This invention teaches an apparatus and method for merging information transmitted in vertical blanking interval (VBIs) of several services into a single VBI. The system includes a pair of memories for each service wherein each memory is toggled between a read and write cycle. While the first memory is in a write cycle, the second memory is in a read cycle and vice versa. A field programmable gate array (FPGA) controls the first and second pairs of memory to merge the VBIs.

This invention is related to cable television (CATV) and wireless transmission systems. More particularly, the invention is related to an apparatus for merging selected lines of at least two vertical blanking intervals (VBIs) for transmission over the RF band which is typically reserved for a single VBI.
With the increasing array of services from CATV and wireless network operators, it has become imperative for operators to offer more services in the same amount of RF transmission bandwidth. Moreover, wireless pay television systems, whether MMDS or conventional VHF/UHF television, are generally constrained to far fewer channels than the conventional CATV systems with which they compete. The challenge is offering more channels to subscribers within the spectrum constraints imposed by government regulations.
For a typical television program, since the video portion of the program occupies most of the available 6 MHz on an NTSC television channel, much of the research toward maximizing the amount of bandwidth has been traditionally devoted towards compressing and minimizing the amount of bandwidth the video information occupies. Accordingly there exists a need for providing more channel capacity within the same amount of transmission bandwidth while maintaining the quality of the transmitted data.
Ancillary information services are typically transmitted using existing television broadcast channels. The ancillary information is transmitted in the VBI and decoded at a television in order to display the ancillary information along with the television picture. Ancillary information typically includes text, for example closed captioning or related program information. Since the ancillary information transmitted along the VBI does not typically utilize the entire bandwidth assigned to the VBI, it is desirable to merge several VBIs into the bandwidth allotted for a single VBI in order to minimize the overall bandwidth required for the television transmission.
United Kingdom Patent Application No. GB 2286321A discloses a method for data distribution comprising storing packets of data in a random access memory, storing transmission characteristics for each packet, reading the characteristics and transmitting each packet to an audience in accordance with the frequency and timing parameters set forth in the packets' particular transmission characteristics. However, this system does not have the capability of merging the information from several VBIs into the bandwidth allotted for a single VBI.

Apparatus and method for merging vertical blanking intervals


Electrosurgical therapy is provided with an electrode array configured to ablate tissue during insertion of the electrode array into tissue being treated. Once the electrode array is fully inserted, deep heating of the treated tissue can be performed by applying an additional waveform to the tissue with the electrode array. Optionally, the electrical waveform can be varied continuously during insertion of the electrode array to control the extent of coagulation at the side walls and at the bottom of the channels produced by tissue ablation.

Various approaches have been considered for skin rejuvenation and other tissue/skin treatments based on delivery of energy to the tissue being treated. In non-ablative approaches, energy is delivered to tissue, but no tissue is thereby removed. In ablative approaches, energy is delivered to tissue such that some of the tissue is removed by ablation.
Non-ablative skin rejuvenation (e.g., using radiofrequency, ultrasound, or light) is typically performed using application of the electrical current, ultrasound energy or light beam to the tissue surface, and heating tissue to temperatures not exceeding the vaporization threshold. Optical examples of this approach include U.S. Pat. No. 6,723,090. Electrical examples of this approach include U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,871,524; 6,662,054.
Carbon dioxide (CO2) laser systems have been recently applied to ablative fractional resurfacing of human skin. In these procedures, a pulsed CO2 laser is used to drill channels of approximately 100 micrometers in diameter and 0.5-0.7 mm in depth. Using scanning mirror, these holes are applied in patterns with spacing of approximately 1 mm. The epidermis and part of the dermis demonstrate columns of thermal coagulation that surround tapering ablative zones lined by a thin eschar layer. Typically, a thermal coagulation zone at the edges of such laser channels in skin is on the order of 40 micrometers. Such ablation (tissue removal) and coagulation of skin leads to stimulation of its rejuvenation and tightening, and thus results in improved cosmetic appearance. This approach, called "fractional skin resurfacing" was found to be clinically very effective. An example of this approach is considered by Hantash et al. in an article titled "In vivo Histological Evaluation of a Novel Ablative Fractional Resurfacing Device" (Lasers in Surgery and Medicine 39:96-107 (2007)).
Disadvantages of the CO2 laser systems include their relatively large size, somewhat cumbersome articulated arm beam delivery system, and relatively high cost. In addition, since ablation craters produced by lasers taper towards the bottom, there is a limit on the ratio of depth-to-width of the channels (so called aspect ratio) that can be produced by laser ablation. Typically this aspect ratio does not exceed 10, i.e. channels of 100 μm in diameter do not exceed 1 mm in depth. Another limitation of the laser-based tissue drilling approach is that the thermal damage zone at the side walls of the channels is typically similar or even larger than that at the bottom.
Another non-ablative approach that has been considered for such skin treatment is the use of an array of needle electrodes that is first inserted into the skin, and then energized to provide therapeutic effects. Examples of this approach include US 2007/0142885 and US 2008/0091182. However, insertion of the needles and following tissue coagulation in this approach does not involve tissue removal by ablation (vaporization and ejection forming the empty channels or craters), and thus is not as effective in skin tightening as the ablative laser approach.
It would be desirable to be able to ablate tissue and create channels of arbitrary aspect ratio and with an independent control over the width of the thermal damage zone at the side walls and at the bottom.

Electro-thermotherapy of tissue using penetrating microelectrode array


A control device of a compression-ignition engine is provided. The control device includes the engine having a cylinder, an exhaust gas recirculation system for introducing exhaust gas into the cylinder, and a controller for operating the engine by compression-ignition combustion of mixture gas inside the cylinder within a predetermined compression-ignitable range on a low engine load side. Within the compression-ignitable range, the controller sets an EGR ratio higher as the engine load becomes lower, and the controller sets the EGR ratio to a predetermined highest EGR ratio when the engine load is at a specific load that is on the low engine load side within the compression-ignitable range. When the engine load is lower than the specific load, the controller sets the EGR ratio to be lower than the highest EGR ratio.

The present invention relates to a control device of a compression-ignition engine.
For example, JP2009-197740A discloses an engine which performs compression-ignition combustion of mixture gas inside a cylinder when an operating state of the engine is within a predetermined range on a low engine speed side and on a low engine load side. In the engine, for performing the compression-ignition combustion, a close timing of an exhaust valve is set to before a (compression) top dead center and an open timing of an intake valve is set to after the top dead center to provide a period in which the exhaust and intake valves are both closed over the top dead center (i.e., negative overlap period). By providing the negative overlap period, a part of high-temperature exhaust gas remains within the cylinder. In other words, a temperature inside the cylinder is increased by an internal EGR (Exhaust Gas Recirculation), and thus, ignitability in the compression ignition and combustion stability improve. JP2009-197740A also discloses that within an operating range of the engine where the compression-ignition combustion is performed, an EGR ratio by the internal EGR is increased by advancing the close timing of the exhaust valve more as the engine load becomes lower.
Moreover, JP2007-120330A discloses an engine for a gas heat pump in which, similarly to JP2009-197740A, the EGR ratio by the internal EGR is increased when performing the compression-ignition combustion, by extending the negative overlap period longer as the engine load becomes lower.
Generally, as the engine load becomes lower, a temperature environment inside a cylinder degrades, and thus, it is disadvantageous when performing compression-ignition combustion. Therefore, increasing the EGR ratio by the internal EGR more as the engine load becomes lower as disclosed in JP2009-197740A and JP2007-120330A increases the temperature inside the cylinder when the piston reaches the compression top dead center (i.e., a compression-end temperature) since an amount of the exhaust gas introduced in to the cylinder is increased and the temperature inside the cylinder before compression stroke starts is increased. Thus, the increase in the EGR ratio described above can be advantageous in view of the ignitability in the compression ignition and the combustion stability.
However, through the study by the present inventors, it was discovered that setting the EGR ratio higher than a predetermined ratio would result in decreasing the compression-end temperature. This degrades the ignitability in the compression ignition and the combustion stability when the engine operating state is within a range where the engine load is low or extremely low.

Control device of compression-ignition engine


A method for manufacturing color filter, a color filter, and a display device including the color filter are disclosed. The method for manufacturing a color filter includes: forming a black matrix on a transparent substrate; forming a photosensitive resist layer on the transparent substrate with the black matrix; disposing a reflection sheet capable of reflecting light on a first side of the transparent substrate to be exposed, the first side being provided with the black matrix; disposing a mask on a second side of the transparent substrate to be exposed, the second side being not provided with the black matrix; and carrying out an exposing process from the second side of the transparent substrate.

Color filter is an important component in liquid crystal displays. In liquid crystal displays, the intensive light emitted from a backlight module represents, after being processed by a color filter, a colorful image. Typically, the structure of a color filter includes a transparent substrate, a black matrix provided on said transparent substrate, a color layers consisting of three primary colors, red, green, and blue, and a transparent conductive layer, etc.
In the prior art, typically, the method for manufacturing a color filter is: firstly, fabricating a black matrix on a transparent substrate, to form an interval; and then, arranging the three primary colors, red, green, and blue, in the color layers for each pixel, subsequently. In the method, back exposing technic was employed in the fabrication of the color layers, to achieve the contraposition of the black matrix and the color layers. However, during the back exposing process, there is a gap between the black matrix and the color layers, due to insufficient exposing between the black matrix and the color layers, resulting in non-uniform edge luminance and color and poor contrast of the liquid crystal display module. With reference to FIGS. 1 and 2, these figures illustrate a prior back exposing process, as well as the schematic diagram of the color layers after being developed by a prior hack exposing process.

Method for manufacturing color filter, color filter, and display device

CHENGDU BOE OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An apparatus and method for step-stabilization of giant magnetoresistive (GMR) based read heads are provided. With the apparatus and method, gratings or periodic structures are generated in the underlayer of the magnetoresistive (MR) sensor stack and the edges, or “steps”, in these structures are the magnetically active features. These “steps” are oriented approximately parallel to the desired bias direction and provide a restoring force towards the bias direction for any perturbations, whether intrinsic or extrinsic. In the case of a GMR sensor, where the easy axis is parallel to the permanent magnet set direction, these stabilizer steps are oriented parallel to the magnetization direction of the permanent magnets.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is generally directed to read sensors for reading data from magnetic media. More specifically, the present invention is directed to a mechanism for stabilizing a giant magnetoresistive based read sensor in a read/write head of a magnetic media device.
2. Background of the Invention
The requirement of high density magnetic storage of data on magnetic tape and hard disk drives has been increasing steadily for the past several years. Magnetic tape and hard disk drives include magnetic heads for reading and writing data to the magnetic media. The magnetic heads include write coils and sensors for reading data from the magnetic media.
Development of magnetoresistive (MR) sensors (also referred to as heads) for magnetic media drives in the early 1990's allowed magnetic media drive products to maximize storage capacity with a minimum number of components (heads, disks, etc.). Fewer components result in lower storage costs, higher reliability, and lower power requirements for the magnetic media drives.
MR sensors are used for the read element of a read/write head on a high-density magnetic media drive. MR sensors read magnetically encoded information from the magnetic medium by detecting magnetic flux stored in the magnetic medium. As storage capacity of magnetic media drives has increased, the storage bit has become smaller and its magnetic field has correspondingly become weaker. MR heads are more sensitive to weaker magnetic fields than are the inductive read coils used in earlier magnetic media drives. Thus, there has been a move away from inductive read coils to MR sensors for use in magnetic media drives.
During operation of the magnetic media drive, sense current is passed through the MR element of the sensor causing a voltage drop. The magnitude of the voltage drop is a function of the resistance of the MR element. Resistance of the MR element varies in the presence of a magnetic field. Therefore, as the magnitude of the magnetic field flux passing through the MR element varies, the voltage across the MR element also varies. Differences in the magnitude of the magnetic flux entering the MR sensor can be detected by monitoring the voltage across the MR element.
As discussed above, MR sensors are known to be useful in reading data with a sensitivity exceeding that of inductive or other thin film sensors. However, sensor failures with respect to magnetic domain nucleation and bias-point variation are a leading cause of yield loss in the fabrication of MR sensors. Tape head applications, as opposed to disk, are especially demanding with respect to sensor yield. This is because a tape head integrates many MR sensors, all of which must yield for the head to yield.
With each new generation of product, track widths are narrowed and the number of sensors per head increase. Because of the magnetics in read head sensors, and the trend to increase the number of sensors per head, a change in MR technology from anisotropic magnetoresistive (AMR) read head sensors to giant magnetoresistive (GMR) read head sensors, also known as spin valves, is anticipated. In an MR sensor, such as an AMR sensor, a resistance change is caused by an intrinsic property of the sensing layer. In a GMR sensor, however, a resistance change is caused by the quantum nature of electrons. GMR sensors may have up to ten times the sensitivity of AMR sensors.
AMR and GMR sensors are composed of multiple thin films. Both sensors have a sensing layer that responds to external magnetic fields. In the absence of an external magnetic field, this sensing layer will spontaneously magnetize itself parallel with the long axis of this layer. A fixed magnetic field ("horizontal bias") is also applied in this direction by hard bias films to establish a single magnetic domain in the sensing layer. This single magnetic domain minimizes domain noise and promotes consistent reading. This sensing layer's magnetic orientation, referenced to the magnetic media, rotates from parallel to perpendicular when an increasing perpendicular magnetic field ("transverse magnetic field") is applied. This field is composed of a varying external magnetic field from the magnetic media and fixed internal magnetic fields ("transverse bias") from other parts of the sensor.
The domain instabilities and bias-point variation of AMR read head sensors degrade with decreasing track width. Studies of AMR read head sensors indicate that the most likely cause in bias-point variation of these types of read heads is the type of permanent magnet technology that AMR sensors are constrained to use based on existing wafer film deposition systems. In addition to the intrinsic permanent magnet driven variations, extrinsic magnetic perturbations caused by scratches across the AMR sensor or electrostatic discharge (ESD) events are common causes of failures of these sensors.
Thus, it would be beneficial to have an apparatus and method for minimizing these instabilities and bias-point variations in read head sensors. More specifically, it would be beneficial to have an apparatus and method for minimizing these sources of failure in giant magnetoresistive (GMR) read head sensors.

Apparatus and method for step-stabilization of GMR-based read sensors


A tray for warming food has a tray body of double cup shape formed of a plastics material base structure with an aluminum top diffusion layer attached to the base structure in the part to receive a cloche. The cloche has a plastics material outer jacket fastened to an aluminum bottom diffusion layer in contact with an intermediate member made of a material that can be heated by magnetic induction. The top diffusion layer of the tray body comes into contact with the bottom diffusion layer of the cloche at the periphery of the interior space along peripheral contact rims This provides a meal tray assuring fast heating of food placed in the interior space of the first part, the second part being intended to carry food that is to remain cold.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns devices for heating food on meal trays, for example for distributing meals in institutions, canteens, hospitals.
The invention is more partially directed to devices of this kind in which the food is heated by induction heating.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Devices of this kind for heating food are already known in themselves, as described in document FR 2 383 637 A; for example, including means for supporting a series of trays one above the other with a suitable distance between them and a series of induction shelves containing induction coils connected to a high-frequency generator, the induction shelves fitting between the successive trays in a tray heating area.
The food to be heated is placed on thin aluminum plates placed on an insulative material tray, the plates being covered by a removable insulative cloche with its inside face coated with a metallic film.
A high-frequency alternating current flows through the induction coils, generating a high-frequency alternating magnetic field in the tray heating area that heats the thin aluminum plate and the metallic bottom face of the cloche by magnetic induction.
A device of the above kind requires aluminum plates. Apart from the fact that this considerably complicates cleaning or requires disposable plates, the food is contained directly in the thin aluminum plate which constitutes a container that is not agreeable for the consumer and may be damaged by the necessary handling of the dishes during use.
Slow heating and uneven heat distribution also occur.
Uneven heat distribution is also encountered with the magnetic steel plate device described in document EP 0 666 047 A, with the bottom electrical element heating device described in document FR 2 375 853 A, with the cloche device provided with an anti-condensation internal metallic heating plate described in document DE 195 07 083 A or with the containers with peripheral and bottom external metallic plates described in document EP 0 203 883 A.
The problem addressed by the present invention is that of designing a new meal tray structure for heating food by magnetic induction in which any type of plate or other food container can be used and which significantly increases the rate of heating and assures an even distribution of heat in the food.
The meal tray of the invention must further have satisfactory qualities in terms of meeting hygiene standards, enabling efficient cleaning and totally preventing the risk of the growth of bacteria and other pollutants.
Furthermore, it must be possible to manufacture the meal tray structure at reasonable cost.

Societe Cooperative de Production Bourgeois


A breast prosthesis and an underwire adapted to retain the breast prosthesis. The breast prosthesis is affixed to the underwire by an attachment fixture molded into the posterior (or chest side) of the prosthesis. The attachment fixture, a female plug, is complementary to a retention fixture, a male plug, molded into a loop on the underwire. The loop of the underwire is adapted to provide a spring bias of the male plug against the chest wall of the wearer for a secure and comfortable fit and to provide sensory feedback as to the correct positioning of the prosthesis. The attachment fixture and the retention fixture are preferably essentially spherical in outline so as to form a ball and socket connection. The underwire is carried by a bandeau which may be removably attached to an unmodified bra.

The present invention relates to a breast prosthesis to be worn in conjunction with an underwire adapted to be attached to the breast prosthesis detachable connection. In one embodiment the underwire is carried by a bandeau which may be attached to a bra by hook and loop fasteners. The detachable connection between the underwire and the breast prosthesis may be by a ball and socket type connection allowing a high degree of freedom of movement.
Breast prostheses are necessary for women who have undergone radical mastectomies. An acceptable breast prosthesis should replicate the appearance of the natural breast while being comfortable to wear. The prior art of breast prostheses shows a number of attempts to achieve one or the other of these objectives, although with limited success at achieving both. Among the problems not completely solved in the prior art include achieving a natural look and feel to the prosthesis. Related to this problem is the perceived need to maintain a balanced weight of the prosthesis vis-a-vis the remaining natural breast. This may in fact be less of a problem with actual wearers who are likely to feel that weight is less of a concern than maintaining a natural relationship between the prosthesis and the chest of the wearer. Many patients complain that the location of the prosthesis in relation to the chest wall shifts and there is nothing in the way of "feedback" to the wearer that the prosthesis is in the correct position. An additional problem not well addressed by the prior art is the method of attachment or wearing of the breast prosthesis by the patient. One common solution is to attach the prosthesis directly to the chest of the patient with adhesives. This is obviously an uncomfortable solution and not always effective. Furthermore, a tight adhesive fit to the chest traps heat and prevents ventilation of the skin surface. Another common answer is to place the prosthesis in a pocket of a bra. This is also not a complete answer as the prosthesis may shift out of position within the bra, and, even if securely placed in the bra, does not have a natural feel to the wearer since it does not maintain its position with respect to the chest as is true of a natural breast. Furthermore, specifically modifying a bra to accommodate a breast prosthesis limits the user's access to and use of a wide range of "off the shelf" commercially available bras.
It is known to use male and female connector snaps in conjunction with a breast prosthesis. U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,370 issued to Foglietti on May 26, 1992 for "Breast Prosthesis with Female and Male Adapter Snaps" discloses implantable breast prostheses which allows the stacking of implants "without fear of slippage and subsequent cosmetic deformity." While used in conjunction with breast prostheses, the Foglietti device is not used in conjunction with an external breast prosthesis nor in conjunction with a fixture for retaining the external breast prosthesis in a natural position through the use of a modified underwire.
It is also known to employ a spring-like underwire system in conjunction with a bra. U.S. Pat. No. 4,245,644 issued to Evans on Jan. 20, 1981 for "Breast Prosthesis or Augmenting Form Including Spring-Mass System" discloses a cantilevered spring support system for use in conjunction with a breast prosthesis or in a conventional bra to enhance natural breast movement. A weight is provided on the cantilevered spring for enhancing the movement effects of natural or prosthetic breasts. While Evans discloses a spring-like underwire system used in conjunction with a bra and breast prosthesis, the spring of Evans does not perform any function related to retaining a breast prosthesis or to providing a natural feel to the wearer of the breast prosthesis. In particular, Evans does not disclose a plug formed into the underwire spring for attachment to the breast prosthesis, nor the use of a spring to provide sensory feedback to the wearer concerning the location of the breast prosthesis in relation to the chest wall.
There are a number of patents related to the use of adhesive or hook and loop fasteners for affixing a breast prosthesis to the skin of the wearer or to a bra, such as U.S. Pat. No. 5,071,433. This and similar patents are not considered relevant to the present invention other than to describe the general state of the art in breast prosthesis fixation means.
There are also a number of patents related to breast prostheses in general; for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,845,507; 4,826,501; and 5,066,302; in methods of forming breast prostheses; for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,364,880; 4,600,551; 4,401,492; 5,035,758; and 5,352,307; and in bras for use in conjunction with breast prostheses; for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,024,876; 4,369,792; 4,637,398; and 4,699,144. These patents are likewise considered relevant to the general state of the art but not particularly to the present invention.
The prior art does not show a breast prosthesis formed with a posterior female plug connector. Nor does the prior art show a male plug connector formed into an underwire for use in conjunction with a breast prosthesis, and in particular, the prior art does not show male and female plug connectors which together form a "ball-and-socket" connection for complete freedom of movement of the breast prosthesis with respect to the attachment means. Further, the prior art does not show a male plug connector formed into a loop of underwire assembled into a bra for use in conjunction with a breast prosthesis. Nor does the prior art show a plug connector for a breast prosthesis in conjunction with a loop of underwire to act as a spring to assist in the natural retention of the breast prosthesis against the skin of the chest wall of the patient and to provide natural sensory feedback of the proper location of the breast prosthesis in relation to the chest wall. Finally, the prior art does not disclose the use of a bandeau to carry an underwire in place of a modified bra or the like.
These and other problems and disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention as described below.

Board of Trustees of the University of Arkansas


A method for interconnecting integrated circuits (ICs) mounted on a multichip module so as to minimize spacing between the ICs and maximize their density. A multichip module (20,80) includes a plurality of ICs (22,82) that are mounted on a substrate (24,84). The ICs are electrically connected to pads (28), spaced apart from each other and offset from the boundaries of the ICs to define vertical routing channels (35) and horizontal routing channels (42). The horizontal routing channel includes a top routing channel (36), a bottom routing channel (38), and a central routing channel (40). Initially, a minimal number of tracks are provided in the central routing channel. Each pad has an electrical connection point or pin (44,46) associated with it and the pins are organized into nets. The method provides for dividing the nets into two pin subnets. Each subnet in the horizontal routing channel is assigned to a vertical track so as to minimize violation of a constraint graph. Horizontal tracks are assigned to the subnets so as to minimize an associated element in a COST matrix of subnets and tracks. The method uses a conventional maze router approach to connect pins in subnets not otherwise connected. If any subnet then still remains unconnected, an additional track is added to the central routing channel and the steps of method are then repeated. Use of the top and bottom routing channels reduces the need for routing interconnections through the central routing channel and thus allows the ICs to be mounted more closely together.

Printed circuit boards include discrete components, which are interconnected with copper (or other conductive) traces that are photolithographically applied to the board on which the components are mounted. The traces on the printed circuit board can be laid out manually, or if more complex, multi-level boards are involved, may be routed using a computer. Analogously, large ICs, which include hundreds or thousands of components that must be interconnected using conductive traces applied to an underlying substrate are normally far too complex to be routed manually. The conductive traces are usually defined in at least two layers, including vertical traces in one layer and horizontal traces in another, which can be electrically connected at designated points using vias that extend between the layers. To define a conductive path between two points on the substrate, a computer routing program is normally employed. The program selects portions of the vertical and horizontal conductive traces that will most efficiently (i.e., using the shortest route) provide the required interconnection without interfering with or short circuiting other interconnections that have already been assigned. As necessary, the program lays out "jogged" or "dogleg" paths to accomplish this goal.
Interconnection of ICs in a multichip module presents a new level of difficulty. A multichip module is a substrate on which the ICs are attached by wire bonding or tape automated bonding (TAB) techniques. By attaching a plurality of ICs to a common substrate in this manner, higher system performance, lower weight, and smaller size can be achieved than is possible with traditional printed circuit boards on which discrete ICs are mounted. Since the number of interconnections often is in the thousands, manual routing of conductive interconnections is virtually impossible. Traditional computer assisted circuit board routing techniques would use the area under the ICs for laying out connection paths; however, in multichip modules, the ICs must be mounted directly onto the substrate to insure good thermal conductivity and the underlying area is not available to form layers in which conductive traces can be formed. Thus, the ICs are mounted in spaced apart array directly onto the substrate, and only part of the areas between the ICs are typically used for routing channels.
Input and output terminals on the boundaries of each IC comprising a multichip module are connected by very thin wires to conductive pads using the wire bonding or tape automated bonding operations. The pads are generally aligned with and spaced apart from each side of the ICs. In routing interconnections between these pads on a multichip module according to prior art methods, only the areas between the pads of adjacent ICs have been used for routing channels; the areas between the boundaries of each IC and its associated pads (each such area comprising a strip at least 50 mils wide) have not been used for interconnection of the pads and have thus been wasted. Commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 314,817, filed Feb. 22, 1989 describes the use of these previously wasted areas, referred to as side channels, for interconnecting pads. Ideally, the conventional (central) routing channel, which comprises only the area between the pads of adjacent ICs, should be as narrow as possible to allow the maximum number of chips to be mounted on a given size substrate. Conventional routing methods are not equipped to handle routing of interconnects through the side channels and can only be used if the area between the pads and the IC boundaries can be wasted, i.e., where the density of ICs mounted on the multichip module is not an important concern.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a method for interconnecting a plurality of ICs in a multichip module so as to maximize chip density on the module. It is a further object of the invention to preferentially interconnect pads on a multichip module using side routing channels that are disposed between the boundaries of the ICs mounted on a substrate and pads to which the ICs are electrically connected. A still further object is to minimize the width of a central routing channel defined between the pads of adjacent ICs comprising a multichip module. These and other objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the attached drawings and from the Description of the Preferred Embodiments that follows.

Efficient method for multichip module interconnect


Disclosed is a snubber bearing assembly for protecting a rotor and accompanying bearings from radial and axial rotor transient overload events. The bearing assembly includes a snubber journal mounted on the rotor and a snubber housing having a radial snubber bearing mounted on its inside surface, the radial snubber bearing being radially-offset from an outer radial surface of the snubber journal. Lubricating plugs are disposed within a plurality of holes defined in the radial snubber bearing, the lubricating plugs being configured to provide lubrication between the radial contact surface and the outer radial surface during a radial rotor transient overload event. The snubber housing can also include opposing axial snubber bearings that have lubricating plugs disposed within holes defined therein also. The opposing axial snubber bearings are configured to be axially-offset from inner axial surfaces defined by the rotor journal and provide lubrication therebetween during an axial rotor transient overload event.

The present application is a national stage application of PCT Pat. App. No. PCT/US2012/031237, filed Mar. 29, 2012, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Patent Application having Ser. No. 61/473,458, which was filed Apr. 8, 2011. These priority applications are incorporated by reference in their entirety into the present application, to the extent that it is these priority applications are not inconsistent with the present application.
Magnetic bearing systems are highly desirable in rotating machinery, especially turbomachinery, since they require no lubrication and have low friction losses. Magnetic bearings are, however, costly machine components and can be easily damaged during a shock event or any other type of transient overload event, characterized by large accelerations of the machine in radial and/or axial directions. Consequently, auxiliary bearings are required in most rotating machines and serve as a bumper to the rotor by preventing rotor impact with the magnetic bearings and thereby preventing severe damage. Auxiliary bearings, however, can only effectively absorb rotor thrusts and/or jolts to a limited degree of force before their use becomes inconsequential and the rotor nonetheless impacts the magnetic bearings.
To supplement the auxiliary bearings for severe rotor shock events, many rotating machines also employ "snubber" bearings. Snubber bearings serve essentially the same purpose as auxiliary bearings but are typically dissimilar in structure. Snubber bearings, for example, are typically offset radially and/or axially from the rotor and have at least one surface adapted to engage the rotor during radial or axial shock events (e.g., transient overload events). The purpose of the snubber is to protect the auxiliary and magnetic bearings during transient overload events which often create very large forces between casing and rotor and can result in the destruction of the auxiliary bearings and secondary damage to the magnetic bearings. Where the rotating machine is a compressor, surge is a typical transient overload event which can result in severe damage to any accompanying bearings if not mitigated by the use of a snubber bearing.
The snubber surface is often composed of a sacrificial metal or other material having a low coefficient of friction. Nonetheless, during a rotor transient overload event, the snubber surface can become severely galled and/or damaged. Moreover, the impact and duration of the transient overload event also causes the snubber bearing to heat up as contact between the snubber surface and the rotor generates a significant amount of friction. The heat generated from this contact causes thermal growth that reduces the operating life of the snubber bearing.
What is needed, therefore, is an improved snubber bearing and method of using the same in order to reduce friction and wear, limit heat generation, and prolong the operating life of the snubber bearing during rotor transient overload events.


An installation for the controlled dosing of an irrigation flow with a herbicide particularly for detecting root growth into the outlets of an underground drip irrigation line, includes a sealed container and a slow release herbicide material wherein a portion of the flow is directed through the herbicide impregnated material so that herbicide is controllably released into the diverted flow, and the diverted flow is reintroduced into the irrigation flow.

Drip irrigation systems have now been known and used for many years on an increasingly large scale. Whilst some of the original proposals for the use of drip irrigation involved the laying of the irrigation pipes in the ground, this subterranean form of drip irrigation has not been generally adopted and most drip irrigation systems involve locating the drip irrigation conduits above ground. One of the main reasons for the hitherto relative lack of success in such subterranean drip irrigation systems is generally attributed to the fact that such systems are prone to blockage by plant roots which tend to grow in the direction of the water outlets of the system, thereby tending to block these outlets.
There have in the past been proposals to overcome this problem, for example by periodically injecting into the throughflowing irrigation flow a suitable herbicide. Whilst such herbicides can, in appropriate doses, selectively inhibit root growth, and thereby prevent or limit blockage of the water outlets by roots, the growth of the plant as a whole is not deleteriously affected. If, however, for one reason or another the maximum dose of the herbicide is exceeded then, quite clearly, the plant as a whole may be damaged or destroyed. The difficulties inherent in ensuring that the dosage of the throughflowing irrigation flow does not exceed a prescribed level have limited the adoption of this proposal.
It has furthermore been proposed (U.K. Patent Serial No. 2174884) to tackle this problem by providing for the use of drip emitter units which are formed of a plastics material which is wholly or in part impregnated with a herbicide material which is capable of being released into the irrigation water over a considerable period of time. This proposal is, however, subject to several major drawbacks. Thus, it is known that the release of such herbicides is very much dependent on environmental conditions in general, and on surrounding temperature in particular. For example, a rise in ambient temperature of 10.degree. C. can very much increase the rate of release of herbicide from the plastic material in which the herbicide is impregnated and this could lead to an undesirably high concentration of the herbicide in the soil with consequent damage to the plants.
Furthermore, seeing that the release of the herbicide from the plastic material takes place continuously and, as indicated above, this release is significantly accelerated by any rise in temperature, it will be apparent that such release will also take place during storage and transport. In consequence, and prior to the laying of the drip irrigation system in the ground, the emitters and/or any other components of the system which consist of or include such herbicide impregnated components, must be suitably packaged and enclosed if it is to be ensured that by the time the system is rendered operational, the herbicide content of the system will not have fallen below required levels. This requirement for suitable packaging and enclosing which can, of course, involve the packaging and enclosing of many hundreds of meters of irrigation piping, can be clearly complicated and costly.
Furthermore, it will be realized that the size of the emitter unit clearly determines the initial concentration of the herbicide in the unit and, in consequence, the amount of herbicide in a relatively small unit will be significantly less than that in a relatively large unit. It will therefore be necessary to determine the concentration of the herbicide in the plastics material, bearing in mind the size and surface area of the unit to be manufactured, and this clearly complicates the manufacture of such units.
Finally, with a drip irrigation system employing such emitter units, once the concentration of the herbicide in the system falls below a predetermined minimum there is no alternative but to replace the system as a whole, and this clearly is time-consuming and expensive.
The problems referred to above and, to a limited degree, the suggested solutions thereof, whilst relating particularly to drip irrigation, also arise from time to time in connection with other forms of irrigation, to which the present invention is also directed.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a new and improved irrigation system wherein the disadvantages involved in the hitherto-proposed solutions are substantially reduced or overcome. It is also an object of the present objection to provide a method for the controlled dosing of an irrigation flow with a herbicide, in which the disadvantages referred to above are substantially reduced.


A fluorine-containing elastomer composition, which comprises (A) a fluorine-containing elastomer consisting of a copolymer comprising (a) tetrafluoroethylene, (b) perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) or perfluoro-(alkoxyalkyl vinyl ether), and (c) a cyano group-containing perfluorovinyl ether, (B) a cross-linking agent, and (C) spherical silica, wherein the spherical silica is high purity amorphous silica particles obtained by calcining metallic silica powders, and cooling the resulting vaporous silicon oxide. The present fluorine-containing elastomer composition can provide seal materials having distinguished processability, product appearance, plasma resistance, etc. by the cyano group-containing perfluoroelastomer having a good heat resistance and only silica as contained therein.

Seals for semiconductor production apparatuses are used in processing chambers for etching the surfaces of silicon wafers, etc. as semiconductor substrates or forming thin film thereon, and thus must have a high heat resistance, a low gas permeability, low dust generation (less generation of dusts from seals), etc.
Plasma irradiation is carried out in the oxygen or CF4 atmosphere during the silicon wafer etching treating, etc., and thus gases such as oxygen, halogen, or the like are brought into the excited state, so the seals for semiconductor production apparatuses are liable to deteriorate, or their surfaces become brittle, and the deteriorated, and brittled materials are scattered away to deposit on the silicon wafers. These involve serious inconveniences. Thus, the seal material for the semiconductor production apparatuses must have a plasma resistance in addition to the afore-mentioned properties, e.g. heat resistance, etc.
To meet the requirement for use at elevated temperatures such as 300° C. in the semiconductor production apparatuses, cyano group-containing perfluoroelastomers, etc. having a high heat resistance have been proposed for use. To satisfy the required plasma resistance, on the other hand, a cross-linkable fluorine-based elastomer composition, which comprises a cross-linkable fluorine-based elastomer component and fine aluminum oxide particles having an average particle size of not more than 0.5 μm, or a perfluoroelastomer composition, which comprises a reinforcing metal-containing filler and titanium dioxide substantially without any elemental carbon has been so far proposed.    Patent Document 1: WO 01/32782    Patent Document 2: JP-A-2000-502122    Patent Document 3: U.S. Pat. No. 5,696,189
Such fillers as silica, barium sulfate, alumina, aluminum silicate, etc. are effective, when added, for preventing weight reduction in the plasma-irradiated atmosphere, and ultra-size reduction of particles to less than the interlinear space distances of fine patterns formed on the semiconductor, can attain effective filling of the ultrafine particles state into the interlinear spaces of fine patterns, thereby preventing unwanted short-circuit.
In some cases, however, such elements as titanium, barium, and aluminum themselves must be forbidden to use in the semiconductor industry, and now silica is only an available material. So, a composition, which comprises 100 parts by weight of a fluorine-based elastomer, 1-50 parts by weight of silica, not more than 1 part by weight of a metal element, not more than 1 part by weight of carbon black, and 1-10 parts by weight of an organic peroxide, has been proposed.    Patent Document 4: JP2,858,198
There is a correlation between the silica particle size and the weight reduction by plasma. The smaller the particle size, the better. The afore-mentioned cyano group-containing perfluoroelastomer, when used, has a poor compatibility with a vulcanizing agent, and so involves such a inconvenience as development of deposits on the surface of product after vulcanization. That is, the cyano group-containing perfluoroelatsomer, when used as a fluorine-based elastomer in the prior art of the afore-mentioned Patent Document 4, involves a difficulty in satisfying the balance between the weight reduction by plasma and the compatibility with vulcanization agent.
Silica includes wet process silica and dry process silica. The wet process silica contains moisture that can show some influences on the vulcanization rate or product foaming, and further contains more impurities such as Na2O, etc. than those of the dry process silica, so it is preferable to use the dry process silica in the vulcanization, rather than the wet process silica. However, the dry process silica has a large thickening effect, resulting appearance of melt fractures on the surfaces of extrudates, with increasing hardness of the extrudates. Thus, the silica content is limited. The smaller the silica content, the less the plasma resistance. Furthermore, the single dry process silica-based products are semi-transparent, resulting in development of spotted patterns (flow marks as composition flow patterns). That is, there is such a problem as loss of uniformity in the product appearance.


A control system for a dental handpiece, and the like, for supplying a pressurized drive fluid, pressurized air, and water to the handpiece, and which includes a holder for the handpiece having an internal pinch valve which is operated whenever the handpiece is inserted or removed from the holder. A control module is provided which actually controls the flow of the various fluids to the handpiece. The control module includes a pinch lever which engages the various tubes carrying the fluids to the handpiece, and it also includes a swell tube which responds to pressurized fluid from the handpiece holder whenever the handpiece is removed. A linkage system couples the swell tube to the pinching lever in the control module. A feature of the control system is that a pressurized fluid of relatively low pressure is controlled by the insertion and removal of the handpiece from the holder, and it acts as a pilot to cause the control module to exert sufficient force on the various tubes carrying the fluids to the handpiece so as to achieve a positive control over the flow of the fluids.

As stated in U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,861, which issued Oct. 3, 1978 to the present inventor, it is the usual practice in present-day dental offices to use a number of separate handpieces which are driven at high speeds by compressed air. In many instances, the high speed air driven handpieces also emit a spray of water and air as a coolant.
It is the common practice in the prior art for such handpieces to be supported on individual brackets which, in turn, are mounted on a console adjacent to the dental chair. Compressed air and pressurized water are supplied to the various handpieces in the prior art equipment through individual tubes. The air and water are obtained from the usual mains, and the flow thereof to the console is usually controlled by foot-operated valves.
In the prior art, additional valves are provided at the console so that the flow of the pressurized air and water to the individual handpieces may also be controlled. With such prior art equipment, the dentist causes the air and water to be supplied to the console by actuating his foot-operated valves; and he then causes the air or water, or both, to be supplied to a selected handpiece, by actuating appropriate valves in the console.
The valves in the prior art consoles, in addition to being complex and expensive, are difficult to operate, and they often require both hands of the dentist to control them. The control unit of the present invention, on the other hand, provides an improved pinch valve control system for distributing the pressurized air and water to the various dental handpieces associated with the console, and by which each handpiece is automatically activated, as it is selected by the dentist.
It will also become evident as the present description proceeds that although the pinch valve control system of the present invention is described in conjunction with dental handpieces, it has wider application in the art wherever the flow of fluid through a supply tube is to be controlled.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,899 which issued Sep. 4, 1973 to the present inventor describes apparatus in which dental handpieces are supported in individual holders on pivotally mounted arms, and each arm includes a pinch block at one end which pinches a corresponding flexible tube to prevent the flow of fluid to the handpiece when the holder is in its down position; but which permits the flow of fluid through the tube to the selected handpiece when the holder is in its up position. Therefore, in using the apparatus described in the patent, the dentist selects a particular handpiece from its holder, and he then flips the holder to its up position so as to activate the handpiece.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,861 discloses a pinch valve dental handpiece console which has certain advantages over the holder described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,755,899 referred to above in that it is less expensive to construct, and in that it operates by the insertion and withdrawal of the handpiece to and from its holder and there is no need for the dentist to flip the holder to its up position.
The control system of the present invention involves a pinch valve dental handpiece console which is similar in some respects to the console described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,117,861. The control system of the invention also includes pinch valve control modules which are respectively coupled to the handpiece holders and which operate in conjunction with the holders to control the operation of each dental handpiece selected by the dentist. In the control system of the present invention one such holder and one such control module are used to hold and control the operation of each dental handpiece.
The primary objective of the control system of the present invention is to:
a. select and activate a particular handpiece simply by the dentist removing it from its corresponding holder, and to deactivate the handpiece by the dentist returning it to its holder; PA1 b. direct the flow of pressurized operating fluids to the selected handpiece; and PA1 c. coordinate and direct to the selected handpiece the coolant water, coolant air and atomization of the coolant water with the coolant air.
In a typical dental office a number of holders/control module sets incorporated in the control system of the present invention are mounted on a usual console stand which may be attached to the dental chair. The console may have the same general configuration, for example, as the console disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,610,630 which issued on Sep. 9, 1986 to the present inventor. The number of holders/control module sets which can be supported on the console stand of the control system of the present invention is theoretically limited only by the supply pressure and flow required for each handpiece.
The control module of the invention is usually, but not exclusively, used to control the flow paths of water and air to a selected handpiece. The control module, per se, has general utility which is not limited to the control system to be described in the following specification. For example, the control module may be used in conjunction with the pinch toggle valve of U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,868 which issued to the present inventor on Mar. 24, 1992, as a water control to flush the dental cuspidor and fill the patient's cup.
In addition, the control module may be used as a water supply pressure-actuated anti-syphon shut-off valve. Such a valve is used to protect the city water supply from contamination due to "suck-back" from the dental treatment unit during periods of negative city water supply pressure. In this application the control module causes the valve to open and supply the dental treatment unit with city water only when adequate water pressure exists, and it serves to shut off the water flow path if the pressure drops below a selected threshold.


Safety of passengers may be improved by a front end module of a vehicle that includes: a front end module carrier that extends transversely in front of a vehicle a front end module carrier that extends transversely in front of a vehicle engine compartment and forms a frame for mounting vehicle accessory part; and an intercooler assembly that cools an air that is drawn into an engine, wherein the intercooler assembly is assembled with a bottom of the lower member of the front end module carrier.

(a) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicle, and more particularly, a front end module mounted with an intercooler assembly.
(b) Description of the Related Art
In front of an engine compartment of a vehicle, accessory parts such as a radiator, an aircon condenser, and a cooling fan to cool them are mounted at a carrier, and the unit is called a front end module.
For an engine equipped with a turbocharger, an intercooler is typically employed in order to cool the air drawn into the engine, and this intercooler is usually mounted in the front end module.
As such, various parts are mounted at a front end of a vehicle, and an arrangement scheme substantially affects a collision safety of occupants of a vehicle.
Upon a collision, the parts in the front end module may push the engine toward a passenger room. When the collision is strong, the engine may push a dash panel between the engine compartment and the passenger room, which is a dangerous situation for occupant's safety.
Therefore, the arrangement scheme of the parts in the front end module may substantially affect the driver's safety of the vehicle, and thus, a design of the front end module may be an important factor for a vehicle to become safer.
The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.


The present invention provides an improved method for flushing a solvent through a line set of a condenser, compressor, and routing of heat ventilation and air-conditioning, and a high-pressure to low-pressure coupling device. The novel device is operable for joining the high-pressure and low-pressure lines and eliminates the need for having multiple technicians present for conducting a line set flush.

Heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC), air-conditioning (A/C) and refrigeration systems are typically configured with various sub-systems. For example, an A/C system requires at least one compressor, a condenser, an evaporator, and an expansion valve. A compressor is operable to move a working fluid (e.g., mineral oil, refrigerant, etc.) through the condenser, expansion valve, and evaporator. A condenser ejects unwanted heat to a warm environment (e.g., typically outside), and an evaporator removes heat from an environment (e.g., cold refrigerated space). There may be additional valves and filters on an HVAC system such as: moisture-liquid indicators, diaphragm packless valves, replaceable core suction line filter, seal cap packed valve, suction accumulator, compressor service valve, discharge muffler, oil regulator, oil separator, check valve, relief valves, charging and purging valves, and receiver valves.
Such systems typically require periodic flushing to remove soot, contaminants, and sludge from the system. Flushing is also required after the interior of the system is exposed to ambient air, during replacement of the refrigerant compressor after burnout, for system retrofits, and for flushing line sets for coolant conversions (e.g., from freon to puron coolant conversion). Flushing procedures typically utilize nitrogen gas to flush out lines carrying refrigerant or coolant (e.g., freon, puron, ethylene glycol, etc.). A converging nozzle is typically sealed against an open line, and the nitrogen gas is forced through the line. A solvent is also typically used to assist in the removal of debris and residues from the line. The solvent is injected at the same entry and exit points. For the solvent to work efficiently, the exit point is crimped to increase the pressure in the line and subsequently to increase the mass flow rate of the solvent as it travels through the line. However, the injection of solvent into the system typically requires at least two technicians to monitor the flushing and purging process of the solvent through the system. The conventional approach for flushing and purging such systems is inefficient.

High-pressure to low-pressure line set joining tool for air conditioning and refrigeration systems and methods


A change lever mechanism for manipulating a change lever, and more particularly to a change lever mechanism of a vehicle constructed and arranged to provide a good shifting feel to a change lever and to absorb vibrations transmitted from engine to thereby prevent transmission of the vibration from a body of the vehicle. The change lever mechanism includes a speed change manipulating unit for providing manipulating power necessary for a driver to change speed when a vehicle is changed in speed, a change lever attachment unit for rotatably supporting the speed change manipulating unit and providing a good shifting feel to the driver, a vibration attenuating unit for attaching the change lever attachment unit to the body of the vehicle so that vibrations transmitted from the engine while the vehicle is running can be absorbed to prevent the vibrations from being conveyed to the change lever, and a manipulating power transmitting unit for transmitting the speed change manipulating power generated by the speed change manipulating unit to the change lever to facilitate shifting.

1. Field of the invention
The present invention relates to a change lever mechanism for manipulating a change lever, and more particularly to a change lever mechanism of a vehicle constructed and arranged to provide a good shifting feel to a change lever when the change lever is shifted, and to absorb vibration transmitted from the engine to thereby prevent transmission of the vibration to a body of the vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, a vehicle is equipped with a transmission for transmitting a driving force generated from an engine to an appropriate running state, where the transmission is operated by manipulation of a change lever provided at a driver""s seat, particularly a rod-type change lever mechanism of a vehicle mounted with a manual transmission as illustrated in FIG. 1.
In other words, a change lever 1 is mounted thereon with a speed change knob 2 for a driver to hold thereon, where the change lever 1 is made of a hollow member extended lengthwise downwards, and is covered thereunder with a dust cover 3 for preventing entry of foreign objects; a bottom end of lever 1 is pivotally and rotatably secured.
The change lever 1 centrally passes through a ball 4 and is secured to the ball 4 via a pin 5. The ball 4 is accommodated in a housing 6 formed therein with a spherical inner space. The housing 6 has a top opening to accommodate the change lever 1 therein and includes an upper plate 6a to encompass an upper part of the ball 4 at an inner circumferential surface and a lower plate 6b formed to encompass a lower part of the ball 4. Upper and lower plates 6a, 6b are bolted to the vehicle body B.
Furthermore, the change lever 1 is mounted with a shift rod 7 via ball joint 7a for transmitting an operational direction of the change lever 1 to a transmission to allow a speed change to be realized. The housing 6 is arranged at a front side thereof with an extension bar 8 for preventing the so-called Gear Jump-Out phenomenon. Grease is coated on the ball 4 and the housing 6 as lubricant to reduce friction generated therebetween.
When a driver holds the speed change knob 2 to manipulate the change lever 1 back and forward, left and right, manipulating force thereof is transmitted to the transmission via the shift rod 7, such that speed change is realized.
However, there is a problem in the conventional change lever mechanism thus constructed in that teeth in the transmission are unmeshed to generate a Gear Jump-Out phenomenon although the extension bar 8 is mounted between the transmission and the housing 6 when a vehicle runs on a rugged road such as off-road at a sudden acceleration or deceleration, such that vibration of the engine is transmitted to the body of the vehicle via the housing 6 at the transmission mechanism, deteriorating a Noise Vibration Harshness performance of the vehicle and decreasing the shifting feel felt by the driver manipulating the change lever.
There is another problem in that an intermittent contact between the ball 4 and the housing 6 occurs due to vibration of the body B of the vehicle generated by engine operation due to spacing between the ball 4 and the housing 6 which encompasses and supports the ball 4, thereby generating noise between the ball 4 and the housing 6 because of the intermittent contact.
The present invention solves the aforementioned problems, and it is an object of the present invention to provide a change lever mechanism of a vehicle constructed and arranged to provide a good shifting feel to a change lever while the vehicle is shifted and to absorb the vibration transmitted from the engine preventing transmission of vibration to the body of the vehicle.
In accordance with the objects of the present invention, there is provided a change lever mechanism of a vehicle, the mechanism comprising:
a change lever having a speed change knob thereon and a yoke unit thereunder;
speed change manipulating means formed with a spherical shift ball at a middle portion of the change lever to provide a manipulating force while the change lever is shifted;
change lever attachment means having a hinge axle for rotatably supporting the yoke unit of the change lever, an attachment body for rotatably supporting the hinge axle, and a detent device for supporting the yoke unit with a staccato feel;
vibration attenuating means having a protruder attached to the attachment body via a third attachment unit, a first attachment unit for attaching the attachment body to a vehicle body in vibration-free fashion and a second attachment unit protruding from the first attachment unit for fixing the first attachment unit to the vehicle body; and
manipulating force-transmitting means having a cylindrical unit coupled to the shift ball of the change lever for transmitting the speed change manipulating force generated by the speed change manipulating means, and a shift rod coupled to one end of the cylindrical unit.

Change lever mechanism of a vehicle having vibration absorber


Systems and methods are disclosed for storing sensitive data in a database, such as an application database or a dedicated application security database or store. In accordance with one aspect of the invention, user passwords are not directly stored in a database; but instead, when a password is entered, a one-way hash of the password phrase is produced for storage and/or comparison purposes. In accordance with another aspect, individual authorized application users are each aligned with their own version of an application-wide security key such that it becomes unnecessary to directly store the key in its original form. The security key is used to process sensitive data. In accordance with another aspect, a user's version of the application-wide security reflects an encryption-based relationship to the user's password. Various embodiments also support flexible access to particular collections of sensitive data based on user account and/or user role information.

The present invention generally pertains to data security systems. More particularly, the present invention pertains to methods for storing sensitive data in a database.
Many software applications and services depend on the security of a central database. For example, computing environments are known wherein multiple installations of a software application are provided with simultaneous access to sensitive data stored in a central database. In one specific example, it is common for retail management software applications to be installed on multiple computers connected by a Local Access Network (LAN) that operate in conjunction with a central database that contains sensitive data.
When access to a central database is shared among multiple application installations, there is a threat that users other than application operators will access the central database to misuse or compromise sensitive data. Applications are generally not the only way of connecting to a database. In many cases, it is theoretically possible to access the database using relatively standard tools.
Accordingly, it becomes important that access to sensitive data stored in a central database be reserved for authorized users, for example, users who can demonstrate proper authentication credentials. It is also important that collections of authentication credentials associated with authorized users be secured from unauthorized tampering.
Even for authorized application users, it can be desirable for a system to be flexible enough to support a distribution of access rights based on the needs and security policies of a given application host. For example, it can be desirable for a system to enable certain predetermined access privileges to be reserved for certain user accounts, for certain user roles, or otherwise distributed. Providing database security without sacrificing data access flexibility is becoming an increasingly important consideration.
Many of the current database security solutions are implemented primarily on a user interface level. Many solutions involve some form of password protection wherein passwords are stored in an open text format, usually in storage such as a datastore, database or password file, making them particularly susceptible to being accessed and misused. In many cases, at least a second-line of defense is needed to enhance data security.

Methods and systems for enabling secure storage of sensitive data


A system and method for automatic identification and integration of audio/visual devices in a room for multi-media conferencing operation. Each device includes a circuit that periodically emits a signal that is recognized by another device. Upon receiving the signal, the other devices respond with information relating to how they can inter-communicate with each other over one or more networks they are connected to. An ad-hoc conferencing network is established between the integrated devices, such that the quality of multi-media conferencing is improved through the use of all the available devices within a room. The signal is preferably one that is confined to a room, and a specific protocol can be implemented to manage the exchange of information between the devices.

The problem of sound pick up in a large room is typically accomplished by the use of multiple, directional microphones. In such instances a fixed installation or a main unit with wired auxiliary microphones is used. The possibility of providing an ad-hoc variety of audio devices within a room is only possible with significant user interaction. With the advent of wireless conference units the addition of wired auxiliary units becomes problematic.
With the advent of IP networks for multimedia it now becomes possible to have audio and video devices that work together in the same room. Again providing ad-hoc set-ups with minimal user interaction is desirable.
One method of providing for the use of several devices in the same room is to use some automatic detection scheme. Hopper et al. U.S. Pat. No. 5,493,283 suggests using an array of fixed infrared transponders that would automatically detect an infrared badge on the mobile user. Given that infrared light is generally confined to a room, this scheme allows location of all the mobile badges within the same room. However, the badges themselves are not capable of network communication with each other, nor do they interact any further with the fixed transponders.
Active Bat (1) proposed by Harter et al. (A. Harter et al., "The Anatomy of a Context-Aware Application," Proc. 5th Ann. Int'l Conf. Mobile Computing and Networking (Mobicom 99), ACM Press, New York, 1999, pp. 59-68) discloses a similar application to Hopper et al., but uses mobile units (BATS) that respond to an RF signal by emitting an ultrasonic pulse. A base station periodically transmits a radio message containing a single identifier, causing the corresponding BAT to emit a short unencoded pulse of ultrasound.
Radio means have also been proposed, as the infrastructure is generally available. Some examples are Coffy in United States Patent publication no. 2004/003098, Williams and Needham U.S. Pat. No. 6,720,922, Stewart in U.S. Pat. No. 6,697,018 or Bahl et al in U.S. Pat. No. 6,799,047. These all require an array of fixed transponders with known locations. In order to use the radio frequency schemes to determine if two devices are within the same room, one must determine the distance between the mobile device and the fixed transponder. Using this information and a detailed floor plan one can then determine if a mobile user is within a certain room and if two devices are within the same room. Obviously this requires a great deal of user information to be entered in a database thus defeating the ad-hoc nature of the set-up.
To overcome this hybrid schemes have been proposed such as the "Cricket" locating scheme by N. B. Priyantha, A. Chakraborty, and H. Balakrishnan, "The Cricket Location-support System," Proc. 6th Ann. Int'l Conf. Mobile Computing and Networking (Mobicom 00), ACM Press, New York, 2000, pp. 302-43k, the "Dolphin" scheme by Y. Fukuju et al, "DOLPHIN: An Autonomous Indoor Positioning System in Ubiquitous Computing Environment," IEEE Workshop on Software Technologies for Future Embedded Systems, pp. 53-56, May 2003, the "Beep" scheme by Mandal et al. , "Beep: 3D Indoor Positioning Using Audible Sound." Proc. IEEE Consumer Communications and Networking Conference (CCNC′05), Las Vegas, January 2005, as well as Rodman in United States Patent publication no. 2002/0101918. In these a radio frequency and audio system are combined. The basis of these is that the radio frequency part synchronizes and provides a control structure to the location of the mobile device. The acoustic signal is then used to determine the actual location of the device. Since building elements (walls, floors, ceiling and windows) are generally opaque to high frequency sound this easily allows one to locate users within the same room. Except for Rodman these schemes all require a fixed array of transponders and thus suffer from the same infrastructure costs of Hopper's infrared Active badge and the ultrasonic Active Bat.
Rodman teaches a more ad-hoc system by augmenting an existing radio frequency linked device with an acoustic discrimination analysis scheme to determine if two devices are within the same room. The audio signal must be sampled concurrently, converted to a digital representation, this digital data be transmitted via radio frequency to the location of the signal analysis processor where the data from the pair of devices is analyzed by the said processor. A discrimination analysis is performed which enables one to determine if the pair of signals is within the same room thus indicating that the devices are within the same room. However, this scheme requires a dedicated radio frequency link for the transport of the digitized audio signals and synchronization of the sampling. It thus cannot operate without this element. Furthermore it requires a "signal analysis processor". In most radio frequency unlicensed bands, the devices used require pairing to achieve the level of density and security required. This is very difficult to do if the devices are not in the same room so the usefulness of Rodman's scheme in a real system seems to be to detect if one has left the room and to do so requires quite an expensive audio device.

Method of detecting audio/video devices within a room


The memory capacity required for temporarily holding image data with respect to a printer is reduced, and loads involved in supplying image data, such as decoding and conversion processes, are dispersed and reduced. The apparatus divides image data in parallel with a main scanning direction by an image divider, stores the divided data in image data memory, and supplies the divided image data to image data temporary memory by an image data supply to perform a decoding process. In order to provide a matching with a process speed, the image data temporary memory temporarily retains the divided image data, and a printer prints an image on a sheet of paper on the basis of the divided image data stored in the image data temporary memory. A predictor predicts a supply process time by way of image data supply, and an image data supply control causes the image data supply to start the supply process of the divided image data at a time preceding the time for the start of the print process by the printer according to the time predicted.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for dividing image data to printprocess the latter, and particularly to an image forming apparatus for controlling a supply of divided image data to print means.
2. Description of the Related Art
In an image forming apparatus such as an electronic photographic copier and a printer, an image formed on the basis of image data is printed on a sheet of paper by an electronic photographic process comprising a transfer process, a developing process, and a fixing process. Since a process speed of the electronic photographic process is constant, parameters of the processes constituting the electronic photographic process are designed on the basis of a predetermined process speed. For this reason, if the process speed is made variable, all the parameters of the processes concerned have to be made variable. This is not realistic.
As described above, in the image forming apparatus, the process speed is constant. Therefore, it is necessary to supply image data to print means (print engine) for forming an image from image data to print it on a sheet of paper at a constant speed according to the process speed. For example, in the case where the supply speed of image data to the print means is slower than the process speed, supply timing of paper to the print means is deviated from supply timing of image data, and as a result, a white sheet of paper not printed with an image is ejected or a disturbed image is printed on a sheet of paper halfway.
In the image forming apparatus, it is implemented that in communicating image data or in storing image data in memory means, image data is coded in order to reduce a quantity of data, and in printprocessing it, the image data is decoded. As described above, in the case where the image data is supplied in a coded state, the supply speed of image data to the print means depends on an original, since generally a speed for the coding process depends on an original, whereby matching of the supply timing of image data to the print means to the supply timing of a sheet of paper cannot be assured.
In the case where a coding system is a non-reversible coding system, control for a quantity of codes is made so that a constant quantity of codes is obtained per page whereby a decoding speed can be made constant. However, generally, there exist properties such that in the case where a certain image is non-reversible coded, the smaller the quantity of codes the larger the deterioration of image quality, and an image which is hard to be coded (for example, an image constituted at random noise) increases in deterioration of image quality in case of coding with the same quantity of codes as compared with a normal image (for example, a natural image such as a figure and a landscape). For this reason, in the case where a variety of images are coded with a constant quantity of codes by the control of a quantity of codes, the deterioration of image quality increases depending on images, sometimes failing to maintain an image which can withstand a practical use.
Accordingly, in the case where image data is coded and supplied, it is difficult to make the decoding speed constant, if an image is intended to be assured, making it difficult to supply image data to print means at a speed corresponding to the process speed.
In the case where it is difficult to make the decoding speed constant as described above, decoded image data is first retained in temporary memory means such as a buffer memory and the image data is supplied from the temporary memory means to the print means. Then, the supply of image data to the print means can be made at the speed corresponding to the process speed to prevent the situation such as ejection of white (unprinted) paper or printing of a disturbed image from occurring.
Therefore, in a conventional printing apparatus, a page memory (a semiconductor memory) capable of storing image data for one page portion or more is provided so that image data for one page portion or two-page portion are temporarily stored whereby image data are supplied to the print means according to the process speed.
For example, in the case where a page memory for one page portion is provided, as shown in FIG. 18A, image data for one page portion are stored in the page memory, after which a sheet of paper is fed from a paper feeder to the print means, and the print means prints images for one page portion on a sheet of paper fed on the basis of the image data stored in the page memory. The operation of the storage of image data, the feed of a sheet of paper and the printing of images is repeatedly implemented per page.
In the case where a page memory for a two-page portion is provided, as shown in FIG. 18B, the processing, in which while the printing process being is carried out on the basis of image data for one page portion stored in the page memory, image data for the next one page portion is stored in the page memory, is repeatedly implemented, thus enabling printing of a plurality of pages continuously.
In the case where the page memory for one page portion alone is provided as described above, the storage of image data and printing are sequentially carried out. Therefore, in the case where a plurality of sheets are continuously fed for printing, the through-put is lowered. On the other hand, in the case where the page memory for a two-page portion is provided, since the storage of image data and printing are carried out in parallel, the through-put is improved but a quantity of memory required for the page memory increases, resulting in an increase of cost.
The above-described things will apply to not only a monochromatic printer but also a color printer in which inks of color components, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K), are placed upon one another and recorded.
In the color printer, as shown in FIG. 19, recorders (print means) exclusive-use for color components 100Y, 100M, 100C and 100K are provided, and these recorders 100Y, 100M, 100C and 100K are operated in pipeline adjusting to the process speed with respect to sheets of paper conveyed by a paper conveyor 101 to thereby enabling a through-put of color print close to that of monochromatic print.
In the pipeline color printer, the through-put is enhanced by subjecting sheets of paper to pipeline processing. Thus, when there is a vacancy in the pipeline (that is, sheets of paper cannot be passed continuously to the recorders for various colors), the through-put becomes lowered.
In the case where a plurality of the same originals are continuously printed, when image data for one page portion are prepared for the page memory for one page portion, sheets of paper are continuously fed to the pipeline, and the image data stored in the page memory are read plural times and supplied to the recorders 100Y, 100M, 100C and 100K plural times whereby images may be printed repeatedly on the plurality of sheets of paper fed.
On the other hand, in the case where a plurality of different originals are continuously printed, for example, a page memory for a portion of the number of sheets of originals is provided so that all the image data are prepared for the page memory, and after this, sheets of paper have to be fed to the pipeline. Because of this, when a page memory is constituted by a semiconductor memory, the greater part of printer cost is occupied by the cost of the semiconductor memory. Further, when a page memory is constituted by a magnetic disk, since a data transfer speed of the magnetic disk is greatly slower than a recording speed, a plurality of magnetic disks have to be operated in parallel. Thus, the greater part of printer cost is occupied by the cost of the magnetic disks.
That is, in the case where a plurality of different originals are continuously printed assuring the pipeline operation, a page memory (temporary memory means) for a depth portion, of a pipeline is necessary. The storage of image data to the page memory should have been completed before the supply of sheets of paper.
For example, in an example in which pages for different images are decoded with the time required for the recording by the recorders 100Y, 100M, 100C and 100K deviated, and the images are recorded sheet by sheet, the processing as shown in FIG. 20 is implemented. In this figure, the axis of abscissa indicates the time axis, in which below the timing at which a recording sheet of each page is processed the capacity of a page memory required at that time is shown by the memory capacity (1 plane) for one page and one color.
First, In the process for the first page, image data (four planes) for color components, yellow (Y), magenta (M), cyan (C) and black (K) are decoded and retained in the page memory. Then, paper feeding process for conveying recording sheets to the head position of a row of recorders is implemented, after which sheets of paper are conveyed between the recorders 100Y, 100M, 100C and 100K, and the recording processes are sequentially implemented on the basis of the image data of color components. As a result, after the time of 6 units, images for one page are recorded one upon another on sheets of paper for color components, and the data retaining capacity of the page memory with respect to one page is vacant "0."
In the state delayed by the time of one unit, the second page is processed in parallel, and in the state further delayed by the time of one unit, the third page is processed in parallel. In this manner, the capacity of the page memory which is necessary every completion of the recording process for one plane is reduced "1" by "1" and the pages are sequentially processed in parallel.
That is, in the above-described example, if the pipeline is filled after the time of 6 units from the start of printing and the page memory has the memory capacity for 18 planes at the maximum, different images can be recorded on the sheets of paper continuously fed.
In the case of the tandem type color printer as described above, data for a plurality of pages are retained in the page memory to enable the continuous feeding of recording sheets to carry out recording while preventing the through-put from being lowered.
Further, for example, in an image forming apparatus for handling image data of language described on the page, in carrying out the printing on sheets of paper, the data type of image data is sometimes processed to be converted, the things similar to the case of decoding process described above involve in the case where such conversion as described is carried out.
As described above, in the tandem type color printer, for example, in the case where a plurality of different images are printed, even if recording sheets of paper are intermittently fed, a page memory for a depth portion of a pipeline is necessary. In an example shown in FIG. 20, a page memory for 18 planes is necessary.
A page memory is constituted by a semiconductor memory which is high in access speed. Then, for example, in the case of image data having a resolution of JIS A4 format, 400 [dot/25.4 mm], and a gradation precision of each pixel 8 [bit/pixel], data quantity for one plane is about 16 [MByte]. Thus, a large capacity memory of about 288 [MByte] in total for 18 planes is necessary, resulting in a considerable increase in printer cost.
Also in a monochromatic printer, in order that data of different kinds of image pages are continuously printed, a memory having a capacity of about 32 [MByte] in total for two pages at the minimum is necessary, resulting in a considerable increase in printer cost caused by the memory cost.
Further, in the color printer, means for carrying out decoding and conversion process to supply image data to print means (recorders) are present independently every color component. Therefore, loads cannot be dispersed even in the case where the loads of supplying image data are one-sided every color component. Therefore, in the case where a load in respect of a color component is large, even if there is room in image data supply means for carrying out decoding and data conversion process as a whole, there sometimes occurred the things in which the print process by print means cannot be done.


A cartridge for holding flexible bills in first and second stacks, comprises a cuboid housing having first and second openings on oppositely located walls thereof, a mechanism for opening and closing the first and second openings, and pressure plates disposed within the housing which press the first and second stacks against the first and second openings, respectively. The pressure plates are parallel to each other and are movable independently of each other along a common axis. At least one of the pressure plates is movable from its associated opening to the immediate proximity of the other pressure plate, thereby making maximum use of the interior space of the cartridge.

The instant invention relates to a cartridge for receiving and dispensing flexible bills.
Such cartridges for flexible bills are suitable for the transport of banknotes between a central station and an automatic service machine and also as a reserve compartment for banknotes in the automatic service machine.
A cartridge of this type for flexible bills is known from DE-OS 23 37 398 (U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,655). A device to press upon a stack, comprising a support plate and a spring contained within the housing, holds the bills together in the stack. Space saving arrangements of the pressing device with springs are shown in DE-OS 28 51 607 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,058) and in DE-OS 29 07 277 (G.B. 2,014,963), and with motorized drives in EP 175,175.
Such cartridges are securely locked when they are outside the automatic service machine and can be opened only with a key by authorized persons. The cartridges are provided with a cover that can be lifted so that the stack can be replaced, and with an opening to receive and issue bills, both of which can be locked. A locking device in the form of a leaf-like band which can slide in front of the receiving and issuing opening is known from DE-OS 29 49 344 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,275,667).
The Research Disclosure No. 24820 of December 1984 shows a device to stack banknotes of given dimensions in which a ram pushes the banknote through the opening into the cartridge. Devices to stack flexible bills in different sizes and to remove them from the stack are described in the Swiss patent applications Nos. 02 556/90-1 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,139,149) and 01 031/91-8 (U.S. Pat. No. 5,116,037). The contents of the two patent applications/patents and the Research Disclosure are specifically made part of this description.
It is the object of this invention to provide a cartridge for flexible bills with room for two stacks of bills and optimal utilization of the interior space of the cartridge.

Plural compartment cartridge for flexible bills


A semiconductor component having a titanium silicide contact structure and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor component. A layer of dielectric material is formed over a semiconductor substrate. An opening having sidewalls is formed in the dielectric layer and exposes a portion of the semiconductor substrate. Titanium silicide is disposed on the dielectric layer, sidewalls, and the exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate. The titanium silicide may be formed by disposing titanium on the dielectric layer, sidewalls, and exposed portion of the semiconductor substrate and reacting the titanium with silane. Alternatively, the titanium silicide may be sputter deposited. A layer of titanium nitride is formed on the titanium silicide. A layer of tungsten is formed on the titanium nitride. The tungsten, titanium nitride, and titanium silicide are polished to form the contact structures.

Semiconductor component manufacturers are constantly striving to increase the speeds of their components. Because a semiconductor component, such as a microprocessor, can contain more than a billion transistors, the focus for increasing speed has been to decrease the gate delays of the semiconductor devices that make up the semiconductor component. As a result, the gate delays have been decreased to the point that speed is now primarily limited by the propagation delay of the metallization system used to interconnect the semiconductor devices with each other and with elements external to the semiconductor component. Typically, metallization systems comprise a plurality of interconnect layers vertically separated from each other by a dielectric material and electrically coupled to each other by metal-filled vias or conductive plugs. Each layer contains metal lines, metal-filled vias, or a combination of metal lines and metal-filled vias separated by an insulating material. To decrease the signal delay through these structures, manufacturers use highly conductive metals such as copper for the primary signal conductors.
In addition to the gate delays and the metallization system, the structure of the contacts affects the speed of the semiconductor component. Contacts are metallization structures that couple the silicon portions of the semiconductor device to the metallization system. Typically, a contact comprises a layer of metal silicide and a conductive material formed on the metal silicide layer. The metal silicide layer is formed by depositing a refractory metal such as titanium on the semiconductor substrate and heating the metal and semiconductor substrate to form the metal silicide. A drawback with this approach is that a high temperature anneal is needed to achieve sufficient titanium-silicon intermixing to form a metal-silicide layer having an acceptably low resistance. Another drawback is that formation of the silicide layer consumes silicon from the semiconductor substrate, which may increase the resistance of the semiconductor material near the contact structure.
Accordingly, what is needed is a contact structure for use in a semiconductor component and a method for manufacturing the contact structure.

Semiconductor component having a contact structure and method of manufacture


A system and method for achieving synchronized audio and image control of lighting is provided. The system includes: audio-image information acquisition and processing software of an audio-image playback device for achieving acquisition, analysis, and processing of audio and screen image information, and encapsulating the audio and screen image information into a synchronization control instruction according to a predetermined control strategy; a cloud server; and a lighting device for receiving the synchronization control instruction transmitted from the audio-image information acquisition and processing software to separate out audio and screen image color control instructions, and controlling colors and rhythm changes of a lamp according to a predetermined control strategy.

In order to enable an ordinary lamp to have richer entertainment features, there are many commercially available forms of lamp control methods mainly extract corresponding screen colors from a PC screen and a TV screen, and then control related external ambient lamps and the like; or according to music in a particular environment, extract corresponding musical features to control the external ambient lamps to change according to certain rhythm and tempo. However, for a rich multimedia content that often synchronously contain rich video images and audio information, the lighting display solutions currently available cannot achieve the synchronization of audio, image and lighting, thus the user experience is insufficient.

System and method for achieving synchronized audio and image control of lighting

SHENZHEN LINKLITE SMART LIGHTING CO., LTD