The electrical signal sensing and/or signal application device for sensing electrical signals on a surface and/or for applying electrical signals to a surface, particularly of human or animal skin or other organs or tissues, comprises a substrate (12) having first and second major surfaces (14), and a plurality of electrodes (16) arranged on the first major surface (14) of the substrate (12) and projecting therefrom, each of the electrodes (16) comprising a pointed contact end (36) facing away from the substrate (12) for contacting the surface, and a base end (26) facing towards the substrate (12). On the first or second or both major surfaces (14) of the substrate (12) there is arranged a plurality of first contact pads (22) for electrical connection to contact elements of an evaluation and/or driving means for evaluating the sensed electric signals and/or applying signals to the electrodes (16), the first contact pads (22) being electrically connected to the electrodes (16). The first major surface (14) of the substrate (12) comprises, for each electrode (16), a second contact pad (18) the base ends (26) of the electrodes electrically and mechanically connected to the second contact pads (18). Each electrode (18) is generated by bonding an electrically conductive bonding wire to a second contact pad (18) for generating a thickened socket portion (24) of the electrode comprising its base end (26), and by tearing the bonded bonding wire off the socket portion (24) so as to generate a pointed portion (34) of the electrode (16) comprising its pointed contact end (36) and projecting from the socket portion (24) thereof.

Medical diagnosis is utilizing diverse approaches of obtaining images of humans and animals such as X-ray, computer tomography, nuclear-spin-resonance and ultrasonics. The straight forward photography is of lesser importance as it merely records the external appearance of skin portions of humans and animals while the other methods present specific views especially of the inner portions of the body which are more suitable for the diagnosis.
More recently the recording of impedance and other electrical images was developed. The use of single electrodes including the independent handling of several electrodes for the recording of the electrical properties such as the impedance typically as a function of time is well known for many decades, especially in the fields of electro-cardiography (ECG or EKG) and electro-encephalography (EEG). In these cases typically the individual electrodes are attached to the skin by some means such as suction devices or adhesives. Furthermore, these electrodes are provided with a relatively large surface having the order of magnitude of about 1 sq. cm which consists of metals, conductive gels or conductive adhesives. Typically the electrical properties are recorded as a function of time. However, the recent developments utilizes arrays of these electrodes where each of them records the electrical properties such as the impedance or conductivity in a manner that all these values are simultaneously recorded and for example brought onto a display like a monitor. This then provides images yielding information which is significantly different from the images of the other diagnostic methods as stated above. The known specific configurations will be referred to in more detail below.
A particular area of interest is the diagnosis of cancer where it is of interest to investigate the skin primarily related to breast cancer and skin cancer. The article "Overview of Skin Cancer Detection and Prevention for the Primary Care Physician" by A.3. Bruce et al. of the Mayo Clin. Proc. 2000; 75; 491–500 describes the diagnostic possibilities for a primary evaluation of the skin with respect to the detection of specific cancers. This article states that the initial visual inspection by the physician is a meaningful first step in order to decide whether or not further investigations will be necessary. However, it is desirable after the immediate first visual inspection to develop another rather simple method for identifying whether or not cancer can be diagnosed.
WO-A-97/47235 provides a method of a dermal diagnostic analysis through the use of a digital camera which allows a somewhat more sophisticated approach through the recording of the critical portions of the skin.
WO-A-98/09155 shows a step further, it includes to apply a chemical to the critical skin area and after several hours this area is illuminated with ultraviolet light and the fluorescent irradiation can be recorded through picturing spectroscopy. This allows to identify cancerous portions of the skin. This method, however, is time consuming and cumbersome and still requires additional diagnostic methods in most of the cases.
A number of possibilities have become known which utilize the determination of the electrical properties of the skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,928,159 describes an apparatus and methods utilizing a probe provided with several electrodes which is applied to a skin portion that might be cancerous and the electrical data of these portions are recorded in comparison with a normal neighbour portion of skin.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,143,079 describes an apparatus for the detection of tumors in tissues. It utilizes a probe with a fixed arrangement of electrodes, e.g. 64 elements arranged in an 8×8 array. These electrodes have a hexagonal form, the electrodes being of gold plated printed copper for example. The hexagons typically have sides of 10 mm. These electrodes by themselves are still rather large so that only a fairly small number of them can be utilized in the probe and, therefore, a real image cannot be generated.
A further development is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,810,742 and the article "T-SCAN™ as a Diagnostic Tool for Breast Cancer" by M. Assenheimer et al. accessible in the Internet through www.transscan.co.il/publication1.html. The described systems have a fairly large number of individual electrodes allowing to generate an image of having a reasonable resolution. The electrodes described are typically in a rectangular array with a multiplicity of wells which are separated by dividers consisting of insulating material. These wells are filled with a hydro-gel or conductive gel and the wells themselves are provided with a metal electrode which projects to the portion below the electrode so that the entire configuration can be applied onto a printed circuit board (PCB) which has a corresponding array of electrodes. In this manner a discardable article is generated. This is of importance as for well known reasons it is not advisable to use electrode configurations for more than a single patient. The PCB as such has an array of conductive paths which are guided to a multi-pin connector which then is connected through a cable to the evaluation computer which is capable of recording the electrical characteristics of each individual electrode so that the desired image can be generated in the computer and displayed on the monitor. The use of wells filled with a conductive gel has the disadvantage of being difficult to manufacture thus being expensive which is critical for such a discardable article. Furthermore, the spacing between these wells is limited which reduces the resolution of the desired image. This is of particular importance as critical skin portions which might be cancerous only have dimensions of a few millimeters and, therefore, for obtaining a good resolution pitches of the wells in the order of several tenths of a millimeter are required.
The use of multiple electrodes or arrays of electrodes is well known and described in a large number of publications.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,490,439 describes an assembly of electrodes used for electro-encephalography. The electrodes as such are small foam balls coated with a conductive cloth piece.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,452,718 presents an electrode configuration in which a conductive material having a tip is embedded in a plastic ferrule.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,896,790 relates to a brain wave sensor in which a single electrode is used which consists of several prongs which ensure a good electrical contact, even in the presence of hair.
In the above cited references all these electrodes essentially are still separate from each other. Configurations are also known in which a multiplicity of electrodes is arranged in a fixed mutual configuration. This is described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 5,184,620, U.S. Pat. No. 4,353,372 and U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,448. In all these cases the electrodes are embedded into a common carrier, however, they are still used for the typical ECG or EEG application which means that despite their fixed spacial relationship they are individually used and usually only their time dependence is recorded.
In all electrodes and electrode arrays described above configurations are shown in which the electrodes themselves have a relatively large surface and they are typically directly applied to the outer surface of the skin. There are alternative methods of utilizing electrodes which essentially consist of individual needles. These needles operate in a somewhat different manner. If properly applied they allow to penetrate the outermost portion of the skin and provide a more valuable determination of the electrical properties which for the recording of the image appears to be advantageous.
A needle electrode is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,482,038 where an individual sharp needle is inserted into a special holding device which allows to establish a defined pressure. Needles of this type are used for example in neurological examinations using an electro-myograph (EMG).
Similar configurations can be taken from the references U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,822 and EP-A-0 533 487 which are either used for electro-myography or for electro-cardiography. These needles are either a multiplicity of several components that are handled independently but connected to a common monitoring system or configurations in which a pair of needles is used.
EP-A-0 538 739 describes an array of needles, the number ranging between 50 and 150. These needles are brought into a common plastic holder. The needles themselves have a solid configuration with a relatively sharp pin similar to those used in acupuncture. Each needle is provided with a spring allowing to apply all needles with a given pressure. The array is a pre-determined geometrical configuration typically having an overall circular circumference. The data, however, are collected individually from each electrode and utilized in some kind of a statistical evaluation. There is no intention to record an image. Furthermore, the reference is silent with respect to the establishment of the electrical contacts between these needles and the cable leading to the electronic evaluation unit.
DE-U-92 18 879 relates to an array of electrodes for the determination of the distribution of electrical potentials on the skin of a patient. It shows multiplicities of electrodes for the above described purpose and the object of this reference is to replace this multiplicity of electrodes by a foil having semi-conductive layers which is scanned for example by a laser beam causing a temporary conductivity of a small portion of the foil thus replacing a multiplicity of electrodes by such a foil which is scanned through point by point. No reference is made at all to the type of electrode configurations used.
DE-U-85 02 291 describes arrays of needle electrodes for biomedical applications where each electrode is individually connected to a cable so that a multiplicity of signals can be recorded. No reference is made to the possibility of recording an electrical image.
WO-A-87/07825 describes an electrode and the related method of manufacture. A base carrier contains an arrangement of conducting protuberances arising from the base serving as the electrodes. These electrodes are individually connected to an electrical path that is leading to an array of contact areas which allow to transfer the signal to a recording unit. The protuberances or needles have the shape of cones. These cones are grown on a multi-layer configuration and typically have dimensions up to 25 microns. This means that they are relatively small and their primary use is in the area of neurology. The needles allow to penetrate the surface of the tissue to be diagnosed.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,088 describes a three-dimensional multi-electrode device especially useful as a neuron interface. The electrodes are electrically isolated from each other, the signals are typically transmitted using a multiplexing circuitry. The needles typically consist of semi-conductive material on the basis of silicon. In a block of such material sequences of cuts are obtained using a saw utilized in the microelectronic industry. This is performed in two directions so that an array of pins is obtained having a rectangular or square cross-section. In a subsequent etching process material is taken away from the upper portions of these columns so that they obtain a needle-like form. This is particularly suitable for neuron-type applications e.g. a prosthesis for a blind person. The process is rather complicated and thus expensive, needle arrays of this configuration do not appear to be suitable as single use throw-away articles because of the high cost.
Arrays of needles as electrodes require to bring them into a defined array by simultaneously electrically isolating them from each other. For instance this could be performed by bringing a multiplicity of contact pins into a plastic body, for example through an injection molding or casting method. The use of these techniques, however, is cumbersome and not very cost effective which is critical for an article that preferably should be discardable. The problem becomes even more critical when moving in the direction of smaller pitches, for example well below 1 mm. The handling of individual needles or pins will be increasingly difficult thus resulting in unacceptably high manufacturing cost.
Arrays of needles or needle-like configurations are of primary interest for the medical diagnosis and therapy of the skin or other organs and tissues of humans and animals. Such an array of electrodes, however, might also be useful for other configurations whenever it is possible to establish electrical contact with the component to be investigated and when the determination of an impedance or electrical image provides meaningful information. This typically applies to components which do not have a hard outer surface because in this case only individual electrodes would establish an electrical contact. Therefore, components of interest are typically softer on their surface like elastomeric and similar components.

Electrical sensing and/or signal application device


A material conveying system for accurately conveying a specific predetermined amount of a material. The system includes a large primary auger that is rotated to convey the material until the amount of material closely approaches the predetermined amount. A smaller secondary auger, disposed coaxially with the primary auger, is then rotated to convey material until the amount of material conveyed reaches the predetermined amount.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to material conveying systems and methods, and more particularly to conveying systems and methods using multiple augers.
2. Description of Related Art
In many industries, chemicals and compounds are used that are very difficult to handle automatically and accurately. The materials tend to bridge up and not flow in conventional material handling equipment. If larger diameter screw augers are used--the material will flow better--but it is virtually impossible to shut off equipment with very precise accuracy. If small augers are used, ingredient cut off accuracies can be achieved--but the smaller augers are much slower and complicate the material handling problems as they tend to cake up, and the material will not feed into them correctly. Some have tried to use slightly larger augers operating at a very high speed--but this higher speed can create heat which can cause ingredients with lower melting points to become sticky, clog up the screw auger and change material characteristics. In the past, some attempts have been made to accomplish this by utilizing vibrators, agitators, auger cleaners, feeder massagers and other devices. This equipment can be very costly and contribute to a high cost of automating such ingredient handling systems. Consequently, many industries using chemicals with these difficult properties have not been able to effectively automate.
Those concerned with these and other problems recognize the need for an improved material conveying system.


An integrated circuit device includes: an internal circuit disposed on an inside area of the integrated circuit device; and at least one regulator circuit that generates a regulation voltage formed by stepping down a power supply voltage provided from outside, wherein an output terminal of the regulator circuit is connected to a first pad that is an external terminal of the integrated circuit device and a power supply line of the internal circuit, and the regulator circuit controls the state of the output terminal based on a plurality of control signals inputted respectively to a plurality of control terminals.

1. Technical Field
The invention relates to integrated circuit devices.
2. Related Art
An integrated circuit device, such as, a gate array and an embedded array, is manufactured by an ultra-high-density processing in order to increase the level of integration of its internal circuit. For this reason, a low voltage power is supplied to the internal circuit. Accordingly, it is necessary to supply from outside, for example, a high voltage power and a low voltage power for the internal circuit, which complicates the system structure.
In this case, a power supply circuit that generates a low voltage power for the internal circuit may be incorporated in the integrated circuit device, whereby the situation that complicates the system structure can be cancelled. However, the integrated circuit device cannot achieve lower power consumption if no device is implemented when such a power supply circuit is incorporated therein. An example of related art may be Japanese Laid-open Patent Application JP-A-60-143012.


Provided is a head cover structure of an engine, which is capable of increasing supporting rigidity of a head cover. The engine includes a driving force transmission mechanism for transmitting a driving force of a crankshaft to a valve train, in which the head cover includes a bulging portion for covering an upper side of the driving force transmission mechanism on one end side thereof in a cylinder row direction, and an engine mounting portion is attached to the bulging portion. The bulging portion is provided with an inclined surface portion having an inclined surface inclined downwardly toward the other end side in the cylinder row direction, and the inclined surface is formed to rise upwardly from an intermediate position in the cylinder row direction so as to be continuous with a top surface of the bulging portion on the one end side in the cylinder row direction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a head cover structure of an engine and a suspension structure of the engine which is, for example, mounted on an automobile or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, when mounting an engine on a vehicle, various optimum mounting arrangements in an up-down direction, a left-right direction, and a front-rear direction of a vehicle have been investigated in order to mount the engine in a stable manner. For example, it is well known that engine mounts (mounting members) for supporting an upper side and a lower side of the engine are configured to be arranged spaced from each other in a front-rear direction of the engine (for example, see Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. H06-313463 and Japanese Patent No. 3018867). In this case, it is known that it is possible to support the engine in a stable manner during travel of the vehicle in a case where the mounting members are separated from each other as much as possible in the up-down direction, in the left-right direction, and in the front-rear direction.
In order to mount the engine in a stable manner, for example, it is considered that a mounting member is mounted on a component disposed on an upper portion of the engine. However, a head cover constituting the upper portion of the engine is a rectangular component made of a thin plate member with a hollow inside thereof, and is vulnerable to a load in the up-down direction. Therefore, in order to support the engine which is a heavy object by the head cover, reinforcement such as forming a thick wall of the head cover is required, but there is a possibility to increase a weight of the engine if the wall of the head cover is reinforced to be thick.
Therefore, there is known a structure of mounting a mounting bracket on a timing chain cover, which is the same cover member as the head cover but has a fastening direction different from that of the head cover, and is able to be fastened to an engine body such as a cylinder block together with the head cover.
For example, in Japanese Patent No. 2758478, the timing chain cover (timing cover) is configured to be divided into three of a head cover portion, a cylinder head portion, and a cylinder body portion, and a stay is fixed to a side wall of the head cover portion constituting the timing chain cover. In Japanese Patent No. 2758478, a suspension structure of the engine, in which the head cover of the engine is fixed to a strut tower via the stay, is employed.
Further, Japanese Patent No. 4556921 discloses that on an upper surface of an upper extension portion of the timing chain cover (timing cover), a mounting bracket mounting seat, on which the mounting bracket for mounting the engine is mounted, is provided.
Furthermore, Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. H07-032914 discloses a cover structure of a V-type engine, in which a pair of banks (bank cylinders) is arranged in a V-shape. In the cover structure of the V-type engine which is disclosed in Japanese Examined Utility Model Application Publication No. H07-032914, three covers are configured to be individually separated from one another. The three covers are composed of a cover for covering a front surface which is provided with a timing train of the cylinder block, a cover for covering a front surface of the cylinder head, and a head cover for covering an upper portion of the cylinder head.

Head cover structure of engine and suspension structure thereof


A memory device may include a normal cell which is configured to be programmed to a first resistance and stabilized as a resistance of the normal cell drifts from the first resistance to a second resistance; a flag cell which is configured to be programmed to a third resistance smaller than the first resistance and stabilized as a resistance of the flag cell drifts from the third resistance to a fourth resistance smaller than the second resistance; and a decision circuit which is configured to decide whether the flag cell has been stabilized in order to determine whether the normal cell has been stabilized.

1. Field
Example embodiments of the inventive concepts relate to a memory device using flag cells and a system including the memory device.
2. Description of the Related Art
Examples of nonvolatile memories using resistance materials include phase-change random access memories (PRAMs) or phase-change memories (PCMs), resistive RAMs (RRAMs), and magnetic RAMs (MRAMs). While dynamic RAMs (DRAMs) or flash memories store data using charges, nonvolatile memories using resistance materials store data using a state change of a phase-change material such as chalcogenide alloy (in the case of PRAMs), a resistance change of a variable resistance material (in the case of RRAMs), or a resistance change of a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) thin film according to a magnetization state of a ferromagnetic material (in the case of MRAMs).
In particular, a phase-change material of a PRAM or PCM may become a crystalline state or an amorphous state as it is cooled after being heated by a write current. The phase-change material has low resistance in the crystalline state and has high resistance in the amorphous state. Therefore, the crystalline state may be defined as set data or data 0, and the amorphous state may be defined as reset data or data 1.
In a PRAM, the resistance of a phase-change material may drift for a predetermined or reference period of time (referred to as a stabilization time) even after a predetermined or reference resistance (set data or reset data) is programmed into the phase-change material. That is, the resistance of the phase-change material may gradually increase during the stabilization time but may hardly change after the stabilization time. Therefore, if a programmed PRAM cell is read during the stabilization time, wrong data may be read, resulting in a read error.

Memory device using flag cells and system using the memory device


A current limiting technique for a voltage converter. Parasitic resistance of an inductor in an input path to the converter is used to determine the level of current input to the converter. If the measured current level is excessive, then switching in the converter may be interrupted until the current falls to an acceptable level. A modulated input current passes through an inductor of a voltage converter. An input voltage at a first terminal of the inductor is filtered and compared to an output voltage formed at a second terminal of the inductor. The difference in these values is indicative of a voltage across the parasitic resistor and, thus, is indicative of the input current. When the difference exceeds a predetermined level, the input current may be interrupted until the current in the inductor falls to an acceptable level. Current in one or both directions may be monitored for an excessive level. In addition, hysteresis may be employed so as to cause the current in the inductor to fall to a level that is somewhat below the predetermined level before enabling the input current.

The present invention relates to the field of voltage converters. More particularly, the present invention relates to prevention of over-current conditions in voltage converters.
In a conventional voltage converter, an output voltage is typically monitored, compared to a predetermined desired level and a response is developed to more precisely attain the desired output voltage. More particularly, to adjust the output voltage, the input current is modulated up or down. Conventional modulation techniques include pulse-width modulation (PWM) and frequency modulation.
FIG. 1 illustrates a voltage converter of the prior art. An unregulated direct-current DC voltage source Vin1 is coupled to a first terminal of a switch SW1. A second terminal of the switch SW1 is coupled to a first terminal of an inductor L1 and to a first terminal of a switch SW2. A second terminal of the inductor L1 is coupled to a first terminal of an output capacitor C1. A second terminal of the switch SW2 and a second terminal of the capacitor C1 are coupled to ground.
When the switch SW1 is closed, the switch SW2 is open. Under these conditions, current flows from the input source Vin1 through the inductor L1 and charges the capacitor C1. Thus, an output voltage Vout1 formed across the capacitor C1 tends to increase. When the switch SW1 is open, the switch SW2 is closed. Under these conditions, current from the capacitor C1 flows through the inductor L1 and to ground. Thus, the output voltage Vout1 tends to decrease. A load 10 coupled across the capacitor C1 is powered by the voltage converter.
A first terminal of a resistor R1 is coupled to the first terminal of the capacitor C1. A second terminal of the resistor R1 is coupled to a first terminal of a resistor R2. A second terminal of the resistor R2 is second terminal of the capacitor C1.
The resistors R1 and R2 form a voltage divider, in which a voltage formed at an intermediate node is proportional to the output voltage Vout1. This voltage is coupled to an inverting input of an amplifier 12. A reference voltage Vref1 is coupled to a non-inverting input of the amplifier 12. The amplifier 12 forms an error signal Veao1 that is representative of a difference between the output voltage Vout1 and a desired level for the output voltage Vout1.
The error signal Veao1 is coupled to a non-inverting input of a comparator 14. A periodic ramp signal Vramp1 formed by an oscillator 16 is coupled to an inverting input of the comparator 14. The comparator 14 forms a switch control signal Vsw1 that is coupled to the switch SW1 and to an input of an inverter 18. An output of the inverter 18 is coupled to the switch SW2.
As can be seen from FIG. 1, when the error signal Veao1 is higher than the ramp signal Vramp1, the switch control signal Vsw1 is a logic high voltage. Under these conditions, the switch SW1 is closed and the switch SW2 is open. When the error signal Veao1 is lower than the ramp signal Vramp1, the switch control signal Vsw1 is a logic low voltage. Under these conditions, the switch SW1 is open and the switch SW2 is closed.
The ramp signal Vramp1 rises steadily to a maximum level and then rapidly discharges to a minimum level before the cycle repeats. The error signal Veao1 generally remains between maximum and minimum levels of the ramp signal Vramp1. Thus, for each cycle of the ramp signal Vramp1, the switches SW1 and SW2 cycle between opened and closed.
When the output voltage Vout1 decreases, the error signal Veao1 increases. This increases the duty cycle for the switch SW1 and, thus, increases the output voltage Vout1. When the output voltage Vout1 increases, the error signal Veao1 decreases. This decreases the duty cycle for the switch SW1 and, thus, decreases the output voltage Vout1. Accordingly, the output voltage Vout1 is regulated in a feedback loop.
If the output voltage Vout1 is significantly below the desired level, then the switch SW1 may be closed for a significant portion of the time. As a result, the input current can be of a large magnitude. Further, if the input voltage Vin1 should rise unexpectedly, this can also contribute to a large input current. A large input current may cause damage to elements of the converter, such as the switch SW1. Accordingly, it may be desirable to provide a technique for limiting the input current to the converter.
Therefore, what is needed is a technique for limiting the input current to a voltage converter. It is to these ends that the present invention is directed.
The invention is a current limiting technique for a voltage converter. Parasitic resistance of an inductor in an input path to the converter is used to determine the level of current input to the converter. If the measured current level is excessive, then switching in the converter may be interrupted until the current falls to an acceptable level. Because parasitic resistance is used to detect the input current, rather than a dedicated sensing resistor, fewer components are required. Thus, implementation of the converter and its associated control circuitry is simplified.
In accordance with an aspect of the invention, a modulated input current passes through an inductor of a voltage converter. Associated with the inductor is an inductance value and a parasitic resistance value. An input voltage at a first terminal of the inductor is filtered and compared to an output voltage formed at a second terminal of the inductor. The difference in these values is indicative of a voltage across the parasitic resistor and, thus, is indicative of the input current. When the difference exceeds a predetermined reference level, the input current may be interrupted until the current in the inductor falls to an acceptable level. Current in one or both directions may be monitored for an excessive level. In addition, hysteresis may be employed so as to cause the current in the inductor to fall to a level that is a predetermined amount below the reference level before enabling the input current. Such hysteresis may reduce the frequency in which the input current is interrupted.

Technique for limiting current through a reactive element in a voltage converter


A faucet comprises a base, a spout having a first free end portion for emitting fluid and a second end portion for insertion into a hole of the base, and a sealing and locking device formed at the second end portion. The sealing and locking device includes a tapered portion at the second end portion of the spout, the tapered portion having a tapered outer diameter that decreases toward the second end portion of the spout. The sealing and locking device may further include a groove formed in the spout at the second end portion, and an O-ring adapted to be seated in the groove. Alternatively, the sealing and locking device includes a groove formed in a spout, the groove having a tapered portion with a tapered outer diameter that increases toward the second end portion of the spout, and an O-ring adapted to be seated in the groove. In the alternative embodiment, the exterior surface of the spout at its second end portion, except at the tapered groove, may be straight and untapered.

1. Field of the invention
This invention relates to faucets, and more particularly concerns faucets having inexpensive, strong and reliable spouts, and the installation of such spouts into faucets.
2. Description of the Prior Art which are secured into the threaded bore of a faucet base. Use of such threaded spouts presents certain problems.
First, it tends to be expensive to single point or otherwise thread the spout base as may be required, and similarly it is expensive and sometimes difficult to properly thread brass spouts; particularly thin walled brass spouts.
Second, the conventional threaded spouts require a fairly deep 0-ring groove, which weakens the spout at a point where greatest strength is required, and this may lead to problems. For example, if a saucepan is accidentally swung into such a spout, an impact load is placed on the spout. The stress point on the spout is where the spout enters the body of the faucet base, and this is where the spout is thinnest and weakest. Accordingly, such an impact many times causes spouts to break off the faucet, necessitating that the threaded portion of the spout be dug out of the faucet body to permit a new spout to be installed.
Thickening the walls of the spout in an effort to strengthen the spout is undesirable due to the extra expense for more metal to thicken the walls.

Faucet having an easily installable spout


A method for providing a video includes: (a) acquiring a first main video captured of a first capture space, and a second main video captured of a second capture space including a space other than the first capture space; (b) generating a wide-angle video by combining the plurality of main videos acquired in step (a); (c) acquiring user preference information via a network; (d) calculating a region to be cropped which is a region of the wide-angle video and smaller than the area captured in the wide-angle video, based on the user preference information acquired in step (c); (e) cropping the wide-angle video into the cropping region; and (f) providing, to a user, a cropped video generated by cropping the wide-angle video.

Conventional video content distribution is distributing video content produced by broadcast stations to ordinary households through broadcast waves. Advance in digitizing broadcast enables users to enjoy high-definition videos at high-quality on televisions at ordinary households. Video content of various genres such as a variety program, drama, and sport are produced and distributed.
Meanwhile, with the growing popularity of the broadband environment, services which distribute video content via the Internet are prevalent. For example, Patent Literature (PTL) 1 discloses a server on which video content from individuals can be uploaded and shared. This allows a user to select and view video content uploaded by individuals via the Internet. PTL 2 discloses a system which enables a video captured by a camera to be directly uploaded on the Internet. This allows a user to enjoy playing a distributed live video via the Internet.

Method for providing a video, transmitting device, and receiving device

Panasonic Intellectual Property Corporation of America


A method and system of remotely controlling an implanted stimulator for providing electrical pulses to nerve tissue, comprises an implantable stimulator, an interface unit, and a mobile device such as a modified PDA/cell phone (or pocket PC/cell phone). The implanted stimulator may be for vagus nerve(s), sacral plexus, spinal cord or the like. The implanted stimulator comprises an implanted pulse generator (IPG) and a stimulus-receiver module. Interrogation and programming of the implanted stimulator may be performed remotely via a modified PDA/cell phone over a wide area network. The interface unit at the patient end comprises a telemetry module, and may be part of an external stimulator or a programmer. In one aspect of the invention, in addition to remote interrogation and programming, a patient's clinical data/information, report, and invoicing information can-be retrieved from a server, reviewed, and updated on the modified PDA/cell phone over a wide area network.

Neuromodulation therapy using pulsed electrical stimulation is usually provided by an implanted stimulator or an external stimulator coupled to an implanted stimulus-receiver. The parent application, Ser. No. 09/837,565 is generally directed to wireless communications capability of an external stimulator designed to operate with an implanted stimulus-receiver. This disclosure is directed to wireless communication capability of an implanted stimulator via an interface device, as is depicted in FIGS. 1A-1E The implanted stimulator of the current invention is used to provide electrical pulses or neuromodulation therapy for urological, neurological, neuropsychiatric disorders, obesity and eating disorders, and spinal cord related pain disorders.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method and system of remotely controlling electrical pulses provided to nerve tissue(s) by an implanted stimulator system for neuromodulation therapies


A method and apparatus for processing an image is disclosed, wherein the apparatus for processing the image may set blocks in an input image, perform an orthogonal transform on pixel values in the blocks, obtain orthogonal transform coefficients, and generate a resulting image by normalizing the obtained orthogonal transform coefficients.

1. Field
At least some example embodiments of the following description relate to a method of processing an image based on an orthogonal transform.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent times, developments in smart phone technology has led to growth in authentication applications implemented using a face of a user for authentication. However, authentication using the user face is highly susceptible to complex illumination conditions indoors or outdoors. For example, when a user face is unidentifiable due to dark environments or shadows, an issue may arise authenticating the user face.
Accordingly, a method of generating a facial image of a gradient face has been proposed to solve this issue. The method of generating the facial image of the gradient face includes generating a gradient facial image using an arctan value with respect to a gradient ratio of a horizontal/vertical direction. In the method of generating the facial image of the gradient face, smoothing is performed on an input image for stability in gradient calculation, and a gradient value is calculated using a difference of Gaussian (DoG) operator.

Method and apparatus for processing images


Compositions and methods are provided for treating NF-.kappa.B-related conditions. In particular, the invention provides a stimulus-inducible I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase complex, and components and variants thereof. I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase complex may be used, for example, to identify antibodies and other agents that inhibit or activate signal transduction via the NF-.kappa.B cascade. I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase complex, components thereof and/or such agents may also be used for the treatment of diseases associated with NF-.kappa.B activation.

NF-.kappa.B is a transcription factor that plays a pivotal role in the highly specific pattern of gene expression observed for immune, inflammatory and acute phase response genes, including interleukin 1, interleukin 8, tumor necrosis factor and certain cell adhesion molecules. Like other members of the Rel family of transcriptional activators, NF-.kappa.B is sequestered in an inactive form in the cytoplasm of most cell types. A variety of extracellular stimuli including mitogens, cytokines, antigens, stress inducing agents, UV light and viral proteins initiate a signal transduction pathway that ultimately leads to NF-.kappa.B release and activation. Thus, inhibitors and activators of the signal transduction pathway may be used to alter the level of active NF-.kappa.B, and have potential utility in the treatment of diseases associated with NF-.kappa.B activation.
An important modulator of NF-.kappa.B activation is the inhibitor protein I.kappa.B.alpha., which associates with (and thereby inactivates) NF-.kappa.B in vivo. Stimulus-induced phosphorylation of I.kappa.B.alpha. at serine residues (S32 and S36) renders the inhibitor a target for ubiquitination and subsequent degradation by the proteosome, leading to NF-.kappa.B activation. The induction of I.kappa.B.alpha. phosphorylation is a critical step in NF-.kappa.B activation, and the identification of I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase, as well as proteins that modulate its kinase activity, would further the understanding of the activation process, as well as the development of therapeutic methods.
Several protein kinases have been found to phosphorylate I.kappa.B.alpha. in vitro, including protein kinase A (Ghosh and Baltimore, Nature 344:678-682, 1990), protein kinase C (Ghosh and Baltimore, Nature 344:678-682, 1990) and double stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase (Kumar et al., Proc. Natl. Acad Sci. USA 91:6288-6292, 1994). Constitutive phosphorylation of I.kappa.B.alpha. by casein kinase II has also been observed (see Barroga et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci USA 92:7637-7641, 1995). None of these kinases, however appear to be responsible for in vivo activation of NF-.kappa.B. For example, phosphorylation of I.kappa.B.alpha. in vitro by protein kinase A and protein kinase C prevent its association with NF-.kappa.B, and phosphorylation by double-stranded RNA-dependent protein kinase results in dissociation of NF-.kappa.B. Neither of these conform to the effect of phosphorylation in vivo, where I.kappa.B.alpha. phosphorylation at S32 and S36 does not result in dissociation from NF-.kappa.B.
Other previously unknown proteins with I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase activity have been reported, but these proteins also do not appear to be significant activators in vivo. A putative I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase was identified by Kuno et al., J Biol. Chem. 270:27914-27919, 1995, but that kinase appears to phosphorylate residues in the C-terminal region of I.kappa.B.alpha., rather than the S32 and S36 residues known to be important for in vivo regulation. Diaz-Meco et al., EMBO J 13:2842-2848, 1994 also identified a 50 kD I.kappa.B kinase, with uncharacterized phosphorylation sites. Finally, Chen et al, Cell 84:853-862, 1996 identified a kinase that phosphorylates I.kappa.B.alpha., but that kinase was identified using a non-physiological inducer of I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase activity and requires the addition of exogenous factors for in vitro phosphorylation.
Accordingly, there is a need in the art for an I.kappa.B.alpha. kinase that possesses the substrate specificity and other properties of the in vivo kinase. There is also a need for improved methods for modulating the activity of proteins involved in activation of NF-.kappa.B, and for treating diseases associated with NF-.kappa.B activation. The present invention fulfills these needs and further provides other related advantages.

Stimulus-inducible protein kinase complex and methods of use therefor


A sampling device and method for collection of sebum secreted by a person for determination of the person's skin oil characteristics includes a sampling element having a backing member of liquid impervious material. An absorbent material is disposed upon the backing member for absorbing sebum secreted by a person's skin, the absorbent material defining an absorption surface. A device is provided for disposing the absorption surface in contact with a region of the person's skin during the predetermined sampling period. The element is sealed within a liquid impervious pouch formed at least in part of the backing member during transport of the collected sebum to a site for measurement. A method for collection of sebum for selection of facial cosmetics of complementary formula is also described, including the step of providing a line of facial cosmetics formulated with oil and the like present at stepped levels preselected to complement a range of sebum production.

The invention relates to determination of a person's sebum secretion level for selection of facial cosmetics of complementary formulation.
It has been observed that the rate at which sebum, i.e. skin oil, is produced and secreted upon the surface of the skin varies from person to person. As a result, facial cosmetics formulated for skin with average sebum production, i.e. so-called "normal" skin, are not suited for use by a person with lower or higher sebum production, i.e. so-called "dry" or "oily" skin. It has beer thought to adjust facial cosmetic formulations to accommodate different levels of sebum production by varying the level of oil and the like, i.e. mineral oil, petrolatum, glycerine, etc., in the formulation to compensate for skin oil secretion, e.g. formulas having lower levels of oil and the like, or oil-free formulas, may be provided in cosmetics labelled for persons with "oily" skin. Cosmetics labelled as being formulated for "dry" skin may include relatively higher levels of oil and the like to help moisturize and protect the skin. The terms "very oily" and "very dry" have also been used.
Others have sought to quantify sebum production. For example, Strauss and Pochi, writing in The Journal of Investigative Dermatology (Vol. 36, 1961), described a procedure for quantitative gravimetric determination of sebum production. Tur et al. U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,933 describes a device for determining skin type, on the basis of sebum content of the skin, and skin surface topography by microscopic examination of an electrostatically charged printing stamp. Miller U.S. Pat. No. 4,532,937 describes a sebum collection device consisting of an open-celled, microporous, hydrophobic polymeric film applied to the surface of the skin with a thin layer of pressure sensitive adhesive. It is suggested that the level of sebum secretion may be determined by examination of translucent patterns in the film, or by solvent extraction. Hofke et al. U.S. Pat. No. 4,623,793 describes a battery-powered device for determining skin type by measurement of the level of monochromatic light passing through a sample.

Method and apparatus for determining sebum production for selection of cosmetics of complementary formulation


A pyrazine derivative of the following formula (I):

Adenosine is a ubiquitous biochemical messenger. Adenosine binds to and activates seven-transmembrane spanning G-protein coupled receptors, eliciting a variety of physiological responses. Adenosine receptors are divided into four known subtypes (i.e., A1, A2a, A2b, and A3). These receptor subtypes mediate different, and sometimes opposing, effects. Activation of the adenosine A1 receptor, for example, elicits an increase in renal vascular resistance, while activation of the adenosine A2a receptor elicits a decrease in renal vascular resistance. Accordingly, adenosine antagonists are useful in the prevention and/or treatment of numerous diseases, including cardiac and circulatory disorders, degenerative disorders of the central nervous system, respiratory disorders, and many diseases for which diuretic treatment is suitable.
Some 2-aminopyridine compounds to exhibit adenosine receptor antagonism are known (WO 02/14282, WO 01/25210, etc.), and some 2-aminopyrimidine compounds are also known (US 2001/0027196, etc.).
However, it is generally difficult to produce a pyrazine which is substituted by four different substituents, and for example the synthesis of a pyrazine compound of the formula A:
                wherein Ar and Ar′ are independently same or different aryl; and                    R, R′ and M are independently hydrogen or suitable substituent;is reported (e.g. (1) J. Org. Chem., 40, 2341 (1975), (2) J. Heterocyclic Chem., 15, 665 (1978), (3) J. Chem. Soc., Perkin Trans. 1, 885 (1994), (4) Synthesis, 931 (1994), (5) WO-02/088084, etc.), however the Ar and Ar′ thereof are same, and the selective synthesis of a pyrazine compound A wherein Ar and Ar′ are different is not shown as far as we know, and 2-amino-6-aryl-5-(6-oxo-1,6-dihydro-pyrid-3-yl)-pyrazine compounds and derivatives thereof are novel, so there has been no knowledge about these compounds, so far. In addition, any pyrazine derivatives having both of adenosine A1 and A2a inhibitory activities are not known.

Pyrazine derivatives and pharmaceutical use thereof

Abstract: or a salt thereof.

Abstract: The pyrazine compound (I) and a salt thereof of the present invention are adenosine antagonists and are useful for the prevention and/or treatment of depression, dementia (e.g. Alzheimer's disease, cerebrovascular dementia, dementia accompanying Parkinson's disease, etc.), Parkinson's disease, anxiety, pain, cerebrovascular disease (e.g. stroke, etc.), heart failure and the like.


A zoom lens system according to the present invention, from an object side to an image side, comprises a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power. In zooming, the first to the fourth lens units all move along the optical axis. The condition (8): 0.15<dG3/dG<0.27 is satisfied (where, 16<fT/fW, ω>35; dG3 is an optical axial center thickness of the third lens unit; dG is a sum of the optical axial thicknesses of the first to the fourth lens units; ω is a half view angle at a wide-angle limit; fT is a focal length of the entire system at a telephoto limit; and fW is a focal length of the entire system at a wide-angle limit). As a result, the zoom lens system has a reduced size and still realizes a wide view angle at a wide-angle limit, as well as a remarkably high zooming ratio and high performance.

Remarkably strong demands are present for improved performance of cameras such as digital still cameras and digital video cameras (simply referred to as digital cameras, hereinafter) provided with an image sensor for performing photoelectric conversion. In particular, in order that a single digital camera should be capable of covering a wide focal length range from a wide-angle condition to a high telephoto condition, cameras employing a zoom lens system having a remarkably high zooming ratio are strongly demanded from a convenience point of view. Further, in recent years, zoom lens systems are also desired that have a wide angle range where the photographing field is wide.
As zoom lens systems having high zooming ratios and suitable for the above-mentioned digital cameras, for example, the following zoom lens systems have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-171655 discloses an image-taking optical system at least comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein any of the lens unit intervals is changed so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the ratio between the focal length of the third lens unit and the focal length of the fourth lens unit and the ratio between the focal length of the first lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit are set forth.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-184413 discloses an image-taking optical system at least comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein at least the first lens unit is moved so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the ratio between the distance from the surface located on the most image-taking object side in the first lens unit at a wide-angle limit to the image formation surface and the focal length of the entire optical system at a telephoto limit and the ratio between the focal length of the first lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit are set forth.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-184416 discloses an image-taking optical system at least comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein any of the lens unit intervals is changed so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the ratio between the focal length of the first lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit, the ratio between the ratio of the focal length of the second lens unit at a telephoto limit and at a wide-angle limit and the ratio of the focal length of the entire optical system at a telephoto limit and at a wide-angle limit, and the ratio between the magnification of the third lens unit at a telephoto limit and the magnification of the third lens unit at a wide-angle limit are set forth.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-189598 discloses an image-taking optical system at least comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein the third lens unit at least includes two positive optical power lenses and one negative optical power lens, wherein at least the second, the third, and the fourth lens units are moved so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the ratio between the focal length of the first lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit, the ratio between the focal length of the negative optical power lens in the third lens unit and the focal length of the third lens unit, and the refractive index of the negative optical power lens in the third lens unit are set forth.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-003554 discloses a variable magnification optical system at least comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein at least the first and the third lens units are moved so that variable magnification is achieved, wherein in this magnification change, the first lens unit is moved to the object side, and wherein the ratio between the amount of relative movement of the second lens unit at the time of magnification change and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit, the ratio between the focal length of the first lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit, and the ratio between the focal length of the third lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a telephoto limit are set forth.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-010695 discloses a variable magnification optical system at least comprising a first lens unit having positive optical power, a second lens unit having negative optical power, a third lens unit having positive optical power, and a fourth lens unit having positive optical power, wherein at least the first lens unit is moved so that variable magnification is achieved, and wherein the ratio between the focal length of the first lens unit and the focal length of the entire optical system at a wide-angle limit and the average refractive index to the d-line of all lenses in the second lens unit are set forth.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-171655    Patent Document 2: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-184413    Patent Document 3: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-184416    Patent Document 4: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2006-189598    Patent Document 5: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-003554    Patent Document 6: Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2007-010695

Zoom lens system, imaging device and camera


A method is provided for the control of obesity comprising administering to a mammal including humans suffering from obesity an acetylcholine esterase reactivator or prodrug derivative thereof optionally in association with an acetylcholine receptor antagonist.

The present invention is directed to a method for the control and/or treatment of obesity.
It is well understood that obesity is a widespread problem. Obesity is linked to a variety of medical conditions including hypertension, diabetes, cardiovascular disease, etc. obesity is also linked to a variety of psychological maladjustments. By contemporary medical standards an obese person is judged to be overweight by at least 10 percent. At present, only a limited number of treatments are available to treat obesity. Exemplary treatments are disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,867,539 (administration of histidine); 4,446,138 (administration of L-Dopa); 4,588,724 (administration of beta adrenergic stimulant or alpha-2 adrenergic inhibitor); 4,745,122 (administration of paroxetine); 5,019,594 (sympathomimetic drug and tyrosine); 5,300,298 (administration of 8-phenylxanthines); 5,403,851 (tryptamine); 5,567,714 (administration of neuropeptide Y); 5,573,774 (nicotinic metabolites); and 5,578,613 (administration of 2-phenyl-3-aroylbenzothiophenes). Amphetamine has also been used as an appetite suppressant.
Unfortunately, none of the above methods of treatment have been very successful. While such treatments may bring short-term relief to the person, long-term success has not been easily achieved. The cessation of tobacco use has frequently contributed to weight gain. Also, comorbid addictions, stress, psychiatric disorders and environmental factors may exacerbate the difficulty encountered by a particular person in alleviating obesity. It is believed, for example, that xenobiotic toxic agents such as pesticides, insecticides, fungicides, oxidants, solvents and other environmental toxins encountered by the person by various means (e.g., via drinking water and/or food impurities, etc.) may contribute to the inability of the person to control obesity.

Synapse Pharmaceuticals International, Inc.


Systems and techniques for locating a radio transmission source by scene reconstruction are described herein. A multipath radio signal—comprised of two or more multipath components—may be received at an antenna array. A collection of angle-of-arrival (AoA) values may be created from the multipath components. Thus, each AoA in the collection corresponds to one of the multipath components. An optical image of the environment may be obtained and possible reflective surfaces for the multipath components identified in the optical image. A set of paths may be created in a model of the environment by backtracking from the antenna array along the AoAs in the collection of AoA values. Here, the backtracking simulates reflections of the ray off of the surfaces identified in the optical image. A transmitter of the multipath radio signal may then be located via the set of paths.

The topic of indoor positioning using radios has been explored in both the academia and the industry. For example, in wireless local area networks (WLAN), such as IEEE 802.11 compliant networks, different location estimation approaches have been proposed. Many techniques are based on fingerprinting, received signal strength indicator (RSSI), estimated angle of arrival (AoA), or Time of Flight (ToF) of radio signals from transmitter to receiver. Fingerprint based approaches often involve an offline measurement campaign, where RSSIs between a station (STA) and multiple access points (APs) are recorded in the form of a vector and associated to the STA location. Location estimation is often performed by matching the STA RSSI measurements with all recorded RSSIs vectors and finding the location with the best match. In RSSI based approaches, RSSI measurements between a STA and multiple APs are obtained by the STA. Distance between a STA and multiple APs is estimated using a propagation model and STA location is estimated using triangulation techniques. In AoA approaches, multiple multiple-input-multiple-output (MIMO) APs estimate the AoA of the line of sight (LOS) components of a STA transmission. Different AoA estimates from multiple APs are combined to perform localization. Additionally, in ToF based approaches, ToF information reported by WLAN cards is used to estimate distance between a STA and multiple APs. Once distance is estimated, triangulation techniques may be used to perform localization.
Indoor position may also be accomplished using visual techniques, such as scene reconstruction. Creating a scene-model based on visual sensors may be divided in two categories: passive sensing or active sensing. Active sensing generally uses light projected into the scene to obtain temporal coding or geometric structural elements in the scene. This may enable depth estimation, which may lead to computing the whole scene's Euclidean metric via structured point clouds, for example. There are many principles, variations, and products based on active vision, most of them rely on image projection by enriching the scene with arbitrary random texture facilitating triangulation of points via two-dimensional (2D) image feature correlation or by casting structured mosaics to infer surface-shape via pattern deformation. Active methods are useful but are often restricted to a limited sensing range and restricted to indoor environments.
Passive sensing generally involves capturing images and processing them to obtain three-dimensional (3D) scene models without altering the environment in any manner (e.g., without projecting a pattern into the environment). Thus, these techniques are often able to operate at larger ranges than active techniques as wells as in outdoor environments. However, passive sensing generally depends on the appearance (e.g., texture, color, border, etc.) of the scene to estimate the 3D structure by, for example, a mathematical mean (e.g., average) of point-to-point triangulation between views obtained either by a single moving camera (e.g., structure-from-motion) or from multiple inter-calibrated cameras (e.g., stereoscopic vision, trifocal system, etc.). Passive scene reconstruction may be difficult when, for example, point clouds are sparse, which is typical, leading to difficulty in distinguishing 3D surfaces from the point clouds. This scenario may be common because there are many surfaces in common scenarios lacking texture or distinctive appearance features. This makes it difficult to obtain reliable 3D information from monotone homogeneous surfaces such as light walls, darks textiles, etc.

Locating radio transmission source by scene reconstruction