Disclosed are heat transfer fluids which possess a highly desirable and unexpectedly superior combination of properties, and heat transfer systems and methods based on these fluids. The heat transfer fluid comprise from about 30 to about 70 percent, on a molar basis, of carbon dioxide (CO2) and from about 30 to about 70 percent, on a molar basis, of hydrofluorocarbon (HFC), preferably HFC having one to two carbon atoms, and even more preferably difluoromethane (HFC-32). The preferred fluids of the present invention have a vapor pressure of at least about 100 psia at 40° F. and are also preferably not azeotropic.

It is desirable in many different situations to selectively transfer heat between a fluid and a body to be cooled or warmed. As used herein, the term "body" refers not only to solid bodies but also other fluid materials which take the shape of the container in which they exist.
One well known system for achieving such transfer of heat achieves cooling of a body by first pressurizing a vapor phase heat transfer fluid and then expanding it through a Joule-Thomson expansion element, such as a valve, orifice, or other type of flow constriction. Any such device will be referred to hereinafter simply as a Joule-Thompson "expansion element," and systems which use such an element are sometimes referred to herein as Joule-Thompson systems. In most Joule-Thomson systems, single component, non-ideal gasses are pressurized and then expanded through a throttling component or expansion element, to produce isenthalpic cooling. The characteristics of the gas used, such as boiling point, inversion temperature, critical temperature, and critical pressure effect the starting pressure needed to reach a desired cooling temperature. While such characteristics are all generally well known and/or relatively easy to predict with an acceptable degree of certainty for single component fluids, this is not necessarily the case for multi-component fluids
Because of the large number of properties or characteristics which are relevant to the effectiveness and desirability of a heat transfer fluid, it is frequently difficult to predict in advance how any particular multi-component fluid will perform as a heat transfer fluid. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,744,052—Bivens discloses a combination of difluoromethane (HFC-32), pentafluoroethane and a small amount (ie., up to 5% by weight) of carbon dioxide in the form of an azeotropic fluid that is said to have advantages as a refrigerant in certain applications. More particularly, the multi-component fluid of Bivens is said to be non-flammable and, due to its azeotropic nature, to undergo relatively little fractionation upon vaporization. However, the combination of components in the amounts specified in Bivens produce a fluid with a relatively low vapor pressure, which can be undesirable for certain applications, for example, those which require a fluid with substantial cooling power or those in which low temperature cooling is required. Furthermore, the fluids of Bivens are comprised of relatively highly-fluorinated compounds which are potentially environmentally damaging from a global warming perspective. In addition, obtaining fluids with azeotropic properties can sometimes add significantly to the cost of such fluids when used as refrigerants.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,736,063—Richard et al. discloses a non-azeotropic combination of various hydrocarbons, including HFC-32, and carbon dioxide which form a fluid said to be acceptable as replacements for chlorodifluoromethane (HCFC-22). In particular, the Richard et al. patent teaches that the vapor pressure of this fluid is substantially equal to HCFC-22, which is only about 83 psia at 40° F. Therefore, while the fluid of Richard et al. is expected to perform well in certain refrigeration applications, it may be considered inadequate in the same types of applications mentioned above with respect to the Bivens fluid.

Heat transfer fluid comprising difluoromethane and carbon dioxide


A computer-implemented method for providing traffic information via a navigation module onboard a moving vehicle, comprising the steps of: obtaining geolocalization data of the vehicle; identifying the closest traffic light ahead the vehicle; retrieving, from a remote traffic light server, operational information on the identified closest traffic light; processing the operational information to determine an optimal speed at which the vehicle should move to arrive at the closest traffic light when it is at green phase; and outputting the optimal speed via a user interface of the navigation module.

1. Field of the Invention
The object of the present invention is a system and a method for providing traffic information, in order to reduce traffic, optimize travel time and increase safety, especially within city limits.
2. Description of the Related Art
Traffic congestion is a well-known problem, especially in cities with a high number of crossroads. Traffic flow may be optimized by providing systems for management of traffic lights, but these systems have a reactive nature—they may adapt the traffic light to actual traffic conditions, but have limited capabilities of impacting individual vehicles to optimize their movement.
Traffic management systems may be configured as a so-called 'green wave', where the main road has traffic lights configured such that a vehicle moving at a certain speed, for example 50 km/h, will reach the next traffic lights at a green light. The drawback of this system is that each driver shall maintain a particular optimal speed, for example 50 km/h, on the particular section of the road. However, in traffic conditions, a driver must adapt to other vehicles, which often means that it will not be possible to maintain the optimal speed in order to keep with the green wave. This especially happens when road sections between the traffic lights are long.
A U.S. Pat. No. 5,519,390 discloses a traffic light timer, which provides a visible and accurate warning that a traffic light signal is about to change. The time remaining before the change is displayed in numeric form on a display and visibly counts down the seconds remaining. The display can be alphanumeric or graphical, allowing for the display of free form icons. Such timer may allow the driver to adapt the speed of travel to drive optimally, i.e. to slow down when the driver assumes that the light will soon change to red, or to speed up when the driver assumes that there is sufficient time to cross the road at green light. The drawback of the system is that it requires the driver to make own assessments and that it is effective only within the range of the eyesight of the driver.
Taking into account the aforementioned prior art publications, there exists a need to design a system and a method for providing traffic information, which will be useful for optimization of driving speed of individual vehicles and therefore may lead to reduction of overall traffic congestion.

System and method for providing traffic information


An inexpensive achromatic object lens for a microscope has a magnification of about 20 and a relatively long working distance. Aberrations are satisfactorily corrected even at the periphery of the image. The object lens includes a first lens group having a positive refractive power, a second lens group having a positive refractive power, and a third lens group having a negative refractive power in this order from the object side. The first lens group consists of a positive lens and a cemented lens which is composed of a negative lens and a positive lens. The second lens group consists of a positive lens for converting the divergent light flux that has exited the first lens group into convergent light flux. The third lens group consists of a negative meniscus lens with its concave surface facing the image side. The object lens satisfies the conditions 4.0.ltoreq.f1/d0.ltoreq.15.0, 55.ltoreq.v2p, and 35.ltoreq.v1p-v1n.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to an object lens for a microscope and, more particularly, to an achromatic object lens used in a microscope having a magnification of about 20.
2. Description of Related Art
It is desired for an achromatic object lens used in a general-purpose optical microscope to be inexpensive. Because of this desire, inadequate correction for image deformation or aberrations of the lens may occur in a conventional object lens for a general-purpose microscope. The image quality of such a conventional object lens is often not satisfactory.


A system, computer program product, and computer implemented method for executing instructions at a replication site with a cookie manager, the method comprising receiving a cookie at the replication site, the cookie enabled to contain executable instructions, and executing the executable instructions contained in the cookie via a cookie manager on the replication site.

Computer data is vital to today's organizations, and a significant part of protection against disasters is focused on data protection. As solid-state memory has advanced to the point where cost of memory has become a relatively insignificant factor, organizations can afford to operate with systems that store and process terabytes of data.
Conventional data protection systems include tape backup drives, for storing organizational production site data on a periodic basis. Such systems suffer from several drawbacks. First, they require a system shutdown during backup, since the data being backed up cannot be used during the backup operation. Second, they limit the points in time to which the production site can recover. For example, if data is backed up on a daily basis, there may be several hours of lost data in the event of a disaster. Third, the data recovery process itself takes a long time.
Another conventional data protection system uses data replication, by creating a copy of the organization's production site data on a secondary backup storage system, and updating the backup with changes. The backup storage system may be situated in the same physical location as the production storage system, or in a physically remote location. Data replication systems generally operate either at the application level, at the file system level, at the hypervisor level or at the data block level.
Current data protection systems try to provide continuous data protection, which enable the organization to roll back to any specified point in time within a recent history. Continuous data protection systems aim to satisfy two conflicting objectives, as best as possible; namely, (i) minimize the down time, in which the organization production site data is unavailable, during a recovery, and (ii) enable recovery as close as possible to any specified point in time within a recent history.
Continuous data protection typically uses a technology referred to as "journaling," whereby a log is kept of changes made to the backup storage. During a recovery, the journal entries serve as successive "undo" information, enabling rollback of the backup storage to previous points in time. Journaling was first implemented in database systems, and was later extended to broader data protection.
One challenge to continuous data protection is the ability of a backup site to keep pace with the data transactions of a production site, without slowing down the production site. The overhead of journaling inherently requires several data transactions at the backup site for each data transaction at the production site. As such, when data transactions occur at a high rate at the production site, the backup site may not be able to finish backing up one data transaction before the next production site data transaction occurs. If the production site is not forced to slow down, then necessarily a backlog of un-logged data transactions may build up at the backup site. Without being able to satisfactorily adapt dynamically to changing data transaction rates, a continuous data protection system chokes and eventually forces the production site to shut down.


An electronic device comprises a body, a recording medium, and a detachable element. The body comprises a first recess, defined in the body. The recording medium is disposed in the first recess. The detachable element is detachably disposed on the recording medium in a removal direction of the recording medium to hinder removal thereof.

The invention relates to an electronic device and in particular to a notebook computer with detachable external devices.
Notebook computers typically require various peripheral devices such as CD-ROM drives, floppy disk drives, memory card readers, and external hard disk drives. Due to demands for notebook computers with a thin profile and light weight and due to limited space therein, the optimal arrangement of peripheral devices is critical.
External hard disk drives can be easily connected to a notebook due to hot swap capability provided by most computer operating systems. If the external hard disk drive is incorrectly disconnected during operation of the notebook, however, some files may become corrupted and data may be lost, and the hard disk drive may be damaged. Particularly, when the notebook is used solely for playing music without turning on the screen, it is even seriously that user may carelessly remove the hard disk drive. Another problem is that because the hard disk drive is hot swappable, it may be easily stolen and reduces data security.


A clock regeneration scheme for a digital communication receiver has a first-in, first-out (FIFO) storage buffer into which received data is clocked in accordance with an input clock signal and a data valid signal. A fixed fractional delay line is coupled to provide respectively different phase delayed versions of the input clock signal and feeds a multiplexer that is controllably operative to couple one of the outputs of the fixed fractional delay line to a regenerated clock output port. A control loop, which includes the FIFO storage buffer, the output port and a steering control input of the multiplexer circuit, is operative to selectively change which output of the fixed fractional delay line is coupled by the multiplexer to the output port, so as to controllably cause the output clock signal to track the effective frequency of the valid data signal.

In order to successfully coherently recover data from a received digital communication signal, digital communication receivers employ some form of clock recovery mechanism that operates on the received signal to regenerate the embedded clock signal. As diagrammatically illustrated in FIG. 1, the clock and data transport path often include a first-in, first-out (FIFO) buffer 10, which receives a serial data stream 11 that is synchronous with an incoming clock signal 12. Because the data is not necessarily continuous (namely, a new piece of data is not always available at each clock cycle of the recovered clock), a valid data signal 13 indicating when the data is valid is provided to the buffer.
The output end 14 of the buffer is coupled to a downstream digital device 15, which requires the generation of an output or read clock 16 that matches the effective data rate, but without gaps such as may be associated with times of the input clock for which there is no valid data. This allows data to be read out from the buffer at each clock cycle of the newly generated clock. This new clock and the data can then be successfully delivered to the next portion of the downstream digital transport path. Conventional approaches to solving this problem involve dividing a high-speed clock down to the necessary frequency, or the use of an external phase locked loop.

Data buffer-controlled digital clock regenerator


A method for effecting software maintenance in a software system landscape comprising a central control system and a plurality of logical systems interconnected by logical transport paths, each system having associated therewith one of a plurality of system roles is described. The method comprises: providing system role types, each system role type comprising a group of system roles; providing an association of tasks to system role types; providing a transport track that defines a route for software services through a group of systems in a particular order and specifies one source system in which software services are permitted, adjacent interconnected systems, and at least one target system, each software service relating to at least one of the code and the data of at least one system in the landscape; and generating a maintenance instance from the system role types, the association and the transport tracks, the maintenance instance defining tasks for effecting a software service in a maintenance interval.

Complex software like applicant's SAP R/3 Release 4.5 (SAP) requires customization, e.g. selection of predefined functionality, and adaptation, e.g. addition of or amendment to functionality, as well as other servicing like program and data updates, cf. "SAP System Landscape Optimization" by A. Schneider-Neureither (Ed.), SAP Press, 2004, ISBN 1-59229-026-4, and "SAP R/3 Änderungs-und Transportmanagement" by Metzger and Röhrs, Galileo Press GmbH, Bonn, Germany, 4th reprint 2004, ISBN 3-934358-42-X.
Before such servicing may be performed, however, it has to be assured that the customizations, adaptations, program and data updates etc. are free of errors and integrate flawlessly into the software and data environment. In a factory for instance servicing errors are bound to result in costly workflow disruptions due to software malfunction or data corruption. Apart from the servicing side, other use of the software like training of new or inexperienced users may also result in a disruption of the productive system.
Such complex software may therefore be implemented in form of separate logical systems that together form a system landscape. A typical implementation of the aforementioned SAP software for instance may, cf. FIG. 1, comprise a development system 101 for customizing and development work, a quality assurance system 102 for testing functionality using representative test data, a training system 103 for training new users, and several productive systems 104, e.g. each for a different factory, for actual productive use. Other or additional users and systems may be defined according to the particular requirements.
The logical systems are identical in large parts, function autonomously and may be run on a single computer. The quality assurance system 102 for example resembles the productive system 104 in that it provides all the functionality, its present data and additionally special test data. New customization settings or adaptations may thus be thoroughly tested in the quality assurance system 102 without jeopardizing the productive system 104. Likewise, the training system 103 resembles the productive system 104 in that it provides some of the functionality and special test data. A new user using the training system 103 may thus become accustomed to the functionality and observe the effect of his actions, albeit without disturbing the productive system 104.
A transport management system connects the logical systems and serves to forward software services between systems of the system landscape via logical transport paths 105. A service may for example be approved in the development system 101 for export. It will then be forwarded to an input buffer of the quality assurance system 102. Import into the quality assurance system 102 is approved manually by an operator. Once the service has been imported into the quality assurance system 102, it will automatically be forwarded to an import buffer of the training system 103 and the productive systems 104 where it will be imported following manual approval by an operator.
The operator is in charge of manually effecting the servicing. This requires an analysis of the system landscape layout, of the route that each service takes through the system landscape, project status switches in each system that define the respective system's changeability options, attributes in each service that define properties of the service etc. Import of services and other tasks are performed based on this analysis.
This process is time consuming and bears the risk of errors. For example, care has to be taken to import services into a system in the correct order as illustrated by FIG. 2a and FIG. 2b. An original version 201 of the software and data is first modified by a first service 202, resulting in modified version 203, and subsequently by a second service 204, resulting in modified version 205, cf. FIG. 2a. However, if the second service 204 is imported before the first service 202, the original version 201 is changed into modified version 206 by the second service 204 and subsequently into modified version 207 by the first service 202, cf. FIG. 2b. The modified versions 205 and 207 differ and the version 207 will not perform as intended.
In view of the fact that an SAP R/3 implementation may comprise dozens of systems and require thousands of services per month during phases of change, the operator time required becomes considerable as does the risk for errors to occur.

Method for effecting software maintenance in a software system landscape and computer system


Provided is an improved process for removing sulfur compounds from sulfur contaminated fluid streams by contacting such fluid streams with an absorbent composition comprising zinc oxide, silica, and molybdenum disulfide. The absorbent composition comprising zinc oxide, silica, and molybdenum disulfide is a novel composition which has the desirable properties of high sulfur loading capacity and the ability to be contacted with the hydrogen sulfide containing fluid stream for the removal of such hydrogen sulfide from said fluid stream with a minimum amount of sulfur dioxide slippage. An additional embodiment of the disclosed invention includes a method for minimizing the amount of extrusion die wear during the production of the zinc oxide based absorbent compositions. Extrusion die wear is reduced by adding a quantity of molybdenum disulfide to the zinc oxide absorbent in an amount which provides desirable lubricating properties such that extrusion die wear is reduced during the manufacture of the composition.

The removal of sulfur from fluid streams can be desirable or necessary for a variety of reasons. If the fluid stream is to be released as a waste stream, removal of sulfur from the fluid stream can be necessary to meet the sulfur emission requirements set by various air pollution control authorities. Such requirements are generally in the range of from about 10 ppm to 500 ppm of sulfur in the fluid stream. If the fluid stream is to be burned as a fuel, removal of sulfur from the fluid stream can be necessary to prevent environmental pollution. If the fluid stream is to be processed, removal of the sulfur is often necessary to prevent the poisoning of sulfur sensitive catalysts or to satisfy other process requirements.
Various absorption compositions have been used to remove sulfur from fluid streams when the sulfur is present as hydrogen sulfide. These absorption compositions can be, manufactured by a variety of methods which include extrusion production techniques. A problem that is often encountered in the production of these absorption compositions is equipment wear caused by the abrasive nature of the absorption materials being manufactured. In certain attempts to produce commercial quantities of absorbent compositions, excessive equipment wear and downtime caused by the abrasive characteristics of the absorption material components have, in effect, rendered the production of such compositions commercially unviable.
A further property of which it is desirable for absorption compositions to have is the ability to absorb large quantities of sulfur. This capability to absorb large amounts or concentrations of sulfur is sometimes referred to as "sulfur loading" and is generally reported in terms of percent sulfur loading. The term it percent sulfur loading" is generally defined as the parts by weight of sulfur absorbed upon the surface or within the pores of an absorption composition per parts by weight of the total absorbent composition multiplied by a factor of 100. It is desirable to have an absorption composition with the largest possible sulfur loading capacity.
An additional property desirable for an absorption composition is the ability to be regenerable to the original absorbing composition state after the absorbing composition bas become spent. An absorbing composition generally becomes spent when its sulfur loading capacity has essentially been used up. It is desirable for the absorbing composition to be able to undergo numerous regeneration cycles without losing its sulfur loading capacity and other desirable properties.
Even though many absorbing compositions can effectively absorb hydrogen sulfide from fluid streams containing hydrogen sulfide, it is not uncommon for many of these absorbing compositions to effectively oxidize significant amounts of hydrogen sulfide to sulfur dioxide when contacted with such fluid streams. The resulting sulfur dioxide is not removed from the fluid stream by the absorbent composition and thus passes through the absorbent material with the contacted fluid stream. This phenomena is sometimes called "sulfur slippage." It is desirable to have an absorption material which bas a high capacity to absorb sulfur from a fluid stream and which minimizes the amount of sulfur slippage.
In some absorption compositions, the addition of a promoter compound can be used to allow for easier regeneration of the absorbing material.


The present invention provides for a method for the treatment of a viral disease, disorder or condition in a subject, the method comprising the step of administering to said subject a medically active liquid in nebulized form by inhalation, wherein the medically active liquid comprises remdesivir or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof and wherein the medically active liquid is administered in nebulized form using an inhalation device.

The present invention relates to the field of methods for the treatment of a viral infection or viral disease, disorder or condition in a subject, by administering to the subject a medically active liquid in nebulized form by inhalation, wherein the medically active liquid comprises remdesivir or a pharmaceutically acceptable salt thereof, and wherein the medically active liquid is administered in nebulized form using an inhalation device. More specifically, the present invention relates to the treatment of a viral infection such as a coronavirus infection or a viral disease, disorder or condition, such as a respiratory or pulmonary disease, disorder or condition, induced by or resulting from a coronavirus infection.
Nebulizers or other aerosol generators for liquids are known in the art. Amongst others, such devices are used in medical science and therapy. There, they serve as inhalation devices for the application of active ingredients in the form of aerosols, i.e., small liquid droplets embedded in a gas. Such an inhalation device is known, e.g., from document EP 0 627 230 B1. Essential components of this inhalation device are a reservoir in which the liquid that is to be aerosolized is contained; a pumping device for generation of a pressure being sufficiently high for nebulizing; as well as an atomizing device in the form of a nozzle. By means of the pumping device, the liquid is drawn in a discrete amount, i.e., not continuously, from the reservoir, and fed to the nozzle. The pumping device works without propellant and generates pressure mechanically.
Remdesivir is an antiviral drug that was authorized by the FDA in May 2020 for emergency use for the treatment of suspected or laboratory confirmed coronavirus disease COVID-19 in adults and child hospitalized with severe disease. Remdesivir has been shown to have anti-viral effects against a novel coronavirus first detected in 2019 named SARS-CoV-2 (a.k.a. 2019-nCoV) which caused the outbreak of the COVID-19 disease. See, e.g., Wang, M. et al., Cell Research, Vol. 30, 269-271 (2020, doi:10.1038/s41422-020-0282-0). In addition to COVID-19, remdesivir has been investigated for the treatment of other viral infections. For example, remdesivir has been shown to have anti-viral effects against various viral infections including severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus (SARS-CoV), Middle East respiratory syndrome coronavirus (MERS-CoV), Ebola virus (EBOV), Marburg virus, respiratory syncytial virus (RSV), Nipah virus (NiV), and Hendra virus. See, e.g., Warren, T. K. et al., Nature, Vol. 531, 381-385 (2016); Lo, M. K et al, Sci. Rep., Vol. 7, 43395 (2017); Sheahan. T. P. et al., Sci. Transl. Med., Vol. 9, eaal3653 (2017); and Sheahan, T. P. et al., Nature Communications, Vol. 11, 222 (2020, doi: 10.1038/s41467-019-13940-6). U.S. Pat. No. 7,544,712 discloses methods of treating a coronavirus infection including severe acute respiratory syndrome and porcine transmissible gastroenteritis virus infections by oral, nasal, or parental administration of a variety of compounds. Despite these efforts, soluble, liquid formulations of remdesivir have not been developed for treating viral infections or viral diseases or conditions, such as respiratory diseases or conditions, for pulmonary delivery by inhalation. Such formulations would advantageously deliver the drug to the patient via the highly permeable and large surface area of the lungs in a non-invasive manner with more accurate dosages.
It is thus an object of the present invention to provide a method for the treatment of a viral infection or viral disease, disorder or condition in a subject, especially in an accurate, effective, and patient friendly manner. Further objects of the invention will be clear on the basis of the following description of the invention, examples and claims.


A method and apparatus are disclosed for detecting and removing defects from images. Defects in an original image sequence are detected and optionally repaired using well-known techniques. Non-image data is generated containing intermediate results from the automatic defect detection and repair stage. The non-image data may include motion estimation, granularity and defect size/location information. The invention allows the operator to review the original and repaired image sequences, and optionally the non-image data, in an interactive session to accept, reject or further modify any of the automatic repairs in a more efficient manner.

Digital motion picture restoration involves a variety of image processing operations that require a considerable amount of computations and take a relatively long amount of time, even with powerful computers. An example of a computation-intensive image processing technique is motion estimation, which is required for high fidelity repair. Generally, motion estimation allows a defective region of an image to be replaced with a corresponding image region from a previous or subsequent image frame.
Longer processing times are acceptable if the computations are conducted automatically, without user interaction. Numerous complex algorithms have been developed for automatic image sequence restoration. For a detailed discussion of such image restoration techniques, see, for example, Anil Kokaram, "Motion Picture Restoration," (Springer, 1998). Currently available image restoration techniques, however, do not provide a complete solution. Generally, currently available image restoration techniques suffer from incomplete repair or false detection (or both), resulting in image artifacts. Thus, human intervention is eventually required to complete the image restoration and obtain high quality artifact-free restoration.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional one-step image restoration process 100, where an operator 110 works with an unprocessed, original image sequence 120 to produce a repaired image sequence 140. The image restoration process shown in FIG. 1 has been proposed, for example, for use in the image restoration software and services offered by Mathematical Technologies, Inc. of Providence, R.I. Generally, the operations performed during an interactive session 130 are conducted under the supervision of the operator 110 who manually identifies defects in the original image sequence 120. Thus, the image restoration process 100 does not make efficient use of expensive operator time. Once defects are identified by the operator in this manner, well-known restoration algorithms are typically applied during the interactive session 130 to generate the repaired image sequence 140.
FIG. 2 illustrates a partially automated image restoration process 200. As shown in FIG. 2, the operator 210 initially specifies parameters 215 that control the automatic detection and repair of defects in the original image sequence 220 during an automatic repair stage 230. The operator 210 can review the repaired image sequence 240 generated by the automatic repair stage 230 together with the original image sequence 220, and accept, reject or modify any of the automatic repairs during an interactive session 250 to produce a repaired image sequence 260. An example of the partially automated image restoration process 200 shown in FIG. 2 is the Revival™ software package commercially available from da Vinci Systems, Inc. of Fort Lauderdale, Fla.
While the partially automated image restoration process 200 automatically detects and repairs images without human interaction in a more efficient manner than the one-step image restoration process 100 of FIG. 1, the operator 210 still has very limited abilities to mark and repair additional defects that are not automatically detected during the automatic repair 230. Thus, it is difficult for the operator 210 to achieve a high quality image restoration during the interactive session 250 because the intermediate results from the automatic repair processing 230, such as motion estimation and granularity information, are not available. A need therefore exists for a method and apparatus for removing defects from images that improve the quality of the image repair while also making efficient use of the operator's time.

Method and apparatus for removing defects in an image sequence


An applicator device for applying a coating agent onto a moving base, such as a paper or board web, onto the face of a film press roll, or equivalent, and a method for correcting for distortions arising from thermal strains in such an applicator device. The applicator device includes an applicator beam arranged in a direction transverse to a running direction of the moving base, a coating-agent feed pipe arranged in the transverse direction and mounted on the applicator beam, and coating members mounted on the applicator beam for applying a coating onto the moving base and spreading and smoothing the coating agent onto the moving base. The coating-agent feed pipe and the coating members are constructed as a single unit. The device also includes mounting members for mounting the single unit of the coating-agent feed pipe and the coating members on the applicator beam. The mounting members include a joint member coupled to the single unit and the applicator beams which permits relative movements arising from thermal expansion between the applicator beam and the single unit in the transverse direction of the machine while substantially preventing relative movements of the applicator beam and the single unit in other directions.

In applicator devices which comprise an applicator beam oriented transverse to the running direction of the web, and to which beam the coating-agent coating-nozzle device, coating head or equivalent has been attached, it is a significant problem that the size, paste or equivalent coating material is fed into the nozzle device or coating head at a very high temperature, whereas normally the temperature of the applicator beam itself is substantially lower. Owing to this temperature difference, considerable bending and distortion have occurred in the applicator beam and in the nozzle device itself, in which case it has been very difficult to produce an even, uniform layer of coating agent on the moving base being coated. In the prior art, attempts have been made to solve this problem, for example, so that the temperature of the applicator beam itself has been raised considerably, whereby the difference in temperature between the applicator beam and the nozzle device has thereby been reduced considerably, and therefore the extent of bending has been lower. From the point of view of the process itself, such a solution is, however, not advantageous, because the applicator beam itself should preferably be kept at a temperature as low as possible.
It is a second solution to this problem that, in order to correct the distortion of the beam arising from tensions resulting from thermal expansion (resulting from the temperature difference), the applicator beam itself has been bent in different ways. One such solution is described, among other things, in Finnish Patent Application No. 882368, in which a measurement device is arranged inside the applicator beam so as to measure the bending of the beam, together with an aligning device by whose means the bending of the beam is corrected based on the information provided by the measurement device. Another comparable solution is described, for example, in German Utility Model Publication No. 9,207,551, in which the applicator beam is provided with a hydraulic actuator, by whose means the applicator beam is bent in order to correct the bending arising from differences in temperature. However, these prior art solutions are not very good or advanced because the emphasis has merely been mainly on correcting of the distortions arising from thermal strains, and no attention whatsoever has been paid to elimination of the thermal strains themselves. In other words, they are directed to correcting the problem after it has already arisen as opposed to avoiding the occurrence of the problem.

Method and device for applying a coating agent onto a moving base


A polymerization catalyst for polyester production which contains neither a germanium compound nor an antimony compound as a major component. It contains aluminum as the main metallic ingredient, has excellent catalytic activity, and gives a polyester which is effectively inhibited from suffering thermal degradation, during melt molding, without deactivating or removing the catalyst, and is excellent in thermal stability, stability to thermal oxidation, and hydrolytic resistance. The polymerization catalyst contains as a first metallic ingredient at least one member selected among aluminum and compounds thereof and further contains a phosphorus compound represented by a specific chemical formula. The polyester produced with this catalyst is usable as fibers, films, sheets, various moldings including hollow moldings, etc.

Polyesters represented by polyethylene terephthalate (PET), polybutylene terephthalate (PBT), polyethylene naphthalate (PEN) etc. are excellent in mechanical and chemical characteristics, and are used in various fields for example in fibers for clothing and industrial materials, films for packaging or for magnetic tapes, sheets, bottles such as hollow molded articles, casings for electrical or electronic parts, and other molded articles of engineering plastics, depending on the characteristics of each polyester.
As typical polyester, polyester comprising an aromatic dicarboxylic acid and an alkylene glycol as major constituent components, for example polyethylene terephthalate (PET), is industrially produced by esterification or transesterification of terephthalic acid or dimethyl terephthalate and ethylene glycol to produce bis(2-hydroxyethyl)terephthalate which is then subjected to polycondensation at high temperatures in vacuo in the presence of a catalyst.
As a conventional polyester polymerization catalyst used in polycondensation of polyester, antimony trioxide has been used widely. Antimony trioxide is an inexpensive and highly active catalyst, but when antimony trioxide is used as a major component, that is, when it is used in such an amount as to exhibit a practical rate of polymerization, an antimony metal is precipitated at the time of polycondensation to cause problems such as gray discoloration or formation of insoluble particles in polyester. For this reason, polyester absolutely free of antimony or excluding antimony as a major catalytic component is desired.
The above-described insoluble particles in polyester cause the following problems:    (1) In polyester for film, the antimony metal precipitated serves as insoluble particles in polyester, which causes not only contamination of an outlet during melt extrusion but also deficiency in the surface of film. Further, when the polyester with insoluble particles is used as a starting material of hollow molded articles, it is difficult to obtain hollow molded articles excellent in transparency.    (2) The insoluble particles in polyester for fibers serves as insoluble particles not only causing a reduction in the strength of fibers, but also deposits around spinnerets during spinning. In production of polyester fibers, a polyester polymerization catalyst not causing formation of insoluble particles is desired from the viewpoint of productivity.
As a method of solving the problem described above, an attempt had been made at preventing gray discoloration and formation of insoluble particles in PET while using antimony trioxide as a catalyst. In Japanese Patent No. 2666502, for example, formation of black insoluble particles in PET is prevented by using antimony trioxide, a bismuth compound and a selenium compound as a polycondensation catalyst. Further, JP-A 9-291141 describes that precipitation of an antimony metal is prevented when antimony trioxide containing sodium and iron oxides is used as a polycondensation catalyst. However, these polycondensation catalysts cannot achieve the object of reducing the content of antimony in polyester.
As a method of solving the problem of the antimony catalyst in uses requiring transparency of PET bottles etc., for example JP-A 6-279579 discloses a method of improving transparency by prescribing the proportion of antimony and phosphorus compounds used. However, it cannot be said that hollow molded articles made of polyester obtained by this method are sufficiently transparent.
Further, JP-A 10-36495 discloses a continuous process for producing polyester excellent in transparency, which comprises use of antimony trioxide, phosphoric acid and a sulfonic acid compound. However, polyester obtained by such a method has lower thermal stability, and there is the problem of a high content of acetaldehyde in the resultant hollow molded article.
Polycondensation catalysts substituted for antimony type catalysts such as antimony trioxide have also been examined, and titanium compounds such as tetraalkoxy titanate or tin compounds have previously been proposed, but there is a problem that polyester produced by using these compounds is easily thermally degraded during melt molding, and the polyester is significantly discolored.
In an attempt at solving the problem arising when such titanium compounds are used as the polycondensation catalyst, for example JP-A 55-116722 proposes a method of simultaneously using tetraalkoxy titanate in combination with a cobalt salt and a calcium salt. Further, JP-A 8-73581 proposes a method of using tetraalkoxy titanate in combination with a cobalt compound as the polycondensation catalyst and simultaneously using an optical brightener. By these techniques, PET discoloration occurring when tetraalkoxy titanate is used as the polycondensation catalyst can be reduced, but prevention of thermal decomposition of PET cannot be achieved.
In another attempt at preventing thermal degradation during melt molding of polyester polymerized in the presence of a titanium compound as the catalyst, for example JP-A 10-259296 describes a method of adding a phosphorus compound after polymerization of polyester in the presence of the titanium compound as the catalyst. However, effective mixing of the additive with the polymer after polymerization is technically difficult and leads to higher costs, so this prior art method is not practically used under the present circumstances.
A method of adding an alkali metal compound to an aluminum compound to form a polyester polymerization catalyst having a sufficient catalytic activity is also known. When such a known catalyst is used, polyester excellent in thermal stability can be obtained, but this known catalyst using an alkali metal compound in combination should be added in a larger amount in order to attain a practical catalytic activity, and as a result, insoluble particles attributable to the alkali metal compound are increased, there arises a problem that when the PET is used in fibers, the spinnability and physical properties of fibers are getting worse, and when the PET is used in films, the physical properties of the films are getting worse, and hydrolytic resistance are lowered.
As an non-antimony catalyst, having an excellent catalytic activity and giving polyester excellent in thermal stability and hydrolytic resistance, a germanium compound has been practically used, but this catalyst has a problem that it is very expensive and easily distilled away from the reaction system during polymerization, thus changing the concentration of the catalyst in the reaction system and making control of polymerization difficult, so use of the germanium component as a major catalytic component is problematic.
For preventing thermal degradation of polyester during melt molding, there is also a method of removing a catalyst from polyester. JP-A 10-251394 discloses a method of removing a catalyst from polyester wherein a polyester resin is brought into contact with an extractant as supercritical fluid in the presence of an acidic substance. However, the method of using such supercritical fluid is technically difficult and leads to higher costs for products, and is thus not preferable.
For the reasons described above, there is demand for a polymerization catalyst which comprises a metal component other than antimony and germanium as a major catalytic component, has an excellent catalytic activity and gives polyester hardly suffering thermal degradation during melt molding and excellent in thermal stability and hydrolytic resistance.
This invention provides a polyester polymerization catalyst which contains neither an antimony compound nor a germanium compound as a major catalytic component but contains aluminum as a major metal component, has an excellent catalytic activity, and without deactivating or removing the catalyst, gives polyester effectively inhibited from suffering thermal degradation during melt molding and excellent in thermal stability, thermo oxidative stability and hydrolytic resistance. Further, this invention provides polyester produced with the catalyst, which is excellent in thermal stability, thermo oxidative stability and hydrolytic resistance during melt molding of films, hollow molded articles such as bottles, and fibers and which is superior in quality level even if virgin resin is used or scraps generated during molding are reutilized, as well as a process for producing polyester by using the polyester polymerization catalyst. Another object of this invention is to provide fibers, films, sheets and hollow molded articles comprising the polyester produced with the novel polyester polymerization catalyst which contains neither a germanium compound nor an antimony compound as a major catalytic component.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Polymerization catalyst for polyester, polyester produced with the same, and process for producing polyester


A coupling utilizes a male member having an internal poppet valve yieldingly urged to a closed position and an external ball retention sleeve yieldingly urged toward its connector end engageable with a female member. The female member has an internal poppet valve yieldingly urged to a closed position and a forward connector end wall section having a plurality of apertures in which are positioned balls for engaging an annular groove of the male member. The female member includes a retainer for preventing the balls from falling outwardly from the apertures.

The present invention is directed to a coupling having a male adapter part and a female adapter part which may be joined together by a simple axial movement toward one another. The coupling utilizes, on the female one of the mating adapter parts, a series of circumferentially positioned balls located in apertures of a wall of such part. The male adapter part is provided with a sleeve which, when the parts are disconnected, is yieldingly urged to a forward position. The sleeve encircles the body of the male adapter part. When engaged, the sleeve retains the balls of the female adapter part in an annular groove of the male adapter part to thereby effect the connection.
A number of prior art patents utilize various configurations of balls and sleeves for effecting the joining of a male coupling member to a female coupling member. See for example the following U.S. Pat. Nos. RE 34,781, 4,222,411, 4,892,117, 5,076,324, 5,139,049, 5,179,976, 5,244,010 and 5,339,862. It should be noted that, in all of such prior art patents, the balls and the sleeve are part of the same coupling member, namely, the female member. Under the present invention, the balls are located on the female coupling member while the release sleeve is located on the male coupling member. This feature is a significant factor in providing a reliable coupling in which the parts may be easily connected by a simple axial movement toward one another and which will be effective under extreme conditions of cold temperature.
The coupling of the present invention is useful in a wide variety of fluid flow systems; however, it is particularly well adapted for use in a fluid flow system for cryogenics such as liquid nitrogen in which the liquid flowing through the system and the coupling may have temperatures on the order of -320.degree. F. The design of the coupling of the present invention permits the parts to be readily connected and disconnected while opening and closing the respective poppet valves without the parts becoming frozen and rendered inoperable as a result of the flow of liquid at such low temperatures.


A solar light stick for use as a lawn or garden novelty. The solar light stick has a support member, a solar panel, a rechargeable battery, an LED, and a wand. The wand contains a light transmissive material that may be transparent or translucent. The solar panel charges the rechargeable battery which, in turn, provides power to the LED. The LED is positioned to provide light to the interior of the wand. As such, the LED may be located within a recess in the wand. Voids, such as interior bubbles, suspended objects, or surface irregularities may help to disperse light from the LED in a direction external to the wand.

People are often interested in providing decoration to their lawns, gardens, driveways, and sidewalks, and there are many existing devices directed toward this use. One such device is the driveway or walkway light. These small lights provide illumination and decoration and, as the description suggests, are generally placed alongside driveways or walkways. As such the devices are sometimes used to mark a path that is otherwise difficult to discern in low light conditions. However, these existing devices often require connection to an AC power source, intricate wiring between ornaments, expensive components, or energy inefficient incandescent or halogen light bulbs. Furthermore, they are often available in just one color of light: white.
There is therefore a need for a lighted lawn ornament that is simple in construction yet durable. There is further a need that the ornament be constructed of relatively inexpensive materials so as to pose a minimal risk of theft. There is also a need that the ornament have no external electrical hookups, and that the emanated light be of various colors.


This application describes a method of multiplying numbers represented in multiple-word chains. The multiplication scheme allows for the multiplication of both signed and unsigned numbers of varying lengths. The multiplier block 30 executes a 17-bit by 17-bit two""s complement multiply and multiply-accumulate in a single instruction cycle. A 4-bit shift value register with a 4 to 16 bit decoder 35 allows the multiplier to do a 1-16 bit barrel shift on either a 16-bit operand or an (Nxc3x9716)-bit chain operand.

Microprocessors are often required to manipulate binary data having wide ranges of bit lengths, for example data that ranges from a single logic bit to high precision arithmetic operations involving data that may be more than 128 bits in length.
Hardware arithmetic logic units (ALUs) within microprocessors are generally constructed and arranged to handle fixed operand lengths. As a result, high precision arithmetic operations require multiple program steps and multiple microprocessor cycles. These data processing conditions lead to programs that are inefficient in terms of execution time because the microprocessor hardware and the supporting program instruction set are not optimized for operating on data having a wide range of operand lengths.
This inefficiency results in large part from repeated stores and loads to memory as well as software loop control overhead (compares, branches, etc.) For complex operations such as multiplication and operations involving extended-precision algorithms the overhead is even more pronounced. In addition, the sign (negative or positive) and zero status of an arithmetic result must be handled separately for multi-word calculations, requiring even more processor time to complete the operation.
Digital Signal Processors (DSPs) are high-speed microprocessors optimized to carry out large numbers of arithmetic operations in a short period of time. As the name implies, DSPs were developed to carry out real-time processing (e.g., filtering, compression, encryption) algorithms on digital signals. DSPs incorporate performance-optimized arithmetic structures not found in conventional microprocessors. Among the devices incorporated into DSPs to improve number-crunching performance, two of the most important are the hardware multiplier block and the barrel shifter.
As with most structures in a DSP, hardware multiplier blocks are high-performance, speed-optimized structures. Unfortunately, DSP hardware multiplier blocks require large amounts of chip surface area for specialized signal-processing circuitry. In addition, an increase in the size of the multiplier block generally requires a concomitant increase in the size of a CPU""s data buses and arithmetic logic units (ALUs). For example, the multiplication of two 16-bit numbers gives a 32-bit result. A multiplier block able to handle this 16-bit multiplication would generally require 32-bit data buses, arithmetic logic units (ALUs), and accumulators to accommodate the result. This adds considerably to the complexity, and therefore the cost, of a microprocessor. It is also desirable, especially in signal processing applications, to have the capability to multiply numbers of more than one word in length. Unfortunately, the complexity and size of a multiplier block quickly grows unmanageable as the size of its operands increases.
Conventional microprocessors often do not incorporate a hardware multiplication block or barrel shifter, as the size and cost is prohibitive, especially in the cost-competitive consumer market. In a conventional lower-end processor, numbers are multiplied by repetitive additions in a multi-bit adder, a relatively slow process. A typical multiplication carried out in software requires a long series of shifts and adds, requiring a great deal of processor time. From a speed standpoint, it would be highly desirable to have the performance and functionality of a hardware multiplier block built into a low-cost microprocessor, but the complexity and space requirements of the related hardware have traditionally made such a design cost-prohibitive.
A barrel shifter is another speed-optimized DSP structure extremely useful for large calculations. Barrel shifters are designed to shift a number several bit positions in a single operation. Although a barrel shifter is similar in function and structure to a multiplier block, it is conventionally designed in as a completely separate structure on the chip. In binary arithmetic, a shift left of one bit position equates to a multiply by two. A left shift of N bits is equivalent to a multiply by 2N.
Conventional low-end processors do not incorporate barrel shifters, but carry out barrel shifting through a series of single position shifts, each shift comprising a single software operation. Barrel shifting is a highly desirable function in a processor, but the specialized circuitry required to carry out this function takes up too much space on a chip to be included in low-cost processors. The barrel-shifting function could be carried out by a multiplier block if the numbers were encoded properly, but if the encoding must be implemented in software, the overhead significantly reduces any performance gains from a hardware barrel shift.
It is known that prior microprocessors have included the capability of operating on chains, for example by repeating a given instruction a prescribed number of times. It is known that a repeat add with carry will execute a chain operation where the data memory address of the operands and the result are automatically incremented after each operation. It is also known that others have used fixed hardware multipliers to do extended precision multiplies by using a multiply-by-parts algorithm, a complex and relatively inefficient solution.
As mentioned, microprocessors typically must manipulate operands of differing, sometimes widely differing, lengths. Operand lengths can vary from a single logic bit to 512 bits or more. Arithmetic logic units (ALUs), on the other hand, have a fixed width. Where high-precision arithmetic is necessary, requiring operands longer than the ALU, the processor must execute the operation in multiple steps. The programs become inefficient in terms of execution time and programming code efficiency because the basic hardware and supporting instruction set are not optimized for operating on extended-precision data represented by a sequential chain of data words.
Where a number that is one word in length must be multiplied by a number greater than one word in length (chain multiplication), the process can be extremely cumbersome even in designs incorporating a multiplier block. Such a multiplication is carried out by a series of one-word sub-multiplications beginning with the least significant word. For each sub-multiplication, the code must instruct the processor to (1) carry out the single-word multiplication (either in hardware or software), (2) store the lower word of the result to memory, (3) move the higher word of the result to the correct operand register for the next sub-multiplication, (4) check to see if the operand chain is complete, and if not, (5) loop back to start the process over again. This process carries with it a heavy amount of instruction-decode and data-shifting overhead, slowing the multi-word multiplication process down considerably.
The need remains in the art for an enhanced multiplier with specialized architecture to address the problem of operating on long, multiple word length data in an efficient, consistent and unified manner.
This application discloses a multiplier block making use of a xe2x80x9cchainingxe2x80x9d device and integral barrel shift circuitry to increase arithmetic throughput while avoiding many of the liabilities of DSP logic. In order to avoid the inclusion of a double-width (32-bit) ALU and accumulator and yet still accommodate the double-precision (32-bit) result of the multiplier, the 32-bit product of the static multiplier block is split into two parts. The lower 16 bits pass directly to the ALU for immediate use (transfer, accumulate, etc.). The upper 16 bits are latched into a 16-bit register (known as Product High) for later use. The Product High register can be ported directly back to the multiplier block for continuous, multi-word (chain) multiplication. This optimization is totally consistent with the single data memory, single data bus designs found in most microprocessors, which require two cycles to set up two multiplier operands.
This invention optimizes the design of the multiplier block to minimize cost and increase flexibility, so that it can be included in very low cost microprocessors and single chip microcomputers. The basic function of the multiplier block is the execution of a single-cycle 17-bitxc3x9717-bit multiplication yielding a 34-bit product. In the preferred embodiment, the operand can be interpreted as either signed or unsigned. The multiplier incorporates the capability to do a one-word (16-bit) by N-word chain (up to 496-bits) multiplication yielding up to a 512-bit result.
In addition, the multiplier can provide a general purpose barrel shift function. A 4-bit shift value register with a 4-to-16 bit decoder allows the multiplier block to do a 1- to 16-bit barrel shift on either a 16-bit operand or an N * 16-bit chain operand. The long chain barrel shift is unique to multiplier block functions.
The relatively small area needed for the multiplier block and barrel shift circuitry, resulting from the elimination of specialized DSP structures such as look-ahead logic and pipeline circuitry, allows the processor to incorporate much of the functionality and performance of a digital signal processor in a low-cost product.
The multiplier block disclosed in this application is incorporated into a low-cost microprocessor suitable for incorporation into consumer products. The microprocessor and its specialized instruction set provide efficient data processing on data types ranging from one bit to 512 bits in length. The preferred embodiment incorporates specialized hardware structures and specific instruction set enhancements that facilitate operations on multiple word width data in an efficient, consistent, and unified way. Every instruction word that manipulates data has a reserved bit switch that will cause the instruction to be executed either once (operating on single word data) or as a repeated execution of the same instruction (operating on a chain or list of sequential data).
According to the preferred embodiment, several hardware structures are necessary to support this extended precision instruction set definition. First, a hardware chain register with counter was included to control the repeat count and number of words in the chain. Second, a register file was implemented to provide the accumulation function for the ALU. Third, specialized address control was necessary to control the sequential acquisition of up to two input operand chains and one output operand chain. Fourth, extra ALU status logic was included to handle arithmetic and logical status in a unified way independent of data width. Fifth, the product high register was routed to the partial sum input of the hardware multiplier to enable a consistent chain multiply function.
The preferred embodiment provides a one-word length ALU (31 of FIG. 1), provides the concept of word chains, and in the preferred embodiment provides for the ability to specify four different storage areas that each store a pair of chain values, thus overcoming disadvantages of prior microprocessors.
The disclosed embodiments look at data in a consistent way and have very few limitations on the number of bits used to represent data. Software instructions are essentially identical for operating on either single 16-bit words or extended 512-bit word chains. Execution time is extended linearly with the number of words in the operands, with little or no software overhead. The code is compact, logical and easy to understand.
These and other features and advantages of the innovative processor hardware will be apparent to those of skill in this art upon reference to the following detailed description of preferred embodiments of the invention, which description makes reference to the drawings.

Low cost multiplier block with chain capability


An apparatus and method for characterizing light beam collimation and alignment. A liquid crystal device receiving a light beam from a collimation lens has a lenslet array generated thereon. A corresponding array of point spread functions are detected by a charge coupled device camera, from which light beam collimation and alignment are characterized. The data may be further used to adjust the collimation lens to correct misalignment.

1. Field of the Invention (Technical Field)
The present invention relates to collimation and beam alignment methods and apparatuses and to liquid crystal devices ("LCTV's").
2. Background Art
Adaptive optics systems employing LCTV's include those described in Kirsch et al., "Modulation characteristics of the Epson liquid crystal television", Optical Engineering 31:5, pp. 963-967 (May 1992); Bonaccini et al., "Adaptive optics wavefront corrector using addressable liquid crystal retarders", SPIE Current Developments in Optical Engineering IV 1334, pp. 89-97 (Jan. 1990); Bonaccini et al., "Adaptive optics wavefront corrector using addressable liquid crystal retarders: II", SPIE Active and Adaptive Optical Components 1543, pp. 133-143 (Jan. 1991); U.S. Pat. No. 4,695,973, entitled "Real-Time Programmable Optical Correlator", to Yu (Sep. 1987); U.S. Pat. No. 4,943,709, entitled "Liquid Crystal Adaptive Optics System", to Grinberg et al. (Jul. 1990); U.S. Pat. No. 5,253,033, entitled "Laser Radar System with Phased-Array Beam Steerer", to Lipchak et al. (Oct. 1993); and U.S. Pat. No. 5,113,282, entitled "Dual Light Valve System with Selective Decoupling of Light Valves", to O'Meara et al. (May 1992). However, it is believed that no one has heretofore applied LCTV's to the problem of beam alignment and collimation.

Characterization of collimation and beam alignment

New Mexico State University Technology Transfer Corporation


In a liquid crystal display device, a recessed portion is formed in a portion of a periphery of a lower frame, a columnar member is provided to the recessed portion, the columnar member is allowed to pass through a hole formed in a projecting portion which is provided on an optical sheet, and a side surface of a liquid crystal panel is brought into contact with the columnar member. The columnar member provided on the lower frame not only determines the position of the liquid crystal panel with respect to the lower frame, but also determines the position of the optical sheet with respect to the lower frame and firmly holds the optical sheet onto the lower frame, thus preventing the disengagement of the optical sheet from the lower frame.

The present invention relates to a liquid crystal display device; and, more particularly, the invention relates to a liquid crystal display device in which the reliability is enhanced by holding an optical sheet that is interposed between a liquid crystal panel and a backlight, which is arranged at a back surface of the liquid crystal panel, at a given position in such a way as to prevent a positional displacement of the optical sheet.
A liquid crystal display device, which is capable of generating a color display of high definition for a notebook type computer or a computer monitor, is provided with a light source for illuminating the liquid crystal panel from a back of the panel (a so-called backlight), and an optical sheet is interposed between the backlight and the liquid crystal panel for correcting the light provided from the backlight so that it has a given brightness distribution with respect to the liquid crystal panel.
The liquid crystal panel which constitutes this type of liquid crystal display device basically sandwiches a liquid crystal layer between two substrates, at least one of which is a transparent substrate, such as a glass plate or the like. This type of liquid crystal panel is roughly classified into a type which turns on and off given pixels by selectively applying voltages to various kinds of electrodes for forming pixels, which are formed on the substrate (simple matrix), and a type which forms the above-mentioned various kinds of electrodes along with active elements for selecting pixels and turns on and off given pixels by selecting the active elements (active matrix). Currently, due to the fact that the active matrix type liquid crystal panel has advantageous characteristics, such as high definition and high-speed display, the active matrix liquid crystal panel has been popularly accepted.
The conventional active matrix type liquid crystal display device employs a so-called vertical electric field type system in which an electric field is applied between pixel electrodes which are formed on one substrate and a common electrode which is formed on the other substrate so as to change the orientation direction of the liquid crystal layer (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 309921/1988).
On the other hand, a so-called liquid crystal display device of the lateral electric field type (also referred to as "IPS type") has been developed, in which the direction of the electric field applied to the liquid crystal layer is substantially parallel to the surface of the substrate. As an example of a liquid crystal display device of this lateral electric field type, a display device has been proposed which can obtain an extremely wide viewing angle by using comb-shaped electrodes at one of the two substrates (see Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 21907/1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,345,249).
In any one of the above-mentioned liquid crystal display devices, as an illumination light source of the liquid crystal panel, there is a side edge backlight, which is constituted of a light guide plate and a linear lamp, and a direct backlight, in which a plurality of linear light sources are directly installed at a back surface of the liquid crystal panel.
Particularly, the side edge backlight is constructed as follows. A linear lamp (cold cathode fluorescent lamp, for example) is arranged along at least one side edge of a light guide plate, which is constituted of a transparent plate, such as an acrylic plate. Light irradiated from the linear lamp is introduced into the light guide plate, and the path of the light is changed in the course of propagation inside of the light guide plate and is irradiated from the light guide plate. Then, the light is corrected to a given brightness distribution by means of an optical sheet, which has a laminated structure formed of a light diffusion sheet and a prism, and then the light illuminates the liquid crystal panel disposed above the optical sheet.
The liquid crystal display device is assembled into a so-called liquid crystal display module by integrating the liquid crystal panel and the backlight together with the optical sheet using an upper frame and a mold case (also referred to as a "lower frame"). Usually, the light guide plate which constitutes the backlight is fitted into the mold case which constitutes the lower frame, and, thereafter, the optical sheet is positioned on the mold case. Then, the liquid crystal panel is mounted on and is positioned on the optical sheet.
However, the optical diffusion sheet and the prism sheet, which constitute the optical sheet, are extremely thin film-like members. These film-like members must be positioned at a given position on the lower frame. Further, it is necessary to prevent a positional displacement and disengagement of the film-like members in the course of conveying the assembly during the manufacturing process or in the course of transporting it to an assembly plant for further assembly.
FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B are schematic diagrams illustrating an example of a conventional a structure for positioning and holding an optical sheet in a liquid crystal display device, wherein FIG. 17A is a cross-sectional view of a relevant part and FIG. 17B is a developed perspective view of the relevant part.
In FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B, MCA indicates a lower frame in the form of a resin mold which is configured to house a reflection sheet RFS, a light guide plate GLB, an optical sheet OPS, a liquid crystal panel PNL and the like. The reflection sheet RFS is mounted on the lower frame MCA, and the light guide plate GLB is fitted onto the reflection sheet RFS from above. The optical sheet OPS is positioned on the light guide plate GLB.
In this example, as shown in FIG. 17B, the optical sheet OPS is constituted of four film members in total, wherein optical diffusion sheets SPS are laminated to both sides of two prism sheets PRS whose groove directions cross each other. A projecting portion (lug) TAB is formed on one of the peripheries of the optical sheet OPS, and the optical sheet OPS is positioned by passing a columnar member (pin) PIN, which is mounted on the lower frame MCA, through a hole HOL formed in the projecting portion TAB. Thereafter, a cylindrical sleeve SB made of silicone or rubber is fitted on the columnar member PIN from above the columnar member PIN so as to fix the optical sheet, thus preventing removal or disengagement of the optical sheet OPS from the columnar member PIN.
Then, the liquid crystal panel PNL is assembled into the lower frame MCA and is then covered with an upper frame SHD. Subsequently, the upper frame SHD is fixed to the lower frame MCA so as to form an integrated liquid crystal display module.
The mounting position of the columnar member PIN is usually disposed at one of the peripheries of the lower frame MCA so as to avoid a side of the liquid crystal panel PNL on which a driver is mounted and a portion thereof where a liquid crystal filling and sealing opening is formed. A similar structure or a structure which simply holds the optical sheet loosely is provided at other peripheries of the lower frame MCA.
FIG. 18A and FIG. 18B are schematic views illustrating another conventional example of the positioning of an optical sheet in a liquid crystal display device and a holding structure thereof, wherein FIG. 18A is a cross-sectional view of a relevant part and FIG. 18B is a plan view of the relevant part. The same numerals as those used in FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B indicate identical functional elements.
In this example, U-shaped walls WL which surround projecting portions TAB formed on an optical sheet OPS from three directions are formed at four peripheries of a lower frame, and the projecting portions TAB formed on the optical sheet OPS are fitted into and seated in recessed portions formed by these U-shaped walls WL so as to provide for the positioning of the optical sheet OPS.
Further, there may be a method in which such U-shaped walls WL are formed only at two opposing peripheries or neighboring peripheries, or in which the U-shaped wall WL is formed at only one periphery and the optical sheet OPS and the lower frame are fixed to each other using an adhesive tape or the like at peripheries which are not provided with the U-shaped walls WL.
FIG. 19 is a developed perspective view illustrating a further conventional example of the positioning of an optical sheet in a liquid crystal display device and a holding structure thereof. In this conventional example, recessed portions DH are formed in front and back surfaces of a lower frame MCA. Columnar members PIN, similar to the columnar members PIN of the example described in conjunction with FIG. 17A and FIG. 17B, are formed such that they project at both front and back sides of the recessed portions DH. A projecting portion TAB, which is formed on the optical sheet OPS, is seated in the front-side recessed portion DH such that the columnar member PIN passes through a hole HOL formed in the projecting portion TAB. Thereafter, a clip CLM is fitted on the columnar members PIN which are projected at both front and back sides of the recessed portions DH.
This clip CLM is provided with an opening PR1 into which the front-side columnar member PIN is fitted from the lateral direction and an opening PR2 into which the back-side columnar member PIN is filled from the lower direction. The clip is formed of a metallic resilient material and resiliently fixes the optical sheet OPS to the lower frame MCA.
Examples of the above-mentioned structures are disclosed, for example, in Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 281966/1999, Japanese Laid-open Patent publication 90361/1997 and Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication 258756/2000.


Systems and methods are provided for overlapping compact multiple transformers. The systems and methods may include a first transformer section that includes a first primary winding section and a first secondary winding, where the first primary winding section is inductively coupled to the first secondary winding, where the first transformer section is associated with a first rotational current flow direction in the first primary winding section; and a second transformer section that includes a second primary winding section and a second secondary winding, where the second primary winding section is inductively coupled to the second secondary winding, wherein the second transformer section is associated with a second rotational current flow direction in the second primary winding section, where a first portion of the first primary winding section is adjacent to a second portion of the second primary winding section, where the adjacent first and second portions include a substantially same first linear current flow direction.

According to the fast growth of semiconductor technology, many blocks and functions have been integrated on a chip as a System-On-Chip (SOC) technology. In the semiconductor technology, a monolithic transformer requires a significant amount of space. Moreover, the monolithic transformer requires a minimum of 50-μm spacing from other circuitry to prevent undesirable magnetic coupling or loss of magnetic flux. Accordingly, the total size of multiple transformers is large and increases manufacturing cost, chip size, and package size.

Overlapping compact multiple transformers


In order to reliably cut off a living tissue by using a microwave in a surgical operation without causing excessive damage to the living tissue or without bleeding, it is necessary to suppress energy attenuation until the microwave reaches electrode blades for nipping, coagulating, and cutting off a tissue. However, it is difficult to suppress the energy attenuation. The present invention relates to a medical treatment device capable of reliably cutting off a living tissue by using a microwave while sealing vasculature by coagulating the living tissue without excessively damaging the living tissue. Specifically, the present invention relates to a medical treatment device including a movable first electrode blade connected to an external conductor and a fixed second electrode blade connected directly to a central electrode. The medical treatment device has a function of holding a living tissue between the movable first electrode blade and the fixed second electrode blade, coagulating the living tissue by supplying a microwave from the fixed second electrode blade, and cutting off the living tissue by turning the movable first electrode blade. In the medical treatment device, a turning mechanism for the movable first electrode blade is arranged at a certain clearance from the central electrode.

There are known surgical treatment devices using microwaves so as to perform coagulation, hemostasis, incision, and the like with respect to body parts such as digestive organs, the liver, the bladder, the prostate, the uterus, blood vessels, and the intestinal canal.
Specifically, a conventional electrosurgical knife or the like uses Joule heat generated by using a high-frequency voltage at a frequency of approximately 500 kHz so as to heat and coagulate a surface of a living tissue. When the coagulation is performed with such a conventional electrosurgical knife or the like using Joule heat, a living tissue is easily coagulated, and hence the coagulated surface may be peeled off and dropped from the living tissue.
Meanwhile, when a microwave is applied to a living tissue between electrodes, dielectric heat is generated in the living tissue by a near electromagnetic field formed by microwave power. The dielectric heat evaporates moisture of the living tissue, and the living tissue is coagulated and fixed. In this way, a vascular vessel is sealed, and a hemostatic effect is achieved.
When coagulation and hemostasis are performed by using microwaves, the living tissue can be coagulated at a relatively low temperature. Thus, the living tissue can be kept in a fixed state in which a function of the living tissue is stopped while maintaining a cell shape of the living tissue. Thus, a situation that the coagulated surface is peeled off or dropped from the living tissue is prevented.
Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2005-21658 A and Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2007-282666 A each disclose a device which uses microwaves as described above so as to perform coagulation, hemostasis, incision, and the like with respect to a living tissue. Treatment using microwaves involves a problem of a spark that may be generated by electrodes brought into contact with each other. The spark causes excessive damage to a living tissue. As a countermeasure, the medical treatment device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2007-282666 A is designed to prevent generation of the spark by preventing two electrodes from being brought into contact with each other at the time of holding a living tissue so as to maintain a parallel state therebetween. However, in the medical treatment device disclosed in Japanese Patent Application No. JP 2007-282666 A, a turning shaft of an electrode and a point of effort (position at which electrode open/close rod is mounted) exist in the same electrode, and a distance therebetween is small. Thus, the electrode cannot be lightly turned, and hence delicate work during a surgical operation is not easy. Further, a lower blade electrode connected to a central electrode is close to a conductive holder connected to an external conductor, and a distance from a distal end portion of coaxial cables to blades for cutting off a living tissue is long. Thus, there is a problem that a microwave is not efficiently applied to a living tissue.

Medical treatment device for holding, coagulating, and cutting living tissue

NATIONAL UNIVERSITY CORPORATION SHIGA UNIVERSITY


The present invention aims at providing an antibody, by which metastin or its derivative can be quantified specifically with a high sensitivity, a method of detecting/quantifying metastin or its derivative using the antibody, and a diagnostic agent (e.g., a diagnostic for pregnancy) the same.

Polypeptide having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 (hereinafter sometimes referred to as human metastin) is a novel peptide, which was found in human placenta as a ligand to an orphan G-protein-coupled receptor protein (hOT7T175). Reportedly, human metastin has a cancer metastasis suppressing activity, because it is encoded by KiSS-1, which is a cancer metastasis suppressor gene (Nature, 411, 613–617 (2001); WO 00/24890; JPA 2000-312590). In the spontaneous metastasis model system of mouse using B16 melanoma bearing hOT7T175 forcedly expressed, a significant decrease in the number of metastin was noted when human metastin was administered, which made it clear that human metastin showed its metastasis suppressing activity also in vivo. Based on the system in which an increase in [Ca2+] concentration in Chinese hamster ovary (hereinafter also referred to as "CHO") cells expressing the human metastin derivative hOT7T175 is used as an indicator, human metastin shows an activity equivalent to a peptide having the sequence of 45–54 amino acids in the amino acid sequence, and the C-terminal amide structure is considered to be important for the activity. Though human metastin showed a cancer metastasis suppressing activity in animal test, further detailed studies are necessary for its effects on clinical cancer in human and its physiological significance.
Any method of efficiently quantifying human metastin has not been established. Thus, in order to elucidate the physiological activities of human metastin, it has earnestly been desired to develop the assay system of detecting/quantifying human metastin in a simple manner with high sensitivity.

Anti-metasin antibodies and their methods of use

Abstract: Specifically, an antibody capable of specifically reacting with a partial peptide at the N-terminus or C-terminus of a polypeptide having the amino acid sequence represented by SEQ ID NO: 1 or its derivative, and a method of detecting/quantifying metastin or its derivative using the antibody as well as a diagnostic agent using the same.


A portable electronic device includes at least one near-field or medium-field wireless communication interface (1600-1900) and at least two information elements in a memory (1410) and wherein at least two different access modes (1420) may be associated with each information element, a user is able to associate an access mode with an identifier representing a third party electronic entity via a man-machine interface (1200) during a configuration phase, and at least one information item can thereafter be made available to a third party electronic entity by cryptographic elements (1430) and the wireless communication interface during a utilization phase as a function of an access mode previously associated with both the identifier representing the third party electronic entity and the information element.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to a portable electronic device and an associated method for making information available. It implies in particular a methodology for configuration of electronic entities interacting within the framework of an ad hoc network, i.e. a network in which the electronic entities are organized to communicate with each other via wireless communication media with no predefined infrastructure.
The invention aims to simplify the use of wireless communication and more specifically to simplify the process of configuring the use of wireless communication for users exchanging information with different exchange criteria in a social exchange context (linked with digital exchange networks such as Facebook and the like), a business exchange context (within the framework of a company) or a commercial exchange context (stores, trading rooms).
2. Description of the Related Art
The wireless communication mode may conform to a standard such as the WiFi IEEE 802.11, Bluetooth 802.15.1, Zigbee 802.15.4 or NFC (Near-Field Communication) standard. The information exchanged is notably information with a multimedia or informational content, for example.
The document EP1553729 teaches retrieving an XML file written on a portable medium by an initiation device using a similar device. The portable medium may be lost or damaged and the data that it contains may be corrupted.
The document US2006/0146765 teaches using a shared visual space and makes it possible to transfer content on the basis of manipulation of visual elements representing the content. This is complicated and necessitates prolonged intervention by the user.

Portable electronic device and associated method for making information available


A miniature lens focusing mechanism includes a lens holder, at least one winding element surrounding the lens holder, at least one elastic element connected to the lens holder and the at least one winding element, and at least one magnetic element. When a current is supplied, the current is transmitted via the elastic element to the winding element, so that an acting force is produced between the winding element and the magnetic element to displace the lens holder and accordingly, achieve the function of auto-focusing.

With the advancement in scientific technologies and the modularization and miniaturization of camera lens, it is now possible to produce digital cameras having a very small volume, and most of currently available mobile phones are provided with the function of a digital camera. In a miniature lens, there are many different auto-focusing driving mechanisms. Among others, voice coil motor (VCM) is the currently most widely adopted auto-focusing driving mechanism. The VCM has the advantages of small volume, low power consumption, accurately actuated displacement, and cost-effective, and is therefore very suitable for short-distance driving in miniature lens auto-focusing.
FIG. 1 schematically shows the basic principle of lens focusing. In a general focusing unit 10, there are included a lens assembly 11 and a photo sensor 12. With the lens assembly 11, light reflected from an object can form an image on the photo sensor 12. In the case a distance between the lens assembly 11 and the photo sensor 12 is fixed, that is, the lens assembly 11 is a fixed focal lens, only the object located more than two to three meters away from the lens can be clearly shown on the camera. If it is desired to own the macro shooting function, it is necessary to use an additional lens focusing unit to displace the lens assembly, so as to change the distance between the lens assembly and the photo sensor and thereby achieve the purpose of focusing. When the lens assembly is provided with the zoom function, multiple lens groups inside the lens assembly must also be displaced corresponding to the changes in zoom ratio. In this case, the focusing unit must also be included in the lens module to enable the displacement of the lens groups.
In the conventional focusing mechanism, the lens assembly is displaced mainly via a manually controlled mechanism, and is therefore not so convenient for operation. It is therefore tried by the inventor to develop an electromagnetically driven lens focusing mechanism, which not only has simplified design and improved assembling process to enable reduced manufacturing cost, but also overcomes the drawbacks in the conventional lens focusing mechanism, and can be advantageously applied to mobile phone, notebook computer, personal digital assistant (PDA), etc.


A blood vessel locating and stabilizing device including a transparent planar device that may be used to locate and stabilize a blood vessel so that the blood vessel is less likely to roll when it is punctured with a needle. The device is planar and includes a transparent region and a recess formed in a distal side surface that is configured to locate and stabilize a blood vessel. In a method of using the present device, the planar member is gripped along a first and second major surfaces of the device, the recess is positioned over the targeted blood vessel, and a force is applied to the device so that the blood vessel is located and stabilized.

Numerous medical procedures involve percutaneous insertions into a blood vessel, such as for example the femoral artery. Among the more common procedures are diagnostic and therapeutic intervention, such as for example balloon angioplasty and stent placement, brain artery catheterization, cardiac catheterization, intra-aortic balloon pumping (IABP) and percutaneous transluminal coronary angioplasty (PTCA). Each of these procedures typically begins with the placement of an angiographic needle through the skin and tissue of the patient's leg at a pulse point of the femoral artery immediately below the inguinal or groin crease. The needle is introduced until the tip of the needle has entered the femoral artery. A guidewire is then inserted through the needle and up through the femoral and iliac arteries until the guidewire reaches the desired location. The needle may then be removed, leaving the guidewire in place to serve as a guide for the insertion of an introducer sheath assembly.
It takes a considerable amount of skill to be able to locate a femoral artery or other targeted blood vessel, stabilize it, and then insert the needle so as to minimize pain to the patient. If the needle is not perfectly pointed towards the blood vessel, the blood vessel will often move laterally, or "roll," away from the needle as soon as the initial pressure is applied to the blood vessel. When the blood vessel rolls away from the needle or the needle misses the blood vessel, it is necessary to repeat the procedure causing discomfort and anxiety for the patient. Rolling is a particularly common problem because the blood vessel is embedded in soft tissue and has more mobility.
Traditionally, caregivers attempt to localize the path of the blood vessel with their fingers. This procedure however is fraught with the danger of the caregiver puncturing one of his or her fingers with the needle and being subjected to the risks of acquiring blood borne diseases such as hepatitis B and HIV infections and bacterial infections at the puncture site.
Various devices have been devised for vascular stabilization or positioning, such devices tend to be rather elaborate, requiring in many instances a positive mounting to the arm or the like. Known devices also tend to have limited utility insofar as being capable of accommodating, with a single instrument, the many variations that exist among different patients as well as the particular arteries and veins that are positioned, stabilized and retained during puncture.
One group of such devices at least partially blocks the flow of blood through the targeted blood vessel while stabilizing the vessel. Examples of such devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,116 (Silliman), U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,854 (Weese), and U.S. Pat. No. 4,586,924 (Lanning). These devices generally include a surface portion that compresses the skin so that blood flow is restricted in the vessel. When force is applied to the portion against the skin, the vessel tends to bulge from the excess blood obstructed by the device. In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 1,561,116 (Silliman) describes a vein stabilizer that includes a handle and a substantially flat blade portion having a notch. The flat blade portion is adapted to be pressed over a distended vein to close one end of the vein so that the vein projects through the notch.
U.S. Pat. No. 2,103,174 (Posada) describes a device that restricts blood flow in a blood vessel with a strap and retains the blood vessel with a vein retaining plate. The strap serves as a tourniquet functioning to turn off or restrict the blood flow from the upper arm to the forearm. The vein retaining plate is made of spring metal material. The vein retaining plate is a substantially rectangular configuration and is dished or bowed so that the outer marginal edges of a pair or legs or arms lie in a plane above the plane of the inner marginal edges of said legs. The vein retaining plate also includes a convex strip that functions as a spring so that in the operation of the device, the width of the opening that extends between the inner edges of the arms or legs may be readily diminished by merely pressing the fingers on the sides of the arms or legs.
Another group of devices may allow blood to flow through the targeted blood vessel while it is stabilized, but do not allow for rotational positioning against the patient during stabilization to expose the targeted blood vessel. These types of devices are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,332,248 (DeVitis), U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,095 (Harvey), and U.S. Pat. No. 5,415,647 (Pisarik). In particular, U.S. Pat. No. 5,254,095 (Harvey) describes a stabilizer for blood vessels that includes a pair of diverging panels integrally joined at a bight portion which in turn defines a hinge between the panels. The panels have outer edges with extending legs for engagement with and manipulation of the skin for the positioning and stabilizing of veins.
Still another group of devices do not stabilize a targeted blood vessel. Rather, these devices guide a needle into a blood vessel at a particular angle. U.S. Pat. No. 5,292,325 (Gurmarnik) describes a device and a method for facilitating subcutaneous introduction of a plastic carrier that includes an element having a supporting portion arranged to be supported on the skin of a patient, and a guiding portion extending substantially transversely to the supporting portion and having at least one slot formed so that when the supporting portion is placed on the skin of a patient and oriented on a surface projection line of an artery and a catheter is introduced through the slot of the guiding portion, the catheter is guided on an edge formed in the guiding portion by the slot so that a tip of the catheter is introduced exactly into the artery.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,911,707 (Wolvek, et al.) describes a needle guide that ensures that an angiographic needle is inserted into a patient's femoral artery at a prescribed location, angle and direction. The needle guide includes an elongated base having a recess on one end defined by a pair of projecting fingers, and a support member on the upper surface of the base adjacent to the recess. The support member has a support surface which is inclined at a prescribed angle with respect to a locating plane defined by the base. A channel in the support surface cradles and guides the angiographic needle at the prescribed angle as it is inserted into the femoral artery.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,572,182 (Royse) describes a pressure pad for use on an artery clamp of the type used to apply pressure following catheterization of a major artery. The pad includes a notched portion to facilitate placement of the pad over a catheter prior to removal of a catheter from a patient's artery. The pad is removably attached to an artery clamp.

Blood vessel locating and stabilizing device and method of using the same