A traveling operation detecting portion detects traveling operation and non-traveling operation selectively. The traveling operation corresponds to operator operation that involves traveling of an industrial vehicle. The non-traveling operation corresponds to operator operation that does not involve the traveling of the industrial vehicle. An upper setting portion selectively sets a first engine speed upper limit and a second engine speed upper limit, which are different from each other, as an upper limit of an acceptable speed range of an engine in correspondence with a detection result of the traveling operation detecting portion. Thus, maximum advantage of the performance of the engine is ensured in correspondence with operation of the industrial vehicle.

The present invention relates to a controller of an industrial vehicle, an industrial vehicle, and a control method for an industrial vehicle.
In some conventional industrial vehicles, such as loading vehicles, an engine drives a traveling mechanism and mechanisms (including a loading actuator) other than the traveling mechanism, which causes the industrial vehicle to travel (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication Nos. 2004-11469 and 2004-359414).
In an industrial vehicle and a control method for the industrial vehicle described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-11469, the engine speed is controlled in correspondence with the operational state of the industrial vehicle. Specifically, such controlling is performed with reference to different information including the operation amount of a loading lever, the depression amount of an accelerator pedal, and the depression amount of a clutch pedal. This suppresses gunning of the engine that generates noise, while simplifying the configuration of the industrial vehicle.
In an industrial vehicle and a controller of an industrial vehicle described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-359414, it is determined that the industrial vehicle is in a process of loading if a vehicle speed detecting portion detects that the vehicle speed is zero. In this case, the controller operates to maximize the shaft torque of the engine. This ensures the engine torque needed for loading of the industrial vehicle even in a dark environment, although the speed of the industrial vehicle is limited in correspondence with the amount of light in the environment.
However, in the industrial vehicle and the control method for the industrial vehicle of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-11469, controlling of the engine speed for suppressing the gunning of the engine is performed in correspondence with a priority selected from the operational state of the loading lever, that of the accelerator pedal, and that of the clutch pedal. In other words, such controlling is performed only in a range up to an upper limit of the engine speed that is determined by the traveling performance of the industrial vehicle and in correspondence with the operational state of the loading lever or the accelerator pedal or the clutch pedal. Accordingly, the control method and the industrial vehicle do not sufficiently satisfy a requirement that the engine should be controlled in such a manner as to ensure maximum advantage of the engine performance in correspondence with the operational state of the industrial vehicle.
Further, in the industrial vehicle and the controller for the industrial vehicle described in Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-359414, in which the engine torque necessary for loading in the dark environment is ensured, determination that the industrial vehicle is in a loading process depends solely on detection that the vehicle speed is zero. Therefore, efficient controlling of the engine is limited to the operational state (condition) of the industrial vehicle in which the vehicle speed is zero. Accordingly, like the control method and the industrial vehicle of Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2004-11469, the controller and the industrial vehicle of this document do not sufficiently satisfy the above-described requirement.

Controller of industrial vehicle, industrial vehicle, and control method for industrial vehicle


The residential building whose majority of components are prefabricated in a factory, includes a foundation supporting a bed, walls erected on the bed, a ceiling supported on the walls and a roof supported on the walls. The foundation is formed of foundation blocks that are cast on-site, in appropriate excavations, and joints by forms of stringers also cast on-site in appropriate excavations. Each foundation block is provided with a vertical pillar prefabricated in a factory, each vertical pillar having a horizontal upper planar face. The upper planer faces of the pillars are arranged along the same horizontal plane, receiving and supporting, at a distance from the ground, the bed of the building. The invention also relates to a method and device used for realizing the wall elements manually or automatically in a continuous manner.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the techniques used in the construction of residential housing.
More specifically, the subject of the present invention is a new type of building for which the majority of components, about 80% including the interior works, are prefabricated in a plant.
The subject of the present invention is also not only the means for manufacture of the components but also for erecting the building.
2. Description of Related Art Including Information Disclosed Under 37 CFR 1.97 and 37 CFR 1.98
Traditionally residential housings, such as individual homes or small condominiums, are constructed on site by assembling various construction materials. For the construction of the bearing or non-bearing walls, bricks or building blocks are used. For creating the building openings, prefabricated door and window frames are used. For the roofing, use is made of structural timbers such as prefabricated girders that have been adapted so they can support a roof cover consisting of tiles.
The construction of a residential building therefore requires several skilled workers that need to convene on the site in accordance with a pre-established scheduling which keeps track not only of the order in which these different skilled workers work but also of the duration of their individual activities.
This widely used mode of operation is subject, most of the time, to the uncertainties of weather which interrupt for shorter or longer periods of time particularly the construction of outside walls and the roof. These delays which are beyond anybody's control interfere with the scheduling plan by postponing the periods of activity of the different trades at the risk of one of them not being available at the required time.
The cost of construction is directly linked to the competence of the personnel employed as well as to the quality of the construction materials being used. Ordinarily the cost for labor and the contractor represents between 70 and 80% of the total cost whereas the materials represent only 20 to 30% of the cost of construction.
Another factor that affects the cost of construction is the level of protection against natural disasters which the construction can provide its occupants because of its design.
Those structures which can provide a high level of protection against fire, earthquakes, tornadoes etc. are especially expensive and consequently inaccessible to persons with modest incomes.
The in-plant manufacture of housing modules and their assembly on site is well known. The in-plant manufacture of these modules allows the builder to free himself of weather-related uncertainties and the caisson design of the various modules makes them highly resistant to natural disasters. However, this construction method offers few architectural variations thereby limiting the number of housing models that can be offered.
Also, the dimensions of each caisson are limited by the constraints imposed by the clearance limitations of road transport.
From prior art, one is also familiar with building manufacturing methods which consist of the erection of a bearing frame on a horizontal slab formed on site and of the fastening of prefabricated panels to this framework. The problem with this type of construction lies in the low resistance to earthquakes, unless metal frames are used.
One also knows from prior art, prefabricated buildings that are placed on foundations that are also prefabricated. Such a method can be illustrated in particular with the patent application US 2001/0023563 (PHILLIPS) concerning a permanent foundation for a prefabricated house. This permanent foundation consists of reinforced concrete beams with an upstanding T section put into the ground not in a grid, but parallel to each other at regular intervals. These girders are not joined to each other and cannot confer to the foundation all the rigidity it needs to have.
From the Australian application AU 27958 (SIGAL), one is also familiar with a building that comprises a peripheral foundation and some pads 11 that are implanted in the soil within the space demarcated by the foundation. But these pads are not connected to the peripheral foundation and cannot form together with the latter a rigid grid all in one piece. Such an arrangement is not apt to form an anchorage in the ground that is dimensionally stable and capable of resisting the weight load represented by the building and capable of mechanically resisting any seismic shocks.
From the U.S. Pat. No. 6,085,432 (VAN DER SLUIS) one also knows a positioning device that provides a certain orientation to an upright that is designed to receive a pylon. This device is not suitable for placing the upper face of the upright in the horizontal position.

Type of building, method and means for erecting it


Provided are a coherent optical receiver and a fabrication method thereof, the coherent optical receiver including a substrate, signal and local input waveguides extending in a first direction parallel to a top surface of the substrate and configured to receive an optical signal, a first optical circuit element including a first optical waveguide connected to the signal input waveguide and a trench provided in one side of the first optical waveguide in parallel to the first direction, a second optical circuit element including a second optical waveguide connected to the first optical waveguide, a slit crossing the second optical waveguide, and a wavelength plate inserted to the slit, and third optical circuit elements connected to the second optical circuit element, wherein the first to third optical circuit elements are monolithically integrated in the substrate.

The present disclosure herein relates to a coherent optical receiver and a fabrication method thereof, and more particularly, to a coherent optical receiver including a plurality of optical circuit elements integrated in a signal substrate and a fabrication method thereof.
In order to demodulate an optical signal in a coherent optical receiver, a light intensity is required to be constantly maintained irrelevant to a transmission distance so as to secure the linearity of the signal, and the signal is required to be separated according to the polarization and phase. Accordingly, a variable optical attenuator (VOA) for adjusting a light intensity, a polarization beam splitter (PBS) for demodulating polarization, and an optical hybrid (OH) for demodulating a phase are necessary. When elements having the functions are individually fabricated and then integrated, an individual component is to be separately fabricated and packaged, and thus the entire size of a module becomes large and a manufacturing cost increases. Accordingly, a structure and method for integrating the VOA, PBS, and the OH in a single substrate and efficiently implementing the same are being studied.

Coherent optical receiver and fabrication method thereof

Electronics and Telecommunications Research Institute


The invention relates to a single-screw extruder comprising a cylinder (1), which comprises a transition zone (14), and a homogenizing zone (12) that is connected to the transition zone (14), and a screw (2) which is rotatably supported in the cylinder (1) and which has at least two consecutive displacement parts (6, 8) in the homogenizing zone (12), the second displacement part of which in the conveying direction is designed as a shearing part. The aim of the invention is to provide a single-screw extruder which enables an improved melting effect along with an increased throughput, a lowered melt temperature, and an improved pressurization capability. According to the invention, it was recognized that this aim can be achieved in that at least one groove (4) running in the longitudinal direction in the inner cylinder wall is provided in the homogenization zone (12) of the single-screw extruder, and said groove ends in the area between a first displacement part and the subsequent shearing part (8) as viewed in the conveying direction.

The present invention relates to a single screw extruder with a cylinder which has a melting zone and a homogenizing zone, which adjoins the melting zone, and a screw mounted rotatably in the cylinder, which has at least two process sections, following each other, in the region of the homogenizing zone, the second of which in the conveying direction is constructed as a shear section.
In known single screw extruders it is a constant task of the specialist in the art to increase the throughput of the single screw extruder, at the same time maintaining or even improving the quality of the melt.
A variety of developments exist for this, which relate on the one hand to the embodiment of the rotatably mounted screw in the cylinder, so that in the meantime there have been a variety of screw types of different sorts, which are constructed specifically in the various zones of the extruder. Examples of this are barrier screws or polygon screws with cyclic changes to the channel cross-section. Amongst the polygon screws are ET (Energy Transfer) and wave screws, as are described for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,405,239 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,015,832 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,173,417.
Developments have also been made in the field of the combination of cylinder- and screw configuration. Thus it is known for example from DE 26 24 589 A1 or DE 199 28 870 C2 in a single screw extruder with a screw constructed as a barrier screw in the region of the melting zone, to provide the cylinder with a groove, whereby the throughput of the single screw extruder can be increased.
In addition, it is known from DE 101 30 759 A1 to embody a plasticizing system in a grooved manner also in the region of a homogenizing zone, which has at least two shear sections and a mixing section. An increase to the throughput can be achieved hereby. However, disadvantages also result through the fact that the maddock or barrier shear section are mounted rotatably here in a grooved cylinder section. Residual solid matter remaining in the raw melt can namely become caught in the grooves and can thus pass over the cross-pieces of the shear section. This effect is also designated as the static drainage effect or ice cube effect. By the passage of the residual solid matter into the melt in adjacent channels of the shear section, the residual solid matter can in fact be well heated on the one hand and at the same time the surrounding melt can be cooled, but on the other hand the danger also exists that non-melted residual solid matter leaves the extruder with the melt and thus impairs the quality of the melt. The shear section therefore can not fulfil its actual task, namely to retain residual solid matter contained in the raw melt and to plasticize this under the effect of moderate shear deformation in the shear gap between cross-pieces of the shear section and the inner wall of the cylinder. In addition, depending on the state of preparation of the raw melt, shear sections can be large pressure consumers.


Process for microfiltration at elevated temperature.

The conventional method for recovering fermentation-derived products, such as proteins and antibiotics, from the complex fermentation broth matrix is a series of clarification steps to remove insoluble material and one or more steps employing liquid chromatography. Liquid chromatogramphy comprises the application of the product holding fluid onto a solid chromatographic matrix under conditions where the fermentation-derived product binds to the chromatographic matrix while the bulk of impurities pass through the chromatographic column. After a washing phase the bound product is eluted from the column.
This method has several drawbacks. First, chromatography is an expensive method for recovery of fermentation derived products. Second, chromatography is not well suited for continuous processes which are often used in the industrial manufacture of fermentation-derived products. Third, chromatographic column operation is not robust towards normal fermentation-derived impurities such as remnant cells and cellular debris, antifoam, host cells proteins and proteases. Often many sequential steps are needed for a chromatographic recovery, including upstream centrifugation and filtration steps and several chromatographic steps each targetting a certain group of impurities.
Microfiltration has also been used for the purification steps following fermentation. Usually the fermentation broth is cooled in order to attenuate the degradation of the product as well as to inhibit contaminating microorganisms. The ensuing microfiltration is then performed at temperatures of 0° C. to 30° C. to have a compromise between product degradation and performance of the microfiltration. One exception is WO01/87468 which discloses a microfilmtration process of a fermentation-derived product comprising adding activated carbon to a solution of the fermentation-derived product prior to or during the microfiltration process at a microfiltration process temperature of from 25° C. to 65° C.
Generally however, it is a teaching within the field of biotechnology that fermentation-derived products such as protein and antibiotics should be kept in solution at as low temperatures as possible in order to prevent microbial, enzymatic or chemical degradation of the product (Biochemical Engineering Fundamentals, J. E. Bailey, D. F. Ollis, McGraw-Hill Inc., 1986 and Physical Chemistry, P. W. Atkins, Oxford Univ. Press, 1986).
Surprisingly, the present inventors have found that a method for the industrial manufacture of fermentation-derived products which utilizes a microfiltration step performed at elevated temperatures, enables continuous manufacturing and better separation of product and impurities while requiring a reduced number of manufacturing steps.

Purification process comprising microfiltration at elevated temperatures


The present application provides a display substrate, a manufacturing method thereof, and a display apparatus. The display substrate of the present invention includes a base substrate, a display unit provided on the base substrate, a color filter layer provided on the display unit, a planarization layer provided on a surface of the color filter layer distal to the display unit, and a plurality of first electrodes and a plurality of second electrodes provided in the planarization layer. The planarization layer includes a first planarization layer and a second planarization layer, the plurality of first electrode are embedded in the first planarization layer, and the plurality of second electrodes are embedded in the second planarization layer.

Display screens (touch screens) with a touch function have been applied more and more widely. Capacitive touch screens are an important form of touch screens. A capacitive touch screen is provided with a plurality of driving electrodes (Tx) and a plurality of sensing electrodes (Rx) intersecting with each other, and capacitance is formed at an intersection of a driving electrode and a sensing electrode. Each driving electrode is applied with a driving signal in a form of scanning, and accordingly a sensing signal is generated on a sensing electrode. When a touch occurs, a human body or a touch pen comes into contact with a touch control area, the capacitance between the driving electrode and the sensing electrode in this area is affected, and the sensing signal of the corresponding sensing electrode is changed, so that a touch position can be determined.

Display substrate and manufacturing method thereof, and display apparatus


A thermopile 30 comprises a stacked assembly of bimetallic layers in which there is full conductor interface contact over the distance separating hot and cold surfaces 31, 32. The assembly may include dielectric layers forming a capacitor stack. A.C. current through the stack is matched in strength to the Seebeck-generated thermoelectric current circulating in each bimetallic layer. The resulting current snakes through the stack to cause Peltier cooling at one heat surface and heating at the other. A.C. operation at a kilocycle frequency enhances the energy conversion efficiency as does heat flow parallel with the junction interface.

In summary, this invention relates to a new kind of thermoelectric circuit based on the Peltier and Seebeck Effects. It departs from what is conventional by applying a combination of novel principles, one of which amounts to a scientific breakthrough, being a discovery emerging from extensive diagnostic tests on a research prototype which was described in the specification of U.K. Patent Application No. 8,828,307 filed on Dec. 5, 1988, the latter also being based on U.K. Patent application No. 8,826,952 filed on Nov. 18, 1988.
The invention there disclosed aimed to obstruct heat flow between the hot and cold thermocouple junctions, whilst admitting the passage of electric current through the junctions in a way which involves a net energy conversion. A capacitative structure in which the dielectric served also as the heat insulator featured in that invention. In contrast, the invention to be described in this specification, does not obstruct heat flow but rather directs the heat flow along a junction interface to give it repeated opportunity to be involved in the thermoelectric power conversion before it reaches a position midway between the hot and cold external surfaces. This enhances the efficiency of power conversion, but, in itself, given a junction combination with a low thermoelectric power or a poor electrically conductive property, this is a technological feature offering only limited commercial advantage. It becomes particularly advantageous when combined with a novel method for enhancing the thermoelectric power as measured by the Seebeck coefficient of the thermocouple.
Since what is to be specifically described is a very compact thermopile system in which numerous junctions share in enhancing the voltage rating of the device, it is appropriate to refer to a prior proposal which forms the subject of U.S. Pat. No. 4,276,441. This patent names as inventor Kenneth T. Wilson and discloses a method of fabrication of a thermoelectric circuit using a multiplicity of thermocouples formed by metallic ink printing on a narrow strip substrate layer. The bimetallic junctions are formed by a melting operation and the disclosure in that patent specification is wholly concerned with assembly and production methods. There is no suggestion that any novel electrical operating principles are involved or that dimensional features are scaled to exploit those principles. Therefore, the device fabricated according to the Wilson patent, though providing for simple voltage enhancement by series connection of a multiplicity of thermocouple junctions, suffers from the poor efficiency characteristic of conventional base metal thermopiles. It must have substantial heat losses owing to thermal conduction through the metal conductor sections linking the junctions.
Other than the description in their own as yet unpublished U.K. Patent Applications Nos. 8.826,952 and 8,828,307 mentioned above, the inventors also declare that they have no knowledge of any prior disclosure which is based on the conception that a thermocouple device can operate by current passage in a fast-cycling A.C. mode. This principle features in the invention to be described. Indeed, the normal expectation of such a proposal would be that the cyclic heating and cooling of each thermocouple junction at the operating frequency should have no advantage for energy transfer and should merely generate ohmic loss and lose heat by thermal conduction.


A quick connect temperature sensing assembly for measuring the surface of a structure includes a thermocouple device, a docking device and a spring loaded adapter to connect the thermocouple device with the docking device. The docking device can be made of a magnetic material so that the assembly can be quickly connected and disconnected from the surface of a structure for sensing the temperature of the surface. When disconnected, the end of the thermocouple device extends beyond the bottom surface of the docking device. When the bottom surface of the docking device engages the surface of the structure, the end of the thermocouple is retracted and the spring loaded adapter maintains a biasing force on the thermocouple to maintain the end of the thermocouple in contact with the surface.

The petrochemical and refining industries generally employ various processes where temperature must be measured reliably and with a high degree of accuracy. Typically, the environments in which temperature is measured require subjecting the temperature sensing devices to extreme conditions, including temperatures in excess of 1300° F. These harsh conditions present challenges with respect to reliably providing accurate temperature measurements of a particular structure over extended periods of time. For instance, it is oftentimes desirable to acquire temperature measurements of various structures, such as the surface (or skin) of tubes or other conduits that are present within a furnace or the surface (or skin) of a high temperature vessel used in a refining process to ensure both that the structure is not overheating and that the process is occurring at a desired temperature. Typically, these temperature measurements are taken by fixedly attaching the temperature sensor to the outer surface of the structure, such as by welding. However, due to the extreme temperatures to which the sensor is exposed, the sensor's useful life may be limited and, as a result, the temperature sensing device often is replaced multiple times over the life of the vessel, which requires shutdown of the refining process. Consequently, if a failed instrumentation cannot be readily removed and a replacement readily installed, the processing downtime can be extremely costly.
In some circumstances, it may be desirable to acquire temperature measurements at locations on the surface of the structure where a temperature sensor previously has not been attached. As with replacement of failed sensors, the addition of new sensors again requires costly shutdown of the refining process.

Quick connect temperature sensing assembly for measuring temperature of a surface of a structure


An embodiment method for managing uplink transmission includes dividing, by a network controller, frequency resources in a single OFDM symbol into two sets of frequency resources. The method further includes signaling, by the network controller, to a UE to transmit data in a first set of the frequency resources and to transmit a pilot signal in a second set of the frequency resources.

The amount of wireless data has been growing at an unprecedented pace in the last few years, pushing the capacity of current macro cellular deployments. Cellular communications systems, which utilize microwave spectrum bands (300 megahertz (MHz) to 3 gigahertz (GHz)), are becoming limited in capacity due to interference and traffic load. The use of high frequency bands, where vast amounts of bandwidth are available, is considered to be a crucial technology for future generation communication systems. The use of these frequency bands (e.g., 5, 28, 38, 60 and 73 GHz) can help mitigate the currently observed capacity problem.
Large licensed spectrum in the 3.5 GHz C-band having about 400 to 800 MHz contiguous spectrum will be available in Europe and Japan by 2020 or earlier. For a high frequency band, larger sub-carrier spacing can be used due to increased propagation path loss and smaller coverage areas. Some numerology for the wider bandwidth with 60 kilohertz (kHz) subcarrier spacing is listed in Table 1 below.
TABLE 1Sample RateMax Bandwidth,Max (Msamp/s)FFT SizeMHzSubcarriers30.725122030061.44102440600122.88204880120020481201800245.764096160240040962403600491.5281923204800

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Device, network, and method for wideband LTE single OFDM symbol uplink transmission


A ring maintains a circular daughtercard (32) plugged into a mothercard (30) and includes structure for removing the daughtercard from the mothercard. The ring includes: an inner vertical threading to be screwed on an external threading fixed to the mothercard (30), and a bottom portion having a cylindric recess for accommodating the daughtercard (32), the recess being coaxial to the threadings and having a depth substantially equal to the thickness of the daughtercard (32). The ring also includes at its bottom portion a plurality of vertical traversing rods (42) distributed about the recess, each having, at one end, an eccentric portion for releasing the daughtercard (44), and, at the other end, a roller for manipulating the rod and the eccentric portion. Each rod is manually operable by the roller to be brought to a first position, where its eccentric portion partially covers the recess while maintaining the daughtercard (32) without pressure in the recess, or to a second position where its eccentric portion does not maintain the daughtercard in the recess.

The present invention relates to testers for integrated circuit chips and particularly to the mounting of probe-cards of such a tester.
FIG. 1 shows a conventional installation for testing integrated circuit chips on wafers. This installation includes a tester which is capable of generating a plurality of test signals and measuring the responses of the tested chips to those signals. Tester is connected to a test head 12 held by a manipulator 14 and disposed above a wafer handling device 16, usually called a prober. Prober 16 comprises a wafer magazine (not shown) and a chuck 18 in which the wafers 20 to be tested are successively held. At the top of the prober and fixed to the frame thereof, a probe-card 22 is provided with downwardly extending probe-pins 24.
When a wafer 20 is being tested, the chuck 18 is moved so that the probe-pins 24 successively contact the pads of the chips on wafer 20. Thus, by bringing appropriate signals to some probe-pins 24 and by measuring voltages by means of other probe-pins 24 the operation of the chips can be checked.
At present, test signals can be of a very high frequency (about 300 Mhz). Accordingly, it is desired to reduce the length of the connections between the probe-pins 24 and test head 12 as much as possible in order to decrease the inductive effect of the connections. For this purpose, the probe-card 22 comprises connectors 26 including conductive pegs 27 connected to the probe-pins 24. The conductive pegs protrude from the top of the connectors and are mounted on springs. These pegs are intended to contact a test card 28 fixed at the bottom of the test head 12.
Such an installation has several drawbacks. Generally, it is necessary to provide a different probe-card 22 for each type of chip to be tested. Given the required positioning accuracy, it is difficult to mount and dismount the probe-cards. Moreover, for removing a probe-card, test head 12 has to be removed from prober 16. If the test head is removed too often, the conductive pegs 27 may be damaged and can no longer ensure satisfactory electrical contact.
It is thus an object of the invention to provide a probe-card that need not be entirely dismounted when the type of chip to be tested is changed.
Another object of the invention is to provide for simplified manipulation of probe-cards when the type of chip to be tested is changed.

Probe card for testing integrated circuit chips


A home network system and method for providing cooperative work services. The home network system has a plurality of devices connected to a network, a negotiator module connected to the devices for determining cooperative work service roles of the devices by applying device descriptions collected from the devices to a predetermined election algorithm so that the cooperative work service can be performed in consideration of a function of a corresponding device, and a coordinator module for directly performing a control command transmitted from a control device according to the cooperative work service roles determined by the negotiator module.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a home network apparatus and system for cooperative work service and method thereof. More particularly, the present invention is directed to a home network device and system for cooperative work service and method thereof, which allow a number of home network devices having the same services to consistently provide these services through a process of cooperative work service on a home network.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, there has been proposed a home network in such a manner that a common virtual computing environment called middleware is established in a variety of home network devices present in an Internet Protocol ("IP")-based private network and applications are provided in the computing environment according to services that can be provided through the respective home network devices.
The middleware allows a variety of digital devices to be connected to one another in a peer-to-peer fashion and to communicate with one another. Currently available middleware includes Home AV Interoperability (HAVI), Universal Plug and Play (UPnP), Java Intelligent Network Infra-structure (Jini), LonWorks, and the like.
In a computing environment established through UPnP middleware, each of the devices uses an address that is assigned by a server through dynamic host configuration protocol (hereinafter, referred to as "DHCP") or selected by an auto IP function. Each of the devices communicates therebetween and performs the discovery/inquiry process on the network by using its assigned address.
Therefore, the respective devices present in the home network are discovered through protocol such as sampling stochastic dynamic programming (hereinafter, referred to as "SSDP"), and a control device that is called through a simple object access protocol (hereinafter, referred to as "SOAP") is used in order to control the operation of the discovered device.
FIG. 1 is a diagram schematically illustrating a related art control structure among devices.
As shown in the figure, the control structure includes a control point 9 (hereinafter, referred to as "control device") connected to the IP-based home network for controlling the home network devices operating on the network, and a plurality of home network devices 3, 5 and 7 (hereinafter, referred to as "controlled devices") for providing their own specific services onto the home network in response to a control command transmitted from the control device 9.
A service 1 (hereinafter, referred to as "service platform") exists in each of the controlled devices 3, 5 and 7 and processes a control command from the control device 9. The service platform 1 that exists in each of the controlled devices 3, 5 and 7 may be identical to one another depending on the definition of the services provided by each device.
That is, a plurality of service platforms 1 having the same service function can exist on a network.
FIG. 2 is a flowchart illustrating a related art control process among devices.
As shown in the figure, when a controlled device 3 (hereinafter, referred to as a "first device") newly connected to the network first starts to operate (S1), a predetermined address is assigned to the first device 3 using a technique such as DHCP, Auto IP, or the like (S2).
As the first device 3 to which a predetermined address has been assigned is added to the network in such a way, the discovery protocol, SSDP, informs the control device 9 and the other controlled devices 5 and 7 (hereinafter, referred to as "second and third devices", respectively) of the service provided by the first device 3 (S3).
At this time, the first device 3 multicasts a search message informing the other devices of apparatuses and services held therein. Then, the control device 9 detects the newly added first device 3 through the multicast message and confirms a device description through the URL provided from the first device 3 in order to clearly catch hold of the function of the first device 3 (S4).
Further, in addition to the description step, a service step S5 is performed. The service step is comprised of service advertisement, control, description, discovery, event, and service management. In this service step, the service provided to the network is advertised through the contents of the device description of the respective devices, which is obtained in the description step. The control command is transmitted to a control URL of a relevant device, and thus, services requested by the control device 9 are provided. Changed device information to be transmitted from a relevant device in this process is received in the form of an event message and then processed. A service management process for performing the message transmission and reception and the device control according to the service step are also included.
The above processes are repeatedly performed until the service has been completed, and a release is transferred using the SSDP technique when the service has been completed.
In addition to the service step, the device description step continues while the respective devices are operated.
Finally, when the operation of the first device 3 is completed, information regarding service termination of the first device 3 is transferred to the control device 9 and the other controlled devices 5 and 7, which are present in the home network (S6).
As home network technologies have gradually developed, a number of devices having the same services may be included in the home network or cooperate with one another to provide a specific service. Nevertheless, there is no system for coordination among the plurality of the same services in current middleware service definitions for the home network.
Therefore, if there are a number of the network resources capable of providing a display service in a home network, the display service may be provided only by a predetermined specific device among a plurality of display devices in case of a related art home network environment. Further, it is difficult to easily set services provided by a plurality of cooperating devices, e.g. an authentication service for a user or device, a scheduling service for the resources (devices, services, network resources, etc.) in the home network, and the like.
This is because a process for coordinating the services among the service providing devices has not been performed. That is, the network resources of the services present in the home network are not efficiently used.
The foregoing may further have adverse influence on home network technology as technology continues to develop. Therefore, when there are a number of the same services or services provided by a plurality of cooperating devices in the home network since a variety of devices operate simultaneously on the home network, there is still a need for removing service inconsistency among the devices and sharing functions and roles with the service providing devices so that services can be consistently provided.

Home network apparatus and system for cooperative work service and method thereof


An apparatus for performing multimedia-based data transmission includes an image capturing device and a processing circuit. The image capturing device is a peripheral device for a user to capture images. In addition, in a situation where the apparatus is utilized as a target apparatus, the image capturing device is arranged to capture at least one multi-dimensional barcode image carrying data. Additionally, the processing circuit is arranged to control operations of the apparatus, wherein in the situation where the apparatus is utilized as the target apparatus, the processing circuit is arranged to extract the data carried by the multi-dimensional barcode image for further use. In particular, the aforementioned at least one multi-dimensional barcode image may represent a plurality of multi-dimensional barcode images. An associated method is also provided.

The present invention relates to data transmission, and more particularly, to apparatus for performing multimedia-based data transmission and to associated method.
It is hardly workable to perform data transmission, such as file exchange, photo exchange, etc., between mobile phones of different brands or different models since they are typically designed according to different schemes. For example, not all mobile phones are equipped with additional hardware resources such as Bluetooth (BT) or Wireless Local Area Network (Wireless LAN, WLAN) communication modules for users to exchange data between their mobile phones. For those who own the mobile phones that are equipped with additional hardware resources such as BT or WLAN communication modules, they might still find it inconvenient to exchange data from one mobile phone to the other. For example, in a situation where the users are not so familiar with all the settings of the BT or WLAN communication modules of these mobile phones, it seems unlikely that performing data transmission between the mobile phones can be practiced with ease since these settings are too complicated to be arbitrarily used at once. The users might need to wait for a while for connection establishment and synchronization. In addition, the situation would become even worse when the mobile phones are designed with different platforms. Thus, a novel method is required for providing the users with handy apparatus capable of performing data transmission efficiently and rapidly with ease whenever it is needed to exchange data, such as files, business cards, photos, etc.

Apparatus for performing multimedia-based data transmission and associated method


Compositions and methods for treating viral infection are disclosed. The compositions contain a combination of zinc and a cyclo(His-Pro), in effective amounts. The composition containing a combination of zinc and a cyclo(His-Pro) can be used to treat viral infections including SARS-CoV-2 infections in mammals.

Positive-stranded RNA (+RNA) viruses include major pathogens of humans and livestock, such as severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), other human coronaviruses, the arteriviruses equine arteritis virus (EAV), and porcine reproductive and respiratory syndrome virus (PRRSV). Despite a variety of replication strategies, these viruses are common in that an RNA-dependent RNA polymerase functions as the core enzyme of their RNA-synthesizing machinery. Viral RNA replication is a process fundamental to viral pathogenicity and requires specific recognition of RNA features by proteins. RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is a complex composed of viral and cellular proteins that directs viral RNA synthesis from infecting RNA templates. The RNA-dependent RNA polymerase is commonly embedded in a membrane-associated replication complex that is assembled from viral RNA, and viral and host proteins. Given their crucial function in the viral replicative cycle, RNA-dependent RNA polymerase are key targets for antiviral research.
Coronaviruses are large, enveloped, positive-stranded RNA viruses. They cause the common cold in all age groups accounting for approximately 15% of all colds. Coronaviruses have been implicated in the etiology of gastrointestinal disease in infants. They also cause economically important diseases in animals (e.g. avian infectious bronchitis and porcine transmissible gastroenteritis). Coronaviruses get their name because in electron micrographs the envelope glycoproteins appear to form a halo or corona around the periphery of the virion.
Coronaviruses are a major cause of common colds in the winter months. The virus is found throughout the world. Antibodies begin to appear in childhood, and are found in more than 90% of adults. The frequency of coronavirus respiratory infections is highly variable from year to year. The highest incidence occurs in years when rhinovirus colds are lowest. Coronavirus colds tend to occur in defined outbreaks.
Coronaviruses are transmitted by aerosols of respiratory secretions, by the fecal-oral route, and by mechanical transmission. Most virus growth occurs in epithelial cells. Occasionally the liver, kidneys, heart or eyes may be infected, as well as other cell types such as macrophages. In cold-type respiratory infections, growth appears to be localized to the epithelium of the upper respiratory tract, but there is currently no adequate animal model for the human respiratory coronaviruses.
In late 2002, several hundred cases of an atypical pneumonia were reported in Guangdong Province of the People's Republic of China. Months later, similar cases were identified in Canada, Vietnam and Hong Kong. The World Health Organization (WHO) identified the emergent disease as "severe acute respiratory syndrome" or SARS. In March 2003, a novel coronavirus (SARS-CoV) was discovered in association with cases of SARS.
In 2012, middle-east respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV) emerged in the Arabian Peninsula, where it remains a major public health concern. A previously unknown coronavirus, named SARS-CoV-2, was discovered in December 2019 in Wuhan, Hubei province of China and was sequenced and isolated by January 2020. SARS-CoV-2 is associated with an outbreak of atypical pneumonia (COVID-19) that has affected over 175 million people and caused about 3.8 million deaths worldwide, according to World Heath Organization (WHO).
Both SARS-CoV and SARS-CoV-2 are closely related and originated in bats, who most likely serve as reservoir host for these two viruses.
The complete genome of SARS-CoV has been identified, as well as common variants thereof The genome of SARS-CoV is a 29,727-nucleotide polyadenylated RNA, has 11 open reading frames, and 41% of the residues are G or C. The genomic organization is typical of coronaviruses, with the characteristic gene order (5′-replicase (rep), spike (S), envelope (E), membrane (M), nucleocapsid (N)-3′ and short untranslated regions at both termini. The SARS-CoV rep gene, which comprises about two-thirds of the genome, is predicted to encode two polyproteins that undergo co-translational proteolytic processing. There are four open reading frames (ORFs) downstream of rep that are predicted to encode the structural proteins, S, E, M and N, which are common to all known coronaviruses.
Coronaviruses have the largest genomes of all RNA viruses and replicate by a unique mechanism which results in a high frequency of recombination. Virions mature by budding at intracellular membranes, and infection with some coronaviruses induces cell fusion.
As with most RNA viruses, coronavirus replication takes place in the cytoplasm. Once the viral RNA enters the cytoplasm it is translated to produce the viral RNA-dependent RNA polymerase which then makes a full-length complementary (minus strand) copy of the virion RNA. The minus strand serves a template for transcription of the seven capped and polyadenylated mRNAs. These are arranged as a nested set in which all have the same 3′ end but each is smaller by one gene than the next larger one. All have the same 5′ end, a leader sequence, encoded only at the 5′ end of the genome RNA. This suggests each mRNA is transcribed by a mechanism in which transcription starts by synthesizing the leader sequence and then skips to the beginning of one of the genes with each mRNA ending at the same 3′ end.
The multi-subunit CoV RNA synthesis machinery is a complex of non-structural proteins (nsp) produced as cleavage products of the ORF1a and ORF1ab viral polyproteins. Kirchdoerfer and Ward (Nature Communications, 10, Article number: 2342 (2019), published May 28, 2019) reported a crystalline structure of SARS-CoV nsp12 polymerase bound to co-factors, nsp7 and nsp8. Kirchdoerfer and Ward reported that the nsp12 RNA-dependent RNA polymerase possesses an architecture common to all viral polymerases as well as a large N-terminal extension containing a kinase-like fold.
Velthuis et al. reported that using an activity assay for replication and transcription complexes (RTCs) isolated from cells infected with SARS-CoV and equine arteritis virus (EAV), Zn2+ efficiently inhibits in vitro the RNA-synthesizing activity of the RTCs of both viruses.
As of May 2021, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) has approved three COVID-19 vaccines under the emergency use authorization (EUA) and approved one drug, remdesivir (Veklury) to treat COVID-19, in the US. In July 2020, WHO discontinued the trial using hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir for hospitalized patients because the interim trial results showed that hydroxychloroquine and lopinavir/ritonavir produced little or no reduction in the mortality of hospitalized COVID-19 patients when compared to standard of care.
Potential antiviral drugs are usually subjected to an intensive and costly screening program to determine whether the drug can preferentially inhibit a viral process. One such drug is Aziduovir, which is utilized more readily by the reverse transcriptase of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than by host cellular polymerases. Yet other potential antiviral therapies, including antisense molecules and ribozymes, are difficult to produce due to the need for complex molecular recombinant technology.
Thus, there is a continuing need for agents that specifically inhibit viral replication. And there is ongoing needs for agents that can treat coronavirus infections in animals. In embodiments, the coronavirus may be SARS-CoV-1, MERS-CoV, SARS-CoV-2, and the like.
Zinc ions are known to be involved in many different cellular processes and have proven crucial for the proper folding and activity of various cellular enzymes and transcription factors. In cell culture studies, high Zn2+ concentrations and the addition of compounds that stimulate cellular import of Zn2+ such as hinokitol (HK), pyrrolidine dithiocarbamate (PDTC) and pyrithione (PT), were found to inhibit the replication of various RNA viruses, including influenza virus, respiratory syncytial virus and several picornaviruses. The intracellular concentration of free Zn2+ is maintained at a relatively low level by metallothioneins, likely due to the fact that Zn2+ can serve as intracellular second messenger and may trigger apoptosis or a decrease in protein synthesis at elevated concentrations.
Cyclo(-His-Pro) (cyclo-Hirpro or CHP), C11H14N4O2, has been known as an anhydrous dipeptide having the CAS Registry Number 53109-32-3. It is an endogenous cyclic dipeptide derived in vivo from the hydrolytic removal of the amino-terminal pyroglutamic acid residue of the hypothalamic thyrotropin-releasing hormone.
Rosenthal et al. (Life Sciences 70 (2001), 337-348) reported that cyclo(-His-Pro) enhanced zinc absorption and uptake by muscle tissues and by intestinal segments.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,032 describes the use of cyclo(His-Pro) and zinc to lower insulin levels as a method for treating insulin-resistant diabetes. The content of U.S. Pat. No. 5,834,032 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
U.S. Pat. No. 10,058,520 discloses the use of thyroid hormone, cyclo(His-Pro) and a zinc salt together in treating or delaying the onset of Alzheimer's disease and/or dementia in mammals. The content of U.S. Pat. No. 10,058,520 is incorporated by reference herein in its entirety.
Known cyclo(-His-Pro) that has been reported in literature and has potential therapeutic applications, is of crystalline anhydrous form. However, certain anhydrous forms may be unstable. Possible disadvantages of using Pattern 1 include: (1) apparent physical instability at ambient to high humidity conditions; and (2) potential chemical instability due to water activity resulting in the formation of diastereomers of the desired L,L-dipeptides such as D,L-CHP, L,D-CHP, or D,D-CHP.

Compositions and methods for treating virus infection


A chemical compound of the following formula: ##STR1## wherein R.sup.1 is selected from the group consisting of alkyl, aralkyl, and substituted alkyl groups; R.sup.3 is selected from the group consisting of H, PO.sub.3.sup.-2, P.sub.2 O.sub.6.sup.-3 ; P.sub.3 O.sub.9.sup.-4, and .alpha.-thio phoshates (PSO.sub.2.sup.-2 ; P.sub.2 SO.sub.5.sup.-3 ; P.sub.3 O.sub.8.sup.-4); and .alpha.BH.sub.3.sup.- phosphates (P(BH.sub.3)O.sub.2.sup.-2, P.sub.2 (BH.sub.3)O.sub.5.sup.-3, P.sub.3 (BH.sub.3)O.sub.8.sup.-4); R.sup.4 is selected from the group consisting of H, lower alkyl, acyl, (CH.sub.2).sub.p COO(CH.sub.2).sub.q CH.sub.3 wherein p is an integer from 0 to 4 and q is an integer from 0 to 4, and 5,6; 6,7; or 7,8-butadienyl; R.sup.5 is selected from the group consisting of H lower alkyl, acyl, (CH.sub.2).sub.p COO(CH.sub.2).sub.q CH.sub.3 wherein p is an integer from 0 to 4 and q is an integer from 0 to 4 and 5,6; 6,7; or 7,8- butadienyl; r is 1, 2, or 3 to form a second fused aromatic; X or Y are selected from the group consisting of O, S, C(R.sup.6).sub.2, or N(R.sub.6), wherein R.sup.6 is preferably CH.sub.3 or a lower alkyl; and R.sup.3 --O-Sugar-Base is a nucleoside or nucleotide is disclosed.

Cyanine dyes have been described in the literature for many years.sup.1,2, mainly for photographic purposes. In recent years, researchers have taken advantage of the excellent fluorescent properties of the carbocyanines to label biological molecules. Initial efforts were thwarted by the high background and/or quenching of fluorescence observed when the dyes were conjugated to proteins. The hydrophobic nature of the dyes caused them to aggregate in aqueous media or on the hydrophobic domains of proteins. Thus, the dyes, as described in the early literature, were not suitable for labeling.
Waggoner, et al..sup.3,4 disclosed the use of sulfonated derivatives of carbocyanines to label biological molecules. The sulfonate group was found to be effective at preventing aggregation, because of the repulsion of the negative charges between molecules. In some of the cited Waggoner disclosures, the importance of the sulfonate groups to the novelty and efficacy of the dye derivatives, which included nucleic acids, was emphasized.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,959 discloses the use of carbocyanine phosphoramidites to label synthetic oligonucleotides. Due to the constraints of the automated systems used for DNA synthesis, the amidites had to be soluble in aprotic organic solvents. Sulfonated carbocyanines are insoluble in the solvents best suited for oligonucleotide synthesis. Therefore, the dye amidites described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,556,959 lacked the sulfonate groups. Experiments showed that the amidites were soluble in the appropriate solvents, such as acetonitrile and dichloromethane, and labeled the oligonucleotides in high yield. The dye amidites and intermediates are easily and efficiently synthesized and purified.
Nucleoside triphosphates (NTPs) labeled with reporter groups have been in use for many years.sup.5,6. NTPs labeled with sulfonated carbocyanines have been reported in the scientific literature.sup.7a, and are commercially available.sup.7b. However, synthesis of sulfonated cyanines is a difficult procedure, and the purity of the dye intermediates used in labeling is variable. The recommended shelf-life is short. Reagents for labeling are therefore expensive, as are the labeled NTPs derived from them.
Needed in the art of molecular biology is a nonsulfonated cyanine dye attached to a nucleotide or nucleoside.

Non-sulfonated cyanine dyes for labeling nucleosides and nucleotides


A melanin-concentrating hormone antagonist comprising a compound of the formula:

Feeding behavior is an essential action for many living beings including humans. Therefore, if irregularities in feeding behavior occur, disorders, often connected to diseases, will occur in normal life-maintaining activities. Accompanying recent changes of our dietary environment, obesity is now becoming a social problem. In addition, not only is obesity a serious risk factor for life-style diseases such as diabetes, hypertension, and arteriosclerosis; it is also widely known that increased body weight places excessive burdens on joints such as knee joints, causing arthritis and pain. The "diet boom," etc. show that there is a potentially great percentage of the population hoping to reduce body weight; on the other hand, many cases of feeding problems such as overeating, occurring due to causes such as hereditary neurosis or neurosis due to stress, have been reported.
Therefore, research on and development of agents for preventing or treating obesity, or agents for inhibiting eating, have been vigorously done for a long time. The centrally acting anorectic drug, Mazindol, is now being marketed.
Many appetite control factors such as leptin, have recently been discovered, and the development of anti-obesity agents or anorectic agents which will regulate the functions of these appetite control factors is progressing. In particular, it is known that melanin-concentrating hormone (hereinafter also abbreviated as "MCH") originates in the hypothalamus and has orexigenic action. In addition, it has been reported that even though the daily behavior of MCH knock-out mice was normal, the amount of feeding by MCH knock-out mice was significantly reduced and their body weights were lighter than those of normal mice [Nature, Vol. 396, p. 670, 1998]. This indicates that, if a MCH antagonist was produced, it can be expected to be an excellent anorectic agent or anti-obesity agent; but at present there are no known compound, especially non-peptide type compounds, which possess MCH antagonistic actions.
On the other hand, the following compounds are known as amine derivatives.
1) JP 10-504315 A describes a compound represented by the formula:
wherein R1 is hydrogen, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, C3-6 cycloalky, COC1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkoxy, hydroxy, hydroxy-C1-6 alkyl, hydroxy-C1-6 alkoxy, acyl, nitro, trifluoromethyl, cyano, CHO, SR9, SOR9, SO2R9, SO2NR10R11, CO2R10, NR10SO2R11, CONR10R11, CO2NR10R11, CONR10 (CH2)pCO2R11, (CH2)pNR10, R11, (CH2)pCONR10R11, (CH2)pNR10COR11, (CH2)pCO2—C1-6 alkyl, CO2(CH2)pOR10, CONHNR10R11, NR10R11, NR10CO2R11, NR10CONR10R11, CR10═NOR11, CNR10═NOR 11 (wherein R10 and R11 are independently hydrogen, or C1-6 alkyl and p is 1 to 4);    R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, C3-6 cycloalkyl, C3-6 cycloalkenyl, C1-6 alkoxy, acyl, aryl, acyloxy, hydroxy, nitro, trifluoromethyl, cyano, hydroxy-C1-6 alkyl, C1-6 alkyl-O—C1-6 alkyl, CO2R10, CONR10R11, NR10R11 (wherein R10 and R11 are independently hydrogen, or C1-6 alkyl);    R4 and R5 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl;    R6 is hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C1-6 alkyl or C1-6 alkoxy;    R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, aralkyl or they, together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 7-heterocyclic ring containing one or two heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur which may be substituted;    A is oxygen, S(O)q (wherein q is 0, 1 or 2), CR4═CR5 or CR4R5 (wherein R4 and R5 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl), or A is NR12 (wherein R12 is hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl);    B is (CR13R14)q (wherein q is 2, 3 or 4, R13 and R14 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl), or B is (CR13R14)r-D (wherein r is 0, 1 or 2, D is oxygen, sulfur or CR13═CR14); m is 1 to 4; and n is 1 or 2; or a salt thereof, which has 5-HT1D antagonistic activity.
As specific examples thereof, there are described 1-(4′-acetamidomethyl-2′-methylbiphenyl-4-carbonyl)-5-chloro-2,3-dihydro-6-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)-1H-indole, 1-(4′-acetamidomethyl-2′-methylbiphenyl-4-carbonyl)-2,3-dihydro-6-(3-dimethylaminopropyl)-5-ethoxy-1H-indole, etc.
2) JP 9-506885 A (WO95/17398) describes a compound represented by the formula:
wherein P is a 5- to 7-membered heterocyclic ring containing one to three heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur;    R1, R2 and R3 are independently hydrogen, halogen, C1-6 alkyl, C3-6 cycloalky, C3-6 cylcoalkenyl, C1-6 alkoxy, acyl aryl, acyloxy, hydroxy, nitro, trifluoromethyl, cyano, CO2R9, CONR10 R11, NR10R11 (wherein R9, R10 and R11 are independently hydrogen, or C1-6 alkyl);    R4 is hydrogen, halogen, hydroxy, C1-6 alkyl or C1-6 alkoxy;    R5 and R6 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl;    R7 and R8 are independently hydrogen, C1-6 alkyl, aralkyl or they, together with the nitrogen to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 7-heterocyclic ring containing one or two heteroatoms selected from oxygen, nitrogen and sulfur which may be substituted;    A is oxygen, S(O)n (wherein n is 0, 1 or 2), or A is NR12 (wherein R12 is hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl), or A is CR5═CR6 or CR5R6 (wherein R5 and R6 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl);    m is 1 to 4;    n is 1 or 2;    B is (CR13R14)q (wherein q is 2, 3 or 4, R13 and R14 are independently hydrogen or C1-6 alkyl), or B is (CR13R14)r-D (wherein r is 0, 1 or 2, D is oxygen, sulfur or CR13═CR14); or a salt thereof, which has 5-HT1D antagonistic activity.
As specific examples thereof, there are described [7-(2-dimethylaminoethoxy)-6-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-quinolin-1-yl]-[2′-methyl-4′-(5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methanone, [7-(2-dimethylaminopropyl)-6-methoxy-3,4-dihydro-2H-quinolin-1-yl]-[2′-methyl-4′-(5-methyl-1,2,4-oxadiazol-3-yl)biphenyl-4-yl]methanone, etc.
3) JP 6-211800 A describes a compound represented by the formula:
wherein R1 is hydrogen atom, a halogen atom, hydroxy group, a lower alkanoyloxy group, amino-lower alkoxy group which may have a group selected from a lower alkyl group and a lower alkanoyl group as a substituent, a carboxy-substituted lower alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, or an aminocarbonyl lower alkoxy group which may have a lower alkyl group as a substituent; R4 is hydrogen atom, a group of —NR6R7 (wherein R6 and R7 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkenyl group or benzoyl group having a halogen atom on the phenyl ring), a lower alkenyloxy group, a hydroxy-substituted lower alkyl group, a group of —O—CO-ANR8R9 (wherein A is a lower alkylene group, R8 and R9 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a lower alkylene group, or R8 and R9, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 6-membered saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring through or without through oxygen or nitrogen atom, said heterocyclic ring may have a lower alkyl group on the heterocyclic ring as a substituent), a group of —O—R10 (R10 is an amino acid residue), a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkylidene group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkyl group, a carboxy-substituted lower alkyl group, a group of -ACONR11R12 (A is as defined above, R11 and R12 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group which may have hydroxy group, piperidinyl group which may have a phenyl-lower alkyl group on the piperidine ring, a carbamoyl-substituted lower alkyl group, a pyridyl-substituted lower alkyl group, pyridyl group, a group of -ANR39R40 (A is as defined above, R39 and R40 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group which may have hydroxy group, or R39 and R40, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 6-membered saturated heterocyclic ring thorough or without thorough nitrogen or oxygen atom, said heterocyclic ring may have a lower alkyl on the heterocyclic ring as a substituent), a pyrazinyl-substituted lower alkyl group which may have a lower alkyl group on the pyrazine ring as a substituent, a pyrrolyl-substituted lower alkyl group which may have a lower alkyl group on the pyrrole ring, a pyrrolidinyl-substituted lower alkyl group which may have a lower alkyl group on the pyrrolidine ring, or phenyl group which may have a halogen atom on the phenyl ring, or R11 and R12, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 7-membered heterocyclic ring through or without thorough nitrogen or oxygen atom, said heterocyclic ring may be substituted with a lower alkyl group or a pyrrolidinylcarbonyl-lower alkyl group, each of which may have one to two groups selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, amino group which may have a group selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl group or a lower alkanoyl group as a substituent, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkyl group, phenyl group which may have a halogen atom on the phenyl ring, a cyano-substituted lower alkyl group, a lower alkenyl group, an oxiranyl-substituted lower alkyl group, a carbamoyl-substituted lower alkyl group and amino group which may have hydroxy group and a lower alkyl group as a substituent), a group —OACONR23R24 (A is as defined above, R23 and R24 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkyl group, a carboxy-substituted lower alkyl group, piperidinyl group which may have a lower alkyl group on the piperidine ring, or a group of —B—NR23AR24A (wherein B is a lower alkylene group, R23A and R24A are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, or R23A and R24A, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 6-membered saturated heterocyclic ring through or without through nitrogen atom or oxygen atom), or R23 and R24, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 7-membered saturated heterocyclic ring through or without through nitrogen atom or oxygen atom, said heterocyclic ring may have a lower alkyl group on the heterocyclic ring as a substituent), a pyrrolidinylcarbonyl-lower alkoxy group having a lower alkoxycarbonyl group on the pyrrolidine ring, a lower alkoxy-substituted lower alkanoyloxy group, a group of —BOCOANR25R26 (A is as defined above, B is lower alkylene group, R25 and R26 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group), amino-substituted lower alkylidene group which may have a lower alkyl group as a substituent, a group of —OANR27R28 (A is as defined above, R27 and R28 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkenyl group, a lower alkynyl group, a lower alkylsulfonyl group, an aminothiocarbonyl group which may have a lower alkyl group as a substituent, a group of
wherein R41 is hydrogen atom or cyano group, R42 is a lower alkyl group or amino group which may have a lower alkyl group as a substituent), carbamoyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, cycloalkyl group, a phenyl-lower alkyl group which may have a halogen atom as a substituent on the phenyl group, a cyano-substituted lower alkyl group, a halogen atom-substituted lower alkylsulfonyl group or an amino-substituted lower alkyl group which may have a lower alkyl group, or R27 and R28, together with the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- to 10-membered monocyclic or bicyclic, and saturated or unsaturated heterocyclic ring, said heterocyclic ring may have oxo group, a lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, a lower alkanoyl group or a lower alkanoylamino group on the heterocyclic ring as a substituent), cyano group, a cyano-substituted lower alkyl group, a lower alkoxy group having phenylsulfonyloxy group whose phenyl ring may have a lower alkyl group as a substituent or hydroxy group, a group -ANR29R30 (A is as defined above, R29 is hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group, R30 is a lower alkenyl group, cycloalkyl group or a lower alkynyl group, or R29 and R30, together the nitrogen atom to which they are attached, may form a 5- or 6-membered saturated heterocyclic ring through or without through nitrogen atom or oxygen atom, said heterocyclic ring may have a lower alkyl group, a lower alkanoyl group, amino group which may have a group selected from the group consisting of a lower alkyl group and a lower alkanoyl group, a lower alkylsulfonyl group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl group, or aminocarbonyl group which may be substituted with a lower alkyl group on the heterocyclic ring as a substituent), a phenylsulfonyloxy-substituted lower alkyl group which may have an lower alkyl group on the phenyl ring, a phthalimide-substituted lower alkyl group, a cyano-substituted lower alkylidene group, a halogen atom-substituted alkyl group, an imidazolyl-substituted lower alkyl group, 1, 2, 4-triazolyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrazolyl-substitued lower alkoxy group, 1, 2, 3, 5-tetrazolyl-substitued lower alkoxy group, 1, 2, 3, 4-tetrazolyl-substituted lower alkyl group, 1, 2, 3, 5-tetrzolyl-substituted lower alkyl group, 1, 2, 4-triazolyl-substituted lower alkyl group, a carboxy-substituted lower alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, a pyridylthio-substituted lower alkoxy group, a pyrimidinylthio-substituted lower alkoxy group which may have a lower alkyl group on the pyrimidine ring, an imidazolylthio-substituted lower alkoxy group, a pyridylsulfinyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, a pyridylsulfonyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, an imidazolylsulfinyl-substituted lower alkoxy group or an imidazolylsulfonyl-substituted lower alkoxy group; R5 is hydrogen atom or hydroxy group, or R4 and R5 together form oxo group; R2 is hydrogen atom, a lower alkyl group, hydroxy group, a halogen atom or a lower alkoxy group; R3 is a group of
(wherein R13 is a halogen atom, hydroxy group, carbamoyl group, a lower alkyl group, a piperazinyl-lower alkoxy group having a lower alkanoyl group at 4-position of the piperazine ring, an imidazolyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, piperidinyl-lower alkoxy group having a lower alkanoylamino group on the piperidine ring, a 1, 2, 4-triazolyl-substituted lower alkoxy group, a ureido-substituted lower alkoxy group which may have a lower alkyl group or an amino-substituted lower alkoxy group which may have a lower alkyl group as a substituent; m is 0 or an integer of 1 to 3, a phenyl-lower alkanoylamino group which have one to three groups selected from the group consisting of a halogen atom, a lower alkoxy group, a lower alkyl group and nitro group on the phenyl ring as a substituent, a group of
(n is 1 or 2) or a group of
the bond between 4 and 5 positions of the benzazepine ring represent a single bond or a double bond; provided that, when R1 is hydrogen atom or a halogen atom, and R4 is hydrogen atom, a group of —NR6R7 (R6 and R7 are the above R6 and R7 other than benzoyl group having a halogen atom on the phenyl ring as a substituent), a group of —O—COANR8R9 (A is as defined above, R8 and R9 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl), a hydroxy group-substituted lower alkyl group, a carboxy-substituted lower alkoxy group, a lower alkoxycarbonyl-substituted lower alkoxy group or a group —O-A-NR27R28 (A is as defined above, R27 and R28 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom or a lower alkyl group), R5 is hydrogen atom or hydroxy group or R4 and R5 together form oxo group, and further R3 is a group of
R13 must be carbamoyl group, a piperazinyl-lower alkoxy group having a lower alkanoyl group at 4-position of the piperazine ring, a piperidinyl-lower alkoxy group having a lower alkanoylamino group on the piperidine ring, 1, 2, 4-triazolyl-substituted lower alkoxy group or a ureido-substituted lower alkoxy group which may have a lower alkyl group; or a salt thereof, which has vasopressin antagonistic activity or oxytocin antagonistic activity.
As specific examples, there are described N-[4-[[7-[3-(dimethylamino)propoxy]-2,3,4,5-tetrahydro-1H-1-benzazepin-1-yl]carbonyl]phenyl]-2-methylbenzamide, etc.
There has been great desire for the development of a melanin-concentrating hormone antagonist which is useful as an agent for preventing or treating obesity, excellent in oral absorbency, and safe.

Abstract: wherein R is hydrogen atom or a cyclic group which may be substituted; X is a bond or a spacer having a main chain of 1 to 10 atoms; Y is a spacer having a main chain of 1 to 6 atoms; ring A is benzene ring which may be further substituted; ring B is a 5- to 9-membered nitrogen-containing non-aromatic heterocyclic ring which may be further substituted; R1 and R2 are the same or different and are hydrogen atom, a hydrocarbon group which may be substituted or a heterocyclic group which may be substituted; or R1 and R2, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom, may form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; or R2, together with the adjacent nitrogen atom and Y, may form a nitrogen-containing heterocyclic ring which may be substituted; or a salt thereof is useful as a preventive or therapeutic agent for obesity, etc.


A portable scale that allows travelers to calculate the weight of their luggage and compare the weight against weight limits that are imposed by common carriers. The scale includes circuitry for calculating weight and a memory for storing weight limits. Weight and other information is shown to the user via a display screen. In the preferred embodiment, the scale includes a hook and handle that facilitate weighing suitcases and other objects. The preferred embodiment also includes a digital measuring tape that allows the traveler to check the size of his luggage against size restrictions imposed by common carriers. The scale can also be incorporated into a portable weighing mat, which allows weight to be determined simple by placing the object on the mat. The scale can also be incorporated into the handle of a suitcase wherein the weight of the suitcase is calculated when the suitcase is lifted by its handle.

The subject of this application was initially disclosed in U.S. provisional patent application No. 60/711,926, filed on Aug. 29, 2005, and priority is claimed to the provisional application.
The present invention relates generally to the field of weighing devices and more specifically to a handheld scale that is adapted to weigh portable items, such as luggage and baby carriers.
Airlines today are trying to save money in every way possible. One way that airlines, and other carriers, are able to reduce their overhead costs is to limit the amount (weight) of luggage that passengers bring with them. The most efficient way to enforce this limit is to set a total weight limitation for all bags that accompany each passenger. A well-known U.S. airline limits each passenger to a total of 70 lbs of luggage, or other bags, for each flight. If a passenger's luggage weighs more than 70 lbs, the passenger must pay an additional fee, or surcharge, to have their bags checked and carried. Many common carriers publish, including on the Internet, their weight limits so passengers can plan accordingly.
A problem with luggage weight arises when the passenger is flying on more than one airline and the different airlines have different weight limits for passenger luggage. This weight problem is exacerbated when the passenger is flying on a foreign carrier, as the passenger can almost always count on a different weight limit and most U.S. travelers do not have easy access to foreign weight limits.
Digital scales are well-known in the field. Miniaturized circuits are used to convert a physical measurement (weight) into a digital signal and subsequently display the weight, in number of lbs (pounds) or kg (kilograms), on a display screen.
A computer application is a program that is stored and executed on at least one computer that aids a user in achieving one or more useful tasks. When a user needs to run an application that is stored on a remote computer, the user can download an "applet", or portion of the application, to his computer. The applet allows the user's computer to access and run the required application that is stored on the remote computer.

Multi-purpose digital scale for travelers


A vacuum toilet unit comprises a toilet bowl, an operating mechanism for the toilet function, and an outer shell enclosing both the toilet bowl and the operating mechanism. In normal use of the toilet unit, substantially all of the externally applied load exerted by a user of the toilet is carried by the shell. In order to allow service access to the bowl and operating mechanism, at least a substantial portion of the shell is removable without any substantial influence on the support of the bowl or operating mechanism.

This invention relates to a vacuum toilet unit.
In a vacuum toilet system, otherwise known as a vacuum sewer system, a normally-closed discharge valve (or sewer valve) is connected between the outlet of the toilet bowl and the sewer pipe, and a vacuum pump, for example a blower or ejector, is used to establish a considerable pressure difference (typically about 0.3 to 0.5 bar) across the discharge valve. The pressure difference may be established by maintaining the vacuum sewer continuously under partial vacuum or it may be generated in connection with initiating each emptying operation of the toilet bowl. When the discharge valve is opened in response to a flush command, the contents of the toilet bowl are forced almost instantaneously into the sewer pipe and are propelled in plug form at high speed along the sewer pipe towards a sewage collection container. In some instances, the sewage collection container itself is placed under vacuum, and in others, it is not. It will therefore be appreciated that a vacuum toilet functions differently from a conventional water toilet, in which water flowing into the toilet bowl under gravity both removes waste from the toilet bowl and cleans the toilet bowl. A vacuum toilet uses air as a waste transport medium. Generally, a small amount of rinse water is supplied to the toilet bowl in connection with the emptying operation for cleaning the toilet bowl.
A vacuum toilet must include an actuator for its sewer valve and a rinse water supply device together with means for controlling the sewer valve actuator and the rinse water supply device and for adjusting the operation of the sewer valve actuator and the rinse water supply device. Further, starting means for the rinsing and the emptying operation and various safety means, for example means preventing the sewer valve from opening if there is not enough vacuum in the sewer, are required. As a result of all this a vacuum toilet needs more maintenance than a conventional water toilet. It is desirable that all the operation and control means of the toilet should be integrated with the toilet bowl in a toilet unit. Accordingly, the toilet unit must be so built that the operation and control means can easily be maintained in spite of a narrow or otherwise restricted mounting space.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,133,853 mentions that a vacuum toilet may have an outer shell. According to the description, it is of advantage to place all the devices required inside the shell. In this known design maintenance of the toilet has been difficult, because diverse devices have not been accessible without quite a large dismounting.


A roto-translating system for opening and closing a wing which is configured to be mounted on a frame of the wing is provided with a first guide and a second guide arranged so as to define an angle greater than or equal to 90°; a first carriage and a second carriage which are configured to be coupled to an upper edge of the wing and to engage in a sliding manner the first guide and the second guide respectively; a spacer arm provided with a first end, which is configured to be fixed to a first structural element of the frame in a rotating manner about a first vertical axis, and a second end which is configured to be coupled to a lower edge of the wing.

The systems for opening and closing wings are basically divided into three categories: rotary or swing opening and closing systems, wherein the wing is hinged along one side and rotates about an axis of rotation; opening and closing translating systems, wherein the wing is provided with one or more carriages able to slide along a linear guide; and opening and closing roto-translating systems wherein the wing is able to rotate about an axis and simultaneously translate along a predetermined direction.
The opening and closing roto-translating systems are very useful in situations where there is little space available for the wing movement.
In FIGS. 1-4, for example, two opening and closing systems of rotary type are compared (FIG. 1 with outward opening and FIG. 2 with inward opening), a roto-translating opening system of known type (FIG. 3), and an opening and closing roto-translating system according to the present invention (FIG. 4).
The examples refer to an application in a particularly restricted environment, for example toilet facilities in public places such as airports, gas stations, schools, etc. In said environments, the wing operation space must be minimized while ensuring the user to comfortably move into the environment with safety and hygiene.
In FIGS. 1-4 with the letter A are indicated the bathroom fixtures dimensions, with the letter B are indicated the user occupancy dimensions, and with the dotted line is indicated the operation space for opening and closing the wing. The comparison shows clearly that the overall dimensions required by the roto-translating system for opening and closing the wing according to the present invention are significantly lower than those normally used by the swing system and by the roto-translating system of known type.
The roto-translating opening and closing system according to the present invention is obtained so as not to occupy space outside the room during each operation.
Systems for opening and closing of this type are known. However, they require guides arranged along the floor to avoid the wing from being unstable during the roto-translation. The presence of at least one guide along the floor, however, is to be avoided, especially in public places. Within the guide, in fact, in the long run, dirt and bacteria are collected which prove difficult to eliminate.
Moreover, the partition walls between the public toilets are mostly raised above the floor and supported by uprights. In this case the access wings to toilets must obligatorily be raised with respect to the floor and free of guides arranged on the floor.

Roto-translating system for opening and closing a wing and wing assembly comprising said system


The present invention relates to a cache memory management system suitable for use with snapshot applications. The system includes a cache directory including a hash table, hash table elements, cache line descriptors, and cache line functional pointers, and a cache manager running a hashing function that converts a request for data from an application to an index to a first hash table pointer in the hash table. The first hash table pointer in turn points to a first hash table element in a linked list of hash table elements where one of the hash table elements of the linked list of hash table elements points to a first cache line descriptor in the cache directory and a cache memory including a plurality of cache lines, wherein the first cache line descriptor has a one-to-one association with a first cache line. The present invention also provides for a method converting a request for data to an input to a hashing function, addressing a hash table based on a first index output from the hashing function, searching the hash table elements pointed to by the first index for the requested data, determining the requested data is not in cache memory, and allocating a first hash table element and a first cache line descriptor that associates with a first cache line in the cache memory.

The present invention relates to cache memory management and snapshot operations in a data storage system.
This application incorporates herein by reference U.S. application Ser. No. 10/354,797 entitled, Methods and Systems of Host Caching, filed on Jan. 29, 2003.
A data storage system may use snapshots for backup, data mining, or testing of software programs in development. A snapshot is a usable image of the data at an instant in time. The snapshot results in two data images: (1) the original data that can be read and written by applications as soon as the snapshot is created, and (2) the snapshot that can be backed up or mined. Some techniques allow a snapshot to be modified while others create read-only images. One technique of snapshot is copy-on-write. In copy-on-write, upon getting a request to store modified data, the data storage system first copies the original data to a target storage space before permitting the modification to be written to its source storage space. The need for high data availability in data storage systems may require making frequent snapshots of data. However, frequent snapshots consume system resources such as cache memory, the internal memory bandwidth, storage device capacity and the storage device bandwidth.

Methods and systems of cache memory management and snapshot operations


An orthodontic bracket that having a clip angulated toward the lingual direction in a diagonal orientation for active seating of archwires. The bracket having a lingual vertical slot, a pair of gingival tie wings and a pair of occlusal tie wings. An archwire slot extending mesiodistally across the body. A locking shutter with a pair of resilient arms connected by a guide bar and moveable between an open position allowing placement of the archwire and a closed position inhibiting removal of the archwire. A pair of tracks on each of the outer lateral surfaces of the body, extending from the occlusal tie wings and into the gingival tie wings. The tracks dimensioned to receive the resilient arms therein. The tracks extend in a substantially occlusal-gingival direction, angled lingually by an angle Θ with respect to a plane parallel to a vertical that is perpendicular to the occlusal plane.

Orthodontic treatment is effected by fixing small appliances often referred to as orthodontic brackets to a patient's teeth in an appropriate manner so as to correct malaligned teeth by applying an external force thereto through an archwire extending between the generally fixed orthodontic brackets. Directions mesial and distal mean generally left to right. Labial is the front surface, while lingual is defined as anything toward the direction of the tongue and it thereby stands to reason the word lingual is definitively and additionally defined as behind the labial surface. As to the structure of these orthodontic brackets, they are constructed of a body having a main archwire slot and other horizontally, vertically, diagonally oriented slots used to house a clip and are adhered directly on the labial or lingual sides of the teeth or welded to metal bands attached to the teeth by cementing or by some other method, as is generally known in the art.
As the form of use of the orthodontic bracket constructed as described above, a flexible archwire, which is curved so as to conform to a dental arch, is placed in an archwire slot in the bracket, and the tooth can be aligned over time by the restoring force of the generally flexible archwire so that the teeth become well aligned. With the orthodontic bracket, a force can be applied to the tooth in a desired direction to change the direction in which the tooth is aligned, rotated, tipped or torqued. This is effected by the three-dimensional inclination of the slot formed in the bracket body or by the desired bending of the archwire. Light, continuous forces are desirable for ideal biological movement that also reduce the risk of root resorption (root shortening).
Orthodontic treatment is accomplished by transmitting the restoring force of the archwires through brackets to the tooth roots. Generally, in an early period of the treatment, a thin, highly flexible round archwire is used, and an operation is required to loosen the ligature wire after ligating it such that the round wire freely slides within the slot (on a very low frictional basis). As treatment progresses, a thicker wire, a square or rectangular wire, and a more highly rigid wire eventually is used. When the alignment is nearly completed, the teeth are retained for a period of several months to prevent relapse. At this time, there are circumstances where the tooth is strongly fastened by a ligature wire so that it practically does not shift.
Various types and designs of self-ligating brackets are known in the art that provide different advantages, or solve particular problems that can also depend on the patient's oral physiology. One type of self-ligating bracket uses a slider mechanism, such as a flat cap or plate that slides in a linear direction within grooves or guides, to retain the archwire in the archwire slot. At one end of the slider mechanism's range, the archwire slot is closed and at the other, it is open. Any of a variety of structures can be used to bias or retain the slider mechanism in its open or its closed position. The invention provides an improvement to this type of passive self-ligating bracket.
One example of this type of bracket is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 6,168,428 to Dr. John Voudouris issued Jan. 2, 2001, and specifically at FIGS. 48 to 52. In this bracket, a spring member in the form of a resilient shim 720 located lingually to the labial face of the bracket, projects gingivally and has a jog directed lingually toward the archwire slot 3240d and presents a generally convex surface 722 towards the archwire slot 3240d. The gingival edge 724 of the shim 720 recurves gingivally after being directed lingually.
As the arms 3540 slide within the slots 3530 to move the clip 3538 to a closed position as shown in FIG. 49, the convex surface 722 of the shim 720 engages the archwire 3242d and provides a continuous biasing action against the archwire. As may be seen in FIG. 51, the resilience of the shim 720 allows the orthodontic bracket 3220d to accommodate different sizes and configurations of archwires 3242d while maintaining a continuous action against the archwire.
One of the problems associated with this passive, straight clip design is that the archwire is loose within the archwire slot and does not fully provide precise tooth positioning.
One modification of the Voudouris patent, to aid in the problem the passive clip resulting in looseness of the archwire in the slot mentioned above is addressed by United States Patent Publication No. 2011/0076633 published Mar. 31, 2011 to Bryant et al. This application provides for a slidable shim member (referred to therein as clip or shutter 20 shown in FIG. 1 of Bryant) slidable into two outer tracks extending in an occlusal-gingival direction on the outer lateral surfaces of the bracket, with a vertical trough extending in an occlusal-gingival direction between the outer tracks. The shim has two parallel outer arms and a central tongue between the outer arms. The outer tracks of the bracket slidably engage the outer arms of the clip and the central tongue is slidably engaged by the vertical trough of the bracket, thereby allowing the clip to slidably move between an open position in which the outer arms of the clip are retracted and a closed position in which the outer arms of the clip extend across the archwire slot to retain the archwire in the archwire slot.
One problem associated with the Bryant et al. disclosure is that the shim prevents movement of the archwire out of the archwire slot, but, depending on the size of the archwire being used, the shim generally is not in contact with the archwire and thus there is still movement or looseness of the archwire within the archwire slot, as is illustrated in FIG. 4 of this disclosure. This results in generally lower tooth rotation control and lower torque being applied to the archwire by the bracket overall as there is typically no contact between the shim and the archwire.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,621,743 to Orthodontic Research and Development discloses an orthodontic bracket including a mounting base for attachment to a tooth surface, an archwire slot formed on the base and sized for receiving an orthodontic archwire. A channel formed upon the base and transversely oriented to the archwire slot slideably retains a ligating slide member within the channel and closeable over the archwire slot for retaining the orthodontic archwire therein. The ligating slide member includes at least one coplanar resilient retention mechanism for exerting retention forces coplanar with the ligating slide member for holding the ligating slide member in a closed position. The orthodontic bracket has a bracket with a ligating slide member slideably retained within a dovetail shaped channel.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,414,292 to Lopes discloses a self ligating orthodontic bracket system includes a bracket, a slidable ligating member and at least one wedge locking ramp. The bracket includes an archwire slot defined therein, which is configured to receive an archwire. The ligating member slides along a slide path defined on the bracket and which extends transverse relative to the archwire slot. The wedge locking ramp is disposed on the slide path, wherein the wedge locking ramp is configured to deflect the ligating member vertically upward and away from an upper surface of the slide path, and over the wedge locking ramp when the ligating member travels along the slide path from an unlocked position to a locked position. The archwire is securely retained in the archwire slot when the ligating member is in the locked position, however, the archwire again is loose within the archwire slot in a passive system as shown in FIG. 4.
There is therefore a need in the art for a self-ligating orthodontic bracket having active seating of the archwire toward the base of the slot for more precise tooth alignment that addresses one or more of the aforementioned problems with the prior art.

Orthodontic bracket with angled, curved shutter


A disk drive has a resistive heater located near the read/write head as a thermal fly-height actuator and uses an improved method for operating the fly-height actuator. As part of the method, the heater may be deactivated during a seek to minimize the risk of head-disk contacts. When a write command is received, a level of heater power is applied to pre-heat the write head prior to writing the initial data sectors. This pre-heating heater power level may be higher than the power level used for writing. Then when writing commences, the lower power level is applied to the heater so the write head has the optimal head-disk spacing during the writing of all the data sectors, including the initial data sectors. Even though the heater may be deactivated during the seek the controller can initiate pre-heating during the last portion of the seek before the write head has reached the target track.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to magnetic recording disk drives, and more particularly to disk drives that have a fly-height actuator for controlling the spacing between the read/write head and the disk.
2. Description of the Related Art
Magnetic recording hard disk drives use a read/write transducer or head mounted on a head carrier for reading and/or writing data to the disk. The head carrier is typically an air-bearing slider attached to an actuator arm by a suspension and positioned very close to the disk surface by the suspension. There are typically a stack of disks in the disk drive with a slider-suspension assembly associated with each disk surface in the stack.
The separation or spacing between the head and the disk surface is called the fly-height. The slider has a disk-facing air-bearing surface (ABS) that causes the slider to ride on a cushion or bearing of air generated by rotation of the disk. The slider is attached to a flexure on the suspension and the suspension includes a load beam that applies a load force to the slider to counteract the air-bearing force while permitting the slider to "pitch" and "roll". The flying dynamics of the slider and thus the fly-height are influenced by factors such as the rotation speed of the disk, the aerodynamic shape of the slider's ABS, the load force applied to the slider by the suspension, and the pitch and roll torques applied to the slider by the suspension.
Disk drives have been proposed that use a fly-height actuator for changing the spacing between the head and the disk surface. One type of fly-height actuator is a thermal actuator with an electrically-resistive heater located on the slider near the head. When current is applied to the heater the heater expands and causes the head to expand and thus move closer to the disk surface.
Disk drives with thermal fly-height actuators typically adjust the fly-height depending on the radial location, i.e., the data track, where the head is reading or writing data. This is typically accomplished by determining the optimal head-disk spacing for each of a plurality of radial bands of data tracks during manufacturing, and then storing a set of control signal values in the disk drive. During operation of the disk drive the data track where data is to be read or written is identified, and the appropriate control signal value is recalled and used to apply a corresponding level of heater power to the heater to set the head-disk spacing to the optimal value for the band in which the data track is located.
Even in the absence of heat to the heater, the write head experiences protrusion during a write operation as a result of heat from the write coil. Thus when conventional thermal fly-height control is applied during writing the first few data sectors of a continuous multiple-sector write may have a higher error rate than later-written data sectors because the write head is still at its ambient temperature and thus has no protrusion. This results in a higher-than-optimal flying height over these initial data sectors and thus weaker writability. Also, if the heater is activated during certain seeks (i.e., when the head is being moved from one data track to another data track), there may be a higher risk of head-disk contact, including head crashes that result in unrecoverable disk drive failure.
What is needed is a disk drive with a thermal fly-height actuator that has an improved method of operating the fly-height actuator.

Disk drive with improved method for operating a thermal head fly-height actuator

Hitachi Global Storage Technologies Netherlands B.V.