A light source guide for attachment to a bottom of a grip of a handgun, a bottom of a firearm magazine, a hand tool or the like, used for resting on top of a portion of the light. The guide is adaptable for receipt on different sizes, shapes, types and lengths of light sources. The light source guide preferably includes a guide base having a upper surface and a first rail and a second rail extending downwardly and outwardly from opposite sides of a bottom surface of the guide base. The first and second rails and the bottom surface of the guide base are preferably adapted for rapid engagement to the top of a suitable light source. Also, the guide base can include at least one aiming wedge disposed between the upper surface of the guide base and the bottom of the implement to which it attaches. The aiming wedges are used for adjusting vertically the alignment of the flashlight beam relative to the line of sight of the handgun or hand tool so that they at a selected distance.

(A) Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a flashlight guide used with firearms, hand tools and the like and more particularly, but not by way of limitation, to a flashlight guide for mounting on the bottom of a handgun grip, on the bottom of a magazine received in the handgun or on a hand tool. The flashlight guide is adapted for resting on top of a portion of a flashlight for aligning a flashlight beam relative to a line of sight of the handgun or tool when pointing toward a target or work piece, so that the beam and line of sight intersect at a predetermined range.
(B) Discussion of Prior Art
In the United States, there are a number of manufacturers making flashlight systems having an adapter for permanently attaching a flashlight to a bottom of a grip of a handgun, a rifle, a shotgun and the like. The adapters provide light systems for firearms used by law enforcement, home security and sportsmen. Certain prior art flashlight adapters require special holsters for specific models of firearms.
A number of U.S. patents have issued which disclose light holders for firearms and the like. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 1,826,004 discloses a flashlight having a barrel rest between the light portion and the battery case. The barrel portion includes a setscrew and shims, but does not discuss their use in adjusting the orientation of the flashlight relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,209,524 discloses a flashlight having a barrel rest that is adjustable vertically and horizontally, using a pair of setscrews. Optical means are disclosed for providing a light beam in which the central portion is rendered more visible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,758,933 discloses handguns and shotguns including grooves to seat a cylindrical flashlight barrel by hand to aim in the same direction as the firearm.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,683 discloses a flashlight adapter which allows a flashlight to slide onto the bottom of the handle of a semiautomatic pisol. The flashlight and barrel axes are substantially parallel, but there appear to be no means for adjusting the angle of the light beam relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,348 discloses a bracket system for detachably mounting a flashlight on a hand supported firearm (e.g., the handle of a revolver) so that the flashlight is supported beneath the firearm and substantially parallel to the axis of the barrel to illuminate an area toward which the firearm is pointed. No means for adjustment of the flashlight relative to the barrel axis are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,697,226 discloses a light mount for firearms, particularly shotguns, to selectively place a beam of light at the approximate point of impact from the firearm. The flashlight is shown as mounted atop the shotgun barrel with devices including a tubular housing, a spring housing and a base member. No means are apparently provided for adjustment of the light beam relative to the barrel. Remote switching means for the flashlight are disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,167,446 discloses a handgun grip accessory for attachment to the tubular casing of a flashlight to enable the user to hold the flashlight while at the same time aiming the attached handgun (using a two-handed grip) at an object illuminated by the flashlight. No means are apparently provided for adjusting the light beam relative to the handgun barrel. A finger-actuated switch for the flashlight is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,560,703 discloses a mounting device for removably mounting a flashlight on a handgun, using a combination of brackets and an elastic band surrounding the handgun grip. The brackets are said to hold the flashlight in desired alignment with the barrel of the gun, but there is apparently no provision for adjustment of this alignment. The attachment system is said to avoid problems associated with the fitting of the handgun into a holster. Remote switching for the flashlight is disclosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,628,555 discloses a switch actuation mechanism for a firearm-mounted flashlight having a "momentary" switch mechanism. The actuating mechanism includes a lever to be actuated by the finger of the hand gripping the firearm to operate the flashlight. The flashlight is illustrated as attached to the magazine base of a semiautomatic pistol, but does not appear to be adjustable relative to the barrel.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,023,875 discloses an illumination source and mounting system to be detachably secured to a family of firearms including pistols, revolvers and long guns. A "mount-to-magazine interface" aligns the light beam to provide illumination at a fixed range impact point, but no adjustment of this alignment appears to be provided for. Remote pressure switching for the flashlight is disclosed. This system is commercially available as the "TACM III Tactical Light System" from Diamond Products Marketing, Inc. of Palm Bay, Fla.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,683 discloses a flashlight adapter for a handgun having a base retainer receivable into the interior of a magazine through the lower end thereof. Ther magazine base has a channel therein for receiving a lightholder holding a flashlight therein. A "QUIK-2-SEE" Flashlight Mounting System is commercially available, apparently related to this patent and connecting a flashlight to the magazine of a firearm in a fixed position via a flanged adapter attached to the flashlight and a T-rail sliding bar fastened to the magazine and adapted to interconnect with the flashlight flanged adapter.
Despite the numerous patents and products in this field, there remains a need for a simple, inexpensive, portable device or system which can be installed to fasten a light source to a projecting device such as a handgun to align the light beam substantially parallel with the weapon's line of sight in the horizontal plane and selectively aligned relative to the line of sight in the vertical axis so that the light beam and the line of sight intersect at the expected point of impact or point of aim.
None of the above mentioned prior art flashlight systems and adapters provide the unique structure, function, objects and advantages of the subject invention as described herein.

Light guide for projecting weapons and handtools


An apparatus comprises a processing device configured to select a subset of a plurality of web components of a web application, the web components being arranged in a web component hierarchy, each web component comprising one or more web elements. The processing device is also configured to assign a tag to each web component in the subset. The processing device is further configured to dynamically generate an automation identifier for a given instance of at least one of the web elements, the generated automation identifier being based at least in part on parameters of the tags assigned to web components in a path from a root of the web component hierarchy to the at least one web element. The processing device is further configured to perform integration testing of the web application utilizing the dynamically generated automation identifier for the given instance of the at least one web element.

Web applications, also referred to as web apps, are application programs designed for delivery to users over a network, such as the Internet, through a browser interface. For example, web applications include client-server computer programs in which the client runs in a web browser and the web application is hosted in the server. Web applications may include web services and other website components that perform functions for users. Various software frameworks may be used to provide web applications. Such software frameworks, also referred to as web frameworks or web application frameworks, facilitate the building and deployment of web applications. For example, web application frameworks can provide common libraries for various application functions and promote code re-use.

Integration testing of web applications utilizing dynamically generated automation identifiers


A method for creating an aesthetically pleasing wood design. Generally, a design is transferred to a sanded and cleaned piece of porous wood, and the design is etched using one or more trenching techniques. Parts of the design are then burned using a heating element to impart various shades of darkness or shadow to the design. After burning, the design may be finished and/or colored with a paint, varnish, oil or other finishing material. More than one layer of finish is typically used, and a sanding step is used between successive finishing layers. After a final finishing step, the wood may be sealed or finished with, for example, polyurethane.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to woodworking techniques, and, more specifically, the present invention is directed to methods for creating aesthetically pleasing designs in wood.
2. Description of the Background
There are many techniques, both traditional and modern, for creating various types of aesthetically pleasing designs in various mediums. Once created, these designs may be displayed in a central location to attract one's attention (e.g., art objects), or the designs may blend into the surrounding environment in a way that is pleasing to the senses in a less extroverted manner.
One broad type of aesthetically pleasing designs is woodcraft. Wood engraving, finishing and other woodworking arts have been used for generations to create both aesthetically pleasing and useful designs. For example, the wood has traditionally been carved, whittled, painted, and otherwise manipulated to transform the wood into unique deigns. Oftentimes, some combination of these techniques is used to create the artwork. The present invention extends the current knowledge and techniques in the woodworking area to create a specialized class of aesthetically pleasing designs.

Wood technique for creating aesthetically pleasing designs


The present invention relates to a class of small molecule hydroxamic acid compounds capable of inhibiting histone deacetylases (HDACs). The present invention also relates to methods of preparation of hydroxamic acid HDAC inhibitor compounds of the invention, which are N-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline hydroxamic acid derivatives, and their incorporation into pharmaceutical compositions and methods of administration. The present invention also relates to N-substituted-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline hydroxamic acid derivatives, which may be prepared as a hydroxamic acid HDAC inhibitor compound library that can be utilized in screening methods known in the art.

Histone deacetylases (HDACs) are important zinc hydrolases that are responsible for the regulation of gene expression through deacetylation of the N-acetyl lysine residues of histone proteins and other transcriptional regulators. HDACs are involved in cell-cycle progression and differentiation. HDAC inhibitors, such as trichostatin A (TSA) and suberoylanilide hydroxamic acid (SAHA), have anti-tumor effects and can inhibit cell growth, induce terminal termination, and prevent the formation of tumors in mice models.
Evidence from recent studies suggest that transcriptional dysregulation may contribute to the molecular pathogenesis of Huntington's disease (HD). HD is an inherited, progressive neurological disorder that is caused by a CAG/polyglutamine repeat expansion for which there is currently no effective therapy. It has been recently reported that administration of the potent histone deacetylase inhibitor SAHA is effective against Huntington's disease in a mouse model. Orally administered SAHA dramatically improved the motor impairment in mice. HDAC inhibitors, therefore, have the potential to be effective HD therapeutics.
The X-ray structure of an HDAC-like ortholog from the thermophilic bacterium Aquifex aeolicus (Histone Deacetylase-Like Protein (HDLP)—sequence family 3.40.800.20.1-1C3P.pdb) is known. For example, structures of a HDAC homologue bound to the TSA and SAHA inhibitors, have been disclosed by Finnin et al., Science, 401, 188, (1999).
This HDAC-like protein shares a 35% identity with human HDAC1 over 375 residues, deacetylates histones in vitro, and is inhibited by TSA and SAHA. The structure shows an active site containing a zinc-binding site and the residues making up the active site and contact the inhibitors are conserved across the known members of the HDAC family. The HDLP structure, therefore, provides a structural rationale for the design of HDAC inhibitors.
The currently known HDAC inhibitors in the art such as TSA and SAHA may pose limitations with respect to their utility. For example, the polyene chain present in TSA is potentially subject to metabolism. Also, TSA is highly hydrophobic and may be substantially protein bound. The corresponding saturated chain in SAHA is expected to reduce affinity because of entropy considerations in confining the flexible chain to a single conformation when bound in the HDAC site.

Compounds for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases


A blueprint developing solution and process for developing blueprints, wherein the ammonia odor in the blueprints is reduced without eliminating the odor of the developing solution, comprising the incorporation of an effective amount of sodium chlorite in the developing solution or the addition of the vapor products of an aqueous sodium chlorite solution to the developing chamber of a blueprint developing machine.

This invention relates to a process and product for developing blueprints, wherein the developed blueprint does not exhibit the characteristic, unpleasant smell of ammonia.
The process for producing blueprints is well known. The desired image is produced on a translucent paper, and this paper is placed over a light sensitive blueprint paper and exposed to ultraviolet light. The blueprint paper is then treated with a developing chemical in the form of a strong base, generally ammonia. The ammonia activates dyes in the unexposed areas of the paper that produce a blue or other color image (depending on the color of the dye used) on the paper.
The active chemicals in blueprint paper are diazo compounds. These are light sensitive compounds that decompose and produce no image (white) when exposed to ultraviolet light. Blueprint paper is impregnated with both diazo compounds and a composition called a coupler, which couples with diazo compounds to produce azo dyes. In blueprint paper, the diazo compounds and coupler are in the presence of a stablizing acid barrier, which prevents premature coupling. Blueprints are developed by exposing the paper to a strong base that neutralizes the acid. This permits coupling and causes the release of azo dyes in unexposed areas lying under the image to be reproduced.
Ammonia is a gas at room temperature but can be liquefied under pressure or can be placed in solution with a suitable liquid such as water. Ammonia is used in blueprint developing machines in both forms. Ammonia vapor, either provided directly from liquid ammonia or by vaporization from a water solution of ammonia, permeates the blueprint paper and activates the dyes in the paper. This typically occurs in an enclosed developing chamber in a blueprint developing machine at an elevated temperature of about 170.degree.-210.degree. F., depending on the system. When the blueprint paper is removed from the developing chamber, the blueprint image is on the paper, but the paper also retains a certain amount of ammonia in the fibers of the paper. This gives the blueprint copies an unpleasant odor characteristic of ammonia.
It is desirable that a developing solution of ammonia (whether it be liquid ammonia or an ammonia-water solution) retain its characteristic odor of ammonia, because such a solution produces highly concentrated ammonia fumes that are very toxic at the concentration levels found in a blueprint developing solution. The characteristic odor of ammonia is an important safeguard for persons using this material.
On the other hand, the level of ammonia in a developed blueprint is of such a low level that toxicity is no concern and the odor is merely an annoyance.
A number of attempts have been made to reduce or eliminate the odor of blueprints, but none to date have been adequately successful.
One purpose of the present invention is to provide a means for eliminating the odor of ammonia from developed blueprints without eliminating the warning odor provided by ammonia in a developing solution itself.

Process for developing blueprints utilizing ammonia developer containing sodium chlorite to reduce ammonia odor in the developed blueprint paper


A fastener driving tool includes a frame defining therein an accumulator that accumulates compressed air, a cylinder, a piston movable between a top dead center and a bottom dead center, a main valve section having a main valve movable between a top dead center and a bottom dead center to alternately open and block fluid communication between a piston upper chamber and the accumulator, a trigger valve section having a plunger movable between a top dead center and a bottom dead center so as to alternately open and block fluid communication from the accumulator to a main valve chamber, and fluid communication from the main valve chamber to atmosphere, and a trigger adapted to press the plunger when operated by a user. The piston moves from the top dead center to the bottom dead center within 11.3 msec when the plunger is pressed.

The present invention relates to a fastener driving tool such as a nail gun driven by compressed air, and more particularly, to such fastener driving tool improving drive response and decreasing air consumption.
Heretofore, fastener driving tools such as nail guns have existed which drive fasteners such as nails or staples using compressed air as the power source. In such fastener driving tools, compressed air is supplied to a piston upper chamber defined by an inner surface of a cylinder and a piston for rapidly displacing the piston to perform nailing. Compressed air is supplied from an external source and temporarily stored in an accumulator formed within a frame of the nail gun. The accumulator and the piston upper chamber are connected by a channel, but one or more valves which are switched between open and shut-off positions are provided along this channel. These valves are designed to open or shut-off the channel by supplying or expelling compressed air in valve chambers constituted by the spaces each adjacent to each valve. Typically the structure is such that a first valve is activated as a result of external operation of a trigger or the like, and this operation allows a downstream passage to be communicated with or to be shut-off from the first valve. Thus, a downstream valve chamber is brought into communication with or shutting-off from the upstream passage, thereby sequentially activating or deactivating the downstream valves.
In addition, a time period starting from completion of the nail driving operation to restoration to an initial state for the next nailing operation is dependent upon the circulation speed of the compressed air in the fastener driving tool after the trigger is released, and the movement speed of the valves in proportion to this circulation speed. That is, the time period is dependent on the shut-off speed for shutting off the piston upper chamber in the cylinder from the accumulator by a valve caused by, after releasing the trigger or the like, circulation of the compressed air through the channel in the fastener driving tool as a result of the returning motion of a plunger which had been pressed by this trigger.
In a conventional fastener driving tools as disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. S58-50833, valve activation is performed sequentially from valves whose valve chamber volume is small to valves with large valve chamber in order to stabilize operation of the valves irrespective of the speed with which the trigger is pulled. Since with this structure the valves are sequentially activated by compressed air, a time period starting from pulling the trigger and/or pushing operation of a push lever against a workpiece to a start of the nailing driving motion is highly dependent upon the time required to sequentially activate the valves.
In order to reduce this time period and increase response, Japanese Patent Publication No. H7-112674 discloses a nail gun, in which a main valve is divided into first and second valves, so that kinetic energy of the first valve is utilized to improve the operating speed of the second valve.
With this structure in which the main valve is divided into two valves, only the time period from when the second valve begins to move until it moves to maximum displacement is reduced. The time period from both pulling the trigger and pushing the push lever onto the workpiece to the operation timing of the first valve is still not reduced. In addition, since only the time period from when the second valve begins to move until it moves to maximum displacement is reduced, it was only possible to reduce the time period from when the trigger is pulled until nailing is performed. Consequently, a time period from the completion timing of the nail driving operation to the start timing of the next nail driving operation cannot be reduced when continuous nailing is performed. That is, a response cannot be improved.
Laid-open Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H11-33930 discloses a structure in which, an internal volume of a main valve chamber for accommodating therein a main valve is increased. With this arrangement, air damping behavior due to compression of the main valve chamber does not occur when the main valve rises and is contained in the main valve chamber.
With this structure in which the volume of the main valve chamber is increased, the amount of compressed air accumulated in the main valve chamber increases. For this reason, the time period for discharging the compressed air out of the main valve chamber is increased, which degrades the response.
Laid-open Japanese Patent Application Kokai No. H5-138548 discloses communication of a piston lower chamber with a trigger valve chamber. The movement speed of a valve piston and a main valve are increased as a result of the pressure which is generated from the movement of the piston.
With this structure in which the piston lower chamber and trigger valve chamber are connected, at the instant that the piston passes through the one-way valve disposed at an intermediate region of the cylinder, compressed air flows into the trigger valve chamber and closes the main valve. Therefore, the nailing force was reduced. Moreover, extremely complicated structure results.
Another conventional fastener driving tool has been proposed. The tool includes a trigger valve and main valve. A trigger valve exterior frame internally defines a trigger valve chamber. The trigger valve includes a plunger extending through the trigger valve exterior frame and the trigger valve chamber and slidably movable as a result of the movement of the trigger and the abutment of the push lever against the workpiece. The movement of the plunger selectively shuts off a fluid communication between the accumulator and the trigger valve chamber and between the trigger valve chamber and an atmosphere. However, the resultant arrangement cannot provide high response for discharging compressed air from the main valve.
Still another conventional fastener driving tool is proposed in which a main valve is not provided, but a trigger valve is additionally equipped with a valve piston. The valve piston is reciprocably slidably disposed in a trigger valve exterior frame, and has one side in the sliding direction facing the accumulator. The valve piston alternately opens and blocks a channel from the piston upper chamber connected to the trigger valve exterior frame to the accumulator and a channel from the piston upper chamber to the atmosphere. With this fastener driving tool, the displacement of the valve piston serves to select the air channel and control the nailing of the fastener. However, the speed of the displacement of the valve piston is low, and the delay in the displacement of this valve piston can cause other control to be delayed as well. Consequently, the problem arises that the time lag from when the operator begins the nailing operation until the fastener is actually driven becomes large, response becomes poor to lower workability. In addition, the problem arises that when many fasteners are to be driven in a short period of time, the aforementioned time lag makes continuous nailing difficult to perform.
In addition, with the conventional fastener driving tools, after nailing, in order to return the piston to the pre-nailing position, the piston upper chamber and the atmosphere are communicated with each other for releasing the compressed to the atmosphere, while the valve is closed for preventing the compressed air from flowing from the accumulator into the piston upper chamber.
However, during the period from when the valve begins to close until it is completely closed, the accumulator and the piston upper chamber are communicated with each other, and the piston upper chamber and the atmosphere are also communicated with each other. Accordingly, the compressed air in the accumulator would in some cases flow unnecessarily into the piston upper chamber and is expelled into the atmosphere. This causes an increase in air consumption, which consequently requires a high-performance compressor or the like to produce compressed air.

Pneumatically operated fastener driving tool


The present disclosure proposes a method and an electronic device for detecting glare pixels of an image including an object and an electronic device using the same. The method includes the following steps. First, the image is processed to remove overexposed pixels from the image to generate a first image. The first image is processed to remove non-object pixels from the first image to generate an object pixel image. The glare pixels are detected from the object pixel image according to a saturation distribution threshold and an intensity distribution threshold. The present disclosure is able to adjust the saturation distribution threshold and the intensity distribution threshold dynamically and adaptively to satisfy various kinds of objects and ambient lighting conditions so as to improve the probability of successful detection and reduce the probability of false alarms on the glare pixels.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to a method and a device for image processing. In particular, the present disclosure relates to a method and a device for detecting glare pixels of an image.
2. Description of Related Art
As a digital camera has become small, compact, and inexpensive, consequently, the digital camera could be embedded in handheld electronic devices such as cellular phones, smart phones, tablet computers, personal digital assistants (PDA) and so forth. The diminutive nature of such camera allows the camera to become a convenient and popular additional feature of portable consumer electronic devices. However, the portability of such electronic devices may have prevented many more sophisticated uses or structures to be included for such cameras. For example, fixed focal length lenses and small sensors would typically be used for such cameras since an optical zoom lens may be too heavy and require more physical depths than the body of the handheld electronic device would permit.
Presently, as such cameras are frequently used to take facial portraits in various events or gatherings, problems associated with light-related artifacts on the images could be unavoidable. Such artifacts may not be immediately noticeable and the impacts on the quality of an image may not be appreciated after an image is taken. A typical artifact encountered by the user may include glare. In photography, glare could be characterized as an occurrence of a harsh bright light which causes a regional overexposure on an image. Glare may occur because of reasons such as bright environment, rapid transitions to different luminance adaptation levels, a direct light source, or reflections from objects with glass or metal surfaces. One of the most common causes of glare is the light from a photographic flash. Getting the best overall exposure from the combination of available light and flash illumination may pose a significant technical challenge, especially for the camera built-in to handheld electronic devices. One of the typical solutions could be to manually retouch or to modify images by using various software applications for assistance. Unfortunately, this practice may be time intensive and cumbersome especially in the case of a large amount of images. Also, the practice may produce unsatisfactory results if the users are not skillful in the use of image retouch or modification software.
Another solution is to leverage machine learning algorithms to automatically detect an artifact on a facial portrait image. Most analyses involving image recognition and classification are statistical in nature. Images could be classified based on information extracted from datasets. Automated classification may assign image pixels to real-world objects or classes. Image classification would traditionally be based on the allocation of individual pixels to the most suitable class. A most common approach to perform classification is probabilistic classification. The algorithms of this nature such as Bayesian networks, Hidden Markov Models (HMM), neural networks, decision trees, linear discriminant analysis (LDA) use statistical inference to find the best class for a given instance. On the other hand, although such algorithms have high detection rate on the artifact, they would highly depend on training data and model parameters as well as performance resource, power and time consuming arithmetic operations, which may be impractical for relatively inexpensive and memory-limited handheld electronic devices. Accordingly, there could be a demand to develop tools to improve the probability of successful detections and to reduce the probability of false alarms while ensuring optimal performance executed by electronic devices with limited computational resources.

Method and device for detecting glare pixels of image


A multi-layer fabric with paperside to lower surface weft ratios of greater than 1 in which all paperside weft yarns interlace with the warp yarns in an identical manner. The paperside weft yarns intermittently buttress against adjacent paperside weft yarns and possess an average lateral crimp ratio of greater than 1.62 giving a fabric having an air permeability of less than 275 c.f.m. at 1/2 inch water pressure.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention is concerned with fabrics, which are particularly, but not exclusively, for use as papermachine clothing and ideally for use in the forming section of the papermachine.
2. Description of the Related Art
The original synthetic forming fabrics utilised one warp system and one weft systems. However these, so called, single-layer fabrics tended to narrow and stretch thus interfering with paper production and machine performance. So called mlti-layer fabrics were therefore developed to overcome the dimensional instability of the single-layer fabrics. Of these, the so called two-layer fabrics have become the most common type of forming fabric. Two-layer fabrics utilise one warp system which interlaces with two distinct weft systems. The warp system provides a greater amount of warp material, for stability, than the prior single-layer fabrics.
Two-layer weaves, in addition to improving fabric stability, also allow further benefits over single-layer fabrics. These benefits are due to the two separate weft systems.
The wearside weft system protects the load-bearing warp yarns by providing long "floats" which contact the dewatering elements on the papermachine. Furthermore as the wearside weft never appears on the paperside then relatively thick yarns can be used to provide a significant amount of material for wear. By this means improved fabric lives can be obtained without causing undesirable wiremark.
The paperside weft system interlaces with the warp to provide a surface for the formation, dewatering and release of the papersheet. Relatively thin weft yarns may be used to minimise wiremark, as these yarns do not appear on the wearside. Improved papermaking properties are thus obtained.
Single-layer fabrics were subsequently made using weave patterns which also offered inproved dimensional stability. For example U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,644 teaches that relatively stable single-layer fabrics can be obtained by causing "the longitudinal and/or transverse threads to change the direction of their course intermittently in the plane of the fabric". The resulting lateral crimp added a pronounced "diagonal" aspect to the usual three yarn orientations of: machine direction, cross-machine direction, and vertical crimp. The lateral crimp was of sufficient magnitude that adjacent yarns made intermittent contact such that a buttressing effect was achieved.
Improvements in single-layer stability were possible by this means. However as such structures still possess only single weft and warp systems it is not possible to obtain both the papermaking and wear resistance improvements which are provided with the two-layer structures.
Furthermore, U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,644 had the declared objective of obtaining a single-layer fabric with maximum thickness, maximum inner volume and a minimum open area (in vertical sight). It is now known that the foyer two properties can contribute to water carrying within the fabric body.
Fabric water carry is particularly undesirable on Gap Former machines. Such machines operate at relatively high speed and possess comparatively short dewatering sections with which to remove water from the sheet. Consequently such machines tend to produce sheets with an undesirably high moisture content. This problem is worsened by moisture carried within the voids of the fabric rewetting the sheet. Bearing this in mind an ideal structure for use on modern papermachines will possess relatively low thickness and void volume.
The single-layer structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,518,644 also maintained a high permeability indicating the relative openness of the structure and the limitation of the structure with regards to retention of fines and filler.
Latterly a need for paper with, for example, improved printing characteristics developed. It was realized that such paper could be produced by using two-layer fabrics with an increased paperside: wearside weft ratio of 2:1. Thus EP 0085363 allowed for the inclusion of an additional set of "floater" weft yarns on the cloth paperside to improve retention and papermaking characteristics.
The set of floater weft yarns described in EP 0085363 are of "substantially" smaller diameter than the set of parallel integral paperside weft yarns with which the floater yarns alternate. Preferably the diameter of the floater yarns is 50-75% that of the interwoven parallel yarns.
The floater wefts make no interlacing with the warp in contrast to the integral weft yarns which do interlace with the warp. As a consequence of the difference in crimp patterns and weft diameters between the two sets of paperside weft yarns it is not possible for the two sets of wefts to achieve an approximately level height on the paperside when material possessing identical properties is used for both sets of weft.
An ideal fabric will provide a good papermaking surface by means of numerous regularly distributed support points. To offer useful primary support to the fibre mat or papersheet these support points must be of similar height. Consequently the structures described in EP 0085363 must necessarily utilize material of significantly different thermal shrinkage to allow the two sets of paperside weft yarns to sit at approximately the same height on the paperside surface of the fabric.
A further drawback with the structures formed according to EP 0085363 is their relative instability. Such structures are relatively unstable because the thin "floater" wefts, which in two-layer structures typically represent one-third of all of the weft yarns present, make no interlacings with the warp yarns.
Consequently such structures contain a comparatively low number of yarn interlacings thus allowing adjacent warp yarns to shift position with relative ease. This type of shearing movement is indicative of fabric structures which may narrow significantly on a misaligned or irregularly worn papermachine.
Fabric narrowing will result in warp density variation which in turn may cause uneven drainage across the width of the fabric. Such fabric may also be prone to rippling in the machine direction. This effect is particularly problematic on Gap Former type machines which utilise an enclosed forming zone and are prone to "streaky" sheet formation in the machine direction. An ideal forming fabric will, therefore, possess a structure with a high resistance to shear distortion.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,803 discloses a two-layer fabric with a weft ratio of 2:1 wherein all of the weft yarns are interlaced with warp yarns. Thus shear resistance may be enhanced. However, as with the prior type of 2:1 fabric with floater wefts, there are still alternating sets of wefts on the paperside of this fabric. The first set of wefts are supported in a crimp "saddle" whereas the second set of wefts are supported in a shear like manner between warp yarns. Thus two sets of support points are created at the fabric paperside. The resulting sets of support points tend to sit at different heights.
To compensate for the difference in height of paperside support points of cloth according to U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,803, and thus optimise sheet support for the structure, it is necessary for the two sets of paperside weft yarns to be of different diameter and/or for the two sets of paperside weft yarns to be of different material and/or thermal shrinkage. Raw material and production processes must thus be strictly controlled to obtain the desired fabric.
As has been stated to minimise sheet rewetting it is desirable to avoid both relatively high void volume and high fabric thickness. However both of the prior art two-layer designs so far described maintain relatively high void volume and thickness.
Although the structure described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,739,803 develops a degree of lateral crimp in at least some o the paperside weft yarns no weft buttressing is described therein.
Additionally both prior art structures maintain a high permeability.
The air permeability of a fabric can indicate the openness of the paperside surface. A highly open fabric surface can promote excessive fibre penetration resulting in sheet sealing of the fabric drainage channels. An undesirably rough paper surface may therefore occur.
Furthermore the subsequent dewatering efficiency of the structure can be reduced by this effect.
It is also understood that fabric with high air permeability may allow similarly high initial dewatering of the fibre stock. The fast initial dewatering can cause low retention due to the fines present in the stock being washed out. Additionally a compact layer of fibre at the fabric surface may be created through which it becomes difficult to remove the remaining water.
By reducing the openness of the fabric's paperside surface, as may be indicated by a lower fabric permeability, it is possible to reduce the rapid rate of initial drainage. The controlled initial sheet dewatering allows a more effective use of all the dewatering elements positioned throughout the forming section such that water is removed more evenly.
The delayed dewatering facilitates the "working" of the fibres by dewatering elements such that good sheet formation can be achieved. This type of phenomena was certainly observed when the very high pemeability single-layer fabrics were superceded by the current double-layer structures.
However even the prior art double-layer structures may be considered to possess an unnecessarily high permeability.
A two-layer, 8-shaft weave repeat structure, with a weft ratio of 2:1 wherein all paperside weft yarns interlace in the same manner with the warp yarns is described in GB 2245006A.
The object of the invention described therein is to obtain a stable structure. This is sought by employing a short weave repeat such that the warp yarns must "rise and descend at a sharper angle when passing between the upper and lower surfaces of the fabrics". Thus GB 2245006A is unlike the current invention which utilises the buttressing action of adjacent weft yarns to obtain excellent shear resistance.
As with all other prior art structures a high permeability fabric is obtained. In fact permeability is stated as being "extremely high as compared with prior art solutions".
It is intimated that for good papermaking properties the density of weft yarns in the paperside of the fabric is set to achieve an air permeability of at least 500 c.f.m. In this respect also the fabric described in GB 2245006A is drastically different from that invented by the applicants.
The concept of a high permeability structure with a relatively open surface is diametrically opposed to that pertaining to the invention.


A method of manufacturing a thin film device includes forming a pair of multi-layered structures by bonding a transfer layer including a thin film device to a temporary transfer substrate, respectively adhering the transfer layers of a pair of the multi-layered structures to both surfaces of a transfer-target substrate; and separating the temporary transfer substrate from each of the transfer layers adhered to the transfer-target substrate. The bonding step includes forming the transfer layer on a transfer-source substrate via a first separation layer separated in accordance with application of a predetermined amount of energy, bonding the transfer layer to the temporary transfer substrate, and separating the transfer-source substrate from the transfer layer by applying energy to the first separation layer to cause a boundary separation and/or an intra-layer separation in the first separation layer.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a thin film device using an inter-substrate transfer technology for the thin film device.
2. Related Art
In semiconductor application devices such as liquid crystal display devices (LCD) or electroluminescence (EL) display devices, plastic substrates are sometimes used preferably as base substrates for the reason of preventing breakdown caused by deformation or dropping impacts, flexibility, or demands for weight saving. However, since the plastic substrates do not have enough heat resistance for a high temperature process required for manufacturing semiconductor devices, it is impossible to form semiconductor devices on the plastic substrates by an ordinary manufacturing process.
As a technology for forming a semiconductor device on a plastic substrate, a transfer technology has been proposed, in which a semiconductor application device is manufactured by attaching an element-forming layer (a layer to be transferred, hereinafter referred to as a transfer layer), which has a thin film semiconductor device formed therein and is detached from a heat resistive transfer-source substrate, to a plastic substrate, the transfer-target substrate after forming the thin film semiconductor device on the transfer-source substrate. Such a transfer technology is described as "a peeling method" or the like in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publications No. 10-125929, No. 10-125930, and No. 10-125931 in detail.
However, electro-optic instruments or electronic instruments in recent years are required to be packaged in high-density and low profiled, and accordingly, the thin film devices manufactured using the transfer technology described above are also required to be packaged in high-density without increasing thickness.

Method of manufacturing thin film device electro-optic device, and electronic instrument


A door hinge includes a first element, a second element and a lever connecting the first and second elements to each other. The lever is pivoted on the second element and has a first portion attached to the first element to make the first and the second element reciprocally mobile about a horizontal axis. The second element includes a box-shaped body housing elastic means acting in conjunction with a second portion of the lever to control the reciprocal motion of the first and the second element. The first element and the lever constitute a rocker lever pivoted on the second element and in which a first arm of the first element rotates in a plane outside the box-shaped body and parallel to the plane in which the second arm of the rocker lever lies.

The present invention relates to a door hinge.
The use of a hinge made in accordance with this invention is particularly advantageous for connecting the door of a domestic appliance, especially a washing machine or dishwasher, to which this specification refers but without thereby restricting the scope of the invention.
In traditional washing machines or dishwashers, the door hinges consist of two separate elements, both of which usually have a box-shaped structure and which are kinematically linked to each other.
More specifically, one of the two box-shaped structures is fixed to one side of the washing machine or dishwasher opening, whilst the other is fixed to one edge of the door of the appliance which can thus be tilt opened with respect to the opening.
Between the box-shaped structures there is an operatively interposed lever, normally a rocker lever, which is pivoted to one of the two box-shaped structures and has a first arm that is rigidly linked to the other box-shaped structure.
The second arm of the lever, lying in the same plane as the first, is operated upon by elastic elements for controlling door opening. The elastic elements are housed in the box-shaped structure to which the lever is hinged. The purpose of the elastic elements is to enable the door first to turn rapidly in the opening direction through a predetermined angle and then, by opposing the downward force created by the weight of the door, to gradually slow down the rotational opening movement until the door reaches the fully open position.
In prior art hinges, the box-shaped structure on which the lever is pivoted has a rectangular slot that enables the lever to move all the way back into the box-shaped structure when the door is closed.
It has been found that when the washing machine or dishwasher is opened at the end of, or even during, a washing cycle, the steam that has formed inside it tends to condense in the box-shaped structure that houses the above mentioned elastic control elements. The steam easily finds its way into the box-shaped structure through the above mentioned slot, quickly cools and condenses inside the box-shaped structure.
The condensed steam collects in the box-shaped structure and facilitates the accumulation of dirt and grime around the elastic control elements, often leading to malfunctioning. This problem has been found not only in traditional washing machines or dishwashers, with front loading, but also in top-loading washing machines or dishwashers.


A precharge system for active matrix display devices having data and scan lines, pixels, and first and second voltage sources. The precharge system comprises a precharge circuit having first transistors, with gate electrode and drain electrode connected to function as a diode, of which a first terminal is coupled to the first voltage source, a second transistor of which a first terminal is coupled to the second terminals of the first transistors, a second terminal is coupled to the data lines, and a control terminal receives a positive precharge signal, third transistors, connected to function as a diode, of which a first terminal is coupled to the second voltage source, and a fourth transistor of which a first terminal is coupled to the second terminals of the third transistors, a second terminal is coupled to the corresponding data lines, and a control terminal receives a negative precharge signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a precharge system for an active matrix display device, which is integrated on the display peripheral area and comprises low temperature poly-silicon (LTPS) thin film transistors. Before data is written onto a data line, a precharge voltage is input into the data line to raise voltage to a predetermined level, thus accelerating the reaction of a liquid crystal display (LCD) unit.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 is a schematic diagram showing a conventional LCD device with integrated driving circuits on display peripheral area. FIG. 2 is a plot showing a clock timing of the conventional LCD device. As shown in FIG. 1, a vertical driving circuit V driver 1 synchronizes a vertical start signal VST, with a vertical clock signal VCK, to provide vertical scan signals ΦV1, ΦV2, ΦV3, ΦVM for selecting gate lines X. During a frame, a horizontal driving circuit H driver 2 provides each signal line Y with a video signal VSIG sequentially. Therefore, video data is written into the LCD device by a dot matrix scanning method. A terminal of each signal line Y has a horizontal switch (HSW1, HSW2, HSW3, . . . , HSWN) and is thereby coupled to a video signal line 3. The horizontal driving circuit H driver 2 synchronizes a horizontal start signal HST, according to a horizontal clock signal HCK, to provide sample impulse signals ΦH1, ΦH2, ΦH3, . . . , ΦHN for controlling the corresponding horizontal switches to sample and retain video signals from the signal lines Y.
When sampling the video signal VSIG, a precharge circuit 4 provides each signal line Y with a precharge signal VPS. The precharge circuit 4 is coupled to a terminal of each signal line Y through precharge switches PSW1, PSW2, PSW3, and PSW4. A control circuit P driver 5 controls the precharge switches PSW to turn on or off and provides each signal line Y with the precharge signal VPS. The control circuit D driver 5 synchronizes a precharge start signal PST, with a precharge clock signal PCK, to provide the precharge switches PSW with precharge sample impulse signals ΦP1, ΦP2, ΦP3, . . . , ΦPN.
The conventional LCD device requires an additional precharge signal VPS to provide voltage required by a gray scale LCD pixel on the signal line.

Active matrix display precharging circuit and method thereof


An improved circular saw blade designed for cutting fiber cement workpieces, which are becoming more and more prevalent on the construction site, includes a PCD/carbide tip (16) mounted in the rim (31) of the saw blade (10) at six, rather than the usual for locations, equally spaced around the blade. The tips are mounted adjacent a relatively large-diameter, semi-circular gullet (20), which itself is preceded by a chip and dust minimizer (18). The minimizer includes several alternating hills (52) and valleys (54) formed in the rim of the saw blade, each hill and valley having the same radius, producing a sinuous array essentially centered on the rim of the blade. It has been discovered that such a dust and chip minimizer reduces the level of dust and chips produced by the blade and clears the same from the kerf generated in the blade-workpiece interface. Ideally, all of the parameters and relief angles for the surfaces on the saw blade tip can be generated by cutting an array of such tips from a large-diameter blank (110) of PCD fused to a layer of tungsten carbide (72), and by mounting the tips onto the blade in such an orientation as to present, preferably, a negative hook or rake angle (74) to the workpiece.

Fiber cement products are becoming more and more common on construction sites. As such there has arisen a demand for cutting tools, particularly circular saw blades, that can cut this very difficult material, while reducing the amount of fine dust particles generated. A need also exists for such blades that yield a high quality (straight and smooth) cut in fiber cement workpieces. There has also arisen a need for such blades that are less expensive to produce than conventional diamond blades, but which still exhibit good wear characteristics. Finally, there is a perception by users that conventional blades for cutting fiber cement products, particularly blades with conventional tips formed with polycrystalline diamond joined to tungsten carbide ("PCD") don't "feel" right.
In the conventional manufacturing process, a PCD tip is attached to the rim of the blade blank at four circumferentially equidistant locations, by brazing the carbide portion to the steel blade blank. Frequently, diamond elements are formed and machined, then applied to pre-formed carbide substrates, or, in the alternative, a diamond film is deposited on the carbide tips using a chemical vapor deposition process. One relatively recent process for forming a PCD tip is to cut several parts out of a large PCD blank, in which the PCD has already been fused to a carbide layer or substrate. Another conventional process is to form the PCD tip, braze it to the blade, then machine the radial or side clearances, the tangential clearances, and the top relief or clearance for each tip. In view of the wear resistance inherent in the diamond and carbide materials selected, this amount of machining is a slow, expensive process.
As to the structure of a conventional blade for fiber cement, conventional wisdom dictates using a positive hook angle for the tip. This has not proved to be entirely satisfactory. Further, the conventional design employing four tips doesn't provide a good finish, nor does it provide the user with a good "feel".


The subject disclosure pertains to systems and methods for processing input data provided in multiple formats to generate output data in a standardized, common format. To facilitate processing of the input data, a set of rules can be defined that describe processing for various types and formats of input data. The rules can be maintained separately from the processing component, such that the rules can be updated without necessitating modification of the processing component. Subsets of the rules can be retrieved and utilized to process specific input data. Errors within the input data can be identified and automatically corrected based upon previous input data sets. In addition, rules can be automatically generated based on previous input data and user feedback.

Geographical information such as satellite or aerial photographs, textual data (e.g., directions or descriptions), or any of a variety of types of maps (e.g., road maps, topographical maps, geologic maps, plats and nautical charts) has become increasingly available to information seekers through electronic information sources on the Internet, vehicle navigation systems, handheld devices (e.g., personal digital assistants (PDAs), a smartphone) or any of a variety of other sources. Typically, geographical information can be searched either for a specific address or a particular place or thing, such as a business, an intersection or a named location. In response to a search, information seekers can be presented with a map, photograph, directions between locations or any other information regarding the search location.
Collection of this geographic data is an enormous task. The sheer volume of geographical information is immense. Within the United States of America alone, there are millions of addresses, streets and other geographical objects. In addition, geographic data is continually changing. While certain geographic features such as mountains and deserts change slowly, others such as roads, addresses and zip codes are continuously changing due to road construction, building construction, changes in governmental regulations and the like. To ensure that users are provided with accurate information, geographical data should be continually collected and updated.
Typically, geographical data is collected by multiple vendors. Collection of geographic data involves dealings with numerous political entities, languages and regional customs. Consequently, it is unlikely that a single vendor will be able to provide geographic data covering the entire world. Instead, as an example, geographic data for Germany can be collected by a first vendor, while data for Japan can be collected by a separate vendor. Each vendor is likely to use their own proprietary format or scheme for storing the geographical data. In addition, the type of data collected as well as the relationships between geographic objects can vary from vendor to vendor and region to region. For example, certain countries include states and counties, while others include provinces and territories. This data can be aggregated and transformed to a common format for use by software applications (e.g., map and direction providers) and other users.

Adaptive engine for processing geographic data


A system includes a power driver, configured to generate an electric excitation; an oscillating system, configured to perform an oscillation induced by the electric excitation; a feedback detector, configured to detect a feedback measurement signal with to the oscillation; and a controller configured to operate: in a closed loop mode, to control the power driver to generate the electric excitation as a discontinuous electric excitation according to timing information obtained from the detected feedback measurement signal, to synchronize the discontinuous electric excitation with the detected feedback measurement signal; in a learning mode preceding the closed loop mode, to control the power driver to generate the electric excitation as a continuous electric excitation, to obtain timing information from the feedback measurement signal to be used, at least once, in the subsequent closed loop mode, to synchronize the discontinuous electric excitation with the detected feedback measurement signal.

In some technical fields, an oscillating system is required, e.g., for causing the oscillation of a mechanical element. An example may be a light detection and ranging (LIDAR) application, in which the oscillation of a mirror is caused, so that laser light impinges the mirror at desired angles.
The oscillating system can in general be described by a state, which is partly due to mechanical, structural, and geometric properties and partly to electric properties of the electric excitation (e.g., voltage or frequency of the excitation signal). There are known stable states (which tend to be maintained) and unstable states (which tend to move towards different states). In applications, in a graph which associates oscillation frequency and a mechanical angular amplitude, it is possible to recognize stable curves (formed by stable states) and unstable curves (formed by unstable states).
In order to increase quality and reliability, it is in general preferred to operate an oscillating system in a stable state. An oscillating system may be meant at operating in a stable state, in which an electric excitation provides the energy which is dissipated, for example, by a mechanical response.
However, at the startup, the intended stable state cannot in general be promptly and easily reached. To arrive at the stable state associated to a desired angular amplitude, it is in general necessary to move along a stable curve, i.e., to slowly sweep, state-by-state, along a plurality of the stable states which form the stable curve, up to the intended stable state which is associated to the desired angle.
Ideally, it could be possible, at the startup, to intercept an unstable curve which quickly drives to the intended stable state. However, this is not an easy task, as timing information (e.g., phase between the excitation signal and the response signal) should be known. The phase information is, at the startup, in general unknown, and, therefore, the strategy of intercept the unstable curve is in general not used in open loop. Therefore, at the startup, it is in general necessary to slowly move along a stable curve.
Alternative solutions are based on the use of additional sensors (e.g., mechanical sensors, acceleration sensors, angel sensors, velocity sensors, accelerometric sensor, gyro sensors, etc), which, however, is preferable not to use.
It is intended to find a technique which speeds up the startup without the necessity of using additional sensors.


A smart card which includes a non-volatile read/write memory, a processor connected to the memory, and an installer module configured to cause the processor to receive computer code having method bodies into the memory, and further configured to cause the processor to perform a method for determining the instruction boundaries of the method bodies and resolving unresolved references within the method bodies. The method includes steps for examining each instruction for a forward jump instruction and a valid ending instruction, maintaining a farthest logical return pointer corresponding to the instruction for which the farthest forward jump instruction or the farthest valid ending instruction is detected, resolving unresolved references within a method body starting with the first instruction and ending with the instruction corresponding to the farthest logical return pointer, and terminating the examination of each instruction within a method body when the instruction under examination is beyond the instruction corresponding to the farthest logical return pointer.

1. Field of the Present Invention
The present invention generally relates to the field of smart cards and more particularly to an improved smart card and method for determining the boundaries of method bodies within converted applet files loaded into a smart card.
2. History of Related Art
Most consumers are familiar with and use credit cards, debit cards, automatic teller machine (ATM) cards, stored value cards, and the like. For many types of transactions, however, the current trend is away from these types of cards and into a class of devices generally referred to as smart cards. A smart card is a plastic, credit-card sized card that includes an electronic device (chip) embedded in the card's bulk plastic. Rather than only employing a magnetic strip to store information, smart cards employ a microprocessor and a memory element embedded within the chip.
Because they have a chip, smart cards can be programmed to operate in a number of varied capacities such as stored value cards, credit cards, debit cards, ATM cards, calling cards, personal identity cards, critical record storage devices, etc. In these varied capacities, a smart card may be designed to use a number of different application programs. Smart cards are compliant with Standard 7816 Parts 1–10 of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO), which are incorporated by reference herein and referred to generally as "ISO 7816."
Initially, application program development for smart cards was essentially proprietary to the smart card manufacturers or the smart card issuers. Smart card application development has, however, evolved over recent years so that it is no longer proprietary. Through the adoption of open architectures for application development, it is now possible to develop applications that can run on smart cards from different manufacturers, on other devices for the storage of data (i.e., storage devices), or other resource constrained devices that, like smart cards, have small amounts of available memory. Java Card smart card technology is an example of one such open development architecture. It uses the Java™ programming language and employs the Java Card smart card runtime environment (JCRE). The JCRE conforms to ISO 7816 and defines a platform on which applications written in the Java programming language can run on smart cards and other resource-constrained devices. Applications written for the JCRE are referred to as applets and must conform with the Java Card 2.1 Virtual Machine Specification (as revised from time to time) published by Sun Microsystems, Inc., which is incorporated by reference herein and referred to generally as the "JCVM Specification."
The process of loading an applet onto a smart card for execution requires that the source code of the applet first be converted into a corresponding binary representation of the classes making up the applet. This corresponding binary representation is referred to as a CAP file (converted applet file) and is the file format in which applications are loaded onto smart cards utilizing the JCRE. The CAP file is typically loaded as a block of bytes occupying contiguous space in the non-volatile read/write memory of the smart card by an installer module located on the smart card.
A CAP file consists of a set of components each of which defines differing elements or aspects of the contents of the CAP file. One such component is the Method Component which defines each of the methods (i.e., procedures or routines associated with one or more classes) declared in the package that makes up the CAP file. The following are among the items included in the Method Component: (1) a size item which indicates the number of bytes in the Method Component, (2) a handler count item which indicates the number of exception handler entries in the exception handler array, (3) an exception handlers item which provides relevant information for each exception handler (including a starting offset and a length for indicating the range of bytecodes for which the exception handler is active (i.e., a "catch range") and further including the starting address of the exception handler), and (4) a methods item which defines each of the variable length methods (i.e., method bodies) declared in the package making up the CAP file with each such method body containing a method header followed by the bytecodes (i.e., instructions) that implement such method body. While each method header contains relevant information defining the requirements for the operand stack, associated parameters being passed to the method body, and local variables for the method body, the method header does not specify the size of the associated method body.
The bytecodes within each method body typically contain operands consisting of various symbolic or unresolved code references which must be resolved prior to execution. The process of resolving these particular operands is generally referred to as linking or resolution and involves looking-up the symbolic reference in a corresponding table present in memory (constant pool) or other storage device or calculating the unresolved relative code reference and replacing the reference with the actual memory address or an internally accessible symbolic reference at which the particular command, function, definition, etc. is stored. The terms "resolve," "resolution," "resolving," and "linking" are used throughout to broadly describe the foregoing process of replacing the unresolved code or symbolic reference within the code or data structure with an internally accessible symbolic reference or actual memory address.
One method utilized by the prior art to implement the resolution process is to access a list of bytecode offsets into each method body, which list designates the applicable bytecodes within each method body requiring resolution (i.e., relocation annotations). This list of bytecode offsets is provided in the form of another component in the CAP file referred to as the Reference Location Component. The Reference Location Component is required by the prior art because the boundaries of each method body (i.e., the beginning and the end of each method body) are not specified in the Method Component. The Reference Location Component is used solely for the resolution process and is not referenced by any other component in a CAP file.
A second method utilized by the prior art to implement the resolution process without accessing the list of relocation annotations contained in the Reference Location Component is to access information contained in another component of the CAP file referred to as the Descriptor Component. The Descriptor Component contains sufficient information to permit parsing and verification of all elements of the CAP file. Consequently, the Descriptor Component contains information on the boundaries of each method body so as to permit parsing and examination of the bytecodes contained within each method body. Because of its lengthy size, however, the Descriptor Component is an optional component of the CAP file, and as such, is not always available.
It would be beneficial to implement an apparatus and method for the efficient linking of CAP files that does not rely upon relocation annotations (such as those provided in the Reference Location Component), but rather which enables the contiguous bytecodes making up the methods item of the Method Component to be examined (and if necessary, their operands resolved) without reliance upon the Descriptor Component.
While the invention is susceptible to various modifications and alternative forms, specific embodiments thereof are shown by way of example in the drawings and will herein be described in detail. It should be understood, however, that the drawings and detailed description presented herein are not intended to limit the invention to the particular embodiment disclosed. On the contrary, the invention is limited only by the claim language.

Method and apparatus for linking converted applet files without relocation annotations


A system and method for implementing open-protocol remote device control are provided. A user accesses a common user interface for controlling one or more networked devices. Utilizing the interface, the user selects one or more actions. The selection is encoded in a standard protocol and transmitted to a premises server. The premises server obtains the selection, accesses a device interface database and translates the selection into a device-specific protocol. The translated instruction is transmitted to the selected device for implementation. The user interface then obtains any device return data for display on the user interface.

Generally described, a communications network, such as a security-monitoring network, can often utilize a variety of devices within the network. For example, a security-monitoring network can include image capture monitoring devices, motion detection monitoring devices, loudspeaker output devices, and the like. Often, to manipulate a particular device, or obtain data from the device, the device requires some form of control/instruction from a proprietary user interface and/or proprietary protocol. For example, video camera manufacturers typically utilize proprietary protocols to govern control of both the mechanical features (pan, tilt, zoom, etc.) and electronic features (electronic shutter speed, etc.). Moreover, a single manufacturer may utilize different protocols for the different model devices or even different versions of the same model of device.
In one embodiment, in the event a network supports multiple networked devices, an authorized user within the network can utilize each individual manufacturer-provided user interface, such as a proprietary graphical user interface, to communicate with the respective hardware device. However, as the number of devices connected to the network increases, maintaining each user interface becomes problematic. For example, a user, such as a security monitor, must receive training and be proficient in each type of proprietary user interface. Additionally, the size and/or usability of a central control panel, such as a computer display screen, having each user interface can become burdensome. Still further, the ability of a user to implement a common task, such as the activation of all the cameras, must be executed individually, one interface at a time.
In another embodiment, a network can attempt to implement a reduced number of device interfaces by incorporating a common user interface template, such as a common graphical user interface, in which each instance of a user interface is configured with the particular communication protocols of a selected hardware device. Although this conventional approach attempts to mitigate the number of the interfaces a monitor would be required to learn, this approach can remain deficient for a number of reasons. In one aspect, the customized user interface for each device remains resident within the memory of the monitor's computer. Accordingly, non-authorized users may gain access to networked devices by accessing the resident user interface on the monitor's computer. In another aspect, because the custom user interfaces are resident on the client computer, the monitor is limited to either utilizing the same computer system for all device controls or to loading and maintaining the custom user interfaces on multiple computing devices. Additionally, the monitor may often be required to upgrade, or otherwise maintain, each instance of the user interface in the event the template is modified in any manner.
In still further aspect, the addition or modification of one or more devices within the network can create a need to delete some or all of the custom user interfaces on each computer maintained by the monitor. Similarly, if a monitor were to only require access to a networked device one time, the monitor would still be required to load and store the custom configured user interface for that device on the user computer. In still a further aspect, a user, such as a monitor, may often have to manipulate multiple instances of the same user interface to control multiple networked devices at one time. Accordingly, the conventional common template approach remains deficient in requiring repeated actions, or the management of multiple interfaces at one time.
Based on the above-described deficiencies, there is a need for a system and method for implementing common user interface for supporting different hardware device protocols in a network.

System and method for implementing open-protocol remote device control


A motor vehicle door lock device comprises a locking mechanism, a locking motor, an electric release mechanism, an opening lever, and an outside handle. An ECU includes an authenticating portion. When the authenticating portion authenticates a signal from a transmitter and the locking mechanism starts switching from a locking state to an unlocking state by the locking motor, ECU controls a releasing motor so that the electric release mechanism is actuated because a switch detects door-opening action of the outside handle. The locking mechanism is switched to the unlocking state without contacting the opening lever from a direction where the opening lever cannot be actuated. A locked door can be opened with the outside handle at a single action and prevents a panic.

A motor vehicle door lock device in JP4196617B2 comprises an engagement mechanism that engages with a striker of a vehicle body to hold a door closed; a locking mechanism comprising mechanical elements that is switched to an unlocking state capable of releasing engagement of the engagement mechanism with an outside handle and a locking state incapable of releasing it; and a panic-avoiding structure capable of avoiding a panic in which the locking mechanism does not normally finish switching to the unlocking state by contacting a part of the locking mechanism to a lever for releasing engagement of the engagement mechanism from an action-incapable direction when the locking mechanism is unlocked simultaneously with or right before and after door-opening action of the outside handle.
However, the motor vehicle door lock device in JP4196617B2 involves disadvantage that in order to open a door in which the locking mechanism is locked, from the outside of a vehicle, it is necessary to unlock the locking mechanism and then to open the door with the outside handle. So the door cannot be opened swiftly.
Furthermore, when the panic occurs, door-opening action with the outside handle stops once and the locking mechanism is switched to the unlocking state. Then, the door is opened with the outside handle. So the door cannot be opened swiftly.


A hockey stick shaft of the type employing a shaft susceptible to damage from heating to high temperatures and a socket for receiving a replaceable blade which is held fixedly therein during play, and where the shaft is heated to allow replacement of the blade, incorporating a heat tolerant shaft segment for receiving the blade, the heat tolerant segment extending not more than one half the total length of the shaft and formed of a heat tolerant material not degraded for hockey play by application of heat from a high temperature heat source in changing the blade, the remainder of the shaft being heated to a lesser extent than the heat tolerant segment when heat is applied in carrying out blade replacement.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hockey stick for use in playing hockey. More specifically, the invention relates to a hockey stick having a shaft and a replaceable blade which is firmly affixed to the shaft for play, and which blade is loosened to allow changing of the blade by application of heat to the hockey stick at the juncture of the replaceable blade and the shaft.
2. Description of the Related Art
Hockey sticks for playing the game of hockey historically were made of wood and included a shaft and a blade. More recently, advances in the art have given rise to hockey sticks having components formed of other materials, such as aluminum and composite materials, particularly fiber/resin composites incorporating epoxy and graphite. These newer materials are used because they give rise to advantages in weight and balance of the hockey stick and in its flexural properties. Replaceable blades are another more recent advance, and are generally formed of wood overlaid with a composite material such as fiberglass to strengthen the blade and provide increased durability. Such blades have a shank which is inserted into, and interfits with, a socket formed by an open end of the shaft of known hockey sticks.
Blades must be changed periodically due to wear or damage. In the most widely used configuration, the shank is held within the socket and is thus attached to the shaft by the use of a thermoplastic adhesive, commonly known as a "hot melt" glue. Conventionally, such a hot melt glue is liquefiable at temperatures well above that normally encountered in using a hockey stick. When liquified by application of heat such an adhesive allows removal or installation of a blade, and when allowed to cool, solidifies and adhesively bonds together the shaft and the shank of the blade.
Generally, manufacturers of hockey sticks recommend specific methodologies for heating the shaft of the hockey stick at the location of the hot melt glue-bonded connection at the end of the shaft. Such methodologies feature limiting the maximum temperature of the shaft to a material dependent value which allows liquefaction of the thermoplastic adhesive but is not injurious to the material from which the hockey stick shaft is made. Certain materials, specifically composite materials commonly used in forming the shaft, are susceptible to damage and weakening as a result of heating them to high temperatures, such as may be occasioned by using a flame to heat the shaft in carrying out a blade change, for example.
However, it is often desirable to change a blade quickly, and recommended methods of heating the shaft to effect a blade change take a relatively long time, at least as compared to methods commonly employed by hockey players to heat the end of the shaft. Particularly, during a game, players in a hurry to change a damaged blade, for example, may use a high temperature heat source such as a propane torch or the like, providing a rapid transfer of heat energy to the shaft to facilitate a faster blade replacement.
Composite materials, for example those employing fibrous materials and a resin binder, such as epoxy graphite composite materials of the type commonly used in forming hockey stick shafts, are heated well above the recommended temperature for the material by the application of heat delivered at a very high temperature by a propane torch or the like. Degradation of the structural properties important to strength and flexibility of the shaft often results, and breaking of such hockey sticks along the shaft at such a damaged location has been observed. The dangers attendant a hockey stick breaking in this manner during play are well known. At the least, such a damaged hockey stick may be rendered unusable when it is recognized that the portion of the shaft which receives the blade shank has been damaged, and a tight and reliable union between the shaft and the blade cannot thereafter be accomplished.
Because composite materials as presently used in hockey sticks provide very desirable performance properties, such hockey sticks continue to be used, and damaged, through over-heating, at various levels of play from professional hockey down to neighborhood street hockey, for example. Consequently, it has been recognized that damage caused to composite shafts by over-heating should be mitigated. The objectives of providing a hockey stick using composites having desirable properties and sufficiently low cost, and at the same time, allowing rapid blade changes conventionally made using a high temperature heat source such as a torch or the like, seem desirable and yet mutually exclusive.
The above concerns being recognized, there is a need for a hockey stick shaft for use in a hockey stick of the type having a conventional replaceable blade which provides the advantageous properties of composite materials, yet which allows repeated blade changes through application of heat rapidly and at very high temperatures, such as from a torch for example, to be used. The present invention is directed to this need.

High temperature heat tolerant hockey stick shaft


A musical drum construction has a drum side wall comprising a relatively thin outer plastic shell or skin and a relatively thick inner foam plastic liner. The drum construction is of relatively light weight and is economical to manufacture. A fluctuating light source is provided in the drum to impart a glowing appearance to the drum exterior. Switch mechanisms on the drum respond to vibrational motion of the drum skin to control the light source, the light or lights going on and off at the frequency with which the drum skin is struck by a drumstick.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to musical instruments, and particularly percussion drum instruments. The invention is applicable to various types of musical drums, including snare drums, kettledrums, bass drums and tenor drums. The drum may be a so-called closed drum structure having two drum skins, one at each end of the drum shell. Alternately, the drum may be a so-called open drum structure having only a single drum skin at one end of the shell, the other end of the shell being open.
2. Prior Developments
Conventional drums commonly comprise a hollow cylindrical shell having a circular drum skin stretched taut over one or both of its ends. A clamping ring is attached to the shell to exert axial clamping force on peripheral edge areas of each drum skin, thus to clamp the drum skin to the shell.
The musical output of the drum is produced by vibrational motion of the drum skins resulting from the striking action of a drumstick on the outer surface of a drum skin. In the case of a drum having skins at both of its ends, the vibrational motion of one skin is imparted to the other skin via a pressure wave generated in the air trapped within the drum between the two skins.
Drum shells are commonly made of wood, resulting in a relatively heavy and expensive construction. It is particularly expensive to form a tapered or bowl-shaped shell of wood. Although drum shells may be formed of plastic, conventional plastic shells are generally heavy gage constructions having relatively thick walls. The drums of the present invention have shells of relatively light and inexpensive structure.
Drums are often arranged in groups or sets called trap sets. Often, the drums are played by drummers as part of a rock band or combination. Lighting displays are often associated with the musical presentation. An interesting type of lighting display can be achieved by coordinating a light-producing action with the drum striking action. Each drumbeat can produce one flicker of an ornamental light associated with the drum. The overall effect is a flickering light display having a light frequency related to the drumbeat frequency.
The invention contemplates relatively low cost, light weight drum structures equipped with ornamental light displays.


An indication of stability of a tuning system after changing, the local oscillator frequency to a predetermined frequency, such as a frequency corresponding to a new channel during a channel changing operation or to a new search frequency during a search, is provided by monitoring an AFT signal during the frequency changing operation and determining when it remains consistent for a predetermined time.

RF television signals may have carriers with non-standard frequencies near respective standard (i.e., "broadcast") frequencies. Such non-standard frequency RF television signals may be provided by cable distribution networks or television accessories such as a VCR, video disk player, video camera or video game. Accordingly, many tuning systems include search provisions which change the frequency of the local oscillator signal in a step-wise search in the vicinity of the nominal local oscillator frequency for a newly selected channel until correct tuning is achieved. It is desirable that the tuning system be relatively stable after a new channel is selected or after a new step is taken so that the output signals of the detectors utilized for the search can be relied on.
One method of determining that a tuning system has achieved stability after a new channel has been selected or after a new step is taken in a search is to provide a time delay corresponding to the time required for stability to be achieved. With regard to channel changes, the required time delay varies with the "spacing" between the previous channel and the new channel. That is, it takes longer for a tuning system to make a channel change between channels at opposite ends of a tuning band (e.g., channels 2 and 6 in the low VHF television band) than it does to make a channel change between adjacent channels (e.g., channels 2 and 3). Accordingly, the time delay is usually set to the longest required time delay. Considering that the display of a television system is often "blanked" so as to prevent the display of transient effects during maximum time required for any channel change operation, including any search, e.g., in the order of 0.5 seconds, the apparent tuning time which the user is exposed to may be much greater than the actual tuning time required for a particular channel change operation. This irritating problem is multiplied when a user used "channel up" and "channel down" scanning buttons which are conventionally provided to allow the user to browse through various channels in sequence.
Phase locked loop (PLL) tuning systems sometimes include a so-called "lock" detector for determining when the tuning process has achieved substantial stability. A lock detector examines an error signal including pulses representing the phase and frequency differences between the local signal and a reference frequency signal, and generates a "lock" signal when the pulses of the error signal have become narrower than a predetermined width.
Most present PLL tuning systems are to a large extent incorporated within an integrated circuit (IC). While many PLL ICs are available, many do not include a lock detector. For example, a lock detector may not be provided if the PLL is incorporated in a control IC which is intended to control many other functions of a television system, in addition to tuning control, and IC (or "chip") area is at a premium. A lock detector may also not be provided in a PLL IC dedicated to tuning control because of the desire to save external connection terminals as well as chip area.
Thus, there is a need for a method and apparatus for detecting when a tuning system, which may not include a lock detector, has achieved stability and which does not require the same maximum time delay for every tuning change.

Stability detection method and apparatus for a tuning system


A method for manufacturing a semiconductor device, including etching exposed areas of a substrate using patterned nitride and insulating layers as an etch mask to form a trench in the substrate; forming a buffer layer in the trench; forming a stress-inducing layer by implanting ions into a region of the substrate around the trench using the patterned nitride and insulating layers as an ion implant mask; forming a device isolation region by filling the trench with an trench insulating layer; and removing the patterned nitride and insulating layers.

Embodiments of the invention relate to a semiconductor device and a method for manufacturing semiconductor device.
As the process technology for microfabrication of semiconductor devices has been rapidly developed, a technique of isolating a device region from other regions of a wafer is considered as one of the most important techniques. A so-called local oxidation of silicon (LOCOS) technique for forming device isolation layers by selectively growing a thick oxidation layer on a substrate is widely used as a device isolation technique.
The LOCOS technique has a significant disadvantage in that the width of a device isolation region cannot be reduced to below a certain level due to lateral diffusion of a device isolation region (e.g., lateral oxide growth) and formation of a bird's beak. Therefore, alternative techniques such as trench formation and shallow trench isolation (STI) techniques have been recently used.
A device isolation region formed by the STI technique includes an oxide layer for amending or repairing damaged silicon at an etched surface of the trench. However, since the oxide layer has a single-layer structure, a situation where leakage current increases due to high-speed operation of an active device in an active region of the substrate cannot be flexibly handled. This deteriorates the isolating and/or insulating ability of the device isolation region and may make it difficult to increase electron mobility in the device formed in the active region.

Semiconductor device and method for manufacturing semiconductor device


Embodiments of the present invention provide tape drives and methods for operating a tape drive. In one embodiment, tape head wrap angles are dynamically adjusted to increase or decrease contact pressure of magnetic tape on modules of a tape head. Embodiments of the present invention can be used to extend the lifespan of tape drives and components, and enable usage of tape media having increased smoothness and areal density.

The present invention relates generally to the field of magnetic tape storage, and more particularly to adjustment of tape head wrap angles.
In a magnetic tape storage system, magnetic tape is moved over the surface of one or more reader and writer modules of a tape head. These actions can result in head wear and stiction, both of which can reduce the lifespan of magnetic tape storage systems, potentially even resulting in catastrophic failure. Furthermore, as magnetic tape technology continues to improve, smoother tape media and increased areal densities will likely necessitate even lower tolerances for head wear and stiction.

Dynamic adjustments of tape head wrap angles

International Business Machines Corporation


A new and distinct hybrid elm selection, believed to be from a genetic background of Ulmus americana.times.U. pumila, which is characterized by extremely high vigor as compared to other elm trees of the same age. This tree is further characterized by having leaves which are larger, thicker, highly doubly serrate, and more symmetrical than those of comparison trees of comparison or parental species. The leaves of this tree have midrib and veins which are inserted below the top surface and protrude from the bottom surfaces of leaves, and are larger than those of other species.. It seems the extra thickness of the upper surface of the leaves of this tree with the larger vein structure beneath causes the leaf surface to become curved in a retrorse curve, with the center portion of the blade being higher, and the outer portion curved slightly downward. The blade turned with the lower side up becomes dish shaped and will hold water in the center. As the leaf matures, it take on various shaped curves over the veins outward from the center, which, as the leaf hardens in late summer, become a wavy fringe along the side.

The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of Elm tree which is believed to be a third generation tree resulting from the interspecific hybridization of Ulmus americana.times.U. pumila. The tree of this invention is also believed to be the result of a series of natural pollination back crosses of the initial hybrid with either American Elm or other hybrid trees with the same genetic background, due to the numerous characteristics of this tree which characterize American Elm, yet differing in a number of respects, such as having an unusually high level of vigor and by producing leaves which are much larger than those of either U. americana or U. pumila. This tree produces leaves which are most similar to those of the American Elm, but differ slightly in terms of shape and length of leaf stem; the leaves of this tree being nearly symmetrical and having uncharacteristically short petioles. The veins of the leaves of this tree are inserted from the top surface and protrude from the bottom leaf surface to a higher degree than is characteristic for American Elm, and venation is inconspicuous from the top, but very conspicuous from the bottom surfaces of the leaves, which are also thicker than is characteristic of those of the American ancestor species. While this selection has not been systematically tested for a long period of time, its characteristics which would qualify it is useful to both the landscape artisan and a farmer wishing to grow a living windbreak. Due to the age, size and character of its known seed parent, it is believed that this tree will be unusually tolerant of, or resistant to, common diseases which discourage the planting of trees within the family Ulmaceae.

Elmsagain Nursery, 961 Bulter Ave., P.O. Box 83


On startup, a mobile station application will determine the current carrier network and submit a query to an application server that will return the correct location server configuration for the specified network. This information will be used on the mobile station to dynamically configure the device through the available GPS chipset API.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to location based wireless services, and more specifically, to location enabled applications for wireless mobile devices.
2. Background of Related Art
Most mobile station (cell phone) GPS implementations depend on network access to a 'location server' for base station almanac (BSA) data and/or computational support. The IP address, port and type of connection must be known to the mobile station in order for the mobile station software and GPS chipset to communicate with this location server. Many Tier 1 carriers pre-configure their devices with this information.
Most location based applications rely on the device being pre-configured by the carrier with the correct location server configuration information. If this configuration is incorrect or does not exist, location services are not available.
The location configuration is static and must be established in advance by the wireless carrier. Existing GPS capable phones cannot be reconfigured (except manually) to access a new location server. When TCS sells its location platform into a new carrier, it is not possible to turn on location services on devices that are already deployed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Dynamic configuration of mobile station location services


A method of producing a lifting force and a horizontal force by aerodynamic surfaces includes the steps of moving aerodynamic surfaces along a circumference and providing their oscillations; rotating each of the aerodynamic surfaces synchronously with the movement along the circumference, in a direction which is opposite to it, relative to an axis of rotation which is parallel to an axis of the movement along the circumference, with an angular speed which is equal to an angular speed of the movement along the circumference, and performing oscillations of each of the aerodynamic surfaces synchronously with a rotation relative to mutually perpendicular axes located correspondingly in two mutually perpendicular planes which intersect along an axis of rotation of the aerodynamic surfaces, wherein one of them passes through an axis of the movement along the circumference and the axis of rotation.

The invention relates to aerodynamics of flying apparatuses and represents a method of producing a lifting force and a horizontal thrust by aerodynamic surfaces, that are driven in movement by a lifting-pulling propulsion device of a flying apparatus.
A method of producing a lifting force and a horizontal thrust by a vane-type carrying screw of a helicopter is known, which includes movement of vanes along a circumference and their oscillation around a longitudinal axis (A. M. Volodko "Helicopter—a Worker and a Soldier", M. Publishing House DOSAAF USSR, 1984, pages 82–83, FIG. 24).

Method for producing a lift and a horizontal thrust