A system that implements a “tangent space brush,” allowing a user to paint directly onto a parameterized object, for example a three dimensional object. A tangent space brush projects coordinates from an input device to the world-space point on the surface of the 3D object. A normal is determined at that point and a brush image is projected from that point, along the normal, to the underlying surfaces. The system is implemented by providing a system that implements selecting a selected area of a displayed object, and projecting a brush directly onto a surface of the selected area.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to a tangent-space painting system, offering a high degree of predictability as a brush conforms to an underlying surface curvature. More particularly, the present invention relates to a tangent space brush that paint directly onto the surface of the three dimensional (or higher) object, providing an easy way for a user to paint directly onto a three dimensional object, without having to manipulate a corresponding 2D texture.
2. Description of the Related Art
Typically, when creating virtual 3D objects, it is common to apply 2D images to a 3D surface, helping to simulate the appearance of a real object. This technique, known as texture mapping, provides indirect control over the material parameters of the surface, such as color, shininess, roughness, or even geometrical properties like bumps. The technique known as 3D painting strives to provide direct control over the appearance of the surface. However, a number of technologies are required to support the simulation of painting on a three dimensional physical object using a 2D input device.
The 3D objects used in 3D paint systems are typically "parametric objects." The mathematical definition of a parametric object would be any piece of geometry defined as a collection of subsets of an n-dimensional space, where each subset can be represented by a p variable function F:
F: R pR n
(s, t . . . )F(s, t . . . )
In the case of a 3D object, p=2, n=3, and F is the texture mapping function. For a 3D object, we say that the 3D object is a parameterized object, which "lives" in 3D space.
For relatively flat surfaces, and when parameterization is uniform, texture mapping is simple using 2D paint software or scan data. In these cases, manipulating the texture indirectly in 2D suffices. However, in complex scenes and on complex characters, only direct manipulation offers enough usability to achieve the desired results. In typical non-trivial scenes, parameter-space is severely distorted or the geometry shape or topology is unworkable with indirect methods. 3D painting offers direct manipulation by managing non-intuitive mappings for the user.
Several systems simply use a 2D painting system and periodically project the digital painting back onto the 3D object "beneath" the painting. This technique is called screen-space projection as the user effectively "paints" on the screen, which is projected onto a 3D object displayed "behind" the screen. While this approach works well when the object being painted is quite flat and facing the screen (like a piece of paper placed on the screen), it works quite poorly on objects that curve away from the screen (like a sphere) as the projection process smears the painting across the surface. This problem can also be viewed as brush distortion, e.g. a circular brush will produce a distorted elliptical smear of paint on a surface, which moves (or is angled) away from the screen. 3D objects with a complex shape, or complex topology, further complicate the use of a screen-space system due to the restrictions of such a simple projection.
For example, FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate a prior art method of painting a 3D sphere. FIG. 1A illustrates a three dimensional sphere 100 comprised of polygons. FIG. 1B illustrates a "texture space", which is a 2D texture space corresponding to the sphere illustrated in 3D.
Suppose a user wants to paint a checkerboard pattern onto the sphere. The user can copy a standard checkerboard pattern 101 onto the 2D texture space illustrated in FIG. 1B. Thereafter, the texture space illustrated in FIG. 1B can be projected onto the sphere 100 as illustrated in FIG. 1A.
However, directly transposing the pattern on the 2D texture space onto the 3D sphere results in distortions. For example, see the top pole area 102 of the sphere illustrated in FIG. 1A, which illustrates severe distortions (a swirl appearance) of the checkerboard pattern. Furthermore, the checkerboard square patterns are mapped into long or thin rectangles on the sphere, depending on how far they are from the equator. This was not originally intended.
Other prior art approaches to this problem would perform complex computations onto the already painted 2D texture space to intentionally distort the 2D space (to match the 3D shape) before projecting it onto the 3D shape. However, such approaches are burdensome for the user and time consuming, and also subject to a host of other practical problems including problematic reassembly of the different pieces. On complex objects, this is not even possible to achieve.
Therefore, what is needed is a system that allows a user to paint directly onto the surface of a parametric object living in three dimensions or higher, thereby allowing a user to easily paint on a 3D surface without concern for distortion and without having to first paint in the 2D texture space.

Dynamically adjusted brush for direct paint systems on parameterized multi-dimensional surfaces


The present invention relates to a method for embedding and detecting a watermark where a forgery/alternation of an image can be identified and the location of forgery/alternation can be verified by embedding and detecting a watermark into a digital image which is shot in real time. The watermark is generated by using a quantized coefficient after frequency transform used in the compression process. By embedding this into an image, the image can be compressed simultaneously with the embedded watermark. The present invention relates to a method for embedding a robust watermark which embeds a random sequence circular shifted from an original pseudo random sequence by the distance d as the watermark is embedded into an image, and a method for generating and embedding the watermark by using a DCT coefficient quantized during an MPEG compression process of the image.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method for embedding watermark into an image and digital video recorder using said method, and more particularly a method for embedding watermark wherein forgery/alternation of image can be identified and the location of forgery/alternation can be verified by embedding watermark into a digital image in real time. Also, said embedment of watermark can be performed simultaneously with compression.
2. Description of the Related Art
The present invention relates to Korean Patent Application No. 2001-62934 entitled, "NETWORK CAMERA FOR PREVENTING FORGERY OF DIGITAL IMAGE, NETWORK CAMERA SERVER AND DIGITAL VIDEO STORAGE SYSTEM AND METHOD FOR AUTHENTICATING DIGITAL IMAGE OUTPUT THEREFROM" filed by the same applicant of the present application, which is included as a reference material of the present invention.
The above-identified application discloses a method for preventing forgery/alternation of images by embedding robust watermark (RW) and/or fragile watermark (FW) into an image signal in real time, and a network camera, network camera server, and digital video storage device applying said method. In particular, in said application, the digital image signal is compressed separately after embedding RW but before embedding RW.
The present invention is an invention improving the method for embedding robust watermark and fragile watermark of the above application. In particular, the present invention discloses a method for embedding RW and/or FW simultaneously with performing compression, a method for increasing the amount of information being embedded, a method for enhancing the embedment rate to be close to real time, a method for embedding watermark which has interoperability when embedding and detecting watermark at the spatial domain and transformation domain, etc. Also, the present invention discloses a digital video recorder (DVR) applying said method for embedding robust watermark and/or fragile watermark.
Before describing the present invention, the digital video recorder applying the method of the present invention will be described in the following.
The DVR (Digital Video Recorder) as the digital CCTV system is widely being used as a monitoring system of the next generation which will replace monitoring systems of the conventional CCD camera, VCR, TAPE, etc. The analogue monitoring system monitors the environment to be monitored, records the necessary image data on a tape, and searches and stores said tape. However, the DVR can transform image data which was shot into digital signals and store them at a hard disc or DVD-RANM, etc. Thus, it appears that the DVR has a number of advantages over the analogue system. Also, one DVR can record and thus control a number of cameras (for example, 16 cameras) and a number of images (16 cut images).
Meanwhile, the method for embedding and extracting watermark of the present invention mainly uses the characteristics of a frequency transform. Transform which can be used in this regard includes wavelet transform (WT) and discrete cosine transform (DCT), and such transforms are mainly used in removing the redundancy of the spatial information of an image at compressed algorithms.
First, wavelet transform is a transformation method advantageous in extracting the characteristics of a signal by reducing sampling intervals where the signal changes extremely, and by increasing intervals where the signal changes slowly. Such is disclosed in "Enhancement of Angiograms via M-Band Wavelet Transform" Proceedings of SPIE Biomedical Photonics and Optoelectronic Imaging, 165-169, 2000 written by Yang Yan and Zhang Dong.
Together with Fourier transform, wavelet transform is a method for managing signals which has been actively studied in the 1990s. According to wavelet transform, signals are analyzed by reducing the window size on the time axis for signals with high frequency and increasing the window size on the time axis for signals with low frequency. Therefore, not only information on frequency but also information on time for each band can be known by using the wavelet transform. Also, it is possible to deal with only the signal of a desired band because signals can be divided into bands.
DCT transform is a transformation method transforming data at a two-dimensional area into a two-dimensional frequency plane. The two-dimensional signal obtained as a result of the DCT transform remains the same size and is only expressed in real numbers. Also, since most image signals are concentrated at the low frequency domain, most coefficients which are not 0 are located at the low frequency band, and the coefficients of high frequency elements mostly have a value of 0 or smaller. Therefore, by taking only the meaningful coefficients of the low frequency band and IDCT transforming them, image signals having high frequency elements removed from their image can be obtained. Accordingly, the compression efficiency can be remarkably increased by performing compression using low frequency band coefficients after DCT transforming them, than when performing compression using the coefficient of each pixel of the spatial domain.

Method for embedding watermark into an image and digital video recorder using said method


Novel tetrasubstituted methane derivatives of the general formula C[--Sp--M--R].sub.4 in which the radicals --Sp--M--R are the same or different, in which Sp is a spacer group selected from an alkylene or alkenylene radical which is unsubstituted or monosubstituted by halogen, --CN or --CF.sub.3 or one or two non-adjacent CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by --O--, --CO--, --COO--, --OOC--, --CONH-- or --OCOO--, or is a single bond; R is selected from hydrogen, halogen, --CN, --CF.sub.3, --OCF.sub.3, --NO.sub.2, --N(CH.sub.3).sub.2, an alkyl or alkenyl radical which is unsubstituted or monosubstituted or polysubstituted by --CN, --NH.sub.2, --CF.sub.3 or halogen and in which one or more non-adjacent CH.sub.2 groups may be replaced by the radicals --O--, --CO--, --OOC--, --COO-- or OCOO--; and M is a mesogenic group. Due to their liquid crystal properties, the novel compounds are eminently suitable for use in liquid crystalline media.

The novel methane derivatives of the general formulae I and II (see below) according to the invention are thermotropic liquid-crystalline compounds; due to their molecular structure principle, which is novel for such compounds, they generally broaden the known range of liquid-crystalline substances by means of which mixtures having favorable applicational properties can be prepared.
By contrast, the molecules of mesogenic compounds which have hitherto achieved technical importance in display technology and as temperature displays have an elongate form (cf. K. J. Toyne in Thermotropic Liquid Crystals, John Wiley & Sons, Ed., G. W. Gray, 1987, pp. 28ff); these form nematic, cholesteric and smectic phases. In addition, thermotropic liquid-crystalline phases are formed by diskoid molecules (cf. C. Destrade et al., Mol. Cryst. Liq. Cryst. Vol. 106, p.121 (1984)).

Tetrasubstituted methanes having liquid-crystalline properties

Consortium fur elektrochemische Industrie GmbH


The present invention relates to a method of producing a non-enzymatic whole blood uric acid detecting electrode strip for use on whole blood, characterized by comprising the step of                adding dropwise a reaction film formulation onto the electrochemical reaction zone wherein the formulation comprises an electron mediator, a water-soluble polymer carrier and a volatile organic solvent.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing a non-enzymatic whole blood detecting electrode strip, and the reaction film formulation comprising specific components that can be used in the production of said electrode strip.
2. Description of the Related Arts
Electrodes made by utilizing electrochemical methods can be divided into two types: enzymatic electrodes and non-enzymatic electrodes. At the present time, the majority of the electrodes mentioned in the technical literatures and used in the biological substances measuring are enzymatic electrodes, such as the well commercialized blood sugar electrode. In regard to non-enzymatic electrodes, most of them are used in the testing of general chemical compounds, such as pH electrodes for testing hydrogen ion. Since many enzymatic electrodes have restrictive conditions for moisture preservation, complicated manufacturing processes, and over-elaborate control conditions, manufacturing costs are quite high and mass production is not feasible, and thus they are only suitable for use by technicians in research organizations and large scale medical testing units.
Relating to the prior art of non-enzymatic electrode strips, such as an electric current non-enzymatic electrode strip disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,258,230 B1, the manufacturing process uses screen printing to spread the reaction film formulation to cover two electrode systems. The composition of the reaction film formulation for being utilized in the screen printing requires large amounts of polymers mixed with a salt buffer. Although this type of electrodes can be used for mass production, there are numerous production steps, and the reaction film formulation is composed of many types of compositions, which lead to high production costs. Moreover, hemolytic phenomenon induced by the surfactant used in the reaction film formulation causes serious interference for the detection of uric acid in whole blood.
As a result, the market still has a need for the development of a method to producing a non-enzymatic whole blood detecting electrode strip.

Method of producing whole blood detecting electrode strip and reaction film formulation and the related products


Disclosed is a method of joining at least two linoleum sheets. The method includes creating a seam between the linoleum sheets and forming a bead of non-epoxy adhesive on a seam edge or injecting the non-epoxy adhesive into a closed seam. The seam formed by the edges of the linoleum sheets is joined and filled with the adhesive. Excess adhesive is removed and the seam is rolled and the seam adhesive is limited to the area between the linoleum sheets and the substrate within one linoleum sheet thickness of the seam.

Decorative coverings, such as floor coverings, include linoleum sheets. Linoleum sheets are typically affixed onto a sub-flooring using an adhesive. When the sheets are joined, a seam or joint is formed. Such seam is often unsightly and prone to collecting dirt, thus it is often desirable to seal the seam using various methods.
When abutting flooring sheets are seamed together and glued in place, the seam often degrades over time as the seam is exposed to traffic, moisture, cleaning chemicals, and dirt. Contamination eventually penetrates the seam and degrades the adhesive holding the floor sheets to the floor at the seam. When the adhesive degrades, the floor sheet will lift from the floor at the seam, lending the seam an unsightly puckered appearance and making the seam more vulnerable to further damage. In order to repair the damaged portion of the seam, it is usually necessary to carefully cut out and replace it with a fresh patch of matching material. The patch must match the removed portion's pattern and shape perfectly, or the repair will be visible.
Linoleum has been seamed by laying the vertical side edges of adjacent layers in close abutment, folding back the adjacent marginal portions of the floor covering layers to expose the sub-floor, applying an epoxy adhesive to the sub-floor along the line of abutment using a spatula-like tool called a "spread," and then bringing the marginal portions back down onto the sub-floor, and hand-rolling the seam to complete the operation.
The epoxy was applied to the sub-floor in a band that is several thicknesses of the flooring material wide on each side of the seam, and the flooring material is then pressed onto the sub-floor. Some of the epoxy is forced into the seam to bond the flooring materials together. The seam bond between the epoxy and the flooring materials, however, is not waterproof. The bond between the epoxy and the flooring material is relatively weak because the epoxy is much stiffer than the flooring material. The bond between the two often breaks under traffic.
Current recommended practice for installing linoleum in commercial applications involves "heat welding" the seams and, for residential applications, linoleum seams are merely butted together.
Thus, what is needed is a method for joining seams formed by abutting edges of adjacent linoleum sheets that will not degrade, appear substantially visually seamless and form a substantially gap free seam between the adjacent linoleum sheets.


Embodiments herein provide a method and computer program product for optimizing router settings to increase IC yield. A method begins by reviewing yield data in an IC manufacturing line to identify structure-specific mechanisms that impact IC yield. Next, the method establishes a structural identifier for each structure-specific mechanism, wherein the structural identifiers include wire codes, tags, and/or unique identifiers. Different structural identifiers are established for wires having different widths. Furthermore, the method establishes a weighting factor for each structure-specific mechanism, wherein higher weighting factors are established for structure-specific mechanisms comprising thick wires proximate to multiple thick wires. The method establishes the structural identifiers and the weighting factors for incidence of spacing between single wide lines, double wide lines, and triple wide lines and for incidence of wires above large metal lands. Subsequently, the router settings are modified based on the structural identifiers and the weighting factors to minimize systematic defects.

1. Field of the Invention
The embodiments of the invention provide a method, computer program product, etc. for yield optimization in router for systematic defects.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the design and manufacture of semiconductor chips, two yield detractors in the manufacturing process are random defects and systematic defects. Random defects refer to electrical faults (e.g., opens and shorts) caused by foreign material or impurities. Systematic defects—also known as process-sensitive sites—constitute electrical faults that arise because of the inherent difficulty of reliably building certain structures in a given manufacturing technology.
Systematic defects are seen in wafer processing lines. During the early life of a manufacturing line, systematic defects are a larger yield detractor than random defects. Design related systematic layout issues are observed when product reaches test. In some cases, product is redesigned to improve yield, but in many cases redesign is not possible because of customer impact. It is desirable to have routers consider systematic defects. Systematic yield sensitivity needs to be traded off with sensitivity to random defects to create the most cost effective option for the product.
Critical-area computation is known (e.g., dot-throwing, geometric expansion, Voronoi diagrams), but currently, there are no methods that use critical area analysis assessment with random defects and identification of systematic defects to optimize yield

Yield optimization in router for systematic defects

International Business Machines Corporation


An alkaline electrochemical cell capable of providing optimum discharge efficiencies at both a high tech drain rate and a low drain rate is disclosed. In one embodiment, the ratio of the anode's electrochemical capacity to the cathode's electrochemical capacity is between 1.33:1 and 1.40:1 and the surface area of the anode to cathode interface is maximized.

This invention generally relates to an alkaline cell comprising manganese dioxide. More particularly, this invention is concerned with an alkaline electrochemical cell that is capable of providing optimum service at various discharge conditions.
Commercially available cylindrical alkaline electrochemical cells are widely available in cell sizes commonly known as LR6 (AA), LR03 (AAA), LR14 (C) and LR 20 (D). In many cases the cells are purchased by consumers and then stored until they are needed to power a device. Due to the proliferation of battery powered devices, many consumers own numerous battery powered devices. Some of the devices that may be found in one home include: a radio; a remote control for a television set; a tape recorder; toys for children; an handheld electronic game; a compact disc player; a camera that incorporates a flashlight unit and 35 millimeter film; and a digital camera. Collectively, these devices represent a wide range of electrical discharge conditions. For example, a tape player is known within the battery manufacturing field as a "low drain" device because it needs the battery to supply current at a low rate and with substantial rest periods between activations. A typical discharge regime for a battery in a tape player can be simulated by discharging a single LR6 size battery at 100 milliamps for one hour per day. Another device, such as a flashlight powered by LR6 size batteries, imposes a low to moderate drain on the battery. Discharging an LR6 battery across a 3.3 ohm resistor for four minutes per hour, eight hours per day, is an accepted test for simulating LR6 performance in a flashlight. Yet another device, such as a compact disc player, requires several batteries to supply current at a faster rate than is required by a tape player but with substantial rest periods between activations (i.e. 250 milliamps for one hour per day) and is known as a "high tech" device. Other devices, such as cameras with 35 mm film and a flash unit contained therein, require the battery to supply current at a substantial current (i.e. 1000 milliamps, 10 seconds on, 50 seconds off, for one hour per day) and is recognized as a "high drain" device. When consumers purchase batteries, the consumer may not know the device into which a particular battery will be inserted. Consequently, the consumer will attempt to purchase batteries that perform well in a variety of devices that may impose low drain, or high drain or high tech discharge conditions. If a consumer believes that a particular brand of battery provides optimum service when used in all devices, then the consumer will be motivated to buy that brand of batteries rather than a different brand of batteries. Consequently, many battery manufacturers strive to develop and market batteries that are perceived by the consumer as "all purpose" batteries because the batteries power a wide range of devices for acceptable periods of time.
In addition to improving the length of time that their products will power a variety of devices, battery manufacturers constantly strive to reduce the cost of the battery. One way to reduce the cost is to decrease the quantity of electrochemically active material in one or both of the battery's electrodes. For example, the quantity of zinc in the anode and/or the quantity of manganese dioxide in the cathode could be reduced. However, this option is not acceptable to the manufacturer because any reduction in the quantity of electrochemically active material usually decreases the battery's "run time" which is the length of time the battery will run a device.
Previous attempts to address the problem of how to improve a battery's performance in a particular device, such as a camera, have usually involved changes to the cell's internal construction. In one example, the cell construction was modified by increasing the quantity of zinc in the anode. However, this change resulted in unacceptable leakage of electrolyte after the cell had been deeply discharged. In another example, instead of using a cell design in which one electrode is inserted into a centrally aligned cavity defined by the other electrode, some manufacturers have used a "jellyroll" construction in which two strip shaped electrodes and one separator are aligned with one another and then rolled to form a coil. Batteries with jellyroll constructions typically perform well in high drain devices. Unfortunately, the same cells provide substantially reduced service in low drain devices because a substantial portion of the electrochemically active material must be replaced with chemically inert separator due to the jellyroll's large anode-to-cathode surface area. Consequently, batteries made with a jellyroll construction are not well suited for use in devices where the cell's total electrochemical capacity is more important than the ability to discharge at a rapid rate.
Therefore, there is a need for an inexpensive alkaline electrochemical cell that has the ability to provide adequate run times in devices that require the battery to discharge at a high tech drain rate as well as provide adequate run times in devices that require the battery to discharge at a low drain rate.

Alkaline electrochemical cell capable of providing optimum discharge efficiencies at a high tech drain rate and a low drain rate


An apparatus and method for generating bias voltages for an LCD driver. A voltage divider including serially connected resistors of a first resistance is arranged to form a DC current path having nodes. The voltage of each node serves as a bias voltage to the LCD driver for actuating the LCD driver to generate LCD driving signals. A signal generator is used to generate a switching signal in synchronism with the LCD driving signals. A switching circuit including switches is arranged so that when the switches are closed, the resistance between two adjacent nodes has a small value, so as to provide large driving currents to the LCD driver, and when the switches are open, the resistance has a large value, so as to reduce the amount of leakage current through the DC current path.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a liquid crystal display (LCD), and more particularly, to an apparatus and method for generating bias voltages for an LCD driver.
2. Description of Background Art
Liquid crystal displays (LCDs) are digital displays widely used in digital watches, calculators, handheld game machines, and various other electronic appliances. The circuit structure of a typical LCD device is shown in FIG. 1, in which an LCD driver 10 in conjunction with a voltage divider 20 are used to drive an LCD panel 30. In practice, the LCD driver 10 and the voltage divider 20 are implemented in an integrated circuit (IC) as indicated by the dashed box 1. The voltage divider 20 consists of a number of resistors R that divide an external voltage Vcc into bias voltages V.sub.a, V.sub.b, V.sub.c, V.sub.d, and V.sub.e. These bias voltages are applied to and drive the LCD driver 10 to generate a plurality of LCD driving signals, including common signals, via the COM1-COM8 lines and segment signals via the SEG1-SEG40 lines.
In the voltage divider 20, the plurality of resistors R constitute a DC current path through which a DC current I.sub.d flows. These resistors are provided with high resistances, such as 100 k.OMEGA. or 200 k.OMEGA. so as to minimize the current I.sub.d flowing through the DC current path. A drawback to the use of high resistance resistors is that the resulting driving current used to actuate the LCD driver for switching of the LCD driving signals may be insufficient. To cope with this problem, a conventional method is to provide a corresponding number of capacitors C connected externally via I/O pins on the IC 1 to the voltage divider 20. These capacitors C are used for voltage stabilization of the circuit so as to supply sufficient actuating current I.sub.t to the LCD driver for switching of the LCD driving signals.
ICs based on the foregoing circuit architecture for generating bias voltages include MSM5238GS, MSM5259GS, and MSM5278 which are manufactured by the OKI Semiconductor Corporation. However, providing the externally connected capacitors has two drawbacks. First, for low-cost LCD handheld game machines, the provision of these externally connected capacitors and the corresponding I/O pins significantly increases manufacturing cost; and second, the increased number of I/O pins on the IC would cause the size of the chip to be larger than it would be otherwise.
Two methods have been used to eliminate the foregoing two drawbacks. The first method is to avoid using the capacitors and reduce the resistance values of the resistors R so as to provide a larger DC current I.sub.d. However, this causes a large leakage current. For example, assuming in the circuit of FIG. 1 that R=100 k.OMEGA. and Vcc=5 volts, then I.sub.d =5/(100 k.times.5)=10 .mu.A. However, if R is reduced to 15 k.OMEGA., then I.sub.d =5 V/(15 k.OMEGA..times.5)=67 .mu.A. Since the IC needs only a small amount of current for operation, such a large current of 67 .mu.A would cause much of the electrical power to be wasted. The second method is to provide built-in capacitors in the IC. However, this increases the area of the chip and such capacitors would be very low in capacitance, several orders from the desired level.

Apparatus and method for generating bias voltages for liquid crystal display


A packaging chip in which a circuit module is packaged and a method of packaging a circuit module are provided. The packaging chip includes a base wafer; a circuit module on the base wafer; a packaging wafer having a cavity and combined with the base wafer so that the circuit module fits inside the cavity; a connecting electrode connecting upper and lower surfaces of the cavity; and a seed layer between the connecting electrode and the packaging wafer. The method includes etching a lower surface of the packaging wafer to form a cavity, stacking a metal layer in an area of the lower surface, combining the base wafer with the packaging wafer, polishing the packaging wafer, forming a viahole through the packaging wafer, stacking a seed layer on the packaging wafer, plating the inside of the viahole, removing the seed layer and forming an electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a packaging chip packaged by a packaging wafer and a method of manufacturing the packaging chip, and more particularly, to a packaging chip packaged using a packaging wafer including a seed layer stacked on an inner side of a viahole and a method of manufacturing the packaging chip.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic packaging chips used in various electronic products include micro electronic circuits and thus may be damaged by external impacts. Thus, when such a packaging chip is manufactured, a packaging process must be performed to package the packaging chip so that the packaging chip has physical function and shape so as to endure an external impact. In particular, packaging must be performed on a wafer level to make electronic products small and high performance. In general, a packaging wafer having a predetermined shape is bonded to a wafer including a circuit module to perform the packaging on the wafer level. A packaging chip is supplied with power from an external source so as to perform a specific operation. Thus, packaging must be performed so that an external power source is connected to an internal electronic circuit.
For this purpose, there is used a method of forming a viahole penetrating a packaging wafer and then connecting an internal electronic circuit to an external power source through the viahole using wires. However, if the wires are used, minute dust may flow into the packaging chip through the viahole and signal loss may occur through the wires.
Thus, there has been developed a method of manufacturing a connecting electrode penetrating a packaging wafer to connect an internal electronic circuit to an external power source through the connecting electrode. The connecting electrode is manufactured using a method of forming a viahole penetrating the packaging wafer to stack a seed layer and then plating the viahole using the seed layer. However, a plating speed varies at each portion of the viahole, thus the viahole is not completely filled. As a result, cracks or voids may slightly occur in the viahole. If voids occur, impurities inside the voids rust, which may break down the packaging chip. The impurities inside the voids may be heated by a current supplied from an external source and thus damaged. If cracks occur, minute dust flows into an element from the outside, and thus the element may malfunction.
To prevent these problems, there has been developed a method of forming a seed layer only inside a viahole and plating an inside of the viahole using the seed layer to manufacture a connecting electrode. However, the seed layer is formed only at a low portion, and a plating speed becomes slow. This increases cost. As a result, the unit cost of a packaging chip is increased. Also, cracks may occur, or the packaging chip may be damaged due to a low adhesive strength between a packaging wafer and the connecting electrode. Thus, the manufacturing yield of packaging chips is decreased.

Packaging chip and packaging method thereof


Disclosed is a method of separating small RNAs of 200 nucleotides or less from larger RNAs on a solid support, using a kosmotropic salt of different concentrations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of isolating small RNA molecules using a kosmotropic salt, and more particularly, to a method of purifying smaller RNA molecules of 200 nucleotide ("nt") or less from larger RNA molecules on a solid support using a kosmotropic salt.
2. Description of the Related Art
As a method for isolating an RNA, U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 20050059024 A1 discloses a method, wherein nucleic acids are extracted from a cell lysate using phenol and chloroform, and guanidine isothiocyanate and ethanol are added, and is then added to a silica spin column to bind a RNA molecule to the column. Here, small RNA molecules are isolated based on different binding rates between large RNA molecules and small RNA molecules depending on the ethanol content.
The method uses hazardous materials such as phenol, chloroform, and guanidine isothiocyanate, which are chaotropic material, and the procedure to obtain small RNA molecules is very complex.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method of separating small RNA molecules using kosmotropic salt


There is provided an FM demodulator comprising a transistor (Q323), a filter unit for producing first and second amplitude-modulated signals from a received frequency-modulated signal, wherein the filter unit is coupled to the switching transistor (Q323), and first and second diodes (D300) connected in opposite relationship for rectifying the first and second amplitude-modulated signals of the filter unit. The filter unit has an LC network and is so dimensioned that there is a linear relationship between the output voltage and the input frequency. The demodulator further has an operating point adjusting unit for adjusting an operating point of the transistor. The operating point adjusting unit (100) is adapted to effect operating point adjustment with a noise negative feedback.

The present invention concerns an FM demodulator.
FM demodulators for example with a Gilbert cell have been known for many years.
The known solutions however suffer from the disadvantage that the circuits must be balanced and that there are magnetically coupled coils.
As general state of the art attention is directed to EP 1 780 887 A1, DE 29 48 336 A1, JP 11-195928 A and DE 653 313.
Thus an object of the present invention is to provide a substantially balancing-free FM demodulator which requires a small amount of space and involves a low current demand.


A bearing device comprising a fixed shaft having a first radial bearing surface, a sleeve provided in a fitting relationship with the fixed shaft and having a second radial bearing surface opposed to the first radial bearing surface, the second radial bearing surface having herring-bone grooves thereon to form a radial gas bearing to support the sleeve with respect to the fixed shaft, and the fixed shaft having one end portion forming part of a magnetic thrust bearing of aspirating type to support the sleeve with respect to the fixed shaft.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bearing device for an optical deflection scanning device used in an information apparatus, a laser beam printer, and the like, specifically to a dynamic pressure gas bearing device incorporated, for example, in an optical deflection scanning device and used for supporting a polygon mirror which rotates at high speed.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The dynamic pressure gas bearing device maintains a rotating member and a fixed member in a non-contacting state by dynamic pressure produced from dynamic pressure generating grooves formed in one or both mutually opposing surfaces on the two members. Accordingly, there is almost no friction acting between the rotating member and the fixed member. Power used to rotate the rotating member is reduced and heat of friction produced during rotation is prevented.
FIG. 1 shows an example of such a conventional type of dynamic pressure gall bearing device used in an optical deflection scanning device. This conventional example is provided with a cylindrical hole 2 in the center of a housing 1, which is a fixed member. The housing may have a sleeve along the inner peripheral surface of the housing 1. A cylindrical radial bearing surface 3 is provided on the inner peripheral surface of the cylindrical hole 2, and a thrust bearing surface 5 is provided at the center of the bottom surface of the hole 2 with an elevated section 4 of a convex form.
A shaft 6, which is a rotating member, is fitted into the cylindrical hole 2 in the housing 1. A mating radial bearing surface 7 is provided on the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 6, opposing the radial bearing surface 3. Also, a mating thrust bearing surface 9 is provided opposing the thrust bearing surface 5 on one end (lower end in FIG. 1) of the shaft 6. Grooves 8 are provided in the radial bearing surface 7 of the shaft 6 to create dynamic pressure. Specifically, the grooves 8 comprise spiral grooves 8a for the operation of the thrust bearing and herringbone-shaped grooves 8b for the radial bearing, thereby forming a hydrodynamic fluid bearing equipped with dynamic pressure generating grooves. Air is used as the hydrodynamic fluid in this example. Specifically, the shaft 6 rotates at a high speed, so that a dynamic pressure is created between the inner peripheral surface of the housing 1 and the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 6.
When the shaft 6 is stationary, the thrust bearing surface 9 at the lower end of the shaft 6 contacts the elevated section 4 of the thrust bearing surface 5 of the housing 1 and supports an axial load. Then, as the shaft 6 is rotating, dynamic pressure resulting from this rotation is generated at the spiral grooves 8a provided on the radial bearing surface 7 and conducted between the thrust bearing surface 5 and the mating thrust bearing surface 9, so that the axial load is subjected to this pressure for supporting. Accordingly, the shaft 6 rotates without contacting the housing (sleeve) 1 during the rated operation of the bearing device.
A mirror 50 is mounted on the upper section of the shaft 6. The mirror 50 is rotatingly driven together with the shaft 6 by a drive motor 60. The drive motor 60 has a rotor magnet 61 formed from a permanent magnet and mounted on the shaft 6 through a casing 63. A stator coil 64 which opposes the rotor magnet 61 in the radial direction is mounted on the housing 1. In this conventional example, the mirror 50 and the rotor casing 63 are fitted onto the outer peripheral surface of the shaft 6. In addition, the rotor casing 63 is secured to a flange section 6a of the shaft 6 by a screw 65 to secure the mirror 50 between them. The rotor magnet 61 is also secured by an adhesive to the casing 63.
The mirror 50 is made from an aluminium alloy; the casing 63 is made from an iron alloy or steel; and the shaft 6 is made from an aluminium alloy composite containing carbon fiber. The coefficients of linear expansion of these materials are all different.
This type of optical deflection scanning is used in a laser printer or in a digital copier. To reduce the size of the entire machine it is necessary to have a short device in the axial direction. However, with a conventional example, long spiral grooves extending in the axial direction are required to support the axial load on the radial bearing surface, therefore there is the problem that the length of the device in the axial direction cannot be reduced.
In addition, for satisfactory operating characteristics, a short starting period is necessary. This requires a unit which takes a short time to attain a rated rotational speed. Specifically, in a laser printer or in a digital copier, a short time interval is desirable from throwing the switch until the device can be used. Therefore, required is an optical reflection scanning device in which the time interval is as short as possible until reaching the rotational speed at which the device can be used. However, with the conventional example, because in the thrust bearing section, the end surface of the shaft and the bottom surface of the housing (sleeve) are in contact with each other when the rotating member is stationary, the torque from the starting friction is large. In addition, a device must be long in the axial direction enough to ensure an axial load capacity as mentioned above. Accordingly, the inertia of the shaft 6 and a flange section 6a is large, so that it is difficult to reach operating speed within a short time.
In the case of the dynamic pressure gas bearing device, the rotating member and the fixed member are prevented from coming into contact by using the dynamic pressure of the gas (mainly air) as a support force. In the case of a gas, the viscosity, which has a large effect on this support force, is extremely small. Therefore when the speed of rotation of the rotating member is not as high as required, adequate support is not obtained. In other words, while the rate of rotation is low so that the support force is inadequate, the opposing surfaces of the rotating member and the fixed member rub together.
Because there is almost no lubricating capability in the gas which is the dynamic pressure fluid such as air, unless some sort of countermeasures are taken, the rubbing surfaces of the rotating member and the fixed member will quickly wear and the durability of the dynamic pressure gas bearing device is adversely affected.
For this reason, the opposing surfaces of the rotating member and the fixed member are conventionally formed from a ceramic material with superior anti-friction characteristics, or a metal material with lubrication characteristics, such as gold, TiN, or the like is plated onto these surfaces.
However, in the case where the rubbing or sliding surfaces are formed by e.g. a ceramic material, the material and processing costs are high, resulting in high production costs for the dynamic pressure gas bearing device. Also, when the surfaces are plated, not only are the production costs high due to machining steps required before and after plating but sufficient lubrication is not always obtained. When a comparatively large load is added to the plated rotating member, there are cases where adequate durability is not obtained when the rotating member is repeatedly stopped and started.
In addition, higher and higher rates of rotation are demanded as improvements in the recording density and increases in printing speed progress. Also, vibrations produced by the optical deflection scanning device during rotation must be restrained to an extremely low level to provide an improvement in printing quality.
When such a rate of rotation is obtained, it becomes increasingly important to maintain imbalance as less as possible because the centrifugal force resulting from the imbalance in the rotating section increases in proportion to the square of the velocity. However, when the rate of rotation becomes high, a large amount of heat is developped because of windage loss from the mirror 50 and the friction in the bearing section in the example of FIG. 1. Therefore, no matter how precise an imbalance modification (balance correction) is applied at normal temperatures, the difference in the coefficients of linear expansion of the various materials resulting from a temperature increase causes the centers of gravity of the mirror 50 and the rotor magnet 61 to slightly move with respect to the center of rotation of the housing (sleeve) 1 in the example of FIG. 1. There is therefore the problem that the vibration of the device increases with time. In addition, even if balance correction is applied at a higher temperature in advance, the vibration increases when rotation next commences. Or, it is almost impossible to obtain enough reduction of vibration under normal operation because the center of gravity is inclined to change irregularly as temperature increases.
These problems in the conventional example of FIG. 1 are caused by the facts; very small gaps are present in the fitting surfaces between the mirror 50 and the shaft 6 and between the casing 63 of the rotor magnet and the shaft 6, and materials with different coefficients of linear expansion are utilized for the mirror 50, the casing 63 of the rotor magnet, and the flange 6a. In addition, because an adhesive is used for bonding the rotor magnet 61 and the casing 63, the gap between the rotor magnet 61 and the casing 63 is filled with the adhesive, so that, although only a very slight thermal expansion occurs, this causes the phenomenon of irregular movement in the gap and the adhesive layer. It should be noted that the adhesive between the rotor magnet 61 and the casing 63 is subjected to elastic deformation from thermal expansion of the rotor magnet 61 and casing 63.
As a result of recent improvements in printing quality, the development of the low vibration device has become increasingly necessary. The effect of the vibration caused by the imbalance due to the development of heat cannot be ignored in this type of high speed rotation, although conventionally this has not been that much of a problem.


A compact infrared identification and communication assembly, including a transponder device and at least one interrogator device, is provided. Each device includes a housing having an opening therein through which light may be received or emitted. The opening has a spectral filter mounted therein which permits only a specific frequency band of incident light to pass into and out from the housing. A dichroic beam splitter is mounted in the housing, aligned with the spectral filter, for reflecting and transmitting separate selected portions of the specific frequency band. A photodiode is aligned with the beam splitter, thereby receiving light from one of the separate portions, for example the transmitted portion. The photodiode converts its received light into an electrical signal which is subsequently converted into a form which a user may easily understand, for example an LED display. The devices further include a light emitting diode, which is also aligned with said dichroic beam splitter, for converting a second electrical signal, produced by a user into an emitted light signal. The emitted light signal is of the other separate portion, for example the reflected range.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to an apparatus for selectively and covertly identifying and communicating with others. More particularly, this invention is directed to a portable apparatus which utilizes a directionally selectable infrared transmitter and receiver assembly for covertly communicating among friendly forces in a military and/or battlefield environment.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A constant concern for individuals engaged in combat is that they might be mistaken for the enemy by their compatriots, and as a result be injured or killed by what is commonly referred to as "friendly fire". In the past, given the technical limitations of weaponry, and the commensurate contained nature of the battle arena, solutions to the potential problem of misidentification were relatively simple.
As the battlefield has spread beyond the visual field and fighting continued into the night, however, the use of such simple devices for identifying friend or foe (IFF devices) as different colored uniforms, equipment, or flags has become ineffective. Modern technologies of war, which permit long range missile assaults and gun battles carried out between tanks and artillery units positioned miles apart, and common sourcing of machines of war, has required the fabrication of more reliable identification means. Unfortunately, the most relied upon means has remained knowing, relaying, and coordinating relative positions of troops by a central command center. A serious inherent weakness of such a system is that forces have to rely on a remote and delayed identification process which is often too slow to respond to an immediate threat or rapidly advancing forces. In addition, with modern radio source identification means, the means by which information is requested from a central command center, by soldiers in the field, often results in the revelation of the soldiers' position.
While it is always the case that the effective use of troops in the field of combat (as well as the skies above) is linked to the command structure, as troop strengths are spread out across larger and larger distances a system based on a command center for identifying other units encountered in the field means that the loss of a command post could render the troops without knowledge of who is friend and who is foe. Established procedures for such contingencies exist, but they often include radio transmissions. This, again, is generally less desirable because field radio transmissions, which are broadcast further and through 360 degrees, may be monitored, jammed, or used in other ways by the enemy to locate the transmitting soldier or soldiers.
In the prelude to the Gulf War, in which a multiplicity of countries were being massed to form a coalition force, with a variety of disparate forces to be led by a unitary command, the U.S. military began searching for a more reliable IFF system to ensure safety from friendly fire casualties. The most popular device which was proposed, and which was ultimately utilized, consisted of an array of infrared emitting LEDs which provided a constant or rhythmic flash beacon through a full 360 degree field. By placing these devices, which were euphemistically referred to as "Budlites", on tanks, helicopters, and other units, it was possible for individual coalition force units to make autonomous on-site identification of forces which it encountered.
The Budlite system is, however, a crude fix for a complex problem. It is easily understood how such a system could provide an easy target acquisition beacon for a prepared enemy. In addition, despite the fact that the Iraqi forces were entirely unequipped to take advantage of this flaw, fully 25 percent of the casualties incurred by the coalition forces was attributed to friendly fire. On several occasions, the failure of a Budlite element to function properly caused the unit using the faulty element to be confused for an Iraqi force, and to become an unfortunate target when the coalition force viewing them relied too heavily on the missing infrared beacon.
More sophisticated IFF systems, including those integrated with laser targeting and designation devices carry considerable risks of cornea damage to the users. In severe cases retina damage may also result. With added gain in incident light energy associated with the focusing effects of binoculars, radiation damage to the eyes of users can occur even with so-called "eye safe lasers".
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an IFF device which is portable and decouples the troop identification process from a centralized location.
It is, also, an object of the present invention to provide an IFF device which obviates the need for radio transmissions which could be intercepted, jammed, or otherwise compromised during the course of battle.
It is, further, an object of the present invention to provide a covert IFF device which is selective in its signal transmission so as to minimize the risk that an enemy could identify or locate its source while it is being used.
It is also an object of the present invention to provide a fully eye safe IFF device which may be used to both identify a friendly element in a battlefield environment as well as to communicate information covertly.

Covert selective acquisition device for identifying friend or foe


A mail slot box includes a bottom, opposite sides, a semi-circular back, and an open top. A mounting flange extends along the front edges of the bottom and sides for mounting behind a mail slot and collecting mail delivered therethrough. The semi-circular back causes the mail to rotate and stack in an orderly fashion without binding or bunching up. When mounted behind a mail slot on a garage door, the semi-circular back provides a concave surface for holding the mail and preventing it from falling out when the garage door is lifted to a horizontal open position.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to mail boxes, specifically to a mail collection box for mounting behind a mail slot.
2. Prior Art
Mail slots are typically installed through a wall or a door. In residential buildings, the slots are often installed in a garage door. When mail is delivered through such slots, it falls onto the ground, where it is scattered and dirtied. A person picking up the mail must gather up individual pieces, and perhaps dust them off.
Simple rectangular boxes with an open top have been attached behind mail slots for collecting the mail. However, the square comers tend to bind the mail, which bunches up and makes the insertion of additional mail through the slot difficult. Furthermore, when such boxes are installed behind a slot on a garage door, the mail tends to fall out when the garage door is lifted to a horizontal open position.


Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging devices, systems, and method are provided. In one embodiment, an IVUS imaging device includes a flexible elongate member configured to be positioned within a lumen of a patient, the flexible elongate member comprising a proximal portion and a distal portion; and an imaging assembly disposed at the distal portion of the flexible elongate member. The imaging assembly includes a first ultrasound transducer operating at a first center frequency; and a second ultrasound transducer operating at a second center frequency different from the first center frequency.

Intravascular ultrasound (IVUS) imaging is widely used in interventional cardiology as a diagnostic tool for assessing a diseased vessel, such as an artery, within the human body to determine the need for treatment, to guide the intervention, and/or to assess its effectiveness. An IVUS device including one or more ultrasound transducers is passed into the vessel and guided to the area to be imaged. The transducers emit ultrasonic energy in order to create an image of the vessel of interest. Ultrasonic waves are partially reflected by discontinuities arising from tissue structures (such as the various layers of the vessel wall), red blood cells, and other features of interest. Echoes from the reflected waves are received by the transducer and passed along to an IVUS imaging system. The imaging system processes the received ultrasound echoes to produce a cross-sectional image of the vessel where the device is placed.
Solid-state (also known as synthetic-aperture) IVUS catheters and rotational IVUS catheters are two types of IVUS devices commonly used today. Both types of the IVUS devices are capable of imaging around the circumference of the vasculature. For rotational IVUS devices, a side looking transducer disposed in a distal portion of a flexible elongate member scans the vasculature as it rotates around a longitudinal axis of the flexible elongate member. The solid-state IVUS catheters carry a scanner assembly that includes an array of ultrasound transducers distributed around its circumference along with one or more integrated circuit controller chips mounted adjacent to the transducer array. The controllers select individual transducer elements (or groups of elements) for transmitting an ultrasound pulse and for receiving the ultrasound echo signal. By stepping through a sequence of transmit-receive pairs, the solid-state IVUS system can synthesize the effect of a mechanically scanned ultrasound transducer but without moving parts (hence the solid-state designation).
Traditionally, an IVUS device, whether being rotation or solid-state, is equipped with an ultrasound transducer or an array of ultrasound transducers operating at a single center frequency. Because an ultrasound transducer operating at a higher center frequency has higher spatial resolution but less depth of penetration than an ultrasound transducer operating at a lower center frequency, there is always a tradeoff between depth of penetration and spatial resolution associated with having an ultrasound transducer or ultrasound transducers operating at a center frequency. As IVUS imaging has evolved, there has been a steady migration towards higher ultrasound frequencies to improve the resolution in the display. But as ultrasound frequency is increased, there is diminished contrast between the blood echoes and vessel wall tissue echoes. At the 20 MHz center frequency used in early generations of IVUS, the blood echoes are very weak in comparison to the vessel wall echoes due to the small size of the red blood cell compared to the acoustic wavelength. However, at the 40 MHz ultrasound center frequency now commonly used for IVUS imaging, there is only a modest difference between blood and tissue echoes because the ultrasound wavelength at this higher frequency is closer to the dimensions of the red blood cells. To achieve even greater difference between blood and tissue echoes, an even higher center frequency may be needed. However, such an IVUS device operating at a high center frequency may not be adequate to image the vessel wall tissue as the depth of penetration is being sacrificed.
Conventional solid-state IVUS device has not been amenable to Doppler color flow imaging since the direction of blood flow is predominantly perpendicular to the IUS imaging plane. More specifically, Doppler color flow imaging and other Doppler techniques do not function well when the velocity of interest (i.e., blood flow velocity) is perpendicular to the imaging plane and perpendicular to the direction of ultrasound propagation, resulting in near zero Doppler shift attributable to blood flow.
Thus, while the existing intravascular ultrasound imaging devices are generally acceptable for their general purposes, they are not satisfactory in all aspects. There exists a need for medical imaging devices that includes ultrasound transducers operating at different center frequencies for various purposes.

Intraluminal imaging devices with multiple center frequencies

PHILIPS IMAGE GUIDED THERAPY CORPORATION


A range of mixed support and compression sheave assemblies is formed from standard 2S2C modules each comprising:                two compression sheaves (11) and two support sheaves (12) respectively mounted rotating freely on the ends of two pairs of holding arms (15,16; 18,19) articulated on one another by a first upper joint pin (17) and a second lower joint pin (20),        a first damping element (24) inserted between two bearing edges (22,23) securedly fixed to the two holding arms (15,16) of the compression sheaves (11),        a second damping element (27) inserted between two bearing edges (25,26) of the two holding arms (18,19) of the support sheaves (12),        and a frame (28) connecting the first and second joint pins (17,20), said frame being arranged to be connected to the end of a beam (14) with a swivel-pin (21).

The invention relates to a mixed sheave assembly for support and compression of an aerial carrying-hauling rope of a ski lift, comprising at least one sheave assembly module composed of an upper compression sheave assembly, a lower support sheave assembly, and flexible means acting on the sheave assemblies when the sheaves are moved apart when a grip passes.

Multiple sheave assembly system with compression and support sheaves of an aerial ropeway transport installation rope


An apparatus and method for simulating phenomena of a combined particle formed of substrate particles and adsorbate particles. The simulated phenomena can include, for example, crystal growth, crystal surface adsorption and surface damage. The apparatus includes a kinetic condition setting unit and a particle motion computing unit. The kinetic condition setting unit sets information for defining kinetic conditions of the adsorbate particles. The particle motion computing unit generates the adsorbate particles in accordance with the information set by the kinetic condition setting unit and computes motion of the generated adsorbate particles, to simulate phenomena of the combined particle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for simulating phenomena, such as crystal growth, surface adsorption and surface damage, of a particle formed of substrate particles and adsorbate particles.
2. Description of the Related Art
Experimental processes have been proposed to detect and analyze the molecular details (such as, for example, film forming processes, process conditions and surface structure) of new materials. These proposed experimental processes include, for example, the use of a scanning tunneling microscope (STM) or an atomic force microscope (AFM). Unfortunately, such experimental processes are often inadequate at providing the required level of detection and analysis.
Therefore, it is often required to simulate a phenomena at the atomic and/or molecule level to detect various processes involved in the phenomena. The simulated phenomena can include, for example, crystal growth, surface adsorption and surface damage of a material or structure.
Simulation has been attempted by a molecular dynamics method, but it has been very difficult to manually execute such simulation. For example, the simulation requires different data of various particles to be input to the simulation process for molecular dynamics computation. Thus, the required data includes a large amount of different data for each simulation particle. This different data must be manually entered. The simulation particles include, for example, atoms and molecules.
Therefore, a program has been developed to generate molecule data for each particle. However, the generation of the molecule data requires a relatively long time since the program must be run separately for each individual particle to generate data for the particle. Moreover, different programs must be run to generate data for different phenomena.

Apparatus and method for simulating phenomena of a particle formed of substrate particles and adsorbate particles


A cap (1) has a housing (9) adapted in order to receive one end of the pin (2), and a tapped hole (11) opening out transversely in this housing, adapted in order to receive a fixing screw (12) allowing the pin (2) and the cap (1) to be solidly attached together; the screw (12) is initially made in a single piece with the terminal part ( 4 ) of a handle (7) of the fixing instrument (3), an embrittled zone (13) being made at the transition between the screw and the terminal part (4). The surgeon first covers the pin (2) with the cap (1), then screws the screw (12) until it locks the pin (2), and the end of screwing causes the embrittled zone (13) to rupture, so that only the screw (12) remains locked in place in the cap (1) fixed to the pin (2). This cap prevents any migration of the pin and protects the neighbouring tissues.

The subject of the present invention is a protective cap for an osteosynthesis pin as well as an assembly including this cap and an instrument for fixing the cap on the pin.
It is known that pins used in osteoarticular pathology, in particular to hold two parts of a fractured bone aligned, are introduced for this purpose into the osseous tissue on either side of the fracture. They must not migrate during the reduction of the fracture. In fact, if the unprotected pin projects out of the osseous tissue, this may cause tendinous ruptures, lesions of neurovascular elements, lesions of the cutaneous layer, secondary infection vectors, and may furthermore make subsequent extraction of this pin difficult.
Hitherto, either the pin has been left in place as it is, with the risks of subsequent complications or of migration, or its end has been covered with a crimped knob, or this end is bent; however this last solution does not in fact give complete satisfaction, because the osteosynthesis may be endangered by pulling apart the reduction of the fracture.

Protective cap for an osteosynthesis pin and assembly including this cap as well as an instrument for fixing it on the pin

Clinique Pauchet de Butler, rue Alberie de Coloue


A system using a ray-tracing algorithm and a hierarchy of volume elements (called voxels) to process only the visible surfaces in a field of view. In this arrangement, a dense, three-dimensional voxel data base is developed from the objects, their shadows and other features recorded, for example, in two-dimensional aerial photography. The rays are grouped into subimages and the subimages are executed as parallel tasks on a multiple instruction stream and multiple data stream computer (MIMD). The use of a three-dimensional voxel data base formed by combining three-dimensional digital terrain elevation data with two-dimensional plan view and oblique view aerial photography permits the development of a realistic and cost-effective data base. Hidden surfaces are not processed. By processing only visible surfaces, displays can now be produced depicting the nap-of-the-earth as seen in low flight of aircraft or as viewed from ground vehicles. The approach employed here is a highly-parallel data processing system solution to the nap-of-the-earth flight simulation through a high level of detail data base. The components of the system are the display algorithm and data structure, the software which implements the algorithm and data structure and creates the data base, and the hardware which executes the software. The algorithm processes only visible surfaces so that the occulting overload management problem is eliminated at the design level. The algorithm decomposes the image into subimages and processes the subimages independently.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to visual and sensor simulation systems and, more particularly, to digital visual and sensor simulation systems useful in providing static or dynamic perspective displays of realistic scenes. These scenes may be of real geographic areas or imaginary areas. For the visual simulation, the eye is the sensor; however, the invention also covers the simulation of infrared (IR) and radar sensor displays. The invention is used to train air (planes, helicopters), sea (ships, submarines), and ground (tanks) personnel. The invention is also used for air, ground or sea mission planning, crew preparation, and crew mission training.
2. Description of Related Art
Current visual and sensor simulation systems process a hierarchy of polygons using hidden surface algorithms on pipelined computer architectures. Polygon data bases are interpolated in real time to generate dense images of picture elements (pixels). Because the data bases of polygon systems tend to be sparse in relation to the data demands, realistic images of actual geographic areas cannot be produced. The processing requirements of polygon systems, using hidden surface algorithms, tends to overload current systems trying to simulate low flight as the viewer looks off at the horizon under clear atmospheric conditions, for the number of hidden surfaces behind each pixel and the number of polygons in the field of view rises very rapidly.
A book entitled Computer Image Generation, edited by Bruce J. Schacter, Copyright 1983, makes reference to three-dimensional data bases. In its various chapters, it treats simulation techniques and training effectiveness. Algorithms and architectures (together with block diagrams of some architectures) used in several computer graphic systems are discussed. Aspects of data-base design in terms of modeling of ground features in the data base to be of the same size, shape, location, color and texture, as the ground features seen by the pilot, are mentioned. Representations of terrains, culture and three-dimensional objects are reviewed. Representations of solids, by octree encoding, algorithmic modeling and the use of second order equations for defining quadric objects are considered. The development of terrain data bases, culture data bases and object/model data-bases is touched upon as are points of consideration in the design of very large scale integration circuits.

Digital visual and sensor simulation system for generating realistic scenes


The invention relates to a bus system for transmitting data between a processing unit (10) and a memory unit (19) comprising memory cells (17), in which a plurality of logic addresses is available for each memory cell (17). Dependent on the kind of address used, the data transmitted through the data bus (13) are differently manipulated by a data modification unit (16) so that, for protection against abuse of data, the unchanged identical data are not present at the data bus (13).

For exchanging digital data between electronic data processing units, it is known to use bus systems. Bus systems connect one or more "central" processing units with, typically, a plurality of peripheral components or auxiliary units. The bus comprises the address bus with the address lines through which the units at the bus with which data are to be exchanged can be selected, as well as the data bus with the data lines which convey the binary data to be exchanged. Moreover, control lines of a control bus are usually provided, via which writing and reading of the data is coordinated. In most cases, the processing unit is constituted by a central processor (CPU) on one side of the bus system, while memories, input/output components or similar units are situated on the other side of the bus. Such units will hereinafter be uniformly denoted as "memory units", which memory units may comprise a plurality of individual "memory cells" for one data each.
In the known bus systems, there is a one-to-one relation between the memory cells that are addressable via the bus and the logic addresses via which these memory cells can be selected. For a write/read access to a given memory cell, the processing unit must therefore exactly apply the unambiguous logic address associated with the memory cell to the address bus, whereupon the connection with the desired memory cell is established and the data can be exchanged via the data bus. Thus, only one accurately defined address in the address location of the processing unit is obtained, by which the memory cell can be addressed. The data are transmitted in an unchanged form during the data exchange between the memory cell and the processing unit, i.e. they are transmitted in a "clear text" via the data bus.
The known method of exchanging data via a bus system has the drawback that it provides a weak point for unauthorized tapping of secret data. The reason is that the data to be transmitted are present as 1:1 copies on the data bus because each data is either directly controlled on the bus by the processing unit or processed in its present form by this unit. In the case of sensitive data such as, for example, a secret key for cryptographic functions, the problem arises that the secret data must be kept within comparatively large circuit portions. Moreover, algorithms often provide the sequence in which the data are to be written to individual addresses. This sequence must then be exactly maintained by the processing unit. Said characteristic features allow investigation of the confidential data by monitoring the bus system, the internal registers of the processing unit (CPU) or by other methods.

Method of transmitting data through a data bus


Provided are techniques for mode-specific search query processing. A current search query is received from a user, wherein the user has a user profile. In response to determining that a query mode for the current search query is a guided mode, a query context of the current search query is determined. A classification for the current search query is determined. One or more search influencers are identified using the classification, where each of the one or more search influencers has a corresponding user profile. The current search query is rewritten based on the query context, a private portion of the user profile of the user, and a public portion of each corresponding user profile of each of the one or more search influencers. The rewritten search query is executed to generate search results, and the search results are returned.

Embodiments of the invention relate to mode-specific search query processing. These embodiments allow for a public mode, a private mode, and a guided mode for search query processing.
A search engine receives a search query with terms to be searched. The search engine may use one or more indexes to identify documents that have the terms in the search query. Then, the search engine may rank the documents and return a list of the ranked documents in response to the search request.
The search engine may take a users' search histories into account to provide search results to the users. The search engine may also take into account feedback and click-behavior of the users to provide the search results.
For example, if there is a singer named "ABC" and another entity named "ABC", when a user searches frequently for the singer and issues a new search query that includes "ABC", the search engine provides results that relate to the singer, rather than to the entity. For these cases, each user creates a context by issuing queries.

INTERNATIONAL BUSINESS MACHINES CORPORATION


A system for operating a dual clutch transmission, including launch/creep controller, shift logic, and a clutch control assembly. The shift logic is configured to intercept a torque command including a target clutch torque from the launch/creep controller as it transmits the target clutch torque to the clutch assembly. The shift logic engages a preparation phase that increases torque on an on-coming clutch to a prefill torque. The shift logic then engages a torque phase that transfers torque between the off-going clutch and the on-coming clutch by simultaneously decreasing the off-going clutch torque and increasing the on-coming clutch torque. The off-going clutch and the on-coming clutch remain in a slipping state that maintains the target clutch torque during the transfer.

Vehicles incorporating automatic transmissions shift automatically between gears in the transmission in response to changes in a throttle input, often associated with adjustments to a linked accelerator pedal. When a driver adjusts the accelerator pedal, these changes affect the throttle input, and in turn results in adjusting automatic transmission operationally connected to an engine and responding to the throttle inputs to find the appropriate gear. There are different types of shifting scenarios including power on/off upshifting and power on/off downshifting. Power On shifting refers to shifting into a higher gear (upshifting) or a lower gear (downshifting) when the accelerator pedal is depressed. Power Off shifting refers to shifting into a higher gear (upshifting) or a lower gear (downshifting) when the accelerator pedal is released.
One form of automatic transmission utilizes a dual clutch in order to shift between gears. In these dual clutch transmissions, there is commonly an off-going clutch that is engaged to and driving the present gear and an on-coming clutch that is used to engage the gear to be shifted into (upshifting or downshifting). Complications in smooth shifting can arise during difficult shifting scenarios. Launch shifting occurs when a vehicle is accelerated from idle and a drive gear shift occurs during the launch itself. When the clutch overheats during a launch or an less than optimum gear is initially selected at launch, a power shift must typically disconnect on off-going gear and activate an on-coming gear. This may result in a torque disturbance to the transmission between the disconnect of the off-going clutch and the re-engagement of the on-coming clutch. This torque disturbance can result in a rough shift and undesirable performance. Similar torque disturbances may result when coming to a stop on a grade with the throttle on and a gear shift is necessitated. In such a situation, while the vehicle is creeping forward it may be necessary to downshift into a lower gear while still powering forward. Again, the disturbance in torque may result in a rough shift and undesirable performance.
It may be desirable for a solution that would reduce the disturbance in transmission torque during power launch shifting situations where environmental conditions or improper gear selection necessitate a gear shift. It would additionally be desirable for a technique that would further reduce transmission torque disturbances during situations where a vehicle may be creeping to a stop on a grade and a change in gear is indicated.

Full clutch slip power shift of a dual clutch transmission


A method for part data matching includes receiving a selection of an input file from a user. The input file includes part information identifying one or more parts. The part information includes at least one manufacturer name and at least one part number. A selection of a manufacturer name match template and a manufacturer part number match template are also received from the user. The match templates identify one or more matching techniques and the order in which the matching techniques are to be applied to match part information in the input file with part information in one or more sources of parts data. The matching techniques are used to identify one or more potential part matches, which are communicated to the user. In addition, the method includes receiving a selection of a potential match from the user for one or more parts identified in the input file.

A bill of materials (BOM) is a complete list of the parts or other items which make up a particular product to be manufactured or which otherwise need to be supplied to an entity. A BOM typically identifies a number of parts and each part may have an associated part number, a requested quantity, and possibly other information used to describe each part. As referred to herein, the term "BOM" may refer to a single file that includes this information or may refer to multiple types of files that collectively include this information, such as a BOM and an approved supplier list (ASL). The BOM may be organized by sub-assemblies, such that BOM includes descriptions of each sub-assembly, the parts that are included in each sub-assembly, and how the sub-assemblies relate to the finished product. Therefore, a BOM is often an essential part of a logistics management process associated with developing and manufacturing a product. An ASL may have information on approved suppliers for each item in a BOM. For example, each item in a BOM may have multiple associated records that each identify a part from a particular manufacturer that corresponds to the item in the BOM.
Inaccurate information in the BOM, such as an incorrect or unknown part number, can create a number of problems for the entity generating the BOM (to have a product manufactured or to obtain parts to be used in the manufacture of a product) and for the entity that responds to the BOM and manufactures the product according to the BOM or provides parts listed in the BOM. These problems include, but are not limited to, incorrect costing and pricing of a product, inaccurate part inventory levels, accounting variances, production of defective or out-of-spec products, and losses associated with customer dissatisfaction and potential product liability claims associated with defective or out-of-spec products.


A method and apparatus for applying pressure sensitive adhesive to a substrate, in which the adhesive is deposited on a transfer surface, such as a circulating transfer belt, dried, and subsequently transferred to a plurality of overlapping sheets. The sheets are preferably coated with a primer or a low adhesion backsize, or both, prior to application of the adhesive.

It is desirable in some fields to apply pressure sensitive adhesive to a paper substrate and several methods are known for performing this process. German patent application 36 06 199, for example, discloses a method and apparatus for applying pressure sensitive adhesive on a continous web of paper. The web is coated with a primer, or adhesion promoter and dried in a first drying station. Next, an optional low adhesion backsize, or release layer, may be coated onto the opposite surface of the web and dried at a second drying station. Finally, a circulating intermediate carrier applies the pressure sensitive adhesive, which has been partially dried while on the intermediate carrier, over the primer layer. The paper web may then be collected and further processed as desired.
The various drying steps disclosed in the '199 patent (drying the primer layer, drying the low adhesion backsize layer, and drying the adhesive layer while on the intermediate carrier) remove moisture from the aqueous primer, backsize and adhesive materials, to prevent the paper web from curling or wrinking. However, the sequential application and drying of the primer and low adhesion backsize layers typically result in some curling of the paper web, which is undesirable. The curling problem would be more pronounced in the context of the application of a primer, low adhesion backsize, and adhesive to individual paper sheets rather than a paper web, because the web is typically in tension whereas the individual sheets are not. Thus, the method and apparatus of the '199 patent typically is not suitable for use with individual paper sheets.
It is therefore desirable to provide a method and apparatus for applying primer, low adhesion backsize, and pressure sensitive adhesive to a plurality of individual paper sheets without inducing curling or cockling of the sheets.

Method for applying coating materials to overlapped individuals sheets


One embodiment of the present invention provides a method of testing for compounds which may induce STF-1 transcription. Pancreatic islet cells which express the STF-1/lacz fusion gene are isolated and the effect of various compounds on STF-1 expression is measured by adding the compound of interest to STF-1/lacZ expressing cells. LacZ activity in control and treated cells is then quantitated by a colorimetric assay. Using this method, a large number of compounds can be screened and STF-1 inducing compounds can be identified readily. Another embodiment of the present invention provides a method of using the STF-1 promoter to mark insulin producing pancreatic islet cells in vivo. In this regard, the green fluorescent protein (GFP) served as an indicator. The introduction of the STF-1 green fluorescent protein transgene into pigs allows for the efficient and rapid recovery of insulin producing cells from the pancreas.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to the fields of biochemical endocrinology, molecular biology and protein chemistry. More specifically, the present invention relates to novel methods for the characterization of compounds which stimulate STF-1 expression in pancreatic islet cells.
2. Description of the Related Art
Glucose homeostasis requires the concerted efforts of numerous neuroendocrine systems. The pancreatic islets are considered to be the primary "glucose sensor" in mammals. Pancreatic islets contain four populations of cells which are characterized primarily as insulin, glucagon, somatostatin or pancreatic polypeptide-producing cells. Among these, insulin-producing .beta.-cells predominate. Insulin secretion and production are stimulated by increases in serum glucose, an event which i s mandatory for subsequent glucose uptake in certain tissues. Hence, dysfunction or destruction of .beta.-cells results in elevated serum glucose levels, ultimately developing into diabetes mellitus.
Genetic linkage analysis indicates that hereditary factors strongly influence susceptibility to acquisition of the diabetic state. For example, at least 18 genetic loci have some degree of linkage to insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). One disease susceptibility locus, termed IDDM2, encompasses the human insulin gene and is associated with altered transcriptional regulation of insulin promoter function. Hence, disruption of the processes that regulate insulin gene expression may account in part for diabetogenesis. Consistent with this hypothesis, impaired .beta.-cell function is a very common feature of diabetes.
Non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) i s thought to occur as a result of both external and complex genetic influences. Interestingly, allelic variants at the insulin locus itself have been associated with the disease. These variants appear to contain a normal insulin gene, but exhibit altered properties with regard to transcriptional regulation.
Estimates indicate that as many as 20 million Americans may suffer from non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (Type II) diabetes. The progression of the disease appears to require both environmental factors and certain as yet largely unidentified diabetes susceptibility genes, which may contribute to the peripheral insulin resistance of Type II diabetes, in which tissues fail to utilize glucose appropriately in response to the insulin signal. Alternatively, genetic factors may account for the reduced glucose sensitivity of the insulin-producing pancreatic .beta.-cells in these individuals. The end result of both of these physiological states is the marked hyperglycemia which constitutes the primary hallmark of diabetes.
Transcriptional control of the insulin gene is achieved through a short region of flanking DNA that interacts with cell-specific and glucose-sensitive signaling molecules. The precise nature of this regulatory organization remains poorly understood, although it is generally acknowledged that basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) and homeodomain-containing factors are critical components of the transcriptional machinery that governs .beta.-cell-specific expression of insulin. An islet-specific basic helix-loop-helix complex interacts with a proximal E-box that has been variously termed Nir, IEBI or ICE; this element is present twice in the rat insulin I gene, but only once in the rat insulin II and human insulin genes.
Transient assays in insulin-producing cell lines suggest that E-box-binding factors synergize with .beta.-cell-specific proteins that bind a nearby AT-rich sequence termed FLAT, which bears the hallmarks of a homeodomain recognition sequence. Several characterized homeodomain proteins have been shown to bind the FLAT element, including Isl-1, 1mx-1, cdx-3 and STF-1. In addition, the latter of these corresponds to the principal binding activity at a n evolutionarily conserved AT-rich sequence termed the P-element. Isl-1 binds the FLAT element weakly and does not appear to be present in the FLAT-binding complexes detected with extracts from insulin-producing cells. Current evidence supports a more important role for Isl-1 in neural development. The homeodomain factors 1mx-1 and cdx-3 have interesting transactivation properties with regard to insulin promoter function in heterologous cells, but their cellular distribution and FLAT-binding ability inside the .beta.-cell remains unclear. In addition, there is little data that directly address the function of these factors in .beta.-cell lines.
Within the group of factors with insulin promoter-binding activity, STF-1 is perhaps the most promising candidate for a bona fide regulator of insulin promoter function. In mice, STF-1 is first detected at embryonic day 8.5 in the nuclei of primordial cells that gives rise to the pancreas, shortly prior to the earliest detected expression of insulin in this region. Throughout the ensuing development of the endocrine pancreas, STF-1 and insulin are largely co-expressed. In addition, in extracts from insulin-producing cells lines, STF-1 appears to be a component of the endogenous DNA-binding activity at both the FLAT and P elements in the insulin promoter. STF-1 also strongly synergizes with the E-box-binding factor Pan-1, as might be expected from a FLAT-binding factor. However, DNA-binding assays indicate that other, unknown, factors from .beta.-cell extracts also make a large contribution to the detected FLAT-binding activity. It remains unclear whether FLAT-mediated insulin promoting activity requires all, or only a subset, of these detected species.
Although STF-1 is initially expressed in both exocrine and endocrine cells of the developing pancreas, the production of STF-1 is progressively restricted to insulin- and somatostatin-producing islet cells. In these cells, STF-1 action appears to be important for maintaining high level expression of both somatostatin and insulin genes.
STF-1 recognizes two well defined islet-specific elements on the insulin promoter, termed FLAT and P. When bound to these sites, STF-1 stimulates insulin transcription in concert with E47, a helix-loop-helix protein which recognizes two E-box elements termed Far and Nir. Similarly, STF-1 regulates somatostatin expression in islet cells via two islet specific elements, termed TSEI and TSEII.
Homeodomain proteins such as STF-1 have been found to play an important role in development by establishing cell or segmental identity. In contrast to their specific and distinct effects in vivo, most homeodomain proteins exhibit low and overlapping DNA binding specificity in vitro. However, recent studies have implicated certain protein co-factors as determinants of homeodomain DNA binding specificity in vivo. In Drosophila, for example, extradenticle (exd) has been shown to modulate the activity of homeotic proteins without altering their pattern of expression. Rather, extradenticle appears to promote target gene selection by enhancing the DNA binding specificity of certain homeodomain proteins. Indeed, extradenticle is highly conserved in vertebrates, sharing extensive sequence similarity (71%) with the human protooncogene Pbx1.
The commitment of cells to specific lineages during development is determined in large part by the relative expression of various homeodomain (HOX) selector proteins which mediate the activation of distinct genetic programs. But the mechanisms by which individual HOX genes are themselves targeted for expression in different cell types remains largely uncharacterized.
The vertebrate pancreas consists of endocrine and exocrine components which arise from a common progenitor cell in the duodenal anlage (1). Within the endocrine component of the pancreas, a pluripotent precursor cell which initially expresses multiple islet hormones undergoes progressive restriction to form the four subpopulations of cells comprising the adult islets of Langerhans: insulin, somatostatin, glucagon, and pancreatic polypeptide-producing cells (2, 3). The mechanism by which these developmental pathways are activated is unclear, but current evidence implicates the homeobox factor STF-1 (IPF-1/IDX-1) as an important determinant in this process. Indeed, the requirement for STF-1 in development is supported by homologous recombination studies in which targeted disruption of the STF-1/IPF-1 gene leads to congenital absence of the pancreas (4).
STF-1 (also referred to as Pdx1) expression is first detectable at embryonic day 8.5 in cells of the pancreatic anlage and in pluripotent precursor cells. Transiently expressed in both endocrine and exocrine components of the developing pancreas, STF1 production is progressively restricted to insulin and somatostatin producing islet cells (5, 6). In these cells, STF-1 appears to regulate both insulin and somatostatin genes by binding to functional elements within each promoter (5, 7-16).
The prior art is deficient in the lack of effective means of regulating expression of the homeodomain protein STF-1 in pancreatic cells. The present invention fulfills this longstanding need and desire in the art.

Methods for the characterization of compounds which stimulate STF-1 expression in pancreatic islet cells


A reader for chip cards with a housing (3) featuring an insertion slot (1) for the chip card (2), a number of pairs of contacts (6,7) corresponding to the number of read tracks, and a contact support frame (5) connected to the contact lead-ins (4), in which the contact lead-ins (4) held in the housing (3) are inserted in parallel from one side into the contact support frame (5) held in a free suspension by the contact lead-ins (4). On the side of the contact support frame (5) turned away from the contact lead-ins (4) there is an actuator element designed as a double arm lever (9, 10). The actuator element is held in the housing (3) by a transverse torsion spring arm (8) and its power arm (9) lies in the insertion path of the chip card (2) such that the work arm (10) of the actuator lever is twisted during insertion of the chip card (2) under tension of the torsion spring arms (8) and the contact support frame (5) and thus its associated contacts (6,7) are pressed against the chip card (2). The contact support frame (5) is provided with lateral pins (14) and the work arm (10) of the actuator element (8, 9, 10) is designed as a fork whose tines in their released position rest loosely upon the pins (14).

From U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,630 a reader of this kind has become known in which the frame is held in a stable position by means of the contact lead-ins introduced into the frame from mutually opposing sides. In this known chip card reader, the chip card impacts against the tang of a skid upon insertion into the insertion slot and entrains it upon further insertion, so that the skid slides along a ramp and thus is lifted so that the conductors of the chip will rest against the contacts. The disadvantage of the known reader consists in its complicated design, and in particular, the contact module must be connected with a source of electric power by means of a flexible line, so that the device has an increased susceptibility to interference.
In addition, a reader for chip cards with fixed contacts is known, but where the contacts scrape along the card along the entire insertion length and thus it is used only in special cases.