Abstract: A system, method and program product for commerce management, especially for managing contingency agreements or contracts. An agreement is entered into the system, logging conditions for the agreement and identifying potential responses to satisfy each condition. A location may also be identified for each identified potential response, e.g. a HTML link to an internet web site. Milestones are set to determine when to check whether conditions have been satisfied. As each milestone is encountered information is retrieved from the locations or provided manually. The retrieved information is checked to determine whether the agreement is determinate, i.e., all of the conditions have been satisfied or, the agreement has failed because one condition will not be satisfied. If more conditions remain unsatisfied and are identified with subsequent milestones, the most recent milestone is recorded. The contracting parties are notified regarding status of the agreement and of passing any milestone.

Abstract: A method and apparatus are provided to ensure that laser optical power does not exceed a “safe” level in a DC coupled open loop parallel optical link in the event that a fiber optic ribbon cable is broken or otherwise severed. A duplex parallel optical link includes a transmitter and receiver pair and a fiber optic ribbon that includes a designated number N of channels that cannot be split. The duplex transceiver includes a corresponding transmitter and receiver that are physically attached to each other and cannot be detached therefrom, so as to ensure safe, laser optical power in the event that the fiber optic ribbon cable is broken or severed. Safe optical power is ensured by redundant current and voltage safety checks, and the corresponding low duty cycle signal is generated by a safety pulse generator in the safety channel.

Abstract: A cage for an electronic component includes two spaced apart cast walls, and a roof member and a floor member connected to the two spaced apart cast walls. The walls are substantially identical, and the roof member and the floor member are each formed of a damped metallic laminate panel.

Abstract: A power generator for a Digital Cassette Cartridge, which is put into a cassette player for playing back the digital audio files stored in the Digital Cassette Cartridge. The cassette player contains a reel shaft for driving the power generator of the Digital Cassette Cartridge. The power generator includes two gears, a magnetic object, a coil and a power supply. The first gear is coaxially engaged with the reel shafts. The second gear rotates as the first gear rotates. The magnetic object is coaxially mounted and is conjointly rotatable with the second gear. The coil produces an alternating current source when the magnetic object rotates. The power supply receives the alternating current and converts the alternating current to a direct current source.

Abstract: An IC card reader that can output data in an audio form. The IC card reader includes a small portable case in which an IC card can be inserted. A microcontroller powered by a battery within the case reads the stored data from the IC card and encodes the read data into a series of voice commands. A voice synthesizer circuit produces a synthetic speech signal from the encoded data. Thus, in use of the IC card reader, when a button is depressed to close a switch, the microcontroller is caused to interrogate the card so that the data stored on the card is read into the microcontroller. The microcomputer produces a synthetic speech signal that is amplified by the amplifier and output by the speaker as synthetic speech which can be heard by the user by holding the card reader with the speaker against the user's ear.

Abstract: An apparatus for removing photo-resist. The apparatus comprises carriers for carrying a wafer, hot plates to remove residue solvent on the wafer, a cooling plate to decrease the wafer temperature, an reverse unit to turn over the wafer, a development unit to develop and remove photo-resist on the wafer, a top scrubbing unit to clean a top side of the wafer, and a back scrubbing unit to clean a back side of the wafer.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus is provided, which is adapted to generate a steering assist force by a hydraulic pressure of a pump driven by an electric motor. The apparatus includes: a pulse width modulation control circuit for controlling the electric motor through a pulse width modulation control; a load detection circuit for detecting a load applied on the electric motor; and a control circuit for progressively increasing the PWM duty of the pulse width modulation control circuit up to 100% if the load on the electric motor is not lower than a predetermined level.

Abstract: An apparatus for enabling hands-free use of a device for magnifying a long-distance event, such as binoculars, includes a base member, a first attachment member, and a second attachment member. The first attachment member is connected to the base member and is adapted to removably attach the apparatus to an article of headgear, such as a brimmed cap. The second attachment member is connected to the base member and is adapted to removably attach the apparatus to the magnifying device. The apparatus includes adjustable portions such as hinges so that the position of the binoculars may be adjusted by the user when the apparatus is attached to the cap.

Abstract: An interface includes an enclosure having a plurality of walls interconnected to form a parallelepiped having a space therein. The enclosure is positionable to occupy a plurality of slots located in a computer housing of a first type computer. The enclosure has a width corresponding essentially to a total width of the plurality of slots. The interface further includes a computer subsystem of a second type computer disposed within the space of the enclosure. The computer subsystem includes a circuit card, and a distribution card attached to, and electrically coupled with, the circuit card. The distribution card is connectable to a backplane of the first type computer located external to the enclosure and within the computer housing.

Abstract: A process of fabricating a bottom electrode for the storage capacitors of DRAM is disclosed. The process includes first forming an insulation layer on the surface of the device substrate, with the insulation layer patterned to form a contact opening that exposes a source/drain region of the memory cell transistor. A first conductive layer then covers the insulation layer and fills into the contact opening, with the first conductive layer contacting the exposed source/drain region. A native oxide layer is then formed on the surface of the first conductive layer. A second electrically conductive layer is then formed and patterned to form a recess substantially above the location of the contact opening in the insulation layer. A layer of HSG—Si then covers the surface of the second conductive layer and the surface of the recess, and the HSG—Si layer and the second conductive layer are patterned to form the bottom electrode of the capacitor.

Abstract: After a tape is caused to travel in a direction parallel to a front surface of a machine frame to expand a loop, the loop is tightened, to bind a material to be bound. A door which is opened or closed by rotating around an axis of rotation is provided on a side surface of the machine frame. A tape roll is contained in a containing space formed between a reverse surface of the door and a plate opposite thereto, and is held in a holding member. When a binding machine is used upon opening the door, a center line of the tape roll is perpendicular to the direction in which the tape travels, thereby making smooth travel of the tape possible. When the binding machine is not used, the door is closed by rotating around the axis of rotation, to enter a state where it is along the side surface of the machine frame.

Abstract: A front fork for a motorcycle in which an outer tube (1), an inner tube (2) which is inserted to slide freely in said outer tube (1), a damper cylinder (3) disposed on the bottom of said inner tube (2), a piston (4) accommodated in said damper cylinder (3), a piston rod (5) connected to said piston (4) and said outer tube (1), a spring (7) pushing said outer tube (1) and said piston rod (5) in an extending direction, a tubular guide (12) disposed on an upper end of said damper cylinder (3); and a free piston (15) disposed to displace freely in a vertical direction along said guide (12), said free piston (15) separating an upper reservoir (14) and a lower oil chamber (13) in said inner tube (2) and supporting an end of said spring (7).

Abstract: A layer of metal is deposited on the surface of a layer of dielectric material and layer of protective material such as a thin layer of silicon oxide is provided on the layer of metal. An etch mask, which might be photoresist, is provided on the layer of protective material. The protective layer is etched through and the metal layer is etched using the photoresist etch mask. Little or no overetching is performed at this time, so it is likely that stringers from the metal layer will be left between the patterned wiring lines. Sidewall structures are then formed alongside the metal lines to protect the sidewalls of the wiring lines from undercutting and corrosion in subsequent etching steps. Overetching is then performed to remove any metal stringers, with the protective layer and the sidewall structures acting as masks for the overetching process, protecting the wiring lines from thinning during this etch process.

Abstract: A method of fabricating an HSG electrode. An electrode is defined before the formation of an HSG layer. The HSG layer is then formed on the top surface and the side wall of the electrode. The HSG layer is thermal oxidized in a furnace by rapid thermal process, and a silicon oxide layer is formed on the surface of the HSG layer. Dipping the electrode into a dilute solution of hydrogen fluoride or buffered oxide etching (BOE), the silicon oxide layer is lifted off while an HSG structure is remained on the top surface and the side wall of the electrode.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus is provided which is adapted to generate a steering assist force by a hydraulic pressure generated by a pump driven by an electric motor. The apparatus includes: a steering angle detection section (11, S1, S4) for detecting an absolute steering angle on the basis of a steering angle midpoint and a relative steering angle; a first control section (31, S6, S8 to S10) for actuating the electric motor in response to the steering angle detection section detecting an absolute steering angle of not smaller than a first threshold value; and a second control section (31, S6, S11, S9, S10) for actuating the electric motor in response to a steering angle change becoming not smaller than a second thresold value which is smaller than the first threshold value when the absolute steering angle detection is not carried out by the steering angle detection section.

Abstract: An electrophotography apparatus has a charging unit, and an exposing unit, and a developing unit. The charging unit charges the surface of a rotating image bearing body having an axis of rotation. The exposing unit emits light to illuminate the surface of the image bearing body to form an electrostatic latent image on the surface. The developing unit applies charged toner to the electrostatic latent image to develop the electrostatic latent image into a visible image. The electrophotography apparatus includes, for example two electrodes and power supplies for applying voltages to the electrodes. The electrodes are disposed between the light-emitting surface of the exposing unit and extend parallel to the axis of rotation of the image bearing body. The electrodes are aligned on opposite sides of the light emitted from the exposing unit.

Abstract: A brush scrubbing apparatus is made up of a wafer holder which retains a wafer, a brush which removes a particle on the wafer, a driver which rotates at least one of the wafer holder and the wafer, an alignment mechanism which defines a relative position between the brush and the wafer holder, and controller which controls the alignment mechanism responding to a driving power supply voltage in the driver. The brush scrubbing apparatus can precisely get the reference position for deciding the pushing distance without using the eye measurement.

Abstract: A power steering apparatus which generates a steering assist force by a hydraulic pressure of a pump driven by an electric motor. The apparatus includes: an electric current sensor for sensing an electric current flowing through the electric motor; and a control circuit for switching a voltage to be applied to the electric motor from a standby voltage to an assist voltage if the motor current is higher than a first threshold or if a change rate of the motor current is higher than a second threshold.

Abstract: A rolling bearing comprises an inner ring, an outer ring and a plurality of rolling elements therebetween, and is used, for example, in a spindle motor for driving a hard disk. The inner ring is made of, for example, high-carbon chromium steel, the outer ring is made of, for example, stainless steel, and each rolling element is made of ceramics, for example zirconia, of which coefficient of linear expansion is in the range of 7×10−6/° C. to 15×10−6/° C. The bearing rings and the rolling elements are substantially equal to each other in coefficient of linear expansion. Thus, the change in pre-load due to temperature variations is small.

Abstract: A paper-feeding apparatus is used for feeding print medium from a paper cassette. The paper cassette holds a stack of print paper therein. The feeding roller is disposed close to a forward end of the paper cassette. The feeding roller engages a top page of the stack of print paper to feed the top page from the paper cassette to a printing area. The paper separator engages the feeding roller to cooperate with the feeding roller to separate the top page from the stack of print paper. The paper-positioning member is, for example, an arm. When the feeding roller is not feeding the print medium, the arm pushes back the forward ends of pages of print medium toward the rear end of the paper cassette, thereby aligning the forward ends of the pages of the stack of print paper. The paper feeding apparatus may further have an urging member, e.g., a spring, which urges the paper separator against the feeding roller, and an urging-force-changing member, e.g., a cam that changes an urging force of the urging member.