A device for conveying flat objects in series and edge-on, in which the flat objects (12) are moved in a conveying direction (D), while at the same time being separated each from the next by a spacing which is normally constant, has a synchronization system (2) capable of compensating for any variations in spacing between two consecutive objects. The system includes two parallel rows (3, 4) of driven wheels (3A-4C) made of elastically deformable elastomer and between which each object is gripped and moved in the conveying direction. Each wheel has a rotation spindle (6), the position of which is fixed, and the wheels are rotated by a motorization system which is controlled to accelerate and/or retard the movement of each object between the two rows of wheels on the basis of a detection whether the front edge of the object has been early or late in passing a determined position upstream of the two rows of wheels compared with a time reference indicating the spacing between objects. The device may be used in a postal sorting machine operating in a synchronous mode.

The invention relates to a device for conveying flat objects in which said flat objects are moved along in series and edge-on in a conveying direction, while at the same time being separated each from the next by a spacing which is normally constant. The invention applies more particularly to a device for conveying flat objects for a postal sorting machine operating in synchronous mode.
In this type of machine, it is necessary that the conveying of flat objects in an upstream part of the machine, for example corresponding to the exit of a destacker of flat objects, be synchronized with the conveying thereof in a downstream part of this machine which, for example, might correspond to the entry to a bucket conveyor. The flat objects are generally conveyed in series and edge-on at constant speed by conveyor belts between the destacker and the bucket conveyor, and the spacing separating two consecutive objects needs to be large enough that a flat object can be transferred into a bucket in the period of time that separates the arrival of two flat objects entering the bucket conveyor.
Users of this type of sorting machine want to be able to process an ever broadening range of flat objects, that is to say flat objects the height, width and thickness dimensions of which vary greatly. The variations in thickness of the flat objects are, in particular, the source of offsets between consecutive objects as they are conveyed between the upstream part and the downstream part of the machine. If the sorting machine is operated in synchronous mode, these offsets are not tolerable and the objects which are offset from the reference time frame have to be rejected from the belt conveyor before they reach the bucket conveyor. The rejection of flat objects affects the sorting rate of the machine and one object of the invention is to overcome this drawback*.
 less than U.S. Pat. No. 4,077,620 discloses a synchronization system capable of compensation variations in spacing between objects. But this system operates only in a destacker and not at any position on a belt conveyor. greater than
To this end, the subject of the invention is a device for conveying flat objects in series and edge-on, in which the said flat objects are moved in a conveying direction, while at the same time being separated each from the next by a spacing which is normally constant, which device further comprises a synchronization system capable of compensating for any variations in spacing between two consecutive objects charaterized in that this system comprises two parallel rows of driven wheels made of elastically deformable elastomer and between which each object is gripped and moved in said conveying direction, each wheel having a rotation spindle, the position of which is fixed, and the wheels being rotated by a motorization system which is controlled to accelerate and/or retard the movement of each object between the two rows of wheels on the basis of a detection as to whether the front edge of the object has been early or late in passing a determined position upstream of the two rows of wheels, compared with a time reference which indicates the spacing between objects.
This synchronization system may in particular be arranged in the continuation of the exit of a destacker of a postal sorting machine to accelerate movement of the flat objects toward the bucket conveyor while at the same time keeping the spacing separating two consecutive objects constant. In this case, if the destacker of flat objects comprises a destacking plate on which the first object of the stack of objects that are to be sent out in sequence rest before being ejected at the exit of the destacker, this plate is preferably arranged in a vertical plane parallel to the two rows of wheels and offset from said direction of conveying between the two rows of wheels by a distance which essentially corresponds to half the maximum thickness of an object. With this construction, the thickest and therefore the most rigid, flat objects are not diverted as they enter between the two rows of wheels, thus simplifying the control of their position in the conveying direction.
The setup whereby the synchronization system comprises elastomer wheels is a mechanically very simple construction and furthermore allows the conveying of relatively thick flat objects, for example flat objects about 32 mm thick, using wheels of a diameter of 150 mm. In one particular embodiment of the conveying device according to the invention, each wheel comprises a hub and an annular tread strip connected to the hub by elastically deformable circular arc-shaped fins, the two ends of each fin which are for connecting to the hub and to the annular tread strip of the wheel being located on a radius of the wheel. The particular circular arc-shaped profile of the fins with points of attachment located on the radius of the wheel, allows the elastomer to work over the entire length of the fins when the wheel is compressed, without creating any stress concentration zones, thus extending the life of the wheels and therefore increasing the availability of the synchronization system.

Device for conveying flat objects with a synchronization system


A hand weight with a central grip area and contoured opposing weight portions at the ends so as to convey a “Z”-shaped profile. The asymmetry of the hand weight results in a shape that is more open to accommodate a larger range of hand sizes and to more comfortably fit into the hand for a variety of holds. The shape of the end portions also results in an overall shape that is less obstructive of movements since it has a narrower profile when rotated appropriately. One of the ends is configured with a flat section to enable the weight to be positively and stably set on a flat surface and prevent rolling.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to exercise equipment and more particularly, to a hand weight for general fitness use providing resistance to movement.
2. Background of the Invention
Hand weights are used to provide weight based resistance to movement to increase the intensity of exercise. Hand weights are used in strength building, toning, shaping and firming exercises, as well as to increase the cardiovascular intensity of running or walking. Activities such as weight training, aerobics, toning and any fitness instruction, whether group or personal, may require weight. Fixed weight hand weights range from one-half pound up to 20 pounds or more for a set, generally in half pound or one pound increments. For toning, sculpting and firming exercises, three, five and eight pound hand weights are commonly used. Whatever the weight, hand weights typically have a center bar with cylindrical weights at the ends to provide an H-shaped profile. Some have weights at the ends which are polygonal in cross-section. The conventional shape of hand weights reduces the effective gripping area of the center bar, and the protruding weights at the ends of the bar can obstruct free movement during exercise.
As expected of a generally cylindrical shape, a conventional hand weight is symmetrical with respect to a vertical plane extending through a center line, about a horizontal plane extending through a center line, and symmetrical about a longitudinal axis. The longitudinal axis of a conventional hand weight at rest typically coincides with a horizontal axis.
One of the objects of the invention is to provide a hand weight that provides an increased effective gripping area to accommodate a larger range of hand sizes. Another one of the objects of the invention is to provide a hand weight with a shape that is more open and less obstructive than traditional weights.
Conventional cylindrical hand weights also tend to roll around easily and increase the possibility of mishaps from the equipment which can lead to injury. Yet another object of the invention is to provide a hand weight designed to prevent accidental rolling and potential injury.

Hand weight with contoured opposing weight protrusions


A nozzle assembly for nailers includes a magazine connected to a body of the nailer and a base plate is connected to an end of the magazine. A nozzle has two grooves with which the two sides of the base plate are movably engaged. A plurality of nail guide holes are defined through the nozzle and communicate with openings defined in the base plate and slots defined in a side of the magazine so that nails engaged with the slots are sent to the nail guide holes to be ejected. Two hooks extend from the nozzle and a cap is mounted on the nozzle by engaging the two hooks with two apertures defined through the cap. Pins extend through the nozzle and are engaged with the base plate.

The present invention relates to a nozzle which is slidably connected to the base of the nailer so that the nozzle can be conveniently replaced according to needs.
A conventional power nailer generally has a nozzle connected to a base of a nailer and a magazine for receiving nails is connected to the nailer. The magazine provides nails and the nails are ejected out from the nozzle. The conventional way to connect the nozzle to the base is by bolting the nozzle on the base so that the nozzle is fixed on the base. However, the requirements of the size of the nozzles could be changed because the length of the nails so that the conventional way that fixes the nozzle on the base is not convenient for the users to change a new nozzle.
In accordance with one aspect of the present invention, there is provided a nozzle assembly for nailers and comprises a magazine connected to a body of the nailer and a base plate is connected to an end of the magazine. A plurality of slots are defined in a side of the magazine and a plurality of openings are defined through the base plate and communicate with the slots. A nozzle is movably engaged with the base plate. A plurality of nail guide holes are defined through the nozzle and communicate with the openings. Two hooks extend from the nozzle. A cap is mounted on the nozzle and has two apertures through which the hooks are engaged.
The primary object of the present invention is to provide a nozzle assembly for nailers wherein the nozzle is slidably mounted to the base plate so that the nozzle can be conveniently replaced according to practical needs.
The present invention will become more obvious from the following description when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings which show, for purposes of illustration only, preferred embodiments in accordance with the present invention.


A method for conducting blackjack-style wagering games includes favorable player options to enhance its appeal. The player elects to undo a pair of initial cards in a two-card blackjack hand split to increase his chance of winning his hand.

The present invention relates to blackjack-style wagering games. More particularly, the present invention includes methods for playing blackjack-style games which enhance its appeal by providing more options in favor of the player.
Blackjack is generally conducted using one or more decks of fifty-two cards each. Each player makes a wager to receive two cards. A dealer also receives two cards, one of which is exposed. Each player forms a final player hand by opting to stand, hit (draw more cards), double down with an additional wager, or split the pair if the two cards are of the same rank. If the player doubles down, he has to put up an additional wager equal to his initial wager and then the dealer will deal him only one card. If the player hits and busts (i.e., the sum of the cards in his hand goes over a target value of 21), then the player loses his wager immediately. If the player splits a pair, he must put up an additional wager equal to his initial wager and split the pair into two hands. Where the house rules allow for double down after split, the player may double down after splitting a pair by putting up a double down wager next to the wager on the hand being doubled. Where the house rules allow for surrender, the player may surrender his hand and forfeit half the wager.
After each player has formed a final player hand or busted, a final dealer hand is formed. If the initial dealer hand is not 17 or greater, additional cards are drawn to the dealer hand until his hand is 17 or greater. If the dealer busts (i.e. has a hand value greater than 21), all players who did not already bust are rewarded. Otherwise, the numerical value of each player hand is compared to the numerical value of the dealer hand. In determining a numerical hand value, aces count one or eleven, face cards count ten, and all other cards count their face value. For each comparison, whoever has a hand closer to 21 wins. If the dealer hand and the player hand are equal, the player's wager is returned.
A blackjack variant known as Super Fun 21 is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,979,897. Super Fun 21, dealt with standard decks of 52 cards, provides not only the same double down options as Spanish 21 but also the option of surrendering half the bet on any hand including after splitting.
Another blackjack variant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,741 entitled "Split card feature during continued play of blackjack." If a last additional card dealt matches a value of any previously dealt card, the player is allowed to separate the last additional card into a second hand. For example, a single card may be split off by the player after taking a hit when the hit card matches an earlier dealt card, such as one or the other of the two first cards in the original hand or another hit card.
Another blackjack variant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,384,045. A "double down split" option is provided so that the player who wishes to double down can put up an additional wager for an additional hand that shares the original two cards dealt to him. For example, a player who receives 9-2 in his original two cards may elect to "split double" and create a second hand by matching his initial wager. Now the two hands will share the 9-2 as their starting hand but will receive their own double down card respectively.
Another blackjack variant is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,329,178 entitled "Blackjack game with discard option." The player is allowed the option to discard one of his initial two cards by paying a discard fee in hopes of drawing a new card that can improve his hand.
The above prior art inventions provide blackjack players with options that either enable them to make more lucrative bets or mitigate possible frustrations. The invention also provides the casino operators more rule options in favor of the player to make their game more appealing. The rule options are described below:


An example apparatus for error correction can include an array of memory cells and a controller. The controller can be configured to perform a dummy read on a portion of data stored in the array. The dummy read can include sending a portion of data on output buffers to a host. The controller can be configured to error correct the portion of data in the host. The controller can be configured to write the portion of data back to the array.

Memory devices are typically provided as internal, semiconductor, integrated circuits in computers or other electronic systems. There are many different types of memory including volatile and non-volatile memory. Volatile memory can require power to maintain its data (e.g., host data, error data, etc.) and includes random access memory (RAM), dynamic random access memory (DRAM), static random access memory (SRAM), synchronous dynamic random access memory (SDRAM), and thyristor random access memory (TRAM), among others.
Increased memory density, such as in DRAM memories, has resulted in intermittent failures caused by repeated access to a particular row of memory cells (e.g., cells coupled to an access line). These intermittent failures due to increased density referenced above can be due to a bit error rate (BER) that affects reading of data associated with the DRAM memory. A bit error refers to a number of received bits of data over a communication channel that has been altered due to noise, interference, distortion, and/or bit synchronization errors. A bit error rate (BER) refers to a number of bit errors per unit of time. An error correction code (ECC) component can be used to detect and/or correct errors in data but at a cost of reduced latency, increased ECC overhead, etc. An ability to correct errors in such a system can be beneficial in certain instances like autonomous driving systems. However, it is also beneficial to maintain a particular speed of the system while maintaining a lower ECC overhead. Therefore, an ability to reduce errors (e.g., soft errors) in stored data can be beneficial.

Error correction to reduce a failure in time rate


An apparatus for estimating a surface condition of a plate object. The apparatus comprises a lighting unit for generating light toward the plate object. A light sensor is located out of paths of the light generated from the lighting unit for producing an electrical signal in response to light of diffused reflection from the plate object. The apparatus also includes a processing unit for processing the electrical signal fed thereto from the light sensor for producing an image including a defective portion reflective of the light of diffused reflection, and an estimating unit for estimating the surface condition of the plate object based on the defective portion of the produced image. In another aspect of the invention, the apparatus comprises a lighting unit for generating light toward the plate object. A light sensor is provided for converting brightness variations of the light impinging on the plate object into an electrical signal. The apparatus also includes a processing unit for processing the electrical signal fed thereto from the light sensor for producing a plurality of image segments forming a full image of the surface of the plate object, and an estimating unit for estimating the surface condition of the plate object based on a defective portion included in each of the image segments. The estimating unit includes means for providing a heavier weight on a defective portion of at least one of the image segments than that of the other image segments.

This invention relates to an apparatus employing a dioptric or catoptric optical system for estimating the surface condition of a plate object to be tested. The term "surface condition" as used throughout this invention is intended to mean the degree of scratches, streaks, moisture, water droplets, water lines, water films, stains, and the like collected or left on the surface(s) of the plate object.
It is the current practice to estimate the surface condition of the plate object with the eye. Therefore, the estimation accuracy is dependent on the inspector's skill and is different from one inspector to another.


The invention is concerned with a virtual trading card system, comprising a data source that provides information associated with a public figure, and a user device configured to display a first and a second virtual view of an electronic card associated with the public figure, wherein the second virtual view includes a plurality of updateable data fields.

Individuals frequently desire to connect with public personalities or representatives (i.e., public figures), such as, for example, but not limited to, professional athletes, actors, musicians, business leaders, professionals, product/service providers/politicians, and the like. This may be done through paper media (such as, e.g., newsletters, journals, advertisements, magazines, tabloids, newspapers, trading cards, or the like) or electronic media (such as, e.g., radio, television, the Internet, or the like). However, regardless of whether it is a paper or electronic media, information associated with a particular public figure may be difficult, if not practically impossible to find, especially with public figures who retired a long time ago.
For years, a physical connection with a public figure has been accomplished through paper media such as, for example, trading cards. A trading card (or collectible card) is typically a small card that is intended for trading or collecting. Trading cards are generally associated with sports—baseball cards are especially well known. Cards dealing with other subjects are often considered a separate category from sports cards, known as non-sports trading cards. These often feature cartoon characters, comic book characters, Hollywood actors, television series excerpts, movie stills, or the like.
As with playing cards, which they generally resemble, trading cards are often used to play various games. For example, in the 1990s, trading cards designed specifically for playing games became popular enough to develop a distinct category of collectible card games. These trading cards tend to use either fantasy subjects or sports as a basis for gameplay.
Trading cards, however, suffer from a number of drawbacks, including, for example, wear, damage, loss, cost, or the like. Thus, many individuals purchase trading cards and, because they are fearful of damaging or losing them, safely store the cards, forgoing full enjoyment of the cards. Individuals may keep these cards for indefinite periods of time because they can be great reminders of special moments in time.
Another drawback of paper trading cards is that the information on the cards does not change. For instance, once an individual has a sports trading card for a particular season, the individual must purchase another card for another following (or preceding) season, since a player's statistics may change in each season.
While it may be possible to find information associated with a particular past public figure on the Internet, the information may be scattered across multiple websites. Still, many individuals desire to relive certain experiences, or even to share some of those experiences with others. For instance, many sports fans speak of their love for a particular game (such as, e.g., golf, baseball, basketball, football, soccer, hockey, tennis, swimming, and the like) and how a particular player or team may have affected their lives. These individuals may desire to share stories of their experiences with others by, for example, retelling an experience they may have witnessed first-hand (e.g., Namath calling the game against the Colts), or meeting a great player (e.g., Mean Joe Green).
Historically, for many individuals, connections (or re-connection) with public figures have been limited to, e.g., memory, watching an occasional vintage game, buying a DVD about a game or team, reading a book, revisiting trading cards they may have kept since childhood (or purchased recently), attending an event where the public figure may appear, or the like. While the Internet has provided individuals with an ability to get closer than ever before to public figures, information, products and/or services associated with the public figures can be illusive.
A large amount of the information available on the Internet includes content that has been uploaded by individuals who have bypassed traditional review, classification or screening. The content is frequently uploaded sporadically without any approval or authorization by the owner of the intellectual property for the content. Thus, royalties and income may be lost that should go directly to benefit the creators of the content.
Furthermore, finding and/or purchasing products and/or services associated with public figures may be problematic. Information about the products and/or services may be sporadically located across a plethora of media (such as, for example, without limitation, books, magazines, journals, newspapers, newsletters, advertisements, television programs, radio programs, Internet websites, and the like) that may be virtually impossible to effectively navigate.

Method and system for facilitating electronic communication between the public and a public personality or representative


Systems and methods are described for integrated cooling system. A method includes: circulating a liquid inside a flexible multi-layer tape; and transporting heat between a heat source that is coupled to the flexible multi-layer tape and a heat sink that is coupled to the flexible multi-layer tape. A method includes installing a flexible multi-layer tape in an electrical system, wherein the flexible multi-layer tape includes a top layer; an intermediate, layer coupled to the top layer; and a bottom layer coupled to the intermediate layer, the intermediate layer defining a closed loop circuit for a circulating fluid. An apparatus includes a flexible multi-layer tape, including: a top layer; an intermediate layer coupled to the top layer; and a bottom layer coupled to the intermediate layer, wherein the intermediate layer defines a closed loop circuit for a circulating fluid.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to the field of cooling and heat sinking. More particularly, the invention relates to an integrated liquid cooling system of flexible structure.
2. Discussion of the Related Art
It has been apparent for at least the past 15 years that, as performance improves, there is a growing need for efficient heat dissipation of electronic devices and systems. This trend has remained within the capabilities of air cooling until recently. However, some of today's typical desktop and mobile electronic systems can easily outstrip the cooling capability of existing air cooling techniques. Portable computers have begun challenging traditional thermal management systems.
Air cooling has shown limitations in certain high-power/high-dissipation applications mostly due to the fact that, in a typical situation, heat must be completely removed from an electronic system's enclosure.
On-chip and near-chip refrigeration techniques, such as thermo-electrics, reject a great amount of localized heat, which must also be transported out of the electronic package and its neighborhood. Furthermore, even though air cooling advances will continue to appear, it is known to one skilled in the art that liquid cooling technologies have a much greater capacity (than air cooling technologies) to handle large quantities of heat in small spaces.
A few techniques for integration of liquid cooling with chips have been available since the early 80's. The micro-channel cooling techniques of Tucherman and Pease were shown to be capable of handling high heat flux levels, at least 50 watts per square centimeter at the chip, with only small water flow requirements. Later work has confirmed and reproduced these heat sinks, but commercial applications have not been made. This results from limitations imposed by the integration itself. The micro-channels must be machined in the backside of the wafer or chip to be cooled and the technique does not provide for integrated liquid packaging and delivery systems.
A recent report describes micro-channels formed in aluminum nitride to cool a multichip module (MCM). However, the assembly terminates with conventional tubing fittings at the fluid manifold ends. Thus, using this technique would require the electronic system to include external tubing and pumps.
Heretofore, the mass flow capability of air cooling is incompatible with densely packed or high power dissipation electronics, and the "plumbing requirement" and potential for leaks and spills associated with liquid cooling has restricted its utility.
Another typical problem with liquid cooling technology has been miniaturization. Only one aspect of liquid cooling systems has been miniaturized or integrated to the scale of microelectronics, namely the heat exchanger at a hot chip. The prospect of assembling macro-scale pumps, tubes, and fittings, along with their potential for leaks, has stopped most efforts in liquid cooling technology development. What is needed is an integrated, liquid cooling system with micro-scale components based on flexible circuitry materials technology that solves these problems.
Heretofore, the requirement of providing an integrated liquid cooling system, with micro-scale components based on flexible circuitry materials technology for heat dissipation of high power, densely packaged electronic systems as referred to above have not been fully met. What is needed is a solution that addresses this requirement.


The present invention relates to novel combinations, which are useful in the treatment of tuberculosis.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis is the causative agent of tuberculosis (TB), a serious and potentially fatal infection with a world-wide distribution. Estimates from the World Health Organization indicate that more than 8 million people contract TB each year, and 2 million people die from tuberculosis yearly. In the last decade, TB cases have grown 20% worldwide with the highest burden in the most impoverished communities. If these trends continue, TB incidence will increase by 41% in the next twenty years. Fifty years since the introduction of an effective chemotherapy, TB remains after AIDS, the leading infectious cause of adult mortality in the world. Complicating the TB epidemic is the rising tide of multi-drug-resistant strains, and the deadly symbiosis with HIV. People who are HIV-positive and infected with TB are 30 times more likely to develop active TB than people who are HIV-negative and TB is responsible for the death of one out of every three people with HIV/AIDS worldwide.
Existing approaches to treatment of tuberculosis all involve the combination of multiple agents. For example, the regimen recommended by the U.S. Public Health Service is a combination of isoniazid, rifampicin and pyrazinamide for two months, followed by isoniazid and rifampicin alone for a further four months. These drugs are continued for a further seven months in patients infected with HIV. For patients infected with multi-drug resistant strains of M. tuberculosis, agents such as ethambutol, streptomycin, kanamycin, amikacin, capreomycin, ethionamide, cycloserine, ciprofoxacin and ofloxacin are added to the combination therapies. There exists no single agent that is effective in the clinical treatment of tuberculosis, nor any combination of agents that offers the possibility of therapy of less than six months' duration.
There is a high medical need for new drugs or new combinations of drugs that improve current treatment by enabling regimens that facilitate patient and provider compliance. Shorter regimens and those that require less supervision are the best way to achieve this. Most of the benefit from treatment comes in the first 2 months, during the intensive, or bactericidal, phase when four drugs are given together; the bacterial burden is greatly reduced, and patients become non-infectious. The 4- to 6-month continuation, or sterilizing, phase is required to eliminate persisting bacilli and to minimize the risk of relapse. Novel drugs or combinations that potentially shorten treatment to 2 months or less would be extremely beneficial. It would also be beneficial to reduce the number of drugs required. Facilitating compliance by requiring less intensive supervision may also be beneficial. Obviously, novel drugs or novel combinations of drugs that reduce both the total length of treatment and the frequency of drug administration would provide the greatest benefit.
Complicating the TB epidemic is the increasing incidence of multi-drug-resistant strains or MDR-TB. Up to four percent of all cases worldwide are considered MDR-TB—those resistant to the most effective drugs of the four-drug standard, isoniazid and rifampin. MDR-TB is lethal when untreated and cannot be adequately treated through the standard therapy, so treatment requires up to 2 years of "second-line" drugs. These drugs are often toxic, expensive and marginally effective. In the absence of an effective therapy, infectious MDR-TB patients continue to spread the disease, producing new infections with MDR-TB strains. There is a high medical need for new therapies (e.g. combinations) likely to demonstrate activity against drug-resistant, in particular MDR strains.
The term "drug resistant" as used hereinbefore or hereinafter is a term well understood by the person skilled in microbiology. A drug resistant Mycobacterium is a Mycobacterium which is no longer susceptible to at least one previously effective drug; which has developed the ability to withstand antibiotic attack by at least one previously effective drug. A drug resistant strain may relay that ability to withstand to its progeny. Said resistance may be due to random genetic mutations in the bacterial cell that alters its sensitivity to a single drug or to different drugs.
MDR tuberculosis is a specific form of drug resistant tuberculosis due to a bacterium resistant to at least isoniazid and rifampicin (with or without resistance to other drugs), which are at present the two most powerful anti-TB drugs. Thus, whenever used hereinbefore or hereinafter "drug resistant" includes multi drug resistant.
Another factor in the control of the TB epidemic is the problem of latent TB. In spite of decades of tuberculosis (TB) control programs, about 2 billion people are infected by M. tuberculosis, though asymptomatically. About 10% of these individuals are at risk of developing active TB during their lifespan. The global epidemic of TB is fuelled by infection of HIV patients with TB and rise of multi-drug resistant TB strains
(MDR-TB). The reactivation of latent TB is a high risk factor for disease development and accounts for 32% deaths in HIV infected individuals. To control TB epidemic, the need is to discover new drugs that can kill dormant or latent bacilli. The dormant TB can get reactivated to cause disease by several factors like suppression of host immunity by use of immunosuppressive agents like antibodies against tumor necrosis factor α or interferon-γ. In case of HIV positive patients, the only prophylactic treatment available for latent TB is two three-months regimens of rifampicin, pyrazinamide. The efficacy of the treatment regime is still not clear and furthermore the length of the treatments is an important constrain in resource-limited environments. Hence there is a drastic need to identify new drugs, which can act as chemoprophylatic agents for individuals harboring latent TB bacilli.
The tubercle bacilli enter healthy individuals by inhalation; they are phagocytosed by the alveolar macrophages of the lungs. This leads to potent immune response and formation of granulomas, which consist of macrophages infected with M. tuberculosis surrounded by T cells. After a period of 6-8 weeks the host immune response cause death of infected cells by necrosis and accumulation of caseous material with certain extracellular bacilli, surrounded by macrophages, epitheloid cells and layers of lymphoid tissue at the periphery. In case of healthy individuals, most of the mycobacteria are killed in these environments but a small proportion of bacilli still survive and are thought to exist in a non-replicating, hypometabolic state and are tolerant to killing by anti-TB drugs like isoniazid. These bacilli can remain in the altered physiological environments even for individual's lifetime without showing any clinical symptoms of disease. However, in 10% of the cases these latent bacilli may reactivate to cause disease. One of the hypothesis about development of these persistent bacteria is patho-physiological environment in human lesions namely, reduced oxygen tension, nutrient limitation, and acidic pH. These factors have been postulated to render these bacteria phenotypically tolerant to major anti-mycobacterial drugs.
In addition to the management of the TB epidemic, there is the emerging problem of resistance to first-line antibiotic agents. Some important examples include penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae, vancomycin-resistant enterococci, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus, multi-resistant salmonellae.
The consequences of resistance to antibiotic agents are severe. Infections caused by resistant microbes fail to respond to treatment, resulting in prolonged illness and greater risk of death. Treatment failures also lead to longer periods of infectivity, which increase the numbers of infected people moving in the community and thus exposing the general population to the risk of contracting a resistant strain infection.
Hospitals are a critical component of the antimicrobial resistance problem worldwide. The combination of highly susceptible patients, intensive and prolonged antimicrobial use, and cross-infection has resulted in infections with highly resistant bacterial pathogens.
Self-medication with antimicrobials is another major factor contributing to resistance. Self-medicated antimicrobials may be unnecessary, are often inadequately dosed, or may not contain adequate amounts of active drug.
Patient compliance with recommended treatment is another major problem. Patients forget to take medication, interrupt their treatment when they begin to feel better, or may be unable to afford a full course, thereby creating an ideal environment for microbes to adapt rather than be killed.
Because of the emerging resistance to multiple antibiotics, physicians are confronted with infections for which there is no effective therapy. The morbidity, mortality, and financial costs of such infections impose an increasing burden for health care systems worldwide.
Therefore, there is a high need for new therapies to treat bacterial infections, especially mycobacterial infections.
As mentioned above, several drugs already exist for the treatment of tuberculosis, for instance, pyrazinamide (often abbreviated to PZA). This drug is known to be bacteriostatic, but is also bacteriocidal on actively replicating tuberculosis bacteria. It is not used as a single agent, but commonly used in combination with isoniazid and rifampicin for the treatment of tuberculosis.
There are several other known drugs that are used for treating tuberculosis, which may act via different mechanisms of action. For instance, Journal article Nature Medicine, 19, 1157-1160 (2013) by Pethe et al "Discovery of Q203, a potent clinical candidate for the treatment of tuberculosis" identifies a specific compound that was tested against M. tuberculosis. This compound Q203 is depicted below.

It is postulated that it acts by interfering with ATP synthase in M. tuberculosis, and that the inhibition of cytochrome bc1 activity is the primary mode of action. Cytochrome bc1 is an essential component of the electron transport chain required for ATP synthesis.
This clinical candidate is also discussed in journal article, J. Medicinal Chemistry, 2014, 57 (12), pp 5293-5305. It is stated to have activity against MDR tuberculosis, and have activity against the strain M. tuberculosis H37Rv at a MIC50 of 0.28 nM inside macrophages. Positive control data (using known anti-TB compounds bedaquiline, isoniazid and moxifloxacin) are also reported. This document also suggests the mode of action, based on studies with mutants. It appeared that Q203 was highly active against both replicating and non-replicating bacteria.
Further documents relating to the Q203 and analogues include patent documents WO 2011/113606 and WO 2015/014993. International patent application WO 2012/143796 discloses various compounds for use in the treatment of inflammation.
Other documents disclosing compounds that may be useful in the inhibition of cytochrome bc1 activity include international patent applications WO 2017/001660 and WO 2017/001661, the disclosures of which are hereby incorporated by reference.
As mentioned above, combinations of tuberculosis drugs are also known, with certain combinations being recommended for use by the WHO. Combination therapies are described in several documents including WO 2015/107482, which discloses combinations of tuberculosis drugs including specifically a macrocyclic molecule, which is tested in combination with: rifampicin and/or ethambutol; amoxicillin and/or ethionamide; and isoniazid and/or rifampicin. This document also discloses that the macrocycle can be combined with a number of other drugs, including pyrazinamide or Q203, amongst a list of possible tuberculosis drugs. Some journal articles also disclose various combinations of tuberculosis drugs, for example Nature Communications, Lamprecht and co., 2016, 7, 12393, which tests amongst other things, Q203 in combination with other tuberculosis drugs such as clofazamine and bedaquiline.
It is of great benefit to be able to discover new combinations and/or better combinations of known drugs given that: —combinations are likely to remain the treatment guidelines (e.g. given drug-resistant bacterial forms); and—access to the best combinations will ultimately advance patient outcomes.

PZA and cytochrome bc1 inhibitor combination treatment

Janssen Sciences Ireland Unlimited Company


The reclosing control device configured to perform a reclosing control in case of a fault in a transmission line. Further, the reclosing control device includes a voltage detection unit configured to detect a faulted phase voltage waveform and extract a harmonic component contained in the faulted phase voltage waveform; a HR calculating unit configured to calculate ratio values between even harmonics and odd harmonics based on the extracted harmonic component; and a reclosing control unit configured to determine whether or not an arc is finally extinguished based on the calculated ratio value and perform a reclosing control depending on a result of the determination.

A single line-to-ground fault is the most frequently happening problem in a transmission line. Statistically, a single line-to-ground fault accounts for about 70% or more of problems happening in an extra high voltage transmission line, and in an ultrahigh voltage transmission line having wider line spacing and having a voltage of about 200 kV or higher, single line-to-ground fault accounts for about 90% or more of problems since other problems such as a line-to-line fault, double line-to-ground fault and three phase fault occur relatively less frequently.
Since most of the problems are passing problems mainly caused by natural environment, in case of a transient fault (direct lightning or induced lightning), line-to-line fault, it is very important to perform reclosing for preventing a stop of supplying power.
Typically, in a conventional reclosing method applied to domestic transmission lines, after certain predetermined dead time, a circuit breaker is automatically reclosed. An automatic reclosing method includes a three-phase auto reclosing method, a single phase auto reclosing method, and a multi-phase (single phase+three-phase) auto reclosing method.
In the three-phase auto reclosing method, in case of a fault in a transmission line, a three-phase circuit breaker is opened and reclosed. In the single phase auto reclosing method, in case of a single line-to-ground fault, only a phase having the fault is opened and reclosed. In the multi-phase auto reclosing method, in case of a single line-to-ground fault, only a phase having the fault is opened and reclosed and in case of a fault in a multi-phase circuit breaker, a three-phase circuit breaker is opened and reclosed.
However, since a conventional auto reclosing method has a certain dead time, even after an arc is extinguished, there may be an unnecessary dead time and even if faults are not completely removed, a reclosing operation may be performed. Further, a reclosing operation may be performed even in case of a permanent fault, there may threatena power system stability and be a serious loss in power equipment.
Therefore, limitations of the conventional auto reclosing method need to be improved to perform an auto reclosing operation more efficiently.

Method and device for reclosing control using a harmonic ratio

Sungyunkwan University Foundation for Corporate Collaboration


A forming tool apparatus is provided for forming an article having a negative draft angle that locks the formed article within the forming tool. An insert, which is disposed within a recess defined in a forming surface of the forming tool, has a surface that cooperates with the forming surface of the forming tool to shape a metal blank into a desired final shape. In particular, the surface of the insert is shaped to define the negative draft angle feature of the formed article. Subsequent to forming the article, a linear-drive mechanism is activated to withdraw the insert away from the formed article, and thereby unlock the formed article from the tool. The formed article is then extracted from the tool along an extraction direction that is other than parallel to the direction along which the insert is driven.

Automotive and non-automotive body panels etc. are commonly manufactured using hot-forming techniques, in which heated sheet-metal blanks are made to conform to the shape of a cavity that is formed between the surfaces of forming tools that are mounted in a press. Superplastic forming is a specific example of a hot-forming process for forming sheet metal articles. It works upon the principle of superplasticity, which means that a material can elongate beyond 100% of its original size under carefully controlled conditions. An advantage of the superplastic forming process is that large and complex articles can be formed in a single operation, thereby reducing the need to assemble together smaller components while at the same time achieving weight reduction. Further, the formed article has excellent precision and a fine surface finish.
Exterior body panels of automobiles, the so-called "Class A surfaces," provide styling and aesthetic qualities that are intended to appeal to prospective buyers of an automobile. In general, "Class A surfaces" can be regarded as any surface that has styling intent. It is therefore common to form exterior automotive body panels with curves and contours, which give the finished automobile a sleek and "sexy" appearance. In the increasingly competitive automotive industry, a consumer's first impression in a dealer showroom can make all the difference in a sale.
Normally, the design of shaped articles including automotive body panels is such that the forming tool that is used to form the article will have forming tool walls that extend at a positive draft angle, and thereby ensure ease of removal of the finished article from the forming tool. However, in some instances the desired shape of the finished article requires that the forming tool have a negative draft angle by undercutting a wall of the forming tool cavity. Unfortunately, in such instances the finished article is locked within the forming tool and cannot be removed. Of course, various solutions have been proposed for enabling the removal, from a tool, of formed articles having a negative draft angle.
In United States Patent Application Publication 2005/0150266 Kruger et al. disclose a forming tool system including a finish-form tool that advances and retracts in accordance with a curvilinear path. The finish-form tool is pivotably mounted about a fixed pivot axis, such that the finish-form tool may separate from the formed article in accordance with the negative draft angle. Unfortunately, the entire finish-form tool pivots about the fixed pivot axis and therefore the extent to which the finished article may be undercut is limited. In particular, a deeply undercut section necessitates movement of the finish-form tool along a curvilinear path having a large radius, which path may be obstructed by other portions of the finished article.
In U.S. Pat. No. 7,306,451 Kruger et al. disclose a forming tool apparatus for forming an article, including a first forming tool having a removable cavity wall segment with an undercut cavity wall. A pivot linkage normally establishes the removable wall segment in a forming position in which the undercut wall is poised for forming of the article. The pivot linkage selectively pivots the removable wall segment out of the forming position when the forming tools are opened, so that the undercut wall is pivotally lifted and releases the formed article for removal from the cavity. Unfortunately, this system is very complex and relies on a pivoting movement of the removable wall segment to unlock the formed article. This requires the pivoting of a very large and heavy portion of the tool, which is designed such that the removable wall segment encompasses the entire Class A region of the article, and which results in other issues relating to making the necessary electrical connections, wire flexing fatigue, etc. As a result, implementing this system tends to be cost prohibitive.
It would be beneficial to provide a process and forming tool apparatus that overcome at least some of the above-mentioned limitations and disadvantages of the prior art.

Self-compensating retractable insert for high-temperature forming tools


Provided is a preform member bonding method of bonding a preform member and another member with an adhesive in an RTM process. The preform member bonding method includes increasing viscosity of the adhesive by heat-treating only the adhesive in advance before inserting the adhesive between bonding surfaces of the preform member and the other member.

The RTM process is a molding method including: laying a workpiece made of composite material, such as reinforcing fiber base material (glass fiber, carbon fiber, or the like), on a mold; hermetically sealing a vacuum bag film or mold with the preform member placed therein; and injecting resin into the resultant vacuum bag film or mold through vacuum suction to impregnate the preform member with the resin. The use of the RTM process has an advantage which makes it possible to mold the composite material at low cost without a need of an expensive autoclave or the like.
There are cases where pre-heating is performed as a step of the RTM process. The pre-heating is to heat a preform member, making it easy for the preform member to be impregnated with resin.


A method for operating an internal combustion engine includes controlling the engine to a preferred air/fuel ratio to generate an engine-out exhaust gas feedstream including preferred concentrations of nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen, converting the nitric oxide, carbon monoxide, and hydrogen to ammonia across a first catalytic device; and storing the ammonia on an ammonia-selective catalytic reduction device fluidly serially connected downstream of the first catalytic device.

The statements in this section merely provide background information related to the present disclosure and may not constitute prior art.
Manufacturers of internal combustion engines are continually developing new engine control strategies to satisfy customer demands and meet various regulations. One such engine control strategy comprises operating an engine at an air/fuel ratio (AFR) that is lean of stoichiometry to improve fuel economy and reduce emissions. Such engines include both compression-ignition and lean-burn spark-ignition engines.
Lean engine operation may produce oxides of nitrogen (NOx), a known by-product of combustion, when nitrogen and oxygen molecules present in engine intake air disassociate in the high temperatures of combustion. Rates of NOx production follow known relationships to the combustion process, for example, with higher rates of NOx production being associated with higher combustion temperatures and longer exposure of air molecules to the higher temperatures.
NOx molecules, once produced in the combustion chamber, can be reduced to nitrogen and oxygen molecules in aftertreatment devices. Efficacy of known aftertreatment devices are largely dependent upon operating conditions, such as device operating temperature driven by exhaust gas flow temperatures and engine AFR. Additionally, aftertreatment devices include materials prone to damage or degradation in-use due to exposure to high temperatures and contaminants in the exhaust gas feedstream.
Known engine operating strategies to manage combustion to increase fuel efficiency include operating at a lean AFR, using localized or stratified charge combustion within the combustion chamber while operating in an unthrottled condition. While temperatures in the combustion chamber can get high enough in pockets of combustion to create significant quantities of NOx, the overall energy output of the combustion chamber, in particular, the heat energy expelled from the engine through the exhaust gas flow can be greatly reduced from normal values. Such conditions can be challenging to exhaust aftertreatment strategies, as the aftertreatment devices frequently require elevated operating temperatures, driven by the exhaust gas flow temperature, to operate adequately to treat NOx emissions.
Aftertreatment systems include catalytic devices to generate chemical reactions to treat exhaust gas constituents. Three-way catalytic devices (TWC) are utilized particularly in gasoline applications to treat exhaust gas constituents. Lean NOx adsorbers (NOx trap) utilize catalysts capable of storing some amount of NOx, and engine control technologies have been developed to combine these NOx adsorbers with fuel efficient engine control strategies to improve fuel efficiency and still achieve acceptable levels of NOx emissions. One known strategy includes using a lean NOx adsorber to store NOx emissions during lean operations and then purge and reduce the stored NOx during rich engine operating conditions with a TWC to nitrogen and water. Particulate filters (DPF) trap soot and particulate matter in diesel applications, and the trapped material is periodically purged during high temperature regeneration events.
One known aftertreatment device includes a selective catalytic reduction device (SCR). The SCR device includes catalytic material that promotes the reaction of NOx with a reductant, such as ammonia or urea, to produce nitrogen and water. The reductants may be injected into an exhaust gas feedstream upstream of the SCR device, requiring injection systems, tanks and control schemes. The tanks may require periodic refilling and can freeze in cold climates requiring additional heaters and insulation.
Catalytic materials used in SCR devices have included vanadium (V) and tungsten (W) on titanium (Ti) and base metals including iron (Fe) or copper (Cu) with a zeolite washcoat. Catalytic materials including copper may perform effectively at lower temperatures but have been shown to have poor thermal durability at higher temperatures. Catalytic materials including iron may perform well at higher temperatures but with decreasing reductant storage efficiency at lower temperatures.
For mobile applications, SCR devices generally have an operating temperature range of 150° C. to 600° C. The temperature range may vary depending on the catalyst. This operating temperature range can decrease during or after higher load operations. Temperatures greater than 600° C. may cause reductants to breakthrough and degrade the SCR catalysts, while the effectiveness of NOx processing decreases at temperatures lower than 150° C.

Passive ammonia-selective catalytic reduction for NOx control in internal combustion engines


As an object lens for an optical pickup, applied is a single-lens and both-side-convex configuration is applied. Further, specific conditional formulas are created with respect to a particular numerical aperture NA, for a paraxial curvature radius R1 on the surface on the light source side; the working distance WD, the refractive index nd with respect to the d-line, and the focal length f. Furthermore, specific conditional formulas are created for the refractive index nd with respect to the d-line and the Abbe's number νd.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an object lens for an optical pickup, an optical pickup, and an optical information processing device.
2. The Description of the Related Art
For "an optical recording medium" such as a CD (compact disk) or a DVD (digital video disk), "an optical information processing device" which performs recording, reproduction, and deletion of information using an optical pickup has been spread widely. In this technical field, high-density recording onto the optical recording medium is demanded.
Since the light spot formed on the recording surface of the optical recording medium is formed of a beam waist of a laser beam which converges by means of the object lens of the optical pickup, and the diameter of the beam waist is proportional to the wavelength of laser beam, and, also, is inverse proportional to the numerical aperture (NA) of the object lens, increase in NA of the object lens in the optical pickup and shortening in the wavelength of laser beam are demanded accordingly.
As to the shortening of the wavelength of laser beam, a semiconductor laser having "the emission wavelength around 660 nm" for DVD is already put in practical use, and, these days, a laser light-source having the wavelength around 400 nm is also being put in practical use.
As the object lens having the large NA exceeding 0.7 has been proposed (for example, see Japanese laid-open patent application No. 10-123410). However, any of such object lenses having the large NA has a two-lens-combined configuration. Compared with a single-lens configuration, such a type of lens of two-lens-combined configuration requires complicated assembling process, high precision in assembling work, and, also, may not be driven at a high speed due to increase in the weight itself.
Moreover, as a working distance, i.e., the distance between the object lens and the optical recording medium surface is shortened in case of employing such a two-lens-combined configuration, there increases a risk of hitting of the object lens onto the recording medium surface, resulting in a series damage occurring thereon. As a result, it becomes difficult to achieve high reliability in this scheme.
Although such a problem does not occur in case of usage of a single lens configuration in the object lens, it may not be possible to achieve large NA. For example, around 6.5 is the maximum on those known.
Conventionally, an incident side substrate thickness, i.e., the distance between the surface of the recording medium on which the beam is incident and the recording surface thereof is prescribed as being 1.2 mm for CD while as being 0.6 mm for DVD. However, recently, a new trend occurs in which the incident side substrate thickness is to be standardized into as small as 0.1 mm.
There is a variation for every individual in the emission wavelength of the semiconductor laser generally used as the light source of the optical pickup, and there is also a phenomenon called mode hopping in which several nm change in the main wavelength occurs with temperature change etc. in the semiconductor laser.
In the optical pickup, when the wavelength emitted from the semiconductor laser changes from the original design value due to the variation for every individual, or due to the mode hopping, chromatic aberration arises in the optical pickup's optical system, the diameter of beam spot increases on the medium recording surface, and thus, there is a possibility of causing a problem on recording/reproducing operation in the device.
Especially the chromatic aberration occurring in the object lens by the wavelength change when using the short wavelength semiconductor laser not more than the emission wavelength around 440 nm may causes a nonpermissible problem. Namely, the refractive-index change with respect to a minute wavelength change becomes large in such a short wavelength range, and also, the chromatic aberration becomes large and the amount of defocus which is the focal movement amount becomes large. Furthermore, the beam spot on the recording medium is shortened so as to achieve high density recording, and, also, the focal depth of the object lens is proportional to the wavelength and inverse proportional to the second power of NA. Accordingly, the focal depth becomes smaller as the wavelength is shorter, and, thus, the tolerance on the defocus becomes restricted.
On the other hand, manufacture error on the order of ±10 nm is not avoidable with respect to the incident side substrate thickness of 0.1 mm. Such a substrate thickness error may cause spherical aberration in imaging function of the object lens designed according to the standardized substrate thickness. Thereby, the beam spot diameter may be increased, and, thus, the proper operation may not be expected in the optical pickup. As well-known, the spherical aberration is proportional to the forth power of NA of the object lens, the substrate thickness error may cause a larger problem as NA of the object lens increases.
As the optical recording medium, recently, in order to achieve a large recording capacity, a so-called "multilayer optical recording medium" in which a plurality of recording layers are placed on each other in a single recording disk has been put in practical use. In such a multilayer optical recording medium, since the recording surface separation (space thickness) of several 10 micrometers or more is needed and the distance from the object lens is different for every recording surface when recording, reproduction, or deletion of information is performed independently onto the respective ones of the plurality of recording surfaces. Accordingly, the spherical aberration may occur on a recording surface thereof different from the optimum position.
In the semiconductor laser used as the light source, utilization of the semiconductor laser with an oscillation wavelength around 400 nm has been attained. As the high NA lens, the high NA lens for the pickup which includes an aspheric surface lens of two-lens-combined configuration is disclosed in Japanese laid-open patent applications Nos. 2001-83410,11-202194, and 11-203711. However, as described above, such a two-lens-combined configuration object lens even having high NA may be problematic in comparison to a single lens configuration.
Japanese laid-open patent application No. 2001-324673 discloses an object lens beyond NA: 0.7 of single lens configuration solving the above-mentioned problem.
However, these conventional examples have a low implementability in terms of manufacture. In fact, in order for the object lens of single lens configuration to attain a raise in NA, and shortening the applicable wavelength, it is necessary to select such a type of glass material that press fabrication thereof can be made using a die having ultra-precision machining performed thereon, it is necessary to achieve satisfactory wavefront performance at a design median, and, also, it is necessary to make the manufacture tolerance to fall within a range of implementability. Specifically, first, as to the wavefront aberration in the design median, it should be controlled less than 0.01λ.
According to the inventor's calculation, the wavefront aberration of the object lens for an optical pickup disclosed by Japanese laid-open patent application No. 2001-324673, embodiment 3 should be 0.037λ, and thus, we could say that implementality is low, where this object lens is used for the wavelength of 400 nm, has NA: 0.85, and f (focal length): 1.765 mm, nd (refractive index in the lens material with respect to the d-line): 1.71667, and νd (number of Abbe in the lens material with respect to the d-line): 53. Moreover, actual utilization thereof is difficult when the implementability on the condition of the manufacture tolerance is low even when the wavefront performance in the design median is satisfactory. For example, the wavefront aberration needs to fall on the order of not more than 0.015λwith respect to the deviation in the thickness more than ±1 μm. FIG. 1 shows a relationship between the thickness tolerance and wavefront aberration on the object lens for optical pickup used in the wavelength: 650 nm, having NA: 0.75, f: 2.00 mm, nd: 1.69330, and νd: 53, as another example. As can be seen therefrom, the above-mentioned conditions cannot be actually satisfied.
Therefore, it is demanded to provide a lens with a reduced amount in wavefront performance degradation with respect to the manufacture tolerance, or to provide an optical pickup which can control the amount in wavefront performance degradation with respect to the manufacture tolerance.
Moreover, while the new standard of increasing NA and shortening the applied wavelength will be issued near future, there exist the conventional CD and DVD. It is preferable that these conventional optical recording media and the optical recording media according to the above-mentioned new standard can both be dealt with by a common optical information processing device. As an easier method therefor, a conventional optical pickup and an optical pickup according to the new standard are both mounted in one information processing device. However, it is difficult to attain a miniaturization and cost reduction of the device according to such a scheme.

Object lens for an infinite-type optical pickup, optical pickup and optical information processing device


When receiving a connection request from a radio terminal (20), a radio base station (10-1) transmits a resource reservation request to a radio base station (10-2) and a radio base station (10-3) if a resource cannot be reserved in the radio base station (10-1), and receives a resource reservation response indicating whether or not the resource can be reserved. When the resource can be reserved in the radio base station (10-2) or the radio base station (10-3), the radio base station (10-1) establishes a service channel via the radio base station (10-1) and performs control for causing the radio terminal (20) to perform a handover to the radio base station (10-2) or the radio base station (10-3).

A radio communication system employing OFDMA-FDD such as a radio communication system based on LTE (Long Term Evolution) or the like is currently under development of specifications by the 3GPP (Third Generation Partnership Project). In such a radio communication system, the arrangement of radio base stations and sectors is determined such that carrier frequencies can be different between neighboring sectors in order to prevent interference between sectors formed by different radio base stations or sectors formed by a single radio station due to overlap of frequencies (carrier frequencies) used for radio communications.
For example, suppose a case where each of multiple radio base stations forms a single sector and where the sectors formed by the radio base stations have respectively different carrier frequencies. In this case, at the start of service use, a radio terminal receives broadcast signals transmitted from the radio base stations, compares reception levels of the radio signals with each other, and thereby selects the radio base station most suitable as a connection destination. Further, the radio terminal transmits a connection request to the selected radio base station. If a radio resource is available for the radio terminal, the radio base station having received the connection request allocates the radio resource to establish connection with the radio terminal (for example, see Patent Document 1).

Radio base station and communication control method


The present invention relates to a system and methodology providing a virtual “namespace” architecture between client and server components in an industrial automation environment, wherein the namespace can be a structured store of logical names, instances and definitions, together with access and modification components. An Active Directory Service Interface (ADSI) family can be employed, for example, to navigate and access the namespace structure and contents. The present invention employs the concept of a “service” to encapsulate server-side behavior accessed through the namespace. Thus, logical names can be utilized to decouple client components from the physical location and implementation of server components. Some services, known as “basic services”, may ignore the logical container structure exposed by an area model in a namespace. By contrast, services which utilize an area context and a set of named service items to interact with clients can be referred to as “namespace extensions.” Further, services known as “context services” may use the area model to scope and control accesses, yet not employ a service item namespace organized by the area model.

Industrial control systems have enabled modern factories to become partially or completely automated in many circumstances. These systems generally include a plurality of Input and Output (I/O) modules that interface at a device level to switches, contactors, relays and solenoids along with analog control to provide more complex functions such as Proportional, Integral and Derivative (PID) control. Communications have also been integrated within the systems, whereby many industrial controllers can communicate via network technologies such as Ethernet, Control Net, Device Net or other network protocols and media and also communicate to higher level computing systems. Generally, industrial controllers utilize the aforementioned technologies along with other technology to control, cooperate and communicate within and across multiple and diverse applications.
At the core of the industrial control system is a logic processor such as a Programmable Logic Controller (PLC). Programmable Logic Controllers are programmed by systems designers to operate manufacturing processes via user-designed logic programs or user programs. The user programs are stored in memory and generally executed by the PLC in a sequential manner although instruction jumping, looping and interrupt routines, for example, are also common. Associated with the user program are a plurality of memory elements or variables that provide dynamics to PLC operations and programs. These variables can be user-defined and can be defined as bits, bytes, words, integers, floating point numbers, timers, counters and/or other data types to name but a few examples.
Industrial controllers and associated control systems have increasingly become more sophisticated and complicated as control applications have been distributed across the plant floor and in many cases across geographical or physical boundaries. As an example, multiple controllers and/or other devices may communicate and cooperate to control one or more aspects of an overall manufacturing process via a network, whereas other devices may be remotely located, yet still contribute to the same process. In other words, control applications have become less centrally located on a singular control system having associated responsibilities for an entire operation. Thus, distribution of the overall control function and/or process frequently occurs across many control components, systems or devices.
Due to the distributed nature of modern control systems, it has become more difficult to achieve reliable communications, control and operational harmony amongst diverse components that are often only bound via common network connections. Thus, many network components do not operate according to well-coordinated software interactivity even though the network components may communicate via common network protocols such as Ethernet. For example, custom interfaces and/or communications configurations may have to be developed for each control component residing on the network in order for the control components to act in a coordinated manner. As the number of components increase, costly start-up time and development efforts are expended in order to cause the control components to communicate and ultimately cooperate to achieve an overall manufacturing process or outcome.

System and methodology that facilitates client and server interaction in a distributed industrial automation environment


A voice enhancing device amplifies and clarifies the voice of a user with hypophonia or other voice issues. The device includes a collar of either rigid or a soft material that is shaped to comfortably sit on the shoulders of the user. One or more microphone arrays are adjustably mounted to the collar to capture audio of the user talking. An electronics module enhances the captured audio signal and generates an enhanced audio signal that drives at least one speaker adjustably attached to the collar. The electronic controller implements one or more of an AGC amplifier to correct amplitude variation in spoked words, adaptive filtering to actively filter out background noise, a variable attack and decay function to improve intelligibility of the spoken words, a diphthong modification function to clarify the spoken words, and an echo cancelation function to reduce echo and feedback in the enhanced audio.

Hypophonia is a common symptom of neurological disorders including Parkinson's and Multiple sclerosis. The patient (the talker) loses the ability to speak above a whisper and can't communicate. Often the underlying condition makes it difficult for the patient to articulate. The condition affects the mouth the tongue and other parts of the patient's articulation system, making mere amplification of the generated sound insufficient to make the speech intelligible.
Personal public-address (PA) devices, such as those used by teachers and tour guides, have been used to mitigate the issue. However, these devices often lack the amplification needed to be effective and/or they cause feedback and howl when the amplification is increased to a level where the amplitude of the output is effective. In noisy environments, such as when traveling in an automobile and when in an ICU, such devices tend to also amplify the background noise making intelligibility of the patient worse instead of better.
Generally, the personal PA devices do not use directional microphones because omnidirectional microphones are less sensitive to the subject turning their head, however, omni directional microphones pick up more ambient (e.g., background) sound. The form factor of most of these personal PA devices is a box that clips onto a belt or that is worn like a fanny pack. These form factors do not work well when people are sitting down. People with neurological disorders severe enough to need amplification devices generally spend much of their time seated.


Described are example microelectronic devices including structures, such as build-up layers, formed of a non-homogeneous photoimageable dielectric material. The non-homogeneous photoimageable dielectric material includes two regions forming opposite surfaces of the material. A first region includes a first carbon content, and a second region located above the first region includes a second carbon content which is greater than that of the first region. The second region of the photoimageable dielectric material provides enhanced adhesion with metal that may be deposited above the material, such as a sputtered metal seed layer to facilitate subsequent deposition of an electroless metal over the non-homogeneous photoimageable dielectric material.

Many forms of microelectronic devices, such as IC (integrated circuit) packages, include a semiconductor package substrate or similar structure (such as a redistribution layer ("RDL"), interposer, etc.). All of such structures are generically referred to herein as "substrates" for purposes of the present disclosure. In many examples, manufacturing such substrates includes forming one or more build-up layers over an underlying structure (such as a substrate core, a semiconductor die, reconstituted wafer, etc.). Such build-up layers commonly include a dielectric, with a conductive material extending over the dielectric and forming contacts through the dielectric (such as micro-vias) to a conductive structure below (such as another conductive layer, a contact pad, through core contact, etc.).
In the forming of such substrates, it is often desirable to form the conductive structures through electroless deposition of the metal conductor (and via) material. Such electroless deposition, however, may require deposition of a seed layer upon which the electroless metal can be deposited. In many examples, the seed layer is sputtered onto the patterned build-up dielectric material, and the electroless metal is deposited to form the conductive layer and vias.
Photoimageable dielectric film ("PID") offers many advantages in forming structures such as build-up layers. However, conventional photoimageable dielectric film presents challenges relative to adhesion of metallic materials, such as metal seed layers, to the films.

Microelectronic device including non-homogeneous build-up dielectric


A device for washing, drying, and storing brassieres and bikini tops and the like comprises an outer shell having two halves that have a plurality of holes. A foraminous inner form, which also contains a plurality of holes, has an exterior surface shaped like the contours of a padded bra cup breast side. The bra cups"" breast side rests against the inner form""s exterior surfaces to prevent it and the bra""s underwires from losing their natural curvature. The inner form is hollow and provides space for the containment of a bra""s shoulder and back straps. The inner form is secured to the outer shell""s two halves by a first hinge, which allows the inner form to swing from first half to second half and vice versa, and also allows first half and second half to open and close like a clamshell. A second hinge is located between the first hinge and the inner form to allow the inner form to swing away from the outer shell""s two halves and back to its original position for easy placement and removal of bra(s) inside in the device. A latching mechanism secures the device in a closed and locked or latched position and is located between the exterior and interior surfaces of the outer shell""s two halves. The protruding rim on one half of the outer shell nestles within the receiving rim on the other half to prevent lateral movement of the two halves.

Not applicable.
Not applicable.
Not applicable.
1. Field
This invention relates to clothes washing, particular to a washing, drying, and storage device for brassieres and bikini tops.
2. Prior Art
Brassieres are commonly made with two cups, two shoulder straps, two back straps, a latching mechanism (hooks and eyelets), optional padding (soft foam, air, water, gel, or silicone), and, optionally, two underwires. Padding can come as removable inserts or as an integral part of the bra. Some bras comprise extremely delicate fabric, such as lace, satin, silk, mesh, high-tech microfiber, stretch, and sheer fabric.
The underwires, when used in the cups, often become misshapen during washing and drying. Over time, the underwires frequently tear through the bra""s fabric. This can result in injury to the breast or bra, and can also damage other clothing and the washing machine drum.
The latching mechanism, located either on the two back straps or on the front in between the cups at the intercup bridge, typically has several hooks and eyelets or a plastic snap closure. In the washing machine and/or dryer the hooks frequently snag onto the bra itself, zippers, buttonholes, sweaters, and delicate fabrics, as well as becoming misshapen. A bra can also easily become tangled with other clothing and in crevices within the washer and dryer, causing further deformities to the cups, padding, underwires, fabric, and straps. Repeated machine washing and drying can substantially diminish the elasticity of bras. The padding, especially if made of thick and soft foam, often becomes indented and bunched. If made of air, water, gel, or silicone, it can becomes punctured and leak. Such deformities are visible, even through a T-shirt, and are especially noticeable when tight fitting garments are worn. These problems are well understood by women who wear padded or non-padded bras.
Consequently, in an attempt to protect the bra""s original shape, some users have tried to wash bras in a dishwasher. To do so, the bra must be fastened to the dishwasher to prevent it from shifting and becoming damaged by the dishwasher""s pointed rack rods and rotating spray arm. Another way to wash bras is to place it within a mesh washing bag, which is then placed in a washing machine or dishwasher. However, because of its soft material construction, the bag still does not adequately prevent the bra from being damagedxe2x80x94such as losing its original shape, collapsing inward and against the cups"" curved shape, and becoming tangled with other bras within the same bag. In addition, padded bras (especially those using air, water, gel, or silicone) can be easily punctured, thus causing leakage to the bra cups. The bra""s hooks can also come loose and snag on other bras placed within the same bag. The time and money needed to replace a damaged bra can also be substantial.
Given all these inconveniences, many women have chosen to wash their bras by hand. However, hand washing is very time-consuming and impractical. It can also cause back, hand, and wrist pain. Most bras that are hand washed have to be air-dried, which causes huge water deposits where they are hung and thus slippery surfaces and more unnecessary cleanup.
One attempt to address the aforementioned problems has been made by DesForges with a garment protector as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,971,236 (Oct. 26, 1999). It comprises two separate inner and outer shells that snap together in a concavo-convex fashion with the bra secured between the shells. The user must place the right bra cup on top of the left bra cup before it can be inserted into DesForges""s device. This folding process disfigures the bra cups"" curvature, especially when the bra is padded, even before it is washed and dried. The more padded the cups, the more susceptible they are to disfigurement, especially when folded in this fashion. The bra""s straps, along with its hooks, are left dangling outside the device, which can then snag onto clothing, zippers, buttonholes, as well as in the washer and dryer""s crevices. Although DesForges claims that bra straps may be held within the device, the gaps throughout the device""s shell are larger than the straps, thus leaving space for the straps to escape and become tangled with the previously mentioned items. A final problem is that its locking mechanism consists of three pins, which easily can slide out of its engaging slot.
DesForges shows another garment protector in U.S. Pat. No. 6,234,368 (May 22, 2001) which is basically the same as that of his ""236 patent, but adds a circular cover that fits over the inner form to hold an extra clothing article. All of the previous devices flaws are still present in this one. However, another problem arisesxe2x80x94that is, the cover is very unstable. Moreover, it isn""t clear how this cover can be secured in place; it will easily come loose during machine washing and drying.
Mayer shows a garment protector in U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,013 (Sep. 17, 1996). It comprises two domed-shaped baskets with two hinged springs. The bra cups are sandwiched between the two baskets and springs. The problem with this design is that the springs place excessive pressure on the bra cups, thereby damaging their fragile fabric and padding. Some bras are made of fabric, which is too delicate to withstand the spring""s pressure. Mayer""s device has three locking mechanisms, four hinges, and two spring-like components. These components are confusing and make using the device difficult. Although Mayer claims that the device""s baskets prevent the bra""s straps from tangling with other clothing, the patent does not describe how this would be accomplished.
Sutton shows a garment protector in U.S. Pat. No. 5,829,083 (Nov. 3, 1998) that includes a pair of hemispherical sections that form two balls, with the smaller ball nested within the larger ball. The bra is held by the inner ball, which is then placed within the outer ball. The problem with this design is that not all bra cups are perfectly spherical, especially padded ones. For example, almost all padded bras are thicker on the bottom where the underwires lie, and then gradually thin out towards the top. This graduated foam padding creates a more natural fit for the wearer than an evenly padded bra and a more pleasing appearance to the upper part of the breasts that are exposed when wearing certain styles of blouses, etc. Because of its irregular contours, the inner part of a padded bra, especially a thickly padded one, will not rest properly in Sutton""s device. Moreover, the device will not securely hold the bra. The gaps are too big so that bra straps and hooks can easily escape. Both hinges and locking mechanisms are unstable, as they protrude from the device, and can easily hit the washer and dryer, and eventually become damaged, thus making it unfit for further use. Also, the pins of the hinge mechanism are removable, so a user can easily misplace them, also rendering the device useless. Sutton""s device requires some trial-and-error to use, and therefore is not user-friendly. For example, it isn""t clear if the user must open the device by pressing the thumb lever only, or must also remove the rods or pins. Overall, this design is big and unwieldy, and thus occupies a large volume in a washer or dryer.
Another garment protector is shown in UK published patent application 2,238,323 A to Beyer (May 29, 1991). It uses a stiff cage-like container with tiny holes in the walls. This device has a lower container portion and an upper lid portion. However, this design is also flawed. Although the rigid container may protect the bras from the outside environment, it does not protect the bra""s internal structure. For example, semi-padded and thickly padded bras are made from various materials (e.g., soft foam, gel, water, air or silicone) that often become damaged with indentations, deformations, and leakage. The bra""s padding and natural curvature can collapse inward, and against their original curved shape, and the hooks can come loose and snag on the bra placed within the same device. In addition, the locking mechanism consists of two external clasps with holes that snap into its receiving studs. This mechanism appears unstable and can break from constant impact with the washer and dryer through repeated use.
Another garment protector is shown in UK published patent application 2,291,654 A to McArdle (Jan. 31, 1996). It uses a container resembling a flattened jar or disk. The bra is placed inside the container and is secured by screwing on the lid. There are several problems with this design. First, the holes are too small and too few, thus preventing the bra from being properly cleaned and dried. Furthermore, there is nothing to prevent the bra cups from becoming deformed, especially padded ones.
In sum, all prior-art protectors of which I am aware have one or more of the following disadvantages and defects:
They require users to fold the bra cup portion on top of one another before it can be inserted into the device. This causes the cup portions of the bra to lose their curvature and become flattened, resulting in improper fitting of the bra cups around the wearer""s breasts.
The gaps throughout each device""s shell are much larger than the bra""s straps, and thus leave plenty of space for the straps to escape from the device. Thus, the bra""s back and shoulder strap portions can become tangled with other clothing articles, causing loss of elasticity and distortions to the bra cups and straps. Moreover, uncontained hooks on the bra strap can become caught in buttonholes, sweaters, zippers, the bra itself, as well as other clothing articles.
These devices"" designs can damage a bra""s delicate fabric (e.g., lace, satin, silk, mesh, high-tech microfiber, and stretch fabric) by putting excessive pressure on it. This causes the bra""s fabric to run, snag, and pucker, creating imperfections that are visible through an outer layer of clothing.
These devices do not prevent the soft foam padding from indenting and bunching, causing visible deformity to the bra. These imperfections are especially visible when body-hugging garments are worm. These deformities are especially noticeable to women who wear padded bras.
These devices offer no protection for bra padding comprised of air, water, gel, and silicone, which can become punctured and leak, thereby ruining the bra cups and rendering the bra useless.
The hinges and locking mechanisms of these devices are unstable as they protrude unprotected from the device, making them vulnerable to damage.
Accordingly, several objects and advantages of my bra device are:
(a) to provide an improved device for protecting bras during washing, drying, and storage.
(b) to provide such a device that can be used to wash bras of various designsxe2x80x94including non-padded, semi-padded and heavily padded brasxe2x80x94regardless of whether the padding is made of soft foam, air, water, gel, or silicone.
(c) to provide such a device that can allow water, detergent and air to penetrate, yet contain the bra""s straps to prevent them and their hooks from escaping.
(d) to provide such a device that prevents bra hooks from puncturing, hooking onto, and tearing the bra itself as well as other clothing articles.
(e) to provide such a device that has a reliable and user-friendly latching mechanism and which is not susceptible to damage when properly used.
(f) to provide such a device that can shield both the contained bra and the latching mechanism during washing, drying, and storage.
(g) to provide such a device that protects the bra""s delicate fabric, thus preventing it from running, snagging, and puckering.
(h) to provide such a device that prevents a bra from being battered, thus preventing unsightly contours due to the bunching of the padding medium.
(i) to provide such a device that can preserve the curvature of the bra""s cups and underwires during washing, drying, and storage.
(j) to provide such a device that can contain a bra and all its components for machine washing, drying, and storage.
(k) to provide such a washing, drying and storage device that can easily fit into a washing machine and dryer.
(l) to provide an inexpensive, convenient, reliable, lightweight, and sturdy device that can be easily used when washing, drying, and storing one to three bra;
(m) to provide such a device that prevents the bra cups from tangling within the device and from becoming misshapen once the device is closed and locked, and when properly used.
(n) to provide such a device that can be used to wash, dry, and store not only bras and bikini tops, but also removable bra straps, demi-pads, pushup pads, shoulder pads, hosiery, panties and scarves.
(o) to provide a bra protecting device that can withstand hot water from a washing machine and hot air from a dryer.
(p) to provide such a device with no sharp edges, which prevents it from damaging other clothing articles in the washer or dryer while in use.
(q) to provide such a device that can prevent lateral movement of the two outer shell halves during washing, drying, and storage.
(r) to provide such a device that can accommodate at least one thickly padded bra, two semi-padded, or three non-padded bras.
(s) to provide such a device which will properly protect a bra so that it will last nine or ten times as long as one that is not protected during washing, drying, and storage, thus reducing the cost of bras and the impact of manufacturing on the environment.
Further objects and advantages will become apparent from consideration of the drawings and ensuing description.
In accordance with the present invention, a washing, drying, and storage device for brassieres and bikini tops comprises an outer shell, which can be split into two halves, an inner form, at least one hinge, and one latching mechanism. The inner form and outer shell""s two halves have holes that are large enough for water, detergent, and air to reach the bra inside, yet are smaller than the bra""s shoulder straps. This prevents them from escaping and snagging on other clothing including the bra itself.

Washing, drying, and storage device for brassieres and bikini tops