The invention provides a restricting device for a closure including a vent hingedly connected to a frame, the restricting device comprising a plate (1,4) for mounting on a frame, an arm (7) for pivotally mounting on a vent and means for releasably interengaging the arm and the plate, wherein, in use, when the plate and the arm are interengaged, the closure can only be opened a predetermined distance. The means for releasably interengaging the arm and the plate comprise a resilient means (2) adapted to engage a locking pin (5). The engagement between the arm and the plate is released by means of a release means, for example a key (6,6′;6″), which is separate from the rest of the device. A preferred embodiment of the invention provides means (16,17; 18, 20) for preventing over-rotation of the key beyond a position in which the resilient means is in an optimum release position. The device is simple to use and has the advantage that it is detachable.

Windows often include a vent connected to a frame by a hinge. This arrangement enables the window to be opened widely. However, it is often desirable to be able to restrict the extent to which this type of window can be opened during normal use for reasons of safety and security. Any device for restricting the opening of a window during normal use must also allow the window to be opened fully when required, for example for cleaning or in the case of a fire.
Although a number of restricting devices have been suggested in the prior art, many of such devices are complicated to manufacture and difficult to use. In particular, many of the prior art restricting devices have to be incorporated when a vent is manufactured or hung, and cannot be added to restrict the movement of a vent that is already in place.


A continuous temperature sensing cable formed of a polymer containing conductive and semi-conductive fillers such as polyethylene with carbon black, powdered metals and metal oxides. The composition is extruded over a pair of elongated substantially parallel conductors which are spaced apart along the longitudinal length of the cable. The conductors are single-endedly connected to a control/alarm device for monitoring the continuous length of the temperature sensing cable. A critical voltage is applied single-endedly to the conductors and serially connected to an audible alarm to detect tunneling conduction when operated at a temperature near the melt temperature of the composition whereat the composition exhibits a negative temperature coefficient (NTC).

This invention pertains to the art of temperature sensing cable apparatus and more particularly to temperature sensitive cable extrudates using polymers containing conductive and semi-conductive fillers. The invention is specifically applicable to continuous fire alarm cable systems for use with residential and commercial buildings or the like. It will be appreciated, though, that the invention has broader applications such as industrial manufacturing processes and other overheat detecting systems.
Fire alarm cabling and flame detecting devices typically include at least one pair of longitudinal electrical conductors impregnated within the cable itself. Thomas, in U.S. Pat. No. 2,483,793 discloses a fire alarm cable of the type broadly described above but further including short alternating readily combustible and non-combustible lengths of insulation. Low voltage current, derived from a step-down transformer, is provided at one node to a single common longitudinal conductor which extends throughout the length of the alarm cable. The other node of the step-down transformer is connected first to an audible alarm or bell and then, in turn, to a plurality of insulated longitudinal conductors which are made to lie in parallel with the common conductor for the length of the cable. Upon the occurrence of a fire, a portion of the cable is made to be consumed by the flames in order to melt and eventually sever the common conductor which in turn droops making contact with at least one of the plurality of parallel insulated wires. Such construction may be used to provide a crude estimation of an approximate location of the fire causing an alarm. However, the manufacture of such cable is difficult and the costs involved are accordingly high.
A flame and overheat detecting system is described in U.S. Pat. No. 2,941,192 to Postal. The cabling described there has an exterior protective metal sheath as of nickel-iron, a center longitudinal wire as of copper-clad nickel-iron, and a temperature-responsive electronic semiconductor filler material between the sheath and the longitudinal center wire. The filler material is essentially an insulator at low temperatures and a conductor at overheat or flame temperatures. The semi-conductive materials may comprise p-type semiconductors, including oxides of CO, Mn, Ni, Cr, and Cu, and the n-type semiconductors, including the oxides of Ti, Fe, or Ba, as well as mixtures thereof. Although such cabling has met with limited success, the complicated fabricating techniques involved, including the step of heating the cable to sinter the semi-conductive material for adequate electrical contact between the components and to reduce the oxygen content of the semiconductor to achieve the level of resistivity desired, has contributed to a higher overall cost.
Middleman, et al. in U.S. Pat. No. 4,352,083 discloses circuit protection devices having two columnar electrodes and a conductive polymer element, a part of which is a PTC element. The Middleman, et al. devices comprising PTC elements have been proposed to protect circuits against fault conditions arising from excessive temperatures and/or circuit currents. In general, electrical heaters comprising PTC elements used in this manner operate in a positive temperature coefficient range of electrical resistance. A material exhibits the positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistance when the electrical resistance of the material increases as the temperature of the material increases. The increase in temperature may be a result of either rise in ambient temperature surrounding the composition or by reason of resistive heating caused by the passage of electrical current through the composition. In this manner, current delivered to electronic circuits of the like may be regulated in order to protect those circuits against fault conditions. A material exhibits a negative temperature coefficient of electrical resistance when the electrical resistance of the material decreases as the temperature of the material increases.
The Middleman, et al. devices operate exclusively in the PTC region and are formed having constricted intermediate portions of relatively small cross-section to avoid the creation of localized "hot zones" as large proportions of the voltage drop of the PTC element nearly always takes place over a very small portion of the element.
Self-regulating electrically semi-conductive compositions, in the form of extruded flexible electrical cables, are often used in resistive heating, heat sensing, and circuit-breaking applications. For example, heating cables incorporating these compositions may be used for freeze protection of pipes and for maintenance of flow characteristics of viscous fluids in pipes and storage containers.
A popular class of self-regulating compositions which exhibit positive temperature coefficients of resistance are thermoplastic compositions comprising electrically conductive particles, such as carbon black, dispersed throughout a polymeric base. The resulting composition may be viewed as a polymeric matrix foundation within which is located an interconnected array of conductive channels formed from these carbon particles.
It has been theorized that the positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistance behavior of these compositions over a limited region of operation is caused by the expansion of the polymeric matrix at a rate which is greater than the rate of expansion of the conductive channels. The expansion of the polymeric matrix causes an increase, or other alteration, of the spacial relationship between the electrically conductive particles in a manner which causes the electrical resistance of the polymeric composition to increase. This increase in the electrical resistance (R) of the polymeric composition, for a fixed electrical potential (V) placed across the composition, causes the electrical current (I) passing through the composition to be reduced. Thus, the amount of heat generated by the passage of the electrical current through the resistive composition, given by relationship that heat (power dissipated) equals I.sup.2 R, or equivalently, V.sup.2 /R, is also reduced. Conversely, a decrease in the temperature of the matrix causes the matrix to contract, which places the conductive particles or channels in closer proximity to one another. This reduced spacing between conductive channels decreases the electrical resistance (R) of the polymeric composition which, in turn, causes the electrical current (I) to increase with a corresponding increase in heat generation.
An alternate theory, which does not depend on the expansion and contraction of the polymeric composition, explains the positive temperature coefficient of electrical resistance region of operation in terms of the amount of crystallinity present in the polymeric composition. According to this theory, the increase in the electrical resistance of the composition as the temperature of the composition increases may arise as a result of the reorientation of the crystalline-amorphic boundaries within the polymeric composition. This reorientation of the boundaries tends to electrically insulate the conductive particles (or groups of electrically conductive particles) from one another. The more effective insulation of the individual conductive components of the composition on the microscopic level contributes to the increase of electrical resistance of the composition on the macroscopic level.
Additional information on the general theory of how extruded semi-conductive polymers work may be in U.S. Pat. No. 4,200,973 entitled "METHOD OF MAKING SELF-TEMPERATURE REGULATING ELECTRICAL HEATING CABLE", issued to Farkas; U.S. Pat. No. 3,914,363 entitled "METHOD OF FORMlNG SELF-LIMITING CONDUCTIVE EXTRUDATES", issued to Bedard, et al.; U.S. Pat. No. 3,823,217 entitled "RESISTIVITY VARIANCE REDUCTION" issued to Kampe; and U.S. Pat. No. 5,057,673 to Farkas, et al, entitled "SELF-CURRENT-LIMITING DEVICES AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME".
The disclosure of each of the patents and all other materials referred to above is incorporated by reference herein.
Methods of making polymeric compositions of the type described above generally comprise a variety of process steps. The method steps often include: extruding the mixed compositions; applying shape retaining jackets to the compositions; annealing the compositions at or above their melt point temperatures; cross-linking the polymeric components with radiation; and, lastly annealing a second time. These steps, in a variety of combinations, are typical of procedures used in the production of semi-conductive polymeric compositions containing amount of carbon black ranging from less than about ten percent (10%) to greater than about seventy-five percent (75%) of the total weight of the composition. In most cases, the first annealing step takes up to twenty four hours after which the composition is radiated to cross-link the polymeric components. A post-irradiation annealing step may be selectively employed to further relax the polymeric matrix to achieve thermal stability and achieve electrical volume resistivities at room temperature in the range of from about five to one-hundred thousand ohm-cm. These steps, and the additional time required to perform the steps, further add costs to the end product. More importantly, the additional expenditures in performing the steps after extrusion are solely directed to improving the positive temperature coefficient characteristics of the polymeric compositions within which range the prior devices are confined to operate.
Accordingly, it has been deemed desirable to produce a cost-effective temperature sensing cable which is easy to manufacture without regard for good PTC characteristics, with an ability to identify an overheat event and its location, and operable in a region of NTC.

Temperature sensing cable device and method of making same


The invention relates to the use of one piece foldable boxes in the area of packaging, in particular the use of a single piece foldable and disposable boxes for the packaging of cat litter material. The invention employs a novel cover and hinge member that folds beneath the lower portion of the box for storage. The box effectively seals the contents while in a closed position with double wall thickness and a latching mechanism that doubles as a carrying device on larger boxes. The design permits uniformity of tolerance throughout box sizes and construction materials. The box includes a lower box body (or base), four side walls integrally attached to the base, and a cover (or top) with three sides that is connected to the lower box body by a novel hinge member that creates a fourth side wall to the cover only when the box is in a closed position.

The invention relates to the use of foldable boxes in the field of packaging wherein a lower box body and a cover to the lower box body is created from a single piece of material with strategically placed fold lines forming a unitary construction between the lower box body and the cover by means of a connecting hinge. In particular, the invention encompasses the use of single piece foldable boxes for packaging of cat litter.
Typically, a single piece foldable box is used for the packaging/display of small costume jewelry and is customarily called a display box. Such a display box includes a lower box body (or base), four side walls integrally attached to the base, and a cover (or top) with four walls integrally attached to the cover, further connected to the lower box body by a hinge member. An example of such a single piece display package is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 2,317,203--Kurhan. Such a foldable box is created from a single piece of material, such as cardboard, with intricately shaped components employing fold lines stamped at predetermined locations. The components are folded at the fold lines in a series of steps thereby creating the intended display package configuration. The completed box provides unitary construction by connecting the lower box body and the cover by a non-detachable hinge.
The benefit of the display box is made apparent when it is used for storage and display of costume jewelry. A jeweler can store merchandise within the box and reveal the contents of the box in the customary fashion by removal of the cover. However, since the top is an integral part of the structure of the one piece foldable box, the complete removal and possible loss of the cover is prevented. A further advantage of one piece display packages is the use of the cover as a stand, whereby the merchandise in the box can be displayed at an inclined angle by placement of the lower box body upon the cover. Still another advantage of one piece construction is the manufacturing aspect, wherein materials required for design, construction, and storage consist of a single piece of material.
The disadvantages of the one piece foldable packaging of the prior art is the inflexibility of design making the one piece box only practical for small items. The inherent design problems are especially noticeable on large boxes, for a fourth side wall of the cover makes the connecting hinge member's utility prohibitive. For example, a cover with four side walls requires sufficient tolerance between the box walls and the encompassing cover walls so that the cover will fit over the lower box body while maintaining the hinge member's integrity. If the cover has a tight tolerance, the hinge member will prevent placement of the cover over the lower box body unless the hinge is sufficiently flexible to allow the cover to be raised over the lip of the box.
The present invention is a significant improvement in the art of single piece foldable boxes, wherein one improvement permits a single piece box to be utilized for larger packaging requirements that are currently impractical, if not impossible, with present designs. The invention is similar to the display package for it is created from a single piece of material (preferably cardboard) with intricately cut components and strategically placed fold lines stamped at predetermined locations. The invention includes a lower box body (or base), four side walls integrally attached to the base, and a cover (or top) with three walls integrally attached to the cover, and further connected to the lower box body by a novel hinge member. The hinge member creates a fourth end wall to the cover only when the cover is in a closed position.
The present invention overcomes the limitations of size and/or material restrictions incurred within the field by use of the novel hinge member which creates a fourth end wall to the cover only when the cover is in a "closed position". Upon opening the cover, the fourth wall, which is formed by an integral section of the hinge member, folds upon itself into a position directly beneath the lower box body. Since the invention is not dependant on size, the cover and attached hinge member can be stored completely beneath the lower box body thus allowing the packaging of materials not capable of being stored by the prior art.


Provided is a method of controlling a home hub in a virtual group that may provide a geographical boundary about the virtual group by associating an identifier of a network of a virtual group included in an access point list with a name of the virtual group and a name of the home hub managing the virtual group, and may provide a terminal which moves to a visited virtual group with information about a network of the visited virtual group, thereby facilitating recognition of a virtual group and content sharing.

1. Field
The following description relates to a method of controlling a mobile terminal, a home hub, and a visited hub, and more particularly, to a method of controlling a terminal, a home hub, and a visited hub in a virtual group for content sharing.
2. Description of Related Art
Contents may be shared smoothly and conveniently between devices of group members or other virtual groups when a content sharing service is provided between devices of group members configuring each virtual group.

Method of controlling mobile terminal, home hub, and visited hub in virtual group for content sharing


A hydrogen supply device and a method of supplying hydrogen are provided in which a hydrogen gas odorized with the odor agent is supplied by applying heat to a granular mixture of hydrogen storage glass beads and odor agent encapsulating capsules using irradiation with infrared light emitted from a light source.

Conventionally hydrogen gas is widely stored, for example, by compressing hydrogen gas and filling in a flask, or by storing in a hydrogen absorbing alloy or hydrogen absorbing material capable of storing hydrogen.
As well as the above hydrogen absorbing alloys and the like, hydrogen storage glass capable of storing hydrogen is also known as a hydrogen storage material. Specifically, disclosure has been made of storing hydrogen in fine hollow glass spheres, and releasing the stored hydrogen by applying heat and light thereto (see, for example, "Photo-Induced Hydrogen outgassing of glass", Douglas B. Rapp and James E. Shelby, Journal of Non Crystalline Solids 349 (2004), pages 254 to 259).
However, since hydrogen is a colorless and odorless gas, it is generally very difficult to detect hydrogen leakage. Accordingly, in order to detect hydrogen leaks, a component for odorizing hydrogen (referred to below as an odor agent) is mixed with the hydrogen.
Generally, when the odor agent is mixed in, odor is added to the hydrogen by mixing the odor agent directly into the gaseous hydrogen. However, when the stored hydrogen is released, the strength of the smell needs to be controlled according to the amount of hydrogen released. Conventionally, either the strength of the smell is not controlled, or, in order to adjust the strength of smell, a new component such as a control valve for controlling the concentration was used when the odor agent is mixed in.
Even when using the above described hydrogen storage glass, the hydrogen diffuses out since the hydrogen storage glass contains small pores. However, large molecules like those of the odor agent are not able to permeate through these pores. In terms of results, the hydrogen storage glass does not control the strength of smell, or it is needed to provide a new separate component for control.
Hydrogen absorbing alloys are capable of absorbing hydrogen, but are not capable of absorbing the odor agent together with hydrogen by absorbing the odor agent.

Hydrogen supply device and method of supplying hydrogen


An illumination device comprises a housing (5) with a plurality of compartments (3), each compartment comprising a respective light emission window (15), a light source (11), and a stack of crossed prismatic sheets (10). Light issued by the light source during operation is made to propagate through the prismatic sheets and subsequently through the light emission window. The orientation of the stack of sheets is different for each compartment, thus causing each compartment to issue a different beam of light. The light source of each compartment is separately switchable, thus enabling easy setting of the type of beam issued form the illumination device. Optionally a diffuser (17, 23) is provided at one side or at both sides of the stack of prismatic sheets to enhance the homogeneity of the issued light.

Such an illumination device is known from WO2009099547. The known illumination device has LEDs as a light source and is a thin double-collimating light distributing device for use in a variety of general lighting applications, especially those benefiting from a slim design. Output illumination from these slim-profile illumination devices has a prescribed degree of angular collimation in each of its two orthogonal output meridians and a square or rectangular far field illumination pattern. One form of known illumination device features a single input light emitter and a single square output aperture. A second multi-segment form of the known illumination device deploys one light emitter in each engine segment, so that the total output lumens is determined by the number of segments. Both types of slim illumination devices provide input light collimated in one meridian and comprise a light distributing element that maintains input collimation while collimating output light in the un-collimated orthogonal meridian, in such a manner that the device's far-field output light is collimated in both its orthogonal output meridians. The known illumination device also includes especially structured optical films that process the engine's double-collimated output illumination so as to increase its angular extent in one or both output meridians, with maintenance of the type of beam. Although the known illumination device renders a spatially uniform light beam with sharp cutoff outside the system's adjustable far-field angular cone, it has the disadvantage that adjustment of the pre-set type of beam to a desired type of beam is rather cumbersome and has to be done by internal design, for example by addition of reflectors, and/or angular tilts.

Illumination device, luminaire and lighting system


When an application server for performing a Web application is developed, a framework describing each of the modules of data, a logic, and a screen is provided. To attain this, the input contents of a Web page are converted into a data object, the combination of the type of the data object and a command is mapped in each process routine using a first foreign definition file, a process routine to be executed is determined from among prepared process logics based on the type of the data object, the command, and the first foreign definition file, and the combination of an execution result of the process logic and the type of the displaying data object is mapped in the displaying component using a second foreign definition file. These files are provided in the application server.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the technology of improving the efficiency and maintenance in developing business application software for processing a key job of a company.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a business application such as a data entry system, work flow system, etc., the data managed by a database server 12 is manipulated by a client 13 through an application server 11 shown in FIG. 1. Recently, these business applications have been realized as Web applications.
Conventionally, various attempts have been made to develop the application server 11 for controlling a Web browser. A typical example is the application server 11 using Servlet and JSP (Java Server Pages).
The application server 11 using Servlet is realized by describing an HTML (HyperText Markup Language) 21 for prescription of a screen display, screen data 22, a logic 23 (handling an input on a screen, checking input data, processing data, transmitting data to the database server 12, etc.) as one module as shown in FIG. 2.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 3, the application server 11 using the JSP can be realized by describing screen data 32 stored in an object named Java Bean (Java and Java Beans are registered trademarks of Sun Microsystems Incorporated) and a module including an HTML 31 and a logic 33, or describing a module including an HTML 31′ and a Java Bean object storing screen data 32′ and logic 33′.
Since a large volume of data is normally processed in a business application, the application server 11 is realized by describing data (screen data), a logic, a screen (HTML, etc.) separately in a module unit at a request to re-use each module. However, as shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, it has been difficult to separate these modules in the application server 11 according to the conventional technology such as the Servlet, the JSP, etc.

System for designing and performing web application


Disclosed is an architecture and method for high speed transmission over a four-wire subscriber line. Each modem in the present invention includes a V.90 transmit section and a V.90 receive section. The V.90 transmit section is dedicated to transmitting data over one pair of a four-wire subscriber line, while the V.90 receive section is dedicated to receiving data over the other pair of the four-wire subscriber line. The present invention permits full-duplex transmission at 56 Kbps over a four-wire subscriber line.

The present invention relates to data communications and, more particularly, to high speed data communications over a four-wire subscriber line.
The present invention is concerned with data communications over four-wire subscriber lines. Subscriber line communication equipment typically operates over switched two-wire connections that are limited to half-duplex or asymmetrical communication, i.e. transmission, or high-speed transmission, in only one direction at a time between endpoints of the connection. Full-duplex transmission, i.e. simultaneous transmission in both directions between endpoints, is possible using four-wire subscribe lines. Four-wire subscriber lines, also known as private leased lines (PLLs), are non-switched lines through the public telephone network that are typically leased by an end user, or subscriber, for a dedicated communication link between two endpoints. Each four-wire subscriber line is composed of two pairs of conductors, one pair for each direction of communication. A modem adapted for use with four-wire lines terminates each end of the communications link.
FIG. 1 is an architecture diagram illustrating an example of a conventional four-wire communications link 10 between a subscriber""s end points. Modems 22 and 42 are customer premises equipment (CPE) located at the customer""s facilities and connected to the customer""s data termination equipment (DTE) devices 20 and 40, respectively. A four-wire subscriber line connects modems 22 and 42 through the PSTN. A first pair of lines 32A and 32B provides the transmit pair from transmit terminals (TX) for modem 22 to receive terminals RX for modem 42. Similarly, a second pair of lines 34A and 34B provides the transmit pair from transmit terminals (TX) of modem 42 to receive terminals (RX) of modem 22.
Modems 22 and 42 are data communications equipment (DCE) and have a series of lines for interfacing with their respective DTE devices. In the example of FIG. 1, the lines are specified by the RS-232C/V.24 standard. A transmit data (TD) line of each modem receives data from a data output terminal of the corresponding DTE for transmission to the modem at the other end of the communications link. Likewise, data received by each modem over the communications link is output to a data input terminal of the corresponding DTE over the receive data (RD) line. A data transmit control terminal of the DTE is connected to a request-to-send (RTS) line of the modem and signals the modem that the DTE is about to send data to the modem over the TD line. For example, when modem 22 receives an active signal from DTE device 20 connected to its RTS line, modem 22 transmits a carrier signal to modem 42 over a first pair of lines 32A and 32B. Once the connection with the modem 42 is established, modem 22 will modulate the carrier signal on the first pair of lines 32A and 32B with data received from DTE device 20 on the TD line of modem 22. Modem 42 receives the modulated signal transmitted on the first pair of lines 32A and 32B, demodulates the received signal to obtain the data signal, and outputs the received data over its RD line to DTE device 40.
Likewise, when modem 22 senses a carrier signal transmitted on a second pair of lines 34A and 34B, it activates a carrier detect (CD), line connected to a data input control terminal of DTE device 20. Modem 22 demodulates the signal received over the second pair of lines 34A and 34B to obtain the data signal from modem,42 and outputs the received data over its RD line connected to a data input terminal of DTE device 20.
Some transmission protocols, such as the International Telephone Union (ITU) V.34 standard, are configured to accommodate full-duplex transmission, i.e. simultaneous transmission in both directions, over a four-wire subscriber line. However, the maximum data rate for V.34 is limited to 33.6 kilobits-per-second (Kbps). Many higher speed protocols, such as the V.90 standard, which is capable of a 56 Kbps transmission rate, are not configured to accommodate full-duplex transmission.
Therefore, the need remains for an approach that provides for high speed transmission over a four-wire subscriber line.
In accordance with preferred embodiments of the present invention, some of the problems associated with data transmission over four-wire subscriber lines in the prior art are overcome.
An embodiment of a communication system for transmitting data over a four-wire subscriber line, according to the present invention, includes a first data terminal device having a data output control terminal, a data output terminal, a data input control terminal and a data input terminal. The system also includes a first modem having a receive section and a transmit section. The receive section of the first modem has first and second line input terminals for coupling to a first pair of wires of the four-wire subscriber line, a receive control output terminal coupled to the data input control terminal of the first data terminal device for outputting a signal to the first data terminal device when a first encoded data signal is present on the first pair of wires, and a receive data output terminal coupled to the data input terminal of the first data terminal device. The receive section of the first modem is configured to decode the first encoded data signal present on the first pair of wires according to a predetermined data transmission protocol in order to generate a first unencoded data signal at the receive data output terminal. The transmit section of the first modem has first and second line output terminals for coupling to a second pair of wires of the four-wire subscriber line, a transmit control input terminal coupled to the data output control terminal of the first data terminal device for receiving a signal from the first data terminal device that the first data terminal device is going to output a second unencoded data signal on the data output terminal of the first data terminal device, and a transmit data output terminal coupled to the data output terminal of the first data terminal device. The transmit section is configured to encode the second unencoded data signal received on the transmit data output terminal according to the predetermined data transmission protocol in order to transmit a second encoded data signal on the second pair of wires.
An embodiment of a method for high-speed full-duplex communication over a four-wire subscriber line, according to the present invention, provides for receiving a first unencoded data signal from a first data terminal device, encoding the first unencoded data signal according to a predetermined data transmission protocol to obtain a first encoded data signal, and transmitting the first encoded data signal over a first pair of wires of the four-wire subscriber line. The method also calls for simultaneously receiving a second encoded data signal over a second pair of wires of the four-wire subscriber line, decoding the second encoded data signal according to the predetermined data transmission protocol to obtain a second data signal, and outputting the second data signal to the first data terminal device.

Method and apparatus for high speed data transmission over a four-wire subscriber line


Production and post-production processes and equipment are modified to create a "film look", minimizing the need to introduce noise and artifacts into the video signal wherein the camera, lighting and post production processes are keyed to a film-generated benchmark to provide parameters which are followed during videotaping and post-production to generate "film look" images. The lighting of the sets to be videotaped are adjusted to be comparable to the lighting used for film and a benchmark film test is shot utilizing a video camera and a film camera. The producer of the film look video can review and adjust visual aspects of the film image to determine the "look" desired. Certain parameters from the benchmark are then utilized for camera settings and post production processes as well as lighting to generate the desired look. By quantifying these features or look in both production and post-production processes and procedures, the look desired can be mimicked quite closely without the undesirable artifacts which are found in prior art post production processes. Further, the film look can be repeated with respect to subsequent video productions to consistently provide the same quality and look without the need for further benchmark testing.

1. Field of the Invention
The process of the present invention is related to the generation of film quality images using videotape production and post production procedures and equipment.
2. Art Background
The economies of videotape are well recognized in television production. Video cameras and equipment are more economical to use and the videotape image is immediately available for production purposes. However, it is also recognized that images recorded on videotape do not have the same pleasing "film look" as film. Although film produced images are aesthetically more pleasing, the film process and equipment is quite expensive and film production entails time consuming development and post production processes.
Several post production processes attempt to provide a "film look" to images shot originally on videotape. The first process, as set forth in U.S. Pat. No. 4,771,342 entitled Method and Apparatus for Enhancing Video-Recorded Images to Film Grade Quality, produces a composite video image and utilizing a composite video signal as input, modifies the signal to emulate the frame rate normally associated with film display and then adds certain color correction to provide gamma correction to the video signal using a grey scale typically associated with a motion picture film recording. Noise is also introduced into each frame of the video signal via a random noise generator in order to simulate the texture of emulsion film. However, this process degrades the quality of the final recorded video signal. The introduction of frame motion artifacts mimicking the artifact created when film is transferred to video also contributes to the degradation of the image. U.S. Pat. No. 4,935,816 entitled Method and Apparatus for Video Image Film Simulation describes a post-production process in which the video signal is modified to simulate film frame speed by summing a real time signal and delay signals to create an interpolation of preceding and succeeding video fields. Clipped filtered white noise is summed with the picture portion of the video signal to simulate the grain of film. This process is a post production process that similarly introduces undesirable signal noise and artifacts in an attempt to simulate a film image.
A commercially available process, "Film Finish.TM. is a post production process offered by Planet Blue, Los Angeles, Calif., which performs digital color correction in the digital domain to provide a "film look".
Generally, the desired "look" may vary from producer to producer. Furthermore, as many different "film looks" exist, caused by variables of shooting film, such as film stock, laboratory and exposure practices, there are no specific requirements to follow in order to match the desired look.

Method for generating film quality images on videotape


The present invention relates to a chromatographic device for isolating and purifying nucleic acids, preferably genomic DNA, by gel filtration chromatography, a method for isolating and purifying nucleic acids, preferably genomic DNA, using this device and a kit comprising this device.

The isolation of high-quality nucleic acids is a prerequisite for many different techniques in modern molecular biology, such as PCR amplification, blotting analysis and genomic-library construction, used for example in the field of molecular diagnostics. Especially if the nucleic acids are obtained from biological samples containing cellular material, it is necessary to separate them from contaminants like proteins, lipids and other cellular constituents that otherwise may interfere with restriction enzymes, ligases, and/or thermostable DNA polymerases used in these downstream applications. Furthermore, RNA nucleases (RNases) and particularly DNA nucleases (DNases) present in biological samples have to be removed to prevent degradation of the DNA.
A variety of different methods have been developed for the isolation of genomic DNA from biological samples containing cellular components. All of these methods involve a step of disrupting and lysing the starting material by breaking the cellular membrane releasing its contents into solution. The solution obtained is called lysate. In the following steps proteins, in particular nucleases, and other contaminants are removed from the lysate, and finally the (more or less) purified DNA has to be recovered (an overview can be found in the QIAGEN brochure on "Genomic DNA Purification"). The step of purifying the DNA is of utmost importance, as carryover of contaminants such as salts, detergents, organic solvents, in particular phenol and ethanol, often inhibit performance of DNA in downstream applications.
A very simple and fast technique for the isolation of genomic DNA from cell lysates is to incubate the cell lysates at high temperatures, e.g., at 90° C. for about 20 min or to directly use the lysates after an additional protease digestion. However, these lysates usually contain enzyme-inhibiting contaminants such as a high salt load, and accordingly these methods, which are considered as quick and dirty techniques, are only appropriate for a limited range of applications.
So-called salting-out methods, wherein proteins and other contaminants are precipitated from the crude cell lysate by adding a solution comprising a high concentration of a salt, such as potassium acetate or ammonium acetate, are well-known techniques for separating DNA from other cellular components present in a cell lysate. The precipitates formed are then removed from the solution comprising the DNA by centrifugation, and the DNA is recovered from the supernatant by precipitation with alcohol in a further step. In these methods, removal of proteins, in particular nucleases, and other contaminants often is quite inefficient, and an additional RNase treatment, a dialysis and/or repeated precipitations by alcohol are necessary to obtain DNA sufficiently pure to be used in downstream applications, which renders the methods tedious and time-consuming.
Another possibility to separate DNA from the other compounds present in a cell lysate is to extract the contaminants from the lysates using organic solvents. In a first step, the cells typically are lysed using a detergent, and the lysates are then extracted using solvents, such as phenol, chloroform, and isoamyl alcohol, to remove the contaminants. The toxicity of the solvents used is one drawback of these methods. Furthermore, special attention has to be paid to the pH and salt concentration to ensure that the majority of contaminants are extracted into the organic phase, while the DNA remains within the aqueous phase. The DNA is then recovered from the aqueous phase by alcohol precipitation. Even though organic extraction methods are very time-consuming, the DNA isolated using these methods often contains residual phenol and/or chloroform, which act as inhibitors in downstream applications such as PCR. In addition, toxic waste is generated which has to be disposed in accordance with hazardous waste guidelines.
In recent years sorption procedures based on ion exchange, affinity and/or hydrophobic interactions have been developed in order to minimize DNA degradation during purification. In these sorption procedures, the DNA is more or less specifically "sorbed", that is either adsorbed, absorbed or chemically bound, to a stationary solid phase, comprising a resin or a matrix, due to specific interactions between the DNA and the solid phase, while contaminants do not interact with the solid phase to the same extent as DNA does, and thus may be separated from the sorbed DNA, e.g., by a washing step. Once the contaminants have been removed, the DNA has to be recovered from the solid phase by an eluting step, which usually includes a step of rinsing the solid phase with a solution (mobile phase) comprising compounds that minimize the interaction between the solid phase and the DNA, thus removing the DNA from the solid phase. The mobile phase comprising the DNA (eluate) is then collected. These solid phase-based methods enable an automation of the process of DNA isolation and purification. In addition, also rather minute amounts of DNA can be reliably processed using these methods.
Anion-exchange methods are based on the interaction between the negatively charged phosphates of the nucleic acids and positively charged surface molecules on the anion-exchange carrier (Forcic et al., J. Chromatogr. A 2005, 1065(1), 115-120). Under low-salt conditions DNA present in solution selectively binds to the stationary phase, and impurities such as RNA, cellular proteins, and metabolites may be washed away from the stationary phase using medium-salt buffers. In the next step, DNA can be eluted from the stationary phase using a buffer containing a high concentration of salt. The purified DNA is then recovered from the eluate by alcohol precipitation.
In silica-based methods, nucleic acids are selectively sorbed to a silica-gel membrane in the presence of high concentrations of chaotropic salts (Hanselle et al. Leg Med (Tokyo) 2003, 5 Supp. 1, S145-S149). RNA, cellular proteins, and metabolites are washed away from the membrane, and the DNA is then eluted from the silica-gel membrane using a low-salt buffer.
Also solid-phase methods based on the interaction between DNA and magnetic particles as a stationary phase are known in the state of the art (Prodělalová et al. J. Chromatogr. A 2004, 1056, 43-48).
Even though sorption methods allow the isolation of high-quality DNA, the number of steps to be carried out in these "bind-wash-elute" routines still is comparatively high and thus time-consuming.
For this reason a need exists for a method of isolating purified nucleic acids, preferably comprising DNA, in particular genomic DNA, from processed biological samples, such as lysates obtained from biological samples, e.g., lysed tissue and blood samples, wherein the number of steps to obtain the purified nucleic acids is reduced in comparison to the known sorption procedures, such as anion-exchange and silica-based methods, without compromising the purity of the nucleic acids obtained. Such a method should enable the user to isolate and purify the nucleic acids from contaminants, such as for example proteins, in particular nucleases, lipids, and other cellular constituents. On the other hand the method should be gentle enough to minimize chemical or enzymatic degradation of the nucleic acids and mechanical shear stress, which otherwise would fragment the large genomic DNA during the course of purification. In addition, the method should be able to accommodate a wide variety of biological samples of different origin.
A detailed analysis of the known methods for isolating and purifying nucleic acids from processed biological samples, in particular from lysates obtained from cell-containing biological samples, revealed that all these methods suffer from the fact that the nucleic acids do not remain in solution during the whole procedure of isolating and purifying. Instead, the nucleic acids either have to be precipitated or has to be bound, adsorbed or absorbed onto a solid matrix in the course of the isolation/purification procedure. In consequence, additional steps of re-dissolving the nucleic acids from a precipitate or eluting it from a solid phase are necessary, which renders all of the methods mentioned above more or less time-consuming.

Chromatographic device and method for isolating and purifying nucleic acids


A resistance-type touch panel includes a first electrode plate and the second electrode plate spaced from and opposite to the first electrode plate. The first electrode plate includes a first substrate and a first transparent conductive layer. The second electrode plate includes a second substrate and a second transparent conductive layer. The first transparent conductive layer includes a carbon nanotube film. The carbon nanotube film includes a number of carbon nanotube wires substantially parallel with each other and a number of carbon nanotube clusters located between the number of carbon nanotube wires. The carbon nanotube wires extend along an X direction and are spaced from each other along a Y direction. The carbon nanotube clusters between each adjacent two of the carbon nanotube wires are spaced from each other along the X direction. The X direction is intercrossed with the Y direction.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to resistance-type touch panels, particularly to a carbon nanotube based resistance-type touch panel.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, various electronic apparatuses such as mobile phones, car navigation systems have advanced toward high performance and diversification. There is continuous growth in the number of electronic apparatuses equipped with optically transparent touch panels in front of their display devices such as liquid crystal panels. A user of such electronic apparatus operates it by pressing a touch panel with a finger or a stylus while visually observing the display device through the touch panel. Thus a demand exists for such touch panels which superior in visibility and reliable in operation.
Different types of touch panels, including a resistance-type, a capacitance-type, an infrared-type and a surface sound wave-type have been developed. A conventional resistance-type touch panel includes a first substrate, a first optically transparent conductive layer located on the first substrate, a second substrate, a second optically transparent conductive layer located on the second substrate, the first optically transparent conductive layer and the second optically transparent conductive layer are opposite to each other, and a plurality of dot spacers formed between the first optically transparent conductive layer and the second optically transparent conductive layer. The first optically transparent conductive layer and the second optically transparent conductive layer are formed of conductive indium tin oxide (ITO). In operation, an upper surface of the first substrate is pressed with a finger, a pen or the like tool. This causes the first substrate to be deformed, and the first optically transparent conductive layer to come in contact with the second optically transparent conductive layer at a position being pressed. Voltages are applied successively from an electronic circuit to the first optically transparent conductive layer and the second optically transparent conductive layer. Thus, the deformed position can be detected by the electronic circuit.
However, the ITO layer has poor wearability, low chemical endurance and uneven resistance in an entire area of the panel. All the above-mentioned problems of the ITO layer produce a touch panel with low sensitivity, accuracy, and brightness.
What is needed, therefore, is to provide a resistance-type touch panel which can overcome the short come described above.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Beijing FUNATE Innovation Technology Co., Ltd.


A ceramic electronic device includes: a multilayer chip having a structure in which each of dielectric layers and each of internal electrode layers are alternately stacked; and external electrodes provided on end faces of the multilayer chip, wherein a main component of the external electrodes is a first metal, wherein the internal electrode layers include the first metal and a second metal of which a melting point is higher than that of the first metal, wherein a diffusion coefficient of the first metal with respect to the second metal is larger than that of the second metal with respect to the first metal, wherein a number of a cavity in a range of 10 numbers of the internal electrode layers that are next to each other and are connected to a same external electrode of the first external electrode and the second external electrode is 1 or less.

Ceramic electronic devices such as multilayer ceramic capacitors have a high capacity density. Therefore, the ceramic electronic devices are widely used for electronic devices. Generally, Cu (copper) is used as external electrodes. A favorable sintering temperature of Cu is different from a favorable sintering temperature of dielectric layers. Therefore, exposed parts of internal electrodes are coated with paste Cu material and the paste Cu material is fired, after a ceramic main body is sintered.

Ceramic electronic device, circuit substrate and manufacturing method of ceramic electronic device


A new and distinct Rhododendron cultivar named ‘HOMLEB’ is disclosed, characterized by large pink flowers and a distinctly upright, narrow plant form. Plants bloom Spring, Summer and Fall. The new cultivar is a Rhododendron, suitable for ornamental garden purposes.

The new cultivar is a product of a planned breeding program by the inventor, Robert Edward Lee. The inventor's intention was to develop compact growing Rhododendron hybrid plants with re-blooming characteristics. This new variety, hereinafter referred to as 'HOMLEB', was discovered as a seedling, resulting from the crossing of Rhododendron 'Watchet', unpatented with the pollen parent Rhododendron 'Conleb' U.S. Plant Pat. No. 10,581. The cross was performed during 1996, and the new variety selected by the inventor during 2002 in Independence, La.
After identifying the new variety as a potentially interesting selection, the inventor first organized propagation of 'HOMLEB' by vegetative cuttings during Fall 2002 at a commercial nursery in Independence, La. The inventor continued confidential, controlled testing and propagation, assessing stability of the unique characteristics of this variety. Multiple generations have been reproduced and have shown that the unique features of this cultivar are stable and reproduced true to type.


The present invention discloses a method for modifying an amino acid attenuator, a class of amino acid attenuator mutants, engineered bacteria created on the basis of the amino acid attenuator mutants, and use of the engineered bacteria. The present invention protects a method for relieving the attenuation regulation of an amino acid operon gene, which is modification of the amino acid operon gene by: removing a gene coding for a leader peptide and an anterior reverse complementary palindromic sequence in the terminator stem-loop structure, and maintaining a posterior reverse complementary palindromic sequence in the terminator. The amino acid operon particularly can be histidine operon, tryptophan operon, phenylalanine operon, alanine operon, threonine operon and etc. The present invention can be used for the production of amino acids and derivatives thereof in fermentation by bacteria, providing a novel method for improving the production of amino acids in fermentation.

Amino acids are basic substances for constituting proteins, and are widely used in industries such as foods, medical health care, agriculture and animal husbandry, daily chemicals, and the like.
For expressing a target protein in a bioreactor, it is usually performed by introducing a DNA molecule having a promoter and a gene coding for a target protein into a bioreactor, starting an expression of the coding gene by the promoter, and obtaining the target protein. Thus, it is of great applicable promise to enhance the ability for expressing a target protein.
L-alanine is a non-essential amino acid in human. It has a sweet taste and is easily dissolved in water and can be used in a variety of fields. In the food industry, L-alanine can be used for improving food taste and bioavailability of proteins. In the pharmaceutical field, L-alanine is often used as an amino acid-based nutrient medicine, and meanwhile, it is also an important material for producing organic compounds like amino-propanol, vitamin B6, and the like. In recent years, L-alanine has also been used for the synthesis of engineering plastics such as polyamides, polyesteramides, and so on. Especially, use of L-alanine as the precursor for synthesizing surfactants in the washing and cosmetics industry has greatly increased the demand for its amount in the market and expanded the fields of its application. The chemical name of L-threonine is α-amino-β-hydroxybutyric acid, which is one of eight essential amino acids in human. As a basic component for constituting biomacromolecules, threonine has a crutial physiological effect on the nutrition and health of human and animals, and is widely used in the industries of foods, feeds, and pharmaceuticals, belonging to one of three types of amino acids for bulk fermentation. In recent years, there has been an increasing demand for the amount of threonine in the market, in which feed industry is in the largest demand for the amount of threonine. As a safe feed additive, threonine is the second limiting amino acid for the growth of pigs following lysine, as well as the third limiting amino acid for the growth of poultry, only inferior to lysine and methionine. L-isoleucine is one of eight essential amino acids in human, collectively referred to as branched chain amino acid along with leucine and valine. Due to its special structure and function, L-isoleucine plays important roles in both human and animal metabolism, involving in the synthesis of hormones, enzymes, and the like. Currently, L-isoleucine is mainly used for additives in feeds and functional beverages. In addition, L-isoleucine is also widely used in the fields of biomedicine, food industry, cosmetics, and the like. Moreover, its new use has increasingly emerged, resulting in a great amount of its demand in the market. L-valine is one of eight essential amino acids in human, collectively referred to as branched chain amino acids along with leucine and isoleucine. Due to its special structure and function, L-valine essentially functions in the metabolism of human and animals. L-valine is commonly used as a flavor agent and a nutrient enhancer in the food industry. L-valine can be a supplemental product for animals' nutrition used in feed additives, having the capability for improving immune mechanism of livestock. Pharmaceutically, high purity L-valine is often used for producing complex amino acid infusion or amino acid injection, and is also used for synthesizing medicines against hypertension and tumors, and the like. In addition, L-valine can also be used in the fields of antibiotics, herbicides, cosmetics, and the like. L-tryptophan is an aromatic amino acid with an indolyl group and is one of essential amino acids in human and animals, which is widely used in the industries of foods, pharmaceuticals, feeds, and so on. In the pharmaceutical industry, tryptophan can be amino acid injections and drugs for treating tristimania, improving sleep quality, working against hypertension and analgesia, and etc. In the food industry, tryptophan can be used as an additive for enhancing the availability of proteins for organisms. In the feed industry, tryptophan is a safe feed additive and can adjust the amino acid balance of animals' feeds and promote the growth of poultry and livestock. Some important physiologically active substances such as hydroxytryptamine, niacin, coenzyme, indoleacetic acid, pigment and alkaloid, and etc. can also derive from L-tryptophan, and these tryptophan derivatives have found broad applications across markets. L-histidine is the ninth essential amino acid for human and animals, participating in important physiological processes such as growth and development, antioxidation, and immunoregulation of organisms, which functions as an important pharmaceutical amino acid and can be used in transfusion formulations for the treatment of heart disease, anemia, gastric and intestinal ulcers. L-phenylalanine is one of eight essential amino acids in human and animals, and is mainly used as a raw material for aspartame, a novel sweetener, which has a high sweetness and low calorie. It can also be widely used in the fields of foods, feed additives, and pharmaceuticals. Compounds having important application values, such as D-phenylalanine, phenylpyruvic acid, mandelic acid, phenyl acetate, phenyl ethanol, phenethylamine, styrene and cinnamic acid and so on, can further be derived from L-phenylalanine via microbial metabolic pathways.
Currently, microbial fermentation is mainly used in industrial production of amino acids at home and abroad. There exists an attenuation adjustment mechanism in the transcriptional expression of an amino acid (such as L-histidine, L-threonine, L-phenylalanine, L-leucine, L-isoleucine, L-valine, L-tryptophan, and etc.) operon gene synthesized by microorganisms. The transcription of an amino acid operon is terminated in advance when the concentration of a specific amino acid in cells is high. In contrast, when a specific amino acid in cells is deficient, RNA polymerase transcribes an amino acid operon. Synthetic pathways and regulation manners of amino acids in microorganisms are relatively complex, and are key limiting factors for producing amino acids and derivatives thereof by virtue of high-efficiency fermentation. In the process of producing L-isoleucine and derivatives thereof, L-isoleucine is increasingly accumulating in cells, with feedback repressing the expression of the ilvLXGMEDA operon via the above attenuation regulation mechanism, thereby feedback inhibiting the biosynthesis of L-isoleucine or derivatives thereof. In order to construct an engineered bacteria for efficiently producing isoleucine or derivatives thereof, the method for modifying the ilv attenuator is in dire need, so that the expression level of the ilvLXGMEDA operon and the yield of isoleucine can be improved. In the process of producing L-valine or derivatives thereof, L-valine is increasingly accumulating in cells, with feedback repressing the expression of the ilvLXGMED operon via the above attenuation regulation mechanism, not assisting in the biosynthesis of L-valine or derivatives thereof. Thus, it is crucial to efficiently relieve the attenuation regulation of valine on the ilvLXGMED operon for the biosynthesis of L-valine and derivatives thereof. In the process of producing L-tryptophan or derivatives thereof, L-tryptophan is increasingly accumulating in cells, with feedback repressing the expression of the tryptophan operon via the above attenuation regulation mechanism, not assisting in the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan or derivatives thereof. Thus, it is crucial to efficiently relieve the attenuation regulation of tryptophan on the tryptophan operon for the biosynthesis of L-tryptophan and derivatives thereof. In the process of producing L-histidine or derivatives thereof, L-histidine is increasingly accumulating in cells, with feedback repressing the expression of the histidine operon via the above attenuation regulation mechanism, not assisting in the biosynthesis of L-histidine or derivatives thereof. Thus, In order to construct an engineered bacteria for efficiently producing histidine or derivatives thereof, the method for modifying the histidine attenuator is in dire need, so that the expression level of the histidine operon and the yield of histidine can be improved. In the process of producing L-phenylalanine or derivatives thereof, L-phenylalanine is increasingly accumulating in cells, with feedback repressing the expression of the phenylalanine operon via the above attenuation regulation mechanism, not assisting in the biosynthesis of L-phenylalanine or derivatives thereof. Thus, in order to construct an engineered bacteria for efficiently producing phenylalanine or derivatives thereof, the method for modifying the phenylalanine attenuator is in dire need, so that the expression level of the phenylalanine operon and the yield of phenylalanine can be improved.

Method for modifying amino acid attenuator and use of same in production

Institute of Microbiology, Chinese Academy of Sciences


A bone distractor is created which grips bones along their edges and then applies an expansion force between the two bone edges. This expansionary force is used to encourage bone growth and elongation. Two clamps are used; each of the clamps is adapted to engage opposing edges of a bone. A rod extends from one clamp and presses against the other clamp; due to the threads on the clamp and the rod, a turn of the rod applies an expansion force between the two clamps. By selective application of this force, the bone naturally grows and elongates. The invention is particularly useful for craniofacial structures. Not only does the apparatus elongate the bone, but due to the nature of the clamping and forces applied over time, the adjacent soft tissue is also naturally elongated.

This invention relates generally to surgical tools and more particularly to bone distractors.
Bone elongation by gradual distraction has proven beneficial in long bones. Thanks to the procedure, it is possible to elongate the superior or inferior extremity. This technique has been popularized by Ilizarov of Russia in the last few years.
While the elongation of the long bones has been successfully accomplished, elongation of the craniofacial bone structure has proven evasive.
The present pathology for elongation of the cranium or the face is particularly inadequate. Often defective growth of the maxillary mandible, forehead, or of the orbit is extremely difficult to correct. The techniques of hipoplasia or retrusion produce limited results when the bone being elongated is too short to provide the necessary basis for the procedure.
An associated problem also exists for the soft tissue where it is often too short or too insufficient for the procedure to be totally effective.
While these techniques produce "immediate" results on the whole, a more gradual growth inducement approach would generate better results and be more cosmetically pleasing.
It is clear that there is a significant need for efficient distractors which are as non-invasive as possible and which capitalize upon the body's natural growth capabilities.


The CMOS image sensing device includes, on one integrated circuit, a sensor array and compensation circuitry for adjusting signals output from the sensor array to compensate for output signal variations, such as variations caused by voltage, temperature, process or manufacturing variations. The integrated circuit also includes logic circuitry for performing image processing operations on signals output from the sensor array including, for example, pattern recognition operations or filtering operations. In one embodiment, the integrated circuit includes a flash programmable memory array for storing compensation values corresponding to individual pixel elements of the sensor array. In use, the sensor array is illuminated by a flat light source, variations among the magnitude of analog output signals from the elements are detected and corresponding compensation values are calculated. The compensation values are flash programmed into the memory array. Thereafter, analog signals output from the sensor array are adjusted in accordance with the compensation values. In another arrangement, a separate flash programmable memory array is not provided. Rather, individual drive transistors of the pixel elements of the sensor array portion are directly flash programmed to achieve compensation. Passive and active photo detection pixel elements having flash programmable drive transistors are described.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention generally relates to imaging devices and particularly to integrated circuit imaging devices requiring compensation for process and other variations.
2. Description of Related Art
Integrated circuit imaging devices include an array of light detecting elements interconnected to generate analog signals representative of an image illuminating the device. One common example of an integrated circuit imaging device is a charge coupled device (CCD) which is relatively expensive and consumes a relatively large amount of power. An alternative integrated circuit imaging device employs complementary metal oxide semiconductor (CMOS) image sensing elements. Within such an integrated circuit, a CMOS photo diode or photo transistor is employed as a light detecting element. In one example, conductivity of the element varies in accordance with the intensity of light illuminating the element. In other example, charge is collected in accordance with the intensity of light illuminating the element. By conducting current through the element or storing charge, an analog signal is thus generated having a magnitude approximately proportional to the intensity of light illuminating the element. CMOS integrated circuit imaging devices are considerably cheaper than CCD-type devices and may consume less power.
Both the CCD and CMOS integrated circuit imaging devices may require compensation for differences caused by variations within the integrated circuits, such as process, temperature, manufacturing, or voltage variations. For example, two different CCD elements within a single integrated circuit may generate analog signals of differing magnitudes for the same intensity of light illumination. Likewise, two CMOS photo diodes or photo transistors may generate analog signals of differing magnitudes when illuminated by light of equal intensity. As such, when exposed to a flat light image having equal intensities throughout, typical CMOS or CCD arrays may output analog signals having significant magnitude variations. Accordingly, if the analog signals are used to reproduce the original image, the reproduced image will not match the original flat image but will include a significant amount of variability and noise.
To eliminate this problem, imaging devices incorporating CCDs or CMOS photo diodes or photo transistors often include a compensation system for detecting and compensating for differences among the individual imaging elements. In one arrangement, a separate integrated circuit is provided with a random access memory (RAM). The integrated circuit containing the CCD or CMOS imaging elements is exposed to a flat image. Analog signals generated therefrom are converted to digital signals and binary compensation values representative of those signals are calculated and stored within the RAM. Thereafter, during use, analog signals received from the CCD or CMOS imaging array are converted to digital signals then adjusted in accordance with the binary values stored within the corresponding RAM array to compensate for any inherent variations between the sensing elements to thereby eliminate the aforementioned variability and noise. As such, if once again exposed to flat light, analog images output from the overall system are adjusted to match the flat input image.
Typically, such systems include, in addition to the integrated circuit imaging array and the separate RAM array, a separate controller circuit and a separate image processing logic circuit. The controller circuit controls generation of the compensation values for storage within the RAM array and the application of those values for adjusting subsequent images. The controller may also provide timing signals for the proper clocking of the imaging array. The image processing logic may include, for example, logic for filtering the image or otherwise manipulating the image to perform pattern recognition and the like.
Thus, typical integrated circuit imaging devices often include separate integrated circuits for the imaging array, the RAM, the compensation controller and the image processing logic. The provision of separate integrated circuits for the various components, and corresponding separate packaging elements, results in a fairly high cost for the overall system. Moreover, the need to transmit signals from one integrated circuit to the other can result in a relatively slow processing times, particularly for imaging arrays having a large number of elements such as a 1024-by-1024 array and higher.
It would be desirable to provide an improved integrated circuit imaging system which overcomes these disadvantages.

CMOS imaging device with integrated flash memory image correction circuitry


A marine seismic surveying method and apparatus are shown. The apparatus includes at least one lead-in which has two or more of the streamers connected to be towed thereby, and which comprises a load-bearing outer sheath to bear the towing forces, an electrical or electro-optical core via which control signals and electrical power are supplied to, and data signals are received from, the steamers being towed by the lead-in, and a connector device series connected in the lead-in, the connector device comprising a body member mechanically coupled between the respective portions of the load-bearing outer sheath of the lead-in on either side thereof, to transmit towing forces therebetween, and a towing attachment for mechanical connection to one of the two or more streamers.

This invention relates to marine seismic surveying.
In order to perform a 3D marine seismic survey, a plurality of seismic streamers, each typically several thousand meters long and containing arrays of hydrophones and associated electronic equipment distributed along its length, are towed at about 5 knots behind a seismic survey vessel, which also tows one or more seismic sources, typically air guns. Acoustic signals produced by the seismic sources are directed down through the water into the earth beneath, where they are reflected from the various strata. The reflected signals are received by the hydrophones in the streamers, digitised and then transmitted to the seismic survey vessel, where they are recorded and at least partially processed with the ultimate aim of building up a representation of the earth strata in the area being surveyed.
The Applicant""s current method of towing arrays of such streamers involves towing each streamer by means of its lead-in, ie by means of the armoured electrical or electro-optical cable that supplies control signals and electrical power to, and receives the aforementioned digitised signals from, the streamer, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,798,156, the armoured outer sheath of the lead-in, typically made of steel wires or high strength synthetic fibers such as Kevlar, serving to bear the towing forces. Using this method, the Applicant can typically tow a 700 meter wide array of eight streamers, each 4,000 meters long.
The drag produced by such an array at the typical towing speed of 5 knots is about 40-45 tonnes, a high proportion of which is cross-line drag due to the transversely extending lead-ins rather than the in-line drag of the streamers themselves. This drag is a very significant contributory factor to the operating costs, primarily fuel costs, of the towing vessel, and therefore to the overall cost of the survey.
In order to increase the efficiency and reduce the cost of marine seismic surveys, it is desirable to use even wider arrays containing even more streamers. However, the Applicant has calculated that using its current towing technique, a 1440 meter wide array of ten streamers would produce a drag of over 70 tonnes, which is excessive, and therefore uneconomic.
It is an object of the present invention in its principal aspects to alleviate this problem.
The lead-ins, which because of their combined signal and power transmission and towing functions are rather expensive, are sometimes damaged in use, eg by shark bites or by impacts with debris. Currently, it is difficult if not almost impossible to repair a damaged lead-in, especially while at sea. It is an object of the present invention in its final aspect to provide solution to this problem.
According to a first aspect of the present invention, there is provided a method of performing a marine seismic survey with an array of seismic streamers towed behind a survey vessel, wherein two or more of the streamers are towed from a single lead-in which comprises a load-bearing outer sheath to bear the towing forces, an electrical or electro-optical core via which control signals and electrical power are supplied to, and data signals are received from, the streamers being towed by the lead-in, and a connector device series connected in the lead-in, the connector device comprising a body member mechanically coupled between the respective portions of the load-bearing outer sheath of the lead-in on either side thereof, to transmit towing forces therebetween, and a towing attachment for mechanical connection to one of the two or more streamers.
According to a second aspect of the invention, there is provided an array of seismic streamers adapted to be towed behind a survey vessel, the array comprising at least one lead-in which has two or more of the streamers connected to be towed thereby, and which comprises a load-bearing outer sheath to bear the towing forces, an electrical or electro-optical core via which control signals and electrical power are supplied to, and data signals are received from, the streamers being towed by the lead-in, and a connector device series connected in the lead-in, the connector device comprising a body member mechanically coupled between the respective portions of the load-bearing outer sheath of the lead-in on either side thereof, to transmit towing forces therebetween, and a towing attachment for mechanical connection to one of the two or more streamers.
In a preferred implementation of the invention, the array comprises 2N streamers, where N is at least 2, the streamers are substantially uniformly spaced apart and symmetrically distributed on each side of the centre line of the vessel, and at least two streamers on each side of the centre line of the vessel are towed from a respective such lead-in.
The Applicant has found that by use of selected implementations of the method of the invention, the drag produced by the aforementioned 1440 meter wide ten streamer array can be reduced from over 70 tonnes to a level in the region of 50 tonnes.
The load-bearing outer sheath of the or each such lead-in is preferably made from high strength synthetic fibers, such as Kevlar fibres.
Preferably, the inner core of the lead-in at each end of the or each connector device is terminated in a respective watertight termination, and the connector device includes elongate flexible electrical or electro-optical connector means for establishing electrical or electro-optical connection between said watertight terminations and between one of said terminations and the streamer connected to the towing attachment.
Conveniently, the inner core of the part of the lead-in on the vessel side of each connector includes separate electrical conductors or optical fibres for the control and data signals of each streamer connected directly or indirectly to that part via that connector.
According to a third aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector device adapted for series connection in a lead-in to permit the lead-in to tow at least two seismic streamers, the lead-in comprising a load-bearing outer sheath, to bear the towing forces, and an electrical or electro-optical core via which control signals and electrical power are supplied to, and data signals are received from, the streamers, the connector device comprising a body member adapted to be mechanically coupled between the respective portions of the load-bearing outer sheath of the lead-in on either side of the body member, to transmit towing forces therebetween, and a towing attachment for mechanical connection to one of the two or more streamers, said towing attachment being secured to the body member.
The or each body member may advantageously comprise at least two generally tubular portions interconnected by a universal joint, the towing attachment being secured to one of the tubular body portions.
In a preferred implementation of the invention, the or each body member comprises three tubular body portions interconnected by two universal joints, the towing attachment being secured to the middle one of tubular body portions.
The or each towing attachment preferably includes clamping means for detachably clamping it to the tubular body portion to which it is secured.
Advantageously, the or each towing attachment ha s a towing bracket pivotally connected to it, said towing bracket being pivotal about an axis generally perpendicular to the axis of the body member.
According to a final aspect of the present invention, there is provided a connector device adapted for series connection in a lead-in used for towing a streamer, the lead-in comprising a load bearing outer sheath to bear the towing forces, and an electrical or electro-optical core via which control signals and electrical power are supplied to, and data signals are received from, the streamer, the connector device comprising a tubular body member which is adapted to be mechanically coupled between the respective portions of the load-bearing outer sheath of the lead-in on either side of the body member, to transmit towing forces therebetween, and which preferably comprises at least two generally tubular portions interconnected by a universal joint.
Preferably, the or each universal joint of the or each body member is a Cardan-type universal joint.
In all aspects of the invention, at least part of the or each body member is preferably made from titanium.
The invention will now be described, by way of example only, with reference to the accompanying drawings, of which:

Method and apparatus for marine seismic surveying including multiples streamers from a lead-in


An insertion station for a mail-handling machine includes a driving lever 25 and a means for swivelling the driving lever 25 back-and-forth according to an operating cycle. Axle members 18, 19 have a cam 20 mounted therebetween and a spring 26 extends between the driving lever 25 and the cam. A base plate 1 includes grooves 2, 3, 4 and finger-roller guides 28 have front and rear ends mounted above the base plate. Insertion ramps 35, 36, 37 are located below the rear ends of the finger-roller guides; and, inserting arm means 8, 9, 10 and 14, 15, 16 have fingers 5, 6, 7 and finger rollers 27, 38, 39 attached thereto. The inserting arm means 8, 9, 10 and 14, 15, 16 are connected to the axles 18, 19; the fingers 5, 6 and 7 are mounted on the insertion arms which are adapted to slide the fingers 5, 6, and 7 forwardly in an input direction in the grooves 2, 3, 4 of the base plate 1; and, the finger rollers 27, 38, 39 are in engagement with the finger-roller guides 28 for movement backwardly and upwardly above the base plate under control of the finger-roller guides, wherein, upon reaching the rear end of the finger-roller guides, the finger rollers 27, 38, 39 fall onto the insertion ramps 35, 36, 37 for the gradual insertion of the input fingers into the corresponding grooves 2, 3, 4 of the base plate 1. Rotary tension-adjustment means are connected between the axles 18, 19 and the inserting arm means for reducing bounce of the inserting-arm means.

This invention relates to an insertion station for envelope-stuffing apparatus or for envelop-stuffing apparatus sections of mail handling apparatus. Frequently- used insertion stations of the prior art comprise a driving lever which swivels back and forth, in accordance with an operating cycle, and vertically to the feeding direction of the material to be inserted into envelopes. An axle arrangement is mounted thereto and is spring-loaded, perpendicularly to a base plate and parallel to the driving lever--the axles having insertion arms with an adjustment block mounted to each of them. Fingers of the insertion arms slide forwardly in an input direction in grooves of the base plate and are cyclically moved backwardly and upwardly above the base plate in a movement controlled by a finger roller guide. After the fingers reach the rear end of the finger roller guide, they transition from the backward location to forward input movement while at least one of the input finger rollers falls onto a substantially wedge-shaped insertion ramp for a gradual insertion of the input finger into the corresponding groove of the base plate.
The insertion stations of the prior art are generally time-tested, but one particular problem arises due to continuous increases in the operational speeds of mail handling apparatus. That is, the finger roller mounted onto an insertion arm abruptly leaves a finger roller guide at the end of a return movement in a cycle during which the finger roller guide is lowered onto and raised above the base plate upon the return movement. Tension of spring devices between the axle arrangement and the driving lever then causes the entire insertion-arm group to snap downwardly in the direction of the base plate. This movement causes the fingers of the insertion arms to noisily hit the grooves of the base plate and possibly bounce back such that the ends of the fingers reach above the material to be enveloped, and thus cause malfunctions.
It is a further disadvantage of apparatus of the prior art that the slack or play between the axle arrangement and the axle-ends of the insertion arms becomes uncontrollably larger after a comparatively short operation period such that irregular operation of individual insertion arms must be expected. Attempts have been made in apparatus of the prior art to correct this by adjusting the spring tension between the axle arrangement and the back-and-forth swivelling driving lever. These attempts, however, have not been satisfactory because of increases in the above-mentioned problems of noisy snapping movements of the insertion arms at the end of a return movement before the insertion movement.
It is an object of this invention to provide an insertion station of the type described above wherein increases in operational speed nevertheless allow reliable functioning, a longer operation span between required adjustments of assemblies, lower noise levels and lower maintenance.

Insertion station for envelope-stuffing apparatus or for a section thereof of mail handling apparatus


The invention relates to a method of burnisning for the purpose of imparting surface compression stresses to metal parts. The surface state of the region of the part that is to be burnished is measured initially, and the width of the disk to be used in the burnishing is deduced therefrom. Thereafter, the disk selected in this way is installed on a tool carrier, at the end of an associated flexure bar. Once installed in this way the disk is pressed against the part to exert a predetermined force thereon as a function of the desired surface compression stresses. Finally, burnishing proper of the part is performed using the disk. The burnishing method of the invention is particularly advantageous for use with light alloy wheels, e.g. wheels made of magnesium or of aluminum alloy.

It should be recalled that burnishing is a technique that performs surface plastic deformation by pressing a rotary or sliding tool against the surface of a part that has already been roughed out. As it moves, the tool compresses the microscopic peaks in the surfaces concerned into the adjacent hollows, thereby enabling said surfaces to be densified.
Burnishing thus serves simultaneously to smooth surfaces and to put such surfaces into compression. The resulting mechanical forces, both on the surface and down to a certain depth, enable the lifetime of materials and structures that are subjected to cyclic changes (fatigue) or to contact corrosion to be considerably increased. This technique appears to be even more effective than shot blasting for obtaining surface compression stress, and it very considerably increases fatigue life, resistance to corrosion under tension, and resistance to the effect of corrosion due to rubbing.
As a result, burnishing is a technique that is most advantageous for metal parts that are particularly at risk, as is the case for the wheels of aircraft landing gear, e.g. wheels made of aluminum or magnesium light alloy.
Burnishing should thus be applied to regions of parts that are subjected to heavy loading, and also to regions where stress concentrations are to be feared (circular grooves, spokes, and connection webs, for example). This operation is performed by applying a force by means of one or more rotary burnishing disks, said disk(s) often also being driven in a forwards direction. This force may be applied in a manner that is advantageous by using a disk connected to a moving tool carrier by means of a flexure bar.
Disk installations have already been proposed (EP-A-0 330 743) making use of a pair of parallel spring blades that are interchangeable, thereby enabling the thrust force to be varied by selecting spring blades of a stiffness that is most suitable for the part.
Modern burnishing techniques use a tool carrier that can be associated with a numerically-controlled machine tool. In particular, when the parts are circularly symmetrical, the machine tool is a lathe and it rotates the part to be burnished, and it has a tailstock (on which the tool carrier for the disk is mounted) that is movable along two orthogonal axes, one of which axes (perpendicular to the axis of revolution of the parts) enables the disk to be pressed against the surface to be worked, and the other axis (parallel to the above-mentioned axis of revolution) enables the disk to follow the profile of the part.
Persons skilled in the art are well aware that the force with which the disk is pressed must be adjusted as a function of the type of part concerned, and also as a function of the material from which said part is made.
However, this adjustment is difficult and essentially empirical, and optimum burnishing conditions are often found only after multiple inspections of parts after burnishing. Such inspections are generally of the destructive type, and this constitutes a non-negligible drawback when the parts are sophisticated in structure and relatively high in cost, as is the case, for example, with light alloy landing gear wheels, e.g. made of magnesium or of aluminum alloy.
For burnishing light alloy airplane wheels, U.S. Pat. No. 4,835,826 teaches the use of a burnishing disk support connected via an omega spring to the tailstock of a numerically-controlled machine, which tailstock is displaced under program control (as a function of the shape of the wheel and of the thickness of the regions concerned), with the pressure exerted by the disk then being given by the programmed displacement of said tailstock. GB-A-881 229 teaches the use of a burnishing disk support which is connected firstly by spring blades to a manually positioned tool carrier, and secondly to the rod of a pneumatic actuator having a diaphragm that exerts the required thrust pressure on the disk: in that document it is specified that such a floating resilient mount for the disk makes it possible to avoid variations in the thrust force that result from the wheel to be burnished not being exactly circular, and that a radius of curvature of 3 mm is suitable for burnishing airplane wheels.
None of those techniques makes it possible to avoid the above-mentioned inspections of parts after burnishing for the purpose of optimizing burnishing conditions.
In addition, the local deformation by compression that results from burnishing is plastic, and thus irreversible, and as a result exceeding the desired values for surface compression stresses gives rise to the burnished part being rejected.
As a result, it is necessary to increase the number of preliminary adjustments and inspections so as to achieve the best burnishing conditions, and to program accordingly the machine tool that is going to perform the burnishing process.

Method of burnishing metal parts, in particular light alloy wheels, and apparatus for implementing said method


Provided is a destructive readout semiconductor memory device capable of avoiding concentration of a writeback current, in which a switch circuit (24) is provided between each bit line (21) and each sense amplifier (26). In writeback, the switch circuits are turned on at staggered time points. In readout, the switch circuits are turned on to read memory cell data to the sense amplifiers while the sense amplifiers are turned off, and the switch circuits are then turned off once. After that, the sense amplifiers are turned on to amplify the read data. The switch circuits are subsequently divided into groups and turned on again to write back the data amplified by the sense amplifiers to the memory cells. The switch circuits are divided into groups to be turned on at staggered time points during the writeback, to thereby avoid concentration of the writeback current in one time period.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a semiconductor memory device. More particularly, the present invention relates to a destructive readout semiconductor memory device such as a dynamic random access memory or a ferroelectric memory which needs to write back data after the data is read.
2. Description of the Related Art
Included among known semiconductor memories are destructive readout semiconductor memories such as dynamic random access memories (DRAMs) and ferroelectric memories which lose data of a memory cell once the data is readout of the memory cell. Semiconductor memories of this type need a writeback (refresh) operation executed at the same time as data readout, in the case where data is to be retained after readout.
A readout operation of these destructive readout semiconductor memories is described taking a DRAM as an example.
FIG. 10 is a block diagram of a common DRAM. In FIG. 10, a hundred and twenty-eight memory cells 1-1 are connected to one word line 3, and a sense amplifier 26 is connected to the tip of each bit line 21. The sense amplifier 26 is enabled with an enable signal SE. With a bit line selecting signal YSW, a specific bit line is selected, and data read out of a cell and amplified by the bit line's sense amplifier 26 is propagated to a local I/O bus 15 to be input to a data amplifier (DAMP) 9.
Readout of memory cell data is executed by the sense amplifiers 26 illustrated in FIG. 11. Each sense amplifier 26 has two bit lines connected thereto. Data read out of a memory cell is input via one of the two bit lines whereas a voltage that serves as a reference voltage is input to the other bit line. The sense amplifier 26 amplifies an electric potential difference between the voltage read out of the memory cell and the reference voltage, to thereby establish whether the data logic is "H" or "L."
FIG. 12 illustrates an operation timing chart. After a word line is selected, the sense amplifier enable signal SE rises to enable the sense amplifier 26, which proceeds to amplify data. A bit line is then selected with the bit line selecting signal YSW, and the data is read to the outside. Reading the data to the bit line 21 causes the memory cell 1-1 to lose accumulated electric charges, but the data is amplified by the sense amplifier 26 which has been enabled with the sense amplifier enable signal SE, and the data amplified by the sense amplifier 26 is written back via the bit line 21 to the original memory cell from which the data has been read. The memory cell can thus keep the same data after readout. Current consumption peaks after the sense amplifier is enabled.
Aside from destructive readout semiconductor memories which have been described above, some semiconductor memories need to read a plurality of bits concurrently. In such semiconductor memories, a number of sense amplifiers that is determined by the number of bits required to be read concurrently operate at the same time. One bit line is connected to one sense amplifier and, consequently, putting a large number of sense amplifiers in operation at once means that as many bit lines as the operating sense amplifiers are charged concurrently. This increases current consumption instantly, and causes a voltage drop and power supply noise.
JP 2003-272390 A (Patent Document 1) avoids this instant increase in current consumption due to simultaneous operation of sense amplifiers by dividing cells of a memory where data is read in pages into a plurality of groups to constitute a plurality of sense amplifier groups, and then staggering the operation start time of these sense amplifier groups instead of allowing the sense amplifier groups to start operating simultaneously. The peak current registered at the time the sense amplifiers start operating is thus lowered.
JP 2007-157283 A (Patent Document 2) discloses a semiconductor memory device with a synchronous readout function in which sense amplifiers are divided into a plurality of groups and each group staggers the operation timing of its sense amplifiers by timing the sense amplifiers' operation with clock signals. The peak current registered at the time the sense amplifiers are put into operation is thus lowered.
As mentioned above, destructive readout semiconductor memories need writeback executed at the same time as readout. Even if a destructive readout semiconductor memory device executes readout with sense amplifiers divided into groups as in Patent Documents 1 and 2 described above, an operating current for data readout and a bit line charging current for writeback are generated concurrently as soon as the sense amplifiers in the groups start operating. The peak current is therefore not lowered enough.

Semiconductor memory device and semiconductor memory device operation method