A method for controlling combustion in an engine is provided. The method comprises under a first condition, adjusting an EGR amount of a total cylinder charge in response to engine out NOx levels being below a first threshold. In this way, NOx levels may be used as feedback to control combustion stability.

An exhaust gas recirculation device is provided. The device recirculates, from an exhaust system to an intake system, a part of exhaust gas from a plurality of cylinders of a multi-cylinder engine as EGR gas. The device includes a single EGR pipe extending from the exhaust system toward the intake system, an EGR manifold branching from a downstream end portion of the EGR pipe toward each cylinder, and an EGR valve for adjusting an EGR gas amount. The EGR manifold has one or more common EGR passages having a single pipe portion and branched pipe portions, and one or more independent EGR passages. Each shape of the common and independent EGR passages is set so that a communicating path in the EGR manifold communicating an arbitrary cylinder with a cylinder where combustion is performed subsequently thereto has the same volume for any cylinder combination having the adjacent combustion order.

A variable valve operating apparatus for an internal combustion engine includes a drive camshaft, and a driven cam lobe that is rotatably supported by the drive camshaft. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes a control sleeve that has a raceway surface, a center of which is eccentric with respect to a center of rotation of its own. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes a link mechanism that is connected to each of the drive camshaft and the driven cam lobe and has a control roller which is in contact with the raceway surface. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes an actuator that drives the control sleeve. The variable valve operating apparatus further includes a control amount of the actuator is controlled to change a moving amount of the raceway surface in the above described plane direction in accordance with an operation condition of an internal combustion engine.

Provided is a timing adjustment system having improved control for achieving a target rotational phase. The valve timing adjustment system includes a displacement mechanism unit that displaces a rotational phase of a camshaft relative to a crankshaft of an internal combustion engine; a locking mechanism unit that locks the rotational phase at an intermediate locked phase positioned within a displacement range of the rotational phase; a hydraulic pathway that hydraulically drives the displacement mechanism unit and the locking mechanism unit; and a control unit including a control system that controls operations of the hydraulic control valve. The control unit changes a temporal responsiveness of the control system based on a displacement force that displaces the rotational phase.

An intake apparatus of an engine includes: a first intake passage supplying fresh air to a cylinder; a second intake passage arranged near the first intake passage, and supplying fresh air to the cylinder; a first intake valve opening and closing the first intake passage at an aperture of the first intake passage; a second intake valve opening and closing the second intake passage at an aperture of the second intake passage. An opening timing of the first intake valve of the intake apparatus advances relative to a top dead center, and a valve lift amount of the first intake valve differs from that of the second intake valve, and there is a period while the valve lift amount of the first intake valve is larger than that of the second intake valve, in an intake stroke.

A valve timing adjusting device for and engine includes a sprocket configured to rotate by receiving drive power from a driving shaft, a vane rotor fixed to a driven shaft so as to be rotatable relative to the sprocket, a housing that includes an oil chamber housing the vane rotor and is fixed to one end in a thickness direction of the sprocket, a bolt fixing the sprocket to the housing, and a knock pin inserted into a sprocket hole formed in the sprocket at one end thereof and into a housing hole formed in the housing at the other end thereof to restrict relative relation between the sprocket and the housing. The knock pin abuts against an inner wall of the sprocket hole at one end thereof, and abuts against an inner wall of the housing hole at the other end thereof.

Various systems and methods for implementing fuse-based integrity protection are described herein. A system for validating a read-only memory (ROM), the system comprising a ROM reader logic, implemented at least partly in hardware, to: access a read-only memory (ROM) having a plurality of permanently programmable electric couplings (PPECs), the PPECs having been programmed; survey a number of permanently altered PPECs in the set of PPECs to produce a counter value; read a binary representation of the counter value from PPEC values stored as a PPEC signature; and read a binary representation of the binary complement of the counter value from PPEC values in the PPEC signature; and a ROM validation logic, implemented at least partly, in hardware, to verify the integrity of the ROM using a combination of at least two of: the counter value, the binary representation of the counter value, and the binary representation of the binary complement of the counter value.

A compact CMOS anti-fuse memory cell. In one aspect, an apparatus includes an N− well and an anti-fuse cell formed on the N− well. The anti-fuse cell includes a lightly doped drain (LDD) region deposited in the N− well, an oxide layer deposited on the N− well and having an overlapping region that overlaps the LDD region, and a control gate deposited on the oxide layer, wherein a bit of the anti-fuse cell is programmed when a voltage difference between the control gate and the LDD region exceeds a voltage threshold of the oxide layer and forms a leakage path from the control gate to the LDD region, and wherein the leakage path is confined to occur in the overlapping region.

Provided is a magnetic element capable of generating one skyrmion and erasing the one skyrmion. The magnetic element includes a magnet shaped like a substantially rectangular flat plate, an upstream electrode connected to the magnet in a width Wm direction of the magnet and made of a non-magnetic metal, a downstream electrode connected to the magnet in the width Wm direction to oppose the upstream electrode and made of a non-magnetic metal, and a skyrmion sensor configured to detect the skyrmion. Here, a width Wm of the substantially rectangular magnet is such that 3·λ>Wm≧λ, where λ denotes a diameter of the skyrmion, a length Hm of the substantially rectangular magnet is such that 2·λ>Hm≧λ, and the magnet has a notch structure at the edge between the upstream electrode and the downstream electrode.

According to one embodiment, a semiconductor storage apparatus includes a memory cell array and a read circuit. The memory cell array includes a memory cell which is connected to a word line. A threshold voltage of the memory cell corresponds to a data value of multiple bits. The read circuit receives designation of one bit among the multiple bits, applies a first reading voltage and a second reading voltage corresponding to the designated bit to the word line, senses ON or OFF of the memory cell for each reading voltage, and outputs a first sensed value and a second sensed value after performing the sensing for each reading voltage. The first sensed value is a sensing result in a case where the first reading voltage is applied. The second sensed value is a sensing result in a case where the second reading voltage is applied.

A method is provided for a reading memory even if there is a threshold voltage in an overlapped threshold voltage (VTH) region between a first state distribution and a second state distribution. The method includes ramping a bias on a memory cell a first time to determine a first threshold voltage (VTH1) of the memory cell and determining whether the VTH1 is within the overlapped VTH region. Upon determination that the memory cell is within the overlapped VTH region, the method further includes applying a write pulse to the memory cell; ramping a bias on the memory cell a second time to determine a second threshold voltage (VTH2); and determining the state of the memory cell prior to receiving the write pulse based on a comparison between the VTH1 and the VTH2.

A memory system may include a memory device including 0th to N-1th memory blocks, wherein N is a positive integer; and a controller having a first list and a second list, wherein the first list includes 0th to N-1th erase count values respectively for the 0th to N-1th memory blocks, wherein the second list includes 0th to N-1th difference values respectively for the 0th to N-1th memory blocks, wherein each of the 0th to N-1th difference values is a difference between an average value of the 0th to N-1th erase count values and each of the 0th to N-1th erase count values, wherein the controller selects a source block and a target block among the 0th to N-1th memory blocks depending on the 0th to N-th erase count values included in the first list and the 0th to N-1th difference values included in the second list to perform a wear leveling between the source block and the target block.

A array of electrically programmable fuse (eFuse) units includes at least one connecting switch connecting two adjacent eFuse units. Each eFuse unit includes an eFuse, a write switch for passing through a first portion of a write current, a read/write switch for passing through a second portion of the write current or a read current, and a common node. The eFuse, the write switch, the read/write switch, and the at least one connecting switch are connected to each other at the common node. By turning on and off the at least one connecting switch, the current is split among the eFuse units, so that the size of the write switch can be reduced, thus reducing the total area of the array.

An apparatus for assigning a plurality of access nodes of a wireless communication network to control areas includes a processing apparatus. The processing apparatus is configured to assign each access node in the plurality of access nodes to a control area of a plurality of control areas and to determine a first control phase. The first control phase is a period of time during which the assignment of access nodes to control areas remains constant. The processing apparatus is configured to, when changing from the first control phase to a following second control phase, reassign at least a subset of access nodes which were assigned during the first control phase to a first control area to a second control area and reassign at least a subset of access nodes which were assigned during the first control phase to a third control area to the first control area.

A method for transmitting uplink (UL) data requiring low latency in a wireless communication system according to the present invention, the method performed by a user equipment comprises transmitting contention PUSCH resource block (CPRB) indication information used for identifying a particular UE and/or particular data to an eNB; transmitting UL data to the eNB through CPRB resources of a contention based PUSCH (CP) zone; and receiving a hybrid automatic retransmit request (HARQ) response with respect to the UL data from the eNB through a physical hybrid ARQ indicator channel (PHICH).

A mechanism that allows the successful decoding of MCS information of cell edge UEs while retaining the performance for the other UEs of the cell is provided. In one aspect, a UE may determine an uplink control coding rate based on an uplink signal quality. The UE may encode uplink control data based on the uplink control coding rate. The UE may apply a pattern of unused resource element locations in uplink control resource elements based on the uplink control coding rate. The UE may transmit the uplink control resource elements with the pattern of unused resource element locations. In another aspect, an eNB may receive uplink control resource elements. The eNB may determine an uplink control coding rate based on a pattern of resource element locations in the uplink control resource elements. The eNB may decode uplink control data based on the uplink control coding rate.

Methods and apparatus for multiple user uplink are provided. In one aspect, method for wireless communication includes receiving an assignment of a frequency bandwidth for an uplink transmission of a station. The method further includes determining whether a portion of the assigned frequency bandwidth is unavailable for the uplink transmission. The method further includes selectively transmitting the uplink transmission based on whether the portion of the assigned frequency bandwidth is unavailable.

A VDC resource request method, user equipment, and a base station, where the VDC resource request method includes sending, by user equipment, a VDC resource request message to a base station when the user equipment needs to request a VDC resource for sending vehicle service information, where the VDC resource request message includes at least one piece of the following information: a VDC resource status list, or travel information of the user equipment, and an available VDC resource is indicated in the VDC resource status list, receiving a VDC resource allocation indication message from the base station, and sending the vehicle service information by using the VDC resource indicated by the VDC resource allocation indication message.

A time-reversal wireless system comprising a first wireless transceiver of a time-reversal client, one or more second wireless transceiver and/or a time-reversal client with the first wireless transceiver. The first wireless transceiver of the time-reversal client is wirelessly coupled to the one or more second wireless transceiver through a wireless broadband multipath channel associated with a space. The time-reversal client contains the first wireless transceiver. The time-reversal client also contains a processor and a memory configured to obtain a set of channel state information (CSI) in a channel probing phase, and/or to obtain a set of location-specific signatures based on the set of CSI and/or a time reversal operation in a channel probing phase. The set of CSI is captured when one or more probing signal is sent either from the first wireless transceiver to each of the at least one second wireless transceiver, or from each of the at least one second wireless transceiver to the first wireless transceiver, through the wireless broadband multipath channel associated with the space. A channel passband with bandwidth W0 is associated with the wireless broadband multipath channel. A first passband with bandwidth W1 is associated with the first wireless transceiver. The W1 is not larger than W0 such that the first passband is part of the channel passband. One or more second passband is associated with the one or more second wireless transceiver such that a bandwidth W2 associated with each of the one or more second passband is not larger than W1 such that the each of the one or more second passband is part of the first passband. Each of the set of CSI include a channel impulse response, a channel frequency response, and/or another channel state data of the wireless broadband multipath channel.

A data transmission apparatus in a communication system includes a reception unit configured to receive terminal information from a plurality of terminals through a new frequency band for transmission and reception of data between the plurality of terminals and an AP (access point); a determination unit configured to determine access timing of the terminals to the AP by using the terminal information, and generate terminal access information including information on the access timing; and a transmission unit configured to transmit the terminal access information and beacon frames to the terminals, wherein the terminals access the AP and transmit data frames to the AP, at the access timing based on the beacon frames.

Disclosed are a method for transmitting and receiving a frame in a wireless local area network (WLAN) system and an apparatus for the same. A method for generating interference/non-interference station lists includes receiving a first frame from a second station, acquiring a receiver address of the first frame from the first frame, and setting, based on whether to receive a second frame that is a response to the first frame from a third station indicated by the receiver address within a preset time from a time when the first frame has been received, the third station as an interference station or a non-interference station. Therefore, the performance of a communication system may be improved.

Disclosed are a method and an apparatus for generating a codeword, and a method and an apparatus for recovering a codeword. An encoder calculates the number of punctured symbol nodes among symbol nodes included in a codeword, punctures symbol nodes located at even or odd number positions among the symbol nodes included in the codeword, calculates the number of symbol nodes which need to be additionally punctured on the basis of the calculated number of the symbol nodes to be punctured, classifies the symbol nodes, which need to be additionally punctured, into one or more punctured node groups on the basis of the calculated number of symbol nodes which need to be punctured, determines the locations on the codeword where the one or more punctured node groups are to be arranged, and punctures the symbol nodes included in the codeword which belong to the punctured node groups according to the determined locations. A transmission unit transmits the codeword.

Methods, apparatuses, computer readable media for spatial reuse for uplink multi-user transmissions. An apparatus of a station comprising processing circuitry is disclosed. The processing circuitry may be configured to decode a first portion of a physical layer convergence procedure (PLCP) protocol data unit (PPDU), and configure the station to transmit a frame, if the PPDU is an overlapping basic service set (OBSS) PPDU, and a receive power of the PPDU is below an overlapping power detect level. An apparatus of an access point comprising processing circuitry is disclosed. The processing circuitry may be configured to encode a PPDU comprising a basic service set identifier of the access point, and encode the PPDU to indicate spatial reuse (SR) delay, SR restricted, or SR not permitted. The processing circuitry may be further configured to configure the access point to transmit the PPDU.

An apparatus, system and method are provided for transmitting data from logical channel queues over a telecommunications link, each of the logical channel queues capable of being associated with quality of service attributes, the method including determining available resources for transmission over the telecommunications link in a frame; selecting one of the logical channel queues based on a first one of the quality of service attributes; packaging data from the selected one of the logical channel queues until one of: a second one of the quality of service attributes for the selected one of the logical channel queues is satisfied, the available resources are used, or the selected one of the logical channel queues is empty; and repeating the selecting step and the packaging step for remaining ones of the logical channel queues.

A system that incorporates the subject disclosure may perform, for example, a method for detecting signal interference in a first segment of a plurality of segments of a radio frequency spectrum of a wireless communication system, determining according to the signal interference a measure of quality of service of the first segment for transmitting voice traffic, comparing the measure of quality of service to a desired measure of quality of service measure for voice traffic, determining from the comparison that the first segment is not suitable for voice traffic, and notifying a system that the first segment is not suitable for voice traffic. Other embodiments are disclosed.

The present invention relates to a wireless communication system, and a method for determining a resource for device-to-device communication by a user equipment is disclosed. A method for determining a resource for device-to-device communication according to an embodiment of the present invention may comprise the steps of: receiving, from an eNode B (eNB), configuration information related to a resource pool configured for each level; selecting the resource pool of the device-to-device communication on the basis of the configuration information; and selecting a resource for the device-to-device communication in the resource pool. Herein, the resource pool may be configured to have two or more levels.

A technique for emulating virtual port control of airtime fairness for wireless stations using per station Enhanced Distributed Channel Access (EDCA) parameters. Specific parameters are received for each of a plurality of stations connected to the access point. An EDCA field of a beacon that stores a general EDCA parameter is set to an empty state. The beacon is broadcast to a plurality stations on the wireless communication network and within range of an access point. The beacon comprises a BSSID (Basic Service Set Identifier) for use by the plurality of stations to connect with the access point for access to the wireless communication network. The beacon also comprises an empty EDCA field. In response to broadcasting the empty EDCA parameter, receiving a direct inquiry from each of the plurality of stations for the general EDCA parameter. Each of the plurality of stations is responded to with a direct communication of a specific parameter corresponding to each station. A transmission is received from at least one of the stations complying with the specific parameter.

According to one embodiment, an electronic apparatus includes an electromagnetic wave emitter, a wireless communication circuitry and a hardware processor. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits a first electromagnetic wave. The wireless communication circuitry communicates with another electronic apparatus according to a first standard, using a second electromagnetic wave. The first electromagnetic wave can be noise for a communication by the wireless communication circuitry. The hardware processor determines a period to be allowed to communicate with the another electronic apparatus according to the first standard. The electromagnetic wave emitter emits the first electromagnetic wave during the first period.

The sensing method a first vehicle user equipment (UE) for collision avoidance in a wireless communication network comprises receiving a set of scheduling assignment (SA) information allocated to a set of second vehicle UEs, decoding the set of SA information, each of which includes SA information to each of the set of second vehicle UEs, performing energy sensing operation for resources to be used by each of the set of second vehicle UEs to determine additional potential SA transmission and data transmission from the set of second vehicle UEs over the resources, determining available resources for the data transmission from the first vehicle UE based on the performed energy sensing and SA sensing, skipping a channel sensing operation on at least one subframe that is used for the data transmission from the first vehicle UE, and transmitting data among resources identified as unused in next transmissions from second vehicle UEs.

A user apparatus in a communication system including a first base station and a second base station that perform communication with the user apparatus by inter-base station carrier aggregation, including: a maximum transmission power holding unit configured to hold a maximum transmission power that is configured beforehand for the first base station; a transmission power determination unit configured to determine whether a transmission power that is used by the user apparatus for performing signal transmission to the first base station reaches the maximum transmission power held by the maximum transmission power holding unit; and a transmission control unit configured, when it is determined that the transmission power reaches the maximum transmission power by the transmission power determination unit, to stop signal transmission to the second base station.

This application provides a data transmission link establishment apparatus. The apparatus includes: a selection unit, configured to select a target node; a determining unit, configured to determine a backhaul node that needs to establish a data transmission link with the target node selected by the selection unit; a setting unit, configured to set protocol stack roles, in the data transmission link, of the target node and the backhaul node that is determined by the determining unit; and a configuration unit, configured to perform configuration on the target node and the backhaul node according to the protocol stack roles that are set by the setting unit, to establish the data transmission link between the target node and the backhaul node.

Provided are a device-to-device (D2D) operation method carried out by a terminal in an RRC connection state in a wireless communication system, and a terminal using the method. The method is characterized by: determining whether a radio resource control (RRC) connection establishment process is problematic; and transmitting a D2D signal using an exception resource, when the RRC connection establishment process is determined to be problematic.

Provided are a device-to-device (D2D) operation method carried out by a terminal in an RRC connection state in a wireless communication system, and a terminal using the method. The method is characterized by: determining whether a communication link with a base station is problematic; and transmitting a D2D signal using an exception resource, when the communication link with the base station is determined to be problematic.

Provided is a network self-healing method in which, when a link between a parent device and a child device breaks down in a wireless communication network of a cluster-tree structure in which a main communication device (referred to an access point (AP)) manages network operation, routers that are devices capable of having their child devices, and end devices that are devices incapable of having their child devices are associated with each other in a parent-child device relationship, the link is restored. When a router becomes an orphan device, the router makes network re-association in a cluster unit while maintaining synchronized operation with its child devices, and thus time, energy and signaling burden for network self-healing is largely reduced.

A straightening apparatus for straightening carpet prior to laying the carpet on a floor surface. The apparatus includes an entry conveyor from which carpet is unrolled and fed into a heating section. In the heating section, the carpet is heated sufficient to soften backing material on the carpet. The heated carpet is then fed into a heated straightening section where longitudinal forces are applied while the backing is still soft so that a pattern in the carpet is straightened and held in the straightened position until the carpet has cooled somewhat. The apparatus further includes a cooling section for cooling of the carpet, after which the carpet is rolled back up on an exit conveyor.

XQuery queries that include functions that operate on dynamically typed XML data are rewritten into compilable SQL constructs. XML data that is dynamically typed is XML data for which a specific XML data type cannot be determined at compile time and in fact may vary. In general, XQuery queries are rewritten into SQL queries that use SQL constructs in lieu of XQuery constructs. The SQL constructs include an “SQL polymorphic function” that is defined or recognized by a database system as valid syntax for an SQL query. The rewritten query applies the XML data to the SQL polymorphic function, but the XML data has been typed as XMLType, a data type recognized by SQL standards.

An aqueous dispersion for use as a finishing agent for textiles, wherein the dispersion contains a pyrogenically produced, aggregated silicon dioxide powder and a cationic polymer which is soluble in the dispersion, wherein the cationic polymer is present in a quantity such that the particles of the silicon dioxide powder exhibit a positive zeta potential.

An improved apparatus for correcting deflection in small diameter feed and retard rolls of an open width stabilizer so as to create a straight line nip with uniform pressure across the nip. The improved apparatus provides apparatus for adjusting deflection of the rolls to thereby maintain a desired size to a passageway between them so as to optimize compaction of a fabric web material. A wedge-like member is disposed between, and in moving relationship to, feed and retard roller bearings. The wedge-like member is asymmetrical, has feed and retard sides that engage the feed and retard roller bearings, respectively, and exerts reaction forces against each of the respective bearings. Improvement resides in the reaction forces causing the rolls the rolls to not deflect downwardly.

This invention is about a structure for supporting clothes to be decolorized and for aiding in the process of decoloration, to a method of forming the same, and to a method of using the same to decolorize clothes. It includes manufacturing a semi-finished product for supporting clothes and manufacturing the supporting structure as well as a the method of decolorizing clothes using the supporting structure to have various decolorizing textures and styles.

A device for preventing jamming of a fibrous material subject to a compressive treatment in a stuffing chamber defined by a feed roll and a retard roll. The device includes an impact blade and a stabilizing apparatus. The impact blade is rigid and interchangeable. The stabilizing apparatus stabilizes the impact blade against moving away from the feed roll to prevent the jamming of the fibrous material between the feed roll and the impact blade during the compressive treatment of the fibrous material.

An apparatus for reducing pilling on a piece of garment/fabric includes at least one holding member adapted to secure the piece of garment/fabric, a rotatable brush member adapted to brush on the piece of garment/fabric until loose fibers of the garment/fabric migrates to a surface of the garment/fabric to form a layer of pillable fuzz, a shaving member adapted to remove the layer of pillable fuzz on the piece of garment/fabric, and a control unit adapted to control movement of the rotatable brush member and the shaving member.

A system and method detects malware on client devices based on partially distributed malware definitions from a central server. A server stores malware definitions for known malware. The server generates one or more filters based on the malware definitions and distributes the filter(s) to client devices. The server also distributes full definitions to the clients for a subset of the most commonly detected malware. The client device scans files for malware by first applying the filter to a file. If the filter outputs a positive detection, the client scans the file using the full definition to determine if the file comprises malware. If the full definition is not stored locally by the client, the client queries the server for the definition and then continues the scanning process.

Provided is a method for manufacturing a high-quality porous film. Here, while the porous film is being manufactured through forming micropores by stretching, a raw film is prevented from slipping on the surfaces of the respective rolls as much as possible even though the raw film includes oil or liquid paraffin as a solvent. The method is for manufacturing a porous film through forming micropores by successive biaxial stretching. A tensile force applied to the raw film F transferring from the longitudinal stretching machine (10) to the transverse stretching machine (50) is set not less than a stretching force necessary for the longitudinal stretching, and thus the raw film is prevented from slipping on a contact surface between the raw film and each roll of the longitudinal stretching machine (10).

A method, apparatus, program, and storage medium, for managing a network device by communicating with an information processing device and the network device via a network and managing the network device in response to a request from the information processing device. If a request for execution of a process, which needs particular authorization, upon the network device, is received from the information processing device, it is determined whether a command to invalidate a password of said network device has been received together with the process execution request. When the password of the network device is to be invalidated, a password invalidation request is transmitted to the network device. This technique makes it possible for an administrator of a network device to use it even when the administrator forgets the device password assigned to the network device without having to perform initialization which would cause all setting data to be lost.

An apparatus for transporting a fabric having first and second transport faces for gripping a fabric therebetween and to displace the fabric along its length, in which at least one of the transport faces has an irregular surface.

A two-stage process and apparatus for compacting tubular knitted fabrics, wherein at each stage the fabric, is acted upon by cooperating feeding and retarding rollers spaced apart a distance greater than the thickness of the fabric. Opposite fabric sides thus cannot be in simultaneous contact with the feeding and retarding rollers at the same point along the fabric. Fabric is transferred from a feed roller to a retarding roller while opposite sides of the fabric are closely confined in a compacting zone, free of contact with either roller. Fabric is longitudinally compacted during its traverse of that zone. In the second stage, the rollers are reversely oriented with respect the fabric. Unlike known two-stage procedures, not more than 60% of the compacting effort is imparted in either one of the stages. Preferably each stage imparts about 50% of the compacting effort. Higher production speeds and superior product quality are achieved.

An apparatus for pliabilizing tubular materials including a frame, a ring holder, and a mandrel assembly. The ring holder assembly is mounted to the frame and includes a circumferential ring, and a plurality of pairs of non-mechanically driven, rotatable wheels mounted around the ring and having a recess extending circumferentially around an outer edge. The mandrel assembly includes a mandrel having proximal and distal ends and a maximum outer circumference, and a plurality of non-mechanically driven, rotatable wheels spaced apart about a circumference of the mandrel and mounted thereto so as to extend radially beyond the maximum outer circumference. The wheels of the mandrel assembly are positioned between and so as to mate with respective pairs of the wheels of the ring holder assembly, and the wheels of the mandrel assembly are sized shaped to mate with the recesses of the respective pairs of wheels of the ring holder assembly.

A thread removal tool for getting rid of loose thread pieces, thread ends, etc. from textiles, fabric, cloth and the like, for example, after ripping open a previously produced seam, contains a thread removal head (3). The thread removal head can be located at one end of a shaft or a handle part (1) and is configured to take hold of loose thread pieces or thread fragments, without itself becoming attached to an underlying textile item, a piece of cloth or the like. The thread removal head can have an uneven surface, e.g., contain bumps (5), to grasp loose thread pieces and thread fragments. Furthermore, or alternatively, it can be made of or have a surface layer made of a material which has a certain sticking or fastening action on such loose thread pieces and thread fragments.

A portable apparatus is removably and communicatively connectable to a network device to communicate authentication or authorization credentials of a user in connection with the user logging into or entering into a transaction with a network site. The apparatus includes a communications port to connect and disconnect the apparatus to and from the network device and to establish a communication link with the network device when connected thereto. A processor receives a secure message from the network security server via the port. The message has a PIN for authenticating the user to the network site, and is readable only by the apparatus. The processor either transfers, via the port, the received PIN to an application associated with the network site that is executing on the network device or causes the apparatus to display the received PIN for manual transfer to the application associated with the network site.

The invention relates to an apparatus for compacting a material web made of fibers and/or filaments, comprising a first revolving endless belt which carries the material web and is tensioned around guide rollers, and a second endless belt which is tensioned around guide rollers and revolves counter to the first belt at the same speed, wherein the first and second endless belts form a conical compacting region in a first region in the conveying direction of the material web and run at an angle with respect to each other, whereby the material web located between the belts is increasingly pressed, wherein subsequent to the first region a first nozzle beam is disposed for a first fluid application onto the material web still located between the two endless belts, wherein the two belts in this region of the first fluid application are in each case guided to run in a tensioned manner in a straight direction. According to the invention, the following is provided: the two belts (1,2) are guided in the region of the first fluid application (D,W,A) such that they do not run parallel to each other, or: the two belts (1,2) are guided in the region of the first fluid application (D,W,A) such that they run parallel to each other in a first section (AB1) and not parallel to each other in a subsequent second section (AB2).