A keratan sulfate hydrolase of an endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type, obtained by culturing Bacillus circulans KsT202, has reactivity on keratan polysulfate at high concentrations, an optimum pH of 4.5-6, stability at a pH of 6-7, an optimum temperature of 50-60.degree. C., thermostability at a temperature of 45.degree. C., and a molecular weight of approximately 200,000 dalton.

As enzymes derived from microorganisms which hydrolyze keratan sulfate (hereinafter referred to as a keratan sulfate hydrolase), an endo-.beta.-galactosidase type enzyme which hydrolyzes galactosidic linkages in the sugar chain of keratan sulfate and an endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type enzyme which hydrolyzes N-acetylglucosaminidic linkages of that are known.
As microorganisms producing the endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type enzyme, only Ks 36 strain belonging to the genus Bacillus, which has been isolated from soil samples by the present inventors, is known, and the microbiological characteristics and enzymological properties thereof have been clarified (Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2-57182).
Keratan sulfate is grouped into keratan sulfate I which exists in corneas of animals, and keratan sulfate II and keratan polysulfate which are contained in the tissues such as cartilages, and each of them is a copolymer comprising the disaccharide of galactose and N-acetylglucosamine as a constitutional unit. In the former, most of the 6-positions of N-acetylglucosamine have a hydroxyl group, while a large proportion of the constituents are the disaccharide disulfate of which both hydroxyl groups of the 6-positions of N-acetylglucosamine and galactose are sulfated in the latter.
A keratan sulfate hydrolase of endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type acts on these keratan sulfates above and mainly produces sulfated keratan a sulfate disaccharide and sulfated keratan sulfate tetrasaccharide as the hydrolyzates. The disaccharide includes monosulfated keratan sulfate disaccharide and disulfated keratan sulfate disaccharide whose reducing end sugars are N-acetylglucosamine.
Accordingly, the hydrolyzates of keratan sulfate by the keratan sulfate hydrolase of endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type are mainly sulfated keratan sulfate -disaccharide and sulfated keratan sulfate tetrasaccharide having the N-acetyllactosamine structure.
N-acetyllactosamine is contained in the sugar chain of oligosaccharide in human milk, lipopolysaccharides, and a variety of glycoproteins and glycolipid, known as a growth factor of Lactobacillus bifidus (Bifidus factor) which is an enterobacterium of breast-fed babies, and promisingly expected to be used for high nutritious foods such as prepared dried milk for babies. And recently, the oligosaccharide represented by the so-called sialyl Le.sup.x sugar chain which is produced by bonding fucose to the N-acetylglucosamine residue of N-acetyllactosamine by the .alpha.-1,3 bond and sialic acid to the galactose residue by the .alpha.-2,3 bond, has an inhibitory activity to cell adhesion and is expected to be a constituent of anti-inflammatory agents, and therefore N-acetyllactosamine is promisingly expected also as a starting material of the sialyl Le.sup.x sugar chain synthesis.
It is known that N-acetyllactosamine is prepared by a method of synthesis with an enzyme, a method of desulfation of sulfated keratan disaccharide which is a hydrolyzate with a keratan sulfate hydrolase, and so on. And it is known that sulfated N-acetyllactosamine tetrasaccharide is prepared by hydrolyzing keratan sulfate with a keratan sulfate hydrolase as described above. However, as the keratan sulfate hydrolase of endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type used in the preparation above, only the keratan sulfate hydrolase (keratan sulfate hydrolase II) derived from the Ks 36 strain is known as described above. This enzyme does not have enough thermostability as it is not stable at approximately 30.degree. C. or above; therefore, it is not considered an appropriate enzyme in order to prepare sulfated keratan sulfate disaccharide or tetrasaccharide on a large industrial scale. Especially in the preparation of sulfated keratan sulfate disaccharide or tetrasaccharide by a batch degradation method or immobilized enzyme degradation methods, the keratan sulfate hydrolase is required to have high thermostability, and the development of the keratan sulfate hydrolase of endo-.beta.-N-acetylglucosaminidase type having high thermostability has been desired.

Bacillus circulans KsT202 produces keratan sulfate hydrolase


A laptop computer includes a video camera mounted to the lid, preferably embedded into the bezel above the display. The camera includes a CMOS imaging array, video data from which is communicated along a dedicated path from the camera to a graphics controller for output to the display, thereby bypassing the system bus. This makes it possible to display full frame, full data rate video with minimum impact on the overall system performance. Panning and zooming are implemented by software that controls the addresses in the pixel array from which data are transferred to the graphics controller""s associated display memory.

A portion of the disclosure of this patent document contains material which is subject to copyright protection. The copyright owner has no objection to the facsimile reproduction by anyone of the patent document or the patent disclosure as it appears in the Patent and Trademark Office patent file or records, but otherwise reserves all copyright rights whatsoever.
This application relates generally to video cameras, and more specifically to CMOS cameras in laptop computers.
As video, telephony, and computers have merged, the need for a compact video camera that interfaces to the computer has arisen. Video conferencing is a natural application, but other applications abound. In view of this need, there have been developed small portable cameras that can sit on top of a computer monitor. An example is a family of cameras marketed under the QuickCam mark by Connectix Corporation of San Mateo, Calif.
As laptop computers have evolved, there was recognized a need to provide for improved video input. The Zoomed Video (ZV) port was defined to provide a dedicated video bus between a PC card slot and a VGA graphics controller. The ZV port bypasses the system buses and allows the direct transfer of digital video from a PC Card host adapter into the graphics controller""s associated display memory.
The present invention provides enhanced video capabilities in the demanding environment of laptop computers. Embodiments of the present invention allow image panning and zooming without the need for delicate mechanical mechanisms.
A laptop computer according to an embodiment of the invention includes a video camera mounted to the lid, preferably embedded into the bezel above the display. The video data is communicated along a dedicated path from the camera to a graphics controller for output to the display, thereby bypassing the system bus. This makes it possible to display full frame, full data rate video with minimum impact on the overall system performance. In a preferred embodiment, the communication makes use of the graphics controller""s Zoomed Video (ZV) port.
The camera has an imaging array (preferably a CMOS sensor array) and a fixed focal length lens (preferably wide angle). Panning and zooming are implemented by software that controls the addresses in the pixel array from which data are transferred to the graphics controller""s associated display memory.
A further understanding of the nature and advantages of the present invention may be realized by reference to the remaining portions of the specification and the drawings.

Embedded CMOS camera in a laptop computer


A woven papermakers fabric having a first system of yarns interwoven with a second system of yarns. The second system of yarns define a five float repeat on the paper carrying side of the fabric while maintaining vertical alignment of the first system yarns in the respective first and second layers of the first system. Preferably, the first system yarns are cross machine direction (CMD) yarns which repeat with respect to eight pairs of stacked machine direction (MD) yarns.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to papermakers fabric. More particularly, the present invention relates to the weave construction of forming fabrics and press felts.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Papermaking machines transform an aqueous slurry of pulp fibers into a continuous paper sheet. The papermaking process starts in a forming section of the papermaking machine where an aqueous pulp slurry is deposited onto forming fabrics having desired characteristics for retaining the pulp fibers while allowing water to pass through the fabric. In the forming section, the pulp fibers are formed into an aqueous paper web. The paper web is then transferred to and carried by press felts through a press section of the papermaking machine where additional water is removed by conveying the paper web through one or more press nips. The paper web is then transferred to and carried through a drying section on dryer fabrics to remove additional water through forced evaporation. The designs of papermakers fabrics used on each section of the papermaking machine vary in accordance with function.
Forming fabrics may possess fine mesh weave to support the paper fibers in the slurry. Additionally, a fine weave avoids paper markings on the forming paper. Forming fabrics should also possess good drainage characteristics to facilitate paper formation during the initial water removal from the slurry. Furthermore, forming fabrics should withstand tensile loads in the machine direction and compressive buckling loads in the cross machine direction.
For press felts, several other characteristics are desired. Press felts should maintain sufficient void volume to allow the efficient transfer of water out of the aqueous paper web as it is conveyed through press nips. The press felts should be designed to withstand the humidity and temperature rigors of the press section. Furthermore, the felts should maintain uniformity over a substantial time period as they are used on the press section. In light of these conditions and factors, it is desired to provide press felts with enhanced stability, low flow resistance, compaction resistance, increased void volume, increased cleanability, and durable pressing uniformity.
Attempts have been made to overcome the problems associated with forming fabrics and press felts. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,333,502 and 4,171,009 (Karm) disclose a two layer forming fabric with a distinctive weave and sequence pattern. Although a two layer forming fabric is disclosed, both patents teach a weave pattern in the machine direction and do not exhibit the same level of support surface as the instant invention. U.S. Pat. No. 4,414,263 (Miller et al.) discloses a two layer press felt based fabric having stacked MD yarns with a simple two layer weave. U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,449,026; 5,167,261; and 5,103,874 (Lee) disclose various weaves for fabrics having flat stacked MD yarns.
Additionally, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,461,803 and 4,537,816 (Booth et al.) disclose press base fabrics having stacked MD yarns woven with CMD yarns which float over multiple MD yarns, but do not carry extensive floats along the paper sheet support surface.
While these patents disclose fabrics which perform satisfactorily in many applications, it is desirable to provide a structure for forming fabrics and press felts, having characteristics which more particularly solve the problems associated with papermaking fabrics and processes as previously discussed.

Papermakers fabric with enhanced cmd support and stacking


A packet sending mechanism which has received a packet from a packet identifier adding mechanism sends the packet on the basis of preset information and determines whether the packet is related to an illicit access.

The present invention relates to a packet transfer method and apparatus for transferring a packet between a plurality of network segments, and a storage medium which stores a program therefor.
In a conventional packet transfer apparatus connected between a plurality of network segments to transfer a packet between these segments, it is determined, to prevent any illicit access, whether a packet is to be transferred, on the basis of the network address, service number of the destination/transmission source, and the like which are set by the user using a network or another setting means.
The illicit access preventing means in the conventional packet transfer apparatus will be described with reference to FIGS. 1 through 3. FIG. 1 shows the arrangement of the conventional packet transfer apparatus. A packet transfer apparatus 01 has, as its components, a packet receiving section 02 for receiving a packet from a network segment as a transmission source, a packet filter section 03 for controlling to filter (select) the packet received by the packet receiving section 02, a packet sending section 04 for sending the packet that has passed through the packet filter section 03 to another network segment as a sending destination, a rule setting section 05 for setting the network address, service number of the destination/transmission source, or the like to prevent any illicit access, and a rule holding section 06 which holds information such as an address set by the rule setting section 05 and is looked up by the packet filter section 03.
FIG. 2 shows the arrangement of a network system including the packet transfer apparatus 01 having the above arrangement, and FIG. 3 shows contents stored in the rule holding section 06 of the packet transfer apparatus 01.
The user presets, e.g., destination/transmission source network address, service number, and identification information representing whether transmission is to be permitted in the rule holding section 06 using the function of the rule setting section 05.
Assume that a network system as shown in FIG. 2 is built using the packet transfer apparatus 01 having the arrangement shown in FIG. 1, and the user makes the rule holding section 06 hold in advance set contents (rules) as shown in FIG. 3 using the function of the rule setting section 05.
In this state, for example, assume that the packet receiving section 02 receives a packet which requests use of the HTTP service of a host having network address [192.168.0.31] from a host having network address [192.168.1.12].
The received packet is sent to the packet filter section 03.
The packet filter section 03 looks up the rules shown in FIG. 3, which are preset by the user and stored in the rule holding section 06.
The packet filter section 03 looks up the rules shown in FIG. 3, determines that an access from the host having network address [192.168.1.12] to use the HTTP service of the host having network address [192.168.0.31] is permitted, and sends the packet to the packet sending section 04. The packet is transferred from the packet sending section 04 to the host having network address [192.168.0.31], thus completing communication.
Instead, for example, assume that the packet receiving section 02 receives a packet which requests use of the HTTP service of the host having network address [192.168.0.31] from a host having network address [192.168.1.13]. The received packet is sent to the packet filter section 03.
The packet filter section 03 looks up the rules shown in FIG. 3, which are preset by the user and stored in the rule holding section 06.
The packet filter section 03 looks up the rules shown in FIG. 3 and determines that an access from the host having network address [192.168.1.13] to use the HTTP service of the host having network address [192.168.0.31] is inhibited. Hence, this packet is determined as an illicit access by the packet filter section 03 and discarded, so the received packet is not sent from the packet sending section 04.
A packet of another destination/transmission source/service is also sent/discarded in accordance with the contents (rules) in the rule holding section 06 shown in FIG. 3 in the same way as described above.
The illicit access preventing means in the conventional packet transfer apparatus described above cannot prevent an illicit access using an address or service number which is set to transfer the packet only by determining whether the packet is to be transferred on the basis of, e.g., the MAC (Media Access Control) address of the destination/transmission source, the destination/transmission source address or service number of an upper protocol, and is insufficient for the purpose of preventing a packet related to an illicit access from passing.
For example, even when all the destination/transmission source MAC addresses or the destination/transmission source addresses or service numbers of upper protocols are correctly set, a packet having data that is regarded as an illicit access is transferred through (via) the set transmission source, and the data carried by the packet cause an operation error of an application or the like of the receiving-side system, resulting in a problem of reliability.
In addition, the setting of the destination/transmission source MAC address, the destination/transmission source address or service number of an upper protocol, or the like, which is used to determine whether a packet is to be transferred, changes depending on a user or installation place, and setting must be done as a packet transfer apparatus is installed. However, this setting is difficult, so setting errors often occur to allow an illicit access.
Furthermore, a network address such as an IP address is necessary for setting through a network, and this can be an illicit access target.
Even when a packet which is determined not to be transferred in accordance with, e.g., destination/transmission source MAC address, the destination/transmission source address or service number of an upper protocol has arrived, it is not always an illicit access. Hence, even when it is by some way that a packet that is determined not to be transferred has arrived, it does not indicate that an illicit access is being made.
As described above, the illicit access preventing means in the conventional packet transfer apparatus cannot prevent an illicit access using an address or service number which is set to transfer the packet only by determining whether the packet is to be transferred on the basis of, e.g., the MAC address of the destination/transmission source, the destination/transmission source address or service number of an upper protocol, and is insufficient for the purpose of preventing a packet related to an illicit access from passing.
In addition, the setting of the destination/transmission source MAC address, the destination/transmission source address, service number of an upper protocol, or the like, which is used to determine whether a packet is to be transferred, changes depending on a user or installation place, and setting must be done as a packet transfer apparatus is installed. However, this setting is difficult, so setting errors often occur to allow an illicit access.
Furthermore, a network address such as an IP address is necessary for setting through a network, and this can be an illicit access target.
Even when a packet which is determined not to be transferred in accordance with, e.g., destination/transmission source MAC address, the destination/transmission source address or service number of an upper protocol has arrived, it is not always an illicit access. Hence, even when it is by some way that a packet that is determined not to be transferred has arrived, it does not indicate that an illicit access is being made.
As described above, the conventional packet transfer apparatus has various problems of reliability related to illicit access prevention and large operation load on the user.

Methods and systems for transferring packets and preventing illicit access


A fiber optic splice closure includes a series of stacked splice trays pivotally secured within a housing, and oval shaped generally flexible transport tubes carrying the exposed optical fibers to the splice trays within the closure. The transport tubes have a differential flexibility to permit bending i a direction generally normal to the major dimension of the tube while preventing bending in a direction generally normal to the minor dimension of the tube. Accordingly, optical fiber ribbons carried by the transport tubes are protected from bending in a direction normal to their minor dimension. The splice trays are pivotally secured at one end to a bracket secured to an end cap of the housing. A hinge for each splice tray includes detents to hold an individual tray in a raised position to thereby facilitate access to an underlying tray. In addition, splice holders are provided on each splice tray and include a series of generally flexible walls extending outwardly from a base. The flexible walls further include hollow cavities to more readily accommodate splices of different sizes. A generally rigid shell with a predetermined pattern of openings therein is positioned to overlie the base carrying the flexible walls.

Optical fiber communications systems, employing fiber optic cables and digital electronics, are widely used in the telecommunication industry to transmit large volumes of data and voice signals over relatively long unrepeatered distances, and virtually noise free. Splice points and drop points for the fiber optic cables are required for most such systems. At a splice point, for example, all of the fibers at one end of a cable are spliced to corresponding fibers of a tandem cable. At a drop point or express splice point, some of the fibers may be spliced to a drop cable, while most of the fibers are passed through the drop point unaltered.
For both splice points and drop points, the optical fibers are exposed from the protective cable jacket to be spliced and secured within a splice closure. The splice closure typically includes a protective housing with either a single end cap through which cables penetrate, that is, a butt-splice; or dual opposing end caps through which respective cables penetrate, that is, an in-line splice.
A typical butt-splice closure, such as the model FOSC 100 made by the assignee of the present invention, typically includes one or more splice organizers, or splice trays, disposed in stacked arrangement within the protective housing. The trays are pivotally connected at one end to a mounting bracket which, in turn, is connected to the inside face of the closure end cap. The pivotal connection permits individual splice trays to be temporarily moved to a raised position by the insertion of a removable spacer or clip near the pivot point. Accordingly, access is then available to the underlying splice tray, such as to check fiber routing or to remake a defective splice.
The cables extending into the housing are secured therein and the penetration point sealed to prevent water from entering the protective housing. Since the protective cable sheath is removed within the housing, flexible protective tubes, known as "transport tubes" are used to protect predetermined groupings of the optical fibers extending from the cable securing point to respective splice organizer trays. Such conventional transport tubes typically have a circular cross-section and a uniform wall thickness. For a typical fiber optic cable of the loose-buffer type, the predetermined groupings are typically all those fibers within a given buffer tube. In other words, a transport tube slides over an end portion of a respective buffer tube to carry and protect the fibers extending to the splice tray. One or more such transport tubes are routed to and secured to each splice tray.
The transport tubes must protect the optical fibers despite any bending that occurs, such as when the splice trays are pivoted to the raised position to access an underlying tray. Moreover, the transport tubes must prevent the optical fibers from bending more sharply than the minimum bend radius. Since individual fibers extend through the transport tubes when using a loose buffered cable, these individual fibers may readily bend along with the transport tube.
For many applications, higher fiber count cables are required. Higher fiber count cables having a relatively small cable cross-section are available and include a plurality of optical fiber ribbons, such as LIGHTPACK.RTM. fiber optic cables offered by AT&T. Optical fiber ribbons may be readily bent only in a direction normal to their major dimension equivalently to the minimum bend radius of the individual fibers. However, the ribbons may not be bent as sharply in the direction normal to their minor dimension. In other words, optical fiber ribbons preferentially bend only in the direction normal to their major dimension. Moreover, the ribbons should not be bent in the direction of their minor dimension or high signal attenuation or physical damage may result.
Unfortunately, optical fiber ribbons positioned within a conventional transport tube may be bent in any direction thereby increasing attenuation and possibly physically damaging the ribbons. In addition, a conventional transport tube also permits an optical fiber ribbon to be deformed from its flat shape and compressed or buckled when a tie wrap, for example, is used to secure the end of the transport tube to a splice organizer tray. Accordingly, a conventional circular cross-sectional transport tube is unacceptable for use in a splice closure for ribbon optical fiber cables.
Also related to the quality and longevity of optical fiber splices secured within a splice closure is a splice holder, several of which are typically mounted on a splice tray. The splice holder retains the individual splices between corresponding optical fibers. A typical splice holder may accommodate four to ten splices and must adequately secure the splices in the presence of mechanical shocks and vibration. The splices are typically protective sleeves for fusion-spliced fibers, or may be mechanical splices which position and maintain the optical fiber ends in precise alignment. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,679,896 to Krafcik et al. discloses a typical splice holder formed of a resilient block with a series of channels formed therein to closely resiliently receive optical fiber splices.
There is no industry standard for the precise external dimensions of an optical fiber splice; rather, there are a number of popular commercially available mechanical and fusion splices, most with different exterior dimensions. AT&T in an attempt to accommodate a number of different types of splices of different sizes, for example, offers a splice holder having a series of spaced apart deformable walls of a foam material to accommodate different sized splices. In a similar fashion, U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,681 to Barlow et al. discloses a splice holder with pairs of opposing leaf springs to accommodate different sized splices. U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,661 to Cooper et al. discloses a lid over the splice holder with a resilient pad positioned within the lid to hold the fiber splices within respective shallow grooves of the underlying splice holder. Similarly the DeSanti patent, U.S. Pat. No. 4,687,289, includes a lid which may be offset from underlying grooves to thereby accommodate a slightly smaller fusion splice, as compared to a typical mechanical splice. Despite attempts to accommodate different sized splices there still exists a need to do so while properly cushioning the splices against mechanical shock and vibration.
A splice closure also typically includes a lower slack storage tray adjacent the stacked splice trays. The slack storage tray is particularly important for a drop splice where a large number of fibers are passed through the splice closure without being spliced. A typical slack storage tray is generally rectangular in shape with perpendicularly extending opposing sidewalls. The slack storage tray extends generally lengthwise within a cylindrical housing as in the FOSC 100 splice closure. Unfortunately, such a storage tray has a limited capacity for slack storage because the height of its perpendicularly extending sidewalls is limited by the size of the cylindrical housing. As higher fiber count cables are required, especially for drop or express splice points, additional slack storage capacity is needed.
Another concern relating to splice closures includes an ability to preferentially separate a desired optical fiber or ribbon from a slack bundle on a splice organizer tray with minimum disturbance to adjacent fibers. This tedious task is typically attempted by using a relatively small hooked probe, such as a crochet needle, to separate a desired optical fiber or ribbon from slack which is positioned adjacent side walls of the splice tray.


A disposable insert or liner conformable to a slow cook cookware (such as, for example, a conventional crock pot or like slow cooking device) having a single interior cooking chamber. The liner is adapted to fit within the interior chamber of a crockpot so as to substantially be in adjacent contact with the crock pot interior chamber walls without interfering with the operation of the cooking device. The liner provides a single compartment which may be made of any material allowing heat conduction between the cookware and the liner. A suitable material may be a tear resistant aluminum foil to withstand typical food preparation in a crock pot. In one embodiment, the present invention includes a flange, notches, indentations or other formations which assist in the insertion and removal of the present invention in the cookware. The present invention advantageoiusly provides for a desirable cooking environment, allows easy removal of food from the crock pot and provides simplified cleaning of the crock pot.

Cookware has existed for centuries in many different forms. Over time, cookware has become more technologically sophisticated due to advances in material sciences. Some cookware are even advertised to have special surfaces, or coatings on surfaces, which prevent foodstuff from sticking to the surface. While some cooking devices, such as crock pots, may include a non-stick surface in its interior cooking chamber, there are numerous existing crock pots which do not. In these situations, while crock pots provide even or substantially uniform heat conduction throughout its interior chamber and require minimal electrical energy to operate, some food may burn or otherwise stick to the interior chamber walls making it difficult to scrape off during cleaning Moreover, crock pots having a conventional ceramic or stoneware interior cooking chamber are still being sold in the market today which do not contain a non-stick surface.
One of the most common types of containers used in the cooking arts in an cooking vessel (such as an oven) is the aluminum pan or like structure made from a sheet of aluminum foil. Such containers may be preformed into a specific shape, thus avoiding the labor required for assembly of a shaped article. Such containers, when traditionally used and sold, can be stacked easily since the shape of each container registers with shapes of adjacent containers. Thus, such containers are easy to manufacture, can be manufactured without much expense, and can easily be stored or discarded. The use of aluminum foil containers also have the advantage of being resistant to grease, oil, and water while still permitting appropriate browning of the foodstuff to be cooked. While aluminum foil containers are generally strong and tear-resistant, such containers typically cannot be used as a cooking container in microwave ovens, but are good cooking instruments when used in conventional ovens, barbeques and convection ovens.
What is needed is a single compartment liner for slow cooking units such as a crock pot that is disposable and which does not interfere with the operation of the crock pot as it operates to cook food. Despite the existence of crock pot liners having other structures, a single compartment liner for cookware is needed to provide a clean cooking environment, and which is simple to manufacture, thereby allowing a cook to prepare meals in the cookware without having the mess associated with such cooking. Such a liner requires simplicity for manufacturing high volumes of liners, and preferably should be readily disposable after use.
U.S. Patent Application Publication No. U.S. 2002/0038802 A1 discloses a dual compartment aluminum crock pot liner which is suitable for use for simultaneously preparing two or more distinct food items in a crock pot. While the multi-compartment crock pot liner has the advantage of cooking multiple food items at the same time, it also has the disadvantage of simultaneously mixing the flavors of the multiple food items because the steam generated from each food being cooked will be circulated within the crock pot interior chamber, thereby intermixing the steam with the various foods being cooked.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,457,601 B1 discloses a liner suitable for use with a Dutch oven. A Dutch oven is a heavy, cast iron cooking apparatus which is subject to harsh cooking environments. Such cast iron cooking instruments are placed directly in contact with a heat source (such as a fire or charcoal briquettes) and are known to provide unequal or uneven heat conduction when cooking, thereby leading to inconsistent cooking results. As such, the disclosed liner will be likewise subject to inconsistent heat conduction and burning of food.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,313,446 B1 discloses a cooker system having a liner for crock pots. The liner is disclosed as having a ribbed exterior wall with a question-mark shaped rim designed to hook on to the cooking system rim disclosed therein to provide a seal between the liner and the cooking system lid. This disclosure has the significant disadvantage of sealing the foodstuff being cooked within the liner thereby preventing steam from escaping from the cooking unit and thereby resulting in the cooking system likely exploding due to a build-up of steam pressure within the liner cooking compartment.


In one embodiment, a surgical rigid arm (100, 150, 200, 900) includes a first portion (102, 152, 202, 902), a second portion (103, 153, 203, 903) and a central portion (105, 154, 205, 906), where the central portion is extends between the first and second portions. A first end of the first portion and a second end of the second portion are each attached to a peripheral side (14) of a surgical bed (10, 30) such that the first portion and the second portion extend from the surgical bed in a first direction. The central portion extends substantially horizontally and is positioned over the surgical bed, the central portion being connected to the surgical instrument such that a load from the surgical instrument is distributed across the central portion to the first portion and second portion to provide rigid support for the surgical instrument.

Spinal implants are commonly utilized in spinal procedures designed to treat spinal maladies. Such implants are used, for example, to immobilize and fuse adjacent vertebral bodies. This often plays a critical role in addressing spinal diseases or injury, or otherwise treating pain in a patient.
Various techniques have been developed and are often employed to access the spine during a spinal implant implantation procedure. These techniques are often dictated by the type of implant being utilized. For example, the spine may be accessed using a posterior approach, an anterior approach, or a lateral approach. Among these, a lateral approach is advantageous in that a portal to access a surgical site may be larger than with other approaches, thus allowing for a larger implant to be used, which experience over time has shown tends to improve the overall outcome of the procedure.
One method for implanting lateral implants is via a lateral trans-psoas approach. This typically involves the creation of an incision on the lateral side of the patient. Thereafter, a path to a surgical site, i.e., the vertebral bodies, is systematically created. One technique to accomplish this involves the use of sequential dilators, where an insertion of each dilator over another progressively increases the size of a tissue area displaced by the dilators. Once the dilators have displaced a sufficient amount of tissue for the procedure, a retractor, ring or other stabilizing structure is used to preserve an opening. Retractors typically include a plurality of blades that are designed to rest against the vertebral bodies and hold the tissue open to allow access for the surgeon. In a variant, a narrow retractor employing blades in the form of rods are initially inserted and sequential dilation is used to move the rods apart and create the path to the surgical site.
Retractor systems are generally attached to surgical clamps which are in turn attached to the surgical bed. Surgical clamps often include multiple arms, connectors and adjustment mechanisms that are attached away from the surgical site to prevent these components from restricting access to a target surgical site. Consequently, clamps with long extended arms anchored away from the surgical site are used to connect the retractor system. These clamps are therefore susceptible to the "springboard effect," which prevents rigid positioning to hold the retractor system in a fixed position. The springboard effect is further exacerbated during the course of a surgery because the retractor assembly is subject to considerable static and impact loads.
Another drawback of existing devices for such spinal surgery is the excessive use of X-ray imaging or other visualization techniques during and after positioning of the retractor system. X-ray equipment need considerable space and clearances to be positioned in multiple locations during the course of the surgery. This often requires considerable time and effort to move the x-ray equipment around the surgical bed. Further, the retractor assembly must generally be vertical to the target surgical site for lateral spinal surgery. However, aligning the retractor assembly using x-ray imaging is challenging within the restricted operating space and typically requires considerable time and effort.
Therefore, there exists a need for improved surgical instruments for spinal surgery, in particular, lateral access spinal surgery.

Lateral access alignment guide and rigid arm

STRYKER EUROPEAN OPERATIONS HOLDINGS LLC


A run length limit encoder includes a subdivided threshold lookup table to encode data using multi-level enumeration.

Various products including hard disk drives and transmission systems utilize a read channel device to encode data, store or transmit the encoded data on a medium, retrieve the encoded data from the medium and decode and convert the information to a digital data format. Such read channel devices may include data processing circuits including encoder and decoder circuits to encode and decode data as it is stored and retrieved from a medium or transmitted through a data channel, in order to reduce the likelihood of errors in the retrieved data. It is important that the read channel devices be able to rapidly and accurately decode the original stored data patterns in retrieved or received data samples.
The encoded data can be constrained to follow one or more rules that reduce the chance of errors. For example, when storing data on a hard disk drive, it can be beneficial to avoid long runs of consecutive transitions, or long runs of 0's or 1's.

Avago Technologies General IP (Singapore) Pte. Ltd.


A Bowman-Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC) that has a high protein content. The BBIC is made from conventional soybeans using ultrafiltration, without acid or alcohol extraction or acetone precipitation.

The benefits of soy protein are well documented. Cholesterol is a major concern with consumers throughout the industrialized world. It is well known that vegetable products contain no cholesterol. For decades, nutritional studies have indicated that the inclusion of soy protein in the diet actually reduces serum cholesterol levels in humans. The higher the cholesterol, the more effective soy proteins are at lowering that level.
Soybeans have the highest protein content of all cereals and legumes. In particular, soybeans have about 40 wt. % protein, while other legumes have 20-30 wt. %, and cereals have about 8-15 wt. % protein. Soybeans also contain about 20 wt. % oil with the remaining dry matter being mostly carbohydrates (35 wt. %). On a wet basis (as is), soybeans contain about 35 wt. % protein, 17 wt. % oil, 31 wt. % carbohydrates, and 4.4 wt. % ash.
In the soybean, both storage protein and lipid bodies are contained in the usable meat of the soybean (called the cotyledon). The complex carbohydrate (or dietary fiber) is also contained in the cell walls of the cotyledon. The outer layer of cells (called the seed coat) makes up about 8 wt. % of the soybean's total weight. The raw, dehulled soybean is, depending on the variety, approximately 18 wt. % oil, 15 wt. % soluble carbohydrates, 15 wt. % insoluble carbohydrates, 14 wt. % moisture and ash, and 38 wt. % protein.
In processing, soybeans are carefully selected for color and size. The soybeans are then cleaned, conditioned (to make removal of the hull easier) and cracked, dehulled and rolled into flakes. The flakes are subjected to a solvent bath that removes the oil. The solvent is removed and the flakes are dried, creating the defatted soy flakes that are the basis of most of the soy protein products. Despite the large number of products on the market, there are only three types of soy protein: flours, isolates, and concentrates.
Soy flours are the simplest forms of soy protein, having a protein content of approximately 50 wt. %. Simply grinding and screening the defatted flakes produces soy flours. This simple processing leaves the soy flour with many of the soybean's characteristics. The lack of processing also makes soy flours highly variable in terms of quality.
Soy flours and grits are still widely produced and are used most often in baked goods, snack foods and pet foods applications where the high flavor profile does not pose a problem. Textured soy flours were an early attempt at simulating or enhancing the texture of meat products. Texturizing does not change the composition of soy flours and reduces the flavor profile only slightly. Their primary applications are inexpensive meat products or pet foods.
Soy concentrates have at least 60 wt. % protein and typically have about 70 wt. % protein. A myriad of applications has been developed for soy concentrates and texturized concentrates in processed foods, meat, poultry, fish, cereal and dairy systems.
Soy protein concentrates are made by removing soluble carbohydrate material from defatted soy meal. Aqueous alcohol extraction (60-80% ethanol) or acid leaching (isoelectric pH 4.5) are the most common means for carbohydrate removal. In both aqueous alcohol extraction and acid leaching, however, essentially all of the protein is rendered insoluble. Protein solubility may be recovered in acid leach products by neutralization.
Isolates are produced through standard chemical isolation, drawing the protein out of the defatted flake through solubilization (alkali extraction at pH 7-10) and separation followed by isoelectric precipitation. As a result, isolates are 90 wt. % protein on a moisture-free basis. Isolates can be made with a high percentage of soluble protein and a low flavor profile. They contain no dietary fiber and are sometimes high in sodium, properties that can limit their application. Their major applications have been in dairy substitution, as in infant formulas and milk replacers.
Bowman-Birk Inhibitor Concentrate (BBIC) has been shown to exhibit inhibitory activity against the malignant transformation of cells under certain conditions and its administration has been shown to affect various forms of cancer.
It has been shown that the enzyme-inhibitor described by Bowman (Proc. Soc. Expd. med, 63:547 (1946)) and Birk et al. (Bull. Res. Council Israel, Sec. A 11:48 (1962) and Biochim. Biophys Acta, 67:326 (1963)), and subsequently referred to as the Bowman-Birk Inhibitor (BBI), can prevent, or greatly reduce, radiologically or chemically induced malignant transformation of cells in culture and in experimental animals.
Yavelow et al. (Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci, USA 82:5395-5399 (1985)) reported that a crude soybean extract, if defatted with acetone, effectively blocked cell transformation in vitro. An active component of this crude extract is BBI. These observations, with epidemiological data, suggested BBI as a putative dietary anticarcinogen, particularly with respect to colon cancer.
Weed et al. (Carcinogenesis, 6:1239-1241 (1985)) discloses that an extract of soybeans containing the Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor added to the diet of dimethylhydrazine (DMH)-treated mice resulted in a significant suppression of odenomatous tumors of the colonic mucosa. DMH-induced colon cancer in mice is generally regarded as an excellent animal model for the human disease, with carcinogen treatment inducing adenocarcinomas of the colon and rectum which are similar to the tumors arising in the human colon suggesting the possibility that a dietary additive of the sort studied might confer some protection against the development of human colon cancer without undesirable side effects. BBI extract and methods for its preparation were as described by Yavelow et al. Cancer Res., 43:2454-2459 (1983); Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci., USA 82:5395-5399 (1985) and Hwang et al. Biochim. Biophys. Acta, 495:369-382 (1977).
Messadi et al. (JNCL 76:447-452 (1986)) demonstrated that a soybean extract containing the protease inhibitor BBI suppresses 7,12-dimethyl-benz[a]anthracene (DMBA)-induced carcinogenesis in the hamster cheek pouch. This oral cancer model, with the use of the hamster cheek pouch carcinogenesis system, has the same histopathology, growth pattern, and precancerous lesions as the most common form of human oral cancer, squamous cell carcinoma. It was shown in this study that hamster cheek pouch carcinogenesis can be inhibited by BBI and suggested that human oral carcinogenesis might respond to BBI in a comparable manner. The BBI preparation used in this study was a crude extract of the inhibitor prepared as described by Yavelow et al. (Proc. Nad. Acad. Sci., USA 82:5395-5399 (1985)).
Baturay et al. (Cell Biology and Toxicology, 2:21-32 (1986)) discloses that a BBI preparation, wherein a crude soybean extract is defatted with acetone, suppresses radiation and chemically induced transformation in vitro, with or without enhancement by the co-carcinogen, pyrene. Yavelow et al., 1985, supra, show that either pure BBI or the BBI extract prepared in accordance with their methods suppresses radiation induced transformation in C3H10TI12 cells. Kennedy et al, Proc. Nat'l. Acad. Sci. USA 1984, 81, 1827-39 reports that either pure BBI or the BBI extract prepared in accordance with their method reduce the levels of chromosome abnormalities in cells of patients with Bloom's syndrome (a genetic disease in which the high levels of chromosome abnormalities are thought to predispose the patients to a higher than normal cancer incidence). Still, other studies suggest that soybean-derived protease inhibitors can have suppressive effects on skin, breast and liver carcinogenesis in vivo.
Kennedy et al. in Anticarcinooenesis and Radiation Protection, edited by Cerutti et al., Plenum Pub. Co., pp. 285-295 (1987), disclosed that BBI suppresses carcinogenesis in various systems using a crude BBI extract prepared by defatting soybeans with acetone. Their results suggested that very low concentrations of BBI-type protease inhibitor preparations would be effective as chemopreventative agents for colon cancer. There was no evidence to suggest that the use of protease inhibitors as chemopreventative agents would be complicated by possible toxicity problems.
St. Clair et al. (Cancer Res., 50:580-586 (1990)) report that the addition of 0.5% or 0.1% semi-purified BBI or 0.1% or 0.01% purified BBI to the diet of DMH-treated mice resulted in a statistically significant suppression of angiosarcomas and nodular hyperplasia of the liver and colon carcinogenesis. The results of this study also indicate that BBI, included as 0.5% of the diet or less had no adverse effect upon the health of the mice but had the capacity to suppress liver and colon carcinogenesis.
Perlmann et al. (Methods in Enzymology, 19: 860-861 (1970)) describes an elaborate method for obtaining the BBI from a defatted soybean extract.
U.S. Patent No. 4,793,996 to Kennedy et al. discloses a process of treating soybeans with acetone, followed by ethanol extraction and acetone precipitation for obtaining BBI. The soybeans may be defatted prior to acetone treatment. In addition, BBI may be further purified by conventional techniques. Kennedy et al. discovered that by treating the soybeans with acetone prior to the ethanol extraction step taught by Perlmann et al., the resulting BBI was more effective in inhibiting the malignant transformation of cells.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,793,996 to Kennedy et al. teaches a process for preparing a crude soybean extract containing a BBI inhibitor of malignant cell transformation which involves defatting soybeans and extracting the inhibitor from the defatted soybeans, and, as an improvement that greatly increases the effectiveness of the BBI inhibitor, defatting the soybeans by bringing them into contact with at least an equal weight of acetone. This process thus produces a crude inhibitor extract which, due to the contact with acetone, nevertheless demonstrates greatly increased effectiveness.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,717 to Kennedy et al. teaches ultrafiltration of soy solubles, including a whey protein, to make a BBIC. The ultrafiltration process may be performed alone, or in combination with acetone precipitation, prior to or after the ultrafiltration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,217,717 to Kennedy et al. also teaches performing two acetone extractions of soy solubles to produce a BBIC, without ultrafiltration. The patentees discovered that spray-drying has no effect on BBI recovery, as measured by chymotrypsin inhibition (CI), used as an indicator for the presence of BBI.
Lunasin is a major component of the Bowman-Birk protease inhibitor from soybeans. Research conducted at the University of California at Berkeley found that lunasin binds to a protein that itself binds to DNA, blocking a step that normally leads to multiplication of cancer cells. Injecting the lunasin-bound protein into cells stops cell division in both normal and cancerous cells. This discovery has lead to the successful use of lunasin in treating human breast cancer cells, and skin cancer in mice, and has spurred research directed to finding delivery systems for lunasin for cancer prevention and treatment.
The prior art has not described a high protein concentrate having high levels of BBI that is obtained from a soy protein source, without acid or alcohol extraction, or acetone precipitation. The prior art also has not described a high protein concentrate having high levels of BBI that is obtained from a fiber-removed soy protein source. The prior art also has not described a high protein concentrate that includes acetone-free BBI. In the present invention, a high protein concentrate having high levels of BBI is produced from a soy protein source, without acid or alcohol extraction, or acetone precipitation.

Bowman-Birk inhibitor soy protein concentrate composition


An apparatus for heating hot beverage containers includes a housing having an upper end, a lower end, and a sidewall extending between the upper and lower ends of the housing. The upper end of the sidewall has oppositely disposed, downwardly curving portions that define oppositely disposed openings at the upper end of said housing. The apparatus includes a heater assembly located at the lower end of the housing. The apparatus has a controller including an electrical circuit in communication with the heater assembly, and a switch located on the sidewall of the housing for activating the heater assembly. A hot beverage container with an insulating sleeve is inserted into the housing. A sidewall of the container engages the switch and a bottom wall of the container is in thermal communication with the heater assembly. The heater assembly heats liquid in the container through the bottom wall of the container.

1. Field of the Invention
The present application is directed to heating beverage, and is more specifically related to heating devices for hot beverage containers having insulating sleeves.
2. Description of the Related Art
Beverages such as coffee, tea and the like are best enjoyed when consumed hot. When such beverages are served in a conventional drinking cup they tend to cool relatively rapidly. This is particularly true when the beverage is served in a paper drinking cup of the character used in many drive-through restaurants.
Devices of several different designs have been suggested in the past for warming consumable liquids and for maintaining the elevated temperature of the liquid. Exemplary of one such device is that described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,121,585 to Dam. The invention described in the Dam patent comprises a beverage cup and cup holder system. The Dam beverage cup includes a sleeve, a liner and a base that includes a plate, a heating element and a pair of spring terminals. The base further includes a contact ring and a contact disk. The cup holder, which is adapted to mate with the base of the beverage cup, has recessed land areas which lie below a plane of the support for the beverage cup and are electrically isolated from each other. The cup holder includes spring contacts which extend into the recessed land areas and are adapted to receive connections from an external source of electrical current. The beverage cup, when filled with a hot beverage, is placed into the cup holder. As the beverage cup is placed into the cup holder, the contact disk and contact ring automatically align with the recessed land areas and make contact with the spring contacts. The heating element of the device maintains a beverage at a desirable equilibrium temperature for an extended period of time.
Another prior art device past for warming consumable liquids is described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,463,664 issued to Peace. The Peace invention provides a receptacle having a thermally nonconductive exterior to retain the heat of liquids, and a durable heat-conductive interior portion to reside in heat-conductive relation with a source of warming heat, so as to impart heat to the contents of the receptacle. The receptacle of the Peace device comprises a heat-conductive liner including a bottom portion and an upwardly extending wall portion, and a heat-insulating sleeve surrounding the wall portion of the liner, the bottom portion of the liner being exposed for direct contact with a heat source. The nonconductive sleeve surrounding the wall portion of the conductive liner has an open bottom which terminates a short distance below the bottom portion of the liner in surrounding yet spaced-apart relation to the bottom portion, in order to isolate the sleeve from the heat source.
U.S. Pat. No. 8,274,016 to Montana discloses a cup holder having a heating surface that is configured to receive a cardboard cup. The cup holder has an outside surface that is concentric with the heating surface. A heating element is disposed between the heating surface and the outside surface, and the heating element is configured to heat the heating surface. Insulation is located between the heating surface and the outside surface, and the insulation may be configured to maintain the outside surface at an outside temperature lower than a heating temperature of the heating surface. The cup holder has a pressure-sensitive switch located in a bottom portion of the heating surface. The pressure sensitive switch allows a current to run through the heating element in response to the cardboard cup exerting pressure on the pressure-sensitive switch. Although an advance, Montana does not discloses an effective system for heating a cardboard cup having an insulating sleeve. Moreover, Montana does not disclose a system for heating a beverage through the bottom wall of a cardboard cup because the pressure sensitive switch disclosed in Montana is located at the bottom of the cup holder wherein it is engaged by the bottom wall of a cardboard cup inserted into the cup holder.
Thus, there remains a need for portable heating devices for hot beverage containers such as paper cups having insulating sleeves. There also remains a need for heating devices that are designed for receiving paper cups having insulating sleeves. There also remains a need for heating devices that heat liquids through the bottom wall of a paper cup.

Portable heating devices for hot beverage containers having insulating sleeves


A grappling fork attachment system for attaching a grappling fork to a conventional bucket, where the grappling fork does not interfere with the normal use of the bucket. The grappling fork attachment system includes a support frame pivotally attached to a tractor between a bucket unit and a pair of loader arms, wherein the support frame may securely attach to either the bucket unit or the pair of loader arms. An extension frame is pivotally attached to the support frame and a first drive assembly mounted proximate the extension frame for pivoting the extension frame about the support frame. A grappling structure is pivotally attached to the extension frame for grabbing and securing a load within the bucket of the tractor and a second drive assembly mounted proximate the extension frame for pivoting the grappling structure about the extension frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to grappling forks and more specifically it relates to a grappling fork attachment system for attaching a grappling fork to a conventional bucket, where the grappling fork does not interfere with the normal use of the bucket.
2. Description of the Related Art
Any discussion of the prior art throughout the specification should in no way be considered as an admission that such prior art is widely known or forms part of common general knowledge in the field.
Grappling forks have been in use for years. Typically, a grappling fork attaches to the upper end of a conventional bucket, with the grappling fork having a single pivot point at the point of attachment. In the grappling forks down position, it rests over the opening of the bucket. This keeps whatever is in the bucket secure and prevents large outside objects from entering the bucket. In a raised position of the grappling fork, it generally sticks straight up into the air, above the bucket. This opens up the bucket to receive or dispense objects.
When past grappling forks have been attached to conventional buckets, it is usually difficult to operate the bucket in a traditional manner. To load objects into the bucket, the grappling fork must be in a raised position. This greatly decreases the operator's view of what they are loading into the bucket.
While these devices may be suitable for the particular purpose to which they address, they are not as suitable for attaching a grappling fork to a conventional bucket, where the grappling fork does not interfere with the normal use of the bucket. Past grappling forks generally have to be removed from the bucket that they are attached to during times when the grappling fork is not needed. This is because the grappling fork can be an obstruction to the operator's view and also can decrease maneuverability of the bucket because of their size.
In these respects, the grappling fork attachment system according to the present invention substantially departs from the conventional concepts and designs of the prior art, and in so doing provides an apparatus primarily developed for the purpose of attaching a grappling fork to a conventional bucket, where the grappling fork does not interfere with the normal use of the bucket.


This device is for the tight crossing of a partition or bulkhead by a mobile member. The object of the invention is to supply a device permitting the transfer of simultaneous, complex mechanical movements through a tight partition, whilst maintaining the seal of the partition. This object is achieved with the aid of a device having at least one shell or sleeve (4) mounted on a partition so as to pivot about a pivoting axis perpendicular to the crossing axis of the partition by the member and the displacement direction of the member. The member passes in the interior of the sleeve. A plate (12) is tightly traversed by the member (10) and mobile with the member for its displacements in the displacement direction. First and second tight membranes (14 and 16) tightly connect the plate (12)/sleeve (4) and sleeve (4)/partition (8).

The present invention relates to a device for the tight crossing of a partition or bulkhead by a member, such as a member for transmitting into an enclosure movements created outside the latter, whilst maintaining the seal of said enclosure.
Certain operations have to be carried out in tight enclosures, where it must be possible to control or monitor the operating conditions such as the atmosphere, temperature and pressure. These operations may necessitate handling processes, requiring the presence of appropriate means controlled by motors. However it is not always possible to place such motors within enclosures, particularly due to the space which they take up, the pollution which they produce and/or the incompatibility of the operating conditions with the operation of said motors.
For example, the production process for monocrystalline or polycrystalline parts described in EP-A-653 504 must be performed in a tight enclosure, because it involves high temperatures requiring a controlled atmosphere to avoid the oxidation and pollution of the parts produced. Moreover, this process requires the handling of monocrystalline or polycrystalline parts during the manufacture thereof, so as to subject them to at least one translation movement perpendicular to the pulling direction of said parts, so as to give them more or less complex shapes.
Therefore the problem is to transfer to the interior of a tight enclosure movements produced by motors located outside the enclosure, whilst respecting the confinement and seal of the enclosure.

Device for the tight crossing of a partition by a mobile member


Three-dimensional (3D) maps may be generated for different areas based on scans of the areas using sensor(s) of a mobile computing device. During each scan, locations of the mobile computing device can be measured relative to a fixed-positioned smart device using ultra-wideband communication (UWB). The 3D maps for the areas may be registered to the fixed position (i.e., anchor position) of the smart device based on the location measurements acquired during the scan so that the 3D maps can be merged into a combined 3D map. The combined (i.e., merged) 3D map may then be used to facilitate location-specific operation of the mobile computing device or other smart device.

Depth sensing on a mobile device can enable a user to scan an indoor space (e.g., a room) to create a 3D model (i.e., 3D map). The depth sensing may utilize a plurality of sensors including an inertial measurement unit (IMU) to determine orientations and a dedicated depth sensor or camera(s) to determine depths (i.e., ranges) between a mobile computing device and objects in the room as the mobile computing device is physically moved (i.e., scanned) to sense different areas. The 3D maps can be combined with images to generate realistic virtual rooms, which a user can interact with in an immersive and realistic experience (e.g., virtual tour). The 3D models can also be used to generate more realistic virtual objects in an augmented reality (AR) environment. For example, the 3D models may help AR software position virtual objects behind real objects in the indoor space, such as a building or a residence. Scanning the indoor space successfully has multiple requirements and sometimes these requirements are beyond the control of a user. If all of the requirements are not met, a poor scan may result, and the corresponding 3D map may be incomplete and/or distorted. This is especially true when scanning a large indoor space with multiple areas.

Systems and methods for generating three-dimensional maps of an indoor space


A process for preparing microparticles comprising a biologically active material and a polymer and having a mean particle size expressed as the volume mean diameter (VMD) of from 10 to 500 μm, wherein the biologically active material is substantially insoluble in the polymer, which process comprises: a. contacting a mixture of the biologically active material or a precursor thereof, the polymer or a precursor thereof and a processing aid with a supercritical fluid which is capable of swelling the polymer under temperature and pressure conditions necessary to maintain the fluid in a supercritical state; b. allowing the supercritical fluid to penetrate and liquefy the polymer, while maintaining the temperature and pressure conditions so that the fluid is maintained in a supercritical state; c. releasing the pressure to precipitate microparticles comprising the biologically active agent and the polymer.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a process for preparing a composition comprising a biologically active material. More particularly, the invention relates to a process for producing microparticles comprising a biologically active material and a polymer. The microparticles produced using the process of the present invention can be used to deliver the biologically active material to a human or animal.
2. Description of Related Art
The process of the invention uses a supercritical fluid in the preparation of the microparticles and is particularly suitable for producing microparticles comprising temperature-labile or solvent-labile biologically active materials.
Methods for the production of compositions comprising a biologically active material and a polymer using a supercritical fluid have been reported in the past.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,614, WO91/09079 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,006 describe methods for providing bioactive material in a biodegradable polymer using supercritical fluids (SCF) to confer porosity during processing of the polymer.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,340,614 describes a method comprising dissolution of additive in a carrier solvent (liquid e.g. water or ethanol). A supercritical fluid (SCF) is then used to allow penetration of the carrier liquid/additive solution into the polymer.
WO91/09079 describes the use of SCF to introduce porosity into biodegradable polymers. If a bioactive material is present, a carrier solvent is required to dissolve the bioactive and to impregnate.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,598,006 describes a method for impregnating a thermoplastic polymer with an impregnation material in a volatile swelling agent at or near supercritical conditions, swelling the polymer and reducing the conditions so that the swelling agent diffuses out.
WO 98/51347 describes a method for the encapsulation of a biologically active material within a biodegradable polymer matrix, without the use of solvents or high temperatures. A supercritical fluid is used to depress the melting or glass transition temperature of the polymer so that the biologically active material can be mixed with the polymer at low temperatures and in the absence of organic or aqueous solvents. This document does not describe ways of optimising the processing of the materials.
WO03/013478 also describes a method of encapsulating an active substance in an interpolymer complex using supercritical fluids. Methods are described involving the dissolution of an interpolymer complex, or components thereof, in a supercritical fluid, or the dissolution of a supercritical fluid in an interpolymer complex. In both these systems an active substance is then encapsulated.
The listing or discussion of an apparently prior-published document in this specification should not necessarily be taken as an acknowledgement that the document is part of the state of the art or is common general knowledge.
The process of the prior art can be associated with problems such as low yield. By this we mean that use of the prior art processes can result in a lower than desirable level of recovery of a product comprising the biologically active material. This can result in a high level of wastage of often expensive biologically active materials.
The solid products of the processes of the prior art often have an irregular shape and/or size and/or an undesirably high surface area. This can make recovery of the product, often resulting in low yields and the use and/or the further processing of the product difficult.


A unidirectional sprocket includes a hub and a series of radially arrayed sprocket teeth. Each of the sprocket teeth include a root at the point of connection with the hub, a radially extending split body and twin outwardly projecting points at the distal or outermost end. Forward and rearward flanks extend from the root radially outwardly, while forward and rearward faces extend radially inwardly from the pitch circle. Each of the sprocket teeth is asymmetrical with a forward offset. Thus, the point is shifted in the drive direction toward the forward face and flank, and shifted away from the rearward face and flank. Each of the teeth also includes a forward landing area formed above the forward flank and a rearward landing area formed above the rearward flank. Together, the forward and rearward faces and landing areas of adjacent teeth define a split chain link seat for engaging the chain being driven. The rearward landing area is longer than the forward landing area due to the forward offset, and the forward landing area is raised with respect to the rearward landing area.

It has long been known in the art to drive a conveyor chain, such as utilized on armored face conveyors, by means of a specially designed sprocket including spaced teeth for engaging the sequential horizontal links of the chain. While such a drive system is efficient and effective for this and other purposes, rapid wear of the teeth can be a serious problem. Specifically, the harsh operating environment of mining equipment is the primary cause of tooth wear. As a result of heavy loading, relatively high operating speeds and the presence of particulate material, including coal fines, sand, and small rock particles, trapped at the driving interface between the sprocket tooth and chain, wear is accelerated. Accordingly, the service life of the sprocket is drastically reduced.
As a result, productivity is lost through the need to relatively frequently take the conveyor out-of-service for repair. To a lesser degree, conveyor drive chains are vulnerable to this wear and must be periodically repaired or replaced. More specifically, as the driving face of the sprocket teeth wear, the conveyor flights, each including a crossbar and clamp, that pass through selected, spaced horizontal links for pushing the coal or other aggregate material, eventually come into contact with the teeth. This results in interference and jamming of the conveyor. The interference engagement occurs between the trailing face of each flight and the leading flank of the next tooth. When this occurs, it usually necessitates replacement of the entire sprocket, which is not only time consuming, but very costly.
In the prior art, sprockets have typically incorporated teeth with a symmetrical profile, that is the point of each tooth is centered with respect to its root and body. In this way, substantially equal clearance is provided between the flights at the point where they extend through the horizontal chain links, and both flanks of the teeth. This approach does allow for maximum clearance between the flights and the teeth in both directions for efficient bidirectional operation of the conveyor.
However, the one drawback of this design is that most of the wear on the teeth of a sprocket in mining conveyors, and in other similar applications, occurs in the predominately utilized, forward driving direction. Hence, sprocket teeth of symmetrical design adapted for bidirectional operation inherently compromise the overall service life of the sprocket. There is no compensation for the uneven wear that typically occurs. It has been discovered that surprisingly once a typical bidirectional tooth is worn to a point of interference with the flight, there is still plenty of strength left in the tooth to operate for an extended time. But for the interference that occurs, the conveyor could continue to operate for many more productive hours before being taken out-of-service for repair.
One prior art method for addressing this general wear problem is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,478 to Rynik. The Rynik patent discloses a drive sprocket for mining machines wherein every other tooth is removed. The theory is that part of the load on the teeth is relieved by the frictional engagement of the chain with the sprocket hub, and therefore wear of the remaining teeth is reduced. In practice, however, this approach has proved unsatisfactory. The frictional engagement force is simply not sufficient to compensate for the direct driving engagement force lost by removal of the teeth. Particularly in modern conveyors with driving requirements of several hundred horsepower, this prior art arrangement does not work well, and thus the concept remains unadopted in the industry. No other known prior art arrangement identifies, much less provides a feasible solution to the problem.
A need is therefore identified for a new approach in addressing the wear problem of sprockets, and particularly for providing a longer service life for sprockets particularly adapted to be utilized on heavy equipment in harsh environments, such as on mining conveyors.

Sprocket with asymmetrical teeth for mining conveyors


A dehumidifier unit includes a first coil in fluid communication with a source of cooling fluid, a second coil in fluid communication with the source of cooling fluid, a third coil in fluid communication with the source of cooling fluid, and a thermal unit disposed between the source of cooling fluid and the second and third coils. The thermal unit may be adapted to remove heat from cooling fluid flowing to the second coil and adapted to heat cooling fluid flowing to the third coil. A fan may be configured to move air across the first, second and third coils. The first coil may be configured to pre-cool air moving over the first coil, the second coil may be configured to dehumidify the air moving over the second coil, and the third coil may be configured to warm the air moving over the third coil. Other embodiments and methods of cooling are further disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to cooling systems, and more particularly to a dehumidifying apparatus configured to be operable to condition air within a data center, and related methods for cooling or treating air within a data center.
2. Discussion of Related Art
Equipment enclosures or racks for housing electronic equipment, such as data processing, networking and telecommunications equipment, have been used for many years. Such racks are used to contain and to arrange the equipment in small wiring closets as well as equipment rooms and large data centers. In certain embodiments, an equipment rack can be an open configuration and can be housed within a rack enclosure, although the enclosure may be included when referring to a rack. Over the years, a number of different standards have been developed to enable equipment manufacturers to design rack mountable equipment that can be mounted in standard racks manufactured by different manufacturers. A standard rack typically includes front mounting rails to which multiple units of electronic equipment, such as servers and CPUs, are mounted and stacked vertically within the rack. An exemplary industry standard rack is approximately six to six-and-a-half feet high, by about twenty-four inches wide, and about forty inches deep. Such a rack is commonly referred to as a "nineteen inch" rack, as defined by the Electronics Industries Association's EIA-310-D standard. With the proliferation of the Internet, it is not uncommon for a data center to contain hundreds of these racks. Further, with the ever decreasing size of computer equipment, and in particular, computer servers and blades, the number of electrical devices mounted in each rack has been increasing, raising concerns about adequately cooling the equipment.
Heat produced by rack-mounted equipment can have adverse effects on the performance, reliability and useful life of the equipment components. In particular, rack-mounted equipment, housed within an enclosure, may be vulnerable to heat build-up and hot spots produced within the confines of the enclosure during operation. The amount of heat generated by a rack of equipment is dependent on the amount of electrical power drawn by equipment in the rack during operation. In addition, users of electronic equipment may add, remove, and rearrange rack-mounted components as their needs change and new needs develop.
Previously, in certain configurations, in addition to a facility cooling system that is part of the data center's infrastructure, a data center may be further cooled by employing one or more computer room air conditioner ("CRAC") units that are typically hard piped, immobile units positioned around the periphery of the data center room. These CRAC units may intake air from the fronts of the units and output cooler air upwardly toward the ceiling of the data center room. In other embodiments, the CRAC units intake air from near the ceiling of the data center room and discharge cooler air under a raised floor for delivery to the fronts of the equipment racks. In general, such CRAC units intake room temperature air (at about 72° F.) and discharge cold air (at about 55° F.), which is blown into the data center room and mixed with the room temperature air at or near the equipment racks.
The rack-mounted equipment typically cools itself by drawing air along a front side or air inlet side of a rack, drawing the air through its components, and subsequently exhausting the air from a rear or vent side of the rack. A disadvantage of the CRAC-type of air conditioning system is that cool air is mixed with the room temperature air, which is inefficient. Ideally, to make the system as efficient as possible, and to utilize as little energy and floor space as possible, the highest possible temperature air should be drawn into the CRAC units and the outlet air generated by the CRAC should be a few degrees below room temperature. Another disadvantage of employing CRAC-type units is that, while they are particularly suited to addressing sensible cooling, such units are not particularly suited to addressing latent cooling.
Another approach is by employing computer room air handler ("CRAH") units that are typically hard piped to a dedicated chiller plant. A trend emerging in the data center room cooling industry is the adoption of operating chiller plants with warmer supply set points, which increases the sensible heat ratio of conventional CRAH units and greatly reduces the moisture removal capacity of the unit. Traditionally, chilled water is delivered to air handlers at a temperature of 42° F. to 46° F. In an effort to promote more efficient chiller operation and higher sensible heat ratios, data center designers are presently setting chilled water supplies at higher water temperatures, e.g., water temperatures from 48° F. to 52° F.


A nasal delivery device for delivering substance to a nasal cavity of a subject, the delivery device comprising: a substance supply unit for supplying a dose of substance to be delivered to the nasal cavity of the subject, the substance supply unit including an inlet and an outlet; a nosepiece unit including a nosepiece for fitting to a nasal cavity of the subject and being in fluid communication with the outlet of the substance supply unit; and a mouthpiece unit including a mouthpiece in fluid communication with the inlet of the substance supply unit and through which the subject in use exhales such as to entrain substance from the container chamber and deliver the same through the nosepiece, and at least one temperature modifier for reducing a temperature of the exhaled air flow such as to reduce the absolute humidity thereof.

There is an increasing interest in the nasal delivery of substances, typically pharmaceutical drugs, both as powders and liquids, for topical and systemic delivery.
Current delivery systems are not suited to the delivery of substances to the upper posterior region of the nasal airway, in particular targeted delivery to the olfactory region and the sinus ostia.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,075 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,889,114 disclose examples of prior art inhalation devices, which provide for the inhalation of a powdered substance from a capsule.
WO-A-00/051672, the content of which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a delivery device for delivering a substance, in particular a medicament, in a bi-directional flow through the nasal cavities, that is, an air flow which passes into one nostril, around the posterior margin of the nasal septum and in the opposite direction out of the other nostril. A particular feature of this bi-directional mode of delivery is the ability to target defined regions in the nasal airway, for both topical and systemic delivery, in particular the upper posterior region which cannot be targeted with existing systems.


A speech dialogue service apparatus including: a language analysis module tagging a part of speech (POS) of each respective word included in a sentence recorded in a predetermined text, syntactically analyzing the sentence by classifying a meaning of each respective word, and generating at least one semantic frame corresponding to the sentence according to a result of the syntactical analysis; and a dialogue management module analyzing an intention of the sentence corresponding to the at least one respective semantic frame, and generating a system response corresponding to the sentence intention by selecting a predetermined sentence intention according to whether an action corresponding to the intention of the respective sentence can be performed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a speech dialogue service apparatus and method, and more particularly, to a speech dialogue service apparatus and method of analyzing a dialogue style sentence including a natural language uttered by a user, analogizing omitted information of the sentence via dynamic context management, and analyzing and performing an intention of the user, thereby precisely analyzing and performing an uttered content of the user even when the user utters in the natural language as an ordinary dialogue instead of uttering only in a certain type of dialog capable of being recognized by a system.
2. Description of Related Art
Currently, technologies relating to home networks have been rapidly developing. Via home networks, home electronics such as a television, a video tape recorder, a telephone, a washer, and a refrigerator are connected to each other and users may enjoy various benefits by such network connections of home electronics.
In conventional technologies, to control home electronics by home networks, users must know a command system corresponding to each home electronics device or know the corresponding command system to interact with home electronics device. For example, users may directly control home electronics by using a remote control or a portable device.
However, as the so-called "Ubiquitous era" comes of age, methods of directly controlling home electronics by users as described above are being gradually substituted by methods in which home electronics are controlled by recognizing contents of dialogue uttered by users and executing corresponding operations.
Methods of controlling dialogue type home electronics include, speech recognition technology for receiving and converting a speech of users into a text and a technology for applying a dialogue type order analyzed by speech recognition to home electronics connected via home networks.
However, according to the described conventional method of controlling home electronics by speech recognition, there is a restriction on utterance contents of users. Specifically, users are must utter just a few instructions capable of being recognized by a home electronics control system to control home electronics. Accordingly, users must know well the instructions capable of being recognized by the system to control home electronics.
Therefore, dialogue type speech recognition services in which a user may more freely utter an instruction in a natural language and a system that may recognize the uttered natural language instruction and control home electronics are being developed. According to the dialogue type speech recognition services, the user does not need to previously know well a certain instruction and instead utters a word capable of being generally recognized, thereby easily controlling home electronics.
As a conventional dialogue type speech recognition service model, U.S. Pat. No. 6,604,090 and U.S. Patent Application No. 2002/0133347 disclose service models in which a keyword list is made by extracting a keyword from utterance contents of a user, a template corresponding to the keyword is extracted from a database, and a response is determined by comparing the templates with each other.
Also, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,246,981 and 6,786,651 disclose service models in which expected dialogue forms are previously recorded and a response is provided according to a predetermined scenario corresponding to utterance contents of a user for each category, thereby recognizing an intention of the user.
However, in the aforementioned conventional dialogue type speech recognition services, since a natural language instruction uttered by a user is recognized by referring to standardized words previously inputted, there is a restriction on natural language analysis whose target is similar to a literary style or limited sentence combination. Specifically, in most natural language sentences uttered by the user, a word or phrase is omitted, tenses are not consistent and/or an order is inversed. Accordingly, a meaning itself may be ambiguous, and the natural language constructed by the imperfect sentence cannot be precisely recognized by the conventional services.
Also, when analyzing the intention of the user according to a certain scenario, it is not possible to correspond to general dialogue environments in which the intention of the user is frequently changed and cannot be estimated according to circumstances.
Accordingly, development of a dialogue type speech recognition service model capable of inducing a more intelligent and natural dialogue by more precisely analyzing and responding to imperfect sentence contents of a natural language instruction uttered by the user is required.

Apparatus for providing voice dialogue service and method of operating the same


A data processor (20) includes a firewall circuit (50) that monitors privilege level changes or transitions between privilege modes, such as from user mode and user space into supervisory or privileged mode and operating system space. The firewall circuit starts a timer (54) whenever a central processing unit (22) enters supervisor mode. If the timer (54) determines the passage of a predetermined time while the central processing unit remains continuously in supervisory mode without re-entering user mode, a predefined security policy is invoked. For example, the security policy may require at this point that the data processor (20) is to be reset. Different timer (54) time-out values and different security policies can be set for different types of privilege level changes. In one embodiment, a default time-out value provides protection for multiple types of privilege level changes.

Security is an important issue within the development of integrated circuits. Components and information within these integrated circuits require some way to provide access protection to protect the integrity of these systems. A security system of some form is usually implemented to prevent unauthorized access to particular locations or components of these integrated circuit. Typically, an integrated circuits is capable of executing software in a privileged mode and a non-privileged mode. Trusted software such as the operating system, interrupt handlers, and initialization routines execute in the privilege mode. Applications or user software typically execute in a non-privileged mode and have restricted access to hardware components and memory locations. In order to access privileged locations or components, application software makes a request to the operating system which services this request on behalf of the application software. This delineation of control is needed to prevent the non-privileged application software from accessing or modifying privileged data.
It is becoming increasingly important to protect privileged information against unauthorized access. Numerous methods have been used in the past to protect this information. One such method is to encrypt the information. Another such method is termed "security through obscurity", which means that data is secured through obscuring how it is secured.
Neither encryption nor security through obscurity is sufficient on its own to protect data. Encrypted data can be decrypted, and security through obscurity can be reverse engineered.
One of the basic protections in almost all data processing systems is to separate user data from operating system data and to restrict access to privileged information by use of memory protection techniques and devices controlled by an operating system. Therefore, one of the traditional methods of illegally gaining access to this privileged information has been to gain control of the operating system by a user program. A user program by some machinations gets itself in supervisory mode, and thus has access to the privileged information. A number of different techniques have been perfected through time to achieve this goal. Some of these techniques include redirecting interrupts, passing illegal parameters to interrupt handlers, memory overflows, and masquerading as a supervisory routine. Indeed, modem technology even allows a supervisory bit to be forced to a specific value. Significant effort is made in operating system design to thwart these sorts of unauthorized entries. However, a corresponding large effort is also made to overcome these new methods of detecting unauthorized entries into the operating system and supervisory mode.
Because of the ongoing race between system developers and system crackers, it would be advantageous to be able to restrict entry into the operating system and into supervisory mode by nonauthorized users regardless of how the supervisory mode is entered.

Data processor with a privileged state firewall and method therefore


To make use of its full input voltage operating range, an analog-to-digital converter is configured with a switched-capacitor circuit to produce a digital output signal from an analog input signal that lies within a range of input signal voltage. The analog-to-digital converter is configured with an amplifier with a digitally programmable gain and a voltage generator with a digitally controlled output voltage. The voltage generator is coupled through a buffer to the amplifier input and generates an output voltage inversely proportional to the amplifier gain. The amplifier gain and the voltage generator output voltage are controllable with the same digital control signal. The combination of the amplifier and the voltage generator can be configured to produce a voltage for the analog-to-digital converter that lies in a prescribed voltage range, avoiding the need to generate substantial current from the voltage generator for a switched-capacitor circuit.

As the designs of electronic systems such as communication, recording, and entertainment systems migrate toward greater utilization of digital circuits, the precise and rapid conversion of analog signals into a digital format has become an essential design element. For example, to preserve the visual quality of an incoming high-definition analog video signal, an integrated circuit to convert the signal into a digital format typically requires 10 bits of precision in the analog-to-digital converter (ADC), with 6 MHz of bandwidth.
ADCs are usually designed to operate with a fixed range of input voltages, such as −0.5 volt to 0.5 volt, and are generally designed using switched-capacitor circuit technology to preserve the analog-to-digital conversion accuracy. Switched-capacitor circuit technology is a preferred circuit approach in view of the substantial variations in practical semiconductor manufacturing processes which produce resistors, capacitors, and transistors in integrated circuits with very accurate areas for the circuit elements, but with substantial variations from lot to lot in device parameters, such as resistance or capacitance, the variations sometimes approaching or even exceeding 30%. For example, individual capacitors formed on a die may exhibit substantial capacitance variations from a nominal design value due to imprecise control of dielectric thickness, but all capacitors on the die will be formed with substantially identical areas, which is well controlled by a precise lithographic process. All the capacitors on the die will, nonetheless, have substantially the same dielectric thickness, resulting in all capacitors having essentially the same capacitance deviation. Thus, a capacitance ratio on a die is a precisely controlled variable, not the absolute capacitances. Resistances and certain transistor parameters show similar substantial variations depending on manufacturing process parameters and device operating temperature, but resistance ratios for similar elements on the same die can also be accurately maintained. Since the accuracy of an analog-to-digital conversion or an amplification gain using switched-capacitor technology depends primarily on ratios of capacitances and resistances, this technology, which is readily amenable to implementation with fine-line feature sizes and which readily accommodates mixed-signal implementations, has become the design approach of choice for high speed, high accuracy, integrated circuits.
A practical high-performance analog-to-digital conversion process typically provides conversion for an input voltage signal that is limited to a voltage range from zero volts to some upper, variable voltage limit. The upper voltage limit may vary, for example, between 0.5 volts and 2.0 volts. To preserve the accuracy of the analog-to-digital conversion process, the input voltage signal must first be adjusted with accurate gain and offset so that it falls within the operating voltage limits of the ADC, such as −0.5 to 0.5 volt.
FIG. 1 illustrates a block diagram of the prior art showing scaling and shifting of an analog voltage input signal so that it falls within a fixed voltage range of an ADC such as −0.5 to 0.5 volt. The clamp 102 is included in the circuit to prevent the input voltage signal from assuming negative values. The buffer 104 is typically configured with two source followers so that the circuit does not load the input signal source, and provides a balanced, two-rail output for high-frequency performance of the downstream portions of the circuit. The amplifier 106 is a switched-capacitor programmable-gain amplifier (PGA) with its gain controlled typically by a four-bit digital gain-code signal. The required gain of the PGA is controlled to vary as 1/Vmax in the present example, where Vmax is the upper voltage limit of the input voltage signal. A constant offset voltage, VOFFSET, shifts the output voltage of the PGA using a voltage summing process such as the summers 108 so that the signal presented to the analog-to-digital converter 110 falls symmetrically within the range of −0.5 to 0.5 volt, thereby making full use of the input operating voltage range of the ADC. The process of scaling and shifting of the input voltage signal preserves the data accuracy in the output signal 112 from the ADC for the number of bits provided for the conversion process. If the input signal is not scaled and shifted to make use of the full operating range of the ADC, the analog-to-digital conversion process would operate with a reduced effective number of bits in the conversion process, i.e., it would "waste" one or two bits of precision.
However, when using switched-capacitor circuit technology, substantial drive currents are required to couple certain circuit elements, such as to a voltage source producing an offset voltage, due to the charge transfer nature of switched-capacitor circuits. For example, a switched-capacitor circuit with a switching frequency of 165 MHz implemented in an integrated circuit with 0.13 μm feature size may require source currents that can exceed 10 mA to produce an offset voltage. Large drive currents from such a source raise difficult practicality and cost issues that must be assessed in view of common design objectives for generally reducing energy consumption for any electronic equipment, and particularly for extending battery life for portable equipment.
To obtain high accuracy using switched-capacitor circuit technology, with its capability for implementation with fine-line integrated circuit technology and its immunity to manufacturing process variations, the prior art uses a circuit arrangement for analog-to-digital conversion that voltage-shifts an input voltage using a high drive current. The high drive current substantially increases the power required by the circuit, which detracts from product acceptance, particularly for portable systems and systems that operate continuously.
Thus, what is needed in the art is a circuit arrangement for an analog-to-digital conversion process that provides high accuracy and wide bandwidth, that operates with a limited input voltage range, and that can retain the advantages of switched capacitor circuit technology without the need for an offset voltage with a substantial drive current to scale and voltage-shift an input voltage signal.

Method and apparatus for accurate inverse-linear voltage/current generator