According to one embodiment, the base plate includes first and a second faces that are opposed to each other; the second face has a contoured rear surface, and the first area is set in the center of the plate. There is a second area with via holes in the peripheral areas of the center part. Also, the thickness of the second area is less than the thickness of the first area.

In a power semiconductor device, a substrate upon which a power semiconductor chip is formed is bonded to abase plate. The base plate is screwed or otherwise attached to a heat sink, in order to dissipate the heat generated by the electrification in the power semiconductor chip.
In this type of semiconductor device, in order to improve the contact of the base plate and the heat sink with one another, the base plate is warped into a convex shape on the heat sink side thereof. On the periphery of the base plate, via holes are provided in order to insert screws therethrough to secure the base plate to a heat sink.
The periphery of the base plate is spaced from the heat sink upon initial placement of the base plate on the heat sink. When tightening the base plate with a screw, the periphery of the base plate will be pushed down and will become distorted into a shape matching the profile of the heat sink.
If the distortion resulting from the screwing operation propagates into the interior of the base plate, where the semiconductor device is bonded thereto, the power semiconductor chip will be affected by forces which tend to peel it or shear it from the base plate. As a result, bonding parts are destroyed, or internal stresses in the chip will increase, which degrades in the long-term reliability of the power semiconductor device.


Disclosed are a non-volatile memory and page dynamic allocation and mapping technology thereof. According to the page dynamic allocation and mapping technology, by variable memory allocation, fragmentation may be prevented and page faults may be minimized in response to pages being loaded through page mapping of the non-volatile memory.

1. Field
The following description relates to management of a memory, and more particularly, to technology related to dynamically allocating and mapping pages in a non-volatile memory.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recent development of conventional computer systems includes a two-level storage structure having a volatile memory such as a Random Access Memory (RAM) to store short-term data (for example, Stacks and Heaps), and a non-volatile memory such as a Hard Disk Drive (HDD) to store long-term data (for example, data pages). Accordingly, various operating systems (OS) have been optimized to be compatible with such a two-level storage structure.
However, in an OS optimized to be compatible with the two-level storage system, memory fragmentation within the storage system can occur. That is, pages used by application programs may become scattered in the storage system where use of the computer system is prolonged.
Also, an OS optimized to be compatible with a two-level storage computer system utilizes a demand-paging policy, and accordingly page faults frequently occur.
In order to load pages through demand-paging, context switching is needed. Page faults may occur sometimes where pages are loaded from a non-volatile memory to a volatile memory. Accordingly, the conventional two-level storage system may suffer from performance deterioration due to such memory fragmentation and page faults.
Recently, studies regarding non-volatile memories, such as Non-Volatile RAMs (NVRAM) including PRAMs, MRAMs, FeRAMs, and the like, have been actively undertaken in the related technical fields. Non-volatile memories such as NVRAMs are believed to have certain benefits including being accessed in units of bytes and achieving simple deletion calculations and low power consumption.

Non-volatile memory, page dynamic allocation apparatus and page mapping apparatus therefor, and page dynamic allocation method and page mapping method therefor


A belt or a belt segment has a plurality of strength members that run in the longitudinal direction (X) and are disposed so as to be mutually parallel, and has a connection element forming one end of the belt, or of the belt segment and is configured to be connected to a further connection element at the other end of the belt, or to an end of a further belt segment, or is configured to connect two ends of the belt, or of the belt segment, wherein at least one end of a strength member is connected in a force-fitting manner to a clamping body, wherein the clamping body can be held in a form-fitting manner by the connection element at least in the longitudinal direction (X) through a strength member leadthrough. A strength member leadthrough in the longitudinal direction (X) has a widening facing the clamping body.

Belts closed in an endless manner represent closed annular elements which can be used for example as drive belts such as, for example, V-belts for power transmission. However, they can also be used as conveyor belts in order to transport loose bulk materials, for example. They can also be used as caterpillar tracks in tracked vehicles for moving the vehicle.
Belts of this type generally run around a drive and further guide or support rollers, in order for the drive power to be transmitted to a take-off element (V-belt), in order for the drive power to be utilized for transporting material (conveyor belt) or for a vehicle to be moved around (caterpillar track). To this end, these belts have a predetermined elasticity, which can be achieved for example by the use of an elastomeric material, for example rubber, as the base material of the belt. Moreover, these belts usually have one or more strength members in the longitudinal direction for transmitting the tensile forces in the running direction of the belt. The strength members can be, for example, steel cables which permit a particularly high force to be transmitted. However, woven textile fabrics are also commonplace as strength members.
Belts of this type can be produced, for example as V-belts, to some extent in an already closed manner. In most cases, for example as conveyor belts or caterpillar tracks, the belts are produced in a usually open manner, that is, as an elongate body, on account of their length in the longitudinal direction, and are also transported to the site of application in this state. They are then closed in an endless manner there. Closing in an endless manner can take place, for example, by the two ends being joined together by vulcanization, but this precludes a non-destructive separation of the ends and thus opening of the belt again, for example in the case of wear or damage. Furthermore, this requires a great deal of effort at the application site.
Therefore, it is known for the ends of the strength members to be left free of elastomeric material, or to be exposed, at the two ends of the open belt, and for these ends to be connected mechanically. This can take place, for example, in that the respective ends are clamped in a respective common coupling element and the two coupling elements are connected together, for example in a hinge-like manner, via a coupling bar. On account of this mechanical clamping connection being divided between two coupling elements which are then rotatable with respect to one another as a joint, the flexibility of the belt as a whole is intended to be limited as little as possible. This may be required in particular in the case of tight deflection radii.
U.S. Pat. No. 9,506,526 B2 shows a corresponding belt made of an elastomeric material having a strength member ply made of steel cables that extend in the longitudinal direction of the belt and are arranged parallel to one another. The steel cable ends are in each case clamped in a belt end body. The two belt end bodies are intercoupled in the manner of a hinge.
A belt that is closable in an endless manner, having at least one strength member that runs in the longitudinal direction of the belt and a common connection element which can interconnect the two strength member ends is known from DE 10 2014 224 526.5 (unpublished). The two strength member ends have in each case at least one holding element that is fastened in a force-fitting manner, the holding elements in the longitudinal direction being able to be held in a form-fitting manner by the connection element. To this end, the strength member ends can be press-fitted in the respective holding element and then be placed into a common receptacle space of the connection element. In this way, the holding elements can be held in a force-fitting manner at the strength member ends, and can be held in a form-fitting manner in the longitudinal direction, for example via crenelated protrusions of the connection element.
DE 10 2015 212 750.8 (unpublished) discloses a comparable mounting of the strength member ends, wherein the strength member ends here are in each case received in a form-fitting manner in separate connection elements via holding elements that are press-fitted thereon in a force-fitting manner. The two connection elements can interact in the manner of a hinge in order to establish the endless closure of the belt, as is the case in U.S. Pat. No. 9,506,526 B2.
It is disadvantageous herein that the strength member ends, on account of the latter being press-fitted, are usually deformed in the holding elements. This is caused by pressing forces which in the press-fitting of the holding elements act perpendicularly to the cross section of the strength members. The original circular cross section of the strength members within the holding element herein is usually deformed to an oval cross section. This oval cross section can continue outside the holding element. The oval deformation herein can decrease as the distance from the holding element in the longitudinal direction increases.
If the oval deformed region of the strength member which is outside the holding element is guided into a cylindrical opening such as, for example, a bore of the connection element which per se corresponds to the cylindrical cross section of the strength member, this can lead to a deflection of individual external strands of the strength member on the edges of the cylindrical openings. On account of this deflection, or of any buckling, respectively, of the oval strength member on the edges of the cylindrical opening, damage to or severing of the strands, respectively, can occur, on account of which the transmissible tensile force of the strength member can be reduced, the latter rupturing in the case of excessive tensile stresses.


A semiconductor material (5) is grown in the windows (4) of a patterned mask layer (3) on a substrate (1). The semiconductor material (5) grows together over the mask layer (3) with semiconductor material (5) from adjacent windows to form a largely planar surface (7), which is suitable for the further growth of a component layer sequence (9). Through the choice of a substrate (1) having a smaller thermal expansion coefficient than the semiconductor material (5), particularly strong tensile stresses occur in the semiconductor material (5) or the component layer sequence (9) during cooling, which stresses lead to cracking. Since the semiconductor material (5) that has grown together forms a so-called coalescence region (6), having a high density of imperfections in the crystal lattice, these thermally governed cracks (13) are more likely to occur in this region. If the semiconductor bodies are singulated along these regions, these regions high in defects can be removed during the singulation, and a semiconductor body of high crystal quality can be mass produced.

Nitride compound semiconductor materials are compound semiconductor materials which contain nitrogen, such as materials from the system InxAlyGA1−x−yN where 0≦x≦1, 0≦y≦1 and x+y≦1. In the present instance, the group of radiation-emitting and/or radiation-detecting semiconductor chips based on nitride compound semiconductor material include in particular semiconductor chips in which the epitaxially fabricated semiconductor layer, which generally has a layer sequence comprising different individual layers, contains at least one individual layer which has a material from the nitride compound semiconductor material system. The semiconductor layer may for example have a conventional pn junction, a double heterostructure, a single quantum well structure (SQW structure) or a multiple quantum well structure (MQW structure). Structures of this type are known to the person skilled in the art and are therefore not explained in any more detail at this juncture.
It is known for a semiconductor material to be grown epitaxially on a substrate whose lattice constant is matched to the lattice constant of the semiconductor material in order to obtain an improved crystal quality and fewer crystal defects. A lattice-matched substrate which is also sufficiently suitable for the mass production of semiconductor chips of this type has not been disclosed heretofore in the case of the nitride compound semiconductor materials. Therefore, substrates based on sapphire, silicon carbide or spinel are frequently used, even though their lattice constant is not optimally matched to that of nitride compound semiconductor material.
An additional problem is that the epitaxial growth takes place for example at a temperature in the range of approximately 800° C. to approximately 1000° C. and is subsequently cooled for further processing. In this case, different thermal expansion coefficients of substrate material and semiconductor material layer grown thereon may lead to thermally induced mechanical stresses, with the result that there is the risk of damage to the semiconductor material layer due to cracks, for example. Conventionally, it is attempted to reduce this risk by matching the thermal expansion coefficients of the semiconductor material layer and of the substrate material to one another as well as possible.
Since the number of different materials suitable for the substrate is comparatively small in the case of nitride compound semiconductor materials, the aforementioned thermal matching is possible only to a limited extent, however. This means that, on the one hand, the maximum layer thickness that can be achieved for the semiconductor layer is limited and, on the other hand, the yield of semiconductor layers grown in a manner free of cracks is reduced.
These problems of limited layer thickness and yields also relate to semiconductor materials grown on the conventional substrates sapphire, spinel or silicon carbide. While the thermal matching between the semiconductor layer and the substrate is still relatively successful in the case of the material sapphire, for which reason nitride compound semiconductors of sufficient layer thickness can be grown on sapphire, only very thin layers made of nitride compound semiconductor materials having a maximum layer thickness of 3 to 4 μm can be grown epitaxially in a manner largely free of cracks on a substrate made of silicon carbide. Since it is intended to use the nitride compound semiconductors to fabricate optoelectronic components, in particular semiconductor lasers, and since these components may evolve a high thermal power loss depending on the individual case, the material sapphire is of only extremely limited suitability for the fabrication of power laser diodes, on account of its poor thermal conductivity. The use of silicon carbide as a substrate material has the advantage of a good thermal conductivity.
It is furthermore known to use special deposition methods for reducing the defect density in the semiconductor material. A method of this type is often referred to as the LEO method (lateral epitaxial overgrowth) or the ELOG method (epitaxial lateral overgrowth) and is disclosed for example in Song et al., Phys. Stat. Sol. (a) 180, 247 (2000), the content of which in this respect is hereby incorporated by reference. The fabrication of a gallium nitride layer on a sapphire substrate is described therein. First of all a thin initial layer (seed layer) is applied on the sapphire substrate and a strip-type silicon nitride mask layer is applied to said initial layer. During the subsequent deposition of trimethyl gallium and ammonia, first of all a plurality of gallium nitride layers grow between the mask strips. As soon as the gallium nitride layers have reached the thickness of the mask layer, the epitaxy parameters are set such that lateral growth occurs in addition to the vertical growth. Consequently, the mask layer is laterally overgrown by the gallium nitride layers. This process is continued until a closed gallium nitride layer is produced.
It has been found that the dislocation density in the gallium nitride layer fabricated by lateral overgrowth is advantageously low and is distinguished by a higher crystal quality in particular compared with a layer which is grown directly on the sapphire substrate.
However, comparatively large layer thicknesses (approximately 3–10 μm) are produced during these methods with coalescing ELOG layers, with the result that, in particular when using SiC substrates, the risk of cracking is very high and, consequently, it is only with difficulty that optoelectronic components with a sufficient quality can be fabricated.

Method for fabricating a plurality of semiconductor chips


The invention relates to the prophylaxis and/or treatment of fibrosis and/or fibrotic diseases by means of antibodies. Above all, the invention relates to the administration of an anti-alpha-v integrin (receptor) antibody to patients suffering from fibrosis and/or fibrotic diseases, including but not limited to systemic sclerosis (SSc). More specifically, the instant invention relates to the treatment of fibrotic diseases of the skin, lung, heart, liver and/or kidney by means of said antibody. Even more specifically, the instant invention relates to the administration of a recombinant, de-immunized monoclonal antibody targeting αv-integrins patients suffering from systemic sclerosis, including, but not limited to systemic sclerosis of the skin, lung, heart and/or kidney by means of the anti-alpha-v integrin antibody DI17E6 and structural mutants or modifications thereof.

Fibrosis is preferably defined as the formation of excess fibrous tissue, preferably fibrous connective tissue, in an organ or tissue, preferably in a reparative or reactive process. This can preferably qualified as a reactive, benign, or pathological state. In response to injury, this is preferably called scarring, and if fibrosis arises from a single cell line, this is preferably called a fibroma. Physiologically, fibrosis typically acts to deposit connective tissue, which can obliterate the architecture and function of the underlying organ or tissue. Fibrosis can preferably be used to describe the pathological state of excess deposition of fibrous tissue, as well as the process of connective tissue deposition in healing. In the context of the present invention, the term fibrosis is preferably used to describe the pathological state of excess deposition of fibrous tissue. Fibrosis in the pathological sense is similar to the process of scarring, in that both involve stimulated cells laying down connective tissue, including collagen and glycosaminoglycans. Immune cells called macrophages, as well as any damaged tissue between surfaces called interstitium, typically release TGF-β. There are numerous reasons for this, including inflammation of the nearby tissue, or a generalized inflammatory state, with increased circulating mediators. TGF-β stimulates the proliferation and activation of fibroblasts, which then normally trigger the deposition of connective tissue.
Fibrosis can occur in many tissues of many organs within the body, typically as a result of inflammation or damage, and examples include:
Fibrosis of the lung, e.g. pulmonary fibrosis, cystic fibrosis and/or idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis; Fibrosis of the liver, e.g. liver cirrhosis;
Fibrosis of the heart, e.g. atrial fibrosis, endomyocardial fibrosis and/or as the consequential damage of a previous myocardial infarction.
Moreover, fibrosis, and especially pathological fibrosis, preferably includes arthrofibrosis (predominantly of the knee and shoulder, but also occurring in a variety of other joints), Crohn's Disease (intestines), Dupuytren's contracture (predominantly in the hands and/or fingers), Keloid (predominantly affecting the skin), Mediastinal fibrosis (predominantly relating to the soft tissue of the mediastinum), Myelofibrosis (predominantly affecting the bone marrow), Peyronie's disease (penis), Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (predominantly affecting the skin), progressive massive fibrosis (e.g. of the lungs, often a consequential complication of coal workers' pneumoconiosis), retroperitoneal fibrosis (predominantly affecting the soft tissue of the retroperitoneum), and/or scleroderma or systemic sclerosis (predominantly affecting the skin and/or lungs).
The terms fibrosis, pathological fibrosis and fibrotic diseases or fibrotic disorders are known and understood in the art.
Preferably, all pathological forms of fibrosis, i.e. forms that are not directly related to acute damage and/or normal wound healing, are also referred to in the context of the present invention as fibrotic disorders. Thus, fibrotic disorders are preferably those states of fibrosis which exceed the level of fibrosis that is normally found in desired, correct wound healing processes.
Systemic sclerosis (SSc, ICD-10 classification M34) is an especially preferred fibrotic disorder to be treated according to the instant invention. Systemic sclerosis is often also referred to as systemic scleroderma and sometimes as progressive systemic sclerosis. Systemic sclerosis is a clinically heterogeneous multi-organ connective tissue disease with a characteristic but variable spectrum of clinical and laboratory presentations with features of autoimmunity, vascular injury and progressive fibrosis, leading to pain, disability, progressive dysfunction and ultimately failure of vital organs such as lung, heart, or kidney. Preferably, SSc can be differentiated from a group of diseases termed localized scleroderma, that preferably include conditions such as morphea, linear scleroderma and scleroderma en-coup-de-sabre, and preferably also other disorders that mimic one or more signs of scleroderma.
The aetiology of SSc is currently unknown. However, the spectrum of clinical presentations is a consequence of variable degrees of vascular abnormalities, immune mediated damage and fibrosis potentially possible in almost any organ. Organ involvement in SSc can lead to decline of its function and precocious mortality when vital organs such as lung, liver, kidney and heart are affected. The skin is almost always involved. Based on the pattern of skin involvement SSc is classified into diffuse cutaneous (dc) SSc and localized cutaneous (Ic) SSc. In IcSSc skin involvement typically extends from the distal extremities to the knees and elbows; in dcSSc the skin involvement typically extends proximally, involving the trunk upper arms and/or thighs. More details on preferred subsets and disease classifications can be found in the sections "Classification" and "Diagnosis and Symptoms". SSc can have overlapping features with other connective tissue diseases (CTD) such as systemic lupus erythematosus, polymyositis, rheumatoid arthritis or Sjögren's syndrome.
SSc is typically associated with one or more of the following histopathological and pathophysiological characteristics:
i) Vascular Abnormalities:
The characteristic pathologic finding in SSc vascular abnormalities is a non-inflammatory proliferative/obliterative vasculopathy involving small arteries and arterioles in multiple vascular beds. Although in long-standing SSc these lesions generally occur in the absence of inflammation, in early stage disease, inflammatory cell infiltrates are prominent in many organs. Histopathologic evidence of vascular damage is present before fibrosis can be detected in involved and non-involved skin, indicating a generalized process. Manifestations, such as Raynaud's phenomenon, generally precede other disease manifestations. Additional clinical signs of SSc vasculopathy include cutaneous telangiectasia, nail-fold capillary alterations, pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH), digital pit formation, gastric antral vascular ectasia, and scleroderma renal crisis.
In patients with established SSc, the most characteristic vascular finding is bland intimal proliferation in the small and medium sized arteries. In late stages of the disease, extensive fibrin deposition and perivascular fibrosis cause progressive luminal occlusion, and there is a striking paucity of small blood vessels in lesional tissue. Loss of vascular supply leads to chronic tissue hypoxia.
The initial vascular insult is apparently endothelial cell injury. Secondarily platelets may become activated and release mediators that may contribute to vasoconstriction, fibroblast activation and myofibroblast transdifferentiation. Endothelial dysfunction may lead to abnormal vascular dilation/constriction resulting in impaired blood flow responses and episodes of ischemia-reperfusion with oxidative stress that amplifies vascular injury. Endothelin-1, the most potent vasoconstrictor known, is reported to be elevated in patients with SSc, with higher levels in dcSSc than IcSSc. Obstructive vasculopathy of small blood vessels leads to tissue hypoxia and the described tissue remodelling. Vasculogenesis may be impaired in SSc and contribute to the progressive loss of blood vessels.
ii) Tissue Fibrosis:
Fibrosis is characterized by accumulation of excessive amounts of type I collagen and other fibrillar collagens, fibronectin, elastin, proteoglycans, and other connective tissue molecules in the extracellular matrix (ECM). The process causes disruption of tissue architecture. In SSc, interstitial and vascular fibrosis in the skin and internal organs contributes directly to their progressive dysfunction and eventual failure. Most prominently affected are the lungs, gastro-intestinal tract, heart, tendon sheath, and perifascicular tissue surrounding skeletal muscle.
Fibrosis in the skin, the hallmark of SSc, causes marked expansion of the dermis. The process obliterates the hair follicles, sweat glands, and other skin appendages. Collagen fiber accumulation is most prominent in the deep dermis, and gradually invades the subadjacent adipose layer with entrapment of fat cells. The proportion of a-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts that are intermediates between fibroblasts and contractile smooth muscle cells and play a major role in fibrogenesis, is increased in the lesional skin.
In early lung lesions, patchy infiltration of the alveolar walls with lymphocytes, plasma cells, macrophages, and eosinophils is seen. With progression, interstitial lung fibrosis and vascular damage predominate, often coexisting within the same lesions. Intimal thickening of the pulmonary arteries underlies PAH, and at autopsy is often associated with multiple pulmonary emboli and myocardial fibrosis. The typical histologic pattern seen on lung biopsy specimen is non-specific interstitial pneumonitis, a form of interstitial lung disease characterized by mild-to-moderate interstitial inflammation, type II pneumocyte hyperplasia, and uniform distribution of fibrosis. Less commonly, SSc is associated with the usual interstitial pneumonia pattern, which is characterized by scattered fibroblastic foci and patchy distribution of fibrosis. Progressive thickening of the alveolar septa ultimately results in obliteration of the airspaces and honeycoombing, and consequent loss of pulmonary blood vessels. This process impairs gas exchange and contributes to increasing pulmonary arterial tension. The prevalence of interstitial lung disease in patients with dcSSc is reported to be about 53% and about 35% in patients with IcSSc.
In the gastrointestinal tract, pathologic changes can occur at any level from the mouth to the rectum. The esophagus is virtually always affected, with fibrosis in the lamina propria, submucosa, and muscular layers, and characteristic vascular lesions. Replacement of the normal intestinal architecture results in disordered peristaltic activity, gastroesophageal reflux and small bowel dysmotility, pseudo-obstruction, and bacterial overgrowth. Chronic gastroesophageal reflux is complicated by esophageal inflammation, ulcerations, and stricture formation.
In the kidneys, vascular lesions predominate, and glomerulonephritis is rare. Chronic renal ischemia is associated with shrunken glomeruli and other ischemic changes. Patients with acute scleroderma renal crisis show dramatic histological changes indistinguishable from other forms of malignant hypertension. Vascular changes in SSc kidneys are most prominent in the small interlobular and arcuate arteries, which show reduplication of elastic lamina, marked intimal proliferation, and accumulation of ground substance. These changes can also be found in SSc patients who do not have renal crisis. Fibrinoid necrosis of the arteriolar walls may be seen. Intimal thickening leads to severe narrowing and total obliteration of the lumen, often with microangiopathic hemolysis.
At autopsy evidence of cardiac involvement is found in 70% of patients with SSc. Modest pericardial effusions are common; occasionally fibrosis with constrictive pericarditis may occur. A characteristic pathologic finding is myocardial contraction band necrosis, which is thought to reflect ischemia-reperfusion injury. Significant interstitial and perivascular fibrosis may occur in the absence of clinically evident heart involvement.
Other organs with fibrotic alterations include the thyroid, penile blood vessels associated with erectile dysfunction, salivary and lacrimal glands. Synovial biopsy specimens show fibrosis and characteristic vascular changes in the small arterioles.
The cellular source of excessive deposition of collagen and other ECM constituents are fibroblast or fibroblast-like cells. Fibroblasts normally residing in the connective tissue or pericytes residing around blood vessels may become activated by growth factors such as TGF-β resulting in proliferation and increased collagen synthesis. Tissue injury, mechanical tension and TGF-β induce activation of fibroblast-like cells and a phenotypic change, resulting in the transformation of these cells into myofibroblasts, a process designated fibroblast-myofibroblast-transformation (FMT). Myofibroblasts are characterized by increased motility, expression of a smooth muscle actin, increased collagen synthesis, tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases, and other ECM components. Myofibroblasts are a major source of TGF-β activation during the fibrotic response and are responsible for contraction of early granulation tissue. In pathologic fibrogenesis, myofibroblasts persist, resulting in excessively contracted ECM characteristic of chronic scars.
Immune Dysfunction:
The innate and adaptive arms of the immune system seem to be activated in early SSc, and autoimmunity is prominent; however, the role of cellular and humoral autoimmune effector pathways in the pathogenesis is uncertain.
In early stages of the disease, activated CD4 and CD8 lymphocytes and monocytes and macrophages, and less commonly B cells, eosinophils, mast cells, and natural killer cells, are observed in perivascular regions in the lesional skin, lungs, and other affected organs. Mononuclear cell infiltrates in skin are predominantly CD3CD4 positive T cells and express markers of activation.
Circulating autoantibodies with multiple antigenic specificities can be detected in virtually all patients with SSc.
Although SSc-associated autoantibodies have validated clinical utility as diagnostic markers, their contribution to disease manifestations is uncertain and it is unknown whether these autoantibodies precede, or are a consequence of, vascular injury, tissue damage and/or fibrosis. Target specificities and clinical associations are summarized in table 1.
TABLE 1Autoantibody frequency and their main clinical associationsAutoantibody typeFrequency (%)Clinical AssociationsAntinuclear antibody93-9 lcSSc and dcSScAnti-centromere16-39lcSSc, PAH without ILD,PBC, protective for ILD abndSRVAnti-topoisomerase 1 9-39dcSSc > lcSSc, ILD, SDVAnti-RNA polymerase 4-25dcSSC, SRCAnti-Th/to1-7lcSSc, ILD, PAHAnti-U3RNP1-6dcSSc > lcSSc, severedisease, muscle involvement,PAHAnti-PM-Scl0-6PM/DM overlap, arthritisoverlap, ILDAnti-Ku1-3Muscle and joint involvementAnti-U1RNP 5-35Overlap syndromesAnti-U11/U12RNP1.6-5  ILDAbbreviations:PBC, primary biliary cirrhosis;PM/DM, polymyositis/dermatomyositis;SDV, severe digital vasculopathy;SRC, scleroderma renal crisis.
SSc is typically associated with one or more of the following clinical characteristics: The clinical manifestations of SSc are protean, reflecting its complex underlying pathology. The frequency of various clinical features differs according to the stage and subset of the disease. The course and the severity of organ involvement are unpredictable in individual patients. In addition, the severity and activity of each complication needs to be considered in making treatment decisions. Fatigue and lethargy are common throughout the illness, although usually more pronounced in its early phases. Reactive depression is a frequent accompaniment to this often relentless and disfiguring disorder.
The prevalence of major organ manifestations reported in textbooks is given in table 2. Higher frequencies were recently published from the European Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) cohort based on the characteristics of 7,655 patients, all fulfilling the 1980 ACR criteria for the clinical characteristics of the different involved organ systems are presented in a tabulated overview (tables 2 and 3). Typically, females are affected more often than males, with a predominance of 3-5:1 being reported.
TABLE 2Clinical characteristics of SScSkinIn some cases edema initially (puffy hands and fingers, sometimes feet) followed bythickening and hardening of the skin, sometimes visible skin inflammation, sometimeshypo and hyperpigmentation. Distribution of skin lesions: distal extremities in localizedcutaneous SSc (lcSSc) or in diffuse cutaneous SSc (dcSSc) with lesions extendingproximally and involving truncal skin (see also table).Raynaud's phenomenon. Episodic vasospasm induced by cold or emotional stress.Intermittent pallor followed by cyanosis, suffusion, or pain and tingling, and sometimesredness.Telangectasias are dilated small blood vessels in the skin forming red spots.Telangiectasias in SSc are typically oval or rectangular in shape.Abnormal nailfold capillaries.Complications: loss of skin appendices (sweat glands, hair follicles) and subcutaneousfat, neural compression (e.g. carpal tunnel syndrome), adherence to tendons andjoints, limited to absent joint motility, digital pitting scars and ulcers, digital gangrene,other skin ulcers (e.g. overlying the metacarpophalangeal joints) due to vascularinvolvement, impaired wound healing, infection of skin ulcers, calcinosis cutis(macroscopic tissue calcifications that can break through skin and also lead to chronicskin ulceration).Gastrointestinal tractMouth: perioral tight skin, reduced oral aperture, dental caries, xerostomia.Esophagus: dysmotility, reflux; complications: strictures, hiatal hernia, Barrett'smetaplasia (replacement of physiologic squamous epithelium by columnar epitheliumwith goblet cells, precancerous condition).Stomach: gastroparesis with bloating and vomiting, gastric antral vascular ectasia withintermittent bleeding (can cause anemia).Small bowel: hypomotiliy, stasis, bacterial overgrowth; complications:pseudoobstruction, diarrhea, bloating, malabsorption, weight loss, malnutrition,cachexia.Large bowel: hypomotility, pseudodiverticulosis; complications:pseudoobstruction/megacolon, volvulus, pneumatosis cystoides intestinalis.Rectum: sphincter incompetence.Musculoskeletal systemInflammatory synovitis and tendon friction rubs caused by inflammation in tendonsheath.Fibrotic process in tendons, ligaments and joint capsules can contribute together withskin fibrosis to joint contractures.Myopathy, myositis in case of SSc-/myositis overlap.Osteolysis.
TABLE 3Clinical characteristics of SSc cont.LungPulmonary fibrosis and/or alveolitis (interstitial lung disease, ILD) with breathlessness,especially on exertion, dry cough, bilateral inspiratory crackles at the lung bases,radiographic features of ILD (in conventional radiographs, in high resolution computertomography (HRCT) with higher sensitivity and at earlier stages) and abnormal lungfunction tests (reduced Forced Vital Capacity, FVC; Total Lung Capacity, TLC;Diffusion Capacity of Lung for carbon monoxide, DLCO). The survival of patients withfull blown SSC-ILD is much shorter than the survival of overall SSC patients.Pulmonary hypertension (1) as a primary abnormality due to fibroproliferativeabnormalities in the pulmonary vasculature (pulmonary arterial hypertension, PAH),(2) associated with disease of the left side of the heart, (3) associated with chronichypoxia (due to ILD and loss of pulmonary vascular bed), (4) associated with chronicthromboembolism, including pulmonary occlusive disease. PAH usually does notmanifest with dyspnea until quiet advanced stages. Reduced exercise capacity is atypical finding. PAH can be characterized by abnormal echocardiographic, pulmonaryfunction and/or electrocardiographic findings, although right heart catheterizationremains the gold standard and is required to confirm the diagnosis of PAH. Definitivediagnosis requires exclusion of thromboembolic disease, >25 mmHg of the meanpulmonary arterial pressure at rest or >30 mmHg with exercise. The prognosis ofPAH associated with SSc is worse than idiopathic pulmonary arterial hypertension.Aspiration pneumonitis.Pleural effusions, pleuritis.Bronchiectasis.Lung cancer.HeartMyocardial enzyme elevation, ECG abnormalities including abnormalities of cardiacrate and rhythm, diastolic or global dysfunction as a consequence of myocardialischemia, fibrosis, and/or myocarditis.Pericardial effusion.Complications: left ventricular or global heart failure, myocardial infarction, suddendeath.KidneyIndolent chronic renal involvement with slow reduction of glomerular filtration rate andproteinuria.Glomerulonephritis in case of SSc-systemic lupus erythematosus overlap.Complication: scleroderma renal crisis characterized by severe arterial hypertension,that can cause heart failure, stroke or encephalopathy with generalized seizures, flashpulmonary edema, and progressive or acute renal failure with increased creatinineserum levels, proteinuria, microscopic hematuria, and sometimes microangiopathichaemolytic anemia and thrombocytopenia, can evolve into end stage renal diseaserequiring long-term dialysis or renal transplantation, early mortality in approximately10%.Classification:
The hallmark of SSc is induration and thickening of the skin ("scleroderma"), but also many internal organs can be involved in SSc. The two major clinical subsets are differentiated by the pattern of cutaneous involvement and additional associated clinical and laboratory features (Table 4). The CREST syndrome (acronym derived from calcinosis cutis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, telangiectasias) has been individualized based on a combination of clinical features but may be classified as IcSSC. SSc can have features of other connective tissue diseases or fulfil their criteria. SSc without skin involvement ("scleroderma sine scleroderma") is rare and usually diagnosed late in the course due to absent skin signs. SSc in childhood and adolescence is extremely rare. Further classifications can be found in the section titled "Diagnosis and Symptoms".
TABLE 4Key clinical features of SSc subsetsDiffuse cutaneous systemic sclerosis (dcSSc)Proximal skin thickening involving the trunk, upper arms and thighs,in addition to symmetrical involvement of the fingers, hands,arms, face/neck.Rapid onset of disease following the appearance of Raynaud'sphenomenon.Significant visceral disease: lungs, heart, gastrointestinal, and/or kidneys.Absence of anti-centromere antibodies.Variable disease course but overall poor prognosis, with survival of 40%to 60% at 10 years.Limited cutaneous systemic sclerosis (lcSSc)Symmetrical skin thickening limited to the areas below the elbows andknees and involving the face/neck.Progression if disease typically months or years after the onset ofRaynaud's phenomenon.Later and less severe development of visceral disease.Late development of pulmonary arterial hypertension.Association with anti-centromere antibodies.Relatively good prognosis with survival >70% at 10 years.Overlap syndromesDiffuse or limited systemic sclerosis with typical features of one ormore of the other defined connective tissue diseases.Mixed connective tissue disease: features of systemic lupus erythematosus,systemic sclerosis and polymyositis in the presence of anti-U1RNP antibodies.CREST syndromeSubset of lcSSc with prominent calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon,esophageal dysmotility, sclerodactyly, and teleangiectasis (CREST).Scleroderma sine scleroderma (SSc without skin involvement)Raynaud's phenomenon, characteristic internal organ complications,and serologic abnormalities of SSc, but no apparent skinthickening and stiffening.Diagnosis and Symptoms:
The diagnosis of SSc is usually made based on clinical manifestations, in particular the pattern of skin involvement. The American College of Rheumatology (ACR) has proposed diagnostic criteria to classify patients. Either one major criterion (i.e. proximal scleroderma) or two or more of the minor criteria (i.e. [1] sclerodactyly, [2] digital pitting scars of fingertips or loss of substance of the distal finger pad, [3] bilateral basilar pulmonary fibrosis) are required to classify patients as SSc.
When applied to case and disease comparison cohorts, the criteria had 97% sensitivity for definitive SSc and 98% specificity. These criteria appear not to include all patients with SSc. In the EUSTAR (EULAR Scleroderma Trials and Research group) cohort only 83.5% of patients fulfilled the 1980 ACR criteria, patients with early disease and overlap syndromes comprising the largest proportion of excluded group.
To overcome this issue, the ACR and the European League Against Rheumatism (EULAR) have agreed on revised criteria for SSc that should be published in the course of 2013. The revised criteria are given in FIG. 1.
A tissue biopsy is preferably not required for the diagnosis of SSc.
TABLE 5The ACR-EULAR Criteria for the classification of Systemic SclerosisWeight/ItemsSub-itemsScoreSkin thickening of the fingers of both hands9extending proximal to themetacarpophalangeal jointsSkin thickening of the fingersPuffy fingers2(only count the highest score)Whole Finger,4distal to MCPFinger tip lesionsDigital Tip Ulcers2(only count the highest score)Pitting Scars3Telangiectasia2Abnormal nailfold capillaries2Pulmonary arterial hypertension and/or2Interstitial lung DiseaseRaynauds's phenomenon3Scleroderma related antibodies3(any of anti-centromere, anti-topoisomerasel[anti-ScL 70], anti-RNA polymerase III)TOTAL SCORE{circumflex over ( )}:Patients having a total score of 9 or more are being classified as having definite systemic sclerosis. {circumflex over ( )}Add the maximum weight (score) in each category to calculate the total score.1. These criteria are applicable to any patient considered for inclusion in a SSc study.2. These criteria are not applicable to patients having a systemic sclerosis-like disorder better explaining their manifestations, such as: nephrogenic sclerosing fibrosis, scleredema diabeticorum, scleromyxedema, erythromyalgia, porphyria, lichen sclerosis, graft versus host disease, and diabetic chierarthropathy. Patients with "Skin thickening sparing the fingers" also are notclassified as having SSc.
Typical symptoms of SSc are given below in tabulated form (Table 6).
TABLE 6Symptoms of SSc (clinical signs and other clinical featuressee Tables 2 and 3)GeneralFatigue, lethargySkinSkin sclerosis: sensation of swollen hands or fingers, sometimes pain,sometimes pruritus, impaired manual dexterity/disability in daily privateand professional life due to joint contractures and pain, impairedmovement in other than finger and hand joints, decreased skin sensitivitydue nerve compression, dry skin from loss of skin appendices.Raynaud's phenomenon: usually painful, sometimes followed by tinglingsensation.Skin ulcers and digital gangrene: prolonged episodes of pain, sometimessevere pain.Gastrointestinal tractMouth: disfigurement.Esophagus: retrosternal discomfort or pain, dysphagia, burningpain/heartburn,regurgitation of gastric material in particular at night, bleedingfrom intestinal telangiectasias.Stomach, small/large bowel, and rectum: early satiety, bloating, pain,symptoms of intestinal obstruction, constipation, fecal soiling.Musculoskeletal systemPain due to synovitis and tendosynovitis.LungBreathlessness/dyspnea, disability from breathlessness upon exertionor at rest, cough (typically dry), pain from pleuritis, multiple symptomsdue to oxygen therapy and lung transplantation.HeartSymptoms of myocardial ischemia including retrosternal pain,palpitations from abnormalities of heart rhythm, symptoms of heart failure.KidneyHeadache and blurred vision from severe hypertension, neurologicalsymptoms from stroke and seizures, dyspnea from pulmonary edema,multiple symptoms from renal replacement (dialysis, transplantation).OtherSymptoms of depression from relentless disease, disfigurement anddisability, low self-esteem, concerns with physical appearance andfeelings about uncertainty about the future.
The average survival time from diagnosis of all SSc patients is reported to be approximately 13 years, whereas the 5-year survival rate of patients with SSc-ILD is reported to be 40-60%, showing the higher mortality rate in patients with SSc-ILD compared to overall SSc.
Death in SSc is typically due to SSc-organ involvement (˜53%), cancer (˜15%) or atherosclerosis. Death from SSc-organ involvement is more common in patients with diffuse skin involvement, older age at onset, and males.
Recently, the causes and risk factors for death in SSc were reported by the European League against Rheumatism (EULAR) Scleroderma Trials and Research (EUSTAR) database). The database included 5,860 SSc patients who fulfilled the ACR 1980 classification criteria. Causes of death and comorbidity data were available from 234 of 284 fatalities. They reported that 55% of deaths were directly related to SSc and 41% to non-SSc causes with the remaining 4% of cases considered nonclassifiable. Among the 284 deceased patients, 54.6% had diffuse cutaneous disease (dcSSc) and 40.5% had limited cutaneous disease (IcSSc). The median disease duration was 7.1 years for dcSSc and 15 years for IcSSc. 19% died of pulmonary fibrosis and 14% of pulmonary arterial hypertension. SSc-related myocardial disease death was 14% with most causes being related to arrhythmias. Renal causes of death only accounted for 4%, all of which were related to scleroderma renal crisis. Three percent of patients died from gastrointestinal-related causes. With respect to the non-SSc-related deaths, causes were as follows: infections (13% of all deaths), neoplasia (13%), and cardiovascular disease (12%). Patients with non-SSc-related deaths were then analyzed for SSc-related comorbidities. A significant number of patients who died from pneumonia also had presence of gastroesophageal reflux with or without documented aspiration. Of the fourteen patients who died from lung cancer, nine had concomitant pulmonary fibrosis. In this study, independent predictors of reduced survival included presence of proteinuria, pulmonary arterial hypertension, pulmonary restriction with a forced vital capacity of less than 80% predicted, presence of dyspnea greater than New York Heart Association Class II, higher age at onset of Raynaud's phenomenon, lower diffusion capacity for carbon monoxyde, and a modified Rodman skin score greater than 10. As 35% of all SSc related deaths were directly attributable to ILD, and 26% to PAH, this report reinforced the previous finding that ILD and PAH are the leading causes of SSc-related deaths and likely contribute to non-SSc-related deaths. In a recent systematic review and meta-analysis of 18 studies comprising 12,829 patients, the risk of death with cardiac, ILD, pulmonary hypertension and renal manifestations was elevated).
Presence of ILD is significantly associated with mortality in SSc. Decreased FVC is associated with mortality (VIRGINIA D. STEEN and THOMAS A. MEDSGER, JR., ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Vol. 43, No. 11, November 2000, pp 2437-2444, Assassi et al., Arthritis Rheum. 2009 Oct. 15; 61(10): 1403-1411).<70% FVC predicted higher mortality than >70% in SSc-ILD (Goh et al., ARTHRITIS & RHEUMATISM, Vol. 56, No. 6, June 2007, pp 2005-2012). Decline in FVC in the preceding 12, 18 and 24 months is believed to predict mortality.
In a retrospective study of 953 patients with SSc, patients with severe ILD had a 9-year survival rate of approximately 30%, whereas patients with SSc who did not have severe involvement of an organ system had a 9-year survival rate of 72%
Disability is a likewise threatening problem with fibrotic diseases and especially with SSc. For example, dyspnea is common in SSc (up to 50%). Principal contributing factors include ILD and PAH but bronchiectasis, alveolar hemorrhage, gastroesphageal reflux with aspiration due to esophageal dysmotility, arthritis, obesity, anemia and deconditioning due to physical inactivity may also contribute.
Dyspnea is a very important and independent predictor of function and health-related quality of life (HRQoL). FVC and pulmonary artery systolic pressure were significant independent predictors of dyspnea.
The disability index (DI) of the modified Health Assessment Questionnaire (HAQ) correlates with scleroderma heart, kidney disease, tendon friction rubs, hand contractures, and proximal muscle strength. An increased HAQ-DI is predictive of mortality and correlates with reduced first closure, reduced hand spread, and presence of tender joints. Disability in SSc worsens over time, with dyspnea and disease type being the strongest predictor of disability. Patients with digital ulcers have significantly higher global disability, hand disability, and anxiety. Most patients with SSc have limitation in daily activities and have an increased need for help at home. Skin involvement assessed by the modified Rodnan Skin Score (mRSS) is strongly associated with disability and pain. Comparing patients with SSc, psoriatic arthritis and rheumatoid arthritis joint involvement was more disabling in SSc than psoriatic arthritis and SSc patients experienced more pain than patients with rheumatoid arthritis. SSc is associated with a high prevalence of depression and anxiety. Depression is associated with ILD. Health related quality of life is reduced in SSc patients and similar to rheumatoid arthritis patients. Raynaud's phenomenon has impact on disability (overall, grip, eating dressing), pain, and mood. Pain and depressive symptoms are significant determinants of physical functioning and social adjustment.
Working disability and productivity loss is substantial in patients with SSc as concluded in a recent meta-analysis of work status. Standardized employment ratios reported were between 0.70 and 0.77 and the proportion of patients being employed ranged between 11.3% and 82%. Full and part-time sick leave rates are also increased as well as estimated lost productivity of paid labour. Work disability in SSc is reported to greater than in rheumatoid arthritis.
Thus, there is a very high unmet medical need for treatment options in the field of fibrosis, fibrotic diseases and especially so in SSc and related indications. Furthermore, there is a very high unmet medical need for prophylaxis options in order to prevent fibrosis, fibrotic diseases and especially so in SSc and related indications in subjects, preferably human subjects that are likely to develop it.

Anti-alpha-v integrin antibody for the treatment of fibrosis and/or fibrotic disorders


In a DVR recording apparatus, a program and EPG data are received, and the EPG data and a reservation list, which relates to a reservation status of program recording, are stored. In addition, reserved recording, for recording a program in accordance with the reservation list, is carried out. Further, in the DVR, EPG data or the reservation list is transmitted in accordance with a request from a portable telephone. On one hand, in the portable telephone, in accordance with an operation of a user, a request of the EPG data or reservation list is transmitted, and in accordance with the request, the EPG data or reservation list transmitted from the DVR is received. Then, the EPG data or reservation list is presented in the portable telephone to a user.

This invention relates to an information processing system, a recording apparatus, a communication apparatus, an information processing method, and a program, and in particular, relates to an information processing system, a recording apparatus, a communication apparatus, an information processing method, and a program, which enable to provide a convenient recording apparatus by effectively utilizing EPG (Electronic Program Guide) data and other information which are possessed by a recording apparatus such as a hard disk recorder.
In late years, DVR (Digital Video Recorder) such as a hard disk recorder, and a hybrid recorder of a hard disk and DVD (Digital Versatile Disc) has been getting popular rapidly. Further, on Internet, an EPG server, which is a server for providing a web page of EPG, called as iEPG, is about to become popular. As the suchlike EPG server, there is not only one for providing a web page for the purpose of browsing EPG but also one for providing a service for controlling recording reservation of a program (e.g., see, JP-A-2001-309285 publication).
That is, in the EPG server which provides a service for controlling recording reservation of a program, for example, when a user accesses to it from a place where one is away from home, through the use of a portable telephone, a web page of EPG is provided to the portable telephone of the user. When the user takes a look at the web page and operates the portable telephone so as to make a recording reservation of a desired program, program information relating to the program, such as a channel (its number or a broadcast station name etc.,), a broadcast date, broadcast starting time, broadcast ending time, a tile, and description of a program content of the program which became an object for the recording reservation, is stored in the EPG server, in association with, for example, user information which specifies the user who is an owner of the portable telephone.
On one hand, for example, in case that DVR, which is installed in a house of a user (user home), is executing polling to the EPG server, and the EPG server stores program information which was associated with user information of a user of a portable telephone, the program information is transmitted to DVR in accordance with the polling from DVR.
DVR receives the program information from the EPG server, and when time, which is represented by broadcast starting time in the program information, comes, recording of a program of a channel in the program information is started.
As above, in the past, in order for a user to browse EPG from a place where one is away from home, there was need to access to an EPG server through the use of a portable telephone and to receive provision of a web page of EPG from the EPG server.
Therefore, there was need to install the suchlike EPG server, and further, in case that the number of accesses to the EPG server was increased, there was need to realize reinforcing of the EPG server.
In addition, in the EPG server, there is need to arbitrarily update EPG which is provided as a web page, but in case that its update is slow, it means that a user can not browse the latest EPG.
Further, for example, in case that a family operates directly DVR which is installed in a user home and thereby, a recording reservation of a program, which is identical to a program for which a user is about to make a recording reservation, has been already made, there is no need for a user to make the recording reservation. However, a user, who goes out from home, does not know that the recording reservation has been already made, and therefore, there is such fear that a user operates a portable telephone to make a so-called useless recording reservation.
On one hand, in terrestrial analog broadcasting, data of EPG (EPG data) is overlapped with broadcast waves and transmitted, and DVR, which receives, stores and displays the EPG data, is manufactured and sold. Here, EPG data includes, for example, program information of each program (a channel, broadcast data, broadcast starting time, broadcast ending time, a title, description of a program content).
In addition, also in terrestrial digital broadcasting, EPG data is transmitted, and as DVR which corresponds to digital broadcasting, DVR, which can handle EPG data by the digital broadcasting, is about to appear on the scene.
Then, in the digital broadcasting, as compared to the analog broadcasting, it is possible to transmit EPG data more quickly, and therefore, in DVR, it becomes possible to quickly obtain the latest EPG data. In this case, in DVR, the latest EPG data is stored, but in an EPG server, there can occur such a situation that it is not possible to provide the latest EPG, since it is during a period for updating a web page of EPG.
Therefore, as described above, in case that it becomes possible in DVR to quickly obtain EPG data, it is possible for a user to browse the latest EPG, in case that EPG is provided from DVR which is installed in a user's own house, rather than such a case that EPG is provided from an EPG server.
Further, DVR stores information of a recording reservation which has been already made, and if it is possible in a portable telephone to obtain information of a recording reservation from DVR and confirm it, it is not necessary for a user to make the useless recording reservation as described above.

Information processing system, recording apparatus, communication apparatus, information processing method, and program


A region adjustment method, a storage medium, and an electronic apparatus are provided. The region adjustment method includes: determining a region allowing a target object to move in a map, the region comprising a first region that allows the target object to move without being harmed and participate in a target task in the map; determining scene objects set in the map; obtaining object types of the scene objects in a plurality of sub-regions of the first region; based on a sub-region among the plurality of sub-regions in which an object type of a scene object meeting a target condition in the first region, determining the sub-region in which the object type meets the target condition as a second region; and switching the region allowing the target object to move from the first region to the second region.

With the development of multimedia technologies and the popularity of the wireless network, entertainment activities of people have become increasingly rich, such as playing an online game using a portable media device and playing a single-player game or an online game using a computer. There are various types of games, such as a barrage shooting game, an adventure game, a simulation game, a role-playing game, casual chess and card games, and other games.
In most types of games, a player may choose to play with other players. For example, when playing in a shooting game, a player may need to perform control to avoid an enemy's attack and fight back at the same time. When a target object controlled by the player is located on a special terrain, for example, when being located on the water surface, the target object controlled by the player needs to perform operations of swimming, avoiding enemy's shooting, adjusting gun's position to keep balance, and shooting simultaneously. Therefore, the complexities in which the player has to adjust point of views, control target objects, and other functions associated with the game environment, have been rapidly increasing.

Method and device for adjusting region, storage medium, and electronic device

TENCENT TECHNOLOGY (SHENZHEN) COMPANY LIMITED


A method and apparatus of security negotiation for handover between different radio access technologies are provided. The method includes: transmitting the security information of the NAS and AS selected by the target system to the UE when the UE hands over between different radio access technologies. Therefore, the UE can perform security negotiation with the target system according to the security information of the NAS and AS. Through the embodiments of the present invention, the UE may obtain the key parameter information of the NAS and AS selected by the LTE system and perform security negotiation with the LTE system when the UE hands over from a different system, such as a UTRAN, to an LTE system.

In a mobile communication system, a User Equipment (UE) generally needs to handover between base stations when moving from a local base station to a target base station. The Radio Access Networks (RANs) of base stations include: Second Generation (2G) system, Third Generation (3G) system, and the Long Term Evolution (LTE) system to be launched in the future. The security protection levels and protection measures between a UE and a RAN are different from those between the UE and another RAN.
FIG. 1 shows structure of two security-related layers in the LTE system. As shown in FIG. 1, the Xu interface, S1-C interface, S1-U interface, and X2 interface have security requirement. In an LTE system, the base station is in a locale vulnerable to attacks. Therefore, the base station is not as secure as the Radio Network Controller (RNC) in the Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UMTS).
In the process of base station handover between the 2G system and the 3G system, the UE needs to negotiate the security parameters as regards only the access layer with the base station in the 2G system or 3G system. In the process of base station handover from the 2G or 3G system to the LTE system, more security information need to be negotiated between the UE and the LTE system, and a higher security level is also required. The UE needs to negotiate the security parameters as regards both the access layer and the non-access layer with the base station of the LTE system. Therefore, security is crucial for the base station handover from a 2G system or 3G system to an LTE system.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart of negotiating security between the UE and the 2G system or 3G system in the process of base station handover between the 2G system and the 3G system in the conventional art. The negotiation process includes the following steps:
Step 1: The source Base Station Subsystem (BSS) of the UE decides to initiate a handover request according to the measurement report of the UE.
Step 2: The source BSS sends the UE capability information (including the integrity protection algorithm and encryption algorithm supported by the UE) and the key information to the Serving GPRS Support Node (SGSN) of 2G system.
Step 3: The SGSN of 2G system sends the received UE capability information and the key information to the SGSN of 3G system.
Step 4: The SGSN of 3G system sends the received key information and the algorithm supported by the UE to a RNC.
Step 5: According to the received key information and the algorithm supported by the UE, the RNC selects the algorithm supported by the RNC and sends it to the SGSN of 3G system.
Step 6: The SGSN of 3G system sends the algorithm supported by the RNC to the SGSN of 2G system.
Afterward, at the time of sending a handover request acknowledgement to the source access network of the UE, the SGSN of 2G system sends the algorithm supported by the 3G SGSN to the source access network. At the time of sending a handover command to the UE, the source access network sends the algorithm to be used by the target system to the UE, thus completing security negotiation.
In the process of implementing the present invention, the inventor finds that the LTE system has two security-related strata: Non Access Stratum (NAS), and Access Stratum (AS). During handover between the 2G system and the 3G system, the security information handled at the SGSN side relates to the AS only, without relating to the NAS. Therefore, the foregoing process of negotiation between the UE and the 2G system or 3G system can not be applied to the UE handover from the 2G system or 3G system to the LTE system. That is, no handover solution is currently available to ensure secure handover of the base station from the 2G system or 3G system to the LTE system.

Method and apparatus for negotiating security during handover between different radio access technologies


A lower jaw moving function readjusting apparatus, which includes: an upper and lower triangular shaped plate; a front receiving tray and two rear receiving trays fixedly mounted on the triangular shaped lower plate, a front scribing needle and two rear scribing needles, each of which has a lower end which is positioned in hardenable material located in each of the front and rear receiving trays. The needles are suspended from the upper support plate and the height of at least one of the needles is adjustable. The upper and lower springs are hinged together so as to be pivotably opened or closed and the upper springs and lower springs are secured, respectively, to the upper and lower support plates.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a lower jaw moving function readjusting apparatus and a position determination setting apparatus employable for the first-mentioned apparatus.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A functional occluding apparatus proposed by a common inventor to the present invention and a corresponding patent filed by him as Japanese Publication Patent No. 51-42874 is filed shown in FIG. 10 and FIG. 11.
Specifically, the functional occluding apparatus includes a base board A on which a lower jaw model H is fixedly mounted, and a gate-shaped supporting member B immovably stands upright from the right-hand end of the base board A. A pair of spherical headed support rods D each having a spherical head C corresponding to a condyle placed on the top end thereof are normally biased in the upward direction from the opposite ends of the gate-shaped supporting member B by the resilient force of coil springs E. A pair of tray-shaped boards F and F' each to be filled with a quick hardenable material are placed on the opposite ends of the gate-shaped supporting member B, and another tray-shaped board I is placed on the left-hand end of the base board A. In addition, the functional occluding apparatus includes a turnable frame J for fixedly holding an upper jaw model G, and a pair of styluses L and L' are suspended from holding pieces K and K' on the opposite ends of the turnable frame J, while another stylus M is suspended from the foremost end of the turnable frame J. The holding pieces K and K' have engagement spaces N and N' on the lower sides thereof so as to allow the spherical heads C to be engaged with the engagement spaces N and N'. With this construction, when the turnable frame J is turnably displaced to the region where molar teeth on upper and lower front teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof, the results derived from the occlusion of the fore-teeth at the central parts of the upper and lower jaws are expressively reproduced on the quick hardenable material filled in the tray-shaped boards F, F' and I.
With respect to the region where molar teeth on upper and lower rear-teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof, turnable distance pieces O and O' adapted to turn in the engagement spaces N and N' are turnably suspended from the latter so as to enable the spherical heads C to be displaced in the rearward direction while the engagement spaces N and N' are widened, whereby the results derived from the occlusion of the rear-teeth at the central parts of the upper and lower jaws are likewise expressively reproduced on the quick hardenable materials in the tray-shaped boards F, F' and I by the styluses L, L' and M in synchronization with the occlusion of the fore-teeth as mentioned above.
In case the styluses L, L' and M move in excess of the aforementioned movement range, while the spherical headed holding rods D are fixedly held by tightening screws P, each movement of the styluses L, L' and M is properly guided by an inclinable projection R in a guiding unit Q disposed in the vicinity of the tray-shaped board I, another stylus S, inclination boards T disposed in the engagement spaces N and N', a guiding piece U and the spherical heads C.
In contrast with the prior functional occluding apparatus, the conventional functional occluding apparatus constructed in the above-described manner makes it possible to expressively reproduce not only the region where molar teeth on the upper and lower fore-teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof but also the region where molar teeth on the upper and lower rear-teeth occlude each other at the central part thereof. With respect to the range in excess of the aforementioned regions, however, the conventional functional occluding apparatus can not properly expressively reproduce practical movement of a patient's lower jaw merely by detecting the movement of the teeth on the upper and lower jaws in the form of two-dimensional displacement of them on a single plane, although this plane can freely be inclined.

Lower jaw moving function readjusting apparatus and position determination setting apparatus


An improved random packing is the subject of the present invention. The packing element comprises a generally spherically shaped member which can be a perfect sphere, an ellipse, or some variation on either of the foregoing. The sphere is a hollow body having inner and outer surfaces with a plurality of openings passing through the body. A hypothetical axis passing through the sphere defines circular openings at both ends and the openings in between these two ends are generally elongated. The solid walls which form the sphere are of sufficient thickness so as to accommodate a plurality of indentations, some of which are formed in the solid walls and other indentations being formed coincidentally with the elongated openings between the solid wall sections. The indentations are characterized by curvilinear surfaces so that the total surface area presented by the inner surface (S1) and all of the remaining surfaces (S2) are at least twice the area of solid sphere of the same diameter with no indentations.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to packing structures for chemical processing and heat transfer equipment and, more particularly, to packing elements for use in randomly packed beds.
2. Description of Related Art
It is known to use packing in mass transfer towers as well as in heat sink applications. Packing provides increased surface area for exchanges between liquid and vapor phases as well as for heat transfer. Packing may take the form of a fixed structure, also referred to as structured packing, or may be random or dumped packing which is placed in a tower in a random manner on a supporting surface. Different chemical processes dictate what type of packing will be used along with considerations such as energy requirements for operating an exchange tower. Random packings of the type which are the subject of the present invention are advantageous from the standpoint of being very economical to manufacture and install.
Random packings have taken many different shapes and examples of the prior art are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 578,548; 4,203,935; and 6,547,222.
The objective of nearly all random packings is to present the largest possible surface area for either heat exchange or mass transfer. It is also desirable, however, to maximize the free space in any particular volume of packing so as to minimize the pressure drop across the packed bed. "Free space" is defined as all of the space in a given volume that is not filled with solid material. Thus, free space encompasses the space between random packing elements as well as the space within a particular element. The objectives of maximizing surface area and free space must be accomplished while maintaining sufficient structural strength that the packing elements will not collapse even when confined in an area several meters deep.
It is known to make random packing from various types of metal, from plastic and from ceramics. Ceramic packings are employed in highly corrosive environments.


Provided herein are porphyrinato-lanthanide complexes useful as theranostic agents and methods of preparation and use thereof. The porphyrinato-lanthanide complexes are useful in the treatment and imaging of cancer.

Despite photodynamic therapy (PDT) providing an efficient strategy in medical treatment, scientists are keen to progress from single-function PDT agents to more elaborate drugs. The recently introduced term 'theranostic' characterizes a new class of multifunctional compounds with both therapeutic and diagnostic functions. In particular, combination of PDT with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) are promising developmental candidates, especially agents capable of two-photon excitation.
Porphyrin-based complexes are well known photosensitizers for use in PDT. Upon excitation, porphyrin-based complexes can undergo ground singlet state to excited triplet state electronic transitions by intersystem crossing. Cancer cell killing singlet oxygen (1O2) can be produced when the triplet excited state photosensitizer reacts with molecular oxygen present at the tumor site. Many porphyrin based photosensitizers have been reported with cancer cell killing properties. Nevertheless, spatial and temporal control of the photosensitizer still limit the use of porphyrin-based complexes for PDT. Moreover, there is a need for photosensitizers having reduced dark cytotoxicity, but high photo cytotoxicity, and good selectivity for cancer cells.
Magnetic Resonance imaging (MRI) is one of the most effective imaging techniques for early-stage disease diagnosis. It offers various advantages in the detection of tumors, such as the provision of high spatial resolution images and clear tissue contrast. Moreover, it is unnecessary to use harmful high energy radiation, which is another crucial advantage over other imaging methods, such as positron emission tomography (PET), single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and X-ray computer tomography. The signal to noise ratio in MRI can be enhanced with the use of a contrast agent. Gadolinium-based contrast agent have been used in clinic for many decades. However, there are a very limited number of clinically approved gadolinium-based contrast agents that demonstrate high longitudinal relaxation time (T1 signal). Furthermore, there is a rising concern about the safety of gadolinium-based contrast agents. Accordingly, there is a need to develop safer and more effective gadolinium-based contrast agents, which can be administered at a lower dose.
Gadolinium-based bi-functional theranostic agents have attracted a good deal of attention. However, the balance between the dose of the gadolinium-based bi-functional theranostic agent for the imaging and therapeutic functions becomes an issue, because Gd(III)-based theranostic agents usually have a higher dose requirement for imaging than the dose required for therapeutic use of the theranostic agent.
The goal of minimizing therapeutic dose can be achieved by improving drug selectivity. Integrins are cell adhesion molecules consisting of dimeric non-covalently bound transmembrane alpha-v and beta-3 (αVβ3) sub-units. They act as receptors for various extracellular matrix proteins. Due to the overexpression of αVβ3-integrin in the neovasculature of bladder cancer, but not in the vessels of normal tissues, αVβ3-integrins have become attractive targets for both molecular imaging and PDT treatment of bladder cancer.
Diagnosis and local staging of bladder cancer is another important issue during anti-cancer treatment. MRI offers many advantages in providing high-resolution images for the accurate diagnosis of bladder cancer. In addition to multiplanar images, MRI is also capable of contrasting soft-tissues, which makes it a practical technique for monitoring bladder cancer, e.g., by clear differentiation between the wall layers of the bladder tissue. This technique has also been used to reveal intramural tumor invasion and extravesical extension of the tumor. Alongside this, the main disadvantage of conventional MRI contrast agents is the lack of targeting and, moreover, there is evidence that some previously commercially-available linear gadolinium-based MRI agents can induce adverse effects in patients with renal insufficiencies during the imaging process.

Bladder cancer photodynamic therapeutic agents with off-on magnetic resonance imaging enhancement


A tension ring closure device for containers having a lever means for drawing together opposite ends of the ring for closure. The ring may be locked by means of a shackle extending from the ring through the tensioning lever and a second shackle-like loop extending from one end of the ring and through an opening in the other ring end.

In closures of this kind, the application of the tightening force is performed by means of a tension lever pivoted on one end of the tension ring, and by means of a connecting link pivoted on the other end of the tension ring and on the tension lever. To secure the closure, the ring end that is joined directly to the tension lever has a shackle to accommodate a safety lock. The safety lock is threaded through lateral eyes in the tension lever when the tension lever is in the folded-down, locking position.
The securing of the tension lever to assure the originality of the packaging as described above provides a degree of strengthening of the closure under severe handling conditions. However, this strengthening is not considered sufficient, especially when a filled container is dropped. The tension ring ends overlap and one is clamped by a securing means, but the other ring end remains unsecured and is able to slip out and open up when the container is dropped. Thus, the means for security against unintentional opening, the shackle and safety lock, act virtually like a pivot around which the free ring end unwinds. The closure is thus destroyed.


An antifoulant composition comprising (meth)acrylic acid and one or more (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide antifoulant polymers and a method of preventing fouling in (meth)acrylic acid processes comprising adding the (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide antifoulant polymers to the (meth)acrylic acid process stream.

This invention relates to a composition and method of preventing fouling in (meth)acrylic acid processes. More particularly, this invention is a composition comprising (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide antifoulant polymers, and use of the composition to prevent fouling in (meth)acrylic acid manufacturing processes and processes in which (meth)acrylic acid is used in a reaction and where unreacted (meth)acrylic acid is recovered.
(Meth)acrylic acids are monomers used to prepare many polymeric materials. However, their tendency to polymerize makes their manufacture, transportation and storage difficult. This is especially true in processes involving manufacturing and reclaiming the monomers, in which elevated operating temperature increases undesired polymerization. Under such circumstances, polymer formation becomes so severe that the polymer precipitates and fouls process equipment. Eventually, equipment shutdown and cleaning is required for removal of the polymeric foulant.
Conventionally, polymerization inhibitors are used in (meth)acrylic acid processes to prevent undesired polymerization. Typical polymerization inhibitors are phenolic compounds, amines, quinones, nitroxyl compounds and certain inorganic complexes. Phenothiazine (PTZ), hydroquinone (HQ) and monomethyl hydroquinone ether (MEHQ) are examples of the most widely used inhibitors. These inhibitors are designed to interrupt the polymerization reactions and prevent formation of the polymer. However, none of the available inhibitors are efficient enough to completely eliminate undesired polymer formation. Even in the presence of these inhibitors, polymer formation and subsequent fouling is still substantial, so that periodic cleaning is part of routine operation.
There is, therefore, an ongoing need to develop improved treatments, in addition to polymerization inhibitors, to control fouling in (meth)acrylic acid processes.
This invention is an antifoulant composition comprising (meth)acrylic acid and one or more (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide antifoulant polymers, the antifoulant polymer prepared by polymerising
a) about 5 to 100 mole percent of one or more (meth)acrylate or (meth)acrylamide monomers of formula
or a mixture thereof, wherein R1 is independently selected at each occurrence from hydrogen and methyl; R2 is selected from alkyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, oxoalkyl and haloalkyl; and R3 and R4 are independently selected from hydrogen, alkyl, aryl, alkylaryl, arylalkyl, aminoalkyl, aminoaryl, hydroxyalkyl, alkoxyalkyl, oxoalkyl and haloalkyl, or R3 and R4, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, form a heterocyclyl group; and
b) 0 to about 95 mole percent of one or more vinylic monomers.

Composition and method for preventing fouling in (meth)acrylic acid processes


A method of powering down a computer system when the operating system is running. According to the method, it is determined when the computer system is to be powered down and if power management mode is enabled. If the power management mode is enabled and the computer system is not docked with a docking station, the computer system is powered down by saving the system state and then removing power from the computer system's processing unit. Alternatively, if the power management mode is enabled and the computer system is docked, the computer system is powered down by placing the computer system in a mode in which the keyboard and display are locked. In one embodiment, the computer system is powered down when the power management mode is disabled by causing the operating system to exit and then removing power from the computer system. A portable computer that includes the system for powering down of the present invention is also provided.

In conventional computer systems, a user initiates a powering down of the system by pressing an on/off switch. In response, the system is typically powered down by simply cutting power to the system. When power is removed from the system, the contents of registers and memory locations associated with the system's microprocessor and peripheral devices are generally lost. When power is later restored to power up the system, an initialization routine must be executed to place the system in a known initial state. In particular, any operating system and application programs that were running on the system prior to power down must be reloaded and restarted. Besides creating a long delay before the computer system is restored to its previous operating state, such conventional powering down can cause unsaved data associated with the operating system and/or application programs to be lost. This loss of data may result in a loss of some or all of the user's work product, and may even cause the computer system to crash or run improperly on the subsequent power up.
Portable computer systems such as laptops and notebooks comprise a quickly growing segment of the commercial market for computers. Portable computers are typically self-contained systems that can be operated on battery power in situations where the user does not have access to an AC power source (e.g., in an airplane or on a bus). System designers have been working to reduce the power consumption of portable computer systems in order to maximize the operating life of the system when running on battery power. In this regard, various techniques have been devised for reducing power consumption by manipulating clock signals and/or power supplies with respect to inactive circuit portions. Typically, a power management unit detects or predicts inactive circuit portions and accordingly turns off the clock signals that drive the inactive circuit portions in order to decrease the overall power consumption of the system. Similarly, the frequency of clock signals can be reduced during operations that are not time critical, and power can be removed from inactive circuit portions.
The Advanced Power Management (APM) system is a standardized power reduction system for use with personal computers. The definition of the APM standard can be found in "Advanced Power Management (APM) BIOS Interface Specification" (Rev. 1.2, February 1996), which is published by Intel Corporation (Santa Clara, Calif.) and Microsoft Corporation (Redmond, Wash.) and is herein incorporated by reference. Computer systems that operate in accordance with the APM standard allow the operating system to initiate idle calls to determine whether various application programs are busy or idle. In response to an idle call, each application program returns an idle indication to the operating system if it is idle. If all application programs running on the system return an idle indication, the operating system passes the all-idle indication to the system BIOS (Basic Input/Output System). The BIOS may then take power reduction steps such as reducing the frequencies of selected clock signals and/or removing power from selected inactive circuit portions. If any application program later becomes active, the system BIOS exits the reduced power state by causing the clock signals to return to their normal levels and/or power to be reapplied to the various circuit portions.
In more detail, the APM system defines four power management states: a normal operating state, a standby state, a suspend state, and an off state. The APM power management driver (APM driver) runs in the background (i.e., in the BIOS and the operating system) so it is transparent to the user. The portion of the APM driver in the operating system (APM OS driver) is present in operating systems such as the Windows 95.TM. operating system sold by Microsoft Corporation, and the portion of the APM driver in BIOS (APM BIOS driver) is provided by the system designer. The APM OS driver and the APM BIOS driver communicate with one another so as to operate together (i.e., as the APM driver) to control the computer's transition between the four APM states. Typically, state transitions are handled by the APM driver based on the states of a switch, a flag, an activity timer, a wake alarm, and/or a ring detector.
The normal operating state is virtually identical to the normal operating state of a computer system that does not perform power management. Likewise, the off state is virtually identical to the powered down state of a conventional computer system. In the off state, the power supply does not provide any power, and the state of the computer system prior to entering the off state is lost. In addition to the normal and off states, the APM standard defines two reduced power states--the standby and suspend states.
The standby state uses less power than the normal operating state, yet leaves any applications executing as they would otherwise execute. In general, power is conserved in the standby state by placing devices into low-power modes of operation (e.g., by ceasing the revolutions of the hard disk and by ceasing generation of the video signal). In contrast, when the computer system is in the suspend state, an extremely small amount of power is consumed. Such low power consumption is obtained by saving the state of the computer system to the hard drive and then turning "off" the power supply.
To enter the suspend state, the computer system must interrupt any executing code and transfer control to the APM driver, which ascertains the state of the computer system and writes the state to the hard disk (or RAM that does not lose power). In particular, the state of the CPU registers, the CPU cache, the system memory, the system cache, the video registers, the video memory, and the other devices' registers must all be saved to the hard disk. In other words, the entire state of the system is saved so that it can be restored without the executing application programs being adversely affected by the transition to suspend mode. The suspend condition is then indicated in non-volatile memory, and power is removed from the system. Thus, the state of the system is saved to the hard disk, system power is "off," and only a small amount of power is consumed by circuitry that monitors for events that cause the system to "wake-up" from the suspended state.
While such power management features have made portable computers more popular, many users desire a portable computer that has the same capabilities as a desktop computer. For such users, the expense of purchasing a second computer system for its portability, in addition to a fully functional desktop computer system, is difficult to justify. In effect, the user would own two nearly identical computer systems, only one of which is usually operating at a time. In order to provide a fully capable yet portable computer system, portable computers have been developed that can be coupled to a separate stationary unit. For example, the stationary unit may include features such as additional storage capacity (e.g., a large hard drive), additional display capabilities (e.g., a larger CRT display), and additional input capabilities (e.g., a larger keyboard). Such a stationary unit is known as a "docking station." The docking station usually is kept in one location and remains coupled to local area networks, the telephone system, peripherals, and an AC power source. After docking the portable computer, the user can access these resources.
In some conventional docking stations, the method of coupling the portable computer to the docking station uses a mechanical system (e.g., a latch system) that mates the computer and docking station. With such a station, undocking can be performed while an application is running on the system, but this will cause the system to crash and unsaved data to be lost. In more sophisticated docking stations, the portable computer and docking station are coupled together using a mechanically triggered electromechanical docking/undocking mechanism. This type of station increases the reliability of the interconnection through mechanical and electrical interlocks and prevents undocking in undesirable situations (e.g., when an application is running on the system).
While some conventional docking stations can lessen the chance of data loss by preventing undocking when the computer system is turned on, data may still be lost with such systems if the user powers down the system while the operating system is still running. In conventional systems, when the user presses the power switch, power is almost immediately removed from the computer system regardless of whether any software (i.e., operating system or application programs) is running on the system. Thus, unsaved data associated with the running operating system and application programs (e.g., the user's work product and important system data) can be lost. Further, saved data is typically stored in write buffers for a period before being written to disk, so the user may actually lose data that was believed to be saved. Similarly, if data is still being written to the disk when power is removed, the user's file may be corrupted and become unreadable. Additionally, conventional portable computer systems are powered down in the same manner when docked and undocked.

System for powering down a portable computer in a docking station

Toshiba America Information Systems, Inc.


A switching unit is provided in order to operate in each case one bus master from a group of redundant bus masters on a fundamentally non-redundant bus system, with the special feature of the switching unit being that it is itself operated on the bus to be switched and, in consequence, no special signals are required to switch the bus masters.

The present invention relates to a bus master switching unit and to a method for operating redundant bus masters.
A number of bus subscribers are normally connected to a bus system, with the data transmission taking place via a bus system in accordance with a defined protocol. A requirement of special data transmission protocols is that at least one of the bus subscribers acts as a so-called bus master, with the bus master actively controlling the transmission protocol.
If the bus master in such a bus system fails, then this normally results in at least one adverse effect on the operation of the other bus subscribers, even if this does not result in failure of all the bus subscribers to operate, since no data transmission via the bus is possible without the bus master.
One possible bus system is, for example, Profibus, while programmable logic controllers can be used as bus masters, for example as central units. The bus can be used to connect the central unit to peripheral units for communication purposes, in particular also to decentralized peripheral units provided directly in the controlled and/or monitored process, with, firstly, the states of the technical process being recorded by the peripheral units and being transmitted cyclically to the central units and, secondly, control instructions being transmitted cyclically to the peripheral units.
An object of the present invention is firstly to provide a switching unit by means of which one bus master from a group of redundant bus masters can in each case be connected to a non-redundant bus system. Another object of the present invention is to provide a method for operating redundant bus masters on a non-redundant bus system.
This object is achieved by providing an apparatus having a bus master switching unit for connecting one bus master from a group of at least two redundant bus masters to a non-redundant bus system. The bus master switching unit includes at least connections for connecting in each case one bus master and at least one connection to the connection of the non-redundant bus system. The bus master switching unit, includes at least one bus changeover switch and means, i.e., an actuator connected to the bus, for actuating the bus changeover switch, in which case the actuator can be actuated exclusively by the bus master or bus masters, and in which case, depending on the switch position, the bus changeover switch results in one bus master which is connected to the bus master switching unit in each case being connected to the bus.
This object is also achieved by providing a method for operating redundant bus masters on a non-redundant bus system. A bus master switching unit is provided for connecting one bus master from a group of at least two redundant bus masters to the bus system. The bus master switching unit includes at least connections for connecting in each case one bus master and at least one connection to the connection of the non-redundant bus system. The bus master switching unit further includes at least one bus changeover switch and an actuator connected to the bus for actuating the bus changeover switch. The actuator can be actuated exclusively by the bus master or bus masters and wherein, depending on the switch position, the bus changeover switch results in in each case one bus master which is connected to the bus master switching unit being connected to the bus.
The bus master switching unit can be implemented using simple circuitry if the actuator has or have outputs which, when appropriately actuated by the bus master or bus masters, assume(s) a logic state, which is or can be predetermined, for actuation of the bus changeover switch, and thus result in the bus changeover switch being in a defined switch position.
The circuitry implementation of the bus master switching unit is further simplified if the actuator is in the form of application-specific integrated circuitsxe2x80x94ASICxe2x80x94having a number of inputs and outputs, wherein the inputs and outputs can respectively be read to and read from by the respective connected bus master.
When a data transfer produced by the bus master takes place on the bus, a periodic signal change at at least one output from the respective application-specific integrated circuit can be produced and this signal change can be identified for the other bus master via at least one input of the respective application-specific integrated circuit, this makes it possible for the redundant, currently passive bus master to monitor the currently active bus master particularly efficiently. The periodic signal change thus represents an xe2x80x9cindication that the active bus master is alivexe2x80x9d. If no signal change takes place during a time interval which is or can be predetermined, then the passive bus master evaluates this to mean that the active bus master has failed. The passive bus master can then disconnect the failed bus master from the bus, and xe2x80x9cinstallxe2x80x9d itself as the bus master on the bus.
If either a data transfer between a first bus master connected to the bus master switching unit and a second bus master connected to the bus master switching unit takes place via the inputs and outputs of the application-specific integrated circuits, or the bus comprises at least one data line and the data line leads to each bus master which can be connected to the bus master switching unit, bypassing the bus changeover switch, it is also possible to transmit to the passive bus master the data being transmitted on the bus. This is done either by the active bus master transmitting the data to the passive bus master via a communication path provided between the application-specific integrated circuits, or by the passive bus master monitoring the bus traffic all the time by means of a direct connection at least to the data line.