The present invention relates to a gateway between two networks of a communication system. A plurality of communication service classes is available for the communication between the networks. In the method a call is routed from a network to another network via the gateway. The type of the call is defined. A gateway controller also determines the communication service class that is to be used for the call. The gateway controller communicates information that associates with the determined service class to the gateway. The communication is based on a communication protocol message that has been adapted to transport the information between the gateway controller and the gateway. The call is then processed based on the information.

Communication systems are known by a skilled person. A communication system may provide the user, or more precisely, user equipment or terminal, with connection-oriented communication services and/or connectionless communication services. An example of the first type is a circuit switched connection where a circuit is set-up with call set-up and admission control. This type of arrangement is used e.g. in public switched telephone networks (PSTN). An example of the connectionless communication services is a so called packet switched service. Packet switched communication is typically used in the Internet Protocol (IP) based networks. Both of the circuit switched and the packet switched services can be used for communicating packet data. Packet data services can be defined in general as services that are capable of transporting data units (data packets or similar data entities of fixed or variable length) between two signalling points, such as between two terminals or other nodes of the communication system.
In the connectionless services no circuit is set up, but each data entity itself contains an address. Upon arrival of the data entity in a node the address thereof may be looked-up in a table in the node, and the data entity is transported in the next hop to an address that corresponds to that address entry in the table. Instead of hops, in the circuit switched connections the nodes typically maintain information of how to route/switch each packet belonging to that flow. The circuit switched networks often have fixed-length packets called cells whereas packet-switched networks carry data units of variable length (e.g., the IP). However, there are also data networks that carry variable length data units in a connection-oriented architecture, such as Multi Protocol Labeled Switched (MPLS) networks.
A network that is capable of transporting data units or corresponding data entities between two or more nodes is referred to in the following as a data network. The data network may be a communication network that is based on use of a fixed line or wireless communication media. The fixed communication line network may comprise e.g. a public switched telephone network (PSTN), an integrated digital services network (ISDN) or an asynchronous data subscriber line (ADSL) network. The wireless communication network may be based on an appropriate public land mobile network (PLMN) standard, such as a GSM (Global system for mobile communication), general packet radio service (GPRS), enhanced data rate for GSM evolution (EDGE) or a third generation (3G) communication system such as the universal mobile telecommunication system (UMTS) or e.g. to a satellite based wireless communication standard. The wireless connection may be provided only for a part of the connection between the two nodes, that is, the fixed line networks may also comprise wireless communication.
A media gateway is a node that may be used for transforming media (e.g. speech or other communication) between the SCN (switched circuit network) and data network (such as the Internet Protocol based network) sides of the connection. An ITU-T recommendation draft H.248 titled 'MEGACO' (Media Gateway Control) defines a gateway control protocol that may be used in communication between a media gateway controller (MGC) and a media gateway (MG) enabling the gateway controller to control the gateway. The gateway control protocol is adapted for use in generation, connection and removal of different kinds of termination features. These operation include e.g. connecting a IP/UDP/RTP (Internet Protocol/User Datagram Protocol/Real-Time Transport Protocol) port to a certain time slot. In addition, the MEGACO gateway protocol may be used for transmitting information regarding instances such as tones that have been detected on the line and so on or request to generate required tones. It should be appreciated that the referenced ITU-T recommendation does not necessarily constitute the state of the art.
A quality of service (QoS) function has also been proposed for the packet switched networks. In general, the quality of service refers to feature by means of which different connections are provided with different service levels (i.e. different service classes). The QoS class to be used for a connection may depend e.g. on the agreement (subscription) between the user and the service provider, call type (e.g. normal call/emergency call) and so on.
Quality of Service (QoS) provisioning may be implemented using a so called differentiated services ('DiffServ') architecture. The term 'DiffServ' refers to differentiated service architecture for internet protocol (IP) networks. For example, the 3GPP (third generation partnership project) standardisation body has selected the DiffServ framework as the quality of service model for the core IP network. The QoS provisioning is obtained by appropriate marking of data units to be communicated in the IP network.
An IETF document RFC 2475 defines more particularly an architecture for implementing a scalable service differentiation in the Internet. The proposed differentiated services architecture performs its functions on the network level. Differently marked packets will receive a different priority in queuing and/or scheduling of nodes (so-called Per-hop-behaviour). The marking may depend dynamically on a time-averaged estimate of the data flow. The differentiated services is based on marking of the IP data packets with required data class and traffic contract information. For this the IPv4 (Internet Protocol version 4) header field 'Type of Service' (ToS) has been renamed as 'DiffServ' field. This has been proposed since the ToS field has never been widely used, and thus it could be renamed with a minimal impact. The DiffServ field is adapted to define parameters such as the QoS class, traffic contract and acceptable limits for the delay and packet loss.
It is believed that voice traffic may eventually (e.g. in the 3GPP release 2000 and beyond) run directly from a radio access network controller (RNC) of a cellular telecommunication network to the IP network or to the PSTN network through a media gateway (MGW) therebetween. This may require that the MGW is enabled to map the PSTN traffic to the IP-side quality-of service (QoS) classes and vice versa.
The inventors have found that if the media gateway is not notified about the QoS class to be used for a connection, the media gateway may set (e.g. mark) all speech packets to be sent in one QoS class (based on the TOS info) or may not set the QoS parameter at all. The inventors have also found that it might be advantageous if it could be possible to separate different speech calls or other calls within a call type class from each other (e.g. an emergency call from a "normal" or other lower priority call) in other devices that are based on a data network protocol, such as the IP.
What is needed is a standardised way for the media gateway controller to inform the media gateway on a call by call basis which service class is to be used for the data entities for a call.


A lightweight and low-cost electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection rack includes a front door, a rear door disposed to face the front door, a left outer wall disposed between the front door and the rear door, a right outer wall disposed to face the left outer wall, a top outer wall positioned on top parts of the front door, the rear door, the left outer wall, and the right outer wall, a bottom outer wall disposed to face the top outer wall, and a main frame disposed to connect, into a single unit, the front door, the rear door, the left outer wall, the right outer wall, the top outer wall and the bottom outer wall, wherein at least one of the front door and the rear door is implemented as a roller blind having a shielding member.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates generally to a lightweight and low-cost electromagnetic pulse (EMP) protection rack.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, while localization of an EMP protection rack that meets military specifications is performed, commercialization thereof is actively underway. It is expected that a certain degree of demand will be generated in financial institutions, information communication infrastructures, or the like. However, a commercial EMP protection rack is expensive, and thus it is financially burdensome to extensively apply the same to a site like a computer center in which typical racks are extensively used. The main shielding performance of an EMP protection rack that has been developed to date has a level of 20 dB at a frequency of 10kHz, and 80 dB at a frequency of 10 MHz to 1 GHz, and emphasis is placed on the development of an ultra-wide band EMP protection rack (level of 80 dB at a frequency of 10 kHz to 18 GHz) for protecting against a non-nuclear EMP. There is a difficulty in developing a method for manufacturing and designing an innovative protection rack according to limitations on the selection of a shield material of a constituent element for blocking an electromagnetic wave and on the manufacturing method thereof. In addition, since the shielding performance and the heat dissipation performance are mutually conflicting requirements in the EMP protection rack, it is important to manufacture the same while satisfying the two requirements and further reducing the cost and weight. In other words, it is necessary to develop an EMP protection rack that may pass air inside and outside the protection rack but block external electromagnetic waves in consideration of the operating environment of computer/communication equipment to be installed in the protection rack.

Lightweight and low-cost EMP protection rack

ELECTRONICS AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS RESEARCH INSTITUTE


The invention relates to methods for the targeted production of lysobactin derivatives by combined chemical and enzymatic modifications. In particular, the invention relates to method for preparing lysobactin fragment 4-11 by chemical reduction and cleavage of the resultant product by chymotrypsin.

The invention relates to methods for the targeted preparation of lysobactin derivatives by combined chemical and enzymatic modifications. In particular, the invention relates to a method for preparing lysobactin fragment 4-11 by chemical reduction and cleavage of the resultant product by chymotrypsin.
Lysobactin is a cyclic depsipeptide which originates from a screening program for finding novel antibiotics acting in the biosynthesis of bacterial cell walls (O'Sullivan J. et al., J. Antibiot. (1988) 41(12):1740-1744 and Bonner, D. P. et al., J. Antibiot. (1988) 41(12):1745-1751; Tymiak, A. A. et al., J. Org. Chem. (1989) 54:1149-1157). It shows strong activity against Gram-positive aerobic and anaerobic bacteria. An unusual feature is the high number of non-proteinogenic amino acids in the molecule. In addition to the three β-hydroxyamino acids (2S,3R)-β-hydroxyleucine, (2S,3R)-β-hydroxyphenylalanine and (2S,3 S)-β-hydroxyasparagine, the D-amino acids D-leucine and D-arginine as well as allo-threonine also occur. This complexity and the size of the natural product lysobactin are a great hurdle for targeted chemical modifications.

Methods for the specific preparation of lysobactin fragments


An exemplary point-to-multipoint network including an upstream headend facility and a plurality of downstream network terminals ("NTs") employs a contention-based multi-slot MAC permit protocol for upstream request transmission, wherein each NT compiles a congestion rank for each upstream slot position based on feedback information supplied by the headend. At such time as an NT wishes to attempt an upstream response to an multi-slot permit, it excludes the slot position having the highest rank for purposes of selecting an upstream response slot, and chooses among the others at random. If there are two or more slots having an equally high rank, the NT still excludes only one of the slots, based on a predetermined order of priority calculated at random from the NT's unique physical ID. If an NT is not successful with its initial response in the selected slot position, it will randomly select a waiting period of zero, one or two multi-slot permit cycles before attempting another upstream transmission. If, before attempting a re-transmission, the NT observes an intervening collision between two or more other NTs in the same upstream response slot, it will increase its waiting period by yet another two permit cycles.

Much activity is presently being directed into the design and deployment of "point-to-multipoint" broadband access networks, wherein downstream signals are broadcast from a single head-end facility to multiple end user stations (i.e., via "point-to-multipoint" transmission), and upstream signals are transmitted from each respective end users to the head end facility (i.e., via "point-to-point" transmission), respectively. It presently anticipated that point-to-multipoint broadband access networks will be employed to support a variety of independent communication services, such as, e.g., traditional two-way telecommunications, broadcast video (i.e., CATV) services and a full range of digital baseband services.
Given the wide variety of potential communication services to be supported over point-to-multipoint network broadband access networks, it is desirable to provide efficient digital data transmission protocols for supporting both the downstream and upstream communication paths. Notably, such networks are well suited to support asynchronous transfer mode ("ATM") based data transmission, whereby data packets or "cells" are periodically assembled and transmitted from a sending node, and received and disassembled at a receiving node.
In particular, ATM transmission enables the transmission of multiple services over a single communication path, whereby individual service bandwidth utilization may be optimized as a function of the statistical activity of each individual service--i.e., wherein the services are "bursty" in nature, so that bandwidth is efficiently shared.
For example, bursty data traffic may include local area network ("LAN") traffic, which is traditionally limited to private, or closed-loop networks, but may be more frequently carried over shared public access (e.g., telecommunication) networks for greater efficiency in connecting multiple LAN locations. Further, with the explosion of recent interest in services associated with the "Internet", demand for low cost, high speed two-way digital data transport is at an all time high.
By way of specific example, network architectures and data communication protocols for supporting both downstream and upstream transport of ATM-based digital data over a point-to-multipoint network comprising a headend facility connected to multiple downstream network terminals ("NTs") via a shared coaxial distribution network are disclosed and described in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 08/772,088, filed Dec. 19, 1996, entitled "Network Architecture for Broadband Data Communication Over a Shared Medium" (hereinafter referred to as "the '088 application"), which is fully incorporated herein by reference.
As described therein, downstream data is transmitted point-to-multipoint over the coaxial distribution network in continuous serial data frames over a common RF carrier frequency, whereby all downstream data frames are received by all NTs associated with the respective downstream RF carrier channel. The NTs evaluate each downstream data frame based on, e.g., destination or broadcast address fields, to determine whether it is an intended recipient of data contained therein. Upstream data is transported point-to-point in respective time-divided data slots from individual NTs to the headend in over a shared upstream RF carrier channel, whereby the upstream slots form successive upstream data frames at the headend.
In order to control upstream transmission, the headend allocates upstream "bandwidth" (i.e., upstream transmission slots) to respective NTs based on a selected set of operating criteria and service type priorities. To this end, each downstream data frame includes an upstream bandwidth "permit" transmitted as part of a media access control ("MAC") level protocol that, depending on the type of permit issued in a given downstream frame, allows for one or more respective NTs to transmit a specified response in a corresponding upstream slot.
Generally, permits are issued by the headend on either a "reserved" basis, i.e., wherein an upstream response is allowed only by a specified NT, or a "contention" basis, i.e., wherein one or more NTs may attempt a response in a single upstream slot. As will be apparent to those skilled in the art, there are three possible outcomes in the later case: (1) only a single NT will respond to the contention permit and will, thus, be successful; (2) two or more NTs will attempt to respond to the contention permit, thereby causing a collision in the designated upstream slot, with neither NT's response being successful; or (3) no NT will attempt a response.
In an effort to allow for a greater number of upstream bandwidth requests from the various NTs to reach the headend, the headend will periodically issue a "multi-slot" contention permit, wherein a single downstream permit allows a response (albeit substantially shortened) in any one of several successive "mini" upstream response slots. Of course, the possible outcomes are the same for any one of the slot positions as they are when only a single slot is available, i.e.: (1) only a single NT will respond in a given slot position and will be successful; (2) two or more NTs will attempt to respond in the same slot position, thereby causing a collision; or (3) no NT will attempt a response in a particular slot position.
The respective unsuccessful NTs will normally re-attempt an upstream response to the next multi-slot contention permit. In accordance with known practices, if an NT is not successful with its initial response in the selected slot position, it will keep with that slot position for attempting a response to each successive multi-slot permit, until such time as it successfully transmits a response. Thus, in order to minimize the chance for further collisions by NTs vying for the same slot position, a "re-transmission" protocol is preferably employed. For example, as taught in the '088 application, known contention resolution random access algorithms (RAAs) are employed, such as the Ternary Tree Binary Feedback (TTBF) algorithm, whereby respective NTs are assigned differing priority numbers for re-attempting transmission after a collision.
However, the aforedescribed algorithm is problematic, in that it does not successfully address situations where a majority of NTs happen to randomly select, and repeatedly vie for, only a few of the upstream slot positions, thus greatly decreasing the transmission success rate in those particular slot positions, while possibly leaving the remaining slot positions under-utilized.

Employing feedback data and congestion ranking to minimize contention delay in a multi-slot Mac protocol


The present invention is directed toward a system and method for extracting and processing data contained on an information card, particularly a healthcare plan identification card. The data preferably includes both textual data and graphical data, but can contain either type of data singularly. The system preferably associates the textual and graphical data or a portion thereof with a healthcare plan sponsor. In addition, the system analyzes the data to determine a healthcare plan product identifier. Based upon the healthcare plan product identifier, the system provides information about the healthcare plan product so that decisions can be made about an individual associated with the healthcare plan product.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to optical electronic systems and methods. More particularly, the present invention relates to systems and methods for facilitating decision making about an individual based on mixed media information cards.
2. Related Arts
The use of information or identification cards has seen increasing use over the past several years as an effective means for quickly identifying an individual and a group or company with whom the individual is associated. Perhaps no industry has witnessed a more explosive growth in the use of these information cards than has the healthcare industry.
In the healthcare industry, healthcare sponsors, such as insurance companies, generally issue an information card, or healthcare plan identification card, to individuals in order to show that the individual is insured and to provide a variety of information about the individual and the individual""s insurance coverage. Conventionally, these cards have been presented to front office staff working, for example, in a doctor or dentist office when the individual arrives for an appointment. In conventional systems and methods, the front office staff manually enters the information contained on the card into a data gathering system, such as a patient log or computer database. Such information can include the name of the healthcare sponsor or the insurance company and personal information about the individual, including, but not limited to, the individual""s name, social security number or other individual numeric identifier, and the individual""s employer. This information is then used to generate bills or invoices or to provide additional information to the healthcare sponsor.
The conventional methods for entering and handling the information contained on the identification or business cards have presented numerous problems. These methods have generally not been capable of tracking and/or keeping up with changes of individual healthcare plans chosen by employers for their employees and the creation and marketing of new products by healthcare sponsors. In addition, the conventional methods have also resulted in incorrect information being entered into the computer system, which has led to incorrect billing of the healthcare sponsor, including billing the wrong address and incorrect collection of a co-pay amount from an individual at the time services are rendered. Another problem with conventional systems and methods has been that front office staff working in the office do not always follow the special utilization management requirements the healthcare sponsor may have, such as, obtaining precertification of certain outpatient procedures. Failure to follow these special procedures has resulted in loss of revenue to the doctor as well as administrative delays in providing insurance coverage. Yet another problem with conventional systems and methods has been front office staff cannot always determine if a particular physician participates in a plan. Such information is important in determining if the patient is within the plan""s network of approved physicians, outside the plan""s network of approved physicians, or not covered at all.
Various business card scanning systems have been developed for scanning business cards and storing the information printed on the business cards in an electronic database. The electronic database can then later be used to retrieve information about a particular individual or company. This retrieval process is similar to the conventional rolodex systems except that it can be performed electronically. Such scanning systems, however, are limited to extracting the data from the information cards and storing that data in the electronic database. Such conventional systems do not overcome the problems associated with healthcare sponsor identification cards.
Thus, there is a need to overcome the disadvantages described above. There is a particular need to provide a system and method that simply and reliably reads information contained on information cards to simplify the decision making process for front office staff and eliminate data input errors associated with conventional systems. There is a particular need for an automated system that reads information from insurance identification cards and identifies a healthcare sponsor and any special administrative procedures associated with the sponsor. There is a further need for storing information contained on the identification cards so that this information can be updated easily in cases of insurance coverage changes or other similar changes to group or healthcare sponsor offerings.
The present invention solves the problems with, and overcomes the disadvantages of, conventional information card management systems.
The present invention relates to a method for processing data contained on an information medium, the information medium being associated with an individual. The method includes extracting the data from the information medium and analyzing the data to determine a group identifier, wherein the group identifier identifies the individual as part of a group. The method further includes analyzing the data to determine a group product identifier and providing group product information based on the group product identifier.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for processing data contained on an information medium associated with an individual. The system includes a scanner which is configured to extract data from the information medium. The system further includes a computer system in data communication with the scanner. The computer system includes a processor configured for analyzing the data to determine a group identifier, wherein the group identifier identifies the individual as part of a group, analyzing the data to determine a group product identifier, and providing group product information based on the group product identifier.
The present invention also relates to a computer program product including a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to process data contained on an information medium. The computer program product includes first analyzing means for enabling the processor to analyze the data to determine a group identifier, wherein the group identifier identifies the individual as part of a group. The computer program also includes second analyzing means for enabling the processor to analyze the data to determine a group product identifier. The computer program further includes providing means for enabling the processor to provide group product information based on the group product identifier.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for processing data contained on an information card associated with an individual. The system includes means for extracting the data from the information card and first means for analyzing the data to determine a group identifier, wherein the group identifier identifies the individual as part of a group. The system also includes second means for analyzing the data to determine a group product identifier and means for providing group product information based on the group product identifier.
The present invention also relates to a method for processing data contained on an identification card issued by a healthcare plan sponsor. The method includes extracting data from the identification card and analyzing the data to determine a healthcare plan identifier. The method also includes analyzing the data to determine a healthcare plan product identifier and providing healthcare plan product information based on the healthcare plan product identifier.
In another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for processing data contained on an identification card issued by a healthcare plan sponsor. The system includes a memory device having embodied therein executable code and a processor in communication with the memory device. The processor is configured for extracting data from the identification card and analyzing the data to determine a healthcare plan identifier. The processor is further configured for analyzing the data to determine a healthcare plan product identifier and providing healthcare plan product information based on the healthcare plan product identifier.
The present invention also relates to a computer program product including a computer useable medium having computer program logic recorded thereon for enabling a processor in a computer system to process data contained on an identification card issued by a healthcare plan sponsor. The computer program includes first analyzing means for enabling the processor to analyze the data to determine a healthcare plan identifier and second analyzing means for enabling the processor to analyze the data to determine a healthcare plan product identifier. The computer program also includes providing means for enabling the processor to provide healthcare plan product information based on the healthcare plan product identifier.
In yet another aspect, the present invention relates to a system for processing data contained on an identification card issued by a healthcare plan sponsor. The system includes means for extracting data from the identification card and a first means for analyzing the data to identify a healthcare plan identifier. The system also includes a second means for analyzing the data to identify a healthcare plan product identifier and means for providing healthcare plan product information based on the healthcare plan product identifier.
Features and Advantages
A feature of the present invention is that it provides for a reliable and efficient method and system capable of tracking and/or keeping up with changes to individual healthcare plans that are chosen by employers for their employees.
An additional feature of the present invention is that it provides for a simple system and method for accepting the creation and marketing of new products by healthcare sponsors.
Yet another feature of the present invention is that it provides for automated extracting and entry of data contained on information media and the subsequent analysis of that data based on previously stored information or information obtained directly from a healthcare sponsor.
An advantage of the present invention is that it substantially eliminates the manual entry techniques of conventional systems and the possibility of incorrect information being entered into the computer system, which has, in the past, led to incorrect billing of the healthcare sponsor.
Another advantage of the present invention is that it notifies front office staff of any special utilization management requirements the healthcare sponsor may have, such as, obtaining precertification of certain outpatient procedures. In this fashion, the present invention helps to simplify decisions for front office staff and helps to curb the loss of revenue to the doctor and the loss of time due to administrative delays inherent in conventional systems.

System and method for processing data on an information card


An apparatus and method to detect an LPP sync signal on an optical storage medium include a frame sync bit detection unit detecting frame sync bits from the LPP sync signal on the optical storage medium and a sync detection unit determining whether continuity exists in the detection of the frame sync bits and detecting a 6-bit sector sync or a 3-bit sector sync using a 6-bit long window or a 3-bit long window, respectively, in response to a result of the determination. The apparatus further includes a sync detection result output unit outputting a sector sync detection period when continuity exists in the detection of frame sync bits and in the detection of the 3-bit sector sync or 6-bit sector sync and counting a sync detection signal and a new sync detection period when a sector sync signal is detected by the sync detection unit.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of controlling an optical storage medium, and more particularly, to an apparatus and a method of detecting sector sync signals on an optical storage medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
Optical storage media, such as a DVD-R or a DVD-RW, include land pre-pits (LPPs) which are formed by carving pits, where address information is contained on a land during a manufacture of a disk substrate. An LPP signal is read from an optical storage medium using a light beam, which is irradiated on the optical storage medium to follow tracks thereon, and is measured using an optical pickup of a data recorder before and after recording data on the optical storage medium.
A sequence of LPP data corresponds to 16 sectors physically having the same size as an error correction code (ECC) block to be recorded in a groove. Three bits b2, b1, and b0 are allotted to each sync frame of the LPP signal. A first bit (i.e., a first frame sync bit) among the three bits is placed at a specific region of a sync written in 8/16 modulated data in a groove. The three-bit arrangements are shown in Table 1 as follows.
b2b1b0Sector syncs at even positions111Sector syncs at odd positions110Data = 1b101Data = 0b100
The optical storage medium includes 16 sectors, and a sector sync signal indicating that a sector begins is recorded in each sector in the form of the three bits b2, b1, and b0 of the LPP signal. One sector can be divided into 26 frames, and the sector sync signal is recorded at an even position where a first frame begins or at an odd position where a second frame begins. The sector sync signal recorded at the even position has a binary value of "111", and the sector sync signal recorded at the odd position has a binary value of "110". Among the LPP signals, the LPP signals recorded on the optical storage medium having a binary value of "101" are interpreted as modulated signals of "1", and the LPP signals recorded on the optical storage medium having a binary value of "100" are interpreted as modulated signals of "0".
FIG. 1 is a diagram showing a relationship between the locations of the LPP signals and the sector on the optical storage medium. A one-bit LPP signal can be detected at the beginning of each frame. When one sector includes the 26 frames, each of the 26 frames is given a different number between 0 and 25. The sector sync signals, which include even syncs and odd syncs, can be respectively detected at the beginning of frames 0, 2, and 4 and at the beginning of frames 1, 3, and 5 begin. The LPP signal detected at the beginning of each frame has a one-bit size. The LPP signal is generally recorded at the beginning of an even frame rather than at the beginning of an odd frame. In a mastering process, the LPP signal located on a predetermined land is forced to move to an odd position on the same land if there already exists another LPP signal on a neighboring land, as shown in FIG. 2.
In order to record the data in the grooves on the optical storage medium or to reproduce the data recorded on the optical storage medium, precise position control is necessary on the optical storage medium. Accordingly, various strategies for detecting the sector sync signals, which can bring about less detection errors, are necessary to precisely perform such position control.

Apparatus and method for detecting sector sync signal on an optical storage medium


Conical separation discs of thin sheet metal intended for centrifugal separators have, as a rule, spacing members in the form of thin strips welded onto one of their sides. For avoiding local overheating of a separation disc, when a strip is to be welded onto the separation disc by roll welding, the strip is formed with at least one ridge extending in the longitudinal direction of the strip, the width of the ridge being substantially smaller than that of the strip. In this way, the contact area between the strip and the separation disc will become very small in the welding area, and only a limited amount of energy is needed for the welding.

The welding method normally used in connection with fastening of strips of this kind onto separation discs is spot welding. This welding method is cheap and has been considered sufficient from different starting points. Thus, brazing has long been abandoned as a connection method, and welding of the strips along all of the edges thereof has been considered unnecessarily expensive and not required.
However, in certain connections new requirements have lately been set up on the connection of the strips with the separation discs, meaning that the edges of each strip have to be sealingly connected with its separation disc, so that no pockets are formed, which are difficult to clean.
These new requirements have brought up the question how, in the cheapest and most practical way, a continuous weld joint can be provided through resistance welding between a thin strip of sheet metal of this kind and a conical separation disc also produced from thin sheet metal so that heat, developed during the welding, will not cause deformation of the separation disc. A conical separation disc is usually produced by pressure turning of a circular or annular planar piece of thin sheet metal and it obtains, as a consequence of this treatment, stresses built into the sheet material, which may easily deform the separation disc upon local heating thereof.
A problem in connection with use of conventional roller welding for obtaining a continuous weld joint between a strip and a separation disc is that a relatively large contact surface comes up between the strip and the separation disc, when a roll welding electrode is rolled along the strip and presses it against the separation disc. This contact surface comes up in a welding area extending across the whole of the strip and over a distance in the longitudinal direction of the strip. In order to obtain melting in this relatively large contact area relatively much energy has to be used, which leads to an undesired strong heating of the separation disc.
Theoretically it would be possible to limit the welding to only a small part of the width of the strip for minimizing the heat development during a welding operation. However, this would require that both the weld electrode applied and pressed against the strip and the weld electrode applied against the separation disc were isolated electrically over certain parts of their surfaces intended for contact with the strip and the separation disc, respectively, and further that the uninsulated area or areas of the respective contact surfaces of the weld electrodes were to be placed extremely accurately in relation to both each other and the strip all the way along where a weld joint should be obtained. Considering that the strips here in question have a width of about 3-6 mm, that a weld joint of maximum 1 mm width is deemed desirable, that the strip is to be applied onto a curved (conical) surface and that the strip (weld joint) should not always be straight and extend along, but sometimes at an angle, to a generatrix of the separation disc, an apparatus for obtaining this would become very complicated and expensive.
For resolving the problem of undesired local overheating of a conical separation disc, when a narrow strip of the kind here in question is to be connected by resistance welding with a separation disc through two parallel weld joints along the edges of the strip, it has been suggested in EP 0 444 271-A3 that a weld electrode in the form of a relatively narrow roller should be rolled across the strip in its cross direction and that welding current should be switched on only when the roller passes over the edges of the strip, where a weld joint should be obtained, and be switched off while the roller rolls across the central part of the strip between the edges. Thus, the roller has to be rolled across the strip several times before two continuous weld joints have been obtained along the whole of the strip. It is also suggested in EP 0 444 271-A3 that the weld roller should be rolled along the entire circumference of the separation disc and that welding should thus occur only when the roller passes across the edges of the strips in question, which in the case disclosed are placed such that they extend along the generatrices of the conical separation disc.
From various starting points it may be questioned whether the welding method suggested in EP 0 444 271-A3 is really performable without obtaining of an undesired local overheating of the separation disc. If it would be possible, after all, the weld roller would probably have to be very narrow, which makes it apparent that a welding operation performed in this manner would take far too long to be useful in practice.

Method of fastening a strip of thin sheet metal on a conical separation disc of thin sheet metal, and a separation disc provided in this manner with a strip of thin sheet metal


A touch display panel, a method for driving the same and a touch display device are provided. The touch display panel includes a substrate, and a light-emitting array layer, a packaging layer, a first electrode layer and a color resistor layer successively arranged on the substrate. The first electrode layer includes multiple first touch electrodes. The packaging layer includes a first sub-packaging layer and a second sub-packaging layer which are successively arranged in a direction away from the substrate and between which an auxiliary electrode is arranged. Projection of the first touch electrode is at least partially overlapped with projection of the auxiliary electrode in a direction perpendicular to the substrate. In touch charging stage, the first touch electrode is applied with a first driving signal, the auxiliary electrode is applied with a second driving signal, and the second driving signal and the first driving signal are synchronous.

With the development of display technology, an organic light emitting diode (OLED) display panel has been made widely available to due to advantages such as low energy consumption, high resolution, high brightness, fast response, no backlight and low cost. However, in the OLED display panel integrated with touch electrodes, parasitic capacitance between the touch electrodes and a cathode is large, resulting in poor accuracy and sensitivity in touch detection.

Touch display panel and drive method for the same, and touch display device

XIAMEN TIANMA MICRO-ELECTRONICS CO., LTD.


A test instrument network for testing a plurality of DUTs includes a plurality of communicating script processors, the script processors being adapted to execute computer code; and a plurality of measurement resources controllable by the script processors in response to executed computer code, the measurement resources being adapted to test the DUTs. Each script processor and measurement resource may be arbitrarily assigned by the controller to one of at least two groups, only one script processor being assigned to be a master script processor, any other script processor being a slave script processor and any group not including the master script processor being a remote group. The master script processor is exclusively authorized to initiate code execution on any script processor in a remote group. Any slave script processor is only able to initiate operation of measurement resources in it own group. When a particular script processor is executing computer code, the master script processor may not initiate execution of computer code on a member script processor in the group of the particular script processor and may not initiate operation of a member measurement resource in the group of the particular script processor.

The present invention relates to electrical measurements and, in particular, to networked test instruments.
The electrical testing of devices under test (DUTs) such as semiconductors, integrated circuits, circuit boards and finished devices is an important part of the manufacturing of such goods.
Significant time (and expense) is expended to set up and perform tests of electrical parameters such as those related to performance and reliability. The tests themselves may take significant time resources and configuring the test systems in preparation for testing can also be very significant. This may be particularly true in an environment where the type of DUT is changed often, requiring the both the test equipment configuration and the tests to be performed to be changed.
The efficiency of the testing of DUTs may be improved by speeding up the setup process and the testing itself. Test instruments have been networked to provide better control over the configuration and testing processes and efforts have been made to increase the number of tests performed in overlapping time periods (i.e., in parallel).


An apparatus for delivering energy to a biological site includes a catheter having a plurality of electrodes positioned proximal the biological site. A power control system supplies power to each electrode. Where an electrode or group of electrodes is turned off, the power control system provides a high impedance to the turned off electrodes so that substantially no current flows to those electrodes from other electrodes that may remain on. This permits the electrodes turned off to cool. The power control system may permit control over the phase and duty cycle of the power applied to the electrodes and may permit individual control over the power provided to each electrode. A backplate is also positioned proximal the biological site so that the biological site is interposed between the electrodes and the backplate. Where a unipolar/bipolar approach is used with the backplate, the power control system controls the phase angle of the power applied to the electrodes so that the current flows between the electrodes and between the electrodes and the backplate.

The invention relates generally to an electrophysiological (xe2x80x9cEPxe2x80x9d) apparatus and method for providing energy to biological tissue, and more particularly, to an ablation apparatus providing for more efficient cooling of the electrodes used to apply energy to the biological tissue.
The heart beat in a healthy human is controlled by the sinoatrial node (xe2x80x9cS-A nodexe2x80x9d) located in the wall of the right atrium. The S-A node generates electrical signal potentials that are transmitted through pathways of conductive heart tissue in the atrium to the atrioventricular node (xe2x80x9cA-V nodexe2x80x9d) which in turn transmits the electrical signals throughout the ventricle by means of the His and Purkinje conductive tissues. Improper growth of, or damage to, the conductive tissue in the heart can interfere with the passage of regular electrical signals from the S-A and A-V nodes. Electrical signal irregularities resulting from such interference can disturb the normal rhythm of the heart and cause an abnormal rhythmic condition referred to as xe2x80x9ccardiac arrhythmia.xe2x80x9d
While there are different treatments for cardiac arrhythmia, including the application of anti-arrhythmia drugs, in many cases ablation of the damaged tissue can restore the correct operation of the heart. Such ablation can be performed by percutaneous ablation, a procedure in which a catheter is percutaneously introduced into the patient and directed through an artery to the atrium or ventricle of the heart to perform single or multiple diagnostic, therapeutic, and/or surgical procedures. In such case, an ablation procedure is used to destroy the tissue causing the arrhythmia in an attempt to remove the electrical signal irregularities or create a conductive tissue block to restore normal heart beat or at least an improved heart beat. Successful ablation of the conductive tissue at the arrhythmia initiation site usually terminates the arrhythmia or at least moderates the heart rhythm to acceptable levels. A widely accepted treatment for arrhythmia involves the application of RF energy to the conductive tissue.
In the case of atrial fibrillation (xe2x80x9cAFxe2x80x9d), a procedure published by Cox et al. and known as the xe2x80x9cMaze procedurexe2x80x9d involves continuous atrial incisions to prevent atrial reentry and to allow sinus impulses to activate the entire myocardium. While this procedure has been found to be successful, it involves an intensely invasive approach. It is more desirable to accomplish the same result as the Maze procedure by use of a less invasive approach, such as through the use of an appropriate EP catheter system.
There are two general methods of applying RF energy to cardiac tissue, unipolar and bipolar. In the unipolar method a large surface area electrode; e.g., a backplate, is placed on the chest, back or other external location of the patient to serve as a return. The backplate completes an electrical circuit with one or more electrodes that are introduced into the heart, usually via a catheter, and placed in intimate contact with the aberrant conductive tissue. In the bipolar method, electrodes introduced into the heart have different potentials and complete an electrical circuit between themselves. In the bipolar method, the flux traveling between the two electrodes of the catheter enters the tissue to cause ablation.
During ablation, the electrodes are placed in intimate contact with the target endocardial tissue. RF energy is applied to the electrodes to raise the temperature of the target tissue to a non-viable state. In general, the temperature boundary between viable and non-viable tissue is approximately 48xc2x0 Centigrade. Tissue heated to a temperature above 48xc2x0 C. becomes non-viable and defines the ablation volume. The objective is to elevate the tissue temperature, which is generally at 37xc2x0 C., fairly uniformly to an ablation temperature above 48xc2x0 C., while keeping both the temperature at the tissue surface and the temperature of the electrode below 100xc2x0 C.
A basic configuration of an ablation catheter for applying RF energy includes a distal tip which is fitted with an electrode device. The electrode device is the source of an electrical signal that causes heating of the contacting and neighboring tissue. In the unipolar method, the electrode device may include a single electrode used for emitting RF energy. This single electrode acts as one electrical pole. The other electrical pole is formed by the backplate in contact with a patient""s external body part. A RF source is applied to the electrode. The RF source is typically in the 500 kHz region and produces a sinusoidal voltage. When this is delivered between the distal tip of a standard electrode catheter and a backplate, it produces a localized RF heating effect and produces a well defined, deep acute lesion slightly larger than the tip electrode.
In some procedures a lesion having a larger surface area than that produced by a single electrode in a unipolar arrangement may be required. To this end numerous ablation catheters have been designed. In one catheter designed to provide a larger surface ablation area, an electrode device having four peripheral electrodes which extend from a retracted mode is used. See U.S. Pat. No. 5,500,011 to Desai. When extended, i. e., fanned out, the four peripheral electrodes and the central electrode form an electrode array that covers a larger surface area of the tissue than a single electrode. When used with a conventional RF power source, and in conjunction with a backplate, the five electrodes produce five lesion spots distributed over the area spanned by the electrode array. The lesions produced are discontinuous in relation to each other and there are areas between the electrodes that remain unablated. This device must be manipulated so that when expanded, all electrodes are in contact with the endocardium. An xe2x80x9cend onxe2x80x9d approach is required such that the end of the catheter, on which all five electrodes are mounted, is in intimate contact with the target tissue.
In another catheter an electrode device having a central electrode and a number of peripheral electrodes which also fan out from a retracted mode is used. During ablation a backplate is not used; instead the central electrode functions as the reference while the peripheral electrodes have multi-phase RF power applied to them. For example, see U.S. Pat. No. 5,383,917 to Desai et al. While this technique provides a more continuous lesion covering a larger surface area of the tissue, the ablation volume is relatively shallow with a nonuniform depth of the lesion. This arrangement also requires the same manipulation of the catheter such that an end-on contact is made by the expanded electrodes, as discussed above. Lesions having a non-uniform ablation volume are undesirable as the depth at one part of the lesion may not be sufficient to stop the irregular signal pathways. Arrhythmia may reoccur because the irregular signals may pass under such an ablation volume and the procedure must then be repeated to once again attempt to obtain an ablation volume having sufficient depth.
The mechanical configuration of both of the above-described techniques comprises an expanding approach. When used for ablation, an electrode device is typically part of a catheter system. Accordingly, it is desirable to minimize the diameter of the electrode device during introduction to and withdrawal from the patient to lessen trauma to the patient. Therefore, electrode devices having peripheral expandable electrodes must be configured so that the peripheral electrodes are expandable to a large size yet are retractable to as small a size as practical. Such requirements pose design and manufacturing difficulties due to the movement of mechanical parts required for proper operation. Further considerations are the undesirable complexity and increased manufacturing cost associated with an expandable a catheter.
In applying power to the target tissue, it is desirable that part of the electrodes in a bipolar catheter approach are exposed to the fluids at the site. These fluids typically provide some cooling effect to those electrodes. If all electrodes are the same size and the cooling is the same across the entire lesion site and the impedance is the same at all electrode contacts, the same voltage can be delivered at all electrodes. As power is the voltage squared divided by the impedance, the same power will be delivered to all of the separate electrodes. However, this is rarely the case. Typically, all of the above items are variables. If the electrode is larger, it has lower resistance and can handle larger currents (thus larger power) without causing tissue clotting at the interface or coagulation. Even if all of the electrodes are the same size, the local cooling of each electrode is typically different and thus may require different power to be delivered to each electrode.
Should the cooling by the fluids not be sufficient to maintain the tissue interface below the coagulation and boiling temperature at a particular electrode, power to the electrode must be reduced. A method of reducing power is reducing the duty cycle of the power signal provided to an electrode. The typical form of a power signal is one having alternating instances of peak power i. e., an xe2x80x9conxe2x80x9d period, and very low power, i. e., an xe2x80x9coffxe2x80x9d period. The duty cycle is the ratio of the length of the on period to the total time frame (i.e., the combination of the on period and the off-period). Ideally, during the off-period of the particular electrode, electrical current neither flows to nor from the electrode and heat from the electrode is allowed to dissipate into the surrounding tissue and fluids contacting the electrode.
In practice, however, when the duty cycles of individual electrodes are separately adjustable, there may be instances during which the duty cycles of adjacent electrodes are different. For example, if the duty cycle of a first electrode is fifty-percent while the duty cycle of an adjacent second electrode is twenty-five percent, there will be instances during each time frame when the second electrode is off but the first electrode is on. Should both electrodes remain in position at the tissue and therefore have a salt bridge between them that conducts electrical energy, that second electrode may present a lower potential level to the first electrode and current may flow from the first to the second electrode. The second electrode would therefore not actually be in an off state and would still participate in generating heat at the interface. Thus the intended effect of turning off the second electrode to provide the electrode with an opportunity to dissipate heat is at least partially negated by the continued current flow to the electrode from those electrodes with longer duty cycles. Yet the longer duty cycle in an adjacent electrode may be advantageous so as to continue the tissue ablation process at that electrode""s location.
Hence, those skilled in the art have recognized a need for a structurally stable invasive ablation apparatus and method that are capable of controlling the flow of current through a biological site so that lesions with controllable surface and depth characteristics may be produced and the ablation volume thereby controlled. A need has also been recognized for an ablation apparatus and method that are capable of controlling individual electrodes in a multiple electrode array so that current flow is limited as desired. The invention fulfills these needs and others.
Briefly, and in general terms, the invention is directed to an apparatus and a method for controlling the application of energy to a biological site during ablation to thereby control the surface area, the continuity, and the depth of lesion produced during ablation.
In a first aspect, an apparatus for delivering energy to heart tissue is provided with the apparatus comprising a catheter having a plurality of electrodes at its distal end, the distal end positionable so that the electrodes are located at the heart tissue, and a power control system adapted to provide power to the electrodes such that power to a first electrode may be turned off while power to a second electrode may be turned on wherein the power control system provides a high impedance to the first electrode when it is turned off so that substantially no current flows to the first electrode from the second electrode when the second electrode is on.
In more detailed aspects, the power control system is adapted to vary the duty cycles of the power provided to the first and second electrodes. The power control system provides power to the first electrode with a different phase angle from the power provided to the second electrode. In further detail, the different phase angle is greater than zero degrees but less than 180 degrees. In yet further detail, the phase angle differs by approximately 132 degrees.
In another aspect, at least three electrodes arranged in a linear array with the power provided to the center electrode having a different phase angle than at least one adjacent electrode. the power control system provides separate power to each of the plurality of electrodes with the phase angle of each being individually controllable.
In yet another aspect, a temperature sensing device located at the electrodes is adapted to provide a temperature signal to the power control system representative of the temperature at the electrodes wherein the power control system controls the duty cycle of the power in response to a temperature signal. In a further aspect, a measurement device senses at least one characteristic of the power applied to at least one electrode and is adapted to provide a power measurement signal wherein the power control system receives the power measurement signal, determines an impedance measurement based on the power measurement signal, and controls the duty cycle of the power in response to the power measurement signal. In a more detailed aspect, the power control system controls the duty cycle of the power in response to the temperature signal and in response to the power measurement signal.
In yet another aspect, the plurality of electrodes are formed into a first electrode group and a second electrode group with at least one electrode in each group wherein all electrodes in the first group are provided with first power by the power control system and all electrodes in the second group are provided with second power by the power control system with the first power establishing a first potential at each of the electrodes in the first electrode group and the second power signal establishing a second potential at each of the electrodes in the second electrode group, with each of the first and second potentials being different from each other and from a potential at a backplate. In further details, the first power has a different phase angle from the second power, the electrodes of the first group of electrodes are interspaced between the electrodes of the second group of electrodes such that each electrode from the first group is adjacent at least one electrode from the second group. The electrodes are arranged into a linear array at the distal end of the catheter.
In yet another aspect, a power interruption device is connected between the power control system and an electrode wherein the power control system is adapted to control the power interruption device to interrupt power to the selected electrode.
In a further additional aspect, a backplate is positionable proximal the biological site so that the biological site is interposed between the electrodes and the backplate.

RF ablation apparatus having high output impedance drivers


In a secondary battery including a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a porous film bonded to the surface of at least one of the positive electrode and the negative electrode, the porous film includes ceramic particles and a binder, and the ceramic particles include polycrystalline particles obtained by mechanically crushing a fired material comprising a ceramic that is directly synthesized from a ceramic precursor. The porous film has a porosity of 40 to 80%, for example. The porous film can be formed by a method including the steps of: obtaining a fired material comprising a ceramic from a ceramic precursor; obtaining ceramic particles by mechanically crushing the fired material of the ceramic; obtaining a slurry including the ceramic particles and a binder; and applying the slurry onto the surface of an electrode, followed by drying.

Secondary batteries such as a lithium ion secondary battery are generally provided with an electrode plate group comprising a positive electrode, a negative electrode and a separator interposed therebetween. The separator serves to provide electrical insulation between the two electrodes and also to retain an electrolyte. Recently, in order to improve the product quality, it has been proposed to apply a slurry containing fine particles and a resin binder onto the surface of the electrode plate, and to dry the coated film with hot air to form a porous film, thereby integrating the electrode plate and the porous film (see the specification of Japanese Patent No. 3371301). A separator comprising a resin made of polyolefin and inorganic fine particles has also been proposed (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-50287).
In the case of forming a porous film, it is common to use a slurry obtained by dispersing the source material of the porous film in a liquid component using a disperser. The source material of the porous film contains fine particles that will serve as the filler in the porous film and a resin that will serve as the binder of the fine particles. The fine particles serving as the filler are supplied in the form of powder to the disperser.
Conventionally used fine particles comprise spherical or substantially spherical primary particles, and the primary particles are aggregated by weak van der Waals force (cohesive force), forming particle agglomerates. FIG. 3 shows a schematic diagram of a particle agglomerate 32 comprising conventionally used primary particles 31.
Therefore, when preparing the slurry, particle agglomerates are separated into primary particles as much as possible using a disperser such as a bead mill so as to stabilize the thickness and porosity of the porous film (see Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Hei 10-106530 (FIG. 2)).

Secondary battery and method for producing the same

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A tissue sensing device for use with an electrosurgical knife is proposed which comprises a proximal end portion, a distal end portion and a grip portion there between. The proximal end portion is configured for attachment to a housing of the electrosurgical knife. The distal end portion is configured for movably supporting a blade of the knife. A distal end of an optical fiber is arranged at the distal end portion of the device and a proximal end of the optical fiber is connectable to an optical console, so that optical measurements can be performed at the distal end portion.

In electrosurgery a high-frequency electric current is applied to tissue in order to cut, coagulate, desiccate, or fulgurate tissue. The fact that it is used in 80% or more of all surgical procedures already indicates the usefulness of the device. Depending on the tissue in front of the device the surgeon can decide on which operating mode of the device is used.
During breast tumor surgery, for instance a lumpectomy, the surgeon aims to remove the breast tumor without leaving behind more than a focally positive margin i.e. the surgeon wants to avoid leaving behind substantial portions of the tumor because this would lead to recurrence of the tumor. Small microscopic portions that are left behind can be treated by additional radiotherapy treatment.
Although the surgeon can make a mental picture of the tumor from pre-operative images, such as images taken during mammography, during surgery there is no feedback regarding the tumor. Due to this lack of feedback during surgery a significant amount of surgeries result in positive margins and additional surgical procedures are required.
Various ways have been proposed to provide feedback during the surgical procedure, for instance, by performing a pathology test during the procedure such as frozen section analysis or touch-preparation cytology. Another option is by inspecting the resected specimens with optical spectroscopy. These options are all cumbersome because when a positive margin is detected on the resected specimen it is difficult to find the exact location in the body where additional tissue must be resected due to positivity.
In a patent application WO 2013/108194 an electrosurgical knife was proposed with optical tissue sensing incorporated. What is not addressed in this application is for example the problem that during the cutting procedure with the electrosurgical knife debris may stick to the blade that may obscure the optical tissue sensing.
In document US20070239033, an apparatus is described for identifying characteristics of a blood vessel contained within a tissue. In this, a radiation source provides radiation to the tissue and a probe receives radiation returned from the tissue. Data relating to the tissue is processed and used to indicate whether the blood vessel is in a vicinity of an end portion of the probe.
There are many other surgical procedures where discriminating tissues is also important, the breast case is only given as an example. The importance of discriminating tissues is not limited to oncology procedures but could also be necessary in orthopedic, neuro, or cardiovascular procedures to name a few.

Optical tissue feedback device for an electrosurgical device


The present disclosure provides nucleic acid probes, as well as kits that include such probes. Methods for producing and using (for example in chromosomal in situ hybridization) the probes are also provided. Such probes in some examples are used to detect chromosomal abnormalities or the presence of a pathogen.

Molecular cytogenetic techniques, such as fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH) and silver in situ hybridization (SISH), combine visual evaluation of chromosomes (karyotypic analysis) with molecular techniques. Molecular cytogenetics methods are based on hybridization of a nucleic acid probe to its complementary nucleic acid within a cell. A probe for a specific chromosomal region will recognize and hybridize to its complementary sequence on a metaphase chromosome or within an interphase nucleus (for example in a tissue sample). Probes have been developed for a variety of diagnostic and research purposes. For example, certain probes produce a chromosome banding pattern that mimics traditional cytogenetic staining procedures and permits identification of individual chromosomes for karyotypic analysis. Other probes are derived from a single chromosome and when labeled can be used as "chromosome paints" to identify specific chromosomes within a cell. Yet other probes identify particular chromosome structures, such as the centromeres or telomeres of chromosomes.
Unique sequence probes hybridize to single copy DNA sequences in a specific chromosomal region or gene. These are the probes used to identify the chromosomal critical region or gene associated with a syndrome or condition of interest. On metaphase chromosomes, such probes hybridize to each chromatid, usually giving two small, discrete signals per chromosome.
Hybridization of unique sequence probes has made possible detection of chromosomal abnormalities associated with numerous diseases and syndromes, including constitutive genetic anomalies, such as microdeletion syndromes, chromosome translocations, gene amplification and aneuploidy syndromes, neoplastic diseases as well as pathogen infections. Most commonly these techniques are applied to standard cytogenetic preparations on microscope slides. In addition, these procedures can be used on slides of formalin-fixed tissue, blood or bone marrow smears, and directly fixed cells or other nuclear isolates.
For example, these techniques are frequently used to characterize tumor cells for both diagnosis and prognosis of cancer. Numerous chromosomal abnormalities have been associated with the development of cancer (for example, aneuploidies such as trisomy 8 associated with certain myeloid disorders; translocations such as the BCR/ABL rearrangement in chronic myelogenous leukemia; and amplifications of specific nucleic acid sequences associated with neoplastic transformation). Molecular techniques can augment standard cytogenetic testing in the detection and characterization of such acquired chromosomal anomalies. For example, FISH has been used to look for early relapse and residual disease in nondividing cells. Immunocytochemical detection of cancer cells and FISH techniques have been combined to study chromosomal abnormalities in defined cell populations.
The present disclosure provides improved probes and methods for producing such probes for use in diagnostic and research applications of in situ hybridization.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for using permuted nucleic acid probes


Apparatus for providing electrostatic discharge protection having an nMOS transistor with bias simultaneously applied to the gate and the p-well of the nMOS transistor. A bias circuit is fabricated using a plurality of the Zener diodes. The double bias allows for a relatively high gate voltage to be applied to the nMOS transistor enabling the nMOS transistor to be biased to optimum conditions for bipolar snapback.

The invention relates to electrostatic discharge protection apparatus and, more particularly, the invention relates to nMOS devices for providing high performance electrostatic discharge protection to integrated circuits.
Integrated circuits are susceptible to damage from electrostatic discharge (ESD). When an ESD pulse or signal is applied to a conductive connection (e.g., a terminal, pin or pad) to an integrated circuit, the ESD pulse or signal may permanently or temporarily damage or otherwise impair the operation of the integrated circuit. To protect against such damage, the terminal, pin or pad of the integrated circuit is coupled to ground through an ESD protection device that shunts the ESD pulse or signal to ground such that the integrated circuit is not harmed by the discharge.
Grounded-gate nMOS transistors have been used for ESD protection for many years. FIG. 1 depicts a gate-coupled nMOS transistor that derives a gate bias voltage from an ESD pulse using a resistor-capacitor (RC) element. The fast transient of an ESD pulse causes a displacement current to flow in the capacitor C and accumulates a bias voltage across the resistor R. The common node of the RC element is connected to the gate of the nMOS structure. In a conventional gate-coupled nMOS transistor under ESD conditions, the device is driven into bipolar operation by avalanche breakdown of the drain p-well junction, followed by a phenomenon known as bipolar snap back that returns the device to steady-state once the ESD pulse has been safely shunted to ground. The gate-coupled nMOS transistor features a relatively low breakdown voltage because of the MOS-current initiated by the temporary gate bias. The gatecoupled nMOS device has proven to be superior to a grounded-gate nMOS transistor especially for multifinger transistor layouts within the integrated circuit where uniform triggering of all fingers is essential for a high ESD performance. However, a potential problem of the gate-coupled nMOS transistor is that the gate bias is not very well defined. Specifically, the gate bias depends on the amplitude and on the rise time (dV/dt) of the applied ESD pulse as the signal is applied across the RC circuit. Depending on the transient gate voltage, the intended uniform triggering of the nMOS device may or may not be established.
Another way of adjusting the trigger voltage of ESD protection elements and of insuring more uniform current flow is to either establish a gate bias and/or a substrate (p-well) bias using a Zener breakdown device in series with a resistor. FIG. 2 depicts a schematic of an ESD protection device that has an nMOS transistor Q with a Zener diode Z coupled from the gate terminal to a pad of the integrated circuit and a resistor R coupled from the gate terminal to ground. The trigger voltage for the ESD protection device is defined by the Zener diode Z breakdown voltage which can be made lower than the drain/p-well junction breakdown trigger mechanism of FIG. 1. The resistor R serves to shunt leakage current through the Zener diode Z to ground, preventing multiplication by the current gain of the parasitic NPN transistor Qxe2x80x2.
Alternatively, a capacitor C (shown in phantom) can be employed in lieu of the Zener diode Z. The capacitor C provides a trigger current in response to the high dV/dt of the ESD pulse. However, the amount of gate bias is limited in both cases by the forward voltage drop of the base-emitter junction of the parasitic NPN transistor Qxe2x80x2.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for a ESD protection device that does not rely on the ESD amplitude and rise time to bias the ESD device elements.
The disadvantage associated with the prior art are overcome by apparatus for providing electrostatic discharge (ESD) protection having an nMOS transistor with bias simultaneously applied to a gate and a p-well of the nMOS transistor. A bias circuit is fabricated using a plurality of the Zener diodes. The double bias allows for a relatively high gate voltage to be applied to the nMOS transistor enabling the nMOS transistor to be biased to optimum conditions for bipolar snapback.

Apparatus for providing high performance electrostatic discharge protection


A method of operating a fuel injector including a piezoelectric actuator having a stack of piezoelectric elements, and wherein in use the injector communicates with a fuel rail, the method comprises: applying a discharge current to the actuator for a discharge period so as to discharge the stack from a first differential voltage level across the stack to a second differential voltage level across the stack; maintaining the second differential voltage level for a period of time; and applying a charge current to the actuator for a charge period so as to charge the stack from the second differential voltage level to a third differential voltage level; wherein the third differential voltage level is selected in dependence on at least two engine parameters, the at least two engine parameters selected from: rail pressure; the electric pulse time; and the piezoelectric stack temperature.

In an internal combustion engine, it is known to deliver fuel into the cylinders of the engine by means of a fuel injector. One type of fuel injector that permits precise metering of fuel delivery is a so-called 'piezoelectric injector'. Typically, a piezoelectric injector includes a piezoelectric actuator that is operable to control movement, directly or indirectly, of a valve needle between injecting and non-injecting states. The valve needle is engageable with a valve needle seating to control fuel delivery through one or more outlet openings in the nozzle of the injector. A hydraulic amplifier may be situated between the actuator and the needle such that axial movement of the actuator causes an amplified axial movement of the needle. An example of a piezoelectric injector of the aforementioned type is described in EP 0995901.
The piezoelectric actuator comprises a stack of piezoelectric elements which, as a whole, are electrically equivalent to a capacitor having a particular capacitance. Changing the voltage applied across the piezoelectric stack alters the amount of electrical charge stored by the stack (also known as its "energisation level") and, therefore, the axial length of the piezoelectric stack. By varying the length of the stack and, thus, the position of the valve needle relative to the seating, the amount of fuel that is passed through the fuel injector can be controlled. In this way, piezoelectric fuel injectors offer the ability to meter precisely a small amount of fuel. A known piezoelectrically operated fuel injector of the aforementioned type is described in our co-pending European patent application EP 1174615.
The amount of charge applied to and removed from the piezoelectric actuator can be controlled in one of two ways. In a charge control method, a current is driven into or out of the piezoelectric actuator for a period of time so as to add or remove, respectively, a demanded charge to or from the stack, respectively. Alternatively, in a voltage control method a current is driven into or out of the piezoelectric actuator until the voltage across the piezoelectric actuator reaches a demanded (predetermined) differential voltage level. In either case, the voltage across the piezoelectric actuator changes as the level of charge on the piezoelectric actuator varies (and vice versa).
Typically, an engine has more than one fuel injector, which may be grouped together in banks of one or more injectors. As described in EP 1400676, each bank of injectors may have its own drive circuit for controlling operation of the injectors. The circuitry includes a power supply, such as a transformer, which steps-up the voltage generated by a power source (e.g. from 12 volts to a higher voltage); and storage capacitors for storing charge and, thus, energy. The higher voltage is applied across the storage capacitors, which are used to power the charging and discharging of the piezoelectric fuel injectors for each injection event. Drive circuits have also been developed, as described in WO 2005/028836A1, which do not require a dedicated power supply, such as a transformer.
In order to initiate an injection of fuel, the drive circuit may be used to cause the differential voltage across the actuator terminals to transition from a high level at which no fuel delivery occurs to a relatively low level at which fuel delivery occurs. An injector responsive to this "drive waveform" is referred to as a "de-energise to inject" injector. Hence, when such de-energise to inject injectors are in their non-injecting state, the voltage across the piezoelectric actuator of the injector is relatively high; whereas in an injecting state the voltage across the actuator is relatively low. Since each fuel injection event is generally relatively rapid, the piezoelectric actuator may be fully energised for approximately 95% of the operating life span.
It has been recognised, however, that the existence of such a high voltage across the piezoelectric actuator for a relatively long portion of the operating cycle of the actuator may cause the degradation ("aging") of the piezoelectric stack, leading to a change in its mechanical and/or electrical properties and, thus, adversely affecting the life span (durability) and performance of the injector. These problems may be attributable, in part, to the higher stress levels exerted on the piezoelectric actuator at the higher differential voltage levels in a non-injecting state. It is also suspected that a high voltage across the terminals of the actuator may encourage the permeation of ionic species into the actuator though its protective actuator encapsulation. In any event, any resultant inaccuracies in fuel volume delivery will have a detrimental effect on combustion efficiency and lead to worse fuel economy and increased exhaust emissions.
It would, therefore, be desirable to provide a piezoelectric actuator-controlled fuel injector that is not subjected to such high differential voltages for such a high proportion of its operating cycle, so as to increase the operational life of the injector and beneficially to maintain fuel injection quantity accuracy.
It would be further advantageous to provide a method of operating a piezoelectric actuator-controlled fuel injector in such a way as to increase the longevity of the injector, and enhance or maintain its ability to deliver predictable and accurate fuel injection quantities.
Thus, the invention relates to a method for operating a piezoelectric fuel injector so as to overcome or at least alleviate at least one of the above-mentioned problems.


An agitating ball mill includes a comminution vessel surrounding an agitating shaft which is provided with a product inlet and a product outlet, wherein the comminution media located within the comminution vessel is activated through the rotation of the agitating shaft and held back in the comminution chamber by a separating and/or pre-classifying device. For optimum energy and space utilization a pre-crushing device is arranged upstream of the comminution chamber. The pre-crushing device includes either a static or dynamic gap guard.

An agitating ball mill of this type is shown in FIG. 1 of DE 44 12 408 A1. This agitating ball mill comprises a double-walled comminution vessel which is suitable for cooling. Within the comminution vessel the agitating shaft arranged coaxially to the comminution vessel is connected with a gearing and a drive. In its lid, the comminution vessel has a comminution stock inlet and, centrally in its base, a comminution stock outlet. The product enters the comminution chamber via the inlet where it is worked through the comminution media present in the comminution chamber. To this end, the comminution discs provided with holes and located on the agitating shaft put the comminution media in motion as a result of which the energy acting from the motor on to the comminution discs is transmitted to the comminution media. The kinetic energy available for this results in the dispersion or comminution of the product introduced in the comminution vessel. Depending on how the agitating ball mill is operated, whether according to the single pass or multiple pass method, the product either in its desired final fineness or as intermediate product finally reaches the area of a pre-classifying stage which holds back in the comminution chamber the comminution media and, if applicable, also products in the corresponding size. In addition to the pre-classifier a separating device can also be provided.
From DD 217 434 B1 a vertically arranged agitating ball mill is known. This agitating ball mill works with an agitating shaft on which a screw-shaped comminution element is fastened. In the inlet area of the mill is located a pre-crushing device connected with the agitating shaft, which consists of a crushing cone and a crushing ring fastened to the comminution vessel wall. The comminution stock or feedstock directly reaches the top of the crushing cone via a screw conveyor and from there into the crushing gap. Following completed pre-crushing the material falls into the comminution vessel in which it is worked by the agitating shaft and the comminution media present in the comminution vessel. The filling level height in the comminution vessel is monitored via a filling level measuring device. This is not possible with horizontally arranged mills and with mills whose comminution chamber is completely utilised. In these cases, the comminution stock reaches the area of the pre-crushing device with the comminution media.
The objective of the invention is to combine a comminution and dispersion device with a pre-crushing device which is largely protected against wear that can be caused by the comminution stock/comminution media mixture.


An optical element having a front side and a back side operates in an ambient lit mode and a backlit mode. The optical element includes a diffusely reflecting layer facing the front side for reflecting ambient light. A light absorbing layer faces the back side and is positioned to prevent back light from illuminating the diffusely reflecting layer. A plurality of light transmitting regions extend through the light absorbing layer and the diffusely reflecting layer for permitting back light to pass through in a restricted angular range without illuminating the diffusely reflecting layer.

The present invention relates to optical films and optical displays incorporating the optical films. In particular, the present invention relates to an optical film for reducing glare on reflective surfaces caused by high angle light emitted from backlit displays.
Instruments and control panels in vehicles such as automobiles are viewable during the day when ambient light such as sunlight is reflected from the surface of the instrument or control panel to the viewer's eye. At night, viewing of the instruments and control panels is facilitated by a backlight, which causes light to pass through the instrument or control panel to produce an illuminated version of the image that is viewable during the day. A problem with lighted instruments and control panels is that light is emitted from the instrument panels through a wide range of angles. Some of this light strikes glass surfaces such as the windshield and is reflected back to the driver. While sunlight prevents such reflections from being visible during the day, they are often clearly visible during the night. These reflections can create a dangerous situation by distracting the driver or even obscuring the driver's view.


A slide electricity structure according to the present invention uses grease for electrical contacts wherein contact resistance does not gradually increase even when exposed to sliding and lifetime is long, and has a silver-plated spring contact that contacts or separates by way of sliding and grease for electrical contacts that has been applied to the spring contact and contains perfluoropolyether oil having an average molecular weight between 2600 and 12500 as a base oil and PTFE having a primary particle diameter of 1 μm or less as a thickener.

Patent Literature 1 discloses one of conventional art relating to grease for electrical contacts and a slide electricity structure to which the grease is applied to. Patent Literature 1 describes that the lubricant contains one or more kinds of additive among mercaptobenzothiazole compounds and dibenzothiazyl disulfides in addition to a mixture of polyalpha olefin or liquid paraffin as a main component and polybutene as a thickener in order to provide grease for electrical contacts that can maintain long-term stable lubrication as well as providing a contact which applies the grease.
Patent Literature 2 describes that grease for electrical contacts that is composed of a base oil excluding fluorine-based oil in the amount of 95% to 70% by weight and a thickener and an additive in the amount of 5% to 30% by weight has been applied onto an electrical contact thereby preventing damage to the contact area in the event an arc may occur when the electrical contact is open. Patent Literature 2 also describes that the thickener is preferably organificated bentonite; the base oil is preferably ester oil, glycol oil, or polyalpha olefin; and the base oil is preferably of low viscosity because arc energy would be low.

Grease for electrical contact and slide electricity structure, power switch, vacuum circuit breaker, vacuum insulated switchgear, and vacuum-insulated switchgear assembling method


The present invention is a method for GPS positioning in a weak signal environment. The method includes obtaining assistance data for a GPS signal from a satellite at a predetermined time, wherein the assistance data including predicted navigation data, Doppler shift and Doppler shift rate and the GPS signal being modulated by a carrier signal, a pseudorandom code and navigation data, estimating a predicted receiving time for the GPS signal reaching the GPS receiver, capturing the GPS signal, converting the GPS signal to an intermediate frequency signal, acquiring a code phase of the pseudorandom code from the intermediate frequency signal by using the assistance data and the predicted receiving time, and obtaining a position for the GPS receiver based on the predicted navigation data and the code phase of the pseudorandom code. To acquire the code phase of the pseudorandom code, the GPS receiver corrects a real time clock to one millisecond accuracy and process the intermediate frequency signal through coherent correlation of one second.

A Global Positioning System (GPS) is a satellite-based navigation system. There are two carrier frequencies commonly used by satellites, one is at 1575.42 MHz, the L1 channel, and other is at 1227.6 MHz, the L2 channel. Most commercial receivers only use the L1 channel. There are also two pseudorandom noise (PRN) codes used, the precise or protected (P) code and the course acquisition (C/A) code. The P code is classified and only used by military receivers. The C/A code is a sequence of zeros and ones and is unique for each satellite. Each zero or one is known as a "chip". The C/A code is 1023 chips long, and it is broadcasted at 1.023 Mega-chips per second, i.e., the duration of the C/A code lasts one millisecond. Thus, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the word "chip" may be regarded as a measurement unit of a data length or a time length. The property of C/A codes is that they have the best cross-correlation characteristic. The cross-correlation between any two C/A codes is much lower than auto-correlation of each C/A code individually. The C/A code is public and used by all receivers. Navigation data are also a sequence of zeros and ones at a rate of 50 bits per second, which carry satellite orbital position information. The navigation data and the C/A code are modulated by the carrier signal to form a GPS signal.
A GPS receiver can generate position coordinates by extracting and decoding the navigation data in GPS signals. A set of data collected by the GPS receiver usually contain GPS signals from several satellites. GPS signals from different satellites travel through different channels and are shifted in frequency due to the relative receiver-satellite motion. This is the so-called Doppler shift. Usually, each GPS signal has a different C/A code with a different code phase and a different Doppler shift, and the GPS receiver simultaneously processes the GPS signals from several channels. The code phase as used herein indicates a beginning point of the C/A code. Since the exact Doppler shift is unknown, a possible range of the Doppler frequencies should be searched. Also, to identify visible satellites, all possible C/A codes which are unique to each satellite should be searched. Therefore, to acquire the GPS signals from the visible satellites, the GPS receiver traditionally conducts a two dimensional search process for each received GPS signal, checking each C/A code with every possible code phase on every possible Doppler frequency. The acquired GPS signals may then be used to generate the position coordinates.
FIG. 1 illustrates a prior art block diagram of a GPS receiver 100. In general, the GPS receiver 100 includes a radio frequency (RF) front end module 101 and a base-band signal processing module 103. A GPS signal from a satellite is received by an antenna 102. Through a RF tuner 104 and a frequency synthesizer 105, the GPS signal is converted from a radio frequency signal to a signal with a desired output frequency. Then, an analog-to-digital converter (ADC) 106 digitizes the converted signal at a predetermined sampling frequency. The digitized signal is an intermediate frequency (IF) signal. The IF signal is then sent to the base-band signal processing module 103.
The base-band signal processing module 103 extracts navigation data from the IF signal and then calculates the location of the GPS receiver 100 based on the navigation data. In order to extract the navigation data, it is necessary to remove the carrier signal and the C/A code through an acquisition module 110 and a tracking module 112. The GPS signal is acquired by correlation in the acquisition module 110. The correlation is implemented by multiplying the IF signal with a local C/A code and a local carrier signal to obtain a product and then integrating the product over the GPS signal duration to obtain a correlation result. To acquire the GPS signal, the acquisition module 110 repeats the correlation on a two dimensional space by changing a code phase of the local C/A code and a Doppler frequency of the local carrier signal until the correlation result reaches a peak value. Once the GPS signal is acquired, the C/A code phase and the Doppler frequency are coarsely estimated and passed to the tracking module 112 for the tracking initialization. The tracking module 112 then removes the carrier signal and the C/A code in the GPS signal by adjusting itself to match the carrier signal and the C/A code. Information such as the navigation data is obtained at the tracking module 112. The GPS receiver 100 then decodes the navigation data to obtain satellite orbital position information through a post processing module 114, and the satellite orbital position information is then passed to a position calculation module 116 for calculation of the GPS receiver's position.
Ideal scenario for applications of such conventional GPS receivers is a clear view of sky so that line-of-sight GPS signals can reach the GPS antenna. However, due to the widespread interest in GPS technology, many applications require the GPS receivers to realize fast and precise positioning in some environments such as indoors and downtown, where GPS signals are greatly weakened and attenuated. In this situation, an assisted-GPS (AGPS) approach is implemented to improve the ability of GPS receivers in such environments.
FIG. 2 illustrates a prior art architecture of an AGPS. The exemplary AGPS architecture includes an AGPS server 201 with a reference receiver 207 which has line-of-sight views of available satellites. The reference receiver 207 continuously tracks the available satellites and logs satellite tracking information, such as satellite almanac, ephemeris, approximate user position and a time stamp. The AGPS server 201 collects the satellite tracking information from the reference receiver 207. The satellite tracking information makes it possible to predict satellite orbit and clock information for many days into the future. So the AGPS sever 201 generates assistance data for acquisition and track of incoming GPS signals and sends the assistance data to a base station 203. The base station 203 transmits the assistance data to a GPS receiver 205. The GPS receiver 205 may significantly improves time-to-first-fix and sensitivity by using the assistance data.
Despite the advantages offered by the assistance data, use of conventional approaches for GPS signal acquisition in a conventional GPS receiver does not adequately address the indoors and downtown challenge. Conventionally, due to the navigation data bits, which have a phase transition in 20 ms, the GPS signal acquisition module coherently correlates blocks of GPS signal spanning anywhere from 1 to 20 millisecond in duration. The results are then combined non-coherently, that is, the squares or magnitudes of block correlation functions are summed. This non-coherent combination results in "squaring loss," reducing sensitivity. Therefore, the GPS receiver requires substantial improvements in sensitivity in the indoors and downtown environments. Thus, it is desirous to have an apparatus and method that significantly enhances the sensitivity of the GPS receiver and it is to such apparatus and method the present invention is primarily directed.

Method for GPS positioning in a weak signal environment