A method of inspecting an air data probe for damage or misalignment on a mounting surface includes retrieving reference data for the air data probe from a database, capturing images of the air data probe via a camera and generating dimensions from the captured images of the air data probe via a feature extractor. An alignment calculator analyzes the generated dimensions from the captured images of the air data probe and the reference data for the air data probe from the database to identify misalignment of the air data probe, and analyzes the generated dimensions from the captured images of the air data probe and the reference data for the air data probe from the database to identify damage of the air data probe. A maintenance recommendation for the air data probe is generated and outputted, based on the identified misalignment or damage of the air data probe.

The present disclosure relates generally to inspection systems, and more particularly to inspection systems for air data probes.
Modern aircraft often incorporate air data systems that calculate air data outputs based on measured parameters collected from various sensors positioned about the aircraft. For instance, many air data systems utilize air data probes that measure pneumatic pressure of oncoming airflow about the aircraft exterior to generate aircraft air data outputs, such as airspeed, altitude, angle of attack, angle of sideslip, or other aircraft air data parameters. Pressure measurements and/or corresponding air data parameter outputs are often compensated for aircraft aerodynamic and installation position effects to produce highly accurate air data outputs.
To achieve this high level of accuracy, the alignment of the air data probe is critical. That is, physical damage of the probe resulting from deformation (e.g., dents, dings, bends, creases, or other deformation) as well as misalignment, e.g., corrosion due to environmental exposure, can alter the flow of air across the air data probe, thereby negatively impacting accuracy of the air data parameter outputs. As such, confirmation of alignment of the air data probes is very important to ensure that the air data probes are collecting accurate data.
Traditionally, inspection of air data probes is performed via manual inspection of a technician during scheduled aircraft maintenance events. Such manual inspection may typically involve a tactile inspection of the probe for surface wear, as well as a visual comparison of the appearance of the outer surface of the probe with images included in, e.g., an aircraft maintenance manual for evidence of unacceptable corrosion. Such manual inspections, however, can often be subjective in nature, thereby resulting in customer frustration due to inconsistency of application of the acceptability criteria.

System for the inspection of air data probes


A cylinder-type paper feeding device designed so that the air suction fan in the paper feed cylinder is suspended at the moment each document conveyed by rotation of the paper feed cylinder reaches a sensor placed along the conveyer path, and after the lapse of a predetermined time, the paper feed cylinder is reversely rotated to return to the initial position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a paper feed device which picks up and feeds the uppermost sheet from a stack of loaded sheets of paper by suction.
2. Description of the Related Art
Paper feeding devices for picking up and feeding the uppermost or lowermost sheet from a stack of loaded sheets of paper are used in a variety of systems such as copiers or printers. General methods of picking up a single sheet from such a stack of sheets of paper use rollers or suction mechanisms. The invention relates to a method of feeding paper using a suction mechanism. The configurations of suction-based paper feeding devices of the prior art will now be explained with reference to Japanese Utility Model Law Application Disclosure HEI 2-147441 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,829.
As illustrated in FIGS. 10A and 10B, the device disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Law Application Disclosure HEI 2-147441 is designed so as to pick out sheet materials (photosensitive materials) 102 stored in a storage case 101 sheet from the bottom of the storage case 101, with a drum placed facing the sheet material 102 pickup port. Formed on the periphery of the drum 103 are a notched, front-end suction face 104, and a following-portion suction face 105 located upstream from the front-end suction face 104 in the direction of rotation of the drum 103. Suction pores 104a, 105a are formed through the front-end suction face 104 and the following-portion suction face 105, respectively.
The inside of the drum 103 is partitioned by a partition 108 into two compartments, a front-end suction zone 106 and a following-portion suction zone 107, with the suction pores 104a being formed communicating with the front-end suction zone 106, and the suction pores 105a being formed communicating with the following-portion suction pores 107. Individual suction means are designed so as to be connected to the front-end suction means 106 and the following-portion suction means 107. Feed rollers 109 for conveying sheet materials received from the drum 103 are arranged near the drum 3, downstream from the drum 103 in the direction of rotation thereof.
A method of feeding sheet materials using this configuration will now be described. When the front-end suction face 104 is located facing the pickup port of the storage case 101 and a vacuum is applied to the front-end suction zone 106, the front end of the sheet material 102 is sucked by the front-end suction face 104. When a vacuum is applied to the following-portion suction zone 107 while rotating the drum 103 in the direction indicated by the arrow in the figure, the following portions of the sheet material 102 are sucked by the following-portion suction face 105, thereby feeding the sheet material 102. Therefore, when the application of a vacuum to the front-end suction zone 106 is suspended when the front-end suction face 104 of the drum 103 has reached the vicinity of the feed rollers 109, the front end of the sheet material come off the drum 103, and the sheet material is forwarded to the feed rollers 109. Here, the following portions of the sheet material 102 are held on the following-portion suction face 105 under suction, and the application of a vacuum to the following-portion suction zone 106 is suspended each time the front ends have been engaged between the feed rollers 109.
As illustrated in FIG. 11, the device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,829, designed so as to pick up and feed sheets 112 stored in a sheet cassette 111 one by one starting with the lowermost one, is equipped with a feeder 113 for picking up the sheets near the pickup port provided at the underside of the sheet cassette 111.
The feeder 113 is shaped like a drum with suction pores 114 formed on its periphery, and a vacuumn is applied to the inside of the drum so that the front end of the sheet 112 is sucked by the suction pores 114 in the vicinity of the pickup port of the sheet cassette 111. A roller 16 is placed downstream from the feeder 113 in the direction of rotation thereof. A recessed portion 113a is formed along part of the periphery of the feeder 113, with a bearing 115 being fit in the recessed portion 113a, as illustrated in the side view. The vertical position of the periphery of the bearing 115 is designed to be the same as that of the periphery of the feeder 113, with the roller 116 being in contact with the bearing 115.
An explanation will now be given regarding how the sheets 112 in the sheet cassette 112 are picked up. First, application of a vacuum to the inside of the feeder 113 is initiated when the suction pores 114 of the feeder 113 are located near and facing the pickup port of the sheet cassette 111, and the front end of each sheet 112 is sucked by the suction pores 114 on the periphery of the feeder 113. When the feeder 113 in this state is rotated in the direction indicated by the arrow in the drawing, the sheet 112 is forwarded to the position of the roller 116, at which position the sheet 112 is held between the feeder 113 (specifically, the bearing 115) and the roller 116. Therefore, even if the application of a vacuum which serves to suck the front end of the sheet is suspended at this point in time, the sheet 112 remains held between the feeder 113 and the roller 116, thereby allowing the sheet 112 to be passed to a transfer roller (not shown).
In the case of the device described in Japanese Utility Model Law Application Disclosure HEI 2-147441, the vacuums in the two suction zones 106 and 107 must be individually controlled, and this incurs the problem of complicated configuration, the problem of complicated control, the problem of ease of warp of the sheets due to the mechanism of holding the sheets by air suction only, and the problem of increased amount of air required, increased air loss and larger suction motors due to the individual control of the two zones.
On the other hand, in the case of the device described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,168,829, since the picked up sheet 112 is conveyed in the state sandwiched between the bearing 115 fit in the feeder 113 and the roller 116, the recessed portion 113a must be formed on the periphery of the feeder 113 to match the vertical position of the periphery of the bearing 115 with that of the periphery of the feeder 113, in order to prevent the sheets from warping or being otherwise deformed, which results in the complicated configuration of the feeder 113; this not only directly increases the cost, but also presents the problem of complicating even the method of fitting the bearing 115 into the feeder 113, the problem of smudging of the sheets by anti-corrosive oil, etc. on the bearing 115 because of the direct contact of the bearing 115 with the sheets, and the problem of insufficient sheet conveyance capacity due to the small, fixed area for conveying the sheets in the state sandwiched between the bearing 15 and the roller 116, since the bearing 115 is usually a specification product with fixed sizes including width.
Further, since the suction section 114 for sucking the front end of each sheet is provided on the periphery of the drum-shaped feeder 113 so that the front end of each sheet is sucked by the arc periphery, and therefore air tends to leak before and after the suction section 114 in the direction of feeding of the sheets 112 due to the stiffness of the sheets 112; additional problems include the lower suction, increased noise due to the air leakage, and increase in size of the air suction motors which is needed to secure a sufficient volume of air.


The invention provides a process for producing an olefin polymerization catalyst, comprising an organometallic compound of a transition metal or of an actinide or lanthanide, in the form of solid catalyst particles, comprising forming a liquid/liquid emulsion system which comprises a solution of one or more catalyst components dispersed in a solvent immiscible therewith; and solidifying said dispersed phase to convert said droplets to solid particles comprising the catalyst and optionally recovering said particles.

Catalyst systems which are solutions of one or more catalyst components (e.g. a transition metal compound and optionally a cocatalyst) are known in the filed as homogeneous catalyst systems. Homogeneous systems are used as liquids in the polymerisation process. Such systems have in general a satisfactory catalytic activity, but their problem has been that the polymer thus produced has a poor morphology (e.g. the end polymer is in a form of a fluff having a low bulk density). As a consequence, operation of slurry and gas phase reactors using a homogeneous catalyst system cause problems in practice as i.a. fouling of the reactor can occur.
The above problems have been tried to overcome in several ways: The homogeneous system has been prepolymerised with an olefin monomer before the actual polymerisation step. Said prepolymerisation, however, has not solved the problem of the formation of a polymer fluff. EP 426 646 of Fina has further suggested to use specific prepolymerisation conditions, i.e. the reaction temperature and the reaction time of a narrow, specific range, for improving the morphology of the polymer thus obtained.
In WO 98 37103 the homogeneous catalyst system is introduced as droplets of a certain size into the polymerisation reactor for controlling the average particle size of a polyolefin produced in gas phase polymerisation. Said droplets are formed just before the introduction by using an atomizer (e.g. a spray nozzle).
Furthermore, to overcome the problems of the homogeneous systems in a non-solution process the catalyst components have been supported, e.g. their solution impregnated, on porous organic or inorganic support material, e.g. silica. These supported systems, known as heterogeneous catalyst systems, can additionally be prepolymerised in order to further immobilise and stabilise the catalyst components.
However, also supported and optionally prepolymerised systems present problems. It is difficult to get an even distribution of the catalyst components in the porous carrier material; and leaching of the catalyst components from the support can occur. Such drawbacks lead to an unsatisfactory polymerisation behaviour of the catalyst, and as a result the morphology of the polymer product thus obtained is also poor. Furthermore, the uneven distribution of the catalyst components in the support material can have an adverse influence on the fragmentation of the support material during the polymerisation step.
The support can also have an adverse effect on the activity of the catalyst, on its polymerisation behaviour and on the properties of the end polymer.
Accordingly, various measures have been proposed to improve the morphology properties of homogeneous catalyst systems. However, due to the complexity of the catalyst systems, the need still exists to develop further catalyst systems and preparation methods thereof which overcome the problems of the prior art practice.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Production of olefin polymerization catalysts


In a seat structure having a side air bag device, a longitudinal groove (36) is formed in a seat back pad (14) along the longitudinal direction of the seat back pad, and an insert wire (40) which holds a seat outer cover, is embedded in the longitudinal groove (36). Bent portions (44) are formed in portions of the insert wire (40), which portions oppose the air bag device. Each of the bent portions (44) is bent in a substantially U-shaped configuration, and a slab pad (46) is wound around an outer peripheral portion of a base portion (44A) of each bent portion. Further, the bent portions (44) of the insert wire (40) are each provided to extend rearwardly and diagonally toward the inner side of a seat back (10) so that the embedded length of the insert wire (40) embedded in the seat back pad (14) is made longer, and adverse influences on riding comfort are thereby suppressed.

There have conventionally been considered counterplans for improvement of an occupant protecting ability at the time of a side surface impact (hereinafter, "side impact") of a vehicle. In recent years, the building-in of a side-impact air bag device at a side portion of a front seat of a vehicle has been promoted. A structure of this type of front seat having a side-impact air bag device built-in is disclosed in Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 6-64491. The structure disclosed therein will be described hereinafter, focusing on the relation between the seat outer cover and the air bag device.
FIG. 8 shows a side view of a front seat 150 having an air bag device built-in and disclosed in the above prior art. As shown in this figure, a side-impact air bag device 154 is built-in in a side portion, toward a door, of a seat back 152 of the front seat 150. The side-impact air bag device 154 is structured to basically include a sensor 157 disposed below a seat cushion 156 and detecting a state of a large load being applied to a side door (not shown), a substantially cylindrical inflator 158 connected to the sensor 157 and ejecting gas by the sensor 157 detecting a state in which a large load is applied, and a bag 160 which inflates due to gas ejected from the inflator 158. Further, as shown in FIG. 9, the inflator 158 and the bag 160 are accommodated in an internal space formed by an air bag case 164 and a lid 166 which are fixed to a side portion, toward the door, of a seat back frame 162.
Further, in the structure disclosed in the above prior art, an outer cover 168 of the seat back 152 is formed by stitching a plurality of divided portions so as to allow an opening movement of the lid 166 at the time the bag inflates. Namely, the outer cover 168 of the seat back 152 is divided into a front main outer cover 170 which covers a front surface of a central portion of the seat back 152, two front side outer covers 172, 174 which cover respective front sides of side portions of the seat back 152, a seat back side portion outer cover 176 which covers the lid 166 of the air bag device 154, and a rear outer cover 178 which covers a back side of the seat back 152.
In order to allow opening of the seat back side portion outer cover 176 located at the side of the lid 166, a front end portion 176A of the seat back side portion outer cover 176 and a rear end portion 174A of the front side outer cover 174 are sewn together by a sewing thread 180. The sewing strength at the above sewn-together portion is set to be low by sewing by single stitching as shown in FIG. 9. Accordingly, this sewn-together portion is used as a rupture portion. In contrast, a rear end portion 176B of the seat back side portion outer cover 176 and a front end portion 178A of the rear outer cover 178 are each formed into a loop and are stitched by using sewing threads 182, 184, and further, the loop-shaped rear end portion 176B and front end portion 178A are sewn together by a sewing thread 186. The sewing strength at this sewn-together portion is set to be high by sewing by double stitching as shown in FIG. 9. Accordingly, this sewn-together portion does not rupture, and serves as a hinge used for the opening movement of the seat back side portion outer cover 176.
Accordingly, when the bag 160 unfolds due to gas ejected from the inflator 158, the lid 166 opens toward an outer side of the seat (i.e., in the direction indicated by arrow W in FIG. 9) around a hinge portion 166A formed at the rear end of the lid 166. Due to the opening force of the lid 166, the portion where the front end portion 176A of the seat back side portion outer cover 176 and the rear end portion 174A of the front side outer cover 174 are sewn together is broken.
However, in this seat structure having a side air bag device, an insert wire 192 is embedded in a seat back pad 190 in the vicinity of an occupant supporting surface (top plate portion) 190A. A sewn-together portion of the front main outer cover 170 and the front side outer cover 172 is engaged with the insert wire 192 via a hanging member 188 for bringing forth the designed seat configuration. Accordingly, at an initial stage of unfolding of the bag 160, a pull-out load acts on the insert wire 192 due to reactive force of the seat outer cover 168 caused by the unfolding force of the bag 160. When the pull-out load increases and the insert wire 192 is thereby pulled out from the seat back pad 190, the outer cover 168 extends greatly outward in the transverse direction of the seat and toward the front of the vehicle as indicated by the two-dot chain line in FIG. 9. For this reason, the sewn-together portion formed by the sewing thread 180, which was originally intended to be broken, is difficult to break. Accordingly, the unfolding speed of the bag 160 may decrease or the unfolded form of the bag 160 may be unstable.
As art related to the present invention, Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 9-76868 (laid-open on Mar. 25, 1997) discloses an end of a front-side seat outer cover of a sewn-together portion to be broken and a seat-side fixing member being connected together by a strong cloth.


An apparatus for vehicle door deflection and movement control. The apparatus includes a primary electromagnetic device disposed generally in a vehicle door frame or generally in an area of a vehicle body adjacent the vehicle door frame, and a controller for activating the primary electromagnetic device to push or pull the vehicle door frame. The apparatus may further include a sensor for measuring vehicle door deflection during vehicle movement. The controller may activate the primary electromagnetic device based on deflection measurements by the sensor to pull the vehicle door frame to generally cancel the vehicle door deflection.

a. Field of Invention
The invention relates generally to vehicle structural design and related structural deflection control, and, more particularly, to an apparatus and method for actively and passively controlling deflection and for assisting with opening and closing of a vehicle door.
b. Description of Related Art
In the automobile art, wind noise is an important consideration both from an aesthetics and vehicle dynamics standpoint. For components such as vehicle doors, dynamic door deflection under wind noise is one of the major design concerns for customer satisfaction for wind noise sound perception. Over the years, a variety of methods, such as increasing door stiffness or reinforcing of the door frame, have been employed to minimize dynamic door deflection. These methods invariably increase the cost and/or weight of a vehicle, and can further complicate the manufacturing and assembly processes. Yet further, in conjunction with designing a door frame for minimizing dynamic door deflection, such design considerations also impact the door opening and closing effort. As with customer satisfaction based on wind noise sound perception, the opening and closing effort for a door likewise impacts customer satisfaction with regard to the routine operation of a vehicle.
It is therefore desirable to have a vehicle including a door frame design with minimal dynamic door deflection, and with reduced door opening and closing effort.
An exemplary vehicle door and frame design for minimizing dynamic door deflection and/or for improving door opening/closing effort is disclosed for example in U.S. Pat. No. 4,579,192 to Mueller.
Referring to FIGS. 4 and 5 of Mueller, Mueller provides a method and apparatus for sealing a closure gap for an automobile door (21) having elastic and inflatable packing members (14) which are pressurized to control the door seal gap when the speed of the vehicle exceeds a set value. Pressuring and control device (4) allows inflation of members (14) based on the readings provided by pressure sensor (10) and speed sensor (11) for providing a good seal around the door, yet permitting easy opening of the door upon depressurization.
While the Mueller device limits movement of the door, the device however does not facilitate the door opening and closing effort, and requires significant structural design effort for implementation of the inflatable packing members (14).
Accordingly, there remains a need for an apparatus and method for minimizing dynamic door deflection and/or for improving door opening/closing effort, which is economical to manufacture, install and service in existing and new vehicles. There also remains a need for an apparatus and method for minimizing dynamic door deflection and/or for improving door opening/closing effort which is robust in design for long term use in a variety of vehicles, which reduces design and tooling costs, and which further meets automotive fit and operation requirements for such components.

Vehicle door active and passive control device


Disclosed herein is a wastewater treatment facility comprising a structure defining first and second tank portions; a shaft rotatably supported by the structure; a first biological reactor in the first tank portion and including a first rotatable biological contactor mounted to the shaft and having a diameter; and a second biological reactor in the second tank portion and including a second rotatable biological contactor mounted to the shaft and having a diameter greater than the diameter of the first rotating biological contactor.

Rotating biological contactors commonly comprise a cylindrical structure with a labyrinthine interior designed to provide extensive air/water contact surfaces. The cylinder rotates about a horizontal axis in a secondary wastewater treatment tank. Rotating biological contactors provide surfaces for the growth of biomass which has the ability to absorb, adsorb, coagulate, and oxidize organic constituents of the wastewater.
Wastewater treatment facilities have included rotating biological contactors (RBC's) supported in treatment tanks and rotated partially submerged in wastewater in the treatment tanks so that the surfaces of the contactor are alternately exposed to the wastewater and to oxygen in the overlying atmosphere. A film of wastewater is carried into the air and trickles down the surfaces of the contactor while absorbing oxygen from the air. Organisms in the biomass remove dissolved oxygen and organic materials from the film of wastewater and unused dissolved oxygen in the wastewater film is mixed with the contents of wastewater in the tank.
Anaerobic reactors of wastewater treatment facilities have also included RBC's in treatment tanks. The RBC's of the anaerobic reactors are completely submerged in wastewater and provide denitrification of wastewater in the tank.
Rotating biological contactors can be driven by a motor, or by air as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,668,387, issued to Davie et al. on May 26, 1987 and incorporated herein by reference or as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,886,074, issued to Prosser on May 27, 1975 and incorporated herein by reference. In an air drive system, air is released below an RBC via an air header, and rises into air cups provided around the outer perimeter of the RBC. The captured air exerts a buoyant force which exerts a torque on the RBC and shaft sufficient for rotation.


The subject invention provides a mixture of crystalline laquinimod sodium particles, wherein (i) 90% or more of the total amount by volume of the laquinimod sodium particles have a size of 40 microns or less or (ii) 50% or more of the total amount by volume of the laquinimod sodium particles have a size of 15 microns or less, and wherein:                a) the mixture has a bulk density of 0.2 g/mL to 0.4 g/mL;        b) the mixture has a tapped density of 0.40 g/mL to 0.7 g/mL;        c) an amount of heavy metal in the mixture is no more than 0.002% of heavy metal relative to the amount by weight of laquinimod sodium;        d) an amount of 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline (MCQ) in the mixture is no more than 0.15% relative to the amount of laquinimod sodium as measured by HPLC;        e) an amount of 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroqunoline-3-carboxylic acid (MCQCA) in the mixture is no more than 0.15% relative to the amount of laquinimod sodium as measured by HPLC; or        f) an amount of methyl 5-chloro-4-hydroxy-1-methyl-2-oxo-1,2-dihydroquinoline-3-carboxylate (MCQME) in the mixture is no more than 0.12% relative to the amount of laquinimod sodium as measured by HPLC.

Laquinimod is a compound which has been shown to be effective in the acute experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (aEAE) model (U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,851). Its chemical name is N-ethyl-N-phenyl-1,2,-dihydro-4-hydroxy-5-chloro-1-methyl-2-oxoquinoline-3-carboxamide, and its Chemical Registry number is 248281-84-7.
Laquinimod is a small, molecule having the following chemical structure:

The processes of synthesis of laquinimod and the preparation of its sodium salt are disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,851. An additional process of synthesis of laquinimod acid, but not laquinimod sodium, having low levels of impurities disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,869. U.S. Pat. No. 7,894,208 teaches a process for the preparation of laquinimod sodium which removes the impurities present after the salt formation step, thus resulting in a crystalline mixture of higher purity as well as a crystalline mixture having large particles, and good tapped and bulk density. Pharmaceutical compositions comprising laquinimod sodium are disclosed in PCT International Application Publication No. WO 2005/074899.
In the preparation of laquinimod sodium disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,851, laquinimod acid was suspended in ethanol, and 5M sodium hydroxide solution was added. After stirring, the resulting precipitate was filtered, washed with ethanol, and dried. The method used to make laquinimod sodium in U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,851 is commonly referred to as a slurry-to-slurry salt formation.
In the slurry-to-slurry salt formation method of U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,851, the laquinimod sodium is not dissolved in solution. Any solid impurities, if present in the laquinimod sodium suspension, are therefore not removed by filtration.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,869 discloses a process of preparing the base compound laquinimod in high yield and low level of impurities. However, the process in U.S. Pat. No. 6,875,869 is only for synthesis of the base compound (lauqinimod acid) and not the salt. As such, the slurry-to-slurry salt formation process would still be needed to form the sodium salt.
U.S. Pat. No. 7,884,208 teaches an improved process for preparing laquinimod sodium resulting in crystals of higher purity as well as crystals having improved crystalline characteristics, e.g., comprising no more than 2 ppm of a heavy metal and having higher tapped density. In the process disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 7,884,208 in Examples 13-17, laquinimod sodium is dissolved in water to form an aqueous solution; the aqueous solution is concentrated; and then a water-miscible anti-solvent is added to the concentrated solution to form laquinimod sodium crystals. The process of U.S. Pat. No. 7,884,208 removes the impurities after salt formation, thus resulting in laquinimod sodium of higher purity than the laquinimod sodium produced directly from the "slurry to slurry" process of U.S. Pat. No. 6,077,851.

Crystals of laquinimod sodium and improved process for the manufacture thereof


Whether or not a radar device detects an object is determined by a detection state determinator. Whether or not a time during which the object is not detected and which is measured by a clocking device becomes a determination threshold value or more, is determined by a non-detection determinator. Based on the determination results, an informing device informs an occupant that the object is not detected for a predetermined time or more. Therefore, a state in which the radar device does not detect an object due to absence of the object on a road in a desert or the like is prevented from being erroneously determined as a state caused by contamination of the radar device. Also, the occupant can easily determine whether the operation of the informing device is actually caused by absence of an object or contamination of the radar device, based on the environment around the road on which the own vehicle is traveling. Especially because a reflected wave from a road surface, of which intensity changes in accordance with the condition, is not used for determination, it becomes unnecessary to change the setting of the determination threshold value and determination frequency region, and thus the structure and operation are simplified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vehicular control object determination system that includes an object detector for detecting an object that is present in the direction of travel of a vehicle, a travel locus estimator for estimating a future travel locus of the vehicle, a certainty calculator for calculating, based on a detection result obtained by the object detector, a travel locus estimated by the travel locus estimator, and predetermined certainty calculation conditions, a certainty with which the object becomes a control object, and a control object determiner for determining, according to a cumulative value of the certainty, an object as a control object for a subject vehicle.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-105891 discloses an arrangement in which a sideways movement speed at which another vehicle detected by a radar device moves in front of a subject vehicle is compared with a threshold value that varies according to an inter-vehicle distance between the subject vehicle and this other vehicle, and when the sideways movement speed exceeds the threshold value it is determined that there is a possibility that the other vehicle might enter a lane in which the subject vehicle is present and collide with the subject vehicle.
There is also an arrangement known from Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-38121 in which, when carrying out tracking control with respect to a preceding vehicle, the confidence in the preceding vehicle is calculated based on an inter-vehicle distance between a subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the sideways position of the preceding vehicle relative to the subject vehicle, and the content of the tracking control is modified according to this confidence.
However, in the arrangement described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 10-105891, since the possibility of collision with an object is determined based on the sideways movement speed of the object and the distance to the object, there is a possibility that another vehicle that has a relative speed in a direction moving forward and away from the subject vehicle and has no possibility of collision might be erroneously determined to have a possibility of collision.
Furthermore, in the arrangement described in Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2000-38121, since it is determined whether or not the preceding vehicle becomes a control object for tracking control based on the inter-vehicle distance between the subject vehicle and the preceding vehicle and the sideways position of the preceding vehicle relative to the subject vehicle, there is a possibility that a vehicle that moves away from the front of the subject vehicle in a sideways direction might erroneously be determined as a control object.

Vehicular control object determination system


A liquid coolant supply system for supplying a liquid coolant to a thermal therapy catheter includes a sensor control unit, a liquid coolant containment unit and mounts. The sensor control unit includes a pump, a cooling device, a temperature sensor and a pressure sensor. The liquid coolant containment unit includes a sealed reservoir, a coolant-sensor interface module and a pump interface fluidly coupled to the thermal therapy catheter. The coolant-sensor interface module includes a body defining a fluid chamber, a temperature interface supported adjacent the fluid chamber within the body, and a pressure interface supported adjacent the fluid chamber within the body. The mounts removably support the sealed reservoir, pump interface, temperature interface and pressure interface of the containment unit adjacent the cooling device, the pump, the temperature sensor and the pressure sensor. The temperature interface communicates a temperature indicant of the liquid coolant circulating through the fluid chamber to the temperature sensor. The pressure interface communicates a pressure indicant of the liquid coolant circulating through the fluid chamber to the pressure sensor. The cooling device and the pump are controlled based upon the sensed temperature and pressure of the liquid coolant.

The present invention relates to field of microwave thermal therapy of tissue. In particular, the present invention relates to a coolant-sensor interface module for enabling temperature and pressure of a liquid coolant within a thermal therapy catheter fluid supply system to be sensed.
Benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) may be treated using transurethral thermal therapy as described in further detail in U.S. Pat. No. 5,413,588 entitled DEVICE FOR ASYMMETRICAL THERMAL THERAPY WITH HELICAL DIPOLE MICROWAVE ANTENNA and in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/309,137 entitled COOLANT PRE-CHILLING PRIOR TO BENIGN PROSTATIC HYPERPLASIA TREATMENT, both assigned to Urologix, Inc., which are herein incorporated by reference. During transurethral thermal therapy, tumorous tissue growth within the prostate surrounding the urethra is heated to necrose the tumorous tissue to treat BPH. Transurethral thermal therapy is administered by use of a microwave antenna-containing catheter which includes a multi-lumen shaft. Energization of the microwave antenna causes the antenna to emit electromagnetic energy which heats tissue within the prostate. To avoid unnecessary and undesirous damage to the urethral and adjacent healthy tissues, the catheter is provided with cooling lumens through which liquid coolant circulates to control the temperature distribution of tissue surrounding the catheter.
Typically, the liquid coolant is supplied to the thermal therapy catheter by a pump which pumps the liquid coolant from a reservoir through the thermal therapy catheter. Conventional liquid coolant supply systems comprise relatively large reservoirs containing as much as five gallons of liquid coolant from which liquid coolant is supplied to the thermal therapy catheter. The liquid coolant contained within the large reservoir is simply maintained at room temperature. Although the liquid coolant being circulated through the thermal therapy catheter experiences a temperature increase during thermal therapy, such increases are relatively insignificant due to the large volume of liquid contained in the reservoir. However, conventional liquid coolant supply systems have failed to provide for precise, closed loop control of the temperature and pressure of the liquid coolant being supplied to the thermal therapy catheter. In addition, conventional liquid coolant supply systems are expensive and require extensive and time consuming sterilization between a treatment of different patients.


A naturally-derived lipolysis promoter with high safety, which may promote the degradation of the accumulated adipose tissue to control, prevent, and ameliorate obesity to a satisfactory extent, and food-and-drink and feed containing the same containing at least one or more kinds of plants selected from the group consisting of plants of the genus Iresine of the family Amaranthaceae, Tipuana tipu, Bocconia pearcei, Argemone mexicana, and Ladenbergia magnifolia as active ingredients, and food-and-drink and feed containing the same

Obesity results from the accumulation of intake energy in adipocytes as neutral fat in excess of consumption energy, and not only triggers various diseases such as arteriosclerosis, but also is cosmetically undesirable, so that its prevention and amelioration are strongly required. However, recent years have seen an increase in the obesity rate in the industrialized countries including our country year by year. The reason comes from overeating, lack of exercise, stress, and the like, but there are many people who cannot continue dietary restriction and exercise therapy, which require a strong will and long continuance.
This background has given rise to a wide range of development of lipolysis promoters effective in preventing and ameliorating the obesity. For example, there have been known a lipolysis promoter containing a plant or its extract selected from Juniperus communis, Rosa normalis, Rosa canina, Areca catechu, Polygala tenuifolia, Plantago asiatica, Jateorhiza columba, Stellera chamaejasme, Tropaeolum majus, Aristolochia manshuriensis, Myrica rubra Imperata cylindrica, Ligusticum sinense, Hemerocallis plicata, Betula platyphylla var. japonica, Salvia miltiorrhiza, Erodium stephanianum, Brassica hirta, Helianthus annuus, Glechoma hederacea, Lycium chinense, Sophora japonica, Homalomena occulta, Ficus carica, Pueraria thomsonii, Hibiscus rosa-sinensis, chenopodium hybridum, Trigonella foenum-graecum, Juglans regia, Alpinia katsumadai, Prunus humilis Bunge, Gardenia jasminoides, Chrysanthemum indicum, Rubia cordifolia, Hedyotis diffusa, Lysimachia christinae, Schizonepeta tenuifolia, Portulaca oleracea, Angelica dahurica, and Polygonum aviculare as an active ingredient (See Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2005-60366), a lipolysis promoter comprising an extract of Zygophyllaceae Larrea as an active ingredient (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2004-35516), a lipolysis promoter comprising peels or leaves of citrus fruits or extracts therefrom (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2002-326947), a lipolysis promoter containing a Cirsium plant as an active ingredient (for example, refer to Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 8(1996)-301780), a lipolysis promoter containing an extract of Geranium nepalense Sweet (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3537671), a lipolysis promoter containing Tussilago farfara as an active ingredient (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3306750), and a lipolysis promoter containing an immature green fruit of Piper nigrum-L. or Piper longum-L. as an active ingredient (for example, refer to Japanese Patent Gazette No. 3645608). However, these lipolysis promoters cannot necessarily be said to have a sufficient effect, and some of them are concerned to cause side effects (for example, refer to Experimental Biology and Medicine (2204), Volume 229, pages 698 to 704).
With the foregoing background, there is required further development of a lipolysis promoter having a satisfying effect of preventing and ameliorating obesity, and capable of safe usage.

Lipolysis promoter and food-and-drink and feed containing the same


An imaging system (400) includes a radiation source (408) configured to emit X-ray radiation, a detector array (410) configured to detected X-ray radiation and generate projection data indicative thereof, and a first processing chain (418) configured to reconstruct the projection data and generate a noise only image. A method includes receiving projection data produced by an imaging system and processing the projection data with a first processing chain configured to reconstruct the projection data and generate a noise only image. A processor is configured to: scan an object or subject with an x-ray imaging system and generating projection data, process the projection data with a first processing chain configured to reconstruct the projection data and generate a noise only image, process the projection data with a second processing chain configured to reconstruct the projection data and generate a structure image, and de-noise the structure image based on the noise only image.

A CT scanner includes an x-ray tube mounted on a rotatable gantry that rotates around an examination region about a z-axis. A detector array subtends an angular arc opposite the examination region from the x-ray tube. The x-ray tube emits radiation that traverses the examination region and a portion of an object and/or subject therein. The detector array detects radiation that traverses the examination region and generates projection data indicative thereof. A reconstructor reconstructs the projection data, which produces volumetric (three-dimensional) image data indicative of the examination region and the portion of the object and/or subject therein. The following describes projection data as utilized herein.
In FIG. 1, a focal spot 102 represents a region of the radiation source from which x-ray radiation 104 is emitted. A beam shaping device, such as a collimator 106, defines a beam 108 (e.g., a fan beam in the illustrated example) which traverses an examination region 110. A detector array 112 is disposed opposite the focal spot 102, across the examination region 110. The detector array 112 includes at least one row of detector elements 1141, . . . , 114N (114). Each detector element 114 detects x-ray radiation from the fan beam impinging thereon and generates an electrical signal indicative of a total X-ray attenuation along a path from the focal spot 102 to the detector element 114 (a line integral).
With third generation CT scanner technology, the X-ray tube (and hence the focal spot 102) and the detector array 112 rotate in coordination along a circular path 116 around the examination region 110. FIG. 1 shows the focal spot 102, the fan beam 108, and the detector array 112 at one angle 113 (e.g., θ1) on the path 116, and FIG. 2 shows them at a different angle 115 (e.g., θN) on the path 116. The set of lines integral for the detector elements 114 at any one angle is referred to herein as a view. The set of lines integrals at the angle 113 represents one view, and the set of lines integrals at the angle 115 represents another view. The set of views for a scan is referred to herein as projection data.
Denoising algorithms include algorithms that denoise in the projection domain (line integrals) and/or in the image domain (volumetric image data). For iterative image domain denoising, a noise image, which provides a map of the input image noise level in each pixel, is used to adjust the denoising strength for spatially varying noise levels. U.S. Pat. No. 7,706,497 B2 describes a method for determining a noise image for image domain denoising. This method includes splitting the projection data into odd views (e.g., θ1, θ3, θ5, . . . ) and even views (e.g., θ2, θ4, θ6, . . . ) (or different foci if the focus of the tube is switched back and forth from view to view). The set of odd views is reconstructed via one processing chain to produce an odd view image and the even set of view is reconstructed via a different processing chain to produce an even view image. The odd and even view images are subtracted to create the noise image. The idea is that the two sets of views are from a scan of a same structure. As such, both images essentially represent the same structure, and subtracting the two images will cancel out the structure, leaving only uncorrelated noise.
FIG. 3 illustrates this process via a flow diagram. Projection data generated from a scan is received at 302, and is split into odds views and even views at 304. An odd view processing chain 306 and 308 rebins the odd views from fan beam geometry to parallel beam geometry and reconstructs the rebinned odd views, producing an odd view image. An even view processing chain 310 and 312 rebins the even views from fan beam geometry to parallel beam geometry and reconstructs the rebinned even views, producing an even view image. At 314, the odd and even view images are subtracted, producing noise image. A processing chain 316 and 318 rebins all of views from fan beam geometry to parallel beam geometry and reconstructs the rebinned views, producing a structural image. At 320, local noise variance estimations are estimated from the noise image to produce a noise map for the structural image, and the structural image is de-noised using the noise map.
Unfortunately, this approach to generating a noise image reduces the angular or radial resolution since the views are split in half and has thus a negative impact on the resolution used in the rebinning and the reconstruction chains. In the rebinning process, the odd and even views are resampled via interpolation to different grids. The odd and even dataset after the rebinning will thus have worse resolution, and high frequency noise components cannot be reconstructed accurately. As a consequence, the final noise estimates might be inaccurate depending on the filter-kernel used for the reconstruction, which may result in a less than optimal de-noising and a de-noised image. As a result, there is an unresolved need for another approach for producing the noise image.

Image noise estimation using alternating negation


A pipe clamp for supporting pipes consists of an open sheet-metal strip surrounding the pipe and of a rubber sleeve which is inserted between the pipe and the sheet-metal strip. The two ends of the sheet-metal strip are connected to one another in the assembled state by means of a clamping screw. The pipe clamp consists only of the sheet-metal strip and of the clamping screw, the two strip ends being bent somewhat radially outwards, forming two screw lugs, and the clamping screw being supported, in the pre-assembled state, on a screw lug such that it cannot be lost and is ready for assembly.

The invention relates to a pipe clip for fastening a pipe to a wall, ceiling or another support. Such a pipe clip comprises a clip body with an opening for attaching the pipe clip around the pipe, which opening is delimited by a first end of the clip body and a second end of the clip body. A first outwardly extending flange is formed integrally with the first end and a second outwardly extending flange is formed integrally with the second end. A tightening element comprising a head and a shank connects the first and second end of the clip body. The head of the tightening element engages with the first end of the clip body and the shank of the tightening element engages with the second end.
For example, DE 40 15 404 discloses a pipe clip wherein the pipe clip has at one end a flange which is provided with a bore provided with a screw thread The screw thread is screwed into this bore and is fixed in relation to the flange. The pipe clip has at the other end a flange with a recess which is open on the side remote from the clip body. The recess in the flange has a width which is greater than the diameter of the head of the tightening screw. An arresting mechanism is attached to the side of the flange that is facing away from the other flange. The arresting mechanism is a separate component which is pivotably fastened to the clip body. The arresting mechanism has a recess which is open on the side facing away from the clip body and which has a width smaller than the diameter of the tightening screw During closing of the clip, the head presses against the arresting mechanism and ensures the pivoting of the arresting mechanism for the play required to bring the head of the tightening screw along the edge of the arresting mechanism in order subsequently to engage with the head behind the edges of the recess of the arresting mechanism, the shank of the tightening screw being received in the recess.


A system may be configured to receive an upload, from a first user device, of a basis content item that includes first content; determine whether a first user of the first user device has a right to restrict a use of the first content in an in-use content item uploaded by a second user device when the in-use content includes the first content; in response to determining that the first user has the right, store the basis content in the system; in response to determining that the first user does not have the right, discard the basis content; receive an upload, from a second user device, of a first in-use content item; and determine whether the first in-use content item matches the basis content item.

Due to advances in technology, it has become increasingly easy to generate content. For example, desktop publishing software allows graphics artists, designers, office workers, students, business owners, etc. to produce high quality photographs, posters, web pages, slide presentations, reports, and even videos. However, the ease with which one can create content also has led to increased public concerns over unauthorized use of content and related legal issues, such as copyright violations, privacy issues, etc. This in turn has led to development of a wide-range of techniques for protecting content-use rights.


The present invention relates to a box, particularly a mailbox which includes a lid, detecting and indicating elements for detecting and indicating the presence of one or more objects, such as letters and newspapers. The detecting elements include a pivotally mounted member (30) which is coupled to the lid (7) of the box, via a transmission (60-67), for moving the pivotally mounted member (30) from an initial position in response to the opening of the lid (7). The pivotally mounted member (30) is arranged to automatically return to its initial position as the lid (7) is closed, if no object is present in the box. If an object is present in the box, the pivotally mounted member (30) is prevented from returning to its initial position, in which position the pivotally mounted member (30) is so arranged and positioned that it activates an indicating member.

AU-A1-66 640/81 describes a mailbox which comprises a detector identifying the presence of an object. How the detector is constituted is not described, except that it can be of any kind and preferably an optical sensor. The main problem to be solved by this patent is the transmission of the detected signal to an indication device. This is done by means of radio waves sending a signal to a receiver as soon an object has been detected.


The present invention generally relates to supported perovskites of the formula XYO.sub.3 where X is lanthanum, cerium or yttrium and Y is a transition metal such as copper, chromium, manganese, iron, cobalt and nickel supported on a support such as alumina, silica, magnesium aluminate, titanium oxide, zirconium oxide and mixtures thereof. In the case where X is lanthanum, some of the lanthanum ions may be replaced resulting in a perovskite of the formula La.sub.1-x A.sub.x YO.sub.3 wherein x is about 0.75 or less and A is silver or magnesium and Y is manganese or iron. Their use for low temperature oxidation of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), particularly oxygen-containing VOCs. The support may be stabilized by having an intermediate metal oxide layer on the surface of the support wherein the metal of the intermediate metal oxide may be iron, magnesium, cobalt, nickel, manganese, zinc, titanium, copper, chromium, lanthanum, barium, calcium, strontium or silver. The catalysts contain platinum or palladium. The present invention further relates to the use of supported perovskites to reduce the amount of VOCs present in waste gases produced by processes such as baking, brewing, and flexographic printing. Catalysts prepared from the supported perovskites have increased resistance to poisoning in the presence of sulfur containing compounds.

Concerns over the release of various organic compounds into the atmosphere as components of waste gas has led to more and more stringent demands on industry to reduce emissions. The Environmental Protection Agency, for example, has recently enacted provisions concerning the amount of alcohol(s) which may be released into the atmosphere, such as ethanol and other alcohols released as components of the waste gases produced and/or released during fermenting processes.
Fermentation involves the metabolism of organic compounds by microorganisms. Compounds that are produced through fermentation include carboxylic acids such as lactic acid and alcohols such as ethanol. Molds, yeasts, bacteria and streptomycetes are all employed in fermentation processes.
Fermentation plays a role in the preparation and/or processing of many foodstuffs, including alcoholic beverages, such as beer and wine, vinegar, bakery products and the like. As a result, waste gases produced in such preparation and/or processing may include significant levels of oxygen-containing VOCs, such as alcohols, ethers, esters and carboxylic acids.
The brewing of beer, for example, includes the step of fermentation of a farinaceous extract obtained from a starchy raw material, barley, in the form of a malt. Other starchy raw materials that may be employed as the starting material are corn, rice, wheat, oats, potatoes and mixtures thereof.
The process for brewing beer involves mashing the malted barley with water, filtering off the solids and boiling the resultant filtrate (called a wort) with hops. The wort is then cooled and yeasts added.
During malting, enzymes, such as amylases, are released from the barley that transform the starchy raw material into fermentable sugars. These fermentable sugars are subsequently converted to ethanol and carbon dioxide by yeasts added to the wort. The beer is then processed and matured before marketing.
Bakery products include perishable foods, such as breads and cakes, and dry baked goods, such as cookies, crackers, pretzels, ice cream cones and the like. The total value of the entire baking industry in the United States exceeds $11,000,000,000.
Many bakery products tend to be highly perishable foods. Much of the production of these goods is therefore done in small plants distributed throughout the United States. From the plants, distribution of perishable bakery products is made within a relatively limited area, unless the product is first frozen to preserve its freshness for a longer distribution period. According to the 1977 Census of Manufactures, these small plants account for almost 75% of the total baking facilities in the United States.
Dry baked products, such as cookies, crackers and pretzels, have a relatively longer shelf life and can therefore be manufactured at a large central location and distributed over a wide area. According to the 1977 Census of Manufactures, there were 24 of these large facilities preparing dry baked products, with a combined output of $2,800,000,000.
Ingredients in bakery products, both perishable products and dry baked products, generally include the following: flour; leavening agents; sugar, such as corn syrups, sucrose and dextrose; fats and oils, such as animal fats and vegetable oils; milk; eggs; salt; and flavoring and enriching ingredients. Leavening agents may be loosely classified into two general categories: yeast, such as fresh compressed yeast or active dry yeast, and chemical leavening agents, such as baking powders. Yeast-raised products make up nearly two-thirds of the total dollar volume of the baking industry.
Most breads and other yeast-raised products are prepared by a sponge-dough process which has four basic steps. First, a sponge of flour, water, yeast and sugar is mixed and allowed to ferment. The sponge is then mixed with any additional ingredients, such as fats or milk, to develop the gluten in the dough. Alternatively, liquid sponges, which contain less flour, may be employed.
After a rest period, the dough is cut and shaped and allowed to rise. The leavening action of yeast is based upon its ability to break down the fermentable sugars in the dough, forming carbon dioxide and ethanol.
Once the dough has been allowed to rise, it is baked. During baking, the ethanol in the dough produced by the leavening action of the yeast is released to the atmosphere.
Malt vinegar is produced by surface or submerged-culture oxidation of malted barley, optionally mixed with one or more other grains. Amylases released from the malted barley convert the starches to fermentable sugars, such as glucose and maltose. These sugars are readily fermented by Saccharomyces yeast.
In addition to the above, there are a great number of other common processes that also involve release of VOCs, in particular, oxygen-containing VOCs, into the atmosphere. For example, in flexographic printing processes emissions arise from organic solvents that may be present in the ink and from solvent that may be used for press cleaning. Emissions are limited in all cases to VOCs.
Solvents commonly used in flexographic printing include ethanol, isopropanol, N-propanol, hexane, toulene, isopropyl acetate, N-propyl acetate, glycols, glycol ethers. In publication flexo, amines and glycols are typical VOC compounds used. Amines and glycols are utilized in quantities that never exceed 5% of the ink formulation (prior to dilution with water). In packaging flexo, VOCs content may be higher than 5%, particularly if alcohols are used as cosolvents. In use at the press, the allowable VOCs in the diluted ink may be no more than 25% of the solvent portion.
Emission control strategies for flexographic printing processes typically include solvent recovery and catalysts or thermal oxidation incineration. Thermal oxidation relies on high temperature, e.g., 1400.degree.-1500.degree. F., turbulence and adequate retention time to facilitate the combustion of VOCs into carbon dioxide and water. Catalytic incineration, on the other hand, is a low temperature, i.e., 500.degree.-750.degree. F. process which relies on a catalyst to convert the VOCs.
In catalytic oxidation procedures, a major concern is the presence of potential poisons in a waste gas stream containing the VOCs to be treated. The nature of the poisons may vary from process to process. Poisons bind chemically to the active sites of a catalyst and destroys its catalytic activity. Only chemical or heat treatment can sometimes reverse the effect of poisons.
Sulfur is among the most ubiquitous potential poisons. Sulfur containing compounds originate from several sources, including sulfur containing organic compound present in fermentation processes or some printing inks. The most common source of sulfur comes however from combustion of natural gas or fuel oils. The trace amounts of odorous compounds containing sulfur present in the fuel result in the presence of sulfur oxides (SO.sub.2 and SO.sub.3) in the combustion products. Fuel fired baking ovens, natural gas fired dryers and direct fired furnaces present in most bakery and printing processes result in varying amounts of sulfur oxides in the waste gas stream. A fuel fired burner is most commonly used in catalytic oxidizers to heat-up the process gases before they reach the catalyst, which ensures that sulfur oxides will be present in the gas stream.
Although the amounts of sulfur in a waste gas stream is usually in the ppb range, its cumulative effect over time can be significant and can reduce the lifetime of a catalyst.
Thus, there exists a need in various industries for catalysts and methods which can efficiently reduce the level of VOCs, in particular oxygen containing VOCs, in waste gases at low temperature. There is also a need for oxidation catalysts useful for the destruction of VOCs which offer increased resistance to poisoning in the presence of sulfur.

Catalyst and method for oxidizing oxygen-containing organic compounds in waste gas


Disclosed is a bypass valve assembly for a fluid device, such as a heat exchanger having an inlet and an outlet. The assembly defines a bypass passage communicating with the inlet at one end. A tubular structure communicates with the outlet and has a bypass aperture in a sidewall thereof which communicates with the other end of the bypass passage. A semi-cylindrical spring flapper is fitted in the tubular structure and opens to allow bypass flow when the pressure in the bypass passage exceeds a predetermined limit.

Automotive fluids, such as engine oil or transmission fluids, absorb heat in use. To prevent fluid deterioration, this heat often needs to be removed. Heat exchangers are commonly used for this purpose. Moreover, heat exchangers are known to perform this function adequately in moderate ambient conditions. However, in cold ambient conditions, engine oils and transmission fluids can be highly viscous. In such conditions, these automotive fluids do not flow easily through heat exchangers. As a result, in such conditions, the fluid pressure within the lubrication circuit, and particularly within the heat exchangers, can be high enough to damage the heat exchangers. In some cases, starvation of some downstream components, like transmissions, may even occur.
In order to avoid these adverse effects, it is known to provide a mechanism for bypassing the heat exchanger. One way that this has been done in the past is to provide a bypass conduit. The bypass conduit is connected in parallel with the heat exchanger and has a relatively low resistance to the flow of high viscosity fluids as compared to the heat exchanger. Structures of this type are known to provide pressure relief for the heat exchanger and avoid starvation of the downstream components, but can suffer in that, in normal operating conditions, the flow is split between the heat exchanger and the bypass circuit. This requires that the heat exchangers be made proportionately larger and heavier to achieve the same overall heat exchange performance for the cooling system. This added size and weight, and the associated costs therewith, are undesirable to automotive manufacturers.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,193,442 issued to David R. Vian, a heat exchanger is coupled to an adapter which is positioned between an oil filter and the engine. The adapter includes a valve in the form of a bimetallic strip that opens under normal operating conditions to allow flow through the heat exchanger, and closes in cold conditions to prevent flow through the heat exchanger. A difficulty with the Vian device, however, is that it is a rather large and bulky structure, and it still does not protect the heat exchanger from high fluid pressures in all conditions, especially if the oil filter is plugged or partially plugged.


A belt conveyance baking furnace which can reduce the weight and size of a belt and can raise and lower the furnace temperature to desired levels in a shorter time. A workpiece is baked while it is on a conveyor belt and conveyed through the furnace therewith. A table roller (31) for driving a conveyor belt (30) is disposed at least one of an entry section and a delivery section of the furnace. A plurality of furnace bed rollers (15) supporting the lower surface of the conveyor belt (30) and driven at the same circumferential speed as the table roller (31) are arranged side by side in the furnace in the longitudinal direction. Since the conveyor belt (30) runs while rolling over the furnace bed rollers (15), the friction force between the conveyor belt and the furnace bed rollers is practically negligible. It is hence possible to considerably reduce the weight and heat capacity of the conveyor belt as compared with a conventional conveyor belt.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a belt conveyance baking furnace suitable for heat treatment of a small workpiece to be baked.
2. Description of the Related Art
Heretofore, when baking small ceramic parts such as ceramic capacitors or firing external electrodes, a mesh belt type continuous baking furnace as shown in FIGS. 1 to 3 has been employed. This baking furnace includes a furnace body 1 associated with an entry section 1a, a heating section 1b, a cooling section 1c, and a delivery section 1d. A tubular muffle 2 is disposed inside the furnace body 1 to extend over both the heating section 1b and the cooling section 1c. A mesh belt 3 extends through the muffle 2 and is driven to run by a drive roller 4 so that a workpiece on the belt 3 is heat-treated while it is continuously conveyed with the belt 3. Additionally, denoted by 5 is a motor, 6 are table rollers, and 7 are tension rollers.
In some cases, the mesh belt 3 directly contacts the bottom of the muffle 2. In other cases, rails made of metal or quartz are laid on the bottom of the muffle 2 to support the mesh belt 3 on the rails.
In the belt conveyance baking furnace as mentioned above, however, since the mesh belt 3 is driven to run while contacting the muffle 2 or the rails, the mesh belt 3 is subjected to friction resistance (usually the coefficient of friction f=0.3-0.5) and hence undergoes a large tension. Therefore, the mesh belt 3 must have the strength endurable against such a large tension, which has been disadvantageous in increasing the weight and size of the belt. Also, the large belt weight increases heat capacity of the member moving through the furnace. It has thus been difficult to raise and lower the furnace temperature to desired levels in a short time (e.g., within 20 minutes).
FIG. 4 shows one example of a temperature profile of the baking furnace shown in FIG. 1. As is apparent from FIG. 4, because of the mesh belt 3 having large heat capacity, a characteristic curve in the temperature raising process is so gentle that it takes about 20 minutes to raise the furnace temperature by 900.degree. C. Similarly, in the temperature lowering process, it takes about 30 minutes to lower the furnace temperature by 700.degree. C. Accordingly, there have been problems that the baking needs an inconvenient amount of time and the treatment efficiency is poor.


Bicyclic hydroxamate compounds represented by the Formula I:

The retrovirus designated "human immunodeficiency virus" or "HIV" is the etiological agent of a complex disease that progressively destroys the immune system. The disease is known as acquired immune deficiency syndrome or AIDS. AIDS and other HIV-caused diseases are difficult to treat due to the ability of HIV to rapidly replicate, mutate and acquire resistance to drugs. To attempt to slow the spread of the virus after infection, treatment of AIDS and other HIV-caused diseases has focused on inhibiting HIV replication.
Since HIV is a retrovirus, and thus, encodes a positive-sense RNA strand, its mechanism of replication is based on the conversion of viral RNA to viral DNA, and subsequent insertion of the viral DNA into the host cell genome. HIV replication relies on three constitutive HIV encoded enzymes: reverse transcriptase (RT), protease and integrase.
Upon infection with HIV, the retroviral core particles bind to specific cellular receptors and gain entry into the host cell cytoplasm. Once inside the cytoplasm, viral RT catalyzes the reverse transcription of viral ssRNA to form viral RNA-DNA hybrids. The RNA strand from the hybrid is then partially degraded and a second DNA strand is synthesized resulting in viral dsDNA. Integrase, aided by viral and cellular proteins, then transports the viral dsDNA into the host cell nucleus as a component of the pre-integration complex (PIC). In addition, integrase provides the permanent attachment, i.e., integration, of the viral dsDNA to the host cell genome which, in turn, provides viral access to the host cellular machinery for gene expression. Following integration, transcription and translation produce viral precursor proteins. Protease then cleaves the viral precursor proteins into viral proteins which, after additional processing, are released from the host cell as newly infectious HIV particles.
A key step in HIV replication, insertion of the viral dsDNA into the host cell genome, is believed to be mediated by integrase in at least three, and possibly, four, steps: (1) assembly of proviral DNA; (2) 3′-end processing causing assembly of the PIC; (3) 3′-end joining or DNA strand transfer, i.e., integration; and (4) gap filling, a repair function. See, e.g., Goldgur, Y. et al., PNAS 96(23): 13040–13043 (November 1999); Sayasith, K. et al., Expert Opin. Ther. Targets 5(4): 443–464 (2001); Young, S. D., Curr. Opin. Drug Disc. & Devel. 4(4): 402–410 (2001); Wai, J. S. et al., J. Med. Chem. 43(26): 4923–4926 (2000); Debyser, Z. et al., Assays for the Evaluation of HIV-1 Integrase Inhibitors, from Methods in Molecular Biology 160: 139–155, Schein, C. H. (ed.), Humana Press Inc., Totowa, N. J. (2001); and Hazuda, D. et al., Drug Design and Disc. 13:17–24 (1997).
In the first step, integrase forms a stable complex with the viral long terminal repeat (LTR) regions. Once the complex is formed, integrase then performs an endonucleolytic processing step whereby the terminal GT dinucleotides of the 3′ ends (immediately downstream from a conserved CA dinucleotide) of both DNA strands are cleaved. The processed DNA/integrase complex (the PIC) then translocates across the nuclear membrane. Once inside the host cell nucleus, integrase performs the third step, 3′-end joining, whereby a cut is made in the host cell DNA to covalently join the processed 3′-ends of the viral processed DNA during two transesterification reactions. In the fourth step, cellular enzymes repair the resultant gap at the site of viral DNA insertion. The enzymes, if any, employed in the repair process have not been accurately identified. Sayasith, K. et al., Expert Opin. Ther. Targets 5(4): 443–464 (2001). Thus, the role that integrase plays in the gap filling function is not known.
It is clear that the role that integrase plays in the integration of the viral DNA into the host cell genome occurs through well-ordered reactions directed by various viral and cellular factors. This knowledge provides a variety of opportunities to block the essential step of integration (and the essential enzyme integrase) in the HIV life cycle.
Currently, AIDS and other HIV-caused disease are treated with an "HIV cocktail" containing multiple drugs including RT and protease inhibitors. However, numerous side effects and the rapid emergence of drug resistance limit the ability of the RT and protease inhibitors to safely and effectively treat AIDS and other HIV-caused diseases. In view of the shortcomings of RT and protease inhibitors, there is a need for another mechanism through which HIV replication can be inhibited. Integration, and thus integrase, a virally encoded enzyme with no mammalian counterpart, is a logical alternative. See, e.g., Wai, J. S. et al., J. Med. Chem. 43:4923–4926 (2000); Grobler, J. et al., PNAS 99: 6661–6666 (2002); Pais, G. C. G. et al., J. Med. Chem. 45: 3184–3194 (2002); Young, S. D., Curr. Opin. Drug Disc. & Devel. 4(4): 402–410 (2001); Godwin, C. G. et al., J. Med. Chem. 45: 3184–3194 (2002); Young, S. D. et al., "L-870,810: Discovery of a Potent HIV Integrase Inhibitor with Potential Clinical Utility," Poster presented at the XIV International AIDS Conference, Barcelona (Jul. 7–12, 2002); and WO 02/070491.
It has been suggested that for an integrase inhibitor to function, it should inhibit the strand transfer integrase function. See, e.g., Young, S. D., Curr. Opin. Drug Disc. & Devel. 4(4): 402–410 (2001). Thus, there is a need for HIV inhibitors, specifically, integrase inhibitors, and, more specifically, strand transfer inhibitors, to treat AIDS and other HIV-caused diseases. The inventive agents disclosed herein are novel, potent and selective HIV-integrase inhibitors, and, more specifically, strand transfer inhibitors, with high antiviral activity and low toxicity.
The references made to published documents throughout this application more fully describe the state of the art to which this invention pertains. The disclosures of these references are hereby incorporated by reference in their entireties.

HIV-integrase inhibitors, pharmaceutical compositions, and methods for their use

Abstract: are described. The bicyclic hydroxamate compounds and compositions containing those compounds may be used to inhibit or modulate an enzyme activity of HIV Integrase and to treat HIV mediated diseases and conditions.


A resin fine powder which consists of a 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer that exhibits a limiting viscosity [η] of 1.0×10−2 to less than 3.0 dl/g as determined in decalin at 135° C. and which has a median particle diameter [D50] of 1.0×10−1 to 5.0×10 μm; and a composition which comprises the resin fine powder and at least one sinterable powder selected from the group consisting of metal powders and ceramic powders.

Olefin polymers containing building blocks derived from 4-methyl-1-pentene (hereinafter may also referred to as "4-methyl-1-pentene polymers") are typically produced using so-called Ziegler-Natta catalysts, a class of catalysts composed of transition metal compounds and organoaluminum compounds (see Patent Literature 2). They are also produced using metallocene catalysts, according to some reports (see Patent Literature 1).
As the polymers that exhibit high heat resistance as well as superior transparency, gas permeability, chemical resistance and releasability, 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers are finding a variety of applications, such as in medical devices, heat-resistant wires, heat-resistant dishes, and removers. For their low surface tension, 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers are particularly used in releasing films and waxes (see, e.g., Patent Literature 1).
When 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers are used for these purposes, 4-methyl-1-pentene polymers synthesized in bulk by a polymerization reaction may be used. The bulk polymers may be blended with other resin. In some cases, the bulk polymers or their blend with other resin are pelletized or molded into desired form (e.g., film) where necessary. The bulk polymers may be oligomerized by heating. The oligomers may be blended with other resin or may be molded into desired form. All of these approaches are preferable for reduced production costs.
Powder resins that have a high melting point and low surface tension have heretofore been required in such applications as mixing partners with sinterable powders, more specifically in compositions for porous sintered materials or metallurgical compositions. In some areas, amide resin powders or other powders are chosen as powdery resins to be blended with sinterable powders. Such resin powders, however, have the risk of generating odor when pyrolyzed during a sintering process.
Moreover, machining of resin commonly entails the generation of dust called machining chips. It has been required in the art to make effective use of such machining chips without being disposed of as waste.

Resin fine powder consisting of 4-methyl-1-pentene polymer, composition containing same, and process for production thereof


Oxetane-containing nucleosides, particularly non-reducing psiconucleoside oxetanes are described herein. Therapeutic application of these oxetane compounds toward the treatment of nucleoside analog related disorders such as disorders involving cellular proliferation and infection are also described.

This invention relates to certain substituted oxetanes, methods for their production, and therapeutic uses thereof.
Nucleoside analogs play a prominent role in the treatment of cancer, bacterial diseases, fungal diseases, and other pathogenic conditions, including viral diseases such as those arising from the AIDS virus, hepatitis B virus, herpes simplex virus, and cytomegalovirus (CMG). Naturally occurring nucleosides comprise a heterocyclic base, typically guanine, adenine, cytosine, thymine, or uracil, covalently bound to a sugar, typically deoxyribose (DNA nucleosides) or ribose (RNA nucleosides).
After entry into the cell, nucleoside analogs may be phosphorylated by nucleoside salvage pathways, in which the analogs may be phosphorylated to the corresponding mono-, di-, and triphosphates. Triphosphorylated nucleoside analogs, for example, can be strong polymerase inhibitors that can induce premature termination of a nascent nucleic acid molecule, or can act as a substrate for DNA or RNA polymerases and be incorporated into DNA or RNA. When triphosphorylated nucleoside analogs are incorporated into nucleic acid replicates or transcripts, gene expression or disruption of function may result. Nucleoside analogs can thus interfere with the cell cycle, and especially desirable effects of nucleoside analogs include induction of apoptosis of cancer cells. Furthermore, nucleoside analogs are also known to modulate certain immune responses.
Nucleoside analogs having an oxetane ring in place of the sugar moiety include, for example, oxetanocin, which has potent anti-HIV activity in vitro.
Other oxetanocin-related compounds are described, for example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,041,447 to Saito et al. A common feature of oxetanocin and oxetanocin analogs is the presence of a hydrogen on C-2 of the oxetane ring. As there remains a need in the art for improved oxetane-based nucleoside analogs, there accordingly remains a particular need for non-reducing analogs that are fully substituted at C-2 of the oxetane ring. There further remains a need for nucleoside analogs that are more potent, have improved bioavailability, improved stability, improved ease of manufacture, lower toxicity, that do not lead to the development of resistant strains, or a combination of the foregoing.

Substituted oxetanes, method of making, and method of use thereof


A wireless transmission and reception system includes a mixing section using a phase shift keying or quadrature amplitude modulation scheme to modulate a baseband signal, representing voice or data, onto a carrier frequency within the range of standard (cable television format) AM-VSB frequencies. A combiner section combines the modulated carrier signal into a channel of a multiplexed cable television (CATV) signal having two or more channels. The CATV signal is used to modulate a laser source. The laser source generates a laser signal based on the CATV signal. The laser signal is optically coupled into a bidirectional fiber link. The fiber link transmits the laser signal and ultimately converts the laser signal into the electrical CATV signal. A splitting section coupled to the bidirectional fiber link splits the modulated carrier signal from the CATV signal. A demodulating section coupled to the splitting section recovers the baseband signal from the modulated carrier signal. The baseband signal is remodulated onto a carrier signal having a designated wireless frequency and is broadcast into free space using an antenna. Signals received by the antenna from free space are amplified and passed through the bidirectional fiber link.

Wireless communications have become a focus of world-wide commercial activity. The goals for the next-generation mobile radio system include providing a wide variety of integrated multimedia services and increasing system capacity. Compared to today's cellular systems, the next-generation mobile or fixed wireless system will have a much higher channel bit rate capability to provide multimedia services to multiple users within each coverage area.
As populations grow and cities develop it becomes necessary to increase the number of cells serving a geographical user area. This includes erecting new antennas and associated infrastructure, which is expensive.
Currently, there is an extensive optical fiber infrastructure installed by the cable television industry. The optical fiber system used for cable television is configured in what is known as the "fiber backbone", as shown in FIG. 1. The fiber backbone 20 includes one or more headends ("HE") 22, which are separated by about 15 km. One or more nodes ("N") 24, 26 are connected to each headend 22 by optical fiber 28, 29. One or more subsidiary sites ("SS") 30, 32 are connected to each node 24, 26 by coaxial cable 34, 35. The subsidiary sites 30, 32 can be, for example, cable television companies or home users.
In practice, video and audio programming is received at the headend 22 (e.g., from a satellite or transmitter). Sixty to one-hundred twenty amplitude modulated vestigial sideband channels of programming are incorporated into a cable television signal. The cable television signal directly modulates a laser source at the headend 22 which generates a laser signal. The laser signal from the headend 22 is coupled into one or more optical fibers 28, 29.
Each node 24, 26 receives the laser signal from an optical fiber 28, 29. The laser signals received at the nodes 24, 26 are converted to electrical form and transmission to a subsidiary site 30, 32 (e.g., a home) is accomplished using the pre-existing coaxial wires 34, 35 and electronic amplifiers (not depicted).
Amplitude modulated vestigial sideband (AM-VSB) transmission over optical fiber is a widely accepted practice in the cable television industry. Given the dominance of cable television in delivering broadband connections to homes in the United States, attention has been given to hybrid transmission systems in which digital signals are transmitted along with the AM video channels. Hybrid systems allow for increased communication services over the existing cable television fiber backbone network.
A previous hybrid transmission approach is to add digital carriers in the unused bandwidth beyond the highest AM-VSB channel. Unfortunately, while the standard analog laser used for CATV transmission can easily accommodate the increased modulation bandwidth, the coaxial wires and electronic amplifiers may not be able to handle the higher frequencies encountered when this previous approach is used.


A method and test device for differentiating between states of an analyte that can exist in different forms, such as follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The method or test device uses a pair of specific binding agents, especially monoclonal antibodies, in two assays for the same analyte. The assays, applied to contemporaneous samples, differ from one another in format, one being a two step assay and the other being one step. A novel pair of anti-FSH monoclonal antibodies that can be used together in two such assays to differentiate pre-menopausal and post-menopausal FSH samples is disclosed.

Tests are available, or have been proposed, which purport to provide clinically significant information about hormonal levels of relevance to the menopause. The principal hormone of interest is follicle stimulating hormone (FSH). The post-menopausal state has been associated with a rise in the level of circulating FSH. For this purpose tests have been developed to detect the level of FSH in body fluid samples such as blood and urine. These tests are intended to detect "total" FSH, in the sense that they do not discriminate between different isoforms of FSH.
These known tests are used by clinicians in recommending and monitoring hormone replacement therapy (HRT). As the menopause is also associated with a drop in the level of circulating estrogen metabolites, HRT normally involves administration of estrogen in order to reduce this deficit and counteract symptoms associated with the menopause.
Although it is known that FSH exists in various forms, the clinical significance of these in relation to conditions such as the menopause is poorly understood. The differing forms may be isoforms or glycoforms. However, the existence of these differing forms calls into question the soundness of "total" FSH tests as a basis for good clinical diagnosis.
There is a need for an improved method of monitoring gonadotrophin hormones, especially FSH, to provide more reliable diagnosis of menopausal conditions and to facilitate the prescription and regulation of HRT.
More generally, there is a need for a method for differentiating between states of an analyte that exists as a plurality of forms, especially when the nature and/or relative amounts of such forms present in a sample of the analyte may be of clinical significance. The forms may differ from one another in either physical characteristics (e.g. "isoforms" separable by charge) or chemical characteristics (e.g. "glycoforms" in the case of FSH or similar molecules), or indeed both.


A transport system of a semiconductor fabrication facility, including: a rail for carrying vehicle, a sensor installed on the rail, a controller and a power panel. The sensor is arranged to determine a zone and send a quantity information in response to a quantity of vehicles in the zone. The controller is arranged to send an output signal in accordance with the quantity information. The power panel is arranged to adjust a current in accordance with the output signal, wherein the current is output to a cable extending along the rail.

Automated Material Handling Systems (AMHS) have been widely used in semiconductor fabrication facilities ("FABS") to automatically handle and transport groups or lots of wafers between various processing machines ("tools") used in chip manufacturing. A typical FAB may include one or more floors having a plurality of process bays including processing tools and wafer staging equipment, which are interconnected by the AMHS.
Each bay may include a wafer stocker, which includes multiple bins for temporarily holding and staging a plurality of wafer carriers during the fabrication process. The wafer carriers may include standard mechanical interface (SMIF) pods which may hold a plurality of 200 mm (8 inch) wafers, or front opening unified pods (FOUPs) which may hold larger 300 mm (12 inch) wafers. Stockers generally include a single mast robotic lift or crane having a weight bearing capacity sufficient for lifting, inserting, and retrieving single wafer carriers one at a time from the bins. The stocker holds multiple SMIF pods or FOUPs in preparation for transporting a SMIF or FOUP to the loadport of a processing tool.
A semiconductor FAB may include numerous types of automated and manual vehicles for moving and transporting wafer carriers throughout the FAB during the manufacturing process. These may include, for example, automatic guided vehicles (AGVs), personal guided vehicles (PGVs), rail guided vehicles (RGVs), overhead shuttles (OHSs), and overhead hoist transports (OHTs). An OHT system automatically moves OHT "vehicles" that carry and transport wafer carriers, such as SMIF pods or FOUPs holding multiple wafers, from a processing or work tool or a stocker to the loadport of another tool or other apparatus in the FAB. The OHT system may be used to transport vehicles within each bay (intra-bay) or between bays (inter-bay). The OHT system also moves empty vehicles (i.e., vehicles without a wafer carrier) to the tool loadport or other apparatus for receiving and removing empty or full SMIF pods or FOUPs that may contain wafers for further transport and/or processing in other tools.

Transport system of semiconductor fabrication facility, associated movable container and method

TAIWAN SEMICONDUCTOR MANUFACTURING COMPANY LTD.


Configuration data for a programmable integrated circuit device is at least partially encrypted according to at least one encryption scheme. A plurality of key stores store a plurality of decryption keys for the at least one encryption scheme. Control circuitry identifies a required key from the at least partially encrypted configuration data and generates a key selection signal. Key selection circuitry responsive to the key selection signal reads the plurality of key stores and provides the required key to the control circuitry. The control circuitry may include decryption circuitry that decrypts the at least partially encrypted configuration data using the required key. In some embodiments, different portions of the configuration data, which may represent separate partial reconfigurations of the device, require different decryption keys. Keys may be generated from combinations of the contents of the key stores.

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for securing the programming data of a programmable device—e.g., a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) or other programmable logic device (PLD)—against copying, and to a programmable device so secured.
Programmable devices are well known. In one class of known PLDs, each device has a large number of logic gates, and a user programs the device to assume a particular configuration of those logic gates, frequently using a software tool provided by the manufacturer of the device, with the software tool being executed on a computer having an adapter into which the device is inserted. Early generations of such devices typically used some form of programmable read-only memory ("PROM") technology to store the configuration data produced by the software tool. In those early devices, the software tool caused the computer to "burn" the pattern into the PROM storage by fusing fusible links. In later generations, the PROM technology may have been erasable programmable read-only memory ("EPROM") technology, which was not burned, and could be erased (for reprogramming) by exposure to ultraviolet light. Still later generations may have used electrically erasable programmable read-only memory ("EEPROM" or "E2PROM") technology.
All of those technologies were relatively secure. In the case of a user who chose to use a programmable logic device rather than incur the effort and expense of a developing a custom chip, if a competitor of that user were to try to reverse engineer the programmed programmable logic device, the competitor would essentially have to slice the device layer by layer to discern its programming. While such an effort might be technically feasible, for the types of users being discussed, who by definition are not chip manufacturers, the likelihood that a competitor could or would undertake the effort was small.
Later, programmable logic devices that store their configuration data in static random access memory ("SRAM") storage became available and remain prevalent. Such devices have the advantage of being smaller and faster than the devices based on EPROM technology.
However, SRAM storage is volatile; it does not retain its contents when power is lost. Therefore, programmable logic devices based on SRAM technology are used with nonvolatile storage, to retain the configuration programming data during times that the device is switched off or otherwise not provided with power. Such nonvolatile storage may be provided, for example, in the form of Flash memory, although any form of nonvolatile storage may be used, and it may be either on, or separate from, the device.
Whatever type of nonvolatile storage is used, an SRAM programmable logic device having nonvolatile storage of its configuration data is less secure against reverse engineering by a competitor of its user. That is because a competitor can monitor the data flowing out of the nonvolatile storage on power-up, and thereby determine the programming configuration of the programmable logic device. Indeed, the competitor need not even analyze the data stream, but need only record it and store it in its own devices.
Commonly-assigned U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,768,372 and 5,915,017, each of which is hereby incorporated by reference herein in its respective entirety, describe the encryption of the configuration data stored in the nonvolatile storage and its decryption upon loading into the programmable device, including provision of an indicator to signal to the decryption circuit which of several possible encryption/decryption schemes was used to encrypt the configuration data and therefore should be used to decrypt the configuration data.
Subsequently, the programmable device market has become more sophisticated. Previously a device manufacturer would sell blank programmable devices to an original customer who typically would program them and sell each device as part of an end-user product. Thus, the manufacturer's original customer typically was the only party providing configuration data and therefore the only party needing to protect configuration data. More recently, vendor-provided proprietary configuration data for various commonly-used functions (frequently referred to as "intellectual property cores") have been sold either by device manufacturers or third parties, freeing the original customer from having to program those functions on its own. If a party provides such proprietary configuration data, it may want to protect those data from being read, but the original customer needs to be free to add additional proprietary configuration data from another vendor (which also will want to protect its proprietary configuration data), as well as its own configuration data, and then to protect the final configuration including its own configuration data and any vendor-provided configuration data.

Method and apparatus for securing programming data of a programmable device


Support device for suspending pipes or tubes from a support surface. The support device is capable of supporting a plurality of tubes or pipes of varying size, and is capable of supporting pipes and/or tubes running transverse to each other.

Pipes or tubes in residential and commercial installations are generally mounted to support structures such as walls, under-floor joists or structural members. In plumbing installations, pipes are often supported by the use of a strap hanger which is comprised of a length of perforated metal which is bent around the pipe and nailed to an under-floor joist or wall. More recently, numerous other types of pipe hangers have been marketed. Most of these devices are formed to support a single pipe or tube, or are designed to support a single pipe or tube of a specific size (i.e., diameter). Moreover, many existing types of pipe and tube hangers are designed for mounting to under-floor joists or walls, but do not lend themselves to attachment to structural metal beams.
The present invention overcomes these and other problems and provides a tube or pipe hanger capable of supporting a plurality of tubes or pipes of varying size, which is capable of supporting pipes and/or tubes running transverse to each other.