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The invention relates to a method for operating an absorption refrigerating unit including an expeller, condenser, evaporator and absorber with a solvent circulation with a solvent alternating between strong and weak concentrations, a working substance circulation with a condition of the working substance alternating between being dissolved in the solvent, gaseous and liquid, a by-gas circulation with a by-gas alternating between strong and weak concentration of the working substance, wherein the working substance is expelled from the solution rich in working substance with supply of thermal energy and subsequently is liquefied by heat absorption, is evaporated under absorption of heat from a chamber to be cooled and is absorbed from the solution weak in working substance, and wherein the by-gas serves as carrier for the working substance between the evaporation phase and the absorption phase. The invention further relates to an absorption refrigerating unit for carrying out the method as well as a refrigerator equipped with an above-described absorption refrigerating unit. Absorption refrigerating units in contrast to compression refrigerating units operated with a mechanically operated condenser are operated with thermal energy. The possibility to allow working with a heat generator, like a gas burner, in addition to electrical energy, led to an extended use of absorption refrigerating units of the kind cited in the beginning in small-size refrigerating units for camping vehicles, boats and the like. Furthermore, absorption refrigerating units are used where noise-lessly working refrigerators are required, e.g. so-called minibars for self-service in hotel rooms. An absorption refrigerating unit comprises the main components schematically indicated in FIG. 2, namely expeller, condenser, evaporator and absorber. Furthermore, it has to be distinguished between three circulations, namely a solvent circulation, a working substance circulation and a by-gas circulation, the solvent in the present field of application being water or an aqueous ammonia solution, respectively, the working substance being ammonia and the by-gas being hydrogen or helium. The complete lines in FIG. 2 represent the solvent circulation showing to mass circulations of different ammonia concentration, a flow shown in thin line having weak concentration (poor in the working substance ammonia) and a flow shown in thicker line having strong concentration (rich in the working substance ammonia). The dotted line in contrast thereto shows the working substance circulation. In the expeller the ammonia is separated from the strongly concentrated solution by supply of heat and subsequently is liquefied in the condenser by heat absorption. The evaporation process of the liquid ammonia in the evaporator extracts heat from the cooling chamber on a low temperature level. The gaseous ammonia then flows into the absorber and is absorbed by the solvent weak in ammonia. Thus, the cooling circulation is closed. The dash-dotted lines in the right-hand portion of FIG. 2 show the by-gas circulation, wherein the by-gas is formed from hydrogen. In the lower portion of the absorber the hydrogen is strongest enriched with ammonia gas, while the ammonia concentration decreases to the upper portion of the absorber, because the ammonia is absorbed from the weak solution flowing in opposite direction. The lower the ammonia concentration the lighter is the by-gas so that it can rise upwardly to the evaporator in the absorber. Almost pure hydrogen is present in the evaporator. In the evaporator the pure by-gas mixes with the evaporated ammonia so that the gas mixture becomes heavy and presses down to the absorber, therein simultaneously pushing the lighter gas mixture from a container in the absorber pipe windings in front of itself. Thus, the by-gas circulation is closed. As the three circulations are in mutual connection via the pipe system of the absorption refrigerating unit, the change in one circulation causes changes in the other two circulations. In FIG. 1 further details of the absorption refrigerating unit in accordance with the present invention are shown. The expeller is built as vapor bubble pump in which a pump is arranged within a cylindrical heater pipe heatable from the outside and in which the rich solution is introduced from bottom side. Upon heating the ammonia evaporates from the water solution and raises upwardly in the pump pipe in form of bubbles. The difference in density between the liquid present in the pump pipe and enriched with vapor bubbles and the rich solvent column, "a" in FIG. 1, causes circulation of the solvent, wherein the solvent reaches the absorber as weak solution via an inlet pipe in counterflow direction to the rich solution. The rising ammonia vapor contains a small portion of water which is to a great extent expelled in the pipe piece located between the expeller and the condenser. This pipe piece thus serves as water separator. A line out of two concentrical pipes leads into the input of the expeller. In the inner tube the rich solution is fed to the expeller, while in the outer tube the weakly concentrated solution which was heated on the expeller flows back. The concentrical pipe piece thus serves as liquid counterflow heat exchanger in which the heat from the weak solution is transferred to the rich solution so that the latter reaches the expeller in pre-heated form. An absorption refrigerating unit of the kind as described above under FIG. 2 is regulated by a thermostat arranged on the evaporator in the cooling chamber. If the temperature in the cooling chamber drops below a given desired value of e.g. 4.degree. C., the heating means of the expeller is switched off so that the temperature in the heater area will drop to such extent that the pure solvent no longer is heated. This means that the solvent circulation is interrupted. As a consequence, no ammonia vapor or liquid ammonia in the condenser, respectively, is made available so that the working substance circulation is interrupted. Thereby, also the gas circulation is interrupted, because no rich, heavy gas mixture is produced, flows downwardly and pushes the weak gas mixture in front of itself to the evaporator any longer. When the operation of the absorption refrigerating unit has stopped, the temperature in the cooling chamber increases. As soon as the temperature reaches a given threshold value, e.g. 8.degree. C., the heating means again is started by the thermostat regulation in order to again increase the meanwhile severely cooled temperature in the area of the heater to the temperature of about 160.degree. to 200.degree.. With maximum power input the heater area now is heated to 160.degree. to 200.degree., still no ammonia being expelled during the heating process. It can be assumed that the operation of the absorption refrigerating unit only is started after 2 to 20 minutes and the above-described circulations have established themselves. Only from this time on cooling power is made available, wherein then cooling is effected down to a lower temperature than the desired temperature of 6.degree. C., before the system is switched off resulting from thermostat control. Thermostat control is effected in the modes: ON--FULL POWER--OFF. The advantages of an absorption refrigerating unit of the above-described kind, like simple construction without moving parts and noise-less maintenance-free operation, are opposed by the essential disadvantage of a comparatively high energy demand so that a comparatively low efficiency with respect to cooling power is given. Numerous attempts and proposals to improve efficiency up to now only resulted in success to a very low degree. The reason lies in the complex cooperation of the method and device parameters depending on one another which have to be exactly tuned to match one another. When the refrigerating unit is started, no cooling power will be achieved until, after a longer heating period, ammonia is produced and made available in the evaporator. During this heating period maximal energy has to be supplied. Due to the intermittent regulation of the refrigerating unit it cannot be avoided either that too much liquid ammonia is made available in the evaporator, which will not be evaporated in the evaporator completely but in the gas heat exchanger or in the connecting line between evaporator and absorber. This means that the excess amount of ammonia cannot be utilized for the desired cooling in the cooling chamber but represents a loss.

Rotational foam molding has lately been brought into being a distinct plastic processing technology. It has been developed by deliberately modifying the conventional rotational molding process to accommodate the need for fabrication of rotomolded foamed plastic articles. This technology advantageously allows for creating a foam layer or core in the interior of hollow moldings and thereby offers the capacity to deliver reinforced, large-sized, complex-shaped, single-piece, foamed plastic articles that can satisfy severe service requirements and achieve improved strength-to-weight ratios that no other process can provide. The nature of the rotational molding process is cyclic. In its simplest form, the rotational molding processing cycle consists of subjecting a pre-charged (with plastic), separable (cast or fabricated), vented, metal mold to biaxial rotation (or at least a rocking motion) into a heated area (oven), and subsequently, into a cooled environment (forced air, water, or a combination of these), after which the mold is opened, the solidified part removed, and the cycle repeated. Essentially, the manufacture of rotational moldings with a distinct non-foamed outer skin that encapsulates entirely a foamed core or layer requires both non-foamable and foamable plastic resins to be charged into the mold within the same rotational molding cycle. This could be achieved either by interrupting the molding process, or continuously, in a single-shot fashion by charging the mold with predetermined quantities of both non-foamable and foamable resins simultaneously at the outset of the cycle, so that the use of drop boxes or plastic bags become unnecessary. This processing approach assumes simultaneous processing of a mix of non-foamable pulverized resins and pre-decomposition-free foamable solidified pellets that have been normally pre-processed in a remote extrusion-based melt compounding operation involving a carrier resin and a chemical blowing agent (CBA). However, in addition to being extremely time consuming and very energy-intensive, due to the unavoidable thermal gradient formed across the mold during both heating and cooling, the single-charge technique suffers from difficulties of controlling the timely formation of the solid skin versus the formation of a foamed core or layer of controlled density. This is often demonstrated through a premature decomposition of the CBA compounded into the foamable pellets, thereby causing poor skin thickness uniformity, foam invasion/protrusion into the skin, undesired coarse-celled foam morphologies and a weak skin-foam interface. The rotational molding technology is inherently disadvantaged by very lengthy and energy-intensive processing cycles, which are even further aggravated when processing integral-skin plastic foams, due to the insulative effect of the developed foam layer or core within the mold. Rotational molding production cycles are, undesirably, lengthy because the plastic material charged into the bi-axially rotating mold has to be indirectly heated from room temperature to beyond its melting point (which is traditionally conducted by using convection-based heath transfer while implementing an oven) and then cooled back to room temperature (which is traditionally achieved by forced airflow and/or water sprinklers) until it eventually solidifies. In addition, the foam developed within the mold during processing produces an undesired insulative effect which slows down and practically precludes any real-time process control of both the heating and cooling segment of the cycle even further. Consequently, this prevents the highly-desired fine-celled bubbles, originally nucleated and existing in the polymer melt, to be retained (“frozen”) until cycle completion by deliberately inducing quick solidification of the melt, because of which the bubbles continue to grow beyond control and eventually shrink and disappear. These are the motivating factors for undertaking research aiming at developing a technology that will allow for fabricating high-quality fine-celled rotationally molded integral-skin polymeric cellular composites by enabling a more efficient control of the temperature of the melt within the mold than the currently achievable. In any closed-cell polymeric foam production the ultimate goal is to achieve the highest possible cell size distribution uniformity, cell size reduction, and cell density augmentation. However, the control of the cell size of rotationally foam molded cellular structures formed based on the use of a chemical blowing agent (CBA) might be often aggravated by some inherent limitations that are unique to the rotational molding process such as lengthy processing cycles, which result in coarser-celled final cellular structures being yielded. Another reason is the fact that the polymer close to the internal mold surface continues to be heated even after its foaming is completed, simply because the interior polymer has yet to reach the decomposition temperature of the blowing agent. Even when cooling is applied to the mold, the recrystallization temperature in the melt is reached after several minutes, during which time bubble coalescence and collapsing begin to set out and accelerate. It is also inherent to the rotomolding process that, as the melt front progresses, the air pockets that have been entrapped inside the melt eventually become bubbles that will be subjected to diffusion controlled shrinkage and eventual disappearance. At a high enough melt temperature, the air in the bubbles begins to dissolve into the polymer. Since oxygen has about twice the solubility of nitrogen in polyethylene, at high temperatures, the oxygen is further depleted by direct oxidation reactions with polyethylene. The depletion of oxygen reduces the bubble diameter. Since the laws of surface tension dictate that the pressure inside the bubble has to increase as the diameter decreases, the increase in bubble pressure forces nitrogen to dissolve in the polymer thereby reducing the bubble diameter even further. This repeats until the bubble disappears. The current state-of-the-art in rotational foam molding technology is the single-charge technique for fabricating integral-skin cellular composites. Although the single-charge processing concept is beneficial for improving the efficacy of the molding process and the structural homogeneity of the moldings, it certainly suffers from inherently aggravating the fulfillment of crucial processing goals such as: (i) the execution of the adhesion of the non-foamable thermoplastic resin to the internal surface of the mold that should always take place prior to the thermal activation of the foaming resin (thereby avoiding skin protrusions), and (ii) obtaining a solid skin layer with a uniform thickness. In this context, the fundamental research of the lifespan of CBA-blown bubbles in non-pressurized non-isothermal polymer melts using hot-stage optical microscopy and digital imaging indicated that the lifespan of fine-celled bubbles is significantly shorter than the inherently lengthy heating portion of the rotational molding process, so that fine-celled bubbles seldom reach the solidification stage of the cycle, which implies that only coarser-celled bubbles live long enough to participate in the final cellular structure. One of the major progresses of this research includes the development of a two-step oven temperature profile that prevents the foamable resins invading the solid skin layer and ensures that skin formation always completes prior to the activation of the foamable resin. It was based on the fundamental study of the adherence behavior of powders and foamable pellets to a high-temperature rotating mold wall and a fundamental study of the rotofoamablility of polymeric resins using both dry blending and melt compounding based methods including the characterization of their respective rheological and thermal properties. This study clarified why in rotationally foam molded cellular structures based on the use of a CBA, a fine-celled morphology has been closely approached, but it has not been actually achieved yet. Thus, it was clearly indicated that it would be very difficult to generate the preferred kind of bubbles (fine-celled) in rotational foam molding unless the duration of the heating portion of the process is dramatically reduced, or else. This created an importunate need for overcoming the fundamental disadvantage of the rotational molding process which is its very lengthy processing cycle time in comparison with respective currently implemented technologies. Embodiments of the present invention suggest a solution to this fundamental problem. In comparison with the relatively large volume of research studies associated with conventional rotomolding, not much work related to the rotational foam molding process has been published to date in the open literature. Particularly, very limited research has been conducted on the processing of integral-skin cellular polymeric composites in rotational foam molding, while even a smaller body of literature deals with the study of the single-charge rotational foam molding technology. Furthermore, while several authors have done an admirable job in studying the formation and removal of unwanted bubbles in conventional rotational molding, other than a few recent studies, no substantial work has been performed yet to explain the mechanisms governing the CBA-blown production and retention of controlled size bubbles and their lifespan in non-pressurized non-isothermal polymer melts, such as in rotational foam molding. Likewise, compared to PE foams, very little research has been accomplished to date on the production of PP foams in rotational foam molding. Unlike PE, successful processing of PP foams in extrusion melt compounding-based rotational foam molding, as well as the production of integral-skin PP foams encapsulated with PE skins, have been reported only recently. The surveyed patent literature indicates that for the manufacture of integral-skin cellular polymeric composites using the single-charge rotational foam molding technology, it would be essential to charge the mold with predetermined quantities of non-foamable and foamable resins having a significant particle size difference. The non-foamable particles intended for forming the skin should be introduced into the mold in a powder form, whereas the foamable particles intended for forming the foamed core should be first extrusion melt-compounded with an adequate quantity of CBA and then introduced into the mold in a pellet form. The powder particles would sinter earlier than the pellets because of their greater total contact area and because their smaller size would allow them to migrate towards the internal surface of the rotating heated mold where the temperature is the highest. Thereby, the powder will preferably fuse and form the skin layer before the uninterrupted heating of the mold initiates pellet sintering and subsequently trigger the decomposition of the CBA particles dispersed within the foamable pellets to form the foamed core. This concept may be effectively improved by selecting non-foamable resins that have a lower melting point, density, and viscosity, and/or heat capacity than the respective properties pertaining to the foamable resins. In addition, the non-foamable skin-forming resin should preferably comprise a low and a high zero shear viscosity components. Yet, the mold could be charged with a blend of non-foamable and foamable powders (e.g., reground compounded pellets of a polymer with a CBA) of polymers that have significantly dissimilar melting points and/or significantly dissimilar particle sizes. Also, a more intensive mold rotation during the formation of the skin and an optimized oven temperature profile would be helpful in preventing the premature adherence of the foamable pellets on the skin. Previously conducted related research work indicated evidence of a strong causality between the duration of the heating cycle and the morphology of the obtained polymeric foams produced in rotational molding. These studies implicitly indicated that the morphologies of these cellular structures might be dramatically improved if successfully inventing a processing strategy that will utilize synergistically and concurrently the advantages of both the melt extrusion and rotational foam molding technologies. The purpose of the embodiments of this invention is to deliberately combine these two technologies: (i) to develop a technology that would be capable of achieving fine cell density in rotationally molded integral skin foams in a much wider processing/materials/system window through increased process controllability in comparison with the currently achievable and (ii) to reduce the duration of the processing cycle to thereby increase the efficacy and utility of the process to levels not conceivable with the prior art. An embodiment of invention herein exploits the synergistic effects resulting from the deliberate conjunction of extrusion melt compounding and rotational molding through the development of an innovative extrusion-assisted technology for the “rapid” manufacture of lightweight integral-skin fine-celled rotationally molded foamed articles having unique physical and mechanical properties and strength to weight ratios. An embodiment of the invention includes the design and development of an extrusion-assisted heavy-duty rotational foam molding experimental apparatus that was utilized to facilitate the understanding of this novel process and the experimental work intended to validate the extrusion-assisted rapid fabrication technology for lightweight integral-skin fine-celled rotationally molded foams as well as to determine the feasibility of successfully developing microcellular rotationally molded foams.

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to magnetic heads and, more particularly, to magnetic heads provided, in the magnetic recording medium sliding surface, with a first magnetic gap followed in the medium sliding direction by a second magnetic gap. 2. Description of the Related Art Below, in this written specification, description is made by taking as the device of this kind an example of the so-called tunnel erase type magnetic head used in the apparatus for recording or reproducing digital signals on a disc-shaped magnetic recording medium. FIGS. 1 and 3 are for explaining the structures of the cores of the different conventional tunnel erase type magnetic heads from each other, being top views schematically illustrating the magnetic recording medium sliding surfaces of the magnetic head cores. Also FIG. 2 and FIG. 4 are perspective views for explaining one step of the process for manufacturing the magnetic head cores of FIG. 1 and FIG. 3 respectively. In FIG. 1, a recording-reproducing core 101 and erasing cores 102 and 103 each are made up of magnetic material such as ferrite, formed to a thin plate like shape and are provided respecitvely with a recording-reproducing gap 101g, and erasing gaps 102g and 103g. Also, spacers 104-106 are made up of non-magnetic material such as ceramic. This magnetic head core is constructed in such a way that, as shown in FIG. 2, a binding unit of the recording-reproducing core 101 and the spacer 104, another binding unit of the erasing core 102 and the spacer 105, and a further binding unit of the erasing core 103 and the spacer 106, totaling three units, are brought into butting each other in the directions indicated by arrows 110a and 110b in the figure, and, after the positions of the gaps 101g, 102g and 103g have been adjusted in directions indicated by arrows 111a and 111b, the three binding units are then joined. Also, FIG. 3 shows the medium sliding surface of the tunnel erase type magnetic head core of the so-called bulk type. A recording-reproducing gap 112g is formed in a recording-reproducing core 112 and its track width is defined by glass grooves 113a and 113b formed on either side of it. Two erasing gaps 114g and 114g' are formed in an erasing core 114. The track widths and spacing are defined by glass grooves 114a, 114b and 114c formed on either side of the respective gaps 114g and 114g'. This magnetic head core is constructed in such a way that as shown in FIG. 4, a recording-reproducing core block 115 and an erasing core block 116 are made in separation from each other, brought into butting each other in a direction indicated by an arrow 119 in the figure, and, after adjustment has been made in a direction indicated by an arrow 20 in the figure in order to match the relative positions of the recording-reproducing gap of the core block 115 and the erasing gap of the core block 116, they are joined. After that, cutting is carried out along section lines 121, and the magnetic head core is obtained. In the magnetic head core shown in FIG. 1, in the production process, cementing of the three core binding units as in the step shown in FIG. 2 is necessary, and it is not easy to accurately control the positional relationship between the gaps 101g, 102g and 103g by adjustment of the directions of the arrows 111a and 111b. Also, in the case when a narrower track is achieved in order to increase the density of record, because the structure becomes so that the individual thicknesses of the cores 101, 102 and 103 are equal to the respective individual track widths, it is required that each core 101-103 is made thinner. For this reason, in the production process, it becomes more difficult to treat each core 101-103, and there is a problem that the yield is deteriorated due to the cause such as cracks or breakage of the core. Meanwhile, in the head core shown in FIG. 3, it is easy to make a narrower track. But, even in this head core, it is not easy to accurately determine the positional relationship of each gap in such a block state as in FIG. 4. Further, even in each block, the only avoidance on the production is the position error of the magnetic gap. Therefore, in the production process, the control for suppressing the position error in the block of each gap is necessary along with the position coincidence between the above-described blocks. This point is becoming an obstacle to reduction of the production cost.

1. Technical Field The present invention relates to computer systems and, more specifically, to computer systems and methods thereof for improving the performance of a digital signal processing (DSP) data access operation. 2. Discussion of the Related Art Recent trends in constructing computer systems are directed to designing the computer system-on-a-chip (SOC). In a SOC design, the computer system's components such as processors, cache memories, peripheral devices, and bus interface units are integrated on a single chip. Thus, the SOC may be regarded as a miniature computer system. In a typical SOC design, the SOC may have two or more built-in processors such as: (1) a microprocessor (e.g., central processing unit (CPU)) to control the overall operations thereof; and (2) a coprocessor (e.g., digital signal processor (DSP)) to manage data processing operations. The DSP is further used to carry out data multiplication and accumulation, read and write operations for one or more memories, and operations for incrementing address pointer registers. FIG. 1 illustrates several data processing features of a DSP in a SOC system. As shown in FIG. 1, a SOC 110 includes a CPU core 112, a DSP core 114, and a data cache 116. The CPU core 112 is a functional block or unit constructed by a preliminarily designed circuit pattern. The DSP core 114 accesses an external memory 120 by way of the data cache 116. The external memory 120 includes several storage fields (which are available to the DSP core 114), such as an input data field 122, a temporary data field 124, and an output data field 126. The input data field 122 stores data legible to the DSP core 114 and the output data field 126 stores data provided from the DSP core 114. The temporary data field 124 stores data to be read from/written to the DSP core 114. The data cache 116 is located between the DSP core 114 and the external memory 120, operates with a faster access time, and has a smaller memory capacity than the external memory 120. Data in the temporary, input, and output data fields 124, 122 and 126 is temporarily stored in the data cache 116 and then transferred to the DSP core 114 or the external memory 120. The data stored in the data cache 116 is frequently accessed for the purpose of increasing a “hit ratio” of the data cache 116. However, as data in the input and output data fields 122 and 126 is stored in the data cache 116, the operational performance of the data cache 116 may degrade because it becomes difficult to access data therein more than once. In addition, because the temporary, input, and output data fields 124, 122, and 126 occupy a single restricted data address space accessible by the DSP core 114, the temporary data field 124 may become smaller if the input and output data fields 122 and 126 become extended due to an increase in the volume of data in each field 122 and 126. Thus, resulting in a degradation of DSP function when the DSP core 114 deals with a large amount of data. Thus, there is a need for a computer system that does not have functional degradation of a DSP core and cooperates with data caches when there are large amounts of data processed by the DSP core.

This invention generally relates to reclosable packaged food containers, and more specifically, to containers of this type that are used to hold bulk food products such as cereal. Bulk food products, such as cereal, are often sold to the consumer in semi-rigid, box-shaped containers, and these containers have achieved wide-spread commercial acceptance. Nevertheless, it is believed that these food containers can be improved. For instance, when cereal is poured, or served, from a conventional cereal box, occasionally some cereal is spilled. There are a number of reasons for this. One reason is that cereal is often poured by very young children with, understandably, limited motor skills. Another reason is that cereal is often served and eaten in the early morning by persons who may not yet be fully alert. The design of the conventional cereal box may also contribute to this occasional spilling. To elaborate, conventional cereal boxes include a semi-rigid outer carton having a box-shape, and an inner flexible liner or bag, and the cereal product is held in this inner liner. To open the box, the top of the outer carton and then the top of the inner liner are torn open. These box tops are usually designed to be torn open; and, for example, they may be provided with tear strips, perforated tear lines, or detachable flaps. The inner liner is typically torn open by tearing open the upper edge of that liner, usually along most or all of that edge. The above procedure results in a relatively large opening at the top of the inner liner and at the top of the cereal box. At the same time, the box and liner offer limited guidance for the cereal being poured out of the top opening. As a result, occasionally some of the cereal spills as it is poured out of the box. In addition, with cereal boxes of the type described above, the tops of the boxes are commonly designed to be re-closed after cereal is served from a box. Among other reasons, these box tops are re-closed to help maintain the freshness of the product in the box and to help prevent that product from spilling out of the box in case the box is knocked over. Many consumers do try to close the box top after serving the cereal; however, these attempts are often not completely successful. Also, in many cases, a person will think that the box top is properly closed when in fact it is not.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a hybrid working machine using an engine power and a battery power in combination. 2. Description of the Background Art There is known a hybrid shovel as disclosed in e.g. Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-237178 as a hybrid working machine. The hybrid shovel includes an engine, a hydraulic pump and a generator motor connected to the engine, a hydraulic actuator driven by hydraulic fluid ejected from the hydraulic pump, and a battery for charging an electric power generated by the generator motor. The battery supplies the electric power to the generator motor as necessary to let the generator motor perform as a motor to thereby assist the engine. The hybrid shovel is further provided with a means for detecting a battery SOC (State of Charge) indicating a charging state (charging amount) of the battery, and a means for controlling a charging power so that the charging power approaches a targeted value of SOC in accordance with the detected battery SOC. Here, since the charging performance of the battery also depends on a battery temperature, battery SOC/charging power characteristics also change depending on the battery temperature. The hybrid working machine performing the above battery charging control, however, may involve an excessive load of the battery. Specifically, in the conventional hybrid working machine, in order to swiftly recover the battery SOC to a targeted value or stabilize the battery SOC in a condition that the battery SOC is sharply lowered by discharging during a working period, performed is a control for rapid charging by full use of the battery performance determined by the detected battery temperature and SOC, in other words, performed is setting the contents of battery control based on the control at the time of discharging; this may cause an increase in the load of the battery due to continuous rapid charging in a stand-by period with no discharging, thereby damage the battery and lower the battery life.

1. Field Example embodiments relate to apparatuses and/or methods that may program data in memory devices. Also, example embodiments relate to multi-level (multi-bit) programming apparatuses and/or methods that may program data in multi-level cell (MLC) memory devices. 2. Description of Related Art A single-level cell (SLC) memory device may store one bit of data in a single memory cell. The SLC memory may be referred to as a single-bit cell (SBC) memory. The SLC memory may store and read data of one bit at a voltage level included in two distributions that may be divided by a threshold voltage level programmed in a memory cell. The programmed threshold voltage may have a distribution range due to a fine electrical characteristic difference between the SLC memories. For example, when a voltage level read from the memory cell is greater than 0.5V and less than 1.5V, it may be determined that the data stored in the memory cell has a logic value of “1.” When the voltage level read from the memory cell is greater than 2.5V and less than 3.5V, it may be determined that the data stored in the memory cell has a logic value of “0.” The data stored in the memory cell may be classified depending on the difference between cell currents and/or cell voltages during the reading operations. Meanwhile, a multi-level cell (MLC) memory device that may store data of two or more bits in a single memory cell has been proposed in response to a need for higher integration of memory. The MLC memory device may also be referred to as a multi-bit cell (MBC) memory. However, as the number of bits stored in the single memory cell increases, reliability may deteriorate and read-failure rates may increase. To store ‘m’ bits in a single memory cell, 2m voltage level distributions may be required, where m may be real number. However, since the voltage window for a memory device is limited, the difference in threshold voltage between adjacent bits may decrease as ‘m’ increases, causing the read-failure rate to increase. For this reason, it may be difficult to improve storage density using the MLC memory device according to conventional art.

The present invention relates generally to a process and purification method for making an aminosilane. More particularly, the present invention relates to a process and purification method for making the aminosilane, bis(tertiarybutylamino)silane. Silicon-nitrogen based compounds are used as precursors for depositing, via chemical vapor deposition or similar means, silicon nitride, silicon carbonitride, and silicon oxynitride films that can be used in semiconductor device fabrication. For example, silicon nitride has many applications in device fabrication because of its superior barrier properties and oxidation resistance. Typically, NH3 and Cl2SiH2 mixtures are used to deposit silicon nitride via chemical vapor deposition at temperatures approaching 800° C. The volatile ammonium chloride (“NH4Cl”) and other chlorine by-products of this reaction can lead to particle formation and hazy films and can also deposit at the exhaust of the reactor tube. These deposits can cause wafer and pump damage. The aminosilane, bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane, is a liquid chemical precursor for the chemical vapor deposition (CVD) of uniform silicon nitride, silicon oxynitride and silicon dioxide films. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,874,368 and 5,976,991, which are assigned to the assignee of the present invention, describe CVD methods for preparing silicon and oxide containing films using the bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane (BTBAS). Bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane has the following chemical formula: (t-C4H9NH)2SiH2. The deposited films obtained using BTBAS as the precursor are free of ammonium chloride and chlorine contamination at relatively lower process temperatures, i.e., 500 to 800° C. Further, the BTBAS precursor does not contain direct Si—C bonds, and the resulting films are substantially free, or contain very low levels, of carbon. By contrast, analogous aminosilanes which contain ligands such as n-butylamines and tetrakis(dimethylamino)silane do not deposit carbon free films at the lower process temperature ranges and the film uniformities are relatively poorer. The prior art is silent with regard to a process for the production of the aminosilane compound bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane. However, current production methods for aminosilane compounds typically involve one or more solvents. Prior to use, the solvent needs to be purified and dried to prevent the introduction of impurities in the end-product and dried to the prevent the newly-formed compound from hydrolyzing to siloxane and its respective amine. The articles, K. N. Radhamani et al., “High Yield Room Temperature Synthesis and Spectral Studies of Tri(amino)silanes: (R2N)3SiH”, Phosphorous, Sulfur, and Silicon, Vol. 66 (1992), pp. 297-300 (“Radhamani I”) and K. N. Radhamani et al., “A Convenient High Yield Room Temperature Synthesis of Mixed Tri(amino)silanes by Transamination of Tris(cyclohexylamino)silane and Their Characterization”, Phosphorous, Sulfur, and Silicon, Vol. 79 (1993), pp. 65-68 (“Radhamani II”), describe similar reactions for the synthesis of triaminosilanes and mixed aminosilanes, respectively. Radhamani I describes reacting a secondary amine (R2NH) with trichlorosilane to form (R2N)3SiH and 3R2NH.HCl salt. Similarly, Radhamani II describes reacting dicyclohexylamine with trichlorosilane to form tris(dicyclohexylamino)silane and dicyclohexyamine.HCl salt. Both reactions are conducted at a temperature near room temperature under a nitrogen atmosphere using a benzene/n-hexane mix as the solvent. The benzene and n-hexane solvents were purified via distillation and dried via sodium wire prior to use within the reaction. Accordingly, there is a need in the art to provide a process for the production and for the purification of the aminosilane bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane. There is also a need in the art for a safe industrial and cost-effective process to make and purify the aminosilane compound bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane at a high yield, less cycle time, lower process temperatures, less volatility, and in a single reaction vessel. It is thus surprising and unexpected to produce the aminosilane compound bis(tertiary-butylamino)silane compounds at relatively high yields, lower process temperatures, and without the need for a solvent. All references cited herein are incorporated herein by reference in their entirety.

Due to its involvement in the human genetic disorder Farber Lipogranulomatosis (“FD”), Acid ceramidase (“AC;” N-acylsphingosine deacylase, I.U.B.M.B. Enzyme No. EC 3.5.1.23) is the most extensively studied member of the ceramidase enzyme family. The protein has been purified from several sources, and the human and mouse cDNAs and genes have been obtained (Bernardo et al., “Purification, Characterization, and Biosynthesis of Human Acid Ceramidase,” J. Biol. Chem. 270:11098-102 (1995); Koch et al., “Molecular Cloning and Characterization of a Full-length Complementary DNA Encoding Human Acid Ceramidase. Identification of the First Molecular Lesion Causing Farber Disease,” J. Biol. Chem. 2711:33110-5 (1996); Li et al., “Cloning and Characterization of the Full-length cDNA and Genomic Sequences Encoding Murine Acid Ceramidase,” Genomics 50:267-74 (1998); Li et al., “The Human Acid Ceramidase Gene (ASAH): Chromosomal Location, Mutation Analysis, and Expression,” Genomics 62:223-31 (1999)). Growing interest in the biology of this and other ceramidases stems from the fact that these enzymes play a central role in ceramide metabolism. Ceramide is a signaling lipid that is produced in response to various stimuli and extrinsic factors, including serum deprivation and treatment with many chemotherapy drugs, as well as in many human diseases (Hannun, “Function of Ceramide in Coordinating Cellular Responses to Stress,” Science 274:1855-9 (1996); Spiegel et al., “Signal Transduction Through Lipid Second Messengers,” Curr. Opin. Cell. Biol. 8:159-67 (1996)). Inside cells, ceramide can influence growth and differentiation, regulate protein secretion, induce DNA fragmentation and apoptosis, and increase the synthesis and secretion of cytokines Normally present in low amounts, in response to these factors, ceramide is rapidly produced at the cell surface, leading to membrane re-organization and downstream signaling that results in apoptosis. After stimulation, AC and/or other ceramidases may then hydrolyze ceramide into the individual fatty acid and sphingosine components (Gatt, “Enzymic Hydrolysis and Synthesis of Ceramide,” J. Biol. Chem. 238:3131-3 (1963); Gatt, “Enzymatic Hydrolysis of Sphingolipids. 1. Hydrolysis and Synthesis of Ceramides by an Enzyme from Rat Brain,” J. Biol. Chem. 241:3724-31 (1966); Hassler & Bell, “Ceramidase: Enzymology and Metabolic Roles,” Adv. Lip. Res. 26:49-57 (1993)). Because ceramide degradation is the only source of intracellular sphingosine (Rother et al., “Biosynthesis of Sphingolipids: Dihydroceramide and Not Sphinganine Is Desaturated by Cultured Cells,” Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 189:14-20 (1992)), these enzymes may also be rate-limiting steps in determining the intracellular levels of this compound. Importantly, a derivative of sphingosine, sphingosine-1-phosphate (“S1P”), can counteract the apoptotic effects of ceramide (Cuvillier et al., “Suppression of Ceramide-mediated Programmed Cell Death by Sphingosine-1-phosphate,” Nature 381:800-3 (1996)), leading to the suggestion that ceramidases can be “rheostats” that maintain a proper balance between cell growth and death (Spiegel & Merrill, “Sphingolipids Metabolism and Cell Growth Regulation,” FASEB J. 10:1388-97 (1996)). AC hydrolyzes the amide bond linking the sphingosine and fatty acid moieties of the lipid ceramide (Park and Schuchman, “Acid Ceramidase and Human Disease,” Biochim. Biophys. Acta. 1758(12): 2133-2138 (2006)). Ceramide, sphingosine (and its phosphorylated derivative S1P) are bioactive lipids, and thus the activity of AC must be carefully regulated in cells (Young et al., “Sphingolipids: Regulators of Crosstalk Between Apoptosis and Autophagy,” J. Lipid Res. 54:5-19 (2013). One important mechanism by which AC activity is regulated is the cleavage of the inactive precursor polypeptide into the active enzyme consisting of an alpha and beta subunit linked via disulfide bonds (Shtraizent et al., “Autoproteolytic Cleavage and Activation of Human Acid Ceramidase,” J. Biol. Chem. 283:11253-11259 (2008)). It has previously been shown that recombinant AC produced in Chinese Hamster ovary (“CHO”) cells and secreted into the media is a mixture of inactive precursor and active (cleaved) enzyme (He et al., “Purification and Characterization of Recombinant, Human Acid Ceramidase,” J. Biol. Chem. 278:32978-32986 (2003)). The present invention is directed to overcoming these and other deficiencies in the art.

(1) Field of the Invention This invention relates to seed cotton harvesting and more particularly to transporting harvested seed cotton from a cotton stripper to a cotton module builder. (2) Description of the Prior Art Before my invention, workers in the art had provided trailers, or dump baskets, to transport cotton from a cotton harvester to a module builder. It is necessary to elevate the basket above the top of the module builder, about eleven feet, to dump the cotton into the module builder. Normally, the trailer is of such light weight that it tends to overturn or be overturned by the wind when it is elevated to sufficient height and to one side as is necessary to properly dump cotton from the basket into the module builder.

In glasses with plastic lens bows the inner circumference can be enlarged in that the lens bows are heated and thermal expansion dilates the inner circumference. Subsequent cooling permits the inner circumference to shrink again and the lenses are then held firmly regardless of temperature and mode of employment. In the case of metal lens bows the metal section is separated in the region of the hinge and two small metal blocks are soldered to its two ends, this unit comprising the sealing block. The two halves have guides which align when the screw is tightened. This screw traverses the two halves in longitudinal direction. One half has an inside thread whereas the other half has a through boring for the shaft of the screw. When the screw is tightened the two opposing surfaces of the sealing block rest upon one another, which is the maximum tightening point of the screw. The lenses must, therefore, be precision-ground at the outer edge. For this purpose every manufacturer supplies with every eyeglass model a sample lens whose circumference is copied on the actual lens. Although this copying technique is highly developed and a multitude of copy lenses are maintained in stock, it does sometimes happen that the outer circumference of the lens is ground down too far. For this case thin plastic strips have been developed which are placed into the holding groove of the bow and which are known under the name "Optiker-Trost" [Optician's relief]. The very high requirement of precision is, of course, reflected in the price and the use of Optiker-Trost is only a poor remedy for incorrectly ground lenses.

Recent advances in silicon cell technologies have reduced the RA of, for example, a 30V device from 50 to 14 m Ohm-mm2. Advances in semiconductor device technology are likely to continue to reduce the RA. If this trend continues an active area of approximately 10 mm2 can be expected to have an Rdson of 630 μOhm to 240 μOhm depending on the fabrication process. If semiconductor device technologies are able to meet these target specifications packaging technologies will have to improve significantly. The introduction of DirectFET® technology has enabled significant reductions in die free package resistance compared to conventional 8 lead SOIC power packages. A DirectFET® package (sold by the assignee of the present application), in simple terms, is a semiconductor package which includes a conductive can, and a semiconductor die disposed inside the can and electrically and mechanically connected to an interior surface of the can. U.S. Pat. No. 6,624,522 shows an example of such a package. Using the packaging concept embodied in a DirectFET® package, package resistance, excluding top metal resistance (the resistance associated with the power electrode, e.g. source electrode, of the semiconductor die which is directly connected by solder, conductive epoxy or the like to a conductive pad of a substrate such as a circuit board) is now sub 100 μOhm. However, when one considers the top metal resistance this is increased somewhat to between 0.2 and 0.7 mOhm depending on the model used. For example, through modeling it has been found that the top metallization can include current paths with up to 0.66 mOhm resistance. It is, therefore, desirable to reduce the resistance of the top metal of the semiconductor die in order to improve the overall resistance of a package such as a DirectFET® package.

1. Technical Field This device relates to chair and seat supports that provide an upstanding single post to support a fixed or rotatable seat thereon. In certain environments a seat is required to be affixed to its point of use and yet be easily removable for cleaning and/or repair of the mechanisms to which it is attached. 2. Description of Prior Art Prior Art devices of this type have relied on a variety of different support configurations to space and secure a seat in relation to a special location, such as a service counter. See for example U.S. Pat. Nos. 317,254, 877,837, 1,254,969 and 3,350,151. In U.S. Pat. No. 317,254 a stool for tables is disclosed having a vertically adjustable stool pivotally attached to a post depending from the underside of a table. U.S. Pat. No. 877,837 discloses a sewing machine attachment wherein a hair on rollers can be moved towards and away from a sewing machine on a pair of spaced parallel elongated tracks. U.S. Pat. No. 1,254,969 discloses a reading table having a chair supported by an arm extending to the table and adjustably secured thereto. The chair can be moved towards and away from the table. Finally, in U.S. Pat. No. 3,350,151 a counter structure is disclosed having an arcuate counter portion with a plurality of spaced attached stools secured thereto. Each stool has a pair of leg extensions that extend to and are permanently secured to the counter.

(a) Field Embodiments of the present invention relate generally to flat panel displays. More specifically, embodiments of the invention relate to a data driver circuit and a display device using the same. (b) DESCRIPTION OF SYMBOLS A display device such as a liquid crystal display (LCD), an organic light emitting diode display (OLED display), and an electrophoretic display includes a field generating electrode and an electro-optical active layer. For example, the organic light emitting diode device includes an organic emission layer as the electro-optical active layer. The field generating electrode may be connected to a switching element such as a thin film transistor that receives a data signal, and the electro-optical active layer converts the data signal into an optical signal to display an image. Such a display device may include a touch sensing function which enables touch interaction with a user, in addition to the function of displaying an image. By the touch sensing function, when a user writes a letter or draws a picture on a screen by approaching or contacting the screen with a touch point or using a touch pen, the display device detects a change on the screen, such as a pressure, a charge, or light to detect contact information such as whether an object approaches or is in contact with the screen or a contact position. The display device may receive the image signal and display an image based on the contact information. Such a touch sensing function may be implemented using touch sensors. Touch sensors may be classified in various was including as a resistive type, a capacitive type, an electro-magnetic type (EM), and an optical sensing type (optical type) touch sensor. Touches which are detected by touch-sensitive display modules are processed by high level application software which typically operates on a mobile application processor (AP). Due to what is typically a large number of processing steps taken by the display module and the AP, as well as a non-deterministic processing time (including delays due to other computing jobs performed by the AP) for the AP, a high level latency which reduces responsiveness of a computing device with respect to the touch input of the user is introduced. Therefore, a low latency visual accelerator (LLVA) technique has been suggested, which has an advantage in which a part of the touching function is reflected on the display module without passing through a touch processor, so that a response time of the touch is shortened. Particularly, mobile devices such as smart phones or tablets often feature the ability to rotate their displayed image according to the device's orientation. However, when the LLVA is used, such rotation information is not accounted for in touch detection, which is implemented in a different driver IC. Thus, rotation of the image is not accounted for when determining a touch coordinate. Therefore, an incorrect image is displayed and thus a touch error of the user may be incurred. The above information disclosed in this Background section is only for enhancement of understanding of the background of the invention and therefore it may contain information that does not form the prior art that is already known in this country to a person of ordinary skill in the art.

Hip joint Osteoarthritis is a syndrome in which low-grade inflammation results in pain in the hip joints, caused by abnormal wearing of the cartilage that acts as a cushion inside if the hip joint. This abnormal wearing of the cartilage also results in a decrease of the joints lubricating fluid called Synovial fluid. Hip joint Osteoarthritis is estimated to affect 80% of all people over 65 years of age, in more or less serious forms. The present treatment for hip osteoarthritis comprises NSAID drugs, local injections of Hyaluronic acid or Glucocorticoid to help lubricate the hip joint, and replacing parts of the hip joint with a prosthesis through hip joint surgery. The replacing of parts of the hip joint is one of the most common surgeries to date performed at hundreds of thousands of patients in the world every year. The most common method comprises placing a metal prosthesis in femur and a plastic bowl in acetabulum. This operation is done through a lateral incision in the hip and upper thigh and through fascia lata and the lateral muscles of the thigh. To get access to the joint, the supporting hip joint capsule attached to femur and ilium of pelvis needs to be penetrated, making it difficult to get a fully functional joint after the surgery. Femur is then cut at the neck with a bone saw and the prosthesis is placed in femur either with bone cement or without. Acetabulum is slightly enlarged using an acetabular reamer, and the plastic bowl is positioned using screws or bone cement. The surgery typically requires one week of hospitalization due to the increased risk of infection. The recovery process is on average about 6 weeks, but even after this period the patient should not perform any physical activates that places large strain on the joint. It would therefor be desirable to have an operational method that could spare the hip joint capsule and reduce the removal of healthy femur bone. It would further be preferable to have a method of operating that could shorten the time for recovery of the patient, and reducing the amount of affected large blood vessels, thus reducing the risk of blood clots.

1. Field The embodiments discussed herein are directed to a malware detecting apparatus and method and a monitoring apparatus. 2. Description of the Related Art Malware of a latent type that does not perform conspicuous infection activity on a network, such as a worm, is increasing. Since such malware acts in response to an infection activity instruction from a command-and-control server a personal computer (PC) often becomes latently infected with the malware without being noticed by an end user. Thus, such malware often serves for various types of unauthorized access, for example, as a base of a SPAM or DDOS (Distributed Denial of Service) attack. Therefore, there exists a demand for techniques for discovering such latent-type malware at an early stage. Source programs of such malware are publicly available, for example, on the Internet, so that an attacker can obtain source code of malware relatively easily and create customized malware. Therefore, a large number of varieties of such malware exist. For pattern matching by an anti-virus software installed on a PC, an anti-virus software vendor collects and analyzes samples of malware propagating in large scale and creates patterns for detecting the malware. However, since latent-type malware does not propagate in large scale, it takes a considerable time to collect samples, so that it is difficult to create patterns for detection. Furthermore, since a large number of varieties arises for specific malware, it is difficult to detect the malware by anti-virus pattern patching. In view of this difficulty, conventionally malware detecting techniques detect malware-infected nodes based on behavior of malware on networks. Conventionally, the amount of communication of each node is monitored, and a node for which the amount of communication exceeds a threshold is identified as an infected node. However, since the above-described related art is directed to detecting malware that causes increasing infection at a rapid rate, it is difficult to detect latent-type malware with slow infection activity as distinguished from normal communication. Therefore, in some cases, the related art fails to identify infected nodes, or incorrectly identifies non-infected nodes as infected nodes. For example, with techniques that identify a node for which the amount of communication exceeds a threshold as an infected node, it is difficult to set a threshold for distinguishing communication associated with infection activity by malware and normal communication. Furthermore, it is not possible to detect malware if the amount of communication associated with infection activity by malware is substantially the same as the amount of normal communication.

The present invention relates to trigger lever guards for garden hose nozzles operated by the whole palm of the user. Squeezing a trigger lever while using the palm of a closed fisted hand activates certain garden hose nozzles. However, these levers protrude outward from the nozzle pipe, and may be activated if the nozzle falls to the ground and the trigger lever hits the ground. That activation of the nozzle may cause spontaneous erratic discharge of water from the nozzle against the user or other objects which should not get wet. Other nozzles have single finger-operated triggers, which can be protected by trigger guards, which extend around the finger operable trigger lever in a single plane parallel to the plane of the finger-operable trigger lever. However, these trigger guards cannot be used with the garden hose nozzles, which are used by squeezing a trigger lever, while using the palm of a closed fisted hand. Among related patents for single plane trigger guards include U.S. Pat. No. 5,669,558 of Ichel, which discloses a pressure washer for use with garden hose 30 including trigger guard 34, as in FIG. 2 therein. However, the trigger guard in Ichel ""558 is not an annular ring, but is rather a U-shaped guard in a single plane, parallel to the plane of the trigger lever. In other words, there""s no protection from the sides, only from some obstruction in line with the plane of the trigger lever. In addition, the U-shaped guard of Ichel ""558 cannot be used with a nozzle trigger handle lever, which is operated by the whole palm of the user. Similar xe2x80x9csingle planexe2x80x9d trigger handle guards are shown in U.S. Design Pat. No. Des. 412,965 of Kieffer for a spray gun, as well as U.S. Pat. No. 6,431,468 of Brown for a foam dispensing nozzle, U.S. Pat. No. 6,415,958 of Donley for an adhesive dispensing nozzle, U.S. Pat. No. 6,341,738 of Coles for a power washer wand, U.S. Pat. No. 6,305,619 of Thurn for a tear gas nozzle, U.S. Pat. No. 6,158,152 of Nathansen for a pneumatic excavator, U.S. Pat. No. 6,000,637 of Duncan for a water gun, U.S. Pat. No. 5,052,587 of Graves for another water gun, U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,765 of Gina for a gasoline fuel pump nozzle, U.S. Pat. No. 4,541,568 of Lichfield for a car wash nozzle and U.S. Pat. No. 4,257,460 of Paranay for a water gun. U.S. Pat. No. 4,461,052 of Mostul discloses a ring-type guard type body 102 attached to handle 14 and valve 22 of scrubbing brush 122, lever 26 and garden hose 12, as in FIG. 7 therein, but it covers a handle 104, like a hedge clipper handle, rather than protects the trigger lever 26. U.S. Pat. No. 2,566,878 of Fahrenkrog discloses a guard 2 for a blower nozzle, as in FIGS. 1-3 therein, which protects the nozzle, but it does not cover the activator button. U.S. Pat. No. 6,161,589 of Bolette discloses pipe hole covering 15 and sealing trim 27 which fits around a pipe 31, as in FIGS. 1,2 therein, but it is for a stationary pipe, not a movable garden hose nozzle. U.S. Pat. No. Des. 338,209 of Butkoyich discloses a single plane guard for a gasoline fuel nozzle with an annular ring, but the ring is used to isolate gasoline vapors. Other related U.S. Patents include U.S. Pat. No. 3,944,141 of Siczek, U.S. Pat. No. 5,160,092 of Rose et al, U.S. Pat. No. 5,370,314 of Duncan, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,210,181 of Clevenger. Japanese Patent No. JP 6190310 discloses a handle guard in a single plane, like the aforementioned patents of Ichel ""558 and the others noted above. The aforementioned patents either do not protect a trigger lever of a nozzle, or they represent trigger guards operating in the operating plane of the trigger lever, which would interfere with normal operation of a palm operated nozzle trigger guard. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a trigger lever guard, which protects a trigger lever of a palm operated garden hose nozzle. It is also an object of the present invention to provide a trigger lever guard, which prevents the sudden, and erratic discharge of water from a palm operated garden hose nozzle if accidentally dropped on the ground. Other objects which become apparent from the following description of the present invention. In keeping with these objects and others, which may become apparent, the present invention is a trigger lever guard, which prevents accidental discharge of water from a garden hose nozzle, if it falls to the ground or hits another object. As opposed to triggers operated by the user""s fingers, which are typically protected by a trigger guard in the plane of the trigger, a garden hose nozzle is used by squeezing a lever using the palm of a hand. A trigger guard in the operating plane of the trigger lever interferes with normal operation. In contrast, the trigger guard of the present invention comprises a geometric shaped object extending in at least one plane which intersects the plane of the pivot of a palm operable trigger lever of a garden hose nozzle. The geometrically shaped object may be a two dimensionally extending planar substrate extending in a single plane, which intersects the plane of the pivot of a palm operable trigger lever of a garden hose nozzle. Preferably, this single plane object is an annular ring. In other embodiments, the trigger guard may extend in more than one plane intersecting the plane of the pivot of the palm operable trigger lever, such as arcuately in a truncated domed trigger guard, having a complex curved surface and optional flat top. Also, the trigger lever guard may bear a shape of at least two planes extending at different angles from each other. For example, instead of a complex curved dome, the sides of the guard may extend in flat substrates, such as in a truncated pyramid shape. In the preferred embodiment, the annular trigger lever guard of this invention is in the form of a rigid wire ring atop the trigger lever, thereby protecting the lever from accidental operation from side and back impact while affording access to the user""s hand for normal unencumbered operation. Although other embodiments may be applicable, two embodiments of the annular trigger lever guard are described. They are both wire forms, which have a large protective annular ring member and straight mounting elements bent at an angle. While the preferred embodiment is simply bent and contains no welds, a second embodiment is also welded into a continuous loop to add more rigidity. Three different mounting methods are described. The first is the use of one or more screw-mounted clamps, while the second method uses one or more plastic ratchet ties of the type commonly used for cable bundling, and the third method uses a one or more fabric straps using hook and loop attachments. An injection molded plastic annular trigger lever guard similar in appearance to the welded wire embodiment is an alternative method of production. In addition, the annular trigger guard of the present invention can be manufactured integral with the pipe of a garden hose nozzle. An accessory planar substrate is shown attached to the annular ring portion of the annular ring of the lever guard. The attachment method uses adhesive, tape, or plastic straps wrapped around the edge of the annular ring. A substrate with a formed edge can also be designed to just snap over the annular ring for attachment. A graphic indicia, such as a product logo or design or commercial announcement, can be emblazoned upon a surface of the substrate extending within the confines of the annular ring. Due to the placement of the substrate, it does not interfere with normal operation of the garden hose nozzle. In an alternate embodiment, a spring loaded one-piece trigger lever guard is provided for a palm operable trigger lever of a garden hose nozzle, which also prevents accidental discharge of water from a garden hose nozzle, if it falls to the ground or hits another object, thereby protecting the lever from accidental operation from side and back impact while affording access to the user""s hand for normal unencumbered operation. This integral, spring loaded trigger guard includes a frame having a geometric shaped object extending atop the palm operable trigger lever of the garden hose nozzle in at least one plane which intersects a predetermined plane of pivot of said palm operable trigger lever. The spring loaded one-piece frame member has an annular ring extending atop said palm operable trigger lever of said garden hose nozzle in at least one plane which intersects a predetermined plane of pivot of the palm operable trigger lever. The annular ring is attached by a pair of parallel frame members each ending in an arcuate bend and returning approximately 180 degrees in an opposite direction, closely adjacent to a handle pipe of the garden hose nozzle. The trigger guard is mounted by spring loading action to a nozzle handle or spout of said garden hose nozzle. It is also mounted to the nozzle handle or spout of the garden hose nozzle such that the geometrically shaped object is positioned at an acute angle to an axis of a hose pipe portion of the nozzle. Since the trigger lever guard of the present invention is a useful consumer-installed accessory of low cost, its value as a xe2x80x9cgive-awayxe2x80x9d promotional item for commercial advertising with the accessory substrate is apparent.

Implantable cardiac devices are well known in the art. An implantable cardiac device may take the form of an implantable defibrillator (ICD) which treats accelerated rhythms of the heart such as fibrillation or an implantable pacemaker which maintains the heart rate above a prescribed limit, such as, for example, to treat a bradycardia. Implantable cardiac devices are also known which incorporate both a pacemaker and a defibrillator. A pacemaker may be considered as a pacing system. The pacing system is comprised of two major components. One component is a pulse generator which generates the pacing stimulation pulses and includes the electronic circuitry and the power cell or battery. The other component is the lead, or leads, which electrically couple the pacemaker to the heart. Pacemakers deliver pacing pulses to the heart to cause the stimulated heart chamber to contract when the patient's own intrinsic rhythm fails. To this end, pacemakers include sensing circuits that sense cardiac activity for the detection of intrinsic cardiac events such as intrinsic atrial events (P waves) and intrinsic ventricular events (R waves). By monitoring such P waves and/or R waves, the pacemaker circuits are able to determine the intrinsic rhythm of the heart and provide stimulation pacing pulses that force atrial and/or ventricular depolarizations at appropriate times in the cardiac cycle when required to help stabilize the electrical rhythm of the heart. For defibrillation, one lead may include at least one defibrillation electrode arranged to be positioned in the right ventricle. The ICD includes an arrhythmia detector that detects for ventricular arrhythmias, such as ventricular fibrillation. When such an arrhythmia is detected, a pulse generator delivers a defibrillating shock from the defibrillation electrode in the right ventricle to the device conductive housing to terminate the arrhythmia. Alternatively, such arrhythmia terminating systems may further include another defibrillation electrode arranged to be positioned in the right atrium and electrically connected to the right ventricular defibrillation electrode. In this arrangement, the defibrillating shock is delivered from the parallel connected right ventricular and right atrial electrodes to the conductive housing. Ventricular fibrillation is an immediately life threatening cardiac arrhythmia. It requires immediate and effective defibrillation therapy. However, it is best to prevent ventricular fibrillation from even occurring to avoid the need for defibrillation therapy and more importantly, to prevent exposure of the patient to such a life threatening arrhythmia. Premature ventricular contractions are believed to be an initial cause of ventricular fibrillation in some patients. A premature ventricular contraction (PVC) is a spontaneous (intrinsic) ventricular event that is not preceded by a paced or sensed atrial event. In patients who have previously suffered myocardia infarcts or ischemia, PVC's are considered particularly troublesome because they can trigger ventricular fibrillation or an accelerated ventricular arrhythmia, such as ventricular tachycardia, which may then accelerate the heart into fibrillation. In view of the above, it is generally considered best to attempt to prevent or at least minimize the occurrence of PVCs in a patient's heart. Therapies such as overdrive pacing and vagal nervous system stimulation are known to treat the occurrence of PVCs. The administration of PVC therapy to a heart requires detection of PVCs in a useful way which both indicates the condition of the patient's heart and when PVC therapy is required if not currently in use or when increased PVC therapy aggressiveness is required if such therapy is already enabled. The monitoring of PVC density has been investigated as such a measure. PVC density is the number of PVCs detected during a preset period of time. PVC density variability has also been investigated as a possible measure. It has been found that patients with malignant ventricular arrhythmias have striking diurnal (daily) cycles in PVC density. Moreover, such studies indicate that patients at risk for ventricular arrhythmias may have more PVC density variability than those without such risk. Unfortunately, it has also been demonstrated that there are substantial day to day natural variations in ectopic variability. As a result, it would be difficult to prove a meaningful change in PVC density simply using overall daily PVC burden or random hourly PVC density monitoring. A more sensitive and accurate monitoring method is required to assess patient ventricular arrhythmia risk and to provide more effective PVC therapy control.

As is well known, satisfactory disposal methods associated with waste products present formidable problems to industry, governmental agencies and the like. However, the degree of difficulty in dealing with certain waste products such as medical waste is even more difficult in light of the potentially infectious nature of biomedical waste products, such as used syringes. Recognized methods of treating medical sharps (syringes and the like) include incineration, encapsulation or in some other manner rendering the biomedical waste products safe and unusable. Incineration, however, leads to still further problems, such as air pollution, and still further regulations pertaining to the elimination of metallic compounds from the exhaust fumes. For example, it is known that the red disposal bags presently used for medical waste include significant amounts of cadmium. For incineration, additional measures would be required to prevent the exhaust of such cadmium compounds and other hazardous compounds by way of incinerator exhausts. Encapsulation in the disposal of medical sharps is also permissible in accordance with some regulations. For example, dentists in some localities may dispose of their used syringes by encapsulating such waste in plaster. Clearly such treatment and handling processes, although authorized, present problems of convenience and practicality and do not eliminate or discourage the problem of illegal dumping. The principal object of my invention is that of treating medical waste sharps so as to render them harmless the same day of use and at any selected location, such as a doctor's office, thus eliminating any transportation and, therefore, the possibility of dumping untreated potentially infectious biomedical waste. I have discovered that such objects can be obtained through the use of a dry heat generator that is useful in rendering medical waste, such as syringes and other wastes including plastic elements, harmless by subjecting such items to a heat treatment wherein the temperature is sufficiently high to sterilize the material, as well as to melt the plastic bodies or elements, so that the metal needles and rubber plungers, for example, will sink to the bottom of the thus formed liquid plastic pool. Since the melting temperatures of such materials are substantially below their flash points, the heating function may be controlled both as to time and temperature such that a heating cycle will meet all government regulations pertaining to sterilization and encapsulation but without any burning or incineration of the sharps or other waste products. It is a further object of this invention to employ a disposable sharps container constructed, for example, of single strength corrugated fiber or cardboard with aluminum foil laminated on each side of the fiber board. Such containers may be used for holding used medical waste until the container is either full or otherwise ready for disposal. When placed in the dry heat generator and subjected to a heating cycle, the corrugated fiber board becomes brittle and easily crumbles. However, the aluminum foil remains intact, thus preventing the melted plastic from leaking from the container. Upon cooling, the top of the container can be pressed down and the entire container discarded as a harmless and relatively small foil wrapped waste product. It is a still further object of my invention to equip the dry heat generator with a safety lock feature whereby the door of the generator cannot be opened until an entire heat cycle has been completed, and the temperature of the sharps has been reduced to a predetermined safe temperature. The principal object of the safety lock system feature is that of preventing contact with medical wastes that have not been completely treated due to a loss of power, as well as preventing contact with treated sharps prior to cool down to a safe temperature. A still further object of the invention is to include a high temperature afterburner at an exit port of the dry heat generator, as well as a charcoal filter for treating the fumes including any metallic vapors, in such a manner as to eliminate any metallic or particle contents, as well as removing odors that might be generated in the process.

1. Field of the Invention This invention lies in the field of those devices intended to provide window insulation against heat transmission in the glass areas, whether it be radiant transmission, convective transmission or conductive transmission. 2. Description of the Prior Art Window insulating devices have been provided heretofore utilizing a plurality of films to be mounted at the inner side of a window and some of these have been roller mounted so that they could be pulled down at the inner side of a window to provide multiple air spaces to reduce heat flow in the window area and thus, depending upon the effectiveness of the unit, to cut down on the heat loss. However, many of these devices were not effectively sealed at the side edges and consequently air circulation occurred at these locations and adversely affected the efficiency of the insulating quality of such devices. Some such devices did have sealing members at the side edges but these seals were fixed in position along the vertical edges of the window to engage the vertically movable films at all times and thus were subject to abrasion, especially where such seals were made from plastic materials. The seals were flexible and supposedly having a high elastic memory but with use and age, the seals lost their recuperative elastic properties and became ineffective so that the installation leaked at these side edges and permitted air circulation into the dead air space between the films and thus reduced the insulating effectiveness of the entire installation. Prior patent art disclosing various window insulating arrangements comprise U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,306,086, Smith; 2,140,049, Granel; 2,328,257, Butts; 2,865,446, Cole; 2,247,634, Hornston; 2,361,762, Glenn et al.; 4,039,019, Hopper and 4,194,550, Hopper. The present device does not require film separators as in the arrangement of Hopper patent 4,194,550 and therefore reduces the diameter of the curtain in the rolled-up condition. This arrangement also will cause the film to reengage with the tracks at the sides if by some chance the film may accidentally become disengaged from one or both tracks. By actuating the curtain to the rolled-up condition and then pulling it down, the film engagement operation starts over with the film properly engaging the tracks.

Detection and identification of biological substances in tissue samples is used for the diagnosis, prognosis, and monitoring of diseases. Efficient identification of biological substances aids in devising effective treatment strategies. Most of the current diagnostic techniques involve invasive procedures for the removal of tissue samples. Hence, there is need for the development of minimally invasive procedures for biological sample retrieval. The present invention provides methods for detection of biological substances, diagnosis of diseases based on this detection and methods for treatment of the diseases after the diagnosis.

Chewable dosage forms are manufactured as solids, such as chewable tablets, or elastic semi-solids such as chewing gums, molded gels, or chewable soft capsules. While elastic semi-solid forms provide better mouth feel and customer acceptance, chewable soft capsules have a further benefit of being totally ingestible and can deliver accurate amounts of active ingredients. Soft capsules formed of a sheath encapsulating a fill or a matrix are one type of dosage form generally used for administering perorally a medicament, vitamin, nutritional supplement, or other material. Certain types of these soft capsules are designed to be chewed by the user. Chewable soft capsules, or chewable soft gels, are traditionally designed so that the user chews upon the capsule to release the fill into the mouth, instead of swallowing the capsule with the fill still encapsulated within the sheath. Chewable capsules are particularly suitable for administering analgesics, vitamins, minerals and cold remedies. After the fill has been released, the user chews the fractured sheath until it is partially or completely dispersed. Alternatively, the sheath may include a chewing gum base material that is not made for swallowing. Although chewable soft capsules provide an effective dosage system, user acceptance has been limited by the capsules' organo-leptic properties, which are sometimes criticized as being leathery or rubbery, as well as the difficulty that some users experience in consuming the fractured sheaths after the fills have been released. Current soft capsules share the disadvantage of having a distinguishable difference between the sheath and fill in terms of texture and mouth-feel. In addition, they tend to harden over time. The objective of this invention is to address these issues and limitations.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to cranes and more particularly relates to attachments for modifying a normal duty crane to a heavy duty crane to provide a maximum diameter support base at minimum cost while at the same time minimizing the time required for set up and strip down. 2. Description of Prior Art It is well known in the art to modify a standard crane into a heavy duty crane by providing a large diameter load supporting ring which reduces the load applied on the bearings between the upper works and the lower works. However, these prior art cranes are unnecessarily heavy and expensive, and require very wide paths for movement from place to place if the load supporting ring is to remain assembled on the machine. Many of these prior art heavy duty cranes require considerable set up and strip down time when operating at and moving between several working sites. One prior art heavy duty crane is disclosed in assignee's United States Dvorsky et al. Patent Appln. Ser. No. 847,639 (now U.S. Pat. No. 4,196,816 dated Apr. 8, 1980) which operates quite satisfactorily but requires considerable set up and strip down time at each site, and also requires a path wide enough to accommodate a large diameter full depth ring when moving from site to site. The Dvorsky et al. crane includes an auxiliary frame that is supported by a ring and engaged by the upper works of the crane for rotation therewith on the ring. Rollers on the front and rear ends of the auxiliary frame ride along the upper surface of the ring, which is full depth. A plurality of vertically adjustable standards support the ring in horizontal operative position. It will be appreciated that considerable time and manual effort is required to set up, and after the work has been completed at a particular site, to strip down the crane so that it can be moved from one site to another site. The strip down procedure involves operating the four hydraulic cylinders to lift each of the adjustable standards above the ground, and then manually screwing each standard up a sufficient distance to provide road clearance prior to lowering the tracks in crane supporting position on the ground. At this time the ring, standards, and the other components are supported by the lower works. In addition to the above operations, the strip down procedure requires using another smaller auxiliary crane to remove a sufficient amount of the counterweights from the rear end of the auxiliary frame to balance the weight of the boom and gantry acting on the forward end of the auxiliary frame. It will be appreciated that this weight balancing procedure must be performed by all of the heavy duty cranes, including the crane claimed herein, before the cranes can be safely moved to another site. Beduhn et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,878,944 which issued on Apr. 22, 1975 also discloses a mobile crane which includes a large diameter ring that is secured to the lower body or works of the crane by beams parallel to and externally of the crawler assembly of the vehicle. The crane includes an upper works rotatable about a vertical axis concentric with the ring, with a boom carrier pivoted thereto for pivotally supporting the lower ends of the boom and mast above the forward position of the ring. A counterweight carrier is also pivoted for vertical movement to the upper works for supporting counterweights above and outwardly of the rear end of the ring. Rollers on the boom carrier and counterweight carrier engage the ring to permit rotation of the carriers and parts supported thereon around the ring. The crane with the large diameter ring supported thereon is driven to its operational site and then hydraulic jacks on the ends of the ring supporting beams are lowered to lift and level the ring. Thereafter, a plurality of manual jacks on the ends of short beams that are pivoted to the vehicle frame are lowered to support the ring in its horizontal position. The crane, therefore, carries the heavy, large diameter ring from site to site thereby requiring a wide path between sites in order to accommodate the large diameter ring. Considerable time is required for set up and strip down as compared to the heavy duty cranes of the subject invention. Behuhn U.S. Pat. No. 3,485,383 which issued on Dec. 23, 1969 discloses a self-propelled crane with a large diameter supporting ring rigidly secured to the lower works of the crane, and a boom carrier pivoted to the upper works and supported on the ring by rollers. The upper works is mounted for pivotal movement about a vertical axis concentric with the ring, and includes a conventional counterweight on its rear end. An auxiliary counterweight behind the conventional counterweight is provided with rollers for support on the rear portion of the ring. Jacks are provided for initially supporting the leveling the ring at an operation site; and thereafter wooden blocks, hydraulic jacks or the like are used to support the ring from the ground. This crane therefore requires considerable set up and strip down time for filling the gap between the ring and the ground with planks or the like. Also, the large diameter ring requires that the path between operation sites be quite wide unless the ring itself is dismantled from the crane prior to moving the crane to another site. German Pat. No. 1,185,353 which issued on Sept. 9, 1965 discloses a mobile crane having lower works, and upper works mounted thereon for pivotal movement about a vertical axis. A boom and mast supporting carriage is hinged to the forward portion of the upper works and includes rollers which ride on a large diameter ring rigidly secured to the lower works. Counterweights at the rear of the upper works are pivotally supported for vertical movement by arms which are pivoted near the forward end of the boom carriage and includes intermediate rollers which ride along a small diameter ring concentric with the vertical axis. The diameter of the ring thus determines the minimum width of the path required to move the crane from site to site, and considerable set up and strip down time is required to fill the gap between the ground and the ring to support the ring in a horizontal operative position. Kauffman U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,960 which issued on Dec. 13, 1938 discloses a crane which has a large diameter ring assembled around its base at a work site. The ring is supported by a plurality of bolsters and cross beams and is centered relative to the vertical axis of the crane by a plurality of adjustable spokes. The rear ends of struts support some of the load applied and are connected to the mast, and the rear ends of side bars are pivoted to the cab. The forward ends of the struts and side bars are supported by pairs of wheels for rotation along the ring during normal operation of the crane. However, the rear or counterweight portion of the crane is not supported by the ring during normal operation. When it is desired to move the Kauffman crane to another site, the bolsters and cross beams must be removed, and the ring may be supported on the crane chassis by grapples having rollers thereon that are pivoted into ring supporting position below an annular flange on the ring. The rollers allow the cab to be rotated relative to the ring when the crane is being moved from place to place.

As the value and use of information continues to increase, individuals and businesses seek additional ways to process and store information. One option available to users is information handling systems. An information handling system generally processes, compiles, stores, and/or communicates information or data for business, personal, or other purposes thereby allowing users to take advantage of the value of the information. Because technology and information handling needs and requirements vary between different users or applications, information handling systems may also vary regarding what information is handled, how the information is handled, how much information is processed, stored, or communicated, and how quickly and efficiently the information may be processed, stored, or communicated. The variations in information handling systems allow for information handling systems to be general or configured for a specific user or specific use such as financial transaction processing, airline reservations, enterprise data storage, or global communications. In addition, information handling systems may include a variety of hardware and software components that may be configured to process, store, and communicate information and may include one or more computer systems, data storage systems, and networking systems. An ongoing concern in many information handling systems, and particularly data storage systems, is data reliability. Of course, many solutions have been developed to increase data reliability, including for example, the utilization of RAID (redundant array of independent disks) systems, which, in general, combine multiple disk drives into a logical unit with data being distributed across the drives in one of several ways called RAID levels, depending on the level of capacity, redundancy, and performance desired or required. See, David A. Patterson, Garth Gibson, and Randy H. Katz: A Case for Redundant Arrays of Inexpensive Disks (RAID); University of California Berkeley, 1988. RAID techniques have generally increased data reliability. Nonetheless, there are several scenarios where failing disks can leave user data in an unrecoverable state. For example, in one single-redundant RAID scenario, a particular disk may accumulate too many error recovery attempts and thus trigger a rebuild in order to migrate each RAID extent from the failing disk to a spare disk. In the meantime, while the extent is rebuilding, data of another disk within the rebuilding stripe may become unreadable due to a latent error, i.e., an error that is not readily apparent because the data block is written to, but yet the data is not readable. A read of this data is required, however, in order to reconstruct the data of the disk being rebuilt, and thus the rebuild cannot continue, leaving the user data in an unrecoverable state. Data scrubbing has been introduced as a means for periodically reading and checking, by the RAID controller, all the blocks in a RAID array to detect bad blocks before they are used. However, conventional RAID scrubbing does not detect latent errors quickly enough for significantly improving data reliability. The conventional RAID scrub operation works on a single RAID device at a time and works on RAID logical block addresses rather than “vertically,” so to speak conceptually, on disks or disk extents. As a scrub progresses through the stripes on a RAID device, it sends input/output (I/O) to all of the disks associated with the RAID device. In the case where a particular disk is suspect, it reads all of the other disks of the RAID device, which wastes valuable time when the suspect disk is in immediate jeopardy of failing. Additionally, in a system with multiple disk tiers, the conventional RAID scrub operation is not prioritized to favor disk types, such as those that have a higher tendency for failure. For example, if the disks in a lower, less expensive storage tier are suspect to failing relatively more often than disks in other relatively more expensive storage tiers, time scrubbing disks in the higher, relatively more expensive storage tiers may essentially be wasted. In view of the foregoing, if it is suspected that a disk is in jeopardy of failing, it can be very useful to know before degrading that disk for replacement that the associated RAID stripes of all extents on that disk can be read in order to reconstruct all the data, or as much data as possible, residing on the failing disk. With the conventional RAID scrub operation, there is generally no way to quickly and efficiently determine this, absent launching scrubs on all RAID devices associated with all disks within a storage tier. Launching scrubs on all RAID devices associated with all disks within a storage tier, however, is simply too slow and consumes too many resources. A specific example of this problem is provided in FIG. 1, which illustrates an example data storage system 100 showing 10 separate disks, with only “Disk X” 102, which is illustrated vertically in the figure for simplicity, being fully shown and labeled for purposes of discussion. As can be seen from FIG. 1, data has been distributed across the 10 shown disks in three RAID configurations: RAID 5 spread across 5 extents; RAID 10 spread across 2 extents; and RAID 6 spread across 6 extents. As will be appreciated by those skilled in the art, the actual physical configuration and layout of the extents and RAID stripe data will typically depend on several factors; accordingly, FIG. 1 serves only as a conceptual example for purposes of discussion. Consider Disk X to be failing or otherwise returning too many significant errors. In order to determine whether all the data on Disk X can be reconstructed utilizing the conventional scrubbing operation, the entirety of the RAID 5, RAID 10, and RAID 6 devices would need to be scrubbed. However, this determination could more efficiently be made if there was a system and method for reading or surveying only the information contained in the horizontal stripes shown in this diagram. Now, consider that the data storage system 100 comprises a significantly larger number of disks than simply the 10 shown, for example, 90 additional disks with data similarly distributed; the efficiencies of such a novel system and method would be increased significantly. Accordingly, the conventional RAID scrub operation is insufficient to determine the desired information relating to associated RAID stripes of all extents on a failing disk. There is a need in the art for improved methods for determining this information at a disk or disk extent level. More generally, there is a need in the art for systems and methods for surveying a data storage system for latent errors, and particularly, systems and methods for surveying a data storage subsystem or other information handling system for latent errors prior to disk failure, thereby improving fault tolerance.

The present invention concerns a method for determining the angular position of the permanent magnet rotor of a multiphase electric motor including at least two stator coils. The exact determination of the angular position of the rotor of an electric motor is desired, or even necessary for several applications, in particular in the field of robotics and for devices with rotating tools such as those used in dental care and micro-surgery. There is known an arrangement of three Hall sensors, which are offset by 120xc2x0 and which provide substantially three sinusoidal curves offset by 120xc2x0, in order to determine the angular position of a permanent magnet rotor. It is also possible to arrange a position encoder on the shaft of the rotor to obtain a certain precision in determining the rotor""s angular position. These arrangements require the addition of sensors which make the device more bulky, which is a major drawback for devices of small dimensions integrating micro-motors. There is also known a generator providing induced voltage signals whose amplitude is proportional to the rotational speed of the rotor. Thus, for a three-phase permanent magnet rotor, it is possible to stop the power supply of the motor periodically for short intervals in order to extract induced voltage data allowing the position and/or speed of the rotor to be determined. This latter method for determining the angular position of a rotor has a major drawback given that the data can only be obtained when the rotor rotates at a certain speed, for example approximately 1,000 revolutions per minute. Thus, at low speed or for rotations of a relatively small angle, no data can be deduced on the basis of the induced voltage in the motor coils. The object of the present invention is to overcome the drawbacks of the aforementioned prior art by avoiding an angular position detection device which is bulky and by providing a method for detecting the angular position of a rotor whatever its rotational speed and the angular path travelled. This object is achieved by a method for determining the angular position of the permanent magnet rotor of a multiphase electric motor including stator coils which are respectively associated with the phases of this motor, each stator coil having a first end and a second end, wherein: an alternating signal, having a determined frequency, is supplied to the first ends of at least two of said stator coils. measurement signals in response to said alternating signal are recuperated, via conductor means connected to the second ends of said at least two stator coils, and supplied to electronic processing means, these measurement signals having a periodic amplitude modulation due to a periodic variation in the effective inductance of the corresponding coil as a function of the rotor""s angular position, two measurement signals, coming from two different phases of the motor, thus having envelopes of corresponding amplitude modulations which are phase-shifted. an extraction from each recuperated measurement signal of said envelope of amplitude modulation is made by said electronic processing means. at least two of said envelopes which are phase-shifted are use for determining said rotor""s angular position which is a function of said periodic amplitude modulation of each measurement signal. The object of the present invention is also achieved by a method for determining the angular position of a permanent magnet rotor of a multiphase electric motor including stator coils which are respectively associated with the phases of this motor, each stator coil having a first end and a second end, wherein: a first alternating signal and a second alternating signal, both having a determined frequency, are simultaneously and respectively supplied to the first ends of two of said stator coils, said second alternating signal being phase-shifted relative to said first altemating signal, a measurement signal, generated by mixing signals received at the second ends of said two stator coils in response to said first alternating signal and said second alternating sianal, is recuperated, via conductor means connected to these second ends, and supplied to electronic processing means, said measurement signal is processed by said processing means in order to obtain a periodic resulting signal which corresponds to a periodic phase variation of this measurement signal relative to said first alternating signal due to the periodic variation in the effective inductance of said two stator coils as a function of the rotor""s angular position, the rotor""s angular position is determined from said periodic resulting signal. Within the developments having led to the present invention, the inventor has observed that this measuring signal includes data relating to a periodic variation in the effective inductance of the coil in which the alternating signal is supplied as a function of the angular position of the permanent magnet rotor, in particular of bipolar permanent magnet rotor. The invention also concerns the electronic system for implementing the method according to the invention. Via appropriate processing of the measuring signal, the method according to the invention allows the rotor""s angular position to be determined with a high level of precision whatever its rotational speed and even when it is not moving. As a result of this method, it is possible to control the motor so as to make relatively small paths with a high level of precision.

The present invention relates to a new and improved construction of thread braking mechanism. In its more particular aspects, the present invention relates to a new and improved construction of thread braking mechanism comprising two rollers or rolls which are substantially axially parallel arranged and freely rotatably journaled in a housing. These two rollers define therebetween a clamping bite or gap through which a thread or the like extends and which drives the two rollers while being drawn through the clamping bite. A first one of the two rollers constitutes a stationary roller and a second one of the two rollers is substantially axially parallel displaceable relative to the first stationary roller and can be resiliently pressed thereagainst with an adjustable bias or force. The thread braking mechanism further comprises a rapid braking device by means of which the adjusted bias is suddenly increased in order to initiate a rapid braking operation. Thread braking mechanisms of this kind are known, for example, from German Patent Publication Nos. 2,531,971, 2,349,334 and 2,534,364. During operation thereof a continuous braking action on the thread is caused by the pressing work which has to be performed during the continuous deformation by the thread of a rubber-elastic covering which is present on at least one of the two rollers while the thread, which is intended to be braked, is approximately vertically drawn through the clamping bite or gap between the two rollers and thereby drives these two rollers. Such thread braking mechanisms are predominantly employed, one for each thread, in combination with warp creels in which a multitude of threads or the like, while running off the creel, is intended to be braked without wear between their associated bobbins and a winding machine like, for example, a warping or beam warping machine. Generally, the pressure at which the displaceable second roller is pressed against the stationary first roller can be increased or decreased, and thus the braking action can be intensified or reduced in common for all of the thread braking mechanisms by central adjusting means. At the high winding rates of modern equipment the relatively small rollers in such thread braking mechanisms attain very high velocities. When the equipment or installation is suddenly stopped or shut down, for example, in the case of a thread rupture or when encountering an emergency braking operation, these rollers still continue to run for a short period of time. There thus results a sagging of the threads, and thus, the danger of entanglements in the thread field which cause further thread ruptures or longer shut-down times and diminish the quality of the produced goods. In order to counter this danger it is known to provide an additional rapid thread braking device which is activated within a short period of time when the machine is suddenly brought to a standstill and which additionally brakes the two rollers. German Patent Publication No. 2,531,971 discloses such a rapid braking device. In this device a compression spring generates the bias for the pair of rollers during normal operation and is rapidly and additionally tensioned by means of a piston-cylinder drive. A rapid braking of the rollers which are now pressed against each other at a significantly increased force and thus a rapid standstill of the rollers and of the thread are thereby achieved. The known mechanism proposes to use the same spring for generating the bias of the rollers which has to be very finely adjusted as well as, by additionally tensioning the spring, for generating a stopping force which is appreciably massively increased as rapidly as possible above the aforementioned bias. Such use of the same spring for these two purposes is afflicted with considerable disadvantages. In the known mechanism the use of a compression spring which has a very small spring rate or constant is recommended in order to be able to sufficiently precisely uniformly adjust for all thread braking mechanisms even the smallest pressures desired during operation and acting between the two rollers without there becoming effective manufacturing tolerances. In correspondence therewith such a spring requires long displacement paths for achieving the additional stopping force required for the rapid braking operation. As is well known, the spatial conditions in the region of the thread braking mechanisms of a warp creel are very limited and these are undesired the presence of members or parts which impair the optical control of such locations. Furthermore, long displacement paths require correspondingly longer periods of time which, in turn, results in expensive constructions in order that the stopping force may become effective within the desired very small period of time. This is required because the standstill of the rollers should coincide with the standstill of the remaining equipment or installation, particularly of the winding machine. In this context it should be considered that, without further influence, the run-out of the rollers will be extensive at low thread tension, however, will be small at great thread tension.

The present invention relates to a bookbinding method and its apparatus by using an electrophotocopying apparatus. Generally, books are manufactured through many and complex steps including plate-making, printing, bookbinding and the like. Accordingly, the book manufacturing cost of one book is relatively high, when a relatively small number of books, for example, several hundreds books, are manufactured. For this, reason it is desirable to minimize the manufacturing steps and transferring of books during manufacture and, if possible, to automate its process under a computer control, for example. Many attempts to improve book manufacturing such as reduction of manufacturing cost and speed-up of bookbinding, have been made of which the following approaches are exemplary. Firstly, a camera speed plate is engraved and the engraved plate is automatically loaded into a small type printing machine and then is subjected to printing, gathering and bookbinding steps. Secondly, by using a copying machine, an original paper is copied onto a usual paper and then it is subjected to the gathering and bookbinding steps. Thirdly, resin reliefs are prepared, arranged in a belt fashion and then printed and bound. However, these approaches suffer from many disadvantages. For example, the original paper must be manually exchanged. The plate member is costly with low printing quality.

Cardiovascular disease is the leading cause of death in the United States, and approximately one million people die of it annually. For this reason, contrast angiography is today an integral part in the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular disease. In the year 2000, U.S. cardiologists performed approximately two million diagnostic and therapeutic angiographic procedures according to data from Health Resources Utilization Branch of Center for Disease Control and Prevention/National Center for Health Statistics. Also, despite recent advances in non-invasive imaging techniques, angiography remains the gold standard for diagnosis of vascular disease. Angiography as a technique involves the placement of a catheter (a thin plastic tube) into a major blood vessel or the heart (catheterization) through another artery or vein found either in the groin or arm (typically the femoral or radial artery respectively). During angiography, the proximal end of the catheter is connected to either a hand-held syringe or an electrically powered injector; and a radiopaque dye (a contrast medium containing iodine) is injected through the catheter in order to make the blood vessels visible on x-ray images (angiogram) and/or fluoroscopic pictures (or moving x-rays). Throughout the procedure, injections of contrast medium are repeatedly made in varying volumes (usually 1 to 10 cc/sec) and with varying durations of injection (typically 1 to 5 seconds). The resulting angiogram is obtained solely for diagnostic purposes; and is routinely used during a subsequently performed interventional procedure such as angioplasty or stenting—where a balloon is inserted into the blood vessels and inflated to open a stenosis caused by atherosclerotic plaque buildup. Frequent intermittent injections of the radiopaque contrast medium is required during each of these diagnostic and interventional procedures to obtain various views of the blood vessels and for optimal positioning of catheters, guidewires, balloons and stents at the targeted vessels. Traditionally also, coronary angiography has been performed using a disposable manual syringe attached to a manifold system. The Commonly Occurring Complications of Catheterization: Once the dye injection procedures are complete, the catheter is slowly and carefully removed from the blood vessel (or heart); and manual compression is applied over the puncture site for 15 minutes, followed by bed rest for 4-6 hours, in order for blood clotting to take place and the arterial or veinal puncture to reseal itself (hemostasis). Sometimes however, serious complications take place and occur even during simple diagnostic catheterization procedures. Such major complications include (1) formation of pseudoaneurysm (i.e., formation of a cavity of blood around the artery by continuous leakage of blood through the hole due to failure of spontaneous closure of the puncture hole); (2) creation of a hematoma or pseudoaneurysm formation large enough to compress the adjacent nerves causes paralysis of the leg; and (3) continuous bleeding into the free body spaces (such as the pelvic cavity, abdominal cavity or retroperitoneal space) which can cause rapid loss of blood and subsequent hypotensive shock. These kinds of major complications are known to be closely related to the size of the puncture hole on the access blood vessels, i.e. the size of the catheters. Therefore, interventional procedures, such as coronary angioplasty, are far more likely to produce major complications at the catheter insertion site of the arteries than diagnostic catheterization procedures, owing to the use of larger sized catheters. These complications occur even after a long duration of direct compression time (10 to 60 minutes) upon removal of the catheter from the patient. Also, a long manual compression time period is inconvenient for the attending physicians and, equally important, can be very painful to the patient. For these reasons, the use of larger sized catheters for coronary angiography (CA) has been generally and routinely discouraged. The recent technological advances in the manufacture of catheters having a smaller outer diameter and a larger inner diameter (such as 4 French diagnostic catheters) and the availability of lower profile balloons and stents have made it feasible to perform coronary procedures with smaller sized guiding catheters. In interventional procedures, the use of smaller sized guiding catheters (for example, 6 Fr) helps avoid the problems and complications described above with respect to large catheters, and most notably reduces the incidence of access site complications. [See for example: Pande et al., “Coronary Angiography With Four French Catheters”, Am J Cardiol, 1992, 70 (11):1085-1086; Nasser et al., “Peripheral Vascular Complications Following Coronary Interventional Procedures”, Clin Cardiol, 1995; 18:609-614; Muller et al., Am J Cardiol 1992; 69:63-68; Davis et al., Heart Lung, 1997, 26:119-127; and Metz et al., Am Heart J, 1997, 134:131-137]. Conventional Manually Operated Syringes: The conventional, manually operated syringe (typically 10-12 cc in fluid containing capacity) is in common use and has been adequate for injection of radiopaque contrast medium through the relatively large-bore catheters which range in size from about 6-7 French for diagnostic procedures or from 7-8 French guiding catheter for interventional procedures. The manual syringes conventionally used for the injection of contrast medium are typically made of various plastics such as polypropylene and polycarbonate. These syringes include a barrel having a liquid discharge opening at one end, and a nozzle through which the contrast medium of choice is ejected. The act of fluid ejection is effected by means of a plunger which has a displaceable piston at the distal end of the barrel; and the body of the syringe has either a ring or a grip at the proximal end which can be held by the user's index and third fingers. The displaceable piston can then be actuated by the user's thumb in a forward and backward motion made in response to the coordinated movement of the operator's hand and fingers at the proximal end of the barrel. As is apparent, an adequate pressure force is needed to operate a syringe. A non-human driving mechanism, such as an electrical motor, provides this quantity of pressure force in automated syringes. Many syringes, however, are operated using only the manual force generated by a human hand. Although typically less sophisticated than automated syringes, manually operated syringes continue to be widely used because they are inexpensive; are easy to use; are disposable; offer excellent operator control; and do not require complex and bulky driving mechanisms. Pressure Force Problems of Manual Syringes: One of the disadvantages in performing angiography using a smaller sized diagnostic catheter (such as a 4 to 5 French catheter) and a guiding catheter (such as a 6 French catheter) coaxially and for internally carrying hardware (such as balloon catheter or stent to be positioned inside a blood vessel) is that much higher injection pressures are required to introduce adequate quantities of radiopaque fluids and to produce adequate opacification of coronary flow. For example, force pressures in the range of 300 to 500 psi are needed for delivery of x-ray dye at a rate of 3 to 5 cc/sec for small sized catheters in comparison to a pressure force of less than 150 psi with larger sized catheters. [See Danzi et al., “A Randomized Comparison Of The Use Of 4 And 6 French Diagnostic Catheters And The Limits Of Downsizing”, Int J Cardiol, 2001, 80(1):5-6; Resar et al, “Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty Through 6 F Diagnostic Catheters: A Feasibility Study”, Am Heart J, 1993, 125(6):1591-1596; Saito et al, “Evaluation Of New 4 French Catheters By Comparison To 6 French Coronary Artery Images”, J Invasive Cardiol 1999, 11(1):13-20; Dodge et al, “Coronary Artery Injection Technique: A Quantitative In Vivo Investigation Using Modern Catheters”, Cathet Cardiovasc Dian, 1998, 44 (1):34-39)]. This high force pressure requirement makes the use of manual syringes (previously used in percutaneous coronary procedures with small sized catheters) functionally inadequate—since, with a 10-ml manual syringe, an operator can generally produce a hand pressure force only in the range of about 20-130 psi. The maximum pressure force which can be manually exerted is only about 130 psi; and is thus generally inadequate for injections through small sized catheters. Additionally, with any conventional manual syringe, the amount of pressure force which can be delivered by hand is inconsistent and will vary from person to person. Accordingly therefore, the injection flow rate and the fluid volume able to be delivered is likely to be very variable and the hand-generated pressure force will be somewhat unpredictable. Such undesirable conditions are only further exacerbated by the use of smaller sized catheters. [See for example, Brown et al., “Limitation In Use Of Five French Coronary Catheters”, Int J Card Imaging, 1991, 7(1):43-45; Franken G. and E. Zeitler, Cardiovasc Radiol, 1978, 1:21-26; Ireland et al., Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1989, 16:199-201; Saito et al., “Evaluation Of New 4 French Catheters By Comparison To 6 French Coronary Artery Images”, J Invasive Cardiol 1999, 11(1):13-20; Dodge et al., “Coronary Artery Injection Technique: A Quantitative In Vivo Investigation Using Modern Catheters”, Cathet Cardiovasc Dian, 1998, 44 (1):34-39]. These long-recognized limitations of the conventional manual syringe can and often do result in suboptimal quality of angiographic studies and frequently necessitate repeat injections—which, in turn, lead to toxic effects from contrast overdose such as renal or heart failure [McCullough et al., “Acute Renal Failure After Coronary Intervention: Incidence, Risk Factors, And Relationship To Mortality”, Am J Med, 1997, 103:368-375]. As a consequence, there have been considerable efforts to make the conventional manual syringe more powerful by making various modifications in the shape and the ergonomics of the syringe, such as those disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,925,449 and 6,616,634 respectively. Nevertheless, the various modifications developed to date for manual syringes have not been performance sufficient; and the modified syringes' injection flow rates and fluid volume capacities remain functionally inadequate and continue to cause suboptimal imaging results. In addition, there have been other developments directed towards mechanisms for increasing the actuation force on the manual syringe by utilizing either internal or external springs to displace the plunger of the syringe, such as are described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,318,539 and 5,951,517 respectively. However, it remains very difficult to achieve the requisite injection pressure either reliably or in sufficiently high force in order to perform angiography using these spring-based actuated syringes. Mechanical Power Injectors: In the past, mechanical power injectors capable of providing higher-pressure fluid delivery have been adapted and used to overcome the disadvantages of the manual syringe during diagnostic and interventional coronary angiographic procedures. This has been especially true when the quality of imaging is hampered by the small size of the diagnostic catheter—as for patients with high coronary resistance or flows (due to hypertension, left ventricular hypertrophy, aortic regurgitation, or cardiomyopathy); and when there are interventional devices within the lumen of the guide catheter [See for example: Angelini P., “Use Of Mechanical Injectors During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty (PTCA)”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1989, 16:193-194; and Goss et al., “Power Injection Of Contrast Media During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Artery Angioplasty”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1989, 16:195-198]. Nevertheless, mechanical power injectors have not been accepted by the majority of cardiologists because they were found to be cumbersome; to be expensive; and to have a number of other problems which are discussed in greater detail below. In general, there are three types of mechanical power injectors: electric, hydraulic, or pneumatic (see Abram's Angiography, “Basic Types of Pressure Injectors”, pages 171-175, 4th edition, Little, Brown Company]. Each of these types of power injectors can provide the extra volume and power (between 100-1200 psi.) when a large syringe (65 to 130 ccs) is loaded into the power drive mechanism. Currently, electrically motorized injection devices are the most widely used and constitute a syringe connected to a linear actuator [as described by U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,006,736; 4,854,324; 5,269,762 and 5,322,511 respectively]. When used, the linear actuator is connected to a motor, which is controlled electronically. The operator determines via the electronic control a fixed volume of contrast material to be injected at a fixed rate of injection. The fixed rate of injection provides a specified initial rate of flow increase and a final rate of injection until the entire volume of fluid material (contrast media) is injected. Mechanical power injectors can deliver a precise volume of contrast medium at higher pressure, resulting in more consistent coronary opacification. Enhanced visualization through power injection may be particularly beneficial in patients in whom opacification by manual syringe injection is difficult, such as patients with hyperdynamic or with high flow states (as may occur with aortic stenosis/insufficiency or hypertensive cardiovascular disease) and those patients with large caliber or dilated atherosclerotic vessels. Power injectors potentially can also enhance visualization when using smaller profile diagnostic and guiding catheters; and is especially important in interventions employing 5 to 6 Fr guides, in which visualizing coronary lesions through its internal annular space around indwelling balloon catheters and stent delivery systems by manual injection may be limited. [See for example: Goldstein et al, “A Novel Automated Injection System For Angiography”, J Invas Cardiol, 2001,14:147-152]. It will be noted and appreciated, however, that these mechanical power injector devices also have some serious deficiencies: There is no interactive control between the operator and machine, except to start or stop the injection. Thus, any change in flow rate can occur only by stopping the machine completely and resetting the operating parameters. This lack of ability to vary the flow rate of fluid injection during the course of the procedure results in a suboptimal quality for angiographic studies because the optimal flow rate of injections typically varies considerably between different patients and different phases of cardiac cycles. In the cardiovascular system, the rate and volume of contrast medium injection is dependent on the size of patient, the target organ and the blood vessels, as well as upon hemodynamic factors such as blood flow rate and pressure within the chamber or blood vessel being evaluated. In most cases, these parameters/factors are not known precisely and can change rapidly as the patient's condition changes in response to the variables of stress, different drugs, personal illness, or individual physiology. Consequently, the initial injection of contrast medium may be insufficient in flow rate to outline the structure on x-ray imaging, thereby necessitating another injection of medium—which can lead to toxic effects from overdose of contrast medium such as kidney or heart failure. Conversely, an excessive injection rate may injure the blood vessel or heart being evaluated, and also cause the catheter to become internally displaced (from the jet of contrast material exiting the catheter tip)—thereby resulting in severe adverse health outcomes such as life-threatening vascular or cardiac injuries (exemplified by dissection, or perforation of the artery, or cardiac arrhythmia). In addition, some cardiologist have tried to use mechanical power injectors which were remotely activated using a hand or foot switch [See for example: Goss et al., “Power Injection Of Contrast Media During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn 1989, 16:195-198; and Angelini, P., “Use Of Mechanical Injectors During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1989, 16:193-194]. Others have used a modified hand injector for specific application in percutaneous coronary intervention [See for example: Sanders et al., “Coronary Power Injection During Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1984, 10:603-605; Ireland et al., “Safety And Convenience Of A Mechanical Injector Pump For Coronary Angiography”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1989, 16(3):199-201; and Weiner, R. I. and Maranhao V., “A Modified Hand Injector For Percutaneous Transluminal Coronary Angioplasty”, Cathet Cardiovasc Diagn, 1987, 13:145-147]. All these attempts to employ mechanical power injectors were found to be cumbersome and clinically unsatisfactory. More recently, a manually-operated, mechanically-assisted power syringe has been developed [as is disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,830,194 and 6,030,368], wherein a syringe is assisted by an attached levered apparatus providing force amplification to the injection. Although providing a mechanically assisted advantage, a major disadvantage of this type of power syringe is its relatively large size and its complete immobility (due to its being fixed on the catheterization procedure table). Another disadvantage of this type of power syringe is the need for a second operator who must press down on a lever in order to actuate the injection action, while a first operator must hold the catheter in the desired position. Furthermore, there is no sense of fine control in either flow rate and/or fluid volume during the activation of lever and the actual injection of contrast medium into the catheter. For these reasons, despite their having potential advantages, mechanical power injectors are infrequently used for coronary angiography. Operator's resistance to power injection of coronary arteries is based in part on the limitations of presently available motorized injectors, which do not allow the physician immediate control to vary the flow rate during power injection; and often result in insufficient contrast injection or excessive flow [see Goldstein et al, “A Novel Automated Injection System For Angiography”, J Invas Cardiol, 2001, 14:147-152]. Other Relevant Developments: 1. ACIST Medical Systems (Eden Prairie, Minn., USA) has introduced a software-controlled variable rate syringe injector connected to an automated manifold without stopcocks. The ACIST Injection System (as disclosed by U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,221,045 and 6,344,030 respectively) is composed of four integrated components that include a software-controlled syringe injector, a disposable automated manifold without stopcocks, a disposable hand controller, and a touch screen control panel. The ACIST Medical Systems injection system is mounted on its own wheeled stand; but is optimally utilized when firmly attached (immobilized) to the catheterization table. The touch screen control panel can be mounted on the syringe injector, but alternatively can be separately attached to the catheterization table and positioned in proximity to the operator. The disposable components (syringe body, manifold, check valves, and tubing) are provided in a separate sterile kit. The system setup is directed in a step-by-step maneuver using touch screen monitor prompts. After the initial setup is completed, the operator calibrates the hand controller and selects the injection program. The system is then ready to be connected to the angiographic catheter for angiography [see Goldstein et al, “A Novel Automated Injection System For Angiography”, J. Invas Cardiol, 2001, 14:147-152]. Unfortunately, the ACIST injection system has a number of major disadvantages: The system is cumbersome to setup and load; and it requires additional disposable products to accommodate the complex repetitive steps and multiple connections. Moreover, the system has a very high cost for acquiring the essential equipment, for its operation and maintenance, and for the disposable supplies required for its continued use. Additional disadvantages are the injector's large size, its limited portability and its complexity of operation—all of which tend to lengthen the procedure time and to waste other resources such as staffing and facility. For these reasons, such software controlled injector systems for coronary angiography are not widely used; and presently, most laboratories employ only the manual syringe system for selective coronary angiography. 2. Another approach has been to substitute an electromechanical injector as an improvement upon manually-operated syringes. Examples of such injectors are described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,221,045; 5,383,858; 4,854,324; 4,677,980; 5,322,511; and 4,006,736 respectively. These electromechanical injectors are made in the form of a conventional syringe, with the added feature of a force amplification system to overcome the limitations of the conventional manual syringe and power injectors. 3. Some earlier innovations were made in the form of a conventional syringe equipped with force amplications using a liquid gas such as carbon dioxide. In 1956, Gidlund first described a compressed-air injector with a stainless steel syringe that could be placed in a vertical position [Gidlund A., “Development Of Apparatus And Methods For Roentgen Studies In Haemodynamics”, Acta Radiol (Stockh), 1956, 130 (suppl):1]. The vertical position facilitated the addition of a valve for air removal at the top of the syringe. Later, in 1960, Amplatz described a pneumatic power injector for injection of contrast medium powered by carbon dioxide cartridges. [Amplatz K., “A Vascular Injector With Program Selector”, Radiology, 1960, 75:955]. The Amplatz pneumatic power injectors used compressed gases to transmit pressure to a barrel, which were connected to the injector syringe. The device operates under basic pneumatic and hydraulic principles [see Abram's Angiography, “Basic Types Of Pressure Injectors”, 4th edition, Little, Brown & Company, pages 171-175]. However, a bulky and heavy pressure regulator was one of the essential parts of these injectors. Each pneumatic power injector weighed more than 5 kg and were not practical for use in any clinical setting. 4. Another approach is the Bourdon device (as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,323,066; the text of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference). The Bourdon device is a modified syringe that allows the operator to regulate the speed at which injection occurs and can alter the flow rate of injected liquid. Functionally, a gas from a pressurized-gas source flows continuously through the device and exits freely into the atmosphere, thereby wasting large quantities of gas needlessly. Also, the amount of gas required for a single injection procedure is much larger than can be stored in a miniature cylinder; and thus a remote source of pressurized-gas is always required in each instance of use. 5. Still another variation is the Smith et al. syringe device (as disclosed by U.S. Pat. No. 4,861,340; the text of which is expressly incorporated herein by reference). The Smith et al. syringe is intended to provide control of contrast flow rate (as in the Bourdon syringe device described above), but has a configuration that addresses the gas-wasting problem. The syringe is designed for injecting contrast media into the vascular system during angiography; and is composed of two main parts: the injection syringe itself and the gas system. The function of the gas system is to deliver regulated pressurized CO2 gas to the injection syringe to assist the forward motion of the piston. The pressurized gas is contained in a CO2 gas tank and is regulated by the operator. This required pressure regulation allows the operator to adjust the pressure to a desired setting. It will be noted that pressurized gas is conserved in the Smith et al. syringe design by the use of a configured portal system, which allows gas flow from the pressurized-gas source to occur only during contrast medium injection. This, however, markedly reduces the operator's sensation of flow rate control, which is very critical in practice of cardiac catheterization, in terms of both safety and efficacy. It will be appreciated that within the Smith et al. system design, the marked reduction in the operator's sensation of flow rate control is caused directly by an undesirably large “dead band”. From the operator's perspective, a “dead band” is the difference between the relative motion of the operator's fingers and the displacement of the piston in the syringe barrel. The mechanical distances required to separate axial source ports using O-rings thus dictates the size of the dead band. Increasing or decreasing the contrast flow rate occurs in a step-wise manner as the operator-applied force is varied; and the dead band variances between the steps and the limited number of steps in a practical device markedly reduce the operator's sensation of flow rate control as compared with a conventional manual syringe. The Smith et al. device also requires a pressure regulator, which makes the system cumbersome and difficult to handle. For these reasons, the Smith et al. device was deemed to be clinically impractical and was unfavorably received by medical practitioners shortly after its introduction [see Pande et al., “Randomized Evaluation Of 5 French Catheters For Coronary Angiography With Or Without The CO2 Powered Hercules Syringe”, J Invas Cardiol, 1992, 4:136-138]. Clearly therefore, there remains a well recognized and long standing need for a power-assisted syringe that can overcome the various problems associated with the injection of contrast medium in the different angiographical procedures. Accordingly, were a syringe apparatus capable of delivering contrast fluid on-demand to a patient to be developed which permits the operator to adjust and increase appropriately the force applied to the syringe and provides feedback parameters with tactile and visual components by which to control the flow rate and volume of the fluid in real time, such an improvement would be seen as having substantive medical benefit and be recognized as a major advance and improvement within the technical field.

Field of the Disclosure The disclosed subject matter relates generally to mobile computing systems and, more particularly, to dynamically loading voice engine locale settings. Description of the Related Art Various techniques are used in mobile devices to manage incoming calls. A user of a called device (referred to as a callee) may set a privacy preference, for example, so the user's device (the “called device”) does not cause a disturbance during a meeting. A persons (referred to as a caller) that places an incoming call to the callee's device may be notified of the callee's “busy” status and queried regarding the importance level of the caller's call. For example, the caller may hear the message, “Hello, the person you are calling is busy right now. If you want a call back, say ‘Call me back’. If it is urgent, say, ‘It's urgent’.” The incoming caller may respond to the query using one of the indicated command phrases. If the call is urgent, the call from the caller may be allowed to ring the called device. For non-urgent calls, the callee may be notified of the missed call from the caller with a message window so that the call may be returned later. The querying of the incoming caller uses voice recognition to identify the response. The voice engine resident on the called device processes the received speech to attempt to decode the incoming caller's command. It is common that incoming caller and the callee may be from different geographical regions and thus speak different languages or dialects. Each party's (i.e., the caller and the callee) device has different locale settings per their preferred dialect for voice recognition. For example, a user from India would set the device locale as “English_India,” and a user from the United States would set the device locale to “English_US.” In scenarios where the caller and the callee have different device locale preferences, the voice engine on the called device may not be able to discern the caller's response. In addition, the language used for the query of the incoming caller is generated by the voice engine using the locale settings of the called device. It may be difficult for the caller to understand the call handling query due to a difference in dialects or language. The present disclosure is directed to various methods and devices that may solve or at least reduce some of the problems identified above. The use of the same reference symbols in different drawings indicates similar or identical items.

This invention relates to a method for manufacturing polycrystalline metal oxide varistors. More particularly, this invention relates to a novel process for producing the varistor powder which is used in the pressing stage of varistor manufacture. The process disclosed produces varistor powder having a very high degree of homogeneity. This property of homogeneity is important both in varistors for low voltage applications and in varistors for high voltage application. The primary ingredient in varistor manufacture is zinc oxide. To this zinc oxide is added the oxides of several other metals, notably bismuth, antimony, cobalt, manganese, tin, barium, boron, nickel, and magnesium. Other metal oxide additives include oxides of the rare earth elements. The zinc oxide is however, the largest single ingredient, the grain size of which largely determines the breakdown voltage in varistors. Once the varistor powder with all of the desired ingredients is produced, the powder is pressed into a disk, slug, or wafer of the desired shape. Typically, the powder is pressed into a cylindrical shape. Then the pressed varistor wafer is sintered for several hours at temperatures between 1,000.degree. C. and 1,400.degree. C. The sintered ceramic is now coated with a suitable electrode material and wires are attached to the surfaces of the wafer for connection to external circuitry. In particular, this invention relates to an improved process for producing the varistor powder to be used at the pressing stage of varistor manufacture. Currently, the additive oxides are milled and pre-reacted at a temperature of approximately 900.degree. C., then the pre-reacted product is crushed and mixed with ZnO. This mixture is then introduced into a ball mill whose objective is the further crushing of the powder mix and most importantly, the homogeneous dispersion of each component amongst the others. However, the ball milling process is expensive, time consuming, and inefficient. Ball milling is an attempt to achieve, by means of a mechanical process, the dispersion of the particles of each component of the powder mix with the particles of the other components. In addition to being an inefficient mechanical procedure, the process of ball milling can introduce contamination from the ball material into the varistor powder mix. For instance, ZrO.sub.2 balls that are used presently in ball milling of metal oxide varistor powders release zirconium oxide into the varistor powder mix as a result of the impacts sustained by the balls. The presence of zirconium oxide in the varistor powder mix is highly deleterious in that this substance inhibits zinc oxide grain growth. It is this grain growth, which occurs during the sintering of the pressed varistor powder mix, which is responsible in large part for the characteristics of the varistor device, most notably, its breakdown voltage. Between each zinc oxide grain there is an intergranular layer and each such layer contributes approximately two to three volts to the breakdown voltage of the varistor. For example, a one millimeter thick slab of varistor material having zinc oxide grains approximately 25 microns in diameter will yield a device with approximately 40 intergranular layers between the electrodes of the varistor, resulting in a breakdown voltage of approximately 120 volts, depending upon the exact composition of the varistor powder. The zirconia that is introduced from the ball milling process is not well dispersed in the powder mix and therefore produces localized regions of inhibited grain growth. This inhomogeneous distribution of zinc oxide grain size results in a varistor device with poor leakage and breakdown characteristics. In particular, it results in so-called hot spots in the varistor wafer which will conduct most of the current through the device rather than having the current density distribution spread evenly across the surface of the device. These hot spots lead to thermal heating and eventual fracturing of the varistor material. As mentioned above, the ball milling process, even after many hours of milling, does not produce a molecularly homogeneous mixture. This lack of dispersion of the components of the mixture also produces, in a highly complex fashion, a discontinuity of grain growth. As indicated with the zirconia above, this too results in poor electrical properties. This discontinuity of grain sizes produces highly undesirable electrical properties in both low breakdown voltage and in high breakdown voltage varistor devices. In low breakdown voltage varistors, the thickness of the wafer is small and therefore the number of grains and intergranular boundaries is small. Hence, the breakdown voltage of the device is more sensitive to the number of grains actually present. Similarly, in the high breakdown voltage varistor devices, the energy that must be dissipated is greater and an inhomogeneous varistor will result in the current being channeled through very narrow regions of the device which often fail, either electrically or mechanically, when these narrow regions are forced to channel these higher energies. Metal oxide varistors exhibit a very non-linear current-voltage characteristic which is expressed by the equation ##EQU1## where I is current flowing through the material, V is the voltage across the material, C is a constant which is a function of the physical dimensions of the body of the device, its composition, and the parameters of the process employed to form the body, and is a measure of the voltage at which breakdown occurs, and .alpha. is a constant for a given range of current and is a measure of the non-linearity of the resistance characteristic of the varistor. Hence for voltage values below the breakdown voltage, the device behaves like an ohmic resistor of very large value (approximately 10,000 M .OMEGA.) but when the breakdown voltage is exceeded, the device behavior is very much like that of a low resistance conductor. For a wide range of current values, .alpha. is approximately constant. When any of the above-mentioned metal oxides need to be added to the varistor powder mix in trace amounts, the ball milling process becomes particularly inefficient and incapable of insuring a homogeneous distribution of the trace material.

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to optical coatings for infrared windows and domes, primarily for use on aircraft, and, more specifically to a polymer or plastic optical coating to protect infrared optics, particularly infrared window and domes. 2. Brief Description of the Prior Art To increase the survivability and operational capability of infrared windows and domes, particularly as used during flight and particularly for the 8 to 12 micrometer wavelength region, protective coatings are required for rain, dust and sand and hail impact. The impact of these particles during flight (aircraft, missile, helicopter, etc.) on the window or dome erodes the window or dome, thereby reducing its strength and ability to transmit infrared therethrough. This degradation can render the electro-optical sensor behind the dome or window inoperable or even damaged should the window or dome catastrophically fail. Presently used prior art infrared windows and domes degrade in performance due to loss of transmission and strength due to environmental degradation, particularly due to erosion by rain, dust and sand particles at aerodynamic speeds. Prior art solutions to this problem have involved the use of a protective coating on the infrared domes and windows. Due to the requirement that the protective coating be transparent in the wavelength region in which the window or dome operates (i.e., 8 to 12 micrometers, 3 to 12 micrometers, 3 to 5 micrometers, 1 to 12 micrometers, etc.), past and current efforts on protective coatings have concentrated on traditional inorganic materials, such as silicon, gallium phosphide, boron phosphide, diamond, germanium carbide, silicon nitride, silicon carbide, oxides, etc. to obtain the desired transparency. These coating have displayed high strength, high fracture toughness, high hardness and moderate to high elastic (Young's) modulus. The general mechanical requirements of coatings for soft (rain) and hard (sand, hail, dust, etc.) particle impact protection of substrates are low hardness and high fracture toughness or strength with a high elastic modulus to reduce the strain induced in the substrate or a low elastic modulus to absorb the impacting stress. Accordingly, the above-mentioned materials have shown only limited effectiveness in solving the problem of erosion due to particle impact and have been difficult to scale up in size. It is therefore apparent that other solutions to the problem are required which overcome or minimize the problems presented by prior art solutions.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a semiconductor device for use in an electronic circuit for a variety of technical fields such as an automobile, an electric power generating plant, an artificial satellite as well as an OA machine and an electronic product for a private use such as a copying machine, a facsimile machine, a printer and a video camera, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device. In particular, the present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device for storing a required information signal. 2. Related Background Art FIG. 45 illustrates the structure of a semiconductor memory capable of storing and programming data only one time, the semiconductor memory being constituted by an MOS type field effect transistor (hereinafter called an "MOSFET") serving as an insulated gate type field effect transistor and a memory cell having an insulating film. A memory of the aforesaid type has been disclosed in, for example, "A New Programmable Cell Utilizing Insulator Breakdown", IDEM' 85, pp 639 to 642. Another type semiconductor arranged as shown in FIG. 46 has been known. FIG. 46 is a cross-sectional view which illustrates the semiconductor memory of the aforesaid type. Referring to FIG. 46, reference numeral 120 represents an n-type substrate, 121 represents a p.sup.+ drain, 122 represents a P.sup.+ source, 123 represents a floating gate, 124 represents an insulating layer, 125 represents a drain wiring and 126 represents a source wiring. The floating gate 123 is manufactured by, for example, embedding a polycrystalline silicone in a silicone oxide film. A transistor for use in ULSIs and having a gate length of sub-micron order has been developed thanks to progress of the fine processing technology. FIG. 101 is a schematic cross sectional view which illustrates an LDD (Lightly Doped Drain) structure as a typical MOS type field effect transistor (hereinafter called a "MOSFET"). Referring to FIG. 101, reference numeral 201 represents a P type semiconductor substrate, 202 represents a field oxide film, 203 and 204 respectively represent n.sup.+ layer of the source region and that of the drain region and 205 represents a gate insulating film, 206 represents a gate electrode. Reference numerals 207 and 208 respectively represent n.sup.- layer provided for the purpose of relieving the field concentration taken place adjacent to the gate of the source region and that of the drain region, 290 represent a channel dope layer formed by an ion injection operation for the purpose of making the threshold to be a desired value and 210 represents a P.sup.+ layer. However, the transistor structured as described above arises the following problems. A first problem takes place in that drain current I.sub.D and the mutual inductance (gam) are too small due to the presence of the n.sup.- layers 207 and 208. A second problem arises in that the mobility is deteriorated, and a third problem will arise in that the gate width W cannot be fined with the similar scaling to that for use to fining the gate length L. The aforesaid problems will now be described. FIG. 102 is a graph which illustrates an example of the relationship between the length of the channel and the drain current as disclosed in K. Yano, M. Aoki, and T. Masahara Extended Abstracts of the 18th (1986 International) Conference on Solid State Devices and Material (1986) PP85 to 88. FIG. 102 shows results of comparisons made between a drain voltage V.sub.D of 0.1 V, 5V, temperature of 77K. and 300K. As can be understood from FIG. 102, parasitic drain resistance generated due to the n.sup.- layers 207 and 208 causes the decrease of the length of the channel and the increase in the drain current are not in proportion to each other as designated by a dashed line XA but are made as designated by a solid line XB. Referring to FIG. 102, symbol XC shows measured values. Since a large drain current is not obtained as described above, the mutual conductance characteristics (the gm characteristics) are deteriorated. A rule of scaling a typical MOSFET is shown in Table 1. TABLE 1 ______________________________________ Parameter Scaling Ratio ______________________________________ Length of channel 1/K Width of channel 1/K Thickness of gate oxide film 1/K Depth of joint 1/K Thickness of Depletion layer 1/K Concentration of impurities K in channel Voltage 1/K ______________________________________ As can be understood from Table 1, the punch-through current between the source and the drain generated due to fining of the channel length L can be prevented by raising the impurity concentration Na of the region which is formed into the channel. However, the concentration of the impurities in the channel is raised, the mobility of the carrier is lowered and thereby the gm characteristics are deteriorated. It might therefore be considered feasible to employ a method in which the p.sup.+ layer 210 is brought near the gate insulating film 205. In this case, the field intensity in the vertical direction in relation to the direction in which the carrier is moved is raised. Therefore, also the mobility of the carrier is lowered while maintaining the correlative relationship as shown in FIG. 103 (which illustrates the relationship between the field intensity (axis of abscissa) in the vertical direction and the mobility (axis of ordinate) as disclosed in, for example, A. G. Sabnis et al. IEDM 79 PP18 to 21, where XD, XE and XF are measured values when the power supply voltage was 0.1V, -5.0V and -20.0V, respectively). That is, the characteristics of the MOSFET having the gate length L ranged from 0.5 to 0.8 .mu.m can be improved to a certain degree according to the scaling rule shown in Table 1. However, the gate length L is smaller than the aforesaid range, the drain current and the gm characteristics excessively deteriorated. Furthermore, the fining operation will cause the proportion of the wiring section to be enlarged. Therefore, there is a desire of a transistor having further improved gm characteristics. However, it can be met by only widening the gate width W under the present conditions. Therefore, the original object of fining the size cannot be achieved. Also a GOLD type (Gate Overlap Lightly Doped Drain) MOSFET which is a modification to the LDD type MOSFET encounters the aforesaid problems. In order to overcome the aforesaid problems experienced with the MOSFET structured as described above, a surrounding gate transistor (SGT) has been disclosed which is arranged in such a manner that four gate electrodes face one another as suggested in H. Tadato, K. Sunoushim, N. Okabe, A. Nitayama, K. Hieda, F. Horiguchi, and F. Masuoka IEDM (International Electron Device Meeting) (1988) PP222 to 225. The structure of it is shown in FIG. 128. FIG. 128A is a perspective view and 128B is a cross section taken along line A--A'. Referring to FIGS. 66 and 67, reference numeral 215 represents a substrate, 216 represents a p well layer, 217 represents a source region, 218 represents a gate electrode, 219 represents a gate insulating film, 220 represents a drain region and 221 represents a drain outlet electrode. In the aforesaid structure, the gate electrode 218 is formed to surround the channel region. Therefore, the following advantages can be obtained: the concentration of the electric field can be relieved, the adverse effect of the hot carrier or the like can be eliminated and the control of the potential of the channel portion by using the gate can be easily performed. FIG. 104A and FIG. 104B respectively are a plan view and a circuit diagram which illustrate a CMOS invertor circuit which utilizes an SGT. FIGS. 105 and 106 are cross-sectional views respectively taken along line A--A' and C--C' of FIG. 104A. The contact portions between Vin and PMOSFET and NMOSFET are represented by 230 and 231. In the aforesaid conventional transistor, the portion between the source and the drain is not conductive in a normal state. Writing can be performed by applying negative high voltage between the source and the drain of the transistor, avalanche-breaking down the pn junction on the drain side and injecting large energy electrons generated at this time into the floating gate so as to cause the portion between the source and the drain to be a conductive state. In a case where the aforesaid device is used as a memory, facts whether or not the charge is injected into the floating gate are made correspond to information 1 and 0. However, since the charge stored in the floating slightly leaks in the memory of the aforesaid type, problems arises in that information cannot be stored-permanently and the reading characteristics are undesirably changed with time. Furthermore, the aforesaid MOSFET is not suitable to be fined and its characteristics (gm characteristics) encounter a problem in that the mutual conductance is too small. In addition, if the gate length is 0.5 .mu.m or less at the time of the fining operation, the improvement of the aforesaid MOSFET by scaling cannot be expected. As a dynamic random access memory (DRAM), a vertical memory cell constituted by using a surrounding gate transistor (SGT) as the addressing transistor and by forming a trench capacitor in its main electrode region of the substrate has been suggested. However, the inventors of the present invention found that a DRAM of the aforesaid type has the following problems: with the high integration exceeding 16 M bits and further fining of the cell, the capacitor size is limited and the capacity is thereby reduced. As a result, a large signal charge cannot be stored. On the contrary, the parasitic capacity of the wiring is increased due to the fining process. As a result, the signal transmitted finally becomes too small and the SN ratio is also lowered at the time of reading the stored signal by means of the capacity division. Therefore, the memory is erroneously operated. Furthermore, since the shape is formed into an vertical shape, the manufacturing process is too complicated and therefore the yield cannot be improved. As a result, a problem in terms the commercial viewpoint arises. That is, the inventors of the present invention found that the original object to satisfactorily apply the fine transistor such as the SGT to the DRAM cannot be achieved. Another semiconductor memory has been known which is arranged as shown in FIG. 46. FIG. 46 is a cross sectional view which illustrates a semiconductor memory of the aforesaid type. Referring to FIG. 46, reference numeral 120 represents an n-type substrate, 121 represents a p.sup.+ drain, 122 represents a P.sup.+ source, 123 represents a floating gate, 124 represents an insulating layer, 125 represents a drain wiring and 126 represents a source wiring. The floating gate 123 is manufactured by, for example, embedding a polycrystalline silicone in a silicone oxide film. The portion between the source and the drain is not conductive in a normal state. Writing can be performed by applying negative high voltage between the source and the drain of the transistor, avalanche-breaking down the pn junction on the drain side and injecting large energy electrons generated at this time into the floating gate so as to cause the portion between the source and the drain to be a conductive state. In a case where the aforesaid device is used as a memory, facts whether or not the charge is injected into the floating gate are made correspond to information 1 and 0. However, since the charge stored in the floating slightly leaks in the memory of the aforesaid type, problems arises in that information cannot be stored permanently and the reading characteristics are undesirably changed with time. Furthermore, the aforesaid MOSFET is not suitable to be fined and its characteristics (gm characteristics) encounter a problem in that the mutual conductance is too small. In addition, if the gate length is 0.5 .mu.m or less at the time of the fining operation, the improvement of the aforesaid MOSFET by scaling cannot be expected. The aforesaid conventional technology encounters another problem in that the voltage resistance of the oxide film in the Si edge portion is deteriorated. FIG. 67 illustrates the process of the change in the thickness of the oxide film in the Si edge portion. Assuming that the thickness of the oxide film in the flat region made of Si is .delta..sub.2 and that in the edge portion is .delta..sub.1 as designated by 254 shown in FIG. 67, the following relationship is held: EQU .delta..sub.1 <.delta..sub.2 ( 1) Furthermore, the shape of the Si in the edge portion tends to be formed into an wedge shape, causing the voltage resistance of the portion in the vicinity of the edge to be lowered. Therefore, the reliability of the semiconductor device will be deteriorated. The integrated circuits of the semiconductor integrated circuits using the MOS transistor have been further highly integrated. With the tendency of raising the degree of integration, the MOS transistor for use in the integrated circuit has been fined to a sub-micron order. However, if the gate size is reduced to the submicron order, the following problems arise: 1. The leak current increases due to the short channel effect. 2. The VTH and the mutual conductance are undesirably changed due to the hot carrier effect. In order to overcome these problems, an MOS transistor having a surrounding gate is used in the existing state. FIG. 82 is a cross sectional view which illustrates an example of the structure of the conventional surrounding gate-type MOS transistor. Referring to FIG. 82, reference numeral 651 represents a N-type Si substrate, 652 represents a P.sup.- layer for forming a columnar semiconductor layer, 653 represents a drain N.sup.+ layer of the NMOS, 654 represents a gate electrode, 655 represents a source N.sup.+ layer of the N-MOS, 656 represents an Al electrode for ejecting the drain, 659a represents a gate oxide film formed around the columnar semiconductor layer and 659b represents a gate oxide film formed under the gate electrode. In the aforesaid conventional surrounding gate type MOS transistor (hereinafter called an "SGT-MOS Tr"), the thickness of the oxide film 659b under the gate electrode is the same as that of the oxide film (the side portion of the columnar semiconductor layer). In a case where the thickness of the oxide film 659b under the gate electrode is about 20 to 150 .ANG., the gate .OMEGA. source capacity in the MOS Tr increases, causing a problem to arise in that the switching characteristics of the memory excessively deteriorate. However, if the DRAM is formed by integrating 1-gigabit memory devices, it is considered that the size of a cell becomes about 0.3 .mu.m square. Therefore, the aforesaid vertical MOS transistor which is the most promising device in the age of the high integration devices encounters multiple problems at the time of the manufacturing process if the size is the aforementioned order. In the method of manufacturing the conventional vertical MOS transistor, the top surface of the columnar silicon monocrytal region serving as a source region of the MOS transistor and the gate electrode are separated from each other while interposing a thin gate oxide film. Therefore, there arises the following problems: (Problem 1) The size of the contact portion of the source electrode becomes very small in a very fine pattern in which the vertical transistor is able to exhibit its performance. Therefore, a slight positional deviation taken place in relation to the lower layer at the time of forming a contact opening will cause a short circuit to be generated between the gate electrode and the source electrode. If the columnar silicon region is enlarged in order to overcome the aforesaid problem, the degree of integration of the overall circuit will be lowered. (Problem 2) If the introduction of impurities into the source region is performed by the ion injection, the gate oxide film adjacent to the source region can be easily damaged. Therefore, the short circuit between the source and the gate will take place or the reliability of the gate oxide film will be deteriorated. (Problem 3) Since the parasitic capacity between the source and gate electrodes increases, the high speed operation of the circuit is hindered. Furthermore, the aforesaid conventional structure encounters a problem that patterning at the time of ejecting the wiring from the upper portion of the columnar semiconductor layer cannot be easily performed in a state where the width of the columnar semiconductor layer has been fined with proceeding of the fining operation. Therefore, the fining speed is limited. FIG. 107 is an enlarged view which illustrates a contact hole portion shown in FIG. 104. Referring to FIG. 107, the contact hole 231 to be opened when the wiring is taken from the upper portion of the columnar semiconductor 217 is formed in such a manner that its longer side runs parallel to the longer side of the upper portion of the columnar semiconductor. Therefore, assuming that the shorter side of the upper portion of the columnar semiconductor 217 is a and the alignment margin between the contact hole 231 and the columnar semiconductor 217 is x, the width of the contact hole 231 becomes a-2x or less. As a result, it is very difficult to perform aligning with the contact hole and therefore the yield becomes too difficult. This leads to a fact, when a becomes a submicron order, the aforesaid process cannot be performed at the existing technological level. What is even worse, when the aforesaid conventional structure is constituted, it is very difficult to perform a process in which wiring is arranged from the gate electrode, that is, a photolithography process in which both of the surrounding gate and the gate wiring portion are left. The aforesaid problem becomes critical with proceeding of the fining process and it is a critical problem for the surrounding gate type MOSFET.

The invention relates to a quick connect and disconnect device particularly well suited for coupling chains and cables for jewelry and the like. Prior couplings have included spring clasps, and split rings with spring biased pins. These couplings have proved to be difficult to open and close because of their cumbersome nature and complicated design. An improvement to these couplings can be seen in my prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,286,316, issued Nov. 22, 1966; 3,487,512, issued Jan. 6, 1970; 3,540,087, issued Nov. 17, 1970; 3,675,499, issued July 11, 1972; 4,184,232, issued Jan. 22, 1980; and 4,236,283 issued Dec. 2, 1980. In my U.S. Pat. No. 4,184,232 I proposed a coupling comprising a male member having a T-shaped element adapted to be introduced through a slotted aperture in an end plate of the female member. A pair of flat springs, disposed in the female member, engage and resiliently rotate the male member away from the slot, as the male member is being inserted in the slot. The present invention is an improvement which permits greater ease in coupling and decoupling, requires fewer parts, and provides improved operation. The device should be more easily and economically manufactured. It is an object of the present invention to provide a coupling which locks simply by pushing the male portion and female portion together. A further object of the present invention is to reduce the cost of manufacturing the coupling. Another object of the present invention is to provide a coupling which is easy to use and which unlocks by simply rotating the two members relative to each other. The two members disengage by virtue of an outward bias provided by expansion of an internal spring member. Accordingly, the invention comprises a coupling having a male and a female member. The female member comprises a hollow housing closed at one end by an end plate. The end plate has a centrally disposed circular aperture. A diametrically disposed slot extends beyond the border of the circular aperture. A receiving member is disposed within the housing behind the end plate. Spring means initially bias the receiving member at an angular orientation relative to the slot, and towards the end plate. The spring plate means permit the receiving member to be moved inwardly and rotated from its initial angular orientation. One end of the male member has a handle adapted to be grasped by the user. The opposite end has a shape receivable in the slot. The inner end of the male member has a cam edge for engaging opposite ends of the receiving member's end edge. As the male member is inserted in the slot, the cam edge displaces the receiving member away from the end plate until the male member reaches a position in which the spring means rotates the male member to a latched position. Such rotation carries the male member out of alignment with the slot. The male member is uncoupled by rotating it into alignment with the slot, then pulling it from the housing. Other objects and purposes of the invention will be clear from the following detailed description of the drawings.

The present invention relates to electrical interconnects for solar cells and other electronic components, particularly to electrical interconnects for thin ( less than 6 mil thick) solar cells whereby breakage due to conventional soldering is eliminated, and more particularly to electrical interconnects and a process for forming same using a silver-silicone paste or a lead-tin solder cream. Solar cells have a wide variety of applications, and are particularly useful in various space applications. Substantial research and development efforts have been directed toward the use of solar cells for space systems. One such application is the RAPTOR Pathfinder solar electric airplane being developed to enable long endurance high altitude flight for weeks and months, with flight altitudes exceeding 10,000 ft. The Pathfinder uses electric powered flight by covering the upper wing skin with light weight (thin) flexible solar array modules, composed of solar cells up to 25 mil thick. Experiments have shown that solar cell electrical interconnect soldering can cause solar cell breakages for thin ( less than 6 mil thick) silicon solar cells as well as leave undesired residue on the active surfaces thereof. This is due, in part, to the 200xc2x0 C. temperature required for soldering, and the solder fluxes used to promote good adhesion. Thus, there has been a need for a method of electrically interconnecting thin solar cells which reduces or eliminates the breakage problem due to soldering, as well as eliminating the undesirable residue. The present invention provides a solution to the above soldering problems which involves forming the electrical interconnects using copper strips and a conductive silver-silicone paste in place of soldering, or using the copper strips and a conductive lead-tin (Pbxe2x80x94Sn) no-clean fluxless surface mount solder cream. Electrical interconnects made by this invention have shown no degradation under high current testing while having a very low contact resistance value, and have eliminated the solder caused breakage problem for thin solar cells. It is an object of this invention to eliminate solar cell breakage caused by conventional electrical interconnect soldering techniques. A further object of the invention is to provide electrical interconnects for thin ( less than 6 mil thick) solar cells, using silver-based materials. Another object of the invention is to provide a process of electrically interconnecting electronic components such as solar cells using either a conductive silver-silicone paste or a conductive Pbxe2x80x94Sn no-clean fluxless solder cream, whereby solar cell breakage and undesired residue on the active surfaces of the solar cell are eliminated. Other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description. In one example of the invention, the electrical interconnects between solar cells are produced by using electrically conductive members such as copper strips (50 mil wide by 3 mil thick) which are attached to each of the metal electrodes on the solar cell using a conductive silver-silicone paste, which can be applied and cured at room temperature. In a second example, the electrical interconnects are produced using the copper strips which are soldered to each solar cell using a conductive Pbxe2x80x94Sn no-clean surface mount solder cream, which requires no additional flux, applied between the copper strips and the metal electrodes on the solar cells before soldering. Tests have established that with solar cell interconnects made by this invention there was no degradation of the interconnects under high current testing, the contact resistance value was very low, and that breakage of the thin solar cells was eliminated.

The invention relates to a container for gastight packing according to the preamble of claim 1. Hitherto the gastight packing of e.g. carbon dioxide-containing beverages has either taken place in glass containers or in deep-drawn, cylindrical sheet metal containers. These containers have the advantage that they maybe exposed to temperatures of 130.degree. to 140.degree. C. necessary for sterilizing the container content. However, the transportation thereof from manufacturer to filler requires a relatively large transportation volume, because they are not stackable. Tests carried out with plastic containers, e.g. of polyester, which can also be exposed to elevated temperatures without deformation have shown that the gastightness thereof is not adequate to maintain an elevated internal gas pressure for a long period, such as is required for filling with e.g. carbon dioxide-containing beverages. In addition, known used gastight containers overburden refuse disposal systems. The problem of the present invention is to find a container of the aforementioned type, which is substantially formed from material which can be burnt without leaving any residue and which, whilst having adequate mechanical strength, particularly against permanent deformation, e.g. due to transportation stresses, has an adequate gastightness and also permits a thermal sterilization of its content. In addition, the container must be stackable prior to filling.

Electromagnetic interference shielding of parts and/or entire assemblies such as computer housings has been primarily obtained by spray coating the surface of such parts or assembly with a metal based coating such as zinc or nickel. These coatings are generally applied after forming or molding of the part or housing. Such spray coating techniques, as well as the compositions per se, do not always provide a continuous unbroken coating. Breaks in the coating result in a break in the continuity of the conductive layer and thus result in poor performance allowing electromagnetic interference to penetrate the housing. Thus, it would be advantageous to have an electromagnetic interference shielding which has a continuity of the conductive layer each time it is employed. Further, since the coatings are somewhat brittle they must be applied after shaping or molding or else incontinuity will result at the bends, corners and other forming stress points. It would be advantageous to be able to apply an electromagnetic interference shielding prior to forming which has the characteristic to be formed, or can be generated on the surface after forming without employing coating techniques. These and other advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following description and claims.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a field emission type flat display apparatus and in particular to a flat display apparatus in which a plurality of small pointed cathodes are used as electron emission sources. 2. Description of the Prior Art The use of a flat display apparatus which will be used in lieu of the currently and mainly used CRT for television receivers has been studied. The different types of flat display apparatus include a liquid crystal display (LCD), an electroluminescence display (ELD) and a plasma display panel (PDP). The field emission type of display has attracted attention in view of brightness. The field emission type display apparatus will be briefly described herein. Conical cathodes of molybdenum having a diameter not larger than 1.0 .mu.m are formed as electron emission sources on a substrate by the semiconductor manufacturing process. A flat gate electrode having apertures for each of the cathodes is formed on the side where the pointed ends of the cathodes are located. The gate electrode is separated from the pointed ends of the cathodes. A high voltage is selectively applied across the gate electrode and the cathodes. An electrostatic field is thus induced to extract electrons from the cathodes. A given picture is displayed on a screen by irradiating with electron beams a light emitting layer (luminescence layer) disposed on the reverse side of an anode. Such a field emission type display apparatus is described in, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,665,241 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 1-294336. FIG. 1 is a sectional view showing an example of a prior art field emission type display apparatus. A plurality of pointed cathodes 2 are formed on a substrate 1. A gate electrode 4 is formed on an insulating film 3 formed on the substrate 1. Electrons are liberated and extracted from the cathodes by a voltage applied across the gate electrode 4 and the cathodes 2. The gate electrode 4 has an aperture 4a above each of the cathodes 2. Electron beams from the cathodes 2 pass through the apertures 4a and collide with a flat anode 5 facing to the substrate 1 and to which a high voltage is applied. The electrons reach a light emitting layer 6 or the reverse side of the anode 5 so that the layer 6 emits light. The dimensions of the display apparatus are as follows. The diameter of the gate is about 1 .mu.m. The curvature radius of the pointed ends of the cathodes is 50 .mu.m. Molybdenum or tungsten is used as a material for these components. The spacing between the cathodes and the anode is 200 .mu.m. A voltage of 300 volts is applied thereacross. The drive voltage of the gate is 40 volts. In such a field emission type display apparatus, the beams of electrons emitted from the pointed cathodes tend to scatter. The intensity of the light emitted from the light emitting layer 6 is not enough. The causes of scattering of the electron beams will be described with reference to FIG. 2, which is an enlarged FIG. 1. FIG. 2 shows the distribution of the potential between the substrate and the anode. When a desired voltage is applied to the gate 4, the equipotential surfaces E are curved toward the anode. This is referred to as an electrostatic field lens. The electrons e.sup.- are subjected to forces in a direction normal to the equipotential surfaces E. Therefore, the electrons are scattered. The electrons which have been scattered in such a manner are incident upon an anode 5 and reach at a light emitting layer 6 oh on the reverse side of the anode 5. Therefore, the intensity of the light emitted from the layer 6 is lowered.

Ankle sprains occur in France at the rate of 6000 cases per day. Of these, 20 to 25% are sprains of the midfoot, which most often go unnoticed since this pathology is little known or not at all, and no specific treatment exists for the moment. Among the current treatments proposed in the case where there is a diagnosis of sprain of the midfoot, one can mention the Barouk shoe, or the strapping bandage in the form of metatarsal collars, or indeed the plaster boot, all of which support the joint of the midfoot, but without holding it firmly between the forefoot and the rearfoot. Because of this, the resumption of walking is delayed. Elimination of the pain can be achieved only with the plaster boot, and walking can be achieved without aid. In addition, the use of the plaster boot necessitates a treatment to prevent platelet aggregation up to the return to full walking, and can induce secondary trophic difficulties. The application of elastic bandages (strapping or taping according to the elasticity of the straps) calls for a suitable technique and therefore appropriate training, in order to avoid a garotting effect accompanied by oedema and painful compression points that appear with the sprain. The* other drawbacks of elastic bandages, and especially strapping, are a possible cutaneous intolerance, the obligation to change the bandage or strapping about every three days, and above all the fact that this change has to be effected by specialist staff. Sprains of the midfoot are one of the most frequent occurrences, and at present there is no orthosis suitable for its treatment. The midfoot is a transition zone between the forefoot or ball, which has a horizontal structure, and the rearfoot, which has a vertical structure. The midfoot has a frontal and unstable structure, since it is multi-articular, and is supported by a multiplicity of ligaments that are subjected to regular stresses (at every step) of some consequence (the full weight of the body). There are several reasons that render particularly difficult the implementation of an orthosis for the midfoot that is effective and easy to use: the anatomic constitution of the midfoot, which includes the innominate joint, the Chopart mediotarsal joint and the Lisfranc tarsometatarsal joint; the clinical approach access to the midfoot, rendered difficult by its particular architecture, its mechanical complexity, and the magnitude and impact of the stresses on it.

Staphylococci are gram-positive bacteria which normally inhabit and colonize the skin and mucus membranes of humans. If the skin or mucus membrane becomes damaged during surgery or other trauma, the staphylococci may gain access to internal tissues causing infection to develop. If the staphylococci proliferate locally or enter the lymphatic or blood system, serious infectious complications such as those associated with staphylococcal bacteremia may result. Complications associated with staphylococcal bacteremia include septic shock, endocarditis, arthritis, osteomyelitis, pneumonia, and abscesses in various organs. Staphylococci include both coagulase positive organisms that produce a free coagulase and coagulase negative organisms that do not produce this free coagulase. Staphylococcus aureus is the most common coagulase-positive form of staphylococci. S. aureus generally causes infection at a local site, either extravascular or intravascular, which ultimately may result in bacteremia. S. aureus is also a leading cause of acute osteomyelitis and causes a small number of staphylococcal pneumonia infections. Additionally, S. aureus is responsible for approximately 1–9% of the cases of bacterial meningitis and 10–15% of brain abscesses. There are at least twenty-one known species of coagulase-negative staphylococci, including S. epidermidis, S. saprophyticus, S. hominis, S. warneri, S. haemolyticus, S. saprophiticus, S. cohnii, S. xylosus, S. simulans, and S. capitis. S. epidermidis is the most frequent infection-causing agent associated with intravenous access devices and the most frequent isolate in primary nosocomial bacteremias. S. epidermidis is also associated with prosthetic valve endocarditis. Staphylococcus is also a common source of bacterial infection in animals. For instance, staphylococcal mastitis is a common problem in ruminants including cattle, sheep, and goats. The disease is generally treated with antibiotics to reduce the infection but the treatment is a costly procedure and still results in a loss of milk production. The most effective vaccines identified to date are live, intact S. aureus vaccines administered subcutaneously. The administration of live vaccines, however, is associated with the risk of infection. For that reason, many researchers have attempted to produce killed S. aureus vaccines and/or to isolate capsular polysaccharides or cell wall components which will induce immunity to S. aureus. None of these attempts, however, has been successful. S. aureus includes a cell wall component composed of a peptidoglycan complex which enables the organism to survive under unfavorable osmotic conditions and also includes a unique teichoic acid linked to the peptidoglycan. External to the cell wall a thin polysaccharide capsule coats most isolates of S. aureus. This serologically distinct capsule can be used to serotype various isolates of S. aureus. Many of the clinically significant isolates have been shown to include two capsular types, CP5 and CP8. Type CP5 has the following chemical structure:→4)-β-D-ManpNAcA3Ac-(1→4)-α-L-FucpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-FucpNAc-(1→ Type CP8 has the following chemical structure:→3)-β-D-ManpNAcA4Ac-(1→3)-α-L-FucpNAc-(1→3)-β-D-FucpNAc-(1→ Studies on over 1600 S. aureus isolates showed that 93% were of either type 5 or type 8 capsular polysaccharides. Additionally, more than 80% of the S. aureus isolated from sheep, goats, and cows with mastitis and chickens with osteomyelitis have been demonstrated to include at least one of these two capsular types. Although CP5 and CP8 are structurally similar, they have been demonstrated to be immunologically distinct.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention is broadly concerned with a panel attachment system. More particularly, the present invention is concerned with a panel attachment system which produces a finished surface on a roof, wall, or other surface having an overall smooth, planar configuration in which adjacent planar panels are attached to secondary support members which form a recessed joint incorporating a concealed drainage channel. 2. Description of the Prior Art Prior art panel attachment systems for vertical, sloped or horizontal surfaces employ standing seams secured against moisture penetration by battens or soldered interlocking seams. Both methods produce an upstanding seam which extends outwardly from the surfaces of the panels and thus, the overall finished appearance of surfaces incorporating such seams is not smooth and flat. The upstanding seams are secured by crimping, interlocking, or soldering to prevent penetration of moisture to the back sides of the panels and the underlying roof or wall surface. These attachment points are rigidly fixed, and consequently thermal expansion and contraction stresses accumulate around these points, causing wear. Moreover, the strength of such panel systems is often dependent upon the secondary clips or fasteners. Previous interlocking “flat” seams depend on a gasket or sealant as a barrier to moisture infiltration. Such seams are subject to deterioration caused by exposure to temperature extremes and ultraviolet radiation, in addition to wear caused by thermally induced movement of panels. Additionally, installation of panels using previous attachment systems requires fastening the panels into fixed positions with exposed fasteners or clips, interlocking the seams by aligning and engaging battens over the clips, or by crimping or secondary machine seaming. Skilled labor and specialized crimping and seaming machinery are required for such installation. Furthermore, single panels damaged during installation or thereafter cannot easily be removed without affecting adjacent panels. Other panel attachment systems known in the art require precise alignment of roofing panels with small mounting elements thereby requiring the expense of time and effort in aligning the panels. Additionally, contraction and expansion of roofing panels further complicates the process of aligning roofing panels with small mounting elements, as the location of the mounting elements varies as metal contracts and expands. Accordingly, there is a need for an improved panel attachment system that overcomes the limitations of the prior art. More particularly, there is a need for a system that is quick and easy to install without requiring precise alignment of roofing panels or exposing a drainage system or mounting elements.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a wireless communication apparatus, a wireless communication method, and a computer-readable storage medium. 2. Description of the Related Art Conventionally, there is known a technique of automatically reconnecting a wireless network when connection of the wireless network is broken. For example, Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-065208 discloses an apparatus that reconnects a wireless network when its connection is broken. However, in a wireless communication apparatus disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 2012-065208, after disconnection of wireless communication performed between the wireless communication apparatus and an access point (first communication), if address information such as an IP address, a subnet mask address, or a default gateway address of the wireless communication apparatus provided by the access point is changed, communication between the wireless communication apparatus and another communication apparatus via a network (second communication) becomes unable to resume. To explain this more specifically, the access point continues to transmit a wireless signal referred to as “beacon” with a constant interval so as to inform the presence of the access point itself to the wireless communication apparatus. The beacon includes a 32-byte SSID (Service Set Identifier) for indentifying a wireless network. Conventionally, connection is made with an SSID and an identification/encryption method which are the same as those before the disconnection. Although no problem occurs as far as the address information provided by the access point is not changed, for example, when the access point changes the IP address allocated to the wireless communication apparatus, the second communication cannot be performed unless the IP address of the wireless communication apparatus to be reconnected is also changed. As for the OSI (Open Systems Interconnection) reference model, although reconnection is established on the layer 2 level, which is from a physical layer to a data link layer, reconnection is not established on the layer 3 level or higher, which is a network layer or higher. Therefore, a process during communication cannot be performed. To avoid this problem, a user needs to change and initialize the setting of the wireless communication apparatus and to change and initialize the setting of layers at the layer 3 level or higher; however, this processing is difficult for users who do not have any expertise in this technique. Therefore, there is a need to provide a wireless communication apparatus, a wireless communication method, and a program in which, even if connection information of a network layer is changed after reconnection of communication between an access point to the wireless communication apparatus via wireless communication, the connection information of the network layer is automatically acquired, and thus communication to a communication counterpart can be made.

Compounds comprising the element boron have many applications, in various fields. These compounds are used, for example, in the electronics industry, in the glass industry, in detergents, in enamels and ceramic glazes, in agriculture, in the iron and steel industry, in metallurgy, in cements and concretes, in paints, in nuclear power stations, and in the pharmaceutical field. These compounds can also be used for coating combustion chambers, turbine blades, tools, etc. More particularly, some of these compounds are used for giving materials other properties, such as optical and electrical properties. For example, boron (a column III element) is widely used in the semiconductor industry where it serves as a dopant, especially in silicon or in transparent conducting oxides (TCOs) such as zinc oxide (ZnO). The most commonly used techniques for applying a layer of boron and/or doping materials with boron are the CVD and PVD deposition techniques. It is known to use, via the CVD technique, diborane (B2H6), trimethylborane (B(CH3)3 or TMB), triethylborane (B(C2H5)3 or TEB) or boron trifluoride (BF3) as precursors of the element boron to “p-type” dope thin films of silicon in order to produce, for example, solar cells. Reference can also be made to documents U.S. Pat. No. 6,100,202 and U.S. Pat. No. 5,646,075 which mention the use of trimethylborate or triisopropylborate. It is also known, via the CVD technique, how to dope transparent conducting oxides, such as zinc oxide, with boron by using diborane as a boron precursor. This doping allows these oxides to become conducting while retaining their transparency. TCOs are widely used materials since numerous applications seek the combination of optical transparency and electrical conductivity. Mention may in particular be made, as applications, of flat screens, de-icing windows, heat-reflective windows, electrochromic mirrors and windows, touch screens, electromagnetic shielding, electrostatic charge dissipation and solar cells. Furthermore, it has been proposed to use boron tri-isopropoxide (B(OiPr)3) as an agent for doping zinc oxide via the sol-gel technique. However, these compounds have the major disadvantage of being dangerous to handle. For example, diborane and trimethylborane are highly flammable and very toxic. Specifically, a dose of 30 to 90 mg/m3 of diborane is lethal after 4 hours of exposure to this product. As regards trimethylborane, it is a pyrophoric gas. Furthermore, the cost of these compounds is very high. A person skilled in the art seeks to use compounds that are less dangerous to handle while minimizing the costs, in order to increase the competitiveness of the end product. Therefore, there remains the need to propose novel CVD and PVD deposition processes for which the costs are reduced, while optimizing safety during product handling.

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to systems for detecting the condition of sharp focus when an image-forming optical system is focused for differing object positions, and, more particcularly, to a sharp focus detecting system of the type in which a real image formed by the image-forming optical system, or an image equivalent thereto is scanned by an ever-oscillating photoconductive cell to measure the degree of sharpness of the image. 2. Description of the Prior Art For detection of the condition of sharp focus when an image-forming optical system is focused for differing object positions by utilizing nonlinear light response characteristics (called photoelectric effect) of the kind which is unique in the case of photoconductive materials such as cadmium sulfide and cadmium selenide, there is known an arrangement in which a photoconductive element having a light sensitive image receiving surface positioned in a plane at which a real image of an object is formed in sharp focus by the image-forming optical system cooperates with a scanning device such as oscillatory motion imparting device to scan the real image across the image plane. In this manner, the degree of sharpness of the image can be measured with high accuracy. Various methods of, and apparatus for detecting the condition of sharp focus for an image-forming optical system based on the principle of this arrangement have been proposed, and some of them have already put into practice, as disclosed, for example, in Japanese patent publication No. 40-4788 assigned to the assignee of the present invention, U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,155 granted to Yamada, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,720,151 granted to Katsuyama. Japanese patent publication No. 40-4788 provides a method of detecting whether or not an image-forming optical system is in sharpest focus for a given object comprising projecting a real image of the object through the image-forming optical system onto the light sensitive surface of a photoconductive element, oscillating the photoconductive element as passing through a critical focal plane to vary the length of the projection path between the optical system and the photoconductive element. In this manner, pulsating current is introduced into the fundamental output of the photoconductive element, and sensing the direct-current component of the resultant output of the photoconductive element. U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,155 concerns an automatic focusing apparatus for use in an optical instrument such as a camera employing a sharp focus detecting method which comprises forming a real image of an object with projection light passing through an optical system on a light sensitive surface of a cadmium sulfide element positioned at a plane conjugate to the focal plane of the camera and fixedly mounted on a pivotal support plate, imparting periodic pivoting movement to the support plate to oscillate the CdS element at a frequency of several tens of cycles along the optical axis, and sensing a pulse produced each time the CdS element surface passes through the plane of focus to control operation of a servo motor. The optical system is therefore automatically focused to the object. U.S. Pat. No 3,720,151 concerns a modification of the automatic focusing apparatus disclosing in the above-identified U.S. Pat. No. 3,511,155. In this arrangement the CdS element is fixedly secured in position being conjugate to the focal plane, an optical path length varying lens assembly comprising concave and convex lenses in employed as arranged in front of the CdS element. With this arrangement, the image plane is caused to oscillate with respect to the CdS element by imparting symmetrical oscillation of predetermined period into the concave and convex lenses along the optical axis thereof. The apparatus employing such methods are characterized by an interpolation between two bracketing conditions of focus which is effected by imparting periodic variation to the spatial relationship between the photoelectric element capable of sensing the degree of sharpness of an image and the focal plane at which a real image of an object is formed by an image-forming optical system. Such apparatus has not only an advantage of realizing condition of optimum focus condition with a relative high degree of dependability even from the theoretical point of view, but also an advantage of facilitating the measurement of the degree of focus of an image in association with the direction in which an adjustment must be made to bring the image into focus. In application to optical instruments such as photographic cameras at the automatic sharp focus detecting apparatus or automatic focusing apparatus thereof, however, various problems are encountered wherein the apparatus is incompatible with relatively simple camera structures. Such apparatus also takes up a large amount of space, and is not readily adapted to relatively low unit cost production. On the other hand, at present, in the case of high performance single lens reflex cameras, state-of-the-art systematization is proficing an ever-increasing number of attachment which serve as the exchangeable components of the camera. By suitable selection of these units for association with the camera, it is made possible to impart desired capabilities to the camera. With respect to such optical instruments having available a number of exchangeable components, it is preferable to provide sharp focus detecting apparatus of the type described, or automatic focusing apparatus having an identical function thereto in the form of an exchangeable component constituting one of these component to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks.

The invention relates to a pressure-regulated friction clutch, particularly to be used in automated shift transmissions of motor vehicles. Friction clutches are normally used in vehicles, predominantly in passenger cars. In this case, the friction clutch is used for the transmission of a torque produced by an input shaft—the engine shaft—to the output shaft, which establishes the connection with a connected shift transmission. Shifting operations are required for this purpose which ensure an optimized torque transmission. The shifting operations are usually carried out manually by the driver. However, current tendencies which demand a higher shifting comfort, increase the demand for automated shifting operations. Mechanical clutches in vehicle transmissions are generally known which, by means of a prestressing force, permit a transmission of a torque and, by way of a disengaging lever or central disengaging device, eliminate the prestressing force for the purpose of shifting the clutch. In this case, the prestressing force usually applied by cup springs is manually or automatically taken out by an opposite force of a disengaging system so that no torque is transmitted anymore, and the transmission can be shifted. Such a friction clutch of the above-mentioned type is known from German Patent document DE 197 46 538 A1. The solution indicated there relates to a hydraulically actuated disengaging system for a vehicle friction clutch consisting of a cylinder-piston unit, in which an annular piston is displaceably guided to which a clutch release bearing is fastened on the end side which, acted upon by force by means of a pressure spring, is supported on the friction clutch. It is a disadvantage of this solution that, for eliminating the torque transmission, a force must be applied which exceeds the prestressing force, and requires that the disengaging system have correspondingly large dimensions. Furthermore, this spring-accumulator unit, usually because of the spring, has a tapering characteristic force/path curve which is not very suitable for the installation in an automated shift transmission. From U.S. Patent document U.S. Pat. No. 4,418,807, a pressure-regulated friction clutch of the above-mentioned type is known. Here, the torque is transmitted from the input shaft to the output shaft in that a permanent admission of pressure medium takes place to a cylinder-piston unit integrated in the friction clutch. This solution therefore teaches away from the above-discussed spring-accumulator principle. Since, for operating the clutch, several rocker arms swivellably arranged within the friction clutch are to be provided, this solution requires fairly high construction expenditures and therefore correspondingly high mounting expenditures. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a friction clutch which, on the one hand, permits smaller installation dimensions and, on the other hand, permits a direct coupling with a linear characteristic force/path curve for the preferred use in an automated shift transmission. This object is achieved by means of a pressure-regulated friction clutch particularly for motor vehicles, which comprises a pressure-medium operable cylinder-piston unit, in order to establish a force-locking connection between an output shaft having a driven disc stationarily arranged thereon and an input shaft having a driving disc stationarily arranged thereon, for the transmission of a torque of the input shaft as a result of a permanent admission of pressure medium to the cylinder-piston unit. Advantageous further developments of the invention are described and claimed herein. The invention includes the technical teaching that the friction clutch comprises a pressure-medium-operable cylinder-piston unit which permits a force-locking connection of an output shaft with a driven disc stationarily arranged thereon and an input shaft with a driving disc stationarily arranged thereon for the transmission of a torque of the input shaft as a result of a permanent admission of pressure medium to the cylinder piston unit. This solution has the advantage that the transmission of the torque takes place only when the cylinder-piston unit is acted upon. As a result, bracing springs and the like will not be necessary so that a compact cylinder-piston unit is created. The dimensions of the friction clutch are correspondingly reduced. Furthermore, because of the admission of the pressure medium, the cylinder-piston unit has a linear characteristic force/path curve, whereby the friction clutch is particularly suitable for an automated shift transmission. For the transmission of the torque of the input shaft by way of a driving disc, devices are required on the output shaft which correspond with the driving disc. These corresponding devices are constructed in the form of a driven disc. The driven disc is stationarily arranged on the output shaft and takes along the torque of the input shaft; that is, the torque is taken up and transmitted to the output shaft. The driven disc has virtually the same advantages as the driving disc. The driving disc and/or the driven disc are advantageously constructed in a disc-type manner. However, similar shapes, such as plates, rings and the like, are also contemplated. It is a special advantage that the cylinder-piston unit is arranged concentrically around the output shaft in order to generate a symmetrical load. A measure improving the invention provides that the friction clutch also has devices which are movably arranged between the cylinder-piston unit and the driven disc on the output shaft in order to implement a connection of the driving shaft with the output shaft. In this manner, the piston movement of the cylinder-piston unit can be transmitted by way of a component to the driven disc. By means of this component, the piston movement can be optimally adapted to the requirements. For example, a length compensation or an adapted force engagement point can be implemented in a simple manner. The devices have to be disposed corresponding to the required movement. For this purpose, a clamping washer is preferably provided, which can be axially displaced on the output shaft. In this manner, the axial movement of the piston can be transmitted by way of a small-sized component which is easy to produce. Advantageously, the clamping washer is connected with the piston of the cylinder-piston unit by way of separate connecting devices. By means of this direct connection of the clamping washer and the piston, the axial movement of the piston can be transmitted to the clamping washer without affecting a rotational movement of the clamping washer about the output shaft. The clamping washer is preferably connected by way of a form-locking connection in an axially displaceable and co-rotatable manner with the input shaft in order to follow the rotating movement of the input shaft. As a result of the fact that the clamping washer is permanently connected with the input shaft in a co-rotatable manner, the running-up—the adapting of the rotational movement of the clamping washer from the rest position to the desired rotational movement of the input shaft—is eliminated. It is advantageous that the clamping washer is rotatably disposed on the piston by means of a bearing. In this case, the bearing is constructed such that it permits the rotational movement and also the axial displacement of the clamping washer. In order to separate the connection between the input shaft and the output shaft, it is advantageous for the friction clutch to have a disengaging element, which may be constructed in the manner of a spring. However, a disengaging element is not absolutely necessary because the clutch is self-disconnecting. It is also contemplated to construct the disengaging element as an elastic element arranged in a sandwich-type manner between the clamping washer and the driven disc. By means of this arrangement, a disengaging element which is easy to produce and has small dimensions can be housed in the clutch in a space-saving manner. In the same manner, an advantage is achieved in that the disengaging element is constructed without any preloading. As a result of the arrangement of the disengaging element, the latter is mounted without any prestressing or any other preload. The disengaging element is tensioned by the movement of the clamping washer in the direction of the input shaft. As a result of the fact that the disengaging element has a leverless construction, more space can be saved in comparison to known disengaging systems. The entire clutch can be produced in a more compact and more space-saving manner. The cylinder-piston unit can be constructed as a hydraulically or pneumatically operable cylinder-piston unit. Additional measures improving the invention are described and claimed herein, or will be explained in detail in the following together with the description of a preferred embodiment of the invention by means of a single FIGURE.

1. Field of the Invention The invention relates to mask programmable integrated circuits (ICs). More particularly, the invention relates to mask programmable ICs manufactured to emulate Field Programmable Gate Arrays (FPGAs). 2. Description of the Background Art An FPGA is a user-programmable device that can be programmed in the field and then reprogrammed with the same or a different bitstream, to perform the same or a different function. An FPGA therefore must be capable of producing a large variety of logical behaviors. This flexibility has its price in terms of silicon area, i.e., an FPGA performing any of several functions typically has a higher monetary cost than a device that is capable of performing only a single function. Therefore, when a system including an FPGA reaches the point where it is considered unlikely to change, a manufacturer sometimes removes the FPGA from the system, and replaces the FPGA with a pin-, timing- and function-compatible replacement that can only perform the single function necessary in the system. Buch et al describe such a device in U.S. Pat. No. 5,550,839, xe2x80x9cMask-Programmed Integrated Circuits Having Timing and Logic Compatibility to User-Configured Logic Arraysxe2x80x9d, which is incorporated herein by reference and title to which is held by the assignee hereof. One such pin-, timing- and function-compatible replacement for an FPGA is the HardWire(trademark) device from Xilinx, Inc., described in the xe2x80x9cHardwire Data Bookxe2x80x9d (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cthe Hardwire Data Bookxe2x80x9d), published 1994, available from Xilinx, Inc., 2100 Logic Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95124, which is incorporated herein by reference. (Xilinx, Inc., owner of the copyright, has no objection to copying these and other pages referenced herein but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.) The term xe2x80x9cHardWire devicexe2x80x9d is used herein to describe a mask programmable IC capable of performing the same logical functions as a programmable IC that is not mask programmable, such as an FPGA or a PLD. The term xe2x80x9cmask programmable ICxe2x80x9d is used herein to describe an IC having many processing layers, the first several layers being common to all versions of the IC, and some or all of the remaining layers (typically including some or all of metal layers, via layers, and contact layers) being specific to a given IC manufactured for a specific purpose. Thus, the upper layers of the device are used to xe2x80x9cprogramxe2x80x9d the device to this specific purpose. A xe2x80x9cprogrammed HardWire devicexe2x80x9d is a HardWire device that has been processed to add the programmable mask layers. Ideally, a HardWire device can emulate the FPGA it replaces in all system functionality, such that the replacement is transparent to the system. Therefore, the HardWire device should not only perform the same functions that were previously performed by the configured FPGA, but should also emulate the FPGA during the configuration process. An exception to this rule is when the FPGA configuration process did not involve other parts of the system (e.g., configuration was under the control of the FPGA), in which case configuration can sometimes be skipped without affecting system functionality. Another exception is when the system is altered at the time of the FPGA/Hardwire replacement so that configuration is no longer performed. A method used by Xilinx, Inc. to produce one type of HardWire device comprises virtually duplicating the architecture of the FPGA to be replaced, but replacing the software programmable configuration memory cells with mask programmable connections. The removal of the configuration memory cells significantly reduces the required silicon area, and therefore reduces the cost of the devices. Making the devices mask programmable allows much of the design and processing to be done only once for each FPGA product, e.g., once for the XC4003 device, once for the XC4005 device, once for the XC5202 device, etc. Top-level processing layers specific to the user""s design are then added to customize the behavior of the HardWire device to match the functional behavior of the emulated FPGA as configured in the user""s system. (The term xe2x80x9cemulated FPGAxe2x80x9d is used herein to mean the FPGA being replaced by the HardWire device.) When this method is used, the configuration behavior of the FPGA is emulated, as well as the behavior after configuration. Since the FPGA architecture is virtually duplicated in this type of HardWire device, both the FPGA configurable logic block (CLB) making up the core logic array and the FPGA input/output block (IOB) must be redesigned for the HardWire device. (The term xe2x80x9cIOBxe2x80x9d as used herein refers to the FPGA I/O block and does not apply to the I/O cell of the HardWire device. The I/O cell of the HardWire device may be an input cell, an output cell, or a bidirectional input/output cell.) Although this approach leads to a HardWire device that closely resembles the emulated FPGA in timing and input/output (I/O) characteristics, the redesign procedure must be individually performed for each FPGA product family, since the architecture differs in each family. (The term xe2x80x9cI/O characteristicsxe2x80x9d is used herein to mean AC and DC characteristics associated with the I/O. AC characteristics include rise and fall times and delays on both inputs and outputs. An example of DC characteristics is provided for the Xilinx XC4000E family of FPGAs on page 4-80 of the Xilinx 1996 Data Book entitled xe2x80x9cThe Programmable Logic Data Bookxe2x80x9d (hereinafter referred to as xe2x80x9cthe Xilinx 1996 Data Bookxe2x80x9d), published Sep. 1996, available from Xilinx, Inc., 2100 Logic Drive, San Jose, Calif. 95124, which page is incorporated herein by reference.) As a result of the extensive redesign required for both Configurable Logic Blocks (CLBs) and I/O Blocks (IOBs) of multiple FPGA product families, the redesign process (i.e., the design of HardWire replacements) incurs a high development cost. Additionally, a different HardWire product is required for each FPGA family as well as for devices of varying sizes, leading to a large number of products. These products must be separately manufactured, stored, sold, and supported by conversion software. (The term xe2x80x9cconversion softwarexe2x80x9d, is used herein to mean software that converts a user""s description of an FPGA design, such as a netlist, to a description that can be used to prepare masks for a mask programmed HardWire device.) A second approach to manufacturing mask programmed replacement devices eliminates this undesirable overhead, but introduces other drawbacks. According to this method, a commercially available gate array is used to replace the FPGA, rather than designing a new mask programmable device. (The word xe2x80x9cgate arrayxe2x80x9d is used herein to mean a mask programmable IC comprising a core array of programmably interconnected transistors or gates and a set of input/output (I/O) cells. A gate array differs from an FPGA not only in being mask programmable, but also in the granularity of the core array, the basic repetitive element of the gate array core being a transistor, a gate, or a set of programmably interconnected transistors or gates rather than comprising larger blocks which may include lookup tables or flip-flops as in FPGAs. Some gate arrays also have RAM blocks or other specialized blocks in the core in addition to the basic repetitive element.) This approach has the advantages of being low in cost, due to the elimination of the redesign process, and providing ready conversion, since the company that originally designs the gate array also typically provides software to implement a user""s design in the gate array. However, a disadvantage of this method is that the I/O characteristics of the gate array are usually different from those of the FPGA, often sufficiently different to cause problems when the FPGA is removed from the system and the gate array is substituted. Special features of the FPGA I/O (such as a low slew-rate option, optional delay on the input, etc.) are typically lost in the conversion as well. An additional problem is that the gate array is incapable of emulating the configuration behavior of the FPGA unless the configuration logic is duplicated in the logic gates of the core, which results in fewer core logic gates available for the converted design. A circuit and method for maintaining the configuration process in such a HardWire device are described by Glenn A. Baxter in U.S. Pat. No. 5,870,586, entitled xe2x80x9cConfiguration Emulation of a Programmable Logic Devicexe2x80x9d, which is incorporated herein by reference. Similarly, boundary scan is also unavailable in gate arrays unless implemented in core logic gates. Implementing boundary scan in core logic gates uses about 72 gates per boundary scan cell, a very high cost in silicon area. Therefore, it is desirable to have a programmable IC capable of emulating an FPGA, while closely matching the I/O characteristics, special features, configuration behavior, and boundary scan capability of the emulated FPGA. It is further desirable to have a single programmable IC capable of emulating any of a multiplicity of FPGAs. According to a first aspect of the invention, a hybrid HardWire device is provided that comprises a gate array core and a set of mask programmable I/O cells having I/O characteristics similar to those of the FPGA, i.e., sufficiently the same so the HardWire device can be used as a drop-in replacement for the FPGA with no redesign of the original system. A user""s design originally implemented in an FPGA can be emulated in the HardWire device, which then replaces the FPGA in the same board at a lower cost. In another embodiment, the I/O cells are programmable such that they can emulate the I/O characteristics of FPGAs from any of two or more FPGA families. The I/O cells may be mask programmable or programmable by other means such as configurable memory cells or fuses. This ability reduces the number of separate devices that must be designed, manufactured, tested, stored, and sold, and also simplifies the software required to convert designs to the new device. According to a second aspect of the invention, a mask programmable IC is provided that includes dedicated boundary scan logic in the I/O cells. Valuable core logic resources therefore need not be consumed to implement boundary scan logic. In one embodiment, one boundary scan cell is provided per I/O cell. In another embodiment, two boundary scan cells (blocks of logic) are provided for each I/O pad, each cell alone being capable of providing the boundary scan functions associated with one FPGA I/O pad. This embodiment provides great flexibility in emulating any of several FPGAs in any of several packages. By selectively choosing which of the boundary scan cells are included in the boundary scan data chain, the order of the boundary scan chain of the emulated FPGA in any of two or more packages can be reproduced. Boundary scan behavior is therefore emulated as well as the programmed logic behavior of the FPGA. In another embodiment, more than two boundary scan cells are provided per I/O cell. In one embodiment, additional programmable interconnect lines accessing each boundary scan cell are provided. These interconnect lines can be used to programmably connect the data output of a first cell to the data input of second cell which need not be adjacent to the first. In another embodiment, programmable interconnect lines are provided from the data inputs and outputs of the boundary scan cells to the core logic to provide the possibility of connection through the core or to other logic in the core.

Described herein is an operator control device for actuating functional units of a motor vehicle. The operator control device has at least one operator control element which can be moved by an operator. The operator control device further includes an actuator by which operation of the operator control element can be communicated to the operator. The actuator includes a coil element and an armature which can move relative to the coil element. Also described herein is a method for actuating functional units of a motor vehicle. German Patent Application No. 10 2011 117 120 A relates to an operator control panel for a motor vehicle. The operator control panel has operating areas on which an operator control force can be exerted by a finger of a human hand. A strain gauge is provided in order to determine the operator control force. If operation of an operating area is established, haptic feedback is communicated to an operator by current being applied to a solenoid including a coil and an armature which is arranged therein in a movable manner. Then, the armature strikes an element, the movement of the element being transmitted to the operating area by using a tappet. This is perceived by the finger of the operator as haptic feedback for operation of the operating area. One disadvantage of this can be considered to be that the provision of a strain gauge for detecting the operator control force is complicated, costly and susceptible to faults. Furthermore, German Patent Application No. 102 43 600 A1 describes an electrical switch which can be used in motor vehicles. If operation of the switch by using a switching device is detected, current is applied to a coil winding and an armature which is guided in a linear manner in the coil winding is made to execute an oscillating movement, the armature striking the switch in the event of the oscillating movement. This is perceived by an operator as vibration of the switch. German Patent Application No. 10 2009 042 777 A1 describes an electromagnetic actuator for operating a switch or a valve, for example in order to set a through-flow rate through the valve. Here, the electromagnetic actuator includes a coil and an armature which can be moved by supplying current to the coil and to which a tappet is connected. A measuring apparatus for determining an armature position includes a current sensor and a magnetic field sensor.

Typically, perfluoropolyether lubricants are chemically inert, thermally stable, moisture repellant compositions that possess relatively low surface tension, good lubricity and low volatility. As a result, they are effective and long-lasting lubricants for a variety of substrates such as magnetic media, precision mechanical instruments, and electrical contacts. Because thick coatings on a recording or reading surface of a data hard disk may lead to output losses, lubricant coatings on such substrates are generally applied to the substrate in the form of a dilute solution. After application, the coating is dried to yield a thin, uniform lubricant coating. Various perfluoropolyether lubricants have been described (see, for example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,795 (Caporiccio et at.)) and many are commercially available (e.g., from Montedison S.p.A of Milan, Italy under the "FOMBLIN" tradename and from E. I. DuPont de Nemours & Company under the "KRYTOX" tradename). Many perfluoropolyether lubricants are a mixture of perfluoropolyether molecules of various molecular weights and structures. Some perfluoropolyether lubricants contain perfluoropolyether molecules having end groups that are thought to become fixed to, or immobilized on, the substrate during deposition and use. One particularly preferred solvent commonly used with perfluoropolyether lubricants is 1,1,2-trichloro-1,2,2-trifluoroethane. It is a good perfluoropolyether solvent and relatively volatile, so it can be readily removed from the coating by drying the coating. However, chlorofluorocarbon liquids are no longer favored solvents for such uses because such compounds are believed to deplete ozone in the earth's atmosphere. See, for example, Chem. & Eng. News, Nov. 15, 1993, pages 12-18. Certain perfluorinated alkane liquids have been used instead of chlorofluorocarbon liquids as perfluoropolyether solvents. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,049,410 (Johary et al.) states that "FG-72" from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing (St. Paul, Minn.) is a suitable liquid carrier for perfluorinated lubricants. This FLUORINERT.TM. perfluorinated fluid (more appropriately referred to as "FC-72") and Performance Fluid PF-5060 are acylic perfluorinated alkanes available from Minnesota Mining and Manufacturing. They are good solvents for many perfluoropolyether lubricants; however, it has been determined that they will not dissolve all components of some perfluoropolyether lubricants, particularly lubricants containing perfluoropolyether molecules having hydrogen-containing end groups, e.g., terminal neutral planar groups such as those described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,721,795 (Caporiccio et al. ). The limited solubility of such perfluoropolyether lubricants in acylic, perfluorinated alkanes results in hazy lubricant coating compositions and nonuniform coatings upon application to a substrate. Thus, what is needed are solvents that are useful for a wide variety of perfluoropolyether lubricants, particularly those containing perfluoropolyether molecules having hydrogen-containing end groups, and are more environmentally acceptable.

Computed tomography utilizes x-rays to generate images. These images, in turn, can be utilized in a wide variety of applications such as medical imaging. Computed tomography detectors are typically used to translate the x-rays passed through an imaging object into electronic data that is used to generate images. CT detectors are commonly based on structured x-ray to light conversion scintillators of phosphor materials. Scintillators are utilized to convert x-rays into light photons. These light photons may then be converted into electrical impulses by elements such as photodiodes. In some CT applications, high x-ray absorption is required. These applications often require the use of thick dense scintillator structures. Existing scintillator structures commonly are comprised of diced single crystals or transparent ceramic imaging plates. An important consideration, however, is the prevention or minimization of pixel to pixel contamination of the light produced within each luminescent module of the scintillator structures. In order to minimize this contamination, the scintillator plates have been diced and reflectors have been introduced in an effort to maintain as much of the generated light remaining within an individual pixel as possible. The problems arising from contamination have further grown as CT technology has moved towards the use of smaller and smaller diode arrays. The smaller diode arrays require the use of smaller pixel arrays. Thus the pixel arrays must often be more finely divided and the pixel size must be reduced. Traditional methodologies for scintillator production such as dicing crystals and ceramics can become increasingly expensive as additional cuts and finer definition is required. When pixel size has been over 1 mm in pitch, inner diameter and outer diameter dicing has been successful in separating luminescent ceramics or single crystals into individualized pixels for mating to photodiode arrays. For the reduced size pixel arrays, however, existing attempts have turned to phosphors such as needles of CsI as well as phosphors deposited onto fiber optic face plates. These systems have been used to convey light into finely pitched pixels. These materials, however, are often found to not be adequate or desirable in terms of their luminescent or absorption properties for the more stringent requirements of many CT applications. In computed tomography, the afterglow and gain instability of the CsI will result in artifacts in the resultant CT image set. While the absorption characteristics of phosphors on fiber optics make this technology undesirable as-dose considerations to the patient becomes a concern. To facilitate image reconstruction, the pixels of single crystals or ceramic scintillators are optically separated with a reflector material. The optimal reflector system is one that is very thin so it does not contribute a significant fraction to the overall surface area of the array exposed to x-rays. Often, very thin reflectors (except those comprised of metal) will leak light from neighboring channels. This often leads to image quality degradation. By increasing the reflector thickness to reduce the light leakage or cross talk, the overall efficiency of the array to converting x-rays to light is reduced due to the decreased surface fraction of scintillator. Similar problems are exhibited in existing collimator designs. Current methods often require that individual plates of tungsten be placed at the correct angle to the beam to reduce scatter. As the detector pitch gets smaller, and the CT detectors get larger, the task of properly placing the collimators becomes difficult. It can also result in excessive production and assembly costs. Thus a technology that addressed both the limitations of existing scintillator designs as well as the limitations of collimator designs would be highly beneficial to the use of conversion devices in modern computer tomography systems. It would, therefore, be highly desirable to have a methodology of scintillator construction and production that was suited for small pixel arrays. It would additionally be highly desirable to have a methodology that could further incorporate inexpensive and reliable production techniques. Finally, it would be highly desirable to develop a technology that could advance both collimator and scintillator design and performance.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a frequency response detection apparatus, and more specifically to an apparatus for detecting the frequency response of audio signals. 2. Background Information Apparatuses for detecting frequency response such as the spectrum analyzer, are designed so that the audio band is divided into a plurality of frequency bands, and the signal level is detected for each of the plurality of frequency bands. Such apparatuses are provided with means for dividing the audio signal into a plurality of frequency band signals, means for respectively detecting the frequency band signals, and means for switching and in turn relaying one of the detection output signals. The relayed detection output signal is treated by an A/D (analog-to-digital) conversion process, and then used as a drive input signal of a two-dimensional display means such as an LED (light-emitting diode) display device so that the detected frequency response is displayed as the frequency spectrum. In the case where the frequency response is detected for each of the audio signals of the L (left) and R (right) channels with this type of frequency response detection apparatus, a circuit having the above described construction is provided separately for each of the left and right channels. Therefore, there inevitably is an increase in number of the circuit elements constituting the apparatus, and cost increases have resulted. Hence, it is conceivable to detect the frequency response of each of the audio signals of L and R channels by a time-division process in order to use the circuit commonly for the signals of both channels. In this case, however, it is necessary that the frequency response can be surely detected for each of the channels.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method for etching an electrode material for a capacitor using a ferroelectric film, and more particularly to a method for etching platinum (Pt) film. 2. Description of the Related Art In recent years, ferroelectric non-volatile memory devices, using as a capacitor a ferroelectric thin film with spontaneous polarization, have been extensively developed. Examples of a material for the ferroelectric thin film include oxides such as PZT (PbZr.sub.x Ti.sub.1-x O.sub.3, lead titanate zirconate), PbTiO.sub.3 (lead titanate), BaTiO.sub.3 (barium titanate), and PLZT (Pb.sub.x La.sub.1-x Zr.sub.y Ti.sub.1-y O.sub.3, lanthanum lead titanate zirconate). In a case where a ferroelectric thin film is utilized for a ferroelectric non-volatile memory device, a Pt film is generally used as an electrode material because of its suitability for crystal growth of the ferroelectric film thereon. In the ferroelectric non-volatile memory device, memory cells are highly integrated, which necessitates microprocessing of the Pt film. Conventionally, the Pt film has been processed by wet etching with aqua regia, ion milling with argon, etc. However, the microprocessing as described above is difficult to conduct by wet etching. As for ion milling using an inert gas (e.g., argon), there are problems such as a low rate of etching, contamination of the Pt film caused by re-adhering of etched material to the surface of the Pt film, and a pattern size shift caused by re-adhering of etched material to the side walls of the remaining portions of the Pt film after etching. In order to avoid such re-adhering of etched material, the amount of ions which are vertically incident upon a ferroelectric film is decreased by tapering the side walls of the remaining portions of the ferroelectric film after etching (e.g., see Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 5-109668). In this case, because of the tapered side walls, each line width of memories made of the ferroelectric film cannot be controlled with good precision. As means for overcoming such conventional problems involved in microprocessing, dry etching techniques have been studied (Nishikawa et al., Jpn. J. Appl. Phys. Vol. 32, 6102-6108 (1993); The Japan Society of Applied Physics 30a-ZE-3, Spring Meeting in 1993). Specifically, dry etching techniques for etching a Pt film with chlorine (Cl.sub.2) gas or hydrogen bromide (HBr) gas using a resist have been studied. However, according to such dry etching using a resist, a selection ratio between a resist and Pt is low, so that the resist is also partially etched together with the Pt to be tapered, causing a pattern size shift. The problems involved in the prior art will be described with reference to FIGS. 4A through 4C. In these figures, the reference numeral 21 denotes a silicon substrate, 22 an NSG film, 23 a Ti film, 24 a TiN film, 25 a Pt/Ti film, 26 a Pt film, 27 a PZT film, 28 an etching mask, 29 remaining Pt, 30 side wall deposited films, and 31 a residue. For example, as shown in FIG. 4A, the PZT film 27 is patterned, and then, the Pt film 26 and the Pt/Ti film 25 are dry-etched with Cl.sub.2 gas. In this case, the selection ratio between the resist and Pt is low, so that part of the Pt remains (remaining Pt 29) as shown in FIG. 4B. When etching is further conducted, the remaining Pt 29 works as an etching mask to cause a residue 31 as shown in FIG. 4C. As described above, conventional microprocessing techniques of the Pt film respectively have problems.

Many plastics granulators, especially in the smaller sizes, have bins which collect the granulated product as it discharges from the cutting area. Machine operators slide these bins out and empty their contents as they become full. A problem common to all granulators with bins is that some of the granulate does not end up in the bin. Even though most manufacturers provide baffles to direct this material toward the center of the bin opening, the violent action caused by the cutting process causes a significant amount of granulated particles to miss the bin. As a result, granulate piles up inside the base of the granulator housing as well as on the floor. This is very objectionable from an environmental standpoint to some customers. This also creates waste, since any product which is not kept clean cannot be reprocessed. In addition, the spillage sometimes is so bad that it jams the bin and prevents the operator from removing it. The present invention embodies a bin design which ensures that all granulate is received in the bin and which prevents jamming. A device embodying the invention is a unitary deflector, cut and formed from light gauge steel sheet. The deflector bolts directly to the bottom of the granulator's screen chamber (where the product exits the cutting area) and has two vertical baffles which extend downwardly into the bin. Each of these baffles is positioned about one-fourth inch inside its respective bin side-wall. To enable the bin to slide in and out of the base, two narrow slots are formed in the top corners of the back wall. The deflector also prevents any upward escape by the granulate, because the top is closed off between both vertical baffles. The close spacing between the baffles and the bin walls and the protrusion (over-lap) of the baffle into the bin causes this deflector to be extremely successful in preventing spillage.

(Not Applicable) The present invention generally relates to computer data entry and more particularly to a keyboardless method of computer entry using electric contacts positioned on a user""s fingers and thumbs. A common method for entering information into a computer is via a keyboard, such as a 101-key type keyboard. These keyboards tend to be fairly large and relatively heavy, and thus are typically placed on a support surface, such as a desk or table. The size and weight of typical keyboards, such as those used with a desktop computer, make them poor candidates for use with mobile computing devices, such as personal digital assistants (PDAs) or pocket personal computers (PCs) which can be about the size of a cigarette box yet provide computational resources comparable to those of desktop computers. Such mobile computing devices typically include a miniature keyboard, for example a miniature keyboard that may be worn on the user""s wrist or an image of a keyboard that is displayed on the screen that requires the user to press the keys with a stylus or using an attached device that requires the user to input data using his thumbs. Such data entry is difficult and error prone and does not allow the user to enter data at a sufficient speed. Other devices for data input for mobile devices, such as pocket PCs, include chording devices (such as a keypad that requires the user to press different key combinations to generate the various characters found on a standard keyboard) or the use of microphones in combination with voice recognition software. The former input devices typically do not meet the data input rates desired by the users of mobile computing devices (particularly pocket PCs) or they require the user to learn a chording/coding language particular to the specific design. On the other hand, privacy concerns limit the use of voice recognition devices; for example, input of confidential or sensitive data via voice recognition devices is not feasible in conferences, in meetings, or in crowded or noisy public places, such as bus stops or airports. As keyboard size is shrunk in order to increase portability, so does the speed at which information can be entered into the computing device. Thus, there is a need for a device that allows the user of a mobile computing device to enter information into the mobile computing device at a relatively fast speed without using a full-size or miniaturized keyboard. There are several devices and methods of using such devices that solve the problem of data entry without requiring the use of a traditional full-size or miniaturized keyboard. One method is a folding keyboard. While more compact than a traditional full-size keyboard, particularly in the folded state during transport, a folding keyboard is still relatively large in the unfolded stage and requires approximately the same size support surface as that required for a traditional full-size keyboard. Another device is a keyboard employing a reduced number of full size keys, for example, a one-handed keyboard or half-keyboard, such as the ones disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,288,158 entitled ONE-HANDED KEYBOARD and U.S. Pat. No. 6,102,594 entitled KEYBOARD FOR TOUCH TYPING USING ONLY ONE HAND. These keyboards use one half of a traditional keyboard whereby now a single key represents two characters. A specified key sequence, such as holding down the space bar while xe2x80x9ctypingxe2x80x9d toggles between the two sets of characters. For example, the character xe2x80x9cFxe2x80x9d may be located at the position where the user""s index finger is placed onto the half-keyboard (assuming the hand being used is the left hand). That same position key would represent the character xe2x80x9cJxe2x80x9d (which is normally pressed by the user""s right index finger) when the half-keyboard is toggled. Even though half-keyboards are significantly smaller than traditional keyboards, half-keyboards still require a support surface. U.S. Pat. No. 6,237,846 entitled BODY WEARABLE KEYBOARD solves the problem of requiring a support surface by providing a full size keyboard that has key clusters that can be moved or rotated so that the keyboard can be used in a conventional manner on a support surface or worn on the body. This device resolves the need for a support surface. However, many users may not wish to carry around a keyboard that is relatively heavy and bulky compared to the mobile computing device. Thus, it is desirable to have a device for entering information (e.g., alpha-numeric text) into a computer, for example, a mobile computer, such as a pocket PC, without the use of a keyboard. There are several devices and methods of using such devices that solve the problem of data entry without requiring a keyboard. Many of these devices use finger or hand mounted sensors in order to generate the signals that would normally be generated by pressing a key on the keyboard. Electric contacts may, for example, be attached to gloves or mittens that are worn on a user""s hands. U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 entitled FINGER MOUNTED COMPUTER INPUT DEVICE discloses a glove having pressure sensors which are worn on a user""s fingers. Generally speaking, U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 discloses a device that senses finger positioning with respect to a solid surface, the latter being treated as a standard keyboard. The user uses traditional touch-typing skills on any flat surface. Based on the characteristic finger positions when typing a character on a standard keyboard, the device is able to use the hand mounted sensors to interpret finger position with respect to the solid surface as the same character that the user would have typed if the solid surface were a keyboard. Devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 have the advantage that they are easy to use since they mimic touch-typing skills. However, even though devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 do not require a surface for supporting a keyboard, they do require a surface for the user to type on as if the user were typing on a keyboard. An additional disadvantage of devices such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484 is that they are subject to inadvertent, erroneous input. For example, if a user scratches his nose, the device will detect pressure and will generate spurious characters. Thus, corrections must be made or the device must be turned off if the user makes any non-typing movements with his hands. U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,840 entitled FINGERLESS GLOVE FOR INTERACTING WITH DATA PROCESSING SYSTEM discloses a fingerless glove that is similar to the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484. While this device does overcome some of the disadvantages associated with the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,581,484, such as erroneous input due to user movements, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,840 does require a surface for the user to type on as if the user were typing on a keyboard. Thus, there is a need for a method of entry information into a mobile computing device without a keyboard and without requiring a support surface for entering the information. This need is addressed in the paper The Chording Glove: A Glove-Based Text Input Device by Robert Rosenberg and Mel Slater which discloses a glove having contacts at various positions on a user""s fingers and thumbs. The device is similar to a chording device/keyboard. Instead of pressing a single key, various combinations of contacts are pressed simultaneously in order to generate the signal that would be generated by pressing an individual key on a standard keyboard. The various signals are generated by simultaneously contacting from 2-5 contacts. Although chording gloves like other handheld chording devices overcome the problem of requiring a support surface, use of such systems require substantial training as the user has to essentially learn a new coding language. The paper Thumbcode: A Device-Independent Digital Sign Language by Vaughan R. Pratt discloses a system for entering information into a computing device using contact on the fingers and thumbs. The thumb contact on one of the user""s hands is closed with a contact on one of the fingers. Additionally, the user must either place fingers in contact with each other or space them apart in order to determine the intended character. As with chording, thumbcoding requires a user to essentially learn a new coding language in order to enter data into the computing device. U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374 titled WRIST-PENDENT WIRELESS OPTICAL KEYBOARD discloses a method in which signal input is achieved via finger motion over an optical reflectance matrix generated above the palms of the user""s hands. In principle, this system can be used to achieve data input via touch typing without keyboard. However, generation of the optical matrix and detection of finger position in this matrix is fairly complicated. Furthermore, the system has to be calibrated (possibly in real time) for specific ambient conditions, such as strong ambient illumination or electromagnetic interference. In fact, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374, the use of keypads fixed to the wrist of the user and located below the palms of the user is suggested or considered necessary for certain applications. The lack of tactile feedback (providing confirmation of data input to the user analogous to touch-typing on a keyboard) may result in lower data input rates. Furthermore, the use of an optical reflection matrix, such as the one disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,097,374, to detect signal input by predicting finger position with respect to the optical matrix below the user""s hands does not allow for free finger motion without the risk of data input. Rather, the user has to hold the hands and fingers in a more-or-less stretched out position in order to omit interference with the optical matrix. The devices described above are too large, are user unfriendly in an ergonomic sense, do not allow users to enter information at sufficient speeds, require a support surface, require the user to learn a new coding language, or some combination thereof. Most user""s when confronted with having to learn an entirely new coding language in order to enter information into a computing device will likely opt not to use such a device. Thus, to achieve truly portable computing capabilities (e.g., using a pocket PC with an attached eye-glass display while walking or standing at a bus stop), there is a need for a keyboardless input device that is easy and comfortable to use, that allows for relatively fast data entry speeds, and that does not require significant training time. The device should be simple in its technical design and inexpensive. The present invention provides a data entry device and a method of using the data entry device that allow a user to enter information into a computing device without using a keyboard. The data entry device includes thumb contacts and finger contacts. The thumb contacts are positioned on the user""s thumbs to represent rows of keys on a standard keyboard. A first thumb contact represents a base row of keys, a second thumb contact represents an upper row of keys, and a third thumb contact represents a lower row of keys. The finger contacts are positioned on each of the user""s fingers such that touching one of the finger contacts with the first thumb contact generates a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated if the user used touch typing to press a key in the base row of keys on the standard keyboard using the same finger, touching one of the finger contacts with the second thumb contact generates a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated if the user used touch typing to press a key in the upper row of keys on the standard keyboard using the same finger, and touching one of the finger contacts with the third thumb contact generates a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated if the user used touch typing to press a key in the lower row of keys on the standard keyboard using the same finger. Preferably, the finger contacts are positioned at the user""s fingertips. Preferably, the data entry device includes fourth, fifth and sixth thumb contacts that are used to generate signals that are equivalent to signals generated by additional keys on the standard keyboard since some fingers are used to press multiple keys in the same row and since a fourth thumb contact located on the palm-side of the thumb, representing a fourth row of numeric keys on a traditional keyboard, has not been used here. The signal generated is transmitted to the computing device. Supplemental finger contacts may be used for producing signals representing special characters. There may be three supplemental finger contacts on each finger. One supplemental finger contact may be located proximate a first segment of the user""s finger, one supplemental finger contact may be located proximate a second segment of the user""s finger and one supplemental finger contact may be located proximate a third segment of the user""s finger. Signals representing special characters are generated by touching/closing a supplemental finger contact with the thumb contact located on the palm-side tip of the thumb on the same hand. Additional supplemental contacts may be used to generate digits 0-9 and may be positioned on the finger tips, e.g., on or above the finger nails. The data entry device may be used to generate alphanumeric signals using fingering that is similar to the fingering used for touch typing on a QWERTY keyboard. The finger contacts and thumb contacts may be attached to a glove that is worn by the user. Alternatively, the finger contacts and the thumb contacts may be attached to a flexible skeletal structure that is worn by the user. The flexible skeletal structure may have attached clips that are configured to hold the contacts at the appropriate position on the user""s fingers. As another alternative, the finger contacts and the thumb contacts may be located on rings that are worn on the user""s fingers and thumbs. An application and retrieving device may be used for placing the rings on or removing the rings off of the user""s fingers and thumbs. The thumb contacts and finger contacts may be positioned on both of the user""s hands. Alternatively, the finger and thumb contacts may be positioned on one hand to simulate a half-keyboard. A sensor is added to determine the position of the user""s hand. One position is used to generate signals equivalent to those in one configuration of the half-keyboard. A second positioning of the user""s hand is used to generate the signals that are generated when the half-keyboard is toggled to the second or alternate character set. In order to use the data entry device, finger contacts are positioned on the user""s fingers and thumb contacts are positioned on the user""s thumbs. The user closes (or touches) a finger contact and a thumb contact to generate a signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated by pressing a key on a keyboard using similar fingering, particularly for alphanumeric characters. In response to closing the finger contact and the thumb contact, the signal that is equivalent to the signal that would be generated by pressing the key on a keyboard using similar fingering is generated. The generated signal is transmitted to the computing device.

Some processes performed by computer systems proceed as a sequence of discrete tasks. For software builds and deployments, for example, the discrete tasks include extracting the code, running build scripts, running tests, and deploying the code to one or more environments. This is typically done using a variety of scripts and build machines. The build machines in these cases would have the tools available to run the whole build and deploy process. This may be acceptable for a single build but is unacceptable if scaling to many different projects because it may become difficult to manage the list of requirements on a single machine. In some examples, a single and relatively large build image is maintained that contains all of the supported software used as part of the build. To install additional software, for example, additional scripts would install the necessary software at runtime, which may be undesirable.

Cameras may be used to capture an image or series of images constituting a video. In many situations, it is desirable for a user to be able to capture images “hands-free”, including when the user is moving. That is, for the camera to capture an image or images (often of a scene in front of the user) even as the user moves, without the user having to hold the camera and possibly without the user having to manually operate the camera. One way in which this can be achieved is by way of a separate camera mount secured to a garment, or alternatively which is secured to the user. Alternatively a “wearable camera” may be used such as wearable camera 100 shown in FIG. 1a (frontal-view) and FIG. 1b (side-view). Camera 100 includes a set of standard camera electrical components (not shown) grouped together and housed by outer casing 102. The outer casing may support an image capture component 104 for capturing an image. A clip 108 is attached to the back of the casing 102.

The present invention relates to an imaging lens for forming an image on an imaging element such as a CCD sensor and a CMOS sensor. More specifically, the present invention relates to an imaging lens that is suitable for mounting on a relatively small camera such as a cellular phone, a digital still camera, a portable information terminal, a security camera, a vehicle onboard camera, and a network camera. An imaging lens for mounting on a small camera is required not only to be composed of a small number of lenses, but also to have a configuration that can attain high resolution, so as to be compatible with a high-resolution imaging element that has been available in recent years. Conventionally, a three-lens imaging lens configuration has been often used as such an imaging lens. As the resolution of the imaging element has been increased, it is more difficult to achieve satisfactory performance only with the three-lens configuration. In these years, a four-lens configuration or five-lens configuration has being used more frequently. Among these lens configurations, because of higher design flexibility, the five-lens configuration is expected to be a lens configuration to be used in the next generation imaging lens. As an imaging lens having such the five-lens configuration, for example, an imaging lens described in Patent Reference has been known. According to Patent Reference, the imaging lens includes in the order from an object side: a first lens that has a convex object side surface and is positive; a second lens that has a shape of a negative meniscus lens directing a concave surface thereof to an image plane side; a third lens that has a shape of positive meniscus lens directing a convex surface thereof to the image plane side; a negative fourth lens that has an aspheric shape on the both sides and has a concave image plane side surface near an optical axis; and a fifth lens that has an aspheric shape on the both sides and is positive or negative. In the lens configuration, a lower limit of Abbe's number of the first lens, and upper limits of Abbe's numbers of the second and the fourth lenses are set respectively, so as to correct an axial chromatic aberration and a chromatic aberration of magnification and thereby be compatible with high performances of the imaging lens. Patent Reference: Japanese Patent Publication No. 2007-264180 According to the imaging lens described in Patent Reference, it is possible to attain relatively satisfactory aberrations. Since the total length of the lens system is long, however, it is difficult to attain both miniaturization of the imaging lens and satisfactory aberration correction. In view of the problems of the conventional techniques described above, an object of the present invention is to provide an imaging lens that can satisfactorily correct aberrations in spite of a small size thereof.

In various computing systems, computing nodes are equipped with a dedicated management controller that communicates with a control server over the network for the purpose of remote monitoring and control. For example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2008/0086580, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a system and method for managing a baseboard management controller (BMC). The system comprises at least one BMC, at least one primary node board connecting to the at least one BMC via a bus, wherein the bus is a differential bus, and the at least one BMC and the at least one primary node board connect to the differential bus in bus topology, respectively. As another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0195704, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes certain aspects that are directed to a baseboard management controller (BMC). The BMC includes a processor and a memory having firmware. The firmware includes a master management instance and a plurality of assisting management instances. When the firmware is executed at the processor, the master management instance is configured to manage a chassis of a computer system, and each of the assisting management instances is configured to manage at least one health or performance related aspect a respective different computer node of a plurality of computer nodes of the computer system. As yet another example, U.S. Patent Application Publication 2014/0344431, whose disclosure is incorporated herein by reference, describes a baseboard management system suitable for use in a high-density server system. The baseboard management system comprises a plurality of baseboard management controller (BMC) nodes, respectively located on the servers, and a main BMC coupled to a network and to the BMC nodes through a communication link for executing management software. Each BMC node is connected with a corresponding host processor and with server board peripherals individually on a corresponding server. The main BMC in cooperation with the BMC nodes is used to manage the servers remotely.

Pulverization of solid feed material in a grinding chamber using a gas stream is known in the art. For example, a jet mill is a type of grinding device that relies on high-speed gas streams to grind material inside the grinding chamber. Pulverization may take place in a central toroidal grinding chamber of the jet mill as the process material is driven around the perimeter of the chamber by multiple jets of air or steam. Size reduction via attrition may be a result of high-velocity collisions and resulting compressive forces between particles of the process material itself, and/or between particles of the processes material and interior walls of the grinding chamber of the conventional jet mill. The pulverization in a conventional jet mill may cause wear to the grinding chamber as the gas streams, carrying pulverized particles, impacts the grinding chamber. It is known that wear in the conventional jet mill is responsible for limiting the size of the conventional jet mill. As the size (e.g., length, width, and/or radius) of the conventional jet mill increases, the volume of the process material that could pass through the jet mill may increase roughly by a magnitude corresponding to a cube of the size increase, and the surface of the grinding chamber may increase roughly by a magnitude corresponding to a square of the size increase. For example, if the size of the conventional jet mill is doubled, the volume of the process material that could pass through the jet mill may increase as much as by eight times and the wearable surface may only increase as much as by four times. The amount of wear in the conventional jet mill may be proportional to the amount of the process material and thus takes on the level of exponential increase of the process material. Accordingly, the exponential increase of potential wear may be much faster than the increase of wearable surface of the grinding chamber when the size of the conventional jet mill increases. This geometric wear limitation may limit scaling-up of the conventional jet mill. A conventional jet mill typically has an upper size limit of approximately one meter or about forty-two inches.

1. Field of the Invention The field of the present invention relates to electronic design automation and, more particularly, to methods and systems for conducting metal-end, enclosure, and exposure checks of vias through an electronic design automation procedure. 2. Background Chip designers often use electronic design automation (EDA) software tools to assist in the design process, and to allow simulation and verification of a chip design prior to prototyping or production. Chip design using EDA software tools generally involves an iterative process whereby the chip design is gradually perfected. Typically, the chip designer builds up a circuit by inputting information at a computer workstation generally having high quality graphics capability so as to display portions of the circuit design as needed. A top-down design methodology is commonly employed using hardware description languages (HDLs), such as Verilog or VHDL, for example, by which the designer creates an integrated circuit by hierarchically defining functional components of the circuit, and then decomposing each component into smaller and smaller components. The various components of an integrated circuit are initially defined by their functional operations and relevant inputs and outputs. From the HDL or other high level description, the actual logic cell implementation is typically determined by logic synthesis, which converts the functional description of the circuit into a specific circuit implementation. The logic cells are then xe2x80x9cplacedxe2x80x9d (i.e., given specific coordinate locations in the circuit layout) and xe2x80x9croutedxe2x80x9d (i.e., wired or connected together according to the designer""s specifications). The placement and routing software routines generally accept as their input a flattened netlist that has been generated by the logic synthesis process. This flattened netlist identifies the specific logic cell instances from a target standard cell library, and describes the specific cell-to-cell connectivity. After this specific cell-to-cell connectivity has been established, the physical design and layout software creates a physical layout file of the integrated circuit, including the physical position of each metal line (i.e., wire) and each via (i.e., metal transition between chip layers). As a last step before creation of the mask file for delivery to the fabrication facility, the physical verification and layout validation software performs several design rule checks (DRCs) on the layout file. Collectively, these DRCs constitute what is generally referred to in the industry as the xe2x80x9cRule Deck.xe2x80x9d During the design rule checks contained in the Rule Deck, the physical layout file generally must be checked for correct relative positioning of vias and metal lines. For example, to ensure adequate contact between vias and metal lines (when a conductive path between the via and metal line is called for), minimum overlap distances are required which dictate the extent to which the metal must extend beyond each via. These minimum overlap distances often vary depending on the shape of the metal surrounding the via. As another example of a design rule check, certain minimum distances are required between vias and metal ends, so as to reduce the likelihood of short circuits or other similar problems in the final product. Metal ends are generally defined as the terminating edge(s) or point(s) of metal lines. Minimum distances are also required for vias enclosed by metal (also referred to as vias at enclosures). Enclosures are generally defined as connection points between vias and metal, which are not at a metal end (i.e., where the footprint of the via on the metal is near no more than two metal edges). Another design rule check relates to exposure, whereby a determination is made as to whether all or part of a via is exposed, i.e., not covered by metal. In conventional techniques, all vias are checked by design rules checks (DRCs) which are part of the Rule Deck. As part of these procedures, for each metal end, the distance from each point at the edge of the metal end to each via is calculated to ensure that minimum distances are met. The calculations required by these procedures easily number in the millions. Many of these calculations are unnecessary, however, because they are performed on vias that are obviously far from metal edges. As a result, a great deal of processing time is wasted. Accordingly, the inventors have determined that it would be advantageous to provide an intelligent selection of which vias should have the complete design rule checks performed on them, while screening out vias that do not require a complete set of design rule checks. The invention provides in one aspect systems and methods for selecting a subset or subsets of vias on which to perform metal end, enclosure and exposure checks. In a preferred embodiment, an automated design rule checking software system receives as an input a physical layout file for a circuit design. The automated design rule checking software system outputs a list of vias needing design rule checks for violations in up to three categories: metal end, enclosure and exposure. In one or more embodiments, an automated process selects vias from a physical layout file likely to cause design rule check problems, from among all of the vias in the physical layout file. The process then selects those vias that violate the enclosure rule and performs a design rule check for enclosure violations on the identified vias; performs a design rule check for metal end violations on the potentially problematic vias; and performs an exposure check on the potentially problematic vias. Potentially problematic vias may be identified by expanding the dimensions of existing vias by a first predetermined minimum distance, subtracting out the metal area, and identifying those vias with residual portions remaining as potentially problematic vias. Candidate vias for an enclosure design rule check may be identified by expanding the dimensions of potentially problematic vias by a second predetermined minimum distance, subtracting out the metal area, and identifying those vias with residual portions remaining as violating the enclosure design rules. Candidate vias for a metal end design rule check may be identified by expanding the dimensions (excluding the corner regions) of potentially problematic vias by the first predetermined minimum distance, subtracting out the metal area, and identifying those vias with residual portions remaining as violating the metal end design rules. Further embodiments, modifications, variations and enhancements are also described herein.

The present invention relates to a deodorizer which is driven to operate by means of a solar cell. Conventionally, in this type of deodorizer, as disclosed in, for example, Japanese Utility Model Unexamined Publication No. 59-32508, an electric motor is driven to rotate by the action of a solar cell. The open air is introduced into a receptacle by operation of a fan fixed to the electric motor. Thus, the smelly components in the air are deodorized by a deodorant member installed within the receptacle, the resulting air being blown outside the receptacle. The above-described known deodorizer indeed has an advantage in that, for example, there is no need to conduct replacement of any battery because of the use of a solar cell, but, on the other hand, has a disadvantage in that it is necessary to install such a solar cell in a place exposed to sunrays, which is followed by a high likelihood that the temperature of the solar cell will become high. This leads to heat deterioration of the solar cell, which leads to a shortening of the service life of the solar cell.

The invention pertains to certain peptide-like and peptidomimetic compounds that advantageously inhibit the enzymatic activity of picornaviral 3C proteases, especially rhinovirus 3C proteases (RVPs), and that retard viral growth in cell culture. The invention also relates to the use of such compounds in pharmaceutical compositions and therapeutic treatments for rhinoviral infections. The invention further relates to processes for synthesizing such compounds and compounds useful in such syntheses. The picomaviruses are a family of tiny non-enveloped positive-stranded RNA-containing viruses that infect humans and other animals. These viruses include the human rhinoviruses, human polioviruses, human coxsackieviruses, human echoviruses, human and bovine enteroviruses, encephalomyocarditis viruses, meningitis virus, foot and mouth viruses, hepatitis A virus, and others. The human rhinoviruses are a major cause of the common cold. To date, there are no effective therapies on the market that cure the common cold, only treatments that relieve the symptoms. Picomaviral infections may be treated by inhibiting the proteolytic 3C enzymes. These enzymes are required for the natural maturation of the picornaviruses. They are responsible for the autocatalytic cleavage of the genomic, large polyprotein into the essential viral proteins. Members of the 3C protease family are cysteine proteases, where the sulfhydryl group most often cleaves the glutamine-glycine amide bond. Inhibition of 3C proteases is believed to block proteolytic cleavage of the polyprotein, which in turn can retard the maturation and replication of the viruses by interfering with viral particle production. Therefore, inhibiting the processing of this cysteine protease with selective small molecules that are specifically recognized should represent an important and useful approach to treat and cure viral infections of this nature and, in particular, the common cold. Some small-molecule inhibitors of the enzymatic activity of picornaviral 3C proteases (i.e., antipicornaviral compounds) have been recently discovered. See, for example: U.S. Pat. No. 5,856,530, issued Jan. 5, 1999, to Webber et al.; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/991,282, filed Dec. 16, 1997, by Dragovich et al.; U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/991,739, filed Dec. 16, 1997, by Webber et al.; and U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/301,977, filed Apr. 29, 1999, by Dragovich et al. See also: Dragovich et al., xe2x80x9cStructure-Based Design, Synthesis, and Biological Evaluation of Irreversible Human Rhinovirus 3C Protease Inhibitors . . . ,xe2x80x9d J. Med. Chem. (1999), vol. 42, no. 7, 1203-1212, 1213-1224; and Dragovich et al., xe2x80x9cSolid-phase Synthesis of Irreversible Human Rhinovirus 3C Protease Inhibitors . . . ,xe2x80x9d Bioorg. and Med. Chem. (1999), vol. 7, 589-598. There is still a desire, however, to discover small-molecule compounds that are especially potent antipicornaviral agents. Inhibitors of other related cysteine proteases such as cathepsins have been described in, e.g., U.S. Pat. No. 5,374,623, issued Dec. 20, 1994, to Zimmermnan et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 5,498,616, issued Mar. 12, 1996, to Mallamo et al.; and WIPO International Publication Nos. WO 94/04172, WO 95/15749, WO 97/19231, and WO 97/49668. There yet remains a need for inhibitors targeting the picornaviral 3C cysteine protease with desirable pharmaceutical properties, such as high specificity. Thus, an object of this invention is to discover small-molecule compounds that inhibit picornaviral 3C proteases and are especially potent antipicornaviral agents. A further object of the invention is to provide intermediates useful for the synthesis of protease-inhibiting compounds and synthetic methods useful for such syntheses. A yet further object of the invention is to achieve pharmaceutical compositions that are effective for treating maladies mediated by inhibition of picornaviral 3C proteases, such as the common cold. Such objects have been attained through the discovery of compounds of the following general formula 1: wherein: Y is xe2x80x94N(Ry)xe2x80x94, xe2x80x94C(Ry)(Ry)xe2x80x94, or xe2x80x94Oxe2x80x94, where each Ry is independently H or lower alkyl; R1 is unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or xe2x80x94C(O)R16, where R16 is unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, heterocycloalkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, or amine; R2 and R8 are each independently H, F, or unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, or heteroaryl; R3 and R9 are each independently H or unsubstituted or substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, xe2x80x94OR17, xe2x80x94SR17, xe2x80x94NR17R18, xe2x80x94NR19NR17R18, or xe2x80x94NR17OR18, where R17, R18, and R19 are each independently H, alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, or acyl; R4 is a suitable organic moiety; R5, R6and R7 are each independently H, F, or lower alkyl; m is 0 or 1; p is an integer of from 0 to 5; A1 is CH or N; each A2 present is independently C(R10)(R11), N(R12), S, S(O), S(O)2, or O, where each R10, R11 and R12 is independently H or lower alkyl; each A3 present is independently C(R10)(R11), N(R12), S, S(O), S(O)2, or O, where each R10, R11 and R12 is independently H or lower alkyl; when p is 1, 2, 3, or 4, A4 is N(R13), C(R10)(R11), or O, and when p is 0 (i.e., A3 is not present), A4 is N(R13)(R14), C(R10)(R11)(R12), and O(R14), provided that when p is 0 and A4 is O(R14), A1 is not CH, where each R10, R11 and R12 is independently H or lower alkyl, each R13 is H, alkyl, aryl, or acyl, and each R14 is H, alkyl, or aryl provided that no more than two heteroatoms occur consecutively in the above-depicted ring formed by A1, (A2)m, (A3)p, A4, and Cxe2x95x90O, where each dotted line in the ring depicts a single bond when A2 is present (i.e., m=1) and a hydrogen atom when A2 is absent (i.e., m=0). In addition to compounds of the formula I, antipicomaviral agents of the invention include prodrugs, pharmaceutically active metabolites, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts and solvates of such compounds. In a preferred embodiment of formula I, R2 and R8 are not both hydrogen, and R3 and R9 are not both hydrogen. In another preferred embodiment of formula I: R2 is benzyl optionally substituted with a halogen; R3 is a lower alkyl; R4 is Cbz; and R7, R8, and R9 are each H. In a preferred embodiment, R1 is a substituted methylene group, for example, xe2x80x94CH2NR20R21, xe2x80x94CH2OR20, xe2x80x94CH2OC(O)R20, xe2x80x94CH2ONR20R21, or xe2x80x94CH2SR20, where R20 and R21 are each independently selected from H, optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, and xe2x80x94C(O)R22, where R22 is selected from optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, heterocycloalkoxy, aryloxy, heteroaryloxy, and amine, and optionally any two of R20, R21, and R22, together with the atoms to which they are bound, form a 4- to 7-membered ring. In an alternative preferred embodiment, R1 is xe2x80x94CR23xe2x95x90CR24R25 or xe2x80x94Cxe2x89xa1CR26, where R23, R24, R25 and R26 are each independently selected from H and optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl. In yet another preferred embodiment, R1 is a xe2x80x94C(O)R16 group, where R16 is xe2x80x94NR27R28, wherein R27 and R28 are each independently selected from H and optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, heterocycloalkyl, aryl, and heteroaryl, or R27 and R28 together with the nitrogen to which they are bound form a 4- to 7-membered heterocyclic ring. In another preferred embodiment, R1 is a mono- or bi-cyclic heteroaryl or aryl group. Especially preferred compounds are depicted by formula I-a: wherein R1 through R6, A1 through A4, m, p, and Y are as defined above. In preferred embodiments of compounds of the formula I-a, R1 is selected from monocyclic and bicyclic heteroaryl and aryl groups. R2 in formula I-a is preferably selected from unsubstituted and substituted benzyl groups, preferably benzyl, mono-substituted benzyl, and disubstituted benzyl, where the substituents are independently selected from lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, and halogen. R3 is preferably an optionally substituted alkyl (e.g., 2-propyl, 2-methyl-2-propyl, or 2-methyl-1-propyl) or arylmethyl (e.g., unsubstituted or substituted phenylmethyl or naphthylmethyl). R4 is preferably a suitable organic moiety selected from xe2x80x94[C(O)]nxe2x80x94R15, where n is 0 or 1 and R15 is optionally substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl, alkoxy, cycloalkoxy, aryloxy, or heteroaryloxy. In especially preferred embodiments, R4 is benzyloxycarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, or heteroarylcarbonyl, more preferably heteroarylcarbonyl, where the heteroaryl moiety is a five-membered heterocycle having from one to three heteroatoms selected from O, N, and S, more preferably a five-membered heterocycle having at least one nitrogen heteroatom and at least one oxygen heteroatom (e.g., unsubstituted or substituted 1,2-oxazolyl (i.e., isoxazolyl), 1,3-oxazolyl (i.e., oxazolyl), or oxadiazolyl (1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, or 1,2,5-oxadiazolyl). When the heteroaryl moiety is oxadiazolyl, unsubstituted and monomethyl-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl are preferred. In especially preferred embodiments, the heteroaryl moiety is 3-isoxazolyl or 5-isoxazolyl, either unsubstituted or substituted with one or two methyl groups and/or halogens (F, Cl, Br or I), with chlorine and fluorine being preferred. Preferably, the moiety: is selected from xe2x80x94CH2CH2C(O)NH2; xe2x80x94CH2CH2C(O)NH-alkyl; xe2x80x94CH2NHC(O)CH3; and where n is 1 or 2. The moiety is more preferably In preferred embodiments, the compounds, prodrugs, pharmaceutically acceptable salts, and pharmaceutically active metabolites and solvates have an antipicomaviral activity with an EC50 less than or equal to 100 xcexcM in the H1-HeLa cell culture assay. The invention is also directed to intermediates of formula II, preferably of the subformula II-a, which are useful in the synthesis of certain compounds of formula I: wherein: q is an integer of from 0 to 5, preferably 1 or 2; A11 is C,CH or N; A12 and each A13 are each independently selected from C(R61)(R62), N(R63), S, S(O), S(O)2, and O, where each of R61, R62 and R63 is independently H or lower alkyl; A14 is NR64, where R64 is H, alkyl, aryl, or acyl, and R64 is preferably a suitable protecting group for amide nitrogen; provided that no more than two heteroatoms occur consecutively in the above-depicted ring in formula II formed by A11, A12, (A13)p, A14, and Cxe2x95x90O; R141 and R142 are each independently H, F or lower alkyl, or R142 is absent; the dotted line depicts an optional valence bond, and when such bond is present, R142 is absent and A11 is C; R51 is H, alkyl, aryl, or acyl, preferably a protecting group for amide nitrogen; R52, R53, and R54 are each independently selected from H, hydroxyl, alkyl, acyl, aryl, heteroaryl, suitable protecting groups for carbonyl or hydroxy, OR57, and NR57R58 where R57 is selected from alkyl, aryl and Si(R59)3, and R58 is selected from alkyl, aryl, alkoxy, aryloxy, and Si(R59)3, where each R59 is independently alkyl or aryl; or any two of R52, R53, and R54 together form xe2x95x90O; and R55 and R56 are each independently H or a suitable protecting group for nitrogen. Formula II compounds where at least one of R52, R53, and R54 is NR57R58 are preferred. In preferred formula II-a embodiments, R52 and R53 together form xe2x95x90O and R54 is selected from alkyl, acyl, aryl, heteroaryl, OR57, and NR57R58, where R57 and R58 are as defined above. In other preferred embodiments, R52 is H, R53 is OH, and R54 is selected from alkyl, acyl, aryl, heteroaryl, OR57, and NR57R58 where R57 and R58 are as defined above. The invention is also directed to pharmaceutically acceptable salts of the compounds of formulae II and II-a. The invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions containing a therapeutically effective amount of at least one compound of the formula I, or a prodrug, pharmaceutically acceptable salt, pharmaceutically active metabolite, or solvate thereof (collectively, xe2x80x9cagentsxe2x80x9d). Additionally, the invention relates to methods of inhibiting picornaviral 3C protease by administering a therapeutically effective amount of at least one such agent. In accordance with a convention used in the art, is used in structural formulas herein to depict the bond that is the point of attachment of the moiety or substituent to the core or backbone structure. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9calkyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a straight- or branched-chain monovalent radical of saturated and/or unsaturated carbon atoms and hydrogen atoms, such as methyl (Me), ethyl (Et), propyl, isopropyl, butyl, isobutyl, t-butyl, ethenyl, pentenyl, butenyl, propenyl, ethynyl, butynyl, propynyl, pentynyl, hexynyl, and the like. Unless otherwise indicated, such groups may be unsubstituted (i.e., containing only carbon and hydrogen) or substituted by one or more suitable substituents (e.g., one or more halogens, such as F, Cl, Br, or I, with F and Cl being preferred). A xe2x80x9clower alkyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean an alkyl group having from 1 to 4 carbon atoms in its chain. A xe2x80x9ccycloalkyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a non-aromatic monovalent monocyclic, bicyclic, or tricyclic radical containing from 3 to 14 carbon ring atoms, each of which may be saturated or unsaturated. Unless otherwise indicated, such groups may be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more suitable substituents. Illustrative examples of cycloalkyl groups include the following moieties: A xe2x80x9cheterocycloalkyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a non-aromatic monovalent monocyclic, bicyclic, or tricyclic radical, which is saturated or unsaturated, containing from 3 to 18 ring atoms, which includes from 1 to 5 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Unless otherwise indicates, such radicals may be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more suitable substituents. Illustrative examples of heterocycloalkyl groups include the following moieties: An xe2x80x9caryl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean an aromatic monovalent monocyclic, bicyclic, or tricyclic radical containing from 6 to 18 carbon ring atoms. Unless otherwise indicates, such radicals may be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more suitable substituents. Illustrative examples of aryl groups include the following moieties: A xe2x80x9cheteroaryl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean an aromatic monovalent monocyclic, bicyclic, or tricyclic radical containing from 4 to 18 ring atoms, including from 1 to 5 heteroatoms selected from nitrogen, oxygen, and sulfur. Unless otherwise indicated, such radicals may be unsubstituted or substituted by one or more suitable substituents. Illustrative examples of heteroaryl groups include the following moieties: A xe2x80x9cheterocyclexe2x80x9d is intended to mean a heteroaryl or heterocycloalkyl group. An xe2x80x9cacyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a xe2x80x94C(O)xe2x80x94R radical, where R is a suitable substituent. A xe2x80x9cthioacyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a xe2x80x94C(S)xe2x80x94R radical, where R is a suitable substituent. A xe2x80x9csulfonyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a xe2x80x94SO2R radical, where R is a suitable substituent. A xe2x80x9chydroxy groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94OH. An xe2x80x9caminexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9camino groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94NH2. An xe2x80x9coptionally substitutedxe2x80x9d amines refers to xe2x80x94NH2 groups wherein none, one or two of the hydrogens is replaced by a suitable substituent. Disubstituted amines may have substituents that are bridging, i.e., form a heterocyclic ring structure that includes the amine nitrogen. An xe2x80x9calkylamino groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94NHRa, where Ra is an alkyl group. A xe2x80x9cdialkylamino groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94NRaRb, where Ra and Rb are each independently an alkyl group. An xe2x80x9calkoxy groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94ORa, where Ra is an alkyl group. Exemplary alkoxy groups include methoxy, ethoxy, propoxy, and the like. xe2x80x9cLower alkoxyxe2x80x9d groups have alkyl moieties having from 1 to 4 carbons. An xe2x80x9calkoxycarbonyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94C(O)ORa, where Ra is an alkyl group. An xe2x80x9calkylsulfonyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94SO2Ra, where Ra is an alkyl group. An xe2x80x9calkylaminocarbonyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94C(O)NHRa, where Ra is an alkyl group. A xe2x80x9cdialkylaminocarbonyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94C(O)NRaRb, where Ra and Rb are each independently an alkyl group. A xe2x80x9cmercapto groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94SH. An xe2x80x9calkylthio groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94SRa, where Ra is an alkyl group. A xe2x80x9ccarboxy groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94C(O)OH. A xe2x80x9ccarbamoyl groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94C(O)NH2. An xe2x80x9caryloxy groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94ORc, where Rc is an aryl group. A xe2x80x9cheteroaryloxy groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94ORd, where Rd is a heteroaryl group. An xe2x80x9carylthio groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94SRc, where Rc is an aryl group. A xe2x80x9cheteroarylthio groupxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the radical xe2x80x94SRd, where Rd is a heteroaryl group. The term xe2x80x9csuitable organic moietyxe2x80x9d is intended to mean any organic moiety recognizable, such as by routine testing, to those skilled in the art as not adversely affecting the inhibitory activity of the inventive compounds. Illustrative examples of suitable organic moieties include, but are not limited to, hydroxy groups, alkyl groups, oxo groups, cycloalkyl groups, heterocycloalkyl groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups, acyl groups, sulfonyl groups, mercapto groups, alkylthio groups, alkoxy groups, carboxy groups, amino groups, alkylamino groups, dialkylamino groups, carbamoyl groups, arylthio groups, heteroarylthio groups, and the like. The term xe2x80x9csubstituentxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9csuitable substituentxe2x80x9d is intended to mean any suitable substituent that may be recognized or selected, such as through routine testing, by those skilled in the art. Illustrative examples of suitable substituents include hydroxy groups, halogens, oxo groups, alkyl groups, acyl groups, sulfonyl groups, mercapto groups, alkylthio groups, alkoxy groups, cycloalkyl groups, heterocycloalkyl groups, aryl groups, heteroaryl groups, carboxy groups, amino groups, alkylamino groups, dialkylamino groups, carbamoyl groups, aryloxy groups, heteroaryloxy groups, arylthio groups, heteroarylthio groups, and the like. The term xe2x80x9coptionally substitutedxe2x80x9d is intended to expressly indicate that the specified group is unsubstituted or substituted by one or more suitable substituents, unless the optional substituents are expressly specified, in which case the term indicates that the group is unsubstituted or substituted with the specified substituents. Various groups may be unsubstituted or substituted (i.e., they are optionally substituted) as indicated. A xe2x80x9cprodrugxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a compound that is converted under physiological conditions or by solvolysis or metabolically to a specified compound that is pharmaceutically active. A xe2x80x9cpharmaceutically active metabolitexe2x80x9d is intended to mean a pharmacologically active compound produced through metabolism in the body of a specified compound. A xe2x80x9csolvatexe2x80x9d is intended to mean a pharmaceutically acceptable solvate form of a specified compound that retains the biological effectiveness of such compound. Examples of solvates include compounds of the invention in combination with water, isopropanol, ethanol, methanol, DMSO, ethyl acetate, acetic acid, or ethanolamine. A xe2x80x9cpharmaceutically acceptable saltxe2x80x9d is intended to mean a salt that retains the biological effectiveness of the free acids and bases of a specified compound and that is not biologically or otherwise undesirable. Examples of pharmaceutically acceptable salts include sulfates, pyrosulfates, bisulfates, sulfites, bisulfites, phosphates, monohydrogenphosphates, dihydrogenphosphates, metaphosphates, pyrophosphates, chlorides, bromides, iodides, acetates, propionates, decanoates, caprylates, acrylates, formates, isobutyrates, caproates, heptanoates, propiolates, oxalates, malonates, succinates, suberates, sebacates, fumarates, maleates, butyne-1,4-dioates, hexyne-1,6-dioates, benzoates, chlorobenzoates, methylbenzoates, dinitrobenzoates, hydroxybenzoates, methoxybenzoates, phthalates, sulfonates, xylenesulfonates, phenylacetates, phenylpropionates, phenylbutyrates, citrates, lactates, xcex3-hydroxybutyrates, glycollates, tartrates, methane-sulfonates, propanesulfonates, naphthalene-1-sulfonates, naphthalene-2-sulfonates, and mandelates. If an inventive compound is a base, a desired salt may be prepared by any suitable method known in the art, including treatment of the free base with an inorganic acid, such as hydrochloric acid, hydrobromic acid, sulfuric acid, nitric acid, phosphoric acid, and the like, or with an organic acid, such as acetic acid, maleic acid, succinic acid, mandelic acid, fumaric acid, malonic acid, pyruvic acid, oxalic acid, glycolic acid, salicylic acid, pyranosidyl acid, such as glucuronic acid or galacturonic acid, alpha-hydroxy acid, such as citric acid or tartaric acid, amino acid, such as aspartic acid or glutamic acid, aromatic acid, such as benzoic acid or cinnamic acid, sulfonic acid, such as p-toluenesulfonic acid or ethanesulfonic acid, or the like. If an inventive compound is an acid, a desired salt may be prepared by any suitable method known to the art, including treatment of the free acid with an inorganic or organic base, such as an amine (primary, secondary, or tertiary); an alkali metal or alkaline earth metal hydroxide; or the like. Illustrative examples of suitable salts include organic salts derived from amino acids such as glycine and arginine; ammonia; primary, secondary, and tertiary amines; and cyclic amines, such as piperidine, morpholine, and piperazine; as well as inorganic salts derived from sodium, calcium, potassium, magnesium, manganese, iron, copper, zinc, aluminum, and lithium. In the case of compounds, salts, or solvates that are solids, it is understood by those skilled in the art that the inventive compounds, salts, and solvates may exist in different crystal forms, all of which are intended to be within the scope of the present invention and specified formulas. The inventive compounds may exist as single stereoisomers, racemates, and/or mixtures of enantiomers and/or diastereomers. All such single stereoisomers, racemates, and mixtures thereof are intended to be within the broad scope of the present invention. Preferably, however, the inventive compounds are used in optically pure form. As used herein, the term xe2x80x9coptically purexe2x80x9d is intended to mean a compound comprising at least a sufficient amount of a single enantiomer to yield a compound having the desired pharmacological activity. Preferably, an optically pure compound of the invention comprises at least 90% of a single isomer (80% enantiomeric excess), more preferably at least 95% (90% e.e.), even more preferably at least 97.5% (95% e.e.), and most preferably at least 99% (98% e.e.). Preferably, the compounds of formula I and their pharmaceutically acceptable salts, prodrugs, active metabolites, and solvates have antipicornaviral activity, more preferably antirhinoviral activity, corresponding to an EC50 less than or equal to 100 xcexcM in the H1-HeLa cell culture assay. In preferred embodiments, the formula I compounds are of sub-formula I-a as defined above. Especially preferred embodiments of the invention have formula I-b: where R1 through R4 are as defined above. In especially preferred embodiments of formula I-b, R1 is mono- or bi-cyclic heteroaryl. Preferably, R2 is selected from unsubstituted, mono-substituted, and disubstituted benzyl groups, where the substituents are independently selected from lower alkyl, lower alkoxy, and halogen. R3 is preferably alkyl (e.g., 2-propyl, 2-methyl-2-propyl, or 2-methyl-1-propyl) or arylmethyl (e.g., unsubstituted or substituted phenylmethyl or naphthylmethyl). The variable R4 is preferably benzyloxycarbonyl, arylcarbonyl, or heteroarylcarbonyl, more preferably heteroarylcarbonyl, where the heteroaryl moiety is a five-membered heterocycle having from one to three heteroatoms selected from O, N, and S. More preferably R4 is a five-membered heterocycle having at least one nitrogen heteroatom and at least one oxygen heteroatom (e.g., unsubstituted or substituted 1,2-oxazolyl (i.e., isoxazolyl), 1,3-oxazolyl (i.e., oxazolyl), or oxadiazolyl (1,2,3-oxadiazolyl, 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl, or 1,2,5-oxadiazolyl); preferred oxadiazolyls are unsubstituted and monomethyl-substituted 1,2,4-oxadiazolyl. In especially preferred embodiments, the heteroaryl moiety is 3-isoxazolyl or 5-isoxazolyl, either unsubstituted or substituted with one or two substituents selected from methyl and halogens, with chlorine and fluorine being preferred halogen substituents. Varying the group Y in formula I gives rise to formulae I-c (peptides), I-d (depsipeptides), and I-e (ketomethylenes), where all variables are as defined previously: Preferred embodiments of formula I-a are shown in formulae I-f, I-g and I-h below: In the compounds of formulae I-c, I-e, I-f, and I-h, Ry is preferably H or methyl. Preferred specific compounds include those of the Examples below, especially: In another aspect, the invention is directed to intermediates of formula 11, preferably of the sub-formula II-a, which are useful in the synthesis of various compounds of formula I: wherein all variables are as defined above. Preferred R55 and R56 groups are H and suitable protecting groups for nitrogen, for example, Boc (t-butyloxycarbonyl), Cbz (benzyloxycarbonyl), FMOC (fluorene-9-methyloxycarbonyl), other alkyloxycarbonyls (e.g., methyloxycarbonyl), and trityl (triphenylmethyl). Other suitable nitrogen-protecting groups may be readily selected by artisans (see, e.g., Greene and Wuts, Protecting Groups in Chemical Synthesis (3rd ed.), John Wiley and Sons, NY (1999)). Preferred groups for R52, R53, and R54 are H, alkoxy, hydroxy, carbonyl, OR59, and suitable protecting groups for carbonyl or hydroxy. A preferred protecting group for hydroxy is t-butyldimethylsilyl (TBS). Preferred examples of the formula II useful as intermediates include the following: and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The present invention is also directed to a method of inhibiting picomaviral 3C protease activity, comprising contacting the protease with an effective amount of a compound of formula I, or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, pharmaceutically active metabolite, or solvate thereof. For example, picomaviral 3C protease activity may be inhibited in mammalian tissue by administering a compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, pharmaceutically active metabolite, or solvate thereof. More preferably, the present method is directed at inhibiting rhinoviral protease activity. xe2x80x9cTreatingxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9ctreatmentxe2x80x9d is intended to mean at least the mitigation of a disease condition in a mammal, such as a human, that is alleviated by the inhibition of the activity of one or more picornaviral 3C proteases, such as human rhinoviruses, human poliovirus, human coxsackieviruses, encephalomyocarditis viruses, meningitis virus, and hepatitis A virus, and includes: (a) prophylactic treatment in a mammal, particularly when the mammal is found to be predisposed to having the disease condition but not yet diagnosed as having it; (b) inhibiting the disease condition; and/or (c) alleviating, in whole or in part, the disease condition. The activity of the inventive compounds as inhibitors of picomaviral 3C protease activity may be measured by any of the suitable methods known to those skilled in the art, including in vivo and in vitro assays. An example of a suitable assay for activity measurements is the antiviral H1-HeLa cell culture assay described herein. Administration of the compounds of the formula I and their pharmaceutically acceptable prodrugs, salts, active metabolites, and solvates may be performed according to any of the generally accepted modes of administration available to those skilled in the art. Illustrative examples of suitable modes of administration include oral, nasal, parenteral, topical, transdermal, and rectal. Intranasal delivery is preferred. An inventive compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, active metabolite, or solvate thereof may be administered as a pharmaceutical composition in any pharmaceutical form recognizable to the skilled artisan as being suitable. Suitable pharmaceutical forms include solid, semisolid, liquid, or lyophilized formulations, such as tablets, powders, capsules, suppositories, suspensions, liposomes, and aerosols. Pharmaceutical compositions of the invention may also include suitable excipients, diluents, vehicles, and carriers, as well as other pharmaceutically active agents, depending upon the intended use or mode of administration. In preferred embodiments, the inventive pharmaceutical compositions are delivered intranasally in the form of suspensions. Acceptable methods of preparing suitable pharmaceutical forms of the pharmaceutical compositions may be routinely determined by those skilled in the art. For example, pharmaceutical preparations may be prepared following conventional techniques of the pharmaceutical chemist involving steps such as mixing, granulating, and compressing when necessary for tablet forms, or mixing, filling, and dissolving the ingredients as appropriate, to give the desired products for oral, parenteral, topical, intravaginal, intranasal, intrabronchial, intraocular, intraaural, and/or rectal administration. Solid or liquid pharmaceutically acceptable carriers, diluents, vehicles, or excipients may be employed in the pharmaceutical compositions. Illustrative solid carriers include starch, lactose, calcium sulfate dihydrate, terra alba, sucrose, talc, gelatin, pectin, acacia, magnesium stearate, and stearic acid. Illustrative liquid carriers include syrup, peanut oil, olive oil, saline solution, and water. The carrier or diluent may include a suitable prolonged-release material, such as glyceryl monostearate or glyceryl distearate, alone or with a wax. When a liquid carrier is used, the preparation may be in the form of a syrup, elixir, emulsion, soft gelatin capsule, sterile injectable liquid (e.g., solution), or a nonaqueous or aqueous liquid suspension. A dose of the pharmaceutical composition contains at least a therapeutically effective amount of the active compound (i.e., a compound of formula I or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, prodrug, active metabolite, or solvate thereof), and preferably is made up of one or more pharmaceutical dosage units. The selected dose may be administered to a mammal, for example, a human patient, in need of treatment mediated by inhibition of picomaviral 3C protease activity, by any known or suitable method of administering the dose, including: topically, for example, as an ointment or cream; orally; rectally, for example, as a suppository; parenterally by injection; or continuously by intravaginal, intranasal, intrabronchial, intraaural, or intraocular infusion. A xe2x80x9ctherapeutically effective amountxe2x80x9d is intended to mean the amount of an inventive agent that, when administered to a mammal in need thereof, is sufficient to effect treatment for disease conditions alleviated by the inhibition of the activity of one or more picomaviral 3C proteases, such as human rhinoviruses, human poliovirus, human coxsackieviruses, encephalomyocarditis viruses, menigovirus, and hepatitis A virus. The amount of a given compound of the invention that will be therapeutically effective will vary depending upon factors such as the particular compound, the disease condition and the severity thereof, the identity of the mammal in need thereof, which amount may be routinely determined by artisans. By way of illustration, a formulation for nasal delivery of the inventive compounds for treatment of rhinoviral infections may include a compound of formula I that is micronized to a reduced particle size in a suspension containing a final concentration of from about 0.01% to about 2% of the active compound, preferably about from 0.2% to 2%. An exemplary nasal formulation is as follows: 2.0 weight percent of micronized compound of formula I-a; 1.2 weight percent of a mixture of microcrystalline cellulose and carboxymethyl cellulose sodium (e.g., Avicel RC/CL); 0.1 weight percent of polysorbate 80; 0.01 weight percent of disodium ethylenediamine tetraacetate (EDTA); 0.02 weight percent of benzalkonium chloride solution (50 wt. % BzCl); 5.0 weight percent of dextrose (anhydrous); and balance of purified water. General Syntheses The inventive compounds of formula I may be advantageously prepared by the methods of the present invention, including the general methods described below. In each of these general methods, the variables are as defined above. When stereochemistry is not specified in chemical structures, either stereocenter may be utilized. The following abbreviations also apply: Boc (tert-butoxycarbonyl), Ac (acetyl), Cbz (benzyloxycarbonyl), and Tr (triphenylmethyl). In this general synthesis scheme, an amino acid A (prepared by standard peptide coupling conditions and/or methods known in the art), where P1 is an appropriate protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Ac) and R is a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-), is transformed into Weinreb amide B. Compound B is treated with an excess of an organometallic reagent (e.g., an alkyllithium or Grignard reagent) to provide product C. At this point, the P1 nitrogen protecting group present in C may be exchanged for an alternate if necessary (e.g., Boc exchanged for Ac). An alternate method of preparing product C is depicted above. In this general method, amino acid D (prepared by known methods), where P1 is an appropriate protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Ac) and P2 is an appropriate orthogonal protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Cbz), is transformed into Weinreb amide E. Compound E is treated with an excess of an organometallic reagent (e.g., an alkyllithium or Grignard reagent) to provide intermediate F. The P2 protecting group present in F is then removed, and the resulting amine G (or salt thereof) is derivatized (coupled) with a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-) to afford product C. As described above, the P1 nitrogen protecting group present in C may be exchanged at this point for an alternate if necessary (e.g., Boc exchanged for Ac). In this general process, an amino acid H (either commercially available or prepared by standard peptide coupling conditions and/or methods known in the art), where P3 is an appropriate protecting group for the amide nitrogen (e.g., Tr) and R is any suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-), is transformed into Weinreb amide I. Compound I is treated with an excess of an organometallic reagent (e.g., an alkyllithium or Grignard reagent) to provide product J. If necessary, the P3 protecting group present in J is then removed to afford product K. An alternate method of preparing products J and K is shown above. In this general method, amino acid L (either commercially available or prepared by a known method), where P3 is an appropriate protecting group for the amide nitrogen (e.g., Tr) and P2 is an appropriate orthogonal protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Cbz), is transformed into Weinreb amide M. Compound M is treated with an excess of an organometallic reagent (e.g., an alkyllithium or Grignard reagent) to provide intermediate N. The P2 protecting group present in N is then removed and the resulting amine O (or salt thereof) is derivatized (coupled) with a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-) to afford product J. As described above, the P3 protecting group present in J is then removed to afford product K if necessary. In this general method, amino alcohol P (prepared by known methods) where P3 is an appropriate protecting group for the amide nitrogen (e.g., 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl) and P2 is an appropriate orthogonal protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Cbz) is oxidized to aldehyde Q. This intermediate is then further oxidized to carboxylic acid R, which is subsequently transformed into Weinreb amide S. Compound S is treated with an excess of an organometallic reagent (e.g., an alkyllithium or Grignard reagent) to provide intermediate T. The P3 protecting group present in T is then removed and the resulting amide U is further deprotected (by removal of the P2 protecting group) to afford amine (or salt thereof) V. Intermediate V is then derivatized (coupled) with a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-) to afford product W. An alternate method of preparing product W is depicted above. In this general process, intermediate T (described above), where P3 is an appropriate protecting group for the amide nitrogen (e.g., 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl) and P2 is an appropriate orthogonal protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Cbz), is deprotected by removal of the P2 protecting group to give amine (or salt thereof) X. Compound X is then derivatized (coupled) with a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-) to afford intermediate Y. The P3 protecting group present in Y is then removed to provide product W. An additional alternate scheme for preparing product W is depicted above. Intermediate T (prepared above) where P3 is an appropriate protecting group for the amide nitrogen (e.g., 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl) and P2 is an appropriate orthogonal protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Cbz) is reduced to alcohol Z. The P2 protecting group present in Z is then removed and the resulting amine (or salt thereof) AA is derivatized (coupled) with a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-) to afford intermediate BB. At this point, BB may be further derivatized if necessary by removing any protecting groups present (other than P3) and coupling any and/or all unprotected reactive functional groups (e.g., amines or alcohols) with suitable organic moieties to afford additional BB intermediates. When all appropriate derivatizations of BB have been completed, an oxidation is performed to give ketone V. The P3 protecting group present in V is then removed to provide product W. In this method, an amino acid A (prepared by standard peptide coupling conditions and/or methods), where P1 is an appropriate protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Ac) and R is any suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-), is transformed into diazo compound CC. Compound CC, in turn, is converted to the bromide DD. This intermediate is subjected to a displacement reaction employing a carboxylic acid moiety to afford product EE. At this point, the P1 nitrogen protecting group present in EE may be exchanged for an alternate if necessary (e.g., Boc exchanged for Ac). In the above-illustrated method, an amino acid L (either commercially available or prepared by known methods), where P3 is an appropriate protecting group for the amide nitrogen (e.g., Tr) and P2 is an appropriate orthogonal protecting group for nitrogen (e.g., Boc or Cbz), is transformed into diazo compound FF. Compound FF, in turn, is converted to the chloride GG. This intermediate is subjected to a displacement reaction employing a carboxylic acid moiety to afford intermediate HH. The P2 protecting group present in HH is then removed and the resulting amine (or salt thereof) II is derivatized (coupled) with a suitable organic moiety (e.g., Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-) to afford intermediate JJ. The P3 protecting group present in JJ is then removed to provide product KK. To illustrate, the specific syntheses of the compounds of Examples 21 and 28 are summarized below. To prepare W1 (compound 21), alcohol P1 (prepared as described in Dragovich et al., J. Med. Chem. (1999), vol. 42, 1213) is oxidized to give aldehyde Q1 which, in turn, is transformed into carboxylic acid R1. This intermediate may be converted without purification to Weinreb amide S1. Exposure of S1 to an excess of 2-lithiobenzothiazole (generated from nBuLi and benzothiazole) provides ketone T1. The 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl nitrogen protecting group is subsequently removed from T1 to give U1. The Boc protecting group present in U1 is removed under acidic conditions and the resulting amine salt (not shown) is coupled with commercially available Cbz-L-Leu-L-Phe-OH to afford W1 (compound 21). The synthesis of specific compound W8 is as follows: Ketone T1 (prepared as described above) is reduced to alcohol Z1 (isolated as a 1:1 mixture of diastereomers). The Boc protecting group present in Z1 is removed under acidic conditions and the resulting amine salt (not shown) is coupled with Boc-L-Val-L-Phe(4-F)-OH (prepared using standard peptide coupling techniques) to afford intermediate BB1 (isolated as a 1:1 mixture of diastereomers). The Boc protecting group present in BB1 is also removed under acidic conditions and the resulting amine salt (not shown) is derivatized with commercially available 5-methylisoxazole-3-carboxyl chloride to give intermediate BB2 (isolated as a 1:1 mixture of diastereomers). Oxidation of BB2 provides ketone Y1, and subsequent removal of the 2,4-dimethoxybenzyl nitrogen protecting group from Y1 affords W2 (compound 28). Detailed procedures used to make compounds 21 and 28 and other exemplary compounds of formula I are set forth in the following illustrative examples.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to optoelectronic devices, and more particularly, relates to organic photocurrent multiplication devices using organic semiconductors. 2. Background Art Conventional photocurrent multiplication devices normally have a structure of a single-layer organic thin film sandwiched by two metal electrodes, in which the device is irradiated with a single light on one side to cause photocurrent multiplication (see M. Hiramoto, T. Imahigashi, M. Yokoyama, Applied Physics Letters, 64, 187 (1994), for example). There is also known a “light to light” conversion device in which the photocurrent multiplication device described above and an organic electroluminescent device are layered on each other integrally (see M. Hiramoto, T. Katsume, M. Yokoyama, Oyo Buturi, 64, 1036 (1995), for example). The conventional photocurrent multiplication device including a single-layer organic thin film described above only has a simple function of permitting photocurrent multiplication to occur when the device is irradiated with one light. Therefore, to apply the photocurrent multiplication device to an advanced optical device that controls light by use of two lights, such as an optical operator, a new function must be added. For example, to be provided with an AND function, the photocurrent multiplication device must be configured so that multiplication occurs only by irradiating the device with two lights simultaneously. It is, however, impossible for the conventional photocurrent multiplication device to be provided with such a function. In view of the above, an object of the present invention is to provide an organic photocurrent multiplication device having an AND function of permitting photocurrent multiplication to occur only when the device is irradiated with two lights.

1. Technical Field The present invention relates in general to an expansion device detachably installed into a portable computer system, such as "notebook" type computer, and more particularly to an expansion device which is capable of resuming a task quickly and precisely from the same point of execution when a computer system restarts power after suspending power supply to its components to save power. 2. Description of the Related Art Recent advancements in technologies has resulted in a widespread use of portable or "notebook" type computers designed to have a small size and light weight for portability. An example of portable computer is shown in FIG. 18, in which portable computer 100 has relatively thin body 110 and cover 120, which is coupled to body 110 so that cover 120 can be opened and closed. Cover 120 has shallow case 121. At the bottom of case 121 is a pair of cylindrical protrusions 122 formed integrally within the case. With the pair of protrusions 122 rotatably supported with respect to the body, cover 120 is hinged on body 110, allowing cover 120 to be opened or closed with respect to body 110 in an axis of the protrusions 122. In the central portion of the open side, i.e. back side, of the cover, liquid crystal display or LCD 123 is provided as a display means of the personal computer (hereinafter the cover is generically called LCD120). Body 110 has a shallow case 111 to which support plate 112 of a given width is attached to cover the rear portion of the upper opening of case 111. At the front portion of the upper opening, keyboard 113 is placed as an input means of the personal computer. At the back edge of keyboard 113, a pair of tongue protrusions 114 is formed integrally with keyboard 113. With the pair of protrusions 114 supported axially with the from edge of support plate 112, keyboard 113 is hinged on plate 112. This allows keyboard 113 to be opened or closed with respect to case 111 within an axis of protrusions 114, and the interior of case 111 is exposed when keyboard 113 is opened. Opening or closing of LCD120 with respect to body 110 and that of keyboard 113 with respect to case 111 is accomplished by two-step operation on open/dose control 115 provided on a side of case 111. Since closing LCD120 or opening keyboard 113 will disable computer 100, mechanical operations such as LCD dose and keyboard open are electrically converted into CPU interrupt factors. FIG. 19 shows the exposed interior of case 111 with keyboard 113 being opened. At a near central portion of case 111, partition 116 is provided to separate the front portion of case 111 from its rear portion. Partition 116 may be formed of a thin metal plate by a bending process. In the rear portion of case 111, which is enclosed by partition 116, there is accommodated internal circuits (not shown) of the personal computer including CPU, ROM, RAM and system bus. The larger space in front of partition 116 is provided to accommodate expansion devices, such as floppy disk drive (FDD) pack 117 and hard disk drive (HDD) pack 119 and battery pack 118. Provided on a side of partition 116 are connectors (not shown) which comply with respective standards for the internal circuits of portable computer 100 to electrically connect these packs with the circuits. As a new concept for such portable computer 100, there has been suggested that FDD pack 117 or HDD pack 118 be used exchangeable with other detachable expansion devices. For example, FDD pack 117 could be removed from the space in the front portion of case 111 to substitute CD-ROM drive pack 50. The term CD-ROM (Compact Disk Read Only Memory), as used herein, is meant to be an optical disk of aluminum reflective film type, and particularly a storage medium used only for playback which stores information by making use of the fact that depressions on the surface of the disk cause variation of the intensity or phase-shift of reflected light. Capable of high-density recording, CD-ROM has been used to record a great quantity of information such as text data and program data, as well as audio and image data (including pictures, animation and computer graphics). By incorporating a CD-ROM drive having such data playback function, the portable computer as a new medium (or multimedia) is expected to be widely used in fields including education and entertainment. One of the purposes for which the portable computer is developed is outdoor use in a portable manner. Typically, power supply is therefore not dependent on a constant AC source, but on a battery pack (particularly NiCd, NiMH or Lilon rechargeable battery), as shown in FIG. 19. However, the battery pack is limited to the type of small size, light weight and short lifetime. Consequently, measures have been taken in recent portable computers for Power Management or Power Save. One example of power save is "Suspend", which is a state where the computer is powered down to almost all portions except main memory to save power when a predetermined state occurs in which an I/O device activity has not been detected for a certain period of time or dosing of an LCD (cover) is detected. Before the suspend mode is entered, the data necessary for restarting a task, such as the hardware context information including I/O configuration, CPU status and the contents of VRAM, is saved in main memory. On the other hand, the operation for restarting power supply and exiting from the suspend mode is called "Resume". In the resume mode, the data previously saved in main memory is restored to each component to enable a task to be restarted from the same point it was at when the computer was powered down. This series of power management operations is actually executed by a program such as those called PM code (PMC) or Advanced PM (APM), which is a trademark of Astek International. One challenge encountered in developing a power management technique is to resume a task quickly and from precisely the same point of execution as of interruption upon recovery from the power save mode such as suspend. As described above, the portable computer body (hereinafter called host) saves the system information which was present immediately before suspend, such as the hardware context information including register values of each chip and the contents of VRAM, in main memory to preserve the "same point of execution" for the host. For an expansion device, on the other hand, the only information to be provided when the host enters the suspend mode is "power down". In other words, the host does not consider the status of the expansion device, but considers only itself, that is, whether it has preserved the "same point of execution" to effect power down. Expansion devices can be divided into ones which have no CPU, e.g. floppy disk drive or FDD, and ones which have a built-in CPU, e.g. hard disk or HDD and CD-ROM drive. Operation of the former type is controlled by a controller circuit provided within the host, such as floppy disk controller or FDC. In such cases, the host could preserve the status of an FDD immediately before transition to suspend, i.e., the "same point of execution", by the managing FDC. However, the case is different in the expansion device having a built-in CPU. This type of expansion device includes ROM for storing various types of firmware and RAM as the working area of CPU. The host operating system or OS, does not directly control the expansion device, but only issues an instruction in a form of command to the CPU of the expansion device. The CPU of the expansion device interprets the command from the host in accordance with the firmware in ROM and performs actual tasks by using RAM as working area. The host OS is not required to directly control all components within the expansion device, and typically has no such function. In these environments, if the host references only the status of itself at power down, operation results, e.g. the contents of RAM, on the expansion device will be lost, and the lost contents of storage cannot be recovered even if power is supplied again from the host. From the descriptions above, those skilled in the art will readily appreciate that conventional host computers cannot restart a task from precisely the same point of execution. For example, problems which arise when the status immediately before transition to the suspend mode is lost at the expansion device will now be briefly described with an example of CD-ROM drive. The RAM at the CD-ROM drive has recorded various information on the disk being inserted. This information includes data allocation information such as Table of Contents or TOC, drive parameters indicating data rates, and audio parameters indicating audio output levels. Among these, the TOC information is necessary for searching recording positions during playback of the disk, and is retained when the disk contents are read into RAM during its insertion until either the disk is removed, or power on reset (POR) is done. Each value of drive and audio parameters is dynamically updated during processing of commands from the host. However, if power supply is suspended only for the convenience of the host, such data in RAM will be lost. Once this working data in RAM is lost, some disadvantages are found during resume operation. Of these, the TOC information, as with normal Power On Reset (POR), must be read again from the disk. However, the CD-ROM drive has an average access time of as long as 350 milliseconds, requiring seconds or even tens of seconds for reading the TOC information. (The compact disk usually manages information for each session. The TOC is provided for every session and recorded in the Lead-In at the beginning of each session. The TOG has a size of 512 bytes per session. For a disk which consists of multiple sessions, the time required for the reading operation will be longer as the number of TOCs increases.) In addition, drive and audio parameters must be specified again, as with normal POR. In such case, the context of the task is destroyed, e.g. the disk is played back with a different audio level. This gives the user a sense of incompatibility. Briefly, playback of the CD-ROM is not restarted from the same point of execution. Similar problems might arise during wake-up after hibernation. (For details of the hibernation technique for computer systems, refer to Japanese patent application 5-184186.) With its high capacity, the CD-ROM, among others, is often used for providing long programs such as role-playing games, and the user is likely to dose the LCD many times to stop a game until the program ends. Thus, the problem of the resume mode, i.e. restarting a task quickly from the same point of execution, becomes more severe. Such problems during the resume mode, however, are unlikely to occur with the HDD since its average access time is relatively short, approximately 12 milliseconds. For the magneto optical (MO) disk drive, the average access time is slightly longer at 32 milliseconds at most, the problem of resuming being as severe as for the CD-ROM drive. From the foregoing descriptions, it should be readily apparent to those skilled in the art that there is required information for restarting a task from the suspend mode at the host, and similarly, that there is also required information for restarting the task at an expansion device, especially one having its own CPU. Moreover, it should also be apparent to those skilled in the art that the host cannot control all the information required by the device for resuming. However, if no provision is available for managing such information at the expansion device, a longer period of time will be necessary for restarting a task and the context of the task will be lost.

The present invention refers to a placeholder for implantation into a human or animal body, especially as a placeholder for vertebrae or vertebral discs, a method for manufacturing such a placeholder, and a modular system for such a placeholder. Placeholders, especially for vertebrae or vertebral discs are known. For example, DE 19504867 C1 discloses a placeholder in the shape of a cylindrical-tubular body with a plurality of rhombic or diamond-shaped openings that are arranged in rows and columns. At the ends of the cylindrical tube are provided projecting serrations and recesses in correspondence with the rhombi that serve for engaging with adjacent vertebrae or adjacent tissue. The diamond-shaped openings facilitate in-growth of the tissue into the implant, such that the latter may knit well with the body. Moreover, an implant is known from US 2005/0015154 which has a scaffold-like structure in which the latticework extends over the full body or through the entire body of the implant. Such integral latticework structures are intended for use especially in replacement implants for joints, such as hips, knee joints, shoulder joints and the like. However, such integral latticework structures are difficult to manufacture and have to be adjusted and manufactured individually to suit every application case. DE 101 38 079 A1 discloses a placeholder of adjustable axial length in which two sleeve-like parts are arranged adjustably inside one another, more precisely via a lever arrangement over which the parts are connected. Although this device facilitates very precise length adjustment, the lever arrangement is complicated to manufacture. DE 198 04 765 C2 discloses a placeholder for insertion between two vertebrae with an adjustable axial length. The total length is adjusted by moving an external tube relative to an internal tube. The length adjustment proceeds stepwise by means of catches. DE 697 19 431 T2 describes a longitudinally adjustable vertebral disc placeholder in which two sleeve bodies arranged telescopically inside one another are adjusted relative to each other and are lockable via screw arrangements. However, this arrangement does not uniformly distribute the load across the screw connections and does not effectively allow in-growth by the surrounding tissue because of the close arrangement of the sleeve bodies. US 2003/0078660 discloses an implant that may be used as a placeholder in which the implant has a sleeve-like body that is corrugated. This corrugated body may in turn be arranged inside a further sleeve body. However, the corrugated form of the one implant part again makes for complicated manufacture. EP 09 047 51 A1 describes a tubular support body for vertebrae having two cages guided in one another which may be connected to each other by a projecting stud on the jacket surface of the one cage and axial feed channels in the jacket of the other cage. With this arrangement, facilitating of latching positions at different depths is provided. However, the support body is limited in variability by the feed channels. Based on the above, there is a need for an implant which is easy to manufacture and versatile in use, can provide load dissipation, allows in-growth into human or animal tissue, and is suitable for use as placeholder in the spine, that is, for vertebral discs and vertebrae, but also for tubular bones of the upper and lower extremities.

It is often desired in an integrated circuit to delay a signal. In the context of a periodic signal like a clock signal, adjustment of delay can be understood as an adjustment of the phase of the signal. Such phase shifting of a clock signal can be achieved by use of a delay locked loop (DLL), which is commonly used to generate internal clock signals for an integrated circuit from a master external clock signal. Because of the complexity of modern-day integrated circuits, the ability to finely shift the phase of a clock signal is particularly important to ensure proper timing and synchronization within the circuit. A typical DLL 10 is shown in FIG. 1. As shown, the DLL 10 derives an (internal) output clock signal (ClkOut) (or more than one output clock signal; only one is shown for simplicity) from an (external) input clock signal (ClkIn), in which the phase or delay between the two clocks can be tightly controlled. The DLL 10 comprises a variable delay line (VDL) 12 for providing a variable amount of delay to the input clock signal, and a delay model 14 for providing a fixed delay to the input clock signal. As is known, the delay model 14 models delays outside of the loop, such as those provided by the input buffers, the output buffers, the clock distribution network, etc. (not shown for simplicity). The output of the delay model 14 and the input clock signal, ClkIn, are compared at a phase detector (PD) 16, which essentially determines whether one of these signals is lagging or leading the other, and seeks to bring these two phases into alignment. For example, if the output of the delay model 14 leads ClkIn, then the phase detector 16 outputs an “Up” signal, which increases the delay through the VDL 12. By contrast, if the output of the delay module 14 lags ClkIn, then the phase detector 16 outputs a “Down” signal to decrease the delay through the VDL 12. Through this scheme, the output clock signal, ClkOut, can eventually be locked into a phase relationship with the input clock signal, ClkIn. One example of a variable delay line (VDL 12) is shown in FIG. 2. As mentioned above, the VDL 12 receives control signals “Up” or “Down” from the phase detector 16 to control the amount of delay that VDL 12 imparts to the input clock signal, ClkIn. In this regard, the exemplary VDL 12 is comprised of a plurality of stages 201 to 204. Four such stages 20 are shown in FIG. 2 for simplicity, but a realistic VDL 12 would normally have a hundred or so stages. Each stage 20 in this example comprises a D flip flop 22 and a few NAND gates 24. The control signals “Up” and “Down” from the phase detector 16 adjust at which stage 20 the ClkIn signal will enter the VDL 12, which in turn defines the delay the VDL 12 imparts. For example, as shown, the “Up”/“Down” control signals have been used to set stage 202 as the entry point for ClkIn. Accordingly, the outputs Q/Q* of flip flop 222 have been set to 1/0, while all other flip flops 224, 223, and 221 have their outputs set to 0/1. As these logic signals percolate through the NAND gates 24 as shown, it can be seen that ClkIn will pass through the NAND gates 24 only in entry stage 202 and all subsequent stages (i.e., 201), and the inherent delays in those NAND gates 24 will function to delay the signal. Should the phase detector 16 determine that the delay needs adjustment, one of control signals “Up” or “Down” would be asserted. For example, assume from the initial condition in FIG. 2 that an “Up” signal is subsequently asserted, because the phase detector 16 has decided that further delay is warranted in the VDL 12. This would shift the asserted flip flop 22 output Q/Q* of 1/0 to the next stage to the left, i.e., to flip flop 223, with all other flip flop outputs set to 0/1. As a result, the ClkIn signal would now enter the VDL 12 at stage 203, and hence would pass through the NAND gates 24 in stages 203, 202, and 201, thus increasing the delay through the VDL 12. By contrast, a “Down” signal would shift the entry point one stage 20 to the right, decreasing the delay through the VDL 12. In other embodiments, the control signals “Up” and “Down” could be combined for example, and thus only one control signal is necessary to control the VDL 12 in many useful embodiments, although two digital control signals are shown in FIG. 2. It is typical to provide the circuit elements in the VDL 12 (the flip flops 22, the NAND gates 24, etc.) with a dedicated power supply voltage (VccVDL) which is isolated from the master power supply voltage (Vcc) of the integrated circuit, as is shown in the block diagram of FIG. 1. Providing an isolated power supply to the VDL 12 is beneficial to prevent perturbations in the master power supply Vcc from being seen by the VDL 12 and adversely affecting its delay. Such isolation is important: without isolation, if the VccVDL node becomes higher than normal because of perturbations present on Vcc, delay through the VDL 12 will be quicker than expected, because a higher power supply voltage will cause the circuit elements in the VDL 12 to act more quickly. Conversely, if the VccVDL node becomes lower than normal, the opposite occurs, and delay through the VDL 12 will be slower than expected. To isolate these two power supplies, and as shown in FIG. 1, VccVDL is generated from the master power supply Vcc using a voltage regulator circuit 15. The details of such a regulator circuit 15 are variant and well known, and hence are not shown for simplicity. While VccVDL is shown as comprising an isolated power supply dedicated only to the VDL circuitry, one skilled in the art will realize that this isolated power supply may be used to power other subcircuits in the integrated circuit as well, depending on the designer's preferences and subject to the noise tolerance of the VDL 12. One skilled in the art will understand that it is generally desired that the VDL circuitry be as stable and flexible as possible. For example, it is generally not desirable that the delay imposed by the VDL 12 vary with process, voltage, or temperature (“PVT variations”). It is also desirable for design flexibility that the VDL be able to impose a delay over a long time period, as this allows the VDL to be used in integrated circuits having a wide range of clock frequencies. For example, if the VDL 12 can impose a maximum delay t(max) of 10 ns, then such a VDL 12 can be used in devices having a clock frequency of 100 MHz (1/t(max)) or greater. However, at the same time, it is preferred that the delay imposed by the VDL 12 be controllable with a fine resolution. It has been proposed to control the delay through the VDL through modifying its power supply voltage, VccVDL, as a function of temperature. In U.S. Patent Publication 2007/0182469, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety, circuitry is disclosed for sensing the temperature of the integrated circuit proximate to the DLL, and to modify VccVDL accordingly to compensate for any variations the temperature might have on the speed of the delay imposed by the VDL. Thus, if the temperature as sensed is relatively high, suggesting that the VDL would not work as efficiently and hence relatively slowly, VccVDL is increased to increase the speed of the delay through the VDL, thus compensating for the temperature. Likewise, if the temperature as sensed is relatively low, the VccVDL can be decreased accordingly. Of course, this approach merely attempts to remove temperature dependency from the VDL by compensating for temperature-dependently delay using the power supply for the VDL, VccVDL, and does not otherwise disclose means for modifying or controlling the delay over a given operational range of frequencies. Another approach pertaining more directly to control of the delay of the VDL is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,471,130, which is incorporated herein by reference in its entirety. In that patent, and as illustrated in FIG. 3, the delays in the stages 20 of the VDL 12 are graduated. Thus, as shown, the stages 20 towards the right of the delay line (201 through 2010) impart a minimum delay (t1) to the input clock signal, ClkIn. By contrast, as one moves towards the left, the delay in each stage gradually increases, e.g., to t2 for stages 2011 and 2012, to t3 for stage 2013, and so on until the highest (coarsest) delay tn is experienced in stages 20n-1 to 20n. As explained in the '130 patent, graduating the delay in the stages in this manner allows the VDL 12 to be used over a wider range of frequencies, such that adjustment in the total delay of the VDL 12 is sensibly finer at higher frequencies (where smaller delays are warranted and hence where the entry point tends towards the right end of the delay line) and coarser at lower frequencies (where longer delays are warranted and hence where the entry point tends toward the left end of the delay line). The technique of the '130 patent allows for a fine resolution and fine timing control but without the need for an excessive number of stages 20, which reduces layout space and power consumption in the VDL. As further explained in the '130 patent, the timing delay tx in each of the stages 20 can be affected for example by varying the lengths or widths of the transistors in the delay elements (e.g., the NAND gates) in each of the stages. Typical values for the delays in each stage would range from approximately 150 ps for the finest stages (t1) to approximately 500 ps for the coarsest stages (tn). As also shown in FIG. 3, and as discussed in the '130 patent, it is advisable to have a portion of the VDL 12 (i.e., some number of stages 20) act as a “buffer.” The buffer stages essentially allow the delay imparted by the VDL 12 to be lessened from an otherwise normal minimum VDL delay as set by an initial entry point. Thus, during conditions in which the DLL seeks to achieve a lock (e.g., upon initialization of the device; exit from a power down mode, etc.), the phase detector 16 will initially set the default entry point into the VDL at the dividing line between the buffer stages and the normal operating stages. This initial entry point is chosen such that it would normally be expected that the delay will need to be increased to achieve a lock, such that the entry point upon lock would fall in the normal operating stages of the VDL 12. However, because of PVT or other variations, it may be the case that achieving a lock will require that the delay through the VDL be lessened, such that the entry point will need to move to the right and into the buffer stages of the VDL 12. Understanding this illustrates the need for a buffer, because if the initial entry point is set at the far right edge of the VDL, the VDL will not be able to produce a smaller delay should one be warranted. The need for a buffer is unfortunate, because this requires additional stages, and adds to the already large layout of the VDL, which again usually has one hundred or so stages. Moreover, while the approach of the '130 patent allows for a single DLL design to be used with a wider range of frequencies, that wider range of frequencies can necessitate a need for a larger number of stages in the buffer, which is undesirable and which might mean that a large number of buffer stages would probably never be used in a real application. For example, a device with a clock cycle of X might require a total buffer delay of Y and a resolution of Z, while a device with a clock cycle of 2X would only require a total buffer delay of 0.5Y and a resolution of 0.5Z; meeting the needs of both of these devices requires a total buffer delay of Y with a resolution of 0.5Z, which doubles the amount of buffer stages required. Moreover, the approach of the '130 patent is sensitive to power supply variation, i.e., to variations in VccVDL. In particular, such power supply sensitivity may again require having an undesirable increase in the number of buffer stages to ensure proper operation during a lower VccVDL condition, or when the VDL is used in devices having naturally lower-voltage power supply requirements. Also, the need for buffer stages increases the forward delay in the DLL, which can complicate the circuitry and is generally not preferred. A further approach to VDL control is disclosed in S. Kuge et al., “A 0.18-μm 256-Mb DDR SDRAM with Low-Cost Post-Mold Tuning Method for DLL Replica,” IEEE J. Solid State Circuits, Vol. 35, No. 11, pp. 1680-89 (2000) (“Kuge”), which is briefly summarized in FIGS. 4A to 4C. In Kuge, the VDL 31 is controlled to establish a lock using a coarse adjustment mode followed by a fine adjustment mode. As shown in FIG. 4A, to assist in coarse and fine adjustment, Up/Down counter logic 17 is used to assess the output of the phase detector 16, and to create coarse addressing signals (Ac<0,1>) and fine addressing signals (Af<0,2>). (Kuge discusses further addressing signals, but what is summarized and simplified here is sufficient to describe salient aspects of the operation of his technique). These addressing signals are input to Kuge's VDL 31, which is shown in further detail in FIG. 4B. As shown, the VDL 31 comprises a fine adjustment portion and a coarse adjustment portion, which respectively receive the fine addressing signals Af<0,2> and the coarse addressing signals Ac<0,1>. As shown, the fine addressing signals Af<0,2> can create a fine delay by virtue of adding a capacitance (0, C, 2C, 3C, . . . 7C) to the delay line. The coarse addressing signals Ac<0,1> are demultiplexed to produce signals R0 to R3, which set the entry point for the output of the fine adjustment portion, /ClkIn. Notice as shown in FIG. 4A that the VccVDL regulator 32 receives the Up/Down output from the phase detector 16. This output is used during the coarse adjustment mode to set VccVDL to an optimal level. Specifically, during the coarse adjustment mode, VccVDL is first initialized to a maximum level, and all four coarse stages are used to provide a maximum delay through the coarse adjustment portion, i.e., R0 is high. (None of the fine addressing signals Af<0,2> are asserted during the coarse adjustment mode). Because VccVDL is at a relatively high level, the total delay through the VDL 31 (i.e., through the four coarse stages) is minimized. This initial condition is shown as State 1 of FIG. 4C, which shows the total delay between ClkIn and ClkOut, and thus shows the delay attributable to the delay model 14 (tdelay—model) as well as the delay attributable to the four coarse stages (tcoarse). After this initial condition, VccVDL is incrementally reduced in accordance with the Up/Down control signals from the phase detector 16. As a result of the VccVDL reduction, the delay attributable to the coarse stages is increased as shown in States 2, 3, and 4 of FIG. 4C. The goal of this strategy (of decreasing VccVDL) is to search of an optimal condition in which the total delay exceeds the clock cycle time (tcycle) by an appreciable margin. Such optimal condition is shown in State 4. Note that during this coarse adjustment mode, the entry point into the VDL 31 remains unchanged. After reaching the optimal coarse adjustment condition (e.g., State 4), the fine adjustment mode is entered. During the fine adjustment mode, VccVDL is kept to the same value that was deemed optimal during the last iteration of the coarse adjustment mode (i.e., at State 4). However, the coarse addressing signals are now modified to bring the number of coarse stages under the tcycle limit; as shown this amounts to removing two of the four coarse stages, which occurs through assertion of signal R2. Because VccVDL is not changed during the fine adjustment mode, the delay imparted by the coarse stages (tcoarse) does not change. However, during the fine adjustment mode, the fine addressing signals Af<0,2> are manipulated to gradually insert fine delays into the VDL (Stages 5, 6, and 7) until a lock condition is met. Kuge's approach is workable, and in some respects is better than the approach of the '130 patent, particularly as concerns layout of the VDL. As can be appreciated, because VccVDL modification is used in addition to a staged approach to adjust the delay during the coarse adjustment mode, the number of coarse stages used can be small. However, any saving in layout of the VDL achieved by Kuge's technique are offset by the additional control complexity that his technique requires. Specifically, his “two mode” approach is difficult to encode in silicon, and such encoding takes up space in its own right. Moreover, switching from one mode to another can create instabilities during the lock process. Simply put, Kuge's approach is difficult to implement and has the potential to suffer from reliability problems. The art would be benefited by an improved VDL and DLL architecture, and this disclosure provides such a solution.

Various methods of spinal immobilization have been used in the treatment of spinal instability and displacement. The most common treatment for spinal stabilization is immobilization of the joint by surgical fusion, or arthrodesis. This has been known for almost a century. In many cases, however, pseudoarthrosis is a problem, particularly in cases involving fusion across the lumbosacral articulation and when more than two vertebrae are fused together. Early in the century, post operative external immobilization such as the use of splints and casts was the favored method of spinal fixation. As surgical techniques became more sophisticated, various methods of internal and external fixation were developed. Internal fixation refers to therapeutic methods of stabilization that are wholly internal to the patient and include commonly known devices such as bone plates, screws, rods and pins. External fixation, in contrast, involves at least some portion of the stabilization device being located external to the patient's body. As surgical technologies and procedures became more advanced and the likelihood of infection decreased, internal fixation became the favored method of immobilization since it is less restrictive on the patient. Internal fixation of the spine may be used to treat a variety of disorders including kyphosis, spondylolisthesis and rotation, segmental instability, such as disc degeneration and/or fracture caused by disease, trauma, congenital defects and tumor diseases. One of the main challenges associated with spinal fixation is securing the fixation device to the spine without damaging the spinal cord. The pedicles of a vertebra are commonly used for fixation as they generally offer an area that is strong enough to hold the fixation device in place to fix the treatment area even when the patient suffers from degenerative instability such as osteoporosis. Early fixation devices involved the use of screws extending through the facets and into the pedicles. Current fixation devices and hardware systems used internally for spinal fixation in modern surgical procedures are generally designed to meet one or more criteria, such as: providing rigidity as is indicated, generally along the long axis of the patient's spine; accommodating a broad variation in the size and shape of the spinal member with which it is used; having the capability of handling the stresses and strains to which the devices will be subjected resulting from movement of the spine; and providing easy surgical access during both implantation and removal of the implant. Of these factors, the most difficult to achieve may very well be providing easy surgical access when the implant is being deployed and/or removed by surgeon. In particular, surgeons often wish to fit, test, adjust and refit fixation devices numerous times during a procedure in order to ensure that the device is optimally positioned. This is particularly important when dealing with the spinal column due to the risk of paralysis. One example of a device designed as an attempt to meet the above-described criteria is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,466,237. The fixation device disclosed includes what is described as a variable position locking anchor having a bone screw and a seat. The disclosed device uses a nut as a locking mechanism. As disclosed, the nut is tightened to the seat to compress an attached rod along a longitudinal axis of the screw, causing the screw to engage in mating contact with the seat and thereby locking the screw in place. In use, it is difficult to maintain proper positioning of the fixation device while tightening a nut or other such locking mechanism. It would be preferable, however, if the screw could be locked independently of the rod. It would also be preferable if the screw could be locked without compressing the rod and the screw. It would further be preferable if the locking mechanism included a partial or preliminary lock for assisting the surgeon in fitting the implant prior to finally locking the implant in place. The present invention includes a novel fixation device that overcomes the disadvantages of the prior art.

As a countermeasure to corrosion of ferrous metal materials, much use has been made of zinc-rich paints made using a zinc powder containing unavoidable impurities as a pigment and organic materials and/or inorganic materials as a vehicle (liquid binder ingredient). Zinc-rich paints are mainly used as primers for heavy duty corrosion protection paint. The corrosion protection mechanism features the sacrificial corrosion protection of the zinc powder contained in a coat. Further, the corrosion protection of a coat of a zinc-rich paint is strongly dependent on the extent of the sacrificial corrosion protection of the zinc powder, so depending on the usage environment, the rate of consumption of the zinc sometimes becomes larger and the corrosion protection on the ferrous metal material will not last long. Therefore, in the past, the practice has been to increase the content of the zinc powder in the coat or increase the coat thickness, but as a result a drop in the adhesion with the surface of the steel material, cracking or sagging of the coat, etc. easily occur. In the end, it is difficult to realize both the corrosion protection performance of the coat and the physical properties or coating ability. Measures increasing the content of the zinc powder in the coat are not perfect. In view of this situation, development of a high performance zinc-rich paint able to maintain the advantages of conventional zinc-rich paints and furthermore exhibit a sacrificial corrosion protection over a long period of time has been hoped for. Up until now, various proposals have been made. For example, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 59-52645 and Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 59-167249 propose an organic-based zinc-rich paint containing not only a zinc powder, but also a Zn—Mg alloy powder, while Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 59-198142 proposes an organic-based zinc-rich paint containing not only a zinc powder, but also a Zn—Mg alloy powder and Mn powder. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 1-311178 discloses the long lasting corrosion protection performance of a Zn-(5 to 15%)Mg alloy powder in an organic paint, while Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2-73932 discloses the long lasting corrosion protection performance of an organic coat containing an Zn—Mg alloy powder with a metal structure comprised of Zn and MgZn2. Further, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 11-343422 proposes a rust protection pigment for an organic-based corrosion resistant paint containing flake-shaped particles of Zn alloy containing Al, Mg, etc. In addition to the above, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2001-164194 proposes an organic-based zinc-rich paint obtained by crushing an ingot of Zn—Al—Mg-based alloy powder where over 50% of the alloy powder is an Al/Zn/Zn2Mg eutectic structure, while Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2005-314501 proposes an organic-based paint for improving the corrosion resistance of cut parts of a high corrosion resistance galvannealed steel material containing a powder of a Zn—Al alloy containing Mg or Si, having a spherical or oval shape, and having a value of the ratio of maximum size and minimum size (maximum size/minimum size) of 1 to 1.5. The above proposals try to improve the corrosion protection performance of an organic-based paint and the corrosion resistance by the combination of a new alloy powder. However, a general organic-based paint has the secondary problems of deteriorating in a composite environment of UV rays, moisture, oxygen, etc. and requiring maintenance in relatively short cycles. In such a situation, several proposals have been made up to now for the purpose of improving the corrosion protection performance of inorganic-based paints not having such defects of organic-based paints. For example, while different in object from the present invention, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 61-213270 proposes a paint composition containing a mixture of a zinc powder and Mg or Mg alloy for the purpose of inhibiting paint deterioration at the time of welding and cutting. On the other hand, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2000-80309 proposes a corrosion resistant paint having three types of phases, a Zn phase, Zn—Mg alloy phase, and Zn and Mg solid solution phase, as main ingredients and having these mixed in inorganic-based paint as powder particles and a corrosion resistant ferrous metal material coated with this paint. The proposal of Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2000-80309 is noteworthy as being a fundamental means for improving corrosion resistance, but according to studies of the inventors, there are actually both cases where the corrosion resistance is improved and cases where the improvement in the corrosion resistance is not clear. There are questions as to the stability of the effect of improvement of the corrosion resistance. Further, Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2002-285102 and Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 2005-336431 propose an inorganic-based corrosion resistant paint containing flake-shaped particles of a Zn alloy containing Mg etc. and a corrosion resistant ferrous metal material coated with that paint. However, including the proposal of Japanese Patent Publication (A) No. 11-343422, in the above proposals, the particles have flake shapes, so the new problem is caused that spray coating is difficult.

The present invention relates to boundary surfaces between optical media with different refractive indices in measuring devices. In some optical applications, in particular in fiber optical paths, it is important to avoid or at least reduce unwanted return reflections, i.e. reflections in the direction of an incident optical signal, since such return reflections can disturb e.g. the source (for example a laser diode) of the optical signal. This can lead, amongst others, to signal deviations of the optical signal source. Reflections, in general, are caused by boundary surfaces (also referred to as contact surfaces) in the optical path due to differences in refractive indices. E.g. in fiber optical paths, reflections are caused at all boundary surfaces and in particular at fiber terminations, such as fiber connections. High values of reflections result in particular from transitions between the optical path media and air for transitions perpendicular to the propagation direction of the optical path. Assuming an optical glass fiber with a refractive index of n=15 would result in a reflectivity R=4% for such a perpendicular glass air transition. Using the definition of return loss RL in logarithmic dB values: RL=xe2x88x9210 lg(R) leads to a return loss of RL=14 dB for the exemplary perpendicular glass-air transition. In order to diminish the influence of unwanted reflections, boundary surfaces such as optical path terminations are generally provided to be angular, angled or tilted (referred to in the following as xe2x80x98angularxe2x80x99). In optical fibers, such fiber terminations are usually grinded or cut in an angular manner. Typical angles of a standard single mode fiber with approximately 0.008 to 0.010 mm mode field diameter (1300 nm, 1550 nm) are about 8xc2x0. The return loss RL in such a case will be greater than 60 dB. U.S. Pat. No. 5,574,809 discloses an optical fiber with inclined end faces with anti-reflection films formed thereon. Disadvantageous in providing angular terminations of the optical path, however, is the polarization dependent transmission through that termination which is caused by that angular boundary surface. Since optical signals transmitted on optical paths, such as fibers, are normally polarized, transmission and accordingly loss at such angular boundary surfaces (e.g. fiber-fiber or fiber-air) is dependent on the state of polarization of the optical signal. The state of polarization of the optical signal, however, will be modified by any deflection and/or change in temperature and fiber bending within the optical path, so that the state of polarization at the angular boundary surfaces is undefined and varies statistically. The optical power of the optical signal will thus be modified in a statistical and accordingly undefined manner at each boundary surface with polarization dependent transmission characteristics. This effect even increases if there are a plurality of polarization dependent boundary surfaces located within the optical path. The polarization dependent loss (PDL) is generally defined as: PDL = - 10 ⁢ xe2x80x83 ⁢ lg ⁡ ( Δ ⁢ xe2x80x83 ⁢ P P average ) ≅ - 10 ⁢ xe2x80x83 ⁢ lg ( P max - P min 1 2 · ( P max + P min ) ) whereby xcex94P represents the difference in power between a maximum power value Pmax and a minimum power value Pmin of a back reflected signal under the influence of polarization which might occur for an incident signal. Paverage represents the average power that can be approximated as xc2xd(Pmaxxe2x88x92Pmin). U.S. Pat. No. 4,492,436 and Mordechai Gilo, Design of a nonpolarizing beamsplitter inside a glass cube, Applied Optics, Sep. 1, 1992, Vol. 31, No. 25, pages 5345-5349 disclose polarization independent beam splitters. In Gilo, the transmittance values are designed and optimized to give either Tp=Ts or Tp+Ts=constant, in the vicinity of xcex0. A polarization independent, linear tuned interference filter with constant transmission characteristics is disclosed under this title by N. Mekada et al., IEEE Photonics Technology letters, June 1997, vol. 9, No. 6. If measuring devices are coupled to the optical path for determining the optical power of the optical signal, the measuring results are modulated by the statistically modifying polarization dependent loss, e.g. at the boundary surface towards the measuring device, thus increasing the (rated) measuring fault. In the above-mentioned example of a tilted termination boundary surface with an angle of 8xc2x0 and a transition between glass (refractive index of 1.5) and air, the measuring fault will be approximately 0.5% or 0.022 dB (peak to peak). It is an object of the present invention to reduce the influence of return loss (RL) and polarization dependent loss (PDL) on boundary surfaces in an optical path for measuring purposes. The object is solved by the independent claim. Preferred embodiments are shown by the dependent claims. According to the invention, a boundary surface (between optical media with different refractive indices) of a measuring device is provided to be angular in order to reduce back reflection of an optical signal at that boundary surface into the direction of the source of the optical signal. The boundary surface according to the invention further provides a transmission (through the boundary surface) independent of the state of polarization of the incident optical signal. This can be achieved in that the transmissions of the optical signal perpendicular and parallel to the plane of incidence of the angular boundary surface are substantially equal. The plane of incidence is generally defined by the incident signal beam and the normal (or plumb line) to the boundary surface. Thus, the boundary surface provides an interface between optical media with different refractive indices, whereby polarization dependent effects at the boundary surface can be reduced or even be avoided since the transmission through the boundary surface becomes independent of the state of polarization of the incident optical signal. This substantial independence of the state of polarization of the incident optical signal, however, generally leads to a substantially constant loss or the optical signal at the boundary surface, which is independent of the state of polarization. The invention thus, on one hand, leads to a reduction of the return reflections towards the incident optical signal and, on the other hand, leads to a substantially constant loss substantially independent of the state of polarization of the incident optical signal. For avoiding or reducing the polarization dependent loss (PDL) the angular boundary surface (e.g. a termination facet) will be preferably provided with a specific coating substantially fulfilling the condition: Ts=Tp whereby Ts is the transmission perpendicular to the plane of incidence of the boundary surface, and Tp is the transmission parallel to the plane of incidence of the boundary surface. For physical reasons, the transmission rates of the optical signal perpendicular and parallel to the plane of incidence of the angular boundary surface will generally be smaller than 100%. In case that Ts=Tp, there is no polarization dependent loss at the boundary surface even though the boundary surface is angular. A coating of the boundary surface is preferably provided to achieve a polarization independent transmission and also to reduce reflection at the boundary surface. In the ideal case, the boundary surface should provide a smooth and continuous gradient between the refractive indices. This, however, encounters the problem of technical feasibility. Instead of such a continuous gradient between the refractive indices, a plurality of individual layers can be provided e.g. by evaporating or sputtering processes. It is to be understood that a plurality of individual layers also provides more degrees of freedom for the optical design. For technical or cost reasons it might be necessary to limit the number of materials applied for the individual layers. In such a case, it has been found that a sequence of alternating layers of only two different materials already exhibited remarkable results. General properties of applicable materials for the polarization independent boundary surface are that the material can be applied as preferably thin layers and the material preferably provides dielectric, loss-free layers. Suitable materials have been found in the following list of common evaporating materials: hafnium oxide HfO2 titanium oxide TiO2 aluminum oxide Al2O3 zirconium oxide ZrO2 silicon oxide SiO2 When designing the plurality of individual layers, in particular the interference properties of the layers, alone and in combination with each other, have to be taken into account preferably in order to reduce back reflected light as much as possible. The polarization independent coating of the boundary surface is preferably provided to be also dereflective or anti-reflective, thus further reducing return reflections. By carefully selecting coating parameters, such as number of coating layers, coating materials and/or layer thickness of the return reflection reducing coating, the above given condition Ts=Tp can also be fulfilled for coatings wherein the average transmission is smaller than 100%, or, in other words, for coatings which provide the condition: Ts + Tp 2 less than 100 ⁢ % . That means that even xe2x80x98non-perfectxe2x80x99 dereflective coatings according to the invention with reflectivity values of R greater than 0 do not provide polarization dependent transmission losses and can thus be applied. In case that the values of the perpendicular and parallel transmission Ts and Tp (respectively) exhibit dependencies on the wavelengths of the incident optical signal, a certain tradeoff or compromise for different wavelengths or one or more wavelength bands might have to be made in order to reduce the polarization dependent loss for those wavelengths or wavelength bands. In such a case, the condition Ts=Tp will hardly be fulfilable for all wavelengths so that a certain compromise has to be made and a certain wavelength dependent polarization dependent loss will have to be encountered. However, by carefully balancing Ts(xcex) and Tp(xcex) the affect of polarization dependent loss can be efficiently minimized for certain wavelengths or wavelength bands of interest. The invention is preferably used for providing a defined termination (facet) of an optical path, in particular of an optical fiber path but can be employed for any kind of boundary or contact surface. Such defined terminations of optical paths are in particular useful for measurement purposes since the measurement fault, and thus the measurement resolution, can be significantly improved by eliminating or at least reducing polarization dependent effects. The invention can be applied e.g. for termination surfaces, termination adapters, detector surfaces, or the like.

SAE J1772, which is a standard for electrical connectors for electric vehicles, describes the use of an electrical signal referred to as the pilot signal that is sourced by the Electric Vehicle Supply Equipment (EVSE) (sometimes referred herein as an “electric vehicle charging station”) that can perform one or more of the following functions: verifies that the electric vehicle is present and connected to the EVSE, permits energization/de-energization of the supply, transmits available supply current to the electric vehicle, monitors the presence of the equipment ground, and specifies vehicle ventilation requirements. SAE J1772 also describes detecting the presence of the connector in the vehicle inlet (referred to as “proximity detection”). SAE J1772 also describes that the proximity detection circuit may be used to provide a signal in the vehicle charge control strategy to help reduce electrical arcing of the coupler during disconnect. Arcing causes cumulative negative impacts such as the pitting of the contacts leading to greater contact resistance, which in turn raises the heating in the connector which can lead to the connector shell melting. The arc itself can also lead to heat that can cause damage to the connector shell. Also, a previously pitted connector can cause damage to an otherwise pristine mating connector when operating under normal conditions. Such use of a proximity detection circuit is not mandatory to be compliant with SAE J1772. Thus, electric vehicle on-board charging systems can be designed to be compliant with SAE J1772 without implementing such a feature. Traditionally, on-board charging systems are able to turn off current flow before the connector is removed from the vehicle inlet in one of two ways. The first is to turn off the Insulated Gate Bipolar Transistors (IGBTs) in the on-board charging system thereby halting the flow of current. The second way is to raise the voltage level of the pilot signal's positive phase from 6V to 9V, which signals the EVSE to open its contactor to de-energize the connection. Although SAE J1772 suggests that a proximity detection circuit can be used to provide a signal in the vehicle charge control strategy to help reduce electrical arcing of the connector during disconnect, SAE J1772 does not describe how this is implemented.

U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/768,269 discloses a fire escape device for lowering people from a high-rise. This structure of fire escape device is function, however it still has drawbacks as outlined hereinafter: (1) The damping devices 6 are designed to be mounted in the seats 213;214 at the casing 2, however it is difficult to accurately install the damping devices 6 in a narrow space; (2) The damping devices 6 are respectively forced into contact with the concave surface portions and convex surface portions of the circular track of the friction disk 50, however the damping effect of the damping devices 6 cannot be fully carried out because the friction disk 50 cannot be stably turned in a fixed direction when the user pulls the cable 7.

Modern computer systems comprise a memory and a memory controller. In memory, such as DRAMs (Dynamic Random Access Memory) or SRAMs (Static Random Access Memory) for examples, data stored in the memory may become corrupted, for example by one or more forms of radiation. Often this corruption presents itself as a “soft error”. For example, a single bit in a block of data read (such as a cache line that is read) may be read as a “0” whereas the single bit had been written as a “1”. Most modern computer systems use an error correcting code (ECC) circuitry to correct a single bit error (SBE) before passing the block of data to a processor. The SBE may be a permanent error (a physical error in the memory or interconnection to the memory) or the SBE may be a “soft error”. Some modern computer systems are capable of correcting more than one error in the block of data read. For simplicity of explanation, ECC circuitry herein will be described in terms of correcting single bit errors, but the invention is not limited to computer systems having ECC circuitry that correct only single bit errors. Soft errors in memory are often corrected by scrubbing. Scrubbing refers to periodically or otherwise reading data, correcting any correctable errors, and writing the corrected data back to memory. Scrubbing is important to prevent a single bit soft error from, over time, becoming a multi-bit error that the ECC circuitry is incapable of correcting. For example, suppose the ECC circuitry is capable of correcting an SBE, and a first soft error occurs in a particular cache line. The ECC circuitry is capable of correcting the SBE and sending correct data to the processor. Further suppose that the first soft error is left uncorrected, and, after a period of time, a second error (hard or soft error) occurs in the particular cache line. A “hard” error is a permanent error, for example, a broken signal connector, or a failing driver or receiver. The ECC circuitry is not capable of correcting a cache line having two errors, and reports that an error has been detected but can not be corrected, resulting in likely termination of a task requesting the particular cache line, and possibly requiring a re-boot of the computer system. To reduce the likelihood of uncorrectable multi-bit errors, therefore, memory is scrubbed over a specified scrub period. For example, an entire memory of a computer system may be scrubbed over a twenty four hour scrub period. Specified memory reliability rates rely on completion of scrubbing all memory in the specified period. A memory controller determines how much memory is connected to the memory controller, determines how many scrub requests must be serviced to scrub the entire memory during the scrub period (e.g., a day), and breaks the scrub period into scrub intervals. A memory controller sequences through the total number of scrubs required, one scrub command at a time, requiring that a scrub be serviced during each scrub interval. With reference now to prior art FIGS. 3A and 3B, during a first scrub subinterval of a particular scrub interval, the scrub command will be serviced if doing so does not impact normal read commands issued by the processor, or, in some cases, write commands. If the scrub command has not been serviced during the first scrub subinterval of the particular scrub interval, the scrub request escalates to a scrub demand during a second scrub subinterval, at which point, normal command flow (servicing reads and writes issued by the processor) is delayed in favor of the scrub demand, the scrub demand is serviced, and then the normal command flow resumed. Demand scrubs reduce throughput of the computer system because they increase latency of read and write requests, causing a processor to wait for data. This is shown pictorially in FIG. 3B. In FIG. 3B, progress of scrubbing over the scrub period is shown as a straight line over the course of the scrub period (for exemplary purposes, the scrub period is one day). A memory demand workload is shown to increase at about 8 am, remain relatively high until about 5 pm, and then taper off. During Time A and Time C, memory demand workload is relatively light. During Time B, memory demand workload is relatively heavy, and it often occurs that scrub requests can not be serviced during a first scrub subinterval of a scrub interval. To keep on the straight-line “progress”, scrub demands, in a second scrub subinterval of the scrub interval, are then enforced, causing scrub requests to be serviced while read requests and write requests issued by the processor wait. In an embodiment of the present invention, a scrub slack value is determined. The scrub slack value indicates whether, at a given time, scrub progress is ahead of, or behind, an expected progress of scrubbing. A memory workload is determined by dynamically measuring the workload or by using a predetermined estimate of memory workload by time of day. The memory workload may be dynamically determined by observation of fullness of a write queue or a read queue in a memory controller, wherein if the read queue and/or the write queue become relatively full, the memory workload is heavy. Responsive to scrub progress and memory workload, a scrub priority is adjusted. Advantageously, when memory workload is relatively light, the memory controller attempts to “get ahead” of the expected scrub progress by servicing more scrub requests in a given time interval. When memory workload is relatively heavy, the memory controller services relatively fewer scrub requests in order to reduce read and/or write request latency related to read requests and write requests issued by the processor. In addition, if the scrub progress lags the expected scrub progress as a scrub period nears completion, scrub priority is raised in order that the memory controller completes scrubbing of the entire memory during the scrub period. In an embodiment, scrub priority is adjusted by lengthening or shortening a scrub interval. In an embodiment, scrub priority is adjusted by changing an apportionment of the scrub interval between a first scrub subinterval during which scrub requests have a first priority versus read and/or write requests, and a second scrub subinterval during which scrub requests have a second priority, higher than the first priority, versus read requests and/or write requests.

In addition to reducing galvanic corrosion it is important that adhesive films when cured should not be brittle and should provide fracture toughness which means that a flaw in the film is protected against propagation. This is particularly important when the films are used for the bonding of substrates in vehicle manufacture to reduce or prevent fracture propagation in the event of accidents. It is also desirable that the cured films have an elongation to break to allow them to help absorb impact. Thermosetting adhesive compositions are well known and many are based on epoxy resins and various methods have been proposed to improve the toughness of the adhesive bond formed and to control the glass transition temperature and accordingly reduce the brittleness of the cured adhesive. The adhesives are often used in highly automated processes such as in the production of components for automobiles, aerospace vehicles such as aircraft and rockets and in the construction and furniture industries. One desirable property is that the adhesive can be cured over a relatively short period of time and at temperatures conventionally used in the production of such components. In this way the curing of the adhesive will not unduly delay the component production process. It has also been proposed that the adhesives may be in the form of films. The invention provides an adhesive film which satisfies these requirements.

Magnesium and aluminum and their alloys are widely used for a variety of consumer products and in various industrial processes. Magnesium and aluminum are, however, subject to pitting corrosion and a variety of coatings have been applied to them to minimize such corrosion. One particularly convenient method for providing corrosion protection for magnesium or aluminum is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,726. There, magnesium or aluminum was alloyed with a metal selected from the group consisting of Mo, W, Cr, V, Hf, Zr, Fe, B, Be, Ni, Co, Ta, Cb, Ti, Pd, Th, Rh, Re, Os, Ir, Pt, Cu, Au, and Mn. Such alloys were taught as providing corrosion protection and were formed by depositing a layer of alloying metal powder about 1.5 millimeters thick onto a magnesium or aluminum substrate and irradiating it with a laser beam. Irradiation was conducted in inert atmospheres to prevent oxidation of the metals. The laser radiation melted the alloying metal powder and a thin layer of the surface of the magnesium or aluminum substrate. The molten metals were mixed by thermal currents and maintained in a molten state for from about one to about two seconds or less. Then the mixture was solidified into crystalline microstructures. Materials coated in this manner were thought not only to be corrosion resistant, but to be harder, stronger and more wear resistant than uncoated magnesium or aluminum. Jain, Kulkarni and Sood ("Laser Treatment of Chromium Films on Aluminum at High Power Densities", Thin Solid Films, Volume 86 (1981) pages 1-9) irradiated Cr which had been deposited onto an aluminum substrate. The irradiation was conducted in the presence of air. However, they irradiated the coated substrate with a single laser pulse to determine its effect. They did not recognize that they may have formed mixed oxides nor did they recognize the highly beneficial corrosion resistance shown by such alloys. It would be desirable to have magnesium and aluminum alloys which may be formed without the need for special inert atmospheres during alloying. It would also be desirable to have new alloys of magnesium and aluminum which are resistant to pitting corrosion. It is an object of the present invention to provide alloys of magnesium or aluminum which are more resistant to pitting corrosion than unalloyed magnesium or aluminum.

The present invention relates to programmable electronic visual display systems. More particularly the present invention relates to systems of that type in which multiple dimensional displays are provided for visually connecting in a logical manner visual displays with, for example, an audio, input signal such as from a musical sound source. It is also anticipated that input sources other than audio can be used with the system of the present invention. The basic concept of providing visual light displays to accompany musical programs has been employed in several prior art systems. One such system is illustrated in the applicant's prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,806,873 which issued on Apr. 23, 1974. The system described in this patent provided a means for achieving a variation of color according to the frequency content of a musical score in the visual display together with special synchronization of the movement of the display according to the beat of a musical score. In other words, this prior patent has taught the creation of a visual display system which achieves a color spectrum of the musical score together with motion of the spectral display in synchronization with the beat or tempo of the music in a manner which is determined by the musical score. Such prior art systems as described in the applicant's aforementioned patent have provided the first intelligent visual communication of the audio content of a musical score. Systems of this type have proven extremely useful, for example, in communicating the intelligence of a musical score to those such as handicapped persons who can not perceive the auditory content of the musical score per se. Systems such as that in the applicant's aforementioned prior patent have relied to a great deal on the rhythm content and frequency content of the audio input itself to produce pleasing displays in the visual display portion of the system. The present invention retains the advantage of such prior art systems while in addition introduces the capability of providing multiple displays which may be located in spacially significant parts of a setting such as a concert hall but, moreover, provide for predetermined pleasing patterns to be introduced in the visual display portion of the system which patterns may be of any character designed and which are not solely determined according to the rhythmatic and frequency content of the input portion of the system. While the systems to be described are described in terms of audio input signals, it is anticipated that other types of input sources can be used. The following descriptions are intended as being exemplary in this sense, rather than limitative. Thus, programmable visual display systems according to the concepts of the present invention provide a new dimension in communication of the intelligence conveyed in an input such as a musical score in the sense that such intelligence may be interpreted through the motion, tempo of the motion, frequency content, and intensity of an audio input. A system contemplated by the present invention can provide a much more subtle and aesthetic conveyence in a visual display of the intent and mood of an audio composition such as a musical score than in any system afforded in the prior art.

With the increase in coal mining depth, the ground stress and gas pressure of the coal seams increase gradually, the permeability of the coal seams drastically decreases, the rockbursts, coal and gas outbursts and other power disasters of the coal seams are becoming increasingly serious, and especially extremely soft coal seams that have been subject to tectonic destruction lead to the increase of the danger of the coal dust disaster. At present, the coal seam water injection techniques are frequently utilized in China to prevent and control rockbursts, coal and gas outburst, coal dust and other disasters; different water injection pressures and modes are used depending on different disaster characteristics, these techniques include low and medium pressure water injection wetting, high pressure water injection, ultrahigh pressure water injection fracturing and other water injection techniques with different pressures and further comprise static pressure water injection, dynamic pressure water injection (pulse fracturing) and other water injection techniques in different modes. After various water injection measures are taken on site, the effectiveness of coal seam water injection is often investigated, and especially the wetted perimeter of the coal seam water injection needs to be determined in the field of dust prevention and control. At present, for the existing investigation method, the moisture content is determined mainly by means of sampling the coal on site after water injection so as to determine the wetted perimeter of coal seam water injection, the moisture in the coal fissure in the test point area gets lost in advance owing to the influence of the investigation boreholes, resulting in large test errors of coal moisture content when this method is used to test the moisture content, and for this method, the samples are taken and tested after completion of water injection, resulting in failure to reflect the dynamic penetration process of coal seam water injection, thus leading to failure to provide adequate scientific reference for the optimization of coal seam water injection parameters.

While the invention is often described herein with reference to a digital video disc, Blu-Ray disc, and video game distribution system, an application to which the invention is advantageously suited, it will be readily apparent that the invention is not limited to that application and can be employed in article dispensing systems used to distribute a wide variety of dispensable articles. The digital video disc (DVD) player has been one of the most successful consumer electronics product launches in history. The market for DVD movie video, Blu-Ray movie video, and video game rentals is enormous and growing. Millions of households have acquired DVDs since they were introduced in 1997. In the first quarter of 2003 alone, it was estimated that well over three million DVD players were shipped to U.S. retailers. In 2003, brick-and-mortar stores dominated the movie video and video game rental landscape in the U.S. Statistics showed that two brick-and-mortar companies controlled nearly sixty-five percent of the home video rental business. One element repeatedly cited for success of certain brick-and mortar store video rental franchises was perceived high availability of new video releases. Consumers want entertainment on demand, and through stocking multiple units of each new release, successful brick-and-mortar companies meet this consumer demand. The foregoing indicates that there is a significant market potential for aligning regular routines of consumers (e.g., shopping, getting coffee or gas or going to a convenience store) with their DVD, Blu-Ray, and video game rental activities. One improved article dispensing machine is disclosed in commonly owned U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609, which is herein incorporated by reference in its entirety. The invention of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention can function as an article dispensing machine-based distribution system that will typically have multiple units of each new release per article dispensing machine. The dispensing machines of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention can stock up to two thousand DVDs, Blu-Ray, video games, or other discs (movies, games or other entertainment content), making the system competitive with existing brick-and-mortar video rental superstores. The dispensing machine and system of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention distinguishes itself from such stores by offering major benefits not conventionally offered by such stores, including additional cross-marketing programs (e.g., promotional rentals for a certain amount of dollars spent at the retail location) and convenience (e.g., open always). The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention yields a competitive advantage in the DVD, Blu-Ray disc, and video game rental marketplace by offering consumers cross-marketing/promotional programs, convenience of selection (e.g., computer-based searches for movies and recommendations based on consumer profiles), and potentially extended hours (e.g., 24 hours a day, 7 days a week). The invention employs a more cost-effective, convenient platform than brick-and-mortar stores. In addition, with the invention, dispensing machines can be situated in retail locations having high foot traffic, such as at a popular grocery store, restaurant, drug store, and/or other popular retail location. The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention can be operated at a substantial savings over the costs associated with traditional brick-and-mortar video rental stores. For example, the invention does not require hourly employees to continuously man the dispensing machines or restock them with inventories. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention does not require an on-site store manager because all operational decisions can be made at a centralized location by a management team officed remote from the retail locations. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention does not require significant physical space. Unlike brick-and-mortar stores, the dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention has low operating costs because heating or air conditioning is not necessarily required for the dispensing machines and they consume a relatively low level of electrical energy. In addition, the dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 has low maintenance costs and downtime. The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention addresses the shortcomings of traditional brick-and-mortar stores in a convenient and cost-effective delivery vehicle having the added bonus of serving as an effective promotional platform that drives incremental sales to retail locations. In addition, the dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention overcomes these disadvantages by at least offering more new releases and older selections for any given time period, and lower cost per viewing with significantly more convenience than Internet-based and pay-per-view services. The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention is a fully automated, integrated DVD, Blu-Ray, and video game rental and/or purchase systems. It preferably incorporates robust, secure, scalable software that provides a fully personalized user experience and real-time feedback to retail locations and advertisers, scalable hardware that leverages existing technologies such as touch screen, focused audio speakers and video monitors, technology utilizing the Internet through a system website or mobile/consumer electronics device application. These technologies and others fill long-felt needs in the art and give advantages over conventional video distribution options. The dispensing machine of the U.S. Pat. No. 7,234,609 and the invention functions as much as a promotional platform as it does a rental kiosk. By utilizing the dispensing machines and the fully-interactive, real-time, linked Internet website or mobile/consumer electronics device applications, consumers can rent one or more DVDs, Blu-Ray discs, video games, or other entertainment content directly from dispensing machines as well as indirectly by making a rental reservation through the website or application for later pickup at a conveniently located machine. These dispensing machines are preferably networked with each other, with the inventory control and/or supply office and with the system website or application by phone-line, DSL, wireless network, or other Internet connection at each retail location. Through this linked network, the rental experience for each consumer can be customized based on a profile for each consumer, such as via personalized home pages and rental screens. The invention allows for optimizing the utilization of inventory space for articles dispensable from an article dispensing machine by improving the sorting, removal, and loading of the inventory of articles. A list identifying a subset of articles targeted for removal from the article dispensing machine may be received. The subset of articles may include at least thinned articles, damaged articles, fraudulent articles, do not rent (DNR) articles, rebalancing articles, and/or a combination of these subsets that are to be removed from the article dispensing machine. Further refined subsets of a subset of articles may also be defined. The subset of articles may be moved from a non-removable storage unit in the article dispensing machine to a predetermined area. The predetermined area may include a merchandising zone of the storage unit and/or a separate article removal bin. Inventory management may then be initiated through the receipt of a command from a field service representative. The field service representative may remove each subset of articles from the predetermined area(s) and confirm that the subset of articles was removed. New articles may be loaded into the predetermined area by the field service representative, followed by confirmation that the new articles have been loaded. The article dispensing machine may move the new articles from the predetermined area to the storage unit. The status of each of the articles may be tracked in an inventory database. The invention has the advantage of quicker and more efficient removal from and loading of articles to an article dispensing machine because the articles may be removed from and loaded to the same predetermined area. Moreover, the wear and tear on mechanics of the article dispensing machine and downtime due to mechanical breakdowns may be reduced through use of the invention. Cost savings due to less downtime, maintenance, and time for removing and loading articles may also result. Other features and advantages are provided by the following description and drawings.

The present disclosure relates to surgical forceps and, more particularly, to blade deployment mechanisms for use in surgical forceps for sealing and dividing tissue.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention is related with an optical pickup apparatus used for an optical disk recording and/or reproducing apparatus, which can reproduce different types of optical disks by selectively moving two types of optical pickups on one or two moving paths. 2. Description of the Related Art As can be seen in Japanese Utility Model Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei-1-78323, there is a compatible player which can selectively reproduce two types of record media. This compatible player is intended to selectively reproduce an optical disk and a needle type disk. The optical pickup and the needle type pickup corresponding respectively to these two types of disks are fixed and held at free edges of U-shaped brackets, respectively. In a case of reproducing the optical disk, the optical disk is scanned by removing the U-shaped bracket from a turn table, rotating it by 180 degrees around a horizontal axis and moving the optical pickup upward so as to scan the optical disk. In a case of reproducing the needle type disk, the needle type disk is scanned by again removing the U-shaped bracket from the turn table, rotating it by 180 degrees around the horizontal axis and moving the needle type pickup upward so as to scan the needle type disk. Further, as can be seen in Japanese Patent Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei-2-66731, there is a disk reproducing apparatus which can reproduce both surfaces of a disk by moving a single optical pickup on two moving paths. However, the reproducing apparatus in accordance with the Japanese Utility Model Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No.Hei-1-78323 is intended to reproduce a CD and a record, and the reproducing apparatus in accordance with the Japanese Patent Application Laying Open (KOKAI) No. Hei-2-66731 is intended to reproduce one type of a disk. Thus, they cannot reproduce different types of optical disks.

Accurate counting techniques are particularly useful to manufacturers of optical compact discs, who need to determine the number of discs packaged in a stack of discs prior to shipment. Manufacturers have tried various techniques, including simply measuring the height of a stack of discs. Each optical disc is manufactured to a certain thickness, plus or minus a certain tolerance. When many of these discs are stacked on top of each other the cumulative tolerance can easily constitute more than one disc. Due to this large, cumulative tolerance, linear measuring techniques do not yield an accurate count of the number of discs in a stack. Another technique manufacturers have used is weighing the stack of discs. Apparently, the variation in the weight of each disc is not as significant as the variance in thickness. Therefore, although some variation exists in the weight of each disc, manufacturers can achieve a more accurate, albeit not completely certain, count. However, the commercially practical weight tolerances create some uncertainty in the result, so a manufacturer cannot achieve a completely accurate count through weighing techniques. As a result, a need exists for a more accurate, automated method for counting optical discs.

Previous signal light heads, such as traffic lights, were designed for incandescent light sources. However, signal light heads have been transitioning to a light emitting diode (LED) based light source. As a result, the incandescent-based signal light heads must be retrofitted with an LED-based light module. In addition, previous incandescent-based signal light heads were designed to include a set of components including a reflector, socket, a hinge, and a locking mechanism. These components may be removed and the signal head may be retrofitted with an LED-based light module. A power source for each traffic signal light is contained in the individual LED-based light modules. The power source typically converts the high-voltage AC line input to a low-voltage DC output for the LEDs. The power source is located inside the LED-based light module. In the event of a failure of the power source the entire LED-based light module must be removed and replaced. Consequently, the rest of the LED-based light module, including the LEDs, the housing, wiring, connectors, and the lenses would be wasted to simply replace a power supply.

Ion mobility spectrometers (IMS) are widely used for analyzing ionized compounds by their mobility, which is the function of ion charge, mass and shape. Typical IMS comprises an ion source for soft ionization of analyte compounds, an ion gate (typically Tyndal gate) to form short ion packets, a gas filled drift tube for ion separation in electrostatic fields, and a collector to measure time dependent signal. As a stand-alone analytical technique, IMS has low resolution (50-100). IMS was primarily considered as a low cost hand-held detector of toxic volatile compounds, with low detection limits that may be enhanced by specific ion molecular reactions with doping vapors. More recently IMS has been coupled with gas chromatography (GC), liquid chromatography (LC) and mass spectrometry (MS), where IMS brings an additional dimension of analytical separation. However, the straight forward coupling can cause strong signal losses in IMS due to ˜1% duty cycle of Tyndal ion gate and mismatch in gas pressures and ion cloud size between IMS and MS. If using scanning MS, like quadrupoles, there occurs a mismatch in time scales. U.S. Pat. No. 5,200,614, incorporated herein by reference, discloses improvement of IMS sensitivity by trapping ions between gate pulses. U.S. Pat. No. 3,902,064, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a combination of IMS spectrometer with the downstream mass spectrometer for complimenting mobility measurements by ion mass measurements. Young, et. al. in paper J. Chem. Phys., v.53, No 11, pp. 4295-4302, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a combination of IMS spectrometer with the downstream orthogonally accelerating time-of-flight detector which is capable of fast recording of panoramic (all mass) spectra for higher speed and duty cycle of mass measurements. U.S. Pat. No. 5,905,258, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a combination of both features—an ion trap in-front of the IMS and orthogonal TOF past IMS, thus capitalizing on both advantages—higher duty cycle of IMS and MS. U.S. Pat. No. 6,107,628, incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ion funnel device for converging ion flows at intermediate gas pressures. U.S. Pat. No. 6,818,890, incorporated herein by reference, discloses an ion funnel for ion confinement past IMS. Paper Anal. Chem., 2008, v.80, pp. 612-623, incorporated herein by reference, describes usage of the ion funnel device for both—for ion trapping prior to IMS and for ion confinement past the IMS. Details on the so-called hourglass ion funnel trap are also presented in Anal. Chem., 2007, v.79, pp. 7845-7852, incorporated herein by reference. The described method presents the ultimately sensitive IMS-MS of prior art, which still suffers several limitations. The number of trapped ions is limited by the space charge capacity of the ion trap and of IMS drift tube to 1E+7 charges per pulse. Both the hourglass gate and downstream ion funnel spread ion packets to about 200-400 us, which slows down the IMS speed, leads to long drift separation times of at or around 20-40 ms, requires constructing long (about 1 m long) IMS drift tubes, and limits the IMS charge throughput and the dynamic range. WO2008112351, incorporated herein by reference, discloses a method of improving IMS dynamic range and space charge capacity by multiplexed coding of the ion trap which operates at much higher net frequency compared to conventional regime of single trap firing per IMS separation. However, the approach requires ion packets overlapping and is likely to cause confusions at data interpretation. Summarizing the above, IMS and IMS-TOF of prior art are limited in their charge throughput, dynamic range and speed, which limits their combination with fast separation methods. Therefore, there is a need for improving IMS and IMS-TOF parameters.

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to products for oral hygiene and especially products for cleaning the teeth and more particularly to a combination dental cloth and dispensing package. 2. Description of Related Art The following art defines the present state of this field: Billgren, U.S. Pat. No. D287,197 provides the ornamental design for an embossed cloth. Lutz, U.S. Pat. No. 3,124,824 describes a tooth cleaning instrumentality formed of two layers of thin plastic film heat sealed along their longitudinal edges to form a cot, one layer being substantially longer than the other so as to project at the bottom of the cot to form a tab which may be grasped by the fingers of one hand for pulling the cot onto a finger of the other hand, the shorter layer of film having secured thereto a layer of plastic foam of substantially the same shape as said film layer, said shorter film layer and foam layer having a lobe-like formation at the bottom thereof of smaller size than the extension tab on the longer plastic layer so as to leave a part of the extension tab exposed for grasping while still forming an area which may be overlapped by the thumb adjacent to the finger on which the cot is applied. Register, U.S. Pat. No. 3,934,299 describes a device adapted to be worn on the finger for cleaning the teeth, wherein the device has an outer surface provided with a fabric texture with the fabric being impregnated with a dentifrice material. The device has a tab at the open end thereof for facilitating the placement of the device on a finger. Berg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,875,247 describes a disposable tooth cleaning and polishing product for manually cleaning teeth comprising a sheet of thin, flexible material such as paper, cloth or synthetic foam material which may also be formed and contoured. The material is substantially insoluble in water and oral cavity juices and has at least one surface with sufficient surface texture to remove plaque, food residue and film, and oral cavity acids from teeth surfaces by manually rubbing the material with finger pressure against the teeth while also being sufficiently soft and pliable so as to avoid injuring or abraiding the gums. The formed, flexible material may have various embodiments each adapted to fit over the end of the user""s finger for enhanced retention for rubbing against the teeth. The flexible sheet may also include releasable adhesion means on one surface for attachment to the fingertip and may also be retained in place against the fingertip by a ring over the finger and sheet fitted to the finger""s first knuckle. A flexible sheet may be provided individually, packaged for dispensing, or in roll form perforated for convenient separation. Hansen et al., U.S. Pat. No. 5,487,201 describes an oral wipe comprising a sleeve, the sleeve being comprised of interwoven material, the sleeve having a closed end extending to at least one comer at the closed end, a pick element comprised of a heat sealable component, and a piece of dental floss, the piece of floss having one floss end embedded and retainingly secured in the heat sealable component. Mittiga, WO95/31154 describes a glove of fine natural or synthetic rubber for one finger of the hand having one or more operational areas prepared on the surface in a longitudinal direction to correspond especially with the position of the finger tip, to enable the teeth, gums and other parts of the oral cavity to be rubbed and massaged also with the aid of various products for cleaning the teeth such as dentifrice or others for health-giving treatment, massage and beneficial action generally. The prior art teaches the use of oral wipes for the teeth but does not teach the present combination which provides an improved material, size and package. The present invention teaches certain benefits in construction and use which give rise to the objectives described below. The present invention is a dental wiper providing a package having a front panel, a rear panel and a circumferential side panel joining the front and rear panels as an integral unit defining an interior space. The front panel provides an open slot extending substantially across the package. The open slot has a central access portion with clearance for finger tip entry into the interior space of the package. A plurality of dental sheets are arranged in a stack within the package. The dental sheets each have a width approximately equal to the slot width where the dental sheets position one edge of the sheets, adjacent to the access portion of the slot for being manually engaged for withdrawal. The sheets are made of a dental floss material and are useful for manually cleaning the surfaces of the teeth. A primary objective of the present invention is to provide an apparatus and method of use of such apparatus that provides advantages not taught by the prior art. Another objective is to provide such an invention capable of being carried in pocket or purse for convenient use. A further objective is to provide such an invention capable of providing an improved surface wipe for cleaning the teeth. A still further objective is to provide such an invention capable of easy storage of surface wipes and convenient dispensing of the wipes one after the other as needed. Other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from the following more detailed description, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, which illustrate, by way of example, the principles of the invention.

The present invention generally relates to surgical instruments and methods for use of the same, and more particularly, but not exclusively, relates to instruments and methods for stabilizing bony structures. The use of various devices and methods for stabilizing bone structures have been used for many years. For example, the fracture of an elongated bone, such as a femur or humerus, can be stabilized by securing a plate to the fractured bone across the fracture. The plate extends across the fractured area and thus stabilizes the fractured components of the bones relative to one another in a desired position. When the fracture heals, the plate can be removed or left in place, depending on the type of plate that is used. Another type of stabilization technique uses one or more elongated rods extending between components of a bony structure and secured to the bony structure to stabilize the components relative to one another. The components of the bony structure are exposed and one or more bone engaging fasteners are placed into each component. The elongated rod is then secured to the bone engaging fasteners in order to stabilize the components of the bony structure. One problem associated with the above described stabilization structures is that the skin and tissue surrounding the surgical site must be cut, removed, and/or repositioned in order for the surgeon to access the location where the stabilization device is to be installed. This repositioning of tissue causes trauma, damage, and scarring to the tissue. There are also risks that the tissue will become infected and that a long recovery time will be required after surgery for the tissue to heal. Minimally invasive surgical techniques are particularly desirable in, for example, spinal and neurosurgical applications because of the need for access to locations deep within the body and the danger of damage to vital intervening tissues. The development of percutaneous minimally invasive spinal procedures has yielded a major improvement in reducing recovery time and post-operative pain because they require minimal, if any, muscle dissection and can be performed under local anesthesia. These benefits of minimally invasive techniques have also found application in surgeries for other locations in the body where it is desirable to minimize tissue disruption. Examples of instruments and techniques for performing surgeries using minimally invasive techniques are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,792,044 and 5,902,231 to Foley et al. While these techniques are steps in the right direction, there remains a need for instruments and methods for stabilizing bony structures using minimally invasive techniques. This need and others are addressed by the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention generally relates to a vehicle air-conditioning system provided with a compressor that can be driven with a motor. More specifically, the present invention relates to suppressing the overheating of the electronic devices inside the inverter of the compressor and the overheating of the battery due to the operation a vehicle air-conditioning system having a motor driven compressor. An example of a vehicle air-conditioning system is described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-230482. The vehicle air-conditioning system disclosed in this publication has a hybrid compressor that is constructed such that the compression section is driven by two drive sources. In particular, a first driving force is provided by a motor that is driven by the battery, while a second driving force is delivered from the engine through an electromagnetic clutch. The vehicle air-conditioning system executes capacity limiting determination such that the refrigerant compression capacity of the compression section decreases when the compression section is motor driven with the electromagnetic clutch in the OFF state. In view of the above, it will be apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure that there exists a need for an improved vehicle air-conditioning system. This invention addresses this need in the art as well as other needs, which will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this disclosure. It has been discovered that in vehicle air-conditioning systems, such as the one disclosed in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2000-230482, if operation of the compressor is started while the intake refrigerant temperature of the compressor is high, a large current will occur in the inverter of the compressor because the drive load on the compressor will be high. Consequently, the electronic devices inside the inverter will become excessively hot such that the inverter will rapidly overheat. At the same time, a burden will be placed on the battery that will cause overheating in the battery as well lead to a shortening of service life. Therefore, one object of the present invention is to provide an improved vehicle air-conditioning system that suppresses overheating of the electronic devices inside the inverter and that suppresses overheating of the battery. In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, an improved vehicle air-conditioning system is provided with a compressor; a compressor inverter, a passenger compartment-external heat exchanger, a passenger compartment-internal heat exchanger, a thermal load detecting device and an airflow rate correcting device. The compressor inverter is configured to vary the compressor capacity of the compressor to provide a predetermined air-conditioning level inside of a passenger compartment. The passenger compartment-external heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between outside air and refrigerant pumped by the compressor. The passenger compartment-internal heat exchanger is configured to exchange heat between the refrigerant and the air that is blown into the passenger compartment by an air blowing device. The thermal load detecting device is configured to detect a thermal load of the compressor. The airflow rate correcting device is configured to adjust airflow rate in such a manner that the airflow rate delivered by the air blowing device decreases as the thermal load detected by the thermal load detecting device increases. These and other objects, features, aspects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which, taken in conjunction with the annexed drawings, discloses a preferred embodiment of the present invention.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to electrographic apparatus and more particularly to such apparatus with an improved construction for controlling the application of particulate developer to an electrographic image member. 2. Description of the Prior Art In electrographic imaging an image member, bearing an electrical image pattern, is developed by application of marking particles which adhere to the member in accordance with the electrical pattern. Many acceptable techniques exist for applying developer; however, one general approach, which is often used commercially, is to attract particulate developer to an applicator surface and move the applicator into a transfer relation with the image member so that marking particles can adhere to the member in accordance with the image pattern. Most commonly the applicator is a roller which rotates so that its peripheral surface moves between a developer supply location and a zone in transfer relation with the image member. Adherence of the developer to such applicator rollers can be accomplished in various ways including, e.g., adhesive or electrical attraction, but the most prevalent commercial technique utilizes magnetic attraction and applicators using this technique are often called magnetic brushes. Developers used with such magnetic brushes can be single component (in which case toner is magnetically attractable) or comprise two components (in which case the toner particles are electrostatically attracted to magnetically attractable carrier particles in the developer mixture). The magnetic brush applicators can take various forms; however, a typical configuration comprises a non-magnetic outer cylinder which surrounds an array of magnets located within its inner periphery. Developer transport is effected by rotation of the outer cylinder and/or the interior magnet array. In using such magnetic brushes (and in other applicators such as mentioned above), the uniformity of image-development often depends significantly upon control of the quantity and density (i.e., compactedness) of developer adhering to the applicator surface. Developer shortage can cause incomplete development and developer excess can cause scratching and other non-uniformities in the developed image. Some development apparatus use conductive or partially-conductive developers to provide an electrically biased development field; and, in such devices, the thickness and degree of compaction of the developer "nap" should be uniform so that predetermined field conditions will exist at the development zone. The classic technique for controlling nap thickness of such brushes has been a doctor blade that extends across the applicator surface and is spaced a uniform distance from the surface. Such doctor blade is located between the developer supply and the image member so as to skive off excess developer adhering to the roller. Thus, the goal is to position the skiver precisely parallel to the transporting cylinder to form a predetermined gap which controls the amount or thickness of toner passing to the development zone. Although proper skiver positioning is critical, it is extremely difficult to achieve and maintain. An expensive mechanism is necessary if easy adjustment is needed. More often, compromises are made which make such skivers difficult to adjust or not adjustable at all. In addition to the foregoing problems such skivers, or doctor blades, necessarily cause unwanted compaction of the adhered developer, prior to its entering the development zone.

1. Field of the Invention This invention relates generally to separatory funnel devices having valve structure therewith for accurately controlling the dispensation of liquid therefrom. 2. Description of the Prior Art A common problem with known devices for dispensing and separating liquids using what is known as "separatory funnels" is that in order to transfer liquid from one container to another, the pressure of the two containers must be equalized. Oftentimes air must be allowed to escape from the second container through the funnel structure. To do this a separate channel must be provided so as not to interfere with the flow of liquid from the funnel or regulatory device. In known type devices this comprises a separate tube commonly termed "a side arm" which is attached below the control valve to near the top of the funnel so as to be above the liquid level therein. This tube is generally made of glass. Such a side arm is relatively expensive to manufacture and attach, is easily broken, and quite impossible to clean. Another problem with known type devices for use as separatory funnels is that the valve structure thereof is basically an on-off valve, rather than a flow control valve. Thus, while the liquid flow can be turned on and off, it is generally quite difficult to accurately and precisely regulate the liquid flow and/or accurately and precisely determine the amount of fluid flow therefrom. Existing prior patents which may be pertinent to the present invention are as follows: ______________________________________ 272,379 J. W. Fenner 2/13/1883 2,608,993 H. Andrews 9/2/52 2,670,008 G. Kopp 2/23/54 3,257,170 M. Marcus et al 6/21/66 4,080,965 T. E. Phillips 3/28/78 4,230,300 H. L. Wiltse 10/28/80 ______________________________________ These patents show valve structure for controlling the dispensing of liquid from a container. The Fenner patent has an oil-feed regulating stem b with an oil flow slot therein c. However, this device does not have structure for permitting air or gas flow in a path separate from the oil flow path. The Andrews and Kopp patents show manually adjustable control valves provided with manually actuable structure for controlling the liquid flow past the valves. The Marcus et al patent is for liquid separatory apparatus wherein the valve plug 26 has a transverse bore 36 for liquid flow therethrough and bores 46, 48 for air flow therethrough. However, the overall structural arrangement of this device is entirely different from that of the present invention. The Phillips patent shows an in-line valve assembly for controlling the flow of blood between two containers. The cannula element can be positioned to either a closed position or a flow permitting position. The Wiltse patent shows a flow metering and shut-off valve wherein the valve has spaced seals so that contamination cannot be transferred through the structure when fluid is being introduced into a living person. These patents all show various valve flow and control structures; however, none of the known prior art devices offer the new and novel features of the present invention.

The present invention relates to a device for reducing certain sound ranges of tire/road noise emitted by a motorized vehicle, whereby in the area of sound projection of the tire/road surface noise sound absorbers in the form of resonators are arranged that are adjustable to sound ranges the frequencies of which change proportional to the rpm of the wheel. Two of three alternatives of the invention require the presence of ABS (anti-lock braking system). The noise caused by traffic is one of the most disturbing sources of noise pollution. The noise sources of a motorized vehicle are engine and tires whereby on high-speed thoroughfares and cobblestone surfaces, especially when the surfaces are wet, the tire/road surface noise is predominant. Since the increased use of sound proofing encapsulations for the engine, the tire/road surface noise has become more prominent. Truck tires, due to their construction, cause a more unpleasant rolling noise than automobile tires. From the standpoint of financial and aesthetic reasons, measures that can be undertaken directly at the source of noise are especially advantageous. For automobile and truck tires it has been conventional for the last couple of years to provide the tread elements or blocks arranged sequentially in the circumferential direction of the tire with different circumferential lengths (pitch). For example, it is conventional to select three to five different pitch lengths with suitable length ratios relative to one another and with a favorable arrangement (pitch sequence) over the circumference of the tire while taking into consideration other tread properties. The object is in general the randomization of the tire/road surface noise, which results especially in a distribution of the occurring frequencies over a broader frequency band. However, it still cannot be prevented that the tire at certain frequencies, which change proportional to the rpm of the wheel, emits sound pressure. These frequencies can be detected as a permanent peak in a so-called order spectrum. These peaks may have different causes, for example, the mold partition of the vulcanization mold, the total number of pitches over the circumference of the tire, the actual geometry of the pitches (tread blocks) or possible periodic occurrences within the pitch sequence. For example, it is known to a person skilled in the art that a tire with, for example, 70 pitches (tread elements) over the circumference of the tire emits dominantly the 70th harmonic of the rpm of the wheel, which however is not always true because the different causes overlap one another and have an effect on one another. In general, it can be said that the rolling noise of each tire comprises sound ranges with discrete frequencies or a narrow frequency band at which predominant sound pressure can be detected the frequencies of which change proportional to the number of revolutions (rpm) of the wheel. From German Patent 34 28 468 a device is known that is mounted to the vehicle wheel and rotates with the wheel. The device comprises one or more resonators with hollow chambers the volumes of which are controlled as a function of the velocity by centrifugal forces. The resonators may be partly embodied as Helmholtz resonators. From German Offenlegungsschrift 37 29 765 a device is known that is arranged in the area between the rear partition of the passenger compartment and the trunk and which comprises an arrangement of Helmholtz resonators of a large volume. This device is designed to combat especially sound ranges below 80 hertz. It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a device for reducing tire/road surface noise, especially such sound ranges that change their frequency proportional to the speed of the motorized vehicle.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a musical score display apparatus for performing musical score display corresponding to each of plural musical score display levels, and a program for realizing a musical score display method. 2. Description of the Related Art Hitherto, a musical score display apparatus for performing musical score display corresponding to each of plural musical score display levels is known. As a musical score display apparatus as stated above, there is a musical score display control apparatus in which a table is previously prepared in which each of musical skill levels classified into five stages of A (high) to E (low) is made to correspond to a kind of musical score information to be displayed, and when a user selects one of the musical skill levels, the table is searched to determine the kind of the musical score information to be displayed at the selected musical skill level, and the musical score information of the determined kind is displayed on a musical score (see, for example, patent document 1). As the musical score information, five kinds of information, that is, “chord”, “dynamic mark”, “finger work”, “pedal” and “sol-faing” are exemplified. Besides, there is a musical performance self-teaching device in which an advice icon, together with a musical score, is displayed, and when the advice icon is indicated, advice information corresponding to the indicated advice icon is displayed (see, for example, patent document 2). The advice information can also be obtained through the Internet, and includes timing information indicating a position in a musical composition, a mark ID to specify a correspondence on a musical score, a file name and a URL as a browse page of the advice information. [Patent document 1] JP-A-2003-330454 [Patent document 2] JP-A-2004-102046 However, in the above related art musical score display control apparatus, since its main object is to improve the musical performance of a user, only a musical score of a practice part is displayed, and musical marks of the kind determined according to the selected musical skill level are displayed on the displayed musical score of the practice part. Thus, even if the user desires to see a musical score of another part or musical scores of all parts of a musical composition, the request of the user can not be satisfied. On the other hand, in the related art musical performance self-teaching device, it is not known when the displayed advice information was created. Thus, for example, when the advice information is a person's comment, it is convenient for the user to know when it was created, however, the request of the user can not be satisfied.

The need to treat bone defects resulting from age-related degenerative disease, trauma, and reconstructive surgery continues to grow at a significant rate. An estimated 2.2 million bone grafting procedures are performed annually worldwide at a cost of $2.5 billion. Considering the “graying” of the U.S. population, in which the percentage of persons 55 years and older is expected to nearly double over the next 30 years, tremendous societal impact is inevitable. Consequently, the market for orthopedic biomaterials will continue to expand. Autologous (i.e., autografts) and cadaveric (i.e., allografts) bone are the most commonly used grafting materials to treat bone defects. Each, however, has drawbacks related to morbidity associated with a second surgical procedure for autografts and the potential for disease transmission with allografts. These observations have led to development of synthetic materials and tissue engineering approaches for use in bone regeneration. Bone graft substitutes have used materials of natural and synthetic origin. Ongoing developments focus on enhancing biological activity, such as by incorporating stem cells (e.g., mesenchymal stem cells) and growth factors (e.g., bone morphogenetic protein (BMP) 2) into bone graft substitute materials. Synthetic biodegradable polymers are also used for drug delivery and to aid in tissue regeneration. Candidate materials include polyanhydrides, polyamides, polycarbonates, and polyorthoesters. The majority of resorbable synthetic polymers utilized for drug delivery and tissue engineering belong to the polyester family, such as poly(glycolic acid), poly(lactic acid), and poly(lactic-co-glycolic acid) (PLGA). These materials are relatively biocompatible, can degrade by the hydrolytic cleavage of ester bonds, and have degradation and mechanical properties that can be tailored by changing monomer ratio. Their degradation products of glycolic and lactic acid are metabolically removed from the body by conversion to carbon dioxide and water in the Krebs cycle. Other common polyesters include poly(ε-caprolactone), polyvalerolactone, polydioxanone, and their blends and copolymers. Furthermore, although certain drugs are intended for systemic therapy, many are most effective if targeted to or placed within a specific site. To this end, drugs are routinely encapsulated in polymers. Entrapment in a solid matrix protects the molecules from environmental effects, and controlled release can be achieved. Persistent challenges, however, include instability of encapsulated drugs, incomplete release, and initial burst. Therefore, since cells and tissues require exposure to bioactive agents at particular concentrations and doses for certain durations, limited release kinetics is a shortcoming of many drug delivery systems in regenerative medicine. Consequently, some have attempted to develop drugs conjugated to polymers to extend release duration. Among others, water soluble polymers, such as poly(ethylene glycol), polylysine, polyglutamic acid, and N-(2-hydroxypropyl)methacrylamide (HPMA) have been used for this purpose. With these systems, drugs are attached as pendants linked to the polymeric backbone via ester, amide, and hydrazone bonds. Depending on the spacer molecule chosen, drug release can be prolonged until cleavage in a desired environment, such as pH-sensitive release in a lysosome. Other applications include targeting to specific cells and prolonging circulation time by shielding the drug from degradative enzymes and preventing opsonization. The number of molecules (i.e., payload) that can be attached to the backbone, however, is limited by the number of functional groups required for conjugation. Hence, there remains a need for degradable compositions and compounds for treating tissue wounds, including bone tissue wounds, that can release drugs at a wound site in a controlled manner. There also remains a need for such compositions and compounds whose payload is not limited by the number of functional groups present on a polymer backbone.

In a ring-type tensioner, the ring is used to effect a ratcheting action, enabling the plunger to advance, but restricting retracting movement of the plunger. An annular portion of the ring is disposed in a circumferential groove formed in the wall of the plunger-accommodating hole, and a manipulating portion of the ring typically extends outward from the housing so that the ring can be expanded by a tool in the assembly or maintenance of the tensioner. Typical ring type tensioners are disclosed in Japanese laid-open Patent Applications 2002-5249, published on Jan. 9, 2002 and 2001-146946, published on May 29, 2001. In the maintenance of an engine, there are occasions in which it is necessary to release the tension in the engine timing chain. If tension in the chain is maintained by a ring-type tensioner, the plunger of the tensioner can be allowed to retract by expanding the elastic ring, using an expansion tool to effect relative movement of manipulation elements that protrude from the annular portion of the ring. Often, there is little working space in the vicinity of the tensioner when installed on an engine, and it is difficult to expand the ring using a conventional expansion tool. In addition it is frequently necessary to insert the expansion tool through a small access hole in a cover of an enclosure, such as a timing chain cover. In the tensioner of Japanese Patent Application 2002-5249, parts of the ring cross each other, and a pinching tool is used to expand the ring. Not only is it difficult to reach the manipulation elements with the pinching tool, but it is also difficult to maintain the ring in its expanded condition using the pinching tool. When the elastic ring is the type of ring in which the manipulation elements protrude from parts of the ring that do not cross each other, as in Japanese Patent Application 2001-146946, the ring is expanded by inserting a tool between the manipulation elements. A special, dedicated, manipulation tool is required. Moreover, because the positions of the manipulation elements may change due to rotation of the ring, it can be difficult to insert a manipulation tool between the pair of manipulation elements. In the type of the tensioner in which the elastic ring is formed with parts that cross each other and has an asymmetric shape, as in Japanese Patent Application 2002-5249 for example, it is difficult to automate the manufacture of the ring, and difficult to supply the ring using a parts feeder especially because the ring tends to become entangled with other rings. In addition, in a ring in which the parts from which the manipulation elements extend cross each other, the manipulation pieces can bend when the manipulation elements are pinched to expand the diameter of the ring, sometimes making it difficult to expand the ring to the extent required to release the plunger. Accordingly, there is a need for a ring-type tensioner in which the plunger can be installed more easily and efficiently in the tensioner housing, and in which the plunger can be released more easily and efficiently for maintenance, There is also a need for a ring-type tensioner in which the elastic ring can be installed more easily and efficiently into the tensioner housing.

1. Field Of The Invention The present invention deals with devices usable for solving the problems of instrument access and intonation which are experienced by musicians who play various woodwind and other instruments such as C-flutes, clarinets, soprano clarinets, oboes, English horns, also flute, soprano sax and piccolos as well as others which may include brass instruments such as flugle horns. During performances with these instruments it is advantageous to provide ready access to multiple instruments for musicians who play multiple instruments commonly known as "doublers". A quick access to each new instrument is extremely important. It is also important that the instrument maintain its intonation characteristics by being maintained in a slightly warmed and moistened condition. The present invention provides a novel means for achieving this purpose while at the same time minimizing possible damaging to the instrument itself by the construction of the instrument supporting means and by spacing of the instrument from the supporting means thereof to facilitate even heat flow thereon. When an instrument is initially used by a musician the tones will be somewhat distorted since the instrument has not yet assumed the normal operating temperature and moisture conditions being warmed and moistened by the air being expelled by the musician. The present invention provides a novel means and construction for maintaining this level of warming and level of intonation of the musical instrument during times of non-use especially by doublers. A peg or pegs of the present invention may be used for mounting a plurality of instruments with respect to the stand and is universally usable for mounting any different type of instrument as desired with respect to the stand. 2. Description Of The Prior Art There are numerous prior art devices which have been patented which are useful in attempting to solve the problems of the present invention. However, none of them have proved to be as advantageous as the apparatus of the present invention. None of the cited references shown below show the idea of heating in the manner as shown in the present invention and none show the support of many different types of instruments in a single universally applicable peg design. Examples of these patents are shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,045,583 patented Nov. 26, 1912 to R. W. Mills on an Instrument Holder; U.S. Pat. No. 1,646,165 patented Oct. 18, 1927 to W. Naujoks et al on a Support For Musical Instruments; U.S. Pat. No. 4,145,950 patented Mar. 27, 1979 to F. Glantz on a Wind Instrument Supporting Stand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,166 patented Dec. 8, 1981 to J. Stefano et al on a Rotatable Musical Instrument Stand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,407,182 patented Oct. 4, 1983 to A. Biasini on a Musical Instrument Stand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,529,865 patented Jul. 16, 1985 to P. Oakes, Jr. on an Electrically Heated Musical Instrument Stand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,050 patented Feb. 25, 1986 to M. Werner on a No Strap Saxophone Stand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,022 patented Sep. 22, 1987 to A. Mendonsa et al on a Clarinet Stand; U.S. Pat. No. 4,738,180 patented Apr. 19, 1988 to E. McKnight on an Instrument Case And Stand and U.S. Pat. No. 4,926,735 patented May 22, 1990 to G. Smith on a Heated Rotatable Musical Instrument Stand.

Recent years have seen increasing promises of using heterologous polypeptide, for example, antibodies, as diagnostic and therapeutic agents for various disorders and diseases. Many research and clinical applications require large quantities of functional polypeptide, thus calling for scaled-up, yet economic systems for polypeptide production. Particularly useful is the recombinant production of antibodies using a variety of expression hosts, ranging from prokaryotes such as E. coli or B. subtilis, to yeast, plants, insect cells and mammalian cells. Kipriyanov and Little (1999) Mol. Biotech. 12:173-201. Compared to other polypeptide production systems, bacteria, particularly E. coli, provides many unique advantages. The raw materials used (i.e. bacterial cells) are inexpensive and easy to grow, therefore reducing the cost of products. Prokaryotic hosts grow much faster than, e.g., mammalian cells, allowing quicker analysis of genetic manipulations. Shorter generation time and ease of scaling up also make bacterial fermentation a more attractive means for large quantity protein production. The genomic structure and biological activity of many bacterial species including E. coli have been well-studied and a wide range of suitable vectors are available, making expression of a desirable antibody more convenient. Compared with eukaryotes, fewer steps are involved in the production process, including the manipulation of recombinant genes, stable transformation of multiple copies into the host, expression induction and characterization of the products. Pluckthun and Pack (1997) Immunotech 3:83-105. Various approaches have been used to make recombinant polypeptides in bacteria. Recombinant proteins can be obtained from bacteria either through refolding of inclusion bodies expressed in the cytoplasm, or through expression followed by secretion to the bacterial periplasm. The choice between secretion and refolding is generally guided by several considerations. Secretion is usually the faster and more commonly used strategy for producing antibodies. Kipriyanov and Little (1999), supra. However, E. coli secretion and refolding capacity is often limited to a lower level compared to other expression hosts. Antibody expression in prokaryotic systems can be carried out in different scales. For general reviews of antibody production in E. coli, see Pluckthun and Pack (1997) Immunotech 3:83-105; Pluckthun et al. (1996) in ANTIBODY ENGINEERING: A PRACTICAL APPROACH, pp 203-252 (Oxford Press); Pluckthun (1994) in HANDBOOK OF EXP PHARMCOL VOL 3: THE PHARMCOL OF MONOCLONAL ANTIBODIES, pp 269-315 (ed. M. Rosenberg and G. P. Moore; Springer-Verlag, Berlin). Many biological assays (such as X-ray crystallography) and clinical applications (such as protein therapy) require large amounts of protein. Accordingly, a need exists for high yield yet simple systems for producing properly assembled, soluble and functional heterologous polypeptides, such as antibodies. All references cited herein, including patent applications and publications, are incorporated by reference in their entirety.

1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to the combination of a variable fill fluid coupling and an improved control means therefor. 2. Incorporation by Reference The entire disclosures of U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,210,940; 3,237,408 and 3,862,541, including the drawings thereof, are hereby incorporated by reference herein. 3. Description of the Prior Art The aforementioned patents relate to combinations comprising a variable fill fluid coupling for coupling a constant speed drive motor to a driven centrifugal pump having a discharge conduit, the fluid coupling having a compression spring-loaded pivotal charging stream splitter assembly, and a control means for controlling the movement of the splitter assembly responsive to pressure change in the discharge conduit. The preferred construction of the mechanism which controls movement of the splitter assembly incorporates a form of diaphragm or bellows assembly within which a fluid under pressure may act. This fluid is generally gathered from the discharge conduit at a location near the discharge end of the pump connected to the fluid coupling and transmitted to the bellows assembly via tubing called a pressure control line. A plunger or rod connected to the bellows on one end and engaging the splitter assembly at the other end causes the splitter assembly to move about a fixed pivot in response to motion of the bellows created by increase or decrease of fluid pressure in the discharge conduit. A further essential feature of the control mechanism disclosed in the aforementioned patents is the externally adjustable compression spring. The spring provides a force on the splitter arm of the splitter assembly in opposition to the force created by fluid pressure acting on the bellows and transmitted to the splitter arm via the connecting plunger or rod. The spring force is made adjustable to allow for manual selection of equilibrium positions of the splitter mechanism with respect to a desired fluid pressure acting on the bellows. When the opposing forces of the compression spring and the bellows assembly are established in equilibrium, the diverting portion or vane of the splitter assembly may be located at any position across the coupling oil charging stream or jet, such that the volume of oil entering the coupling will establish an output torque to drive the connected centrifugal pump at a speed which will yield a certain pump volumetric flow rate at the selected pressure. Changes in fluid pressure acting on the bellows alters the equilibrium forces on the splitter assembly such that the oil stream is intercepted in a greater or lesser degree which in turn affects the output speed inversely to the control pressure direction. The preferred construction of the control mechanism utilizing fluid pressure feedback to a bellows assembly to create coupling response is useful only when the fluid pressure signal is taken from a source near the fluid coupling. Protection of long lengths of fluid carrying tubing from damage, leakage integrity and losses in pressure signal strength are some of the problems with remote pressure sensing via pressure control lines described in the aforementioned patents. To allow use of the variable speed device named with remote pressure sensing, a system has been commonly employed which utilizes a pressure transducer, a signal processing center, an air compressor and tank, and an electrically operated solenoid valve. The commercial tank and air compressor supplies an independent fluid (air) pressure to apply at the coupling bellows assembly, the solenoid valve varies the air pressure in response to electrical signal changes from the controller which receives a functional signal from the transducer. The transducer signal is generated in varying strength in proportion to fluid pressure changes at the sensing location. This combination has had several problems. 1. The tank and air compressor take up valuable space as well as adding to the electrical energy use of the equipment. 2. Reliability and accuracy of the speed changing signal is impaired by too many translations, i.e., hydraulic to electrical at the transducer, electrical to mechanical at the solenoid valve, mechanical to fluid at the air compressor-solenoid combination and fluid back to mechanical at the coupling. 3. The commercial tank and air compressor used produce a usable air signal strength of 3-15 psi. The commercial compression springs used in the coupling control mechanism have a plus or minus 10% tolerance on the selected spring rate. With the low signal pressure value and low range available, the wide spring rate tolerance makes the control of speed between two or more parallel operating couplings very difficult due to mismatched control mechanism forces. 4. For the reasons stated in (3) above, a shift in the spring rate to a lower value, with the low end pressure value on the bellows, sometimes causes the control mechanism to flutter, resulting in unstable speed control. 5. The use of air as a pressurized working fluid has created special problems with leakage at connections and joints.

Mobile loaders are essential equipment for the loading and unloading of containerized and palletized cargo into and from the holds of aircraft. Such loaders often employ two platforms. One platform, usually referred to as the bridge, provides an interface with the sill of the cargo door. The bridge is supported on a hydraulic lift, which provides a high degree of control and stability and allows the height of the bridge to be adjusted to correspond to the height of the aircraft cargo door. Once the bridge is positioned, it typically remains in a substantially constant position with respect to the aircraft, although it is known to make slight adjustments to the height of the bridge to compensate for shifts in the height of the aircraft cargo door as the plane is loaded or unloaded. Although the balance of the following discussion is presented in terms of a loading process in which cargo is placed onto an aircraft, it will be understood all concepts apply equally to unloading processes. The second platform, hereinafter referred to as the platform, cycles up and down during the loading process, delivering cargo to the bridge. The platform is typically raised and lowered by means of hydraulic systems acting through mechanical linkages that ensure that the platform maintains a substantially horizontal attitude. For example, a pair of chains powered by hydraulic cylinders may cooperate with a platform squaring or stabilizing scissors to ensure that the platform moves vertically during raising and lowering. Cargo loaders of this type are known in the art. The decks of the platform and bridge sections of cargo loaders are typically provided with an array of some type of friction-reducing device, so that containers and pallets can be easily slidably moved across the deck. In addition, the decks are provided with one or more powered devices for applying a motive force to the cargo. The powered devices may be wheels, rollers, belts or the like. Because of the nature of the loading process, which may entail lateral, longitudinal and rotational movement, the friction reducing devices on the surface rotate in whichever direction is required to achieve the desired movement, or at least not impede the desired movement. Thus, suitable friction reducing devices may be casters, rollers, wheels, or some combination thereof, and may be actuable in and out of engagement with the underside(s) of the cargo. One type of friction reducing device that is known for such omni-directional applications is a roller wheel, which essentially comprises a wheel hub having an axis and a plurality of peripheral rollers, with the peripheral rollers rotating about individual axes that are normal to the axis of the hub. A roller wheel may be mounted on a shaft which is rotated selectively in either rotational direction. In addition, roller wheels are known in which peripheral rollers are mounted on the hub in two rows, with the peripheral rollers in one row being staggered from the peripheral rollers in another row. Staggering the rollers relative to each other provides for constant contact of at least one peripheral roller of one of the wheels with a load-bearing surface at all times. Examples of roller wheels can be found in U.S. Pat. Nos. Des. 309,254, 318,791, U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,305,535 and 3,465,843. A complex roller assembly is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,223,753. A significant problem with conventional roller wheels, and particularly dual hub roller wheels, is that the monolithic wheel hub is provided with a central bore for receiving the axle, which rotates with the wheel hub about the hub axis. This means that any installation, removal, repair or replacement of a roller wheel requires access to one end of the axle and requires that removal of the roller wheel from the axle be accomplished by sliding the roller wheel axially along the axle until it reaches and slides off the end of the axle. This type of access to the roller wheels may be acceptable during initial assembly, or in instances where the axle length is not great. However, in circumstances where the roller wheel is part of a complex assembly, or where the axle itself is relatively long, the need to remove a roller wheel from the axle in this manner becomes undesirable. An undesirable amount of disassembly and associated labor are thus expended replacing worn roller wheels and reinstalling new or refurbished roller wheels. The burden is particularly great when several roller wheels are mounted on a single axis, as it necessitates removal and subsequent replacement of all roller wheels between the defective wheel and the axle end. Hence, it is desired to provide a roller wheel that can be quickly and easily installed on a drive axle without requiring access to the axle end. The desired roller wheel should also be durable and able to withstand the severe loading involved in cargo transfer.

The invention relates to a method for hydraulic steering, particularly of vehicles, according to which a steering unit is supplied with a controlled working pressure in dependence of a load signal from a load signal line, the load signal being generated via a load signal fluid with a fluid flow, and to a hydraulic steering arrangement with a steering unit, which can be supplied, in dependence of a load signal, with a fluid flow in a load signal line with a controlled working pressure. A steering arrangement of this kind is known from DE 43 42 933. In this embodiment, the pressure of the controlled steering fluid can be taken from an outlet of the priority valve. The slide of the priority valve, which limits the outlet towards the inside of the priority valve, is penetrated by two pressure paths, each provided with a throttle, through which the pressure on the outlet is passed on to pressure chambers, arranged on both front sides of the slide. One of the two pressure chambers has a spring, which additionally acts upon the corresponding front side of the slide with a spring force. Further, this pressure chamber is connected with a steering throttle via a load signal line. On the outlet, a load signal fluid is branched off from the steering fluid, and flows via the pressure path inside the slide, which is connected with the pressure chamber with the spring, into this pressure chamber and on to the steering throttle via the load signal line. The flow of the load signal fluid is thus regulated in the slide via the pressure difference of the throttle of this pressure path, which corresponds to the pressure of the spring. This means that changes of the flow of the load signal fluid can be effected by displacing the slide. The invention is based on the task of improving the operating comfort with a method and an arrangement of the kind described in the introduction. With regard to method, this task is solved according to the invention in that the fluid flow is adjusted to assume an at least approximately constant value. This ensures a stable flow of the fluid and thus stable conditions for the generation of the load signal in the load signal line. This permits a more accurate control of the working pressure, which increases the operating comfort of the steering arrangement. It is advantageous that the adjustment of the fluid flow is merely effected by means of parameters of the load signal fluid. This procedure ensures that the fluid flow is adjusted independently of other parameters, which occur during the steering. For example, the influence of the working pressure of the steering fluid on the load signal fluid can be prevented, which could otherwise cause an interference with the load signal. It is particularly advantageous that a load signal pressure in the load signal line adjusts the fluid flow. The use of the load signal pressure in the load signal line provides a wide spectre of useful, known and reliable adjustment functions. In most cases it will thus be possible to adapt the method to the anticipated operating conditions by means of already tested adjustment functions. With regard to the arrangement, the task is solved according to the invention in that a load signal adjustment device is provided, through which the fluid flow can be adjusted to an at least approximately constant value. Through the at least approximately constant fluid flow, the load signal adjustment device ensures stable conditions in the load signal line. This enables the generation of a relatively accurate load signal, which again causes a more accurate control of the working pressure and thus an improvement of the operating comfort. In this connection, it is advantageous that the load signal adjustment device is merely adjustable by parameters of the load signal fluid. Thus, other parameters occurring in the hydraulic steering arrangement have no influence on the function of the load signal adjustment device. This prevents the occurrence of possible interferences when generating the load signal in the load signal line. Further, it is advantageous that the load signal adjustment device is adjustable by means of a load signal pressure in the load signal line. This enables several variants when operating the adjustment device, and thus a good adaptation of the hydraulic steering arrangement to the operating conditions in question. In a preferred embodiment it is ensured that the load signal adjustment device is arranged in the load signal line and has a direct connection only with this line. Thus, the load signal line has an independent load signal adjustment device, which works independently of other devices or parameters than the load signal devices and their parameters. In this way, interfering influences on the adjustment of the fluid flow can be avoided. In a further favourable embodiment it is ensured that the load signal adjustment device is connected with a control throttle in the steering unit via the load signal line, the load signal pressure being adjustable via said throttle. This causes that the control throttle, which controls the load signal pressure, can be acted upon with a relatively constant fluid flow of the load signal fluid. This gives stable conditions for building up the load signal pressure or the generation of the load signal, respectively. It is advantageous that the load signal adjustment device has a flow control valve, which keeps a fluid flow at an at least approximately constant value. This substantially constant fluid flow ensures stable flow conditions, also at the adjustable control throttle. Accordingly, during operation of the steering arrangement, a stable relation may be anticipated between an opening width of the adjustable control throttle and the load signal pressure in the load signal line depending on this opening width, said pressure acting upon the slide of the priority valve. This ensures a stable control function of the steering arrangement. It is favourable that the load signal adjustment device has an adjustment throttle, taps being arranged before and after the adjustment throttle, said taps being connected with the flow control valve via adjustment connections. This gives a simple control of the fluid flow within the load signal line. As the control of the fluid flow is exclusively based on pressures available in the load signal line, the priority valve and the pressures of the steering fluid have no essential influence on the load signal adjustment device. This increases the stability of the steering arrangement, as potential interference sources are avoided. It is particularly advantageous that the flow control valve is a 2/2-way valve, which is adjustable by means of a valve spring. In this way, the flow control valve can be adapted to the adjustment and/or control throttle. Further, it permits the adaptation of the load signal adjustment device to various operating conditions through the use of different valve springs. It is also advantageous that a connecting branch to a priority valve is provided between the load signal adjustment device and the control throttle, which branch controls the working pressure supplying the steering unit. The load signal pressure, which is generated by means of the very uniform fluid flow can be supplied to the priority valve through the connecting branch. Thus, a very stable control of the working pressure of the hydraulic steering arrangement can be performed. It is also favourable that the load signal adjustment device is connected between the priority valve and a pressure source. With such an arrangement, the admission of the load signal fluid to the priority valve takes place via its own line from the pressure source via the load signal adjustment device to the priority valve. In this way interfering influences from other devices of the hydraulic steering arrangement can be avoided. It is particularly advantageous that the pressure source is controlled by the load signal pressure. Thus, a relatively uniform fluid flow can already be ensured by the pressure source. Further it is favourable that the load signal line connects a pump connection of the pressure source with a tank connection of a pressure sink in parallel with a working path, the priority valve, the steering unit and a steering motor being arranged in the working path. In this way, both the priority valve and the steering fluid are, at least to a great extent, separated from the load signal line, thus having no substantial influence on the load signal pressure. This reduces the risk of possible interferences with the fluid flow, which increases the function stability of the steering arrangement.

1. Technical Field The present invention relates to the automation of design extrapolation across apparel pattern pieces, wherein a design made for a pattern set at a particular size (example: Man's Size M, T-shirt) is extrapolated to other sizes of the same pattern set (example: size XS, L, XL) or to pattern sets of a different product (Example: Size M of Woman's T or to a Backpack). 2. Description of Related Art The concept of creating custom designs on apparel has been around for a long time. As is well known in this field, the actual size of the apparel can vary widely from one size to another (a Men's T-shirt, for example, varies by as much as 16 inches in width from XS to 2XL). This is not a problem if the design is only on the front or the back—one can just leave the additional area blank, but is a problem when the design spans seams (full-bleed designs). To make matters more complex, most apparel grow much more horizontally, than vertically across sizes and scye curvature also varies with size. For example, from XS to 2XL, the width may increase by as much as 16 inches, but the height only by 4 inches. Therefore, a direct scaling of image will cause it to lose aspect ratio and make the image look “squished” and in cases get parts of the design, image or texts cut-off, necessitating the designers or consumers to design individually for each size they need, in what is today, a largely manual process.

1. Technical Field The present disclosure relates generally to microwave surgical devices having a microwave antenna which may be inserted directly into tissue for diagnosis and treatment of diseases. More particularly, the present disclosure is directed to a microwave antenna having a cooled distal tip and a method of manufacturing the same. 2. Background of Related Art In the treatment of diseases such as cancer, certain types of cancer cells have been found to denature at elevated temperatures (which are slightly lower than temperatures normally injurious to healthy cells.) These types of treatments, known generally as hyperthermia therapy, typically utilize electromagnetic radiation to heat diseased cells to temperatures above 41° C., while maintaining adjacent healthy cells at lower temperatures where irreversible cell destruction will not occur. Other procedures utilizing electromagnetic radiation to heat tissue also include ablation and coagulation of the tissue. Such microwave ablation procedures, e.g., such as those performed for menorrhagia, are typically done to ablate and coagulate the targeted tissue to denature or kill the tissue. Many procedures and types of devices utilizing electromagnetic radiation therapy are known in the art. Such microwave therapy is typically used in the treatment of tissue and organs such as the prostate, heart, liver, lung, kidney, and breast. One non-invasive procedure generally involves the treatment of tissue (e.g., a tumor) underlying the skin via the use of microwave energy. The microwave energy is able to non-invasively penetrate the skin to reach the underlying tissue. However, this non-invasive procedure may result in the unwanted heating of healthy tissue. Thus, the non-invasive use of microwave energy requires a great deal of control. Presently, there are several types of microwave probes in use, e.g., monopole, dipole, and helical. One type is a monopole antenna probe, which consists of a single, elongated microwave conductor exposed at the end of the probe. The probe is typically surrounded by a dielectric sleeve. The second type of microwave probe commonly used is a dipole antenna, which consists of a coaxial construction having an inner conductor and an outer conductor with a dielectric junction separating a portion of the inner conductor. The inner conductor may be coupled to a portion corresponding to a first dipole radiating portion, and a portion of the outer conductor may be coupled to a second dipole radiating portion. The dipole radiating portions may be configured such that one radiating portion is located proximally of the dielectric junction, and the other portion is located distally of the dielectric junction. In the monopole and dipole antenna probe, microwave energy generally radiates perpendicularly from the axis of the conductor. The typical microwave antenna has a long, thin inner conductor that extends along the axis of the probe and is surrounded by a dielectric material and is further surrounded by an outer conductor around the dielectric material such that the outer conductor also extends along the axis of the probe. In another variation of the probe that provides for effective outward radiation of energy or heating, a portion or portions of the outer conductor can be selectively removed. This type of construction is typically referred to as a “leaky waveguide” or “leaky coaxial” antenna. Another variation on the microwave probe involves having the tip formed in a uniform spiral pattern, such as a helix, to provide the necessary configuration for effective radiation. This variation can be used to direct energy in a particular direction, e.g., perpendicular to the axis, in a forward direction (i.e., towards the distal end of the antenna), or combinations thereof. Invasive procedures and devices have been developed in which a microwave antenna probe may be either inserted directly into a point of treatment via a normal body orifice or percutaneously inserted. Such invasive procedures and devices potentially provide better temperature control of the tissue being treated. Because of the small difference between the temperature required for denaturing malignant cells and the temperature injurious to healthy cells, a known heating pattern and predictable temperature control is important so that heating is confined to the tissue to be treated. For instance, hyperthermia treatment at the threshold temperature of about 41.5° C. generally has little effect on most malignant growth of cells. However, at slightly elevated temperatures above the approximate range of 43° C. to 45° C., thermal damage to most types of normal cells is routinely observed. Accordingly, great care must be taken not to exceed these temperatures in healthy tissue. At the beginning of an ablation procedure, the water content of targeted or surrounding tissue may desirably enhance the dielectric coupling between a microwave antenna and surrounding tissue. However, as ablation proceeds, the water content of surrounding tissue may decrease due to, for example, thermal desiccation or dehydration, which negatively affects dielectric coupling between a microwave ablation antenna and targeted or surrounding tissue. In certain instances, uneven or undesirable ablation patterns may form as a result thereof, which may lead to uneven or incomplete heating within the targeted tissue, which may, in turn, lead to complications and impaired operative outcomes. Further, many types of malignancies are difficult to reach and treat using non-invasive techniques or by using invasive antenna probes designed to be inserted into a normal body orifice, e.g., an easily accessible body opening. These types of conventional probes may be more flexible and may also avoid the need to separately sterilize the probe; however, they are structurally weak and typically require the use of an introducer or catheter to gain access to within the body. Moreover, the addition of introducers and catheters necessarily increase the diameter of the incision or access opening into the body thereby making the use of such probes more invasive and further increasing the probability of any complications that may arise. Structurally stronger invasive probes exist and are typically long, narrow, needle-like antenna probes which may be inserted directly into the body tissue to directly access a site of a tumor or other malignancy. Such rigid probes generally have small diameters that aid not only in ease of use but also reduce the resulting trauma to the patient. A convenience of rigid antenna probes capable of direct insertion into tissue is that the probes may also allow for alternate additional uses given different situations. However, such rigid, needle-like probes may experience difficulties in failing to provide uniform patterns of radiated energy; and may fail to provide uniform heating axially along and radially around an effective length of the probe. Accordingly, it may be difficult to otherwise control and direct the heating pattern when using such probes. Additionally, a dielectric junction used to separate portions of a rigid probe may be subjected to bending, compression, and rotational forces during manufacture, and during use. These forces may lead to failure of the junction, particularly where the dielectric junction includes an integrally formed coupling member, such as a threaded or ribbed section. This effect is exacerbated by the structural properties of conventional dielectric materials, such as porcelain or other ceramic materials, which tend to be brittle.

Advances in analytical technology have pushed the limit of human understanding of chemical and physical phenomena. This is certainly the case in the study of materials and systems in the nanoscale range. New tools create the opportunity for the new discoveries. Currently available techniques that allow nanometer, i.e., sub-micron, resolution evaluations are limited in the amount of chemical information they can provide. Techniques such as electron microscopy and scanning probe microscopy (SPM), which allow for spatial imaging resolution of 1 nm or better, provide almost no chemical information about the sample. Alternatively, techniques like RAMAN and IR imaging provide some limited molecular level chemical information. Mass spectrometry-based techniques that provide precise molecular mass and chemical structure information can in some cases provide chemical information at the submicron level. However, those techniques are currently limited to operation in high vacuum and often involve highly specialized sample preparation techniques.

For purposes of an exemplary showing, the present invention will be described in its application to moving walks or escalators. As will be abundantly apparent to one skilled in the art, the teachings of the present invention are equally apparent to one skilled in the art, the teachings of the present invention are equally applicable to moving walks of the type comprising an endless procession of tread segments or pallets or belts moving between a pair of balustrade skirts. As is well known in the art, a typical escalator or moving walk includes a conveyor portion for transporting passengers between a first landing and a second landing. The transport conveyor is of the endless type, having an articulated belt which is driven about a closed path or loop. The transport conveyor typically includes an upper load bearing run upon which passengers stand while being transported between the landings. The conveyor further includes a lower return run and first and second turn-around portions that connect the load bearing and the return runs. A typical escalator comprises a plurality of steps which are operatively joined together in a pivotal fashion to form an endless loop of steps. Each step typically comprises a pair of side frames which supports a substantially planar tread and an arcuate riser. Each step has a first pair of shaft mounted wheels located to either side thereof and substantially beneath the riser. Each step has a second pair of shaft mounted wheels located near the opposite end of the tread remote from the riser. The shaft of the second set of wheels is also operatively attached to a pair of drive chains which pass over an upper pair of corresponding sprocket wheels at the upper end of the escalator and a corresponding lower pair of sprocket wheels at the lower end of the escalator. Typically, one of the upper and lower sprocket wheel pairs is an idler pair, and the other of the upper and lower sprocket wheel pairs is a driven pair, driving the pair of chains and the plurality of steps attached thereto. Typically, the set of tracks for the first set of wheels is so configured that it assures that the treads of the steps in the passenger carrying flight are horizontal. The set of tracks for the first set of wheels is configured to assure that the treads assume a continuous belt-like configuration about the upper and lower sprocket wheel sets and throughout the length of the return flight. Typically, the second set of shaft mounted wheels rides upon its own separate set of tracks. It is common practice to drive a passenger conveyor from one end or the other, with escalators usually being driven from the upper terminal. As mentioned previously, driving by means of one or more sprocket wheels in the turn-around portion has been widely used. Typical drive units include one or more drive motors and gear reducers operably linked to sprocket wheels which engage and propel the conveyor drive chains which in turn drive the endless belt about its guided path. There are several different drive arrangements in the art that have been used to drive passenger moving walks and escalators. One such arrangement comprises a vertically or horizontally disposed electric motor having an input shaft being perpendicular to the sprocket wheel drive shaft. This arrangement is commonly used in order to transmit the necessary drive power and to achieve the necessary reduction in the speed of rotation by means of a worm gearing. Although the step-down ratio and the improved operational noise-levels achieved by operation of this drive configuration are desirable, there remains an undiminished need for a drive assembly exhibiting improved flexibility and a smaller structural size with the same, or possibly even increased, capacity for electric power. Given the limited amount of space that is available inside the area of return of the step band or truss envelopment, the orientation and height of this type of drive system limits its retrofit capabilities and makes it incompatible with many escalator or moving walk systems where available space for drive assemblies is somewhat limited. The somewhat lower efficiency of the vertical worm gearing assembly and the cumbersome and limiting configuration of the vertical drive system in particular provided incentive to look for further solutions and improved drive means. One such alternative configuration is a horizontally disposed drive motor located within the region of reversal and inside the rotating step or pallet belt. A typical drive assembly of this configuration includes a drive shaft and planetary gearing arranged with axes parallel to the axes of the step or pallet drive shaft. Typically, a transmission output gear on the motor drive shaft is in direct engagement with a gear on the shaft of the step or pallet drive. Although this arrangement is somewhat more compact than a vertically disposed worm gear drive arrangement, it is not very flexible in that it must be disposed near the sprocket assembly so that the various gears are in communication. It is clear that a need exists for an improved flexible drive assembly for escalators and moving walks capable of being disposed in a variety of configurations. Such a drive assembly would be relatively compact as compared with prior art systems and would achieve improved space utilization without sacrificing adequate power output.

Living radical polymerization, where, unlike conventional radical polymerization, the polymer growth terminus is active so as to be chemically convertible, can freely control the molecular weight, monomer residue order, dimensional structure and the like of the polymer; therefore, it has attracted much attention for the last ten years. Examples include atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) (Non-patent Reference 1), nitroxide mediated radical polymerization (NMP) (Non-patent Reference 2) and reversible addition chain transfer (RAFT) radical polymerization mediated by sulfur compounds (Non-patent Reference 3). Among these, atom transfer radical polymerization (ATRP) that uses combinations of metal complexes and halogen compounds shows particular applicability to a wide range of monomer types. Methods that precisely control the polymer using this have spread not only to polymer synthesis, but also to chemical modification of substrate surfaces and interfaces and device construction. The metal catalysts used in ATRP normally have copper or ruthenium as their central metal. They are not a well-defined metal complex, and they are used after the compounds formed from the metal ions and their ligands (amines for example) are mixed into the polymerization reaction. In such polymerization systems, the metal catalytic activity occurs after the ligands bind in the system and the complex is formed. When the coordinating force of the ligands is not very strong, metal that does not form the complex arises, and this metal cannot show catalytic activity. Therefore, the catalytic efficiency of the metal is reduced, and there is the demerit of having to increase the concentration of the metal or having incompatibility with production of high molecular weight polymers. Increasing the metal concentration places most of the burden on the process for eliminating the metal after the polymerization reaction or gives rise to the possibility of environmental contamination due to metal toxicity. On the other hand, to prevent a decrease in the catalytic efficiency of the metal, an excess of amine ligands (see Patent Reference 1 and 2, for example) may be used. However, if the type or the like of the monomer changes in the polymerization reaction because of the use of an excess of amine ligands, a large number of problems, such as the reaction becoming difficult to control and polymer purification becoming difficult because compounds other than the monomer are mixed in arise. Typically, an organic compound of an activated halogen is used for the polymerization initiator in ATRP. Replacing the activated halogen compound initiator with a conventional radical generator (for example, a peroxide radical generator or azo radical generator) in the polymerization is called reverse ATRP (R-ATRP). With R-ATRP, a reactive residue may be introduced at the end of the polymer by adding a metal catalyst to the conventional radical polymerization process, thereby making the synthesis of a block copolymer possible. Therefore, R-ATRP is a useful production method for obtaining polymers where the structure is controlled in an existing production process. Most R-ATRP methods basically use copper ion complexes with amines as the ligands. The same problems as those in ATRP, such as increasing in metal ion concentration, increasing ligand concentration, reduction of catalytic efficiency, difficulty in polymer purification and polymer coloration, are involved. The production of polymers using a safe, inexpensive iron catalyst with living radical polymerization that uses a metal complex has received much attention from the standpoint of being environmentally friendly (Non-patent Reference 4). With ATRP, polymer production methods that are carried out after mixing iron ions and ligands (amines, phosphines and phosphite ester compounds) with polymerizable monomers and production methods for polymers that are carried out after mixing synthesized iron complexes and polymerizable monomers have been disclosed (Non-patent Reference 5). For example, a methyl methacrylate polymerization method where divalent iron ions and an amine ligand are mixed with a monomer and a halogen initiator is used therein (Non-patent Reference 6) and a methyl methacrylate polymerization method where an iron complex of divalent iron ions and a phosphorous compound ligand are used with a halogen initiator have been reported (for example, Non-patent Reference 7, Patent Reference 3). There have also been investigations into using environmentally friendly iron ion compounds as catalysts in R-ATRP. For example, methyl methacrylate polymerization using a mixture of FeCl3 and triphenyl phosphine as the catalyst (Non-patent Reference 8) and methacrylate or styrene polymerization using a metal complex formed from organic onium cations and a ferric chloride compound that is anionic as the catalyst (Non-patent Reference 9) have been reported. However, in R-ATRP using these iron complexes or iron ion compounds, there are many problems that should be improved, such as the difficulty of controlling block copolymers. On the other hand, in living radical polymerization systems that use metal catalysts, there is a large problem with methods for eliminating the metal from the polymer after polymerization. In a certain sense, the elimination of the remaining metal from the polymer is more of a real problem for practical application of living radical polymerization than the polymerization reaction itself. Methods that make use of complexing agents in the purification process have been examined for removing the metal (Patent Reference 4 and 5). The use of environmentally friendly iron ion compounds as catalysts produces no toxicity compared with other metals such as copper, cobalt, ruthenium and the like, and the merits for all of the processes in polymer production, including post-processing and other processes, are great. However, in living radical polymerization that uses iron ions, one can hear about problems in production processes such as the instability of iron catalysts and the difficulty of reusing iron catalysts before problems such as the polymerization efficiency being low. In a living radical polymerization reaction, the polymerization reaction is carried out using an iron complex with high catalytic activity, and the elimination of that complex from the polymerization reaction and recovery by a simple method without disposing of it is considered to be an extremely important problem. Patent Reference 1: Published Unexamined Patent Application H08-41117 Patent Reference 2: Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-80523 Patent Reference 3: U.S. Pat. No. 2,946,497 Patent Reference 4: Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2002-356510 Patent Reference 5: Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 2005-105265 Non-patent Reference 1: J. Wang et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 28, 1995, p. 7901 Non-patent Reference 2: C. J. Hawker, et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 29, 1996, p. 5245 Non-patent Reference 3: Chiefari et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 31, 1998, p. 5559 Non-patent Reference 4: Matyjaszewski et al., Chemical Review, Vol. 101, 2001, p. 2921 Non-patent Reference 5: Sawamoto et al., Polymer preprints, Japan, 2005, vol. 54, No. 2, p. 136 Non-patent Reference 6: Matyjaszewski et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 30, 1997, p. 8161 Non-patent Reference 7: Ando et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 30, 1997, p. 4507 Non-patent Reference 8: G. Moineau et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 31, 1998, p. 545 Non-patent Reference 9: Teodorescu et al., Macromolecules, Vol. 33, 2000, p. 2335

Gaming devices such as slot machines have been in use in the U.S. for over a century. The earliest slot machines originally paid out in cigars and chewing gum. Remnants of the early slot machines are manifested in the traditional “fruit” symbols such as cherries, lemons, oranges, etc., which represent the original flavors of gum. Notwithstanding the similarity of the symbols and reels associated with the slot machines of both today and yesteryear, modern day slot machine implementations are markedly different than their mechanical ancestors. This dramatic implementation disparity results primarily from the advent of computers and video capabilities. Pure chance gaming devices such as slot machines have proved wildly popular, and in recent years have rivaled and even surpassed their once untouchable table game counterparts. One reason for this popularity is the increase in innovation, and the recognition of the need for human stimulation. While true that a primary motivator for people to play gaming devices is the chance to win monetary or other prizes (in the case of legalized gambling), the intrigue and excitement of playing these newly created machines lures people as well. It is therefore important in the gaming industry that gaming innovations be rolled out to the participating public. Conventionally, participation in slot machines involves initiating the rotation of multiple reels, and allowing the machine to randomly stop the reel rotation such that associated reel symbols line up a payline. If the symbols on that payline correspond to a predetermined symbol combination, the participant wins an amount corresponding to the particular symbol combination. For multi-lined paylines, a coin or other token may be played for any one or more of the available paylines, and each of the paylines may provide a winning payout. When this occurs, the slot machine pays out according to the payoff table posted on the slot machine. The payoff table informs players of the winning symbol combinations for that machine, and what each combination pays based on the number of coins allocated for the spin. If a winning combination occurs, the machine releases money or tokens into a payout chute, or may award the winning amount onto a credit meter for the player. For example, if a player initially wagered three coins and that player won a high payout, that player may receive fifty coins of the same denomination in return, or may receive fifty credits for continued play. It is a continual effort in the gaming industry to develop ways to attract and captivate players in playing gaming machines, such as slot games. One such manner of stimulating interest and heightening excitement has been through the use of “bonus” events. Bonus events or games are used to attract and keep players at a gaming machine. A bonus game is typically an additional gaming reel or machine, or a random selection device, that is enabled by a bonus qualifying signal from an underlying or primary gaming machine. Generally, a predetermined prize-winning combination of symbols in an underlying or primary game may result in the player being awarded one or more bonus games. Often the bonus event has a much higher probability of winning, thereby instilling a great interest by players in being awarded bonus events. There are various secondary or “bonus” events known in the art. One such bonus event allows the player to depress a bonus spin button to allow the player one or more additional free spins in which a winning payout may be made. Alternatively, additional, discrete bonus reels may be used for the bonus event. In such case, a particular symbol on any one or more of the reels, which are stopped on a winning line, may result in a winning payout. In some bonus activities, the reels may be controllable in a bonus play, unlike the underlying primary gaming play. For example, the reels may be individually stopped, and/or the reels may be rotated slower to allow the player to attempt to stop the reel such that the prize-winning symbol stops on the win line. In another example, a bonus event for a video slot machine may have a second screen where the player is rewarded with a bonus game, such as allowing the player to pick one of five different items on the second screen, and the selected item reveals a value won by the player. In recent times, bonus events have become quite extravagant, sometimes leading the player through video animations that provide visual and audio entertainment while providing clever ways in which the participant can receive payouts of varying quantities. After engaging in the bonus event, play resumes in the underlying, primary gaming machine. In furtherance of the need to attract casino patrons, there is a continuing need to further the excitement and visual stimulation in the participation of gaming activities. The present invention fulfills these and other needs, and offers advantages over prior art gaming approaches.