In a hybrid fiber-coax distribution network, communications between a central station and particular end stations are encrypted using a working key (WK) of a symmetric encryption scheme. The central station has a public and private key (PPK) of a PPK encryption scheme, and some of the end stations can also each have a respective PPK. To provide secure communications for each end station, if the end station has a PPK, then the respective WK is generated in the central station and communicated, encrypted using the end station's public key (PK), to the end station. Otherwise, the WK is generated in the end station and communicated, encrypted using the central station's PK, to the central station. An individual identifier for each end station, and a cryptographic signature at least for end stations not having a PPK, can be communicated to the central station for authentication of the end stations.

A distribution network, such as an HFC network in which data is communicated to subscriber end stations via optical fiber and coaxial distribution cables, is a point-to-multipoint network in which data addressed to and intended for any particular subscriber is also inevitably supplied via the network to other subscribers. If the data is not scrambled or encrypted, it can be easily monitored by these other subscribers, leading to a loss of subscriber privacy and a loss of revenues for data suppliers when the data (e.g. television programs) is supplied for a fee. Accordingly, it is important to provide a desired level of security in the data communications in a distribution network.
While various encryption and decryption schemes are known, these have a number of disadvantages associated with them in the environment of a distribution network. A significant factor in this respect is the cost and security of subscriber end stations. As a distribution network will contain large numbers of subscriber end stations, it is commercially necessary that the cost of each end station be kept relatively low. It is therefore desirable to avoid incorporating expensive security schemes in the subscriber end stations. However, subscriber end stations are also easily subject to theft, tampering, and duplication, so that complicated schemes have been considered necessary to provide adequate security.
For example, a security scheme can be implemented using an encryption key which can be stored in the subscriber end station. To prevent access to the encryption key, the store in the subscriber end station, and data lines to and from this store, must also be made physically secure. This leads to extra complexity and costs. Different subscribers may have differing security and privacy needs, which makes it desirable for the network to accommodate differing security schemes and end station costs.
A further security-related desirable aspect of a distribution network is an ability for authentication of subscriber end stations, typically using a unique end station identity which can be physically incorporated (e.g. hard wired) into the end station during manufacture.
Encryption schemes can be divided into those involving public and private keys (PPK) and those involving symmetric keys. In PPK schemes, a first station can distribute its public key, in accordance with which a second station can encrypt data and send the encrypted data to the first station, which decrypts the data using its private key. Because the private key is retained at the first station, and is not practically discoverable by other parties, PPK schemes are considered to be secure. However, the encryption and decryption processes are relatively slow, so that such schemes are not practical for encryption of real-time high-speed data, such as television program signals, for which distribution networks are primarily intended.
In symmetric key schemes, a single key, referred to as a working key, is used by both of first and second stations to encrypt and decrypt data being communicated between the stations. The nature of the working key is such that encryption of real-time highspeed data, such as television program signals, is practical. However, these schemes require that the working key be present in both stations, and make it desirable for the working key to be periodically changed or updated. Thus symmetric key schemes require generation of a working key in one of the stations or in a third station referred to as a key distribution agent, and communication of the working key to the other station(s).
This communication itself presents a risk of the working key being insecure, and this risk increases with the frequency with which the working key is updated. It is also known to avoid this risk by using a PPK scheme for communication of a working key, and then to use the working key for data encryption.
An object of this invention is to provide a method of facilitating secure communications in a distribution network.

Facilitating secure communications in a distribution network


A clock synchronized control system includes a controller configured to control at least one function of a work machine. The controller may also be configured to select a clock source from among a plurality of external clock sources based on a predetermined order. The controller may be further configured to obtain information from the selected clock source. The controller may also be configured to use the obtained information to affect the at least one function of the work machine.

Many machines include on-board systems such as electronics, software, etc., that perform certain functions that make use of clock information. These functions may include, for example, logging and reporting the occurrence of events at specific times, automatically performing certain tasks at predetermined times, etc. Furthermore, a number of machines that are geographically dispersed, but yet part of the same fleet, may exchange information with each other by sending messages directly to each other. These messages may include timestamps indicating, for example, the time a message was sent from a work machine, the time a particular task was performed by a work machine, etc.
It is important to keep clock information consistent within various devices on a machine and also between physically separate machines. This may be done to ensure, among other things, accurate and efficient data communications between the physically separate machines and also between devices located on the same machine. A machine may receive clock information from various sources. In one instance, a machine may receive clock information from a clock on board the machine. Specifically, an electronic component on a machine may receive clock information from a battery-operated clock located on the machine. A battery-operated clock may include, among other things, an oscillator, a counter, and a battery.
However, there may be problems associated with obtaining clock information from an on-board battery-operated clock. Specifically, the battery-operated clock may not provide accurate clock information. This lack of accuracy may be due to the climatic conditions in which the machine operates. For example, a machine may operate in extreme climatic conditions including, for example, cold nights and hot days. A large temperature gradient may cause the battery-operated clock to lose its accuracy over a period of time. Therefore, as time goes by, some functions performed by the machine may be affected by this lack of clock accuracy. For example, messages sent by a machine including time stamps generated by an on-board battery-operated clock may not include accurate clock information. This lack of clock accuracy may lead to problems in many instances, especially where other entities, such as, for example, other machines, or an off-board control system, may rely on time-sensitive information sent by the machine.
In order to remedy the problem of inaccurate clock information being available from an on-board clock, some machines may use external clock sources, i.e., clock sources that are located off board a machine. These external clock sources may include more sophisticated and more accurate time keeping equipment. One such system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,535,926 B1 ("the '926 patent") to Esker, which issued on Mar. 18, 2003. The '926 patent discloses the use of a global independent synchronization pulse to synchronize local clocks used for local events in an industrial control system. The method includes detecting at a first industrial controller, a global reference pulse and storing the time value of the master clock. This time value is transmitted by the first industrial controller as a time message on the network to other industrial controllers. A second industrial controller also detects the global reference pulse and stores a value of the local clock at that time. It then receives the time message from the first industrial controller and compares its stored local time with the time value of the first time message to deduce an error value. This error value is used to correct the clock of the second industrial controller. The '926 patent discloses that the global reference pulse may be obtained from an external clock source such as a global positioning system ("GPS").
While the '926 patent discloses the use of an external clock source to help synchronize time across industrial controllers, it has several shortcomings. For example, all the controllers in the '926 system have to connect to the external clock source. This may be problematic because not every controller in a network may have the capability to connect to an external clock source. Furthermore, the '926 patent does not disclose the use of more than one external clock source. This may be problematic if the only external clock source being used becomes unavailable.
The present disclosure is directed to overcoming one or more of the problems of the prior art time synchronization system.

Clock synchronization for a machine control system


The device and system of present invention identify the person to be identified according to a result given from certification bureau. These device or system mainly comprises a condition inputting section to input identification condition, a certification inputting section to input specifying information corresponding to the identification condition, a judging section to judge whether the specifying information accords with the corresponding identification condition or not, and a result outputting section to output certification result.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an identification device, an identification system, and a card issuing device & system which perform identification process of a person.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, there are two kinds of methods to identify a person. One is a method which uses certificates possessed by the person to be identified. Some examples of these certificates are a car license, passport etc. attached with a photograph of the person to be identified.
Another is a method which uses physical characteristics of the person, either himself or herself. Some examples of these physical characteristics are a fingerprint, a voiceprint etc. of the person.
However, certificates are often fabricated or reconstructed by a person or industry that steals information from another person to create fraudulent documents. So, those cannot afford a satisfactory identification.
On the other hand, the use of physical characteristics disturbs the privacy of the person to be identified. Moreover, fingerprint or voiceprint has often failed to recognize the person to be identified.
By the way, there are various opportunities for identifying people today. A typical example requiring identification is the issuance of a credit card. Other examples of occasions or situations requiring identification are the reissuing a car license, permitting entry into a building (i.e. of a company) and so on. More recently, there is a security need for gaining access to a certain address in a network, such as the Internet.
And the accuracy of identification is different between each of these occasions. For example, to issue a credit card, a high accuracy of identification is needed.
When a credit card is issued, a certificate such as a car license is needed to certify a person who wants a credit card. And, an investigation for insuring by the credit card company is needed.
On the other hand, there are occasions when such high accuracy of identification is not needed. In these occasions, complex identification should be avoided because it costs much for high accuracy identification.
Therefore, a device or system is needed for making identification according to the accuracy request of the identification.

Identification device, identification system, and card issuing device and system needing identification


A telecommunications network uses a supervisory service broker in a packet messaging environment, particularly Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) messaging, to changeably allocate and to account for the usage of network resources by users. The SIP INVITE and other messages are passed through the supervisory broker, monitored for accounting and potentially redirected to change allocations of resources. The resources can generally comprise applications and applications servers such as media storage and playback, voicemail and directory services, subnet messaging and instant messaging, voice-over-Internet, wireless linkages and others, and can be logically grouped in packages that are allocable. Users such as telecom carriers and others can contract for usage and also can contract to provide resources for use by others, in an unlimited way or according to terms, and for appropriate credit.

Data and voice communications networks increasingly rely on general purpose packet switching networks, such as TCP/IP addressed data communications, to transfer packet information among numerous different sorts of nodes with varying capabilities. The nodes include applications on end user terminals that exchange messages, various hubs, routers and switches that direct the packets over various communications links operable at different data rates, shared servers that store and/or supply services to the users such as audio, video conferencing or program distribution, and ancillary services associated with communications activities, such as diagnostics, activation (provisioning), billing, metric collection for traffic engineering and planning, and other functions.
Such resources have limited capacity and are not free. The resources are sold or rented to users, such as subscribers or members of an enterprise, typically with charges being assessed according to the capabilities of the services that the user reserves, such as the bandwidth of respective communication paths. Various primary and auxiliary hardware and software elements are coupled to the network (or to the enterprise subnet or the like) to provide services. These elements are owned or controlled for the benefit of particular parties, e.g., the owners, their subscribers and authorized users.
The resources are generally coupled over a common communications network. Addressing, encryption and authorization techniques are available to limit the use of certain resources to authorized users or to monitor the extent of usage by particular users or groups. For example, subscribers may contract for access up to a bandwidth limit and the supplier can monitor usage to disconnect the user (disable further usage) or to change to a different billing rate if the limit is met.
To an extent, communications services, media programming, data processing applications and other services, are commodities. In fact, communications transport and data applications and services can be treated as commodities at various different levels. At each level, the commodities can become the basis of a market. In that market, competition on the supply side and on the demand side can improve availability of existing services and encourage production of additional ones, allocate available services efficiently, make better use of capacity, and reduce expense.
Combinations of services packaged together across multiple service suppliers in a shared revenue model to meet specific target market needs and for specific time based events can increase the value of commoditized services to a target subscriber base, yielding an increase in revenue opportunities and market adoption rates.
It would be advantageous, and it is an aspect of the present invention, to facilitate markets in such commodities. The invention provides what is needed in information and standardized processing techniques, to know and enable comparison of what communications and data applications commodities are, what they can do and how to use them. The information and standardized techniques can include various forms of valuation information and quantization techniques for treating the bandwidth or other capacity in a way that it can be subdivided into units of time and/or data and can be contracted (subscribed) and charged for in such units.
As an additional beneficial aspect, above and beyond considerations of allocation of resources among users and improving the availability and value of services by establishing a market, it is appropriate to supervise the provisioning of resources to users so that a user or a user's application is not permitted to invoke a resource that the application is not capable of using (or perhaps is not capable of using the resource as fully as another competing application or user). On the other hand, loading conditions and available resource allocations can be varied. If a given less expensive resource happens to be unavailable, it is an added value to switch the user to an alternative source that is available, even if that may be a trade-up for the user. Such options and alternatives, and others, advantageously are taken into account in efforts to efficiently provide, configure, allocate and use the resources.
It would be advantageous to improve network capabilities while employing an allocation system that is highly versatile, highly variable, and involves a minimum overhead.

System and method for establishing and controlling access to network resources


A method and composition for coating a metal for use in connection with improving corrosion resistance and paint adhesion. The composition is a non-corrosive ester cross-linked polymer system having a plurality of carboxylic functional groups and a plurality of hydroxyl groups. The polymer system may be a bifunctional copolymer or the reaction product of a first polymer having a plurality of carboxylic functional groups (e.g. polyacrylic acid or polymethylvinylmaleic anhydride), and a second polymer having a plurality of hydroxyl groups (e.g. polyvinyl alcohol). The resulting reaction product of these two polymers is a cross-linked polymeric blend. A compound of a Group IV-B element may be added to this polymer blend to increase the degree of cross-linking and improve paint adhesion and corrosion resistance. Such a Group IV-B compound may be an acid such as fluozirconic acid, fluotitanic acid or fluchafnic acid, or a salt such as ammonium zirconium carbonate. The method for improving corrosion resistance and paint adhesion of a metal surface includes contacting the metal surface with a composition of the present invention and drying the composition in place. Prior to contacting the metal surface with such a composition, the metal surface may be cleaned and rinsed.

Known methods of treating metal surfaces to improve adhesion and corrosion resistance of the painted metal surfaces make use of two general definable classes of chemistries. The first class is based on the traditional conversion coating types of chemistries such as zinc phosphate, iron phosphates, chromium chromate, chromium phosphate, etc. The second class is based on more recent developments in the metal pretreatment industry and are characterized by what is now referred to as dried-in-place technology. The traditional conversion coating chemistries require rinsing of the metal substrate to remove applied conversion coating solution. Dried-in-place chemistries require that the applied solutions be dried on the metal substrate to which they are applied. Thus, they are described as dried-in-place. Thus, the class of traditional conversion coatings have as their major drawback the requirement of rinsing. Regardless of the chemistry involved, they require the use of large volumes of water to rinse.
The advantage in the dried-in-place class of chemicals is therefore obvious in that no rinsing is required. Thus, the traditional conversion coatings class of pretreatments are characterized by steps or process stages that include:
1) Cleaning--by use of an alkaline or acid cleaning solution, PA1 2) Rinsing--to remove residual cleaning solution, PA1 3) Pretreatment--with the traditional conversion coating solution, PA1 4) Rinsing--to remove the residual pretreatment solution, and optionally PA1 5) a final rinse with a corrosion resistance enhancing material such as chromate. PA1 1) Clean--by use of an alkaline or acid cleaning solution, PA1 2) Rinse--to remove residual cleaning solution, and PA1 3) Application of the dried-in-place pretreatment solution.
The traditional coatings class of materials are therefore often referred to as five stage conversion coatings.
The second class of materials, the dried-in-place class, are typically referred to as three stage processes since their process steps are typically:
Another significant disadvantage of the traditional conversion coatings class is the fact that the rinse water is polluted and requires waste treatment. This adds significantly to the cost of the process since significant capital equipment and liability go along with waste handling and treatment.
There are also chemistries in both classes that have other major drawbacks. These particular chemistries are based on chromium compounds, which show toxicological properties and have been determined by the Environmental Protection Agency and by the Occupational Safety and Health Agency as a risk to the environment and health. Moreover, chemistries based on hexavalent chromium are classified as carcinogens by these agencies.
Attempts have been made to produce chromium-free dried-in-place coatings. In the case of aluminum extrusions, successful replacement of chromium was partially accomplished by use of a fluo acid and a carboxylic polymer, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,191,596 to Dollman et al. The following formulas applied to clean aluminum extrusions at a concentration of 1% (by weight) of each in water will produce a coating that falls under this technology:
TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Compound 1 % Wt. Compound 2 % Wt. ______________________________________ Poly(acrylic acid) 5.0 Hydrofluozirconic Acid 7.4 Water 95.0 Hydrofluoric Acid 0.3 Water 92.3 ______________________________________
Aluminum samples treated by such a composition have acceptable paint adhesive properties in the dry state. However, the ability to pass other requirements of the American Architectural Manufacturer's Association (AAMA) specifications are somewhat questionable. The twenty minute cross-hatch boiling water test has variable results. The 1,000 hour test in 100 relative humidity is inconsistent. In addition, neutral salt spray corrosion resistance is not good.
Another method has been introduced for aluminum extrusions. In this method, the following polymer solution along with a fluo acid is applied to an aluminum surface:
TABLE 2 ______________________________________ Compound % Wt. ______________________________________ Poly(acrylic acid) 3.75 Ammonium Bifluoride 0.10 Fluosurfactant 0.04 Water 96.11 ______________________________________
Although this method does not require chromium, it does require different process steps and requires an increase in the number of process steps. Comparing this method with a traditional conversion coating method, the step of treating the metal surface with a conversion coating solution is replaced with an acid cleaning stage, then water rinse, followed by dried-in-place pre-treatment which requires a stainless steel or acid-resistant section. In this method, the following steps are required to treat the metal surface: (1) cleaning the metal surface with an alkaline or acid bath; (2) rinsing the cleaned metal surface with water; (3) cleaning the metal surface with an acid solution; (4) rinsing the metal surface with water; and (5) pretreating the rinsed metal surface with a modified chrome-free solution, such as in Table 2 above. Thus, this method can be referred to as a "five-step, chromium-free, dried-in-place method." As in all methods, these steps are followed by drying and then painting the metal surface.
Nonetheless, there remains a need for a chromium-free coating composition which is capable of improving paint adhesion and corrosion resistance by employing the more convenient, three step dried-in-place method. In addition, there remains a need for such a composition which can improve paint adhesion and corrosion resistance of a variety of metals, not exclusively aluminum and aluminum alloys.
Further, there is a need for a coating composition having a relatively high concentration of constituents to meet application requirements such as some reverse-roll coating systems. Also, from an operational standpoint, a single package system including both the inorganic components and organic components is desirable. Thus, a single package material showing no instability or gelation is necessary.

Method and composition for treating metal surfaces


A communication system includes various terminals that are capable of establishing call sessions over a data network. Each of the terminals includes a display in which hyperlinks can be presented. User selection of the hyperlinks is communicated to one or more application routines, which generates requests based on information (e.g., uniform resource locators) associated with the selected hyperlinks. The requests cause generation of call requests over the data network to establish call sessions between terminals.

In making telephone calls in traditional telephony systems, users typically have to dial the number associated with the callee. Typically, such numbers are entered through a keypad of a telephone, or alternatively, by pressing a speed-dial button. With some telephones, such as mobile telephones, a telephone directory may be displayable in the display of the telephone. A user may select an entry from the displayed directory to dial the corresponding telephone number.
In addition to calls over traditional circuit-switched networks, improvements in the bandwidth and speed of data networks have also enabled telephony sessions to be established over packet-based data networks, such as local area networks (LANs), wide area networks (WANs), the Internet, and so forth. Traditional communications over data networks include electronic mail, web browsing, file transfer, and the like. To enable reliable voice and other forms of streaming communications over data networks, various technologies and protocols have been developed.
An example of a device that enables voice communications over data networks is a computer system that is fitted with audio processing capabilities. Another example is a network telephone that has been designed with a network adapter to enable the telephone to be directly connected to the data network. Network telephones provide the familiar interface that users typically associate with telephones, but with the feature that communications can occur over a packet-based data network rather than a circuit-switched network.
With a network telephone, telephone numbers of callees are typically entered through the keypad, by activating a speed-dial button, or by selecting an entry from a telephone directory that is displayable in a display of the network telephone. With a computer system having audio processing capabilities, a more sophisticated graphical user interface is typically provided due to the larger screen size of the computer system. Telephone directories are displayed, with entries selected for dialing the telephone numbers of the callees.
Although many improvements have been made to make the process of dialing a telephone number more convenient, such as speed-dial buttons or selecting entries from a telephone directory, such features are still associated with various shortcomings. For example, a speed-dial button is programmed only on the individual telephone, and typically cannot be shared with other telephony devices. A telephone directory, such as an address book, is typically stored in a predetermined format set by the application program that created the directory. Typically, the telephone directory cannot easily be shared with other application programs.

Using hyperlinks to establish call sessions


A heat exchange apparatus comprising a heat transfer member; and at least one projecting blade which is arranged to confront the heat transfer member, and which carries out relative motion with respect to the heat transfer member; wherein a distance between the edge of the projecting blade at the side of the heat transfer member and a heat transfer surface of the heat transfer member is smaller than a value which corresponds to a rising point where an upward gradient of convective heat transfer coefficients rises as the distance decreases.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a heat exchange apparatus and a method for preparing the apparatus, the heat exchange apparatus carrying out heat exchange between a heated or cooled heat transfer member and e.g. air.
2. Discussion of Background
Referring to FIG. 20, there is diagrammatically shown the heat transfer form in a heat exchange apparatus which has been disclosed in e.g. Japanese Examined Utility Model Publication No. 34338/1983. In FIG. 20, reference numeral 1 designates a heat transfer member. Reference numeral 1a designates a heat transfer surface. Reference numeral 2 designates a fan. Reference numeral 3 designates air on the heat transfer surface 1a. The transfer direction of heat is indicated by arrows of solid line. The flow of air is indicated by arrows of dotted line.
The air which is driven by the fan 2 flows on and along the heat transfer surface 1a as indicated by the arrows of dotted line in FIG. 20, and heat in the heat transfer surface 1a is transferred to the air 3 due to convective heat transfer between the heat transfer surface 1a and the air 3.
A convective heat transfer coefficient h between the heat transfer member 1 and the air 3 which is defined by the following expression is determined by only an air flow rate and the shape of the heat transfer member 1. The structure of the conventional heat exchange apparatus described above creates a problem in that a convective heat transfer coefficient is small, and consequently a great heat transfer area is required. EQU h=Q/(S.times..DELTA.T)
Q: heat transfer quantity PA1 S: heat transfer surface area of heat transfer member PA1 .DELTA.T: absolute value indicative of a temperature difference between the heat transfer surface and air
In addition, the arrangement wherein the fan and the heat transfer member are arranged to be apart from each other creates another problem in that the volume of the apparatus is great.

Heat exchange apparatus and method for preparing the apparatus


A communications network having a plurality of distributed offices includes a test center at a central location for testing line and/or trunk circuits (`links`) throughout the communication network. The links are selectively coupled to a maintenance port of a selected office and are backhauled from the maintenance port to the test center via a shared network serving a plurality of offices of the communications network. The shared backhaul network may use optical fibers connecting the offices to the test center or a SONET fiber optic ring. The test center includes a switch and test devices, such as digital test devices, optical test devices and protocol analyzers. The test center includes or is in communication with a central controller and one or more associated maintenance and operation consoles (MOCs). The central controller instructs a switch in the selected office to couple the link to be tested to the maintenance port where the shared backhaul network routes the circuit to a switch associated with the test center. The central controller also instructs the switch at the test center to selectively couple the link to a selected test device which initiates one or more tests and to report the test results to a MOC. Implementations are disclosed for testing of digital and optical communication links.

Telephone companies are deploying a variety of new digital technologies to upgrade their networks and provide a wider range of communication services. Digital networks require protocol analysis and other testing to monitor performance and facilitate maintenance operations. In a typical installation, a protocol analyzer or other digital test device connects to a facilities access die (FAD) group type maintenance port on the digital switch. For test purposes, the switch breaks an identified communication link and routes the communications through the FAD port. Effectively, the test device is serially connected into the digital circuit under test. The test device passively monitors and analyzes the communication signals and passes the signals back through the port for routing to the appropriate destination without the subscriber's knowledge.
An exemplary test system known in the art comprises the Hekimian React Model 2001 system implemented with other pieces of equipment as shown in FIG. 1. The React Model 2001 test control 101 is an operational support device having a graphical user interface (GUI) for testing the integrity of advanced data packet services. The devices can operate as either protocol analyzers or synchronous optical network (SONET) test devices. The test device is hooked up via the FAD group type maintenance port 103 to a digital cross-connect system 102 locally. In other words, the test device 104 is mounted near the digital cross-connect system 102, and a pair of T1 circuits connect the FAD port of the digital cross-connect system 102 to the test device 104.
The test control 101 controls mapping in the digital cross-connect system 102 through X.25 administrative port 105. When operations personnel want to test a T1 circuit that runs through the digital cross-connect system 102, a technician inputs a request into the test control 101. The test control 101 sends commands to the digital cross-connect system 102 to map the T1 circuit through the FAD port channels, i.e., to break the physical connection and make the T1 channel available at the facilities access die group maintenance port 103. The test die group 103 then feeds the circuit to be tested into the test device 104 where it passively runs through the test device 104 and then returns to the digital cross-connect system 102. All types of protocol analysis or other testing can be performed by test device 104. The test device 104 reports its test results to test control 101. When the testing is done, the circuit is remapped back to go from one of the input ports 106.sub.1 to 106.sub.m to one of the output ports 107.sub.1 to 107.sub.n of digital cross-connect system 102.
The testing system shown in FIG. 1 gives the network operations personnel the ability to test some of the fast packet services such as frame relay, SMDS, etc., as they are developed and included in the network. This requires adding test elements out in the field, such as in each central office of a public switched telephone network having the digital services capability. The system has the disadvantage that the test elements are only occasionally used for testing and hence are underutilized. Furthermore, if a test element becomes defective, then there is essentially no way to test circuits in that office. The maintenance of the testing system is then compromised.
Installation of such elements in many switching offices as shown in FIG. 1 can also become quite expensive as the network grows in a large service area. For example, wherever a fast data packet service is deployed in a switching office that has an SMDS switch, pieces of equipment, such as a Hekimian base model 6700 test unit with appropriate test cards and accesses, must be installed and coupled to the FAD port of each digital switch as well in order to accommodate the test system and test the service. This forces the network operator to incur the large expense of purchasing, installing and maintaining a large number of the test devices. Upgrading also is expensive because the operator must replace software in each test device or replace all of the test devices with improved models.
Even in systems with remote testing of digital communication links, a test device is required at the location of the circuit under test. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,998,240 issued to Williams on Mar. 5, 1991 discusses a system for remote testing of ISDN lines. A standard U-interface bus in the central office supplies D-channel data from the ISDN line to a personal computer at a central office which performs protocol analysis of the data. A second computer at a remote test facility communicates with the analyzer via a dial-up line. U.S. Pat. No. 5,260,970 issued to Henry et al. on Nov. 9, 1993 similarly discusses an ISDN protocol analyzer for insertion in a U-interface data stream between a central office and customer equipment. For other examples of testing systems using test devices at the location under test, see also U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,434,845, 5,276,529, 5,195,124 and 4,870,638.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,457,729 issued to Hamann et al. on Oct. 10, 1995 uses interoffice T1 trunks to provide remote access to links under test. However, the trunks connect an integrated digital service terminal (IDST) including relays to break an SS7 link under test. A digital protocol analyzer is coupled in series in the link in order to provide for coupling of the T1 trunk to the link and testing of the link.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,159 issued to Williams on Dec. 20, 1994 discusses a protocol analyzer for common channel signal links. The analyzer tests switch functions remotely via SS7 digital communication links. The protocol analyzer is located at a signal transfer point and is switchably connected to SS7 digital communication links between the STP and a plurality of central offices via a port selector. The port selector provides a switched selection of a particular central office under test and connects the protocol analyzer through the two ports coupled to the links to the particular central office to facilitate testing of that central office. The test capability of the system is limited to the interoffice SS7 signaling functionality of the central offices. The protocol analyzer apparently can not test the actual normal line side or trunk side communication links or facilities. Also, the links from each switching office to the central location are dedicated to the individual switching office and cannot readily be reallocated to other offices.
These known testing systems and procedures have various drawbacks. In particular, a test device has to be located at each one of the locations at which circuits are to be tested or connect to the switch at each location via dedicated facilities. Consequently, a large number of test devices are necessary to provide comprehensive testing ability for a large communications network. This in turn makes it more difficult and more expensive to implement, maintain and progressively upgrade testing of advanced communications services as those services are introduced and expanded in a network.

Backhauling test procedures for communications networks


An electric motor vehicle includes a motor case having first and second hollow section, with the first hollow section having a smaller diameter than that of the second hollow section, forming a step between the first and second hollow sections; a stator provided in the second hollow section and having an end engaged with the step; a motor cover having a cylindrical projection in sliding relationship to the second hollow section and sufficiently long to press the stator against the step and provide a space between the motor case and the motor cover for a minimum thickness of the stator; and a filler made of a liquid packing provided in the space between the motor case and the motor cover for sealing the motor against winds and rains.

It is now said to be an age of electric motor vehicles. It is said that the electric motor vehicles will solve most of the environmental issues such as the exhaust gas from automobiles which is said to make up about 70% of air pollution, noises, or the like, and will extend the life of oil resources by two times or more.
Known electric motor vehicles are provided as their drive system with a battery, a motor, and a controller for controlling the speed of the motor, and a wheel is rotated by a drive transmission mechanism like conventional automobiles, or a wheel is rotated by a motor disposed on it without necessitating such a drive transmission mechanism like conventional automobiles. And, in developing an electric motor vehicle, the improvement of the performance of an onboard battery is an issue to be solved and it will not be long before it is solved.
Incidentally, the electric motor vehicle is also demanded to have its safety improved together with the improvement of its performance. A mere replacement of the drive motive power of a conventional gasoline automobile by a motor can not sufficiently provide the safety of the electric motor vehicle. Specifically, the electric motor vehicle uses electricity for a drive source, and the power is a motor which rotates at a high speed as compared with an engine. Therefore, a trouble of the electric system or a failure of the motor may suddenly stop a running vehicle or suddenly start a vehicle which was out of action. Besides, in common to a running vehicle and a stopping vehicle, there is a possibility that a driver or a mechanic may suffer from an electric shock, be caught by the drive unit in the vicinity of the motor, or break the motor or the controller when servicing. These troubles or the necessity of protection is caused due to the device or structure peculiar in the electric motor vehicle, which is not seen in conventional automobiles.
The inventors involved in the development of an electric motor vehicle propose the following points to prevent accidents or failures form occurring and to assure safety.
First point for safety: To avoid a travel motion trouble of the electric motor vehicle which may suddenly occur when traveling, for example, a sudden stop of the electric motor vehicle.
When the vehicle is exposed to wind and rain and suffers from vibration when traveling, water may enter the motor or the electric control circuit, causing an insulation failure (electrical short). This is very dangerous because it leads to a stop of the electrical motor vehicle. In this connection, the improvement of a stator fixing structure, a motor case structure will be proposed.


The present invention provides isolated polynucleotides from Saccharomyces erythraea that encode enzymes involved in the biosynthesis of polyketide-associated sugars. Methods of using the polynucleotides to produce novel glycosylation modified polyketides are also provided.

Polyketides are a large class of natural products that includes many important antibiotic, antifungal, anticancer, and anti-helminthic compounds such as erythromycins, amphotericins, daunorubicins, and avermectins. Their synthesis proceeds by an ordered condensation of acyl esters to generate carbon chains of varying length, side chain, and reduction pattern that are differentially cyclized and subsequently modified to give the mature polyketides. For many polyketides, maturation includes the addition of one or more sugar residues to the cyclized carbon chain. The sugar residues are frequently critical to the biological activity of the mature polyketide.
Streptomyces and the closely related Saccharopolyspora genera are prodigious producers of polyketide metabolites. Because of the commercial significance of these compounds, a great amount of effort has been expended in the study of Streptomyces genetics. Consequently, much is known about Streptomyces and several cloning vectors exist for introducing DNA into these organisms.
Although many polyketides have been identified, there remains the need to obtain novel glycosylation modified (as defined herein) polyketide structures with enhanced properties. Current methods of obtaining such molecules include screening of biological samples and chemical modification of existing polyketides, both of which are costly and time consuming. Current screening methods are based on gross properties of the molecule, i.e. antibacterial, antifungal activity, etc., and both a priori knowledge of the structure of the molecules obtained or predetermination of enhanced properties are virtually impossible. Standard chemical modification of existing structures has been successfully employed, but is limited by the number of types of compounds obtainable. Furthermore, the poor yield of multistep chemical syntheses often limits the practicality of this approach. The following modifications to sugar residues bound to polyketides are particularly difficult or inefficient at the present time: change the stereochemistry of specific hydroxyl or methyl groups, change the oxidation state of specific hydroxyl groups, and deoxygenation of specific carbons. Accordingly, there exists a need to obtain molecules wherein such changes are specified and performed which would represent an improvement in the technology to produce altered glycosylation-modified polyketide molecules with predicted structure.
The present invention overcomes these problems by providing the genetic sequence of sugar biosynthesis genes involved in the biosynthesis of polyketide-associated sugars.

Polyketide-associated sugar biosynthesis genes


This invention provides phase change media for optical storage based on semiconductors of nitrides of the column III metals. The surface of thin films of these wide bandgap semiconductors may be metallized (by desorption of the nitrogen) by irradiating with photons of energy equal to, or greater than the band gap of these materials, and with power densities beyond a critical threshold value. As a consequence of such writable metallization, these materials are excellent candidates for write once, read many times storage media since the differences in the reflectivity between the metal and its corresponding wide gap nitride are very large. Furthermore, once the nitrogen is desorbed, the written metallic phase can no longer revert back to the nitride phase and hence the media is stable and is truly a write-once system. Additional advantages offered by these materials over present day phase change media include higher differences in reflectivity contrast and suitability for use with short wavelength laser diodes (460 nm and lower) which are expected to be introduced into optical recording technology in the next 5 years. The band gap of alloys of nitrides of column III metals can be tuned by changing the relative fractions of the column III metals to continuously vary the band gap so as to be compatible with lasers having photon energies within the range. The low absorptivity and hence high transmissitivity, at the appropriate recording wavelength, of the starting phase also offers the potential application of these materials in a multiple-recording-layer format.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to optical recording media for memory applications generally and particularly to the use of nitrides of column lll metals as the materials for phase change media for optical recording, especially write once, read many times optical recording.
2. Background
In optical recording for memory applications, a focused incident beam, e.g. from a semiconductor laser, reads or writes bits onto a thin film of appropriate material (media). Writing (encoding) is generally done by either changing the magneto-optic properties of the media or the reflectivity of the media to form a bit, the bit being the region of material irradiated and heated by the focused beam as the beam is scanned (rastered) over the surface of the media and varied in intensity as by being pulsed on and off. In the read operation the laser beam is incident on the bit and the reflected beam is modulated either in terms of a change in polarization (for magneto-optical recording) or reflectivity (for phase change alloys, organic dye/polymer, or ablative media). The present invention addresses phase change media.
Phase change media can be used for applications involving "write once read many" (WORM) as well as erasable optical storage. The present invention is directed primarily to WORM systems. Typical WORM materials currently used are tellurium (Te) or selenium (Se) based films which are based on ablation of material to create reflectivity change. Also used are InSbSn or other metallic alloys that rely on an amorphous to crystalline phase transition for the reflectivity contrast. There are a few drawbacks to these materials. Firstly, since there is the possibility for recrystallization of the phases, stability of storage is an issue. Secondly, Te and Se are unstable in air and are toxic. Thirdly, the reflectivity difference or signal contrast (which is normally defined as .vertline.(R.sub.w -R.sub.s)/(R.sub.w +R.sub.s).vertline. with R.sub.s and R.sub.w being the reflectivity of the starting phase and written phase, respectively) in these materials is in the range of 20-30%. Thus, there is a need for phase change media that offer improved performance relative to the above mentioned three points. Furthermore, it is expected that within the next five years shorter wavelength (600 nm and lower) semiconductor injection lasers will be introduced for higher storage densities, and thus there is need for phase change media compatible with these lasers.

Column III metal nitride films as phase change media for optical recording

International Business Machines Corporation


An installation and support apparatus or assembly 18 is provided for use in combination with an electric machine 10, such as a starter-alternator, which is adapted to be operatively installed between the engine block 12 and the transmission assembly 16 of a vehicle. The apparatus 18 includes a stationary support member or member 20, an inner or crankshaft engaging bearing 22, and an outer or rotor engaging bearing 24. Member 20 cooperates with bearings 22 and 24 to automatically create or form a relatively precise and uniform gap 54 between the stator assembly 26 and the rotor assembly 30 of electric machine 10, and further provides independent and additional support to the electric machine 10 and the vehicle""s crankshaft 14.

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for pilotless self-centering installation of a starter-alternator, and more particularly, to a method and an apparatus for pilotless self-centering installation of a starter-alternator within a vehicle which automatically and precisely aligns the starter-alternator, and which provides independent and additional support to the starter-alternator and to the vehicle""s crankshaft.
Starter-alternators are electric machines which function as both motors and generators, and are employed within vehicles to provide electrical power and torque. Particularly, starter-alternators are typically used within hybrid-electric type vehicles, and provide a variety of functions and benefits, including but not limited to generating and providing electrical power to vehicle systems and components; starting the vehicle""s engine; providing additional torque to the vehicle""s engine during heavy accelerations; assisting in and/or performing the braking functions of the vehicle, thereby capturing the kinetic energy of the moving vehicle; and stopping or xe2x80x9cshutting offxe2x80x9d the vehicle""s engine during idling and decelerating states or conditions, thereby improving the vehicle""s overall fuel economy.
Starter-alternators typically reside in the space normally occupied by a flywheel and a clutch, in the case of manual transmission type vehicles, or by a torque converter, in the case of automatic transmission type vehicles. Starter-alternators generally include a stator, which is fixedly coupled to the engine block, and a rotor, which is coupled to the crankshaft, and which is rotatably disposed within and/or is concentric to the stator. Particularly, the rotor is concentrically disposed with respect to the stator, and is separated from the stator by a relatively uniform, precise and minute gap or space, across which magnetic flux is generated.
One drawback associated with this type of starter-alternator is that the relatively uniform, precise and minute gap between the stator and the rotor is relatively difficult to create and/or form during the installation and/or assembly of the starter-alternator. Another drawback associated with this type of starter-alternator is that the rotating rotor undesirably creates and/or generates radial forces and/or loads which are transferred to the vehicle""s crankshaft. Particularly, the xe2x80x9coverhungxe2x80x9d mass of the rotor assembly is subject to and experiences what is known as the xe2x80x9cflywheel whirl effectxe2x80x9d, which causes the rotor assembly to xe2x80x9ctiltxe2x80x9d and/or move xe2x80x9coff centerxe2x80x9d as it rotates. The xe2x80x9ctiltxe2x80x9d and/or movement of the rotor assembly creates a local and/or non-uniform reduction in the relatively small and uniform gap between the stator and the rotor, thereby causing a reduction in the efficiency of the starter-alternator and a possibility of destructive contact occurring between the stator and the rotor. Furthermore, this xe2x80x9ctiltxe2x80x9d and/or movement undesirably generates a relatively high radial load or stress on the crankshaft, which can result in premature fatigue, fracture, and/or failure of the crankshaft.
Attempts have been made to maintain the precision and uniformity of the relatively small gap between the stator and the rotor, and to provide support to the rotor and the crankshaft. For example and without limitation, attempts have been made to align and/or center the rotor and the stator manually and/or by using manually operated devices or tools during the assembly and/or installation of the starter-alternator. However, these types of manual alignment procedures and tools are undesirably time-consuming and tedious to perform and/or employ. Additionally, such manual alignment procedures do not significantly reduce the stress which is transferred to the crankshaft by the substantially unsupported rotor. Other attempts have been made to tighten the specifications and/or tolerances of the components of the starter-alternator and/or of the crankshaft, and to machine and/or introduce precise pilots or piloting portions onto the components of the starter-alternator or onto the crankshaft. These prior attempts have undesirably and significantly increased the overall cost of the machining the crankshaft and/or the starter-alternator, and have not substantially reduced the stress imparted on the crankshaft.
There is therefore a need for a new and improved method and apparatus for installing a starter-alternator within a vehicle which overcomes many, if not all, of the previously delineated drawbacks of such prior methods and devices.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for installing a starter-alternator within a vehicle which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior devices, apparatuses, and methodologies.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for installing a starter-alternator within a vehicle which independently supports the rotor, thereby substantially reducing the stress transferred to the vehicle""s crankshaft.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for installing a starter-alternator within a vehicle, which substantially eliminates the need for tedious manual alignment procedures and/or tools.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, an apparatus for supporting an electric machine within a vehicle is provided. The vehicle is of the type having an engine block and a crankshaft having a rear end which extends from the engine block. The electric machine includes a stator assembly and a rotor assembly. The rotor assembly is coupled to the rear end of the crankshaft, and which is separated from the stator assembly by a relatively precise and uniform gap. The apparatus includes a generally support member which is fixedly coupled to the engine block, the support member includes a first outer lip portion upon which the stator assembly is fixedly secured and an inner lip portion. A first bearing assembly is coupled to the inner lip portion and abuttingly engages the rear end of the crankshaft, thereby radially and rotatably supporting the crankshaft. A second bearing assembly is coupled to the inner lip portion and abuttingly engages the rotor assembly, thereby radially and rotatably supporting the rotor assembly and forming the relatively precise and uniform gap.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method of installing a electric machine within an apparatus is provided. The apparatus is of the type having an engine block and a crankshaft having an end which extends from the engine block. The electric machine include a stator assembly and a rotor assembly, the rotor assembly is adapted to be concentrically disposed within the stator assembly, and includes a first portion which is adapted to be coupled to the first end of the crankshaft. The method comprises the steps of:
providing a support member having an inner channel; coupling the stator assembly to the support member; providing a first and a second bearing assembly;
coupling the first and second bearing assemblies to the support member and within the channel; axially aligning the channel of the support member with the end of the crankshaft; moving the support member from a first position in which the support member is remote from the engine block and a second position in which the support member abuts the engine block, the movement being effective to cause the first bearing engage the end of the crankshaft, thereby automatically centering the first member and the stator assembly with respect to the crankshaft; axially aligning the rotor assembly with the end of the crankshaft; and moving the rotor assembly from a first position in which the support member is remote from the end portion of the crankshaft and a second position in which the support member abuts the end portion of the crankshaft, the movement being effective to cause the second bearing to engage the rotor assembly, thereby automatically centering the rotor assembly within the stator assembly.
These and other features, aspects, and advantages of the invention will become apparent by reading the following specification and by reference to the following drawings.

Apparatus for pilotless self-centering installation of a starter-alternator


Methods and apparatus demodulate and decode a plurality of AM and FM arriving signals, which permit, for example, a utility data-collecting unit to concurrently receive and decode transmitted signals of legacy transmitters as well as more recent FM based transmitters, or signals arriving from hybrid systems configured to transmit both AM and FM.

Historically meter readings of the consumption of utility resources such as water, gas, or electricity have been accomplished manually by human meter readers at customers premises. The relatively recent advances in this area include collection of data by telephone lines, radio transmission, walk-by, or drive-by reading systems using radio communications between the meters and meter reading devices. Although some of these methods require close physical proximity to the meters, they have become more desirable than the manual reading and recording of the consumption levels. Over the last few years, there has been a concerted effort to automate meter reading by installing fixed networks that allow data to flow from the meter to a host computer system without human intervention. These systems are referred to in the art as Automated Meter Reading (AMR) systems.
A mobile AMR system comprises an Encoder-Receiver-Transmitter (ERT), which is a meter interface device attached to the meter and either periodically or in response to a request transmits utility consumption data. Today, some ERTs transmit AM, while others transmit FM signals. In other fields, there are systems configured to receive both types of signals concurrently. For example in the automotive field, radio receivers possessing both AM and FM reception are common.
The Kaufman (U.S. Pat. No. 4,001,702), Funabashi (U.S. Pat. No. 4,070,628), von der Neyen (U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,004), Mason (U.S. Pat. No. 3,206,680), Peil (U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,507), Lundquist et al (U.S. Pat. No. 3,745,467), Ohsawa et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,645) and Denenberg (U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,988) patents are all radio receivers capable of receiving AM and FM signals; however, most automotive radio receivers, such as the ones of Funabashi, Mason, Peil, Lundquist et al, Ohsawa et al, and Denenberg receive AM and FM signals as alternatives and merely allow the user to select between the two signals. As such, two kinds of traditional receivers are required for demodulation and decoding of the two possible transmission types, which complicates the required hardware, entails extra cost, etc.

Dual mode AM-FM receiver with I-Q decoding, such as for utility data collection


An elevator drive has a traction sheave over which ropes are passed to move an elevator car and a counterweight up and down in an elevator hoistway. An elevator control in a control cabinet on a landing is connected with another elevator control in the hoistway and with the elevator car, and controls how the elevator car moves. The control cabinet also has a handle that is part of a Bowden cable acting on a brake of the elevator drive. The handle can be used to manually release the brake which permits the elevator car to move up or down depending on the difference in weight between the elevator car and the counterweight. The position of the elevator car in the hoistway is of significance to the elevator control. A tensioned toothed belt spanning the height of the hoistway is in contact with an encoder that detects the absolute position of the elevator car for the elevator control. For evacuation, a signal device is provided which allows evacuation of the car without looking into the elevator hoistway.

The present invention relates to a device for the evacuation of elevator passengers who are trapped in an elevator car stuck in an elevator hoistway, the elevator car being movable to the next floor by releasing the brake of the elevator drive.
The German utility model DE 296 15 921 U1 shows a device by which elevator passengers can be evacuated in an emergency. The device is intended for elevator installations with no machine room that have the drive unit arranged in the hoistway. If the elevator car becomes stuck in the hoistway, the brake is released manually and the elevator car is driven to the next floor, on which floor the elevator passengers can leave the elevator car safely. Actuation of the brake is by means of a Bowden cable from the landing of the floor on which the elevator control is also located. Moving the elevator car for the evacuation is done without a power supply to the elevator installation by using the difference in weight between the loaded elevator car and the counterweight. A battery is only provided to supply power to a signal device that indicates that the elevator car is at the evacuation floor.
A disadvantage of this known device is that the person operating the brake must observe the movement of the elevator car by seeing the movement of the overspeed governor rope, or by seeing the movement of the suspension ropes. To monitor the speed of the elevator car by means of the moving ropes requires great experience and attention, and cannot be expected of inexperienced persons.
The present invention concerns an apparatus for avoiding the disadvantages of the known device, and creating a device by means of which persons trapped in an elevator car can be evacuated safely.
The advantages achieved by the present invention include that the evacuation of trapped elevator passengers can also be carried out by inexperienced persons. The signal device according to the present invention monitors the movement of the elevator car, and indicates to the person performing the evacuation both normal and abnormal operating statuses visually and acoustically. With the signal device according to the present invention, evacuation is simple and safe even for inexperienced persons. There is no need for an observation window arranged in the hoistway wall to make it possible to see into the hoistway and, in particular, to see the elevator drive and the ropes.

Device for signaling movement of an elevator car during the evacuation of elevator passengers


An enzymatic process is developed to produce high-maltose syrup and high-protein byproduct simultaneously from materials that contain starch and protein. In the process, the slurry of milled starting material is first liquefied with .alpha.-amylase and then centrifuged. The precipitated fraction is recovered as high-protein flour. The supernatant fraction was then saccharified with .beta.-amylase and debranching enzyme (isoamylase or pullulanase) simultaneously to produce high-maltose syrup at various conditions. The yield of high-maltose syrup is affected by temperature, pH, DE values of liquefied starch, different enzyme combinations and varieties of starting materials.

The present invention relates to an enzymatic process for the simultaneous production of high-maltose syrup and high-protein byproduct from materials that contain starch and protein.
High-maltose syrup has mild sweetness, low viscosity in solution, low hygroscopicity and good heat stability. Therefore, it is well suited for numerous applications in food industry such as high quality products of candy, ice cream, etc. It is also suitable for diabetics (U.S. Pat. No. 3,793,461, 1974). The conventional process for the production of high-maltose syrup uses purified starch as starting material. High-protein flour has high nutritional value and is useful for the production of pudding, gruel, instant milk and baby food, etc. (D. F. Houston, Rice J., 70, 12, 1967; B. M. Kennedy et. al., Cereal Chem., 51, 435, 1974).
The traditional process for the separation of starch from protein is tedious and costly (B. O. Juliano, "Starch: Chemistry and Technology", 2nd ed.; Whister, R. L., Bemiller, J. N. and Paschall, E. F., eds., Academic Press New York, pp 507-528, 1984). Furthermore, the use of unnatural chemicals such as sodium hydroxide, acid and surfactants are undesirable for food use.

Production of high-maltose syrup and high-protein byproduct from materials that contain starch and protein by enzymatic process


Plural second logic blocks are set to a first logic block, and when data is written to the second logic block, write waiting is given using an address next to the address of the current second logic block. In order to protect data of the written second logic block, the next address is skipped using another address as an expected value.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a memory card having a built-in non-volatile semiconductor memory device, and in particular, to a method of controlling the semiconductor memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
A non-volatile semiconductor memory device such as a NAND flash memory using EEPROM is used as a host apparatus for a digital camera and mobile phone. For example, data stored in the memory card is destroyed resulting from causes such as unexpected removal of the memory card, droppage of the host apparatus and power turn-off.
The following technique has been developed (e.g., see JPN. PAT. APPLN. KOKAI Publication No. 11-306091). According to the technique, a sector having data destroyed by power turn-off is repaired to prevent an actual storage capacity of a memory space of the card from being reduced by the data destroy.
In addition, the following technique has been developed (e.g., see JPN. PAT. APPLN. KOKAI Publication No. 11-306800). According to the technique, a cyclic code is generated from data stored in data storage, and the generated cyclic code is compared with a cyclic code stored in the corresponding block to make a normality test of the block. By doing so, data written in a flash memory is prevented from being destroyed in error.
Recently, a multi-valued NAND flash memory capable of storing several data in one memory cell has been developed. In the multi-valued NAND flash memory, the same column of several pages commonly uses one memory cell. For example, in a four-value NAND flash memory, the same column of two pages commonly uses one memory cell.
The foregoing multi-valued NAND flash memory has the following problems. More specifically, when write is made to one of pages commonly using the memory cell, a write error occurs. Moreover, if write is interrupted resulting for some reason, there is a possibility that the content of another previously written page is destroyed.
For example, a memory card having the NAND flash memory is applied to a digital camera. In this case, when a photograph is taken using the digital camera, photograph data is normally written in the flash memory. Thereafter, when a photograph is taken again, write to the flash memory fails resulting from reasons such as unexpected removal of the memory card, droppage of the camera body and power turn-off during data write. In such a case, the write data is not normally recorded. In addition, there is a possibility that the photograph data of an already written page is destroyed resulting from page management performance of the multi-valued NAND flash memory. Therefore, it is desired to provide a method of controlling a semiconductor memory device, which is capable of preventing a destroy of already written data when writing new data.

Method of controlling a semiconductor memory device applied to a memory card


A method for temporarily storing and retrieving 8-bit character information data for a magnetic disk information storage system in a number of 4.times.n DRAM buffer memory configurations. A virtual memory address for each of said 8-bit information characters is provided and each of the characters are organized into a 16-byte block. The virtual memory addresses are translated to corresponding addresses of memory locations in said 4.times.n buffer memory unit for storage of 4-bit groups of said 16-byte block in said 4.times.n DRAM buffer memory by selecting a row address for storage of said 16-byte block, by selecting a base column address for said 16-byte block, and by successively incrementing said base column address by 4 to provide additional column address for successive 4-bit groups of said 16-byte blocks. Each of said 4-bit groups of said 16-byte block are transferred through a 4-bit data bus to the various predetermined address locations in one of said 4.times.n DRAM buffer memory configurations as determined by the translating step. An 8-bit parity word for the 16-byte block is stored in a separate part of the 4.times.n memory.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to memory systems and, more particularly, to methods for controlling buffer memory systems for magnetic disk memory systems.
2. Prior Art
Temporary storage devices such as dynamic random access memory devices, DRAMs, are often used in connection with magnetic storage media as buffer memories for temporarily storing character information. Each character is represented, for example, by an 8-bit information word and one parity bit. Typically, information is read into a temporary storage memory device one character at a time using 9 parallel data bit lines. DRAMs are typically available as a 4 or 1-bit wide devices so that storage of the extra parity bit associated with each character word is cumbersome, resulting in the parity bit not being stored or being stored in a separate memory device.

Buffer memory control system for a magnetic disc controller


A fat removal device includes a screen which includes passages through which fat can be extruded, to be cut or melted away from the surface of an internal organ. The device includes a blade to cut the fat or radiofrequency monopolar or bipolar electrodes to melt the fat, aspiration to remove the fat away from the screen and blade, irrigation to irrigate the screen and blade, and an electrocautery member to cauterize the capillary bed of the fat. Methods of using removing the fat layer from the surface of an internal body organ are also described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to apparatus and methods for removing fatty tissue from a human body without damaging underlying nerves.
2. Brief Description of the Related Art
Recent advances in cardiology, radiology, cardiothorasic vascular and neuro surgery have allowed patients suffering from various diseases of the internal organs to benefit from less invasive techniques to surgically treat their conditions. With the advent of newer techniques, however, come newer difficulties in the application of these techniques to all the qualified patients.
Recent advanced techniques and devices allow for the correction of numerous defects of the internal organs, e.g., the heart, by access to the surface of the organs. For example, performing coronary artery bypass surgery on a beating heart has been used to treat coronary artery disease, attaching leads to the exterior surface of the heart to collect diagnostic data and to pace the heart, or performing atrial fibrillation procedures. In all of these procedures, however, often a thick layer of fatty tissue must be removed from around the heart to expose the myocardial tissue to be treated. To further complicate the procedure, the fatty layer may be enveloped in a tougher layer of connective tissue, the pericardium, which must first be incised to expose the fat underneath. Furthermore, the vasculature which provide blood to the heart itself, the coronary arteries and veins, may be located on the exterior of the cardiac tissue and under and in the fat. The coronary arteries and cardiac veins traverse the myocardial surface, supplying oxygenated blood and conducting deoxygenated blood away from the cardiac tissues, respectively. Typically, the pericardium is cut with a scalpel to expose the fat underneath, which in turn is incised with a scalpel to expose the surface of the heart to perform a procedure, e.g., bypass surgery, pacing lead attachment, atrial fibrillation procedures, etc. The use of a scalpel to remove the fat clearly presents a level of danger to the patient's coronary arteries which is only marginally tolerable; the consequences of mishap are severe.
The fat layer is generally a semi liquid form at body temperature. At elevated temperatures the fatty tissue will become more liquified. The cell membranes of the fat tissue can be ruptured when they are mechanically stressed, which will allow the fat contents of the cell to flow freely.
Prior devices exist which aspirate fat or other substances from the body of a patient, but which are not suitable for removing the fat layer from the external surface of an internal body organ. Laparoscopes exist, but are not useful because they cannot break up fatty tissue while ensuring that larger blood vessels which are located under the fat are not also severed. Numerous atherectomy devices have been proposed, however they are far too small to be effectively employed to remove the sometimes large volumes of fat which covers the organ, and also do not provide any protection for the underlying nerves and blood vessels.
Protecting the underlying nerves from damage is especially important. For example, in thoracic surgery as well as in other surgical procedures, identification of nerves is critical. Failure to identify nerves during surgery could result in those nerves being inadvertently damaged. Nerves are often enclosed or covered with fat, making their identification and isolation particularly difficult. Generally, those skilled in the art must identify nerves by slowly dissecting with scissors and forceps. Failure to identify nerves can lead to severe disability should those nerves be injured as a result. Injuries include numbness as well as the inability to move. Frequently, these injuries are permanent.
Within dermatology and plastic surgery, the inner surface of the skin is aspirated for fat. Nerves and vessels that are in the same space can be easily damaged. Identification of these vessels and nerves prior to injury is important.
Within thoracic, neurosurgery and vascular surgery, procedures to isolate parts of a nerve in order to create therapeutic benefit are becoming increasingly common. For example, stellate ganglion procedures for hyperhydrosis (i.e. excessive sweating) require careful dissection, identification and treatment of the ganglion. If it were possible to identify and isolate the nerve more quickly, these procedures would be safer and faster to do. Therefore there is a need for an innovative device that allows the surgeon to separate underlying nerves from their covering fat. Such a device is herein disclosed.
Another commonly performed procedure is liposuction, usually performed for cosmetic improvement. Frequently, nerve damage occurs due to nerves being injured by the suction device The invention herein described would be beneficial to identifying nerves prior to injury and also would aid in the removal of fat without associated nerve injury.

Fat removal and nerve protection device and method


The portable apparatus comprises an elongated body adapted to be mounted on a toilet seat and including a stem terminated by an upwardly-directed nozzle adapted to be located in the center of a toilet bowl and below the rim thereof. A clamp is releasably secured to the toilet seat. A spring-biased pin connects the body to the clamp while allowing pivotal and longitudinal movement of the body with respect to the clamp. A handle carried by the body enables the user, while seated on the toilet seat, with the apparatus between the user's legs, to pull the body upwardly and adjust its longitudinal and pivotal positions with respect to the clamp and, consequently, the nozzle can be adjusted both in orientation and in back-and-forth position with respect to the seated user. A blocking device maintains the body in adjusted position upon release of the handle. The apparatus further includes a bottle for containing a liquid refresher or a medicament to be mixed with the water. Two diverter valves are provided for discharging the water from the faucet directly into the sink or into the toilet bowl when the nozzle and bottle are not used. A cannula can be attached to the nozzle through a flexible nipple.

Systems of the prior art for use in combination with a toilet bowl and seat, do not provide proper positioning of the nozzle by the user while the latter is seated on the toilet seat. Moreover, none of the prior art systems of the character described provide for vertical adjustable orientation of the nozzle to suit the user's requirement and/or are suited for use with a cannula.


A vacuum cleaner is provided including a housing, a nozzle inlet, a suction generator carried on the housing and a dirt cup. The dirt cup includes a dirt collection chamber, a chamber inlet, a filter cavity and a chamber outlet. A filter element is received in the filter cavity. Air is axially directed into an interior chamber of the filter element and then radially discharged from that chamber.

Bagless vacuum cleaner technology has long been known in the art. Japanese Patent Applications 56-136642 and 56-136650 both published in 1981 disclose an upright vacuum cleaner with a dust collection chamber that removably connects to an opening of the main unit to facilitate user convenience during the emptying of the cleaner. A removable filter fills an opening at the bottom of the dust chamber and serves to separate dust from air drawn through the vacuum cleaner by the fan and motor assembly.
The present invention relates to an improved vacuum cleaner incorporating a highly efficient bagless dirt collection system.


Methods, systems, and products are disclosed for mapping facilities data. A graphical mapping of facilities information, overlaid onto a map of roads, is generated and displayed. An outer perimeter of a geographic area is defined, and the outer perimeter is displayed in the graphical mapping. A bill of materials that corresponds to the outer perimeter is then generated.

Exemplary embodiments generally relate to mapping of information and, more particularly, to mapping of facilities and equipment information for any industry.
Accurate and simple facilities information may be difficult to obtain. Many industries maintain diverse and/or remote plants, operations, and equipment. Significant efforts and financial investments are made to maintain accurate information on these facilities and equipment. Still, though, the information may be difficult to access and to interpret. Different facilities may utilize different communications networks and equipment, thus complicating efforts to unify all the facilities information. Moreover, the volume of facilities and equipment information may be too difficult to access and effectively utilize. When personnel cannot obtain accurate facilities information, repair efforts may be delayed.
In the communications industry, for example, there may be millions of different circuits. These circuits route calls and other Internet traffic throughout a city, state, and even the nation. When a circuit fails, or becomes congested, communications data must be rerouted to alternate circuits. Accurate and readily accessible information, then, must be maintained for all these circuit facilities. Sometimes, however, facility information is stored in a database that is unavailable or incompatible. When communications personnel have trouble accessing or sharing information, coordination of repair efforts is hampered and/or delayed. Whatever the industry, then, personnel must be able to quickly and easily obtain facilities and equipment information.

Methods, systems, and products for mapping facilities data


A cooling fan and an electronic device are provided. The cooling fan comprises a plurality of blades disposed in a circumferential direction of a rotating shaft. The plurality of blades includes a first blade and a second blade. A windward surface of the first blade includes a first alignment part and a first offset part. The first alignment part is aligned with a windward surface of the second blade, and the first offset part and the windward surface of the second blade are arranged in a staggered manner.

In many electronic devices, a cooling fan is installed to dissipate the heat generated by the electronic devices. For some electronic devices, such as laptops, as the size of the electronic devices become more and more compact, the installation space of the cooling fan is getting smaller and smaller, which raise a high quietness performance requirement for the cooling fan. However, an existing cooling fan often has a plurality of blades having the same structure and aligned to each other, which generates substantially large noise and may not meet the desired quietness performance requirement. Thus, how to further reduce the noise of the cooling fan has become a problem desired to be solved by those skilled in the art at present.
The disclosed cooling fan and electronic device thereof are directed to solve one or more problems set forth above and other problems.


A rear-end air guide device for a motor vehicle includes a rear spoiler having a spoiler surface and a rear wing arranged in a vehicle vertical direction above the rear spoiler. The spoiler surface faces toward the rear wing, and the spoiler surface facing toward the rear wing is adjustable in a vehicle longitudinal direction.

The German published patent application DE 10 2016 111 026 A1 has disclosed a vehicle part structure having at least one wing device for generating at least one underflow and at least one overflow from an incident flow of air for the purposes of improving downforce and having at least one air guide device for splitting up the incident flow of air into at least one wing air stream for the underflow of the wing device and into at least one part air stream for at least one vehicle component, wherein the air guide device comprises at least one adaptable air guide element, wherein a distribution ratio of wing air stream and part air stream can be flexibly adjusted by means of at least one adaptation of the air guide element.

DR. ING. H.C. F. PORSCHE AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT


Novel splice variants of the human H3 histamine receptor are described. The splice variants have deletions of portions of the N-terminal of the wild type H3 receptor. The splice variants are useful in methods for identifying agonists, inverse agonists or antagonists of histamine action at the H3 receptor.

Histamines are implicated in a number of medical conditions, including inflammation, asthma, allergy, atopic dermatitis, stroke, myocardial infection, migraine, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, inflammatory bowel disease, and psoriasis. Histamines regulate the intensity and duration of immune responses and are involved in cell-to-cell communication. Histamines are also involved in leukocyte migration and bronchovasoconstriction. As established by radioligand binding, physiological assays, and molecular cloning, different types of receptors for histamines exist. Furthermore, specific histamine receptor subtypes are involved in specific medical conditions such that drugs with subtype selectivity can be utilized to target individual medical conditions.
At present there are four known human histamine receptors, H1, H2, H3 and H4, all of which are G-protein coupled molecules. Although the existence of histamine receptors had been established pharmacologically for decades, the H1 and H2 receptors were cloned only in 1991 (Yamashita et al. 1991 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:11515; Gantz et al. 1991 Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 88:429), and the H3 receptor and the H4 receptor were not cloned until more recently (Lovenberg et al. 1999 J. Mol. Pharmacol. 55:1101; U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,559; WO 00/20011 (PCT/US98/21090); Oda et al. 2000 J. Biol. Chem. 275:36781; Zhu et al. 2001 Mol. Pharmacol. 59:434; Liu et al. 2001 Mol. Pharmacol. 59:420; Morse et al. 2001 J. Pharm. Exp. Ther. 296:1058; as well as U.S. Pat. No. 6,204,017 and WO 01/25432 A2 (PCT/US00/27481); WO 01/46414 A1 (PCT/JP00/09038); and Nguyen et al. 2001 Mol. Pharmacol. 59:427).
The H3 receptor subtype has been found in both the central nervous system and in the peripheral nervous system as a presynaptic receptor controlling the release of histamine and of several neurotransmitters. The CNS effect of the H3 antagonists makes them potential candidates for the treatment of obesity, epilepsy, depression, sleep/wake disorders and age-related memory disorders, such as Alzheimer's disease and attention-deficit hyperactivity disorders. The negative feedback mechanism on sensory C fibres and the resultant anti-inflammatory effects of H3 receptor agonists suggests a possible role for these compounds in treatment of migraine, asthma, cardiac disorders and neurogenic airway inflammation. Various antagonists of the H3 histamine receptor and methods for their use for treating CNS disorders, including Alzheimer's disease, narcolepsy, and comas induced by stroke, drugs or alcohol, for suppressing appetite in the treatment of obesity, and for treatment of allergy, inflammation, cardio and cerebro vascular diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, psychiatric disorders, sleep disorders and hypothalnic dysfunction are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,380,858; 5,486,526; 5,633,382; 5,639,775; 5,652,258; 5,990,317; 6,008,240; 6,072,057; and 6,166,060; see also U.S. Pat. No. 6,136,559; WO 00/20011 (PCT/US98/21090).
Recent molecular studies have shown that a single form of the H3 gene can give rise to multiple mRNA isoforms in rat (Drutel et al. 2001 Mol. Pharmacol. 59:1) and in guinea pig (Tardival-Lacombe et al. 2000 Neuroreport 11:755). In humans, six splice variants of the H3 receptor were recently reported in the thalamus (Coge et al. Biochem. J. 2001 355:279). These variants were found to be coexpressed in human brain, but their relative distribution varied in a region-specific manner. The variants displayed deletions in either the putative second transmembrane domain or in the third intracellular loop.
In view of the important role that histamines play in many physiological processes and medical conditions, there is a need for materials and methods, including novel histamine receptors, useful for the identification of agonists, inverse agonists and antagonists selective for specific types of histamine receptors.


An AC electro-hydro-dynamic system for aggregating particles immersed in a fluid. The AC electro-hydro-dynamic system utilizes at least one set of parallel plate electrodes each having at least one conductive surface. The conductive surfaces may incorporate island conductive pads or strip conductive pads. The parallel plates may form a first set and a second set. A signal generator provides a time-varying signal across the first set of parallel plate electrodes and the second set of parallel plate electrodes.

AC electro-hydro-dynamic (ACEHD) refers to the microfluidic flows induced in the vicinity of electrodes when an alternating current (AC) signal is applied. The term "AC signal" refers to a voltage that either alternates in polarity or varies periodically in amplitude. The AC signal induces periodically varying and non-uniform charges in the bulk fluid near the electrode (a.k.a. AC electrothermal effect) and/or in the electrochemical double layer (also known as double layer polarization) at the electrode surface (a.k.a. AC electroosmosis or ACEO). The varying and non-uniform charges produce migration of ions, and hence fluidic motion. ACEHD devices may be applied as particle traps, microfluidic pumps, mixers, and so forth.
ACEO devices, as a subset of ACEHD devices, are limited to fluids with conductivities lower than 80 mS/m. ACEHD devices can handle fluids with conductivities range from 1 μS/m to 2 S/m.
Many ACEO devices adopt planar interdigitated electrodes. Interdigitated electrodes are electrodes that are formed as two sets of opposing generally planar comb-like structures that have their "teeth" interlaced but not touching. When AC signals of opposite phase are applied across the two sets of such electrodes that are in contact with a fluid, electric fields are produced in the fluid in the region above and between adjoining teeth. These electric fields have components that are both normal and tangential to the electrodes. The tangential component of the field induces electro-osmotic fluid motion. Also, when an electric field is applied over a fluid body, energy is dissipated within by P=σErms2 (σ: the electrolyte conductivity), leading to temperature rise. Non-uniform temperature rise, i.e. temperature gradient ∇T, produces gradients in conductivity and/or permittivity as ∇ε=(∂ε/∂T)∇T, ∇σ=(∂σ/∂T)∇T, and further, ∇σ and ∇ε will generate mobile space charges, ρ, in the fluid bulk in AC fields. The space charges migrate under the influence of electric field and induce flow. Planar interdigitated electrodes have an effective range on the order of hundreds micrometers from the electrode surface.
AC electro-osmotic systems with interdigitated electrodes have generally short effective range of trapping bacteria and other particles. Also they are not effective for fluids with conductivity higher than 20 mS/m. So they have been used mainly to assist detection rather than collection, separation and remediation. Dielectrophoretic systems typically only collect contaminants having a minimum particle size greater than a few microns. What is needed therefore is a system for collecting large quantities of entrained particles with fewer limitations regarding minimum particle size, and fluid conductivity, thereby, for example, permitting effective collection of nanosize particles.

Parallel plate electrodes for particle concentration or removal

University of Tennessee Research Foundation