Compositions, kits and methods are provided for promoting general health or for prevention or treatment of diseases by using novel recombinant fusion proteins of human serum albumin (HSA) and bioactive molecules. The bioactive molecules may be a protein or peptide having a biological function in vitro or in vivo, and preferably, having a therapeutic activity when administered to a human. By fusing the bioactive molecule to HSA, stability of the bioactive molecule in vivo can be improved and the therapeutic index increased due to reduced toxicity and longer-lasting therapeutic effects in vivo. In addition, manufacturing processes are provided for efficient, cost-effective production of these recombinant proteins in yeast.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the manufacture and use of recombinant albumin fusion proteins and combinations thereof, and particularly to yeast expressed fusion proteins formed between human albumin and bioactive molecules such as therapeutic proteins and peptides, and more particularly to yeast expressed fusion proteins formed between human albumin and cell proliferation stimulatory factor (CPSF), such as, blood cell-stimulatory factors, erythropoietin (EPO), interleukins (ILs), stem cell factor (SCF), thrombopoietin (TPO), granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF), and granulocyte macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF).
2. Description of Related Art
1. Albumin
Albumin is a soluble, monomeric protein which comprises about one-half of the blood serum protein. Albumin functions primarily as a carrier protein for steroids, fatty acids, and thyroid hormones and plays a role in stabilizing extracellular fluid volume. Mutations in this gene on chromosome 4 result in various anomalous proteins. Albumin is a globular un-glycosylated serum protein of molecular weight 65,000. The human albumin gene is 16,961 nucleotides long from the putative 'cap' site to the first poly(A) addition site. It is split into 15 exons which are symmetrically placed within the 3 domains that are thought to have arisen by triplication of a single primordial domain. Albumin is synthesized in the liver as pre-pro-albumin which has an N-terminal peptide that is removed before the nascent protein is released from the rough endoplasmic reticulum. The product, proalbumin, is in turn cleaved in the Golgi vesicles to produce the secreted albumin. HSA has 35 cysteins; in blood this protein monomer has 17 disulfide linkage (Brown, J. R. "Albumin structure, Function, and Uses" Pergamon, N.Y., 1977). HSA is misfolded when produced intracellularly in yeast without its amino terminal secretion peptide sequence. This conclusion is based on its insolubility, loss of great than 90% of its antigenicity (as compared to human-derived HSA), and formation of large protein aggregates. At present albumin for clinical use is produced by extraction from human blood. The production of recombinant albumin in microorganisms has been disclosed in EP 330 451 and EP 361 991.
Albumin is a stable plasma transporter function provided by any albumin variant and in particular by human albumin. HSA is highly polymorphic and more than 30 different genetic alleles have been reported (Weikamp L, R, et al., Ann. Hum. Genet., 37 219-226, 1973). The albumin molecule, whose three-dimensional structure has been characterized by X-ray diffraction (Carter D.C. et al., Science 244, 1195-1198, 1989), was chosen to provide the stable transporter function because it is the most abundant plasma protein (40 g per liter in human), it has a high plasma half-life (14-20 days in human, Waldmann T. A., in "Albumin Structure, Function and Uses", Rosenoer V. M. et al (eds), Pergamon Press, Oxford, 255-275,1977), and above all it has the advantage of being devoid of enzymatic function, thus permitting its therapeutic utilization at high dose.
2. Interleukin-11 (IL-11)
Human IL-11 (Paul et al. (1990), Pro. Natl. Acad. Sci. 87:7512) has been identified in medium conditioned by primate bone marrow-derived stromal cells. IL-11 is expressed in cells of mesenchymal origin, such as stromal fibroblasts, fetal lung fibroblasts and trophoblasts.
IL-11, also called adipogenesis inhibitory factor (AGIF), acts on hematopoietic progenitor cells and stromal cells (Kawashima, I., et al., Progress in Growth Factor Research, 4,191 1992). The mature molecule is a non-glycosylation protein, 178 aa in length, and has an apparent molecular weight 23 KD (as determined by SDS-PAGE). Human IL-11 gene consists of five exons and four introns and was mapped on chromosome 19 at band 19q13.3-q13.4. IL-11 exhibits a primary structure unrelated to that of known cytokines, but it often acts similar to other cytokines, notably IL-6. IL-11 is a pleiotropic growth factor effecting hematopoietic and non-hematopoietic cells, often in synergy with interleukins, colony stimulating factors, or stem cell factor. In hematopoietic cells, IL-11 can enhance megakaryopoiesis, stimulate early and intermediate myeloid progenitor cells, initiate proliferation of dormant hematopoietic progenitor cells, and stimulate T-cell-dependent development of antibody-secreting B-cells. In non-hematopoietic cells, IL-11 can inhibit adipogenesis, and mediates the hepatic acute phase response. IL-11 stimulated the production of erythrocytes was reported only by Quesniaux, V F J., et al., Blood, 80, 1218 (1992).
Human IL-11 (e.g., NEURMEGA®, manufactured by America Home Products Company) has been approved for clinical trials in the United States for directly stimulating the proliferation of hematopoietic stem cells and megakaryocyte progenitor cells and inducing megakaryocyte maturation, resulting in increased platelet production. It has been used for the prevention of severe thrombocytopenia and the reduction of the need for platelet transfusion following myelosuppressive chemotherapy.
3. Erythropoietin (EPO)
Erythropoietin (EPO) is a glycoprotein that is the principle regulator of red blood cells growth and differentiation (U.S. Pat. No: 5,547,933). Erythropoiesis, the production of red blood cells, occurs continuously throughout the human life span to offset cell destruction. Erythropoiesis is a very precisely controlled physiological mechanism enabling sufficient numbers of red blood cells to be available in the blood for proper tissue oxygenation, but not so many that the cells would impede circulation. The formation of red blood cells occurs in the bone marrow and is under the control of the hormone EPO.
EPO is an acidic glycoprotein (˜30,400 Daltons) produced primarily by the kidney and is the principal factor regulating red blood cell production in mammals. Renal production of EPO is regulated by changes in oxygen availability. Under conditions of hypoxia, the level of EPO in the circulation increases and this leads to increased production of red blood cells. The over-expression of EPO may be associated with certain pathophysiological conditions. Polycythemia exists when there is an overproduction of red blood cells (RBCs). Primary polycythemias, such as Polycythemia vera, are caused by EPO-independent growth of erythrocytic progenitors from abnormal stem cells and low to normal levels of EPO are found in the serum of affected patients.
On the other hand, various types of secondary polycythemias are associated with the production of higher than normal levels of EPO. The overproduction of EPO may be an adaptive response associated with conditions that produce tissue hypoxia, such as living at high altitude, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cyanotic heart disease, sleep apnea, high-affinity hemoglobinopathy, smoking, or localized renal hypoxia. In other instances, excessive EPO levels are the result of production by neoplastic cells. Cases of increased EPO production and erythrocytosis have been recorded for patients with renal carcinomas, benign renal tumors, Wilms' tumors, hepatomas liver carcinomas, cerebellar hemangioblastomas, adrenal gland tumors, smooth muscle tumors, and leiomyomas.
Deficient EPO production is found in conjunction with certain forms of anemias. These include anemia of renal failure and end-stage renal disease, anemias of chronic disorders [chronic infections, autoimmune diseases, rheumatoid arthritis, AIDS, malignancies], anemia of prematurity, anemia of hypothyroidism, and anemia of malnutrition. Many of these conditions are associated with the generation of IL-1 and TNF-, factors that have been shown to be inhibitors of EPO activity. Other forms of anemias, on the other hand, are due to EPO-independent causes and affected individuals show elevated levels of EPO. These forms include aplastic anemias, iron deficiency anemias, thalassemias, megaloblastic anemias, pure red cell aplasias, and myelodysplastic syndromes.
The amount of erythropoietin in the circulation is increased under conditions of hypoxia when oxygen transport by blood cells in the circulation is reduced. Hypoxia may be caused by loss of large amounts of blood through hemorrhage, destruction of red blood cells by over-exposure to radiation, reduction in oxygen intake due to high altitudes or prolonged unconsciousness, or various forms of anemia. In response to tissues undergoing hypoxic stress, erythropoietin will increase red blood cell production by stimulating the conversion of primitive precursor cells in the bone marrow into proerythroblasts which subsequently mature, synthesize hemoglobin and are released into the circulation as red blood cells. When the number of red blood cells in circulation is greater than needed for normal tissue oxygen requirements, erythropoietin in circulation is decreased.
EPO may occur in three forms: alpha-, beta and asialo-EPQ. The alpha- and beta-forms differ slightly in carbohydrate components, but have the same potency, biological activity and molecular weight. The asialo-form is an alpha- or beta-form with the terminal carbohydrate (sialic acid) removed. EPO is present in very low concentrations in plasma when the body is in a healthy state wherein tissues receive sufficient oxygenation from the existing number of erythrocytes. This normal low concentration is enough to stimulate replacement of red blood cells which are lost normally through aging. See generally for references, Testa, et al., Exp. Hematol., 8(Supp. 8), 144-152 (1980); Tong, et al., J.Biol.Chem., 256(24), 12666-12672 (1981); Goldwasser, J.Cell.Physiol., 110(Supp 1), 133-135 (1982); Finch, Blood, 60(6), 1241-1246 (1982); Sytowski, et al Exp.Hematol., 8(Supp 8), 52-64 (1980): Naughton, Ann.Clin.Lab.Sci., 13(5), 432-438 (1983); Weiss, et al., Am.J.Vet.Res., 44(10), 1832-1835 (1983); Lappin, et al., Exp.Hematol., 11(7), 661-666 (1983); Baciu, et al., Ann.N.Y.Acad. Sci., 414, 66-72 (1983); Murphy, et al., Acta.Haematologica Japonica, 46(7), 1380-1396 (1983); Dessypris, et al., Brit.J.Haematol, 56, 295-306 (1984); and, Emmanouel, et al., Am.J.Physiol., 247 (1 Pt 2), F168-76 (1984).
Because EPO is essential in the process of red blood cell formation, the hormone has potential useful application in both the diagnosis and the treatment of blood disorders characterized by low or defective red blood cell production. See, generally, Pennathur-Das, et al., Blood, 63(5), 1168-71 (1984) and Haddy, Am.Jour.Ped.Hematol./Oncol., 4, 191-196, (1982) relating to erythropoietin in possible therapies for sickle cell disease, and Eschbach, et al. J.Clin.Invest., 74(2), pp. 434-441, (1984), describing a therapeutic regimen for uremic sheep based on in vivo response to erythropoietin-rich plasma infusions and proposing a dosage of 10 U EPO/kg per day for 15-40 days as corrective of anemia of the type associated with chronic renal failure. See also, Krane, Henry Ford Hosp.Med.J., 31(3), 177-181 (1983).
Prior attempts to obtain erythropoietin in good yield from plasma or urine have proven relatively unsuccessful. Complicated and sophisticated laboratory techniques are necessary and generally result in the collection of very small amounts of impure and unstable extracts containing erythropoietin. Genetically engineered EPO (U.S. Pat. No. 5,547,933) has been expressed in Chinese Hamster Ovary cell line (CHO). It has been approved for administration on clinical trials by FDA and now manufactures by Amgen Inc. under the name of EPOGEN.
It has been-estimated that the availability of erythropoietin in quantity would allow for treatment each year of anemias of 1,600,000 persons in the United States alone. See, e.g., Morrison, "Bioprocessing in Space—an Overview", pp. 557-571 in The World Biotech REPOrt 1984, Volume 2:USA, (Online Publications, New York, N.Y. 1984). Recent studies have provided a basis for projection of efficacy of erythropoietin therapy in a variety of disease states, disorders and states of hematologic irregularity: Vedovato, et al., Acta.Haematol, 71, 211-213 (1984) (beta-thalassemia); Vichinsky, et al., J.Pediatr., 105(1), 15-21 (1984) (cystic fibrosis); Cotes, et al., Brit.J.Obstet.Gyneacol., 90(4), 304-311 (1983) (pregnancy, menstrual disorders); Haga, et al., Acta.Pediatr.Scand., 72, 827-831 (1983) (early anemia of prematurity); Claus-Walker, et al., Arch.Phys.Med.Rehabil., 65, 370-374 (1984) (spinal cord injury); Dunn, et al., Eur.J.Appl.Physiol., 52, 178-182 (1984) (space flight); Miller, et al., Brit.J.Haematol., 52, 545-590 (1982) (acute blood loss); Udupa, et al., J.Lab.Clin.Med., 103(4), 574-580 and 581-588 (1984); and Lipschitz, et al., Blood, 63(3), 502-509 (1983) (aging); and Dainiak, et al., Cancer, 51(6), 1101-1106 (1983) and Schwartz, et al., Otolaryngol., 109, 269-272 (1983) (various neoplastic disease states accompanied by abnormal erythropoiesis).
4. Granulocyte Colony Stimulating Factor (G-CSF)
Granulocyte colony stimulating factor (G-CSF) is produced by monocytes and fibroblasts. It stimulating granulocyte colony formation, activates neutrophils, differentiates certain myeloid leukemic cell lines and is a potent activator of mature granulocytes (Metcalf D., cell, 43, 5, 1985; Groopman, J. E., Cell,. 50, 5 1987);. Nature human G-CSF is a 19.6 KD glycoprotein having 177 amino acids (Souza, L. M et al., Science, 232, 62, 1986). Human and murine GCSF share approximately 75% amino acid sequence homology and have biology cross-reactivity (Morstyn, G., and Burgess, A., Cancer Res., 48, 5624, 1988). The biological activity of recombinant human G-CSF was measured in a cell proliferation assay using NFS-60 cells (Shurafuji, N et al., Exp. Hematol., 17, 116, 1989). Human G-CSF has been brought to the market under the name of NEUPOGEN® by Amgen, Inc.
5. Granulocyte-Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (GM-CSF)
Granulocyte-Macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) induces myeloid progenitor cells from bone marrow to from colonies contains macrophages and granulocytes in semisolid media. GM-CSF also acts upon mature macrophages, eosinophils and nutrophils to stimulate various functional activities (Mazur, E., and Cohen, J., Clin Pharmacol. Ther., 46, 250, 1989; Morstyn, T G., and Burgess. A., Cancer Res., 48, 5624, 1988). GM-CSF is an acidic glycoprotein {18-22 KD human (Wong, G., et al., Science, 228, 810, 1986), 23 KD mouse (Metcalf, D., Blood, 67, 257, 1986)} which binds to high affinity receptors on GM-CSF sensitive cells. Although human and mouse GMCSF share 54% amino acid sequence homology, their biological actions are species-specific (Metcalf, D., Blood, 67, 257, 1986). Other growth factors and CSFs modulate receptor binding or actions of GM-CSF (Nicola, N., Immunol. Today, 8, 134, 1987). The proliferative activity of human GMCSF is tested in culture using human TF-1 cells (Kitamura, T., et al., J. cell Physiol., 140, 323, 1989). Human GM-CSF has been brought to the market under the name of LEUKINE®) by Immunex, Inc
6. Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF)
Macrophage Colony Stimulating Factor (M-CSF) is produced by monocytes, fibroblasts and endothelial cells. It stimulates the formation of macrophage colonies (Metcalf, D., Blood, 67, 257, 1986), enhances antibody-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity by monocytes and macrophages (Mufson, R. A. et al., Cellular Immunol., 119, 182, 1989), and inhibits bone resorption by osteoclasts (Hattersley, G., et al., J. Cell Physiol., 137, 199, 1988). M-CSF is glycoprotein and appears in a few different molecular weight forms due to variation in glycosylation. The peptide has 159 amino acids (Kawasaki, E. S., et al., Science, 230, 291, 1985).
7. Thrombopoietin (TPO)
Thrombopoietin (TPO), the ligand for the receptor encoded by the c-Mpl proto-oncogene, acts as a stimulator of the development of megakaryocyte precursors of platelets. Similar to erythropoietin, TPO leads to an increase in number of circulating platelets. TPO affects the entire thrombopoietic process, with stronger effects in the later stages. Other thrombopoietic cytokines include Stem cell factor (SCF), IL-3, IL-6 and IL-11.
TPO is an approximately 35 KD polypeptide of 335 amino acid. However, due to glycosylation the protein has an apparent=mol weight of 75 KD in SDS-PAGE. The precursor form of TPO consists of 356 amino acids. To generate the mature TPO (335 aa), the precursor cleaves a 21 amino acids signal peptide. Human, mouse and dog TPO shows 69-75% amino acid homology. The biological activities of recombinant human TPO was measured in a cell proliferation assay using MO7e cells.
8. Interleukin-3 (IL-3)
Interleukin -3 (IL-3) is one of a large and growing group of growth factors which support the proliferation and differentiation of hematopoietic progenitors as well as cells committed to various myeloid lineages in vitro and in vivo. Human IL-3 has 133 amino acids in mature protein and the glycosylation is not necessary for biological activity in vitro and in vivo. The homology between human and murine IL-3 is considerably less. The initial studies on the biology and biochemistry of IL-3 shows that among the well characterized hematopoietic growth factors, IL-3, is the only factor to be predominantly, if not exclusively, produced by activated T cell in normal cells in mice (Ihele and Weinstein, 1986) as well as in human (Yang and Clark 1998). The structure of IL-3, and the structure and location of its gene, are very much like those of a number of the hematopoietic growth factors and suggest that IL-3 is a member of an evolutionarily related family of growth factors. In preclinical and clinical trials, the most prominent and consistent effect of Il-3 in vivo is a significant increase in the absolute neutrophil count (ANC). In vitro IL-3, in combination with other cytokines such as stem-cell factor, IL-6, IL-1, IL-11, G-CSF. GM-CSF, erythropoietin (EPO), or Thrombopoietin (TPO) induces the proliferation of colony-forming units granulocyte-macrophage (CFU-GM), CFU-Eo, CFU-Baso, burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E), colony-forming units-megakaryocyte (CFU-MK) and colony-forming units-granulocyte/erythroid/macrophage/megakaryocyte (CFU-GEMM) in semisolid medium, and it stimulates the proliferation of purified CD34+ cells in suspension culture (Eder, et al., Stem Cell, 15:327-333, 1997).

Recombinant human albumin fusion proteins with long-lasting biological effects


The present invention provides compositions and methods for treating cancer in a human. The invention includes relates to administering a genetically modified T cell expressing a CAR having an antigen binding domain, a transmembrane domain, a CD2 signaling domain, and a CD3 zeta signaling domain. The invention also includes incorporating CD2 into the CAR to alter the cytokine production of CAR-T cells in both negative and positive directions.

T lymphocytes modified with chimeric-antigen receptors (CARs) bearing the CD3-zeta signaling domain exhibit moderate levels of target tumor cytolysis and low amounts of cytokine production. The incorporation of costimulatory signaling domains, usually that of CD28 or 4-1BB, into second-generation CARs significantly increases target cell killing and cytokine production. It has been shown that ligation of the natural CD2 molecule resulted in quantitative and qualitative differences compared to TCR-induced calcium signal transduction. Recent reports demonstrated that ligation of the endogenous CD2 receptor significantly increases IL-2 produced from first-generation CAR-T cells.
Current data indicates that CAR T cells need to engraft and survive in patients who have clinically beneficial tumor responses (Porter et al., 2011, N Engl J Med, 365:725-33). However, activation-induced T cell death can occur when the threshold for too much signal transduction is reached (Viola et al., 1996, Science. 273(5271):104-6; Ren-Heidenreich et al., 2002, Cancer Immunol Immunother, 2002:417-23; Bachmann et al., 1996, Eur J Immunol, 26(9):2017-22; Ren-Heidenreich et al., 2001, Curr Gene Ther, 1(3):253-5; Borthwick et al., 1996, Immunology, (4):508-15).
Thus, there is an urgent need in the art for compositions of CARs that regulate T cell responses to enhance CAR T cell survival and provide a beneficial environment for anti-tumor activity. The present invention addresses this need.

Use of the CD2 signaling domain in second-generation chimeric antigen receptors

The Trustees of the University of Pennsylvania


A method of producing glycogen is provided. The method comprises the step of heat- and pressure-treating a sugar-containing material under acidic conditions. The sugar-containing material is a polysaccharide or an oligosaccharide. Alternatively, the sugar-containing material is a plant material selected from the group consisting of Panax notoginseng, Yun Nan San-chi powder (trademark), Panax ginseng, wheat flour, soybean, soy flour, shiitake, and coffee extract residue. Representatively, the glycogen includes a molecule having a molecular weight of 10,000 or less. The glycogen has a specific rotation of [α]D+197° and anomeric proton peaks at 5.37 ppm and 4.95 to 5.33 ppm in 1H NMR spectra.

Glycogen is a homopolysaccharide consisting of glucoses like starch, which is a storage polysaccharide in plants. Glycogen has a polymer structure in which D-glucoses are linked together with α1-4 glycoside linkages and a highly branched structure which has a branch per 8 to 10 glucose residues due to α1-6 glycoside linkage.
Glycogen is known as an animal storage polysaccharide. In animals, glycogen is contained in a granule form (glycogen granule) in almost all cells, particularly in liver and muscle in a large amount. Muscle glycogen is an energy source for muscle contraction. Liver glycogen is used to maintain blood sugar during fasting. The difference in the characters of glycogens corresponds to the difference in the functions thereof. The muscle glycogen has a molecular weight of 1-2 million. The liver glycogen has a molecular weight of 5-6 million and sometimes as much as 20 million (Iwanami Seibutsugaku Jiten [Dictionary of Biology], 4th Ed., p. 354, Iwanami-shoten (Tokyo) published on Mar. 21, 1996).
While glycogen is an animal storage polysaccharide, the glycogen is known to have an action of enhancing liver function. It was reported that a glycogen extracted from cuttlefish and scallops has a potent anti-tumor activity (Yosiaki Takata, et al., J. Mar. Biotech., 6. pp. 208-213 (1998)). Such a glycogen is useful as a novel material for functional foods and its applications have been developed.
Glycogen is biosynthesized from monosaccharides, such as glucose or the like, in the animal body.
In general, a polysaccharide sugar chain is synthesized by a chemical method or an enzymatic method. Both the methods are based on the principle that the OH group at an anomer position, which is to form a sugar hemiacetal ring, is previously activated as a leaving group and is subsequently replaced with another sugar or a biological component. To date, sialyl LeX ganglioside (contributing to the epoch-making result of researches on cell adhesion molecules or cancer-related antigens), calicheamicins (having a carcinostatic action), and the like have been developed using the chemical method, and cyclodextrins (having an inclusion action), coupling sugars (sweeteners substituting for sucrose, which are less responsible for tooth decay), and the like have been developed using the enzymatic method.
In the chemical method for synthesis of polysaccharide sugar chains, for example, it is known that a long chain oligosaccharide is degraded with acids; and various resultant monosaccharides are treated with a dilute acid, resulting in the reverse reaction in which a mixture of oligosaccharides are produced. In the enzymatic method, it is known that when sucrose is treated with invertase, which is a sugar hydrolytic enzyme, at a high concentration and high temperature, fructose is transferred to glucose, with 1 to 3 fructose molecules per one sucrose molecule to produce a fructooligosaccharide.
In general, chemical synthesis of polysaccharide sugar chains requires sugar donors, sugar acceptors, and promoters. Further, the sugar donors and the sugar acceptor or optionally their derivatives have to be prepared; and factors, such as solvents, dehydrators, temperatures, and the like have to be determined stringently. Furthermore, complicated steps, such as conversion or elimination of protecting groups, liberation of a specific hydroxyl group, or the like, are required. Therefore, it is not easy to chemically synthesize polysaccharide sugar chains. The sugar donors and the sugar acceptors as well as the factors have to be determined separately for each different substrate. There was no known technique for synthesis of sugar chains which can be generally applied to various substrate materials irrespective of their types.

Process for physicochemically producing glycogen and glycogen obtained thereby


A rectifier circuit powers three power conversion modules using a three phase AC input without a neutral connection. The rectifier circuit includes a first bridge rectifier that is connected to a first phase of the three phase AC input and that produces a first rectified waveform. A second bridge rectifier is connected to a second phase of the three phase AC input and produces a second rectified waveform. A third bridge rectifier is connected to a third phase of the three phase AC input and produces a third rectified waveform. A first inductor has one end that is connected to the first bridge rectifier. A second inductor has one end that is connected to the second bridge rectifier. A third inductor has one end that is connected to the third bridge rectifier. Opposite ends of the first, second and third inductors are connected to form a virtual neutral. A protection circuit prevents overvoltage when one of the DC outputs is shorted.

Rectifier circuits are commonly used for converting an alternating current (AC) signal into a direct current (DC) signal. Applications that require either DC power or AC power at a different frequency initially require the 50-60 Hz three phase AC power to be rectified. The rectified DC power can then be used or processed using power conversion modules.
Some applications require DC power at a higher or lower level than the rectified DC voltage. In this situation, a power conversion module converts the DC power to the desired higher or lower DC level. When AC power at a different frequency or voltage is desired, the rectified DC power is inverted by a power conversion module to AC at the desired voltage or frequency.
In some situations, it is desirable to run a DC-AC power conversion module without using a regulated DC power supply. Certain types of power conversion modules (especially 1 MHz and up) become significantly less efficient as their DC supply voltage is increased.
There are many applications for power conversion modules that are supplied by 400 VAC (common in foreign countries) or 480 VAC (common in the United States) mains. These applications include RF amplifiers and RF generators. The standard practice for high frequency power conversion modules is to connect two or more lower voltage power conversion modules in series. However, if one of the series connected modules fails during operation, the whole system fails. It is also difficult to share the rectified DC input voltage evenly between the series connected power conversion modules.
When the AC supply is three phase, three AC signals and a ground and/or neutral are typically provided. When the neutral is available, the voltages that are delivered to the circuit can be phase-to-phase or phase-to-neutral. In many facilities, however, the neutral connection is not available. When no neutral connection is available, the voltages that are delivered to the circuit can be only phase-to-phase. The phase-to-neutral voltages are typically lower than the phase-to-phase voltages by a factor that is equal to √{square root over (3)}. The lower voltages allow higher efficiency in DC-AC high frequency applications and a phase-to-neutral connection would be utilized if availability of the neutral connection was guaranteed. Also, there are current restrictions for the neutral wires, and any application which utilizes a neutral connection provided by their facility is subject to those restrictions.

Three phase rectifier circuit with virtual neutral


A high-pressure gas operated setting tool including a piston guide (7), a driving piston (21) axially displaceable in the piston guide (7) and formed of a head (9) and a stem (8), and a deformable member surrounding the stem (8) and extending between a stop (17), provided in a front, in the setting direction, end portion of the piston guide (7) and a front, in the setting direction end surface of the head (9), the deformable member (11) having a substantially closed cellular structure.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a high-pressure gas operated setting tool including a piston guide, a driving piston, axially displaceable in the piston guide and formed of a head and a stem, and a return element surrounding the stem and extending between a stop provided in a front, in a setting direction, end portion of the piston guide and a front, in the setting direction, end surface of the head.
2. Description of the Prior Art
German Publication DE-OS 1,939,801 discloses an explosive powder charge operated setting tool for setting nail-shaped fastening elements in a base, with the driving piston of the tool being returned to its initial position, after a setting process, by an elastic sleeve. The returning elastic sleeve surrounds the stem of the driving piston and extends between a stop, which is provided in the front, in the setting direction, end portion of the piston guide, and the front, in the setting direction, end surface of the driving piston head.
In this setting tool, the difference between the outer diameter of the return element and the inner diameter of the piston guide is large. This difference results from the fact that the return sleeve is formed of a material with high lateral expansion. This means that the reduced, in the axial direction, volume of the sleeve, is enlarged in the radial direction until the sleeve expands radially to the inner wall of the piston guide.
The largest possible axial return path of the return element and, thus, the maximum possible axial displacement of the driving piston depends on the free space between the return element and the inner wall of the piston guide.
The resiliency characteristics of the return sleeve, which is disclosed in DE-OS 1,939,801, permits a maximum reduction of the original length of the sleeve upon the sleeve compression, by half. To be able to provide for a large axial displacement of the driving piston, the increase of the empty cylindrical volume is necessary. This volume can be increased by increasing radially the guide bore of the piston guide, i.e., by increasing the free volume between the return element and the inner wall of the piston guide. A big drawback of this approach consists in that the dimensions of the setting tool are substantially increased which makes the handling of the setting tool impossible. If, e.g., a rubber is used for manufacturing the sleeve, then the relatively long sleeve has an increased own weight. The large weight of the sleeve negatively affects the entire weight of the setting tool and increases the nose-heaviness of the setting tool.
Accordingly, the object of the invention is a high pressure gas operated setting tool that can be economically produced, has a reliable, long-lasting piston guide for the driving piston, has small dimensions, and is easy to handle.


A method to check correspondence between different representations of a circuit may include abstracting a first computer language representation of the circuit to form a first abstract model of the circuit and abstracting a second computer language representation of the circuit to form a second abstract model of the circuit. The method may also include forming a product machine using the first and second abstract models. The method may further include checking correspondence between the first and second abstract models using the product machine.

The present invention relates to electronic or digital circuits or the like, and more particularly to a method and system to check correspondence between representations of a circuit in one computer language, such as a hardware design language (HDL) or the like, and another language, such as C or the like.
When a new device, such as an electronic or digital circuit or the like, is designed, a "golden model" or simulation model may be written in a programming language, such as ANSI-C or a similar programming language. This model together with any embedded software that may run on the device is typically extensively simulated and tested to insure both correct functionality and performance. The device is also typically simulated in a hardware description language (HDL), such as Verilog® or the like. Testing and simulating the circuit in a programming language such as C is easier and faster compared to an HDL language; although, the HDL representation may be used to generate the actual circuit or commercial product. Rather than performing extensive testing on the HDL representation, the product development cycle can be much more efficient using the programming language representation for testing. However, consistency between the programming language model or representation and the HDL model or representation with respect to inputs and outputs must be verified to insure that the models or representations are viable tools and provide accurate results in simulating and testing the new device or circuit. Previous methods of verification can involve complex operations and provide inaccurate results.

Method and system to check correspondence between different representations of a circuit


Approaches for prioritized rendering of objects in a virtual universe are provided. In one embodiment, there is a prioritization tool containing a plurality of components configured to: determine a priority of each of a set of objects in a commercial area of the virtual universe, the commercial area having a plurality of virtual retail stores; assign a priority to each of the plurality of virtual stores in the commercial area based on the priority of each of the set of objects in the virtual universe; and download and cache each of the objects from the set of virtual stores from the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe, that are outside a rendering radius of the avatar, based on the relative priorities of each of the set of the plurality of virtual stores in the virtual universe.

Virtual universes or virtual worlds are computer-based simulated environments intended for its users or residents to inhabit and interact via avatars, which are personas or representations of the users of the virtual universes and generally take the form of two-dimensional or three-dimensional human or fantastical representations of a person's self. These types of virtual universes are now most common in massively multiplayer online games, such as Second Life®, which is a trademark of Linden Research Inc. in the United States. Avatars in these types of virtual universes, which can number well over a million, have a wide range of business and social experiences.
Many regions within a virtual universe contain complex environments with large numbers of objects. Prior art virtual universes only cache items worn by or attached to an avatar, or those items within a predefined proximity. Therefore, a user may experience delays when traversing regions, as objects are downloaded upon entrance or while in transit to a region.
In the prior art, after an avatar enters a region, all items surrounding the avatar must be downloaded from a server. The time to display an object varies by the size of the object and is constrained by download speed to the virtual universe client, resulting in potentially delayed rendering of objects. Since, in most cases an avatar may only interact with objects that are located within a predefined proximity, prior-art caching mechanisms begin to download objects to the local cache only after the avatar enters a region.
However, caching or pre-fetching objects by proximity does not provide an optimal experience for most users. It is common for an avatar to be first presented with objects that are not the user's primary interest. The user must wait while objects of limited interest are retrieved, cached, and processed before the region is rendered.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Prioritized rendering of objects in a virtual universe

International Business Machines Corporation


Interactive programming advertising methods and systems are provided. A selectable menu may be provided with a broadcast programming advertisement. The selectable menu may include one or more selectable functions that may allow for a user to interact with the broadcast programming advertisement. Data regarding the user's interaction or non-interaction with the interactive programming advertisement may be collected and utilized for providing a user with a more customized television viewing experience, for targeted programming advertisements, for measurement of new viewer generation data, as well as for other marketing activities directed to the user.

By converging interactive technology and television, "interactive television" (iTV) has become an increasingly popular communicative technology which allows an exchange of information between a viewer and a receiver (e.g., service provider, broadcaster, etc.). Viewers may utilize iTV for a variety of interactive services. For example, a user may alter his/her television viewing experience by choosing a camera angle to watch a sporting event, or by returning information to a broadcaster (e.g., choose or influence plot details and/or an ending of a show, voting, commenting, etc.). In addition, viewers may utilize iTV for commerce, in which he/she may convert a sales transaction through a television or Internet access.
Another popular interactive technology is interactive program guides (iPG). Current iPG technology allows viewers to navigate through an iPG on a receiving device (e.g., TV), where he/she may be able to see more information about a current program and/or about upcoming programs. If a viewer has a content recording device, such as a digital video recorder (DVR), he/she may plan his/her viewing by recording programs to a hard disc drive for later viewing. Video on Demand (VoD) functionality may also be provided, whereby a user may buy or select a movie or television program to either play at that time or record to view at a later time.
While these systems provide a variety of interactive features, current systems do not converge iTV and iPG functionalities to provide a better interactive programming advertisement system.


A cover for underground structures has a large number of mutually independent projections of the same size and shape uniformly provided on its surface, while small protrusions of the same size and shape are formed on the upper surfaces of some or all of these projections. On top of these small protrusions are formed even smaller protrusions of the same size and shape as the topmost protrusions. Spacing between one large projection and another, between one small protrusion and another, or between one small protrusion and a projection having no small protrusion on its top is set at the optimum distance, and the size of the topmost protrusions is also designed in a shape to fit an optimum size to ensure good skid-prevention effect on tires of vehicles passing over the cover, especially in bad weather over a long period of time, no matter where the cover is installed.

The present invention relates to covers for underground structures, and more particularly to covers for underground structures which are designed to more efficiently prevent tires of vehicles such as motorcycles from slipping and skidding.
Covers for underground structures refers herein to large iron covers to close openings which connect buried materials as well as structural sewerage facilities to above ground, manhole covers, covers of house inlets, openable and closable iron covers for common-use tunnels which protect apparatus and equipment for underground power and communications facilities, iron covers for electric power transmission, iron covers for power distribution, fire hydrant covers functioning as openable and closable doors to connect underground conduits in waterworks systems, gas pipes and their accessories to above the ground, sluice valve covers, air-valve covers, covers for gas distributing pipes, and water-gauge valves.
On the surfaces of the currently available bodies of covers for underground structures placed on sidewalks and roadways are formed protruding and recessed patterns which serve as decorations as well to prevent pedestrians from slipping and vehicles from skidding in inclement weather.
Examples of the cover bodies with improved surface patterns for slip and skid prevention are available in Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 42252/83 and Japanese Unexamined Utility Model Publication No. 86156/88.
The models disclosed therein are concerned with a cover body on the surface of which is formed projections on top of which are formed small protrusions and recesses, or small protrusions being formed on recessed portions in areas other than the projections. In other words, these models seek to expand the surface coarseness of consecutive protrusions or depressions by adding small protrusions and recesses to the protruding and recessed patterns on top of the cover body and to improve anti-slip and anti-skid performance by increasing frictional resistance.
Nonetheless, the small protrusions and recesses provided on top of the projections on the surface of the cover body come into contact with tires whenever vehicles pass and rub therewith, thereby wearing out with the passage of time after installation, with a resultant reduction of frictional resistance leading to diminished anti-slip and anti-skid effect.
Even immediately after the installation, as dirt, rainwater, and other materials accumulate on the recessed portions of small projections and recesses, the frictional resistance will not effectively act upon the tires, and anti-slip and anti-skid effect will likewise deteriorate.
In this manner, the conventional structure purports to enlarge the surface coarseness of the cover body and to increase frictional resistance, whereas the more provision of small protrusions and recesses fails to maintain the anti-slip and anti-skid performance over a long period of time. Another problem is that when dirt, rainwater, and other materials are involved, it is impossible to bring the anti-slip and anti-skid performance into play at the outset.
These problems are to be resolved by the cover for underground structures according to this invention which can maintain excellent anti-slip and anti-skid performance over a long period of time regardless of the installation environment, through optimization of arrangement patterns of projections provided on the surface of the cover body as well as the shape of the projections.


To provide a projector in which the quality of projected images does not deteriorate when the size of the projector is reduced. A light shielding member for shielding leakage light from gaps between each liquid crystal panel, and a crossed dichroic prism toward a projection lens side is provided. The leakage light from the gaps between each liquid crystal panel and the crossed dichroic prism can be shielded, and only the luminous flux emitted by the crossed dichroic prism can be applied to the projection lens, whereby the quality of projected images does not deteriorate when the device is reduced in size.

1. Field of Invention
The present invention relates to a projector including optical modulation devices for modulating a plurality of colored light beams in accordance with image data, a prism for combining the modulated luminous fluxes modulated by the optical modulation devices, and a projection lens for enlarging and projecting the light beams combined by the prism.
2. Description of Related Art
Hitherto, projectors have been used which include three optical modulation devices for modulating a plurality of colored light beams in accordance with image data, a crossed dichroic prism for combining the light beams modulated by the three optical modulation devices, and a projection lens for enlarging and projecting the light beams combined by the prism.
The projectors are widely used for multimedia presentations at public meetings, such as conferences, academic meetings, and exhibitions. The projector is brought to the conference room, as needed, and is moved to another place after the use. Therefore, a progessive reduction in size of the projectors has occurred.
Recently, projectors have been reduced in size and have been provided with a structure in which three optical modulation devices are fixed to the side faces of a crossed dichroic prism via a fixing member, so as to simplify the structure. Hereinafter, the structure is called a xe2x80x9cPOPxe2x80x9d structure (panel on prism structure).
In the POP structure, optical modulation devices supported by supporting frames are fixed by soldering or via an adhesive to the faces of a prism at a predetermined distance from the faces of the prism.
In the POP structure, gaps are likely to be produced in the fixed parts because the optical modulation devices and the prism are fixed to each other at a predetermined distance from each other. In this case, other than the light beams emitted by the prism, the projection lens receives light beams leaking toward the projection lens from the gaps between the prism and the optical modulation devices. There is a problem in that the quality of images projected on a screen deteriorates when leakage from the light beams is applied to the projection lens.
Accordingly, an object of the present invention is to provide a projector in which the quality of projected images does not deteriorate when the size of the projector is reduced.
According to the present invention, a projector comprises a plurality of optical modulation devices for modulating a plurality of colored light beams in accordance with image data; a prism for combining the light beams modulated by the optical modulation devices; and a projection lens for enlarging and projecting the light beams combined by the prism. The plurality of optical modulation devices are mounted on the prism at side faces thereof at a predetermined distance from the side faces of the prism. A light shielding member is provided for shielding light which leaks from gaps between the optical modulation devices and the side faces of the prism toward the projection lens side.
According to the present invention, the light shielding member shields leakage light from the gaps between the optical modulation device and the prism toward the projection lens side, whereby only the luminous fluxes emitted by the prism are applied to the projection lens. Therefore, the quality of projected images does not deteriorate when reducing the size.
The projector preferably further comprises an outer casing for receiving the optical modulation devices, the prism, and the projection lens; an air inlet formed in the external face of the outer casing, for introducing air from the outside to the inside of the outer casing as cooling air; and a cooling fan for introducing the cooling air through the air inlet and cooling the optical modulation devices. The light shielding member may be provided with a flow-regulating part for introducing the cooling air from the cooling fan toward the optical modulation devices.
With this arrangement, cooling air from the cooling fan can be applied easily in large volume to the optical modulation devices which are not heat resistant, by guiding the cooling air by the flow-regulating part, thereby cooling the optical modulation devices effectively.
The plurality of optical modulation devices are preferably three optical-modulation devices for modulating red, green, and blue colored luminous fluxes, respectively. The flow-regulating part is preferably disposed in the vicinity of the optical modulation device for modulating the blue colored luminous flux.
The blue luminous flux contains large energy. Therefore, a modulation device for modulating the blue luminous flux is likely to heat up excessively. By disposing the flow-regulating part in the vicinity of the optical modulation device for modulating the blue luminous flux, the cooling air from the cooling fan guided by the flow-regulating part can be applied in large volume to the optical modulation device for modulating the blue luminous flux, thereby suppressing rapid rise in the temperature of the optical modulation device, whereby the cooling efficiency of the optical modulation devices can be further improved.
The light shielding member is preferably provided with an opening for leading therethrough light beams emitted from the prism and a positioning part for determining the relative position between the opening and a light emission surface of the prism. When an opening is formed in the light shielding member through which the light beams are to be emitted by the prism, and the opening is not disposed at a predetermined position, there is a risk of deteriorating the quality of projected images by cutting away a part of the luminous flux emitted by the prism. In contrasts, such a problem can be avoided when the light shielding member is provided with a positioning part. The positioning part is configured with a first positioning section which comes into contact with the upper or lower face of the prism and a second positioning section which comes into contact with side faces of the prism, whereby the horizontal and vertical position of the opening of the light shielding member can be determined easily, thereby facilitating the operation of mounting the light shielding member.
The light shielding member is preferably made of a metal, and is preferably provided with a temperature-determining unit for determining the temperature of the optical modulation devices. Since the light shielding member made of a metal is thermally conductive, the temperature-determining unit can determine the temperature close to the actual temperature of the optical modulation devices. Therefore, the temperature of the optical modulation devices can be determined with high accuracy compared with a case in which the temperature of cooling air in the vicinity of the optical modulation devices is determined, whereby the temperature rise in the optical modulation devices can be suppressed easily and positively.
The temperature-determining unit is preferably formed so as to output determined signals to a control board for controlling the cooling fan. By the temperature-determining unit thus formed, when the temperature of the light shielding member is high, that is, when the temperature of the optical modulation devices is determined to be higher than a given temperature, the revolution of the cooling fan can be controlled to increase so as to rapidly cool the optical modulation devices. When the temperature of the light shielding member is low, that is, when the temperature of the optical modulation devices is determined to be lower than a given temperature, the revolution of the cooling fan can be controlled to decrease so as to gradually cool the optical modulation devices.
The light shielding member is preferably provided with a cut-and-raised tab formed by cutting and raising a part of the light shielding member.
With this arrangement, the light shielding member can be easily mounted on and removed from the prism by moving the light shielding member by holding the cut-and-raised tab. The operator can more easily mount and remove the light shielding member on and from the prism without touching the incident surfaces and the light emission surface of the prism.
The opening is preferably formed in a shielding part disposed in contact with the light emission surface of the prism, the shielding part is preferably fixed to the light emission surface of the prism, and the positioning part is preferably fixed to a surface of the prism other than the light emission surface thereof. The shielding part is preferably bonded to the light emission surface of the prism along edges of the opening. Double-sided tapes, liquid adhesive, or the like may be used as an adhesive.
With this arrangement, the operation of mounting the shielding member on the prism can be simplified. By using double-sided tapes, the bonding operation can be made simple, and since it is not necessary to be concerned about leakage or the like of an adhesive, the operation of mounting the light shielding member on the prism can be made more simple.
An antireflection film for suppressing reflection of light beams is preferably provided at at least one section of the light shielding member. When the light shielding member is provided with an antireflection film, a risk can be avoided, in which light beams shielded by the light shielding member are reflected thereby and are applied to optical elements, such as the projection lens, thereby affecting the images.
The projector preferably further comprises an optical-component casing for receiving optical components. The prism may be mounted in the optical-component casing via a prism-supporting member for supporting the prism, and the light shielding member may be disposed between the prism and the optical-component casing so as to cover the lower part of the side faces of the prism on which the optical modulation device is mounted.
With this arrangement, leakage light from the lower part of the prism can be shielded, whereby only the luminous fluxes emitted by the prism are applied to the projection lens. Therefore, the quality of projected images does not deteriorate when the size is reduced.

Projector having a light shielding member


Apparatus for raking and cleaning topsoil of undesired materials has a frame supporting a scoop and a rake or comb of multiple tines on a shaft that is rotatable about the shaft's longitudinal axis. Rotation of the shaft can then be used to raise or lower the rake into a raking or combing engagement with the top soil. The scoop is also rotatably supported to allow it to be activated to accumulate undesirable materials. Hydraulic cylinders or equivalent apparatus are provided to activate alternately the rake or scoop as desired by the operator.

Conditioning or preparing the surface of the ground before landscaping is almost necessary. Often, particularly at new construction sites, the top layer of soil is mixed with undesirable materials such as rocks or large sticks. These undesirable materials must be removed to provide the typically desired, smoothly contoured surface before grass and other foliage is planted. Usually, this work is performed with hand labor and it can be a labor intensive process using rakes and shovels to separate and then pick up the undesirable material. The undesirable materials are often buried under one or more inches of loose top soil, resulting in the need for great effort to unearth these undesirable materials and to remove them. Indeed, a site often appears to be ready to be landscaped only to have a rain occur that reveals much such undesirable material that had been buried under the top layer of soil.
In part because the supply of available labor to perform these landscape preparation tasks fluctuates and is often in short supply and/or expensive, those businesses involved in landscaping have both a need and a desire to be able to perform such conditioning with mechanized equipment rather than hand labor.
None of the presently available mechanized tools quickly and easily removes debris from a site, however. Many of the tools, particularly those that are attached to power sources such as tractors, however, are not well suited to work in confined areas. One piece of equipment used on many landscaping sites is the skid-steer loader. These loaders are capable of being maneuvered in small areas and of moving heavy loads. Some attachments have been made for this type of equipment, but none are capable of raking a landscaping site while also being able to pick up and remove the undesired materials. Thus, separate attachments are required by those using such machines to perform various aspects of a landscape preparation job.
It would be desirable to have a tool or piece of equipment that was capable of raking or combing the upper soil layer to remove undesired materials such as rocks, sticks, construction debris such as, for example, boards, insulation, or siding, or other undesirable materials from the area to be landscaped and that was also capable of being used to remove the undesired materials from the site as well as to clean it.


A combination mobile communication device and camera that combines a hand-held mobile terminal and camera in the same physical package is described herein. The combination mobile communication device and camera uses one or more multi-function controls to control communication functions and camera functions. A user selectively places the device in either a communication mode for engaging in wireless communication with a remote device, or in a camera mode for capturing and/or viewing images. A multi-function control disposed on a side of the combination mobile communication device and camera comprises a multi-directional button that controls a communication function, such as the volume of the speaker, when the device is in a communication mode. When the device is in a camera mode, the multi-function control is used as a zoom control.

The present invention relates generally to mobile communication devices having a built-in camera and, more particularly, to multi-function controls for such devices.
In recent years, mobile communication devices with built-in cameras have been introduced into the market. One such device, referred to herein as a camera phone, combines a cellular telephone with a camera into a single package. Consumers can use their camera phones to capture images, send and receive digital images, and/or participate in a video teleconference. Until recently, the demand for mobile communication devices with built-in cameras has not been very high because such advanced features have been prohibitively expensive. However, as the costs decrease, wireless manufacturers expect the demand for such devices to increase.
To meet this growing demand and to entice new consumers, manufacturers regularly explore ways to improve camera phones. One area of concern involves designing ergonomic controls for both communication and camera functions. Current camera phones are typically held in a vertical orientation for both communication and camera functions. Though convenient for communications, this vertical orientation makes it awkward for consumers to take pictures because consumers are accustomed to conventional cameras, which have a horizontal orientation.
The location of camera controls is another concern. Currently, the majority of mobile communication device controls are located on the front panel of the mobile communication device. While locating the controls on the front panel is convenient for communication functions, such controls are awkward and difficult to use with a horizontally oriented camera phone. Therefore, it is desirable to devise a camera phone that operates in a vertical orientation for communication functions and in a horizontal orientation for camera functions with conveniently located controls for both communication and camera functions.
Another design challenge for manufacturers of camera phones is to minimize the size of a mobile communication device while providing new functions. In general, adding new features, such as a camera, to an existing mobile communication device, increases the size of the mobile communication device. Because increases in size are undesirable, designers try to find ways to implement new features without unduly increasing the size of the device.
Therefore, there is a need for a camera phone that has ergonomic camera controls and that can be held in a horizontal orientation when used in a camera mode. Also, it is desirable to provide a camera in a mobile communication device without unduly increasing the size of the mobile communication device.

Use of multi-function switches for camera zoom functionality on a mobile phone


In order to supply a semiconductor device having high-reliability, there are used a first capacitor electrode, a capacitor insulating film formed in contact with the first capacitor electrode and mainly composed of titanium oxide, and a second capacitor electrode formed in contact with the capacitor insulating film, and there is used a conductive oxide film mainly composed of ruthenium oxide or iridium oxide for the first capacitor electrode and the second capacitor electrode. Alternatively, there is used a gate insulating film having a titanium silicate film and titanium oxide which suppress leakage current.

Recently, the area of a memory capacitor has been reduced and the absolute value of capacitance has been also reduced in accordance with miniaturization of a semiconductor device. The capacitance C, for example in the case of a parallel-plate capacitor structure, is determined by C=∈·S/d, wherein ∈ means the dielectric constant of a capacitor insulating film, S means the area of an electrode, and d means the film thickness (distance between electrodes) of a dielectric. In order to assure a capacitance value without increasing the area S of an electrode used for a capacitor element for information accumulation, it is necessary to use a capacitor insulating film material having a high dielectric constant ∈ or to decrease the film thickness d of a capacitor insulating film.
Heretofore, a silicon oxide film has been used as a capacitor insulating film, and high integration has been carried out by decreasing the thickness of this film. However, in a highly integrated memory of not less than 256 megabits, reduction of the film thickness has been put to the limit, and, therefore, there has been introduced a capacitor insulating film material such as tantalum oxide that has a higher dielectric constant E than silicon oxide. Furthermore, in a DRAM (Dynamic Random Access Memory) of not less than 1 Gbit, there has been considered use of a high dielectric constant material of barium strontium titanate (BaxSryTisOt:BST) as disclosed in, for example, JP-A-9-186299. The similar problem is applicable to not only a highly integrated memory but, also, with regard to a condenser used for various electronic circuits requiring miniaturization. For example, as disclosed in JP-A-10-41467, there has been considered use of titanium oxide having a high dielectric constant as a capacitor insulating film material for a condenser.


A new Pelargonium plant named ‘Amri Pur,’ particularly distinguished by the brilliant red-purple semi-double flowers, medium sized, round inflorescences well above the foliage, medium green foliage with strong zonation, and well-branched, rounded, medium to tall plant habit.

The present invention comprises a new zonal Geranium, botanically known as Pelargonium×hortorum and hereinafter referred to by the variety name 'Amri Pur.'
'Amri Pur' is a product of a planned breeding program. The new cultivar 'Amri Pur' has deep red-purple flowers with weak scarlet eyes, medium green foliage with strong zonation, and medium to tall, rounded plant habit.
'Amri Pur' originated from a hybridization made in the October 2004 in a controlled breeding program in Gilroy, Calif., U.S.A. The female parent was the unpatented seedling designated '10153-1,' with rose-red flower color. '10153-1' has more petals per flower and less tight plant habit than 'Amri Pur.'
The male parent of 'Amri Pur' was an unpatented hybrid seeding identified as '9843-2' with orchid flower color. '9843-2' has a less vigorous growth habit than 'Amri Pur.'
The resulting seeds were sown in March 2005. 'Amri Pur' was selected as one flowering plant within the progeny of the stated cross in May 2005 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.
The first act of asexual reproduction of 'Amri Pur' was accomplished when vegetative cuttings were propagated from the initial selection in the summer of 2005 in a controlled environment in Gilroy, Calif.
Horticultural examination of plants grown from cuttings of the plant initiated in the early spring of 2006 in Gilroy, Calif., and continuing thereafter, has demonstrated that the combination of characteristics as herein disclosed for 'Amri Pur' are firmly fixed and are retained through successive generations of asexual reproduction.
'Amri Pur' has not been observed under all possible environmental conditions. The phenotype may vary significantly with variations in environment such as temperature, light intensity and day length.
Plant Breeders' Rights for this cultivar was applied for in Canada on Dec. 24, 2007 and in Germany on Jun. 30, 2008. 'Amri Pur' has not been made publicly available more than one year prior to the filing of this application.


A system and method for forwarding calls is disclosed. A system that incorporates teachings of the present disclosure may include, for example, a communication device having a controller element to receive a call from a communication system, retrieve a caller ID from information associated with the call, present a caller ID, receive a request to forward the call, present one or more communication identifiers responsive to the forwarding request, receive a selection corresponding to one of the one or more communication identifiers, and submit to the communication system a request to forward the call to the selected communication identifier. Additional embodiments are disclosed.

In multiparty households or offices that share a single phone number, it is common for someone in the premise to receive a call directed to someone else who is not at the premises at the time. Typically when this happens the receiving party either records a message or tells the called party how to go about reaching the intended party. Although this approach is helpful to the calling party, it can be undesirable for others in the household or office to answer calls unintended for them.
A need therefore arises for a system and method for forwarding calls.


A hyperspectral camera includes light mixing chambers projected onto an imaging sensor. The projection of each chamber is slightly larger than a sensor pixel. The chambers are placed as a linear array in a slit plane or as a two dimensional matrix in front of the imaging sensor. The mixed light from each chamber is depicted by several sensor pixels. The sensor outputs information used to form an overdetermined equation set. The set is solved and optimized for the solution giving the lowest overall error or the best fit. The solution of the equation set combined with the optimization is the intensity values of the chambers constituting imaginary pixels being calculated. These imaginary pixels form the output of an improved hyperspectral camera system, which has significantly lower optical errors like keystone and point spread function variation for different wavelengths.

There has been a growth in the use of hyperspectral cameras for aerial imaging, environmental monitoring, forensic science, forestry, agriculture as well as in military and industrial applications. Hyperspectral cameras normally also cover a wavelength range outside the visible thus making the design of the optical system very challenging. There are different principles of hyperspectral imagers, but in this patent application a "hyperspectral camera" is defined as a hyperspectral imager of the "push broom" type.
One of the most important limiting factors in a hyperspectral imaging system is spatial misregistration as function of wavelength. In hyperspectral data, each spatial pixel is supposed to contain the signals for different spectral bands captured from the same spatial area. This type of misregistration occurs when either the position of a depicted area (corresponding to one pixel) changes as function of wavelength (this error is commonly referred to as "keystone"), or the borders or objects in the depicted area are blurred differently for different spectral channels, which is caused by variation in the point spread function (PSF) as function of wavelength. In practice this means that information from different positions on the scene depicted can be intermixed and resulting in an erroneous spectrum for spatial image pixels positioned close together.
Another effect or limiting factor is a similar spectral misregistration commonly referred to as "smile". This effect will partly shift the spectrum of a depicted point.
Most push-broom spectrometers operate as follows: they project a one-dimensional image of a very narrow scene area onto a two-dimensional pixel array. A dispersing element (a diffraction grating or a prism) disperses light in such a way that, instead of a one-dimensional image elongated in X direction, each column of the array contains spectrum of one small scene area as shown in FIG. 2. The two-dimensional image of the scene is then obtained by scanning. The final data form a so-called "datacube", which represents a two-dimensional image with the third dimension containing the spectral information for each spatial pixel.
Due to various optical aberrations in real-world hyperspectral cameras, the spectral information is not captured perfectly. Spectral misregistration occurs when a given pixel on the sensor is expected to receive light from a certain spectral band but instead receives slightly wrong wavelengths. Spatial misregistration occurs when a pixel on the sensor receives a certain spectral band but looks at slightly wrong area of the scene. Misregistration is discussed in more detail in the article "Spectral and spatial uniformity in pushbroom imaging spectrometers" by Pantazis Mouroulis, 1999.
Both types of misregistration may severely distort the spectral information captured by the camera. Therefore they should be corrected to a small fraction of a pixel. In hyperspectral cameras for the visible and near-infrared region (VNIR) spectral misregistration can be corrected by oversampling the spectral data and resampling it in postprocessing (since most of the sensors have many extra pixels in the spectral direction, such a camera will still have good spectral resolution). However, it is normally desirable to correct the spatial misregistration in hardware as well as possible.
Spatial misregistration in hyperspectral cameras is caused by two factors:
1). Variation in position of the PSF's centre of gravity as a function of wavelength, usually called spectral keystone. This is shown in FIG. 4.
2). Variation in size and shape of PSF as a function of the wavelength. This is shown in FIG. 5.
Since the positions of PSF's centre of gravity for different wavelengths must not differ by more than a small fraction of pixel size (even as small deviation as 0.1 of a pixel may introduce noticeable errors in the measured spectrum), optical design of such systems is very challenging. Keeping the size and the shape of PSF similar for all wavelengths is perhaps even more difficult.
In general, pixel count in hyperspectral cameras is very modest (compared to traditional imaging systems such as photocameras), since it is not enough just to produce a reasonably sharp image, and optical aberrations have to be corrected at subpixel level. Optical design becomes extremely difficult if higher spatial resolution is required.
Another serious challenge is to build the designed camera. Manufacturing and centration tolerances for hardware corrected cameras (even with relatively modest spatial resolution of 300-600 pixels) can be very tight.
As a result of such strict requirements to the image quality, the new hyperspectral cameras more or less converged to a few designs which offer somewhat acceptable correction of spatial misregistration.
Offner relay with a convex diffraction grating has magnification −1 and is often used in hyperspectral cameras ("Optical design of a compact imaging spectrometer for planetary mineralogy" by Pantazis Mouroulis et al, Optical Engineering 466, 063001 June 2007; U.S. Pat. No. 5,880,834). It can be designed to have reasonably small spectral keystone. Variations in PSF's size and shape can be corrected to some extent, but there are too few optical surfaces to make this kind of correction perfect. In a real system manufacturing and centration tolerances degrade the spatial misregistration further. Even though Offner relay is not very sensitive to decentration, the tolerances can be very tight in cameras with high spatial resolution. The minimum i.e., the fastest F-number in Offner cameras is limited to approx. F2.5. Polarisation dependency of the diffraction grating may be a problem.
Dyson relay is another example of an optical system used in hyperspectral imaging. (Optical design of a coastal ocean imaging spectrometer, by Pantazis Mouroulis et al, 9 Jun. 2008/Vol. 16, No. 12/OPTICS EXPRESS 9096). It has magnification −1 and uses a concave reflective grating as a dispersive element. There is also at least one refractive element. The F-number can be significantly lower (faster) than in Offner systems. The system can be quite small. However, extremely tight centration requirements make it difficult to achieve low misregistration errors even with low resolution sensors. Both the slit and the detector face the same optical surface, therefore stray light is often a problem. Also, it is a challenge even to place the detector close enough to the first optical surface (as close as it is required in the Dyson design). Due to extremely tight tolerances and practical difficulties in placing the detector, the resolution of Dyson cameras is not particularly high.
Design and manufacturing of good foreoptics (i.e. the foreoptics which would take full advantage of low misregistration error in the following relay) for both Offner and especially Dyson relays is very challenging.
Some manufacturers base their hyperspectral cameras on various proprietary lens systems. Performance of such cameras is more or less similar to the performance of the Offner based cameras.
In a push-broom hyperspectral camera rays with different wavelengths are focused on different parts of the sensor. Therefore, compared to more traditional imaging systems (such as photolenses), sensor tilt can be introduced (U.S. Pat. No. 6,552,788 B1). This tilt can be used as an additional parameter when correcting keystone, smile, and PSF variations in the optical system. Of course, the tilt will not eliminate keystone etc. completely—it merely offers more flexibility in optimizing system's performance. However, in relatively complex systems, where there are many such parameters available already, introduction of this additional parameter may not lead to any significant improvements in keystone, smile, and PSF variation correction.
A known alternative to precise correction of spatial misregistration in hardware is resampling. Since the most challenging requirements are lifted in resampling cameras, the optical design becomes similar to traditional imaging optics. This gives a possibility to design optics with lower (faster) F-number, high resolution etc. The negative side is the fact that the residual spatial misregistration after resampling with approx. 1× factor is quite large. In order to bring it down to acceptable level downsampling by factor 2× or more is usually required. Therefore the full sensor resolution is not utilized. Also, the necessity to capture two times more pixels than in case of hardware corrected systems, may slow down the frame rate and processing speed.
Variable filter camera is another way to capture hyperspectral data. The principle of operation is described in the U.S. Pat. No. 5,790,188. This camera can be quite small compared to the other hyperspectral cameras. However, it may be necessary to resample the captured data, unless the scanning motion is stable with subpixel accuracy. Also, the spectral resolution becomes very limited if a reasonably low F-number is required.
If a hyperspectral camera has to work in a very wide spectral range, it may be beneficial to split this range between two or more sensors, as described in the NASA PIDDP Final Report (May 1, 1996), A Visible-Infrared Imaging Spectrometer for Planetary Missions. Example of such an imaging spectrometer is shown on FIG. 3 of this report. Since both sensors share foreoptics and slit, it is possible to get very good spatial coregistration in the along-the-track direction. However, in the across-the-track direction (where keystone is normally measured) it will be nearly impossible to achieve good (i.e. a few percent of a pixel) coregistration. This drawback of the multiple sensor approach is explained in the Final Report of the Concept for Future Visible and Infrared Imager>>Study, by Astrium GmbH for ESA, Doc. No FI-RP-ASG-0007 (Chapter 4.5.3, Page 4-33).
If the slit 2040 in the camera from FIG. 2 is replaced by a thin plate with pinholes arranged in a two-dimensional array, it becomes possible to capture the data cube in one exposure without scanning. This approach together with possible enhancements is thoroughly described in the US Patent Application Publication Nos. 2006/0072109 A1 and 2008/0088840 A1. While being great for some applications (such as multispectral video), this approach severely limits spatial and/or spectral resolution of cameras (if compared with push-broom approach). Also, cameras built on this principle are just as prone to smile and keystone errors as the previously described push-broom cameras.
Necessity to correct spectral keystone to a very small fraction of a pixel is the principal driver restricting the spatial resolution of the existing hyperspectral cameras, possible design approaches, speed (i.e. light gathering ability), and the final data quality. Resampling hyperspectral cameras, while being free of the first three restricting factors, normally require downsampling of the captured data by a large factor, which reduces the resolution (i.e. pixel count) of the final data. In other words, even though it is possible to design and manufacture a resampling camera with very sharp optics and very high pixel count, the captured data have to be downsampled by a relatively large factor in order to match the data quality from a hardware corrected camera. This downsampled data may still have higher pixel count than the data from a hardware corrected camera, but clearly the full resolution of the sensor will not be utilized.
To sum up this means that in state-of-the-art systems the requirement for keystone correction in the optics typically limit the maximum resolution, the light collecting capabilities of the system, not to mention the number of feasible optical design solutions.
Even when the keystone has been corrected as well as possible using all available techniques, the remaining keystone will still be significant for a vast majority of systems. In the few systems where the keystone appears to be closer to acceptable the overall resolution or pixel count is relatively low. The cause of this is that the precision of the keystone correction is linked to the pixel count for current state-of-the-art systems. Physically in any given system keystone is a certain fraction of the image size. When one increases the pixel count for a given image size, keystone as a fraction of the pixel size will therefore increase.

Hyperspectral camera and method for acquiring hyperspectral data


A motor vehicle windshield wiper is disclosed having two spaced wiping rollers bilaterally attached to a windshield and reciprocated by a belt drive assembly over the windshield between a transverse top rail and a transverse bottom rack by means of the control of two opposite limit switches and two opposite electromagnetic switches.

The present invention relates to a motor vehicle windshield wiper which uses a belt drive assembly to reciprocate two spaced wiping rollers over a windshield between a transverse top rail and a transverse bottom rack.
The windshield of a motor vehicle is commonly attached with one pair of windshield wipers and reciprocated to maintain clarity of vision by wiping off rain, snow, etc. An ordinary motor vehicle windshield wiper is generally consisted of a squeegee connected to a mechanical arm attached to a wind shield and driven by a reciprocating mechanism to oscillate over a windshield in wiping off rain, snow, etc. Because the two windshield wipers of a motor vehicle are respectively driven to oscillate over the windshield of the motor vehicle, they can only clean part (approximately 70% to 80%) of the windshield, i.e. part of the windshield remain unclean. When the windshield wipers of a motor vehicle do not work, they are transversely disposed on the windshield at the bottom, thereby making the motor vehicle not graceful in appearance. Furthermore, a windshield wiper of this type shall be replaced if the rubber blade of the squeegee is partly damaged.

Opposed roller-type motor vehicle windshield wiper


According to one embodiment, a photon counting-type radiation detector includes a first cell and a second cell. The first cell transmits radiation. The second cell is stacked with the first cell. The second cell absorbs the radiation passing through the first cell.

Radiological inspection devices are used in various fields from medical devices to industrial non-destructive inspection devices and the like. A CT (Computed Tomography) device and a positron emission tomography (PET: positron emission Tomography) device are examples of medical devices. X-rays, gamma rays, and the like are used as the radiation.
As shown in Japanese Patent No. 4886151 (Patent Literature 1), generally, a light-emitting substance called a solid scintillator is used in an X-ray CT device. The solid scintillator is a substance that emits light by X-rays being irradiated. The X-ray CT device that uses the solid scintillator converts, into visible light, the X-rays passing through a screening object by using the solid scintillator. A tomogram is obtained by a photodiode detector changing the visible light into an electrical signal. Currently, by such a technique, it is also possible to obtain a three-dimensional image. On the other hand, a method of detecting the light emission of the solid scintillator as an electrical signal has a loss when changing the X-rays into light. Additionally, the reduction of the exposure amount of X-rays has been limited because the improvement of the light sensitivity of photodiodes is limited. Also, the downsizing of the solid scintillator has been limited because the solid scintillator is a polycrystalline body. Accordingly, the improvement of the spatial resolution has been limited. Furthermore, a technique of changing only the light emission of the solid scintillator into an electrical signal has the problem of a low X-ray information amount.
In recent years, a radiation detector is being developed in which the radiation passing through the screening object is converted directly into an electrical signal. A radiation detector in which a photon counting-type radiation detector is mounted is discussed in JP-A 2014-128456 (Kokai) (Patent Literature 2). The photon counting technique can convert the X-ray photons passing through the screening object directly into an electrical signal. Thereby, there are expectations for effects such as reducing the exposure amount, etc.

Photon counting-type radiation detector and radiological inspection device using same


A call delivery system (10) for delivering a call to a mobile unit (12) on a vehicle (14) includes both a data communications network (16) and a mobile voice communications network (20). The mobile unit (12) generates call delivery information and communicates this information to a platform (18) using the data communications network (16). The platform (18) receives a call for the mobile unit (12). The platform (18) retrieves call delivery information received from the mobile unit (12) and establishes communications between the platform (18) and the mobile unit (12) using the mobile voice communications network (20). The platform then completes the call between the caller (36, 40, 44) and the mobile unit (12). Alternatively, the platform (18) can generate a call back message for transmission to the mobile unit (12) using the data communications network (16).

Mobile voice communications technology has enjoyed substantial growth over the past decade. Many cars, trucks, airplanes, boats, and other vehicles are equipped with devices that allow convenient and reliable mobile voice communications using a network of satellite-based or land-based transceivers. Advances in this technology have led to widespread use of mobile units, such as hand-held or vehicle-mounted cellular telephones, for voice communications.
Many users of mobile units desire continuous and reliable service as they travel across long distances. For example, a cellular telephone in a vehicle or carried by a person may travel through many different cellular systems offering a range of subscriber features. Calls placed to these roaming phones must be routed to the current communications service provider. Traditional roaming technology delivers calls placed to these roaming phones using the communications infrastructure of the cellular telephone network. Typically, the roaming phone registers with a communications service provider and notifies the home communications service provider of the registration.
The roaming services provided through the cellular telephone infrastructure introduce additional complexity and communications traffic in the system and come at a substantial cost to the end user. The communications service providers utilize additional equipment and communications bandwidth to register roamers and report the registration to the home switch of the roaming phone. Users are charged a premium for these services.

Method and apparatus for call delivery to a mobile unit


A DC bias device for radio-frequency transmission systems of high power and low intermodulation connected between an originating station and a receiving station for an RF signal fed along a transmission line. Direct current is supplied from a source to the transmission line along a branch joined to the transmission line at a junction formed between the originating station and the receiving station. An open-circuit stub is formed along the transmission line between the transmitting station and the junction. A short-circuit stub is formed along the DC-supply branch between the source and the junction to the transmission line. The impedance (Zop) of the open-circuit stub, and the distance of the free heads of the near ends of the two stubs preferably is as low as possible.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention concerns a DC bias device for radio frequency transmission systems of high power and low intermodulation, comprising resonator circuits made up of stubs. More specifically, the invention relates to a BIAS-T system comprising a radio frequency (RF) transmitting station or source and a receiving station for the aforementioned RF which must be activated by DC power coming from an outside source and injected on the line between the two stations.
2. Description of the Related Art
A DC bias device is a circuit for introducing DC power from an outside source to a part of an RF circuit without altering its function. The working principle of a conventional DC bias device is illustrated schematically in FIG. 1. A radio frequency circuit is shown, consisting, for example, of an RF-signal transmitting station A, and an RF-signal receiving station B. A DC bias comes from a power source D. A block S ideally must be a short circuit in series for the RF signal, and block P an open circuit in series for the DC signal.
FIG. 2 shows emblematically the simplest embodiment of the scheme of FIG. 1: a capacitor C works as a high-pass filter, and an inductance L (in series with D) works as a low-pass filter, whereby a DC signal introduced in D can reach B through the co-axial line without involving A. The circuit of FIG. 2 can be used at relatively low frequencies, on the order of hundreds of MHz, and for power below tens of watts.
When, however, the frequency exceeds, for example, one GHz, and the power runs to hundreds of watts, the devices of the type shown in FIG. 2 are unsuitable and do not satisfy practical requirements, giving rise to various inconveniences, due to which more complex circuits are needed comprising specific elements such as resonators. Such resonators can be made, for instance, with stubs on the two branches of FIG. 2.
A stub generally is a co-axial short- or open-circuit. The device shown in FIG. 2, which is a co-axial version, can incorporate two stubs, and have a structure as shown in the equivalent schemes of FIGS. 3 and 4.
In these figures, an open-circuit resonator RS1 in series with A is made of an inductor L1 and a capacitor C1 in series with L1. The short-circuit resonator RS2 is made of L2 and C2 connected in parallel. In FIG. 4, the RS1 and RS2 resonators reach the junction N positioned on the co-axial line 1 between A and B. The RS1 and RS2 resonators must keep the impedance matched on the AB line.
Being a co-axial line, the resonators can take on the form of stubs with cavities, for example, in the inner co-axial conductor, formed respectively of an external co-axial conductor of a branch (for instance A) in which the cavity is formed, into which cavity is inserted a protuberance of the inside co-axial conductor of the branch B.
FIG. 5 shows a classic, schematic, partial cross-section of a resonator RS1 with a stub STU1. CE1 is the outer conductor of the co-axial line 1 between A and B. The inner co-axial conductor CI(A) has a cylindrical cavity CC, and an opening AP through which is inserted the protuberance PR1 of the inner conductor CI(B) of the branch B of the co-axial line 1 between A and B. The cavity CC is closed at its other extremity by a bottom 61.
The cavity CC in the internal conductor CI(A) and the protuberance PR1 of the inside conductor CI(B) together form a stub STU1 terminated in an open circuit (W-Z). In a narrow band, stub STU1 (forming the RS1 resonator) can be equivalently represented by the circuit L1, C1 of FIG. 3.
FIG. 6 shows another possible stub STU2 terminated with a short circuit for the RF and also formed by a cavity and a protuberance. The inner conductor CI2 (B) shows a protuberance PR2 which is closed in a short circuit on the bottom X-X' of the cylindrical cavity PCC connected to the outer conductor CE2 of the branch AB.
For the best functioning of the two stubs STU1 and STU2, taken singularly, it is recommended that the STU1 open-circuit stub in series on A-B (FIG. 5) have a characteristic impedance which is the lowest possible, in order to have, among other things, the least reflection.
If, however, the two stubs are used together, that is, combining the aforementioned stubs STU1 (series) and STU2 (parallel), to combine the features specified above, among other drawbacks, the following disadvantages which are extremely problematic to the combination occur:
the two reflections not only are not eliminated but are even free to add to each other; and PA1 even if there was a matching, the compensation which might result would always be only partial. PA1 1. Giving to the parallel, short-circuit stub STU2 a characteristic normalized impedance Z' op equal to the characteristic normalized admittance of the series, open-circuit stub STU1, the admittance being the highest possible, compatible with the realization constraints; and PA1 2. Putting the near ends of the two stubs at the lowest possible distance, in particular at a distance below .lambda./100 (where .lambda. corresponds to the central frequency F0 of the RF signal), the maximum of such a distance being below .lambda./20.
Accordingly, the need exists for a DC bias device which does not have the aforementioned impediments, has simple constructional design, and is very reliable.

DC bias device for high power, low intermodulation RF-systems


An electrical connector of an image forming apparatus exposes outward from a bottom surface of the image forming apparatus. An electrical connector of a sheet feeder protrudes from a top surface of the sheet feeder. The sheet feeder has a slider configured to be horizontally movable, while holding the electrical connector of the sheet feeder, between a connecting position at which the electrical connectors of the sheet feeder and image forming apparatus are connected and a disconnecting position at which the electrical connectors are disconnected. A locking member having a locking engaged part is fixed to the image forming apparatus. When the slider is moved to the connecting position, a locking engaging part of the slider engages the locking engaged part of the locking member so that the locking member and the slider are locked such that they cannot be separated vertically from each other.

The technology disclosed herein relates to a connecting structure between an electrical connector of a sheet feeder and an electrical connector of an image forming apparatus to be installed onto the top of the sheet feeder.
There are cases where an optional sheet feeder is attached to a side face or the bottom face of an image forming apparatus such as a printer or a multifunction peripheral. In the case where an optional sheet feeder is attached to the bottom face of an image forming apparatus, the image forming apparatus is placed and installed onto the top of the optional sheet feeder that is set on a floor. In this process, a positioning hole formed in a bottom surface of the image forming apparatus is engaged with a positioning pin protruding from a top surface of the optional sheet feeder to position the optional sheet feeder relative to the image forming apparatus, and simultaneously an electrical connector arranged to expose from the bottom surface of the image forming apparatus and an electrical connector arranged to protrude from the top surface of the sheet feeder are mated together.
However, in this configuration in which the electrical connector of the sheet feeder protrudes from the top surface of the sheet feeder, the electrical connector can be broken due to interference with the image forming apparatus when the image forming apparatus is installed onto the top of the sheet feeder.
To solve this problem, a connecting structure has been proposed which is configured such that the electrical connector of the sheet feeder is retracted to a position lower than the top surface of the sheet feeder, and, after the image forming apparatus is installed onto the sheet feeder, a manual lever is operated to raise the electrical connector of the sheet feeder to mate the electrical connector of the sheet feeder with the electrical connector of the image forming apparatus.

Connecting structure between electrical connector of sheet feeder and electrical connector of image forming apparatus to be installed onto top of the sheet feeder


In an escalator having a high-speed inclined portion, shape of an auxiliary track in a speed-changing region for steps is determined by finding a positional relationship between step link roller shafts of at least one of the steps and an adjacent step from a step speed profile representing speed of the step link roller shafts as a function of time. The shape of a riser is determined such that the riser aligns with a relative movement locus of the adjacent step by finding a relative positional relationship between the step and the adjacent step from the step speed profile.

In recent years, a large number of escalators having high lift ranges have been installed in subway stations, etc. In escalators of this kind, passengers must stand still on the steps for a long time, and many passengers feel uncomfortable. Because of this, escalators that operate at high speeds have been developed, but there is an upper limit to the operating speeds thereof for passengers to get on and off safely.
In answer to this, high-speed inclined portion escalators have been proposed in which it is possible for the amount of time spent riding the escalator to be shortened by operating at low speed at upper and lower landing portions where the passengers get on and off, operating to accelerate and decelerate in an upper curved portion and a lower curved portion, and operating at high speed in the intermediate inclined portion. A high-speed inclined portion escalator of this kind is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laid-Open No. SHO 51-116586 (Gazette), for example.
However, since the conventional high-speed inclined portion escalator merely performs acceleration and deceleration from low-speed operation to high-speed operation, or from high-speed operation to low-speed operation, a large acceleration such as that shown in FIG. 10 (deceleration in the figure), for example, arises in the steps in the speed-changing regions, and there is a risk that passengers riding the steps will be subjected to discomfort.