The invention relates to NKAF II polypeptides, polynucleotides encoding the polypeptides, methods for producing the polypeptides, in particular by expressing the polynucleotides, and agonists and antagonists of the polypeptides. The invention further relates to methods for utilizing such polynucleotides, polypeptides, agonists and antagonists for applications, which relate, in part, to research, diagnostic and clinical arts.

The polypeptide of the present invention is a member of the natural killer cell activating factor (NKAF) family and shows homology to NKAF and human eosinophil major basic protein. Natural killer cells (NK cells) show a destructive effect on specific cancer cells. Lymphokines affecting the activity of these NK cells have therefore attracted attention. It is reported that interleukin-2 and interferon enhance the activity of NK cells (Herberman, R. B., et al., Immunol. Rev., 44:13 (1979); Vose, B. M., et al., J. Immunol., 130:768 (1983) and Domzig, W. et al., J. Immunol., 130:1970 (1983)).
NK cells are proposed to function as natural surveillance to deter cancer development in the body (Whiteside, T. and Herberman, R. B., Clin. Immunol. Immunopathol., 58:1-23 (1989) and Trinchieri, G., Adv. Immunol., 47:187-376 (1989)). NK cells are also important in controlling viral infection and the regulation of hematopoiesis (Trichieri, G., Adv. Immunol., 47:187-376 (1989); Kiessling, R., et al., Eur. J. Immunol., 7:655-663 (1977)).
The following facts indicate that NK cells play important roles in the host defense against cancer. Namely, a nude mouse lacking T cells by having a high NK activity does not always suffer from spontaneous or chemically induced carcinogenesis at a high frequency (Rygaard, J. et al., Immunol. Rev., 28:43 (1975); Stutman, D., et al., Science, 183:534 (1974)); and the metastasis of transplanted cancer cells is promoted in a beige mouse having T cells but a genetically low NK activity (Shimamura, K. and Tamaoki, K., Jikken Igaku, 2:398 (1984); James E. Talmadge, et al., Nature, 284:622 (1980)) and a mouse having an artificially lowered NK activity (Shimamura, supra).
Human eosinophil major basic protein (MBP) has a nearly identical sequence to that of known natural killer cell activating factor I. Human MBP is one of the principal mediators of injury to parasites in tissues in allergic inflammation. MBP is stored in eosinophil crystalloid granules and released with other granule constituents during eosinophil activation. MBP has no recognized enzymatic activity but it is toxic for some helminths (Ackerman, S. J. et al., Am. J. Trop. Med. Hyg., 34:735-745 (1985)) and mammalian cells (Barker, R. L. et al., J. Clin. Invest., 88:798-805 (1991)) in vitro. MBP is expressed principally in bone-marrow eosinophils, but it is also synthesized in basophils and placental trophoblast x-cells (Wasmoen, T. L. et al., J. Exp. Med., 170:2051-2063 (1989)).
MBP stimulates the effector function of a wide variety of cells, namely MBP stimulates the noncytolytic release of histamine from human basophils and rat mass cells (O'Donnell, M. A. et al., J. Exp. Med., 157:1981 (1983)). MBP also stimulates neutrophils to release superoxide and ion and lysozyme, but not beta-glucuronidase or lactic dehydrogenase, and MBP enhances the expression of CR3 and P150, 95 by neutrophils. This indicates that MBP activates other cells associated with inflammation, such as basophils, platelets and neutrophils. The effector mechanisms may play a role in pathophysiology of various diseases where granule proteins are released. For example, MBP has been thought a cause for increased airway responsiveness, for example, bronchial asthma.
The effects of the natural killer cell activating factors are varied and influence numerous functions, both normal and abnormal, in the biological processes of the mammalian system. There is a clear need, therefore, for identification and characterization of proteins that influence biological activity, both normally and in diseased states. In particular, there is a need to isolate and characterize additional natural killer cell activating factors akin to known natural killer cell activating factors which may be employed, therefore, for preventing, ameliorating or correcting dysfunctions or disease or augmenting positive natural actions of such receptors.

Antibodies to natural killer cell activating factor II


An attenuating counter-propagating (ACP) optical phase modulator introduces zero propagation delay. An optical field is modulated by an electromagnetic field. Within the ACP modulator, the optical field is propagated in an opposite direction to the propagation direction of the electromagnetic field. The electromagnetic field is attenuated within the ACP modulator. In an example embodiment, the length of the modulator is greater than the attenuation length of the electromagnetic field.

Fiber-optics links are known to possess the qualities of high bandwidth, low attenuation, and good electromagnetic interference (EMI) immunity. Because of these qualities, signals can be modulated at high frequencies, such as microwave frequencies, and transmitted over fiber-optic links. Optical transmitters and optical receivers, modulate and demodulate, respectively, the optical signals. Conventional optical modulators and demodulators are known to be nonlinear over wide bandwidths due to the nonlinearity attributed to propagation delays. Thus, the very qualities that make fiber-optic links attractive are negated by the nonlinear characteristics of optical modulators and demodulators. That is, a phase modulated (PM) fiber optic link employing a photonic phase locked loop phase demodulator has intrinsic linear response. The photonic phase locked loop performs phase demodulation by tracking the optical phase of a phase modulated optical signal. Photonic phased locked loops thus demand small loop latency.

Attenuating counter-propagating optical phase modulation


The polishing solution is useful for removing barrier materials in the presence of interconnect metals and dielectrics. The polishing solution comprises, by weight percent, 0.1 to 10 hydrogen peroxide, at least one pH adjusting agent selected from the group consisting of nitric acid, sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid and phosphoric acid for adjusting a pH level of the polishing solution to less than 3, at least 0.0025 benzotriazole inhibitor for reducing removal rate of the interconnect metals, 0 to 10 surfactant, 0.01 to 10 colloidal silica having an average particle size of less than 50 nm and balance water and incidental impurities. The polishing solution has a tantalum nitride material to copper selectivity of at least 3 to 1 and a tantalum nitride to TEOS selectivity of at least 3 to 1.

The invention relates, generally, to chemical mechanical planarizing (CMP) processes for removing barrier metals and, more particularly, to polishing compositions for selectively removing barrier metals in the presence of interconnect structures in integrated circuit devices.
In recent years, the semiconductor industry has increasingly relied upon copper electrical interconnects in forming integrated circuits. These copper interconnects have a low electrical resistivity and a high resistance to electromigration. Since copper is very soluble in many dielectric materials, such as silicon dioxide and low-K or doped versions of silicon dioxide, a diffusion barrier layer is necessary to prevent the diffusion of copper into the underlying dielectric material. Typical barrier materials include, tantalum, tantalum nitride, tantalum-silicon nitrides, titanium, titanium nitrides, titanium-silicon nitrides, titanium-titanium nitrides, titanium-tungsten, tungsten, tungsten nitrides and tungsten-silicon nitrides.
In response to increasing demands for high density integrated circuits, manufacturers now fabricate integrated circuits containing multiple overlying layers of metal interconnect structures. During device fabrication, planarizing each interconnect layer improves packing density, process uniformity, product quality and most importantly, enables chip manufacturers to fabricate multiple layer integrated circuits. Chip manufacturers rely upon chemical-mechanical-planarizing (CMP) as a cost effective means of producing flat substrate surfaces. The CMP process is typically carried out in a two-step sequence. First, the polishing process uses a "first-step" slurry specifically designed to rapidly remove copper. For example, Carpio et al., in "Initial study on copper CMP slurry chemistries" Thin Solid Films, 262 (1995), disclose the use on a 5 weight percent nitric acid solution for efficient copper removal. Similarly, Kondo et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,117,775, disclose the use of nitric acid and BTA for copper removal.
After the initial copper removal, a "second-step" slurry removes the barrier material. Typically, second-step slurries require excellent selectivity to remove the barrier material without adversely impacting the physical structure or electrical properties of the interconnect structure.
Because it was traditionally perceived that alkaline polishing slurries have a much higher Ta/TaN removal rate than acidic slurries, commercial second-step slurries typically have a basic to neutral pH. Another factor pointing to the advantages of neutral to basic pH barrier metal polishing slurries relates to the need to preserve the metal overlying the barrier metal during the second-step polishing. The metal removal rate should be very low to reduce dishing of the metal interconnects.
In acidic slurries that include oxidizing agents, copper tends to have both a high removal rate and a high static etch rate. Cote et al. however, in U.S. Pat. No. 6,375,693, disclose an acidic CMP slurry for barrier materials. The slurry of Cote et al. operates with a hydrogen peroxide oxidizer, a benzotriazole inhibitor and a sulfated fatty acid at a pH range of 2 to 7.5. Similarly, Wojtczak et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,409,781, disclose an acidic polishing slurry that relies upon a potassium iodate oxidizer, iminodiacetic acid as the copper corrosion inhibitor and nitric acid as the copper activator to selectively polish the barrier material.
Future low k and ultra-low k integrations of the IC structure will require low metal and dielectric losses in the CMP step. Accordingly, a selective slurry for barrier removal will most probably be adopted. While neutral-to-basic polishing slurries have advantages known to those skilled in the art, such as those described above, these slurries also tend to have low tantalum removal rates. In addition, because tantalum is readily oxidized, the oxidizing agents in the slurry can react with the tantalum to form an oxide layer on the surface. In view of the above, there exists a need to provide a second-step slurry that possesses both a rapid dissolution of barrier materials and excellent selectivity to both interconnect metals and dielectric materials.

Selective barrier metal polishing solution

Rohm and Haas Electronic Materials CMP Holdings, Inc.


This invention relates to substituted dihydrotriazinones, triazinones and related compounds, compositions comprising such compounds and an agronomically acceptable carrier, and the use thereof as broad spectrum fungicides. This invention also teaches methods of preparing these compounds as well as methods of using the compounds as fungicides.

This application claims the benefit of U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/677,434 filed on May 3, 2005. The present invention relates to dihydrotriazinones, triazinones and related compounds, compositions comprising such compounds, and the use thereof as broad spectrum fungicides.
Various triazinones are disclosed by Collins et al., Aust. J. Chem., 52, 379-385 (1999); Kanellakopulos et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 5,814,645; and by Sanière et al., in Tetrahedron Letters, 41, 671-674 (2000), however the compounds of the present invention and their uses are not disclosed. Other triazinones are presented in a review by Neunhoeffer et al., "Chemistry of 1,2,3-Triazines and 1,2,4-Triazines, Tetrazines, and Pentazines", 605-607, John Wiley and Sons, Inc., New York, N.Y. (1978), but no utility is suggested. Various aryl triazinones and aryl triazinophthalazines are disclosed by Kutscher et al. in ZA 938799, as drugs for the treatment of bronchial asthma and other conditions. WO 02/067675 discloses substituted 4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-6-ones, 1,2,4-triazin-6-ones, and their use as fungicides. However, it is well known that the fungicidal activity of chemical compounds is highly unpredictable and the compounds of the present invention are not disclosed or contemplated. Other publications have additionally disclosed similar chemistries, including U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,192 by Eisai and U.S. Pat. No. 6,159,980 by Dupont, however the compounds of the present invention are not disclosed.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Substituted 4,5-dihydro-1,2,4-triazin-6-ones, 1,2,4-triazin-6-ones, and their use as fungicides


An improved archery bow press used to relieve tension in the bow string of a compound archery bow so that maintenance and repair of the bow string and its components may be safely and easily accomplished. A threaded rod is mounted adjacent and parallel to an elongate beam allowing brackets slidable along the beam to be positioned at differing spacings therebetween. The threaded rod is turned by a crank perpendicularly extending from the threaded rod. Limb engaging arms are hinged to the slidable brackets. Link members are pivotably retained to the limb engaging arms and the link members are retainable to a telescoping part of a screw jack which is retained to the beam. At least one of the link members includes a pin support bracket along its length. The pin support bracket supports a tapered pin extending laterally from the pin support bracket over a bow placed in the bow press. While the bow is urging the limbs around their connections to the bow riser, the bow string may be passed over the pin after which the bow press may relax the limbs and provide tension on the bow string in a position deflected laterally from the plane of the bow riser.

A typical compound archery bow includes a pulley at one end and an eccentric cam at the appropriate end around which the cable of the bowstring is passed. The stringing or tuning of a twin cam bow, with its eccentrically mounted cam and its pulley, tension cable and bow string is critical to achieve a proper balance of the eccentrically mounted pulleys or cams. The complexity of the stringing and the sensitivity to proper tuning of the bow, makes it very difficult to string and tune a compound bow without the aid of a bow press.
Periodic retuning of compound bows is often required to maintain desired performance levels. For this and to change, replace or repair components of the compound bow, such as the bowstring, string sights, dampers, the tension cable, the cams and other components, a bow press is essentially required.
Through the years a number of bow presses have been developed for facilitating stringing and maintenance of compound bows. In general, these presses have included a stationary base having a pair of spaced apart inside surface supports, in the form of pegs or rollers, for contacting the inside of the bow, and a pair of limb supports, in the form of pegs or rollers, attached to a movable mechanism for applying a bending force to the limbs of the bow. Such a bow press is described in Gibbs, U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,824.
It is very important that the inside surface support and the limb supports of the bow press be precisely positioned in such a manner that the bow is properly loaded into the press in a manner that when the limbs are bent, the forces will not overstress or otherwise damage the bow. Because compound bows vary dimensionally, particularly in riser length, it is necessary that the inside surface support and the limb supports on the bow press be adjustable. In the past, it has been customary to provide incremental holes in the bow press so that the position of the inside surface support and the limb supports could be moved to achieve a satisfactory fit with regard to a given bow. The incremental nature of this adjustment approach often results in a fit of the bow press to the bow which is not quite ideal, and can result in damage to the bow. In the patent to Gibbs, U.S. Pat. No. 6,968,834, an improvement is made to allow manually adjustable sliding clamps which are selectively moveable along a beam and where located properly, may be clamped to the beam by tightening bolts or set screws.
Prior bow presses are not easy to adjust, in that the movable components are typically bolted to the bow press or clamped along a beam, thereby requiring the use of wrenches or special care for making necessary adjustments. A more expeditious and convenient adjustment apparatus is needed.
It is desirable, therefore, to provide an improved bow press apparatus and method which overcomes one or more of the problems described above, or other problems and shortcomings of prior bow presses.


A (meth)acrylic resin composition is obtained by a method that comprises: preparing a liquid starting material (A) comprising methyl methacrylate, an acrylic acid alkyl ester and a chain transfer agent, having a mass ratio of the acrylic acid alkyl ester to the methyl methacrylate of 0/100 to 20/80, and having a dissolved oxygen concentration of not more than 50 ppm, preparing a liquid starting material (B) comprising a radical polymerization initiator, a polymerization inhibitor and methyl methacrylate, and having been maintained at a temperature of not more than 10° C. in the presence of oxygen, continuously feeding the liquid starting material (A) and the liquid starting material (B) into a tank reactor, allowing bulk polymerization to proceed in the tank reactor at a polymerization conversion ratio of 40 to 70% by mass to give a reaction product, and continuously discharging the reaction product from the tank reactor.

A formed article comprising (meth)acrylic resin compositions has excellent transparency and low optical distortion, and therefore has found applications as optical lenses, substrates for discs, automobile parts, signboards, name plates, lighting covers, light guide plates and the like.
As one of methods for producing a (meth)acrylic resin composition, known is a method comprising continuously feeding a liquid starting material comprising a polymerizable monomer, a polymerization initiator and the like into a tank reactor for bulk polymerization while continuously discharging a reaction product (hereinafter, the method is sometimes called the continuous bulk polymerization mode). The continuous bulk polymerization mode is suitable for mass production of a (meth)acrylic resin composition having excellent optical properties.
In the continuous bulk polymerization mode, operation is sometimes halted for cleaning or replacing components, for example. When operation is halted, the temperature of the reaction solution within the polymerization tank is lowered for preventing oxidation and degradation of the resin and, when necessary, the entire reaction solution is discharged from the polymerization tank. These processes require additional steps and time until operation resumes, and also end up wasting raw materials and heat, contributing to an increase in production costs. As a prevention measures, Patent Document 1 discloses use of a chain transfer agent in order to enable the reaction solution within the tank reactor to maintain its amount, its temperature, and its polymerization conversion ratio constant during the halted feeding of the polymerizable monomer and the polymerization initiator.

Production method of (meth)acrylic resin composition


A system and method for remotely controlling one or more monitoring devices in a user""s household in the event of emergency so as to more productively monitor the emergency situation on a real-time basis. The monitoring devices may include a number of multimedia instruments such as a telephone with an answering machine, a computer with a built-in digital camera, a video recording device, a cellular phone with an integrated digital camera, etc. An emergency service provider may remotely activate the monitoring devices in the user""s vicinity upon receiving an emergency help request from the user, and receive the information sent by the monitoring devices to enable the service personnel to plan appropriate response to the emergency at hand. Such an arrangement allows for better monitoring of the user""s vicinity in an emergency situation without the need for prolonged user participation in narrating or describing the emergency situation. Further, the emergency service provider may obtain a better picture of the emergency and its impact by controlling appropriate monitoring devices available in the user""s vicinity. The remote activation and control of a monitoring device may be accomplished via the Internet.

(Not Applicable)
1. Field of the Invention
The present invention broadly relates to providing emergency services (e.g., the police services) to the public, and more particularly, to a system and method of providing emergency services wherein the emergency service provider (e.g., the police) gets control of one or more monitoring devices in the vicinity of a user requesting emergency help.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 1 illustrates a typical prior art emergency reporting arrangement using a telephone 10. A person or user 12 in need of emergency help dials a designated emergency reporting number (e.g., xe2x80x98911xe2x80x99) to connect to an emergency service center (ESC) 14. The emergency service center 14 may be a 911-response center, a police station, a hospital, a fire station, a combination of these places or any other location equipped for dispatching emergency relief. A carrier network 16 may electrically connect the telephone 10 to a receiving apparatus (e.g., an operator headset receiver) at the ESC 14. The carrier network 16 may include, individually or in combination, the plain old telephone system (POTS), the more advanced public switched telephone network (PSTN), or a wireless communication network (e.g., a cellular telephone network) when the telephone 10 is, for example, a cellular phone (xe2x80x9ccell phonexe2x80x9d).
Instead of dialing all the digits contained in the designated emergency reporting number (e.g., xe2x80x989xe2x80x99,xe2x80x981xe2x80x99,xe2x80x981xe2x80x99), a user may instead xe2x80x9cspeed dialxe2x80x9d the number by programming a single key on the telephone 10. In this manner, the user need not press individual digits of the phone number, but, instead, may need to press only a pre-marked speed dial key. Some modern cell phones come equipped with a xe2x80x9cbuttonxe2x80x9d or key on their keypads that is dedicated to dial a predetermined emergency phone number (e.g., xe2x80x98911xe2x80x99).
Thus, typically, the user 12 requests emergency help over the phone 10. When the user 12 dials the emergency phone number (e.g., xe2x80x98911xe2x80x99), an operator at the ESC 14 answers the phone and asks the user 12 to state the user""s name, the address or place of the emergency, the nature of the emergency, the cause of the problem, etc. In response, the user 12 has to provide the requested information in sufficient detail so as to enable the emergency service personnel to locate the user and the place of the emergency and also to come prepared to the emergency location depending on the nature of the emergency. For example, in case of a robbery, the user 12 may need to inform the operator at the ESC 14 of the seriousness of the emergency so that the police or other emergency service personnel may arrive at the place of trouble with adequate safety measures in place.
However, it is easily observed that the user 12 may not always be able to adequately describe the user""s vicinity during the emergency. For example, in the robbery situation described above, the user may not be in a safe position to talk at length (about the robbery) over the phone 10 or, alternatively, the user 12 may simply be so dumbfounded by the chain of events as to not be able to effectively narrate the urgency of the situation or of the surroundings to the ESC 14 operator. The user may not even be physically capable of narrating the user""s vicinity, for example, when the user suffers a heart attack and wishes just to inform the emergency service provider (e.g., the police or the hospital) of the user""s condition without further discussion or details.
The user 12 may have one or more monitoring devices (not shown) in the user""s vicinity or in the user""s household or dwelling 17 to record or monitor certain situations. For example, the user 12 may be wearing a monitor/transmitter that can record and transmit (upon request) the user""s current blood pressure. Alternatively, the user 12 may have a video camera in the user""s vicinity which, when activated, may record and transmit visual images depicting the user""s surroundings at the time of the camera activation, thereby providing the viewer with a visual description of the user""s vicinity. For example, in a robbery situation, the video camera may capture and transmit the images of the events occurring in the user""s vicinity. These events may include the act of robbery, the physical looks/descriptions and location (if possible) of the robber and any accomplices, the extent of physical injury to the user or any other party, the location of any exit route or stairways in the building, etc.
However, many monitoring devices may not be already active at the time of emergency, and must be activated by the user or someone else before any condition in the user""s vicinity can be monitored. Furthermore, in many emergency situations (e.g., under threat of physical safety or under an onset of a life-threatening emergency), the user may not be physically capable of accessing the monitoring device to activate it, even if the user wishes to do so. Also, the user 12 may not even be able to speak or narrate his/her emergency situation when connected to the operator at the ESC 14. Additionally, the ESC 14 may have a finite number of incoming telephone lines. In that situation, because of the circuit-switched nature of telephone communications, the person placing the emergency call may end up receiving a line xe2x80x9cbusyxe2x80x9d signal instead of an operator""s voice. In other words, the ESC 14 may not immediately attend to the user""s phone call in the event of a large number of distress calls to the ESC 14. This may not be desirable, especially when the caller""s situation demands prompt and instant attention.
It is therefore desirable for an emergency service provider to be able to remotely control one or more monitoring devices in the user""s vicinity when the user sends an emergency help request. Such an arrangement allows for better monitoring of the user""s vicinity in an emergency situation without the need for prolonged user participation in narrating or describing the emergency situation. Further, the emergency service provider may obtain a better picture of the emergency and its impact by controlling appropriate monitoring devices available in the user""s vicinity. The availability of modern high-speed data processors and the continually growing popularity of the Internet make it desirable to perform remote monitoringxe2x80x94including activation and deactivation of various monitoring devicesxe2x80x94of an emergency condition using the Internet or other IP (Internet Protocol) network. It may also be desirable for the emergency service provider to offer a subscription-based or usage-based emergency monitoring service.
The present invention contemplates a method of monitoring the vicinity of a user requesting emergency help. The method comprises receiving an emergency help request from the user; and remotely controlling one or more monitoring devices in the user""s vicinity in response to the emergency help request from the user. The monitoring devices may include a number of multimedia instruments such as a telephone with an answering machine, a computer with a built-in digital camera, a video recording device, a cellular phone with an integrated digital camera, etc. The emergency help request from the user is received at an emergency service center (ESC) which then establishes an individual communication session with each monitoring device to receive the monitored information therefrom. The ESC may determine what parameters (e.g., sight, sound, blood pressure, heart rate, etc.) a monitoring device can monitor, the type of the monitored information (audio information, video information, etc.), and the form (data packets, analog signals, etc.) in which the monitored information is available from the monitoring device.
In one embodiment, the ESC may remotely query each monitoring device to determine what capabilities that device has. Based on the determination of the device capabilities, the ESC may then remotely activate the appropriate monitoring device to obtain the information needed to allow the ESC personnel to prepare the best possible response to tackle the emergency at hand. The information about device capabilities may be obtained from a database within the ESC. Alternatively, the queried device may send a URL (Uniform Resource Locator) address for a web site from which the ESC can obtain pertinent device-specific information.
The present invention also contemplates a system for monitoring the vicinity of a user requesting emergency help. The system comprises one or more monitoring devices installed in the vicinity of the user, wherein at least one of the one or more monitoring devices is configured to transmit an emergency help request from the user; and an emergency service center (ESC) in communication with the one or more monitoring devices, wherein the ESC is configured to receive the emergency help request and to remotely control the one or more monitoring devices in response thereto. The ESC may be connected to the monitoring devices via a carrier network, which may include, individually or in combination, the plain old telephone system (POTS), the more advanced public switched telephone network (PSTN), or a wireless communication network (e.g., a cellular telephone network), depending on the type of monitoring device communicating with the ESC. The ESC may also communicate with a monitoring device via the Internet.
The present invention further contemplates a method of providing emergency services. The method comprises offering a fee-based emergency monitoring service (EMS); receiving an emergency help request from a subscriber of the EMS; and remotely controlling one or more monitoring devices in the subscriber""s vicinity in response to the emergency help request from the subscriber. A provider of the EMS may initially receive the monitored data from the remote monitoring devices, and may then transfer the data to an emergency service center (ESC) serving the region in which the subscriber""s household is located. Thus, the EMS provider may act as an intermediary between the subscriber and the ESC. In an alternative arrangement, the ESC may itself be the EMS provider.
The remote activation of the monitoring devices and the remote reception of the monitored information sent by the monitoring devices enable emergency service personnel to plan an appropriate response to the emergency at hand. Such an arrangement allows for better monitoring of the user""s vicinity in an emergency situation without the need for prolonged user participation in narrating or describing the emergency situation. Further, an emergency service provider may obtain a better picture of the emergency and its impact by controlling appropriate monitoring devices available in the user""s vicinity. The remote monitoring of the user""s vicinity at the time of emergency is also useful to expeditiously gauge the severity of the emergency, and, hence, to prepare an adequate response to help the user in need of emergency assistance.

BellSouth Intellectual Property Corporation


A universal interface for continuous on-line liquid sample introduction directly to the time-of-flight mass spectrometer, which can further promote throughput and utility of MALDI-TOF MS, is disclosed. Preferably, the liquid sample includes a matrix, either solid or liquid, for use in matrix-assisted-laser-desorption-ionization, most particularly in a time-of-flight mass spectrometer which can further promote throughput and utility of MALDI-TOF MS. In the method of the invention, the same samples and matrices, both solid and liquid, can be used as in conventional MALDI. In practice of the method of the invention, a solution of sample containing, e.g., peptide and matrix is infused directly into the source chamber of a mass spectrometer at subatmospheric pressure, deposited on a moving sample holder, such as a rotating quartz wheel, and desorbed by, e.g., a nitrogen laser. The method of the invention is particularly amenable to multiplexing, the parallel deposition of multiple samples, e.g., from a capillary array or microchip channels, with subsequent sequential desorption with a scanning laser. This format is particularly useful for high throughput MS analysis.

One of the most important challenges facing analytical chemistry today is analysis of biological samples. A successful technique should handle an immense number of samples in a short time and be compatible with existing liquid-phase chemical and separation techniques.
One of the most useful analytical methods for biological samples is mass spectroscopy. Liquid samples can be introduced into a mass spectrometer by electrospray ionization (1), a process that creates multiple charged ions. However, multiple ions can result in complex spectra and reduced sensitivity. A more preferred technique, matrix-assisted laser desorption time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF MS) (2), has received prominence in analysis of biological polymers for its excellent characteristics, such as ease of sample preparation, predominance of singly charged ions in mass spectra, sensitivity and high speed. In principle, a mixture of analytes with excess matrix is deposited onto a probe and irradiated by a short laser pulse. Matrix molecules, which absorb most of the laser energy, transfer that energy to analyte molecules to vaporize and ionize them. Once created, the analyte ions are analyzed in mass spectrometer, typically a TOF mass spectrometer.
MALDI is typically operated as an off-line ionization technique, where the sample, mixed with a suitable matrix, is deposited on the MALDI target to form dry mixed crystals and, subsequently, placed in the source chamber of the mass spectrometer. Although solid samples provide excellent results, the sample preparation and introduction into the vacuum chamber requires a significant amount of time. Even simultaneous introduction of several solid samples into a mass spectrometer or off-line coupling of liquid-phase separation techniques with a mass spectrometer do not use TOF mass spectrometer time efficiently. In addition, MALDI-MS analysis typically requires finding the "sweet spot" on the sample target, so that a reasonable signal can be obtained (5,6). Although a motorized x-y stage may be incorporated for automated searching for the spot providing the best spectrum, this procedure can be a time consuming step.
To improve on these procedures, microfabricated targets have recently been developed for automated high throughput MALDI analysis (7,8). In these designs, pL--nL sample volumes can be deposited into a microfabricated well with dimensions similar to the spot size of the desorbing laser beam (.about.100 .mu.m diameter). Thus, the whole sample spot can be irradiated and the search for the "sweet spot" eliminated. Analysis of short oligonucleotides has been demonstrated with .about.3.3 s required to obtain a good signal to noise ratio for each sample spot (8). Although the total analysis time, including the data storage, required 43 min, theoretically all 96 samples could be recorded in 330s.
While the miniaturization of the sample target simplifies the static MALDI analysis, on-line coupling would allow continuous analysis of liquid samples including direct sample infusion and the monitoring of chromatographic and electrophoretic separations. Compared to ESI, MALDI provides less complex spectra and, potentially, higher sensitivity. There have been numerous reports in the literature about the MALDI analysis of flowing liquid samples. In one arrangement, the sample components exiting a CE separation capillary were continuously deposited on a membrane presoaked with the matrix and analyzed after drying (9,10,11,12). In other cases, the liquid samples were analyzed directly inside the mass spectrometer using a variety of matrices and interfaces. For example, a nebulizer interface was used for continuous sample and matrix introduction (13-19). MALDI was then performed directly off rapidly dried droplets. In another design, a continuous probe, similar to a fast atom bombardment (FAB) (20) interface, was used for the analysis of a flowing sample stream with liquid matrix (21-24). Glycerol was used to prevent freezing of the sample. Other attempts for liquid sample desorption were also made using fine dispersions of graphite particles (25, 26,27) and liquid matrices (2,28-40) instead of a more conventional matrices. More recently, an outlet of the capillary electrophoresis column was placed directly in the vacuum region of the TOF mass spectrometer (41). The sample ions, eluting in a solution of CuCl.sub.2, were desorbed by a laser irradiating the capillary end. On line spectra of short peptides separated by CE were recorded. Attempts to use ESI to introduce liquid sample directly to the evacuated source of a mass spectrometer have also been reported (42-44).
Although the above-listed examples show efforts to address various different problems related to the analysis of flowing liquid samples, currently there is no universal MALDI interface that would address the need for simple and sensitive analysis of minute sample amounts and, furthermore, that would permit simultaneous, on-line processing of multiple samples. A generally useful procedure and a universal interface for continuous introduction of an individual or multiplexed liquid sample or samples into a time-of-flight mass spectrometer so that on-line MALDI-MS analysis can be carried out would be highly desirable.

On-line liquid sample deposition interface for matrix assisted laser desorption ionization-time of flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectroscopy


A radio transmission system including many radio transmitters using frequency hopping carriers to intermittently transmit very short messages indicative of status of stimuli associated with the transmitters. The transmitters transmit transmissions independently of a receiver receiving the transmissions and independent of each other. In operation, radio transmitters transmit messages at varying frequencies at time intervals that can be varied as well. The frequency and time intervals are varied according to patterns that can be determined individually for each transmitter. A receiver holds data indicative of the future transmission frequency and time for each transmitter and updates the data based on the time and the content of the received messages. In addition, a simple method is provided to generate a very large number of orthogonal frequency-time hopping sequences that are individual for each transmitter and based on the transmitter ID.

The present invention relates to telemetry in general, and, more particularly, to a system in which a plurality of transmitters wirelessly transmit data for collection by one or more receivers.
Some wireless telemetry systems (e.g., burglar alarms, fire alarms, power utility meters, leak detectors, environmental monitoring, etc.) comprise many transmitters that periodically or sporadically transmit messages to one or more receivers. In these systems, the transmitters are located at different places and transmit messages that are indicative of the status of monitoring sensors to a receiver that collects the data from all of the sensors. Normally, the transmitters transmit messages that are as short as feasible and with the interval between the transmissions as long as feasible. This is advantageous for two reasons. First, it minimizes the average current drain in the transmitters, which are typically battery operated. Second, short and infrequent transmissions lower the probability that the data is lost due to collisions that occur when two or more transmitters transmit at the same time. However, if an alarm occurs, the associated transmitter transmits immediately in order to convey the alarm message with little delay.
Typically, such systems transmit data at a single frequency, and thus are susceptible to interference and signal loss due to a phenomena known as xe2x80x9cmultipath fading.xe2x80x9d Consequently, the reliability of such systems is compromised or, conversely, the transmitted power has to be increased to overcome the fading which results in larger power drain and shorter battery life. Besides, there usually are regulatory limits that restrict such transmitter power and thus limit the possible compensation by sheer increase of power. Since the multipath effect is highly sensitive to the frequency of the transmitted carrier, a system using multiple frequencies (e.g., a frequency hopping spread spectrum system, etc.) has a potential to eliminate these drawbacks. However, frequency hopping systems require a long acquisition time and they are typically used in two way communication applications in which all the devices are continuously synchronizing with one master device or with each other using a variety of synchronization methods as shown in some references. In other cases, to ease the synchronization problem, there are employed receivers that can simultaneously receive signals at many frequencies by making the receiver broadband or by using several receivers at the same time. Generally, those solutions suffer from performance degradation or high cost or both which makes them undesirable for low cost applications that require high reliability such as security systems and some telemetry systems.
A serious problem that must be addressed in battery operated systems is to shorten the transmission time as much as possible by making the message preamble as short as possible in order to conserve the battery power. Therefore, the synchronization of the receiver with the transmitters is a difficult task. This problem is exacerbated in some systems such as security alarms that require some messages to be conveyed to the system immediately without waiting for the scheduled transmission time. A related problem, in battery operated systems, is limitation of the transmitted power to conserve the battery power.
Some embodiments of the present invention comprise a frequency hopping receiver that acquires and maintains synchronization with a plurality of transmitters, which enables the transmitters to omit the transmission of long preambles. This is advantageous because it lowers the average current drain in the transmitters and, consequently, lengthens their battery life. Furthermore, some embodiments of the present invention are advantageous in that they provide improved reliability in the presence of multipath fading, interference and jamming. And still furthermore, some embodiments of the present invention are capable of eliminating the effect of persistent collisions that occur when two or more transmitters transmit at the same time in the same channel for a prolonged period.
The illustrative embodiment of the present invention is a frequency-hopping wireless telemetry system comprising: (1) one or more receivers, and (2) one or more transmitters, each of which receive input from one or more sensors. The transmitters intermittently transmit very short messages indicative of status of the sensors associated with the transmitters. Each transmitter includes a time interval generator to establish the time interval between successive transmissions, a frequency synthesizer-modulator to generate a modulated radio frequency carrier signal wherein the frequency of the carrier changes in response to programming the synthesizer by digital data, a reference frequency oscillator to provide a frequency reference from which the synthesizer derives carrier frequencies and, advantageously, from which the time interval generator derives its timing, and a transmitter control logic activated in response to pulses from the time interval generator or a sensor signal indicating an abnormal condition. When activated, the transmitter control logic activates and programs the synthesizer so that the transmitter carrier frequency is changed according to a frequency hopping algorithm, provides digital data indicative of the sensor status and advantageously battery status, and modulates the carrier with the provided data. The receiver includes a frequency selective radio receiver circuit, programmable by digital data, to receive and demodulate a transmitted carrier when the frequency of the receiver circuit is programmed according to the frequency of the carrier, and a receiver control logic means to process demodulated data, to provide system interface responsive to the received messages, and to program the frequency of the frequency selective receiver circuit. The control logic includes a receiver timer to measure the elapsing time, and a plurality of memory registers to hold digital data indicative of (a) the time of the next transmission occurrence for each transmitter and (b) the frequency of the next transmission occurrence for each transmitter. In operation, the control logic sequentially compares the data content of the time registers with the data content of the timer and if the transmission is due from a transmitter, the control logic programs the frequency selective radio receiver circuit according to the data content in the frequency register associated with said transmitter, attempts to decode the demodulated signal, modifies the content of the time register by a number representative of the time interval between the successive transmissions for said transmitter and modifies the content of the frequency register according to a predetermined algorithm for said transmitter.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of transmission in the system so as to improve reliability of the system in the presence of multipath fading and interference, the method is based on varying the transmission frequency for each transmitted message and varying the time between consecutive messages. The frequency variations provide frequency diversity and are effective against multipath fading as well as single of multiple narrowband interference. The time variations are effective against periodic impulse interference. In combination, the frequency and time variations provide immunity for a wide variety of signal impairments and interference including multipath fading, wide and narrowband interference, impulse noise and deliberate jamming.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method of minimizing the effect of collisions, the method is based on selecting the transmission frequencies in sequences that are different for each transmitter, wherein transmitter frequency sequence depends on the transmitter ID number or other number derived or associated with the transmitter ID. In addition, in the illustrative embodiment, the transmitter ID number or other number derived or associated with the transmitter number is included in the transmitted message, so that, upon reception of a single message from a transmitter, the receiver can determine what is the next frequency for this transmitter, and thus achieve synchronization with this transmitter.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided another method of minimizing the effect of collisions that can be used alone or in conjunction with the third aspect of this invention, the method comprising randomizing the time interval between transmissions individually for each transmitter and a receiver compensating for the time interval changes.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided a simple method to generate a very large number of frequency-time hopping sequences. The method produces sequences that are orthogonal, thus eliminates possibility of persistent collisions even when large number of transmitters are used. In addition, the method requires identical circuit in each transmitter and the actual sequence that is produced is selected by the transmitter ID or other number associated with the transmitter ID, thus making it convenient for manufacturing. Also, the method enables to produce a very large number of frequency-time sequences based on a single short PN generator whose state can be instantly recovered by a receiver based on just one received transmission, thus aiding the receiver in obtaining synchronization with a transmitter whose ID is known. At the same time, because of a very large number of possible sequences that can be generated, it is difficult to obtain synchronization if the transmitter ID is not known, which makes the system immune to interception and jamming.
In accordance with the illustrative embodiment of the present invention there is provided a method that enables such a system to convey the information about an abnormal sensor condition as soon as the condition occurs regardless of the transmission period of the associated transmitter. The method is based on selecting an alarm frequency or advantageously a group of alarm frequencies common for all transmitters. The alarm frequencies are used by the transmitters when an alarm or an abnormal sensor condition occurs or on power-up, wherein when such a condition occurs in a transmitter, the transmitter transmits the messages sequentially on the alarm frequencies for a predetermined period of time after which the transmitter resumes transmissions according to the sequence before the alarm condition, wherein the receiver monitors the alarm frequencies during the time between the reception of scheduled messages from the transmitters.

Hopping pattern generation method in frequency hopping system for intermittent transmission


A method for supporting wireless connectivity of a mobile station to a cellular network, wherein the mobile station is located within the coverage area of a femtocell base station of which it is a non-CSG mobile station, and wherein the mobile station experiences interference which it indicates to the femtocell base station, is characterized in that the femtocell base station, upon receiving the experienced interference indication from the non-CSG mobile station, triggers the non-CSG mobile station to report interference related information, wherein, based on the interference related information, the femtocell base station performs a first check whether it is originator of the interference experienced by the non-CSG mobile station. Furthermore, a corresponding femtocell base station for supporting wireless connectivity of a mobile station to a cellular network is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for supporting wireless connectivity of a mobile station to a cellular network, wherein said mobile station is located within the coverage area of a femtocell base station of which it is a non-CSG mobile station, and wherein said mobile station experiences interference which it indicates to said femtocell base station.
Furthermore, the present invention relates to a femtocell base station for supporting wireless connectivity of mobile stations to a cellular network, being configured to receive interference indications experienced by non-CSG mobile stations that are located within its coverage area.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years there is an interest from mobile network operators to deploy femtocells (also known as home base stations, home BTS, home NBs, femto access points (FAPs), or femto radio base stations) which can be installed within the homes of the operators' customers. Such femtocells, currently being developed and standardized for both 3G and 4G networks, are scaled-down low-cost mobile base stations (BS) with low transmit power. Installation of femtocell base stations will typically be handled by the customers themselves without any technical training, therefore it has to be a simple plug-and-play procedure. Femtocell base stations are similar to a WiFi Access Point, but the radio interface is based on wide area cellular network standards such as WiMAX (Worldwide Interoperability for Microwave Access), UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) or 3GPP LTE (Long Term Evolution). Generally, femtocell base stations are connected to the operators' network via a virtual private network connection over a normal broadband internet connection—backhaul connection—like DSL or FTTH (Fiber to the home).
One reason for the introduction of femtocells is the increase of operator network coverage and throughput for the sake of a better user experience and therewith to make a big step towards fixed-mobile-convergence. Like Wi-Fi access points, femtocells are designed to be deployed in home and office environments in order to give full coverage in the respective area and deployment of high density is expected in areas with high population or office density. However, the deployment of femtocells comes along with drawbacks of which one is interference effects between macro and femto levels of the network. Since femtocell base stations are often deployed in the same licensed spectrum as the wide area network of the operator, it is important to configure the radio interface correctly to avoid interference with other base stations.
Femtocell networks can improve indoor coverage and capacity. However, a femtocell base station needs to carefully balance its transmit power, which should be high enough to ensure good signal strengths for its subscribers, but not too high to avoid severe interference to other mobile stations, other femtocells and possible co-located macrocell base stations. To address this problem, according to prior art solutions, femtocells are linked for example to the network's Radio Resource Management (RRM), which is a functional/logical unit that is typically located in the Radio Access Network and that is responsible e.g. for frequency allocation and controlling the transmit power.
According to the definition in the current standard IEEE P802.16m, in terms of their subscription characteristics femtocell base stations are categorized into three main categories of subscriber types. The main categories are Open Subscriber Group (OSG), Closed Subscriber Group—Closed (CSG-Closed) and Closed Subscriber Group—Open (CSG-Open). These categories can be described as follows:                An Open Subscriber Group (OSG) femtocell base station is accessible to any mobile station (MS).        In CSG-Closed, the femtocell base station is accessible only to mobile stations which are members of this femtocell base station except for emergency services.        A CSG-Open femtocell base station is primarily accessible to the mobile stations that belong to its Closed Subscriber Group (CSG), while other mobile stations outside the CSG—i.e. non-member mobile stations—may also access such femtocell base station, but the non-member mobile stations will be served at lower priority. The CSG-Open femtocell base station will only provide service to non-member mobile stations as long as the Quality of Service (QoS) of mobile stations in its CSG is not compromised. That means best-effort services for non-CSG mobile stations of this femtocell base station.
Generally, the owner of the backhaul connection and/or the femtocell base station may want to restrict access to the femtocell base station because he pays the expense of maintenance and the broadband connection to his premises. Thus, the categorization according to the standard IEEE P802.16m causes the problem that when an MS, not being a member of the nearby CSG-Closed femtocells, enters an area which is covered only by one or more CSG-Closed femtocell base stations, the communication of the MS with its macrocell base station may be severely interfered or even totally interrupted. Specifically, for example if a Non-CSG member MS, which is not a member of the one or more nearby CSG-Closed femtocells, enters a CSG-Closed only area or is switched on in a CSG-Closed only coverage area, the interference from the surrounding femtocell base stations may interrupt the communication between the Non-CSG member MS and its serving (macro) base station or the nearest (macro) base station.
To solve the above problem, it has already been agreed within the current IEEE 802.16m standard to the following:
"If an advanced mobile station (AMS) is placed into outage by a CSG-closed Femto advanced base station (ABS) of which it is not a member, it can indicate this problem to that Femto ABS by sending an AAI_RNG-REQ with the "Femto Interference" bit set to 1."
This would allow the non-CSG-closed MS to inform the femtocell base station as being the source of the interference to the MS.
Based on this, several solutions are proposed to mitigate the interference. The most popular solutions are as follow:
Upon communication with the network entity, i.e. upon sending the interference indication to the femtocell, the CSG-Closed Femto BS may convert to a CSG-Open Femto BS. Alternatively, it has been proposed that the CSG-Closed Femto BS reduces its transmit power as directed by the network entity and/or that the CSG-Closed Femto BS refrains from transmitting on certain resource regions as indicated by the network entity.
However, all of these proposals are incomplete solutions, and typical questions such as the following still remain to be addressed:    1. How can the CSG-femtocell trust the MS, which sent the AAI_RNG-REQ, to be a legal MS?    2. How can the CSG-femtocell be convinced that it is the source of interference if there are other surrounding Base Stations around?    3. What is the interference level?

Method and femtocell base station for supporting wireless connectivity of a mobile station to a cellular network


An image display device that improves the operability of its operation unit when operated by a photographer/user in a state that an image display unit of the device has been adjusted to assume an angle where the photographer/user can easily view a displayed image. The image display device is coupled through its mounting unit to an image pickup apparatus main unit and causes the image display unit to display an image captured by the apparatus main unit. The image display device has an operation unit configured to be operated to control the apparatus main unit and the image display unit. The image display unit is coupled through a hinge mechanism to the operation unit for rotation relative thereto and the operation unit is coupled through a rotary mechanism to the mounting unit for rotation relative thereto about a rotation axis perpendicular to an operation face of the operation unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image pickup apparatus such as a digital still camera, digital video camera, or the like. In particular, this invention relates to an image display device with an operation unit that is excellent in operability, and relates to an image pickup apparatus having the image display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
An image pickup apparatus such as a digital still camera, digital video camera, or the like has been in widespread use that has an image display device (hereinafter, referred to as the display device) for displaying captured images. The display device is often mounted with a relatively large-sized display panel of e.g. 3.5 inches for improvement of the visibility of displayed images.
The display device with large-sized display panel that occupies a large area when mounted on a camera main unit is disposed on e.g. a lateral side of the camera main unit. To improve the usability, some display device is configured to be coupled to the camera main unit for rotation in opening/closing directions relative to the camera main unit. It is also possible to configure the display device to be rotatable relative to the camera main unit about an axis perpendicular to the opening/closing directions of the display device, whereby an installation angle of the display device can be changed to an angle where a photographer/user can easily view a displayed image.
For example, a digital camera shown in FIGS. 27 to 32 has been proposed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3669244.
Referring to FIGS. 27 and 28, the proposed digital camera has a monitor block 2 (display device) mounted to a camera main unit 8 by means of a mounting member 3a that has a rotary part thereof configured to be rotatable about first and second rotation axes X, Y relative to a stationary part thereof fixed to the monitor block 2. Thus, the monitor block 2 can be rotated by nearly 180 degrees relative to the camera main unit 8 about the first rotation axis X from a state of FIG. 27 to a state of FIG. 29 and can be rotated by nearly 270 degrees about the second rotation axis Y from the state of FIG. 29 to a state of FIG. 30.
By rotating the monitor block 2 from the state of FIG. 29 by nearly 180 degrees relative to the camera main unit 8 about the second rotation axis Y, it becomes possible as shown in FIG. 31 to cause a display unit of the monitor block 2 to face an object to be photographed. By rotating the monitor block 2 from the state of FIG. 31 by nearly 180 degrees relative to the camera main unit 8 about the first rotation axis X, a photographer/user becomes capable of easily viewing an image displayed on the display unit of the monitor block 2 in a state where the monitor block 2 is housed in the camera main unit 8 as shown in FIG. 32.
With the video camera disclosed in Japanese Patent Publication No. 3669244, the monitor block 2 is capable of assuming various angles relative to the camera main unit 8, whereby the visibility of an image displayed on the display unit can be improved. However, an operation unit is formed integrally with the camera main unit 8 and cannot assume an arbitrary angle relative to the camera main unit 8. As a result, the operability of the operation unit is sometimes lowered when the photographer/user operates the operation unit while viewing an image displayed on the display unit of the monitor block 2 that has been adjusted to assume an angle where the photographer/user can easily view a displayed image.

Image display device with operation unit excellent in operability and image pickup apparatus having the same


The present invention provides a pitch drive apparatus of a wind generator and the wind generator constituted not to affect a main shaft or a gear box, and capable of preventing reliability from being deteriorated. The pitch drive apparatus includes a wind turbine blade (6) having a base portion (21) mounted so as to be turnable around an axis center L with respect to a rotor head (4), an electric drive member having an output shaft (19) mounted on the rotor head (4) so as to extend in a direction along the axis center (L), a lever (15) having one end fixed to the output shaft (19) and extending in a direction intersecting with the output shaft (19), and a connecting link (17) disposed so as to extend in a direction intersecting with the output shaft (19). One end of the connecting link (17) is rotatably mounted on a free end of the lever (15) and the other end of the connecting link (17) is rotatably mounted on a drive position P of the wind turbine blade (6).

As a wind turbine used for a wind generator, there are known wind turbines in which a pitch angle of a wind turbine blade is fixed and a wind turbine in which the pitch angle is variable.
As a mechanism for changing the pitch angle of the wind turbine blade, there is known a mechanism which converts linear motion of a rod in a hydraulic cylinder into rotation around an axis of the wind turbine blade as described in Patent Citation 1. Further, there is also proposed a mechanism which straightly moves a rod in an axial direction thereof using an electric operating machine, and a wind turbine blade is rotated around an axial direction thereof by the movement as described in Patent Citation 2 or the like.
There is also proposed a mechanism in which a gear is provided around a blade rotating wheel, a pinion gear meshing with the gear is rotated by an electric motor, the blade rotating wheel is rotated and this rotation is converted into rotation around an axis of the wind turbine blade as describe in Patent Citation 3. There is also proposed a mechanism which uses a belt instead of the gear.    Patent Citation 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-148321    Patent Citation 2: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. Sho 63-124874    Patent Citation 3: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2003-56448

Pitch drive apparatus of wind generator and wind generator


An improved portable telephone and an improved inside rearview mirror assembly coacts with the portable telephone to provide an improved mobile telephone system. The portable telephone includes a housing of generally rectangular configuration defining a recess in one face of the housing, a microphone mounted in the housing, an arm pivotally mounted at one end thereof on the housing for movement between a stowed position in which it is positioned in the housing recess and an extended position in which the other end of the arm is positioned in spaced relation to the housing, and a speaker mounted on the other end of the arm. The rearview mirror assembly includes a bracket assembly mounted on top of the rearview mirror and including a holster defining a socket for receipt of the portable telephone. External contacts on the telephone coact with contacts in the socket to establish electrical communication between the telephone and the transceiver of the vehicle when the telephone is inserted into the holster. Alternatively, the mobile telephone may be built permanently into the rearview mirror assembly.

The invention relates to telephones and more particularly to mobile cellular telephones for motor vehicular use.
Current mobile telephones are patterned after home and office equipment and are difficult to locate in motor vehicles. The crowded condition, which exists in vehicle interiors, results in a need for concepts in mobile telephones which can save space in the vehicle interiors. Moreover, the current telephone locations cause safety concerns. For example, the current locations on instrument panels and consoles require the driver to divert his attention from the road when utilizing the telephone and the telephones may impact, or be impacted by, the driver or passenger in a collision situation. The current locations are further deficient in that they fail to accommodate a wide range of vehicle designs and sizes. In some cases, the equipment designs have required substantial vehicle modifications to accommodate the equipment within the vehicle and these modifications have increased new model investment costs as well as manufacturing costs.
One improved method of locating a mobile telephone in a motor vehicle is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,707,273 wherein the telephone is mounted in the sunvisor of the vehicle. Whereas this location is an improvement over the instrument panel and console locations in the sense that the driver need not substantially divert his extremely close proximity of the telephone controls to the eyes of the driver can create focusing problems, especially when the driver is using vision correction devices such as eyeglasses or contact lenses.
This invention is directed to the provision of an improved mobile telephone system. More particularly, this invention is directed to the provision of a mobile telephone system which allows the driver to maintain a good view of the road while operating the telephone and which is located at a distance from the driver""s eyes to allow easy focusing on the controls of the telephone.
This invention is further directed to the provision of an improved mobile telephone system which is inexpensive and which does not require any modification of the motor vehicle interior to accommodate the telephone system.
This invention is further directed to the provision of an improved portable telephone.
The invention relates to both a method and an apparatus for providing improved mobile telephone service.
The improved methodology relates to an improved method of providing mobile telephone service for a motor vehicle of the type including a windshield and a power source positioned in the motor vehicle. According to the invention methodology, an electrical connection to the power source is provided proximate the upper central region of the windshield and a telephone is electrically connected to the electrical connection. This methodology positions the telephone in an area that is readily visible by the driver, does not obstruct the driver""s vision, and allows easy focusing on the telephone controls.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the motor vehicle further includes an inside rearview mirror positioned proximate the upper central region of the windshield, and the step of providing an electrical connection on the rearview mirror to the power source comprises providing an electrical connection to the power source. This methodology utilizes the existing rearview mirror to form the foundation for mounting the telephone.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the telephone is portable and includes external electrical connectors and the step of providing an electrical connection on the rearview mirror to the power source comprises providing connector means on the top of the rearview mirror for electrical connection to the telephone connectors. This methodology conveniently positions the portable telephone on top of the rearview mirror in electrical connection with the vehicular power source.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the step of providing an electrical connection to the power source further includes providing a socket on the rearview mirror including the electrical connectors, and the step of removably electrically connecting a portable telephone to the electrical connectors comprises positioning the portable telephone in the socket with the electrical connectors of the telephone connected to the electrical connectors of the socket.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the step of providing a socket on the rearview mirror comprises providing a holster sized to receive the portable telephone and positioning the holster on the rearview mirror.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the portable telephone further includes a battery and the method includes the further step of providing means on the rearview mirror to recharge the battery.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the step of providing means on the rearview mirror to recharge the battery includes providing a pocket in the rearview mirror sized to receive the battery and providing an electrical connection in the pocket to the vehicular power source so as to electrically connect the vehicular power source to a battery inserted in the pocket.
According to a further feature of the invention methodology, the method includes the further steps of providing a separate speaker/microphone, providing an elongated flexible extension member, providing an input jack on the rearview mirror, positioning the speaker/microphone on one end of the elongated flexible extension member, and plugging the other end of the elongated flexible extension member into the input jack.
The invention further provides a mirror assembly for use with a motor vehicle of the type including a windshield and a power source positioned within the vehicle. The invention mirror assembly includes an inside rearview mirror adapted to be secured within the vehicle in a position proximate the upper central region of the windshield, a telephone on the mirror, and means establishing electrical connection between the telephone and the power source with the telephone mounted on the mirror.
In one embodiment of the invention mirror assembly, the telephone is removably mounted on the mirror by mounting means including a holster secured to the top of the mirror and defining a socket for receipt of the mobile telephone.
In further embodiments of the invention mirror assembly, at least one of the components of the telephone is built into the casing of the mirror.
According to a further feature of the invention mirror assembly, the mirror assembly further includes means for recharging the battery of the portable telephone. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the recharging means includes a pocket opening in the top of the mirror and sized to receive the battery.
According to a further feature of the invention mirror assembly, the mirror assembly further includes a separate speaker/microphone and means for physically and electrically connecting the speaker/microphone to the mirror with the speaker/microphone positioned remote from the mirror and proximate the driver of the vehicle. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the connecting means includes a flexible cable connected at one end to the mirror and mounting the speaker/microphone at its other, free end.
The invention also provides an improved portable or personal telephone. The improved portable telephone of the invention comprises an outgoing message microphone member, an incoming message speaker member, and means operative to vary the spacing between the members. This arrangement allows the microphone and speaker members to be positioned relatively close to each other for compactness to improve the portability and stowability of the telephone, and allows the microphone and speaker to be selectively spaced further apart to facilitate association of the microphone member with the mouth of the user and association of the speaker member with the ear of the user. In the disclosed embodiment of the invention, the telephone includes a housing, the microphone member is mounted in the housing, and the telephone further includes means operative to move the speaker member to a stored position proximate the housing and an operative position spaced from the housing. The operative means may comprise, for example, an arm pivotally mounted at one end on the housing and mounting the speaker member at its other end.
These and other features, advantages, and objects of the present invention will be further understood and appreciated by those skilled in the art by reference to the following specification, claims, and appended drawings.


A downhole expandable bore liner and well screen filter assembly has a perforated tubular base-pipe overlain with a self expanding filter-cover. A set of runners or bumpers extends the length of the outside of the filter-cover. A releaseable constriction mechanism holds the liner/filter assembly in a compressed configuration during insertion of the assembly down a well bore to facilitate insertion of the liner/filter assembly into its downhole position. Once positioned downhole in the well bore, the mechanism is released, and the liner/filter assembly takes its expanded or uncompressed configuration and interfaces with the walls of the well bore. In its uncompressed configuration, the liner/filter assembly can contact and press against the walls of the well bore, which contact serves to stabilize the assembly and to center it in the downhole well bore. The resilient and malleable nature of the filter material of the filter-cover can engage and at least partially fill and stabilize the irregularities in the formation wall of the well bore. Additionally, the resilient and malleable nature of the filter material of the filter-cover allows the assembly to utilize an expandable base-pipe in complement with the expandible filter material.

The present invention is in the field of apparatuses and processes particularly adapted for use in an earth fluid well. More specifically, the present invention relates to an apparatus at the end of a well conduit for separating solids from the earth fluids flowing into the conduit, the apparatus comprises a porous mass of adhered filter material.
Hydrocarbon producing wells typically are drilled many thousands of feet into the earth in order to reach an oil or natural gas bearing strata. These strata are often structurally weak or fragile geological formations comprising particulate matter, such as sand, gravel and similar materials. Consequently, the downhole formation of the well bore can be subject to degradation and the accumulation of particulates and the migration of these particulates along with the earth fluids into the well.
It is known in the field to use well screens as filters in the downhole bore of a hydrocarbon producing well to prevent the migration of particulates, such as sand, gravel and the like, into the well conduit along with the production flow. Additionally, because the downhole bore can have irregular surfaces, the field has been motivated to develop deformable well screens that are expandable downhole to at least partially set against the surrounding formation and line the borehole. For examples, see U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,901,789 and 6,012,522 to Donnelly et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,518 to Constano-Mears et al.
Further, at the points of irregularity in the borehole where the rigid, external surface of Donnelly-type well screens does not sufficiently contact the surrounding formation, undesirable gaps and channels can be formed. To reduce or eliminate the effect such formation irregularities, the field has been motivated to develop means to fill and/or support gap forming irregularities. For example, Donnelly et al. disclose the use of resin-coated gravel as a porous fill material which is separately installed in situ as a means for filling gaps between the well bore formation and the well screen.
Because of the benefit of having a downhole well screen installed in close contact with wall of the well bore formation, it would be useful in the field to have alternative downhole expandible well screens that serve not only as a production flow filters, but also as a well bore liners that require less intervention for filling gaps between the well bore formation and the well screen.
The present invention is a downhole expandable bore liner and well screen filter assembly, particularly for use in a hydrocarbon producing well bore. The liner/filter assembly comprises a perforated tubular base-pipe overlain with a filter-cover. A set of runners (bumpers) extends the length of the outer surface of the assembly. A constriction means holds the liner/filter assembly in a compressed configuration during insertion of the assembly down the well bore. The outside diameter of the liner/filter assembly in its compressed configuration is sufficiently less than the inside diameter of the well bore to facilitate insertion of the liner/filter assembly into its downhole position. Once positioned downhole in the well bore, the constriction means is released, and the liner/filter assembly takes its expanded or uncompressed configuration to interface with the walls of the well bore. In its uncompressed configuration, the liner/filter assembly can contact and press against the walls of the well bore, which contact serves to stabilize the assembly and to center it in the downhole well bore. Additionally, the resilient and malleable nature of the filter material of the filter-cover can engage and at least partially fill and stabilize the irregularities in the formation wall.
The tubular base-pipe is perforated to allow passage of earth liquids (xe2x80x9cproduction flowxe2x80x9d) from the well bore environment external to the base-pipe into its interior, and further passage into a conduit to which the liner/filter assembly (or string of liner filter assemblies) is attached. The tubular base-pipe has a central axis, a pipe-length, and a tube wall enclosing an interior space. The interior space is disposed to be communicable with the with the fluid space of a well conduit. The tube wall has a plurality of through perforations for passing fluids. Optionally, the tubular base-pipe may be expandable as is known in the field, to provide a tube wall having a plurality of through perforations for passing fluids. For example, see the U.S. Pat. No. 5,901,789 to Donnelly et al. for how to accomplish an expandable base-pipe in the present invention. Typically, the base-pipe will include a connecting means allowing the base-pipe to be joined in series with a well conduit or to another well screen liner/filter assembly. The bottom most liner/filter assembly in a series is plugged at its bottom end.
The filter-cover covers the outer tube-surface of the base-pipe and servers to filter the earth liquids before they pass through the perforations in the tube-wall of the base-pipe. The liner/filter assembly is inserted into the well bore with the filter-cover in a compressed configuration to reduce the overall outside diameter of the assembly to facilitate the insertion process. Once the liner/filter assembly is positioned downhole in the well bore, the filter-cover is allowed to take its normal uncompressed configuration. The filter-cover may be disposed on the outer surface of the base-pipe in any of a numbers of manners practicable in the present invention by one of ordinary skill in the art. For example, the filter cover may be drawn into position over the base-pipe in the manner of a sleeve, or may be wrapped in a helictical fashion over the length of the base-pipe.
The filter-cover is made of a compressible/self-expanding filter material and has a fully compressed-thickness, an expanded-thickness, a fully compressed outer-diameter and an expanded outer-diameter. The filter-cover is made of a filter material impervious to the fluids which it is to filter. In the present invention, the filter-cover comprises a filter material which is substantially impervious to fluids containing hydrocarbons. The filter-cover may comprise one or more layers of filter material, and the different filter material layers may have different physical and/or structural characteristics. For example, the filter-cover may comprises one or more filter materials selected from the group consisting of: a fiber matrix, an open cell foam. Additionally, the different layers of filter materials may have different physical-chemical characteristics and different porosity or filtering characteristics.
Typically, the filter material will have sufficient porosity to pass earth fluids and gas, while filtering out most particulates from the production flow. An appropriate filter material for practice in the present invention in a hydrocarbon producing well is resistant to exposure to crude oil, brine and to other fluids used in producing hydrocarbon wells. Additionally, the filter materials should be resistant to the temperatures, pressure and conditions of pH that may be experienced in hydrocarbon producing wells. The filter material is also mechanically resilient and has sufficient memory to expand to substantially its initial uncompressed condition (thickness) after being bound for a time in a compressed condition. Several polyurethane open-cell foam materials have been found to meet these requirements. It is likely that other materials, such as silicone resin based open-cell foams will also meet these filter material requirements.
A set of runners extend the length of the filter-cover and protrude radially beyond the outer surface of the filter-cover when the liner/filter assembly is in its compressed configuration. The runners are disposed at the outer cover-surface of the filter-cover in a spaced relationship to each other. The space relationship of the runners extends the pipe-length of the base-pipe, and define the overall outer diameter of the liner/filter assembly in its compressed configuration. The runners act as standoffs or bumpers to prevent damage to the filter-cover during insertion of the liner/filter assembly into the well bore. Consequently, the runners are made of an abrasion resistant material such as polyurethane, high density polyurethane, a high-impact plastic, a metal or an appropriate composite material. This facilitates the insertion of the well screen several thousand feet through the abrasive conditions of a well bore without substantial damage to the filter-cover. Suitably abrasion resistant runner-material are selectable by one of skill in the art. Additional examples of suitable runner-material include resin, and fiber reinforced plastic.
The runners of the downhole expandable bore liner and well screen assembly have a substantially parallel spaced relationship to each other and to the pipe-length of the base-pipe. Alternatively, in certain applications, the runners can have a substantially parallel spaced relationship to each other, but a non-parallel relationship to the pipe-length of the base-pipe.
The constriction means holds the runners in spaced relationship to each other, while also holding the filter-cover in a compressed condition. The constriction means are disposed circumferentially around the liner/filter assembly and in a spaced pattern crossing the runners. The constriction means serve, either alone or in combination with the runners, to hold the filter-cover in a compressed configuration. The constriction means are disposed in a spaced pattern sufficient to compress the filter-cover to have an external surface with an outer-diameter at a radial distance from the base-pipe axis which is less than the radial distance of an outer edge of the runners proximate the external surface of the compressed filter-cover.
Once the liner/filter assembly is positioned downhole in the well bore, the constriction means are released. Release of the constriction means allows the filter material to expand and reassume it natural uncompressed condition. In an appropriately constructed liner/filter assembly, the filter-cover will contact the formation wall of the well bore upon resuming its substantially completely uncompressed condition. When contacting the formation wall in its uncompressed condition, the filter-cover stabilizes and tends to center the liner/filter assembly in the downhole well bore.
The constriction means is comprised of a material and disposed in the assembly in a manner to make it susceptible to release. To accomplish a releaseable constriction means several mechanisms are available. Examples include constriction means comprising a fusible link, a mechanical tie assembly, and a dissolvable link. Other releaseable constriction means are selectable by the ordinary skilled artisan.
Electro-chemical mechanisms have been utilized to release the constriction means. In one example, the constriction means comprised aluminum wire tightly wrapped around the runners and compressing the filter-cover. Release of the constricting aluminum wire was accomplished by immersing the assembly in a 10% sodium hydroxide solution and dissolving the aluminum wire. In another example, the assembly was immersed in a brine solution and a d.c. voltage was applied to the aluminum wires and to the steel base-pipe. In this example, the aluminum wires became one electrode (the anode) and the steel base-pipe became the other electrode (the cathode) and on the application of an appropriate voltage across the electrodes, the aluminum wires were dissolved in the brine solution by electrolysis.
Chemically releaseable constriction means can be accomplished by constructing the constriction means from a chemically dissolvable material. In this example, the constriction means holding the filter-cover in a compressed configuration is a plurality of dissolvable links, the links being dissolvable in an appropriate solvent or chemical agent. Once the assembly is in place, the appropriate solvent is dispersed into the downhole environment of the assembly to dissolve the constriction means. Alternatively, the solvent to which the chemically releaseable constriction means is susceptible may already be present or otherwise already available downhole. For example, the selected chemically releaseable constriction means in an appropriate situation may be susceptible to crude oil.
A fusible link type releaseable constriction means is accomplished in the present invention utilizing a fusible electrical wire in communication with an electric current source. The fusible electrical wire is tightly wrapped around the runners, compressing the filter-cover. A pair of electrodes communicate with the fusible electrical wires and provide an electrical current source through the wires. Once the liner/filter assembly in its compressed configuration is positioned downhole in the well bore, an appropriate electrical current is run through the fusible wire via the electrodes and the fusible electrical wires are severed by the current. Upon electrically severing the wire, the constriction means is defeated and the filter material resumes its uncompressed configuration. The electrodes used to carry the electrical current in this example can accomplished by making two or more of the runners out of an electrically conductive material and connecting them to a source of electricity. Using runners as electrodes has the benefit of distributing the fusing current along the entire length of the filter-cover and runners.
A mechanical type releaseable constriction means may be accomplished by a simple mechanical tie assembly in which a series of circumferential cross-ties, each cross-tie having two ends are releaseably connectable together by a removable tie-rod, are disposed along the length of the assembly. The cross-ties are released by withdrawing the tie-rod.


A procedure and a mechanism for the painting/lacquering and the subsequent hardening of the paint/lacquer layer on a molded object preferably of plastic. The processes are carried out in the same tool that performs the molding of the objects, which shall be painted/lacquered and hardened. This can be realized by the molding-tool, which can both be a one- and a multi-component tool, which is supplied with at least one turnable mold part, which through stepwise turning each of e.g. 90 degrees, leads the object through four stations, where the objects respectively are molded, painted/acquered, hardened and finally ejected from the turnable mold part.

There are known a number of procedures for the molding of plastic objects with subsequent painting/lacquer and hardening of the paint/lacquer on the molded objects. These hitherto known methods involve however a lot of handling and transport of the objects with robots in dust free environments. With the new procedure according to the invention both painting/lacquer and hardening of the objects can be carried out while they still remains in the tool in which they are molded, which allows great savings through a faster and more secure production and an easier controllable dust free environment.

Painting and hardening of the paint on moulded parts in a tool with a turnable mould part


The present invention relates to a biomarker composition for detecting white matter stroke, the biomarker composition containing a toll-like receptor 2 (TLR2), and a medical use using the TLR2. The TLR2 can be used as a biomarker for white matter stroke by defending against ischemic demyelination and oligodendrocyte death, and when targeting the TLR2, ischemic white matter stroke can be treated or prevented.

Ischemic lesions associated with subcortical white matter occupy over 20% of all ischemic stroke types. Ischemic white matter lesion have markedly different clinical aspects including leukoaraiosis having few or no neurological deficit, localized white matter infarction causing hemiplegia/dysesthesia, and vascular dementia caused by repetitive ischemic injuries in subcortical white matter. Unlike a case associated with ischemic lesions occurring in the cortex, a speech disorder or severe memory impairment is known to be a rare case.
Demyelination and oligodendrocyte (OL) damages are prominent features of ischemic white matter injury, and thus ischemic OL damages after subcortical white matter injury are targets that have been considered as an important therapeutic strategy.
The only therapeutic agent for ischemic stroke that has been authorized so far a drug for reperfusion of a blood vessel. Most of therapeutic agents for ischemic stroke that have been attempted several times to undergo clinical trials served as drugs to prevent neuron apoptosis, and it is now in a difficult situation to develop therapeutic agents for white matter stoke that can defend against demyelination and OL damages.
Meanwhile, KR 2012-0075457 disclosed that inflammatory and autoimmune diseases can be treated by using an antibody to a toll-like receptor.

Biomarker for detecting white matter stroke, containing toll-like receptor 2, and medical use of toll-like receptor 2

AJOU UNIVERSITY INDUSTRY-ACADEMIC COOPERATION FOUNDATION


The present invention relates to a method and an apparatus for producing mat strips from wide panels or sheets of an adhesive material covered with release layers by subdividing the panels of material in the longitudinal and transverse direcitons subsequent to removing the release layers.. In order to improve the economy and operational reliability of such methods and devices, the present invention includes gripping an end section of the sheet of material, from which the release layers have been removed, by means of gripping members and longitudinally subdividing the sheet during its movement in a first direction to form longitudinal strips, by actuating a longitudinal cutting member, and thereafter servering the longitudinal mat strips by actuation of a transverse cutting member.

The present invention relates to a method of cutting mat strips from wide sheets or panels of adhesive material covered with release layers, particularly SMC resin mat panels, by removing the release layers immediately prior to the actuation of the cutting devices and by subdividing the panels of material in the longitudinal and transverse directions with cutting devices. The invention also relates to an apparatus for implementing the method.
The present invention is particularly applicable to what is referred to as SMC or sheet molding compound resin mat sheets or panels which, after being formed into strip stacks, also referred to as mat packets, (i.e., stacks of rectangular mat strips) can be processed into molded components by means of pressing or deforming tools.
The resin mat panels, of the type which are of particular interest here, are initially coiled or wound into rolls. Before such panels are processed into pressed components, the release layers must be removed and, in the normal case, the panels must be subdivided into rectangular mat strips.
In the prior art processes, a resin mat sheet is subdivided in the longitudinal and transverse directions without removing the release layers, thus forming mat strips. The release layers are then manually removed only when several mat strips are to be combined or stacked into mat packets. An automatic manufacturing process is also known in which the resin mat panel covered with release layers is subdivided longitudinally before it reaches a range of the feed device, which thereafter, feeds the panel to a release layer removal device. The drawback of such a method and the resulting structure is that the feed device is soiled by the escape of resin substance from the panels and, in addition, the later removal of the release layers from narrow mat strips poses considerable difficulties. Yet another problem with such a method and apparatus is that, under certain circumstances, the mat strips which are already separated from one another by a longitudinal cut may be unavoidably pressed against one another when passing through the feed device, with sufficient force such that they stick together again.

Method of producing mat strips from wide panels of adhesive material covered with release layers and apparatus for implementing the method