Apparatus for more accurately distinguishing between metal objects including coins based on the affect of the object or coin on the electrical characteristics of a pair of tank circuits when the tank circuits are subjected to a charging pulse which ends at a time when the object or coin is in the field thereof. The tank circuits can be connected into different configurations with the fields of their respective coils positioned to be subjected to the object or coin to be distinguished. The tank circuits can have similar or different characteristics and the coils of the tank circuits can be arranged in an aiding or in an opposing relationship. The present apparatus may also include apparatus to provide automatic tuning and self adjustment using a comparison between a portion of a signal produced by ringing one or more tank circuits and a fixed reference voltage level.

This invention relates to coin detection and validation means, and particularly to coin detection and validation means for distinguishing between good and bad coins deposited in coin-operated vending systems. The subject means include a novel controllable tank type ringing circuit.
Throughout this application the term "coin" is used to mean any coin (whether valid or counterfeit), token, slug, washer, or other metallic object or item, and especially any metallic object or item which might be used in an attempt to operate or to cheat a coin-operated device or system. A "valid coin" is considered to be an authentic coin, token, or the like, and especially an authentic coin of a monetary system or systems in which or with which a coin-operated device or system is intended to operate and of a denomination which such coin-operated device or system is intended selectively to receive and to treat as an item of value.
A number of coin detection and validation means, designed in accordance with various coin handling systems, have been constructed and used in various vending applications. Most of the known coin detection and validation means are mechanical in construction and are designed to validate coins on the basis of their physical shapes or sizes. In more recent years, coin validation means have included electromechanical and electronic validation devices which operate to validate coins on the basis of the physical shape and size of coins. Still, other electronic coin validation means determine the validity of coins by determining the metallic content thereof as by using inductive means or coils.
Included among such coin validation means are devices such as those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,780,137; 3,918,563; 3,918,564; 3,918,565; 3,918,851; 3,966,034; and 4,151,904, all of which employ inductors of known characteristics as part of an oscillator or tank circuit In such devices, the inductor is so positioned as to have its field affected by the presence of a coin in the field thereof which causes a change to occur in an oscillator or like output. Such changes have been used as a basis for detecting and distinguishing between different coins of the same or of different denominations and coins having different characteristics. Generally, such devices operate when a coin is present in the field of the inductor to produce a measured or derived value representative of such coin, and thereafter such value is used to operate in various ways means that compare such measured or derived value against different predetermined values to determine whether or not such coin is valid or genuine. For the most part, the greater the number of different predetermined values against which the measured or derived value is compared, the more circuitry and especially replicative circuitry is required by the coin validation means. To some extent it has been possible to reduce the amount of replicative circuitry through the use of a programmable memory such as described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,918,565. This patent teaches the construction of coin validation means that include a programmable memory for storing a plurality of different predetermined values, and includes comparison means to compare the measured or derived values representative of the coin undergoing examination against the plurality of stored predetermined values to determine whether the coin is a valid coin.
More recently, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,254,857; 4,460,003; 4,625,852; and 4,739,869, it is known to use ringing circuits advantageously in coin detection and validation means of coin-operated systems U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,857 discloses a tank circuit that is electrically shocked to produce a damped wave signal which will be altered by the presence of a coin in the field of the tank circuit The altered damped wave signal then becomes a signature unique to the metallic content of the particular coin being examined The damped wave output signals produced by such devices have certain distinctive characteristics such as distinctive magnitude, frequency, and/or the shape of signal envelope
The devices disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,625,852 and 4,739,869 employ two pairs of coils which are pulsed separately to produce a ringing damped wave signal from each coil pair. One coil pair is connected in a series opposition polarity arrangement and the other coil pair is connected in a series aiding polarity arrangement. The coil pair connected in the series aiding polarity arrangement provides good discrimination between certain metals that are relatively close in resistivity, and can thus readily discriminate between certain coins on this basis. However, discriminating between certain other coins with values of resistivity that are close to one another is more effectively realized by use of coil pairs where the coils are connected in a series opposition polarity arrangement.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,432,447 discloses a coil pair which is connected in a transformer relationship to transmit a signal from a primary coil to a secondary coil when a coin being examined passes between the two coils. The passing of the coin between the two coils changes the mutual inductance between the coils. The resultant change in the secondary signal from the secondary coil represents a particular resistivity value associated with the coin This particular resistivity value can then be used to determine whether the coin is a valid coin.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,091,908 discloses a detector circuit that uses two transformers having signals applied to their respective primary windings, each having a pair of secondaries connected in series opposition The resultant signals across the coil pairs are monitored and used to indicate the extent to which the mutual conductance of the transformers is affected by the resistivity of the coin as it passes through the magnetic flux paths of the transformers.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,453 shows a coil pair connected in a series aiding polarity relationship, with a capacitor connected across the pair. In this construction the coin passes between the coil pair to cause a change in the mutual conductance. The resultant change in the output signal across the coil pair is related to the resistivity of the coin passing therebetween. The output signal is used to determine the particular coin characteristic desired.
Other known coin detection and validation circuits are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,436,196, 4,574,935, and 4,492,296. U.S. Pat. No. 4,436,196 shows two transformers having their primaries connected in a series aiding arrangement and a single secondary winding connected in a series opposition arrangement. The passing of a coin between the primaries and the secondary causes a change in the output signal from the secondary winding. This signal is utilized to discriminate between coins and slugs having different resistivities. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,574,935, a first tank circuit is pulsed simultaneously with a second tank circuit which is tuned to some desired frequency. The validity of a coin passing between the two tank circuits is determined when the output signals from the two tank circuits are equal. U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,296 discloses a construction having two coils between which a coin passes. The coils are part of an oscillator circuit which is shown connected in a series aiding polarity arrangement used to discriminate between coins having various resistivities
The present invention is an advancement over the coin detection and validation means disclosed in the above mentioned patents that employ pulsed inductive circuits and those that have series connected inductor pairs. The present invention is designed to operate a ringing circuit that has a pair of series connected inductors, each having its own associated capacitor, and each of which is rung independently of the other. The frequency of the damped wave output of each inductor-capacitor tank circuit is established by the value of the capacitor associated therewith. A coin passing between the two series connected inductors causes a unique damped wave pattern to be produced which is indicative of the resistivity of the coin. The feature of having two pairs of coils, as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,852, one of which is connected in a series aiding polarity arrangement and the other of which is connected in a series opposition polarity arrangement, is accomplished in the present invention using a single pair of inductors.
Many new forms of coin detection and validation means are shown in this specification including those which use two LC tank circuits connected in series or in parallel using one or seperate pulsing means to produce damped waves when energy stored by a charging pulse is removed. The tank circuits or the coils therefor can be located on opposite sides of the coin path and in some cases on the same side. The coils in the tank circuits can be air coils or coils in associatied with ferrite pot cores, and the seperate tank circuits, each of which has its own discrete capacitor can have the same or different resonant frequencies and they can be charged by the same charging pulse or by different charging pulses of the same or different frequency and/or of the same or different phase.
The present invention provides a method of maintaining the selectivity of coins throughout the variance of component or environmental changes One such method is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,546,869 whereby the stored values of the acceptability ranges are used to compare measured values of coins tested, and are modified as conditions for testing change U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,719 in column 15, lines 50-55 shows the means to vary the input driving signal to the inductor from initally programmed coin criteria. The coin criteria for selectively varying the input driving signal can be altered as conditions for testing change.
The present invention provides automatic refinement of coin selectivity in a different manner than the aforementioned patents. It does not compare a resultant test signal measurement to that stored in a memory as in U.S. Pat. No, 4,546,869, and it does not change the stored criteria for a driving signal characteristic as in the U.S. Pat. No. 4,538,719. The present invention accomplishes automatic maintenance of coin selectivity by modifying the stored data which controls the proportioning of the resultant test signal before it is compared to a fixed voltage level.
A principal object of the present inventon is to provide improved means for detecting and validating coins and other metallic objects.
A further object is to provide an improved coin validation means that utilizes two ringing circuits.
Another object is to provide coin validation means that can be used to distinguish between a number of different denomination coins without the need for replicative circuitry.
Another object is to provide electronic coin validation means that can be used to distinguish between coins of differing denomination without the necessity of changing any characteristics of a driving signal applied to the inductive means.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide a coin validation means that utilizes a microprocessor to control the operation of a variably controllable resultant test signal proportioning means.
An object of this invention is to provide automatic compensation for any changes in circuit components or coin population.
Another object is to provide an electronic coin validation means that is readily usable with other coin validation means.


Upshifting is performed in a short time without giving rise to shocks. For that purpose, at the time of upshifting, a hydraulic pressure (QUPOFF) of a hydraulic engaging element on disengaging side is controlled such that the input and output speed ratio ("Gratio") of a transmission is decreased to, and held at, a predetermined slipping region (YG(N)S) that is lower than an engaging region (YG(N)L)-YG(N)H) to be set based on a gear ratio which is established by the engagement of the hydraulic engaging element on the disengaging side. The hydraulic pressure (QUPON) of a hydraulic engaging element on engaging side is gradually increased. When "Gratio" once falls below YG(N)L and then increases up again to YGCONOK, QUPOFF is lowered to a predetermined low pressure (QUPOFFB) at a lapse of a predetermined time (YTMUP8). Once "Gratio">YGCONOK, QUPON is increased to a predetermined high pressure QUPONB at a lapse of a second predetermined time YTMUP3. YTMUP8 is set so as to become shorter with an increase in a vehicle speed, and YTMUP3 is set so as to become longer with an increase in the vehicle speed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a control apparatus for a hydraulically operated vehicular transmission having a plurality of speed stages to be established by a selecting operation of a plurality of hydraulic engaging elements. In this specification, the term "vehicular transmission" means a transmission for a vehicle such as a motor vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
As this kind of apparatus, there has hitherto been known one in which a hydraulic pressure of that hydraulic engaging element on disengaging side which is disengaged at the time of speed changing (also called a disengaging pressure) and a hydraulic pressure of that hydraulic engaging element on engaging side which is engaged at the time of speed changing (also called an engaging pressure) are electronically controlled by using solenoid proportional valves. An input and output speed ratio (rotational speed of an output shaft/rotational speed of an input shaft) of a transmission is detected, and a condition of progress (or development) in speed changing is discriminated from the input and output speed ratio to thereby control the disengaging pressure and the engaging pressure.
In this kind of apparatus, there is also known one in which the following arrangement is made. Namely, at the time of upshifting, in order to prevent the engine from racing, the engaging pressure is gradually increased while controlling the disengaging pressure such that the hydraulic engaging element on the disengaging side does not slip, i.e., such that the input and output speed ratio of the transmission lies within a predetermined engaging region which is set based on the gear ratio of the speed stage to be established by the engagement of the hydraulic engaging element on the disengaging side. When the input and output speed ratio has risen to a value above the engaging region as a result of decrease in the rotational speed of the input shaft due to simultaneous engagement of the hydraulic engaging element on the disengaging side and the hydraulic engaging element on the engaging side, a discrimination is made that the condition of speed changing has transferred from a torque phase to an inertia phase. The engaging pressure is then increased to a predetermined high pressure and also the disengaging pressure is decreased to a predetermined low pressure.
In the upshifting control of the above-described conventional example, if the rate of gradual increase in the engaging pressure in the torque phase is made large, the engaging force of the hydraulic engaging element on the engaging side at the time of transferring to the inertia phase becomes excessive, with the result that shocks are likely to occur. As a solution, the engaging pressure is increased relatively gradually (or slowly) and, as a consequence, it takes much time to transfer to the inertia phase, and the time required for the upshifting becomes long.
In view of the above point, the present invention has an object of providing a control apparatus for a hydraulically operated vehicular transmission in which the upshifting can be performed in a short time without giving rise to shocks.

Control apparatus for hydraulically operated vehicular transmission


A wiping device particularly for motor vehicles includes a wiper blade formed of a wiper rubber with two longitudinal grooves arranged opposite each other and a supporting element in the form of two elongated elastic rails arranged in the longitudinal grooves. An adapter element is provided on the supporting element to connect the wiper blades to a driveable wiper arm. A connecting element extending in a cross direction is used to connect the opposite-lying elastic rails and is arranged on at least one of the free ends of the wiper blade. The connecting element is welded to both of the front sides of the extremities of the elastic rails which are situated opposite each other.

The invention relates to a wiping device, specifically for motor vehicles, having a wiper blade which has a wiper rubber with two longitudinal grooves arranged opposite each other and a support element in the form of two ribbon-like, elongated flexible splines positioned in the longitudinal grooves, where an adapter element is provided on the support element to connect the wiper blade to a driveable wiper arm, and where a connecting element extending in the transverse direction is provided on at least one of the open ends of the wiper blade to join the ends of the flexible splines arranged opposite each other. The invention also relates to a wiper blade and a method of producing a wiping device and a wiper blade.
In the case of a known wiping device, the support element in the form of two ribbon-like, elongated flexible splines ensures an optimal distribution of the wiper-blade contact pressure emanating from the wiper arm against the glass. To achieve this, the support element is pre-bent accordingly in its unloaded state, when the wiper blade is not lying against the glass, and has a curvature which depends, among other factors, on the curvature of the glass to be wiped. The support element of a wiping device of this kind replaces the complex and expensive yoke design with two flexible splines located in the wiper body, as they have become known, for example, from DE-15 05 357.
Connecting elements are known from DE 197 29 864 A1, which extend in the transverse direction at the open ends of the wiper blade and which join the flexible splines arranged opposite each other. Such connecting elements, described as retainers in the cited document, consist of several retainer parts connected together which are pushed over the ends of the flexible splines. The disadvantage of this prior art is that the retainers are expensive to assemble since they consist of several individual parts. There is also no assurance that the retainers will not be dislodged under increased loads, for example, when the vehicle drives through a car wash, due to the effects of the brushes and cloth scrubber cleaning systems on the wiping device, which affects the ability of the wiping device to operate. A further disadvantage of a wiping device in accordance with the prior art is that pushing the retainer over the ends of the flexible splines requires the length of the flexible splines to be longer by the space needed for retainer installation than the wiper rubber positioned between the flexible splines.
The object of the present invention is therefore to remedy the disadvantages of the prior art just described.


The invention relates to genetically engineering the wood color of woody plants by incorporation of the lignin pathway gene O-methyltransferase into the genome of the plants.

Genetic engineering of forest tree species to conform to desired traits has shifted the emphasis in forest tree improvement away from the traditional breeding programs during the past decade. Although research on genetic engineering of forest trees has been vigorous, the progress has been slow due.
Very little progress has been reported regarding the genetic engineering of color in plant species. The ability to genetically alter the color of plants would be of great value to industries such as the furniture industry to make furniture from genetically modified wood or to the paper industry. Accordingly, these exists a need for such genetic color modification of plant species.
Further, there is a need for improving the efficiency of pulping of wood. Considerable monetary and environmental costs are incurred by the paper industry in removing lignin from cellulose during the production of wood pulp and paper.

Genetic engineering of wood color in plants

Board of Control of Michigan Technological University


TFTs with an inverted stagger structure are fabricated according to the invention as follows; a glass substrate after depositing amorphous silicon (a-Si) thereupon is transferred to a laser annealing chamber which is kept in non-oxidation ambient and provided with a sample holder and a substrate heating mechanism. The substrate is fixed on the sample holder, then subjected to laser annealing while being heated from the glass substrate side, thereby growing polycrystalline silicon having substantially improved crystallinity, on which a-Si is further deposited. According to this process of the invention, it is capable of forming TFTs having a higher mobility and a smaller leakage current in the periphery of the substrate, with addition of almost no changes to the process and device structures of conventional TFTs which constitute pixels, and even more the peripheral drive circuitry is capable of being integrated in the display substrate.

The present invention relates to a thin film semiconductor device, and in particular, to a thin film transistor having an inverted stagger structure to be applied to liquid crystal display devices, its fabrication method, and image processor devices.
As thin film transistors (TFTs) applied to liquid crystal display devices, there have been amorphous silicon (a-Si) TFTs having inverted stagger structures. On the other hand, there have been some attempts to improve the carrier mobility in TFTs, such as set forth in the Japanese Patent Publication No.59-15524 (1984) where TFTs having a coplanar structure with an a-Si film being formed under a p-Si (polycrystalline silicon) film were used, or in Japanese Patent Publication No.62-295465 (1987) where an a-Si layer was provided between the source and drain regions, and the channel region (p-Si layer). Further, a laser annealing method for realizing a two-layer structure of a-Si and p-Si by laser annealing part of the a-Si film into p-Si was described in IEEE Trans. Electron Dev.36,2868-2872 (1989).
In these prior arts, however, annealing had been conducted in vacuum or inert gas, with temperatures of the substrates set at room temperatures. By laser annealing in vacuum or inert gas, adverse effects due to oxygen and water or harmful impurity atoms in the air are reduced, preventing formation of oxide films or the like on the surface. However, such a method which employs normal stagger structures is not suitable for application to the liquid crystal display devices as its process increases requiring light-shutter films or the like. In addition, although some improvement has been made in the carrier mobility, as part of the film being changed to p-Si by laser annealing, the interface between a p-Si layer and an a-Si layer cannot be made smooth. Furthermore, the p-Si layer consists of an upper region having a fairly large crystal grain size, a middle region having a small crystal grain size, and a lower region having an irregular boundary. Therefore, when a reverse voltage is applied to the gate, electric field is concentrated on the irregular boundary, giving rise to a problem to cause a large leakage current. Hence, there occurred a problem that peripheral driver circuits could not be integrated in a display substrate. Furthermore, although there were given some considerations against contamination due to inclusion of oxygen atoms, carbon or other impurities into thin films during laser annealing or for preventing formation of oxide films, no effective measures have been taken to assure homogeneity of crystal grains in polycrystalline semiconductor thin films obtained, or with respect to a distribution of crystal grains in a perpendicular direction, thereby giving rise to a problem that the electrical properties became varied.

Thin film semiconductor device having inverted stagger structure, and device having such semiconductor device


A buffer device for testing a memory subsystem. The buffer device includes a parallel bus port adapted for connection to a slow speed bus and a serial bus port adapted for connection to a high speed bus. The high speed bus operates at a faster speed than the slow speed bus. The buffer device also includes a bus converter having a standard operating mode for converting serial packetized input data received via the serial bus port into parallel bus output data for output via the parallel bus port. The buffer device also includes an alternate operating mode for converting parallel bus input data received via the parallel bus port into serial packetized output data for output via the serial bus port. The serial packetized input data is consistent in function and timing to the serial packetized output data.

The invention relates to testing a memory subsystem and in particular, to providing a high speed test interface to a memory subsystem.
Computer memory subsystems have evolved over the years, but continue to retain many consistent attributes. Computer memory subsystems from the early 1980's, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,475,194 to LaVallee et al., of common assignment herewith, included a memory controller, a memory assembly (contemporarily called a basic storage module (BSM) by the inventors) with array devices, buffers, terminators and ancillary timing and control functions, as well as several point-to-point busses to permit each memory assembly to communicate with the memory controller via its own point-to-point address and data bus. FIG. 1 depicts an example of this early 1980 computer memory subsystem with two BSMs, a memory controller, a maintenance console, and point-to-point address and data busses connecting the BSMs and the memory controller.
FIG. 2, from U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,135 to Dell et al., of common assignment herewith, depicts an early synchronous memory module, which includes synchronous dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) 8, buffer devices 12, an optimized pinout, an interconnect and a capacitive decoupling method to facilitate operation. The patent also describes the use of clock re-drive on the module, using such devices as phase lock loops (PLLs).
FIG. 3, from U.S. Pat. No. 6,510,100 to Grundon et al., of common assignment herewith, depicts a simplified diagram and description of a memory system 10 that includes up to four registered dual inline memory modules (DIMMs) 40 on a traditional multi-drop stub bus channel. The subsystem includes a memory controller 20, an external clock buffer 30, registered DIMMs 40, an address bus 50, a control bus 60 and a data bus 70 with terminators 95 on the address bus 50 and data bus 70.
FIG. 4 depicts a 1990's memory subsystem which evolved from the structure in FIG. 1 and includes a memory controller 402, one or more high speed point-to-point channels 404, each connected to a bus-to-bus converter chip 406, and each having a synchronous memory interface 408 that enables connection to one or more registered DIMMs 410. In this implementation, the high speed, point-to-point channel 404 operated at twice the DRAM data rate, allowing the bus-to-bus converter chip 406 to operate one or two registered DIMM memory channels at the full DRAM data rate. Each registered DIMM included a PLL, registers, DRAMs, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM) and terminators, in addition to other passive components.
As shown in FIG. 5, memory subsystems were often constructed with a memory controller connected either to a single memory module, or to two or more memory modules interconnected on a 'stub' bus. FIG. 5 is a simplified example of a multi-drop stub bus memory structure, similar to the one shown in FIG. 3. This structure offers a reasonable tradeoff between cost, performance, reliability and upgrade capability, but has inherent limits on the number of modules that may be attached to the stub bus. The limit on the number of modules that may be attached to the stub bus is directly related to the data rate of the information transferred over the bus. As data rates increase, the number and length of the stubs must be reduced to ensure robust memory operation. Increasing the speed of the bus generally results in a reduction in modules on the bus, with the optimal electrical interface being one in which a single module is directly connected to a single controller, or a point-to-point interface with few, if any, stubs that will result in reflections and impedance discontinuities. As most memory modules are sixty-four or seventy-two bits in data width, this structure also requires a large number of pins to transfer address, command, and data. One hundred and twenty pins are identified in FIG. 5 as being a representative pincount.
FIG. 6, from U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,120 to Petty, of common assignment herewith, is related to the application of a daisy chain structure in a multipoint communication structure that would otherwise require multiple ports, each connected via point-to-point interfaces to separate devices. By adopting a daisy chain structure, the controlling station can be produced with fewer ports (or channels), and each device on the channel can utilize standard upstream and downstream protocols, independent of their location in the daisy chain structure.
FIG. 7 represents a daisy chained memory bus, implemented consistent with the teachings in U.S. Pat. No. 4,723,120. A memory controller 111 is connected to a memory bus 315, which further connects to a module 310a. The information on bus 315 is re-driven by the buffer on module 310a to a next module, 310b, which further re-drives the bus 315 to module positions denoted as 310n. Each module 310a includes a DRAM 311a and a buffer 320a. The bus 315 may be described as having a daisy chain structure with each bus being point-to-point in nature.
As the density and speed of memory subsystems increases, it becomes more difficult to test memory subsystems with standard test devices. In general, there is a lack of low cost industry test capability for very high speed memory assemblies. Existing mainstream memory device and module testers are capable of operating at data rates of about 200 to 500 megabytes per second (Mb/s) with extensions to 1 gigabyte per second (Gb/s) per pin possible on some test systems, and often at a very high cost. Although higher speed testers are expected in the future, they are not expected to keep pace with rapid performance improvements on future memory modules.
Other known testing solutions include using a built in self test (BIST) mode and/or using a transparent mode. BIST is a pre-programmed or programmable sequence and pattern generator, in conjunction with an error checking capability. BIST is implemented in many new designs, but it is limited in test coverage and flexibility due to the die size and power. The programmability is limited due to logic complexity. In addition, timing and voltage adjustments are also limited. Therefore, while BIST is often used for testing memory subsystems, it is often supplemented with other testing methods for thorough test coverage. Transparent mode refers to the capability of having the automated test equipment (ATE) provide address, command, clocks and data at a conventional speed (e.g., 400 Mb/s data) and the memory module passing the information, unmodified and unchecked, to the DRAMs located on the memory module. The use of the transparent mode for testing does not result in testing the memory subsystem at full operating speed.
Based on the lack of available high speed testers and the limited capability of known test features (e.g., BIST, transparent mode), an alternate method of testing that can be utilized to test high speed devices at a relatively low cost would be useful.

System, method and storage medium for providing a high speed test interface to a memory subsystem

International Business Machines Corporation


An Aluminium alloy composition for a sliding element may include: 4 wt % to 8 wt % of Tin; 4 wt % to 8 wt % of Silicon; 0.4 wt % to 1.7 wt % of Copper; and 0.1 wt % to 1 wt % of Manganese. The composition may also include at least one of: 0.4 wt % to 2.0 wt % of Nickel; 0.01 wt % to 0.3 wt % of Zirconium; 0.05 wt % to 0.3 wt % of Vanadium; 0.05 wt % to 0.5 wt % of Scandium; and 0.05 wt % to 1 wt % of Erbium. The composition may also include at least one of: 0.005 wt % to 0.2 wt % of Titanium; 0.003 wt % to 0.2 wt % of Strontium; 0.005 wt % to 0.5 wt % of Antimony; 0.005 wt % to 0.1 wt % of Europium; and 0.001 wt % to 0.02 wt % of Carbon. The balance of the composition, apart from any incidental impurities, may be Aluminium.

Highly rated internal combustion engines have conventionally used crankshaft bearings comprising a copper based or an Aluminium based bearing alloy bonded to a backing or substrate material, for example steel. The running surface of the bearing, i.e. that surface which faces the engine crankshaft journal surface, is commonly provided with a so-called overlay coating or sliding layer. The sliding layer may be a metal layer, comprising, for example, lead, tin, bismuth, silver, copper alloys or Aluminium alloys. Alternatively, the sliding layer material may be a non-metal, polymeric, material comprising an artificial resin base, or matrix, and an additive for enhancing the load carrying capacity and/or wear resistance of the bearing.
Fuel-saving operating schemes have become popular for automotive engines, which have tended to increase the frequency with which the engine is started. Under a "stop-start" operating regime, stopping and restarting vehicle movement also leads to the engine being stopped and restarted. Under a "hybrid" operating scheme, the engine is turned off when the vehicle can be powered by an alternative power source, commonly an electric motor. Under such operating schemes, the engine is subjected to a substantially greater number of starts than conventional engines and the crankshaft is regularly accelerated from rest before a uniform hydrodynamic film of lubricant is established on the various running surfaces, including the thrust washer running layer and the counterface. This causes metal-to-metal contact between the crankshaft journal surface and the bearing surface, i.e. the oil film at the point of contact is ruptured allowing metal to metal contact, which is known as scuffing and causes wear of the running surfaces. Resistance to wear is therefore a very important consideration in the development of bearing running layer materials.
For years, developments in bearing technology for engines have focused on the development of polymer overlays which commonly provide good resistance to wear. Whilst the technical advantages of overlay coated bearings are well documented, they have the significant disadvantage of being expensive to make due to the need for separate spraying and curing operations.
In order to bring down the cost of engines, efforts are being made to develop bearings which have good resistance to wear without the need for overlay coatings. For example, published UK patent application no. GB2271779 provides multi-layer bearings having an Al—Sn bearing alloy layer and high fatigue strength and good conformability with a mating member having a backing steel plate and an intermediate bonding layer of another Aluminium alloy. The Al—Sn alloy comprises by weight, 7 to 20% Sn balance being Al and any impurities, and has a Vickers hardness of HV 50 to 80. The Aluminium alloy intermediate bonding layer comprises by weight, at least one of the elements of up to 1.7% Mn, up to 1.2% Cu and up to 1.8% Mg, balance being Al and any impurities. The hardness ratio of the Aluminium alloy intermediate bonding layer to the Al—Sn bearing alloy is from 70% to 90%.
Published UK patent application no. GB2266564 provides a multilayer plain bearing comprising a steel backing, an Aluminium alloy intermediate bonding layer, and an Aluminium bearing alloy layer. The bearing layer comprises by weight, from 7 to 15% Sn, from 0.5 to 3% Si, the balance being Al and any incidental impurities, the hardness of the bearing layer being less than Vickers hardness HV 50. The bonding layer comprises by weight, at least one of the following elements, 0 to 1.7% Mn, 0 to 1.2% Cu and 0 to 1.8% Mg, the balance being Al and any incidental impurities. The Vickers hardness of the bonding layer is in a range of from 60% to 120% of the Vickers hardness of the bearing layer.
Published European patent application no. EP1108797 sought to address challenges in manufacturing Aluminium alloy bearings such as those provided in GB2271779 and GB2266564 by providing a bearing and a bearing alloy composition comprising in weight %: tin 5-10; copper 0.7-1.3; nickel 0.7-1.3; silicon 1.5-3.5; vanadium 0.1-0.3; manganese 0.1-0.3; balance aluminium apart from unavoidable impurities. Preferably, the Silicon content is maintained within the range from 2 to 3 wt %.
The inventors have appreciated that with increasing use of hard materials for engine components and increasing demand by engine manufacturers for bearings with good wear and fatigue resistance for use in start-stop engines, changes to the composition of Aluminium alloy is required to ensure the right balance between these performance requirements for sliding elements.


Described are methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer program products for a version-controlled cached data store. A first node is associated with a first identifier and a first version. A control file is received, where the control file includes information associating a second node with a second identifier and a second version. The first version is compared with the second version when the first identifier and the second identifier are identical.

Many search schemes and indexing approaches have been developed to manage file systems and/or databases. One example of an approach is a binary tree approach. In a binary tree approach, a node is established as the root node and the first node that has a greater value than the root node becomes the root node's right child node. Likewise, the first node with a value lower than the root node becomes the root node's left child node. A node that has a value greater than the root node, but less than the root node's right child node becomes the right child node's left child node. The tree structure is built this way as nodes are added to the tree. Periodically, the tree may be rebalanced to even the distribution of nodes from one side of the root node to the other. Ideally, the root node is the middle value of all nodes so that all searches take approximately the same amount of time to complete (i.e., so roughly half the searches traverse the left child node branch and half traverse the right child node branch). In an unbalanced tree, that is, where one node branch of the root node is significantly larger than the other node branch, search performance suffers because one branch of the search tree takes significantly longer to search through. After rebalancing the tree, neither side of the tree has generally more or less nodes than the other side.
Another approach to searching is the "B-Tree" approach. In a B-Tree, the nodes of the tree may have a larger number of data elements per node compared to the one data element of the binary tree. Correspondingly, a B-Tree may have a larger number of child nodes per parent node since the child nodes contain values between the parent node element values. Unlike the binary tree node which has one data element and two pointers, one for nodes greater than the current node and one for nodes less than the current node, the B-Tree node may have, for example, four data elements per node. The searched-for term is compared against the elements at the current node level, and if the searched-for term falls between nodes, a pointer for that gap is followed.
Using a B+-tree, or other variants, another approach caches portions of the index which are frequently accessed. For example, see US patent publication number 2003/0033328. The nodes that are cached and read are acquired from the database without a latch. There is a scheme described that uses a latch bit and a version number to ensure that the cached files are accurate and consistent. During the read operation, a version of the node is copied into a register. The contents of the node are read. A latch bit of the read node is examined to ensure that the node has not been latched by another process. The version number of the read node is compared to the version number in the register to ensure that the contents have not been updated during the read operation. If both the latch bit is not set and the version has not changed, then the node is in a consistent state and the node is used.


An analytical shell-model producing apparatus for converting a three-dimensional model into internal surfaces, wherein an internal surface is used to represent each three-dimensional element of the three-dimensional model. Each internal surface comprises a bounded plane and an associated width attribute, wherein the bounded plane is located internal to the three-dimensional element which it represents, and wherein the associated width attribute represents the width of the three-dimensional element in a direction normal to the bounded plane.

The present invention relates to an analytical shell-model producing apparatus for producing a shell-model for use in analyzing from a solid-state model of a thin-plate structure, and it relates to, in particular, the analytical shell-model producing apparatus, being suitable to be used in a CAE (Computer Aided Engineering) for simulating physical phenomenon by means of numerical values, through the numerical analysis with using a computer.
In the numerical analysis, being represented by, such as, the finite-element method, for example, a model is made up with aggregation of elements, such as, a hexahedron and/or a tetrahedron, for example, as the material to be a target of analyzing (i.e., an analysis target). Also, in a case where the target material of analyzing has a thin-plate structure, a load on computing thereof can be reduced by utilizing a tetragon element and/or a triangle element, to which is given thickness as an attribute value thereof. When using a three(3)-dimensional CAD system, since a material (i.e., a configuration model) was already produced as for the analysis target, therefore even the configuration model of the thin-plate structure is defined to be a solid having thickness.
Conventionally, in a method for producing such a shell-model for use in analyzing from the solid-model of thin-plate structure, as is described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-259505 (1994) <JP-A 6-259505>, for example, a thin plate-like configuration portion is designated as the configuration model to be the target of numerical analysis, and then a surface is extracted, which has a geometric feature of being parallel to the surface, among surfaces connecting to the configuration designated. The surfaces, being in parallel with the surface extracted and also being shortest in the distance therebetween, are specified as a pair, and a medial-surface is produced with respect to the pair of surfaces, thereby producing the analysis model.
Also as one of other methods, being described in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-207777 (2002) <JP-A 2002-207777>, for example, a hollow mesh model having a two(2)-layer structure is produced for the configuration model to be the target of numerical analysis. And, upon basis of a moving vector set up upon the shape, it is moved while deciding whether a node of the model is in contact with or not, on an element opposing thereto. With this, the nodes of the model are gathered at a neutral point, thereby producing a neutral surface model. However, the neutral surface indicates a surface, being a thin plate-like and located at a neutral position, and it is an equivalent of the shell-model for use in analyzing.
However, in the method for producing the shell-model for use in analyzing, which is described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. Hei 6-259505, for example, since an operator must give an instruction to the thin film-like configuration part, and also only the surface contacting in parallel with the configuration instructed comes to be a target of producing the neutral surface, the operator must give instructions a number of times to that configuration, in particular, if it is a complicated configuration model, and/or a configuration having a rib, for example, and therefore it is not easy to produce the shell model for use in analyzing.
Also, in the method for producing the shell-model for use in analyzing, which is described in the Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-207777, for example, since the medial-surface model is not produced in the form of the configuration model, but in that of the configuration model, it is necessary to re-produce the configuration model from the mesh data when changing the configuration, such as, for the purpose of parameter survey, etc. Also, sometimes there are cases where the configuration model cannot be produced if trying to produce it again, since the configuration is too complicated.

Analytical shell-model producing apparatus


Fluorinated vinyl ethers having phosphorus-containing groups are useful as monomers in making fluoropolymers having functional sites.

There is an increasing demand for functionalized fluoromonomers and polymers to be applied in the areas of adhesion enhancement, cured coatings, interface compatibilizers for compounding/blending, and so on. Known cure site monomers such as CF.sub.2 .dbd.CFOCF.sub.2 CF(CF.sub.3)OCF.sub.2 CF.sub.2 --CN (U.S. Pat. No. 4,281,092) used in perfluoroelastomers require high temperature and the presence of catalysts to complete the curing. Hence, the direct utilization of such functional monomers in fluoroplastics is generally inconvenient to use and not practical.
Thus, there is an unfilled need for a convenient functional monomer for use in fluoropolymers.

Phosphorus-containing fluoromonomers and polymers thereof


A device 20 for cleaning threaded studs 14 securing the dome-shaped head of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel to the vessel body 10 comprises a cylindrical brush holder 24 rotatably carried in a housing 22. An annular steel wire brush 28, disposed on the inner surface of the brush holder 24, is adapted to fit over and engage the threaded portion 14a of a stud 14. An electric motor 26 mounted on the housing 22 rotates the brush holder 24 as it is lowered onto an upstanding stud 14. A vacuum source connected to the housing 22 captures any particulate matter removed from the stud 14.

The present invention relates to a device for cleaning threaded studs and, more particularly, to a device for cleaning such studs in a radioactive or otherwise hazardous environment.
The domed head of a nuclear reactor pressure vessel is normally secured to the vessel body by means of a plurality of very large threaded bolts or studs. These studs can be several feet long and more than six inches in diameter. At scheduled intervals called "outages", the reactor is shut down, so that, a refueling and fuel shuffling operative can be performed and various pieces of equipment, including the studs, can be cleaned and inspected. Due to their size, manual cleaning of the studs is quite cumbersome. More importantly, the studs, and other pressure vessel components, are radioactive and, thus, personnel can only be exposed thereto for short periods of time.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide a device for cleaning threaded studs on a nuclear reactor pressure vessel and, further, to provide such a device by which cleaning of the studs may be effected while minimizing the exposure of personnel to radiation.
The foregoing and other objects and advantages as may hereinafter appear, are accomplished by a device comprising a cylindrical brush holder rotatably carried in a housing. An annular brush, disposed on the inner surface of the brush holder, is adapted to telescopingly engage the threaded portion of a stud. Motor means, preferably an electric motor mounted on the housing, rotates the brush to clean the stud threads. Advantageously, guide means, preferably a frusto-conical member disposed on the lower end of the housing, facilitates lowering the device onto an upstanding stud. Vacuum means may be provided, preferably comprising a vacuum source connected to the housing, to capture particulate matter, much of which is radioactive, dislodged from a stud during cleaning.


A method and radio access network device includes a processing unit configured to: separate a network measurement configuration command into at least first network measurements and second network measurements; forward the first network measurements of the network measurement configuration command over an air interface to a user equipment; receive, from the user equipment, the first network measurements on downlink communication channels to form first network measurement results; perform, in the radio access network device, the second network measurements on uplink communication channels to form second network measurement results; and combine, in the radio access network device, the first network measurement results from the user equipment with the second network measurement results from the radio access network device to form an aggregated network measurement report.

3rd generation partnership project (3GPP) long term evolution (LTE) is an improved version of a universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) and is introduced as the 3GPP release 8. The 3GPP LTE uses orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) in a downlink, and uses single carrier-frequency division multiple access (SC-FDMA) in an uplink. The 3GPP LTE employs multiple input multiple output (MIMO) having up to four antennas.
Minimization of drive tests (MDT) is a test performed by service providers for coverage optimization by using a user equipment (UE) instead of using a specialized device, such as equipment inside of an automobile. The coverage area of a base station in a mobile communications network varies depending on a location of a base station (BS), deployment of buildings nearby, a user's usage environment, etc. Therefore, it is required for the service providers to periodically perform the drive test, and a lot of costs and resources are consumed. The MDT is used when the service provider measures the coverage by using the UE.
The MDT can be classified into a logged MDT and an immediate MDT. According to the logged MDT, after performing the MDT measurement, the UE delivers a log file containing at least one MDT measurement to a network available at a time of satisfying a reporting condition. According to the immediate MDT, after performing the MDT measurement, the UE delivers the measurement to the network at points in time when a configured reporting condition is satisfied. The logged MDT performs the MDT measurement in a radio resource control (RRC) idle mode, but the immediate MDT performs the MDT measurement in an RRC connected mode.

Minimization of drive tests uplink measurements


A method for the catalytic purification of an oxygen-rich exhaust gas, wherein the catalyst comprises: a catalyst support, a zeolyte layer formed on the catalyst support and noble metals such as platinum, palladium and rhodium loaded on the catalyst. The catalyst for purifying the exhaust gas maintains a superior exhaust gas conversion performance over a long period of time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a catalytic method for purifying exhaust gases of an internal combustion engine. It particularly relates to such a catalyst employing a zeolite.
2. Description of the Related Art
A zeolite has pores whose sizes are almost equal to those of molecules, and is also known as a "molecular sieve". The zeolite has been utilized in many reactions as a catalyst as well as an absorbent. Further, the zeolite is also utilized as a cation exchanger, since the zeolite includes cations for neutralizing negative electric charges of Al.sub.2 O.sub.3, and since the cations are easily exchanged with the other cations in an aqueous solution.
In recent years, it has been examined to apply the zeolite to a catalyst for purifying exhaust gases of automobiles in view of these characteristics of the zeolite.
For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 97047/1985 discloses a catalyst for purifying exhaust gases in which copper is loaded into a zeolite by means of an ion exchange.
Further, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication (KOKAI) No. 135541/1989 discloses a catalyst for purifying exhaust gases in which noble metals selected from the group consisting of platinum (Pt), palladium (Pd), rhodium (Rh), iridium (Ir) and ruthenium (Ru) are loaded into a zeolite by means of an ion exchange. In the catalyst for purifying exhaust gases, a catalyst support is coated with 100 g of the zeolite per 1 liter of the catalyst support, and 1.0 g of platinum or palladium and 0.2 g of rhodium per 1 liter of the catalyst support are loaded on the zeolite, as usual. Since the noble metals are expensive, the amounts thereof used as a catalyst metal are usually not so great.
These catalysts offer an improved conversion performance on nitrogen oxides even under a lean atmosphere where oxygen exists in an excess amount. Accordingly, it is possible to dilute the concentration of the air-fuel mixture supplied into an engine, thereby enabling to sufficiently purify harmful components over a wide range from the theoretical air-fuel ratio to the lean atmosphere side. Therefore, it is possible to achieve a higher mileage with a less fuel consumption.
However, in the above-mentioned catalyst in which the zeolite contains copper as positive ions, it has been found that the copper is aggregated by the heat generated during the service as a catalyst, and that the catalyst performance deteriorates because the copper is unstable at a high temperature of 800.degree. C. or more.
Further, in the above-mentioned catalyst in which the zeolite contains the noble metals as cation, it has been found that the catalyst performance deteriorates after a durability test.


An apparatus includes at least two tanks, at least two pumps, at least one nozzle, and a chuck. The apparatus provides multiple developers with different polarities during a developing process to target portions of a latent resist profile having different polarities, and thus different solubility. This apparatus also allows a mixture of two developers to be used for the resist film developing. A polarity of the mixture is adjustable by controlling a ratio of one pump flow rate to another pump flow rate and further controlling the resist pattern profile.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced exponential growth. Technological advances in IC materials and design have produced generations of ICs where each generation has smaller and more complex circuits than the previous generation. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC processing and manufacturing are needed.
For example, lithography processes often implement exposing and developing processes to pattern small features during IC wafer fabrication and mask fabrication. One of the challenges that arise during the lithography processes is that latent pattern resist profiles formed by the exposing process have different polarity at different portions of the resist profiles. Such polarity differences are caused by light scattering and reflecting at the top and the bottom of a resist film during the exposing process. The different portions of the different polarity have a different solubility to an organic solvent developer used during the developing process, oftentimes resulting in a resist pattern profile with top scum (T-top) and bottom scum (footing).
Accordingly, what is needed is an apparatus and a method that address the above issues.

Apparatus and method for developing process

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


To avoid even in rotor-stator dispersion machines with high suction power that the drawn liquid is set into a rotational movement whereby the dispersion performance is impaired, the invention provides transitional elements, such as an intermediate piece, for establishing the connection between a rotor-stator dispersion machine and a container. The rotor-stator dispersion machine comprises a rotor-stator system having at least one toothed ring. The container has a longitudinal axis and an outlet. The intermediate piece has a first opening for the connection with the outlet of the container and a second opening for the connection with the rotor-stator dispersion machine. The intermediate piece comprises a tube line that extends between the first and the second opening and has at least in some sections a longitudinal axis that is inclined relative to the longitudinal axis of the container by an angle a30 in the range of 0° to 90°.

In process engineering the general practice for the preparation of products involves working with ratios of quantities as set forth in a recipe. Some raw materials are added in gram-range quantities, others in large quantities. In addition, some raw materials require high shear rates when being added, others low shear rates. When producing dispersions, in particular when producing emulsions, in order to achieve a final product with the desired properties in terms of the size distribution of the disperse phase, flow properties and stability of the product relative to thermal and mechanical stresses as well as changes over time, it is extremely important that the necessary steps for adding the inner phase in the outer phase are defined and reliably implemented in terms of the process technology both during the dispersion as well as the stabilization of the obtained product. Dispersions, in particular emulsions, are produced industrially by various processes. The selected process depends on the type of the dispersion as well as on the fineness of the dispersed or particulate phase that is suitable for achieving a stable dispersion over the required time period. A stable dispersion is defined as a material system having a particle size distribution of the dispersed phase and/or flow properties, in particular, the viscosity of which does not change substantially over the prescribed time period.
Partial over-concentration is often encountered especially in emulsions and suspensions with a high disperse-phase portion; i.e., localized and/or temporal deviations regarding particle density in the surrounding fluid. According to conventional methods, such over-concentrations can only be homogenized by operation with extended mixing and dispersion times. The risk for the occurrence of over-concentrations is intensified for containers with low filling levels because the commonly used devices set the liquid that is inside the container into a rotating motion. This causes a reduction of the actual energy quota that is introduced into the fluid. Said effect is especially pronounced under vacuum conditions when the drawing-in of the fluid from the container is disrupted.
Consequently, it is necessary to maintain a certain minimum filling level inside the container in order to be able to feed the premix with the desired defined properties to the rotor-stator dispersion machine and to prevent, in particular, any aspiration of air into the rotor-stator system. To achieve full dispersion power this minimum batch volume is approximately 35% of the maximum filling level of the container for the current rotor-stator dispersion machines that are commercially available. Only if these conditions are met, will there no longer be any detectable differences in the droplet-size distributions between partial and full batches.
The usual rotor-stator dispersion machines therefore come with the disadvantage of having a relatively high minimum filling level. This is why the possibilities for varying batch quantities that are to be processed by a machine, so-called batch size ranges, are very limited. In addition, the minimum filling level must also be maintained when running the cleaning applications of the machines; thus, large quantities of cleaning agent are needed. This means a relatively large quantity of fluid is always being moved around inside the respective installation and the total power that is introduced in the fluid is dissipated inside this large volume, whereby the achieved energy density inside the product is relatively small. This can result in inefficient conditions for the dispersing action. Moreover, there is a risk that the particles and/or the drops of an emulsion coalesce.

Transitional elements for the transfer of dispersions during processing in a rotor-stator dispersion machine


A light source apparatus includes a light source, an optical fiber, and a positioning mechanism. The positioning mechanism is configured with a planar position adjustment mechanism, an axial line position adjustment mechanism, and an orientation maintaining mechanism. The planar position adjustment mechanism adjusts a position of the optical fiber in a direction following the light-emitting surface. The axial line position adjustment mechanism adjusts the position of the optical fiber in a direction intersecting with the light-emitting surface. The orientation maintaining mechanism holds the optical fiber in a state where an axis direction of the optical fiber lies in a predetermined intersecting direction with respect to the light-emitting surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a light source apparatus channeling light from a light source into an optical fiber.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, an LED light source apparatus has been used which takes an LED (light-emitting diode) as a light source and channels light from the LED into an optical fiber. In the LED light source apparatus currently in widespread use, light emitted from a light-emitting surface of the LED is collected by a lens and received on a light-receiving surface of the optical fiber. In order to improve optical connection efficiency, the light-emitting surface of the LED and the light-receiving surface of the optical fiber are positioned facing each other with a slight gap therebetween (see Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H10-300987, paragraphs [0002], [0003], and [0063]).
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H10-300987 discloses the necessity of mutual positioning accuracy for both the LED and the optical fiber. When meeting this requirement, a light source apparatus can be used that includes an optical fiber fixating structure capable of mutually adjusting the positions in order to fixate the optical fiber with respect to the LED. Examples include an adjustment mechanism that adjusts a distance of the light-receiving surface of the optical fiber with respect to the light-emitting surface of the LED using a mechanism for displacement of the optical fiber in an axis direction, and that also matches a center position of the optical fiber with a specific region of the LED using mechanisms for displacement in each axis direction along the light-emitting surface of the LED (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. S52-102746 and 2005-345984). A further example, although not a light source apparatus, is of a coupler connecting optical fibers to each other, the coupler including an adjustment mechanism for matching axes of the optical fibers (Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. S59-135415).
Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. H10-300987 discloses that mutual position adjustment is necessary when fixating the optical fiber with respect to the LED, but does not clearly disclose a concrete mechanism for doing so. Meanwhile, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. S52-102746 discloses a mechanism accurately matching the positions of center axes of the light-receiving surface of the optical fiber and the light-emitting surface of the LED, which are positioned facing each other in close proximity. However, the mechanism of Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. S52-102746 uses an elastic body for the adjustment mechanism and cannot be said to be sufficient from a standpoint of ensuring stability and accuracy of an adjusted state. In this regard, Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2005-345984 has a configuration in which the optical fiber and the LED are adjusted so as to be in a favorable positional relationship, after which the optical fiber and LED are fixated by a fixating member, thus ensuring stability of the adjusted state. However, the mechanism of Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2005-345984 has play in each component, as an adjustment margin, during adjustment and an adjustment operation to achieve a favorable positional relationship of the optical fiber and the LED is not necessarily easy. Moreover, fixation can be performed after adjustment in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. S59-135415 as well, but, similar to Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. 2005-345984, the adjustment operation is not easy.
As in the above-noted Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. 2005-345984 and S59-135415, even when stability of the adjusted state is obtained by performing fixation after the adjustment operation, when there is play in the components during adjustment, highly accurate position adjustment becomes difficult. In particular, in the mechanisms of Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication Nos. S52-102746, 2005-345984, and S59-135415, the axis center position of the optical fiber can be matched for each axis direction along the light-receiving surface of the LED, but inclination or the like of the axis center of the optical fiber is difficult to adjust. For example, in the mechanism of Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication No. S59-135415, the inclination of the axis center direction of the optical fiber can be regulated by adjusting fixating screws in two locations mutually offset in the axis center direction of the optical fiber, but because there is nothing determining the position of the optical fiber during adjustment, highly accurate positioning adjustment is difficult.


A method and apparatus for deadlock-free routing around an unusable routing component in a network reroutes paths between source and destination nodes by initially identifying an unusable routing component. A shadow direction within the network is then determined, the shadow direction being from the unusable routing component to an edge of the network. The paths between nodes are then rerouted so that the paths bypass the unusable routing component and limit the use of any routing components in the network between the unusable routing component and the edge in the shadow direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to computer networks and particularly to a method and apparatus for deadlock free routing around a failed routing component.
2. Background
Throughout the evolution of computer technology the focus has been on increasing the power and speed of single autonomous processors. This has led to today's stand-alone processors which have respectable computational and data processing power. However, in recent years, parallel processing computer architectures have demonstrated substantial performance advantages over more traditional sequential computer architectures. In particular, as computational needs have grown and the performance advantages offered by parallel processing have come to be recognized, multiple processing units have been coupled together to form computer system networks. For example, multiple processing units may be networked together as a local area network (LAN) that allows individuals with personal computer systems to communicate with one another. Alternatively, a "supercomputer" may be formed by coupling a number of processing units together via a high performance network which enables the processing units to operate together to perform various tasks. These supercomputers are beneficial to users because they provide an extremely fast, powerful, and cost-effective system to carry out users' requests.
Unfortunately, as the number of components in the computer system network increases, the probability that a component will become faulty during system operation also increases. A network with thousands of components has a relatively low mean time between failure for the system components. That is, there is a relatively high probability that one component within the network will fail within a given period of time (for example, one failure per week). In order to be useful to the user(s), the network should be able to resolve these component failures. A system that shuts itself down upon detecting a faulty component and cannot re-start until the component is repaired or replaced reduces the availability of the system and increases the inconvenience to the users. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a system which is able to automatically bypass faulty network components.
Furthermore, many users have neither the technical expertise nor the desire to resolve a component failure in the network by indicating to the network how to route around the faulty component. In addition, performing such a correction could be very time-consuming, and distracts the user from his or her other responsibilities. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a system which resolves the failure of a component in a manner which is transparent to the system user(s).
In addition, depending on the layout of a network, a faulty component could cut off multiple good components from the remainder of the network. Depending on the type of network, this could mean that some computers could not communicate with others, or that certain processing units would not be available to the system user, even though they are in good working condition. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a system which reduces the number of good components which are disconnected from the remainder of the system by a faulty component.
Additionally, network systems typically have a significant number of processing and routing components, and corresponding hardware complexity. Such additional numbers and complexity further increases the relative mean time between failure of the system. Thus, it would be beneficial to provide a system which effectively routes around faulty components while at the same time provides little increase in hardware complexity as well as little decrease in system performance.
Furthermore, network systems should effectively resolve "deadlock" situations. A deadlock situation occurs when one or more components within the network cannot advance in their operation due to resources within the system which the component(s) requires being unavailable. One possible occurrence of a deadlock situation is dependent on the routing technique utilized in the system. In one routing technique, referred to as "circuit switching," a source node sends control information for a packet through its intended path to a destination node in the network to reserve each link in the path. Once the entire path is reserved, the source node transfers the data along the reserved path to the destination node.
In another routing technique, referred to as "wormhole routing," the source node sends the necessary control information through its intended path to the destination node, followed immediately by the data. That is, the source node does not wait for the entire path to be reserved prior to beginning transfer of the data. In both of these routing techniques, the data packet maintains reservation of portions of the path already reserved while waiting for subsequent portions to be reserved. Thus, a deadlock situation may arise when, for example, two or more source nodes are attempting to transfer data to one or more destination nodes and none can advance because another is blocking a portion of the data path required by the other. Thus, in order to provide continued performance of a network system, such deadlock issues need to be resolved.
As will be described in more detail below, the present invention provides for a method and apparatus that achieves these and other desired results which will be apparent to those skilled in the art from the description to follow.

Method and apparatus for deadlock-free routing around an unusable routing component in an N-dimensional network


Method and apparatus for producing a continuous bicomponent lamina having thermoplastic on one side and fabric on the other side by pressing fabric into extruded thermoplastic with sufficient force to embed the fabric in the extruded thermoplastic to form the continuous bicomponent lamina.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to continuously extruded lamina and methods of producing the same, specifically lamina having thermoplastic material on one side and fabric on the other, without use of binders, adhesives or the like to bond the thermoplastic and fabric at their interface, where these lamina can be of substantial thickness.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Lamina consisting of glass fibers on one side and plastic on the other are known, as are methods for manufacturing such lamina. A plastic-glass fiber lamina is manufactured by Symalit Lizenz A.G. in Switzerland and is available in the United States from GF Plastics Systems in Tuston, Calif. This product is generally described in Swiss patent 79-10261 assigned to Symalit Lizenz A.G.
That Swiss patent discloses pre-treating the surface of a thermoplastic, prior to application of glass material to the thermoplastic to form a lamina, by applying a volatile solvent, having between five and fifteen percent by weight of the thermoplastic dissolved therein together with dispersion colloids, and thereafter evaporating the volatile solvent so that a rough surface forms. After applying the solvent to the surface, the surface is dried with hot air to evaporate the solvent. The solvent preferably contains between about three (3.0%) and about nine (9.0%) percent by weight of the dispersion colloid, which is preferably a silicon or an aluminum compound, particularly silicon dioxide or aluminum oxide. A suitable solvent is disclosed to be DMF while the thermoplastic material is disclosed to be polyvinylidene fluoride.
The Swiss patent process is used for pre-treating the surface of the thermoplastic prior to application of a glass fiber to form a reinforced plastic layer, to provide resistance to pressure, corrosion, chemicals and high temperatures and to increase the mechanical strength of the structure.
It is also known to press fiber and molten thermoplastic together to form a fiber reinforced plastic. However, heretofore, it has only been known to do such with exceedingly thin plastic layers and thin fiber materials.

Method and apparatus for producing continuous plastic-fabric bicomponent lamina


An assembly is provided for forming holes in a workpiece. The assembly includes an arbor, a pin sleeve and a cutting device. The arbor has a nose having at least one threaded portion and at least one unthreaded portions on an external surface thereof. The arbor also has at least one pin passageway extending therethrough. The pin sleeve has at least one pin extending from a main body. The arbor extends through the pin sleeve. The cutting device has a back plate and a plurality of teeth extending therefrom. The back plate has a passageway defined by a wall with at least one threaded portion and at least one unthreaded portion. The at least one threaded portion of the cutting device is capable of engaging with the at least one threaded portion of the nose, and the at least one pin of the pin sleeve is capable of engagement with the at least one pin passageway of the arbor to secure the components together.

Cutting devices, such as cutters or hole saws, are commonly used in connection with electric drills to create holes in a workpiece, such as a stainless steel cabinet. It is often necessary to create holes of varying sizes and therefore is convenient to be able to quickly mount and dismount cutting devices of different sizes to and from an electric drill.
An assembly is provided herein which provides improvements to existing structures and which overcomes the disadvantages presented by the prior art. Other features and advantages will become apparent upon a reading of the attached specification, in combination with a study of the drawings.

Arbor assembly for use with a cutting device, such as a cutter or hole saw


A method and a system process the pre-echoes of an audio-digital signal coded by frequency transformation. The method and the system, after transforming the signal by a frequency transform into transform coefficients y(k), over weighting windows formed over blocks of samples x(n) including N successive samples, and then quantizing the transform coefficients y(k), make it possible to perform, after decoding the transform coefficients y(k), an optimal filtering of KALMAN filtering type. When a transition in amplitude of the signal is present in the sample block, this KALMAN filter reduces the resulting additive noise arising from the quantization coding of the transform coefficients. The method and system may be used in the processing, storage and transmission of high-fidelity quality audio digital signals.

The procedures for storing, transmitting or processing digitized sound signals, used increasingly these days, come up against the problem of the ever more sizeable throughput required depending on the applications envisaged.
Very elaborate techniques, such as the coding of these signals by frequency transform, such as the modified discrete cosine transform, MDCT, are used to reduce the resulting data throughput, whilst substantially preserving the quality of the original signal. Thus, as has been represented illustratively in FIGS. 1a and 1b, the coding by transform proceeds by partitioning the time signal, succession of samples x(n), into blocks comprising N samples. Over each of the abovementioned blocks, after applying an amplitude--time weighting window, such as the window-of block m over the samples 0 to N-1 as represented in FIG. 1b, these windows being repeated with an overlap over N/2 samples, a time/frequency transform is applied to the block of samples thus weighted, to obtain a set of coefficients y(k) which are then coded and then transmitted with the throughput reduction sought, as indicated in FIG. 1a.
On decoding, an inverse transformation is applied to the received coefficients y'(k), this permitting regeneration of the original samples x'(n) in real time, to within coding-decoding processing time and transmission time. It will however be noted that several types of frequency transform may be used, the MDCT transform making it possible however to obtain the largest throughput reduction. For a more detailed description of this type of processing, reference can be made for example to the publications by Johnston "Transfer Coding of Audio Signals Using Perceptual Noise Criteria" IEEE Journal on selected Areas in Communications, Vol. 6, No. 2, February 1988, pp. 314-323, and by Princen and Bradley "Adaptive Transform Coding incorporating Time Domain Aliasing Cancellation" Speech communication, December 1987.
In frequency transform coding systems, the coding noise resulting from the digitizing of the coefficients is distributed uniformly throughout the duration of the sample block.
When this block contains a non-stationarity, such as a sudden excitation, like the one represented in FIG. 1b, the frequency spectrum of the signal, that is to say the distribution, as a function of frequency f, of the amplitude of the coefficients y(k) obtained after. frequency transform, is almost flat, as shown in FIGS. 1C2 and 1C3.
Furthermore, the abovementioned coding algorithms generally carry out a spectral shaping of the noise (cf. abovementioned publication by Johnston) and, even in regard to the block containing a transition, such as mentioned earlier, the spectrum of the noise is almost flat and constant in level throughout-the duration of the block.
Accordingly, for the part preceding the excitation, the spectrum of the noise is clearly greater than that of the signal. This is reflected in the time domain, as represented in FIGS. 1d and 1e relating to an original signal x(n) from a vibraphone excitation sampled at 32 KHz, and to a corresponding signal decoded and then subjected to an inverse transform x'(n) at 64 KBITS/Sec, respectively, by the appearance of a very large degradation called pre-echo.
Furthermore, when the coding system uses the MDCT transform, the two blocks preceding the transition are, owing to the overlap of N/2 samples between successive windows, affected by the pre-echo phenomenon.
Various processing methods have been proposed in order to reduce or eliminate the pre-echo phenomenon.
Among these can be cited the method advocated by Schroeder, described in the article entitled "Stereo Coding with CD quality" International Conference on Consumer Electronics, Chicago 1987 and by Sugiyama, described in the article "Adaptive Transform Coding with an adaptive Block Size", Proceedings of ICASSP 90, Albuquerque pp 1093-1096. In the abovementioned method, a scale factor is applied to the sample block before transformation, so as to reduce the difference in level before and after the transition generated by the excitation. The application of the inverse scale factors to the decoding makes it possible to reduce the noise level in the low energy zones and hence the amplitude, whence the corresponding reduction in the pre-echo phenomenon. However, such a method cannot validly be used when the frequency transform is an MDCT transform, it not being possible to reconstruct the signal perfectly, in the absence of coding, owing to the very presence of the scale factors.

Method and system for processing the pre-echoes of an audio-digital signal coded by frequency transformation


A connector includes a required number of contacts, a housing, and a pivoting member. The contacts are substantially H-shaped and each includes at least a contact portion, a connection portion, a fulcrum portion, a connecting portion and a pressure receiving portion. The urging portions of the pivoting member are pivotally moved between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions to bring the contact portions of the contacts into contact with a connecting object. The housing has a ceiling portion covering the contact portions of the contacts, and an upper wall covering the pressure receiving portions. The pivoting member includes an actuating portion, the urging portions, anchoring holes, and a cover portion for covering tail portions of the contacts upon pivotal movement of the pivoting member. The connecting object can be inserted into the connector with a slight force and dust proofing property can be improved.

This invention relates to a connector using a flexible printed circuit board for use in electric or electronic appliances such as thin type plasma displays or televisions, notebook personal computers and the like, and more particularly to a dust-proof connector.
In general, connectors for use in mobile phones, charge coupled device (CCD) cameras and the like are much thinner and having contacts arranged in extremely narrow pitches (so-called lighter and more compact connector). A connector of one type mainly comprises a housing and contacts, and a flexible printed circuit board is inserted into the housing to bring the circuit board into contact with contact portions of the contacts (so-called "non-zero-insertion force (NZIF)" type). Moreover, another type connector mainly comprises a housing, contacts and a slider so that a flexible printed circuit board is embraced between the housing and the slider (so-called "zero-insertion force (ZIF)" type and "piano touch" type). Various methods may be envisioned for holding a flexible printed circuit board by means of the housing and the slider. In many cases, there have been constructions in which after a flexible printed circuit board has been inserted into a housing, a slider is inserted into the housing so that the circuit board is pressed against the contacts. Moreover, depending upon customer's demands or specifications and in the case that narrower pitches of contacts are desired, it may be unavoidable that connection portions of contacts should be located on the side of a fitting opening of a housing into which a flexible printed circuit board is inserted.
A housing may be usually formed with a required number of inserting holes for inserting contacts and a fitting opening into which a flexible printed circuit board is inserted.
In general, contacts each comprise a contact portion adapted to contact a flexible printed circuit board, a connection portion to be connected to a substrate or the like, and a fixed portion to be fixed to the housing. These contacts may be fixed to the housing as by press-fitting.
Exemplarily described in the following passages are "Patent Literature 1" (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489), "Patent Literature 2" (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-307,198/1999) and "Patent Literature 3" (Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160) filed by the applicant of the present application, as examples of a so-called "back lock type" of the ZIF type. Moreover, further exemplarily described are "Patent Literature 4" (Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H6-82,783/1994) and "Patent Literature 5" (Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-422,258) proposed and filed by the applicant of the present case, as examples of the construction adapted to lock a flexible printed circuit board.
"Patent Literature 1"
According to the ABSTRACK of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2003-297,489, the object of the invention is to provide a connector having an actuator operated by a slight operating force and increasing the movement of contacts to ensure the reliable connection, and achieving miniaturization in height or reduced overall height of the connector. The actuator includes cam portions and an operating portion and is formed with undercuts between the cam portions and the operating portion, into and from which front ends of spring portions of the contacts are able to be inserted and removed. When the actuator is pivotally moved clockwise 90 degrees about a fulcrum, the cam portions cause the spring portions of the contacts and connecting springs to be elastically deformed to embrace a flexible printed circuit board between protrusions of contact portions of the contacts so that patterns of the flexible printed circuit board are connected through terminal portions of the contacts to a printed substrate. An insulator has a ceiling portion covering the contact portions of the contacts, and a guide formed below the front end of the ceiling portion for inserting the flexible printed circuit board into the connector.
"Patent Literature 2"
According to the ABSTRACT of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. H11-307,198/1999, the invention has an object to provide a connector connecting a plurality of terminals and holding a flexible printed circuit board, which is superior in operationality and holding faculty for a printed circuit board. The connector for a printed circuit board comprises a housing having an inserting groove for a flexible printed circuit board or the like, a plurality of contacts arranged in a line so that contact portions of the contacts extend into and retract from the inserting groove, and an operating member provided pivotally movable between a connecting position and a disconnecting position and provided with a plurality of cams. When the operating member is in the connecting position, the contacts are urged with their operated portions by means of the cams so as to extend their contact portions into the inserting groove to press the terminals of the flexible printed circuit board, thereby connecting the contacts to the terminals and holding the circuit board. On the other hand, when the operating member is in the disconnecting position, the some contacts are urged with their operated portions by means of the cams so as to slightly extend their contact portions into the inserting groove to abut against the flexible printed circuit board, thereby temporarily holding the circuit board, and the remaining contacts are retracted with their contact portions from the inserting groove.
"Patent Literature 3"
According to the ABSTRACT of the Japanese Patent Application Opened No. 2004-71,160, the object of the invention is to provide a connector which is able to cause a flexible printed circuit board or flexible flat cable to be securely pressed against contact portions of contacts by means of a slider without the strength and specifications of respective parts being degraded, and is capable of achieving narrower pitches and miniaturization in height or reduced overall height of connector with superior operationality. The contacts each comprise a contact portion, a connection portion, an elastic portion and a fulcrum portion between the contact portion and the connection portion, and a pressure receiving portion extending from the elastic portion and located in a position opposite or facing to the connection portion. The contact portion, the elastic portion, the fulcrum portion and the connection portion are arranged substantially in the form of a crank. The slider is provided with urging portions continuously arranged in its longitudinal direction and is pivotally movably mounted on a housing so that the urging portions are pivotally moved between the connection portions and the pressure receiving portions of the contacts.
"Patent Literature 4"
According to the ABSTRACT of the Japanese Utility Model Application Opened No. H6-82,783/1994, this utility model has an object to provide a connector provided with a slider having claws capable of anchoring even flat cables reinforced by a rigid reinforcing plate attached to the rear side of the flat cables. In the connector including a housing having contact pins therein and formed with a fitting space into which flat cables are inserted, and a slider adapted to be inserted into and removed from the fitting space and mounted on the housing to be pivotally movable outside the housing when the slider is removed therefrom, and the slider being forced into the fitting space after the flat cables have been inserted into the fitting space so that the flat cables are electrically connected to the contact pins, the slider is provided on its flat cable abutting surface with anchoring protrusions adapted to be inserted and anchored in anchoring portions formed in both the flat cables and the reinforcing plate attached to rear faces of the flat cables.
"Patent Literature 5"
Japanese Patent Application No. 2003-422,258 was proposed and filed by the applicant of the present case as a connector capable of locking a flexible printed circuit board. This invention has an object to provide a connector achieving a required holding force for a flexible printed circuit board without any defective or failed connection even if the number of contacts is minimal. In the connector into which a flexible printed circuit board is detachably inserted, including a required number of contacts having a contact portion to contact a flexible printed circuit board, and a housing holding and fixing the contacts therein and having a fitting opening into which the flexible printed circuit board is inserted, the flexible printed circuit board is provided with anchoring portions, and locking members having an engaging portion engaging the anchoring portion are mounted on the housing so that the engaging portions of the locking members are caused to engage the anchoring portions of the flexible printed circuit board, thereby preventing the circuit board from being dislodged from the housing, and further grooves are provided at locations corresponding to the engaging portions to ensure more reliable locking of the locking members.
On proceeding of miniaturization of electric and electronic appliances in recent years, the requirement for miniaturization has put more severe pressure on connectors to be used in such appliances, with the result that the connectors have also been further miniaturized. With such a miniaturization of the connectors, it has been publicly effected to expose upper surfaces of contacts (particularly on the tail side of the contacts) in order to acquire a space sufficient to operate a pivoting member such as an actuator or slider. However, the exposure of the contacts may detract from the dust proofing property even in the case that the miniaturization of connector is not required depending upon its intended use. The deterioration in dust proofing property may lead to failed or defective connection.
It is also required to insert a flexible printed circuit board into a connector with a slight force as far as possible. It is further required to visually ascertain whether a flexible printed circuit board has been completely fitted in a connector.


A connector connecting a main circuit board and a sub circuit board has two bases, two electrical contacting sets, two resilient bar sets and two mounting brackets. The bases are mounted on the main circuit board. The electrical contacting sets are mounted respectively in the bases and each electrical contacting set has multiple electrical contacting elements. The resilient bar sets are mounted respectively on the bases. The mounting brackets are mounted respectively on the bases and cover the electrical contacting sets and the resilient bar sets. Circuit-board-receiving channels are defined between the bases and the mounting brackets for receiving the sub circuit board such that combination of the main circuit board and the sub circuit board are parallel and flat.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a connector, and more particularly to a connector that is mounted on a main circuit board and allows a sub circuit board to be connected electrically horizontally to the main circuit board through the connector.
2. Description of Related Art
A main circuit board usually has a connector mounted thereon to connect a sub circuit board with specific functions to the main circuit board. The connector has multiple electrical contacting elements mounted thereon. Each electrical contacting element has a contacting end contacting one of multiple pad contacts on the main circuit board. The connector allows the sub circuit board to be inserted perpendicularly in the connector. The sub circuit board has multiple terminals respectively contacting the electrical contacting elements such that the sub circuit board is connected electrically to the main circuit board through the connector.
However, the conventional connector is only allowed to be mounted on a surface of the main circuit board, which makes the sub circuit board inserted in the connector along a direction perpendicular to the main circuit board. Therefore, an electrical device, accommodating the main circuit board, the connector and the sub circuit board, needs to have an enormous cubic room for receiving the aforementioned circuit boards and connector, which disadvantages the compactness and lightweight of the electrical device, especially when the electrical device is to be built flattened for portable purposes.
To overcome the shortcomings, the present invention provides a connector to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.


A shipping trailer wall panel includes a first partially hollow section, a second partially hollow section, and a reinforcing section. The first partially hollow section includes a first plurality of cell walls. The second partially hollow section is interlockingly connected to the first partially hollow section. The second partially hollow section includes a second plurality of cell walls. The reinforcing section is connected to one or more of the first partially hollow section and the second partially hollow section.

Many storage trailers, including those for commercial trucking, consist of sidewalls and doors constructed from composite materials. Composite materials may have a plastic core disposed between two outer metal sheets. For example, Wabash National Corporation of Lafayette, Ind. makes DURAPLATE® composite panels that have a high-density polyethylene plastic core (HDPE) fastened between two high-strength, high-tension steel plates.
Cores of composite panels may be constructed from a plurality of structures including a network of cells. One such network of cells is made from an arrangement of hexagons that produce a honeycomb structure with alternating geometric structures and air pockets. In some instances, partially hollow cores use less plastic than completely solid and/or foamed plastic and/or foamed plastic cores, cutting down on material costs. Additionally, the partially hollow cores weigh less than completely solid cores and have higher strength to weight ratios. However, some cores may lack the strength required for mechanical fastening used in many commercial applications. Further, due to process machinery limitations, in many cases the partially hollow cores may be only produced at a predetermined width and/or a predetermined length, but may not be produced at a desired length and/or a desired width suitable for the end use application.