The invention relates to a catalyst to be utilized in the metathesis reactions of olefines, the catalyst comprising an after-treated tungsten complex containing diol ligands and hydrocarbon ligands, which are benzenes substituted with a lower alkyl group. The invention also relates to a method for preparing a heterogenous catalyst to be used in the metathesis reaction of olefines as well as to a metathesis process for the conversion of olefines.

The metathesis, or in other words the disproportionation, of olefines relates to a reaction wherein one or more olefines are converted into olefines having a different molecular weight. An olefine may be disproportionated with itself into an olefine having a higher molecular weight and into an olefine having a lower molecular weight. In this case, the reaction may be called "self-disproportionation". Two different olefines may also be converted into other olefines by means of the metathesis reaction
In order to function, the metathesis reactions of olefines require a catalyst system, which includes a transition metal compound, often a cocatalyst and sometimes also a compound acting as a promoter. The catalyst systems based on tungsten or molybdenum are especially efficient. Such catalysts generally comprise a tungsten or molybdenum oxide on an inorganic carrier, which is e.g. silica or alumina. It is known to add different substances as a promoter to such catalyst. Thus, e.g. according to EP publication 152,112, tungsten oxide or other titanium-containing substances are added to the surface of the catalyst as a promoter According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,320, it is known to use a tungsten catalyst on a silica carrier, into which magnesium oxide is additionally mixed. According to EP publication 56,013, a catalyst composition is known comprising a molybdenum oxide or a tungsten oxide on a silica carrier.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 3,956,178, a metathesis catalyst of three components is known, which catalyst is prepared from a tungsten compound, an organic ligand and an organo-metallic compound. In this patent, the tungsten compound is a titanium oxychloride and the organic ligand contains a nitrile or ester group. As examples of ligands are mentioned phthalodinitrile, adipo nitrile and ethyl phthalate.
According to U.S. Pat. No. 4,550,216, a metathesis catalyst is known, which comprises a compound of tungsten, a halogen and a phenoxy group, which compound is possibly substituted.

Catalyst for metathesis reactions of olefines and a method for preparing it as well as the metathesis reaction concerned


An optical scanning device for scanning surfaces of an even number of photoconductors simultaneously includes a rotating deflecting device arranged substantially at a center in a housing to deflect optical beams, and a plurality of scanning optical systems corresponding to the even number of photoconductors, arranged to be substantially symmetrical with the rotating deflecting device as a symmetry center. The plurality of scanning optical systems include a plurality of folding-back mirrors and at least one long lens having power in a sub-scanning direction, respectively, and the pluralities of folding-back mirrors and the at least one long lenses of the symmetrically arranged scanning optical systems are arranged to be symmetrical to each other with the rotating deflecting device as the symmetry center, respectively.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an opposed type optical scanning device capable of simultaneously scanning surfaces of plural photoconductors in a multi-color image forming apparatus such as a color laser printer, a digital color copier, etc., and more particularly relates to an arrangement of optical elements in the optical scanning device.
2. Discussion of the Background
An image forming apparatus includes an optical scanning device to optically scan a surface of a photoconductor to write an electrostatic latent image on the photoconductor. The optical scanning device is generally configured such that an optical beam from a light source is deflected by a rotating deflector, the deflected beam is formed into a beam spot on a surface of the photoconductor by a scanning optical system, and the surface of the photoconductor is scanned with the beam spot. Recently, in a multi-color image forming apparatus such as a color laser printer, a digital color copier, etc., a method of optically scanning surfaces of plural photoconductors simultaneously has been adopted to improve productivity of the apparatus. An optical scanning device adopting such a method of simultaneously scanning surfaces of plural photoconductors includes a scanning optical system for each of the plural photoconductors. Accordingly, the number of optical elements in the optical scanning device is proportional to the number of the photoconductors, so that the number of parts in the optical scanning device inevitably increases.
As an optical scanning device employing such a method of simultaneously scanning surfaces of plural photoconductors, a so-called opposed type optical scanning device performing optical scanning at both sides of a single rotating deflecting device is described in Japanese Patent Laid-open publication No. 2002-196271 and Japanese Patent publication No. 3124741.
In an opposed type optical scanning device configured to simultaneously scan surfaces of plural photoconductors, generally, as many scanning optical systems as the plural photoconductors are arranged in a single optical housing to perform optical scanning relative to surfaces of the plural photoconductors, respectively. The single rotating deflecting device is provided with dual reflecting surfaces (upper and lower reflecting surfaces) to decrease space, and scanning optical systems, which are independent from each other, are arranged relative to each of the upper and lower deflecting surfaces of the single deflecting device. Further, because the scanning optical systems are arranged independent from each other, in each of the scanning optical systems, one or more folding-back mirrors are arranged upstream of a scanning lens in the direction in which an optical beam travels. Such an opposed type optical scanning device using a single deflecting device is advantageous in cost when compared to an optical scanning device using a plurality of deflecting devices. However, the opposed type optical scanning device is still relatively expensive because as many scanning optical systems as plural photoconductors are necessary, and thereby as many optical elements as the scanning optical systems are necessary.
A scanning optical system of an optical scanning device includes optical elements such as an fθ lens as a scanning lens, plural folding-back mirrors, and a long lens (toroidal lens) as a scanning lens having power in a sub-scanning direction. The arrangement of these optical elements in the optical scanning device and the performance of the optical elements greatly influence the quality of an image formed by an image forming apparatus using the optical scanning device.
For example, in an optical scanning device simultaneously scanning surfaces of plural photoconductors, it is important to always keep uniform curvatures in scanning lines formed on the plural photoconductors. If geometrical characteristics of scanning lines formed on the plural photoconductors are not uniform among the plural photoconductors, when images formed on the plural photoconductors are sequentially transferred, for example, onto a recording sheet while being superimposed on top of another on the recording sheet, the images are not superimposed with each other correctly, so that the quality of a resulting image formed on the recording sheet deteriorates. In particular, in a color image forming apparatus in which latent images on plural photoconductors are developed with toner of different color from each other, due to color deviation caused by such deviations in scanning lines on the plural photoconductors, color reproducibility greatly deteriorates.
Generally, in a scanning optical system of an optical scanning device, a scanning lens having power in the sub-scanning direction, which is usually a long lens, has dominant influence on such scanning line curvature on a photoconductor. That is, in a scanning lens, when focus lines forming an optical axis center of the scanning lens are not parallel to an attachment side of the scanning lens, scanning line curvature is caused on a photoconductor. Focus line curvature in a lens is inevitably caused by a limit in processing the lens with molding, and if the focus line curvature in the lens can be decreased at all, it is likely that the cost of processing the lens will increase.
In particular, recently, resin lenses have been widely used because of such merits as low cost and that a freely curved surface can be formed. In a resin lens, however, due to internal distortion of the lens when molding the lens with a mold and unevenness in temperature of the mold, the above-described focus line curvature is more remarkably caused than in a glass lens.
In an opposed type optical scanning device, it is also important to make uniform characteristics of beam spots on plural photoconductors. Even slight differences in the beam spot characteristics among the plural photoconductors can cause deterioration in the quality of a resultant image, for example deterioration in the color reproducibility and the color evenness. Here, the beam spot characteristics on a photoconductor include not only the beam spot diameter but also the beam strength (light quantity) and the beam spot position (imaging position) on the photoconductor, so that to make uniform the beam spot characteristics on plural photoconductors, it is important to perform uniform optical scanning relative to the plural photoconductors. Deterioration in the beam spot characteristics on a photoconductor may be caused, for example, by deformation at parts of an optical housing where optical elements are mounted, which may be caused by thermal expansion arising from a rise in temperature in the optical housing, and by deviations in beam incident positions relative to the optical elements.
It is also well known that in an optical scanning device, the beam spot diameter and beam spot position on a photoconductor are greatly influenced by a beam incident position relative to a scanning lens. Therefore, when a folding-back mirror is arranged upstream of the scanning lens as in the above-described opposed type optical scanning device, very high dimensional accuracy is required in the mounting surface of an optical housing where the folding-back mirror is mounted. This leads to increasing parts cost of the optical scanning device.

Optical scanning device and image forming apparatus using the device


Methods and computer-readable media are provided for ranking search results using feature extraction data. Each of the results of a search engine query is parsed to obtain data, such as text, formatting information, metadata, and the like. The text, the formatting information and the metadata are passed through a feature extraction application to extract data that may be used to improve a ranking of the search results based on relevance of the search results to the search engine query. The feature extraction application extracts features, such as titles, found in any of the text based on formatting information applied to or associated with the text. The extracted titles, the text, the formatting information and the metadata for any given search results item are processed according to a field weighting application for determining a ranking of the given search results item. Ranked search results items may then be displayed according to ranking.

In the modern computing world, users routinely enter search requests into a variety of search engines for receiving help functionality, research materials, documents related to a given task, and the like. A well-known use of search engines in modern times is the use of a variety of search engines for obtaining one or more Universal Resource Locators (URL) associated with IInternet-based information. For example, a user may use a search engine to search the Internet for all topics related to a given history topic or other research topic.
In response to such searches, hundreds or even thousands of search results, including URLs, documents or other resources, may be located across vast arrays of information sources that are responsive to the user's search request. Efforts have been made for ranking the search results and providing the search results to the user in the order of relevance to the given search request. Prior methods have attempted to obtain various properties from located resources and for using those properties to determine a ranking of the relevance of individual resources to a user's request. Often, metadata associated with various resources, for example, documents and URLs, is incorrect or misleading. Incorrect data used by a ranking system leads to a poor ranking of the search results. Consequently, a user may be forced to review a number of irrelevant resources before the user comes to more relevant resources located during the search.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved method for ranking search results using a property extraction feature. It is with respect to these and other considerations that the present invention has been made.

Ranking search results using feature extraction


A process for preparing a toner includes forming a melt-kneaded mixture by mixing a raw material mixture containing a quaternary ammonium salt compound at a temperature ranging from (M-7).degree. C. to (M+7).degree. C., where M is a melting point of the quaternary ammonium salt compound, with a kneading device having a discharge port whose temperature is set lower than a temperature at which a melt viscosity of the melt-kneaded mixture at the discharge port is not higher than 10,000 Pa.a, removing the melt-kneaded mixture from the kneading device, rolling out the melt-kneaded mixture to a thickness ranging from 1.2 mm to 3.0 mm, and cooling down the melt-kneaded mixture. With the use of the toner produced by this process, the amount of charge during copying is retained in an appropriate range irrespectively of the working atmosphere and conditions of use, thereby maintaining a good image density.

In an electrophotographic apparatus employing the electrophotographic printing method, the developer is caused to adhere temporarily onto the surf ace of an image carrier, for example, a photoreceptor, on which an electrostatic latent image is formed in the developing step, transferred to a transfer sheet (copy sheet) from the image carrier in the transfer step, and then fixed to the transfer sheet in the fixing step.
As the developer for forming a copied image (toner image) by developing the electrostatic latent image, two-component developer composed of toner and carrier, and one-component developer (such as magnetic toner and nonmagnetic toner) requiring no carrier have been known.
Examples of the toner contained in the developer are positively charged toner and negatively charged toner. As additives for imparting a predetermined charging property to the positively charged toner, for example, charge control agents such as nigrosine compounds (dyes) and quaternary ammonium salt compounds are known. A known example of the additives for imparting a predetermined charging property to the carrier is a coating additive. Among these additives, the quaternary ammonium salt compounds are substantially colorless and can provide toners having a relatively large amount of charge.
Therefore, the quaternary ammonium salt compounds can be used not only for black toner, but also for color toner. Hence, in recent years, there is increasing demand for the quaternary ammonium salt compounds. For example, Japanese publication of unexamined patent application No. 76518/1996 (Tokukaihei 8-76518) discloses a toner to which a quaternary ammonium salt compound is added.
In general, a toner is produced as follows. First, raw materials including additives such as a binder resin, colorant, and charge control agent are mixed evenly. After melt-kneading the mixture, the mixture is ground and classified to provide the toner. External additives may be added to the toner, if necessary.
However, the above-mentioned conventional toner, i.e., toner containing the quaternary ammonium salt compound, can not retain an appropriate amount of charge, for example, when the electrophotographic apparatus is used continuously or when the toner is stored inside the electrophotographic apparatus for a long time. More specifically, for instance, when the electrophotographic apparatus is used continuously, the amount of charge tends to increase with an increase in the number of copies produced, and a lowering of the image density is a likely result.
Moreover, there is a significant difference in the charging property (charging characteristic) of toner between a normal atmosphere (for example, at a temperature of 25.degree. C. and relative humidity of 60%) and a high-temperature high-humidity atmosphere (for example, at a temperature of 35.degree. C. and relative humidity of 85%). Namely, the charging property of the toner is easily affected by the working atmosphere.
Thus, it is hard to say that the above-mentioned conventional toner can fully exhibit the effect (charge imparting effect) produced by the addition of the quaternary ammonium salt compound. In other words, since the conventional toner cannot retain an appropriate amount of charge irrespectively of the working atmosphere, the image density cannot be maintained in an appropriate level.
In addition, when transporting the toner, for example, in the case of domestic transport, the toner is sometimes kept loaded on the bed of a track parked for a long time under the blazing sun. In the case of transport to abroad, the toner is sometimes kept loaded in the non-air-conditioned cargo of a ship for a long time.
Like the above cases, if the conventional toner, i.e., the toner containing the quaternary ammonium salt compound, is left under the atmosphere of high temperatures exceeding, for example, 40.degree. C. for a long tine, the toner cannot retain an appropriate amount of charge.
Therefore, when such a toner left under the high-temperature atmosphere is used, a phenomenon (fog) in which the white portion of a transfer sheet to which a copied image is transferred overlaps the copied image occurs due to the vicious effect on the toner. As a result, the charging property (charging characteristic) is lowered, and the image quality is extremely degraded.
In the case when the copying machine (electrophotographic apparatus) is used continuously, the inside of the copying machine is made dirty by the toner. There is also a possibility that the atmosphere of the office and the like in which the copying machine is installed is worsened by the continuous use of the copying machine.
However, it is practically impossible to avoid a situation where the toner is left under the atmosphere of high temperatures exceeding, for example 40.degree. C. for a long time during transport of the toner. Hence, the charging property of the toner is easily affected by, for example, the transporting atmosphere.
It is thus hard to say that the above-mentioned conventional toner can fully exhibit the effect (charge imparting effect) produced by the addition of the quaternary ammonium salt compound. In other wards, since the conventional toner cannot retain an appropriate amount of charge irrespectively of the transporting atmosphere, the image density cannot be maintained at appropriate level.
Similarly, when the developer is left under the atmosphere of high temperatures exceeding, for example 40.degree. C. for a long time, the amount of charge decreases, causing a lowering of the image density. Namely, when the amount of charge of the developer decreases, the developer is not sufficiently supplied to the surface of the image carrier in the development step (copying). Consequently, the image density is lowered.
In such circumstances, there is demand for toner, developer and the process of producing toner, capable of overcoming the above-mentioned drawbacks.

Toner, Developer, and process for producing the same


Provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for reducing expression of a DMPK mRNA and protein in an animal. Also provided herein are methods, compounds, and compositions for preferentially reducing CUGexp DMPK RNA, reducing myotonia or reducing spliceopathy in an animal. Such methods, compounds, and compositions are useful to treat, prevent, delay, or ameliorate type 1 myotonic dystrophy, or a symptom thereof.

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults with an estimated frequency of 1 in 7,500 (Harper P S., Myotonic Dystrophy. London: W.B. Saunders Company; 2001). DM1 is an autosomal dominant disorder caused by expansion of a non-coding CTG repeat in DMPK1. DMPK1 is a gene encoding a cytosolic serine/threonine kinase (Brook J D, et al., Cell., 1992, 68(4):799-808). The physiologic functions and substrates of this kinase have not been fully determined. The expanded CTG repeat is located in the 3′ untranslated region (UTR) of DMPK1. This mutation leads to RNA dominance, a process in which expression of RNA containing an expanded CUG repeat (CUGexp) induces cell dysfunction (Osborne R J and Thornton C A., Human Molecular Genetics., 2006, 15(2): R162-R169).
The DMPK gene normally has 5-37 CTG repeats in the 3′ untranslated region. In myotonic dystrophy type I, this number is significantly expanded and is, for example, in the range of 50 to greater than 3,500 (Harper, Myotonic Dystrophy (Saunders, London, ed.3, 2001); Annu. Rev. Neurosci. 29: 259, 2006; EMBO J. 19: 4439, 2000; Curr Opin Neurol. 20: 572, 2007).
The CUGexp tract interacts with RNA binding proteins including muscleblind-like (MBNL) protein, a splicing factor, and causes the mutant transcript to be retained in nuclear foci. The toxicity of this RNA stems from sequestration of RNA binding proteins and activation of signaling pathways. Studies in animal models have shown that phenotypes of DM1 can be reversed if toxicity of CUGexp RNA is reduced (Wheeler T M, et al., Science., 2009, 325(5938):336-339; Mulders S A, et al., Proc Natl Acad Sci U.S.A., 2009, 106(33):13915-13920).
In DM1, skeletal muscle is the most severely affected tissue, but the disease also has important effects on cardiac and smooth muscle, ocular lens, and brain. The cranial, distal limb, and diaphragm muscles are preferentially affected. Manual dexterity is compromised early, which causes several decades of severe disability. The median age at death is 55 years, usually from respiratory failure (de Die-Smulders C E, et al., Brain., 1998, 121(Pt 8):1557-1563).
Antisense technology is emerging as an effective means for modulating expression of certain gene products and may therefore prove to be uniquely useful in a number of therapeutic, diagnostic, and research applications for the modulation of DMPK1. Intramuscular injection of fully modified oligonucleotides targeting with the CAG-repeat were shown in mice to block formation of CUGexp-MBNL1 complexes, disperse nuclear foci of CUGexp transcripts, enhance the nucleocytoplasmic transport and translation of CUGexp transcripts, release MBNL proteins to the nucleoplasm, normalize alternative splicing of MBNL-dependent exons, and eliminate myotonia in CUGexp-expressing transgenic mice (Wheeler T M, et al., Science., 2009, 325(5938):336-339; WO2008/036406).
Presently there is no treatment that can modify the course of DM1. The burden of disease, therefore, is significant. It is, therefore, an object herein to provide compounds, compositions, and methods for treating DM1

Compounds and methods for modulation of dystrophia myotonica-protein kinase (DMPK) expression


Disclosed is a compound represent by the following structural formula: ##STR1## X is --H or an amine protecting group; --OY is --OH, an activating group for a carboxylic acid or a protecting group for a carboxylic acid; Z is --H or a phenolic protecting group, with the proviso that Z is not a straight chained, unsaturated alkyl group such as, for example, methyl or ethyl, and at least one of X, Y or Z is not --H.. Also disclosed is a photoreactive polypeptide having a polypeptide chain comprising a residue of the compound described above. Also disclosed is a method of labeling a target molecule which forms a complex with the photoreactive polypolypeptide by photolyzing the photoreactive polypeptide when complexed with the target molecule.

Photoaffinity labeling has been an important method for the direct elucidation of intermolecular interactions in biological systems (Bayley, H., Photogenerated Reagents in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Elsevier, Amsterdam (1983)) since its introduction by Westheimer and coworkers (Singh, A., Thornton, E. R. and Westheimer, F. H., J. Biol. Chem. 237, 3006-3008 (1962)) more than three decades ago. A variety of photophores have been employed, most relying on photoconversion of diazo compounds, azides, or diazirines to nitrenes or carbenes (Bayley, H., Photogenerated Reagents in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology (1983), Elsevier, Amsterdam. These reactive intermediates have the disadvantage of reacting rapidly with water, leading to very low photoinsertion yields in most cases. The introduction of benzophenones as photoactivatable reagents by Galardy, R. E., Craig, L. C. and Printz, N. P., Nature New Biol. 242, 127-128 (1973) led to the recognition of a significant advantage of this photophore over the nitrene and carbene precursors: the excited state of the benzophenones, a triplet biradical, is essentially inert toward water. Other advantages of this photophore over previous ones include stability to ambient light, activation at longer wavelengths (thus minimizing photolytic damage to proteins), and a much wider range of chemical stability. The photochemistry of benzophenones has been reviewed (Dorman, G., and Prestwich, G. D., Biochemistry 33, 5661-5673 (1994)). Introduction of the amino acid 4-benzoylphenylalanine (BPA.sup.1) by Kauer, J. C., Erickson-Vitanen, S. Wolfe, H. R. J. and DeGrado, W. F., J. Biol. Chem. 261:10695-10400 (1986) allowed direct incorporation of a benzophenone photophore at a defined position into peptides by solid-phase synthesis, bringing a significant advance in the application of photoaffinity labeling to the study of peptide-protein interactions (Adams, A. E., Pines, M., Nakamoto, C., Behar, V., Yang, Q. M., Bessalle, R., Chorev, M., Rosenblatt, M., Levine, M. A. and Suva, L. J., Biochemistry 34, 10553-105539 (1995); Behar, V., Pines, M., Nakamoto, C., Greenberg, Z., Bisello, A., Stueckle, S. M., Bessalle, R., Usdin, T. B., Chorev, M., Rosenblatt, M. and Suva., L. J., Endocrinology 137, 2748-2757 (1996); Blanton, M. P., Li, Y. M., Stimson, E. R., Maggio, J. E. and Cohen, J. B., Mol. Pharmacol. 46, 1048-1055 (1994); Bosse, R., Servant, G., Zhou, L.-M., Guillemette, G. and Escher, E., Regul. Peptides 44, 215-223 (1993); Boyd, N. D., Macdonald, S. G., Kage, R., Luber-Narod, J. and Leeman, S. E., Ann. New York Acad. Sci. 632, 79-93 (1991a); Boyd, N. D., White C. F., Cerpa, R, Kaiser, E. T. and Leeman, S. E., Biochemistry 30, 336-342 (1991b); Boyd, N. D., Kage, R. K. and Leeman, S. E., The Tachykinin Receptors (Buck, S. H., ed) pp. 219-236, Humana Press, Totowa, N.J. (1994); Boyd, N. D., Kage, R. K., Dumas, J. J., Krause, J. E. and Leeman, S. E., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 93, 433-437 (1996); Gao, Z.-H, Zhi, G., Herring, B. P., Moomaw, Deogny, L., Slaughter, C. A. and Stull, J. T., J. Biol. Chem. 270, 10125-10135 (1995); Garcia, P., Shoelson, S. E., Drew, J. S. and Miller, W. T., J. Biol. Chem. 269, 30574-30579 (1994); Gergel, J. R., McNamara, D. J., Dobrusin, E. M., Zhu, G., Saltiel, A. R., and Miller, W. T., Biochemistry 33, 14671-14678 (1994); Kage, R. K., Leeman, S. E. and Boyd, N. D., J. Neurochem. 60, 347-351 (1993); Kauer, J. C., Erickson-Vitanen, S. Wolfe, H. R. J. and DeGrado, W. F., J. Biol. Chem. 261, 10695-10700 (1986); Li, Y.-M., Marnerakis, M., Stimson, E. R. and Maggio, J. E., J. Biol. Chem. 270, 1213-1220 (1995a); Macdonald, S. G., Dumas, J. J. and Boyd, N. D., Biochemistry 35, 2909-2916 (1996); McNicoll, N., Escher, E. Wilkes, B. C., Schiller, P. W., Ong, H. and DeLean, A., Biochemistry 31, 4487-4493 (1992); Miller, W. T. and Kaiser, E. T., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 85, 5429-5433 (1988); O'Neil, K. T., Erickson-Vitanen, S. and DeGrado, W. F., J. Biol. Chem. 264, 14571-14578 (1989); Servant, G., Boulay, G., Bosse, R., Escher, E. and Guillemette, G., Mol. Pharmacol. 43, 677-682 (1993); Williams, K. P. and Shoelson, S. E., J. Biol. Chem. 268, 5361-5364 (1993); Zhang, Z.-Y., Walsh, A. B., Wu, L., McNamara, D. J., Dobrusin, E. M. and Miller, W. T., J. Biol. Chem. 271, 5386-5392 (1996)).
The large majority of receptors for bioactive peptides transduce signals through guanine nucleotide binding proteins. The question of which region(s) of a G-protein linked receptor interact with which region(s) of its peptide agonist has been difficult to approach. With neuropeptide ligands such as substance P (MW.apprxeq.3 kDa), many contacts between ligand and receptor are involved as compared to much smaller non-peptide ligands. Thus, useful data from mutagenesis experiments are more difficult to acquire because of the extremely large number of mutants required for thorough analysis, and because mutations causing loss of function could reflect a change in receptor conformation distant from the binding site (Huang, R. R., Vicario, P. P., Strader, C. D. and Fong, T. M., Biochemistry 34, 10048-10055 (1995)). In contrast, photoaffinity labeling offers a uniquely powerful approach by directly identifying regions of the receptor in close contact with an identified amino acid of the agonist.
Photolabeling of substance P receptor (SPR, also known as NK-1R, a member of the G-protein coupled receptor family involved in pain modulation and inflammation (Pernow, B., Pharmacol. Rev. 35, 85-141 (1983); Otsuka, M. and Yoshioka, K., Physiol. Rev. 73, 229-308 (1993)) by a substance P (SP) analog is desirable for several reasons. SP, a member of the tachykinin peptide family, is a high affinity ligand (0.5-1 nM) with a single binding site on SPR. SPR has been cloned from several species (human, mouse, rat, and guinea pig) and shows a high degree of sequence homology between them (Gerard, N. P., Bao, L., He, X. P. and Gerard, C., Regul. Peptides 43, 21-35 (1993)), but expression levels remain low and purification is difficult. Mutagenesis studies of SPR have suggested that both extracellular and transmembrane domains are important for agonist binding (e.g., Cascieri, M. A., Macleod, A. M., Underwood, D., Shiao, L. L., Ber, E., Sadowski, S., Yu, H., Merchant, K. J., Swain, C. J., Strader, C. D and Fong, T. M., J. Biol. Chem. 269, 6587-6591 (1994); Fong, T. M., Huang, R. R. C. and Strader, C. D., J. Biol. Chem. 267, 25664-25672 (1992a); Fong, T. M., Yu, H., Huang, R. R. C. and Strader, C. D., Biochemistry 31, 11806-11811 (1992b); Fong, T. M., Cascieri, M. A., Yu, H., Bansal, A., Swain, C. and Strader, C. D., Nature 362, 350-353 (1993); Fong, T. M., Yu, H., Cascieri, M. A., Underwood, D., Swain, C. J. and Strader, C. D., J. Biol. Chem. 269, 2728-2732 (1994a); Fong, T. M., Yu, H., Cascieri, M. A., Underwood, D., Swain, C. J. and Strader, C. D., J. Biol. Chem. 269, 14957-14961 (1994b); Gether, U., Johansen, T. E. and Schwartz, T. W., J. Biol. Chem. 268, 7893-7898 (1993a); Gether, U., Johansen, T. E., Snider, R. M., Lowe, J. A., III, Nakanishi, S. and Schwartz, T. W., Nature 368, 345-347 (1993b); Gether, U., Yokota, Y., Edmonds-Alt., X., Breliere, J. C., Lowe, J. A., III, Snider, R. M., Nakanishi, S., and Schwartz, T. W., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90, 6194-6198 (1993c); Gether, U., Edmonds-Alt., X., Breliere, J. C., Fuji, T., Hagiwara, D., Pradier, L., Garret, C., Johansen, T. E., and Schwartz, T. W., Mol. Pharmacol. 45, 500-508 (1994); Huang, R. R. C., Yu, H., Strader, C. D. and Fong, T. M., Mol. Pharmacol. 45, 690-695 (1994a); Huang, R. R. C., Yu, H., Strader, C. D. and Fong, T. M., Biochemistry 33, 3007-3013 (1994b); Jensen, C. J., Gerard, N. P., Schwartz, T. W. and Gether, U., Mol. Pharmacol. 45, 294-299 (1994); Sachais, B. S., Snider, R. M., Lowe, J. A., III and Krause, J. E., J. Biol. Chem. 268, 2319-2323 (1993); Yokota, Y., Akazawa, C., Ohkubo, H. and Nakanishi, S., EMBO J. 11, 3585-3591 (1992); Zoffman, S., Gether, U. and Schwartz, T. W. , FEBS Lett. 336, 506-510 (1993).
Benzoylphenylalanine sparked a revolution in photoaffinity labeling (Dorman and Prestwich, 1994), but has the distinct disadvantage that the high specific activity radiolabel must be located distal to the photoactive residue in the primary structure. Furthermore, neither the BPA amino acid nor its PTH (phenylthiohydantoin) analog is detectable using standard amino acid analysis or Edman sequencing protocols (Kauer et al., 1986), making identification of the photoinsertion site difficult. Thus, there is a need for new photolabeling reagents which overcome these shortcomings.

President and Fellows of Harvard College


A transfer case control system or apparatus 10 is provided for use on a four-wheel drive vehicle of the type having a transfer case 32, a front driveshaft 22 and a rear driveshaft 26. Transfer case control system 10 includes a conventional microcontroller or controller 40 having a memory unit 42 and operating under stored program control. Controller 40 is communicatively coupled to sensors 44, 46, 48, and to a transfer case 32. Controller 40 selectively generates a control signal having a proportional term or component and an integral term or component. The control signal is generated to transfer case 32 and controls the amount of torque provided to driveshafts 22, 26.

This invention relates to a method for controlling a transfer case and more particularly, to a method for controlling a transfer case within a four wheel drive vehicle which provides a relatively quick and smooth torque adjustment response by utilizing both a proportional and an integral control component.
Four-wheel drive vehicles typically include a transfer case which selectively transfers torque and power from the vehicle""s input shaft to a front and a rear driveshaft, thereby selectively rotating the front and rear driveshafts. The transfer case includes a conventional electromagnetic clutch assembly which typically and selectively transfers torque from a primary driveshaft (e.g., the rear driveshaft) to a secondary driveshaft (e.g., the front driveshaft), thereby reducing the torque provided to the primary driveshaft and increasing the torque provided to the secondary driveshaft. The clutch assembly is typically and communicatively coupled to a controller and/or control system which determines the amount of torque that is to be provided to the rear and front driveshafts (e.g., primary and secondary driveshafts), based upon vehicle sensory data, and which generates a control or command signal to the clutch assembly, thereby controlling the amount of torque which is provided to front and rear driveshafts.
In order to provide torque and traction to the front and rear wheels of the vehicle and to substantially avoid relative slip between the front and rear wheels, the transfer case control system typically monitors and adjusts the speed of both the front and rear driveshafts. For example and without limitation, when the speed of the front driveshaft or front wheels differs from the speed of the rear driveshaft or rear wheels by and an amount or xe2x80x9cerrorxe2x80x9d, these prior systems alter or change the value of the control or command signal to provide more or less torque to the front and/or to the rear driveshaft in order to substantially prevent and/or reduce the likelihood of relative slip between the front and rear wheels. Particularly, these prior systems typically alter the magnitude of the control signal based upon the difference between the speed of the front and rear driveshafts (e.g., the xe2x80x9cdelta shaft speedxe2x80x9d), and typically xe2x80x9cstep upxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cstep downxe2x80x9d the magnitude of the control signal based on whether the delta shaft speed exceeds a slip table value.
While these types of prior systems relatively quickly respond to and correct relative slip conditions between the front and rear wheels in many situations, they suffer from some drawbacks. One drawback associated with these prior systems is that the xe2x80x9cdelta shaft speedxe2x80x9d value may vary significantly over relatively short periods of time, thereby causing the value of the command signal to vary significantly over the same period of time. This variance of the command signal often results in a xe2x80x9croughxe2x80x9d or xe2x80x9cchoppyxe2x80x9d ride and in undesirable noise and vibration harshness (xe2x80x9cNVHxe2x80x9d) problems, which are experienced by the operator and/or passengers of the vehicle.
Furthermore, these prior strategies that xe2x80x9cstepxe2x80x9d the clutch response by a fixed amount do not account for the degree and duration of slip. Particularly, these strategies can lead to a slow response in cases of sudden, dramatic slip (such as wheels on ice), as the controller must gradually build up a clutch response. The constant rate can also lead to an objectionable rhythmic pulsation when the vehicle is on a consistently slippery surface (e.g., sand), as the system constantly slips, ramps up the clutch, resolves slip, ramps down the clutch, then slips again and repeats the process at a consistent rate.
There is therefore a need for a method and an apparatus for controlling a transfer case within a four-wheel drive vehicle which provides a relatively quick and smooth torque adjustment response by utilizing both a proportional and an integral control component.
It is a first object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for controlling a transfer case within a four wheel drive vehicle which overcomes at least some of the previously delineated drawbacks of the prior systems, devices, and/or methods.
It is a second object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for controlling a transfer case within a four-wheel drive vehicle which monitors relative slip between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle and which provides a relatively smooth and quick torque adjustment response to and correction of relative slip situations.
It is a third object of the invention to provide a method and an apparatus for controlling a transfer case within a four-wheel drive vehicle which includes a proportional control component and an integral control component and which is effective to substantially prevent slip between the front and rear wheels of the vehicle in a manner which does not cause undesirable NVH.
According to one aspect of the present invention a system for controlling a transfer case is provided. The transfer case is operatively disposed within a four-wheel drive vehicle of the type having a front driveshaft which rotates at a first speed during a first interval of time and at a second speed during a second interval of time, and a rear driveshaft which rotates at a third speed during the first interval of time and at a fourth speed during the second interval of time. The transfer case is adapted to selectively provide torque to the front and the rear driveshaft. The system includes a first sensor which measures the first speed and generates a first signal which represents the first speed, and which measures the second speed and generates a second signal which represents the second speed; a second sensor which measures the third speed and generates a third signal which represents the third speed, and which measures the fourth speed and generates a fourth signal which represents the fourth speed; and a controller which is communicatively coupled to the transfer case and to the first sensor and the second sensor. The controller receives the first, second, third and fourth signals, utilizes the first signal and the third signal to calculate a first error value, and utilizes the second signal and the fourth signal to calculate a second error value. The controller is further adapted to selectively generate an output signal which is derived based upon the first error value and the second error value, the output signal being effective to selectively control said torque which is transferred to the front and the rear driveshaft.
According to a second aspect of the present invention, a method for controlling a transfer case which is operatively disposed within a four wheel drive vehicle of the type having a front driveshaft rotating at a first speed and a rear driveshaft rotating at a second speed, is provided. The transfer case is adapted to selectively provide torque to the front driveshaft and the rear driveshaft. The method includes the steps of: calculating an error value based upon a difference between the second speed and the first speed; calculating a proportional value which is proportional to the error value; calculating an integral value which is based upon the error value and a previously calculated integral value; generating an output signal, the output signal having a value equal to the proportional value plus the integral value; and selectively transmitting the output signal to the transfer case, effective to control the amount of torque provided to the front and the rear driveshaft.
Further objects, features, and advantages of the invention will become apparent from the following detailed description of the preferred embodiment of the invention and by reference to the following drawings.

Method for controlling a transfer case which utilizes a proportional and an integral control component


A test automation platform may receive a test case for testing a data ingestion pipeline. The test automation platform may determine a test intent of the test case using a test intent identification model. The test automation platform may determine a type of entity associated with the data ingestion pipeline that the test case is to test using a test entity identification model. The test automation platform may generate a prediction of a data ingestion scenario for which the test case is to be applied based at least in part on the test intent of the test and the type of entity. The test automation platform may generate a mapping file representing the prediction of the data ingestion scenario. The test automation platform may execute, using test cases of the mapping file, a set of tests on a new data ingestion pipeline.

In test automation, a test framework may be developed for testing functions of a software development project. For example, a set of test cases may be developed, incorporated into a test framework, and automatically executed on each build of the software development project. When each test case is successfully executed and passes on a build of the software development project, the build of the software development project may be deployed for utilization. Some test frameworks may be reconfigurable from a first software development project to a second software development project, thereby providing flexibility in test automation. However, reconfiguring a test framework may involve extensive re-writing of the test cases, recalibrating a success condition for a test case, and/or the like.


An image forming apparatus includes a recording head that ejects inks of different colors on a recording medium to form an image based on image data, a storage device that stores a plurality of different dot patterns for flushing, and a control device that functions as: a controller that allows the recording head to make flushing; an image area detector that detects an image area in the image data; an overlapping dot counter that counts a number of overlapping dots for each of the plurality of dot patterns according to which flushing is to be made on the image area, the number of overlapping dots being a number of dots in the dot pattern of the ink ejected on the image area; and a dot pattern assignor that assigns, according to the number of overlapping dots, the respective dot patterns for use in flushing with the inks of different colors.

The present disclosure relates to image forming apparatuses capable of printing on a sheet of paper by ejecting ink on the sheet and flushing control methods.
In an ink-jet image forming apparatus that makes prints by ejecting ink, if ink solidifies at an ejection hole of a nozzle due to drying or other reasons (clogging with ink), the ink cannot normally be ejected, so that an image may not properly be printed. To cope with this, there is generally used a method for preventing clogging with ink by, during printing, allowing a recording head to execute flushing that is forcible ink ejection unrelated to the image.
As a general technique for use in such an image forming apparatus, a first technique is known in which a meniscus as a liquid surface of the ink is microscopically oscillated according to the operating condition of the nozzle to prevent the increase in ink viscosity and thus stabilize the flight of ink droplets.
Furthermore, a second technique is known in which a treatment liquid capable of reducing bleed of ink landing later on a recording medium is applied to the recording medium to make dots formed thereon by flushing unnoticeable.

Image forming apparatus and flushing control method for assigning respective dot patterns for use in flushing with inks of different colors according to number of overlapping dots in image


A sweeping vehicle is provided including a disc brush and a holding device for the disc brush, the holding device having a holding part and a holding arm pivotably connected to the holding part, the holding device held on the vehicle by the holding part, and the disc brush held on the holding arm. The vehicle includes an adjusting device having an adjustment member of variable length engaging the holding arm, the holding arm being pivotable relative to the holding part upon change in length of the adjustment member. The holding device includes a brush carrier pivotably mounted on the holding arm and a coupling device coupling the brush carrier to the adjusting device, the brush carrier being pivotable relative to the holding arm upon change in length of the adjustment member for pivoting the disc brush about a pivot axis aligned at a slant to the axis of rotation.

In such a sweeping vehicle, the disc brush is held by means of the holding device on the remaining sweeping vehicle. The holding device comprises a holding part which, for example, may be formed by a frame of the sweeping vehicle, but may also be formed separately from the sweeping vehicle or may be secured to the sweeping vehicle, and a holding arm pivotably mounted on the holding part. The disc brush is held directly or indirectly on the holding arm. Under the action of the adjustment member, which can be varied in length, of the adjusting device, the holding arm can be pivoted relative to the holding part and the disc brush thereby lowered onto the ground surface to be cleaned, for example, when the sweeping vehicle is put into operation, and lifted off the ground surface to be cleaned, for example, at the end of operation. The adjustment member engages the holding arm and is, for example, pivotably mounted thereon. The holding part, a frame or another structural part of the sweeping vehicle, for example, acts as counter bearing for the adjustment member.
The brush disc in a sweeping vehicle of the kind mentioned at the outset is usually inclined relative to the horizontal in order that not all brushes of the disc brush will contact the ground surface simultaneously. Instead, the area of contact of the brushes with the ground surface, also referred to as "sweeping pattern" or "working range", has, for example, a kidney-shaped, a crescent-shaped or circular ring segment-shaped configuration owing to the inclination of the brush disc. The purpose of this is to sweep dirt off the ground surface in a defined direction so the dirt can be taken up by a dirt pick-up device of the sweeping vehicle, for example, a roller brush or a suction device, from the ground surface.
EP 1 769 950 A2 describes a generic sweeping vehicle in which a combination of holding device and disc brush can be tilted by an additional adjusting device in such a way that starting from a horizontal position, the brush disc can be inclined to a slanted position with respect to the horizontal and, consequently, the sweeping pattern can be changed from a circular shape to a kidney shape.
In the present case, indications of position, location and direction such as, for example, "at the top", "at the bottom", "horizontal", "vertical" or the like are to be understood in relation to a position of use of the sweeping vehicle in which the sweeping vehicle is positioned on a horizontal ground surface.
An object underlying the present invention is to provide a sweeping vehicle of the kind mentioned at the outset in which the sweeping pattern of the disc brush can be changed in a constructionally simple way.


An apparatus and method for separating a first liquid phase from second liquid phase and entrained air and solids. More particularly, the apparatus removes tramp oil, metal shavings and other solids from coolant used in metal-working machines. The apparatus can also be used to remove air and solids from a single liquid phase. The apparatus is compact and simple to use. It overcomes many of the disadvantages of prior art devices, including their tendency to become plugged with oily material.

a. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to devices to remove undesirable solids and, generally, to remove a second separate liquid phases from a first liquid phase. More specifically, the invention relates to devices to separate metal cuttings and other solids as well as machine oil from coolant to render the coolant suitable for reuse in machining metal parts. Applications include, but are not limited to, processing of coolants from metalworking, metal finishing, screw machines, grinding/lapping, and primary metals such as roll forming, cold heading and stamping.
b. Description of the Prior Art
Machining metal parts generates friction and, consequently, heat. This heat and friction tend to wear out the cutting implements used to machine metal parts. Therefore, it has long been the practice to use lubricating oils (also known as way lube) to reduce the friction of moving machine parts and to spray coolants on the workpiece to dissipate the heat generated. The coolant sprayed on the workpiece being machined also carries away metal shavings and lubricating oil. Metal shavings carried away by the coolant are known as "swarf," and lubricating oil picked up by the coolant is known as "tramp oil." The oil and coolant form an emulsion, not a mixture. The oil and water remain in separate phases. Upon standing the lighter oil phase tends to rise to the top and the heavier coolant phase tends to settle to the bottom of a vessel. The oil phase covering the coolant creates an anaerobic environment promoting the growth of anaerobic bacteria. Growth of anaerobic bacteria causes the pH of the coolant to drop, i.e., become more acidic. Acidic coolant dissolves, to some extent, metals from the cutting tools and workpieces upon which it is sprayed. This dissolving of cutting tools and workpieces causes wear of the cutting tools and surface degradation of workpieces. In addition, some of the metallic ions dissolved are heavy metals which present health hazards to workers.
Systems for removing swarf and tramp oil from coolant are well known. Systems are commercially available from EdjeTech Services, Inc., Hyde Products, Inc. Total System Partnership and others. U.S. Pat. No. 5,599,457 to Fanning et al. discloses a machine coolant treatment method. The method comprises the following steps: (1) passing the coolant through an oil absorbent filter to produce a first filtrate free of tramp oil; (2) passing the filtrate through a particle filter to producer a second filter to produce a second filtrate substantially free of particulate matter; and (3) passing the second filtrate through at least one porous metal sponge-like structure formed of metal particles bound together in an interconnected form to produce a coolant free of tramp oil, particulate matter and dissolved heavy metals. The pH and bacterial growth are controlled by passage of the coolant through the porous metal sponge-like structure. The problem with Fanning's invention is that the oil absorbent filter and particle filter have to be regularly cleaned or the oil-removing efficiency will be diminished. The oil is removed in the oil absorbent filter, and this oil absorbent filter has a maximum carrying capacity.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,244,586 to Hawkins et al. discloses a machine coolant recycling system. Hawkins teaches the use of a centrifuge to separate the undesirable oil and solids from the coolant. Hawkins, like many of the prior art systems is too complicated to be dedicated to a particular machine within a metal-working shop. Instead, as noted in Hawkins, coolant from each machine's sump was transferred to a central recycling system which typically served a large number of metal-working machines. Hawkins invention is too complicated and bulky to be used for a single metal-working machine, so it would not be practical where a machine shop only had a few metal-working machines or where a central recycling system was for some reason impractical.

Apparatus and method for coolant/tramp oil separation


A perforated enclosure for reception of material to be composted is divided into a plurality of compartments. A trough is capable of being raised and lowered;between a low level filling station and the top of this enclosure, and then travelling across the top of this enclosure to dispense the material to be composted into the compartments. The trough base includes a plurality of side by side rotors having circumferential vanes with radial cross walls whereby the material to be composted is distributed to the compartments. An auger may be mounted below the perforated enclosure between respective guide rails and may travel therealong to extract compost from the base of each compartment. The auger is moved intermittently by a co-ordinated system of hydraulic rams which connect to the guide rails by gripper means.

This invention concerns a composting cage comprising a perforated enclosure divided into a plurality of compartments. It is particularly, but not exclusively suitable for composting biological waste material on an industrial scale, where at least tens of kilograms of such waste are to be loaded per day.
The process of composting is complex. Aerobic bacteria break down the biological material. Thus the material to be composted must be well aerated, not over compacted. This limits the size of any composting container, specifically the width of same in the industrial scale cage with which the invention is primarily concerned. If it is too large, the material in the centre will not have sufficient oxygen and anaerobic processes will ensue which is undesirable. For the same reason, it is important to have a mixture of fine and coarse material. It is also important for purposes of aeration that the material is loaded by sprinkling it in to the top of the cage.
An even distribution of material within the cage is also very important so that there are no higher (deeper) areas of material where it may tend to compact and also so that an evenly degraded layer of material of relatively constant thickness can be regularly removed from the base of the cage.
Loading of the cage has hitherto been carried out by an elongate trough, extending the full width of the cage, and permanently mounted above the cage so as to slide therealong. The trough is loaded with a suitable mixture of material to be composted from a sloping elevator assembly at one end of the cage, and then slides along the top of the cage to dispense the material to one or more selected compartments.
One object of the invention is to provide means for unloading of the trough such that the material therein will be scattered or sprinkled and thereby aerated, but will also be spread as evenly as possible.
Another object of the invention is to tackle a problem associated with removal of composted material from the base of the compartment. This is conventionally accomplished by an auger mounted below the perforated enclosure between respective guide rails and capable of travelling therealong whilst also rotating. Hitherto, the auger has been mounted onto the rails by way of respective motorised trolleys at each end. In order to remove composted material evenly, it is important to try and move the respective ends of the auger at the same rate, so that the axis of the auger remains substantially perpendicular to the direction of travel. Hitherto, this has proved difficult.
According to a first aspect of the invention, the trough has a base formed in part by a plurality of side by side rotors, each having circumferential vanes with radially extending cross walls, whereby the material to be composted can be distributed to the compartments.
In order to prevent material, particularly dry and sandy material, from dropping out between the rotors, the trough preferably has a plurality of flaps mounted below the rotors, these flaps being openable by a lever mechanism upon actuation of the rotors.
Advantageously, a hydraulic lift is provided for raising and lowering the trough between a low level filling station and the top of the cage. At the low level filling station, the trough can be evenly loaded with much greater accuracy, by visual inspection, by means of a conventional mechanical shovel or similar loading equipment.
According to a second aspect of the invention, the auger mounted below the enclosure is now moved intermittently along the respective guide rails by a co-ordinated system of hydraulic rams.
Advantageously, the hydraulic rams, which are arranged at each end of the auger, mounting the auger to the respective guide rails, have a common hydraulic power supply, which links to one of the rams through an axial passage of the auger. In this way the rams will generally move the ends of the auger to the same extent and will not allow them to become significantly out of alignment with each other.
The above mentioned aspects of the invention will all be present in preferred embodiments of composting cage. However, in other embodiments any one of these inventive features may be present on its own, independently of the others.


A vehicle steering apparatus comprises a rotation transmission mechanism 4 which connects a first shaft 3 connected to an operating member 2 with a second shaft 5 connected to vehicle wheels 9 so as to enable the rotation to be transmitted. An actuator 61 rotatably drives one of a plurality of rotation transmission elements in the rotation transmission mechanism 4. The control device 65 has a steady control mode in which the actuator 61 is controlled such that the rotation speed of one of the rotation transmission elements becomes equal to the determined rotation speed of the first shaft 3. The rotation transmission ratio becomes 1 when the rotation speed of one of the rotation transmission elements becomes equal to the rotation speed of the first shaft 3.

Conventionally, known is a vehicle steering apparatus comprising a first shaft connected to an operating member; a second shaft connected to vehicle wheels so as to change the setting angle according to the rotation thereof; a rotation transmission mechanism having rotation transmission elements which connect the first shaft with the second shaft so as to enable the rotation to be transmitted and enable the rotation transmission ratio to be changed based on the change of the rotation speed; and an actuator for changing the rotation transmission ratio by changing the rotation speed of the rotation transmission elements (c.f. specification of German Patent Application Publication No. 10214655).
This rotation transmission mechanism has a first sun gear, a second sun gear disposed coaxially and facing with the first sun gear, a first planetary gear which engages with the first sun gear and has an axis parallel with the first sun gear, a second planetary gear which engages with the second sun gear and rotates together with the first planetary gear coaxially, and a carrier for rotatably supporting both sun gears and both planetary gears around their respective axes as the rotation transmission elements.
The rotation transmission ratio between the first shaft and second shaft is changed by changing the rotation speed of the carrier by means of the actuator, with connecting the first shaft to the first sun gear and connecting the second shaft to the second sun gear. The ratio between the amount of operation of the operating member and the steering angle of the vehicle wheel can be changed by changing the rotation transmission ratio between the first shaft and second shaft.


A washer/dryer (1) including a body, a drum arranged inside this body wherein laundry to be washed is emplaced, and a fan that aspirates the humid air generated in the drum during the drying process and a chamber whereto the air aspirated by the fan is delivered, configured as a volute wherein the air can circulate and a thermoelectric module situated in the chamber and having flaps that control the flow rate of the air that flows over the thermoelectric module so that the washer/dryer has high efficiency and decreases the noise generated during the drying cycle.

In washer/dryers, the fan used for cooling the condenser generates noise during the drying cycle of the laundry. In order to avoid this problem, a thermoelectric module is utilized instead of the condenser in the drying process. In this system, the humid air received by means of a fan from the drum wherein laundry is emplaced, is aspirated into a chamber. A thermoelectric module is provided in the chamber. The air dehumidified by the thermoelectric module and at least partially heated is sent to the drum either directly or after the employment of a preheating process.
In the state of the art European Patent Application No EP 1342828, the use of the hot surface of a thermoelectric module in the drying cycle of a washing machine is described.
In the state of the art Japanese Patent Application No JP 8057194, a housing, situated inside a washing machine, having air inlet ducts on both sides and also wherein a Peltier element is provided, is mentioned.
In these state of the art applications, since using a fan is not required to cool the condenser or the fan utilized being smaller than the fans used in washer/dryers not comprising a thermoelectric module and being operated for a shorter period of time, the noise generated decreases. However, if the flow rate of the air passing over the thermoelectric module is high, a decrease in efficiency is observed since air cannot be heated sufficiently.


A braking apparatus for a motor vehicle equipped with a master cylinder and a wheel cylinder. The apparatus further includes a pump coupled to a reservoir tank to suck a braking liquid from the reservoir tank and pressurize and discharge the sucked braking liquid when a slip of the wheel occurs at the time of driving the wheel, a pressure adjusting valve provided in a pipe coupling a discharge side of the pump to the reservoir tank and arranged to be openable to restrict the discharge pressure of the pump to a predetermined value, and a change-over valve for establishing a communication between the discharge side of the pump and the wheel cylinder when a slip of the wheel occurs at the time of driving the wheel and for establishing a communication between the master cylinder and the wheel cylinder when the slip does not occur. The apparatus controls a braking pressure adjusting device provided between the change-over valve and the wheel cylinder for adjusting the braking pressure to be applied to the wheel cylinder when a drive slip of the wheel occurs, thereby suppressing the drive slip. This arrangement allows the size-reduction of the apparatus and the suppression of generation of operating sound.

The present invention relates generally to braking apparatus for use in motor vehicles, and more particularly to such a braking apparatus for controlling the slippage of a wheel of the motor vehicle.
Such a braking apparatus is known as exemplified by description in the Japanese Patent Provisional Publication No. 1-254460 where there is provided a braking hydraulic pressure supply source for applying a braking force to a wheel of a motor vehicle when slip occurs at the time of driving of the wheel. This braking hydraulic pressure supply source comprises a pump coupled to a reservoir tank, an accumulator connected to the discharge side of the pump for accumulating a high-pressure braking liquid, and a pressure switch for detecting the pressure within the accumulator. The pump is driven in response to a detection signal of the pressure switch so as to keep the pressure within the accumulator in a predetermined range. However, one of important problem is that such a braking hydraulic pressure supply source complicates the structure of the braking apparatus and increases the weight of the braking apparatus, and another problem is that there is the possibility that the accumulator deteriorates the braking performance because gas is mixed in the braking hydraulic pressure passage. In addition, when the drive slip occurs, the braking liquid having a pressure higher than the pressure within the accumulator is supplied into a wheel cylinder of the wheel, thereby generating a large working sound because the pressure-increasing speed is too high.
The Japanese Patent provisional Publication No. 2-18150 discloses a technique to reduce the size and weight of the braking apparatus by using a self-priming pump for preventing the drive slip of the wheel. However, this self-priming pump is very restricted in its installing position because the suction resistance of the self-priming pump increases in the case that the distance between the self-priming pump and the reservoir tank is long. Moreover, if some trouble occurs in the self-priming pump, difficulty is encountered to perform both the wheel braking operation and drive slip preventing operation.

Braking apparatus for use in a motor vehicle


A coolant system is disclosed for use with a machine tool in which coolant is used to both cool and lubricate a workpiece and cutting tool. The system of the present invention utilizes a positive displacement pump with one or more spray nozzles each having a restricted orifice whereby the coolant is sprayed from the nozzles at a relatively high velocity and pressure enabling the coolant to be precisely directed to the cutting location to provide optimum cooling and lubricating of the workpiece and cutting tool. Check valves are provided for both the pump inlet and outlet lines to maintain the pump in a primed condition and prevent drainage of coolant from the coolant system when the pump is not operating. The system filter is mounted to a flexible coolant line to enable the filter to be raised from the coolant reservoir and the filter is coupled to the coolant line by a quick connect/disconnect coupler to enable the filter to be raised from the reservoir and quickly replaced with a clean filter when the first filter becomes clogged and requires cleaning.

The present invention relates to a cooling system and in particular to a cooling system used in an application in which a high coolant pressure and high delivery velocity is desired. One such application is in the machine tools where a cutting fluid is provided to cool and lubricate the tool and workpiece and to wash away cut chips.
Typical machine tool coolant systems produce a coolant pressure estimated at between 15 and 30 psi at the pump outlet which is delivered to the tooling and workpiece with a relatively large diameter outlet. The coolant is delivered to the cutting site through outlets varying in diameter from one quarter to one inch and possibly more. The number of coolant lines used varies depending upon the number and nature of machining operations. With typical cooling systems, the coolant impacts the tooling and workpiece with relatively little velocity and at low pressure to flood the workpiece. During some machine operations such as drilling or boring, the accessibility to the cutting location is extremely limited. With flooding type coolant delivery, the low velocity and low pressure coolant may not reach the cutting surface. The result is that cutting is typically performed dry or with inadequate cooling and lubricating. This produces high cutting temperatures and wear resulting in short tool life, necessitating frequent tooling changes and consequent machine down time. In addition, the flood coolant flow may not be adequate to remove the metal chips at the point of cutting. The chips may interfere with the cutting operation producing a surface finish of lower quality than desired.
In an effort to improve the delivery of coolant with certain tools, e.g. drills, tools have been developed with a coolant passages extending through the tool itself to deliver coolant to the cutting surface. This however, adds significantly to the cost of the tool and machine. Furthermore, due to the relatively low fluid pressures utilized, insufficient pressure is often provided to remove chips from the coolant passage such that coolant flow is blocked.
It is known that high temperature and lack of lubrication are the primary causes of tool wear. If cooling and lubrication can be increased, tool life will be extended, reducing the manufacturing cost. Cost is reduced by fewer tools needed to produce a given quantity of parts, less machine down time for tool changes and less operator time required to change tools.
Accordingly, it is an objective of the present invention to improve the cooling system of a machine tool to reduce tool and workpiece temperatures and to improve lubrication.
It is a feature of the present invention to use small coolant spray streams from spray nozzles and to direct the spray streams precisely to the cutting locating rather than to flood the workpiece and tool with coolant.
It is another feature of the present invention to provide high pressure and high velocity coolant flow to force the coolant to hard to reach cutting locations to improve cooling and lubrication.
By providing increased pressure and velocity to the coolant flow, the coolant is forced into locations not reached with low pressure flooding cooling systems. This provides numerous advantages such as improved removal of the cut chips from the cutting location, the temperature of both the workpiece and the tooling is reduced and tooling wear is reduced. These advantages can be manifested in many ways such as: elimination of the need for coated tooling in many applications; elimination of through-the-tool coolant passages; longer tool life before grinding and less material removal during grinding; decreased machine cycle time resulting from faster machining; reduced number of tools from the tooling set up; less operator time per machine allowing one person to operate more machines; and improved surface finish reducing the need for grinding. The advantages derived from improved cooling can be applied in many ways depending on what factors are to be maximized.
The cooling system of the present invention also improves the coolant filter set up. A disadvantage with many currently used cooling systems pertains to the filter used to remove chips from the coolant. The filters are frequently permanently installed in the coolant reservoir, necessitating that the machine operator reach into the reservoir to remove accumulated chips from the filter. For many machine operators, excessive skin contact with the coolant can cause dermatitis. Further, because the coolant is often hot, it can produce burns. If a thorough cleaning of the filter is required, the operator must remove the filter from the coolant reservoir, necessitating machine down time of as much as five to thirty minutes.
Accordingly, it is a further objective of the present invention to provide a coolant system having a filter that minimizes operator contact with the coolant for filter cleaning and that reduces machine down time required for filter cleaning.
The advantage of minimizing operating contact with the coolant is a safer environment for the operator. By reducing machine down time for filter cleaning, productivity can be increased.
The cooling system of the present invention accomplishes these objectives by utilizing a positive displacement pump together with small orifice nozzles at the coolant discharge. This provides for a high velocity coolant discharge and creation of high pump outlet pressure while maintaining a large coolant flow rate.
The coolant filter on the intake side of the pump is mounted by a flexible hose enabling the filter to be readily removed from the coolant reservoir for cleaning, thereby eliminating the need for the machine operator to reach into the coolant reservoir. Furthermore, the filter is coupled to the inlet hose with a quick connect/disconnect coupling. By utilizing two filters per machine, an operator can quickly remove a dirty filter and install a clean filter, returning the machine to operation in a minimal length of time. After filter change, the dirty filter is cleaned while the machine is operating and is available for use when the next filter cleaning is required.
Further objects, features and advantages of the invention will become apparent from a consideration of the following description and the appended claims when taken in connection with the accompanying drawings.

High pressure coolant system for machine tools


A chiropractic device having front and rear portions, a central semi-circular raised portion extending upwardly from the upper surface of the device and notches formed in the sides of the front portion of the device. A patient rests his or her torso on the device by placing his or her sternum on the central semi-circular raised portion of the device. The device has first and second sides, each side having a front side portion, a middle slanted side portion extending outwardly from the front side portion to define a notch in the front portion of the device, and a rear side portion. The patient's arms are accommodated by the notches formed in the sides of the front portion of the device. The central raised portion places the patient in a superior position for treatment and protects the patient's chest from being pressed against the upper surface of the device during treatment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a chiropractic device. More specifically, the invention relates to a chiropractic device having a raised, rounded, portion (or fulcrum) providing bilateral leverage for supporting a patient during chiropractic treatment.
2. Related Art
Chiropractic tables and devices are well known. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,559,930 to Cobiski teaches a therapeutic bench comprising an elongated, horizontal support having a shorter thoracic cage cushion support thereon which supports only a patient's sternum and chin. The cushion includes a notch to accommodate the patient's chin and head.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,224,956 to Dumas et al. teaches a device having side buttressing and an adjustable width for aligning a patient's spine. U.S. Pat. No. 4,838,249 to Jannotta teaches an apparatus including a cushion for supporting a patient's thorax and abdomen. A restraint element bears against the patient's thighs to hold his or her body in position.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,747,916 to Benson teaches a chiropractic table having a raised area to place proper stresses on the spine to aid in adjustment. U.S. Pat. No. 1,710,400 to Bebout teaches a chiropractic table having a pair of arched folding cushions. U.S. Pat. No. 1,684,459 to Spilman teaches a planar chiropractic table covered with a group of pneumatic tubes that, when inflated, provided the desired stress or tension on a patient's spine.
None of these patents teaches providing a chiropractic device having a central raised portion that provides bilateral leverage to a patient. A central raised portion provides support for a patient's sternum and protection for the patient's chest, in particular a female patient's breasts, during treatment. It is therefore desirable to provide a chiropractic device having a central raised portion which provides a fulcrum to compound a posterior bi-lateral traction release; reciprocal to posterior spinal-rib articulations subluxation release/correction.


A user selection interface system comprises one or more circular selectors linked to selectable characteristics, and a display linked to the selectors, for display of an image which corresponds to the selected characteristics. The interface is typically linked to a database comprising stored image and other information which corresponds to the selectable characteristics, whereby an image that corresponds to an item which meets a selected characteristic is retrieved and displayed. Information other than the image which corresponds to the selectable characteristics may also be retrieved and displayed. In some embodiments, the stored images comprise a single image, which matches all the selected characteristics. In alternate embodiments, the displayed image comprises a composite image that is based upon stored images which correspond to different selected characteristics. In some embodiments, the user selection interface comprises a graphic user interface. In alternate embodiments, the user selection interface comprises a mechanical interface. Some preferred embodiments of the user selection interface provide links for merchandising functions, such as for ordering, purchasing, inventories, and/or shipping.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to selection interfaces. More specifically, the present invention relates to selection and display interfaces implemented on a computer or across a network, whereby a user can select and gain access to an image or other information related to an item or class of items having multiple properties.
2. Description of the Prior Art
The selection of products, parts, commodities, or other selectable items is commonly a laborious and time-consuming process, whereby a user or shopper is required to navigate and sort through numerous items that do not even remotely meet the user's requirements. For example, on a merchandising system implemented on a computer, e.g. through an Internet website, while a user may have an indication of one or more desired features of an item, the user is required to navigate through a large array of products, typically presented as lists of one or more items in a category. If a product name or brief description sounds remotely feasible, the user is then typically required to navigate to more detailed information regarding the item.
An exemplary product category, which presents a multitude of selection choices, is that of wire mesh products. Wire mesh and wire cloth come in many different combinations of weave, material, mesh sizes, and wire diameter. Although hundreds of thousands of different combinations are possible, it may not be practical for a particular supplier to offer all the combinations. Some combinations of weave, material, mesh sizes, and wire diameters are also not manufacturable, e.g., a wire diameter that is so large the mesh openings are closed up or impossible to weave.
Buyers can often make ordering mistakes in selecting a wire mesh or cloth because the impossible or unavailable combinations are sometimes too subtle to understand. Ordering the wrong thing can be frustrating for all those involved. The Internet now makes it possible for users to log onto a business' website to select and order products.
Suppliers like TWP, Inc. (Berkeley, Calif.) offer at least three families of mesh materials, e.g., woven wire mesh, welded stainless steel mesh, and galvanized hardware cloth. The woven wire mesh includes a range of traditional to ultrafine, high-tech alloy, screen materials. The welded stainless steel mesh is a strong, precise material with an accurate grid pattern and relatively large holes. The galvanized hardware cloth includes a range of steel mesh protected by a heavy-duty zinc coating, e.g., for use in outdoor and industrial environments. Such materials are conventionally stocked in 36-inch and 48-inch wide rolls in 100-foot lengths. But rolls up to 300-inches wide can be bought on special order.
Wire cloth is the proper name for what is commonly called screen mesh. Such material is known for its high strength, wear resistance, ability to withstand high temperatures, and long service life. Wire cloth is woven like textile cloth. So-called market grade wire cloth are woven wire meshes suitable for general purpose work.
Materials that can be used include stainless steel type 304, brass, or copper. A line of special woven meshes are available in stainless steel type 316, aluminum, bronze, inconel, nickel, steel, and epoxy-coated steel. The user's choice of metal is determined by the product-operation environment and constraining cost considerations.
The wire-mesh hole size, e.g., the distance between two adjacent parallel wires, is a function of both the mesh count and the wire diameter. Changing either will change the opening size. The usual opening sizes vary from one-inch openings down to microscopic. The choice of a wire-mesh opening size is determined by the desired sizes of objects to be retained or allowed to pass through. The mesh is the number of openings in a linear inch, measured from the center of one wire to a point one-inch distant.
Two weaves are conventionally available, plain and Dutch weave. The plain weave has an over-one/under-one weave. Such type of wire cloth has square or rectangular openings, and is the simplest and most common weave used in screening and separating applications. The Dutch weave is woven with two different wire sizes, to produce wedge shaped openings. Such weave is generally considered stronger than plain weave and is often used in filtration.
The typical welded stainless steel wire mesh is formed of wires that are fused together at their junctions onto a grid. Automatic welding machines are used that accurately position all the shorter (weft) wires over the longer (warp) wires and spot-weld the intersections. These special machines can produce strong, consistent welds without any burning or discoloration.
The standard welded-stainless-steel-wire-mesh material is type 304 stainless steel because of its high corrosion resistance and strength at elevated temperatures. Type 304 stainless steel is also referred to as "18-8", meaning eighteen percent chromium (18% Cr) and eight percent nickel (8% Ni). TWP, Inc. also provides stainless steel types 304L, 316, 316L and other stainless steel alloys on request. Standard welded wire mesh openings are always square or rectangular, and range from 0.218 inch and 0.979 inch. Meshes from 4-mesh to 1-mesh are usually stocked, and much larger meshes with 10-inch openings and 0.500 inch wire diameter can be obtained on special order.
Galvanized hardware cloth is typically used in partitions, grills, vents, cages and guards, wherever economical, sturdy, corrosion-resistant material is required. Galvanized hardware cloth is a lightweight, economical steel mesh that is protected from atmospheric corrosion by the application of heavy duty zinc coating, e.g., hot-dip galvanizing. The zinc coating encapsulates the mesh for excellent corrosion protection and a firm, non-raveling product.
The hardware cloth openings are relatively large compared to those of woven mesh, e.g., they range from 0.108 inch to 0.459 inch. The galvanizing process slightly decreases the opening size by about 0.004-0.006 inches. Several special hardware cloth specifications called vent meshes offer larger open areas for increased air flow rates. Readily available galvanized hardware cloth is stocked in 2-mesh, 4-mesh, and 8-mesh. Other special meshes are manufactured as required. The 2-mesh and 4-mesh is available woven or welded and the 8-mesh hardware cloth is woven.
There have been some basic purchasing and selection systems proposed in the prior art.
R. Burke, Computer System for Allowing a Consumer to Purchase Packaged Goods at Home, U.S. Pat. No. 6,304,855, describes "A system for generating images representative of a store shelf includes a retail space management system for generating information describing product and shelf sizes and locations in three dimensions, and including a code which is unique to each product. The products are typically commodity goods. A product database is used to store images of product packages which are accessible using codes unique to each product. A three-dimensional modeling and display system which takes size and location information from the retail space management system and generates three-dimensional models of each shelf and product and accesses the product database using the codes provided by the retail space management system to obtain images for each product. It generates a display of each product on each shelf by combining the obtained images and the generated three-dimensional models. The consumer may manipulate the display to change what is being viewed, to examine product packages and to purchase products."
M. Wilson, Full Alphanumeric Character Set Entry From a Very Limited Number of Key Buttons, U.S. Pat. No. 6,031,471 describes "A graphical machine-user interface includes a processor connected to a display screen to generate a screen display of individual items in groups together with the selector indication. The processor and a display screen are used to advantage to provide a rich keyboard function from a very limited set of pushbuttons. For example, five pushbuttons indicating "up", "right", "down", "left", and "middle" are recursively used to reduce a large two-dimensional matrix of item choices presented on the display to some subset, e.g., a top, right, bottom, left, or middle subset. If the reduction results in a choice of one, then that item is selected and output automatically. If the reduction results in a subset with more than one item, then a recursive process is used in which the selection process is repeated until the selected subset is reduced to a single item."
As well, there have been selection and control interfaces disclosed in the prior art for menu selection or feature control of consumer devices, such as for phone sets, digital music players, and for personal computer controls.
FIG. 1 is a schematic view of a telephone control interface 10, similar to BEOTALK™ telephone products, available through Bang & Olufsen, Inc. A plurality of feature buttons 12a-12e provide a selection of a parameter to be controlled on the device 18, while a control 14 and a go button 16 provide an interface to control a selected parameter, e.g. such as a headset volume control. A display 20 is provided, such as to indicate a control level. A supplementary display 22 may also be provided, such as to provide selection-sensitive information 24.
FIG. 2 is a schematic view of an interface 30 for a digital music player 32, similar to an interface of a portable iPod™ digital music player, available through Apple Computers, Inc., of Cupertino, Calif. A rotatable dial 38 and select button 40 allow selection 52a-52c within one or more menus and or submenus 50a-50j, such that a user can navigate and highlight play lists or other system menu items. In some operation modes, the dial 40 is used to adjust operation parameters, such as play volume. As a user navigates through the menus or controls operation parameters, a display 36 provides a graphic representation of the menus or control parameters. Other buttons 42,44,46,48 are typically provided, such as to navigate to the beginning or end of a song or play list.
A connectable USB-compatible PowerMate™ knob selector, available through Griffin Technology, Inc., comprises a knob that is used as an assignable controller in conjunction with a computer. The assignable knob selector is used in conjunction with internal software, such for controlling one or more parameters within an application, for shuttling between applications, and/or for controlling operating system parameters.
While graphic user interfaces and selection devices have provided basic means for selection for various devices, there is presently no interface and/or device which provides an integrated selection and display interface, whereby a user can quickly search, sort, and/or select. The development of such a system would be a major technological advance. Furthermore, there is currently no interface and/or selection device which provides an integrated selection and display interface, whereby a user can select and gain access to an image or other information related to a generic, i.e. available item/class of items having multiple properties, by which a most nearly matching item is selected from a universe of such items. The development of such a system would be a further technological advance.


The invention generally relates to methods for analyzing nucleic acids to identify novel mutations associated with diseases. In certain embodiments, methods of the invention involve obtaining nucleic acid from a subject having a disease, identifying at least one mutation in the nucleic acid, and comparing the mutation to a database of mutations known to be associated with the disease, wherein mutations that do not match to the database are identified as novel mutations.

All genetic diseases are associated with some form of genomic instability. Abnormalities can range from a discrete mutation in a single base in the DNA of a single gene to a gross chromosome abnormality involving the addition or subtraction of an entire chromosome or set of chromosomes. Being able to identify the genetic abnormalities associated with a particular disease provides a mechanism by which one can diagnosis a subject as having the disease.


An apparatus and a method for converting a scan format of a video signal. The video signal scan format conversion apparatus comprises a multiplexer for converting a plurality of input signals of a raster scan format into a single signal of the same format and successively outputting the converted signal, a FIFO memory unit for sequentially storing successive output signals of the raster scan format from the multiplexer and outputting the stored signals to primarily convert them into those of a vertical scan format, a FIFO controller for generating a write control signal to control a write operation of the FIFO memory unit, a first read address generator for generating read addresses to the FIFO memory unit, a dual port RAM unit for sequentially storing the primarily converted signals from the FIFO memory unit and outputting the stored signals to secondarily convert them into those of the vertical scan format, a write address generator for generating write addresses to the dual port RAM unit, and a second read address generator for generating read addresses to the dual port RAM unit. The input signal of the raster scan format is converted into that of the vertical scan format easy to calculate, thereby reducing the time required in combining pixel values. Therefore, the system can become simple in construction.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates in general to a scan format of a video signal, and more particularly to an apparatus and a method for converting a scan format of a video signal, in which an input signal of a raster scan format is converted into that of a vertical scan format easy to calculate.
2. Description of the Prior Art
As well known, the Moving Pictures Experts Group (referred to hereinafter as MPEG) initially proposed MPEG1 (formal name: ISO/IEC 1172) in the 1.5 Mbps or more class based on storage media. Thereafter, MPEG2 in the 5 Mbps or more class began to be discussed for the first time in the U.S. Santa Clara Conference, September 1990, when the MPEG1 came to an end, resulting in the establishment of MPEG2 International Standard (IS) in the Singapore Conference, 1994.
The MPEG2 is composed of three small groups, or a system, video and audio. The formal names of these three international standards are ISO/IEC 13818-1 (system), ISO/IEC 13818-2 (video) and ISO/IEC 13818-3 (audio). At the present, the MPEG2 is the international common standard in the image compression field.
However, in a conventional MPEG2 encoder system, a signal of a raster scan format is applied to a pixel combiner in a mode determination unit, resulting in a large amount of time being required in combining pixel values. Further, the system becomes complex in construction, resulting in an increase in the installation cost thereof.
On the other hand, a conventional apparatus for converting a scan line format of a digital video signal is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 5,337,089, issued to Philips Electronics North America Corporation, New York, N.Y. The conventional scan line format conversion apparatus is adapted to limit a signal bandwidth to that of a transmission channel over which the video signal is to be transmitted to a receiver and to match an HDTV format with that of a standard NTSC signal. The conventional scan line format conversion apparatus is of particular utility for conversion between the presently contemplated HDTV format of 1050 scan lines per frame of paired interlaced fields at a field frequency of 60 Hz, and a progressive frame format of 525 scan lines per frame at a frame frequency of 30 Hz. To this end, the conventional scan line format conversion apparatus comprises first multiplexing means for performing an alternate multiplexing operation, a pair of transmission paths coupled respectively to respective outputs of the first multiplexing means so that even-numbered fields are supplied to a first of the paths and odd-numbered fields are supplied to a second of the paths, second multiplexing means for alternately outputting even-numbered fields transmitted by the first transmission path and odd-numbered fields transmitted by the second transmission path, delay means in the first transmission path for delaying each even-numbered field therein for substantially one field period and successively supplying the delayed even-numbered fields to the output of the first transmission path, low pass digital filter means in the second transmission path for vertically low pass filtering each odd-numbered field and successively supplying the filtered odd-numbered fields to the output of the second transmission path, and field store means coupled to the output of the second multiplexing means for receiving the delayed even-numbered fields and the filtered odd-numbered fields. The field store means is further adapted to produce subsampled fields at its output in synchronism with the even-numbered fields of the received signal, so that the subsampled fields constitute a digital output signal.
With the above-mentioned construction, the conventional scan line format conversion apparatus limits the signal bandwidth to that of the transmission channel over which the video signal is to be transmitted to the receiver and matches the HDTV format with that of the standard NTSC signal. However, the above-mentioned conventional scan line format conversion apparatus has a disadvantage in that it cannot reduce a pixel value of external input data.

Apparatus and method for converting scan format of video signal

Hyundai Electronics Industries Co., Ltd.