. The Web app may also include scripts or other resources that are accessed through the Web pages. Commonly, the Web app is stored on a Web server and downloaded to a local computer when being used.
For most Web apps, the multiple Web pages and resources are hyperlinked together in such a way that the "business logic" of the Web app is distributed over the multiple resources. Each page is responsible for a portion of the overall business logic, and by navigating from page to page, the user can experience the entire Web app. For the purpose of this document, the term "navigating" refers to causing a hosting environment to retrieve a resource associated with the Web app, such as by activating a hyperlink. Navigating to a resource typically involves navigating away from another resource where the navigated-to resource is the one being retrieved by the hosting environment.
Often, the hosting environment stores a travellog or journal of the resources to which the user has navigated. That log is made available to the user through a "back" button and a "forward" button. These buttons allow the user to easily navigate backward to each of the "locations" (resources) which the user has already visited. In addition, if the user navigates backwards, the forward button allows the user to move forward again in the same path.
Unfortunately, the current technology does not address the situation where the user interacts with a particular resource (e.g., a Web page) and causes that resource to change in a manner that the user would consider a navigation, but in fact the host environment has not moved away from the resource. In other words, some resources (e.g., some Web pages) are sufficiently complex that the user's view of the resource can change enough that the user believes a navigation has occurred even though one has not. However, the log does not include a new entry because the host environment has not experienced an actual navigation. For the purpose of this document, these occurrences are termed "non-navigations" or "navigation-like" activity. This paradox often leaves users puzzled and frustrated.
A superior mechanism for logging user activity in a navigation-based application, such as a Web app, has eluded those skilled in the art.

Journalling non-navigation activity in a navigation-based application


A mouse device includes a casing, a scroll wheel, a circuit board, an encoder and a microprocessor. The scroll wheel is partially exposed outside the casing. The circuit board is disposed within the casing. The encoder is disposed within the casing. The encoder issues an encoded signal to the circuit board in response to a rotation of the scroll wheel. The microprocessor is electrically connected with the circuit board, and acquires a rotating time period corresponding to one-unit rotation amount of the scroll wheel. If the rotating time period is shorter than a predetermined time period, the microprocessor generates a first control command. If the rotating time period is longer than or equal to the predetermined time, the microprocessor generates a second control command.

The widely-used input devices include for example mouse devices, keyboard devices or trackballs. As known, mouse devices are prevailing because they are very easy-to-use. When a mouse device is held by a user's palm, the user may move the mouse device to control movement of the cursor shown on the computer screen. In addition, by manipulating the buttons of the mouse device with the user's fingers, the user may click and select a desired icon shown on the computer screen or execute a corresponding function. As a consequence, most users and most manufacturers of the input devices pay much attention to the keyboard devices. For meeting specified requirements (e.g., the requirements of browsing web pages or browsing documents), the mouse device is equipped with a scroll wheel. By rotating the scroll wheel, the contents of the window to be browsed are scrolled upwardly or downwardly.
Moreover, the conventional mouse device is equipped with an encoder to sense the rotation amount of the scroll wheel. According to the rotation amount of the scroll wheel, the encoder generates a corresponding control command. According to the control command, the scroll amount of the window to be browsed is correspondingly controlled. For example, when the scroll wheel is rotated for one unit, the mouse device generates a one-step control command. Consequently, the window to be browsed is scrolled for one-step scroll amount. For example, when the scroll wheel is rotated for one turn, the rotation amount of the scroll wheel is about 20-24 units.
As mentioned above, the rotation amount of the scroll wheel is related to the scroll amount of the window to the browsed. In case that the contents of the window to be browsed are not large, the process of rotating the scroll wheel to browse the contents of the window is easy to the user. However, in case that the contents of the window to be browsed are large, some drawbacks occur. For example, if the user intends to switch the contents of the window of 100 pages from the 5-th page to the 45-th page, the user has to rotate the scroll wheel continuously. For example, if the process of scrolling one page of the browsed window needs 10-unit rotation amount of the scroll wheel, the process of switching the contents of the window of 100 pages from the 5-th page to the 45-th page needs 400-unit rotation amount of the scroll wheel. Since the user has to continuously rotate the scroll wheel to browse the window, the conventional mouse device is not user-friendly.
In other words, the conventional mouse device and the control method of the mouse device need to be further improved.