A powder injection molding composition or feedstock is made of 70% or more by weight of a powdered metal or ceramic and 30% or less by weight of a binder system. The binder system contains a sufficient amount of polypropylene or polyethylene to hold the so-called brown preform of the molded metal or ceramic powder together for the sintering step of the injection molding process and a sufficient amount of partially hydrolyzed cold water soluble polyvinyl alcohol water and plasticizer to facilitate molding of the composition into the so- called green preform of the article to be manufactured. The debinding step of the injection molding process for transforming the green preform into the brown preform consists simply of immersing the green preform in water at ambient temperature to dissolve the polyvinyl alcohol. The binder system is nonhazardous, safe, harmless and fully degradable.

Metal and ceramic powder injection molding is a low cost way to produce complex and precision-shaped parts from a variety of materials. It is common for this process to produce equivalent parts for 50% or less of the cost of conventional machining or casting. Total savings are a function of shape complexity, production volumes and overall size of the part.
There are four primary steps to producing powder injection molded parts or articles:
1. Feedstock Formulation: Very fine, usually less than 25 microns, elemental or prealloyed metal or ceramic powders are hot mixed with a polymeric binder. This mixture is then cooled and granulated to form the feedstock for an injection molding machine. PA1 2. Molding: Molding is done in an especially equipped plastic injection molding machine modified to mold the powder/polymer mixture into an oversized shape of powder and binder called a "green part" or a "green preform". By virtue of powder injection molding, intricate detailed features can be molded into the oversized green preform, including threads, holes, radii, contoured surfaces, logos and text. The molding process produces the same shape every time, providing uniformity from part to part. Furthermore, the process produces virtually no waste. PA1 3. Debinding: Seventy-five percent to ninety percent of the binder material is removed from the green part. Several different binder removal methods are used depending on the chemical and physical properties of the binder formulation used. These include thermal debinding, where a thermoplastic binder is baked out in an oven using elevated temperatures; solvent debinding, where the binder is dissolved using a chemical or water; and catalytic debinding, where the binder is reacted out by the introduction of a catalyst. After the binder is removed, the resulting object is called a "brown part" or "brown preform". It consists of a porous matrix of metal powder and a small amount of binder, just sufficient to allow the part to retain its shape and hold together. PA1 4. Sintering: In the final step, the brown preform is sintered in a furnace or oven through a complex profile of temperatures, pressures and/or atmospheres depending on the material being processed and the physical properties desired. A microprocessor controls these variables, ultimately bringing the part to within 96% of its melting point. At the lower temperatures of the sintering cycle, the residual binder is removed. As the temperatures increase, neck growth between powder particles begins, bringing the particles together and reducing porosity. The higher temperatures of the sintering profile continue this trend, ultimately densifying the metal to approximately 98%. Densification results in shrinkage of 14% to 25% depending on the solids loading of the feedstock and the alloy. This shrinkage is predictable and compensated for by oversizing the green part mold cavity by the precise amount.
Powder injection molded parts and articles are normally produced to finished dimensions in these four steps. The process is an innovative way to product complex shaped articles with consistency and accuracy. A variety of no materials can be processed, including stainless steels and other materials that may be difficult to form in other ways. The process provides design flexibility and delivers tolerances of +/-0.002 to 0.003 inches per inch. Because the parts are sintered essentially to "full density", the parts produced by the process have properties which are virtually the same as those as wrought materials.
One aspect of the process that poses particular problems and hazards is the debinding step. Sufficient binder must be retained to provide a brown part that is stable and sufficiently strong to be handled and transported between the debinding and sintering steps, but the brown preform should not contain either a type of binder or an amount of binder that would hinder or impair the sintering step. Binding systems currently employed include a wax and polymer system which is thermally debound; a water soluble/cross linkable binder available from Thermat Precision Technology, Inc. under the trademark "Thermat Pristine" which is partly debound in water, cross-linked and thermally debound; a water and agar based binder available from Allied Signal; and an acetal based system available from BASF A.G. which is debound in a gaseous acid-containing atmosphere. The temperature and/or the duration of the debinding step in all of these systems is quite critical.
The BASF acetal-based system, which is described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,362,791 issued Nov. 8, 1994 to Ebenhoech et al. and other publications, has found particular application in the powder injection molding of stainless steel. In this system the polymer binder for the powder is polyoxymethylene and the acid employed for debinding the polymer is anhydrous nitric acid, which is an extremely hazardous substance creating serious environmental concerns.

Powder and binder systems for use in metal and ceramic powder injection molding


There is provided an epsilon toxin epitope polypeptide comprising a sequence of at least 10 contiguous amino acids from SEQ ID NO:3, the sequence comprising a mutation of at least one tyrosine residue compared to the equivalent sequence in SEQ ID NO:3, the polypeptide being capable of binding an antibody which binds to SEQ ID NO:5 and having reduced toxicity compared with the toxicity of SEQ ID NO:5. The polypeptide is useful in a method of vaccinating a subject against developing a disease caused by clostridium perfringens and/or caused by (or associated with the presence of) active epsilon toxin.

The rod-shaped, spore-forming, Gram-negative, anaerobe bacterium Clostridium perfringens is able to produce at least 17 toxins, making C. perfringens one of the most pathogenic species in the Clostridium genus. Depending on its ability to produce the four typing toxins, namely α-, β-, ε-, and ι-toxin, C. perfringens strains are classified into one of five toxinotypes, referred to as types A-E (Petit et al. (1999) Trends Microbiol. vol. 7, 104-110).
In addition to the typing toxins, the bacterium is able to produce a variety of so called minor toxins such as β1, β2, δ, θ, λ, μ, ν, and enterotoxin (Rood (1998) Annu. Rev. Microbiol. vol. 52, 333-360). Epsilon toxin (Etx) is produced by toxinotypes B and D. These strains are responsible for a severe disease called enterotoxemia, which affects predominantly sheep and lambs but also causes infections in other ruminant species, including goats and calves (Songer (1996) Clin. Microbiol. Rev. vol. 9, 216-234). Enterotoxemia in naturally infected animals is usually characterised by systemic lesions in sheep and enterocolitis in goats.
The most important factor in initiating disease is overeating rich food, resulting in the presence of high amounts of carbohydrates in the intestine. This leads to disruption of the microbial balance in the gut, leading to proliferation of C. perfringens and consequent overproduction of Etx. The toxin causes an increase in intestinal permeability, facilitating its entry into the bloodstream and allowing its dissemination to the main target organs of the kidneys and the brain (McDonel (1980) Pharmacol Ther 10(3): 617-655). Here, intoxication results in fluid accumulation due to increased permeability of blood vessels. Accumulation in the central nervous system results in neurological disorder rapidly leading to death (Finnie (2003) Aust. Vet. J. vol. 81, 219-221).
Etx is expressed with a signal sequence that directs export of the prototoxin from the bacterium (McDonel (1986) in Pharmacology of bacterial toxins eds. Dorner & Drew, Pergamon Press, 477-517). In development of disease, the relatively inactive prototoxin is converted to the active toxin by proteolytic cleavage in the gut lumen, either by digestive proteases of the host, such as trypsin and chymotrypsin (Bhown & Habeerb (1977) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. vol. 78, 889-896), or by C. perfringens λ-protease (Minami et al. (1997) Microbiol. Immun. vol. 41, 527-535). Proteolytic activation of Etx can also be achieved in vitro by controlled proteolysis (Hunter et al. (1992) Infect. Immun. vol. 60, 102-110). Depending on the protease, proteolytic cleavage results in the removal of 10-13 amino-terminal and 22-29 carboxy-terminal amino acids (Bhown & Habeerb (1977); Minami et al. (1997)). Maximal activation occurs when both N- and C-termini are cleaved (Worthington & Mulders (1977) Infect. Immun. vol. 18, 549-551).
The 3D structure of Etx has been determined (Cole et al. (2004) Nature Structural & Molecular Biology vol. 11, 797-798) and reveals a molecule composed mainly of β-sheets, which can be divided into three functional domains. Domain I at the N-terminus contains the suggested receptor interaction region. Domain II in the middle contains an amphipathic β-hairpin, which is predicted to play a role in membrane insertion. Domain III at the C-terminus contains the C-terminal peptide, which has to be removed for activation to occur.
Epsilon toxin is an aerolysin-like β-pore forming toxin (β-PFT), with the amphipathic β-hairpin loops inserting into the membrane to form β-barrel structures. The overall fold of Etx shows similarity to the structure of aerolysin from the Gram-negative bacterium Aeromonas hydrophila (Parler et al. (1994) Nature vol. 367, 292-295), to parasporin-2 (PS) from Bacillus thuringiensis (Akiba et al. (2009) J. Mol. Biol. vol. 386, 121-133) and to a pore-forming lectin, LSL, from Laetiporus sulphurous (Mancheno et al. (2005) J. Biol. Chem. vol. 280, 17251-17259). The structural similarities between these toxins are most striking in their two C-terminal domains. Their N-terminal domains show a greater structural variation, which is likely to account for their differences in target cell specificities and potencies (Bokori-Brown et al. (2011) FEBS J. vol. 278, 4589-4601).
In aerolysin, the two amino-terminal domains (Domains I-II) are thought to play a role in binding to cell surfaces with overlapping functions (MacKenzie et al. (1999) J. Biol. Chem. vol, 274, 22604-22609) and it has been suggested that domain I of Etx, which is equivalent to domain II of aerolysin, performs a similar function (Cole et al. (2004)), but this has yet to be demonstrated. Domain II of aerolysin contains the mannose 6-phosphate binding loops. However, the residues of domain II involved in mannose-6-phosphate binding in aerolysin are not conserved in domain I of Etx, suggesting that the structural variation in the N-terminal receptor binding domains of these toxins is likely to account for the differences between their target cell specificities.
Etx is unique among β-PFTs because it is highly potent and has high cell specificity. Because of its high potency, Etx is considered to be a potential biological weapon for international terrorism by the U.S. Government Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Morbidity and Mortality Weekly Report (MMWR) Recommendations and Reports (2000) vol. 49, 1-14). The 50% lethal dose (LD50) of Etx in mice after intravenal injection is typically 100 ng/kg (Gill (1982) Microbiol. Rev. vol. 46, 86-94), making Etx the most potent clostridial toxin after botulinum neurotoxin. Etx also shows high cell specificity. Among the many cell lines tested, only four have been identified to be susceptible to the toxin. These include kidney cell lines of dog (MDCK (Knight et al. (1990) Biologicals vol. 18, 263-270)), mouse (mpkCCDc14 (Chassin et al. (2007) Am. J. Physiol. Renal Physiol. vol. 293, F927-937)) and human (G-402 (Shortt et al. (2000) Hum. Exp. Toxicol. vol. 19, 108-116) and ACHN (Ivie et al. (2011) PloS ONE vol. 6, e17787)) origin. Most in vitro studies on Etx have been carried out using the Madin-Darby Canine Kidney (MDCK) cell line, as this cell line is the most susceptible to the toxin (Payne et al. (1994) FEMS Microbiol. Lett. vol. 116, 161-167). The dose of Etx to kill 50% of MDCK cells (CT50) is reported to be as low as 15 ng/ml.
The binding of Etx to MDCK cells is associated with the formation of a stable, high molecular weight complex (Petit et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. vol. 179, 6480-6487). Intoxicated cells undergo morphological changes that include swelling and membrane blebbing before cell death (Petit et al. (1997) J. Bacteriol. vol. 179, 6480-6487). The rapid toxin-induced cell death and the specificity of epsilon toxin for only a few cell lines suggest the presence of a specific receptor(s) on target cells. The mechanism of Etx binding to cells is not known, but chemical modification studies of Etx have previously indicated that a tyrosine residue is necessary for binding of the toxin to target cells (Sakurai & Nagahama (1987) Toxicon vol. 25, 279-284). Toxicity appears to be a consequence of the formation of pores in the target cell membrane (Petit et al. (2001) J. Biol. Chem. vol. 276, 15736-15740).
Since progression of enterotoxemia from onset to death can be rapid in agricultural animals and given the potential for Etx to be used as a biological weapon, there is a need to identify molecules with potential for use as a vaccine against disease caused by or associated with the presence of Etx and/or caused by infection by C. perfringens.


A projector of rear-projection type including a light source that outputs a laser beam and a scanner that scans a screen with the laser beam. When a laser beam with energy exceeds an accessible emission limit due to failure of the light source or the scanner, at least one optical member located in an optical path of the laser beam is arranged so as to be broken or altered in quality and to prevent or discourage the beam with energy exceeding the accessible emission limit from being output from the screen.

The exemplary embodiments relate to a rear-projection type projector to display an image by scanning a screen with a laser beam.
In the related art, a rear-projection type projector to display an image by scanning a screen with a laser beam has been described. Since this related art projector can display perfect black by stopping the supply of the laser beam, it can perform display with higher contrast compared to a projector using liquid crystal light valves, for example. Further, since the laser beam has high directivity, the projection system can be simplified. Accordingly, the projector can be made compact and simple. Further, colorization may be easy by combining a plurality of laser beams of red, green, blue, etc. Additionally, color display with high color purity can be performed because of high monochromaticity of the laser beams.
However, in the case where a laser beam is used to display an image, sufficient consideration must be paid for safety so that the laser beam may not accidentally directly enter an eye of an observer. A related technology for a safety mechanism of a projector, is described in Japanese Patent Application Publication 2002-6397 (JP 2002-6397).
The technology described in the publication JP 2002-6397 includes blocking a laser output when a sensor detects the presence of an object near a projection lens. However, it is conceivable that a laser beam with high intensity may be output to the observer due to failure of the sensor because of an unexpected external cause, or failure of output control circuit of the laser beam, or the like.


A system and method for isolating data messages received from subscribers in a CATV system are disclosed. The system includes a spectrum parallel router which receives data messages in the return spectrum of a service line at a service site. A switch at the service site directs data messages to service lines coupled to the site which have destination addresses corresponding to one of the service lines. Data messages not having a destination address corresponding to one of the service lines are provided to a transmitter for transmission to the next higher level of the CATV network over a return cable. Each service site has its own return cable which may be coupled to a distribution hub or a headend. The return cables isolate the data messages of each service site from the data messages sent by the other service sites. At the distribution hub and headend, a switch is provided for each return cable and the switches are coupled to one another. At a distribution hub, data messages having a destination address corresponding to one of the other switches at the hub are routed to the corresponding switch. Messages so received by a switch at a distribution hub are coupled to a transmitter for transmission to the next lower network level coupled to the switch. Destination addresses in data messages not recognized by a switch at a distribution hub are coupled to a return cable for transmission to the next higher level in the network. At the highest level of the network, a headend is provided which includes a switch for each return cable coupled to the headend and each switch at the headend is coupled to the other switches for the routing of data messages as performed at the distribution hub. The system preferably includes frequency stackers and destackers so data messages from each service line may be placed on separate data channels to further enhance message isolation and reduce message traffic in the spectrum of a transmission or return cable.

This invention relates to data communication, and more particularly, to data communication over cable television (CATV) networks.
Cable television systems are well known. These systems are usually comprised of a headend with one or more trunk lines extending therefrom with each trunk line having a plurality of feeder lines extending therefrom into subscriber areas where each subscriber is attached via a line tap onto the feeder or service line. If the distances between the headend and subscriber areas are substantial, intervening distribution hubs may be located along the trunk lines to replenish the strength and quality of the signal being provided to subscribers. Distribution hubs simply act as small headends and exist to ensure the quality of delivered signal in large CATV networks. Each distribution hub may, in turn, be coupled to a plurality of service sites by feeder lines. Each service site may have one or more service lines extending therefrom to couple a plurality of subscribers to the service site. In this network, a transmission signal is provided over the trunk lines to the distribution hubs or service hubs. This amplified signal is then provided to the feeder lines extending from the distribution hub or service hub to provide the signal to the service sites. If the distance between a distribution hub and service site is so great as to erode signal strength to an unusable level, another distribution hub may be interposed between the service site and first distribution hub to amplify the signal strength again. Amplification occurs along trunk, feeders, and service lines as necessary to maintain the transmission signal at an adequate level before being provided to subscriber equipment. Taps located at each subscriber site bring the transmission signal into a subscriber""s site.
The transmission signal from the headend may include entertainment signals and data signals. The entertainment signals may be received as broadcast signals received via satellite from a broadcast signals originating location. At the headend, each broadcast signal is placed on its own channel within the spectrum of the trunk, feeder and service lines used in the CATV system. The spectrum of the lines coupling the CATV system together is the range of frequencies supported by the communication conduits used for the lines. In a typical CATV system, this spectrum is divided into a transmission portion and a return portion. The return portion of the spectrum may be used to support data transmissions, telemetry, and/or control information from subscriber sites back to the headend. The data transmissions from subscribers typically include status information about the subscriber""s equipment which may be used by components at the headend to ascertain the status of the cable system or subscriber equipment. The most common types of spectrum splitting methods are called sub-split, mid-split and high split. Sub-split means a lower portion of the spectrum smaller than the transmission spectrum is available for the return spectrum. Mid-split means that the spectrum is allocated one-half to the transmission portion and one-half to the return spectrum. High split means an upper portion of the spectrum smaller than the return spectrum is used for the transmission spectrum.
At the headend, each broadcast signal is allocated to a channel in the transmission spectrum. In a sub-split system, the first channel in the transmission spectrum begins at 55 MHz, for example. The width of the channel varies according to the standard used for the system. In the United States, most CATV systems use National Television System Committee (NTSC) standard which allocates 6 MHz to each channel. In Europe, the Phase Alteration Line (PAL) standard is used which allocates 8 MHz to each channel. The frequency of a broadcast signal may be up-shifted or down-shifted to place the broadcast signal on one of the channels of the transmission portion of the spectrum of the transmission signal provided by the headend. The data signals at the headend may be received from one or more digital data sources (including subscriber equipment) and these signals may also be placed on a channel in the transmission signal for distribution through the network. Typically, display devices such as televisions or the like at the subscriber sites use the broadcast signals to generate audio and video while data devices such as cable modems, or other intelligent devices, convert the data signals for use by computers or the like.
The trunk, feeder and service lines of many CATV systems are all coaxial cables. Because the signals carried by coaxial cables are electrical, these systems are susceptible to electrical and electromagnetic noise from natural phenomena and other electrical or magnetic sources. In an effort to improve the clarity of the signals carried over a CATV system, coaxial cables used for trunk and feeder lines are being replaced by fiber optic cables. Because fiber optic cable carries light signals, the signals are less susceptible to electrical and electromagnetic noise from other sources. Additionally, fiber optic cables carry signals for longer distances without appreciable signal strength loss than coaxial cable. However, the cost of replacing coaxial cable with fiber optic cable has prevented many companies from converting their service lines to fiber optic cable. CATV systems having both fiber optic trunk and feeder lines along with coaxial service lines are typically called hybrid fiber cable (HFC) systems. In HFC systems, the service sites where the light signal from a fiber optic cable is converted to an electrical signal for a coaxial service line is called a fiber node.
Previously known CATV systems have limitations for supporting data communication in the return spectrum of a system. In a typical sub-split CATV system, the return spectrum is in the range of approximately 5 to 42 MHz. This leaves, at best, approximately six (6) channels for data communication back to the headend using the NTSC standard and about four (4) under the PAL standard. However, not all of these channels are equally desirable for data communication. Some of the channels in this range are more susceptible to noise degradation than other channels. As a result there are few good channels for data communications in a sub-split system which is probably the most commonly used system type in the United States. In addition, standards are under development which may define channel widths for forward and return spectrum that are different than NTSC or PAL standards already established.
Even if all the channels in the sub-split range are available for data communication use, other limitations arise as the number of subscribers in the system increase. Allocating the subscribers coupled to a service line to the channels available in a return spectrum may place a reasonable number of subscribers on each channel. At the service site or fiber node, though, all of the service lines are typically merged so all subscribers coupled to the service site or fiber node are allocated to the same available channels in the return spectrum of the cable connecting the service site to the distribution hub. At the distribution hub, the data messages from each service site or fiber node coupled to the distribution hub are merged into the same spectrum of a trunk or feeder line. This merger of data messages from lower network levels to the return spectrum of a single cable continues up to the headend. In an effort to prevent all of the channel capacity being shared by a group of subscribers from being consumed, a time frequency, or other multiplex scheme may be used. While this method allocates a time slot or frequency band on a channel for a subscriber, the time or spectrum available for messages decreases as the number of subscribers decreases. For example, if a fiber node has four lines extending from it with each line having 125 customers, the 500 customers coupled to a service site or fiber node are put on six or fewer channels. At the distribution hub coupled to the fiber node, there may be, for example, three other fiber nodes coupled as well. As a result, 2000 subscribers now contend for data message space on the same six channels. In a large metropolitan area where the number of subscribers may be 200,000 or more, there may be as many as 30,000 subscribers or more per channel. Consequently, message traffic within a channel may become congested and overall performance of the messaging system degraded. Likewise, the response time for messages is significantly increased as each subscriber must contend with a large number of other subscribers for space on a channel within the return spectrum of the system.
What is needed is a way to allocate the available return spectrum in a CATV system to subscribers throughout the network without requiring all of the subscribers to contend for the same channels within the return spectrum of a cable.
The above limitations of previously known CATV systems are overcome by a system and method performed in accordance with the principles of the present invention. The system of the present invention includes a headend for generating a transmission signal having broadcast and data signals, a plurality of service sites, each service site being coupled to the headend by a transmission cable and a return cable, the transmission cable to each service sites providing the transmission signal to the service sites, a plurality of service lines extending from each of the service sites to couple a plurality of subscribers to the service sites and provide the transmission signal to the subscribers, and a spectrum parallel router in each of the service sites, each SPR being coupled to one of the service lines extending from the service site, the SPR receives data messages from the subscribers in the return spectrum of the service lines, the SPR routing data messages from one service line to another service coupled to the SPR which corresponds to a destination address in the received messages and places the received data messages on the return cable for transmission to the headend in response to the destination address in a data message not corresponding to one of the service lines coupled to the SPR so that the data messages from one service site are isolated from data messages from other service sites by the return cable.
The inventive system may also include a plurality of distribution hubs which are coupled between the headend and the service site. More than one service site may be coupled to a distribution hub, however, each service site has its own transmission line and return line to couple the service site to the distribution hub. At the distribution hub, a SPR is provided for each return line and each SPR is coupled to the transmission line for each fiber node. In response to a data message having a destination address that corresponds to one of the service sites coupled to a distribution hub, a SPR sends the data message to the SPR at the distribution hub which is coupled to that service site. For data messages having a destination address which does not correspond to a service site coupled to a distribution hub, the SPR sends the data message to the return cable coupling the SPR to the headend or next higher distribution hub. The return cable for each of the routers within a distribution hub are coupled to a corresponding router in the headend or next higher distribution hub. Data messages which an SPR receives from another SPR at the distribution hub are provided to a transmission cable coupled to the next lower level of the network. In this manner, data messages from a service site are maintained in isolation from data messages from other service sites until a data message is coupled to a transmission cable to a lower network level either at a distribution hub or the headend.
This scheme of isolating data messages from a service site as they are routed upwardly through the network to the headend or to the distribution hub where a message may be coupled to a transmission cable to a lower level, is applicable to systems where the transmission and return lines are strands of a coaxial cable or fiber optic cable. Preferably, the SPRs at the service sites also include a frequency stacker so that data messages from each service line may be provided on a separate channel of the return cable. For example, if three service lines are coupled to a service site, the frequency stacker may place all of the data messages from a first service line onto a first channel of the return cable, the data messages of the second service line onto a second data channel, and the data messages of the third service line onto a third data channel. A corresponding frequency destacker at the next higher level in the network places the data messages in the separate data channels in a common return spectrum for conversion and processing by the SPR at that level. By separating the data messages for each service line on a single return cable, isolation of the data messages for a service line is possible.
Most preferably, the SPRs of the present invention include a switch for routing data messages based on a destination address in the data messages. Each switch is an intelligent device having programmed logic which may be stored in non-volatile memory or hardwired. To route a message, the switch compares the destination address in a data message to addresses stored in an address table of the switch. If the destination address corresponds to an address in the table, the switch routes the data message to the switch at the same level corresponding to the destination address. If the address is not in the table, the SPR receives a data message from a switch at the same network level, it sends the data message to a transmission line coupled to the next lower network level. preferably, the SPR compares a source address in data messages sent by switches at the same level to a channel address table. The data message is then sent to the input of a frequency stacker corresponding to the switch which corresponds to data channel for the source address. In this manner, separation and isolation of data messages in the transmission cables of the network may also be obtained.
At the headend (or even at the distribution hub), destination addresses not corresponding to an address in the address table of a switch preferably correspond to destination addresses for other networks. Preferably, the headend or distribution hub of the present invention is provided with a gateway device which couples to other networks and routes such data messages to the other networks, including the Internet. The headend, preferably, also includes an ad server which may be used to overlay portions of broadcast and data signals in the transmission signal before it is provided to the network.
The present invention may be used in CATV systems in which the transmission cables, return cables and services lines are either all fiber optic cables or coaxial cables. In HFC systems, the invention is preferably implemented with a SPR having a group transceiver for each coaxial service line at a service site and a fiber optic transmitter and fiber optic coaxial receiver for coupling the SPR of the service site to the return cable and transmission cable to the next higher level, although other implementations are with the scope of the invention. if the service lines are also fiber optic cables, a SPR may also be used at a subscriber site to route broadcast signals to display device and data signals to data devices. Each switch of a SPR at a subscriber site may return data messages on a return cable which is a strand of the fiber optic cable not used by the other subscriber sites coupled to the service line. In this way, the data messages of subscribers may be isolated from one another. Additionally, a SPR at a subscriber site may include a frequency stacker that places data messages from different data devices at the subscriber site onto data channels of a return cable.
These and other objects and advantages of the present invention may be ascertained by reviewing the detailed specification below in conjunction with the drawings.

Method for routing data messages through a cable transmission system


Provided is a smart shopping method using a user terminal. Use information of various benefit means available to a user may be previously checked, set, and stored, and when making a payment, a transaction serial number may be presented to an affiliated store terminal, thereby enabling all benefit means to be easily applied. Also, since a payment serial number is presented along with a transaction serial number, a mobile payment to which a benefit means is applied may be performed by presenting only a user terminal, thereby enabling a user of the user terminal to shop quickly and conveniently.

In a case where a purchaser who purchases a thing on-line or off-line pays the purchasing amount of the thing, the purchaser may pay the purchasing amount by using a point of its own a membership card, a discount coupon, and/or a gift certificate. That is, in paying the purchasing amount through a payment means such as cash or a card, the purchaser may pay, through the payment means, the amount other than the amount which is deducted from the purchasing amount by a discount means such as the point of the membership card.
In this case, there may be a plurality of discount means available to the purchaser. That is, considering that social commerce is popularized and the kind of a discount service provided by a seller or a card company becomes diversified, it may be considered that purchasers generally possess a plurality of discount means.
Therefore, a purchaser possesses a plurality of discount means, and when making payment for getting a discount based on the plurality of discount means, the purchaser should present the plurality of discount means. Particularly, in order to get a discount based on a discount means in an offline space such as a shopping mall or a mart, a purchaser should inconveniently present a discount means such as a membership card, a discount coupon, and/or a gift certificate while presenting a payment means such as cash or a card.
Moreover, when a number of persons stand by in a checkout counter, a payment time is delayed, and for this reason, a total standby time increases. Also, it may be required to check whether a plurality of discount means are capable of being applied, and in this case, a delayed time further increases.

Smart shopping method and smart shopping management server


The present disclosure provides a voltage comparator circuit, a power management circuit and an electronic device. The voltage comparator circuit compares a voltage difference between a positive electrode input terminal and a negative electrode input terminal with a threshold voltage. An amplifier circuit includes a first input node and a second input node, and amplifies a voltage difference between the first input node and the second input node. The input switch circuit, in a first phase, applies a predetermined voltage of one of the positive electrode input terminal and the negative electrode input terminal to the first input node and the second input node of the amplifier circuit; and in a second phase, applies a voltage of the positive electrode input terminal to the first input node of the amplifier circuit, and applies a voltage of the negative electrode input terminal to the second input node.

In electronic circuits, a voltage comparator is used in order to compare size relationships of voltages. It is difficult to directly compare a minute voltage in several μV to hundreds mV with also a minute threshold voltage. Thus, in this case, an amplifier is arranged at a front end of the voltage comparator, the minute voltage is amplified by the amplifier, and the amplified voltage is then compared with a reference voltage by a voltage comparator.

Voltage comparator circuit, power management circuit, electronic device


Water condensate is captured from the exhaust of a generator utilized to provide power to a data center, and the captured water is then utilized for data center purposes such as adiabatic cooling. The exhaust of electrical power generators is passed through a condenser to obtain water condensate from such exhaust. The water condensate is stored in water storage units and is utilized to provide supplemental cooling to the data center. Sporadic usage of water can enable the water storage to be refilled between uses, since water condensate can be obtained from exhaust almost continuously. The level of water is monitored and the level of processing performed by the data center is adjusted to avoid emptying such water storage units. Historical climatological data is utilized to estimate the water required. Additionally, short and long-range weather forecasts can be optionally taken into account.

The throughput of communications, between multiple computing devices that are transmitted via network connections, continues to increase. Modern networking hardware enables physically separate computing devices to communicate with one another orders of magnitude faster than was possible with prior generations of networking hardware. Furthermore, high-speed network communication capabilities are being made available to a greater number of people, both in the locations where people work, and in their homes. As a result, an increasing amount of data and services can be meaningfully provided via such network communications. As a result, the utility of computing devices increasingly lies in their ability to communicate with one another. For example, users of computing devices traditionally used to utilize computing devices for content creation, such as the creation of textual documents or graphical images. Increasingly, however, the most popular utilizations of computing devices are in the browsing of information sourced from other computing devices, the interaction with other users of other computing devices, the utilization of the processing capabilities of other computing devices and the like.
In particular, it has become more practical to perform digital data processing at a location remote from the location where such data is initially generated, and where the processed data will be consumed. For example, a user can upload a digital photograph to a server and then cause the server to process the digital photograph, changing its colors and applying other visual edits to it. In such an example, of the digital processing that is being performed is being performed by a device that is remote from the user. Indeed, in such an example, if the user was utilizing a battery-operated computing device to interact with the server such as, for example, a laptop or smartphone, the user could be in a location that was not receiving any electrical power at all. Instead, electrical power can have been delivered to the server, which is remote from the user, and the server can have utilized electrical power to process the data provided by the user and then return the processed data to the user. In such an example, the user was able to perform processing on digital data without receiving any electrical power and instead, receiving, only the result of the work performed by electrical power, namely the processed data that was performed by the server computing device that has consumed electrical power that was delivered to the location where the server was located.
To provide such data and processing capabilities, via network communications, from a centralized location, the centralized location typically comprises hundreds or thousands of computing devices, typically mounted in vertically oriented racks. Such a collection of computing devices, as well as the associated hardware necessary to support such computing devices, and the physical structure that houses the computing devices and associated hardware, is traditionally referred to as a "data center". With the increasing availability of high-speed network communication capabilities, and thus the increasing provision of data and services from centralized locations, as well as the traditional utilization of data centers, such as the provision of advanced computing services and massive amounts of computing processing capability, the size and quantity of datacenters continues to increase.
However, data centers often consume large quantities of electrical power, especially by the computing devices themselves. Increasingly, the cost of obtaining such electrical power is becoming a primary determinant in the economic success of a data center. Consequently, data centers are being located in areas where the data centers can obtain electrical power in a cost-effective manner. In some instances, data centers are being located in areas that can provide inexpensive electrical power directly, such as areas in which electricity can be purchased from electrical utilities or governmental electrical facilities inexpensively. In other instances, however, data centers are being located in areas where natural resources, from which electrical power can be derived, are abundant and can be obtained inexpensively. For example, natural gas is a byproduct of oil drilling operations and is often considered a waste byproduct since it cannot be economically captured and brought to market. Consequently, in areas where oil drilling operations are being conducted, natural gas is often available for free, or at a minimal cost. As will be recognized by those skilled in the art, natural gas can be utilized to generate electrical power, such as, for example, through a fuel cell or by generating steam to drive a steam powered electrical generator. Unfortunately, areas where natural resources from which electrical power can be derived are abundant are often areas where water is a scarce and expensive resource. As will also be recognized by those skilled in the art, water is utilized in the cooling of data centers, such as through adiabatic coolers. Consequently, the increased cost of water can offset the efficiencies gained by locating a data center in an area having an abundance of natural resources from which electrical power can be derived.

Water condensate capture from datacenter power generation


A method for calculating transient fuel wall wetting characteristics of an operating engine is described. The method accounts for cylinder valve deactivation of cylinders in the engine in calculating the dynamic fueling compensation. In one example, fuel vaporization effects from fuel puddles in deactivated cylinders are considered when calculating the fueling compensation for active cylinders.

Internal combustion engines are controlled to maintain a desired air to fuel ratio in the combustion chamber to reduce emissions. Fuel is delivered via electronically controlled fuel injectors, modernly located in intake parts of the engine's cylinders, for example. However, not all injected fuel enters the combustion chamber. Rather, some fuel is stored in the intake manifold of the engine. This phenomenon is known as "wall wetting" and various approaches are available for taking into account the fuel puddles in the intake manifold in controlling engine air fuel ratio.
Individual cylinder compensation can also be used to develop an individual cylinder wall wetting approach. See, U.S. Pat. No. 6,571,771.
The inventors herein have recognized a disadvantage with such approaches. Specifically, although the compensation is performed on an individual cylinder basis, if used for cylinders with deactivated cylinder valves, or cylinders operating in a variety of number of strokes, errors can occur. Specifically, even though cylinder valves may be deactivated, fuel vapors can still leave the fuel puddles and migrate to other cylinders, thereby affecting the inducted air-fuel ratio. As such, depending on the operating mode of the engine, different physical phenomena may occur.

Engine control to compensate for fueling dynamics


Systems and methods for determining and utilizing an uplink scheduling timing when using short Transmission Time Intervals (sTTIs) are disclosed. In some embodiments, a method of operation of a wireless device in a cellular communications network comprises receiving an uplink grant in sTTI n; determining, based on a configured uplink/downlink configuration, an uplink scheduling timing I; and transmitting, in a sTTI n+I, an uplink transmission in accordance with the uplink grant received in the sTTI n. In this manner, an uplink timing is determined and utilized when using sTTIs.

In Third Generation Partnership Project (3GPP) Technical Specification (TS) 36.211, three radio frame structures are supported. Frame Structure (FS) type 1 (FS 1) is applicable to Frequency Division Duplexing (FDD) only, FS type 2 (FS 2) is applicable to Time Division Duplexing (TDD) only, and FS type 3 (FS 3) is applicable to License Assisted Access (LAA) secondary cell operation only.
With FS 2 for TDD, each radio frame of length 10 milliseconds (ms) consists of two half-frames of length 5 ms each. Each half-frame consists of five Subframes (SFs) of length 1 ms. Each SF is defined by two slots of length 0.5 ms each. Within each radio frame, a subset of SFs are reserved for uplink transmissions, and the remaining SFs are allocated for downlink transmissions, or for special SFs, where the switch between downlink and uplink occurs.
As shown in Table 1, copied from 3GPP TS 36.211 V13.0.0, seven different downlink/uplink configurations are supported for FS 2. Here, "D" denotes a downlink SF, "U" denotes an uplink SF, and "S" represents a special SF. Configurations 0, 1, 2, and 6 have 5 ms downlink-to-uplink switch-point periodicity, where the special SF exists in both SF 1 and SF 6. Configurations 3, 4, and 5 have 10 ms downlink-to-uplink switch-point periodicity, with the special SF in SF 1 only.
TABLE 1Downlink/Uplink ConfigurationsDL/ULDL-to-ULconfig-Switch-pointSF numberurationperiodicity012345678905msDSUUUDSUUU15msDSUUDDSUUD25msDSUDDDSUDD310msDSUUUDDDDD410msDSUUDDDDDD510msDSUDDDDDDD65msDSUUUDSUUD
A special SF is split into three parts: a Downlink Part of a Special Subframe (DwPTS), GP (Guard Period), and an Uplink Part of a Special Subframe (UpPTS). The DwPTS with duration of more than three symbols can be treated as a normal downlink SF for data transmission. However, the UpPTS is not used for data transmission due to the very short duration in the first releases of Long Term Evolution (LTE). Instead, UpPTS can be used for channel sounding or random access. In LTE Release 14 the possibility of using UpPTS for data transmission will be specified for a specific special SF configuration.
Typically, the downlink/uplink configuration and the configuration of the special SF used in a cell are signaled as part of the system information, which is included in System Information Block 1 (SIB1) and broadcasted every 80 ms within SF 5.
Uplink scheduling timing refers to the time relation between a received uplink grant in downlink SF n and the uplink transmission in uplink SF n+l.
In TDD, the value of l depends on the downlink/uplink configuration. For downlink/uplink configurations 1-6, the values of l are given in Table 2, copied from Table 8-2 in 3GPP TS 36.213 V13.0.1.
For downlink/uplink configuration 0, the value of l also depends on the Uplink Index (UI) field of the uplink Downlink Control Information (DCI) transmitted in downlink SF n:                If the Most Significant Bit (MSB) (i.e., the left-most bit) of the UI is set to 1, the value of l is obtained from Table 2;        If the Least Significant Bit (LSB) (i.e., the right-most bit) of the UI is set to 1, the value of l is 7;        If both the MSB and the LSB of the UI are set to 1, the value of l is 7 and the value obtained from Table 2.        Table 3 gives the uplink scheduling timing table for TDD downlink/uplink configuration 0.
TABLE 2Uplink Scheduling Timing l for Uplink RetransmissionsTDD DL/ULSF index nconfiguration01234567890464616464244344444454677775
TABLE 3Uplink Scheduling Timing l for TDDDownlink/Uplink Configuration 0UL indexDL/special SFUL timing, lScheduled UL SF index10044167549662010771785726731104, 74, 716, 77, 854, 79, 266, 72, 3
Packet data latency is one of the performance metrics that vendors, operators, and also end-users (via speed test applications) regularly measure. Latency measurements are done in all phases of a radio access network system lifetime, when verifying a new software release or system component, when deploying a system, and when the system is in commercial operation.
Shorter latency than previous generations of 3GPP Radio Access Technologies (RATs) was one performance metric that guided the design of LTE. LTE is also now recognized by the end-users to be a system that provides faster access to the Internet and lower data latencies than previous generations of mobile radio technologies.
Packet data latency is important not only for the perceived responsiveness of the system; it is also a parameter that indirectly influences the throughput of the system. Hypertext Transfer Protocol (HTTP)/Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is the dominating application and transport layer protocol suite used on the Internet today. According to HTTP Archive (http://httparchive.org/trends.php), the typical size of HTTP based transactions over the Internet are in the range of a few 10 s of kilobytes up to 1 megabyte. In this size range, the TCP slow start period is a significant part of the total transport period of the packet stream. During TCP slow start the performance is latency limited. Hence, improved latency can rather easily be showed to improve the average throughput for this type of TCP based data transactions.
Radio resource efficiency could be positively impacted by latency reductions. Lower packet data latency could increase the number of transmissions possible within a certain delay bound; hence, higher Block Error Rate (BLER) targets could be used for the data transmissions freeing up radio resources potentially improving the capacity of the system.
One area to address when it comes to packet latency reductions is the reduction of transport time of data and control signaling by addressing the length of a Transmission Time Interval (TTI). In LTE Release 8, a TTI corresponds to one SF of length 1 ms. One such 1 ms TTI is constructed by using 14 Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM) or Single Carrier Frequency Division Multiple Access (SC-FDMA) symbols in the case of normal cyclic prefix and 12 OFDM or SC-FDMA symbols in the case of extended cyclic prefix. In LTE Release 13, a study item was started during 2015 with the goal of specifying transmissions with shorter TTIs that are much shorter than the LTE Release 8 TTI. These shorter TTIs are referred to as short TTIs (sTTIs).
The sTTI can be decided to have any duration in time and comprise resources on a number of OFDM or SC-FDMA symbols within a 1 ms SF. As one example, the duration of the sTTI may be 0.5 ms, i.e. seven OFDM or SC-FDMA symbols for the case with normal cyclic prefix. In that case the short TTI transmission is equivalent to (i.e., can be referred to as) a slot transmission. Another example is a sTTI of only two OFDM or SC-FDMA symbols. In that case the short TTI transmission is equivalent to a subslot transmission.

UL scheduling timing with short TTIs in TDD


An attachable surface cover for a USB port has a casing and a base plate. The casing has an attachment component. The casing is attached to a piece of cloth by means of the attachment component penetrating through the cloth. The attachment component is detachably connected to the base plate. The attachable surface cover for a USB port has a plug hole for insertion and removal of a USB cable. An entrance of the plug hole is on the casing. An exit of the plug hole is used to configure a USB port. The attachable surface cover for a USB port of the present invention has a reasonable design and is highly practical.

Existing attachable surface covers for a USB port are usually non-detachable and made of hard materials, and thus the attachable surface covers for a USB port and base bodies attached thereby cannot be cleaned. In addition, the attachable surface covers for a USB port cannot be replaced after being damaged. Moreover, high requirements are imposed on materials of the base bodies attached by the attachable surface covers for a USB port, which requires hard cloth or lining to reduce deformation, support a casing, and prevent data cables from being disengaged. In the attachment process, high requirements are also imposed on equipment that attaches the attachable surface cover for a USB port to the base body, which requires professional equipment. On USB ports of the existing attachable surface covers for a USB port, it is necessary to use a vertical insertion and removal method for a USB cable to realize insertion and removal of the USB cable, resulting in poor user experience.


A display device according to an exemplary embodiment of the present invention includes: a plurality of pixels including switching elements; a plurality of pairs of first and second gate lines connected to the switching elements and separated from each other, transmitting a gate-on voltage for turning on the switching elements; and a plurality of data lines connected to the switching elements, transmitting data signals, wherein each pair of first and second gate lines is disposed between two adjacent pixel rows and is connected to one of the pixel rows.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a display device, and more particularly to a display device with reduced interference between pixels.
2. Description of the Related Art
An active type display device such as an active matrix (AM) liquid crystal display (LCD) and an active matrix organic light emitting display (OLED) includes a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix and including switching elements and a plurality of signal lines such as gate lines and data lines for transmitting signals to the switching elements. The switching elements of the pixels selectively transmit data signals from the data lines to the pixels in response to gate signals from the gate lines for displaying images. The pixels of the LCD adjust the transmittance of incident light depending on the data signals, while those of the OLED adjust the luminance of light emission depending on the data signals.
The display device further includes a gate driver for generating and applying the gate signals to the gate lines and a data driver for applying the data signals to the data lines. Each of the gate driver and the data driver generally includes several driving integrated circuit (IC) chips. The number of IC chips is preferably small to reduce manufacturing costs. In particular, the number of data driving IC chips is important since the data driving IC chips are more expensive than the gate driving IC chips.

Display device with reduced interference between pixels


In a laser shock peening process, the shape of the spot generated by the laser beam is changed on the fly. This is achieved, for example, by a masking device which is movable into and out of the path of the laser beam. Laser shock peening spots can consequently be shaped so as to avoid the spots overlapping an edge of the workpiece, or any other feature which may be damaged by the laser energy.

Laser shock peening is a known technique for generating compressive stresses in the surface of a component using laser energy. A laser shock peening process is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,957, the disclosure of which is incorporated herein by reference. In a typical laser peening process, the workpiece to be treated is coated first with an opaque layer, such as black paint, and subsequently covered with a transparent layer, which may be water. A pulsed laser beam is directed at the workpiece through the transparent layer. When the beam strikes the opaque layer, the laser energy vaporises the opaque layer, converting it into plasma and causing an explosive impact to be applied to the surface of the workpiece. The transparent layer provides a reaction element, increasing the force of the explosive impact on the surface of the workpiece.
The impact applied by the vaporised part of the opaque layer causes a shock wave to propagate into the surface of the workpiece. This causes plastic deformation of the material of the workpiece in its surface region, resulting in an induced compressive stress adjacent the surface. This induced compressive stress increases the resistance of the workpiece to crack formation and propagation.
Each pulse of the laser irradiates an area of the workpiece or "spot" which may have a diameter, or equivalent dimension, of 2 to 15 mm. In practice, successive pulses are applied to the workpiece in an overlapping, or closely spaced, relationship in order to cover the full extent of that region of the workpiece surface which is to be treated. For reasons of efficiency, the laser beam is manipulated to cause the shape of the spot to have rectilinear edges in order to avoid or minimise overlap, while leaving no untreated regions between adjacent spots. For example, square or hexagonal spot shapes may be used.
If laser shock peening is carried out around the edge of a workpiece, for example around a hole drilled in the workpiece or at a free edge, such as a trailing edge of a turbine blade of a gas turbine engine, problems can arise. Peening around holes such as turbine cooling holes can cause the surrounding material to "slump" into the holes, so restricting their apertures. Peening at blade edges can damage coatings, such as protective coatings, applied to the blade, and cause degradation of edge detail. It is consequently desirable to avoid applying laser peening spots which extend over such edges, while adequately covering the full area over which treatment is required. It is difficult to achieve this if all of the spots have the same shape.


In a large semiconductor memory having multiple memory modules that are addressable by a logical page address and a word address within each page, a technique for automatically testing the modules to establish a pool of good modules; then allocating each logical page of memory to a group of modules, with each module in the group being assigned to a particular bit position in all of the data words in the page. After allocation of each page, the modules in the page are tested in various ways to verify that they are fully functional. Modules not passing any of the tests are replaced by others from the pool of good modules. If the pool is exhausted, a partial page is de-allocated. Tests performed on the modules making up a logical page include a random access memory test, a test on bus connections to each module, and tests on the other major components of each module.

This invention relates generally to semiconductor memory structures and, more particularly, to techniques for configuring and testing very large memory arrays, which have a relatively high probability of containing defective memory cells. A semiconductor integrated-circuit memory takes the form of a two-dimensional array of memory cells fabricated together on a single semiconductor chip. Each memory cell typically stores one binary digit or bit of information, and the array is usually designed to store multiple "words" of information, each word having the same number of bits. A common data word length is eight bits, which is referred to as a "byte." For convenience in handling binary cell addresses, the number of words in a memory array is usually a power of two, such as 1,024, 2,048, 4,096, and so forth. Each 1,024 words or bytes of memory is often referred to as "1 k" of memory. For example, a 2 k memory contains 2,048 words, bytes or bits of memory.
As the area of a semiconductor chip increases, so does the probability that there will be manufacturing defects within the chip. The manufacturing "yield" is the percentage of defect-free chips obtained in a production run. The probability of occurrence of manufacturing defects in a unit surface chip area is approximately constant for a particular fabrication process. Therefore, larger chips will have more defects and a lower yield of defect-free circuits. Although the area of a specific circuit can be decreased by further reducing the scale of integration, i.e. by reducing the size of the circuit features and their spacing, this will ultimately result in an increase in the number of defects and a reduction in the production yield.
An alternative to reducing the size of a circuit is to increase the effective production yield by rendering the resulting circuits more tolerant to defects, so that defective circuits can be repaired rather than discarded. Basically, this approach involves designing the circuit to include redundant or spare components, which can be connected into the circuit to replace components that have become defective.
Another source of defects is radiation damage. This is highly significant for applications of circuitry to be used in space, where memory cells are subject to damage by cosmic radiation. If only a single memory cell were to be damaged, the defect could be overcome by the use of an appropriate error detection and correction technique. A single-bit error in a relatively large data word can be detected and corrected in this way without the need for reconfiguring the circuitry. However, there is a high probability that a cosmic radiation "strike" on a memory cell would disable not just one cell, but several physically adjacent cells as well. If these damaged cells were all in the same data word, recovery by error detection and correction methods would not be possible. Accordingly, the ideal technique for reconfiguring a memory circuit should be one that minimizes the effects of radiation damage, and permits reconfiguration at any time after manufacture of the circuit.
Without some technique for increasing the production yield of semiconductor memory arrays, the size of such arrays is effectively limited and may not be easily increased to encompass an entire semiconductor wafer. U.S. Pat. No. 4,653,050 to Vaillancourt proposes a solution to this problem, whereby a large memory array comprises a number of memory modules, each of 1.times.N bits in size. The memory array is treated as having P logical "pages," each with N multibit words. Each module provides one bit of memory at the same bit position in every word in a logical page of memory. A damaged module therefore affects only one bit in each word, and the missing bit can be reconstructed using conventional error detection and correction techniques. A memory mapping module provides transformation from logical memory addresses to physical addresses within the modules. Although this approach is satisfactory in many applications, it has the disadvantage that a single, relatively complex memory mapping unit is responsible for mapping memory locations for the entire memory array.
An ideal wafer-scale memory array has the ability to distribute each bit of a stored data word to a different memory module. However, for a 32-bit data word, for example, this would appear to require that a 32-bit data bus be connected to each of the memory modules in the array. This routing of the data bus over a large area of the circuit would render the array more vulnerable to defects, whether resulting from manufacture or from radiation damage. Therefore, any scheme for minimizing damage to the memory array should minimize the extent to which the data bus has to be routed throughout the array. One approach to solving these problems was described and claimed in a patent application Ser. No. 07/498,882 filed on Mar. 26, 1990 in the name of Cameron Wade, and since issued as U.S. Pat. No. 5,103,424.
Regardless of which specific hardware configuration is used to address these problems, there is still a need for an automatic technique for testing and reconfiguring very large memories that include redundant memory modules. Ideally, what is needed is a memory system that automatically tests and reconfigures itself upon powering up, or at any other time on demand. The present invention achieves this end and has other significant advantages.

Method and apparatus for configuration and testing of large fault-tolerant memories


Techniques to provide proxies for web services are described. A technique may include providing proxies for web services that translate one format to a format native used, or understood, by the web service without having to rewrite existing APIs. In one embodiment, for example, an apparatus may comprise a processing unit and a network interface coupled to the processing unit. The apparatus may further include a web service executing web service requests on the processing unit using a native format. The apparatus may further include a proxy to receive a web service request in a first format via the network interface and to translate the web service request from the first format to the native format. Other embodiments are described and claimed.

Many web services support Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP), an XML-based protocol for programmatically issuing requests to, and receiving responses from, client applications. A web service server may provide various application program interfaces (APIs) via the SOAP protocol. The SOAP protocol is very robust but may be computationally and/or resource expensive to parse by web clients built using other protocols, such as JavaScript. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present improvements have been needed.


A first-stage turbine blade includes an airfoil having a profile according to Table I. The airfoil has a plurality of cooling air passages extending linearly from the root portion to the tip portion of the airfoil. The blade includes a shank having a pair of cavities in communication through the blade dovetail with a plenum in the wheel space for supplying cooling air to the passages in the airfoil. The cooling passages in the airfoil terminate in a recess at the tip portion which has an opening adjacent the trailing edge of the airfoil and along the suction side to enable egress of cooling air into the hot gas stream on the low pressure side of the airfoil. The majority of the cooling passages are turbulated. Certain of those passages are arranged in rows lying adjacent to the pressure and suction sides of the airfoil.

In the design, fabrication and use of gas turbines, there has been an increasing tendency toward higher firing temperatures to optimize turbine performance. Also, as existing turbine airfoils reach the end of their life cycle, it is desirable to replace the airfoils, while simultaneously enhancing performance of the turbine through redesign of the airfoils and accommodating the increased firing temperatures. Enhanced cooling capability at higher firing temperatures with consequent extension of the life of the replacement airfoils is therefore highly desirable. For example, the life cycle of the airfoils for early-produced units of the MS6001 B gas turbine, manufactured by assignee, is nearing an end. Hence, a new airfoil capable of operating at increased firing temperatures and compatible with such existing gas turbine but with enhanced cooling and extended life is deemed desirable.
A major failure potential for an airfoil is its margin for creep. With airfoil time at operational temperature and at a given stress level, the airfoil may tend to stretch and to develop a crack or a creep void if not cooled properly. The formation of a crack or creep void reduces surface area, which in turn increases the stress and may cause the blade to rupture or crack. Thus, when redesigning an airfoil for an existing gas turbine, particularly for operation at increased firing temperatures, enhanced cooling and consequent reduction in the bulk temperature of the airfoil is highly desirable to increase the creep margin and airfoil life. Airfoil redesign is also desirable without altering or changing any other part of the turbomachinery and particularly without changing the attachment of the airfoils to the turbine wheel. That is, the desired airfoil redesign is constrained by the original design constraints of existing turbomachinery in which the new airfoil may be employed as a replacement part. Performance is also a significant consideration. For example, boundary layer separation from and reattachment to the airfoil surface may occur. Additionally, shock waves may form on the leading edge of the airfoil. These and other factors contribute to an increase in the temperature of the airfoil, degrade performance and are to be avoided.

Turbine blade with enhanced cooling and profile optimization


A bus bar forming die (1) includes an upstream-side die block (25) configured to shape an upstream-side fuse-element portion (9) of a bus bar (23), a downstream-side die block (27) configured to shape a downstream-side fuse-element portion (15) of the bus bar (23), and a fixation portion die block (29) configured to shape fixation portions (21) of the bus bar (23). The upstream-side die block (25), the downstream-side die block (27), and the fixation portion die block (29) are configured to shape the bus bar (23) while placed in respective predetermined positions. Each of the upstream-side die block (25), the downstream-side die block (27), and the fixation portion die block (29) is replaceable in accordance with an intended shape of the bus bar (23).

PTL1 has proposed a bus bar including: an upstream-side fuse-element portion provided with paired connecting plate portions as paired conductive members, and an upstream fuse-element connecting the paired connecting plate portions together; a downstream-side fuse-element portion provided with multiple downstream fuse-elements connecting the paired connecting plate portions to multiple terminal portions; and fixation portions provided integrally with the paired connecting plate portions, and provided with connecting holes, respectively.
This bus bar is a composite fusible link formed by: obtaining a series-linked conductor in which the paired conductive members and the terminal portions are linked together in series by cutting out from a metal plate; separating this series-linked conductor into the paired conductive members and the terminal portions; thereafter performing insert molding on the paired conductive members and the terminal portions, which are separated from each other, by covering them with resin; and placing the fuse-elements in their respective positions.


The present invention discloses pteridinone derivatives for use as inhibitors of stearoyl-CoA desaturase having the structure of Formula I:

Stearoyl CoA desaturases (SCD's) are Δ9 fatty acid desaturases. The mammalian enzymes are localized to the endoplasmic reticulum and require molecular O2 and NADH to desaturate saturated fatty acids at the Δ9 position and generate monounsaturated fatty acids and water in the process. The primary substrates for these enzymes are the acyl-CoA derivatives of stearic (C18) and palmitic acids (C16) with the major reaction being the conversion of stearic acid to oleate (C18:1). Depending on the species, 2-4 highly homologous isoforms of SCD exist differing primarily in tissue distribution.
The best characterized SCD isozyme is SCD1 which is primarily found in liver, adipose and skeletal muscle. Deletion, mutation or inhibition of SCD 1 in mice and rats results in decreased hepatic triglyceride secretion, decreased hepatic steatosis, resistance to weight gain and improvements in insulin sensitivity and glucose uptake (reviewed in Ntambi et al. (2004) Prog Lipid Res 43, 91-104; (2005), Prostaglandins Leukot. Essent. Fatty Acids 73, 35-41; and (2005) Obes. Rev. 6, 169-174. These studies combined with studies in humans showing correlations between surrogates for SCD activity and obesity strongly implicate SCD inhibition as a means to treat obesity, hypertryglyceridemia and associated diseases and co-morbidities. Studies done using antisense oligonucleotide inhibitors have also demonstrated a correlation between SCD activity and obesity and the onset of diet-induced hypatic insulin resistance; see Jiang et al. (2005) J. Clin. Invest. 115:1030-1038G. and Gutíerrez-Juárez et al. (2006) J. Clin. Invest. 116:1686-1695.
The present invention presents compounds that are useful in inhibiting SCD activity and thus regulating lipid levels, especially plasma lipid levels. These compounds are useful in the treatment of SCD-mediated diseases such as diseases related to dyslipidemia and disorders of lipid metabolism, including, but not limited to diseases related to elevated lipid levels, cardiovascular disease, cancer, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and the like.

Pteridinone derivatives for use as stearoyl CoA desaturase inhibitors

Abstract: The compounds are useful in treating and/or preventing various human diseases, mediated by stearoyl-CoA desaturase (SCD) enzymes, especially diseases related to abnormal lipid levels, cardiovascular disease, diabetes, obesity, metabolic syndrome and the like.


A hoisting machinery comprises a steering wheel and wheels, wherein the active steering system comprises an active steering device, a hydraulic power steering gear and a hydraulic power steering system, the active steering device is arranged between the steering wheel and a pitman arm of the hoisting machinery, so as to adjust a steering ratio of the steering wheel to the pitman arm according to a driving cycle of the hoisting machinery, and the hydraulic power steering gear is arranged between the steering wheel and the pitman arm, so as to control the hydraulic power steering system to drive steering of the wheels. In the active steering system of the present invention, a hydraulic power steering system is adopted to drive steering of wheels, which can improve capability of overcoming steering resistance and can be applicable to multiple chassis of cranes, thereby enlarging application ranges of the active steering system.

At present, all terrain cranes adopt a mechanical hydraulic power steering system and an electro-hydraulic proportional steering system. Owing to its mature technology and high reliability, the mechanical hydraulic power steering system is widely adopted across the industry. The electro-hydraulic proportional steering system can realize multi-axle and multi-mode steering. The existing steering systems cannot resolve a contradiction between flexibility at a low speed and stability at a high speed.
In modern times, the automobile steering technology has gone through several stages including a hydraulic power steering stage, an electric power steering stage, a steer-by-wire stage and an active steering stage. An active steering system not only has a variable transmission ratio function of steer by wire, but also reserves mechanical connection between a steering wheel and steering wheels, thereby ensuring safety and reliability of a steering system, and becoming a development direction of a steering system.
In the prior art, an eight-axle automobile chassis crane and its steering control system and method are available (please refer to the patent with a publication number of CN102030037A), wherein, a steering wheel changes a transfer direction through an angle driver, and finally outputs a steering angle of a steering wheel to a steering gear, and further controls steering of wheels. The steering control system adopts a fixed transmission ratio of a steering angle, and a velocity ratio of an angle driver cannot be changed, and can be only used to change a transfer direction. The magnitude of a transmission ratio mainly depends on a transmission ratio of a steering gear, while a transmission ratio of a steering gear is determined by internal design of a steering gear, which is also a system with a fixed ratio.
An active steering system which integrates an electric power steering function and a control method are further available (please refer to the patent with a publication number of CN101695935A). As shown in FIG. 1, the active steering system in sequence includes a steering wheel a1, a steering input shaft a2, a planetary gear mechanism a5, a steering output shaft a6, a steering engine a9, a steering tie rod a10, a steering motor a4 arranged on the planetary gear mechanism a5, a steering angle sensor, a yaw velocity sensor and a lateral acceleration sensor. An ideal transmission ratio and a steering angle correction of a steering system can be calculated according to the steering wheel torque sensor signals acquired by a steering wheel torque sensor a3 arranged on a steering input shaft a2, signals acquired by a steering angle sensor, a lateral acceleration sensor and a yaw velocity sensor and the manipulation stability of a complete vehicle. An ECU is configured to send control signals to a steering motor a4, so as to drive the planetary gear mechanism a5 to implement variable transmission ratio control and active steering intervention control. The ECU sends control signals of an power assisted motor to an power assisted motor a7 according to feedback signals of a steering motor sent back by a steering motor a4, determines magnitude of a power assisted torque and return-to-center control torque of a power assisted motor a7, and drives steering of a front wheel a11 together with a steering tie rod a10, thereby implementing power-assisted control and return-to-center control of electric power steering.
In the above eight-axle automobile chassis crane and its steering control system, a fixed steering ratio is adopted, and the contradiction between flexibility at a low speed and stability at a high speed cannot be resolved: hydraulic steering can make steering lighter, however, under such operating conditions as steering for a large steering angle at a low speed, turning around and steering at a small ground, a steering wheel needs to be turned repeatedly and sharply, therefore, steering flexibility is poor with fatigability. When a vehicle drives at a high speed, locking of a rear axle can improve driving stability to a certain extent, however, the degree of improvement is limited, and in special circumstances such as snowy and rainy days or sharp turns, a possibility of instability may still exist. Under such conditions of poor wheel alignment parameters, non-standard tire pressure and unleveled suspension, off tracking will occur during a straight driving process, and a driver needs to constantly correct, thereby increasing a driving burden.
In the above active steering system which integrates an electric power steering function, the active steering system integrates an electric power steering function. Since a steering resistance of a crane chassis is large, electric power steering cannot satisfy requirements of a system, and the floor space is relatively large due to its arrangement mode, therefore, the arrangement is difficult in actual operations.
It should be noted that, the information disclosed in the background art of the present invention is merely intended to increase the understanding of an overall background of the present invention, and should not be deemed as admitting or implying in any way that the information has constituted prior art that is well known to those skilled in the art.

Active steering system for hoisting machinery and hoisting machinery


A portable terminal apparatus includes: a scan job generator that generates a scan job; a file format selecting portion that allows users to select a first file format; a display portion that displays scanned data; a first judgment portion that judges whether or not the first file format is enabled; a second judgment portion that judges whether or not a second file format is enabled; a file format setting portion that sets the first or second file format; a transmitter that transmits the scan job to the image processing apparatus; a data obtaining portion that obtains the scanned data from the image processing apparatus; a display controller that allows the display portion to display the scanned data in an enabled file format; a file converter that converts the scanned data into the first file format; and a storage that stores the scanned data in the first file format.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to: a portable terminal apparatus such as a smartphone or a tablet computer terminal; a method of obtaining scanned data from an image processing apparatus, which is to be implemented by the portable terminal apparatus; and a non-transitory computer-readable recording medium having a program stored thereon to make a computer of the portable terminal apparatus obtain scanned data from the image processing apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
The following description sets forth the inventor's knowledge of related art and problems therein and should not be construed as an admission of knowledge in the prior art.
In recent years, there has been a portable terminal apparatus having an application for operating an image processing apparatus, which allows the portable terminal apparatus to generate a scan job for the image processing apparatus to scan a document and return scanned data to the portable terminal apparatus.
Meanwhile, there has been an image processing apparatus that is capable of scanning documents in various file formats with its new and improved features. For example, the image processing apparatus is capable of scanning portable document format (PDF) files including: normal PDF files, compact PDF files, encrypted PDF files, and searchable PDF files, as well as JPEG files. A preferred file format can be selected among various options depending on the purpose.
When instructing the image processing apparatus to execute a scan job, the portable terminal apparatus allows users to select a file format among various options then obtains and stores scanned data in the selected file format.
In order to display scanned data in various file formats, it is necessary to install a software library for all the file formats on the portable terminal apparatus, which can cause a massive expansion of software and a shortage of resources of the portable terminal apparatus, which is an unsolved problem.
Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-312018 suggests a technique for allowing a portable terminal apparatus to display scanned data if its file format is not enabled on the portable terminal apparatus; that is, an image processing apparatus transmits a file including information of a plurality of image formats to a portable terminal apparatus and the portable terminal apparatus selects enabled image formats among them to display scanned data.
As described in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2008-312018, transmitting and obtaining a file including information of a plurality of image formats can cause a heavy workload both for the image processing apparatus and the portable terminal apparatus because of its file size, respectively, which is a problem still unsolved.
The description herein of advantages and disadvantages of various features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed in other publications is in no way intended to limit the present invention. Indeed, certain features of the invention may be capable of overcoming certain disadvantages, while still retaining some or all of the features, embodiments, methods, and apparatus disclosed therein.

Portable terminal apparatus, method of obtaining scanned data from an image processing apparatus, and recording medium


A headlamp of a vehicle is disclosed having an optical system arranged after a light source in a path of a light beam emitted by the light source. The light beam has a directed main beam and a component of undirected diffused light. A cover screen is arranged parallel to the directed main beam after the optical system. A plate for discharging heat is arranged after the cover screen. A lens cover in combination with the cover screen forms an in travelling direction front cover of the headlamp. The cover screen has an aperture which opens the space between the optical system and the cover screen in the direction of the plate and the optical system includes an optical lens body and the undirected diffused light of the light source substantially radiates through the aperture in the cover screen onto the plate.

From DE 102 58 623 A1 a headlamp unit for a motor vehicle is known, having a housing which is formed for fastening to a body of the vehicle, in which at least one light source is arranged and on which a glass is attached, through which the light generated by the at least one light source exits the housing. In order to avoid an undesirable temperature increase in the housing, it is proposed to configure the housing insulated and/or to connect at least one light source designed as LED with at least one heat conducting element in a heat-transferring manner.
An object on which the present disclosure is based consists in making available a headlamp with a cover screen for a vehicle, in which the cover screen is protected from damage through heat. A further object is providing a motor vehicle with two corresponding headlamps.


A hair trimmer that includes a main body extending between an upper end portion and a lower end portion and further includes a front side and a rear side. The main body defines a primary longitudinal axis that extends substantially linearly between the upper end portion and the lower end portion. A blade housing is rotatably attached to the upper end of the main body such that the blade housing is rotatable about the primary longitudinal axis with respect to said main body. The blade housing is defined by an attached side and a free side that is opposite to the attached side. An interface plane is defined between the main body and the blade housing. The interface plane extends at an interface angle that is oblique to the primary longitudinal axis. The present hair trimmer further includes a cutting mechanism that is removably seated upon the said free side of the blade housing. The cutting mechanism includes a cutting surface for engaging and severing hair. As an additional feature, the present hair trimmer may be also equipped with a light for illuminating the area about to be trimmed.

In order to obtain a neat and well-groomed appearance, a person wearing a beard and/or a moustache will normally wish to trim his facial hair occasionally. Presently, there are trimmers available which are combined with electric shavers, as well as stand alone electric beard/moustache trimmers. Commonly, these trimmers have a cutting head (in which one blade reciprocates against another) that is fixed in a single position and extends from the front of the unit. For cutting the hair to a uniform length, one may use an attachment comb that spaces the cutting head from the skin by a specified distance. Typically, it is suggested that the trimmers be used to cut the hair against the grain, i.e., opposite to the direction in which the hair naturally grows.
One problem with many currently available beard trimmers relates to the relationship between the cutting head and the handle (or main body) of the unit. Oftentimes the user must position his hand and arm in potentially uncomfortable or awkward positions in order to have the cutting head aligned in the desired position with the face and/or the neck. In addition to the potential discomfort, the positioning of the trimmer unit may place the body of the unit, the user's hand, or the user's arm (or possibly all three) directly in front of the area where the hair is being trimmed, all of which obstruct the user's view of the area being trimmed and make trimming more difficult. An unobstructed view is especially important when edging around the peripheries of the beard, moustache, and sideburns in order to create edge lines that are clean and crisp.
Another problem with many currently available trimmer units also relates to the user's lack of the ability to adequately see the area where the hair is being cut. Customarily, the light in a bathroom (where the majority of beard grooming most likely takes place) originates from an overhead light source. Once again, the user's hand and the trimmer unit can possibly hinder the user from obtaining an adequate view of the area being trimmed. In this instance, the trimmer unit and the user's hand may create shadows that prevent the area being trimmed from being adequately illuminated by the overhead light. This problem is magnified in the underchin area where the chin itself creates a shadow and reduces the visibility in this area.
Thus, in light of these problems, among others, a first object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer of a design that does not require the user to position his hand in a potentially uncomfortable or awkward manner.
A second object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer which is ergonomically designed to minimize potentially awkward hand positioning by including an offset portion near the top of the main body of the unit, which otherwise extends generally linearly to define a longitudinal axis.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer in which the user may select the alignment of the cutting surface so that his view of the area being trimmed is not obstructed by his hand or the trimmer body.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer in which the cutting surface may be positioned at preselected orientations by rotating the blade housing with respect to the main body of the trimmer.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer with a rotatable blade housing that enables the user to place the cutting surface in a properly aligned position, while still being able to comfortably hold the main body of the trimmer.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer that can be comfortably held by the user with his elbow in a relaxed position near his body while edging around the beard, moustache, and sideburns. The present invention is intended to permit the user to edge while the plane of the blades are held nearly perpendicular to the main longitudinal axis of the trimmer body, with this main longitudinal axis being positioned substantially vertically. In this manner, the user is holding the trimmer unit in a comfortable position with adequate visibility of the area being trimmed.
A related object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer that enables the user to hold the unit in a comfortable position while using the unit to cut the beard by stroking upwards under the chin and above the cheekbones, especially when the trimmer unit used without an attachment comb.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer that is equipped with a light for illuminating the area where the hair is being trimmed.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer that is equipped with both a light and a rotatable blade housing.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer in which the cutting surface is angled so that the user's hand and arm are placed in a more comfortable position when the trimmer is used to cut hair with the grain of hair growth. It has been found that a neater looking trimmed beard may be obtained by trimming the beard with the grain, contrary to the generally accepted practice of trimming the beard against the grain. While some conventional trimmers may be capable of trimming the hair with the grain, using a conventional trimmer for trimming with the grain generally results in some awkward hand and arm positioning because many conventional trimmers are primarily designed for trimming against the grain.
Although trimming the hair against the grain may result in each hair actually being trimmed to a uniform length, trimming with the grain results in the appearance that each hair is trimmed to a uniform length. This may be true, in part, because of the manner in which hair grows. While hair generally grows in one direction, there will be certain strands that grow with a more random orientation. When trimming against the grain, all of the strands of hair will be lifted and trimmed to substantially the same length. The hair will then settle back into its original state near the skin, with some hairs being out of alignment. These hairs will be angled in relation to the other hairs, and thus will appear to have been cut shorter or longer than the other hairs, although they have actually been cut to the same length as the other hairs. This phenomenon results in the beard having a somewhat ragged look.
In contrast, if the beard is cut with the grain, a neater and more even looking appearance can be obtained, even though each strand of hair has not actually been cut to exactly the same length. When cutting the beard with the grain, those strands of hair that are growing out of alignment (relative to the majority of the hair growth) are cut to a different than those strands that are aligned. In this manner, when the unaligned strands return to their original state, and are angled with respect to the majority of the strands in that area, all of the strands of hair will appear to have been cut to a uniform length, resulting in the desired neat and well-groomed look.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an improved hair trimmer configured with internal components that enable the above objects to be realized.
These and other objects of the present invention are discussed or will be apparent from the following detailed description of the present invention.