A plasma display panel is a pure linear display and does not provide a non-linear gamma behavior like a CRT so that an artificial gamma function has to be applied to the signal in digital form. This gamma function increases the quantization steps in the dark areas whereas the quantization steps will be reduced in the luminous areas. The basic idea is to apply an adaptive noise filtering after the gammatization process. The adaptive filtering is a specific filtering which is adapted to the gammatization quantization noise. In other words, the filtering will be maximum for dark areas and its efficacy will be automatically decreased when the luminance of the area is increasing.

A PDP for Plasma Display Panel utilizes a matrix array of discharge cells, which can only be "ON", or "OFF". Therefore, it can be defined as a pure digital display. Also unlike a CRT (Cathode Ray Tube) or LCD (Liquid Crystal Display) in which gray levels are expressed by analog control of the light emission, a PDP controls the gray level by modulating the number of light pulses per frame (sustain pulses). This time-modulation will be integrated by the eye over a period corresponding to the eye time response. Since the amplitude video is portrayed by the number of light pulses, occurring at a given frequency, more amplitude means more light pulses and thus more "ON" time. For this reason, this kind of modulation is also known as PWM, pulse width modulation.
This PWM is responsible for one of the PDP image quality problems: the overall noise level, especially in the darker regions of the picture. This is due to the fact that displayed luminance is linear to the number of pulses, but the eye response and sensitivity to noise is not linear. In darker areas the eye is more sensitive than in brighter areas. This means that even though modern PDPs can display ca. 255 discrete video levels, quantization error will be quite noticeable in the darker areas. Moreover, all video pictures are pre-corrected to compensate the traditional gamma curves from standard display (e.g. CRT). Since, the plasma display is a pure linear display and does not provide such a non-linear gamma behavior, an artificial gamma function should be performed at the display level and in a digital form. This gamma function increases the quantization steps in the dark areas whereas the quantization steps will be reduced in luminous areas. In addition, an increasing of the quantization step will drastically increase the level of the noise present in the picture.
In the following, the quantization noise after gammatization of a video signal is described.
The method used to render video levels on a plasma (PWM) is responsible for one of the PDP image quality problems: the big quantization steps, especially in the darker regions of the picture increase strongly the noise level in those areas. This is due to the fact, that displayed luminance is linear to the number of impulses for driving the luminous elements, but the eye response and sensitivity to noise is not linear. In darker areas the eye is more sensitive than in brighter areas. This means than even though modern PDPs can display ca 255 discrete video levels, quantization error will be quite noticeable in the darker areas.
Moreover, all video pictures are pre-corrected by a γ−1 function to compensate the traditional gamma curves (γ) from standard display (e.g. CRT). Since, the plasma display is a pure linear display and does not provide such a non-linear gamma behavior, an artificial gamma function should be applied to the display level and in a digital form. This degamma function increases the quantization noise in the dark areas whereas the quantization noise will be reduced in luminous areas.
A standard gamma function applied on 8-bit level using the following formula:
      Out                                (              x        ,        y            )        =                    225        ·                              (                                          In                                                                                (                                      x                    ,                    y                                    )                                            255                        )                    γ                                                    with                                      γ        ≈    2  shall be taken as example. FIG. 1 illustrates such a function. Itshows that a gamma function applied to 8-bit level generates a strong quantization effect in the dark area. For instance, all input levels below 12 are set together to 0 after the gammatization, i.e. the application of the γ function. The following table presents the detail of the computation for some video levels:
Input (8-bit)(Output (float)Output (8-bit)00010,003921569020,015686275030,035294118040,062745098050,098039216060,141176471070,192156863080,250980392090,3176470590100,3921568630110,4745098040120,5647058821130,6627450981140,7686274511150,8823529411161,0039215691171,1333333331181,2705882351191,4156862751201,5686274512211,7294117652221,8980392162232,0745098042. . . . . . . . . 250245,0980392245251247,0627451247252249,0352941249253251,0156863251254253,0039216253255255255
This table shows that, in the dark areas, there are less output values than input values which means that the quantization steps have increased. On the opposite, in high levels, there are less input than output values (e.g. no input to generate the value 246) which means that the quantization noise has been reduced.
Standard digital pictures suffer from quantization noise which depends on the number of bits used for the digitalization. In addition to that, all natural sequences contain some natural noise (mainly gaussian noise). The overall visibility of these noise effects also depends on its temporal variation which generates a kind of bustling effect.
FIG. 2 presents the video values of a standard digital video picture before gammatization. It shows an example of quantization noise and natural noise for the three color-components R,G,B of a part of the picture. This noise is enhanced by its temporal variation.
Now, there shall be given an estimation of the effect obtained on a CRT disposing of an analog gammatization function (tube behavior). For that estimation, the assumption is taken that the luminance of the white will be 100 cd/m2 and that the CRT behavior can be represented by:
      CRT                                (              x        ,        y            )        =                    100        ·                              (                                          In                                                                                (                                      x                    ,                    y                                    )                                            255                        )                    γ                                                    with                                      γ        =    2.  In that case, the noise pattern on the CRT will be transformed as shown in FIG. 3. From the luminance values of the three patterns R,G,B, is calculated for each component R,G,B a mean noise value and a mean error value on a CRT screen.
This shall be compared with the noise generated in the case of a plasma display. First, the gammatization will be performed at digital level (8-bit) as shown in FIG. 4. The degammatization is performed on the input values as those given in FIG. 2 for the three components R,G,B. At the output a digital value is obtained.
Then, for each digital value, a luminance value can be computed taking the assumption that the plasma is a pure linear system, the value 255 is matched with 100 cd/m2 The visibility of the noise structure can be estimated as shown in FIG. 5 which corresponds to FIG. 3 but in the case of a PDP.
The estimation of the noise structure on a plasma showed that the increased quantization step in the dark areas lead to a strong noise pattern. Therefore the bustling effect of the noise will increase strongly on a plasma screen in comparison to standard displays (the mean error may be up to 80%). This is also enhanced by the fact that the human visual system behavior follows a logarithm law, more sensitive for low-levels than for high levels.
As explained in the previous paragraph, the noise is more visible on a plasma than on other display in the dark areas (e.g. CRTs). Therefore, it is judicious to implement a kind of noise reduction algorithm on PDPs. Actually, various displays already dispose of such algorithms. Nevertheless, standard noise reduction algorithms also have drawbacks like a loss of sharpness, moving artifacts (trail behind strong edges).

Adaptive noise reduction for digital display panels


An electrical connector, comprising a housing body having a tubular plugging face for plugging in a mating connector, the tubular plugging face (12) having a sectional shape of substantially square (14) with respect to a sectional plane perpendicular to a direction of plugging into the mating connector, the tubular plugging face including a square tubular portion (13) and a cylindrical portion (14), wherein the square tubular and cylindrical portions have sectional shape of a square and a circle, respectively, with respect to the sectional plane, which are overlapped with each other, and at least one key (32A) or at least one key groove (14A) for preventing a plugging error, the key or key groove provided in the cylindrical portion.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an electrical connector capable of preventing plugging error with any connector other than a mating connector.
2. Description of the Related Art
This kind of connector is disclosed, for example, in Japanese Patent Application Kokai Number 6-60077 (Patent Document 1).
The convention connector has a plugging face which has a sectional shape of oblong square tube taken along the plane perpendicular the plugging direction. A rugged portion is provided at a corner of the upper surface of the plugging face to prevent plugging error. The connector comprises coaxial cables at ends in the horizontal direction and a plurality of signal terminals arranged between the coaxial cables.
In the convention connector, however, there have been problems in terms of manufacturing accuracy and plugging deviation caused by the plugging face having the shape of square tube.
A molding die for the housing requires two directional dimensions, vertical and horizontal dimensions with respect to the plane perpendicular to the plugging direction, for the square tubular shape. Accordingly, dimensional errors in the two directions are possible. Consequently, the dimensional error of the conventional connector is larger than that of other connector having a cylindrical shape which requires only one dimension, a radius from the center.
In the conventional connector with the square tubular shape, when plugged with the mating connector, even if the connectors fit in each other in the vertical direction, a plugging error is possible because of the plugging deviation in the horizontal direction. However, in case of a connector with the cylindrical plugging shape, even if there is a plugging deviation in the horizontal error, the plugging deviation of a certain part of the plugging face is small and the amount of the plugging deviation is changing continuously from the part of the small deviation so that it is possible to lead to proper plugging without plugging deviation by correcting the deviation at that part.
As described above, the conventional connector having the plugging face of square tubular shape has a large error in the manufacturing accuracy and no correction capability for the plugging deviation. Accordingly, unless a key groove for a key is made sufficiently large to absorb the manufacturing error and plugging deviation, the smooth plugging is impossible. However, when a plurality of keys are necessary, it is impossible to provide many keys densely in a limited area because the respective keys require a sufficient interval between each other.

Electrical connector capable of preventing plugging error


An optical semiconductor device has an optical semiconductor element (2) such as an LED or PD, and a light-permeable resin (4) encapsulating the optical semiconductor element. The light-permeable resin contains a base resin and filler. The light-permeable resin (4) has a characteristic that its transmittance increases with a temperature rise within an operating temperature range (e.g., −40° C.−+85° C.).

The present invention relates to an optical semiconductor device having an encapsulated optical semiconductor element, an optical communication device having the optical semiconductor device, and electronic equipment having the optical semiconductor device.
Conventionally, as an optical semiconductor device having an optical semiconductor element that requires light transmission, or optical penetration, such as a light emitting diode (LED) and a photodiode (PD), products produced by using the transfer molding of a light-permeable mold resin are widely used.
When a light-permeable mold resin is made of a single kind of resin mold material, there is an advantage that a particularly satisfactory light transmittance can be obtained, while such light-permeable mold resin has characteristics that its coefficient of thermal expansion is large. This raises a problem that a difference between the coefficient of linear expansion of the light-permeable mold resin and the coefficients of linear expansion of the optical semiconductor device, the lead frame and the bonding wire would cause disconnection of the bonding wire and occurrence of cracks in the package and the like in a high operating temperature range, as a consequence of which it becomes difficult to produce an optical semiconductor device of high reliability.
As a method for controlling the coefficient of thermal expansion of the light-permeable mold resin, adding filler to the resin mold material is known. Typical fillers include transparent inorganic powder of glass or the like.
FIG. 16 is a graph showing the temperature dependence of the refractive index of a filler material (glass) and the temperature dependence of the refractive index of a resin mold material (hereinafter referred to as a base resin mold material) to which no filler is added. In detail, FIG. 16 shows a graph showing the refractive indexes of the filler material and the base resin mold material in the form of relative values with the refractive index at a temperature of 25° C. assuming a value of one, wherein the filler material and the base resin mold material is adjusted such that a refractive index difference between them becomes zero at the temperature of 25° C. In FIG. 16, the filler material is silica glass, and the base resin mold material is an acid-anhydrous epoxy resin or a phenolic epoxy resin.
Also, in FIG. 16, the dashed line represents the temperature dependence of the refractive index of the filler material, and the solid line represents the temperature dependence of the refractive index of the base resin mold material.
As shown in FIG. 16, the refractive index of the base resin mold material exhibits a tendency of decrease as the temperature rises, while the refractive index of the filler material has no temperature dependence and exhibits a tendency of constancy.
FIG. 17 is a graph showing the temperature dependence of the light transmittance of the resin mold material when the filler is added to the base resin.
In FIG. 17, the light transmittance at 25° C. is assumed to have a value of one, and the light transmittances at other temperatures are represented by values relative to the light transmittance at 25° C.
In FIG. 17, the light transmittance depends on the refractive index difference between the base resin and the filler, and the light transmittance is one at the temperature at which the refractive index difference is zero. Then, the light transmittance exhibits a tendency of decrease as the refractive index difference is increased.
For the above reasons, since the refractive index difference is zero at 25° C. in the case of FIG. 17, the light transmittance at 25° C. is the highest, and the light transmittance exhibits a tendency of decrease as the temperature rises from 25° C.
FIG. 18 is a graph showing the temperature dependence of the optical output power of a general LED.
In FIG. 18, the optical output power at 25° C. is assumed to be one, and the optical output powers at other temperatures are represented by values relative to the output power at 25° C.
As shown in FIG. 18, the optical output power exhibits a tendency of decrease with the temperature rise. As shown in FIG. 18, the general LED, of which the optical output power has the tendency of decrease with the temperature rise, therefore has a problem that a decrease in the optical output power becomes significant at high temperatures and it is difficult to provide an optical semiconductor device having a constant optical output power at temperatures within the operating temperature range.
FIG. 19 is a graph showing a measurement result of the temperature dependence of the optical output power when the LED is encapsulated in a light-permeable resin to which no filler is added, and a measurement result of the temperature dependence of the optical output power when the LED is encapsulated in the light-permeable resin to which filler is added.
In FIG. 19, the solid line represents the temperature dependence of the optical output power in the case of encapsulation in the light-permeable resin to which filler is added, and the dashed line represents the temperature dependence of the optical output power in the case of encapsulation in the light-permeable resin to which no filler is added.
In FIG. 19, the optical output power at 25° C. is given a value of one, and relative value representation is provided.
As shown in FIG. 19, the optical output power of the LED when the filler is added has a larger fluctuation in the optical output power than when no filler is added. This is presumably attributed to a decrease in the light transmittance as a consequence of an increasing refractive index difference between the added filler and the base resin due to the temperature change.
Moreover, as shown in FIG. 19, when no filler is added, the fluctuation in the optical output power has a tendency that the fluctuation can be approximated by a linear equation (collinear approximation). When the filler is added, the fluctuation in the optical output power has a tendency that the fluctuation cannot be approximated by a linear equation. This means that a point at which the refractive index difference between the added filler and the base resin is zero (indicated by A in FIG. 19) is within the measurement temperature range.
As shown in FIG. 19, the conventional optical semiconductor device that uses the resin to which filler is added as an encapsulating resin has a problem that the characteristics of the optical semiconductor device are not stabilized within the operating temperature range.
JP 2003-3043 A discloses that epoxy resin is used as a base resin material and non-alkali glass filler is used as a glass filler material.
JP 2002-88223 A is another prior art reference that discloses a material obtained by adding filler to a resin mold material.
The reference discloses an epoxy resin to which an effect accelerating agent and inorganic filler are added. The reference also discloses that the epoxy resin has a high transparency under various temperature environments and is excellent in heat resistance, moisture resistance and low stressedness.
However, the epoxy resin, which has a high transparency under various temperature environments and is excellent in heat resistance, moisture resistance and low stressedness, has a problem that the light transmittance decreases as the temperature rises and the characteristics of the optical semiconductor device can hardly be stabilized at high temperatures, as may be understood from the fact that the transmittance decreases from 100 to 70 as the temperature rises from 25° C. to 100° C.
JP H05-25397 A also discloses a resin composition, of which the light transmittance reversibly varies with the temperature change and the coefficient of thermal expansion is small and which provides a hardened body that has excellent repetition durability.
However, there is a problem that it is unclear whether or not the resin composition is usable for the optical semiconductor device, i.e., whether or not the resin composition causes some trouble when it is used for the optical semiconductor device. There is a further problem that even if the resin composition can be used, the manufacturing method of an optical semiconductor device having the resin composition is not known.

Optical semiconductor device, optical communication device, and electronic equipment


A heater apparatus of a washing machine is presented. The presented heater apparatus of a washing machine is comprising; a tub (190); a heater joint unit formed on the tub (190); a heater (200) arranged on the heater joint unit; and a heater joint member (300) being able to offset the pressure inflicted to the heater joint unit by the arrangement of the heater (200) as pressurizes the heater joint unit.

In general, a tub is installed in the interior space of a cabinet which constitutes the external appearance of a washing machine. The tub is supported by a damper connected on the upper side of a tub, and stores the washing water in the interior. And, a laundry tray is installed rotatably in the interior of the tub. Particularly, as several opening are formed on the lower part and the flank of the laundry tray, the washing water stored in the tub flows between the laundry tray and the tub, and so the impurities are removed.
In another aspect, a heater which make the washing water hot as heating is installed on the bottom of the tub. Therefore, it isn't necessary to connect with a hot water dripping tap separately, because the washing water is heated as a certain temperature as a heater is operated, even if the cold water is flown into the interior of the tub in the winter.
The conventional technique on a tub having a heater which operates with the same as the above mentioned functions is recorded particularly on the official report of the Republic of Korean special permission licenses "10-2003-0055973."
However, generally a tub is an injection molded plastic that the strength is lower than a heater or a voltage. Therefore, according to the stress which occurred on the interior of the tub like the above-mentioned is continuously given, a crack is occurred on a part of the tub where the heater is united. In that case, the disadvantages like the product reliance is decreased greatly, etc as the washing water is leaked through the crack, etc are occurred.


An apparatus for multiplexing a pair of test clock signals and a pair of system clock signals onto a pair of output clock signals includes a first means for coupling a first test clock signal to a first output clock signal when a test mode control signal is active, for driving the first output clock signal to an inactive clock signal level when the test mode control signal transitions to an inactive state, and for coupling a first system clock signal to the first output clock signal beginning with a first full clock pulse of the first system clock signal which occurs after the test mode control signal transitions to the inactive state. The apparatus further includes a second means for coupling a second test clock signal to a second output clock when the test mode control signal is active, for driving the second output clock to the inactive clock signal level when the test mode control signal transitions to the inactive state, and for coupling a second system clock signal to the second output clock beginning with a first full clock pulse of the second system clock signal which occurs after the first full clock pulse of the first system clock signal. When exiting the test mode the apparatus ensures that both first and second output clock signals are brought (or held) to an inactive clock signal level, and that system operation begins with the first system clock signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to control of clock signals in digital systems such as, for example, integrated circuits (ICs). More particularly, the present invention relates to synchronously multiplexing clock signals for controlling circuit elements in such a system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Most digital systems (e.g., microprocessor chips) operate as control driven, synchronous sequential systems. This means the sequence of operations in the system is synchronized by a master clock signal (usually an external clock). This clock signal is usually one of the form shown in FIG. 1; which illustrates a square wave with a substantially 50% duty cycle.
The master clock signal allows system operations to occur at regularly spaced intervals. In particular, operations are made to take place at times when the clock signal is making a transition from low-to-high or from high-to-low; rising edge 102 or falling edge 104, respectively.
Many microprocessor chips have their timing controlled by two or more related clock signals generated by an on-chip clock generator based on the master clock signal. FIG. 2A illustrates one such combination utilizing two clock signals identified by .phi.1 and .phi.2. This clocking arrangement provides four different edges and three different states per period, compared to only two edges and two states per period provided with a single clock signal as shown in FIG. 1. FIG. 2B illustrates examples of the three possible states for clock signals .phi.1 and .phi.2. For elements on the chip to function properly, it is important that edges of clock signals .phi.1 and .phi.2 are non-overlapping. If the edges overlap there will be more restrictions on data transfer and signal hand shaking.
For the non-overlapping clock signals .phi.1 and .phi.2 shown, the rising edge 202 of clock signal .phi.1 defines the beginning of a .phi.1 clock pulse, and the falling edge 204 defines the end of the .phi.1 clock pulse. Likewise, the rising edge 206 of clock signal .phi.2 defines the beginning of a .phi.2 clock pulse, and the falling edge 208 defines the end of the .phi.2 clock pulse. In STATE 1, both .phi.1 and .phi.2 reside at an inactive clock signal level, in this case a logic "0". Only one clock at a time is driven to an active clock signal level (e.g., a logic "1"). Complement clock signals, where only one phase at a time ever resides at a logic "0", are also entirely possible.
Additionally, it is equally important that non-overlapping clock pulses be evenly distributed to all corners of a chip regardless of the distance which those signals must travel. As chip size increases, clock signals .phi.1 and .phi.2 have to travel greater distances throughout the chip. This causes clock signals .phi.1 and .phi.2 to become degraded. As distances increase, rising edges 202, 206 and falling edges 204, 208 may become obscured (experience phase shifts and increases in transition times) and can overlap. This phenomenon, sometimes referred to as clock skew, is caused by a number of factors, including: loading, unwanted noise, coupling, capacitance, resistance, inductance and other debilitating effects.
To account for these factors, designers must separate the rising and falling edges 202, 204, 206, 208 of different clock signals (i.e., .phi.1 and .phi.2) with a large enough margin of time to allow for clock skew. For instance, falling edge 204 and rising edge 206 must be separated by a minimum temporal distance or amount of time (T) to avoid overlapping states; especially for level-triggering operations in metaloxide-silicon (MOS) technology. The larger T is, the less likely the chip will fail due to overlapping signals caused by skewing. The wide range of operating environments to which the chip(s) may be subject must be considered in selecting T. Therefore, to provide an adequate margin, manufacturers are forced to select T large enough to provide functionality in a worst-case environment. However, a large T is a significant cycle time constraint.
For this reason, two-phase non-overlapping clock signals are frequently generated on-chip, so that chip-to-chip I/O delays and skews do not add to the clock skew between clock phases. Clock frequency can be more easily increased and T reduced by using a two-phase clock generator on-board the integrated circuit itself, which is typically supplied with a single-phase externally-generated clock signal.
The testing of microprocessor integrated circuits presents many problems, including the synchronization of internal operation, while testing, with externally applied stimuli such as test vectors. Consequently, it is sometimes desirable to clock a microprocessor under testing conditions with externally supplied test clock signals rather than the internally generated clock signals normally utilized. But since many operations must be tested at full speed, and since it is difficult to externally clock the integrated circuit as fast as the internal clock signals may be operated, the integrated circuit must also be tested using the internally generated system clocks. Moreover, it is frequently desirable to clock the integrated circuit with test clocks and external stimuli to pre-condition certain portions of the integrated circuit under test, or to provide certain arguments, or to present certain conditions to portions of the integrated circuit under test. Subsequent to such pre-conditioning, the integrated circuit is clocked with system clocks to perform the at-speed test in question.
If, when the clock signals within the integrated circuit are transferred from the test clock signals to the system clock signals, certain clock "glitches" or narrow clocks occur, then the integrated circuit may malfunction and mar the validity of the test. What is needed, for example, is a clock signal multiplexer which affords synchronous transfer of clock signals, as would be provided internally to an integrated circuit, from a pair of non-overlapping test clock signals to a pair of non-overlapping system clock signals.

Synchronous multiplexer for clock signals


A differential control unit for a 4-wheel drive vehicle is disposed between a transmission and a propeller shaft, controls a violator of the speed regulations between front and rear wheels generated when turning the 4-wheel drive vehicle, and limits the torsion stress by its violator of the speed regulations so that it can improve driving performance and keep the vehicle stable. The differential control unit for limiting a differential includes a screw shaft for connecting to the transfer case and transmitting a turning effect, a piston for moving forward and backward relative to the shaft portion, a multiple disc clutch for differential control according to the existence and non-existence of friction created by the forward and backward motion of the piston, a spline gear forming the spline gear on the outer circumference to pass through the inner circumference of the multiple disc clutch, and a housing connected and fixed to the propeller shaft to equip components of a third stopper disposed for supporting the spline gear.

The present invention relates to a differential control unit for front and rear wheels of a 4-wheel drive vehicle which is disposed on a propeller shaft for connecting a transmission and a differential gear of the 4-wheel drive vehicle so as to improve driving performance and keep the vehicle stable by absorbing and controlling the speed difference generated between the front and rear wheels and by limiting the torsion stress when turning.
In general, because speed difference is generated between front wheels and rear wheels when turning the 4-wheel drive vehicle, it causes relative spin in the wheels and torsion in the driving system so that it affects driving performance.
A specific tight corner braking phenomena occurs in the 4-wheel drive vehicle due to a difference of radius of gyration between the front and rear wheels, and more particularly due to the difference of the number of rotations according to the big radius of gyration for the front wheel and the small radius of gyration for the rear wheel when turning the vehicle.
The difference of radius of gyration causes forced slipping of the wheels or torsion stress of the driving system in parts like the propeller shaft. This results in locking the driving system and thereby braking the vehicle.
The braking phenomena of the driving system has a harmful influence upon rigidity of the propeller shaft and also on smooth turning of the vehicle, and causes loss of power.
As the propeller shaft of the 4-wheel drive vehicle is a direct connecting type, the rear wheels having small rotative velocity slip because of the speed difference between the front and rear wheels when turning the vehicle. Accordingly, driving performance and stability of the vehicle drops.
In addition, because torsion stress occurs while turning the vehicle causing the vehicle body to vibrate, when designing the vehicle, the size and weight of the propeller shaft should be increased to reduce vibration.
In recent years, a viscose coupling has been used to solve the problem. However, the viscose coupling has a complex structure and increases manufacturing costs.

Differential control unit for front and rear wheels of a 4-wheel drive vehicle


A corsage pin and method for constructing a corsage facilitate attachment of a corsage to the corsage pin. The corsage pin includes a medal with a bendable and cutable post attached to the back of the medal and extending down. The corsage is positioned in front of the corsage pin, and the post is cut to a length approximately one inch below the lowest stem of the corsage, and then bent approximately 180 degrees. The stem(s) of the corsage are positioned to overlap the end of the bent post and tape is wrapped around the post and corsage. Two horizontally spaced apart pins on the back of the medal are inserted through a garment and bent 90 degrees to affix the corsage to the garment.

The present invention relates to corsage pins and in particular to a corsage pin with a bendable metal post for attaching flowers and a pair of bendable prongs for attaching the corsage pin to a garment.
Corsage pins are commonly used to attach corsages to garments. Unfortunately, known corsage pins often do not facilitate a simple convenient method for attaching a corsage to the corsage pin.


A server may be configured to receive an indication that a first user device stores a particular content item; receive, from a second user device, a request for content; and determine that the requested content is available from the first user device. The determining may include determining that the particular content item stored by the first user device corresponds to the request for content, and determining that a local peer connection is available between the first user device and the second user device. The server may further output, to the first user device, an instruction to output the requested content to the second user device via the local peer connection, and/or the server may output, to the second user device, information which may allow the second user device to request the content from the first user device via a local peer connection.

Wireless telephones may be used for a variety of purposes. For example, wireless telephones may be used for Internet-based applications, such as browsing web sites that are available on the Internet. Wireless telephones may retain a cache of visited web sites, which may facilitate faster browsing when subsequently visiting web sites that have already been visited.

Adaptive, personal localized cache control server


A method of conditioning a vacuum chamber of a semiconductor substrate processing apparatus includes forming a layer of an organic polymeric film on plasma or process gas exposed surfaces thereof. The method includes: (a) flowing a first reactant in vapor phase of a diacyl chloride into the vacuum chamber; (b) purging the vacuum chamber after a flow of the first reactant has ceased; (c) flowing a second reactant in vapor phase into the vacuum chamber selected from the group consisting of a diamine, a diol, a thiol, and a trifunctional compound to form a layer of an organic polymeric film on the plasma or process gas exposed surfaces of the vacuum chamber; and (d) purging the vacuum chamber to purge excess second reactant and reaction byproducts from the vacuum chamber.

Semiconductor substrate processing apparatuses are used to process semiconductor substrates (also referred to herein as substrates, semiconductor wafers, or wafers) in a vacuum chamber thereof by techniques including etching, physical vapor deposition (PVD), chemical vapor deposition (CVD), plasma enhanced chemical vapor deposition (PECVD), atomic layer deposition (ALD), plasma enhanced atomic layer deposition (PEALD), pulsed deposition layer (PDL), molecular layer deposition (MLD), plasma enhanced molecular layer deposition (PEMLD), conformal film deposition (CFD), plasma enhanced pulsed deposition layer (PEPDL) processing, and resist removal. Semiconductor substrate processing apparatuses, such as the aforementioned processing apparatuses, can comprise a plurality of exposed surfaces of the vacuum chamber which are exposed to plasma and/or process gases during semiconductor substrate processing. The plasma or process gas exposed surfaces of the vacuum chamber may release harmful contaminants during the processing of semiconductor substrates and can contaminate a semiconductor substrate being processed. For example, an plasma or process gas exposed surface of a chamber component of the vacuum chamber can outgas undesirable elements such as aluminum (Al), iron (Fe), sodium (Na), copper (Cu), and the like. These contaminants can be released from the plasma or process gas exposed surfaces of the vacuum chamber components due to chemical reactions with process gas introduced into the chamber or plasma generated in the chamber. For example, atomic layer deposition (ALD) processing using halogen gases such as chlorine (Cl), bromine (Br), iodine (I), and the like can extract metals such as Cu, Na and Fe from the plasma or process gas exposed surfaces of vacuum chamber components and can lead to metal contamination of a film being deposited on a semiconductor substrate in the vacuum chamber of the semiconductor substrate processing apparatus.

Method of conditioning vacuum chamber of semiconductor substrate processing apparatus


System and methods to guide interaction of characters with objects in a virtual space include determining how objects near a particular character are perceived by that character. Based on proximity, position, the manner of possible interaction, and/or other considerations, objects are ranked for interaction with the character.

Conventionally, in a (multi-character and/or networked) game, characters and/or objects may interact in the same instance of the game. Users or players may interact with objects, other characters, and/or non-player characters (NPCs). NPCs are typically controlled through Artificial Intelligence (AI), rules, goals, and/or other mechanisms. NPC actions and movements may be governed by the same or similar rules (e.g. physics rules) as characters controlled by human players. For example, characters may be not permitted to walk through walls or other solid objects. The types of possible and/or permissible interactions of a character with objects and other characters may depend on attributes of a character and/or object, as well as other considerations.
Typically, the map of the virtual space is similar if not the same for all players. That is, the terrain is mostly the same, even if some smaller objects may be in different locations for different players.
One way to guide interactions of characters within the virtual space may be by constantly checking and/or detecting whether an individual character is so close to any objects that the individual character is permitted to interact with it (and whether the particular object is of a type that the individual character is able to interact with at that moment). Computationally, this may be costly. For complex virtual spaces that include many objects and many characters, permitted interactions may be numerous, such that constantly checking and/or detecting may be complicated and/or cost-prohibitive. Furthermore, the number of permitted interactions may be so numerous that human-controlled characters may be overwhelmed by evaluating all or most options.


An energy expenditure garment incorporates various techniques for providing resistance to the bending movements of the wearer. Such techniques include having unbalanced resistance elements and having non-elastic resistance elements such as friction pads to create a friction brake. Relatively non-elastic resistance elements could be joined together by elastic connectors.

Various garments have been suggested which involve elastic elements to provide a resistance to an activity which would require the swinging or bending of the arms and/or legs and/or body. Generally, such elastic elements are elastic cords or bands which are separate from the remainder of the garment, but are otherwise attached to the garment or the elastic elements are in the form of elastic panels which are integral with the remainder of the garment. Examples of such garments described in patents are found in U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,109,546, 5,176,600, 5,186,701, 5,201,074, 5,306,222 and 5,570,472. Additional disclosures of such garments are found in various U.S. patent applications, namely, Ser. No. 08/627,426, filed Apr. 4, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,700,231 Ser. No. 08/660,098, filed Jun. 6, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,727,254, Ser. No. 08/734,736, filed Oct. 21, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,708,976, Ser. No. 08/761,290, filed Dec. 6, 1996, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,720,042, Ser. No. 08/777,453, filed Dec. 3, 1996, now U.S. Pat. 5,745,917, Ser. No. 08/802,972, filed Feb. 20, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,773, Ser. No. 08/802,973, filed Feb. 20, 1997, Ser. No. 08/834,887, filed Apr. 7, 1997, now U.S. Pat. No. 5,737,773, Ser. No. 08/840,917, filed Apr. 25, 1997, Ser. No. 08/880,715, filed Jun. 23, 1997, and Ser. No. 08/892,669, filed Jul. 14, 1997.


An electronic device comprising a USB port and a PCB is provided. A first cabling layer of the PCB has a first floating area and a line outside the first floating area, an insulation medium is between the first floating area and the line, a second cabling layer of the PCB is adjacent to the first cabling layer and has a first metal area, an orthographic projection of the first floating area on the second cabling layer and the first metal area have an overlapping area, and the first floating area is not connected to the first metal area; and a metal housing of the USB port has a plurality of fixed contacts fastened to the PCB and not connected to a ground of the PCB, the contacts include a first fixed contact connected to the first floating area and not connected to the first metal area.

Currently, an electronic device such as a smartphone or a tablet personal computer performs charging, data transmission, and the like by using a USB port.
Two or four fixed contacts 11 (as shown in FIG. 1a) are usually disposed on a metal housing of the universal serial bus (universal serial bus, USB) port on the electronic device, and the USB port on the electronic device is fastened to a printed circuit board (printed circuit board, PCB) of the electronic device by using the fixed contacts 11. The metal housing of the USB port is usually connected to a ground (as shown in FIG. 1b) on the PCB of the electronic device by using the fixed contacts 11. Because the metal housing of the USB port is relatively close to a USB tongue, non-insulation materials such as perspiration and dust particles accumulate between the tongue and the metal housing of the USB port in daily use, especially between the USB housing and a power pin (VBUS) on the tongue (as shown in FIG. 1b). After a high-voltage and high-current charger is connected, a state of a micro short circuit between a power supply and the ground is formed. The state cannot be detected by using an overcurrent detection mechanism of the electronic device. A current path: VBUS→perspiration→metal housing of the USB port exists, and heat accumulates on the USB port. Consequently, the USB port is burned, endangering user's safety.
The USB port is usually disposed at a lower part of the electronic device such as a mobile phone, and usually an antenna is also disposed at the lower part of the electronic device. When the USB port performs charging or data transmission, the antenna is interfered with. As shown in FIG. 1c, currently the metal housing of the USB port is usually connected to the ground on the PCB of the electronic device by using an additional protection component. The protection component is configured to isolate interference and prevent a micro short circuit. However, the protection component occupies internal space of the electronic device. Consequently, it is not conducive to lightening and thinning of the electronic device.


A fastening mechanism for fastening a detachable electronic device onto a DIN rail includes a frame, a first slab member and a first resilient element. The frame includes a base, a first extension part and a second extension part. The first extension part and the second extension part are arranged at bilateral sides of the base. A first perforation is formed between the first extension part and the base. The first slab member is movable along the bottom surface of the first extension part and has an end penetrating through the first perforation to be disposed over the base. The first resilient element is coupled to the first slab member and exerts a clamping force for claming a first extending edge of the DIN rail between the first slab member and the base.

Electronic device housings are frequently mounted to a DIN rail. For example, power supply apparatuses are usually detachably mounted to a DIN rail in a manner which resists unintentionally loosening the housing from the rail but permits easy removal for repair or replacement. In this regard, the housing of the electronic device has a mechanism for attaching the electronic device to the DIN rail.
Referring to FIG. 1(a), a schematic exploded view of a detachable electronic device and a DIN rail is illustrated. The housing 10 of the detachable electronic device 1 includes a fastening mechanism 11. The fastening mechanism 11 includes a bracket 111. The bracket 111 has a recess 112 for receiving the first extending edge 21 of the DIN rail 2. In response to an external force applying on the housing 10 as denoted by the dotted line, the second extending edge 22 of the DIN rail 2 is engaged with a connecting element 113 of the bracket 111. Via the fastening mechanism 11, the detachable electronic device 1 is mounted to the DIN rail 2.
FIG. 1(b) is a schematic assembled view of the detachable electronic device and the DIN rail. As previously described, since the external force is required to securely engage the second extending edge 22 of the DIN rail 2 with the connecting element 113, the DIN rail 2 is readily suffered from deformation due to the external force. Due to deformation, the DIN rail 2 may be damaged or even fail to be reusable. In addition, if the external force is improperly exerted, the DIN rail 2 possibly has a breakdown and thus the detachable electronic device 1 fails to be mounted to the DIN rail 2.
Although standardized DIN rails are typically used for mounting electrical components, different, non-standard rail types are becoming more widespread in use. Since the DIN rail 2 has various specifications, the width of every DIN rail 2 and the thickness of the first extending edge 21 or the second extending edge 22 are different according to different specifications. As a consequence, the detachable electronic device 1 should be mounted to a suitable DIN rail 2 having a specification complying with the fastening mechanism 11.
Since the detachable electronic device 1 is mounted to DIN rail 2 by receiving the first extending edge 21 into the recess 112 and engaging the second extending edge 22 with the connecting element 113, the DIN rail 2 needs to be horizontally arranged. In other words, the DIN rail 2 is not suitable to be vertically arranged because the detachable electronic device 1 is likely loosened or detached from the DIN rail 2 in a case of abrupt impact. Under this circumstance, the safety and the stability of the detachable electronic device 1 are impaired.
In views of the above-described disadvantages resulted from the conventional method, the applicant keeps on carving unflaggingly to develop a fastening mechanism according to the present invention through wholehearted experience and research.

Mechanism of fastening detachable electronic device to DIN rail

Delta Electronics (Thailand) Public Co., Ltd


The present disclosure relates to a camera optical lens satisfying following conditions: 3.00≤f2/f≤5.00, 13.00≤d5/d6≤25.00, 3.00≤(R5+R6)/(R5−R6)≤10.00, and 5.00≤R3/R4≤50.00; where f denotes an overall focal length of the camera optical lens, f2 denotes a focal length of a second lens, d5 denotes an on-axis thickness of a third lens, d6 denotes an on-axis distance from an image-side surface of the third lens to an object-side surface of a fourth lens, R5 and R6 respectively denote a curvature radius of an object-side surface and the image-side surface of the third lens, and R3 and R4 respectively denote a curvature radius of an object-side surface and an image-side surface of the second lens. The camera optical lens in the present disclosure satisfies a design requirement of large aperture and wide angle while having good optical functions.

With the emergence of smart phones in recent years, the demand for miniature camera lens is increasing day by day, but in general the photosensitive devices of camera lens are nothing more than Charge Coupled Device (CCD) or Complementary Metal-Oxide Semiconductor Sensor (CMOS sensor), and as the progress of the semiconductor manufacturing technology makes the pixel size of the photosensitive devices become smaller, plus the current development trend of electronic products towards better functions and thinner and smaller dimensions, miniature camera lens with good imaging quality therefore have become a mainstream in the market.
In order to obtain better imaging quality, the lens that is traditionally equipped in mobile phone cameras adopts a three-piece or four-piece, even five-piece or six-piece lens structure. However, with the development of technology and the increase of the diverse demands of users, and as the pixel area of photosensitive devices is becoming smaller and smaller and the requirement of the system on the imaging quality is improving constantly, although the common four-piece lens has good optical functions, the lens is fairly unreasonable in terms of setting of optical focal degree, lens spacing and lens shape, rendering that the lens structure with good optical functions can not satisfy a design requirement of large aperture, ultra-thinness and wide angle.


A photographic element comprises a support bearing at least one silver halide emulsion and at least one acylacetanilide or malonanilide yellow dye-forming DIR coupler of structure I or structure II, below ##STR1## wherein the substituents are as defined in the specification.

Many photographic materials, particularly color negative films, contain so-called DIR (development inhibitor releasing) couplers. In addition to forming imaging dye, DIR couplers release inhibitors that can restrain silver development in the layer in which release occurs as well as in other layers of a multilayer photographic material. DIR couplers can help control gamma or contrast, can enhance sharpness or acutance, can reduce granularity and can provide color correction via interlayer interimage effects.
To provide suitable inhibition of silver development and the desirable photographic effects thereof, a DIR coupler must release an inhibitor that effectively interacts with silver and/or silver halide during development. In addition to being of the proper structural type, the inhibitor must have the proper degree of hydrophobicity to retard efficiently silver development. One measure of hydrophobicity that has been related to inhibitor strength is log P, the octanol/water partition coefficient, for the inhibitor. The relationship between inhibition and log P is described in R. P. Szajewski et al. "Progress in Basic Principles of Imaging Systems", F. Granzer and E. Moisar, eds., Vieweg & Sohn, Braunschweig, 1987, p 425 and in U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,782,012, and 5,006,448. An inhibitor becomes more hydrophobic as log P increases. An inhibitor also becomes more hydrophobic as the number of carbons in an alkyl chain increases or as the number of chlorine substituents increases, since both methylene and chlorine groups are relatively hydrophobic. If the degree of hydrophobicity of the inhibitor is too low it will not effectively inhibit silver development, thus inhibitors with low log P values or insufficient numbers of carbon atoms or chlorine atoms tend to be inefficient. Addition of thioether groups to an alkyl chain tends to enhance interactions with silver and silver halide, and thus allows compounds with somewhat lower log P values or fewer numbers of carbon atoms to be effective inhibitors. If log P or hydrophobicity of a prospective inhibitor becomes too high, its effectiveness also tends to be diminished, since it may become so insoluble in the aqueous processing solution that most of it remains in dispersion droplets rather than diffusing to silver or silver halide particles. Inhibitors that are too hydrophobic also tend to deliver little interlayer interimage, since little inhibitor can diffuse out of the layer in which it is generated.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,182,630 broadly discloses triazole-releasing DIR couplers, including DIR couplers having 1,2,4-triazole coupling-off groups with 3-carboxy acid ester substituents (R.sub.2) having 1-18 carbon atoms in the alkyl chain. However, such couplers are relatively ineffective DIR couplers that produce minimal inhibition of silver development. U.S. Pat. No. 3,933,500 also broadly discloses couplers with triazole coupling-off groups.

Photographic element containing a DIR coupler


The present invention concerns lectins isolated from the genus Tritrichomonas which bind specifically to sialic acid. The invention further pertains to uses of such lectins, and to processes for their preparation. The invention is further drawn to neuraminidase, particularly from T. mobilensis.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention, in the areas of microbiology and immunology, relates to a novel lectin with binding specificity toward sialic acid, to methods of its production and isolation, and to its uses in diagnosis and treatment of diseases. The lectin may be isolated from Tritrichomonas species.
2. Description of the Background Art
The discovery of microbial lectins has opened new approaches for studies of host-parasite interactions. These carbohydrate-specific molecules appear to play an important role in cell recognition and cell adhesion (Liener et al., The Lectins. Properties, Functions and Applications in Biology and Medicine, Academic Press, New York (1986)). Many species of bacteria as well as some viruses produce lectins (Mirelman (ed.), Microbial Lectins and Agglutinins: Properties and Biological Activity, Wiley, New York (1986)). Very few lectins from parasitic protozoa have been characterized extensively. These include Giardia lamblia (Farthing et al., Infect. Immun. 51:661-667 (1986): Lev et al., Science 232:71-73 (1986); Lev et al., In: Mirelman (ed.) Microbial Lectins and Agglutinins: Properties and Biological Activity, Wiley, New York (1986)) and Entamoeba histolytica (Kobiler et al., Infect. Immun. 29:211-225 (1980); Mirelman et al., In: Mirelman (ed.), Microbial Lectins and Agglutinins: Properties and Biological Activity, Wiley, New York (1986); Rosales-Encina et al., J. Infect. Dis. 156:790-797 (1987)).
Sialic acid is a carbohydrate produced by both prokaryotic and eukaryotic cells. Due to the ubiquity of sialic acid on the surface of cells of prokaryotic as well as eukaryotic origin, and the presence of sialic acid on a large proportion of glycoproteins in the serum of mammals and in other biological fluids, a stable lectin with high affinity for sialic acid would be of great utility for purposes of diagnosis and therapy of a large variety of diseases.
Many types of carcinomas produce specialized glycoproteins, the majority of which are sialoglycoproteins (Sharma et al., Indian J. Pathol. Microbiol. 30:317 (1987)). Among the large variety of human carcinomas producing high molecular weight sialoglycoproteins, such as mucins, human metastatic colon carcinoma cells were found to produce 4 tumor-associated sialoglycoproteins (Irimura et al., J. Cell. Biochem. 37:1 (1988)). Various tumors have higher concentrations of sialic acid on their surface than do normal cells, and some tumors secrete polysialic acid (Roth et al., Amer. J. Pathol. 133:227-240 (1988); Echenique et al., Urology 32:397-400 (1988); Ravindranaths et al., J. Biol. Chem. 263:2079-2086 (1988)).
Surface sialic acid expression in the form of sialogangliosides is also characteristic of tumors, such as melanoma (Cheresh et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 82:5155-5159 (1985)); see for review: Dyatlovitskaya et al., Biochim. Biophys. Acta 907:125-143 (1987)).
Direct and indirect approaches exist for localization of sialic acid in tissues. In indirect procedures, tissues are processed in parallel with and without neuraminidase digestion to remove sialic acid. Tissues are then stained based on surface negative charge, with reagents such as, for example, colloidal iron hydroxide (Gasic et al., J. Cell. Biol. 19:223 (1963)) and cationized ferritin (Danon et al., J. Ultrastruct. Res. 38:500 (1972). Comparison of tissue bearing, and denuded of, sialic acid is then made, in order to determine the localization of sialoglycoproteins. These procedures are of limited specificity.
A number of lectins have been shown to have some specificity for terminally sialylated glycoproteins. Wheat germ agglutinin used in conjunction with its succinylated derivatives has been used to localize sialic acid on colon tissue in a relatively nonspecific manner (Moore et al., Amer. J. Pathol. 131:477 (1988)).
Sialic acid-specific lectins have been isolated from the hemolymph of several horseshoe crabs, Limulus polyphemus (Marchalonis et al., J. Mol. Biol. 32:453 (1968)) and Carcinoscorpus rotunda (Biochim. Biophys. Acta 623:89 (1980)) as well as from lobster and sponge. Of these, only the Limulus lectin is commercially available. This lectin is of very high molecular weight, has a tendency to dissociate (Marchalonis et al., J. Mol. Biol. 32:453 (1968)), and is quite expensive ($100/mg; Sigma Chemicals, Catalog).
In addition, a large number of viruses have hemagglutinin activity which is based on apparent binding to sialic acid (Mirelman (ed.), Microbial Lectins and Agglutinins: Properties and Biological Activity, Wiley, New York (1986)). None of these is commercially available.
Miller (U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,457,865 and 4,520,111) disclosed a sialic acid specific lectin from the slug Limax flavus. This is the only marketed lectin reagent which has been tested for its utility in detecting sialic acid on cells and tissues. For example, Roth et al. (J. Histochem. Cytochem. 32:1167-1176 (1984)) used the Limax flavus lectin to investigate the distribution of sialic acid in rat pancreas, liver, and colonic mucosa, using fetuin-gold to visualize the tissue-bound lectin. However, the slug lectin is difficult to isolate, expensive, and more importantly, its availability is limited by the organism from which it is derived, since the supply of slugs is limited and depends on unpredictable factors such as weather.
A plant lectin isolated from the bark of the elderberry (Sambucus nigra L.), termed SNA (EY Scientific, San Mateo, Calif.), binds to sialic acid linked to either galactose or N-acetyl galactosamine, in an .alpha.2-6 linkage (Shibuya et al., J. Biol. Chem. 202:1596-1601 (1987)). This lectin has been used to affinity purify glycoproteins, oligosaccharides, and glycopeptides possessing the appropriate disaccharide sequence (Shibuya et al., Arch. Biochem. Biophys. 254:1-8 (1987)), although it was found that lectin binding was lost when branching side chains existed at the O-3 position of the penultimate N-acetyl galactosamine residue. This property may limit the usefulness of this lectin.
In summary, very few useful reagents are available in large quantities and at reasonable cost which can serve as sufficiently specific agents to identify, characterize, or even treat tumors on the basis of cell surface sialic acid expression. Therefore, the need for a sialic acid-specific lectin of microbial origin which can be produced economically in large quantities, which is stable, specific, and of high affinity, is well-recognized in the art.
Furthermore, isolation and characterization of sialic acid binding lectin(s) from protozoa would be of benefit in our understanding of the pathobiology of parasite-host interactions. Such a lectin in appropriate pharmacologic form could be employed to modify adherence of the protozoa to host tissues, thereby disrupting infection by Tritrichomonas species. Production of monoclonal antibodies against these trichomonad lectins would provide both diagnostic and therapeutic tools for parasitology.

Sialic acid binding lectin of protozoan origin

South Alabama Medical Science Foundation


This document relates to methods and materials involved in detecting tissue rejection (e.g., organ rejection). For example, this document relates to methods and materials involved in the early detection of kidney tissue rejection.

The transplantation of tissue from one mammal to another has been used for years to save lives and to improve the quality of lives. For example, the first successful kidney transplant was performed in the mid-1950s between identical twin brothers. Since then, donors have grown to include not only close relatives but also distant relatives, friends, and total strangers. In some cases, the recipient may reject the transplanted tissue. Thus, tissue rejection is a concern for any recipient of transplanted tissue. If a doctor is able to recognize early signs of tissue rejection, anti-rejection medication often can be used to reverse tissue rejection.


An AV Clip generated by multiplexing a video stream and a graphics stream is recorded on a BD-ROM. The graphics stream includes a plurality of DSs (Display Sets) each of which is used for graphics display and includes a control segment and graphics data. When an active period of the control segment in the DS overlaps with an active period of a control segment in an immediately preceding DS on a reproduction time axis of the video stream, the graphics data in the DS is assigned a different object_id from graphics data which is referenced by the control segment in the immediately preceding DS, so as to prevent graphics generated by decoding the graphics data in the DS from overwriting graphics generated by decoding the graphics data referenced by the control segment in the immediately preceding DS.

Subtitles displayed by rendering a graphics stream are important means for people in different linguistic areas to enjoy foreign-language films. Such a graphics stream is multiplexed with a video stream that represents a moving picture, and recorded on a recording medium. The graphics stream includes a plurality of display sets that are each made up of display control information and graphics data. Each of the display sets is used for displaying an individual subtitle in reproduction of a film. The display sets are read from the recording medium and processed one by one as the reproduction of the moving picture progresses, to display the subtitles together with the moving picture.
Here, if each display set is processed only after processing of an immediately preceding display set is completed, a processing delay develops. Thus, when the graphics stream contains multiple display sets, the need for parallel processing of display sets arises.
Subtitles have a property of changing as the moving picture progresses. This being so, when two display sets are processed in parallel, a subtitle to be displayed later may be decoded at the same time as a subtitle to be displayed earlier. As a result, the subtitle to be displayed later may end up being displayed in place of the subtitle to be displayed earlier. Thus, even if a reproduction apparatus is capable of processing display sets in parallel, such a capability is useless unless the original display order of subtitles is maintained.

Recording medium, recording method, reproduction apparatus and method, and computer-readable program

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A cold air path structure of a refrigerator is provided. The cold air path structure defines a passage from an ice machine installed in a freezing chamber to a chilling chamber in order to discharge an cold air used to freeze water of the ice machine to the chilling chamber, such that new cold air can be smoothly supplied to the ice machine, thereby increasing the efficiency of the ice machine. Further, an additional air passage is not required to supply the cold air to the chilling chamber, thereby simplifying the structure of the refrigerator and decreasing power consumption.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a refrigerator with an ice machine, and more particularly, to a cold air path structure in a side-by-side refrigerator with an ice machine installed inside of a freezing chamber door.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, a refrigerator is a machine for keeping food fresh for a predetermined time or freezing the food, in which a refrigerating cycle of compression, condensation, expansion and evaporation is repeated. The refrigerator is one of the living necessities.
In recent years, the size of the refrigerator has been increased, and various types of refrigerators such as a side-by-side refrigerator have been developed to satisfy consumer's demand.
Such a side-by-side refrigerator includes a freezing chamber and a chilling chamber to provide freezing and chilling functions. Further, the side-by-side refrigerator includes an ice machine capable of making ice, and storing and discharging the ice.
However, since the ice machine is installed inside of the freezing chamber door of the side-by-side refrigerator, the cold air discharged from an ice maker of the ice machine is recirculated through the freezing chamber, decreasing the ice-making performance.
Further, it is needed to define a cold air passage to the chilling chamber to send the cold air to the chilling chamber, requiring an additional duct and fan.


The present invention relates to aryl pyrazoles, and pharmaceutically acceptable salts thereof. The aryl pyrazoles of the present invention are useful as inhibitors of leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) and treating LTA4H related disorders. The present invention also relates to pharmaceutical compositions comprising the aryl pyrazoles of the present invention, methods of using these compounds in the treatment of various diseases and disorders, and processes for preparing these compounds.

Leukotrienes (LT) are oxidized lipids that are produced by several cell types including neutrophils, mast cells, eosinophils, basophils, monocytes and macrophages. The first committed step in the intracellular synthesis of LTs involves oxidation of arachidonic acid by 5-lipoxygenase (5-LO) to leukotriene A4 (LTA4), a process requiring the 5-lipoxygenase-activating protein (FLAP). Leukotriene A4 hydrolase (LTA4H) catalyzes the hydrolysis of LTA4 to produce leukotriene B4 (LTB4). Through the engagement of the LTB4 receptors (BLT1, BLT2), LTB4 stimulates an array of pro-inflammatory responses (leukocyte chemotaxis, cytokine release, etc.). The leukotriene pathway has been implicated in diseases in which inflammation is a critical component of the pathology; these include cancer, asthma, atherosclerosis, colitis, glomerularnephritis, and pain (for a review, see M. Peters-Golden and W. R. Henderson, Jr., M.D., N. Engl. J. Med., 2007, 357, 1841-1854).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A method is provided for replacing a length of a branch gas main 1 joined to a spine main 2 with a length of replacement main 7 having an outer diameter smaller than the inner diameter of the branch main. In the method access is gained to the bore of the branch main and one end of the replacement main 7 is fed along the branch main 1 via the access point and towards the spine main 2 until the branch main 1 has been replaced. During and after the feeding step gas is prevented from entering any clearance 20 between the mains 1 and 7 by means of a head 9 attached to the leading end of the main 7. After the feeding step a sealant 25 is injected into the branch main 1 to form a seal within the clearance 20.

The present invention relates to replacing an existing main with a replacement main.
Gas, water and sewage mains may need to be replaced when they develop leaks or for other reasons. Leaks may develop at joints as a result of leak paths appearing within the joints in the case of cast iron gas mains or as a result of cracks in the wall due to corrosion or mechanical damage in cast iron and other materials e.g. ductile iron and steel, cement, brickwork or plastics.
In the case where the main to be replaced is a branch main joined to a fluid-carrying spine main, present techniques of mains replacement necessitate an excavation being made at the junction between the branch main and the spine main to gain access thereto. This is frequently in the middle of a busy thoroughfare and the excavation may lead to disruption of both pedestrians and traffic.


An OS on a virtual computer at the (n+m)-th stage (n and m represent natural numbers) is caused to recognize a device driver that runs on an OS on the n-th stage virtual computer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to input/output (I/O) that is implemented by an uppermost computer environment in environments having virtualization mechanisms overlaid at plural stages.
2. Description of the Related Art
One example of the related art in the field of the present invention is disclosed in JP-2009-003749-A. This publication discloses that "by selecting either one of a guest status area 221 for executing a user program on a second virtual processor in accordance with a factor of calling a host virtual machine manager (VMM) and a host status area 222 for executing a guest VMM, and updating a guest status area 131 for controlling a physical processor in a shadow virtual machine control block (VMCB), a next generation operating system (OS) having a virtualization function is executed as the user program on a first virtual processor".
JP-2009-003749-A describes a means that causes an OS having a virtualization mechanism to operate, on a virtual computer formed with a virtualization technology, on a physical computer, or so-called "multistage virtualization technology". By using multistage virtualization technology, an environment that includes virtual computers at plural stages can be constructed.
The multistage virtual computer environment has an advantage in that a flexible system configuration can be set up. Conversely, the multistage virtual computer environment has a problem in that deterioration in performance is likely to occur because in order for a virtual computer at an uppermost stage to access a virtual computer at a lowermost stage, the accessing needs to be established via a virtual computer and virtualization mechanism at an intermediate stage.
For example, it is assumed that in a two-staged virtual computer environment, an I/O request is issued from an OS on a virtual computer at the second stage to a physical device. The I/O request executed on the virtual computer at the second stage is received by an OS on a virtual computer at the first stage. The OS on the virtual computer at the first stage executes the received I/O request. This I/O request is received by a virtualization mechanism on a physical computer. The virtualization mechanism issues an I/O request to the physical device.
This example indicates that "the I/O request executed on the virtual computer at the second stage is executed via two layers of the virtualization mechanism on the physical computer". This indicates that performance of the I/O request executed by the OS on the virtual computer at the second stage deteriorates than performance of the I/O request executed by the OS on the physical computer and the virtual computer at the first stage.

Virtual computer system and I/O implementing method in virtual computer

Abstract: Specifically, a shared region is generated in a memory, and the OS at the second stage is caused to recognize, in a pass-through manner, the device driver that runs on the OS at the second stage.


An apparatuses and methods of tearing down a direct communication link are disclosed. In one innovation, a wireless communication apparatus for communicating with two or more communication devices includes a memory unit configured to store network information of a communication link between the apparatus and a first network communication device and store direct link information of a direct link between the apparatus and a second wireless communication device, a processor operationally coupled to the memory unit, the processor configured to retrieve the direct link information from the memory unit and determine that a direct link between the apparatus and the second device is inoperative, and further configured to generate a first frame indicating that the direct link is inoperative, and a transmitter operationally coupled to the processor, the transmitter configured to transmit the first frame for notifying at least the second device that the direct link is inoperative.

1. Field of the Invention
This disclosure relates generally to apparatus and methods of broadcast teardown. More particularly, the disclosure relates to broadcast teardown of a direct link between stations (STAs) that were previously set up using the tunneled direct link setup (TDLS) protocol.
2. Description of the Related Art
The wireless communication environment in a home or an office typically comprises a number of independently developed radio access technologies and standards. These technologies were initially designed for target applications and they perform relatively well for these applications. In a typical home or office environment, an access to content, (e.g., web, video, etc.), is provided to a broadband modem through the home-owner's IP backhaul connection. For instance, mobile services are provided through the cellular network, through either a macro cell or a femto cell located within the home or office. Wireless local area network (WLAN) access points (APs) provide data connectivity between computers, laptops, printers, etc. using 802.11-based WiFi technology.
The 802.11 direct link setup (DLS) standards support a direct link feature which allows a bidirectional connection from one STA to one peer STA such that frames do not pass through an AP. Once the direct link has been set up, all frames between the two STAs may be exchanged directly. This direct link provides a means for efficiently using the wireless medium as traffic does not need to be routed through the AP.
IEEE Standard 802.11z defines a TDLS protocol, which can be used to set up a direct link between STAs that are associated with a same AP. The main objective of 802.11z is to provide an AP-independent DLS. DLS signaling frames are encapsulated in data frames so that they are transferred via an AP transparently. This may result in a simplified two-way handshake which does not require any TDLS feature to be implemented within the AP.
There is a potential problem with existing DLS or TDLS protocols. For example, when two SATs communicate with each other using a direct link, one STA in a direct link may suddenly lose its direct link state before it can inform the peer STA. This may be because its software crashes or due to some other unexpected reasons. As a result, the peer STA may not notice that the direct link between the two STAs is lost by itself. It still believes that the direct link is available. Furthermore, the peer STA may still try to send a frame via the non-functional direct link. On the other hand, any frames sent by the peer STA via the non-functional direct link may still get acknowledged on a media access control (MAC) layer if there is no error associated with it. Therefore, there is an ambiguity on the direct link state between these two STAs. For example, the peer STA may send an Acknowledgement (ACK) to the STA. However, after the acknowledged frame and ACK are further analyzed by the STA, both will be discarded because the they are sent on the non-functional direct link with the peer STA. In addition, because there may be another ACK previously sent by the STA and received by the peer STA, the peer STA may not be aware of this breakdown of the direct link between the two STAs. Therefore, there is a need for a mechanism for doing a state synchronization between STAs so that all involved STAs receive an update of which direct link is lost recently.


In an image-forming device, a controller controls the value of an effective developer bias that is established between the electric potential of a latent image formed on an image bearing body and the electric potential of a developer bearing body, to thereby develop the latent image with a non-magnetic, single-component developer agent. The controller sets a target transmission density in a region in which the transmission density of the developer agent is in a proportional relationship with respect to the effective developer bias, and controls the value of the effective developer bias based on the target transmission density and the proportional relationship between the transmission density and the effective developer bias.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image-forming device such as a laser printer.
2. Description of Related Art
There have been proposed electro-photographic image forming devices of a type that uses a non-magnetic, single-component developer agent. Generally, a developing cartridge is detachably mounted in the image forming device of this type. The developing cartridge includes: a toner accommodating chamber, a supply roller, a developing roller, and a layer thickness regulation blade.
In the developing cartridge, an agitator is disposed in the toner accommodating chamber. The supply roller is provided facing the developing roller. The supply roller is in contact with the developing roller. The layer thickness regulation blade is pressed against the surface of the developing roller.
The toner in the toner accommodating chamber is supplied to the supply roller by the agitator. As the supply roller rotates, the toner is supplied from the supply roller to the surface of the developing roller. When the toner is between the supply roller and the developing roller, the toner is electrically charged due to friction between the supply roller and the developing roller. As the developing roller rotates, the toner on the surface of the developing roller enters the gap between the layer thickness regulation blade and the developing roller. While the toner is in the gap between the layer thickness regulation blade and the developing roller, the toner is further electrically charged due to friction between the layer thickness regulation blade and the developing roller. The toner is formed or shaped in a layer of a certain amount of thickness and is supported on the surface of the developing roller.
The developing cartridge is mounted in the image forming device, with the developing roller facing a photosensitive drum in the image forming device. An electrostatic latent image is formed on the photosensitive drum. The developing roller is applied with a certain amount of developing bias voltage. Accordingly, when the toner layer on the developing roller faces the photosensitive drum, the toner layer develops the electrostatic latent image into a visible toner image. The toner image is transferred onto the paper. Thus, a visible image corresponding to the electrostatic latent image is finally formed on the paper.
Generally, the image-forming device that uses the non-magnetic, single component developer agent exhibits the relationship between the effective developing bias voltage and the transmission density as shown in FIG. 1.
The "effective developing bias voltage" is a potential difference between the developing roller and the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum. In other words, the "effective developing bias voltage" is a difference between the developing bias voltage applied to the developing roller and the electric potential at the portions of the photosensitive drum where the electrostatic latent image is formed.
The "transmission density" is a quantity that is proportional to the amount of toner adhering to the paper per unit area.
As shown in FIG. 1, when the effective developing bias voltage is relatively low, the transmission density changes in proportion to the effective developing bias voltage. However, when the effective developing bias voltage becomes relatively high, the transmission density is saturated and is maintained at a constant value regardless of whether the effective developing bias voltage changes.
Japanese patent Laid-Open No. 2003-43761 has proposed an image-forming device, which exhibits the developing characteristics of FIG. 1 and which stabilizes its development by setting the effective developing bias voltage to have a sufficiently high value that allows the transmission density to be saturated at the constant value.

Image-forming device with control of developer bias


Apparatus for cleaning a ground, comprising:. a frame; PA1 rotatable brushing means arranged on the frame; PA1 drive means for driving the brushing means; PA1 suction means arranged behind the brushing means as seen in forward and/or rearward travel direction of the apparatus; and PA1 connecting means for connecting the suction means to the frame,. wherein the connecting means are embodied such that the suction means can be displaced transversely relative to at least one direction of travel.

Cleaning apparatuses are known which are also capable of cleaning closely along a wall of a space, using a rotating brush and cleaning liquid. Manual cleaning work is hereby avoided as far as possible. In known cleaning apparatuses, which can usually operate in only one direction, suction means, usually in the form of so-called squeegees, for drawing up the cleaning liquid applied to the ground extend on at least one side of the apparatus further to the outside than a rotating brush.
Smaller apparatuses are further known, wherein suction means are arranged both in front of and behind a brush so that such a small apparatus can be used in both forward and rearward direction. Both respective suction means must extend further outward than a rotating brush for collecting all cleaning liquid used for cleaning a floor surface. As a consequence, brushing of a floor surface along a wall is a problem with these known cleaning apparatuses which can be used in two directions.
The object of the present invention is to obviate the above stated problem and/or to provide a compact apparatus which is easily manoeuvrable and/or can operate in two directions.


A memory control device includes a writing unit writing information to a memory module, a reading unit reading the information from the memory module, an error detecting unit executing a detection of an error in the formation in parallel with the reading operation by the reading unit, an error correcting unit correcting the error in the information containing the error detected, and a control unit controlling a transfer and a receipt of the information to and from an external device and stopping, when the error is detected, an output of the information to the external device.

The present invention relates to control of an access to a memory.
Data on the memory have hitherto been protected by, e.g., a parity check. The parity check is, though capable of detecting an error, incapable of correcting the error. Such being the case, the data of which an error is detected are invalidated on the memory, and data containing no error are read afresh from a data source. According to this method, an access time is delayed to a great degree due to the error correcting process. Further, the case of having detected the error entails the control that the data be invalidated and the error be reported, wherein the logic becomes intricate.
On the other hand, for example, an ECC (Error Check Code)-utilized error correcting circuit is known as an error correcting mechanism on the memory. This error correcting circuit does not require such a troublesome procedure as to invalidate the data and read the data afresh. In the case of using the error correcting circuit, however, the data read from the memory undergo an execution of the error detection and error correction and, after removing the error from the data, undergo an execution of the essential processing.
As explained above, there have been proposed a multiplicity of techniques for protecting the data on the memory. The memory access time is delayed by utilizing the data protection technique described above. This delay is a serious problem especially in a cache memory that needs high-speed accessing.

Control system and memory control method executing a detection of an error in a formation in parallel with reading operation


No swivel head with manifold assembly having remote control valves and plug release plungers. The assembly comprises a body connectable to a tool string, and a cementing manifold connectable to the cement source. The cementing manifold has remotely controllable cement control valves incorporated therein. The manifold is rotatably mounted on the body to provide continuous fluid communication between the manifold and body even when the body is rotating with respect to the manifold. The rotatable mounting is provided by a swivel connection comprising a mandrel extending from the body and a sleeve connected to the manifold. The swivel connection also provides continuous communication between a pressure line, extending from the sleeve to a pressure supply, and another pressure line, extending from the mandrel to a dart or ball releasing mechanism. This allows the releasing mechanism to be actuated even when the body is rotating with respect to the manifold and when the entire apparatus is being reciprocated. Preferably, another swivel connection is used which also provides continuous fluid communication between the manifold and body. A plug release indicator is also provided in one preferred embodiment.

1. The present invention relates to cementing head apparatus, and more particularly, to a cementing head having a plug container body rotatable with respect to a cementing manifold while maintaining fluid communication therebetween and having remote control valves in the manifold assembly and remote control plug or ball release plungers on the body. The rotatable mounting allows simultaneous rotation from above and reciprocation of the cementing head while pumping to improve cement flow through the apparatus drill string or casing attached thereto.
2. Description Of The Prior Art
One type of cementing apparatus which is commonly used in the completion of offshore wells is that known as a subsurface release cementing system. In a subsurface release cementing system, cement plugs are hung off in the upper end of the casing near the ocean floor. Devices such as balls and darts are released from a plug container or cementing head located at the floating drilling rig. The balls or darts fall downwardly through the drill pipe to engage the cementing plugs hung off in the casing head and to cause those cementing plugs to be released so that they will flow downwardly through the casing with the cement.
One such system is shown in U.S. Pat, No. 4,624,312 to McMullin, assigned to the assignee of the present invention. These types of cementing plug methods and equipment are also described in Halliburton Sales & Service Catalog No. 43 (1985), pages 2423-2426. In this apparatus there is a cementing manifold attached to the plug container above and below the top releasing plug and plug release.
It is known to construct the cementing head in what is referred to as a "lift-through" design, wherein the entire weight of the drill pipe string hung below the drilling platform is supported through or lifted through the structure of the cementing head. This allows the plug container and drill pipe string to be reciprocated during cementing operations to help remove mud from the well annulus and provide an even distribution of cement in the annulus. This reciprocation is accomplished by attaching the rig elevators to the apparatus so that the cementing head and drill string may be reciprocated by the elevators.
While reciprocation of the apparatus during cementing has the advantages mentioned, rotation of the casing also helps provide better cement flow. A problem with the prior art cementing head as described above is that the cementing manifold is rigidly attached to the plug container body so that rotation of the body is prevented because of the cementing lines connected to the cementing manifold. Thus, the only way to rotate the casing is to disconnect the cementing line prior to rotation. In other words, rotation cannot occur while cement is actually being pumped.
Lift-through cementing heads have been developed with swivel connections below the plug container body in the drill pipe string therebelow. One such apparatus is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/444,657, (U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,457), assigned to the assignee of the present invention. By engaging the drill pipe string below the swivel by the slips on the rig floor, rotation is possible without disconnecting the cementing lines from the cementing manifold. Thus, cement can be pumped through the apparatus and down the drill pipe string while the drill pipe string is rotated. However, the apparatus may not be reciprocated and rotated at the same time since the rotation is provided by the slips on the rig floor below the cementing head.
Accordingly, there is a need for a cementing head which may be both reciprocated and rotated simultaneously with the pumping of cement through the apparatus down the drill pipe string. The present invention meets this need by providing a cementing head with a plug container body which may be rotated with respect to the cementing manifold while maintaining fluid communication therebetween so that cement may be pumped during rotation. With the present invention, rotation may be provided by top drive units above the apparatus which may be rotated substantially simultaneously with reciprocation by the elevators. Thus, the cementing head of the present apparatus may be reciprocated and rotated during a cement pumping operation.
There is also a need for a cementing head assembly in which the cement control valves in the cement manifold may be actuated without stopping reciprocation of the apparatus so the process is carried out substantially uninterrupted. Further, there is a need for a cementing head in which any plug release plungers may be operated without stopping reciprocation and/or rotation of the assembly. The present invention meets this need by providing remotely operated cement control valves and plug release plungers which may be actuated without stopping reciprocation and rotation. This is accomplished by the use of remote control lines connected to the valves and by indirect connection of remote control lines to the plug release plungers through a portion of a rotatable mounting means connecting the cementing manifold to the plug container body.

Swivel cementing head with manifold assembly having remote control valves and plug release plungers