An optical cutting image which has a maximum portion in the X-axis direction on the screen of an image sensing device and which extends in the X-axis direction away from the maximum portion so as to expand in the Y-axis direction is measured by means of plural windows to be set on both side portions of the image as seen in the Y-axis direction, equations to represent the image lines of both side portions, and the like. The position of a front end point of the image is measured. A first window which is oblong in the X-axis direction is set such that the front end point is contained therein. A position of the center of gravity of image inside the first window is measured. Second and third windows which are oblong in the Y-axis direction are set at a position which is backwardly away by a predetermined length from the center of gravity of image inside the first window in the X-axis direction to measure the position of the center of gravity of image inside each of the windows. A reference point which has a predetermined correlation with the centers of gravity of image inside the second and third windows is obtained. The above-mentioned plural windows are respectively set in a predetermined positional relationship with this reference point.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of image processing in an optical measuring apparatus using an optical cutting method.
2. Description of Related Art
This kind of optical measuring apparatus comprises, as shown in FIG. 1A, a projector 1 which is made up of a slit laser or the like for radiating a slit light on a workpiece A and an image sensing device 2 which is made up of a CCD camera or the like for picturing that optical cutting image or optical cross-sectional image s of the workpiece A which is the image of the slit light formed on the surface of the workpiece A. The projector 1 and the image sensing device 2 are arranged in such a positional relationship that an optical axis of the projector 2 slantingly crosses a light plane of the slit light.
When the workpiece A is of a doglegged shape (i.e., is bent at an angle) in cross section as shown in FIG. 1A, there will appear on a screen of the image sensing device 2 a pictured optical cutting image which has a maximum portion in the direction of one of the coordinate axes on the screen, e.g., in the X-axis direction.
In this case, if the maximum portion is provided with a corner so that a maximum point (or a tip) can be clearly recognized, the shape and the position of the workpiece can be measured based on this maximum point. However, if the maximum portion is round in shape, it is difficult to unambiguously determine the maximum point. In such a case, the following procedure has been considered. Namely, equations of lines to represent those portions of the pictured optical cutting image which are positioned on both sides, in the Y-axis direction, of the maximum portion are calculated. The position of the crossing point of the line on one side and the line on the other side, in the Y-axis direction, of the optical cutting image relative to the maximum portion is obtained from both the equations. The measurement of the workpiece is carried out by making this crossing point to serve as an alternative to the maximum point.
By the way, the pictured optical cutting image becomes a band-like image which has a certain width. Therefore, when the equations of the line on one side and of the line on the other side, in the Y-axis direction, of the image portion are calculated, the following procedure will be followed. Namely, a plurality of windows are set on the image portion, and the position of center of gravity of image in each of these windows is measured to thereby calculate an equation of a curved line or a straight line which passes through these centers of gravity of image. This procedure has, however, the following disadvantage. Namely, when the position of the workpiece changes relative to the optical measuring apparatus, the position of the pictured optical cutting image on the screen also changes. Therefore, if the windows are set in a certain fixed position of the screen, the windows may be placed away from the pictured optical cutting image, or the positions of setting the windows relative to the pictured optical cutting image may deviate from workpiece to workpiece. It is therefore necessary to displace also the position of setting the windows depending on the displacement of the pictured optical cutting image.
As a method of image processing to cope with this kind of requirement, there has hitherto been known one as described in Japanese Published Unexamined Patent Application No. 67200/1993 (corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 5,311,289).
An explanation will now be made about the method of image processing as described in the above Patent Application based on an example in which a pictured optical cutting image has a maximum portion in the X-axis direction which is one of the coordinate axes of the screen. In this method, before setting predetermined windows respectively in one side portion and in the other side portion in the Y-axis direction relative to the maximum portion of the pictured optical cutting image, the position of a tip, in the X-axis direction, of the pictured optical cutting image is first measured. Then, at a position which is a predetermined length backwardly away from the tip in the X-axis direction, there are set two windows which are elongated in the Y-axis direction. According to this method, each of the windows falls in, or rests on, a predetermined portion of the pictured optical cutting image which extends towards one side and the other side in the Y-axis direction, while moving backwards away from the maximum portion in the X-axis direction. Then, the positions of the centers of gravity in both the windows are measured. A point which has a correlation with both the centers of gravity, e.g., a middle point of a line segment connecting both the centers of gravity is obtained as a reference point. A predetermined window is set respectively in one side portion and in the other side portion, in the Y-axis direction, of the pictured optical cutting image in a predetermined positional relationship with the reference point.
Here, the X-axis and the Y-axis coordinate values of the reference point come to almost accurately represent the displacements in the X-axis direction and in the Y-axis direction on the screen of the pictured optical cutting image. Therefore, even if the pictured optical cutting image may displace on the screen, each of the predetermined windows can be set in the one side portion and in the other side portion, in the Y-axis direction, of the pictured optical cutting image, in a constant positional relationship with these image portions based on the reference point. As a result, it becomes possible to calculate the equation of the image line on each side in the Y-axis direction at a higher accuracy based on the center of gravity in each of the predetermined windows. Based on that crossing point of both the image lines which is obtained by both the equations, the shape and the position of the workpiece can be accurately measured.
In case the workpiece A is a press-formed product (i.e., a product formed by pressing) which is doglegged in cross section as shown in FIG. 1A, the ridgeline of the workpiece A will be subjected to friction or rubbing by metallic molds and will therefore become mirror-finished or become as smooth as a mirror surface. As a result, there sometimes appears a pictured halation image H (or an image formed by halation) which is due to the reflected light from the ridgeline of the workpiece and which extends in the X-axis direction, in addition to the pictured doglegged optical cutting image S which has a maximum portion in the X-axis direction.
In case the workpiece A is S-shaped in cross section as shown in FIG. 2A, there will appear, as shown in FIG. 2B, not only an S-shaped pictured optical cutting image S having a maximum portion and a minimum portion in the X-axis direction, but also pictured reflected images R due to reflected images r of the optical cutting image S as reflected on the crossing planes on the bottom side of the workpiece A. Further, in case the workpiece A is a press-formed product, there may sometimes appear, as shown in FIG. 2C, a pictured halation image H in addition to the pictured reflected images R.
In the above-described conventional method of image processing, when this kind of pictured halation images or pictured reflected images appear, there are cases where the windows can no longer be set appropriately or where the centers of gravity of the pictured reflected images are detected as the centers of gravity of the images inside the windows. As a consequence, the image lines on both sides of the maximum portion of the pictured optical cutting image cannot be correctly calculated.
In view of the above-described points, the present invention has an object of providing a method of image processing in which the image lines on both sides of the maximum portion of the pictured optical cutting image can be correctly calculated even if there appear a halation image or reflected images.

Method of image processing in optical measuring apparatus


An apparatus and method for converting a non-rotatably diagnostic lens into a rotatable device for evaluation of various portions of the eye wherein the lens device includes a housing member having opposed end portions and associated wall portions, a viewing lens positioned adjacent one end portion of the housing member and at least one mirror or other viewing surface located adjacent thereto, the improvement comprising a groove formed in the outer periphery of the housing member and a peripheral member cooperatively engageable with the groove, the peripheral member being shaped and dimensioned such that the housing member is rotatably movable relative to the peripheral member when the peripheral member is engaged with the groove. This arrangement enables a user to hold the peripheral member stationary and thereafter rotate the entire lens device so as to selectively position the at least one mirror or other viewing surface at the appropriate eye location for ocular evaluation. Preferably, the housing member is rotatable a full 360.degree. while the peripheral member remains stationary within a users grasp. Several alternative embodiments for rotatably engaging a peripheral member to the housing member of a lens device are disclosed. Although the present invention is particularly adaptable for use in association with a wide variety of diagnostic lenses such as gonioscopy and/or fundoscopic lenses, the present invention is likewise equally adaptable for use in many other eye lens applications including lenses used in laser treatment and/or surgery of the eye.

Diagnostic lenses such as fundoscopic and gonioscopy lenses are commonly used for various types of ocular evaluation. These types of lenses are specifically designed to allow different areas of the retina and other portions of the eye to be evaluated and are typically used to review the posterior, equatorial and anterior areas of the retina, the ora serrata, the anterior chamber, the posterior chamber, the vitreous chamber, and more. Such lenses are useful because they allow an optometrist, ophthalmologist, or other eye care professional to examine the interior of the eye for potential ocular defects and/or disease. Because the pupil of the eye is small and the eye is essentially spherical, it is difficult to visually examine various interior portions of the eye with a normal lens. Thus, it is difficult to examine many portions of the eye such as peripheral portions of the vitreous chamber and the retina. In order to allow viewing of substantially the entire vitreous chamber and retina of the eye, as well as other areas, diagnostic lenses such as gonioscopy lenses and fundus contact lenses were developed.
Known prior art diagnostic lenses, such as the known gonioscopy lenses and multi-mirrored fundus contact lenses, typically include a concave central lens located at one end portion thereof and a plurality of mirrors positioned around the central lens which are encased in a funnel-shaped cone and protected by a planar glass viewing surface. The central viewing lens is utilized to assess the posterior 30.degree. of the retina. Lateral or adjacent to the central lens are a plurality of mirrors, typically three mirrors, which are spaced 120.degree. apart and are mounted at different angles of inclination to the funnel-shaped cone to allow different areas of the eye to be evaluated. Typically, these mirrors are angled at 59.degree., 67.degree. and 73.degree.. These mirrors reflect light at different angles so that different parts of the eye can be examined. In order to identify a specific mirror, manufacturers of these lenses have universally assigned three sizes and shapes to the mirrors so that the users thereof can quickly and easily identify each mirror and its associated angular inclination.
Other prior art diagnostic lenses of this type are formed from a solid piece of clear plastic of a specific polymer or acrylic resin composition wherein surfaces are shaped and cut at different angles of inclination such that the natural refraction of light through these angled surfaces will likewise allow different parts of the eye to be examined. These cut and angled surfaces function in the same manner as the mirrors described above and such surfaces are also differently sized and shaped for easy identification.
The selection and position of the specific mirror or angled surface to be utilized during an evaluation depends upon that portion of the eye which needs to be evaluated. The selected mirror or surface is then placed opposite the area to be evaluated. For example, if the 12 o'clock position of the peripheral retina needs to be evaluated and a mirrored lens is being utilized, the median sized mirror which is angled at 67.degree. can be positioned at the 6 o'clock position of the retina so as to view the affected area. Each mirror or angled surface allows the user to inspect and evaluate different portions of the eye based upon the shape and inclination of such mirrors or angled surfaces.
Because the mirrors or surfaces are inclined at different angles and are typically circumferentially spaced apart, it is necessary to rotate the known prior art lenses a full 360.degree. in order to examine the entire retina or other portions of the eye. Manipulation and positioning of the appropriate mirror or surface at the appropriate location relative to the retina is generally accomplished by manually rotating the entire lens device on the eye of the patient until the selected mirror or surface is located in the proper position. This orientation is obtained by simply rotating the lens between the forefinger and thumb of the user so that the lens is 180.degree. opposite the area to be evaluated. Rotation of the lens can be accomplished with one or two hands depending upon the practitioner. The user, when using a prior art lens of this type, must therefore coordinate the use and manipulation of the slit-lamp biomicroscope which is used in conjunction with these types of lenses with manual rotation of the gonioscopy or other diagnostic lens on the eye of the patient.
Although co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/022,214, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,841,510, is directed to several embodiments of a rotatable diagnostic lens for ocular evaluation wherein any number of mirrors associated with such lens devices can be rotated separate and apart from the overall device, it is also desirable to provide an apparatus and method for converting existing conventional non-rotatable diagnostic lens to a rotatable type lens which will enable a user to not only continue to use existing lens equipment, but which will enable the user to more easily and freely manipulate the mirrors associated with such lens during ocular evaluations.

Apparatus and method for converting a standard non-rotatable diagnostic lens into a rotatable diagnostic lens for evaluation of various portions of the eye


The invention relates to a method for providing a description of a program to a user equipment, comprising: receiving a set of text fields associated with the program; selecting a subset of text fields from the set of text fields based on a profile of a user and/or a profile of the user equipment; ordering the selected subset of text fields based on the profile of a user and/or the profile of the user equipment; editing the description of the program based on the ordered subset of text fields; and providing the description of the program to the user equipment.

In conventional TV systems/products (e.g. Youview®) a user can access a list of programs available on a content server for delivery and selects a program in the list. The user can read a description of the selected program to decide whether to watch the selected programme or to select another program in the list. The description is of the nature of a sentence or a few sentences within a single free-form text field. The description is a powerful marketing tool used to elevate the best attributes of a program and to prompt users to watch the program.
A shortcoming arising from conventional TV systems/products is that a generic description is provided to all users and to all user equipments. However, a generic description cannot suit all users because different users make their choices based on different aspects of what is offered. Some users are interested in actors (e.g. Brad Pitt) while others are interested in awards (e.g. awarded an Oscar). Further, not all aspects can be fitted in one generic description especially when the allocated space is limited. Some user equipments have a 150 characters allocated space while others have a 500 characters allocated space. In practice, the size of the generic description may be larger than the size of the allocated space and part of the generic description must be omitted. To the contrary, the size of the generic description may be smaller than the size of the allocated space and the allocated space is not fully used. Consequently, a generic description does not efficiently elevate the best attributes of a programme and does not efficiently prompt users to watch the programme. As a result, the user experience is degraded (the user may decide not to watch a programme although he/she would have liked it) and the profits made by a provider are reduced (less pay per view and advertising revenues). In conventional TV systems/products, providing personalised descriptions tailored to users or to user equipments would require editing the descriptions manually, which is a lengthy and costly task.
The invention aims at addressing these problems.

Method, system and computer program product for providing a description of a program to a user equipment


A restraint assembly for the door-actuating means of a railroad hopper car. The door-actuating means is shifted by the piston of a fluid cylinder between door-closing and door-opening positions. The restraint mechanism comprises a first bracket mounted on the center sill and rotatively supporting a shaft on which a lever is mounted. The free end of the lever is pivotally joined to a first end of a spring assembly. The second end of the spring assembly is pivotally mounted to a second bracket affixed to the center sill. One end of the shaft has a notch formed therein. The door-actuating means has a laterally extending lug. When the door-actuating means is in its retracted door-closing position the restraint assembly will be in an over center restraining condition. Abutment of the door-actuating means lug against the shaft notch will prevent longitudinal shifting of the door-actuating means due to inertia. Shifting of the actuating means by the cylinder to its door-opening position will cause the abutment of the lug and the shaft notch to result in shifting of the restraint assembly to its non-restraining position and the door-actuating means lug no longer abuts the shaft notch. The door-actuating means is free to shift to its door-opening position. When the cylinder is actuated to shift the door-actuating means to its door-closing position, the door-actuating means lug engages the restraint shaft notch causing the assembly to return to its restraining position.

Heretofore, the discharge doors of a hopper car having generally been opened and closed manually, each door being provided with its own manually actuated latch means by which it may be locked in its closed position. In recent years, hopper cars have been developed which are of greatly increased size and capacity, with larger and heavier hopper doors. Prior art workers have devised for such cars various types of automatic door actuating means by which the large hopper doors may be mechanically opened and closed. At the same time, various types of latch means have been developed to lock the door actuating means in its door-closing position, thereby maintaining the hopper doors in their closed positions.
Prior art door actuator latch means have frequently been characterized by complex structure and have been difficult and expensive to manufacture and assemble. Furthermore, many of the prior art latch means were of such nature that under certain dynamic conditions of the hopper car (including humping, train shocks, train action and slack run-in and run-out), the latch means could unintentionally assume an unlatched condition due to impact inertia, with the possible risk of unwanted discharge of the car load.
Exemplary latch means for automatic door actuating means are taught in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,710,729 and 3,772,996. U.S. Pat. No. 4,132,177 teaches latch means for automatic door actuating means, which latch means also includes restraint means to prevent the latch from unintentionally assuming an unlatched condition due to impact inertia.
Under some circumstances a complex latch mechanism is not necessary and it is desirable simply to provide the hopper car with restraint means to prevent shifting of the automatic door actuating means to its door-open position due to impact inertia. The present invention is directed to a restraint assembly for a hopper car door actuator of the type comprising a door-actuating beam shiftable longitudinally by a fluid cylinder between door-opening and door-closing positions. Such automatic door actuating means are taught, for example, in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,187,684 and 3,596,609. The restraint assembly of the present invention is simple in construction and easy to install on the hopper car. The restraint assembly prevents inadvertent hopper door opening when impact inertia tends to extend the piston rod of the fluid cylinder which, in the absence of the restraint assembly of the present invention, could result in the shifting of the door-actuating beam to its door-open position.

Restraint assembly for the hopper door actuator of a rapid discharging railroad hopper car


A computer-readable recording medium stores a rendering program that renders simulation results and causes a computer to execute a process that includes detecting a range of physical values of a rendering element group to be rendern and of an area specified in a simulation model that is a set of elements each having a physical value for each position to be simulated; identifying from the simulation model, an adjacent element group that is a set of elements adjacent to rendering elements included in the rendering element group; determining whether the physical value of each adjacent element included in the adjacent element group is within the range; adding to the rendering element group, an adjacent element for which the physical value is determined to be included in the range; and rendering the simulation model according to the rendering element group to which the adjacent element has been added.

The heart in humans and animals is an internal organs that pumps blood and this function of the heart is conventionally reproduced by numerical analysis. In the numerical analysis of the heart, myocardial infarction, which causes changes over time at an arbitrary area of the heart, is simulated. When changes of such an area are to be viewed, a technique of extracting data corresponding to the area of the heart can be used (see, for example, Kitware, Inc., vtkMarchingContourFilter Class Reference.pdf, Sep. 27, 2010, retrieved Mar. 12, 2012: [URL]www.vtk.org/doc/release/5.6/html/a01103.html).
Nonetheless, with the technique above, an allowable range of an upper limit and a lower limit of physical values, which are elements of an arbitrary area and are for workrate and pressure, are specified as a myocardial infarcted area by a user. The allowable range of the physical values identifying the myocardial infarcted area varies according to patient and consequently, specification of an allowable range for a myocardial infarction is difficult. Such a problem is not limited to the heart and is similar for other internal organs as well as other disorders other than myocardial infarctions.

Computer product, rendering apparatus, and rendering method


A precombustor 10 for use in diesel engines comprises a precombustion chamber 12, a fuel spray nozzle port 18 through which a fuel spray nozzle 20 may be incorporated into the precombustion chamber 12, an igniter port 22 for an ignition means adjacent to said spray nozzle port 18, and a supersonic DeLaval nozzle 14 integrally incorporated into the precombustion chamber 12 opposite said spray nozzle port 18 for enhancing the injection of air into the precombustion chamber 12. Axially connected to the throat area of the DeLaval nozzle 14 is a two-dimensional subsonic diffuser 34 and flow passage 30 for transferring air from the diesel piston to the precombustion chamber 12 and combustion gases from the precombustion chamber 12 into the diesel cylinder.

The present invention pertains to diesel engines of the type having precombustion chambers and, more specifically, to improvements in those precombustion chambers which will permit greater efficiency.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Diesel engines designed according to the precombustion chamber system have the combustion chamber divided into a precombustion chamber, which is incorporated into the cylinder head, and a main combustion chamber which is positioned between the bottom edge of the cylinder head and the heads of the piston or crown. The precombustion chamber into which the fuel is injected and in which only a partial combustion takes place, is connected to the main combustion chamber by means of a narrow slot or flow passage.
In operation, as the piston moves in the direction of the cylinder head air is forced into the precombustion chamber, and at the end of this compression stroke fuel is injected into the precombustion chamber. Subsequently, a flame front is propagated down a flow channel from the precombustion chamber into a secondary combustion chamber formed in the piston head. The combustion of this fuel-air combination generates the thrust necessary to produce the power stroke of the piston.
It should be noted that the precombustion chamber, as well as the flow passages of prior art, have significantly different geometries than the present invention. In U.S. Pat. No. 4,122,804 to Kingsbury et al, precombustion chamber 50 is almost spherical in shape instead of having the elongated cylindrical geometry of the presently-claimed combustion chamber. Furthermore, it should be noted that flow passage 72 has acute angles in it as well as sharpedged orifices where the flow passage interconnects with the precombustion chamber. This basic simplistic design of the precombustion chamber and flow passage yields inherent efficiency problems as well as inherent problems of incomplete combustion.


A clock useful for instruction in how to read time comprising a face and two sets of numbers, the first set including integers one through twelve and the second set including integers zero through fifty-nine, positioned about the face and contained within differently colored bands first and second distances, respectively, from a center point of the face. The clock includes an hour hand colored the same as the first band and a minute hand colored the same as the second band rotatably attached to the face at the center point and extending to the first and second sets of numbers, respectively, the minute hand being longer than the hour hand. The face is divided into twelve equally sized segments, each of which is further divided into five equally sized sub-segments, beginning at the top center of the face and proceeding in a clockwise direction. The first segment contains the integer one from the first set of numbers, and the remaining numbers in the first set are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction about the face. The first sub-segment contains the integer zero from the second set of numbers, and the remaining numbers in the second set are arranged consecutively in a clockwise direction. The clock combines the features of analog and digital clocks and allows a person to read the actual time as soon as he or she can recognize numbers and grasp the "passage of time concept" by observing the movement of hands about the face.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to clocks, but more particularly to clocks useful for instruction in how to read time.
2. Description of the Related Art
Time is the means by which we measure duration and mark the occurrence of events. The incremental measurement of time provides a basis for the concepts of past, present and future, and provides a frame of reference about which we order our existence. The accurate measurement of an interval of time requires a regularly repeating occurrence or phenomenon against which it can be compared, such as the alteration of light and dark which comprises a day.
Measuring the passage of time and reading time are two separate aspects of the general concept of time. An analog clock having hands that move at a regular pace to measure minute and hour intervals is perhaps the most common device used for both measuring the passage of time and for reading time. The typical analog clock includes a face having the integers one through twelve equally spaced and arranged consecutively about the perimeter of the face. The face may also include further markings to visually indicate the minute intervals. A minute hand and an hour hand attached at the center of the face move around in a circular fashion and point to numbers which indicate the time. It is believed that a digital clock, while useful for reading the time, does not facilitate the understanding of or the visual observance of the passage of time.
Time can be a difficult concept for children to understand, and learning to tell time and to read time may prove to be a formidable task. Any type of visual aid that allows a child to make familiar associations in learning how time is measured and read quickly becomes an essential teaching tool. It is believed that, in school, a six-year-old is only taught to tell time by the quarter-hour. The clock of the present invention, however, allows a child to observe the passage of time and to read the exact time as soon as he or she able to recognize numbers, usually at the age of four years. Also, because children respond visually to colors at a very early age, the clock of the present invention may incorporate coordinated colors to further facilitate the learning process.
In teaching children how to tell time, it is difficult to convey the concept that as the hour hand moves from one number to the next, corresponding to the passage of one hour, the minute hand completes one entire revolution about the face of the clock, also corresponding to one hour or sixty minutes. It is also difficult to teach children to actually read the time by observing the position of the hour and minute hand on the face of the clock. There are no visual indications on the face to convey the concept that the one o'clock hour, for example, includes all readings of time when the hour hand is positioned between the one and the two on the clock face. Moreover, there are no indications on the face which allow one to make a direct reading of the time by observing the exact position of the hands on the face of the clock relative to numbers corresponding to the time.
The art to which the present invention pertains includes a clock manufactured by Spartan comprising a circular face having the integers one to twelve positioned radially about the perimeter as on a conventional clock, the integers one to sixty positioned radially about the face adjacent the integers one to twelve, the words one to twelve contained within a segmented band positioned radially about the face adjacent the integers one to sixty, an hour hand resembling a Crayola crayon attached to the face at its center point and extending to the numbers one through twelve, and a minute hand resembling a Crayola crayon attached to the face at its center point and extending to the numbers one through sixty. The hour and minute hands are different colors, and each segment of the band containing the words one to twelve is a different color.
The inventive clock combines the features of an analog clock and a digital clock in that it allows a person to read the actual time as soon as he or she is able to recognize numbers and to grasp the "passage of time" concept by observing the movement of hands about the face of the clock. Accordingly, a person can read the time, as if reading the display on a digital clock, by reading the numbers corresponding to the positions of the hour and minute hand. Also, a person can gain an understanding of the passage of time, as with a conventional analog clock, by observing the movements of the hands about the face of the clock corresponding to the passage of minutes or hours. Until now, it is believed that such a clock specifically designed for instruction in how to read time has not been invented.


A light emitting structure includes a semiconductor light emitting device capable of emitting first light having a first peak wavelength, a luminescent material capable of emitting second light having a second peak wavelength disposed over the semiconductor light emitting device, and a photonic band gap material disposed between the light emitting device and the luminescent material. The photonic band gap material is capable of transmitting the first light and reflecting the second light, regardless of the angle of incidence of the first and second light.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor light emitting devices with a photonic band gap material disposed between the device and a luminescent material layer.
2. Description of Related Art
Semiconductor light emitting devices such as light emitting diodes (LEDs) are among the most efficient light sources currently available. Material systems currently of interest in the manufacture of high brightness LEDs capable of operation across the visible spectrum include group III–V semiconductors, particularly binary, ternary, and quaternary alloys of gallium, aluminum, indium, and nitrogen, also referred to as III-nitride materials; and binary, ternary, and quaternary alloys of gallium, aluminum, indium, and phosphorus, also referred to as III-phosphide materials. Often III-nitride devices are epitaxially grown on sapphire, silicon carbide, or III-nitride substrates and III-phosphide devices are epitaxially grown on gallium arsenide or gallium phosphide by metal organic chemical vapor deposition (MOCVD), molecular beam epitaxy (MBE), or other epitaxial techniques. The devices include an active, light emitting region sandwiched between an n-type region and a p-type region. Electrical contacts are provided on the n- and p-type regions.
The color of light emitted from a semiconductor light emitting device may be altered by placing a wavelength-converting material in the path of the light exiting the chip. The wavelength-converting material may be, for example, a phosphor. Phosphors are luminescent materials that can absorb an excitation energy (usually radiation energy) and store this energy for a short period of time. The stored energy is then emitted in the form of a photon of a different energy than the initial excitation energy. For example, "down-conversion" refers to a situation where the emitted photons have less energy than the excitation photon energy. The photon wavelength increases (since E=hc/λ), shifting the color of the light towards red.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art phosphor-converted LED 10 based on gallium nitride (GaN), described in more detail in U.S. Pat. No. 6,155,699 to Miller et al. The LED 10 includes a GaN die 12 that generates blue primary light when activated. The GaN die 12 is positioned on a reflector cup lead frame 14 and is electrically coupled to leads 16 and 18. The leads 16 and 18 provide electrical power to the GaN die 12. The GaN die 12 is covered by a region 20 of phosphorescent material. The type of phosphorescent material utilized to form the region 20 can vary, depending upon the desired color of secondary light that will be generated by the region 20. The GaN die 12 and the phosphorescent region 20 are encapsulated by a lens 22. The lens 22 is typically made of a transparent epoxy.
In operation, electrical current is supplied to the GaN die 12 to activate the GaN die. When activated, the GaN die 12 emits the primary light, i.e., blue light, away from the top surface of the GaN die 12. The emitted primary light is absorbed by the phosphorescent region 20. The phosphorescent region 20 then emits secondary light, i.e., the converted light having a longer peak wavelength, in response to absorption of the primary light. The secondary light is emitted randomly in various directions by the phosphorescent region 20. Some of the secondary light is emitted away from the GaN die 12, propagating through the lens 22 and exiting the LED 10 as output light. The lens 22 directs the output light in a general direction indicated by arrow 24.
However, some of the secondary light is emitted from the phosphorescent region 20 toward the GaN die 12. The amount of secondary light that is emitted toward the GaN die 12 may be as much as half of the generated secondary light. Much of this light is then absorbed by the semiconductor layers and contact metals within GaN die 12. Therefore, the amount of secondary light that eventually escapes the LED 10 as output light is significantly reduced. The maximum external conversion efficiency of typical prior art LEDs, such as the LED 10, has been estimated to be about 60%. The maximum external conversion efficiency is the percentage of output light with respect to the emitted primary light.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,752 to Singer et al. describes a phosphor conversion LED that includes a "short wave pass" (SWP) filter to mitigate the above-described cause of inefficiency. The Singer et al. LED is virtually identical to the LED 10, except that the SWP filter is positioned on the upper surface of the GaN die 12, sandwiched between the GaN die 12 and the phosphorescent region 20. The SWP filter transmits the primary light from the GaN die 12, but reflects a portion of the secondary light emitted from the phosphorescent region 20. Therefore, the portion of secondary light that is emitted toward the GaN die 12 from the phosphorescent region 20 is reflected by the SWP filter and transmitted through the lens 22, contributing to the total output light. The reflecting of the secondary light by the SWP filter is designed to increase external conversion efficiency.
A concern with the Singer et al. LED is that the SWP filter does not have well-behaved transmittance and reflectance characteristics to efficiently transmit and reflect the primary light and the secondary light over a range of angles, respectively. Ideally, the SWP filter should operate to transmit all of the primary light from the GaN die 12 to the phosphorescent region 20 and reflect all of the secondary light that is emitted back toward the GaN die 12 from the phosphorescent region 20. The concern stems from the fact that the emitted primary light impinges upon the SWP filter with a large range of incident angles. The incident angle is the angle measured from the propagating direction of the incident light to the normal, a perpendicular line with respect to the surface of the SWP filter. The SWP filter exhibits a strong angular dependency, and the large range of incident angles results in undesirable transmittance and reflectance characteristics. In particular, the SWP filter reflects a significant portion of the primary light generated within the GaN die and emitted toward the SWP filter at high incidence angles back into GaN die 12. Therefore, that portion of the emitted primary light will not be transmitted through the SWP filter to the phosphorescent region 20. The decrease in the amount of primary light transmitted through the SWP filter consequently decreases the amount of primary light that can be converted by the phosphorescent region 20. Thus, the amount of secondary light generated by the phosphorescent region 20 is also reduced. The overall effect is that the amount of output light from the Singer et al. LED has been reduced by the less than optimal rate of transmittance of the SWP filter.
Miller et al. proposes a solution to the problems presented by Singer et al., shown in FIG. 2. The GaN die 12 is covered by an encapsulating layer 28 made of a transparent material. The transparent material may be clear epoxy or glass. The encapsulating layer 28 is a dome-shaped structure that surrounds the die 12. In the preferred embodiment of Miller et al., the dome-shaped structure is a generally hemispheric structure having a radius that equals the distance from A to C. The distance from A to C is equal to or greater than three times the distance from A to B. Adjacent to the encapsulating layer 28 is a distributed Bragg reflector (DBR) mirror 30. Because the DBR mirror 30 is formed over the upper surface of the encapsulating layer 28, the DBR mirror 30 is a dome-shaped shell. A layer 36 of phosphorescent material is located over the DBR mirror 30. The DBR mirror allows much of the primary light to be transmitted through the DBR mirror to the phosphorescent layer. The amount of primary light transmitted through the DBR mirror depends on the transmittance characteristic of the DBR mirror. Moving the DBR mirror some distance away from the GaN die decreases the range of incident angles. The small range of incident angles increases the transmittance of the primary light.
There are several problems with the design proposed by Miller et al. First, though spacing DBR mirror 30 apart from die 12 may decrease the range of incident angles, Miller's DBR 30 still transmits primary light only in a limited range of angles of incidence. Second, Miller's DBR 30 reflects secondary light emitted by Miller's phosphorescent material layer 36 only in a limited range of angles of incidence. Since light is emitted by phosphorescent material layer 36 in random directions, a significant portion of the secondary light may be transmitted by DBR 30 into die 12 and absorbed. Third, the thickness of the layers of Miller's DBR 30 must be precisely controlled in order to achieve the desired reflectance and transmittance characteristics. Since DBR 30 is formed on a curved surface, fabrication of DBR 30 with the thickness control required may be difficult and expensive. Fourth, since Miller's DBR 30 is spaced apart from die 12, the source size of Miller's is undesirably larger than a device without DBR 30, limiting the range of practical applications of Miller's device.

Semiconductor light emitting device including photonic band gap material and luminescent material


A sequential controller is provided for sequencing multiple electric loads such electric pumps. That is, for each cycle the next load is designated as the lead load in a round-robin fashion. The controller uses cost effective electro-mechanical relay logic an thus avoids conventional solid state technology. In order to sequence the loads on each successive cycle, the electro-mechanical relay connected to the sensors comprises a double-throw contact set. The double-throw contact set comprises two complementary contacts, both of which alternate between normally open and normally closed on each successive cycle. In this manner one each successive cycle, the pumps designated as the lead pump and the lag pump automatically alternate in a round-robin fashion. Further, when the lead pump is disabled the lag pump is immediately actuated without disruption of service.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to a controller for controlling the operational sequence of electrical loads and, more particularly, to a sequencing controller using electro-mechanical relays to control the operational sequence of multiple pumps in, for example, a septic system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are many applications for which it is desirable to sequence the operation of multiple electrical loads such as the sequential operation of multiple pumps used for an on-site septic system. In a simple septic system once waste water is ejected from a building it flows through the waste pipe and into a septic tank. Solids settle to the bottom of the tank to be broken down by an anaerobic process and clarified water effluent escapes the tank from an effluent pipe positioned opposite the waste pipe. The effluent is then channeled by a distribution box to various tubes fanned out below the surface of the ground in a drain field where it is allowed to leach slowly into the ground. For simple systems the entire system operates by gravity carrying the waste water from the building at the highest point to the drain field at the lowest point.
For systems which require waste water to move up hill at some point, a pump system is required to overcome the effects of gravity. In this situation, waste water is discharged into a pump chamber. When the water reaches a predetermined upper level, a float switch actuates a pump which continues to operate until the water is emptied to a predetermined lower level tripping another float switch. The amount of water pumped is referred to as the "dosing volume" and may be adjusted by changing the distance between the upper and lower levels where the pump switches on and off, respectively. If the pump fails to operate once the water reaches the upper level and the water continues to rise, a fail safe switch will be tripped sounding an alarm condition. If a redundant pump is available it may be activated at this time.
Complicated or larger systems, such as municipal systems, usually require more than one pump at a given location. Additional pumps may be provided simply for redundancy or to reduce the load on each individual pump and maintain even wear. For example if one pump is out of service, the remaining pump or pumps can maintain the load. Multiple pumps may also be required if the waste water is to be pumped to multiple destinations. Often in larger systems one drain field cannot leach enough water to support the entire system. Therefore, each time the pump chamber fills, pumps are rotated into and out of service in a round-robin fashion to pump the effluent to a different drain field. This rotating sequence occurs on each liquid level rise and fall cycle. The first pump in a given cycle sequence is referred to as the lead pump and the next pump in the sequence is referred to as the lag pump. As an added precaution, should the liquid level continue to rise even with the lead pump operating, a fail safe float switch may be provided causing the lag pump (presently idle) to energize and remain energized until the liquid level recedes sufficiently to de-energize both pumps.
Typically in such systems a pump selector switch is provided for each pump to allow manual or automatic control of the pump. However, when a given pump selector switch is placed in the off position (generally for maintenance purposes), the operation of the system is delayed until the liquid level reaches the fail safe float switch, causing the lag pump to activate. An additional and usually optional selector or circuit is required to cause the removed pump to be bypassed in the rotational sequence. Otherwise an interruption in operation will occur each time the given pump is called for but unavailable. This is obviously an undesirable situation. First, if the lag pump is not actuated until the liquid level rises above the fail safe float switch, the drain field to which the lag pump pumps may be overdosed by the extra liquid. This happening on a continual basis may cause flooding damage to the drain field. Further, typically an alarm is sounded when the liquid reaches the fail safe measure. Listening to and resetting this alarm each cycle would be annoying to the point where the operator may simply disable the alarm. In this situation, the pump system may continue to operate in its compromised condition causing damage to the system and possibly complete system failure.


To provide a crystalline polymer microporous film including: a laminate consisting of two or more crystalline polymer layers formed of crystalline polymers; and multiple pores penetrating through the laminate in the thickness direction thereof, wherein an average pore size of each of the crystalline polymer layer changes along the thickness thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a crystalline polymer microporous film with a high filtration efficiency for use for microfiltration of gas, liquid, etc., a manufacturing method of the same, and a filtration filter.
2. Description of the Related Art
Microporous films have been traditionally known and are finding increasing applications for filtration filters, etc (R. Kesting, Synthetic Polymer Membrane, McGraw Hill). Examples are, for example, microporous films made of cellulose ester (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 1,421,341, 3,133,132 and 2,944,017; and Japanese Patent Application Publication (JP-B) Nos. 43-15698, 45-3313, 48-39586 and 48-40050), microporous films made of aliphatic polyamide (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,783,894, 3,408,315, 4,340,479, 4,340,480 and 4,450,126; Germany Patent No. 3138525; and Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 58-37842), microporous films made of polyfluorocarbon (see U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,196,070 and 4,340,482; and JP-A Nos. 55-99934 and 58-91732), and microporous films made of polypropylene (see West Germany Patent No.3003400).
These microporous films are used for the filtration and sterilization of water for pharmaceutical preparations, production processes for pharmaceutical preparations, foods, etc., as well as washing water for electronics. In recent years, they are used in a variety of fields and so their consumption is increasing. In particular, microporous films receive attention that can capture particles with high reliability. Among them, microporous films formed of crystalline polymer offer excellent chemical resistance, and in particular, crystalline polymer microporous films made of polytetrafluoroethylene (hereinafter may be referred to as "PTFE") offer excellent heat resistance and chemical resistance; therefore, the demand for PTFE microporous films is significantly growing.
The permeation rate of a microporous film per unit area is generally small (i.e., filtration life is short). For industrial applications, this necessitates the use of a large number of filtration units arranged in series in order to ensure an increased film area. Thus it is necessary to increase filtration life in order to reduce costs associated with filtration. As microporous films that can effectively prevent flow rate reduction due to clogging, for example, asymmetric films have been proposed in which the pore size gradually decreases from the inlet side to outlet side (see JP-B Nos. 55-6406 and 04-68966).
Also proposed are, for example, a multilayered polytetrafluoroethylene porous film consisting of a small-pore size filtration layer and a support layer with a pore size greater than that of the filtration layer (see JP-A No. 04-351645), and a porous film fabricated by applying an emulsion of polytetrafluoroethylene onto a polytetrafluoroethylene sheet and by drawing the sheet (see JP-A No. 07-292144).
Unfortunately, in JP-A Nos. 04-351645 and 07-292144, cracks or other defects are more likely occur on the resultant microporous film after coating and drying processes. Moreover, since small pore size is obtained only around the film surface, it offers limited filtration life.
Furthermore, according to JP-A Nos. 03-179038 and 03-179039, it is possible to fabricate a microporous film consisting of a small-pore size filtration layer and a large-pore size support layer, which are integrally bonded together completely, by multiple-sheet extrusion. In this microporous film, however, clogging easily occurs at the boundary between the filtration layer and support layer, i.e., at a portion where pore size change is discontinuous.
JP-B No. 63-48562 discloses a method of manufacturing a thin film with asymmetric pore size by pressing a thin ethylene tetrafluoride resin film while heating both surfaces thereof at different temperatures. With this proposal, however, pores of desired shape cannot be successfully obtained since the heating temperature is low—from 250° C. to the melting point of ethylene tetrafluoride resin.
Accordingly, the current situation is that demand is growing for a crystalline polymer microporous film consisting of two or more crystalline polymer layers, which enables efficient capturing of microparticles without clogging and thus gives longer filtration life, a manufacturing method of the crystalline polymer microporous film, and a filtration filter including the crystalline polymer microporous film.

Crystalline polymer microporous film, manufacturing method of the same, and filtration filter


A surgical clip applier includes a pair of pivotal housing sections on which are provided a pair of clip actuating jaws. An elongated clip sleeve which receives a plurality of surgical clips arranged front to back in a row is mounted for longitudinal reciprocating movement between the housing sections. The clip sleeve includes a pair of clip retaining jaws adjacent to its open front to receive and hold a surgical clip advanced from the clip sleeve between the clip actuating jaws on the housing sections. A pusher is mounted on the clip sleeve for engaging the rearmost clip in the row. The surgical clip applier includes a ratchet mechanism which is operable each time the clip sleeve is reciprocated to advance the pusher and the row of clips by one step corresponding to the length of one surgical clip in the row. The ratchet mechanism includes a first ratchet on the clip sleeve and a second ratchet on one of the housing sections which are engaged by pawls on opposite sides of the pusher. The surgical clip applier operates by a double pump action in which the housing sections are twice pivoted together and released. In the first pump action, the clip sleeve is reciprocated to load the frontmost surgical clip between the clip retaining jaws and to advance the surgical clip to a load position between the clip actuating jaws. In the second pump action, the clip actuating jaws are pivoted into engagement with the clip retaining jaws to actuate the surgical clip held by the clip retaining jaws.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to surgical or scalp clips and to a surgical clip applier for applying such clips to human tissue. More particulary, this invention relates to a hemostatic clip which is suitable for use as a scalp clip in the course of cranial surgery and to a surgical clip applier for repeatedly advancing scalp clips one at a time from a clip sleeve or magazine and applying the scalp clips to a tissue wound flap.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the prior art, hemostatic clips are known for use in clamping wound flaps to prevent the flow of blood from severed blood vessels. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,425 discloses a hemostatic clip in the form of a tubular body member having a longitudinal slit extending completely across the body for receiving a wound flap when the body is distended from its original shape. A pair of outwardly extending projections is connected to the clip body at positions remote from the slit for accommodating a force applying tool. When force is applied to the outwardly extending projections, the clip body is distended from its original tubular shape to widen the slit and permit the insertion of a wound flap therein. When the force is released, the clip body returns to its original undistended tubular shape to clamp the wound flap. The clips are loaded by hand one at a time into a forceps-like tool for application to the wound flap.
The configuration of the hemostatic clip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,604,425 is unsuitable for use with a clip applying instrument in which a plurality of clips are loaded in a magazine and advanced one at a time to a set of clip actuating jaws. Because of the shape of the clip body and location of the outwardly extending projections on the clip body, it is difficult to maintain a series of such clips in alignment within a clip magazine. When the clips are arranged front to back in a row, there is a tendency of the clips to rotate relative to each other and to become misaligned. In view of these problems, it would be difficult to feed such hemostatic clips one at a time from a clip magazine and to accurately align the clips with the jaws of the clip applying instrument.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a surgical clip, such as a scalp clip, with a configuration which is readily operable with an applicator for applying a series of such clips to a wound flap. Also, it is desirable to provide a surgical or scalp clip with a configuration that permits a plurality of such clips to be loaded into a clip sleeve or magazine of an applicator for applying the clips to tissue. Further, it would be advantageous to provide a surgical or scalp clip with a configuration that maintains the clips in alignment when arranged front to back in a row within a clip sleeve or magazine and which prevents the clips from rotating with respect to each other in the clip sleeve or magazine. Further, it is desirable to design the surgical or scalp clip to limit the maximum separation of its clamping jaws when the clip body is distended by the applicator.
It has been proposed to provide a scalp clip applicator for applying a plurality of scalp clips one after the other without having to insert an individual scalp clip into the applicator after each application. U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,395 discloses an applicator for C-shaped scalp clips provided with a magazine for receiving a plurality of scalp clips arranged one behind the other with the free ends of one scalp clip resting against the bridge of the adjacent scalp clip. The scalp clips are urged forwardly along the magazine by a spirally wound leaf spring attached to a slider which engages the rearmost scalp clip. The frontmost clip engages the applicator jaws at the front of the magazine. Each scalp clip has laterally projecting edges to which force is applied by the applicator jaws to open the clamping jaws of the scalp clip to receive a layer of tissue. When the force is released, the clamping jaws of the scalp clip close to clamp the tissue.
In a first embodiment of the scalp clip applicator of U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,395, all clips in the magazine are advanced when the frontmost clip is released from the applicator jaws. No provision is made to retain the next scalp clip safely inside the magazine until the surgeon desires to operate the applicator to apply the next scalp clip to a tissue flap. Also, no provision is made to prevent the remaining clips in the magazine from pushing against the frontmost clip when it is actuated by the applicator jaws. As a result, the leading clip may become misaligned or accidently dislodged from the applicator jaws.
In a second embodiment of the scalp clip applicator of U.S. Pat. No. 4,637,395, a retaining nose projects downwardly into the feed path of the scalp clips to engage the second clip in the magazine. The purpose of the retaining nose is to prevent the second clip and the remaining clips from being pushed against the leading clip. However, when the lower applicator jaw is activated to open the leading clip, the retaining nose is raised so that the clips are pushed against the leading clip while it is being actuated by the applicator. As a result, the leading clip may become misaligned or dislodged from the applicator jaws. Also, in both embodiments, no provision is made to prevent the scalp clips from rotating with respect to each other so that the clips may become misaligned in the magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,821,721 discloses a device for applying LeRoy-Raney clips in which a plurality of clips is loaded vertically in a magazine. The clip at the top of the magazine is driven laterally by a plunger through a tapered tunnel which forces the clip jaws open to allow the clip to be applied to a scalp edge at the end of the tunnel. However, no provision is made to maintain the scalp clips in alignment within the magazine and no provision is made to prevent the scalp clips from rotating with respect to each other in the magazine.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,674,504 discloses a clip applying device with a clip magazine including a double ratchet mechanism comprising two ratchet bars coupled to a pawl for advancing hemostatic clips through the magazine. A separate feed blade is slidably received in the magazine and used to advance the leading clip from the magazine to the applier jaws. The leading clip is moved sideways in front of the feed blade prior to its advancement to the applier jaws. The magazine is stationary and one of the ratchet bars is reciprocated by the feed blade to advance the clips from the magazine to the applier jaws.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a surgical clip applier including a clip sleeve or magazine in which a plurality of surgical clips is maintained in accurate alignment and the clips are advanced one at a time to a set of clip actuating jaws. Also, it is desirable to provide a surgical clip applicator which advances a plurality of surgical clips one at a time from a clip sleeve or magazine and safely retains the remaining clips within the magazine and out of engagement with the leading clip. Further, it is desirable to provide a surgical clip applicator which precludes the premature advance of another surgical or scalp clip from the clip sleeve or magazine until the application of the previous surgical clip to a tissue flap is completed.
A preferred embodiment of the surgical clip comprises a body in the form of an elongated tubular element having an ellipsoidal cross section. The surgical clip includes wound flap engaging means comprising a pair of tissue clamping jaws defined by an elongated longitudinal slit extending completely across the front of the body. The tissue clamping jaws are connected by a flexible bridge at the rear of the body whereby the body may be distended from its original tubular shape. A pair of flanges extend rearwardly from opposite sides of the body at positions remote from the longitudinal slit. The flanges are adapted to engage the jaws of an applier whereby pressure can be applied to the bridge via the flanges to widen the slit and separate the tissue clamping jaws to permit a tissue flap to be inserted therebetween. The body is resiliently urged by the bridge to maintain its original tubular shape whereby the tissue clamping jaws will engage the tissue flap when the pressure applied to the flanges by the applier is released. Jaw guide means is formed on opposite sides of the body for receiving and guiding the jaws of the applier into engagement with the flanges.
Preferably, the flanges include a pair of elongated ridges extending across the rear of the flanges for engaging the jaws of the applier. The guide means comprises a pair of indentations formed on opposite sides of the clip body which extend rearwardly into the flanges and terminate at the ridges. The indentations define a pair of recessed, flat surfaces on opposite sides of the clip body which extend rearwardly into the flanges. Each of the flat surfaces is flanked by a pair of ramp-like surfaces extending along the opposite edges of the body. The recessed, flat surfaces receive and guide the applier jaws between the ramp-like surfaces to the ridges at the rear of the flanges on the clip body.
According to another aspect of the invention, the surgical clip is provided with stop means on its rearwardly extending flanges for limiting the separation of the tissue clamping jaws when the clip body is distended by the pressure applied to the flanges. Preferably, one or more tabs is formed on the inside of each flange and the tabs on each flange are aligned with the corresponding tabs on the opposite flange. The tabs are adapted to engage each other when the body is distended to limit the maximum separation of the tissue clamping jaws. In addition, one or more notches is formed at the front of the clip body on each of the tissue clamping jaws for receiving the corresponding tabs on the flanges of another surgical clip to maintain the clips in alignment when arranged front to back in a row.
According to another aspect of the invention, the surgical clip includes shoulder means on the opposite sides of the clip body for engaging the rearwardly extending flanges of another surgical clip to maintain the clips in alignment and prevent rotation of the clips when arranged front to back in a row. Preferably, the surgical clip includes a pair of shoulders formed at the front of its tissue clamping jaws and a pair of ledges formed on the inside of its flanges. In a row of surgical clips arranged front to back, the shoulders of each surgical clip engage the ledges of another surgical clip to maintain the clips in alignment and prevent the surgical clips from rotating with respect to each other.

Surgical clip applier with reciprocating clip sleeve and dual ratchet mechanism


A user traveling abroad may decide to make a purchase transaction from a merchant, or exchange cash to foreign currency, or withdraw foreign currency from a funding source of the user. A service provider server may determine exchange rates and transaction fees for different funding sources of the user and/or at different currency exchange locations. The service provider server may further suggest a particular funding source and/or a currency exchange location. The user may conveniently make an informed decision regarding which currency exchange location to go to and which funding source to use. After the trip, the user may have leftover foreign currency. The user may exchange the foreign currency for credit in a restricted account that can be used to make purchases but cannot be cashed out. The credit may be converted to domestic currency and may conveniently be used to make purchases.

Field of the Invention
The present invention generally relates to techniques for real-time generation of suggestions and transaction management and, in particular, to systems and methods for generating suggestions based on locations and funding sources and for enforcing transaction restrictions.
Related Art
In today's commerce, customers traveling abroad may engage in transactions, such as purchases, withdrawals, or conversion, involving foreign currency exchange. A customer may have various funding sources (e.g., cash, credit cards, debit cards, bank accounts, or other funding sources). Depending on which funding source is used at a merchant, or which currency exchange location is used for withdrawals or conversions, the user may receive a different currency exchange rate and/or be charged different transaction fees. It may be difficult for customers to determine which funding source to use and/or where to exchange or withdraw money to get the best exchange rate and minimize transaction fees, which is inconvenient for customers.
Embodiments of the present disclosure and their advantages are best understood by referring to the detailed description that follows. It should be appreciated that like reference numerals are used to identify like elements illustrated in one or more of the figures, wherein showings therein are for purposes of illustrating embodiments of the present disclosure and not for purposes of limiting the same.

Systems and methods for generating suggestions and enforcing transaction restrictions


A manually operable four-way automotive seat adjustment assembly is disclosed. The assembly includes a fore and aft adjustment mechanism together with a vertical adjustment mechanism that enables the seat frame member to pivot up and down relative to the carriage/base subassembly. A combination quadrant/lift link is pivotably mounted to the seat frame member and has a support pin fixedly attached thereto at a point radially spaced from the pivot point of the quadrant. The support pin is journalled to a mounting bracket that is slidably mounted to the carriage member so that the bracket can take up the fore and aft movement of the support pin as the quadrant rotates with the raising and lowering of the seat frame. The mounting bracket is preferably made of a hard plastic material to reduce noise and provide ease of operation.

The present invention relates to automotive vehicle seating and, more particularly, to automotive vehicle seats equipped with manual four-way adjustment assemblies.
Traditionally, only expensive luxury type vehicles have been equipped with seating that is adjustable in multiple directions in addition to fore and aft. Recent consumer demand, however, has made it increasingly important for automobile manufacturers to offer enhanced seat adjustment capability on less expensive vehicles. The cost and weight penalties associated with conventional power seat adjustment systems makes their application in smaller, less expensive vehicles impractical. Accordingly, the use of manual seat adjustment mechanisms is dictated for such applications.
Many different manual seat adjustment mechanisms have been proposed. However, there remains a need for a manual seat adjustment mechanism that is relatively simple in design and construction and therefore inexpensive to manufacture, is durable, and yet is light in weight, quiet, and easy to operate.
It is the primary object of the present invention to provide a four-way manual seat adjustment assembly that satisfies these criteria. In particular, the present invention discloses an improved mechanism for manually adjusting the position of a vehicle seat in either the up and down directions or the fore and aft directions. The present invention, in general, comprises a pair of stationary tracks defining a substantially horizontal plane. Elongated carriages are slidably coupled with the tracks and move longitudinally thereon. A mechanism is coupled with the tracks and carriages which enables selective movement of the carriages longitudinally along the tracks. Also, a vertical adjustment mechanism is provided that is coupled with the seat assembly to enable vertical adjustment of the seat assembly.
The vertical adjustment mechanism includes a pair of quadrants or lift links that are rotatably journalled to the seat frame members fastened to the underside of the seat bottom. The seat frame members are pivotably mounted at their rearward end to the carriages. A pair of pivot pins is fixedly attached to the quadrants/lift links and journalled to a pair of brackets that is in turn slidably mounted to the forward ends of the carriages. Vertical movement of the seat frame members relative to the carriages raises and lowers the pivot point of the quadrants/lift links, thereby causing the quadrants/lift links to rotate. The slidable mounting brackets take up the horizontal movement of the pivot pins as the quadrants rotate. A locking mechanism including a pawl that is engagable with teeth on the quadrants is provided to secure the seat frame in a selected vertical position. In addition, plastic bushings are provided at each of the various pivot points in the preferred embodiment to provide smoothness of operation and to minimize the amount of noise generated by the mechanism when operated.
From the following specification in connection with the accompanying drawings, other objects and advantages of the present invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art.

Four-way manual automotive seat adjustment assembly


A rotating tool includes a tool body including a polishing tool and a shank, and a flange part provided in the tool body. The polishing tool includes a plurality of linear grinding members and a grinding member holder to hold the linear grinding members. The flange part is an annular member, and attached to the grinding member holder, so as to be movable in the direction of an axial line and rotatable about the axial line. When the inner circumferential surface of a hole formed in a workpiece is processed, the grinding member holder and the annular member are inserted into the hole. When run-out on the front side of the rotating tool occurs, the annular member comes into contact with the peripheral wall surface of the hole, whereby the run-out of the tool body is reduced.

When a tool is inserted into a hole formed in a workpiece to polish the inner circumferential surface of the hole or to deburr the edge of another hole intersecting with the above-mentioned hole, a rotating tool including grinding members at the front end thereof is employed. Patent Literature 1 describes a rotating tool including a plurality of linear grinding members, a grinding member holder to bundle the rear ends of the plurality of linear grinding members, and a shank extending backward coaxially from the grinding member holder.


A novel antibiotic BN-235 substance and a process for making it are described, wherein the hydrochloride thereof has the following properties:. Elemental analysis values: PA1 Molecular weight: about 520 (by the vapor pressure method) PA1 Melting point: 230.degree. to 232.degree. C. (decomp.) PA1 Ultraviolet absorption spectrum: shown in FIG. 1 PA1 Infrared absorption spectrum: shown in FIG. 2 PA1 Color reactions: PA1 Color and form: yellow powder PA1 Solubility: soluble in methanol, ethanol, acetone and water, and insoluble in ether, n-hexane and petroleum ether PA1 Stability: stable at a pH of 2 to 6 PA1 Rf values in thin-layer chromatography (silica gel): PA1 Distinction among acidity, neutrality and basicity:. carbon 55.44% PA2 hydrogen 6.41% PA2 nitrogen 9.02% PA2 chlorine 12.01% PA2 oxygen 17.12% (balance) PA2 Positive: ninhydrin and Lemieux PA2 Negative: Sakaguchi and ferric chloride PA2 chloroform-methanol (4:1) 0.73 PA2 n-butanol-acetic acid-water (2:1:1) 0.64 PA2 basic.

This invention relates to an antibiotic, and a process for its production. More specifically, this invention relates to a novel antibiotic BN-235 substance, and to a process for producing the novel antibiotic BN-235 substance which comprises cultivating a BN-235 substance-producing strain of the genus Serratia in a culture medium, and isolating and recovering the BN-235 substance from the culture broth.

Novel antibiotic BN-235 substance, and process for the production thereof


The concentration of glycated hemoglobin, HbA.sub.1c, in hemoglobin from diabetic patients is regarded as a useful means of assessing the adequacy of diabetes control. This invention comprises a monoclonal antibody which, due to its specific binding of HbA.sub.1c, can be used for the determination of HbA.sub.1c in the absence of prior denaturation, in blood samples by such analytical methods as radioimmuno assay or enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The invention also comprises hybridoma cell lines which produce monoclonal antibodies of the invention.

Glycated (glycosylated) hemoglobins have gained acceptance as a relevant index of long-term blood glucose control in patients with diabetes mellitus. As used subsequently in this specification the term glycated hemoglobin refers to relatively stable condensation products of hemoglobin with glucose (and possibly glucose phosphates), as compared with more labile hemoglobin-glucose adducts, supposedly of the aldimine (Schiff base) type and generated by a non-enzymatic reaction between glucose and amino groups of hemoglobin. The latter are believed to be converted into the stable (formerly termed "glycosylated") type an Amadori rearrangement (cf. M. Roth: Clin.Chem. 29 (1983) 1991).
Glycated hemoglobin A components were first recognized when hemoglobin A was subjected to electrophoresis and cation exchange chromatography. Owing to their more negative charge and consequently higher electrophoretic migration rates towards the anode than that of the major component hemoglobin A (HbA.sub.o) they were named the "fast" hemoglobins (HbA.sub.1). The fast hemoglobins constitute a series of minor hemoglobins among which inter alia HbA.sub.1a, HbA.sub.1b and HbA.sub.1c have been identified according to their differential migration rates. Of these HbA.sub.1c is present in greatest quantity in erythrocytes both from normal subjects and from diabetic patients. HbA.sub.1c is known to be glycated at the N-terminal. valine of the .beta.-chains of hemoglobin A. However, recent studies have indicated that glycation may also occur at the amino group of lysine side chains and that all hemoglobins, including HbA.sub.o and HbA.sub.1c, may comprise such glycated sites. The labile (aldimine) precursor of HbA.sub.1c (usually referred to as "pre-HbA.sub.1c ") is not encompassed by the above definition of HbA.sub.1c.
It is now generally accepted that the level of HbA.sub.1c in a blood sample is a good index for the individual's glycemic control. Normal adults have about 90% of their total hemoglobin A as HbA.sub.o and 3-6% as HbA.sub.1c, the balance consisting of other minor hemoglobins including HbA.sub.1a and HbA.sub.1b. However, the level of HbA.sub.1c in patients with type 1 (juvenile) and type 2 (maturity-onset) diabetes ranges from about 6% to about 15%. The quantification of the HbA.sub.1c level in diabetic patients is regarded as a useful means of assessing the adequacy of diabetes control, in that such measurements represent time-averaged values for blood glucose over the preceding 2-4 months (cf. J. S. Schwartz et al.: Annals of Intern. Med. 101 (1984) 710-713).
The ideal laboratory method for measuring HbA.sub.1c should be specific (e.g. not influenced by the presence of pre-HbA.sub.1c) accurate, precise, easily standardized, inexpensive and facile. Unfortunately, the methods currently available such as cation exchange chromatography, high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), affinity chromatography or electrophoresis (isoelectric focusing) do not meet all of these criteria simultaneously. For a general review of these methods and their attempted implementation for diabetes control, reference is made to J. S. Schwartz et al., supra.
The direct measurement of glycated hemoglobin based on immunological methods has been suggested in the prior art. In this respect reference is made inter alia to British Patent No. 1.580.318 and to U.S. Pat. No. 4.478.744. The method devised in the former requires comparatively large amounts of human HbA.sub.1c for immunization and the latter makes use of a laboriously synthesized peptide for preparation of the antigen. In both instances the immunoassay is conducted with animal antiserum or fractions thereof containing so-called polyclonal antibodies. Such polyclonal antibodies are difficult to prepare in a reproducible manner and are generally not regarded as sufficiently specific for the assay of HbA.sub.1c in a highly complex mixture of closely related hemoglobin molecules.
It is the object of the present invention to overcome the drawbacks of the methods known heretofore for laboratory measurements of the extent of glycation, of hemoglobin A. The invention is based on the surprising observation that it is possible by using appropriate immunization, screening and selection procedures to isolate cell lines (hybridomas) which produce monoclonal antibodies that will bind specifically to epitopes containing glycated amino groups of hemoglobin, such as that of the N-terminal valine of the .beta.-chains of hemoglobin A, whereas substantially less or essentially no binding occurs to the corresponding non-glycated site.
In particular, the generation of antibodies recognizing the glycated N-terminal valine residues of the HbA.sub.1c .beta.-chains is a surprising achievement in view of the fact that models of the hemoglobin molecule based on X-ray crystallographic studies indicate that these residues, at least in their non-glycated state, are buried in a central cavity of the molecule and hence would be expected to be difficultly accessible to such large molecules as immunoglobulin antibodies. This cavity encompasses the so-called 2,3-diphosphoglycerate (DPG)-pocket wherein the much smaller DPG molecule is trapped between the N-terminal ends of the two, .beta.-chains of deoxyhemoglobin. When the .beta.-chains come closer together in oxyhemoglobin, the DPG molecule is pushed out of its binding pocket. For illustration, see R. E. Dickerson and I. Geis in "Hemoglobin: Structure, Function, Evolution, and Pathology" p. 40 (The Benjamin/Cummings Publ. Co., 1983).

Determination of glycated (glycosylated) hemoglobin in blood


A percutaneous transluminal device, comprising an elongated catheter, an interventional device operably coupled to the proximal end of the catheter, a filter operably coupled to the distal end of the catheter, the filter movable between a collapsed and deployed position 218, and an actuator wire for deploying the collapsing the filter. The filter including a filter chassis comprising a movable collar a fixed collar and a tubular braided scaffolding coupled between the movable collar and the fixed collar. Each wire of the braided scaffolding moving independently with respect to the other wires between the movable collar and the fixed collar as the filter moves between the collapsed position and the deployed position.

Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to interventional devices and, more particularly, to interventional devices having an integrated embolic filter, as well as methods of making and using the same.
Description of the Related Art
The vascular bed supplies a constant flow of oxygen-rich blood to the organs. In diseased vessels, blockages can develop that can reduce blood flow to the organs and cause adverse clinical symptoms up to and including fatality. Diseased vessels can comprise a range of material from early-stage thrombosis to late-stage calcified plaque.
Angioplasty can be described as a catheter-based procedure performed by a physician to open up a stenosed vessel and restore blood flow. An entry site can be opened, for example, in the patient's groin, arm, or hand, and a guide wire and catheter can be advanced under fluoroscopic guidance to the location of the blockage. A catheter having a small balloon adjacent its distal end can be advanced under fluoroscopic guidance until the balloon lies within the stenosed region. The balloon can be then inflated and deflated one or more times to expand the stenosed region of the artery.
Angioplasty is one example of a vascular intervention that can release embolic particles down-stream from a stenosed or otherwise compromised location during intervention. These embolic particles can result in adverse clinical consequences. It has been shown beneficial to trap these embolic particles to prevent them from traveling downstream with blood flow to the capillary bed (e.g., Baim D S. Wahr D, George B, et al., Randomized trial of a distal embolic protection device during percutaneous intervention of saphenous vein aorta-coronary bypass grafts, Circulation 2002; 105:1285-90).
In addition to balloon angioplasty, stenoses can also be treated with stents and with mechanical thrombectomy devices. These devices are also prone to releasing embolic particles downstream from a stenosed location during intervention.
Systems available today used to catch these embolic particles consist primarily of distal filter systems or occlusion balloon systems. Distal filter systems are on guidewires, as are distal balloon occlusion systems. Proximal balloon occlusion systems are on a guide catheter or sheath. These systems suffer shortcomings related to simplicity of use. Embolic protection guidewires also suffer from flexibility and stability problems that render the protected angioplasty procedure relatively more difficult in many cases. In the case of saphenous vein grafts, the problems relate specifically to aorto-ostial lesions, where the guidewire may not be long enough to provide support, or distal vein graft lesions, where there can be not enough of a landing zone for the filter. The latter can be a problem as currently available filter systems can have a considerable distance between the treatment balloon and the distal filter. This distance can be a problem not only in distal vein graft lesions, but also in arterial stenoses in which there can be a side branch immediately after the stenoses. In such cases, the filter can often be deployed only distal to the side branch, thus leaving the side branch unprotected from embolic particles.
Accordingly, a need exists for improved interventional devices having an integrated embolic filter as well as methods for making an using the same.

Interventional device having an integrated embolic filter and associated methods


A rotary cut-off tool has a hand-held housing. The housing has an open end centered on an axis and a housing abutment surface facing axially outward of the open end. A motor within the housing has an output shaft. A guard has a guard flange with a mounting hole. An arbor is configured to extend axially from the shaft through the mounting hole. A cut-off disk is receivable on the arbor. A spring has an installed position compressively engaged by and between the housing abutment surface and the guard flange, such that the spring releasably restrains the guard from swiveling about the axis.

The present invention relates to a protective guard for a hand-held rotary cut-off tool.
A hand-held rotary cut-off tool has an abrasive rotary cut-off disk driven by an electric or pneumatic motor, and is used to cut a workpiece. The cut-off tool typically has a protective guard that partially surrounds the cut-off disk.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art pneumatic hand-held rotary cut-off tool 10. The tool 10 has a housing 12 configured to be grasped by hand. The tool 10 also has an abrasive cut-off disk 14 attached to the end of an arbor 16, concentrically aligned along a rotational axis 18. A pneumatic motor 20 within a cavity 22 of the housing 12 rotates the arbor 16 and the cut-off disk 14 about the axis 18. The tool 10 also has a half-bell shaped protective guard 24. The guard 24 can swivel about the axis 18 as needed for adjustment but does not rotate with the disk 14.
FIG. 2 shows an exploded view of major components of the cut-off tool 10 of FIG. 1. The tool 10 has a nut 30 which serves to indirectly attach the guard 24 to the housing 12. The nut 30 has a non-threaded nut bore 32 extending along the axis 18 entirely through the nut 30. The nut 30 also has an external screw-thread 34 at one end, a torque structure 36, having two flats 38, at the other end, and a smooth nut shank portion 40 in-between. The nut shank portion 40 has a circumferentially-extending groove 42. A nut abutment surface 44 is located between the external screw-thread 34 and the nut shank portion 40.
The cut-off disk 14 is attached by a screw 46 to the arbor 16. The arbor 16 passes through the nut bore 32 and is connected to and rotated by an output shaft 48 of the motor 20. The nut 30 is screwed into the housing 12.
The guard 24 has a flat guard flange 50 with a mounting hole 52 that receives the nut shank portion 40. The guard flange 50 is held in place, on its axially-inner side, by a first flat washer 54, a wave washer 56 and the nut abutment surface 44. The guard flange 50 is held in place, on its axially-outer side, by a second flat washer 58 and a retaining ring 60 that snaps into the groove 42. The wave washer 56 is compressively engaged by and between the nut abutment surface 44 and the flat washer 54. Pressure from the wave washer 56 is transmitted through the flat washer 54 to the guard flange 50 and causes the guard 24 to be releasably restrained from swiveling about the nut shank portion 40.
FIG. 3 shows an exploded view of major components of a second prior art cut-off tool 62. The components and overall design of the second cut-off tool 62 are similar to those of the first cut-off tool 10. The second prior art cut-off tool 62 has a nut 64 which serves the same function as the nut 30 of the first cut-off tool 10. The nut 64 has a non-threaded nut bore 66. The nut 64 also has an external screw-thread 70 at one end, a smooth nut shank portion 72 at the other end, and a torque structure 74, having six flats 76, in-between. The nut shank portion 72 has a retaining ring groove 78. A nut abutment surface 80 is located between the torque structure 74 and the nut shank portion 72. The second cut-off tool 62 also has a guard 82 similar to the guard 24 of the first cut-off tool 10. A wave washer 84 is compressively engaged by and between the nut abutment surface 80 and a guard flange 86.
Some differences between the first and second prior art cut-off tools 10 and 62 are as follows. The second prior art tool 62 lacks the flat washers 54 and 58 of the first prior art tool 10. The shank portion 72, the torque structure 74 and the abutment surface 80 of the nut 64 of the second prior art tool 62 are disposed in a different sequence than the corresponding features (the shank portion 40, the torque structure 36, and the abutment surface 44) of the nut 30 of the first prior art tool 10.
In accordance with the invention, a rotary cut-off tool has a hand-held housing. The housing has an open end centered on an axis, and has a housing abutment surface facing axially outward of the open end. A motor within the housing has an output shaft extending along the axis. A guard has a guard flange with a mounting hole. An arbor is configured to extend axially from the shaft through the mounting hole. The tool further has a spring and a cut-off disk receivable on the arbor. The spring has an installed position compressively engaged by and between the housing abutment surface and the guard flange, such that the spring releasably restrains the guard from swiveling about the axis.
In a preferred embodiment of the invention, the housing further has an internal screw-thread centered on the axis, and the tool further has a tubular fitting. The fitting has a bore that receives the arbor. An external screw-thread on the fitting is engageable with the internal screw-thread in the housing. The fitting further has an axially facing abutment surface, and a shank portion between the fitting abutment surface and the external screw-thread. When installed, the spring is received over the shank portion of the fitting.


A retainer of an outer ring guide type, includes a retainer guide surface, a relief surface (edge relief groove), and an axial groove. The retainer guide surface is provided on at least one axial end portion of a retainer outer diameter surface and is guided by the outer ring. The relief surface is formed on the retainer outer diameter surface along a circumferential direction, located on an axial center side with respect to the retainer guide surface, and has an outer diameter smaller than that of the retainer guide surface. The axial groove extends from the pockets to an axial end on the retainer outer diameter surface, forms an axial step portion by axially traversing the retainer guide surface, and has a groove bottom on a radial inner side with respect to the relief surface.

Generally, a rolling bearing such as a cylindrical roller bearing or an angular contact ball bearing is used as a main shaft bearing of a machine tool. A plastic retainer formed of a synthetic resin is used as a retainer of these rolling bearings. The plastic retainer is lightweight, and accordingly a centrifugal force during rotation is small, which is advantageous for high-speed rotation.
As a lubrication method of such a rolling bearing, grease lubrication, oil air lubrication, jet lubrication, and the like are selected as appropriate, and generally, grease enclosing lubrication by initial enclosing is widely used due to low cost and easy maintenance (see, for example, Patent Document 1).
In a rolling bearing including a retainer of an outer ring guide type, an axial groove may be provided on a retainer outer diameter surface serving as a guide surface, so as to discharge excess grease in vicinity of a rolling contact portion. When a groove is provided on the retainer outer diameter surface in an axial direction, grease is scraped out in vicinity of a step portion of the groove. On the other hand, when no axial groove is provided in the retainer outer diameter surface, grease is sheared and discharged from the guide surface by rotation of the retainer when entering a place between the retainer and an outer ring inner diameter surface, since a guide gap formed between the outer ring inner diameter surface and the retainer outer diameter surface is constant.


A cellular mobile telephone exchange system comprises a switch which allows optional setting of the connecting conditions between a plurality of radio base-station transmitter-receivers and a plurality of base-station controllers.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cellular mobile telephone exchange system comprising one or more mobile stations, a plurality of groups of radio base-station transmitter-receivers, base-station controllers assigned to each group of radio base-station transmitter-receivers for controlling each radio base-station transmitter-receiver in said group, and a mobile telephone switching unit for controlling a plurality of base-station controllers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
FIG. 1 is a block diagram showing a cellular mobile telephone exchange system of the conventional type. FIG. 2 is a diagram showing the coverage areas of each radio base-station transmitter-receiver 1a through 1f. Each transmitter-receiver 1a through if has a transmitting-receiving function for a plurality of channels and covers one area as shown in FIG. 2. Base-station controller 2a comprises communication channels communicating with a mobile telephone exchange unit 3 and radio base-station transmitter-receivers 1a, 1b and 1c, a network switch which connects these channels to each other, and a CPU for controlling the network switch. Similarly, base-station controller 2b comprises communication channels communicating with mobile telephone exchange unit 3 and radio base-station transmitter-receivers 1d, 1e and 1f, a network switch which connects these channels to each other, and a CPU for controlling the network switch.
When mobile station 5 moves out of the range of radio base-station transmitter-receiver 1b and into the coverage area of radio base-station transmitter-receiver 1c, base-station controller 2a switches the communication channel from the radio base-station transmitter-receiver 1b to 1c by using its network switch and CPU to continue the call with mobile station 5. Next, when mobile station 5 moves out of the coverage area of radio base-station transmitter-receiver 1c and into the coverage area of radio base-station transmitter-receiver 1d, base-station controller 2a becomes unable to keep up with the movement of the mobile station by a switching operation within the controller, and consequently, base-station controllers 2a, 2b and mobile telephone exchange unit 3 exchange information to connect the appropriate call channel by using the network switch of the mobile telephone exchange unit 3, thereby continuing the call with mobile station 5.
The conventional cellular mobile telephone exchange system described above has the drawback that when a mobile station frequenting moves between the coverage area of a radio base-station controlled by a base-station controller and the coverage area of another radio base-station controlled by another base-station controller according to a schedule set for more than one time zone, or when traffic increases between the coverage areas of more than one base-station controller (movement characteristics of a mobile station), the load on the mobile telephone exchange unit will increase to an excessive degree.

Cellular telephone exchange system which allows setting of connections between the base station transmitter-receivers and base station controllers base on movement of the mobile station