A cooperative differential drive system (20) for use in material handling and flight control and guidance systems, and the like. The drive system (20) may be employed in application that require high resolution task repeatability capabilities and the execution of precise position and force trajectory path following routines. A differential gear system (24) is driven by two servo-controlled actuators (22, 23) under control of a controller (21). The first actuator (22) is regulated at constant speed while the second actuator (23) is modulated at an appropriately varying speed to achieve a desired drive speed of a load. The second actuator (23) is controlled such that it dos not change rotational direction. Ultimate control of the load is achieved by way of the differential gear system (24) that combines the two actuator speeds to achieve the desired load speed. The differential gear system (24) is optionally coupled by way of a clutch system (25) to the load. The clutch system (25) is engaged after both actuators (22, 23) have reached their nominal operating speeds, thus eliminating actuator start-up problems. Both actuators (22, 23) are kept in constant motion so that they do not operate near their dead-zone region, thus eliminating nonlinearity problems.

The present invention relates generally to DC servo systems, and more particularly, to a cooperative differential drive system for use in material handling and flight control and guidance systems.
Many industrial handling systems, such as robot manipulators, numerically controlled machines, servo control systems, and other similar purpose force and position-oriented type devices, utilize a single DC servo motor as a primary drive source to provide mechanical locomotion. These types of electro-mechanical actuators demonstrate nonlinear behavior responses which can be attributed to several nonlinear dynamic effects when the actuator operates near stationary motion. The consequences of operating these single actuator drive systems near the region of their nonlinear disturbances is an overall performance degradation of both the position and force control of the system. In the course of completing a prescribed task, a material handling system often performs a number of operations that require the actuator to experience a transition through this region of nonlinear behavior. Consequently, material handling systems, that utilize the conventional single dedicated actuator drive system, have not been widely applied in complicated assembly tasks that require precise control and execution of both position and force trajectory paths.
Although the use of DC servo motors have become prolific in the robotics industry and other industrial devices, these electro-mechanical devices do however suffer from several restrictive performance disadvantages. Two of these disadvantages involve the following inherent dynamic nonlinearities when the actuator operates in the vicinity close to stationary locomotion.
The first disadvantage is know as the actuator dead zone phenomenon. Since DC motors are mechanical devices, they are often plagued by a variety of dissipative mechanical friction effects such as viscous friction and slip-stick friction. Slip-stick friction presents a particularly disturbing influence towards the actuator performance due to its discontinuous behavior often referred to as a "hard" nonlinearity. As a result, a sufficiently large input signal is needed to be applied before the stiction friction can be overcome and the motion of the actuator shaft can ensue. This phenomenon of a non-responsive output with the application of a significant input is commonly referred to as a dead zone.
The second disadvantage is known as the actuator start-up phenomenon. One of the advantages of using DC motors is that the actuator characteristics tend to be time invariant and linear within the normal operating range. By normal operation, we mean to infer that the actuator is operating in it's designed linear, time invariant region. However, in the initial start-up rotation phase of operation, the actuator system characteristics can be highly nonlinear and time-varying, which can be attributed to enrush currents, and other nonlinear physical phenomena.
These nonlinear dynamics pose a positional degradation to the operational performance of the system. For example, in the course of completing a prescribed task, a material handling system will often perform a variety of "stop and go", "up and down", and "forward and back" positional operations. These types of operations cause the system to experience a dead zone transition whenever the prescribed task requires the drive system to come to a complete stop as a consequence of performing a reversal in direction or when motion is resumed after a waiting period. In addition, when these operations are executed, the actuator is required to operate initially in the nonlinear actuator start-up region of operation. Ultimately, the presence of these nonlinearities results in the system being unable to accurately follow a prescribed position trajectory path. These nonlinear effects are typically further exasperated when the payload to the system is large, which is often the situation in many industrial applications.
Complicated control schemes have been suggested in an attempt to compensate for these undesirable effects. The literature is rich with suggested compensation control schemes. However, very limited success has been achieved in compensating for the so-called hard nonlinearities such as slip-stick friction. In general, these compensation schemes are very involved, computationally intense, and require an exact knowledge of the plant. In many instances, the resulting computed compensated control input signal becomes so unpractically large that neither the system power supplies are not able to achieve it, or the actuator does not have enough dynamic response to respond to the commanded signal. Also it is possible that the resultant system response could further be degraded by the excitation of other nonlinearities present in the system. Thus, for many applications, these nonlinear controller schemes are too impractical to be implemented.
In the past, the degrading effects of these nonlinearities on the performance of material handling systems were not of great concern since these systems tended to be classified as simple position oriented systems. In general, the tasks performed by these systems were of the simple "pick and place" category. These tasks did not require the system to achieve highly accurate end-point positioning, execute high precision trajectory path following routines, or maintain high resolution task repeatability levels. They generally only needed to meet some coarse, gross positioning requirements. Therefore, as a consequence of the poor position tolerance capability, these simple positioning systems could not dynamically interact with the environment. In the absence of environmental contact requirements, these systems were designed to meet the more important criteria of a stable operation while in the presence of nonlinear dynamics.
Recently, however, there has been considerable interest in utilizing material handling systems that perform a far wider range of flexible operations and have the ability to complete more sophisticated tasks. The envisioned type of tasks that will be performed require the system to execute highly accurate positioning trajectories, and also apply accurate forces to the environment. These types of tasks require the drive system to be much more than a simple positioning type of system, but rather requires it to dynamically perform environmental interactions. For example, these systems might be expected to perform tasks associated with the assembly of a complicated piece of hardware which requires the precise execution of position and force trajectory paths. Consequently, such future systems will dynamically control independently the position alone and the force applied to the environment. This issue of incorporating both position and force control is referred to in the literature as compliant motion control.
The issues and considerations involved in insuring a stable operation for force-controlled systems are often times entirely different than those posed for position-controlled systems, but rather adversely affects the dynamic behavior of the system. Over the years, investigations in the force control of robots have been conducted by a number of researchers. As previously stated, it has been shown that these nonlinear actuator dynamics does not adversely affect the stability of pure position-controlled systems. However, with the additional requirement of incorporating force control strategies in these systems, these aforementioned nonlinear actuator dynamics have become a problematic issue in resolving the system stability. It has been shown that as a consequence of the relatively high stiffness of the encountered environment, the force-controlled systems tend to exhibit highly underdamped behavior with much faster response characteristics compared to equivalent position-controlled systems. Consequently, under certain circumstances, the presence of these nonlinearities have induced surface chattering, limit cycles, and have exhibited other unstable behaviors in typical force-controlled systems. These aberrations are easily explained as the result of the actuator performing numerous "back and forth" operations in order to maintain the applied force. This actuator cogging action exacerbates the situation by causing the actuator to continually transverse the dead zone region. The actuator dead zone transition also introduces an actuator hysteresis force effect that limits the performance of the force-controlled system by not allowing the application of an accurate, repeatable force. As a result, even when a force-controlled system does operates in a stable mode, it is unable to accurately follow a desired force trajectory profile.
Thus it is an objective of the present invention to provide for a drive system that overcomes the limitations of conventional single actuator based drive systems. It is a further objective to provide an improved drive system for material handling and missile flight control systems, and the like, that require high resolution task repeatability capabilities and the execution of high precision position and force trajectory path following routines. It is a further objective to provide an improved drive system that may be used in complicated assembly tasks that require precise control and execution of both position and force trajectory paths.


At least some of the illustrative embodiments are decorative light support device comprising a bulb retention portion having an aperture and an affixation portion coupled to the bulb retention portion. The affixation portion comprises a first straddle member and a second straddle member. The first and second straddle members are configured to straddle an overhang portion of a roofing material and to at least partially affix the decorative light support device to the roofing material.

Several types of devices exist to assist home owners and business owners in attaching decorate lights to the exterior of their buildings, usually seasonally, such as during the Christmas holidays. Some of these devices are adapted to assist the home owner or business owner in attaching the decorative lighting to hang from rain gutters. Others of these devices attach by sliding between the roofing material (e.g., composition shingles) and the roof decking material.
However, a growing trend in the construction industry is the use of sheet metal roofs instead of composition shingles. In most cases, the sheet metal roofs extend beyond the fascia material by several inches, thus making the support brackets configured to slide between the roofing material and the roof decking material unusable.


A generally tubular, cylindrical stent prosthesis has an unexpanded delivery configuration and an expanded configuration for contacting the vessel wall. The stent prosthesis has a plurality of adjacent stent struts, each stent strut having a wavelike or sinusoidal pattern of straight segments and crowns. A Y-shaped member is attached to one or more crowns to cause the crowns to flare outwardly at an angle from the cylindrical stent body when the stent is expanded. Upon expansion of the stent, the crown(s) having Y-shaped members attached thereto are angled with respect to the longitudinal axis and radially flare from the cylindrical stent body. The flared crowns anchor the stent within the vessel by protruding into the vessel wall and/or seating the stent within an ostium.

Heart disease, specifically coronary artery disease, is a major cause of death, disability, and healthcare expense in the United States and other industrialized countries. A number of methods and devices for treating coronary heart disease have been developed, some of which are specifically designed to treat the complications resulting from atherosclerosis and other forms of coronary arterial narrowing.
One method for treating such conditions is percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Generally, PTCA is a procedure that involves passing a balloon catheter over a guidewire to a stenosis with the aid of a guide catheter. The stenosis may be the result of a lesion such as a plaque or thrombus. The guidewire extends from a remote incision to the site of the stenosis, and typically across the lesion. The balloon catheter is passed over the guidewire, and ultimately positioned across the lesion. Once the balloon catheter is appropriately positioned across the lesion, e.g., under fluoroscopic guidance, the balloon is inflated to break-up the plaque of the stenosis to thereby increase the vessel cross-section. The balloon is then deflated and withdrawn over the guidewire into the guide catheter to be removed from the body of the patient. In many cases, a stent or other prosthesis must be implanted to provide permanent support for the vessel. Stent prostheses are known for implantation within body lumens to provide artificial radial support to the wall tissue, which forms the various lumens within the body, and often more specifically, for implantation within the blood vessels of the body. Stents are typically constructed of a metal or polymer and are generally a hollow cylindrical shape. When such a device is to be implanted, a balloon catheter, typically carrying a stent on its balloon, is deployed to the site of the stenosis. The balloon and accompanying stent are positioned at the location of the stenosis, and the balloon is inflated to circumferentially expand and thereby implant the stent. Thereafter, the balloon is deflated and the catheter and the guidewire are withdrawn from the patient.
Recently, flexible stented valve prostheses and various delivery devices have been developed so that replacement valves can be delivered transvenously using a catheter-based delivery system. These stented valves may include a collapsible valve attached to the interior of a tubular frame or stent. The stented valves may also have a tubular portion or "stent graft" that can be attached to the interior or exterior of the stent to provide a generally tubular internal passage for the flow of blood when the leaflets are open. The graft can be separate from the valve and it can be made from any suitable biocompatible material including, but not limited to, fabric, a homograft, porcine vessels, bovine vessels, and equine vessels. The stent portion of the device can be reduced in diameter, mounted on a catheter, and advanced through the circulatory system of the patient. The stent portion can be either self-expanding or balloon expandable. In either case, the stented valve can be positioned at the delivery site, where the stent portion is expanded against the wall of a previously implanted prostheses or a native vessel to hold the valve firmly in place. The valve survives the compression and subsequent expansion in fully working form. One embodiment of a stented valve is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,957,949 titled "Percutaneous Placement Valve Stent" to Leonhardt et al., the contents of which are incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. Although the valve may later require replacement, the patient may receive multiple replacement valves using the minimally invasive catheter method rather than requiring further invasive surgery.
Stents prostheses, including those used in percutaneous heart valve applications, often do not have vessel fixation properties other than providing a coaxial interference fit into the target vessel or location. It is thus an object of the present invention to improve stent retention within a body lumen.

Stent prosthesis having select flared crowns


A method and apparatus for off-chip ESD protection, the apparatus includes an unprotected IC 22 stacked on an ESD protection chip 24 and employing combinations of edge wrap 32 and through-silicon via connectors 44 for electrical connection from an external connection lead 34 on a chip carrier 84 or system substrate 64, to an ESD protection circuit, and to an I/O trace 46 of the unprotected IC 22. In one embodiment the invention provides an ESD-protected stack 50 of unprotected IC chips 52, 54 that has reduced hazard of mechanical and ESD-damage in subsequent handling for assembly and packaging. The method includes a manufacturing method 170 for mass producing embedded edge wrap connectors 32, 38 during the chip manufacturing process.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of semiconductor device manufacturing, and more particularly to electro static discharge (ESD) protection. With still greater particularity the present invention relates to an improved interconnection structures and methods for connecting a separate electro static discharge (ESD) protection circuit to another circuit not on the same die.
2. Description of the Background Art
Protection of a semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) from harmful effects of ESD is conventionally provided in form of special ESD protection circuits and devices located near input/output (I/O) pads on an IC chip, sometimes also referred to as a die. Off-chip ESD protection methods wherein the protection circuit or device is in the same package but not on the same IC chip, are also known in the art. Off-chip techniques are attractive as they reserve the valuable layout area of a high-performance IC chip for its primary circuit function. One such technique, illustrated in FIG. 1A and described by Segaram, Fjelstad, et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 6,933,610), uses wire bonds 10 to connect an external connection lead 11 on a chip carrier or substrate 12 first to an ESD protection device 13, which is mounted on an intermediate substrate 14, and then to an I/O contact 16 of an IC chip 17 that has no on-chip ESD protection. In a variation of the technique, the ESD protection device 13 and substrate 14 of FIG. 1A are replaced as shown in FIG. 1B by an ESD protection chip 15 that includes an ESD protection circuit. While this and other known techniques may be effective under some conditions, they have certain shortcomings that can limit IC performance, especially as technology advances to smaller feature size and faster operating speed. An ideal ESD protection circuit should act as a lightning arrester that is invisible in normal operation but shorts a high voltage surge to ground, bypassing all circuit elements and devices on the IC. A wire bond in series with an I/O connection to a chip, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, has inductance that will not be invisible at high frequency, and thus will be a serious limitation with increasing operating speed of digital and analog ICs. A wire bond connected in parallel with a lower inductance I/O connection of the chip to an external lead, may be invisible at high operating speed, but the series inductance of the wire bond in this case prevents the off-chip ESD protection circuit from acting quickly as a good short circuit, and thus the initial magnitude of an ESD stress voltage on the I/O contact of the IC chip may be excessive, especially for smaller semiconductor feature size and operating voltage on the chip.
An off-chip ESD protection circuit connected with lower inductance and lower impedance, is therefore desirable, especially to keep pace with improvements in IC technology.

Connection for off-chip electrostatic discharge protection


In order to easily download a program obtained from the outside onto a connected device while a device on which a program is to be downloaded is being properly selected, when a second device connected to a first device is controlled by executing a first program inputted to the first device from the outside and a second program prepared beforehand in the first device, the most desirable device is selected as the second device by executing the second program and the first program is executed by using information on the selected device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a control method and a control equipment suitable for use in receiving digital satellite broadcasting and downloading a received music program or the like onto a data storage equipment, for example.
2. Background Art
Digital satellite broadcasting is being widely used increasingly. As compared with existing analog broadcasting, digital satellite broadcasting is resistant to noise and fading and is able to transmit a high-quality signal. Digital satellite broadcasting can also increase frequency utilization factor and can provide multiple channels. For example, in the digital satellite broadcasting, one satellite can secure several hundreds of channels. The digital satellite broadcasting prepares a large number of special channels such as a sports program, a movie, music and a news program, and these special channels are broadcasting the programs of their own contents.
Of these special channels, a music program channel is one of the popular channels of the digital satellite broadcasting and is broadcasting promotion programs mainly introducing new songs and hit songs.
The conventional music channel is broadcasting the music promotion programs introducing new songs and hit songs in the form of moving pictures and sounds. Listeners are often urged to purchase a CD with introduced numbers and wish to listen to such numbers while viewing the music promotion programs. Listeners often want to know information about artists in the desired numbers and information about an album of desired numbers. While listeners are viewing music channel programs and wish to get the information about the artist of desired number and the information about the album of such desired numbers, it would have been very convenient for the listeners if they could get such information on the spot. When the listeners found favorite numbers, it would have been very convenient if they could download audio data of such desired numbers. The conventional music channel is, however, unable to meet such listeners requests because it is usually transmitting moving pictures and sounds concerning numbers to the listeners one-sidedly.
To solve the above problem, there is proposed a music contents distribution system capable of easily obtaining information concerning music broadcast on the music channel and which is also able to easily download number data to a data storage equipment (Japanese patent application No. 9-308488 (1997)). Some proposed music contents distribution system is able to download words data and jacket data as well as the music data.
When a user sets up the music contents distribution system, the user who receives digital satellite broadcasting should connect a tuner for receiving digital satellite broadcasting to a data storage equipment (recording equipment) using a recording medium such as a magnetooptical disk to download a music program received at the tuner onto the recording equipment. When the music program received at the tuner is downloaded onto the recording equipment, the recording operation of the recording equipment connected to the tuner should be controlled based on data such as a start time of the corresponding program transmitted together with the music program, for example, by the digital satellite broadcasting, and hence the tuner and the recording equipment should be set in such a manner that they can operate in unison with each other. There are known various types of the recording equipment for recording an audio signal, for example, and hence an unspecified recording equipment, which will be connected to the tuner, cannot directly be controlled substantially based on data from a broadcast station from which music program is transmitted.
Only one recording equipment is not always connected to the tuner, and a plurality of recording equipment may be connected to the tuner. In that case, the broadcast station is unable to select a specific recording equipment to which a music program should be downloaded, and hence the tuner has to explore some countermeasures to select a specific recording equipment.
In order to make the above download become possible, the assignee of the present application has previously proposed a control equipment in which a program (HTML (Hyper Text Make-Up Language), MHEG (Multimedia and Hypermedia Information Coding Experts Group), XML (extensive Markup Language) called scripts) from the outside obtains device information from an internal program previously-prepared in the tuner and is able to instruct the tuner to select a specific device onto which the broadcast music program should be downloaded based on the device information (Japanese patent application No. 10-202360 (1998)).
The processing proposed by the previously-proposed application encounters with the problem that, when the user energizes the tuner to start the download first time, the tuner is unable to determine which device is the recording equipment onto which the music program should be downloaded. A device that has been selected as the recording device to which the music program should be downloaded is referred to as a "default device".
While the default device is not existing, e.g., downloading is effected on the recording equipment for the first time, the external program should execute the sequence to request the internal program to obtain information of devices currently connected to the tuner, to display a list of connected devices and to request a user to select a specific device onto which music program should be downloaded.
Even when the tuner stored the previously-obtained information of the device in a predetermined memory within a control section (CPU), if the corresponding device is not connected to the tuner in the next download (e.g., if a user purchases a new device on which data should be downloaded and changes the previous device), then the tuner has to again obtain information of currently connected devices, to display a list of those connected devices and to urge the user to again select one device that should be used.
In the previously-proposed download, the download is effected on the device on which the download has been effected previously. Depending on the state of the device onto which data should be downloaded (whether the device has already been powered or a recording media has already been inserted into the device), after processing for executing the download has started, when a recording media is not inserted into the device, an abnormality occurs in the download and the download is often ended in somewhere of its processing. There is then the possibility that the tuner will become unable to select a proper device as a default device. Hence, the tuner has to make some device to solve this problem.
When a tuner can be connected to various networks (e.g., IEEE (The Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers) 1394 system, USB (Universal Serial Bus), etc.), unless the user makes complicated input operation to specify a device, the user becomes unable to specify a download target device connected to a specific network. Consequently, operation for the download becomes considerably cumbersome for the user.
While the problem arising when the music program is transmitted through the digital satellite broadcast has been described so far, a similar problem arises when various programs transmitted from the outside by broadcast waves are downloaded onto the receiving side based on data transmitted together with those programs.


A non-slip pattern (14) is permanently secured to an engaging surface (32) which is adapted to engage a load supporting element such as a human shoulder. A non-slip carrying strap (10) is formed utilizing a strap pad (12) upon which the non-slip pattern (14) is secured. The pattern (14) consists of a plurality of elongated bar portions (40) formed of a liquid silicon rubber material (38). The bar portions (40) are arrayed in a grid (50) to inhibit sliding motion in any direction and the bar portions are formed to have a trapezoidal cross section, including apexes to enhance friction. The shoulder engaging surface (32) is a fabric including a back plane (46) of base fibers (44) from which upright fibers (48) extend, with the bar portions (40) being applied and curved so as to encompass the fibers. The primary usage is as a carrying strap (10) for a golf bag.

A typical golf bag is carried by the user by a strap which is placed on the shoulder. Although golf bags are typically provided with carrying handles, as well, the shoulder strap is the primary method by which the "walking" type of bag is transported about the course by the golfer.
One of the common problems faced by a golfer is the tendency of the strap pad to slip off the shoulder during the walking portion of the round. Another problem often faced by the golfer is the strap which tends to dig into the shoulder and cause discomfort. Attempts to solve one of the problems have, more often than not, exacerbated the other problem.
Various attempts have been made in the art to provide padded straps or comfortable straps for use on golf bags. A visit to any golf shop will indicate the profusion of foam pads, fur liners, cushioned straps and other attempts at increasing the golfer's comfort. Gone are the days when the golf bag strap was a narrow leather strap which dug into the shoulder but avoided any slippage. With the advent of the modern golfer's dependence on a large number of clubs and associated gadgets, the weight of the golf bag has increased to the extent that it is necessary to utilize some sort of 1 padding on the strap in order to avoid acute discomfort for many golfers.
Unfortunately, attempts to increase comfort often decrease the stability of the shoulder strap on the user's shoulder. For example, a fur or imitation fur covering on the bag strap tends to increase the amount by which the strap is free to slide on the shoulder. This results in a increased incidence of the bag slipping off the shoulder (or nearly slipping off), causing potential damage and discomfort to the golfer.
Although not specifically directed to the problem of golfers, the related problems of slippage and comfort in shoulder straps have been addressed in previous U.S. patents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,125,904, issued to Shirley Levine, discloses a strap for a shoulder bag including both comfort padding and non-slip materials. Additionally, the non-slip strap pad of McClees et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,879,768 also addresses this problem.
However, none of the efforts reflected in the prior art, either from a commercial standpoint or a patent standpoint, have solved the golfer's difficulties in comfortably carrying a relatively heavy golf bag on the shoulder without excess slippage. Furthermore, the golfer's carrying strap must also be easily removable and must result in no undue wear to or discoloration of the golfer's shirt. Because of all these requirements and problems, there exists substantial room for improvement in the golf bag carrying strap art.


In a disk drive unit, a top cover, a front cover and a loading base attached with a body module cooperatively form a substantially closed receiving space for an optical disk. The front cover is provided with a dustproof shutter which closes the foregoing receiving space except upon insertion or ejection of an optical disk cartridge including therein the optical disk. Further, a dustproof cap is attached to the body module so as to cover the underside of the body module where a circuit board is disposed for processing signals relative to an optical head. A hermetically closed space is formed between the underside of the body module and the dustproof cap, in which the circuit board is accommodated.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a disk drive unit, such as an optical disk drive unit or a photomagnetic disk drive unit, for recording or reproducing information relative to a disk-shaped recording medium.
2. Description of the Prior Art
An example of a conventional disk drive unit, such as a photomagnetic disk drive unit, is described in Japanese First (unexamined) Patent Publication No. 6-195961. In this photomagnetic disk drive unit, a casing of the drive unit body is formed with an opening through which a radiator portion of an external magnetic field device is exposed to the exterior for effective heat radiation of an external magnetic field device. Further, a gap between the opening and the external magnetic field device is sealed by a closing member which expands or contracts depending on movement of the external magnetic field device.
Another example of an optical disk drive unit is described in Japanese First (unexamined) Patent Publication No. 6-295576. In this optical disk drive unit, an elastic sealing member is disposed between a base and a base cover so as to provide a closed structure of a casing which is formed by the base and the base cover. Further, a flexible printed circuit (FPC) board is used as a cable for connection to the exterior. The FPC is held between the base and the sealing member, with both end portions of the FPC board having an acute angle in section, so as to ensure a complete seal between the FPC board and the sealing member.
However, since each of the foregoing disk drive units aims to provide a closed structure for the whole casing, dust entering the casing upon insertion or ejection of a disk-shaped recording medium is diffused all over the inside of the casing so as to adhere to various internal components. Accordingly, dust accumulates on the optical head and circuit board over time. Mounted on the circuit board are components which may be subject to premature failure due to this accumulated dust, such as a primary amplifier for amplifying/modulating input/output signals relative to an optical head.
Further, to seal the entire casing, a large number of sealing members are required for sealing between the components which comprise the casing. This complicates the sealing structure maling the assembly of the casing relatively difficult.

Disk drive unit with a dustproof cap attached to a body module to protect internal components from dust


A truck for collecting trash from a trash container includes a body having a front, a main hopper, and a trash-receiving station disposed in front of the main hopper. A pick up arm assembly is connected to the front, so that the pick up arm assembly can selectively pick up the trash container and dump the trash into the trash-receiving station. A main conveyor moves the trash from the trash-receiving station to the main hopper. The pick up arm assembly can be easily removed from the front of the truck, and can be pivoted outward for maintenance purposes.

Trash collection trucks are well known in the art. One such truck is described in U.S. Pat. No. 7,553,121 which shows a truck having an intermediate trash collection container at the front of the truck. The intermediate trash collection container has an integral pick up arm assembly which extends outwardly to grasp a trash container. The pick up arm assembly then retracts and rotates to dump the contents of the trash container into the intermediate trash collection container. When the intermediate trash collection container is full, it along with the integral pick up arm assembly is rotated upward and backward to dump its contents into the main trash collection hopper.

Automated trash truck having a front loading conveyor and method of use


An LED package and method for producing the same are described. The LED package has an LED die with a conductive region-forming surface and a plurality of conductive regions disposed on the conductive region-forming surface. An insulation layer is formed on the conductive region-forming surface of the LED die, and has a plurality of openings corresponding to the conductive regions, respectively. A conductive member fills a respective opening, and is electrically connected a respective conductive regions to an exterior circuit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an LED package and method for producing the same, and particularly relates to a package and a method for a semiconductor wafer with high illumination and high mass production.
2. Background of the Invention
With respect to FIG. 26, a perspective view of a conventional LED package including a LED die 90 is illustrated. The LED die 90 has a conductive region-forming surface 900 that is also a main light emission surface, and two conductive regions 901 disposed on the conductive region-forming surface 900. The LED die 90 has an opposed surface opposite to the conductive region-forming surface 900. The LED die 90 is connected to a die-installation surface 910 of a substrate 91 via the opposed surface thereof. The conventional LED package further includes two connection members 92 corresponding to the two conductive regions 901, respectively. Each connection member 92 extends from the die-installation surface 910 to a predetermined portion of a backside surface opposite the die-installation surface 910. The predetermined portion of the die-installation surface 910 is used to connect electrically an exterior component (not shown). Each conductive region 901 of the LED die 90 is electrically connected to the corresponding connection member 92 via a bonding wire 93. A protection layer is further provided to cover the LED die 90 and the bonding wire 93 on the die-installation surface 910 of the substrate 91. The protection layer 94 is made of transparent resin materials.
However, there are some disadvantages in the conventional LED package mentioned above. First, a wafer (not shown) is diced into plural dies 90, and the dies 90 are disposed on respective substrates 91 in turn. The bonding wire 93 is applied for electrical connection. After the protection layer 94 is formed, the conventional LED package is finished. Therefore, the period of manufacturing the same is too long to fabricate by mass production.
Second, light toward the opposed surface of the LED die 90, shown as dotted lines, is only partially usable, and the remaining light, shown as solid lines, is useless and wasted. Thus, the total amount of light emitted through the main light emission surface 900 of the LED die 90, shown as dotted lines, is reduced, thereby, illumination of that type conventional LED package cannot be improved effectively.


Disclosed are nucleic acid oligomers, including amplification oligomers, capture probes, and detection probes, for detection of Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) nucleic acid. Also disclosed are methods of specific nucleic acid amplification and detection using the disclosed oligomers, as well as corresponding reaction mixtures and kits.

Hepatitis E Virus (HEV) is a single-stranded, positive-sense RNA virus classified in the family Hepeviridae and the sole member of the genus Hepevirus, of which mammalian HEV and avian HEV are the two major known species. Dalton et al., Lancet Infect. Dis. 8:698-709, 2008; Baylis et al., J. Clin. Microbiol. 49:1234-1239, 2011. Mammalian HEV, having a reservoir in pigs and potentially other mammals, is a major cause of acute hepatitis in humans. See Dalton et al., supra. The virus is transmitted primarily via the fecal-oral route and is associated with sporadic infections and epidemics in developing countries, particularly in areas with poor sanitation and weak public health infrastructures. In developed countries, HEV infection has been considered rare, occurring primarily in individuals infected while traveling to regions where the virus is endemic. Recently, however, autochthonous infections are being reported more frequently in developed regions, including North America, Europe, Japan, New Zealand, and Australia. Autochthonous hepatitis E in developed countries is, therefore, more common than previously recognized, and may be more common than hepatitis A. Dalton et al., Lancet Infect. Dis. 8:698-709, 2008.
Four major genotypes of HEV are known to cause infections in humans. Baylis et al., supra. Clinical features of HEV infection can include mild to severe hepatitis as well as subacute liver failure. See, e.g., Pina et al., J. Hepatol. 33:826-833, 2000; Sainokami et al., J. Gastroenterol. 39:640-648, 2004; Tsang et al., Clin. Infect. Dis. 30:618-619, 2000; Widdowson et al., Clin. Infect. Dis. 36:29-33, 2003; Dalton et al., Eur. J. Gastroenterol. Hepatol. 20:784-790, 2008. HEV infection has a poor prognosis in pregnant women, as well as individuals having pre-existing chronic liver disease. See Borkakoti et al., J. Med. Virol. 85:620-626, 2013; Baylis et al., supra. Diagnostic testing for HEV in patients with hepatitis symptoms is important, particularly for patients in which other causes of acute hepatitis have been excluded. See Baylis et al., supra; Waar et al., J. Clin. Virol. 33:145-149, 2005.
Accordingly, there is a need for compositions, kits, and methods for detecting the presence or absence of HEV in a specimen with high specificity and sensitivity. Such compositions, kits, and methods would be particularly useful for the diagnosis of HEV, for the screening and/or monitoring of the presence of HEV in a blood or plasma donation, or for monitoring a patient's response to treatment. The present invention meets these and other needs.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Compositions and methods for detecting HEV nucleic acid


An oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood is correctly acquired without lowering a frame rate. A subject body illuminated with white light W is imaged by a color CCD to obtain signals Bs1, Gs1 and Rs1. The subject body is illuminated with blue narrow band light BN of which absorption coefficient is changed by a change in the oxygen saturation level of the hemoglobin in blood, and imaged by the color CCD to obtain signals Bs2, Gs2 and Rs2. The signal Bs2 is divided by the signal Gs1 to determine a normalized signal Bs2/Gs1. The oxygen saturation level of blood vessels of the surface of body tissue is obtained according to the normalized signal Bs2/Gs1. The oxygen saturation level is visualized in a pseudo color, to form an oxygen saturation level image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope system, processing apparatus for the same, and image generating method in which body function information such as an oxygen saturation level is visualized.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
Recently in the medicine, an endoscope system including an illuminator, endoscope apparatus and processing apparatus has been used widely. In an endoscopic diagnosis with the endoscope system, normal light imaging is carried out by use of white light or broad band light as illuminating light. Also, special light imaging is carried out by use of narrow band light of which a range of a wavelength is made narrow as disclosed in JP-B 2648494.
In JP-B 2648494, information related to an oxygen saturation level of hemoglobin in blood from an image signal obtained by imaging a subject body is acquired by use of light absorption characteristic of blood vessels or scattering characteristic of body tissue. The information is visualized in a pseudo color image, to form an oxygen saturation level image. Thus, discovery of a cancer of which the oxygen saturation level is characteristically low can be facilitated by use of the oxygen saturation level image for diagnosis. Performance in the diagnosis can be higher.
According to JP-B 2648494, image information of two wavelengths are acquired, including a first wavelength component of which an absorption coefficient of oxyhemoglobin is larger than the absorption coefficient of deoxyhemoglobin, and a second wavelength component of which the absorption coefficient of the deoxyhemoglobin is larger than the absorption coefficient of the oxyhemoglobin. A relationship of largeness and smallness of the absorption coefficient of the oxyhemoglobin and the absorption coefficient of the deoxyhemoglobin is different between the first and second wavelength components. Thus, a difference in a pixel value between the value of the image information of the two wavelengths is changed largely by a change in the oxygen saturation level. A change in the difference in the pixel value is indicated as a color difference on the oxygen saturation level image. It is possible to understand an oxygen condition of blood vessels according to the color difference.
Also, in JP-B 2648494, third image information having components of an equal absorption wavelength range where the absorption coefficient of the oxyhemoglobin is equal to the absorption coefficient of the deoxyhemoglobin is acquired for comparing the pixel value of first image information including a first wavelength component and second image information including a second wavelength component. Accordingly, the image information of three frames is acquired for the purpose of forming the oxygen saturation level image of one frame in JP-B 2648494. It is likely that a frame rate is lower and followability of a motion image may be dropped upon occurrence of movement with a subject body.

Endoscope system, processing apparatus for the same, and image generating method


A method for forming a molded circuit board is provided. The method includes the steps of forming a circuit having a first section and a second section on a conductive substrate, the first section and the second section being coplanar; then deforming the conductive substrate by mold-pressing, so that the first section and the second section become non-coplanar; providing a plastic material to cover the circuit and the conductive substrate; curing the plastic material by injection-molding; and removing the conductive substrate to expose the circuit. The molded circuit board made by this method is also provided.

Conventional circuit boards are rigid and rectangular plates for providing well supports for circuits and electronic components disposed thereon. Since the circuit boards are typically flat and hard, to manipulate the contours of the electronic devices containing the circuit boards is difficult. Examples of devices containing such circuit boards are memories, network cards, display cards, sound cards, etc. In order to install the devices into computers, longitudinal sockets are specifically built on motherboards for receiving them and thus such an arrangement inevitably narrows the space for deploying other circuits or components on the motherboards. Furthermore, it should be noted that conventional motherboards are also flat and rigid plates, which similarly bother designers when contemplating styles of products containing such motherboards, especially the products in smaller size.
Accordingly, the conventional flat circuit boards are gradually being unsuitable for electronic products especially in smaller size. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide an improved circuit board to resolve the above-described problems.

Method for forming a molded circuit board


In one embodiment, an automated system for mating a launch device to a launch platform may include a launch platform having a first electrical connector, and a interface member attached to the launch device. The interface member may include a second electrical connector configured to automatically couple to the first electrical connector of the launch platform.

Launch devices, such as missiles, need to be mated to launch platforms. Some of the existing solutions are non-automated and require human operators at the launch site, utilize in-ground and/or silo launches in launch tubes, and/or utilize missiles stacked in stages on the launch platform. However, non-automated solutions requiring human operation may reduce speed of deployment and increase safety issues. In-ground and silo launches may lead to political issues because they may be confused with nuclear strikes. Missiles which are stacked in stages on the launch platform may require increased cost and/or time.
An automated system and/or method for mating a launch device to a launch platform is needed to decrease one or more problems associated with one or more of the existing systems and/or methods.


Disclosed herein are a biaxially textured pure metal or alloy layer deposited by electroplating process on the surface of a single-crystalline or quasi-single-crystalline metal substrate, and a method for manufacturing the biaxially textured pure metal or alloy layer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a biaxially textured metal layer deposited by electroplating process on the surface of a single-crystalline or quasi-single-crystalline metal substrate, and a method for manufacturing the biaxially textured metal layer. More particularly, the present invention relates to a biaxially textured pure metal or alloy layer deposited by electroplating process on the surface of a pure metal or alloy substrate having single-crystalline or quasi-single-crystalline orientation, and a method for manufacturing the biaxially textured pure metal or alloy layer in which the surface of the pure metal or alloy layer is used as a cathode.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most of presently used materials are in the form of polycrystals. A large amount of polycrystalline materials have some crystallographic orientations.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the microstructures of the materials with various types of grain alignments. Specifically, FIG. 1(a) shows a material having randomly oriented crystal grains in any direction. FIG. 1(b) shows a material in which the crystal grains are well oriented in the direction perpendicular to the plane of a substrate but are randomly oriented in the direction parallel to the plane of the substrate. This material texture herein refers to "uniaxial texture".
On the other hand, FIG. 1(c) shows a polycrystalline material in which the crystal grains are well aligned in the directions perpendicular and parallel to the plane of the substrate. Such texture of the metal material herein refers to "biaxial texture". The biaxially textured material is featured by the crystallographic orientation similar to that of single crystals, as shown in FIG. 1(d).
Since the texture of materials influence the mechanical and electrical properties, many trials to control the orientation of the grains constituting the material have been performed. For example, magnetization largely depends on the orientation of crystal grains, e.g., a Fe-based metal is likely to be magnetized in the <100> direction.
Thus, {110}<100> or {100}<100>-oriented silicon steels are suitable for magnetic cores of electric devices such as transformers, motors, etc. In particular, magnetic loss and magnetic permeability of electrical steel can be improved by enhancing grain alignments. Accordingly, studies on the improvement of texture for reducing the weight of electric power devices and coil current are actively in progress.
In addition, in the case of YBCO-based high temperature superconducting wires, current transport properties largely depend on the orientation of superconducting grains. Accordingly, in order to manufacture superconducting wires having a high critical current density (Jc), superconducting crystal grains must be biaxially aligned within a few degrees.
As shown in FIG. 2, trials to impart a biaxial orientation to crystal grains of superconductors using a highly {100}<100>-oriented metal substrate have proved to be quite successful.
ORNL (Oak Ridge National Lab.) of the USA developed a so-called RaBiTS (Rolling-assisted Biaxially Textured Substrate) process, which is currently used to manufacture biaxially oriented metallic substrates required for fabricating superconducting wires.
Specifically, the RaBiTS process is used to manufacture biaxially oriented substrates for YBCO superconducting wires through rolling of a base metal and subsequent annealing.
In addition, in the case of grain-oriented electrical steel used as magnetic cores of electrical devices such as transformers, motors, etc., rolling and post-heating processes are used to induce highly oriented texture.
The rolling/post-heating process has an advantage that uniform and biaxially oriented substrates can be mass-produced.
However, the process requires large-scale facilities to carry out the rolling and post-annealing process, and it is not easy to manufacture thin and biaxially oriented metal substrates having a thickness of 100 μm or less. The difficulty is due to various problems associated with the rolling, such as cracks, nonuniform thickness, etc.
In particular, in order to use superconducting wires in large-scale power electric devices such as motors, magnets, etc., the superconducting wires must have high engineering critical current density (Je). Accordingly, thin metal substrates are advantageous because a part of the substrates do not participate in the electric power transmission.
In addition, in the case of grain-oriented electrical steel used as magnetic cores of electric devices such as transformers, etc., since eddy current loss due to the alternating current is proportional to the square of the thickness of the steel plates, thin and uniform plates are desired in terms of high efficiency.
On the other hand, grain-oriented metal plates can be realized by electroplating process, in addition to the rolling/post-annealing process discussed above. When the electroplating process is employed to manufacture a metal substrate for superconducting wires, a biaxially oriented substrate can be manufactured in a simple manner with low operating costs, compared to conventional processes using the rolling and high temperature heat treatment.
However, it is known that most of metal layers deposited by the electroplating process have high orientation on the c-axis, but no orientation on the a- or b-axis. Since only uniaxial texture can be induced by the conventional electroplating process, and thus metal layers formed by the electroplating process have fiber texture.
The present inventors reported in Korean Patent No. 352976 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,346,181 that when an external magnetic field is applied during electroplating, biaxial orientation can be induced.
These patents meet the novelty condition of patentability in which a biaxially oriented layer can be manufactured by appropriately arranging the position of electrodes and a magnetic field source. However, the biaxially oriented layer has a disadvantage of low degree of biaxial texture (Δ ω ˜7°, Δ Φ ˜21), compared to conventional processes using the rolling/post-heating (Δ ω ˜7°, Δ Φ ˜8°),.
In contrast, a biaxially textured pure metal or alloy layer manufactured using a single-crystalline or quasi-single-crystalline metal substrate, in accordance with the present invention has larger degree of biaxial orientation (Δ ω ˜4°, Δ Φ ˜5.2°) than conventional metal layers manufactured using the rolling/post-heating as well as the electroplating process.
Accordingly, since the present invention provides a metal layer having higher degree of biaxial texture than conventional metal layers manufactured using the rolling/post-annealing as well as the electroplating process, it may pave the way for future industrial applications of magnetic materials and superconductors.

Method of manufacturing biaxially textured metallic layer featured by electroplating on the surface of single-crystalline or quasi-single-crystalline metal surface, and articles therefrom

Korea Institute of Machinery and Materials


Liquid silicone rubber compositions that prior to cure have good fluidity and excellent moldability and that cure into a highly flame retardant silicone rubber with excellent high-voltage electrical insulating properties. The liquid silicone rubber compositions comprise: (A) polyorganosiloxane; (B) fumed silica; (C) surface-treated zinc carbonate powder as afforded by treating the surface of (a) zinc carbonate powder or basic zinc carbonate powder with (b) an organosilicon compound selected from organosilanes, organosilazanes, and organosiloxane oligomers; (D) polyorganohydrogensiloxane; and (E) platinum catalyst. The liquid silicone rubber compositions may further comprise (F) surface treated aluminum hydroxide powder, (G) triazole compound, and (H) a reaction mixture of (d) platinum compound and (e) 3,5-dimethyl-1-hexyn-3-ol.

This invention relates to liquid silicone rubber compositions. More particularly, this invention relates to liquid silicone rubber compositions that prior to cure exhibit good fluidity and excellent moldability and that cure to yield highly flame retardant silicone rubbers that exhibit excellent aging resistance and excellent high-voltage electrical properties such as tracking resistance, arc resistance, and erosion resistance.
Inorganic fillers such as silica micropowder, aluminum oxide powder, aluminum hydroxide powder, and quartz powder are blended into silicone rubber compositions used for applications that demand excellent high flame retardancy and electrical insulating properties. These applications are exemplified by anode caps, plug boots, insulators, and flame-retardant electrical wire and cable. Unfortunately, while high loading levels with inorganic filler can enhance the electrical insulating properties, the resulting silicone rubber compositions have very high viscosities and cannot be used in applications where fluidity is required, for example, as in injection molding.
There have also been attempts to improve the flame retardancy of addition reaction-curing liquid silicone rubber compositions based on low-viscosity polyorganosiloxane, inorganic filler, and a platinum catalyst through the addition of various types of flame retardants. This technology, however, requires a major increase in the addition of inorganic filler in the composition in order to obtain satisfactory flame retardancy and mechanical strength. Moreover, the flame-retardant liquid silicone rubber compositions afforded by this technology have such high viscosities that they can no longer be labeled liquid silicone rubber compositions. Specifically, they cannot be used in applications that demand fluidity, such as injection molding. In order to solve these problems, the preparation of enhanced flame-retardant silicone rubber compositions has been pursued by reducing the addition of highly reinforcing, but also highly thickening inorganic filler, such as silica, and replacing this with a selection from low-thickening inorganic fillers, such as inorganic fillers with large particle sizes. However, liquid silicone rubber compositions prepared using this tactic provide heat-cured silicone rubbers that have reduced mechanical strength and as a result have limited application.
The need therefore exists for a liquid silicone rubber composition that prior to cure evidences suitable fluidity and excellent moldability and that cures into highly flame retardant silicone rubber moldings that have high mechanical strength and excellent high-voltage electrical insulating properties.
As a result of extensive investigations directed to solving the problems described above, the inventors have discovered that the above-described problems can be solved by the admixture, in specific proportions, of specific inorganic fillers and specific flame retardants into a particular type of addition reaction-curing liquid silicone rubber composition.
Therefore, the object of the present invention is to provide liquid silicone rubber compositions that prior to cure exhibit suitable fluidity and excellent moldability and that cure to give a highly flame retardant silicone rubber with excellent high-voltage electrical insulating properties and excellent mechanical strength.

Liquid silicone rubber compositions and methods for the preparation thereof


Enables locating and merging potential data record matches. Enables locating duplicates through the definition of matching strategies. Each strategy may include transformations, matching rules and scoring thresholds to implement fuzzy matches that match closely related data records that are not exact matches. Performing a search allows for narrowing down the records to a desired set on which to apply a given matching strategy. Merging is performed on the potential duplicates thus located to consolidate data and remove duplicates. By narrowing down the records to a closely related set via a search, merging is simplified to work on a small number of closely related records, thus simplifying the process. The total matching score obtained via execution of match strategies may be utilized to determine which potential record(s) to merge for example. May utilize past user input to provide intelligent inputs for rules, tokens, weights, fields, parameters or any other past user input.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the invention described herein pertain to the field of computer systems and software. More particularly, but not by way of limitation, one or more embodiments of the invention enable a method and apparatus for matching non-normalized data values to determine if two or more data items are related in accordance with configurable criteria, enable the merging of data items and further to learn which match criteria settings are appropriate based on previous user input or results.
2. Description of the Related Art
Matching or searching non-normalized records in a database or between multiple databases is error prone and inefficient. For instance, when matching a given string with a non-normalized field of a database many records that should match a given search string fail to match. Entries that represent the same item but have different formatting or irrelevant characters fail to match. Thus the amount of time required to find a match can be excessive. This is particularly the case if all permutations of the match are utilized in the search process. Values such as "123-x" do not match "123:x" for example although they may represent the same item. Other matches that fail include a match for example on "X.Y.Z. Corp" against "XYZ Inc." The related art fails to ignore "noise" characters and words when attempting to match items and in general do not match items in databases using fuzzy patterns or relevancy.
Historically, matching has been performed as part of an inbound cleansing process. Generally, known products do not attempt to de-duplicate data that has already been cleansed during import. Over time, as data entry occurs where human error is afoot, duplicates begin to creep into the database. Keeping data consistent across multiple distributed enterprise-wide computer systems is non-trivial. Establishing effective communication links between heterogeneous systems is the first step for making the data consistent. However, simply allowing all computer systems within an organization to communicate does not solve the problem. Even when data is shared throughout an enterprise, problems still arise since data may exist in different forms in different locations within the enterprise. Since the goal of absolutely accurate data is elusive, it is common for companies to maintain data in independent computer systems. For example, because of the difficulties associated with identifying and matching similar data, some companies maintain data for each corporate division in independent computational zones and only utilize such data within a division to make a business decision associated with that particular division. It is common after one company acquires another company for the computer systems of each company to remain autonomous. Thus, the possibility of identifying and matching common data items within each repository is generally very low.
To solve the problem of having duplicate data albeit in slightly different form, businesses attempt to identify similar data and integrate the data in a way that ensures the data remains consistent. Performing the integration is difficult and breaks down when new corporate computer systems are added through acquisition or changes in business systems and software occur. One method that is used by some organizations is to maintain "master data". Master data for example may be an organization's ideal form of a data item. Solutions for keeping the data consistent through the organization, i.e., propagating master data throughout the organization, are generally non-robust and brute force communication schemes that do not allow new data entries to be matched against existing data items to effectuate data consolidation at data entry time.
The inability to keep master data items consistent harms an organization's ability to leverage its assets and lower the cost of doing business. All areas of a business are affected by the inability to keep data as accurately as is possible. In summary, existing computer systems and methods lack effective mechanisms for performing data matching in a way that allows the system to learn when data matches are appropriate. For example, existing systems and methods do not have an ability to learn and consolidate two data items that originally where thought to be independent, but which have been matched above a threshold. The ability to learn which patterns in data are actually indicative of a match between two data items is not found in existing enterprise computing solutions.
Because of the limitations described above there is a need for a method and apparatus for matching non-normalized data values.

Method and apparatus for matching non-normalized data values


A configuration and method for contacting a circuit is described. A carrier is disposed adjacent a circuit, and a setting element at which an electrical connection formed of a conductive material is disposed, so that the electrical connection connects the circuit to the carrier in a bonding process. In this manner an efficient and cost effective method for connecting the circuit to carrier is performed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a configuration and a method for the contacting of circuits.
Circuits and integrated circuits are contacted with a carrier material and packaged in housings for further processing.
Contacting with a carrier material is known from Published, British Patent Application GB 2 177 639 A. There, an integrated circuit is contacted with a carrier material by an ultrasonic wire bonder. The carrier material is a lead frame. Another reference for wire bonding is U.S. Pat. No. 5,395,038.
A wire bonder utilizes a long wire (what is known as an endless wire) that is located on a spool. The processing end of the endless wire is threaded through the bonding machine and led to the position to be contacted with the aid of a cannula.
In what is known as ball bonding, the processing end of the endless wire is melted by heat and ultrasound and connected to the contact pad of the integrated circuit, which is located on the integrated circuit, thereby forming a ball; hence the name ball bonding. Next, a position on the lead frame is approached with the cannula and the bonding wire inside it, and the bonding wire is joined to the lead frame. Now the bonding wire is cut, and the cannula with the bonding wire moves to the next position for forming an electrical connection.
Another method for contacting integrated circuits is what is known as wedge-wedge bonding. Here, the bonding wire is not melted by heat, but rather pressed or rubbed by a stamp on one side of the cannula.
The disadvantage of both techniques is their utilization of a bonding wire, because this is usually made of gold and is therefore expensive. Given thick bonding wires, the price of gold is the largest cost factor; for thin bonding wires, the finishing technology for creating a conformal, thin and homogenous wire is the largest cost factor.
Another disadvantage is that only one bond connection at a time in succession can be produced with wire bonding. For integrated circuits with 1,000 contacts or more, this leads to a long production time, which raises costs.
The long production time can be shortened with what is known as the flip chip technique, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,887,758, for example. To accomplish this, a lead frame is utilized, whose electrical lines are disposed in such a way that they reach exactly to the electrical contact pads of the integrated circuit. The electrical lines of the lead frame are simultaneously pressed to all contact pads of the integrated circuit and connected in one process.
But the disadvantage of the flip chip technique is that only one chip can be joined with the lead frame. However, two or more individual chips are often packaged in one housing and electrically contacted. In this case, the flip chip technique is incapable of producing an electrical connection between two chips in a housing.

Configuration and method for contacting circuit structure


A self-priming nozzle device (20) comprising a nozzle sleeve (9), a nozzle body (1) comprising a nozzle body aperture (16), a sleeve portion (15) and an attachment portion (14), wherein the sleeve portion (15) attached to said attachment portion (14), and the sleeve portion (15) of the nozzle body (1) fits in the nozzle sleeve (9), a nozzle stem (3) comprising a stopper (21), an O-ring (4), and a rod portion (23), wherein said stopper (21) attached to said rod portion (23), and said O-ring (4) is positioned around said rod portion (23) near about said stopper (21), and said nozzle stem (3) is placed inside said nozzle sleeve (9) and said nozzle body aperture (16), and said stopper (21) located within said nozzle sleeve (9), a spring loaded component (25) comprising a plurality of washers (2a, 2b), a compression spring (6) and a compression element (5), and said spring loaded component (25) positioned on said rod portion (23) of nozzle stem (3), and said compression element (5) is attached to said rod portion (23) of nozzle stem (3).

A common method of pumping fluids involves employing an internal or external gear set. The operating principal of the gear set is that as the volume of fluid changes with gear motion, a pressure differential is created which produces fluid flow. There are several pumps available in the market that utilize this technique. The two major types of gear pumps include spur gears (external) and rotor gears (internal).
A common problem with using these elements as the driving force is that they have difficulty compressing air. Prior to installing the pump onto a reservoir of fluid, the pump is filled with air. In order to allow the system to prime, the pump must displace this air to create the pressure differential previously mentioned. The most prevalent method of overcoming this issue is handled by having the end user dismantle a portion of the pump and pour a higher density fluid into the gear set housing, eliminating the requirement of compressing air. This will provide a compression ratio that is large enough to allow the pump to prime.
There are some disadvantages to this method. There is extra work and inconvenience required by the end user to take the pump apart, pour fluid into the gear housing and re-assemble the pump. In eases where dismantling the pump is not required, the pump requires long periods of time to prime. The extended period of time to prime decreases the life of the pump as the gears see increased wear when running without lubrication. Also gear pumps are typically sensitive to debris, which can cause leak paths and reduce pump performance. The requirement, to dismantle in the field could continue to increase, the possibility of the above-mentioned problems.

Self-priming nozzle for use with fluid dispensing equipment


A method for removing non-stick coatings from cookware or bakeware products is disclosed. The method includes the step of determining the angles of the primary surfaces of a pan having a coating to be removed. The method further includes the step of configuring a high-speed, multiport, rotating cleaning head to provide at least one water jet associated with each primary surface. The method further includes the step of employing the cleaning head to deliver an ultra-high pressure water jet directed at the pan while tracking the cleaning head along a plane substantially parallel to the upper surface of the pan. Using the method of the present invention, a coating may be removed from a pan in a single pass.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of refurbishing of non-stick polymer-coated bake ware and cookware products.
2. Background Art
In the field of commercial cookware and bakeware, many products employ non-stick and other release-enhancing coatings (including silicone-based glaze, rubberized silicones, and flourocarbon polymer coatings such as PTFE""s, PFA""s, and FEP""s). After such commercial cookware and bakeware products have been repeatedly used and consequently experience wear, it is desirable to be able to remove such coatings from the products so that a new coating of the fluorocarbon polymer (or other similar silicone-based or polymer coating) can be applied to refurbish old product. This process is desirable so that:
1. production rejects can be reworked, thereby reducing scrap, and
2. pans can be recoated, extending the life of the pans.
The second purpose has significant economic and financial implications within the baking industry.
A suitable technology would have to be effective, economical, safe, environmentally friendly and commercially viable. Prior art processes, including grit blasting, shot peening, high temperature oven burning and molten salt bath immersion did not meet the criteria needed to ake xe2x80x9cstrippingxe2x80x9da viable process.
The process of the instant invention solves the problem of removing coatings using water cutting technology.
In order to remove the old coating water pressure exceeding 35 KPSI and a special swivel multi-port, high speed rotating cleaning head are utilized. This head had to be made to exacting dimensions so that when rotating it would properly sweep and strip the coating from the recessed areas of bakeware or cookware products employing water jets that are angled to correspond with the primary angles of the surfaces of the cookware or bakeware product to be cleaned. Proper use of such a cleaning head enables a cookware or bakeware product to be cleaned in a single pass.
The first generation of cleaning heads that may be used with the present invention includes a configuration utilizing four sapphire orifices or jewels. Two of the orifices are 0.008 inches and should be angled at 21xc2x0 and 25xc2x0. The other tow orifices are 0.005 inches angled at 21xc2x0 and 25xc2x0. The head is stainless steel and must rotate at a minimum of 500 rpm. It is driven by compressed air.
The preferred head configuration, as described in more detail with reference to FIG. 2, includes seven nozzle positions, each of which may be plugged or fitted with a removable nozzle head. Each removable nozzle head may have an orifice sized between 0.0001 and 0.25 inches in diameter. The head is stainless steel and rotates at approximately 1600 rpm. It is driven by compressed air.
Selection of process variables are key to the present invention. Key process variables (is additional to head design) include: head standoff, tracking, speed and tracking overlap.
Each bakeware or cookware product has unique removal requirements. Process variables must be changed so that the proper level of removal can be efficiently achieved.

Method for removal of cured films from cookware and bakeware products


A protector for the ends (2) of tubular elements (1), which comprises:                a ring (3) made from a deformable material, wherein the external surface of one of the ends thereof has a conical thread (4); and        a threaded cap (6) made from a deformable material, which comprises a closed end (C) and an open end (A), wherein the internal surface of said open end (A) includes a conical thread (5) which matches that of the external end of ring (3).

At present there exists a wide range of threaded protectors, some of which are mentioned below by way of reference.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,135,156 discloses a closure for a tubular element open ends, wherein said open ends adopt the form of a threaded sleeve and are coupled to a cap with annular skirt which covers said open ends. Said cap with annular skirt is attached to the ends of said tubular element by means of a nut which thread matches that of the sleeve.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,196,270 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,367,508 disclose threaded protectors intended for the protection of threads of tubular elements ends, said protectors including a base portion, a threaded portion which axially extends from a first end of the base portion, said thread portion matching the threaded portion of the tubular elements ends, said protectors being indistinctly configured as male or female protectors, further including elongated annular abutting elements which axially extend from a second end of the base portion. Abutting elements are of average length and width such that the relation between both magnitudes is of at least 2.
Present threaded protectors are difficult to fit due to a possible crossing between protector and tube, they do not seal well and thus allow water and dust to enter, they are not easy to remove in situ, and they are not recyclable because they sweep grease off the tubular element when same are threaded whereby said grease remains on the protector wall. Upon contacting the tubular element thread they contaminate same with metal or plastic particles. Protectors may have a wide diversity of threads, which makes it difficult to standardized the product, being necessary in some cases the delivery of certain protectors by air when facing an urgency due to lack of stock, which implies higher costs.

Tubular element end protector and tubular element comprising same

Abstract: A tubular element (1) which comprises the threadless protector is also disclosed.


A driver attachment for a collated screwstrip carrying screws in which a slide body is slidable in a housing parallel a longitudinal axis about which a drive shaft is rotatable. The slide body receives a screwstrip such that a screw feed activation mechanism coupled between the housing and the slide body advances successive screws into a position to be driven by the drive shaft with relative sliding of the slide body relative the housing between an extended and a retracted position. A latch system is provided to latch the slide body to the housing against extension towards the extended position beyond an extension limit position. With the slide body and housing latched together, the driver attachment may be used to drive or withdraw separate screws independently of the screwstrip, with or without the screwstrip engaged in the slide body.

Collated screwstrips are known in which the screws are connected to each other by a holding strip of plastic material. Such strips are taught, for example, by U.S. Pat. No. 4,167,229 issued Sep. 11, 1979 and its related Canadian Patents 1,040,600 and 1,054,982 as well as U.S. Pat. No. 4,930,630, the disclosures of which are incorporated herein by reference. Screws carried in such screwstrips are adapted to be successively incrementally advanced to a position in alignment with and to be engaged by a bit of a reciprocating, rotating power screwdriver and screwed into a workpiece. In the course of the bit engaging the screws and driving it into a workpiece, the screw becomes detached from the plastic holding strip leaving the strip as a continuous length.
In the use of such collated screwstrips in screwdrivers, the strip serves a function of assisting in guiding the screw into a workpiece and, to accomplish this, the holding strip is retained against movement towards the workpiece. In the screwstrip, each screw to be driven has its threaded shaft threadably engaged in a threaded sleeve of the holding strip such that on the screwdriver engaging and rotating each successive screw, the screw turns within the sleeve which acts to guide the screw as it moves forwardly into threaded engagement into the workpiece. Preferably, only after the tip of the screw becomes engaged in the workpiece, does the head of the screw come into contact with the sleeves. Further, forward movement of the screw into the workpiece then draws the head downwardly to engage the sleeve and to rupture the sleeve by reason of the forward movement of the head with the strip retained against movement towards the workpiece. The sleeve preferably is configured to have fragile straps which break on the head passing through the sleeve such that the holding strip remains intact as a continuous length. Since the holding strip is a continuous length, on advancing the screwstrip with each successive screw to be driven, it necessarily results that portion of the holding strip from which each screw has been driven are also advanced to exit from the power screwdriver.
Known power screwdrivers for driving such collated screwstrips include U.S. Pat. No. 4,146,071 to Mueller et al, issued Mar. 27, 1976, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,186,085 to Monacelli, issued Feb. 16, 1993, the disclosure of which are incorporated herein by reference. Such known power screwdrivers include a rotatable and reciprocally moving screwdriver shaft which is turned in rotation by an electric motor. A screwdriving bit forms a forwardmost portion of the shaft for engaging the head of each successive screw as each screw is moved into a driving position, axially aligned under the screwdriver shaft.
Known power screwdrivers for collated screwstrips suffer the disadvantage appreciated by the applicant that they are dedicated to drive collated screws. In use, they cannot be used to drive separate screws or to withdraw mis-driven screws or other screws which are desired to be removed. Known power screwdrivers for collated screwstrips also suffer the disadvantage that it is difficult to engage and change bits mounted to the front end of the drive shaft.


An electrophoretic display capable of reducing passive matrix coupling effect includes an electrophoretic panel, a plurality of first scan lines, and a plurality of second scan lines. The electrophoretic panel includes a plurality of pixels. Each pixel of the plurality of pixels corresponds to a storage capacitor, and the storage capacitor is coupled to a first scan line and a second scan line. When the pixel is used for displaying a first color, the first scan line receives a first driving voltage, the second scan line is coupled to ground, and other first scan lines and other second scan lines receive a first voltage. A voltage difference between the first driving voltage and the first voltage and a voltage difference between the ground and the first voltage are smaller than a first threshold value corresponding to the first color.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrophoretic display capable of reducing passive matrix coupling effect and a method thereof, and particularly to an electrophoretic display capable of reducing passive matrix coupling effect and a method thereof that can reduce capacitor coupling effect of a plurality of pixels of the electrophoretic panel to make the plurality of pixels of the electrophoretic panel display correct color.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, when a pixel (P) of a passive matrix panel (e.g. an electrophoretic panel) is driven to display a first color (e.g. black color), a first scan line coupled to the pixel (P) is used for receiving a first driving voltage (e.g. 7V), a second scan line coupled to the pixel (P) is used for receiving a second driving voltage (e.g. 0V), and other first scan lines and other second scan lines of the passive matrix panel are floating, where the first scan line coupled to the pixel (P) is located on a first axis direction of the passive matrix panel, the second scan line coupled to the pixel (P) coupled to pixel (P) is located on a second axis direction of the passive matrix panel, and the first axis direction is perpendicular to the second axis direction. Therefore, the pixel (P) can display the first color according to a voltage difference (7V-0V) between the first driving voltage and the second driving voltage, and each pixel of other pixels of the passive matrix panel displays a previous displayed color.
However, when the pixel (P) is driven to display the first color, other pixels of the passive matrix panel are not turned off, so the first driving voltage for driving the pixel (P) may be coupled to other pixels of the passive matrix panel through corresponding parasitic capacitors, resulting in each of other pixels of the passive matrix panel displaying a color not wanted by a user (e.g. black color, white color, or neither black color nor white color). Therefore, the prior art is not a good driving method for the passive matrix panel.

Electrophoretic display capable of reducing passive matrix coupling effect and method thereof


A system and method for enabling the sender of electronic mail messages to access a recipient's mailbox to reprioritize the messages previously sent by the sender. The system searches the recipient's mailbox for messages sent by the sender and unread by the recipient. An unopened message counter is used to determine the number of unopened messages in the recipient's mailbox. A message review unit enables the sender to review the unread messages. A message prioritization unit is used to reprioritize the unread messages.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to a message prioritization system and, more particularly, to a message prioritization system for changing the priority of messages in a recipient's mailbox.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Message processing systems have been in widespread use for many years. These systems, such as a voice messaging system, are commonly used as message sending, receiving and storing tools. In particular, voice messaging systems are commonly known as voice mail systems (VMS). In such systems, each user is assigned a mailbox wherein messages sent to the user are saved. The recipient of a message, upon accessing the VMS, may retrieve messages from his or her mailbox. In the past, voice mail systems had limited capabilities. For example, users of the earliest systems could only send messages and store messages for later playback.
As technology progressed, advanced functionality was added to the VMS. In particular, present day systems not only store messages, but can forward messages to one or more recipients; message replies can be automatically sent to the sender; and messages can be attached to other messages before being sent to their final destination. Even in present-day systems, however, messages once received by the recipient are stored chronologically, i.e., in the order received, in the recipient's mailbox. Similarly, the recipient retrieves the messages in the order in which they were received.
In addition, certain voice mail systems are known to have the ability to assign handling codes to messages. Typically, the handling codes enable a message to be sent to the recipient carrying a special "tag" to indicate to the system that the message requires special handling. For example, it is known that messages, before being sent, may be tagged "private" to prevent the recipient from forwarding the message to others. A message may also be tagged "priority," which causes the message to jump to the first position in the mailbox, ahead of all the other messages in the recipient's mailbox. This enables urgent messages to be read first. Other various tags may also be available depending on the particular manufacturer of the VMS and the implemented features.
However, no known system is available wherein messages may be accessed by the sender after the messages have been sent and stored in the recipient's mailbox. Generally, once the sender has sent a message, the disposition of the message is out of the sender's control. Certain voice mail systems are known to allow the sender to delete unread messages from the recipient's mailbox, but only while a message is being sent, and before the sender terminates the connection or explicitly commands the VMS 90 to send the message.
There are certain situations when the sender may need to change a previously sent message. In particular, the sender may have provided background information regarding a particular issue in a message, but several facts may have changed subsequently. In such an instance, the sender may send a subsequent message with updated facts, but may want to maintain the original message so as to not repeat previously sent information.
Unfortunately, during the course of a business day, the priority of certain issues may often change, thereby requiring subsequent messages to be sent to notify the recipient of the changed priorities. As such, excess messages may fill up the recipient's mailbox preventing other sent messages which perhaps change the priority of earlier messages from being stored. This can cause the recipient to possibly send out errant replies based on outdated messages. Because a sender does not have access to the contents of a recipient's mailbox, the sender cannot reorder the messages into a understandable desired order. Therefore, the sender is compelled to send subsequent messages to clarify previously sent messages
What is needed, therefore, is a system that allows the sender of the messages to reprioritize or reorder unopened messages that are stored in the recipient's mailbox.

System and method for changing the priority of voice mail messages within the recipient's mailbox

Siemens Information and Communications Networks, Inc.


A unique system to insulate and retain the cold temperature of products, liquids, or materials of any type or nature. In the preferred embodiment, the system comprises a series of layers of material as follows: (1) a hard, durable plastic layer of polyvinyl chloride or similar material; (2) a layer of retardant aluminum; (3) a layer of styrofoam; (4) a layer of neoprene; (5) a cavity which is filled with dry ice through an input valve at the top of the system and which is purged through an escape or purge valve at the bottom of the system; the layers completely surround and envelope the cavity such that one closed system is created.. The system could be made in any of many shapes and sizes to accommodate various industries, for example, the system constructed in the outer shape of a beer keg could constitute a jacket, which would be removable with hinges and buckles to keep kegs cold for up to 96 hours without refrigeration or ice. The system could be constructed in the appropriate shape and size for use in the emergency medical industry to transport vital organs or items which must be kept cold without the use of refrigeration. The system could be used to keep food products frozen during transportation. The concept would eliminate, in many applications, the need for refrigeration which would decrease consumption of electricity and which would have positive environmental effects by eliminating the use of freon and other chemicals consumed and released in the refrigeration process.

This invention relates to a system to insulate and retain cold temperature of various products, goods or materials without the use of refrigeration concepts, an energy source or ice cubes or ice slabs. The object of the invention is to produce a system to retain cold temperatures which is economical to manufacture, economical to use, lightweight, accessible and efficient. These and further objects of the invention will be apparent from the following description of the preferred embodiment.

System to insulate and retain cold temperature


The present disclosure relates to a system and method for matching performance with score. The method may include acquiring performance information in a preset time period, wherein the performance information is related to a musical device. The method may also include analyzing the performance information and obtaining a played music score in the preset time period, wherein the played music score contains the performance information. The method may further include comparing the played music score with one or more standard music scores. The method may still further include identifying a standard music score from the one or more standard music score based on the comparison of the played music score with the one or more standard music scores, wherein a matching degree between the played music score and the identified standard music score reaches a preset value.

Existing music score matching systems and methods recognize scale-steps in a piece of music using a voice recognition technology, and need to be equipped with a sound acquisition module and voice recognition programs, which are likely to be greatly influenced by environmental factors. Thus, it is desirable to develop systems and methods for music score matching more accurately and efficiently.

Systems, methods, smart musical instruments, computer readable media for music score matching

SUNLAND INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An object of the present invention is to provide a control unit for vehicle where increase in number of input/output and upgrading of function can easily be performed and, in addition to this, changing of a program in a control unit can easily be performed even when a single-chip micro-computer is used.

The present invention relates to a control unit for vehicle and a total control system therefor, and more particularly to a control unit for vehicle and a total control system therefor whereby to control the engine, transmission, brake, electronic throttle, suspension and the like.
In recent years, a control unit mounting a single-chip micro-computer is used in vehicle control. The single-chip micro-computer incorporates memories (ROM, RAM and so on) required by calculation of the central processing unit (CPU). Therefore, there is an advantage in that the control unit can be miniaturized as a whole, being easy in use and high in processing speed.
However, the conventional technology has an disadvantage in that expanding of the control unit is considerably limited when the software and/or hardware happen to be changed due to change in the control specification. Further there is a disadvantage in that the software program needs to be made under a limitation of the hardware when a single-chip micro-computer is used in vehicle control, and especially whenever fuel cost or cleaning of engine emissions is to be improved, increase in number of input/output and upgrading of function are indispensable and all the hardware and software needs to be renewed.
Furthermore, since the control software program for performing various control written in the ROM is represented in an assembler language, the contents and the production technique of the program cannot be understood except an expert in the field, in other words, such a program belongs to individual. Therefore, no person except an initial programmer actually participating in the production stage of the application software program can understand the detailed contents of the software program. When there is need to add other function to the application software program, the program requires to start over.

Control unit for vehicle and total control system therefor

Abstract: In order to cope with an increase in input/output points and addition of function, a control unit is constructed such as to comprise interface software memory means storing an interface software program for connecting an application software program with an OS (operating system) in an internal ROM, a CPU (central processing unity for performing computation of the application software program and the interface software program, a RAM (erasable memory) storing data such as the result of computation, an I/O unit for extending the control unit, and extending means for communicating memory data through a bus or a LAN.

Abstract: A single-chip micro-computer used in vehicle control can easily cope with increase in input/output points or addition of function, and an application software program can continuously be used only by rewriting an interface software program, and further re-manufacturing of a core unit is unnecessary. Therefore, development of a control unit including programs becomes easy.