When a slide door stops at an intermediate position over a protection action time start time (Tβ), an electric motor is operated in closing direction in low driving force mode. When the move speed (Vc) of the slide door is a movable speed (Vα) or higher, the slide door is moved to its fully closed position by automatic closing action, and an electromagnetic clutch is disconnected. On the other hand, when the move speed (Vc) of the slide door is not made to reach the movable speed (Vα) or higher over a speed judgment time (Tj), the electric motor is operated in closing direction in the low driving force mode, and when the move speed (Vo) of the slide door is made to reach the movable speed (Vα) or higher, the slide door is automatically opened. Further, when the move speed (Vo) of the slide door is made to reach the movable speed (Vα) or higher for the speed judgment time (Tj), the electric motor is stopped, and the electromagnetic clutch is made into its disconnected status.

As an open-close component arranged to a vehicle such as an automobile, a slide door that opens and closes in sliding manners along a guide rail is known. For example, in many wagons and station wagons, slide doors are arranged at their sides for passengers' getting on and off and loading and unloading cargos into and from vehicle sides.
This slide door has small opening space required for opening and closing, and is frequently applied for a relatively large opening portion, and a slide door itself tends to become of a larger size. Therefore, the weight of the slide door becomes heavy, and in some cases, it is difficult for a woman or a child to freely open and close it. Especially, on a slope, the slide door will not easily open owing to its own weight, or it will close abruptly, which has been a problem with the prior art. Therefore, under circumstances of increased family uses of station wagons and the likes, vehicles loaded with an automatic open-close device of a slide door that may be opened and closed easily by a women and a child have been released, and the number thereof is increasing for their convenience. As this automatic open-close device, one having a drum around which a cable attached to a slide door is wound, and an electric motor that rotates this drum is known, and by rotating the electric motor in normal and reverse directions, the slide door is automatically opened and closed.
Further, even for vehicles loaded with the automatic open-close device, there is a request for using manual open-close operation together. However, because a gear deceleration mechanism that decelerates the output of the electric motor is arranged between the electric motor and the drum, when the slide door is moved manually, the electric motor is also rotated via a deceleration gear, and resistance working on the slide door becomes large, and the open-close operation becomes heavy. Therefore, an electromagnetic clutch is arranged between the gear deceleration mechanism and the drum, and when the slide door stops in its fully opened status or fully closed status, this electromagnetic clutch is cut off, and a manual open-close operation may be carried out.
In such an automatic open-close device, when the electromagnetic clutch is disconnected, the drum will rotate easily, accordingly, when the slide door is stopped at the intermediate position between its fully opened position and fully closed position, if the electromagnetic clutch is disconnected, in the instance when a vehicle is inclined, the slide door will open and close abruptly owing to its own weight, which is dangerous. Therefore, in one disclosed in Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-317795 Gazette, when the slide door is stopped in its intermediate position, the electromagnetic clutch is made into its connected status, thereby the slide door is prevented from abruptly opening or closing on a slope or so. However, because the electromagnetic clutch is kept at its connected status when current is supplied from a battery, if the slide door is stopped at the intermediate position for a long time, the battery burden increases, and in some cases, the battery is apt to become dead, which has been other problem with the prior art.
Meanwhile, as disclosed in Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 10-193978 Gazette, an automatic open-close device is known where when the slide door stops halfway, the electromagnetic clutch is controlled intermittently and the slide door is moved to the open-close end portion and the electromagnetic clutch is switched to its disconnected status. However, in this instance, when the electromagnetic clutch is connected and disconnected, abrasion of the clutch surface is facilitated, and sounds occur owing to intermittent operation of the clutch, and electric noises occur, which has been still other problem with the prior art.

Vehicle-use automatic opening/closing device


A loudspeaker assembly is described which assembly may be moved from a non-exposed to an exposed position by suitable means of which a few are discussed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a loudspeaker assembly and to the use of such an assembly in an automotive sound installation.
2. Description of Related Art
Loudspeaker assemblies are well-known in the art, and within the scope of the present invention, a loudspeaker assembly shall be construed as comprising one or more of the following; one or more loudspeaker units, a cabinet, a chassis, a frame for holding the one or more loudspeaker units and optionally a protective cover for the loudspeaker.
Loudspeaker assemblies, although being well-known in the art, all have the features in common that they are constantly exposed such that when sound is emitted no hindrance occurs which may obstruct or distort the sound distribution from the loudspeakers, and also when not in use, they are exposed.
In the art it is known to provide loudspeakers with moveable parts. One such example is disclosed in WO 03065761 wherein a loudspeaker assembly of a modular configuration is disclosed, and wherein one of the loudspeaker units, namely the tweeter unit, is built as an acoustical lens construction comprising a transducer. The acoustical lens may be tilted or rotated in order to redirect the emitted sound.

Abstract: The inventive assembly may comprise an acoustic lens and a particularly advantageous application is for use in an automotive hi-fi system. A number of other applications are also described.


Methods and systems are disclosed for quantitatively assessing mental states and/or characteristics of an individual. Specific mental states and/or characteristics, or properties thereof may, in some embodiments, be associated with one or more stimuli. In some embodiments, such stimuli may be administered to an individual, whereupon the individual's responses are usable to determine one or more aspects of the individual's mental affect. Some of the disclosed methods and systems are based at least in part on computerized and computer-associated devices.

The quantitative and objective assessment of a person's mental state has broad applicability in several disciplines. For example, the measurement of intensity of pain in a person, their level of depression, their level of anxiety, or their level of happiness is of substantial use in a variety of contexts, including the monitoring of patients over time, measurement of symptom severity for medical treatment, the selection of treatment modalities or treatment dosages, and treatment development (e.g. pharmaceutical development).
Existing approaches for quantifying the intensity, severity or characteristics of mental states and symptoms have thus far relied principally on self-report using questionnaires. Examples include:
The Visual Analog Scale (VAS), in which a patient draws a mark on a line, the position of the mark indicating the level of their pain or other symptom severity, with one end indicating 'no pain' and the other end indicating 'worst imaginable pain';
The Numerical Rating Scale (NRS), in which a patient indicates their level of pain or other symptoms from 0 (no pain) to 10 (worst imaginable pain). The NRS and VAS can also be combined;
The McGill Pain Questionnaire (MPQ) a questionnaire that asks a patient to select words describing their pain from a number of groups (e.g. none/mild/moderate/severe, blinding, dull, burning, throbbing, etc.); and
The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI), a questionnaire that asks patients to rate their sadness or level of depression on a variety of questions.
Another type of approach that has been used in the past has been to use quantified stimuli, and have subjects self-report their ratings of the intensity of an applied stimulus, for example using a visual analog scale or a numerical rating scale. In these cases, subjects are not rating the intensity of their symptom (e.g. intensity of their chronic pain), they are rating the intensity of the applied stimulus. In other words, entirely cognitive or mental states or characteristics, such as pain, depression, anxiety, motivation, happiness, positive affect, desire, and the like, are not adequately addressed by existing approaches.

Methods and systems for quantitative measurement of mental states


A volatile dispenser is provided, including a reservoir containing a quantity of volatile liquid having a viscosity of no greater than 3.9 centipoises. Each of its individual components has a vapor pressure of no less than 0.008 mm Hg. The dispenser also includes an emanator fluidly coupled to the reservoir (either directly or through a wick) that is comprised of elongated oriented bonded fibers, the fibers being impermeable to the volatile material.

A common system for dispensing volatile materials such as perfumes or fragrances includes an impermeable reservoir containing a liquid mixture of the volatile materials. This reservoir has a narrow opening that supports a wick. The wick is inserted through the opening in the reservoir until one end of the wick contacts the liquid in the reservoir and the other end extends outside the reservoir into the surrounding atmosphere.
In operation, the liquid is absorbed by the fibers of the wick and is drawn upward through the wick fibers by microscopic capillary action. The liquid passes up the wick, through the wick opening in the reservoir and wets that portion of the wick that is outside the reservoir.
Since the surrounding atmosphere has a lower partial pressure (i.e. concentration) of volatile materials than the vapor inside the reservoir, the liquid evaporates from the wick outside the reservoir. As it evaporates, the microscopic capillary action causes additional liquid to be drawn up the wick to replace the evaporated liquid, thereby continuing the process of evaporation.
This reservoir and wick arrangement is not necessary to volatilize the liquid, however. An open pan or tray with a large surface area containing a quantity of the liquid would certainly evaporate the liquid material and do so at a much faster rate.
In most applications, however, the goal is not merely to evaporate the volatile liquid, but to evaporate the liquid in a controlled and linear manner over an extended period of time. This is the case with household fragrances. Most consumers would prefer to buy a volatile fragrance dispenser, place it in an area to be scented, and have that area scented at a constant level over an extended period of time, typically, on the order of days, weeks, or even months. For many consumers it is irritating when a volatile scent dispenser provides an overwhelming scent for the first few hours or days, then rapidly fades away to the merest suggestion of the original scent.
For this reason, a longstanding concern and key design goal for the volatile dispensing industry has been to devise volatile dispensers that generate longer lasting scents (in the case of scent dispensers), at a sufficient evaporation rate that are more evenly (linearly) dispensed over an extended period of time.
In order to be transported up a wick, a liquid must have a lower surface tension than the surface energy of the wick to permit the wick fibers to be wetted, and a low viscosity to permit the liquid to be transported through the fibers that comprise the wick via microscopic capillary action.
As a result, the volatile liquids used in volatile dispensers are typically mixtures of several other liquid components in addition to the active ingredient or ingredients that one wishes to dispense. Each additional component serves a specific function, either to increase volatility, to decrease viscosity, or to reduce the surface tension of the volatile liquid.
These additional liquid components collectively act as carriers to lift the active ingredient or ingredients from the surface of the liquid in the reservoir and up through the wick.
There are significant problems using these mixtures. The problems arise because the mixtures are just that—mixtures—and do not stay perfectly mixed as they evaporate. The carriers tend to evaporate sooner and at a faster rate than the dispensed liquid itself. While they do help carry the dispensed liquid up the wick, the carrier fluids tend to evaporate sooner. As a result, they leave significant amounts of the dispensed liquid within the wick itself and significant deposits on the end of the wick.
Over time, as the carrier is preferentially evaporated from the wick, the wick itself is increasingly filled with higher and higher concentrations of the dispensed liquid. This reduces the transport of both the carrier and the dispensed liquid and eventually causes the liquid transport up the wick to cease altogether.
As a result, the effective evaporation rate of volatile dispensers can drop by a factor of fifty percent or more over the emptying lifetime of a typical volatile dispenser. In sum, while the carriers can assist the transport of dispensed liquid, they still do not provide the linearity of dispensing that is desired.
What is needed, therefore, is and improved volatile material dispenser or volatizer that provides a more linear evaporation response. What is also needed is a volatile dispenser that reduces or eliminates the effect of selective evaporation. What is also needed is a volatile dispenser that provides an effective evaporation rate of dispensed material in a package that is small enough to be useable in and around the house.
It is an object of the present invention to provide such a dispenser.

Volatile dispenser with oriented fibrous emanator


This invention relates to methods of screening for compounds capable of inducing apoptosis in certain tumor cells. The invention also relates to compounds identified by such methods. In addition, the invention relates to methods for the in vitro diagnosis of Xeroderma pigmentosum and compounds useful in these methods.

This invention relates to methods of screening for compounds capable of inducing apoptosis in certain tumor cells. The invention also relates to compounds identified by such methods. In addition, the invention relates to methods for the in vitro diagnosis of Xeroderma pigmentosum and compounds useful in these methods.
Certain tumors, benign, premalignant, and malignant, are known to have genetic components etiologically. The gene for the nuclear phosphoprotein, p53, is the most commonly mutated gene identified in human cancers. Missense mutations occur in tumors of the colon, lung, breast, ovary, bladder, and several other organs. When mutant forms of the p53 gene are introduced into primary fibroblasts, these cells are immortalized. The wild type p53 gene can suppress the growth of transformed human cells, but oncogenic forms lose this suppressor function. Thus, the p53 gene has been termed a "tumor suppressor" gene.
If the p53 gene of a tumor cell is of the wild type, its p53 gene product may nevertheless be interfered with functionally. For example, a transforming viral infection of the cell can interfere with the p53 protein product. For instance, certain strains of human papillomavirus (HPV) are transforming and are known to interfere with the p53 protein function because the virus produces a protein, E6, which promotes degradation of the p53 protein.
There is also pharmaceutical interest in p53 because p53 protein is capable of inducing certain tumor cells to undergo apoptosis. In apoptosis, or "programmed cell death", a series of lethal events for the cell appear to be generated directly as a result of transcription of cellular DNA. Thus, apoptosis is a physiologic means for cell death. For example, lymphocytes exposed to glucocorticoids die by apoptosis. Involution of hormone sensitive tissue such as breast and prostate that occurs when the trophic hormone is removed occurs via apoptosis.
In particular, recent studies have indicated that the introduction of wild type (non-mutated) p53 into transformed cell lines that carry a mutant form of p53 induces the cells to undergo apoptosis with disintegration of nuclear DNA. It is believed that p53 may suppress tumor development by inducing apoptosis, thus modulating cell growth.
In addition to p53, there are numerous other genes involved with cell growth. One group of such genes is designated XP because their derangement can result in the disease Xeroderma pigmentosum. Xeroderma pigmentosum is a rare disorder characterized by disfigurement, deranged pigmentation of the skin, scarring and heightened incidence of skin cancers, especially on exposure to sunlight. The disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait. Eight genetic forms of the disease are known. Phenotypically these forms vary in their symptoms, signs and severity. Two of the more grave forms are associated with mental deficiencies. These two forms are characterized by mutations in the XPB and XPD genes.
Selection of drugs for potential therapeutic use against tumors is an area of medical research which remains fraught with complications and which often present an array of suboptimal treatment choices. There are currently a multitude of potential compounds available to evaluate. Screening procedures are valuable to limit the bewildering array of drug choices for further testing. Improvements in screening methods or reagents are highly desirable. In addition, there is a need for better diagnosis of XP subtypes. These and other needs are addressed by the present invention.

Screening assays for compounds that cause apoptosis and related compounds

The United States of America as represented by the Department of Health and Human Services


Provided is a method of manufacturing a driving-device for a unit pixel of an organic light emitting display having an improved manufacturing process in which the driving device can be manufactured with a smaller number of processes and in simpler processes. The method includes: forming an amorphous silicon layer including a first amorphous region and a second amorphous region disposed on the same plane of a substrate; forming an SAM (self-assembled monolayer) having a hydrophobic property on the first amorphous region; coating an aqueous solution in which nickel particles are dispersed, on the second amorphous region and the SAM, wherein a larger amount of nickel particles than on the SAM are dispersed on the second amorphous region using a hydrophilicity difference between the second amorphous region and the SAM; vaporizing the SAM through an annealing process and simultaneously performing metal induced crystallization in which the nanoparticles are used as a medium, to crystallize the first and second amorphous regions and to form first and second crystallization regions; patterning the first and second crystallization regions to form first and second channel regions; and forming first and second electrodes on the first and second channel regions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a driving-device for a unit pixel of an organic light emitting display, and more particularly, to a method of manufacturing a driving-device for a unit pixel of an organic light emitting display having an improved manufacturing process in which the driving device can be manufactured with a smaller number of processes and in simpler processes.
2. Description of the Related Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) which are light and have low power consumption, have been most noticed in the field of flat panel displays (FPDs). However, since LCDs are light-receiving type displays, there are technical restrictions in brightness, contrast, view angle, and large size or the like. Development for new FPDs that can overcome these disadvantages has briskly proceeded.
Organic light emitting displays, which are one of new FPDs, have a two-dimensional arrangement of unit organic light emitting devices (OLEDs) and are a self light-emitting type. Thus, organic light emitting displays have excellent characteristics, such as excellent view angle and contrast and do not need backlights. Thus, organic light emitting displays can be made lighter and smaller and are advantageous to power consumption. In addition, since organic light emitting displays can be directly driven by low voltages, have a fast response speed and are entirely solid bodies, the organic light emitting displays are strong to an external shock and have a wide usage temperature range, and in particular, have low manufacturing costs. In particular, if organic light emitting displays are driven using an active matrix method by which transistors as switching devices are disposed in each pixel, the organic light emitting displays show the same brightness even if low currents are applied to the organic light emitting displays. Thus, the organic light emitting displays have low power consumption and high definition and can be made large.
Two thin film transistors (TFTs), that is, a switching TFT and a driving TFT, must be provided in each unit pixel of the active matrix type organic light emitting displays, so as to drive an OLED. The switching TFT turns on/off a current supplied to each unit pixel, and the driving TFT provides currents allocated to the OLED. Due to this role assignment, characteristics and specifications required for the switching TFT and the driving TFT are different. For example, the switching TFT must have a small leakage current and a large on/off ratio. On the other hand, the driving TFT is required to have high mobility and reliability. In order to meet the requirements, the switching TFT needs to be formed in a structure including an amorphous silicon channel region or a polycrystalline silicon channel region having a very small grain size, and contrary to this, the driving TFT needs to be formed in a structure including a polycrystalline silicon channel region having a comparatively large grain size.
However, to this end, a process of manufacturing the switching TFT and a process of manufacturing the driving TFT must be separately performed. Thus, there are problems that manufacturing costs increase and manufacturing processes are complicated. Meanwhile, when an amorphous silicon TFT is simultaneously used as a switching TFT and a driving TFT, the amorphous silicon TFT is worthy of a switching TFT but has low electron mobility and reliability to be used as a driving transistor. Thus, it is difficult to implement an OLED having excellent characteristics. Contrary to this, when a polycrystalline silicon TFT is used as a switching TFT, the polycrystalline silicon TFT is worthy of a driving TFT but has a large leakage current in an off-state to be used as a switching transistor. Thus, the function of the polycrystalline silicon TFT as a switching transistor is lowered and it is difficult to implement an OLED having excellent characteristics.

Method of manufacturing driving-device for unit pixel of organic light emitting display


The invention is an apparatus that facilitates repeatedly aligning and loading a magazine into a magazine-well of a firearm, where the firearm is a barreled weapon, including replicas, novelty firearms, mock firearms, gaming firearms such as paint ball guns, computerized guns, toys guns, pressurized gas propelled guns, and virtual guns that are digital representation. The apparatus includes multi-magazine manifold which can hold a plurality of magazines (clips), where the multi-magazine manifold is mounted to one or more vertical slides that automatically align a magazine with the magazine well. Ejection and reloading is faster and easier, and can be done without visually disengaging from a target because alignment is substantially established by the apparatus. The apparatus is rugged and simple to use, and can be fitted to wide variety of firearms.

Field of the Invention
The invention relates generally to apparatus for loading magazine fed firearms with ammunition, and more particularly to an apparatus that facilitates loading rounds from a magazine from a plurality of magazines bundled by a multi-magazine manifold, where in the invented apparatus facilitates easier change from one magazine to a next magazine without taking eyesight off of a target.
Background
Magazines for firearms having a magazine well, as exemplified by the AR-15, vary in size depending on the application. In general military AR rifles typically would hold from about 30 rounds of ammunition up to about to about 100 rounds, depending on the caliber. Normally, the rounds are held in a single removable magazine that is secured in the magazine-well of the receiver. A magazine above about 60 rounds becomes very long and weighty, and the magazine is difficult to be effectively manned by most personnel. If the caliber is 45 or higher, the count can be lower, and the ammunition is instead often fed on a belt or mechanically automated. Civilian AR rifles tend to be limited to smaller magazines, typically holding from 5 to 30 rounds. Legislation in multiple states limits the round count to 10 rounds per magazine.
In the current specification, the term "magazine" is used throughout the specification to be inclusive of the term "clip" and other terms for prepackaged ammunition for firearms. The term "firearm" is used throughout the specification to be inclusive of a barreled weapon, including replicas, novelty firearms, mock firearms, gaming firearms such as paint ball guns, computerized guns, toys guns, pressurized gas propelled guns, and virtual guns that are digital representations.
A problem with a low round count and an automatic firearm, as exemplified by an AR-15, AR-16, Uzi and AK-47, is that with a short burst of fire the entire magazine can be emptied, and as the firearm fires the recoil tends to lift the barrel, especially if the magazine has a small round count. The recoil must be physically countered by the shooter, and can be actually harder to control than a firearm loaded with a larger heavier magazine, because the weight of the magazine helps to offset the recoil. To be armed, the shooter has to replace an emptied magazine with another magazine that contains rounds of ammunition, and the shooter's capability of aligning the magazine with the magazine-well is more difficult as the shooter becomes tired. The magazine-well is approximately rectangular, with a closed front side, a closed back side, an open bottom side and a top side that feeds to the firearm's chamber. The current prior art teaches that magazines can be coupled into groups, not unlike packaging, where the magazines are stacked and sometimes spaced. The prior art is silent on how coupled magazines can be utilized with an apparatus that facilitates their usage.

Apparatus for loading rounds from magazines bundled on a multi-magazine manifold


An apparatus for compressing a gas and its uses are disclosed. The apparatus comprises a fixed-volume container having a hollow and a moveable element subdividing said hollow into a first variable-volume portion and a second variable-volume portion, the second variable-volume portion having an opening for introducing therein a hydraulic and/or pneumatic fluid under pressure, for causing an increase in the volume of said second variable-portion by moving said moveable element, thereby, consequently, decreasing the volume of the first variable-volume portion and compressing a gas contained therein.

The present invention relates to apparatus and method for compressing and/or re-compressing gas and further to the use of in situ gas compression as a source of compressed gas to a compressed gas utilizing application, such as a cryoablation apparatus.
Many methods are known in the art for mechanically compressing (pressurizing) gas, for storing compressed (pressurized) gas in containers, for transporting compressed gas to sites where the compressed gas is to be used, and for utilizing compressed gasses for a variety of purposes in a variety of utility applications.
Gas compression is most typically accomplished using single stage or multiple stage reciprocating piston systems powered by independent power sources such as electric motors or internal combustion engines.
Alternatively, low and medium pressure gasses are sometimes raised to a higher pressure via the use of what is known in the art as "booster" pumps. One popular form of a booster pump does not require external power sources. In these pumps the pressure of the input gas itself is applied over the surface of a large area piston which, by mechanical linkage, induces movement in a small area piston. The small area piston is used to compress a portion of the input gas to a higher level of compression.
In many usages of compressed gas, heavy-duty equipment for pressurizing gas is located at a gas supply facility distant from the utilization site itself. Pressurized gas is typically transported to the utilization site in pressurized gas containers such as gas cylinders. At the utilization site, the gas containers are coupled to the application that utilizes the compressed gas. During utilization, the gas containers are gradually emptied until the residual pressure of the gas in the containers becomes too low for the particular application. The containers are then typically uncoupled from the application and returned to the gas supply facility, where they are refilled and re-pressurized.
For many industrial, domestic, recreational, and other uses, these prior art methods are adequate. With respect to some applications, however, limitations and disadvantages of these prior art methods are apparent.
Reciprocating piston compression systems typically require lubrication, and volatilization of the lubricants can compromise the purity of the compressed gas.
Thus there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method and apparatus for gas compression not involving the large rapid and continuous mechanical movements typical of reciprocating piston systems, and not requiring lubrication of the moving parts.
The phrases "medium pressure" and "medium pressure gas" are used herein to refer to gasses in a range of pressures customarily used in industrial processes, and customarily supplied by industrial supply sources. Compressed argon, used for a variety of industrial purposes, is typically supplied at a pressure of about 2500 PSI. For argon, pressures in this range are referred to herein as "medium" pressures.
The phrases "high pressure" and "high pressure gas" are used herein to refer to gasses in a range of pressures above medium pressure. Various compressed gas utilizing applications require the use of high pressure gas. Compressed argon for use in cryosurgery applications, for example, is typically required to be in the range of 3000-4500 PSI and above.
The prior art methods of supplying high pressure gas to high pressure gas applications are problematic in several respects.
One practical problem encountered in using high pressure gas in applications is that some high pressure gasses are simply not commercially available in many regions of the world. This problem exists even in some highly industrialized regions. In Japan, for example, argon gas, which is used in welding and other industrial processes, is available in popular industrial medium-pressure concentrations, yet high pressure argon gas is not commercially available in Japan. A Japanese utilization site, such as a cryosurgery site, requiring high pressure argon gas, must import this gas from outside the country.
A second practical problem in the use of prior art methods for supplying high pressure gas to a high pressure gas application is that transporting high pressurize gas can be inconvenient and/or dangerous. High pressure gas requires containers that are stronger and heavier than containers used for housing moderate pressurize gas. Transportation is more problematic as well. It may be considered more dangerous to transport high pressurize gas by air transportation, for example.
Thus, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method and apparatus for supplying high pressurize gas to a high pressurize gas application, using gas from popularly available medium pressure sources. Such an apparatus and method would overcome the practical difficulties of acquiring high pressure gas and the practical difficulties of transporting high pressurize gas.
A third problem in the use of prior art methods for supplying gas to high pressure gas applications is that a significant portion of gas so supplied cannot be used for its intended purpose. When gas is supplied in pressurized containers connected directly to the utilization mechanisms, the pressure of the gas in the supplied container gradually falls as the gas is used. Gas pressure in the container eventually drops to a point where it is lower than the minimum pressure required for the high-pressure application. At this point, considerable gas still remains in the container. This situation has the practical disadvantage that the container must then be returned to the gas supplier for refilling while still containing a significant quantity of unused gas, which is inconvenient. It also has the commercial disadvantage that in many cases suppliers do not credit their customers for the returned gas, so that the customer often pays for gas which was supplied to him but which he could not use.
There is, thus, also a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method and apparatus for utilizing compressed gas which enables full use of all, or at least substantially most, of the gas supplied in a gas supply container.
There are, of course, some compressed gas utilizing applications in which re-pressurization and re-use of gasses is impractical. In some uses of compressed gas the cost of pressurizing and transporting the gas is relatively greater than the cost of manufacturing or isolating the gas. Pressurized air provides an example. For such gasses there would be little point in recycling the gas after use. In other cases, a pressurized gas is chemically transformed during utilization. Flammable gasses used for combustion are an example. Here too, recycling the gas is not generally practical.
In some applications, however, recycling is possible and in many cases eminently desirable. This is the case, for example, in compressed gas utilizing applications utilizing a gas which is rare, or is expensive to produce or to isolate, and in which the gas is not chemically transformed when utilized. A cryosurgery system utilizing krypton gas is an example of such an application.
Cryosurgery systems based on Joule-Thomson heat exchangers (also commonly referred to as Joule-Thomson devices) use compressed gas for heating and intense cooling of therapeutic cryoprobes used to ablate tissues within the body. The design of such applications is based on the fact that a compressed gas changes temperature as it moves from a region of high pressure to a region of low pressure. The gasses used do not enter into chemical interactions with their environment, they simply expand and contract, liquefy and evaporate.
Krypton presents advantages over the more popular argon gas for this application. For reasons connected with the physical characteristics of the gas, a krypton-based cryosurgery system can function at a lower pressure than an argon-based system, consequently is easier to build, maintain, and use. Yet krypton is considerably more expensive than argon, on the order of one hundred times more expensive in today's market. In a prior art system, where the compressed gas used in cryosurgery is, after decompression through use, simply vented to the atmosphere, use of the otherwise desirable krypton gas would be wasteful and expensive.
Thus, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, system and method for re-pressurizing and reusing gasses utilized in compressed gas utilizing applications, cryosurgery applications in particular.
The limitations and disadvantages of the prior art in the field of gas compression and the use of compressed gasses are particularly clear in the context of cryosurgery. Various medical conditions require the ablation of unhealthy tissues within the body. Techniques for cryoablation developed in recent years present various advantages over other ablation techniques, in particular the advantage of causing less damage to healthy tissues in proximity to the tissues whose removal or destruction is desired. Invasive surgical procedures require cutting or destroying tissues between the exterior of the body and the particular site whose destruction is desired. Less invasive procedures have been used, which bring about the destruction of selected tissues using probes which penetrate to the area to be operated and destroy the selected tissue by transferring energy to those tissues. RF energy, light (laser) energy, microwave energy, and high-frequency ultra-sound energy have been used in this context. However all such methods have the common disadvantage that while they raise the temperature of the tissues whose destruction is intended, they transfer heat to healthy tissues as well, causing their destruction, partial destruction, or functional impairment. Moreover, in some cases tissues exposed to thermal energy or other forms of energy that raise their temperatures secrete substances toxic to adjacent healthy tissues. For these and other reasons, cryoablation has become a popular method for certain types of ablation procedures. Examples are the treatment of prostate tumors and of benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), and the creation of trans-myocardial channels to effect trans-myocardial revascularization.
According to a popular cryosurgical methodology, highly compressed gas is employed to cool and to heat surgical probes used for cryoablation of tissues. A preferred technology for effecting cryoablation involves the use of Joule-Thomson heat exchangers (also popularly known as "Joule-Thomson devices") for cooling and for heating of cryoprobes at the site of tissues to be cryoablated. U.S. Pat. No. 6,142,991 to Schatzberger and U.S. Pat. No. 5,978,697 to Maytal, et al, provide examples of systems using such devices.
To cool a cryosurgical apparatus utilizing a Joule-Thomson heat exchanger, a gas such as argon, nitrogen, air, krypton, CF4, xenon, N2O, or a mixture of similar gasses, under high pressure, is allowed to pass through an orifice into a chamber where the gas can expand. Expansion of the gas causes it to cool and may cause it to liquefy, or further liquefy. This process cools the chamber. Gasses which cool such a chamber after passing through such an orifice from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure are referred to herein as "cooling gasses." If the chamber is constructed of thermally conductive material such as a metal, cooling the chamber cools materials in proximity to the chamber as well. Cryoprobes for cryoablation are typically designed and constructed according to this principle. Cryoprobes using expansion of a high-pressure cooling gas through a Joule-Thomson orifice into a chamber constructed of thermally conductive material are used to cool body tissues in close proximity to the cryoprobe, to effect cryoablation.
Cryosurgical procedures sometimes also require heating of cryoprobes. Tissues undergoing cryoablation tend to adhere to the cold cryoprobe. Heating the cryoprobe subsequent to cryoablation causes melting at areas of contact between the cryoprobe and the tissues, thereby eliminating adherence of the tissues to the cryoprobe and allowing the cryoprobe to be easily removed from the cryoablation site. Cryoprobes may be heated, as well as cooled, using a Joule-Thomson heat exchanger. High-pressure helium or a similar gas passing through a Joule-Thomson orifice and expanding in a chamber, heats the chamber. Gasses which heat such a chamber after passing through such an orifice from an area of high pressure to an area of lower pressure are referred to herein as "heating gasses." If the chamber is constructed of thermally conductive material such as a metal, heating the chamber has the effect of heating materials in proximity to the chamber. This effect is used in the construction and utilization of cryoprobes to melt material adjacent to a cryoprobe subsequent to cryoablation, thereby enabling disengagement of the cryoprobe from the operated tissues.
Cryosurgical equipment using Joule-Thomson heat exchangers and utilizing popular and easily available cooling gasses, such as argon, require for their efficient operation a source of high pressure cooling gas, typically in the pressure range of 3000 PSI to 4500 PSI.
The need for high pressure gasses for efficient operation of cryosurgical equipment raises the several practical problems discussed hereinabove. Argon, for example, is a preferred gas for cooling in cryosurgical equipment based on Joule-Thomson devices. High pressure argon is more expensive than argon at standard industrial pressures, and in some locations, such as Japan, high pressure argon is not available at all. Argon can of course be purchased from standard industrial supply sources, but only at the medium pressures customarily used in industrial processes, typically around 2500 PSI. The pressure of easily commercially available industrial compressed argon is lower than the pressures required for efficient cooling of cryosurgical equipment using argon in a Joule-Thomson heat exchanger.
Thus, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, a method and apparatus for cryoablation wherein containers of gas pressurized to moderate pressure, such as are available from standard industrial sources of supply, are used to supply gas to a cryosurgury apparatus requiring gas of high pressure to effect cryogenic cooling.
An additional problem connected with the high-pressure requirements of cryosurgery is that even in regions of the world where high-pressure cooling and heating gasses are commercially available, their utilization is awkward and expensive. Gasses supplied in a high-pressure container can be utilized only until the pressure of gas in the container falls to the minimum pressure usable in cryosurgery. According to the methods of prior art, once pressure in a gas supply container falls below the minimum pressure required for cryosurgery, the gas supply container can no longer be utilized as a cryosurgery gas source, despite the fact that a considerable amount of cooling (or heating) gas may yet remain in the tank. If for example a cryoprobe requires a pressure of 4500 PSI (a typical figure) and a full container of gas is initially pressured to 6000 PSI, then only 25% of the supplied gas can be used for cryosurgery. As soon as more than one fourth of the gas initially contained in the container has been used, pressure in the container falls below the 4500 PSI minimum required by such a cryoprobe. In the case of a cryoprobe operating at 3250 PSI the situation is only slightly better: only approximately 46% of the gas contained in a 6000 PSI container can be used before pressure in the container falls below the minimum pressure required for operation of the cryoprobe.
Once pressure in a gas supply container falls below the minimum required for operation of a cryoprobe, the container must be returned to a gas supplier re-filling. In practice, some suppliers credit users for the unused gas returned to them in such a container. Other suppliers do not. In either case, the expense and bother occasioned by the necessity of switching containers, and the necessity of returning containers to a supplier for refilling while they yet contain substantial amounts of useful gas, are significant disadvantages of cryosurgical equipment and procedures, according to the known methods of prior art.
Thus, it would be desirable and advantageous to have a method and system for utilization of compressed gas in cryosurgery, and in similar applications, permitting utilization of substantially all or most of the contents of each container of supplied gas.
Prior art cryosurgery systems also suffer from the disadvantage that they do not re-use pressurized gas. The advantages (lower pressure requirements) of krypton gas over argon gas for use in cryosurgery systems are well known. Yet, it is largely impractical to use Krypton gas in prior art cryogenic systems, wherein the cooling gas is used for cryogenic cooling only once, and then is allowed to escape to the atmosphere.
Thus, there is a widely recognized need for, and it would be highly advantageous to have, an apparatus and method for re-pressurizing and re-utilizing the pressurized gasses in some compressed gas systems, particularly systems which utilize gasses that are rare or expensive to produce or isolate, and in which the gasses are not chemically altered when used. In cryosurgery there is a particular need for such methods and systems.

Apparatus and method for compressing a gas, and cryosurgery system and method utilizing same


The invention is directed to synthesizing a personalized audio equalization filter based on an individual's hearing profile when listening to audio signals using a preferred electronic means of transduction and production of the audio signals through headphones, earphones, or loudspeakers and is presented in two steps. In the first step, the deviation of the listener's hearing profile, when the preferred listening device is donned, is measured and recorded relative to predetermined equal-loudness contours (e.g., ISO standard equal-loudness contours). The hearing profile is used to compute an equalization filter such that when the audio signal to be reproduced is played through the filter, the equal-loudness contour for a specified phon level is restored. Thus, the invention compensates for deviations of the user's listening device, the user's own hearing profile from a standard hearing profile that represents natural hearing, and other factors. The equalization filter can be adapted to any phon level through adaptation of filter coefficients as a function of the volume of the listening level.

When an audio signal is reproduced for listening such as through speakers or headphones, the resulting audio signal and the listener's perception of the audio signal depend on a number of factors, including such things as the listener's hearing profile, the frequency response of the device used for transduction and production of the audio signals, and other factors (e.g., the listening environment, including noise, room acoustics, different levels of attenuation at different frequencies, etc.). Audio signals are often equalized in order to compensate for some of these factors. Equalization alters the frequency response of an audio signal reproduced using an electronic means of transduction by filtering of the audio signal. For example, if the listener has hearing loss in certain audio bands, signals in these bands can be amplified to recreate natural listening conditions intended for the audio signal.
Each listener's hearing profile differs depending on various factors, such as age, psychoacoustic factors, existence of hearing loss, and if present, type of hearing loss. Furthermore, a variety of devices exist for listening, including in-the-ear earphones that seal the ear from external noise, earbuds that are placed in the ear but do not provide a seal, circumaural or over-the-ear devices, supra-aural or on-the ear devices, open-back devices, and stereo speakers, to name but a few, plus the related devices that process and amplify the audio signal, including MP3 players, smartphones, pad computers, laptop computers, desktop computers, stereo receivers, and other similar devices. The frequency response of the signal path between the receiver of the listening device and the listener's tympanic membrane also varies and is dependent on the frequency response of the listening device and the volume of air in the signal path. The frequency response of this signal path therefore varies from listener to listener. The electronic amplifier used to deliver power for transduction of the audio signal also has a characteristic frequency response. Thus, each of the devices within a system that reproduces an audio signal for listening has a unique characteristic frequency response that shapes the audio signal being reproduced as does the listener's hearing profile and listener-listening device combination.
Prior art provides equalization based on a standard audiogram, which is a threshold hearing level test that is performed using specialized audio equipment in an audiometric booth. Specifically, the threshold of hearing is established through presentation of pure tones and listener indication of whether the tone is heard at each frequency. The threshold at which each tone is heard at each frequency establishes the audiogram. The zero phon (threshold) level equal-loudness contour may be used to provide an equalization filter to enhance hearing. However, in the context of personalized audio listening, measuring the audiogram requires an environment with a very low noise floor, such as an audiometric booth, and external noise influences the accuracy of threshold determination significantly. Moreover, audiograms are generally performed with a specified listening device, and not the listening device preferred by the user for personal use in listening to audio. Furthermore, it is well-known that the frequency response of human hearing is itself a function of sound pressure level, and thus that the sensitivity of hearing is strongly frequency- and level-dependent. As such, audiometric testing provides only a single measure of frequency response of human hearing—at threshold. Since listening generally does not occur at threshold, the equalization filter generated through threshold tests provides an inadequate representation of equalization needed at higher listening volumes to restore an equalized signal providing natural listening matched to a specified equal-loudness contour.

System and method for personalization of an audio equalizer


A laminate film for stretch-wrapping is disclosed, comprising an intermediate layer containing from 50 to 95% by weight of an ethylene-.alpha.-olefin copolymer, a propylene-ethylene-.alpha.-olefin random copolymer, a propylene-.alpha.-olefin random copolymer, a butene-1 homopolymer, or a butene-1-ethylene copolymer and from 5 to 50% by weight of a hydrogenated block copolymer elastomer having laminated on both sides thereof a surface layer comprising from 75 to 95% by weight of ethylene and from 5 to 25% by weight of vinyl acetate. The film is excellent in stretchability, softness, tear strength, and in particular deformation recovery properties.

In the field of latest stretch-wrapping of foods, such as vegetables and fruits, fishes, meats, and cooked foods, either as they are or placed on a plastic tray, i.e., so-called prewrapping with plastic films, use of ethylene resins such as low-density polyethylene resins and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resins, have been studied with keenness as substitutes for conventionally employed polyvinyl chloride films from safety and hygiene considerations.
However, films of known low-density polyethylene resins, e.g., low-density polyethylene and an ethylene-butene-1 copolymer, are hard and difficult to apply to stretch-wrapping. Forced stretching of these films only results in breakage or non-uniform stretching of the film or causes deformation or breakage of the tray with a food on to wrinkle the film, failing to obtain necessary tension or to achieve commercially valuable wrapping.
Films of an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin, with its vinyl acetate content, melt flow rate, etc. being properly selected, would be freed from the above-described problems associated with low-density polyethylene resin films. However, when they are used in stretch-wrapping of sharp-edged foods or trays, they are torn at the sharp edge. Moreover, any small initial tear of the film which may be made during distribution of wrapped articles runs or spreads into a big tear, eventually leading to unwrapping.
A laminate film composed of the above-mentioned low-density polyethylene resin film and ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin film settles the problems of hardness and non-stretchability but still leaves the problems of easy tearing during wrapping or distribution, particularly with a reduced film thickness.
In order to overcome these disadvantages associated with the conventional stretch-wrapping films, a laminate film composed of an intermediate layer mainly comprising a specific butene-1 polymer resin having laminated on both sides thereof a layer mainly comprising an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin having a vinyl acetate content of from 5 to 25% by weight which is obtained by blown-film extrusion at a blow-up ratio of from 3 to 7 has been proposed aiming to provide a thin stretch-packing film which is excellent in stretchability, softness and particularly tear strength as well as moderate slip, self-adhesion, sufficient heat-sealability, and transparency, as disclosed in JP-A-61-89040 (the term "JP-A" as used herein means an "unexamined published Japanese patent application").
Nevertheless, even the above-described stretch-wrapping film does not always satisfy market demands for wrapping with tension fit to the shape of articles to be wrapped without leaving wrinkles and for deformation recovery properties, such as recovery from deformation under load during delivery or display without leaving wrinkles.
Further, U.S. Pat. No. 4,713,282 (corresponding to JP-A-61-4463) discloses a laminate film for stretch-wrapping composed of a layer mainly comprising a propylene-.alpha.-olefin random copolymer resin having laminated on both sides thereof a layer mainly comprising an ethylene-vinyl acetate copolymer resin having a vinyl acetate content of from 5 to 25% by weight. The proposed film is still unsatisfactory to meet the market demand for deformation recovery properties.

Laminate film for stretch-wrapping and process for producing the same


An information processing apparatus for controlling a display device, includes: an acquisition unit acquiring an image of a subject formed in an image capture area made of a plurality of pixels performing an image capture operation, based on outputs from pixels constituting an image capture area; a transmitter transmitting data of the acquired image data to an other information processing apparatus controlling an other display device having the same construction as the display device; a receiver receiving data of an image of other subject transmitted from the other information processing apparatus; and a display controller displaying the image of the other subject in a display area based on the received image data.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, a program and a display device and, more particularly, to an information processing apparatus and method, a recording medium, a program and a display device all of which enable users to perform communication in a more natural way.
2. Description of Related Art
As a so-called full parallax image presentation system in which viewpoints can be selected, there is, for example, an IP (Integral Photography) stereoscopic image system.
The principles of an IP technique used in the IP stereoscopic image system have already been proposed in the early twentieth century.
Namely, IP is a technique in which a plurality of small images of a subject obtained by performing photography via a lens array such as the compound multifaceted eyes of insects are formed on a photographic plate, the photographic plate is illuminated from the position opposite to the position of the subject across the photographic plate, and light rays is reproduced which trace in the reverse direction the same trajectories as light rays propagating from the subject to the photographic plate during photography, thereby reproducing a three-dimensional image of the subject at the position where the subject was situated.
The IP stereoscopic image system is a system which electronically realizes this IP technique by using a digital camera, a liquid crystal display or the like. Accordingly, the IP stereoscopic image system is basically made of a digital camera having a lens array disposed in the front section, and a liquid crystal display having a lens array disposed on the surface and performing reproduction of an image of a subject.
Patent Document 1 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-54153) discloses an image capture and display device for stereoscopic images using IP. This image capture and display device is constructed to obtain a stereoscopic image of a subject by causing light which enters from the subject into an image capture optical fiber to exit from the side of the device opposite to the subject across the image capture and display device. A display lens is disposed on the light exiting side of the device.
Patent Document 2 (Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2004-23203) discloses a technique which captures light rays from a subject reflected by a prismatic mirror group, by means of a camera, and acquires a subject image of high spatial resolution. Patent Document 2 also discloses that images captured by this technique are used for providing a stereoscopic image of high spatial resolution in real time, whereby a stereoscopic display system is realized.

Information processing apparatus and method, recording medium, program, and display device


A pulsed plasma thruster (PPT) and a method of making the pulsed plasma thruster are disclosed. The PPT includes no moving parts and is able to achieve a small size. The PPT is also designed to facilitate easy and rapid manufacture. The process for making the PPT uses known techniques for making printed circuit board devices. Another PPT also has no moving parts and uses a liquid fuel that is progressively advanced by capillary action.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a Pulsed Plasma Thruster ("PPT") and a method for making a PPT.
2. Related Art
As satellites become smaller and as larger satellites require highly precise motion control, a need arises for smaller thrusters. PPTs have been proposed for use in these kinds of applications and many different PPT designs have been attempted.
Spanjers (U.S. Pat. No. 6,269,629) discloses a micro-PPT that uses a coaxial cable configuration. Spanjers uses the insulation of the cable or the spacer, made of a copolymer, disposed between a cylindrical outer conductor and an inner conductor as the fuel.
Spanjers (U.S. Pat. No. 6,153,976) discloses a PPT that replaces a spark igniter with a mechanical switch that contacts the face of an electrically conductive propellant. This reference also provides a background description of PPT's in general.
Burton et al. (U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,509) discloses a pulsed electrothermal thruster. This invention attempts to provide conditions that lead to electrothermally-dominated flow. Specifically, a high pressure discharge with very low ionization is disclosed. The electrical discharge includes the use of a capillary tube, but the size of the capillary is governed by the need to produce high discharge pressures.
Burton (U.S. Pat. No. 5,425,231) discloses a gas fed pulsed electric thruster. This invention is gas fed and operates at an enormously high repetition rate. This is done in order to maximize the utilization of the gas propellant. In this design, the gas propellant is constantly flowing through the device rather than shutting the gas on and off between discharges.
LaRocca (U.S. Pat. No. 3,575,003) teaches a thruster that operates by accerating gasses. LaRocca discloses a device that includes an array of radially oriented electrodes. LaRocca also discloses the use of a specially formulated melted propellant that moves by the action of surface tension. This design does not provide the capability to operate a thruster using common liquid or melted solid substances as propellants.
While the related art generally teaches different PPT designs, none of the references teach a compact or micro-PPT that is susceptible to easy and rapid manufacture, includes no moving parts and is easy to deploy and integrate into existing and future satellite architecture. Current designs employ springs or other mechanical devices that are used to convey or advance a solid fuel bar. These springs or other mechanical devices can be very difficult or impractical to use on very small scales.

Pulsed plasma thruster and method of making


Disclosed is a control device for remotely controlling other devices. The control device comprises a first device interface for transmitting control signals to a first device that is remote from the control device, a second device interface for receiving an input signal from a second device, a user interface corresponding to a function of the first device, and a protocol translator. The control signal is in accordance with a first communication protocol. The input signal is in accordance with a second communication protocol. The user interface is operable by a user so as to cause a control signal to be transmitted by the first device interface, for use by the first device. The protocol translator is configured to convert signals received by the second device interface from being in accordance with the second communication protocol to being in accordance with the first communication protocol.

Many consumer electronics devices, such as televisions and other displays, set-top boxes, media players, and video games consoles, may be controlled using infrared remote controllers. However, some consumer electronics devices, especially computers such as desktop or laptop computers, tablet computers, and smartphones do not support an infrared interface.
In a separate field to that of infrared controllers, protocol translators (which are also known as protocol converters) are devices that are used to translate or convert signals from one protocol language to a different protocol language. Thus, protocol translators are used to enable two different devices, that implement different respective communication protocols, to communicate with one another.

Control device including a protocol translator


The present invention discloses a digital processing device with smooth-clipping function and a digital musical tone synthesizing device using it. When one or a plurality of digital values are input to the digital processing device and a smooth-clipping mode is activated, an overflow during processing of the digital values is avoided as the internal resulting value of the device is scaled down before it is output. The scaling down of the internal resulting value is continuously increased in dependence on the increase of the value of the internal resulting value, such that an overflow is avoided. For example, if the digital processing device is performing a summation of two digital operands in a digital musical tone forming device, the time behavior of the resulting tone signal slope is smooth and thus the sound dynamics are improved and sound distortions are avoided during sound reproduction.

The increasing use of MIDI and music synthesis capabilities in applications such as personal computer multimedia, Karaoke, and low cost musical instruments is fueling the demand for high performance music synthesis systems.
FIG. 1 depicts a synthesis system architecture 100 common to many modern cost-effective wavetable synthesizer implementations. A plurality of processor units are implemented in this instrument, where specialized tasks are assigned to each processor unit to realize high speed multi-tasking data processing. The configuration includes a synthesis processing unit 102, in which the synthesizing arithmetical operations are mainly performed, a microprocessing unit 104, that controls the synthesis processing unit 102 and also performs slow synthesizing operations, an input/output-unit 106 (I/O-unit) for data exchange with external peripherals, e.g. computers, (MIDI) keyboards, via interfaces, a memory management unit 108 for data exchange with external memory (DRAM, SRAM, ROM, floppy drive, etc.), and a clock unit 110 for providing a clock signal and reset signal.
This approach utilizes a specialized synthesis DSP core 102 for the sample processing tasks which directly generates synthesized voices, and a general-purpose microprocessor 104 to implement the command parsing and control tasks. This allows the DSP core 102, which must perform a limited number of processing tasks repetitively and very efficiently, to be optimized for the music synthesis task. By implementing only the instructions and capabilities needed for specific synthesis algorithms, and by adding specialized hardware for synthesis-specific functions, the synthesis DSP 102 performance can be improved.
According to the above-mentioned configuration, the time-critical functions are realized in the specialized synthesis DSP 102, where repetitive operations on one set of tone sample data could be performed. This kind of electronic musical instrument is disclosed in "A Music Synthesizer Architecture which Integrates a Specialized DSP Core and a 16-bit Microprocessor on a Single Chip", presented at the 98th Convention of the Audio Engineering Society, Feb., 25, 1995 by Deforeit and Heckroth. However, in the publication, no teaching is given on how to handle positive or negative overflows that may occur on performing arithmetic operations.
A computer system handling positive and negative overflow resulting from arithmetic operations of a two's complements adder is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,448,509. In the case of positive and negative overflows, the result of the two's complement adder is replaced by predetermined maximum and minimum values, respectively. The predetermined maximum and minimum values depend on the predetermined assignment of signs to the operands and the predetermined number of bits per operand. This limitation of the range of values produces a straight clipping of exceeding values. For example, when the sum of two positive continuous functions exceeds the predetermined maximum value, discontinuous function will result, as depicted in FIG. 2A.
Also, U.S. Pat. No. 5,381,356 discloses a technique to handle overflow for use in a digital filter. In this case, the polarity of the result of the two's complement adder is inverted at the occurrence of an overflow. This means, for example, that during summation of a constant signal and a sinusoidal signal using this adder, a jump of the resulting value will occur, when the resulting value exceeds the maximum value (an overflow event), as depicted in FIG. 2B.
As described above, a conventional digital musical tone forming device includes one or more CPUs for performing specialized operations on tone sample data, where occasionally a digital overflow may result from the operation as the digital sample data values are limited by the available number of bits per digital number representing a range of valid integer numbers. Thus, either the overflow is handled in a way given above, producing abrupt discontinuities in the time behavior of the tone data synthesis, resulting in distortions during the reproduction of these tone data (e.g. by speakers), or the initial tone data values are limited to a fraction of the available number of bits being operated at, so that no overflow will occur during tone synthesis, however substantially limiting the dynamic range of tone reproduction. The above is also true for other audio systems transferring or processing digital tone data.
In other applications such as process control systems or fast calculating systems, the occurrence of an overflow may cause an unwanted or even dangerous system failure. Furthermore, the abrupt or discontinuous clipping of digital process parameters or numerical data according to the conventional art may cause serious instabilities in process control or numerical model calculations. On the other hand, a software implementation of other clipping modes slows down the overall calculation speed of the system.


A method and system create a data structure from an obfuscated data structure. First, the system operates on a first data structure whose obfuscation is desired, and creates a data string based on a portion of the first data structure. Next, based on the data string, a second data structure is deterministically generated from a third data structure and the second data structure replaces the first data structure.

Many companies maintain databases that include customer or employee information. The information may comprise names, addresses, phone numbers, social security numbers, company names, salaries, and purchase histories. For example, an internet sales company may have a customer database which includes the names, phone numbers, payment methods, and purchase history of customers. In another example, a payroll department may have salary information regarding its employees. Due to the sensitive nature of some of this information, such as payment methods, social security numbers, and salaries, access is typically restricted to a relatively small group within the company.
As is common with software applications, problems may arise that require troubleshooting by computer programmers. When problems occur with software applications that operate on a database having sensitive information, programmers may need to access the sensitive database to troubleshoot the problem. This may lead to sensitive information being viewed by people who do not normally have access to the information. In the payroll example, distribution of salary information may cause internal problems in the company regarding salary discrepancies. In the internet sales example, distribution of payment methods and other personal information such as social security numbers may lead to identity theft. However, to efficiently troubleshoot the malfunctioning software application, programmers need to access the actual data, and, in particular, the actual data distribution (geographic distribution, name distributions, etc. . . . ).
It is known in the art to obfuscate databases though random data substitution, thereby generating a test database. However, random data substitution does not produce an actual data distribution found in natural databases. A method and system are needed to obfuscate at least portions of databases to produce test databases with data distributions that mirror distributions found in actual databases.

Method and system for obfuscating data structures by deterministic natural data substitution


Method for, using a fluid under pressure, installing optical fibers or cables in a tubular section comprising a supply tube and an intallation tube, each having an input and an output, the output of the supply tube being in connection with the input of the installation tube, a fluid under pressure being fed near the input of the supply tube, and the cable being conducted into the input of the supply tube and being propelled through the tubular section by the entraining force of the fluid, at least part of the fluid being discharged from the supply tube at the output of the supply tube and, at the input of the installation tube, a second fluid under pressure being fed. Due to said measures, the pressure drop at the input of the tubular section may be overcome without utilizing mechanical means which might damage the fiber or cable.

The invention relates to a method for installing optical fibres or cables, using a fluid under pressure, in a tubular section comprising a supply tube and an installation tube, each having an input and an output, the output of the supply tube being connected to the input of the installation tube, a fluid under pressure being fed near the input of the supply tube, and the cable being conducted into the input of the supply tube, and being propelled through the tubular section by the entraining force of the fluid.
Such a method is disclosed, e.g., in EP-A-0 108 590. In this method, an optical cable is conducted into the tube by way of mechanical force, particularly by way of a pair of pressure rolls. To prevent loss of pressure, the input of the tube or of the device is provided, by way of pressure rolls, with a sealing preventing the escape of fluid along the cable or fibre. The pressure rolls serve to overcome the pressure difference between the environment and the space where the fluid pressure is prevailing upon introduction of the cable. In EP-A-0 292 037, a similar method is disclosed, the pressure rolls exercising a force on the cable which exceeds the one required to overcome the pressure difference. With the additional pushing power, a greater installation length may be achieved than with only the entraining force of a fluid, particularly in the event of thicker cables.
For overcoming the force required to introduce the cable into the space where the fluid pressure is present, it is also known to make use of a fluid flowing with increased velocity over a first part, viewed from the input, of the tube length. Exercising mechanical forces, such as in the event of thin or vulnerable fibres or cables, is undesirable on account of the possibility of mechanical damage.
In EP-A-0 345 043 it is disclosed to feed the pressure to the leg of a T-shaped coupling piece, the ongoing portion of the T receiving the cable at one end, and at the other end being connected to a supply tube extending over a relatively modest length, e.g., 1 m, into the installation tube and having a diameter which is 0.1 to 0.8 times the one of [sic] the diameter of the installation tube. In the narrow supply tube, the velocity of the fluid flow is a great deal higher than in the installation tube, as a result of which the required tensile force is generated. A drawback of said solution is that a relatively large portion of the total pressure difference between the input and the output of the installation tube acts on the narrow supply tube, so that either the presssure must be chosen very high for sufficient residual pressure to remain for the actual installation, or the installation length is restricted. The first case often encounters practical, safety and cost problems, and the second is always undesirable, unless the installation is effected over a modest length only.
In EP-A-0 287 225 a method is disclosed, an additional flow rate of the fluid over an initial portion of the installation tube being realised as well. Here, the diameter of the installation tube is the same as the one of the supply tube, and the latter is in fact part of the installation tube. The additional fluid flow is realised by, at the end of the supply tube, where it changes into the installation tube, blowing off part of the fluid by way of an adjustable valve. Said solution has the problem that the velocity of the fluid in the supply tube soon achieves the velocity of sound. In the event of air as a fluid, and a supply tube having a length of several meters, such may already be the case. When achieving the velocity of sound, the energy of the fluid is no longer converted into entraining forces on the cable but into acceleration of the fluid itself.
An additional problem, larger in practise, is that a relatively thin cable in a relatively wide supply tube with respect to said cable, in the event of a high fluid velocity will soon start to twist, so-called buckling, as a result of which the cable will prematurely stick in the tube and can no longer be propelled by the fluid. In the event of narrow supply tubes, such drawback does not exist, but the drawbacks mentioned earlier do.
The object of the invention is to provide for a method enabling the installation of an optical fibre or cable using a fluid, a fluid flow also being applicable for overcoming the pressure difference between the space outside the installation tube and the inside thereof, the fluid flow, over a first portion of the tubular section, having a higher velocity than over the remaining portion of the installation section, without the problems described above occurring.
For this purpose, the invention provides for a method of the aforementioned kind, characterised in that, at the output of the supply tube, at least part of the fluid from the supply tube is discharged, and that, at the input of the installation tube, a second fluid is fed under pressure.
The invention also provides for a device for, using a fluid under pressure, installing optical fibres or cables in a tubular section comprising a supply tube and an installation tube, each having an input and an output, the output of the supply tube being in connection with the input of the installation tube, means being provided for, near the input of the supply tube, feeding a fluid under pressure, and for means to conduct the cable into the input of the supply tube, the cable being propelled through the tubular section by the entraining force of the fluid, characterised in that, at the output of the supply tube, means are provided to discharge at least part of the fluid from the supply tube, and that means are provided for feeding, at the input of the installation tube, a second fluid under pressure.
Essentially, the fluid is preferably completely discharged from the supply tube. In addition, the fluids for the supply tube and the output tube preferably come from one and the same source.

Method for installing optical fibers or cables in a tube using a fluid under pressure


A locking apparatus for a garage door which utilizes a pair of actuators with one actuator being mounted at a side edge of the garage door and the other actuator mounted at the opposite side edge of the garage door. One actuator is mounted on a carrier gear which connects to a worm gear which is driven by an electric motor. Each operator connects with a locking bolt with there being a separate locking bolt for each actuator. Each locking bolt is to be movable in conjunction with the door jamb of the garage door to lock the garage door to the jamb. Both actuators pivot in the same direction. Both locking bolts are linearly slidable. A connecting member connects between the first actuator and the second actuator so that the actuators move in unison. One actuator has a back end which extends through a slot formed in a latch housing. This back end is manually accessible to cause the actuator to move manually if electricity fails.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of this invention relates to a door locking apparatus and more particularly to a door locking apparatus for a garage door that is to be activated by means of a remote control with the door locking apparatus to prevent unauthorized opening of the garage door.
2. Description of the Related Art
The subject matter of the present invention is deemed to be an improvement over U.S. Pat. No. 6,382,005, issued on May 7, 2002, by the present inventors. The subject matter of this invention achieves the same objective as the aforementioned patent but constitutes a far less complex structure which can be manufactured at less cost and thereby sold to the ultimate consumer at less cost. Automatic garage door mechanisms have now become exceedingly common in conjunction with garage doors of residences, such as houses, condominiums and apartments. These garage door opening mechanisms are principally for the purpose of allowing the user the convenience to open his or her garage door by a radio actuated switch, which is commonly referred to as a remote. Conventional garage door operating mechanisms are intended to provide security for the garage door so that when the garage door is in the closed position, the garage door is to be maintained closed unless it is actuated only by the individual with the remote. However, this has been known to impart a false sense of security for the garage door as residential burglary is commonly achieved by burglars which pry open the garage door.
One common form of garage door is having the door constructed of a single flat piece with the flat piece to be pivoted from a vertically oriented position when the garage door is closed to a substantially horizontal position when the garage door is open. Another common form of garage door is where the garage door is made of a series of panels. These panels are in alignment with each other when the door is closed. Opening of the garage door causes the panels to sequentially pivot from a vertical position to a horizontal position, and when the garage door is in the fully open position, the panels again are again in alignment. When the garage door is in the closed position, it is possible for a burglar to pry open the bottom edge of the garage door to create an opening of sufficient size that would permit a burglar to wiggle through the opening and gain access to the interior of the garage. After burglarizing of the residence, the burglar may load burglarized goods into a vehicle that is located within the garage, then start the vehicle, open the garage door and proceed with an unnoticed escape.
In the past, it has been known to provide solenoid actuated latches in the lower corner of the garage door that, when latched, would prevent a person from causing an unauthorized opening of the garage door. However, these solenoid types of latches are large in size and inherently expensive. Also, the mounting arrangement for the latches is complex with this complexity greatly increasing the cost of the installation of such a locking arrangement.
In the past, it has been known to utilize a separate manual garage door unlocking mechanism. While satisfactory for the intended purpose, such manually operated locking mechanisms are not readily adaptable for use with garage doors that incorporate automatic openers as such would not provide the convenience of automatic operation. In other words, with an individual approaching a garage door with one's car, it would require that the individual leave the car, go the garage door, open the garage door, and then get back into the car and move the car within the garage. The individual then would be required to exit the car and close the garage door prior to entering within the residence. It is far more convenient to use a remotely operated opening mechanism which does not require that the individual leave the car in order to gain access to within the garage and then can close the garage door as the individual is entering the residence not requiring the procedure of separately closing the garage door.


A trash compactor suitable for backpacking having two parts: a container and a removable plunger. The container is made from a tube. The ends of the tube are formed to accept caps. The caps are fitted with gaskets to prevent leaking of liquids and odors. One of the end caps has a plug to allow liquids to be drained from the container during compression. In one embodiment, the plunger has a flat press end and a handle. In another embodiment, the plunger base is fitted into one of the screw caps. The handle is a threaded shaft that screws into the plunger base. The container may be lined with a plastic bag for disposal or the trash can be stored in the container and then transferred to a separate plastic bag for disposal. The compactor can be used in recreational vehicles, boats and automobiles as well as by hikers.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to portable trash compactors and particularly to portable trash compactors for backpacking use.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Backpacking in remote areas of the country has long been a popular outdoor activity. When backpacking, people carry everything they need for backcountry living with them. This includes shelter, food and water. In many cases, backpacking is a pleasant experience. However, like home living, there are some inconveniences. In the backcountry, there are usually no trash receptacles. The standard rule is "if you pack it in, you must pack it out." Although backpackers do travel light, they can produce a bulky amount of trash. This is often inconvenient to carry as the amount of trash increases as the hike continues. Plastic trash bags serve as a useful way to hold trash, but they can be damaged. This can cause undesirable problems, such as trash being dumped on a trail or liquids to leaking out into a backpack.
Two devices that deal with trash storage in outdoor locations are found in U.S. patents. U.S. Pat. No. 5,344,109 to Hokoana Jr. discloses a frame that can be suspended. The frame holds a plastic trash bag, which can be suspended by a hook on the frame. A cover can also be used to cover the trash within the bag. Although this device is designed for home and garden use, it can be used by backpackers to hold trash. The problem is that the backpacker is then left with a large plastic bag full of trash to carry out, with all of the problems mentioned above.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,280,643 to Cordova teaches a camping clean up station that includes a water jug, cups a towel and a small disposable trash container. The problem is here that the trash container is again, a small plastic bag that simply holds trash.
It has long been recognized that compacting trash is an efficient way to store and hold large amounts of trash. Compactors compress trash down to a small volume compared to uncompacted trash. This small volume is then easier to carry and store until it can be disposed of. Electric trash compactors have been used in homes for years. Unfortunately, they cannot be used in the wilds.
Manual trash compactors have been developed, but these are generally for large trashcans and are not practical for backpacking applications. Some examples of these devices are found in the following U.S. patents: U.S. Pat. No. 3,438,322 to Marasco teaches a compactor that has a large frame. A trash receptacle is placed within the frame. A large lid that fits within the receptacle is suspended from a pivoting arm. After trash is placed in the container, the lid is dropped down into the container and the arm is depressed. This causes the lid to compress the trash that is in the container. Once compressed, the lid can be withdrawn for additional trash loads until the container is full.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,220,866 teaches a stacked trash container system. In this design, an outer container holds the trash. The outer container has pleated sides that can be compressed. An inner container, or alternatively, a plunger, is placed within the outer container on top of the trash. The inner container is then pushed down, compressing the pleats until the trash in the outer container is fully compressed. This step can be repeated until the container is full.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,919,932 to Basuino is similar to the Marasco patent in that it uses a lid attached to a lever to compress trash in a container. Unlike Marasco, the lid and arm assembly is mounted to a wall and the large frame is eliminated. The device can be folded to sit against the wall and then pulled out when needed. As before, the lid is placed into the container and the arm is used to press down on the trash.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,730,047 teaches a portable container that has a pivoting lid. An arm is attached to the lid so that when the lid is placed in the container, the arm can be used to compress the trash within the container.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,746,126 teaches an interesting form of compactor. This unit is intended to be bolted to a table or bench, so it is not suitable for portable use. It has an upper chamber and a lower chamber that are separated by a grate. The upper chamber is sealed and has an access door for loading trash. The device has a double plunger system. It has a first plunger that is a screw type plunger. This is operated by a wheel that is turned. This plunger is a hollow tube. Within this tube is a second plunger. This plunger is an impact type that is operated by raising and lower the plunger, thus pounding the refuse down. The impact plunger is designed to be used initially. Once the refuse has been pounded, the wheel can be turned to further compress the refuse down. Once compressed, the grate at the bottom of the container is removed and the trash is allowed to fall into the lower container. This container is removable for disposal of the compacted trash.
Finally, U.S. Pat. No. 5,845,567 discloses a trash compactor that uses a small container to hold trash. A hinged lid is used to close the box. The lid is attached to a vertical slide. The slide is pushed down to compress the trash within the container. Once the trash is compressed, it can be removed from the container and be disposed of in a standard container. While useful, none of these devices is suitable for backpacking applications in remote areas.


An energy storage device includes an electrode assembly, a positive-electrode current collector, and an insulating sheet. The electrode assembly has a main body part and a connecting part projecting from the main body part and connected to the positive-electrode current collector. The insulating sheet has a sheet side surface part facing a side surface of the main body part, and a sheet extension part extending from the sheet side surface part. The sheet extension part is fixed to the electrode assembly.

Conventionally, an energy storage device including an electrode assembly and an insulating sheet that covers a side surface of the electrode assembly is widely known. Patent Document 1 discloses a square nonaqueous electrolyte solution battery (an energy storage device) in which a battery element (an electrode assembly) is housed in a battery can (a case body) with a side surface covered with an insulation sheet.