A computer-based system and method for obtaining specified resources of an object within a functional process in an object-oriented window server environment where the functional process contains this resource information, and for communicating these specified resources to an outside functional process. The outside functional process can use this information in a variety of ways, particularly for testing purposes.

1. Field Of The Invention
The present invention is a system and method for obtaining resource information within an object located in a target functional process. More specifically, the present invention relates to a computer-based system and method for obtaining resource information within an object in a target functional process in a window server environment, where the names of the objects are not retained by the window server. It is contemplated that this resource information can be used for many purposes, especially for those relating to the testing of various versions of target functional processes in an object-oriented environment.
2. Related Art
The concept of dividing a display device into multiple "windows" (i.e., multiple regions each representing a separate functional process such as an application program or portion thereof) has become a popular user interface for computers. To facilitate control of these windows, "window servers" have been developed. These window servers manage the windows on a display device and perform such functions as redirecting input signals to the proper functional process represented by a window to which the input signals were initially directed. Thus, if a pointer device (such as a mouse) is used to "point" to a particular window on a display screen, then any input signals generated by the pointer device or keyboard will be re-directed by the window server to the application program (or portion thereof) that the window represents. An example of a widely used window server is the X Window System developed at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology of Cambridge, Mass.
The functional processes receive their input from a window server as a stream of input events. Input events can represent, for example, pointer device motion, keyboard key presses, pointer button releases, window size changes, etc, from an input device. However, the input events received by the functional processes are typically more than just redirected input signals. For example, the window server might receive the input signal from the input device, and from it determine the internal label that the window server has given to the window ("window ID") and the specific coordinates of the display device at which the "event action" of the input event is directed. This would then be the information sent to the functional processes. Thus, in this example, the window server would have to maintain the names of all of the windows of each functional process.
In order to properly direct input events to the various functional processes, typical window server environments use a concept of "ownership" of a window. Thus, each window is said to belong to some functional process, and any input event directed at a window is then accessible by the window's owner (via the window server).
Many window-oriented environments used with some window servers are "object-oriented." This means that entities such as functional processes (or portions thereof) are represented to the user as objects (often in the form of icons, menus, scrollbars, and text fields).
In a programming sense, an object is a combination of data and subroutines. A user can create the object and then need not service it since it will take care of itself (i.e, it has "methods" which instruct it what to do). For example, a "push button" object will contain all of the data and subroutines it needs to draw itself on the screen, know to ignore certain keystrokes directed at it, redraw its image when its window changes size, etc. Objects often contain a data field containing a name that the programmer gave to the object when it was created.
In some window-oriented environments the objects are divided into "widgets" and "gadgets." A widget is an object that has its own window (and thus its own window ID), and a gadget is an object that does not (i.e., there can be many gadgets in a single window). In such an environment a user may not know if an object shares a window with another object or if the object occupies the whole window (i.e., it is unclear whether an object is a widget or a gadget).
Since objects can typically contain other objects, the full name of an object comprises the name of the object itself (i.e., the name the programmer gave to it) plus the names of any higher-level objects (e.g., parent, grandparent, etc.) and the name of the functional process itself. In some window server environments, the window server can keep track of the name of each widget and gadget. However, some of the more recent window server environments such as those using "Motif" objects (developed by the Open Software Foundation of Cambridge, Mass) do not provide facilities for allowing the window server to store the name of the object. This makes it much more difficult to obtain object names, since the functional process itself must be analyzed to obtain this information.
In some window server environments such as those where the object names are not easily obtained, a data structure of objects representative of all the objects used in a functional process is stored within the functional process. Each object contains within it information or "resources" about that object. Such information can include the size and color the object should be if it is mapped (i.e., displayed) on a display screen, as well as other information such as its current window ID. This information can be of great use to entities outside the functional process (e.g., other functional processes), especially in a software testing environment. However, it is difficult to forward this information to other outside functional processes due to constraints of the window server environment.
Also, in some window server environments an "event description" is used to convey information outside the functional process about the input event directed to a particular object. This event description can be a subset of the information in the input event and/or can include additional information as well. In any case, the event description typically describes the "event action" which was directed to the object in the input event (e.g., a button was pressed).
Window servers such as the X Window System mentioned above often require functional processes using them to process many detailed events and to draw pictures and text using very low level functions. Libraries of higher level functions are available that make programming of the functional processes easier. One of these libraries for the X Window System is the X Window System Toolkit from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. In addition to what is mentioned above, such libraries in the X Window System can also be used to determine the name of an object at which an input event is directed. However, in such a system if it is desired to pass the object name to an entity outside of the functional process, it is often the case that the object name is too large to be passed via an event description. Thus, some other mechanism would have to be used if the name of an object was desired by such an outside entity.
In today's software development environment, application programs are tested in some manner before being sold. Often testing is done by simply running the application program by hand. A logical extension of this is to run the application program (i.e., the functional process) by hand, and record both the input of the user (into a script) and the output generated by the functional process (which typically comprises data related to the output on a visual display device). Then, when subsequent versions of the functional process are developed (or run on different pieces of hardware) the information in the script can be automatically re-played and the resultant output can be compared with the previously recorded output. It should be noted that a previously recorded script can be used for purposes other than testing functional processes, such as for automated demonstrations.
When comparing previously recorded output to newly captured information, one can use the pixels generated by a display device as the basis for comparison. Thus, either all or a portion of the pixels of a display device can be captured and recorded in a script during the first execution of the functional process, and when the functional process is re-played the pixels of the display device are again captured and compared with those which were stored.
XTM is a tool developed by Hewlett-Packard Corporation of Palo Alto, CA that can generate and play back scripts for application programs utilizing the X-Server System, and which utilizes the pixel-capture technique described above.
Tools such as XTM are deficient for use in an object-oriented environment, however, in that everything is based upon coordinates. Thus, if the objects are repositioned by the window server or the display device is of a different resolution than the one used to record the script, then the recorded script will be of little use in playing back that which was recorded. To adequately determine whether one version of a functional process performs the same as a subsequent version in an object-oriented environment, however, one can compare the resources of an object (which would give an indication of what the output would look like in terms of the objects' internal representation of size, color, etc., but would not take into account the objects' absolute positions on a display screen) from one run of a functional process to the next.
Thus, what is needed is a system and method for obtaining the information of resources from an object in a window server environment where each functional process, rather than the window server, keeps track of object resources. This information can then be used for software testing purposes of many different types.

System and method for probing object resources in a window server environment


An ophthalmic photographing apparatus which is easy to use and can simultaneously display OCT and SLO images as moving images while lightening a burden upon an examinee, the apparatus including an interference optical system having a first light source and a first scanning device which scans an examinee's eye with light from the first light source and obtaining a tomographic image of the eye, and a confocal optical system having a second light source and a second scanning device which scans the eye with light from the second light source and obtaining a front image of the eye, a changeover device which substantially makes a changeover of the light which is irradiated onto the eye alternately between the first light and the second light, a display device, and a display control unit displaying the images side by side as moving images on the display device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an ophthalmic photographing apparatus which obtains a tomographic image of an examinee's eye.
2. Description of Related Art
Conventionally, as an ophthalmic photographing apparatus which obtains a tomographic image of an examinee's eye in a non-invasive method, there is known an apparatus which includes an OCT (optical coherence tomography) optical system. In addition, such an apparatus is proposed that the OCT optical system is combined with an SLO (scanning laser opthalmoscope) optical system to obtain the tomographic image (hereinafter, referred to also as an OCT image) and a front image (hereinafter, referred to also as an SLO image) of the examinee's eye (see International Publication No. WO 2004/002298 corresponding to Japanese Patent application Unexamined Publication No. 2005-531346).
In this type of apparatus, it is convenient if the obtained SLO image is displayed as a moving image and the OCT image at a photographing position set on the displayed SLO image is obtained so as to be observable together with the SLO image. In the case of the apparatus disclosed in International Publication No. WO 2004/002298, however, since a scanning system (scanning device) which scans photographing light (measurement light) is shared by the OCT optical system and the SLO optical system, the OCT image and the SLO image cannot be simultaneously displayed as moving images. In addition, in obtaining the OCT image and the SLO image simultaneously, the amount of light which enters the examinee's eye should be adjusted so as not to be a burden upon the examinee.


This invention provides a method for treating cancer by blocking the migration, metastasis of cancer cells, growth of cancers wherein the cancers comprise breast cancer, leukocyte cancer, liver cancer, ovarian cancer, bladder cancer, prostate cancer, skin cancer, bone cancer, brain cancer, leukemia cancer, lung cancer, colon cancer, CNS cancer, melanoma cancer, renal cancer or cervix cancer. This invention provides uses of compositions comprising a triterpenoidal saponin, triterpenoid, triterpenoidal compound or sapongenin, comprising at least two side groups selected from the group consisting of angeloyl groups, tigloyl groups and senecioyl groups, wherein the side groups are attached to carbon 21, 22 or/and 28 of triterpenoidal sapogenin, triterpenoid, triterpenoidal compound or other sapongenin backbones.

We have identified an herbal extract from Xanthoceras sorbifolia that inhibits cancer cell's growth. The active compounds were purified and their structures identified to be novel triterpenoid saponins. We named them as Xanifolia-Y and family.
Varicose veins are swollen and knotted veins that can occur in any part of the body, especially in the calf, inside leg or around the anus. Escin has been satisfactorily used for treating Varicose veins and chronic venous insufficiency for many years. Escin is a mixture of saponins found in the seed of the horse chestnut tree, Aesculus hippocastanum L., Hippocastanaceae. Escin is the major active ingredient prepared from Aesculus hippocastanum (Hippocastanaceae), the horse chestnut tree. In one controlled trial study, aescin was shown to be as effective as compression therapy as an alternative to medical treatment for CVI. The therapeutic benefit is well supported by a number of experimental investigations in different animal models. See Department of Pharmacological Sciences, University of Milano, Via Balzaretti 9, 20133 Milano, Italy. New saponin compounds with two angeloyls have been provided in International PCT Application No. PCT/US04/33359, filed Oct. 8, 2004, and U.S. Ser. No. 10/906,303. Yingjie Chen, Tadahiro Takeda and Yukio Ogihara reported four new saponin compounds that were isolated from the fruits of Xanthoceras sorbifolia Bunge in Chem. Pharm. Bull., 33(1) 127-134, 1985; 33(3) 1043-1048, 1985 and 33(4) 1387-1394, 1985. Other related studies on saponin compounds include: triterpenoid saponins and acylated prosapogenins from Harpullia austro-calcdonica (Voutquenne et al. 2002); six triterpennoid saponins from Maesa laxiflora (Zhong et al. 1999); new triterpene saponin from Pittosporum viridiflorum from the Madagascar rainforest (Young et al. 2002); anti-HIV-1 protease triterpenoid saponins from the seeds of Aesculus chinensis (Yang et al. 1999); triterpenoid saponins from the roots of Camellia sinensis var. assamica (Lu et al. 2000); new acylated triterpenoid saponins from Maesa laceceolata (Apers et al. 1999); isolation and structure elucidation of four new triterpenoid estersaponins from fruits of the Pittosporumtobira AIT (D'Acquarica et al. 2002) and method for the prevention and treatment of chronic venous insufficiency (U.S. Pat. No. 6,210,680). The contents of the above-mentioned references are hereby incorporated by reference.
This invention shows that the saponins with two angeloyl groups have a strong activity for inhibiting cancers cells, anti-angiogenisis, inhibiting chronic venous insufficiency (CVI), shrinking hemorrhoids, inhibiting post-operative edema, rheumatism and cancerous cell growth.
This invention discloses saponin compounds having the specific structures that are capable of inhibiting cancer or tumor cell growth.
Human cells are surrounded by aquatic environments. Aquaporins is a family of transmembrane water-channel transporting proteins that play a major role in transcellular and transepithelial water movement. This invention shows that the triterpene saponins with two angeloyls have stronger activity for inhibiting cancer cell growth by affecting membrane functions. In an embodiment they affect the aquaporin and permeability of cell membrane.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Anti-tumor compounds with angeloyl groups


A computer user interface for handling information objects. The interface allows a user to make a request for information in the form of a one-time query or a persistent query. With the one-time query, the user defines one or more conditions in terms of attributes and values. The appropriate classes of objects are checked and any matching objects are identified as satisfying the query. A persistent query allows such a condition to be active at all times so that when one or more objects are created that satisfy the condition, those objects are identified as meeting the condition. Other features of the user interface allow the user to define objects and publish objects. Objects can be created or edited based on a class whose attributes are inherited. A predefined selection of menu options makes creating, editing and publishing objects simple and efficient. Access controls and settings are provided to control rights to created objects.

A portion of the disclosure recited in the specification contains material which is subject to copyright protection. Specifically, a Microfiche Appendix in accordance with 37 CFR Section 1.96 is included that lists source code instructions for a process by which the present invention is practiced in a computer system. The Microfiche Appendix comprises 13 sheets of microfiche containing 377 frames, or pages, of source code. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction of the specification as filed in the Patent and Trademark Office. Otherwise all copyright rights are reserved.
This invention relates in general to data processing in networked computers and, more specifically, to an object-oriented approach for handling digital information in large distributed networks such as an Intranet or the Internet.
The evolution of computer systems and computer networks is one of accelerating growth. Individual computer systems are equipped with vast amounts of storage and tremendous processing power. Even as these computing resources have increased, the physical size of the systems has decreased, along with the cost of such systems, so that the number of computer systems has grown dramatically.
Not only has the number of computer systems increased at an astounding rate, but improvements in telecommunications have contributed to making massive worldwide networks such as the Internet a reality. However, these advances in computer systems and computer network technology make an overwhelming amount of information available. So much so that it is difficult for a user to extract desired information from the network or to be able to efficiently use the network to accomplish many tasks. Although the Internet has made it very easy to both publish information as well as access it through content servers and browsers, respectively, this opportunity has given rise to thousands of information publishers and millions of information consumers.
This phenomenal growth is making it increasingly difficult for an information consumer to hook up with the publishers that are of interest. A second problem is that the continuous exchange of information in the form of data or algorithms between the myriad types of computer systems, or platforms, which are foreign to one another and mutually incompatible, means that a user of the Internet needs to be aware of compatibility issues such as which types of applications run on which platform, what data formats can be used with which applications, etc. A third problem with the Internet is that, although computer systems have acquired resources to be able to run very large, resource-intensive application programs, this type of xe2x80x9cfatxe2x80x9d resident application, or client, on a user""s machine does not fit today""s Internet paradigm where restricted bandwidth makes it impractical to transfer large amounts of data or programs. Also, the shear volume of information and number of users means that stored space on the various server computers making up the Internet, and used to perform routing of information on the Internet, is at a premium.
Brute-force xe2x80x9ckeywordxe2x80x9d search engines already prove incapable of effectively solving the problems of the Internet. A whole plethora of xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technologies is emerging that is attempting to provide solutions to this problem within some spectrums. A few xe2x80x9cpublish-subscribexe2x80x9d solutions exist, but these demand a fair amount of infrastructure at both the publisher and consumer ends. Each of the shortcomings of these approaches is discussed in turn.
An example of the inefficient data search and retrieval of the popular keyword search engines is illustrated by the following example of performing a simple search to locate job candidates.
Assume, as was done in an actual test case, that the user of a computer system on the Internet wants to locate and hire computer programmers. Using traditional Internet search technology, the user might go to a website such as AltaVista, Yahoo!, HotBot, etc., and enter a search query for xe2x80x9cprogrammer available.xe2x80x9d This search on AltaVista in February 1998, produced 166 documents matching the query. However, the vast majority of these documents are useless in accomplishing the goal of finding a job candidate. For example, many of the documents are outdated. Other of the documents merely use the phrase xe2x80x9cprogrammer availablexe2x80x9d in ways other than to identify an actual job candidate. Some of the documents are from xe2x80x9cdeadxe2x80x9d links which no longer exist and are inaccessible. Many of the documents were duplicate documents resulting from peculiarities in the way the database is compiled and maintained.
Many of the documents in the search results would not be useful even if they identified an available programmer candidate. This is because the candidates are from different places in the world and many of the documents are old, meaning the programmers are probably not available anymore or have moved. Of course, the search can be refined by adding additional keywords, such as the specific type of programming language skill desired, region, restricting the documents to a specific timeframe, etc. However, since the only tool available to the user to refine the search is to add keywords, or to place relational conditions on the keywords, a second full-text search of the entirety of documents on the Internet would yield many of the same problems as in the previous search, along with new problems introduced by unpredictable uses of the additional or modified text phrases in the free-form format of documents on the Internet.
Another limitation with the full-text search engines available on the Internet today is that much of the information on the Internet exists in xe2x80x9cdynamicxe2x80x9d web pages which are created in response to specific one-time requests or actions by human users or automated signals. Even the so-called xe2x80x9cstaticxe2x80x9d web pages are updated frequently, or are left on the Internet long after they cease to be supported or cease to be valid or relevant. Since the search engines compile a database based on xe2x80x9crobotsxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cspidersxe2x80x9d visiting sites on the Internet at repeated time intervals many of their results are unrepeatable or outdated and invalid. Also, the spiders are not able to discover all possible web pages such as pages that might be included in a resume database that is not published in the form of one web page per resume. Still further problems exist with keyword search engines in that use of the text language is not fully standardized. An example of this is that many people use the spelling xe2x80x9cprogramersxe2x80x9d instead of xe2x80x9cprogrammersxe2x80x9d with two xe2x80x98mxe2x80x99s.
The second problem with the Internet, that of compatibility issues between platforms, programs and data types, is encountered by a user of today""s Internet whenever a user tries to obtain software, and sometimes data, from the Internet. Although the Internet has provided a wealth of commercial (and free) software, utilities, tools, etc., much of this software requires a great deal of effort the part of the user to get it running correctly, or is of little or no value because of incompatibility problems that must be solved at the user""s time and expense.
For example, when a user downloads a piece of software, they must know about their computer, operating system, compression/decompression utility required, etc. in order to determine whether the software being downloaded is going to be usable in the first place. Keeping track of proper versions of the software and utilities further complicates matters. This is especially true when the software obtained is designed to work with data of a certain type, such as where the software is used to access multimedia files of a certain provider""s format, is a new driver for hardware from a specific manufacturer, etc. This makes it difficult for would-be manufacturers of third party xe2x80x9cvalue-addedxe2x80x9d utilities to produce software that can be used with other software, data or hardware made by another manufacture. Thus, although today""s Internet is successful in making available a plethora of software, utilities, tools, drivers and other useful programs; and can usually adequately deliver the software to a user, it fails in providing a uniform and a seamless environment that eliminates significant compatibility problems essential to allowing a user to easily obtain added functionality.
The third shortcoming of the Internet is the relatively poor ability of the Internet to download large amounts of digital information which make up the data and programs of interest to a user. Today, because of improvements in storage capacity and processing power, a typical user runs applications that are resource-intensive and thus require large amounts of data and large programs to manipulate the data. For example, it is not unusual for a user to download a demonstration program on the order of 10 to 20 megabytes. Such a download through a 28.8 k bit/sec. modem might take 3-6 hours depending on the speed of the user""s overall connection to the Internet, server overload, number of server xe2x80x9chopsxe2x80x9d to connect with the download server, etc. Thus, although the trend in computer systems has been toward larger-and-larger application programs which manipulate huge data structures, this trend is incompatible with a network such as the Internet which is rather limited in the speed with which it can handle the demands of the many millions of users trying to utilize it.
The approach of finding out what information a user desires and xe2x80x9cpushingxe2x80x9d this information to the user by sending it over the network to the user""s computer from time-to-time is epitomized by the application PointCast, available at http://www.pointcast.com/. The application program requires the user to specify areas of interest such as categories of news (e.g., politics, business, movies, etc.), specific sports teams, stocks, horoscope, etc. The user""s interests are then recorded at a Pointcast server site. Periodically the user is sent, or xe2x80x9cpushed,xe2x80x9d the specific information from PointCast""s server site to the user""s computer. The information is compiled and maintained by PointCast although other companies may be involved.
Although xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technology such as PointCast has the advantage that the user can be updated automatically about specific categories of information, this approach is not very flexible and does not provide much improvement in obtaining information other than providing a tailored version of the daily newspaper. Drawbacks with xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technology include the inability of the user to specify arbitrary informationxe2x80x94the user must pick from a list; there is no mechanism for the user to obtain information from outside of the xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d provider""s server site, and the user cannot upload the user""s own information for distribution.
xe2x80x9cPushxe2x80x9d technology provides uniformity across platforms and data types but it does so only by limiting the user to a single application front end and to information controlled by a single main entity. In this sense, xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technology thwarts the usefulness of a universal interactive network like the Internet and transforms it into a non-interactive traditional information model, such as radio or television.
Because the pushed information comes from a server or servers controlled by a single entity, push technology fails to create a standardized market for information object, information processing products and information services. Instead, the push approach pits different push providers against each other for user share. The push approach, unlike the Internet paradigm, is not an open approach and, in fact, is contrary to what many view as the exciting and valuable qualities of the Internet.
The Publish-Subscribe approach provides a more powerful information exchange system than the xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d approach. The Publish-Subscribe approach allows a user, in a similar manner to the xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d approach, to specify the type of information to which the user wishes to subscribe. However, the user is not strictly limited to categories presented by an application program front-end. Rather, a typical Publish-Subscribe approach allows a user to specify more general types of information such as by using a plain-text subject description.
In a Publish-Subscribe network, publishers provide information that is freely available for all users. Publishers can make any generalized type of information available and identify such information by a mechanism such as the xe2x80x9csubjectxe2x80x9d line. With publishers publishing information and identifying the information by subject, and subscribers subscribing to information identified by subject, processes within the Publish-Subscribe network perform the task of matching up the subscription requests with the available published information and setting up resources in the form of, for example, xe2x80x9cchannels,xe2x80x9d so that the transfer of information can take place. However, Publish-Subscribe has been successful only in relatively small, proprietary networks where the publishers and subscribers are aware of the types of information in the network and agree on how to identify the information. Since Publish-Subscribe is limited in how the types of information are specified, as by plain-text, for example, a subject header ensuring that a proper match takes place introduces problems similar to those discussed above with the keyword search engines. So far, the Publish-Subscribe approach has failed to be scaled up to be suitable for larger, more generalized networks such as a large Intranet or the Internet because the Publish-Subscribe model fails to provide efficient mechanisms allowing simple and versatile unrestricted data subscriptions and efficient, organized and robust distribution of information.
Further, Publish-Subscribe technology relies on custom front-ends that have specific features designed by a single manufacturer. For this reason, Publish-Subscribe technology limits the user in the types of information, and distribution of information, that are possible. Similar to xe2x80x9cpushxe2x80x9d technology, Publish-Subscribe does not provide an xe2x80x9copenxe2x80x9d information architecture allowing unrelated commercial entities to provide information items, information processing products and information services in a compatible and mutually beneficial manner.
FIG. 2A shows the prior art models for information processing in networked computer systems.
In FIG. 2A, conventional distributed client/server applications and their manner of processing data are illustrated in diagram form. The execution of a xe2x80x9csingletonxe2x80x9d application is shown at 160. This represents an application program executing on the user""s local computer, such as a desktop computer where almost all of the data and executed instructions reside on the user""s computer. The application program has a large amount of data associated with it and typically performs all of its processing on the local data, which may be copies of remote data. The computer is hooked up to a network represented by lines 162. The network, in the singleton application case, is used only to access a common database 163 that might be shared among several uses as, for example, in a workgroup. An example of a singleton application is a database program such as would be common in the late 1980s. The common database 163 can be modified by various database application programs executing at the various user computers. Such updates or modifications are typically made through a limited set of commands such as Get/Set illustrated at 164. Data can also be routed through routing hardware 178 to remote data store servers such as 182 via additional network connections such as 180.
Later models of information processing make more use of the network so that more data can be present at remote locations. As shown at 170 the evolved model has a user operating a client at a local computer, or workstation, as before. However, much of the data 173 now resides in a remote location as, for example, at the user""s server. Communication with the server (not shown) is via a local network such as an Ethernet, indicated by line 172. Naturally, various copies of data will exist and some copies of the data will necessarily exist at the user""s desktop or workstation such as in the user""s random access memory (RAM), cache memory or disk, in local files that the user may have designated or that may be automatically created by the client application. However, the model from the user""s and the client""s point of view is that remote data is being accessed.
Get/Set operations 174 can be performed on the data 173. The data is often obtained from, and synchronized with, other remote databases through one or more networks and associated routing hardware, indicated by networks 176 and 180, routing hardware 178 and remote data store server 182. Additional networks and servers can be used to transfer data to and from the user""s local server database as indicated by additional network 184 and data store server 186.
Note that a property of the approaches shown in FIG. 2A is that the processing entity, namely the clients 190 and 192, resides in the user""s local computer system. Also, as is typical with traditional information processing models, each client is specific and dedicated to processing data of certain types and to performing specific limited tasks. In other words, the dozens of processing applications created by different software manufacturers are incompatible with each other in that they cannot, without considerable effort, be made to process a data structure created by a foreign application program.
From the above discussion, it is apparent that a system that provides for data searching and manipulation on the Internet in an efficient, effective and intuitive manner would be most welcome. The system should provide an environment and architecture that is adaptable for different applications and customizable by information providers and consumers to suit the many types of commercial, recreational, educational and other uses that the Internet fulfills. The system should also operate uniformly across the various computer platforms connected to the Internet and so provide a basis for uniform development of algorithms, or computer programs, to make feasible a third-party value-added market for the Internet. Finally, the system should operate efficiently within the boundaries of the Internet""s limited bandwidth so as to make today""s Internet a truly valuable resource.
The invention provides a user interface to a system for handling information objects. The interface allows a user to make a request for information in the form of a one-time query or a persistent query. With the one-time query, the user defines one or more conditions in terms of attributes and values. The appropriate classes of objects are checked and any matching objects are identified as satisfying the query. A persistent query allows such a condition to be active at all times so that when one or more objects are created that satisfy the condition, those objects are identified as meeting the condition.
Other features of the user interface allow the user to define objects and publish objects. Objects can be created or edited based on a class whose attributes are inherited. A predefined selection of menu options makes creating, editing and publishing objects simple and efficient. Access controls and settings are provided to control rights to created objects.
One embodiment of the invention provides a method for providing a data browser user interface. The data browser user interface executes on a first computer system. The first computer system includes a processor coupled to a memory, a display device and a user input device. The computer system is further coupled to a computer network including a plurality of interconnected computer systems. A plurality of information objects that are instances of class definitions resides in the computer systems. The class definitions include attribute/value pairs.
The method comprising steps of displaying one or more information objects; accepting signals from the user input device to select an information object, the information object being associated with at least one provider process executing on a computer system in the network; showing one or more of the attribute/value pairs of the selected information object; accepting signals from the user input device to make a relational condition based on the attribute/value pairs of the selected information object; transferring the relational condition, an identifier for the selected information object and an identifier for the first computer system to one or more computers in the network; and when the relational condition is satisfied by one or more information objects in the network, receiving and displaying at least a portion of an information object that satisfies the relational condition.
The user interface operates within an overall system architecture and protocol that uses a Network Addressable Semantically Interpretable Byte-Set (NASIB). A NASIB is defined as any series of bytes that can be semantically interpreted by a pre-existing algorithm given sufficient context. A NASIB by this definition could thus be a traditional data structure or even an algorithm. The human client in a traditional client/server paradigm becomes another NASIB process with a higher degree of foreign (may be human) interactivity than other servers. All processing is then viewed as a distributed task whose completion involves transfer and consumption of relevant NASIB across processes in response to voluntary accesses as well as involuntary distribution. Each process and its NASIB are uniquely addressable and fetchable across connected networks (an example of such a WAN would be the Internet or a company Intranet).
However to achieve this goal the architecture employs a plethora of unique concepts, apparatus and mechanisms:
1. Encapsulating each information unit is a unique specification system using various types of Network Addressable Semantically Interpretable Byte-Sets (NASIBs).
2. NASIB style processing involves movement of objects and consumption of resources. Processes that participate in such processing are called NASIBs processes.
NASIBs have the intrinsic property of being network addressable and serializable.
Any processing entity is network addressable if it can be made available to any requesting algorithm residing on a distributed connected network based on its name, which could be a simple string value or a number identifier. The name in this case needs to contain at least the following two components:
Network Process Identifier: A substring which when handed to an appropriate protocol handler can provide the means to route data packets to that specific process and communication port as identified by the name within the combined name space of the distributed network.
Process Name Space Identifier: A substring which when handed to an appropriate process can provide the means to retrieve a specific set of bytes as identified by this name within the combined name space of that process.
Any processing entity is serializable if, within the same language framework, any of its instances can be converted into a string of bytes that can be stored as an instance of just one underlying language data type and, further, can be recreated back from this one instance to an entity of the original type.
Formal means of encapsulating the state of a NASIB and interacting with it through state-based Equivalency Events and Event Interest Requests (interest in an equivalency).
External Subsystems:
3. Transport and persistence implementations in each NASIB process are looked upon as external subsystems with generic parameterization and switchability being possible. Any physical implementation of a NASIB server usually would possess at least the following external subsystems.
4. Ability to be network addressable as an xe2x80x9couter algorithm.xe2x80x9d
5. Ability to serve and store any arbitrary byte sets, once identified, within its name space.
6. Ability to garbage collect its content and archive it for later contextual recall based on some predefined policies.
7. Ability to persist and re-create its complete execution state and/or data state to a permanent computer data medium using direct or indirect means.
Pure Data Source/Sink processes, i.e., performing only publishing or providing generic retrieve capabilities are also seen as external to the system. Anyone who can facilitate a byte buffer following a predefined format on a recognizable transport can become a publisher or retriever.
All communications between processes follows four request-reply messaging paradigms, each differentiated from the others on the basis of the life cycle of the transport task:
8. Synchronous Request: Requesting process transmits request message set and waits for reply message set, the transport task expires when a successful or unsuccessful request is sent back from the serving process. No trace of the request or reply is left.
9. Asynchronous Request: Requesting process transmits request message set, sets up a callback rendezvous algorithm and then continues with processing. The transport task expires when a successful or unsuccessful request message set is sent back from the serving process using what is available, until such time the request is cached. The waiting algorithm on the requesting process is then activated. No trace of the request or reply is then left.
10. Asynchronous Cached Request: Requesting process transmits request message set, sets up a callback rendezvous algorithm and then continues with processing. The transport task is persisted by the serving process until the expiration of the cache specification. The cache specification can be in two units.
11. Quality and Quantity of Reply Specification Set
12. Relative or Absolute Time Specification and one push request paradigm.
13. Broadcast Request: Requesting process broadcasts request message sets to one or multiple receivers. Successful transmission (and optional acknowledgement) of the request is considered to be the expiration of the transport task.
Implementation System Assumptions
The logical design of a NASIB server can be implemented in multiple hardware and software systems and in combinations thereof. The logical design is not closely tied to any specific piece of hardware or software. However implementations of such systems assumes certain well-published advances in software technologies representing necessary syntactic or semantic capabilities:
Dynamic Algorithmic Linking: Ability to incorporate new algorithms into virtual address space at run-time.
Basic Polymorphism: Provide basic polymorphism in various types.
Network Socket Interfaces: Provide basic network interfaces and link abstractions, such as sockets for interprocess communications.
Multi-Threading: Ability to run independently schedulable multiple threads of execution in one process which can access the same virtual address space. Also, related synchronization mechanisms like locking are assumed.
Serialization: Capability to serialize a memory object into a persistable string of bytes and vice versa.
Many commercial data languages meet all these requirements; for example, C++, JAVA.
Utility of the Invention
As mentioned earlier, networking technologies have made possible seamless communication between distributed processes running on disparate stations (operating system and CPU), connected through physical or virtual transport schemes. Such networks result in network data streams composed of data structures and algorithms associated with each other through external application semantics. The user picks the necessary applications and then manipulates data in the same process or in a remote process. The invention has multiple applications in multiple application domains, some of which have existed for over two years and some which have become evident only recently, like the Internet and World Wide Web (WWW):
A distributed framework for separation of data structures, algorithms and the association between them.
Specifying a means of dissecting the global name space of knowledge into knowledge domains where all interacting parties agree upon the common nature of data structures, algorithms and their associations. Chaining such domains together creates a unified network wide knowledge domain.
Specifying a canonical description system for self-describing network messages (chunks of raw transport packets) which make it possible for the messages to carry data structures and algorithms anywhere over a connected network.
Facilitating a singular network communication protocol for the meaningful transmission of these canonical messages between NASIBs-aware processes.
Facilitating creation of knowledge domain manager processes (NASIB servers) that provide services built around this canonical knowledge system to knowledge-access applications (NASIB clients).
Service applications built using NASIB architecture to provide the following basic utilities:
Ability to delineate and hook up with an external data structure and algorithm stream.
Ability to selectively call up any global data structure and algorithm and meaningfully manipulate or execute them.
Ability to facilitate changes in data definitions and values to be automatically propagated across all relevant components of the system, by providing for a default-system-enforced synchronization policy.
Multiprocessing virtual address spaces, involving selective memory synchronizations.
Because of the store and forward nature and dynamically mutable characteristics of the system, it is an ideal framework for structured communication applications like Typed Messaging and Structured Workflow. (See FIG. 3.)
An important goal of the NASIB System is to facilitate a singular or limited suite of computer applications, providing a global data structure and algorithm browsing and hosting mechanisms. Presumably, using such an application and employing such a protocol a user can browse and execute data structures and algorithms and combinations thereof (indirectly representing discrete forms of the original applications) to selectively and meaningfully interact with any knowledge domain on the network, a prime example of that being the WWW.

User interface for a distributed messaging framework


A power-steering system for a vehicle includes a steering wheel which turns the front wheels, a power cylinder device which assists the steering wheel in turning the front wheels, a vehicle speed sensor which detects the vehicle speed, and a control unit which controls the power cylinder device so that the assisting force with which the power cylinder device assists the steering wheel is reduced with increase in the vehicle speed. The control unit has a reverse gear sensor which detects when the transmission of the vehicle is in reverse, and reduces the assisting force with increase in the vehicle speed at a higher rate when the vehicle runs rearward than when the vehicle runs forward.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a power-steering system for a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There has been known a power-steering system for a vehicle in which the assisting force is reduced with increase in the vehicle speed so that when the vehicle speed is low or zero, the steering wheel can be easily turned, and when the vehicle speed is high, immoderate turn of the steering wheel is prevented.
Generally, the normal vehicle in which the front wheels are dirigible is apt to yaw and loose running stability when it runs rearward unlike when it runs forward. In this conjunction, the conventional power-steering system in which the rate of reducing the assisting force with increase in the vehicle speed is the same irrespective of whether the vehicle is driven in reverse or forward is disadvantageous in that it does not contribute to suppressing occurrence of yaw of the vehicle body when the vehicle runs rearward.


This invention relates to certain herbicidal sulfonamides, intermediates for their preparation, agriculturally suitable compositions of the sulfonamides and a method of use of the sulfonamides as a selective preemergent or postemergent herbicide or as a plant growth regulant.

This invention relates to certain herbicidal sulfonamides, agriculturally suitable compositions thereof and a method for their use as a selective Preemergent or postemergent herbicide or as a plant growth regulant, particularly for the control of undesired vegetation in rice.
New compounds effective for controlling the growth of undesired vegetation are in constant demand. In the most common situation, such compounds are sought to selectively control the growth of weeds in useful crops such as cotton, rice, corn, wheat and soybeans, to name a few. Unchecked weed growth in such crops can cause significant losses, reducing profit to the farmer and increasing costs to the consumer. In other situations, herbicides are desired which will control all plant growth. Examples of areas in which complete control of all vegetation is desired are areas around railroad tracks, and industrial storage areas. There are many products commercially available for these purposes, but the search continues for products which are more effective, less costly and environmentally safe.
The "sulfonylurea" herbicides are an extremely potent class of herbicides discovered within the last few years which generally consist of a sulfonylurea bridge, --SO.sub.2 NHCONH--, linking two aromatic or heteroaromatic rings.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,801,327 and EP-A-209,230 disclose, in part, herbicidal sulfonamides of the formula ##STR1## wherein X.sub.a is CH.sub.2, CH(CH.sub.3), CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2, CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 CH.sub.2 or CO;
E is a single bond, CH.sub.2 or O; PA1 Q is, inter alia, a 5-membered heterocyclic ring, containing 2-4 atoms of carbon and 1-3 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of 0-2 oxygen, wherein sulfur may take the form of S, SO or SO.sub.2, and containing one or two carbonyl or sulfonyl (SO.sub.2) groups, etc.; and PA1 R.sub.1 is H, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 haloalkyl, halogen, nitro, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkoxy, SO.sub.2 NR.sub.a R.sub.b, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkylthio, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkylsulfinyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 alkylsulfonyl, CH.sub.2 CN, CN, CO.sub.2 R.sub.c, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 haloalkyl, C.sub.1 -C.sub.3 haloalkylthio, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkoxyalkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.4 alkylthioalkyl, CH.sub.2 N.sub.3 or NR.sub.d R.sub.e. PA1 n is 1 or 2; and PA1 Q is, inter alia, a fully unsaturated 5- or 6-membered ring containing 1 to 3 heteroatoms selected from 0-1 S, 0-1O or 0-3 N, etc. PA1 1. Compounds of Formula I wherein PA1 2. Compounds of Preferred 1 wherein R is Cl. PA1 3. Compounds of Preferred 2 wherein X is CH.sub.3 or OCH.sub.3.
EP-A-164,268 disclose, in part, herbicidal sulfonylureas of the formula ##STR2## wherein
R.sub.1 is H, F, Cl, Br, CH.sub.3, CF3, OCH.sub.3, SCH.sub.3, OCHF.sub.2 or SCHF.sub.2 ;
The compounds of the instant invention are within the generic disclosure of the above references but the compounds of the instant invention are not named and their particular utility for control of undesired vegetation in rice is not disclosed.


The present invention discloses a copper-zinc-aluminum-iron single crystal alloy material having an ultra-large grain structure of 5-50 cm grade, obtained by annealing an as-cast alloy having a polycrystalline structure through a single phase region of 800-960° C. for 2-105 h, where the as-cast alloy includes, by weight percentage, 62-82% of copper, 6-29% of zinc, 5-12% of aluminum, and 2-5% of iron. In the present invention, the alloy compositions have an essential difference and are a copper-zinc-aluminum-iron quaternary alloy, and the iron element is an indispensable alloying element. The preparation process of the present invention is extremely simple and very easy to implement and has a very good application prospect.

Single crystal alloys generally have more excellent mechanical and functional properties than polycrystalline alloys, and thus have broad application prospects. Metal materials obtained by a conventional heat treatment process (smelting, solidification, and annealing) each have a polycrystalline structure, and bulk single crystal alloys can only be obtained by some special devices and processes, such as directional solidification process (1. Otsuka, K., Wayman, C. M., Nakai, K., Sakamoto, H. & Shimizu, K. Superelasticity effects and stress-induced martensitic transformations in Cu—Al—Ni alloys. Acta Metall. 24, 207-226, 1976; 2. Saburi, T., Inada, Y., Nenno, S. & Hori, N. Stress-induced martensitic transformations in Cu—Zn—Al and Cu—Zn—Ga alloys. J. Phys. 43, 633-638, 1982; 3. Kato, H., Dutkiewicz, J. & Miura, S. Super elasticity and shape memory effect in Cu-23 at % Al-7 at % Mn alloy single crystals. Acta Metall. Mater: 42, 1359-1365, 1994; 4. Kato, H., Ozu, T., Hashimoto, S., Miura, S. Cyclic stress-strain response of superelastic Cu—Al—Mn alloy single crystals. Mater. Sci. Eng. A. 264, 245-253, 1999; 5. The reorientation of the 2H martensite phase in Cu—Al—Mn shape memory single crystal alloy. Mater. Sci. Eng. A. 481-482, 526-531, 2008).
Some metal materials may undergo abnormal grain growth during annealing or dynamic recrystallization after macro-deformation, and thus single crystal materials can be obtained, but only some sheets or wires with simple shapes can be acquired by means of these methods (1. Goss, N. P. New development in electrical strip steels characterized by fine grain structure approaching the properties of a single crystal. Trans. ASM 23, 511-531, 1934; 2. Humphreys, F J & Hatherly, M. in Recrystallization and related annealing phenomena (Elsevier, Oxford, Ed. 2, 2004; 3. Padilha, A F, Plaut, R L & Rios, P R Annealing of cold-worked austenitic stainless steels. ISIJ Int. 43, 135-143, 2003; 4. Ciulik, J. & Taleff, E M Dynamic abnormal Grain growth: A new method to produce single crystal. Scr. Mater. 61, 895-898, 2009). Moreover, the course is relatively complicated, a process is cumbersome and has high cost, bulk single crystal materials cannot be obtained, and thus these methods are not suitable for practical application.
Japan's Omori et al. found a copper-aluminum-manganese ternary alloy material including, by mass ratio, 7.8-8.8% of aluminum, 7.2-14.3% of manganese, and the balance copper (1. Omori, T. et al. Abnormal grain growth induced by cyclic heat treatment. Science 341, 1500-1502, 2013; 2. Kusama, T., et al. Ultra-large single crystals by abnormal grain growth. Nat. Comm. 8, 354-(1-9), 2017). The alloy material does not need to undergo macroscopic deformation, and a super-large grain structure can be obtained through dozens of thermal cycles. The thermal cycle process is as follows: an as-cast alloy is first homogenized and thermally treated in a single phase region at a high temperature of 900° C., and then the alloy is slowly cooled (the cooling rate is from 0.5° C./min to 3.3° C./min) to 500° C., 740° C. or 760° C. and then slowly heated (the heating rate is 10° C./min) to 900° C. for short-time heat preservation. The thermal cycles are performed dozens of times according to the foregoing process and then quenching is performed. However, the foregoing cyclic thermal treatment process is not only time-consuming but also extremely cumbersome, and the requirements for the cooling/heating rate are very strict, which is not conducive to practical production applications.
So far, there are not many application of metal single crystal alloys, mainly as high-temperature single crystal alloys, which are primarily used in aerospace and other fields. This is mainly because metal single crystal alloys and especially bulk single crystal alloys can only be obtained by means of special devices and process materials, the production efficiency is low, and the cost is high. Therefore, it is of great significance and very broad application prospects to develop a bulk single crystal metal alloy material that can be obtained by a simple process.

Copper-zinc-aluminum-iron single crystal alloy material


A fuse holder retains and removably connects a fuse to fuse clips within an electrical device. The fuse holder includes a fuse drawer having an open top to hold the fuse. Openings in the fuse drawer are adapted to receive the fuse clips. A guide within the electrical device facilitates sliding the fuse drawer between an open position outside of the electrical device and a closed position within the device. In the closed position, the fuse clips extend through the openings in the fuse drawer and engage the fuse within the fuse drawer to close the electrical circuit within the electrical device. An individual is unable to contact the fuse when the fuse drawer is closed within the electrical device. Similarly, the fuse is disengaged from the fuse clips and the electrical circuit is broken when the fuse drawer is opened so that it is not possible for an individual to contact the fuse while the fuse is connected to the electrical circuit.

Fuses used in electrical devices are often subjected to high levels of current and/or voltage and often reach momentary high temperatures when placed within an electrical circuit. Since fuses typically require routine inspection and periodic replacement, they are frequently placed on the exterior of electrical devices for ease of access. However, such placement increases the chances that an individual may accidentally contact the fuse during operation of the electrical device. Furthermore, external placement of the fuse may lead an individual to erroneously conclude that it is safe to contact the fuse while the electrical circuit is energized. Whether accidental or intentional, contact with a fuse that is connected to an energized circuit can cause an individual to suffer a burn or an electrical shock.
Many manufacturers of electrical devices have attempted to reduce the potential for injury resulting from contact with a fuse. Indeed, certification agencies such as Underwriters Laboratory and the California Safety Association frequently rate electrical devices according to the potential for an individual to contact a fuse while it is connected to the energized circuit.
Some manufacturers have attempted to solve the problem by placing the fuse within the housing or behind a cover plate of an electrical device, thereby requiring one to open the case or remove the cover plate to access the fuse. In this manner, the potential for accidental contact with the fuse is virtually eliminated. Additionally, since fuse access will typically require the removal of one or more screws or other fasteners, an individual would be more likely to deactivate the electrical device prior to intentionally accessing the fuse. However, the cost of this extra security is the added inconvenience of having to partially dismantle the electrical device in order to remove or replace the fuse. This process can be time consuming and tedious, particularly when the removal of screws or other fasteners is required. Some individuals may find such a procedure unacceptable, particularly with respect to electrical devices that require frequent fuse inspections and/or replacements. Furthermore, while concealing a fuse may reduce the likelihood of injury, such a fuse may still be accessed while connected to an energized circuit, and therefore the potential for injury remains.
It is with regard to this background information that the improvements available from the present invention have evolved.


A transperineal biopsy guide including a guide member and a displacement member supported by the guide member. The guide member may be configured to operably couple with the transrectal probe and may include a distal end, a proximal end opposite the distal end, and a length extending along a longitudinal axis between the distal and proximal ends. The displacement member may be configured to support the access needle and displace the access needle along at least a portion of the length of the guide member between the distal and proximal ends. The access needle may extend into the subcutaneous tissue when the access needle is displaced to the distal end.

A biopsy is a medical procedure that involves sampling and removing tissues or cells from a living body for further examination and analysis. A prostate biopsy may be performed by a care provider for diagnosis and treatment of a patient's prostate. For example, the vast majority of patients with an abnormal prostate specific antigen (PSA) or suspicious results from a digital rectal examination (DRE) undergo biopsy. Typical biopsy procedures include transrectal ultrasound-guided (TRUS) biopsies and transperineal ultrasound-guided (TPUS) biopsies.
TRUS involves obtaining tissue or cell specimens by passing a biopsy needle or other biopsy instruments through the rectal wall and into the prostate at various locations using a sagittal imaging plane. The biopsy needle or other biopsy instruments may be guided by ultrasound in a sagittal plane. There are disadvantages associated with TRUS. In particular, the patient may be required to take antibiotics prior to the procedure to reduce the risk of infections. Also, TRUS requires the patient to perform bowel preparation, which is a procedure usually undertaken before the biopsy, for cleansing the intestines of fecal matter and secretions. Further, the passage of the biopsy needle through the rectal wall may introduce bacteria from the rectum into the prostate, such as coliform bacteria that may lead to an infection or other complications. Additionally, many clinically significant prostate cancers are found in locations of the prostate that are often too difficult to access when using the transrectal approach.
TPUS includes obtaining tissue or cells specimens by passing one or more biopsy needles through the perineum and into the prostate. TRUS has been favored over TPUS. Unlike TRUS, TPUS does not require a patient to take antibiotics prior to the procedure or to undergo the bowel preparation for lowering the risk of bacterial issues. Further, TPUS uses a more effective route to access the prostate and is capable of accessing target locations that may be difficult to access utilizing the transrectal approach in comparison with TRUS. In addition, the needle does not pass through the rectal wall which eliminates the risk associated with TRUS of coliform bacteria entering the prostate or the bloodstream.
Systems configured for TPUS include a biopsy grid that may be fixed to, for example, a floor, platform, or table on which the patient receiving the biopsy lies. The biopsy grid may provide multiple apertures through which a biopsy needle or other biopsy instruments may be inserted. An ultrasound probe is fixed directly to the apparatus and is used to axially guide the biopsy needle or other instruments, for example other biopsy instruments. Thus, TPUS systems require imaging in an axial plane of the ultrasound or a transverse transducer for positioning the biopsy needle.
It is with these observations in mind, among others, that various aspects of the present disclosure were conceived and developed.

Transperineal prostate biopsy device, systems, and methods of use


The present invention relates to a fastening system for angle plates which include support arms to provide a more precise and reliable connection and attachment between the angle plates comprising an inner support member having two side walls defining an angle of about 90 degrees therebetween and two upper surfaces defining an angle with the side walls, each having an opening or bore cut therethrough; an outer support member having two side walls defining an angle of about 90 degrees therebetween, the inner support member and the outer support member having a threaded bore centrally cut therethrough; each angle plate having side walls and upper surfaces to position its support arms, each of the upper surfaces having an opening or bore cut therethrough to cooperate with the bores in the upper surfaces and with the support arms to firmly maintain the support arms in a stable position.

Angle plates are usually connected and fastened by well-known means such as welding, screws, bolts and nuts, or by pressure and the like. All these methods, however, have disadvantages which hamper their use.
Welding, for example, apart from producing a connection which is difficult repair and maintain, has as its greatest drawback the fact that welded structures are usually heavy and bulky and, therefore, are difficult to transport from their place of manufacture to the site where they will be installed. The use of screws usually results in unstable and weak structures which tend to become crooked and unstable. Bolts and nuts are, in some cases, difficult to fasten because often one of them cannot be easily reached with a fastening tool. Finally, pressure-fit connecting elements are usually made from a rigid plastic material which breaks easily when subjected to heavy weights.


An image data transfer method and system therefor transfer image data via network 10 connecting between a plurality of clients 100 and a server 400. A plurality of files are stored in image data base storage unit 430 and file search unit 420 searches the files to be processed by desired client from the image data base storage unit 430 in response to the search request of the client 100. The transfer protocol is sorted in transfer protocol storage unit 520 and transfer protocol management unit 150 transmits to a desired client via the network 10 the image data related to the file searched by the file search unit 420 specified the transfer protocol in the transfer protocol storage unit 520 based on the search request of the desired client.

The present invention relates to image data transfer method and system therefor in the client/server computing system where still pictures of the document and moving pictures images are registered as image data into the server and the required image is transferred in response to the client request, and more particularly to the image data transfer method and system thereof, including the electronic mail wherein processing of the entire system is carried out by sequentially transmitting to two or more clients the image data such as still images of the document and moving pictures, based on a specified rule called xe2x80x9cwork flowxe2x80x9d.
The document filing system was a prior art system to store the document in the form of image data and to retrieve it by computers. For example, HITFILE-6500 has been a well known document filing system product. In the client/server system configured by using this filing system as a server, data are searched in response to each client requirement, and are transferred via the network.
Furthermore, a system called PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System) is proposed in Japan. This system provides management of the image for medical use including roentgenogram used for diagnosis in the medical field as computer data, for example, xe2x80x9cCurrent situation and future of the image data base for medical usexe2x80x9d by Nishihara in The Journal of Information Processing Society of Japan V, 33, N 5, PP. 478-485.
Since much net work transfer time is required to send in a great deal of high definition images via the network, this publication proposes a method of transferring the data of the patient in advance to the terminal in the diagnosis room when diagnostic reservation has been made. The known case of this method is the image data system for medical use disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open NO.2-140875 (1990).
A system called Work Flow which replaces the flow of documents in the office by the data transfer on the computer is coming to be widely known in recent years, for example, electronic document approval system disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open NO.2-278458 (1990).
This system allows each user to provide processing in the step which the data corresponding to the document are transferred one by one between two or more computers connected by the LAN (local area network). In this work flow system, the data passage is managed according to the rules which are modeled steps of processing the relevant documents in advance.
Accordingly, the system knows the next data or its candidate to be requested by each client in the portion where the processing flow is managed. Normally, such management is provided by the software by the name of Flow Controller. The device where the software operates includes the server which stores the data.
The rule for document filing system and the system called PACS have not taken into account the system called Work Flow where the flow of the document in the system is replaced by the flow of data in the computer, namely, image data including still pictures of the document and moving pictures are transmitted between two or more clients.
In addition the rule for system called Work Flow has not taken into account the problem of sending the data to the client, using the information managed in the flow controller of the sever.
An object of the present invention is to provide a image data transfer method and system therefor, which has a high speed response to the user request by ensure that the highly probable next image data to be requested by each client is searched and sent from the server to the client in advance, in the client/server computer system including electronic mail by the name of Work Flow.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a image data transfer method and system therefor, the image data transfer system ensuring improved system availability factor by substantial reduction of the time between request made by the user for the image data to be processed and display of the data, in the client/server computer system including electronic mail by the name of Work Flow.
According to one aspect of the invention, there is provided an image data transfer system for transferring image data via the network connecting between a plurality of clients and a server, said server comprising:
(1) a image data base storage means to store the image data base having files;
(2) a file search means for searching at least the files to be processed by the desired client from the image data base having files stored in the image data base storage means;
(3) a transfer rule for storage means to specifying in advance and storing at least the transfer rule for to be transferred to each of the clients via the network at least for each file, with respect to the image data base having two or more files stored in the image data storage means; and
(4) a transfer rule for management means for transmit to a desired client via the said network the transfer information specified by the transfer rule for stored in the transfer protocol rule for storage means;
thereby transmitting the image data related to the file searched by the filed search means to the desired client via the network, based on the transfer request from a desired client.
The following describes the steps of the data being sent to the client when the image data required by the client is supplied by the server and is displayed on the client, in the client/server type computer system.
(1) Request given by the client to the server to search
(2) Search by the server, and reply of the search result and information on the position of the data in storage
(3) Request given by the client to the server based on search result
(4) Transfer of data via the network
(5) Display of transferred data on the client screen
Namely, steps of search and data transfer are required until the data is displayed after the request is given by the client to get the data to be processed. The configuration according to the present invention, however, requires only a very short time until the data is actually displayed, even when the relevant image data has a great capacity, without the user feeling that he is make to wait.
Especially in the client/server computer system in the work flow as in the present invention, the document image data are often used as data, and the job target comprises comparatively routine works in many cases.
In such cases, said configuration according to the present invention improves the response performances after specification of the document, and ensures substantial improvement in the operation efficiency of client/server computer system in the work flow, without being affected directly by the user productivity.
As shown by said configuration, the client/server computer system in the work flow according to the present invention, the majority of the implementation means are configured in the server, so all search activities are done by processing within the server, resulting in reduction of the number of communications via the network as well as reduction of network loads.

Image data transfer method and system therefor

#106 Gaadenkooto, 2-1 Yahagi, Odawara-shi

Hitachi-higashi-naruda-ryoo, 72 Naruda, Odawara-shi

#105 Gaadenkooto, 2-1 Yahagi, Odawara-shi

127-3 Nakazato, Ninomiya-machi, Naka-gun


An optical apparatus, e.g. a foldable overhead projector of the reflection type, includes a base table, whereon original material is placed on a Fresnel mirror. A projector head forms an image of the original material. A stand is swung on the base table. The stand, when folded, overlies a control portion of the Fresnel mirror. The projector head is vertically swingable on a distal end of the stand. A stand locking lid is swingably mounted on the stand distal end. Retaining claws are formed at a front of the locking lid. Receiving recesses in the base table retain the retaining claws, and keep the stand folded. The locking lid has a manually pullable edge, which is pulled to disengage the retaining claws from the receiving recesses. The projector is thus erected and folded easily, because it is openable quickly for erection. A pair of plates are swingable beside the base table between open and closed positions, to cover lateral margins of the Fresnel mirror when closed, and lie flush with the Fresnel mirror when opened. A storage chamber in the base table contains a plurality of original materials, and is covered by the vertically swingable Fresnel mirror. Two rollers under the base table and close to a front edge facilitate transportation of the base table as raised in a position opposite to the rollers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a foldable optical apparatus, for example an overhead projector, and more particularly relates to an optical apparatus of improved portability.
2. The Prior Art
There is a known foldable optical apparatus such as an overhead projector, which is advantageous as to portability as it can be folded so as to be of compact size. Such an overhead projector has a removable covering for protection against dust. To use the projector, the covering is first removed. A support or stand is erected and locked in a predetermined erected position above a stage that supports the material whose image is to be projected. The top of the stand swingably supports an image forming head or projector head which incorporates a projecting section and a light source. The projector head, when folded, is contained within the stand. The projector head is substantially parallel to the stage. The stage is constituted by a Fresnel mirror consisting of a Fresnel plate and a reflective layer formed thereon. On the Fresnel plate, there is placed an original of the material, namely a transparency on which an opaque image is written or drawn. To project the image on a screen remote from the apparatus, light emitted by the light source is directed to the Fresnel mirror. Transmitted through the original material, the light is reflected upward by the Fresnel mirror to illuminate the original material from below. The light of the image of the original material passes through a projector lens and to a projector mirror, both carried by the projector head and proceeds to the screen.
This conventional overhead projector has a problem in that removal and attachment of the covering of the apparatus is so laborious and time consuming that it is difficult to set up or store the projector quickly. The covering is so large that use of the projector requires extra space for storing the covering, and this is a drawback when using the projector in a confined space such as the surface of a small desk. Moreover, the size of the covering decreases the portability of the projector, as it adds considerable length, width and thickness to the projector.
The Fresnel mirror has an area the size of the largest original material to be projected. There is a drawback, because when original material smaller than the largest possible is placed on the Fresnel mirror, extra light is transmitted around the original material, so that the stage is excessively lighted and is glaring to the eyes of a user. Moreover, image projected on the screen is surrounded by brilliant marginal areas which are also glaring to viewers of the screen.


A system for removing and evenly completing cure of residual collected uncured resin from within a 3D printed part, which includes an enclosure which shields UV electromagnetic radiation from entering a space positioned within the enclosure. The system further includes a rotator device positioned in the space within the enclosure and a 3D printed part positioned within the space and associated with the rotator device.

Three dimensional ("3D") printing is often used to produce parts which are capable of being used directly for end-use purposes or being used for prototyping and wherein a high level of accuracy and resolution is required. One example of a 3D printing technique, which provides a high level of accuracy and resolution, includes stereolithography ("SLA"). SLA utilizes a photopolymer resin and Ultra Violet ("UV") radiation to cure the photopolymer resin in printing parts. The SLA printing process is often used in replacement of using injection molding for fabricating plastic parts.
In utilizing SLA printing, the fabricator can experience residual collected uncured photopolymer resin positioned within a cavity within the part being printed, which has not been cured in the printing process. The residual collected uncured resin is trapped within the cavity, such that the resin is not aligned with an opening in the cavity which is in fluid communication with the cavity and with an outside of the part. The fabricator will allow gravity, with the part in place, to act on the residual collected uncured resin trapped within the cavity, which is aligned with the opening, to drain through the opening. Any trapped remaining residual collected uncured resin material that has not drained out of the printed part is then cured. With curing of remaining collected uncured resin material, large uneven portions of cured resin material is formed in the finished part.
As a result there is a need to remove residual collected uncured resin trapped within voids within a printed part prior to the part becoming completed and avoid uneven cured portions of the finished printed part.


A motion vector computing device according to one embodiment includes: a difference computing unit that computes inter-frame temporal difference value It, uses horizontal direction inter-pixel difference value Ix and vertical direction inter-pixel difference value Iy in a same frame, the current frame signal and the different frame signals when the pixel moves for a small-time, a variance matrix generating unit computes the variances of the gradient in the horizontal direction, in the vertical direction and in the temporal direction of the luminance value on the basis of the difference values Ix, Iy and It, a coefficient computing unit computes a coefficient of a flat plane formula by calculating a formula for giving a minimum with regard to the square error of the flat plane formula approximating the distribution of luminance gradients of the pixel and a vector computing unit computes the motion vector uses the coefficient.

Compressing video data by means of compression coding techniques is being widely practiced. Compression coding techniques include those of comparing two frames and computing a motion vector between those frames as in the case of MPEG-1 and MPEG-2. Known techniques of computing a motion vector include block matching methods of observing matching of pixel blocks in one of the frames and corresponding pixel blocks in the other frame and computing a motion vector on the basis of the degree of matching. However, block matching methods entails a vast amount of computation and cannot get decimal point accuracy of a sub-pixel level.
The Lucas-Kanade method is known as a technique of getting decimal point accuracy of a sub-pixel level with a reduced amount of computation. With this method, a motion vector is computed from a distribution of luminance gradient vectors and hence is classified as a gradient method. However, it provides only a narrow scope of search and cannot correctly compute a motion vector in the case of a move that involves several pixels.
Eigenvector methods are known as methods capable of estimating a motion vector for an image showing a large move and getting decimal point accuracy of a sub-pixel level. Eigenvector methods are also classified as gradient methods. With an eigenvector method, an eigenvector of 3×3 variance-covariance matrix is determined from a distribution of luminance gradient vectors to compute a motion vector. However, these methods also entail a vast amount of computation.
Eigenvalues needs to be highly accurately computed in order to computationally determine a motion vector of higher precision but all the above-described techniques have inherent drawbacks. Therefore, there is a demand for computation techniques that can satisfy the requirement of a large scope of search, that of a reduced amount of computation and that of decimal point accuracy of a sub-pixel level at a time.
There is also a demand for techniques showing a small image dependency for reliability evaluation of an estimated motion vector.

Motion vector computing device and motion vector computing method

Toshiba Alpine Automotive Technology Corporation


A method for processing information can include acquiring a chat scenario of a first terminal and a second terminal; determining a chat topic for the first terminal and the second terminal according to the chat scenario; and determining a first question and first question options according to the chat topic, wherein the first question is sent by the first terminal; sending the first question and the first question options to the first terminal and the second terminal; and displaying the first question and the question options on the first terminal and the second terminal, respectively.

In the field of Internet social contact, chatting is one of the most important ways of interaction between users. How to enable two parties to start chatting and to chat smoothly on a computer terminal or a mobile terminal has always been a difficult problem in the field of Internet social contact.

Method and terminal for facilitating chat between users of two terminals

BEIJING DAJIA INTERNET INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY CO., LTD.


An apparatus for receiving signals in a base station of a CDMA communication system including a first and a second subordinate base station (Pico-BTS) having a small capacity, each including a transmission-reception antenna, a duplexer connected to the antenna, a transmitter for transmitting a signal through the duplexer to the antenna, a main receiver for receiving a signal from the antenna through the duplexer, and an auxiliary receiver, wherein the main receiver of each of the first and second Pico-BTS divides the signal from the antenna into two subordinate signals, one of which is applied to the main receiver in a normal way and the other is applied to the auxiliary receiver of another Pico-BTS.

This application makes reference to, incorporates the same herein, and claims all benefits accruing under 35 U.S.C. Section 119 from an application for APPARATUS FOR RECEIVING SIGNALS IN A BASE STATION FOR CELLULAR RADIO TELECOMMUNICATION SYSTEM filed earlier in the Korean Industrial Property Office on Jan. 23, 1999 and there duly assigned Serial No. 2065/1999.
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cellular radio telecommunication system, and more particularly, a base station having a plurality of subordinate base stations with low capacity (Pico-BTS) for processing the multiple frequency channels.
2. Description of the Related Art
A geographic area served by a cellular mobile communication system is divided into a group of smaller geographic areas or cells, each cell having a base station for providing communication service to a mobile phone or a portable instrument within the cell. Additionally, all the base stations are controlled by a mobile switching center (MSC) to enable the communication between the cells. In the cellular communication system employing the CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), the signals are sent in the same frequency band simultaneously. Accordingly, the signals are either selected or rejected at the receiver end through the process of recognizing the user-specific signature waveform, which is generated by an assigned spreading code technique. As the process of multiplying the signal by the code sequence causes the power of the transmitted signal to be spread over a wide range of bandwidth, the CDMA is sometimes referred to as spread-spectrum multiple access (SSMA). Moreover, the frequency management scheme, which is a necessary feature of the FDMA (Frequency Division Multiple Access), is eliminated in the CDMA system. Accordingly, in the CDMA system, when the user of a mobile terminal wishes to access a communication channel, the mobile terminal is assigned with a code and the communication signal is immediately transmitted, instead of being stored until a frequency slot becomes available for the transmission as in the FDMA system.
Although a base station can serve a number of subscribers with a single frequency channel in the CDMA system, the system needs to be provided with additional frequency channels as the number of subscribers exceeds the channel capacity. In order to employ the multiple frequency channels, the base station must be provided with an MCPA (Multi Carrier Power Amplifier) or MCC (Multi Channel Combiner). Yet, these components increase the size of the base station. For this reason, the cell that has been served by a single base station having a low capacity is equipped with additional subordinate base stations to provide the multiple frequency channels in the system. However, as the base station with a low capacity is provided with a transmission-reception antenna and an exclusive reception antenna in order to achieve the reception diversity, each respective subordinate base station requires another set of the transmission-reception antenna and the exclusive reception antenna, as shown in FIG. 1. Thus, the expansion of the base stations incorporating these antennas to accommodate the multiple frequency channels is very costly.
FIG. 1 illustrates the conventional base station employing the multiple frequency channels having the first through the fourth subordinate base stations (110, 160, 170 and 180) to support the first through the fourth frequency channels, respectively. Each subordinate base station includes a transmission-reception antenna (112, 161, 171 or 181); an exclusive reception antenna (114, 162, 172 or 182); a transmitter (130, 164, 174 or 184); a main receiver (140, 165, 175 or 185); a subordinate receiver (150, 166, 176 or 186); and, a duplexer (120, 163, 173 or 183) connecting the antennas (112 and 114), (161 and 162), (171 and 172), or (181 and 182) with the transmitter, and the main and subordinate receivers. Thus, the conventional cellular system requires each additional subordinate base station to be equipped with a separate set of the transmission-reception antenna and the exclusive reception antenna 114, 162, 172 or 182 which increase the manufacturing cost.
It is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus and method for a base station of the CDMA communication system to increase the number of subordinate base stations to accommodate the multiple frequency channels without incorporating additional exclusive reception antennas.
According to an embodiment of the present invention, an apparatus for receiving signals in a base station of a CDMA communication system includes a first and a second subordinate base station (Pico-BTS) with a low capacity, each including a transmission-reception antenna; a duplexer connected to the antenna; a transmitter for transmitting the signal to the antenna through the duplexer; a main receiver for receiving the signal from the antenna through the duplexer; and, an auxiliary receiver, wherein the main receiver of the first and the second Pico-BTSs divides the signal from the antenna into two subsets of signals, one of the signal is received by the main receiver and the other is delivered to the auxiliary receiver of the other Pico-BTS via external port.
The foregoing and other objects, features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following more particular description of preferred embodiments as illustrated in the accompanying drawings. The drawings are not necessarily drawn to scale, with the emphasis placed upon illustrating the principles of the invention.

Apparatus for receiving signals in a base station for cellular radio telecommunication system


A method for predicting abnormality of a mechanical seal comprises detecting a displacement in the radial direction of a slidable ring of a mechanical seal and predicting abnormality of the mechanical seal from the displacement detected which represents the extent of adhesion of the slidable ring against the rotary shaft.

Mechanical seals are utilized for sealing a space between a rotary shaft and a casing of a machine to which the rotary shaft is adapted. Mechanical seals include a rotary ring mounted on the rotary shaft with a packing and a non-rotary ring mounted on the casing with a packing. The rings form sealing faces which seal said space. One of the rings is slidable in the axial direction of the rotary shaft and it is forced to be slidably in contact with another ring at the sealing face by springs and pressure of a medium to be sealed. The slidable ring compensates wear of the sealing faces or follows the vibration of the shaft or the like.
Mechanical seals are more reliable than other sealing device, for example gland packings. However even with mechanical seals, leakage of contents to be sealed sometimes happens. The medium is leaked from the sealing face or from the gap between the rotary ring and the rotary shaft due to the poor sealing thereof. The sealing faces sometimes happen to be separated each other due to the vibration of the rotary shaft or the like and due to wear of the faces. As described above, one of the sealing ring is mounted so slidable as to compensate the wear and to follow the movement in the axial direction of the rotary shaft. However the slidable ring can follow only some extent of vibration of the rotary shaft. In an agitator or the like where a longer rotary shaft is equiped thereon, the mechanical seal mounted on the shaft often causes the leakage due to the vibration of the longer rotary shaft. Furthermore the slidable ring have a tendency to become adhered on the rotary shaft which prevents slide movement of the ring. Such adhesion of the slidable ring is caused by many reasons, for example invasion of slurry into the gap between the slidable ring and the rotary shaft, bite of the packing into the gap between the slidable ring and the rotary shaft and adhesion of the packing or the like. The ring which become non-slidable causes separation of the sealing faces and leakage of medium.

Method for predicting abnormality of mechanical seal and apparatus for predicting same


The present disclosure provides a semiconductor structure having a memory structure and a method for manufacturing the semiconductor structure. The semiconductor structure includes a first layer, a second layer over the first layer, a third layer over the second layer, and a trench capacitor. The trench capacitor is disposed in a trench penetrating the first layer, the second layer, and the third layer. The trench capacitor includes a bottom metal layer, a middle insulating layer, and a top metal layer. The bottom metal layer covers a side wall of the first layer, a side wall of the second layer, and a first portion of a side wall of the third layer. The middle insulating layer covers the bottom metal layer and a second portion of the side wall of the third layer. The top metal layer covers the middle insulating layer.

For the past decades, in the semiconductor industry, the critical dimension of the semiconductor elements has shrunk fast. Thereby, the density of features in an integrated circuit increases dramatically. For example, shrinking the size of the transistor allows a memory device to include more transistors on a chip, which leads to improve the capability of the memory device. However, the process for fabricating elements with smaller critical dimension becomes more difficult to maintain the accuracy within the process tolerance. Also, more and more electrical defects occurs when the elements keep being shrunk. For example, the capacitance of a capacitor indicating an amount of charge that the capacitor can store is determined by the structure and the material itself. When the accuracy of the process decreases, the structure may change so as to affect the capacitance of the capacitor. If the capacitance deviates away from the predetermined range, the capacitor may not meet the requirement of the semiconductor structure. The yield is thus decreased. Therefore, avoiding the electrical defects when scaling down the critical dimension becomes a critical issue in this field.
This Discussion of the Background section is provided for background information only. The statements in this Discussion of the Background are not an admission that the subject matter disclosed in this section constitutes prior art to the present disclosure, and no part of this Discussion of the Background section may be used as an admission that any part of this application, including this Discussion of the Background section, constitutes prior art to the present disclosure.

Semiconductor structure and method for manufacturing the same