A process for industrially producing dialkyl carbonate and a diol continuously through a reactive distillation system is disclosed. The process includes the steps of taking a cyclic carbonate and an aliphatic monohydric alcohol as starting materials, continuously feeding the starting materials into a continuous multi-stage distillation column in which a catalyst is present, carrying out reaction and distillation simultaneously in the column, continuously withdrawing a low boiling point reaction mixture containing the produced dialkyl carbonate from an upper portion of the column in a gaseous form, and continuously withdrawing a high boiling point reaction mixture containing the diol from a lower portion of the column in a liquid form. According to the present invention, there is provided a specific continuous multi-stage distillation column having a specified structure, and a production process using this continuous multi-stage distillation column.

Several processes for the production of dialkyl carbonates and diols from a reaction between a cyclic carbonate and an aliphatic monohydric alcohol have been proposed, but most of these proposals relate to a catalyst. As reaction systems, four systems have been proposed hitherto. These four reaction systems are used in a process for the production of dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol from ethylene carbonate and methanol, which is the most typical reaction example.
A first system is a completely batch reaction system in which ethylene carbonate, methanol and a catalyst are put into an autoclave, which is a batch reaction vessel, and reaction is carried out by holding for a predetermined reaction time under an applied temperature at a reaction temperature above the boiling point of methanol (see, for example, Patent Document 1: U.S. Pat. No. 3,642,858, Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S54-48715 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,181,676), Patent Document 5: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S54-63023, Patent Document 6: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S54-148726).
A second system is a system that uses an apparatus in which a distillation column is provided on top of a reaction vessel; ethylene carbonate, methanol and a catalyst are put into the reaction vessel, and reaction is made to proceed by heating to a predetermined temperature. With this system, to make up for methanol distilled off through azeotropy with the produced dimethyl carbonate, methanol is added to the reaction vessel continuously or in batches, but in any event with this system the reaction proceeds only in the reaction vessel, which is batch type, in which the catalyst, ethylene carbonate and methanol are present. The reaction is thus batch type, the reaction being carried out using a large excess of methanol under reflux taking a long time in a range of from 3 to over 20 hours (see, for example, Patent Document 3: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S51-122025 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,062,884), Patent Document 4: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S54-48716 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,307,032), Patent Document 11: U.S. Pat. No. 3,803,201).
A third system is a continuous reaction system in which a mixed solution of ethylene carbonate and methanol is continuously fed into a tubular reactor maintained at a predetermined reaction temperature, and a reaction mixture containing unreacted ethylene carbonate and methanol and dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol which are produced is continuously withdrawn in a liquid form from an outlet on the other side. Either of two processes is used depending on the form of the catalyst used. That is, there are a process in which a homogeneous catalyst is used, and is passed through the tubular reactor together with the mixed solution of ethylene carbonate and methanol, and then after the reaction the catalyst is separated out from the reaction mixture (see, for example, Patent Document 7: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 63-41432 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,609), Patent Document 10: U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,518), and a process in which a heterogeneous catalyst fixed inside the tubular reactor is used (see, for example, Patent Document 8: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S63-238043, Patent Document 9: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S64-31737 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,041)). The reaction producing dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol through reaction between ethylene carbonate and methanol is an equilibrium reaction, and hence with this continuous flow reaction system using a tubular reactor, it is impossible to make the ethylene carbonate conversion higher than the equilibrium conversion determined by the composition ratio put in and the reaction temperature. For example, according to Example 1 in Patent Document 7 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S63-41432 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,661,609)), for a flow reaction at 130° C. using a starting material put in with a molar ratio of methanol/ethylene carbonate=4/1, the ethylene carbonate conversion is 25%. This means that a large amount of unreacted ethylene carbonate and methanol remaining in the reaction mixture must be separated out, recovered, and recirculated back into the reactor, and in actual fact, with the process of Patent Document 9 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. S64-31737 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,691,041)), much equipment is used for such separation, purification, recovery, and recirculation.
A fourth system is a reactive distillation system first disclosed by the present inventors (see, for example, Patent Document 12: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-198141, Patent Document 13: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-230243, Patent Document 14: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-176061, Patent Document 15: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-183744, Patent Document 16: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H9-194435, Patent Document 17: International Publication No. WO97/23445 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0889025, U.S. Pat. No. 5,847,189), Patent Document 18: International Publication No. WO99/64382 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1086940, U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,638), Patent Document 19: International Publication No. WO00/51954 (corresponding to European Patent No. 1174406, U.S. Pat. No. 6,479,689), Patent Document 20: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2002-3.08804, Patent Document 21: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2004-131394), that is a continuous production process in which ethylene carbonate and methanol are each continuously fed into a multi-stage distillation column, and reaction is carried out in the presence of a catalyst in a plurality of stages in the distillation column, while dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol which are produced are separated off. Patent applications in which such a reactive distillation system is used have subsequently been filed by other companies (see, for example, Patent Document 22: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H5-213830 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0530615, U.S. Pat. No. 5,231,212), Patent Document 23: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H6-9507 (corresponding to European Patent No. 0569812, U.S. Pat. No. 5,359,118), Patent Document 24: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-119168 (corresponding to International Publication No. WO03/006418), Patent Document 25: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936, Patent Document 26: Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-342209).
In this way, the processes proposed hitherto for producing the dialkyl carbonates and the diols from the cyclic carbonate and the aliphatic monohydric alcohol are the four systems:
(1) a completely batch reaction system;
(2) a batch reaction system using a reaction vessel having a distillation column provided on top thereof;
(3) a flowing liquid reaction system using a tubular reactor; and
(4) a reactive distillation system.
However, there have been problems with these as follows.
In the case of (1) and (3), the upper limit of the cyclic carbonate conversion is determined by the composition put in and the temperature, and hence the reaction cannot be carried out to completion, and thus the conversion is low. Moreover, in the case of (2), to make the cyclic carbonate conversion high, the produced dialkyl carbonate must be distilled off using a very large amount of the aliphatic monohydric alcohol, and a long reaction time is required. In the case of (4), the reaction can be made to proceed with a higher conversion than with (1), (2) or (3). However, processes of (4) proposed hitherto have related to producing the dialkyl carbonate and the diol either in small amounts or for a short period of time, and have not related to carrying out the production on an industrial scale stably for a prolonged period of time. That is, these processes have not attained the object of producing a dialkyl carbonate continuously in a large amount (e.g. not less than 2 ton/hr) stably for a prolonged period of time (e.g. not less than 1000 hours, preferably not less than 3000 hours, more preferably not less than 5000 hours).
For example, the maximum values of the height (H: cm), diameter (D: cm), and number of stages (n) of the reactive distillation column, the produced amount P (kg/hr) of dimethyl carbonate, and the continuous production time T (hr) in examples disclosed for the production of dimethyl carbonate (DMC) and ethylene glycol (EG) from ethylene carbonate and methanol are as in Table 1.
Table 1
TABLE 1PATENTDOCU-NO.MENTH: cmD: cmSTAGES: nP: kg/hrT: hr121002300.106400151605400.427NOTE 5161605400.473NOTE 5182004PACKING0.932NOTE 5COLUMN(Dixon)19NOTE 15600.275NOTE 520NOTE 15600.258NOTE 521NOTE 15600.258NOTE 5222503PACKING0.392NOTE 5COLUMN(Raschig)23NOTE 2NOTE 2NOTE 20.532NOTE 524NOTE 3NOTE 342NOTE 4NOTE 525NOTE 3NOTE 3303750NOTE 52620015PACKING0.313NOTE 5COLUMN(BX)NOTE 1:OLDERSHAW DISTILLATION COLUMN.NOTE 2:NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER DEFINING DISTILLATION COLUMN.NOTE 3:ONLY DESCRIPTION DEFINING DISTILLATION COLUMN IS NUMBER OF STAGES.NOTE 4:NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER OF PRODUCED AMOUNT.NOTE 5:NO DESCRIPTION WHATSOEVER REGARDING STABLE PRODUCTION FOR PROLONGED PERIOD OF TIME.
Note that Patent Document 25 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) (paragraph 0060) describes that "The present example uses the same process flow as for the preferred mode shown in FIG. 1 described above, and was carried out with the object of operating a commercial scale apparatus for producing dimethyl carbonate and ethylene glycol through transesterification by a catalytic conversion reaction between ethylene carbonate and methanol. It should be noted that the following numerical values in the present example can be adequately used in the operation of an actual apparatus", and as that example it is stated that 3750 kg/hr of dimethyl carbonate was specifically produced. The scale described in that example corresponds to an annual production of 30,000 tons or more, and hence this implies that at the time of the filing of the patent application for Patent Document 25 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) (Apr. 9, 2002), operation of the world's first large scale commercial plant using this process had been carried out. However, even at the time of filing the present application, there is not the above fact at all. Moreover, in the example of Patent Document 25 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936), exactly the same value as the theoretically calculated value is stated for the produced amount of dimethyl carbonate, but the yield for ethylene glycol is approximately 85.6%, and the selectivity is approximately 88.4%, and hence it cannot really be said that a high yield and high selectivity have been attained. In particular, the low selectivity indicates that this process has a fatal drawback as an industrial production process. (Note also that Patent Document 25 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2003-300936) was deemed to have been withdrawn on Jul. 26, 2005 due to examination not having been requested).
With the reactive distillation method, there are very many causes of fluctuation such as composition variation due to reaction and composition variation due to distillation in the distillation column, and temperature variation and pressure variation in the column, and hence continuing stable operation for a prolonged period of time is accompanied by many difficulties, and in particular these difficulties are further increased in the case of handling large amounts. To continue mass production of the dialkyl carbonates and the diols using the reactive distillation method stably for a prolonged period of time while maintaining high yields and high selectivities for the dialkyl carbonates and the diols, the reactive distillation apparatus must be cleverly devised. However, the only description of continuous stable production for a prolonged period of time with the reactive distillation method proposed hitherto has been the 200 to 400 hours in Patent Document 12 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-198141) and Patent Document 13 (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. H4-230243).

Process for industrially producing dialkyl carbonate and diol


Transaxle systems for a vehicle are disclosed where each of right and left transaxle units includes a hydraulic pump, a hydraulic motor and a casing incorporating the hydraulic pump and motor. Each hydraulic pump has a pump displacement control means operatively connected to a pump control arm pivoted on the casing, and each hydraulic motor has a motor displacement control means operatively connected to a motor control arm pivoted on the casing. A single motor controlling manipulator is operatively connected to the motor control arms to simultaneously shift the motor displacement control means of the right and left transaxle units between large displacement positions and small displacement positions.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a transaxle system for a vehicle, especially, for a working vehicle equipped with a working device, e.g., a lawn mower equipped with a mower unit, wherein the vehicle transaxle system includes right and left transaxle units each of which supports a right or left corresponding single axle.
Related Art
As disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,385,971, there is a well-known conventional zero-turn type vehicle transaxle system for a working vehicle, such as a lawn mower, for enabling zero-turn of the vehicle, thereby ensuring a satisfactory working efficiency. The transaxle system includes right and left hydraulic transaxle units each of which supports a right or left corresponding single axle. Each of the transaxle units includes a hydrostatic transmission for driving the corresponding axle, and the hydrostatic transmission includes hydraulic pump and motor fluidly connected to each other through a closed fluid circuit.
In each of the transaxle units of the conventional transaxle system, the hydraulic pump has a variable displacement, and the hydraulic motor has a fixed displacement, so that the output rotary speed of the hydraulic motor depends on controlling of the displacement of the hydraulic pump. Even if the maximum displacement of the hydraulic pump is sufficient to ensure a high torque traveling of the vehicle at work, it may be insufficient to ensure a required efficient power transmission for normal high-speed traveling of the vehicle without work. Therefore, conventionally, the transaxle unit further includes a sub speed-changing transmission, such as a gear transmission, that has at least two low-and-high speed drive trains and is interposed between the hydraulic motor and the axle. When the vehicle without work normally travels at a high speed, the high speed drive train of the sub speed-changing transmission is selected for driving the axle, so as to compensate for the lack of efficiency of power transmission by the hydrostatic transmission. However, the conventional transaxle unit is expanded in size and is expensive because of the arrangement of the sub speed-changing transmission.
Further, a sub speed-changing manipulator for operating the sub speed-changing transmission may be wrongly operated during traveling of the vehicle. For example, although a skilled operator can shift the sub speed-changing manipulator to a high speed setting position at an appropriate timing during traveling of the vehicle at work so as to improve the working efficiency, the operation of the sub speed-changing manipulator is too difficult for an unskilled operator to judge a timing for shifting the sub speed-changing manipulator to the high speed setting position, so that the unskilled operator may shift the sub speed-changing manipulator to the high speed setting position at a wrong timing so as to unexpectedly accelerate the vehicle and to spoil the stability of work. Further, if the vehicle frequently moves from one work area to another work area, a drive train for the working device must be clutched on and off on every movement of the vehicle between work areas. The high speed level of the sub speed-changing transmission may be desired during the movement of the vehicle between work areas. However, to perform both the clutch operation and the sub speed-changing operation is difficult and likely to unexpectedly keep the driving of the working device during the movement of the vehicle setting the high speed level of the sub speed-changing transmission, thereby causing power loss and spoiling the stability of work. Further, the sub-speed changing operation during traveling of the vehicle causes sudden change of traveling speed of the vehicle. Especially, the zero-turn type vehicle may be provided with a pair of right and left main speed-changing manipulators for controlling the respective hydraulic pumps of the respective right and left transaxle units. In this case, the manipulation of the right and left main speed-changing manipulators for the main speed-changing and left-and-right turning of the vehicle is complicated and likely to cause the wrong sub speed-changing operation. Therefore, the vehicle is desired to avoid unexpected speed change even if the sub speed-changing manipulator is wrongly operated.
Therefore, it is conceivable that the hydraulic motors of the respective transaxle units are configured to have respective displacement control means, e.g., movable swash plates, for changing their respective displacements so that the displacement control means of the hydraulic motors in the right and left transaxle units are operable to select a traveling mode of a vehicle between a low speed traveling mode for working traveling of the vehicle and a high speed traveling mode for on-road traveling of the vehicle, thereby eliminating additional sub speed-changing gear trains for changing speed ratios of axles to respective hydraulic motors so as to minimize the right and left transaxle units.
However, if the displacement control means of the hydraulic motors in the right and left transaxle units are movable swash plates, for example, the movable swash plates of the respective hydraulic motors have to be simultaneously operated in consideration of tilting directions of the movable swash plates of the hydraulic motors. Especially, if the hydraulic motors in the right and left transaxle units have rotary axes parallel or coaxial to respective axles, it should be considered that tilting directions of the movable swash plates between respective large tilt angles (defining large displacements for low speed level) and respective small tilt angles (defining small displacements for high speed level) are laterally opposite each other. A simple and economic operation system is desirable to enable such a simultaneous operation of the displacement control means of the hydraulic motors of the right and left transaxle units coping with the opposite rotational directions of the displacement control means, such as movable swash plates.
Further, if the movable swash plates of the hydraulic motors in the right and left transaxle units can be operated for accelerating a vehicle by manipulating not an additional sub speed-changing manipulator but the right and left main speed-changing manipulators that are frequently manipulated for controlling the respective hydraulic pumps in fluid delivery amount and direction during traveling of the vehicle, it is very convenient for an operator skilled in manipulating the right and left main speed-changing manipulators, and an operation system for controlling movable swash plates of the hydraulic pumps and motors in the right and left transaxle units can be entirely minimized. However, such an operation system should be configured so that movement of the movable swash plates of the hydraulic motors during traveling of the vehicle does not cause a sudden speed change that reduces the stability of the vehicle while traveling.


Incorporation of at least 0.5 wt. % of a hardstock rich in (H.sub.2 M+HM.sub.2)-fat into chocolate compositions results in chocolates that display improved bloom characteristics. H=saturated fatty acid with .gtoreq.C.sub.16 ; M=saturated fatty acid with C.sub.8 -C.sub.14, in particular C.sub.12 -C.sub.14.

Chocolate compositions containing such conventional ingredients as cocoa powder, cocoa butter, cocoa butter equivalents, sugar, emulsifier need to be tempered because of the presence of polymorphic fats such as POP, POSt and/or StOSt (P=palmitic acid, St=stearic acid and O= oleic acid). Still, it was very difficult to avoid bloom formation, i.e. a polymorphic transformation of the crystal lattice. Therefore, many attempts have been made to find additives that could prevent bloom formation in chocolate compositions. Examples of such additives are butterfat, fully hardened, high-erucic rapeseed and BOB (B=behenic, O= oleic).
However, very often the results obtainable with these additives are not satisfactory. Therefore, we have conducted a study in order to find out whether it was possible to find a new, more effective additive.

Van Den Bergh Foods Co., division of Conopco Inc.


A fuse circuit according to the present invention includes fuse elements each connected to first and second nodes, a sense circuit for sensing a difference of currents flowing through the fuse elements, and an amplifier circuit for amplifying voltages of the first and second nodes with rail-to-rail voltages, respectively. By this configuration, the resistor difference of the fuse elements is sensed by a current difference, thus whether a fuse element is programmed is exactly sensed regardless of capacitive parasitic loading of the respective nodes.

This application relies from priority upon Korean Patent Application No. 2000-14798, filed on Mar. 23, 2000, the contents of which are herein incorporated by reference in their entirety.
The present invention is related to semiconductor devices, and more particularly to semiconductor fuses.
For many years fuses have been used in semiconductor circuits for a variety of purposes. For example, memory circuits typically use fuses to implement memory redundancy. Word line redundancy hardware exists to replace inoperable bit cells or word lines at manufacturing test. The effect of using memory redundancy is to increase effective yield. The improvement in yield is accomplished by programming fuses or fuse circuits to remain conductive or to become electrically open depending upon what memory circuit is needed. Another common use of fuse technology in semiconductors is to implement electronic chip identification. Chip identification is accomplished by uniquely identifying the source of each chip including a lot, a wafer, and an X/Y coordinate location on a wafer so that a manufacturer can easily retrieve and report process data for a given integrated circuit.
Fuses have commonly been implemented in semiconductors with either polysilicon or metal. Metals which have been used in the past include aluminum and tungsten. Regardless of the material used to implement the fuse, programming circuitry is required in order to control whether or not the fuse has been blown and to indicate the status of the fuses conductivity. Such examples of a fuse circuit, which is programmable, are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,446,534 entitled xe2x80x9cProgrammable Fuse Circuitxe2x80x9d and in U.S. Pat. No. 5,953,279 entitled xe2x80x9cFuse Option Circuit For Memory Devicexe2x80x9d. Semiconductor fuses are typically made non-conductive either by application of a large voltage (relative to power supply voltage magnitude) or by use of laser light. In either event, a circuit is required to indicate the existing status of whether or not the fuse has successfully been made nonconductive.
A conventional fuse circuit, which is used in the art, is illustrated in FIG. 1. A fuse circuit 10 includes a first fuse resistor element 14, which is connected between a node marked with Vcc through a PMOS transistor 12 and a node marked with ND1. A second fuse resistor element 18 is connected between the node Vcc through a PMOS transistor 16 and a node marked with ND2. The PMOS transistors 12 and 16 have their gates or control electrodes connected to receive a signal PEFE in common. An NMOS transistor 20 has a drain or a first electrode connected to the node ND 1, a source or a second electrode connected to a ground voltage, and a gate connected to the node ND2. An inverter 24 has an input connected to the node ND2 and an output for providing a signal marked with xe2x80x9cFUSE OUTxe2x80x9d. An NMOS transistor 26 for programming a fuse has a drain connected to the node ND 1, a source connected to the ground voltage, and a gate connected to receive a fuse program pulse signal FCUT.
In FIG. 1, the fuse resistor element 14 is an electrically programmable fuse, and the fuse resistor element 18 acting as a resistor is configured so as to have larger resistor value than that of the fuse resistor element 14 when the fuse resistor element 14 is at an intact state (or a conductive state). On the other hand, the fuse resistor element 18 is configured so as to less resistor value than that of the fuse resistor element 14 when the fuse resistor element 14 is at a non-conductive state.
Although programmed by application of a large voltage, an electrically programmable fuse either is not cut perfectly or is again connected by various causes after being cut. Substantially, after a program operation is carried out, the electrically programmable fuse has an increased resistor value as compared with that before programming. A problem of the fuse circuit in FIG. 1 using such characteristic is that, although the resistor value of the fuse resistor element 14 is increased over that before a program operation (i.e., although it is larger than a resistor value of the fuse resistor element 18), the output signal FUSE OUT is maintained at a logic high level set before the program operation regardless of the program operation. A more detailed description is as follow.
In the fuse circuit 10 of FIG. 1, latch circuit consisting of the NMOS transistors 20 and 22 senses a resistor difference between the fuse resistor elements 14 and 18 as a voltage difference between the nodes ND1 and ND2. For example, in a case where a resistor value of the fuse resistor element 14 is less than that of the fuse resistor element 18 (that is, before the fuse resistor element 14 is programmed), the nodes ND1 and ND2 are set to a logic low level and a logic high level by a latch operation of the NMOS transistors 20 and 22 at power-up, because capacitive parasitic loading of the node ND1 is less than that of the node ND2.
Then, in the case that the resistor value of the fuse resistor element 14 is larger than that of the fuse resistor element 18 (that is, after the fuse resistor element 14 is programmed), the nodes ND1 and ND2 may be set to a logic high level and a logic low level. But, the nodes ND1 and ND2 are maintained at logic states before programming. This is because voltages of the node ND1 and ND2 are determined not by a resistor difference between the fuse resistor elements 14 and 18, but by capacitive parasitic loading of the respective nodes ND1 and ND2. Therefore, although a resistor value of the fuse resistor element 14 is varied (or increased) before and after programming, the fuse circuit 10 outputs the signal FUSE OUT of a logic low level indicating that the fuse resistor element 14 is not programmed.
As a result, the voltages of the nodes ND1 and ND2 of the fuse circuit 10, which senses a resistor difference of the elements 14 and 18, are determined (or fixed) according to capacitive parasitic loading of the respective nodes ND1 and ND2 regardless of a program operation of the fuse resistor element 14. Therefore, the fuse circuit 10 has a shortcoming indicating a conductive state of the fuse resistor element 14 at an output of the inverter 24 after the fuse resistor element 14 is substantially programmed. This causes a reliability problem.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a fuse circuit and a program status detecting method thereof, which are capable of improving a reliability of an electrically programmable fuse.
This and other objects, advantages and features of the present invention are provided by fuse option circuit that comprises a first fuse element having first and second terminals, wherein the first terminal of the first fuse element is connected to a first power terminal; a second fuse element having first and second terminals, wherein the first terminal of the second fuse element is connected to the first power terminal; first and second nodes connected to the second terminals of the first and second fuse elements, respectively; means for sensing a difference of currents flowing through the first and second fuse elements, wherein the sensing means determines voltages of the first and second nodes depending on the current difference thus sensed; and means for amplifying voltages of the first and second nodes either to voltages of the first and second power terminals or to voltages of the second and first power terminals, respectively.
In this embodiment, the sensing means comprises a first transistor coupled between the first node and the second power terminal; and a second transistor coupled between the second node and the second power terminal, wherein the first and second transistors are simultaneously switched on/off according to a control pulse signal.
In this embodiment, the amplifying means comprises a third transistor which has a current path formed between the first node and the second power terminal and a gate electrode coupled to the second node; and a fourth transistor which has a current path formed between the second node and the second power terminal and a gate electrode coupled to the first node, wherein the third and fourth transistors serve as a latch circuit.

Fuse circuit and program status detecting method thereof


The invention relates in particular to a device for determining one or more fluid properties of a fluid. The device preferably comprises a flow distributor comprising a cavity, an inlet to the cavity, one or more outlets from the cavity, and one or more flow deflecting elements present in the cavity and/or one or more flow dividing wall elements of the cavity, wherein the one or more flow deflecting elements and/or the flow dividing wall elements being arranged in such a manner that it provides sub-streams of different strength through the outlet. Furthermore, the device comprises an analyzer downstream of the outlet of the flow distributor comprising means adapted to provide a read-out indicative of the strengths of sub-streams.

Reference is made to WO 2009/061943 A9, Publication 14 May 2009 Entitled: Micro Rheometer for measuring flow viscosity and elasticity for micro sample volumes, and Helen L. Bandey et al. (Helen et al), Blood rheological characterization using the thickness-shear mode resonator, Biosensors and Bioelectronics 19, 1657 (2004).
Choice of Materials
The device described in WO 2009/061943 A9 involves electrodes of Au (gold), and it is therefore very sensitive to high temperatures. The devices disclosed in WO 2009/061943 A9 are explicitly described as being fabricated using clean-room techniques, which involve less corrosion and heat-resistive metals.
Mobility And Robustness Against Varying Working Conditions
Even though the fluid characterization in both WO 2009/061943 A9 and Helen et al involves small microchannel, these two devices, as described in WO 2009/061943 A9 and Helen et al., cannot be realized in a mobile handheld device of the same dimensions and weight as for the invention (described above), because they both depend on a pump producing a fixed precise volume-flowrate. With present prior art technology, such pumps must be syringe-pumps, which exceeds more than 10 fold the volume and weight of the invention, as described above.
Further Drawback
The devices and methods disclosed in WO 2009/061943 A9 and Helen et al also suffer the draw back of being less efficient, difficult to produce and sensitive to external influences.

Fluid composition analysis device and method


A method and system for ensuring orderly forward progress in granting snoop castout requests. Masters may include a tag (“request tag”) in their transfer requests to a bus macro. The request tag indicates the order of the request issued by the master. If the bus macro determines that the transfer request is snoopable, then the bus macro broadcasts a snoop request that includes the request tag. If a snoop controller determines that the address in the snoop request is a hit to a modified coherency granule in an associated cache, then the master associated with that snoop controller transmits a castout request to the bus macro that includes the request tag associated with the snoop request. The bus macro uses the request tag to determine whether the castout request is a response to the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests to be serviced.

A multiprocessor system may comprise multiple processors coupled to a common shared system memory. Each processor may comprise one or more levels of cache memory. The multiprocessor system may further comprise a system bus coupling the processing elements to each other and to the system memory. A cache memory may refer to a relatively small, high-speed memory that contains a copy of information from one or more portions of the system memory. Frequently, the cache memory is physically distinct from the system memory. Such a cache memory may be integral with a processor in the system, commonly referred to as a Level-1 (L1) or primary cache, or may be non-integral with a processor in the system, commonly referred to as a Level-2 (L2) or secondary cache.
When a processor generates a read request and the requested data resides in its cache memory, e.g., L1 cache, then a cache read hit takes place. The processor may then obtain the data from the cache memory without having to access the system memory. If the data is not in the cache memory, then a cache read miss occurs. The memory request may be forwarded to the system memory and the data may subsequently be retrieved from the system memory as would normally be done if the cache did not exist. On a cache miss, the data that is retrieved from the system memory may be provided to the processor and may also be written into the cache memory due to the statistical likelihood that this data will be requested again by that processor. Likewise, if a processor generates a write request, the write data may be written to the cache memory without having to access the system memory over the system bus.
Hence, data may be stored in multiple locations, e.g., L1 cache of a particular processor and system memory. If a processor altered the contents of a system memory location that is duplicated in its cache memory, the cache memory may be said to hold "modified" data. The system memory may be said to hold "stale" or invalid data. Problems may result if another processor or bus agent, e.g., Direct Memory Access (DMA) controller, inadvertently obtained this "stale" or invalid data from system memory. Subsequently, it is required that processors or other bus agents are provided the most recent copy of data from either the system memory or cache memory where the data resides. This may commonly be referred to as "maintaining cache coherency." In order to maintain cache coherency, therefore, it may be necessary to monitor the system bus to see if another processor or bus agent accesses cacheable system memory. This method of monitoring the system bus is referred to in the art as "snooping."
Each cache may be associated with logic circuitry commonly referred to as a "snoop controller" configured to monitor the system bus for the snoopable addresses requested by a processor or other bus agent. Snoopable addresses may refer to the addresses requested by the processor or bus agent that are to be snooped by snoop controllers on the system bus. Snoop controllers may snoop these snoopable addresses to determine if copies of the snoopable addresses requested by the processor or bus agent are within their associated cache memories using a protocol commonly referred to as Modified, Exclusive, Shared and Invalid (MESI). In the MESI protocol, an indication of a coherency state is stored in association with each unit of storage in the cache memory. This unit of storage may commonly be referred to as a "coherency granule." A "cache line" may be the size of one or more coherency granules. In the MESI protocol, the indication of the coherency state for each coherency granule in the cache memory may be stored in a cache state directory in the cache subsystem. Each coherency granule may have one of four coherency states: modified (M), exclusive (E), shared (S), or invalid (I), which may be indicated by two or more bits in the cache state directory. The modified state indicates that a coherency granule is valid only in the cache memory containing the modified or updated coherency granule and that the value of the updated coherency granule has not been written to system memory. When a coherency granule is indicated as exclusive, the coherency granule is resident in only the cache memory having the coherency granule in the exclusive state. However, the data in the exclusive state is consistent with system memory. If a coherency granule is marked as shared, the coherency granule is resident in the associated cache memory and may be in one or more cache memories in addition to the system memory. If the coherency granule is marked as shared, all of the copies of the coherency granule in all the cache memories so marked are consistent with the system memory. Finally, the invalid state may indicate that the data and the address tag associated with the coherency granule are both invalid and thus are not contained within that cache memory.
A processor or other bus agent may generate a "transfer request" to be received by a unit commonly referred to as a "bus macro". A "transfer request" may refer to either a request to read an address not within the processor's or bus agent's associated cache memory(ies), a request to write to an address not owned by the processor's or bus agent's associated cache memory(ies), synchronization commands, address only requests, e.g., updating the state of a coherency granule, or translation lookaside buffer invalidation requests. The bus macro may be configured to determine if the received transfer request is snoopable. That is, the bus macro may be configured to determine if the received transfer request is to be broadcasted to the other snoop controllers not associated with the requesting processor or bus agent in order to determine if a copy of the requested snoopable address, i.e., a copy of the requested coherency granule, is within their associated cache memories. The broadcasted transfer request may commonly be referred to as a "snoop request."
In some multiprocessor systems, the performance of snooping may be enhanced through "snoop pipelining." Snoop pipelining may refer to the bus macro broadcasting multiple snoop requests prior to the completion of a previously issued snoop request. Hence, a higher snoop bus bandwidth (busses between the bus macro and snoop controllers) and lower overall snoop latency (duration of time for snoop requests to be completed) may be achieved. A snoop request may be said to be "completed" when the bus macro services that snoop request. The snoop request may typically be serviced by the bus macro after the bus macro receives a response to the snoop request from each of the snoop controllers. Servicing may include reading from or writing to an address in system memory as requested in the transfer request. Upon servicing the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests broadcasted, the bus macro may broadcast the next pipelined snoop request. That is, if the snoop pipeline is full, then the bus macro may broadcast the next pipelined snoop request upon servicing the oldest snoop request in the snoop pipeline. The bus macro may not broadcast the next pipelined snoop request until the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests is completed in order to maintain sequential consistency. Sequential consistency may refer to ensuring that a request, e.g., read from an address or write to an address, is completed in the proper order to ensure that the appropriate data is read from or written to memory, as well as to ensure that the program execution is correct.
If the bus macro received multiple transfer requests from one or more processors or bus agents during a single clock cycle and these multiple transfer requests are snoopable, then the bus macro may broadcast each transfer request, one at a time, based on an arbitration algorithm. Snoop controllers may monitor the system bus for these snoop requests (broadcasted transfer requests). If one or more of these snoop controllers detect a hit to the modified coherency granule in an associated cache, i.e., one or more snoop controllers detected that the state of the requested coherency granule was in the modified state, then these snoop controllers may issue a request, commonly referred to as a "snoop castout request," to the bus macro. The snoop castout request is a request to write the modified data in the cache associated with the requesting snoop controller to the system memory to maintain cache coherency. However, for a variety of reasons, the bus macro may receive these snoop castout requests out of order with respect to the order the snoop requests were broadcasted. For example, snoop castout requests may be received out of order due to the different response latencies among the different snoop controllers. The different response latencies may be caused by a variety of reasons such as slower clock cycles or caches in use. In another example, snoop castout requests may be received out of order due to what may be referred to as a "replacement castout". A replacement castout may refer to replacing a valid cache line in a cache with a new cache line where the replaced cache line is stored in a castout buffer to be castout ("replacement castout"). If there are snoop castout requests in the castout buffer along with a replacement castout, then the issuance of the snoop castout requests may be delayed if the replacement castout is issued prior to the issuance of the snoop castout requests.
Since not all snoop requests may result in a snoop castout request, the bus macro may be unable to determine the order of the snoop castout requests with respect to the order the snoop requests were broadcasted. Hence, the bus macro grants the snoop castout requests in the order they were received and not necessarily in the order the snoop requests were broadcasted. Hence, the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests may not necessarily be completed prior to a younger snoop request, thereby delaying the issuance of the next pipelined snoop request.
For example, if the bus macro received four transfer requests from four processors or bus agents (designated as masters 0–3) in the same clock cycle, then bus macro may broadcast these four transfer requests (designated as snoop requests 0–3) in an order based on an arbitration algorithm. For example, bus macro may first broadcast the transfer request (snoop request 0) received from master 0. Bus macro may subsequently broadcast the transfer request (snoop request 1) received from master 1 followed by broadcasting the transfer request (snoop request 2) received from master 2 followed by broadcasting the transfer request (snoop request 3) received from master 3. If one or more snoop controllers detect a hit to a modified coherency granule from the multiple snoop requests, e.g., snoop requests 2 and 3, then these one or more snoop controllers issue snoop castout requests to the bus macro. However, these snoop castout requests may be received out of order with respect to the order the snoop requests were broadcasted for one or more reasons as previously mentioned, e.g., a snoop castout request in response to snoop request 3 is received prior to receiving all the responses to snoop request 1. Since the bus macro grants the snoop castout requests in the order they were received and not necessarily in the order the snoop requests were broadcasted, snoop castout requests may be serviced out of the order the snoop requests were broadcasted. That is, the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests may not be serviced prior to a younger snoop request. Until the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests is serviced, the bus macro may not issue the next pipelined snoop request. Hence, by servicing a younger snoop request prior to servicing the oldest in a series of pipelined snoop requests, the issuance of the next pipelined request is delayed.
Therefore, there is a need in the art to ensure orderly forward progress in granting snoop castout requests.

Ensuring orderly forward progress in granting snoop castout requests

International Business Machines Corporation


A support device for supporting and/or immobilizing the articulated or non-articulated areas of an anatomy. The support device comprises a flexible member having connecting ends, intermediate portions, a central portion, a pad member containing a viscous substance in the central portion, and a permanently deformable sheet. The deformable sheet is deformed in situ and is insertable into the central portion adjacent to the pad member and outwardly thereof so that the pad member is positioned toward the anatomy and conforms to the shape of the deformable sheet and provides comfort to the user. Slots are provided in the flexible member for receiving the deformable sheet and for optionally receiving a chin support which in conjunction with an occipital support which is supported by the deformable sheet enables the support device to be used as a cervical brace. The deformable sheet may be a one-piece member or it may be several interconnected curved members, and it may be a simple curve or a compound curve. Associated methods involve deforming the deformable sheet in situ to a desired degree by a medical professional prior to inserting it into the flexible member and prior to or after the support device is secured around the user.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a support device for the anatomy and associated method of fitting the support device to an articulated or non-articulated region of a patient and is particularly concerned with a support device construction and associated method which allows the device to be deformed in situ to accommodate a specific need of the patient or user.
2. Background of the Invention
Prior art braces assume various forms and are used to immobilize the articulated regions or joints, such as the spine, finger, knee, ankle or wrist. Such devices are well-known in the art. Cervical collars are used for treating conditions of the neck and cervical spine. Examples of cervical collars are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,097,824; 5,180,361; and 5,215,517, which involve constructions which circumscribe the neck. These devices may primarily be shaped to support the chin and occipital areas and may be of a complicated, rigid or semi-rigid construction.
Another cervical collar design which in addition to circumscribing the neck, provides insertable chin and occipital supports is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,220,406. These chin and occipital supports are mounted on posts and have a pad support member with a metallic core encased within a compressible foam which permits the pad to be shaped to the head configuration of the patient or user.
A further device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,489 issued to the present inventor entails a cervical brace having chin and head supports which include a pad member which may be a resilient pouch containing a fluid composition which may be of a gel-like viscosity. These pad members allow for deformation thereof upon loads being applied by the chin and the back of the neck to lessen discomfort of the user. Additionally, these chin and head supports are rigidly affixed to the plate members.
A device of U.S. Pat. No. 5,109,835 discloses a complicated headgear for a cervical traction system.
Most, if not all, of these cervical collars and braces of the prior art may employ rigid or semi-rigid integral members whose shape or contour is fixed. Some of these devices are so rigid that they are uncomfortable, or they are so soft that they do not maintain a fixed posture desired by a physician or a medical professional. Furthermore, most of the brace devices are prescribed by the physician in the medical office and fitted to the patient "off site", running the risk of improper fit.
The device of the aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 5,141,489 employs a pad member which may be of a fluid or gel-like composition. Other fluid or gel-like pads or cushions not particularly used in medical devices as such, but used for the treatment and/or protection of human patients are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,308,491; 4,761,011; and 5,303,977.
Despite these prior art devices, there remains a very real and substantial need for a simple design for a support device which is comfortable, which is easily adaptable as either a brace or as a cervical collar, and which can be selectively deformed into a multitude of shapes in situ by a medical professional to comfortably accommodate a specific postural need of a patient or user.
There remains also a need for a comfortable support device which can be deformed in situ and which can be positioned around a non-articulated area or an articulated area of the anatomy of the animal kingdom.


A difference/compression ratio calculating means 76 in a data processing means 71 of a data transmitting apparatus according to the present invention calculates an actual difference and an actual compression ratio based on the data length of pre-compression data received from a data source 2 through pre-compression data receiving means 74 and the data length of compressed data outputted from a data compression circuit 67. If the actual difference is equal to or greater than a preset difference .alpha. and the actual compression ratio is equal to and greater than a preset compression ratio .beta., then the compressed data is transmitted to a data destination 3 through a transfer request data output means 79. Otherwise, the pre-compression data is transmitted to the data destination 3. With this arrangement, it is possible to prevent a phenomenon in which the size of compressed data which occupies a storage area in the data destination 3 is substantially the same as the size of uncompressed data which occupies the storage area, and also to avoid wasteful data expansion in the data destination 3.

Generally, computers have a CPU (central processing unit) for reading program instructions stored in a main memory through a memory control unit and executing the program instructions to process various data and control various devices.
Program instructions are steps of a program (algorithms) for processing data or the like, and a program is normally composed of program instructions as a number of steps.
Some computers effect only simple processing according to a registered small-scale program which is composed of a relatively small number of program instructions. In such computers, a program is already registered in a ROM in the computer. However, a modern computer which carries out a number of data processing operations and control operations is required to have a separate memory means for storing a number of programs and data having a large data length.
It has been customary to employ an auxiliary memory device such as a hard disk drive, an optical disk drive employing a recordable optical disk such as a magnetooptical disk, or a bulk-type semiconductor memory, and connect such an auxiliary memory device to a computer through an interface bus for storing programs and data of large capacity in the auxiliary memory device. According to selective startup or a reading request from an OS (operating system) or an application program, a program or data stored in the auxiliary memory device is read into a main memory device for effecting data processing and controlling operations.
Present trends toward larger-capacity external memory devices have resulted in various techniques proposed to increase the recording capacity of magnetic disks and optical disks.
With the advent of multimedia information processing in recent years, the amount of information required by software applications, e.g., the capacity of programs and the capacity of data handled by programs, has increased at a rate greater than the rate at which the storage capacity of the external memory device increases. Therefore, the data compression technology tends to be more and more important.
One of the data compression techniques which is of the loss-less type (entropy coding or loss-less cording) that causes no data loss is drawing attention because it can increase an apparent capacity when data is recorded in an external memory device and also can effectively use communication lines when data is transmitted.
According to a data compression process based on the loss-less data compression technique, data is compressed by reducing redundant data contained in the data. When the compressed data is expanded, the uncompressed data prior to compression is fully restored without any loss of information.
However, the loss-less data compression technique is of such a nature that a compression ratio at which to compress data, i.e., the ratio of the data length of uncompressed data to the data length of compressed data, remains unknown until all the data is compressed because the compression data varies depending on the content of the data to be compressed.
According to the loss-less data compression technique, furthermore, binary bit map data or the like which has a very high level of redundancy is required to be compressed at a high compression ratio of 5 or more. If data that has already been compressed by a certain data compression process is to be further compressed by the loss-less data compression process, then the data will be expanded in many cases. Therefore, the loss-less data compression technique is very difficult to use.
In the case where data is compressed at a low compression ratio, e.g., in the case where compressed data is of a size which is 99% of original uncompressed data, no merit is attained by data compression since the data length of the uncompressed data and the data length of the compressed data remain almost the same though the data is definitely compressed.
For example, it is assumed that data to be stored in a random-access external memory device such as a magnetic disk drive or the like is compressed to increase an apparent storage capacity of the external memory device. The external memory device stores data in fixed lengths, e.g., blocks of 512 bytes. Therefore, if 1 Kbytes of data are stored in the external memory device, then they are stored over two blocks.
If such 1 Kbytes of data are compressed and the compressed data has a data length of 512 bytes or less, then the compressed data occupies one block of storage area on the disk. Therefore, the size of storage area which is occupied on the disk by the compressed data is 1/2 of the size of storage area which is occupied on the disk by the uncompressed data, an advantage that is offered by the data compression.
However, if the compressed data has a data length greater than 512 bytes, then the compressed data actually occupies two blocks of storage area on the disk even though the data has been compressed, and the size of storage area which is occupied on the disk by the compressed data is the same as the size of storage area which is occupied on the disk by the uncompressed data.
In such a case, the entire system only causes a wasteful expenditure of the time required for data compression (if the data is expanded, the time required for data compression/expansion), and the electric energy required by the CPU and a hardware arrangement dedicated for data compression, and may possibly suffer poor performance due to the data compression. If the compressed data is read from the external memory device for transmission to the computer, then since the data needs to be expanded, the time required for expanding the data is also consumed wastefully.
In communications applications where compressed data is divided into packets of fixed length for transmission, there are instances in which the number of packets occupied by uncompressed data and the number of packets occupied by compressed data may be the same as each other, posing a limitation on efforts to improve the entire system performance.
If data is compressed according to the loss-less data compression process to shorten a time required to transfer data between a computer and an external memory device for the purpose of using communication lines more effectively, then a transfer time t.sub.AC1 required for transmitting the compressed data is shorter than a transfer time t.sub.A1 required for transmitting the uncompressed data, as shown in FIG. 43 of the accompanying drawings.
When the data is compressed, a time t.sub.B1 required for data compression/expansion is newly needed in addition to an actual data transfer time t.sub.C1 However, since the data to be actually transmitted is compressed, the apparent data length is reduced. Therefore, the data compression shortens the transfer time as a whole. In order to shorten the transfer time, it is necessary to compress the data rapidly to reduce the time t.sub.B1 required for data compression/expansion.
If the data is compressed at a low compression ratio, then, as shown in FIG. 44 of the accompanying drawings, because an actual data transfer time t.sub.C2 is not reduced substantially, the addition of a time t.sub.B2 required for data compression/expansion results in a transfer time t.sub.AC2 required for transmitting the compressed data which is longer than a transfer time t.sub.A2 required for transmitting the uncompressed data.
Consequently, the data compression does not offer merits, but instead lowers the overall system performance.
For data transmission between a host computer and an external memory device, the host computer performs the above function of loss-less data compression. With a plurality of external memory devices connected to the host computer, however, a long calculating time is required to compress data for transmitting different data from the host computer to the plural external memory devices, and hence a considerable period of time is necessary until the transfer of data to all the external memory devices is completed.
Stated otherwise, for transmitting different data from the host computer to the plural external memory devices, the host computer is tied up with the data compression, and cannot perform other processing.
Naturally, the apparent storage capacity of only those external memory devices which are connected to a host computer capable of compressing data can be increased. That is, only those external memory devices connected to a host computer capable of compressing data are given the advantages of data compression. An external memory device having a disk on which compressed data is recorded can be operation for data reproduction by only a host computer capable of expanding compressed data.
If an external memory device incorporates a data compression function for allowing individual external memory devices to compress data, then the time required for a host computer to compress data can be eliminated, and a host computer having no data compression capability can enjoy the advantages of data compression at external memory devices, i.e., an increased apparent storage capacity. Such a host computer is then able to handle various programs and data.
A data compression function that can be incorporated in an external memory device may be performed by a loss-less data compression technique by which expanded data is made exactly the same as input data, e.g., the known Huffmann coding technique or LZW (Lempel-Ziv and Welch) coding technique, rather than a data compression technique that causes a data loss, which is used to compress digital audio data converted from analog audio data or digital image data, e.g., the known discrete cosine coding technique. If such a loss-less data compression technique is employed, then the compression ratio varies depending on the contents of supplied data, e.g., depending on how much the same words, the same expressions, etc. are used in the data.
Specifically, if it is assumed that a compression ratio to be expected (hereinafter referred to as an "expected compression ratio") when uncompressed data is compressed by the loss-less data compression technique has a value of 2, then when one logic block of data having a certain data length which is transferred from a host computer is compressed by an external memory device, the compressed data has a data length equal to one physical block whose size is 1/2 of one logic block provided the data is compressed as expected, i.e., the data is compressed at the same compression ratio as the expected compression ratio. In this instance, two physical blocks are equal to one logic block.
Therefore, an optical disk having a physical capacity of 500 MB (MegaByte) has an apparent capacity of 1 GB (GigaByte) as seen from the host computer. However, when the loss-less data compression technique is employed, since the data length of compressed data may not necessarily be 1/2 or less of the data length of the uncompressed data, one logic block of transferred data may not be contained within one physical block.
Inasmuch as data compression may possibly result in data expansion, one logic block of data may be expanded into data over three or more physical blocks. Such a phenomenon occurs when an actual compression ratio is less than 1.
In this case, the system performance is lowered regardless of efforts to increase the performance by increasing the apparent capacity by way of data compression. Specifically, even though data is compressed, a physical capacity which the compressed data occupies on an optical disk remains the same as or is greater than the capacity of one logic block. When the compressed data is to be read, a time is required to expand the compressed data. Consequently, the compressed data occupies the same space on the optical disk as would if the data were not compressed, and an additional time is needed to expand the compressed data when it is to be read. As a result, it is possible for the system to fail to offer any advantages from data compression.
Data is randomly recorded on and reproduced from a magnetic disk or an optical disk. For recording compressed data over two or more physical blocks on an optical disk, for example, the data is randomly recorded in physical blocks, for example.
There are occasions where mutually related compressed data over two or more physical blocks are recorded in physical blocks at spatially spaced positions on a magnetic or optical disk. Such instances manifest themselves where data is to be randomly recorded on a magnetic or optical disk on which data has already been recorded. When data are to be read from the magnetic or optical disk, a seeking (searching) process for searching for the mutually related compressed data is time-consuming, resulting in a long access time.
The present invention has been made in view of the above problems. It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for and a method of transmitting data for increasing overall system performance by transmitting either uncompressed data or compressed data based on the data length of the uncompressed data, the data length of the compressed data, and a preset condition.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of recording data for making it unnecessary to expand recorded data, of the data recorded on a recording medium, whose actual compression ratio satisfies a certain condition, so that the data can be read from the recording medium at a greatly increased rate.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus for and a method of recording data for preventing two or more physical blocks of data from being recorded in physical blocks at physically spaced positions, but recording them in areas corresponding to two or more successive physical blocks for thereby effectively shortening a seek time consumed for reading data.

Data transmitting apparatus, data recording apparatus, data transmitting method, and data recording method


A material removal method for removing net wrap or twine from the outer surface of a bale of material. The method comprises the steps of cutting the net wrap or twine material along a length of the bale, placing a first spear (62, 162) of a material wind-up system (60, 160) between the bale and the material, rotating the material wind-up system to wind the net wrap or twine material around the first (62, 162) and a second spear (64, 164) and stripping the material from the first and second spears.

In recent years, there has been significant interest in the production of organic chemicals, such as ethanol, from fermentable sugars that are derived from cellulosic biomass. Useful cellulosic biomass includes, for example, corncobs, cornstover (e.g., stalks and leaves), switchgrass, wood chips, and other plant matter.
In order to facilitate the storage and transportation (e.g., to a cellulosic ethanol plant) of cellulosic biomass, the biomass is harvested from the field and is then formed into bales. Common bale configurations include "square bales" (e.g., a bale in the form of a rectangular cube typically measuring about 3′×4′×8′) and "round bales" (e.g., a bale in the form of a right circular cylinder typically measuring about 6′ in diameter and 5′ in length). To provide structural integrity for storage and handling, the bales are often tied with wrapping material such as twine, which is more typical for square bales, or are wrapped with a net wrap or open weave material, which is more typical for round bales.
Once at the cellulosic processing plant, the twine or net wrap must be removed from the bale so that the biomass can by fed into the organic chemical production process. Since a typical cellulosic processing plant may process a large number of bales per day, an automated device for the removal of twine and net wrap from bales is very desirable. In addition, since the incoming bales to the cellulosic processing plant may consist of both square bales and round bales of varying sizes, it is additionally desirable for a single device to be configured to remove twine and/or net wrap from square bales and/or round bales of varying sizes with minimal manual input.


A method and apparatus for transmission of optical signals across an optical transmission link wherein duobinary signals or inverse-data signals are transmitted when the chromatic dispersion of the transmission link is above or below a dispersion threshold, respectively, to significantly improve optical signal transmission performance.

Duobinary is a well-known modulation format in fiber optic communications. Optical duobinary signals typically have two to three times the chromatic dispersion tolerance of conventional binary signals as well as a high tolerance to nonlinear penalties. The increased chromatic dispersion tolerance of duobinary transmission can provide significant cost savings in optical transmission systems by removing the need for dispersion compensation modules (DCMs).
One technique for realizing transmission of optical duobinary signals is to generate a three-level modulator drive signal by filtering a differentially encoded binary NRZ data stream with an electrical low-pass filter. The filtered drive signal drives a modulator to generate the duobinary signals for transmission across a transmission link to a receiver. This technique is typically referred to as the electrical low-pass filtered (LPF) duobinary approach. An example of an optical transmission system for transmitting electrical LPF duobinary signals is shown in FIG. 1. The differential encoder shown in FIG. 1 is used to pre-code the data before the low-pass filtering so that the generated optical duobinary signal (after digitization at the receiver) is the same as the original data.
Duobinary transmission systems are potentially cost effective commercial fiber optic transport solutions, particularly for metropolitan applications. However, in transmission links with low chromatic dispersion (e.g. chromatic dispersion compensated links or links spanning relatively short distances) or with back-to-back transmission, duobinary signals can suffer a 2-4 dB optical signal-to-noise (OSNR) penalty as compared to conventional binary signals.

Method and apparatus for optical signal transmission


An intersection information supply apparatus includes a table indicating relationships between approaching directions of a vehicle to an intersection and signal forms, an approaching direction detecting unit detecting an approaching direction in which the vehicle is approaching the intersection, a transmission unit transmitting a signal having a signal form indicated in the table so as to correspond to the approaching direction detected by the approaching direction detecting unit, a signal obtaining unit selectively obtaining, from among signals externally arriving at the vehicle, a signal having a signal form indicated in the table so as to correspond to an approaching direction relevant to the approaching direction detected by the approaching direction detecting unit and an information output unit outputting information about presence of another vehicle when the signal obtaining unit obtains the signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intersection information supply apparatus which supplies, to a driver of a vehicle approaching an intersection or existing in the intersection, information about another vehicle approaching the intersection
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, to prevent accidents in an intersection, a system informing a driver of a vehicle which is going to turn right or left at the intersection of presence of a two-wheeled vehicle approaching the intersection from an opposite side or running in the left side of the vehicle has been proposed (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No.57-117096).
In the system, if a two-wheeled vehicle approaching an intersection is detected, the following processes are carried out. If there is a possibility of a collision between the two-wheeled vehicle and a vehicle which is approaching the intersection to turn left (a left-turn vehicle), a warning signal is transmitted from a transmitter (a main control apparatus) installed on the roadside to the left-turn vehicle. In addition, if there is a possibility of a collision between the two-wheeled vehicle and a vehicle which is approaching the intersection to turn right (a right-turn vehicle), a warning signal is transmitted from the transmitter (the main control apparatus) to the right-turn vehicle. In each of the left-turn vehicle and the right-turn vehicle, a warning (display and/or sound) based on the received warning signal is issued.
According to such a system, a collision between a right-turn vehicle and a two-wheeled vehicle approaching from the opposite side and an accident in which a two-wheeled vehicle is caught under the left-turn vehicle can be prevented.
However, in the system as described above, the warning signal does not include information indicating from which directions right and left-turn vehicles approaching the intersection should receive the warning signal. For example, when right-turn vehicles and left-turn vehicles are simultaneously approaching the intersection on the respective up and down lanes (at least four vehicles), it is not determined which vehicle should receive a warning signal transmitted from the transmitter on the roadside. Thus, in a vehicle approaching the intersection or existing in the intersection, a useless warning may be issued.

Intersection information supply apparatus


A request for print content is received at a network server system. The request includes variable user input. Webpage content is obtained based at least in part on the variable user input. A subset of the webpage content is identified as print content. A print-ready layout of the print content is formed and the print content in the print-ready layout is provided, via network connection, to a client in response to the request.

Printing content from the World Wide Web (or simply "the web") is becoming increasingly common. Print apps are software applications that allow a user of a web-connected printer to download and print content designed for the selected print app. For example, a user may select a print app designed to provide children's coloring pages which are updated on a periodic basis. Thus, by executing the print app, the user is able to print coloring pages directly via the print app without the need to connect the printer to another device such as a computer.

Method and system for providing print content to a client

HEWLETT-PACKARD DEVELOPMENT COMPANY, L.P.


A method for enhancing the permeability of the skin or other biological membrane to a material such as a drug is disclosed. In the method, the drug is delivered in conjunction with ultrasound having a frequency of above about 10 MHz. The method may also be used in conjunction with chemical permeation enhancers and/or with iontophoresis.

The delivery of drugs through the skin ("transdermal drug delivery" or "TDD") provides many advantages; primarily, such a means of delivery is a comfortable, convenient and non-invasive way of administering drugs. The variable rates of absorption and metabolism encountered in oral treatment are avoided, and other inherent inconveniences--e.g., gastrointestinal irritation and the like--are eliminated as well. Transdermal drug delivery also makes possible a high degree of control over blood concentrations of any particular drug.
Skin is a structurally complex, relatively impermeable membrane. Molecules moving from the environment into and through intact skin must first penetrate the stratum corneum and any material on its surface. They must then penetrate the viable epidermis, the papillary dermis, and the capillary walls into the blood stream or lymph channels. To be so absorbed, molecules must overcome a different resistance to penetration in each type of tissue. Transport across the skin membrane is thus a complex phenomenon. However, it is the stratum corneum, a layer approximately 5-15 micrometers thick over most of the body, which presents the primary barrier to absorption of topical compositions or transdermally administered drugs. It is believed to be the high degree of keratinization within its cells as well as their dense packing and cementation by ordered, semicrystalline lipids which create in many cases a substantially impermeable barrier to drug penetration. Applicability of transdermal drug delivery is thus presently limited, because the skin is such an excellent barrier to the ingress of topically applied materials. For example, many of the new peptides and proteins now produced as a result of the biotechnology revolution cannot be delivered across the skin in sufficient quantities due to their naturally low rates of skin permeability.
Various methods have been used to increase skin permeability, and in particular to increase the permeability of the stratum corneum (i.e., so as to achieve enhanced penetration, through the skin, of the drug to be administered transdermally). The primary focus has been on the use of chemical enhancers, i.e., wherein drug is coadministered with a penetration enhancing agent (or "permeation enhancer"). While such compounds are effective in increasing the rate at which drug is delivered through the skin, there are drawbacks with many permeation enhancers which limit their use. For example, many permeation enhancers are associated with deleterious effects on the skin (e.g., irritation). In addition, control of drug delivery with chemical enhancement can be quite difficult.
Iontophoresis has also been used to increase the permeability of skin to drugs, and involves (1) the application of an external electric field, and (2) topical delivery of an ionized form of drug (or of a neutral drug carried with the water flux associated with ion transport, i.e., via "electroosmosis"). While permeation enhancement via iontophoresis has, as with chemical enhancers, been effective, there are problems with control of drug delivery and the degree of irreversible skin damage induced by the transmembrane passage of current.
The presently disclosed and claimed method involves the use of ultrasound to decrease the barrier function of the stratum corneum and thus increase the rate at which a drug may be delivered through the skin. "Ultrasound" is defined as mechanical pressure waves with frequencies above 20,000 Hz (see, e.g., H. Lutz et al., Manual of Ultrasound: 1. Basic Physical and Technical Principles (Berlin: Springer-Verlag, 1984)).
As discussed by P. Tyle et al. in Pharmaceutical Research 6(5):355-361 (1989), drug penetration achieved via "sonophoresis" (the movement of drugs through skin under the influence of an ultrasonic perturbation; see D. M. Skauen and G. M. Zentner, Int. J. Pharmaceutics 20:235-245 (1984)), is believed to result from thermal, mechanical and chemical alteration of biological tissues by the applied ultrasonic waves. Unlike iontophoresis, the risk of skin damage appears to be low.
Applications of ultrasound to drug delivery have been discussed in the literature. See, for example: P. Tyle et al., supra (which provides an overview of sonophoresis); S. Miyazaki et al., J. Pharm. Pharmacol. 40:716-717 (1988) (controlled release of insulin from a polymer implant using ultrasound); J. Kost et al., Proceed. Intern. Symp. Control. Rel. Bioact. Mater. 16(141):294-295 (1989) (overview of the effect of ultrasound on the permeability of human skin and synthetic membranes); H. Benson et al., Physical Therapy 69(2):113-118 (1989) (effect of ultrasound on the percutaneous absorption of benzydamine); E. Novak, Arch. Phys. Medicine & Rehab. 45:231-232 (1964) (enhanced penetration of lidocaine through intact skin using ultrasound); J. E. Griffin et al., Amer. J. Phys. Medicine 44(1):20-25 (1965) (ultrasonic penetration of cortisol into pig tissue); J. E. Griffin et al., J. Amer. Phys. Therapy Assoc. 46:18-26 (1966) (overview of the use of ultrasonic energy in drug therapy); J. E. Griffin et al., Phys. Therapy 47(7):594-601 (1967) (ultrasonic penetration of hydrocortisone); J. E. Griffin et al., Phys. Therapy 48(12):1336-1344 (1968) (ultrasonic penetration of cortisol into pig tissue); J. E. Griffin et al., Amer. J. Phys. Medicine 51(2):62-72 (1972) (same); J. C. McElnay, Int. J. Pharmaceutics 40:105-110 (1987) (the effect of ultrasound on the percutaneous absorption of fluocinolone acetonide); and C. Escoffier et al., Bioeng. Skin 2:87-94 (1986) (in vitro study of the velocity of ultrasound in skin).
In addition to the aforementioned art, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,767,402 and 4,780,212 to Kost et al. relate specifically to the use of specific frequencies of ultrasound to enhance the rate of permeation of a drug through human skin or through a synthetic membrane.
While the application of ultrasound in conjunction with drug delivery is thus known, results have for the most part been disappointing, i.e., enhancement of skin permeability has been relatively low.

Ultrasound-enhanced delivery of materials into and through the skin

The Regents of the University of California


A wireless communication method and device for managing information available via a wireless connection. Service information may be transmitted to a wireless communication device (WCD) via a short-range wireless network. Authentication information is scanned from an object containing machine-readable data via a different short-range communication medium. The authentication information is used to determine whether the downloaded service information should be permanently stored and made available in the user interface of the WCD.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to wireless communications. More particularly, the present invention relates to the management of automatically downloaded information received on a wireless communication device via short-range communications.
2. Description of Prior Art
Wireless communication devices (WCD) continue to proliferate in the marketplace due to technological improvements in both the quality of the communications and the functionality of the devices. Devices such as cellular telephones have become commonplace for both personal and business use, allowing users to transmit and receive voice, text and graphical data from a multitude of geographical locations. The communication networks utilized by WCDs span different frequencies and cover different broadcast distances, each having strengths applicable to different communication applications.
Cellular networks facilitate WCD communications over large geographic areas. GSM, a widely employed cellular network which communicates in the 900 MHZ-1.8 GHZ band in Europe and at 1.9 GHZ in the United States, provides voice communication and supports the transmission of textual data via the Short Messaging Service (SMS). SMS allows a WCD to transmit and receive text messages of up to 160 characters. It also provides data transfer to packet networks, ISDN and POTS users at 9.6 Kbps. While cellular networks like GSM are a well-accepted means for transmitting and receiving data, due to cost, traffic and legislative concerns, a cellular network may not be appropriate for all data applications.
Short-range wireless networks provide communication solutions that avoid the problems seen in cellular networks. Bluetooth™ is an example of a short-range wireless technology quickly gaining acceptance in the marketplace. A Bluetooth™ enabled WCD transmits and receives data at a rate of 720 Kbps within a range of 10 meters, and may transmit up to 100 meters with additional power boosting. A user does not actively instigate a Bluetooth™ network. Instead, a plurality of devices within operating range of each other will automatically form a network group called a "piconet". Any device may promote itself to the master of the piconet, allowing it to control data exchanges with up to seven "active" slaves and 255 "parked" slaves. Active slaves exchange data based on the clock timing of the master. Parked slaves monitor a beacon signal in order to stay synchronized with the master, and wait for an active slot to become available. These devices continually switch between various active communication and power saving modes in order to transmit data to other piconet members.
The multitude of communication networks utilized by WCDs have created new opportunities for businesses to contact potential customers. Advertisers desire to use audio, text and graphical messages to promote goods and services directly to a consumer through a WCD. In order to control the rampant proliferation of advertising, often called "spamming" when referring to unsolicited email messages, many governments have implemented strict controls over how advertisers and information providers may use global cellular networks like GSM. For example, strict new laws are being passed in Korea where 5% of the 220 million cellular text messages sent daily are unsolicited advertisements. Many laws require opt-in for mobile marketing to prevent spam from getting to the consumer. For marketers, getting opt-in acceptance is a real problem. However, these regulatory problems currently do not exist for short-range networks.
Some services currently exist for marketers who desire to communicate information over short-range networks. The Nokia Local Marketing Solution is an information providing architecture for distributing data via short-range networks. A user who walks within transmission range of an access point using short-range communications (e.g., Bluetooth™) has information automatically downloaded to a memory buffer in the WCD. The user must then open a "shortcut" browser to select from various temporarily stored "bookmarks". The selected bookmark is then permanently saved in the WCD, and in some cases, additional data relevant to the saved bookmark may then be retrieved via a cellular network. Unselected bookmarks are automatically deleted from the memory buffer when space is required to download new content.
iJack™ is a similar service provided by TeliaSonera Finland Oyj that provides graphical information to a user in effective range of a service point. The service point includes a Bluetooth™ broadcast device which may be totally wireless in that the service point may also be programmed wirelessly using a GPRS cellular link to a business. The service point can then simultaneously broadcast information over a piconet containing up to seven Bluetooth™ enabled WCDs. The user requires an iJack™ browser to view the information. After the browser is loaded, information is automatically downloaded to a WCD whenever the user comes into range of a service point. To save the data, the user must open the browser, find the information and manually trigger a download to the WCD.
While advertising over a short-range network may provide an innovative way for a business to reach a target consumer, communicating via this medium is not without its limitations. In both of the aforementioned existing services, a user may be forced to specify a category of information to receive (e.g., "coupons") that does not adequately limit incoming messages. As a result, the WCD will continue to receive an overabundance of bookmarks. The user must repeatedly perform a manual sort through the downloaded information to indicate bookmarks desired to be saved. Otherwise, these desired bookmarks may inadvertently be discarded as older information is purged to make room in the memory buffer. The labor required for the user to manually maintain downloaded content is multiplied by the number of categories allowed to be downloaded to the WCD, turning an otherwise beneficial function into an unpleasant and tedious chore.
Further, a proliferation of wireless direct-to-consumer advertising may result in a backlash against these companies . Users who find their WCD filled with a plethora of undesired information, including spam, viruses and other unwelcome information, may take steps to prevent these messages from being downloaded. A disgruntled user could turn off the Bluetooth™ reception features of their WCD, which may result in all short-range communications being disabled in the device. This negatively impacts the consumer as well as the advertisers because the user will not be able to receive any advertisements, offers or information from which they might benefit.
As demonstrated above, software-based category filters are not dynamic nor precise enough to substantially improve the situation. Many category classifications include too much breadth to allow a user to define a specific subject matter out of the general field of messages. In addition, some information providers could take liberties with the classification of their messages so that they might bypass a filtering category. Finally, a user may want to receive information relevant to a certain geographic location, or only during a specific time period. For example, a user visiting a shopping mall may want to receive offers or coupons for sales only during the time they spend at that particular shopping mall. A category classification filter would require significant user configuration in order to provide a specific short-term permission in this manner.
Therefore, what is needed is a short-range wireless communication architecture that allows a WCD to receive only messages pertaining to desired offers or topics that may be conditionally implemented in a simple manner.

Method and system for tactile confirmation of service bookmarks


A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system, comprising continuously withdrawing the polymer from the reactor and conveying the polymer from a reactor to a flash chamber via a pressure differential between the reactor and the flash chamber. A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system comprising conveying the polymer from a reactor to a flash chamber via a pressure differential between the reactor and the flash chamber and purging interstitial gases from the polymer prior to conveying the polymer from the flash chamber to a purge column. A method for transferring polymer within a polymerization system comprising conveying the polymer from a flash chamber directly to a purge column via a pressure differential between the flash chamber and the purge column.

Polymer products, or polymer fluff, within a polymerization system may be transferred from a polymerization reactor to a compounding step, such as an extrusion of polymer into pellets. The capital costs associated with the equipment and processes necessary to execute such a transfer may be significant. In addition to transferring polymer, such equipment and processes may also function to purge solvents or other fluids or contaminants that may be entrapped among the polymer solids. Examples of typical steps and equipment needed to accomplish such polymer transfers may include conveying systems involving hydraulics, pneumatics, and/or pressurized air; high pressure and low pressure solvent flash and recovery systems; flow control systems; lock hoppers; purge columns; and disengaging vessels. With existing designs, both the equipment and power necessary to accomplish movement of the polymer between the reactor and compounding step are cost prohibitive. Thus, a need exists for more efficient polymer transfer systems and methods.

Polymer transfer within a polymerization system


An indoor unit of an air conditioner is provided. The indoor unit has an improved airflow structure, for a rapid air conditioning of the room, a user's convenience, and an efficiency of the air conditioner.

Air conditioning system is an apparatus in which a refrigerant performs a refrigerant cycle including compression, condensation, expansion, and evaporation, in order to control the temperature of certain space according to user's desire. When the air conditioning system is operated to lower the temperature of the certain space, the air conditioning system is used as a cooling system. On the other hand, when the air conditioning system is operated to increase the temperature of the certain space, the air conditioning system is used as a heat pump. Meanwhile, the air conditioning system is usually used as the cooling system. The air conditioning system includes an indoor unit and an outdoor unit. The indoor unit is located in a humanly occupied space to supply a cool air thereto, and the outdoor unit is located at an outside of the humanly occupied space to release heat.
Further, the indoor unit includes a heat exchanger extracting heat from the humanly occupied space, a blower fan forcibly blowing an air to the heat exchanger to create a convective heat transfer therebetween for a fast supply of a cool air to the humanly occupied space. There are several kinds of indoor units such as a wall mount, a standing, a ceiling-suspended and a ceiling-embedded types according to the installation method of the indoor unit.
Typically, the wall mount type indoor unit is fixed to a wall of a room, and includes an air suction hole at an upper side and an air discharge hole at a bottom. However, it is not good for the user to use the typical wall mount type indoor unit having the above-mentioned structure because the suction hole is formed at the upper side and the discharge hole is formed at the bottom. In detail, the drawback is that the air conditioning is not rapidly performed for an entire indoor space because the discharging air is blown only in downward direction.
Further, an inside construction of the indoor unit is limited. For example, since a cross flow fan is installed in the related art indoor unit, a flow rate is restricted and the indoor unit has a large size because the cross flow fan occupies large portion of the indoor unit.
Technical Problem
Accordingly, the present invention is directed to an indoor unit of an air conditioner that substantially obviates one or more of the problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art.
An object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner having an improved inner structure for constructing the indoor unit more efficiently.
Also, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner having an improved air suction and discharge method such that the indoor unit can be installed without limitation, thereby increasing user's convenience.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner which is intensively made for a simple and strong structure. Furthermore, the indoor unit can have a larger blast capacity than the same-sized indoor unit of the related art and thus can have an increased efficiency.
Further, an object of the present invention is to provide an indoor unit of an air conditioner which is designed to increase user's convenience.
Technical Solution
To achieve these and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the present invention, as embodied and broadly described, there is provided an indoor unit of an air conditioner for supplying a cool air to the indoor space, including: a rear cover having a suction hole; and a front frame having a discharge hole formed at one side or both side thereof, for discharging the cool air that is sucked through the rear cover and cooled.
In another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indoor unit of an air conditioner, including: a front frame having a cool air discharge hole formed at at least one portion thereof; a blower fan disposed behind the front frame; an air guide disposed behind the blower fan, for guiding an airflow; a heat exchanger disposed behind the blower fan, for performing a heat exchange; and a rear cover disposed behind the heat exchanger, and including at least one suction hole for sucking an indoor air, the rear cover having side edge portions tapered at a predetermined angle as it travels backward for an installation at a corner of a wall.
In a further another aspect of the present invention, there is provided an indoor unit of air conditioner, including: a rear cover having a suction hole for sucking air into the indoor unit; a heat exchanger at which the sucked air exchanges heat; an air guide disposed in the indoor unit, for guiding airflow; a blower fan disposed adjacent to an air guide hole of the air guide, for forcibly flowing the air; and a front frame having a discharge hole formed at one side or each side thereof, for discharging a cool air that has exchanged heat with the heat exchanger.
Advantageous Effects
An advantage of the present invention is that an indoor unit of an air conditioner has an improved structure for constructing the indoor unit more efficiently. Also, the indoor unit has an improved air suction and discharge method, such that the indoor unit can be conveniently mounted.
Further, an advantage of the present invention is that the indoor unit has a large blast capacity compared to its size and thus has an increased efficiency. Also, the indoor unit is made to have a simple and strong structure and thereby increases user's convenience.