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Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to electronic means for reading the content of a nanowire-crossbar memory. In one embodiment of the present invention, a microscale or sub-microscale signal line is interconnected with one set of parallel nanowires emanating from a nanowire-crossbar memory by configurable, nanowire-junction switches. The microscale or sub-microscale signal line serves as a single-wire multiplexer, allowing the contents of any particular single-bit storage element within the nanowire-crossbar memory to be read in a three-cycle READ operation.

1. A multiplexer interface for a nanowire crossbar, the multiplexer interface comprising: a multiplexer wire; a nanowire-crossbar with at least two sets of parallel nanowires interconnected by nanowire junctions; and switch-like nanowire junctions that each interconnect one nanowire from one set of the at least two sets of parallel nanowires of the nanowire-crossbar with the multiplexer wire. 2. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein the multiplexer wire is connected to an amplifier which produces an output signal. 3. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein each switch-like nanowire junction can be placed into an open state by applying a first RESET signal to a nanowire of the nanowire crossbar that intersects with the multiplexer wire at the nanowire junction and simultaneously applying a second RESET signal to the multiplexer wire. 4. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein each switch-like nanowire junction can be placed into a closed state by applying a first SET signal to a nanowire of the nanowire crossbar that intersects with the multiplexer wire at the nanowire junction and simultaneously applying a second SET signal to the multiplexer wire. 5. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein a current state of a selected nanowire junction within the nanowire crossbar can be determined by: applying a first RESET signal to each of the nanowires interconnected with the multiplexer wire through nanowire junctions, and applying a second RESET signal to the multiplexer wire; applying a first SET signal to the nanowire interconnected both with the multiplexer wire and the selected nanowire junction, and applying a second SET signal to the multiplexer wire; and applying a weak signal to the nanowire interconnected both with the multiplexer wire and the selected nanowire junction, holding any remaining nanowires of the nanowire crossbar interconnected with the multiplexer wire in a low state, holding any other nanowire interconnected with the selected nanowire junction, but not interconnected with the multiplexer wire, in a low state, holding any other nanowire interconnected with the selected nanowire junction, but not interconnected with the multiplexer wire, in a low state, and applying a weak signal to the remaining nanowires. 6. The multiplexer interface of claim 5 wherein voltage signals are applied to nanowires and the multiplexer wire to determine the current state of the selected nanowire junction. 7. The multiplexer interface of claim 5 wherein current signals are applied to nanowires and the multiplexer wire to determine the current state of the selected nanowire junction. 8. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein the nanowire junctions that interconnect the nanowires within the nanowire crossbar are diode-like nanowire junctions. 9. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein the nanowire crossbar is a memory, with information stored in physical states of the nanowire junctions that interconnect the nanowires within the nanowire crossbar. 10. The multiplexer interface of claim 1 wherein the multiplexer wire is a sub-microscale or larger signal wire. 11. A method for determining a current state of a selected nanowire junction interconnecting two nanowires within a nanowire crossbar having at least two sets of parallel nanowires interconnected through nanowire junctions, the method comprising: providing interconnection of one set of parallel nanowires of the nanowire crossbar to a multiplexer wire through switch-like nanowire junctions; and applying signals to the one set of parallel nanowires and the multiplexer wire in order to determine the current state of the selected nanowire junction by a signal output from the multiplexer wire. 12. The method of claim 11 wherein applying signals to the one set of parallel nanowires and the multiplexer wire further comprises: applying a first RESET signal to each of the nanowires of the nanowire crossbar interconnected with the multiplexer wire through switch-like nanowire junctions, and applying a second RESET signal to the multiplexer wire; applying a first SET signal to the nanowire interconnected both with the multiplexer wire and the selected nanowire junction, and applying a second SET signal to the multiplexer wire; and applying a weak signal to the nanowire interconnected both with the multiplexer wire and the selected nanowire junction, holding any remaining nanowires of the nanowire crossbar interconnected with the multiplexer wire in a low state, holding any other nanowire interconnected with the selected nanowire junction, but not interconnected with the multiplexer wire, in a low state, holding any other nanowire interconnected with the selected nanowire junction, but not interconnected with the multiplexer wire, in a low state, and applying a weak signal to the remaining nanowires of the nanowire crossbar. 13. The method of claim 11 wherein voltage signals are applied to nanowires and the multiplexer wire to determine the current state of the selected nanowire junction. 14. The method of claim 11 wherein current signals are applied to nanowires and the multiplexer wire to determine the current state of the selected nanowire junction. 15. The method of claim 11 wherein the nanowire junctions that interconnect the nanowires within the nanowire crossbar are diode-like nanowire junctions. 16. The method of claim 11 wherein the nanowire crossbar is a memory, with information stored in physical states of the nanowire junctions that interconnect the nanowires within the nanowire crossbar. 17. The method of claim 11 wherein the multiplexer wire is a sub-microscale or larger signal wire.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Recently, as the design and manufacture of electronic devices and circuits by conventional, photolithography-based methods has begun to approach physical limits to further decreases in component sizes, alternative methods for manufacturing nanoscale electronic circuits have been developed. Nanowire-crossbar technology is a particularly promising new approach to fabrication of electronic circuits and devices with dimensions significantly less than, and component densities correspondingly greater than, the submicroscale circuits and components that can be currently produced by photolithographic methods. FIG. 1 illustrates an exemplary nanowire crossbar. The nanowire crossbar in FIG. 1 implements a simple memory device. The nanowire crossbar comprises: (1) a first set of parallel nanowires 102 ; (2) a bistable bit-storage layer 104 ; and (3) a second layer of parallel nanowires 106 perpendicular to the first layer of parallel nanowires 102 . A single bit of information is stored within each small region of the bit-storage layer 104 at each point of minimal separation, or intersection, between a nanowire of the first layer of nanowires 102 and a nanowire of the second layer of nanowires 106 . For example, the small region 108 of the bit-storage layer 104 , shown crosshatched in FIG. 1 , that overlies nanowire 110 and underlies nanowire 112 , forms, along with the portions of nanowires 110 and 112 in contact with the small region, a nanowire junction that serves as a single-bit storage element 114 within the nanoscale memory. In many nanoscale-memory embodiments, the contents of a single-bit storage element, such as single-bit storage element 114 in FIG. 1 , are modified by applying voltage or current signals to one or both of the nanowires that intersect to form the single-bit storage element in order to change a physical state of the bistable bit-storage layer within the nanowire junction, such as the resistivity. In FIG. 1 , for example, signals may be applied to one or both of nanowires 110 and 112 to modify single-bit storage element 114 , as indicated in FIG. 1 by arrows, such as arrow 116 . Generally, no signal, or a different signal, is applied to the remaining nanowires to distinguish the addressed single-bit storage element from all other single-bit storage elements. In many embodiments, signals of relatively large magnitude are applied to carry out WRITE operations, in which a physical state is changed, while relatively smaller magnitude signals are applied to carry out READ operations, in which the physical state is generally not changed, but instead merely determined. In READ operations, a physical state of a single-bit storage element is determined, from the presence, absence, or strength of a signal on one or both of the two nanowires that intersect to form the single-bit storage element, by applying one or more signals to nanowires of the nanowire crossbar. Nanoscale memories implemented by nanowire crossbars can be thought of as two-dimensional arrays of single-bit storage elements, each single-bit storage element separately and uniquely addressable through the two nanowires that intersect to form the single-bit storage element. In certain cases, entire rows, columns, or larger groups of single-bit storage elements within a two-dimensional nanoscale memory can be accessed in a single operation. FIG. 1 provides a simple, schematic illustration of an exemplary nanowire crossbar. Although individual nanowires in FIG. 1 are shown with rectangular cross sections, nanowires can also have circular, ellipsoid, or more complex cross sections, and nanowires may have many different widths or diameters and aspect ratios or eccentricities. Nanowires can be fabricated using imprint lithography, by chemical self-assembly on surfaces and transfer to substrates, by chemical synthesis in place, and by a variety of other techniques from metallic and/or semiconducting elements or compounds, doped organic polymers, composite materials, nanotubes and doped nanotubes, and from many additional types of conductive and semiconducting materials. The bistable bit-storage layer 104 is shown in FIG. 1 as a continuous layer between two sets of parallel nanowires, but may alternatively be discontinuous, or may constitute sheath-like molecular coatings around, or component atoms or molecules within, the nanowires, rather than a separate layer. The bistable bit-storage layer 104 may also be composed of a wide variety of different metallic, semiconducting, doped polymeric, and composite materials. Significant problems may be encountered with respect to interconnection of individual nanowire leads of a nanowire crossbar to submicroscale and microscale signal lines in order to incorporate the nanowire crossbar into conventional electronic devices, including identifying and manipulating individual nanowires. One solution to these problems is to employ demultiplexers with microscale or submicroscale address lines that are integrated with nanowire crossbars. FIG. 2 shows a nanowire-crossbar memory integrated with nanoscale/microscale demultiplexers to allow individual bit-storage elements of the nanowire-crossbar memory to be uniquely accessed via microscale or submicroscale address lines. In FIG. 2 , a 16×16 nanowire crossbar 202 has parallel-nanowire layers in which nanowires are extended past the boundaries of the nanowire-crossbar array 202 to form a first demultiplexer 204 and a second demultiplexer 206 . Demultiplexer 204 comprises the extended nanowires from a first parallel-nanowire layer of the nanowire crossbar, such as nanowire 208 , overlain or underlain by a perpendicular, microscale or submicroscale source-voltage line 210 and four pairs 212 - 215 of perpendicular microscale or sub-microscale address lines. The second demultiplexer 206 is similarly implemented from the extended nanowires of the second parallel-nanowire layer of the nanowire crossbar. In certain types of implementations, such as the implementation shown in FIG. 2 , address lines occur as complementary pairs, each pair representing one bit, and its inverse, of a multi-bit address, while in other implementations, single address lines may be used. Four-bit address input through the four pairs of address lines 212 - 215 are sufficient to provide a unique address for each of the 16 nanowires, such as nanowire 208 , and two four-bit addresses input simultaneously to the four pairs of address lines of each of the two demultiplexers 204 and 206 can uniquely address a particular nanowire junction from among the 256 nanowire junctions within the nanoscale-crossbar array 202 . By placing a WRITE signal on the nanowires of a nanowire-crossbar memory that intersect at a particular single-bit storage element, the state of the single-bit storage element can be set to a desired one of the two bistable states that encode binary digit values “0” and “1.” However, determining the state at a given single-bit storage element by applying a READ signal may be significantly more difficult. Designers, manufacturers, vendors, and integrators of nanowire-crossbar memories, as well as, ultimately, users of such devices have recognized the need for a reliable and efficiently manufactured means for reading the states of single-bit storage elements within a nanowire-crossbar memory, and designers, manufacturers, vendors, integrators, and users of other types of nanowire-crossbar-implemented devices have recognized the need for a reliable and efficiently manufactured interface for interconnecting the nanowire-crossbar-implemented devices with sub-microscale and microscale electronics.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Various embodiments of the present invention are directed to electronic means for reading the content of a nanowire-crossbar memory. In one embodiment of the present invention, a microscale or submicroscale signal line is interconnected with one set of parallel nanowires emanating from a nanowire-crossbar memory by configurable, nanowire-junction switches. The microscale or submicroscale signal line serves as a single-wire multiplexer, allowing the contents of any particular single-bit storage element within the nanowire-crossbar memory to be read in a three-cycle READ operation.

Selecting transport addresses to route streams between endpoints

Selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint of a first region and a second endpoint of a second region includes determining that the call session is being initiated. A relationship between the first region and the second region is determined. One or more transport addresses of the first endpoint are identified in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses.

1. A method for selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, comprising: determining that a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint is being initiated, the first endpoint belonging to a first region corresponding to a first network address translator, the first network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the first region, the second endpoint belonging to a second region corresponding to a second network address translator, the second network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the second region; determining a relationship between the first region and the second region; and identifying one or more transport addresses from a plurality of transport addresses in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses, the plurality of transport addresses corresponding to the first endpoint, the selection yielding one or more non-selected transport addresses. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: determining the relationship between the first region and the second region further comprises determining that the first region intersects the second region; and identifying the one or more transport addresses further comprises selecting the transport addresses associated with the intersection of the first region the second region. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein: determining the relationship between the first region and the second region further comprises determining that the first region and the second region are substantially the same region; and identifying the one or more transport addresses further comprises selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the first region and the second region. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein: determining the relationship between the first region and the second region further comprises determining that the first region and the second region are substantially distinct regions; and identifying the one or more transport addresses further comprises: establishing a third region that comprises the first region and the second region; and selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the third region. 5. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving the plurality of transport addresses from the first endpoint, the first endpoint operable to obtain the plurality of transport addresses from a server. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a particular server operable to provide the one or more selected transport addresses; and instructing the first endpoint to obtain the one or more selected transport addresses from the particular server. 7. A device for selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, comprising: a memory operable to store information about a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint is being initiated, the first endpoint belonging to a first region corresponding to a first network address translator, the first network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the first region, the second endpoint belonging to a second region corresponding to a second network address translator, the second network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the second region; and a processor coupled to the input and operable to: determine a relationship between the first region and the second region; and identify one or more transport addresses from a plurality of transport addresses in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses, the plurality of transport addresses corresponding to the first endpoint, the selection yielding one or more non-selected transport addresses. 8. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to: determine the relationship between the first region and the second region by determining that the first region intersects the second region; and identify the one or more transport addresses by selecting the transport addresses associated with the intersection of the first region the second region. 9. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to: determine the relationship between the first region and the second region by determining that the first region and the second region are substantially the same region; and identify the one or more transport addresses by selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the first region and the second region. 10. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to: determine the relationship between the first region and the second region by determining that the first region and the second region are substantially distinct regions; and identify the one or more transport addresses by: establishing a third region that comprises the first region and the second region; and selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the third region. 11. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to: receive the plurality of transport addresses from the first endpoint, the first endpoint operable to obtain the plurality of transport addresses from a server. 12. The device of claim 7, wherein the processor is further operable to: determine a particular server operable to provide the one or more selected transport addresses; and instruct the first endpoint to obtain the one or more selected transport addresses from the particular server. 13. Logic for selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, the logic embodied in a medium and operable to: determine that a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint is being initiated, the first endpoint belonging to a first region corresponding to a first network address translator, the first network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the first region, the second endpoint belonging to a second region corresponding to a second network address translator, the second network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the second region; determine a relationship between the first region and the second region; and identify one or more transport addresses from a plurality of transport addresses in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses, the plurality of transport addresses corresponding to the first endpoint, the selection yielding one or more non-selected transport addresses. 14. The logic of claim 13, further operable to: determine the relationship between the first region and the second region by determining that the first region intersects the second region; and identify the one or more transport addresses by selecting the transport addresses associated with the intersection of the first region the second region. 15. The logic of claim 13, further operable to: determine the relationship between the first region and the second region by determining that the first region and the second region are substantially the same region; and identify the one or more transport addresses by selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the first region and the second region. 16. The logic of claim 13, further operable to: determine the relationship between the first region and the second region by determining that the first region and the second region are substantially distinct regions; and identify the one or more transport addresses by: establishing a third region that comprises the first region and the second region; and selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the third region. 17. The logic of claim 13, further operable to: receive the plurality of transport addresses from the first endpoint, the first endpoint operable to obtain the plurality of transport addresses from a server. 18. The logic of claim 13, further operable to: determine a particular server operable to provide the one or more selected transport addresses; and instruct the first endpoint to obtain the one or more selected transport addresses from the particular server. 19. A system for selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, comprising: means for determining that a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint is being initiated, the first endpoint belonging to a first region corresponding to a first network address translator, the first network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the first region, the second endpoint belonging to a second region corresponding to a second network address translator, the second network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the second region; means for determining a relationship between the first region and the second region; and means for identifying one or more transport addresses from a plurality of transport addresses in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses, the plurality of transport addresses corresponding to the first endpoint, the selection yielding one or more non-selected transport addresses. 20. A method for selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint, comprising: determining that a call session between a first endpoint and a second endpoint is being initiated, the first endpoint belonging to a first region corresponding to a first network address translator, the first network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the first region, the second endpoint belonging to a second region corresponding to a second network address translator, the second network address translator operable to translate an address for a device of the second region; determining a relationship between the first region and the second region; identifying one or more transport addresses from a plurality of transport addresses in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses, the plurality of transport addresses corresponding to the first endpoint, the selection yielding one or more non-selected transport addresses, wherein determining and identifying further comprises performing one of a plurality of procedures comprising: a first procedure comprising: determining that the first region intersects the second region; and selecting the transport addresses associated with the intersection of the first region the second region; a second procedure comprising: determining that the first region and the second region are substantially the same region; and selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the first region and the second region; and a third procedure comprising: determining that the first region and the second region are substantially distinct regions; establishing a third region that comprises the first region and the second region; and selecting one or more transport addresses associated with the third region; receiving the one or more selected transport addresses by performing at least one of the following: receiving the plurality of transport addresses from the first endpoint, the first endpoint operable to obtain the plurality of transport addresses from a server; and determining a particular server operable to provide the one or more selected transport addresses, and instructing the first endpoint to obtain the one or more selected transport addresses from the particular server.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>A network comprises components supporting communication between endpoints. Routing streams among endpoints of a local area network and endpoints of another network may involve processes such as network address translation. These processes, however, use network resources. Accordingly, routing streams may not be sufficiently efficient in certain situations.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE DISCLOSURE <EOH>In accordance with the present invention, disadvantages and problems associated with previous techniques for routing streams may be reduced or eliminated. According to one embodiment of the present invention, selecting a transport address for a call session between a first endpoint of a first region and a second endpoint of a second region includes determining that the call session is being initiated. A relationship between the first region and the second region is determined. One or more transport addresses of the first endpoint are identified in accordance with the relationship to yield one or more selected transport addresses. Certain embodiments of the invention may provide one or more technical advantages. A technical advantage of one embodiment may be that an optimizer may select transport addresses that have a higher probability of enabling communication between endpoints over addresses that have a lower probability. The endpoints may attempt to communicate using the selected addresses, but not the other addresses. Attempting communication with addresses that have a higher probability of enabling communication may provide for more efficient communication between endpoints. Certain embodiments of the invention may include none, some, or all of the above technical advantages. One or more other technical advantages may be readily apparent to one skilled in the art from the figures, descriptions, and claims included herein.

Quick disconnect assembly device for a fast, reliable and easy attachment and release of implement heads from handles on lawn and garden, house cleaning, carpentry, and painting tools / devices

A quick disconnect assembly used for hand powered tools which consist of two separate units: a quick disconnect receiving assembly and an implement head attachment. When used together they will allow for a quick connection and release between a tool head and a handle. The first unit is a female receiving unit (quick disconnect receiving assembly) which consist of a exterior cylindrical shaped body throughout. One end being of cylindrical shape (handle sleeve and handle end) to receive a round to oval shaped handle and the opposite end having a hex shaped interior body (hex shaft receiver and hex shaft end). The second unit making up the quick disconnect assembly device is a male hex shaft implement head attachment.

1. (canceled) 2. (canceled) 3. (canceled) 4. A coupling device used to connect tools and handles comprising: a. a receiving assembly having a hex receiver shaft, said hex receiver shaft having snap ring groove, b. a raised edge disposed around said hex receiver shaft wherein said raised edge has at least one locking ball hole having at least one locking ball disposed within, c. a sliding collar having a release groove and a spring wall disposed around said hex shaft receiver, d. a spring disposed around said hex receiver shaft and between said raised edge and said spring wall, e. a snap ring disposed around said snap ring groove, holding said sliding collar on said hex shaft receiver, f. an implement head attachment having a hex shaft, a cylindrical shaped body, and a flange, wherein said hex shaft further has a locking groove and wherein when said hex shaft is inserted into said hex shaft receiver, said locking balls engage locking groove, and wherein when said sliding collar is positioned such that said release groove is adjacent to said locking balls, said locking balls disengage from said locking groove. 5. The coupling device of claim 4, further comprising a hex chamfer end on said hex shaft. 6. The coupling device of claim 4, wherein said receiving assembly is further attached to a tool head. 7. The coupling device of claim 6, wherein said tool head is selected from the group consisting of a shovel, a rake, a hoe, a broom, a hammer, a sledge hammer, an axe, a scraper, a squeegee, a mop, a paint brush, and roller. 8. The coupling device of claim 4, wherein said implement head attachment is further attached to a tool head. 9. The coupling device of claim 8, wherein said tool head is selected from the group consisting of a shovel, a rake, a hoe, a broom, a hammer, a sledge hammer, an axe, a scraper, a squeegee, a mop, a paint brush, and roller.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>There have been a number of attempts to provide a coupling device which allows a user to quickly remove and replace implement heads from a handle. To date, none of these prior art attempts have provided a solution that withstands rigorous work. Thus, there exists a need for a coupling device which allows a user to quickly remove and replace implement heads from a handle that will withstand rigorous work.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>One object of this invention is to a coupling device which allows a user to quickly remove and replace implement heads from a handle that will withstand rigorous work.

Poke through

A poke through includes a tube assembly having inner and outer tube sections that are slidably telescopically disposed together. A lip protrudes from the outer end of at least one of the tube sections. A cup is selectively and removably disposed on one of the tube sections. The cup has a body plate and a flange. A portion of the lip on the tube section on which the cup is disposed engages the front surface of the body plate. In one embodiment, an adjustable plug has a plurality of selectively removable rings. The adjustable plug fits inside one of the tube sections to seal and insulate the poke through both before and after the poke through is in use.

1. A poke through, comprising: a tube assembly having inner and outer tube sections; each of the inner and outer tube sections having inner and outer ends; the tube assembly having a longitudinal axis; the tube sections slidably disposed together telescopically along the longitudinal axis; a lip protruding outwardly from the outer end of one of the tube sections; the lip protruding in a direction transverse to the longitudinal axis of the tube assembly; a cup disposed on one of the tube sections; the cup having a body plate; the body plate having an inner edge that defines an opening through which a portion of one of the tube sections is disposed; and a portion of the lip on the tube section on which the cup is disposed engaging the front surface of the body plate. 2. The poke through of claim 1, wherein the cup includes a flange having an outer end; a first reference line being disposed tangent to the lip and passing through the outer end of the flange; and an acute angle between the first reference line and a reference line disposed parallel to longitudinal axis being greater than 40 degrees. 3. The poke through of claim 1, further comprising a plug configured to be frictionally received in one of the tube sections. 4. The poke through of claim 1, wherein at least one of the tube sections includes a protuberance that frictionally engages the other of the tube sections. 5. A poke through, comprising: a tube having an inner end and an outer end; the tube having a longitudinal axis; an end assembly connected to the outer end of the tube; the end assembly having a body plate disposed in a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube; the body plate having an inner perimeter that defines and opening in the body plate; the opening in the body plate being aligned with the tube; the body plate having a front surface and a rear surface; and the body plate having a rounded lip protruding forwardly from the front surface of the body plate; the rounded lip disposed adjacent the inner perimeter of the body plate such that a member being pulled through the opening may engage the rounded lip. 6. The poke through of claim 5, wherein one of the tube and end assembly includes a protuberance that frictionally engages the other of the tube and end assembly. 7. The poke through of claim 5, wherein the end assembly is taped to the tube. 8. A poke through, comprising: a tube having an inner end and an outer end; the tube having a longitudinal axis; an end assembly connected to the outer end of the tube; the end assembly having a body plate disposed in a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube; the body plate having an inner perimeter that defines and opening in the body plate; the opening in the body plate being aligned with the tube; the body plate having a front surface and a rear surface; the body plate having a rounded lip protruding forwardly from the front surface of the body plate; the rounded lip disposed adjacent the inner perimeter of the body plate; and the end assembly including a coupling flange that projects rearwardly from the body plate; the coupling flange being offset outwardly from the inner perimeter of the body plate to form a step; the outer end of the tube abutting the step to form a smooth transition between the tube and end assembly. 9. A poke through, comprising: a tube having an inner end and an outer end; the tube having a longitudinal axis; an end assembly connected to the outer end of the tube; the end assembly having a body plate disposed in a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube; the body plate having an inner perimeter that defines and opening in the body plate; the opening in the body plate being aligned with the tube; the body plate having a front surface and a rear surface; the body plate having a rounded lip protruding forwardly from the front surface of the body plate; the rounded lip disposed adjacent the inner perimeter of the body plate; and the body plate including an outer flange extending forwardly from the front surface of the body plate; the outer flange being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube. 10. The poke through of claim 9, wherein the outer flange has an outer end; a first reference line being disposed tangent to the rounded lip and passing through the outer end of the flange; an acute angle between the first reference line and a second reference line disposed parallel to longitudinal axis of the tube being greater than 40 degrees. 11. The poke through of claim 10, wherein the outer flange is at least one inch long. 12. The poke through of claim 5, further comprising a plug configured to be frictionally received in the tube. 13. The poke through of claim 12, wherein the size of the plug is adjustable. 14. A poke through, comprising: a tube having an inner end and an outer end; the tube having a longitudinal axis; an end assembly connected to the outer end of the tube; and an adjustable plug having a plurality of selectively removable rings; the adjustable plug disposed inside and frictionally-engaging the tube. 15. The poke through of claim 14, wherein each of the rings is partially slit to allow a user to separate a ring from the plug. 16. The poke through of claim 15, wherein the plug is formed from a deformable foamed polymer. 17. The poke through of claim 14, wherein the end assembly has a body plate and a coupling flange; the body plate being disposed in a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube; the coupling flange being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube; and the body plate having a front surface and a rear surface; the coupling flange extending rearwardly away from the rear surface of the body plate 18. A poke through, comprising: a tube having an inner end and an outer end; the tube having a longitudinal axis; an end assembly connected to the outer end of the tube; the end assembly having a body plate and a coupling flange; the body plate being disposed in a reference plane substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the tube; the coupling flange being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube; the body plate having a front surface and a rear surface; the coupling flange extending rearwardly away from the rear surface of the body plate; the outer end of the tube frictionally engaging and being disposed inwardly of the coupling flange; the body plate having a rounded lip protruding away from the front surface of the body plate; the rounded lip disposed at the inner perimeter of the body plate; the body plate having an outer flange extending forwardly from the front surface of the body plate; the outer flange being disposed substantially parallel to the longitudinal axis of the tube; and the outer flange having an outer end; a first reference line being disposed tangent to the rounded lip and passing through the outer end of the flange; an acute angle between the first reference line and a reference line disposed parallel to longitudinal axis of the tube being greater than 40 degrees. 19. The poke through of claim 18, further comprising a plug adapted to be frictionally received in the tube. 20. The poke through of claim 18, wherein the outer flange is at least one inch long.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Technical Field The present invention generally relates to poke throughs and, more particularly, to poke throughs used to run wires, pipes, and the like through a wall in a building. 2. Background Information There are numerous applications where wires, pipes, and the like must be run through a wall or a foundation in a building or other structure. These applications include electrical cables, phone wires, computer wires, cable TV wires, water pipes, and the like. Another application is where air conditioner line sets are run from the outside to, the inside of a structure. For instance, a residential air conditioner includes a condenser unit disposed outside of the house with a heat exchanger and blower disposed on the inside of the house. A refrigerant line must run from the condenser outside of the house through a wall, to the heat exchanger, and back through the wall to the condenser. The run from the condenser to the heat exchanger is insulated with a thick foam insulation material that keeps the refrigerant in the line cool and prevents condensation. An electrical wire is typically run with these two refrigerant pipes. The combination of the three pipes is typically referred to as a “line set” in the art. These line sets are passed through the foundation wall of houses wherein the heat exchanger is located in the basement of the house. The line set also may be disposed directly through the wall of the house when the heat exchanger is disposed on the first floor of the house in an appliance closet. In both of these situations, a need exists in the art for a poke through that allows the line set to pass through the wall or foundation in an aesthetically desirable manner while also preventing openings from existing around the line set. Various poke throughs are known in the art including those disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,174,126, 4,773,197, 4,607,469, 4,712,342, and 4,967,524. Although these devices are known in the art, room remains for improvement in the art especially where the poke throughs are used with air conditioner line sets. One problem specific to air conditioner line sets is that of maintaining the integrity of thick foam insulation layer that surrounds one of the line set refrigerant pipes. This insulation should remain intact after the line set is installed. Unfortunately, many installers tear the insulation when they fish the line set through the opening in the wall. Torn insulation exposes the cold refrigerant line to the humid air causing condensation on the cold line. The condensation will eventually drip and may cause water damage. In addition, torn insulation will lower the efficiency of the air conditioning unit. The art thus desires a poke through for an air conditioner line set that allows the line set with the insulated refrigerant line to be pulled through the poke through. The art also desires a poke through that is easy to seal after the line set is installed. The art further desires a poke through that may be sealed tightly to different outer and inner surfaces of the wall through which with it is used. The poke through should also be adjustable in length so that it may be used with a variety of walls. In addition, the poke through should be capable of being used with different types of walls and wall coverings.

<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The invention provides a poke through that provides an aesthetically pleasing appearance from the inside and outside of the wall where the poke through is located. The invention provides one embodiment of a poke through that may be used with an air conditioning line set. A poke through of the invention provides rounded corners that allow the air conditioning line set to be pulled through the poke through without tearing the insulation layer. One embodiment of the invention provides a poke through set that may be selectively configured to be used with walls covered with masonry or siding. The poke through may be sealed to prevent air and water leaks. An adjustable plug is used to seal the interior of the poke through both before and after the poke through is in use. In one embodiment, the invention has an adjustable length with at least one finger that frictionally maintains the adjusted length. Another embodiment of the invention provides two spaced fingers that frictionally maintain the adjusted length. The location and spacing of the fingers allow the poke through to be configured in long and short configurations.

INFLATABLE CARGO COVER AND METHOD OF COVERING CARGO

A cargo cover includes an inflatable portion and an interior panel spanning between the inflatable portion. The inflatable portion forms a periphery of the cover. An inflation port is located at one end of the cover and communicates with the inflatable portion. Prior to use, the cover may be rolled-up. The rolled-up cover is positioned over a cargo load, and an inflation source introduces air through the inflation port to inflate the inflatable portion. As the inflatable portion inflates, the cover unrolls and thereby self-deploys over the cargo load.

1. An inflatable cargo cover comprising: an inflatable portion defining a periphery of said cover, said inflatable portion having a continuous passageway formed therein; an interior panel connected to and spanning between said inflatable portion; an inflation port formed on said inflatable portion and communicating with said passageway therein; and wherein said cover is rolled-up prior to deployment over cargo, an inflation source inflates said inflatable portion through said port, and as said inflatable portion becomes inflated, said cover is deployed over the cargo. 2. A cover, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said inflatable portion and said interior panel are joined along a connection line defining a perimeter of said interior panel. 3. A cover as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cover has a rectangular shape when deployed. 4. A cover, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cover has a substantially cylindrical shape when rolled-up. 5. A cover, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said inflatable portion has a tubular shape. 6. A cover, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said interior panel includes first and second pieces of material stacked on one another, and said inflatable portion includes a third piece of material formed in a tubular shape and joined to said first and second pieces. 7. A cover, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said inflatable portion includes a pair of opposing longitudinal sides substantially parallel to one another, a pair of transverse sides extending substantially parallel to one another, and said transverse sides interconnecting said longitudinal sides. 8. A cover, as claimed inn claim 1, wherein: said cover is constructed by first and second pieces of material joined end-to-end to form a continuous loop, said inflatable portion being formed by a connection spaced interiorly from a periphery of said pieces of material and said connection extending in a continuous pattern across said first and second pieces thus also joining said first and second pieces, and said port being formed by creating an opening in said inflatable portion whereby flow of air entering said inflatable portion through said port travels through said inflatable portion. 9. A method of deploying a cargo cover over a cargo, said method comprising the steps of: providing an inflatable portion defining a periphery of said cover, said inflatable portion having a continuous passageway formed therein; providing an interior panel connected to and spanning between said inflatable portion; providing an inflation port on said inflatable portion and communicating with said passageway therein; rolling up the cargo cover leaving the inflation port exposed; applying a flow of air through said port and into said cover causing said inflatable portion to begin to inflate; unrolling said cover as said inflatable portion inflates by air pressure in the inflatable portion that forces the cover to unroll; and fully deploying the cover over the cargo to cover said cargo by continuing to inflate the inflatable portion whereby the cover is fully extended over the cargo. 10. A method, as claimed in claim 9, further including the step of: removing the flow of air from the inflation port thereby allowing said inflatable portion to deflate. 11. A method of providing insulation for a cargo loaded in a cargo container, said method comprising the steps of: providing a cargo loaded in a cargo carrier having a floor, roof, and sidewalls interconnecting the floor and roof, said cargo carrier enclosing the cargo therein; providing a cargo cover placed at an end of the cargo carrier, said cargo cover having a width spanning between said sidewalls and a length when deployed that extends substantially a length of the cargo carrier, said cover being placed in a rolled configuration at the end of the cargo carrier; applying a source of pressurized air to inflate said cargo cover; and deploying said cargo cover by unrolling said cargo cover due to said pressurized air entering said cargo cover, said cargo cover being fully deployed when said cargo covering is unrolled and substantially cover said cargo. 12. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said cargo cover has a peripheral channel for receiving the pressurized air. 13. A method, as claimed in claim 12, wherein: said peripheral channel extends at least along lateral sides of said cargo cover and along one end of said cargo cover. 14. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said cargo cover has a port for receiving the air, a peripheral channel extending along at least a portion of a periphery of the cargo cover, and an interior section spanning between the peripheral channel. 15. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cargo cover is made of multiple layers of material. 16. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said cargo cover when rolled has opposing lateral sides folded toward a center line of said cargo cover. 17. A method, as claimed in claim 1, wherein: said cargo cover deflates after deployment. 18. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said cargo cover is roll folded. 19. A method, as claimed in claim 11, wherein: said cargo cover is made of multiple sheets of material, and a peripheral channel was formed in said cargo cover for receiving the source of pressurized air.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Cargo covers or blankets are commonly used to cover cargo loaded on a truck, plane, or ship in order to insulate the cargo and maintain it at a desired temperature. One type of cargo often requiring a cover is canned or bottled beverages that must remain chilled during shipment. This type of cargo is commonly shipped in cargo trailers hauled by a truck. The cargo cover is placed over the top exposed surface of the cargo load. Because of the prohibitive costs of using a refrigeration unit for most cargo, cargo containers such as cargo trailers maintain the temperature of the cargo by use of an insulated cargo space (for example insulated sidewalls, ceiling and flooring) in combination with a cargo blanket. For beverages such as beer, it is undesirable for the beer to freeze or to heat beyond an upper temperature limit. Thus, it is critical that the cargo cover used be capable of providing adequate insulation to maintain the cargo within the desired temperature range. Of course, depending upon the season in which the cargo is shipped, the cargo may be exposed to various temperature extremes, and the cargo cover should have known insulative properties that protect the cargo from freezing and from reaching upper temperature limits. These cargo blankets are constructed of heavy cotton panels with vinyl covers. These cargo covers are quite heavy, and are also quite difficult to deploy over the cargo load. Because of the weight of the covers, multiple smaller covers must be typically used to cover the entire load. Also, these cargo blankets must be deployed from the rear of the trailer (the end closest to the truck). If a trailer is first fully loaded, the user must often times crawl over the loaded cargo and therefore work in a very constrained space to deploy the cargo blankets. Alternatively, if the cargo trailer is incrementally loaded, a first cargo blanket is deployed over the loaded cargo, and then loading of the trailer is continued with incremental loads causing the user to separately deploy subsequent cargo blankets, one at a time. With either method of loading the cargo, multiple cargo blankets must be used and a considerable amount of physical effort is required to deploy the blankets.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Based upon the shortcomings of prior art cargo blankets, it is one object of the present invention to provide a cargo cover that is lightweight and easily deployed over a large cargo load thus eliminating the inherent difficulties in deploying multiple and heavy cargo blankets. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cargo cover that provides adequate insulation for isolating the cargo from the environment, yet is much lighter and more easily deployed than standard cargo blankets. It is yet another object of the present invention to substantially increase efficiency and safety in terms of how a cargo cover is deployed over a fully loaded cargo container, thus eliminating the need for a user to enter a cargo container for deploying one or more cargo covers. It is yet another object of the present invention to provide a cargo cover that may be easily stored after use and that may be installed by a single person. In accordance with the present invention, each of the foregoing objectives are achieved by an inflatable cargo cover or blanket that is used to cover a cargo loaded within a cargo container such as a cargo trailer. In the preferred embodiment, the cargo cover includes an inflatable portion that defines a periphery of the cargo cover, and an interior panel that spans between the inflatable portion. The cargo cover can be shaped to match the particular size cargo container. For example, most cargo trailers have a rectangular shape, and the cargo cover of the present invention may be formed in the same rectangular shape to match the cargo container so when the cover is deployed, it covers all cargo loaded within the cargo container. Thus, a single cover is used and multiple covers are avoided. The inflatable portion is preferably in the form of a tubular member that extends around a periphery of the cargo cover. An inflation port is formed in the inflatable portion whereby a flow of air introduced through the inflation port allows the inflatable portion to be inflated. Prior to use, the cargo cover is rolled up in a very compact configuration. When the cargo cover is to be deployed over a cargo loaded within a cargo container, the cover is placed at the forward end of the cargo container and centered over the cargo. An inflation source is then connected to the inflation port for providing a flow of air through the inflation port and into the inflatable portion. One well-suited inflation source can be compressed air generated from an air compressor, such as plant air found in most industrial facilities. As the inflatable portion inflates, it causes the cargo cover to unroll in a controlled manner (based on the flow rate of air entering the inflatable portion). As the cover unrolls, the user may slightly shift or adjust the orientation of the cargo cover so that the cargo cover uniformly covers the entire cargo loaded within the container. When the cargo cover is fully deployed over the cargo, the inflatable portion preferably contacts the interior sidewalls of the cargo container to ensure that the cargo is fully covered and there are no large gaps between the cargo and sidewalls of the trailer. The inflation device is then removed from the inflation port and the inflatable portion is allowed to deflate. After deflation, the cargo is still covered, and any gap between the interior sidewalls of the cargo container and the cargo is either filled by the inflatable portion in contact with the sidewalls, or the inflatable portion drapes over the side edges of the cargo and extends down over the side edges of the cargo. After use, the cargo cover may be rolled up and stored. Because the cargo cover can be completely rolled, it maintains a relatively compact shape that is easy to transport and store. A band or strap can be used to keep the cargo cover in the rolled-up configuration. The cargo cover of the present invention enables a user to more easily cover a cargo load because the user does not have to actually enter the cargo container and manually manipulate the cargo cover over the load. The cargo cover of the present invention is self-deployable by use of the inflation source to inflate the inflatable portion. Because the cargo cover may be made of a very lightweight material, the cargo cover is much more easy to install over cargo as well as to store and transfer the cover between cargo containers. Use of the cargo container enhances productivity by decreasing the amount of time and effort required to deploy the cargo cover. The cargo cover can also be made of materials that make the cargo cover much less expensive than traditional cargo blankets. Various other features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent from a review of the following detailed description taken with the drawings.

Dynamic data restore in thyristor-based memory device

A dynamically-operating restoration circuit is used to apply a voltage or current restore pulse signal to thyristor-based memory cells and therein restore data in the cell using the internal positive feedback loop of the thyristor. In one example implementation, the internal positive feedback loop in the thyristor is used to restore the conducting state of a device after the thyristor current drops below the holding current. A pulse and/or periodic waveform are defined and applied to ensure that the thyristor is not released from its conducting state. The time average of the periodic restore current in the thyristor may be lower than the holding current threshold. While not necessarily limited to memory cells that are thyristor-based, various embodiments of the invention have been found to be the particularly useful for high-speed, low-power memory cells in which a thin capacitively-coupled thyristor is used to provide a bi-stable storage element.

1. An electronic circuit arrangement comprising: a thyristor having a current blocking state and a current passing state, the thyristor transitioning out of the current passing state during standby after a predetermined time interval; a transistor having a first terminal coupled to the thyristor; and a restore circuit adapted to periodically apply a pulse to the transistor, the pulse causing the transistor to provide a current path to the thyristor for preventing the transitioning during standby. 2. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the pulse is independent of the state of the thyristor. 3. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the pulse is controlled to track variations in a characteristic of the thyristor. 4. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 3, wherein the variation is temperature. 5. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the thyristor and the transistor form a memory cell. 6. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 5, wherein the transistor has a second terminal connecting to a bit line, and wherein the pulse is applied to the bit line. 7. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 5, wherein the transistor has a gate terminal connecting to a word line, and wherein the pulse is applied to the word line. 8. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the restore circuit comprises a circuit to control a frequency of the pulse. 9. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the restore circuit comprises a circuit to control amplitude of the pulse. 10. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 1, wherein the restore circuit comprises a circuit to control a width of the pulse. 11. An electronic circuit arrangement comprising: a memory array comprising: a plurality of memory cells, a plurality of bit lines, and a plurality of a word lines; each memory cell of the plurality comprising: a thyristor having a current blocking state and a current passing state, the thyristor transitioning out of the current passing state during standby after a predetermined time interval, and a transistor having a first terminal coupled to the thyristor, a second terminal coupled to one of the bit lines, and a gate terminal coupled to one of the word lines; and a restore circuit adapted to apply a pulse to the memory array; at least one transistor of a memory cell of the plurality operable responsive to the pulse of the restore circuit to provide a current path to the thyristor for preventing the transitioning during standby. 12. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11, wherein the pulse is independent of the state of the thyristor. 13. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11, wherein the pulse is controlled to track variations in a characteristic of the thyristor. 14. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 13, wherein the variation is temperature. 15. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11 wherein the pulse is applied to the one bit line. 16. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11, wherein the pulse is applied to the one word line. 17. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11, wherein the restore circuit comprises a circuit to control a frequency of the pulse. 18. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11, wherein the restore circuit comprises a circuit to control amplitude of the pulse. 19. The electronic circuit arrangement of claim 11, wherein the restore circuit comprises a circuit to control a width of the pulse.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Recent technological advances in the semiconductor industry have permitted dramatic increases in integrated circuit density and complexity, and equally dramatic decreases in power consumption and package sizes. Presently, single-die microprocessors are being manufactured with many millions of transistors, operating at speeds of hundreds of millions of instructions per second and being packaged in relatively small, air-cooled semiconductor device packages. The improvements in such devices have led to a dramatic increase in their use in a variety of applications. As the use of these devices has become more prevalent, the demand for reliable and affordable semiconductor devices has also increased. Accordingly, the need to manufacture such devices in an efficient and reliable manner has become increasingly important. An important part in the design, construction, and manufacture of semiconductor devices concerns semiconductor memory and other circuitry used to store information. Conventional random access memory devices include a variety of circuits, such as SRAM and DRAM circuits. The construction and formation of such memory circuitry typically involves forming at least one storage element and circuitry designed to access the stored information. DRAM is very common due to its high density (e.g., high density has benefits including low price), with DRAM cell size being typically between 6 F 2 and 8 F 2 , where F is the minimum feature size. However, with typical DRAM access times of approximately 50 nSec, DRAM is relatively slow compared to typical microprocessor speeds and requires refresh. SRAM is another common semiconductor memory that is much faster than DRAM and, in some instances, is of an order of magnitude faster than DRAM. Also, unlike DRAM, SRAM does not require refresh. SRAM cells are typically constructed using 4 transistors and 2 resistors, or 6 transistors, which result in much lower density, with typical cell size being between about 60 F 2 and 150 F 2 . Various SRAM cell designs based on a NDR (Negative Differential Resistance) construction have been introduced, ranging from a simple bipolar transistor to complicated quantum-effect devices. These cell designs usually consist of at least two active elements, including an NDR device. In view of size considerations, the construction of the NDR device is important to the overall performance of this type of SRAM cell. One advantage of the NDR-based cell is the potential of having a cell area smaller than four-transistor and six-transistor SRAM cells because of the smaller number of active devices and interconnections. Conventional NDR-based SRAM cells, however, have many problems that have prohibited their use in commercial SRAM products. These problems include, among others: high standby power consumption due to the large current needed in one or both of the stable states of the cell; excessively high or excessively low voltage levels needed for cell operation; stable states that are too sensitive to manufacturing variations and provide poor noise-margins; limitations in access speed due to slow switching from one state to the other; limitations in operability due to temperature, noise, voltage and/or light stability; and manufacturability and yield issues due to complicated fabrication processing. A thin capacitively-coupled thyristor-type NDR device can be effective in providing a bi-stable element for such memory cells and in overcoming many previously unresolved problems for thyristor-based memory applications. This type of NDR device has a control port that is capacitively coupled to a relatively-thin thyristor body. The thyristor body is sufficiently thin to permit modulation of the potential of the thyristor body in response to selected signals capacitively coupled via the control port. Such capacitively-coupled signals are used to enhance switching of the thyristor-based device between current-blocking and current-conducting states. An important consideration in the design of thyristor-based memory cells, including the above thyristor-based type, concerns maintenance of the thyristor's conducting state. When the thyristor is in the forward conducting state, a DC current larger than the holding current of the thyristor flows through the thyristor in order to maintain the conducting state. For the specific case of the above thyristor-based type memory cell, optimal operation of the device is challenged by various issues. For example, when a MOSFET access transistor is used to control the current flow through a thyristor, variations in the threshold voltage of access transistors from cell to cell in a large array and the exponential current-voltage dependence for access transistors in the sub-threshold regime can result in an unduly large standby current for the array and/or loss of the conducting state for some of the thyristors in the array. In addition, unduly large standby resistors often can be used in each memory cell. This resistor can add to the bit-cost of the memory by adding some extra steps to the fabrication process and potentially increasing the memory cell size. Furthermore, the resistance variation of the standby resistor used from cell to cell can result in a large standby current for the array and/or loss of the conducting state for some of the thyristors in the array. Other related challenges include variations in bit-line voltage during read and write operations into one cell and a resultant large standby current and/or loss of the conducting state for the other cells sharing the same bit line.

<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>The present invention is directed to overcoming the above-mentioned challenges and others related to the types of devices discussed in the above-indicated related applications and in other memory cells. For more specific examples of these devices to which the present invention is applicable, reference may be made to each of the above-mentioned patent documents and to the publication cited therein and in the priority patent document, each of which is incorporated by reference in its entirety. Generally, the present invention is directed to dynamic data restoration in a memory device having an array of memory cells and with each memory cell having an internal positive feedback loop. A restore current or voltage pulse is applied to each memory cell for a short interval. The pulses can be applied periodically with each applied pulse defined to restore a forward conducting state of an element in the memory cell in response to the internal positive feedback loop. According to one aspect, the present invention is directed to a method for dynamically restoring data in a thyristor-based memory device, such as a memory cell array, having a plurality of thyristor-based memory cells. In each memory cell, a thyristor with an internal positive feedback loop is used to provide the storage element. The method includes applying a current or voltage restore pulse for a short interval to each memory cell and therein restoring data in the cell using the internal positive feedback loop of the thyristor. According to an example embodiment of the present invention, a restoration circuit is used to apply a voltage or current pulse or waveform to the thyristor of a thyristor-based memory cell and therein restore data in the cell using the internal positive feedback loop of the thyristor. In one implementation, the internal positive feedback loop in the thyristor is used to restore the conducting state of a device after the thyristor current drops below the holding current. The pulse waveform and frequency are defined to ensure that the transistor is not released from its conducting state. This restoration is typically applied after the thyristor device is fully in the forward conducting state and in a manner that prevents the thyristor device from transitioning completely out of the forward conducting state. The above summary of the present invention is not intended to describe each illustrated embodiment or every implementation of the present invention. The figures and detailed description that follow more particularly exemplify these embodiments.

Power control device

The power control device has three units, each having two cooling fins set in opposed positions. Every cooling fin has an SCR mounted to adjust the voltage change. One of the two opposed cooling fins has a reed and a circuit board mounted thereon, and the power supply is able to be provided to the circuit board through the cooling fin, and the reed has a first contact therein and a second contact in the opposed cooling fin. When the motor is activated or turned off, the SCR makes the voltage change smoothly. When the motor is in normal operation, the first contact of the reed is connected to the second contact, so the current will steer clear of the SCR and pass the cooling fin. The cooling fins perform as a relay during the operation period, and the overheating problem of the SCR is eliminated.

1. A power control device comprising: multiple units assembled together, each unit including two cooling fins mounted in opposed positions, wherein every cooling fin has a silicon controlled rectifier (SCR) mounted thereon, and the SCR has an anode (A), a cathode (K) and a gate (G), the anode is connected in the same cooling fin with the SCR, while the cathode is connected to the opposed cooling fin; and a reed having a first contact therein and a second contact in the opposed cooling fin; and a pusher which can push the reeds of the units, whereby the first contact is connected to the second contact. 2. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an insulating frame with three walls and an open end is mounted between the two cooling fins; multiple shafts are set in the frame corresponding to a plurality of holes for the shaft in the respective cooling fin, whereby the frame is fixed to the respective cooling fin, so the two cooling fins are arranged with the insulating frame therebetween; and two channels are set in opposed walls of the frame. 3. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a projection is formed in an upper end of each cooling fin, and an electric conduction holder is also fitted at the upper end of each cooling fin. 4. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a circuit board is in contact with the projection and fastened by a screw, and the power supply is connected to the circuit board through the respective cooling fin. 5. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a shim is padded to the projection, and a temperature sensing element is built in the shim. 6. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a plurality of first protrusions is spread in one face of each cooling fin by means of punching. 7. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the reed has a second opening, which is inserted by a second protrusion in the respective cooling fin, whereby the reed is fastened to the respective cooling fin; and the reed has a first contact therein and a second contact in the opposed cooling fin. 8. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein an electric conduction holder is fitted to the cooling fin by means of riveting. 9. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein the pusher is an electromagnet secured in a supporter with two slips in opposed positions, and the supporter has a movable tab. 10. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a fixer is provided between every unit, and the fixer is a case with an open end, a second slot is defined in the one edge of the case; a board is formed in the fixer with an upper portion on which an insulating piece is mounted; a plurality of third protrusions are formed in both faces of the board, and each third protrusion has a second opening; the edge of the respective cooling fin can be secured in the second slot; the shaft is inserted to the opening, whereby the three units are combined together. 11. The power control device as claimed in claim 1, wherein a rod is mounted between the pusher and the units, the rod has two flanges formed in two opposed edges of the rod; and, a first slot and multiple third slots are defined therein. 12. The power control device as claimed in claim 2, wherein a rod is mounted between the pusher and the units, the rod has two flanges formed in two opposed edges of the rod; and, a first slot and multiple third slots are defined therein. 13. The power control device as claimed in claim 9, wherein a rod is mounted between the pusher and the units, the rod has two flanges formed in two opposed edges of the rod; and, a first slot and multiple third slots are defined therein.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a power control device, and particularly relates to a power control device that can switch to a bypass relay when the power is in full output, thus the temperature rise of the elements such as motor soft starter, solid state relay, thermistor, etc can be controlled. In addition, its simple structure not only reduces size and cost, but also simplifies the whole design. 2. Description of Related Art A power control device is often applied in electric equipment to adjust the power volume, instead of only connecting the electric equipment to the power supply through an electromagnetic relay. For example, when a motor is activated, full voltage will be input, leading to an excessive current and a pull-in torque which may be harmful to the motor. So, a power control device is applied to control the voltage change at start and stop moments, whereby the voltage will not change sharply at those two moments and the motor is protected. The power control device generally employs SCRs (silicon controlled rectifier) to realize the buffering process, however, if the current passes through the SCR during the whole operation, the SCR may become overheated, therefore a cooling fin is provided to dissipate excessive heat, but the cooling fin will increase the size of the equipment. Another way to reduce the heat rate is to provide an electromagnetic relay, and when the motor is in a stable operation, the current is switched to the electromagnetic relay, but that will further increase the size and the design is more complex. To have both the advantages of the electromagnetic relay and the power control function, it is more preferable to combine the two elements to a single control device. With reference to FIG. 5 , a motor soft starter has a relay built in. The starter has two main circuit boards ( 50 ), ( 52 ), a relay connecting board ( 53 ) with three relays ( 51 ) mounted thereon, and a triggering circuit ( 58 ) with three circuit boards ( 54 ) mounted thereon corresponding to the three relays ( 51 ). Each circuit board ( 54 ) has two SCRs ( 55 ) mounted thereon, and a heat sink ( 60 ) is fitted opposite each SCR ( 55 ). Every circuit board ( 54 ) has a first conducting strip ( 57 ) and a second conducting strip ( 59 ) respectively provided at opposite ends, and the first conducting strip ( 57 ) is at the current input end, and the second conducting strip ( 59 ) is at the current output end. The two conducting strips ( 57 ), ( 59 ) are connected to the relay connecting board ( 53 ). The input and output of the three relays ( 51 ) are respectively connected to the input and output of the SCR. When the motor is in stable operation, the current is made to pass through the relay, but the relays ( 51 ) take up most of the space, leaving little space for the cooling fin ( 60 ). Therefore, the invention provides a power control device to mitigate or obviate the aforementioned problems.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The main objective of the present invention is to provide a power control device with SCRs which incorporates a relay. When in activating or ceasing processes, the SCRs will operate to control the voltage change and cooling fins are employed for heat emission; when the motor is in normal operation, two cooling fins function as a relay. Other objectives, advantages and novel features of the invention will become more apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.

Method and system for debugging using replicated logic and trigger logic

A method and system for debugging using replicated logic and trigger logic is described. A representation of a circuit is compiled. One or more signals are selected for triggering and trigger logic is inserted into the circuit. A portion of the circuit is selected for replication. The selected portion of the circuit is replicated and delay logic is inserted to delay the inputs into the replicated portion of the circuit. The representation of the circuit is recompiled and programmed into a hardware device. A debugger may then be invoked. One or more of the triggering signals are selected. For each selected triggering signal, one or more states are selected to setup a trigger condition. The hardware device may then be run. The replicated portion of the circuit will be paused when the trigger condition occurs. The states of registers in the replicated portion of the circuit and the sequence of steps that led to the trigger condition may then be recorded.

1. A method comprising: compiling a representation of a circuit; selecting one or more signals for triggering; inserting trigger logic into the circuit; selecting a portion of the representation of the circuit for replication; replicating the selected portion of the circuit; inserting delay logic to delay inputs to the replicated portion of the circuit; recompiling the representation of the circuit; selecting one or more of the triggering signals; setting one or more states for each selected triggering signal to setup a trigger condition; and recording one or more states of one or more registers in the replicated portion of the circuit and a sequence of steps that led to the trigger condition when the trigger condition occurs. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the representation of the circuit is written in a hardware description language (HDL). 3. The method of claim 1, wherein replicating the selected portion of the circuit comprises connecting each register in the replicated portion of the circuit into a scan chain. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein recompiling the representation of the circuit comprises recompiling the representation of the circuit to generate a register transfer level netlist. 5. The method of claim 4, further comprising mapping the register transfer level netlist to a selected technology architecture. 6. The method of claim 5, further comprising performing a place and route operation to implement the circuit in the selected technology architecture. 7. The method of claim 6, further comprising programming the register transfer level netlist into a programmable hardware device. 8. The method of claim 7, further comprising running the circuit on the programmable hardware device and pausing the replicated portion of the circuit when the trigger condition occurs. 9. The method of claim 1, further comprising converting the recorded states of the registers and the sequence of steps that led to the trigger condition into a format compatible with a software simulator. 10. An integrated circuit comprising: a plurality of logic elements; a replication of one or more of the logic elements; delay logic coupled to the replicated portion of the circuit to delay inputs into the replicated portion of the circuit; trigger logic coupled to the replicated portion of the circuit to enable setup of a trigger condition; and clock control logic coupled to the replicated portion of the circuit to enable the execution of the replicated portion of the circuit to be paused when the trigger condition occurs. 11. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the clock control logic includes a breakpoint to pause the replicated portion of the circuit. 12. The integrated circuit of claim 10, wherein the clock control logic further includes logic to enable the replicated portion of the circuit to be executed on a clock by clock basis. 13. An article of manufacture comprising: a machine accessible medium including content that when accessed by a machine causes the machine to perform operations including: compiling a representation of a circuit; selecting one or more signals for triggering; inserting trigger logic into the circuit; selecting a portion of the representation of the circuit for replication; replicating the selected portion of the circuit; inserting delay logic to delay inputs to the replicated portion of the circuit; recompiling the representation of the circuit; selecting one or more of the triggering signals; setting one or more states for each selected triggering signal to setup a trigger condition; and recording one or more states of one or more registers in the replicated portion of the circuit and a sequence of steps that led to the trigger condition when the trigger condition occurs. 14. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein replicating the selected portion of the circuit comprises connecting one or more registers in the replicated portion of the circuit into a scan chain. 15. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises converting the recorded states of the registers and the sequence of steps that led to the trigger condition into a format compatible with a software simulator. 16. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises programming the compiled representation of the circuit into a programmable hardware device. 17. The article of manufacture of claim 16, wherein the method further comprises causing the circuit to run on the programmable hardware device. 18. The article of manufacture of claim 13, wherein the method further comprises causing the replicated portion of the circuit to be paused when the trigger condition occurs.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>For the design of digital circuits, designers often employ computer aided techniques. Standard languages, such as Hardware Description Languages (HDLs), have been developed to describe digital circuits to aid in the design and simulation of complex digital circuits. As device technology continues to advance, various product design tools have been developed to adapt HDLs for use with newer devices and design styles. After the HDL code is written and compiled, the design of an integrated circuit (IC) or a system which includes multiple ICs must be verified to be correct. Continually advancing processing technology and the corresponding explosion in design size and complexity have led to verification problems for complex circuit designs, such as Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) that are difficult to solve using traditional simulation tools and techniques. As a result, some designers build prototype boards using multiple ICs such as field programmable gate arrays (FPGAs) to verify their ASIC designs. However, there are still problems with debugging the hardware design. When an error is detected during debug, designers may attempt to tap signals of interest from the circuit and use a logic analyzer to determine the cause of the error. However, this is a difficult process and is often not effective, especially in the case of intermittent errors. Errors that have already occurred are often difficult to repeat and reconstruct.

<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>The invention is illustrated by way of example, and not by way of limitation, in the figures of the accompanying drawings in which like reference numerals refer to similar elements. FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of a computer system that may be used to implement embodiments of the invention. FIG. 2 is a flow chart illustrating an embodiment of a method of the invention. FIG. 3 illustrates an example of a circuit section implementing an embodiment of the invention. FIG. 4 illustrates an example of clock control logic according to an embodiment of the invention. detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Methods and apparatus to self-configure a flexible residential gateway

Methods and apparatus are disclosed to self-configure a flexible residential gateway providing access to an external communications network, and providing communications with an in home network. An example flexible residential gateway may include an xDSL (“x” variety of Digital Subscriber Line) processor that processes xDSL signals communicated with the connected external communications network; a Wide area network (WAN) Ethernet transceiver that processes Ethernet signals communicated with the connected external communications network; and a switch controller that is capable of selecting either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver, and if the xDSL processor is selected whether the xDSL processor is connected to a first telephone line or a coaxial cable.

1. A flexible residential gateway apparatus providing access to an external communications network, and providing communications with an in home network, the flexible residential gateway comprising: an xDSL (“x” variety of Digital Subscriber Line) processor for providing access to the external communications network through one of a first telephone line or a coaxial cable, and processing a xDSL signals communicated with the connected external communications network; a wide area network (WAN) Ethernet transceiver for providing access to the external communications network through a computer cable, and processing Ethernet signals communicated with the connected external communications network; and wherein a switch controller is capable of selecting either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver, and if the xDSL processor is selected whether the xDSL processor is connected to the first telephone line or the coaxial cable. 2. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a multi-position switch, wherein the switch controller uses the position of the multi-position switch to select either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver, and if the xDSL processor is selected whether the xDSL processor is connected to the first telephone line or the coaxial cable. 3. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a graphical user interface (GUI) or remote configuration/management interface (RC/MI) accessible via a second computer cable allowing a user to make a selection, wherein the switch controller uses the selection made via the GUI or the RC/MI to select either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver, and if the xDSL processor is selected whether the xDSL processor is connected to the first telephone line or the coaxial cable. 4. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: an xDSL sensor to detect the presence of xDSL signals on the first telephone line and the coaxial cable; and an Ethernet sensor to detect the presence of Ethernet signals on the computer cable; wherein the switch controller uses outputs of the xDSL sensor and the Ethernet sensor to select either the XDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver, and if the xDSL processor is selected whether to connect the XDSL processor to the first telephone line or to the coaxial cable. 5. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 4 wherein the xDSL sensor is implemented by the xDSL processor, and the Ethernet sensor is implemented by the WAN Ethernet transceiver. 6. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising a MOCA (multimedia over coax alliance) transceiver for providing access to the external communications network through the coaxial cable, and processing MOCA signals communicated with the connected external communications network. 7. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 1 further comprising: at least one voice over Internet protocol (IP) (VoIP) processor for providing at least one VoIP service to the in home network through at least one telephone line, and processing VoIP signals communicated with the in home network; at least one VoIP coupler connecting VoIP signals between at least one VoIP processor and at least one telephone line, wherein the VoIP coupler is capable to disconnect a battery feed voltage and ring voltages from at least one telephone line; and at least one POTS (plain old telephone service) sensor capable to detect the presence of POTS signals on at least one telephone line; wherein the switch controller is capable of disconnecting the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from at least one telephone line if POTS signals are detected on at least one telephone line. 8. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 7 wherein a VoIP coupler and a POTS sensor are associated with each telephone line, and the switch controller controls the VoIP coupler associated with a telephone line to disconnect the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from the telephone line if POTS signals are detected by the POTS sensor on the telephone line. 9. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 7 further comprising a HomePNA (Home PhoneLine Networking Alliance) processor for providing HomePNA communications with the in home network through at least one telephone line, and processing HomePNA signals communicated with the connected in home network, and wherein the switch controller is further capable of disconnecting the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line if VDSL (Very high speed Digital Subscriber Line) signals that interfere with the HomePNA signals are present on at least one telephone line. 10. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 9 further comprising: at least one configurable switch capable to disconnect the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line; and one VDSL sensor configured to detect the presence of VDSL signals on the first telephone line; wherein the switch controller controls at least one configurable switch to disconnect the HomePNA processor from all telephone lines if VDSL signals that interfere with the HomePNA signals are present on the first telephone line. 11. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 9 wherein a VoIP coupler and a POTS sensor are associated with each telephone line, and wherein the switch controller controls the VoIP coupler associated with a telephone line to disconnect the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from the telephone line if POTS signals are detected by the POTS sensor on the telephone line. 12. A flexible residential gateway apparatus as defined in claim 9 further comprising: an xDSL sensor to detect the presence of xDSL signals on the first telephone line and the coaxial cable; and an Ethernet sensor to detect the presence of Ethernet signals on the computer cable; wherein the switch controller uses outputs of the xDSL sensor and the Ethernet sensor to select either the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver, and if the xDSL processor is selected whether to connect the xDSL processor to the first telephone line or to the coaxial cable. 13. For a flexible residential gateway apparatus comprising an xDSL (“x” variety of Digital Subscriber Line) processor that is capable to provide access to an external communications network through a first telephone line and through a coaxial cable, a wide area network (WAN) Ethernet transceiver that is capable to provide access to the external communications network through a computer cable, and providing communications with an in home network; a self-configuration method comprising: gathering at least one configuration selector output; selecting one of the xDSL processor or the WAN Ethernet transceiver based on the at least one configuration selector output; and if the xDSL processor is selected then selecting whether the xDSL processor is connected to the first telephone line or the coaxial cable based on the at least one configuration selector output. 14. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 13 wherein the at least one configuration selector output comprises at least one output of a first detector that is detecting the presence of xDSL signals on the first telephone line and on the coaxial cable, and an output of a second detector that is detecting the presence of Ethernet signals on the computer cable. 15. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 14 wherein the first detector is implemented by the xDSL processor, and wherein the second detector is implemented by the WAN Ethernet transceiver. 16. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 13 wherein the at least one configuration selector output comprises the position of a multi-position switch. 17. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 13 wherein the at least one configuration selector output comprises at least one value specified by a user via at least one of a GUI (graphical user interface) or a remote configuration/management interface (RC/MI). 18. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 13 further comprising detecting the presence of plain old telephone service (POTS) signals on at least one telephone line, and disconnecting a battery feed voltage and ring voltages from at least one telephone line if POTS signals are detected on at least one telephone line. 19. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 18 further comprising detecting the presence POTS signals on each telephone line, and disconnecting the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from a telephone line if POTS signals are detected on the telephone line. 20. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 18 further comprising: detecting the presence of VDSL signals on at least one telephone line; and disconnecting the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected on at least one telephone line; wherein disconnecting the HomePNA processor uses at least one configurable switch capable to disconnect the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line. 21. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 20 further comprising detecting the presence POTS signals on each telephone line, and disconnecting the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from a telephone line if POTS signals are detected on the telephone line. 22. A self-configuration method as defined in claim 20 further comprising detecting the presence VDSL signals on the first telephone line, and disconnecting the HomePNA processor from all telephone lines if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected on the first telephone line. 23. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which, when executed, cause a machine to: gather at least one configuration selector output; and select one of a xDSL processor or a WAN Ethernet transceiver based on the at least one configuration selector output; and if the xDSL processor is selected then select whether the xDSL processor is connected to a first telephone line or a coaxial cable based on the at least one configuration selector output. 24. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 23 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to determine the at least one configuration selector output as at least one output of a first detector that is detecting the presence of xDSL signals on the first telephone line and on the coaxial cable, and an output of a second detector that is detecting the presence of Ethernet signals on a computer cable. 25. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 24 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to implement the first detector using the xDSL processor, and to implement the second detector using the WAN Ethernet transceiver. 26. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 23 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to determine the at least one configuration selector output as the position of a multi-position switch. 27. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 23 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to determine the at least one configuration selector output as at least one value specified by a user via at least one of a GUI (graphical user interface) or a remote configuration/management interface (RC/MI) 28. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 23 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence of plain old telephone service (POTS) signals on at least one telephone line, and to disconnect a battery feed voltage and ring voltages from at least one telephone line if POTS signals are detected on at least one telephone line. 29. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 28 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence POTS signals on each telephone line, and to disconnect the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from a telephone line if POTS signals are detected on the telephone line. 30. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 28 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence of VDSL signals on at least one telephone line, and to disconnect the HomePNA processor from at least one telephone line if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected on at least one telephone line. 31. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence POTS signals on each telephone line, and to disconnect the battery feed voltage and the ring voltages from a telephone line if POTS signals are detected on the telephone line. 32. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 30 wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to detect the presence VDSL signals on the first telephone line, and to disconnect the HomePNA processor from all telephone lines if VDSL signals that interfere with HomePNA communications are detected on the first telephone line.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>Not long ago, the only communication service in a residence was plain old telephone service (POTS). A residence typically had a single telephone connected within the residence via a single piece of twisted pair telephone line to a network interface demarcation (NID) point outside the residence. With such a configuration there were essentially no opportunities for interfering signals and/or incorrect cross connection of telephone lines. As time progressed, more phones were added to residences using a variety of wiring topologies, e.g., star, home run, daisy chain, etc. The combinations present in residences today are nearly endless, and many homeowners are not fully aware of how the telephone wiring in their home is connected. As time further progressed, advanced homeowners began installing and configuring computer networks to allow multiple computers inside their residence to share files, printers, etc. These home networks were typically installed by knowledgeable, advanced users or paid installers, and utilized a set of wiring parallel to the telephone wiring so that the chances of improper cross connection with existing telephone lines remained minimal. In recent years, there has been a proliferation of interconnected devices and communication networks within residences—many installed by homeowners with minimal knowledge of the workings of such devices and the communications networks and protocols they utilize. Many homeowners now have access to the public Internet via full-time dedicated broadband connections. For example, FIG. 1 shows a prior art in home network (IHN) 100 including a residential gateway (RG) 105 for receiving and transmitting xDSL (“x” variety of Digital Subscriber Line (DSL)) signals carried across a telephone line 110 that simultaneously carries their POTS. The various xDSL standards define a family of broadband communication technologies carried across a standard telephone line between a telephone operator's central office and a residence or business. Some forms of xDSL, e.g., Asymmetric DSL (ADSL), support simultaneous POTS on the same telephone line. To process the xDSL signals, the RG 105 includes an xDSL processor 115 capable of receiving and transmitting xDSL signals from and to an external network 120 over the telephone line 110 . The external network 120 provides access to the public Internet via xDSL, and access to the public switched telephone network (PSTN) via POTS or Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) carried in Internet protocol (IP) packets over the xDSL connection. The xDSL processor 115 is typically connected to the telephone line 110 via the inner pair of wires of a first RJ11 connector 125 . As illustrated in FIG. 1 , the first RJ11 connector (like all RJ11 connectors) supports the connection of two pairs of wires (i.e., two telephone lines)—an inner pair and an outer pair, shown next to each other in the figure. In subsequent figures, if only one pair of wires is connected to an RJ11 connector only half of the corresponding RJ11 symbol is shown, for example a second RJ11 connector 126 . The telephone line 110 simultaneously carries POTS and is further connected via additional telephone lines 110 a - b to a plurality of telephones 130 , 131 , 132 using any number of wiring topologies, e.g., star, home-run, daisy chain, etc. To keep transients associated with POTS (e.g., ring voltages, ring trip transients, etc.) and xDSL from interfering, the IHN 100 further includes a plurality of in-line filters (ILF) 135 , 136 , 137 . The ILF 135 , 136 , 137 provide a low-pass filter (LPF) response between the telephone lines 110 a - b and the telephones 130 , 131 , 132 to keep POTS transients from causing interference with higher frequency xDSL signals, and vice versa. The xDSL processor 115 typically includes a high-pass filter (not shown) to further limit interference between POTS transients and xDSL signals. Example implementations of the xDSL processor 115 and the ILF 135 , 136 , 137 are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art and, in the interest of brevity, will not be discussed further. The RG 105 includes a router/switch/bridge 140 to connect user data transported using IP packets by the xDSL signals with a VoIP processor 145 or an Ethernet transceiver 150 . The VoIP processor 145 is capable of communicating voice band data (VBD) signals with a second plurality of telephones 133 , 134 via an additional telephone line 111 . The VoIP processor 145 comprises an analog terminal adapter (ATA) and a pulse coded modulation (PCM) coder-decoder (codec). The ATA transforms digital VBD samples received in IP packets from the external network 120 into PCM encoded digital samples. The PCM encoded samples are converted to analog signals by the PCM codec. Likewise, the PCM codec converts analog signals into PCM encoded digital samples, and the ATA transforms the digital samples into IP packets for transport across the telephone line using xDSL signals to the external network 120 . The analog signals to and from the PCM codec are connected to a subscriber line interface circuit (SLIC) 147 . The SLIC 147 implements, among other things, a 4-wire to 2-wire hybrid function between the two analog signals (transmit and receive) associated with the PCM codec (i.e., a 4-wire signal) and a 2-wire signal (bi-directional) required for the telephone line 111 . The SLIC 147 is connected to the second telephone line 111 via either the inner or outer pair of the second RJ11 connector 126 . Alternatively, the SLIC 147 may be connected to the outer pair of the RJ11 connector 125 . To provide battery feed voltage and to allow the VoIP processor 145 to ring one or more of the telephones 133 , 134 , the RG 105 includes a battery/ring generator 155 . The battery/ring generator 155 supplies a −48 volts (V) direct current (DC) battery feed voltage for use by the telephones 133 , 134 and also supplies alternating current (AC) ring voltages that may be superimposed on top of the battery feed voltage to ring the telephones 133 , 134 . The Ethernet transceiver 150 is capable of communicating Ethernet signals (e.g., IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3z, IEEE 802.3ae, etc.) with one or more computers 160 via a computer cable 112 (e.g., unshielded twisted pair (UTP) Category 5 (Cat5) cabling). The Ethernet transceiver 150 is connected to the computer cable 112 via an RJ45 connector 127 . The example IHN 100 further includes another telephone line 113 providing POTS to a third plurality of telephones 165 , 166 . Example implementations of the router/switch/bridge 140 , the VoIP processor 145 (including ATA and PCM codec), the SLIC 147 , the Ethernet transceiver 150 , the computer line 112 , the battery/ring generator 155 , and the computer 160 are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art and, thus, will not be discussed further. FIG. 2 shows the example IHN 100 of FIG. 1 in which the user has incorrectly or inadvertently connected the telephone line 111 to the telephone line 110 a via a telephone line 214 . The telephone line 214 creates a condition in which both the RG 105 and the external network 120 (i.e., the PSTN 120 ) are providing battery feed voltage to the telephone lines 110 , 110 a - b , 111 , 214 . Depending upon relative polarities of batteries of the RG 105 and the PSTN 120 , the telephone lines 110 , 110 a - b , 111 , 214 may experience a net battery feed voltage of −96V or 0V. The former represents a dangerous condition due to excess voltage present on the telephone lines 110 , 110 a - b , 111 , 214 . The latter represents a condition in which no battery feed voltage is present and, thus, one or more of the telephones 130 - 134 may not operate correctly. The incorrect/inadvertent connection 214 may further create interference between a sealing current provided by the PSTN 120 and the battery feed voltage provided by the RG 105 . FIG. 3 shows the example IHN 100 of FIG. 1 further supporting Home PhoneLine Networking Alliance (HomePNA) communications within the IHN 100 . HomePNA is a high-speed, reliable local area network (LAN) technology that uses the existing telephone wires in a residence, and allows several computers to share a single Internet connection. To support HomePNA communications, the RG 105 further includes a HomePNA processor 305 to communicate HomePNA signals with, for example, a computer 310 and a HomePNA enabled phone 315 . The HomePNA signals are carried across a telephone line 320 , that the HomePNA processor 305 is connected to via either an inner or an outer pair of wires of an RJ11 connector 322 . Example implementations of the HomePNA processor 305 are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, and will not be discussed further. In the example of FIG. 3 , the telephone line 320 is connected to the telephone line 110 a via a telephone line 325 . The telephone line 325 may have been connected purposefully by a user so that HomePNA devices attached to the telephone line 110 a - b can communicate with the HomePNA processor 305 , or so that ordinary telephones attached to the telephone line 320 can communicate with the PSTN 120 . The connection 325 may also have been made unintentionally by the user. However, because HomePNA signals and VDSL signals may spectrally overlap (depending upon the version of the HomePNA standard being implemented by the HomePNA processor 305 ), the connection 325 may cause HomePNA signals to interfere with any VDSL signals present on the first telephone line 110 . Such interference may cause one or both of the xDSL processor 115 or the HomePNA processor 305 to be unable to communicate properly with attached devices. FIG. 4 shows an example prior art IHN 400 including a residential gateway (RG) 402 for receiving and transmitting signals carried across a cable 410 from an external network (not shown). To communicate with the external network, the RG 105 includes a transceiver 405 to transmit and receive signals received over the cable 410 (e.g., coaxial cable or UTP Cat5 cable). The signals may be Ethernet signals (e.g., IEEE 802.3, IEEE 802.3u, IEEE 802.3z, IEEE 802.3ae, etc.), xDSL signals over coaxial cable, or multimedia over cable association (MOCA) signals. In the example of FIG. 4 , because there are no xDSL signals present on the telephone line 110 , there is no need for in line filters, and there is no potential interference between HomePNA signals and VDSL signals. Example implementations of the transceiver 405 for Ethernet, xDSL over coaxial cable, and/or MOCA are well known to persons of ordinary skill in the art, and, thus, will not be discussed further. FIG. 5 shows a table illustrating the combinations of signals in the example in home networks of FIGS. 1-4 may cause interference when the signals are on the same wire/cable/telephone line. Each entry in the table contains a value of NA, OK, or BAD. An entry of NA (i.e., not applicable) is used if there is no possibility of interference because the two signals are carried on two types of wire/cable/telephone line that can not be physically connected to each other (using the standard and appropriate connectors designed for each wire/cable/telephone line). For example, WAN Ethernet is carried over UTP Cat5 cable with an RJ45 connector and xDSL over coaxial cable is carried over coaxial cable with an F-connector. In FIG. 5 , an entry of NA is also used when the two signals types could not possibly be present at the same time, for example, a residence would not simultaneously be subscribing to ADSL and VDSL service over the same telephone line. An entry of OK is used if the signals are carried over the same type of wire/cable/telephone line, but the two signals would not interfere (e.g., they do not spectrally overlap), for example, ADSL uses frequencies above 35 kiloHertz (kHz) and POTS uses frequencies below 4 kHz, and, therefore, these two signals can coexist on the same telephone line without fear of interference. Finally, an entry of BAD in FIG. 5 indicates signals that would interfere. For example, VDSL uses frequencies between 100 kHz and 12 MegaHertz (MHz) and HomePNA version 2 uses frequencies between 4 MHz and 10 MHz. A new HomePNA standard (i.e., version 3) was developed with spectral masks to limit interference between VDSL and HomePNA version 3 signals. As will be readily appreciated by those having ordinary skill in the art, it is desirable to provide as much functionality as possible while minimizing or eliminating the possibility of interference.

<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a diagram of an example prior art in home network including a residential gateway communicating with an external network using xDSL signals. FIG. 2 shows the in home network of FIG. 1 in which a misconnection of wiring has occurred. FIG. 3 is the in home network of FIG. 1 further including HomePNA. FIG. 4 is a diagram of an example prior art in home network including a residential gateway communicating with an external network using signals carried across coaxial cable or using Ethernet signals. FIG. 5 is a table illustrating which communication signals can coexist without interference on the same cable. FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustration of a disclosed example flexible residential gateway. FIG. 7 is an example illustration of one side of the example flexible residential gateway of FIG. 6 . FIG. 8 is a table illustrating combinations of switch positions to enable each of the WAN services associated with the WAN interface connectors. FIG. 9 is a block diagram illustration of a disclosed example manner of implementing the VoIP coupler of FIG. 6 . FIG. 10 is a flow chart illustrating a disclosed example process for implementing the switch control logic of FIG. 6 . FIG. 11 is a block diagram illustration of an example processor platform that may execute the example process of FIG. 10 to implement the switch controller of FIG. 6 . detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Method and apparatus for a spacer for an electrode layer gap in a power source

The present subject matter includes a capacitor, comprising: at least a first element having at least a first element thickness, and including a first separator disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode having a first connection member with a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion, the first foldable portion folded onto and abutting the first proximal portion, the abutting first proximal portion and first foldable portion having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness; and at least a second element having a third electrode with a second connection member, the first element and the second element stacked in a capacitor stack; wherein the first connection member and the second connection member are in alignment defining a connection surface for connection of the first electrode and the third electrode, with the capacitor stack and electrolyte disposed in a case.

1. An apparatus, comprising: at least a first element having at least a first element thickness, and including a first separator disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode having a first connection member with a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion, the first foldable portion folded onto and abutting the first proximal portion, the abutting first proximal portion and first foldable portion having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness; and at least a second element having a third electrode with a second connection member, the first element and the second element stacked in a capacitor stack, wherein the first connection member and the second connection member are in alignment defining a connection surface for connection of the first electrode and the third electrode, with the capacitor stack and electrolyte disposed in a case. 2. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein the first element thickness is from about 0.0065 inches to about 0.015 inches. 3. The capacitor stack of claim 2, wherein the first electrode in an anode with a thickness of between about 0.003 inches and about 0.005 inches. 4. The apparatus of claim 1, wherein first element includes four layers organized serially in the order of a first separator, a cathode, a second separator, and an anode; and the first separator, cathode, and second separator have a combined thickness approximately equal to the thickness of the anode. 5. The apparatus of claim 1; further comprising: a plurality of layers defining the first element, the first element having the plurality of layers organized serially in the order of a first anode layer including the first connection member, a first separator layer, and a cathode layer having a first cathode connection member; and the second element having a plurality of layers including a second separator and a second anode layer including the second connection member; wherein the connection surface is defined by the cathode connection member disposed between the first connection member and the second connection member. 6. An apparatus, comprising: at least a first element having a first element thickness, including at least a first substantially planar electrode with a first connection member, at least a second substantially planar electrode, and a first spacer member; and at least a second element having a third substantially planar electrode with a second connection member, the first element and the second element stacked in alignment and defining a capacitor stack, the capacitor stack disposed in a case containing electrolyte, wherein the first spacer member, the first connection member, and the second connection member are in adjacent alignment defining a connection surface for electrical connection of the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode, with the adjacent first spacer member and first connection member having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness. 7. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first spacer member, and at least a second spacer member, are connected to a main spacer body. 8. The apparatus of claim 7, wherein the first spacer member, second spacer member, and main spacer body are aluminum. 9. The apparatus of claim 8, wherein the attached first spacer member, second spacer member, and main spacer body are made by the process of casting aluminum. 10. The apparatus of claim 6, wherein the first spacer is plastic. 11. A method for producing a capacitor stack, comprising: stacking a first electrode onto a first element, the first electrode having a first connection member having a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion; folding the first foldable portion onto the first proximal portion; stacking the first element onto a second element having at least one second electrode and a second connection member; aligning the first connection member and the second connection member to define a connection surface for connection of the first electrode and the second electrode; connecting the first electrode and the second electrode at the connection surface; disposing the stacked first element and second element in a case; and filling the case with electrolyte. 12. The method of claim 11, further comprising: applying a mask to the first electrode and defining a masked area, the masked area including at least the first connection member; etching the electrode, the mask resisting the etchant; and removing the mask. 13. The method of claim 12, further comprising applying the mask to two sides of the first electrode. 14. The method of claim 12, further comprising cutting the first electrode from a sheet. 15. An apparatus for patient therapy, comprising: a flat capacitor stack having at least a first separator disposed in alignment between a first substantially planar electrode and a second substantially planar electrode, the first substantially planar electrode having a first connection member with a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion, the first foldable portion folded onto and abutting the first proximal portion, the abutting first proximal portion and first foldable portion having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness; and a third substantially planar electrode in stacked alignment with the second substantially planar electrode, the third substantially planar electrode having a second connection member, with the first connection member and the second connection member are in alignment defining a connection surface for connection of the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode; a case having at least one feedthrough, the capacitor stack sealably disposed in the case; programmable electronics connected to the capacitor; and a housing adapted for implantation in the patient, the case and programmable electronics disposed in the housing, wherein the flat capacitor stack and the case are adapted to deliver to the patient from about 5.3 joules per cubic centimeter of capacitor stack volume to about 6.3 joules per cubic centimeter of capacitor stack volume. 16. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising four layers organized serially in the order of the first separator, a cathode, the second separator, and an anode having the first connection member; with the first separator, cathode, and second separator have a combined thickness approximately equal to the thickness of the anode. 17. The apparatus of claim 15, further comprising: a first element having a plurality of layers organized serially in the order of a first anode layer including the first connection member, a first separator layer, and a cathode layer having a first cathode connection member; and a second element having a plurality of layers including a second separator and a second anode layer including the second connection member; wherein the connection surface is defined by the cathode connection member disposed between the first connection member and the second connection member. 18. An electrode stack, comprising: a first element having at least a first substantially planar electrode and a second substantially planar electrode in stacked alignment; a second element in stacked alignment with the first element, the second element having at least a third substantially planar electrode and a fourth substantially planar electrode in stacked alignment; a first connection means for interconnecting the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode; and a second connection means for interconnecting the second substantially planar electrode and the forth substantially planar electrode, wherein the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially electrode are interconnected, and the second substantially planar electrode and the fourth substantially planar electrode are interconnected, and the electrode stack is adapted to deliver from about 7.0 Joules/cubic centimeter of electrode stack volume, to about 8.5 Joules/cubic centimeter of electrode stack volume. 19. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first connection means includes a brittle etched portion and an unetched means for bending. 20. The apparatus of claim 18, wherein the first connection means includes unetched means for welded interconnection of the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>As technology progresses, the sizes of electrical interconnections become smaller. Concurrent and related to these size reductions, electronic components are becoming more compact, occupying new, smaller shapes. Electronic components of reduced size, having new shapes, require new methods and structures. One electronic component having electrical interconnections is the capacitor. To promote size reductions, new shapes, and improved manufacturing, new interconnection methods and structures are needed. These new interconnections should not damage capacitors or their subcomponents, and should form robust connections.

<SOH> SUMMARY <EOH>The above-mentioned problems and others not expressly discussed herein are addressed by the present subject matter and will be understood by reading and studying this specification. One embodiment of the present subject matter includes an apparatus, comprising: at least a first element having at least a first element thickness, and including a first separator disposed between a first electrode and a second electrode, the first electrode having a first connection member with a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion, the first foldable portion folded onto and abutting the first proximal portion, the abutting first proximal portion and first foldable portion having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness; and at least a second element having a third electrode with a second connection member, the first element and the second element stacked in a capacitor stack, wherein the first connection member and the second connection member are in alignment defining a connection surface for connection of the first electrode and the third electrode, with the capacitor stack and electrolyte disposed in a case. One additional embodiment of the present subject matter includes an apparatus, comprising: at least a first element having a first element thickness, including at least a first substantially planar electrode with a first connection member, at least a second substantially planar electrode, and a first spacer member; and at least a second element having a third substantially planar electrode with a second connection member, the first element and the second element stacked in alignment and defining a capacitor stack, the capacitor stack disposed in a case containing electrolyte, wherein the first spacer member, the first connection member, and the second connection member are in adjacent alignment defining a connection surface for electrical connection of the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode, with the adjacent first spacer member and first connection member having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness. Additionally, one embodiment of the present subject matter includes a method for producing a capacitor stack, comprising: stacking a first electrode onto a first element, the first electrode having a first connection member having a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion; folding the first foldable portion onto the first proximal portion; stacking the first element onto a second element having at least one second electrode and a second connection member; aligning the first connection member and the second connection member to define a connection surface for connection of the first electrode and the second electrode; connecting the first electrode and the second electrode at the connection surface; disposing the stacked first element and second element in a case; and filling the case with electrolyte. One embodiment of the present subject matter includes an apparatus for patient therapy, comprising: a flat capacitor stack having at least a first separator disposed in alignment between a first substantially planar electrode and a second substantially planar electrode, the first substantially planar electrode having a first connection member with a first proximal portion and a first foldable portion, the first foldable portion folded onto and abutting the first proximal portion, the abutting first proximal portion and first foldable portion having a first thickness approximately equal to the first element thickness; and a third substantially planar electrode in stacked alignment with the second substantially planar electrode, the third substantially planar electrode having a second connection member, with the first connection member and the second connection member are in alignment defining a connection surface for connection of the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode; a case having at least one feedthrough, the capacitor stack sealably disposed in the case; programmable electronics connected to the capacitor; and a housing adapted for implantation in the patient, the case and programmable electronics disposed in the housing, wherein the flat capacitor stack and the case are adapted to deliver to the patient from about 5.3 joules per cubic centimeter of capacitor stack volume to about 6.3 joules per cubic centimeter of capacitor stack volume. Additionally, one embodiment of the present subject matter includes an electrode stack, comprising: a first element having at least a first substantially planar electrode and a second substantially planar electrode in stacked alignment; a second element in stacked alignment with the first element, the second element having at least a third substantially planar electrode and a fourth substantially planar electrode in stacked alignment; a first connection means for interconnecting the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially planar electrode; and a second connection means for interconnecting the second substantially planar electrode and the forth substantially planar electrode, wherein the first substantially planar electrode and the third substantially electrode are interconnected, and the second substantially planar electrode and the fourth substantially planar electrode are interconnected, and the electrode stack is adapted to deliver from about 7.0 Joules/cubic centimeter of electrode stack volume, to about 8.5 Joules/cubic centimeter of electrode stack volume. This Summary is an overview of some of the teachings of the present application and not intended to be an exclusive or exhaustive treatment of the present subject matter. Further details about the present subject matter are found in the detailed description and appended claims. Other aspects will be apparent to persons skilled in the art upon reading and understanding the following detailed description and viewing the drawings that form a part thereof, each of which are not to be taken in a limiting sense. The scope of the present invention is defined by the appended claims and their legal equivalents.

Lubricious compound and medical device made of the same

A hydrophilic polymer blend where at least one of the polymer materials is a water insoluble polymer and one of the materials is a hydrophilic water-soluble polymer. The invention includes a method of forming the hydrophilic polymer blend by melt mixing the hydrophilic polymer and the insoluble polymer into a finely dispersed polymer blend, forming strands of the hydrophilic polymer blend, and then pelletizing the strands.

1. A method of forming a lubricious polymer comprising: drying a polyethylene oxide of a molecular weight between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000; drying a polyether block amide; adding the polyethylene oxide into a first feeder and the polyether block amide into a second feeder, the first and second feeders controlled by a feeder control and situated to feed the polymers into a compounding extruder; melt mixing the polymers with a low shear/low energy screw into a generally uniform blend; extruding the blend through a forming die to form a strand; cooling the strand; and pelletizing the strand. 2. The method of claim 1 further comprising drawing the strand as it being cooled. 3. The method of claim 1 wherein cooling further comprises running the strands over a chill roller, the chill roller cooled by a chilled water bath. 4. The method of claim 1 further comprising cross-linking the lubricious polymer a predetermined amount. 5. The method of claim 4 wherein cross-linking the polymer further comprises applying an electron beam to the polymer. 6. The method of claim 1 wherein drying the polyethylene oxide comprises drying a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of about 1,000,000. 7. The method of claim 1 wherein melt mixing the polymers further includes heating the polymers. 8. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide and the polyether block amide are added to the first and second feeders at a rate to produce a polymer that is up to 60% polyethylene oxide. 9. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide and the polyether block amide are added to the first and second feeders at a rate to produce a polymer that is about 35% to about 50% polyethylene oxide. 10. The method of claim 1 wherein the polyethylene oxide and the polyether block amide are added to the first and second feeders at a rate to produce a polymer that is about 40% polyethylene oxide. 11. A lubricous polymer comprising: a finely dispersed blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000 and a polyether block amide, the blend including up to about 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide. 12. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polymer blend includes between about 35% and about 50% polyethylene oxide. 13. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polymer blend includes about 40% polyethylene oxide. 14. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 500,000 to 2,000,000. 15. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 1,000,000. 16. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the polyether block amide has a shore hardness of 72D. 17. The lubricious polymer of claim 11 wherein the lubricious polymer is cross-linked a desired amount. 18. A lubricous polymer blend comprising: a substantially uniform polymer blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and 7,000,000 and a polyether block amide, the blend including up to 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide. 19. A lubricous polymer comprising: a finely dispersed blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000 and a polyurethane, the blend including up to about 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide. 20. The lubricious polymer of claim 19 wherein the polymer blend includes about 40% polyethylene oxide. 21. The lubricious polymer of claim 19 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 500,000 to 2,000,000. 22. The lubricious polymer of claim 19 wherein the polyethylene oxide has a molecular weight of about 1,000,000.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Water-sensitive hydrophilic polymers are commonly used in the manufacture of various personal care and medical devices. The water-sensitive polymers function to provide lubricity to the device when it becomes wetted with an aqueous solution such as water or a body fluid. The water-sensitive polymers may be used in conjunction with water-insoluble polymers that function to provide the appropriate structural characteristics and mechanical integrity to the device for its intended use. Typical medical devices that can benefit from lubricious properties include, for example, catheters, guide wires, endotracheal tubes and implants. Patents have reported coating medical devices with water-soluble polymers that are hydrophilic. Such hydrophilic coatings have also been referred to as lubricous or “slippery”coatings. Typically, the hydrophilic polymer is dissolved in a suitable solvent and then applied to the desired medical device. The solvent is then evaporated to yield the coating. Oven drying may be utilized to remove the solvents. When the hydrophilic material is coated on the surface utilizing solvents in a wet method the polymer is usually formed as a fairly thin layer. The hydrophilic coating may break down or be removed upon prolonged turbulent flow, mechanical abrasion or soaking. Other drawbacks to the solution coating and curing process approach may include solution pot life, coating thickness control, and durability. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,119,094, 5,077,352 and 5,091,205, and EP Patent Nos. 0 106 004 B1 and 0 166 998 B1. U.S. Pat. No. 5,061,424 discloses a method for preparing a shaped medical device provided with a lubricous coating. A coating composition comprising a blend of polyurethane and polyvinylpyrrolidone and polyethylene glycol is co-extruded with a substrate polymer to give a shaped medical device having a layer of the coating composition that then becomes lubricous when contacted with water. U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,100 discloses a method for coating a substrate with a solution of polyethylene oxide and polyurethane. The polyethylene oxide is mixed with the polyurethane. The blend is then formed into a solution and then applied to medical device and dried to form a coating. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,113,585 and 5,454,164 report polymer blends for utilization in shaving systems. The polymer blends taught in these patents are specifically designed to abrade off with use in order to provide for skin lubrication. Accordingly, there is a need in the art for improved lubricious polymer m aterials for incorporation into medical devices.

<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention includes a blend of two or more polymer materials including a water insoluble polymer and a hydrophilic water-soluble polymer, the polymer blend is a finely dispersed blend that provides a lubricious surface. One embodiment includes a method of forming a lubricious polymer that includes drying a polyethylene oxide of a molecular weight between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000, drying a polyether block amide, adding the polyethylene oxide into a first feeder and the polyether block amide into a second feeder, the first and second feeders controlled by a feeder control and situated to feed the polymers into a compounding extruder, melt mixing the polymers with a low shear/low energy screw into a generally uniform blend, extruding the blend through a forming die to form a strand, cooling the strand, and pelletizing the strand. Another embodiment includes a lubricous polymer that includes a finely dispersed blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000 and a polyether block amide, the blend including up to about 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide. Another embodiment includes a lubricous polymer blend including a substantially uniform polymer blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and 7,000,000 and a polyether block amide, the blend including up to 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide. Still another embodiment includes a lubricous polymer with a finely dispersed blend of a polyethylene oxide with a molecular weight of between about 200,000 and about 7,000,000 and a polyurethane, the blend including up to about 60% by weight of the polyethylene oxide. While multiple embodiments are disclosed, still other embodiments of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, which shows and describes illustrative embodiments of the invention. The present invention is capable of modifications in various obvious aspects, all without departing from the spirit and scope of the present invention. Accordingly, the drawings and detailed description are to be regarded as illustrative in nature and not restrictive.

Methods and apparatus to facilitate fast restarts in processor systems

Methods and apparatus to facilitate fast restarts in processor systems are disclosed. An example processor restart method disclosed herein includes recording a log of pre-boot initialization actions, and replaying a portion of the log during subsequent processor restarts to shorten pre-boot initialization time. The example processor restart method disclosed herein may further include creating a log index table for easier referral to portions of the log, storing the log and the log index table in non-volatile memory, using the log index table to reorder the replaying of the log, and reordering the replay of the log to initialize the video graphics adapter earlier in a processor restart sequence.

1. A method of performing a processor restart comprising: creating a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions; and replaying a portion of the log during subsequent restarts. 2. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein creating the log of pre-boot input/output write transactions comprises storing the log in a non-volatile memory. 3. A method as defined in claim 2, wherein replaying a portion of the log during subsequent restarts comprises: determining if a log exists; determining if a system reconfiguration occurred; and replaying a portion of the log if a log exists and no system reconfiguration has occurred. 4. A method as defined in claim 3, wherein replaying a portion of the log during subsequent restarts comprises creating a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions if either a log does not exist or a system reconfiguration has occurred. 5. A method as defined in claim 4, wherein replaying a portion of the log during subsequent restarts comprises re-ordering the transactions. 6. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein re-ordering the transactions comprises initializing and starting a video adapter earlier in a restart sequence. 7. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein re-ordering the transactions further comprises: creating a log index table; storing the log index table in non-volatile memory; and using the log index table to locate the transactions in the log. 8. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein storing the log in a non-volatile memory comprises dividing the log, and storing the divided log in multiple non-volatile memories. 9. A method as defined in claim 6, wherein storing the log in a non-volatile memory comprises creating the log in a volatile memory, and transferring the log from the volatile memory to the non-volatile memory. 10. A method as defined in claim 5, wherein creating a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions comprises configuring a virtual machine monitor to trap input/output write transactions. 11. A method as defined in claim 10, wherein configuring a virtual machine monitor to trap input/output write transactions comprises configuring trap parameters associated with option read only memory (ROM) and basic input/output system (BIOS) transactions. 12. A method as defined in claim 11, wherein configuring a virtual machine monitor to trap input/output write transactions comprises configuring trap parameters associated with systems management mode transactions. 13. A method as defined in claim 12, wherein re-ordering the transactions comprises initializing and starting a video adapter earlier in a restart sequence. 14. A method as defined in claim 1, wherein creating a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions comprises configuring a virtual machine monitor to trap input/output write transactions. 15. A method as defined in claim 14, wherein configuring a virtual machine monitor to trap input/output write transactions comprises configuring trap parameters associated with option read only memory (ROM) and basic input/output system (BIOS) transactions. 16. A method as defined in claim 15, wherein configuring a virtual machine monitor to trap input/output write transactions comprises configuring trap parameters associated with systems management mode transactions. 17. A processor restart apparatus comprising: a processor having a recorder to create a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions; and a log replay unit to replay a portion of the log during subsequent restarts. 18. A processor restart apparatus as defined in claim 17, further comprising a non-volatile memory to store the log. 19. A processor restart apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the processor comprises a restart sequencer to: determine if a log exists; determine if a system reconfiguration occurred; and start the log replay unit if a log exists and no system reconfiguration has occurred. 20. A processor restart apparatus as defined in claim 19, wherein the restart sequencer starts the recorder if either a log does not exist or a system reconfiguration has occurred. 21. A processor restart apparatus as defined in claim 20, wherein the processor comprises a log reorder unit to reorder the transactions to initialize and start a video adapter earlier in a restart sequence. 22. A processor restart apparatus as defined in claim 18, wherein the processor comprises a virtual machine monitor to trap the input/output write transactions. 23. An article of manufacture storing machine readable instructions which when executed cause a machine to: create a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions; and replay a portion of the log during subsequent restarts. 24. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 23, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to store the log in a non-volatile memory. 25. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 24, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to: check if a log exists; check if a system reconfiguration occurred; and replay a portion of the log if a log exists and no system reconfiguration has occurred. 26. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 25, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to create a log of pre-boot input/output write transactions if either a log does not exist or a system reconfiguration has occurred. 27. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 26, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to replay the transactions in the log in a different order. 28. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 27, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to replay the transactions to initialize and start a video adapter earlier in a restart sequence. 29. An article of manufacture as defined in claim 27, wherein the machine readable instructions cause the machine to create a virtual machine monitor to trap the input/output write transactions.

<SOH> BACKGROUND <EOH>In recent years, computer and server platforms have grown increasingly complex. Larger platforms often include multiple-root bridge servers and a sophisticated platform fabric. Such platforms include a large number of devices (e.g., chips, buses, peripheral component interconnect (PCI) devices, memory controller hubs (MCH), input/output (I/O) controller hubs (ICH), expansion cards, and processors) and therefore pre-boot initialization of such platforms can be lengthy. For example, pre-boot initialization can now easily consume several tens of seconds at platform startup. Pre-boot initialization involves the discovery, identification, sorting, address assignment, configuration space programming, running of option read only memories (ROMs), firmware/basic input/output system (BIOS) configuration, etc. of platform devices. Typically, during this pre-boot initialization time the platform has insufficient system state information to execute a video option ROM and display a splash screen, thereby leaving a system display device dark or blank. This darkness, which may last for several tens of seconds, may give a user an impression of a broken platform. Further, lengthy pre-boot initialization makes an achievement of 5-nines up-time of server platforms more difficult because more time is spent out-of-service.

<SOH> BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS <EOH>FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating an example disclosed processor restart system. FIG. 2 shows the example processor restart system of FIG. 1 operating in conjunction with original equipment manufacturer (OEM) based systems management mode (SMM) firmware. FIG. 3 is an example structure of a log utilized by the example system FIG. 1 . FIG. 4 is a block diagram illustration of an example manner of implementing the example processor of FIG. 1 . FIG. 5 is an example structure of a log index table utilized by the example system of FIG. 1 . FIG. 6 is flow chart illustrating an example process that may be executed by the processor of FIG. 1 . FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram of an example processor system that may execute the process of FIG. 6 to implement the example processor restart system of FIG. 1 . detailed-description description="Detailed Description" end="lead"?

Method of allocating subcarriers in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) cellular system

A method of allocating subcarriers in a cell is disclosed. More specifically, a method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers to an user equipment (UE) in a mobile communication system using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM). The method comprises allocating the subcarriers of each cell to at least one subcarrier group and assigning priorities to each subcarrier group in each cell. In addition, the method comprises arranging the groups of subcarriers of each cell in a specified order so that the specified order of the groups of subcarriers of a cell does not correspond with the order of the groups of subcarriers of other cells. Furthermore, the method comprises allocating the subcarriers of the groups of subcarriers to user equipments. Here, the subcarriers have assigned priorities.

1. A method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), the method comprising: allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least one subcarrier group for each cell; assigning priorities to subcarrier groups in each cell; and allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarriers of each cell are allocated to one of seven subcarrier groups when using an omni-directional antenna. 3. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarriers of each cell are allocated to one of three subcarrier groups when using a 120° sector antenna. 4. The method of claim 3, wherein the subcarrier group represents a sector of the cell that directly causes strong interferences to neighboring sectors of other cells. 5. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarriers of each cell are allocated to one of two subcarrier groups when using a 60° sector antenna. 6. The method of claim 5, wherein the subcarrier group represents a sector of the cell that directly causes strong interference to a neighboring sector of another cell. 7. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarrier allocation to the subcarrier group in each cell is based on receiving feedback information on channel status from user equipments. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the feedback information includes information on an user equipment having the best channel status. 9. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarrier allocation to the subcarrier group in each cell is based on receiving partial feedback information on channel status of user equipments. 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the partial feedback information includes information on data rates in Modulation and Coding Scheme (MCS) of the user equipments. 11. The method of claim 9, wherein the partial feedback information includes information on Channel Quality Indicator (CQI) of the user equipments. 12. The method of claim 9, wherein the partial feedback information includes information on amount of transmission power required by the user equipments. 13. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarrier allocation to the subcarrier group in each cell are allocated independently. 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarrier allocation to the subcarrier group in each cell are allocated to user equipments according to an existing scheduler algorithm of the mobile communication system. 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority assignment of each subcarrier group in the cell is based on signal strengths. 16. The method of claim 1, wherein the priority assignment of each subcarrier group in the cell is based on a distance between a base station and an user equipment. 17. The method of claim 1, wherein the subcarrier groups in the plurality of cells have same subcarrier mapping. 18. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of subcarrier groups in a cell is equal to or greater than a number of cells and all the cells are taken into account when allocating subcarrier groups. 19. The method of claim 1, wherein a number of subcarrier groups in a cell is equal to or greater than a number of sectors, all the sectors are taken into account when allocating subcarrier groups. 20. The method of claim 1, further comprising allocating the subcarriers of the subcarriers groups to user equipments. 21. The method of claim 1, further comprising: determining a total number of subcarriers needed in each cell for allocation to each user equipment; and determining a number of groups of subcarriers for each cell based on the determined total number of subcarriers. 23. The method of claim 21, wherein a number of subcarrier groups is equal to or greater than a number of cells and all the cells are taken into account when allocating subcarrier groups. 24. A method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in the plurality of cells using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) when employing an omnidirectional antenna, the method comprising: allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least seven subcarrier groups for each cell; assigning priorities to subcarrier groups in each cell; and allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. 25. The method of claim 24, wherein a number of subcarrier groups in a cell is equal to or greater than a number of cells and all the cells are taken into account when allocating subcarrier groups. 26. The method of claim 24, further comprising allocating the subcarriers of the subcarrier groups to user equipments. 27. The method of claim 24, further comprising: determining a total number of subcarriers needed in each cell for allocation to each user equipment; and determining a number of groups of subcarriers for each cell based on the determined total number of subcarriers. 28. A method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) having 60° or 120° sectors, the method comprising: allocating the subcarriers of the system to one of at least two subcarrier groups for each Sector for 60° sectors; allocating the subcarriers of the system to one of at least three subcarrier groups for each sector for 120° sectors; assigning priorities to the subcarrier groups in each sector; and allocating independently in each sector the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring sector. 29. The method of claim 28, wherein the subcarrier groups in the plurality of sectors have same subcarrier mapping. 30. The method of claim 28, wherein a number of groups of subcarriers in a cell is equal to or greater than a number of sectors and all the sectors are taken into account when allocating subcarrier groups. 31. The method of claim 28, further comprising allocating the subcarriers of the subcarrier groups to user equipments. 32. The method of claim 28, further comprising: determining a total number of subcarriers needed in each sector for allocation to each user equipment; and determining a number of groups of subcarriers for each sector based on the determined total number of subcarriers. 33. A method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), the method comprising: determining a total number of subcarriers needed in each cell for allocation to each user equipment; determining a number of groups of subcarriers for each cell based on the determined total number of subcarriers; allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least one subcarrier group for each cell; assigning priorities to the subcarrier groups in each cell; and allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. 34. The method of claim 33, wherein the subcarriers of the system are allocated to at least seven subcarrier groups for each cell when using an omni-directional antenna. 35. The method of claim 33, wherein the subcarriers of the system are allocated to a plurality of subcarrier groups when using a 60° or 120° sector antenna. 36. The method of claim 33, wherein the subcarrier groups in the plurality of cells have same subcarrier mapping 37. The method of claim 33, further comprising allocating the subcarriers of the subcarrier groups to user equipments 38. The method of claim 33, wherein a number of groups of subcarriers in a cell is equal to or greater than a number of cells.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a method of allocating subcarriers, and more particularly, to a method of allocating subcarriers in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) cellular system. Although the present invention is suitable for a wide scope of applications, it is particularly suitable for reducing inter-cell interferences by efficiently allocating subcarriers of each cell to user equipments. 2. Discussion of the Related Art In the past years, the field of mobile communication system has seen great improvements. It seems not too long ago when analog system such as Advanced Mobile Phone System (AMP) was the standard. Since then, we have seen great developments in the mobile telecommunication standard technology including the latest Wideband Code Division Multiple Access (WCDMA). In such a mobile telecommunication environment, multiplexing technique is widely used to utilize limited wireless communication resources available to subscribers. Multiplexing technique sends two or more signals or streams of information on a carrier at the same time in the form of a single signal and then recovers the separate signals at the receiving end. For example, in AMPS, signals are commonly multiplexed using frequency-division multiplexing (FDM), in which the carrier bandwidth is divided into sub-channels of different frequency widths, each carrying a signal at the same time in parallel. In GSM, signals are commonly multiplexed using time-division multiplexing (TDM), in which the multiple signals are carried over the same channel in alternating time slots. In the first generation of mobile communication where AMPS was the standard, FDM was used in the analog transmission. In the second generation mobile communication, IS-95 became one of the standard by which digital transmission was made using code division multiplexing (CDM). Similarly, in the standard of the third generation mobile communication, namely cdma 2000 and wideband code division multiplexing access (WCDMA), code division multiplexing is also used. As the demand for multimedia data in the mobile communication increases, so has the demand to develop for more effective and efficient ways to transmit a large amount of data. As one of the ways to accommodate the growing demand for high speed data transmission, OFDM has been introduced. OFDM is a method of digital modulation in which a signal is split into several narrowband channels at different frequencies. OFDM has been used in European digital audio broadcast services since 1996. More specifically, OFDM is a method employing a modified multi-carrier approach which uses a large number of subcarriers, and the subcarriers have orthogonal relationships as shown in FIG. 1 . Here, the spectrums of each subcarrier may overlap each other. Because in OFDM, multiplexing can be performed using more number of carriers than used in FDM, the efficiency in frequency usage is high. The coded data, modified in orthogonal/parallel form, is assigned to each carrier and is digitized. Furthermore, the transmission speed can be increased by increasing the number of carriers per bandwidth. Usually, the mobile communication system has a cell structure in order to promote efficient communication system. A cell structure allows for a more efficient use of a frequency by dividing a large geographical area into smaller areas—called cells. A cell is a geographical area covered by a mobile communication transmitter. Located inside each cell is a base station which makes possible communication between subscribers. Furthermore, several coordinated cell sites are called a cell system. A subscriber is given access to the cell system, essentially local, which enables the subscriber to use the mobile communication system. In fact, when the subscriber travels outside the local cell system, the subscriber's service is transferred to a neighboring cell system. In short, the cell systems allow the subscriber to effectively use the mobile communication system. A mobile communication system is comprised of a multi-cell environment. However, a single cell environment has been the main stage for OFDM system. In order to incorporate OFDM in a multi-cell system of a mobile communication system, problems such as inter-cell interference has to be resolved. To overcome such problems, the present invention attempts to apply OFDM in a multi-cell environment. In particular, the present invention attempts to reduce inter-cell interference in a multi-directional link by introducing a method of effectively utilizing subcarriers.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, the present invention is directed to a method of allocating subcarriers in Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) cellular system that substantially obviates one or more problems due to limitations and disadvantages of the related art. An object of the present invention is to provide a method for efficiently allocating subcarriers of the system. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for reducing inter-cell interferences in subcarrier transmission. Additional advantages, objects, and features of the invention will be set forth in part in the description which follows and in part will become apparent to those having ordinary skill in the art upon examination of the following or may be learned from practice of the invention. The objectives and other advantages of the invention may be realized and attained by the structure particularly pointed out in the written description and claims hereof as well as the appended drawings. To achieve these objects and other advantages and in accordance with the purpose of the invention, as embodied and broadly described herein, a method for effectively allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using OFDM. More specifically, the method comprises allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least one subcarrier group for each cell and assigning priorities to the subcarrier groups in each cell. The method further comprises allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. In another aspect of the present invention, a method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using OFDM when employing an omni-directional antenna is introduced. The method comprises allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least one of seven subcarrier groups for each cell and assigning priorities to the subcarrier groups in each cell. The method further comprises allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. In another aspect of the present invention, a method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using OFDM having 60° and 120° sectors is presented. The method comprises allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least two groups of subcarriers for each cell and assigning priorities to the subcarrier groups in each cell. Furthermore, the method comprises allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. In another aspect of the present invention, a method of allocating a plurality of subcarriers of a mobile communication system in a plurality of cells using OFDM is introduced. The method comprises determining a total number of subcarriers needed in each cell for allocation to each user equipment and determining a required number of groups of subcarriers for each cell based on the determined total number of subcarriers. The method further comprises allocating the subcarriers of the system to at least one subcarrier group for each cell and assigning priorities to the subcarrier groups in each cell. In addition, the method comprises allocating independently in each cell the subcarrier groups in an order to minimize inter-cell interferences of each cell with at least one neighboring cell. It is to be understood that both the foregoing general description and the following detailed description of the present invention are exemplary and explanatory and are intended to provide further explanation of the invention as claimed.

COMPACT HIGH PERFORMANCE ZOOM LENS SYSTEM

A compact high performance objective zoom lens system is disclosed that provides optimum optical performance over the entire zoom focal length range at focus distances from close to infinity. The system comprises, from object space to image space, one focusing objective lens group (comprising a focus lens group and a stationary lens group) and three zoom lens groups aligned on the optical axis. The focus lens group and the zoom lens groups are axially movable along the optical axis for focusing and zooming. In one embodiment, the system has a focal length zoom region from about 19 mm to 90 mm, an aperture of F/2.7 and substantially the same optical performance as high quality fixed objective lenses of the same range. The performance characteristics of this system makes it suitable for use with both film and electronic detector cameras.

1. A high performance zoom lens system comprised of a single focusing objective lens group and multiple zoom lens groups aligned in that order on a common optical axis and arranged to collect radiation emanating from an object space and deliver said radiation to an axially stationary image space as a real image, said single focusing objective lens group comprising a focus lens group of negative optical power and a stationary lens group of positive optical power, said multiple zoom lens groups comprising a first zoom lens group of negative optical power, a second zoom lens group of positive optical power and a third zoom lens group of positive optical power and containing an optical stop of said zoom lens system, each of said focus lens group and said first, second and third zoom lens groups being axially movable, and said stationary lens group being axially stationary. 2. The high performance zoom lens system recited in claim 1, wherein said focus lens group and said stationary lens group have a combined positive optical power. 3. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said first, second and third zoom lens groups are axially movable in a monotonic manner over a full range of focal lengths between a minimum focal length and a maximum focal length of the zoom lens system. 4. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said focus lens group includes a non-spherical, non-plano, optically refractive surface. 5. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 4, wherein said third zoom lens group includes a non-spherical, non-plano, optically refractive surface. 6. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 5, wherein said zoom lens system has all remaining optically refractive surfaces that are substantially at least one of either spherical or plano. 7. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said third zoom lens group includes an adjustable iris. 8. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said focus lens group and said stationary lens group include lens elements for minimizing changes in a size of objects appearing in the real image during changes in focus distance from close to distant objects by axial movement of said focus lens group. 9. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said focus lens group is comprised of at least three optically refractive lens elements and includes at least one aspherical lens surface. 10. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said stationary lens group is comprised of at least four optically refractive lens elements. 11. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said first zoom lens group is comprised of at least four optically refractive lens elements of which one pair of doublet lens elements are included. 12. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said second zoom lens group is comprised of at least one optically refractive lens element. 13. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein said third zoom lens group is comprised of at least eight optically refractive lens elements and includes at least one aspherical lens surface. 14. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein the zoom lens system includes a lens element having an aspherical lens surface with a profile governed by the following equation and coefficients: Z = ( CURV ) ⁢ Y 2 1 + ( 1 - ( 1 + K ) ⁢ ( CURV ) 2 ⁢ Y 2 ) 1 / 2 + ( A ) ⁢ Y 4 + ( B ) ⁢ Y 6 + ( C ) ⁢ Y 8 + ( D ) ⁢ Y 10 ; wherein CURV=1/(Radius of Curvature), Y=Aperture height, measured perpendicular to optical axis, K, A, B, C, D=Coefficients, and Z=Position of surface profile for a given Y value, as measured along the optical axis from the pole (i.e. axial vertex) of the surface; and wherein the coefficients for the surface S3 of lens 1 are K=−1.0493 E+00, A=4.1484 E−07, B=1.0025 E−11, C=2.9558 E−14, and D=−7.0724 E−18. 15. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 14, wherein said aspherical lens surface is included in said focus lens group. 16. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 1, wherein the zoom lens system includes a lens element having an aspherical lens surface with a profile governed by the following equation and coefficients: Z = ( CURV ) ⁢ Y 2 1 + ( 1 - ( 1 + K ) ⁢ ( CURV ) 2 ⁢ Y 2 ) 1 / 2 + ( A ) ⁢ Y 4 + ( B ) ⁢ Y 6 + ( C ) ⁢ Y 8 + ( D ) ⁢ Y 10 ; wherein CURV=1/(Radius of Curvature), Y=Aperture height, measured perpendicular to optical axis, K, A, B, C, D=Coefficients, and Z=Position of surface profile for a given Y value, as measured along the optical axis from the pole (i.e. axial vertex) of the surface; and wherein the coefficients for the surface S26 of lens 13 are K=0.0000 E+00, A=9.4858 E−06, B=6.2385 E−09, C=5.7827 E−12, and D=1.0431 E−14. 17. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 16, wherein said aspherical lens surface is included in said third zoom lens group. 18. A high performance zoom lens system comprised of a single focusing objective lens group and multiple zoom lens groups aligned in that order on a common optical axis, said single focusing objective lens group having a focus lens group of negative optical power and a stationary lens group of positive optical power, said focus lens group being separately axially moveable along the optical axis and said stationary lens group being axially stationary, said multiple zoom lens groups comprising a first zoom lens group, a second zoom lens group and a third zoom lens group, said first zoom lens group being axially movable in a non-monotonic manner over a full range between minimum and maximum focal lengths, said second zoom lens group being axially movable in a monotonic manner over the full range between minimum and maximum focal lengths, and said third zoom lens group having an optical stop and being axially movable in a monotonic manner over the full range between minimum and maximum focal lengths. 19. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 18, wherein said focus lens group and said stationary lens group have a combined positive optical power. 20. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 18, wherein said focus lens group includes a non-spherical, non-plano, optically refractive surface. 21. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 18, wherein said third zoom lens group includes a non-spherical, non-plano, optically refractive surface. 22. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 18, wherein said third zoom lens group includes an adjustable iris. 23. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 18, wherein said focus lens group and said stationary lens group include lens elements for minimizing changes in a size of objects appearing in the real image during changes in focus distance from close to distant objects by axial movement of said focus lens group. 24. A high performance zoom lens system comprised of a single focusing objective lens group and multiple zoom lens groups aligned in that order on a common optical axis and arranged to collect radiation emanating from an object space and deliver said radiation to an axially stationary image space as a real image, said single focusing objective lens group comprising a focus lens group and a stationary lens group, said focus lens group of negative optical power and being axially movable with at least one non-spherical, non-plano, optically refractive surface, said stationary lens group of positive optical power and being axially stationary, said multiple zoom lens groups comprising first, second and third zoom lens groups, said first zoom lens group of negative optical power and being axially movable, said second zoom lens group of positive optical power and being axially movable, and said third zoom lens group being of positive optical power and axially movable with at least one non-spherical, non-plano optically refractive surface and an adjustable optical stop, said zoom lens system having remaining optically refractive surfaces that are substantially at least one of either spherical or plano, and said zoom lens system via axial positioning of said focus lens group and said multiple zoom lens groups providing a high level of optical performance through focusing and zooming ranges at the real image. 25. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 24, wherein each said non-spherical, non-plano optically refractive surface is an aspherical lens surface. 26. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 24, wherein said single objective focusing lens group has a combined positive optical power. 27. A high performance zoom lens system comprised of glass lens elements (1) through (20) aligned in that order on a common optical axis and arranged to collect radiation emanating from an object space and deliver said radiation to an axially stationary image space as a real image; said lens elements forming a single objective focusing lens group (51) comprising a focus lens group (52), and a stationary lens group (53), a zoom lens group (54) comprising a first zoom lens group (55), a second zoom lens group (56), and third zoom lens group (57), said focus lens group and said first, second and third zoom lens groups each being axially movable; said focus lens group comprising lens elements (1), (2) and (3), said stationary lens group comprising lens elements (4), (5), (6) and (7), said first zoom lens group comprising lens elements (8) through (11), said second zoom lens group comprising lens element (12), and said third zoom lens group having an optical stop and comprising lens elements (13) through (20); and wherein lens element surfaces, dummy surfaces, an iris at an optical stop, an object plane and an image plane are identified as (O) and (S1) through (S41), said lens element surfaces (S3) and (S26) are aspheric, and said lens elements, lens element surfaces, dummy surfaces, iris at the optical stop, object plane and image plane have the following order, relationships and characteristics: Radius of Thickness Sub- Sur- Curvature or Separa- Glass Item Group Group face (mm) tion (mm) Code Object S1 Flat Infinite Plane 810.000 352.000 1 51 52 S2 1063.066 3.000 SLAH59 S3 51.696* 20.347 2 51 52 S4 −211.395 2.800 SFPL53 S5 2053.522 0.150 3 51 52 S6 110.458 8.881 STIH6 S7 658.340 1.750 12.972 24.482 4 51 53 S8 123.797 10.542 SPHM53 S9 −169.812 0.125 5 51 53 S10 116.511 2.350 STIH53 6 51 53 S11 45.106 10.911 SFPL51 S12 873.710 0.125 7 51 53 S13 66.583 6.872 SLAH59 S14 973.939 0.764 10.680 16.206 20.264 29.240 8 54 55 S15 151.327 1.450 SLAM3 S16 28.614 6.213 9 54 55 S17 −115.404 1.450 SBSM18 10 54 55 S18 33.001 4.664 STIH53 S19 −11785.600 2.861 11 54 55 S20 −40.025 1.450 SBSM9 S21 140.781 38.107 25.754 17.977 9.877 1.000 12 54 56 S22 49.273 2.549 SLAH58 S23 110.396 18.211 14.155 10.973 6.594 1.637 Stop 54 57 S24 Flat 0.518 13 54 57 S25 43.816 3.253 SFPL51 S26 873.710* 4.116 14 54 57 S27 −35.604 1.450 SNSL36 S28 100.434 1.681 15 54 57 S29 82.308 7.242 SFPL51 S30 −35.982 0.100 16 54 57 S31 41.224 7.435 SFPL53 17 S32 −63.519 0.100 17 54 57 S33 82.450 3.224 SNPH1 18 54 57 S34 −190.474 1.450 SLAH79 S35 26.399 7.305 19 54 57 S36 201.165 1.886 SNPH1 S37 −910.736 0.100 20 54 57 S38 35.778 5.071 SFPL53 S39 −576.303 4.000 10.491 15.926 24.345 29.204 Dummy S40 Flat 38.500 Surface Image S41 Flat 0.000 Plane 28. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 27, wherein the maximum aperture diameters (mm) at each surface (S1) through (S41), excluding said dummy surfaces, are as follows; 93.00 at (S2), 78.92 at (S3), 78.87 at (S4), 79.21 at (S5), 79.86 at (S6), 79.10 at (S7), 67.85 at (S8), 66.64 at (S9), 58.43 at (S10), 53.56 at (S11), 52.37 at (S12), 50.66 at (S13), 49.49 at (S14), 38.09 at (S15), 32.00 at (S16), 31.76 at (S17), 29.00 at (S18), 28.32 at (S19), 27.96 at (S20), 27.36 at (S21), 28.68 at (S22), 28.65 at (S23), 28.78 at (S24), 29.40 at (S25), 29.26 at (S26), 29.26 at (S27), 31.11 at (S28), 32.60 at (S29), 33.08 at (S30), 32.71 at (S31), 32.14 at (S32), 29.68 at (S33), 28.96 at (S34), 26.42 at (S35), 28.89 at (S36), 29.20 at (S37), 30.77 at (S38), 30.75 at (S39), and 27.80 at (S41). 29. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 27, wherein said aspheric lens surface S3 has a profile governed by the following equation and coefficients: Z = ( CURV ) ⁢ Y 2 1 + ( 1 - ( 1 + K ) ⁢ ( CURV ) 2 ⁢ Y 2 ) 1 / 2 + ( A ) ⁢ Y 4 + ( B ) ⁢ Y 6 + ( C ) ⁢ Y 8 + ( D ) ⁢ Y 10 ; wherein CURV=1/(Radius of Curvature), Y=Aperture height, measured perpendicular to optical axis, K, A, B, C, D=Coefficients, and Z=Position of surface profile for a given Y value, as measured along the optical axis from the pole (i.e. axial vertex) of the surface; and wherein the coefficients for the surface S3 of lens 1 are K=−1.0493 E+00, A=4.1484 E−07, B=1.0025 E−11, C=2.9558 E−14, and D=−7.0724 E−18. 30. The high performance zoom lens system of claim 27, wherein said aspheric lens surface S26 has a profile governed by the following equation and coefficients: Z = ( CURV ) ⁢ Y 2 1 + ( 1 - ( 1 + K ) ⁢ ( CURV ) 2 ⁢ Y 2 ) 1 / 2 + ( A ) ⁢ Y 4 + ( B ) ⁢ Y 6 + ( C ) ⁢ Y 8 + ( D ) ⁢ Y 10 ; wherein CURV=1/(Radius of Curvature), Y=Aperture height, measured perpendicular to optical axis, K, A, B, C, D=Coefficients, and Z=Position of surface profile for a given Y value, as measured along the optical axis from the pole (i.e. axial vertex) of the surface; and wherein the coefficients for the surface S26 of lens 13 are K=0.0000 E+00, A=9.4858 E−06, B=6.2385 E−09, C=5.7827 E−12, and D=1.0431 E−14.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>1. Field of the Invention This invention relates to an optical objective lens system for cameras and, in particular, to a compact high performance zoom lens system that produces a high quality image over the full zoom range. 2. Description of Related Art High performance optical systems, such as for cinematography, high definition television (“HDTV”) and advanced television (“ATV”) require superior optical characteristics and performance that have historically been achieved using separate objective lenses of different fixed focal lengths to provide different photographic functions that are determined or influenced by the focal length. However, there are cinematographic advantages to using zoom lenses to vary the effective focal length of the objective lens without needing to change objective lenses. In addition, zoom lenses may provide a cost reduction as compared to the cost of several different fixed focal length lenses, particularly within the normal range of desired focal lengths that might be used in photographing normal scenes that require a range from very wide angle to standard focal lengths. Notwithstanding these advantages, previously available zoom lenses also had one or more undesirable limitations such as a limited range of focal lengths, the inability to focus adequately over the entire focal length range, the inability to focus on close objects, the lack of adequate optical performance over the entire focal length range and focus distance, the cost, the large size and the like. U.S. Pat. No. 6,122,111 (the '111 patent) discloses a high performance zoom lens system that improved upon previously available zoom lenses and provides improved optical performance over the entire zoom focal length range and at focus distances from very close to infinity. The zoom lens system of the '111 Patent has a focal length zoom region from about 14.5 mm to 50 mm and provides optical performance similar to that of high quality fixed objective lenses of the same range, including an aperture suitable for capturing images in low light conditions using conventional detectors. However, recent advances in detector technology such as in film and electronic sensors have created a need for objective lenses, including zoom lenses, to perform well with a multitude of detectors. In addition, the light sensitivity of these detectors has improved to the point where objective lenses, including zoom lenses, having lesser speed or full aperture are acceptable even in low light conditions. Thus, the smallest F-number, which is a commonly accepted technical term used to describe the speed or aperture of a lens (but in an inverse direction), can now be increased without substantially affecting low light sensitivity. For example, where a lens full aperture of F/2.0 was previously necessary with conventional detectors, a lesser lens full aperture of F/2.8 produces a similar result with these new detectors. With this reduction in apertures, compact objective lens designs, including zoom lenses, that are smaller in size (including length, diameter and weight) and cheaper to produce (as compared to a series of fixed focal length lenses) are now possible.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Embodiments of the present invention are directed to a compact high performance objective zoom lens system that provides optimum optical performance over the entire zoom focal length range and at focus distances from very close to infinity. The objective zoom lens system of the present invention collects radiation from object space and images the radiation at an image plane located just after the lens. In one embodiment, a compact zoom lens system is disclosed having a focal length zoom region from about 19 mm to 90 mm and substantially the same optical performance as high quality fixed objective lenses of the same range. Note that this embodiment was selected as providing a reasonably wide angle lens with a reasonably long focal length, yet maintaining a reasonable diameter lens at a reasonable length. In addition, an aperture of F/2.7 was chosen as being acceptable for use with state of the art detectors having lower light requirements, enabling the lens to be even more compact. However, it should be understood that although this embodiment is described herein for purposes of explaining the invention, embodiments of the present are not constrained to this embodiment. For purposes of comparison, the zoom lens system of the '111 Patent was designed to have an aperture of F/2.2, and has two focusing groups, two zoom groups, and one stationary group at the rear. There is an iris inside the last zoom group. However, significant design changes were required in order to design a lens having an aperture of F/2.7 as in the present invention. The compact high performance zoom lens system of the present invention comprises, in order from object space to image space, one focus lens group, a single stationary lens group, and three zoom lens groups aligned on the optical axis. The focus lens group and the zoom lens groups are axially movable along the optical axis for focusing and zooming but with the single stationary lens group and the real image plane of the camera remaining at fixed locations. One compact high performance objective zoom lens can take the place of a number (e.g. eleven) of fixed focal length lenses, and it is only slightly longer than fixed focal length lenses within the same range.

Mobile communication device and system supporting media flow control

A system and method for presenting information to a user of a mobile communication device. Various aspects of the present invention may comprise receiving a first portion of media information from a remote media information source and presenting the first portion to a user. While presenting the first portion to the user, a first signal may be received. In response to the first signal, a control signal may be transmitted to the remote media information source to cause the remote media information source to stop transmitting the media information. A second signal may be received, and in response to the second signal, a second control signal may be transmitted to the remote media information source to cause the remote media information source to resume transmitting the media information. A second portion of the media information may then be received from the remote media information source and presented to the user.

1. In a mobile communication device, a method for presenting media information to a user, the method comprising: receiving, at the mobile communication device, a first portion of a unit of media information from a remote media information source; presenting, at the mobile communication device, the first portion of the unit of media information to a user; after presenting the first portion of the unit of media information to the user, receiving a signal at the mobile communication device; and in response to the received signal, transmitting a control signal from the mobile communication device to the remote media information source, where the control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to stop transmitting the unit of media information to the mobile communication device. 2. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signal comprises receiving a signal representative of a user input to the mobile communication device. 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the user input comprises an indication that the user desires to service an incoming phone call. 4. The method of claim 1, wherein receiving a signal comprises receiving a signal from a communication system external to the mobile communication device. 5. The method of claim 4, wherein the signal is indicative of an incoming phone call. 6. The method of claim 1, further comprising, prior to the remote media information source stopping transmission of the unit of media information, stopping presentation of the first portion of the unit of media information to the user. 7. The method of claim 1, further comprising: receiving a second signal at the mobile communication device; and in response to the received second signal: transmitting a second control signal from the mobile communication device to the remote media information source, where the second control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to resume transmitting the unit of media information to the mobile communication device; receiving, at the mobile communication device, a second portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source; and presenting, at the mobile communication device, the second portion of the unit of media information to the user. 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second control signal comprises information indicative of a particular point in the unit of media information. 9. The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving a third signal, at the mobile communication device; and in response to the received third signal: transmitting a third control signal from the mobile communication device to the remote media information source, where the third control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to transmit the unit of media information to the mobile communication device in a sequentially forward manner at a faster rate than normal; receiving, at the mobile communication device, a third portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source; and presenting, at the mobile communication device, the third portion of the unit of media information to the user in a sequentially forward manner at a faster rate than normal. 10. The method of claim 7, further comprising: receiving a third signal at the mobile communication device; and in response to the received third signal: transmitting a third control signal from the mobile communication device to the remote media information source, where the third control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to transmit the unit of media information to the mobile communication device in a sequentially reversed manner; receiving, at the mobile communication device, a third portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source; and presenting, at the mobile communication device, the third portion of the unit of media information to the user in a sequentially reversed manner. 11. The method of claim 7, further comprising, while presenting the second portion of the unit of media information to the user, presenting to the user an indication of how far the media information currently being presented to the user lags a corresponding real-time transmission. 12. In a mobile communication device, a method for presenting media information to a user, the method comprising: performing a first communication between the mobile communication device and a remote media information source, wherein performing the first communication comprises receiving a first portion of a unit of media information from the remote media information source, and presenting the first portion of the unit of media information to a user; after presenting the first portion of the unit of media information to the user, stopping the first communication, stopping presentation of the unit of media information at a stopping point, and performing a second communication; and after completing the second communication, resuming the first communication, wherein resuming the first communication comprises receiving a second portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source beginning near the stopping point and presenting the second portion of the unit of media information to the user. 13. The method of claim 12, wherein stopping the first communication comprises communicating a control signal from the mobile communication device to the remote media information source, where the control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to stop the first communication. 14. The method of claim 12, wherein resuming the first communication further comprises communicating a control signal from the mobile communication device to the remote media information source, where the control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to resume the first communication. 15. The method of claim 12, further comprising, prior to performing the second communication, receiving a signal at the mobile communication device from the user indicating that the user desires the mobile communication device to perform the second communication. 16. The method of claim 12, further comprising, prior to resuming the first communication, receiving a signal at the mobile communication device from the user indicating that the user desires the mobile communication device to resume presentation of the unit of media information. 17. A mobile communication device comprising at least one module, wherein: the at least one module is adapted to receive a first portion of a unit of media information from a remote media information source; the at least one module is adapted to present the first portion of the unit of media information to a user; the at least one module is adapted to receive a signal after the first portion of the unit of media information is presented to the user; and the at least one module is adapted to, in response to the received signal, transmit a control signal to the remote media information source, where the control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to stop transmitting the unit of media information to the mobile communication device. 18. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the signal is representative of a user input to the mobile communication device. 19. The mobile communication device of claim 18, wherein the user input comprises an indication that the user desires to service an incoming phone call. 20. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the signal is received from a communication system external to the mobile communication device. 21. The mobile communication device of claim 20, wherein the signal is indicative of an incoming phone call. 22. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein the at least one module is adapted to stop presenting the first portion of the unit of media information to the user prior to the remote media information source stopping transmission of the unit of media information to the mobile communication device. 23. The mobile communication device of claim 17, wherein: the at least one module is adapted to receive a second signal; and the at least one module is adapted to, in response to the received second signal: transmit a second control signal to the remote media information source, where the second control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to resume transmitting the unit of media information to the mobile communication device; receive a second portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source; and present the second portion of the unit of media information to the user. 24. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the second control signal comprises information indicative of a particular point in the unit of media information. 25. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein: the at least one module is adapted to receive a third signal; and the at least one module is adapted to, in response to the received third signal: transmit a third control signal to the remote media information source, where the third control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to transmit the unit of media information to the mobile communication device in a sequentially forward manner at a faster rate than normal; receive a third portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source; and present the third portion of the unit of media information to the user in a sequentially forward manner at a faster rate than normal. 26. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein: the at least one module is adapted to receive a third signal; and the at least one module is adapted to: transmit a third control signal to the remote media information source, where the third control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to transmit the unit of media information to the mobile communication device in a sequentially reversed manner; receive a third portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source; and present the third portion of the unit of media information to the user in a sequentially reversed manner. 27. The mobile communication device of claim 23, wherein the at least one module is adapted to present to the user an indication of how far the media information currently being presented to the user lags a corresponding real-time transmission. 28. A mobile communication device comprising at least one module, wherein: the at least one module is adapted to perform a first communication with a remote media information source, wherein performing the first communication comprises receiving a first portion of a unit of media information from the remote media information source, and presenting the first portion of the unit of media information to a user; the at least one module is adapted to, after the first portion of the unit of media information is presented to the user, stop the first communication, stop presentation of the unit of media information at a stopping point, and perform a second communication; and the at least one module is adapted to, after the second communication is completed, resume the first communication, wherein resuming the first communication comprises receiving a second portion of the unit of media information from the remote media information source beginning near the stopping point and presenting the second portion of the unit of media information to the user. 29. The mobile communication device of claim 28, wherein the at least one module is adapted to stop the first communication by, at least in part, communicating a control signal to the remote media information source, where the control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to stop the first communication. 30. The mobile communication device of claim 28, wherein the at least one module is adapted to resume the first communication by, at least in part, communicating a control signal to the remote media information source, wherein the control signal is adapted to cause the remote media information source to resume the first communication. 31. The mobile communication device of claim 28, wherein the at least one module is adapted to, prior to performing the second communication, receive a signal from the user indicating that the user desires the mobile communication device to perform the second communication. 32. The mobile communication device of claim 28, wherein the at least one module is adapted to, prior to resuming the first communication, receive a signal from the user indicating that the user desires the mobile communication device to resume presentation of the unit of media information.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>A user utilizing a mobile (or portable) communication device for consuming media information (e.g., viewing and/or listening to media information) may often be interrupted. Also a user utilizing a mobile communication device for consuming media information may desire to temporarily utilize the mobile communication device for other functionality (e.g., other communications, game playing, time management, document processing, etc.) provided to the user by the mobile communication device. Such other functionality may, for example, be unrelated to the media information presently being consumed. Such an interruption, for example when a user is consuming information communicated to the mobile communication device in real-time, may result in a user missing media information communicated during the interruption. Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of skill in the art, through comparison of such systems with the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

<SOH> BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Various aspects of the present invention provide a system and method for presenting media information to a user of a mobile communication device, substantially as shown in and/or described in connection with at least one of the figures, as set forth more completely in the claims. These and other advantages, aspects and novel features of the present invention, as well as details of illustrative aspects thereof, will be more fully understood from the following description and drawings.

Defined deflection structure

Deflection mechanisms are disclosed that are positionable to deflecting portions of a flexible body, such as a catheter, in more than one direction in a single plane, as well as in more than one plane. The invention allows a distal portion of a catheter to be deflected more than 360 degrees to provide a loop.

1-28. (canceled) 29. A catheter system comprising: at least two longitudinal elements disposed within a wall of a deflection region, the wall having a longitudinal axis and the longitudinal elements being substantially axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the deflection region; at least two actuator members, the actuator members being configured to apply respective actuation forces to the deflection region, the deflection forces being substantially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the deflection region; wherein the longitudinal members and the actuation members are arranged radially around the wall of the deflection region relative to one another in a configuration to define a deflection plane and shape of the deflection region. 30. The catheter system of claim 29, wherein the longitudinal members and the actuation members are aligned at ninety degree increments around the wall of the deflection region. 31-43. (canceled) 44. A catheter system comprising: a deflection region having a longitudinal axis and a length, the deflection region having a wall, the wall having at least two sections, each section having a specific density which is different from each other section, the different wall sections being configured to define a predefined deflection pattern when a force is applied to the deflection region; at least one longitudinal element disposed within the wall of the deflection region, the longitudinal element being substantially axially aligned with the longitudinal axis of the deflection region and providing a directional bias to the deflection region; an actuator member, the actuator member being configured to apply the force; a body region having a body wall, the body region being attached to the deflection region and the body wall defining a lumen having a conduit disposed therein; a torqueable member provided within the lumen, the torqueable member being located adjacent the conduit and configured to transmit rotational forces along the catheter system; a plurality of vanes adjacent the torqueable member, the vanes being configured to support the conduit within the catheter system; a distal region attached to the deflection region, the distal region including a treatment tip and being configured to affect a tissue to be treated. 45. The catheter system of claim 29, further comprising at least one rib along the wall. 46. The catheter system of claim 45, wherein at least one longitudinal member is provided within the at least one rib. 47. The catheter system of claim 29, wherein the body wall defines a lumen and a conduit is provided within the lumen. 48. The catheter system of claim 47, wherein the conduit is located in the center of the lumen. 49. The catheter system of claim 48, further comprising a torqueable member provided within the lumen. 50. The catheter system of claim 49, wherein the torqueable member is located adjacent the conduit. 51. The catheter system of claim 49, wherein the torqueable member is located adjacent the body wall. 52. The catheter system of claim 48, further comprising a plurality of vanes adjacent the torqueable member. 53. The catheter system of claim 29, further comprising a distal region. 54. The catheter system of claim 53, wherein the distal region includes a treatment tip. 55. The catheter system of claim 29, further comprising a non-compressible element. 56. The catheter system of claim 55, wherein the non-compressible element is provided adjacent the wall. 57. The catheter system of claim 55, wherein the non-compressible element is provided within the wall. 58. The catheter system of claim 55, wherein the non-compressible element is a braided sleeve. 59. The catheter system of claim 55, wherein the non-compressible element is a coil.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Minimally invasive surgery is commonly performed by inserting relatively small instruments into the body, as well as organs within the body, through one or more very small incisions. Many instruments are rigid and are directed to a site of interest by angling the instrument through the incision and inserting the device to a selected depth within the body. However, rigid instruments are unacceptable for many procedures, and even less invasive procedures have been developed that employ flexible catheter-based instruments. Although early catheter devices simply followed the contours of a body passage, such as a blood vessel to a selected treatment site, catheters with movable tip portions were developed to provide simple catheter steering. The present steerable catheters most commonly include one or more wires that are anchored at a first point near the distal tip of the catheter and at a second point at the proximal end of the catheter or in a handle unit. A lever or knob is actuated to apply or reduce tension on the one or more wires causing the distal tip of the catheter to be pulled in the direction of the tension. Although steering mechanisms such as these have provided excellent results, it is believed that even greater steering or deflection control would further increase the possibilities for new surgical procedures. It would be especially desirable if existing and well developed pull-wire technology could be employed with new structures to provide such enhanced capability.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>The present invention overcomes the limitations of known pull-wire steering mechanism to provide a deflection mechanism capable of deflecting portions of a flexible body, such as a catheter, in more than one direction in a single plane, as well as in more than one plane. The invention allows a distal portion of a catheter to be deflected more than 360 degrees to provide a loop. In an exemplary embodiment, a deflection mechanism for a medical device includes rings and a connecting structure connecting the rings. The connecting structure can include a unitary structure or rod segments that connect adjacent rings. A second connecting structure can be provided that is radially spaced apart from the first connecting structure. A second group of rings, joined by another connecting mechanism can be provided so that the first rings deflect in a first plane and the second rings deflect in a second plane. In another embodiment, a deflection mechanism for a medical device includes three planar shims defining three planes. Adjacent planar shims are joined so that the planes defined by each respective shim are different. Yet another embodiment of a deflection mechanism for a medical device includes a deflection body having a longitudinal axis and two sets of longitudinal elements secured to the deflection body at different locations. Still another embodiment of the invention includes a catheter having a distal end and a set of helically twisted elements extending longitudinally through the catheter proximate the distal end. Another embodiment of the invention includes a catheter, a shape biased member disposed within the catheter, and a sheath slidably disposed over the catheter.

Dispenser box

A dispenser box for medical bandages including orthopedic splints is described. The dispenser box includes at least one moisture impermeable container connected with a face plate containing a periphery gasket. The bandage exits through a slot in the face plate. A door is pivotally connected to and mechanically biased against the face plate. When the door is closed, a moisture resistant environment is maintained for the stored bandage materials.

1. A medical bandage storage device and dispenser, comprising: at least one container including a moisture impermeable material; a medical bandage having a free end held within the container; the container having at least one aperture wherein the free end of the medical bandage passes therethrough; a face plate disposed on said container and having a periphery gasket and a face slot that is in communication with, and substantially coextensive with the aperture such that the free end passes therethrough; a door pivotally connected with the face plate and mechanically biased against the face plate; a recess formed at least in one of the face plate and the door; and a chamber formed by the recess and the door holding the free end therein, wherein the periphery gasket blocks entry of moisture into the chamber. 2. The medical bandage storage device and dispenser as in claim 1, further comprising a door locking mechanism biasing the door closed, a slot gasket disposed coplanar and within the face slot, wherein the slot gasket is further aligned substantially coplanar with and substantially coextensive with the aperture. 3. The medical bandage storage device and dispenser as in claim 1, wherein the container further comprises a substantially vertical lower portion and a substantially angled upper portion, and wherein the face plate is disposed on the substantially angled upper portion. 4. The medical bandage storage device and dispenser as in claim 1, wherein the periphery gasket is secured within a channel in the face plate and abuts the door. 5. The medical bandage storage device and dispenser as in claim 1, wherein the door is biased against the face plate by a spring. 6. A medical bandage dispenser box, comprising: a substantially rigid exterior container; a roll of medical bandage having a free end; a moisture impermeable, collapsible interior container holding the roll and disposed within the exterior container, wherein the inner container includes at least one aperture for passage of the free end therethrough; a face plate disposed on the inner container, wherein the face plate further includes a face slot that is in communication with the aperture; a door pivotally connected with the face plate beneath the face slot; a chamber at least partially formed by closing the door against the face plate wherein the free end is at least partially located therein; and a periphery gasket disposed on at least one of the door and the face plate, wherein the gasket substantially prevents entry of moisture into the chamber. 7. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 6, wherein the dispenser box includes a means for mechanically biasing the door into the face plate. 8. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 7, wherein the means for mechanically biasing the door against the periphery gasket includes a latch disposed on the door and a latch receiving member disposed on the face plate. 9. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 6, wherein the periphery gasket engages a periphery mating surface connected with the door. 10. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 6, wherein the exterior container includes at least one of cardboard, stainless steel, opaque plexiglass, transparent plexiglass, and glass filled polypropylene. 11. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 6, wherein the box includes a slot seal covering the face slot and the free end of the bandage prior to the first use. 12. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 6, wherein the interior container includes a gusset. 13. A medical bandage dispenser box for storing and dispensing a roll of medical bandage, comprising: an exterior container having an upright lower portion and an angled upper portion; a moisture impermeable interior container substantially disposed within the exterior container; the inner container having at least one aperture for the dispensing of the medical bandage; a face plate disposed on the angled upper portion of the exterior container, wherein the face plate includes a face slot leading into the inner container; a slot gasket disposed at the face slot that is not moisture impervious; a door pivotally joined to the face plate; a periphery gasket disposed on at least one of the door and the face plate, wherein a moisture resistant seal is formed between the door and the periphery gasket when the door is biased against and abutting the face plate; a recess in at least one of the door and the face plate, wherein a chamber is formed when the door is biased against and abutting the face plate; and a means for mechanically biasing the door against the face plate. 14. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 13, further comprising a slot seal. 15. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 13, further comprising a means for removal of ambient air from within the inner container. 16. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 13, further comprising a storage box housing. 17. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 13, further comprising a desiccant disposed within the inner container. 18. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 13, wherein the periphery gasket includes at least one rib. 19. The medical bandage dispenser box as in claim 13, wherein the periphery gasket includes at least one of a square, rectangular, angle, and channel cross-sectional shape.

<SOH> BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Medical bandages frequently are manufactured and distributed in rolls. Examples of these medical bandage rolls are tubular gauze and layered splints. Tubular gauze bandages are cylindrical bandages used to cover body appendages such as fingers, arms, and legs. Layered splint bandages are used in orthopedic casting and typically harden after exposure to moisture. These medical bandage rolls are very frequently used in hospitals, clinics, and physician offices. The bandage rolls may be packaged in a specially sealed bag or pouch. Furthermore, some of these bandage rolls are delivered in a pouch that further includes a disposable outer cardboard container or dispenser. Other bandage roll dispensers are reusable, and accept a disposable packaged roll of tubular gauze or splint. Current dispensers have an opening in the front of the dispenser. Typically, a free end of the bandage passes through the opening in the dispenser, and a similar such opening in the pouch. One disadvantage of dispensers with front openings is that the free end of the bandage material may retract back into the pouch. The protective pouch must have a large enough opening to gain access to the free end. This results in exposure of the entire roll to atmospheric moisture when the pouch is widely opened in order to again grasp the free end. Another object of medical bandage dispensers is to attempt to keep moisture out of the bandage material. This is especially important when the bandage material is an orthopedic splint that is sensitive to moisture. U.S. Pat. No. 4,411,262 (von Bonin, et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 4,502,479 (Garwood, et al.) disclose an orthopedic splinting material, useful for orthopedic casting, and comprising a flexible fabric impregnated with a resin that hardens when exposed to water. This splinting material may be distributed as a bandage roll. Although an improvement over plaster of paris orthopedic splints which are heavy, and deteriorate if the patient gets the cast wet, moisture-curing resin splinting material does have a disadvantage. Whereas plaster of paris splints have a long shelf life, moisture-curing resin splints are extremely sensitive to the presence of any moisture. Even atmospheric moisture may activate the resin, hardening the stored splint material prior to use. Therefore this splinting material must be enclosed in moisture resistant packaging for storage until just prior to use. Once a package of such splinting bandage is opened, the entire roll must be used within a very short time to prevent premature curing. U.S. Pat. No. 5,003,970 (Parker, et al.) attempts to address the problem of moisture entering stored resin splint bandages by providing an outer container and having an elongate product dispensing sleeve which is moisture proof and has a sealable opening. The Parker '970 dispenser, however, has several disadvantages. It is difficult to securely seal the end of the dispensing sleeve after cutting off a portion of the splint for use. One disclosed method of sealing the sleeve includes resealable zipper seals. In practical use, though, it is difficult to determine when these types of “zip-lock” seals have been closed moisture-tight. Also disclosed in the Parker '970 patent is a tape used to provide a seal, but repeated opening and closing of the tape adhesive is likely to weaken the adhesive seal over repeated use. Also disclosed is a clamp that may be used to seal the dispensing sleeve after the dispenser sleeve is opened. However, the clamp is prone to be misplaced or lost. Finally, heat sealing is impractical in a busy clinical setting. Applying the seal in all of the prior art methods disclosed requires that the splint bandage not be present at the very end of the dispenser sleeve. Sealing requires that the end of the dispenser sleeve not have any intervening bandage in order to effect the seal. The seal may be applied, and the splint bandage maintained in a waterproof condition, only after the bandage is pushed back into the dispensing sleeve. The need to push bandage back up the dispensing sleeve, in order to effect a seal, is a significant disadvantage to the prior art devices. This makes it extremely difficult to grasp the free end of the splint bandage during subsequent uses and leads to increased time to seal the package up after each use.

<SOH> SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION <EOH>Accordingly, the present invention is directed to overcoming some or all of the aforementioned disadvantages. The present invention in a preferred embodiment provides a dispenser box which keeps atmospheric exposure of the orthopedic splint bandage material contained therein to a minimum. The dispenser box should preferably be moisture resistant. A moisture resistant dispenser box will be advantageous for use with orthopedic splint flexible fabric impregnated with a resin because these splints will harden when exposed to moisture. The present invention also provides a dispenser box that allows easy one-handed access to bandage materials. It is highly desirable for the dispenser box to permit both dispensing of bandage material, and opening and closing of the dispenser box, with one-handed operation. In addition, the present invention prevents the medical bandage from retracting into the interior of the container. Retraction makes it difficult to find the free end of the bandage without opening up the entire packaging. Preferably, it should be easy to find the free end of the medical bandage without having to open up the entire packaging. It should also be easy to seal the dispenser box without having to push the free end of the medical bandage back into a sleeve. Preferably, after cutting off used bandage with scissors, the new free end need not be touched or manipulated when sealing the unused remaining portion of bandage material within the dispenser box. In certain embodiments, the present invention provides a medical bandage storage device and dispenser, comprising at least one container including a moisture impervious material. A medical bandage having a free end is held within the container. The container has at least one aperture wherein the free end of the medical bandage passes therethrough. A face plate is disposed on said container, the face plate having a face slot that is substantially coextensive with the aperture such that the free end passes therethrough. A door having a periphery gasket is pivotally connected with the face plate and is mechanically biased against the face plate. There is a recess formed at least in one of the face plate and the door, and a chamber formed by the recess and the door holding the free end therein, wherein the periphery gasket blocks entry of moisture into the chamber. In other embodiments, the invention provides a medical bandage dispenser box, comprising a substantially rigid exterior container, a roll of medical bandage having a free end, and a moisture resistant, collapsible interior container holding the roll and disposed within the exterior container, wherein the inner container includes at least one aperture for passage of the free end therethrough. A face plate is disposed on the inner container, wherein the face plate further includes a face slot that is in alignment with the aperture. A door is pivotally connected with the face plate beneath the face slot. A chamber is at least partially formed by closing the door against the face plate wherein the free end is located therein. A periphery gasket is disposed on at least one of the door and the face plate, wherein the gasket substantially prevents entry of moisture into the chamber. In yet another embodiment, the invention provides a medical bandage dispenser box for storing a roll of medical bandage, comprising an exterior container having an upright lower portion and an angled upper portion, and an interior moisture resistant container substantially disposed within the exterior container. The inner container has at least one aperture for the dispensing of the medical bandage. A face plate covering the aperture is disposed on the angled upper portion of the exterior container, wherein the face plate includes a face slot leading into the inner container. A slot gasket is disposed at the face slot that is not moisture impervious. A door is pivotally joined to the face plate. A periphery gasket is disposed on at least one of the door and the face plate, wherein a moisture resistant seal is formed between the face plate and the door when the door is biased against and abutting the face plate. A recess is disposed in at least one of the door and the face plate, wherein a chamber is formed when the door is biased against and abutting the face plate. There is also a means for mechanically biasing the door against and abutting the face plate. In still another aspect of the invention, a storage box is provided to hold and store the dispenser boxes together in an organized manner. The storage boxes may be supplemented with a non-skid surface on the bottom. The storage boxes are advantageous in organizing the dispenser boxes. Further features and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to one of skill in the art in view of the Detailed Description of the Preferred Embodiments which follows, when considered together with the attached drawings and claims.