Abstract: A tire with certain tread features and a method for manufacturing the tread for such a tire are provided. More particularly, a tire and method for manufacturing a tire having a tread portion with sipes that can be of minimal thickness and varying geometries, densities, and profiles may be provided. The sipes can also be hidden until after a period of tread wear has occurred.

Abstract: A tire tread with certain features and a method for manufacturing such a tire tread are provided. More particularly, a tire tread is provided that has layers of apertures where some layers remain covered until after a certain amount of tread wear has occurred. Such apertures can comprise, for example, sipes, grooves, or other apertured features in the tread. A method of making such tire tread is also provided.

Abstract: A system for correcting programming failures in an M-bit primary array of programmable fuses. The address of the failed fuse is stored in a secondary fuse array. Correction logic coupled to the primary and secondary arrays propagates the programming states of the good fuses, and corrects the programming state of the failed fuse, if any. The correction logic preferably comprises a decoder coupled to the secondary array which produces a one-hot M-bit word representing the failed fuse, and combinatorial logic arranged to receive the programming states of the primary array fuses and the one-hot M-bit word at respective inputs and to produce the correction logic output. Multiple failures can be accommodated using multiple secondary arrays, each storing the address of a respective failed fuse, or a tertiary array which stores the address of a failed fuse in either the primary or secondary arrays.

Abstract: A system for digitizing the magnitude of a first parameter, which can be inferred by applying to a second parameter and digitizing the magnitude of a resulting third parameter. The circuit which applies the second parameter has an associated bias point with which the magnitude of the second parameter varies. The value of the first parameter can result in an error in the value of the second parameter which results in an error being incurred when the digitized value of the third magnitude is used to infer a digitized value of the magnitude of the first parameter. This is avoided by adjusting the bias point with each successive trial and employing a sequential-trial ADC which performs sequential comparisons between the third magnitude and respective decision thresholds, such that there is no error in the magnitude of the second parameter when the third magnitude is equal to the decision threshold for a particular trial.

Abstract: A system for correcting programming failures in an M-bit primary array of programmable fuses. The address of the failed fuse is stored in a secondary fuse array. Correction logic coupled to the primary and secondary arrays propagates the programming states of the good fuses, and corrects the programming state of the failed fuse, if any. The correction logic preferably comprises a decoder coupled to the secondary array which produces a one-hot M-bit word representing the failed fuse, and combinatorial logic arranged to receive the programming states of the primary array fuses and the one-hot M-bit word at respective inputs and to produce the correction logic output. Multiple failures can be accommodated using multiple secondary arrays, each storing the address of a respective failed fuse, or a tertiary array which stores the address of a failed fuse in either the primary or secondary arrays.

Abstract: A system for digitizing the magnitude of a first parameter, which can be inferred by applying to a second parameter and digitizing the magnitude of a resulting third parameter. The circuit which applies the second parameter has an associated bias point with which the magnitude of the second parameter varies. The value of the first parameter can result in an error in the value of the second parameter which results in an error being incurred when the digitized value of the third magnitude is used to infer a digitized value of the magnitude of the first parameter. This is avoided by adjusting the bias point with each successive trial and employing a sequential-trial ADC which performs sequential comparisons between the third magnitude and respective decision thresholds, such that there is no error in the magnitude of the second parameter when the third magnitude is equal to the decision threshold for a particular trial.

Abstract: The present invention includes methods and apparatus (10) for forming a tire component upon an axially tapered building surface (100). In particular embodiments, such methods include the step of providing a mechanical system, the system including a plurality of cutting members (42) and an application surface (64) for transferring material to the axially tapered building surface, the axially tapered surface comprising a surface of revolution that varies radially along a rotational axis of the surface. Particular embodiments may also include translating a sheet of material along a translation path through the mechanical system, and cutting a strip of material from the sheet with one or more of the plurality of cutting members during the step of translating.

Abstract: The invention relates to polynucleotides comprising polynucleotide sequences corresponding to the metD gene and parts thereof that encode polypeptide sequences and parts thereof possessing varying degrees of MetD transcription regulator activity, methods for preparation of L-amino acids, and methods of screening and amplifying polynucleotides encoding polypeptide sequences which comprise varying degrees of MetD transcription regulator activity. Further, the invention relates to animal food additives based on fermentation liquor and containing L-methionine, and to the preparation of such additive.

Abstract: The invention relates to polynucleotides comprising polynucleotide sequences corresponding to the metD gene and parts thereof that encode polypeptide sequences and parts thereof possessing varying degrees of MetD transcription regulator activity, methods for preparation of L-amino acids, and methods of screening and amplifying polynucleotides encoding polypeptide sequences which comprise varying degrees of MetD transcription regulator activity. Further, the invention relates to animal food additives based on fermentation liquor and containing L-methionine, and to the preparation of such additive.