The invention pertains to a centralized combination grease and/or oil lubricating system for lubricating bearings where a dual line parallel system is connected to a series progressive system with an inlet designed not to halt the flow of lubrication to the entire system if a single lubrication point becomes blocked but where a single terminal sensor will still alert the user of the blockage to the single lubrication point and a method of using the same.

The present invention relates to a centralized lubrication system for providing a grease or oil lubricant to a plurality of bearing points used in a multitude of industrial and commercial applications. Although the prior art teaches many systems for centralized lubrication of multiple bearing points, all of these teachings demonstrate limitations that the present invention addresses and overcomes.
Centralized automatic systems for providing lubrication to various moving parts such as bearings in machinery are generally known in the art. These systems allow for predetermined quantities of common lubricants such as grease and oil to be automatically distributed to a plurality of machinery points at regular intervals without the need for manual human intervention.
Prior art lubrication systems are generally either single line progressive (series progressive) or dual line parallel (parallel) in design. Series progressive systems operate by using pistons to move back and forth in a specific bore. A pump pushes lubricant from a reservoir through a single supply line which is connected to a number of metering valves as required for the particular application. As the lubricant reaches a metering valve, a dispensing piston is shifted in one direction to allow the lubricant to flow through the bore directly to the machinery requiring lubrication. There are generally pluralities of dispensing pistons in a block that are connected in series, or one after the other. The function of each distal piston in the system is directly dependant on the immediately proximal piston shifting to permit the flow of lubrication through and past that proximal point. Therefore, if an upstream piston in the series does not shift due to a problem such as a supply line blockage for example, all of the pistons further downstream or distal to that point will not receive a flow of lubrication to shift those pistons and lubricate those distal lubrication points.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,995,717 to Kroffke describes a centralized series progressive lubrication system where several lubricant injectors function in a sequential manor so that each downstream injector is fed only when the immediately corresponding piston is displaced by the flow of lubricant past that point in the system. This invention combined a system of lubricant feeders connected in series with corresponding injectors to deliver the lubricant to a plurality of points in sequence. This combination allows for the addition of additional injectors as needed without redesigning the entire feeder supply system but while still maintaining a sequential pattern of lubrication to points in the system.
In another example of a series progressive centralized lubrication system, U.S. Pat. No. 4,105,094 to Callahan utilizes a single line to supply lubrication to a plurality of bearing points arranged in series. As in the Kroffke patent, the downstream points only receive a supply of lubrication when the preceding piston in the supply line is displaced allowing lubricant to flow past to the bearing point and the next piston in the series. Once all of the points receive lubrication, a single check valve at the end of the system operates and the flow of lubricant reverses to return unused lubricant back through the same line.
Parallel automatic lubrication systems utilize two lines to move hydraulically adjustable valves or pistons and permit flow of lubricant to a plurality of machinery points. In this system, a pump pressurizes one of the lines while simultaneously venting the second line in the system. Once the system is pressurized, metering valves operate simultaneously to lubricate bearing points. Since each bearing point is lubricated simultaneously, the distal points are not directly dependant on the function of pistons up stream or proximally located in the system. Once a specific pressure is attained, the pump disengages and a valve opens to redirect the remaining lubricant through the second line in the system which functions as a return line to the reservoir. However, the next time that the pump pressurizes the system, the lines reverse uses and the second line becomes the distribution line and the first line becomes the return line.
An example of a two line system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,390,083 to Saretzky where a dual conduit system uses two feed conduits to supply lubricant to a plurality of points that require different amounts of lubricant. The two line system has an outlet connected to a progressive distributor control chamber and the pressure inlet connected to the dual feed conduits. This permits the system to provide differing amounts of lubricant to different rubbing points within the system at a single system pressure by adjusting each individual progressive distributor control chamber.
Each of these systems and combination systems has advantages and disadvantages. Series progressive systems are cyclical in operation, so they are easy to monitor for blockages in the line. If a blockage occurs, the locally blocked piston fails to shift and a sensor transmits an alarm. Additionally, since pistons move back and forth in their respective bore, only a single line is necessary to supply lubricant.
However, since these systems work on resistance to flow pressure in series, they will be either significantly limited in length, for example only 3-10 pistons, or be under extremely high pressure due to the viscosity of the lubricants used for industrial applications. Also, since many industrial processes require long machining runs, a system limited in length may not be ideal or practical for many applications. Another disadvantage is that any blockage in the system necessitates shutting down the entire run for repair since they are connected in series under pressure resulting in costly delays.
Parallel systems likewise have advantages and disadvantages. Since metering valves operate simultaneously, a parallel system allows for a much longer run with a larger amount of metering points since there is not a significant drop in the overall system pressure throughout the entire line. This is better suited for many larger industrial machines with a multitude of points or bearings that require lubrication. Also, if a particular point fails, the entire system need not be shut down while a single injector is replaces. This allows for a less costly repair while keeping the machine online and in service.
However, if a blockage does occur in the system, there is no way to know unless a sensor is placed at each lubrication point at increased cost. Unlike in the series system, pump pressure would not increase so there would be no outward sign of failure until the bearing point failed or burned out completely at a much greater expense than replacing only the injector. Additionally, the initial material and installation cost is greater due to the system having more than one line.
Many industrial central lubrication system applications, such as those employed in steel mills, require a longer length system that will have a low pressure drop where failure of a lubrication point is easily identifiable but where replacement of the failed lubrication point will not shut require shutting down the entire system. Therefore, a need remains for a centralized lubrication system capable of lubricating a plurality of bearing points over long runs through a hybrid combination of the above systems.
More specifically, a need still exists for a centralized combination grease and/or oil lubricating system that takes advantage of the benefits of both a series progressive system and a dual line parallel system while overcoming the individual disadvantages of both systems when used alone and method of the same.


A disk drive includes an actuator assembly having a read/write head, a spindle motor, a disk mounted for rotation on the spindle motor, a wedge-to-wedge timer and a sector size selector. The disk includes a recording surface having a plurality of tracks and each track includes a plurality of servo wedges. The recording surface has at least one data sector between circumferentially adjacent servo wedges on each track. The wedge to wedge timer measures the time elapsed between at least two successive detections of circumferentially adjacent servo wedges and outputs a wedge-to-wedge correction signal that is dependent upon the measured elapsed time. The sector size selector outputs a sector size signal that changes according to the wedge-to-wedge correction signal. In turn, the sector size signal determines the size of the next data sector on the recording surface of the disk.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to disk drives. More particularly, the present invention relates to disk drives that are configured to compensate for spindle motor speed variations and disk eccentricity.
2. Description of the Prior Art
All disk drives, to varying extents, suffer from a condition in which the media are not mounted at the exact center of rotation of the spindle motor. This condition manifests itself as a certain degree of eccentricity as the disk is rotated by the spindle motor. Such eccentricity may be caused by a condition called "disk slip" in which the disk platters slip relative to the clamp and/or spacers mounting the media onto the spindle motor, which may occur as a result of a shock event occasioned by dropping or jarring the drive, for example. Alternatively, disk eccentricity may be caused, for example, by an inexact installation of pre-recorded media (from a media writer, for example) on the drive's spindle motor. Some eccentricity is unavoidable, as the center opening of the disk must, by definition, be larger than the spindle of the spindle motor onto which it must be fitted.
When a disk or disks rotate with eccentricity, the result is once per revolution (OPR) timing errors, also referred to as a "big run-out". In contemporary drives, servo sectors of servo information are interspersed with data sectors circumferentially in concentric tracks around the recording surface or surfaces of the disk or disks. The format of the tracks calls for regularly spaced embedded servo sectors (also called servo wedges) containing servo information therein. Between the embedded servo sectors are a number of data sectors, which are configured to store user addressable data. When a disk rotates with eccentricity, the wedge-to-wedge timing will be modulated by the OPR timing error in a sinusoidal fashion as the disk rotates about the spindle, with the timing error being worse toward the inner diameter (ID) of the disk. This variation in the wedge-to-wedge timing due to disk eccentricity causes a certain degree of uncertainty in the timing of the servo control signals and the placement of user data. This timing uncertainty must be accounted for in the allocation of the various fields and the gaps interspersed between the data fields, which results in a loss of format efficiency, as compared to an ideal situation in which such timing uncertainty were minimized. For a given drive having 95,000 Tracks Per Inch (TPI) for example, a disk slip equivalent to a distance of 300 tracks in a 2.5 inch disk drive results in a 0.6% linear velocity uncertainty and a not insignificant 8% loss of user accessible storage capacity.
From the foregoing, it may be appreciated that methods for reducing the effects of disk eccentricity on the user addressable data spaces of the disk are needed.

Disk drive having adaptively-sized sectors to compensate for disk eccentricity


A device for purifying water of mineral contaminants, bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungus, and other undesirable impurities, as well as for preventing and removing scale from conduits and containers within which water is maintained, that utilizes an electronic circuit capable of generating a plurality of interacting electromagnetic fields. The circuitry is capable of generating the combination of a first static electromagnetic field of variable offset, a second radio frequency varying electromagnetic field, and a third low frequency varying electromagnetic field with high amplitude, short pulse width, spikes. In addition, the circuitry is capable of inducing a high negative ion concentration in the water within which electrodes connected to the circuitry are immersed. The invention anticipates the use of electrodes suitable not only for the flow of water about the electrodes through a conduit, but the placement of electrodes within a pool of water to be purified.

1. Field of the Invention
The apparatus and method of the present invention relate generally to devices and methods for purifying water through the use of electromagnetic fields. The apparatus and method of the present invention relate more specifically to an apparatus and method that utilize a combination of static, low frequency, and radio frequency electromagnetic fields, along with high negative ion flux to produce a range of purifying effects on water.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The use of electromagnetic properties to treat impurities that are commonly found in water is an old and well known practice. The basis for most devices that use electromagnetic fields and energy to purify or alter the characteristics of water is the fact that many impurities in water exist in ionic form and are, therefore, significantly affected by electromagnetic fields and charges placed in the water.
These ionic impurities are, of course, most significantly affected by the implementation of a static electric field within the water that directs ions of one polarity in one direction and ions of the opposite polarity in the opposite direction. The establishment of such a static electromagnetic field also serves to continuously disrupt the combination of negative and positive ions within the solution that tend to form solid precipitates that often clog conduits and containers for the water. Unfortunately, a typical side effect of the process of establishing a static electromagnetic field within a water container or conduit is the deposition of the ionic solids on the electrodes used to establish the field. After a period of time, the electrodes themselves require cleaning as they have attracted the ions of opposite polarity to such an extent that they become layered with precipitate and their efficiency is significantly reduced. The effect, therefore, is simply the redirection of the scaling from the conduit or container carrying the water to the electrodes that are placed within it.
In addition to the drawbacks identified above, the imposition of a static electromagnetic field on water is generally not effective against a broad spectrum of impurities known to exist in many water streams. Apart from the mineral precipitates that create impurity problems, there are additionally bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungus, etc., that are detrimental impurities in many water streams. For the most part, static electric fields have little or no affect on these so called "biological" impurities that may exist and may create problems as significant as the mineral scaling problems described above. There are devices in the field that have been constructed that utilize alternating electric current to create electromagnetic fields within a flow of water that are designed to selectively destroy bacteria contained within the water. U.S. Pat. No. 3,753,886, issued to Meyers on Aug. 21, 1973, describes Just such an apparatus, but determines the optimum functioning frequency to exist at 60 cycles per second. The Meyers patent hypothesizes a reason for the greater efficiency at low frequency alternating current, but specifically indicates a decrease in the efficiency of the device at higher frequencies. This leaves a number of forms of bacteria, protozoa, algae, fungus, etc., within the water and fails to completely purify the water as such. It would be advantageous to create and implement a device that incorporates not only a static electromagnetic field capable of handling ionic impurities as described above, but also a low frequency varying electromagnetic field, and a high frequency varying electromagnetic field, all in conjunction with a source for a high output of negative ions into the water. This combination of electromagnetic fields and ionic generation would be capable of attacking a broad spectrum of impurities commonly found in water. If a single circuit and electrode combination could be devised to implement this combination of generated electromagnetic fields, then a very simple and cost efficient means for a variety for water purification applications could be constructed.

Treatment of water with static and radio frequency electromagnetic fields


A burned chrome-containing refractory and method which provides a refractory having less than 5 ppm total soluble chromium. Such product is obtained by adding to the starting mix less than 10 wt. % (often less than 3 wt. %) zirconia, silica, zircon, or molybdic oxide either individually or in combination.

This invention relates to chromium containing refractories and, more particularly, it concerns an improved burned refractory with low levels of soluble chromium.
Chromium in its various oxide forms is a useful constituent of refractories because of its high melting point and its relative inertness when in contact with corrosive slags, gases, and molten metals. The main forms of chromium used in refractories are the mineral chromite--a complex oxide consisting of about 30-60% Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3 --and pigment-grade chromium oxide (Cr.sub.2 O.sub.3). Under certain conditions, the acid form of chromium, chromic acid (CrO.sub.3), can form from these materials. After use, routine disposal of these refractories is of concern since CrO.sub.3 (chromium VI) can be dissolved by water. Simple leaching of used chrome-bearing refractories by rain water or ground water may dissolve CrO.sub.3 present in the refractory.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency has issued test methods to determine the level of water-soluble chromium from various materials and has specified a current (Yr. 1990) maximum allowable level of total water-soluble chromium (all valence states of chromium) to be no more than 5 mg/l (or 5 ppm). The test methods used to determine soluble chromium have evolved from the earliest method, the EP Method (Extraction Procedure), to the present method, the TCLP Method (Toxicity Characteristic Leaching Procedure--Method 1311).
Since the EPA guidelines were announced, producers and consumers of chrome-bearing materials have been involved with determining the level of soluble chromium in their products. It is now apparent that different products containing similar levels of total chromium can differ in their soluble chromium levels. Therefore, a good correlation between total chromium and soluble chromium is not immediately apparent.
In light of the foregoing, there is a need for an improved refractory and method having a decreased level of soluble chromium, and in particular, a burned refractory having a level of soluble chromium reduced to below 5 ppm.

Burned refractories with low soluble chromium


Techniques are described for facilitating interactions between task requesters who have tasks that are available to be performed and task performers who are available to perform tasks, such as by an intermediary electronic marketplace or other task fulfillment facilitator system. In some situations, support is provided in various ways for using multiple human languages when supplying and performing tasks. For example, some tasks may have associated languages, and some tasks may further have multiple task variants that each have a distinct associated language. A user may then request information about tasks in a particular language, and receive information about tasks and/or task variants associated with that language. Furthermore, some tasks and task variants may further be associated with locales that include particular languages and/or various other factors, including geographical areas, and such locales may similarly be used to identify appropriate corresponding users that match the various locale factors.

The Internet comprises a vast number of computers and computer networks that are interconnected through communication links, with information being exchanged using various services such as electronic mail and the World Wide Web (also referred to as the "Web"). In addition to providing access to information, the Web has increasingly become a medium that is used to search for, shop for and order items (such as products, services and/or information) that are for purchase, rent, lease, license, trade, evaluation, sampling, subscription to, etc. In many circumstances, a user can visit the Web site of a Web merchant (or a "Web store") or otherwise interact with an online retailer or electronic marketplace that provides one or more items, such as to view information about the items, give an instruction to place an order for one or more items, and provide information needed to complete the purchase (e.g., payment and shipping information). The Web merchant then fulfills the order by providing the ordered items to the indicated recipient, such as by providing product items that have been ordered through physical distribution channels (e.g., shipment via a governmental postal service or private common carrier) or electronically (e.g., via download over the Internet, such as for digital music or videos) as appropriate. Ordered service items may similarly be provided electronically (e.g., providing email service) or physically (e.g., performing cleaning services at the purchaser's house).
In addition to such Web-based interactions between computers (e.g., interactions initiated by users using Web browser applications to interactively request Web pages from Web servers), various distributed computing systems are known in which multiple computer systems interact in other manners in order to achieve a goal. For example, it is often desirable for an application program on a computer system to interact with remote systems and applications in order to obtain various types of information and functionality that are not part of the application program. By performing such interactions, an application program may be able to leverage information and functionality from vast numbers of other computer systems over the Internet or other networks. In order to enable such interactions between remote computer systems and application programs, various programmatic interaction mechanisms have been developed. For example, remote procedure call ("RPC") protocols have long existed that allow a program on one computer to cause a program on another computer to be executed, and various object-oriented and other architectures such as CORBA ("Common Object Request Broker Architecture"), Java RMI ("Remote Method Invocation"), JavaSpaces, Jini, JXTA, and UPnP ("Universal Plug and Play") and DCOM ("Distributed Component Object Model") provide similar capabilities. In addition, a variety of middleware programs have been implemented to connect separate applications (often of distinct types and from unrelated sources) to allow communication. For example, various EDI ("Electronic Data Interchange") networks exist that provide standard mechanisms to allow a computer system of one user of the network to send data to a computer system of another user of the network.
The widespread popularity of the Web has also provided additional opportunities for computers to inter-communicate in various programmatic manners. For example, there is growing use of the Web to provide so-called "Web services," which typically involve the programmatic interaction of remote applications to exchange information via defined APIs ("application program interfaces"), or the like. Web services may allow heterogeneous applications and computers to interact, and can be defined and implemented using a variety of underlying protocols and techniques. For example, some Web service implementations return data in XML ("eXtensible Markup Language") format using HTTP ("HyperText Transport Protocol") in response to a Web service invocation request specified as a URI ("Uniform Resource Identifier"), such as a URL ("Uniform Resource Locator") that includes a specified operation and one or more query parameters. In other implementations, additional underlying protocols are used for various purposes, such as SOAP ("Simple Object Access Protocol") for standard message exchange, WSDL ("Web Services Description Language") for description of service invocations, and UDDI ("Universal Description, Discovery, and Integration service") for discovery of available services.
Unfortunately, while Web services and other programmatic interaction mechanisms allow various application programs and computers to interact, such interactions are typically limited in various ways. For example, the types of information and functionality that are available to be requested using such programmatic interactions are typically restricted to very limited types of requests that the remote computer systems and applications can automatically fulfill (e.g., to provide a specified predefined group of information, such as a Web page or file, or to perform a specified database query on a specified database). Moreover, there is a very large class of tasks which computers and application programs cannot easily automatically perform, but which humans can typically easily perform, referred to herein as "human performance tasks." This is due at least in part to various cognitive and other mental capabilities of humans that are not easily encoded in automated programs, such as the ability to use human judgment to form opinions, to perform abstract or common-sense reasoning, to perform various discernment and perception tasks (e.g., visual and aural pattern recognition, such as based on experience), to use cultural awareness and emotional intelligence, and to perform various other everyday yet highly complex kinds of perception, cognition, reasoning and thinking.
However, existing settings that allow parties to make tasks available for performance by human users also have various problems, including if there are a large number of tasks to be performed and a large number of users that are available to perform tasks. One example of a problem that arises in the context of performance of such tasks is that of accommodating human users who desire to perform tasks in multiple different languages. Similarly, a related problem may be handling tasks that are described in multiple different languages, such as to ensure performance of the tasks by appropriate human users. Some tasks and/or human users may also be associated with other factors related to particular locations. As such, it may be difficult for users who wish to perform tasks to identify tasks that are appropriate for their desired language and/or other location-specific factors. In addition, it may be difficult for parties that provide tasks to be performed to ensure that their tasks are performed by human users who are appropriate for any language-based or other location-specific factors for their tasks.

Facilitating performance by task performers of language-specific tasks


A receiving apparatus which suppresses threshold-voltage changes. A peak voltage detection block detects the peak voltage of a signal. A bottom voltage detection block detects the bottom voltage of the signal. A stop control block generates a stop signal for stopping the operations to detect the peak voltage and the bottom voltage. A threshold value specification block specifies a threshold voltage derived from the peak voltage and the bottom voltage. When receiving the stop signal, the peak voltage detection block stops the operation to detect the peak voltage and retains the peak voltage detected before the reception of the stop signal while the same signal is being received. When receiving the stop signal, the bottom voltage detection block stops the operation to detect the bottom voltage and retains the bottom voltage detected before the reception of the stop signal while the same signal is being received.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to receiving apparatuses, and particularly to a receiving apparatus that performs reception processing of input packets sent in a burst.
2. Description of the Related Art
The proliferation of the Internet has spread the use of information communications networks among households and businesses in recent years. The progression of optical fiber subscriber networks toward higher-speed and higher-capacity services has encouraged the widespread adoption of a passive optical network (PON) system as an optical fiber subscriber system.
FIG. 14 shows the configuration of such a PON system 5. The PON system 5 includes an optical line terminal (OLT) 51 located on the side of a local exchange, optical network units (ONUs) #1 to #n disposed on the subscriber side, and a star coupler 52 for coupling and decoupling an optical signal.
The star coupler 52 makes a one-to-n connection between the OLT 51 and the ONUs #1 to #n with optical fiber cables F and allows optical packet communication between the OLT 51 and the ONUs #1 to #n. In the figure, the star coupler 52 couples optical packets sent in a burst from the ONUs #1 to #n of a plurality of subscribers, and the single OLT 51 receives those packets.
FIG. 15 is a view showing the levels of a signal received by the OLT 51. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the level of the electrical signal after optical-electric conversion. The ONUs #1 to #n are placed in individual subscribers' homes. The transmission distance between the OLT 51 and the ONU varies among the ONUs #1 to #n, so the OLT 51 turns out to receive packet signals of different levels.
Each time a packet is received from each ONU, the OLT 51 specifies a threshold level for recognizing the code, judges whether the code is '1' or '0' in accordance with the threshold value, and performs data reception processing for the packet. In the shown example, the ONU #1 is the farthest from the OLT 51, and the ONU #5 is the closest.
In one conventional reception control technology (disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. Hei-06-310967), a peak value and a bottom value detected from the input signal waveform are retained, a middle value between the two values is specified as a threshold value, and the input signal is amplified in a linear range having the threshold value at its center while a constant output amplitude is kept.
The OLT 51 includes a packet reception circuit. This circuit detects the peak voltage (voltage when the signal is high) and the bottom voltage (voltage when the signal is low) of a received packet and obtains a threshold value.
FIG. 16 is a view showing an overview of the packet reception processing. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the signal level. Before the packet reception circuit receives a packet, the peak voltage, bottom voltage, and threshold voltage of the signal are reset. Then, the levels of peak voltage and bottom voltage of a received packet are detected from the level of the preamble (data indicating the position of the beginning of the packet) added to the first field of the received packet.
A midway level between the detected peak voltage and bottom voltage is obtained as the threshold voltage. After the reception of the packet ends, the peak voltage, bottom voltage, and threshold voltage are reset in preparation for the detection of the threshold value of a subsequent packet. This operation is performed for individual packets in the order in which they arrive, in the reception processing of a burst signal having input levels varying from packet to packet.
In the conventional packet reception circuit described above, even if the direct-current level does not vary during the input of the packet, the peak voltage and bottom voltage vary with the signal pattern of the input packet (data pattern of the packet), making it impossible to specify an accurate, constant threshold level.
FIG. 17 is a view illustrating the problem. The horizontal axis represents time, and the vertical axis represents the signal level. After the threshold level of a packet p1 is established, the detected levels are reset, and a packet p2 is received. As a first step for specifying a threshold level for the packet p2, the levels of the peak voltage and bottom voltage of the packet p2 are detected from the level of the preamble. Although the direct-current signal level of the input packet is constant during the input of the packet p2, the detected peak voltage and bottom voltage vary with the pattern of the input signal.
Since the threshold voltage depends on the varying peak voltage and bottom voltage (the figure shows that the peak voltage increases and decreases even though the input voltage of the packet p2 is constant), the threshold voltage varies while the same packet is being received. Therefore, a correct threshold value for judging the code cannot be specified.


According to one embodiment, a semiconductor is provided with a MOS transistor and 1st to 5th signal lines. The MOS transistor has a gate finger structure with gate terminals. The 1st line is formed parallel to a gate width direction at each of ends of gate terminals and connected to one end of one gate terminal. The 2nd line connected to the 1st line is formed perpendicular to the direction outside an active region. The 3rd line with a smaller line width than a gate width is formed perpendicular to the direction and connected to each drain on the active region. The 4th line connected to a source is formed parallel to the direction. The 5th line connected to the 4th line is formed such that the 5th line does not overlap the 2nd line.

In a high-frequency transistor, deterioration in gain and a noise characteristic caused by parasitic resistance of the gate are not negligible.
As a method of reducing the gate parasitic resistance, a method of using a finger structure in order to decrease the gate width is known. However, this method has problems that, e.g., the reduction in gate width is limited, and the characteristics deteriorate due to the influence of the wiring parasitic capacitance and substrate parasitic capacitance/resistance because many fingers are necessary.
As a method of solving the above-mentioned problems, there is a method of forming signal terminals at either end of each gate. This method can reduce the gate parasitic resistance to ¼ when compared to a case in which a signal terminal is formed at only one side of each gate (i.e., a case in which a signal is extracted from only one side of each gate).
Unfortunately, this method is disadvantageous in that the wiring structure is complex. In one method, for example, signal lines extracted from gates and signal lines extracted from drains overlap each other, so the gate-to-drain wiring parasitic capacitance (Cgd) increases. When using a transistor as an amplifier, Cgd is multiplied by the gain as a Miller capacitance with respect to the input terminal, so the gain deteriorates. Even when a matching circuit is connected, the gain performance (fmax ((max) or maximum available power gain (MAG)) deteriorates due to the influence of the load resistance. Also, since isolation between the output terminal (drain) and input terminal (gate) deteriorates, the oscillation stability decreases. To increase the stability, the power gain must be decreased, and as a consequence the gain characteristic deteriorates.
Furthermore, a transistor having a round structure in which a Cgd increase is small has been proposed as another method. However, the round structure poses other problems, such as a reduction in degree of freedom of the transistor size and an increase in packaging area.
No conventional technique which suppresses the increase in gate-to-drain capacitance while reducing the gate parasitic resistance is known.

High-frequency MOS transistor layout to reduce parasitic gate resistance and parasitic gate-to-drain capacitance


In some embodiments, an apparatus includes an optical transmitter system that defines an interferometric structure and has an in-phase portion and a quadrature portion. The optical transmitter system has a transmission configuration and a calibration configuration. The interferometric structure can produce an output associated with a skew between the in-phase portion and the quadrature portion of the optical transmitter system when in the calibration configuration. The skew is associated with a digital domain, an analog domain and an optical domain of the optical transmitter system.

Some embodiments described herein relate generally to methods and apparatus for the detection and correction of time skew in an optical transmitter. In particular, but not by way of limitation, some of the embodiments described herein relate to methods and apparatus for the detection and correction of time skew associated with the digital domain, the analog domain and the optical domain in an optical M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) transmitter.
The optical M-ary quadrature amplitude modulation (M-QAM) scheme with digital signal processing (DSP) is an enabling technique for high bit rate (e.g., 100 Gbit/s and beyond) optical networks. Transmitter side serializer/deserializer (SerDes) and digital-to-analog converters (DACs) are building blocks for spectrally-efficient, multi-level signal generation and spectral manipulation.
Any timing misalignment between the in-phase portion (I tributary) and quadrature-portion (Q tributary) on the transmitter data path sourced from the digital, analog and/or optical domains will penalize M-QAM system performance. Hence, it is desirable for skew correction to contain the I/Q skew to less than the symbol unit interval (UI) (e.g., 10% of UI). This presents challenges for component designers and board designers particularly in the case of pluggable photonics, where the SerDes/DACs are not assembled with the photonic module in the factory, preventing an in-factory calibration and correction of the time skew.
Accordingly, a need exists for methods and apparatus for the detection and correction of time skews that can originate from the digital domain, the analog domain and the optical domain in an optical transmitter system.

Method and apparatus for detection and correction of time skew in an optical transmitter


A process for making the compound of Formula I utilizes the starting compound, together with sulfilimine and sulfoxide process steps later on.

The compound known as festinavir is a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTI) which is being developed for the treatment of HIV infection. The drug has shown considerable efficacy in early development, and with perhaps less toxicity than some other NRTIs, such as the drug stavudine (marketed under the trade name ZERIT®). Festinavir has the chemical formula C11N2O4H8, and the structural formula:

Festinavir was developed by Yale University in conjunction with two Japanese research scientists, and is protected by U.S. Pat. No. 7,589,078, the contents of which are incorporated herein by reference. The '078 patent sets forth the synthesis of the primary compound, and other structural analogs. In addition, Oncolys BioPharma, Inc. of Japan has now published US 2010/0280235 for the production of 4′ ethynyl D4T. As starting raw material, the Oncolys method utilizes a substituted furan compound, furfuryl alcohol. In another publication by Nissan Chemical Industries of Japan, and set forth in WO 2011/099443, there is disclosed a method for producing a beta-dihydrofuran deriving compound or a beta-tetrahydrofuran deriving compound. In this process, a diol compound is used as the starting material. Nissan has also published WO 2011/09442 directed to a process for the preparation of a β-glycoside compound. Two further publications, each to Hamari Chemicals of Japan, WO 2009/119785 and WO 2009/125841, set forth methods for producing and purifying ethynyl thymide compounds. Pharmaset, Inc. of the U.S. has also published US 2009/0318380, WO 2009/005674 and WO 2007/038507 for the production of 4′-nucleoside analogs for treating HIV infection.
What is now needed in the art are new methods for the production of festinavir. The newly developed methods should be cost effective and obtain the final compound in relatively high yield, and should also utilize different starting material(s) and process mechanisms than what has been set forth in the published art, or is otherwise available to the skilled artisan.

Sulfilimine and sulphoxide methods for producing festinavir


An apparatus may include a press-fit connection for a printed circuit board and a connecting element, where the connecting element is pressed into the printed circuit board in that the connecting element is tapered at the end facing the printed circuit board, and where an insertion depth to which the tapered section is inserted in the printed circuit board ensures a compensation for tolerances.

The present invention relates to a press-fit connection between a connecting element and a printed circuit board, and an electronics module that has a press-fit connection. The invention also relates to a control unit that has a press-fit connection and/or an electronics module, and to a vehicle. The invention furthermore relates to a production process for an electronic module.
Press-fit connections between printed circuit boards and connecting elements are known, e.g., from DE 202004012466 U1.
Transmission controls that have electronics modules are also known. By way of example, DE 102010062761 A1 discloses an electronics module for control unit in a vehicle transmission. Accordingly, there is a populated printed circuit board that has one or more housing elements, which encompass components on one or both sides of the printed circuit board. Such a housing element is made of plastic, for example, and protects the components from contaminants and external influences. It is also known to place casting compound inside the housing to protect components against vibrations or to obtain a better thermal connection to a housing element.
The attached drawings are intended to provide a better understanding of the embodiments of the invention. They illustrate embodiments and clarify the principles and concepts of the invention in conjunction with the description. Other embodiments and many of the specified advantages can be derived from the drawings. It should also be noted that the elements in the drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale.
Identical, functionally identical, and elements, features and components acting in the same manner are given the same reference symbols in the drawings, if not otherwise specified.


An X-axis sensor, a Y-axis sensor, and a Z-axis sensor that detect a geomagnetic vector are provided, and the direction of the geomagnetic vector is sought on a spherical coordinate from the detection output of each sensor. A reference axis is determined in the spherical coordinate, a hypothetical central point is sought on the reference axis depending on data of two coordinate detection points, a perpendicular line to a plane that includes vectors from the hypothetical central point to the respective data is sought from the cross product of the vectors, an axis that is parallel to the perpendicular line and passes through an origin is set to be a calculated rotational axis, and movement centered around the calculated rotational axis is specified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a geomagnetism sensing device that detects geomagnetism by sensors respectively directed in three orthogonal directions and in particular, to a geomagnetism sensing device that can accurately calculate an angular velocity or the like when a magnetism sensing section with sensors mounted therein has turned in a three-dimensional space.
2. Description of the Related Art
A geomagnetism sensing device that detects geomagnetism by using a three-axis magnetic sensor which detects magnetic field strength in three directions which are at right angles to each other has been used as a rotation detection device, a posture sensing device, or the like.
A magnetic gyro described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-224642 has a three-axis magnetic sensor for detecting geomagnetism, which is disposed on a three-axis orthogonal coordinate. When the magnetic gyro is rotated in a three-dimensional space, a difference vector between two different points of time is sought using output data of three axes and whether or not the difference vector becomes smaller than a predetermined threshold is determined, whereby around what axis among the three axes the rotation has been made is specified.
When the magnetic gyro described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-224642 is rotated around any axis of three axes, which have been determined by the direction of the magnetic sensor, it is possible to detect a rotational state. However, when the magnetic gyro is rotated around an axis other than the three axes, a rotational axis cannot be recognized, such that in what rotational plane the rotation has been made cannot be specified. That is, only by a single magnetic gyro described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2008-224642, it is difficult to detect an angular velocity when rotation has been made around an arbitrary axis in a three-dimensional space.
A magnetic gyro described in PCT Japanese Translation Patent Re-Publication WO2007/099599 is provided with a memory that accumulates data of magnetic vectors which are detected in a time-series manner by a three-axis magnetic sensor, and a rotational axis is calculated on the basis of the data of the magnetic vectors at three or more different points of time accumulated in the memory and also a rotational velocity centered around the calculated rotational axis is calculated.
However, in the magnetic gyro described in PCT Japanese Translation Patent Re-Publication WO2007/099599, since the data of the magnetic vectors at three or more points of time are obtained in a state where there is no standard in a space, if an offset component is superimposed on the data or a noise is superimposed on the data, it is not possible to correct variations in individual data, such that it becomes difficult to specify an accurate rotational axis.


A system and method for enabling sensitive authentication information to be under the control of the service provider and transmitting only non-sensitive authentication information to the AC, for providing a secure technique for generating sensitive authentication information and for securely transmitting to and storing the information in the mobile system (MS) and a storage device controlled by the service provider, and for enabling a mobile station to utilize features supported by the visited system even if the MS home system does not support the feature. The present invention utilizes a secure authentication center (SAC) and a secure A-key management system (SAMS) to perform authentication. The SAC can be positioned locally in a home system, or it can be centrally located, for example, between systems. The SAC can be connected to many SAMS. Each SAMS stores sensitive authentication information for a group of MS's. During authentication, the SAC generates a request signal to the appropriate SAMS which generates a unique signal based upon the secret authentication data and other data stored therein. However, the sensitive authentication data is not sent to the SAC. The SAC performs authentication using the unique signal transmitted by the SAMS.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the field of communication systems and more particularly to the field of authentication of cellular telephone communication.
2. Description of Background Art
In recent years the use of cellular telephones and cellular communications systems has significantly increased. Many of the early communication systems were based upon analog technology, e.g., the advanced mobile phone system (AMPS). In recent years the protocols used by some of these analog systems have been modified to add features, e.g., call forwarding and authentication. FIG. 1 is an illustration of a conventional cellular communication network The communication network includes a mobile station (MS) 102, e.g., a cellular telephone that is commercially available from Motorola Corporation. The MS 102 transmits an electromagnetic signal to and receives an electromagnetic signal from a base station (BS) 104 via the air. In FIG. 1, the BS 104 is communicating with a first system, e.g., an IS-41C/AMPS system. Typically, a BS 104 is a tower having an antenna and a transceiver.
The MS 102 communicates with a BS 104 whose physical location is near the MS 102. Currently, there are thousands of BS's 104 in the United States. Some of the functions performed by each BS 104B include converting the received electromagnetic signal into an electrical signal, assigning a voice channel to the MS 102, and paging an MS 102. The BS 104 transmits a signal representing a unique MS identifier to a mobile switching center (MSC) using a signaling protocol supported by the MSC. Frequently, in the AMPS system, each MSC/VLR 106A-B and its associated BS's 104A-B are provided by a single manufacturer, e.g., Motorola Corp. Accordingly, a proprietary interface protocol is frequently used to communicate between the BSs 104A-B and the MSC 106A-B. Frequently, the MSC includes a visitor location register (VLR) and together are illustrated in FIG. 1 as an MSC/VLR 106. Currently, there are hundreds of MSC/VLRs 106 in the United States.
The MSC/VLR 106A identifies the home system, e.g., system 2, of the MS 102 and transmits a signal through a signaling network 108, e.g., the signaling system 7 (SS7) which is a standard telecommunication signaling system, to the home system for the purpose of registering the MS 102 using a signaling protocol supported by the MSC/VLR 106A and the home system. Two such signaling protocols are the IS-41B and the IS-41C signaling protocol. The IS-41B signaling protocol is described in greater detail in the Telecommunications Industry Association/Electronic Industries Association (TIA/EIA), Interim Standard IS-41-B, Electronic Industries Association, December 1991 that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The IS-41C signaling protocol is described in greater detail in the TIA/EIA, Interim Standard IS-41-C, Cellular Radio-Telecommunications Intersystem operations, February 1996 that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety. The home system includes an MSC/VLR 106C and a home location register (HLR) 110B having a profile of the subscriber (registered user) of the MS 102. A subscriber profile includes a copy of the unique MS identifier and indications of the type of services available to the subscriber, e.g., call forwarding and multi-party calling. One purpose of registering the MS 102 with the home system is to enable the MSC/VLR 106A to charge the home system so that the home system can charge the owner of the MS 104 for the cost of the call on the cellular network. If the unique MS identifier matches a stored identifier in the home system, then the home system transmits a registration signal to the MSC/VLR 106A and the user of the MS 102 is then permitted to use the cellular network.
One problem with conventional mobile communication systems occurs when the first system illustrated in FIG. 1 supports a protocol, e.g., IS-41C, that is compatible with the protocol supported by the second system, e.g., IS-41B, but the first system offers more features to the user, e.g., authentication. In conventional systems, the MS 102 can not take advantage of the additional features offered by the first system when traveling through the area supported by the first system. For example, a significant problem with current cellular networks is fraud. Specifically, the signal between the MS 102 and the BS 104A can be intercepted by an unauthorized source. The unauthorized source can determine the unique MS identifier included in the intercepted signal and can then program a fraudulent MS to transmit the intercepted MS identifier. As a result, the unauthorized source utilizes the cellular network and the cost of this use is charged to the subscriber whose MS identifier was intercepted. Some estimates of the monetary losses from this type of fraud range from $2 million to $3 million per day, as of 1996. Fraud typically occurs more frequently in larger cities. Accordingly, many system providers in the larger cities have upgraded the signaling protocol in order to include an authentication feature. For example, the IS-41C signaling protocol supports authentication while the IS-41A and IS-41B signaling protocols do not support authentication. Conventional systems do not permit an MS 102 to utilize the authentication capabilities (or other additional features) of the IS-41C signaling protocol while traveling through an area supported by the first system if the home system does not support authentication (or other additional features), e.g., if the home system only supports the IS-41B signaling protocol. The authentication standards developed by the TIA, for example the TSB51, are described in TIA/EIA, Telecommunications System Bulletin--TSB51, Cellular Radiotelecommunications: Authentication, Signaling Message Encryption and Voice Privacy, May 1993, that is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety, and the TIA IS-41-C. The TIA air interface standards are: IS-54-B that is described in TIA/EIA, Interim Standard IS-54-B, Cellular System Dual-Mode Mobile Station--Base Station Compatibility Standard, April 1992; IS-88, described in TIA/EIA, Interim Standard IS-88, Mobile Station--Land Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Narrowband Analog Cellular Technology, January, 1993; IS-91, described in TIA/EIA Interim Standard IS-91, Mobile Station--Base Station Compatibility Standard for 800 MHz Analog Cellular, October, 1994; IS-95-A, described in TIA/EIA, Interim Standard IS-95-A, Mobile Station--Base Station Compatibility Standard for Dual-Mode Wideband Spread Spectrum Cellular Systems, May, 1995; and IS-136, described in TIA/EIA, Interim Standard IS-136, 800 MHz TDMA Cellular--Radio Interface--Mobile Station--Base Station Compatibility, December, 1994, that are all incorporated by reference herein in their entirety. In addition, a more detailed description of the SS7 network is described in the American National Standards Institute, Inc. (ANSI), American National Standard for Telecommunications, Signaling System Number 7 (SS7)--General Information; Exchange Carriers Standards Association Committee T1; T1.111-1992 which is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
A second problem with conventional mobile communication systems when authentication capability is provided is that sensitive authentication information, e.g., the authentication key (A-key), is accessible by an authentication center (AC) system administrator or other network entity. It would be preferable to increase the security of the mobile communication system by limiting access to such sensitive authentication information only to the MS service provider such that the AC system administrator or other network entity, who may not be directly associated with the MS service provider, does not have access to the sensitive authentication information. However, in conventional mobile communication systems the AC requires access to the sensitive authentication information when performing MS authentication and, therefore, the sensitive authentication information can be available to non-MS service providers.
A third problem with conventional mobile communication systems is that if the sensitive authentication information, e.g., the A-key, is pre-programmed in the MS 102, it must be transmitted to the AC in the home system before activating the MS 102. This presents several security concerns. For example, if the A-key is pre-programmed into the MS 102, the value of the A-key must be sent to the home system before activating the MS 102. In conventional systems the value of the A-key is either transmitted electronically, e.g., via a data network, or is written and sent to the service provider. These techniques are not secure since they utilize a person at one or both ends that obtain access to the sensitive authentication information For example, if an MS 102 is sold at a retail store, part of the MS activation process (when the service provider provides an authentication procedure) requires that the A-key be sent from the service provider to the retail store for programming into the MS 102. This can mean that the retail clerk obtains access to the sensitive authentication information. What is needed is a more secure technique for transmitting sensitive authentication information between the service provider and the MS 102.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for (1) enabling sensitive authentication information to be under the control of the service provider and transmit only non-sensitive authentication information to the AC; (2) providing a secure technique for generating sensitive authentication information and for securely transmitting to and storing the information in the MS 102 and a storage device controlled by the service provider; and (3) enabling a mobile station to utilize features supported by the visited system, e.g., authentication, even if the MS home system does not support the feature.

Secure authentication-key management system and method for mobile communications


A wearing article includes a chassis and a fastening system. The chassis includes front and rear waist regions each having a waist hole defining edge and a waist hole elastic zone. The fastening system includes a first fastening component attached along side edge portions of one of the front and rear waist regions and having first and second ends in a longitudinal direction and a second fastening component attached along side edge portions of the other of the front and rear waist regions and detachably engageable with the first fastening component and first and second ends in the longitudinal direction. The first end of said second fastening component is beyond the first end of the first fastening component and an edge of the second waist hole elastic zone to a side of the second waist hole defining edge, with the first and second fastening components normally engaged with each other.

The present invention relates generally to a wearing article and more particularly to a diaper having transversely opposite side edges of front and rear waist regions adapted to be detachably fastened together.
There are disclosed absorbent garments such as, for example, disposable training pants with fasteners in side edges of front and rear waist regions in National Publication of patent application Based On Japanese Translated Version No. 2002-532147 (hereinafter referred to as "Reference").
The absorbent garment disclosed in Reference comprises side panels extending outward from an absorbent assembly in one of the front and rear waist regions in a transverse direction and mechanical fastening components provided in the other of the front and rear waist regions. The side panels define inner surfaces adapted to be refastenably fastened to the mechanical fastening components in order to retain the garment in a pants-like shape.
The absorbent garment disclosed in Reference is retained in the pants-like shape by refastenably fastening the one of the waist regions and the other of the waist regions to each other using the mechanical fastening components. However, the mechanical fastening components are attached to the side panels made of an elastomeric nonwoven fabric material and necessarily result in undesirable situation. Specifically, there are anxieties that the elastomeric nonwoven fabric material may curl up in vicinities of respective upper edges of the waist regions during use of the absorbent garment as the side panels made of the elastomeric nonwoven fabric material contracts in a waist surrounding direction, leading to deterioration of appearance and fit and even to peeling off of the fastening components. Particularly when hook elements constituting the mechanical fastening components are peeled off, the hook elements may irritate the wearer's skin, causing the wearer to experience a feeling of discomfort and/or causing garments and bedclothes to be damaged.


Provided is a phased array antenna which can be used in the millimeter wave band and whose cost is lower than that of a conventional phased array antenna. The phased array antenna (1) includes: an optical modulator (OM) configured to generate a signal light beam SL by carrying out intensity modulation on a carrier light beam CL by use of a sum signal VIF+LO(t), the sum signal VIF+LO(t) being obtained by adding an intermediate frequency signal VIF(t) and a local signal VLO(t); and a time delay device (TD) configured to generate delayed signal light beams SL′1, SL′2, . . . and SL′n by imparting time delays Δt1, Δt2, . . . and Δtn to the signal light beam SL. Each feeding circuit (Fi) generates, from a corresponding delayed signal light beam SL′i, a delayed radio frequency signal VRF(t−Δti) to be supplied to an antenna element (Ai).

In an attempt to increase capacity of wireless communications, frequency bands used are increasingly in a broader frequency range as well as in a higher frequency region. In recent years, not only a microwave band (not less than 0.3 GHz and not more than 30 GHz) but also a millimeter wave band (not less than 30 GHz and not more than 300 GHz) is used in wireless communications. In particular, 60 GHz band, in which a great attenuation occurs in the atmosphere, is attracting attention as a band in which data leakage is less likely to occur.
An antenna which is used in a wireless communication in 60 GHz band is expected to have a high gain and to operate in a wide frequency band. This is because a great attenuation occurs in 60 GHz band in the atmosphere, as described above. An array antenna is one example of an antenna which has a gain high enough to allow the antenna to be used in 60 GHz band. Note here that "array antenna" refers to an antenna in which a plurality of antenna elements are arranged in an array or in matrix.
In the array antenna, a direction of a main beam of radiated electromagnetic waves can be changed by controlling a phase of a radio frequency signal (RF signal) supplied to each of the plurality of antenna elements. The array antenna having such a beam scanning function is called a phased array antenna, and has been a subject of vigorous research and development.
FIG. 11 illustrates a typical configuration of a conventional phased array antenna. As illustrated in FIG. 11, the conventional phased array antenna is configured so as to (1) impart a time delay to a radio frequency signal RF by use of time delay elements TD1 through TD4 and (2) supply delayed radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4 to antenna elements A1 through A4.
However, the phased array antenna shown in FIG. 11 is not suitable for use in a millimeter wave band. This is because it is difficult to impart a highly accurate time delay to a radio frequency signal in a millimeter wave band with use of an electrical means such as a time delay element.
For this reason, a phased array antenna to be used in the millimeter wave band is normally configured to use an optical means, such as a chromatically dispersive fiber, to impart a highly accurate time delay to radio frequency signal. FIGS. 12 and 13 illustrate such a phased array antenna.
A phased array antenna 101 illustrated in FIG. 12 includes light sources LS1 through LS4, an optical multiplexer OMP, an optical modulator OM, an optical waveguide OWG, a wavelength demultiplexer WDM, O/E converters OE1 through OE4, and antenna elements A1 through A4. An optical waveguide constituted by a chromatic dispersion medium is used as the optical waveguide OMG. The phased array antenna 101 is configured so as to generate radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4, which have differing time delays Δt1 through Δt4 respectively imparted thereto. This is accomplished in the following manner.
(1) Generate (by use of an optical multiplexer OMP) a carrier light beam CL by multiplexing carrier light beams CL1 through CL4, each of which has differing wavelengths. (2) Generate (by use of an optical modulator OM) a signal light beam SL by carrying out intensity modulation on the carrier light beam CL by use of a radio frequency signal RF. (3) Generate (by use of an optical waveguide OMG) a delayed signal light beam SL′ by causing chromatic dispersion ΔD(λ) of the signal light beam SL. (4) Generate (by use of a wavelength demultiplexer WDM) delayed signal light beams SL′1 through SL′4 by carrying out wavelength demultiplexing on the delayed signal light beam SL′. (5) Generate (by use of O/E converters OE1 through OE4) delayed radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4 by carrying out O/E conversion on the delayed signal light beams SL′1 through SL′4.
In the phased array antenna 101 illustrated in FIG. 12, the time delays Δt1 through Δt4 which are imparted to the radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4, respectively, are changed by changing the wavelengths of the carrier light beams CL1 through CL4. This makes it possible to control the direction of a main beam (see Patent Literature 1). Alternatively, controlling the direction of the main beam can be achieved by changing the chromatic dispersion ΔD(λ) caused to the signal light beam SL so as to change the time delays Δt1 through Δt4 which are imparted to the radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4, respectively (see Non-Patent Literature 1).
A phased array antenna 102 illustrated in FIG. 13 includes a light source LS, an optical modulator OM, an optical splitter OD, optical waveguides OWG1 through OWG4, O/E converters OE1 through OE4, and antenna elements A1 through A4. The optical waveguides OWG1 through OWG4 are optical waveguides which cause differing chromatic dispersion or are optical waveguides having differing optical path lengths. The phased array antenna 102 is configured so as to generate radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4, which have differing time delays Δt1 through Δt4 respectively imparted thereto. This is accomplished in the following manner.
(1) Generate (by use of an optical modulator OM) a signal light beam SL by carrying out intensity modulation on the carrier light beam CL by use of a radio frequency signal RF. (2) Generate (by use of an optical splitter OD) signal light beams SL1 through SL4 by splitting the signal light beam SL. (3) Generate (by use of OWG1 through OWG4) delayed signal light beams SL′1 through SL′4 by imparting the time delays Δt1 through Δt4 to the signal light beams SL1 through SL4, respectively. (4) Generate (by use of O/E converters E1 through OE4) delayed radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4 by carrying out O/E conversion on the delayed signal light beams SL′1 through SL′4.
In a case where the optical waveguides OWG1 through OWG4 are waveguides which cause differing chromatic dispersion, the time delays Δt1 through Δt4 which are imparted to the radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4, respectively, are changed by changing the wavelength of the carrier light beam CL. This makes it possible to control the direction of a main beam (see Patent Literature 2). In a case where the optical waveguides OWG1 through OWG4 are optical waveguides which have differing optical path lengths, the time delays Δt1 through Δt4 which are imparted to the radio frequency signals RF′1 through RF′4, respectively, are changed by changing the optical path lengths of the optical waveguides OWG1 through OWG4. This makes it possible to control the direction of a main beam (see Non-Patent Literatures 2 and 3).


The invention relates to novel cobalt compounds, having a general structure ##STR1## wherein Co is either Co(II) or Co(III), and each of the R groups is selected from the group consisting of hydrogen, alkyl, hydrophilic organic acid, alkyl amine, amine, alkyl alcohol, alcohol, polypeptide or nucleic acid. The invention further relates to methods of using such compounds to reduce the biological activity of proteins, particularly enzymes and zinc finger-containing proteins.

The use of metals in medicine has grown impressively in recent years as the result of a greatly advancing understanding of the structures of biologically active metal complexes and metal-containing proteins.
Currently, a class of cobalt-containing, complexes, where the cobalt is Co(III), has been shown to have antiviral, antitumor and antimicrobial activities, as well as showing use in the treatment of inflammation and burns (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,866,054, 4,866,053, 5,049,557, 5,106,841, 5,142,076, and 5,210,096, and Wooley et al., Agents and Actions 35:274 (1992)). These complexes have a basic core structure shown below: ##STR2##
These complexes are hypothesized to be active-oxygen or superoxide antagonists, thus suppressing medical conditions associated with free radicals such as inflammation.
Additionally a Co(II) complex of isopropyl salicylic acid has been made and reported to be cytotoxic. (Ranford et al.. J. Chem. Soc. Dalton Trans. (1993) 3393).
Finally the oxidation of certain Co(III) complexes containing coordinated nitrogen mustards causes the release of activated aliphatic mustards which can act as diffusible cytotoxins. (Ware et al.. J. Med. Chem. 36:1839 (1993)).


A multiplier has a multiplication array in which partial products are generated by performing multiplication between a multiplier and a multiplicand, and a partial product control circuit which generates an enable signal for activating an effective region in the multiplication array corresponding to effective figures of the multiplier and the multiplicand. The effective figures depend on the format of the multiplier and the multiplicand. The partial product control circuit controls the status of the enable signal according to a multiplication command designating the format. The multiplication array is constituted by a dynamic circuit. The dynamic circuit in an initial stage of the multiplication array has a switch which is turned on/off by the enable signal. When the enable signal is ineffective, the switch is turned off and a discharging operation in the dynamic circuit is stopped.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an arithmetic unit which performs arithmetic operations on data and, more particularly, to a multiplier which performs multiplication on data.
2. Description of the Related Art
In computers, floating point numbers and fixed point numbers are handled. Arithmetic units for performing operations on floating point numbers and fixed point numbers are known. An arithmetic unit for performing multiplication among such arithmetic units is called a multiplier. Conventional arts described below are known as arts relating to arithmetic units and multipliers.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-49234 discloses a floating-point multiplication circuit designed to efficiently execute multiplication of integers as well as multiplication of floating point numbers. According to the technique disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 61-49234, integer data is expressed in floating-point form such that the most significant bit of a mantissa part is 0. This technique eliminates any special discrimination between integer data and floating point number data and enables these two kinds of data to be handled in a unifying manner.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-40605 discloses a floating-point multiplier which performs multiplication of fixed point numbers and non-normalized floating point numbers as well as normalized floating point numbers. For example, a fixed point number is shifted by the number of successive 0s from the most significant bit by a left shifter and thereafter provided to a multiplication circuit for performing multiplication of normalized floating point numbers. Also, the sum of the amount of shift of a multiplier and the amount of shift of a multiplicand is computed by an adder. The multiplication result output from the multiplication circuit is shifted by the amount corresponding to the sum of the amounts of shift by a right shifter.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 10-333886 discloses a technique with the objective to reduce the scale of a floating-point multiplication circuit. The floating-point multiplication circuit has a multiplier for performing multiplication between a mantissa part of a first value and a second mantissa part of a second value. The multiplier obtains partial products by means of a second-order booth decoder and a selector. The obtained partial products are added in an array manner.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 5-150870 discloses a technique with the objective to reduce the power consumption of an arithmetic circuit in a digital signal processor (DSP) The arithmetic circuit has a plurality of functional blocks, a plurality of switches and a control block. The plurality of switches turn on/off clock signals supplied to the plurality of functional blocks. The control block controls each switch to control the supply of the clock signal to the corresponding functional block.
Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. 9-114639 discloses a bit field operation circuit in a microprocessor. The bit field operation circuit has a mask data generation circuit and performs a bit field operation by using mask data output from the mask data generation circuit. The mask data generation circuit has a mask bit generation circuit and a shifter. The shifter shifts a mask bit output from the mask bit generation circuit by an amount corresponding to predetermined bits, and outputs the mask bit as mask data to an arithmetic unit.


An extended protocol provides a serial bus with the capability of effective communications for a multimaster bus. A bus device may enter a master mode and transmit information identifying a designated recipient device on the bus. Either the master mode device or the designated recipient device may send information that identifies the master mode bus device. The master mode device may read from the designated recipient device or may write to the designated recipient device. The designated recipient device may provide an acknowledgement, data, a command, or status information may be sent back. The status information may include version information regarding the hardware, software, and/or firmware of the designated recipient device.

Certain serial data bus protocols do not allow for more than one master device on the bus. In particular, the Inter Integrated Circuit bus offers multimaster capability and an arbitration procedure to help ensure that that only one master device controls the bus in the event two or more master devices seek to control the bus simultaneously. However, there are deficiencies in the current protocol to adequately handle communications with more than one master device. When a master mode device tries to communicate with a slave mode device, the slave mode device is not provided with information that identifies the master mode device. The lack of identification presents a problem because the slave mode device is unable to present data or commands to the master mode device in a format specific to the master mode device. Further, the various devices are constantly subjected to updates to remove bugs and otherwise improve performance. Currently, there is no means for the devices in slave mode to make other devices in master mode in communication aware of their version. Overall system efficiency is accordingly reduced.
Therefore, it would be desirable to provide a multimaster protocol for a serial data bus, especially an Inter Integrated Circuit bus.


The present invention provides a novel method of hydrogenating a phenol for hydrogenating a phenol industrially advantageously. The present invention relates, in the case of phenol hydrogenation in which carbon dioxide is made to participate in the reaction, to a method of hydrogenating a phenol characterized by using a supported rhodium and/or ruthenium catalyst, whereby the phenol is hydrogenated efficiently at a lower reaction temperature than with prior art; such a method characterized in that carbon dioxide having a temperature of 20 to 250° C. and a pressure of 0.1 to 50 MPa is used as the carbon dioxide; and such a method characterized in that hydrogen under conditions of a temperature of 20 to 250° C. and a pressure of 0.1 to 50 MPa is used.

Adipic acid, which is a raw material of 66-nylon, and ε-caprolactam, which is a raw material of 6-nylon, are manufactured on a worldwide scale in amounts of 2.2 million tons and 3.7 million tons per year respectively.
Adipic acid is obtained industrially by oxidizing cyclohexanone, cyclohexanol, or a mixture thereof with nitric acid. ε-caprolactam, on the other hand, is obtained through a rearrangement reaction of cyclohexanone oxime that has been obtained by converting cyclohexanone into the oxime. Moreover, KA oil, which contains cyclohexanone and cyclohexanol is manufactured through a cyclohexane oxidation process or a phenol hydrogenation process, and it has been reported that the amount of KA oil produced per year is 5 million tons (Sekiyu Kagaku Purosesu ("Petrochemical Processes"), edited by the Japan Petroleum Institute, Kodansha, pages 144-148 (2001)).
However, out of these processes, with the cyclohexane oxidation process, approximately 20% of higher oxides are produced, and the handling thereof is problematic. On the other hand, with the phenol hydrogenation process, KA oil has been obtained through a vapor phase method using a supported palladium catalyst by reacting a phenol or the like in a temperature range of 130 to 180° C. so as to hydrogenate the benzene ring of the phenol (N. Mahata and V. Vishwanathan, Journal of Catalysis, 196, 262-270 (2000)). This method of hydrogenating phenol has the drawback that the reaction temperature is high, and hence the catalyst is prone to being deactivated through accumulation of carbonaceous matter on the surface thereof during the reaction; making the reaction proceed at a lower temperature has thus become an issue. Moreover, there has been proposed a method of synthesizing 3-methylcyclohexanone and 3-methylcyclohexanol from meta-cresol through hydrogenation using carbon dioxide and a 5% palladium catalyst under reaction conditions of 250 to 400° C. and a (CO2+H2) pressure of 120 bar (Published Japanese Translation of PCT Application No. 2000-508653) However, with this type of hydrogenation method, drawbacks have been observed in that deoxygenation and functional group breakaway occur so as to produce unwanted byproducts such as methylcyclohexane and toluene. Moreover, the supported metal of the catalyst used in such a hydrogenation method is limited to palladium, and hence it has been difficult to reduce the reaction temperature, or improve properties such as the activity and selectivity; there have thus been calls for the development of a new highly active metal catalyst.

Abstract: An environmentally friendly phenol hydrogenation process that uses no harmful organic solvents can be realized.

National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology


Methods and devices for quantifying creatinine in a test sample are provided. The test sample is contacted with a sensing composition to obtain a product comprising a hydantoin-transition metal complex and ammonia. The sensing composition comprises creatinine deaminase and a transition metal salt. The creatinine deaminase enzymatically reacts with creatinine to provide the N-methyl hydantoin and ammonia. The N-methyl hydantoin forms the hydantoin-transition metal complex with the transition salt. A potential difference is applied to the product to measure a current signal provided by the hydantoin-transition metal complex. Concentration of N-methyl hydantoin is obtained based on the measured current signal using a calibration equation. The concentration of N-methyl hydantoin is correlated with concentration of creatinine to quantify the creatinine in the test sample.

In a laboratory, concentration of creatinine in a test sample is estimated indirectly, for instance, the test sample is enzymatically treated with creatinine deaminase for release of N-methyl hydantoin and ammonia. The released ammonia is correlated with concentration of creatinine in the test sample. Typically, indirect estimation of serum creatinine by measuring ammonia is performed by biosensors which involve a pH sensitive or ammonium ion selective electrode and a potentiometric sensor or Ion Sensitive Field Effect Transistor (ISFET). However, such biosensors suffer from inherent interference from endogenous ammonia level in the test sample, for example, when the test sample is serum.

Electrochemical measurement of creatinine in serum


An ornamental lamp assembly which mounts a diffraction grating in the form of a compact disc about a light socket. The diffraction grating is mounted so as to freely wobble relative to the light socket. A light bulb mounted in the light socket produces light that is reflected by the refraction grating which visually produces a series of different colors that are constantly moving due to the wobbling mounting of the grating on the light socket. The compact disc could include a series of light reflective areas and a series of light transmitting areas.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to ornamental lamp assemblies that utilizes a compact disc as a diffraction grating so that light from a light bulb can be reflected by the diffraction grating producing a myriad of different colors with the colors constantly changing.
2. Description of the Related Art
It is known that optically a diffraction grating consists of a regular series of fine lines ruled on a reflective surface of glass, plastic or metal. A type of structure that can be used as a diffraction grating is a compact disc. Compact discs have a continuous surface that can function as a light reflective surface with this continuous surface to have formed therein a concentric arrangement of a mass of grooves. Typical compact discs are CDs, DVDs, laser discs, mini discs and the like.
When light is reflected off the light reflective surface of a compact disc, different colors are produced. These colors are different shades of reds, blues, yellows, orange and greens. The appearance of these colors produces a desirable visual effect to an observer. When a light bulb is mounted in close proximity to the disc and when viewed in the direction of the light reflective surface, the reflected light produces a most desirable visual, colorful effect. Compact discs are commonly used for their data storage capacity. However, because of the construction of the compact disc, the compact disc also could be used as a light reflective, diffraction grating.
In the past, the using of a compact disc in conjunction with a light bulb socket has been known. However, the diffraction grating of the prior art has been fixedly mounted to the compact disc. It has been discovered that if the compact disc was to be permitted to freely wobble a limited amount that the produced colorful pattern is constantly changed thereby producing a much enhanced visual effect.


According to one embodiment, the method of manufacturing a solid-state imaging device includes: forming a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements by two-dimensionally arranging semiconductor areas of a second conductivity type at a semiconductor layer of a first conductivity type in a matrix pattern; forming the photoelectric conversion elements in a rectangular shape in plan view, the photoelectric conversion elements being formed by forming a grid-like trench in plan view so as to partition the semiconductor layer; forming the photoelectric conversion element formed into the rectangular shape in plan view into a convex polygonal shape in plan view whose number of corners is larger than the number of corners of a rectangular; and forming an element isolation area including a light shielding member at a trench coated with an insulating film after coating an inner peripheral surface of the trench with the insulating film.

Conventionally, electronic devices, such as a digital camera and a portable terminal with camera function, include a camera module with a solid-state imaging device. The solid-state imaging device includes a plurality of photoelectric conversion elements. The plurality of photoelectric conversion elements is two-dimensionally arranged in a matrix pattern corresponding to respective pixels of a captured image. Each photoelectric conversion element photoelectrically converts incident light into electric charge of an amount corresponding to an amount of received light and accumulates the electric charges as signal electric charges indicating luminance of each pixel.
Between each of the photoelectric conversion elements, an element isolation area is disposed. The element isolation area electrically and elementally separates the photoelectric conversion elements. The element isolation area is, for example, formed as follows. A grid-like trench (groove) is formed at a semiconductor layer where a plurality of the respective photoelectric conversion elements is formed. The trench surrounds each photoelectric conversion element in a rectangular shape in plan view. An insulating material is embedded in the trench.
The trench for element isolation is generally formed by Reactive Ion Etching (RIE). However, dangling bond may be generated on a surface of the trench formed by RIE. Since an electron caused by dangling bond is generated regardless of existence of incident light, the electron appears as white defect in the captured image, causing image degradation.

Method of manufacturing solid-state imaging device


A plate formed with louvers and a depression to heat engage a hard disk drive motor is attached to such a drive. Heat from the motor is transferred to the plate. The louvers dissipate heat especially if they are in the path of a blower. The plate also protects the user from contact with drive components if touched during installation or removal of the drive while the drive is connected to a computer while electrically energized.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a hard disk drive heat sink. More particularly, the invention relates to a louvered plate which is fixed to a disk drive to dissipate heat and protect the user and also the disk drive components from damage if the heat sink is installed or removed while the computer to which it is attached is energized.
2. Description of Related Art
Heat sinks of various types are well known and are commonly attached to electrical components of printed circuit boards and power supplies. The present invention applies a particular heat sink to a hard disk drive in such a manner that the heat from the motor of the drive is dissipated.


Embodiments of this application provide a beamforming training method, an initiating device, and a responding device. The method includes: transmitting, by an initiating device, codeword indication information to each responding device in a plurality of responding devices, where codeword indication information received by a first responding device in the plurality of responding devices is used to indicate a first codeword assigned by the initiating device to the first responding device, the first codeword is used to encode a beamforming training signal transmitted between the initiating device and the first responding device, and codewords assigned to different responding devices in the plurality of responding devices are orthogonal to each other; and performing, by the initiating device, beamforming training simultaneously with the plurality of responding devices based on a plurality of codewords assigned to the plurality of responding devices.

802.11ad is a wireless communications standard that works in a 60 GHz frequency band, but the 60 GHz high frequency band brings about a problem of a great path loss. Therefore, in 60 GHz communication, beamforming (Beamforming, BF) in a directional antenna is mainly used to increase antenna gains. Different from a conventional omnidirectional antenna, the directional antenna can concentrate transmitted electromagnetic wave energy on a relatively narrow azimuth, and a receive direction of a receive antenna can also be aligned with a relatively narrow azimuth. In this way, gains of the transmit antenna and the receive antenna can be increased, and a path loss can be prevented effectively. However, a transmitter and a receiver of data can match their best transmit beams and best receive beams only after performing a series of operations, to obtain maximum gains. The process is referred to as beamforming training (Beamforming Training, BFT). The process is implemented by the receiver and the transmitter by transmitting bidirectional sector sweep frames (Sector Sweep Frames, SSW Frames). The BFT process mainly includes two phases. A first phase is sector-level sweep (Sector-Level Sweep, SLS). In this phase, a responder and an initiator determine best transmit beams of the two parties through interaction by using sector sweep frames of the two parties. A second phase is beam refinement protocol (Beam Refinement Protocol, BRP) process. In this process, the two parties determine best transmit and receive beams of the two parties by using BRP frames.
802.11ad supports only beamforming training of a single user, but 802.11ay is required to support multi-user multiple-input multiple-output (Multi-User Multiple-Input Multiple-Output, MU-MIMO). According to a beamforming training mechanism of 802.11ad, in a multi-user scenario of 802.11ay, an initiator needs to perform beamforming training with responders one by one. Consequently, duration of beamforming training is very long, and efficiency of beamforming training is relatively low. Therefore, how to improve efficiency of beamforming training of multiple users becomes a problem urgently to be resolved.

Beamforming training method, initiating device, and responding device


A communication system comprises a wireless switch, a plurality of wired access ports and a plurality of wireless access ports. The plurality of wired access ports are coupled to the wireless switch via a wired connection and are configured to receive data over the wired connection and over a wireless connection. The plurality of wireless access ports are configured to receive data over the wireless connection from the wireless access port and to send data over the wireless connection to the wired access port. The wireless access ports are further configured to receive and encapsulate first wireless data packets in to first wired data packets based on a wired transmission protocol and encapsulate the first wired data packets into second wireless data packets based on a wireless transmission protocol.

In today's work environment, mobile connectivity is becoming increasingly important. The ability to send and receive data anywhere within an office, school, factory or other location is quickly becoming a necessity, and wireless local area networks have been introduced to facilitate such mobile connectivity. Generally, in a wireless local area network the access points are directly connected to wired networks, such as an ethernet network. In this approach, maintaining configuration data, performing client authentication and performing other tasks are conducted at the access point. However, such an approach has numerous deficiencies and drawbacks, including elevated costs for network management and maintenance.
To alleviate some of these deficiencies and drawbacks, a wireless network has been developed that is based on an intelligent wireless. In this type of wireless network, access ports are coupled with a wireless switch that contains the intelligence to maintain configuration data, perform client authentication and perform other tasks while the access ports provide only wireless access. This configuration has numerous benefits, including ease of management, cost efficiency and flexibility.
Regardless of the wireless network configuration, adequate wireless coverage for a given area is typically confirmed during installation. This confirmation of adequate coverage generally involves a survey of the area that the wireless network is designed to support. However, these surveys can be costly and time consuming. Additionally, the surveys can be inaccurate, leading to areas of poor or no coverage.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a wireless network system with wireless access ports that substantially eliminates or totally eliminates the installation survey. Furthermore, the other desirable factors and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the for given technical field and background.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Wireless network system with wireless access ports


The invention relates to a cradle for an electronic operating device, such as a mobile phone. The cradle has a movable locking member (4) and a connector (16), which moves as a response to movement of the locking member. Thus the connector can be hidden when the locking member is open, so that the connector will not be damaged or get dirty.

A cradle is often used for a mobile phone so that the telephone can be inserted in the cradle. The cradle can be fastened e.g. to the dashboard of a car. Generally the device has also some kind of locking means, so that the telephone is kept in its place also during movement. The cradle can also contain different connectors, with the aid of which the telephone can be connected for instance to the power supply of the vehicle and to an external telephone antenna of the vehicle or to a microphone or speaker external to the telephone.
For instance from the patent FI 89650 (Nokia Matkapuhelimet Oy) we know a mobile phone cradle, of which there are different models for telephones of different forms. This cradle has fastening means squeezing the telephone from the sides.