Pretranslating input/output buffers in environments with multiple page sizes that include determining a pretranslation page size for an input/output buffer under an operating system that supports more than one memory page size, identifying pretranslation page frame numbers for the buffer in dependence upon the pretranslation page size, pretranslating the pretranslation page frame numbers to physical page numbers, and storing the physical page numbers in association with the pretranslation page size. Typical embodiments also include accessing the buffer, including translating a virtual memory address in the buffer to a physical memory address in dependence upon the physical page numbers and the pretranslation page size and accessing the physical memory of the buffer at the physical memory address.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, systems, and products for pretranslating input/output buffers in environments with multiple page sizes.
2. Description of Related Art
Many computer operating systems use a page-based virtual memory architecture where the operating system virtualizes a process's address space. Under this model, the operating system maps a virtual address in a process address space to a physical memory address on a system.
While virtual addressing can be used under most process and kernel contexts, when doing I/O to or from a memory buffer, the physical memory address of the buffer must be used if an I/O adapter wants to take advantage of direct memory access ('DMA'). Thus, for every I/O, the operating system must translate the virtual addresses of a memory buffer into real addresses. For I/O-intensive applications, performing these translations at every I/O can be very expensive and can significantly impact an application's performance.
To help alleviate this problem, IBM's AIX™ operating system introduced the concept of pretranslating I/O buffers. When a memory buffer is going to be consistently used for I/O, an application, kernel extension, device driver, or other consumer of pretranslation information, can indicate that the buffer should be pretranslated. In this case, the operating system will translate all of the virtual addresses of the buffer to real addresses and save those real address translations (one real address for each page in the range). The operating system will then create a cookie for the memory buffer and store the list of real address translations for the memory buffer in the cookie or associate the list of real address translation for the memory buffer with the cookie, for example, through a pointer.
After a memory buffer has been pretranslated, its cookie is passed to consumers of pretranslation information when pages in the buffer need to be mapped or translated for DMA. Rather than call out to the kernel to translate virtual addresses for the buffer, the consumer will use the list of translated real addresses, that is, the pretranslations, in the buffer's cookie when establishing the mappings needed for DMA. To find the translation for a page in a pretranslation list, the bus device driver just computes an index into the list based on the page number of a page in the buffer.
While this method avoids having to do address translation lookup's on every I/O operation, it does not account for multiple page sizes. On systems using multiple page sizes, all pretranslations will be based on the smallest, base page size. Thus, on a system where 4K pages and 16M pages are being used, pretranslating a 16M results in 4096 pretranslations (one for each 4K chunk of the 16M page).
On large memory systems that heavily utilize larger page sizes, pretranslating everything in the base page size results in a large amount of wasted memory to store all of the extra, unneeded pretranslations. This wasted space significantly reduces the amount of memory that can be used by an application and can negatively impact performance. For example, in database workloads, the space wasted for these pretranslation lists reduces the amount of memory that can be used to cache data for the database in its buffer pools. In addition, more cache misses occur in accessing the pretranslations because the pretranslations are spread across a large amount of memory.

International Business Machines Corporation


A fluoroelastomer comprising 2 to 8% by mole of tetrafluoroethylene, 14 to 25% by mole of perfluoro(alkyl vinyl ether) and 70 to 85% by mole of vinylidene fluoride, sum total being 100% by mole, obtained by copolymerization in the presence of a bromine-containing monomer compound and an iodine and bromine-containing compound, has distinguished low temperature characteristics, solvent resistance and chemical resistance by itself.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a fluoroelastomer and its cross-linkable composition, and more particularly to a fluoroelastomer capable of giving vulcanization products having distinguished low temperature characteristics, solvent resistance and chemical resistance, and its cross-linkable composition.
2. Description of Related Art
JP-A-3-100,039 disclosing an invention made by the present applicant teaches a terpolymer comprising about 5 to about 30% by mole, preferably about 10 to about 25% by mole, of tetrafluoroethylene, about 10 to about 30% by mole, preferably about 20 to about 30% by mole, of perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether) and about 50 to about 80% by mole, preferably about 50 to about 60% by mole, of vinylidene fluoride, the sum total being 100% by mole. Comparative Example 4 thereof shows that a terpolymer of tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether)/vinylidene fluoride (molar ratio: 15:25:60, which falls within a preferable copolymerization composition ratio of these comonomers) has distinguished low temperature characteristics such as a TR-10 value of -24.degree. C., but at the same time it points out poor solvent resistance and chemical resistance due to incorporation of much vinylidene fluoride having a poor chemical resistance in the terpolymer.
Thus, the above-mentioned JP-A-3-100,039 tries to improve the low temperature characteristics, solvent resistance and chemical resistance by blending the terpolymer with a copolymer of tetrafluoroethylene/perfluoro(methyl vinyl ether), where the resulting blend has such a blending proportion as about 1 to about 50 % by weight of the terpolymer and about 99 to about 50% by weight of the copolymer. That is, it cannot be denied that the former terpolymer is used rather as a modifying agent of the latter copolymer.

Fluoroelastomer and its cross-linkable composition


There is disclosed a zoom lens having, in order from an object side, a first lens unit having a positive refractive power, a second lens unit having a negative refractive power and adapted to move in the zooming operation, a third lens unit for correcting the variation in the image plane resulting from the movement of the second lens unit, and a fixed fourth lens unit having a positive refractive power, wherein an aspherical surface of a predetermined shape for satisfactorily correcting the spherical aberration and the distortion aberration resulting from the zooming operation is applied onto a predetermined lens in the lens unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens, and more particularly to a zoom lens having a large aperture in order of an F-number of 1.7 at the wide angle end, a wide image angle (image angle 2.omega. at the wide angle end of 58.degree. to 70.degree.), a large zooming ratio of 12 to 35 and satisfactory optical characteristics over the entire zoom range, through effective use of aspherical surface in a part of the lens system, adapted for use in a television camera, a phototaking camera, a video camera or the like.
2. Related Background Art
For use in the television camera, phototaking camera, video camera or the like, there has been desired a zoom lens, having a large aperture, a high zoom ratio and highly optical characteristics.
In addition, operability and mobility are important factors particularly in the color television camera for broadcasting purpose, and, responding to such requirements, the image pickup device has become principally composed of small CCD (solid-state image pickup device) such as of 2/3 inch or 1/2 inch.
Since such a CCD has substantially uniform resolving power over the entire image pickup area, the zoom lens to be used in combination is required to have substantially uniform resolving power from the center to the peripheral part of the image area.
There are required high optical characteristics with satisfactory correction of various aberrations such as astigmatism, distortion and magnificational chromatic aberration. There are also required a compact dimension and a light weight with a large aperture, a wide image angle, a high zoom ratio, and a long back focus in order to dispose a color separating optical system or various kinds of filters in front of the image pickup means.
The so-called 4-unit zoom lens, consisting, in the order from the object side, of a first focusing lens unit (focusing group) of a positive refractive power, a second zooming lens unit of a negative refractive power, a third lens unit of a positive or negative refractive power for correcting the image plane varying with the zooming operation, and a fourth imaging lens unit of a positive refractive power, is widely employed as the zoom lens for the broadcasting color television cameras, since such zoom lens configuration can easily achieve a relatively high zoom ratio and a large aperture.
Among such 4-unit zoom lenses, a configuration capable of providing a large aperture of an F-number in the range of about 1.6 to 1.9 and a high zoom ratio of about 13 is proposed for example in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 54-127322.
In order to achieve a large aperture (F-number of 1.7 to 1.8), a high zoom ratio (zoom ratio of 12 to 35), a wide image angle (wide angle end image angle 2.omega.=58.degree. to 70.degree.) and satisfactory optical characteristics over the entire zooming range in the zoom lens, it is necessary to properly select the refractive power of each lens unit and the constitution lenses.
For example, in order to obtain high optical performance with little variation of the aberrations over the entire zooming range, it is generally necessary to increase the number of lenses in each lens unit, thereby increasing the freedom in correcting the aberration.
For this reason, in the zoom lens of a large aperture, a wide image angle and a high zoom ratio, a number of lenses inevitably becomes larger to increase the dimension of the entire lens system whereby it becomes impossible to meet the requirements of compactness and light weight.
In relation to the imaging performance, there is at first considered the variation of so-called best image plane, at the center of the image area where the image contrast is highest, by the zooming operation. Such variation results mainly from variation of the spherical aberration corresponding to the zooming operation. Such spherical aberration, causing an influence by the cube of the aperture in the region of the third-order aberration coefficient, is the largest difficulty in achieving a large aperture.
In general, for a zoom ratio Z and a focal length fw at the wide angle end, the variation of the spherical aberration caused by the zooming operation assumes, as shown in FIG. 29, an under (minus) side relative to the Gauss image plane from the wide angle end where the spherical aberration is zero to about a zoom position fm=fw.times.Z.sup.1/4, but such tendency becomes less beyond such zoom position. Then the variation becomes zero at a certain zoom position, and then assumes an over (plus) side.
As explained above, fw indicates the focal length at the wide angle end, and Z indicates the zoom ratio.
This over (plus) tendency becomes strongest in the vicinity of a zoom position fd=(Fno.w/Fno.t).times.ft corresponding to the starting point of so-called F drop where the F-number starts to increase (the lens system starting to get darker), but decreases toward the telephoto end beyond this zoom position and becomes approximately zero at the telephoto end.
In the foregoing, Fno.w and Fno.t are respectively the F-numbers at the wide angle end and at the telephoto end, and ft is the focal length at the telephoto end.
Consequently it is extremely difficult to control the spherical aberration at the telephoto side, particularly in a zoom lens having the start position of F-drop.
Then in expanding the image angle of the zoom lens, the distortion aberration poses the largest difficulty in the imaging performance, since the distortion aberration influences by the cube on the image angle in the area of third-order aberration coefficient.
As shown in FIG. 30, the distortion aberration is considerably under (minus) at the wide angle end (focal length fw). It then gradually increases to the over (plus) side from the wide angle end fw toward the telephoto side (focal length ft). Then, after passing through a position where the distortion aberration is zero, such over tendency becomes largest in the vicinity of a zoom position fm=fw.times.Z.sup.1/4. Such over tendency gradually decreases from the focal length fm to the telephoto end ft. Since this behavior becomes larger with the increase of the image angle at the wide angle end, the distortion aberration becomes extremely difficult to control at the wide angle side in increasing the image angle of the zoom lens.
The satisfactory correction of such various aberrations over the entire zooming range has been achieved by increasing the number of lenses in the focusing lens unit or in the zooming lens unit. For this reason the entire lens system has become large and complex.
In order to solve such drawbacks the introduction of an aspherical surface is proposed for example in the Japanese Patent Laid-Open Application No. 8-184758.
However in the recent zoom lenses of improved specifications with a large aperture and a high zoom ratio starting from a super wide image angle, it is becoming necessary to restudy the method of use of the aspherical surface.
In a zoom lens of a large aperture with a high zoom ratio starting from an ultra wide image angle, the spherical aberration varies greatly at the telephoto side while the distortion aberration varies greatly at the wide angle side. In order to satisfactorily correct both aberrations, it is necessary to introduce an aspherical surface in an appropriate position of the zooming part.


Approaches for recording and playing back a portion of a telephone call are provided. An approach includes establishing a subscriber of a recording and play back service. The approach includes recording, by a computing device, a portion of a conversation of the subscriber that occurs in a call between a first telephone and a second telephone. The approach additionally includes storing, by the computing device, the portion of the conversation when the call ends. The approach further includes analyzing, by the computing device, the stored portion of the conversation to detect predefined keywords. The approach also includes automatically providing the subscriber with an option to play back the stored portion of the conversation when at least one of the predefined keywords is detected during the analyzing.

Many telephone calls are interrupted for a variety of reasons. For example, wireless calls are frequently interrupted when a wireless telephones drops the call, e.g., ceases having sufficient signal to maintain the network connection by, for example, moving out of range of a wireless base station. As another example, wireless calls are often interrupted when a wireless telephone runs out of battery charge during the call. Moreover, any type of call may be interrupted when one of the parties must unexpectedly hang up in order to attend to something urgent.
After a call is interrupted for any reason, the two parties to the call normally call back and resume the conversation. However, it is often the case the one or both of the parties does not remember the topic of conversation that was occurring when the call was interrupted. This uncertainty may be compounded by the fact that one or both of the parties may not know at what point in the conversation the call was interrupted. For example, in the case of a dropped call, one or both of the parties may continue to speak before realizing that the call has been interrupted.

Recording and playing back portions of a telephone call


A light emitting system in which a light emission control apparatus wirelessly communicates with at least one controlled light emitting apparatus, the controlled light emitting apparatus comprising a first transmission unit which wirelessly transmits charging state information to the light emission control apparatus, and the light emission control apparatus comprising a receiving unit which receives the charging state information from the controlled light emitting apparatus, an informing unit which informs the image capture apparatus that a charging operation is complete, a second transmission unit which transmits a signal to stop transmitting charging state information, and a third transmission unit which transmits a light emission command to the controlled light emitting apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a technique of controlling light emission by a light emitting apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent wireless communication systems, it is possible to exchange various kinds of information by bi-directional communication. Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 2010-259135 discloses a technique of acquiring the charging state information of each device.
When wireless multiple flash control is performed using a plurality of flashes, for example, a user may be informed of the charging state of each flash using a bi-directional wireless communication system. In wireless multiple flash control, however, it is necessary to exchange charging state information in a shooting sequence, thereby requiring consideration of the timing of communication in the shooting sequence.

Light emitting system, light emission control apparatus and control method therefor, communication system and control method therefor and storage medium


Bone anchors, after insertion into bone, are designed to remain in place and provide a platform for holding tissue. A method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors into bone without pre-drilling an anchor receiving hole into the bone has been developed. Also described is an improved bone anchor embedding method utilizing ultrasonic energy to reduce insertion force, whereby the bone anchor and embedding device can be formed very small, (e.g. on the order of 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter). In an embodiment of the present invention, a method of bone anchor embedding utilizing ultrasonic energy is used to insert a bone anchor into a pre-drilled hole, wherein the hole in the bone may be smaller in diameter than the diameter of the bone anchor.

Ultrasonic surgical instruments are finding increasingly widespread applications in surgical procedures by virtue of the unique performance characteristics of such instruments. Depending on specific instrument configurations and operational parameters, ultrasonic surgical instruments can provide increased control while significantly reducing surgeon effort and fatigue. Ultrasonic surgical instruments can help reduce surgeon effort during bone shaving, and reduce the force required to penetrate tissue, for example, when inserting a trocar through the abdominal wall of a patient.
Ultrasonic trocar obturators may be used to reduce the force necessary to penetrate the abdominal wall during laparoscopic surgery. Such a device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,449,370, which describes using ultrasonic energy to assist in the insertion of a trocar obturator and cannula into a body cavity through, for example, the abdominal wall of a human being, providing access to internal organs or other tissue.
Ultrasonic devices for removing bone cement tubes during prosthesis replacements have been developed. U.S. Pat. Nos: 5,019,083; 5,413,578; and 5,318,570 describe the need to reduce the force necessary when removing bone cement used for prosthesis fixation, and to increase the surgeons control during the removal process. The ultrasonic devices described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,019,083; 5,413,578; and 5,318,570 are designed to loosen, or fracture, cement while leaving the bone intact.
Bone anchors and bone anchor insertion devices have been described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,845, which describes a bone anchor and a bone anchor insertion tool. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,845, a bone anchor insertion tool is used to insert a specially adapted bone anchor into a pre-drilled hole. The bone anchor described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,845 includes a suture placed through a bore in the body of the bone anchor. The insertion device funnels and protects the suture from damage during the insertion of the bone anchor into the bone. The bone anchor described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,522,845 also includes barbs protruding from its body. The barbs are used to retain the anchor in the pre-drilled hole. The pre-drilled hole is designed to have a diameter larger than the diameter of the maximum cross-section of the bone anchor in order to reduce the insertion force required to insert the anchor into the bone.
Bone anchors, after insertion into bone, are designed to remain in place and provide a platform for holding tissue. Bone anchors which include a wide spaced multiple turn thread on the outer surface of the bone anchor body have been described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,523. The teaching of U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,523 provides a strong union, or purchase, between the bone and the anchor whereby the anchor is driven clockwise to insert the bone anchor into a pre-drilled hole (i.e. a right-handed screw thread). Counter-clockwise rotation is used to disconnect the bone anchor from the insertion device. Additionally U.S. Pat. No. 5,411,523 describes a bone anchor with a center longitudinal screw thread hole also containing right-handed screw threads.
Bone anchor insertion devices have also been described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,658, which describes a bone anchor and driver contained within a sleeve. The sleeve is connected to a handle with an actuator operative from the handle. In U.S. Pat. No. 5,662,658 the actuator is used to move the driver axially and insert the bone anchor into a previously drilled hole.
It would be advantageous to provide a method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors into bone without pre-drilling an anchor receiving hole into the bone. It would also be advantageous to provide a method of ultrasonically embedding a bone anchor whereby the removal of the ultrasonic embedding device from the bone anchor sets the bone anchor into the bone. It would be advantageous to provide an improved bone anchor embedding method which utilizes ultrasonic energy to reduce insertion force, whereby the bone anchor and embedding device can be formed very small, (e.g. on the order of 2 to 5 millimeters in diameter). It would further be advantageous to provide a method of bone anchor embedding utilizing ultrasonic energy to insert a bone anchor into a pre-drilled hole, wherein the hole in the bone may be smaller in diameter than the diameter of the bone anchor.

Method of ultrasonically embedding bone anchors


An adjustable shelving assembly includes four corner members of L-shaped cross section, either half of each corner member comprising aperture members each including an upper, larger circle and a lower, smaller, vertical hole overlapping the larger circle thereof; at least one group of four interconnecting members each comprising upper and lower aperture elements and a through hole besides each of the upper and lower aperture elements for positioning the interconnecting member, each aperture element comprising an upper, smaller, vertical hole and a lower, larger circle overlapping the vertical hole thereof; retainers each for fastening the corner member and the interconnecting member; and lock pins each comprising a head including a cut, and a shaft having ridges. The lock pin is fastened in the larger circle of the aperture member and the through hole. The cut is fastened in the larger circle of the aperture member.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to modular shelving and more particularly to an adjustable shelving assembly with improved characteristics.
2. Description of Related Art
Adjustable shelving systems are well known. Such systems have many advantages including enabling a maximum use of storage space. Such shelving is also adapted to accommodate and support varying products sizes, thus enabling great flexibility as product designs and storage requirement changes.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,672,150 entitled "modular shelving" is characterized in that the interconnecting members are fastened by lock pins. However, there is gap between the interconnecting members and this can vibrate the shelving in response to force exerted thereon. To the worse, components of the shelving may loosen or even fall if the vibration is great.
Notwithstanding the prior art, the invention is neither taught nor rendered obvious thereby.


A cooling system for cooling a plurality of heat producing systems includes a heat exchanger having a plurality of cooling zones, each of which has a respective inlet and outlet for facilitating flow of a respective temperature control fluid therethrough. Each of the respective temperature control fluids facilitates temperature control of a respective heat producing system. A plurality of fans cool the temperature control fluids flowing through the heat exchanger, and a fan or fans are disposed proximate each zone of the heat exchanger to provide air flow substantially independently from the air flow over the other cooling zones.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cooling system and method for cooling a heat producing system.
2. Background Art
Vehicles today are under an ever increasing demand to do more in less space. For example, an engine in a large commercial vehicle will typically provide torque to power the vehicle, and will also provide power to a variety of vehicle subsystems. Some of these subsystems may be driven directly by the engine through a mechanical link, while others may be operated by electrical power received from a generator, which itself is connected to the engine. As the number of these vehicle subsystems increases, so too does the demand on the engine. Therefore, there is a need to ensure an adequate cooling system for the engine so that it does not overheat or cause damage to vehicle components in close proximately to it. In addition, increasingly stringent emissions requirements can place additional demands on an engine cooling system, as the overall thermal output of the engine is closely managed to help meet the emissions requirements.
The increasing number of requirements placed on engines can be the cause of increased size and complexity of the engine and its subsystems, including its thermal management system. This is at a time when there is a push toward smaller packaging to reduce vehicle size and weight and further increase fuel economy. Of course, many of these same concerns are present in other heat producing systems, for example a fuel cell or an engine used to drive an electrical generator, just to name two. In addition, other systems within a vehicle—i.e., systems other than the engine—may also require thermal management, further increasing the size and complexity of the thermal management system.
One example of a fan control system and method used for heat dissipation is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,463,891 issued to Algrain et al. on Oct. 15, 2002. Algrain et al. discusses the use of a dual fan system, where the fans supply cooling air to a number of different heat exchangers. The various heat exchangers are used to cool different systems which may have different cooling needs. One limitation of the system described in Algrain et al., is that each fan moves air through more than one heat exchanger. At any given time, the system associated with one heat exchanger may require cooling, while the system associated with a second heat exchanger may not require cooling, and yet both these heat exchangers are fed by the same fan.
This is similar to the heat exchanger described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,992,514 issued to Sugimoto et al. on Nov. 30, 1999. Sugimoto et al. describes a single heat exchanger having several exchanging portions; however, a single fan is used to simultaneously cool all the portions of the heat exchanger. Like the system described in Algrain et al., the system described in Sugimoto et al. lacks a means to individually control each portion of the heat exchanger separately. This can lead to over cooling systems serviced by one portion of the heat exchanger, and undercooling systems serviced by another portion of the heat exchanger.
Therefore, it would be desirable to save space by utilizing a single heat exchanger in a cooling system that could be used to cool a variety of different heat producing systems. Such a heat exchanger would have different cooling zones that could be dedicated to individual heat producing systems, and would also have one or more fans associated with each cooling zone that could supply cooling air to each zone independently of air supplied to the other cooling zones.

Cooling system and method for cooling a heat producing system


A device for powering one or more electric/electronic devices operatively associated with a low-voltage circuit breaker takes energy from a power supply line. An electronic regulator receives the energy collected as an input and delivering as an output to the electric/electronic device a power supply voltage (Vout) having a value within a preset range with respect to a reference voltage (VR). The electronic regulator includes an energy storage device chargeable by the energy collected, at the terminals of which a voltage (VCL) is established that is indicative of the power supply voltage (Vout) delivered to the electric/electronic device. A circuit enables/disables the charging of the storage device, and a feedback circuit receives a signal indicative of the voltage (VCL) at the terminals of the storage device and sends a signal to the enabling/disabling circuit to trigger the disabling or enabling of the charging process in order to keep the value of the voltage at the terminals of the storage device within a preset range. The feedback circuit enables the charging phases so as to power the storage device continuously up until the value of the voltage at their terminals comes within the preset range.

According to the known state of the art, there are low-voltage circuit breakers of various types, depending on the number of poles (i.e. single- or multiple-pole), or depending on the type of operation (e.g. power line circuit breakers, residual current circuit breakers for detecting fault currents to earth, disconnector circuit breakers, and so on). These circuit breakers are generally characterized in that they are associated with electric or electronic devices, such as protection devices that automatically open the circuit breaker in the event of certain conditions (overloads, short circuits or anomalies), signal devices, communication devices, or general accessories such as release devices, spring-loading devices, opening and closing coils, and so on.
In order to function properly, said electric or electronic devices generally need a power source to be provided at a given voltage, with the normal allowable tolerance, that must assure the availability of a power supply PS compatible with the absorption of all the devices, or auxiliary loads (Aux. Loads) involved. Said power supply PS can be delivered by a suitable auxiliary network or batteries, or by specific power supply units capable to take power directly from the network on which the circuit breaker is installed.
Conventionally, there are various types of power supply device for taking energy directly from the network in which the circuit breakers and associated devices are installed.
In a first type, the power supply device takes power from the main power network by means of voltage transformers and/or rectifier bridges, and subsequently regulates said power supply by means of a suitable network of passive and/or discrete elements. In practice, this type of approach is very sturdy, and is capable of providing a generally adequate power supply PS, but it has certain drawbacks. The use of a network of passive and/or discrete elements makes it difficult to guarantee stable power supply conditions for an indefinite period of time, especially in the event of variations in the power supply PS demanded by the auxiliary loads and/or a variability of the phase voltage VPH.
In fact, this solution relies on the use of devices that are always governed at a specific switching frequency fSW, and that are designed to provide a voltage at a value near a preferred reference voltage (VR) with circuits operating on the basis of variations in the so-called duty cycle, i.e. by means of cyclic "on-off" sequences at the switching frequency fSW of the process for charging batteries, such as capacitors. It is common knowledge that the voltage at the terminals of a capacitor depends on its charge according to the formula:V=Q*C
where: V is the voltage, expressed in Volts [V], for instance; Q is the charge, expressed in Coulombs [C], for instance; and C is the capacity of the capacitor, expressed in Farads [F], for instance.
Moreover, from the formulas:IC=dQ/dt=CdV/dt
or, inversely
      V              (      t      )        =            1      C        ·                  ∫        0        t                                    I                                (            t            )                                            ⅆ          t
we can see that every time a current ICL circulates in a capacitor CL, the charge Q and consequently the voltage at its terminals change; this happens, for instance, in the case of variations in the absorption of the devices being powered (Aux Loads) or changes in the phase voltage (VPH). The method thus consists in measuring said voltage and cyclically governing series of current pulses at a specific, fixed switching frequency fSW in the capacitor CL until the preferred voltage is restored at its terminals, basically submitting the capacitor to a process of cyclic charging at a fixed switching frequency fSW, and regulating the corresponding duty cycle. More precisely, given that a period of time TSW expressed in seconds physically equates to the inverse of the switching frequency fSW expressed in Hertz, according to the known relation TSW=1/fSW, the process for charging the capacitor can pass from a virtually nil minimum value to a maximum value and back again to a minimum value for every period TSW of the feedback oscillator (Clock & Duty cycle control). In practical terms, when the voltage is lower than the preferred value, the duty cycle acquires high values (i.e. long "on" fractions in the period TSW), whereas when the voltage is too high, the duty cycle takes on the lowest values technically allowable.
It has been demonstrated, however, that the tolerances and physical limits of the components used and consequent phenomena of inertia, hysteresis, transition and thermal drift mean that the alternate switching between "on" and "off" states does not take place at exactly the right time: it is not instantaneous, but occurs in far from negligible fractions of the period TSW. The fact that it is impossible to obtain instantaneous on-off cycles thus sets the lower limit for regulating said duty cycle, which can typically vary effectively enough only between theoretical values coming between 10% and 98%. As a result, the voltage can only be partially limited on the basis of the instantaneous correction of the duty cycle at a given switching frequency fSW, and said regulation cannot be sufficiently accurate.
Outside the narrow operating range, further specific dissipating devices prevent any uncontrolled increase in the voltage at the capacitor's terminals by taking energy from the capacitor and converting it into heat. The large number of passive and discrete components required may also become a critical issue in terms of overall dimensions and costs, however. In practice, it has been demonstrated that the proper operation of the system is protected against the substantial inefficiency of these solutions only for limited dynamics of the phase voltage VPH, roughly between −30% and +100% of the rated value, and it is consequently essential to provide for differently-dimensioned power supply devices to suit the network voltage being used. The use of power supply devices based on this type of approach is consequently scarcely flexible in relation to the network voltage, entailing a consequent increase in production, installation and operating costs. Moreover, the high energy consumption statistically observable due to dissipation induces a considerable heating and greater deterioration of the components, as well as having a far more negative fallout on the energy balance of the main network than would be due to the power supply actually delivered for the auxiliary loads. This poor energy efficiency can give rise to temperatures as high as 140° C. in some of the components involved.
Another drawback of the power supply devices of the previously-described type concerns the so-called startup time TSU, i.e. the time it takes to reach a steady state: being relatively long, this can become a critical issue when it comes to powering a protection device, for instance. Problems can occur, for example, when the circuit breaker is closed in latent short-circuit conditions: in such cases, any delay in the power supply to the protection device tends to be translated into damage to the system and to the circuit breaker.
A second type of power supply device is structured so as to conduct power directly from the sensors used to record the value of the line currents IL. This solution is applicable, for instance, in the case of circuit breakers based on the use of current transformer (CT) sensors, which are suitable for simultaneously providing signals indicative of the value of the current circulating in the phases and powering the electric and electronic devices associated with the circuit breaker.
This second type of solution, as described in the German patent DE19819149 for instance, offers the undeniable advantage of not depending on the phase voltage VPH, but it nonetheless reveals considerable drawbacks. In fact, the power supply voltage VPS that can be delivered by the power supply device is influenced in this case by the value of the line currents IL, which is known to be the most variable parameter in a normal electric circuit. The power conducted from the network consequently cannot be transferred directly to the auxiliary loads in this case either. In much the same way as described above for the first type of device, here again in this second case, phase shifters governed at a constant switching frequency fSW are used with means for dissipating any excess energy so as to compensate for any variations in line current IL and in the power supply PS absorbed by the auxiliary loads. So the drawbacks relating to the inefficiency of the so-called duty cycles at a constant frequency remain much the same.
A further drawback of the power supply devices of the above-described type lies, here again, in the lengthy startup time TSU. In fact, since the initial value of the line currents IL is generally not known, it is impossible to have any real guarantee; at best, the minimum time always ranges from 16 ms to 20 ms and, for the reasons previously explained, that can hardly be considered satisfactory, especially for the purpose of protection devices.
Another limit intrinsic in the use of current transformer sensors lies in that they can only work in networks powered in AC, not in applications in DC.
Another drawback common to both types of solution described above derives from the fact that the optimal switching frequency fSW of the shifters is around a few thousand Hertz, and therefore considerably higher than the mains frequency (which is normally 50 or 60 Hz), and this circumstance is translated into a considerable risk of electromagnetic disturbance relating, for instance, to the signals controlled by a protection device, but also in the form of unwanted backflows into the main electric network. This phenomenon is illustrated in the oscillogram in FIG. 1.
Another disadvantage common to the two known solutions previously described lies in their low general performance or energy efficiency (which becomes even worse when the dissipators take effect); the energy consumption of the power supplies described may even be sufficient to cause a considerable disruption in the energy balance of the stretch of power network where the circuit breaker is installed with its related devices to power.

Device for powering electric or electronic devices operatively associated with a circuit breaker


Various technologies described herein pertain to an electrical outlet that autonomously manages loads in a microgrid. The electrical outlet can provide autonomous load control in response to variations in electrical power generation supply in the microgrid. The electrical outlet includes a receptacle, a sensor operably coupled to the receptacle, and an actuator configured to selectively actuate the receptacle. The sensor measures electrical parameters at the receptacle. Further, a processor autonomously controls the actuator based at least in part on the electrical parameters measured at the receptacle, electrical parameters from one or more disparate electrical outlets in the microgrid, and a supply of generated electric power in the microgrid at a given time.

Recently, there has been a push to rethink how electric power is provided to consumers of such power. In conventional approaches, relatively large power plants burn fossil fuels to provide electric power to consumers. Typically, these power plants are controlled by private entities that bill consumers as a function of an amount of power utilized by the consumers over some period of time. A growing concern with respect to these types of power systems is the pollution that is generated by such systems, as well as the centralized nature of such systems. For example, if a natural disaster or other unexpected event occurred that caused a power system to be destroyed or temporarily go off-line, undesirable consequences may occur. For instance, millions of people may go months or even years without electric power if one of such conventional power systems is disabled.
In an attempt to reduce carbon emissions and other pollutants caused by these conventional power systems, distributed power systems that employ renewable energy to generate electric power have been manufactured and deployed. These types of power systems include, but are not limited to, wind turbine farms, hydro-turbines, solar panel fields, geothermal power systems, and the like. While these types of systems offer a promising alternative to the conventional power grid, there are some deficiencies corresponding to such systems. For instance, these types of systems generally output variable amounts of power over time, dependent upon time of day, weather conditions, etc., thereby rendering it difficult to meet changing demands of consumers.
The increased use of stochastic renewable resources, based on wind, solar, etc., may place pressure on the operational model of the conventional power grid. Various approaches can be used to compensate for variations in renewable generation. For instance, these approaches can include increased energy storage, fossil fuel backup generation (source following), controlling loads, operation over a larger geographic area, or a combination thereof to mitigate a likelihood of occurrence of a significant increase or decrease in power. However, difficulties associated with these approaches may intensity as a percentage of generation based on renewable resources increases. Moreover, grids over smaller geographic areas may be particularly susceptible to variations in generation as compared to conventional macrogrids.
Various approaches have conventionally been employed on the load side to attempt to deal with variations in generated electricity within a grid. For instance, utilities conventionally control power devices, such as air conditioners; however, such control tends to be on a slow time scale, usually with manual intervention. By way of another example, third-party vendors commonly provide demand response contracts, whereby they can bid a demand response similar to how generation is bid in the electricity markets, responding in hours or fractions thereof. According to another example, some home automation architectures are conventionally utilized for home energy management using sensors and actuators with centralized computers to manage home energy usage. Following this example, some conventional products strive to implement energy-saving architectures. In accordance with an illustration, users can program devices to respond to external commands communicated via information technology networks (e.g., the devices can be remotely controlled by a pre-programmed personal computer or manual commands initiated by a user). According to another illustration, some appliance manufacturers have provided products that can respond to external signals. For instance, some manufacturers have integrated sensors with actuators in smart UPS devices that, for example, can turn off printers when a computer is not drawing power.

Intelligent electrical outlet for collective load control


A pad structure usable with a semiconductor device may include an insulating layer pattern structure, a plug, and a pad. The insulating layer pattern structure has a plug hole and at least one via hole. The plug is formed in the plug hole. The pad is formed on the insulating layer pattern structure. The pad is electrically connected with the plug and has a lower surface and an uneven upper surface. The lower surface includes a protruded portion inserted into the via hole. The uneven upper surface includes a recessed portion and an elevated portion—to provide high roughness and firm connection.

1. Field
Example embodiments relate to a pad structure of a semiconductor device, a method of manufacturing the pad structure, and a semiconductor package including the pad structure. More particularly, example embodiments relate to a pad structure of a semiconductor device connected with a conductive connecting member for a package process, a method of manufacturing the pad structure, and a semiconductor package including the pad structure.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a plurality of semiconductor fabrication processes may be performed on a semiconductor substrate to form semiconductor chips. In order to mount each of the semiconductor chips on a main board, a packaging process may be performed on the semiconductor chip to form a semiconductor package.
In the semiconductor package, the semiconductor chip may be connected with a package substrate via a conductive connecting member such as a conductive wire, a conductive bump, etc. Thus, the semiconductor chip may have a pad electrically connected to the conductive connecting member. The pad may be electrically connected with a semiconductor structure in the semiconductor chip. Electrical connection reliability may be mainly dependent upon a firm connection between the conductive wire and the pad.
However, the pad may have a flat upper surface connected to the conductive wire because a planarization process may be performed to form the pad. The flat upper surface of the pad may have low surface roughness. Thus, because a strong friction may not be generated between the flat upper surface of the pad and the conductive wire, the conductive wire may be detached from the flat upper surface of the pad.
Particularly, a prober may make contact with a pad, which may be used for testing electrical characteristics of the semiconductor package, among the pads, so that the prober may scratch the flat upper surface of the pad. Therefore, the conductive wire may be firmly connected to the scratched upper surface of the pad. In contrast, the prober may not make contact with the rest of the pads except for the pad used for the electrical test. Thus, the flat upper surface of the pads may still have the above-mentioned problem.

Pad structure of a semiconductor device, method of manufacturing the pad structure and semiconductor package including the pad structure

Samsung-ro, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


A memory physical layer interface circuit electrically connected between a memory controller and a memory device is provided. The memory physical layer interface circuit includes a dock generation module and first-in-first-out (FIFO) modules. The clock generation module generates a reference clock signal and output related clock signals. The reference clock signal is transmitted to the memory device. Each of the FIFO modules writes the input information therein transmitted by the memory controller according to a write-related clock signal and retrieves the input information therefrom according to one of the output related clock signals to generate an output signal. The output signal is transmitted to the memory device to operate the memory device. The write-related clock signal is generated by dividing a frequency of one of the output related clock signals.

Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a memory technology. More particularly, the present invention relates to a memory system and a memory physical layer interface of the same.
Description of Related Art
Along with the advancement of the performance of the processor, the memory technology needs to be developed to increase the speed of the memory devices as well. Take the double data rate synchronous dynamic random access memory (DDR SDRAM) as an example, the data processing speed supported by the DDR SDRAM is up to 3 Gbps. The clock cycle time is far smaller than the clock tree delay time of the memory physical layer circuit. The small clock cycle time results in the difficulties of the design of the memory physical layer circuit.
As a result, what is needed is a memory system and a memory physical layer interface of the same to increase the accuracy and the operation efficiency.

Memory system and memory physical layer interface circuit


A dynamic wireless power transfer base pad can include a housing, a first conductor, a second conductor, and a third conductor. The first conductor can be disposed within the housing substantially along a circumference and can be configured to conduct a first current to produce a first magnetic field. The second conductor can be disposed at a first end within the housing and can be configured to conduct a second current to produce a second magnetic field. A magnetic field at the first end can include a constructive superimposition of the first magnetic field with the second magnetic field. The third conductor can be disposed at a second end within the housing and can be configured to conduct a third current to produce a third magnetic field. A magnetic field at the second end can include a constructive superimposition of the first magnetic field with the third magnetic field.

An engine of a conventional motor vehicle can, through a combustion process, consume a fossil fuel to produce a propulsion force. Because waste products of the combustion process can include pollutants, efforts have been made to produce the propulsion force through different mechanisms. Among such efforts have been those that can use an electric motor to produce the propulsion force. Power to the electric motor can be provided, for example, by a battery. Typically, the battery can be configured to be connected, as necessary, by wires to an alternating current power source in order to be recharged. Unfortunately, recharging the battery in this manner can require a duration of time that can range from twenty minutes to six hours.

Dynamic wireless power transfer base pad

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


An electrical switch for an electric device is provided, including a contact system including at least one electrical power supply line, an electronic control circuit and an electrical connection element arranged between at least one contact face of the control circuit and the power supply line. The electrical connection element has at least one metal pin that is fixed in an electrically non-conductive fixing element such that the pin is aligned with respect to the contact face and the power supply line, and such that the pin protrudes from the fixing element on both sides thereof to contact the contact face and the power supply line.

Electric tool switches, such as those disclosed in WO 02/078029 A1, for example, and such as those for a rechargeable electric tool, in addition to the associated contact system, often include an electronic control circuit for the purpose of driving the electric motor in the electric device. Electrical connection elements serve the purpose of supplying the control circuit with electrical voltage, the connection elements on the one hand making contact with corresponding contact faces for the control circuit and, on the other hand, making contact with power supply lines for the electrical voltage to the switch. The power supply lines may simultaneously act as terminals for the supply of electrical voltage to the contact system of the switch such that the electrical voltage for the control circuit can be connected.
A robust and more reliable electrical connection between the power supply lines for the voltage, especially those to the contact system, and the contact faces for the control circuit is particularly important for electric tool switches. This is particularly the case for switches in rechargeable electric tools due to the very high electric currents flowing therethrough. The production of such a robust connection requires considerable complexity in the manufacture of a suitable switch and presents problems when handling the switch during assembly. Soldering is especially undesirable for providing the connection during the manufacture of the switch in view of the risk of impermissible heating of adjacent components in the control circuit and of soldering flux sprays. Accessibility or the like in the electrical switch for the purpose of producing the connection is often also impaired.
An electrical connection element which leads to a contact face on a printed circuit board is known from DE 32 33 225 A1. The connection element has a metal pin which is connected to the contact face. This device has a significant disadvantage, however, associated with the complex and imprecise assembly of this connection element.
An electrical connection element for a printed circuit board which can be assembled more precisely and is SMD (surface mounted device)-compatible is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,224,399. This electrical connection element included four pins which are fixed in a strip-like fixing element made from an insulating material. The pins are aligned with respect to the associated contact faces by means of the fixing element, for contact-making purposes, and protrude on both sides from the fixing element. A plug can be plugged onto the pins, whereby the connection element serves the purpose of forming a mating element for a plug. However, inducement to use the connection element in an electrical switch for an electric tool is not disclosed in this document.

Electrical switch having an electrical connection element


A method for manufacturing a honeycomb filter for purifying exhaust gas, including: providing a columnar body including porous ceramic and having a wall portion and through holes partitioned by the wall portion, the through holes extending in a length direction of the columnar body, coating a sealing material including one or more organic components over a circumferential surface of the columnar body to form a sealing material layer; and heating the columnar body having the sealing material layer on the circumferential surface of the columnar body at a temperature sufficient to lower a total weight of the organic component with respect to a total weight of the honeycomb filter, Vα.

In recent years, particulates contained in exhaust gases that are discharged from internal combustion engines of vehicles, such as buses, trucks and the like, and construction machines have raised serious problems since those particulates are harmful to the environment and the human body.
For this reason, there have been proposed various ceramic filters that allow exhaust gases to pass through porous ceramics and collect particulates in the exhaust gases to purify the exhaust gases.
With respect to the ceramic filter of this type, conventionally, as indicated by a honeycomb filter 10 in FIG. 1, there have been proposed those having a structure in that a sealing material layer 14 is formed on a circumference of a columnar body 15 made of cordierite or the like, which has a number of through holes 11 placed in parallel with one another in the length direction with wall portion 13 interposed there between. In this honeycomb filter 10, wall portion 13 that separates the through holes 11 from each other functions as a filter (for example, see J UM Kokai Hei 7-183).
In other words, the columnar body 15 is constituted by a single sintered body, and as shown in FIG. 1(b), each of the through holes 11 formed in the columnar body 15 is sealed with a plug 12 at either of ends of its exhaust gas inlet side and outlet side, so that exhaust gases that have entered one through hole 11 are discharged from another through hole 11 after having always passed through wall portion 13 that separates the through holes 11 from each other.
Here, the sealing material layer 14 is formed in order to reinforce the circumference of the columnar body 15 or improve the heat-insulating property of the honeycomb filter 10.
Moreover, in recent years, in place of the above-mentioned honeycomb filter made of cordierite, honeycomb filters, made of a porous silicon carbide sintered material, have often been used because this material has advantages such as superior heat resistance, mechanical strength, collecting efficiency and the like, as well as chemical stability and a small pressure loss.
With respect to the honeycomb filter made of the porous silicon carbide sintered material, as indicated by a honeycomb filter 20 shown in FIG. 2, a honeycomb filter having the following structure has been proposed: a plurality of porous ceramic members 30 made of silicon carbide are combined with one another through sealing material layers 23 to form a ceramic block 25, and a sealing material layer 24 is formed on the circumference of this ceramic block 25 (for example, see JP Kokai 2001-162121). Moreover, as shown in FIG. 3, each porous ceramic member 30 has a structure in that: a number of through holes 31 are placed in parallel with one another in the length direction; and partition wall 33 that separates the through holes 31 from each other functions as a filter.
In other words, as shown in FIG. 3 (b), each of the through holes 31 formed in the porous ceramic member 30 is sealed with a plug 32 at either of ends of its exhaust gas inlet side or outlet side, so that exhaust gases that have entered one through hole 31 are discharged from another through hole 31 after having always passed through partition wall 33 that separates the through holes 31 from each other.
Here, the sealing material layer 24 is provided so as to prevent exhaust gases from leaking through the circumference of each ceramic block 25 when the honeycomb filter 20 is installed in an exhaust passage of an internal combustion engine.
The honeycomb filter 10 or the honeycomb filter 20 having the above-mentioned structure is installed in the exhaust passage in the internal combustion engine, so that particulates in the exhaust gases discharged from the internal combustion engine are captured by the wall portion 13 or the partition wall 33 when passing through the honeycomb filter; thus, the exhaust gases are purified.
In particular, since the honeycomb filter 20 shown in FIG. 2 has superior heat resistance and provides easy regenerating processes and the like, it has been applied to various large-size vehicles and vehicles with diesel engines.
In this arrangement, however, since the sealing material layer of the conventional honeycomb filter contains a comparatively large amount of organic components, in the case of a honeycomb filter in which sealing material layers account for a great ratio, it contains a large amount of organic components.
Moreover, the sealing material layer is not made into a completely dense body, and exhaust gases are slightly allowed to flow into the layer. For this reason, in the case where such a honeycomb filter, which has sealing material layers containing a large amount of organic components as described above, is installed in an exhaust passage in a vehicle such as a large-size vehicle, a vehicle having a diesel engine and the like, and used therein, the organic components are discharged outside through exhaust gases that is flown into the sealing material layer, resulting in a great increase in the amount of the organic components (HC) of exhaust gases.
Moreover, there have been also proposed honeycomb filters which support a catalyst in order to decompose and eliminate organic components in exhaust gases to be discharged outside. However, conventional honeycomb filters have failed to sufficiently decompose and eliminate the organic components by using the above-mentioned catalyst.

Method for manufacturing honeycomb filter for purifying exhaust gases


This application is directed to driving methods for electrophoretic displays. The driving methods comprise applying different voltages selected from multiple voltage levels, to pixel electrodes and optionally also to the common electrodes. In one embodiment, the different voltages are selected from a group consisting of 0V, at least two levels of positive voltage and at least two levels of negative voltage. The driving method is also suitable for a color display device.

An electrophoretic display (EPD) is a non-emissive device based on the electrophoresis phenomenon of charged pigment particles suspended in a solvent. The display usually comprises two plates with electrodes placed opposing each other. One of the electrodes is usually transparent. A suspension composed of a colored solvent and charged pigment particles is enclosed between the two plates. When a voltage difference is imposed between the two electrodes, the pigment particles migrate to one side or the other, according to the polarity of the voltage difference. As a result, either the color of the pigment particles or the color of the solvent may be seen at the viewing side. An EPD may be driven by a uni-polar or bi-polar approach.
However, the driving methods currently available pose a restriction on the number of grayscale outputs. This is due to the fact that display driver ICs and display controllers are limited in speed on the minimum pulse length that a waveform can have. While current active matrix display architectures utilize ICs that can generate pulse lengths down to 8 msec leading to electrophoretic displays which have shortened response time, even below 150 msec, the grayscale resolution seems to diminish due to the incapability of the system to generate shorter pulse lengths.
In addition, the driving methods currently available are not sufficient for driving a color display device.

Multiple voltage level driving for electrophoretic displays


The present disclosure relates to a device for lubricating an internal combustion engine having a crankshaft, which is connected to at least one connecting rod. The device has at least one first flow limiter, in particular a restrictor, for reducing a lubricating fluid flow of a lubricating fluid stream passed to the at least one first flow limiter. The device has a plurality of crankshaft bearings for the rotatable support of the crankshaft, wherein the plurality of crankshaft bearings is provided in fluid communication downstream of the at least one first flow limiter. The device has at least one big end bearing for the rotatable support of the at least one connecting rod, wherein the at least one big end bearing is provided in fluid communication downstream of at least one crankshaft bearing of the plurality of crankshaft bearings.

The present disclosure relates to a device for lubricating an internal combustion engine, in particular for lubricating crankshaft bearings and big end bearings of an internal combustion engine.
A lubricant circuit of an internal combustion engine is known from DE 10 2007 058 756 A1, for example. Here it is envisaged that at least one first adjusting means, by means of which the volume of lubricant delivered to a first oil dispensing member via the first oil channel can be influenced, is provided in a first oil channel.
DE 10 2014 105 236 A1 discloses a lubricating device for supplying lubricant to bearing locations within a crankcase of an internal combustion engine. The lubricating device has a distribution channel having at least one valve inlet for lubricant and at least one feed channel for each bearing location to be supplied, which branches off from the distribution channel and has at least one feed outlet.
In current engines, about 25-35% of the volume of lubricating fluid is passed to the crankshaft bearings and big end bearings at the crankshaft. The flow through the bearings depends on the clearance tolerance, diameter, bearing width, lubricating fluid pressure and lubricating fluid temperature. The diameter and bearing width are generally predetermined for reasons connected with installation space and strength and cannot be changed. At low lubricating fluid temperatures, the flow through the bearings can be reduced. However, this is contrary to the desired minimization of friction in the internal combustion engine, which decreases with increasing oil temperature. As the lubricating fluid pressure rises, the flow through the bearings also rises. This relationship is virtually linear.

Device for lubricating an internal combustion engine


Software robots (“bots”) may be detected in a client computer using a client-side bot detector. The client-side bot detector may be configured to receive bot event profiles indicating IP (Internet Protocol) addresses involved in malicious online activities perpetrated by bots and time frames when the malicious online activities occurred. The client-side bot detector may determine dynamic IP addresses that have been dynamically assigned to the client computer by consulting a dynamic IP assignment profile of the client computer. The client-side bot detector may compare the bot event profiles against the dynamic IP assignment profile of the client computer to determine if the client computer is infected by a bot.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to computer security, and more particularly but not exclusively to methods and apparatus for detecting software robots in client computers.
2. Description of the Background Art
Software robots, which are commonly referred to as "bots," are stealthy, unauthorized software programs running quietly in user computers. A bot can receive and execute instructions from a remote server computer operated by the bot's originator, which is also referred to as a "bot herder." A bot may also be pre-programmed to perform a function without additional instructions from a bot herder. A network of computers taken over by related bots is called a "botnet." A bot may be configured to use the infected computer, referred to as a "zombie," to perform malicious online activities including to send spam e-mails or to host a malicious website. For example, a bot may use the zombie computer to host a website to perpetrate phishing or other cyber crimes. Computers can be infected by bots via several different methods including virus infection, drive-by-web-downloads and spyware downloaders that install other software onto a computer. Most users don't even know their computers have been infected and become part of a botnet.

Client-side technique for detecting software robots


A circuit board inspection system combining an X-RAY inspection and a visual inspection comprises a transfer unit (3) that lands an inspected object (1) safely thereon and transfers the inspected object (1) to a predetermined position; a light generating unit (5) that is installed below the transfer unit (3) and emits a light having a predetermined wavelength to the inspected object (1); a light amplifying unit (7) that is installed on the opposite side of the light generating unit (5) to convert and amplify a predetermined light that transmits the inspected object (1) into a visible light; an optical unit (9) that optically illuminates the inspected object (1) to create a visual image; and a camera (11) that receives an X-ray image amplified through the light amplifying unit (7) or a visual image by the optical unit (9) to obtain information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a circuit board inspection system combining an X-RAY inspection and a visual inspection and, more particularly, a circuit board inspection system combining an X-RAY inspection and a visual inspection that is implemented such that an X-RAY image formed by transmitting an X-RAY source and a visual image projected optically is processed with one camera, thereby attempting to simplify the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, as electronic devices have a tendency to be small, light and multi-functional, the integration degree of a printed circuit board and electronic components mounted thereon becomes rapidly improved. That is, the printed circuit board becomes multi-layered, and the patterns formed thereon become denser. Further, for the electronic components as well, since the integration degree becomes higher and he size becomes smaller, chances are grow much stronger that defects may occur unless much attention is paid in fabricating the printed circuit board or mounting the components on the printed circuit board. Therefore, in the process of fabricating the printed circuit board and mounting and soldering the components, a task that detects a defect generated during each unit process in an exact and timely manner becomes significantly needed.
Such an inspection system for inspecting the mounting state of components depends on characteristics of the components, which use typically an X-ray image, a video camera, and a laser, as a detection unit obtaining information on an inspected object.
The X-ray image represents an amplified light formed by emitting an X-ray beam illuminated from an X-ray source toward the inspected object, which is useful in detecting hidden defects of the inspected object.
The visual image is formed by capturing a visual frequency range of the inspected object, which is useful in detecting visual defects of the inspected object, such as insufficient solder (abnormal solder), missing (missing components), wrong insertion, misaligned components.
Therefore, recently, an inspection system integrating these two functions has been used.
The configuration is largely divided into an inspection system for obtaining information on the inspected object and a processing system for being inputted the obtained information and performing a predetermined processing to determine whether or not it has a defect
The inspection system comprises a board holder that fixes the inspected object, a conveyer assembly that transfers the board holder to a predetermined position, an X-ray source that emits an X-ray toward the inspected object, an X-ray camera that obtains an X-ray image transmitting the inspected object, an optical camera that illuminates a light to the inspected object and obtains an optical image by a reflected light.
However, in the conventional inspection system as described above, since the X-ray camera and the optical camera are installed individually, the inspection system is complicated, and moreover, a manufacturing cost increases.

Printed circuit board inspection system combining X-ray inspection and visual inspection


A ceramic consisting essentially of:                about 51% to about 68% by weight ZrO2;        about 20% to about 40% by weight Al2O3;        about 9% to about 12% by weight CeO2;        about 0.05% to about 0.2% by weight SiO2;        about 0.01% to about 0.1% by weight MgO;        about 0.1% to about 0.6% by weight MnO; and        about 0.01% to about 0.8% by weight CaO.

The use of ceramic beads and balls in milling and grinding minerals and inorganic substances is known. The beads and balls are preferably formed of ceramic materials that exhibit high toughness, high hardness, good strength, and high wear resistance. It is known to use beads and balls that are formed of alumina or zirconia that is stabilized or partially stabilized by means of yttrium oxide, cerium oxide, or magnesium oxide (among others). It is also known to use beads formed of alumina-zirconia-silica and zirconium silicate.
The present invention provides grinding media and, more specifically, beads formed of an alumina-zirconia composition having improved hardness and wear resistance, as compared to milling media known heretofore. A composition with better properties than conventional alumina-zirconia-silica is also demonstrated.

Grinding beads and method of producing the same


The present invention relates to a protective pad which may be used in a protective garment such as firefighter's garment. The pad of the present invention is designed to provide both insulation to the area covered by the pad, and dispersal of heated vapors and/or liquids away from this area. The pad of the present invention comprises an insulating construction that features a plurality of channels which allow the pad to accept and disperse heated vapors and/or liquids. The present invention also includes a firefighter's garment containing such a protective pad.

During the fighting of a fire, a firefighter works in a very hostile environment. Many firefighters lose their lives while fighting fires. Most of the deaths of firefighters while fighting fires are a result of stress, heart attacks, strokes, and the like. Of course, a firefighter must be protected from the environment within which the firefighter works.
Beyond the dangers to the firefighter's life, firefighter's are also exposed to great danger of severe burns. Their bodies are exposed to burning, smoldering or other heated surfaces or surfaces from which steam or other hot vapors emanate. This normally occurs either where firefighter's are brought into contact with such surfaces in supporting themselves on such a surface, or in moving through a burning, smoldering or heated structure. This most often has effect on the joint areas and other areas which are compressed by localized pressure, and/or dampened by heated vapors or liquids. Localized pressure can occur in these areas for instance where a firefighter kneels or crawls, leans on his or her elbows, or brings his or her shoulders into contact with a burning, smoldering or heated surface, especially those from which liquids and/or vapors emanate.
Hot liquids and vapors are particularly dangerous due to their high heat capacity and their ability to penetrate a firefighter's garment, especially where the garment is compressed by localized pressure, causing rapid and serious burning.
Localized pressure may also occur in a firefighter's garment as the firefighter moves and works. During firefighting activity, a firefighter frequently finds it necessary to carry relatively heavy and/or bulky items, such as breathing apparatus, tanks, water hose and the like; and even fire victims. Such heavy items carried by the firefighter serve to apply increased pressure upon portions of the firefighter's clothing. Compression of the firefighter's garment in these areas renders corresponding areas of the firefighter's garment more permeable to hot vapors or liquids and thus more vulnerable to burns.
Burn injury (i.e., first degree burn) occurs when skin temperatures rise above 115.degree. F. regardless of exposure time. Second degree burns or blistering occurs when skin temperatures reach about 132.degree. F. Burn injury is a function of temperature and exposure time and the rate of injury increases logarithmically with the increase in temperature. Also, total burn damage is the sum of that resulting from the heating and cooling back to a safe skin temperature level.
Very little research has been accomplished to study the effects of conduction of heat through compressed, wet fabrics. Most studies have investigated the radiative-convective thermal loads typically encountered during structural firefighting. These studies pertain to pain or burn injury on contact with metals, plastics or glass (e.g., Stoll, et al. 1979, Veghte 1974). The physical environment firefighter's contend with is one which features potentially dangerous temperature extremes. As a result, firefighting is an extremely hazardous profession.
Air temperature and thermal radiation correspond for routine, ordinary or emergency firefighting situations. Under emergency conditions encountered inside a flashover room, the function of firefighter's clothing is simply to provide 15 to 30 seconds of protection to allow escape.
One way in which heat is transferred is by conduction. Heat loss or gain by conduction normally concerns only that part of one surface which is in direct contact with another surface. Heat flows through the resulting continuity of surface. The roll of heat conduction in bunker gear is usually underestimated. It is significantly increased to protective clothing as wet or compressed. Water can provide a conductive bond between surfaces that might not otherwise touch, and can increase the heat conduction by displacing insulating air between and within the layers of clothing. Even without water, compression brings surfaces closer together, thus permitting more conduction of heat and providing less potentially insulative air between clothing layers.
Recent NFPA standards (1500 and 1971) require full torso bunker clothing protection for structural firefighter's (both coat and pants, as opposed to the coat alone with high boots worn in the past). This is required due to the tremendously high levels of protection the full torso system offers when unexpected though inevitable exposure occurs. However, there are still some disadvantages associated with this system. For instance, while the full torso system protects the firefighter much more effectively by insulating him or her from the fire, this insulation may cause the firefighter not to feel discomfort as early otherwise he or she might. Since the perception of discomfort is an indicator to the firefighter that he could be vulnerable, this remains a disadvantage. The firefighter may absorb a lot of heat energy into a system before sensing that he or she is in danger. However, experienced firefighter's eventually learn to gauge a particular situation by the degree of discomfort they feel. Nonetheless, the change in insulation can cause the firefighter not to sense the thermal loading problems he may encounter. These problems become more severe when the firefighter's garment is wet (such as through sweating or exposure to water). Once a firefighter's garment becomes wet, the warning time (i.e., the time between pain recognition and the onset of second degree burn blistering) decreases substantially. Also, when the firefighter's garment system is wet, the decreased insulative performance is exasperated by the fact that water held in the garment system, when exposed to sufficient heat, turns into steam, expanding in volume and carrying tremendous amounts of heat and energy into the most permeable parts of the garment.
For instance, when a firefighter is kneeling on a substantially impermeable surface compressing the garment system tightly against the skin at the knee, this area can present a target for hot vapors or gases which can permeate into the garment. Blistering on the knees commonly occurs when firefighter's are crawling on hot surfaces. Because of this, most firefighter's use a so called "duck walk" when hot floors are encountered. Leather knee pads have been used in the past to provide more thermal insulation and abrasion protection in this area. However, these pad did not provide means for dispersing hot fluids from the pad area. The degree of wetness, the degree of thermal loading and constriction of the garment all contribute to the extent of steam generation, and correspondingly, the extent resulting burns. Firefighter's knee burns have occurred quite often as a result. The same problem exists (although not quite as frequently) at other stressed, pinned or compressed body areas such as shoulders, elbows, shins, forearms, etc.
Present firefighter garment designs have not provided for improved protection from hot vapors and liquids. Firefighter's coats and trousers customarily have three layers of material: an outer shell or layer, which is flame resistant and abrasion resistant, an intermediate layer which is a moisture barrier, and an inner layer, which is a thermal barrier. These layers may be three separate distinct layers or may be one or two members.
Recently, firefighter's garments have been described which feature so-called "dead air" spaces are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,897,886 and 5,001,783, both to Grilliot et al; and both of which are hereby incorporated herein by reference.
Accordingly, it an object of the present invention to provide a protective garment which has the same quality of protection or better protection against the environment than conventional protective garments, but which further protect the firefighter from the dangers of hot liquids or vapors. It should be understood that while some of the advantages of the protective garment of the present invention are described in terms of a firefighter's garment, the protective garment of the present invention is not limited to use in firefighting. Rather, it may be used for protection against similarly hostile environments.

Protective garment featuring an insulative and fluid dispersive pad


A speaker has a diaphragm of which plane shape as seen from a vibrating direction has a major axis and a minor axis, a band-shaped edge connected to the outer circumference of the diaphragm for holding so that the diaphragm may be free to vibrate, and a frame for holding the outer circumference of the edge, wherein a viscoelastic member is affixed to part of the edge and/or diaphragm.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speaker, and more particularly to a speaker in a slender structure having a diaphragm of narrow width.
2. Related Art of the Invention
The speaker is generally round in shape, but speakers in a slender structure are also widely used, for example, in television applications. The speakers for television are generally installed at both flanks of a cathode-ray tube. In this case, in order to minimize the lateral width of the television, speakers in a slender structure are preferably used.
In the conventional speakers in a slender structure, generally, since the slender diaphragm is driven, torsional resonance in the direction of major axis is likely to be excited if there is any unevenness in the driving force, dimension, weight, etc. As a result, in the mid- or high-range band, peak dip occurs in the reproduced sound pressure frequency characteristic, and it may possibly lead to increase of distortion or deterioration of sound quality.
In the conventional circular speaker, a viscoelastic material was sometimes applied on the entire circumference of the edge adhered to the outer circumference of the diaphragm for suppressing the resonance of the diaphragm. In resonance, the diaphragm vibrates concentrically. Accordingly, the outer circumference of the diaphragm vibrates alike on the whole circumference. As the entire edge circumference is coated with the viscoelastic material, the resistance component can be given to the entire diaphragm, and vibration due to resonance can be braked. However, in the case of torsional resonance which is likely to occur in a speaker in a slender structure, the diaphragm does not vibrate concentrically with the edge. Hence, the vibration amplitude differs from one part to other at the edge coated with the viscoelastic material over the entire circumference of the edge, and the resistance components cannot be given effectively, and there was a problem of increase of weight.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


According to one embodiment, a nonwoven fiber mat for reinforcing a plate or electrode of a lead-acid battery includes a plurality of glass fibers and an acid resistant binder that couples the plurality of glass fibers together. The nonwoven fiber mat also includes a wetting component that is applied to the glass fibers and/or nonwoven fiber mat to increase the wettability of the nonwoven fiber mat such that the nonwoven fiber mat exhibits an average water wick height of at least 0.5 cm after exposure to water for 10 minutes conducted according to method ISO8787. The wetting component may be dissolvable in an acid solution of the lead-acid battery such that a significant portion of the nonwoven fiber mat is lost due to dissolving of the wetting component.

Lead-acid batteries are characterized as being inexpensive and highly reliable. Therefore, they are widely used as an electrical power source for starting motor vehicles or golf carts and other electric vehicles. Paper is commonly used as a means to improve the manufacturing process for applying lead oxide or lead paste to the grid of a lead-acid battery plate. A conventional pasting paper is made of fibers that will be disintegrated over time by the sulfuric acid. This may lead to the formation of a gap between the lead plates or the lead plate and the separator that might cause erosion of the lead plate, in particular due to friction, thereby gradually deteriorating the performance of the battery. Improved methods of manufacturing lead-acid battery plates are desired.

Battery electrode plate reinforcement mat having improved wettability characteristics and methods of use therefor


A method for reducing the signaling load of a GPRS core network system is provided. The GPRS core network system comprises a first UE, a first RNC, a first SGSN, a first core network node, and a first IP network, where the first UE is arranged to be in communication with the first RNC, where the first RNC is arranged to be in communication with the SGSN for non-3GDT communication of the GPRS core network system or the core network node for 3GDT communication of the GPRS core network system, where the first SGSN is arranged to be in communication with the first core network node, where the first core network node is arranged to be in contact with the first IP network, where one or more service requests originates from the first UE to the SGSN, where the number of service requests to the SGSN is measured.

Abbreviations:
    3GDT 3G Direct Tunnel    3GPP 3rd Generation Partnership Project    APN Access Point Name    BSC Base Station Controller    CN Core Network    DNS Domain Name System    ECM EPS Connection Management    EMM EPS Mobility Management    EPC Evolved Packet Core    EPS Evolved Packet System    E-RAB E-UTRAN Radio Access Bearer    E-UTRAN Evolved Universal Terrestrial Radio Access Network    GGSN Gateway GPRS Support Node    GTP GPRS Tunnelling Protocol    GTP-U GTP user data tunnelling    GUMMEI Globally Unique MME Identifier    GUTI Globally Unique Temporary Identity    GW Gateway    HLR Home location register    IE Information Element    IM Instant Message    IMSI International Mobile Subscriber Identity    IP Internet Protocol    ISD Insert Subscriber Data    ISRAU Inter SGSN Routing Area Update    MM Mobility Management    MME Serving GPRS Support Node    MME Mobility Management Entity    MS Mobile Station    MT Mobile Terminating    NRI Network Resource Identifier    P GW PDN Gateway    PDP Packet Data Protocol    PDU Packet Data Unit    PLMN Public Land Mobile Network    PS Packet Switched    P-TMSI Packet Temporary Mobile Subscriber Identity    RAB Radio Access Bearer    RAI Routing Area Identity    RAN Radio Access Network    RAT Radio Access Technology    RAU Routing Area Update    RNC Radio Network Controller    S GW Serving Gateway    SRNS Serving Radio Network Subsystem, the change of lu instance and transfer of the SRNS role to another RNS.    TAI Tracking Area Identity    TAU Tracking Area Update    TEID Tunnel Endpoint Identifier    UE User Equipment    UMTS Universal Mobile Telecommunications System    UP User PlaneReferences:    3GPP TS 23.060    3GPP TS 23.401    3GPP TS 29.060    3GPP TS 29.274    3GPP TS 29.272    3GDT is very popular to the operator and the end user. 3GDT enables setup of a GPRS Tunnelling Protocol (GTP) tunnel for transporting payload traffic between a GGSN/PGW or a SGW and an RNC directly, thus bypassing the SGSN. GPRS Tunnelling Protocol (GTP) is a group of IP-based communications protocols used to carry General Packet Radio Service (GPRS) within GSM, UMTS and EPS within LTE networks. The tunnel separates the user traffic from the control traffic and reduces the payload traffic through the SGSN. However, even though the tunnel has many advantages, some complaints from the operators occurs because they found the 3GDT to be consuming a lot of signalling load to the GGSN/PGW or the SGW especially for some IM (Instant Message) applications. The IM applications send very short length of PDU and release the radio connection and reconnect again which gives a lot of signalling load.
In the present existing solution, the SGSN has to handle a high number of (frequent) service requests, which may exhaust the node capacity due to the frequent service request triggered, here called "Update PDP Context Request/Response" between Gn-SGSN and GGSN/PGW or "Modify Bearer Request/Response" between S4-SGSN and SGW.
There is thus a need for an improved and more effective system.


Provided are an optical distance measuring apparatus, which is capable of accurately measuring a distance, whatever the temperature may be, and which can be easily manufactured at low cost, and an electronic apparatus mounted with the optical distance measuring apparatus. A lead frame of the optical measuring apparatus has two or more first reinforcing terminals, each of which has a part extending in a direction substantially orthogonal to a direction in which a connecting part between a light emitting header and a light receiving header extends. The first reinforcing terminals are fixed by a first light blocking resin body and connected to the light receiving header.

FIG. 8 shows a conventional optical distance measuring apparatus. This apparatus is configured to receive reflected light of a spot light applied to an object to be measured and measure the distance to the object by trigonometry or triangulation.
Specifically, a light beam emitted from a light emitting element 101 placed on a datum point, or origin, O is converted to a generally parallel light beam by a light emitting lens 102 placed on point A(0, d), which beam impinges on an object to be measured 103 at point B(0, y) as a spot light. The light beam reflected by the object 103 is condensed by a light receiving lens 104, placed on point C(L, d), is focused onto point D(L+1, 0) on a position detecting element (e.g., PSD: Position Sensitive Detector) 106 placed on the x axis, and thereby forms a received light spot.
Given that a line passing through the point C, i.e., the center of the light receiving lens, and being parallel to the y axis intersects the x axis at point E(L, 0), a triangle ABC is homothetic to a triangle ECD. Accordingly, a distance y to the object to be measured 103 can be found through detection of a position of the received light spot by the position detecting element 106, followed by measurement of a side ED (=1) and calculation of the equation below according to the principle of the trigonometry or triangulation.
                    y        =                              L            ·            d                    l                                    (        1        )
A PSD, a linear sensor having a plurality of photodiodes, an image sensor, or the like is used as the position detecting element 106 to detect the position of an optical center of gravity of the received light spot projected onto the position detecting element 106. In FIG. 8, reference numeral 108 represents an axis of emitted light and 109 represents an axis of received light.
However, it is only when the inter-lens distance L and the distance d between the position detecting element and the light receiving lens are fixed that the distance to the object can be accurately determined by equation (1) above. In general, in optical distance measuring apparatuses, light emitting and receiving lenses are fixed or secured by a casing made of a light blocking resin for the purpose of cost reduction.
Resins used for the casing to secure the lenses generally have a large thermal expansion coefficient. Therefore, when the ambient temperature changes, the resin casing expands or contracts, resulting in changing of the inter-lens distance L. As a result, there arises a problem that, as shown in FIG. 9, broken lines indicating the optical axes at the time of measurement are shifted from solid lines indicating the optical axes at the time of room temperature so that the position of the received light spot at the time of measurement is shifted from the position of the received light spot at the time of room temperature toward the outside, in spite that the object to be measured remains positioned at the same distance. As a result, for example, when the temperature rises, the object will be found to be at a smaller distance than it is. In FIG. 9, reference numeral 201 indicates a lead frame, 202 indicates a light emitting element, 203 indicates a light receiving element, 204 indicates a signal processing IC, 205 indicates a light permeable resin, 206 indicates a light blocking resin, 207 and 208 indicate windows, 209 indicates a light emitting lens, 210 indicates a light receiving lens, 211 indicates a casing, 212 indicates a light blocking wall, and 213 indicates an object to be measured.
In order to avoid such a problem, in an optical distance measuring apparatus shown in FIG. 10, which is disclosed in PTL 1 listed below, a light emitting system consisting of a light emitting element and a light emitting lens and a light receiving system consisting of a light receiving element and a light receiving lens are connected to each other by a flexible material. In this way, a positional relationship between the light emitting and receiving elements and the light emitting and receiving lenses are maintained even when the thermal expansion occurs such that accuracy in distance measurement is maintained.
Also, in an optical distance measuring apparatus shown in FIG. 11, which is disclosed in PTL 2 listed below, a same material is used for a holding member for light receiving elements, a holding member for lenses, and a connecting member for connecting the holding members. The entire structure is thereby allowed to be evenly expandable, so that a decrease in distance measurement accuracy due to temperature changes is prevented.
However, the solutions employed in those optical distance measuring apparatuses are intended to maintain the positional relationship among the lenses and the light emitting and receiving elements so as to satisfy the principle of trigonometry or triangulation when the entire apparatus is uniformly subject to a temperature change due to a change in ambient temperature, and not intended to maintain such positional relationship when the light emitting and/or receiving element per se produces heat due to energization of these elements.
On the other hand, an optical distance measuring apparatus shown in FIG. 12, which is disclosed in PTL 3 listed below, has a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the holding member for the lenses and a temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the holding member for the light receiving elements in order to compensate for the self-heating of the light receiving elements. In this apparatus, based on output from those temperature sensors, thermal expansion of the components of the apparatus due to self-heating after the energization of the light receiving elements is detected so that the accuracy in distance measurement, or ranging accuracy, is maintained.
However, this optical distance measuring apparatus requires the temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the holding member for the light receiving elements and the temperature sensor for measuring the temperature of the holding member for the light receiving lenses, which is a problem. These temperature sensors cannot be incorporated in the light emitting elements. Instead, they have to be individually placed in contact with the respective holding members. This arrangement makes the configuration of the apparatus complicated and also requires wiring for taking in outputs from the temperature sensors. As a result, the optical distance measuring apparatus has a comparatively complicated structure. This may lead to an increased number of assembling steps and difficulty in providing a distance measuring apparatus at low cost.
Accordingly, the present inventor made an optical distance measuring apparatus shown in FIGS. 13A and 13B, which is disclosed in PTL 4 listed below, in which the light emitting and receiving lenses are formed on a plate (of, for example, 42 alloy) and the plate is integrated with a base body including the light emitting and receiving elements and a light blocking wall, in order to improve temperature characteristics of the apparatus due to the ambient heat. Further, in this optical distance measuring apparatus, a light emitting header mounted with the light emitting element is connected with a light receiving header mounted with the light receiving element by a lead frame, as shown in FIG. 14, to suppress the expansion of a spacing or distance between the light emitting element and the light receiving element caused by self-heating of the elements and thereby improve the temperature characteristics due to self-heating.

Optical distance measuring apparatus and electronic apparatus