A spectrometry device comprising at least one wavefront-dividing interferometer comprising at least two unbalanced arms and at least one air wedge, a device for imaging interference fringes, an imaging sensor of the fringes and a processor that processes a signal derived from the sensor.

One of the problems encountered in this field may be found in the detection of fluorescence generated by a plasma. Indeed, a material, whether it is in solid, liquid or gaseous form may, after excitation by a laser pulse or any other excitation system, be transformed into plasma (mixture of free electrons, ions, atoms and molecules). If excitation of the material is significant enough, other well-known physical phenomena come into play such as cascade ionizations and collisions between free electrons. The effects increase the temperature of the plasma produced. The Bremsstrahlung of the moving electrons (inverse Brehmsstrahlung effect) therefore gives a white light emitted by the plasma. Analysis of the radiative deexcitation of the atoms and ions therefore allows the composition of the latter to be traced back via a spectral analysis of the light emitted by the plasma.
Detection and collection of fluorescence are conventionally carried out with an optical fiber placed at the level of the plume of the plasma. The spectrometers are therefore based on an optical design based on an echelette diffraction grating, an adjustable entrance slit, and spherical mirrors allowing the object and image points to be conjugated on a CCD camera. Reading software then allows the spectrum of light entering in the device to be displayed irrespective of the temporal or spatial coherence of the light. Thus, the incoherent light, emitted for example by Brehmsstrahlung radiation may distort the measurements and produce inaccuracies on the decisions. The method of "sorting" the emission spectrum from the incoherent white light is not satisfactory.
A number of publications disclose spectrometric methods by interferometry such as, for example, CA 2 302 994, but they have not tried to solve the problem of the incoherent white light.
An article from NASA published in the "Optics and Photonics News" journal in January 2004 describes a Fourier transform spectrometer based on a Michelson interferometer modified by replacing the mirrors with diffraction gratings. Such a spectrometer has a greater robustness to accelerations, but does not consider the problem of white light noise for detecting atomic lines.

Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique—CNRS


A valve for communicating a source 14 of compressed fluid with an opening 13 of an adjacent chamber 12 in a sleeve 11 comprises a circumferentially separated array of depressions 15 in the outer periphery of a bolt 10. Areas 19 and 20 of the bolt periphery between the depressions 15 serve to support the radially inner side of an O-ring seal 16 when the latter is aligned with the depressions.

A valve of this kind is used in the paintball gun of our co-pending United States Patent Applications one of which is Ser. No. 10/775,756 and was filed on Feb. 9, 2004 and the other of which is Ser. No. 10/870,687 and was filed on Jun. 17, 2004. In those Applications the valve is used to communicate a source of compressed air with a chamber in which it is stored prior to being released through the bolt of the gun. When the gun is fired the valve serves to isolate the chamber from the source so that only the air stored in the chamber is used to fire a paintball.
In any pneumatic or hydraulic system using telescopic components it is necessary to provide O-ring seals in respective circumferential grooves on opposite sides of an opening in one of the components communicating with the source of compressed fluid if that opening is to be successfully occluded by the other component in the closed position of the valve. In the absence of such seals the compressed fluid may escape between the components.
According to the proposals of our said co-pending patent applications one of the O-ring seals on opposite sides of a bore communicating with a canister of compressed air must pass to or beyond the circumferential depression in the outer periphery of the bolt in order to communicate the bore with the interior of the storage chamber. The system works quite well but there is a danger that the said one O-ring may become deformed when it is aligned with the depression and therefore unsupported by the periphery of the bolt. The pressurised air entering the groove of the said O-ring may tend to displace it. Thus when the bolt moves back from its firing position the deformed or displaced O-ring may jam in the depression causing the mechanism to "lock up".
A principal object of the present invention is to offer a solution to this problem.

Valve operating between telescopic components with O-ring seals


Storage apparatus and related methods for managing removable media. A controller is configured to manage the removable media. A user interface is coupled to the controller for displaying errors. When an error displayed on the user interface is selected, the controller causes the user interface to display additional information related to the error from an event log. For example, when the error is selected, a complete error log for an individual error or a screen display showing all current errors, if there are multiple ones, is displayed.

Businesses, governmental agencies, learning institutions, and other organizations typically operate computers that are interconnected by a network. Network users often store data on hard drives of network servers. Users also store data on their host computers.
Data stored on the network and/or host computers is typically backed-up periodically to create a copy of the data to prevent it from being lost due to mechanical failure or accidental deletion, for example, and/or to produce an archive of the data. Backup operations typically involve storing a copy of all or a portion of the data files on the network and/or host computers to a backup device such as a magnetic tape library having a plurality of magnetic tape drives.
Digital magnetic tape has long been used for data storage in computer systems. The low cost-per-bit stored, long-term retention capability, and portability of magnetic tape cartridges have made them invaluable for storing large quantities of data generated by businesses.
Tape cartridges are used by automated tape library devices. Tape libraries generally handle many tape cartridges to store very large amounts of data. The tape libraries hold the tape cartridges in predefined positions or media slots. When data is required from a particular tape cartridge, a host system communicates via a Small Computer System Interface (SCSI) bus or a Fibre Channel (FC) fabric, for example, with a controller of the tape library. The controller retrieves the particular tape cartridge from its media slot and places the tape cartridge in a tape drive. The host system may then read from or write to the tape cartridge via the tape drive. Also, the host system may query the controller to determine the number of tape cartridges, tape drives, and robotics mechanisms contained in the tape library to manage the tape library.
There are a number of manufacturers of tape libraries that back up and store large quantities of data to digital magnetic tape cartridges. For example, a StorageWorks brand of tape libraries are manufactured in various sizes and configurations. The number of tape cartridges that can be loaded into such tape libraries varies depending upon model, but may be on the order of 400-500 tapes, for example.
A typical tape library usually has a control and display panel where local functions are controlled and where the health of the tape library may be displayed. The display typically presents information about components in the tape library that are built by the original library manufacturer. However, additional value added components may be installed in the tape library including software tools to aid in the configuration, installation, and management of the tape library. Heretofore, there has been no way to present information about the value added components to a user who is working at the library by way of the control and display panel.
When an error occurs in a product, it would be beneficial for a user to be notified of the error and then quickly be routed to where further information about the error can be found. The problem is that it is generally difficult for a user to easily navigate to a place where information about an error is located. In a complex menu structure, or in a system where errors may be stored in a multiplicity of locations, this can be very difficult and frustrating. The user may resort to calling for support rather than solving the issue themselves using information available in error logs. It can be costly for the product provider to provide this service.

Efficient error reporting from an operator control panel of a storage apparatus

Hewlett Packard Enterprise Development LP


A programming element for programming data into a plurality of non-volatile memory cells of a non-volatile memory cell array, the data being transferred to the non-volatile memory cell array in a data word comprising a plurality of data items. The programming element comprises a detection element for detecting at least a first data word and a second data word which are to be transferred to the non-volatile memory cell array, a determination element for determining the number of data items in the first data word and the second data word that need a change of the state of a respective non-volatile memory cell, a comparator element for comparing the determined number of data items with a maximum number of programmable data items using one programming pulse, a data word merge control element for merging the first data word with the second data word into a merged data word to be programmed into the non-volatile memory cell array if the determined number is less or equal to the maximum number, wherein the merged data word is to be programmed into the non-volatile memory cells together using the same at least one programming pulse.

FIG. 5 shows a block diagram of a conventional flash memory card 500 and an information processing appliance 501 (which is referred to as a host hereinafter). The flash memory card 500 is connected with the host 501 through, for example, five different times of clients or busses, a data line or a data bus 502, a clock line 503, a power line 504, which provides the power supply voltage VDD, a ground line 505 providing a second reference potential, usually the ground potential VSS, and a command line 506, which is used to transfer commands from the host 501 to the flash memory card 500.
A host interface 507 of the flash memory card 500 receives commands from the host 501 through the command line 506 and decodes the received commands. When the command is a write command, for example, the host interface 507 decodes the command into a logical address 508 provided by the host 501 as the writing destination of data and sends the logical address 508 to a flash memory controller 509 of the flash memory card 500. Furthermore, the host interface 507 receives data objects 510 to be written from the data line 502 and stores the data objects 510 in a data buffer 511.
In the flash memory controller 509, an address conversion section (not shown) is fed from the host interface 501 with the logical address 508 showing the writing destination of the data object 510. The address conversion section brings the physical addresses of generally more than one area into correspondence with one logical address. Here, one area is equivalent to, for example, two pages inside a non-volatile memory cell array 512 comprising a multiplicity of non-volatile memory cells of the flash memory 513. In particular, the pages belonging to the same area each belong to separate physical blocks. The non-volatile flash memory cell array 512 is generally divided into more than one page each having a fixed number of memory cells, and further divided into more than one physical block each having a fixed number of pages. Each of the memory cells can take two states, "1" and "0". Thereby, one of the memory cells can store 1-bit data therein, in the following also referred to as data item.
The address conversion section, when fed with the logical address 508, showing the writing destination of the data object 510, selects a free blank area in the memory cell array 512 and assigns the write target area of the data object 510 to the respective free area. The address conversion section further brings the physical address 514 of this area in correspondence with the above-mentioned logical address 508.
A write section (not shown) sends the physical address 514 of the write target area to an address decoder 515 of the flash memory 513. In conjunction with that, the write section sends the data object 510 to be written from the data buffer 511 to a page buffer 516 of the flash memory 513.
The flash memory 513 comprises, for example, two page buffers 516. Each of the page buffers 516 can store one-page data. In other words, the two page buffers 516 can store one-area data in total. Accordingly, the data objects 510 to be written, in the following also denoted as data words, which are sent out from the data buffer 511, are stored in the page buffers 516 on an area-by-area basis. The one-area data items, i.e., the data words, stored in the two page buffers 516 are written in parallel onto the two pages designated by the address decoder 515. Thus, the conventional flash memory card 500 performs the data writing into the flash memory 513 in the two physical blocks in parallel, thereby shortening the writing duration, wherein data words of a predefined fixed length are used, usually using a data word of 128 bits length.
The flash memory card 500 brings the physical address of the area in which the new data is to be written, into correspondence with the logical address showing the writing destination. In addition, in the flash memory, data items are erased only collectively in each of the physical blocks mentioned above.
In some common flash memory cells, only a predetermined maximum number of flash memory cells can be programmed with using one programming pulse due to the current needed for changing the state of a flash memory cell, which is usually implemented by means of a floating gate transistor or a charge trapping layer transistor.
In a common flash memory card 500, no overwriting of an already programmed flash memory cell is possible. Usually, before writing new data in a physical block, which has already been programmed, the physical block is firstly erased and then, after the erased process has been finished, the new data is programmed into this physical block.
The erase process is performed by means of an erasing circuit 517, which is coupled to the read section and is provided with the physical address and with the non-volatile memory cell array 512 and the address decoder 515.
Since usually, a flash memory card 500 is used in a portable information processing appliance, such as a notebook computer, a personal digital assistant (PDA), or/and a digital camera, and records large quantities of digital data such as image data in the internal recording media, there is need to improve the memory device architecture and corresponding method for programming a non-volatile memory cell array in order to save the required energy for programming. Furthermore, the programming speed is also needed to be increased in order to improve the usability of the device.

Non-volatile memory cell device, programming element and method for programming data into a plurality of non-volatile memory cells

Infineon Technologies Flash GmbH & Co. KG


A network computer system for providing security that includes a monitoring function for the network computer system utilizing compartments that can be logical or separate physical hardware, at least one outside server for an untrusted computer network, e.g., global computer system, at least one proxy server, at least one inside server, wherein the at least one outside server is able to read and write software code to the at least one proxy server and the at least one proxy server is able to read and write software code to the at least one inside server, wherein the monitoring function can read and execute software code from the at least one outside server, the at least one proxy server and the at least one inside server. There is a top/down security function to prevent access to higher compartments.

The need for providing security to computing systems has never been so critical as it is today. It is believed that traditional system security methods are no longer sufficient since access and duplication methods may still be available. Also, secure gateways for sending sensitive information between organizations may not be present. Security issues that need to be addressed include: limit access to system resources and data; provide controls regarding interactions with software programs, software file access, and utilities on a user-by-user basis; eliminate "super user" access by dividing super user functions into multiple roles to decrease security risks; provide an independent evaluation and auditing authority to the operating system to validate the security functions; prevent "eavesdropping" in the operating environment and provide a trusted path; prevent spoofing programs; and protect local devices against unauthorized users or use.
Therefore, Common Criteria Certification, a globally accepted standard for security certification for computer networks, was developed. This certification is upheld by an independent third party organization that performs security evaluations. However, in order to maximize security when utilizing an untrusted computer network, e.g., global computer system such as, but not limited to, the Internet, to achieve Common Criteria Certification, requires a significant duplication of hardware, software, server compartments, vendors and software languages. This security need involves protection of content available from the untrusted computer network as well as provide a safe passage of the data from this untrusted system access to an organization's secure computing environment. This need is for any organization that transmits and receives personal, confidential, proprietary and/or financial data. This applies to virtually every industry with particular applicability to organizations that conduct financial transactions over an untrusted computer network such as the financial services industry. A financial transaction of special interest includes a credit card transaction. Other industries that could benefit from this type of security include the government, e.g., military organizations, healthcare and the airline industry. Control of inventory data is crucial to having a secure system. Moreover, there is a strong need to prevent the hacking and associated defacing of websites that are accessible to the public.
The present invention is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems set forth above.

Secure network system and associated method of use


Described is a clock circuit for supplying synchronized signals to a plurality of circuits. The clock circuit includes a clock generator and a driver for outputting the clock signals inputted from the clock generator with a delay time so that a difference among arrival times of the clock signals is minimized among the plurality of circuits.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a clock circuit for supplying clock signals in synchronization with a plurality of circuits, more particularly to a clock circuit which is capable of minimizing an arrival time difference of synchronized clock signals among a plurality of circuits in a system such as a computer system.
2. Description of Related Art
In a system having a plurality of circuits such as a computer system, circuits constituting the system are driven by clock signals in synchronization with each other. These synchronized clock signals are ordinarily generated by a clock generator and supplied to each of the circuits.
In the computer system, with the advance of operation speeds of microprocessors (CPU) circuits, such as a memory, have been able to operate at high speed. Furthermore, the development of functions of the system increases the number of circuits which constitute the system. Under such circumstances, a clock generator which can generate plural frequencies and supply the same frequency to a plurality of circuits has been put into practice.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing an example of a computer system which uses a conventional clock generator. In the system shown in FIG. 1, clock signals generated by the clock generator 1 are supplied to the four circuits including the CPU 2, the memory controller 3, the base SDRAM 4 used as an already incorporated memory, and the optional SDRAM 5 used as an additionally incorporated memory, which constitute the system.
In such a system, since the distances between the clock generator and each circuit are different, delay times of the clock signals are made to be different from each other among the circuits due to wiring impedance. As a result, a so called xe2x80x9cskewxe2x80x9d occurs in which the arrival times of the clock signal to each of the circuits are different from each other. More specifically, as a speed of the clock signals becomes higher, the cloak skew becomes more significant. In order to avoid this problem, the system of FIG. 1 is designed such that the arrival times of the clock signals are equal among the circuits by providing the dummy wiring 6 to adjust the lengths of the wiring from the clock generator to the circuits.
However, when the dummy wiring 6 is employed, the system of FIG. 1 gives rise to two problems. First, there is a need for an excessive space on the board to form the dummy wiring. Second, the dummy wiring causes the occurrence of EMI and crosstalk noises.
An object of the present invention is to provide a circuit for supplying clock signals and minimizing the difference among arrival times of the clock signals to a plurality of circuits.
Another object of the present invention is to reduce the amount of wiring in the circuit board in which a plurality of circuits are formed, thereby reducing the occurrence of EMI and crosstalk noises.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a method for supplying clock signals which are capable of minimizing the difference among arrival times of the clock signals to a plurality of circuits.
Moreover, still another object of the present invention is to provide a computer system which is capable of minimizing the difference among arrival times of clock signals to a plurality of circuits and reducing the occurrence of EMI and crosstalk noises.
The present invention is directed to a clock circuit which supplies clock signals synchronized with each other to a plurality of circuits. The clock circuit includes a clock generator and a driver for outputting each of the clock signals supplied from the clock generator. Each signal being output with a delay from other signals to corresponding one of the plurality of circuits so that a difference of arrival times of clock signals is minimized among the plurality of circuits.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a computer system which includes a CPU, a memory controller, a memory and a clock circuit for supplying clock signals in synchronization with each other. The clock circuit outputs the clock signals by delaying them for each of the plurality of circuits so that a difference among arrival times of the clock signals to the plurality of circuits is minimized.
Another embodiment of the present invention is directed to a method for supplying clock signals synchronized with each other to a plurality of circuits. The method includes the steps of setting delay times of the clock signals for corresponding one of the circuits and outputting the clock signals with a delay time predetermined for each circuit so that a difference among the arrival times of the clock signals to a plurality of circuits is minimized.

Clock circuit and a computer system having said clock circuit

International Business Machines Corporation


A method for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties. An independent seller is presented with a menu including selectable options for deriving a sale price for the independent seller's good. Each of the options corresponds to a respective predetermined method for determining the sale price. The sale price for the independent seller's good is derived using the predetermined method corresponding to a seller-selected option. Goods in addition to those registered for sale at a website of the marketeer may be presented in an electronic marketplace. Information concerning such additional goods may be retrieved from a database accessible to the marketeer controller. If a buyer wishes to purchase a certain good from the electronic marketplace, and the certain good has not been registered for sale at the website of the marketeer, the marketeer may refer the buyer to a third party vendor.

The industrial age has given rise to a global economy of factories engaged in mass production of various goods. An enormous amount of commerce is transacted in the buying and selling of such goods. While some such goods lose their value with use, e.g., food products, many such goods retain a substantial portion of their value even after use or ownership by another. Such goods are referred to herein as "durable." A considerable amount of commerce is transacted in the buying and selling of durable goods, particularly used durable goods.
Almost all durable goods are readily identifiable by a standard unique identification code ("ID code"), particularly those that are mass produced. In the case of computer software, music cassettes or compact discs, videocassettes and digital video discs, the ID code may be a human readable Universal Product Code ("UPC"), a thirteen digit ID code that readily identifies the good. In the case of books, magazines or other publications, the ID code may be a ten-digit International Standard Book Number ("ISBN"). Other items are more readily identified by a manufacturer or brand name and a model number, as for baseball cards and consumer electronics, e.g., a Sony® KV-3620 television. Some goods may be identified by more than one type of ID code.
Many durable and readily identifiable goods are fungible items that derive their value substantially from their common characteristics. For example, a single signed copy of Michael Jackson's album titled "Thriller" and recorded on a compact disc ("CD") derives much of its value because it is signed by the performance artist. Such a CD is unique and therefore is not a fungible good. In contrast, an unsigned copy of Michael Jackson's "Thriller" CD derives substantially all of its value because of the songs recorded thereon. Therefore, all such CD's have substantially the same value to consumers. Such CD's are therefore fungible.
Auctions provide one type of marketplace for selling goods. Used goods sold at auction are sold at prices set by interested buyers. An auctioneer facilitates sale transactions without the need to maintain goods in inventory. Auctions are particularly good for sellers to ensure a highest possible sale price, especially for unique, non-fungible items. However, determining and ensuring a fair price is difficult for buyers. Buyers must have a high degree of knowledge to determine whether a price for a certain good is fair.
Retail selling also provides a marketplace for sale of goods. Used goods sold at retail are sold at prices set by a seller. Retail selling is advantageous to the seller because it allows the seller to control the price of the good. However, it requires the seller to maintain a large inventory of goods, which is expensive and disadvantageous. Competition, particularly for fungible goods, drives prices downwardly, which is advantageous to the buyer. The seller must have a high degree of knowledge to ensure that his price is competitive. In addition, a price for a good may be fair to the buyer when set by the seller, but may no longer be fair if market conditions change after the price is set and before the buyer purchases the good.
Electronic commerce, or Internet-based sales are common and have problems similar to retail. Numerous online auctions may be found. An example of such an online auction is held by eBay Inc. of San Jose, Calif., at www.ebay.com. Such auctions are better suited to unique goods but are also used for fungible goods. However, "bidding wars" between buyers can lead to high prices for such goods, whether new or used.
Retail type sales are also conducted at numerous online websites, such as www.amazon.com. Online retail selling is also disadvantageous because it requires the seller to maintain a substantial inventory of goods. A reverse-auction system, where a seller may accept a price set by a buyer is provided on the worldwide web at www.priceline.com by priceline.com Inc. of Stamford, Conn. U.S. Pat. No. 5,797,127 to Walker et al. discloses a reverse auction method, apparatus and program for pricing, selling and exercising options to purchase airline tickets.
For electronic commerce applications, software-implemented shopping agents are well known. Using a shopping agent, a buyer can identify vendors and prices for a good. One type of shopping agent queries multiple vendor's websites to determine a best price or list of prices. For example Cendant Corp. of New York, N.Y. is a retail seller of new books that provides access to such a shopping agent on the worldwide web at www.books.com. Books.com uses a pricing agent ("Price Compare") to price items it sells and holds in its inventory. It uses the shopping agent to query several competitors and, if its price for a new book is not less than its competitors' prices, the pricing agent sets the price for its new book at less than the lowest competitor's price for the same new book. However, the seller still controls the price since it determines the method used by its pricing agent to set the price. In addition, the seller is required to maintain a substantial inventory of books.
Until now, there has been no acceptable way to facilitate sales of goods that ensures fair pricing while eliminating the need for inventory and minimizing pricing burdens on the buyer and the seller. In addition, there is no acceptable way to exploit the fungible nature of durable goods.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for facilitating pricing and sales of goods.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method which does not require maintenance of an inventory of goods.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method for pricing goods for sale by independent sellers.
It is a further object of the present invention to ensure lowest pricing of goods which exploits the fungible nature of goods.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to exploit the fungible nature of used durable goods to price goods.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to derive a price for an independent seller's good as a function of a third party's price for a similar good.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for facilitating sales and pricing of goods.
It is yet a further object of the present invention to provide a computer-implemented method for facilitating sales and pricing of goods.

Method and apparatus for facilitating sales of goods by independent parties


A home TV-game apparatus of this invention has a memory storing a game program, a CPU for processing the game program, and time management elements managing a time of the game in correspondence with real time. In the home TV-game apparatus, therefore, a virtual reality type game using real time, e.g., a roll playing game, is easy to play and easy to make since the clock control of the game program does not have to be considered, and the development cost of the virtual reality type game is not expensive.

A conventional home TV-game apparatus comprises a CPU, one or more memories, a plurality of I/O (Input/Output) interfaces and a timer.
In the conventional home TV-game apparatus, the timer checks a difference between a starting time of a game and a current time, or between any time while playing a game and current time.
In the conventional home TV-game apparatus, however, there are disadvantages in that a virtual reality type game using real time, for example, a roll-playing game, is difficult to play, because the timer does not correspond with the real time. In addition, the virtual reality type game is difficult to make and development of the virtual reality type game is very expense because the real time must be controlled by a program of the virtual reality type game.

Home television-game apparatus with time management unit


A power-on reset circuit includes a first circuit arranged between a high voltage supply terminal (VDD) and a low voltage supply terminal (VSS), wherein the first circuit is configured to output a low-voltage reset signal at an output node (PORB) when VDD is powered up and to output a high voltage signal at the node PORB after the VDD reaches a predetermined voltage during power up; a second circuit configured to set the node PORB to a low voltage after VDD is powered off; and a third circuit configured to provide a supply voltage at a node DV to the second circuit. The supply voltage is lower than the voltage of VDD by approximately one diode voltage.

The present disclosure relates to an electric circuit, more particularly, to a power-on reset circuit.
When an electronic device is powered up, a supply voltage VDD for the electronic device rises from zero voltage to a pre-defined voltage (e.g. 3.3V). During this period, logic states of internal latches or flip-flops in the electronic device are un-known because they may carry logic memories from previous logic states. Un-known internal logic states can cause unpredictable behaviors in the electronic device and prevent the electronic device from performing its intended functions. A power-on-reset (POR) circuit can provide reset signals to reset internal latches or flip-flops to well-defined logic states during a power-on period, thus ensuring the proper functions of the electronic device.
A conventional POR circuit 100, as shown in FIG. 1, can include a Schmitt trigger circuit 110 consisting of transistors P2/P3/N2/N3, a stabilization capacitor CO, a current source PMOS transistor P1, a resistor divider consisting of resistors R1 and R2, and an NMOS transistor N1. An output signal can be produced at a node PORB for resetting internal logics in an electronic device. The PMOS transistor P1 can provide source current from VDD to the resistor divider. The NMOS transistor N1 can produce a trigger signal at the node S2 for the Schmitt trigger circuit 110. The Schmitt trigger circuit 110 can bypass voltage fluctuations and clamp the voltage of the output node PORB during powers up. The PORB node is initially at ground voltage (which can be defined as zero voltage).
During power on, VDD rises from ground voltage to a pre-defined voltage, say 3.3V. The gate node of PMOS transistor P1 and the gate node of PMOS transistor P2 are both at zero voltage, thus they are both turned on. The current flows through P1 can produce a voltage at the node S1 as defined by VIN×R2/(R1+R2) where VIN is the drain voltage of P1. The current flows through P2 can cause the voltage at S2 to follow the rise of the voltage supply VDD. The node S2 has a higher voltage than the node S1 as S1 is resistive divided by VDD. NMOS transistor N3 can therefore turn on once the voltage at the node S2 reaches its threshold turn-on voltage. When N3 is turned on, the node PORB is further clamped to zero voltage. When VDD rises up further to reach the threshold turn-on voltage of NMOS transistor N1, N1 is turned on and pulls the node S2 low. At that moment, P2 is already turned on and therefore P2/N1 forms a resistive divider at the node S2. If N1 is made much larger than P2, then the pulling effect to the node S2 is much stronger at N1, the node S2 can be easily pulled to zero voltage, which can shut off the N3 and turns on P3. As a result, the PORB node changes from logic low to logic high. Subsequently P2 is shut off and N2 is turned on by the high logic level at the node PORB.P1 is also shut off, thus preventing direct DC current from flowing through the resistive divider and minimizing power consumption.
A significant drawback associated with the conventional POR circuit 100 is that it may not provide reliable reset signals if VDD has not dropped to zero voltage before the next powers up.
FIG. 2A shows the waveform for a proper power cycling sequence. When VDD rises from zero voltage, PORB changes from logic low to logic high after a predetermined time T1. When VDD reaches VTH1, S1 reaches the turn-on threshold of N1; PORB steps up and then follows VDD until VDD reaches to its stable value VDD_f. Td1 is defined as the time during which PORB follows VDD to rise to VDD_f. The period between 0 and T1+Td1 can be called "power on" or "power up".
VDD remains at the VDD_f from T1+Td1 to T2. After T2, the electronic device powers off. VDD decreases following a typical exponential decay curve for an RC circuit. The rate of decrease is fast at the beginning (from time T2 to T2+Td2) and then slows down when it reaches to a low voltage level VTH2 (typically around the parasitic diode voltage). Therefore, the period from T2 to T3 can be very long period. If the next power on occurs long enough after the last power off, the next power-on can be properly reset by the POR circuit, as shown in FIG. 2A.
If the next power-on event occurs shortly after the previous power cycle, the next power-on may not be properly reset by the POR circuit. As shown in FIG. 2B, because of the short period of T3−T2, VDD does not have enough time to drop to zero voltage when the next power-on event begins at T3, PORB closely follows VDD. Let us assume VDD and PORB drop to around ˜0.6V=VTH2. VDD suddenly rises up again at time T3. At this time, as can be seen in FIG. 1, the gate voltages of PMOS transistors P1/P2 and VDD are at 0.6V. The transistors P1/P2 are therefore shut off. The node S2 is clamped to zero voltage from the previous power-up sequence. Because P2 shuts off, it cannot pull up the node S2 to logic high as in a normal power-on cycle. P1 shuts off and S1 is at zero voltage, thus N1 being held in an off state. S2 is also at zero voltage. P3 is therefore completely turned on and PORB closely follows VDD in the next power-on cycle. In this example, the POR circuit 100 completely fails to produce a reset signal in the second power-on cycle.
There is therefore a need for a POR circuit to perform proper reset functions for fast power cycles. Moreover, it is desirable to eliminate DC current leakage and minimize VDD fluctuations during power-on of a POR circuit.

Power-on-reset circuit with output reset to ground voltage during power off


Method and interface for configuring a link is described. A transceiver has configuration registers. The configuration registers are read to determine capability of the transceiver. An application is selected, and the configuration registers of the transceiver are configured responsive to the application selected. A protocol having initialization, transmit and receive portions is described to facilitate configuration operations, such as reads and writes of configuration registers, for such a link.

Wireless communication is becoming more prevalent, especially with respect to data transmissions. The Institute for Electronic and Electrical Engineers (IEEE) and other organizations have promulgated wireless communication applications, which have become industry standards. However, these applications may differ by data width or frequency of operation.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a protocol that facilitates configuration of a radio to accommodate different applications.

Protocol and interface for source-synchronous digital link


An imaging apparatus suppresses deterioration in an image quality caused by an electronic zoom. A digital camera equipped with a plurality of optical systems includes a fixed focal distance lens and a zoom lens. When a user sets a zoom position between discrete optical zoom positions within an overlapping range of the electronic zoom range of the fixed focal distance lens and the optical zoom range of the zoom lens, a control processor and timing generator sets the electronic zoom at the user's setting zoom position. Subsequently, when the zoom position of the zoom lens passes the user's setting zoom position, a photograph is taken, and an optical zoom image is stored in a memory card.

Many digital cameras are currently equipped with a zoom lens and a single image sensor to photograph still images and moving images. A photographed image is digitally processed to generate a digital image file, and the generated digital image file is stored in a memory in the digital camera. The digital image file is next transferred to a computer to be displayed thereon, or is transferred to a printer to be printed.
Preferable specifications for a digital camera are to be small in size and large in optical zoom range. A user prefers a large zoom range to a limited zoom range. However, when a digital camera is equipped with a large zoom range lens without sacrificing image quality of a photographed image, the digital camera increases in size. In an expensive camera such as an optical single-lens reflex camera, it is possible to use a plurality of interchangeable lenses such as a 28 mm-70 mm zoom lens and a 70 mm-210 mm zoom lens. However, such interchangeable lenses are inconvenient for a user using a compact digital camera.
Some digital cameras use a single lens and a plurality of image sensors for generating a color image. Light from a subject is split by a prism beam splitter into a plurality of colors to be used for a plurality of monochrome image sensors to image R, G and B color images.
Moreover, conventionally, a stereo film camera and a stereo digital camera have been also known. These cameras have two lenses having the same focal distance and being arranged separately in the horizontal direction, and form two images of scenes that slightly differ from each other, in two frames of a film or two imaging sensors. The two images constitute the so-called stereo pair. The two lenses are designed to have the same magnifying power, and are used simultaneously in order to form, on the image sensors, the images for the left eye and the right eye for obtaining a stereo effect.
In a compact digital camera, in order to obtain a large zoom range without taking any time for interchanging lenses, it is suitable to mount a plurality of lenses having different focal distances to use them appropriately according to zoom positions. However, for example, in the case where two lenses having different focal distances are mounted in a camera, how each focal distance is set and how the two lenses are changed become important. A digital camera can have both an optical zoom function, and an electronic zoom function which can electronically zoom the digital image data.
Moreover, in a digital camera, when the optical zoom function can provide a zoom position which a user has set, only the optical zoom is executed; in contrast, when the optical zoom function is insufficient, the electronic zoom is executed to a distance beyond the maximum focal distance of the optical zoom. However, in the case where the optical zoom is driven stepwise or discretely, using the electronic zoom function to interpolate within the gaps between the zoom positions obtained by the optical zoom has been proposed.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 10-42183 states that a camera equipped with a single lens and a single image sensor drives the electronic zoom and the optical zoom to determine an angle of view, and increases the ratio of the optical zoom while maintaining the angle of view.
Moreover, in relation to a camera equipped with an optical viewfinder and a zoom viewfinder, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2003-283910 states that these viewfinders are suitably changed, and that the lens of the optical viewfinder system is driven in the state of being interlocked with the taking lens in order to ensure that the angle of view of the optical view finder coincides with that of the electronic viewfinder at the time of a change from the electronic viewfinder to the optical viewfinder.
Moreover, Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. Hei 8-18842 states that in the case where the optical power of a multifocal lens is changed discontinuously, the electric zoom power is controlled so as to interpolate to obtain optical power other than that which is changed by the multifocal lens, and thereby zoom power is continuously changed in a manner similar to that in the case where a zoom lens is used.
All of the above-mentioned conventional techniques pertain to cameras each equipped with a single lens and a single image sensor, and do not pertain to a camera system equipped with a plurality of optical systems for photographing a scene. Consequently, the conventional techniques do not naturally teach how to change a plurality of optical systems.
A digital camera equipped with a fixed focal distance lens and a zoom lens as two lenses will now be considered. Settings of these two lenses are presumably changed as follows. That is, the focal distance gap between the focal distance of the fixed focal distance lens and the minimum focal distance of the zoom lens is interpolated by the electronic zoom of a digital image obtained by the fixed focal distance lens. Zoom setting means (a zoom button) for setting a zoom position is mounted on the camera, and a user can take a photograph in a desired zoom position by setting the zoom setting means to a wide setting or a telephoto setting. When the user sets the zoom setting means mounted on the camera to "telephoto," a digital image obtained by the fixed focal distance lens is electronically zoomed in. When the electronic zoom reaches the telescopic end of the electronic zoom, the electronic zoom is changed to the zoom lens for subsequent optical zooming. Moreover, when the user operates the zoom setting means and sets it to "wide," optical zoom-out of the digital image obtained by the zoom lens is performed. When the optical zoom down has reached the minimum focal distance of the zoom lens, the optical zoom-out is changed to the electronic zoom of the fixed focal distance lens, and subsequently the zoom-out of the fixed focal distance lens is performed.
An overlapping range can also be formed by extending the electronic zoom range of the fixed focal distance lens to the optical zoom range of the zoom lens, and either the electronic zoom or the optical zoom can be selected in the overlapping range. Because the electronic zoom is to perform the interpolation processing in order to extend a digital image obtained with an imaging device such as a CCD device or a CMOS device, the electronic zoom has a problem of deterioration in the image quality of the digital image. For this reason, using the optical zoom in the overlapping range is generally preferable. However, because the zoom power obtained by the optical zoom is discretely located when the optical zoom is driven discontinuously; i.e. stepwise, interpolation has to be performed by the electronic zoom between the discrete zoom positions of the optical zoom, which causes deterioration in image quality.


Vessels suffering vascular injury from angioplasty are treated with L-arginine intramurally. The incidents associated with restenosis are substantially reduced providing for a reduced incidence of restenosis as a result of the injury.

The long term benefit of coronary balloon angioplasty and atherectomy is limited by the considerably high occurrence of symptomatic restenosis (40-50%) 3 to 6 months following the procedure (Holmes et al. Am. J. Cardiol. (1984) 53:77C-81C). Restenosis is in part due to myointimal hyperplasia, a process that narrows the vessel lumen and which is characterized by vascular smooth muscle cell migration and proliferation (Forrester et al. J. Am. Coll. Cardiiol. (1991) 17:758-769). Medical therapies to prevent restenosis have been uniformly unsuccessful. Intravascular stents have been successfully used to achieve optimal lumen gain, and to prevent significant remodeling. However, intimal thickening still plays a significant role in stent restenosis.
The vascular architecture is maintained or remodeled in response to the changes in the balance of paracrine factors. One of the substances that participates in vascular homeostasis is endothelium derived nitric oxide (NO). NO is synthesized from the amino acid L-arginine by NO synthase. NO relaxes vascular smooth muscle and inhibits its proliferation. In addition, NO inhibits the interaction of circulating blood elements with the vessel wall. NO activity is reduced in hypercholesterolemia and after vascular injury. We have shown that administration of the NO precursor (L-arginine) has been shown to restore vascular NO activity in animals and in humans with endothelial vasodilator dysfunction due to hypercholesterolemia, atherosclerosis, or restenosis. Chronic enhancement of NO activity (by oral administration of L-arginine) is associated with a significant reduction in intimal thickening due to hypercholesterolemia and/or vascular injury. The observations associated with the oral administration are limited to systemic action. Cooke, et al, J Clin Invest 1992; 90:1168-72; McNamara, et al, Biochem Biophys Res Comm 1993; 193:291-6; Taguchi, et al, Life Sciences 1993; 53:PL387-92; Tarry and Makhoul, et al, Arterioscler Thromb 1994; 14:938-43; Hamon, et al, Circulation 1994; 90:1357-62; Wang, et al, J Am Coll Cardiol 1994; 23:452-8.
However, oral administration of L-arginine has potential systemic side-effects. These side-effects include increases in growth hormone and insulin release--this could, potentially, exacerbate hyperglycemia in patients with diabetes (which is a large segment of the patient population that requires balloon angioplasty for coronary or peripheral artery disease). In addition, there is evidence that in high doses (30 grams daily) oral L-arginine can increase the proliferation of tumor cells in human breast cancer. Accordingly, it would be beneficial to develop an approach which would allow one to enhance NO activity selectively in the vessel wall where this effect is needed without having systemic side-effects. We have developed an approach to diminish the incidence of restenosis resulting from angioplasty and atherectomy, using arginine to enhance NO activity in the vessel wall, while at the same time avoiding potential systemic side-effects.

Intramural delivery of nitric oxide enhancer for inhibiting lesion formation after vascular injury

The Board of Trustees of the Leland Stanford Junior University


Herein disclosed is a coaxial connector for connecting a coaxial cable to some device including another coaxial cable. The coaxial connector comprises a hollow ring-shaped member threaded with the coaxial cable and having an inner diameter which is slightly larger than an outer diameter of the coaxial cable. The hollow ring-shaped member has an annular cross section. The coaxial connector further comprises a cylindrical housing having a seat surface portion which allows the hollow ring-shaped member to be seated thereon, and pressing means for pressing the hollow ring-shaped member seated on the seat surface portion of the cylindrical housing to the cylindrical housing. The hollow ring-shaped member is transformed by the pressing means, thereby fixing the coaxial cable to the cylindrical housing.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a coaxial connector and, more particularly, to a connector used to electrically and mechanically connect a coaxial cable to some device including another coaxial cable. The coaxial cable used with the coaxial connector preferably comprises a cylindrical metal thin film serving as an outer conductor and is generally intended to transmit a radio frequency signal therethrough.
2. Description of the Related Art
There have so far been proposed a wide variety of coaxial connectors which are designed to connect coaxial cables to each other or a coaxial cable to some device. A BNC type connector is a typical of coaxial connector and used with a coaxial cable which comprises a cylindrical outer conductor formed by braiding fine metal wires, an inner conductor known as a core conductor and constituted by a metal wire, a dielectric tube member interposed between the outer conductor and the inner conductor and an insulating tube covering the outer conductor. The BNC type connector comprises a center pin, a coupling nut, a housing and a ring-shaped gasket having a thorough bore. The BNC type connector is attached to one end of the coaxial cable in the following manner. Firstly, the insulating tube is removed at one end of the coaxial cable from the coaxial cable to reveal one end portion of the outer conductor. The revealed one end portion of the outer conductor is threaded through the through bore of the ring-shaped gasket and then partially untied. The untied one end portion of the outer conductor is entangled with the ring-shaped gasket and beautifully arranged by cutting away useless wires from the outer conductor. The one end of the inner conductor protruded from the dielectric tube member is tipped with a center pin through soldering process. After the gasket and the center pin are thus attached to the coaxial cable, the coaxial cable is threaded through the coupling nut and inserted to the housing from behind. Lastly, the coupling nut is screwed to the housing, thereby finishing the process for fixing the coaxial cable to the BNC type connector.
A drawback is, however, encountered in a prior-art BNC type connector of the above described nature in that the BNC type connector cannot be used with a coaxial cable including a thin film tube as an outer conductor because of the fact that the thin film coaxial cable does not include metal wires intended to be entangled with the ring-shaped gasket of the BNC type connector.

Advanced Mobile Telecommunication Technolgy Inc.


Disclosed is a system, method, and program for transferring data. When a transaction commits, multiple data objects that have been changed by the transaction are identified. The multiple data objects are written from local storage to a cache structure using a batch write command. When changed data objects at a first system that are not cached in the shared external storage are written to disk, a batch cross invalidation command is used to invalidate the data objects at a second system. Additionally, multiple data objects are read from the cache structure into a processor storage using a batch castout command.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to data transfer in a multi-system environment in which data is shared.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a shared-disk database management system (DBMS), multiple DBMSs (referred to as DBMS members) form a cluster and share storage. Each DBMS member in the cluster has a local buffer pool (BP) in which database pages are cached for fast access. A page may be cached in buffer pools of multiple DBMS members. As pages in the local buffer pool of one DBMS member are changed (i.e., updated), a "buffer coherency" problem results whereby the other DBMS members that have those pages cached must detect that their local copies are now out of date (i.e., "downlevel") and they must obtain the most recent version of the page.
Various techniques have been developed in the prior art for transferring changed pages from one system to another. In the z/OS® environment, a "coupling facility" (CF) provides shared electronic storage and very high speed connectivity and is available from International Business Machines, Inc. A coupling facility is further described in "DB2's use of the Coupling Facility for Data Sharing," Jeffrey W. Josten, IBM Systems Journal, Volume 36, Number 2, 1997, which is incorporated herein by reference.
In z/OS® environments, when multiple pages are changed in a buffer pool of a DBMS member, each changed page is transferred to shared electronic storage by writing one page at a time. That is, the DBMS member issues one "write data" command per changed page. However, with workloads that change a large quantity of pages, the page-at-a-time writes can add a significant amount of Central Processing Unit (CPU) overhead.
Additionally, the coupling facility provides a set of control structures and commands which allow the DBMS members to register their interest in a given page so that when the page is subsequently changed and written to the shared electronic storage, the coupling facility can send cross-invalidation (XI) signals to those DBMS members that have registered their interest in the page. The cross-invalidation signals are sent per page. When a DBMS member that has received the cross-invalidation signal then references that page in its local buffer pool, the DBMS member can quickly detect that the page is now invalid and can refresh the page very quickly from the coupling facility.
Changed data in a cache structure is associated with a castout class. Currently, when data is transferred from a cache structure to storage at each DBMS member 110A . . . N, the transfer is triggered by a time interval or structure full threshold. Then, a determination is made of which castout classes have significant amounts of changed data to be castout. For each of the determined classes, a list of all of the changed entries that are present in the castout class is read. For each entry in the list, entry data is read and the entry is locked for castout. Then, all entries are written to direct access storage devices (DASD) connected to the DBMS members under castout lock serialization for all the entries that were castout.
In environments other than z/OS® (e.g., Unix®, Windows®, or Linux® environments), changed pages are typically transferred from one member in a cluster of processors to another member either via disk input/output (I/O) or via point-to-point inter-system communication links. Some modem disk controllers come equipped with large electronic storage caches and a significant amount of central processing unit (CPU) power, and can transfer one or more pages at a time.
InfiniBand is an architecture and specification for data flow between processors and I/O devices that offers throughput of up to 2.5 gigabytes per second and support for up to 64,000 addressable devices. Infiniband is expected to offer better sharing of data between clustered processors. Infiniband, however, does not address the buffer coherency problem.
Thus, there is a need in the art for improved data transfer and for efficient buffer coherency between systems that are sharing data.

International Business Machines Corporation


A modular bone clamp instrument includes a first elongated arm with a first clamping surface and a second elongated arm with a second clamping surface. A ratchet mechanism is provided between the first elongated arm and the second elongated arm. The ratchet mechanism allows the first elongated arm to move in a first direction, but prevents movement of the first elongated arm in an opposite direction. A squeeze handle is connected to the second elongated arm. The squeeze handle includes a forward handle member and a rear handle member. The rear handle member includes a head with an open chamber. The second elongated arm includes a shoulder that fits in the open chamber. A retention pin extends through the head and shoulder to secure the handle to the second elongated arm. Rotation of the retention pin allows the handle to be released from the second elongated arm.

Bone clamps are well known in the medical profession for use in repairing broken and fractured bones. A severely broken bone typically requires attachment of a periosteum compression plate (or "peri-plate") to the bone. The peri-plate bridges the fracture and provides stability for the bone either permanently or temporarily as the break in the bone heals. Bone clamps are used to hold the peri-plate in position when it is attached to the bone. In particular, once a broken bone is set by a physician, a peri-plate is positioned against the bone in a desirable location that spans across the break. One or more bone clamps are then introduced to compress the peri-plate against the bone and hold the peri-plate to the desired location on the bone. With the peri-plate fixed in place against the bone, the physician uses screws or other attachment means to secure the peri-plate to the bone. The bone clamps are then removed from the bone/plate interface, while the peri-plate remains secured to the bone and provides stability to the bone as it heals.
Bone clamps typically comprise a forceps-like instrument having a squeeze handle and opposed jaws that provide two opposed clamping surfaces positioned on opposing jaws. A ratchet or other mechanism is used to permit movement of the opposed clamping surfaces toward each other, but prevent movement of the opposed clamping surfaces away from each other. This allows the user of a bone clamp to clamp the peri-plate to the bone during a surgical procedure without having to continually squeeze the handle. After the need for clamping the peri-plate to the bone is past, the ratchet mechanism is released and the two opposed clamping surfaces move away from each other, thereby removing the clamp upon the peri-plate and bone.
Several problems are present with existing bone clamps. First, bone clamps typically include a single jaw size and associated clamping surface for use with numerous shapes and sizes of bones. For example, a surgeon may have only a single bone clamp for use in association with the tibia, femur, humerus, and radius/ulna. With only a single jaw size for various bones, the clamping surface provided by the jaw is often an inadequate fit for the bone in question. Such an inadequate fit may allow the bone clamp to improperly move and drift around the bone/plate interface during operation. Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a bone clamp with numerous jaws of different shapes and sizes that could be used in association with the bone clamp.
Another problem with current bone clamps is that the weight of the bone clamp creates a significant torque around the bone when the bone clamp is in place. This torque is undesirable, as it may cause the plate to move or shift once it is strategically placed upon the bone. Furthermore, this undesirable torque may even cause the fractured bone to shift once it is set. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a bone clamp with reduced weight or a method for removing weight from the bone clamp when in use, thereby reducing the torque exerted on the bone during surgical procedures.
Yet another problem with current bone clamp instruments is that the handle of the instrument protrudes from the surgical site during use and invades the surgeon's operating space. This is problematic for the surgeon, as the surgeon needs to be able to clearly view the surgical site to ensure proper alignment of the bone/plate interface. The surgeon also needs adequate space to use other instrumentation in order to drill screws when securing the peri-plate to the bone. Handling of this instrumentation is often awkward and difficult, but it becomes even more awkward and difficult if one or more handles from the bone clamp are protruding from the surgical site. Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a bone clamp with a handle that may be removed once the clamp is in position upon the bone and peri-plate.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to provide a bone clamp which overcomes one or more of the above-mentioned drawbacks. In particular, it would be desirable to provide a bone clamp with interchangeable jaws each being designed and dimensioned for use with different bones. It would also be desirable to provide a bone clamp with a removable handle.


In a glass processing method according to the invention, in the case of performing chemical vapor deposition or diameter shrinkage of a substrate glass tube G by relatively moving a heating furnace 20 comprising a heating element 21 for annularly enclosing the circumference of the substrate glass tube in a longitudinal direction of the substrate glass tube G with respect to the substrate glass tube G in which an outer diameter is 30 mm or more and a wall thickness is 3 mm or more and is less than 15 mm and an ovality of the outer diameter is 1.0% or less using a glass processing apparatus 1, a temperature of at least one of the heating element 21 and the substrate glass tube G is measured and the amount of heat generation of the heating element 21 is adjusted based on the measured temperature.

The present invention relates to a glass tube processing method and apparatus for performing chemical vapor deposition or diameter shrinkage of a substrate glass tube by relatively moving the substrate glass tube and a heating source in a longitudinal direction of the substrate glass tube, and further a glass tube in which chemical vapor deposition or diameter shrinkage is performed.
In a step of manufacturing an optical fiber preform, an chemical vapor deposition step (see, for example, Non-patent Reference 1) of forming a glass layer inside a glass tube or a step of shrinking a glass tube to a desired diameter is performed. In these steps, a glass tube is sequentially heated in a longitudinal direction of the glass tube by a heating source provided outside the glass tube.
For example, in an chemical vapor deposition step called an chemical vapor deposition CVD method, glass raw material gas for generating glass fine particles (SiO2) is introduced into the inside of a substrate glass tube used as a substrate of chemical vapor deposition and a heating source provided outside the substrate glass tube is transversely moved along a longitudinal direction of the substrate glass tube and the substrate glass tube is heated. By heating the substrate glass tube thus, the glass raw material gas put into the inside of the substrate glass tube is oxidized and the glass fine particles are generated. Then, the glass fine particles are deposited on an inner surface of the substrate glass tube in the downstream side of a stream of the glass raw material gas. Thereafter, the deposited glass fine particles are heated by traverses of the heating source and become transparent and a glass layer is sequentially formed.
Such a chemical vapor deposition step is repeatedly performed and until a wall thickness of the substrate glass tube reaches a desired thickness, a plurality of glass layers are formed and a glass tube forming an intermediate of the optical fiber preform can be formed.
Further, in a diameter shrinkage step, as a previous step of implementing collapse (wherein a glass pipe of which a hollow portion is filled in and becomes a glass rod) of a substrate glass tube by, for example, a collapse method or a rod-in collapse method, the substrate glass tube is heated along a longitudinal direction of the substrate glass tube and is softened and a diameter of the substrate glass tube is shrunk by surface tension similar to that of the collapse method.


A system and method is described for automatically editing digital images. An image to be edited is selected and registered with a model that is an abstract of features and attributes common to a category of images to which the selected image belongs. In the illustrated embodiment, a human face is used as an example of an image to be edited and the matching model is a representation of features and attributes common to all human faces. Many other images of objects may also be edited using the techniques of the invention, as long as a general class of objects to which an image belongs is amenable to being represented by a model comprising a set of common features or attributes. A library of different models is available to the user for selecting the model matching the image to be edited. The library includes different models of the same object in different orientations and may also include models of different objects. After the appropriate model is selected, the user is prompted to register the details of the selected image with the generalized features and attributes of the selected model. Editing processes or tools, which are linked to the model, are then automatically appled to the image in order to perform a desired editing function. In addition to applying editing techniques to existing images in a larger image, the invention enables a user to paste and blend images into another, larger image--e.g., create a morphing effect by pasting one persons head over the head of another in an original image.

Digital image processing has become a significant form of image processing because of continuing improvements in techniques and increasingly powerful hardware devices. Digital image processing techniques have augmented and, in some cases, replaced methods used by photographers in image composition and dark room processing. For example, digital image processing techniques such as contrast balancing, edge sharpening, color balancing or retouching of defects are employed for editing original photographic images. Moreover, with the aid of a computer, digitized images can be edited to achieve a variety of effects such as changing the shapes and colors of objects and forming composite images.
Until recently, real-time editing of digital graphic images was feasible only on expensive high-performance workstations with dedicated, special-purpose, hardware. The progress of integrated circuit technology in recent years has produced microprocessors with significantly improved processing power and has also reduced the costs of computer memories. These developments have made it feasible to implement advanced graphic editing techniques in personal computers. These editing techniques, however, are typically complex and require a technical and/or artistic expertise beyond that of ordinary users of personal computers.
For example, image compositing is a digital image processing technique that merges unrelated objects from multiple images. The result is a new scene that may never have existed physically. Image compositing has gained widespread use in photography. Image compositing operations, however, typically require a complex procedure for compositing the various images in order to achieve the desired effect. Thus, although the standard PC of today is capable of implementing these complex procedures, the average user is not.
Another common digital image processing technique is geometric transformations, which reposition pixels within an image. Using a mathematical transformation, pixels are relocated from their (x,y) spatial coordinates in the input image to a new coordinate in the output image. Geometric transformations are used to change the color of an object or to move, spin, size and arbitrarily contort its geometry. In digital photography these transformations are typically used to implement touch-up techniques such as correcting distortions in an image, as well as adding visual effects. Like image compositing, geometric transformations can be done on a PC platform. However, employing these transformations requires an expertise that is beyond that of the average user.
Well known computer vision and pattern recognition techniques involves automatic registering of a model with an image. Also, head models have been proposed for low-bandwidth video communication. For example, someone's head is mapped to a 3D-head model and then only the parameters of the model are sent. Similar head models have also been used in proposed face recognition systems. These type of model registration techniques, however, are unavailable for imaging processing and editing.
There is a need for a digital imaging processing system in which techniques such as those described above and others can be applied to an image without requiring either technical or artistic skills. Such a system would allow a user to directly edit images without requiring the aid of a specialist.

Model based image editing and correction


A relay connector assembly configured to electrically connect a power supply and a load includes a housing having a bottom configured to be mounted to a circuit board, the housing having contact cavities. Power contacts are received in corresponding contact cavities and held by the housing. The power contacts have relay tab ends and terminating ends having interfaces configured to be terminated to high current power conductors of either the power supply or the load. A relay is coupled to the housing. The relay has coil contacts configured to be electrically connected to a coil circuit of the circuit board used to energize the relay. The relay has relay tabs being terminated to the relay tab ends of corresponding power contacts. The relay electrically connects corresponding power contacts when the relay is energized.

The subject matter herein relates generally to relay connector assemblies for relay systems.
Relay systems typically use high current relays to make and break a high current circuit between a power source and a load. Existing high current relays, such as those used in appliances, such as heaters, are typically soldered to a printed circuit board and rely on board traces to carry the high current to and from the relay. The high current traces typically run short distances on the printed circuit board before terminating in another terminal, such as a soldered tab, that is the power input/output for the printed circuit board. The high current traces need to be thick and wide to carry the high current, which takes up valuable board space. The manufacture of the traces requires a prolonged additive processes to plate up enough thickness to carry the high current. Manufacturing the high current traces adds to the manufacturing cost of the printed circuit board while also adding reliability concerns. For example, if the high current traces are not properly sized or the input/output connection is not properly soldered, the traces can catastrophically overheat.
A need remains for a relay system that is cost effective and reliable.

Relay connector assembly for a relay system


Apparatus for locking or latching a used hypodermic needle in a needle sheath; an adapter for locking to a needle sheath to entrap a hypodermic needle between the adapter and a needle sheath, a needle sheath for receiving a used hypodermic needle, and the combination of the adapter and the needle sheath. A kit including a syringe barrel, a syringe needle, an adapter and a needle sheath. Combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, such combination in further combination with a needle sheath and a further kit including such combinations and a syringe barrel.

This invention relates generally to apparatus for preventing used hypodermic needle sticks. More particularly, this invention relates to an adapter for being fastened to a needle sheath to lock a used hypodermic needle in the needle sheath; viewed alternatively, this invention relates to an adapter for being fastened to a needle sheath to entrap a used hypodermic needle between the adapter and the needle sheath. Further, this invention relates to a needle sheath for receiving a used hypodermic needle. Still further, this invention relates to the combination of such adapter and such needle sheath. Further yet, this invention relates to a kit including a syringe barrel, a syringe needle and such adapter and such needle sheath.
Additionally, this invention relates to combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, such combination in further combination with a needle sheath, and a kit including such combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, needle sheath and syringe barrel.
After a hypodermic needle has been used to inject a patient, or to draw blood from a patient, and has been withdrawn, the used and exposed hypodermic needle poses a grave risk of infectious disease transmission to the health care provider, doctor, nurse or any other person into whose skin the used hypodermic needle may stick accidentally. This problem is sometimes referred to as needle stick injury or accidental needle stick injury.
Representative prior art apparatus providing a solution to the hypodermic needle stick injury problem is illustrated in FIG. 1 which shows a prior art syringe needle assembly indicated by general numerical designation 10. Assembly 10 includes a syringe barrel 12 in which a plunger 13 is mounted for sliding, reciprocal movement, and a syringe needle indicated by general numerical designation 14 and which syringe needle includes a needle hub 15 and a hypodermic needle or cannula 16 having a pointed or sharp tip 17; the needle hub is provided with external ridges 15A. A protective needle sheath 18 is shown in FIG. 1 for receiving the hypodermic needle 16 after it has been used. The needle sheath 18 is a hollow cylinder closed at the bottom and open at the top. The needle sheath 18 extends upwardly from a pedestal 19 in which the bottom portion of the sheath 18 is typically mounted in a wedged connection. As illustrated in FIG. 1A, the bottom of the needle sheath is typically filled with a suitable gel 20, e.g. silicon, into which the tip 18 of the used hypodermic needle is inserted. Generally it is the gel 20 which retains the used needle 16 in the needle sheath 18. The upper inner portion of the hypodermic needle sheath 18 is provided with a plurality of internal radially disposed ridges 18A for engaging the radially disposed external ridges 15A provided on the lower portion of the needle hub 15.
The syringe barrel 12, FIG. 1, is provided with a male luer lock connector indicated by general numerical designation 22 for leak-proof connection to the needle hub 15. Male luer lock connector 22 is shown in detail and in cross-section in FIG. 2. As shown in FIG. 2, the male luer lock connector 22 includes a central externally tapered male luer 23 surrounded by an annular collar 24 which is spaced radially outwardly from the male luer 23 and provided with an internal thread 25. The needle hub 15, FIG. 2, provides an internally tapered female luer 26 and includes an upper flange 28 provided with diametrically opposed and radially outwardly extending tabs or tab portions 29 and 29A. For leak-proof connection, FIG. 2, the male luer 23 of the syringe barrel connector 22 is inserted into the female luer 26 provided in the needle hub 15 and the needle hub tabs 29 and 30 are threaded into the internal thread 25 provided in the syringe barrel connector 22. Typically this is done by the health care provider who then produces appropriate relative rotational movement between the syringe barrel 12 and the needle hub 15. This rotational movement threads the female luer tabs 29 and 29A upwardly into the internal thread 25 of the male luer lock connector 22 which forces the male luer 23 and the female luer 26 into a wedged or slight interference fit producing a leak-proof connection. This connection is sometimes referred to in the art as a slip fit connection. After such connection, the syringe needle assembly 10, assembled as shown in FIG. 1, is ready for use to inject a patient with a liquid medication or to withdraw blood from the patient.
After use, the health care provider inserts the used needle 16 and the needle hub 15 into the needle sheath 18 (FIG. 1) engaging the external ridges 15A provided on the needle hub 15 with the internal ridges 18A provided in the needle sheath 18 to prevent relative rotation between the needle hub 15 and the needle sheath 18. The heath care provider then provides appropriate relative rotational movement between the syringe barrel 12 and the needle sheath 18, opposite to the relative rotational movement used to connect the male luer lock connector 22 and the needle hub 15, and the needle hub tabs 29 and 29A (FIG. 2) are unthreaded from the internal thread 25 of the male luer lock connector 22 which forces the male luer connector 23 upwardly out of the female luer 26.
As the used hypodermic needle 16 is inserted into the hypodermic needle sheath 18, the used needle tip 17 is inserted into the gel 20 as shown in the needle sheath 18 as the health care provider places the used needle 16 and needle sheath 18 in a medical waste receptacle. If the used needle 16 comes out of the gel 20 and comes out of the needle sheath 18, the health care provider, or other person, must manually replace the used hypodermic needle 16 in the needle sheath 18 or place them separately in the medical waste receptacle. This places the health care provider and housekeeping personnel at risk of needle stick injury.
Numerous other prior art apparatus are known for preventing accidental needle sticks.
The present invention provides apparatus for locking a used hypodermic needle in a needle sheath; an adapter for locking to a needle sheath to entrap a used hypodermic needle between the adapter and the needle sheath, a needle sheath for receiving a used hypodermic needle, and the combination of such adapter and such needle sheath. A kit including a syringe barrel, a syringe needle and such adapter and such needle sheath. Combination syringe needle and cantilever latching apparatus, such combination in further combination with a needle sheath and a further kit including such combinations and a syringe barrel.

Apparatus for preventing used hypodermic needle sticks


A multi-band monopole antenna for a mobile communications device includes a common conductor coupled to both a first radiating arm and a second radiating arm. The common conductor includes a feeding port for coupling the antenna to communications circuitry in a mobile communications device. In one embodiment, the first radiating arm includes a space-filling curve. In another embodiment, the first radiating arm includes a meandering section extending from the common conductor in a first direction and a contiguous extended section extending from the meandering section in a second direction.

Multi-band antenna structures for use in a mobile communications device are known in this art. For example, one type of antenna structure that is commonly utilized as an internally-mounted antenna for a mobile communication device is known as an "inverted-F" antenna. When mounted inside a mobile communications device, an antenna is often subject to problematic amounts of electromagnetic interference from other metallic objects within the mobile communications device, particularly from the ground plane. An inverted-F antenna has been shown to perform adequately as an internally mounted antenna, compared to other known antenna structures. Inverted-F antennas, however, are typically bandwidth-limited, and thus may not be well suited for bandwidth intensive applications.

Multi-band monopole antenna for a mobile communications device


A throttle attachment includes an attachment portion configured to engage a throttle of a vehicle, and an elongate handle extending from the attachment portion. Rotation of the elongate handle causes rotation of the throttle attachment.

Towing tractors, such as those used in warehouses to move quantities of product, may be equipped with a throttle attached to a steering handle. These throttles may be manipulated by a user's thumb to rotate the throttle forward or backward to drive the towing tractor in a forward direction or in a reverse direction, respectively. Often these throttles need to be continuously engaged by the user throughout operation of the towing tractor. Continuous engagement of the throttle with the user's thumb may cause the user's hand to become sore or stiff.
Accordingly, a need exists for alternative throttle attachments and towing tractor assemblies having ergonomic characteristics.

Throttle attachments and towing tractor assemblies

TOYOTA MOTOR ENGINEERING & MANUFACTURING NORTH AMERICA, INC.


A fluid coupler has a female coupler member and a male coupler member which can be connected to the female coupler member by simply being inserted into the female coupler member. The female coupler member includes a first locking ball, a second locking ball and a locking ball confining ring. The confining ring has a first slanted inner surface engaging the first locking ball to partly project the first locking ball into a male coupler member receiving hole of the female coupler. The confining ring further has a second slanted inner surface and a locking ball pressing surface extending in parallel with an axis of the male coupler member receiving hole. In an insertion operation, the male coupler member first engages the first locking ball to press it against the first slanted surface, thereby axially moving the confining ring. This movement of the ring disengages the locking ball pressing surface from the second locking ball so that the second locking ball is forced by the male coupler member against the second slanted surface to move the confining ring. Upon completion of insertion of the male coupler member, a recess formed in an outer surface of the male coupler member is radially aligned with the first and second locking balls which have been moved radially outwardly and, then, receives these locking balls thereinto, whereby the locking ball confining ring returns to its initial position wherein the first slanted surface and the locking ball pressing surface engage the first locking ball and second locking ball, respectively. Accordingly, even if an excessive pulling force is applied to the male coupler member, the locking ball pressing surface prevents the second locking ball from being moved radially to thereby positively retain the male coupler member in the female coupler member.

This invention relates to a fluid coupler comprising male and female coupler members.
A fluid coupler comprises a female coupler member and a male coupler member adapted to be inserted into and detachably connected to the female coupler member. The male and female coupler members are securely connected to each other by engagement of locking balls provided in the female coupler member with an annular locking ball receiving recess formed on an exterior surface of the male coupler member. To insert the male coupler member into the female coupler member, an operator needs to shift a locking ball confining sleeve provided on the female coupler member, which has confined the locking balls to a position in which the locking balls partly project into a male coupler receiving hole of the female coupler member for engagement with the locking ball receiving recess, against a spring force to a position where the sleeve allows the locking balls to be moved radially outwardly by the male coupler member.
There is another type of fluid coupler in which a locking ball confining sleeve of a female coupler member has a slanted or conical interior surface for engaging with locking balls. The sleeve is urged by a spring to a position where the slanted or conical interior surface engages with locking balls and positions them at a recess engaging position where the locking balls engage with a locking ball receiving recess of a male coupler member. An operator can insert the male coupler member into the female coupler member by simply pushing the former into the latter so that the locking ball confining sleeve is shifted by a force applied by the male coupler member to the slanted or conical interior surface through the locking balls with the spring being compressed. When the male coupler member is completely inserted into the female coupler member, the locking ball confining sleeve is returned by the spring to an initial position where the slanted or conical interior surface confines the locking balls in the locking ball receiving recess. However, this type of fluid coupler involves a problem in that the male coupler member may be accidentally disconnected from the female coupler member. Namely, if a large pulling force is (accidentally) applied to the male coupler member, a locking ball is urged by the male coupler member against the slanted or conical interior surface of the sleeve and moves or displaces the locking ball confining sleeve from its locking ball confining position.
To solve this problem, another type of fluid coupler has been developed wherein a cylindrical support member is provided inside a female coupler member such that the cylindrical support member is urged to a position where the cylindrical support member supports locking balls to prevent the locking balls from projecting into a male coupler member receiving hole, thereby allowing a male coupler member to be inserted into the female coupler member. When the male coupler member is inserted into the female coupler member, the male coupler member pushes the cylindrical support member rearwards and, when the male coupler member has been completely inserted into the female coupler member, a locking ball receiving recess of the male coupler member is radially aligned with the locking balls, whereby a locking ball confining sleeve is shifted by under a spring force to its locking ball confining position, so that the locking balls are moved radially inwardly into and confined in the locking ball receiving recess by the locking ball confining sleeve. While this type of fluid coupler solves a problem of accidental disconnection, it involves another problem; namely, its size, i.e., since the cylindrical support member is provided inside the female coupler member, a size of the female coupler member must be made relatively large as compared with other types of fluid couplers mentioned above.


An antenna module includes an antenna, a connecting member attached to the antenna, a sliding board configured for sliding relative to connecting member, and a radiation member attached to the sliding board. When the sliding board is slid by a user, the radiation member makes contact with or separates from the connecting member, enabling one antenna module to receive and transmit wireless signals of different wavelengths.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to antenna modules and wireless communication devices employing the antenna modules.
2. Description of Related Art
Many wireless communication devices (such as mobile phones) have multiple frequency bands. Thus, multiple antennas are secured inside the devices, such as a GSM/CDMA wireless communication antenna, a WIFI antenna, and a GPS antenna. These antennas are located at different positions inside the devices to prevent mutual interference. However, multiple antennas require an increased manufacturing cost. Moreover, multiple antennas occupy more space, making it difficult to miniaturize the wireless communication devices.
Therefore, there is room for improvement within the art.

Antenna module and wireless communication device employing same