A method for switching Termination state in an MG includes: exchanging between an MGC and an MG a ServiceChange request for a Termination in the MG, with a parameter used for instructing the Termination to be in a Test state carried in the request; testing by the MG the Termination according to the parameter. A method for switching the state of a Termination in an MG includes: after a test to a Termination is finished, switching the service state of the Termination to an InService or OutOfService state through exchanging a ServiceChange request for the Termination between an MGC and an MG Systems for switching the state of a Termination in an MG are also disclosed. When an MG or MGC tests a Termination, they can notify each other of the service state of the Termination, thereby simplifying the operations of switching the service state of the Termination.

The Next Generation Network (NGN) is a service integrated network which takes a packet network as its bearer network to provide a plurality of services, such as fixed phone and mobile phone voice, data, and video. Media Gateway Controller (MGC) and Media Gateway (MG) are two key components of a packet network. The MG functions as service bearer, that is, transforms media of different access manners into the media suitable to be transmitted in an Internet Protocol (IP) network, for example, a Real-time Transport Protocol (RTP)/Real-time Transport Control Protocol (RTCP) flow, while the MGC functions as call control, by which the separation of call control plane and service bearer plane may be implemented so as to share network resources substantially, simplify device upgrade and service extension, and greatly decrease the cost of development and maintenance.
FIG. 1 is a schematic drawing illustrating one common networking of MG and MGC in the prior art. The Media Gateway Control Protocol is the main protocol for the communication between MG and MGC, as shown in FIG. 1, there are two protocols widely employed: Gateway Control Protocol (GCP), for example, H.248/MeGaCo, and Media Gateway Control Protocol (MGCP). Take the H.248 Protocol as an example, various resources in an MG may be denoted by Terminations abstractly. Terminations are divided into Physical Termination and Ephemeral Termination. The former represents some semi-permanent physical entities, such as a Time Division Multiplex (TDM) channel, while the latter represents some public resources applied when used and released after being used, e.g. an RTP flow. The combination of Terminations is denoted by Context abstractly. The Context may include a plurality of Terminations, and therefore the relationship among a plurality of Terminations in a Context may be represented by Topology. The Termination not associated with other Terminations is included in a special Context called Null Context. The MG establishes and releases a Context according to a command from the MGC. A Context is established when a first Termination is added to the Context and released when the last Termination is deleted from the Context.
According to the abstract model of the protocol, call connecting is actually a series of operations on Terminations and Contexts. Such operations are performed through exchanging request and response commands between MGC and MG. The types of command include Add, Modify, Subtract, Move, AuditValue, AuditCapabilities, Notify and ServiceChange. Command parameters, also called Descriptor, are classified into Property, Signal, Event and Statistic. The service-related parameters are converged into a Package logically, and the MGCP, through the Package, permits a Termination to have optional Property, Event, Signal and Statistic so as to support Terminations with various characters.
The Add command is used by the MGC to instruct the MG to add a Termination to one Context; one Context will be established when a first termination is added to the Context by using the Add command. The Modify command is used by the MGC to instruct the MG to modify Property, Event and Signal of a Termination. The Subtract command is used by the MGC to instruct the MG to release the connection between a Termination and the Context in which the Termination is located, and in turn, the statistic information related to the Termination is returned by the MG; it means that one Context is deleted when the relationship between the last Termination and the Context is released. The Move command is used by the MGC to instruct the MG to move one Termination from the Context in which the Termination is currently located to another Context; however the Move command can not move one Termination from the Null Context, and can not move one Termination to the Null Context. The AuditValue command is used by the MGC to request the MG for the current value of Property, Signal, Event and Statistic, which are, in turn, returned by the MG to the MGC. The AuditCapabilities command is used by an MGC to request the MG for all the possible values supported by the Termination about the Property, Signal, Event and Statistic, which are in turn returned by the MG to the MGC. The MG may use the Notify command to notify the event occurred in the MG. The ServiceChange command permits the MG to notify the MGC that a Termination or Termination group will be out of a service or restore a service, permits the MGC to indicate a Termination or Termination group that shall be out of a service or restore the service, permits the MG to notify the MGC that the capabilities of the Termination or Termination group have changed, and permits the MGC to hand over the control for the MG to another MGC; where t. The ID parameter of the Termination specifies the Termination which shall be out of a service or restore the service, and the command will act on the entire MG if the Termination ID of Root is adopted.
According to the definition of the ServiceState Property of the TerminationState Descriptor in the H.248 Protocol, the Termination may be in one of the following three service sates: InService, OutOfService and Test. The InService state denotes that the Termination may be used or is being used for normal communication; the OutOfService state denotes that the Termination can not be used for communication; the Test state denotes that the Termination is in Test. The switching between the service states of a Termination is performed by the ServiceChange command (the Termination is switched to the Test state by the Modify command).
There are a series of parameters in the ServiceChange command, e.g. Method, Reason and Delay. The Method parameter may have the values such as Graceful, Forced, Restart, Disconnected, Handoff and Failover. The Graceful indicates that the entire MG or a termination thereof will be out of service after a specific delay; the Forced indicates that the entire MG or a Termination thereof is out of service accidentally; the Restart indicates that the entire MG or a Termination thereof restore the service after a specific delay; the Disconnected indicates that the MG loses the communication with an MGC but restores the communication with the same MGC subsequently; the Handoff indicates that an MGC hands over the control of an MG to another MGC; the Failover indicates that the standby MG will act when the primary MG is disabled, or the MG detects that the primary MGC is disabled and therefore resorts to the control by the standby MGC. The Reason parameter provides further description for the above Method parameter, while the Delay parameter provides the specific delay for the above Method parameter, and other parameters will not be described in detail here.
It can be seen from the above that the service state of a Termination in the MG may be switched by using the ServiceChange command. For example, the MG or MGC can switch the service state of the entire MG or a Termination in the MG to the InService state using the Restart mode of the ServiceChange command; the MG or MGC can switch the service state of the entire MG or a Termination in the MG to the OutOfService state using the Graceful method or the Force method of the ServiceChange command; in addition, the MG; using the Disconnected method of the ServiceChange command, and the MGC and MG, using the Handoff method of ServiceChange command in coordination, may switch the service state of the Termination to the InService state.

Method and system for switching the state of a termination in a media gateway


In an electromagnet (1) in which a lead wire (21a) is extracted through a through hole (33) from an annular coil member (2) placed in an annular groove (32) of an annular core (3), a spacer (5) is provided to make the annular coil member have a first portion spaced from the through hole in an axial direction of the annular core. The through hole is formed to a closed bottom surface of the annular groove. A thermal fuse (4) is located at a second portion of the annular coil member on a surface facing opposite to the closed bottom surface of the annular groove. The electromagnet is for use in an electromagnetic clutch.

This invention relates to an electromagnet for use in an electromagnetic clutch known in the art.
A conventional electromagnet for use in the electromagnetic clutch comprises an annular core with an annular groove, an annular coil member placed in the annular groove, and a thermal fuse attached to the annular coil member.
The annular groove has an opening surface and a closed bottom surface which are opposite to each other in an axial direction of the annular core. The annular coil member has a first surface facing the closed bottom surface and has a second surface opposite to the first surface in an axial direction of the annular coil member. The thermal fuse is placed on the second surface of the annular coil member.
The annular core further has a through hole at a particular portion of the closed bottom surface. The annular coil member further has two lead wires which are extracted outwards from the annular groove through the through hole.
In the conventional electromagnet, the annular coil member has a center line coaxial with that of the annular core. As a result, an overall area of the first surface of the annular coil member is kept in contact with the closed bottom surface of the annular groove.
With this structure, the lead wires are led into the through hole through an area which is between the first surface of the annular coil member and the closed bottom surface of the annular groove. Thus, the lead wires can possibly be brought into tight contact with the annular core to thereby damage or break the electrical insulation of the annular coil member.
In order to remove the possibility of occurrence of damage, a spacer having a sufficient size is arranged between the annular coil member and the annular core throughout the overall area of the closed bottom surface of the annular groove. In this case, however, the thermal fuse may possibly protrude from the annular groove to be brought into contact with a pulley of the electromagnetic clutch in the manner known in the art.

Electromagnet in which a coil member is inclined in an annular groove of a core


A counter having enhanced counting speed is provided. The counter includes first through N-th output signal generators. The first output signal generator responds to a clock signal and outputs a first output signal in which a low level and a high level are output once per cycle of the clock signal. The second output signal generator responds to the clock signal and the first output signal and outputs a second output signal in which a low level and a high level are output every two cycles of the clock signal. The third output signal generator responds to the clock signal and the second output signal and outputs a third output signal in which a low level and a high level are output every four cycles of the clock signal. The N-th output signal generator responds to the clock signal and the N−1th output signal and outputs an N-th output signal in which a low level and a high level are output every 2N−1 (where N is a natural number greater than 1) cycles of the clock signal. The first through N-th output signals represent logic values of an N-bit counter in which the first output signal is the least significant bit and the N-th output signal is the most significant bit. A synchronous or non-synchronous counter according to the present invention has reduced delay time, thereby ensuring a spacious operation margin in the design of peripheral circuits of the counter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a counter, and more particularly, to a counter having improved counting speed.
2. Description of the Related Art
As system-on-chip (SOC) systems have become faster, the core of each chip has been specially developed. In general, counters are used in most semiconductor devices and play an important role in determining delay between pipes. A short counter delay helps reduce the burden of combinational logic due to delay time, ensuring an operational margin in the design of the semiconductor circuit.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a circuit of a general synchronous counter. Referring to FIG. 1, a synchronous counter 100 is set or reset in response to a reset signal RN and includes first through fourth flip flops 110, 120, 130, 140 and first and second combinational logic blocks 150 and 160 which operate in response to a clock signal CK. The first flip flop 110 receives an inversion signal BOUT1 of a first output signal OUT1 through an input terminal D, and the second flip flop 120 receives an output signal OUT1 of the first flip flop 110 through an input terminal D. The third flip flop 130 receives a second output signal OUT2 through an input terminal D via the first combinational logic block 150. The fourth flip fop 140 receives the third output signal OUT3 through an input terminal D via the second combinational logic block 160. Signals OUT1 through OUT4 indicate the least significant bit (LSB) through most significant bit (MSB) of the counter 100. Here, the counter 100 is a four-bit counter.
Such a synchronous counter includes the combinational logic blocks 150 and 160, as well as the flip flops 110 through 140, which cause a predetermined delay logic blocks when determining the next state of the counter 100. Further, it is difficult to determine the maximum frequency of the counter 100 because of these combinational logic blocks 150 and 160. That is, the combinational logic blocks 150 and 160, such as adders used in determining the LSB of the counter 100, are required in order to determine the MSB of the next state of the counter 100. For this reason, an increase in the number of bits of the counter 100 results in an increase in delay time.
FIG. 2 is a timing diagram of the operation of the synchronous counter 100 of FIG. 1. In the synchronous counter 100, the output signals OUT1 through OUT4 are all output almost at the same time, but not until after a delay of about 1.5 ns from receiving a clock signal CK.
FIG. 3 is a block diagram of a circuit of a general four-bit non-synchronous counter. Referring to FIG. 3, a non-synchronous counter 300 is set or reset in response to a reset signal RN, and includes a flip flop 310 which operates in response to a clock signal CK, and flip flops 320, 330 and 340 which operate in response to output signals OUT1 through OUT3 output from the flip flops 310, 320 and 330. The flip fops 310, 320, 330 and 340 receive inversion signals BOUT1 through BOUT4 of the output signals OUT1 through OUT4 through an input terminal D. The output signals OUT1 through OUT4 indicate the LSB through MSB of the counter 300.
In such a non-synchronous counter, the output signal of one flip flop is determined by the output signal of the previous flip flop, and thus the generated output signal is delayed for a predetermined time.
FIG. 4 is a timing diagram of the non-synchronous counter 300 of FIG. 3. Referring to FIG. 4, the final state of the counter 300 is at a point when the MSB of the counter is determined and a fourth output signal OUT4 is output. Output signals OUT1 through OUT4 are sequentially generated, and in particular the fourth output signal OUT4 is not output until a delay of about 1 ns after a clock signal CK is input. Also, the fourth output signal OUT4 is generated after one period of the clock signal CK, which is a malfunction of the counter 300.
As described above, both a synchronous counter and a non-synchronous counter have a predetermined delay, which must be reduced.


A fiber-reinforced polymer composition that comprises a polymer matrix that contains a propylene polymer is provided. The polymer matrix constitutes from about 30 wt. % to about 80 wt. % of the composition, and a plurality of long reinforcing fibers that are distributed within the polymer matrix. The fibers constitute from about 20 wt. % to about 70 wt. % of the composition. The polymer composition exhibits a spiral flow length of about 450 millimeters or more as determined in accordance with ASTM D3123-09, and after aging at a temperature of 150° C. for 1,000 hours, a Charpy unnotched impact strength greater than about 15 kJ/m2 as determined at a temperature of 23° C. in accordance with ISO Test No. 179-1:2010.

Long fiber-reinforced polypropylene compositions are often employed in molded parts to provide improved mechanical properties. Typically, such compositions are formed by a process that involves extruding a propylene polymer through a impregnation die and onto a plurality of continuous lengths of reinforcing fibers. The polymer and reinforcing fibers are pulled through the die to cause thorough impregnation of individual fiber strands with the resin. Despite the benefits that can be achieved with such compositions, it is often difficult to effectively employ them in parts having a very thin wall thickness due to the high melt viscosity of conventional propylene polymers. While various attempts have been made to improve the flow properties of propylene polymers by lowering their melt viscosity, these efforts tend to have an adverse impact on the mechanical properties of the resulting composition, particularly after it is "aged"—i.e., exposed to relatively high temperatures (e.g., 150° C.) for a certain period of time. As such, a need currently exists for a fiber-reinforced propylene composition for use in forming shaped parts that can exhibit good flow properties and yet still retain sufficient mechanical properties for use in various types of applications.

Long fiber-reinforced propylene composition for use in a thin part


The present invention provides a biological treatment and filtration system equipment that can reliably remove most of materials harmful to the human body and arsenic components not capable of being removed until now, which are contained in the raw water, by a series of purification operations. A biological treatment and filtration system equipment includes a filter sand layer 111 that treats raw water by microorganism to filter impurities; a raw-water supplying unit 112 that is provided on the upper side of the filter sand layer; an outlet 113 that is provided on the lower side of the filter sand layer and is used to take out filtered water; a filtering net 114 that is detachably held on the upper side of the filter sand layer in a vessel, and includes a net body 114A to which absorbent capable of absorbing arsenic components contained in raw water is adhered, and a frame 114B fixed to an outer periphery of the net body; and a tube (114E) that is provided at an outer portion of the frame and is inflated by pressure fluid so as to seal a gap between the frame and an inner surface of the vessel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biological treatment and filtration system equipment for raw water, especially a water to be treated before a drinking water is called a raw water which should be treated to absorb arsenic components and other harmful materials to the human body from raw water.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
As the typical method for preparing a drinking water from raw water, there are generally known a slow filtration method and a rapid filtration method. The former method comprises biological treatment and filtration by sand layers carrying microorganism. The inventors developed the former method and made a new method comprising a filtration by means of very minute sintered sands. The new method is useful in making no drug smell water for drink although a processing speed is not fast [Japanese patent publications tokkaihei 07-308518 and Japanese Patent No. 3406258]
The raw water usually contains impurity and harmful materials before a purify process, so that the harmful materials are filtrated through a filter having a physical small net, but it is difficult to delete arsenic components. The arsenic components exist in a soil in form of variable shapes, so that the raw water containing the arsenic component is sometimes harmful to humans. Therefore, it is recommendable to delete the arsenic components from the drinking water as much as possible.
According to the standard of drinking water, it is requested to lower the content of arsenic to less than 0.01 mg/l. There have been proposed conventional methods for absorbing or cohesively depositing the arsenic components (Japanese Publication 2007-505736 and Japanese Patent No. 3546794).

Biological treatment and filtration system equipment


A bicycle brake device has a first brake arm body, a first lid, a second brake arm body and a second lid. The first brake arm body has a first attachment opening and a first fastener recess located adjacent to the first attachment opening. The second brake arm body has a second attachment opening and a second fastener recess located adjacent to the second attachment opening. The second brake arm body is adapted to be operatively coupled to the first brake arm body to move the first and second brake arm bodies between a release position and a braking position. The first lid is detachably coupled to the first brake arm body to overlie the first fastener recess. The second lid is detachably coupled to the second brake arm body to overlie the second fastener recess. First and second covers can also be provided to overlie the attachment openings of the brake arm bodies. The lids can be attached to the brake arm bodies in a variety of ways. In one example, the lids are completely detachable from the brake arm bodies. In another example, the lids are partially detachable from the brake arm bodies.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to bicycle brake devices having a pair of brake arms with brake shoes attached thereto. More specifically, the present invention relates to a lid or cover for an attachment portion of the brake shoes that is coupled to the brake arms of the bicycle brake device.
2. Background Information
Bicycling is becoming an increasingly popular form of recreation as well as a means of transportation. Moreover, bicycling has become a very popular competitive sport. Whether the bicycle is used for recreation, transportation or competition, the bicycle industry is constantly improving their components. In particular, bicycle components are constantly becoming lighter and less expensive while maintaining a high level of performance. Moreover, bicycle components are constantly being designed so as to be more durable and attractive. One particular component that has been extensively redesigned over the past years is the operation of the brake device of the bicycle.
The most common type of bicycle brake devices typically have a pair of brake arms with brake shoes attached thereto. The brake arms of the brake device each typically have a slot for attaching one of the brake shoe with a brake pad thereto. More specifically, this slot receives a fixing bolt that is secured to the brake arm by a nut and several washers. Typically, the attachment opening is an elongated slot for allowing adjustability. The fixing bolt, washers and nut are typically exposed to the environment. Therefore, the brake shoe attachment portion is easily contaminated or gets rusty due to the exposure to rain, water or other contaminants. This can make it difficult to remove the brake shoes from the brake arm. Moreover, this connection often results in an unattractive appearance of the brake device.
In view of the above, there exists a need for a bicycle brake device which overcomes the above mentioned problems in the prior art. This invention addresses this need in the prior art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure.


Disclosed herein is an ink-jet printing cloth comprising a thickening surfactant in an amount of from 0.1 to 30% by weight and an aqueous auxiliary for thickening the thickening surfactant in an amount of from 0.1 to 30% by weight, based on the weight of the cloth, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ink-jet printing cloth, an ink-jet printing process and a print obtained by the ink-jet printing process.
2. Related Background Art
Besides screen printing and roller printing, ink-jet printing has heretofore been known as a process of printing on cloth. Since the ink-jet printing is a system of which any plate such as a screen or a design roller is not required, it is fit for the multi-kind small-quantity production. The techniques required of the ink-jet printing are greatly different from those of the screen and roller printing. This is caused by such differences in system that the optimum value of viscosity among properties of inks used in the ink-jet printing is greatly different from that of textile printing inks used in screen printing or the like and is considerably low, that the ink-jet printing requires to take steps as to reliability such as clogging of a head, so-called additive color process, in which a few inks of different colors are shot on the same position so as to overlap each other, is conducted, and that dots of inks are very small.
Various investigations have thus been attempted as to methods of such ink-jet printing, in particular, improvement in coloring, prevention of bleeding and the like. For example, with respect to cloth used in such a printing process, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 4-59282 discloses an ink-jet printing cloth formed of a hydrophilic fiber material and containing 0.1 to 3% by weight of a surfactant. According to the cloth subjected to such a treatment, inks are absorbed in the interior of fiber by diffusion, and so the migration length of the inks becomes comparatively short, and great bleeding is prevented to some extent. However, such a cloth is (unfavorable to improvement in coloring ability because dyes penetrate into the interior of the fiber. Even when a shot-in ink quality is increased to raise the color depth of the resulting print, the color depth on the surface thereof cannot be enhanced because the inks are absorbed in the interior of the cloth.
Even when no surfactant is used, inks are absorbed in the interior of such a cloth like the above unless a substance for decelerating time of water absorption is applied to the cloth, so that the color depth on the surface of the resulting print cannot be enhanced.
On the other hand, Japanese Patent Publication No. 63-31593 discloses a textile printing method in which inks each having a viscosity of 200 cP or lower and a surface tension of 30 to 70 dyn/cm, and a cloth having a water repellency of 50 marks or more as measured in accordance with JIS L 1079 are used. Since this printing method is based on thinking that the penetration of inks into the interior of fiber is prevented to prevent the diffusion of dyes, thereby improving coloring, the improvement in a coloring ability is recognized to some extent. However, the method involves problems such as (1) it takes a long time to dry the inks, and (2) an area factor (a proportion of dots per unit area) becomes small because the inks do not spread, and so the coloring ability is limited.
As described above, the prior art techniques have been able to satisfy individual performance characteristics required of the ink-jet printing process for obtaining excellent prints to some extent, but have been unable to satisfy the various performance characteristics at the same time.

Ink-jet printing cloth, ink-jet printing process and print


A file folder label for use on file folders having an exposed tiered edge is provided having a unitary label portion with at least one major and at least one minor tier section. The major tier section or sections and minor tier section or sections are provided to correspond with a major tier or tiers and a minor tier or tiers presented on the exposed edge of the file folder to which the tier file folder label is to be attached. The major and minor tier sections of the folder label are partially separable such that the major and minor tier sections can be partially separated and individually manipulated to conform to the corresponding tier on the file folder. Additionally, cut-out windows are provided on the folder label and help to partially separate major and minor tier sections. These windows also help in the alignment of the folder label when applying it to a file folder.

The present invention relates generally to a label to be secured to an exposed edge of a file folder. More particularly, the present invention relates to a unitary file folder label that can be configured in multiple levels or tiers when applied to the edge of a file folder having a tiered exposed edge.
The use of labels secured to exposed edges of file folders is well known in the art. Such labels are used in various businesses and professions to display information relating to the contents of the folder or the subject matter that the folder contains. Through the use of file folder labels, folders that are somewhat generic can be made more suitable for use in a given application. Additionally, using file folder labels eliminates the need for physically writing information on the exposed edges of the file folders. Inasmuch as these labels are commonly provided with pre-printed information, usually in the form of alphanumeric symbols, a label bearing the appropriate information can be readily selected or created and attached to the exposed edge of the file folder.
Generally, the exposed edge of the typical file folder is continuously linear and without any breaks. Therefore, a one piece label can be applied to the file folder edge simply by aligning the label with the file folder edge and thereafter folding the label so that it contacts both the front and back sides of the exposed edge. A suitable adhesive is either provided on or applied to the side of the label that is to contact the exposed edge such that the label can be folded over and secured to the exposed edge with the requisite file information presented thereon.
However, some file folders have a tiered edge, such as the exemplary tiered file folder 100 displayed in FIG. 1. Tiered file folder 100 includes a back flap 102 and a front flap 104. Back flap 102 includes tiered edge 106 having at least one minor tier section 108 and at least one major tier section 110. Particularly, in FIG. 1, two minor tier sections 108 are shown as located on each side of single major tier section 110. The distinction between minor tier section 108 and major tier section 110 is generally made by step 112.
Referring now to FIG. 2, it can be seen that, when front flap 104 of tiered file folder 100 is folded along one of any given score 114 to close upon back flap 102, tiered edge 106 is exposed such that useful file information may be viewed on tiered edge 106, particularly in the multitude of data slots 116 provided thereon.
As mentioned hereinabove, tiered edge 106 could simply be written upon, data slots 116 simply being filled in by hand to provide the requisite information; however, it is much more desirable to provide a file folder label displaying the desired information. Unfortunately, in the prior art a single, unitary file folder label has not been provided for file folders having tiered edges such as tiered edge 106. In the past, when it was desired to place a label on a file folder having tiered edges, the data was placed on by means of separate labels, with a separate label being applied to each tier on the folder""s exposed edge. Employing an individual label associated with each tier adds to label costs and increases labor intensity by requiring that each label be individually applied to the tiered edge. Thus, there exists a need in the art for a tiered file folder label of unitary construction that can be applied to a tiered edge of a file folder.
In light of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a folder label of unitary construction that can be applied to a tiered edge of a file folder and can conform to the tiered shape thereof.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a tiered file folder label, as above, that is constructed to have a major tiered section or sections corresponding with a major tier or tiers on a given tiered file folder and a minor tier section or sections corresponding with a minor tier or tiers on that given tiered file folder.
It is an additional object of the present invention to provide a tiered file folder label in combination with a file folder having an exposed edge including at least one major tier and at least one minor tier.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a combination file folder and tiered file folder label, as above, wherein the tiered file folder label is of unitary construction and has at least one major tier section and at least one minor tier section corresponding, respectively, to the at least one major tier and at least one minor tier on the exposed edge of the file folder.
It is further aspect of the present invention to provide a method for applying a unitary file label to a file folder having an exposed edge including at least one major tier and at least one minor tier.
These and other objects of the present invention, which will become apparent from the description that follows, are achieved by the improvements to the folder label art hereinafter described and claimed.
In general, a folder label made in accordance with one embodiment of the present invention includes a unitary label portion having at least one major tier section and at least one minor tier section, the at least one major tier section being partially separable from the at least one minor tier section along a portion of said at least one major tier section such that the at least one major tier section and the at least one minor tier section may be partially separated in order to be individually manipulated to fold back on themselves at varying positions along the unitary label portion.
Other objects of the present invention are accomplished by a tiered file folder label in combination with a file folder having an exposed edge including at least one major tier and at least one minor tier, the combination including a unitary label portion having at least one major tier section and at least one minor tier section, the at least one major tier section being partially separated from the at least one minor tier section along a portion thereof such that the at least one major tier section and the at least one minor tier section are individually configured in separate levels to cover a respective major or minor tier of the file folder.
A preferred, exemplary tiered file folder label incorporating the concepts of the present invention is shown by way of example in the accompanying drawings without attempting to show all the various forms and modifications in which the invention might be embodied, it being understood that the invention is to be measured by the appended claims and not by the details of the specification.


A fire detection system for an aircraft, freight transportation vehicle or freight storage facility comprises one or more RFID tags associated with one or more items of freight being transported or stored. The RFID tag is configured to detect a condition indicative of a fire in or in the vicinity the item of freight, for example a temperature rise or generation of smoke. One or more RFID readers are arranged to read the RFID tags. The RFID reader is connected to or forms part of a control system, the RFID reader or the control determining whether the RFID tag has detected a fire.

Freight is now commonly transported by a variety of means, for example by truck, trailer, rail, ship and by air. Freight is also commonly stored in warehouses or other storage facilities. There is always a danger that due to the nature of the freight itself, or to external factors, the freight may catch fire. If not detected, the fire may spread to other freight and to other parts of the aircraft, vehicle or storage facility. This is particularly undesirable in aircraft, where the consequences of a fire may be catastrophic. It is therefore desirable that fire originating in freight is quickly detected.
In many instances, however, the freight will not be visible to staff or crew so it will be difficult easily to identify if and where a fire may have started. Some aircraft, vehicles and storage facilities are provided with fire detection systems which incorporate static fire detectors. These systems may provide an indication of a fire in the aircraft, vehicle or storage facility, but they may not detect the fire at an early stage. This is particularly so if the freight is being transported or stored in containers or pallets, commonly referred to as Unit Load Devices ("ULDs"). In this case a fire may have started within a ULD but the static, external detectors may not sense that fire very quickly. By the time smoke or fire penetrates the walls of the ULD and triggers the fire detection system, the fire may have developed to a significant degree making it difficult to control the fire and, in aircraft based systems, giving only limited time for the aircraft to be landed safely. Moreover, these fixed systems do not provide staff or crew with information regarding the nature of the goods which have caught fire, or other information which may be of use to the staff or crew when deciding how best to deal with the fire. The fixed system may also not provide a particularly accurate indication of the location of the fire. The present disclosure seeks to address at least some of these issues.


Novel oligomers and polymers derived from the reaction of benzoxazine compounds with a mixture of thiol compounds and amine compounds are disclosed. The compositions are useful in coating, sealants, adhesive and many other applications.

Benzoxazines and compositions containing benzoxazine are known (see for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,543,516 and 6,207,786 to Ishida, et al.; S. Rimdusit and H. Ishida, "Development of New Class of Electronic Packaging Materials Based on Ternary Systems of Benzoxazine, Epoxy, and Phenolic Resins", Polymer, 41, 7941-49 (2000); and H. Kimura, et al., "New Thermosetting Resin from Bisphenol A-based Benzoxazine and Bisoxazoline", J. App. Polym. Sci., 72, 1551-58 (1999).
U.S. Pat. No. 4,501,864 (Higginbottom) reports a curable composition comprising a poly(3,4-dihydro-3-substituted-1,3 benzoxazine) and a reactive polyamine, wherein the polyamine is at least difunctional and its reactive groups are primary or secondary amine, and wherein the poly(dihydrobenzoxazine) is the reaction product of about one equivalent of a primary amine, about one equivalent of a phenol and about two equivalents of formaldehyde.
PCT Published Patent Application WO 2010/141396 A1 (Gorodisher et al.) describes benzoxazine-thiol adducts which may be cured to produce compositions useful in coatings, sealants, adhesives, and other applications. Similarly, PCT Published Patent Application WO 2009/115586 A1 (Burns et al.) describes adducts useful for improving the toughness and curable compositions using such toughening adducts.


Apparatus for aligning misaligned vertebrae including a partible screw which can be threadedly coupled to misaligned vertebrae and decoupled from the vertebrae after being aligned. The screw, which is rotatable about an axis, includes axially shiftable screw halves having complementally formed partial screw thread sections which can be aligned in any one of a plurality of axially spaced apart positions to define a helical screw thread. Apparatus is provided for detachably holding the screw halves together in any one of a plurality of axially spaced apart positions with the partial screw threads on each of the halves in alignment including an alignment collar and a locking collar which can be detachably threadedly received on, and locked to, the screw thread sections in locking positions when the screw is being threadedly coupled to and uncoupled from the vertebrae. The alignment collar and locking collar can be individually unthreaded and moved to a remote position removed from the screw threads to allow the screw halves to be axially relatively shifted relative to each other.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to apparatus and method for aligning misaligned adjacent vertebrae and more particularly to a new and improved partible vertebrae alignment screw with axially shiftable thread sections that will threadedly couple to a tapped thread cut into the misaligned vertebrae, relatively slide to relatively shift the vertebrae, and threadedly decouple from the aligned vertebrae while maintaining the integrity of the tapped thread.
2. Description of the Prior Art and Objects
Spinal injuries, diseases and other degenerative disorders of the spine have caused substantial problems and pain to a substantial number of patients. Various devices have been provided heretofore for preventing progressive degeneration and instability of the spine. One such technique has involved bone fusions which fuse adjacent spinal vertebrae to each other to prevent relative movement therebetween. Such fusions frequently follow the removal of all or a portion of a disc normally found between the adjacent vertebrae.
To aid in the fusion process, hollow threaded cages, packed with bone chips or other bone growth inducing substances, have been disposed in the intervertebral space between the adjacent vertebrae and threadedly coupled to confronting portions of the adjacent vertebrae. Such fusion cages are illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,961,740 issued to Charles D. Ray, et al, on Oct. 9, 1990; U.S. Pat. No. 5,015,247 issued to Gary K. Michaelson on May 14, 1991; U.S. Pat. No. 5,906,616 issued to Paul W. Pavlov, et al on May 25, 1999; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,947,971 issued to Steven D. Kuslich on Sep. 7, 1999.
Prior to threadedly coupling the fusion cage to the vertebrae, confronting portions of adjacent misaligned vertebrae are drilled and tapped to provide a thread for receiving the thread of the fusion cage as more particularly illustrated in the PLIF Surgical Technique Manual 2.0, Ray Threaded Fusion Cage(trademark), published by Surgical Dynamics Inc, 111 Glover Avenue, Norwalk, Conn., which is incorporated hereby by reference as though fully set forth herein. The vertebrae to be fused together should be properly aligned prior to the fusion. When the adjacent vertebrae are out of alignment with each other, which is a condition sometimes referred to as spondylolisthesis, they are to be moved back into alignment prior to the insertion of the fusion cage. Toward this end, apparatus, such as that disclosed in the German Patent Publication No. 197 50 382.9 dated Nov. 13, 1997, has been utilized to realign the vertebrae.
The German Patent Publication No. 19750382.9 discloses a screw which can be threaded into a thread previously tapped into confronting portions of misaligned vertebrae. Portions of the screw in the aforementioned German patent publication are anchored to adjacent vertebrae and axially shifted relative to each other to shift the vertebrae into alignment. The screw is then unturned and a hollow threaded cage is turned into the threaded space vacated by the screw. With the aforementioned prior art German construction, it is difficult to insure that the partial screw threads on each of the partible halves are in helical alignment with the partial screw threads on the other partible half so that the helical thread tapped into the adjacent vertebrae is not damaged by the partial screw threads on the partible halves being out of helical alignment with each other and not following the same helical path. Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel method and apparatus for repositioning misaligned vertebrae.
It is another object of the present invention to provide new and novel vertebrae aligning apparatus which is threadedly received by a tapped thread provided on confronting portions of adjacent misaligned vertebrae and which can be removed, without damaging the tapped thread after portions of the screw have been shifted to align the vertebrae.
Apparatus for shifting vertebrae for the reduction of spondylolisthesis is illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,601,556 issued to Madhavan Pisharodi on Feb. 1, 1997, including an insert that is disposed between adjacent vertebrae and then rotated 90xc2x0 before and after shifting of the vertebrae. The Pisharodi device is not threaded into and out of the vertebrae and is not concerned with preserving the integrity of a tapped screw thread which threadedly receives a fusion cage.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel vertebrae alignment tool which will align misaligned vertebrae including axially partible screw thread sections having complementally formed partial screw threads thereon that can be moved to any selected one of a plurality of axially spaced apart positions in which the partial screw threads on one screw thread section are helically aligned with the partial screw threads on the other screw thread section.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a vertebrae alignment tool of the type described which includes a new and novel locking device for locking the partible screw thread sections together when they are being threaded into and out of the adjacent vertebrae.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide apparatus for aligning misaligned vertebrae of the type described including an alignment nut which is threadedly received by axially partible screw sections in any selected one of a plurality of axially spaced apart positions to insure that the partial screw threads on one-half of the screw are held in helical alignment with the partial screw threads on the other half of the screw as the screw is being threadedly coupled to misaligned vertebrae and threadedly decoupled from aligned vertebrae.
Still yet another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel vertebrae repositioning tool of the type described which includes an alignment nut that is threadedly received on axially partible screw halves having first and second pluralities of partial screw threads that are helically aligned to form a helical thread on a screw that is threadedly coupled to adjacent misaligned vertebrae and a locking nut for locking the alignment nut to the screw halves to prevent relative movement therebetween as the screw is being threadedly coupled to misaligned vertebrae and decoupled from aligned vertebrae.
A further object of the present invention is to provide alignment apparatus for aligning misaligned vertebrae including new and novel elongate bodies for mounting partible screw halves which are axially slidably coupled to each other.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide alignment apparatus of the type described including new and novel mechanism for axially shifting the elongate bodies relative to each other to axially shift the screw head.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a new and novel method of aligning first and second vertebrae including axially locking a pair of screw halves together as the screw halves are being threadedly coupled to and decoupled from adjacent vertebrae and for unlocking the screw halves and axially shifting the screw halves between the coupling and decoupling steps.
It is another object of the present invention to provide apparatus for shifting and aligning adjacent vertebrae in preparation for, and during the process of, securing the vertebrae with a fusion cage screw sometimes sold under the trademark xe2x80x9cRay Threaded Fusion Cage(trademark)xe2x80x9d.
Another object of the present invention is to provide new and improved vertebrae alignment method and apparatus which will prepare more qualified candidates for the cage screw method of fusing vertebrae than that which existed in the prior art.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a method of aligning misaligned adjacent vertebrae including the steps of: threadedly coupling an axially partible vertebrae displacing head, having first and second abutting screw halves, provided with half screws, which are helically aligned to form a helical screw thread, coupled to adjacent misaligned vertebrae; axially relatively shifting the screw halves opposite directions to shift the misaligned vertebrae into alignment, detachably locking the screw halves together in the axially displaced positions with the half threads in helical alignment to preclude axial movement therebetween, and axially unthreading the vertebrae displacing head from the vertebrae with the abutting screw halves held together to prevent relative axial shifting therebetween.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those of ordinary skill in the art as the description thereof proceeds.
Apparatus for repositioning misaligned vertebrae comprising an alignment head, having first and second axially partible screw halves forming first and second screw thread sections which cooperate in a plurality of axially spaced positions to form a helical screw on the head, which is rotatable about a longitudinal axis in a first direction between the vertebrae to a position in which the first and second screw thread sections each threadedly engage only one of the vertebrae and oppositely rotatable to an unthreaded position removed from the vertebrae after the vertebrae are repositioned; mechanism for relatively axially shifting the first and second axially partible screw halves, while threadedly coupled to separate ones of the adjacent vertebrae, in opposite directions to relatively properly reposition the vertebrae relative to each other, and mechanism for axially detachably holding the first and second screw halves together, with at least a portion of the first screw thread section in helical alignment with a portion of the second screw thread section, to preclude relative axial shifting of the first and second screw thread sections when the head is rotated in the opposite direction and threadedly decoupled from the aligned vertebrae. A method of aligning vertebrae without damaging a tapped threaded provided in adjacent misaligned teeth is also contemplated.

Apparatus and method for aligning vertebrae


A payment terminal may run a point-of-sale application that is operated by a user such as a merchant. At a certain point in the transaction, but prior to the completion of the transaction, pre-charge requests may be sent to a chip card. The responses from the chip card may be stored such that the transaction may be completed immediately after the merchant and customer complete the transaction steps.

Electronic payments may be performed in a variety of ways. A payment terminal may process payment transactions, and may interact with payment devices such as a payment card having a magnetic strip that is swiped in a magnetic reader of the payment terminal, a payment device having a Europay/Mastercard/Visa (EMV) chip that is inserted into a corresponding EMV slot of the payment terminal, and near field communication (NFC) enabled devices such as a smartphone or EMV card that is tapped at the payment terminal and transmits payment information over a secure wireless connection. The payment terminal may receive payment information from the payment device as well information about a transaction, and may communicate this information to a payment system for processing of the transaction.
Overall processing time for a payment transaction generally depends on how quickly electronic payment information may be communicated between a payment device and payment server, such as a server located at a financial institution. Communication durations may be affected by the amount of time between the time an authorization for a payment amount is requested from a payment device and the time that approval is received from a payment server, and delays in communication of such messages are common. Delays during payment transactions may result in issues for customers seeking to complete transactions and merchants hoping to complete sales. Because chip cards sometimes are physically inserted into a payment terminal during processing, delays in processing of chip card transactions may create particular discomfort or friction during payment transactions.

Preliminary acquisition of payment information


The approach to measuring load current in a multi-phase bridge inverter circuit connected to a multiphase load involves placing a single current sense resistor in series with the inverter circuit and power supply. The current flow through the sense resistor is sampled during a portion of the switching cycle wherein the inverter is configured to enable current flowing through the multi-phase load to flow through the sense resistor. Typically, this will occur during a portion of the switching cycle (e.g. PWM cycle) wherein the load is being actively driven. For a 120.degree., 3-phase, 6-step commutation sequence typically used to control a d.c. brushless servo motor, the sampled current is a time-multiplexed measure of the current flow through each load phase. The same sense resistor is also used for indicating a short circuit condition by comparing the voltage across the resistor to a reference voltage.

Conventional motor control systems typically require a method of measuring or sensing the current supplied to or flowing in a motor. This is because current control typically forms the "inner loop" of the motor control system, e.g., the value of the motor current is used to regulate the duty cycle of the applied voltage. In addition, current sensing is also important as a first step in determining whether a short circuit has occurred and can thus provide a means to protect the electronic power switches used in the motor control system. Determining a suitable current sensing approach is a vital step in the design of motor controls.
Typically, a servo control topology will employ a power switching matrix, such as an inverter circuit, for routing power from a d.c. voltage source to a three phase motor. One typical inverter circuit, the well known three phase bridge, consists of three parallel legs, each leg having two power switches, with a phase output being available on each leg at a point between the two power switches thereof. Commutation, i.e. control of the inverter, can be can be provided, for example, by a 120.degree. mode, 6-step, 3 phase commutation controller which causes the inverter to supply a pulse width modulated ("PWM") voltage signal to sequentially drive each phase of the motor. The pulse width modulation provides a switching cycle having a time period wherein the motor is actively driven, and a time period wherein the motor is freewheeling. The PWM duty cycle determines the average voltage applied to the motor.
The physical devices available for sensing motor load current include simple resistive shunts, current transformers, optical isolation amplifiers, and open and closed loop Hall effect transducers. One article, by Konopoka and Twitchell, entitled "Higher Voltage Servo Redesign Requires Current Sensing Re-Evaluation", Power Conversion and Intelligent Motion, February 1997, pp. 12-19, discusses the various electrical requirements that should be taken into account in selecting current and ground fault sensors for a three phase brushless servo motor controller such as described above. These requirements include isolation, linearity, zero offset, response time, bandwidth, temperature rating, hysteresis, noise immunity and insertion loss. As is typical of the prior art, the use of a resistive shunt was quickly ruled out as a current sensing option since it was assumed that a resistor would have to be serially connected to each phase of the motor and the relatively high voltage differential between each of the three phases would pose isolation problems. Instead, a closed loop Hall effect transducer was chosen as the best option because, among other criteria, it provides good isolation characteristics and the fastest response time of all the remaining current sensing devices.
Such a solution, although effective, can be relatively expensive due to the need for at least two closed loop Hall effect transducers. Other sensing options have various limitations to them such as inability to measure d.c. currents, poor accuracy, poor bandwidth, and poor response times. Despite these drawbacks, the resistive shunt, which can offer excellent performance in many of the foregoing design criteria at a very low cost, is often overlooked.
The present invention provides an approach to sensing motor current, or current flow through other types of multi-phase loads, by employing a single resistive shunt in a unique and relatively inexpensive manner which overcomes the perceived limitations of the prior art.

Method and apparatus for sensing load current in a motor controller


A protection device detects a temperature in a predetermined monitoring place in an electronic apparatus 3 to protect the electronic apparatus 3, and includes an oscillating circuit 20 for generating a clock signal Vck having a predetermined cycle and a predetermined ON time, and a temperature detection circuit 16 for detecting the temperature in the monitoring place during the ON time of the clock signal Vck. The protection device shuts off supply of electric power to the electronic apparatus 3, when the temperature in the monitoring place exceeds a predetermined temperature.

In recent years, an electronic apparatus typified by a mobile phone operates using electric power supplied from an external power source such as a battery or an AC (alternating current) adapter. Upon detecting an abnormal state in the electronic apparatus, a protection device of such an electronic apparatus generally shuts off supply of electric power from the external power source.
Such conventional protection device is disclosed in Patent Document 1, for example. FIG. 12 generally shows a protection device disclosed in Patent Document 1. The protection device according to Patent Document 1 uses a lithium-ion battery 80 as an external power source and includes an NMOS (n-type metal-oxide-semiconductor) transistor 81 for controlling a discharging current of the lithium-ion battery 80 and an NMOS transistor 82 for controlling a charging current of the lithium-ion battery 80.
In order to control the discharging current from the lithium-ion battery 80, a control circuit 83 outputs a signal V1 for controlling the NMOS transistor 81. In order to control the charging current to the lithium-ion battery 80, the control circuit 83 outputs a signal V2 for controlling the NMOS transistor 82. A temperature detection circuit 84 detects an ambient temperature of the NMOS transistor 81, and a temperature detection circuit 85 detects an ambient temperature of the NMOS transistor 82. The temperature detection circuits 84 and 85 output "H (high)" level signals, when the detected temperature is higher than or equal to a predetermined value, for example, 100° C.
When an output from the temperature detection circuit 84 is at a "L (low)" level, an NMOS transistor 86 connected between the gate and the source of the NMOS transistor 81 is in the OFF state, allowing the signal V1 to be applied to the gate of the NMOS transistor 81. Meanwhile, when the output from the temperature detection circuit 84 is at a "H" level, the NMOS transistor 86 is in the ON state, grounding the gate of the NMOS transistor 81 to turn OFF the NMOS transistor 81. That is, the ambient temperature of the NMOS transistor 81 exceeding a predetermined value is determined to be an abnormal state, and thus the discharging current from the lithium-ion battery 80 is shut off.
When an output from the temperature detection circuit 85 is at a "L" level, an NMOS transistor 87 connected between the gate and the source of the NMOS transistor 82 is in the OFF state, allowing the signal V2 to be applied to the gate of the NMOS transistor 82. Meanwhile, when the output from the temperature detection circuit 85 is at a "H" level, the NMOS transistor 87 is in the ON state, grounding the gate of the NMOS transistor 82 to turn OFF the NMOS transistor 82. That is, the ambient temperature of the NMOS transistor 82 exceeding a predetermined value is determined to be an abnormal state, and thus the charging current to the lithium-ion battery 80 is shut off.
While the NMOS transistor 81 and the NMOS transistor 82 are in the ON state, a voltage of the lithium-ion battery 80 is supplied via power source terminals 88 and 89 to the electronic apparatus.
[Patent Document 1] Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 11-289656

Protection device, protection method using the same, method for processing signal using the same, and method for detecting quantity of electricity using the same


The invention relates to 4-hydroxymethyl-1-aryl-cyclohexylamine compounds, methods for their production, pharmaceutical formulations containing such compounds and the use of 4-hydroxymethyl-1-aryl-cyclohexylamine derivatives for producing medicines which are useful, for example for treating pain. Related methods of treatment are also provided.

The heptadecapeptide nociceptin is an endogenous ligand of the ORL1 receptor (ORL=Opioid-Receptor-Like)(Meunier et al., Nature 377, 1995, pp 532-535), which belongs to the family of the opioid receptors, is found in many regions of the brain and spinal cord and has a high affinity for the ORL1 receptor. The ORL1 receptor is homologous to the μ, κ and δ opioid receptors and the amino acid sequence of the nociceptin peptide has a strong similarity to those of the known opioid peptides. The receptor activation induced by nociceptin leads to an inhibition of adenylate cyclase via coupling with Gi/o proteins (Meunier et al., Nature 377, 1995, pp 532-535).
After intercerebroventricular administration, the nociceptin peptide displays a pronociceptive and hyperalgesic activity in various animal models (Reinscheid et al., Science 270, 1995, pp 792-794). These findings can be explained as an inhibition of stress-induced analgesia (Mogil et al., Neuroscience 75, 1996, pp 333-337). In this connection it has also been possible to detect an anxiolytic activity of nociceptin (Jenck et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 94, 1997, 14854-14858).
On the other hand, it has also been possible to show an antinociceptive effect of nociceptin in various animal models, especially after intrathecal administration. Nociceptin has an antinociceptive action in various pain models, for example in the mouse tail flick test (King et al., Neurosci. Lett. 223, 1997, 113-116). In neuropathic pain models, it has likewise been possible to detect an antinociceptive action of nociceptin which is of particular interest inasmuch as the efficacy of nociceptin increases after the axotomy of spinal nerves. This is in contrast to the classical opioids, whose efficacy decreases under these conditions (Abdulla and Smith, J. Neurosci. 18, 1998, pp 9685-9694).
The ORL1 receptor also participates in the regulation of other physiological and pathophysiological processes. These include, inter alia, learning and memorization (Manabe et al., Nature 394, 1997, pp 577-581), hearing acuity (Nishi et al., EMBO J. 16, 1997, pp 1858-1864) and numerous other processes. A survey by Calo et al. (Br. J. Pharmacol. 129, 2000, 1261-1283) gives a summary of the indications or biological processes in which the ORL1 receptor plays or very probably might play a role. The following are mentioned, inter alia: analgesia, stimulation and regulation of ingestion, effect on μ agonists such as morphine, treatment of withdrawal symptoms, reduction of the addiction potential of opioids, anxiolysis, modulation of motor activity, memory disorders, epilepsy, modulation of the release of neurotransmitters, especially glutamate, serotonin and dopamine, and hence neurodegenerative diseases, influence on the cardiovascular system, triggering of an erection, diuresis, antinatriuresis, electrolyte metabolism, arterial blood pressure, water retention diseases, intestinal motility (diarrhoea), relaxing effects on the respiratory tract, and micturition reflex (urinary incontinence). Said survey further discusses the use of agonists and antagonists as anoretics, analgesics (also in coadministration with opioids) or nootropics.
The possible applications of compounds that bind to the ORL1 receptor and activate or inhibit it are correspondingly diverse. Apart from this receptor, opioid receptors such as the μ receptor and other subtypes play a major role in the precise area of pain therapy, but also in other indications among those mentioned. Accordingly, it is advantageous if a compound is also active at these opioid receptors.


A method of scanning a document to generate image data of the document, the method including performing a pre-scanning operation at a first predetermined resolution and speed according to a scan command until a current scanning area is located in a main-scan area; and performing a main-scanning operation at a second predetermined resolution and speed, until the current scanning area is beyond the main-scan area, after the current scanning area has been located in the main-scan area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning method, and, more particularly, to a method of scanning a document using a pre-scanning operation, in which a pre-scanning operation is performed in a multi-functional peripheral device having a scanning operation to sense a starting portion of a business card-sized document, and then a main-scanning operation is performed for the business card-sized document to generate image data of the business card-sized document.
2. Description of the Related Art
A multi-functional peripheral device generally operates as a facsimile machine for transmitting a copy of an original image to another machine via a communication line, as well as a printer for printing data or an original copy of a document or image input to a computer. In other words, such a multi-functional peripheral device is manufactured by integrating operations of terminal devices such as a facsimile machine, a printer, and so forth, and has a personal computer (PC)-interface operation by which the multi-functional peripheral device is connected to a PC. These days, the use of a multi-functional peripheral device integrating the operations of a printer, a scanner, and a facsimile machine has increased in offices and in homes. Operations are added to such a multi-functional peripheral device so that the multi-functional peripheral device operates as a copier performing the operations of a scanner and a facsimile machine, as well as separately operating as a scanner, a printer, and a facsimile machine.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram of a general multi-functional peripheral device. Referring to FIG. 1, an optical system 100 includes a light source (not shown) and a photoelectric device (not shown) so that the density of an original image copy is photoelectrically converted and output as an electrical signal, and is moved by a step motor (not shown).
A scanner 101 converts the electrical signal output from the photoelectric device of the optical system 100 into digital data, performs several correction operations to improve image quality, and stores the processed image data in a memory 102.
The memory 102 stores image data that are processed by the scanner 101 using a control program of the multi-functional device, and then are transmitted to a computer (not shown) or a modem 106 or are printed via a printer 103 according to a user's request.
The printer 103 prints print data or image data stored in the memory 102 on a sheet of printing paper.
A manipulator 104 includes a key capable of setting and changing various operation modes of the multi-functional peripheral device and a display window for displaying the operational status of the multi-functional peripheral device.
An interface 105 transmits a command for operating the multi-functional peripheral device to a controller 107 according to a function of a program selected by a user so that the controller 107 transmits or receives data according to the corresponding command.
The modem 106 transmits/receives data to/from an external facsimile machine.
The controller 107 performs an operation corresponding to data transmitted via the key of the manipulator 104 and controls components of the multi-functional peripheral device so that a scanning operation and a printing operation are performed according to a signal transmitted from the interface 105.
FIG. 2A is a view illustrating a conventional scan area, and FIG. 2B is a flowchart of a conventional method of scanning documents. Referring to FIG. 2A, a document-1 203 and a document-2 204 are respectively positioned in upper and lower portions of a multi-functional peripheral device. Documents described herein refer to small-sized documents, such as small photograph-sized or business card-sized documents. FIG. 2A shows a physical scan area 200, a pre-scan area 201, and main-scan areas 202. According to the known art, the physical scan area 200 is the same as the pre-scan area 201, and the main-scan areas 202 correspond to areas in which the document-1 203 and the document-2 204 are positioned, respectively.
A process of scanning documents is described in more detail with reference to FIGS. 1, 2A, and 2B. At operation S210, a user gives a scan command for a document to be scanned via the manipulator 104, and then the scan command is transmitted to the scanner 101 via the controller 107. At operation S220, the scanner 101 performs a pre-scanning operation on the entire area of the physical scan area 200 to generate image data having a low resolution. Because an image is converted into image data, a PC scans the image data. However, the size of the data is large, and, thus, it takes a large amount of time to scan the image data. Thus, a pre-scanning operation is widely accepted. The pre-scanning operation refers to a method of scanning a document at a low resolution of 75 dpi, generating image data of the whole portion of the document, selecting a portion of the document by a program of the PC, and scanning the portion at a high resolution.
At operation S230, the entire image having the low resolution, scanned from the entire physical scan area 200, is displayed on the user's monitor. At operation S240, the user designates an area to be precisely scanned. At operation S250, the user designates a resolution and gives a main-scan command. At operation S260, the scanner 101 carries out a main-scanning operation to display image data having a high resolution in the area designated by the user on a screen of the user's PC monitor. At operation S270, the user converts image data into print data and transmits the print data to the printer 103 to be printed or stores the image data.
However, as described above, according to the related art, even though an area the user desires to scan is limited to the main-scan area in which a corresponding document is positioned, the entire area of the physical scan area is scanned (i.e., pre-scanned). As a result, unnecessary data are generated.
Also, if a plurality of business card-sized documents are scanned at the same time, the user must perform a pre-scanning operation to generate image data having a low resolution, designate an area for each of the plurality of business card-sized documents displayed on the screen, and carry out a main-scanning operation for each of the business card-sized documents. Thus, the scanning process is complicated and time-consuming.

Method of scanning a document using a pre-scanning operation


An Intelligent Query Engine (IQE) system automatically develops multiple information spaces in which different types of real-world objects (e.g., documents, users, products) can be represented. Machine learning techniques are used to facilitate automated emergence of information spaces in which objects are represented as vectors of real numbers. The system then delivers information to users based upon similarity measures applied to the representation of the objects in these information spaces. The system simultaneously classifies documents, users, products, and other objects. Documents are managed by collators that act as classifiers of overlapping portions of the database of documents. Collators evolve to meet the demands for information delivery expressed by user feedback. Liaisons act on the behalf of users to elicit information from the population of collators. This information is then presented to users upon logging into the system via Internet or another communication channel. Mites handle incoming documents from multiple information sources (e.g., in-house editorial staff, third-party news feeds, large databases, World Wide Web spiders) and feed documents to those collators which provide a good fit for the new documents.

This invention relates to accessing information and categorizing users and more particularly to an adaptive and scalable indexing scheme.
Document retrieval often involves accessing a large information space. This information space is characterized by many dimensions. Each document occupies a single point in this information space. However, the organization of documents in the space is complex. This complexity is a product of the dimensionality of the space. Documents share properties, and thus share the coordinates of some subset of dimensions, but differ with respect to other properties. Because of this, the entire information space is only sparsely populated with documents. Sparse distribution of documents in the information space makes intelligent searching of the space difficult. The relationships between two documents are only poorly described in the space since the documents typically differ in more ways than they are the same. Across a group of documents, there is minimal structure to organize a search for relevant documents.
Artificial neural networks (ANNs) are used to generate statistical relationships among the input and output elements, and do so through self-organization or, at least, through an automated abstraction or learning process. Several efforts have employed ANNs to a limited extent for information retrieval. The ANN contains a set of constraints which, when given some input pattern coding a query, directs the user to similar documents or pieces of information. The initial set of constraints is generally determined by the application of a training corpus set of records to the ANN. These constraints are incrementally modifiable, allowing the ANN to adapt to user feedback. However, although several research efforts have demonstrated the utility of adaptive information retrieval with ANNs, scalable implementations have not appeared. For reviews, see Doszkocs, 1990, and Chen, 1995, incorporated herein by reference.
On the other hand, some large-scale systems which lack mechanisms for adaptation have successfully exploited the statistical relationships among documents and terms found in those documents, for storage and retrieval of documents and other information items. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,619,709 to Caid, et. al., describes generation of context vectors that represent conceptual relationships among information items. The context vectors in Caid, et. al. are developed based on word proximity in a static training corpus. The context vectors do not adapt to user profile information, new information sources, or user feedback regarding the relevancy of documents retrieved by the system. Thus, the system in Caid, et. al. does not evolve over time to provide more relevant document retrieval.
Accordingly, a need remains for a scalable information representation and indexing scheme that adapts document retrieval to continuously changing user feedback, user profiles, and new sources of information.

Intelligent query system for automatically indexing information in a database and automatically categorizing users


A method of determining damping coefficients for a resilient web, involving: stretching a prescribed length of the web between a pair of pulleys mounted on a frame; attaching a prescribed test mass M.sub.0 upon this length at a prescribed distance L.sub.1 from one pulley; shaking the frame at resonance frequency f.sub.R, and the while deriving resonance-amplitude; and using the foregoing to determine web damping coefficients.

Workers making or using flexible web means (e.g., belts used to transmit motion from one shaft to another) have long been concerned about the complications now typically associated with determining damping characteristics (e.g., damping coefficient) of such a web. Typically, this may involve "trial-and-error" testing of the actual belt in the actual mechanism; or it may require a specific sample size, or it may require that the-belt be permanently altered in some way; or "over-stressed" in actual use-environment.
This invention addresses such concerns, and teaches a technique and apparatus for determining such damping coefficients:
without need of trial-error testing of an actual belt length in an actual use-environment, or any associated belt altering or overstressing; PA1 without need of any specific sample size or belt-length (e.g., testing one length can determine damping for many different lengths).
Thus, it is an object hereof to alleviate such problems and provide at least some of the here-described features and advantages. A more particular object is to provide means for quantifying belt damping parameters--especially for various belt-lengths, yet by testing at only a few belt-length positions. Another object is to do so by subjecting the belt to sinusoidal shaking at resonance conditions.
A further object is to avoid conventional solutions, such as testing a belt in the mechanism it is to be used in.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent to those skilled in the art.

Methods for determining damping characteristics


The electronic device includes a plurality of layout regions each including a plurality of patterns defined by a buried structure buried in a substrate. For each of the layout regions, in each of the layout regions, the minimum space between the patterns, and a maximum area percentage allowed for the patterns in the layout region are defined based on a size of the layout region. In larger one of the layout regions, the minimum space between the patterns in the region is set larger.

The present invention relates to an electronic device and a method for designing the same, more specifically an electronic device fabricated via the planarization step using CMP (Chemical Mechanical Polishing) and a method for designing the electronic device.
Electronic devices, such as semiconductor devices and magnetic heads, etc., use elements and interconnection structures of thin film layers. The fabrication of these elements often uses CMP method for planarizing the surfaces.
In the fabrication of semiconductor devices, for example, CMP is used in the step of forming the device isolation electrically isolating the elements formed on a semiconductor substrate, and in the step of forming the interconnection layers. That is, in the device isolation step using STI (Shallow Trench Isolation) method, CMP is used to planarize an insulating film which has been buried in trenches formed in the semiconductor substrate. Also in the interconnection forming step so called the damascene, CMP is used to planarize a conducting film which has been buried in trenches formed in an insulating film.
It is generally known that in the planarization by CMP, a surface state of an object to be polished influences characteristics of the CMP. For example, in a semiconductor device, the layout of patterns of the active regions, the interconnections, etc. influence characteristics of the CMP. This is due to the general properties of polishing, e.g., in a wide concave region, the polishing cloth tends to be deformed in polishing to cause excessive polishing of the film, and in a wide convex region, unpolished parts tend to take place at the central part.
The conventional methods for preventing layout of patterns from influencing the uniformity of the CMP are described in, e.g., Reference 1 (Japanese published unexamined patent application No. Hei 09-102539), Reference 2 (Japanese published unexamined patent application No. Hei 10-173035), Reference 3 (Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 2001-007114), and Reference 4 (Japanese published unexamined patent application No. 2003-347406).
Reference 1 discloses the method which, for the prevention of the generation of unpolished parts in a convex region, a buried material is etched with a mask having an inverted pattern of the trench pattern and then CMP is performed.
Reference 2 discloses the method which, for the prevention of concavities which are formed due to the density of convex patterns, active regions as dummy patterns are formed between active regions which are formed at a pitch of not less than 100 μm.
Reference 3 discloses the method which an area percentage of active regions present in a certain region is defined, whereby the uniformity of CMP is improved.
Reference 4 discloses the method which is an improvement of the method described in Reference 3 and which uses two windows of two different sizes to define area percentages of the active regions in chips. In the method described in Reference 4, an area percentage of active regions defined by the larger size window is made smaller than an area percentage defined by the smaller size window, whereby a layout of dense active regions is locally allowed, but active region are arranged less dense in a wide region.

Electronic device and method for designing the same


The present invention relates to a formulation for implantation having a novel constitution, which accomplishes controlled releases of active ingredients. The formulation comprises one of combinations (a), (b) and (c), as well as a carrier comprising a hydrophobic polymer, wherein the particle combination is dispersed into the carrier: (a) particles comprising an active ingredient, particles comprising a carbonate, and particles comprising a substance which is reacted with the carbonate in an aqueous solution to generate carbon dioxide (substance such as an acid); (b) particles comprising an active ingredient and a carbonate, and particles comprising a substance such as an acid; and (c) particles comprising a carbonate, and particles comprising an active ingredient and a substance such as an acid.

Studies on sustained-release of active ingredients using hydrophobic polymers as carriers of formulations to achieve long-acting effects of medicines, relief of side effects, decrease in frequency of administration, or the like, have been conducted. To control release-rates of active ingredients is one of the most important subjects in these studies, and modifications of the form or the structure of formulations, usage of additives, and so on, have been tried to attain the controlled release [U.S. Pat. No. 3,279,996, Contraception, 27(5), 483-495, 1983, Japanese Patent Publication (kokai) No. 45694/1980, Japanese Patent Publication (kokai) 174007/1987, WO95 17881].
In case of the formulations for in vivo implantation containing hydrophobic polymers in which slightly soluble active ingredients are dispersed, the amount of the released active ingredients during a defined time period is smaller due to the low solubility of the active ingredients in the surrounding body fluid, and therefore, the formulations could not attain an acceptable efficacy of the active ingredients. With respect to such formulations as those containing the active ingredients dispersed in the hydrophobic polymers, and decreasing in the release rate of the active ingredients, the methods for controlling the release rate of the active ingredients, which comprise using, as an additive, mineral oil, glycerol, alcohol, or the like have been reported (Proceed. Intern. Symp. Control. Rel. Bioact. Mater., 14, 223-224(1987), Proceed. Intern. Symp. Control. Rel. Bioact. Mater., 12, 145-146(1985), and Japanese Patent Publication (kokai) No. 100315/1980). The key underlying these methods is to disperse an amphiphilic solvent such as mineral oil, glycerol, or alcohol into the polymers together with the slightly soluble active ingredients to ensure the solubility and the released amount of the active ingredients to be increased. However, the formulations according to these methods may provide diverse release rates, depending on a combination among the slightly soluble ingredients, the additives, and the hydrophobic polymers, and, therefore, are limited to certain practical use.
In case of active ingredients such as live vaccines and inactivated vaccines, which are neither soluble in an organic solvent nor in water, it has been unknown if the active ingredients could be released from the hydrophobic polymer.

Sustained-release drug formulations for implantation


A jigger system for measuring and dispensing accurate volumes of fluid, the system comprising a first jigger having a base and one or more walls extending upwardly from the base to define an interior cavity, the interior cavity being divided into two or more segments and being open at the top.

Both in bars and restaurants and in the home jiggers or measures are utilised to accurately and easily measure and dispense and or transfer precise amounts of alcohol into other containers. This is particularly important in creating mixed drinks or cocktails where several different types of alcohol are utilised to create a mixture. Frequently in this case, different measuring devices are needed to accurately measure and dispense either small or large amounts of alcohol that are required to make a mixed drink.
It is important to provide an easy way of measuring and dispensing various accurate amounts of alcohol. Inaccurate alcohol measurement and transfer can result in incorrect ratios of alcohol in mixed drinks and cocktails which not only impacts the taste of the drink but can be dangerous for the consumer.


A method for fabricating a semiconductor device includes forming a silicon-containing layer; forming a metal-containing layer over the silicon-containing layer; forming an undercut prevention layer between the silicon containing layer and the metal containing layer; etching the metal-containing layer; and forming a conductive structure by etching the undercut prevention layer and the silicon-containing layer.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to a semiconductor fabricating process, and more particularly, to a conductive structure including a silicon-containing layer and a metal-containing layer.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, semiconductor memory devices such as DRAM are operating at a high-speed. Therefore, a low-resistance material is used as the material of a gate electrode or a bit line. For example, when a metal-containing layer is formed as the material of the gate electrode or the bit line, it may be possible to implement a structure favorable to a high-speed operation. The metal-containing layer may include a stacked layer of two or more selected from titanium nitride (TIN), tungsten (W), tungsten nitride (WN), tungsten silicon nitride (WSiN), and tungsten silicide (WSix). Among the materials, TiN, WN, WSiN, or WSix may serve as a diffusion barrier. For example, when a polysilicon layer and a tungsten layer are stacked, TiN, WN, WSiN, or WSix may serve as a diffusion barrier between the polysilicon layer and the tungsten layer.
FIG. 1 is a diagram illustrating a gate structure formed by a conventional method.
Referring to FIG. 1, a gate dielectric layer 12 is formed over a semiconductor substrate 11. A silicon-containing layer 13 and a metal-containing layer are stacked over the gate dielectric layer 12. The metal-containing layer includes a diffusion barrier layer 14 and a metal layer 15.
A mask pattern 16 is formed over a metal layer 15, then by using the mask pattern 16 as an etch barrier, the metal-containing layer and the silicon-containing layer 13 are etched to form a gate structure.
In general, when the stacked structure of the silicon-containing layer 13 and the metal-containing layer is etched, a dry etch process such as reactive ion etching (RIE) is used. During the dry etch process, anisotropic etching must be performed for different kinds of materials.
During the etch process for the metal-containing layer, however, an undercut 17 may occur at the interface between the silicon-containing layer 13 and the metal-containing layer, because the silicon-containing layer 13 is more quickly etched. The undercut 17 occurs when the upper part of the silicon-containing layer 13 is etched. When the size of the undercut 17 further increases, the upper part of the silicon-containing layer 13 may be completely cut. Furthermore, when the undercut is severe, a part of the metal-containing layer may be lost (refer to reference numeral 18).

Method for fabricating semiconductor device including silicon-containing layer and metal-containing layer, and conductive structure of the same


An electrophotographic imaging apparatus is provided which is capable of performing a method of preparing a non-metal substrate. The method can include imaging at least one surface of the non-metal substrate with a toner composition, the toner composition including IR absorbers. The method can further include exposing the toner composition to IR radiation through the substrate, thereby pre-heating the toner composition and preheating the substrate to a temperature less than a glass transition temperature of the substrate. The method can further include fusing the pre-heated imaged non-metal substrate at a predetermined temperature so that the average temperature of the substrate during and after fusing is less than a glass transition temperature of the substrate.

In known electrophotographic art, an electrostatically imaged metal printing plate can be prepared for imaging by preheating to a first temperature, and then heating to a second temperature, without developing an image between the heating steps. An example of this type of method can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 6,675,710, incorporated by reference in its entirety herein. This method is used to obtain an imaged element with adequate toner fusing while avoiding substrate buckling and distortion. Although certain methods are known for preparing an electrostatically imaged metal printing plate, such as the aluminum plate of the '710 patent, there are no corresponding methods for controlling a temperature of extremely heat sensitive substrates (e.g. non-metal substrates such as plastics used for labels) in electrophotographic devices or otherwise.
It is appreciated herein that a temperature of a metal printing plate can be relatively easy to control, unlike a non-metal, heat sensitive substrate. For example, metal has a small specific heat and high conductivity. This means that the temperature of a sheet of metal increases rapidly and relatively uniformly as heat is added, and it is therefore easy to control a fusing temperature at a fuser when using metal as a substrate. Metal substrates are also not extremely heat sensitive at the temperatures used for fusing toner images. However, for non-metallic substrates, the relative inability to heat a non-metal substrate quickly and uniformly can cause error and delay in reaching a fusing temperature at which a toner composition can be fused to the substrate, and allowing all fusing heat to be derived from the fuser can easily cause distortion and other degradation of the non-metal substrate. Further, relying on the fuser for all heat input to reach a fusing temperature can result in excessive heating for certain non-metal substrates, and early failure of the fuser apparatus.
It is now desirable to expand electrophotographic imaging to include a wide variety of substrate materials. Non-metal substrates can include heat sensitive materials. The heat sensitive materials can include heat sensitive films typically formed of flexible materials, including heat-shrink film. Imaged flexible materials can then be used in flexible displays, packaging, bottle labeling, container labeling, and the like. However, because of their flexible, thermosensitive nature, these non-metal substrates can be highly subject to distortion, tearing, buckling, degradation, etc. compared to metallic substrates or normal paper substrates.
In view of the foregoing, it would be advantageous to employ electrostatic imaging of a non-metal substrate in such a manner as to achieve adequate toner fusing and minimize or eliminate undesired buckling, distortion, and degradation of the non-metal substrate during fusing. Because fusing can be the speed-limiting step in an electrophotographic imaging device, an increase in speed at the fusing apparatus can improve an overall speed of the imaging device.


There is disclosed, a high speed comparator with bit-wise masking takes advantage of early availability of the reference word and mask word to generate conditional select signals, thereby minimizing the time required to generate a comparator output once the input word to be compared is available.

Comparators compare each bit of two words, an input word and a reference word, to determine whether the two words are identical, that is to determine whether each bit of the two words are identical or match. A masked comparator, with masking of individual bits, compares bits of the input word and reference words that are not masked to determine whether the unmasked bits of the two words are identical. A signal is generated indicating a match when the bits that are not masked in the input word and reference words match, without regard to whether the masked bits match. Otherwise a signal is generated indicating a match has not occurred.
One technique to compare the bits of an input word and a reference word in a masked comparator is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,958,140, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference. This technique employs a two stage circuit. In the first stage a linear array of identical cells, one for each bit position in the words being compared, operates on one bit of each of the input word, the reference word and a mask word to determine whether there is a match for that bit position and to generate a comparison signal. The second stage combines the comparison signals from each cell in the first stage. The second stage can be realized using either a single logic gate with as many inputs as there are comparison signals from the first stage, or an inverted tree of logic gates. The output from the second stage is a match or no-match signal for the comparison of the input word and a reference word.
Specifically, for each bit position, a bit of the input word is combined with a bit of the reference word to produce an intermediate first stage output for that bit position. The intermediate first stage output for that bit position is then combined with the mask bit of the corresponding bit position to produce an output for each cell. As a result, the critical path from the input of bits of the input word, reference word, and mask word, to the output of the first stage of cells includes at least two gate delays, and the time required to obtain a final determination of the comparison even longer since the intermediate outputs from the first stage provide the inputs to the second stage.
While the known comparator technique achieves the desired result very rapidly, there remains a need to reach the final comparison result more quickly.

High speed comparator with bit-wise masking