A radio apparatus in which voice frames can be used for data transmission, which prevents abnormal sound and noise from occurring during fast data transmission. A controller of the radio apparatus determines whether the voice frames are being used for voice signal transmission or data transmission based on a result of identification of a mini-header that is stored in the data frames. The controller causes a voice signal reproduction unit to perform a muting operation when a result of the determination successively indicates that the voice frames are being used for data transmission a predetermined first number of times, and the controller causes the voice signal reproduction unit to cancel the muting operation when the result of the determination successively indicates that the voice frames are being used for voice signal transmission a predetermined second number of times in a situation where the muting operation is being performed.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radio receiver, and particularly to a mute control method that can be appropriately employed according to a standardized digitization technology for amateur radio.
Description of the Related Art
The standardized digitization technology for amateur radio (D-STAR: Digital Smart Technologies for Amateur Radio) proposed by the Japan Amateur Radio League aims to promote the digitization of amateur radio, and version 4.3 published in September 2004 indicates that, due to digitization, the convenience of amateur radio can be dramatically improved by transmitting not only voice, even though the main subject is voice, but also data.
When version 4.3 of the standardized digitization technology for amateur radio (hereinafter simply referred to as "the standardized technology") was published, data from personal computers and the like was envisaged as the aforementioned data. In recent years, however, radio apparatuses are equipped with a GPS receiver, and are used for exchanging their positional data. Also, due to the widespread use of smartphones, radio apparatuses are used for transmitting images captured by a smartphone from a mountainous area or the like that is outside the service range of the smartphone.
In order to support such data transmission, the applicant of the present invention proposed the invention disclosed in JP 2006-157477A. According to this invention, one piece of data is composed of two blocks, and a mini-header is embedded in the leading part of the first half of the piece of data so that multiple kinds of data can be identified.
In particular, in cases where image data is to be transmitted, the aforementioned standardized technology version 4.3 requires that voice frames always be transmitted even when no voice call is made, and accordingly the data transmission speed is approximately 950 bps, and it takes five minutes or longer to transmit a VGA size image. Hereinafter, this data transmission mode is referred to as the "slow data" mode, for the sake of convenience. Meanwhile, occasions of transmitting image data have rapidly increased, and accordingly data transmission that requires only a short period of time is demanded.
Considering the situation above, the inventors, etc., of the present invention proposed a scheme in which voice frames are also used for the transmission of data for data communication, and version 5.0 of the standardized digitization technology for amateur radio, which includes the details of the proposed scheme, was published in August 2014. According to this scheme, the transmission speed is increased to 3.6 kbps, which is approximately four times higher than previous. Hereinafter, this data transmission mode is referred to as the "fast data" mode, for the sake of convenience.
Prior to a description of the present invention, a description is given of a method for conversion (recombination) to the fast data according to version 5.0 of the standardized digitization technology for amateur radio, on which the present invention is based, with reference to FIG. 1.
First, when a call is generated, a bit sync B, a frame sync F, and a header H, which have predetermined sizes, are transmitted, and main data D, which includes voice frames, data frames, etc., is then transmitted. The frame period of the main data D is 420 msec, and, as shown in FIG. 1, the main data D is divided into ten blocks.
Each block is basically composed of pairs of a voice frame of 72 bits (9 bytes) and a data frame of 24 bits (3 bytes). These frames are combined in this order because, as described above, voice is the main subject. Only in the first block (block number 1), the first data frame is a sync signal. For this reason, the first block includes three pairs of a voice frame and a data frame. The following blocks, namely the second to tenth blocks, each include two pairs of a voice frame and a data frame.
The frame configuration is as described above. For the sake of convenience in treating the blocks as the fast data, a voice frame and a data frame in each block are combined such that a data frame comes first and is followed by a voice frame, as shown in detail in FIG. 1. This is for the purpose of checking the mini-header embedded in the leading part of the data, and distinguishing transmission of voice signal data alone, transmission of data for data communication alone, simplified transmission of voice signal data and data for data communication at the same time, and transmission of data for data communication utilizing voice frames as well, from each other.
Regarding the first frame, note that the first voice frame combined with the sync signal is relocated to the last part. The length in time of each pair of a voice frame and a data frame is 20 msec, and accordingly the frame period of the entire main data D is 60+40×9=420 msec, as described above. The first 8 bits (1 byte) of the data frames in the first half constitute the aforementioned mini-header, and the effective data length of the first block is 224 bits (28 bytes), and the effective data length of the second to tenth blocks is 160 bits (20 bytes), respectively.
The mini-header is 8 bits (1 byte) of data, and is represented as a two-digit hexadecimal. The first digit indicates the data type, and the second digit indicates the data length (or the block number). For example, according to the standardized technology version 5.0, the first digit is 3x and the second digit is 1 to 5 (bytes) in the case of simplified transmission by which data for data communication can be transmitted as well while voice signal data is transmitted, that is, in the case of slow data transmission.
The total data length of the two data frames is 48 bits (6 bytes), but since the mini-header occupies 8 bits (1 byte), the data is the remaining 1 to 5 bytes. On the other hand, in the case of transmission of data for data communication utilizing the voice frames as well, that is, in the case of fast data transmission, the first digit is 8x or 9x, and the second digit is 1 to F (1 to 15 bytes) or 0 to C (16 to 28 bytes).
Fast data transmission is enabled in this way. However, if the data of the mini-header is garbled, there are problems such as the voice frames not being recognized as including data for data communication, and being reproduced as voice, which causes abnormal sound or noise. Specifically, garbling is caused by the mini-header having a digit other than 8x or 9x, that is, having a digit from 0x to 7x or from Ax to Fx.

Radio receiver and mute control method for the same


The present invention relates to a container-type system booth for an indoor/outdoor exhibition or event. According to the container-type system booth of the present invention, facilities used for exhibitions or various events are installed in an event module consisting of a single unit. Then, the event module unit may be installed at a desired place to reduce installation costs and time in installing facilities, and simplify the installation work processes. The event module consisting of a single unit may be produced in the form of various system booths such as a stage system booth, a radial system booth, a blooming system booth, a cubic system booth, a stack system booth, a parallel system booth, and a pinwheel system booth as the exhibition or event progresses. Thus, various stages for exhibitions or events may be optimally created.

Generally, when holding indoor/outdoor exhibitions or general events, facilities for the exhibitions or events are necessary.
It is necessary to determine how to install exhibition facilities to maximize an exhibition effect of goods while exhibiting the goods. That is, when the facilities are installed to show off exhibited goods, it is possible to maximize the exhibition effect. However, in the case of facilities that fail to show off the exhibited goods, users may not know what is exhibited.
Also, when performing events such as general concerts, presentations, and demonstrations, facilities for forming stages and configurations of facilities enabling users to enjoy refreshments or to carry out talks are important.
As described above, since facilities necessary to hold exhibitions or various events are very important, construction of the facilities becomes one of important elements and then an industrial field related to stage installation has been activated.
Particularly, it is necessary to seriously determine types, forms, and arrangements of installations at an initial step of designing the installations and a value of the installations built and completed once may be considerable.
However, most of installations for exhibitions or various events is merely for a single use and is demolished right after being installed in such a way that facilities or the installations are difficult to be used and abandoned when it is impossible to reuse, thereby causing resource waste problems.
When holding the same exhibitions or the same events in the case of concert tours or traveling exhibitions as a series of performances, since facilities or installations should be somehow differently installed each time according to environments or conditions for installation, although the installations are considerably helpful, it is difficult to perform by using the installations because there is no consistency.
Also, in the case of woodworking or general system booths as general exhibition space constructing methods, when being installed outdoors, it is difficult to provide durability due to natural restrictions of bad weather such as snow, rain, and wind, in which there are limitations in an installation method and place. Also, event places are used as single layered structures. Although when it is possible to display duplex type structures, since constructed structures are poor, it is difficult to be used as available spaces for events. It is difficult to maximize efficiency of using places (spaces).
Accordingly, a technology of providing durability regardless of places (indoor/outdoor) for installation, capable of setting an event hall in a short time to efficiently use a limited space, and allowing repetitive usage to be possible to prevent resource wastes is necessary.

Container-type system booth for an indoor/outdoor exhibition or event


This invention is of particular use to patients with Diabetes Mellitus. It uses alkyl analogs of the methyl pyruvate (MP) family to provide energy and improve insulin and glucose homeostasis via accelerated intracellular delivery of protons, pyruvate and ATP from each MP. The energy upregulates cellular cross talk and networking resulting in a surge of ATP enabling NADH (via glycolysis) that enables pancreatic islet cells to obtain increased ATP allowing increased insulin manufacture. This process improves cellular respiration, expedites protein, lipid and hormone manufacture. The increased energy also enables telomeres and delays Hayflick limit. Instead of cellular repair, silence, or apoptosis, energy is allocated for cell/organ function. This invention curbs inflammation and ROS by idealizing cellular respiration and diminishing hyperglycemia. In turn a reduction of advanced glycation end products (AGEs), lessened target RNA and nucleic acid toxins, i.e., diminished HbA1c occurs. By decreased drain of cellular energy, genomic function improves.

Diseases such as diabetes mellitus (DM), occur at the cellular level and are inflicted by insufficient energy required to continuously maintain the structure and function of cells, particularly in the pancreas. All cells with depleting energy supplies are less capable of their genetically programmed performances, and in this case defective insulin capabilities. Cellular respiration is the process for the enzymatic breakdown of glucose in the presence of oxygen to produce cellular energy in the form of ATP. It occurs in three steps: Glyoclyis, the Citric Acid Cycle (CAC), and the Electron Transport System. In glycolysis, each molecule of glucose is converted to two molecules of pyruvic acid and a net yield of 2 NADH. The pyruvic acid then diffuses into the inner compartment of the mitochondrion where a transition reaction occurs to prepare the pyruvic acid for entry into the next stage of respiration, the CAC. In the transition reaction, pyruvate is converted into acetyl and then carried into the CAC by coenzyme A (CoA). The CAC occurs in the inner mitochondrial matrix and results in a net yield of 2 ATP per 2 acetyl CoA. In addition, a net yield of 6 NADH and 2 FADH2 is also accomplished. In the last step of cellular respiration, the electron transport system, a series of enzymes on the inner mitochondrial membrane receive electrons released from the NADH and FADH2 produced during the CAC and glycolysis. However, the NADH produced during glycolysis must first be transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane to enter the electron transport chain. The mechanism for transporting the NADH produced during glycolysis across the inner mitochondrial membrane is the malate-aspartate shuttle. The malate-aspartate shuttle transports an oxidized version of the NADH, NAD+, across the inner mitochondrial membrane. Once across, the NAD+ is reduced to NADH and is now free to transfer its high energy electrons to the electron transport chain. In the electron transport chain, as the electrons are passed along the series of enzymes on the inner mitochondrial membrane, the electrons release energy to power a process called chemiosmosis by which H+ ions are actively transported across the inner mitochondrial membrane into the outer mitochondrial compartment. The H+ ions then travel back through special pores in the membrane, which is believed to fuel the process of ATP synthesis. A net yield of 34 ATP is generated per glucose molecule during the electron transport system.
Cells in a person suffering from diabetes are unable to properly perform cellular respiration. As a result, these cells are unable to fully harvest the available glucose and therefore are unable to produce as much energy as the cells of a non-diabetic person. Further compounding this cellular malfunction we know the receptor sites, i.e., glucose transporters (Glut4) are also down regulated. Now, the increasing glucose enables toxic oxidation and inflammatory compounds to further impair cellular function at the cytosolic and nuclear levels; this creates a need for repair or replacement of these cells. Energy required via the citric acid cycle (CAC) is critically required at this point lest we have further reduction of the vesicle associated membrane protein (VAMP) and diminishing mitochondrial numbers. In man, a cell functions alone or in composite utilizing all its energy for these genomic processes. If the cell requires repair, the primary function of the cell is diminished with repair requiring a portion of the cell's total energy. If the repair is significant, all cross talk and synchronization of cell networking is diminished and cell function may stop until repair is effected unless gene silencing or apoptosis intervenes.
From this point forward the use of methyl pyruvate (MP), ethyl pyruvate (EP) and their manifold alkyl analogues (bimethylated and ethylated composites and methyl-ethyl composites of pyruvate) solely or in any and all combinations will be represented by MP as their template for the energy and anti-inflammation needed to resolve the above scenario. Additionally, HbA1c is a protein of hemoglobin in the red blood cells (RBC) that irreversibly attaches to plasma glucose for the three-month life span of the RBC. The percent of HbA1c correlates with blood glucose levels that measure: normals from four (4%) percent to six (6%) percent and diabetics at ≧six (6%) percent. The mathematical correlation between blood glucose and glycohemoglobin (HbA1c) is demonstrated in the graphic depiction of FIG. 1 (The conversion factor of MPG to mg/dl of glucose, is 18 times MPG).
Methyl pyruvate performs as a lipophilic antisense-like bullet that penetrates cell membranes, mitochondrial membranes and nuclear membranes with its active and passive delivery of energy via protons, adenosine triphosphate manufacture (ATP) and methylation. This energy delivering metabolic bullet upregulates all cytosolic and nuclear capabilities. It can even negate messenger RNA (mRNA) expression. Now, because of instant protons and pyruvate delivered, there is immediately empowered glycolysis and/or CAC production of ATP and the cell functions with more efficient performance. Through this newly available energy, gene silencing can be reversed, repairs completed, apoptosis performed, and the cell is upgraded and/or divides (cell partitioning) into a new and improved cell having shed its prior oxidative cellular/genetic debris. In DM this means improved Glut4 networking, improved insulin sensitivity, increased intra and intercellular networking and increased superoxide dismutase (SOD) production. Further, due to MP, many nutrients and complicit molecules including peroxisome proliferator-activator receptor (Ppars) will now function more effectively and efficiently, i.e. as infused and increased cellular energy can now affect niacinamide (B3) and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) at an intracellular level that enables and protects beta cell function. In addition, energy reduces the level of HbA1c, increases cell life span and prepares FOXO3a to stop proteolysis initiation, and/or initiate apoptosis when and where appropriate in the cell cycle. Methylation ability afforded by MP assists in cellular methylation but can also afford to enhance gene expression as it retracts the histone sheath of the chromatin allowing increased genetic expression. With all vitamins, all amino acids, all nutrients, hydronium ion and water transport, all cation and anion channel functions, lipid metabolism, protein metabolism, glucose metabolism, organ functioning, genomic protection replication and functioning, MP enables all of these individual physiologic roles and applications. (Ethyl and Methyl pyruvates have been tested in human volunteers and have been shown to be safe in clinically prescribed doses.)
The failing of glucose-insulin networking in T2DM creates a toxic environment whereby ROS, especially unutilized glucose, causes a down regulation of energy production. The down regulation of energy production causes mitochondrial energy production to wane which leads to the diminishing of all cell/organ function.
By the above process, aging progresses and a certain level of energy depletion disease manifests that relates to the cells inability to function. The energy that is manufactured is now utilized for cell/organ repair. Finally, due to the lack of energy, gene silencing and/or apoptosis occurs. In some cases, P53 and P21 compromise occurs which allows cancer to emerge.
Supplying the present invention's ex vivo energy to the above scenario causes the energy-lack disease process to cease. In particular, energy repletion enables rejuvenation and healing that restores cell/organ function. The present invention's ex vivo energy delivers protons and methylation, and then pyruvate to the CAC cycle as a secondary energy source that is harnessed without the energy depleting preparation.
Neuropathy, diabetic as example, relates to the pathology caused by glycosylation, ROS and damage to neurons, Glut 4 down regulation, associated vascular deterioration, nutritional depletion and finally no energy to correct any/all of the above. The present invention's ex vivo energy provides a superimposed energy source for healing and restoration which can reverse neuropathology.
The same ex vivo energy source, if you reverse engineer most diseases, appears to be the first domino that requires fixing (energizing) to slow and reverse the pathology. This template would apply to Parkinson's disease, ALS, Alzheimer's disease, CVD, CA, dementia, neurodegenerative disease, organ failure, T2DM and stem cell/organ transplant survival. Energy transplantation by the present invention's ex vivo energy up regulates transcription, translation, endoplasmic reticulum and ribosomal functioning, PARP, P53 and P21 and mitochondrial and nuclear functioning. Accordingly, the use of the present invention's ex vivo energy is designed to provide an innovative energy source for the curing of diseases that are triggered by a depletion in the energy level of the cells.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


The invention relates to an exhaust-gas treatment device (10), comprising a) an outer tube (14) through which an exhaust-gas stream (12) can flow, b) an inner tube (20) that is arranged in a first section (16) of the outer tube (14) and that divides the interior of the first section (16) into a central flow path (22) and a peripheral flow path (24), whereby a first exhaust-gas treatment means (26) is arranged in the central flow path (22) and/or in the peripheral flow path (24), c) means (30, 32) to selectively convey an exhaust-gas stream via the central flow path (22) and/or via the peripheral flow path (24), and d) a second exhaust-gas treatment means arranged in a second section (18) of the outer tube (14) downstream from the first section (16). Flow means (36, 38, 40) are provided that are designed to equalize a flow impinging upon the second exhaust-gas treatment means (28) when the exhaust gas is conveyed via the central flow path (28) as well as when the exhaust gas is conveyed via the peripheral flow path (24).

The state of the art discloses exhaust-gas treatment devices in which, upstream from an exhaust-gas converter, the exhaust-gas path is divided by an inner tube into a central flow path and a peripheral flow path (e.g. German patent application DE 103 50 516 A). One of these parallel flow paths, especially the peripheral flow path, contains an exhaust-gas treatment means. Suitable actuators serve to convey the exhaust-gas stream through the annular exhaust-gas treatment means via the peripheral flow path or else to bypass the latter via the central flow path. Such an arrangement is known, for example, in conjunction with a downstream three-way catalyst upstream from which there is an adsorber for hydrocarbons (HC adsorber) in one of the parallel flow paths. As long as the main catalyst has not yet reached its operating temperature after the engine has been started, the exhaust-gas stream is conveyed through the peripheral HC adsorber that temporarily stores the hydrocarbons present in the exhaust gas. As soon as the downstream catalyst has reached its operating temperature, the exhaust-gas stream is conveyed via the central flow path so as to bypass the HC adsorber and to heat it up. Once the HC adsorber has reached its desorption temperature, the exhaust gas is once again conveyed partially or completely through the HC adsorber in order to discharge the released hydrocarbons and to transport them into the main catalyst, where they are catalytically converted.
A disadvantage of the arrangement described above is that the exhaust-gas stream impinges upon the downstream main catalyst non-homogeneously and also differently, depending on whether the exhaust gas has been conveyed via the central flow path or via the peripheral flow path. So far, no measures are known that are capable of remedying this problem.
German patent application DE 37 33 402 A relates to the problem of the non-homogeneous flow that reaches a catalyst arranged in an exhaust-gas pipe whose diameter is smaller than that of the catalytic converter. The catalyst substrate is situated in a catalyst housing that is connected to the exhaust-gas pipe via an inlet tube (diffuser) that widens conically in the flow direction of the exhaust gas. In order to homogenize the flow that reaches the catalyst element, several flow baffles that divide the exhaust gas path into several parallel exhaust-gas paths are provided upstream from the catalyst. For instance, the flow baffles can comprise several concentrically arranged plates in the form of truncated cones having an increasing opening angle.
Another approach is proposed by German patent specification DE 198 39 754 B. According to this approach, a baffle element configured as a vane is arranged in the exhaust-gas feed pipe connected to the inlet funnel of the catalyst housing and this baffle element imparts a swirl to the exhaust-gas stream in order to homogenize the flow that reaches the catalyst.
German patent application DE 198 38 703 A deals with the problem of an exhaust-gas flow which displays a strong swirl generated by the turbine of an exhaust-gas turbocharger and which causes a non-homogenous flow to reach the front face of a catalyst located downstream. As a remedy, a baffle in the form of a compressed "8" is arranged in the exhaust-gas pipe.


A thermal limiter system for an electric motor includes a thermal limiter fuse having a hollow contact element anchored by solder to at least one of first and second terminals of the fuse. A coaxial spring element causes the hollow contact element to slidably release and separate from one of the first and second terminals due to overheating of the solder that is not caused by a flow of electrical current. The system also includes stator mounting blocks and a stator cooling jacket for a motor to be thermally protected.

The field of the invention relates generally to thermal limiter devices, and more specifically to a thermal limiter fuse system for thermally protecting a multi-phase electric motor application in a loss of phase condition.
Electric motors operating in severe thermal duty conditions present certain challenges from a circuit protection perspective. For example, electric motor drives for hydraulic pumps in aerospace applications are designed to operate in severe thermal duty conditions. Circuit protection devices for protecting the motor drives such as overcurrent protection fuses and circuit breakers are likewise designed to withstand severe thermal duty conditions. Conventional overcurrent protection are designed primarily to respond to overcurrent fault conditions (e.g., short circuit or overload conditions) and work quite well to protect the motor in this regard, but problematic operating conditions of motor drives may arise that do not involve overcurrent conditions that trigger operation of overcurrent protection devices, and conventional overcurrent protection devices therefor are incapable of addressing them.
Specifically for multi-phase electric motors, if one of the power phases supplied to the motor is lost while the motor is operating, the motor may continue to operate but is subject to overheating. If not accompanied by an overcurrent condition, overcurrent protection devices will not respond to open the circuit and interrupt the motor. Coupled with severe thermal duty conditions, unacceptable fire hazards may result. A thermal protection device and system that is responsive to a loss of phase condition in a multi-phase electrical motor application and in the absence of an overcurrent condition is accordingly desired.

Thermal limiter fuse system for electric motor protection


A reiterative learning procedure with training and test processes for a binary supervised neural network includes at least an error signal generator for weighting factor updating in the training process, which generates an error signal that is perturbed in polarity and amplitude in the difference derived by subtracting an output unit signal from corresponding binary teacher signal and then generates the difference as an error signal after a maximum absolute value of differences among erroneous binary output signals has become smaller than a threshold once. A training signal memory stores a set of training signals and adds test signals providing erroneous binary output signals that are transferred from a test signal memory in the test process to the set of training input signals as incremental training input signals. An affordable signal memory stores input signals with sufficiently large margins providing correct binary output signals that are transferred from the training signal memory in the training process and the test signal memory in the test process. The reiterative learning procedure, with minimum necessary training and test input signals and control of the error perturbation in the training process, can provide a binary space to obtain a desired binary output, and also realizes an extremely high generalization ability.

The present invention relates to learning methods for multi-level neural networks which are applied to large scale logic circuits, pattern recognizers, associative memories, code converters and image processors, providing a desired output signal stably and quickly with an extremely high generalization ability by an iterative learning procedure consisting of a training process and a test process.
One such neural network is a multi-layered neural network, in which a back-propagation algorithm has been widely used as a supervised training method for the neural network. In a prior training process, as shown in FIG. 1, a set of input signals related to teacher signals is divided into a set of training input signals in a training signal memory 10 with a set of corresponding teacher signals and a set of test input signals in a test signal memory 11 with a set of corresponding teacher signals.
In the training process, the set of training input signals and the set of corresponding teacher signals are provided to a terminal 2 and a terminal 3 through an input selector 12. The multi-layered neural network 1 starts to train after setting initial conditions under the control of a mode controller 9, and outputs output unit signals from the output units of an output layer.
In an error signal generator 4, a difference signal as an error signal is derived by subtracting the output unit signal replying to the training input signal from a teacher signal T (teacher signal element: T.sub.1, T.sub.2, . . . , T.sub.M) through a subtractor. The difference signal is then fed into a weighting factor controller 5. The weighting factors between adjacent layers are then updated by using the output unit signal and the difference signal to minimize the power of the difference signal in the weighting factor controller 5, and are set again in the multi-layered neural network 1.
A binary output unit signal is obtained through a binary threshold means 6 as an output signal at 7 from the output unit signal. By detecting the coincidence between the teacher signal and the binary output unit signal in an error pattern detector 8, it is determined whether the multi-layered neural network 1 achieved convergence or not. These procedures are repeated in the training process until convergence in binary space is achieved.
In the training process, updating of weighting factors is repeatedly performed for the set of training input signals to achieve convergence of the multi-layer neural network 1. A minimum power of the difference signal can provide complete convergence of the neural network in binary space, resulting in coincidence between the set of binary output unit signals replying to the set of training input signals and the set of teacher signals.
The updating speed of the weighting factors becomes gradually slower due to small gradients for input values very close to 0 and 1 in a sigmoidal transfer function in the weighting factor controller 5. When a state minimizing the power of the difference signal in local minima has been captured once, global minima cannot be obtained even if the training cycles are increased, or a significantly large number of training cycles is necessary to obtain the global minima. Namely, the multi-layered neural network 1 is frequently captured in a very tenacious state trapped in local minima. Dependency on initial conditions of the weighting factors is also one of the problems in achieving quick convergence.
A second prior training process comprises an updating of weighting factors by using an error signal generated by an error perturbation method in the error signal generator 4. In the error perturbation method, when the absolute value of the difference signal derived by subtracting the output unit signal from the corresponding teacher signal is equal to or smaller than a given threshold D.sub.1 for a correct binary output unit signal, the error signal has an opposite polarity to that of the difference signal and an amplitude smaller in proportion to that of the difference, and when the absolute value is larger than the threshold D.sub.1 for a correct binary output unit signal, the error signal has the same polarity as that of the difference signal and an amplitude smaller by D.sub.1 than that of the difference signal.
On the other hand, for an erroneous binary output unit signal, the weighting factor is also updated by using an error signal which has the same polarity as that of the difference signal and an amplitude smaller by a threshold D.sub.2 than that of the difference signal.
The difference signal on the m-th output unit is given by T.sub.m -Y.sub.m, where Y.sub.m is the output unit signal on the m-th output unit, T.sub.m is the binary teacher signal on the m-th output unit (0 or 1) and 1<m<M, and M is a number of output units. The error signal E.sub.m on the m-th output unit in the error perturbation is given by the following equations.
If the binary output unit signal on the m-th output unit is correct because of the coincidence with the binary teacher signal T.sub.m, E.sub.m is given by (1), EQU E.sub.m =T.sub.m -Y.sub.m -D.sub.1 *sgn(T.sub.m -Y.sub.m), (1)
and if the binary output unit signal on the m-th output unit is wrong because of the distinction from the binary teacher signal T.sub.m, then EQU E.sub.m =T.sub.m -Y.sub.m -D.sub.2 *sgn(T.sub.m -Y.sub.m), (2)
where ##EQU1## and 0.5.gtoreq.D.sub.1, D.sub.2 .gtoreq.0.
In the training process, updating of weighting factors is repeatedly conducted to achieve convergence for the set of training input signals. By detecting the coincidence between the set of teacher signals and the set of binary output unit signals in the error pattern detector 8, it is determined whether the multi-layered neural network 1 achieved convergence in binary space or not. These procedures are repeated in the training process until the coincidence is achieved. When the coincidence has been once detected, the coincidence signal is fed into the mode controller 10 to terminate the training process.
The first prior training process which is equivalent to the second prior training process with D.sub.1 and D.sub.2 =0 has defects that it is very difficult to quickly achieve complete convergence in binary space due to the easy capture of tenacious states trapped in local minima and the difficulty of slipping away from it, as aforementioned.
Only the second prior training process can converge with the correct set of binary output unit signals for the set of training input signals without being trapped in the tenacious state with local minima. However, a large number of training cycles is sometimes required to achieve convergence for a large number of training input signals. When the number of binary errors in the binary output unit signals quickly has become small once, further reduction of the number of binary errors becomes very slow and the convergence speed eventually stagnates even if the weighting factors are updated by using the error perturbation method to evade the tenacious state trapped in local minima. This is because the error perturbation with large values of D.sub.1 and D.sub.2 introduces disturbance in the optimized weighting factors, which results from reduction of the margin providing the correct binary output unit signal by D.sub.1 in the previous error perturbation.
In particular, a general design method for achieving reliable and very quick convergence has not been established yet for either a three layered or multi-layered neural network having a large number of input nodes and a small number of hidden nodes.
In the test process, the mode controller 9 controls the input selector 13 to switch the process from the training process to a test process to evaluate the generalization ability. Also, the set of test input signals is fed to the terminal 2 and the corresponding teacher signals are fed to the terminal 3 through the input selector 12. In the error pattern detector 8, the binary output unit signal is compared with the corresponding teacher signal to detect an erroneous binary output unit signal.
If the multi-layered neural network 1 does not converge in binary space due to trapping in the local minima, a very low generalization property is obtained due to the large number of erroneous binary output unit signals for the set of test input signals. Even if the neural network with the prior error perturbation method is converged in binary space, an extremely high generalization property with 100% correctness, in which the set of binary output unit signals is entirely correct for the set of test input signals, is not necessarily achieved. A large number of erroneous binary output signals is produced for a set of test input signals with a large volume due to the reduction of the margin by D.sub.1 for providing correct binary output unit signals. There is also another reason, that is the non-optimum allocation of the set of input signals to the sets of training and test input signals.
A general learning method of the binary multi-layered neural network, which can achieve both complete convergence in binary space for the set of training input signals and also achieve 100% generalization for the set of test input signals, has not been established.
As aforementioned, earlier learning procedures for a multi-layered neural network have the disadvantages that either a huge number of training cycles for updating weighting factors is required to achieve convergence due to a stagnation of convergence speed caused by the error perturbation, or convergence cannot be obtained even by continuing the training process due to trapping in tenacious states with local minima and cannot also necessarily achieve an extremely high generalization ability.
Particularly, an easy and reliable learning method for a multi-level neural network with a large number of input units, a small number of output units and a teacher pattern having a distributed representation, which has the difficulty of achieving both complete convergence in binary space with a very small number of training cycles and very high generalization, has not been established. The generalization ability generally degrades due to a surplus number of hidden units and over-learning, whereas the use of a large number of hidden units can make the neural network stably converge. These approaches also inevitably require a huge amount of computations and a very large hardware complexity.
These shortcomings make it very difficult to realize multi-level neural networks for real time applications which require a very high generalization ability for unknown input signals and retrain the neural network for newly obtained input signals providing erroneous output signals.

Learning procedure for multi-level neural network


A hydraulic control valve, a dual-cylinder extension system and an aerial work engineering machine. The control valve comprises a flow distributing and collecting valve, and control valve body is provided with a first oil opening, a second oil opening and a third oil opening. A first oil opening, a second oil opening and a third oil opening of said flow distributing and collecting valve are respectively communicated with the first oil opening, the second oil opening and the third oil opening of the valve body. The control valve has two working states, wherein, in the first working state, the oil path between the second oil opening and the third oil opening of the valve body is blocked; and in the second working state, the oil path between the second oil opening and the third oil opening of the valve body is opened.

An aerial work engineering machine, such as an elevating fire engine, is a product having a specialized chassis and mounted with a lifting arm frame, and may be operated by a professional operator to rise to a certain height for aerial rescuing or working.
The lifting arm frame may be divided into several types according to the lifting operation manner, such as a folding arm type, a telescopic arm type, a combined arm type and a self-propelled type. The telescopic arm is formed by two or more sections of box-shaped arms sleeved together, and may be driven by a telescopic cylinder or pulled by a flexible wire rope or a leaf chain to make linear reciprocating motion, and may transport an aerial operator to a higher place for working via a bucket mounted on a head of the telescopic arm.
For example, a fire water cannon is arranged at a top end of the telescopic arm of the elevating fire truck, and mechanisms, such as a working platform, is arranged at the top end of the telescopic arm of the aerial work platform. The operator can control the telescopic arm on the controlling platform to realize aerial work functions, such as spraying water, transporting working personnel, or rescuing.
With the rapid development of the social economy of China, the number of high-rise and super-high-rise buildings is growing rapidly, resulting in unprecedented tremendous challenges in fire extinction and emergency rescue of the high-rise buildings. In China, the development of the elevating fire truck has a tendency of pursuing a higher and higher working altitude, and at the same time, the high-altitude and super-high-altitude elevating fire trucks has higher requirements on the performances of the telescopic system, such as safety, reliability and smoothness.
The telescopic arm of the high-working-altitude elevating fire truck has a long stroke and has large numbers of sections, thus a single-cylinder and multi-stage telescopic-chain-type synchronous telescopic control system has been unable to meet the requirements for safety and stability. And for a telescopic system having two or more telescopic cylinders, the telescopic cylinders have to be controlled synchronously so as to reach the maximum working height in the shortest action time to perform the rescue operation quickly.
None of the existing elevating fire trucks using a dual-cylinder telescopic system are provided with a synchronous control valve, and the motion of the telescopic cylinders is controlled directly by a solenoid directional valve group.
Reference is made to FIG. 1, which is a hydraulic schematic diagram of the solenoid directional valve group of the existing dual-cylinder telescopic system.
As shown in the Figure, an upper telescopic cylinder 1 is controlled by a first solenoid directional valve 3-1, and a lower telescopic cylinder 2 is controlled by a second solenoid directional valve 3-2. A solenoid directional valve group 3 is formed by the first solenoid directional valve 3-1 and the second solenoid directional valve 3-2, and has oil ports A1 and B1 connected to a larger chamber and a smaller chamber of the upper telescopic cylinder 1 respectively, and oil ports A2 and B2 connected to a larger chamber and a smaller chamber of the lower telescopic cylinder 2 respectively. Theoretically, the upper telescopic cylinder 1 and the lower telescopic cylinder 2 can be controlled to extend or retract synchronously as long as the first solenoid directional valve 3-1 and the second solenoid directional valve 3-2 are synchronously switched to the left position or the right position.
However in fact, since the load on the lower telescopic cylinder 2 is much larger than the load on the upper telescopic cylinder 1, the extending and retracting motion of the two cylinders may have two circumstances. Taking the extending motion as an example, if the system flow is large enough, the two cylinders may extend synchronously, but the upper telescopic cylinder 1 will have an extending speed faster than the lower telescopic cylinder 2 and will reach the end of the stroke earlier. In contrast, if the system flow is small, the pressure oil will firstly push the upper telescopic cylinder 1 with a smaller load to extend via the directional valve, and after the upper telescopic cylinder 1 reaches the end, the system pressure increases, and then the pressure oil will continue to push the lower telescopic cylinder 2 to extend till the lower telescopic cylinder 2 reaches the end.
This kind of control systems have disadvantages that, the synchronous extension and retraction of the two cylinders can not be realized, and the two telescopic cylinders are controlled separately to extend to the end of the stroke in sequence, which may cause an overlong action time of the telescopic system, and further affect efficiencies of rescue operation and work.
Therefore, a technical problem to be solved by those skilled in the art is to control two cylinders of the dual-cylinder telescopic system to extend and retract synchronously so as to shorten the action time of the telescopic system and improve the working efficiency.

Hydraulic control valve, dual-cylinder extension system and aerial work engineering machine


The invention describes compositions of peptide analogs that are active in blood or cleavable in blood to release an active peptide. The peptide analogs have a general formula: A-(Cm)x-Peptide (SEQ ID NO: 76), wherein A is hydrophobic moiety or a metal binding moiety, e.g., a chemical group or moiety containing 1) an alkyl group having 6 to 36 carbon units, 2) a nitrilotriacetic acid group, 3) an imidodiacetic acid group, or 4) a moiety of formula (ZyHisw)p (SEQ ID NO: 50), wherein Z is any amino acid residue other than histidine, His is histidine, y is an integer from 0-6; w is an integer from 1-6; and p is an integer from 1-6; wherein if A has alkyl group with 6 to 36 carbon units x is greater than 0; and Cm is a cleavable moiety consisting of glycine or alanine or lysine or arginine or N-Arginine or N-lysine, wherein x is an integer between 0-6 and N may be any amino acid or none. The peptide analogs are complexed with polymeric carrier to provide enhanced half-life.

The development of new formulations and delivery systems for administration of physiologically active peptides and proteins and other therapeutics and materials is driven by the need to provide these peptides or proteins or other materials to achieve the desirable physiological effects. With respect to peptides and proteins, many of them must be delivered via systemic circulation. In addition, peptides and proteins that have low molecular masses tend to have short biological half-lives due to their efficient removal from systemic circulation via kidneys. For example, a fraction of these peptides and proteins can also be removed via reticulo-endothelial uptake due to recognition by monocyte/macrophages or as a result of opsonization by complement components. Many peptides and proteins can also lose their activity in vivo due to proteolysis (peptide bond cleavage).
In part to circumvent these undesirable effects, a drug delivery system may be used. There are several drug delivery strategies that can be useful for peptide and protein delivery in vivo. First, a continuous systemic infusion of drug via a pump can be employed. This strategy is proven efficient in clinical practice but may be impractical for outpatients requiring high levels of mobility, associated disadvantages of quality of life and potential intravenous (I.V.) line infections. Thus, there is a need for improved compositions and formulations for the administration of peptides that have a prolonged half-life to reduce the need for frequent and repeated administrations or infusions.
Cirrhosis of the liver is a common consequence of excessive alcohol consumption or hepatitis leading to life-threatening complications. In patients with cirrhosis and type 1 hepatorenal syndrome (HRS), splanchnic vasodilation resulting from portal vein hypertension plays a critical role in the progression to renal failure. The use of splanchnic and systemic vasoconstrictors such as vasopressin agonists or alpha-1-adrenergic receptor agonists can improve renal function in patients with type 1 HRS. Studies also suggest that vasoconstrictor administration is a promising therapeutic approach targeting vasodilation involved in, but not limited to (1) renal failure in type 2 HRS; (2) esophageal varices; (3) paracentesis-induced circulatory dysfunction; (4) arterial hypotension induced by byproducts of bacteria, (5) anesthesia-associated hypotension, (6) cardiac arrest, and (7) post-partum hemorrhage. Under these conditions a long acting vasoconstrictor such as long-acting vasopressin will be beneficial for these patients.
HRS is characterized by renal failure in patients with advanced cirrhosis and liver failure, and severe sinusoidal portal hypertension. There are two types of HRS, type 1 and type 2. Type 1 is characterized by rapid deterioration of renal function with doubling of serum creatinine to greater than 2.5 mg/dL (221 uM) in less than 2 weeks with median survival of 1.7 weeks. Type 2 is characterized by stable or slowly progressive renal dysfunction with median survival of 6 months. The probability of developing HRS in cirrhosis patients with ascites is 19% at 1 year and increases to 39% at 5 years.
Esophageal Variceal Hemorrhage (EVH) is a complication of portal hypertension resulting from cirrhosis. EVH accounts for 6-12% of upper GI bleeds (Longstreth G F, et al. Am J Gastroenterol 1995; 90(2):206-210; Wilcox C M, et al. Southern Medical Journal 1999; 92(1):44-50; Sorbi D, et al. Am J Gastroenterol 2003; 98(11):2424-2434). The treatment of EVH according to ACG Guidelines (1997) is endoscopic treatment (ligation or sclerotherapy) in combination with vasoactive therapeutics; e.g., vasopressin or its analogs.

Composition for long-acting peptide analogs


Specific epitopic regions of thyroid peroxidase (TPO), a thyroid specific membrane autoantigen, have been identified within amino acid residues 456 to 933, 517 to 630, and 633 to 933 of the protein (SEQ ID NO:1), with at least one distinct binding region within TPO located from amino acid residues 592 to 613 (SEQ ID NO:3). The identification and production of these localized epitopes/epitopic regions provide specific diagnostic reagents for autoimmune thyroid disease.

Thyroid peroxidase (TPO) is the major thyroid-specific membrane autoantigen implicated in Hashimoto's thyroiditis, an autoimmune disease characterized by intense lymphocytic thyroiditis resulting in the destruction of the thyroid. Weetman, A. P. et al, Endocrinol. Rev. 5:309-355 (1984). TPO's role in autoimmune disease and the precise localization of autoantibody binding has, however, been a subject of much debate. For example, there has been controversy as to whether autoantibodies inhibit thyroid peroxidase activity, thereby contributing to thyroid dysfunction in autoimmune thyroid disease. See Yokoyama, N. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 68:766-773 (1989); Saller, B. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 72:188-195 (1991). Reports on variations in the structure of TPO have suggested alternative mRNA splicing as a source of antigenicity. Kimura, S. et al., PNAS (USA) 84:5555-5559 (1987); Nagayama, Y. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 71:384-390 (1990); Zanelli, E. et al., Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 170:735-741 (1990). The appearance of these alternative transcripts in normal thyroid glands has, however, brought the relationship of alternative splicing and autoimmunity into question. Elisei, R. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab., 72:700-702 (1991). It also now appears that carbohydrate structures are not involved in TPO antigenicity. Foti, D. et al., Endocrinol. 126:2983-2988 (1990).
Recent reports on the number and type of autoantibody epitopes found in human TPO have been conflicting. One group has suggested that TPO autoantibodies bind only to conformation epitopes and that no localized epitopes exist. Finke, R. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 71:53-59 (1990). Given that this group demonstrated binding to recombinant TPO produced in CHO cells, but was unable to show binding to whole recombinant TPO in the bacterial expression system employed, the failure to identify localized epitopes could have resulted from a problem with the expression of intact TPO in bacteria. In contrast, another group has reported the identification of localized autoantibody of TPO epitopes using in vitro translated TPO cDNA clones. Libert, F. et al., EMBO J. 6:4193-4196 (1987); Ludgate, M. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 68:1091-1096 (1989). Using sera from Hashimoto's disease patients, localized autoantibody binding was identified between amino acids 590 and 675 of the TPO coding sequence. Id. While initially identifying only a single antibody binding site in this region, more recent publications of this group indicated the presence of multiple antibody binding sites in the carboxyl half of the TPO molecule. Elisei, R. et al., Autoimmunity 8:65-70 (1990); Libert, F. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 73:857-560 (1991). Several other studies using trypsin digests of purified native TPO have also suggested the presence of multiple autoantibody epitopes, including some which appear to be conformational and require disulfide bonds. Nakajima, Y. et al., Mol. Cell Endocrinol. 53:15-23 (1987); Yokoyama, N. et al., J. Clin. Endocrinol. Metab. 70:758-765 (1990). However, there has been no consensus on the exact number and type of epitopes present in TPO.
The identification of autoantibody thyroid-specific epitopes is important to the understanding and diagnosis of autoimmune thyroid disease and in developing effective immunotherapeutic strategies against thyroid disease and cancer. The identification of specific localized TPO epitopic regions would provide a powerful diagnostic tool for autoimmune diseases such as Hashimoto's to distinguish it from other thyroid conditions. The identification and ability to produce sequences encompassing specific TPO autoantibody epitopes would also be instrumental in developing immunotherapeutic strategies against autoimmune thyroid disease and thyroid cancer.
The development of new therapeutic approaches to treating thyroid cancer is of particular importance. Thyroid cancer is diagnosed in 10,000 individuals in the United States each year. Mazzaferri, E. L. "Thyroid Cancer," Ch. 43:319-331 (Becker, K. L. ed.) Principles and Practice of Endocrinology and Metabolism, J. B. Lippencott (Philadelphia Pa. 1990); Cooper, D. S. et al., Encrinol. Metab. Clin. North Am. 19(3):577-591 (1990). While modern techniques have led to early diagnosis and treatment, approximately 10% of thyroid cancer patients develop terminal metastatic disease. Robbins, J. et al., Ann. Intern. Med. 115(2):133-147 (1991). Thyroid cancer presents an important public health problem in that it most commonly occurs in otherwise healthy and productive individuals in the third and fourth decades of life. Mazzaferri, E. L. "Thyroid Cancer," Ch. 43:319-331 (Becker, K. L. ed.) Principles and Practice of Endocrinology and Metabolism, J. B. Lippencott (Philadelphia Pa. 1990). It is also an extremely important health problem for women, as it occurs three times as often in women than in men. Kramer, J. B. et al., Adv. Surg. 22:195-224 (1989). The disease can also be seen in children, especially after radiation exposure. Barnes, N. D., Horm. Res. 30:84-89 (1988). While less common in the elderly, thyroid cancer has a much worse prognosis in this population. Mazzaferri, "Thyroid Cancer," Ch. 43:319-313 (Becker K. L., ed.) Principles and Practice of Endocrinology and Metabolism (J. B. Lippencott, Philadelphia Pa. 1990); Cooper, D. S. et al., Endocrinol. Metab. Clin. North Am. 19(3):577-591 (1990).
Current therapeutic approaches for the two most prevalent types of thyroid cancer, papillary and follicular carcinoma, involve partial or complete thyroidectomy, often in conjunction with radioactive iodine therapy. However, a substantial number of patients show no response to conventional treatment. For example, some thyroid tumors do not respond to radioactive iodine treatment because the carcinoma is not sufficiently differentiated to concentrate lethal quantities of radioactivity. Additionally, the side effects attending conventional chemotherapeutic and radiation therapy have a serious adverse impact on patient health and well-being.
More sensitive diagnostic and alternative therapeutic strategies against thyroid disease and cancer would thus be desirable. Such strategies can be provided with the identification of specific thyroid peroxidase epitopic regions.

The Regents of the University of Michigan


Shadows, which play an important role in perceiving the shape and texture of an object, are simulated interactively in a real time, self-shadowing of a bump mapped surface for a computer rendered object. A computer graphics textured object function defines a horizon map over an orientation in a tangent space of the object using different textures or basis functions. The implementation can be performed using commodity graphics hardware by precomputing the horizon map for limited visibility for each point on the bump mapped surface given light in each of a plurality of radial directions. The horizon map is used to produce self-shadowing of the bump mapped surface of the object.

Computer graphics involves the rendering of images for display on a visual terminal of a computer. Rendering involves the translation of the three-dimensional (3D) geometry of graphical objects into picture elements (pixels) that are stored in a frame buffer. The contents of the frame buffer can then be displayed on the visual terminal or display device.
In a computer gaming, 3D animation is used to display a sequence of images interactively to the user of the computer game, which gives the illusion of motion in three-dimensional space. This interactivity allows a user to change a scene or the point of view in the scene. These on-demand changes initiated by the user require a rendering system that can create new images in real-time.
Computer games are one example of a 3D computer graphics system. Others include computer-aided design (CAD) and virtual reality ("VR"). A 3D graphics accelerator is typically used in these types of systems. The graphics hardware is used to receive off-loaded processing functions from a host processor to speed up system performance.
An application program executing on a host processor generates three-dimensional geometry data including information corresponding to points on the surface of a three-dimensional graphical object. These points are usable as vertices of polygons which, when connected, may be rendered to form a representation of the graphical object. The application program causes the host processor to transfer this 3-D geometry data to a graphics accelerator, along with corresponding control and connectivity information. The graphics accelerator receives this stream of compressed 3-D geometry data and, for reasons of speed and diversity, renders a series a collection of flat encoded polygons, for example triangles, in a frame buffer for subsequent display on an attached display device. A polygonal system such as this has the advantage of being able to translate and project such objects quickly and efficiently. The process of connecting three-dimensional vertices into component polygons, the sum of which represents a graphical object, is referred to as "tiling".
Each graphical object to be rendered has a coordinate system that is local to the graphical object within the 3D computer graphics system. This coordinate system needs to be transformed from the coordinate system of the graphical object to the pixel display coordinates in the frame buffer. Once the geometry of the object has been transformed into screen coordinates, it is rasterized or broken into a set of pixel color values that are stored into the frame buffer.
Each corner or vertex of each polygon has associated therewith certain values for pixel parameters based on the graphical object itself and the environmental properties of the graphical object. Interpolation is used for each pixel in the polygon area to generate the pixel parameters. One such pixel parameter is texture. Texture on the polygon is suggested by means of a texture map to accomplish finer detail in the polygon.
In conventional commodity graphics hardware, the surface of an object is typically digitally represented by a texture in terms of four (4) color channels, namely red, green, blue, and alpha. At each vertex of each polygon, two-dimensional (2D) coordinates are specified for the orientation in the tangent plane of the light. The 2D qualities include color and brightness and are encoded by the first three channels. A texture is also encoded with three-dimensional properties, such as how transparent and reflective the object is by use of the fourth channel—the alpha channel. Once at texture is parameterized by a point on a surface, another texture can be parameterized by where the light is relative to the local surface point. Then, once a texture has been defined, it can be wrapped around any 3-dimensional object in a texture mapping process.
A texture map is a picture stored in a computer memory as a bit map that is applied to the polygons that make up the graphical object to make the graphical object look more realistic. The texture map is comprised of individual two dimensional space rectangular 'texels' coordinates that depict a certain texture. When the texels are mapped onto a polygon, it will appear to be textured.
Texture mapping processes can be used to render an appearance of a smooth surface. A more realistic and topographical rendering, however, can be accomplished using a texture map that is known as a bump map. Bump mapping uses a bump map that is associated with a surface. The bump map, which is normally pre-calculated into a look up table stored in memory, is a collection of different surface normal vectors on different surface locations of the surface to create an impression of a rough surface. Stated otherwise, bump mapping simulates the effect of light reflecting from small perturbations across a surface. Bump mapping, often considered as the application of a shading function to an object, is done on a pixel-by-pixel basis.
Bump mapping techniques, which convey surface texture by perturbing the normal vectors of a surface, are available on conventional commodity graphics hardware. The advantage of bump mapping is that it provides a simple way to modulate the shading on a surface. Bump maps represent a special kind of texture map. Instead of a color, each texel of a bump map contains a height field gradient. Bump maps are applied to a surface of an object using standard texture-mapping tools. Very complex surfaces (wrinkles, folds, bumps) can be simulated without increasing the complexity of the surface itself. A space in which the bump map is defined is called a map space.
In bump mapping, texel coordinates, designated as "u" and "v", are used in a single component texture map, ƒ(u, v). The texture map is interpreted as a height field that perturbs at each point on the surface along its normal vectorN=(Pu×Pv)/|(Pu×Pv)|,  (1)where Pu and Pv are partials of the parameterization of texture space axes u and v. Rather than actually changing the surface geometry, however, only the normal vector is modified.
Shadows play an important providing perceptual cues for perceiving surface shape and surface texture of an object. Bump mapping, however, does not define any explicit geometry such that there are no actual bumps to cast shadows. Stated otherwise, a bump defined by a conventional bump mapping function can cast neither a bumpy shadow nor a shadow on another object. Thus, interactive shadowing techniques that rely on an explicit representation of the geometry cannot be used to simulate shadows cast by the virtual bumps implied in bump mapping.
It would be an advance in the art to provide a technique to render with commodity graphics hardware, in real time at interactive rates, a graphical image of an object having a bump mapped surface, where the bumps on the bump mapped surface cast shadows, thus more accurately accounting for the geometry of the underlying bump mapped surface. It would also be an advance in the art to represent limited self-shadowing for pure geometry while maintaining interactivity with a user of a computer.


Provided is a switching valve for use in an analyzer module for switching flow passages of fluids, in which the manufacturing cost is reduced and the life is increased. The valve element is provided with a lower contact portion that comes into close contact with a lower valve seat disposed at a valve body when a valve is closed, and with an upper contact portion that comes into close contact with an upper valve seat disposed at a counter plate when the valve is open. The counter plate has a first recess that is open downward and a second recess that is open toward the first recess and has a smaller horizontal cross-sectional area than that of the first recess, and the upper valve seat is press-fitted into the second recess.

Patent Literature 1 shows in FIG. 4 (FIG. 6 in the present description) and in FIG. 8 (FIG. 7 in the present description) a known steam selector. The steam selector is roughly composed of a module body (33), a valve spindle (86), a valve body (58), and a piston (59).
In such a switching valve, the valve spindle (86) is moved up and down by the piston (59). When the valve spindle (86) is pushed down, a seal plug (99) disposed in the valve element formed at the lower portion of the valve spindle comes into close contact with a front-side valve seat (104) of a left-side valve to enter a closed state in which a fluid cannot get into a fluid control chamber (50). When the valve spindle (86) is pushed up, a back-side seal plug (98) comes into close contact with a back-side valve seat to enter an open state in which a fluid inside the fluid control chamber (50) is sent to the control chamber (50) on the right, passes through a flow passage (26), and is discharged outside the switching valve.
Arranging multiple steam selectors with such a structure and sending a large number of types of gases being switched swiftly to an analysis device allow an efficient analysis.


Provided is a secondary battery, comprising a positive electrode, the positive electrode comprises a positive electrode material layer, and the positive electrode material layer comprises a positive electrode active material and a compound represented by structural formula I:

lithium-ion battery has been widely used in mobile communication, notebook computer and other fields since it was put into the market in 1991 because of its advantages of high working voltage, long cycle life, high energy density and no memory effect. The charge and discharge process of lithium-ion battery is the process of deintercalation and intercalation of lithium-ion at positive electrode and negative electrode. And, the positive plate made of positive materials is the only (or main) provider of lithium-ions in lithium-ion batteries, and the type of positive materials also determines the energy density of lithium-ion batteries.
With the increasing application of lithium-ion secondary batteries, people have higher requirements for the safety performance of lithium-ion secondary batteries. lithium-ion secondary batteries with ternary positive active materials have large discharge capacity and high energy density, which are very potential lithium-ion secondary batteries, but their safety performance is poor. As people put forward higher and higher requirements for the performance of lithium-ion secondary batteries, besides excellent high-temperature storage and cycle performance, how to make lithium-ion secondary batteries have higher safety performance has become a technical problem to be solved urgently. Especially, as the power supply of electric vehicles or electronic products, the safety of lithium-ion secondary batteries under different conditions is directly related to the life safety of users.

Abstract: the positive electrode active material includes one or more of the compounds represented by Li1+xNiaCobM′1−a−bO2−yAy and Li1+zMncL2−cO4−dBd;        the positive electrode material layer meets the following requirements:0.05≤p·u/v≤15        wherein, u is the percentage mass content of element phosphorus in the positive electrode material layer, and the unit is wt %;        v is the percentage mass content of element M in the positive electrode material layer, element M is selected from one or two of Mn and Al, and the unit is wt %;        p is the surface density of one single surface of the positive electrode material layer, and the unit is mg/cm2.


A timing analysis apparatus includes a data extracting unit that extracts objective circuit data concerning an objective circuit to become an objective of a timing analysis from layout data indicating circuits on a large-scale-integration chip; a time calculating unit that calculates a delay time of the objective circuit based on the objective circuit data; a parameter calculating unit that calculates a parameter indicating a size of an arrangement area of the objective circuit based on the objective circuit data; an information calculating unit that calculates variation information concerning a variation of the delay time; and a timing analyzing unit that performs the timing analysis of the objective circuit using the delay time and the variation information.

1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a timing analysis apparatus, a timing analysis method, a timing analysis program, and a recording medium for static timing analysis of circuits arranged and wired on a large-scale integration (LSI) chip.
2) Description of the Related Art
In the conventional technology, in static timing analysis (STA) of a LSI, on chip variation (OCV) of delay time (or delay) in a LSI chip arising from temperature, voltage, and manufacturing process is used.
In concrete, a variation on this LSI chip is quantified, and is used as a variation value. For example, by multiplying delay time of a path to input to a sync flip-flop (FF), a path to input to a source FF, and a path between both the FFs by a variation value, timing analysis is carried out. It is necessary to make this variation value a value in which all the variations of supposed delay time are taken into consideration. Among them, with regard to manufacturing process variations, a distance between circuit elements that cause a variation value is set with a supposed maximum range as a reference. Meanwhile, with regard to voltage variations, a potential difference owing to a power source decline is set as a variation value. Furthermore, with regard to temperature variations, a temperature difference between circuits is set as a variation value.
A timing analysis method according to the conventional technology is explained. FIG. 1 is a flowchart showing a timing analysis method according to the conventional technology. Macro cells and logic circuits are arranged and wired on a LSI chip (step S1101). From layout data obtained from this arrangement and wiring, wire resistance values and inter-wire capacity values are extracted (step S1102). Then, by use of the layout data, wire resistance values, and inter-wire capacity values, a delay time is calculated (step S1103). By use of this calculated delay time and the variation values mentioned above, timing analysis is carried out (step S1104). Finally, an error obtained by the result of timing analysis is corrected (step S1105).
In fully custom LSI designs, a delay characteristic analysis method is disclosed where prompt and precise delay characteristic analysis is enabled, when conditions concerning circuit designs and signal transmissions are changed partially, by making the most of analysis results on circuits before the change (see, for example, Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-215710). Furthermore, a method to attain both a shortened development period and a low electricity consumption that are in relations of a trade-off is disclosed (see, for example, Patent Application Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-312410).
However, in the methods according to the conventional technology, variation values used in timing analysis are values in which all the variations of supposed delay time, i.e., variations of voltage, temperature, and manufacturing process, should be taken into consideration, therefore, the values are used as constant ones to any of circuits.
Accordingly, when the range of a circuit that causes variation values is narrow (for example, the distance between a sync FF and a source FF is short), variations of manufacturing process and voltage become excessive, and as a result a useless margin occurs. The useless margin makes it difficult to converge the timing, and also increase the size of LSI chips, which has been a problem with the conventional technology.

Timing analysis apparatus, timing analysis method, and computer product


A control apparatus for a vehicle is configured to detect an abnormality of shock absorbers. When an abnormality detection means has detected an abnormality, braking/driving force posture control amount computation means computes an amount of braking/driving force posture control controlled by means of braking/driving force of the vehicle on the basis of target posture control amount.

As a technique related to a control apparatus for a vehicle, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 7-117435 discloses a technique of controlling a vehicle body attitude using a suspension control apparatus capable of changing a damping force.
However, if a vehicle body attitude is controlled only by a damping force of a shock absorber, the damping force cannot be generated when the shock absorber fails, and thus the vehicle body attitude might not be controlled.


A fast resume of a computer from a low power mode to a normal operating mode captures a power down message from the operating system of the computer to devices connected thereto. In response to the captured message, the device manager is instructed to remove the device from the operating system. The computer is powered down with the device removed. The system is later powered up with the device removed, allowing for faster resume to normal operation. After the computer has returned to normal operation, the device manager reinstates the removed device. The program to capture the power down message can be above the device driver in the driver stock or be an application running in the user mode of the operating system.

Modern computer operating systems employ power management techniques to minimize the power utilized by the computer, operates the computer and its peripheral devices at the lowest feasible power level to accomplish the task on hand, and reduce noise. In portable (laptop) computers, power management is designed to improve the battery life and performance may be sacrificed in this regard. Similarly, if a computer system is on a battery-powered backup device, minimizing power consumption is essential in order that the computer remain operable until the AC mains power is restored. However, even in computers operating from the AC mains, energy conservation has become an important capability of the computer operating system. Given the large number of computers that may be operating at one time for a particular employer, for example, the power savings can save significant costs for electrical energy. In addition, the thermal load on the computer will be reduced, thereby increasing its reliability. Furthermore, with unused devices shut down, the noise generated by the system can be reduced.
In a system such as Microsoft Windows®, for example, there are five levels of system power state definitions:
PowerWork StateLevelor SleepDescriptionS0WorkingThe system is on. The CPU is fully up andrunning and power conservation is on a per-device basis.S1SleepThe system appears off. The CPU is stopped;RAM is refreshed; and the system is running in alow power mode.S2SleepThe system appears off. The CPU has no power;RAM is refreshed; the system is in a lower powermode than S1.S3SleepThe system appears off. The CPU has no power;RAM is in a slow refresh mode; and the powersupply is in a reduced power mode.S4HibernateThe system appears off. The hardware iscompletely off, but system memory has beensaved to disk.S5OffThe system is off. The hardware is completelyoff, the operating system has shut down; nothinghas been saved. Requires a complete reboot toreturn to the working state S0.
In several of the power states, the user can hit any key or move his mouse in order to restore the system to the working state. In other lower power modes, the user may have to push a specified button in order to restore normal operation. In the S5 (off) state, the user would have to hit the power button in order to reboot the computer into its normal operation. Once the user has taken this action, the user would like the system to return to normal operation or "resume" very rapidly. A current requirement on the operating system is being resumed from standby to being able to see that start button on the display within 3.5 seconds. However, as drivers become more complicated such as gigabit Ethernet drivers and wireless Lan drivers, this task is becoming more complicated. In fact, if one utilizes certain flash media cards with a laptop computer, it takes more than 10 seconds for the laptop computer to return to normal operation from the low power state.
One technique that has been proposed is that the driver handle system interrupts (S-IRPS) and device interrupts (DIRPS) to correctly plug and play and power up a device. Normal resume from standby requires that a driver handle both interrupts. However, the device interrupts usually take the longest amount of time. In some drivers, it may be possible to create a fast-resume by handling the system interrupts first and then create a call back so that the power management driver will finish with all of the other drivers in the operating system and then bring the video on line. After this is completed, the power management driver will then call back to the device driver so that it can complete the device interrupts. In addition to there being no current documentation on how this approach might work, not all drivers can implement this function. Drivers such as video, Lan, storage and smartcard drivers have difficulty implementing this type of operation because they have time critical device initialization that will have to be performed before the operating system can come up. Furthermore, many drivers already in the operating system do not have this function. It would take a lot of time and therefore be costly to make these drivers compatible with this scheme. In addition, laptop computers going into such low power modes utilizing this scheme become confused because while the driver is trying to handle d-rips to come out of standby or to go into hibernate, the power management system tries to pass down power management commands to go into hibernate. The driver tries to tell the operating system that it can not at this time go into hibernate and the operating system will detect an error.
Accordingly, there is a need for a faster way to resume normal operation from a low power state.

Fast resume to normal operation of a computer in a power saving mode


A press forming method is capable of improving material yield while avoiding the risk of dimensional error increase at product forming sections in blank material when carrying out press forming, and a plate material expansion device is used in this method. An end side of plate material for press forming is restricted by blank holding rollers, and pressure is applied to a middle location in the part that is restricted by a pressure roller. In this state, the plate material is transported in a rotating direction of the rollers being driven to continuously bend and extend the section receiving pressure. This bent and extended section is flattened with a flattening roller to obtain blank material wherein an end part is expanded.

In one known method in press forming, press forming is performed on a blank material, which is a raw material for press forming having predetermined dimensions, in a state where a peripheral portion, which is not formed into a product shape part, is press-constrained by pressing the product shape part into the side of a die with a punch and thereby applying plastic deformation. In this case, the peripheral portion is press-constrained by sandwiching the peripheral portion of the blank material between the die of a press molding machine and a blank holder or between upper and lower blank holders. Hence, the peripheral portion is a so-called grip margin which is necessary for constraining the position of the blank material during forming, and is scrapped by being cut in a subsequent step. Therefore, it is advantageous to minimize the peripheral portion which corresponds to the grip margin described above so as to enhance the material yield.
On the other hand, in press forming, a forming method is proposed in which the sheet metal work is formed with a punch press while pretension is being applied to the peripheral portion of a sheet metal work (blank material) so as to pull the peripheral portion in a planar direction (see cited document 1). In this method, since the extension of the product shape part is increased by the pretension and the length of the sheet metal work in the shape of a flat plate before the press forming can be reduced, it is assumed that the material yield will be enhanced.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. H09-150224

Press forming method and plate material expansion device used in said method


The present invention creates a color transform for transforming color image data from a device-independent color space to a device-dependent color space of a color device. A forward model is accessed which transforms color image data from the device-dependent color space to the device-independent color space. The forward model is iteratively inverted to obtain a plurality of distinct device-dependent data point value sets, wherein the device-dependent data point value sets are colorimetrically identical to each other in the device-independent color space. One device-dependent data point value set is then selected from the plurality of distinct device-dependent data point value sets based on the application of a color purity function to the plurality of distinct device-dependent data point value sets. The color transform is populated with the selected device-dependent data point value set. Because one device-dependent data point value set is selected from the plurality of obtained distinct device-dependent data point value sets based on the application of a color purity function, the inverse color transform provides the best color estimate among all color candidates that are colorimetrically equivalent, and accurately recovers original device-dependent color space values.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention generally relates to the field of color characterization of output devices, and specifically relates to generation and use of a color transform for mapping colors from a device-independent color space to a device-dependent color space. The transform provides one-to-one mappings of colorimetrically accurate colors with enhanced color purity in the device-dependent color space.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, color characterization of output devices consists of generating a target consisting of color patches to effect a sampling of the gamut of the color device, and then building a source map (or forward model) from the device-dependent color space of the device to a device-independent color space based on the target of patches. To generate a destination map (or inverse model), defined as a map from the device-independent color space back to the device-dependent color space, the process of inversion of the forward model is required.
A commonly occurring phenomenon encountered during the inversion of a forward model is that two or more different original device-dependent color values may result in the same, or colorimetrically equivalent, value in the device-independent color space. That is, there is in general no one-to-one correspondence between device-dependent and device-independent values of the forward model.
There are situations where one value, or solution, is preferred over others. As an example, in a device-dependent color space such as RGB, an RGB solution of exactly RGB=(0,0,0) or RGB=(255,255,255) as values is preferred over one that has intermediate values falling in between 0 and 255. Among other things, a value of 0 or 255 does not need to be dithered on a halftone printer, a desirable feature if one is trying to print black text, for example. Another reason is to achieve the exact inverse of the forward model so that when the forward model is applied followed by the inverse model, the original RGB value is recovered.
A need therefore arises in a case where two or more different original device-dependent color values result in the same or colorimetrically equivalent value in the device-independent color space, for determining which of the two or more values is preferred.

Color characterization with enhanced purity


A duplex data system performs a recovery process normally even in the event of an abrupt abnormal power failure. The duplex data system has a first storage device, a second storage device, and a control unit for duplicating data by storing the data in the first storage device and the second storage device. For duplicating the data, the control unit first writes the data into the first storage device and, after having completed the writing of the data into the first storage device, writes the data into the second storage device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a dual data system for duplicating data to prevent the data from being erased and also to make the data highly reliable when the data are written in a storage device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, there have been known in the art duplex data systems for duplicating data to be stored by writing the data into two storage devices such as hard disks for data protection in the event of a failure of one of the storage devices. See, for example, JP-A-1981-129964. It is the general practice to write the data simultaneously into the two storage devices.
When one of the storage devices becomes defective and fails to operate, the duplex data system can read the data from the other normal storage device. Therefore, when the power supply of the duplex data system is turned on next time, the duplex data system can be recovered using the data stored in the other normal storage device.
The conventional duplex data system is designed for use in a stationary apparatus such as a server or the like which is continuously supplied with electric energy from an uninterruptible power supply unit or the like. If the duplex data system is incorporated in a cell-powered portable terminal, the duplex data system does not expect abnormal power failures caused by the draining or removal of the cell, operator's erroneous actions, etc. while data are being simultaneously written into two storage devices in the portable terminal.
When the duplex data system suffers an abnormal power failure while data are being simultaneously written into the two storage devices, the two storage devices are turned off abnormally. At this time, the data that are being written into the two storage devices, and other data that have previously been stored in the two storage devices may possibly be destroyed. If both of the two storage devices malfunction due to data destruction or the like, then when the power supply of the duplex data system is turned on, the duplex data system cannot be recovered normally as no normal data can be read from any one of the storage devices.

Recovery of duplex data system after power failure


A system and method is disclosed for improved session management when roaming between access networks (AN) within a data cellular network. In one embodiment, gateway functionality is added to one AN in each subnet. The Gateway AN (GAN) provides session transfer capabilities during a dormant handoff with a source AN located in a different subnet. The GAN is responsible for receiving session information request messages from target AN's within the local subnet, querying other GANs within other subnets to locate the subnet that contains the source AN for the session and routing the session information back to the target ANs. In another embodiment, an extended session is established across several ANs within a subnet. When an Access Terminal (AT) initiates a new extended session, the responsible AN negotiates a common session across the ANs covered by the extended session area. During the session negotiation, each AN establishes a new session and allocates a new Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI). Each AN is notified of each UATI allocated for the extended session. Once the negotiation between ANs is completed, the AT can roam anywhere within the extended session area without re-negotiating the session or transferring session information.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to data cellular networks, and specifically to session management within data cellular networks.
2. Description of Related Art
High Rate Packet Data (HRPD) is a technology originally developed for dedicated packet data applications to meet the increasing demand for wireless Internet Protocol (IP) connectivity with high spectral efficiency. Voice transmissions require low data rates, but maintain stringent delay and jitter requirements. Packet data transmissions, on the other hand, typically require bursty high data rates, with less stringent delay and jitter requirements. The HRPD principle is to separate high-speed data completely from the voice network, so that the packet data requirements can be fulfilled optimally and independently.
In May 2000, the CDMA Development Group (CDG) accepted HRPD as the 1×Evaluation Phase One: Data Only (1×EV DO or 1×EV Phase 1), with minor requirements for improvements. Within the 1×EV DO cellular network, data-only (DO) mobile terminals, hereinafter referred to as Access Terminals (AT), utilize data services by initiating data sessions with data-only base stations, hereinafter referred to as Access Networks (AN). The AN's transmit and receive data packets to and from AT's over the air interface, and support packet data speeds above 144 kbps. It should be understood that the term AT as used herein refers to both DO terminals that utilize only data services and dual mode mobile terminals that are capable of utilizing both data services and voice services, but are currently operating in data mode.
To initiate a data session, an AT requests from a serving AN a Unicast Access Terminal Identifier (UATI) that uniquely identifies the AT within the serving AN. The UATI further includes an 8-bit field that identifies the Color Code of the AN within a Color Code Area or subnet. Each subnet includes up to 256 neighboring AN's that are allowed to transfer session information between each other. Upon receipt of the UATI, the AT engages in a session protocol negotiation process with the serving AN for the data session. The negotiated protocols and protocol configurations are stored within the AT and AN for later use in communications between the AT and the AN during the session. The UATI acts as a pointer to the session records within the AN.
After session configuration, the AT initiates Point-to-Point Protocol (PPP) and Link Control Protocol (LCP) negotiations for access authentication. Once authenticated, the data session begins with the AT in the dormant (i.e., idle) state. The AT can transition to the active state (e.g., engage in a packet data connection) at any time during the session. A session typically has a default duration of 54 hours. However, it should be understood that the session duration can vary depending upon the particular implementation.
Due to the extended session time, it is likely that a dormant AT may roam into another AN during the session. The new (target) AN uses the UATI Color Code to locate the original (source) AN. If the target AN is within the same subnet as the source AN, and the target AN is capable of supporting the session (e.g., protocol configurations are supported in the target AN), a dormant state handoff can be performed between the two ANs to transfer the session from the source AN to the target AN. Although the session protocol negotiation and terminal authentication operations do not need to be repeated during a dormant handoff, frequent dormant handoffs between AN's waste air link and network resources. In addition, the session transfer process could delay an active connection setup for the AT.
However, if the session is not supported in the target AN or if the target AN is located in a different subnet, the session must be re-negotiated over the air interface as if the original session never existed. For example, if an AT roams to a target AN that is not within the same subnet as the source AN, any attempted dormant handoff will fail since the correct source AN cannot be verified (i.e., the Color Code included in the previously assigned UATI is not recognized in the new subnet). Therefore, upon entering a new subnet, the AT must re-negotiate an entirely new session. The re-negotiation process causes additional delay and unnecessarily wastes air link and network resources. Therefore, what is needed is a session management procedure that enables seamless roaming between AN's.

System and method for improved session management in a data cellular network


A digital signal processing method and learning method and devices therefor, and a program storage medium which are capable of further improving the waveform reproducibility of a digital signal. Self correlation coefficients are calculated by cutting parts out of the digital signal by multiple windows having different sizes, and the parts are classified based on the calculation results of the self correlation coefficients. Then, the digital signal is converted by the prediction method corresponding to the classified class, so that the conversion further suitable for the features of the digital signal can be conducted.

Heretofore, oversampling processing to convert a sampling frequency to a value several times higher than the original value is performed before a digital audio signal is input to a digital/analog converter. With this arrangement, the phase feature of an analog anti-aliasing filter keeps the digital audio signal outputted from the digital/analog converter, at a constant level in the audible high frequency band, and prevents influences of digital image noises caused by sampling.
Typical oversampling processing employs a digital filter of the primary linear (straight line) interpolation system. Such digital filter is used for creating linear interpolation data by averaging plural pieces of existing data when the sampling rate is changed or data is missing.
Although the digital audio signal subjected to the oversampling processing has an amount of data several times more than that of the original data in the direction of time-axis because of linear interpolation, the frequency band of the digital audio signal subjected to the oversampling processing is not changed so much and the sound quality is not improved as compared with before. Moreover, since the data interpolated is not necessarily created based on the waveform of the analog audio signal before it is A/D converted, the waveform reproducibility is not improved at all.
Furthermore, in the case of dubbing digital audio signals having different sampling frequencies, the frequencies are converted by means of the sampling rate converter. In such cases, however, the linear digital filter can interpolate only linear data, so that it is difficult to improve the sound quality and waveform reproducibility. Furthermore, in the case where data samples of digital audio signal are missing, the same results as those of the above occurs.

Digital signal processing method, learning method, apparatuses for them, and program storage medium