An auto-iris control device for automatically controlling an adjustable iris of a surveillance camera. The auto-iris control device has an adjustably settable reference level which can be adjusted by an operator at a remote location. A comparator compares the reference level against the average video level of the video signal output from the surveillance camera. Based upon the result of the comparison, iris control signals are generated for controlling the adjustable iris.

In a typical surveillance camera system having an auto-iris capability, the brightness of the video picture is a function of the average video level of the video signal output from the camera. To automatically control the brightness of the video picture, an auto-iris control circuit develops an auto-iris control signal which controls an adjustable iris of the camera. The auto-iris control circuit develops the control signal based upon a comparison of the average video level of the video signal output from the camera and a factory preset reference level.
When the average video level is determined to be higher than the factory preset reference level, the control signal causes the adjustable iris to decrease the amount of light reaching the camera, thereby decreasing the average video level of the video signal output from the camera. Conversely, when the average video level is determined to be lower than the factory preset reference level, the control signal causes the adjustable iris to increase the amount of light reaching the camera, thereby increasing the average video level of the video signal output from the camera. In this way, the average video level of the video signal output is maintained nearly equal to the factory preset reference level.
The auto-iris control circuit described above provides acceptable results over a wide range of illumination levels, provided the entire picture is evenly illuminated. However, whet the subject of the picture is much darker than the background of the picture, the subject may appear as a silhouette or may not be visible at all. For example, when the surveillance camera is aimed at the front license plate of a vehicle having its headlights on, due to the bright headlights, the average video level of the output of the camera exceeds the factory preset reference level. Accordingly, the control signal of the auto-iris circuit controls the adjustable iris to reduce the average video level to a level equal to the factory preset reference level. However, at such a level, an insufficient amount of light is received from the license plate to render the license plate number visible.
The opposite problem occurs when the subject of the picture is much brighter than the background of the picture. For example, when a surveillance camera in a dimly lit warehouse is viewing a brightly lighted subject located at a loading door, to average video level output from the camera is less than the factory preset reference level. As a result, the control signal of the auto-iris circuit controls the adjustable iris so as to increase the average video level of the camera's output to a level equal to the factory preset reference level. However, at such a level, the adjustable iris permits too much light to be received from the subject, and therefore, the subject appears over-illuminated.
In order to accomodate the above uneven lighting conditions in a surveillance camera with auto-iris control, the camera is usually provided with a manual override mode. When in the manual override mode, the auto-iris feature is disabled and the adjustable iris can be manually controlled from a remote control panel. While the manual override mode allows the user to set the adjustable iris as desired to overcome uneven lighting conditions, it also requires that the user manually readjust the iris each time the lighting conditions change. As a result, if the camera is inadvertently left in the manual override mode, the iris will no longer automatically react to the changing lighting conditions and therefore, subsequent surveillance operations may be made with an undesirable iris setting.
While surveillance type cameras have used the above manual mode technique to compensate for uneven lighting conditions, video cameras used in the consumer field, i.e., so-called "camcorders", have attempted to treat at least the silhouette problem in a different way. In such camcorders, a fixed level "backlighting compensation" switch is provided, which when set, causes the setting of the aperture of the iris to be increased a fixed amount over the aperture setting which is automatically set by the auto-iris control signal based on a comparison of the average video level and a factory preset reference level. However, such camcorders only provide a single compensation setting, which may or may not be appropriate for the given lighting condition. Further, the camcorder does not provide compensation for an over-illuminated condition.
The typical surveillance camera with auto-iris control as described above has a further disadvantage in that the auto-iris control circuit does not know when the adjustable iris is at its maximum setting or minimum setting position. Therefore, under certain conditions, the auto-iris control circuit attempts to drive the adjustable iris beyond its maximum and minimum operable positions. Accordingly, to prevent damage to the adjustable iris or drive motor due to this excessive driving by the auto-iris control circuit, the adjustable iris is required to contain a complicated slip clutch mechanism or limit switches.
It is, therefore, a primary object of the present invention to provide an improved auto-iris control for a surveillance camera.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide an auto-iris control for a surveillance camera which permits manual adjustment of the average video level of the video signal output from the camera while maintaining the auto-iris control.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide an auto-iris control circuit which prevents the adjustable iris from being driven beyond its maximum and minimum operable positions.

Electronic iris control for surveillance cameras


A liquid crystal display device includes a first substrate including a first pixel electrode, a second pixel electrode, and a third pixel electrode, a second substrate including a first color filter opposed to the first pixel electrode, a second color filter opposed to the second pixel electrode, and a third color filter opposed to the third pixel electrode, and a liquid crystal layer held between the first substrate and the second substrate, a first interval along the first direction between the first pixel electrode and the second pixel electrode being smaller than a second interval along the first direction between the second pixel electrode and the third pixel electrode.

Recently, a liquid crystal display device using a lateral electric field (including a fringing field) such as an in-plane switching (IPS) mode has been put into practical use. Such a liquid crystal display device of the lateral electric field mode comprises a pixel electrode and a common electrode formed on one of substrates.
Technology of widening a viewing angle and enhancing visibility by forming a multi domain, in the liquid crystal display device of the lateral electric field mode, is known. For example, technology by which, while each of pixels forms a single domain, a multi-domain effect can be obtained by forming mutually different domains, particularly, mutually symmetrical domains between two pixels adjacent in a perpendicular direction, is known.


An optical pickup device includes a laser diode for emitting a laser beam, an objective lens for collecting the light beam emitted from the laser diode and irradiating an optical disc with the collected light beam, a diffraction element for making the light beam reflected from the optical disc diverge, and a detector having a plurality of detection parts for receiving the diverging light beams caused by the diffraction element. The diffraction element has first, second, and third divided areas, wherein a 0th-order diffracted light from the first divided area, the second divided area, and the third divided area is detected by at least four divided detection parts; and at least two detection parts for detecting the light beam diffracted at the first divided area into first or higher diffraction order are aligned in a direction generally perpendicular to the track of the optical disc.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical pickup device and an optical disc apparatus and is suited for use in, for example, an optical pickup device and optical disc apparatus that are compatible with multi layer optical discs.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, an optical disc apparatus equipped an optical pickup device is used to read information from, and write information to, an optical disc. This optical pickup device performs, for example, focus adjustment by changing the position of an objective lens in a focus direction based on a focusing error signal detected by detection parts of a detector and also performs tracking adjustment by changing the position of the objective lens in an optical disc radial direction (hereinafter referred to as the radial direction) based on a tracking error signal in order to accurately emit a spot on a specified track in the optical disc. A conventional optical disc apparatus performs position control of the objective lens based on a servo signal by means of the focusing error signal and the tracking error signal.
Meanwhile, multi layer optical discs, each of which has a plurality of information recording layers, have been known in recent years along with the popularization of large-capacity optical discs. When reading information from, and writing information to, a multi layer optical disc composed of three or more information recording layers by using a conventional optical pickup device, there is a possibility that signal light reflected from an information recording layer and a stray light reflected from another information recording layer may enter the same detection part of a detector. In this case, the resulting problem is that the signal light and the stray light interfere with each other and, therefore, an accurate tracking error signal cannot be detected and stable tracking control can no longer be performed.
As a means for solving the above-described problem, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (Kokai) Publication No. 2008-135151 discloses a method for detecting a stable tracking error signal while avoiding the stray light reflected from the other information recording layer(s), by locating a detection part for detecting the tracking error signal at a position away from the stray light, further locating some detection parts along a direction of an extension line of a tangent relative to the track of the optical disc (hereinafter referred to as the tangential direction), and locating the remaining detection parts in the optical disc radial direction (radial direction) perpendicular to the tangential direction of the track.

Optical pickup device and optical disc apparatus


A method for a time division duplex mobile communication system comprises that setting a minimum unit of transmission time interval and a system frame structure, wherein each radio sub frame is composed of a downlink pilot time slot, a switching guard period, a synchronization time slot and a plurality of service time slots, and the transmission time interval uses the length of time slot as a unit; a user obtaining downlink synchronization by receiving downlink pilot information of the downlink pilot time slot, and obtaining corresponding configuration information of cell by reading cell broadcasting information, and then transmitting uplink synchronization information in the synchronization time slot to fulfill a random access process, wherein the configuration information includes transmission time interval and system frame structure information; the network side/the user transmitting call information to an opposite end, and the opposite end processing call acknowledgement according to the transmission time interval; the network side allocating a channel for the user, wherein the network side and the user communicates through the allocated channel. The method reduces data transmission delay during communication, improves call throughout.

With the development of society and the progress of science technology, people increase the requirement to mobile communication continuously, data transmission service with large capacity, high speed, and low delay is desirable. TD-SCDMA system is the only one to adopt TDD method among the three mainstream standards in the third generation mobile communication system, the characteristic of TD-SCDMA is that uplink and downlink are in the same frequency band, a pair of frequencies are not necessary, the spectrum can be used with a relatively large flexibility. Furthermore, uplink and downlink can be flexibly configured to support the transmission of uplink and downlink asymmetric service. TD-SCDMA adopts advanced technologies in mobile communication such as smart antenna, uplink synchronization, joint detection, and software defined radio and the like to provide relatively high performance and spectrum utilization efficiency of the system.
From the frame structure in the current TD-SCDMA system shown in FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, the frame structure in TD-SCDMA system adopts three layers structure: radio frame, sub frame and time slot. The length of each radio frame is 10 ms, divided as two 5 ms sub frames; each sub frame is composed of seven service time slots from time slot 0 to time slot 6 and three special time slots. The three special time slots are Downlink Pilot Time Slot (DwPTS), Guard Period (GP), and Uplink Pilot Time Slot (UpPTS) respectively. Wherein, DwPTS is mainly used to transmit system downlink synchronization information, GP is used to provide the time interval for switching from downlink time slot to uplink time slot, UpPTS is used to transmit uplink synchronization information of user access.
In the current TD-SCDMA system, each 5 ms radio sub frame has two uplink and downlink switching points, which are located between TS0 and TS1, and between TS3 and TS4 respectively shown in FIG. 2. Wherein, TS0 are fixedly used to transmit downlink information, TS1 are fixedly used to transmit uplink information. Therefore, the position of the first switching point is fixed between TS0 and TS1, used for switching from downlink time slot to uplink time slot. In order to obtain system uplink synchronization, a switching guard period GP is provided between uplink pilot time slot and downlink pilot time slot. Another switching point can be located between any two time slots from TS1 to TS6, the switching point is a switching point from uplink to downlink, a dedicated guard period is not necessary.
The time division duplex communication system has the communication process as following: a transmitting end encodes and modulates data according to the preset radio frame format, then the data are transmitted through radio frequency (RF), a receiving end receives RF signal, the RF signal is demodulated and decoded to obtain corresponding data, then receive acknowledgement information is transmitted to the opposite end through a channel, the transmitting end transmits the following data after receiving the acknowledgement information, by analogy, the transmitting of all data are fulfilled.
A sliding transmit window is commonly built in the transmitting end, in order to guarantee reliable and sequential transmission, the data packet from the transmitting end to the receiving end must be located within the transmit sliding window, after the transmitting end receives receive acknowledge information from the receiving end, the sliding window slides forward, the data newly entered into the window will be transmitted. If the transmitting end does not receive the acknowledgement information from the receiving end, and the data packets within transmit sliding window are all transmitted, then the transmitting end will wait for the acknowledgement information and does not transmit data any more. If waiting for the receive acknowledgement information is time out, the transmitting end will discard the packet. Time from the transmitting end transmitting data to the receiving end to the receiving end returning the receiving acknowledgement information is called transmission delay. Call throughout of the transmitting end is determined by the size of transmit sliding window in the transmitting end and the transmission delay, when the transmit sliding window is fixed, the size of call throughout is determined by transmission delay, the smaller is the transmission delay, the larger the call throughout is. In mobile communication, transmission delay is related with the length of radio data Transmission Time Interval (TTI) of air interface, the smaller is the unit length of TTI, the smaller the transmission delay is.
Meanwhile, for physical layer transmission, if the way of adaptive modulation and coding (AMC) and hybrid automatic repeat request (HARQ) are adopted, the smaller is TTI of transmission data, the shorter the delay of feedback channel quality in the receiving end is, so that the more the channel quality feedback from the receiving end approaches to the actual channel quality when transmitting, thus a higher call throughout can be achieved by adopting AMC. Meanwhile, if retransmitting is happened, since TTI is relative small, so that the retransmitting time of HARQ is reduced, and spectrum utilization efficiency is also improved. Currently for TD-SCDMA system, TTI uses frame (Release 4 version) or sub frame (HSDPA service in Release 5 version) as unit.
Next TD-SCDMA communication system is taken as an example to explain its work process. Except for TS0, the configuration between uplink service time slots and downlink service time slots is supposed to be 1:5, firstly UE builds downlink synchronization with the network side through receiving DwPTS time slot information, UE reads cell broadcasting information in TS0 to obtain corresponding configuration information. UE transmits uplink synchronization information to the network side through UpPTS time slot. After the network side receiving the uplink synchronization information of UE and building uplink synchronization, the network side transmits control information to UE, UE transmits acknowledgement information to the network side after receiving the control information. The network side allocates corresponding channel resource to UE, the network side and UE communicate through the allocated channel resource.
When the network side chooses TS2 of the nth sub frame to transmit data on TS2, UE needs to transmit receive acknowledgement information to the network side after UE receives data and processes the corresponding processing. Because the size of TTI is 5 ms, UE can not transmit acknowledgement information to the network side earlier than in TS1 time slot of the next sub frame, namely, N+1th sub frame, from TS2 time slot of Nth sub frame to TS1 of N+1th sub frame the delay is relatively large. Therefore, currently the waiting time of UE to transmit is too long, so that transmission delay is relatively long; call throughout of user will be influenced.

Transmission method for a time division duplex mobile communication system

Shanghai Ultimate Power Communications Technology Co., Ltd.


The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device associated with a touch panel, the device includes a liquid crystal panel having opposite first and second substrates, and a liquid crystal layer formed between the first and second substrates, a plurality of driving electrodes arranged on an outer surface of the second substrate in one direction spaced from one another, a first polarizing plate formed on the outer surface of the second substrate including the driving electrodes, a third substrate opposite to the first polarizing plate, and a plurality of sensing electrodes formed on a surface of the third substrate opposite to the first polarizing plate perpendicular to the driving electrodes spaced from one another.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The present invention relates to liquid crystal display devices, and more particularly to a liquid crystal display device associated with a touch panel, in which driving electrodes are formed on an outer surface of a color filter substrate of a liquid crystal panel by patterning for cutting off noise from the liquid crystal panel and fabricating slimmer and more integrated device.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
Currently, as the time turns into a full scale information oriented time, a display field in which an electric information signal is expressed in a visual sensation has been developed rapidly, and, meeting to this development, various kinds of flat display devices have been developed, which have excellent features of slimmer, lighter, and lower power consumption, to replace present cathode ray tube CRT, rapidly.
As specific examples of the flat display devices, there are the liquid crystal display device LCD, a plasma display panel device PDP, a field emission display device FED, and an electro luminescence display device ELD, each of which essentially has a flat display panel in common for producing a picture. The flat display panel is provided with one pair of transparent insulating substrates bonded opposite to each other with a unique light emitting or polarizing material layer disposed therebetween.
Of the flat display devices, the liquid crystal display device displays a picture by controlling light transmissivity of liquid crystals by using an electric field. To do this, the liquid crystal display device is provided with a display panel having liquid crystal cells, a backlight unit for directing the light to the display panel, and a driving circuit for driving the liquid crystal cells.
The display panel is formed to define a plurality of pixel regions as a plurality of gate lines and a plurality of data lines are crossed each other. In this instance, each of the pixel regions has a thin film transistor array substrate and a color filter array substrate opposite to each other, spacers positioned for maintaining a fixed cell gap between the two substrates, and liquid crystals filled in the cell gap.
The thin film transistor substrate is provided with gate lines and data lines, a thin film transistor formed at every crossed portion of the gate lines and the data lines as a switching device, a pixel electrode formed for each liquid crystal cell connected to the thin film transistor, and an alignment film coated on above elements. The gate lines and the data lines have signals supplied thereto from the driving circuit through respective pads.
The thin film transistor supplies a pixel voltage signal supplied to the data line to the pixel electrode in response to a scan signal supplied to the gate line.
The color filter array substrate is provided with a color filter formed for each of the liquid crystal cells, a black matrix for defining the color filters and reflection of an external light, a common electrode for supplying a reference voltage to the liquid crystal cells in common, and an alignment film coated thereon.
By aligning and bonding the thin film transistor substrate and the color filter array substrate fabricated thus individually opposite to each other, injecting the liquid crystals between the two substrates, and sealing the two substrates, the liquid crystal panel is completed.
Recently, requirements for addition of a touch panel to the liquid crystal display device are increasing for perception of a portion of the touch panel touched with a hand or additional input means and transmission of additional information matched to the touch.
Depending on touch sensing types, in the touch panels, there are a resistance type, a capacitive type, and an infrared ray sensing type, and, recently, the capacitive type is paid attention in small sized models, taking convenience of fabrication, sensing capability, and so on into account.
A related art liquid crystal display device will be described with reference to the attached drawings.
FIG. 1 illustrates a section of a related art liquid crystal display device having a touch panel attached thereto.
Referring to FIG. 1, the related art liquid crystal display device is provided with a liquid crystal panel 10 having first and second substrates 1 and 2 opposite to each other, a liquid crystal layer 3 filled therebetween, and first and second polarizing plates 4a and 4b attached to back sides of the first and second substrates 1 and 2 respectively, a touch panel 20 placed on the liquid crystal panel for operating in a capacitive type, and a cover glass 30 on the touch panel for protecting the touch panel 20.
Formed on the first substrate 1 of the liquid crystal panel 10, there are gate lines and data lines perpendicular to each other to define pixel regions, a thin film transistor TFT formed at every crossed portion of the gate lines and the data lines, and a thin film transistor array formed on the pixel region to have pixel electrodes (not shown).
And, formed on the second substrate 2, there are a black matrix layer, color filter layer, and a common electrode (not shown, Vcom (applied voltage)).
The touch panel 20 has an inside structure which is different with types of the touch panel 20. For an example, a capacitive type senses a touch by detecting a capacitance change at a touch point, and has first and second electrodes formed to cross each other and an insulating film formed between the first and second electrodes for sensing the touch by detecting the change of capacitance induced between the electrodes at the time of the touch.
And, in order to protect the touch panel 20, the cover glass 30 is formed on the touch panel 20, additionally.
Formed between the liquid crystal panel 10 and the touch panel 20, there is a shielding layer (not shown) for preventing driving of the liquid crystal panel 10 from giving influence to the touch panel 20. The shielding layer is formed of a transparent electrode to have an adequate thickness for enabling transmission of a picture from the liquid crystal panel 10 therethrough, and preventing driving noise of the liquid crystal panel 10 from entering into the touch panel 20.
In the meantime, the related art touch panel attached type liquid crystal display device requires an adhesive layer between the liquid crystal panel 10 and the touch panel 20. In this case, a step for forming the touch panel 20 is required in addition to the steps for fabricating the liquid crystal panel 10, and a step for attaching the touch panel 20 to the liquid crystal panel 10 is also required.
However, the related art touch panel attached type liquid crystal display device has the following problems.
In the related art touch panel attached type liquid crystal display device, in order to prevent the driving noise of the liquid crystal display device from giving influence to the touch panel, the shielding transparent electrode of an adequate thickness and small resistance is required. However, this case requires not only an additional shielding transparent electrode, but also an additional step for forming the same.
Along with this, the disposition of the shielding transparent electrode between the liquid crystal panel 10 and the touch panel 20 causes transmissivity poor.
Moreover, as a variation of the touch panel attached type liquid crystal display device, first and second electrodes are formed on both sides of a touch panel glass substrate of the touch panel, and an additional insulating film is formed for protecting underlying electrodes and preventing noise from infiltrating. In this case, patterning of the insulating film on a backside of the touch panel glass substrate is also required for application of a signal, to cause problems in that additional steps, and material are required, and transmissivity becomes poor.
And, in a case the electrodes are formed on both sides of the touch panel glass substrate, the touch panel glass substrate is required to turn over for performing required steps, causing problems in that a process time period is increased, and defects, such as scratch or formation of foreign matter, increases.

Liquid crystal display device associated with touch panel and method for fabricating the same


A label applicator with a label peeling function includes a frame supported by a support machine, a suction unit that is supported by the frame and has a suction pad, a claw member having a sharp tip that is disposed under the suction pad, a moving mechanism that is supported by the frame, and supports the claw member so as to be movable in an up-down direction relative to the suction pad, and a lock device that locks movement of the claw member in the up-down direction relative to the suction pad, in a state where the suction pad is placed on top of and in contact with an end of a label lying on the tip of the claw member.

A label peeling device has been known that includes a tape carrying a plurality of labels at intervals, a peeling member that peels an end of the label from the tape by bending the tape at an acute angle, and a suction pad that sucks up the label peeled at the end by the peeling member (e.g., see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H 7-101428).

Label applicator with label peeling function, robot, and label peeling method


A method for producing a bearing component includes providing a bearing component blank with an iron-based metal substrate, hardening the metal substrate, treating the metal substrate by an alkaline treatment bath in a region to form an iron oxide-based blackening layer as a conversion layer with an initial layer thickness (db) on the region, and rolling a spherical body over the region to compress the conversion layer in the region to form a bearing component with a protective layer having a final layer thickness (de) that is less than 95% of the initial layer thickness (db). The spherical body may be a component part of a hydrostatic finish rolling tool or a hydrostatic deep rolling tool. The spherical body may include a hard metal or a ceramic.

Bearing components and rolling bearings are used in a large number of everyday objects and for industrial purposes, e.g. in wind power generators or wheel bearings. Bearing components of this kind have a service life, wherein such a service life is taken to mean the number of revolutions or hours of operation until failure occurs. The failure of the bearing component is often based on damage to the material and/or fatigue of the material. A frequent phenomenon associated with such damage to the material is white-etching cracks (WEC). In the prior art, the response to such premature fatigue phenomena is to apply passivation layers, e.g. by means of blackening. However, even with bearing components that have such a passivation layer, material fatigue phenomena may occur, especially in the initial period.
DE 10 2007 055 575 A1 describes a raceway element of a rolling bearing assembly, wherein the raceway element has at least one rolling track, wherein rolling elements made of steel are provided on the rolling track. In this case, the raceway element is designed in such a way that it has compressive internal stresses at a level of at least 400 megapascals below the surface of the rolling track over the entire depth range from 0 to about 40 micrometers.

Method for producing a bearing component, and bearing component


An example computing device includes a memory to store a cryptographic key, a processor coupled to the memory, and a set of instructions stored in the memory. The set of instructions, when executed by the processor, is to capture an encrypted passcode originating from a basic input/output system (BIOS) of a managed device as a challenge to grant local access to the BIOS and authenticate with a server using a user credential. When authentication with the server is successful, the set of instructions is to decrypt the encrypted passcode with the cryptographic key to obtain a decrypted passcode and output the decrypted passcode. When authentication with the server is unsuccessful, the set of instructions is to delete the cryptographic key.

Computing devices, such as desktop computers, notebook computers, servers, tablet computers, and smartphones, often include a basic input/output system (BIOS) stored in non-volatile memory. When a computing device is booted, the BIOS may initialize hardware of the computing device and start runtime services that may be used by an operating system or application executed by the computing device.
A BIOS may be configured to initialize hardware and execute other boot processes based on the selection of various firmware settings for a computing device.

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


An excimer lamp includes a housing portion having a sealed internal space, an internal electrode, and a discharge gas with which the internal space is filled. One end side of the internal electrode is electrically connected to a power supply member provided with a metal foil electrically connected to the internal electrode and is sealed together with the power supply member to one end side of the housing portion via a sealing portion. The other end side of the internal electrode protrudes into the internal space. A protrusion length, being a length of the internal electrode in the internal space and a length from one end of the internal space to the other end of the internal electrode, is equal to or less than a length from the other end of the internal electrode to the other end of the internal space in a direction along the axis.

The dielectric barrier discharge lamp that is described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H7-220690 is known as a technique relating to existing excimer lamps. The dielectric barrier discharge lamp described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. H7-220690 has a cylindrical outside electrode, an elongated inside electrode (internal electrode) coaxially disposed with a gap inside the outside electrode, and a cylindrical dielectric tube (housing portion) disposed between the two electrodes. The space between the outside electrode and the inside electrode is filled with a gas for discharge that forms excimer molecules by dielectric barrier discharge. One end side of the inside electrode is sealed to the cylindrical dielectric tube by the so-called graded seal method.


An electronic device unit for detection of emergency calls initiated (emanating) from cell phone or other personal wireless communication handheld units, wherein the electronic device unit for detection of emergency calls is installed and integrated as a component detector of a fire alarm system, intrusion alarm system, surveillance system, access control system, SCADA system or other building and facility monitoring systems. A cell phone and other personal wireless devices that transmit special signals that are received by an electronic device unit for detection of emergency calls. A cell phone and other personal wireless devices that performs two way data communications with an electronic device unit for detection of emergency calls.

The Federal Communications Commission (FCC) recently described the need to provide first responders with more precise locations for 911, 112, and other emergency calls from cell telephones or equivalent mobile telephone or internet calling devices in urban environments. Further, there is a general need and FCC requirement for the cell telephone network within the United States to have the capability for precisely locating a cell telephone from which an emergency of distress call is being made. The ability to precisely locate emergency or distress calls is intended to allow first-responders to quickly aid the person or persons in distress even if they are not able to verbally communicate with authorities during the distress call.


An Improved system for killing roots in sewers without stopping the existing sewer flow, a portable system to eliminate the roots in the sewers, this system makes it possible to treat the roots by treating only the zone concerned and not the overall length of the drain of sewer. The invention enters the sewer by an opening and travels to the problem and inflates in order to retain the poison dispensed by the dispenser. This system makes it possible to more easily deal with problems of roots in the sewers more quickly and, which makes it possible to reduce the cost. All the zones touched by problems of roots can be treated, treatment limits the progression of the roots and destroys them, which makes it possible to prevent the over flow of sewers and the damage of the drains of sewers. The prevention of overflows of sewers makes it possible to protect our wild, aquatic life and our water supply. Basically to help save our environment.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a method for treatment of killing of root growth in sewers and under ground pipes specifically and improved method of treatment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
While working for the C&C of Honolulu for more then 10 years, I′ve realized how threatening roots are to our sewer system and the amount of sewer spills, pipe damage, legal fees and the endangerment of our environment. I realized the methods that are used lack certain objections so I came up with an idea that would be able to not only treat roots in all areas of the sewer system, but also a cost effective method that could be used on a daily bases and achieve what other prior art may lack.
Originally previously used methods of treating roots in sewer pipes ignore the use of using the existing flow of sewer water to transport a root chemical to the specific zone without disrupting the flow of sewer water, where roots has intruded and restrict the chemical from flowing past the specific zone.
Numerous methods of treating roots in sewers have been provided, but they seem to require large equipment or a means of blocking the natural flow of sewer water, and treating large sections of pipe, which don't necessarily need treatment. By using my invention a specific zone of 1 ft or more from a single entrance such as a residential cleanout passing through the lateral and to the mainline, which needs to be treated without stopping the existing flow of the sewer water with a minimal amount of chemical. By using the exiting gravity flow of the sewer water to transport an activated root killing chemical to a specific zone, which is then brought to maturity by foaming to a greater height reaching the top of the sewer pipe within that zone, this system is also designed to travel to multiple concerned area's using one application of chemical. This method may also eliminate the mechanical method used to temporally remove root concerns, when used on a preventive maintenance schedule
All prior art suffer from a variety of disadvantages
                a) In Horne's theory (U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,807 filed Jun. 26, 1973)        FIG. 3 to 11 shows that it would be very time consuming being that a line would need to be drawn from one entrance of a sewer pipe to another then the sled would need to be pulled to the zone to which treatment is desired. If a second entrance of sewer pipe is not permissible, which in many cases it's not, then Horne's theory could not be used. Horne also claims to spay and soak the entire sewer line from one entrance to the other.        b) Huff, (U.S. Pat. No. 3,606,862)        Huff claims 1. Apparatus for applying coating material to the interior wall of a pipe comprising:        A generally cylindrical applicator head for applying the coating material to the pipe wall, having a diameter smaller than the internal diameter of the pipe, said applicator head being adapted to traverse the length of the pipe in one direction and to receive the coating material under pressure through a supply connected thereto;        With all due respect for Huff's invention, the invention is related to Horne being that a moving device travels though a pipe and sprays the inner walls. In Huff's Abstract he discloses an apparatus to line pipes, lining is used to rehabilitate a pipe, meaning to reinforce the existing pipe from future malfunction. Furthermore Huff doesn't mention applying a root chemical to treat roots in a pipe, nor does he claim a restrictor.                    While my method is to use the velocity of the existing sewer flow to transport the root chemical to a desired location once it is brought to a consistency to travel to where the chemical restrictor is positioned, without disrupting the existing sewer flow                        c) Monaghan, (U.S. Pat. No. 5,735,955)                    Monaghan, in claim 22. "The apparatus according to claim 13 wherein the nozzle sprays in a substantially 360. degree circumference".            With all due respect for Monaghan's invention, I believe the invention is related to Horne and Huff being that a moving device travels though a pipe and sprays the inner walls. While again my method is to use the velocity of the existing sewer flow to transport the root chemical to a desired location once it is brought to a consistency to travel to where the chemical restrictor is positioned.                        b) Tremblay (U.S. Pat. No. 4,811,869)        Tremblay claims "A powder dispensing device comprising a powder container, he does mention a window for the view of a scale of measurement, but doesn't mention a restrictor to restrict a root chemical.        d) Copeland (U.S. Pat. No. 4,690,305)        Copeland claims "A means for dispensing a concentrated aqueous chemical solution from a solid block of a wash chemical to a utilization point, which comprise" but doesn't mention a restrictor to restrict a root chemical.        e) Horne (U.S. Pat. No. 4,025,360) injects the root chemical and also needs to enter through a sewer manhole.        f) Other methods of removing roots require a mechanical method which uses uses cutters as a plumber would use a snake to clear a blockage, but this method is a temporary solution being that roots grow faster and thicker once they are mechanically removed.        g) Another method is used to treat roots, requires activating a chemical outside of the sewer pipe then dumping the matured chemical directly into the entrance of a sewer pipe which makes it difficult to travel long distances, and requires the entire length of pipe to be treated from one entrance to another to determine if the chemical has reached from one point to the other. This is very costly if there is only one root problem in a 300 ft sewer pipe. Although various methods have been described above through experience and research prior patents are not used today for treating roots in sewer pipes.
With all due respect to the inventors and their patents mentioned above, they all seem to lack the uses of the existing gravity flow to transport the root chemical under the roots and containing it in a specific zone.

Portable one man root poisoning system for sewers


The invention relates to a method for managing the heat in an electric battery including a plurality of elements for generating electric power, the method including, when recharging said battery from an external power source, preconditioning said battery at an average temperature T0 and, when using said battery, determining the absolute value ΔT2 of the difference between the temperature T0 and the average temperature T of said battery, wherein said method includes activating a heat-conditioning device of the battery when the difference ΔT2 is higher than a setpoint C2, said setpoint being established on the basis of the state of charge (SOC) of said battery.

The invention relates to a method of thermal management for an electric battery that is in particular intended for the traction of an electrical or hybrid motor vehicle, that is to say comprising an electric motor driving the drive wheels combined with a thermal engine driving these wheels or possibly other drive wheels.
In particular, the invention applies to a high degree of hybridization of thermal vehicles which may go as far as complete electrification of the traction chain. In this case, the batteries do not then merely serve to assist the vehicles in the acceleration phases but also to provide movement of the vehicle autonomously over greater or lesser distances.
The electric battery can also find its application in other technical fields, for example the storage of electric energy in other modes of transportation, particularly in aeronautics. Moreover, in stationary applications, such as for windmills, the thermal management of a battery according to the invention can also be advantageously used.
To guarantee the levels of power and/or energy required for the applications in question, it is necessary to create batteries comprising a plurality of electric energy generating elements which can be mounted in series.
The generating elements conventionally comprise at least one electrochemical cell, for example of the lithium-ion or lithium-polymer type which can be formed by a stack of electroactive layers acting successively as cathodes and anodes, said layers being put in contact by means of an electrolyte.
However, when these elements are charged and discharged, heat is produced which, when it is not controlled, can decrease the service life of the elements, and, under extreme conditions, can even present risks of thermal runaway for certain chemical compositions of cells, leading to deterioration of the battery.
To optimize the safety, performance, and lifetime of batteries, systems for thermal conditioning the elements have therefore been integrated in the batteries so as to maintain the temperature of said batteries within an optimum temperature range.
Furthermore, in the automotive application that is envisioned, these systems must be very efficient since the thermal dissipation peaks are dependent on the current densities and the variations thereof, which can reach very high values, particularly during phases of strong accelerations, regenerative brakings, rapid recharging of the battery or highway operation in electric mode. In addition, high-energy batteries, which use thick elements whose heat-producing exchange-surface-to-volume-ratio is reduced, must consequently be cooled down in a particularly efficient manner.
In particular, thermal conditioning systems can comprise a chamber formed essentially around the generating elements, in which a fluid for thermal exchange with said elements circulates. In addition, to provide thermal conditioning, the known systems comprise a device for heating and/or a device for cooling the fluid in circulation. This way, by thermally conditioning the fluid and by having a continuous flow of said fluid circulate around the elements, the thermal conditioning of the battery can be carried out.
However, this thermal management strategy leads to the appearance of a temperature gradient within the elements, the amplitude of which is great in high-energy batteries since it depends, among other things, on the:                difference of temperatures between the fluid and the elements;        thickness of the elements;        thermal conduction properties between the core of the elements and the fluid;        thermal power released by the elements in use.
However, when it becomes too substantial, this temperature gradient causes a thermal imbalance of the elements which leads to a risk for the safety and service life of the battery. Indeed, the local internal capacities and resistances within the elements depend on the local temperature of the latter. The electrochemistry of the elements can thus be stressed in a different manner; a local over-stressing can lead to an acceleration of the aging phenomena.
Furthermore, the thermal conditioning of the battery consumes a substantial part of the electric energy aboard the vehicle. This extra energy consumption causes a loss of autonomy of the electric vehicles. To preserve the autonomy targeted by the application, it can be necessary to compensate this extra consumption by oversizing the battery, which is not cost-effective from a purely economic standpoint.
In addition, high energy Li-ion battery elements have internal resistances which are very sensitive to temperature. Because of this particularity, if the autonomy and performance of the batteries for electric vehicles are to be preserved in cold weather, warming them up by means of the thermal conditioning system becomes necessary. This warming up can also be a source of energy consumption in driving phases.
Finally, increasing the size of the elements to obtain a battery with high energy density can be regarded as placing in parallel stacks of electroactive elements. In case of high inrush currents, the current taking preferably the path with the least resistance, the balancing of the resistances between each elementary branch placed in parallel becomes fundamental.
These differences of internal resistances can lead to a local over-concentration of the current which causes a voltage drop within an element. Since this drop cannot be detected by measuring the overall voltage of the element, this can lead to a risk of exceeding a voltage threshold that is "dangerous" for the electrochemistry of said element.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for managing the heat in an electric battery


A throttle valve device ideal for small, inexpensive implements is provided. The throttle valve device having a damping member for slowly closing a throttle valve. The throttle valve device (1) has a throttle valve (4) that is fixed to a throttle shaft (5) pivotably supported in an air intake passage (2) and that is urged towards the closed direction, the throttle valve (4) adapted for adjusting the amount of air passing through the air intake passage (2). A through-bore (31) penetrating a shaft bore of the throttle shaft (5) is formed in a body, and a damping member (8) having frictional capabilities is inserted into and supported in the through-bore (31) in a state of pressing against the throttle shaft (5) inserted through the shaft bore (51).

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a throttle valve device in which a throttle valve for adjusting the amount of air passing through an air intake passage is fixed to a throttle shaft pivotably supported in the air intake passage.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, throttle valve devices are known in which a throttle valve for adjusting the amount of air passing through an air intake passage is fixed to a throttle shaft pivotably supported in the air intake passage. These devices are used, for example, as a means for controlling the amount of air intake to an engine with comparative ease.
Also, emissions reduction strategies have improved fuel efficiency during idling in, for example, throttle valve devices used in engines, with the throttle valve being urged towards the closed direction so that the valve swiftly returns to the idle position when the accelerator lever is disengaged.
Therefore, a problem has been presented in that the throttle valve quickly returns to idle position when the engine is returned from high-speed rotation to idle rotation, leading to a decreased air-fuel ratio ("rich" state) and causing engine stalling, increased emissions, and the like.
Thus, conventionally it is typical to additionally provide a damping member such as a cylinder (dashpot) using air or a fluid, as described in Unexamined Japanese Patent Application Publication 59-65633, as simple means for causing the throttle valve to close slowly, increasing the amount of time taken to close. This is to prevent a rich air-fuel ratio and a precipitous drop in engine rotation speed when the throttle lever in the engine of an automobile or the like is returned from high-speed rotation.
However, a problem has been presented in that, while it has been possible to provide a damping member such as the dashpot described above in products having an engine compartment with a comparatively high volume or in expensive products, as is the case with automobiles, in the case of engines used in small, handheld implements such as, for example, chainsaws or trimmers, the addition of a damping member such as a dashpot not only increases weight but is not feasible in terms of either space or price.


Disclosed herein are systems and methods for an analytics server to efficiently generate a control group dataset, including receiving, by the analytics server, a request to generate a control group dataset based on a test dataset and potential control dataset; generating, by the analytics server, an instruction to receive a first dataset based on the request; identifying, by the analytics server, data points within the first dataset corresponding to a number of users and user attributes; generating, by the analytics server, a second dataset by normalizing the user attributes; generating, by the analytics server, a third dataset comprising a space-filling curve, where each space-filling curve data point corresponds to the normalized user attributes and the number of users; determining, by the analytics server, control users by matching the space-filling curve data points with the user attribute; and generating, by the analytics server, an instruction for display on a client device.

Businesses are increasingly using testing in order to learn about an initiative's effectiveness. The businesses will try an idea on a subset of the customers (e.g., test group) and analyze the customer performance within the test group in comparison to the customer performance of the rest of the customers who did not receive the treatment idea (e.g., potential control dataset). In one conventional example, the business is a retailer, and the test group is a set of customers who received a promotional service. The business in this example, may study the behavior of the customers within the test group to customers who did not receive the promotional service. Conventionally, analyzing the customer behavior has been accomplished using a "brute force" method of comparing the test group customers to every customer who did not receive the treatment. However, the number of customers within this potential control dataset may be very high, which may make analysis burdensome and tedious. Furthermore, studying the behavior of the potential control group customers may not be as beneficial if they do not resemble the customers within the test dataset.
As the processing power of computers allow for greater computer functionality and the Internet technology era allows for interconnectivity between computing systems, many institutions use computers to generate control group datasets. However, since the implementation of these more sophisticated online tools, several shortcomings in these technologies have been identified and have created a new set of challenges. Existing and conventional methods fail to provide fast and efficient analysis due to a high volume of customer information existing on different networks and computing infrastructures. Managing such information on different platforms is difficult due to number, size, content, or relationships of the data associated with the customers. For example, for a customer potential control dataset of only 100,000 customers, there may be an extremely high number of different combinations of control customers who may or may not resemble the customers within the test dataset. Conventional methods may take hours or even days to complete the analysis because there is often not enough processing power and time to search the entire potential control dataset or generate an optimized control dataset (e.g., a subset of the potential control dataset, which resembles the test dataset). As a result, existing and conventional methods also produce incomplete and inaccurate results.


The present invention is a dock seal system for mounting on a structure wall. The system includes at least one side seal made up of a backer board having a hollow configuration and a foam seal attached to the backer board. A first side of at least one wear pleat is removably connected to the foam seal by at least one pleat fastener. This allows rapid, easy replacement of worn-out wear pleats.

The present disclosure is directed to a loading dock system, and more specifically to a system for sealing a vehicle trailer to the dock structure.
In modern loading docks, vehicle trailers back up to an entrance opening in the structure to allow loading and unloading of goods. To prevent damage to the trailer and/or structure, most drivers will leave a small gap between the trailer and structure. Such gaps allow entrance of wind and water, which can damage goods being unloaded from the trailer or create hazardous conditions in the loading dock or trailer. These gaps waste energy used in heating and cooling the structure and may also allow elements of the goods or unloading vehicle to be caught in the gap and potentially be damaged or cause an accident. The gap may also cause injuries if workers are caught in the gap.
Modern dock sealing systems are used to prevent such gaps between loading docks and vehicle trailers. Pleats may be attached to seals to prevent wear to the sealing portions of the system. Unfortunately, when the pleats and/or other portions of the sealing systems become damaged, the entire system must be removed and replaced. Because many systems have heavy, unitary components, the replacement process takes a significant amount of time, requires multiple workers, and results in wastage of undamaged components.
There is an unmet need in the art for a dock seal system which allows rapid, easy replacement of portions of the system.


Novel compounds of Formula ##STR1##. are disclosed. Also disclosed is a method of inhibiting Ras function and therefore inhibiting the abnormal growth of cells. The method comprises administering a compound of the above formula to a biological system. In particular, the method inhibits the abnormal growth of cells in a mammal such as a human being.

International Publication Number WO92/11034, published Jul. 9, 1992, discloses a method of increasing the sensitivity of a tumor to an antineoplastic agent, which tumor is resistant to the antineoplastic agent, by the concurrent administration of the antineoplastic agent and a potentiating agent of the formula: ##STR2##
wherein Y' is hydrogen, substituted carboxylate or substituted sulfonyl. Examples of such potentiating agents include 11-(4-piperidylidene)-5H-benzo[5,6]cyclohepta[1,2-b]pyridines such as Loratadine.
To acquire transforming potential, the precursor of the Ras oncoprotein must undergo famesylation of the cysteine residue located in a carboxyl-terminal tetrapeptide. Inhibitors of the enzyme that catalyzes this modification, famesyl protein transferase, have therefore been suggested as anticancer agents for tumors in which Ras contributes to transformation. Mutated, oncogenic forms of ras are frequently found in many human cancers, most notably in more than 50% of colon and pancreatic carcinomas (Kohl et al., Science, Vol. 260, 1834 to 1837, 1993).
A welcome contribution to the art would be compounds useful for the inhibition of famesyl protein transferase. Such a contribution is provided by this invention.

Tricyclic compounds useful for inhibition of G-protein function and for treatment of proliferative diseases


A resistance weight stack for an exercise machine includes a stack of weight plates each having identical sleeves fixed in central apertures of the plates for receiving the weight stack pin. The upper and lower ends of the sleeves each have a plurality of equi-angularly spaced projections and recesses. The projections on the upper ends of the sleeves project above the upper surfaces of the associated weights and are received in the recesses of the lower ends of the next adjacent upper weights for locating and angularly aligning the weight plates relative to each other. The sleeves each have a lateral passage through the wall thereof for allowing a key to be inserted into the weight stack pin to connect the plate to the weight stack pin.

The present invention generally relates to weight stacks in exercise and/or testing machines for providing a resistance to movement by an exerciser typically through the medium of a movement arm. Resistance weight mechanisms of the prior art have included either a weight stack or a free weight system. In free weight systems, one or more weights are directly mounted to a movement arm. In a weight stack, the weights are stacked one above the other and selectively connectible to a weight stack pin which is an elongated rod extending through central holes in each of the weights. Alignment of the weights is achieved through guide rods located on opposite sides of the pin and extending through holes in the weights on opposite sides of the central holes. The weights are selectively connected to the pin by inserting a key through apertures in the plates and in the weight stack pin.
The present invention is concerned with the weight stack type of resistance described above. One development in the prior art relating to weight stacks has eliminated the guide rods by utilizing projections and recesses on the weights for aligning the weights in the weight stack. Such improvements are shown for example in U.S. Pat. No. 3,971,555 issuing Jul. 27, 1976 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,625,959 issuing Dec. 2, 1986. Additionally, an improvement over the weight alignment methods disclosed in the aforementioned patents is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,834,365 issuing May 30, 1989 to Arthur A. Jones. In this patent, semi-spherical projections are provided on the weights for seating in recesses of the weights.


A novel artificial muscle material and miniature valves and micropumps made therefrom are provided. The artificial muscle material bends reversibly when electroactuated by applying low voltage, in a wide pH range, even at that of physiological pH, and works without contact with electrodes. Miniature valves made from the artificial material are successfully triggered for the fluid release in a wide pH range, even at that of physiological pH. Novel fluid release devices were manufactured using this artificial muscle, and methods using the same were provided, including an implantable device optimized for trans-scleral drug delivery.

There are several publications related to environment-sensitive polymers and hydrogel blends, also called artificial muscles, including their application to actuating devices and drug delivery platforms. An artificial muscle is a polymer blend structured in a hydrogel network that changes its dimensions—that is deforms (e.g., swells, elongates or bends)—under the application of an environmental stimulus, e.g., pH, temperature or ionic strength gradient.
There are several patents presenting temperature-sensitive or pH-sensitive artificial muscle blends and related actuating or drug delivery devices. For example, Y. H. Bae et al. (1993) claim a pulsatile drug delivery device in U.S. Pat. No. 4,927,632. Similarly, A. Zirino (1994) claims in U.S. Pat. No. 5,334,629 the reversible controlled activation of pH-dependent fibers and gels. Also, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,904,927, M. M. Amiji (1999) synthesized a semi-interpenetrating network pH-sensitive hydrogel used for drug delivery. Unfortunately, all these and other temperature-sensitive or pH-sensitive polymer-hydrogel blends have a drastically limited use in-vivo. This is because this type of hydrogels is not selective, but rather, generally responds to any pH or temperature change occurring by any abnormality in the organism. Furthermore, in general—with very few exceptions, like that of pH gradient in the human digestive tract—one cannot create ad-hoc, or take advantage of, a natural temperature gradient or pH gradient in close proximity, or inside a living mammalian organism without risks of causing severe discomfort. In addition, there is a great need for generic drug release devices that meet each patient's needs by offering individualized therapy.
Another group of patents illustrates electro-sensitive artificial muscle blends and related actuating or drug delivery devices. For example, M. Shahinpoor (1995) outlines spring-loaded electrically controlled polymeric actuators, working in an electrolytic bath, such as a water-acetone solution, in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,389,222. Unfortunately, there is a real toxicity risk involved in using acetone solutions in proximity of living tissues, so the possibility of acetone leakage makes these gels unusable in-vivo. Also, M. Shahinpoor and K. J. Kim (2002) disclose a dry electroactive polymeric muscle in US 2002/0050454US (published patent application). Their purpose is to manufacture artificial muscles that work in dry environments, which makes them in general unusable in-vivo. M. Shahinpoor and K. J. Kim (2002) also outline novel metal hydride artificial muscles operated both electrically and thermally, for extra-corporeal, robotic, space and defense applications, including micromachines in their US published patent application 2002/0026794. Clearly, using hydrogen gas as a working fluid stored interstitially in metal hybrids is definitely not an option for artificial muscles used in direct proximity of living tissues, due to the extremely high risks involved. R. E. Pelrine and R. D. Kornbluh (2002) presented electroactive gels actuated with voltages in the order of megavolts/meter (U.S. Pat. No. 6,376,971). These extremely high voltages cannot be used in proximity of living tissues.
In terms of actuating or drug delivery devices per se, there are for example the microelectrochemical valve patented by M. J. Madou and M. J. Tierney (1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,364,704) and the microchip drug delivery device of J. T. Santini et al. (1998, U.S. Pat. No. 6,123,861), both using the concept of a sacrificial valve: the electrochemical dissolution of a cover metal film that seals the microreservoir containing a therapeutic agent. However generic and potentially implantable, this design is for single use—that is, when a sacrificial valve is opened to release the content of the microreservoir/valve cannot be used again to deliver another dose of therapeutic agent.
Other electroactuated delivery devices use electrolytic cells for generating a controlled quantity of gas, thus causing displacement of an interface or piston that allows release of a material. For example, C. R. Bunt et al (2002, U.S. Pat. No. 6,450,991) designed such a device for intra-ruminal use.
There are also pumps and actuating devices using electroactuating polymers. For example, a synthetic muscle-based diaphragm pump is disclosed by D. Soltanpour and M. Shahinpoor (2002) in their published patent application 2002/0013545, based on the ionic polymer conductor composite polymer developed by Shahinpoor et al. However, no actuating parameters (voltage, current) and no testing data are provided.
In other cases, implantable pumps use an aqueous swellable hydrogel blend. Some publications describe continuous drug release due to an osmotic gradient through a membrane of predetermined porosity, for example the Duros implant system by J. C. Wright et al. (Journal of Controlled Release, 2001, 46, 125-148). An inherent limitation of these systems is the passive, and continuous release of the drug at a pre-determined rate.
Other release platforms are activated by hydrogels responsive to a specific chemical in the body. An example is the implantable self-regulating mechano-chemical insulin pump, by R. A. Siegel (1989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,062,841), working as a pH-sensitive gel, responsive to the pH local change generated by the oxidation of glucose to gluconic acid, biocatalyzed by the enzyme glucose oxidase immobilized in the gel network. The limitations using this approach include the available oxygen level in vivo, and the hydrogel reproducibility and lifetime. Another inconvenience is that this design is by definition limited in scope, and cannot provide a generic platform usable for all therapeutic agents.
In general, the above examples show that there is little effort devoted to the design of a generic electroactuated drug release system, which will operate at physiological pH and be able to provide adjustable drug release for personalized therapy. Thus, there is a real need for fast-acting electroactive reversible artificial muscle that will function at a wide range of pH, even at near neutral pH, and which can be configured to any desired geometry for use as an actuator in implantable drug delivery devices.

Artificial muscle hydrogel blends reversibly electroactuated near neutral pH, implantable actuating devices, and methods using the same


A recombinant BSA (rBSA) that (a) substantially lacks deoxyribonuclease activity as determined by incubating rBSA with linear DNA overnight and gel electrophoresis, (b) lacks animal viruses associated with animal-derived cell growth supplements; and (c) is capable of stabilizing DNA proteins is provided. Methods for making the rBSA and using it to stabilize enzymes are also provided.

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) is used as a diluent or a blocking agent in numerous applications including ELISAs (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay), blots and immunohistochemistry. Additionally, native BSA is routinely used to enhance the stability of proteins during or after their purification, or in biological assays and to prevent adhesion of the enzyme to reaction tubes and other vessels.
In recent years, there has been a mounting concern over the use of animal products in many pharmaceutical and biotech industry applications because of the threat of animal viruses and transmissible sponge-form ensephelopathies (TSEs; the causative agent of mad cow disease) that may be present in bovine-derived BSA. Current methods of preparation of BSA involve purification of the protein from bovine plasma and testing for the presence of these contaminating agents. However, testing can only detect known viruses or TSEs and does not uncover infectious agents that have not yet been discovered. Therefore, there is currently no alternative large-scale supply of BSA that is assured to be free of all animal-derived infectious agents. Additionally, until this work, it was unclear whether a recombinant BSA (rBSA) would possess the same protein stabilizing characteristics as its native counterpart.


There is provided a technique that includes executing a process recipe for processing a substrate; and executing a correction recipe for checking a characteristic value of a supply valve installed at a process gas supply line, wherein the act of executing the correction recipe comprises: supplying an inert gas into the process gas supply line for a certain period of time in a state where an adjusting valve that is installed at an exhaust portion of a process furnace and adjusts an internal pressure of the process furnace is fully opened; detecting a pressure value in a supply pipe provided with the supply valve while supplying the inert gas into the process gas supply line in the state where the adjusting valve is fully opened; and calculating the characteristic value of the supply valve based on the detected pressure value.

There have been developed a substrate processing apparatus for manufacturing a semiconductor device by forming a thin film on a substrate such as a silicon wafer, and a method of manufacturing the semiconductor device.
As one type of this substrate processing apparatus, there is a semiconductor manufacturing apparatus that executes one process of manufacturing a semiconductor device (hereinafter referred to as a substrate-processing process). In a substrate processing apparatus as the semiconductor manufacturing apparatus, for example, a SiN film is formed over a substrate (hereinafter also referred to as a wafer) with a DCS gas and an NH3 gas.
Particularly, in a vertical semiconductor manufacturing apparatus in which a gas is charged into a tank and then blown out, it is known that the film formation result fluctuates depending on a Cv value (a so-called capacity coefficient which is a value indicating the volume of fluid flowing through a valve at a differential pressure across the fluid) of a valve at the subsequent stage (downstream) of the tank, and so a valve whose Cv value is strictly measured may be used. However, the Cv value may fluctuate depending on the number of times of opening/closing of the valve or due to other disturbances such as valve temperature fluctuation, which may affect the film formation result.
Further, even when the valve Cv value in the initial state is the same, the Cv value may fluctuate due to a difference in the device environment, and therefore, matching between the film thickness and uniformity of a plurality of devices may become problematic.

Method of manufacturing semiconductor device, method of managing parts, and recording medium


An apparatus for mitigating the effects of shock loading on occupants, cargo and gear the apparatus located in a watercraft the apparatus having a deck positioned and arranged in said watercraft for supporting thereon said occupants, cargo and gear, a hinge communicating with said deck and said watercraft and supporting the forwardly portion of said deck and permitting said deck to move and rotate about said hinge and prevent said deck from substantial side to side movement, a dampener communicating with said deck and said hull of said watercraft the dampener positioned and arranged to move in response to said moving and rotating deck and said dampener absorbing at least a portion of the energy of said moving deck as said deck moves and rotates, and a spring communicating with said deck and said hull of said watercraft the spring positioned and arranged to support the rearwardly portion on said deck and to move in response to said moving and rotating deck the spring absorbing at lease a portion of the energy of said moving and rotating deck and releasing said absorbed energy to raise the deck after said impacts.

The present invention relates to ships and other vessels that travel on the waterways. More specifically, but without limitation, the present invention relates to the deck of a watercraft, that is movably attached to the hull or other portion of the watercraft and that is capable of autonomous movement and that can absorb the shock forces generated as the hull of the watercraft contacts and slaps against the water especially while the watercraft is traveling at a high rate of speed and/or the sea is in a rough state.
The military is especially interested in developing watercraft that can travel at high rates of speed in any sea state and deliver its cargo without damage. This cargo includes special forces personnel that may be called upon to be at a particular location without regards to weather conditions. Sometimes, a mission may require the avoidance of enemy fire and/or detection which dictates a high rate of speed even when the sea state is rough. A rough sea state combined with increased speed can generate severe shock forces that are transmitted to the occupants of the watercraft as well as to their cargo and gear. Severe shock forces can also be generated when the sea state is relatively mild since a higher rate of speed in a relatively mild sea state can also generate significant shock forces that are likewise transmitted to occupants, their gear and to cargo. In fact, injury to the occupants may sometimes be a limiting factor to the rapid deployment and delivery of military personnel over the waterways.
These military personnel have to be restrained, as by strapping or other means, and provided handholds to prevent injury from contacting each other and structural elements of the vessel as well as to prevent premature ejection. In the event that an occupant or a piece of gear becomes unrestrained in the boat while severe shock or other forces are being generated, extensive damage to the occupant, boat and/or gear can result. Death is even possible. Even when occupants have been properly restrained, there have been severe injuries reported, such as, dislocated hips, sprained ankles and internal injuries to organs and the like. In addition, passenger fatigue, with or without injury, can result after occupants have been subjected to shock pounding for a time period that can decrease the effectiveness of personnel and compromise a military mission before hitting the ground. Time is also a factor. A mild pounding for a long time can be as injurious as a severe pounding for a short time. Therefore, time verses intensity must not be ignored.
As a result, a military mission can be compromised. Therefore, it is desirable to provide a mechanism that can mitigate the effects of shock force transmission to occupants, their gear and any onboard cargo. It is also desirable, to provide a apparatus that can allow a boat or other watercraft to travel at a higher rate of speed without the occupants, their gear and any cargo being adversely affected by shock forces. It is further desirable to provide an apparatus that will not add appreciable weight, bulk or complexity to an existing boat platform and that is reliable, simple, has low cost and that may be retrofitted to existing hulls as well as being incorporated into new designs.

Movable deck to mitigate effects of shock

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Navy


A system and method to convert source dependent data into source-agnostic data includes extracting, by a processing unit associated with a data transformation application, relevant data from impression data received from a data source to obtain extracted data, cleansing the extracted data for obtaining cleansed data, and converting the cleansed data into source-agnostic data by re-categorizing at least some of the cleansed data. The system and method also include retrievably storing the source-agnostic data as persisted data into a memory associated with the data transformation application, receiving a query via a dashboard associated with the data transformation application to retrieve the persisted data, and displaying a portion of the persisted data that satisfies the query on the dashboard.

Applicant provides the following description to assist the understanding of the reader. None of the information provided or references cited is admitted to be prior art.
Many applications perform data analysis to make informed decisions. Data that is used during data analysis may be provided from any of a variety of sources. Based upon the source from which the data is obtained, the format and the quality of data may vary, which may impact the accuracy and efficacy of data analysis.

System and method for transforming source-dependent data into source-agnostic data


The quantization scale selected for encoding the current frame of a video sequence is selected based on a metric generated based on a set of image data in the video sequence. For example, in MPEG encoding, the linear quantization scale is selected for use in encoding the current frame if the average quantization level used to encode the previously encoded frame is between specified high and low thresholds. Otherwise, the non-linear quantization scale is selected. As a result, medium-difficulty sequences will tend to be encoded using the linear quantization scale, while low- and high-difficulty sequences will tend to be encoded using the non-linear quantization scale. For most normal video sequences, this will result in fewer incidents of panic mode video compression processing and improved picture quality.

The present invention relates to video compression processing, and, in particular, to the selection of quantization levels used to quantize DCT coefficients during MPEG video encoding.
MPEG refers to a family of video compression standards promulgated by the Motion Picture Experts Group. According to the MPEG standards, the frames of a video sequence may be encoded as either I, P, or B frames. An I frame is intra-encoded without reference to any other frames, while P and B frames are inter-encoded based on inter-frame pixel differences to exploit the temporal redundancy that typically exists between frames of a video sequence. I and P frames can be used as reference frames for inter-encoding other P or B frames, while B frames are never used as reference frames for inter-encoding other frames.
FIG. 1 shows a block diagram of the intra-encoding performed for I frames, according to the MPEG standards. As shown in FIG. 1, a block-based discrete cosine transform (DCT) is applied to each (8xc3x978) block of pixels in the current frame to generate blocks of DCT coefficients, which represent the image data in a spatial frequency domain (block 102). Each block of DCT coefficients is then quantized based on selected quantization levels (block 104), and the resulting quantized DCT coefficients are then run-length encoded (block 106) and Huffman (variable-length) encoded (block 108) to generate the current frame""s contribution to the encoded video bitstream.
FIG. 2 shows a block diagram of the inter-encoding performed for P and B frames, according to the MPEG standards. As shown in FIG. 2, motion estimation is performed for each (16xc3x9716) macroblock of pixels in the current frame to identify a closely matching set of pixel data corresponding to one or more reference frames (block 202). Motion compensation is then performed based on the motion vectors determined during the motion estimation processing of block 202 to determine the motion-compensated pixel-to-pixel inter-frame differences for each macroblock in the current frame (block 204). A DCT transform is then applied to each (8xc3x978) block of inter-frame pixel differences in the current frame to generate blocks of DCT coefficients (block 206). Each block of DCT coefficients is then quantized based on selected quantization levels (block 208), and the resulting quantized DCT coefficients are then run-length encoded (block 210) and Huffman encoded (block 212) to generate the current frame""s contribution to the encoded video bitstream. Note that the encoding of the motion vectors determined during the motion estimation processing of block 202 is not represented in FIG. 2, but is part of the MPEG video compression processing for P and B frames.
The MPEG standards provide two different quantization scales that define different sets of quantization levels that are available for selection for use during the quantization processing of either block 104 in the intra-encoding algorithm shown in FIG. 1 or block 208 in the inter-encoding algorithm shown in FIG. 2: a linear quantization scale and a non-linear quantization scale. The linear quantization scale is typically used for decoding MPEG-compliant bitstreams. The linear quantization scale defines a set of 31 quantization levels that range from 2 to 62 in increments of 2, while the non-linear quantization scale defines a set of 31 quantization levels that range from 1 to 112 as follows: 1 to 8 in increments of 1, 8 to 24 in increments of 2, 24 to 56 in increments of 4, and 56 to 112 in increments of 8.
In most MPEG-compliant video compression algorithms, quantization level is the primary encoding parameter used to trade-off between bit rate and picture quality of the decoded video sequence during playback of the encoded video bitstream. In general, both bit rate and picture quality are inversely proportional to quantization level. Lower bit rates can typically be achieved by using higher quantization levels, but at the expense of lower picture quality. On the other hand, higher picture quality can typically be achieved by using lower quantization levels, but at the expense of higher bit rates.
MPEG-compliant video compression algorithms enable users to carefully select quantization levels to trade-off between bit rate and picture quality to meet particular application requirements. In some applications, such as real-time video conferencing over plain old telephone service (POTS) lines, picture quality is often sacrificed in order to achieve low bit rates. In these applications, relatively high quantization levels are typically used. In other applications, such as video compression for non-real-time playback where higher bit rates are acceptable, relatively low quantization levels can be used to achieve high picture quality during video playback.
Before selecting the specific quantization levels to use for different blocks of DCT coefficients, an MPEG encoder must first decide which quantization scale to use. As mentioned earlier, either the linear or the non-linear quantization scale can be chosen for MPEG-compliant decoding. The MPEG standards allow an encoder to change quantization scale from frame to frame during video compression processing. The selection between the linear and non-linear quantization scales can greatly affect the ability of the MPEG encoder to trade-off efficiently between bit rate and picture quality to achieve its application-specific performance requirements.
In general, the linear quantization scale allows medium grain control at 31 equally spaced quantization values. The non-linear quantization scale offers 31 quantization values having a broader range with finer granularity at the lower end and coarser granularity at the higher end. When using the linear scale, in some situations when the required quantization level is beyond the range provided, serious degradation in the resulting compressed image may occur, because the encoder is forced to throw away information in order to stay within the bit allocation. The non-linear quantization scale offers the encoder more latitude in avoiding this degradation. However, the coarser granularity of the high non-linear quantization levels may introduce image artifacts such as blockiness caused by large quantization discontinuities at macroblock boundaries. Thus, the linear quantization scale is generally better at reducing artifacts within a given ranges of quantization levels, while the non-linear quantization scale is generally better outside of this range.
The present invention is directed to a technique for adaptively selecting between different quantization scales during video compression processing. For example, for MPEG encoding, the present invention may be applied to adaptively select between the linear quantization scale and the non-linear quantization scale used during video compression processing to select the specific quantization levels for quantizing DCT coefficients.
According to one embodiment, the present invention is a method for encoding frames of a video sequence, comprising the steps of (a) generating a metric characterizing quantization levels corresponding to a set of image data in the video sequence; (b) comparing the metric to one or more specified thresholds to select a quantization scale for a current frame in the video sequence; and (c) encoding the current frame using the selected quantization scale.

Adaptive selection of quantization scales for video encoding


A catch basin filter having apertures and holding a silt barrier material may be securely attached to a drop inlet grate. The catch basin filter has apertures for preventing debris from entering the drop inlet and clogging sewers. A silt barrier material wrapped around the catch basin filter housing provides a study and stable platform for holding the filter in place around the drop inlet such that silt will not be able to enter the sewer and clog it up. The catch basin filter is quickly and easily attached to and removed from the drop inlet by a rod having a hook for extending through the grate bars and then turning the rod to engage the bars on the drop inlet grate to hold the catch basin filter in place. The catch basin filter is durable and reusable and the silt filter material may be easily replaced.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to traps and filters for attachment over the gratings on sanitary, storm or catch basin inlet drops.
2. Description of the Related Art
When streets are under construction, the catch basins for the sewers can fill up with all kinds of debris during rains. When construction in the area is not complete there are many objects in the area that can be washed into the newly installed sewer and clog it up, whereas after construction when the area is in finished condition, landscaped, fully paved, and construction related debris is removed there are fewer objects which can be washed into the catch basin and clog up the sewer.
In the past, bales of hay would be placed in the water flow path to an inlet drop to filter out debris; however silt and other smaller particles would go around or through the bales and clog the sewer as would some of the hay. The bales were subject to moving, not being placed properly to block all of the flows, being eaten by deer, rabbits or other animals or posing a hazard as rats, mice or other pests used the hay bales for nests. Further, the bales could easily come apart and loose their effectiveness as debris flow barriers.
Other attempts to keep debris and silt out of sewers were by use of silt fences. A silt barrier material staked across a flow path was supposed to stop silt and debris from entering an inlet drop into a sewer. Such debris fences had limited success as water flows carrying debris could undermine the fence, go around the fence or destroy the fence.
One solution was to place a slotted barrel like member over the inlet drop and wrap it with a silt screen material to let water through but keep silt and debris out. However the barrel was not secured to the inlet drop and could easily be removed from its protective position thus letting silt and debris into the sewer.
Another solution was to provide a silt barrier material around the inlet drop to prevent water and debris from entering the sewer and stake the silt barrier material in place. However the staked out sheeting would not remain in place when the pressure of large amounts of water where present. To help hold the sheeting in place a cylindrical framework like a bicycled wheel at the top and bottom of a sheet was used to support a sheet of plastic and a central axis rod holding the wheel would be used to separate the wheels and attach the rod to the grate over the inlet drop. However it was difficult to set up the sheet around the barrier to keep the water out of the inlet drop as there was not a good seal of the silt barrier material to the frame, and the silt barrier material was subject to tearing, holes being poked through and other damage due to lack of support.
It is desired to have a debris and silt barrier that allows water therethrough into an inlet drop while being strongly secured to the grating over the inlet drop and having apertures for allowing water through while preventing debris through and supporting a silt guard to prevent silt from entering the sewer. The barrier should be easy to install and durable enough to withstand torrents of water with debris therein. The barrier should also completely cover the inlet drop to prevent accidents where people trip or fall on the inlet drop. The barriers are also used for clearly marking the position of the inlet drops.