A system and method for facilitating displaying search results in an enterprise computing environment. An example method includes determining results of a computer based search in response to a resource request; displaying the results via one or more cards, wherein each of the one or more cards includes information pertaining to a particular search result; and illustrating, in a card, at least a portion of the information via one or more graphics. In a specific embodiment, the one or more graphics include one or more visually coded graphics, including an indicator illustrating a qualification score associated with a human resource, and an indicator illustrating an availability score associated with the human resource.

The present application relates to software and more specifically to user interface designs and methods for facilitating displaying and interacting with search results.
Software for facilitating displaying and interacting with search results is employed in various demanding applications, including display of general web-based search results and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) database query results. Such applications often demand user interface display mechanisms and data organization techniques that enable efficient and rapid access to relevant information.
Efficient mechanisms for efficiently ascertaining desired information from search results are particularly important in ERP applications, such as project management and resource management applications, where inefficiencies can inhibit rapid informed decision making and reduce business productivity.
In an example enterprise environment, a given project may require certain resources, such as human resources (e.g. personnel) to meet certain needs. A resource manager may employ resource management software to ascertain available resources to meet those needs. In response to a resource query, also called a resource request, the resource management software may provide specialized search results based on search criteria included in the resource request. The search criteria may set forth certain requirements, e.g., pertaining to personnel availability, qualifications, proficiencies, and so on, in accordance with project needs.
Conventionally, resource search results are presented via a table view. However, conventional table views often lack effective features for facilitating rapid review and selection of the best available resource for a given project need. Hence, search results presented in a conventional table may be difficult to rapidly decipher, thereby reducing resource manager productivity.

Card view for project resource search results


In large-scale deployments of speaker recognition systems the potential for legacy problems increases as the evolving technology may require configuration changes in the system thus invalidating already existing user voice accounts. Unless the entire database of original speech waveform were stored, users need to reenroll to keep their accounts functional, which, however, may be expensive and commercially not acceptable. Model migration is defined as a conversion of obsolete models to new-configuration models without additional data and waveform requirements. The present disclosure investigates ways to achieve such a migration with minimum loss of system accuracy.

A variety of real-world challenges arise in today's voice authentication technology accompanied by an increasing business demand for security in telephone applications. While most of the current challenges are directly or indirectly related to accuracy, robustness and computational efficiency, future field deployments with an ever growing number of biometric (in particular voice-enabled) user accounts will bring new sets of practical issues with them. The dynamically evolving area of biometric authentication, particularly speaker recognition, promises one such challenge: legacy issues in biometric (e.g. voiceprint, fingerprint, etc. model) maintenance. It is reasonable to expect that the average life span of a user account is likely to last longer than an innovation cycle of the underlying authentication technology. In other words, for a voice-enabled (or other biometric) account including the user's model representation, the particular implemented algorithm that created the model may change one or several times during the overall period of using the account.
Because the parametric structure of the user models is dictated by the underlying algorithms used to produce them, significant legacy issues (i.e., incompatibilities) can be introduced into existing large-scale databases of users. Consequently, algorithmic changes rendering existing accounts obsolete put in front of infrastructure providers new problems and decisions. For instance, assume that a service provider maintains several hundreds of thousands of voice-enabled accounts including users voiceprint models in their database. These models have a close relationship to data and algorithmic components inherent to the system. With a new generation of updated (improved) components, the provider is faced with the question of how to keep the existing accounts usable (i.e., voice-enabled). Among the few possibilities for addressing this problem are: 1) have users actively re-enroll into the new system, 2) automatically re-enroll users from a stored original waveform, 3) keep multiple system versions on line to support obsolete as well as new accounts, or 4) automatically convert obsolete models to the new configuration. Obviously, each solution builds on different assumptions (e.g. on the existence of an original waveform in case of voiceprints), has different consequences (e.g. increased complexity due to multiple system versions), and degrees of practicability (e.g. having users call to re-enroll, which may be unacceptable).
In view of the foregoing, a need has been recognized in connection with maintaining the functionality of users' accounts in the face of ever-changing components.

Methods and apparatus for statistical biometric model migration

International Business Machines Corporation


A method to load stores on an aircraft, the method may be controlled by one or more controller and may include one or more acts of loading stores onto corresponding lift portions; determining a relative position of the aircraft; positioning the stores relative to the determined position of the aircraft; and securing the stores to corresponding hardpoints (HPs) of the aircraft.

Typically, aircraft such as military aircraft include hardpoints (HPs) which hold stores such as fuel tanks, baggage pods, imaging equipment, electronics (e.g., electronic countermeasure devices, etc.), munitions, projectiles (e.g., research equipment, rockets, etc.), missiles, bombs, guns, etc., some of which may be dispensed (e.g., rockets, missiles, etc.) or jettisoned during flight (e.g., fuel tanks, flares, chaff, etc.). Typically, HPs can include pylons, launchers, and/or rack units (RUs), ejector rack units (ERUs), bomb rack units (BRUs), ejectors, etc., to which the stores may be attached and are typically situated externally (e.g., under a wing, on a wing tip, etc.) or internally (e.g., in an internal bay, etc.). During a process known as an integrated combat turn (ICT) which is also known as an integrated combat turnaround, a combat aircraft is loaded with stores and is fueled between sorties by a ground crew which typically takes about twenty minutes. This operation requires the ground crew to manually attach the stores to the HPs and is time consuming and prone to error especially during a rime of urgency.

Rapid store load system for aircraft and method of operation thereof


Provided is an integrated circuit (IC) design method. The method includes receiving an IC design layout having a feature with an outer boundary, performing a dissection on the feature to divide the outer boundary into a plurality of segments, and performing, using the segments, an optical proximity correction (OPC) on the feature to generate a modified outer boundary. The method also includes simulating a photolithography exposure of the feature with the modified outer boundary to create a contour and performing an OPC evaluation to determine if the contour is within a threshold. Additionally, the method includes repeating the performing a dissection, the performing an optical proximity correction, and the simulating if the contour does not meet the threshold, wherein each repeated dissection and each repeated optical proximity correction is performed on the modified outer boundary generated by the previously performed optical proximity correction.

The semiconductor integrated circuit (IC) industry has experienced rapid growth. In the course of IC evolution, functional density (i.e., the number of interconnected devices per chip area) has generally increased while geometry size (i.e., the smallest component (or line) that can be created using a fabrication process) has decreased. This scaling down process generally provides benefits by increasing production efficiency and lowering associated costs. Such scaling down has also increased the complexity of processing and manufacturing ICs and, for these advances to be realized, similar developments in IC manufacturing are needed. For example, as IC technologies are continually progressing to smaller technology nodes, such as 65 nm technology node, 45 nm technology node, and below, simply scaling down similar designs used at larger feature sizes often results in poorly shaped device features. Rounded corners on a device feature that is designed to have right-angle corners may prevent the device from performing as desired. Other examples of inaccurate feature formation include pinching, necking, bridging, dishing, erosion, metal line thickness variations, and other characteristics that affect device performance. Typically, optical proximity correction (OPC) may be performed on a design pattern before the pattern is created on a mask. However, current OPC techniques may not offer great enough fidelity to correct problems in sub-45 nm designs. Therefore, existing methods for improving IC manufacturing have been generally adequate for their intended purposes, they have not been entirely satisfactory in all respects.

Method and apparatus for enhanced optical proximity correction

Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company, Ltd.


A system for inspecting a substrate. An inspector includes a sensor that inspects the substrate and produces a video stream. A control interface sends and receives a control stream, and a network receives and transports the video stream and the control stream as two separate data streams. A desktop receives the video stream and the control stream as two separate data streams. The desktop has a display that presents the video stream, and a user interface controls that control the operation of the inspector, using the control stream across the network.

As the size of integrated circuits shrinks, the number of devices within an integrated circuit has risen. For example, a rule of thumb common called Moore's Law states that the number of transistors in a state of the art integrated circuit generally doubles every eighteen months. For many years this rule of thumb has generally been true. Thus, the increase in the number of cells within an integrated circuit has grown exponentially rather than linearly. Obviously, over the past several years the number of cells within a single integrated circuit has virtually exploded.
This tremendous and rapid increase in the number of active devices within an integrated circuit has come about as a result of innovation and changes in the way that the devices are designed and fabricated. Thus, many different issues have been overcome in accomplishing this increase in the capacity of integrated circuits. At the same time, however, this increase in the complexity and capacity of integrated circuits has created new challenges in regard to other aspects of integrated circuit fabrication, such as inspection.
Integrated circuits are typically inspected throughout the fabrication process, both to ensure that the processes used to fabricate the integrated circuits are in control, and also to ensure that the structures formed by the various processes have the proper characteristics, and are not malformed, scratched, or contaminated. For a variety of reasons, inspections of the substrates used in integrated circuit fabrication, such as semiconductor wafers and masks and reticles, have become much more complex than they previously were. For example, the structures being formed are much smaller than they previously were, as described above. This has resulted in the inspection systems becoming commensurately more complex, so as to be able to adequately inspect the smaller structures. For this and other reasons, inspection systems require more set up and tuning than in times past, in order to provide the desired benefits.
Unfortunately, training on such equipment typically requires that either the vendor travels to the customer site, or the customer travels to the vendor site. Additionally, set up or other maintenance of the equipment often requires the vendor to travel to the customer site, if the customer is unable to achieve the desired results on their own. Such travel is expensive and time consuming.
What is needed, therefore, is a system by which an inspection tool can be operated remotely, so that setup, inspection, and training can be accomplished remotely, without having to be physically in front of the inspection tool.


A data recording apparatus, which is capable of acquiring and recording data according to the residual capacity of the battery when the residual capacity is small. A recording operation is carried out such that acquired information data is temporarily written onto the memory and thereafter the information data is transferred to a recording medium to record the information data. The data recording speed of the recording medium is detected. The residual capacity of the battery is detected. The expected driving time period for which the data recording apparatus can be driven is detected, based on the detected residual capacity. The quantity of data recordable on the recording medium is calculated based on the detected data recording speed and the detected expected driving time period. The size of data to be written onto the memory is changed based on the detected recordable quantity of data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data recording apparatus and a data recording method, and more particularly relates to a data recording apparatus driven by a power supply having a limited driving time period such as a battery, and a data recording method applied to the data recording apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, there have been commercially available on the market data recording apparatuses such as an electronic camera which uses a memory card including a solid state memory device as a recording medium, and records video and audio on the recording medium. These data recording apparatuses temporarily stores still image data and moving image data acquired by an image pickup device and audio data acquired by an audio recording device on a volatile memory (write buffer), and then transfer these data to the recording medium.
If data which have not been transferred to the recording media still remain on the write buffer when the battery becomes empty, the data will be lost. To prevent this, conventionally the image pickup operation is not carried out until the battery becomes completely empty, but the data acquisition is terminated when the residual battery capacity decreases below a predetermined capacity (Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication (Kokai) No. H06-165011, for example).
However, according to the conventional data recording apparatus, once the data acquisition is terminated, it is no longer possible to acquire data at all even if the battery capacity is still sufficient. Therefore, it has been desired that data can be acquired to the maximum possible extent without the already acquired data being lost when the battery capacity is still sufficient.

Data recording apparatus and data recording method


The present invention discloses a stable solid pharmaceutical matrix composition comprising sirolimus or pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof along with one or more sugars.

Sirolimus, also known as rapamycin, an immunosuppressant drug used to prevent rejection in organ transplantation. It is especially useful in kidney transplants.
Sirolimus is a macrocyclic lactone produced by Streptomyces hygroscopicus. Chemically, it is (3S,6R,7E,9R,10R,12R,14S,15E,17E,19E,21S,23S,26R,27R,34aS)-9,10,12,13,14,21,22,23,24,25,26,27,32,33,34,34a-hexadecahydro-9,27-dihydroxy-3-[(1R)-2-[(1S,3R,4R)-4-hydroxy-3-methoxycyclohexyl]-1-methylethyl]-10,21-dimethoxy-6,8,12,14,20,26-hexamethyl-23,27-epoxy-3H-pyrido[2,1-c][1,4]oxaazacyclohentriacontine-1,5,11,28,29 (4H,6H,31H)-pentone, having a structure of Formula I.

U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,100,899, 5,212,155, 5,308,847 and 5,403,833 disclose methods of inhibiting transplant rejection in mammals using sirolimus and derivatives and prodrugs thereof.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,145,684 discloses dispersible particles consisting essentially of a crystalline drug substance having a surface modifier adsorbed on the surface thereof in an amount sufficient to maintain an effective average particle size of less than about 400 nm and methods for the preparation of such particles and dispersions containing these particles.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,516,770 and 5,530,006 disclose intravenous sirolimus formulations.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,536,729 and 5,559,121 disclose liquid oral sirolimus formulations.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,989,591 and 5,985,325 disclose a solid dosage unit of sirolimus comprising a core and a sugar overcoat, said sugar overcoat comprising sirolimus, one or more surface modifying agents, one or more sugars, and optionally one or more binders.
Sirolimus is marketed by Wyeth under the trade name Rapamune® as 0.5 mg, 1 mg and 2 mg oral tablets for the prophylaxis of organ rejection in patients aged 13 years or older receiving renal transplants. It is also available as an oral solution containing 1 mg/ml sirolimus.
Sirolimus is described as BCS Class 2 drug in Pharmaceutical Research, Vo. 22, No. 1, January 2005 by Chi-Yuan Wu et al. Because of its poor water and oil solubility, only few formulations of rapamycin have proven satisfactory. Rapamycin is stable but not bioavailable if it is a crystalline solid with large particle size. Further, rapamycin is bioavailable but not stable as a micronized material. Hence, the challenge was to design a bioavailable and stable solid oral dosage form of rapamycin. The solution to this as known in the art as of today is nanonization of rapamycin by means of nanotechnology and to stabilize the nanosized particles and thereby develop a stable and bioavailable solid oral dosage form.
Nanonization of poorly soluble drug is a complex process and requires additional step during manufacturing. Nanonization increases the surface area available for dissolution; however, it also increases the change in free energy of the system when exposed to an aqueous solution. This results in particle aggregation and decreases the dissolution rate. Also, very fine nanosized particles are difficult to handle due to static charge that develops on particle surface during processing.
Moreover, sirolimus is known to have poor oil and water solubility. It is rapidly but poorly absorbed following oral administration with an approximate oral bioavailability of 15%. It reaches maximum blood concentrations in 0.5-2.3 hours after dosing. However oral formulations of rapamycin have restrictions due to their low solubility.
There is therefore an existing and continual need for stable and therapeutically equivalent oral solid pharmaceutical compositions of sirolimus. The compositions of the invention overcome all the encountered problems exemplified above.

Stable solid pharmaceutical matrix compositions of sirolimus


A method is provided for treating individuals suffering from cancer characterized by tumor cells which are telomerase negative, do not have telomerase activity or have L1RT expression or alternative lengthening of telomeres. The method includes administering to an individual in need of treatment thereof, and having the aforementioned cancer, a therapeutically effective amount of a nucleoside analog selected from one or more of the group consisting of: 3′-azido-2′,3′-dideoxythymidine (AZT), 2′,3′-dideoxyinosine (ddI) and 2′,3′-didehydro-3′-deoxythymidine (d4T).

An asymmetry in the synthesis of leading and lagging DNA strands creates the "end problem" for replication of linear genomes8. To overcome this, eukaryotic chromosomes have specialized end structures, telomeres, consisting of TTAGGG repeats9. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that elongates telomeres and therefore maintains chromosomal stability in majority of cancer cells during cell doubling. The gradual loss of DNA from the ends of telomeres during cell doubling has been implicated in the control of cellular proliferative potential in somatic cells10.
Normal cultured human cells have a limited replication potential in culture. As was first described by Hayflick, normal cells in culture replicate until they reach a discrete point which population growth ceases. This is termed M1 stage and is caused by the shortening of a few telomeres to a size that leads to a growth arrest called cellular senescence. This stage can be bypassed in vitro by abrogation of the function of p53 and pRB human tumor suppressor genes. The cells then can proliferate until the telomeres have become critically shortened, which produces the M2 or crisis stage. The growth arrest in the M2 stage is caused by balance between the cell proliferation and cell death rate. At this stage, when most of telomeres are extremely short, end-to-end fusions and chromosomal breakage-fusion cause marked chromosomal abnormalities and apoptosis. Under rare circumstances, a cell can escape M2 and become immortal by stabilizing the length of its telomeres. This occurs through the activation of the enzyme telomerase or an alternative mechanism of telomere lengthening (ALT).
Human germline2 and the majority of cancer cells3 express telomerase. Telomerase is a ribonucleoprotein enzyme that elongates telomeres and, therefore, maintains chromosomal stability in majority of cancer cells during cell doubling. Indeed, elongation of shortened telomeres by telomerase is a major mechanism of telomere maintenance in the human cancer cells. Inhibition of telomerase limits the growth of human telomerase positive cancer cells11 by decreasing telomere length, these compounds diminish the ability of these cancer cells to proliferate. Reverse transcriptase inhibitors have been used previously to treat cancer. In in vitro tests, tumor cells treated with the reverse transcriptase inhibitors underwent apoptosis after 14 days.
Elongation of shortened telomeres by telomerase is a well known mechanism of telomere maintenance in the human cancer cells. However up to 30% of human tumors of different types do not express telomerase. The presence of ALT was reported in up to 30% of human tumors of different types, tumor-derived cell lines and human cell lines immortalized in vitro4,5,12,13, and up to 50% in some subsets of tumors and immortalized cell lines14.
Currently, strategies aimed at selectively treating the cancers from telomerase positive cells involve modulation of TERT function or length of telomeres by antisense strategy, dominant negative mutants or pharmacological agents (see, Bisoffi et al., Eur J Cancer, 1998, 34:1242-1249; Roth et al., Leukemia, 2003, 17:2410-2417; Damm et al., EMBO J., 2001, 20:6958-6968; U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,294,332, 6,194,206, 6,156,763 and 6,046,307). Selective modulation (i.e., selective inhibition or promotion) of telomerase negative cancer cells may also be made possible if the target molecule(s) responsible for the lengthening of telomeres in such cells are known. Thus, there is need for identifying target molecules responsible for the lengthening of telomeres in telomerase negative cells and identifying agents for selectively interfering with the identified target molecules so that human tumors of types that do not express telomerase may also be prevented or treated.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Modulation of line-1 reverse transcriptase


Provided are methods, compositions, systems, and kits for treating metabolic syndrome or a disorder associated with metabolic syndrome, e.g., obesity, dyslipidemia, and/or a diabetic condition, comprising administering systemically to a subject one or more compounds of the Formula (I) and/or (II): or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt, hydrate, solvate, stereoisomer, polymorph, tautomer, isotopically enriched derivative, or prodrug thereof, wherein, L, R1; R2, Z, X, A and B are defined herein.

Metabolic syndrome, also known as metabolic syndrome X, cardiometabolic syndrome, syndrome X, and insulin resistance syndrome, is a cluster of medical disorders that, when occurring together, increase the risk of diabetes and cardiovascular disease. See, e.g., Alberti et al. Circulation 2009; 120:1640-1645. Metabolic syndrome affects 35-40% of American adults, and prevalence increases with age. Principal disorders associated with or used in the diagnosis of metabolic syndrome include, but are not limited to, obesity, dyslipidemia, and diabetic conditions, and conditions associated with these disorders, such as elevated glucose levels and hypertension.
Obesity is a risk factor for a wide array of diseases, for example, type 2 diabetes, hypertension, hyperlipidemia, coronary artery disease, stroke, breast and colon cancer, sleep apnea, gall bladder disease, gastroesophogeal reflux disease, fatty liver disease, gout, and thromboembolism. Blood pressure, blood sugar, serum cholesterol, and serum uric acid are usually higher in obese people than in those of normal weight. Despite increased awareness of these health risks, the prevalence of obesity has risen steadily for decades in many industrialized nations. As a result, there has been considerable interest in ways to reduce obesity.
The excess body fat of obese subjects is typically deposited in adipose tissue. This tissue and its principal cell type, the adipocyte, have been implicated in a wide array of diseases, for example, metabolic syndrome, type 2 diabetes, atherosclerosis, fatty liver, hepatic fibrosis, breast cancer, inflammation, depression, and dementia. The causative role of adipose tissue in these diseases appears to involve mediators such as adiponectin, resistin, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α), interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), fibrinogen, plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and/or C-terminal binding protein (CtBP). As a result, the adipocyte per se, rather than being a mere storehouse for calories, plays a pathogenic role in many diseases and represents a target for therapeutic intervention.
A number of medical conditions are considered to be causes of obesity or local excesses of body fat. Examples include drug-induced obesity, hypothyroidism, pseudohypoparathyroidism, hypothalamic obesity, polycystic ovarian disease, depression, binge eating, Prader-Willi syndrome, Bardet-Biedl syndrome, Cohen syndrome, Down syndrome, Turner syndrome, growth hormone deficiency, growth hormone resistance, leptin deficiency or resistance, HIV lipodystrophy, and Cushing syndrome and pseudo-Cushing syndrome (i.e., characteristic syndrome of excess body fat and other findings due to excessive endogenous or exogenous corticosteroid levels). Some of these conditions, for example, Cushing syndrome, pseudo-Cushing syndrome, and HIV-related lipodystrophy, are associated with other features of metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.
Medications known to cause obesity or local excess of body fat include cortisol and analogs, other corticosteroids, megace, sulfonylureas, antiretrovirals, tricyclic antidepressants, monoamine oxidase inhibitors, selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors, oral contraceptives, insulin, risperidone, clozapine, and thiazolidinediones. Some of these medications, for example, corticosteroids and antiretrovirals, are associated with other features of metabolic syndrome, such as insulin resistance and dyslipidemia.
Changes in hormonal status, including physiologic changes such as pregnancy or menopause, may result in obesity in a subject. Smoking cessation commonly leads to weight gain and obesity. Trauma may favor the accumulation of excess body fat by virtue of immobility or disuse of an extremity. Similar problems may affect an immobile subject, such as an astronaut or bedridden subject who is immobilized for an extended period of time. Some tumors, for example, lipomas, are characterized by collections of fat cells that may be amenable to methods to reduce body fat. Even in the absence of underlying pathology, a subject may have cosmetic concerns about body fat. These can usually be attributed to constitutional or hereditary factors, developmental history, age, gender, diet, alcohol use, or other aspects of lifestyle.
A number of methods have been developed to reduce obesity. It is helpful to classify these methods as extractive, metabolic, or adipolytic. Extractive methods, such as lipoplasty (e.g., liposuction) or local excision, are methods whereby fat is physically removed from areas of interest. Such methods do not appear to correct other features of metabolic syndrome. They are costly and may involve scars, postsurgical deformity or regression, discomfort, infection, and other adverse reactions.
In contrast to extractive methods, metabolic methods, which include medications, nutritional supplements, devices, bariatric surgery, and exercise or other body treatment, seek to modify the subject's metabolism (e.g., whether caloric intake, expenditure, or both) such that there is a net loss of fat in the subject. A disadvantage is potential concomitant loss of water, carbohydrates, protein, vitamins, minerals, and other nutrients. Furthermore, traditional diet medications may have undesired side effects, for example, palpitations, tremor, insomnia, and/or irritability in a subject who uses stimulants as appetite suppressants. Drawbacks of surgery are mentioned above. Despite salubrious value, the traditional metabolic methods of diet and exercise are not practical for everybody.
Adipolytic methods aim to cause breakdown of adipocytes and/or their lipid contents. For example, fat deposits can be reduced by exposure to cold temperature or to deoxycholate, a solubilizer which lyses cell membranes and results in local necrosis. Drawbacks of these methods can include poor discrimination between adipose and other nearby tissues, barriers to delivery that require hypodermic needles or special equipment, and adverse effects such as necrosis, inflammation, and pain.
Fat circulates in the blood in various lipid and lipoprotein forms. Common measures of lipid concentration in the blood include serum triglycerides, serum total cholesterol, serum low density lipoprotein (LDL), and serum high density lipoprotein (HDL). These lipid concentrations are heavily influenced by diet and metabolism.
Dyslipidemia is an abnormality in one or more lipid or lipoprotein levels in the blood. Dyslipidemia comprises one or more of: elevated serum triglycerides, elevated total cholesterol, elevated low density lipoprotein (LDL), reduced high density lipoprotein (HDL), and/or abnormal distribution of serum lipoproteins as measured, for example, by nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy.
Elevations of some lipid concentrations, e.g. triglycerides and/or LDL, are risk factors for diseases such as atherosclerosis, coronary heart disease, stroke, neurovascular disease, peripheral vascular disease, and diabetes. Conversely, abnormally low levels of HDL are associated with cardiovascular disease. Numerous medications have been developed to treat dyslipidemia, e.g., by reducing lipid and/or lipoprotein concentrations. Of these, the "statins" or HMG CoA reductase inhibitors, which decrease LDL levels, are well known examples. For many patients, however, the currently available therapies are insufficient or unsuitable, for example, due to side effects such as myopathy.
Diabetic conditions include diabetes mellitus and pre-diabetes. Diabetes mellitus, which comprises type 1 diabetes and type 2 diabetes, is a condition characterized by hyperglycemia resulting from the body's inability to use blood glucose for energy. Pre-diabetes is a condition wherein blood glucose levels are higher than normal but not high enough for a diagnosis of diabetes; people with pre-diabetes are at increased risk for developing type 2 diabetes. A common feature of type 2 diabetes and pre-diabetes, insulin resistance, is a physiological condition wherein insulin becomes less effective at lowering blood sugar levels, resulting in elevated blood sugar levels. Impaired glucose tolerance is a condition wherein glucose intake (for example, orally or intravenously) results in abnormally elevated blood sugar levels. Glucose tolerance can be measured, for example, by systematic challenge with an oral glucose load (oral glucose tolerance test). "Diabetic complications" include chronic and acute complications of diabetes. Chronic complications include atherosclerosis, stroke, myocardial ischemia, nephropathy, peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy, infection, foot ulcers, and death. Acute complications include metabolic acidosis, nonketotic hypersosmolar state, volume depletion, coma, and death.
Local reduction of adipose tissue does not treat dyslipidemia or diabetes. The peer-reviewed literature has even expressed concern that lysis of adipocytes could dump lipids into the bloodstream and thereby increase serum lipid concentrations. See, e.g., Klein et al, Lasers Surg Med 2009; 41:785-790. In one clinical trial, local reduction of flank fat by cryolipolysis did not cause any change in serum triglycerides, total cholesterol, LDL, or HDL See, e.g., Klein et al, Lasers Surg Med 2009; 41:785-790. Likewise, local reduction of hip fat by laser lipolysis caused no change in these parameters. See, e.g., Mordon et al, J Cosmet Laser Ther 2009; 11:74-74. Furthermore, surgical removal of subcutaneous fat in hamsters actually increased serum triglyceride levels and insulin resistance due to compensatory deposition of intra-abdominal fat. See, e.g., Weber et al, Am J Physiol Regul Integr Comp Physiol 2000; 279:R936-943. Even large-volume lipectomy, which is distinct from local fat reduction, does not consistently elicit a reduction in serum lipids or serum glucose. In one report, 9 of 10 patients who underwent large-volume lipectomy showed reduced serum total cholesterol, but no reduction in triglycerides, or in the HDL:LDL ratio. See, e.g., Baxter, Aesthet Surg J 1997; 17:213-215. Surgical lipectomy in Zucker rats showed mean reductions in serum triglycerides and total cholesterol, but no reductions in serum glucose. See, e.g., Liszka et al, Plast Reconstr Surg 1998; 102:1122-1127.
Even systemic medical therapy for weight loss does not necessarily lead to absolute benefits in serum lipids or glucose. A landmark randomized controlled trial studied the effects of two years of systemic Orlistat therapy in obese adults. See Davidson et al, JAMA 1999; 281:235-243. After two years, subjects randomized to Orlistat 120 mg three times daily lost 8.8% of baseline body weight, compared to 5.8% in the placebo group (p<0.001). However, this weight loss was not accompanied by any absolute improvement in serum lipids or serum glucose.
Therefore, there is a need for new approaches including new methods and compositions for treating and/or preventing metabolic syndrome and associated conditions, for example, treating or preventing obesity, dyslipidemia, and/or diabetic conditions, in a subject in need thereof. These approaches may include reducing fat and/or adipocytes in the subject and optionally also reducing levels of undesired serum lipids and/or serum glucose in the bloodstream.

Methods and compositions for treating metabolic syndrome


The present invention relates to surgical retractors and devices for stabilizing a predetermined area of the body during a surgical procedure, more particularly to surgical retractors and stabilizing devices used in connection with minimally invasive coronary artery bypass grafting surgical procedures, and more specifically to surgical retractors and stabilizing devices especially configured for use with each other for such surgical procedures wherein the retractor includes a plurality of recessed surfaces thereon for the mounting of a tower type of sled member thereon and wherein the sled member is readily attachable and removable from the retractor and is adjustable upon actuation of an adjustment knob which releasably controls the rotation of the connector with respect to the retractor and the movement of the stabilization arm segment with respect to the retractor upon actuation of a single knob or actuator.

The present invention relates to surgical retractors and stabilization devices for engaging a predetermined area of the body during a surgical procedure, more particularly to surgical retractors and stabilizing devices used in connection with coronary artery bypass grafting surgical procedures, and more specifically to surgical retractors and stabilizing devices particularly configured for use with each other for such surgical procedures.
The present application is related to U.S. Ser. No. 60/117,333 filed on Jan. 24, 1999 and U.S. Ser. No. 09/345,859 filed on Jul. 1, 1999 the priority thereof is claimed hereby and the disclosures thereof are incorporated herein by reference.
Diseases of the cardiovascular system affect millions of people each year and are a cause of death for large numbers of people in the United States and throughout the world. A particularly prevalent form of cardiovascular disease involves a reduction in the blood supply to the heart caused by atherosclerosis (coronary artery disease) or other conditions that create a restriction in blood flow at a critical point in the cardiovascular system leading to the heart.
One technique for treating such a blockage or restriction is a surgical procedure known as a coronary artery bypass graft procedure, which is more commonly known as xe2x80x9ca heart bypassxe2x80x9d operation. The surgical correction of occluded or stenosed coronary arteries by means of bypass grafting are probably still the most common procedures performed today, especially when multiple grafts are needed.
In the coronary artery bypass graft procedure, the surgeon may remove a portion of a vein from another part of the body for grafting or detaches one end of a local artery and connects that end past the obstruction while leaving the other end attached to the existing arterial supply. When using a vein from another part of the body, the surgeon installs this portion at points that bypass the obstruction. In both cases, the objective is to restore normal blood flow to the heart.
In addition, when using this technique, the surgeon makes a long incision down the middle of the chest, saws through the sternum, spreads the two halves of the sternum apart. In the past, the surgeon then performed several procedures necessary to connect the surgical patient to a cardiopulmonary bypass machine to continue the circulation of oxygenated blood to the rest of the body while the heart is stopped and the graft is being sewn in place. Although such a procedure is one common technique, the procedure is lengthy, traumatic and can damage the heart, the central nervous system and the blood supply of the patient.
Interventional techniques, such as percutaneous transluminal angioplasty (PTCA) have gained popularity as the method of choice for therapy of atherosclerosis occlusions for several reasons. The transluminal approach is a less invasive technique that subjects the patient to fewer traumas and a shorter recovery time, especially when compared to bypass grafts, which utilize homologous tissue, such as saphenous vein grafts. Also, the patient often suffers complications at the donor site of the graft that may be worse than the sternotomy and anastomosis.
Although PTCA procedures are often successful, complications such as restenosis or thrombosis and embolism can occur. Restenosed vessels may often require surgical intervention for correction. The surgical correction of restenosis, like the conventional coronary bypass surgical procedure, oftentimes required the heart to be stopped and the patient placed on a heart/lung bypass machine during the procedure.
In recent years, and in an effort to reduce expense, risk and trauma to the patient, physicians have turned to alternate approaches to heart surgery, including less invasive procedures such as intercostal and endoscopic access to the surgical site. Additionally, beating heart surgery has begun to replace cardiopulmonary bypass surgery using a pump. With such procedures, the heart is beating during the surgical procedure. Thus, there is no need for any form of cardiopulmonary bypass and there is no need to perform the extensive surgical procedures necessary to connect the patient to such a bypass machine.
Over the years, there have been many attempts at performing minimally or less invasive bypass grafting on a beating heart. Until recently, these techniques have been thought of as being dangerous and difficult because of the delicate nature of the surgical procedure, the lack of adequate access through a reduced surgical field, and the lack of a way to adequately stabilize and reduce tissue movement at the graft site. These procedures are performed while the heart muscle is continuing to beat so that the heart continues to move in a three dimensional movement and the blood continues to flow while the surgeon attempts to evaluate the vessel and then sew the graft in place. Also, the surgical procedure to install the graft requires placing a series of sutures through the wall of an extremely small vessel and onto the artery and heart tissue while the heart continuously moves during the procedure. It is necessary that these sutures be fully and securely placed so the graft is firmly in position and does not leak.
There is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,757, an access platform for the dissection of an internal mammary artery. The described access platform has first and second blades interconnected to a spreader member that laterally drives the blades apart together and support pads interconnected to the first blade. A torsional member is operably interconnected to the first blade and the spreader member and is used to vertically displace the first blade in either direction. Thus, increasing the surgeon""s working space and visual access for the dissection of the internal mammary artery. A tissue retractor interconnected to the blades is used to draw the soft tissue around the incision away from the surgeon""s work area. It is further provided that the access platform can include a port that can be used to mount a heart stabilizer instrument.
There also is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,875,782 granted to Ferrari et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 5,894,843 granted to Benetti et al. an apparatus for stabilizing the predetermined area on a heart or other organ of a patient to enable a surgical procedure on a beating heart. The apparatus includes a bifurcated member having two elongated prongs and an elongated handle. The handle segment can be movably attached to a rib retractor so that a person is not required to hold the handle segment. In one disclosed embodiment, the apparatus further includes a device to hold the bifurcated member in a desired position against the surface of the heart so that a stabilizing force is applied against the heart.
There also is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,836,311 granted to Borst et al. an apparatus for stabilizing the predetermined area on a heart or other organ of a patient to enable a surgical procedure on a beating heart. The apparatus includes a single legged or bifurcated member having a plurality of suction members thereon which are attached to the surface of the heart using suction pressure. The arm portion of this device can be movably attached to a rib retractor or other surgical device so a person is not required to hold the handle segment and the suction device may be locked into position against the surface of the heart.
It is therefore desirable to provide a new system and devices related thereto for stabilizing a predetermined area of the body, such as the heart and methods related thereto. It is particularly desirable to provide such a system and devices thereto that are less complex and more user friendly in comparison to prior art devices. Such systems and devices thereto preferably are simple in construction, versatile and are preferably low profile to minimize obstruction of the view of the surgeon or nurse to the surgical field.
The present invention features a system for retracting, stabilizing or manipulating a predetermined area of a body. The system includes a surgical retractor, a stabilization arm or apparatus and a tissue support or stabilization device, and methods of use related thereto. Also featured is a system that also supports any of a number of surgical implements, for example a diaphragm retractor, a valve retractor, a light or a suction device for use during a surgical procedure. The stabilization system and related devices and apparatuses thereto that are featured herein are particularly advantageous for use in performing off-pump coronary artery bypass grafting procedures in which the heart remains beating during the surgical procedure. One advantage of the present invention relates to the use of the stabilization arm to provide a low profile stabilization system so that obstruction of the physician""s view of the surgical site is minimized. Another advantage of the present invention relates to the use of the sled member on the arms of the retractor and even more preferably on the rack segment of the retractor. Additionally, the sled member of the present invention allows for a full range of motion that is controlled by a single knob that is easily manipulated by the surgeon.
The stabilization device preferably includes a device of the type commonly known as the Cohn Cardiac Stabilizer marketed by the Genzyme Corporation of Cambridge Mass., although horseshoe or suction type devices may also be used. The preferred form of the stabilization device is a generally square or rectangularly shaped member having a planar surface with centrally located opening therein. This opening is the area through which the surgeon performs the anastomosis or other procedure on the tissue of the beating heart. The stabilization device is preferably a two piece member so that once the anastomosis is completed, the pieces may be separated to remove the device from around the anastomosis. As described more fully below, flexible tapes are sutured through the tissue and then threaded through the stabilizing device. Once the stabilization device is positioned in the desired orientation and location, the flexible tapes are then pulled snug through the opening of the stabilization device to provide a system which captures the tissue and minimizes the overall movement of the predetermined area of the tissue.
The stabilization arm of the present invention preferably includes an elongated handle having a first or distal end portion and a connector thereon for releasably connecting the stabilization device to the elongated handle first end. This connection allows the stabilization device to be pivotally and slidably moved to a desired position into contact with the predetermined area of the tissue of the patient while minimizing the interference of the stabilization device and stabilization arm with the field of view in the surgical field. The stabilization arm also includes a mounting mechanism or sled member through which the stabilization arm is preferably slidable. The stabilization arm may also be positioned on either side of the vertical pivot point of the sled member to further increase the versatility of the stabilization system to allow the stabilization device to be positioned in the desired location of the surgical site. Alternately, one form of the sled member may also be oriented at an angle relative to the retractor to further increase the versatility of the present invention. Additionally, the stabilization arm may be straight or curved to provide the surgeon with yet another choice to obtain the best access to the desired surgical site.
According to one aspect of the present invention, the arms and rack surface of the retractor are configured with a plurality of mounting surfaces thereon. The mounting surfaces are preferably equally spaced along substantially the entire length thereof. The mounting surface is preferably spaced apart a predetermined and consistent distance from the front edge and is also preferably located on the interconnecting or rack segment of the retractor. Also, the stabilization arm preferably includes a sled member that is configured to removably engage the mounting surface at a desired location on one or more of the arms or the rack segment of the retractor. The sled member includes a lever or knob member for selectively engaging a mounting surface on the arm or rack segment of the retractor so the sled member is removably and adjustably secured to the arms or the rack segment of the retractor.
Each of the features described herein enable the user to determine the optimum position for the stabilization arm and stabilization device while ensuring that the surgeon""s view of the surgical site is not unnecessarily obstructed. Additionally, these features allow the present invention to be used in many different medical procedures because of the versatility of system set up and orientation of the components of this invention.
Other aspects and embodiments of the invention are more fully discussed below.

Surgical retractor and tissue stabilization device having an adjustable sled member


A laminated ceramic capacitor comprises a plurality of inner electrode layers for developing a capacitance, dielectric layers sandwiched with the inner electrode layers, and a pair of outer electrodes coupled to their associated inner electrode layers for output of the capacitance. The inner electrode layers are made of Ni. The dielectric layers are made of a dielectric ceramic composition having a structural formula of: EQU {Bam(Til-xZrx)O2+m}1-.alpha.-.beta.-{MnO2}.alpha.-{X}.beta.. where X is at least one of Yb2O3, Dy2O3, and ThO2 and m, x, .alpha., and .beta. are expressed as: EQU 0.98.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.1.02 EQU 0.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.2 EQU 0.005.ltoreq..alpha..ltoreq.0.05 EQU 0.001.ltoreq..beta..ltoreq.0.02. so that the laminated ceramic capacitor can be minimized in the size, increased in the capacitance, and reduced in the cost of production.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laminated ceramic capacitor having inner electrodes made of base metal Ni, which serves as a surface-mount component in an electronic device.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known that a laminated ceramic capacitor comprises electrodes sandwiched with dielectric material and can integrally be formed by ceramic manufacturing techniques which contribute to the minimal size and the large capacitance. Such a laminated ceramic capacitor is low in impedance and suitable for high frequency applications and also, will last semipermanently ensuring the operational reliability.
Particularly, a chip type laminated ceramic capacitor comprises a plurality of inner electrode layers for developing a capacitance, dielectric layers sandwiched between the inner electrode layers, and a pair of outer electrodes coupled to their associated inner electrodes for output of the capacitance The chip capacitor has no lead line and can directly be mounted to an assembly, thus encouraging a corresponding electronic device to be minimized in size and increased in function density and ensuring further development for advanced applications.
The most of known laminated ceramic capacitors employ paradium (Pd) of noble metal as a material of inner electrode while accepting the same dielectric material as of other conventional not-laminated plate or disk ceramic capacitors furnished with lead lines and specifically, are fabricated by firing in the air. The difference of the laminated type from the plate or disk type is to involve a green sheet of dielectric other than a powder-pressed sheet. For example, a dielectric material for ambient air firing is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 49-34905 (1974), which is produced by adding 0.2 to 1.0 % by molecular weight of Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3, Sm.sub.O.sub.3, or Dy.sub.2 O.sub.3 to a powder of BaTiO.sub.3 for the purpose of fabrication of a high-frequency high-voltage ceramic capacitor having less change in the temperature of capacitance within a range from 0.degree. to 65.degree. C. Also, disclosed in the Publication 55-53007 (1980) is a dielectric material for ambient air firing which is adapted for attenuating the temperature hysteresis in a dielectric constant and formed by adding more than 0.1 % by atomic weight of at least one of La.sub.2 O.sub.3, Sm.sub.2 O.sub.3, Gd.sub.2 O.sub.3, and Dy.sub.2 O.sub.3 to a solid solution of barium titanate in which portions of ion component are replaced with Sr, Zr, or Sn, without changing the crystal structure of the solid solution. Those dielectric materials are also processed by firing in the air before being used. The requirements for improving conventional laminated ceramic capacitors will now be explained in detail. Simply, three key requirements are to minimize the size, to increase the capacitance, and to contribute to the low cost. The capacitance of a laminated ceramic capacitor is expressed by: ##EQU1## .epsilon.o: dielectric constant in vacuum .epsilon.s: relative dielectric constant of dielectric material
S: effective electrode area per layer PA1 d: thickness of dielectric layer PA1 n: number of layers
As apparent from the formula (1), for increasing the capacitance, it is most practical to enhance the dielectric capacity, increase the number of layers for ensuring a large surface area of the electrode, and reduce the thickness of each dielectric layer. All the efforts for achievement have been made by numbers of firms.
For minimizing the size, a chip is reduced from 3.2 mm.times.1.6 mm to 2.0 mm.times.1.25 mm and further from 1.6 mm.times.0.8 mm to 1.0 mm to 0.5 mm.
Reduction in the cost will then be described. The prior art laminated ceramic capacitor has inner electrodes which are made from a noble metal Pd and thus, will cost high as compared with other components: it is said, more than 70% the total production cost. The greater the capacitance, the higher the cost soars. Although excellent in the dielectric characteristics and the operational reliability, the laminated ceramic capacitor is yet disadvantageous in the cost of production, thus offering less marketability.
It is hence understood that the low cost or the reduction in the cost of fabricating inner electrodes is the most important factor among the foregoing three requirements. Both the reduction in size and the increase in capacitance depend on their means of production procedures rather than the properties of materials and have to be tackled for achievement simultaneously while corresponding measures are taken to reduce the cost.
There is a continuation of the trend towards employing base metals for inner electrodes in order to reduce the cost. More particularly, the inner electrode is made of nickel (Ni). However, its disadvantage to be overcome is notable as a base metal
Primarily, Ni is easily oxidized during firing in the air, failing to work as inner electrodes. Thus, it should be burned in the neutral or reducing atmosphere, preventing oxidation on the electrodes In such atmosphere, the foregoing dielectric material is reduced lowering the insulation resistance, because barium titanate (BaTiO.sub.3), a primary component of the dielectric material becomes semiconductive. It is believed that oxygen defect in the atmosphere partially shifts Ti.sup.4+ to Ti.sup.3+ causing electronic conduction in hopping (refer to "Innst Electr Engs. Paper 3634" by Glaister R. M., in 1961).
For use with the inner electrodes of Ni, it is thus essential to employ a dielectric material which is not reduced under low-oxygen atmosphere.
Such a novel dielectric material as remaining unreduced in the neutral or reducing atmosphere is described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,920,781, and "High permittivity ceramics sintered in hydrogen" to J. M. Herbert, issued in 1963, in which transition metal oxide or MnO.sub.2 is preferably provided for addition. The disadvantages are that the dielectric constant is low and that variations in the Curie point are notably great depending on the temperature, time, and atmosphere during firing. Also, another dielectric material is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,115,493, which is a barium titanate composition having a structural formula of: EQU {(Ba.sub.1-x Ca.sub.x)O}.sub.m .multidot.(Ti.sub.1-y Zr.sub.y)O.sub.2
where m, x, and y are expressed as: EQU 1.005.ltoreq.m.ltoreq.1.03 EQU 0.02.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.0.22 EQU 0<y.ltoreq.0.20
A further dielectric material is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-open Publication 58-143515 (1983), in which a laminated ceramic capacitor employing base metal electrodes is provided with dielectric having a formula of: EQU (Ba.sub.1-x Y.sub.x)A(Ti.sub.1-y Zr.sub.y)B+z wt % M
where M is an oxide of Mg, Cr, V, Mn, Sn, In, or W and x, y, A/B, and z are expressed as: EQU 0.005.ltoreq.x.ltoreq.1.03 EQU 0.ltoreq.y.ltoreq.0.3 EQU 1.00<A/B.ltoreq.1.05 EQU 0<z.ltoreq.1.0
The resultant dielectric constant is however not high enough, contributing to the large capacitance unsuccessfully.
Secondly, a method of production procedures is also an important factor for fabricating a laminated ceramic capacitor having inner electrodes of Ni base metal; particularly, a process of firing. Some organic materials are commonly used in production of laminated ceramic capacitor in the form of organic binder, plasticizer, and solvent all added during making a green sheet and also, organic binder solvent contained in a paste for inner electrode. While the solvent is dispersed off by drying, both the organic binder and plasticizer remain unaffected prior to firing. During a common firing process in the air, such organic components are eliminated by burning out at a firing step. However, in the neutral or reducing atmosphere and more specifically, the atmosphere in which Ni of the electrode remains unoxidized, the elimination of organic components is found difficult. A solution to this problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,714,570, in which a method of metallizing base metal electrodes is introduced employing base metal oxide such as NiO, Fe.sub.2 O.sub.3, or CoO as a starting material of the electrodes. It features the successive steps of removal of binder in the air, reduction in hydrogen gas, and firing in nitrogen gas. Non of metallic elements such as Ni, Co, or Fe is used because of preventing a change in volume which results from oxidation during binder removal and will cause cracking in the dielectric layer. This method covers both the procedures of metallizing base metal and eliminating organic components.

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


In a liquid crystal display device, gate lines and common lines are first concurrently formed, and after an interlayer film is formed, a pixel electrode, common electrodes, and source lines are formed at the same time. By this, a electrode pattern can be made simple and manufacturing steps are simplified. Further, wiring lines and electrode disposed in the layer closest to a liquid crystal layer are made the pixel electrode, common electrodes and source lines, and the shapes thereof are made simple.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor device having an insulated gate structure using a crystalline silicon film disposed on an insulating substrate of glass, quartz or the like, for example, a thin film transistor (TFT), a thin film diode (TFD), and a thin film integrated circuit using the thin film elements, especially a thin film integrated circuit for a passive matrix type liquid crystal display device and a thin film integrated circuit for an active matrix type liquid crystal display device, and also relates to a method of manufacturing the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, there has been vigorously carried out studies on an active matrix type liquid crystal display device in which thin film transistors are formed in a matrix form on an insulating substrate of glass, quartz or the like, and the TFTs are used as switching elements.
Also, an attention has been paid to an active matrix type liquid crystal display device in which an active matrix circuit (also called a pixel circuit or pixel matrix circuit) and a peripheral drive circuit (also called a driver circuit) are integrated on the same insulating substrate. This structure is called a peripheral drive circuit integration type.
A conventional active matrix type liquid crystal display device uses transparent electrodes in which electrodes for driving a liquid crystal layer are formed on two substrates faced to each other. A liquid crystal is sealed between the two substrates, and the direction of an electric field applied to the liquid crystal is made substantially perpendicular to the surface of the substrate. The liquid crystal device is realized by changing the intensity of the electric field so that the direction of orientation of liquid crystal molecules generally having a rod shape are changed so as to be parallel to the substrate or perpendicular to the substrate. Generally, in this case, since light is made to be modulated by using an optical anisotropy as one of features of the liquid crystal material, a polarizing plate is disposed in the device so that incident light is made linearly polarized light.
However, in the liquid crystal electro-optical device having such an operation method, there is observed such a phenomenon that although the state of display is normal when the display surface is seen from the direction perpendicular thereto, the display is dark and becomes blurred when the display surface is seen from the direction at an angle thereto, and further, color is changed when the display is colored.
In order to solve such a problem, there is a method (IPS mode) in which the direction of an electric field applied to a liquid crystal layer is made parallel to the surface of a substrate.
In such an electro-optical device, since switching is carried out while a longitudinal axis of a liquid crystal molecule is kept parallel to the substrates, the change of optical characteristics of the liquid crystal due to an angle of visual field is small.
Thus, leak of light, lowering of contrast and the like due to the angle of visual field are smaller than a conventional TN or STN system.
There is known a structure of an electrode of this IPS mode as shown in FIG. 17 in which a comb-shaped electrode is formed on one substrate.
However, there is a problem that when the comb-shaped electrode is used, a wiring pattern is made minute and complicated in a pixel element, so that productivity becomes inferior.
Also, since the shape of the electrode is complicated, an electric field applied to a liquid crystal layer becomes complicated.
Further, light is shaded by the comb-shaped electrode, so that an effective area (opening rate) through which light can passes, becomes extremely low. Thus, only a dark display can be realized, and it can not be put into practical use.
The present invention has been made to overcome the above described problems, and an object of the invention is therefore to provide a liquid crystal display device of peripheral drive circuit integration type which has high contrast even if a transparent electrode is not provided, can be manufactured through simple steps, can be mass-produced, has a large opening rate, and is bright. Another object thereof is to provide a method of manufacturing the same.
In order to solve the above problems, according to the present invention, the following means are adopted.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising: a pair of substrates, at least one thereof being transparent; a liquid crystal layer placed between the pair of substrates; a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form on one thereof; a pixel electrode 108 and common electrodes 110 and 111 existing in the same layer; and common lines 103 and 104 existing in a layer different from the common electrodes through an insulating layer and being connected to the common electrodes through contact holes, an electric field being applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrodes substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate so as to control the state of orientation of liquid crystal molecules so that light can be modulated.
In the above structure, the liquid crystal display device is an active matrix type liquid crystal display device in which a thin film transistor is disposed for each of the pixels, and the thin film transistor includes a pixel electrode 108, gate lines 102 and 105 connected to a scanning line, and source lines 106 and 107 connected to a signal line.
In the above structure, the liquid crystal display device is a passive matrix type liquid crystal display device driven in a passive manner.
In the liquid crystal display device, the common electrodes 110 and 111, and the pixel electrode 108 are parallel to each other, exist in the same layer as shown in FIG. 2, and are made of the same material and by the same steps.
In the liquid crystal display device, the common electrodes and the pixel electrode are made of aluminum, metal mainly containing aluminum, silicon, or a laminated layer of titanium and aluminum.
In the liquid crystal display device, the common lines 103 and 104 and the gate lines 102 and 105 exist in the same layer as shown in FIG. 2, and are made of the same material and by the same steps.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 3, a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising: a pair of substrates, at least one thereof being transparent; a liquid crystal layer placed between the pair of substrates; a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form on one thereof; a pixel electrode 108 and common electrodes 110 and 111 existing in the same layer; a common line existing in a layer different from the common electrodes through an insulating layer and being connected to the common electrodes through contact holes; and a flattened film 230 disposed on the common electrodes and the pixel electrode, an electric field being applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrodes substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate so as to control the state of orientation of liquid crystal molecules, so that light can be modulated.
In the liquid crystal display device, the flattened film 230 disposed on the common electrodes and the pixel electrode is formed of an organic material film made of polyimide or the like, an inorganic material film made of silicon nitride, silicon oxide or the like, or a laminated film thereof.
Also, as shown in FIG. 1, a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising: a pair of substrates, at least one thereof being transparent; a liquid crystal layer placed between the pair of substrates; a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix form on one thereof; and a pixel electrode 108 placed between a pair of common electrodes 110 and 111 in one pixel, an electric field being applied between the pixel electrode and the common electrodes substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate so as to control the state of orientation of liquid crystal molecules, so that light can be modulated.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIGS. 4 to 8, a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a crystalline semiconductor layer 101 on a substrate having an insulating surface 201; forming a gate insulating film 205 on the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first conductive film 210 on the gate insulating film; shaping the first conductive film into gate lines 102 and 105, and common lines 103 and 104; doping the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first interlayer film 206 on the entire surface; forming contact holes; forming a second conductive film on the first interlayer film; and shaping the second conductive film into a pixel electrode 108, common electrodes 110 and 111, and source lines 106 and 107.
The crystalline semiconductor layer in the present invention is a silicon film having at least crystallinity, such as a single crystal silicon film, a polycrystalline silicon film containing both amorphous silicon and crystal silicon, and a polycrystalline silicon film mainly composed of amorphous silicon and containing a slight amount of crystalline silicon.
In order to obtain a structure as shown in FIG. 3, a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a crystalline semiconductor layer 101 on a substrate having an insulating surface 201; forming a gate insulating film 205 on the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first conductive film 210 on the gate insulating film; shaping the first conductive film into a gate line 105, and common lines 103 and 104; doping the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first interlayer film 206 on the entire surface; forming contact holes; forming a second conductive film on the first interlayer film; shaping the second conductive film into a pixel electrode 108, common electrodes 110 and 111, and source lines 106 and 107; and forming a flattened film 230 on the pixel electrode, the common electrodes, the source lines, and the entire surface of the substrate.
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a crystalline semiconductor layer on a substrate having an insulating surface; forming a gate insulating film on the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first conductive film on the gate insulating film; shaping the first conductive film into a gate line and a common line; doping the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first interlayer film on the entire surface; forming contact holes; forming a second conductive film on the first interlayer film; and shaping the second conductive film into a pixel electrode, a common electrode, and a source line, wherein five or less masks are used in the manufacturing steps.
In the method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device, the flattened film 230 on the common electrode is formed of an organic film of polyimide or the like, an inorganic material film of silicon nitride, or a laminated film thereof.
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a crystalline semiconductor layer on a substrate having an insulating surface; forming a gate insulating film on the crystalline semiconductor layer; forming a first conductive film on the gate insulating film; shaping the first conductive film into a gate line and a common line; oxidizing the first conductive film; carrying out first impurity doping to the crystalline semiconductor layer; removing the oxidized conductive film; carrying out second impurity doping with concentration lower than the first impurity doping after the step of removing the oxidized conductive film; forming a first interlayer film on the entire surface; forming a contact hole; forming a second conductive film on the first interlayer film; and shaping the second conductive film into a pixel electrode, a common electrode, and a source line, wherein five or less masks are used in the manufacturing steps.
The above method further comprises a step of forming a flattened film on the entire surface of the substrate after the step of shaping the second conductive film into the pixel electrode, the common electrode and the source line, wherein five or less masks are used in all the manufacturing steps.
According to a fourth aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 9, a liquid crystal display device is characterized in that a wiring connection terminal 900 for an external device is made of a laminated layer which is formed by lamination of at least two wiring lines.
As shown in FIG. 10B, a liquid crystal display device is characterized in that a wiring connection terminal 900 for an external device is made of a laminated layer of at least two wiring lines, which is disposed on a silicon film 101 formed on an insulating substrate.
In the liquid crystal display device, the laminated layer of wiring lines is formed of the same material and by the same step.
In the liquid crystal display device, the wiring connection terminal 900 is made of aluminum, metal mainly containing aluminum, conductive inorganic compound, silicon, or a laminated layer of titanium and aluminum.
As shown in FIG. 10B, a method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a first conductive film 210 on a substrate 201 having an insulating surface; shaping the first conductive film into a first wiring terminal 211; forming a second conductive film 220 on the first conductive film; shaping the second conductive film into a second wiring terminal 221; forming an interlayer insulating film 230 on the entire surface of the substrate; and shaving off the interlayer insulating film on the surface of the substrate to expose the upper surface of the second wiring terminal to form a wiring connection terminal 900 for an external device.
A method of manufacturing a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising the steps of: forming a semiconductor layer 101 on a substrate 201 having an insulating surface; forming a first conductive film 210 on the semiconductor layer; shaping the first conductive film into a first wiring terminal 211; forming a second conductive film on the first conductive film; shaping the second conductive film into a second wiring terminal 221; forming an interlayer insulating film 230 on the entire surface of the substrate; and shaving off the interlayer insulating film on the surface of the substrate to expose the upper surface of the second wiring terminal to form a wiring connection terminal 900 for an external device.
According to a fifth aspect of the present invention, as shown in FIG. 12, a liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising: a pair of substrates, at least one being transparent; a liquid crystal layer placed between the pair of substrates; first wiring lines and second wiring lines existing in layers different from each other through an insulating layer, the second wiring lines shading a region between the first wiring lines adjacent in parallel to each other, and the first wiring lines shading a region between the second wiring lines adjacent in parallel to each other; and pixel display regions surrounded by the first wiring lines and the second wiring lines, the pixel display regions being able to modulate light.
A liquid crystal display device is characterized by comprising: a pair of substrates, at least one being transparent; a liquid crystal layer placed between the pair of substrates; a pixel electrode 1208 placed between a pair of common electrodes 1210 and 1211 in one pixel; a common line 1203 shading regions between the source lines 1206 and 1207 and the adjacent common electrodes; and a pixel electrode 1208 shading a region between a gate line 1205 and the adjacent common line 1203.
In the liquid crystal display device, holding capacitance is formed between both the common line 1203 and gate line 1205 of the first wiring line and the pixel electrode of the second wiring line.
As shown in FIG. 16, a liquid crystal display device is characterized in that an opposite substrate includes a plurality of black matrices 1600 smaller than a common electrode 1210 so that they sufficiently cover gaps occurring between wiring lines when the pair of substrates are laminated.

Electro-optical device and method of manufacturing the same

Semiconductor Energy Laboratory Co., Ltd.


An apparatus is provided for conversion of a gas-powered flexible line trimmer for use as a lawn edger by attachment of an extendable plate and wheel to a cylindrical trimmer boom, said plate and wheel acting as a support for maintaining position and orientation of a trimmer cutting path.

Hand-held flexible line trimmers are light tools used for maintenance of lawns. Lawns regular in height and uniformly trimmed are desirable in today's society. Presently, in order to achieve the quality yard desired, several pieces of yard equipment must be employed, i.e., mowers, edgers, trimmers, etc. No single machine capable of performing all yard functions exists on the market today. Current machinery has existed without substantial design change for a substantial period of time, thus inferring that with regard to basic lawn equipment optimal designs have been reached. Consequently, a need exists for adapting or converting existing designs so as to perform several lawn maintenance functions, thereby minimizing the need for several pieces of lawn equipment and thus reducing cost of maintenance for the general home owning public.
Gas powered and electric-powered flexible line trimmers vary greatly in overall design and use. Electric trimmers, as shown in my prior U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,363, have a trimmer head incorporating a relatively heavy electric drive motor and housing. The weight of the electric-powered trimmer is concentrated at the head. Gas powered trimmers, in contrast, have the gas engine mounted at the end of a boom opposite the trimmer head, with the carrying handles located at approximately the balance point.
Further, the prior art includes the device shown in U.S Pat. No. 4,512,143 to Jimenez. Jimenez teaches a carriage for line trimmers having a frame resting on tubular runners which act as skids. The trimmer attaches to the frame and the skids provide a reference to the ground providing a uniform cutting path height for mowing a lawn.
Complete pieces of lawn equipment are taught by U.S. Pat. No. 4,364,435 to Tuggle et al. and U.S. Pat. No. 4,205,439 to Sweet. These patents teach a motor and handle, with a boom attached thereto supporting a head assembly having a cutting element. In each of these patents, the motor drives the cutting element through the boom.
The prior art also teaches dollies for converting flexible line trimmers for use as mowers and edgers. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 4,442,659 to Enbusk teaches a dolly having a pair of wheels supporting a handle and pivotal mount to which the trimmer boom is attached. The mount pivots reacting to the control of the user as the operator moves the dolly forward. The operator controls orientation of the cutting path, consequently several degrees of freedom must be maintained by the operator, and thus, the desired uniform cutting path is difficult if not impossible to achieve. U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,100 to Letter teaches a elaborate three-wheeled frame on which the line trimmer rests. In Letter's initial configuration the trimmer acts as a mower. Further, the trimmer is attached to a pivoting handlebar and the extended trimmer boom attaches to the front of the frame. By applying pressure to the handlebars the trimmer may be rotated so as to provide a lawn edging cutting path. Once again, a multiple degree of freedom system necessitates that an inordinate amount of control to be exercised by the operator in order to maintain a uniform lawn edge.
Prior art also teaches a configuration for converting an electric power saw for use as a lawn edger. U.S. Pat. No. 3,587,749 to Sauer teaches a wheeled carriage and handle to which the power saw is attached. The blade of the power saw extends to one suitable for lawn edging.
The prior art further teaches a conversion device for attachment to a line trimmer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,224,784 to Hansen et al. teaches a device with two legs forming a triangular frame extending and providing axes for two wheels. The frame is attachable to the line trimmer by means of a mounting collar, but is configured to fit line trimmers having only specific dimensions. Hansen's device lacks universality, a highly advantageous feature for a device intended for use with pre-existing line trimmers.
Finally, my U.S. Pat. No. 4,712,363 discloses a two-wheeled apparatus for converting a flexible line trimmer for use as a lawn edger. My prior invention is optimal when used in conjunction with an electric trimmer, where the weight of the tool is concentrated at the head and the enhanced support and stability of two wheels are required. I have found, however, that the added complexity and cost required for the device is not optimal when used in conjunction with a gas-powered trimmer.
Consequently, a need presently exists for an attachable conversion apparatus which optimally will be utilizable with gas-powered flexible line trimmers. The apparatus will be lightweight and adapted to allow use of the trimmer in either a near-vertical or a horizontal mode without removing the apparatus. Finally, the apparatus should provide for trimming in a plane tilted away from the operator to remove the nuisance and hazard of flying debris.

Apparatus for converting a gas-powered flexible line trimmer for use as a lawn edger


A pair of glasses for resisting electromagnetic wave includes a plurality of nests at two nosepieces and two bent end pieces of the glasses respectively and a plurality of high magnetic chips embedded into and sealed in the nests respectively for resisting electromagnetic wave. Each of the chips at the surface thereof is provided with a coil or a circuit for data storage. Alternatively, the chips can be micro processed reaction type chips.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to glasses with electromagnetic wave resistance and particularly to a pair of glasses, which are embedded with high magnetic metal chips at nosepieces and bent end pieces thereof to absorb electromagnetic wave and can generate magnetic fields to resist electromagnetic wave.
2. Description of Related Art
Usually, glasses are used for correcting defects of vision such as near-sight, presbyopia and astigmatism, or for isolating foreign harmful light such as ultraviolet rays. Generally, design for glasses is mostly emphasized on profiling or components of the glasses to enhance visual aesthetic feeling and wearing comfort. Two rims for fixing lens at the inner sides thereof have a pair of nosepieces and at the outer sides thereof have a pair of pivotal temples extending rearward with a bent end piece respectively so that the entire glasses can be supported with nose and ears to constitute four-point locating. Hence, both pairs of nosepieces and bent end pieces are indispensable components for glasses.
Nevertheless, when a mobile phone is used, incoming signals are received with an ear and outgoing signals are sent with the mouth and it is significant that electromagnetic waves, which are harmful to our health according a medical experiment, may emit during signals being received by or sent out from the mobile phone. In order to prevent from the harm of electromagnetic waves, a strict safety code has been regulated for the computer so that medical experts have taken note to the electromagnetic waves resulting from the mobile phones and appealed for prevention.
It is known that there are two ways, grounding and resisting or so-called screening, have been done for eliminating electromagnetic waves. When the mobile phone is used in a car, the electric socket with cigarette lighter provided in the car can be utilized for grounding. But, it is very hard for the user to conduct the grounding while the mobile phone is carried about with the user in a moving situation instead of sitting in the car. Especially, pursuing lightness, thinness, smallness and shortness is a trend of mobile phone design so that it makes the electromagnetic wave elimination by way of grounding almost impossible. Hence, it is why mostly used way for prevention of harm from the electromagnetic waves emitted via the mobile phone is screening.
A method of the conventional screening is to place the mobile phone in a leather case with a metal inner layer so as to block the electromagnetic wave from passing through the leather case such that an effect of screening can be obtained. Another method of the conventional screening is to adhere a ceramic piece sintered with far infrared ceramic powder such that wavelength of far infrared can resist the electromagnetic wave. However, it is possible for the ceramic piece to lower the capabilities of signal receiving and sending and the electromagnetic wave from any other electromagnetic wave source such as computer display is not blocked effectively.
The crux of the present invention is to overcome the inconvenience resulting from the foregoing conventional ways of screening electromagnetic wave from a single article and to allow the head of a human body being capable of keeping off the electromagnetic wave.
Accordingly, glasses for resisting electromagnetic wave according to the present invention includes chips, which are high magnetic pieces, and a nest, which is provided at the nosepieces and bent end pieces respectively, so that the chips are embedded in the nests before the nests are sealed to absorb electromagnetic waves and a space surrounding the respective chip forma constitute a magnetic field to resist the electromagnetic waves

Glasses for resisting electromagnetic wave


A sensing device can be placed within the colon to study bowel function. The sensing device can include a flexible printed circuit board that includes at least one senor configured to record data related to bowel activity from a patient's colon; and a wireless transmitter configured to send the data from the patient's colon to an external device. The sensing device can also include at least one mucosal clip configured to fix the sensor board to a wall of the patient's colon for a measurement period. The flexible printed circuit board and/or the at least one mucosal clip are configured to be passed from the patient's colon after the measurement period through normal defecation.

Bowel function during storage and emptying is poorly understood, including the coordination between colon, rectum, and anal activity and the neural mechanisms underlying control of these structures. Several methods have been developed to diagnose bowel dysfunction clinically and have been used for research studies to understand the neural control of bowel function, including: passing objects through the alimentary canal, pressure manometry using fluid-filled balloons inserted into the rectum; and anal electromyogram. However, these approaches have practical limitations such as cost, failing to provide continuous measurement of bowel function, inconvenience, discomfort, and impracticability for use during normal daily activities, making these approaches insufficient for chronic, ambulatory sensing of bowel fullness, and activity. While the neural control of the bowel can be determined using existing methods, such as implantable or percutaneous real-time neural recording devices, it is difficult to elucidate cause and effect of bowel motility from neural recordings without simultaneous and continuous measurement of bowel function and activity.

THE U.S. GOV'T AS REPRESENTED BY THE DEPT OF VETERANS AFFAIRS


A method of operating a vehicle includes navigating the vehicle along a path, collecting a set of navigation parameters of the vehicle from at least one of a sensor, a global positioning system, or an inertial reference system, determining a set of statistical uncertainties related to at least some navigation parameters in the set of navigation parameters, and associating a set of statistical weights to the at least some navigation parameters.

In contemporary vehicles including aircraft, numerous data sources can be considered for determining desired navigational parameters, such as position, speed, direction, altitudes, paths, or suitable waypoints, or for estimating time of arrival and fuel burned during operation, etc. Accuracy and reliability of such determinations are important for path adjustments or updates, as well as for traffic control relating to other vehicles that may be nearby.


A drive train controller of a motor vehicle has an engine controller for controlling the variables that influence the torque of the engine. The drive train controller also includes a transmission controller for controlling the gear shift operations of the automatic transmission. The transmission controller includes a detection circuit for determining the respective driving situation of the motor vehicle. The transmission controller changes the transmission ratio in a manner that is adaptively matched to the dynamics of the determined driving situation and/or the driver characteristics.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a controller for the drive train of a motor vehicle (drive train controller).
In a known drive train controller, the transmission controller transmits, to the engine controller, a data element specifying the amount by which the (uncorrected) engine torque that is applied to the input shaft of the transmission is to be changed. In this context, this uncorrected engine torque is known to the transmission controller because the transmission controller either calculates the uncorrected engine torque itself or the uncorrected engine torque is transmitted to it by the engine controller via a communications line (See, for example, European Patent EP 0 518 855 B1). The transmission controller does not need to contain any engine-specific data in this context to convert a torque reduction into an ignition intervention, or into an intervention in the injection or the valve control. The conversion is carried out in the engine controller. As a result, the necessary variants of the transmission controller are considerably reduced.
In another modern drive train controller, only physically dimensioned descriptive variables that relate to the necessary engine torque reduction are exchanged between the transmission controller and the engine controller via an interface (See, For example, Published German Patent Application DE 197 27 044 A1). The transmission controller determines the behavior of the engine system on the basis of a generalized model. The model describes the behavior that is requested of the transmission controller at the limits of the engine/transmission system (engine output shaft) in a uniquely defined way without reference to the technical implementation in the engine system. The practical execution of an intervention in the engine is the sole responsibility of the engine controller. The engine controller defines whether an ignition intervention has to take place, whether the quantity of injected fuel is reduced, whether the valve control times or the valve characteristics have to be changed, or whether the engine is to be controlled by the throttle valve. The engine controller alone controls all of the actuators that are necessary for this. The dynamics of a change in the transmission ratio are not influenced in the known transmission and drive train controllers.
Published European Patent Application EP 0 719 996 A discloses a control method for the drive unit of a vehicle in which various operating parameters corresponding to the driving states are determined in a first stage. In a second stage, a first numerical value, which provides the gear speed with the lowest fuel consumption, and a second numerical value, which corresponds to the gear speed with the maximum power, are calculated. In a third stage, an optimized gear speed is defined on the basis of a function of the first and the second numerical value and in dependence on the operating parameters.
It is accordingly an object of the invention to provide a drive train controller which overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages of the prior art apparatus of this general type.
In particular, it is an object of the invention to provide a transmission and a drive train controller that takes into account the dynamics of a change in the transmission ratio.
With the foregoing and other objects in view there is provided, in accordance with the invention, a drive train controller of a motor vehicle having an automatic transmission and an engine. The drive train controller includes: an engine controller for controlling variables that influence the torque of the engine; and a transmission controller for controlling gear shifting operations of the automatic transmission. The transmission controller exchanges data with the engine controller. This data enables the gear shifting operations to be performed comfortably. The drive train controller also includes a gear shift change controller for correcting a requested engine torque during a gear shifting operation. The transmission controller includes a detection circuit for determining a driving situation of the motor vehicle. The transmission controller adaptively matches changes in the transmission ratio to the dynamics of the driving situation that has been determined or the driver characteristics that have been determined.
In accordance with an added feature of the invention, a gear shift controller is provided that is embodied as a fuzzy logic circuit. The gear shift controller defines a gear shift strategy of a drive train of the motor vehicle.
In accordance with an additional feature of the invention, the detection circuit is a component of the gear shift controller.
In accordance with another feature of the invention, a clutch controller is provided that receives information from the gear shift controller. This information relates to a respective driving strategy and to the driving situation.
In accordance with a further feature of the invention, a line connects the gear shift change controller to the clutch controller to coordinate the clutch controller with a gear shift operation.
In accordance with a further added feature of the invention, a plurality of transmission actuators are connected to the gear shift change controller. The plurality of the transmission actuators are either electromechanical transmission actuators or electrohydraulic transmission actuators.
In accordance with a further additional feature of the invention, the gear shift change controller engages a new gear speed and synchronizes the transmission with low forces when changing from an idling position of the transmission into a driving position of the transmission.
In accordance with a yet an added feature of the invention, the gear shift controller executes a fuzzy logic program including: a first rule set that uses values selected from the group consisting of mean values of sensor signals and filtered values of sensor signals; and a second rule set for detecting rapid changes in a driving performance request.
The drive train controller of a motor vehicle having an engine and an automatic transmission is provided with an engine controller that controls the variables that influence the torque of the engine are controlled. The drive train controller is also provided with a transmission controller that controls the gear shift operations of the automatic transmission and that exchanges the data, which makes comfortable gear shift operations possible, with the engine controller. In this context, the transmission controller has a detection circuit that determines the respective driving situation of the motor vehicle. The transmission controller performs changes in the transmission ratio, which are adaptively matched to the determined driving situation.
The detection of driving situations is expediently carried out with a detection circuit that is embodied as a fuzzy logic circuit. Advanced transmission controls are frequently provided with fuzzy logic components (See, for example, F. Graf and H. Weil: Advanced Transmission with Fuzzy Logic, 3rd International Conference, Bologna, Mar. 29-31, 1995, Technical Papers pp. 379-389; and EP 0 576 703 A1) and can therefore easily be equipped with such a driving situation detection means. The advantages of the invention lie above all in the improvement in the driving comfort and in the driving safety of a motor vehicle in a wide range of driving situations. In the case of gear shift operations from a stationary state, for example, where there is a change from the idling of the transmission into a driving positionxe2x80x94or even in the case of gear shifts during slow driving, gear shift noises, which are otherwise usual and troublesome, are effectively avoided.
Other features which are considered as characteristic for the invention are set forth in the appended claims.
Although the invention is illustrated and described herein as embodied in a controller for the drive train of a motor vehicle, it is nevertheless not intended to be limited to the details shown, since various modifications and structural changes may be made therein without departing from the spirit of the invention and within the scope and range of equivalents of the claims.
The construction and method of operation of the invention, however, together with additional objects and advantages thereof will be best understood from the following description of specific embodiments when read in connection with the accompanying drawings.

Controller for the drive train of a motor vehicle