The present invention pertains to an apparatus for measuring nasal air flow. The apparatus includes a head for interacting with at least one of the nasal cavities of a patient. The head has a measuring chamber through which air is inhaled into and exhaled from the nasal cavity. A resistance wire is positioned within the measuring chamber with the path of air flow. There is also a current generator electrically connected to the resistance wire for providing a constant current through the resistance wire such that the resistance wire is heated. The apparatus further includes means for analyzing change in voltage across the resistance wire over time such that air flow through the measuring chamber is determined. The analyzing means is electrically connected to the resistance wire. There are also means for displaying the determined air flow. The present invention is also a method for measuring nasal air flow. The method comprises the first step of orienting a heated resistance wire in the air flow of a nasal cavity. Then, there is the step of analyzing the change in voltage over time across the resistance wire such that the amount of air flow past the resistance wire is determined. Preferably, after the analyzing step, there is the step of displaying the determined air flow. The displaying step can include the step of printing the determined air flow.

A number of intranasal pathological conditions, such as deviated septum, polyps, hypertrophic turbinates and spurs, trauma, choanal atresia, congenital problems or any infections such as sinitis require a device that can record intranasal status of the patient.
Rhinometry, nasal peak flow measure, and metal breathing plates are currently used to determine the intranasal status of a patient. Unfortunately, these methods are limited in value in the pre-operative evaluation of the nature and localization of an abnormality in the nasal cavity.
Imaging method such as computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging are too expensive for routine use and do not add information about mucosal changes.
Acoustic rhinometry is used to evaluate the dimension of the nasal cavity by estimating the cross sectional area of the nasal cavity as a function of the distance from the nostril. Unfortunately, the equipment for acoustic rhinometry is quite cumbersome and not easily accessible to the average practicing physician.
The present invention provides a nasal flow meter which is of simple construction and can be used to show nasal flow analytically rather than symptomatically.


De-entrainment devices are provided for separating an entrained liquid from a vapor stream exiting a flash zone in a separation column. Methods for utilizing the de-entrainment devices are also provided. In one embodiment, the de-entrainment device of the present invention is embodied in a de-entrainment tray that has a tray deck and a plurality of risers extending vertically up from the tray deck. The risers are provided with devices for imparting rotational movement to the fluid stream, which have the vapor stream and entrained liquid, entering the riser. The rotational movement imparted to the fluid stream causes the liquid to separate from the vapor stream and to flow upward along the riser walls. The de-entrained liquid is then transported from above the separation tray back into the flash zone by way of a liquid downcomer. The vapor stream separates from the liquid within the riser and flows out of the riser upward through the column. A riser hat is used to prevent a wash liquid from entering the riser and preferably also from entering the liquid downcomer.

Separation units, such as atmospheric distillation units, vacuum distillation units and product strippers, are major processing units in a refinery. Atmospheric or vacuum distillation units separate crude oil into fractions according to boiling point so downstream processing units, such as hydrogen treating or reforming units, will have feedstocks that meet particular specifications. Higher efficiencies and lower costs are achieved if the crude oil separation is accomplished in two steps: first, the total crude oil is fractionated at essentially atmospheric pressure, and second, a bottoms stream of high boiling hydrocarbons, which typically have an initial boiling point below about 800.degree. F. (427.degree. C.), is fed from the atmospheric distillation unit to a second distillation unit operating at a pressure below atmospheric, called a "vacuum" distillation process. The bottoms stream from the atmospheric distillation is also known as topped crude.
The vacuum distillation unit typically separates the bottoms stream coming from the atmospheric unit into various gas oil vapor streams categorized as light gas oil having a boiling point between about 420.degree. and about 610.degree. F. (216.degree.-320.degree. C.), heavy gas oil having a boiling point between about 610.degree. and about 800.degree. F. (320.degree.-427.degree. C.), vacuum gas oil having a boiling range between about 800.degree. and about 1050.degree. F. (427.degree.-566.degree. C.), and vacuum reduced crude having a boiling point above about 1050.degree. F. (566.degree. C.). The vacuum reduced crude is also known as residuum and leaves the vacuum distillation unit as a liquid bottoms stream. Additional information concerning distillation is available in Petroleum Refining Technology and Economics, Gary, J. H. and Handwerk, G. E., pp. 31-51, Marcel Dekker, Inc. (1975).
The vacuum pressure allows the distillation unit to separate the atmospheric unit bottoms into fractions at lower temperatures than if separation were at atmospheric pressure. The high temperatures necessary to vaporize the atmospheric unit bottoms at atmospheric pressure cause thermal cracking to occur, with loss in C5+ yield due to formation of gas, discoloration of the product, and equipment fouling due to coke formation.
In atmospheric or vacuum distillation, lighter hydrocarbons are vaporized and separated from relatively heavier hydrocarbons. Although the heavier hydrocarbons do not vaporize, they may be carried into the lighter hydrocarbons because of entrainment. This is particularly the case within many commercially operated vacuum distillation columns used for processing the bottoms streams from atmospheric columns. The feed stream to the vacuum distillation unit is generally under turbulent conditions and thus the resid is easily entrained in the vapors that are being flashed off from the incoming feed stream.
Entrainment is undesirable because the entrained heavier hydrocarbons are typically contaminated with metals, such as vanadium or nickel, that can poison downstream catalytic processing, such as hydrotreating, hydrocracking, or fluid catalytic cracking, to which portions of the lighter hydrocarbons are typically fed. Most downstream catalytic processes employ fluid beds or fixed beds that contain catalyst materials. For example, a gas oil product, from a vacuum or atmospheric distillation column, may subsequently feed a fluid catalytic cracking unit. If there are metals contained in the feed to a fixed bed hydroconversion process, such as soluble or organometallic compounds, the bed will generally become increasingly plugged with metals as they deposit on the catalyst. These metals deposit themselves in the interstitial space between the catalyst particles, causing the pressure drop to increase. Furthermore, the depositing metals decrease the activity of the catalyst. Therefore, it is desirable to minimize metals, especially nickel and vanadium, that may adversely affect catalyst selectivity and life.
These contaminate metals enter lighter hydrocarbons, such as gas oil, by two routes: (1) by vaporization, because the organometallic compounds have a finite vapor pressure, although their vapor pressure is extremely low and by far the greatest amount of the metallic compounds are in the very heaviest fraction of the bottoms; and (2) by liquid entrained with the gas oil vapors. The elimination of entrainment can only eliminate the metals present in the gas oil via the second route. However, because of the low volatility of the metal compounds, reduction of entrainment should significantly reduce metals content in the lighter hydrocarbons and thus improve performance of downstream catalytic units.
In vacuum distillation, a bottoms stream, separated from crude oil by an atmospheric distillation unit, is fed to a flash zone in the lower portion of the vacuum distillation unit. To reduce entrainment of residiuum from the flash zone, along with the lighter hydrocarbons, such as gas oil, a demister or wire mesh pad is frequently installed at some point between the flash zone and a gas oil draw-off. However, the demister or wire mesh pad is not completely satisfactory for a number of reasons: (1) entrainment in many cases is not found to be significantly reduced; (2) the pads have a tendency to plug with heavy oil and other material; and (3) the pads have a tendency to corrode, with holes resulting from the corrosion.
Methods other than the demister pads have been tried in the past to reduce the entrainment of residuum into the gas oil, but these methods have met with only limited success. Employing a conventional bubble-cap tray above the flash zone causes the vapor to pass through liquid on the bubble-cap tray, thereby allowing vapor to re-entrain liquid droplets. These re-entrained droplets may contain less of the higher boiling components; however, their presence in the vapor stream is deleterious to good fractionation and downstream processing. In addition, the bubble-cap tray exhibits a pressure drop, thus increasing the flash zone pressure required to drive the vapor through the bubble-cap tray. Increased pressure is not desired for the operation of the vacuum distillation column because it necessitates a higher flash zone temperature and prevents a deeper cut distillation.
The bubble-cap could be replaced by a standard chimney tray having a plurality of risers attached to a plate having holes, with a baffle attached to the top of each riser. Chimney trays are available that provide two 90.degree. direction changes--a first 90.degree. direction change when a stream from the riser contacts the baffle, and a second when the stream exits the chimney. These standard chimneys have a lower pressure drop than bubble-caps; however, they allow significant entrainment.
A further problem exists with most de-entrainment devices used in vacuum distillation columns used for processing the bottoms stream from an initial atmospheric distillation column. The bottoms stream is passed into the flash zone of the vacuum tower where a portion of the stream is vaporized and the remaining unvaporized portion --referred to as the residuum or "resid"--collects as a liquid at the bottom of the tower. The vapor stream travels up through the tower, passing through a de-entrainment tray, and then passing through a wash bed where the vapor is contacted with a wash liquid from the tray above. The wash liquid falls onto the de-entrainment tray where it is mixed with the de-entrained resid material. The resid material collected on the de-entrainment tray lowers the value of the wash liquid that is also collected on that tray.
A need exists in the field to design an improved de-entrainment device for separating liquid droplets entrained within a vapor stream, particularly for use in vacuum and atmospheric distillation columns between the flash zone and the separation tray zone. The improved de-entrainment device should provide superior separation of the liquid droplets from the vapor stream with a minimal pressure drop so that when used in vacuum distillation units there is not a significant decrease in the vapor volume or a need to increase the temperature in the flash zone to maintain a given vapor volume. Also, the improved de-entrainment device should function to separate the de-entrained resid material from any wash liquid being used in the tower so as to increase the value of the stream taken off of the de-entrainment tray.

De-entrainment tray and method of operation

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A camera structure includes a multiple function shutter button assembly that is capable of performing multiple functions in combination with other camera elements. More specifically, the camera includes a camera body, a circuit board attached to the camera body, a shutter button assembly including a sliding member movably coupled to the camera body, wherein the sliding member comprises a shutter button arm, a shutter actuation arm, and an electrical contact arm, and a biasing mechanism for biasing the sliding member to an initial position. The shutter actuation arm includes a shutter actuation member that activates a shutter release mechanism of the camera when a force is applied to the shutter button arm to move sliding member from the initial position to a shutter actuation position. The electrical contact arm includes electrical contact elements that come into contact with contact pads provided on the circuit board when the force is applied to the shutter button arm to move the sliding member from the initial position to an electrical contact position. The electrical contact arm can either be fixed in a stationary manner or coupled to the sliding member by a yoke assemble that permits movement of the electrical contact arm along an arc. A lens cover assembly is provided that is moveable from a closed position to an open position, wherein the lens cover assembly includes a slide plate having a retainer portion that slides over the electrical contact arm to maintain a contact pressure. The slide plate further comprises a shutter lock member that is positioned beneath the shutter actuation arm to prevent movement of the slide member to the shutter actuation position.

It is desirable to produce a camera structure that is both compact and functionally efficient. One approach to accomplishing both objectives would be to utilize common structural elements within the camera to perform multiple tasks. U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,607 issued to Ogihara, for example, illustrates a camera shutter release lever that is utilized to actuate an electrical power switch for an electrically activated camera shutter. In order to produce a more compact and efficient camera design, however, it would be preferable to utilize individual structural elements, such as the shutter release lever described above, to perform more than one function.
In view of the above, it is an object of the invention to provide a camera structure that includes a multiple function shutter button assembly that is capable of performing multiple functions in combination with other camera elements.

Multiple function shutter button assembly


A mechanical thermostatic refrigerant expansion valve assembly with an electrically operated shut-off in the inlet to the valve body. Preferably, the electrical operator is a solenoid attached to the valve body on the end opposite the mechanical thermal responsive valve actuator so as to minimize the changes in the manufacturing of an existing valve body. The solenoid armature moves a secondary valving member spring biased to shut off flow in the valve inlet.

The present invention relates to thermally responsive or thermostatically operated valves and particularly relates to thermostatically operated expansion valves of the type employed for controlling flow of refrigerant in an air conditioning or refrigeration system. In air conditioning systems employed for passenger compartment cooling of motor vehicles, it is known to employ an expansion valve for controlling refrigerant flow from the high pressure side of the compressor through the condenser to the evaporator by utilizing a valve which is moved by the force of expansion of fluid in a closed chamber which senses the temperature of the flow discharging from the evaporator. Such valves are referred to as thermostatic expansion valves and have found widespread use in automotive air conditioning systems.
Currently, it is becoming increasingly popular to provide dual evaporators in a single automotive air conditioning system such as one for front seat passengers and another for rear seat passengers; or, alternatively separate evaporators for cooling left and right seat row positions such as for the driver and front seat passenger. Where dual evaporators are employed, it has been desired to provide a way or means of shutting off one of the evaporators remotely with an electrically operated device without incurring the cost penalty of providing separate electrically controlled shut off valves in the refrigerant line to the evaporators.
The thermostatically controlled mechanical expansion valves presently employed in automotive air conditioning systems have experienced widespread usage because of their low cost and simplicity of construction. However, thermostatically controlled expansion valves are only able to react to temperature changes in the flow of refrigerant discharging from the evaporator; and, there is no way to provide external user control of the valve once it has been calibrated and installed in the system. It has been desired to provide remote electrical control of the vehicle air conditioning system to provide the user with a greater degree or level of control and to not rely only on the ability of the thermostatic expansion valve to provide proper control by reacting to evaporator discharge temperature.
Furthermore, it has been desired to provide for electrical control of refrigerant flow in a refrigeration or air conditioning system which enables the use of a microcomputer to employ selected algorithms to provide control of refrigerant flow in a manner providing improved cooling control.
Thus, it has been desired to provide a way or means of remotely electrically controlling the flow of refrigerant to plural evaporators in a vehicle air conditioning system. It has further been desired to provide for remotely shutting off the flow of refrigerant to one of a plurality of evaporators in a vehicle air conditioning system in a manner which is sufficiently low in cost to render the system cost effective in the high volume motor vehicle marketplace.

Thermostatic expansion valve with integral electrically operated inlet valve


A spark plug is disclosed. The spark plug has a ceramic insulator body and a center electrode that is housed at least partially in a bore in the insulator body. The center electrode is sealed off from the insulator body by at least one sealing ring surrounding the center electrode that contains material that is plastically deformable by compression.

The present invention relates to a spark plug with an, in particular ceramic, insulator body and a center electrode, wherein said center electrode is housed at least partially in a bore in said insulator body, said center electrode being sealed off from said insulator body—preferably exclusively—by at least one sealing ring surrounding said center electrode.
In the state of the art, spark plugs have highly varied configurations of center and base electrodes. As a rule, the center electrode is guided in a bore in an insulator and projects beyond this on the combustion-chamber side. The seal between the center electrode and the insulator body, which is also decisive for the longevity and compressive strength of the spark plugs among other things, is normally realized by introducing glass-like or other sealing compounds between the center electrode and the insulator body. It is important that the sealing compound creates a gas-tight connection.
This way of sealing known in the state of the art has the disadvantage that it is relatively costly to introduce the sealing compound between the center electrode and the insulator body such that the desired gas-tight seal is ensured.
A glass seal in the form of a ring made of presintered glass powder is known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,563,158. The ring is pushed onto the center electrode. Then the glass powder is melted during exposure to heat and simultaneously pushed into its final position.
If these spark plugs known today are used in internal combustion engines, such as e.g. high-powered engines with very high internal pressures in the combustion chamber, the problem often arises that the spark plugs do not permanently have the required compressive strength. This can result either in gas escaping or the center electrode being pushed out of the insulator body during the operation of the internal combustion engine or being expelled at high pressure, which can in turn pose a risk for people and the machine.

Spark plug with sealing ring around center electrode


A scalable switching regulator architecture has an integrated inductor. In some embodiments an area and current drive capability of switches of the switching regulator is matched with an inductor built within an area above the switches. In some embodiments the combined switches and inductor are constructed as a unit cell and can be combined to form larger elements as required for higher current drive capability and multiphase operation.

The present invention relates generally to switching regulators for regulating power to semiconductor circuitry, and more particularly to integrated inductors for switching regulators.
A power distribution network in a typical System-on-chip (SoC) used in various mobile devices includes on-chip metallization layers connecting to a package substrate via micro-bumps or copper pillars. Signals from or to the micro-bumps or copper pillars are generally routed within the package using one or more redistribution layers (RDL) to balls of the package that connect to a printed circuit (PCB). This may result in a significant parasitic inductance, which may be a significant limiting factor in the performance of these devices as the higher frequencies and higher currents generate local transient effects which are also referred to as droops due to fast changes in the load currents.
The use of embedded voltage regulators (eVRs), typically switching regulators with inductors, may be useful in reducing or accounting for variations presented by parasitic inductances. Providing inductors for an eVR implementation with a high inductance to resistance value (L/R: inductance [nH] per resistance [mohms]) in a small form factor (current rating per square millimeter) may be challenging, however.

Switched power stage with integrated passive components


A sand casting core (102) for use in the manufacture of cast metal cylinder blocks includes a camshaft gallery-forming portion (108) and an interconnected oil gallery-forming portion (110) which is joined to the camshaft gallery-forming portion (108) via a plurality of transverse feeder passage-forming portions (112) extending therebetween for forming corresponding cast-in camshaft gallery (104) and interconnecting oil gallery (106) passages within a cast cylinder block (26).

It is known in the art to employ a refractory particulate-type casting core (e.g., a conventional sand foundry core) for forming an internal camshaft gallery within a cylinder block of an internal combustion engine cast within a mold. An example of such teaching is disclosed in the U.S. Pat. No. 2,783,510 to Dolza et al, granted Mar. 5, 1957. The camshaft gallery supports a camshaft of the engine for rotation within the cylinder block.
Accompanying the camshaft gallery in all known engines is one or more internal passageways for conducting lubricating oil to the rotating camshaft. Typically, these passageways take the form of a long and narrow oil gallery that extends along side the camshaft gallery and communicates therewith by a plurality of transverse feeder passages. With this type of system, the lubricating oil is introduced into the main oil gallery and then directed to various locations of the camshaft gallery of the feeder passages.
The known methods for forming such an oil gallery heretofore involve either drilling the gallery and feeder passages into the block or else casting the oil gallery in place during the manufacture of the block using specially designed cores and then drilling the feeder passages between the camshaft gallery and oil gallery. Both alternatives are costly and suffer from disadvantages as will be described below.
When drilling the oil gallery into the block, it is often necessary to drill the gallery from both ends. This double ended drilling process is necessary since the oil gallery extends virtually the entire length of the block and can not be practically formed by drilling from one end since the drilling tool has a tendency to wonder as it is extended further and further into the block. Double drilling adds to the cost of complexity of manufacturing the cylinder block. Another disadvantage is that the oil gallery passage is open at both ends of the block, thereby requiring one end be subsequently plugged. Such plugs are troublesome and over time have a tendency to loosen and leak.
Known specially manufactured cores include those disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,991,520 to Dalton, granted Jul. 11, 1961; U.S. Pat. No. 3,945,429 to Wahlqvist, granted Mar. 23, 1976; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,829,642 to Thomas et al, granted May 16, 1989. The core of Thomas is of a cast-in stainless steel tube-type which remains in place with the cylinder block following casting. Such tubes, however, are problematic and that steps must be taken to assure that the outer surface is clean and free from any debris that would form imperfections in the casting or prevent good metal lay-up between the outside of the tube and the cylinder block metal. Such tubes thus add additional cost and complexity to the manufacturer of a cylinder block.
The Dalton and Wahlqvist cores are formed with a metal central support element surrounded by a sheath of refractory material, such as woven glass or particulate sand. These passageway cores are printed into the cavity walls of the mold so as to form a through-passage in both ends of the block, as with drilling, for supporting the cores in the mold cavity and accommodating removal of the cores following casting. These nonconventional cores add to the cost of manufacturing a block and have not enjoyed great commercial success. One open end of the through-passage also has to be plugged, as described previously with reference to drilled oil gallery passages and thus suffers from the same disadvantages.
Accordingly, there is a need in the industry for a suitable casting core for forming a long and narrow gallery passage within a cylinder block.

Casting core for forming an interconnecting camshaft gallery and oil gallery in a cast cylinder block


There are provided systems and methods for a fallback artificial intelligence (AI) system for redundancy during system failover. A service provider may provide AI systems for automated decision-making, such as for risk analysis, marketing, and the like. An AI system may operate in a production computing environment in order to provide AI decision-making based on input data, for example, by providing an output decision. In order to provide redundancy to the production AI system, the service provider may train a fallback AI system using the input/output data pairs from the production AI system. This may utilize a deep neural network and a continual learning trainer. Thereafter, when a failover condition is detected for the production AI system, the service provider may switch from the production AI system to the fallback AI system, which may provide decision-making operations during failure of within the production computing environment.

Service providers may provide artificial intelligence (AI) systems and AI models trained over time to provide automated decision-making operations. For example, a particular AI platform may be associated with providing decision-making operations within a production computing environment including live electronic transaction processing operations. As AI systems are used over time, the AI systems may become more accurate in making predictions and recommendations or automating operations based on the input data. For example, a machine learning (ML) and/or neural network system may retrain weights, attributes, and classifiers as the model becomes more sophisticated and has a larger amount of training data. However, at times during use in the production computing environment, AI systems may fail or timeout. This may occur when new data occurs, fraud or computing attacks compromise the computing systems, or other failover conditions occur. When the AI system is down, the AI system may not provide decision-making, which may adversely affect the production computing environment and operations. For example, the production computing environment may make incorrect decisions or outputs that allows fraud and risk, or may not process user requests. Thus, the service provider may be adversely affected by system errors and failures.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.

Fallback artificial intelligence system for redundancy during system failover


A jack used in an action mechanism of a piano has substantially an L-shape, composed of a big jack portion and a small jack portion. The thickness of the small jack portion is made smaller than that of the big jack portion in a direction of key arrangement in a state of the jack being fitted in the piano. By reducing the weight of the small jack portion as above, the time required for the jack to return to a position capable of pushing up a part of a striking member can be shortened. Accordingly, more frequent repetitive striking is allowed within a predetermined period.

i) Technical Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a technique of improving repeated striking performance of a piano.
ii) Description of the Related Art
A piano is conventionally provided with a known action mechanism that operates in response to key depression and makes a striking member strike a string, as disclosed in Unexamined Japanese Patent Publication No. 9-281959, for example.
Also, as can be seen in Unexamined Japanese Utility Publication No. 49-919, the action mechanism comprises a substantially L-shaped jack composed of elongated portions, specifically, a big jack portion and a small jack portion. The small jack portion is arranged almost perpendicular to the big jack portion. The thickness of the big jack portion and the small jack portion is nearly constant in the direction of key arrangement in a state of the jack being fitted in the piano.
In the action mechanism as above, the jack is raised in response to key depression and pushes up a shank roller, that is, a part of the striking member, with the apex of the big jack portion. Furthermore, when the free end of the small jack portion abuts on a regulating button, the jack is rotated and the apex of the big jack portion is separated from the shank roller. Then, the striking member, which was pushed up by the jack, swings to a string side to strike a string.

Method of improving repetitive striking performance, jack and action mechanism of piano


The present disclosure provides a shadow elimination detection method for a touch substrate, a touch substrate manufacturing method, a touch substrate, and a touch device. The shadow elimination detection method for a touch substrate includes detecting a difference in light reflectance between test blocks with different structures located in an area outside a touch area of the touch substrate using a detection device, and determining a shadow elimination effect of the touch substrate according to the difference, wherein each of the test blocks with different structures includes a structure corresponding to a respective structure in different structures in the touch area.

Embodiments of the present disclosure relate to the field of touch control technology, and in particular, to a shadow elimination detection method for a touch substrate, a touch substrate manufacturing method, a touch substrate, and a touch device.
At present, the capacitive touch screen has become a very popular electronic product, and OGS (One Glass Solution) has become a mainstream technical solution thereof. OGS refers to the technology of directly forming an indium tin oxide (ITO) conductive film and sensors on a protective glass of a touch screen. There are channel patterns formed by ITO in the visible area of the OGS touch screen. The visibility of the ITO channel patterns (referred to as the shadow elimination level in technical terms) is related to the user experience. Therefore, in the manufacturing process of the touch screen, its shadow level needs to be tested.

Shadow elimination detection method and manufacturing method for a touch substrate, touch substrate and touch device

HEFEI XINSHENG OPTOELECTRONICS TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


A system and method for controlling data transmission between two network elements. A first port of a transmitting element is coupled to a second port of a receiving element. The second port includes buffers for temporarily storing received data until the data can be sent to another element. Included in the transmitting element are a received-currently-full register (RCFR), a sent-and-not-received register (SANRR), and a buffer-busy register (BBR). The transmitting element checks its BBR to determine if a buffer in the receiving element is available. The availability of buffers can be determined using a single priority protocol or a multiple priority protocol. If a buffer is available, the transmitting element transmits a data frame to the receiving element and sets the SANRR and the BBR to indicate that a frame has been sent (and that no acknowledgment has been received), that the selected buffer in the receiver is full, and that no additional data frames are to be sent to this buffer until the buffer is empty. When data is received by the receiving element, it is sent to an available buffer. When the data is received by the buffer, the receiving element sets a bit in a currently-full register (CFR) and a bit in a next-message-to-send register (NMTSR). A control signal is transmitted by the data receiving element on the same signal line as data that is being sent from the data receiving element to the data transmitting element. The data receiving element can multiplex the frames being sent in this direction with the control signal. When the transmitting element receives the control signal, it resets a bit associated with a buffer in the SANRR if the bit is set in the SANRR and if the associated bit in the NMTSR portion of the control signal is set.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of network data transmission, and more particularly to the field of distributed network transmission protocol systems and methods.
2. Description of Background Art
There are various techniques for efficiently and reliably transferring information between terminals (nodes) of a computer network. One such technique is packet switching. In packet switching, a transmitting (source) node sends a message to a (destination) receiving node. The message is divided into many variable-size portions. These portions are called packets. Each packet includes a data portion, a packet header, and, frequently, error detection information, e.g., parity information. The data portion includes the information in the message that is to be sent along with other protocol information from higher protocol layers in the network, e.g., the application layer, presentation layer, session layer, as set forth in the OSI reference model. The packet header includes information relating to, among other information, the location of the packet in the packet sequence.
In order to transport the packets between nodes of the network, additional information is required. This additional information is frequently stored in a frame header. A frame header is added to the packets and the combination of a packet and a frame header is called a frame. Each network limits the size of a frame, therefore, if the message is too large to fit in a single frame, the message will be separated into two or more frames. The information included in the frame header includes information identifying the ultimate destination node for the frame.
Frames are transmitted through the network using routers. For example, a frame can be transmitted from a first router to a second router, then from the second router to a third router, and then from the third router to the destination node. If the rate of incoming traffic at a first router is greater than the maximum frame transmission rate of the first router then a frame buffer in the first router will fill and, eventually, either the second router will instruct the first router to temporarily stop transmitting data or received frames will overwrite frames previously stored in the buffer and these overwritten frames will be lost. Most systems employ a transmission control system where the receiving router, e.g., the second router, can send a control signal to the transmitting router that instructs the transmitting router to temporarily stop transmitting.
Conventional transmission control systems utilize either a single signal line for both data frames and control signals or a dedicated control signal line. An example of a conventional transmission control system is an RS232 transmission protocol. In the RS232 transmission protocol a transmitting network element, e.g., a router, transmits frames to a receiving network element via a frame signal line. If the receiving router wants the transmitting router to stop transmitting frames, the receiving router generates a transmit off (XOFF) control signal and sends the control signal to the transmitting router via the frame signal line.
In high frequency networks, e.g., 500 MHz, the time necessary for the control signal to reach the transmitting router introduces a significant latency into the system. Specifically, if a control signal line is used to transport a control signal from the receiving router to the transmitting router, then the latency that is introduced is approximately equal to the time taken by a signal to travel the link distance between the transmitting router and the receiving router. If the link distance is approximately two meters (2 m), and the clock frequency is 500 MHz, where, for every clock cycle one data bit is sent on each signal line in the link, then approximately 3.3 bits (3.3 bits=500 MHz/300 km/s*2 m) are sent on each signal line by the transmitting router between the time that the receiving router sends the control signal and the time that the transmitting router receives the signal. In addition, the same number of bits are currently on the signal line, therefore approximately 6.6 bits are received by the receiving router after transmitting the XOFF control signal. If there are many signal lines on the link, e.g., 32, then approximately 212 bits (6.6 bits*32 signal lines) can be received by the receiving router after instructing the transmitting router to stop transmitting. These 212 bits must be stored in a buffer in the receiving router or else data will be lost. In order to store these bits, the receiving router must maintain extra buffers to capture all of these bits. Buffers are expensive and an inefficient use of buffers can have a significant impact on the performance of a network. Accordingly, setting aside enough buffer space to store at least 212 bits is an inefficient use of system resources. In the present example, 212 buffers spaces are reserved, and when the remaining buffer spaces in the receiving router are full, the receiving router transmits an XOFF control signal in order to ensure that all of the data that is sent by the data transmitting router between the transmission of the XOFF control signal by the data receiving router and the receipt of the XOFF control signal by the data transmitting router is captured and stored in a buffer space. However, not all of these bits are necessarily part of a data frame. Frequently, some of the bits are "idle" bits or other "garbage" bits that are sent over the network when no data frames or control signals are being transmitted. Accordingly, there is no need to store these idle bits. Therefore, when idle bits are transmitted, not all of the reserved buffer spaces are used. As described above, buffers are expensive and the RS232 transmission protocol is an inefficient use of these buffers.
When using the RS232 transmission protocol and a single control signal line, the transmitting router ceases data transmission after receiving the XOFF signal. When sufficient buffers become available in the receiving router, the receiving router generates a transmit-on (XON) signal and transmits the XON signal to the transmitting router. After receiving the XON signal the transmitting router will resume data transmission. However, this system introduces latency in the network that is equal to the time between sending the XON control signal and receiving the first data link.
If, instead of using a separate control signal line, the network uses a single data line for both control signals sent by the receiver and data frames sent by the transmitter, then the latency of the system further increases because the transmitting router must stop transmitting in order for the receiving router to transmit a control signal. Accordingly, a latency period that is approximately equal to the time required for a signal to travel from the transmitting router to the receiving router and back is introduced into the network.
What is needed is a flow control protocol system and method that: (1) efficiently utilizes the buffers in a receiving router; (2) minimizes network latency introduced by control signals; (3) can force the generation and transmission of a control signal; (4) multiplexes a control signal with other frames transmitted to the same port; (5) is robust, i.e., it can recover from transmission errors; (6) is adaptable to multiple priority level transmission frames; and (7) is adaptable to buffer resources provide in the receiver.

System and method for controlling data transmission between network elements


A system and method for analyzing and/or testing member devices in a multi-device system. The multi-device system includes a device-under-analysis (DUA) and a device-under-observation (DUO). An analyzer that is external to the multi-device system generates and sends test messages to the DUA. The analyzer monitors the health of the multi-device system through the DUO and detects a system-wide impact of the DUA caused by the test messages. The analyzer analyzes the DUA based on the test messages and the system-wide impact.

The present invention relates to automated analysis and testing of hardware and/or software.
A software application or hardware device (collectively called a target device or a device-under-analysis) can be analyzed or tested in an automated way by using a second device called an analyzer. In this situation, the analyzer generates a test message (e.g., an invalid test message), delivers the test message to the target device, monitors the target device, and/or analyzes the monitored information to determine whether the target device is operating correctly. Analyses and test messages identify the limitations of a target device.
The analyzer can determine whether a target device was designed and implemented correctly by delivering various test messages to the target device and observing and analyzing its responses to the tests. For example, security analysis can be performed as described in U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11/351,403, filed on Feb. 10, 2006, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety. The various tests may include valid test messages (called instrumentation vectors) to determine whether the device is still responding appropriately. For example, the analyzer can identify and characterize failures in a target device based on its responses to instrumentation vectors as described in U.S. Utility patent application Ser. No. 11/760,600, filed on Jun. 8, 2007, the disclosure of which is hereby incorporated by reference in its entirety.
Observing a target device's responses to tests and instrumentation vectors may be insufficient in assessing (or analyzing) the target device's design and/or implementation. The tests may cause the target device to send invalid (or improper) messages to other devices, even while the target device is still responding properly to the invalid test messages and instrumentation vectors. This is especially problematic when the target device is a part of a larger system of multiple devices because while the target device itself may not fail, it may nevertheless negatively affect the health of the system in the course of processing the tests.
For example, in a network using Open Shortest Path First (OSPF) routing protocol, a router under attack may improperly communicate with other routers and corrupt their routing tables, link state databases (LSDBs), and/or other shared resources. The router itself may still respond to attacks correctly. However, the other routers with contaminated routing tables, LSDBs, and/or other shared resources may fail or malfunction as a result of the attacks. As another example, an enterprise system may include a web server hosting web applications connected with a database server. Attacks sent to the web applications may corrupt data stored in the database server, even though the web applications may still appear normal.
From the above, there is a need for a system and method to test and analyze a target device to ensure that invalid traffic would not cause the target device to negatively affect the health of a system of which the target device is a member.

Meta-instrumentation for security analysis


A method and system for moving data from a network layer into a physical memory page, wherein said physical memory page comprising a plurality of physical memory clusters, creating a logical page providing an aligned view of the data, establishing a relationship between the logical page and the physical memory page such that the logical page is associated with said plurality of physical memory clusters, and forwarding a list of the logical pages to a storage resource such that the data referenced by the logical pages are stored subsequently into a storage resource.

This invention relates to managing data movement between computers, and more particularly to an improved method and system of moving data between a network and a storage resource using a true zero-copy system and method.
Network data differs from data stored on a storage resource such as a disk. For example, in an Ethernet network, network data can be transmitted and received as data packets that can be characterized as being odd-sized, arriving asynchronously or without warning, and having metadata such as protocol information embedded along with real data. In contrast, disk data may be characterized as being aligned, the size of the data being known, and containing only real data. As a result, disk data can be more easily managed than network data.
In order to move network data to a storage resource, a computer system may need to copy and format network data to be more compatible with disk data. Copying data from one format to another often requires the computer system to copy data from one memory area to another memory area. As a result, data throughput may be decreased due to the overhead involved in copying data.


A water impervious rubber or plastic insulated power cable, which is capable of maintaining water imperviousness for an extended period of time, is provided, which power cable comprising: a cable core having a conductor, an extruded conductor shield, a rubber or plastic insulation layer and an extruded insulation shield, the last three members being sequentially formed around the conductor; a water impervious layer which is provided around the cable core and which includes a laminate tape comprising a metal foil and a plastic laminated on at least one surface of the metal foil; an extruded jacket layer which is extruded on the water impervious layer and which is made integral with the plastic of the water impervious layer; a metal shield layer which is provided around the extruded jacket layer and which includes metallic wires; and a corrosion-protective layer which is extruded on the metal shield layer and in which the metal shield layer is embedded.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a water impervious rubber or plastic insulated power cable, and more particularly, to a water impervious insulated power cable, which is capable of exhibiting excellent water imperviousness for a long period of time, compared with a conventional water impervious rubber or plastic insulated power cable.
2. Prior Art
A typical rubber or plastic insulated power cable (hereinafter referred to as a "power cable") comprises a metal shield layer and a corrosion-protective layer (sheath layer) covering a cable core, which has a conductor, an extruded shield, a rubber or plastic insulation layer and an extruded insulation shield; the last three members being sequentially formed around the conductor. In this power cable, it is important to protect the cable core from the entry of water in the external environment of the cable.
As a conventional power cable provided with waterproof measures, there is one comprising a metal-plastic laminate tape, which is longitudinally applied under a corrosion-protective layer so that its plastic surface is positioned on the corrosion-protective layer side, and the plastic surface and the corrosion-protective layer being made into one united body to form a water impervious layer as disclosed under U.S. Pat. No. 4,472,597.
In the power cable provided with such a water impervious layer, however, there is the danger that, if the corrosion-protective layer should be damaged due to some cause or other, the water impervious layer, which is made integral with the corrosion-protective layer, will easily be affected by the damage. For this reason, it is an unavoidable problem that the water impervious property of the power cable deteriorates if the corrosion-protective layer incurs a damage.
To solve the aforementioned problem, the inventor has completed an invention on a power cable, wherein a laminate tape consisting of a metal tape and an electrically conductive plastic tape is used as the water impervious layer tape in the above-mentioned structure, and the laminate tape is longitudinally applied so that its electrically conductive plastic layer faces the cable core, thereby forming the electrically conductive plastic layer and an insulation shield into one body (refer to U.S. Pat. No. 4,626,619).
Further, the inventor has completed a power cable having a structure, as shown in FIG. 1, consisting of a conductor shield 2, an insulation layer 3, an insulation shield 4, and a water impervious layer 5 formed in sequence around conductors 1, and a semiconductive fabric tape-wrapped layer 6 formed by lapping a semiconductive fabric tape, which consists of an electrically conductive rubber applied to a woven fabric which has a good heat cycle following property and a memory rate of expansion and contraction thereof is 30% or more, around the water impervious layer 5 (U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,134).
When a power cable is in actual use, the power cable is subjected to frequent repetition of energizing and de-energizing. As a result, the power cable is continually subjected to heat cycles wherein the temperature of the whole cable including the cable core rises during the energizing period, while the temperature drops during the de-energizing period. Therefore, the cable core, the metal shield layer and the like of the power cable naturally repeat expansion and contraction due to the heat cycles. The repetition of the expansion and contraction adds to the fatigue of and damage (cracks or the like) to the composing materials, especially the water impervious layer, or the power cable, significantly leading to a shortened service life of the product.
In the power cables described in the specifications of U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,559,973 and 4,703,134, the water impervious layer and the cable core are made into one united body; therefore, the fatigue of and damage to the water impervious layer (mainly the metal tape) are increased by the repetitive expansion and contraction of the cable core caused by the heat cycles.
The power cable described in the specification of U.S. Pat. No. 4,703,134 has a special semiconductive fabric tape-wrapped layer with a good heat cycle following property provided between the water impervious layer and the metal shield layer; therefore, the damage to the water impervious layer from the expansion and contraction of the cable core and the metal shield layer can be significantly reduced.
In this power cable, however, as is obvious from FIG. 1, an edge portion of the semiconductive fabric tape constituting the semiconductive fabric tape-wrapped layer 6 forms discontinuity portion in terms of configuration and also the pressure applied to the water impervious layer 5. As a result, the metal tape constituting the water impervious layer 5 becomes susceptible to fatigue and damage at the discontinuity portion during the heat cycles. In addition, during the aforesaid heat cycles, the semiconductive fabric tape-wrapped layer 6 and the water impervious layer 5 rub against each other, contributing also to the fatigue of and damage to the water impervious layer 5.
Thus, the power cables proposed by the inventor previously both provide excellent characteristics as power cables, however, they still have room left for improvement in respect of the deterioration of water impervious property caused by the fatigue of and damage to the composing material primarily due to the heat cycles.

Water impervious rubber or plastic insulated power cable


A test structure for determining the electrical properties of a memory cell in a matrix-like cell array constructed on the basis of the single-sided buried strap concept has a connection between internal electrodes in the storage capacitors in two adjacent memory cells in the direction of the row of active regions in order to produce a series circuit. A first selection transistor and a first storage capacitor in a first memory cell and a second selection transistor and a second storage capacitor in a second memory cell, the active regions of the first and second selection transistors not being connected between the first and second selection transistors via a contact-making bit line.

Dynamic random access semiconductor memories (DRAMs) contain a matrix of memory cells which are connected up in the form of rows via word lines and columns via bit lines. Data are read from the memory cells or data are written to the memory cells as a result of activation of suitable word and bit lines. A dynamic memory cell generally comprises a selection transistor and a storage capacitor, the selection transistor normally being in the form of a horizontally designed field effect transistor and comprising two diffusion regions which are isolated by a channel above which there is a gate which is connected to a word line. One of the diffusion regions of the selection transistor is connected to a bit line, and the other diffusion region is connected to the storage capacitor. Applying a suitable voltage to the gate via the word line turns on the selection transistor and permits a flow of current between the diffusion regions in order to charge the storage capacitor via the bit line.
The continual striving to reduce the size of DRAM memory chips has resulted in the design of DRAM memory cells in which the storage capacitor, in particular, uses the third dimension. Fundamental embodiments of three-dimensional storage capacitors which have been developed are trench capacitors and stack capacitors, with the trench capacitor type normally being used in DRAM memory cells. The trench capacitor comprises a trench which is etched into the semiconductor substrate and is filled with a highly conductive material which serves as an internal capacitor electrode. By contrast, the external capacitor electrode is buried in the substrate and is isolated from the internal capacitor electrode by a dielectric layer. The electrical connection between the diffusion region of the selection transistor and the first internal capacitor electrode is generally made in the upper trench region by a capacitor connection, which is normally in the form of a diffusion region and is called the buried strap.
To produce DRAM memory cell arrays having a memory cell comprising a planar selection transistor and a trench capacitor, use is normally made of process technologies in which the electrical junction is independent of the orientation of the diffusion regions of the selection transistors and the trench capacitors with respect to one another. In this production method, the active regions, i.e. the diffusion regions, of the selection transistor are arranged in rows in a first direction and the trench capacitors are arranged in rows in a second direction, which runs transversely with respect to the first direction, the conductive junctions between the active regions of the selection transistors and the trench capacitors on the overlapping areas of the rows which run at right angles to one another being respectively produced in both edge regions of the overlapping area in the first direction.
This double-sided buried-strap cell array concept is increasingly being replaced by the single-sided buried-strap concept, however, which can be used to produce cell array geometries which are easier to map lithographically. In the case of this cell array technology, the conductive junctions between the active regions of the selection transistors and the trench capacitors on the overlapping areas of the rows (running at right angles to one another) of active regions of the selection transistors in a first direction and trench capacitors in a second direction are respectively produced only in a single edge region in the first direction of the overlapping area in the first direction. By contrast, in the opposite edge region, the active region of the selection transistor is insulated from the underlying trench capacitor. This single-sided buried-strap cell array concept allows a checkerboard cell geometry to be produced, in particular, in which the memory cells at the crossover points between the active regions of the selection transistors and the trench capacitors in adjacent rows are arranged offset from one another.
DRAMs are normally produced in large numbers at the same time on a semiconductor plate, the wafer. When the DRAM memories are finished, they are split up by cracking and breaking or sawing at interspaces, kerfs, provided for this purpose. The semiconductor pieces with the individual DRAM memories, the DRAM chips, are then incorporated into a package and are electrically conductively connected to contact lugs.
Before the wafers are split into the individual chips, function tests for the individual DRAM memory cells are generally performed at wafer level. These function tests are intended to indicate the general operation of the memory cells. This also allows the electrical properties of the DRAM memory cells and hence particularly of the selection transistors to be characterized. At the same time, function tests are also performed on memory cells in which it is possible to vary important parameters, particularly of the selection transistors, in order to establish possible tolerances in the memory cell. In this case, the necessary measurements for the function tests are normally not performed on the memory cells themselves, but rather on special test structures which are produced together with the DRAM memory cells on the wafer, in order to ensure that the test structures indicate the operability or the electrical properties of the actual DRAM memory cells. The test structures are normally produced in space-saving fashion between the DRAM memories in the kerfs, that is to say the regions which are later used to split the wafer into the individual chips.
To test the test structures, automatic testers are generally used. These testers normally have an arrangement of test needles with 25 measuring tips arranged in a row which are used for simultaneously making contact with a corresponding number of contact areas on the test structures. Using the automatic testers, currents and voltages are applied to the test structure, and the electrical properties of the test components arranged between the contact areas are measured and evaluated in order to obtain statements about the quality of the production process for the DRAM memory cells on the wafer.
For the double-sided buried-strap DRAM memory cell concept, test structures for measuring the electrical properties of the individual DRAM memory cells and, at the same time, particularly the parameters of the selection transistors are already known. For the single-sided buried-strap cell concepts, on the other hand, the prior art has not yet developed any test structures for the individual DRAM memory cells, particularly the selection transistors, which can be used to ascertain the electrical properties of the DRAM elementary cells easily and accurately.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,339,228 D1 has disclosed test structures for a single-sided buried-strap DRAM memory cell array (Note: term is recorded in paragraph 1 on page 2 of the decision).

Test structure for a single-sided buried strap DRAM memory cell array


A fishing lure includes a blade having first and second opposing ends each having a generally circular periphery and connected by a central bridge portion having first and second parallel sides. The first and second sides extend substantially tangent to the peripheries of the first and second ends, respectively. A longitudinal axis of the blade passes through geometric centers of the first and second ends; a lateral axis extends perpendicular thereto. A spin hole is provided midway along the longitudinal axis for encircling the line, and a fold line is formed at a 15-degree offset from the lateral axis, passing through the spin hole, extending substantially perpendicular to the first and second sides of the bridge portion. The blade is folded about the fold line through an angle of 30 to 90 degrees, causing the blade to spin even when the lure is pulled through water at slow speeds.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to fishing lures, and more particularly, to fishing lures that include spinning blades for reflecting light downwardly into water.
2. Description of the Related Art
Fishing is a popular form of recreation, and fisherman often compete for bragging rights as to landing the biggest fish from a particular body of water. One preferred form of fishing is known as trolling in which one or more fishing lines are baited with lures or bait fish, and are slowly drawn through the water. Fisherman troll for fish either by dragging one or more lines behind a moving boat, or by slowly reeling a line in when fishing from shore. When trolling from a boat, a special trolling motor is typically used to move the boat at a relatively slow, constant speed.
Fishing lures that spin, and reflect light, as they move through the water, have been in use for many years. So-called "spoons" include an elliptical piece of metal, resembling the working end of a dinner-table spoon. One or more hooks are attached to one end of the spoon, and the fishing line is attached to the other end of the spoon. As the lure is pulled through the water, the spoons rotate and reflect light, resembling the appearance of a minnow.
"Spinners" may include a wire shaft having loops or eyes at both ends, one for attaching the spinner to a fishing line, and the other for attachment to a hook. Often, a row of colored beads or metal rings or cylinders, are threaded onto the wire shaft to sparkle and glimmer. Near the upper eye of the wire shaft, a metal spinner blade is rotatably coupled to spin as the lure is pulled through the water. The metal spinner blade may be of various shapes and styles, including a so-called "Colorado" spinner that resembles a tear-drop shape. Rotational movement of such lures through the water as the lure is pulled, resulting vibration, together with the flashing patterns of light that are reflected into the water, are the features that are believed to attract fish to bite at the lure.
It has been found that some fish that are valued by fisherman are more likely to bite at, or "hit", a lure that advances more slowly through the water, for example, at speeds of as little as one-half mile per hour. However, many of the known fishing lures that are designed to spin in the water do not exhibit significant spin, or "flash", when pulled at such slow speeds.
While some fishing lures may be effective in attracting fish, they may nonetheless present disadvantages. For example, if a fishing lure creates excessive drag as it is pulled through the water, it may be more difficult for a fisherman to recognize that a fish has bit on the lure. On the other hand, a fishing lure that performs well might fail to succeed commercially if it costs significantly more to manufacture; fishing lure manufacturers and dealers are very competitive, and fisherman demand fishing lures that are reasonably priced.
Often fisherman desire to adjust, or "tweak", the characteristics of a fishing lure to account for varying circumstances. For example, a fisherman may wish to adjust a lure to increase, or decrease, the rate at which it spins for a given trolling speed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,347 to Stirtz describes a fishing flasher including an elongated resilient blade. In one embodiment, the elongated blade is S-shaped, and in a second embodiment, the elongated blate is quarter-moon, or crescent, shaped. A braided wire leader is secured to the eye of a hook, and a series of beads are threaded over the braided-wire leader. The braided-wire leader extends through an aperture formed in the blade. Equal length blade segments extend about opposite sides of a fold line. The fold line is offset from a transverse axis of the blade by an angle of between 5 and 10 degrees. The bent portions of the blade are folded about the fold line to form an angle of between 30-60 degrees. At least some of the blade segment surfaces are reflective to reflect, or "flash", light downwardly into the water as the blade spins. The blade is formed from planar flexible plastic sheet material, such as 10-15 mil Mylar.
The crescent-shaped blade embodiment disclosed in the Stirtz patent described above has been commercially available since approximately 1997 under the federally-registered trademark "SMILE BLADES" from Mack's Lure, Inc. of Wenatchee, Wash. Crescent-shaped lure blades sold under the federally-registered trademark "SMILE BLADES" have included markings referencing U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,347. While such blades have become popular among fisherman, they still exhibit difficulty in spinning, and "flashing" light, when moved through the water at very low trolling speeds.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a fishing lure which is adapted to spin, and "flash" light into the water, even when the fishing lure is trolled at very slow speeds, e.g., one-half mile per hour.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a spinning blade for such a fishing lure to provide such benefits.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide such a fishing lure, and related blade, which avoid excessive drag, for allowing a fisherman to have better "feel" of the fishing line, and to react more quickly when a fish hits the fishing lure.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide such a fishing lure, and related blade, that can be manufactured relatively easily and inexpensively.
A still further object of the present invention is to provide such a fishing lure, and related blade, that allows a fisherman to quickly and easily modify the characteristics of the fishing lure to increase, or decrease, the rate at which it spins for a given trolling speed.
These and other objects of the invention will become more apparent to those skilled in the art as the description of the present invention proceeds.


A razor blade sharpener utilising the principles of an electrochemical cell. The blade (10) forms an anode (xe2x88x92) and a cathodic plate (16) is provided in close proximity to the razor edge (12) to be sharpened. The present invention electrochemically sharpens the edge (12) of the blade tip (14) to provide a fresh, or xe2x80x9cas newxe2x80x9d razor blade.

The present invention relates to a blade re-sharpener. In particular, it relates to a blade re-sharpener for producing a razor sharp, or xe2x80x9cas newxe2x80x9d edge on a blade.
The primary reason for blades becoming blunt is that the extreme edge of the blade bends over. With a cut-throat razor blade, such damage could be corrected with the leather strip. New razor blade heads, however, have their blades surrounded by plastic casings. Such correction of the edge would therefore not be possible.
With continued use, the bent edge will actually break off resulting in a permanently damaged blade. For shaving, such a blade edge is particularly undesirable since shaving with such a blade inevitably results in facial nicks and the like. Therefore it would be usual practice to dispose of such a blade.
Typically, a modern razor blade head will last for a few shaves, and perhaps up to one week of comfortable shaving. Thereafter, the blade, although sharp enough to achieve shave, will not shave as efficiently or as comfortably as when new.
Similar problems occur with other blades, such as those fitted to surgical equipment, and kitchen knives. A means for restoring a clean, sharp edge, which does not require aggressive sharpening with a grinder, for example, would therefore be highly desirable.
An aim of the present invention is to provide a means for restoring a blade to an xe2x80x9cas newxe2x80x9d condition thereby prolonging the life of a blade.
A device to achieve this would desirably function on disposable razor blades, blade heads, kitchen knives, surgical blades and other such blades.
The present invention provides a blade sharpener comprising at least part of an electrochemical cell, wherein, in use, an anode thereof is formed by a blade. The blade can be applied to the sharpener with preferably no, but at least substantially no dismantling of the handle, packaging or casing thereof.
Preferably the sharpener is a domestic blade re-sharpener, be they razor blades or kitchen knives. However, the sharpener could be used in an operating theatre for sharpening surgical blades.
Preferably, the blade sharpener comprises a cathodic plate, an electrolyte and a current source connected, in use, to the cathodic plate and the blade, wherein, in use, the electrolyte immerses both the cathodic plate and the edge of the blade to be sharpened. This forms an electrochemical cell. The process of electrolysis lifts the surface off the edge of the blade to remove the bent over portion thereof, thus resulting in a refreshed, or xe2x80x9cas newxe2x80x9d razor sharp edge.
Preferably, the current source is an external source of current, such as a solar cell, battery or D.C power supply.
Preferably, the blade is a razor blade of a disposable razor head.
Preferably, the anode is formed of a plurality of blades, for example two or three blades in a disposable razor blade head.
Preferably, the cathodic plate is stainless steel or a conductive plastic, or nickel plated copper or solid nickel; little or no electrolytic action, i.e. removal of material, will be experienced by the cathodic plate, and therefore a variety of materials are appropriate. Indeed, the electric circuitry may be formed entirely from conductive plastics, or may even comprise printed circuits. The printed circuits may be conventionally acid etched or may, for example, use conductive inks to make the circuit.
Preferably, the blade sharpener includes a blade holding portion which has insulating means provided thereon to prevent shorting of the electrochemical cell.
Preferably, the electrolyte is a weak solution of sulphuric acid, which will also function as a descaler. Preferably, the electrolyte doubles as a blade sterilizing solution and can have corrosion inhibitors provided therein. The sterilizing substance could be sodium hypochloride. In fact, most ionic solutions will work as the electrolyte equally as well as sulphuric acid.
Two cathodic plates could be provided to sharpen a blade, such as a kitchen knife on two sides thereof. Preferably, the current source would be controlled to switch from one plate to the other plate to provide a uniform sharpening of the blade edge.
Preferably, the gap between the cathodic plates and the blade edge is very small.
In use the current source may be connected to the blade and plate, or plates by means of a spring mounted probe. For a disposable razor blade head, the probe may need to pass through vents provided in the back of the disposable razor blade head.
The current source may be connected to the blade by means of a wire contacting a portion of the front of the blade. For curved blades, the cathodic plate(s) could be made to track/traverse the edge of the blade, or this blade could be made to track/traverse the cathodic plate(s), sharpening at the same time. This allows a disposable razor blade head having a closed back to be sharpened using the present invention. Further, since the connection forming the circuit between the current source and the blade pushes in a direction away from the skin facing surface of the blade, any indentation of the blade caused by the contact against the blade will be in a direction which will not cause potentially hazardous deformation of the blade, such deformations possibly causing skin nicks.

Abstract: The blade sharpener has additional uses for sharpening, for example, kitchen knifes and surgical blades.


A free-radical curable polish composition is described. The composition can be applied and cured as an ultra thin film on finished surfaces to provide enhanced chemical and mar resistance. The composition comprises an aqueous emulsion including an olefin-functional polymer or an olefin-functional prepolymer, and a silicone or silicone copolymer preferably with photoinitiators for UV and EB cure. The polish/emulsion can be applied, for example, to wet the surface of nitrocellulose lacquer wood finishes. The polish wet surface is first wiped to remove excess polish and thereafter exposed to UV radiation to provide a thin, polymerized protective film.

Wood surfaces on furniture and other fine wood products are typically finished with stains, lacquers and other coatings to provide aesthetically pleasing finishes. Furniture finishing of the highest quality traditionally employs finishing protocols using cellulosic lacquers, such as nitrocellulose lacquer. Cellulosic lacquers are relatively inexpensive, easy to apply and repair, and importantly, can be rubbed/buffed to the deep, high quality luster desirable in the fine furniture market. Cellulosic lacquers, however, have several disadvantages, including poor resistance to abrasion and solvent/chemical attack.
Various alternatives to cellulosic lacquers have been developed to improve the durability of wood finishes. Thus cellulosic lacquers have been replaced with thermosetting coatings. Other approaches to obviate the disadvantages of cellulosic lacquers have sought to increase the hardness of cellulosic lacquers by adding cross-linkable functionality to lacquer components and curing the applied finish. These approaches provide wood finishes with greater chemical and abrasion resistance, but do so only with compromise of finish quality and repairability available using traditional cellulosic lacquers.
The present invention provides a novel method for improving the physical characteristics, for example, mar and chemical resistance not only of traditional wood, finishes but other surfaces as well, including, but not limited to, leather, metallic, plastic, textile and painted surfaces. In accordance with one embodiment of this invention, a traditionally finished wood surface is wetted with a free-radical curable polish composition. The surface is wiped free of excess polish leaving an ultra thin, continuous, preferably visibly indiscernible, polish film. The surface is then exposed to free-radical initiating conditions to cure the polish film. The cured, polish-coated surface not only retains the high quality sheen and luster of the underlying finish, but surprisingly, the cured ultra thin coating provides the polished surface with a significantly improved resistance to abrasion, water staining and chemical/solvent attack.
The present invention also provides a novel water extendible free-radical curable polish formulation exhibiting excellent open-time and wipeability. The polish composition is formulated to have surface tension characteristics that allow it to be applied to form stable, ultra-thin films on widely variant surfaces, including traditional wood finishes. The applied films can be polymerized, for example by UV or electron beam radiation, to form a hard, non-tacky, high gloss, high clarity surface. Use of the present polish composition in the end processing step of furniture manufacturer helps to minimize marring of wood surfaces during shipment and thereby reduces costs of labor and materials for refinishing.
In one embodiment of the present invention the curable polish composition comprises an olefin functional polymer or an olefin functional pre-polymer and a silicone or silicone copolymer in a water extendible aqueous emulsion. The present UV curable polish compositions are formulated to include as well one or more photoinitiators, which ingredients are not required for (but can be present in) electron beam (EB) curable polish compositions in accordance with this invention. The present polish composition typically comprises about 90 to about 60% water, and the total polymer solids content of the polish composition ranges from about 10 to about 40% by weight with the ratio of olefin functional polymer or pre-polymer to silicone or silicone copolymer components ranging from about 2:1 to about 1:8 more preferably about 1:1 to about 1:6.
In one preferred embodiment the polish composition of the present invention includes an olefin functional polymer, preferably a polyacrylate, polyvinyl chloride, polycarbonate, polymethacrylate, a polyurethane or a copolymer thereof, a water dispersible silicone or silicone copolymer, a free-radical initiator, a water miscible organic solvent, a water immiscible organic solvent, water, and an emulsifier in an amount effective to stabilize the emulsion. In an alternative embodiment the olefin-functional (radical curable) component of the composition is a poly(olefin functional) monomer or oligomer, preferably in combination with a water dispersible, optionally olefin-functional, polymer.
The polish composition is applied by wetting the substrate surface to be treated in accordance with the invention with the polish composition and wiping the polish-wet surface, preferably with an absorbent pad to remove excess polish composition and provide a thin substantially uniform coating. Thereafter the wiped surface is exposed to free-radical initiating conditions to initiate free-radical propagated polymerization of the applied polish coating.


A three-dimensional display system includes a first display and a second display spaced apart from the first display having one or more light sources configured to emit light and to illuminate the first display, where the first display is at least partially transparent such that the second display is visible through the first display. The three-dimensional display system includes a special effect system disposed at least in part between the first display and the second display and is configured to be activated to cause a special effect to be visible through the first display. The three-dimensional display system includes a controller communicatively coupled to the first display, the second display, and the special effect system.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art that may be related to various aspects of the present techniques, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it should be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
The subject matter disclosed herein relates to amusement park attractions, and more specifically, to providing realistic and/or immersive viewing experiences in amusement park attractions.
Amusement parks or theme parks may include various entertainment attractions for providing enjoyment to guests of the amusement parks. For example, the attractions may include themed environments established using devices displaying media content (e.g., images, special effects, or a combination thereof). For some applications, it may be desirable to display media content with special effects to create an interactive experience for an audience that appears more realistic and to provide a more immersive experience for the guest.

Interactive display with special effects assembly


A method and apparatus for sending messages to a digital pager in a communications system. A voice message is received from a caller, wherein the voice message is to be sent to a pager. The voice message is transformed into a text message, wherein the message is transformed using a data processing system. The text message is sent to the digital pager across an air interface.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a method and apparatus for wireless communications. Still more particularly, the present invention relates to a method and apparatus for sending text and or voice messages to a digital pager.
2. Description of the Related Art
A pager system is a communications system used to contact a person who may be away from a telephone and whose whereabouts may be unknown. A pager system provides a service to call a person by radio who is absent and transmitting a message to him, such as, for example, a text message or a phone number. A caller typically uses a telephone connected to a public telephone line to contact a pager system to transmit a pager signal to a digital pager unit at which time a called party receives a message. When the caller contacts the pager system, instructions may be given to the caller as to how to input a message to the called party. With numerical messages, the caller typically enters digits using DTMF tones from a telephone device. This numerical message is then forwarded to the called party. Alternatively, the caller may in some instances be able to send a text message to a person carrying a digital pager unit that can receive text, but not E-mail. In such a situation, the caller calls a telephone number that is answered by a third party who is the message carrier. This third party is a person who listens to the caller to obtain the message to be sent to the called party. At that time, the third party enters the message into the pager system, which is then sent to the called party. One drawback of such a system is that messages between the caller and the called party cannot be kept secret because a third party is involved in transferring a message to the called party.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to have an improved method and apparatus for sending text messages to a digital pager.
It is one object of the present invention to provide an improved data processing system.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for wireless communications.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a method and apparatus for sending text and/or voice messages to a digital pager.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and apparatus for sending text and/or voice messages to multiple recipients.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus sending text and/or voice messages to a recipient without requiring a third party, such as a message carrier.
The present invention provides a method and apparatus for sending messages to a digital pager in a communications system. A voice message is received from a caller, wherein the voice message is to be sent to a pager. The voice message is transformed into a text message, wherein the message is transformed using a speech recognition program in a data processing system. The text message is sent to the digital pager via transmission means.

Method and apparatus for transmitting data to a pager in a communications system

International Business Machines Corporation


This application describes insulated panel systems with first and second encapsulated foam core panels having foam cores, coated with or otherwise encapsulated in a shell material. Front and back overlap members may be fixed to the first encapsulated foam core panel or the second encapsulated foam core panel to allow the insulated panel system to removeably cover a container around a perimeter of the container (i.e., in a lateral direction relative to the container). A drip edge and overlap member may be fixed to the first encapsulated foam core panel to allow the insulated panel system to removeably cover a container vertically along a height of the container (i.e., in a vertical direction relative to the container).

Insulation often covers containers that store a product in extreme temperatures, such as very low temperatures. Some insulation is formed of fiberglass, foam or wool. However, these types of insulations are often relatively fragile, in the case of fiberglass and foam. Given the fragile qualities of the fiberglass and foam, battering weather (e.g., blizzards, tornadoes, freezing rain, ice, sleet, extreme temperatures, extreme changes temperature, etc.), vermin, insects, and/or human activity can damage and compromise a protective covering (e.g., jacketing, sheeting, cladding, foil, etc.) and the insulation behind the protective covering. Thereafter, the insulation might no longer be effective. Because the compromised insulating material must be disposed of and new insulation must be obtained, the cost of repairing the compromised insulation is increased. In addition, some undamaged or uncompromised insulation systems covering tanks may absorb moister, after which the insulation is no longer effective. Further, the covering of the tanks with insulation may be labor intensive, again driving up a cost of insulating tanks.
Thus, there remains a need to develop new tank insulations formed of materials which are much more durable than existing protective coverings, are much faster to install than existing tank insulations, and/or are more cost effective than existing tank insulations.


A wireless network includes a first station and a second station. The first station includes a media access control circuit configured to provide a frame of data to be transmitted on a communication channel, and a physical layer device configured to receive the frame of data and transmit the frame of data on the communication channel. The frame of data is transmitted according to a first short interframe space (SIFS) or a second SIFS, and the first SIFS has a duration that is different from that of the second SIFS. The second station is configured to determine whether the first station transmitted the frame of data according to the first SIFS or the second SIFS and transmit a response to the frame of data based on the determination of whether the first station transmitted the frame of data according to the first SIFS or the second SIFS.

In wireless local area networks, network devices communicate with each other over a wireless medium that is shared among the network devices. In such cases, in which a wireless medium is shared among multiple network devices, in order to avoid interference among respective transmissions of the network devices on the wireless medium, generally only one networking device should be permitted to transmit on the wireless medium at any given time. When transmissions of multiple network devices interfere on a wireless medium, such occurrences are commonly referred to as "collisions". According to IEEE Standard 802.11-2012, the entire disclosure of which is here incorporated by reference, a carrier sense multiple access with collision avoidance (CSMA/CA) scheme is therefore defined.
According to CSMA, prior to transmitting, a network device senses whether the wireless medium is busy—i.e., whether a carrier signal from another station's transmission is present on the wireless medium. If the wireless medium appears to be free based on carrier sensing, a collision avoidance scheme causes the networking device to select a randomized period of time to wait before transmitting. If the wireless medium remains free during this period of time, the network device begins transmitting upon conclusion of the period of time. The networking device expects to receive an acknowledgement from the destination of the transmission. If no acknowledgment is received, the network device may assume that a collision occurred, and therefore attempt to retry transmission later, possibly after waiting for an even longer randomized period of time.
In FIG. 1, an example illustration of a collision avoidance scheme 100 consistent with IEEE 802.11 is shown. At time 102, the medium ceases to be busy. A network device that desires to transmit on the medium will initially wait for the medium to remain free for a predetermined amount of time—a delay referred to as the distributed coordination function (DCF) interframe space (DIFS)—the ending of which is represented in FIG. 1 at time 106. At the end of the DIFS, the network device randomly selects an integer that can range from zero to an upper limit. The integer randomly selected may be referred to as a backoff number, a backoff delay, or a backoff interval. The network device then additionally waits for an amount of time corresponding to the selected backoff interval and, assuming the medium continues to remain free during this time, the network device can begin transmitting on the medium.
In FIG. 1, if the randomly selected backoff interval is zero, the network device can immediately begin transmitting on the medium at time 106. If the backoff interval selected is one, the network device waits for a predetermined time period referred to as a slot time, and can begin transmitting at time 110. Similarly, if the backoff interval selected is two, the network device can begin transmitting at time 114, which time corresponds to two slot times after the end of DIFS at time 106.
As shown in FIG. 1, a duration of a DIFS (referred to herein as a "DIFS duration" corresponds to two slot times and one short interframe space (SIFS). Because network devices will normally wait a DIFS duration prior to transmitting on a medium, even if the selected backoff is zero, an access point can gain precedence over regular network devices by beginning transmission on the medium during the DIFS duration, such as at time 118. The delay from time 102 until time 118 is called a point coordination function (PCF) interframe space (PIFS). As shown in FIG. 1, a duration of a PIFS corresponds to one SIFS and one slot time.
In FIG. 2, an example transmission following the backoff interval is shown. At time 150, a source transmits a request to send (RTS) to a destination. Following a SIFS, during which the destination processes the RTS and gets ready for transmission, the destination transmits a clear to send (CTS) frame at time 154. When the source receives a CTS frame, the source knows that the destination successfully received the RTS frame and that a collision did not occur. Because the RTS frame is relatively short, the determination of whether a collision has occurred will be much quicker than if a long data frame experienced a collision. In addition, the CTS frame signals to other network devices, which may not have received the RTS from the source, that a transmission is expected and that the medium is busy.
At time 158, after a further SIFS, the source begins transmission of data to the destination. At time 162, following another SIFS, the destination transmits an acknowledgment to the source if the destination correctly received the data. At time 166, the medium is once again free, and other network devices must wait for at least a period of DIFS until time 170 before the other network devices can begin transmission. Between time 150 and time 170, any network devices that had a non-zero backoff would have deferred decrementing their backoff until time 170. In other words, if another device had a remaining backoff of two at time 150, that backoff would begin decrementing once again at time 170. If the medium remains free, after an additional two slot times, the backoff will have decreased to zero and that network device can transmit.
In order to provide quality of service (QoS)—i.e., giving different priorities to different types of traffic—the collision avoidance scheme above, which is called the distributed coordination function (DCF), has been extended with a scheme called enhanced distributed channel access (EDCA). Under EDCA, two primary changes are made. The first is that a duration of the DIFS is effectively lengthened for lower priority traffic. In addition, the average backoff interval for lower priority traffic is lengthened. The following table includes the four access categories defined for 802.11 QoS. The lowest priority is called background, while the highest priority is called voice.
AccessACCWminCWmaxCategoryDescriptionCWmine.g.CWmaxe.g.AIFSNAC_BKBackgroundaCWmin15aCWmax10237AC_BEBest Effort aCWmin15aCWmax10233AC_VIVideo(aCWmin + 1)/2 − 17aCWmin152AC_VOVoice(aCWmin + 1)/4 − 13(aCWmin + 1)/2 − 172
When selecting a backoff interval, the network device selects a random number between 0 and an upper limit. The upper limit is called a contention window (CW) and is initialized to a value called CWmin. When a transmission fails, likely as a result of collision, the contention window is increased, up to a limit of CWmax. The above table demonstrates that the values of CWmin and CWmax are different for different access categories.
The values of CWmin and CWmax are defined in terms of parameters aCWmin and aCWmax. Using example values of 15 for aCWmin and 1023 for aCWmax, examples of CWmin and CWmax for each access category are shown. For example, for video (AC_VI), the contention window begins at 7 where the backoff will be randomly selected from the range of 0 to 7, and after one or more retries, the backoff will be randomly chosen from the range of 0 to 15.
The above table also has a column for arbitration interframe space number (AIFSN), which specifies the minimum time that the medium must be free before the backoff interval begins. The arbitration interframe space (AIFS) is specified by the sum of SIFS and AISFN times the slot time. As shown in FIG. 3, the duration of an AIFS for an AIFSN of two is the same as the duration of the DIFS from FIG. 1. The duration of an AIFS for an AIFSN of three is one slot time longer than the duration of the DIFS. Similarly, the duration of an AIFS for an AIFSN of 7 is five slot times longer than the duration of the DIFS. In other words, for best effort (AC_BE) frames, where the AIFSN is three, the earliest time a network device could transmit best effort data is at time 204. If the selected backoff is one, best effort traffic could be transmitted starting at time 208. Similarly, if the backoff is two, best effort traffic could begin transmitting at time 212, etc.
Using background data (AC_BK) as an example, the contention window, using the example aCWmin and aCWmax values, increases from 15 to a maximum of 1023 as retransmissions are attempted. Once the contention window reaches CWmax, the contention window remains the same for any subsequent retries. Eventually, after a certain number of retries, transmission of that frame may be abandoned. The function that specifies how the contention window increases from CWmin to CWmax may be dependent on access category. One example function, which is nearly equivalent to doubling, is (CW+1)*2−1. In other words, the contention window begins at 15 and, after an unsuccessful transmission, the CW increases to 31. After another failed transmission attempt, the contention window increases to 63, etc.
Referring again to FIG. 3, it can be observed that the total delay from the medium becoming free until a transmission begins can be expressed in terms of SIFS plus a number of slot times. SIFS is based on the nominal time that the medium access control (MAC) and physical layer interface (PHY) require in order to receive the last symbol of a frame at the air interface, process the frame, and respond with the first symbol on the air interface of the earliest possible response frame. IEEE 802.11-2012, section 126.96.36.199.
The slot time is based on four values: aMACProcessingDelay, aAirPropagationTime, aRxTxTurnaroundTime, and aCCATime. The aMACProcessingDelay value is the maximum time available for the MAC to request a transmission from the PHY after learning of the end of a reception by the PHY. The aAirPropagationTime is twice the propagation time required for a signal to cross the distance between the most distant allowable network devices. The aRxTxTurnaroundTime is the maximum time required by the PHY to change from receiving to transmitting. The aCCATime is the maximum time that a clear channel assessment (CCA) mechanism has available to determine whether the medium is busy or idle. See IEEE 802.11-2012, section 22.214.171.124. For purposes of illustration only, examples of these values in the 5 GHz band are 9 μs for slot time, 16 μs for SIFS, and 4 μs for aCCATime.

Method and apparatus for providing different types of physical layer devices access to a wireless medium