A method and system for controlling mutually exclusive resources and for preventing deadlocks in a multi-tasking computer system by generating a graph containing nodes to which are mapped the tasks included in a flow of processes and the critical resources which may be appropriated by at least one of the tasks. The nodes of tasks executed sequentially are arranged sequentially; the nodes of tasks executed in parallel are arranged in parallel with each other and each node of a critical resource is arranged in parallel with every node which may appropriate it. Every time a signal to being execution of a task is transmitted, a token is generated in the task node and the critical resource node is parallel with the task node. Referring to the graph, when the completion of the current task in the process flow is detected, a signal to being execution of the immediately succeeding task is delayed until a token is assigned to any one of the immediately succeeding task nodes and the critical resource nodes arranged in parallel with it.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a method and a system for controlling mutually exclusive resources that are available sequentially in an event driven process. The sequentially available resources are controlled by a computer, a programmable logic controller or the like.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Important concepts in the recent computer technology art are multitasking, multiprocessing and distributed processing. To implement these techniques, it is necessary to share a resource between several tasks or processes during parallel execution of a plurality of tasks or processes. Such a resource is called a shared resource, for example, various peripheral devices, disks, memories, communication lines, programs, and data. A shared resource that can be appropriated by one task or process at a time is called a critical resource.
The problem of controlling mutually exclusive resources in an event driven process arises when event driven processes are executed in parallel and compete for the shared resource. The mutually exclusive resource control mechanism assures that the shared resource will be held by at most one process. An area which holds a shared resource in the processes executed in parallel is called a critical section. The problem of sharing a resource when a plurality of tasks are executed in parallel is presented as a problem of interprocess communication and synchronization. To solve it conventionally, various techniques have been proposed, and analyzed by system models. The synchronization problem includes the mutual exclusion problem, the producer consumer problem, the dining philosopher problem, and the reader/writer problem.
At present, there is no way to solve the problem of automatically controlling access to a mutually exclusive resource among a plurality of competing processes. It is a burden for the programmer or the operator. Thus, whether a programmer writes a program executing in parallel, or an operator executes a program under such an environment, attention must always be paid to resource assignment. In implementing a parallel execution system, a programmer uses semaphores to control access.
An example of programming using semaphores will be explained as follows. It is assumed that there are three flows of event driven processes G.sub.1, G.sub.2 and G.sub.3 as shown schematically in FIG. 2. In the first flow of process G.sub.1, tasks p.sub.1 and p.sub.2 are processed sequentially. After the task p.sub.1 has been executed while using shared resources A and C, the task p.sub.2 is executed while using shared resources B and C.
In the second flow of process G.sub.2, a task P.sub.3 is executed. The task P.sub.3 is executed while using the shared resources A, B and C. In the third flow of process G.sub.3, tasks P.sub.4 and P.sub.5 are executed in parallel. The task P.sub.4 is executed while using the shared resources A and C, and the task P.sub.5 is simultaneously executed while using the shared resources B and C. The start or end points of the tasks are indicated by time marks t.sub.1 --t.sub.7. It is assumed that, among the resources appearing in FIG. 2, the critical resources are A and B, and that the critical resource A is a robot 2, while the critical resource B is a robot 1.
At present, in most cases, software programming is performed for each critical resource, i.e., a controller for production apparatus in a manufacturing process, or a computer in a network system. This requires a program for each critical resource and a program for controlling them. An example of this is shown in FIGS. 3A-3C. FIG. 3A is a program for controlling the entire system; FIG. 3B is a program for controlling the robot 1; FIG. 3C is a program for controlling the robot 2.
The syntax for describing the parallel execution is as follows: ##STR1## wherein P1 and P2 are tasks executed in parallel.
In addition, syntax for describing a critical section is as follows: ##STR2## wherein R is a unique name for a critical resource to be mutually excluded, and S is a critical section to be mutually excluded. In this case, R is a semaphore.
In FIG. 3A, R(p) is a program for a robot as indicated in FIGS. 3B and 3C, respectively. When a parameter p is passed to R, the program for R executes only the task for p.
The syntax for describing the critical section and its mechanism, as well as the syntax for describing the parallel execution and its mechanism are not supplied to the programmer generally, so that it becomes the responsibility of the programmer to write the description of the critical section, to produce its mechanism, and to debug the process for mutually exclusive control.
One technique that is widely used for modeling of a system is called a Petri-Net. Features of the Petri-Net are parallelism or simultaneousness and nonsynchronization. Its execution may be considered to be a series of discrete events with the timing when an event occurs being indefinite. Attempts have been made to utilize these features and the execution form for event driven control. The Petri-Net is useful in the simulation of a parallel execution system such as a computer model or a manufacturing process because of its mathematical analysis characteristics and modeling capabilities.
The Petri-Net consists of four components: a place, a transition, an arc, and a token. The place indicates an event, the transition indicates a condition, the arc indicates a path, and the token indicates a state. The token moves in the arc between the places according to the condition of the transition, and causes an event corresponding to the place.
FIG. 4 shows examples illustrating the execution of the Petri Net. In this example, the Petri Net is described by using a transition T={t.sub.a, t.sub.b, t.sub.c }, a place P={P.sub.x, P.sub.y, P.sub.z }, and a token. First, if there is no token in P.sub.x, t.sub.a generates a token and places it in P.sub.x (FIG. 4A). If P.sub.x has a token, and P.sub.y and P.sub.z do not have a token, t.sub.b transfers the token to P.sub.y and P.sub.z (FIG. 4B). If P.sub.y and P.sub.z have a token, t.sub.c takes out and erases the token. More details on the Petri Net can be found in "Petri Net Theory and the Modeling of Systems" by J. L. Peterson, Prentice-Hall Inc., 1981.
In a conventional control system using Petri Nets, a programmer describes a flow of processes as shown in FIG. 2 or FIG. 4 by using a graphics editor and then converting the description into code to create a program for controlling the entire system so that, when starting a task or receiving a termination signal, the token is automatically transferred according to these signals based on the program in execution. Description of this system can be found in a paper authored by K. Hasegawa and K. Takahashi, "MFG (Mark Flow Graph)-Based Programmable Controller and its Application to FMS," published in the Proceedings of the International Conference on System Engineering, pp. 306-311, 1984.
However, the conventional control systems do not take the mutually exclusive control problem into consideration. Modeling of the mutually exclusive control problem is performed by creating a place corresponding to an empty state of a resource (empty place) and by connecting it to a place of a task using that resource to establish a critical section. In this case, it utilizes storability which is an important characteristic of the Petri-Net. The empty place contains a token as an initial marking, and always contains a token when a resource is not used. When a process is in a critical section and is using a resource, the empty place does not contain a token. If another process attempts to enter the critical section to use the same resource, it cannot be executed because the empty place does not contain a token and a firing condition is not satisfied. The execution of this other process is forced to wait until the process using the resource ends, releases the resource, and returns the token to the empty place.
FIG. 5 shows an example of this modeling. Place m indicates authorization to enter a critical section. When a process wants to enter the critical section, it supplies a token to p.sub.1 or p.sub.2 to indicate its readiness to enter the critical section, and waits for a signal allowing entrance into the critical section or the token of m to access the critical section. If both processes want to enter the critical section simultaneously, transitions t.sub.1 and t.sub.2 cause contention, and only one process can be fired. Firing of t.sub.1 disables that of t.sub.2, and the process 2 is delayed until the process 1 completes the critical section and returns the token to m.
A control system for providing mutually exclusive control cannot be implemented easily if a graph having empty places for critical resources is created, and converted into codes so as to create a control program for the entire system with the token being automatically transferred. The reasons for this are as follows:
1. The empty places must be incorporated in the Petri-Net. If a programmer incorporates the empty places in a suitable location in the Petri Net while paying attention to critical resources, his effort will be equivalent to programming using semaphores. The creation of the Petri Net becomes very difficult for even a slightly complicated case as illustrated in FIG. 6 as compared with a simple case as illustrated in FIG. 5. PA0 2. In execution, a user must first distinguish the empty places (resource places) from task places, and then place initial tokens in all empty places. This imposes a significant burden on the user. PA0 3. A deadlock may be caused from the representation of the Petri Net itself.
This can be further explained by taking the situation in FIG. 6 as an example. It is assumed that the current state is as shown in FIG. 6A. That is, the tasks P.sub.1 and P.sub.4 are being executed, and the resources P.sub.x and P.sub.y are empty. The resource P.sub.x is used by the tasks P.sub.2, P.sub.3 and P.sub.6. The resource P.sub.y is used by the tasks P.sub.3, P.sub.5 and P.sub.6.
If the state is as shown in FIG. 6A, then it is clear that the control system can start the execution of the tasks P.sub.2 and P.sub.5. Thus, t.sub.1 and t.sub.4 transfer the tokens to P.sub.2 and P.sub.5, respectively. Here, it should be noted that, because the representation as shown in FIG. 5 or FIG. 6 connects each end of the critical section to the empty place of the resource, the token is never transferred to the empty place of P.sub.x until the execution of the task P.sub.3 following the task P.sub.2 is completed, and that, similarly, the token is never transferred to the empty place of P.sub.y until the execution of the task P.sub.6 following the task P.sub.5 is completed. FIG. 6B shows the positions of the tokens after starting the execution of the tasks P.sub.2 and P.sub.5. Now, the control system cannot start the execution of the task P.sub.3 even if the execution of the task P.sub.2 is completed because there is no token in the empty place of P.sub.y. A token is never returned to the empty place of P.sub.x unless the execution of the task P.sub.3 is started. Thus, the execution of the task P.sub.6 is not started either. In this way, the transitions t.sub.2 and t.sub.5 cannot fire and thus cause a deadlock. In the Petri Net, whenever transitions cannot fire, a deadlock results.
In a mathematical representation, G=(P, T, O) where G is the Petri Net structure, P={P.sub.1, P.sub.2, . . . P.sub.M } is a set of places with M>0, and T={T.sub.1, T.sub.2, . . . T.sub.L } is a set of transitions with L>1. The set of places and the set of transitions are disjoint, and P.andgate.T=.PHI.. I: P->T is an input function from a place to a transition. O: T->P is an output function from a transition to a place. A Petri Net structure to which is added a marking .mu. for assignment of a token to a place is called a marked Petri-Net. The token exists only in the place, and firing of the transition controls execution. Firing of the transition transfers a token from an input place to an output place. The Petri Net structure is dual in the graph theory. The concept of the dual of a graph is not utilized in the marked Petri-Net because the dual of a graph is difficult to define.

Method and system for controlling mutually exclusive resources using a modified Petri net process control graph

International Business Machines Corporation


A variable wavelength transceiver includes a first variable wavelength transmitter, capable of generating an electromagnetic wave of a first wavelength, a second detector of an electromagnetic wave of a second wavelength, and a collision detector coupled to the second detector and the variable wavelength transmitter, the collision detector determining when the energy level of the second detector exceeds a threshold value while the variable wavelength transmitter transmits the electromagnetic wave.

This invention relates to optical communication systems.
Local area networks (LANs) connect personal and mini-computers with each other and with other shared resources, for example, printers, file servers, and mainframe computers. Separate LANs can be joined via bridges to form larger linked systems of computers and shared resources.
One of the most popular standards for construction and operation of LANs is the IEEE 802.3 Protocol for Local Area Networks, popularly called the Ethernet standard. The 802.3 standard prescribes a carrier sense multiple access with collision detection (CSMA/CD) protocol for medium access control (MAC), where "medium" refers to a communication medium. The 802.3 CSMA/CD standard allows a number of LAN devices to communicate within a shared communication medium, without central message arbitration. Each LAN device, when sending a message, listens to the communication medium at the same time. If another LAN device also begins sending a message, the first LAN device can sense the multiple access and thereby detect a "collision" between the signals of the two messages. For example, in an Ethernet LAN using coaxial cable as its transmission medium, and employing a digital baseband method of signaling, a collision occurs when the first LAN device starts to send a signal but simultaneously detects a signal coming from a second LAN device within the transmission medium. The first LAN device declares a "collision", and that device (and any other LAN devices also attempting to send messages) implements a standard back-off protocol. The back-off protocol typically requires the LAN device to wait increasingly longer random periods of time after each collision before attempting to resend its message.
The 802.3 CSMA/CD standard has also been implemented in non-metallic transmission systems, such as optical fiber and spread-spectrum radiofrequency communications networks. The 802.3 CSMA/CD standard may be applied to any broadcast medium, so long as the medium can support a method for collision detection. For coaxial cable media (as above), one collision detection method measures the energy density at the transceiver, since signal levels of all transceivers measured anywhere along the transmission line are similar.
Infrared communication techniques are attractive because they offer a number of benefits, including low transceiver costs, low power consumption, high device reliability, high biosafety, low installation costs, and little required cabling. Existing infrared transmission standards (for example, IRDA94) provide for data transmission point-to-point, single access protocols. These are typically half-duplex, utilize amplitude modulation (AM), and do not provide any form of collision detection. Instead, these standards typically rely on collision avoidance. A true multiaccess infrared LAN requires a method of collision detection for high utilization of available IR bandwidth. Furthermore, a useful method of IR collision detection would allow implementing the full 802.3 CSMA/CD protocol, permitting an IR multiaccess LAN to integrate seamlessly with other conventional LAN systems and devices.


A beam monitor system having a simple configuration for improving a measurement precision specifying a position and the width. A beam monitor system, comprising collection electrodes that include a plurality of groups each having a plurality of adjacent wire electrodes, and detect an ionized particle beam passing therethrough, a first signal processing device that sets one wire electrode in the groups of the collection electrodes as a typical wire electrode, receives a detection signal output from the typical wire electrode to process the signal and a beam monitor controller that obtains a beam position of the ionized particle beam that has passed through the wire electrodes on the basis of a processed signal from the first signal processing device.

The present invention relates to a monitor system of a beam position in an irradiation system of a charged particle beam (particle beam, ion beam), and more particularly to a beam monitor system in a particle beam irradiation system suitably applied to a particle beam therapy device that irradiates an affected area with a particle beam such as protons or carbon ions for treatment.
A treatment method has been known which irradiates an affected area of a patient suffering from cancer with an ionized particle beam such as protons or carbon ions. An ionized particle beam irradiation system (particle beam extraction device or ionized particle beam extraction device) used for the treatment includes an ionized particle accelerator. An ion beam accelerated by the ionized particle accelerator reaches an irradiation device installed in a rotating gantry through a first beam transportation system and a second beam transportation system disposed in the rotating gantry. The ion beam is extracted from an irradiation device, and exposed to the affected area of the patient.
As irradiation systems of the irradiation device, there have been known, for example, a double scattering system (p. 2081, FIG. 35 of "REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, VOLUME. 64, NUMBER 8, (August 1993), P2074-2093") that scatters a beam by a scatterer, and broaches the beam into an affected area shape as disclosed in "REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, VOLUME. 64, NUMBER 8, (August 1993), P2074-2093", a wobbler method (p. 2084, FIG. 41 of "REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, VOLUME. 64, NUMBER 8, (August 1993), P2074-2093", and a scanning system (pp. 2092 and 2093 of "REVIEW OF SCIENTIFIC INSTRUMENTS, VOLUME. 64, NUMBER 8, (August 1993), P2074-2093") that scans the affected area with a fine beam.

Beam monitor system and particle beam irradiation system


Three-dimensional image calibration and presentation for stereoscopic imaging systems such as eyewear including a first camera and a second camera is described. The calibration and presentation includes obtaining a calibration offset using vanishing points obtained from images captured by a first camera and a second camera to accommodate rotation of the first and second cameras with respect to one another, adjusting a three-dimensional rendering offset by the obtained calibration offset, and presenting the stereoscopic images using the three dimension rendering offset.

Stereoscopic images of a scene are useful to create a three-dimensional effect. Typically, a first camera captures a first image of the scene and a second camera captures a second image of the same scene. The first and second cameras have a fixed relationship to one another. A three-dimensional display system presents the captured first image to an eye of an observer and the captured second image to the other eye of the observer to create the desired three-dimensional effect.

Vanishing point stereoscopic image correction


A scanning probe microscope comprises a cantilever having a conductive probe positioned near a sample, an actuator for moving the sample to and away from the probe, a circuit for applying a bias voltage between the probe and sample to produce a tunnel current therebetween, a circuit for detecting the produced tunnel current, a circuit for detecting the amount of displacement of the probe resultant from interatomic forces acting between atomics of the probe and sample, thereby producing signals, a circuit for providing the actuator for feedback in response to the output signals from the circuit to retain constant the distance between the probe and sample, thereby causing the actuator to move the sample, a circuit for forming an STS image data from the detected tunnel current, a circuit for forming an STM image data from the detected tunnel current, and a circuit for forming an AFM image data. Thus, the STS, STP and AFM images are separately obtained simultaneously.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a scanning probe microscope for measuring information of the surface of a sample scanning the surface of said sample with a probe as the latter is brought close to said surface, and in particular to a scanning probe microscope which is capable of obtaining different information on the surface of the same sample simultaneously.
2. Description of the Related Art
A scanning tunneling microscope (hereinafter called STM device), atomic force microscope (hereinafter called AFM device) and the like have recently been developed as an apparatus that can observe the very small configuration on the surface of a sample at an atomic level, so that these apparatuses may be used in various studies or in research.
The STM device is used, as disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,343,993, to measure the configuration of surface of a sample in the resolution on an atomic level; this particular measurement process basically utilizes a tunnel current I which depends on the distance S between the probe and sample and a tunnel barrier height (I=exp (-.phi..sup.1/2 S)) as the probe is placed near the sample of a conductive material by a distance of several nm, which process involves measurement of a control voltage with which the positional relation of the probe and the sample is controlled so as to render constant the tunnel current I as the probe is scanned.
The AFM device is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,724,318 (Japanese Unexamined Patent Application 62-130302), in which in contrast with said STM device, measurement can be made, independent of the electric conductivity of a sample used, in the resolution on an atomic level by detecting in view of the amount of deflection (the amount of displacement of a probe) of a cantilever (fulcrum) to which the probe is attached a very small force called the interatomic force (repulsive force, van der Waals force, covalent bond force) which has been produced between atoms in the tip of the probe and in the sample surface and measuring a control voltage with which the positional relation between the probe and sample is controlled so as to render the force constant as the probe is being scanned, whereby the configuration of surface of the sample and a distribution image of mutual action can be measured in the resolution on an atomic level. In this connection, the interatomic force can be represented by a Lennard-Jones potential having attraction and repulsive force areas, as shown in FIG. 10, between the atoms in the top of the probe and in the sample surface.
With said STM device, the distance between the probe and sample, the local charge state density of the sample, and the local potential of the sample are reflected on a tunnel current to be detected. That is, normal STM images include information of microscopic surface roughness of the sample, information of the local charge density of states and information of local potential distribution in the sample surface. In this connection, there have been recently developed the scanning tunneling spectroscopy (hereinafter referred to as STS) and scanning tunneling potentiometry (herein after referred to as STP). In STS, a three-dimensional image (STS image) is obtained by steps of separating information of the surface roughness of the sample and information of electronic physical properties in the sample surface from tunnel currents, and extracting information of the electronic state of the sample surface. In STP, a three-dimensional image (STP image) is obtained by extracting information of potential distribution in the sample surface from tunnel current flows. The applicants of this application have already filed U.S. patent application Ser. No. 07/585,880 (EPC patent application No. 90118507.4) directed to an apparatus which enables simultaneous obtainment of STS and STP images.
Of late, special attention is devoted to more strict study of the surface physical properties based on measurement of physical information about the sample surfaces.
P. J. Bryant has discussed a system for performing simultaneous measurement of STM and AFM images in the articles, in pages 871 to 875, in the Journal of Microscopy Vol. 152, Pt 3, Dec. 1988.
FIG. 9 shows a measurement system 50 as described in this article. The system has a flexible and resilient cantilever 52 and a metallic probe 53 which are disposed on the lower side of a triaxial piezoelectric drive 51 which can drive in three XYZ directions, with the free end of the probe being positioned in the vicinity of the rear side of the cantilever 50. The free end of the cantilever 52 is formed with an acute tip 54, which is positioned near the surface of a specimen 55. An STM bias applying means 56 and an AFM bias applying means 57 are provided in such a manner that an STM bias voltage V.sub.S is applied between the cantilever 52 and the specimen 55 and an AFM bias voltage V.sub.A will be applied between the cantilever 52 and the metallic probe 53. Such impressions of the STM bias voltage V.sub.S and AFM bias voltage V.sub.A give rise to tunnel current flows between the cantilever 52 and specimen 55, and the cantilever 52 and metallic probe 53 respectively. Namely, an electric current i.sub.AS flows in the cantilever 52, which is resulting from the addition of a current i.sub.S flowing between the cantilever 52 and the specimen 55, and a current i.sub.A flowing between the cantilever 52 and the metallic probe 53. The current i.sub.AS is fed to a control circuit 58 and a computer 59. In an attempt to keep this current i.sub.AS constant, i.e. to keep constant a force acting between the cantilever 52 and the specimen 55, a feedback voltage is applied to the Z-direction piezoelectric member of the triaxial piezoelectric drive 51. Under this condition, by recording a feedback voltage used when the probe 53 and the cantilever 52 are scanned in the XY-directions against the specimen 55 simultaneously, AFM images (roughness images) of the specimen surface are measured in a moment of a force acting between the cantilever 52 and the specimen 55 being rendered constant, and which images are displayed on an AFM image display means 60.
On the other hand, the current i.sub.AS fed to the computer 59 is processed by the computer 59 to obtain a current i.sub.S and consequential recording of this current is in synchronization with scanning signals results in obtainment of STM images of the specimen surface, thereby being displayed on an STM image display means 61.
However, this prior art can only obtain STM and AFM images. Nothing is disclosed about obtainment of said STS and STP images after procurement of information of local charge density of states, and local potential distribution.
Also, with said prior applications, there is a description of the simultaneous obtainment of STS and TP images, but nothing is set forth about the simultaneous obtainment of AFM images together with the STS and STP images.

Scanning probe microscope having cantilever and detecting sample characteristics by means of reflected sample examination light


A well completion system and associated methods of completing wells provides enhanced convenience in well completions involving well treatment operations. In a described embodiment, a single trip perforating and fracturing/gravel packing method permits a well completion assembly including a well screen and a perforating gun to be installed in a well, the well to be perforated and treated, and the perforating gun to be retrieved from the well in a single trip. Retrieval of the perforating gun permits multiple zone completions in the well without the perforating guns remaining in the well thereafter.

The present invention relates generally to equipment and operations utilized in conjunction with subterranean wells and, in an embodiment described herein, more particularly provides a single trip perforating and fracturing/gravel packing method.
In well completion operations, it is very beneficial to minimize the number of trips into the well, since each trip into the well is typically time consuming, is expensed to the well operator, and increases the chances that damage will inadvertently be caused to the well, a fishing job will be needed, etc. Thus, service companies performing these completion operations generally strive to accomplish as many objectives as possible for each trip into the well.
One way of accomplishing multiple objectives in a single trip into the well is to combine various portions of the overall well completion. For example, in a cased well completion, it is generally necessary to perforate a casing or liner lining the wellbore, and it may be desired to also stimulate and/or gravel pack one or more perforated zones of the well. If the perforating and stimulation/gravel packing operations can be combined in a single trip into the well, the economics, speed and convenience of the well completion are enhanced.
It is well known to combine perforating and fracturing/gravel packing operations in a single trip into the well. In a typical combine d operation, one or more perforating guns are suspended below a fracturing/gravel packing assembly and interconnected in a tubular string installed in the well. The perforating guns are positioned in the wellbore opposite a particular zone intersected by the well, the guns are fired to perforate the zone, and then the fracturing/gravel packing assembly is positioned opposite the perforated zone. The zone is fractured, or otherwise stimulated, and/or gravel packed as desired. The perforating guns remain attached to the fracturing/gravel packing assembly, or are dropped off in the well.
Unfortunately, it may be undesirable to leave the guns attached to the fracturing/gravel packing assembly, or to drop off the guns in the well. For example, the presence of the guns in the well may impede access to a portion of the well or the guns may restrict fluid flow in the well. Furthermore, it may be desired to perform other operations, such as additional perforating and/or fracturing/gravel packing operations , in close proximity co the prior completion operation, such as when multiple closely spaced zones are to be individually completed in the well. Additionally, in relatively horizontal portions of wells, the guns cannot generally be dropped off.
Note that perforating guns could be conveyed by wireline, electric line, coiled tubing, etc., in such operations, but this would require the additional wireline, electric line, etc. trip into the well, would require mobilization of the wireline, electric line, etc. rig, would not attain the performance advantages of tubing conveyed perforating guns, and would not resolve the problem of use in horizontal wells.
Thus, it may be seen that it would be quite advantageous to provide a well completion system and method which permit perforating guns to be retrieved from a well after a well completion operation. It would also be advantageous to provide such system and method wherein the benefits of tubing conveyed perforating are retained. Additionally, it would be desirable to provide such system and method with features which permit multiple closely spaced completions in the well. Furthermore, it would be advantageous to provide a well completion system which includes a perforating assembly which has an outer dimension that is reduceable in the well, so that at least a portion of the perforating assembly may be displaced through a restriction in the well after perforating.
Where multiple well completion operations are combined into a single trip into the well, it is frequently difficult to resolve the problem of how to control actuation of the various items of equipment installed downhole. For example, various packers may need to be set, one or more firing heads may need to be operated, etc. Thus, it may be seen that it would be beneficial to provide a well completion system and method which enhances the convenience and safety of such operations.
In carrying out the principles of the present invention, in accordance with an embodiment thereof, a method of completing a well is provided in which a perforating assembly and a well treatment assembly are interconnected in a tubular string and conveyed into the well. The method does not require that any perforating gun be dropped off in the well or otherwise remain in the well, but permits the perforating gun(s) to be retrieved from the well. Well completion systems are also provided, as well as methods which permit enhanced convenience and safety in operating various equipment associated with the systems.
In one aspect of the present invention, a method is provided which includes the steps of installing a perforating gun and a well treatment assembly in a well, and displacing the perforating gun through at least a portion of the well treatment assembly. The well treatment assembly may include a well screen, and the perforating gun may be displaced through an inner passage of the well screen. The perforating gun and well treatment assembly may be installed in the well, and the perforating gun retrieved from the well after firing, in a single trip into the well.
In another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which perforating guns are initially laterally spaced apart when installed in a well, and then are laterally compressed in the well. This method permits the guns to be retrieved side by side from the well through a portion of a well treatment assembly, while enabling the guns to be positioned in close proximity to a wall of the well when the guns are fired, for enhanced perforating performance.
In still another aspect of the present invention, a method is provided in which perforating guns are initially laterally spaced apart when installed in a well, and then are longitudinally spaced apart after the guns are fired. This method also permits the guns to be in close proximity to a wall of the well when fired, yet pass through a portion of a well treatment assembly portion after being fired. Other methods for decreasing a size of at least a portion of a perforating assembly downhole are provided as well.
In yet another aspect of the present invention, methods are provided for actuating various items of equipment of a well completion assembly. In one of these methods, a packer of a well treatment assembly is set by applying fluid pressure to a line, which line is also utilized to apply fluid pressure to a firing head for firing a perforating gun. In another of these methods, a series of fluid pressure applications are utilized to arm a packer. In still another of these methods, a signal comprising fluid pressure pulses is utilized to arm and/or set a packer.
These and other features, advantages, benefits and objects of the present invention will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art upon careful consideration of the detailed description of representative embodiments of the invention hereinbelow and the accompanying drawings.

Single trip perforating and fracturing/gravel packing


This specification generally relates to using redirect messages to implement caching. One example method includes receiving from a client a first request for a network resource, the first request including an original location of the network resource; determining that a response to the first request is to be cached; sending a redirect response to the client including a cache location for the network resource; receiving a second request for the network resource from the client, the second request including the cache location; in response to receiving the second request for the network resource from the client: determining that the network resource has not been previously cached; retrieving the network resource from the original location; caching the retrieved network resource in a location associated with the cache location for the network resource; and sending the retrieved network resource to the client.

This specification generally relates to using client redirection to implement caching.
The Internet is a global network of computers that provide information, such as web pages, to clients in response to requests. In some cases, this provided information may be cached in a location that can be accessed more quickly by clients than the computer that provided the information, such as a cache server. Subsequent requests for the same information may be fulfilled by the cache server rather than the remote computer, which may lead to the information being returned to the client faster.


In an image forming apparatus, a toner cartridge is removably set to a toner supply device and used while being set to the toner supply device, and the toner cartridge includes a main body with a toner supply port and a spiral agitator being disposed within the main body and rotated by drive means.. The apparatus also includes a reserve tank for a toner dispensing section including a toner container for containing toner supplied from a cartridge, and a toner supply section for receiving toner from the toner container and supplying the received toner to a developing unit. The toner container includes a spiral agitator for supplying toner to the toner supply section. An auger for transferring toner to the developing unit is disposed in the toner supply section. A toner transfer power of the spiral agitator is larger than that of the auger.. An empty detector is disposed at such a location that, unsoiled by toner leaked from the toner cartridge, the empty sensor can sense, within the reserve tank, such an amount of toner left in the reserve tank as to allow the toner to be dispensed a prescribed number of times. A display means is also provided for displaying an empty state of the reserve tank according to an empty signal derived from the empty sensor.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a toner supply device with a toner-contained cartridge of the throwaway type, which is for supplying toner to a developing unit of an image forming apparatus, and more particularly to a toner supply device with a throwaway type cartridge having a spiral agitator.
The present invention also relates to a reserve tank in a toner dispensing section for supplying toner to a developing unit.
Additionally, the present invention relates to an empty detector of an image forming apparatus with a reserve tank which receives toner from a cartridge used being loaded to the apparatus, and more particularly to an empty detector for an image forming apparatus, which detects an empty condition of a reserve tank.
In a conventional toner supply device for supplying toner to a developing unit of a copying machine, a toner box is installed in a main body of a copying machine. Toner is supplied from the toner box to the developing unit by means of an auger. When toner is used up in the toner box, the toner box is pulled out to a toner supply position, and toner contained in a spare toner bottle is supplied to the toner box. The kinds of toner supplied are different for the types of the copying machines used. This makes servicing of the toner supply difficult and complicated. The toner supply servicing is usually done by a serviceman, for this reason.
The user must call a serviceman every time toner is used up. The user often encounters a situation where the user calls the serviceman, but he cannot quickly come for the toner supply service. The user then cannot use the copying machine until the serviceman arrives. This is very inconvenient for users.
In the toner supply servicing, the user often experiences that leaked toner drops fall on the floor on which the machine is located, or stick to clothes. Use of a cartridge filled with toner, in place of the conventional toner bottle, has been proposed. In the machine using the cartridge, when loaded to the machine, the cartridge is set to the toner box, and a cap is removed from the cartridge. When the cartridge is empty, the empty or old cartridge is removed and replaced by a new one. This proposal successfully solves the problem of soiling with the leaked toner. The toner supply servicing for the machine using the cartridge requires at least three actions; 1) to set the cartridge to the toner box, 2) to supply toner, and 3) to remove the cartridge. This is troublesome work. The serviceman call is still needed for the toner supply work. The problem as state above still remains unsolved.
If the user, layman, tries to replace the old toner cartridge with a new one, he will frequently make mistakes in the toner supply servicing. For example, a toner incompatible with the copying machine under use or an imitative toner may be set to the toner box of the machine.
Also in a case that the copying machine is left not used for a long time and accordingly toner is left in an immovable condition for a long time, the toner will make into lumps within the cartridge. The toner lumps may cause toner blocking.


In a fuel injection system of a direct injection type gasoline internal combustion engine, which is equipped with a fuel injection valve for directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of each cylinder, and which is arranged to control period of fuel injection and start-up timing of injection of the fuel injection valve according to operational conditions of an engine, the system is arranged to compulsively stop the fuel injection of the fuel injection valve when the pressure in a cylinder exceeds the pressure of the fuel supplied to the fuel injection valve.

1. Technical Field of the Invention The present invention relates to a fuel injection control method and a system in a direct injection type gasoline internal combustion engine, and more particularly, relates to, in a direct injection type gasoline internal combustion engine with a fuel injection valve directly injecting fuel into a combustion chamber of each cylinder, the technique for controlling the injection period of the fuel injection valve.
2. Prior Art Previously, as a direct injection type gasoline internal combustion engine, engines disclosed in JP U HEI 2-20755, JP U HEI 2-20754 and the like, were well known.
In the engine of JP U HEI 2-20755, the period of injection is arranged to be compensated for on the basis of the differential pressure between the fuel pressure and the pressure in a cylinder, and further, the timing of injection is arranged to be compensated according to the fluctuation of the period of injection.
Moreover, in the engine of JP U HEI 2-20754, it is arranged that the injection quantity is determined by finding the real air quantity from the pressure in a cylinder, and that the period of injection corresponding to the injection quantity is compensated on the basis of the differential pressure between the fuel pressure and the pressure in a cylinder and the timing of injection is compensated according to the fluctuation of the period of injection.
In the direct injection type gasoline internal combustion engine, the period of injection is controlled by measuring the time since the start-up timing of injection. However, there is a possibility that the crank angle position of the finishing of injection is largely delayed, and consequently, the injection control is performed at the moment the pressure in a cylinder is higher than the fuel pressure and a back flow occurs at a fuel injection valve.
For example, in a start-up at low temperature, the required injection quantity is large, and further, the fuel pressure is low just after the start-up in a case where an engine drive type high pressure fuel pump is used, so that the period of injection complying with the required injection quantity becomes long. However, there is a possibility that if the rotation speed rises rapidly after the start-up of injection, the crank angle position of the finishing of injection slips into the latter period of a compression stroke because the period of injection and the timing of injection are left to be values suitable for the state of low speed rotation before rising of the rotation speed, and consequently, a state where the injection valve is controlled to open, is continued even when the pressure in a cylinder has come to be higher than the fuel pressure.
Furthermore, in a case where the period of injection is arranged to be subjected to a feedback control on the basis of the fuel pressure detected by a fuel pressure sensor, the period of injection is excessively compensated if the fuel pressure is detected to be lower than the real pressure because of a breakdown of the fuel pressure sensor, and further, in a case where a fuel pump is in trouble and the specified high pressure cannot be obtained, the period of injection is increasingly compensated by the feedback control, and consequently, there is a possibility that the crank angle position of the finishing of injection is delayed, and a state where the injection valve is controlled to open, is continued even when the pressure in a cylinder has come to be higher than the fuel pressure.

Fuel injection control method and system in a direct injection type gasoline internal combustion engine


There is provided a chain guide capable of preventing a reduction in the durability of the chain guide. In the chain guide in which a base and a shoe are assembled together, a shoe protruding strip formed on a back surface of the shoe is engaged with a base groove that is formed in the base and continuously extends in a longitudinal direction so as to be movable in the longitudinal direction with respect to the base when the shoe expands or contracts, and be able to restrict the movement of the shoe in first and second width directions.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chain guide that guides a traveling chain.
The chain guide is provided in a chain drive system, and the chain drive system is, e.g., a timing chain drive system used in an engine of an automobile or the like.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, a chain guide having a shoe with which a traveling chain is in sliding contact and a base that supports the shoe is formed by assembling the shoe and the base together (e.g., see Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2009-36275 (paragraphs 0023 to 0034, all drawings)).
In the chain guide in which the base and the shoe are assembled together, depending on an environment temperature at which the chain guide is used, the shoe expands or contracts in a longitudinal direction of the guide relative to the base due to a difference in thermal expansion/contraction amount in the longitudinal direction of the guide between the base and the shoe. In this case, for example, when the shoe contracts in the longitudinal direction of the guide with respect to the base, if the contraction of the shoe is restricted by the base, a load in the longitudinal direction of the guide (hereinafter referred to as a "restriction load"), e.g., a tensile load acts on the shoe. At this point, if the rigidity of the shoe is small, there are cases where the shoe is damaged by the tensile load when it is increased.
To cope with this, by providing a clearance for absorbing the expansion and contraction of the shoe between the base and the shoe in the longitudinal direction of the guide, the generation of the tensile load is prevented when the shoe expands or contracts within the range of the clearance and, even when the shoe expands or contracts beyond the range of the clearance, the magnitude of the tensile load acting on the shoe is small as compared with a case where the clearance is not provided, and hence it is possible to prevent the damage to the shoe by the tensile load.
However, in a case where the chain guide is unusually or temporarily used at an environment temperature lower or higher than a preset environment temperature due to its use environment, the increased restriction load acts on the shoe, and hence there has been a problem that the durability of the shoe is reduced.
In addition, a force resulting from friction with the chain (hereinafter referred to as a "chain external force") acts on the shoe with which the chain is in sliding contact in a traveling direction, in a counter-traveling direction, or in a width direction of the guide in response to the traveling state of the chain. Further, a force based on the chain external force acts on the engagement portion of the shoe that holds the shoe to the base, and hence it is desirable to improve the capability of the engagement portion to hold the shoe to the base in order to stabilize the travel of the chain in the chain guide.
Further, in a case where a pair of guide side walls provided in the base are used in order to prevent a phenomenon in which the shoe is moved in the width direction of the guide by the chain external force (hereinafter referred to as a "lateral movement phenomenon"), the type of the base to which the shoe having the engagement portion for holding the shoe to the base is assembled is limited. Consequently, there has been a secondary problem that the type of the base to which the shoe can be assembled is limited such as a case where the shoe having the engagement portion cannot be used for the base without the guide side wall.


The invention solves charge nonuniformity of a specimen surface resulting from emission variation of a carbon nanotube electron source and individual difference of emission characteristics. During charge control processing, charge of the specimen surface is measured in real time. As means for solving charge nonuniformity resulting from nonuniformity of electron illumination density, electrons illuminating the specimen and the specimen are moved relatively to average electron illumination density. Moreover, an absorption current flowing into the specimen and the numbers of secondary electrons emitted from the specimen and of backscattered electrons are measured as means for monitoring charge of the specimen surface in real time.

In these days, a technology of measuring a state of a circuit pattern formed on a wafer during a process assumes an important role in a manufacture line of a semiconductor device. Conventionally, most of these measuring technologies are ones that are based on optical microscopes. However, in order to be compatible with miniaturization of semiconductor devices and complication of manufacturing processes in recent year, measurement apparatus based on the electron microscope are being popularized. However, since generally surfaces of circuit patterns are constructed with an insulating film made of SiO2, SiN, a polymer, such as a resist, or the like, there is a problem that, if circuit patterns are measured using charged particles, such as an electron beam, surfaces of semiconductor devices are electrified and accordingly measurement precision may deteriorate. Therefore, in the case where a specimen, such as a semiconductor device, whose surface is prone to be electrified is measured, it is important to control charge of the surface of the specimen in order to prevent degradation in measurement precision. In addition, in the inspection of semiconductor devices, there arise needs of inspection for failures of electric characteristics, such as conduction and non-conduction, that are difficult to detect with optical inspection instruments, and consequently electron beam type inspection instruments are coming into wide use. When this electron beam type inspection instrument detects defects of electric characteristics of the semiconductor device, a circuit pattern formed on a wafer surface is electrified and contrast that becomes manifest thereby is used for the detection. This is called the voltage contrast method and is effective means to detect failures of electric characteristics of semiconductor devices. In order to perform the inspection using this voltage contrast method with excellent repeatability and with high precision, it is necessary to manage charge of a circuit pattern that is a target of inspection. Increase in this control precision directly leads to improvement of detection precision of failures of electric characteristics.
JP-A No. 294345/1998 discloses a processing method for rendering charge of a wide range of areas including a measured area uniform for a time other than acquiring time of an image, as a method for controlling charge of a specimen surface. This processing does not need to be the same as that of a light source used in the measurement, and the processing of rendering charge uniform can be performed by disposing other light sources, such as an electron source, an ion source, a plasma source, and a light source, for uniform processing.
Moreover, JP-A No. 208085/2000 discloses a method for controlling charge using a charge control electrode. This method uses an electron source for a light source for charge processing, and energy of a primary electron is adjusted so that the number of secondary electrons emitted from a specimen may become larger than the number of the primary electrons incident on the specimen. In addition, using the charge control electrode disposed right above the illumination area, a potential difference between the specimen and the electrode is maintained at a desired potential, whereby charge control is conducted.
JP-A No. 173528/2000 discloses a method for controlling charge where a variation in an electrified state of a specimen is sensed by monitoring temporal variation of an acquired voltage contrast image and charge control is conducted by altering illumination energy of a primary electron beam that irradiates the specimen.
In light of improving efficiency of a manufacture process of a semiconductor device, it is preferable that charge control processing is conducted as quickly as possible. In order to increase a processing speed of charge control, a light source that can irradiate a large area at one time using a large current is suitable. Although general electron sources have been proven and guaranteed for their stable operations, many of them operate in an ultra high vacuum (<1×10−6 [Pa]) (for example, the field emission type electron source and the Schottky emission type electron source) or at a temperature of 1000K or higher (for example, LaB6, the W filament type electron source). They are too massive to install separately as a second electron source, and needs a lens etc. to irradiate a large area at one time. As one of electron sources satisfying such requirements, there is a Carbon NanoTube electron source (hereinafter, abbreviated as CNT cathode). JP-A No. 202217/2003 discloses a technology of equalizing charge of a wafer using the CNT cathode.
Naturally it is important to observe or detect an electrified state of a specimen during processing of charge in performing charge processing efficiently. However, observation means suitable for an inspection instrument of a semiconductor device did not exist conventionally. Although there was a surface electrometer as means for observing an electrified state of the specimen surface, the electrometers could not be placed at the same position as a point where charge processing was performed, and consequently it can be used only in a procedure of using the electrometer after charge processing. In this case, since charge processing and potential measurement cannot be conducted simultaneously, whether charge of the surface by charge processing has reached saturation cannot be determined and hence determination as to whether charge processing is completed is impossible. Therefore, it is unsuitable to apply this system to the semiconductor measurement apparatus that is required high-precision ad high-speed charge control. Moreover, although JP-A No. 173528/2000 discloses a technology of detecting an electrified state by monitoring a variation in voltage contrast of an acquired image, it comes with a necessity of performing image processing each time an electrified state is analyzed, and consequently it does not match high-speed of processing. Moreover, since there is the case where charge of a specimen varies in acquiring an image, applying the technology of JP-A No. 173528/2000 to a charge monitor needs a caution.
Moreover, although the above-mentioned JP-A No. 294345/1998 and JP-A No. 202217/2003 discloses a technology of performing charge processing using a charged particle beam source different from the primary electrons as means for realizing charge processing, a technology where an electrified state is observed and charge processing or charge control is performed based on its results is not disclosed.

Charge control apparatus and measurement apparatus equipped with the charge control apparatus


This invention provides compositions and methods for the elimination of T cells that recognize specific preselected targets. The methods involve providing killer cells (e.g. natural killer cells or cytotoxic T lymphocytes) having a T cell receptor in which the zeta chain is joined to the antigen target of the T cell population it is desired to eliminate. Recognition of the antigen target activates the killer cell thereby inhibiting or destroying the T cell. Where the antigen target is the extracellular domain of a major histocompatibility complex, the method provides a means of mitigating graft rejection or an autoimmune response.

The invention relates to methods and compositions for the elimination of T cells that recognize specific preselected targets. In particular, the invention provides methods and compositions for the treatment of graft rejection and autoimmune diseases. In one embodiment, the invention provides modified killer cells that bear a preselected target molecule (e.g. an MHC molecule) attached to a signal transduction molecule (e.g. the zeta (xcex6) chain of the T cell receptor or the low-affinity receptor for IgG, Fcxcex3RIII (CD16)). Recognition of the preselected molecule by a T cell activates the killer cell through the signal transduction molecule and the activated killer cell then kills or inhibits the T cell.
Autoimmune diseases are pathological states mediated by an undesired immune response. More than 30 autoimmune diseases are presently known; these include many which have received much public attention, including myasthenia gravis (MG) and multiple sclerosis (MS). Characteristic of these diseases is the attack by the immune system on the tissues of the victimxe2x80x94these tissue antigens being non-immunogenic in non-diseased individuals because of the tolerance of the immune system to xe2x80x9cself.xe2x80x9d In autoimmune diseases, this tolerance apparently is compromised, and the tissue of the afflicted subject is treated as an invaderxe2x80x94i.e., the immune system sets about destroying this presumed foreign target.
Similarly in graft rejection the recipient of a graft or organ transplant mounts an immune response against the foreign (non-self) tissue. In this case the response is not a loss of tolerance, but rather a legitimate, although undesired, response directed against a foreign tissue.
A crude approach to treating graft or organ rejection or autoimmune disease is, of course, general immunosuppression. This has the obvious disadvantage of crippling the ability of the subject to respond to infectious organisms or tumors. An only slightly more sophisticated approach relies on the removal of antibodies or immune complexes involving the target tissue. This also has adverse side effects, is difficult to accomplish, and is not particularly effective.
Various approaches have been attempted to interdict the immune response to specific antigens. For example, the autoantigen thyroglobulin has been conjugated to ricin A and the conjugate was shown to suppress specifically the in vitro antibody response of lymphocytes which normally respond to this antigen. It was suggested that such immunotoxins would specifically delete autoantibody-secreting lymphocyte clones (Rennie, et al., Lancet (Dec. 10, 1983) 1338-1339).
Diener, et al., Science 231: 148-150 (1986) suggested the construction of compounds which cause antigen-specific suppression of lymphocyte function by conjugating daunomycin to the hapten (in this case, of ovalbumin) using an acid-sensitive spacer. The conjugate caused hapten-specific inhibition of antibody secretion by B lymphocytes in vitro and in vivo. A conjugate of daunomycin (with an acid-sensitive spacer) to a monoclonal antibody-specific to T cells also eliminated the response by T-lymphocytes to concanavalin A.
Steerz et al., J. Immunol. 134: 841-846 (1985) utilized radiation as the toxic element in a toxin conjugate. Rats were administered a radioactively labeled, purified receptor from electric fish, prior to injection with cold receptor. Injection with this receptor is a standard procedure to induce experimental autoimmune myasthenia gravis (EAMG). Control rats that received preinjection only either of cold receptor or radiolabeled albumin, prior to administration of receptor to induce the disease develop the symptoms of EAMG; those pretreated with radioactively-labeled receptor showed reduced symptoms. It was surmised that the labeled, and therefore destructive, receptor selectively eliminated immunocompetent cells. Similar work utilizing a ricin/receptor conjugate for pretreatment was reported by Killen, et al., J. Immunol. 133: 2549-2553 (1984).
A less specific approach which results in the destruction of T cells in general is treatment with an IL-2/toxin conjugate as reported by Hixson, Medical Tribune, (Jan. 28, 1988) 4-5. In a converse, but related, approach Liu et al., Science 239: 395-397 (1988), report a method to xe2x80x9clink upxe2x80x9d cytotoxic T cells with a desired target, regardless of the cytotoxic T cell specificity. In this approach, antibody specific to the universal cytotoxic T-lymphocytes to destroy human melanoma cells when melanocyte-stimulating hormone was the hormone used.
Recent experiments have shown that, under certain circumstances, anergy or nonresponsiveness can be induced in autoreactive lymphocytes (see, Schwartz, Cell 1073-1081 (1989)). In vitro experiments suggest that antigen presentation by MHC Class II molecules in the absence of co-stimulatory signals induces a state of proliferative non-responsiveness in syngeneic T cells (Quill et al., J. Immunol. 138: 3704-3712 (1987)). These reports, however, provide no clear evidence that induction of anergy in vivo is possible or that autoimmune disease or graft rejection can be effectively treated in this manner.
This invention provides for a method of selectively inhibiting or killing T cells that recognize a specific preselected target molecule. The invention provides modified killer cells that bear a signal transduction molecule (e.g. the zeta (xcex6) chain of a T cell receptor) to which is attached the preselected target molecule (e.g. the extracellular domain of a particular MHC molecule). Recognition of the preselected molecule by a T cell activates the killer cell which then kills or inhibits the T cell. Where the preselected molecule is an extracellular domain of an MHC from a xenograft or an allograft, treatment of the graft recipient with the modified killer T cells delays or inhibits graft rejection. Similarly where the preselected molecule is an MHC that binds the antigenic determinant of the autoimmune disease, treatment of the organism with the modified killer T cells mitigates the autoimmune response directed against that antigenic determinant.
This invention provides both for methods and for compositions for the selective inhibition or destruction of T cells that specifically recognize a preselected target molecule. Thus, in one embodiment, this invention provides a method of inhibiting a T cell that specifically recognizes a preselected target molecule. The method involves contacting the T cell with a killer cell comprising a signal transduction molecule attached to a preselected target molecule that is recognized by the T cell. Suitable killer cells include, but are not limited to CTLs, NK cells, macrophages, or the precursors of these cells (e.g. hematopoietic stem cells). The signal transduction molecule may be chemically conjugated to the target molecule, or the transduction molecule/target molecule chimera may be recombinantly expressed as a fusion protein. Preferred signal transduction molecules include the xcex6 chain of a T cell receptor, the xcex3 chain of an FC receptor, the xcex7 chain, the xcex5 chain, and the xcex4 chain, rFCxcex5R1xcex2, EBV-LMP2A, BLV gp30, TAMs and ARAMs, with the xcex6 chain being most preferred.
The killer cell may be an cell that is cytotoxic to other cells when it is activated. Preferred killer cells include cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and natural killer (NK) cells.
Preferred target molecules include the extracellular domains of an MHC molecule, more preferably a human MHC molecule (HLA), or the extracellular domains of an MHC molecule (e.g. HLA) complexed with an antigenic determinant of an autoimmune disease (e.g. human type II collagen, or myelin basic protein NBP) or with other peptides.
In a particularly preferred method, the preselected target molecule is the extracellular domain of an MHC molecule of an allograft or a xenograft transplanted to a recipient and the killer cell is administered to the recipient where it inhibits T cells that recognize the MHC molecule and thereby reduces or eliminates a graft rejection response. Administration may be by administration of the killer cell or by administration of a precursor cell (e.g. hematopoietic stem cell) that gives rise to the killer cell. Any of the above-identified signal transduction molecules are suitable, with the xcex6 chain of the T cell receptor being preferred. In a preferred embodiment, the target molecule and the signal transduction molecule are expressed as a fusion protein.
In another particularly preferred method, the preselected target molecule is an MHC molecule that presents an antigenic determinant of an autoimmune disease and the killer cell is administered to an organism exhibiting said autoimmune disease where the killer cell inhibits T cells that recognize the antigenic determinant and reduces or eliminates an autoimmune response. Administration may be by administration of the killer cell or by administration of a precursor cell (e.g. hematopoietic stem cell) that gives rise to the killer cell. Any of the above-identified signal transduction molecules are suitable, with the xcex6 chain of the T cell receptor being preferred. In a preferred embodiment, the target molecule and the signal transduction molecule are expressed as a fusion protein. The method may additionally involve loading the MHC component of the chimera with the antigenic determinant. This may be accomplished by expression of the antigenic determinant as a fusion with the MHC/signal transduction chimera, by chemical conjugation of the antigenic determinant with the MHC, or by simple exposure of cells bearing the MHC/signal transduction chimera to the antigenic determinant before administration to an organism.
In another embodiment, this invention provides a method of prolonging the life of a cell of a tissue in a host having a T cell that specifically recognizes the tissue and mediates an immune response directed against said tissue. The method involves administering to the host an amount of a killer cell comprising an MHC molecule attached to a signal transduction molecule sufficient to inhibit the T cells that specifically recognize the tissue. The tissue may be an allograft or a xenograft. Preferred allografts or xenografts include, but are not limited to, (transplant) organs such as heart, kidney, or liver or other tissues such as skin. The MHC molecule is preferably the extracellular domain of an MHC characteristic of the allograft or a xenograft. As indicated above, suitable signal transduction molecules include the zeta xcex6 chain of a T cell receptor, the xcex3 chain of an FC receptor, the xcex7 chain, the xcex5 chain, and the xcex4 chain, rFCxcex5R1B, EBV-LMP2A, BLV gp30, TAMs and ARAMs. The chimeric MHC/signal transduction molecule may be expressed as a fusion protein. The administered cells include, but are not limited to CTLs, NK cells, macrophages, the precursors of these cells (e.g. hematopoietic stem cells), or cells transformed to express a cytotoxic activity against other cells when activated.
In still another embodiment, this invention provides a method of improving activation of a T cell by a presenting B cell. The method involves contacting the T cell with a B-cell comprising a signal transduction molecule attached to an extracellular domain of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule. Any of the above-identified signal transduction molecules are suitable, with the xcex6 chain being most preferred. A human MHC molecule (HLA) is preferred. The attachment may be by chemical coupling or fusion with fusion being most preferred. The method may be used to treat organisms exhibiting a tumor or a parasitic infection. Treatment involves administering the above-described B-cells (or precursors of these cells) to the organism in an amount sufficient to ameliorate the tumor or parasitic infection.
In still yet another embodiment this invention provides for nucleic acids encoding an extracellular domain of an MHC molecule fused to a signal transduction molecule. Preferred signal transduction molecules include xcex6, xcex3, xcex7, xcex4, and xcex5, with xcex3, xcex7 and xcex5 being more preferred and xcex6 being most preferred. Preferred MHC molecules are human MHC molecules (HLA).
This invention also provides a method of inducing immune tolerance of a preselected target molecule. The method involves providing a cell transfected with a nucleic acid encoding the target molecule operably linked to a T-cell specific promoter and administering that cell to a mammal in which tolerance is to be induced. The cell is preferably a cell that matures or differentiates in the thymus. When the cell matures or differentiates in the thymus, it expresses the target molecule where it mediates deletion or anergy of developing T cells reactive to the target molecule. The cell is preferably a bone marrow cell, more preferably a hematopoietic stem cell. The promoter is preferably a promoter that induces expression of a nucleic acid under its control (operably linked) predominantly (more preferably exclusively) when the cell containing the promoter is in the thymus. Particularly preferred promoters include a CD2 promoter, an lck promoter, a CD3 promoter, and a CD4 promoter, with an lck promoter and a CD4 promoter being most preferred.
Finally, this invention also provides for pharmacological compositions and for kits for the practice of the above described methods. Preferred pharmacological compositions include a pharmacologically acceptable excipient and a cell comprising an extracellular domain of a major histocompatibility complex (MHC) molecule attached to a signal transduction molecule. In a preferred embodiment, the MHC is fused to the signal transduction molecule. The pharmacological composition may include any of the above-identified signal transduction molecules with xcex3, xcex7 and xcex5 being more preferred and xcex6 being most preferred. Suitable cells include cytotoxic T lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, B cells and precursors of any of these cells (e.g. hematopoietic stem cells).
Kits for the practice of this invention include a container containing any of the cells comprising the above-described pharmacological compositions. The kits may additionally or alternatively include expression cassettes encoding a HLA or MHC/xcex6 chimera, an HLA or MHC under the control of a T cell promoter (e.g., CD2 promoter, lck promoter, CD4 promoter, etc.), or encoding a xcex6 chain and a restriction site for the easy insertion of a nucleic acid encoding a particular target. The kit may also include grafts (e.g., tissues or organs) expressing the HLA or MHC encoded by the HLA or MHC/xcex6 construct found in the kit. In addition, the kit may include such items as means for administering the cells, means for expanding the cells ex vivo, various buffers and reagents for the culture and administration of the cells, and means (e.g., vectors) for transforming cells to express the signal transduction molecule/MHC molecule chimeras described above.
As used herein the term xe2x80x9ckiller cellxe2x80x9d refers to a cell that has cytotoxic activity and is thus capable of damaging or killing other cells with which it comes in contact. Killer cells are well known to those of skill in the art and include, but are not limited to natural killer (NK) cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs), activated macrophages, and the like. The term killer cells, as used herein also includes cells that have been altered such that, when activated, they manifest a xe2x80x9ckillerxe2x80x9d phenotype, again characterized by the ability to damage or kill other cells.
A xe2x80x9cchimeric moleculexe2x80x9d is a molecule comprising two or more molecules that exist separately in their native state are but are joined together to form a single molecule having the desired functionality of all of its constituent molecules.
The terms xe2x80x9cpreselected target moleculexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cpreselected target polypeptidexe2x80x9d refer to molecules that are recognized by the T cell it is desired to inhibit or destroy. xe2x80x9cPreselectionxe2x80x9d refers to the fact that the identity of the target molecule is selected or known prior to the construction and/or use of cells bearing the target molecule-signal transduction molecule chimera. Preferred preselected target molecules are polypeptides.
The terms xe2x80x9cMHC polypeptidexe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cMHC moleculexe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cmolecule of the MHC complexxe2x80x9d, as used herein, refer to a single chain or double chain MHC protein (e.g., the xcex1 or xcex2 chain of Class II molecules or the heavy chain of Class I molecules) which may constitute all or part of the extracellular portion of the MHC complex (i.e., that portion of the MHC that is accessible to a T cell) which is in other than its native state, for example, not associated with the cell membrane of a cell that normally expresses that MHC.
The xe2x80x9cextracellular domainxe2x80x9d of class I MHC molecules involves the alpha one, two and three domains, while the extracellular domain of class II MHC molecules involves the alpha one and two domains of the alpha chain and the beta one and two domains of the beta chain. As used herein the xe2x80x9cextracellular domainxe2x80x9d of an MHC refers both to the native extracellular domains describe above as well as to modified or chemically synthesized extracellular domains. Modified extracellular domains include, but are not limited to MHC domains in which conservative substitutions are made for various amino acids, side chains of various amino acids are modified (e.g. to improve peptide presentation), or amino acids are added or eliminated (e.g. to provide the minimal molecule necessary for presentation).
The term xe2x80x9cspecifically recognizesxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cT cells specific for a preselected target moleculexe2x80x9d refers to a binding reaction which is determinative of the presence of a particular antigen specific T cell in the presence of a heterogeneous population of T cells and other biologics. Thus, under designated immunoassay conditions, the specified T cells bind to particular pre-selected target molecule (e.g. an allogenic MHC) or to a MHC:target molecule complex and do not bind in a significant amount to other target molecules or to other MHC:peptide complexes present in the sample. T cells specific for a preselected target molecule refers to those T cells in a heterogenous population of T cells which bind to and are selectively activated by a particular pre-determined target molecule or to a MHC:target molecule complex.
The phrase xe2x80x9cMHC capable of presenting a polypeptide (antigenic determinant)xe2x80x9d refers to an MHC molecule that binds to a polypeptide (e.g. where the polypeptide is an antigenic determinant of an autoimmune disease) and presents that polypeptide on a cell surface such that it may be specifically recognized by a T cell or a CTL.
The term xe2x80x9callograftxe2x80x9d refers to grafts between genetically different members of the same species. In humans, most organ grafts from one individual to another are allografts unless an identical twin is available as a donor. Because an allograft is genetically dissimilar to the host it is often recognized as foreign by the immune system and is rejected in an allograft reaction. xe2x80x9cXenograftsxe2x80x9d are grafts between different species such as the graft of a baboon heart to a human.
The phrase xe2x80x9cinhibiting a T cellxe2x80x9d refers to prevention of activation and proliferation of a T cell or to the actual destruction (killing) of a T cell. It is recognized that a killer cell (e.g. CTL) of the present invention, when recognized by the T cell may not always kill the recognizing T cell. However, even damage to the recognizing T cell may lead to an inability of that T cell to proliferate or otherwise participate in an immune response. Thus, inhibition, as used herein when referring to inhibiting a T cell also includes a reduction or elimination of the ability of a T cell to participate in an immune response. Alternatively, the inhibition can be mediated by induction of a cytokine profile that downregulates the activation and/or function of the T cells. Thus, for example, T cells recognizing Dd xcex3 on Th cells may induce secretion of IL-10 or owher down-regulator cytokines which do not eliminate the recognizign cell, but rather downregulate its function.
An xe2x80x9cundifferentiated cellxe2x80x9d refers to a cell that has not yet acquired the characteristics of the mature cell type. Thus, for example, hematopoietic stem cells are undifferentiated cells.

Selective elimination of T cells that recognize specific preselected targets

The United States of America as represented by the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services


Aspects described herein may provide detection of a physical characteristic of a credential, thereby allowing for authentication of the credential. According to some aspects, these and other benefits may be achieved by detecting the physical characteristic with the credential. An image of a credential may be received. An optical characteristic of a secure feature of the credential may be determined. An expected optical characteristic of the secure feature may be determined based on known properties of the secure feature. A determination as to whether the credential is authentic may be based on a comparison of the determined optical characteristic of the secure feature to the expected optical characteristic of the secure feature.

Physical credentials, such as identification documents or cards, often require authentication. To perform authentication, many conventional techniques verify a feature included on the physical credential such as a holographic feature. Many of these conventional authentication techniques rely on a single image of the physical credential. Using only a single image of the physical credential renders these conventional techniques susceptible to fraud. For example, a fraudulent document containing a high-quality photocopy of a holographic feature may be determined to be authentic by these conventional techniques when a single image of the holographic feature is used for verification. As a result, these authentication techniques may be easily deceived, leading to unreliable detection of inauthentic physical credentials.
Aspects described herein may address these and other problems, and generally improve the reliability of authenticating a physical credential by detecting physical properties of the physical credential in a more accurate and reliable manner.


In one general embodiment, a magnetic medium includes a recording layer having at least three exchange control layers each having a magnetic moment less than 100 emu/cc, and four magnetic layers separated from one another by the exchange control layers. An uppermost of the magnetic layers is doped with oxygen. In another general embodiment, a magnetic medium includes a recording layer having at least three exchange control layers and four magnetic layers separated from one another by the exchange control layers. An uppermost of the magnetic layers has an oxygen content of greater than 0.5 vol %. An average pitch of magnetic grains in a lowermost of the magnetic layers is 9 nm or less. A lowermost of the magnetic layers has an oxide content of at least 20 vol %.

The heart of a computer is a magnetic hard disk drive (HDD) which typically includes a rotating magnetic disk, a slider that has read and write heads, a suspension arm above the rotating disk and an actuator arm that swings the suspension arm to place the read and/or write heads over selected circular tracks on the rotating disk. The suspension arm biases the slider into contact with the surface of the disk when the disk is not rotating but, when the disk rotates, air is swirled by the rotating disk adjacent an air bearing surface (ABS) of the slider causing the slider to ride on an air bearing a slight distance from the surface of the rotating disk. When the slider rides on the air bearing the write and read heads are employed for writing magnetic impressions to and reading magnetic signal fields from the rotating disk. The read and write heads are connected to processing circuitry that operates according to a computer program to implement the writing and reading functions.
The volume of information processing in the information age is increasing rapidly. In particular, it is desired that HDDs be able to store more information in their limited area and volume. A technical approach to this desire is to increase the capacity by increasing the recording density of the HDD. To achieve higher recording density, further miniaturization of recording bits is effective, which in turn typically requires the design of smaller and smaller components.
However, the further miniaturization of the various components, particularly, the pitch of magnetic grains, presents its own set of challenges and obstacles in conventional products.
Conventional media has vertical exchange between the cap layer and the layers therebelow. The media also includes strong horizontal exchange between each of the grains, particularly near the cap. Grains tend to form clusters of grains that behave magnetically as a single entity. Thus, the achievable areal density is a function not only of grain size, but of cluster size as well.
Attempts to reduce the grain size in such conventional media result in an almost exponential increase to the horizontal exchange between magnetic grains, and therefore increases the cluster size as well. The increase in cluster size reduces the achievable areal density. As a result, conventional products are unable to reduce the grain pitch and/or the grain size of media without greatly sacrificing storage density thereon.

Vertically and horizontally weakly coupled perpendicular small grain media


Systems and methods that cache are provided. In one example, a system may include a spatial cache system coupled to a processing unit and to a memory. The spatial cache system may be adapted to reduce the memory latency of the processing unit. The spatial cache system may be adapted to store prefetched blocks, each stored prefetched block including a plurality of cache lines. If a cache line requested by the processing unit resides in one of the stored prefetched blocks and does not reside in the processing unit, then the spatial cache system may be adapted to provide the processing unit with the requested cache line.

In many fields and applications, a control processor (e.g., central processing unit (CPU)) shares a memory with multiple devices via a memory controller. The CPU may, for example, handle interrupts, manage other functional resources and interact with users. To perform these tasks in a timely manner, the execution speed of the CPU is a substantial factor with respect to the overall system performance. Memory latency, in turn, is a substantial factor with respect to the execution speed. Unlike media processors, for example, that access memory in long data streams, the CPU may tend to access short streams of sequencing addresses. It is difficult to build a shared memory system that satisfies these different types of requests. Thus, the memory latency of the CPU may be long (e.g., tens of cycles) even if the memory bandwidth is high.
One solution to the memory latency problem employs the technique of prefetching. Prefetching may include, for example, loading particular data to storage close to the CPU in anticipation that the CPU may use the data in the near future.
In one conventional system, the CPU includes a level two (L2) cache. Such an approach may be costly and may negatively impact CPU performance. The L2 cache typically accommodates large line sizes and, as a result, may be quite large in size and may necessitate a large cache bandwidth. When the CPU accesses line x, the L2 cache control may prefetch the next sequential cache line x+1 into the L2 cache. Fetching more cache lines into the L2 cache may also increase capacity and bandwidth requirements. Furthermore, conventional L2 caches tend to keep cache lines that have already been accessed by the CPU under the assumption that the CPU may access the same cache lines in the future. Thus, conventional L2 caches are necessarily large in size and typically take up the most space in the CPU.
Another conventional system employs a stream buffer next to the caches of the CPU. Such a system may be complicated and slow. Each stream buffer is a first-in-first-out (FIFO) storage of a fixed number of cache lines to hold a stream with sequentially increasing address of CPU data. Typically, multiple stream buffers are used. The stream buffers are adapted, for an access, to perform a search of all buffers and all entries of each buffer. Additionally, the stream buffers are adapted to shift the buffer entries to maintain the FIFO structure. However, these adaptations may limit the overall capacity of the stream buffer and access time. Moreover, the stream buffer may not inherently be able to store data streams that are striding in reversed order.
Further limitations and disadvantages of conventional and traditional approaches will become apparent to one of ordinary skill in the art through comparison of such systems with some aspects of the present invention as set forth in the remainder of the present application with reference to the drawings.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.


A system, comprising a plurality of slave devices collecting real time data from process stations, a master device receiving the collected data from the plurality of slave devices, wherein the master device polls the plurality of slave devices in a predetermined order and an analysis device processing the collected data and producing output data as a function of the collected data.

A fundamental shift in the global manufacturing sector from a labor intensive market to an information intensive market is occurring for a variety of reasons. For example, in the past, businesses have placed their manufacturing facilities in developing countries with extensive labor pools. However, as these countries begin to industrialize, the cost of labor increases and, therefore, the cost of manufacturing increases. In order to control the cost of manufacturing, the businesses are forced to lower the cost of production in the current location or move to a new location. As the list of stable developing countries begins to shrink, the moving of manufacturing locations to such countries becomes less attractive. The cost of moving, building a new facility and training new workers, along with the political uncertainty in a large number of developing nations having an available labor pool, militates towards increasing productivity and lowering costs at existing facilities or building new facilities where the labor costs are high (e.g., United States, Japan, Germany, etc), but the labor pool is skilled and the political environment is stable.
Thus, companies must utilize technology to cut costs and improve efficiency in order to remain competitive. Information intensive programs such as just-in-time (JIT) inventory and total quality manufacturing have allowed for such cost cutting and efficiency improvements in many facilities. However, as the global manufacturing market becomes more competitive, new ideas for using information are needed to continue to fuel efficiency improvements in the manufacturing sector.

Method and apparatus for sequentially collecting and analyzing real time data with interactive monitoring


A joint connector includes an insulative connector housing, a plurality of connection terminals provided on the connector housing, and a board having a conductive wire. The connection terminals contact to the conductive wire for electrically connecting predetermined connection terminals of the connection terminals each other.

This invention relates to a joint connector for connecting a plurality of connection terminals together which are provided, for example, within a mating connector housing.
A joint connector of this kind is used for obtaining a plurality of branch wire portions from a trunk wire portion of a wire harness employed, for example, in an electric system of an automobile or the like, and generally, a technique as disclosed for example in JP-A-8-17531 is known. Namely, as shown in FIG. 6, a joint connector 1 of JP-A-8-17531 includes a connector housing 2, a pair of connection terminals 3 for being fixed to the connector housing 2, and an inter-terminal connecting portion 4 electrically connecting the connection terminals 3 together. The inter-terminal connecting portion 4 is formed by a bus bar, and is adapted to be inserted in a rear side of the connector housing 2.
In the joint connector using such a plug-in type bus bar as the inter-terminal connecting portion, when the number of connection terminals increases, the structure of a portion for effecting the connection between the terminals becomes complicated, and therefore there is used a joint technique (see, for example, JP-A-5-3619) employing bus bars and a board as commonly known in an electric connection box for mounting on an automobile. Namely, the structure as indicated by a circle C in FIG. 7 is used as the portion for effecting the connection between the terminals of the joint connector.
When the number of connection terminals of the joint connector increases, the structure of the portion for effecting the connection between the terminals becomes complicated as described above, and therefore the kinds of bus bars to be used increase, and this invites problems that the management of the parts is complicated and that the weight, the cost and the time and labor for the operation increase. And besides, when the structure as indicated by circle C in FIG. 7 is used, the depth of the joint connector increases, thus inviting a problem that the overall size becomes large. Furthermore, when the structure as indicated by circle C in FIG. 7 is used, the degree of freedom of a circuitry design is limited, so that there is encountered a problem that such a structure can not meet a more complicated circuit arrangement.


A swing door is provided that includes a frame, a door leaf with a door leaf edge, and an impact protection device. The impact protection device has a push rod, a lever, and first and second biasing arrangements. The impact protection device is mounted on an end face of the door leaf and is configured to pivot in an opening direction of the swing door and in a direction opposite to the opening direction. The lever is arranged in a gap between the front side and the frame as the swing door is closed. The lever has an outer lever arm protruding from the front side to protect the door leaf edge from an impact as said swing door is opened.

A swing door has a door leaf and a frame, wherein the door leaf is pivotably coupled to the frame via door hinges. When the door leaf is in a closed position, the door leaf is arranged within the frame, wherein play in the form of a gap is provided between the door leaf and the frame. The swing door has an opening direction in which the door leaf can be pivoted via the hinges such that the swing door opens on the door leaf end face facing away from the hinges. As a result, the door leaf projects with the door leaf end face thereof away from the frame into the space, wherein the door leaf can be pivoted only until it strikes, generally with the door leaf edge thereof, against an obstacle.
A problem arises in particular in the case of a motor vehicle door, for example of a passenger vehicle, when the vehicle is parked in confined space conditions, such as, for example, in a garage. There is the risk here, when the motor vehicle door is opened, of the motor vehicle door inadvertently hitting with the door leaf edge thereof against a garage wall, as a result of which paint damage or even dents to the motor vehicle door may be the consequence. Furthermore, there is the risk, when two motor vehicles are parked next to each other, for example in a public car park, of, when the door of the one motor vehicle is opened in an uncontrolled manner, the door being knocked against the other motor vehicle, as a result of which the other motor vehicle may likewise be damaged.
In order at least to mitigate the consequences of the motor vehicle door striking against the garage wall, it is known to attach a padding in the form, for example, of a felt lining to the garage wall. However, the felt lining only has a protective effect if the motor vehicle is parked with respect to the felt lining in such a manner that the motor vehicle door strikes against the felt lining during opening. If, by contrast, the motor vehicle door strikes against the garage wall next to the felt lining, damage to the motor vehicle door can again be anticipated if the motor vehicle door is correspondingly energetically opened.
In addition, it is known to line the motor vehicle door with a rubber lip on the door leaf edge thereof, and therefore, when the motor vehicle door strikes against the garage wall, the door leaf edge is supported by the rubber lip. The rubber lip is visible from outside the motor vehicle even when the motor vehicle door is closed and may interfere with the appearance of the motor vehicle.

Swing door having an impact protection device