An internal combustion hydraulic engine for use in motor vehicles and the like comprises at least one piston having a first piston head and a second piston head; a first or combustion cylinder at least partially surrounding the first piston head for receiving fuel and air; an igniter for inducing combustion of the fuel-air mixture in the first cylinder; and a second or hydraulic cylinder at least partially surrounding the second piston head for receiving fluid such that the action of the combustion of the fuel on the first piston head induces the second piston head to pressurize the fluid in the hydraulic cylinder. Preferably, the pressurized fluid communicates through a high pressure tank with a hydraulic motor to convert fluid pressure into rotational power.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to internal combustion engines and more particularly to engines using internal combustion to pressurize hydraulic fluid.
2. Description of Related Art
A conventional internal combustion reciprocating engine for generating rotational movement includes a series of pistons pivotably coupled to a crankshaft. Each piston is at least partially surrounded by a stationary cylinder so as to define a combustion chamber between the piston and a head of the cylinder. The combustion of a liquid fuel such as gasoline in the combustion chamber produces hot, pressurized gas which drives the piston away from the cylinder head. The pivotable coupling between the piston and the crankshaft converts the linear movement of the piston through the cylinder into rotation of the crankshaft.
Such engines operate cyclically--that is, each cylinder and piston repeatedly perform a sequence of steps which coincide with the strokes of the piston. One conventional four stroke cycle common in automotive engines includes: (1) an intake stroke, during which the piston moves away from the cylinder head while fuel and air enter the combustion chamber; (2) a compression or return stroke, during which the piston moves back toward the cylinder head to compress the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber; (3) a combustion or power stroke, during which the fuel-air mixture in the combustion chamber is ignited, generating hot gas which drives the piston away from the cylinder head; and (4) an exhaust stroke, during which the exhaust gas is exhausted from the combustion chamber as the piston moves back toward the cylinder head.
The flow of fuel and exhaust gas through the combustion chamber is controlled by the piston and by valves positioned near the head of the cylinder. During the intake stroke, the piston moves away from the cylinder head, lowering the pressure in the combustion chamber and inducing fuel and air to enter the combustion chamber through one or more intake valves in the cylinder head. During the exhaust stroke, the piston moves back toward to the cylinder head and tends to push the exhaust gas out of the combustion chamber through an exhaust valve in the cylinder head. The intake and exhaust valves remain closed through the remainder of the cycle.
According to a conventional two-stroke cycle, combustion occurs each time the piston approaches the head of the cylinder. The hot, pressurized gas produced by the combustion of the fuel drives the piston away from the cylinder head. As the piston approaches the end of the power stroke, intake and outlet valves are opened, relieving the exhaust gas pressure in the combustion chamber. Fuel and air flow into the combustion chamber. Meanwhile, the piston begins its return stroke toward the cylinder head, compressing the fuel and air in preparation for combustion.
In a conventional reciprocating engine, a series of pistons are coupled to the same crankshaft. The timing of the strokes of different pistons are staggered so that, while one piston is undergoing its combustion stroke, other pistons are undergoing their intake, compression or exhaust strokes. In a conventional multi-piston engine, the rotational power transmitted to the crankshaft as one piston undergoes its combustion stroke drives other pistons through their intake, compression and exhaust strokes. Likewise, power drawn from the crankshaft opens and closes the intake and exhaust valves.
Conventional reciprocating engines typically include flywheels. The power supplied by the engine to the drive shaft is periodic rather than continuous in the sense that a burst of power is supplied each time a piston is fired. The flywheel tends to smooth out the power supplied by the engine over time to provide a constant torque to the drive shaft.
The efficiency of the engine relates, at least in part, to the duration of the combustion stroke. A longer stroke leads to more complete combustion of the fuel and to more efficient conversion of the gas pressure into mechanical work.
One drawback to conventional internal combustion reciprocating engines is that the duration of the combustion stroke is controlled by the speed at which the crankshaft rotates. In practice, this significantly limits the duration of the combustion stroke. While idling at 500 revolutions per minute (RPM), the combustion stroke of a conventional automotive engine lasts approximately one-sixteenth (1/16) second. At 2000 RPM, the approximate output of a conventional automotive engine of an automobile traveling 60 miles per hour, the combustion stroke of the engine lasts approximately one-sixtieth 1/60) second. This is simply not enough time for the fuel-air mixture to burn completely. At least partially as a result, the efficiency of conventional automotive engines is in the neighborhood of 18%.
Furthermore, the incomplete combustion of the fuel during the combustion stroke of a conventional four stroke cycle engine increases the pollution content of the exhaust. The residual pressure remaining in the exhaust gas when relieved from the cylinder increases the noise of the engine. Therefore, there remains a need in the art for an internal combustion engine capable of a longer power stroke.

Internal combustion hydraulic motor and method of operation


In one embodiment, software for remediation management is operable to automatically identify an asset in an enterprise network. One or more vulnerabilities of the identified asset is automatically identified based on comparing the identified asset to content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities. At least a portion of the content is collected from a plurality of third party content providers. Other example software for remediation management may be operable to identify one or more vulnerabilities of an asset based on comparing the asset to content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities and automatically generate remediations for the asset based on the content associated with the one or more vulnerabilities.

Managing computer information and/or network security in an enterprise network can be challenging and is generally fundamental to the overall success of the enterprise. The effect of a security incident can vary depending on its severity and the nature of the attack or the compromised system. Examples are loss from fraud, theft of information, disruption of service, unauthorized use of resources, loss of customer confidence, and brand erosion. Maintaining an effective system for mitigating vulnerabilities of an enterprise network, however, can be difficult due to a changing nature of security threats, shortages of information component (IT) resources, lack of security awareness, implementation difficulties, and other issues.

System and method for providing remediation management


A pivotal hinge mechanism for a mobile computer may include a swivel seat, a support seat, and first and second pivot mounting parts. The swivel seat and the support seat cooperate to form a pivot joint that allows the swivel seat to swivel through 180 degrees with respect to the support seat. The first and second pivot mounting parts swivel about an axis that is perpendicular to the axis of the swivel seat's rotation.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The invention relates to a pivotal hinge mechanism for mobile computer and more particularly to a pivotal hinge mechanism for transforming the mobile computer from Notebook PC mode to Tablet PC mode.
2. Description of Prior Act
Today the Notebook type computer has possessed the function of allowing the Liquid Crystal Display (LCD) to rotate through an angle of 0°˜180° and capably transforming the Notebook PC mode to Tablet PC mode. While the key technique to enable the Notebook type computer to possess the aforesaid function is the hinge mechanism for connecting the computer mainframe and LCD such as the technique disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 6,587,333. This prior patent not only has the function of allowing the LCD of the Notebook PC to be kept in open or closed condition, also possesses the function of allowing the LCD to rotate through an angle of 0°˜180° and transforming the computer from Notebook PC mode to Tablet PC mode and vice versa.
However, this prior conventional hinge mechanism used on Notebook PC has drawbacks of too many parts contained in the mechanism and/or too complicated procedure for installing the whole assembly that often caused decrease of precision of parts installation and deviation in relative position of parts due to accumulation of dimension tolerance of parts. Therefore, when the LCD of a Notebook PC rotates to a specific angle, the above-mentioned drawbacks will cause defects of inaccurate positioning or insecure positioning of the LCD. And, there is the necessity to make further improvement of the conventional hinge mechanism.
Besides, since the conventional hinge mechanism does not possess the function of touch sense or giving out sound signal, it has no function of assisting the user in making sure that the LCD of the Notebook PC has reached the specific angular position.
In view of this, the purpose of pivotal hinge mechanism disclosed in the invention is special for improving the structural drawbacks of the conventional hinge mechanism, and having the hinge mechanism to possess the function of touch sense or giving out sound signal.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Pivotal hinge mechanism for mobile computer


A method for returning focus to a user interface window is disclosed. Information relating to each user interface window existing within a computer operating system is stored in a working database that is different from real-time user interface window information maintained by the computer operating system. A top user interface window is determined at a display coordinate selected by, for example, a digitizing pen. Focus is returned to a last user interface window having focus when the top user interface window is a system user interface window. An informational context is determined for the top window, and data entered into the top window is recognized based on the informational context of the top window based on information stored in the working database.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to computing devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for returning focus to a user interface window within a computer operating system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most personal computer (PC) systems provide a plurality of techniques for a user to enter data and commands, and to manipulate data. One exemplary technique is for a user to enter data and commands using a keyboard. Other exemplary techniques include use of a mouse, a track ball, and/or a voice-actuated input device. Yet another technique involves a using a digitizing writing pad and a stylus.
In the situation when a conventional computer system has a display screen, and a user selects or clicks on a particular portion of a the display screen using, for example, a mouse, the proper informational context of the selected portion of the display is required by the operating system so that the computer responds as the user expects. For example, when the user clicks on a scrollbar displayed on the display of a conventional computer using the mouse, the underlying application responds as if a scrollbar has been clicked, instead of responding as if a character input was expected.
As another example, in the situation when the user clicks an input interface with the stylus, such as an operating system control field or window, or a softkey keyboard display, the conventional computer sends the input to the last window having focus, instead of responding as if a scrollbar has been clicked. Moreover, for this exemplary situation, the focus state of the computer should be properly returned to the last window having focus.
Focus state, or keyboard focus, as used herein, is a state that an input control interface acquires when a user selects the input control interface. An input control interface loses focus, for example, when the user selects another input control interface. Only one input control interface can have keyboard focus at a time.
Thus, what is needed is a way to determine the information context of a point that is displayed by a computer and that is selected by a user so that the computer responds properly. What is also needed is a technique for returning focus to a user input control interface when the user performs a predetermined action, such as entering a command and/or data into a computer system.


A matrix switching apparatus includes a plurality of switching units connected in tandem, each switching unit having a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals. There are a plurality of transmission/reception units, each provided within a respective switching unit and also within a remote control unit. The transmission/reception units are for transmitting switching data. A first one of the transmission/reception units is set to a master station mode and sequentially polls the remaining transmission/reception units which are set to a slave station mode. The remaining units respond to the polling by outputting switching data, which is collectively transmitted by the master station over a serial busline. The remaining transmission/reception units receive only relevant data from the switching data transmitted over the serial busline and supply the relevant data to controlling units which control the turning on and off of crosspoint switches in the switching units.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a matrix switching apparatus for selectively outputting information signals supplied to a plurality of input terminals at desired output terminals. More particularly, it relates to a matrix switching apparatus made up of a plurality of switching units each including a plurality of input terminals and a plurality of output terminals.
2. Description of Related Art
In broadcasting stations or production studios producing television broadcast programs or video recordings, video and audio signals inputted to and outputted from a plurality of pieces of equipment such as VTRs, video disk recording/reproducing apparatus, audio tape recorders, disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, microphones or television cameras, need to be switchingly selected in a desired manner for transmission. For example, a matrix switching apparatus, comprising a matrix array of a large number of switches, is provided between a plurality of editing rooms and a VTR chamber in which a large number of VTRs and a variety of recording/reproducing apparatus are densely installed so that on optionally selecting and controlling desired switches of the matrix switching apparatus, a desired piece of equipment or one not in use may be designated for use by a given editing room from a large number of pieces of equipment in the VTR chamber.
For such a matrix switching apparatus, the required matrix size varies depending on the overall system size and may be determined by, for example, the number of pieces of equipment to be in use or the number of editing rooms. There are cases wherein a large system with tens of input and output channels is required. It is, however, difficult for a single matrix switching apparatus to meet these varying requirements. For this reason, it has been proposed to construct a large matrix switching apparatus by using a plurality of small to medium size matrix switching units each comprising several to tens of channels, as proposed in U.S. patent application No. 07/674,890 previously filed in the name of the present Assignee.
FIG. 1 shows an example of a matrix switching apparatus made up of a plurality, herein four, of the above mentioned matrix switching units MSU to enhance the number of input and output terminals.
Each of the four matrix switching units MSU.sub.1 to MSU.sub.4 shown in FIG. 1 has 32 channels input terminals TI.sub.1 to TI.sub.32 and 32 channel output terminals TO.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 and switches arranged at crosspoints or points of intersection between extension lines of these input terminals TI.sub.1 to TI.sub.32 and extension lines of the output terminals TO.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 for providing a 32 x 32 switch matrix. Each of the matrix switching units MSU.sub.1 to MSU.sub.4 has 32 channel extension output terminals EO.sub.1 to EO.sub.32 and 32 channel extension input terminals EI.sub.1 to EI.sub.32. Using these four matrix switching units MSU.sub.1 to MSU.sub.4, the extension input terminals EI.sub.1 to EI.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.1 are connected to the output terminals TO.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.2, the extension output terminals EO.sub.1 to EO.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.1 are connected to the input terminals TI.sub.1 to TI.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.4, the extension output terminals EO.sub.1 to EO.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.2 are connected to the input terminals TI.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.3 and the extension output terminals TO.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.3 are connected to the input terminals TI.sub.1 to TI.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.4 for providing a matrix switching apparatus having 64 channel input x 64 channel outputs. In this case, it suffices if 32 of the 64 channel inputs, namely the inputs IN.sub.1 to IN.sub.32, are supplied respectively to the input terminals TI.sub.1 to TI.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.1 and the remaining 32 channel inputs IN.sub.33 to IN.sub.64 are supplied respectively to the input terminals TI.sub.1 to TI.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.2, while 32 of the 64 outputs, namely the outputs OUT.sub.1 to OUT.sub.32, are taken out at the respective output terminals TO.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 of the matrix switching unit MSU.sub.1 and the remaining 32 channel outputs OUT.sub.33 to OUT.sub.64 are taken out at the output terminals TO.sub.1 to TO.sub.32 of the matrix switcher unit MSU.sub.4. It becomes possible in this manner to distribute the 64 channel inputs IN.sub.1 to IN.sub.64 so as to be taken out as 64 channel outputs OUT.sub.1 to OUT.sub.64.
In a conventional switching matrix apparatus, a remote control unit is provided for making or breaking respective crosspoint switches, and desired input and output signal routing (route switching) may be realized by actuating buttons or changeover levers on a control panel of the remote control unit. In a matrix switching apparatus having a plurality of matrix switching units, a plurality of the above mentioned remote control units are occasionally provided, in which case it becomes necessary to provide a signal configuration, that is a protocol or format, for exchanging control signals or the like between the matrix switching units and the remote control units.
Moreover, if several to less than twenty pieces of equipment are to be used, only one serial busline suffices for exchanging the control signals or the like. However, if signal transmission is to be made over a serial busline between tens to hundreds of pieces of equipment, response time or reliability may be lowered and an excessive waiting time may occur before actual signal route switching is achieved, or a special cable may need to be used because of an increased data error rate. If different communication functions of the units need to be provided, it is necessary to provide units performing these different communication functions by a painstaking and laborious operation.
Further, if the above described matrix switching apparatus is connected to, for example, an apparatus that receives digital signals, such as serial digital video signals, since the switching apparatus usually regenerates the input digital signals, it becomes necessary to change the clock frequency depending on the format of the input digital signals The clock signals are generated by a voltage-controlled oscillator (VCO) or the like. Supposing that a similar regenerating circuit is provided for waveforming at the output of each crosspoint switch of the matrix switcher apparatus, signals can not properly be outputted if the clock frequency at the input side differs from that at the output side.
Also in the above described matrix switching apparatus or a matrix switching apparatus composed of a plurality of matrix switching units, inspection of the switching states, that is, checking whether the switching operation of a large number of switches provided in a matrix configuration is performed properly is usually accomplished by monitoring output signals from the respective channels. For this reason, a signal is not outputted or transmitted due to defective switching operations of one of the switches of the matrix switching apparatus, which of the switches is out of order can be determined only by an extremely time-and labor-consuming operation.
It is noted that, in a system comprising interconnection of the above described conventional matrix switching apparatus and remote control units, failure to make a response to transmitted data within a predetermined time is considered to be a sign of the occurrence of a malfunction such as busline breakage or shorting of the transmission line. However, it is not possible with the conventional system to determine if the malfunction is ascribable to shorting or to breakage.

Polling control system for switching units in a plural stage switching matrix


The present invention provides an optically active 4-substituted-2-hydroxybutanoate represented by the general formula: ##STR1## wherein X is Cl, Br, I or Cn, R is alkyl, and * shows an asymmetric carbon.. The compounds which are useful as starting materials for medical agents, are obtained by a process comprising ring-opening optically active .alpha.-hydroxy-.gamma.-butyrolactone and esterifying the compound obtained.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to optically active 4-substituted-2-hydroxybutanoates which are useful as starting materials for medical agents and to a process for producing them.
2. Descriptions of the Prior Art
Optically active 4-substituted-2-hydroxybutanoates of the present invention are useful as starting materials of many medical agents. However, there has been no effective process so that racemic methyl 4-chloro-2-hydroxybutanoate, racemic methyl 4-bromo-2-hydroxybutanoate and the like were used (European Patent Laid-open Application No. 233728, etc.).
Recently, when racemic compounds are used as medical agents, it is necessary to examine the physiological activity of two enantiomorphs, because the physiologically activities may be different. Further, when a compound having a stereostructure has especially strong physiological activity, it is earnestly required to construct only a compound having the desired stereostructure, considering the efficiency and safety.

4-Substituted-2-hydroxybutanoates and a process for producing them


The present invention comprises a barb or hook attached on a side of the forward end of the outer guide tube of an otherwise standard electrode introducer sleeve. The hook enables the physician to perforate the membrane within the same single vaginal exam wherein the electrode is attached. A costly, time-consuming, and uncomfortable two-stage, two-tool medical procedure is reduced to one stage and one tool.

Presently, to prepare for intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring wherein the fetal amniotic membranes have not ruptured naturally, one must first perform an amniotomy, i.e. an artificially forced rupturing of the membranes. This must be done in order to provide the fetal electrode with clear, clean and direct access to the presenting part of the fetus.
It is therefore known to introduce into the birth canal, as a first and separate procedure, a barbed amniotic membrane perforator, such as the elongate plastic perforator sold under the trade name AMNIHOOK by Hollister Inc. of Libertyville, Ill. Finger cot amnio-hooks and other barbed perforator devices are also available. The perforator is dragged sideways across the fetal amniotic membranes so as to hook and rupture them. The perforator is then removed from the birth canal.
Next, it is also known, as a second and separate procedure, to introduce a spiral electrode into the birth canal and to screw it into the now-exposed fetal scalp, or into the epidermis of another fetal presenting part. This is accomplished by means of a curved introducer sleeve apparatus having a smooth-surfaced (non-barbed) external guide tube. The introducer sleeve is then removed from the birth canal. This leaves the electrode in place, which electrode is connected to an electrocardiogram-type recording device, or other sensing equipment, in order to allow intrapartum fetal heart rate monitoring.
Prior developments in this field may be generally illustrated by reference to the following information disclosure statement:
______________________________________ Pat. No. Patentee Issued ______________________________________ 3,827,428 Hon et al. Aug. 06, 1974 3,580,242 La Croix May 25, 1971 3,750,650 Ruttgers Aug. 07, 1973 3.472,234 Tachick Oct. 14, 1969 ______________________________________
Published articles which are of interest include: Hon et al., "Electronic Evaluation of Fetal Heart Rate", Vol. 40 Obstetrics and Gynecology, pp. 362 et seq. (September 1972); Paul et al., "Clinical Fetal Monitoring", Vol. 41 Obstetrics and Gynecology, pp. 777 et seq. (May 1973); and Fukushima et al., "An Improved Spiral Electrode Applicator System for Fetal Heart Rate Monitoring", Vol. 77 Obstetrics and Gynecology, pp. 475 et seq. (March 1991).
The first crude fetal scalp electrode was introduced about 1971 by George LaCroix. In 1973, Helge Ruttgers developed a double spiral electrode for fetal heart rate monitoring. Neither of these devices received widespread acceptance.
In 1974, Edward Hon developed the bipolar electrode and introducer sleeve which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,827,428 and which is currently the device most commonly used in this and other countries for internal fetal heart rate monitoring.
Currently, there are four million deliveries annually in the United States. About eighty per cent of these utilize fetal heart rate monitoring. Up to eighty or ninety per cent of the latter subgroup require amniotomies.
As noted above, where the membranes have not ruptured spontaneously, the Hon electrode cannot be applied without first performing, in a separate procedure, an amniotomy with another device. This is unfortunate because each birthing facility must order, inventory, stock, and quickly and reliably find, if and when needed, a membrane perforator for most deliveries where an electrode will be applied. Of course, the scalp electrode, including introducer sleeve apparatus, must be separately stocked and located. The need to stock two separate items effectively doubles the risk that a procedure will not be performed in a timely manner due to one of the items being misplaced, out of stock, accidentally rendered septic, or the like.
One of the most uncomfortable events for a patient in labor is the vaginal exam, which procedure involves penetration by instruments and/or the fingers of the attending practitioner. As noted, present practice involves two separate intrusions in order to attach the scalp electrode. The practitioner must do a vaginal exam to rupture the membranes, withdraw his hands from the vagina, change instruments and then re-enter the vagina to apply the electrode to the fetus.
Thus, patients would appreciate the decrease in discomfort that would result from combining these two procedures into one. Physicians would appreciate the savings in time and the increase in focus and control gained by such simplification. Not only would patients also appreciate the savings in time, but in cases where time is of the essence, such savings and simplification could provide significant benefits in health and safety, and result in fewer errors. Both the birthing facility and its patients would appreciate the savings in material and expense that would result from the elimination of one type of apparatus.

Electrode emplacement apparatus for amniotomy and fetal monitoring and method of use


Systems and computer-implemented processes for identification of features and determination of feature associations in a group of documents can involve providing a plurality of keywords identified among the terms of at least some of the documents. A value measure can be calculated for each keyword. High-value keywords are defined as those keywords having value measures that exceed a threshold. For each high-value keyword, term-document associations (TDA) are accessed. The TDA characterize measures of association between each term and at least some documents in the group. A processor quantifies similarities between unique pairs of high-value keywords based on the TDA for each respective high-value keyword and generates a similarity matrix that indicates one or more sets that each comprise highly associated high-value keywords.

A problem today for many individuals, particularly practitioners in the disciplines involving information analysis, is the scarcity of time and/or resources to review the large volumes of information that are available and potentially relevant. Effective and timely use of such large amounts of information is often impossible using traditional approaches, such as lists, tables, and simple graphs. Tools that can help individuals automatically identify and/or understand the themes, topics, and/or trends within a body of information are useful and necessary for handling these large volumes of information. Many traditional text analysis techniques focus on selecting features that distinguish documents within a document group. However, these techniques may fail to select features that characterize or describe the majority or a minor subset of documents within the group. Furthermore, when the information is streaming and/or updated over time, the group is dynamic and can change significantly. Therefore, most of the current tools are limited in that they only allow information consumers to interact with snapshots of an information space that is often times continually changing.
Since most information sources deliver information streams, such as news syndicates and information services, and/or provide a variety of mechanisms for feeding the latest information by region, subject, and/or by user-defined search interests, when using traditional text analysis tools, new information that arrives can eclipse prior information. As a result, temporal context is typically lost with employing group-oriented text analysis tools that do not accommodate dynamic corpora. Accurately identifying and intelligently describing change in an information space requires a context that relates new information with old. Accordingly, a need exists for systems and computer-implemented processes for identifying features and determining feature associations within a group of documents, especially when the group of documents is dynamic and changes with time.

Systems and processes for identifying features and determining feature associations in groups of documents


A main FPC comprises a board body having a conductor pattern thereon. An extended end portion of the board body includes a junction, which is provided with a large number of connecting pads, and first and second extension sections extending in opposite directions from the junction. A reinforcing plate is stuck on the back of the extension sections and the junction. A mounting section that extends at right angles to the junction is formed by bending the fist and second extension sections and part of the reinforcing plate. Apertures are formed in the mounting section, and the mounting section is fixed to a carriage assembly by being clamped together with a bearing section of the carriage assembly that is passed through the apertures.

The present invention relates to a magnetic disk apparatus, and more particularly, to a magnetic disk apparatus in which magnetic heads supported by a carriage assembly are connected to a control unit through a flexible printed circuit board.
In general, a magnetic disk apparatus comprises magnetic disks arranged in a casing, a spindle motor for supporting and rotating these disks, a carriage assembly that support magnetic heads, a voice coil motor for driving the carriage assembly, a substrate unit, etc.
The carriage assembly includes a bearing section attached to the casing and a plurality of arms extending from the bearing section. A magnetic head is mounted on each arm by means of a suspension. Signal wires for the magnetic heads are led along the arms to the bearing section, and are soldered one by one to one end portion of a main flexible printed circuit board (hereinafter referred to as main FPC). Alternatively, the signal wire for each magnetic head is connected to the main FPC through a junction FPC mounted on each corresponding arm. The other end portion of the main FPC is connected to the substrate unit. Thus, the magnetic heads are connected electrically to the substrate unit through the main FPC, and are controlled by means of the substrate unit.
Usually, the one end portion of the main FPC is fixed to the carriage assembly by a method (1) in which it is fixed by means of a screw that is screwed into an internal screw on the carriage assembly side through an aperture formed in the main FPC, a method (2) in which the one end portion is stuck on the carriage assembly with use of a double-coated adhesive tape or an adhesive, or a method (3) that combines those two methods.
With use of the method (1), a grounding conductor pattern formed on the main FPC can be easily grounded to the carriage assembly. In this case, however, an area for the connection of the magnetic head signal wires is narrowed by a margin equivalent to the area of the head of the fixing screw, and the magnetic head signal wires must be arranged without interfering with the screw head, so that the position for the connection and the like are restricted. In recent years, in particular, high-performance magnetic heads are frequently used with an increasing demand for higher recording density. According to this method, therefore, the magnetic heads require use of more signal wires, and this requirement cannot be fulfilled with ease.
With use of the method (2), on the other hand, there is a possibility of the main FPC separating from the carriage assembly, owing to change of temperature, vibrations, shocks, seek of the carriage assembly, etc. Thus, this method lacks in reliability.
It is difficult for the method (3), moreover, to solve the problems of the foregoing methods.

Magnetic disk apparatus with flexible printed circuit board connected to carriage assembly


A method, apparatus and system are disclosed that more efficiently maps data into standard SONET concatenated payloads for transmission over established SONET networks. Framing information is added to a data stream to identify the beginning and ending locations of a payload. Next, the framed data stream is formatted into a non-standard STS-Nc packet. Two or more non-standard STS-Nc packets are combined to form a pseudo-standard STS-Nc packet that is supported by the established SONET network. According to one embodiment, a one Gbps Ethernet packet is framed using HDLC formatting, then formatted into an STS-24c packet. Two STS-24c packets are combined to form a pseudo-standard STS-48c packet. In addition, the one Gbps Ethernet packet can be stored and retimed to the SONET data rate and transmitted across an established SONET network.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates data communications, and more particularly, efficiency in the transmission of data across a SONET network.
2. Description of the Related Art
A data communications network is the interconnection of two or more communicating entities (i.e., data sources and/or sinks) over one or more data links. A data communications network allows communication between multiple communicating entities over one or more data communications links. High bandwidth applications supported by these networks include streaming video, streaming audio, and large aggregations of voice traffic. In the future, the demands for high bandwidth communications are certain to increase. To meet such demands, an increasingly popular alternative is the use of lightwave communications carried over fiber optic cables. The use of lightwave communications provides several benefits, including high bandwidth, ease of installation, and capacity for future growth.
The synchronous optical network (SONET) protocol is among several protocols designed to employ an optical infrastructure. SONET is widely employed in voice and data communications networks. SONET is a physical transmission vehicle capable of transmission speeds in the multi-gigabit range, and is defined by a set of electrical as well as optical standards. A similar standard to SONET is the Synchronous Digital Hierarchy (SDH) which is the optical fiber standard predominantly used in Europe. There are only minor differences between the two standards. Accordingly, hereinafter any reference to the term SONET refers to both SDH and SONET networks, unless otherwise noted.
SONET utilizes a byte interleaved multiplexing scheme. Multiplexing enables one physical medium to carry multiple signals. Byte interleaving simplifies multiplexing and offers end-to-end network management. See Bellcore Generic Requirements document GR-253-CORE (Issue 2, December 1995), hereinafter referred to as the "SONET Specification," and incorporated herein by reference for all purposes. The first step in the SONET multiplexing process involves the generation of the lowest level or base signal. In SONET, this base signal is referred to as synchronous transport signal-level 1, or simply STS-1, which operates at 51.84 Mbps (Megabits per second). Data between adjacent nodes is transmitted in these STS modules. Each STS is transmitted on a link at regular time intervals (for example, 125 microseconds) and grouped into frames. Higher-level signals are integer multiples of STS-1, creating the family of STS-N signals in Table 1. An STS-N signal is composed of N byte-interleaved STS-1 signals. Table 1 also includes the optical counterpart for each STS-N signal, designated optical carrier level N(OC-N).
TABLE 1SIGNALBIT RATE (Mbps)STS-1, OC-151.840STS-3, OC-3155.520STS-12, OC-12622.080STS-48, OC-482,488.320STS-192, OC-1929,953.280NOTE:Mbps = Megabits per secondSTS = synchronous transport signalOC = optical carrier
SONET organizes STS data streams into frames, consisting of transport overhead and a synchronous payload envelope. The overhead consists of information that allows the network to operate and allow communications between a network controller and nodes. The transport overhead includes framing information and pointers, and performance monitoring, communications, and maintenance information. The synchronous payload envelope is the data to be transported throughout the network, from node to node until the data reaches its destination.
FIG. 1A illustrates the frame format of the STS-1 signal. In general, the frame can be divided into two main areas: a transport overhead and a synchronous payload envelope (SPE). The transport overhead is three columns wide by nine rows deep, a total of 27 bytes. The SPE is 87 columns wide by 9 rows deep, a total of 783 bytes. The payload is the revenue-producing traffic being transported and routed over the SONET network. Once the payload is multiplexed into the SPE, it can be transported and switched though SONET systems without having to be examined and possibly de-multiplexed at intermediate nodes. SPEs can have any alignment within the frame. The alignment of the SPE is indicated by pointer bytes in the transport overhead. An entire STS-1 frame is transported in 125 microseconds, at a bit rate of 51.84 Mbps. The order of transmission of bits is row-by-row from top to bottom and from left to right (most significant bit first).
FIG. 1B illustrates an STS-N frame format. An STS-N is formed by byte-interleaving N STS-1 modules. The transport overhead of the individual STS-1 modules are frame aligned before interleaving, but the associated STS SPEs are not required to be aligned because each STS-1 has a payload pointer to indicate the location of the SPE or to indicate concatenation. A concatenated SONET signal, represented as STS-Nc, is a signal in which the STS envelope capacities from the N STS-1 signals have been combined to carry an STS-Nc SPE. In some systems, such as certain ISDN and ATM systems, the STS-Nc signal is used to transport data envelopes that do not fit into an STS-1 (52 Mbps) payload. To accommodate such a payload an STS-Nc module is formed by linking N constituent STS-1s together in fixed phase alignment. The payload is then mapped into a single STS-Nc Synchronous Payload Envelope (SPE) for transport. Network equipment supporting the multiplexing, switching or transport of STS-Nc SPEs treat an STS-Nc SPE as a single entity. When an STS-Nc SPE is treated as a single entity, concatenation indicators are present in the second through the Nth STS payload pointers that show that the STS-1s in the STS-Nc are linked together. Up to three STS-1 signals can be concatenated into an STS-3c. Beyond STS-3, concatenation is in multiples of STS-3c.
Established SONET networks support only STS-3c, STS-12c and STS-48c payloads (referred to as "standard STS-Nc payloads"). This leads to inefficiently mapped large payloads into SONET payloads. For example, from a bandwidth standpoint, a one Gbps (Gigabits per second, also referred to as simply "Gigabit") Ethernet payload is preferably mapped into an STS-21c payload. The SPE of the STS-21c payload is 21×87 columns×9 row bytes every 125 microseconds (21×87 columns×9 rows×8 bits/bytes×8000 cycles/second). If sent across an established SONET network, the one Gbps Ethernet payload would be mapped into an STS-48c payload and filled with null data, not utilizing over half of the SONET bandwidth.
A solution is needed that more efficiently maps large payloads into concatenated SONET payloads while still being compatible with existing SONET network devices.

Non-standard concatenation mapping for payloads


A coaxial cable connector comprising an assembled coupler, body, and post is provided. The back end of the post and the back end of the body are adapted to receive an end of a coaxial cable. The coupler further comprises a central passage, a lip with a forward facing surface and a rearward facing surface, and a bore forward of the lip, and is adapted to couple the connector to a coaxial cable terminal. The post further comprises a collar portion and an enlarged shoulder disposed forward of the lip of the coupler within the bore of the coupler. The enlarged shoulder of the post is disposed forward of the collar portion of the post. A contacting portion of the post comprises an extension of the collar portion of the post and at least a portion of the enlarged shoulder of the post comprises a proximity feature. The contacting portion of the post contacts the bore of the coupler and bends towards the front end of the connector when the post is assembled with the coupler. The proximity feature is configured to inhibit a degree to which the contacting portion may bend towards the front end of the connector upon contact with the bore of the coupler.

Field of the Disclosure
The technology of the disclosure relates to coaxial cable connectors and, in particular, to a coaxial cable connector that provides integral radio frequency interference (RFI) shielding.
Technical Background
Coaxial cable connectors, such as type F connectors, are used to attach coaxial cable to another object or appliance, e.g., a television set, DVD player, modem or other electronic communication device having a terminal adapted to engage the connector. The terminal of the appliance includes an inner conductor and a surrounding outer conductor.
Coaxial cable includes a center conductor for transmitting a signal. The center conductor is surrounded by a dielectric material, and the dielectric material is surrounded by an outer conductor; this outer conductor may be in the form of a conductive foil and/or braided sheath. The outer conductor is typically maintained at ground potential to shield the signal transmitted by the center conductor from stray noise, and to maintain a continuous desired impedance over the signal path. The outer conductor is usually surrounded by a plastic cable jacket that electrically insulates, and mechanically protects, the outer conductor. Prior to installing a coaxial connector onto an end of the coaxial cable, the end of the coaxial cable is typically prepared by stripping off the end portion of the jacket to expose the end portion of the outer conductor. Similarly, it is common to strip off a portion of the dielectric to expose the end portion of the center conductor.
Coaxial cable connectors of the type known in the trade as "F connectors" often include a tubular post designed to slide over the dielectric material, and under the outer conductor of the coaxial cable, at the prepared end of the coaxial cable. If the outer conductor of the cable includes a braided sheath, then the exposed braided sheath is usually folded back over the cable jacket. The cable jacket and folded-back outer conductor extend generally around the outside of the tubular post and are typically received in an outer body of the connector; this outer body of the connector is often fixedly secured to the tubular post. A coupler is typically rotatably secured around the tubular post and includes an internally-threaded region for engaging external threads formed on the outer conductor of the appliance terminal.
When connecting the end of a coaxial cable to a terminal of a television set, equipment box, modem, computer or other appliance, it is important to achieve a reliable electrical connection between the outer conductor of the coaxial cable and the outer conductor of the appliance terminal. Typically, this goal is usually achieved by ensuring that the coupler of the connector is fully tightened over the connection port of the appliance. When fully tightened, the head of the tubular post of the connector directly engages the edge of the outer conductor of the appliance port, thereby making a direct electrical ground connection between the outer conductor of the appliance port and the tubular post; in turn, the tubular post is engaged with the outer conductor of the coaxial cable.
With the increased use of self-install kits provided to home owners by some CATV system operators has come a rise in customer complaints due to poor picture quality in video systems and/or poor data performance in computer/internet systems. Additionally, CATV system operators have found upstream data problems induced by entrance of unwanted radio frequency ("RF") signals into their systems. Complaints of this nature result in CATV system operators having to send a technician to address the issue. Often times it is reported by the technician that the cause of the problem is due to a loose F connector fitting, sometimes as a result of inadequate installation of the self-install kit by the homeowner. An improperly installed or loose connector may result in poor signal transfer because there are discontinuities along the electrical path between the devices, resulting in ingress of undesired RF signals where RF energy from an external source or sources may enter the connector/cable arrangement causing a signal to noise ratio problem resulting in an unacceptable picture or data performance. In particular, RF signals may enter CATV systems from wireless devices, such as cell phones, computers and the like, especially in the 700-800 MHz transmitting range.
Many of the current state of the art F connectors rely on intimate contact between the F male connector interface and the F female connector interface. If, for some reason, the connector interfaces are allowed to pull apart from each other, such as in the case of a loose F male coupler, an interface "gap" may result. If not otherwise protected this gap can be a point of RF ingress as previously described.
A shield that completely surrounds or encloses a structure or device to protect it against RFI is typically referred to as a "Faraday cage." However, providing such RFI shielding within given structures is complicated when the structure or device comprises moving parts, such as seen in a coaxial connector. Accordingly, creating a connector to act in a manner similar to a Faraday cage to prevent ingress and egress of RF signals can be especially challenging due to the necessary relative movement between connector components required to couple the connector to a related port. Relative movement of components due to mechanical clearances between the components can result in an ingress or egress path for unwanted RF signals and, further, can disrupt the electrical and mechanical communication between components necessary to provide a reliable ground path. The effort to shield and electrically ground a coaxial connector is further complicated when the connector is required to perform when improperly installed, i.e. not tightened to a corresponding port.
Electromagnetic interference (EMI) has been defined as undesired conducted or radiated electrical disturbances from an electrical or electronic apparatus, including transients, which can interfere with the operation of other electrical or electronic apparatus. Such disturbances can occur anywhere in the electromagnetic spectrum. Radio frequency interference (RFI) is often used interchangeably with electromagnetic interference, although it is more properly restricted to the radio frequency portion of the electromagnetic spectrum, usually defined as between 24 kilohertz (kHz) and 240 gigahertz (GHz). A shield is defined as a metallic or otherwise electrically conductive configuration inserted between a source of EMI/RFI and a desired area of protection. Such a shield may be provided to prevent electromagnetic energy from radiating from a source. Additionally, such a shield may prevent external electromagnetic energy from entering the shielded system. As a practical matter, such shields normally take the form of an electrically conductive housing which is electrically grounded. The energy of the EMI/RFI is thereby dissipated harmlessly to ground. Because EMI/RFI disrupts the operation of electronic components, such as integrated circuit (IC) chips, IC packages, hybrid components, and multi-chip modules, various methods have been used to contain EMI/RFI from electronic components. The most common method is to electrically ground a "can" that will cover the electronic components, to a substrate such as a printed wiring board. As is well known, a can is a shield that may be in the form of a conductive housing, a metallized cover, a small metal box, a perforated conductive case wherein spaces are arranged to minimize radiation over a given frequency band, or any other form of a conductive surface that surrounds electronic components. When the can is mounted on a substrate such that it completely surrounds and encloses the electronic components, it is often referred to as a Faraday Cage. Presently, there are two predominant methods to form a Faraday cage around electronic components for shielding use. A first method is to solder a can to a ground strip that surrounds electronic components on a printed wiring board (PWB). Although soldering a can provides excellent electrical properties, this method is often labor intensive. Also, a soldered can is difficult to remove if an electronic component needs to be re-worked. A second method is to mechanically secure a can, or other enclosure, with a suitable mechanical fastener, such as a plurality of screws or a clamp, for example. Typically, a conductive gasket material is usually attached to the bottom surface of a can to ensure good electrical contact with the ground strip on the PWB. Mechanically securing a can facilitates the re-work of electronic components, however, mechanical fasteners are bulky and occupy "valuable" space on a PWB."
Coaxial cable connectors have attempted to address the above problems by incorporating a continuity member into the coaxial cable connector as a separate component. In this regard, FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional connector 1000 having a coupler 2000, a separate post 3000, a separate continuity member 4000, and a body 5000. In connector 1000 the separate continuity member 4000 is captured between post 3000 and body 5000 and contacts at least a portion of coupler 2000. Coupler 2000 is preferably made of metal such as brass and plated with a conductive material such as nickel. Post 3000 is preferably made of metal such as brass and plated with a conductive material such as tin. Separate conductive member 4000 is preferably made of metal such as phosphor bronze and plated with a conductive material such as tin. Body 5000 is preferably made of metal such as brass and plated with a conductive material such as nickel.

Coaxial cable connector having a coupler and a post with a contacting portion and a shoulder


The invention provides a method and apparatus for optimizing code. Embodiments of the present invention comprise, for each expression in an intermediate program representation, transparently forwarding definitions of variables in said expression as said expression is being parsed by a term rewriter, the intermediate program representation being left unchanged; determining whether a term rewriting rule exists in the term rewriter for said expression; and rewriting said expression in the intermediate program representation according to said rule.

In compiling a source program written in a high level language to target program written in a low level language, optimizing compilers perform certain optimizing transformations. Such transformations are applied to an intermediate program representation of the source program in an intermediate language. One such transformation includes algebraic simplification wherein complex expressions in the intermediate program representation are replaced with simpler expressions. Optimizing compilers perform algebraic simplification using a term rewriting system which embodies a set of rules defining conditions under which matched terms in the intermediate program representation may be replaced.
A problem with such term rewriting systems occurs when an expression in the intermediate program representation feeds several others using assignments to variables. For example, consider the following simple program:a=b+c; if(n<10)d=a−b;elsee=a−c;
This program may be simplified so that the assignments to d become d=c and the assignment to e becomes e=b. That this simplification is possible is evident when the program is transformed as follows:d=(b+c)−b;elsee=(b+c)−c;
Assuming the term rewriting system uses rules such as(X+Y)−X→Y(X+Y)−Y→XThen it is apparent that these rules are applicable once variable "a" has been eliminated by substitution of its right hand side into its uses. The problem in the above example is that in order to trigger the term rewriting rules the program would have to be transformed as described. This could be achieved by performing a comprehensive forward substitution in which variables in the right hand side of expressions are replaced with the full sub expressions. Performing such a comprehensive forward substitution prior to rewriting would enlarge trees seen by the rewriting system making it impractical. Moreover, such a comprehensive forward substitution does not address whether the term rewriting rules would in fact apply after forward substitution, resulting in redundant computation in some cases with no benefit.

Method and apparatus for optimizing code


An operational amplifier includes a first stage with a first differential transistor pair inputting a differential input signal at their gates, a first tail current source transistor connected to sources of the first differential transistor pair, and a load transistor pair connected in series with the drain of first differential transistor pair. An input stage includes a second differential transistor pair connected to respective drains of the first differential transistor pair at their gates, and a second tail current transistor connected to sources of the differential transistor pair. An output stage outputs a signal corresponding to the differential input signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to operational amplifiers, and more particularly, to operational amplifiers with increased common mode input range.
2. Related Art
Standard NTSC color video systems have been commonplace since 1970 and continue to be used widely today. The baseband NTSC video signal is an analog signal with an amplitude of approximately 1.3 Volt-peak-to-peak (Vpp) and has remained largely unchanged since the technology's inception. Early video systems had relatively large supply voltages where the difference in the positive and negative supply voltage would often be 30 volts. Processing a 1.3 Vpp signal using analog circuits with 30 V across the supplies means that issues of headroom were rarely a problem. Problems with headroom occur when the input voltage comes too close to the circuit's power supply voltages such that the circuits cannot operate properly. Given a specific supply voltage, a common-mode input range (CMIR) is defined as the range of input voltages over which the circuit can operate correctly.
The desire to integrate many circuits, both analog and digital, onto a single IC means using CMOS technologies with very small geometries. As transistor sizes shrink, more circuits can be integrated using the same amount of silicon area. However, as the transistor size shrinks, so does the maximum voltage across which the devices can safely operate. As the supply voltage approaches the signal amplitude, the challenges in circuit design increase dramatically. The required CMIR may include much of the available supply voltage. Attenuation of the NTSC signal is usually undesirable, because the NTSC signal is single-ended, and such an attenuation will result in a serious noise problem.
Many operational amplifiers (op amps) use rail-to-rail circuit techniques which allows the CMIR to include the entire supply voltage. These topologies often employ two input stages, one for operation near each supply voltage. One input stage will use a PMOS differential pair and the other will use a NMOS differential pair. Because the transconductances of these two input pairs are not matched and will not track each other over process variations, the linearity of the overall amplifier is degraded, and high performance is difficult to achieve.
Another op amp topology often chosen for it's high CMIR is the folded-cascode topology (See "Analysis and Design of Analog Integrated Circuits", Gray, Hurst, Lewis & Meyer, John Wiley and Sons, 4th ed. 2001, pp. 446-450). Defining the MOS threshold voltage as Vt and the overdrive voltage VGT=VGS−Vt, in FIG. 6.28 of Gray et al., maximum input common-mode voltage VCMI(max)=VDD−Vt5−VGT5−VGT1 (assume matched transistor pairs M1-M2, M11-M12, M1A-M2A in FIG. 6.28 of Grey et al., with the numeric subscript referring to the transistor number). Also the Vt's and VGT's are assumed to be positive whether the transistor is NMOS or PMOS. Voltages greater than VCMI(max) will cause M5 to leave saturation and it's current will drop. The folded-cascode circuit often allows the VCMI to reach the negative supply, usually ground in low supply voltage circuits, without any problems. However, in unity gain buffer configurations, where the inverting op amp input is tied to the output, it is the output which will limit the voltage swing.
Although the linearity of the folded-cascode op amp is better than the typical rail-to-rail designs, it still has linearity problems due to the finite output impedance of M5 in FIG. 6.28 of Gray et al. As the common mode input voltage VCMI changes, the tail current ID5 will change, which will in turn change the gain of the stage. The stage gain varies as a function of the input stage transconductance gm times the output resistance R0. The gain goes down as the tail current increases. To overcome this problem, the tail current source could be cascoded, however this would further reduce VCMI(max) by an additional VGT term.

Operational amplifier with increased common mode input range


The image forming apparatus, to which a developing apparatus for developing a latent image on an image bearing member corresponding to image information is detachably attachable, includes, a first detection device for detecting an amount of developer in the developing apparatus; a second detection device for detecting a utilized amount of the developer in the developing apparatus based upon the image information, and a processing unit for judging a utilized amount level of the developing apparatus based upon results of detection of the first detection device and the second detection device, wherein the processing unit judges the utilized amount level of the developing apparatus using the result of detection of the first detection device and the result of detection of the second detection device until the result of detection of the first detection device reaches a predetermined value, and judges the utilized amount level of the developing apparatus using the result of detection of the first detection device after the result of detection of the first detection device has reached the predetermined value. Consequently, it becomes possible to detect the residual amount of developer with high accuracy.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus for forming an image according to image information sent from an external apparatus such as a printer, and in particular to an image forming apparatus which is required to inform a user of replacement or supply of a consumable (developer) under a network environment, a control method for the image forming apparatus, a developing apparatus for the image forming apparatus, and a memory medium mounted on the developing apparatus.
2. Related Background Art
A method of forming a color image in an image forming apparatus as shown in FIG. 15 will be described. First, latent images, which are formed on a photosensitive drum 2 according to image information sent for each color in an optical unit 9, are developed and visualized with developers held in respective color developing apparatuses 151Y, 151M, 151C and 151K provided in a developing apparatus selection mechanism part 150. The visualized images are transferred onto an endless image bearing member 5 a plurality of times, and a multi-color image is formed on the endless image bearing member 5. Thereafter, a transfer material P selected in and fed from transfer material holding members (hereinafter referred to as sheet feed trays) 12 to 16 is conveyed to the part between the endless image bearing member 5 and a transfer/conveyor belt 6, and the multi-color image on the endless image bearing member 5 is transferred onto the transfer material P. The multi-color image transferred onto the transfer material P is thermally fixed on the transfer material P by a fixing unit 7. Thereafter, the transfer material P is conveyed and discharged to an upper tray part 19 or a lower sheet discharge tray part 20. Note that, in the case of monochrome image formation, an image developer of a single color is used to form a multiple image.
Next, a method of detecting a residual amount of developer will be described in detail.
There have been disclosed several methods of detecting a residual amount of developer to the present.
For example, there are known a method of detecting an electrostatic capacitance held by a developer in a developing apparatus to use the electrostatic capacitance for detection of a residual amount, which has already been generally used (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 5-6092), a method of detecting reflected light or transmitted light using an LED of infrared ray and an optical sensor for photoreception to use the reflected light or the transmitted light for detection of a residual amount of developer according to intensity of the detected photoreceptive intensity (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-140776), and a method of presuming a consumption amount of developer based upon image information at the time of image formation to use the consumption amount for detection of a residual amount (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-318566).
In addition, a method of detecting a residual amount of developer using an optical system requires an optical path without a developer, through which light passes, in order to detect a residual amount of developer. That is, since light is not transmitted until the developer is used and the residual amount of developer reaches a level of a certain degree, it is difficult to detect a change in the residual amount. Thus, it is extremely difficult to sequentially detect a change in the residual amount of developer from the time when the developer is filled to a maximum degree until the time when the developer is fully consumed. In addition, contrary to the above-described method, a method of detecting a residual amount of developer of an antenna system for detecting an electrostatic capacitance in a developing apparatus can measure, with extremely high accuracy, an amount of electrostatic change from the time when a developer is filled to a maximum degree until the time when the developer has been reduced to a fixed amount. However, if the developer has been reduced to less than the fixed amount, an electrostatic capacitance is reduced to an extremely small amount. Thus, it is difficult to sequentially detect a change in the electrostatic capacitance at the time when the residual amount of developer is small. There has also been proposed to use both the above-described methods to compensate for the respective disadvantages (e.g., Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2001-228698). However, for example, in an image forming apparatus having a developing apparatus holding member of a portable type rather than a fixed developing apparatus, since an electrostatic capacitance in the developing apparatus changes largely in accordance with movement of the developing apparatus, the above-described effect cannot be obtained sufficiently in some cases.
However, with the method of presuming a consumption amount of developer based upon image information at the time of image formation to use the consumption amount for detection of residual amount, it is difficult to perform optimum presumption of a consumption amount of developer in the case in which consumption efficiency of the developer is different largely between an initial state of an image forming unit and a state after endurance due to image formation of the image forming unit.
In addition, in the developing apparatus, consumption efficiency of a developer, deterioration of electric characteristics of the developer in the developing apparatus, and abrasion of a developer regulating member or the like are different between the initial state of the image forming unit and the state after endurance due to image formation of the image forming unit. Thus, it is likely that deterioration of quality of an image, a trouble such as leakage of the developer, or the like is caused. Therefore, in order to prevent the above-described troubles from occurring, in a multi-color image forming apparatus, it is becoming necessary to detect a life of a developing apparatus taking into account not only a residual amount of developer but also deterioration of the developer and deterioration of a developer carrying member.

Image forming apparatus determining an indicating level of a utilized amount of a developing apparatus and a control method thereof


We provide a steel product that includes, by mass %, C: 0.35-0.7%, Si: 0.30-1.1%, Mn: 0.2-2.0%, Al: 0.005-0.25%, Ti: 0.005-0.1%, Mo: 0.05-0.6%, B: 0.0003-0.006%, S: 0.06% or less, P: 0.02% or less, Cr: 0.2% or less, and the balance Fe and inevitable impurities, and has a structure of bainite and/or martensite, the total volume fraction of bainite and martensite being 10% or more, and an induction hardened member that is made of the steel product having a hardened surface layer formed by induction hardening and has a prior austenite grain size of 12 μm or less through the layer thickness. The member has high fatigue strength and therefore is suitable for an automobile drive shaft, an automobile constant velocity joint or the like.

In general, a machine structural member, such as an automobile drive shaft or an automobile constant velocity joint, is provided with high fatigue strength, such as torsional fatigue strength, bending fatigue strength, and roller pitting fatigue strength, which are all important characteristics for the machine structural member, by working a hot rolled steel bar into a member with a predetermined shape through hot forging, cutting, cold forging and the like, followed by induction hardening and tempering.
In recent years, further improvement in the fatigue strength of such a machine structural member has been required as the demand for weight reduction of automobile members increases in view of environmental issues.
Various methods have been proposed to improve the fatigue strength. For example, increasing the depth of induction hardening may be expected to improve the torsional fatigue strength. However, the torsional fatigue strength levels off at a certain depth, no further improvement being realized.
Increasing grain boundary strength is also effective in improving the torsional fatigue strength. For example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2000-154819 discloses a method for decreasing the austenite grain size by dispersing a large amount of fine TiC during induction heating.
However, the dispersion of a large amount of fine TiC during induction heating requires that the steel should be heated to at least 1100° C. for solution treatment of TiC in advance. This results in low productivity. Furthermore, only decreasing the austenite grain size by the dispersion of a large amount of fine TiC is not sufficient to satisfy the recent demand for torsional fatigue strength.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 8-53714 discloses a machine structural component with improved torsional fatigue strength, in which a value A that is calculated from CD/R, γf, Hf, and Hc is adjusted within a predetermined range depending on the C content, wherein CD/R is the ratio of the thickness (case depth) CD of a hardened layer formed by induction hardening of the machine structural component having a circular cross section to the radius R of the circular cross section, the CD/R being limited to 0.3-0.7; γf is prior austenite grain size through the depth up to 1 mm in the induction hardened layer; Hf is average Vickers hardness of an as-quenched component in the CD/R range up to 0.1; and Hc is average Vickers hardness at an axial center after the induction hardening.
However, since the prior austenite grain size through the depth of the hardened layer is not taken into consideration in this machine structural component, the recent demand for torsional fatigue strength is not satisfied, either.
It could therefore be advantageous to provide a steel product for induction hardening which allows higher fatigue strength than ever before after induction hardening, and an induction hardened member with high fatigue strength prepared from the steel product. It could also be advantageous to provide a method for manufacturing the steel product and the induction hardened member.

Steel product for induction hardening, induction-hardened member using the same, and methods producing them


A shielding structure for use with semiconductor devices. The shielding structure has a base with fingers that are sized and shaped to extend within the space between pairs of adjacent leads. The base extends within the space between the die flag and the leads. The shielding structure is further connected to one of the grounded leads.

The present invention relates generally to semiconductor devices and, more particularly, to improved shielding for semiconductor devices.
One type of semiconductor devices uses lead frames having leads that are electrically connected to the integrated circuit die with bond wires. The leads are used to transmit signals to/from the integrated circuit. Adjacent signal leads may couple to one another. This is referred to as "crosstalk" or "cross-coupling," where variations in one signal can affect amplitudes of nearby signals. In order to reduce the coupling between two signals, a ground shield may be provided between the leads.
In semiconductor packages that have only a few leads (e.g., 6-10), portions of the lead frame flag (a.k.a. die paddle) may be cut in order to provide a ground shield. However, this approach is not practical for semiconductor packages with a large number of leads. Another approach is to connect every other lead to ground to avoid coupling. However, this limits the number of leads that may be used to carry signals. Accordingly, it would be advantageous to be able to shield signals of devices with many leads.

Semiconductor device with improved shielding


An apparatus for measuring a combustible gas component of a subject gas in an external subject gas space, including a first processing zone communicating with the subject gas space, 58), a second processing zone communicating with the first processing zone, and a first and a second pumping cell exposed to the first and second processing zones, respectively, each cell including an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte layer and a pair of electrodes one of which is exposed to the first or second processing zone, wherein the first pumping cell pumps oxygen out of the first processing zone to control oxygen partial pressure in the first processing zone at a value at which the combustible gas component cannot be burned, while the second pumping cell pumps oxygen into the second processing zone to thereby burn the combustible gas component in the second processing zone, and the concentration of the combustible gas component is determined based on a current flowing or a voltage between the electrodes of the second pumping cell.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a method and an apparatus for measuring combustible gas components, in particular, for measuring the concentrations of combustible gas components included in combustion gases emitted from internal combustion engines, external combustion engines, combustion furnaces and the like which are operated with a heavy oil, a light oil, a gasoline or a natural gas. More particularly, this invention is concerned with such method and apparatus that permit accurate measurement or determination of the concentration of hydrocarbon (HC) included in a subject gas (combustion gas) which also includes hydrogen (H.sub.2) and carbon monoxide (CO).
2. Discussion of the Related Art
In the field of measuring combustible gas components in a subject gas such as a combustion gas as indicated above, there is known a so-called "contact burning" type gas sensor which utilizes platinum (Pt) as an oxidizing catalyst This contact burning type gas sensor is adapted to oxidize and burn the combustible gas components of the subject gas in contact with a platinum resistor wire, and measure the concentration of the combustible gas components according to an electric signal indicative of the electrical resistance of the platinum resistor wire, which varies with a rise of the temperature of the platinum resistor wire due to heat generated by the burning of the combustible gas components.
In this contact burning type gas sensor wherein the combustible gas components are burned in contact with the platinum resistor wire, it is essential that the subject gas include oxygen. Therefore, this gas sensor is not capable of dealing with subject gases whose oxygen concentration is insufficient for burning the combustible gas components. For instance, the gas sensor is not capable of dealing with combustion gases produced as a result of combustion of a fuel-rich air-fuel mixture whose air/fuel ratio is smaller than the stoichiometric value. Where the subject gas includes H.sub.2, CO and HC as the combustible gas components, the output of the gas sensor represents the total concentration of all the combustible gas components. Thus, the gas sensor does not permit the determination of the concentration of HC only, in the presence of H.sub.2 and CO.
Various gas sensors of metal oxide semiconductor type are also proposed The metal oxide semiconductor type gas sensor utilizes a sintered body of a metal oxide such as tin oxide and zinc oxide, which exhibits properties of an N-type semiconductor The electrical resistance of such a metal oxide semiconductor varies as the combustible gas components of the subject gas are adsorbed on the metal oxide semiconductor. The concentration of the combustible gas components is determined on the basis of a change in the electrical resistance of the metal oxide semiconductor. However, the output of this type of gas sensor is influenced by oxygen and humidity, and the gas sensor is not capable of selectively obtaining the concentration of HC, due to an influence of the other combustible gas components.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,158,166 discloses a sensor for measuring the concentration of combustible gas components, which uses an electrochemical oxygen pumping cell constituted by an oxygen ion conductive solid electrolyte body and a pair of electrodes. This gas sensor is adapted to burn the combustible gas components and determine the concentration of the combustible gas components on the basis of an electric current (pumping current) flowing through the pumping cell. However, this gas sensor is considerably influenced by the existence of oxygen. That is, the subject gas that can be handled by this gas sensor is limited to a combustible gas atmosphere in which the amount of combustibles or fuel components is larger than the amount of oxygen. If the amount of oxygen is almost equal to the amount of the combustible gas components, the combustible gas components will be oxidized by reaction with oxygen in the subject gas, without a supply of oxygen from another source by an oxygen pumping action of the oxygen pumping cell. As a result, the pumping current of the pumping cell does not accurately reflect the concentration of the combustible gas components. Thus, the measurement of the concentration of the combustible gas components on the basis of the pumping current is difficult.

Method and apparatus for measuring combustible gas component by burning the component


Disclosed is a thermochromic microencapsulated pigment which comprises as four essential components (a) an electron-donating chromatic organic compound, (b) an electron-accepting compound, (c) a reaction medium determining the temperatures at which the color reactions of component (a) with component (b) take place, and (d) a color change temperature regulator, the color change temperature regulator (d) comprising one or more compounds selected from the group consisting of esters, alcohols, ketones, acid amides, hydrocarbons, and fatty acids and having a melting point Y (xc2x0 C.) satisfying the relationship (X+30)xc2x0 C.xe2x89xa6Yxe2x89xa6200xc2x0 C., wherein X (xc2x0 C.) is the melting point of component (c), and the four essential components being microencapsulated.

The present invention relates to thermochromic microencapsulated pigments. More particularly, the invention relates to microencapsulated pigments comprising microcapsules containing a composition reversibly undergoing color changes with temperature.
Several proposals have hitherto been disclosed on a composition which begins to change from a colored state to a decolored state upon heating, comes into a completely decolored state at temperatures not lower than a specific temperature, begins to color upon subsequent cooling, and returns to the colored state.
Such compositions can be roughly classified into two types. The first type changes in color at a color change temperature in such a manner that at ordinary temperature the composition exists only in specific one of the two states respectively corresponding to both sides of the color change temperature. Namely, the other state is maintained only during the period in which the heat or cold required for the development of this state is kept being applied, and the composition return to the original ordinary-temperature state upon removal of the heat or cold. This type of composition is hence a thermochromic composition which gives a temperature-color density curve showing that it undergoes color changes with a relatively narrow hysteresis range (xcex94H) (see, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,028,118 and 4,732,810).
The second type changes in color along routes which differ considerably between the case in which the composition is heated from a temperature on the lower-temperature side of a color change temperature range and in the reverse case in which the composition is cooled from a temperature on the higher-temperature side of the color change temperature range. This type of composition gives a temperature-color density curve showing that it undergoes color changes with a wide hysteresis range (xcex94H) Namely, this type of composition is a thermochromic color-memorizing composition in which the colors respectively formed at a temperature not higher than the lower trigger temperature and at a temperature not lower than the higher trigger temperature can be alternately memorized and retained in the temperature range between the lower trigger temperature and the higher trigger temperature even after the heat or cold required for the color change has been removed (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,720,301, 5,879,443, and 5,558,699).
The compositions described above have a color change behavior such as that shown by the temperature-color density curve given in FIG. 1, although they vary in the width of hysteresis range (xcex94H). This color change behavior is ascribable to and specified by a reaction medium (c) which determines the temperatures at which the color reactions of an electron-donating chromatic organic compound (a) with an electron-accepting compound (b) take place.
The compounds effectively usable as the reaction medium (c) are limited in kind. In addition, in systems containing effective compounds, there has been no means for shifting the temperature-color density curve. Namely, it has been difficult to delicately regulate color change temperatures, and the conventional compositions have not always had intended color change properties.
The present inventors made intensive investigations on thermochromic compositions. As a result, they have found that the temperature-color density curve can be delicately modified by incorporating a specific compound as the fourth component. The invention has been completed based on this finding.
An object of the invention is to provide thermochromic microencapsulated pigments in which the color change properties of a conventional three-component system comprising components (a), (b), and (c) have been regulated, as a base, with respect to color change temperature. The pigments of the invention are applicable to a variety of fields including temperature indication, decoration, toys, and teaching material elements.
The invention provides a thermochromic microencapsulated pigment which contains as four essential components (a) an electron-donating chromatic organic compound, (b) an electron-accepting compound, (c) a reaction medium determining the temperatures at which the color reactions of component (a) with component (b) take place, and (d) a color change temperature regulator, the color change temperature regulator (d) comprising one or more compounds selected from esters, alcohols, ketones, acid amides, hydrocarbons, and fatty acids and having a melting point Y (xc2x0 C.) satisfying the relationship (X+30)xc2x0 C.xe2x89xa6Yxe2x89xa6200xc2x0 C., wherein X (xc2x0 C.) is the melting point of component (c), and the four essential components being microencapsulated. In preferred embodiments of the pigment of the invention described above, the color change temperature regulator (d) is selected from aliphatic esters, aliphatic ketones, aliphatic alcohols, aliphatic acid amides, and saturated fatty acids; the color change temperature regulator (d) is contained in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.3 part by weight per part by weight of the reaction medium (c); the microencapsulated pigment has an average particle diameter in the range of from 0.01 to 6 xcexcm; and the pigment gives a temperature-color density curve showing that the pigment undergoes color changes with a hysteresis range (xcex94H) of 5xc2x0 C. or narrower.
The invention further provides a thermochromic color-memorizing microencapsulated pigment which contains as four essential components (a) an electron-donating chromatic organic compound, (b) an electron-accepting compound, (c) a reaction medium determining the temperatures at which the color reactions of component (a) with component (b) take place, and (d) a color change temperature regulator, the color change temperature regulator (d) comprising one or more compounds selected from ethers, esters, ketones, acid amides, and fatty acids and having a melting point Y (xc2x0 C.). satisfying the relationship (X+16)xc2x0 C.xe2x89xa6Yxe2x89xa6(X+100)xc2x0 C., wherein X (xc2x0 C.) is the melting point of component (c), and the four essential components being microencapsulated, and which gives a temperature-color density curve showing that the pigment undergoes color changes with a hysteresis range (xcex94H) having a width of from 5xc2x0 C. to 80xc2x0 C., and in which the colors thereof respectively in a range of temperatures not higher than the lower trigger temperature and in a range of temperatures not lower than the higher trigger temperature are alternately memorized and retained by the pigment in the temperature range between the lower trigger temperature and the higher trigger temperature. The invention furthermore provides a thermochromic color-memorizing microencapsulated pigment which contains as four essential components (a) an electron-donating chromatic organic compound, (b) an electron-accepting compound, (c) a reaction medium determining the temperatures at which the color reactions of component (a) with component (b) take place, and (d) a color change temperature regulator, the color change temperature regulator (d) comprising one or more compounds selected from ethers, esters, and fatty acids and having a melting point Y (xc2x0 C.) satisfying the relationship (Xxe2x88x9210)xc2x0 C.xe2x89xa6Yxe2x89xa6(X+15)xc2x0 C., wherein X (xc2x0 C.) is the melting point of component (c), and the four essential components being microencapsulated, and which gives a temperature-color density curve showing that the pigment undergoes color changes with a hysteresis range (xcex94H) having a width of from 5xc2x0 C. to 80xc2x0 C., and in which the colors thereof respectively in a range of temperatures not higher than the lower trigger temperature and in a range of temperatures not lower than the higher trigger temperature are alternately memorized and retained by the pigment in the temperature range between the lower trigger temperature and the higher trigger temperature.
In a preferred embodiment of the two pigments of the invention described above, the color change temperature regulator (d) is contained in an amount of from 0.01 to 0.3 part by weight per part by weight of the reaction medium (c).


Techniques are disclosed for minimizing the effects of soft errors associated with memory devices that are individually accessible. By way of example, a method of organizing a column in a memory array of a memory device protected by an error correction code comprises the step of maximizing a distance of the error correction code by maximizing a physical distance between memory bits associated with a memory line within the column protected by the error correction code. Other soft error protection techniques may include use of a feed forward error correction code or use of a memory operation (e.g., read or write operation) suppress and retry approach.

Servers are used in a wide variety of different computing applications. A scalable server is one that can grow to a potentially large number of computing, input/output (I/O) and memory elements. The most extreme examples are supercomputer clusters, which are growing toward 100K processors, and millions of dynamic random access memory (DRAM) devices.
For large scale systems such as supercomputing clusters, the soft and hard error rates can have a significant impact on efficiency and usability. As is known, by way of example, a soft error is an error occurrence in a computer's memory system that changes a data value or an instruction in a program. A soft error will not typically damage a system's hardware. The only damage is typically to the data that is being processed. As is also known, by way of example, a hard error is an error occurrence in a computer system that is caused by the failure of a memory chip. Hard errors can appear like chip-level soft errors, but a difference is that the hard error is not typically rectified when the computer is rebooted. The solution to a hard error is typically to replace the memory chip or module entirely.
Failures can occur in many hardware and software components, and careful consideration must be given to all parts of the system to ensure that the mean time between system failures is acceptable. The main (volatile) store in such systems is one of the most critical areas, simply because there are more main store devices than any other type of system component.
Typically the memory devices are DRAM, and the main focus is tolerating soft DRAM data bit failures (e.g., because of their small feature size and sensitivity to soft error mechanisms). However, as the number of DRAM devices in a system grows, other soft failure mechanisms can become a significant system reliability issue.
It is common today even in small computing platforms to protect against soft data bit failures (both DRAM cell and data interface failures). In some high end servers, error protection mechanisms are spread across a number of memory devices (or even dual in-line memory modules or DIMMs), such that the loss of an entire memory device can be tolerated (not unlike Redundant Array of Independent Disks—Level 5 (RAID-5) tolerance to the loss of an entire hard drive). Such schemes typically include address, control, and data signals with error correction codes (ECCs), which has the desirable effect of detecting and recovering from soft failures in address and control interfaces, as well as data interfaces and memory cells.
One downside to this approach is that the smallest unit of transfer between the memory controller and the collection of memory devices can be quite large (e.g., 512 bytes). For some applications, such large block sizes can have a significant adverse impact on run time efficiencies. One class of applications for which this is true is large scale scientific/technical workloads that operate on large, sparse data sets. These workloads are in fact one of the most important for ultra-scale clusters. Hence, the most challenging main store reliability requirement is also the one which would most benefit from fine grain main memory access.

Soft error protection in individual memory devices

International Business Machines Corporation


A guide lamp apparatus for a vehicle may include a light source, a light division lens that may be arranged on a front of the light source and divides a light emitted from the light source into a plurality of lights, and a front light collection lens that may be arranged on a front of the light division lens and forms predetermined patterned images on a road surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a guide lamp apparatus for a vehicle, and more particularly, to a guide lamp apparatus for a vehicle capable of dividing light from one light source into a plurality of light to form patterned images on a road surface when a turn signal guide lamp or a rear-moving guide lamp operates.
2. Description of-Related Art
Generally, a guide lamp provided on a vehicle is classified mainly as a turn signal guide lamp and a rear-moving guide lamp wherein the turn signal guide lamp is operated by an operation of a multifunction switch by a driver for serving to notify a lane change or an advancing-direction of a vehicle on a crossway to other vehicles while driving, and the rear-moving guide lamp serves to light a rear of a vehicle when a driver operates a shifting lever to a reverse stage (R) and also to notify an intention to move in reverse to other vehicles that are driving next to or behind a vehicle.
However, according to a guide lamp of a conventional art, the light from a source is illuminated simply outside through a lens and when vehicles moving behind are disposed in a dead zone where drivers of the vehicles that drive on a side or rear of a forward moving vehicle cannot see a guide lamp of the forward moving vehicle, the drives cannot recognize whether the guide lamp is operating or not, and in a more serious case, the drivers cannot identify the intention of a lane change or a change to a reverse direction of the forward moving vehicle, thereby causing accidents.
The information disclosed in this Background of the Invention section is only for enhancement of understanding of the general background of the invention and should not be taken as an acknowledgement or any form of suggestion that this information forms the prior art already known to a person skilled in the art.


Devices, methods, and systems for noise cancellation for voice activation are described herein. For example, one or more embodiments include determining, with a computing device, whether a background noise received with the computing device is recognized, creating a stored noise cancellation filter based on the background noise when the background noise is not recognized, receiving a signal that includes the background noise and a voice command at the computing device, filtering out the background noise from the signal with the stored noise cancellation filter, and processing the voice command.

A voice activated device can be used in a home and/or work environment, for example. In an example, voice activation can allow a user to operate the device using voice commands without having to touch the device. Voice activation can have applications in thermostats, home appliances, equipment for firefighting, hospital equipment, elevators, and/or in other industrial environments, for example. For instance, voice activation can allow for operation of the device without spreading of germs, without having to set down tools and/or equipment, and/or without having to visually see a user interface.