Compound of formula (I): ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkynyl or --C(.dbd.NH)R.sup.0 where R.sup.0 is hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl;. A is ##STR2## R.sup.2 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkenyl, C.sub.2 -C.sub.6 alkynyl or --C(.dbd.NH)R.sup.6 where R.sup.6 is hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl or C.sub.3 -C.sub.7 cycloalkyl; R.sup.3 and R.sup.4 are independently hydrogen, C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl, halogen, hydroxy, carboxy, cyano, --CO.NR.sup.a R.sup.b, --OCO.NR.sup.a R.sup.b or --NR.sup.a R.sup.b, where R.sup.a and R.sup.b are independently hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl; R.sup.20", R.sup.21', and R.sup.22" are independently hydrogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl or R.sup.20" and R.sup.21" or R.sup.20" and R.sup.22" together form a heterocyclic group; R.sup.23" and R.sup.24" are independently hydrogen, halogen or C.sub.1 -C.sub.6 alkyl; n is 1, 2 or 3; and n.sup.3" is 1, 2 or 3. The compounds are antibiotics which are resistant to dehydropeptidase I, and are useful for the treatment of microbial infections.

The present invention relates to a series of new carbapenem derivatives which have excellent antibiotic activity and outstanding stability in vivo. By virtue of their enhanced resistance to inactivation by dehydropeptidase I, the compounds of the present invention have improved value in the therapy and prophylaxis of infectious diseases. The invention also provides methods and compositions using these derivatives for the treatment and prophylaxis of infections, as well as processes for their preparation.
The carbapenem compounds are a well known series of compounds, related to the penicillins, which have been used or have been proposed for use as antibiotics. They have in common a basic structure which may be represented by the formula (A): ##STR3##
In this formula, we have indicated the numbering of those positions of importance to the carbapenem compounds, using the numbering scheme commonly used in the art and as employed in the nomenclature of the compounds of the present invention. In accordance with the recommendations of the International Union of Pure and Applied Chemistry (IUPAC), Commision on Nomenclature of Organic Chemistry, the compounds referred to herein are named semi-systematically, using the above carbapenem structure as the parent name.
Those carbapenem antibiotics having no substituent at the 1-position are potentially a very useful series of compounds which have extraordinarily potent antibacterial activity. Unfortunately, however, they are chemically unstable and, moreover, are sensitive to dehydropeptidase I in vivo. Dehydropeptidase I is an enzyme which hydrolyses the .beta.-lactam ring in carbapenem antibiotics and which exists in mammalian tissue, for example in the renal cortex. It is responsible for the extensive metabolisation of many otherwise valuable .beta.-lactam antibiotics in animals, including humans, thus greatly reducing their value. Despite these disadvantages, these carbapenem antibiotics are finding increasing use in the treatment of bacterial infections. A typical and common antibiotic of this type is thienamycin, which has the formula (B): ##STR4##
Metabolism of the antibiotic in vivo may be demonstrated by a low recovery of the compound itself (as opposed to its metabolic products) in the urine, and this has been demonstrated for thienamycin H. Kropp et al., Antimicrob. Agents, Chemother., 22, 62 (1982); and S. R. Norrby et al., ibid., 23, 300 (1983)!.
Although it has been found that carbapenem compounds having a substituent at the 1-position (commonly a 1-methyl group) do not have this susceptibility to dehydropeptidase I in vivo, many of the compounds of this type discovered to date lack sufficient activity. It is, therefore, considered highly desirable to find a carbapenem antibiotic which combines the good activity of thienamycin with a resistance to dehydropeptidase I in vivo.
Many carbapenem compounds are now known. Some are described, for example, in European Patent Publications No. 126 587, 182 213, 333 175, 442 497, 443 883 and 508 602. EP 182 213 and EP 333 175 disclose compounds in which a thio-pyrrolidinyl group and its ring carbon atom substituent are linked by an alkylene group, and thus differ from the compound of the present invention in that there is no linking carbonyl group. The compounds disclosed in EP 126 587, on the other hand, are carboxylic thio-pyrrolidinyl beta-lactam compounds. EP 126 587 and EP 508 682 are thought to represent the closest prior art to the compounds of the present invention. However, the present compounds have demonstrated significantly better activity than the prior art compounds.

Carbapenem derivatives, their preparation and their use as antibiotics


A compact hose assembly device may include a housing defining a cavity and a hingedly attached door to enclose the cavity. Within the cavity, the compact hose assembly device may include at least one sliding drawer or similar storage device. The compact hose assembly device may include an air-over-hydraulic crimping machine on a sliding drawing or substrate, the air-over-hydraulic being in operable communication with an air compressor, hydraulic foot pedal pump, and the like for operation. The compact hose assembly device may be constructed and arranged for convenient, low downtime, on-site hose repair or assembly.

Hose assembly or repair, and in particular hydraulic hose assembly or repair, can create undesirable downtime or catastrophic equipment failure when not performed well and in a time efficient manner on a jobsite. Off-site solutions may allow for well-made hose assemblies at the cost of time efficient manufacturing and delivery to a jobsite.


A tilt coil is mounted in front of a deflection yoke of a cathode-ray tube in order to perform a tilt function and an earth magnetic field compensation function, in a tilt coil mounting device of a display. And more particularly speaking, an improved tilt coil mounting device of a display can make the tilt coil fixed around a bulb of the cathode ray tube at a fixed interval by a tilt fixing member separately provided in order to amicably mount the tilt coil, and fully perform tilt and earth magnetic field compensation functions. In the display of the present invention comprising the cathode ray tube for producing an image, and the tilt coil for performing the tilt and earth magnetic field functions, the tilt coil is wound on the external circumference of the body of a spool, is mounted around the bulb of the cathode ray tube in front of the deflection yoke by means of the tilt coil fixing member having the body where the tilt coil is coiled, and a plurality of the supports extending from the body for fixing elastically, thereby easily mounting the tilt coil and amicably performing the tilt or earth magnetic field compensation function.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a tilt coil mounted in front of a deflection yoke of a cathode-ray tube (hereinafter referred to as "CRT") in order to perform a tilt function and an earth magnetic field compensation function, and more particularly, to an improved tilt coil mounting device of a display which makes the tilt coil fixed around a bulb of the Cathode ray tube at a fixed interval by a tilt fixing member separately provided in order amicably to mount the tilt coil, and fully perform tilt and earth magnetic field compensation functions.
2. Related Art
Generally, a cathode ray tube has a neck portion fitted with a deflection yoke for directing an electron beam to an external circumference in a predetermined direction, and an electron gun for emitting a predetermined electron beam to a predetermined part of internal circumference; a funnel portion formed in front of the deflection yoke; and a panel portion for producing a predetermined image. Early efforts to compensate for deflections produced in a particular cathode ray tube attributable to factors such as idiosyncracies of the structure of the tube and non-linear conditions in deflections circuits included the Magnetic Means For Producing Compensations And Other Effects In A Cathode Ray Tube of N. G. Kabuss, U.S. Pat. No. 2,591,159, relied upon permanent magnets that were adjustably supported on a ring structure encircling the neck of the cathode ray tube, adjacent to the region where electrons pass after being deflected by the normal deflection coil, and the Magnetic Compensator of J. G. Chandler, U.S. Pat. No. 3,106,658, which endeavored to improve color registration using a ferromagnetic yoke encircling a color tube between its deflection system and its color-selection barrier.
The art disclosed by Robert J. Powell in U.S. Pat. No. 5,198,729 for CRT Monitor With Elimination Of Unwanted Time Variable Electric Field, when a cathode ray tube is manufactured the funnel portion of the Cathode ray tube is coated with a conductor, and then a magnetic field is formed by the conductor applied with an electric current, in order to perform tilt or earth magnetic field compensation functions. There have been some problems heretofore that have prevented various kinds of cathode ray tubes from being equipped with a tilt coil in this manner. Therefore, the method of using the tilt coil has been practiced as another means to perform tilt or earth magnetic field compensation functions.
In one technique commonly used in contemporary art, a tilt coil is simply coiled around the bulb portion of the tube in front of the deflection yoke. There are still some problems in this technique however, because a constant tilt function can not be performed due to the irregular coil of the tilt coil coiled on the Cathode ray tube, and that the tilt efficiency deteriorates because of the tilt coil without being fixed in position tends to slant to one side as a result of any impact on the product. In another contemporary technique, a tilt coil is wound around the front side of the deflection yoke. When the tilt coil is integrally coiled with the deflection yoke however, the tilt coil is not properly positioned around the exterior of the Cathode ray tube. As a result, the tilt and earth magnetic field functions are deleteriously compromised. Additionally, because the tilt coil should be coiled after the deflection yoke is formed, mounting of the tilt coil is troublesome and difficult to manufacture.
Dossot, et al., Auxiliary Coil Fastener In A Deflection Yoke, U.S. Pat. No. 5,592,045, advocates an auxiliary deflection coil mounted on a support ahving an opening disposed around the neck of the cathode ray tube, for modifying the main deflection field created by the main deflection coil. A separator is used for mounting the main and auxiliary deflection coils. This type of structure depends upon a plurality of positioning studs and adjustable feet to obtain satisfactory placement of the auxiliary coils.

Deflection yoke mounting device of the spray


An X-Y table with a position-measuring device includes a table which is disposed on a support and is movable on the support so that altogether the table is positionable in a plane parallel to an underlying stationary base. Two groups of scanning heads are disposed on the support. For position measurement in two directions, a respective one of the scanning heads directs light through a respective transmissive scale attached along an edge of the table such that a respective reflective scale, which is stationary relative to a processing tool disposed above the table, reflects the light through the respective transmissive scale back to the respective scanning head. In a central position of the table, the two groups are in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales, and, in either of two edge positions of the table, only one of the two groups is in positional correspondence with the transmissive scales.

In many areas of technology, an object placed on a table that is movable in at least two directions must be very accurately positioned together with the table relative to a tool. In this connection, interferometers are frequently used as position-measuring devices. However, due to variations in the refractive index of the air traversed by the laser light, such interferometers are unable to measure with sufficient accuracy and, therefore, position-measuring devices based on the scanning of scales are being increasingly used for such applications. Such measuring devices are less prone to failures resulting from environmental conditions because the distance traveled by the light for scanning the scales is only a few millimeters, which is significantly less than when using interferometers, where light paths of several decimeters must be reckoned with.
International Patent Publication WO 2007/034379 A2 describes an optical position-measuring device where a table is positionable relative to an underlying stationary base in two orthogonal directions parallel to the underlying base. For this purpose, transmissive scales are attached laterally to the edges of the table. Light from scanning heads passes through the transmissive scales and impinges on reflective scales located above the table in stationary relationship with respect to a tool. From there, the light is reflected and passed through the transmissive scales back to the scanning heads. Each scanning head scans a transmissive scale and a reflective scale arranged at a right angle thereto. Owing to the crossed arrangement of the two scales, a scanning head is cable of measuring the position of the table in one direction independently of the position of the table in the respective other direction. With three such measuring devices, it is possible to measure the two linear directions (X and Y) extending in the plane of the table and the rotation (rZ) about an axis perpendicular to the plane of the table. This publication further explains that the crossed scales may have periodic structures in both linear measurement directions, so that measurement in both measurement directions is possible using suitable sensors at a point of intersection of two scales.
European Patent Application EP 2450673 A2, which also deals with such measuring devices, further describes ways of measuring also the linear direction (Z) normal to the plane of the table using a measuring device for a direction of movement (X or Y) of the table. With three such measuring devices, it is possible to measure all degrees of freedom of the table; i.e., the translation directions X, Y and Z as well as the rotations about the translation axes; i.e., rX, rY and rZ.


A local voltage adjustment apparatus for connection to a power utilization meter comprising a line in for connection to the meter, a line out, a transformer connected to the line in and line out. The transformer has an adjustable voltage conversion ratio of an output voltage level to an input voltage level. The transformer may comprise an autotransformer. A control device is in electrical communication with the line out to sense the level of the output voltage, and is configured to adjust the voltage conversion ratio of the transformer based upon the output voltage level. The control device is configured to select the voltage conversion ratio for the transformer that reduces the output voltage level from the input voltage level to a voltage in a target voltage range. The target voltage range may be from approximately 100 volts to approximately 112 volts.

1. Field
The present disclosure relates to electrical energy management system and more particularly pertains to a new system for reducing electrical power consumption in a structure and thereby reducing the electrical power costs for the power consumer.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The electrical power supply system, sometimes referred to as the power grid, includes power generation facilities and power transmission lines that distribute the electrical power from the generation facilities to the ultimate power consumer, which is typically located in a structure such as a home or business. Between the power generation facility and the structure the characteristics of the power supplied may be adjusted several times, typically stepping up the voltage level for longer distance transmission stages and then stepping down the voltage level at the end of the long distance transmission stages to a level that is more compatible with the electrically-powered devices that are typically utilized in a home or business structure.
However, due to losses in the last stage of electrical transmission lines which are connected directly to the structure and the variation in the physical proximity of the structure to the closest transformer, the voltage of the power delivered by the system to the structure is not uniform between structures being fed power from the same transformer, but instead falls within a range of voltage levels that are generally acceptable for powering the electrically powered devices in the structure. This range of voltage levels over which an electrical device such as an appliance is designed to operate is typically a range of approximately plus or minus 10% of approximately 115 volts, or between approximately 103 volts and approximately 127 volts, and thus this is the range in which the voltage of the power supplied to the structure must fall as delivered by the power utility to the structure. Although the voltages within the range are considered acceptable for devices utilized in homes and businesses, and the devices are designed to operate on voltages in the acceptable range, many devices will typically operate more efficiently at a more specific voltage level, or a narrower range of voltage levels, than the acceptable voltage level range. Often, operation of the devices at the more specific voltage level or narrower range of voltage levels will also tend to extend the operating life of the device, as operating at voltage levels above or below the desirable voltage level tends to decrease the operating life due to, for example, operating at lower temperatures.

System for reducing power consumption in a structure


Display interface embodiments are provided to capture various types of analog video signals and digitize them for presentation on advanced digital displays (e.g., computer displays and television displays). The embodiments include at least an error converter channel and a reference converter channel that can each amplify an analog input signal S with a fixed gain G and a programmed gain g and convert the amplified signal to a corresponding digital code. The embodiments also include a channel controller that is configured to conduct process steps that adjust the transfer function of the error converter channel to conform to (e.g., matches) the transfer function of the reference converter channel.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to display interface systems.
2. Description of the Related Art
Display interface systems typically capture various types of analog video signals (e.g., RGB or YPbPr signals) and digitize them for presentation on advanced digital displays (e.g., computer displays and television displays). These interfaces generally include three converter channels that correspond to three video colors in addition to circuits directed to pixel clock generation, sampling phase control and output data formatting.
Various signal conditioning errors in a display interface can substantially degrade the quality of the resultant display. For example, a portion of analog input signals will be lost unless the dc level of these signals is successfully clamped to levels compatible with the processing circuits of each converter channel. For a second example, output code offset errors in the three converter channels will generate undesirable brightness variations in display colors. For a third example, channel gain errors will generate contrast variations in display colors.
Although some display interfaces have included clamping and offset control circuits which are intended to automatically restore and balance signal reference levels to thereby reduce offset differences, they have typically failed to provide controls that effectively include and integrate control of all display interface signal conditioning processes.


A mounting arrangement for mounting an optical member to an oblong luminaire, comprising a plurality of mounting members, arranged to be fixed to an end cap at the narrow side of an oblong luminaire and to accommodate the optical member, wherein the plurality of mounting members comprises a first type of mounting member and a second type of mounting member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a mounting arrangement for mounting an optical member to an oblong luminaire.
2. Related Technology
Oblong luminaires are well known in the lighting industry and are commercially available for a variety of applications. Especially for the lighting of interior areas a number of respective luminaire models is available. For industrial or commercial areas the use of cost efficiently designed luminaires is common. These luminaires are usually provided with a basic functionality, lacking the possibility to adapt the light emission to various needs, which might arise in the course of time.
Furthermore, considering the weight and dimension of oblong luminaires, installing respective devices requires significant efforts; in many cases a plurality of skilled workers and auxiliary personal is mandatory, adding to substantial installation costs.

Mounting arrangement and method for mounting an optical member to an oblong luminaire


In a flash-type electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), the erasure block decoder provided in the row decoder outputs a signal for simultaneously driving half the erasure line drivers in the erasure line driver array, or a signal for simultaneously driving the other half of the erasure line drivers in the erasure line driver array, according to an externally applied address signal. Therefore, the erasure operation test of all the blocks corresponding one-to-one to the erasure line drivers can be completed in two erasure operations, one for each corresponding half of the memory.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally, as is indicated, to a semiconductor memory and more particularly to an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM). Even more particularly, the present invention relates to a flash-type EEPROM which is a block-erasure-type EEPROM.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Generally, the design of flash-type EEPROMs, is based on that of EEPROMs. Therefore, the contents of flash-type EEPROMs can be written in and erased electrically. In flash-type EEPROMs in particular, erasure can be achieved only as a chip or in units of blocks.
According to the prior art, to test the operation of each block in a semiconductor memory formed from a flash-type EEPROM, a "0" initially is written to all memory cells. Thereafter, the blocks whose contents are to be erased are selected one by one, so as to perform an erasure operation test on a block-by-block basis while checking that the blocks whose contents are to be erased do not interfere with other blocks.
However, in the above prior art semiconductor memory formed from a flash-type EEPROM, it takes about one second to erase the contents of one block regardless of the size of the block. As is noted above, the blocks whose contents are to be erased are selected one by one for an erasure operation test. Therefore, if the semiconductor memory has N blocks, it takes about N.times.1 seconds to complete the erasure operation test of all the blocks. As a result, in the case of a semiconductor memory having a 1-megabit storage capacity with a 4-kilobyte block size, the erasure operation test takes as long as 32 seconds. This presents the problem that the cost of an erasure operation test, at least with respect to time, is extremely high.
Accordingly, there is a strong need in the art for a semiconductor memory that can be tested for erasure operation in a shorter time and, therefore, can reduce the cost associated with an erasure operation test.
The present invention overcomes the aforementioned and other shortcomings of the above known and similar semiconductor memories. The present invention is summarized and described in detail below.


A barbecue skewer with a protector/extractor for extracting food from the skewer and preventing injuries and contamination of the skewer. The protector/guard is a generally cylindrical member which is slidably mounted on a shank of the skewer and is selectively movable for a position of covering relationship with a pointed end portion of the shank of the skewer to a position of uncovering relationship with the pointed end portion of the shank of the skewer. In a first embodiment, the protector/extractor is retained in the positions of covering and uncovering relationship by the attraction of a permanent magnet and ferromagnetic members. In a second embodiment the protector/extractor is retained in the positions of covering and uncovering relationship with a leaf spring mounted on the protector/retractor. In a third embodiment the protector/extractor is retained in the positions of covering and uncovering relationship by the engagements of a spring biased ball in the protector/extractor and grooves in a shank of the skewer.

Barbecue skewers are used to support and manipulate food outdoors and in kitchens. They generally consist of a pointed shank and an adjoining handle. While skewers usually have eyelets for suspending them from hooks, when they are not in use, their pointed ends are often unprotected and they are often placed on contaminated surfaces. While they fulfill their intended use, they suffer from a number of shortcomings such as causing injuries from their unprotected pointed ends, difficulties in extracting food from the skewer, and contamination of the skewer from dirt and bacteria. With these shortcomings in mind, it is clear that a need exists for improvements that will facilitate food extraction and prevent injuries and food contamination with barbecue skewers.


A system and method for detecting and processing physiological sounds. The method includes sensing physiological sounds to acquire analog physiological signals, where the acquired analog physiological signals corresponding to basic heart sounds and sounds of interest. A predetermined frequency range of the acquired analog physiological signals that encompasses the sounds of interest are amplified, where at least a portion of the predetermined frequency range is higher than another frequency range of the acquired analog physiological signals that encompasses the basic heart sounds.

Blood pressure is the force exerted by the blood against the inner walls of blood vessels. Blood pressure determination is an important diagnostic tool. The blood vessels that comprise the vascular system can be grouped into two main divisions, a systemic circuit and a pulmonary circuit. In the systemic circuit, high blood pressure may indicate the presence of arteriosclerosis or other vascular disease, while low blood pressure may indicate shock or blood loss. Detection and measurement of elevated pulmonary blood pressure is a key diagnostic indicator for a number of pulmonary diseases, such as: cystic fibrosis, pleuresy, lung pulmonary diseases, and pulmonary impedance. Early diagnosis of these diseases greatly assists in symptom mitigation and improved patient quality of life.
The systemic circuit includes the aorta and its branches that deliver oxygenated blood to all body tissues, as well as the companion system of veins returning blood to the right atrium. Freshly oxygenated blood received by the left atrium is forced into the systemic circuit by the contraction of the left ventricle. When the left ventricle contracts, the mitral valve closes, and the only exit is through the aortic valve into the aorta.
The peripheral nature of certain systemic circuit arteries in the body extremities allows for the traditional indirect measurement of the systolic and diastolic pressures with a sphygmomanometer blood pressure cuff. While this method is effective for many patients, use of the traditional blood pressure cuff on an extremity may be contraindicated for patients suffering from any number of problems including severe extremity trauma, or burns. In patients where use of the traditional blood pressure cuff is contraindicated, there is no reliable alternative method of monitoring blood pressure. This is extremely important in trauma patients where prompt detection of blood pressure changes are needed to counteract the effects of shock or large blood loss.
The pulmonic circuit provides for blood circulation from the right ventricle through the pulmonary valve into the pulmonary artery. The pulmonary artery extends upward and posteriorly from the heart, dividing into right and left branches which serve the right and left lungs, respectively. Within the lungs the right and left branches of the pulmonary artery divide repeatedly giving rise to arterioles that continue into the capillary networks associated with the walls of the alveoli. Gas exchange occurs as the blood moves through these capillaries, so that when the blood enters the venules of the pulmonary circuit, it is well oxygenated and poor in carbon dioxide. The pulmonary venules merge forming small veins, which in turn converge forming larger veins. Four pulmonary veins return oxygenated blood to the left atrium, thereby completing the pulmonic circuit.
None of the arteries of the pulmonic system are located in extremities and therefore measurement of pulmonic system pressure with a blood pressure cuff is not possible.
At present, the only reliable method for measuring pulmonic system blood pressure is through use of an invasive blood pressure catheter that is inserted directly into the pulmonary artery. This diagnostic procedure has a substantial degree of risk and is expensive, its use is thus generally seen as an unjustified procedure in patients without other symptoms.
The physician may attempt to detect and differentiate the abnormal sounds that occur with elevated blood pressure using traditional auscultation. Closure of the aortic and pulmonary semilunar heart valves generate a sound component that is in the audio frequency range. As the systemic or pulmonic blood pressure increases, the frequency components of the related heart valve also increase. This increased frequency audio component is not present in a healthy patient. However, aural detection of this frequency increase is extremely difficult because the physician must determine the absolute frequency of the audio component of the heart valve of interest. Additionally, the sounds are very weak and heavily contaminated with noise from other patient heart sounds, other normal patient body sounds and external ambient noise in the room. Further, the audio component of the aortic and pulmonary semilunar heart valves are heavily attenuated as they pass through the patient's chest and chest wall.
A need exists for a non-invasive, low cost and reliable means for determining systemic blood pressure in those situations where traditional means are contraindicated. A need also exists for a non-invasive, low cost and reliable means for determining pulmonary blood pressure.

System and method of detecting and processing physiological sounds


A distal side link hub is connected with a proximal end side link hub through three sets of link mechanisms for alteration in posture. At least two sets of the link mechanisms include an actuator for arbitrarily changing the posture of the distal end side link hub relative to the proximal end side link hub by rotating a proximal side end link member and a reduction gear unit for reducing the speed of and transmitting the operation amount of the actuator to the proximal side end link member. The reduction gear unit includes a geared speed reducing section having a small gear rotated by the actuator and a large gear provided in the proximal side end link member. The radius of pitch circle of the large gear is chosen to be equal to or greater than the arm length of the proximal side end link member.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a link actuating device which can be used in a link mechanism such as, for example, a parallel link mechanism or a robot joint for executing, accurately and at high speed, a process work such as, for example, a complicated processing or a goods handling in the three dimensional space.
2. Description of Related Art
One example of the working device equipped with the parallel link mechanism is disclosed in the patent document 1 listed below. The working device disclosed in the patent document 1 is so designed that the position and the attitude of a traveling plate having a tool fitted thereto can be changed by a parallel link mechanism. The parallel link mechanism referred to above is provided with a plurality of links with the travelling plate connected to lower ends thereof while upper portions of those links are angularly variably supported by a universal joint. The parallel link mechanism is so designed that for each link the effective length that can be positioned below the universal joint can be altered.


This disclosure discloses a touch module, a method for fabricating the same, and a touch display device, and the touch module includes a touch area and a bezel area, and further includes: a first touch electrode structure located in the touch area, and configured to sense a touch signal in the touch area; a second touch electrode structure located in the bezel area, and configured to sense a touch signal in the bezel area; and the second touch electrode structure shares touch signal traveling lines with at least a part of the first touch electrode structure.

The existing mobile phone, tablet computer, and other electronic devices typically include a touch display screen, and a physical control button with a specific function is arranged on one side of these electronic devices to control volume, to power on or off the devices, and to perform other functions.
The existing touch screen includes a resistive touch screen or a capacitive touch screen dependent upon the induction principles thereof. The capacitive touch screen with a higher penetrability has been more favored in smart mobile phones than the resistive touch screen. However, the existing touch screen is generally designed to sense an input signal in a single plane due to its durability, stability and other factors.

Touch module, a method for fabricating the same, and a touch display device

Chengdu BOE Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A mobile platform in an underground mine supports an electric motor that operates a compressor to supply air under pressure to one or more hoppers containing abrasive particles which are held in suspension and pressurized within the hopper. The electric motor is drivingly connected to a hydraulic pump that supplies water under pressure in a range of 3000 to 4000 p.s.i. through a conduit to the water inlet of a nozzle assembly. A second conduit conveys the pressurized abrasive particles to the nozzle assembly for admixture with the water. The flow of abrasive particles is maintained by the compressed air at a constant flow rate to enhance the output velocity of the water encapsulated particles from the nozzle assembly. The abrasive stream impinges on the surface of a gas well casing to sever the casing as the nozzle assembly is rotated around the casing. In this manner a pipe or gas well casing obstructing a mining operation is removed without generating sparks in the hazardous mine atmosphere.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to method and apparatus for cutting gas well casings in the explosive environment of an underground coal mine and more particularly to a cutting nozzle assembly for generating a three phase high velocity coherent stream of air and abrasive particles mixed with water for cutting metal pipe without generating sparks.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In underground mining operations it is not uncommon in dislodging a seam of coal to encounter a gas well casing that extends down to the coal seam. If the dislodging means of a mining machine, such as the cutting scroll of a longwall mining machine, should come in contact with the metal casing, the sparks that are generated and the associated heat could cause an explosion if there is the requisite concentration of methane gas in the working environment. In many instances the gas well pipe is charted on the mining maps but it is not uncommon to encounter an uncharted gas well casing. In such an instance the mining machine must be removed from the face before it contacts the casing and arrangements made to remove the casing in a safe manner.
Water jet cutting nozzles are well known in the art as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,545,157; 4,648,215; 4,478,368; 4,707,952 and 4,723,387. With each of these devices pressurized water and a stream of abrasive particles are introduced separately into the mixing chamber of a cutting nozzle. The high velocity jet of water comes in contact with the abrasive particles and momentum is transferred from the water to the particles to form a high velocity stream of abrasive particles entrapped within the stream of water that exits the cutting tip of the nozzle assembly. The abrasive water jet stream is then used in a variety of cutting operations, such as cutting rock, concrete, asphalt and metals such as reinforcing rod.
A problem that is encountered with the cutting of metal by water jet abrasives is the generation of sparks. In a hazardous environment, such as underground coal, the presence of methane in the atmosphere can create an explosion when sparks are generated by the action of cutting with abrasives even in a water jet slurry where the abrasive particles are relatively large.
While it is known to cut metal with abrasive particles encapsulated in a fluid jet stream, the known water jet cutting nozzles do not satisfactorily eliminate the hazard of sparking when cutting metal such as gas well casing in an underground mine.
Therefore, there is need for a fluid cutting machine that is adaptable for use in cutting metal in an underground mine and other similar hazardous environments where sparking is eliminated. The fluid cutting machine, when not in use to cut gas well casings in advance of the mine machine, should also be available to perform other cutting tasks, such as drilling bore holes in the mine roof for installation of mine roof support devices and for coal dislodging operations.


An in-ground lighting apparatus has an enclosure for placement below the surface of the earth and a lamp is mounted for adjustable positioning in the housing. In the improvement, the lamp base and lamp are supported by two pivot-mounted brackets. The brackets are spaced from the lamp rim and provide lamp-grasping clearance between them for easy re-lamping. And the brackets permit the lamp to be adjusted to direct light anywhere within a cone-shaped 360.degree. envelope. The lamp is supported solely by its base. In a particular embodiment configured for use with HID lamps, the lamp and ballast assembly are constructed as an "integrated" unit which is easily lifted from the enclosure for service.

Buried lighting apparatus is often used for outdoor lighting, particularly landscape lighting. Apparatus of that type is well suited for such purposes--substantially all of the apparatus is beneath the surface of the earth and, therefore, is visually and physically unobtrusive. As to the latter characteristic, an apparatus of the in-ground type buried in a grassy area does not preclude running a lawnmower directly above it.
In general, there are two types of buried lighting apparatus, namely the "well" type and the "in-ground" type. The well type includes an elongate housing, e.g., a length of PVC pipe, extending into the earth with the top edge about in registry with the earth surface. Notably, the lamp-supporting fixture and lamp are mounted atop such housing. Such fixture and lamp are thereby exposed for easy "re-lamping" (replacing a burned-out lamp) and other maintenance.
The housing is open at the bottom and, often, a bed of gravel is placed in the lower portion of the housing and/or in the earth below the housing. The gravel facilitates water drainage.
On the other hand, in-ground lighting apparatus includes a housing that is sealed at the bottom and top, at least the latter by a removable cover. The lamp, lamp-supporting fixture, lamp-powering electrical components and the like are within the housing and the top cover includes a lens through which light projects upwardly from the housing to "uptight" trees, shrubs, building walls and the like.
While the many known embodiments of in-ground lighting apparatus have been generally satisfactory for the intended purposes, there are some characteristics which, to many, are disadvantageous. For example, some have a rigidly-mounted lamp which cannot be positioned for optimum uplighting aesthetics except by burying the housing at an angle. Of course, such buried housing cannot be easily repositioned.
Another type of known in-ground lighting apparatus mounts the lamp in such a way that it can be moved about a single pivot axis, i.e., can be moved to direct light only within a fan-shaped arc. To state it in other words, there is no opportunity for "full-circle" adjustment.
And certain known apparatus which have adjustably-mounted lamps are configured in such a way that it is difficult to grasp and replace a burned-out lamp. (This is no trivial concern. A large commercial property may have a substantial number of in-ground lighting apparatus--maintenance time and expense relating to re-lamping can be significant.)
Another characteristic of certain known in-ground lighting apparatus used with, e.g., high intensity discharge (HID) lamps involves the fact that the lamp ballast is in a housing separate from that in which the lamp is mounted. There are more components for the installer to handle and more wiring to install.
Still another disadvantage of known in-ground lighting apparatus is that they are configured to accept only a particular lamp. That is to say, there is no flexibility as to wattage and type of lamp which may be mounted in such apparatus.
Another disadvantage of some known in-ground lighting apparatus is that they are installed using "wire nuts" securing together the bare ends of two electrically-connected wires. If components need to be removed for service, the wire nuts need to be removed and the bare wire ends remaining in the enclosure taped or otherwise covered to prevent accidental contact with, e.g., the grounded enclosure.
An improved in-ground lighting apparatus and related method which addresses disadvantages of earlier in-ground lighting apparatus would be an important advance in the art.

In-ground lighting apparatus and related method


A soft tissue product is disclosed having uniformly distributed surface deposits of a solidified composition having a melting point of from about 30.degree. C. to about 70.degree. C. The solidified composition is applied to the outer surfaces of the tissue product in melted form, preferably by rotogravure printing. The solidified composition contains an oil, a wax, and preferably a fatty alcohol.

Absorbent tissue products such as facial tissue and bath tissue have been used to absorb body fluids and leave the skin dry. Absorbent tissues, in addition to absorbing fluids, however, have also abraded the skin. In particular, during frequent nose-blowing, the skin can become so abraded as to appear red and be sore to the touch. To reduce skin abrasion, tissue additive formulations can be applied to the tissue such that, in use, the additive formulation either provides lubricity causing the tissue to glide across the surface of the skin, or leaves the tissue and is deposited on the skin.
To date, these formulations have been liquids or semi solids at room temperature to enable them to be easily deposited onto the tissue. A high amount of these liquids is required to be deposited on the tissue to deliver the benefit of reduced skin irritation and redness because these liquids absorb into the tissue, leaving less on the surface to provide the benefit.
Thus, there is a need for a formulation that can be applied to a tissue which will remain readily available for transfer to the user's skin to reduce skin irritation and redness in an efficient cost-effective manner.


An apparatus generates additional data used to check whether an encoded digital image is changed or not. The apparatus includes a calculation unit and a recording unit. The calculation unit (a) performs a predetermined calculation using the encoded digital image and confidential information and (b) generates the additional data by applying a one-way function to a result of the predetermined calculation. The recording unit records both the encoded digital image and the additional data on a recording medium. The confidential information includes (a) first information unique to the apparatus, and (b) second information unique to an external apparatus connected to the apparatus.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image processing apparatuses and image processing methods, and more particularly, to a technology for protecting the copyright of digital image information.
2. Description of the Related Art
Image input apparatuses, such as digital cameras, for recording images in a recording medium as digital data, rather than in photographic paper or 8-mm film, have recently become commercially available.
In general, digital data can be easily processed, unlike analog data, and therefore can be readily modified, falsified, forged, or synthesized. Consequently, digital data has lower authentication than conventional film (silver halide) photographs and is difficult to be used as a proof.
To solve the foregoing problem, there has been proposed a technology for detecting modification, falsification, forgery, and synthesis of digital data. For example, a system employing a hash function and a public-key encryption method has been proposed.
A conventional system will be described below by referring to FIG. 1. The public-key encryption method uses a private key and a public key different from each other, makes the public key public, and maintains the private key confidential.
The structure and operation of a transmission side (output side) will be described first.
(1) Digital data M is compressed with the use of a hash function H to obtain a constant-length output h.
(2) Data h is processed with the use of a private key Ke to obtain an output s. This output s is called the digital signature data.
(3) An output circuit outputs the digital signature data s and the digital data M as a set.
The structure and operation of a receiving side (detection side) will be described next.
(4) The digital data M and the corresponding digital signature data s are input.
(5) The digital signature data s is processed with the use of the public key Kd corresponding to the private key Ke to obtain an output h″.
(6) The digital data M is compressed with the use of the same hash function H as that used in the transmission side to obtain an output h′.
(7) A comparison circuit compares the output h″ obtained in (5) with the output h′ obtained in (6). When they match, it is determined that the input digital data M is correct data to which illegitimate processing is not applied. If they do not match, it is determined that illegitimate processing has been applied to the input digital data M.
As described above, in the conventional system, modification, falsification, forgery, and synthesis of the digital data M are detected by the use of the digital signature data s, which is generated by the hash function H and the private key Ke.
This system, however, has the following drawbacks.
An encryption circuit and a decryption circuit used in the public-key cryptosystem have complicated circuit structures and are difficult to be made compact. In addition, a vast amount of calculations is required in the circuits and the processing time is long. Since the public-key encryption method needs calculations of powers and remainders, its calculations are more complicated and enormous than those required for the secret-key cryptosystem (an encryption method in which an encryption key is the same as a decryption key) and therefore it is very difficult to increase the processing speed. In other words, in the conventional system, it is difficult to achieve fast processing and to make the system compact.
To increase the processing speed, it is necessary to use a higher-performance central processing unit (CPU) and a larger-capacity memory to improve the performance of hardware. With such a structure, however, the entire system becomes large and its cost increases. A compact, inexpensive, high-speed system cannot be provided for the user.

Image processing apparatus and image processing method


A gaming apparatus may comprise a value input device and a controller operatively coupled to the value input device. The controller may comprise a processor and a memory, and may be programmed to receive wager data in response to a wager made by a person on a game, where the wager data may comprise a first plurality of indicia of a first type selected by the person, to receive data representing a second plurality of indicia of the first type, where the second plurality of indicia of the first type may be randomly selected, to replace one or more of the indicia of a first type in at least one of the first plurality of indicia and the second plurality of indicia with an indicia of a second type, to determine whether any of the first plurality of indicia of the first type match any of the second plurality of indicia of the first type, to match the indicia of the second type with at least one of the second plurality of indicia of the first type if the indicia of a second type replaced an indicia of a first type from the first plurality of indicia, to match the indicia of the second type with at least one of the first plurality of indicia of the first type if the indicia of a second type replaced an indicia of a first type from the second plurality of indicia, and to determine a value payout associated with an outcome of the lottery game.

This patent is directed to a method for playing a lottery game that may include substituting a randomly occurring symbol for a lottery indicia, which could be performed by either an individual gaming unit or a gaming system having a plurality of gaming units, each gaming unit capable of providing the lottery game.
Conventional casino gaming units have provided lottery games including keno games. Government-sponsored lottery games have also been provided. With either the casino gaming unit or the government-sponsored lottery game, a player was able to select one or more game numbers from a range of game numbers which could be compared to one or more randomly selected game numbers. The randomly selected numbers represented the winning numbers for the lottery game. If there were a sufficient number of matches between the player's game numbers and the randomly selected numbers, the player would receive a payout.
Conventional gaming units have also provided other games, including poker and slots. In some of these gaming units, a poker card or a slot machine symbol was considered wild. That is, the wild poker card or wild slot machine symbol would represent any poker card or any slot machine symbol. The wild poker card or wild slot machine symbol was used to determine whether the player had a winning poker hand or a winning payline selection. Sometimes a slot machine symbol included a multiplier value to increase a value payout.

Methods and apparatus for providing a lottery game


The invention provides methods and compositions for diagnosing risk of low BMD and risk of osteoporosis based on the detection of SNP identity for human chromosome 1p36 polymorphisms designated in the NCBI SNP database (dbSNP) as rs2794328, rs446529, rs397559 and rs1802353.

Osteoporosis is a disease characterized by reduced skeletal strength, due to low bone mass and deterioration of bone tissue, leading to enhanced fragility and increased fracture risk. Osteoporosis is responsible for over 1.5 million fractures in the United States. The majority of such fractures are of the hip, spine and wrist. Unfortunately, the bone loss of osteoporosis occurs without symptoms. In many instances, the first sign of osteoporosis is the occurrence of a fracture.
Low bone mineral density (BMD) is one of the major risk factors for osteoporosis and is readily measured. Thus, monitoring BMD has become the main method of assessing risk of osteoporosis. In addition, there are a variety of treatments available to slow or stop on-going loss of BMD. Slowing or stopping on-going loss of BMD may contribute to delaying or warding off the development of osteoporosis. Thus, assessing BMD, particularly at an early stage of BMD loss, is extremely helpful for prophylactic and interventional treatments.
Current technologies for assessing BMD are based on ultrasound, X-ray techniques or radioactivity. Each of these approaches, however, has drawbacks. Ultrasound methods are rapid, painless and do not expose individuals to potentially harmful X-rays or radioactivity. Disadvantageously, ultrasound methods are unable to assess BMD in hip or spine, which are the bones most likely to fracture. X-ray techniques, such as dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) and peripheral dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (P-DEXA), while rapid and able to measure BMD in hip and spine, expose individuals to X-rays and are also expensive. Dual photon absorptiometry also can measure BMD in hip and spine, but requires the individual to be injected with a radioactive substance. Furthermore, none of these methods for measuring BMD is capable of predicting the risk of developing low BMD in individuals.
There are a number of factors known to raise an individual's risk of having low BMD. Some these include: diet low in calcium, cigarette smoking, and use of corticosteroids and excessive intake of alcohol. Osteoporosis also runs in families, indicating a genetic component. Indeed, epidemiological studies support the hypothesis that a large part of the variation in BMD is caused by genetic susceptibility factors.
Linkage analyses and other research have further supported this hypothesis, and have revealed that there appear to be many genes involved in susceptibility. For instance, in a first-stage autosomal genome screen, Devoto et al. (1998, Eur. J. Hum. Genet. 6:151-157) identified regions on three different chromosomes, 1p, 2p and 4q, that appear linked to spine and hip BMD. Each of these regions contains many candidate genes. Subsequent work by this group further narrowed the region on 1p to 1p36.2-1p36.3 (Devoto et al, 2001, Hum. Mol. Genet. 10:2447-2452). While narrowed, this region still encompasses many genes. Bivariate variance component linkage analysis provides additional support for the linkage of 1p36 to BMD (Devoto et al, 2005, Eur. J. Hum. Genet. 13:781-788). Linkage studies by Wilson et al. (2002, Am. J. Hum. Genet. 72:114-155) provide independent support for the association of 1p36 with BMD and also identify 3p21 as another region linked to BMD.
Polymorphisms are allelic variants that occur in a population. A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) is a position in a particular DNA sequence characterized by the presence in a population of two, three or four different nucleotides at that position. The most common SNPs have two different nucleotides and are thus biallelic. Identification of SNPs associated with disease susceptibility is invaluable for screening and early initiation of prophylactic treatments. Furthermore, SNP identification may eventually lead to identifying genes that contribute to the development of low BMD and osteoporosis, which could aid the development of new therapeutic agents and treatment strategies.
There are several examples of specific SNPs that are correlated with elevated risk of low BMD. For instance, in US patent publication 2003/0235847, methods for determining risk of low BMD by assessing the nucleotide identity of one or more polymorphisms in the sclerostin gene on chromosome 17 are disclosed. Similarly, US patent publication number 2003/0176344 discloses methods for determining susceptibility to osteoporosis by assessing the nucleotide identity of one or more polymorphisms in the BMP2 gene on chromosome 20. U.S. Pat. No. 5,998,137 discloses methods for determining susceptibility to osteoporosis by assessing the nucleotide identity of one or more polymorphisms in the promoter of the TGF beta 1 gene. U.S. Pat. No. 6,825,336 discloses methods of determining susceptibility to osteoporosis by assessing the nucleotide identity of one or more single nucleotide polymorphisms in genes already known to be associated with osteoporosis. Reneland et al. (2005, BMC Medical Genetics 6:9) teach an association between specific SNP variants in the phosphodiesterase 4D locus on chromosome 5 and low BMD. U.S. Pat. No. 6,762,023 discloses methods for determining susceptibility to osteoporosis by assessing the nucleotide identity of one or more polymorphisms in the TNF alpha 2 receptor gene on chromosome 1.
There is, however, no evidence that the SNPs identified to date as associated with low BMD and/or osteoporosis are sufficient to identify all individuals at risk. Given that multiple genes appear to be involved in low BMD susceptibility, there is an on-going need in the art for identifying SNPs that are linked to low BMD. Furthermore, there is need in the art for a method of assessing risk of low BMD and therefore of elevated risk of osteoporosis, which does not require patient exposure to X-rays or radioactivity. This invention meets these needs.

Chromosome 1p36 polymorphisms and low bone mineral density


A hazardous gas detector that includes a housing defining an interior region is provided. Also included is a laser emitting component oriented to emit a laser light away from the housing. Further included is a lens disposed within an aperture defined by the housing, the lens allowing returning infrared light of the laser light to enter the interior region. Yet further included is a mirror disposed within the interior region and oriented to split the returning laser light into a short wave infrared light and a long wave infrared light. Also included is a one-dimensional (1D) camera pixel array disposed within the interior region, the 1D camera imaging a planar region that includes an illuminated portion comprising the short wave infrared light.

Exemplary embodiments pertain to hazardous gas detectors.
Hazardous gas detectors typically utilize electrochemical cells, 2D array cameras, or Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) components. Electrochemical cells enable fast and cheap point detection, but are prone to false alarms. 2D arrays enable wide area detection, but they tend to be prone to false alarms and export compliant. LIDAR is advantageous because it is cost effective, but requires sophisticated models, which reduces system accuracy. Therefore, an accurate hazardous gas detector that combines the advantages of 2D arrays and LIDAR would have lower false alarm rates and be export compliant.

Hazardous gas detector with 1D array camera


A longitudinally coupled resonator type surface acoustic filter includes a rotated Y-cut X-propagating LiTaO3 substrate. The gap length G in the IDT electrode of the surface acoustic wave resonator is about 0.3 times the wavelength λ of the surface acoustic wave or less. The gap length G is the spacing between the bus bars tips of the electrode fingers extending from one bus bar (electrode terminal) toward the other opposing bus bar of the IDT electrode included in the surface acoustic wave filter.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a surface acoustic wave filter, a surface acoustic wave device including such a surface acoustic wave filter, and a communication device. More specifically, the present invention relates to a longitudinally coupled resonator type surface acoustic wave filter including a rotated Y-cut X-propagating LiTaO3 substrate as the piezoelectric substrate, and a surface acoustic wave device and a communication device including such a surface acoustic wave filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Surface acoustic wave filters (hereinafter referred to as "SAW filters") include a surface acoustic wave element utilizing a surface acoustic wave that propagates on the surface of the piezoelectric substrate. For example, in mobile communications devices, for example, portable telephones, SAW filters are used in various applications in radio frequency circuits.
In particular, since surface acoustic waves have a shorter wavelength than electromagnetic waves, surface acoustic wave devices, including surface acoustic wave filters, are more easily miniaturized. Thus, in recent years, in the communication device field, including portable telephones, which are required to be compact and low-profile, the demand for surface acoustic wave filters and surface acoustic wave devices are rapidly increasing.
Among SAW filters, in particular, longitudinally coupled resonator type surface acoustic wave filters (hereinafter simply referred to as "longitudinally coupled filters") have been primarily used since they can be configured as low-loss radio frequency filters.
An example of a longitudinally coupled dual mode SAW filter is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 5-267990.
The longitudinally coupled filter disclosed therein includes a group of three interdigital transducer electrodes (IDT electrodes) provided adjacent to one another on a piezoelectric substrate in the propagating direction of the surface acoustic wave, and reflectors arranged at two opposing ends of the group of interdigital transducer electrodes. The pitch of the innermost two electrode fingers of opposing IDT electrodes is determined on the basis of the wavelength λ of the surface acoustic wave. This achieves a fractional band of about 4% even in a radio frequency range approaching 1 GHz, and reduces the loss.
Meanwhile, longitudinally coupled filters, including the one disclosed in the publication No. 5-267990, require various filter characteristics depending upon their application. In particular, an RF filter for a remote keyless entry system requires a narrow-band characteristic such that it can be adjusted to a required passband width. In the past, in a longitudinally coupled filter for such an application, a crystal substrate having a temperature coefficient of zero has been used to achieve the narrow-band characteristic.
However, the crystal substrate has a small dielectric constant and has a small electromechanical coupling coefficient. Therefore, the impedance of the filter is high. Thus, an additional matching circuit is required for the longitudinally coupled filter. This arrangement, therefore, has some disadvantages during manufacturing, such as a more complicated configuration and an increased number of elements. Furthermore, since the resulting longitudinally coupled filter has greater loss, the quality of the filter is reduced.
Consequently, to achieve the narrow-band characteristic, recently, rotated Y-cut X-propagating LiTaO3 substrates have become more widely used as piezoelectric substrates. A longitudinally coupled filter using the rotated Y-cut X-propagating LiTaO3 substrate provides lower impedance than the filter using the crystal substrate, and overcomes the above-mentioned disadvantages.
However, when attempting to achieve a narrow-band characteristic with the longitudinally coupled filter using the rotated Y-cut X-propagating LiTaO3 substrate, the flatness is poor.
Specifically, as shown in FIG. 10, a known longitudinally coupled filter has a tapered waveform (indicated by the arrow) in the passband. Consequently, ripple deviation, which is an indicator of the flatness in the passband, increases, thereby causing a problem in that the width of the passband is reduced to less than the required width. This phenomenon where the width of the passband is reduced more than required will herein be referred to as an "excessive narrow-band phenomenon."

Surface acoustic wave filter, surface acoustic wave device and communication device


A pivotable key structure includes a housing body, a pivotable unit, a switch module, and a carrier. The pivotable unit has a touchpad module and a pivotable member. The pivotable member is engaged to the touchpad module thereunder. The pivotable member is disposed on the carrier through two pivot axle as a pivot point to relatively pivot on the carrier. The carrier has a switch module corresponding to two pivot axles. The pivotable member has two operating portions which are protrusions, each respectively correspond to the switch module. The housing body has an opening so that the pivotable member can pivot horizontally and be exposed through the opening. Thereby, through the pivoting movements of the pivotable unit toward the switch module, the operating protrusions can contact the switch module and generate a corresponding control signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The instant disclosure relates to a mouse key structure; in particular, to a pivotable key structure which identifies touch control and senses multi-finger gestures control through left and right pivoting movements thereof.
2. Description of Related Art
With the ever improving development of technology, whether PC (personal computer) or laptop (notebook) or other computer equipment, of which all have become a popular and indispensable part of the daily life or work life. However, most computer mouses have split keys designed towards the front-left or front-right portions of the mouses to facilitate direct contact with the user's finger. Conventional structure of the left and right buttons on a mouse correspond to the user's index finger and middle finger, as such, the user are fixed in the same position and the fingers bend or stretch for a long period of time, thus leading to awkward hand movements, numbness and other symptoms. In addition, Apple Inc. has produced the Magic Mouse, in which the top surface of the mouse is designed to provide multi-touch gestures for scrolling through pages and other special features. However, the one surface touch control design of the mouse lowers the sensitivity of user's fingers with respect to the mechanical state of the keys, and significantly loses the control sensitivity, feeling, and the convenience provided by the traditional mouse. Furthermore, since the mouse is designed to pivot back and forth, when the mouse is pressed down towards the front portion, the rear portion naturally pivots (by leverage) up. As a result, the palm of the hand must be lifted off the surface of the rear portion of the mouse, which can cause inconvenience to user's normal operating habits.
To address the above issues, the inventor strives via associated experience and research to present the instant disclosure, which can effectively improve the limitation described above.


An ion processing element employing composite media disposed in a porous substrate, for facilitating removal of selected chemical species from a fluid stream. The ion processing element includes a porous fibrous glass substrate impregnated by composite media having one or more active components supported by a matrix material of polyacrylonitrile. The active components are effective in removing, by various mechanisms, one or more constituents from a fluid stream passing through the ion processing element. Due to the porosity and large surface area of both the composite medium and the substrate in which it is disposed, a high degree of contact is achieved between the active component and the fluid stream being processed. Further, the porosity of the matrix material and the substrate facilitates use of the ion processing element in high volume applications where it is desired to effectively process a high volume flows.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the preparation and use of composite media for use in ion processing. More particularly, embodiments of the present invention relate to the preparation and use of ion processing elements that include composite media dispersed in a porous substrate.
2. Related Technology
Effective and efficient ion processing is an important consideration in numerous chemical and industrial processes. In general, ion processing refers to those processes, and/or devices which implement such processes, that are used to facilitate neutralization, removal, concentration, or other processing, of one or more ions present in a fluid stream, examples of which include industrial waste and process streams. One example of such a process concerns the removal of materials such as cesium, strontium, and/or uranium from an industrial waste stream prior to the discharge of the fluid stream into the environment.
While ion processing components and processes are often employed to remove undesirable constituents of a fluid volume or stream, such components and processes may also be used to collect and concentrate one or more desirable constituents of a fluid volume or stream so that those constituents can then be reserved for future use.
One area where ion processing techniques, materials, and devices are particularly useful is in the industrial environment. Typical industrial waste and process streams present at least two significant challenges to ion processing efforts. The first challenge relates to the flow rates of such industrial waste and process streams. Because industrial waste and process streams are often characterized by relatively high flow rates, the associated ion processing materials, systems, and components must be capable of admitting and processing the high flow rate waste and process streams without introducing an undue pressure drop or other resistance to flow that would tend to compromise the flow rate of those streams, and thereby slow down the overall rate at which ion processing occurs.
Another challenge that must be considered when implementing the treatment of industrial waste and process streams relates to the level of cleanliness that must be attained in the processed stream. In particular, the streams produced in industrial environments are often required to meet stringent standards with regard to the permissible concentration of various contaminants or other materials that are ultimately discharged into the environment. Thus, the treatment systems and devices must not only be able to handle relatively high fluid flow rates, but they must do so at a high level of efficiency.
Generally, the effectiveness and efficiency of a particular ion processing material is at least partially a function of the total surface area of the active component that contacts the material or fluid to be processed. The surface area, in turn, is a function of the porosity, or pore volume, of the ion processing material, so that relatively more porous ion processing materials typically possess a relatively greater surface area than relatively less porous ion processing materials. Thus, when considering two ion processing materials equivalent in all other regards, an ion processing material with a relatively larger surface area is capable of removing a relatively greater amount of contaminants or impurities from a fluid stream than an ion processing material with a relatively smaller surface area. In light of this relationship, a number of ion processing materials, systems, and devices have been devised with a view towards providing a relative increase in the surface area of the ion processing material so as to improve its effectiveness.
Various methods may be used to prepare ion processing materials so as to provide a relative increase in the surface area of the active component, of the ion processing material, that comes into contact with the fluid stream to be processed. In one case, the ion processing material takes the form of a composite medium that generally includes a supporting matrix and one or more active components dispersed within the matrix. Typically, the matrix comprises a plurality of small, slightly porous particles, sometimes referred to as beads. As suggested above, the overall surface area of the ion processing material that contacts the fluid stream simply comprises the sum of the surface areas of each of the individual beads which, in turn, is a function of pore volume.
In order to form the ion processing material, the matrix material is mixed with a particular active component selected for its ability to remove one or more pre-determined constituents from the fluid stream. The ion processing material thus produced is typically disposed in a column through which the fluid stream to be processed is passed. Because the beads of the matrix material often assume a somewhat spherical shape, a plurality of spaces are cooperatively defined by adjacent beads. Accordingly, the fluid stream is able to flow through the ion processing material by working its way through the spaces between the individual beads.
While the slight porosity of some beads allows for a relatively greater ion processing area than would be possible if the beads were simply solid, such matrix materials have, as a result of their relatively small pore volume, proven rather ineffective in providing the performance required for effective and efficient processing of high volume fluid streams. Of course, the surface area of such ion processing materials can be increased somewhat by increasing the number of beads present in a particular column. However, there are practical limits to the attainment of very small bead sizes. Furthermore, while an increase in the number of beads produces a desirable overall increase in pore volume, and thus ion processing area, the increase represents a tradeoff with respect to the flow rate that a particular ion processing material can effectively accommodate.
In particular, as bead size is reduced, the size of the air spaces between adjacent beads is correspondingly reduced. Reduction in the size of the air spaces has at least one unfavorable consequence with respect to the flow of the fluid stream. Specifically, assuming a constant flow velocity, the volume of fluid that can flow through an opening is primarily a function of the size or area of that opening. This idea is generally expressed in the relationship Q=Va, where "Q" is the volume of fluid flow per unit of time, "V" is the velocity of the fluid, and "a" is the area through which the fluid passes.
In general then, where two volumes of ion processing materials in the form of respective composite media, equal in all other respects, have different numbers of beads, the volume of the ion processing material with relatively more beads defines a relatively smaller space through which the process stream can flow. In view of the aforementioned flow relationship, this means that the volume of ion processing material with a relatively greater number of beads is relatively more resistant to the flow of the process stream. Accordingly, in the case of an ion processing material comprised of very small particles, a powdered ion processing material for example, the resistance of the ion processing material to fluid flow is significant.
Thus, in the case of ion processing materials comprised of a composite medium employing a bead type matrix, the surface area of the ion processing material can be readily increased by increasing the number of beads. However, due to the inverse relationship, discussed above, between the air volume defined by the ion processing material and the ability of a given volume of the ion processing material to pass a predetermined flow, there are practical limits to the extent to which the surface area may usefully be increased.
As suggested earlier, another common ion processing material configuration is designed along the same general principles as those ion processing materials formed as composite media, but takes on a somewhat different form. In this particular configuration, no matrix is employed. Rather, a finely granulated or powdered active component is simply compressed under high pressure to form an ion processing material comprising a plurality of granules, or pellets, which are then disposed in a column for processing of a fluid stream.
While ion processing materials using compressed active component configurations typically have relatively large surface areas, they suffer from a variety of significant shortcomings. First, because the active component is initially in a powdered form, the flow of the fluid through a bed of granules of the active component of the ion processing material tends to wash away some of the active component, thus reducing the effectiveness and efficiency of the ion processing material over time. Another problem is that granules or pellets of the compressed active component tend to be rather brittle and can be easily broken and thereby rendered ineffective. Further, ion processing materials formed in this manner tend to crumble and fall apart over a period of time. Such ion processing material configurations are not well suited to withstand the rough handling and other conditions that may occur in many industrial environments.
Yet another shortcoming of compressed active component ion processing materials concerns the compression process that is used to form the granules or pellets of the compressed active component. In particular, large compressive forces are typically employed in order to ensure that the active component granules assume and retain the desired shape and size. However, the forces used to form the active component granules compress the active component so tightly that it is often the case that the fluid flow being processed never penetrates to the active component at the inner portion of the granules. Thus, the ion processing capacity of the active component in these types of ion processing materials is not fully utilized and much of the active component is essentially wasted. Such waste unnecessarily increases the amount, and thus the cost, of the ion processing material.
While the aforementioned shortcomings are of some concern in low volume ion processing applications such as might be encountered in a laboratory, these characteristics of ion processing materials that comprise compressed active component granules render such ion processing materials particularly unsuited for high volume applications such as are typically encountered in industrial environments.
In environmental applications, for example, it is often the case that large volumes of fluid, in some cases as much as 100 to 400 gallons, must be sampled so that analyses of the sample will provide accurate and scientifically valid results. Types of fluids typically sampled include, but are not limited to, ocean water, groundwater, water from inland waterways such as lakes and rivers, landfill runoff, and the like.
Because of the inability of known ion processing media, devices, and systems to readily process large volumes of fluids, personnel sampling these fluids are often compelled to collect the sample required and transport the sample back to a processing facility for analysis. Transportation of such large samples can be problematic in many cases, especially where the sample is gathered in a location remote from the laboratory or facility where the sample is to be analyzed. In particular, transportation of large samples from remote locations is both time-consuming and expensive.
A related problem concerns processing of large samples once they finally reach the processing facility. Typically, such samples must be evaporated and/or otherwise treated by processes comprising numerous steps so that the constituents of those samples can be concentrated and analyzed. Such extensive processing is undesirable, at least because it is time-consuming, expensive, and often requires special equipment.
In view of the foregoing problems and shortcomings with existing ion processing materials and systems, it would be an advancement in the art to provide an ion processing element comprising a large surface area composite medium disposed in a porous substrate which offers relatively little resistance to fluid flow, wherein the composite medium comprises one or more active components uniformly dispersed in a matrix material having a relatively high surface area so as to facilitate relatively high rates of ion processing.

Ion processing element with composite media


An integrated circuit includes: a local memory; and a first processing circuit coupled to the local memory. The first processing component is configured to: receive a first set of image data; perform a first image processing operation on the first set of image data to produce a second set of image data; and store at least some of the second set of image data into the local memory. The integrated circuit also includes a second processing circuit coupled to the local memory and configured to: receive at least some of the second set of image data from the local memory; and perform a second image processing operation on the second set of image data to produce a third set of image data.

As new electronic devices are developed and integrated circuit (IC) technology advances, new IC products are commercialized. One example IC product for electronic devices is an image processor with a Perspective Transform Engine (PTE), sometimes called an image "remapper". When a camera is viewing a scene from two different positions, or when multiple cameras are viewing the scene from different positions, a transformation between the two different "perspectives" may be used to align the images. These perspectives are relatable by a transformation, which captures the exact geometric relationship between input images and provides a modified output image. A typical transformation aligns and stitches multiple input frames of the same scene to compute a panoramic output image. Another transformation provides an output image from stereo input images. Another transformation removes the effect of a curved lens from or adds the effect of a curved lens to an output image. Other image processing operations may be performed before and/or after PTE operations.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional image processing system 100 with a PTE 118. As shown, the image processing system 100 includes a camera 102 configured to capture and digitize images. The digital images from the camera 102 are provided to an image processor 106, which may be an IC or part of an IC, As shown, the image processor 106 includes an image processor pipeline (ISP) 108 configured to receive pixel-based transfers 104 from the camera 102. For example, an image sensor of the camera 102 may provide the pixel-based transfers 104 in line raster order to the ISP 108. The ISP 108 is configured to perform line processing on the received pixel-based transfers 104. The output 112 from the ISP 108 is line by line, and is stored in a Double Data Rate (DDR) memory 114 external to the image processor 106. The image processing operations up to the output 112 of the ISP 108 being stored in the DDR memory 114 are forward processing operations 130.
In the example of the FIG. 1, the PTE 118 receives blocks 116 of image data stored in the DDR memory 114, and performs block processing to modify the perspective of one or more input images. The operations related to the PTE 118 are backward mapping operations 132. The output 122 of the PTE 118 is stored back in the DDR memory 114. The remapped image data 124 resulting from the operations of the PTE 118 may be used by other image preprocessing 126. The other image preprocessing 126 is external to the image processor 106 in FIG. 1 and includes forward processing operations 134. Without limitation, examples of the other image preprocessing 126 includes multi-scaler (MSC) engine processing and/or noise filter (NF) processing.
Using the DDR 114 to supply the blocks 116 to the PTE 118 consumes a significate amount of DDR read and write bandwidth. This results is undesirable design issues such as higher power consumption, higher latency, and/or a more expensive DDR.

Local memory use for perspective transform engine


A metadata management system is described for a business intelligence architecture having a metadata repository for content that defines a user environment of the business intelligence architecture. The metadata management system includes a user interface generator to display information regarding a plurality of objects in the metadata repository and to facilitate selection of a group of the plurality of objects, a content editor to evaluate the content stored in the metadata repository for each object of the selected group and to modify in a batch job the content for each object of the selected group for storage of the modified content in the metadata repository, and a communication manager to issue instructions for the storage of the modified content in the metadata repository, the instructions being configured in accordance with a communication protocol of the business intelligence architecture utilized to control the metadata repository.

1. Field of the Disclosure
The disclosure relates generally to business intelligence software and systems and, more particularly, to management of metadata utilized to define user information, presentations and other aspects of business intelligence systems.
2. Brief Description of Related Technology
A wide variety of business functions are commonly supported by software applications and tools. For instance, software has been directed to performance analysis, project tracking, and competitive analysis, to name but a few. One widely available type of business software, often referred to as enterprise resource planning (ERP) software, is alone used in a broad array of business areas, including, for instance, manufacturing, distribution, purchasing, accounting, and personnel management. In these ways, software applications and tools have been used in connection with tasks as varied as product planning, inventory maintenance, and customer service.
ERP software and other business applications have typically relied upon a database management system (DBMS) to handle the storage of the often vast amounts of enterprise data involved. The DBMS is also often faced with storing data from a number of disparate business areas or groups. Business applications and the underlying databases typically rely on data schemes involving metadata (in one aspect, data about data) to generally describe and specify the wide-ranging nature of the enterprise data. For example, the metadata for a business application can be used to specify the definitions, sources and relationships of enterprise data underlying tables, fields, etc. of the database that present, in an organized fashion, specific subsets of the enterprise data. Another layer of metadata may then specify the manner in which customized reports detailing, for instance, customer sales orders or inventory status, are generated from the tables, fields and other data constructs supported by the database.
In some business applications, the metadata is aggregated and arranged in the form of a model that describes the data sources and relationships of the enterprise data. For example, metadata models typically specify the familiar names for the data fields (e.g., employee name, address, social security number, etc.), as well as mapping information to bind each object in the model (e.g., employee address) to a data source, database table field, or other location. Without the model, the information identifying the data source or location could be too cryptic for a typical user to define new views, reports, etc. of the data.
The proliferation of business intelligence technologies (e.g., OLAP or online analytical processing) and database-related tools (e.g., ODBC or open database connectivity) has led to widespread utilization of databases in the business context. Often within a single organization, a number of departments or other user groups establish respective information systems. The organization then ends up with multiple databases, and with a variety of different paradigms adopted for retrieving and delivering information from each one. Despite efforts toward standardization and integration, varying preferences across departments or business functions have led to information systems designed and constructed in accordance with the specific needs of the user group (e.g., finance, marketing, etc.). Larger enterprises can also present networking complexities. Moreover, each information system may use an entirely different set of business software tools. These variations in business software tools and information systems can impede information sharing between the user groups.
Software applications have been developed to address the challenges in sharing, and utilizing, information among different information systems, business software applications, and the underlying databases. The various databases within an organization may contain data useful outside of the business unit or user group managing the database. To address this possibility, existing business intelligence software has been directed to compiling and managing the data and information from the various sources in the organization. Several such software applications and systems are made commercially available by Cognos, including Cognos ReportNet and Cognos 8. These systems have provided web-based solutions based on a metadata model defining and characterizing all of the various data sources, data types, intelligence tools, and client users.
The deployment of the Cognos software has often led to significant accomplishments in integration and assimilation of data within an enterprise. Integration has, in fact, been so prominent so as to substantially increase the number of users, user groups, data sources, and data types, being assimilated. The resulting arrangement of metadata can be overwhelmingly large and complex. Under these circumstances, maintaining the integrity of the metadata and, thus, the continued functionality of the system, can be extremely time-consuming and prone to operator error.

Batch management of metadata in a business intelligence architecture


Provided are a forming method and a forming apparatus which can secure strength after forming while suppressing deformation.

Patent Literature 1 discloses a method of forming a branch pipe in a cylindrical member. In this forming method, the branch pipe is formed by causing a peripheral wall of the cylindrical member to project toward radially outside by burring processing. In the branch pipe thus formed, tensile residual stress due to the burring processing has been generated in the vicinity of its proximal end portion, so that strength thereof has been lowered. For this reason, in Patent Literature 1, the vicinity of the proximal end portion of the branch pipe is pressed; more specifically, both sides of the proximal end portion of the branch pipe in a circumferential direction of the peripheral wall of the cylindrical member are pressed from inside, so that a recessed portion in which the inner peripheral surface of the peripheral wall is dented is formed. According to this configuration, the tensile residual stress is reduced or changed into a compression direction, thereby improving the strength reduced after the burring processing.

Abstract: The forming method of the present invention includes a burring step and a pressing step. In the burring step, a branch pipe is formed by causing a cylindrical peripheral wall of a cylindrical member (workpiece) having the peripheral wall to project in an outside direction in a tubular shape. In the pressing step, a distal end surface of the branch pipe is pressed toward a proximal end portion of the branch pipe. In the pressing step, the distal end surface of the branch pipe can be pressed by an end surface pressing punch in a state where a burring punch is inserted in the branch pipe.


A switching power supply system includes a switching converter, to convert an input voltage into an output voltage and to generate a switching signal; a feedback circuit, to generate a feedback signal; an error amplifier to generate an error signal; a triangle signal generator to generate a triangle signal; a constant on time control circuit to receive error signal and the triangle signal, and to generate a constant on time control signal to control power switch; in the system. The triangle signal has a DC bias based on either a soft start signal or a second reference signal. The system could perform soft start function and meanwhile keep matching between the error signal and the triangle signal.

In the area of switching power supply, constant on time control is widely utilized in the industry due to its excellent performance of transient response, simple structure of control circuit and smooth switching of control method.
According to prior art, a power supply controller applying constant on time control method usually compares an error signal with a triangle signal that is generated according to an input voltage and an output voltage, and the output of the controller triggers a timer to generate a system control signal. During this process, the amplitude of error signal should be matched with the amplitude of the triangle signal for currently triggering the timer. To match amplitude, the triangle signal comprises a fixed direct current (DC) bias in convention. However, a fixed DC bias may constrain the range of the output voltage of the power supply system, and also make it difficult to integrate a soft start function into the controller.
Meanwhile, in prior, the error signal is usually required to change smoothly to make the power supply system stable. When the system is lightly loaded, the system may be operating in a discontinuous-current mode. Under such mode, all power switches in the system may be turned off for a period in each operational cycle. The error signal is gradually declining during this period, which results a relatively larger difference between the error signal and the triangle signal. At this time, the system transient response performance is seriously deteriorated.

Soft start switching power supply system

Chengdu Monolithic Power Systems Co., Ltd.


A method for integrating a number of automation components into an industrial controller with a uniform running level model of the runtime system. The basic clock of the running level model is devised from either an internal timer, an internal clock of a communication medium, an external device or from a variable (TG) which belongs to the technological process (P1, P2).

The invention relates to a method for the integration of a plurality of automation components in a uniform running level model of a respective runtime system of an industrial controller.
Today, it is customary, both for stored-program control (SPC) and for motion control (MC) systems, to have hierarchical running levels, and to have different software applications for controlling the respective technical processes. The software applications used today may be user-programmed, or they can have built-in system functions.
It is known from DE 197 40 550 A1 that process control functionalities of the stored-program controllers and motion functionalities of MC controllers can be integrated in a uniform configurable control system.
This SPC/MC integration is obtained by using SPC and MC control modules. However, when the integration is carried out in such a way, an optimum and efficient task structure is not achieved for all control tasks. Furthermore, mostly the classic MC functionalities are supported with this type of integration for machine tools, whereas other requirements for the controller, as they are known from the operation of production machines, are not optimally supported by this type of interconnection of SPC and MC control modules.
In German application DE 19 93 19 33.2 a communication system clock is used between the PC system and the peripheral devices to change between a real-time operating program and a non-real-time operating program. In this case, it is the task of this communication system clock to allow the smoothest possible change between real-time and non-real-time applications in an industrial process. In this configuration, however, the basic clock is only derived from the clock of the communication medium and is only used for changing the operating system mode of a PC system.
Accordingly there remains a need for the integration of a plurality of automation components in a uniform running level model of a respective run time systems in an industrial controller.
An object of the present invention is to create optimum distinctive characteristics of an industrial controller for an industrial controller having different control tasks and different boundary conditions or requirements of the underlying technical process, which provides both SPC and MC functionality or the functionalities of further automation components.

Integration method for automation components