A method for generating digital quantum chaotic orthonormal wavepacket signals includes the following steps: construct a N-dimensional Hermitian matrix Ĥ; calculate N eigen-wavefunctions φj of a quantum Hamiltonian system with the Hamiltonian Ĥ by some numerical calculation methods, wherein the Hamiltonian is the Hermitian matrix Ĥ; extract some or all of the eigen-functions φj with obvious chaos features as quantum chaotic eigen-wavefunctions according to a chaos criterion; generate some semi-classical digital quantum chaotic wavepacket signals φj(n) with the same mathematical form as the quantum chaotic eigen-wavefunctions and length N from the selected quantum chaotic eigen-wavefunctions according to the mathematical correspondence between the classical signal and the wavefunction in quantum mechanics. By combining the quantum state chaotic transition theory and the classical time-frequency analysis, some semi-classical quantum chaotic wavepacket digital signals are generated according to the mathematical correspondence between the classical time-frequency signal and the wavefunction in quantum mechanics.

With some excellent characteristics, such as sensitivity to initial states, pseudo randomness, aperiodicity, noise-like wideband and sharp autocorrelation, the classical chaotic signals have vast application prospect in radio communication and radar theoretically. However, they are not practical due to the impossible completion of chaotic carrier synchronization under interference.
Kehui Sun elaborated the classical chaotic signal and its application, analysis methods and typical systems in his masterworks "the principle and technology of chaotic secure communication" published by the Tsinghua University Press in February 2015, and focused on the basic techniques and methods involved in chaotic secure communication system, including chaotic carrier synchronous control technology, chaotic secure communication system scheme, chaotic encryption system principle and design, chaotic circuit design and implementation technology. According to the chaotic synchronization method described in this book, the communication performance such as the information transmission rate and the bit error rate would deteriorate sharply due to the interference.

Method for generating digital quantum chaotic wavepacket signals


Tissues having a high level of softness and hand protection in combination with improved cleaning are disclosed. The tissues have been shown to remove more mucus than commercially available tissues.

Softness is a key consumer attribute of facial tissue. It is known that enhanced softness can be developed with the topical application of a polysiloxane. For nose care applications, an additional benefit to polysiloxanes can be the hydrophobicity that the polysiloxane imparts to the tissue sheet. While hydrophobicity, in general, can be an undesirable attribute for an absorbent tissue for nose care applications, such hydrophobicity can be perceived as a consumer benefit in preventing the passage of nasal secretions through the tissue and onto the users hand.
While polysiloxanes can greatly enhance the softness attributes of the tissue, as well as the ability of the tissue to protect the user's hand, the ability of the tissue sheet to remove mucus and similar high viscosity materials can be reduced by application of the polysiloxane. As such, tissues treated with polysiloxane may have a reduced cleaning capability relative to an untreated tissue.
Hence, there is a need to manufacture soft tissues that have a high degree of softness and hand protection while also having the ability to effectively remove mucus from the user's nose. The effective removal of mucus from the user's nose may not only provide a cosmetic benefit in helping to clean the skin but may also provide a clinical benefit in assisting in removal of skin irritants present in the mucus. Thus, a tissue that is more soothing may also be achieved.

Soft paper sheet with improved mucus removal


A spark plug which provides reliable prevention of adhesion and accumulation of carbon on an insulator, includes a center electrode extending in the direction of an axis CL1, a ceramic insulator having an axial hole which extends in the direction of the axis CL1 and in which the center electrode is provided, a cylindrical metallic shell provided externally of the outer circumference of the insulator and having a support portion formed on the inner circumferential surface thereof, and a ground electrode extending from a front end portion of the metallic shell. The insulator has a stepped portion supported by the support portion of the metallic shell, and a leg portion formed forward of the stepped portion. A space SP formed between the leg portion of the insulator and the inner circumferential surface of the metallic shell has a volume of 100 mm3 to 300 mm3 inclusive.

A spark plug is mounted to, for example, an internal combustion engine and used to ignite air-fuel mixture in a combustion chamber. Generally, a spark plug includes an insulator having an axial hole, a center electrode inserted into the axial hole, a metallic shell provided externally of the outer circumference of the insulator, and a ground electrode provided on the front end surface of the metallic shell and adapted to form a spark discharge gap in cooperation with the center electrode. When the metallic shell and the insulator are assembled together, generally, a stepped portion provided on the inner circumferential surface of the metallic shell and a stepped portion provided on the outer circumferential surface of the insulator butt against each other via a sheet packing made of metal (refer to, for example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (kokai) No. 2003-303661).
In a combustion chamber, carbon is generated as a result of incomplete combustion of air-fuel mixture or the like and may accumulate on the surface of a portion (leg portion) of the insulator exposed to air-fuel mixture and combustion gas. When carbon progressively accumulates on the surface of the leg portion and covers the surface of the leg portion, current may leak from the center electrode to the metallic shell via carbon accumulated on the leg portion, or a spark discharge may be generated between the insulator and the metallic shell, potentially hindering the generation of a normal spark discharge across the spark discharge gap. Particularly, in recent years, in direct-injection engines and the like employed for improvement of fuel economy and output, carbon is more likely to adhere to the insulator, so that the above problem is more likely to occur.
The present invention has been conceived in view of the above circumstances, and an object of the invention is to provide a spark plug which can reliably prevent adhesion and accumulation of carbon onto the insulator for improving resistance to fouling.

Spark plug for preventing accumulation of carbon on an insulator


An airflow diverter and replacement air intake plenum is disclosed that provides an increase in the air speed and airflow within the intake plenum of an automobile. The increase is the result of providing appropriately sized and shaped apparatus to smooth out the airflow within the plenum and eliminate turbulence that increase pressure within the plenum and cause a restriction of air movement. The diverter is configured in a triangular shape to divert the air from a single input port into two output ports. The apparatus is ideally configured for use in a Porsche, but can be configured for other automobiles and engines.

For as long as gasoline powered motors have been around the need to increase the efficiency of these motors has been an issue. Many people and companies have spent money on the research and development on the design of products with the specific intent to improve fuel economy. One of the main areas to improve fuel economy is with the delivery of air to the combustion chamber. The more efficiently the air and or fuel can be delivered into the combustion chamber the more complete the burn, the higher the horsepower and ultimately the more efficient the engine. A number of patents have been issued that address changing how the air flows into the throttle body, through the plenum and into the cylinders of the engine.
One method of changing or adjusting the airflow through the plenum is covered in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,210,107 and 4,977,866 issued to Shaffer and Wilkins respectively. These patents disclose using an adjustment plates or walls placed within the plenum of an engine. The location of the plates within the plenum can be externally adjusted to move the plates within the plenum whereby tuning the airflow as it passes through the plenum. While these devices allow the airflow through the plenum to be adjusted, they require manual adjustment to the plates within the plenum, are expensive to install, and include and adjustment component that allows for maladjustment of the plates or walls.
Another method of changing or adjusting the airflow through the plenum is covered in U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,776,146 and 6,776,400 issued to Ricart-Ugaz et al and Laneuvill respectively, these disclose the use of a flow obstructer that is placed in the path of air that enters the top of the carburetor or throttle body. These devices disturb the air entering the throat of the throttle body to create turbulent airflow. They further obstruct a portion of the air entering the throttle body and create a change in the flow of air into the engine. While they provide a diversion of the air entering the engine, the air flow entering the throttle body may be turbulent airflow. Placing these devices within the throttle body create pressure changes that may slow down the air as it enters the plenum.
A number of other patents disclose placing turbulent or swirling obstruction on top of the carburetor, throttle or within the plenum. These devices are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,574 issued to Hanff, U.S. Pat. No. 4,274,386 issued to Reyes, U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,742 issued to Williams, U.S. Pat. No. 4,474,163 issued to Linder et al, U.S. Pat. No. 4,962,642 issued to Kim, U.S. Pat. No. 6,752,124 issued to Chang and U.S. Pat. No. 6,796,296 issued to Kim. All these products introduce an obstructer into the airflow with an attempt to better mix the air and fuel. In the process of creating turbulent flow they also restrict the amount of air entering the engine and cause pressure changes with the plenum.
What is needed is a simple to install product that can be placed within a standard factory plenum or can replace a factory plenum that will smooth out the airflow within the plenum and allow more air to enter the engine and increase the horsepower from the engine. The proposed plenum airflow diverter provides this solution by providing simple component that can be placed within the plenum of a vehicle or where the plenum can be replaced to provide the features disclosed in this application. The proposed device satisfies these needs.

Automobile intake air flow plenum and plenum diverter


A system and method for path planning of autonomous vehicles based on gradient are disclosed. A particular embodiment includes: generating and scoring a first suggested trajectory for an autonomous vehicle; generating a trajectory gradient based on the first suggested trajectory; generating and scoring a second suggested trajectory for the autonomous vehicle, the second suggested trajectory being based on the first suggested trajectory and a human driving model; and outputting the second suggested trajectory if the score corresponding to the second suggested trajectory is within a score differential threshold relative to the score corresponding to the first suggested trajectory.

An autonomous vehicle is often configured to follow a trajectory based on a computed driving path. However, when variables such as obstacles are present on the driving path, the autonomous vehicle must perform control operations so that the vehicle may be safely driven by changing the driving path in real time.
In the related art, autonomous vehicle control operations have been determined by representing spatial information (e.g., a coordinate, a heading angle, a curvature, etc.) of the driving path as a polynomial expression or mathematical function for a movement distance in order to avoid a stationary obstacle. However, when dynamic obstacles are present on the driving path, the autonomous vehicle according to the related art may not accurately predict whether or not the vehicle will collide with the dynamic obstacles. Moreover, the computational load of processing the polynomial expressions or mathematical functions may produce unsafe delays in enabling the control operations to be performed in the real time environment.

System and method for path planning of autonomous vehicles based on gradient


A method for manufacturing thermoplastic tubes from hollow thermoplastic sleeves by a variety of different manufacturing processes. The machine used in the method is a single apparatus having an indexing device with a plurality of mandrels for holding hollow thermoplastic sleeves for the purpose of transporting the same around a closed manufacturing path. The method involves advancing sleeves around the closed manufacturing path to form tubes from the sleeves.

The machinery commonly used today for making finished, headed thermoplastic tubes from 2 to 10 inches in length and from 1/2 inch to 3 inches in diameter comprises a series of machines arranged linearly and having a total process line length of about 80 to 100 feet and a total height of about 20 to 30 feet. Process lines of such dimensions are housed in factories often having several acres of floor space.
A conventional process line for producing a single type of thermoplastic tube in today's manufacturing plants includes machines for heating raw polymer material into molten plastic; extruding the molten plastic through a die to form an extruded, stretched hollow body; cooling and then cutting the hollow body into sleeves of equal lengths; transporting the sleeves to a machine for molding a head on one end of the sleeves to form headed tubes; transporting the headed tubes to another machine for decorating or applying a graphic to the headed tubes; transporting the printed tubes to yet another machine for applying a coating; transporting the printed tubes to a different machine for applying a cap to the headed end of the tubes and transporting the capped tubes to a final machine for unloading the tubes from the process line. The removed tubes are then packed for inventory or shipment.
Such a process line requires at least four workers during operation, with one worker at the extrusion machine, at least two workers along the line to monitor the tube conveyors and other various machines and a final worker to pack the finished tubes at the end of the line.
Increasing size has dominated production equipment design in an effort to take advantage of economies associated with large size. A conventional process line can simultaneously handle several hundred tubes in different stages of production. While some production advantages can be achieved by large size, many limitations exist, even in view of the giant size of the machinery.
Conventional process lines have inherent manufacturing inefficiencies dictated by several factors such as those associated with the line machinery itself namely: large scale, mechanical operation, and process limitations as well as other inefficiencies like unit cost limitations. Manufacturing inefficiencies, like those described below, are serious barriers which ultimately can limit the varieties of tubes available in the market.
Large scale processing machines have land, capital, and labor requirements, the costs of which are high. Additionally, large scale equipment is complex and as a result it requires more labor and higher skilled labor to operate and maintain. Most importantly, large scale design does not necessarily improve total efficiency. While production capacity may be increased, it may be done at the cost of efficiency. Complex machines require a significant amount of capital, time and labor input which can mean low overall efficiency when compared to the output.
The mechanical operation of conventional line machinery can add inefficiency to the manufacturing process. Process line down-time is inevitable because of the mechanical constraints of current machinery. For example, about 70% to 80% of line down-time is attributable to the tube and sleeve conveyor systems. One process line will have several transport systems, each system typically being a long chain with tube holding mandrels spaced every couple of inches, wrapped around many drive gears. These chain systems easily become jammed, frequently deliver improperly positioned articles to the process machinery and often need to be stopped for adjustment and resetting. As a result of stopping one transport system, the entire manufacturing line must be shut down.
Line down-time results in production loss. If one of the processing machines on the line malfunctions on the night shift, for example, when an engineer is not available to correct the problem, the entire line will be stopped and it will remain idle until morning. This loss is inefficient and costly to a manufacturer.
The inflexibility of the production equipment creates inherent constraints on the manufacturing process. Line equipment cannot easily be rearranged to effectuate different manufacturing processes because the individual machines weigh several thousands of pounds and are not readily mobile. Furthermore, large scale machines are built for a single purpose and are limited to that purpose. For example, offset printing machines are limited to printing articles by the offset printing method. Thus the arrangement of production equipment limits the number of processing methods available to a manufacturer.
Process control for monitoring and controlling the quality of each individual tube product is not commercially available for adaption to current machinery. For example, there is no known practical way to identify, monitor and track defective products during the manufacturing process. Defective products are removed only at the end of the line. When a defect occurs on a tube at the beginning of the line, continued processing of that tube is inefficient since the tube will eventually be discarded.
Because an 80 to 100 foot tube production line requires at least four laborers per shift, has a predictable defect rate, requires time to retool for each job and costs money even to remain idle, it creates a high manufacturing cost that can only be lowered by large production jobs. It is a waste of resources to manufacture small numbers of tubes on such large machinery because the manufacturing cost per tube is too high. Conventional process lines can be limited to certain size manufacturing jobs in order to recapture manufacturing costs.
While the output of a single machine of the present invention does not compare to the production capacity achieved by one conventional 80 to 100 foot processing line, if the output of one simple efficient machine is multiplied by the use of a series of such machines, then the total output of the series of machines can rival the conventional process lines. Thus, where efficiency is maximized and multiplied, a great number of thermoplastic tubes may be produced.

Method for manufacturing thermoplastic tubes


The present invention relates to compounds of formula (IA):

The present invention relates to certain thiophene derivatives and their use in the practice of medicine as allosteric modulators of adenosine receptors.
Adenosine (Ado) is an autocoid (or local hormone) that modulates numerous functions in the cardiovascular and other organ systems. The actions of Ado are mediated by at least four subtypes of cell surface receptors called A1, A2a, A2b, and A3. Because the ubiquity of adenosine receptors (AdoRs) throughout the body of a human, their indiscriminate activation may cause undesirable side effects. Therefore, new drug design approaches to achieve receptor and organ selectivity are needed.
The overall function of Ado appears to be the regulation of the balance between oxygen (or energy) supply and consumption (or work). Ado increases oxygen supply by causing vasodilation and decreases oxygen consumption or work by inhibiting cellular functions, e.g., slowing of heart rate. Consistent with this protective function, A1AdoR agonists, Ado uptake blockers and Ado deaminase inhibitors have been shown to reduce cellular damage and dysfunction during hypoxia and ischemia. This protective role of Ado and A1AdoR agonists has been shown in heart, brain, liver, and intestines. This and other potentially beneficial actions of Ado have led to increased interest in the development of Ado-related drugs targeted to ameliorate conditions such as myocardial ischemia and stroke.
However, the widespread expression of Ado receptors and the lack of sufficiently selective adenosine agonists have been a major impediment to the successful development of direct-acting AdoR agonists to exploit the cytoprotective properties of Ado. Therefore, other pharmacological approaches such as allosteric modulators of Ado may prove to be a valuable alternative to direct-acting Ado agonists and nucleoside uptake blockers. Such agents should selectively modulate the response to Ado in only those organs or localized areas of a given organ in which production of Ado is increased. Thus, allosteric modulators of Ado function should provide a more selective therapeutic effect than direct-acting AdoR agonists. Their action will be limited to times and locations at which significant release of Ado occurs so that systemic side effects would largely be avoided.
Allosteric modulation of the actions of Ado on the A1AdoR by several 2-amino-3-benzoylthiophenes on cultured cells, cardiac and brain preparations have been reported. The specificity of these compounds for A1AdoRs have also been demonstrated.
A number of compounds known to modulate the action of neurotransmitters, hormones and peptides bind at sites distinct from, but functionally linked to, the primary recognition site of the respective receptors. This form of interaction between two different ligands at the same receptor protein, which may result in modulation in the form of enhancement or inhibition of each others binding and function, is referred to as allosterism. Positive (enhancement) or negative (inhibition) allosterism is an important mechanism of action of drugs. For example, allosteric interactions between the GABA receptor and benzodiazepines, to atrial natriuretic factor (ANF) receptor and amiloride, the dextromethorphan binding site and ropizine, and the muscarinic receptor and gallamine have been described.
The compounds of the present invention have been found to be potent, yet selective allosteric modulators of AdoR agonists, and in some cases, AdoR antagonists.
Compounds useful as potent, yet selective allosteric modulators of adenosine receptors, with activity as AdoR agonists, and, in come cases AdoR antagonists, and methods of preparation and use thereof, are disclosed.
The compounds have the following general formulas IA and IB:
wherein R2 is H, C(xe2x95x90O)R8;
R8 is H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aralkyl, substituted aralkyl, aryl, or substituted aryl;
R3 and R4 are independently H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, halogen, hydroxy, alkylsulfonyloxy, arylsulfonyloxy, substituted arylsulfonyloxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, or arylthio;
or if R3 and R4 are both alkoxy or alkylthio, may form a 1,3-dioxolan-2-yl, 1,3-dioxan-2-yl, 1,3-dithiolan-2-yl, or 1,3-dithian-2-yl group;
or together R3 and R4 may form a carbonyl oxygen;
R5, R6, and R7 are independently H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, halogen, hydroxy, nitro, amino, substituted amino, disubstituted amino, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, arylthio, sulfonamido, or substituted sulfonamido;
or together R5 and R6 or R6 and R7 may be CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CH, such that they form a fused aromatic ring;
A and B are independently O, S, or Nxe2x80x94R8;
or A and B may independently represent a carbonxe2x80x94carbon single bond;
m and n are independently 0, 1, 2, or 3;
except that A and B cannot both represent a carbonxe2x80x94carbon single bond when m and n are both 0; and
X is CHxe2x95x90CH, CHxe2x95x90N, Nxe2x95x90CH, O, S, or Nxe2x80x94R8.
The compounds can be used in a method for cardioprotection, neuroprotection, pain management, reduction of free fatty acids, triglycerides, or glucose levels, adjunct therapy in diabetes, treatment of GI disorders, treatment of glaucoma; treatment of sleep disorders; treatment of cardiac disarrythmias (peroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia, treatment of congestive heart failure or treatment of inflammation.
The compounds can be used in a pharmaceutical formulation that includes a compounds of formulas IA or IB and one or more excipients. Various chemical intermediates can be used to prepare the compounds of formula IA or IB:
Not applicable.
The present application discloses compounds useful as potent, yet selective allosteric modulators of adenosine receptors, with activity as AdoR agonists, and in some cases, AdoR antagonists, and methods of preparation and use thereof.
The compounds can be used in a method for allosterically modulating adenosine receptors in a mammal, including a human. The methods involve administering an effective amount of a compound of formula IA or IB sufficient to moderate adenosine receptors to the mammal.
The compounds can be used in a pharmaceutical formulation that includes a compound of formula IA or IB and one or more excipients. Various chemical intermediates can be used to prepare the compounds of formula IA or IB.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9clower alkylxe2x80x9d means a monovalent radical, straight or branched chain, derived from the corresponding alkane having one to ten carbon atoms, i.e., methyl, ethyl, propyl, Isopropyl, n-butyl, sec-butyl, t-butyl, pentyl (all isomers), etc. Likewise, xe2x80x9clower alkylenexe2x80x9d means a divalent radical of the corresponding alkane. Further, as used herein, other moieties having names derived from alkanes, such as alkoxyl, alkanoyl, alkenyl, cycloalkenyl, etc when modified by xe2x80x9clower,xe2x80x9d have carbon chains of ten or less carbon atoms. In those cases where the minimum number of carbons are greater than one, e.g., alkenyl (minimum of two carbons) and cycloalkyl, (minimum of three carbons), it is to be understood that xe2x80x9clowerxe2x80x9d means at least the minimum number of carbons.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9camino acidxe2x80x9d means an alpha amino acid selected from those amino acids which naturally occur in proteins but without regard for specific stereochemical properties. The term xe2x80x9cprotected amino acidxe2x80x9d means an amino acid of which the alpha amino group has been converted to a less reactive moiety, but a moiety which can be converted back to the amino group with relative ease. The terms xe2x80x9camino acid residuexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9camino acid moietyxe2x80x9d are use synonymously herein.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9csubstituted alkylxe2x80x9d refers to an alkyl group, preferably of from 1 to 10 carbon atoms (xe2x80x9csubstituted lower alkylxe2x80x9d), having from 1 to 5 substituents, and preferably 1 to 3 substituents, selected from the group consisting of alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, cycloalkenyl, substituted cycloalkenyl, acyl, acylamino, acyloxy, amino, substituted amino, aminoacyl, aminoacyloxy, oxyacylamino, cyano, halogen, hydroxyl, keto, thioketo, carboxyl, carboxylalkyl, thiol, thioalkoxy, substituted thioalkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, heterocyclic, hydroxyamino, alkoxyamino, nitro, xe2x80x94SO-alkyl, xe2x80x94SO-substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94SO-aryl, xe2x80x94SO, heteroaryl, xe2x80x94SO2-alkyl, xe2x80x94SO?-substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94SO2-aryl, xe2x80x94SO2-heteroaryl, and mono- and di-alkylamino, mono- and di-(substituted alkyl)amino, mono- and di-arylamino, mono- and di-heteroarylamino, mono- and di-heterocyclic amino, and unsymmetric di-substituted amines having different substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl and heterocyclic. As used herein, other moieties having, the prefix xe2x80x9csubstitutedxe2x80x9d are intended to include one or more of the substituents listed above.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9calkoxyxe2x80x9d refers to the group xe2x80x9calkyl-Oxe2x80x94xe2x80x9d, where alkyl is as defined above. Preferred alkoxy groups include, by way of example, methoxy, ethoxy, n-propoxy, iso-propoxy, n-butoxy, tert-butoxy, sec-butoxy, n-pentoxy, n-hexoxy, 1,2-dimethylbutoxy, and the like.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9calkenylxe2x80x9d refers to alkenyl groups preferably having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and more preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms and having at least 1 and preferably from 1-2 sites of alkenyl unsaturation. Preferred alkenyl groups include ethenyl (xe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CH2), n-propenyl (xe2x80x94CH2CHxe2x95x90CH2), iso-propenyl (xe2x80x94C(CH3)xe2x95x90CH2), and the like.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9calkynylxe2x80x9d refers to alkynyl groups preferably having from 2 to 10 carbon atoms and more preferably 2 to 6 carbon atoms and having at least 1 and preferably from 1-2 sites of alkynyl unsaturation.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cacylxe2x80x9d refers to the groups alkyl-C(O)xe2x80x94, substituted alkyl C(O)xe2x80x94, cycloalkyl-C(O)xe2x80x94, substituted cycloalkyl-C(O)xe2x80x94, aryl-C(O)xe2x80x94, substituted aryl-C(O)xe2x80x94, heteroaryl-C(O)xe2x80x94 and heterocyclic-C(O)xe2x80x94 where alkyl, substituted alkyl, cycloalkyl, substituted cycloalkyl, aryl, heteroaryl and heterocyclic are as defined herein.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cacylaminoxe2x80x9d refers to the group xe2x80x94C(O)NRR where each R is independently hydrogen, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, heteroaryl, or heterocyclic, wherein alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, heteroaryl and heterocyclic are as defined herein.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9carylxe2x80x9d refers to an unsaturated aromatic carbocyclic group of from 6 to 14 carbon atoms having a single ring, (e.g., phenyl) or multiple condensed (fused) rings (e.g., naphthyl or anthryl). Preferred aryls include phenyl, naphthyl and the like. Unless otherwise constrained by the definition for the aryl substituent, such aryl groups can optionally be substituted with from 1 to 5 substituents and preferably 1 to 3 substituents selected from the group consisting of acyloxy, hydroxy, acyl, alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkyl, substituted alkoxy, substituted alkenyl, substituted alkynyl, amino, substituted amino, aminoacyl, acylamino, alkaryl, aryl, aryloxy, azido, carboxyl, carboxylalkyl, cyano, halo, nitro, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, heterocyclic, heterocyclooxy, aminoacyloxy, oxyacylamino, thioalkoxy, substituted thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, thioheteroaryloxy, xe2x80x94SO-alkyl, xe2x80x94SO-substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94SO-aryl, xe2x80x94SO-heteroaryl, xe2x80x94SO2-alkyl, SO2-substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94SO2-aryl, xe2x80x94SO2-heteroaryl, trihalomethyl. Preferred substituents include alkyl, alkoxy, halo, cyano, nitro, trihalomethyl, and thioalkoxy.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9ccycloalkylxe2x80x9d refers to cyclic alkyl groups of from 3 to 12 carbon atoms having a single cyclic ring or multiple condensed rings. Such cycloalkyl groups include, by way of example, single ring structures such as cyclopropyl, cyclobutyl, cyclopentyl, cyclooctyl, and the like, or multiple ring structures such as adamantanyl, and the like.
As used herein, the terms xe2x80x9chaloxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9chalogenxe2x80x9d refer to fluoro, chloro, bromo and iodo and preferably is either fluoro or chloro.
As used herein, the term xe2x80x9cheteroarylxe2x80x9d refers to an aromatic carbocyclic group of from 1 to 15 carbon atoms and 1 to 4 heteroatoms selected from the group consisting of oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur within at least one ring (if there is more than one ring).
Unless otherwise constrained by the definition for the heteroaryl substituent, such heteroaryl groups can be optionally substituted with from 1 to 5 substituents and preferably 1 to 3 substituents selected from the group consisting of acyloxy, hydroxy, acyl, alkyl, alkoxy, alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkyl, substituted alkoxy, substituted alkenyl, substituted alkynyl, amino, substituted amino, aminoacyl, acylamino, alkaryl, aryl, aryloxy, azido, carboxyl, carboxylalkyl, cyano, halo, nitro, heteroaryl, heteroaryloxy, heterocyclic, heterocyclooxy, aminoacyloxy, oxyacylamino, thioalkoxy, substituted thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, thioheteroaryloxy, xe2x80x94SO-alkyl, xe2x80x94SO-substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94SO-aryl, xe2x80x94SO-heteroaryl, xe2x80x94SO2-alkyl, _SO2-substituted alkyl, xe2x80x94SO2-aryl, xe2x80x94SO2-heteroaryl, trihalomethyl. Preferred substituents include alkyl, alkoxy, halo, cyano, nitro, trihalomethyl, and thloalkoxy. Such heteroaryl groups can have a single ring (e.g., pyridyl or furyl) or multiple condensed rings (e.g., indolizinyl or benzothienyl).
xe2x80x9cHeterocyclexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cheterocyclicxe2x80x9d refers to a monovalent saturated or unsaturated carbocyclic group having a single ring or multiple condensed rings, from 1 to 15 carbon atoms and from 1 to 4 hetero atoms selected from the group consisting of nitrogen, sulfur or oxygen within the ring. Such heterocyclic groups are optionally substituted with 1 to 5 substituents selected from the group consisting of alkyl, substituted alkyl, alkoxy, substituted alkoxy, aryl, aryloxy, halo, nitro, heteroaryl, thiol, thioalkoxy, substituted thioalkoxy, thioaryloxy, trihalomethyl, and the like. Such heterocyclic groups can have a single ring or multiple condensed rings.
As to any of the above groups that contain 1 or more substituents, it is understood, that such groups do not contain any substitution or substitution patterns which are sterically impractical and/or synthetically non-feasible.
xe2x80x9cPharmaceutically acceptable saltsxe2x80x9d refers to pharmaceutically acceptable salts of a compound of Formulas IA or IB, which salts are derived from a variety of organic and inorganic counter ions well known in the art and include, by way of example only, sodium, potassium, calcium, magnesium, ammonium, tetraalkylammonium, and the like; and when the molecule contains a basic functionality, salts of organic or inorganic acids, such as hydrochloride, hydrobromide, tartrate, mesylate, acetate, maleate, oxalate and the like can be used as the pharmaceutically acceptable salt.
The term xe2x80x9cprotecting groupxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cblocking groupxe2x80x9d refers to any group which when bound to one or more hydroxyl, amino or carboxyl groups of the compounds (including intermediates thereof such as the aminolactams, aminolactones, etc.) prevents reactions from occurring at these groups and which protecting group can be removed by conventional chemical or enzymatic steps to reestablish the hydroxyl, amino or carboxyl group. Preferred removable amino blocking groups include conventional substituents such as t-butyoxycarbonyl (t-BOC), benzyloxycarbonyl (CBZ), and the like which can be removed by conventional conditions compatible with the nature of the product.
The compounds of the present invention have the following general formulas IA and IB:
wherein R2 is H, C(xe2x95x90O)R8;
R8 is H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aralkyl, substituted aralkyl, aryl, or substituted aryl;
R3 and R4 are independently H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, aralkyl, alkenyl, substituted alkenyl, alkynyl, substituted alkynyl, halogen, hydroxy, alkylsulfonyloxy, arylsulfonyloxy, substituted arylsulfonyloxy, alkoxy, alkylthio, or arylthio;
or if R3 and R4 are both alkoxy or alkylthio, may form a 1,3-dioxolan-2-yl, 1,3-dioxan-2-yl, 1,3-dithiolan-2-yl, or 1,3-dithian-2-yl group; or together R3 and R4 may form a carbonyl oxygen;
R5, R6, and R7 are independently H, alkyl, substituted alkyl, aryl, substituted aryl, halogen, hydroxy, nitro, amino, substituted amino, disubstituted amino, alkoxy, aryloxy, alkylthio, arylthio, sulfonamido, or substituted sulfonamido;
or together R5 and R6 or R6 and R7 may be CHxe2x95x90CHxe2x80x94CHxe2x95x90CH, such that they form a fused aromatic ring;
A and B are independently O, S, or N-R8;
or A and B may independently represent a carbonxe2x80x94carbon single bond;
m and n are independently 0, 1, 2, or 3;
except that A and B cannot both represent a carbonxe2x80x94carbon single bond when m and n are both 0; and
X is CHxe2x95x90CH, CHxe2x95x90N, Nxe2x95x90CH, O, S, or Nxe2x80x94R8.
Those skilled in the art of organic chemistry will appreciate that reactive and fragile functional groups often must be protected prior to a particular reaction, or sequence of reactions, and then restored to their original forms after the last reaction is completed. Usually groups are protected by converting them to a relatively stable derivative. For example, a hydroxyl group may be converted to an ether group and an amino converted to an amide or carbamate. Methods of protecting and de-protect, also know as xe2x80x9cblockingxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cde-blocking,xe2x80x9d are well know and widely practiced in the art, e.g., see T. Green, Protective Groups in Organic Synthesis, John Wiley, New York (1981) or Protective Groups in Organic Chemistry, Ed. J. F. W. McOmie, Plenum Press, London (1973).
Representative example compounds of the present invention include:
Synthesis of Compounds
Compounds of formula IA may be conveniently prepared according to Scheme 1. A compound of formula (II) or (III) is reacted with a compound of formula (IV) in the presence of elemental sulfur and morpholine at approximately 70xc2x0 C., for about one hour, then at approximately 20 to 25xc2x0 C. for a period of about 20 hours to yield a compound of formula (IA).
Compounds of formula (IB) may be conveniently prepared according to Scheme 2. In a manner analogous to that used for preparing compounds of formula (IA), 2-butanone is reacted with a compound of formula (II) or (III) in the presence of elemental sulfur and morpholine at approximately 70xc2x0 C., for about one hour, then at approximately 20 to 25xc2x0 C., for a period of about 20 hours, to afford a compound of formula (IB).
Compounds of formula (II) or (III) may be conveniently prepared according to Scheme 3 by treating compounds of formula (V) or (VI) with bromine in glacial acetic acid at approximately 20 to 25xc2x0 C. for approximately two hours to provide intermediates of formula (VII) or (VIII). These intermediates in a protic solvent, such as ethanol, may then be treated with an aqueous solution of potassium cyanide at approximately 20 to 25xc2x0 C. for about 20 to 24 hours to afford compounds of formula (II) or (III).
Compounds of formula (IV), (V), or (VI) are commercially available or may be prepared by methods known in the literature.
Utility
The compounds can be used for:
Protection against hypoxia and/or ischemia induced injuries (e.g., stroke, infarction);
Treatment of adenosine-sensitive cardiac arrhythmias;
antinociception (i.e., analgesics);
anticonvulsants;
cardioprotection, short term (e.g., prior to percutaneous angioplasty (PTDA), angioplasty, and cardiac surgeries) and long term (prevention of myocardial infarction, especially in high risk patients, reduction of infarct damage, especially in high risk patients);
treatment of congestive heart failure;
neuroprotection: stroke prevention, stroke treatment, treatment of Alzheimer""s disease and treatment of epilepsy;
pain management generally, including different forms of neuropathic pain, e.g., diabetic neuropathy, post herpetic neuralgia;
antilipid uses: reduction of free fatty acids, triglycerides, glucose;
adjunct therapy in diabetes, including, insulin dependent and non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus: stimulation of insulin secretion from the pancreas, increase in tissue sensitivity to insulin;
treatment of GI disorders such as diarrhea, irritable bowel disease, irritable bowel syndrome, irritable bladder, incontinence such as urge incontinence;
treatment of glaucoma;
treatment of sleep diorders, such as sleep apnea;
treatment of cardiac disarrythmias (peroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia;
use in combination with anesthesia for post surgical pain; treatment of inflammation;
diagnostic uses, for example, to determine the presence of one or more of the above described medical conditions, or in a screening assay to determine the effectiveness of other compounds for bindinor to the Al Ado receptor (i.e., through competitive inhibition as determined by various
binding assays); and
Other indications for which A1AdoR agonists are used.
The amount of compound of the present invention required to be effective as an allosteric modulator of an adenosine receptor will, of course, vary with the individual mammal being treated and is ultimately at the discretion of the medical or veterinary practitioner. The factors to be considered include the condition being treated, the route of administration, the nature of the formulation, the mammal""s body weight, surface area, age and general condition, and the particular compound to be administered. However, a suitable effective dose is in the range of about 0.1 xcexcg/kg to about 10 mg/kg body weight per day, preferably in the range of about 1 mg/kg to about 3 mg/kg per day.
The total daily dose may be given as a single dose, multiple doses, e.g., two to six times per day, or by intravenous infusion for a selected duration. Dosages above or below the range cited above are within the scope of the present invention and may be administered to the individual patient if desired and necessary. For example, for a 75 kg mammal, a dose range would be about 75 mg to about 220 mg per day, and a typical dose would be about 150 mg per day. If discrete multiple doses are indicated, treatment might typically be 50 mg of a compound of the present invention given 3 times per day.
Biological Assays
Chinese hamster ovary cells expressing human recombinant A1 adenosine receptors (CHO:huA1 cells) at a density of approximately 8000 fmol/mg protein were prepared as previously described (Kollias-Baker et al., (1997), J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 281: 761-768) and aliquots of the cells at low passage numbers were frozen and stored in liquid nitrogen. When compounds were tested, an aliquot of CHO:huA1 cells were rapidly thawed after removal from liquid nitrogen, then grown in Ham""s F12 culture medium with 10% fetal bovine serum and 0.5 mg/mL of antibiotic G-418 (Shryock, Ozeck, and Belardinelli (1998), Mol. Pharmacol 53: 886-893). Cells were passaged thrice weekly. Aliquots of cells were placed into 12-well plates with culture medium, serum, and antibiotic for 48 hours, by which time the cells had grown to a confluent monolayer.
Allosteric enhancement was measured as the action of a test compound at different concentrations (0.01, 0.1, 1 and 10 xcexcM) to reduce the cAMP content of CHO:huA1 cells. To initiate an experiment, growth medium was removed from the 12-well plates and cells were washed once with warm Hanks"" buffered saline. The wash solution was then removed and replaced with fresh Hanks"" solution containing forskolin (1 xcexcM), rolipram (20 xcexcM), N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, 0.01 nM), adenosine deaminase (2 U/mL), and the test compound. Forskolin was used to stimulate the activity of adenylyl cyclase, rolipram to inhibit cAMP phosphodiesterase, adenosine deaminase to degrade endogenous adenosine, and CPA to cause a small increase of the number of activated adenosine receptors. After 6 min of incubation at 36xc2x0 C. in the presence of test compound, the incubation solution was removed and hydrochloric acid (final concentration 50 mM) was added to terminate drug action.
The content of cAMP in acidified extracts of cells was determined by radioimmunoassay as previously described (Kollias-Baker et al., (1997), J. Pharmacol. Exp. Ther. 281: 761-768). Because the magnitude of the effects of allosteric enhancers on CHO:huA1 cells changed subtly with passage number and differed slightly among different aliquots of cells, the actions of the test compounds and the action of a reference compound (PD 81,723) were assessed in each experiment. The effect of each test compound on cAMP content is presented in Table 1 as a percentage of the value of cAMP content in the absence of drug (control, 100%). Each value is a mean+standard error of 6 determinations in each of the number of experiments indicated in the xe2x80x9cnxe2x80x9d column of the table.
Radioligand Binding Assays Results
Methods for detecting specific macromolecular species, such as proteins, drugs, and polynucleotides, have proven to be very valuable analytical techniques in biology and medicine, particularly for characterizing the molecular composition of normal and abnormal tissue samples and genetic material. Many different types of such detection methods are widely used in biomedical research and clinical laboratory medicine. Examples of such detection methods include: immunoassays, immunochemical staining for microscopy, fluorescence-activated cell sorting (FACS), nucleic acid hybridization, water sampling, air sampling, and others. Typically, a detection method employs at least one analytical reagent that binds to a specific target macromolecular species and produces a detectable signal. These analytical reagents typically have two components: (1) a probe macromolecule, for example, an antibody or oligonucleotide, that can bind a target macromolecule with a high degree of specificity and affinity, and (2) a detectable label, such as a radioisotope or covalently-linked fluorescent dye molecule. In general, the binding properties of the probe macromolecule define the specificity of the detection method, and the detectability of the associated label determines the sensitivity of the detection method. The sensitivity of detection is in turn related to both the type of label employed and the quality and type of equipment available to detect it.
For example, radioimmunoassays (RIA) have been among the most sensitive and specific analytical methods used for detecting and quantitating biological macromolecules. Radioimmunoassay techniques have been used to detect and measure minute quantities of specific analytes, such as polypeptides, drugs, steroid hormones, polynucleotides, metabolites, and tumor markers, in biological samples. Radioimmunoassay methods employ immunoglobulins labeled with one or more radioisotopes as the analytical reagent. Radiation (alpha, beta, or gamma) produced by decay of the attached radioisotope label serves as the signal which can be detected and quantitated by various radiometric methods.
The term xe2x80x9clabeled analogxe2x80x9d is further understood to encompass compounds which are labeled with radioactive isotopes, such as but not limited to tritium (3 H), carbon (14C), iodine (1251), phosphorus (31P, 32P, 33P), sulfur (35S) or otherwise labeled (e.g. fluorescently). Less common, but also known in the art, is the use of radio labels of the positron emitting radionuclides 11C, 13N, 15O, 18F or 76Br. Also known in the art, but less common, is the use of stable isotopes, such as deuterium (2H) and 13C that are detected by magnetic resonance imaging or mass spectrometry. The compounds of this invention may be labeled or derivatized, for example, for kinetic binding experiments, for further elucidating metabolic pathways and enzymatic mechanisms, or for characterization by methods known in the art of analytical chemistry.
Formulations
Formulations of the present invention for medical use comprise an active compound, i.e., a compound of formula (IA), (IB) or (IC), together with an acceptable carrier thereof and optionally other therapeutically active ingredients. The carrier must be pharmaceutically acceptable in the sense of being compatible with the other ingredients of the formulation and not deleterious to the recipient thereof.
The present invention, therefore, further provides a pharmaceutical formulation comprising a compound of formula (IA), (IB) or (IC) together with a pharmaceutically acceptable carrier thereof.
The formulations include, but are not limited to, those suitable for oral, rectal, topical or parenteral (including subcutaneous, intramuscular and intravenous) administration. Preferred are those suitable for oral or parenteral administration.
The formulations may conveniently be presented in unit dosage form and may be prepared by any of the methods well known in the art of pharmacy.
All methods include the step of bringing the active compound into association with a carrier which constitutes one or more accessory ingredients. In general, the formulations are prepared by uniformly and intimately bringing the active compound into association with a liquid carrier or a finely divided solid carrier and then, if necessary, shaping the product into desired unit dosage form.
Formulations of the present invention suitable for oral administration may be presented as discrete units such as capsules, cachets, tablets or lozenges, each containing a predetermined amount of the active compound;
as a powder or granules; or a suspension or solution in an aqueous liquid or non-aqueous liquid, e.g., a syrup, an elixir, an emulsion or a draught.
A tablet may be made by compression or molding, optionally with one or more accessory ingredients. Compressed tablets may be prepared by compressing in a suitable machine the active compound in a free-flowing form, e.g., a powder or granules, optionally mixed with accessory ingredients, e.g., binders, lubricants, inert diluents, surface active or dispersing agents. Molded tablets may be made by molding in a suitable machine, a mixture of the powdered active compound with any suitable carrier.
A syrup or suspension may be made by adding the active compound to a concentrated, aqueous solution of a sugar, e.g., sucrose, to which may also be added any accessory ingredients. Such accessory ingredients) may include flavoring, an agent to retard crystallization of the sugar or an agent to increase the solubility of any other ingredient, e.g., as a polyhydric alcohol, for example, glycerol or sorbitol.
Formulations for rectal administration may be presented as a suppository with a conventional carrier, e.g., cocoa butter or Witepsol S55 (trademark of Dynamite Nobel Chemical, Germany), for a suppository base.
Formulations suitable for parenteral administration conveniently comprise sterile aqueous preparation of the active compound which is preferably isotonic with the blood of the recipient. Thus, such formulations may conveniently contain distilled water, 5% dextrose in distilled water or saline. Useful formulations also comprise concentrated solutions or solids containing the compound of formula (I) which upon dilution with an appropriate solvent give a solution suitable for parental administration above.
Topical formulations include ointments, creams, gels and lotions which may be prepared by conventional methods known in the art of pharmacy. In addition to the ointment, cream gel, or lotion base and the active ingredient, such topical formulation may also contain preservatives, perfumes, and additional active pharmaceutical agents.
In addition to the aforementioned ingredients, the formulations of this invention may further include one or more optional accessory ingredient(s) utilized in the art of pharmaceutical formulations, e.g., diluents, buffers, flavoring agents, binders, surface active agents, thickeners, lubricants, suspending agents, preservatives (including antioxidants) and the like.

Allosteric adenosine receptor modulators

Abstract: the preparation thereof, pharmaceutical formulations thereof, and their use in medicine as allosteric adenosine receptor modulators for uses including protection against hypoxia and ischemia induced injury and treatment of adenosine-sensitive cardiac arrhythmias.

King Pharmaceutical Research and Development, Inc.


A main digital-to-analog converter (DAC) receives at least one input and generates an adjusted input. A SAR unit generates a code for controlling the main DAC based on a comparison output of a comparing unit that receives the adjusted input. A reference generator, under control of the generated code, generates at least one reference voltage, which is then forwarded to the comparing unit in each corresponding cycle for defining a search range of each cycle, wherein an absolute value of the reference voltage of a latter cycle is less than the reference voltage of a former cycle such that the search range of the latter cycle is smaller than the search range of the former cycle, and search ranges of all the cycles are centered at a base voltage.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to an analog-to-digital converter (ADC), and more particularly to a multi-bit per cycle successive approximation register (SAR) ADC.
2. Description of Related Art
A successive approximation register (SAR) analog-to-digital converter (ADC) is a type of ADC that converts an analog signal to a digital code equivalent of the analog signal. FIG. 1 shows a schematic diagram illustrating a conventional SAR ADC. The SAR ADC performs conversion by comparison and searching through all possible quantization levels, i.e., binary search, to obtain a digital output. The SAR ADC requires less silicon area and the associated cost than other ADC architectures. However, as the conventional SAR ADC as exemplified in FIG. 1 converts one bit per cycle, it therefore does not fit for high speed applications.
In order to speed up the operation of the SAR ADC, a 2-bit per cycle (or 2b/cycle) SAR ADC is proposed. FIG. 2 shows a block diagram illustrating a conventional 2b/cycle SAR ADC. Compared with the 1b/cycle SAR ADC of FIG. 1, the 2b/cycle SAR ADC involves triple capacitive ADCs (designated as C-net) and thus causes triple loading for a previous stage (e.g., a source follower made of a current source 11 and a p-type transistor 12) in the SAR ADC. Moreover, as more comparators 13 are used in the 2b/cycle SAR ADC (FIG. 2) than the 1b/cycle SAR ADC (FIG. 1), mismatch issue among the comparators in the 2b/cycle SAR ADC need be resolved.
For the foregoing reasons, a need has arisen to propose a novel multi-bit per cycle SAR ADC to overcome the disadvantages as mentioned above.

Multi-bit per cycle successive approximation register ADC


Principles of the present invention provide a method of entering a default field value in a second data entry field based on a user's current entry in a first data entry field. The method establishes a relational index table, the relational index table including at least one record having at least three fields. The fields include: a parent field containing a prior entry in the first data entry field; a child field containing an associated prior entry in the second data entry field; and a frequency field including a count of the number of times the prior entry in the first data entry field was associated with the prior entry in the second data entry field. The method further includes: receiving the user's current entry in the first data entry field; and looking up the user's current entry in the first data entry field in the parent field of the relational index table and returning the associated prior entry in the child field as the default field value.

Anything that can assist users in entering data into computer systems saves time, money, and frustration. When entering large amounts of similar or identical data, users appreciate the existence of systems with the intelligence to make good predictions of possible input. Mechanisms such as shell histories or list boxes that remember previous input for some fields are well known today.
A prior art approach to predicting input is to collect a recent window of entries that were entered into a field as a collection of prior entries. When the user begins to type data into the field, the system examines the input keystrokes and may display in the input field one or more matching prior entries from the collection. The system may also offer a drop down list box displaying a list of potential entries. The user may then "arrow down" or select one of the matching entries, and, thus, does not need to type more than a few keystrokes in order to enter data into the field. An example of the prior art approach can be seen in many Microsoft products, for example, the Internet Explorer address field.
By examining only the prior entry data associated with the current, user-selected entry field, the prior art approach fails to take a holistic look at the entry screen. Data entry screens often contain more than one data field. The prior art fails to examine how data entries in a first field may be related to data entries in a second field, and, further fails to use any such relationship when providing the type-ahead or lookup features. For example, it is often the case on a data entry screen for a shipping address that a zip code and an area code are entered. Usually, an area code will be associated with only one, two, or three zip codes. The systems knowledge of the user entered area code should provide the system with good estimates of possible zip codes, prior to any typing from the user. The prior art approach fails to take the relationship between fields into account.

System and method for entering a default field value through statistical defaulting


A method and system manages a virtual tape library history database. The method includes triggering an update of the virtual tape library history database in response to detecting a change related to a tape in a virtual tape library state table, where the update is asynchronous from processing of small computer system interface (SCSI) or command line interface (CLI) commands handled by a virtual tape library, and adding a record to a virtual tape history table in the virtual tape library history database, the virtual tape history table corresponding to the tape, where the record includes information about the change, where the virtual tape history table functions as a log of activity for the tape.

Physical tape libraries have been used historically to store data, particularly in large scale data backup and retrieval systems. A physical tape library represents a collection of physical tapes (i.e., physical magnetic tapes). Often a physical tape library includes a large number of physical tapes, for example, thousands to hundreds of thousands of physical tapes. The physical tapes are housed and organized such that a robotic arm known as a picker can be used to select each physical tape from its slot and insert it into a physical tape drive under electronic control. The physical tape library may be coupled with a network and used for backup network data storage. Backup software applications and other software (e.g., on network coupled computers) may be configured to use such physical tape libraries.
One drawback to such physical tape libraries is that they rely on robotics and other mechanical components to function. As such, physical tape libraries tend to be relatively susceptible to malfunction (e.g., the robotic arms may break, the robot arms may drop physical tapes, etc.). However, existing backup applications and technology has been designed to use physical tape libraries. Often these backup programs are configured to interact with the physical tape libraries through the use of small computer system interface (SCSI) commands to direct the selection, loading, manipulation and writing of data to the physical tapes. Thus, recoding these programs to work with other types of storage systems would be costly and time consuming.
Virtual tape libraries provide an alternative to physical tape libraries. The virtual tape libraries appear to be physical tape libraries to the backup applications, and other software. These virtual tape libraries may emulate physical tape libraries including all of the SCSI commands utilized by the backup programs to interact with the physical tape libraries. However, the virtual tape libraries typically do not actually store the data on physical magnetic tapes, but rather store the data on one or more hard disk drive arrays, solid state storage devices, or other types of physical storage. This offers an advantage that the virtual tape libraries do not need to rely on the mechanical components, such as robotic arms used for physical tape libraries. Moreover, the backup applications, or other software utilizing the virtual tape library, do not need to know that physical magnetic tapes are not being used for data storage, and do not need to be changed. This helps to avoid modifying existing backup applications and technology that has been designed to use physical tape libraries. As a further advantage, the data stored by a backup application to a virtual tape may be stored as a file of a file system. As such, the virtual tape libraries are generally able to take advantage of advanced file system functionalities, such as improved ability to perform data deduplication, replication, redundancy, segmenting, and/or other file system based technologies.

Technique for creating a history of tape movement in a virtual tape library


The present invention comprises methods for treating photoresists and forming photoresist relief images, including a method comprising providing a photoresist coating having a crosslinked surface layer, treating the photoresist coating with an organometallic material, and developing the photoresist coating to provide a relief image comprising an etch resistant effective amount of organometallic material.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention provides methods for treating photoresist including methods of forming photoresist relief images having micron and submicron dimensions. More particularly, in one aspect, methods are provided that comprise treating a photoresist coating having a crosslinked surface layer with an organometallic treatment to provide high resolution relief images exhibiting enhanced resistance to plasma etchants.
2. Background Art
Photoresists are photosensitive films used for transfer of an image to a substrate. They may be negative or positive acting. After a coating layer of a photoresist is formed on a substrate, the coating is selectively exposed through a photomask to a source of activating energy such as ultraviolet light. The photomask has areas that are opaque to activating radiation and other areas that are transparent to activating radiation. A relief image is provided upon development of the latent image patterned in the resist coating. The background and use of photoresists are generally described, for example, in Deforest, Photoresist Materials and Processes, McGraw Hill Book Company, New York (1975), and Moreau, Semiconductor Lithography, Principles, Practices and Materials, Plenum Press, New York (1988).
A number of advancements in electronic devices and components have resulted from improvements in manufacturing techniques. Specifically, improvements have occurred in microlithography and in methods of transferring the patterns used to create the complex structures within the electronic devices.
An often preferred method of transferring patterns of micron and submicron dimensions to a substrate is dry etching. The method utilizes plasma or reactive ion etching to remove specific areas of material on a surface so that a pattern remains. Typically the material to be dry etched to create a pattern is a polymeric material for reasons of ease of use, material properties and cost considerations. When an organic polymer is used, dry etching can be done using an oxygen plasma or oxygen reactive ion etching.
During oxygen plasma and/or oxygen reactive ion etching, the organic content of a polymer is converted to a gaseous form which is easily removed. To create the desired pattern, methods have been reported where polymeric material is made resistant to the etching material. See, generally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,357,369; 4,396,704; 4,426,247; 4,430,153; 4,433,044; 4,552,833; 4,613,398; 4,921,778; 5,079,131; and 5,108,875.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,079,131 to Thackeray, et al., a process is disclosed for the formation of positive-tone relief images. The patent discloses, inter alia, subjecting an exposed acid hardening photoresist to treatment with an organometallic material such as a silyl reagent followed by dry development (e.g., oxygen plasma etch) of exposed regions. The organometallic reagent selectively reacts only with unexposed areas of the coating layer and not in exposed or crosslinked areas of the photoresist.
The present invention represents further advances in the art.


A scalable analysis system is described herein that performs common data analysis operations such as distinct counts and data grouping in a more scalable and efficient manner. The system allows distinct counts and data grouping to be applied to large datasets with predictable growth in the cost of the operation. The system dynamically partitions data based on the actual data distribution, which provides both scalability and uncompromised performance. The system sets a budget of available memory or other resources to use for the operation. As the operation progresses, the system determines whether the budget of memory is nearing exhaustion. Upon detecting that the memory used is near the limit, the system dynamically partitions the data. If the system still detects memory pressure, then the system partitions again, until a partition level is identified that fits within the memory budget.

Databases are used to store and process data for a variety of tasks today. Businesses often use databases to manage customers, track sales, manage internal personnel and operations, and so forth. Business Intelligence (BI) refers to the use of databases or other systems to analyze a business. The analysis may include observing historical trends, projecting future performance, slicing collected information (e.g., sales by region or by month), and so on. Databases often provide query functionality that facilitates the implementation of business intelligence using data stored in a database and implemented by information technology (IT) or other personnel within a business.
Two common types of query operations are obtaining distinct counts of items in repetitive data and grouping data by some value. In terms of Structured Query Language (SQL), these operations are invoked by the "DISTINCT COUNT" and "GROUP BY" keywords. A distinct count can be used, for example, to determine how many distinct customers purchased products from a company during a period. Using a database table that contains a row for each purchase transaction and a column with a customer identifier, a distinct count on the customer identifier will return the total number of customers that had transactions matching any other criteria in the query (such as filtering conditions in the WHERE clause). Grouping collects related data together, and can be used to produce subtotals or other sub-collections of data within a larger collection. For example, using the same transactions table, a query can group transactions by region to obtain a revenue per region that contributes to the overall revenue represented in the table. These two concepts can also be used together, such as to obtain a distinct count of customers in each region.
The most common problems with counting and grouping operations are the computational complexity and corresponding time involved with producing the results. Determining a distinct count involves some level of tracking which values have been seen before so that additional data of that value can be ignored, and which values have not been seen so that the count can be incremented when new data values are encountered. Grouping data likewise involves tracking how many separate values of the grouped data value exist, and partitioning rows that are found based on the value of the grouped data value for each row. Performing these tasks may involve sorting the data, creating temporary tables, building hash tables, pushing large data structures to disk or other large (but slow) storage, and so forth. These operations are costly in terms of time and storage resources, and affect how large of a dataset can be used with such operations to achieve results in a reasonable period. In particular, datasets that have columns of high cardinality (i.e., many different values in the set) present computational difficulties for existing analysis systems.


There is provided a communicating apparatus such as a television telephone having the absence recording function which can communicate either one or both of an image signal and a voice signal. The apparatus comprises: a memory such as a disk-shaped recording medium to store the voice signal and image signal so as to be concerned with each other; a judgement circuit to discriminate whether or not a personal code number which is input from a destination partner side through a public telephone line coincides with the ID number recorded on the memory; a transmitter to transmit the voice signal and the image signal stored in the memory as a pair to the line in accordance with the result of the discrimination of the judgement circuit; and a reading circuit to read out the voice signal and the image signal from the memory. After the transmitter transmitted the image signal, it transmits the voice signal. Thus, the subscriber can listen to the partner's voice while observing the still image by inputting the correct personal code number to the TV telephone.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a communicating apparatus and, more particularly, to an apparatus which can communicate either one of or both of an image and a voice.
2. Related Background Art
Hitherto, as an example of such a communicating apparatus, a television telephone system using a telephone line has been known. In such a system, in the case of transmitting an image, an analog image signal is converted into a digital signal, the digital signal is first stored into a digital memory, the stored digital data is modulated into a signal in a frequency band of 300 to 3400 Hz of the telephone line, and the modulated signal is transmitted as the analog signal. On the other hand, in the case of reception, the received analog signal is demodulated and converted into digital image data and stored into the digital memory, a stored image data is converted into, for instance, a television signal, and the TV signal is supplied to a TV monitor apparatus. On the other hand, when the transmission and reception of image data are not executed, communication by a voice signal is performed in a manner similar to a conventional telephone.
With respect to such a television telephone, a function similar to the absence recording function in a conventional telephone receiving only the voice signal is demanded. In the telephone receiving only the voice signal, for instance, a message upon absence reception is recorded into a semiconductor memory or on a magnetic tape and a message from the distant side is recorded into the semiconductor memory or onto the magnetic tape. On the other hand, in a telephone using a personal code number, only when the personal code number has been received from the outside are the recorded messages are reproduced and transmitted.
However, in the case of merely storing messages into the memory, only the voice can be transmitted and no image can be transmitted.
On the other hand, with respect to the received image, if the received image is merely stored into the digital memory, the preceding stored image will be erased by the reception of the next image. On the other hand, in the case of recording the received image onto the magnetic tape or the like, in order to check whether the received image has been recorded or not, the image is first demodulated and stored into the digital memory and read out and displayed by a TV monitor, while the voice signal must be reproduced from the magnetic tape on which the voice signal was recorded. Thus, it takes a long time and the operations become complicated.
It is a large problem as to which one of the reproduced image and the received image is preferentially output to the monitor in the case where a (voice or video) signal is received from the telephone line while the recorded image signal is reproduced and checked in the absence recording mode.

Communicating apparatus providing discriminated voice and/or image communication


An electrochemical cell and method of assembling electrochemical cell having a container, an anode, a cathode, and a separator. The anode includes rounded zinc flakes coated on one surface with an absorbent gelling agent and disposed in the container. An electrolyte solution is added to the container so that at least some of the electrolyte is absorbed by the absorbent gelling agent. In addition, the zinc flakes, which may be disk-shaped, are oriented substantially perpendicular to side walls of the separator.

The present invention generally relates to aqueous electrochemical cells and, more particularly, to an alkaline electrochemical cell having a gel-type electrode.
Conventional alkaline electrochemical cells generally include a cylindrical steel can having a positive electrode, commonly referred to as the cathode, which often comprises manganese dioxide as the active material. The electrochemical cell also includes a negative electrode, commonly referred to as the anode, which often comprises zinc powder as the active material. In conventional bobbin-type cell constructions, the anode is centrally located in a cavity within a tubularly shaped cathode. A cup-shaped separator is located between the anode and the cathode, and an alkaline electrolyte solution simultaneously contacts the anode, the cathode, and the separator. A conductive current collector is typically inserted into the anode active material, and a seal assembly, which commonly includes an annular polymeric seal, such as nylon, provides closure to the open end of the steel can to seal the active electrochemical materials in the can.
Some conventional alkaline cells commonly use a gelled anode which contains carboxymethyl cellulose (CMC), cross-linking type branched polyacrylic acid or a sodium salt thereof, natural gum, or the like as a gelling agent. Examples of conventional gelled anodes are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,587,254 and 4,963,447. The gelled anode is typically formed by uniformly dispersing irregularly shaped zinc powder in a gelled electrolyte containing a gelling agent, such as CMC, and an alkaline electrolyte solution, such as potassium hydroxide. The zinc powder is uniformly suspended in place by the gelling agent. The conventional gelled anode is generally preformed and injected in a gelled state into the cup-shaped separator with an injector. The gelled anode mix typically has a low viscosity and uniform concentration of zinc powder dispersed throughout the anode mix.
Zinc powder is commercially available in various particle shapes and sizes. Conventional zinc powders employed in alkaline batteries are generally characterized as irregularly shaped particles, ranging from lumps or distorted spheroids to elongated tuberous forms. These zinc particles typically have craggy or minor protrusions, and irregular surface characteristics. In conventional cells, the zinc powder is generally suspended in the gelling agent without respect to its orientation. The irregular shaped particles and non-uniform orientation of zinc particles may reduce ion permeation and water flow within the anode and may create void volume, thereby reducing available cell performance. The anode must include a minimal amount of zinc powder to provide sufficient particle-to-particle and particle-to-collector contact, yet not unnecessarily waste excessive zinc beyond the anode's reaction product capacity. Electrochemical cells have generally required a minimum of 28 percent volume of conventional zinc powder in the anode to provide sufficient electronic conductivity.
It is desirable to provide a zinc anode current carrying matrix that maintains good conductivity, high current discharge efficiency and allows for enhanced flow, high volume percent zinc concentrations, and improved packing efficiency.

Electrochemical cell and cell assembly process


Providing a silicon-containing material having a novel structure being distinct from the structure of conventional silicon oxide disproportionated to use.

Since a secondary battery, such as lithium-ion secondary batteries, has a small size and exhibits a large capacity, the secondary battery has been used in a wide variety of fields like cellular phones and notebook-size personal computers. Performance of a lithium-ion secondary battery is dependent on materials for the positive electrode, negative electrode and electrolyte constituting the secondary battery. Even among the materials, the research and development of active-material ingredients included in electrodes have been carried out actively. At present, carbon-based materials, such as graphite, are available as a negative-electrode active-material ingredient having been used commonly. Since a carbon negative electrode using graphite, and the like, as a negative-electrode active material, undergoes an intercalation reaction, the cyclability and output excel. Note, however, that no considerable upgrading in capacity is not expected from the carbon negative electrode from now on. In the meanwhile, a request for further upgrading lithium-ion secondary batteries in capacity has been intensifying as the lithium-ion secondary batteries' specifications and usages expand. Consequently, investigating negative-electrode active materials exhibiting a higher capacity, namely, a higher energy density, than carbon does, has been carried out.
As a negative-electrode active material being capable of materializing a high energy density, a silicon-based material, such as silicon or silicon oxide, is given. Silicon has a large lithium-ion sorbing (or occluding)/desorbing (or releasing) capacity per unit volume or per unit mass, and shows a high capacity being ten times or more of the capacity of carbon. However, although the silicon-based material has large charge and discharge capacities, the silicon-based material has a problem with the poor charge/discharge cyclability because of the following causes: the volumetric expansions at the time of sorbing lithium resulting in destructing electrodes; the pulverization of silicon leading to the downward sliding of the silicon off from electrodes; or the cut-off conductive paths resulting from the former two causes; and so on.
As a countermeasure for improving the charge/discharge cyclability of silicon, using a silicon oxide as a negative-electrode active material has been known. When a silicon oxide (e.g., SiOx where "x" falls in a range of 0.5≤"x"≤1.5) is heat treated, the silicon oxide has been known to decompose into Si and SiO2. The decomposition is called a disproportionation reaction. When the silicon oxide is SiO, homogenous solid silicon monoxide in which a ratio between Si and O is 1:1 roughly, internal reactions of the solid lead to separating the SiO into two phases, namely, an Si phase and an SiO2 phase. Of the two phases, the micro-fine Si phase mainly carries out sorbing and desorbing lithium. The SiO2 phase covers a plurality of the micro-fine Si phases, relieves the above-described volumetric expansion of the Si phases at the time of sorbing lithium, and furthermore possesses an action of inhibiting an electrolytic solution from decomposing. Therefore, a secondary battery, which uses a negative-electrode active material comprising SiO decomposed into an Si phase and an SiO2 phase, excels in cyclability. Moreover, the SiO2 phase has been known to form an Li—Si—O system compound at the initial charge to function as a lithium-ion conductor. However, since completely desorbing lithium sorbed in the Li—Si—O system compound at the time of discharging is difficult, the secondary battery is associated with such a problem that an irreversible capacity has arisen. In addition, in order for the Si phases inside an active material to sorb lithium therein and desorb lithium therefrom, the lithium is needed to diffuse within the SiO2 phase covering the Si phases to pass through the SiO2 phase. Therefore, another problem that the electric conductive property of the Li—Si—O system compound included in the SiO2 phase rate-determines the diffusion rate of lithium in the interior of an active material arises.
Patent Application Publication No. 1 discloses negative-electrode active-material particles for lithium secondary battery, a negative-electrode active-material particles comprising a first phase composed of an alloy between silicon and a metallic element, and a second phase in which silicon makes the major element. The second phase is involved in the first phase having a three-dimensionally networked structure. Since the first phase composed of the alloy has a higher electron conductivity than the second phase does, the current-collecting property of the active-material particles is enhanced.

Silicon-containing material and secondary-battery active material including silicon-containing material

Abstract: A silicon-containing material according to the present invention includes at least the following: a continuous phase including silicon with Si—Si bond, and possessing a bubble-shaped skeleton being continuous three-dimensionally; and a dispersion phase including silicon with Si—O bond, and involved in an area demarcated by said continuous phase to be in a dispersed state.


A file handle produced by a file server is encoded into a pseudo-pathname used as a substitute for a pathname in a network file access protocol for accessing a file in the file server. The method avoids repeating a directory lookup and may permit the network file access protocol to access a file that has been renamed since the file handle was produced. The method is particularly advantageous for enabling a file server to use a CIFS client for virus checking or backup of a file modified by an NFS client. In a preferred implementation, the encoding of the file handle into a pseudo-pathname involves converting the file handle to an ASCII hexadecimal format to produce a component name, and appending the component name to a special name of a pseudo-directory of file handles of files in a file system.

For convenient reference to stored computer data, the computer data is typically contained in one or more files. Each file has a logical address space for addressing the computer data in the file. Each file also has attributes including an alphanumeric name for identifying the file. In a typical general purpose digital computer or in a file server, an operating system program called a file system manager maps the logical address space of the file to a storage address space of at least one data storage device such as disk drive, and also manages access to attributes of the file. The mapping information and attributes of the file are generally referred to as metadata of the file.
Typically a human user or an application program accesses the computer data in a file by requesting the file system manager to open the file. After the file system manager returns an acknowledgement that the file has been opened, the user or application program sends requests to the file system manager for reading data from or writing data to specified logical addresses of the file.
To request the opening of the file, the user or application program specifies the alphanumeric name for the file. The file system manager searches one or more directories for the specified name of the file. A directory is a special kind of file. The directory includes an alphanumeric name for each file in the directory. The directory also includes a numeric address of the metadata for each file in the directory. Once the file system manager finds the specified name in the directory, it may open the file, and use the numeric address of the metadata associated with the specified name for reading or writing data to the file.
For referencing a large number of files, the files typically are grouped together in a file system including a hierarchy of directories. Each file is specified by a unique alphanumeric pathname through the hierarchy. The pathname includes the name of each directory along a path from the top of the hierarchy down to the directory that includes the file. To open the file, the user or application program specifies the pathname for the file, and the file system manager searches down through the directory hierarchy until finding the metadata of the file.
Because a search for a file may require multiple directories to be scanned along the path through the hierarchy, the search may require considerable time. Therefore, the search is typically performed no more than once each time that a file is opened. In a network environment, when a file server locates a file for a client, the file server returns a file handle that is used by the client for specifically identifying the file in subsequent requests to read data from or write data to the file. The file server may decode the file handle to determine the numeric address of the metadata associated with the file, without another search in a directory of the file system.
In practice, the specific encoding of the file handle depends on the particular network file access protocol used by the client and the file server, and may also depend on the particular version of the software used by the file server. Therefore, the file handle provided by one network file access protocol for access to a file cannot be used by another network file access protocol as the file handle for reading or writing to the same file. Consequently, the conventional procedure for sharing access to a file between two network clients using different file access protocols is for each client to use the pathname for the file in order to obtain a different file handle for reading or writing data to the file.
The sharing of file access between Network File System (NFS) clients and Common Internet File System (CIFS) clients is especially problematic due to the stateless nature of the NFS protocol. If an NFS client has been using the NFS file handle to access data of the file, the file server may not contain state information that would identify the pathname of the file existing when the file handle was issued to the client. Nevertheless, it may be desired to use a CIFS client to access the file given the NFS file handle.
One way of providing a CIFS client with access to a file given the NFS file handle is to access the file system directory and caches of directory name information in the file server to perform a reverse lookup of a file system pathname given the NFS file handle. Unfortunately, such a reverse lookup is laborious and may not result in the correct pathname for the file if the file has been subject to migration and renaming since it was opened by the NFS client. To obtain the correct pathnames for such volatile file handles, a persistent mapping database from file handle to pathname has been maintained in nonvolatile memory or storage. But this approach involves not only the cost of additional nonvolatile memory or storage but also additional processing time whenever a file handle is issued.

CIFS access to NFS files and directories by translating NFS file handles into pseudo-pathnames


A gait change determination device includes a main body unit, an accelerometer that detects an acceleration of the main body unit, and a control unit, and determines a change in the gait of a user that wears the main body unit on a predetermined area. The control unit specifies a trajectory of a predetermined area on which the main body unit is worn during walking based on accelerations detected by the accelerometer, calculates the temporal change amount of the specified trajectory, and determines the degree of change, which is the degree of the temporal change, based on the calculated temporal change. The degree of change in the gait can be more accurately determined.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to gait change determination devices, and particularly relates to gait change determination devices suited to determining a change in a walking state of a user wearing the device on a predetermined area.
2. Description of the Related Art
Thus far, there has been a technique that, based on values detected by an accelerometer, calculates a movement interval or the presence/absence of muscular vibrations (high-frequency acceleration components), and determines a level of fatigue based on the movement interval or the presence/absence of muscular vibrations (for example, see FIGS. 25 and 26 of JP 2006-271893A).
However, this conventional technique is problematic in that the technique is highly susceptible to the influence of the user simply changing his/her movement speed or the influence of differences among individual users. Accordingly, there has been a problem in that the degree of change in a gait cannot be accurately determined and communicated to the user.


A spray hanger for a wet suit comprises a hook, a pair of horizontally extending arms for supporting the wet suit, a body depending from the center of the arms, and an inlet hose coupling for connecting the hanger to a water source. Spray jets are positioned at the end of each of the arms, for spraying water through the arms of the wet suit to thoroughly rinse the inside of the arms. A plurality of spray jets are also provided throughout the body portion of the hanger to rinse the inside of the wet suit.

The present invention relates generally to a device for conveniently and thoroughly cleansing a wet suit.
Wet suits are commonly used in many recreational activities, such as surfing, scuba diving and water skiing. When worn during such activities, particularly in salt water, it is very important that the suit be thoroughly cleansed, and thereafter dried to preserve the life of the suit.
Heretofore, it has been difficult to adequately clean the salt, sand, dirt and sea water from the wet suit. Typically, the wet suit is laid on the ground or draped over a fence, and then hosed down with a water hose. After rinsing one side of the wet suit, one needs to lift the suit, hose down the area where the suit was lying, and then turn the suit over to rinse the other side. The wet suit then needs to be turned inside out to clean the inside of the suit, and the process repeated.


A method and related system for enabling receipt and storage of data by an operator from at least two types of transmitters, is disclosed. The method includes designating a number of records in a memory array; sub-dividing the memory array into at least two groups, wherein each group is associated with a specific type of transmitter. The method concludes by determining whether one of the number of records is available for writing of data to a specific one of the transmitters.

When constructing a home or a facility, it is well known to provide garage doors which utilize a motor to provide opening and closing movements of the door. Motors may also be coupled with other types of movable barriers such as gates, windows, retractable overhangs and the like. An operator is employed to control the motor and related functions with respect to the door. The operator receives command input signals for the purpose of opening and closing the door from a wireless remote, from a wired or wireless wall station, from a keyless entry device or other similar transmitter device. It is also known to provide safety devices that are connected to the operator for the purpose of detecting an obstruction so that the operator may then take corrective action with the motor to avoid entrapment of the obstruction.
To generate the command input signals that initiate barrier movement between limit positions, it is well known to use a radio frequency or infrared transmitter to actuate the motor and move the door in the desired direction. These transmitter devices allow for users to open and close garage doors without having to get out of their car. These transmitter devices may also be provided with additional features such as the ability to control multiple doors, lights associated with the doors, and other security features. As is well documented in the art, the remote transmitters and operators may communicate with each other by using rolling codes that change after every operation cycle so as to make it virtually impossible to "steal" a code and use it a later time for illegal purposes. An operation cycle may include opening and closing of the barrier while simultaneously turning on and off a light that is connected to the operator.
Normally transmitted radio frequency (RF) codes are temporarily stored in a circular buffer in a memory device maintained by the operator. All the codes from different types of wireless transmitter devices (such as hand held transmitters, wireless keypad transmitters, hands-free transmitters and wireless wall station transmitters) are also stored in the same circular buffer. A circular buffer is a data structure used to pass data from one section of code within the operator to another where the code sections usually have no other interaction with each other. The data to be passed is typically in the form of a stream of data items. A circular buffer is similar to a linear buffer. But, unlike a stack device such as a first-in-last-out buffer or a last-in-first-out buffer which naturally keeps reusing memory as items are popped on and later pulled off of the stack, the circular buffer must work at reusing memory by having the code wrap around to the beginning of the buffer whenever the code gets to the end. In other words, the circular buffer forms an endless queue, wherein the queue functions as an endless first-in-first-out (FIFO) buffer. In addition to the memory for the buffer itself, a circular buffer requires at least one pointer variable. This is used to point to the next available location to place new data into the buffer and the next location containing data to be taken out of the buffer.
Normally the circular buffer will learn a new code from the various wireless devices until the buffer is full. Then, as each subsequent code is learned, one of the old codes is dropped out. In some of the prior art, the old codes are dropped out randomly by the operator and in some operators the codes are dropped out on a first in/first out basis. Issues develop when additional hand held transmitters are added and a wireless wall station or wireless keypad drops out. Many times this is not realized until the user tries to operate the door operator from the device that has been dropped out and determines that the operator no longer recognizes the signal from the device. In view of the primary importance and use of a wall station or keypad transmitter, the loss thereof can be very disconcerting to the end-user.
Known prior art references confirm the use of circular buffers as illustrated in U.S. Pat. No. 5,097,505 to Weiss which discloses a method and apparatus for performing personal identification and/or verification at predetermined stations or checkpoints. Each person to be identified has a unit such as a card, badge or other token or device which stores a predetermined coded value, at least a predetermined portion of which is changed at selected time intervals in accordance with an algorithm. The value of the predetermined portion of the stored code at any given time is non-predictable based upon the algorithm. The unit has a triggering signal generator, the unit being responsive to the triggering signal to present an indication of the current stored code value to the station, wherein the station responds to the predetermined code value for identifying the person. Triggering may be in response to detection of a predetermined beacon from the station, in response to a user keypad input, or may be periodically generated. Security may be enhanced by the person inputting a unique personal identification number (PIN) at the unit wherein the PIN is utilized in generating the non-predictable codes. The PIN input may also be used for triggering. Verification may be achieved by including a public code as part of the code which is presented from the unit when the public code is not changed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,576,701 to Heitschel, et al. discloses a door actuating system which includes a keypad type remote transmitter for transmitting door open request signals generated by pressing the keys of the keypad. The system also includes a stored code type remote transmitter wherein a code stored in long-term storage for transmitting door open requests includes the stored code. A receiver selectively opens the door responsive to the door open requests from both types of remote transmitters. The receiver includes a user settable security switch which inhibits selective door actuation responsive to door open request signals from the stored code type transmitter while permitting selective door actuation responsive to door open request signals from keypad type transmitters.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,751,224; 6,081,203; and 6,414,587 to Fitzgibbon disclose a movable barrier or garage door operator which has a control head controlling an electric motor connected to a movable barrier or garage door. The control head has an RF receiver for receiving RF signals from a hand-held transmitter or a fixed keypad transmitter. The receiver operates the electric motor upon matching a received code with a stored code. The stored codes may be updated or loaded either by enabling the learn mode of the receiver from the fixed keypad transmitter or from a wired control unit positioned within the garage.
Although the above listed patents disclose the receipt and use of codes for association with operators and operator-like devices, none specifically address the problem of a code associated with a transmitter device being overwritten by a later-learned transmitter device. Therefore, there is a need in the art for a barrier operator system that distinguishes between the types of transmitters learned so that certain types of transmitters are not inadvertently overwritten.

Barrier operator system with enhanced transmitter storage capacity and related methods of storage and retrieval