A computer implemented method models a background in a sequence of frames of a video. For each frame, the method detects static corners using an array of pixels of the frame, and extracts, for each static corner, features from a window of pixels around the static corner. For each static corner, a descriptor is determined from the corresponding features. Each static corner and corresponding descriptor is stored in a memory, and each static corner is classified as a background or foreground according to the descriptor to model a background in the video.

Many computer vision and video surveillance applications seek to identify moving objects, for example, pedestrians, vehicles, or events of interest in different environments. Typically, the detection of unusual motion is performed first. Motion detection distinguishes moving 'foreground' objects in an otherwise normally static 'background.' This stage is often referred to as 'foreground detection' or 'background subtraction'. A number of techniques are known that use different types of background models that update the models at a pixel level.
Over time, the intensity value of an individual pixel in a static background usually follows a normal distribution. Hence, a reasonable model to represent such a statistical distribution is a single Gaussian model, C. R. Wren, A. Azarbayejani, T. J. Darrell, and A. P. Pentland, "Pfinder: Real-time tracking of the human body," PAMI, 19(7), pp. 780-785, July 1997.
Often, a single Gaussian model is inadequate to accurately model the temporal changes of a pixel intensity value in a dynamic background, such as a background with changing shadows due to changes in lighting conditions. The use of multiple models to describe dynamic backgrounds at the pixel level was a breakthrough in background modeling. Specifically, methods employing a mixture of Gaussian distributions have become a popular basis for a large number of related techniques in recent years.
A mixture of three Gaussian components can be used to model visual properties of each pixel, N. Friedman and S. Russell, "Image segmentation in video sequences: A probabilistic approach," Thirteenth Conference on Uncertainty in Artificial Intelligence, August 1997. That model also uses an expectation-maximization (EM) process to learn the Gaussian Mixture Model (GMM) over time. In a target traffic surveillance application, the intensity value of each pixel is restricted to three hypotheses: road, shadow, and vehicles. Unfortunately, that simple assumption significantly degrades the ability of the GMM to model arbitrary distributions for individual pixels. Moreover, that method is computationally expensive.
Another technique models each pixel as a mixture of Gaussian distributions with a variable number of Gaussian components, W. E. L. Grimson, C. Stauffer, R. Romano, and L. Lee, "Using adaptive tracking to classify and monitor activities in a site," CVPR'98, 1998. Those models can be updates in real-time using approximations. That video surveillance system has been proven robust for day and night cycles, and for scene changes over long periods of time. However, for backgrounds that exhibit very rapid variations, such as ripples on water, ocean waves, or moving grass and trees, that model can result in a distribution with a large variance over a long video sequence. Thus, the sensitivity for detecting foreground objects is reduced significantly.
To address such challenging situations, non-parametric techniques have been developed. Those techniques use kernel densities to estimate background properties at each pixel, based on multiple recently acquired samples. Those techniques can adapt to rapid background changes, Elgammal, D. Harwood, L. S. Davis, "Non-parametric model for background subtraction," ECCV 2000, June 2000. That method uses a normal kernel function for density estimation. The model represents a history of recent sample values over a long video sequence.
Another similar technique emphasizes a variable bandwidth kernel for the purpose of adaptive density estimation. As another feature, an optical flow can be used, Anurag Mittal, Nikos Paragios, "Motion-based background subtraction using adaptive kernel density estimation," CVPR 2004, Volume 2, pp. 302-309, June, 2004.
Other techniques that deal with effective background modeling can be categorized as predictive methods. Predictive methods treat pixel intensity changes as a time series and use a temporal model to predict a next pixel value, based on past observations. The deviation between the predicted value and the actual observation can be used to adjust the parameters of the predictive model.
Other methods use filters. For example, a Kalman-filter can model the dynamic properties of each pixel, Dieter Koller, Joseph Weber, and Jitendra Malik, "Robust multiple car tracking with occlusion reasoning," ECCV'94, May 1994. A simple version of the Kalman-filter, e.g., the Weiner filter, can make probabilistic predictions based on a recent history of pixel intensity values.
An autoregressive model captures properties of dynamic scenes for the purpose of similar textures simulation, G. Doretto A. Chiuso, S. Soatto, Y. N. Wu, "Dynamic textures," IJCV 51(2), pp. 91-109, 2003. That method was improved to address the modeling of dynamic backgrounds and to perform foreground detection in video surveillance, Antoine Monnet, Anurag Mittal, Nikos Paragios, Visvanathan Ramesh, "Background modeling and subtraction of dynamic scenes," ICCV'03, p. 1305, October, 2003, and Jing Zhong and Stan Sclaroff, "Segmenting foreground objects from a dynamic textured background via a robust Kalman Filter," ICCV'03, pp. 44-50, 2003. Although good results have been obtained for some challenging sample video, the computation cost of using such an autoregressive model is high.
In general, pixel-level background modeling suffers from two major disadvantages. First, the computational complexity of those models is inherently high. Every pixel must be processed in each video frame. In many challenging dynamic scenes, a number of different frequency components demand a model with many Gaussian distributions or a highly complicated predictive model to precisely capture the recurrent patterns of motion at a single pixel over time. The performance trade-off between detection accuracy and computation cost is always a hard decision in choosing a pixel-level background model.
Secondly, the intensity value at individual pixels is very easily affected by noise. In essence, what is lacking in pixel-level models is some higher-level information, which is more robust and can be derived from regions in the frame or even from the entire frame.
One method attempts to guide the pixel-level mixture of a Gaussian model by incorporating feedback from high-level modules, M. Harville, "A framework for high-level feedback to adaptive, per-pixel, Mixture-of-Gaussian Gaussian background models," ECCV'02, vol. 3, pp. 543-560, May 2002. However, the basis of that framework is still a pixel-level background model.
Therefore, there is a need for a background modeling that considers high-level information in a video.

Detecting moving objects in videos with corner-based background model

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


An installation system for wiring of a building has at least one junction boxes connected together, with each junction box having a removable plug-in block disposed at the back thereof. The plug-in block has conductors therein with sockets for providing access to the conductors, so that essentially all of the necessary electrical connections needed for wiring the building can, by means of the sockets and corresponding plugs on the power lines and electrical accessories, be made by simply plugging together the plugs and the sockets.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an electrical installation system for homes or small offices for time-saving through-connections for electrical combinations of device boxes such as switch boxes, branch circuit boxes, etc. The invention is also intended to significantly simplify the connection process, i.e. the components can essentially simply be plugged in so that there is no longer any requirement for manual wiring.
2. Background Information
Previously, the wiring of a through-connection inside a box combination has been extremely time-consuming and labor-intensive. Conventional junction or device boxes such as junction boxes used as switch boxes, branch circuit boxes, etc. are designed to hold an apparatus such as a switch, dimmer, outlet, etc. wherein these devices are connected to the various power lines coming into the junction box. If more than one device is required at a given site, the corresponding number of device boxes can generally be combined to yield a junction box combination. In such junction box combinations, the device boxes holding these pieces of equipment or devices are generally equipped, by the manufacturer, with coupling elements. The coupling elements allow a mechanical combination of a number of junction boxes to be made relatively quickly on the construction site by connecting the individual device boxes to form a junction box combination. However, the wiring of the through-connection from one device or junction box to another device or junction box within a junction box combination is generally very time-consuming and labor intensive. More specifically, for the through-connection from one device box to another, at least three conductors of different lengths and different color coding, according to their electrical function, are employed on the construction site. For proper installation, the appropriate length of each conducting wire, which may vary from case to case, must be determined, and the insulation must be stripped from the ends of the wires. After preparing the lines and threading them from box to box, the wire ends which go together are connected or bonded by means of connecting clamps or wire nuts wherein the bonding can usually be done only outside of the device box. Additionally, the line ends used for connecting the electrical device must be identified, stripped of insulation on both sides, and connected using clamps. Then the entire line, with the clamps connected, must be placed back into the device box with particular care, so that the lines, conductors, cables and clamps do not interfere with the electrical device to be incorporated into the junction box. Considering a combination wherein there are five device boxes in a column, for example, it becomes clear how much time and labor are required, using the conventional installation method, to make an electrical through-connection on the construction site.
One example of an electrical device apparatus for household installation comprising a general-purpose box with connection elements and several function elements is disclosed in German Laid Open Patent Application 37 29 132. The general-purpose box disclosed therein requires no particular technical modifications when used to perform a particular function. The box further comprises a connection element which is assigned various functions, and which may be activated by means of these functions. The electrical contacts between the lines and the function element are activated by means of plug-and-socket connections containing contact points.
An additional example of an electrical device box system is disclosed in German Laid Open Patent Application 23 38 877. In this patent, conductors disposed in a raceway are fixed in their position relative to one another, wherein contact plates make the transitions to other raceways by means of joint plates. The special feature is that these contact plates are designed so that they can hold electrical devices, such as switches, receptacles and outlet boxes with terminals.
As another example, German Laid Open Patent Application 33 36 817 discloses a plug-in system for electrical devices, which can be used for electrical devices on a 220 V AC network. This system is said to significantly reduce the installation work and to prevent incorrect wiring of individual circuits. This is achieved in that the connections are made between pre-wired distributor modules and plug-in modules, which have rows of receptacles on three sides, and on another side have a row of plugs which can be connected to a row of receptacles on an incoming cable module.
An example of a low voltage electrical distribution system is disclosed in German/European Patent No. 0 232 140. This distribution system is equipped with a multi-terminal busbar and various bridging plugs between the individual electrodes.


Device for relieving weight of a blanket on feet and supporting feet of persons suffering from paralysis of legs and feet is disclosed. The device comprises a board attached to a mattress in a way that a blanket can be placed over such board, thus relieving the pressure from feet, and channels attached to the board permitting to place feet in the channels and maintain feet in the upright position. The device also allows to adjust position of legs by adjusting of the angle of inclination of the channels with respect to the board.

This invention relates to a device for relieving weight of a blanket on feet and supporting feet of persons suffering from paralysis of legs and feet, as well as other illnesses such as multiple sclerosis. Pressure of a blanket or cover on feet and toes may seam trivial to healthy people, however, persons knowledgeable in the pertinent arts will recognize that pressure of a blanket or cover applied to feet or toes during hours of immobility (as is the case with the persons suffering from paralysis) causes extreme pain and suffering often overlooked even by doctors and hospitals. This invention permits a blanket or cover to be raised off feet and toes and thus relieve pressure of a blanket or cover applied to feet and toes. This invention further permits paralyzed individuals to maintain their feet in upright position and to adjust position of legs. Further, this invention allows to place feet against a firm surface thus easing pressure on tendons.

Device for relieving weight of a blanket on feet and supporting feet of paralyzed persons


A clamping device, having a plurality of clamp segments, each clamp segment, having an arcuate base, each arcuate base having an interior side and an exterior side, a first pair of sidewalls extruding radially inward from the interior side of the arcuate base, thereby defining an interior channel, wherein the sidewalls are conformable to a fitting inside the interior channel, a second pair of sidewalls extruding radially outward from the exterior side of the arcuate base, thereby defining an exterior channel, wherein each clamp segment is interconnected with at least one other clamp segment by a hinge; and a cable tie to keep the plurality of clamp segments in a closed configuration.

1. Technical Field
This invention relates to the category of retention clamps used for fittings, such as sanitary fittings. More specifically, it relates to a clamp for positioning and tensioning mating halves of fittings in a conforming way that provides a calibrated compression force and compensates for sanitary fitting deformations produced by non-rigid materials and stress distortions of the fitting dimensions under dynamic load.
2. Background Art
Conventional sanitary fittings were traditionally designed to be made of rigid materials such as stainless steel or glass filled rigid plastics, and held in place by compression clamps also made of rigid metal or rigid plastic clamp assemblies. The common, well-known design consists of two semicircular parts, hingedly connected to each other at a first end and their free ends secured to one another by a threaded stem and nut. Another well-known embodiment utilizes two semicircular sections retained and aligned by an external compression band of plastic or steel about the clamp circumference. An inclined screw hose clamp style closure pulls the opposite ends of a slotted steel band toward one another, reducing the circumference of the band while compressing the object being retained by clamp. A third embodiment commonly known consists of two rigid plastic semicircular halves with a concave external side accommodating a cable tie with predetermined tension markers to approximate cable tension loads. The clamp contains a convex channel profile adapted to accommodate the flange of a sanitary fitting when the fitting halves are disposed inside the clamp in confronting relation to one another.
The primary operating drawback of all such known clamps is that they are designed and constructed of rigid materials for use on rigid material sanitary clamps machined or molded to high precision tolerances. Such clamps require highly symmetrical mating profiles on their contour mating faces between the clamp body and sanitary fitting surfaces. While such precision conditions existed in the traditional sanitary stainless steel market applications, clamping applications now include flexible, single use, disposable sanitary fittings manufactured using non-precision disposable materials. This new class of sanitary fittings represents the predominant market use for high volume, low cost clamping requirements. However, present unique clamping technical requirements and the technical solutions for these unfulfilled needs are not obvious to those trained in the field. Reliable clamping of flexible sanitary fittings is a requirement not met by the prior art, either individually, or taken as a whole at the time the present invention was made.
The primary construction drawback of all known existing clamps is that they are designed and assembled from multiple sub-components, utilizing operating principals that require mechanical construction and assembly while compromising the operating effectiveness of the assembled clamp.
For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a traditional rigid clamp (prior art) with load bearing hinges creates uneven clamping action around a flexible fitting 3. As can be seen at 1 and 2, excessive pressure is created in the main portion of the clamping body away from the hinge and clasp areas, causing the gasket in between the fittings at 1′ and 2′ to bulge out. This causes leaks in the gasket due to the significant variation in applied pressure both at 3′ and 4′ due to insufficient clamping pressure, and at 1′ and 2′ due to gasket protrusion caused by excessive compression and damage to the gasket.
Thus, there is a need for a single-piece, low-cost, flexible clamping device that is adaptable to generate even compression around the new sanitary fittings.


This invention provides compositions and methods for detection of hematophagous ectoparasitic activity in an enclosure or area. The compositions comprise a reagent or reagents which are reactive against antigens or markers as they appear in the excrement or other ectoparasitic materials. Such markers or antigens may be produced by the ectoparasite itself or may have been introduced into the ectoparasite because of its blood feeding activity. The method of the present invention comprises collecting from the enclosure or area, a sample comprising environmental dust or materials and subjecting the sample to tests for detecting the presence of hematophagous ectoparasitic markers, host markers or both.

Hematophagy is a behavior of feeding on blood taken from vertebrate hosts. It is practiced by about 15,000 species and about 400 genera of arthropods (Mans, Louw et al. 2002). It has also been reported that blood-feeding has evolved independently at least six times. In addition to arthropods, members of other phyla including annelids such as worms and leeches are hematophagous. While independent evolution and wide-spread occurrence of taking blood-meals have resulted in considerable biological diversity, there are consistent characteristics pertinent to strategies for hematophagy including: locating and accessing a suitable blood-containing host, penetrating the integument and blood circulatory system, counteracting the hemostatic system of the host, taking a blood-meal and escaping detection so as to survive to digest the meal.
To obtain blood, hematophagous ectoparasites cut or pierce the epithelium and disrupt the integrity of the circulatory system of the host. During this process of gaining access to blood and feeding on blood, hematophages may inject substances into the host such substances being brought to the symbiotic relationship by the parasite. These injected substances may be either produced by the parasite and assist in blood-feeding or present in the hematophage as a residue of previous feeding.
Blood-feeding behavior results in numerous new infections in humans per year and many more in animals. Among the most widely known of these infections are cases of malaria resulting from mosquito bites. While Yellow fever, Chagas disease, Dengue fever, Ebola, and other diseases are transmitted by tropical insects, human arthropod-borne infections also occur in non-tropical regions. Infectious diseases such as Borrelia, Babesia, Rickettsia, West Nile virus, and various types of encephalitis infections are found in cold weather climates in the Northern Hemisphere. Similarly, many non-human species are infected by hematophagous parasites and may serve as alternate hosts or reservoirs for human pathogens.
Among blood-feeding organisms, arthropods are possibly the best known. Included in this group are arachnids (ticks and mites) and insects, flies, bugs, and lice. Some hematophagous parasites require blood-meals at every stage of life, such as is the case with ticks, lice, and bedbugs, and others only as adults and in some cases only females are parasitic. Some hematophages spend their entire life on the hosts such as is the case with head lice. Other species, such as bedbugs, get onto the source of blood only to feed. The wide biological diversity of hematophagous organisms presents a challenge to detecting and controlling these pests.
Sources of blood for these parasites are vertebrates including, most importantly, terrestrial reptiles, birds, and mammals because of their association with humans. Some species of hematophages are opportunistic and will take meals from a variety of host species whereas others may preferentially or obligately feed on one host species. In many cases humans are more exposed to hematophagous organisms upon leaving shelter. Well-known blood-sucking insects, such as mosquitoes and biting flies, and ticks, live primarily outdoors. While these parasites may enter houses, primarily to feed, they usually do not infest human shelters. Typically, arthropod life cycles are more compatible with the environment outside of human dwellings and humans are opportunistically used as sources of blood.
There are, however, animals that opportunistically share houses with humans even in developed countries. These organisms are commonly known as pests. Many arthropod pests enter a dwelling with other pests; for example, fleas may come in on rodents. It is also possible that pests enter dwellings on their own, with the humans themselves, or companion animals such as dogs or cats carry pests into the homes. Infestations by hematophagous ectoparasites can cause annoyance, discomfort, health problems, and economic losses. For example, pests in structures other than those for human habitation, including but not limited to hen houses for avian egg production, barns housing domestic animals, mammalian breeding facilities, or other structures for continued occupation by birds or mammals, may cause reduced productivity. Once inside, some arthropods are able to establish breeding colonies in the home. Often the homeowner is not aware of such infestations. For example, house dust mite colonies exist in a high percentage of homes in the United States without the human co-inhabitants being aware of their presence. These organisms feed primarily on human skin flakes that are sloughed constantly and are a component of house dust. House dust can also serve as the main nutrient source for immature fleas, obligate blood-feeders as egg producing adults.
Pesticide use to control many hematophagous species has undergone significant changes with the virtual elimination of "residual insecticides" (Spielman, Pollack et al. 2001). Subsequently, current pest management practices have not eliminated hematophagous ectoparasites from shelters: school children still are infected by head lice (Pediculus capitas); bedbugs (Cimex lectularius) infest henhouses and are being found with increasing frequency in homes and lodging facilities in the United States; fleas (Ctenocephalides sp.) and several genera of ticks enter structures inhabited by humans, mice, dogs, cats, and other mammals alone or in combination; and companion animals of humans are frequently hosts for are variety arachnid and insect ectoparasites. Because modern integrated pest management practices tend toward more judicious use of pesticides, determining that an infestation exists is a necessary first step in controlling pests and is useful in evaluating the effectiveness of control measures taken. Currently visual inspection either directly or using various collection and magnification aids is the primary means to determine the presence of pests. Frequent publication of articles and patents describing new and better ways to detect the presence of pests attests to the fact that current methods need improvement.
As mentioned above, blood-sucking parasites may inject substances into the host during feeding. Compounds of parasite origin have been found to have various physiological activities including anticoagulation, platelet aggregation inhibition, pain inhibition, and anti-inflammation. Such findings have lead to published studies describing the structure and function of these compounds of possible use as pharmaceuticals. Hirudin, produced by the leech Hirudo medicinalis, has been cloned for mass production by recombinant DNA technology and is available for treating humans as "Refludan" (BERLEX Laboratories, Wayne, N.J.). This and other therapeutic applications have lead to an expanding literature base in pharmacognosy focused on proteins, especially of salivary origin, elaborated by hematophagous invertebrates to assist in blood-feeding (Valenzuela, Walker et al. 1995; Valenzuela, Charlab et al. 1998; Valenzuela, Belkaid et al. 2001). These studies have provided DNA sequences for many salivary proteins which served as useful prior art for the present invention. Salivary biomolecules are injected into the host circulatory system where the physiological effects occur. The proteins of hematophage origin are also carried by the blood into the parasite digestive system where they become part of the blood-meal and are subject to degradation by the digestive hydrolytic processes. As a result, the structure and molecular characteristics of salivary proteins may be altered during passage through the digestive system of parasites and be different from those of the salivary proteins per se or produced from recombinant genes.
Vertebrate blood is typically about 80% water. Many hematophagous invertebrates, especially ectoparasitic species, utilize diuresis mechanisms to eliminate much of the water from a blood-meal very quickly usually as feces (Quinlan, Tublitz et al. 1997). This is necessary for many reasons including improved mobility of the pest to avoid being detected and preyed upon or swatted and more efficient digestion. The very liquid feces contain compounds that have undergone little digestion during the short time between feeding and excretion. These feces will contain biomolecular markers of blood feeding activity derived from both the host blood and those associated with the hematophagous organism involved.
Various types of tests have proven to be reliable and cost-effective for detecting biomolecules. Those skilled in the art of detecting molecules of biological origin have developed various methods to offer rapid, easy-to-use, and specific tests with sufficient sensitivity to be useful for detecting markers for a wide variety of organisms including but not limited to bacteria, viruses, parasites, and arthropods in the environment. Many of these assays take advantage of the chemical composition and of specific binding properties of biochemicals including but not limited to effectors, inhibitors, modulators, and hormones binding with receptors; lipids, metals, proteins, hormones being specifically bound to carrier proteins; antibodies binding to cell surface binding domains; and the well-know interaction between antigens and antibodies. Thus, while detection assays are know in the art, such assays have not been successfully adapted to the detection of hematophagous ectoparasites that live outside of the body of the host by the methods and compositions of this invention.

Detection and measurement of blood-feeding activity


Adjustment of the distance between the tip of a pickup section and the outer surface of a shaft of a rotor can be carried out easily and with high precision. In a vibrometer mounting mechanism securing a measuring section of a vibrometer for measuring vibration of a shaft of a rotary machine to a casing of the rotary machine, the vibrometer mounting mechanism includes a case secured to the casing with fixing means; an inner cylinder that accommodate the measuring section at one end, that is disposed in the inside of the case, and that slides relative to the case; and an adjustment bolt disposed at one end of the case and capable of moving forward and backward with respect to the case and the inner cylinder, wherein the inner cylinder is made to move in a direction away from the shaft by the adjustment bolt being inserted into the case and the inner cylinder, and wherein the inner cylinder is made to move in a direction toward the shaft by the adjustment bolt being retracted from the case and the inner cylinder.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vibrometer mounting mechanism for securing, in the casing, a vibrometer for measuring, for example, the vibration of a shaft of a rotor of a gas turbine.
This application is based on Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2008-115719, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
2. Description of Related Art
In the past, a gap adjusting apparatus, disclosed in, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. SHO-58-8824, could be used to adjust the distance (gap) between the tip of a pickup section (measuring section) of a vibrometer and the outer surface of the shaft of a rotor.
A known vibrometer mounting mechanism adjusts the distance between the tip of a pickup section and the outer surface of a shaft of the rotor to a predetermined distance by rotating the pickup section and then secures the pickup section in the casing with a locknut.
However, with this gap adjusting apparatus and vibrometer mounting mechanism, the member (for example, locknut) securing the pickup section to the casing is disposed at the pickup section and near the shaft, i.e., locations that are difficult for an operator to reach and work on (a location with poor accessibility). Therefore, there are problems in that the pickup section cannot be easily secured at a predetermined location with good precision because the adjustment work of the distance between the tip of the pickup section and the outer surface of the shaft cannot be carried out easily, and, when tightening a member for securing the pickup section in the casing, the pickup section might rotate together with that member.


The present invention provides an automatic probe card planarization system and method to planarize a first plane defined by a plurality of contact points of a probe card relative to a second plane defined by a top surface of a wafer supported on a prober, with the probe card intermediate the wafer and a tester with the probe card interfacing eclectically with the tester to test the performance of the wafer. The planarization is performed by interfacing the probe card to the wafer by individually interfacing three points fixed points on the tester with three points on the prober. On of the points on the prober being fixed, while the other two are height variable as a result of calculations by a processor. Additionally, a camera is used to measure the height of at least three selected contact points on the probe card relative to the plane of wafer, from which the position of the first plane relative to said second plane is calculated. With that information and the geometry of the prober and tester, the height variations necessary for the two height variable points on the prober are calculated and the height adjustments made to planarize the first plane relative to the second plane. Alternatively, the height adjustments can be included in the tester, or one in each of the tester and the prober.

The problem that is currently facing the semiconductor industry is how to planarize a probe card to a wafer during testing of individual die on that wafer. If planarization is not achieved, then some probe needles apply more pressure to corresponding lead pads on the die, while others apply less. This at a minimum could result in incomplete electrical interfacing with the die so that the die tests bad, or at worst that the lead pads to which more pressure is applied are physically damaged making it impossible to use the die in a finished product.
What is currently done in the industry is to dock the tester with the prober, bringing the probe needles into contact with a test die on a single wafer or a single wafer in a cassette of wafers. The system is then undocked and the individual lead pads on the test die are optically examined to determine if more pressure has been applied to some lead pads on that die. This is done by looking for scratches and possibly indentations in the individual lead pads. Since the lengths of the probe needles are adjusted to be within 10 microns of each other, typically the greatest pressure will be applied to adjacent lead pads on one side of the test die and the least pressure will be applied to the lead pads that are 180.degree. displaced from those that experienced the greatest pressure. Based on those observations, the operator makes an educated guess as to how much adjustment, and in what direction, is needed to planarize the probe card to the wafer. The probe card is then shimmed accordingly and the other dies on the wafer, or all wafers in the cassette, are tested. Thus, it is necessary to repeat this process each time the wafer, or cassette of wafers, is changed.
Also, since the planarization process in the prior art is performed when the test head is separated from the prober, there is no contact between the interface card, the pogo ring, the probe card, the probe needles and the wafer. Thus, when docking is achieved everything is changing due to internal stresses and moments, there is a high probability that the probe needles are changing position as well.
Of course, this process is aggravated by the fact that there is usually very little space between the prober and the test head. Thus, in the prior art, planarization is accomplished with the prober and test head un-docked. The prior art does not include a way to perform planarization after docking has been achieved.
To insure that the probe card and probe needles are planarized with the wafer after docking is achieved, a system is needed that performs planarization after docking has been achieved. The present invention provides such a system.

Automatic probe card planarization system


Disclosed is an accumulation memory circuit for providing a fast read, modify, and write operation in a single clock cycle time. The memory circuit is configured to read data stored in the memory device at an address. The memory circuit includes a reconfigurable adder unit generating read, accumulate and write output in a single clock cycle. The memory circuit is further configured to minimize data overflow. A high speed accumulation method comprises resetting a memory circuit; reading from an address of the memory circuit; performing internal addition within the memory circuit and rewriting into the address of the memory circuit in a single clock cycle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to semiconductor memory devices. More particularly, the present invention relates to an efficient and a fast SRAM circuit and method providing for read, modify, and write operations in a single clock cycle time.
2. Background Information
A conventional Static Random Access Memory (SRAM) is a form of electronic data storage which retains data as long as power is supplied. Random access means that locations in the memory can be written to or read from in any order, regardless of the memory location that was last accessed. SRAM memory is widely utilized in electronic devices, and is particularly well-suited for use in portable or hand-held applications where low power consumption is required. SRAM memory is also used in high performance applications such as microprocessor caching since the SRAM can provide fast access times while not requiring the cell data refresh operations (as required in a Dynamic Random Access Memory).
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional system 100 for implementing testing in memory devices, wherein the conventional system comprises SRAM and an external adder performing read, modify, and write operations while utilizing multiple clock cycle times. The conventional system 100 comprises a static random access memory (SRAM) block 104 coupled to an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC) block 102, wherein the read operations are initiated by asserting Read port select bar (RPSb) and write operations are initiated by asserting Write port select bar (WPSb). A RPSb port 123 of the SRAM block 104 is coupled to an RPSb port 103 of the ASIC block 102, a WPSb port 125 of the SRAM block 104 is coupled to a WPSb port 105 of the ASIC block 102. A Byte write select bar (BWSb) port 127 of the SRAM block 104 is coupled to a BWSb port 107 of the ASIC block 102. An address input pin (A) 121 of the SRAM block 104 is coupled to an address input pin 101 of the ASIC block 102. The Data OUT pin 109 and Data IN pin 111 of the ASIC block 102 are coupled to the D pin 129 and the Q pin 131 of the SRAM block 104, respectively. A positive input clock signal (K) 115 and a negative input clock signal Kbar 117 (also be referred to as Kb) of the ASIC block 102 are coupled to the positive input clock signal (K) 137 and the negative input clock signal (Kb) 135 of the SRAM block 104. A clock input signal (CQ/CQbar) 133 of the SRAM block 104 are coupled to a clock input signal (CLKIN/CLKINb) 113 of the ASIC block 102.
Referring to FIG. 2, a timing diagram 200 illustrates all operation of the conventional system 100. Waveform 201 shows a clock cycle comprising read, modify and write sub cycles. Waveform 203 shows incremental operations of the external adder. Waveform 205 shows the incremented data, which is updated to an address in the memory.
The operational steps of the timing diagram 200 are described as follows. In a first step, the SRAM is reset. In a second step, data is read from SRAM. In a third step, data is incremented through an external adder. In a fourth step, new data is written back in to the SRAM. Thus, multiple clock sub cycles are required for performing read, modify and write operations, which is a disadvantage in the conventional system.
During the testing of circuits, such as a conventional Analog to Digital converter (ADC), the number of times a particular converter output value has been hit is detected and a SRAM circuit is used for accumulation of data from the ADC circuit. In order to accumulate data in the SRAM circuit, first the previous accumulated data is read from the SRAM, and then data is incremented by one externally, and then rewritten back into the SRAM circuit to the same address location.
A disadvantage of the conventional method is that the SRAM block 104 cannot perform increment or decrement operations internally, hence the increment and decrement operations are done externally by the ASIC block 102. The process requires read, write and modify operations to complete one increment operation, which requires multiple clock cycles, thereby increasing the testing time. Another disadvantage of conventional method is that an extra circuit and an extra SRAM is required for overflow protection, thereby adding to die area and adding to the power consumption.
It would be desirable to provide an improved circuit providing a fast and efficient SRAM circuit with no additional circuit for overflow protection, thus performing the read, modify and write operations in a single clock cycle time.

Area efficient and fast static random access memory circuit and method


The invention relates to the use of an agent having, stimulating or maintaining tumor necrosis factor (TNF) activity, together with an interferon (IFN) for treating and/or preventing demyelinating diseases, in particular multiple sclerosis (MS). The use of a combination of a TNF or a tumor necrosis factor binding protein in combination with an interferon for treating and/or preventing demyelinating diseases is preferred.

Demyelinating diseases are disorders concerning the myelin sheaths of the nervous system. Myelin sheaths, which cover many nerve fibers, are composed of lipoprotein layers formed in early life. Myelin is formed by the oligodendroglia in the CNS and promote transmission of a neural impulse along an axon.
Many congenital metabolic disorders (e.g. phenylketonuria and other aminoacidurias; Tay-Sachs, Niemann-Pick, and Gaucher's diseases; Hurler's syndrome; Krabbe's disease and other leukodystrophies) affect the developing myelin sheath, mainly in the CNS. Unless the biochemical defect can be corrected or compensated for, permanent, often widespread, neurological deficits result.
Demyelination in later life is a feature of many neurological disorders; it can result from damage to nerves or myelin due to local injury, ischemia, toxic agents, or metabolic disorders. Extensive myelin loss is usually followed by axonal degeneration and often by cell body degeneration, both of which may be irreversible. However, remyelination occurs in many instances, and repair, regeneration, and complete recovery of neural function can be rapid. Recovery often occurs after the segmental demyelination that characterizes many peripheral neuropathies; this process may account for the exacerbations and remissions of multiple sclerosis (MS). Central demyelination (i.e. of the spinal cord, brain, or optic nerves) is the predominant finding in the primary demyelinating diseases, whose etiology is unknown. The most well known demyelinating disease is MS (see below).
Further demyelinating diseases comprise:
Acute disseminated encephalomyelitis, which is characterized by perivascular CNS demyelination, and which can occur spontaneously but usually follows a viral infection or viral vaccination;
Acute inflammatory peripheral neuropathies that follow a viral vaccination or the Guillain-Barré syndrome, they affect only peripheral structures;
Adrenoleukodystrophy and adrenomyeloneuropathy, which are rare X-linked recessive metabolic disorders characterized by adrenal gland dysfunction and widespread demyelination of the nervous system;
Leber's hereditary optic atrophy and related mitochondrial disorders, which are characterized primarily by bilateral loss of central vision, and which can resemble the optic neuritis in MS; and
HTLV-associated myelopathy, a slowly progressive spinal cord disease associated with infection by the human T-cell lymphotrophic virus, that is characterized by spastic weakness of both legs.
Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a slowly progressive CNS disease characterized by disseminated patches of demyelination in the brain and spinal cord, resulting in multiple and varied neurological symptoms and signs, usually with remissions and exacerbation (see The Merck Manual Home Edition, www.merck.com).
The cause is unknown but an immunological abnormality is suspected, with few clues presently indicating a specific mechanism. Postulated causes include infection by a slow or latent virus, and myelinolysis by enzymes. IgG is usually elevated in the CSF, and elevated titers have been associated with a variety of viruses, including measles. The significance of these findings and of reported associations with HLA allotypes and altered number of T cells is unclear, and the evidence somewhat conflicting. An increased family incidence suggests genetic susceptibility; women are somewhat more often affected than men. Environmental factors seem to be present. Although age at onset generally is from 20 to 40 years, MS has been linked to the geographic area where a patient's first 15 years are spent. Relocation after age 15 does not alter the risk.
Plaques or islands of demyelination with destruction of oligodendroglia and perivascular inflammation are disseminated through the CNS, primarily in the white matter, with a predilection for the lateral ad posterior columns (especially in the cervical and dorsal regions), the optic nerves, and periventricular areas. Tracts in the midbrain, pons, and cerebellum also are affected, and gray matter in both cerebrum and cord may be affected.
Cell bodies and axons are usually preserved, especially in early lesions. Later, axons may be destroyed, especially in the long tracts, and a fibrous gliosis gives the tracts their "sclerotic" appearance. Both early and late lesions may be found simultaneously. Chemical changes in lipid and protein constituents of myelin have been demonstrated in and around the plaques.
The disease is characterized by various symptoms and signs of CNS dysfunction, with remissions and recurring exacerbations. The most common presenting symptoms are paresthesias in one or more extremities, in the trunk, or on one side of the face; weakness or clumsiness of a leg or hand; or visual disturbances, e.g., partial blindness and pain in one eye (retrobulbar optic neuritis), dimness of vision, or scotomas. Other common early symptoms are ocular palsy resulting in double vision (diplopia), transient weakness of one or more extremities, slight stiffness or unusual fatigability of a limb, minor gait disturbances, difficulty with bladder control, vertigo, and mild emotional disturbances; all indicate scattered CNS involvement and often occur months or years before the disease is recognized.
The course is highly varied, unpredictable, and, in most patients, remittent. Life span is probably not shortened except in the most severe cases. At first, months or years of remission may separate episodes, especially when the disease begins with retrobulbar optic neuritis. Remissions can last >10 years. However, some patients have frequent attacks and are rapidly incapacitated; for a few, particularly for male patients with onset in middle age, the course can be rapidly progressive. Exposure to excess heat from fever or the environment sometimes worsens symptoms.
Diagnosis is indirect, by deduction from clinical and laboratory features. MRI, the most sensitive diagnostic imaging technique, may show plaques. Gadolinium-contrast enhancement can distinguish areas of active inflammation from older brain plaques. MS lesions may also be visible on contrast-enhanced CT scans, in which sensitivity may be increased by giving twice the iodine dose and delaying scanning (double-dose delayed CT scan).
CSF is abnormal in the majority of patients. IgG may be >13%, and lymphocytes and protein content may be slightly increased. Oligoclonal bands, which indicate IgG synthesis within the blood-brain barrier, may be detected by agarose electrophoresis of CSF in up to 90% of patients with MS, but absence of these bands does not rule out MS. IgG levels correlate with disease severity. Myelin basic protein may be elevated during active demyelination.
Spontaneous remissions and fluctuating symptoms make treatments difficult to evaluate. Corticosteroids are the main form of therapy. They may shorten the symptomatic period during attacks, although they may not affect eventual long-term disability. Patients presenting with acute severe optic neuritis may delay the onset of MS by using high-dose IV corticosteroids.
Immunosuppressive drugs (methotrexate, azathioprine, cyclophosphamide, cladribine) are generally used for more severe progressive forms. Immunomodulatory therapy with interferon-β reduces the frequency of relapses in MS. Other promising treatments still under investigation include other interferons, oral myelin, and glatiramer to help keep the body from attacking its own myelin. Glatiramer is a synthetic co-polymer with similarities to myelin basic protein and is administered by daily subcutaneous injection. Its main action is thought to be suppression of the immune response against myelin to promote immune tolerance (Clegg and Bryant, 2001).
Interferons are cytokines, i.e. soluble proteins that transmit messages between cells and play an essential role in the immune system by helping to destroy micro-organisms that cause infection and repairing any resulting damage. Interferons are naturally secreted by infected cells and were first identified in 1957. Their name is derived from the fact that they "interfere" with viral replication and production.
Interferons exhibit both antiviral and antiproliferative activity. On the basis of biochemical and immunological properties, the naturally-occurring human interferons are grouped into three major classes: interferon-alpha (leukocyte), interferon-beta (fibroblast) and interferon-gamma (immune). Alpha-interferon is currently approved in the United States and other countries for the treatment of hairy cell leukemia, venereal warts, Kaposi's Sarcoma (a cancer commonly afflicting patients suffering from Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome (AIDS)), and chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis.
Further, interferons (IFNs) are glycoproteins produced by the body in response to a viral infection. They inhibit the multiplication of viruses in protected cells. Consisting of a lower molecular weight protein, IFNs are remarkably non specific in their action, i.e. IFN induced by one virus is effective against a broad range of other viruses. They are however species-specific, i.e. IFN produced by one species will only stimulate antiviral activity in cells of the same or a closely related species. IFNs were the first group of cytokines to be exploited for their potential anti-tumor and antiviral activities.
The three major IFNs are referred to as IFN-α, IFN-β and IFN-γ. Such main kinds of IFNs were initially classified according to their cells of origin (leukocyte, fibroblast or T cell). However, it became clear that several types may be produced by one cell. Hence leukocyte IFN is now called IFN-α, fibroblast IFN is IFN-β and T cell IFN is IFN-γ. There is also a fourth type of IFN, lymphoblastoid IFN, produced in the "Namalwa" cell line (derived from Burkitt's lymphoma), which seems to produce a mixture of both leukocyte and fibroblast IFN.
The interferon unit or International unit for interferon (U or IU, for international unit) has been reported as a measure of IFN activity defined as the amount necessary to protect 50% of the cells against viral damage. The assay that may be used to measure bioactivity is the cytopathic effect inhibition assay as described (Rubinstein, et al. 1981; Familletti, P. C., et al., 1981). In this antiviral assays for interferon about 1 unit/ml of interferon is the quantity necessary to produce a cytopathic effect of 50%. The units are determined with respect to the international reference standard for Hu-IFN-beta provided by the National Institutes of Health (Pestka, S. 1986).
Every class of IFN contains several distinct types. IFN-β and IFN-γ are each the product of a single gene.
The proteins classified as IFNs-α are the most diverse group, containing about 15 types. There is a cluster of IFN-α genes on chromosome 9, containing at least 23 members, of which 15 are active and transcribed. Mature IFNs-α are not glycosylated.
IFNs-α and IFN-β are all the same length (165 or 166 amino acids) with similar biological activities. IFNs-γ are 146 amino acids in length, and resemble the α and β classes less closely. Only IFNs-γ can activate macrophages or induce the maturation of killer T cells. In effect, these new types of therapeutic agents can be called biologic response modifiers (BRMs), because they have an effect on the response of the organism to the tumor, affecting recognition via immunomodulation.
In particular, human fibroblast interferon (IFN-β) has antiviral activity and can also stimulate natural killer cells against neoplastic cells. It is a polypeptide of about 20,000 Da induced by viruses and double-stranded RNAs. From the nucleotide sequence of the gene for fibroblast interferon, cloned by recombinant DNA technology, (Derynk et al. 1980) deduced the complete amino acid sequence of the protein. It is 166 amino acid long.
Shepard et al. (1981) described a mutation at base 842 (Cys→Tyr at position 141) that abolished its anti-viral activity, and a variant clone with a deletion of nucleotides 1119-1121.
Mark et al. (1984) inserted an artificial mutation by replacing base 469 (T) with (A) causing an amino acid switch from Cys→Ser at position 17. The resulting IFN-β was reported to be as active as the 'native' IFN-β and stable during long-term storage (−70° C.).
REBIF (recombinant human interferon-β) is a recent development in interferon therapy for multiple sclerosis (MS) and represents a significant advance in treatment. REBIF is interferon(IFN)-beta 1a, produced from mammalian cell lines. It was established that interferon beta-1a given subcutaneously three times per week is efficacious in the treatment of Relapsing-Remitting Multiple Sclerosis (RR-MS). Interferon beta-1a can have a positive effect on the long-term course of MS by reducing number and severity of relapses and reducing the burden of the disease and disease activity as measured by MRI (The Lancet, 1998).
Tumor Necrosis Factor, or TNF, previously called Cachectin, is a pleiotropic cytokine released by activated T cells and macrophages. TNF is a member of the interferon, interleukin and colony stimulating factor cytokine network, which has a key role in signaling with regard to the pathogenesis of many infectious and inflammatory diseases by inducing a number of proinflammatory changes, including production of other cytokine and adhesion molecule (Fiers, 1991).
For convenience, the term TNF collectively shall mean, in the entire context of the present application, both Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha or Tumor Necrosis Factor-beta from animals or humans, together with naturally occurring alleles thereof (Pennica et al., 1984, Wallach et al., 1986, Beutler, B. and Cerami, A. (1987)). TNF-beta, also called lymphotoxin, has a similar activity but is produced by different cell types (lymphocytes and Natural Killer cells) in response to antigenic or mitogenic stimuli (Gray et al., 1984).
Thus, Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF-α) and Lymphotoxin (TNF-β) are cytokines which have many effects on cells. Some of their effects are likely to be beneficial to the organism: they may destroy, for example, tumor cells or virus infected cells and augment antibacterial activities of granulocytes. In this way, TNF contributes to the defense of the organism against infectious agents and to recovery from injury. But both TNF-α and TNF-β have also been described to have deleterious effects. There is evidence that overproduction of TNF-α can play a major pathogenic role in several diseases. In some diseases, TNF may cause excessive loss of weight (cachexia) by suppressing activities of adipocytes and by causing anorexia and TNF-α was thus called cachectin. It was also described as a mediator of the damage to tissues in rheumatic diseases and as a major mediator of the damage observed in graft-versus-host reactions.
TNF is expressed as a mature 17 kDa protein that is active as a trimer. This complex exerts its biological activity by aggregating their cell surface receptors, which mediate specific effects in different organs and tissues.
TNF exerts its activity, which is required for the normal development and function of immune system, by binding a family of membrane bound receptor molecules including p55 TNF receptor I, defined in the literature also TNF-RI, and p75 TNF receptor, defined in the literature also TNF-RII (Bazzoni and Beutler, 1996). The dominance of TNF-RI in transducing TNF signal is suggested by the ability of agonistic antibodies specific for this receptor to mimic the majority of TNF induced responses (Shalaby et al., 1990). By binding to its membrane-bound receptors, TNF triggers the signaling pathway through cytoplasmic mediators like TRADD and TRAP-1 (for TNF-RI) or TRAF-1 and TRAF-2 (for TNF-RII), leading to different cell response, like T cell proliferation, tumor-cell lysis in vitro, dermal necrosis, insuline resistance, apoptosis. The extracellular portions of both TNF receptors can be shed and these soluble receptors retain the ability to bind TNF, inactivating TNF activity by formation of high affinity complexes, thereby reducing the binding of TNF to target cell membrane receptors (Nophar et al., 1990).
Based on the finding that TNF-alpha immunoreactivity has been found in high levels in MS lesions, TNF has been described to play a role in the pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (Darlington, 1999). Therefore, it was generally thought that TNF should be blocked or reduced in order to treat MS, and TNF blocking agents have been suggested for treatment of multiple sclerosis (Selmaj et al., 1995). However, experiments using mice lacking TNF, so-called TNF −/− mice, showed that these mice developed severe neurological impairment with extensive inflammation and demyelination upon induction of a MS like disease with the protein MOG (Liu et al., 1998).
Truncated forms of the TNF-RI (p55) and TNF-RII (p75) receptors mentioned above are described e.g. in EP914431. These soluble receptors are called TBPI and TBPII, respectively (Engelmann et al., 1990). The natural and recombinant soluble TNF receptor molecules, and methods of their production have been described e.g. in the European Patents EP 308 378, EP 398 327 and EP 433 900. EP 398 327 describes that TBPs are not only inhibitors of TNF activity, but also maintain the beneficial effect of TNF. It has also been described that the soluble TNF-receptors stabilize the bioactivity of TNF and thus augment some of its effects (Aderka et al., 1992).
A TNF-like activity was also shown for antibodies directed against the soluble forms of the TNF-receptors (Engelmann et al., 1990).
In addition to this, EP 880 970 discloses the use of TBPs for treatment of multiple sclerosis.

Tumor necrosis factor combined with interferon in demyelinating diseases


A method and apparatus for firing a firearm. A trigger is pulled which causes a hammer to rotate away from an electrical power source. After the hammer passes its maximum position, it is released by the trigger releases it, thereby causing the hammer to strike the electrical power source. The force from the hammer causes electrical energy to flow from the electrical power source to an electrically activated primer, thereby igniting the primer.

The present invention relates to an improved firing mechanism for firearms.
Previous methods for causing a projectile to be fired from a gun included use of a percussion activated primer and a hammer. When the hammer struck the primer, the primer fired, which in turn ignited gunpowder in the projectile. As a result, the projectile was propelled down the barrel and exited the gun.
In addition to mechanically firing a cartridge, previous methods also involved electrically firing a cartridge by using a battery, a switch and an electrically activated primer in the ammunition instead of a conventional hammer/firing pin arrangement. In those situations, the shooter pulled the trigger which acted upon the switch to connect the battery to the detonator and thus to cause the projectile to be fired. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,854,231 (Broyles) describes a small arms weapon in which the electrical power for firing the gun is provided by a rechargeable storage battery. In addition, provision is made, in the form of additional circuitry, for recharging the battery.
Likewise, U.S. Pat. No. 5,625,972 (King) teaches the use of a gun provided with an electronically fired cartridge. The cartridge or projectile located in the gun includes a chamber with an explosive and a primer cap with a heat activated primer. A fuse wire of appropriate electrical resistance extends through the primer for igniting the primer. It is connected in series with a switch and a battery. When the switch is closed, the circuit is completed causing electrical current to flow through the fuse wire. This causes the wire to heat up, thereby igniting the primer.
However, there are many problems associated with the use of a battery to supply the energy detonate the primer. First, the battery has limited life and, therefore, has to be either replaced or recharged periodically.
Second, the battery weighs a significant amount.
And third, batteries generate a low voltage (typically 9 volts) and a good electrical contact has to be made to both the case and to the primer electrode each time a new cartridge is loaded. As a result, firing reliability is adversely affected by corrosion, erosion, and a build-up of propellant residue as the gun ages and as more rounds are fired between cleanings.
Piezoelectric elements have been used in weapon systems. For example, U.S. Pat. No. No. 4,510,844 (Fritz) discloses a firing mechanism for handguns which uses a piezo-voltage generator as one of the sources of ignition energy. However, in order for the Fritz ignition system to work, the breech block piece 22 must be correctly positioned. Another difference between Fritz and the disclosed invention is that the striking piece 5 in Fritz moves in a linear, and not a circular path. Furthermore, although the Fritz patent says that energy from the piezo generator is delivered to a detonator, no detail is given as to how the detonator is activated.


A tool 10 and a method for creating the tool 10 which is comprised of several selectively coupled sectional members 12, 16, and which includes at least one cooling channel 14. In one embodiment, each sectional member 12, 16, which is to be used to form the at least one cooling channel 14, has respective indented channels 18, 20. Channel 18 of member 12 registers with a unique one of the channels 20 of member 16 to which member 12 is coupled, thereby forming the unique cooling passage 14. Other embodiments are disclosed which also provide desired cooling paths 14.

A tool, such as a mold, die, or other object formation apparatus is used to repeatedly form or create substantially similar objects or products. Conventionally, the tool is formed by machining or "working" a block of material in a certain manner, thereby forming or creating the tool in a desired shape and geometrical configuration. Alternatively, the tool may be formed by a laminar process in which various sectional members are created and selectively coupled (e.g., by gluing, bolting, welding, or bonding), effective to allow the coupled members to cooperatively form the tool. Particularly, holes are formed within the tool and a slotted pin may be placed within each of the formed holes. Steam is blown through the holes, through the contained pins to create the part and water is then forced through the tool to cool the part. The holes are used both to melt the material which is used to form the part and to cool the part.
The holes and slotted pins are cooperatively effective to allow air, steam, and/or water to pass through the tool in order to or heat or melt material, such as styrene, and to cool the tool and/or the produced item which may reside within the tool (e.g., the heat travels from the item to the ambient environment through a medium which may be contained within and/or which may selectively travel through the pins), effective to increase the useful operating life of the tool and to increase the likelihood of producing an item having a desired shape and attributes.
While the foregoing approach does allow for the creation of cooling passages, it represents a relatively inefficient and costly process which undesirably increases the overall cost of production and may undesirably damage the formed tool. Such damage is particularly undesirable since many of these tools are relatively expensive.
There is therefore a need for a method to selectively create heating or cooling passages within a tool which overcomes some or all of the previously delineated drawbacks of prior techniques. Moreover, there is a further need to create a tool by the use of a method which allows cooling and heating passages to be efficiently formed within the tool and which does not potentially cause structural damage to the formed tool. These and other needs are addressed by the present invention, as is more fully delineated below.


The invention provides, inter alia, improved replicons and vectors encoding them, where the replicons provide sustained expression of an encoded protein. These replicons comprise flavivirus replicases and heterologous protein coding sequences, wherein the heterologous protein coding sequences are flanked by separation sequences for improved efficacy. These nucleic acids provided by the invention, including self-replicating RNAs provided by the invention, are useful in methods of protein expression, such as for vaccines (e.g., for methods of immunization), as well as expression of therapeutic proteins, such as antibodies (e.g., for methods of treatment).

Self-replicating ribonucleic acids (RNAs), e.g., derived from viral replicons, are useful for expression of proteins, such as heterologous proteins, for a variety of purposes, such as expression of therapeutic proteins and expression of antigens for vaccines. A desirable property of such replicons is the ability for sustained expression of the protein.
WO 99/28487 A1 (Queensland Dept. Health) and Varnayski et al., Virology 255, 366-375 (1999) disclose a nucleic acid sequence encoding a(+) strand self-replicating RNA, which includes a Kunjin Virus replicase-coding sequence, a protein-coding sequence coding for a portion of a flavivirus core protein and a flavivirus 5′ untranslated region (UTR). The replicons could be packaged into viral replicon particles (VRPs) and used as vaccines.
Herd et al., "Recombinant Kunjin virus replicon vaccines induce protective T-cell immunity against human papillomavirus 16 E7-expressing tumour", Virology 319: 237-248 (2004) discloses a nucleic acid sequence encoding a(+) strand self-replicating RNA, which includes a Kunjin Virus replicase-coding sequence and a protein-coding sequence coding for a human papilloma virus (HPV) epitope to be used as vaccine.
Alcaraz-Estrada et al., "Construction of self-replicating subgenomic West Nile virus replicons for screening antiviral compounds", Methods Mol. Biol. 1030: 283-299 (2013) discloses a nucleic acid sequence encoding a(+) strand self-replicating RNA, which includes a West Nile Virus strain 956 replicase-coding sequence and a reporter gene.
WO 2006/086838 A1 (Queensland Inst. Med. Res.) discloses a (+) strand self-replicating RNA, which includes a Kunjin Virus replicase-coding sequence and a protein-coding sequence for a GM-CSF protein for use in tumor therapy. The '838 patent application also discloses the use of West Nile Virus and Yellow Fever Virus.
Queiroz et al., "Construction of yellow fever virus subgenomic replicons by yeast-based homologous recombination cloning technique", Anais da Academia Brasileira de Ciências 85: 159-168 (2010) discloses a nucleic acid sequence encoding a(+) strand self-replicating RNA, which includes a Yellow Fever Virus strain 170 replicase-coding sequence and a reporter gene.
Jones et al., "Construction and applications of yellow fever virus replicons", Virology 331: 247-259 (2005) discloses Yellow Fever Virus replicons encoding various reporter genes.


A substantially biodegradable and water soluble tampon applicator comprising: a plunger and a barrel, said plunger being of a predetermined length, and having a first end and a second end, said second end being a predetermined distance from said first end, said plunger being substantially cylindrical in shape and having a first diameter at said first end and a second diameter at said second end, wherein said first diameter tapers downwards to said second diameter, proximate said first end, said plunger further comprises a first mating portion, said barrel having a first end and a second end, said second end being a predetermined distance from said first end, said barrel being substantially cylindrical in shape and having a diameter greater than the first diameter of said plunger, proximate said first end of said barrel, there is provided a second mating portion to matingly engage said first mating portion of said plunger to maintain said plunger in relation to said barrel in a first position, proximate said first end of said barrel, adjacent said second mating portion, said barrel further comprises a fingergrip.

There is a large environmental concern surrounding Feminine Hygiene products. A woman uses about 16,800 tampons or sanitary pads in her lifetime. Waste consultant Franklin Associates reports that 6.5 billion tampons end up in landfills or sewage systems in the USA. About 2.5 million tampons, 1.4 million pads & 700,000 panty liners were flushed away daily.
Tampon Applicators in current commercial use are typically made from either an insoluble plastic or a flushable smooth surfaced cardboard. Plastic tampon applicators are preferred by women but are typically made of insoluble polyethylene using an injection-molding process. These plastic tampon applicators have always posed and still pose a significant environmental and aesthetic problem as they continue to be flushed down toilets in alarming numbers instead of being disposed of with the dry trash. This is a continued annoyance as plastic tampon applicators also have a tendency to wash up on local beaches and wreak havoc on municipal treatment plants.
Although cardboard is considered to be more environmentally friendly compared to plastic, it still requires up to 6 months to fully dissolve when disposed of in a toilet.
Furthermore, cardboard applicators are less popular among females due primarily to the insertion difficulties that are associated with cardboard applicators. These difficulties range from the lack of strong grip rings to inferior slip characteristics and lack of comfortable petal shaped or conical shaped tips.
Cardboard tampon applicators can also be more difficult to shape and more difficult to make smooth cuts (i.e. petal cuts) that will not cause issues on insertion, such as inconvenience and lack of comfort.
Cardboard tampon applicators are commonly thought of as less comfortable to insert and are more difficult to form into shapes other than uniform cylindrical tubes.
Many cardboard tampon applicators are coated with a non-compostable coating to strengthen the applicator and/or reduce the coefficient of friction rendering the tampon applicator less environmentally friendly.
Furthermore, cardboard tampon applicators tend to collect grease as they travel through the wastewater system causing serious problems with grease balls.
The gripping structures on cardboard tampon applicators are typically formed after the cardboard has been formed into tube-like shapes. This results in an added processing step, which translates to increased cost.
Currently there is no type of indicia, such as branding, logos, or a message on the tampon applicator, available in the market place.
It is therefore an object of the invention to provide a biodegradable tampon applicator which is environmentally friendly and substantially water soluble.
It is another object of the invention to provide a biodegradable tampon applicator with at least one finger grip to aid the user during the insertion of the applicator in to the vaginal vault.
It is also another object of the invention to provide a biodegradable tampon applicator with improvements to reduce inconvenience and/or injury during insertion of the tampon into the vaginal vault.
It is another object of the invention to provide a film forming process to manufacture a biodegradable tampon applicator.
It is yet another object of the invention to provide a pin to be used in the film forming process to manufacture a tampon applicator.
It is another object of the invention to provide a tampon applicator with at least one indicium thereon.
Further and other objects of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from the following summary of the invention, figures, detailed descriptions of the invention, examples and appended claims.

Biodegradable water soluble tampon applicator and process and apparatus to manufacture same


Each of fins is provided with an engage projection having a first width and a engage hole portion having a second width wider than the first width, and the fins are able to be slid while engaging with each other. Accordingly, in case of installing a heat sink to a case of a fan, it is possible to install the fins to the case so that the fins are arranged in a flowing direction of a refrigerant by the fan while engaging with each other. As the result, the refrigerant is able to flow smoothly when passing through the fins by arranging the fins at desired angle. Accordingly, it becomes possible to present a radiation fin, a cooling device and an electronic equipment having such cooling device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a radiation fin for radiating heat generated from a heating element, a cooling device equipped with a radiation fin, electronic equipment equipped with a cooling device, and a manufacturing method of a cooling device.
2. Description of Related Art
As a device for cooling a heating element, such as a central processing unit (CPU), there has heretofore been proposed a heat sink such as a radiation fin. In a heat sink, heat radiation thereof is hastened by air blown by a fan, for example.
This heat sink is constructed by stacking a plurality of fin members. Specifically, a claw portion and an engage hole are respectively disposed in the individual fins, and the heat sink is constructed by attaching plural fins to a fan case, or the like in the state in which the claw portions of the respective fins are engaged with the engage holes of the adjacent fins (for example, see a patent document 1: Japanese Laid-Open Patent No. 2002-314009).
However, for example, when a heat sink 205 described in the Patent Document 1 is attached to an air outlet 203a of a case 203 of a fan 210 as shown in FIG. 20, the following problems arise. For example, the flow of air generated by the rotation of an impeller 206 disposed in the fan case 203 has a certain angle to the longitudinal direction of the heat sink 205, and hence the air cannot flow through smoothly between the respective fins 202 of the heat sink 205. This causes not only a drop in a heat radiation efficiency, but also the drawback of becoming a noise source because the air is blown with the certain angle to the respective fins 202.
In addition, for example, to achieve that the flow of air generated by the impeller 206 can pass through smoothly between the respective fins 202, it is necessary to fix the heat sink 205 so as to be offset rightward when viewed, in the figure, from a rotation center P of the impeller 206 as shown in FIG. 21. This has the disadvantage that a cooling device itself becomes larger, and this is not fit for miniaturization.
To solve these problems, there is a cooling device in which the heat radiation is done by smoothly passing the air generated by a fan with the use of a heat sink 207 that is given a curvature after being constructed by stacking fins 208, as shown in FIG. 22. To curve the heat sink 207, however, equipment and a jig for making an angle are required, which causes a cost increase.

Radiation fin, cooling device, electronic equipment, and manufacturing method of cooling device


Disclosed is a flexion state detecting and handling method and apparatus for detecting and handling a flexion state of a flexible display. A sensing unit includes a bend sensor array having a plurality of bend sensors arranged on the flexible display in a predetermined form. Each of the bend sensors detects a degree of bending as the bend sensor is bent along a flexion of the flexible display at a point where the bend sensor is arranged. A controller generates flexion state information indicating a flexion state of the flexible display based on the degree of bending detected by the bend sensors.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates generally to devices employing a flexible display, and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for detecting and handling flexion states of a flexible display.
2. Description of the Related Art
The term 'flexible display' refers to flexible display devices. Generally, flexible displays are thinner and lighter, and also bendable, warpable, foldable or rollable depending on their flexibility. If a flexible display is employed in an electronic device, a user may fold or roll the flexible display to put it in the electronic device when he or she does not enjoy the content on the flexible display and also makes it possible to enhance miniaturization of electronic devices.
The flexible display may have various flexion states according to user's manipulation, because of its flexibility. For example, the user may bend or fold a part (e.g., a corner or an end) of the flexible display.
Noting that the flexible display may have various forms of flexion states as well as the simple flexion, the present invention provides for the possibility of implementing a variety of functions which may perform specific operations depending on the flexion states of the flexible display. In addition, the present invention provides for the possibility of using various flexion states of the flexible display as a user interface of electronic devices employing the flexible device.

Apparatus and method for detecting and handling flexion states of flexible display


Process for preparing iodopropargyl carbamate compounds comprising reacting:. A. an alkyl(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6)amine; PA1 B. liquid, supercritical carbon dioxide; PA1 C. propargyl alcohol; and PA1 D. optionally a catalyst;. to form N-alkyl(C.sub.1 -C.sub.6) propargyl carbamate; followed by reaction with an iodinating agent is disclosed.

A. FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention is in the field of chemical processes for preparation of iodopropargyl carbamates.
B. DESCRIPTION OF THE PRIOR ART
Polyphase.RTM. fungicide is one of the leading paint mildewcides in the market place currently. The active ingredient is N-butyl iodopropargyl carbamate.
Troy Chemical Corporation U.S. Pat. No. 3,923,870 discloses what is presumed to be the commercial process for preparing N-butyl iodopropargyl carbamate. ICI European Pat. Appl. 0014032 published Jun. 6, 1990 discloses reacting an alkynol with an isocyanate and followed by iodination. The Troy and ICI disclosed processes use butyl isocyanate which is presumably produced from the reaction of butyl amine with phosgene. Isocyanates are generally toxic and are hazardous materials to handle. Troy's more recent process patent, GB 222 0000 published Jun. 23, 1989, discloses a method which uses as a starting material alkynyl chloroformate which is presumably produced from the reaction from propargyl alcohol and phosgene. Alkynyl chloroformate is also toxic, unstable, and hazardous. Although phosgene is a cheap raw material, it is also a very hazardous material. Presumably the cost of production of N-butyl iodopropargyl carbamate is greatly influenced by the procedures necessary for the safe handling of phosgene.
EP patent publication 0539092 A (U.S. Ser. No. 07/782,039) assigned to Rohm and Haas, the same assignee as the present invention, also discloses a process for the preparation of N-butyl iodopropargyl carbamate that avoids the use of phosgene and isocyanates.

Process for preparation of iodopropargyl carbamates


A gem stone mounting which is able to receive any of a number of different cut gem stones, the mounting having a base member with a bore to provide an open area for the back of the stone, a sloped forward wall having an annular receiving channel, in which is seated an annular sizing member circular in cross-section and formed of a resilient and compressible material, and threading which mates with the threading of an engagement cap member having a large central opening to expose the face of the stone, where the sizing member adapts to the particular gemstone and prevents contact between the back of the gem stone and the base member.

This invention relates generally to settings or mounts used to retain a gem stone in a piece of jewelry such as a ring, pendant, earring, etc., as well as the articles of jewelry themselves. More particularly, the invention relates to a mount for securing the gem stone in the jewelry piece which comprises a pair of mating members which join by threaded engagement means to retain the gem stone, such that deformation of the metal comprising the mount is not required to secure the gem stone therein.
Diamonds, emeralds, rubies and other precious gem stones are cut and mounted into jewelry for the adornment of the wearer. The jewelry piece may be a ring, a pendant on a necklace, a brooch, earrings, etc. and the mounts are usually composed of a precious metal such as gold or silver. The gem stones are cut to enhance light reflection and refraction, and it is therefore desirable to mount a gem stone in a mounting or setting which does not interfere with the visual brilliance of the gem stone. This desire to minimize the amount of material securing the gem stone must be offset by the need to adequately secure the valuable gem stone within the mounting. In addition, since gem stones are hand cut each will vary in configuration. A typical mounting method is to provide a mount with a seating ring adapted to retain a portion of the rear of the gem stone and to provide a small number of fingers or prongs which are bent onto the top of the gem stone to lock the gem stone between the prongs and the ring. Another similar method is to provide an annular rim which is deformed around the top of the gem stone to interlock the gem stone between the outer ring and the seating ring. Both of these methods have been used for many years and are most adequate in securing the gem stone in the jewelry piece, as they allow the craftsman to deform the mount to fit the particular gem stone. The major drawback to these types of mounts in the commercial world is that, to insure that the setting is secure and to produce an aesthetically pleasing piece of jewelry, the work of deforming the metal around the gem stone must be performed by a skilled craftsman properly trained and experienced in the art of mounting gem stones. This fact means that retailers without such a skilled employee cannot offer gem stone mounting on the premises, resulting in increased costs, risk of loss, and delay problems to the consumer.
It is an object of this invention to provide an aesthetically pleasing gem stone mount which securely retains the gem stone in the setting without unduly interfering with the visual brilliance of the gem stone, where the gem stone can be secured within the mount in a relatively simple manner by untrained and unskilled individuals, such that creation of the jewelry piece is relatively easy, and further such that gem stones may be easily interchanged within a single mount, such as for example exchanging a diamond for a ruby to alter the color of the jewelry. It is a further object to provide such a mount which is generally universal in its acceptance of gem stones, within certain ranges, and which can be mass produced without the need to precisely match each mount to a particular gem stone. In order to accomplish this, the variation in individual gem stones must be taken into account. This variation includes not only the overall size of the gem stone but also the particular cut of the gem stone, i.e., the number of facets, the angles between the facets, the relative size ratios of individual facets to each other, the height and width of the gem stone, etc. While a skilled craftsman can bend and form the malleable metal of a typical mount to account for these variations, thereby creating a mount which corresponds exactly as required to the particular gem stone being secured therein, a more universal mount must be able to accommodate and account for individual gem stone size and shape differences within a reasonable range. To this end, the invention utilizes a pair of interlocking members which secure the gem stone therebetween, the members being preferably joined by threaded engaging means and preferably having an annular, resilient, sizing member which abuts a small portion of the back of the gem stone.
Other dissimilar attempts to provide a universal gem stone mount or a means to allow for relatively simple removal and replacement of gem stones within a mount or setting include mounts wherein a gem stone is mounted in a retaining member which is removable from the jewelry piece, such as shown in U.S. Pat. No. 1,383,146 to Perrin. In Perrin, the gem stone is mounted within a threaded, removable, retaining member in the conventional fashion by forming the metal about the gem stone, meaning that a skilled craftsman must be utilized and a separate retaining member provided for each gem stone. In U.S. Pat. No. 949,657 to Murrin, a permanent setting is created by providing a threaded, annular collar which abuts the back of the gem stone, the front of the gem stone being retained by an annular lip formed in the main body of the jewelry piece. The internal collar must be provided with spanner recesses to allow it to be threaded into the main body. Because the edges and facets of the gem stone directly contact the metal of the setting, the security of this setting will deteriorate over time and the stone is likely to loosen. In addition, excessive stresses at the metal to gem stone contact interface which may be created during the threading process can cause the gem stone to crack or chip. U.S. Pat. No. 3,605,442 to Parker et al. shows the use of an annular, plastic cushion to back the gem stone to provide shock resistance and seal the back side of the stone in a permanent setting, but the cushion is used with a standard setting where the stone is retained by deforming the upper lip or rim of the main body of the setting. In addition, the annular cushion is to be triangular in cross-section and is provided with a tapered surface of particular angle (less than 50 degrees) which is to correspond to a seat bevel cut into the stone. Correct sizing of the setting is accomplished by providing a separate shim member of the desired dimensions composed of a relatively non-compressible plastic. A setting with a removable gem stone is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,375,434 to Wertheimer et al., wherein a complicated, multiple hinged cover is taught--the cover encircling the main body of the jewelry piece and mechanically locking in order to secure the stone.


Described herein is a composition useful for inducing expression of genes whose expression is under control of an inducible promoter sequence and methods for the compositions preparation and use.

Filamentous fungi and cellulolytic bacteria produce extracellular cellulase enzymes that confer on the organisms the ability to hydrolyze the β-(1,4)-linked glycosidic bonds of cellulose to produce glucose. These enzymes provide the organisms with the ability to use cellulose, the most abundant plant polysaccharide, for growth.
The filamentous fungus, Trichoderma reesei, is an efficient producer of cellulase enzymes. As such Trichoderma reesei has been exploited for its ability to produce these enzymes, which are valuable in the production of such commodities as fuel ethanol, clothing, detergents, fibers and other products.
The cellulolytic mix of Trichoderma reesei proteins is among the best characterized cellulolytic pathways of microorganisms. The cellulases that comprise these mixes are classified into two broad categories: the endoglucanases (EG) and the cellobiohydrolases (CBH). β-glucosidase is also part of the cellulase mix of Trichoderma reesei.
Trichoderma reesei has also been exploited for its ability to produce heterologous proteins. Genes encoding a desired protein can be regulated when they are operably linked to the inducible cbh1 promoter of T. reesei. Foreign polypeptides have been secreted in Trichoderma reesei as fusions with the catalytic domain plus linker region of cbh1 (Nyyssonen et al., Bio/technology 11:591-595, 1993).
Expression of the genes comprising the cellulase system is coordinate and regulated at the transcriptional level. The members of this system act synergistically, and as noted above, are necessary for the efficient hydrolysis of cellulose to soluble oligosaccharides.
Expression and production of the main cellulase genes in Trichoderma, cbh1, cbh2, egl1, and egl2, is dependent on the carbon source available for growth. The cellulase genes are tightly repressed by glucose and are induced several thousand fold by cellulose or the disaccharide sophorose. Indeed, the expression level of the major cellobiohydrolase 1 (cbh1) is up-regulated several thousand fold on media containing inducing carbon sources such as cellulose or sophorose compared with glucose containing media (Ilmen et al., App. Environ. Microbio., 1298-1306, 1997).
Commercial scale production of cellulase enzymes is by either solid or submerged culture including batch, fed batch, and continuous flow processes. The most problematic and expensive aspect of industrial cellulase production is providing the appropriate inducer to Trichoderma. As is the case for laboratory scale experiments, cellulase production on a commercial scale is induced by growing the fungus on solid cellulose or by culturing the organism in the presence of a disaccharide inducer such as lactose. Unfortunately on an industrial scale, both methods of induction have drawbacks which result in high costs being associated with cellulase production.
Cellulase synthesis is subject to both cellulose induction and glucose repression. Thus, a critical factor influencing the yield of cellulase enzymes or heterologous proteins under the control of an inducible promoter is the maintenance of a proper balance between cellulose substrate and glucose concentration; it is critical for obtaining reasonable commercial yields of the regulated gene product. Although cellulose is an effective and inexpensive inducer, controlling the glucose concentration when Trichoderma is grown on solid cellulose can be problematic. At low concentrations of cellulose, glucose production may be too slow to meet the metabolic needs of active cell growth and function. On the other hand, cellulase synthesis can be halted by glucose repression when glucose generation is faster than consumption. Thus, expensive process control schemes are required to provide slow substrate addition and monitoring of glucose concentration (Ju and Afolabi, Biotechnol. Prog., 91-97, 1999). Moreover, the slow continuous delivery of substrate can be difficult to achieve as a result of the solid nature of the cellulosic materials.
Allen and Mortensen (Biotechnol. Bioeng., 2641-45,1981) have shown that 200 IU/ml of β-glucosidase from Aspergillus phoenicis when incubated with a 50% glucose syrup produces a solution with the ability to induce cellulase production when used as a carbon source. These authors used more than 20× the β-glucosidase loading compared to that used in this current work.
Some of the problems associated with the use of cellulose as an inducing substrate can be overcome through the use of soluble substrates and inducers such as lactose or sophorose. Lactose has to be provided at high concentrations so as to function as an inducer and a carbon source. (See Seiboth, et. al., Mol. Genet. Genomics, 124-32, 2002.) Gentiobiose may also serve as an inducer. Sophorose is a more potent inducer than cellulose, but sophorose is expensive and difficult to manufacture. Thus, while it is easier to handle and control than solid cellulose, sophorose can nonetheless make the cost of producing cellulases prohibitively expensive and, thus, is impractical for commercial cellulase production. Clearly, a need exists for a convenient, soluble substrate composition that also provides an inexpensive method of cellulase induction in filamentous fungi, e.g., Trichoderma reesei.
In addition, the ability to regulate inducible promoters to express either endogenous or heterologous genes with an inexpensive inducing agent would be of great commercial benefit.

Induction of gene expression using a high concentration sugar mixture


Methods, apparatus, and computer program products for variable dynamic throttling of network traffic for intrusion prevention are disclosed that include initializing, as throttling parameters, a predefined time interval, a packet count, a packet count threshold, a throttle rate, a keepers count, and a discards count; starting a timer, the timer remaining on no longer than the predefined time interval; maintaining, while the timer is on, statistics including the packet count, the keepers count, and the discards count; for each data communications packet received by the network host, determining, in dependence upon the statistics and the throttle rate, whether to discard the packet and determining whether the packet count exceeds the packet count threshold; and if the packet count exceeds the packet count threshold: resetting the statistics, incrementing the throttle rate, and restarting the timer.

1. Field of the Invention
The field of the invention is data processing, or, more specifically, methods, apparatus, and products for variable dynamic throttling of network traffic for intrusion prevention.
2. Description of Related Art
The development of the EDVAC computer system of 1948 is often cited as the beginning of the computer era. Since that time, computer systems have evolved into extremely complicated devices. Today's computers are much more sophisticated than early systems such as the EDVAC. Computer systems typically include a combination of hardware and software components, application programs, operating systems, processors, buses, memory, input/output devices, and so on. As advances in semiconductor processing and computer architecture push the performance of the computer higher and higher, more sophisticated computer software has evolved to take advantage of the higher performance of the hardware, resulting in computer systems today that are much more powerful than just a few years ago.
One of the areas in which progress has been made is in variable dynamic throttling of network traffic for intrusion prevention. Data communications networks are bombarded with suspicious network traffic. Some of the traffic can be the malicious, denial-of-service variety, such as, for example, flood or echo requests to broadcast or multicast addresses. Some of the traffic may be slow and stealthy, such as port scanning, for example, designed by a potential intruder to learn more about the network host with each probe.
In the current art, firewalls are used to filter out unfamiliar IP addresses, and for those intrusions that make it through a firewall, IP address filters can be used on a network host to permit or deny data communications packets. In addition to IP filtering, Quality of Service ('QoS') policies can be created to control network congestion by specifying connection rates and burst limits. When IP filters or QoS policies are engaged, it takes intervention by a system administrator to disengage them.
Also in the current art, intrusion detection systems ('IDS'), potential intruders, and network flows are typically completely denied or blocked. It is often impossible to distinguish between a good client generating an unusually high volume of network traffic and an intruder trying to disrupt or compromise a network host. As a result, a good client can get classified as an intruder and consequently be denied access to the network host.

Variable dynamic throttling of network traffic for intrusion prevention

International Business Machines Corporation