The present invention relates generally to ferrule holders and associated fiber optic connectors used in optical communications networks, optical devices, and the like to optically couple optical fibers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a ferrule holder and an associated fiber optic connector having improved anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation features, such as a twin-threaded configuration, a single-threaded configuration, a splined configuration, a broached configuration, a counter-bored configuration, a dented configuration, a finned configuration, etc. These anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation features assist in holding an optical fiber in secure optical and/or physical contact with a ferrule within the ferrule holder and associated fiber optic connector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to ferrule holders and associated fiber optic connectors used in optical communications networks, optical devices, and the like to optically couple optical fibers. More specifically, the present invention relates to a ferrule holder and an associated fiber optic connector having improved anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation features, such as a twin-threaded configuration, a single-threaded configuration, a splined configuration, a broached configuration, a counter-bored configuration, a dented configuration, a finned configuration, etc. These anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation features assist in holding an optical fiber in secure optical and/or physical contact with a ferrule within the ferrule holder and associated fiber optic connector.
2. Technical Background of the Invention
A conventional fiber optic connector includes, among other parts, an outer housing, an alignment sleeve, an inner structure that is configured to retain an optical fiber cable, a heat shrink and/or boot that is/are configured to retain and protect the optical fiber cable, and a ferrule holder that is configured to hold a ferrule. This ferrule is in optical and/or physical contact with an optical fiber that typically enters the ferrule holder opposite the ferrule. In operation, the fiber optic connector is mated with another fiber optic connector, such as a plug with a receptacle, for example, bringing the corresponding ferrules into optical and/or physical contact. This, of course, brings the corresponding optical fibers into optical contact, thereby creating an optical connection. The ferrules may be single or multi-fiber ferrules. The ferrule holders holding these ferrules may assume a variety of shapes, but are typically substantially cylindrical, and are manufactured from a metallic material or plastic material, due to the fact that such materials are relatively easy to machine or cast.
The optical fiber that enters the ferrule holder opposite the ferrule is typically secured in the ferrule holder and to the ferrule using an adhesive, preventing withdrawal and rotation of the optical fiber in relation to the ferrule holder and the ferrule. One major problem that the fiber optic industry currently struggles with, however, is that of delamination of the adhesive, caused by the poor bonding that exists between an optical fiber and a metallic material ferrule holder, for example. In addition, the adhesive used is prone to shrinking and detaching from the underlying substrate.
A variety of techniques have been developed to deal with the problems described above, including the use of various mechanical anchoring mechanisms and adhesive compositions. None of these techniques, however, provide adequate anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation characteristics. The techniques fail existing pull and twist tests in the face of the delamination and shrinkage problems described above. Thus, what is still needed in the art is a ferrule holder and associated fiber optic connector having improved anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation features.

Ferrule holder and associated fiber optic connector having anti-withdrawal and anti-rotation features


In the condition where a nozzle for applying a coating liquid is disposed on the lower side of a substrate and a substrate surface controlled in wettability is faced down, the nozzle and the substrate are moved relative to each other, whereby the coating liquid is applied to a desired region of the substrate, and then the coating liquid is dried, to obtain a pattern included a dried coating layer.

The present invention relates to a patterning method, a method of manufacturing an organic field effect transistor, and a method of manufacturing a flexible printed circuit board.
Field effect transistors (FET) including thin film transistors (Thin Film Transistor; TFT) used in many electronic apparatuses at present each includes, for example, a channel formation region and source/drain regions formed on a silicon semiconductor substrate or a silicon semiconductor layer, a gate insulation layer of SiO2 formed on a surface of the silicon semiconductor substrate or a surface of the silicon semiconductor layer, and a gate electrode provided opposite to the channel formation region through the gate insulation layer. Alternatively, the field effect transistor includes a gate electrode formed on a support, a gate insulation layer formed on the support inclusive of the area on the gate electrode, and a channel formation region and source/drain electrodes which are formed on the gate insulation layer. In the manufacture of the field effect transistors having these structures, very expensive manufacturing apparatuses for manufacturing the semiconductor devices have been used, and there is a keen request for lowering the manufacturing cost.
In view of the above, in recent years, attention has been paid on the research and development of an FET which uses an organic semiconductor material and which can be manufactured based on a method not using a vacuum technology, represented by a printing method, and the performance of the FET has come to be within an inch of the practical use level.
Conventionally, a patterning method in which a pattern composed of a hydrophilic region and a hydrophobic region is formed on a surface of a substrate and patterning is conducted by using this as a printing plate has been well known as offset printing method. Inks used in the offset printing method are usually high in viscosity, but an example of patterning in which low-viscosity liquid materials are used has also been reported.
Besides, Michael L. Chabinyc, et al., "Organic polymeric thin-film transistors fabricated by selective dewetting", APPL. PHYS. Lett 81.4260-4262(2002) (hereinafter sometimes referred to as Reference 1) discloses a technology in which a wax is applied to a substrate by printing, an SAM (Self-Assembled Monolayer) is built up on a substrate region not covered with the wax, then the wax is removed, and an organic semiconductor material is built up on the region having been covered with the wax (in this region, the SAM is not formed). The organic semiconductor material is built up by immersing the substrate in a solution of the organic semiconductor material and then pulling up the substrate vertically.
Alternatively, technologies in which a coating liquid containing an organic semiconductor material is applied to a substrate by a die coating method, a dip coating method, or a spin coating method have also been known.

Patterning method, method of manufacturing organic field effect transistor, and method of manufacturing flexible printed circuit board


Polyphenylene compounds such as compounds represented by Formulas 1-28 may be used in electronic devices such as organic light-emitting devices. For example, the compounds may be used as host material in an emissive layer.

The embodiments disclosed herein include emissive compounds that can be used for light-emitting layers in devices.
Organic light-emitting devices (OLEDs) are becoming increasingly important in lighting and display applications. OLEDs may include an emissive or light-emitting layer that includes a host material and an emissive component dispersed within the host material. However, emissive material-containing OLED devices can have problems with low stability. These problems with emissive materials can contribute to low efficiency and a short lifetime of the devices comprising the emissive materials.


Retroreflective articles having cube corner elements are disclosed, with the dihedral angle errors of the cube corner elements selected to limit the visibility range of the retroreflective article. Also disclosed are methods for making the cube corner elements and the retroreflective articles.

The present invention generally relates to retroreflective articles, and, more specifically, to cube corner retroreflectors having selectively reduced visibility range.
Retroreflective articles are well-known for applications such as highway signs, safety reflectors, and road markers. Generally, cube corner versions of these articles have a frontal lens of clear, colored or uncolored resin, such as methyl methacrylate, with a smooth front surface and a plurality of retroreflective cube corner elements on the rear surface. The cube corner elements each have three reflecting faces.
Light from a remote source passes through the smooth front surface, reflects off each of the three faces of a cube corner element, and passes again through the front surface. In a perfect retroreflector, this light is returned in a direction exactly opposite to the incoming direction of light. Primarily because of imperfections, either accidental or by design, the reflected light is not returned only in a direction exactly opposite to the incoming direction, but rather is returned typically into a spreading pattern, centered on the exact return direction. This imperfect return reflection is still termed "retroreflection". The spread retroreflected light enables the retroreflector to be visible from directions slightly away from the light source.
For example, if headlights from an automobile are the source of light, then the perfect retroreflective pavement marker would reflect light back only toward the headlights. It is desirable that the reflected light from a retroreflective pavement marker be seen by the driver of the automobile, whose eyes are generally higher than and somewhat left or right of the headlights.
Changes to the size or shape of the faces of the cube corner prism elements, or to the angles between the faces (dihedral angles), or to the flatness of the faces or the flatness of the front surface, can all change the pattern of retroreflection and thereby determine the regions around the light source in which the retroreflector visible. "Study of Light Deviation Errors in Triple Mirrors and Tetrahedral Prisms", J. Optical Soc. Amer., vol. 48, no. 7, pp. 496-499 (July 1958) by P. R. Yoder, Jr., describes spot patterns resulting from the angles between faces being not exactly right angles. U.S. Pat. No. 3,833,285, to Heenan, which is incorporated in its entirety herein by reference, teaches that having one dihedral angle of a macro-sized cube corner element greater than the other two results in extended observation angularity in macrocubes, and specifically that the retroreflected light diverges in an elongated pattern. This elongated pattern has a generally substantially vertical axis. U.S. Pat. No. 4,775,219, to Appeldorn et al., teaches redistribution of the reflected light so that more light is directed to the driver of approaching vehicles or extending the pattern of light by modifying the dihedral angles of micro-sized cube corners.
The angle formed between the source, the retroreflector, and the observer is called the observation angle. Conventional pavement markers and other retroreflective articles are generally designed to be highly visible at long distances, corresponding to small observation angles. Because of imperfections, generally accidental, in conventional retroreflective articles, they are also highly visible at middle and close distances, corresponding to medium and large observation angles. For each type of retroreflector in each application, the relative value of long, medium, and close visibility may differ. Some researchers have suggested that long distance visibility of pavement markers might not be useful, or even have negative value.

Cube corner retroreflector with limited range


An electron source substrate has an electron-emitting device consisting of a pair of device electrodes and an electroconductive thin film having an electron-emitting region; and metal wiring coupled to the device electrodes and made in a composition different from that of the device electrodes, on a substrate. A shortest distance between the conductive thin film and the metal wiring along an interface between the device electrodes and the substrate is not less than 50 μm. This configuration is able to effectively prevent diffusion of the wiring metal to the conductive thin film and to the electron-emitting region which can cause degradation of electron emission characteristics.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electron source substrate using electron-emitting devices, a production method thereof, and image forming apparatus using the electron source substrate.
2. Related Background Art
As conventional image forming apparatus making use of electron-emitting devices, there are known flat electron beam display panels in which an electron source substrate with a number of cold cathode electron-emitting devices therein and an anode substrate with a transparent electrode and a fluorescent material are opposed to each other in parallel and in which the interior is evacuated into vacuum. Among such image forming apparatus, one using field emission electron-emitting devices is disclosed, for example, in I. Brodie, "Advanced technology: flat cold-cathode CRTs," Information Display, 1/89, 17 (1989). The field emission electron-emitting devices with a pair of electrodes on a substrate surface are disclosed in Japanese Patent Applications Laid-Open No. 63-274047 and No. 63-274048, U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,895, and so on.
The apparatus using surface conduction electron-emitting devices is disclosed, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,883 and other documents. The flat electron beam display panels can be substantiated in lighter-weight and larger-screen structure than the cathode ray tube (CRT) display apparatus commonly used at present, and can provide images with higher luminance and higher quality than the other flat display panels such as flat display panels making use of liquid crystals, plasma displays, electroluminescent displays, and so on.
Particularly, the surface conduction electron-emitting devices are simple in structure and easy in production and are advantageous in that an electron source substrate with a number of devices arrayed over a large area can be fabricated without need for going through complicated production steps taking advantage of the photolithography technologies, whereas the field emission electron-emitting devices have to be fabricated through such steps.
FIG. 10 shows an example of the electron source substrate using the surface conduction electron-emitting devices, which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 06-342636. FIG. 10 is a plan view showing part of the electron source. In FIG. 10, reference numeral 1 designates a base, 2 and 3 device electrodes, 4 an electro-conductive thin film having an electron-emitting region in each device, and 5 the electron-emitting region in each device. The device electrodes 2, 3 are coupled to lower wiring lines 6 and to upper wiring lines 7, respectively, and the lower wiring lines 6 and upper wiring lines 7 are electrically insulated from each other by interlayer dielectric layers 8. Numeral 101 indicates one of surface conduction electron-emitting devices.
Predetermined voltages are successively applied as scanning signals and as information signals to the upper wires 7 and to the lower wires 6, respectively, in the matrix arrangement, whereby the predetermined electron-emitting devices located at intersections of the matrix can be selectively driven.
This matrix-arranged electron source substrate can be fabricated by relatively simple photolithography technologies, but it is preferable to employ print techniques for formation of larger substrates. Particularly, concerning the upper wiring lines to which the scanning signals are applied, the amount of electric current flowing through the wiring increases with increase in the number of devices connected per line, so as to result in a voltage drop due to wiring resistance; therefore, it is preferable to form thick films of wiring so as to reduce the resistance as much as possible.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 08-180797 and others disclose production methods of forming the wiring and interlayer dielectric layers by screen printing. As for the other members, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-17333 and others disclose production methods of forming the device electrodes by offset printing or the like, and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 09-69334 and others disclose production methods of forming the electroconductive thin films by the ink jet method. By employing these printing techniques, it is feasible to fabricate the electron source substrate of large area readily.
Besides the above-cited documents, there are various reports on the surface conduction electron-emitting devices; for example, those using a thin film of SnO2 [M. I. Elinson, Radio Eng. Electron Phys., 10, 1290 (1965)] and [G. Dittmer: "Thin Solid Films," 9, 317 (1972)]; those using a thin film of In2O3/SnO2 [M. Hartwell and C. G. Fonstad: "IEEE Trans. ED Conf.," 51 9 (1975)]; those using a thin film of carbon [Hisashi Araki et al.: "Vacuum, Vol. 26, No. 1, p22 (1983)], and so on. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 02-56822 discloses the surface conduction electron-emitting devices using a metal microparticle film of palladium oxide or the like.
In fabrication of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices, it is common practice to form the electron-emitting regions 5 by energization operation, called forming, on the electroconductive thin films 4. The forming is an operation of placing a dc voltage or a very slowly increasing voltage, e.g., approximately 1 V/min, at the both ends of each electroconductive thin film 4 to locally break, deform, or modify the electroconductive thin film 4, thereby forming a fissure.
After completion of the forming operation, a voltage is applied to the electroconductive thin film 4 to let an electric current flow through the device, whereupon electrons are emitted from the vicinity of the fissure. A portion emitting electrons at this time is called the electron-emitting region 5.
Furthermore, it is feasible to achieve better electron emission, by effecting a process called an activation operation on the devices after the forming, for example, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 07-235255. The activation step can be performed by repeatedly applying a pulse voltage to the devices, similarly as in the forming operation, under an atmosphere containing a gas of an organic substance, whereby carbon or carbon compounds are deposited from the organic substance existing in the atmosphere, onto the devices. The activation operation extremely increases the device current If and the emission current Ie.
The surface conduction electron-emitting devices fabricated through these operations have adequate electron emission characteristics as electron sources applicable to the image forming apparatus, for example, such as the flat panel displays and others.
By fabricating the large-area electron source substrate comprised of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices by the print techniques as described above, it is thus feasible to realize a large-area image forming apparatus, e.g., a large-screen flat panel display.
In the case where the large-area electron source substrate is constructed of the electron-emitting devices with sufficient electron emission amount, lifetime, and stability, there arises a problem as discussed below, however.
In the electron source in which the wiring electrodes connected the electron-emitting devices (e.g., the surface conduction electron-emitting devices) each with the electron-emitting region between a pair of device electrodes provided on the surface of the substrate, the device electrodes and the wiring lines were often made of different compositions from the demands for production cost, improvement in electron emission characteristics, and so on. The term "different compositions" herein means both (1) materials different from each other and (2) materials of identical elements but different composition ratios.
For example, (1) includes a case where the wires are made of silver (Ag) and the device electrodes of platinum (Pt), a case where the wires are made of ruthenium oxide (RuO2) and the device electrodes of ruthenium (Ru), and so on. Alloys of different compositions (e.g., a case where the wires are made of an alloy of gold and iridium (A—Ir) and the device electrodes of an alloy of gold and indium (Au—In)) also fall under the category of the different compositions. (2) includes a case where the device electrodes are made of a solder alloy of tin (Sn) and lead (Pb) at a composition ratio of Sn:Pb=7:3 and the wires of a solder alloy thereof at a composition ratio of Sn:Pb=6:4.
In the case of the device electrodes and the wires being made of different compositions as described, the process through the steps of high-temperature processing and the like sometimes caused the wiring material to migrate through the interface between the device electrodes and the substrate and reach the electron-emitting regions, so as to induce unexpected change in the electron-emitting regions, thus posing the problem of change in the electron emission characteristics. The Inventor found that this phenomenon was apt to occur, particularly, in the case where a processed film or the like for preventing diffusion of the substrate material was provided on the surface of the electron source substrate. This will be detailed below with a specific configuration example.
For producing the large-area electron source substrate at low cost, it is necessary to reduce the cost of the members used, and soda lime glass is preferably used for the base of the substrate. In the case of the electron-emitting devices each with a pair of devices electrodes on the substrate surface and the electron-emitting region between the device electrodes, typified by the surface conduction electron-emitting devices and the lateral field emission devices disclosed in aforementioned U.S. Pat. No. 4,904,895, because the electron-emitting regions are formed in contact with the substrate surface, heat and electric fields generated during driving of the electron-emitting devices are also transmitted to the surface of soda lime glass, so as to readily induce thermal deformation of the substrate, migration of sodium ions, precipitation of metal sodium and sodium compounds, and so on. The deformation of the substrate near the electron-emitting devices would cause change of the device structure and the precipitation of sodium would also change the electrical property as well as the structure, thus causing variation and degradation of the electron emission characteristics.
For this reason, for example, in the case of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices, it is desirable to form a coating layer of a material containing the main component of silicon dioxide on the soda lime glass surface and form the surface conduction electron-emitting devices thereon, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 01-279538. Particularly, when a silica layer or a phosphorus-doped silica (PSG) layer approximately 500 nm or more thick is formed as this coating layer, the coating layer makes it harder for the heat and electric fields in driving of the surface conduction electron-emitting devices to be transmitted to the soda lime glass base and thus can serve as an adequate sodium diffusion preventing layer. As disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-215789, it is also possible to form a layer containing an electroconductive oxide, on the soda lime glass surface, further provide a layer containing the main component of silicon dioxide on the surface thereof, and form the surface conduction electron-emitting devices thereon. This coating layer of the two-layer structure also functions better as a sodium diffusion preventing layer to suppress the diffusion of sodium due to the heat and electric fields.
This sodium diffusion preventing layer does not block only the sodium diffusion from the base but also blocks the diffusion of metal placed on the sodium diffusion preventing layer, to the substrate, however. In the structure where the metal is hard to diffuse into the substrate, repetition of thermal treatment steps can result in diffusion of the metal in parallel to the substrate surface along the substrate surface and along the interface between the substrate and the other members.
In the electron source substrate of the configuration as shown in FIG. 10, this diffusion in parallel to the substrate surface occurs at locations where the wiring metal contacts the interface between the device electrodes and the substrate, and becomes more prominent in the case where the device electrodes are made of a metal, particularly, in the case where the device electrodes are made of a metal different from the wiring metal. If the wiring metal diffuses through the interface between the device electrodes and the substrate surface (or the surface of the sodium diffusion preventing layer), it will come to contact the electroconductive, thin films. If a further thermal treatment is carried out at this point or if an electric field in driving is applied, migration of the metal due to the heat or the electric field will result in mixing the wiring metal with the electroconductive thin films and it will become hard to maintain the expected electron emission characteristics of the electron-emitting devices, thus inducing the degradation and variation of characteristics. Accordingly, it was necessary to control the diffusion through the interface of the wiring metal as low as possible.
A solution to this problem heretofore was a method of forming the electron-emitting devices, using an electroconductive oxide for the device electrodes, as disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2000-243327. However, if discharge occurs during driving of the devices, influence thereof will be significant. There were cases where the discharge did not affect only a discharging device but also affected the devices around it, so as to increase the size of defects in the substrate.

Electron source substrate, production method thereof, and image forming apparatus using electron source substrate


A cellular communication system comprising a plurality of geographically spaced base stations (2) each of which comprise an antenna arrangement (4, 6, 8) per base station sector, each of which antenna arrangements has an antenna element for generating an array of narrow beams (10, 12, 14) covering the sector. Timeslots are simultaneously transmitted over each of the beams so as to generate successive sets of simultaneously transmitted timeslots per sector. The timeslots are each split into multiple orthogonal codes, for example Walsh codes. The communication system additionally comprising a scheduling device (31) for allocating for successive sets of timeslots common overhead channels, including a common pilot channel, which are allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. For successive sets of timeslots different data traffic is allocated to the same sub-set of codes of each timeslot in the set. This effectively generates a sector wide antenna beam carrying the common overhead channels and a plurality of narrow beams each of which carry different data traffic. Inter-beam interference is addressed by the application of Adaptive Modulation and Coding and by an inter-beam handoff scheme. The handoff scheme ensures that when an end user equipment is located in a cusp region between adjacent beams the antenna arrangement simultaneously transmits data traffic to that mobile station on at least both of the adjacent beams.

Digital cellular systems, such as Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) and Universal Mobile Telephony System (UMTS) systems, are currently used for providing telecommunications to stationary and mobile end user equipments. The mobile end user equipments may be mobile stations, for example mobile telephones and mobile computing devices. Such digital cellular systems divide a geographical area to be covered by the communication system into a plurality of cell areas. Within each cell is positioned a base station with which a plurality of end user equipments located within the cell communicate.
In general it is desired to have as few base stations as possible, as they are expensive, require extensive effort in obtaining planning permission and in some areas suitable base station sites may not be available. In order to have as few base stations as possible, each base station should ideally have as large a capacity as possible in order to service as large a number of end user equipments as possible.
One method of achieving an increase in capacity in a CDMA system is described in US patent application 2002/0072393 of McGowan et al. This involves the replacement of a sector wide beam width antenna with an antenna array that allows the formation of a number of narrower beams that cover the area of the original wide beam. The signal for a particular mobile station can then be sent and received only over the beam or beams that are useful for that mobile station. Such multiple narrow beams can be used for traffic channels, whereas overhead channels can be transmitted over the sector wide beam so that the overhead channels, including a pilot channel, are common to all the narrow beams in the sector. McGowan et al provides an antenna array for providing fixed narrow beams for transmitting and receiving traffic channels and for broadcasting common overhead channels over the sector using the same antenna array. This is achieved by providing appropriate frequency or phase offsets between the multiple fixed beams.
Significant optimisation of the system taught in McGowan et al is required for it to be deployed in evolving third generation (3G) communications systems, such as 1×EV-DV (1×EVolution for Data and Voice), 1×EV-DO (1×EVolution for Data Only) and HSDPA (High Speed Data Packet Access an extension to UMTS (Universal Mobile Telephony System). Also, there is a further need to increase base station capacity.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Multi-beam cellular communication system


The invention relates to a circuit arrangement which includes a stage for the processing of data signals which are applied to the stage in a selectable sequence during time intervals defined by a clock signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a circuit arrangement which includes a stage for the processing of data signals which are applied to the stage in a selectable sequence during time intervals which are defined by a clock signal.
2. Description of the Related Art
Circuit arrangements of this kind are used in a wide variety of digital switching circuits which process data. Notably when such circuit arrangements, or their elements, are constructed while using CMOS circuits their current consumption can be strongly reduced, because such CMOS circuits, and gates constructed using such circuits, consume current only when value of the data signals occurring therein changes. Consequently, the current consumption of a circuit arrangement thus constructed is dependent on the changes of the data signals. This could make it possible to extract information as regards the changes of the data, and hence as regards the data themselves, from the variation in time of the current consumption. Such information, however, should not be surrendered, notably not in the case of data signals which are to be kept secret.
This problem becomes acute when parts of synchronously operating logic circuits are clocked only conditionally in order to save current, i.e. only when the relevant circuit element is indeed used for the current data signal processing. It is exactly this aim to minimize the current consumption that makes dependencies of the current consumption on the data signals particularly noticeable. Such switching circuits exhibit distinct dependencies of the electrical power consumption on the processed data signals.
It is an object of the invention to construct a circuit arrangement of the kind set forth in such a manner that the dependency of the power consumption on the data signals is disguised.
This object is achieved in a circuit arrangement of the kind set forth in that in a respective part of each time interval the circuit arrangement is supplied with modified data signals instead of the data signals to be processed.
In accordance with the invention, the described circuit arrangement is thus supplied with other, as different as possible data before processing the actually intended data. It can thus be achieved that the number of switching operations in the circuit arrangement is approximately the same in each time interval, irrespective of whether and how much the data signals to be actually processed change and what values they assume. This results in a power consumption which can no longer be correlated with the processing of the actual data signals.
The invention offers the advantage that the same circuit arrangement is used for the actual task, i.e. for the data signals to be actually processed, as well as for causing an additional current consumption by the processing of modified data signals which have an apparent meaning only. This takes place in a kind of time multiplex in each of the time intervals. More specifically, a dummy operation without meaning and the operation involving the actual data signals to be processed are thus performed sequentially.
When the time intervals are defined, for example by a square-wave clock signal, the modified data signals can be processed in a respective half period of the clock signal and the data signals to be actually processed in the respective other half period of the clock signal. The modified data signals, however, can also be supplied and processed in time intervals which are short in comparison with the period of the clock signal and are situated at the area of, for example the edges of the clock signal, whereas the data signals to be actually processed are supplied during the remaining time intervals of the periods of the clock signal.
The invention achieves a very effective disguise while using very few circuit means. This is realized at the expense of a slightly increased current consumption.
Preferably, the modified data signals are derived from the data signals to be actually processed by means of a data modification device which is controlled by the clock signal and can be simply inserted in the paths for the data signals. Preferably, such a data modification device includes an exclusive-OR circuit or a multiplexer device. A preferred embodiment of the circuit arrangement according to the invention includes a combinatory logic circuit which is inserted in the stage for the processing of the data signals. This combinatory logic circuit may be connected so as to precede the data modification device. The data signals to be processed can be applied from a first storage device to the combinatory logic circuit via the data modification device, the data signals formed in the combinatory logic circuit being applied to a second storage device so as to be stored.
Particularly advantageous is the use of the circuit arrangement according to the invention in combination with CMOS circuits. The application, however, is in principle not restricted to such circuits.
Disguising is achieved notably in that the combinatory logic circuit must process new data signals in each time interval, i.e. in that these data signals change under the influence of the data modification device. This precludes pronounced differences in the power consumption of the circuit arrangement for different time intervals, which differences could arise, for example, when the data signals to be processed contain very few changes only.

Abstract: In order to construct a circuit arrangement of this kind in such a manner that the power consumption which is dependent on the data signals is disguised, the invention proposes to supply the circuit arrangement, with modified data signals, instead of the data signals to be processed, in a respective part of each time interval.


Prodrugs of imidazole carboxylic acids which are AII antagonists useful in treating hypertension, pharmaceutical compositions thereof and a method of treating hypertension using such prodrugs are disclosed.

Compounds which inhibit the action of the hormone angiotensin II (AII) and are useful in alleviating angiotensin induced hypertension constitute the subject matter of a tremendous amount of research.
PCT Application, International Publication Number WO 92/00977 published Jan. 23, 1992, discloses 4-alkylimidazole derivatives useful as angiotensin II antagonist antihypertensive agents.
Carini and Duncia, European Patent Application Publication Number (EPA) 0 253 310, published Jan. 20, 1988, discloses a class of imidazole angiotensin II antagonists useful for treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure. The compounds are active when administered by intravenous injection. Several of the compounds are also orally active. The general disclosure encompasses certain 4-alkyl-2-propyl-1-[(2'-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)biphenyl-4-yl)methyl]imidazoles substituted at the 5-position of the imidazole ring with halogen, nitro, trifluoromethyl or cyano.
Carini, Duncia and Wong, International Application Publication Number WO 89/06233, published Jul. 13, 1989, discloses the same class of imidazole angiotensin II antagonists and also discloses additional imidazole angiotensin II antagonists useful for treatment of hypertension and congestive heart failure. Some of the additionally-disclosed compounds are orally active. The general disclosure of WO 89/06233 encompasses the compounds of this invention, but the compounds of this invention are not specifically disclosed.
PCT Application, International Publication Number WO 91/00277 published Jan. 10, 1991, discloses substitutes imidazoles useful as AII blockers. The compounds describes have activity in treating hypertension and congestive heart failure.
PCT Application, International Publication Number WO 91/00281 published Jan. 10, 1991, describes fused-ring aryl substituted imidazoles useful as AII blockers. The compounds described have activity in treating hypertension and congestive heart failure.
European Patent Application Publication Number 0 434 249 A2 published Jun. 26, 1991 describes benzofuran derivatives useful in treatment or prophylaxis of hypertension and potentially useful for the treatment of cognitive disorders and other diseases such as renal failure, hyperaldosteronism, cardiac insufficiency, congestive heart failure, post-myocardial infarction, cerebrovascular disorders, glaucoma and disorders of intracellular homeostasis.
European Patent Application Publication Number 0 459 136 Al published Apr. 12, 1991 describes benzimidazole derivatives having AII antagonistic activity and antihypertensive activity.
Compounds which inhibit AII such as imidazole carboxylic acid AII blockers can have poor absorption in the gastrointestinal tract. One way in which bioavailability of such compounds might be improved would involve designing a prodrug which would hydrolyze to the corresponding acid under physiological conditions whereby this hydrolysis would occur at some point after the prodrug has been absorbed in the gut thus liberating the parent compound without impairing its pharmacological activity.

Prodrugs of imidazole carboxylic acids as angiotensin II receptor antagonists


A hydrostatic test system for subjecting a workpiece or test specimen to a predetermined test pressure until the workpiece fails by developing a leak detectable by the test system. The hydrostatic test system is a modular system readily adaptable to, and able to incorporate therein, a number of different physical devices for regulating, controlling, detecting, and registering functions and activities pertaining to leak detection. Among the devices adaptable in the hydrostatic test system for detecting a leak condition in the workpiece is a differential pressure switch and a static pressure switch, a combination differential and static pressure switch, or an accumulator associated with either a pressure transducer or a high accuracy transducer. The leak condition may be visually signaled by a lamp or indicator light or the sensing of a leak condition may be visually output to a CRT screen. The hydrostatic test system includes a number of test stations mounted in a large upright cabinet or unit, with each test station accommodating one test specimen. The aggregate failure times and pressures can be output and displayed on a plotter and printer in the computer-controlled embodiment of the hydrostatic test system.

This invention relates to pressure testing equipment, and more particularly pertains to a hydrostatic test system for subjecting a number of test specimens to a predetermined test pressure for determining when each test specimen develops a leak condition.
Any article, item, or workpiece subjected to some kind of pressure, such as air or a liquid, should be tested to determine its allowable working pressure, its psi. rating, and its estimated working lifetime when subjected to any given working pressure. The workpieces requiring testing can include a wide variety of pipes, such as drill pipe, gas pipe, plastic pipe, as well as plastic containers and glass bottles. The test system should include a number of test stations for simultaneously testing a number of workpieces with a high degree of accuracy and repeatability.
For example, the Fujii et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,571,986 discloses a pneumatic pipe leak tester which includes several conduits each of which is connectible to a pipe to be tested. The Fujii et al. patent also includes a pressure transducer for producing an output signal and a detector actuated by the transducer for producing a leak signal.
However, there remains a need for a test system which can simultaneously test a large number of workpieces or test specimens, has a high degree of accuracy and repeatability, and is modularly designed in order to vary the number of test stations and accommodate a number of different electrical and mechanical pressure sensing devices.


The dipstick fuel squeegee of the present invention includes an elongated, rigid but lightweight base with foot pegs on either end and is long enough to span the opening of most large tanks. The base has a midsection into which first a wiper member and then a securing member are releasably attached. There are openings in the midsection, the wiper member, and the securing member which are vertically aligned. The openings of the midsection and the securing member are approximately equal in size while the opening in the wiper element is smaller. The wiper element is made of a flexible, resilient material and substantially centered over the opening in the seat. During use, a dipstick is inserted through the three openings of the squeegee, the user secures the squeegee by standing on the foot pegs, and the wiper member dislodges any liquid adhering to the dipstick as the user raises it through the squeegee.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a device used for measuring fluid level in a large container or tank and, more particularly, to devices used to remove any fluid remaining on the measuring device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The storage of oil, gasoline or other liquids in large tanks is commonplace. Many of these tanks are buried underground and many do not have fluid level gauges. Therefore, to determine the amount of fluid left in a tank one end of a "dipstick" is inserted into the top of the tank until it reaches the bottom of the tank at which point the stick is withdrawn. At least some of the fluid in the tank adheres to the stick. The level of fluid in the tank is determined according to the height on the stick to which the liquid adhered. Then the fluid must somehow be removed from the stick in order to avoid staining the stick, creating a mess, and, more importantly, to substantially eliminate both fire and environmental hazards which might otherwise result.
In the past, rags have been used to clean these dipsticks and are still used by many today. However, the oil or gas soaked rags pose environmental and fire hazards and their disposal can be problematic. In addition, the purchase of these rags when used in conjunction with frequently measured and large tanks can be expensive.
Devices have been designed to assist in the cleaning of dipsticks although most are specifically intended to be used to check oil levels in combustion engines rather than liquid levels in large tanks. To that end, there are hand-held devices which operate similarly to tongs such that a cleaning pad is mounted on each jaw of the tongs. To clean the dipstick the tongs are opened and the dipstick positioned between the jaws; then the tongs are closed and the stick drawn upwardly. Liquid is removed from the dipstick by the cleaning pads. (See U.S. Pat. No. 4,233,704). Others simply provide a slit in a flexible cleansing material into which the dipstick is slid and then drawn upward.
A number of dipstick squeegees (more particularly designed for engine oil checking) are constructed such that they are attached to the dipstick tube or otherwise mounted on the engine. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,598,602 which employs a squeegee device mounted on the engine which includes a swing arm. The arm is swung into position so that the dipstick can be placed between two sides upon each of which is mounted a disposable cleaning pad. The sides are then squeezed together while the stick is drawn upwards and the liquid removed. The same general idea without the swing arm is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,716,615 where the device is mounted onto a dipstick receiving tube.
Another example is disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,891,859. Here again the device is mounted on the engine compartment and includes a semi-circular vertical channel with two pairs of vertically spaced resilient flaps inside. The dipstick is moved into the open side of the semicircular channel and between the flaps and drawn upward to remove liquid.
None of these inventions is easily or effectively adaptable to use for measuring liquid levels in large tanks which store, for example, gas or oil. These tanks are often filled though the same opening as their levels are checked which means that the dipstick is not resident there when not in use. Therefore, those prior inventions which combine the stick with a device intended to remain mounted on the tank could create an obstacle to efficiently filling the tank.
There are a few ideas adapted to use for the large-scale tanks. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,282,624 discloses a device which is attached to the collar or opening of the tank and includes a rubber plat with a slit which is protected on at least three sides by a metal plate. This device is resident with the tank. The slit design is relatively short lived as many of these dipsticks are of cross-section dimensions which do not fit particularly well into the slit. If the slit is widened, parts of the stick will not be contacted leaving fluid on the stick. None accommodated the varying shape of a strapper which is a retractable tape having plum bob at one end.
These large tanks are often filled and levels consequently checked by drivers of tanker trucks. The oil or gas or other liquid remaining on a dipstick or on a tape when checking tanks of this size is, of course, much greater in volume than that on a car engine's dipstick. Therefore the number of rags and the environmental hazards they pose are increased exponentially. It is not reasonable, then, to use any prior inventions wherein absorbent pads are employed. Additionally, the drivers of tanker trucks may deliver at a number of different places so they need a squeegee that is light, transportable, and durable with a wiping surface that is also relatively durable but also easily replaceable when worn. They cannot depend on the places to which they deliver to maintain or even have an efficient squeegee device. The squeegee must be chemically resistant to erosion and sturdy enough to withstand use with dipsticks or tapes with a plum bob up to ten feet long and 1 to 3 square inches in cross section or diameter. Because of the sheer size of these dipsticks and tapes, a handheld squeegee is not practical; one must be able to maneuver the stick or the tape which typically requires both hands.
What is needed is a light and easily transportable, but durable squeegee device which deposits fluid adhering to the dipstick or the tape and plum bob back into the tank. It is desirable to avoid absorbent pads and their consequential environmental and fire hazards and design instead a squeegee that includes a durable surface to remove the liquid which surface can be simply and easily replaced as needed. Although the device needs to be easily transportable and storable, it must also be of a size and construction to survive the rigors of being used with large dipsticks or long tapes. The device must be able to accommodate the varied shapes of a tape and plum bob and able to clean the surface of each. If preferred, the device must be adaptable to be detachably affixed to the collar of tank while leaving a space between the wiper member and the collar through which a measurement of liquid level can be observed. Finally, while light and transportable, the squeegee needs to be constructed for hands-free use and resistant to chemical erosion by gasoline and oil products.


There is provided a communication device capable of determining whether admission of new data traffic is allowed or rejected not by comparing throughputs only, but by considering other parameters when the data traffic is admitted. A communication device (10) according to the present invention includes a determination unit (11) that determines whether to admit a flow regarding a new radio terminal (30), the flow being to be transmitted between a radio terminal (30) and a base station (20) and having a transmission deadline, depending on a transmission state of a plurality of data packets included in the flow, and a communication unit (12) that transmits, to the base station (20), instruction information indicating whether to admit the flow regarding the new radio terminal (30).

Currently, it has been considering providing low latency services via mobile networks. Low latency services may be, for example, automatic driving services for transmitting on-vehicle sensor information, traffic-camera information, and map information via mobile networks.
Mobile carriers (mobile network operators) are required to secure Service Level Agreement (SLA) in order to provide users with low latency services. In the SLA, for example, a delay time secured in the low latency services and the like may be defined.
For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses processing regarding admission control performed to maintain the quality of a network. For example, Patent Literature 1 discloses an admission controller AC that calculates a currently used throughput. The admission controller further calculates the difference between the maximum available throughput and the currently used throughput to determine the currently available throughput. The admission controller rejects admission of real-time data traffic when the desired throughput in the real-time data traffic exceeds the currently available throughput. The admission controller sets a transmission deadline in the real-time data traffic the admission of which is allowed.

Communication device, communication system, communication method, and non-transitory computer-readable medium


A method and device for heart rate measurement uses a stream of signals containing ECG signals to select a reference QRS complex according to a set of predetermined criteria and obtain electrical signal characteristics of the reference QRS complex. A first QRS complex is detected from the stream of signals and characterized in relation to the reference QRS in the time domain such that the first QRS complex meets another set of predetermined criteria, and satisfies a level of similarity with the reference QRS complex. An instantaneous heart rate of a subject is evaluated based on the first and the reference QRS complexes when the first and the second QRS complexes are sufficiently similar.

Heart-rate is an important parameter which is indicative of the body conditions of a human being. During exercise, sports or athletic activities, it is always desirable to monitor the heart-rate for optimal results as well as for personal safety. The simplest way to measure heart-rate is probably by finger pressing the wrist and then counting the number of heart beats within a given time in order to calculate the heart beat per minute (BPM). However, such a primitive method may not give an accurate result, requires a relatively long pulse-counting period and may not be sufficiently reliable for most practical purposes. To facilitate more accurate and convenient heart-rate measurements, devices with electrocardiographic (ECG) signal processing and measuring means are available.
ECG signals are electrical signals flowing through the heart which are indicative of the electrical activity of the heart and are usually picked up from the skin. Each typical and complete ECG signal or electrocardiogram includes a complete waveform with the more salient labels P, Q, R, S and T indicating the more distinctive and significant features of the waveform. It is generally recognized that the P wave arises from the depolarisation of the atrium, the QRS complex arises from depolarisation of the ventricles, and the T-wave arises from re-polarization of the ventricle muscle. The magnitude of the tall, spiky R-wave of the PRS complex is approximately 1 mV. When the heart beats, a train of repetitive ECG signals with the characteristic P-QRS-T waveform can be detected. The instantaneous heart-rate can be determined from the period of the train of ECG signals, for example, by measuring the time difference between immediately adjacent spiky R-peaks of the train of the ECG signals.
In order that the heart-rate can be determined by automated ECG analysis for enhanced accuracy, sensitivity, convenience as well as within a shorter time, devices with automated ECG analysis capability are required. ECG signals are usually detected by applying electrodes to the skin, usually also in the presence of noise. Typical examples of noise sources which are commonly known to corrupt ECG signals include, for example, power line interference, electrode contact noise motion artefacts, muscle contraction (electrode myographic, EMG), based line drift and ECG amplitude modulation with respiration, instrumentation noise generated by electronic devices, electrosurgical noise and other, less significant noise sources. The nature and significance of such noise sources have been extensively studied and discussed in many publications, including, for example, in the journal article entitled "A Comparison of the Noise Sensitivity of Nine QRS Detection Algorithms" by G. M. Friesen published in 1990 IEEE Trans-Actions on Biomedical Engineering Vol. 37, No. 1., which is incorporated herein by reference. As the ECG signal data received from the skin are usually contaminated with noise, heart-rate measurement devices equipped with ECG signal analysing means always include noise filtering means or algorithms in addition to ECG signal processing and analysing means or algorithms. Digital signal processing techniques are frequently used to perform noise filtering as well as ECG signal processing and analysis because of the many different types of noise as well as the rather complicated ECG signal waveform. However, conventional noise filtering and ECG signal processing techniques are very complicated and require substantial computational overhead which usually means a rather long computational time as well as a high energy consumption.
As people are becoming more health conscious, the demand for portable heart-rate monitoring or measuring devices or apparatus have significantly increased. A wrist-worn type heart-rate monitor which is usually incorporated as part of a wrist-watch is a good example of such portable heart-rate monitoring or measuring devices. A typical wrist-worn heart-rate monitoring watch usually includes a wrist-strap, a watch casing with a conductive back cover, an ECG sensing electrode mounted on the watch casing and a digital display panel for displaying the time-of-the-day and the heart-rate in BPM. As a wrist-worn heart-rate monitoring watch is usually powered by a single button cell to attain light weight and a compact design, it is highly desirable if the underlying noise filtering and ECG signal processing algorithms or means do not require excessive power consumption to extend battery life. Examples of wrist-worn heart-rate monitoring watches are known, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,824 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,104. In the wrist-worn heart-rate monitoring watch disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,289,824, the incoming ECG signal data have to pass through five filtering stages before subjecting to a QRS complex detection and validation process in order to determine the heart-rate.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,104 also discloses a wrist-worn heart-rate monitoring watch including two stages of digital filtering, namely, a first stage of a low pass filter and a second stage of band-pass filter. The digitally filtered ECG signal data are then subject to an enhancement signal processing block which includes a differentiation step followed by a squaring or absolute value operation and are then subject to the calculation of the moving average. A template-matching or cross-correlation process on the digitally filtered incoming signal data is then performed to compare or cross check against the results of the enhancement signal processing. The resulting digital data are then analysed to determine the users' heart-rate. However, the algorithms utilized in most known wrist-worn type heart-rate monitoring watches are often not sufficiently power- and time-efficient to satisfy's increasingly stringent consumer demands. Hence, it is highly desirable if there can be provided improved ECG signal processing means or algorithms for heart-rate determination with a reasonable accuracy and a reasonable power- and time-overhead. Thus, it will be highly desirable if there can be provided simplified schemes or methods for heart-rate measurements suitable for portable, low-power, applications.

Devices and methods for heart rate measurement and wrist-watch incorporating same


Updating a personalized web page by identifying characteristic features and an information sample from an input, in which the input specifies a web site that provides the information sample. When an update is required by a user-specified frequency, corresponding contents of the web site are determined based on the characteristic features. If the corresponding contents are highly relevant to the information sample, the corresponding contents are extracted, and the personalized web page is updated with the corresponding contents.

Web browsers allow users to reach web sites across the Internet to view web pages. When a user finds a web page of interest, he can mark the page with a "bookmark", which records a Universal Resource Locator (URL) of the web site providing that web page. Many of the current web browsers, such as Internet Explorer and Netscape Communicator, supply a book-marking tool for users to record the URLs of interest. When a user wants to revisit a web page that has been marked with a bookmark, he can enable the bookmark, e.g., by clicking on the bookmark with a mouse, to reach the web page.
However, these currently available book-marking tools only allow a user to visit a web page each time he selects a corresponding bookmark.
Some web sites, e.g., Yahoo, provide utilities that allow users to customize a web page by selecting certain topics of interest. However, the users can only select topics from a collection of pre-compiled topics. The utilities do not allow the users to select topics outside of the collection.


A teeming spout has on its inside a plurality of picket-like metal segments (1) separated from one another by slots (2) and is externally surrounded by an induction coil (3). The bottom turn (7) of this induction coil (3) has a downwardly directed pitch equalization piece (8) which provides such that the field acts uniformly on the teeming stream from all sides and therefore it is not deflected.

The invention relates to a teeming spout which has on its inside a plurality of picket-like metal segments separated from one another by slots and on its outside it is surrounded by an induction coil having a power feed at one end and a power return at its other end.
A teeming spout of the above kind is described for example in DE-A 40 11 392. The induction coil is represented in that document as if on the side with the power feed and power return the same number of turns run one above the other as on the opposite side. Since the windings, however, must be helical in shape, there will necessarily be one less winding section on the side opposite the power feed and power return. Consequently the field there is weaker than it is at the power feed and return. For this reason a transverse component of the force of the magnetic field develops by which the metal stream is deflected. For many applications, therefore, it cannot be alligned precisely enough.
DE-A 41 40 723 (U.S. Ser. No. 07/868,542) describes two induction coils for teeming spouts, which are symmetrical and therefore produce a symmetrical field, thereby preventing any lateral deflection of the metal stream. Such induction coils, however, are difficult to make and due to opposite current directions in adjacent winding areas and to intersections they lead to considerable energy losses.


A method is described for controlling a clutch which is located between a drive motor and an automated manual transmission of a drive train. In this method, vibrations during load alternations are reduced by controlling the clutch so that a free-wheeling function is implemented during an engine braking mode.

The present invention relates to a method for controlling a clutch which is located between a drive motor and an automated manual transmission of a drive train.
Drive trains for motor vehicles in which a manual transmission is connected via a clutch to the drive motor are known from the related art, both the manual transmission and the clutch being operated automatically. Such transmissions and/or drive trains are known as automated manual transmissions in general.
Vehicles, in which the engine and drive train are connected via a friction clutch, may be stimulated to develop vibrations between the engine and the drive train with respect to the vehicle during load alternations or changes. Especially in the case of high transmission ratios, which is the case at low speeds anyway, these vibrations are perceptible in the output. Although this effect is accepted by the driver of a manual transmission, the demand for comfort is greater in the case of automated systems.

LuK Lamellen und Kupplungsbau Beteiligungsgesellschaft KG


A throttle body for controlling a plurality of throttle valves in a multi-cylinder engine. The throttle valves of at least two of the cylinders are structurally connected to each other.

In recent years, it has been common to use an electronic throttle control device that detects the actuated amount of a throttle grip or an accelerator pedal and controls, based on the actuated amount of the throttle grip or the accelerator pedal, the opening of a throttle valve through a motor.
When the throttle control device of this type is to be disposed in an engine provided with an injector supplying fuel through injection into an intake passageway, it is desirable that, for example, a motor and a throttle opening sensor be disposed as compactly as possible, while avoiding interference with a fuel injection valve.
An arrangement is known in which the motor is disposed on the same side as the injector. See Japanese Patent Laid-open No. 2002-256895. If the motor is disposed on the same side as the injector, however, a wide space must be provided on an upper portion of the throttle body. This presents the problem of uneven distribution of a space around the throttle body.
In some known configurations, the motor and the throttle opening sensor may be disposed in an axial direction of the throttle valve. This, however, results in the length of the throttle body in the direction of cylinder arrangement being elongated by the length of these parts. This, in turn, leads to an enlarged engine.


A method, information processing system and computer readable storage medium for presenting a graphical menu item on a display. The graphical menu is displayed by receiving a time delay selected by an end-user; presenting to the end-user a graphical menu item wherein at least one menu item has a selectable option state; receiving input from the end-user for changing the option state on at least one menu item; and waiting an amount of time greater than the time delay before removing the graphical menu item from the display.

Not applicable
A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
1. Field of the Invention
The invention disclosed broadly relates to the field of computers computing, and more particularly relates to the menu items in the field of graphical user interfaces.
2. Description of the Related Art
Graphical user interfaces have been improving for a long time. From the beginning of computer history, computer developers have been working on ways to improve the easy of use of the machine with end-user by building better user interfaces. One of the purposes of the graphical user interfaces (GUIs) were to make it easier to perform complicated tasks such a moving files and starting programs. The history of computer GUI goes back to a project by the Xerox Corporation in the 1970s to present information more easily to end-users. Soon Apple through its Macintosh and Lisa line of products, Microsoft through its Windows 3.1 and Windows 95 products, IBM through its OS/2 products and others began to offer even more sophisticated GUIs and improved on the innovations made by Xerox. Higher resolution displays, the introduction of color graphics , the use of animated objects, the use of photorealistic pictures and even the introduction of 3-D user interfaces have greatly improved the ease of use of the computer. of GUIs.
Although GUIs have continued to evolve and make tasks easier for end-users there are some tasks that are still very burdensome to complete. Referring to FIG. 1 is a screen capture of an application program 100 entitled xe2x80x9cPaintxe2x80x9d that ships with Windows 95 and other Microsoft products. Shown is a typical pull-down menu bar 102 with various menu items. One menu 108 item entitled xe2x80x9cViewxe2x80x9d has an associated pull-down menu 104 with various end-user selectable options, such as the option 106 entitled xe2x80x9cColor Boxxe2x80x9d. The pull down menu 104 is activated by moving cursor 112 with a mouse (not shown) or other graphical pointing device. A check box 110 denoted by symbol xe2x80x9c✓xe2x80x9d notifies the end-user that this option 106 xe2x80x9cColor Boxxe2x80x9d is currently selected. The instant the end-user selects this option 106 xe2x80x9cColor Boxxe2x80x9d the pull-down menu 104 is programed to disappear from the application program 100 and the cursor changes to a pencil 202 as shown in FIG. 2. This action of changing the state of an option 106 from enabled to disabled is disruptive to the end-user. The end-user cannot discern that the action has been completed or what selection has been made because the box has disappeared. The end-user many times re-pulls opens the pull-down menu 104 to double check to determine if the option 106 state has been changed. The option state 106 in this example would change from the check box 110 denoted by symbol xe2x80x9c✓xe2x80x9d to an absence of a checked box 110. Of course, alternately for this particular example an end-user may notice that the corresponding graphic 114 for the option 106 xe2x80x9cColor Boxxe2x80x9d has disappeared, as shown in FIG. 2. However, many times the end-user is a novice with an application program 100 and may not understand what items changed on the application screen. Moreover, many times application program 100 does not give any graphical feedback at all to an end-user of the state of an option 106 has changed. Accordingly, a need exists for a method to provide the end-user feedback that an option state has changed.
Still another burden with the changing of option states in menus, dialog boxes using radio buttons and other types of menu choices in which the menu closes immediately is the requirement of changing several options at once. Stated differently, if an end-user wishes to change more than one option in a pull-down menu 104, such as both option 106 xe2x80x9cColor Boxxe2x80x9d and option 116 xe2x80x9cStatus Barxe2x80x9d, the end-user must repeat the action of selecting pull-down menu bar 102 with various menu items. Each option 106 and 116 must be selected individually. This is unnecessarily burdensome. Accordingly, a need exists for a method to provide an end-user a method for selecting many option states on one menu item without having to reopen the menu.
Although the examples in FIGS. 1 and 2 have been limited to one example of application program 100 and one type of menu, i.e., pull-down menu 104, other menu types including radio buttons and check boxes, that disappear automatically after the end-user makes a selection suffer the same shortcomings as discussed above for the pull-down menu 104. Accordingly, a need exists to overcome the problems with changing states on application program options with these menu types as well.
Briefly, in accordance with the present invention, a method for presenting a graphical menu item on a display. The method comprising the steps of: receiving a time delay selected by an end-user; presenting to the end-user a graphical menu item wherein at least one menu item having an selectable option state; receiving input from the end-user for changing the option state on at least one menu item; and waiting an amount of time greater than the time delay before removing the graphical menu item from the display.
In accordance with another embodiment of the present invention, an information processing system and computer readable storage medium is disclosed for carrying out the above method.

Extending the opening time of state menu items for conformations of multiple changes

International Business Machines Corporation


An electronic device includes a display, a keyboard, and a fixing element. The display includes a display surface and an opposite rear surface having a fixing structure. The keyboard has a using state and a folded state. When the keyboard is in the using state, the keyboard is positioned in front of the display, and when the keyboard is in the folded state, the keyboard is fixed on the rear surface. The fixing element is connected between the fixing structure and the keyboard and configured to cooperate with the fixing structure to enable the keyboard to change between the using state and the folded state.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to an electronic device with a keyboard.
2. Description of Related Art
Electronic devices, such as desktop computers, include a computer case, a display, and a keyboard. The case, the display, and the keyboard are independent of each other, and the keyboard is usually positioned on the same supporting surface as the display such as a top of a desk. Sometimes, users need not use the keyboard, but the keyboard will still occupy desktop space, which can be inconvenient for users.
What is needed is to provide a means that can overcome the above-described limitations.

Fu Tai Hua Industry (Shenzhen) Co., Ltd.


A high pressure discharge lamp utilizing an improved ceramic arctube. The arctube has a ceramic central portion, a first ceramic leg extending from one end of the central portion and in some embodiments a second ceramic leg extending from the other end of the central portion. The arctube has reinforcing means where one or both of the legs joins the central portion to reinforce and strengthen the connection between each leg and the central portion. The reinforcing means is preferably seal glass or a layer of seal glass adjacent a ceramic ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to high pressure discharge lamps and more particularly to an improved strength ceramic arctube for use in a high pressure discharge lamp.
2. Description of Related Art
High pressure discharge lamps, which includes ceramic metal halide, high pressure sodium, and high pressure electrodeless lamps, are well-known and U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,140,227; 4,780,646; 4,409,517; and 3,363,133 are incorporated by reference. It is known in a high pressure metal halide discharge lamp to employ a ceramic arctube which includes a generally-cylindrical ceramic central body, a ceramic plug at each end of the central body, and a ceramic exhaust leg engaging each plug. See, e.g., Eur. Pat. App. EP 0 587 238 A1, the contents of which are incorporated by reference. It has been found that the join or joint between the exhaust leg and the plug is extremely weak, which may lead to failure at the leg, or a leak at the joint that may result in 0 eventual lamp failure.
There is a need for a reinforcement to strengthen the area where the exhaust leg engages the plug of a high pressure discharge lamp, to strengthen the leg and reduce the possibility of lamp failure.

Arctube for high pressure discharge lamp


Disclosed herein is the use of ajoene for the treatment of shock.

Ajoene is 4,5,9-trithiadodeca-1,6,11-triene-9-oxide, having a structural formula as follows: ##STR1##
Ajoene, and a precursor thereof, can be isolated from extracts of garlic (Allium sativum). As the garlic is crushed, alliin in the garlic comes into contact with allinase in the cell wall to form allicin. Then, in the presence of a polar molecule such as a lower alcohol or even water, allicin forms Ajoene.
Ajoene has been previously shown to inhibit platelet aggregation by inactivating allosterically the platelet integrin, GP IIb/IIIa (Apitz-Castro R. et al.: Biophys. Res. Commun., 1986, 141:145). This inhibition of integrins by Ajoene is reversible.
Also, integrin-mediated formation of cell-to-cell contacts has been shown to typically be a prerequisite for membrane fusion (Hildreth, J. E. K. and Orentas, R. J., Science, 1989, 244:1075).

Methods of using Ajoene for treatment of shock


A shielding apparatus for use with a non-conductive package has an insulated lid (102) which is retained in contact with a substrate (104) for holding an electrical circuit. The shielding apparatus includes a first conductive flash (201) deposited on the interior surface of the insulated lid (102), to produce a substantially contiguous conduction layer, and a second conductive flash (203) deposited over a film (110) disposed on the edge of the insulated lid (102), to produce a partially contiguous conduction layer. The shielding apparatus also includes a layer (108) for affixing the insulated lid (102) to the substrate (104), to produce an enclosure for isolating the electrical circuit from extraneous radio frequency (RF) energy.

The requirement for isolation of radio frequency (RF) energy from electronic circuitry has existed since the beginning of the electronic age. For every circuit that generates, and is sensitive to, this form of energy, there is a desire to electrically isolate this circuit from the external environment in which it operates. In general, it is highly desirable to minimize the effect that a given circuit has on its environment as well as the effect that the environment has on the circuit. In particular, when designing a shield for a frequency control device, such as an oscillator circuit, it is critical to isolate the circuit from other RF sources which may be emitting signals whose primary or harmonic frequencies are found near the frequency of oscillation.
The aforementioned requirement is especially true for components used in communication system's where even small levels of RF radiation may cause degradation in critical electrical parameters of the target circuit. This problem is accentuated when shielding must be provided while maintaining a hermetically sealed, or airtight, joint between the cover and the substrate holding the electronic circuit, such as in a quartz crystal resonator, or filter. Hermeticity is required in order to prevent air contaminants from coming in contact with the oscillating quartz plate, as even microscopic particulates have a dramatic impact on the frequency characteristics of the device. This requirement presents the added challenge of designing a highly manufacturable process (one with minimal material utilization) to provide an electrical path between the ground plane of the electrical circuit and the shielding enclosure. Though it represents a serious challenge to the electronic Package designer, such a ground path is a necessary feature if the component is expected to comply with the ever-increasing parametric specifications regarding attenuation of extraneous RF energy. An example of this is the noise-floor, or ultimate-attenuation, specification for a quartz crystal filter, which greatly depends on the effectiveness of the RF shielding provided. In particular, there are some applications which require a 65-70 dB noise floor, a level which is virtually unattainable without adequate shielding.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,453, "Shielding Apparatus for a Printed Circuit Board" suggests the use of plated through-holes, or vias, separated by a predetermined distance, to serve as an RF shield. These through-holes, whose spacing determines the wavelength of signals that are shielded, are used to provide an electrical path between the respective ground planes on several layers of a multiple layer printed circuit board. This technique addresses only systems using metallic cases for shielding, and does not address any systems having hermeticity requirements, such as the aforementioned frequency control devices.
Shielding for components such as quartz resonators and filters is typically provided by a conductive metal enclosure, or lid. The lid is then affixed to the substrate holding the circuit using processes which are well known in the art. Unfortunately, such metal lids are often cost prohibitive in the manufacturing of such components, where the cost of a stamped metal lid often exceeds 20% of the total product cost. In todays market, where competitive pricing is not a luxury, but a necessity for market survival, product cost reductions are often the manufacturers highest priority. Focusing on the cost problem, many manufacturers have begun using a molded lid, often constructed of a non-conductive material, such as ceramic. Such materials also perform better than metal through the reflow process, where undesired wicking of solder-based metallization cannot otherwise be adequately controlled. Unfortunately, the very nature of the non-conductive material further compounds the problem of providing adequate shielding, as electrical conduction, and subsequent dispersal of undesired RF energy, is the foundation of any good shielding system.
Accordingly, there exists a dire need for a cost effective, easily manufacturable, means for shielding an electronic circuit in a non-conductive enclosure from extraneous RF energy, while complying with any hermeticity requirements, such as those found in frequency control devices.

Shielding apparatus for non-conductive electronic circuit packages


An outboard motor incorporates an engine. An exhaust conduit is disposed below the engine. The exhaust conduit forms a first exhaust passage to discharge exhaust gases from the engine. A plastic lubricant pan (e.g., oil pan) is disposed below the engine to accumulate lubricant that lubricates a portion of the engine. The lubricant pan at least in part surrounds the exhaust conduit. In some embodiments, a protective member is provided to protect the lubricant pan from flames that descend from the engine toward the exhaust conduit or heat of the exhaust gases. In other embodiments, a protective member includes an exhaust conduit that generally shields the lubricant pan such that the lubricant pan is not exposed to the flames or the exhaust gases.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an outboard motor with a plastic lubricant pan, and more particularly to an outboard motor having a plastic lubricant pan and an exhaust conduit surrounded by the lubricant pan.
2. Description of Related Art
An outboard motor typically has a housing unit that can be mounted on an associated watercraft and an internal combustion engine disposed above the housing unit. The housing unit carries a propulsion device such as, for example, a propeller to propel the watercraft. The engine powers the propulsion device with a driveshaft and a propulsion shaft extending through the housing unit.
The engine can be a four-cycle engine. If the outboard motor employs the four-cycle engine, an oil pan or lubricant reservoir is typically disposed below the engine within the housing unit. The oil pan accumulates lubricant oil that has circulated in the engine for lubrication of various moving engine parts. A portion of such oil pans for outboard motors are made of a plastic material, because a plastic oil pan is durable against salt content of seawater, acids produced from exhaust gases and water, and the like. For example, Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-79486 discloses such a plastic oil pan.
The outboard motor also has an exhaust system to route the exhaust gases from the engine through the housing unit to an external location . Typically, internal exhaust sections are provided within the housing unit and the majority of exhaust gases are discharged through the internal exhaust sections to a body of water that surrounds the outboard motor. The internal exhaust sections include an exhaust conduit disposed below the engine.
Because the exhaust conduit extends through a space where the oil pan is disposed, typically the oil pan is generally configured as a doughnut shape such that the exhaust conduit passes through the oil pan. In other words, the oil pan generally surrounds the exhaust conduit. In some arrangements, a center portion of the oil pan can form an exhaust passage that communicates with the exhaust conduit.
The exhaust system produces heat due to an air/fuel charge that burns in one or more combustion chamber of the engine. The burnt charges, i.e., hot exhaust gases, pass through the exhaust system. In addition, it is possible that flames from the combustion chamber(s) can reach the exhaust conduit.
If the outboard motor employs the foregoing plastic oil pan, a relatively large space is necessary between the oil pan and the exhaust conduit to isolate the oil pan from the exhaust conduit. In addition, if a portion of the plastic oil pan forms a part of exhaust passages as discussed above, the oil pan portion needs to be thicker than that of an oil pan made of metal. A plastic oil pan needs to be thicker because a plastic oil pan that is too thin can be relatively easily deformed or melted by the heat of exhaust gases or flames. The oil pan cannot extend outward beyond a pre-determined area because the housing unit that embraces the oil pan should be kept small to make the outboard motor compact. An oil pan that extends vertically beyond a pre-determined area also is not suitable because additional parts of the internal exhaust sections such as an exhaust expansion pipe cannot have sufficient volume to reduce the exhaust energy. As a result, a substantial capacity of the oil pan for the lubricant oil is normally smaller than that of an oil pan using a metal material.


An enhanced sight marker apparatus for slingshots, bows, and other projectile launching devices includes a support block with a trough for mounting and retaining an elongated, fluorescent optical fiber. The trough is deep enough to receive a substantial portion of the fluorescent optical fiber for support while leaving some portion of the peripheral surface of the optical fiber unshielded by the support block for exposure to ambient electromagnetic radiation, and the support block also leaves at least one end of the fluorescent optical fiber exposed and visible so that light transmitted in the core of the optical can be propagated from the exposed end to a user's eye.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to sight apparatus used for aiming projectiles and more specifically to enhanced visibility sights for projectile launching apparatus such as slingshots, bows, and the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Sights have been used for a very long time on apparatus used to launch projectiles, such as firearms, bows, and slingshots. For example, the slingshot apparatus that is shown and described in the U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/666,000, by H. Ellenburg et al., filed on Jun. 12, 1996, which is incorporated herein by reference, includes a pair of pivotal sights mounted on the fork branches of a slingshot to extend into the field of vision for the path of a projectile to be launched by the slingshot and which pivot out of the projectile long path as the sling strap is released. Such sights are quite effective and easy to use, but they do require a certain degree of concentration by the user, who has to see not only the sight in the near field of vision, but also the target in the far field of vision, while holding the slingshot, stretching the sling straight rearwardly and aligning the sights with the target while taking into account the distance and likely drop in the projectile path and sometimes movement of the target. Such parameters are not unique to slingshots, however. Shooting a bow and arrow, for example, requires similar considerations and concentration.
Sight visibility has been enhanced with fluorescent fiber optics in some projectile launching apparatus recently, such as the bow sights manufactured by Toxonic Manufacturing Co., of 1324 Wolmer Road, Wentzville, Mo. 63385. Essentially, a length of optical fiber with a core that is doped with fluorescent pigment material is used to gather some amount of energy, usually nonvisible and visible electromagnetic radiation such as ultraviolet and visible light, to produce colored visible light and guiding that colored visible light to one or more points on the sight. The colored visible light emanating from the optical fiber enhances visibility of the sight and reduces concentration needed for the rear vision field, thereby allowing more concentration on the target in the far vision field. However, such optical fibers are somewhat delicate and fragile, thus vulnerable to breakage or damage in a rough use environment, such as hiking and packing in back country or simply use by juveniles, who may not always be as careful in their youthful enthusiasm as an adult. Therefore, while such fluorescent optical fibers are known to enhance visibility of sights, more rugged mounting structures that protect the optical fibers while not inhibiting energy gathering capability are needed to make such fiber optically enhanced sights feasible for projectile launchers, especially launchers such as slingshots, bows, and the like, that are used often by juveniles or in other rough use environments.


In a system that monitors the positions and movements of objects within an environment, a depth camera may be configured to produce depth images based on configurable measurement parameters such as illumination intensity and sensing duration. A supervisory component may be configured to roughly identify objects within an environment and to specify observation goals with respect to the objects. The measurement parameters of the depth camera may then be configured in accordance with the goals, and subsequent analyses of the environment may be based on depth images obtained using the measurement parameters.

Augmented reality environments allow interactions among users and both real-world objects and virtual or digital objects. To achieve an augmented reality environment, a system may project content onto projection surfaces, such walls or a portable projection surface, within an environment. In addition, this system may monitor the environment for user gestures and speech, in response to which the system may perform predefined actions.
In order to detect the locations of objects, such a system may visually monitor the environment for objects of interest, such as projection surfaces, human users, hands of users, faces of users, and so forth. However, because tracking objects in this manner may be computationally expensive, the system may have difficulty tracking these objects in real-time or near-real-time, thus lessening the experience of a user employing the system.

Determining time-of-fight measurement parameters


The superimposition characteristics are improved in an inductance device provided with coils having sections with different numbers of windings. The inductance device includes a ring-shaped coil having n winding section 31 in which the number of windings is n and n+1, magnetic circuit materials mounted within and without the ring of aforementioned coil through which magnetic flux is passed to form a magnetic circuit, and a magnetic gap that blocks either the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n winding section 31 or the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n+1 winding section 32.

A multilayered type of inductance device has the shape of a block-shaped parallelepiped, for example, with electrodes mounted on two opposing surfaces of the parallelepiped and terminal patterns extended to a coil within the block that are connected to aforementioned electrodes.
For this reason, aforementioned extended sections in a ring-shaped coil have a structure in which the number of windings (number of turns) is one turn greater than in other ring sections, as shown in FIG. 4, for example.
When using an inductance device with such a structure, the magnetic field that is generated develops imbalance commensurate with the number of turns, and this is known to lower the direct-current superimposition characteristics.
The patent literature associated with the present invention that can be cited includes the gazette of Japanese Kokai Publication 2001-267129 as the first and the gazette of Japanese Kokai Publication Hei-10-335144 as the second.
Problems Solved by the Invention
The purpose of the present invention is to provide an inductance device with good direct-current superimposition characteristics in which the imbalance in the magnetic field that is generated is corrected by the provision of a section with a large number of turns and a section with a low number of turns to solve aforementioned problems.
Means of Solving the Problems
The inductance device pursuant to the present invention is provided with a ring-shaped coil having an n winding section in which the number of windings is n and an n+1 winding section in which the number of windings is n+1, magnetic circuit material mounted within and without the ring of aforementioned coil through which magnetic flux is passed to form a magnetic circuit, and a magnetic gap that blocks either the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n winding section or the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n+1 winding section.
The inductance device pursuant to the present invention is provided with a ring-shaped coil having an n winding section in which the number of windings is n and an n+1 winding section in which the number of windings is n+1, magnetic circuit material mounted within and without the ring of aforementioned coil through which magnetic flux is passed to form a magnetic circuit, a first magnetic gap that blocks either the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n winding section or the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n+1 winding section, and a second magnetic gap that is narrower than the first magnetic gap that blocks aforementioned magnetic flux in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of aforementioned ring.
The inductance device pursuant to the present invention is a multilayered type of inductance device that is structured with a ring-shaped coil having an n winding section in which the number of windings is n and an n+1 winding section in which the number of windings is n+1, and with a soft magnetic ceramic member that is embedded within aforementioned coil, both of which are layered within the same device. It is provided with aforementioned soft magnetic ceramic member that is mounted within and without the ring of aforementioned coil to comprise magnetic circuit material through which magnetic flux is passed to form a magnetic circuit, and a magnetic gap that is mounted that blocks either the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n winding section or the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n+1 winding section.
The inductance device pursuant to the present invention is a multilayered type of inductance device that is structured with a ring-shaped coil having an n winding section in which the number of windings is n and an n+1 winding section in which the number of windings is n+1, and with a soft magnetic ceramic member that is embedded within aforementioned coil, both of which are layered within the same device. It is provided with aforementioned soft magnetic ceramic member that is mounted within and without the ring of aforementioned coil to comprise magnetic circuit material through which magnetic flux is passed to form a magnetic circuit, a first magnetic gap that blocks either the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n winding section or the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround aforementioned n+1 winding section, and a second magnetic gap that is narrower than the first magnetic gap that blocks aforementioned magnetic flux in a direction orthogonal to the axial direction of aforementioned ring.
The inductance device pursuant to the present invention is structured so that the first and second magnetic gaps that block aforementioned magnetic flux are made of nonmagnetic ceramic.
A magnetic gap that blocks the magnetic flux is formed since part of either aforementioned n winding section or aforementioned n+1 winding section is exposed outside of the block formed from magnetic circuit material in the inductance device pursuant to the present invention.
The inductance device pursuant to the present invention is characterized by coating aforementioned exposed section with insulating resin.
The number n in aforementioned n winding section and aforementioned n+I winding section in the inductance device pursuant to the present invention is not more than 4.
Effects of Invention
Improvement in the direction of balancing the imbalance in the magnetic flux that was formed is possible since either the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround the n winding section or the magnetic flux that was formed so as to surround the n+1 winding section is blocked in the inductance device having aforementioned structure, and the direct-current superimposition characteristics can be improved.


In an apparatus for series-connecting at least two engine generators driven by an internal engine and each generates and outputs alternating current through single-phase two-wire output terminals, there are equipped with a magnetic coupler such as transformer that can magnetically couple the single-phase two-wire output terminals of the generators with the primary side and the secondary side, and a connector that can connect one of the single-phase two-wire output terminals of one of the generators and one of the single-phase two-wire output terminals of other of the generators. With this, single-phase three-wire output terminals are formed by the single-phase two-wire output terminals of the generators using the connector as a neutral line, without a communication line.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a series connection apparatus for generators and a single-phase three-wire output apparatus for a generator.
2. Description of the Related Art
There is known a generator, e.g., an engine generator equipped with an inverter that once converts alternating current outputted by an engine-driven generator unit to direct current and then converts the direct current into alternating current of a predetermined frequency (utility frequency) by driving switching elements with a PWM signal generated using a reference sine wave of a desired output voltage waveform and a carrier. Also a technique to connect two such the engine generators for parallel running is known, as taught by Japanese Laid-Open Patent Application No. Hei 8 (1996)-205543.
When the two generators are connected in parallel (or in series) as taught in the publication, it is necessary to conduct phase synchronous operation for synchronizing phases of alternating current outputs and, since inputting an output of one of the two generators through a signal line may cause short circuit, an additional communication line is required.

Series connection apparatus for generators