Author: claimsbot

We claim:

1. A method of controlling or regulating the vertical position of piled or stacked sheets, including determining at the leading edge and at the trailing edge, respectively, of the sheet resting on the top of the sheet pile, the vertical position of the sheet; and, depending upon the vertical position of the leading edge and the trailing edge, respectively, moving in the vertical direction at least one lifting element associated with the sheet trailing edge, which comprises, displacing the sheet pile and the lifting element, respectively, a given distance in the vertical direction, when a large discrepancy is found between the vertical position at the leading edge and a nominal value.
2. The method according to claim 1, which includes, when a small discrepancy is found between the vertical position at the leading edge and the nominal value, displacing only the lifting element in the vertical direction.
3. The method according to claim 2, wherein the displacement of the lifting element in the vertical direction is relatively slow.
4. The method according to claim 1, which includes, when a large discrepancy is found between the vertical position at the trailing edge and the nominal value, displacing only the lifting element a given distance in the vertical direction.
5. The method according to claim 4, wherein the displacement of the lifting element is relatively quick.
6. The method according to claim 1, which includes, when a small discrepancy is found between the vertical position at the trailing edge and the nominal value, displacing only the sheet pile a given distance in the vertical direction.
7. The method according to claim 1, which includes, when a small discrepancy is found between the vertical position at the trailing edge and the nominal value, displacing only the sheet pile continuously in the vertical direction.
8. The method according to claim 1, wherein the nominal value of the vertical position at the trailing edge has a range of tolerance which is narrower than the range of tolerance of the nominal value of the vertical position at the leading edge.
9. The method according to claim 1, which includes performing the steps thereof in a feeder of a sheet-processing machine.

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. A portable computer, comprising:
a base;
a lid that pivots relative to the base; and
a latch configured to secure the lid to the base, the latch including a data capture device.
2. The portable computer as recited in claim 1 wherein the latch is configured to move relative to the lid.
3. The portable computer as recited in claim 2 wherein the latch pivots, swivels or translates relative to the lid.
4. The portable computer as recited in claim 2 wherein the latch is detachable from the lid.
5. The portable computer as recited in claim 1 wherein the lid pivots between an open position, placing the lid away from the base, and a closed position placing the lid next to the base, and wherein the base includes a latch receiving area that is cooperatively positioned with the latch so that when the lid is closed the latch and latch receiving area engage one another thus securing the lid to the base.
6. The portable computer as recited in claim 5 wherein the latch and latch receiving area include locking features that lockably engage with one another when the latch is positioned adjacent the latch receiving area, and wherein the latch or latch receiving area includes an actuator for disengaging the locking features.
7. The portable computer as recited in claim 1 wherein the latch includes one or more indicators.
8. The portable computer as recited in claim 1 wherein the data capture device is a camera, the camera including a charge coupled device (CCD) image sensor or a complimentary oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensor.
9. A laptop computer, comprising:
a base containing a processor;
a lid pivotally coupled to the base, the lid containing a display operatively coupled the processor;
a latch pivotally coupled to the lid, the latch containing an electronic feature operatively coupled to the processor and a locking feature for lockably engaging the base.
10. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the latch includes a slider switch for disengaging the locking feature from the base.
11. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the lid includes an LCD that is surrounded at its periphery by a bezel, and wherein the latch is attached to the bezel.
12. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the latch is configured to mate with a cut-out in the base in order to secure the lid to the base.
13. The laptop computer as recited in claim 12 wherein the locking feature is a hook that is configured to capture a plunger attached to the base and located in the cut-out.
14. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein latch contains a camera that is operatively coupled to the processor, the camera including a CMOS image sensor chip and a lens assembly.
15. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 further comprising a positioning device for controlling the rotation of the latch about its axis.
16. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the latch is automatically positioned in a home position when the lid is positioned in an open position, and wherein the latch is automatically positioned in a lock position when the lid is positioned in a closed position.
17. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the positioning device includes a latch tilting mechanism configured to convert the rotation of the lid about its axis to rotation of the latch about its axis.
18. The laptop computer as recited in claim 17 wherein the lid is pivotally coupled to the base via a first hinge mechanism and the latch is pivotally coupled to the lid via a second hinge mechanism, and wherein the latch tilting mechanism includes a belt that rotatably couples an axle of the first hinge mechanism to an axle of a second hinge mechanism.
19. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the latch contains a symbol illumination system that is operatively coupled to the processor, the symbol illumination system including a light source for illuminating a symbol on an illuminable portion of the latch.
20. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the light source is a light emitting diode (LED).
21. The laptop computer as recited in claim 9 wherein the latch contains a camera and a symbol illumination system.
22. A monitor, comprising:
a display housing
a display coupled to the display housing; and
a camera coupled to the display housing.
23. The monitor as recited in claim 22 wherein the camera is disposed inside a camera housing that is movably coupled to the display housing.

1. A dual data rate (DDR) output circuit, comprising:
a latch unit configured to latch-in first data with a first level of a clock signal;
a flip-flop configured to latch-in second data in-sync with the first edge of the clock signal; and
a buffer circuit electrically coupled to an output of said latch unit and an output of said flip-flop, said buffer circuit configured to generate the first data at an output terminal of the DDR output circuit in-sync with one edge of the clock signal and further configured to generate the second data at the output terminal in-sync with another edge of the clock signal.
2. The DDR output circuit of claim 1, wherein said flip-flop is a master-slave flip-flop.
3. The DDR output circuit of claim 1, wherein the first edge of the clock signal is a high-to-low edge of the clock signal; and wherein the one edge of the clock signal is a low-to-high edge of the clock signal and the another edge of the clock signal is a high-to-low edge of the clock signal.
4. The DDR output circuit of claim 1, wherein said latch unit is a negative-level triggered latch; and wherein said flip-flop comprises a negative-level triggered master latch and a positive-level triggered slave latch.
5. The DDR output circuit of claim 1, wherein said buffer circuit comprises a first tri-state buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said latch unit and a second tri-state buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said flip-flop.
6. The DDR output circuit of claim 5, wherein the first tri-state buffer is a non-inverting buffer and the second tri-state buffer is a non-inverting buffer.
7. The DDR output circuit of claim 1 wherein the output of said latch unit is a complementary output; wherein the output of said flip-flop is a complementary output; and wherein the said buffer circuit comprises a first tri-state inverting buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said latch unit and a second tri-state inverting buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said flip-flop.
8. The DDR output circuit of claim 1, wherein the first edge of the clock signal is a low-to-high edge of the clock signal; and wherein the one edge of the clock signal is a high-to-low edge of the clock signal and the another edge of the clock signal is a low-to-high edge of the clock signal.
9. The DDR output circuit of claim 8, wherein the output of said latch unit is a complementary output; wherein the output of said flip-flop is a complementary output; and wherein the said buffer circuit comprises a first tri-state inverting buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said latch unit and a second tri-state inverting buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said flip-flop.
10. A dual data rate (DDR) output circuit, comprising:
a single-stage latch unit configured to latch-in first data with a first level of a clock signal;
a dual-stage flip-flop configure to latch-in second data in-sync with the first edge of the clock signal; and
a buffer circuit electrically coupled to an output of said latch unit and an output of said flip-flop, said buffer circuit configured to generate the first data at an output terminal of the DDR output circuit in-sync with one edge of the clock signal and further configured to generate the second data at the output terminal in-sync with another edge of the clock signal.
11. The DDR output circuit of claim 10, wherein said buffer circuit comprises a first tri-state buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said latch unit and a second tri-state buffer having an input electrically coupled to the output of said flip-flop.
12. The DDR output circuit of claim 11, wherein the first tri-state buffer is a non-inverting buffer and the second tri-state buffer is a non-inverting buffer.
13. A data output circuit of a double data rate (DDR) semiconductor device comprising:
a first latch circuit outputting an output data corresponding to a first data in response to a first logic level of a clock signal;
a flip-flop circuit latching and outputting a second data in response to a first edge of the clock signal; and
a buffer circuit driving an output terminal in response to the output data of the first latch circuit during a second logic level of the clock signal, driving the output terminal in response to the output data of the flip-flop circuit during the first logic level of the clock signal.
14. The data output circuit of the DDR semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein the flip-flop circuit comprises:
a master latch outputting a data corresponding to the second data in response to the first logic level of the clock signal; and
a slave latch outputting a data corresponding to an output data of the master latch in response to the second logic level of the clock signal.
15. The data output circuit of the DDR semiconductor device of claim 13, wherein the buffer circuit comprises:
a first tri-state buffer buffering or inverting the output data of the first latch circuit and outputting the buffered data or the inverted data during the first logic level of the clock signal; and
a second tri-state buffer buffering or inverting the output data of the slave latch and outputting the buffered data or the inverted data during the second logic level of the clock signal.
16-21. (canceled)

The claims below are in addition to those above.
All refrences to claim(s) which appear below refer to the numbering after this setence.

1. An absorbent article comprising:
a longitudinally extending centerline;
a transversely extending centerline;
a liquid permeable cover layer having a body facing surface;
a liquid impermeable barrier layer;
an absorbent core arranged adjacent to the cover layer, the absorbent core including an upper surface and a lower surface and a material-free zone extending from the upper surface to the lower surface;
a transfer layer arranged between the core and the barrier layer, the transfer layer including a planar portion having an upper surface and a lower surface and a protrusion extending upwardly from the upper surface;

wherein the cover layer includes a first region arranged in spaced relationship to the transfer layer and a second region arranged in surface to surface contact with the transfer layer;
wherein the protrusion is structured and arranged to be received within, and extend upwardly into the material free zone; and
wherein the protrusion has a height that is less than a distance between the upper surface of the absorbent core and the lower surface of the absorbent core.
2. The absorbent article according to claim 1, wherein the material-free zone is centrally aligned with respect to the longitudinally extending centerline and the transversely extending centerline.
3. The absorbent article according to claim 2, wherein the material-free zone extends over an area between about 400 mm2 and about 6000 mm2.
4. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein the material-free zone is substantially elliptical in shape and preferably has a length as measured along the longitudinally extending centerline in the range of about 40 mm to about 250 mm and a width as measured along the transversely extending centerline of about 10 mm to about 60 mm.
5. The absorbent article according to claim 3, wherein the protrusion extends over an area between about 400 mm2 and about 6000 mm2.
6. The absorbent article according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion has a height in the range of between about 0.3 mm to about 20 mm.
7. The absorbent article according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion has a height in the range of between about 0.4 mm to about 19 mm.
8. The absorbent article according to claim 5, wherein the protrusion has a height in the range of between about 0.5 mm to about 18 mm.
9. An absorbent article comprising:
a longitudinally extending centerline;
a transversely extending centerline;
a liquid permeable cover layer having a body facing surface;
a liquid impermeable barrier layer;
an absorbent core arranged adjacent to the cover layer;

the transfer layer including a planar portion having an upper surface and a lower surface and a plurality of protrusion extending upwardly from the upper surface;
wherein the absorbent core includes an upper surface and a lower surface, the absorbent core comprising a plurality of beams and a plurality of material-free zones, each of the beams arranged in a spaced relationship to an adjacent beam and each of the beams being separated from an adjacent beam by a material-free zone, each of the material-free zones extending from the upper surface to the lower surface;
wherein the cover layer includes a plurality of first regions arranged in spaced relationship to the transfer layer and a plurality of second regions, each of the second regions located between two adjacent beams and arranged in surface to surface contact with the transfer layer;
wherein each one of the plurality of protrusions is structured and arranged to be received within, and extend upwardly into one of the plurality of material free zones; and
wherein each protrusion has a height that is less than a distance between the upper surface of the absorbent core and the lower surface of the absorbent core.
10. The absorbent article according to claim 9, wherein each of the material-free zones preferably has a width in the range of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm and a length in the range of between about 40 mm and about 250 mm.
11. The absorbent article according to claim 10, wherein the absorbent article includes between 2 and about 7 longitudinally extending material-free zones and each of the material free zones is spaced from an adjacent material-free zone in the transverse direction by a distance from about 5 mm to about 30 mm.
12. The absorbent article according to claim 11, wherein each of the material-free zones extend over a surface area in the range of between 50 mm2 and about 4000 mm2.
13. The absorbent article according to claim 12, wherein each protrusion has a width in the range of between about 1 mm and about 10 mm and a length in the range of between about 40 mm and about 250 mm.
14. The absorbent article according to claim 13, wherein the absorbent article includes between 2 and about 7 protrusions and each protrusion is spaced from an adjacent protrusion in the transverse direction by a distance from about 5 mm to about 30 mm.
15. The absorbent article according to claim 14, wherein each of the protrusions extend over a surface area in the range of between 50 mm2 and about 4000 mm2.
16. The absorbent article according to claim 15, wherein the protrusion has a height in the range of between about 0.3 mm to about 20 mm.
17. The absorbent article according to claim 16, wherein the protrusion has a height in the range of between about 0.4 mm to about 19 mm.
18. The absorbent article according to claim 17, wherein the protrusion has a height in the range of between about 0.5 mm to about 18 mm.