A system and method of pushing user-selected data items from a host system to a user's mobile data communication device upon detecting the occurrence of one or more user-defined event triggers is provided. The user may then move (or file) the data items to a particular folder within a folder hierarchy stored in the mobile data communication device, or may execute some other system operation on the data item. Software operating at the mobile device and the host system then synchronizes the folder hierarchy of the mobile device with a folder hierarchy of the host system, and any actions executed on the data items at the mobile device are then automatically replicated on the same data items stored at the host system, thus eliminating the need for the user to manually replicate actions at the host system that have been executed at the mobile data communication device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed toward the field of replicating (or synchronizing) information folders between a host system and a mobile data communication device ("mobile device"). Specifically upon receiving this redirected information at their mobile device, the user can then organize this data into hierarchies, commonly known as folders, and may also perform various other operations on the redirected data. These organizational and other operations are then synchronized back to the original host system for replication. The invention also provides for the synchronization of a storage representation model for storing the data in a hierarchy of folders at the host system and the mobile device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Present systems and methods for replicating information from a host system to a user's mobile data communication device are typically "synchronization" systems in which the user's data items are warehoused (or stored) at the host system for an indefinite period of time and then transmitted in bulk only in response to a user request. In these types of systems and methods, when replication of the warehoused data items to the mobile device is desired, the user typically places the mobile device in an interface cradle that is electrically connected to the host system via some form of local, dedicated communication, such as a serial cable or an infrared or other type of wireless link. Alternatively, the user might have to perform a special 'connection' action every so often that will synchronous all the pending items required by the user, provided they remember. Software executing on the mobile data communication device then transmits commands via the local communications link or a network link to the host system to cause the host to begin transmitting the user's data items for storage in a memory bank of the mobile device. In these synchronization schemes, the mobile unit "pulls" the warehoused information from the host system in a batch each time the user desires to replicate information between the two devices. Therefore, the two systems (host and mobile) only maintain the same data items after a user-initiated command sequence that causes the mobile device to download the data items from the host system.
Another major problem with the current pull-based systems is that the user must deal with the information all over again once the user returns to his office and accesses the information store at the host system. This situation occurs because the average user can get hundreds of pieces of electronic information a day. This is very common in e-mail systems where internal company mail, and external Internet mail, merge into one common mailbox creating a multitude of sources all merged into one location. As a result, once the user returns to their office, even though they may have seen and read the mail while traveling on their mobile device, they still have to re-read the messages and then organize the information into folders based upon the content. This results in user frustration, as the mobile device has not solved the problem of saving them time when the user returns to his office and accesses the information store at the host system.
A general problem with these known synchronization systems is that the only time that the user data items are replicated between the host system and the mobile data communication device is when the user commands the mobile device to download or pull the user data from the host system. Five minutes later a new message could be sent to the user, but the user would not receive that message until the next time the user fetches the user data items. Thus, a user may fail to respond to an emergency update or message because the user only periodically synchronizes the system, such as once per day.
Other problems with these systems include: (1) the amount of data to be reconciled between the host and the mobile device can become large if the user does not "synchronize" on a daily or hourly basis, leading to bandwidth difficulties, particularly when the mobile device is communicating via a wireless packet-switched network; (2) reconciling large amounts of data, as can accrue in these batch-mode synchronization systems, can require a great deal of communication between the host and the mobile device, thus leading to a more complex, costly and energy-inefficient system; and (3) the need to deal with the information a second time once the user returns to the office and accesses the information store at the host system. A more automated, continuous, efficient and reliable system of ensuring that user data items are replicated (synchronized) at the user's mobile device is therefore needed.

System and method for synchronizing information between a host system and a mobile data communication device


A cloud computing server interface is described, the cloud computing server interface arranged to provide a platform for transferring data from, and updating the status of field devices for use in utilities monitoring. A cloud computing server interface comprising, a first data processing element arranged to communicate with a remote device having a remote device status; a first storage device having a first storage device status; and a second data processing element arranged to communicate with a second storage device having a second storage device status; wherein the first storage device is arranged to communicate with the first and second data processing elements; wherein the first data processing element is arranged to control data transfer from a remote device to the first storage device; wherein the second data processing element is arranged to control data transfer from the first storage device to a second storage device; wherein data transfer from the second data processing element to a second storage device is dependent upon a second storage device status; wherein data transfer from the second data processing element to a second storage device comprises utilities management data. The invention aims to achieve a simple, reconfigurable platform for updating the status of field devices, while enabling more efficient use of power for extending battery life.

The use of autonomous remote field devices in data collection has provided advances over manual data collection in that measurements can be obtained according to a strict schedule over longer periods and often in environments that would be unsuitable for humans. Remote field devices can also be used to inform additional systems of a change in conditions, activating a change in the operational output of a system. This may be used to highlight a change in the remote field device settings in anticipation of human reconfiguration, or may be used to initiate an autonomous reconfiguration driven by the system. Additional advantages to the use of autonomous remote field devices are in the provision of simultaneous synchronisation of data and automatic database population.
An example of current usage of remote field devices is for data collection in the utilities management industry. Such devices would be located within pipelines to monitor a number of measurands critical for indicating changes in the properties of the pipeline, together with those of the fluid flowing through. Properties such as fluid flow rate and fluid pressure can be used to inform a change in the amount of flow of fluid provided to the pipeline through a pressure reducing valve. At regions proximate the highest point within the network, or regions suffering the largest head loss, flow rate and pressure monitoring is essential to ensure sufficient continuous supply to these points. These remote field devices can optionally transmit packets of information relating to these properties via a wireless network to a server.
Problems that are invariably faced by such technology include ongoing costs associated with maintenance and server real estate. One key issue requiring frequent maintenance is untimely battery exhaustion. Batteries in such devices are often primary cells, such as alkaline or lithium batteries, the application of which is an economically viable model for "low cost, low drain" requirements such as for watches, hearing aids, and indeed remote field devices. The use of primary cells therefore requires suitable battery life optimisation, a need that is unmet by the currently available technology. In instances where such remote field devices are located in difficult-to-reach areas, the cost of battery replacement is compounded by the location and the need for additional labour time, equipment and manpower.
In instances where data collection is routed through a server, the cost of server memory usage can present an additional ongoing burden. Inefficient usage of server memory presents an unnecessary waste of both the available server memory and the monetary expense proportional to the memory usage.
Servers in use for transfer of information from remote field devices, such as the data loggers in the hereinbefore described example, are often used for several additional tasks meaning that accessibility of these servers for data transfer can be infrequent. Remote field devices desiring access to such a server for data transfer would be required to remain operational until such a time as the server becomes available for data transfer.
Based on the above-mentioned problems facing the currently available technology, it is therefore desirable to improve existing communications between a remote field device and a server.


A process is disclosed for producing an ink knife for the ink duct roller of a printing machine from an at least about 2 mm thick metal plate. Parallel slits are formed which extend from the working edge of the ink knife over part of the plate width and form lamellas of color zone width. Parallel transverse and blind-ended grooves which start at the working edge are first cut into the metal plate at intervals which correspond to the width of the color zones. Afterwards, a continuation rating groove that extends parallel to the working edge is cut in the area of the blind ends of the transverse grooves, preferably on at least one side of the metal plate. Finally the metal plate is completely cut through in the area of the transverse grooves, preferably by means of laser beams, forming a narrow slit at intervals which correspond to the width of the color zones.

The invention relates to a process for production of an ink knife for an ink duct roller of a printing machine from a metal plate at least 2 mm thick, where parallel slots are formed which extend at right angles from the working edge of the ink knife over part of the plate width and form blades of ink zone width.
Multiple-blade ink knives are known for example from CH-A5 602345. This ink knife has in the area of the working edge recesses which lie on both sides of adjustment screws next to the blades. The blades can be adjusted individually, a mechanical influence on the adjacent blade area is excluded or at least substantially reduced. The thickness of the ink layer can be set on each blade, individual ink amounts in the different ink zones can be changed as required by the printing image in the different ink zone widths. The disadvantage of this solution is the intermediate spaces between the blades which allow the passage of even high viscosity inks and the formation of annular rings on the ink ductor.
According to the known state of the art, various measures are proposed which prevent at least in part the penetration of ink into the slots but always entail other disadvantages.
According to DE, A1 2228625, the slots between the blades of an ink knife are filled with a plastic. This mechanically decouples adjacent blades thanks to the elasticity of the plastic. As the usage period increases however there is an increasing risk that parts of the plastic, in particular when a blade is greatly deflected in comparison with its neighbor, will come loose and harm the print quality.
Numerous design forms are known according to which the slots between the blades of an ink knife are covered either with a metal or with a plastic foil, for example according to U.S. Pat. No. 2837024. These cover foils are effective but cause substantial problems for example as a result of wear and penetration of the ink between the foil and the blades.
In DE, C1 3525589, the working edge of an ink knife is slotted with a wire erosion machine or with laser beams. An adhesive coating of a material softer than the ink knife has a greater thickness than the width of the slot. When the blade is adjusted, the excess material is cut away and the slot completely closed. The penetration of ink into the narrow slot is prevented with complex measures.
According to EP, B1 0376885, ink knives are produced which have slots formed by laser beams of a width of 0.1 to 0.3 mm, which prevents leakage without additional cover in the case of high viscosity printing inks. In addition to the defined slot widths, the ink knife must have the following properties:
The slots must be longer than half the plate width but must not exceed two-thirds thereof. PA1 The thickness of the plate must be at least twice the maximum adjustment path of the blades. PA1 (a) blind-ended, parallel, transverse grooves are cut out of the metal plate at intervals corresponding to the ink zone width, starting from the working edge, and PA1 (b) the metal plate is cut through in the area of the transverse grooves to form a narrow slot at intervals corresponding to the ink zone width.
Preferred plate thicknesses are 1 to 3 mm. It has been shown that in the thicker plate range extremely narrow slots from 0.01 to 0.03 mm width can only be cut out cleanly and regularly with great difficulty, if at all. Furthermore this solution is limited to high viscosity inks.

Ink knife for the ink duct roller of a printing machine


An active receiving antenna for vehicles, including a slot-shaped antenna cut into the metallic vehicle body, and having small-depth cavity filled with a dielectric material which closes off the antenna toward the back or interior of the vehicle. A low-noise preamplifier, which is integrated into the dielectric material, is connected to the antenna via two feed lines of different length. The desired polarizations of the received signals are set via this preamplifier, which can be changed over and be switched off.

The invention relates to a slot antenna arrangement including a slot formed in a metal surface, with the slot being closed off toward the rear by a cavity filled with a dielectric material.
The slot antenna is used for receiving satellite signals, e.g., for navigating, as well as in land vehicles, watercraft and aircraft.
For receiving antennas of this type, slot antennas with radiation field coupling are suitable which, for example, have a feed line on the back side of a substrate (B. D. M. Pozar, IEEE Trans. Antennas Prop. Vol. AP-34, No. 12, p. 1439-1446 (1996)).
From the Japanese patent application 0 6283923A, a slot antenna having a cavity formed from a dielectric material is known, with the slot of the antenna being cut into a conductive wall.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,489,913 discloses a slot antenna with a cavity, with the antenna having very small dimensions. Different polarized waves are received via different slot arrangements with corresponding coupling structures.


A power supply apparatus capable of outputting a predetermined voltage or a predetermined electrical current selectively is provided, including a voltage level setter to determine an output level of a voltage or an electrical current according to an external signal, a constant voltage feedback unit to correct an output value of the voltage level setter so as to output a constant voltage of the output level to a load terminal, a constant current feedback unit to maintain the external signal constantly and correct an output value of the voltage level setter so as to output a constant current of the output level to the load terminal, a switch to connect the voltage level setter with the constant voltage feedback unit or the constant current feedback unit selectively, and a controller to control the switch to output the constant voltage or the constant current selectively according to a state of the load terminal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept generally relates to a power supply apparatus and an image forming apparatus having the same, and more particularly, to a power supply apparatus capable of outputting a constant voltage or a constant current according to an environment surrounding an image former of an image forming apparatus, and an image forming apparatus having the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image forming apparatus is a device that performs generation, print, reception, and transmission of image data. Image forming apparatuses include printers, scanners, photocopiers, facsimile machines (fax), and multifunction peripherals that incorporate the functionality of multiple devices in one.
In the related art, an image forming apparatus supplies a high voltage to an image former using a high voltage power supply (HVPS) to form an image. The supplied high voltage is applied to the image former in a constant voltage control method or a constant current control method. At this time, there is an advantageous control method according to a surrounding environment such as a temperature or humidity.
When printing in an environment with a high temperature and high humidity, the constant voltage control method is preferably used to supply the high voltage to the image former to avoid an electrical current leakage around paper, which often occurs when the constant current control method is used in the same environment deteriorating image quality of a printout.
When printing in an environment with a low temperature and low humidity, since a voltage may be applied fluidly according to the load of paper or a roller, it is more advantageous to apply a high voltage to the image former in the constant current control method rather than the constant voltage control method.
However, since a power supplier of a conventional image forming apparatus supplies the high voltage to the image former by adopting only either the constant current control method or the constant voltage control method, but not both, it is impossible to form an image in a control method that can switch between the constant control method and the constant voltage method by taking into consideration of the surrounding environment.
Therefore, there is a need for an image forming apparatus having a power supply apparatus which has both constant voltage and constant current feedback circuits to provide an image former with the high voltage by sensing the surrounding environment to selectively apply a more advantageous control method.

Power supply apparatus, image forming apparatus having the same, and method thereof


A method and apparatus for fastening two substantially coplanar edges without a weld is disclosed. The method includes: configuring a dovetail feature on a first edge; configuring a complementary dovetail feature receptacle on a second edge to receive the dovetail feature therein; disposing the dovetail feature within the complementary dovetail receptacle; and swaging an interface defined between the dovetail feature in said first edge and said complementary dovetail feature in the second edge to swage mating edges defining the dovetail feature and the dovetail receptacle at at least six swage contact points. In one embodiment the swaging is with a hollow circle punch.

As integrated circuit (IC) and printed circuit board (PCB) design and fabrication techniques become more sophisticated, computer system design techniques must also become more sophisticated. This is because as IC's and PCB's become more densely populated, their performance capabilities and speeds increase and computer systems which employ these IC's and PCB's must be able to support the increase in performance. In addition, as businesses that employ these computer systems and components become more sophisticated, they demand greater performance from their computer systems resulting in increasingly densely populated PCB's and computer systems having tightly packed packages. As a result of these tightly packed packages, these PCB's and computer systems are susceptible to a variety of problems which must be considered.
In order to increase decorative appearance of packaging while providing denser packages, it has become necessary to eliminate a weld pad area such as spot and fillet welds. Elimination of a weld pad area allows the use of pre-plated materials in areas where customers have a clear view without burn marks typically associated with a weld pad area. Furthermore, by eliminating burn marks, an additional costly touch-up process to coat the welded area is eliminated.
For example, it is known to join complimentary configured dovetailed edges using a "cross" patterned swage across an interface thereof to join mating dovetail edges without a spot or fillet weld. The "cross" patterned swage forms three edge swaging contact points. However, this process appears to work only for light loads and small applications.
Accordingly, a method and apparatus for fastening two coplanar edges without using welding and touch-up processes that creates a stronger bond for use with heavier loads and/or larger applications is desired.

Method for fastening two coplanar edges without a weld

International Business Machines Corporation


A magnetic recording disk drive has a magnetic recording head that includes first and second separating layers, and a heater formed between the first and second separating layers. The heater has a dimension such a thermal protrusion is induced in the recording head and a thermal conductance between the recording head and a recording medium is enhanced.

The present invention relates generally to a magnetic recording head and more particularly to a magnetic recording head that includes a heating device for thermally-induced protrusion (TIP) of the head and thermally-assisted recording (TAR) on a magnetic recording medium.
In recent years storage densities of hard drives have been increasing at a tremendous pace. One of the challenges to improve the storage densities further involves the reduction of the fly height. In magnetic storage a recording head flies via an air-bearing surface over a spinning disk. Current products have fly heights of less than 10 nm. A further reduction with conventional means is limited, at least partly, by the smoothness of the air bearing and magnetic recording disk surfaces.
A solution to this problem is to exploit the thermally-induced protrusion of a part of the recording head. Another possible improvement in storage densities can be achieved by local heating of the disk, by which the coercivity of the media is temporarily reduced. Consequently, magnetic recording can be realized on harder (i.e., higher coercivity) magnetic materials, which will in turn support higher density magnetization patterns.
Although the advantages of thermally-induced protrusion (U.S. Pat. No. 5,991,113) as well as thermally-assisted recording (U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,233,206 and 6,493,183) have been recognized separately, no conventional device has been able to include both features in a head (e.g., in a single magnetic recording head). Therefore, none of the conventional devices have been able to realize the benefits of both TIP and TAR in a single magnetic recording head.

Magnetic recording head with heating device

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.


The invention relates to a method for determining a point of application of the clutch of an automatic gearbox without a synchronised reverse action. The aim of said invention is to improve the determination of the point of application avoiding the use of sensorial information on an engine. For this purpose, the point of application is determined as each point of the clutch releasing where a torque transmitted by the gearbox is sufficiently important for releasing the teeth (3) of a sliding sleeve (1) in a tooth-to-tooth position against the teeth (4) of the clutch body (2) of the reverse gear toothed wheel.

The method of the invention is accordingly usable in automated transmissions in connection with automated clutch and transmission functions which are used in motor vehicles. Such an automated transmission comprises activation devices for the selection of transmission selection pathways and of transmission shift pathways with which a shifting or selecting lever activation can be converted into corresponding shifting or selection processes in reference to the transmission.
Moreover, an additional activation device for a shifting and starting clutch connected through drive engineering with the transmission is provided, which is placed into operation with gearshifting processes for opening and closing the clutch. The activation devices mentioned are constructed such that these can be activated hydraulically, pneumatically or electrically.
Furthermore, a sensor for determining the clutch position or the clutch adjustment path is arranged on such a clutch or activation device with which the position or the adjustment path of the movable part of the clutch and/or clutch activation device can be ascertained.
Finally, such a transmission comprises an electronic control or regulation apparatus that is usually constructed as a microcomputer and is connected with the sensors and activating equipment mentioned above through sensor and control lines and can preferably perform exchange data with a motor control apparatus.
Above all, automated transmissions offer good shifting comfort, if the control and regulation apparatus knows exactly the clutch position in which the clutch is brought into a closing position such that torque transmission is just setting in.
This clutch position, or a clutch position with a previously established distance from the aforementioned position, is designated as a contact point below. This clutch position can shift in the short or the long term by thermal expansion of the clutch components or by wear and tear of the clutch linings. It is, therefore, necessary to continuously monitor the contact point during operation, especially during the lifetime of the clutch or the motor vehicle and, if need be, to adapt the clutch control in harmony with the changes.
A large number of proposals exist for determining the contact point. In further observations in connection with the present invention, methods in which a transmission input rotational speed sensor is needed will not be considered, since such sensors measuring a drive motor-related variable are to be dispensed with in accordance with the specifications in connection with the invention.
For example, the method described in DE 196 30 014 A1 manages without a transmission input rotational speed sensor of this type. In this known method, the point of contact is determined by applying the clutch when the gear step is shifted and the motor vehicle is standing still while the brake is activated by observing the motor rotational speed. The motor rotational speed is reduced by closing the clutch, resulting in a significant increase in motor torque controlled by an idling rotational speed regulating unit. When the clutch is closed, the position point at which the motor torque exceeds a predefined threshold value of the motor torque, is then recognized as the point of contact and stored in a control apparatus.
Moreover a method is known from WO 01/98679 A1 in which a creep torque is generated by slowly closing the clutch. The motor torque is continuously monitored for this during the creep process. The clutch position point is then determined as the current point of contact at which a significant change in motor torque is observed.
These known methods are based upon sensor signals, which are related to the drive motor of the motor vehicle. These methods are therewith dependent upon the accuracy of these signals which, in practice, leads to unsatisfying results. It is rather desirable if the determination of the contact point can take place with clutch or transmission-related variables.
The object of the invention is, therefore, to ascertain this point without motor-related sensor information for improving the accuracy of determining the contact point of the clutch.
The solution of this objective becomes apparent from the main claim, while advantageous refinements and further developments of the invention can be inferred from the dependent claims.

Method for determining a point of application of the clutch for an automatic gearbox


A first node device includes a transmitter, a receiver, a processor, and a non-transitory computer-readable storage medium storing a program to be executed by the processor. The program includes instructions to cause the transmitter to send, to a second node device, an offset of a first uplink sending timing of the second node device and a first amount of timing adjustment of the second node device, cause the transmitter to send indication information to the second node device, where the indication information indicates whether the second node device sends uplink data by using the first uplink sending timing of the second node device, and receive, through the receiver, data sent by the second node device, where the first node device is a parent node device of the second node device.

An important deployment scenario of a new radio (NR) is high frequency band being used. At the high frequency band, an electromagnetic wave has disadvantages such as a poor diffraction capability and severe propagation attenuation, resulting in a high probability that a coverage hole occurs in a network. Due to factors such as deployment costs, it is difficult for an operator to resolve a coverage hole problem by relying only on a wired transmission reception point (TRP). In this case, it is necessary to introduce a relay with a radio backhaul link. In this disclosure, a relay node with integrated access and backhaul is referred to as a relay transmission reception point (rTRP), to be distinguished from a relay in long term evolution (LTE).
An in-band relay is a relay solution in which a backhaul link and an access link use a same frequency band. The in-band relay has advantages such as high spectral efficiency and low deployment costs, but affects a physical layer protocol. In a release (release) 11 of long term evolution advance (LTE-A), the in-band relay solution is standardized. However, in LTE-A, a relay network can implement only two-hop transmission, that is, a relay node cannot serve another relay node.
In NR, the 3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) determines to use integrated access and backhaul (IAB) as an important feature to improve NR performance. JAB is an in-band relay solution in which an access link and a backhaul link are integrated. Multi-hop multi-connection is a main design objective of NR IAB. In a multi-hop multi-connection relay network, a relay node may serve another relay node, that is, a relay node may have both a parent node and a child node, where the child node may be another relay, or may be user equipment (UE) served by the relay node. When a relay node has both a parent node and a child node, a relay system has both a backhaul link and an access link. In a general time division duplex (TDD) or frequency division duplex (FDD) system, a backhaul link and an access link can be multiplexed only in a time division manner. However, when the system supports dynamic TDD or flexible duplex, frequency division multiplexing or space division multiplexing can be implemented for the backhaul link and the access link.
When frequency division multiplexing or space division multiplexing is implemented for the backhaul link and the access link by using dynamic TDD, the relay node receives both data transmitted by the parent node in downlink and data transmitted by the child node in uplink, or the relay node both sends data to the parent node on the backhaul link and sends data to the child node on the access link. In a conventional network, there is no solution for a scenario in which a relay node both receives data from a parent node on a backhaul link and receives data from a child node on an access link, and sends data to both the parent node and the child node on the backhaul link. If a conventional timing solution is used, receive or transmit orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) symbols of the relay node cannot be aligned. If symbol alignment and demodulation reference signal (DMRS) alignment cannot be implemented for the backhaul link and the access link, it is difficult to implement a frequency division multiplexing (FDM) and space division multiplexing (SDM) system formed by the backhaul link and the access link, and it is also difficult to ensure performance.


An information recording medium for suppressing the interferences of bits before and after reproduction and improving the optical resolution with saturable absorber 102 disposed adjacent or in an information recording medium layer 103. The recorded information is detected only from a region having a predetermined optical intensity or more of the focused spot so that minute information bits smaller than the optical resolution can be reproduced to improve the recording density of an optical disk drive drastically.

The present invention relates to optical disk recording and reproducing.
In Technical Digest of Optical Data Storage, 1991, Vol. 5, lecture no. TUB-3 on pages 112-115 and lecture no. TUB-4 on pages 116-119, there is disclosure of reproducing signals weaker than a reproduction limit. A multi-layer magneto-optical recording film has a layer for "masking " the surrounding information that is on an information recording layer. Since the information (bits) recorded in the information recording layer appear in the portion heated by radiation with a reproducing optical beam, interference between adjacent bits can be suppressed, even if the recording density is high, to improve optical resolution.
In general, an optical disk uses a laser beam for recording and reproducing. Laser disks have been used as the well known compact disk and as external memory for a computer system. To improve the density of recording, it has been proposed to (1) make the laser beam wavelength as short as possible, and (2) provide a mask over the optical disk to shield adjacent recording bits or recording information, thereby to suppress interference with the adjacent recording information.

Non-linear optical saturable absorber layer in an optical disk to discriminate wavelength above or below a threshold level of intensity


Techniques for enabling the creation of a digital asset representation of physical goods (e.g., luxury items) produced in limited quantities or heirloom-goods associated with restricted ownership rules. Anti-counterfeiting mechanisms are proposed for both classes of goods. The provenance of both classes of goods is traced using cryptography and decentralized ledger technology. For example, mechanisms to restrict ownership of heirloom-goods are proposed based on the combination of the DNA biological fingerprint of the patron who originated the goods and smart contract technology. The goods can be represented as digital tokens on the blockchain, binding manufacturing evidence to the token. For heirloom-goods that have restricted ownership rules, persons seeking to acquire the good via the digital token and smart contract are required to prove that they satisfy the entitlement rules based on a biological relationship to the patron.

Distributed ledger technology refers broadly to the infrastructure and protocols used to provide distributed ledgers. Distributed ledgers represent a consensus of replicated, shared, and synchronized data that is stored across different sites and geographies by multiple participants. In contrast to centralized ledgers or databases, distributed ledgers generally are not associated with any central authority and updates made to the ledger are reflected and copied to all participants using a consensus algorithm. The security of distributed ledgers is achieved in part using cryptographic keys and digital signatures.

Tokenizing scarce goods with provenance history bound to biological fingerprints


An intelligent, modular server management system for coupling a series of remotely located computers to one or more user stations allowing for selective access of the remotely located computers. A centralized computer matrix switching system is provided to enable a computer user station to access and operate a remotely located computer in a stable environment and transmit analog signals through the switching system over an extended range. The centralized computer matrix switching system receives the input from the computer user station or the remotely located computer, including the keyboard, video monitor and mouse signals, and transmits the signals as though the computer user station was directly coupled to the remotely located computer.

In a typical computer environment, a Local Area Network (LAN) allows for several computer servers to be connected to provide the resources of each server to the other connected computers. In this system, a dedicated keyboard, video monitor and mouse is employed for each computer server.
In order to operate properly, the system administrator must perform the task of maintaining and monitoring the computer systems. However, the system administrator is frequently required to perform numerous tasks from each individual user console. For example, in order to reboot a computer or add and delete files, a system administrator is often required to operate computer user consoles which may be located at substantial distances from one another. Therefore, in order to accomplish the task of system administration, the system administrator must physically relocate in order to access the remotely located computer consoles. Alternatively, the system administrator may run dedicated cables for each remotely located computer user console to fully access and operate the user consoles which may be located at great distances from the system administrator's user console. Such an alternative needs substantial wiring requirements and wire harnessing requirements at tremendous costs. As the distance between user consoles and remotely located computers increases, loss in signal transmission quality often results. Thus, increased distances between direct wired user consoles and remotely located computers is often impossible. Therefore, a computer system allowing one user station to remotely access and operate another user console is often costly and not very effective.
In addition, in many computer environments, including large-scale operations such as data-centers, server-farms, web-hosting facilities, and call-centers, space to locate all of the computer hardware becomes an important concern. For example, in order to operate a computer environment which requires multiple computers, enough space must be available to house a computer bus, a video monitor, a computer keyboard and a computer mouse, in addition to all of the wiring and power requirements for each computer user console required. Furthermore, space for the wiring interfaces for each computer is required. As more computers are added to the computer network environment, the space requirements will frequently exceed the space allotted for the operation. Therefore, the architecture, size and space limitations become an important issue for planning an effective computer work environment.
In order to reduce the space required in a multiple computer workplace, many network administrators have attempted to eliminate several pieces of computer hardware (i.e., dedicated keyboard, video monitor and mouse) which become superfluous. It is also desirable to eliminate the wiring installations associated with the excess hardware. For example, a network administrator desires to access all of the remotely located computers from a single user console consisting of a complete computer (computer bus, keyboard, video monitor and mouse). However, if the administrator was able to access the remotely located computers from one user console, the remotely located computers would no longer require the external hardware (i.e., the keyboard, video monitor and mouse). Furthermore, eliminating the use of the remotely located computer's keyboard, video monitor and mouse, in effect increases available space.
Asprey U.S. Pat. No. 5,257,390 and Duo U.S. Pat. No. 6,137,455 disclose an extended range communications link having a first signal conditioning network located near and coupled to a computer. The network conditions the keyboard, video monitor and mouse signals. Conditioning of the video signals includes reducing their amplitude so the video signals do not significantly cause induced "crosstalk" in conductors adjacent to the video conductors. An extended range cable having a plurality of conductors is coupled to a signal conditioning circuit and conveys the conditioned, above-named signals, in addition to power and logic ground potentials, to a second signal conditioning network. The network restores the analog video signals to their original levels by reducing induced noise. Furthermore, Duo discloses an encoding system whereby the horizontal synchronizing and vertical synchronizing signals are encoded and transmitted through one single video line. However, Asprey and Duo fail to disclose a computer switching system thereby allowing one or more user work stations to access and operate multiple remotely located computers. Further, Asprey and Duo fail to provide an intelligent server management system with a centralized switching component which provides for reduced space consumption for linking multiple computer systems.
Asprey U.S. Pat. No. 5,268,676 discloses a communications link for up to three hundred feet for use between a computer and display unit. An encoder receives analog Red, Green and Blue signals from the computer and applies them to discrete current amplifiers that modulate signal current applied to discrete conductors of a three hundred foot cable. Impedance matching networks match the Red, Green and Blue signals to the characteristic impedance of the cable. The Red, Green and Blue signals are received near the monitor, and coupled to discrete emitter-follower transistors, which amplify the current of the signals prior to inputting the signals to the monitor. The horizontal sync signal is applied to a conductor of the cable without impedance matching, allowing the conductor to attenuate the horizontal sync signal and reduce noise radiation. However, Asprey fails to disclose a computer switching system that allows one or more user work stations to access and operate a plurality of remotely located computers while maintaining the desired signal strength over an increased distance. Further, Asprey fails to provide an intelligent server management system with a centralized switching component which provides for reduced space consumption for linking multiple computer systems.
Asprey U.S. Pat. No. 5,353,409 discloses a circuitry for extending Transistor/Transistor/Logic signals from a computer to a remotely located monitor and keyboard. The system uses a first signal conditioning circuit proximate the computer to generally reduce amplitude of the video signals and bias them to a selected potential, after which, the signals are applied to discrete conductors of an extended cable. Asprey further discloses a extended range cabling of up to one thousand feet. A second signal conditioning circuit at the monitor and keyboard end of the cable receives the attenuated signals and utilizes a threshold or pair of thresholds to effect reconstruction of the video signals prior to inputting them to the monitor. Amplitude reduction or attenuation of the video signals generally reduces high frequency video noise appearing on the keyboard clock conductor of the cable, preventing keyboard errors. However, Asprey fails to disclose an intelligent, modular server management system which enables several simultaneous users to operate and control remotely located computers. Furthermore, Asprey discloses an invention for extending the separation of a single computer bus from the video monitor and the keyboard instead of providing a system whereby the keyboard, video monitor and mouse signals are transmitted to multiple computer user consoles. In addition, Asprey fails to disclose a switching system whereby one or more computers can access a plurality of remotely located computers over an extended range. Asprey also fails to disclose an enhanced automatic tuning system which conditions and amplifies the signals continuously.
Chen U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,389 discloses a multiplex device for monitoring computer video signals and receiving as input the video signals of a plurality of computers. The multiplex device selects the video signals of one of the plurality of computers to be inputted into a monitor for monitoring. The multiplex device for monitoring the computer video signals has three sets of switch circuits, a control signal generating circuit, three sets of voltage amplifying circuits, three sets of current amplifying circuits, a synchronous signal multiplex selecting circuit, and an interface circuit. However, Chen does not disclose a switching mechanism whereby the keyboard, video monitor and mouse signals from one user station may be coupled to another remotely located computer thereby allowing the user station to access and operate the remotely located computer.
Beasley U.S. Pat. No. 6,112,264 discloses a computerized switching system for coupling a workstation to a remotely located computer. A signal conditioning unit receives keyboard and mouse signals from a workstation and generates a data packet which is transmitted to a central cross point switch. The packet is routed through the cross point switch to another signal conditioning unit located at a remotely located computer. The second signal conditioning unit applies the keyboard and mouse commands to the keyboard and mouse connectors of the computer as if the keyboard and mouse were directly coupled to the remote computer. Video signals produced by the remote computer are transmitted through the cross point switch to the workstation. Horizontal and vertical sync signals are encoded on to the video signals to reduce the number of cables that extend between the workstation and the remote computer. The signal conditioning units connected to the workstations include an on-screen programming unit that produces menus for the user on a video display of the workstation. Beasley fails to disclose a switching mechanism which provides a reduced size due to condensed wiring infrastructure. Furthermore, Beasley fails to disclose the use of a single Category 5 UTP cable for connecting the system components and an automatic amplification means for routing a tuned signal.
Chen U.S. Pat. No. 6,119,148 discloses a computer video signal distributor. The distributor receives computer video signals inputs and processes and distributes the video signals to a plurality of monitors. The computer video signal distributor includes three transistor common based voltage amplifying circuits for inputting Red, Green and Blue video signals of the computer respectively, and amplifies these video signals for outputting. A synchronous signal buffering device is provided for receiving synchronous signals of the computer, and generating a plurality of sets of synchronous signals according to the number of the monitors. A plurality of monitor input interfaces are provided for receiving the video outputs of the three sets of current amplifying circuits, and receiving the plurality of sets of synchronous signals from the synchronous buffering device, then outputting respectively to the monitors. However, Chen does not disclose a switching mechanism for coupling a series of remote computers to one or more user stations allowing for selective access of the remote computers. Furthermore, Chen does not disclose a centralized computer switching system for enabling a computer user station to access and operate a remote computer in a stable environment while transmitting analog signals through the switching system over an extended range.
Fujii, et al. U.S. Pat. No. 6,138,191 discloses an apparatus for selectively operating a plurality of computers connected to a common video monitor, including a single data I/P device for inputting data and instructions to the plurality of computers, a main control circuit which is connected to the data I/P device, and a selection circuit for selectively providing the data and instructions from the data I/P device. The main control circuit outputs a computer selection signal to select one of the plurality of computers to which the I/P data and instructions are to be transmitted and a video selection signal to select the video output of the selected computer to allow display on the common video monitor. Fujii does not disclose a multi-user, multi-computer system. Fujii discloses a computer system wherein several computers are able to access one common video monitor. However, Fujii does not provide a system which allows for the interfacing of several computers to one or more user stations wherein the keyboard, video monitor and mouse electronic signals are transmitted through a centrally-located switching circuit. Fujii fails to provide a simplified architecture for coupling a plurality of computers to one or more user stations. Furthermore, Fujii does not disclose an apparatus which eliminates the need for expensive cabling.
In view of the foregoing, clearly there exists a need for an improved, modular centralized computer switching system which is reliable and efficient that scales down the need for expensive and space-consuming external computer hardware while maintaining the use of multiple remotely located computers. In addition, it remains a requirement in the art to provide a usable modular computer switching system for allowing one or more user stations to remotely access one or more remotely located computers which allows the user station's keyboard, video monitor and mouse electronic inputs to operate one or more remotely located computers from one or more user consoles. Furthermore, it is a requirement in the art to greatly enhance the ability for information technology personnel to manage the volume of servers for both small-scale computer centers and large-scale operations such as data-centers, server-farms, web-hosting facilities, and call-centers, while providing a small-scale centrally located switching system.

Intelligent modular server management system for selectively operating a plurality of computers


A oxygen-production device includes a pulse-tube cryocooler for cooling air to liquefy oxygen, and a main container for obtaining and retaining liquefied oxygen. The main container has a heat regenerator, a cold head, and a pulse tube of the pulse-tube cryocooler therein. A temperature sensor measures a temperature of the liquefied oxygen, and a control device controls an output of the pulse-tube cryocooler according to the temperature measured by the temperature sensor.

The invention relates to a method for producing high-purity oxygen used for a medical treatment and the like, and a device for producing high-purity oxygen.
Conventionally, known methods for producing high-purity oxygen include: a method in which oxygen is separated from nitrogen in atmospheric air (hereinafter referred to as "air") using PSA (Pressure Swing Adsorption); a method in which high-purity oxygen is obtained by cooling air using a very low-temperature cooler (cryocooler) and separating the liquid oxygen from other gases such as nitrogen after liquefying the oxygen through a difference between the liquefaction temperature of the oxygen and the liquefaction temperatures of the other gases in the air; and a method in which the oxygen is obtained through a combination of PSA and a cryocooler.
Among these methods, in the method using PSA, when a two-tower system is used, it is difficult to separate oxygen from argon, and therefore a purity of oxygen is limited to 90% to 96%. In order to obtain higher-purity oxygen, it is necessary to use an adsorbent for selectively adsorbing the oxygen to purify the oxygen as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2001-87616.
The liquefaction temperature of oxygen is −183.0° C. at the atmospheric pressure, whereas the liquefaction temperature of argon is −185.9° C. at the atmospheric pressure. Therefore, in the method using the cryocooler, since the difference in the liquefaction temperatures between the two gases is extremely small, it is very difficult to separate oxygen from argon. To solve this problem, Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 05-203347, for example, has disclosed a method in which oxygen and argon are liquefied first, and then the mixture is fractionated to obtain high-purity oxygen.
Incidentally, the cryocoolers, particularly small cryocoolers, have been widely utilized for cooling a variety of devices for detecting a weak-signal as well as for a cryopump, a superconductivity application, and the like. The typical small cryocoolers currently available in the market include two types, namely Stirling cycle and Gifford McMahon cycle. The two types of cryocoolers use helium as a working gas, and generally achieve a temperature range of 150 K-4 K as a targeted temperature. In the Stirling cycle (strictly speaking, it should be called reverse Stirling cycle, but it is often called the Stirling cycle for the cryocooler), a compressor and an expander are used in a refrigeration cycle in which in principle a reverse Carnot cycle is conducted. The cryocoolers are known to be high performance and high efficiency.
Recently, pulse-tube cryocoolers have been developed and expected to replace the conventional cryocooler. The pulse-tube cryocooler does not require a cryogenic moving part (an expander), and is capable of operating by using helium gas. Further, the pulse-tube cryocooler can obtain the temperature range described above. In particular, it is known that the pulse-tube cryocooler with an inertance-tube system provides high refrigeration efficiency by generating variations in gas pressure using a compressor at a frequency near the resonance frequency of a vibration system composed of an inertance tube and a buffer tank (for example, see Japanese Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 2001-304708).
Recently, there has been an increased demand for oxygen-production device as domiciliary medical equipment. In the domiciliary medical equipment, it is necessary to supply oxygen for an extended period of time when a user of the equipment is out of home. Therefore, it is desired to provide portable medical equipment in which liquefied oxygen is stored in a container.
When a gas with a boiling point lower than that of oxygen is contained at a high concentration, oxygen is easily evaporated at the beginning due to the higher boiling point, thereby obtaining a gas with a high oxygen concentration. However, as time elapses, the amount of the gas other than oxygen having a boiling point lower than that of oxygen increases, thereby reducing the oxygen concentration and causing a risk of oxygen deficiency. For this reason, in the equipment in which liquid oxygen is stored in a container and carried as described above, the law requires that the concentration of oxygen in the container shall be 99.5% or higher.
As described above, in recent years, the demand for the oxygen-production device as the domiciliary medical equipment has increased. More specifically, it has been desired that the oxygen-production device is capable of storing and carrying high-purity oxygen with an oxygen concentration of 99.5% or higher in the container.
In the conventional method of producing oxygen using PSA as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 2001-87616, it is difficult to obtain oxygen in the required liquid state. In order to obtain liquid oxygen, it is necessary to provide an additional oxygen-liquefying apparatus using the cryocooler, thereby making the system complicated.
In the conventional method of producing liquid oxygen using the conventional cryocooler, due to the extremely small difference between the liquefaction temperatures of oxygen and argon, it is difficult to separate the two gases, thereby making it difficult to obtain high purity liquid oxygen described above. In the method disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 05-203347, it is possible to obtain high purity oxygen gas through the fractionation. However, it is not possible to directly obtain liquid oxygen, which has a boiling point higher than that of argon.
In view of the problems described above, the invention has been made, and an object of the invention is to provide a method and a device for producing liquid oxygen with an oxygen concentration of 99.5% or higher directly and with high efficiency in which oxygen in the air is effectively separated from nitrogen and argon.
Further objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the invention.


Methods, systems, and mediums of controlling a semiconductor manufacturing process are described. The method comprises the steps of measuring at least one critical dimension of at least one device being fabricated on at least one of the plurality of wafers, determining at least one process parameter value on the at least one measured dimension, and controlling at least one semiconductor manufacturing tool to process the at least one of the plurality of wafers based on the at least one parameter value. A variation in the at least one critical dimension causes undesirable variations in performance of the at least one device, and at least one process condition is directed to controlling the processing performed on the plurality of wafers. The at least one manufacturing tool includes at least one of an implanter tool and an annealing tool.

FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional semiconductor process module 101 that performs one or more processes for fabricating micro-electronic devices on a batch of wafers. Such a conventional process module includes a set of processing tools (e.g., an implanter tool 1 105, an implanter tool 2 107 and an annealing tool 109) and a controller for each tool 111, 112, 113. The conventional controllers 111, 112, 113 are configured to operate/control their respective processing tools using baseline parameter values (e.g., process conditions). The baseline parameter values define, for example, implant (e.g., a doping level) and anneal (e.g., a peak temperature) conditions for the implanter tools and annealing tool, respectively. However, in the conventional process module 101, the baseline parameter values are not adjusted for processing one wafer to another wafer. In other words, the conventional controllers 111, 112, 113, once they begin to use a certain set of baseline parameter values, apply the same baseline parameter values to all wafers in a batch. The baseline parameter values cannot be adjusted even when undesirable variations are detected. These variations can be caused by a previous processing step or by any of the tool 105, 107, 109.
These undesirable variations are unacceptable due to ever increasing demands on fabricated micro-electronic devices associated with ultra large scale integration that require increased transistor and circuit speed, density and improved reliability. In particular, these demands require formation of device features with high precision and uniformity, which in turn necessitates careful process monitoring and detailed inspection of the devices while they are still being processed in the form of semiconductor wafers. Indeed, the conventional process module 101 is incapable of processing devices with such high precision and uniformity because it cannot reduce the undesirable variations. This results in a device yield rate that is less than optimal.

Method, system and medium for controlling semiconductor wafer processes using critical dimension measurements


A refrigerator having multi-compartments and having a heat pipe which transfers heat from a heat source in the refrigeration system to surfaces on the refrigerator which are prone to sweating such as the mullion between compartments. The refrigerator has a gas absorption refrigeration system and the heat pipe is routed from the generator in the system, between the inner and outer shells of the cabinet to the mullion. The heat pipe minimizes condensation of moisture on the external surface of the mullion.

Condensation on surfaces between compartments in multi-compartment refrigerators has been a problem for many years. The problem has been particularly acute on the external mullion between the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment, each of which has an external door. Condensation is also a problem in refrigerators where the access to the freezer is inside the food compartment, but is not as severe as with two external doors.
The low temperature requirements in the freezer results in a tendency for the external surface adjacent the freezer to sweat. The surface just below the freezer door and above the fresh food door is the major area for sweating since it is influenced by the cold temperatures of both the freezer compartment and the fresh food compartment. This surface just below the freezer door and above the fresh food door is referred to as the mullion.
The problem has existed in vapor compression electrically powered refrigerators and also gas absorption type refrigerators which may be either electrically or gas energized. The problem is essentially the same regardless of the refrigeration system.
Sweating involves a psychrometric principle. When the temperature drops below the dew point of ambient air, water vapor condenses on colder surfaces. The "ambient air temperature" refers to the temperature of the air surrounding the surface and can more correctly be referred to as the dry bulb temperature. The amount of temperature drop required to cause sweating depends on the humidity ratio of the ambient air. The higher the humidity, the greater the potential for sweating because the surface temperature does not have to drop as far to condense moisture out of the air.
Many things have been proposed and/or tried to minimize the condensation problem. Some of the most common solutions include adding insulation between the inner and outer shells of the refrigerator cabinet, adding fins on the mullion to increase external surface area, heat tape, electric heaters, reducing the cooling performance for the freezer compartment, adding a loop of condenser tubing behind the mullion, and providing circulation of heated air across the problem surface.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,992,011 to Knight discloses a refrigerator cabinet which includes two hermetically sided tubes which are filled with liquid refrigerant or other volatile liquid and which are arranged along the length of the mullion and cabinet walls to transfer heat to the mullion to maintain its temperature above the dew point of the surrounding air. This system uses the heat from the outside surface of the refrigerator which is substantially at the temperature of the surrounding air.
Some examples of prior art attempts to control condensation by disposing a loop of the refrigeration condenser liquid line around the cabinet door openings include U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,135,091; 3,572,051; 3,984,223 and 4,192,149. Adding such a condenser loop causes difficult fabrication problems, especially for gas adsorption type systems which require welded steel tubing that must be properly sloped to insure gravity drainage. A condenser loop in the mullion creates an unwiedly construction and is almost impossible to replace in the field.
Electric heaters to minimize condensation are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,859,502 and 3,939,666. The use of electric heaters or heat tape is not available for some refrigerators such as refrigerators which are powered by propane or natural gas when electricity may not be available as in some recreational vehicles and remotely located homes.
A system for minimizing condensation is needed that is inexpensive, maintenance free, and which does not require electrical energy.

Multi-compartment refrigerator with system for minimizing condensation


A rotary joint for supplying and/or removing a fluid heat transfer medium to/from a rapidly rotating roll or drum supported upon journals. The rotary joint nipple threads into the journal bore and closely fitting complementarily shaped cylindrical surfaces on the journal end and joint nipple interengage to concentrically relate the joint to the journal, and engaging radial surfaces on the journal and nipple further coaxially position the joint with respect to the journal to prevent relative tilting. In an embodiment the joint nipple includes an internal seal ring axially biased against a counterseat to reduce the rotary joint axial dimension and permit utilization of wider spaced bearings which improves stability, balances bearing loads and increases bearing life.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention pertains to rotary joints for supplying heat transfer medium to rotating drums or rolls and is particularly suitable for use with rapidly rotating drums or rolls requiring a high degree of mounting accuracy of the rotary joint on the drum journal.
2. Description of the Related Art 9
Rotating drums and journals containing hot or cold heat transfer mediums such as water or stream are commonly used in the manufacture of paper, fabric and the like. The article being treated passes over the drum or roll periphery during heat transfer, and paper producing mills, for instance, use many such rotating drums to control the paper moisture content and other product characteristics. Over the years, the assignee has developed a variety of rotary joints adapted to be mounted upon a journal of a rotating drum or roll to permit steam or water to be introduced into the drum, or removed therefrom, and reference is made to U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,242,583; 3,498,591; 3,594,019; 3,606,394; 3,874,707; 4,254,974; 4,262,940; 4,606,561 and 4,758,026. Such patents are typical of rotary joint constructions used to introduce or remove heat transfer medium relative to rotating drums or rolls.
In the color printing industry heat transfer drums and rolls are used which rotate at considerably higher rates of revolution than used in paper and fabric manufacture. For instance, the color printing industry utilizes drums or rolls rotating up to 6,000 RPM. In such installations the rotary joints used with such apparatus must be capable of handling the high rates of revolutions and still maintain the required fluid tight relationships between the seals necessary to prevent leakage and provide an effective flow of heat transfer medium to or from the rotating roll or drum.
With journals rotating up to 6,000 RPM conventional apparatus for mounting the rotary joint upon the journals is unsatisfactory due to the very accurate requirements for concentrically mounting the joint with respect to the axis of journal rotation. It is known to thread the rotary joint nipple into the threads of the journal bore, however, such threaded connections do not assure concentricity because of the tolerances in the threads, and the use of gaskets between the journal and joint nipple permits the gaskets to be unevenly compressed resulting in eccentricity of the joint nipple axis of rotation with respect to the journal rotation axis.


A circuit for initializing and monitoring the proper operation of a microprocessor. Both reset procedures, the power-on reset and the operating reset, are performed by a digital circuit.

Techniques are known for monitoring the operating status of a processor. There are procedures known as "watchdog" procedures, in which the processor must signal its operating readiness through suitable feedback signals. All known watchdog procedures have, however, the disadvantage that they can cause the processor to be reset only in the case of a malfunction of the processor. These known watchdog procedures do not provide for initialization when the operating voltage appears, which is known as "power-on reset."

Circuit for initializing and monitoring a microprocessor


A conduit assembly that delivers a flow of breathing gas to an airway of user. The conduit assembly includes a first flexible segment having a first end portion, a second end portion, and a first lumen defined therein from the first end portion to the second end portion. The conduit assembly also includes a second flexible segment having a third end portion, a fourth end portion, and a second lumen defined therein from the third end portion to the fourth end portion. A first swivel connector is coupled to the second end portion of the first segment and the third end portion of the second segment such that the first segment is rotatable relative the second segment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a conduit assembly for use in a gas flow delivery system, and, in particular, to a conduit assembly that includes a plurality of flexible segments rotatably coupled to one another to prevent torque from being transferred along the conduit assembly.
2. Description of the Related Art
Gas flow delivery systems are used to deliver a flow of gas to an airway of a subject. Such systems are typically used in the medical field to deliver gas to a patient. Examples of gas flow delivery systems in the medical field include a ventilator or respirator, which replaces or supplements a patient's respiration, and a pressure support system, which provides a flow of gas to an airway of a patient at an elevated pressure to treat a medical disorder, such as obstructive sleep apnea (OSA). Pressure support systems include, but are not limited to continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) devices, which deliver a constant positive pressure to the airway of a patient over multiple respiratory cycles, and variable pressure devices, where the pressure of the flow of gas delivered to the patient is variable.
Variable pressure support devices include auto-titrating devices that are capable of changing a base pressure or pressure profile delivered to the patent based on a monitored condition of the patient. Other variable pressure devices change the pressure of the flow of gas during a respiratory cycle. These devices include the following: a proportional assist ventilation (PAV®), a proportional positive airway pressure (PPAP®) device, a C-Flex™ device, a Bi-Flex™ device, and a BiPAP® device manufactured and distributed by Respironics, Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pa. The BiPAP device is a bi-level pressure support system in which the pressure provided to the patient varies with the patient's respiratory cycle so that a higher pressure is delivered during inspiration than during expiration.
A typical gas flow delivery system comprises a pressure/flow generating system that produces a flow of gas for delivery to a patient and a system for communicating the flow of gas to the patient. The latter system typically includes a flexible conduit having one end coupled to the pressure/flow generating device and a second end portion that couples to an airway of patient by means of a patient interface assembly worn by the patient. The conduit, which is also referred to as an air hose or patient circuit, carries the flow of gas from the pressure generating device during operation of the system. The patient interface assembly, typically in the form of a nasal, oral, or nasal/oral mask, attached to the user via a headgear is coupled to the second end portion of the conduit to communicate the flow of gas from the patient circuit to the airway of the patient.
Conventional patient circuits are typically six feet long and have a smooth internal surface to minimize the resistance the flow of gas through the tube. A continuous helix is typically provided in the exterior of the time to protect it from collapsing. While this helix serves to provide structural support for the hose, it also induces a problem with respect to the management of the hose. In particular, the increased structural support causes any loading and twisting at one portion of the hose to be carried or transferred along the entire length of the hose. This is particularly problematic because, as noted above, one end of the patient circuit is coupled to patient interface being worn by the user. Thus, torque or twisting at one location on the conventional patient circuit is readily transferred to the patient interface.
Conventional patient interfaces are typically unable to tolerate torque being applied to them by the patient circuit. This torque can cause the patient interface to be dislodged from the user or compromise the seal between the patient interface and the surface of the user, i.e., create a leak in the gas flow system at the surface of the user. Torque on the patient interface can also cause the mask to be uncomfortable to the user by applying more force that desired to a given part of the user's face.


Disclosed are methods, compositions, and zona pellucida binding peptides and polypeptides for use in immunocontraception of canines and other animals. The disclosed compositions may include pharmaceutical compositions. Methods for identifying peptides that bind to intact oocytes also are provided, in particular methods for identifying peptides that bind to zona pellucida of intact oocytes.

The present subject matter relates to the fields of peptide and polypeptide selection, immunology, and contraception in animals. In particular, the present subject matter relates to peptides and polypeptides that bind to the zona pellucida (ZP) of oocytes (e.g., canine oocytes), methods for selecting such peptides and polypeptides, and pharmaceutical compositions that comprise such peptides and polypeptides (e.g., for inducing an immune response against sperm). The pharmaceutical compositions may include immunogenic compositions and vaccines that may be administered to animals such as canines for immunocontraception.
"Capture and kill," the primary strategy used to control unwanted dog populations, has not reduced the magnitude of this serious problem in 100 years because it illogically addresses the result rather than the cause of the problem. The obvious solution is preventing the birth of unwanted animals. Surgical gonadectomy is considered the gold standard and low cost spay/neuter clinics have made limited progress in reducing unwanted dog populations in some locals, but it is not equal to this overwhelming task. Clearly, an effective, technically uncomplicated and inexpensive method applied on a mass scale is needed. In spite of recurring claims for new wonder drugs, none have met the challenge. For example, the current attention is focused on an industrial chemical (vinylcyclohexene dioxide) which kills primordial cells of ovarian follicles. Unfortunately, based on tests of the National Toxicology Program of the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences, The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) of the World Health Organization has classified this chemical as a carcinogen, and its production has been discontinued world wide. Some chemical, hormonal and vaccine contraceptive strategies have had limited success, and likely solutions will come from incremental improvement of these proven technologies. Zona pellucida (ZP) derived from pig ovaries (pZP) has been studied as an antigen for contraceptive vaccines for decades and shown to be highly successful for some species, but it is highly variable and frequently ineffective in dogs. Here, using powerful, cutting edge phage display technology, we isolate canine specific zone pellucida (cZP) binding peptides for use as antigens in immunogenic compositions and vaccines to block fertilization in dogs.


A reactor system which selectably produces from carbonaceous fuel, combined heat and power (CHP) or syngas and CHP, and in either mode a stream of greater than 95% CO2 for sale or sequestration. Also included are plurality of reactors, ash separation system, and feedback control system. The reactors comprise 1) a fuel reactor selectably operated in full oxidation mode for production of CHP, or in partial oxidation mode to produce syngas to produce biofuels and CHP; 2) a burn-off reactor fully oxidizes char or carbon from the fuel reactor producing CO2; and 3) an optional regeneration reactor reoxygenating oxygen carrier from the first two reactors which is returned to the fuel reactor. The feedback control system comprises an accumulator and controllable elements to apportion oxygen carrier between fuel and burn-off reactors and extract oxygen carrier and heavy ash. This ash and ash from the regenerator products are sold or disposed.

Fuel gasification and fuel full oxidation by solid state oxygen carriers use flameless technologies that require no direct contact between air and fuel. Said systems oxidize carbonaceous or hydrogen fuels using a solid compound (typically a metal oxide or peroxide) as an oxygen carrier. In past practice, the oxygen carrier is circulated between two reactors. In the first reactor the fuel is oxidized and the oxygen carrier is reduced and in the second reactor the oxygen-depleted (reduced) oxygen carrier is regenerated (oxidized) to an oxygen rich state.


A steering wheel lock bar can be stored in a holder mounted on a rear face of a vehicle passenger seat back. The holder preferably includes an elongated cloth pocket acutely angled to a vertical midplane taken through the seat back, so that an elongated steering wheel lock bar can be manipulated into or out of the pocket without striking the vehicle roof. The driver of the vehicle can reach the storage pocket without leaving the driver seat.

SUMMARY OF THE PRESENT INVENTION
This invention relates to a storage holder for a steering wheel lock bar, especially a holder adapted for installation on the rear face of a seat back in an automotive vehicle. The holder is designed to provide a wheel lock bar storage pocket that is relatively unobstructive and space efficient in the automotive vehicle, while at the same time being easily accessible for insertion or withdrawal of a wheel lock bar.
Wheel lock bars are applied to the steering wheels of automotive vehicles for the purpose of preventing vehicle theft. One steering wheel lock that has been used commercially is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,127 issued to C. R. Johnson on Apr. 19, 1988. The wheel lock bar comprises an elongated bar having a hook on one end and a key operated lock on the other end. A second elongated bar having a second hook is telescopically fitted to the lock, whereby the bars can be expanded to cause the hooks to fit onto interior surfaces of a vehicle steering wheel so that the vehicle is incapable of being steered.
Commercially available steering wheel lock bars are relatively bulky so that storage of such lock bars in automotive vehicles is a problem. Typically, the steering wheel lock bar has a length of about twenty inches and a transverse width of about five inches. The relatively great long bar length makes lock bar storage and manipulation difficult.
Various storage devices have been proposed for use in automotive vehicles. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 279,061, issued to S. Zabielinsky shows a storage pocket carried on the rear face of a seat back in an automotive vehicle. The storage pocket is not large enough to hold a conventional steering wheel lock bar. The steering wheel lock bar is much too long to fit into the storage pocket shown in the Zabielinsky Design Patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,273,769, issued to M. Miller on Sep. 20, 1996, shows a holder for an umbrella locatable on an interior surface of a vehicle door. The holder comprises a socket adapted to receive one end of an umbrella and an upwardly open cradle adapted to support the umbrella at a point near the umbrella handle. The holder shown in the Miller patent is not designed, or configured, to support a conventional steering wheel lock bar.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,706,403, issued to R. Sikes, discloses a cradle structure mountable on a raised portion of a vehicle floor to partially retain a long gun in a prone position adjacent to the driver's seat.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,129,563, issued to J. Dillon, shows a gun storage mechanism located near the front edges of the vehicle front seats, whereby a gun can be stored in a transverse position spanning the two seats.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,222,381 discloses a portable holder for a steering wheel lock bar, wherein two hook structures can be moved to lock the holder to the lock bar. The holder is attached to a chain that is anchored to the vehicle, whereby the holder can be moved a limited distance within the vehicle.
The present invention relates to a storage holder for a steering wheel lock bar located on the rear face of a vehicle seat back. The holder comprises an elongated upwardly open pocket having an entrance opening positioned near the upper edge of the vehicle seat back, whereby the driver can reach the pocket opening by turning in the seat; the driver does not need to leave the driver's seat in order to access the pocket opening.
The holder is mounted in a non-vertical tilted condition on the rear face of the vehicle seat back, such that the elongated steering wheel lock bar is oriented in a non-vertical position while it is being inserted into the storage pocket or removed from the storage pocket. This prevents any obstruction to steering wheel lock bar motion that the vehicle roof might otherwise offer.
In many vehicles the vertical spacing between the upper edge of the seat back and the roof is about twenty inches. The normal length of a conventional steering wheel lock bar is also about twenty inches. If the storage pocket for the steering wheel lock bar were oriented in a vertical position it would be somewhat difficult to insert the lock bar into the pocket or remove the lock bar from the pocket. The upper end of the lock bar would tend to strike the roof during the process of accessing the pocket. By orienting the pocket in a tilted non-vertical position on the rear face of the vehicle seat back the process of manipulating the lock bar into or out of the pocket becomes relatively easy. The vehicle roof does not present an obstruction to lock bar movement.
In preferred practice of the invention the steering wheel lock bar storage pocket is formed at least partly of relatively soft woven cloth materials, in order to avoid human safety problems in crash situations. The pocket structure is kept in an open condition by means of an elongated channel cross-sectioned insert formed of a deformable plastic material having some shock-absorbing capabilities.
The storage pocket may be attached to the rear face of a vehicle seat back by two parallel straps that extend generally vertically at an acute angle to the tilted pocket structure. Lower ends of the vertical straps have hooks that connect with fixed anchorages near the vehicle floor. The upper end of one of the straps is adapted to be looped around a mounting post for a headrest at the upper edge of the vehicle seat back. The looped portion of the strap is connected to an upper end of the other strap, whereby the straps are tensioned to retain the pocket structure in a tilted condition on the rear face of the vehicle seat back.
Specific features of the invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and description of an illustrative embodiment of the invention.
In summary, and in accordance with the above discussion, the foregoing objectives are achieved in the following embodiments.

Storage holder for a steering wheel lock bar


A method and apparatus is disclosed herein for wireless transceiver calibration. In one embodiment, the method for relative calibration of multiple transceiver units for their use for joint transmission from groups of transceiver units to at least one other wireless entity, wherein each transceiver unit includes an antenna element, comprises: exchanging pilots using multiple signaling resource slots, using at least two non-overlapping groups of transceiver units; and performing calibration of transceiver units in the first and second groups of transceiver units, including choosing relative calibration parameters to control calibration and using a metric to assess calibration, where the metric is based on at least one combination of calibration parameters and the observations of each transceiver group in at least two groups of transceiver units based the simultaneous pilot broadcast and subsequent reception between transceiver units in pairs of groups of transceiver units.

RF impairment calibration has been thought to be the major challenge in enabling reciprocity-based MU-MIMO. The first demonstration of reciprocity-based MIMO involving a base station with a large number of array elements was provided by Argos (Shepard et al., "Argos: Practical Many-Antenna Base Stations", Mobicom 2012, pp. 53-64). Argos relies on an internal self-calibration method, i.e., a calibration method that does not require over the air feedback to enable spatial multiplexing with reciprocity-based MU-MIMO transmission. In Yilmaz et al., "Method and Apparatus for Internal Relative Transceiver Calibration for Reciprocity-based MU-MIMO Deployments", International Patent Application No. PCT/US2013/032299, an improved family of calibration methods is presented. These schemes can work with the same calibration signaling as in Argos, but can provide vastly superior calibration performance, especially for settings involving calibration of antenna arrays where the antennas are not collocated. Furthermore, signaling protocols exist that can be used for hierarchical calibration of already calibrated antenna arrays. Others perform efficient calibration in cellular, which can enable coherent MIMO transmission over multiple closely located cell-sites.
Signaling protocols locally rely on the basic signaling efficiency of Argos, where an array of M elements can be calibrated, provided (at least) M independent time-frequency resource elements are used for pilot transmissions (and at least two of these transmissions happen at different times). Some pilot protocols and calibration schemes allow calibration of large arrays with much lower signaling overheads but rely on performing calibration in multiple stages. The calibrated part of the array increases in each stage. In particular, at any given stage, the part of the array that has already been calibrated serves as a reference array and is used to calibrate several other antenna elements. These schemes are referred to as Avalanche calibration, hereinafter "Avalanche", due to the fact that as the size of the reference array grows with more stages, more and more antennas can be calibrated together with successive stages in a sort of Avalanche effect.

Transceiver calibration for large-scale and massive MIMO deployments


A process for rendering an electrically conducting polymer essentially non-conducting is provided, in which the polymer is brought into direct electrical contact with an electrolyte. Furthermore, an electric voltage is applied to the polymer using at least two electrodes connected to a voltage supply, each electrode independently being in electrical contact with one of the polymer and the electrolyte. The electrically conducting polymer is rendered non-conducting through electrochemical reactions occurring in the interface between the polymer and the electrolyte in response to the electric voltage.

Electrically conducting polymers and other electronically functionalised materials are key components for the development of polymer electronics. However, the realisation of novel polymer electronic components is dependent on technology for realisation and assembling of patterns of such materials on a large number of different substrates. Patterns of electrically conducting polymers can be achieved in different ways. Either the electrically conducting polymer is deposited in a defined pattern on the substrate, or a sheet, layer or film of electrically conducting polymer is deposited, which is subsequently patterned using subtractive techniques or local deactivation. In the case of electrically conducting polymers, such deactivation may be achieved through a substantial decrease in, or complete elimination of, conductivity in the material. Thus, for example, a film of an electrically conducting polymer material may be patterned through rendering certain parts, sections, segments, lines etc non-conducting.
Known methods of achieving desired deactivation of polymer materials on substrates include exposing the materials to strongly oxidising, wet chemical agents, such as aqueous solutions of sodium hypochlorite or potassium permanganate. These solutions can be applied locally using printing techniques like ink-jet, screen, offset, flexographic etc. Known methods like these are described e g by Agfa-Gaevert N.V., Specialty Foils and Components, in product documentation relating to patterning of Orgacon™ films using Strupas ink (available on the world wide web at the time of filing on http://sfc.agfa.com/pdf/PatterningStrupas.pdf). However, such known methods suffer from a number of drawbacks, which limit their applicability and usefulness. The solutions used are highly oxidising, and therefore strongly corrosive to any equipment involved. In addition, chlorine containing reagents are harmful to the environment. Furthermore, the fact that the wet chemical reagents diffuse laterally through the material that is to be patterned results in a poor maximum resolution of the pattern.
An alternative method in the prior art for patterning polymers is the use of photolithography in combination with photoresist overlayers for realising of patterns with high resolution (i e on the micrometer scale) by exposing of the polymer to an oxygen and fluorine containing plasma. Known methods like these are described in e g Lowe J, Bartels C, Holdcroft S, Canadian Journal of Chemistry, vol 76(1998), 1524-9; Jager EWH, Smela E, Inganas O, Science, vol 290(2000), 1540-5; Chinn D, Janata J, Thin Solid Films, vol 252(1994), 145-51. These methods, too, have disadvantages, considering that plasma processes require vacuum equipment, and that the use of photoresists requires the manufacture of new photolithography masks whenever the desired pattern is modified.
Thus, there is a demand in the art for methods for the patterning of polymer materials that improve the art and do not suffer the disadvantages of known methods.