A method of producing multiple batches of a radiopharmaceutical, such as FDG. The method includes the steps of transferring the appropriate liquids to a production apparatus, processing the liquids to produce the radiopharmaceutical, delivering the radiopharmaceutical to a container, automatically cleaning the apparatus, and repeating the previous steps, as desired. The apparatus for multi-batch production of FDG includes a reagent delivery system, a reaction vessel, a filter assembly, and a control system. The combination of these components provides a method that is capable of producing multiple batches of a radiopharmaceutical with minimal operator intervention and, consequently, minimal radiation exposure.

1. Field of Invention
This invention relates to a reagent delivery system for use in the production of radiopharmaceuticals for positron emission tomography (PET). More specifically, it relates to a method of multi-batch production of 18F-labeled glucose, known as fluorodeoxyglucose or "FDG."
2. Description of the Related Art
Positron Emission Tomography is a powerful tool for diagnosing and treatment planning of many diseases wherein radiopharmaceuticals or radionuclides are injected into a patient to diagnose and assess the disease. For example, the radiopharmaceutical 18F-labeled glucose, known as fluorodeoxyglucose or "FDG", can be used to determine where normal glucose would be used in the brain. FDG is a labeled compound in which a fluorine-18 ion (18F) is substituted for part of the glucose. FDG labeled in this manner is a desirable radiopharmaceutical because the fluorine-18 is a positron emission nuclide with a half-life period of 109.7 minutes.
The production of PET radiopharmaceuticals requires the use of various reagents and solutions to effect the necessary chemical conversions. The reagents and solutions must be delivered to a reaction vessel, where the conversions take place. The deliveries must be accurate, reproducible and, in addition, there must be minimal cross-contamination between the various reagents. A more detailed discussion of this type of delivery system is disclosed in the above-referenced patent application Ser. No. 09/569,780, filed on May 12, 2000.
Generally, the production of FDG includes the steps of bombarding a target material with a particle beam, mixing the target material with other materials, processing the resulting compound in a reaction vessel, and filtering the product. An accelerator produces radioisotopes by accelerating a particle beam and bombarding a target material, housed in a target system, with the particle beam. To produce FDG, the product of bombardment, fluorine-18 ions, is further processed to produce a substance suitable for injection into the human body. These ions are further processed to produce FDG (2-deoxy-2-fluoro-D-glucose) in a process typically referred to as radiosynthesis.
Well known in the art are various methods for producing FDG. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,794,178 issued to Coenen at al. on Dec. 27, 1988 discloses a process for labeling organic compounds with fluorine-18 through a nucleophilic substitution reaction. U.S. Pat. No. 5,169,942 issued to Johnson at al. on Dec. 8, 1992 discloses a method for making FDG that uses a phase-transfer reagent U.S. Pat. No. 5,932,178 issued to Yamazaki at al. on Aug. 3, 1999 discloses an FDG synthesizer that uses a labeling reaction resin column. Although these patents disclose various methods of FDG production, none of these patents teach a method that addresses the specific objects and advantages of the present invention.
Fluorine-18 is a radioactive material to which human exposure should be limited. Also, the particle beam striking the target material is a radioactive process, which should also have limited human exposure. Accordingly, the radiation exposure to persons producing the FDG is an important consideration. Toward this end, efforts have been made to automate the production of radioisotopes, in particular, FDG.
Automation of radionuclide and radiochemical syntheses is discussed in a paper entitled "Introduction: State of the Art in Automated Syntheses of Short-lived Radiopharmaceuticals" by Jeanne M. Link, John C. Clark, and Thomas J. Ruth, Targetry '91, pp 174-185. At page 174, the paper discusses the advantages and disadvantages of the various levels of automation, including manual and remote operation, remote automated operation, and robotic operation. Specifically, the paper identifies the advantages of automation as a reduction of radiation exposure and a reduction of time to perform radiosynthesis. Furthermore, at page 183, the paper describes self-cleaning automated FDG systems.
Many commercially available components can be used to automate the production of FDG. Valves, tubing, and fittings are well known in the art and are well suited to this application. So too are membrane filters. Other components are specially designed for the process. See, for example, the reaction vessel disclosed in the above-referenced patent application Ser. No. 09/569,780, filed on May 12, 2000, and the related patent application Ser. No. 09/795,744 filed on Feb. 28, 2001 by Zigler, et al.
Although the prior art systems have proven successful for the production of FDG, there exists a need for further automation, including the capability of producing multiple batches of FDG with minimum operator intervention. Furthermore, to minimize operator intervention, multi-batch capability requires that the apparatus be self-cleaning and include automated testing of components, such as the membrane filters.
Therefore, it is an object of the present invention to provide an apparatus for performing multiple FDG production runs with a single set up.
It is another object of the present invention is to minimize radiation exposure to the apparatus operators.
It is yet another object of the present invention to provide an apparatus that is easy to handle and economic to use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus that is self-cleaning.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide an apparatus which includes means for automating the pressure integrity test of the membrane filtration device used in final product sterilization.

Method for multi-batch production of FDG


The present invention provides composite biological devices that include biological material as an integral component thereof. The devices can be used for producing hydrogen gas, for example.

Metabolically active biological materials (e.g., cells) are phenomenal biochemical catalysts capable of carrying out sequential, stereospecific biochemical reactions. There are significant potential industrial and environmental uses of metabolically active biological materials. They can be used for a variety of purposes such as converting organic waste materials to useful liquid fuels, solvents, gaseous fuels, or to generate electricity in microbial fuel cells. In particular, anaerobes and phototrophic (light trapping) microorganisms that use light to generate cellular energy would be very useful industrial biocatalysts if a method can be found to distribute these living cells uniformly over the surface of electrodes or over a large light-trapping surface area at high cell density.

Structured material for the production of hydrogen


A single-IC subsystem controller for controlling electronic devices and subsystems within computer systems and other large electronic systems. The single-IC subsystem controller includes a micro-controller, a complex programmable logic device, an EEPROM, an SRAM, and various electronic bus interfaces and additional signal long interfaces for interfacing the single-IC subsystem controller device to electronic devices and electrical components. The single-IC subsystem controller allows for flexible partitioning of control functionality between hardware circuits programmed into the CPLD and software routines executed by the micro-controller.

Subsystem controllers are ubiquitous components of modern computer systems, peripheral devices within computer systems, and other electronic devices. The term "subsystem controller" generally refers to a subcomponent of a more complex electronic system, such as a computer, that comprises logic circuits, a programmable logic device, and a general-purpose micro-controller that executes a number of software routines. A subsystem controller is generally dedicated to one or a small number of specific control tasks. For example, the control of LED and LCD display devices incorporated in a front panel display of a computer system is generally carried out by one or more subsystem controllers. Use of subsystem controllers may offload computationally intensive and time-intensive tasks from the main processor or processors of computer systems, and may significantly decrease data traffic on critical busses of the computer system that are bottlenecks for data movement within the computer system.
Within a subsystem controller, control functionality is partitioned between logic circuits, including one or more programmable logic arrays ("PLAs") or programmable logic devices ("PLDs"), and software routines stored in an electronic memory and executed by a micro-controller. FIG. 1 graphically illustrates a continuum of possible partitionings of functionality between hardware and software. In general, the control functionality of a subsystem controller can be entirely implemented in hardware, for example as an application specific integrated circuit ("ASIC"), as indicated in FIG. 1 by the ASIC and logic circuitry 102 at the left end of a line 104 representing a continuum of possible hardware/software partitionings within a subsystem controller. On the other hand, the control functionality within a subsystem controller may also be entirely implemented as software routines running on a micro-controller, as indicated in FIG. 1 by the micro-processor 106 at the right side of the continuum. Normally, control functionality is partitioned between hardware and software, as indicated by the subsystem controller 108 positioned towards the center of the continuum. For any specific subsystem controller, a decision is normally made as to the partitioning, and appropriate components are selected and together integrated on a printed circuit board ("PCB").
Once the partitioning of control functionality between hardware and software has been determined and the components selected and integrated together on a PCB, the partitioning is fixed, as indicated in FIG. 1 by the arrow 110 pointing to a particular partitioning between hardware and software. In order to change a partitioning of functionality, the logic circuits need to be redesigned and re-implemented, different logic may need to be programmed into a programmable logic device, and different software routines may need to be rewritten for execution on the micro-controller. Such re-implementation may require erasing and burning in new or revised code into a read-only memory, replacement of logic circuits with new logic circuits, and, possibly, replacing major components of the subsystem controller. In general, therefore, once designed and implemented, the control functionality embedded within subsystem controllers cannot be economically repartitioned between hardware and software, nor can the subsystem controller be easily re-tasked, or reprogrammed, for new applications.
A hardware-only implementation of the control functionality of a subsystem controller, represented by the left-hand side of the continuum in FIG. 1, may operate far more efficiently than a hardware and software, or software-only implementation. In general, dedicated circuitry is faster and may be more power-efficient than software routines fetched from a memory device into a general micro-controller and executed by the micro-controller. However, hardware-only implementations are extremely specific for a given application. Moreover, when the control tasks are complex, the design effort required for a hardware device may be formidable, and the circuitry required may be too large to be implemented by programming a single programmable logic device. On the other hand, software-only implementations are easily directed towards a variety of different applications by creating and loading different software routines in system controllers. Software routines are often easier to implement and easier to test and debug than hardware implementations. However, for low-level control of electronic devices, software only running on a general microprocessor may be quite inefficient, requiring extensive polling of various signal line and register states and tedious attention to the time sequence of state changes within one or more electronic devices. Furthermore, the electrical interface to micro-controllers may be largely standardized and therefore rather inflexible. For these reasons, compromise hardware and software implementations, as depicted in FIG. 1 by the subsystem controller 108 towards the center of the continuum 104, are generally selected. The low-level tasks for which hardware implementations are most efficient and particularly well-suited are implemented in logic circuits and programmable logic devices, and higher-level, more complex, decision-based logic is implemented in software routines. While compromise hardware and software solutions provide a certain amount of flexibility, in that different software routines may be loaded and executed by the micro-controller, the compromise hardware and software solutions are nonetheless very specifically tailored towards particular electrical interfaces and types of control functionalities.
The development costs for developing a subsystem controller for a specific application may be relatively high when compared to the volume of production of the subsystem controller. The development costs for the subsystem controller include the costs for designing and for implementing logic circuitry, programming programmable logic devices, and developing software routines, but also includes significant expense and time in testing the design and implementation of the subsystem controller and for insuring quality and reliability of the subsystem controller during the manufacturing process. The cost of quality control during the manufacturing process is related to the number of different components that must be integrated together and interconnected within the subsystem controller. When problems are identified after design and manufacture, fixes may require costly redesign, re-implementation, and retesting of the subsystem controller.
The reliability and flexibility in application of subsystem controllers may often be related to the power consumption of a subsystem controller. Current subsystem controllers often employ system logic devices that use CMOS integrated low-power logic. Unfortunately, CMOS logic devices usually cannot be reprogrammed, and usually have limited memory capacity. Alternatively, current subsystem controllers may employ higher-power PLA devices which can be reprogrammed, but which also suffer memory size constraints.
Designers and manufacturers of subsystem controllers have therefore recognized a need for a versatile, low-cost, easily programmable, and energy-efficient subsystem controller device that can be programmed for a variety of different applications. A versatile subsystem controller device could be manufactured in high volume, thus decreasing design and implementation costs associated with low-volume single-application subsystem controllers. Furthermore, a versatile, easily programmable subsystem controller devices would allow for hardware standardization and decreased overall system design costs, while still allowing manufacturers to include proprietary control functionality within the subsystem controller device via proprietary programmable logic device programming and via proprietary software routines for execution on a micro-controller.

Integrated micro-controller and programmable device

Hewlett-Packard Development Company, L.P.


A cartridge includes: a frame defining a chamber for storing developer therein; a rotary body configured to be rotatably supported to the frame; and a contact member. The rotary body includes: a metal shaft extending in an axial direction, the frame extending in the axial direction; and a cover portion made of an elastic material and provided around the metal shaft to expose shaft end portions thereof, the cover portion having a cover-portion end portion positioned inward of the frame in the axial direction. The contact member is provided on the metal shaft and disposed between the cover-portion end portion and the frame in the axial direction such that the contact member is in contact with each of the cover-portion end portion and the frame.

A conventional electrophotographic image forming apparatus detachably accommodates developing cartridges therein. Such a developing cartridge includes a cartridge frame for accommodating toner, and a developing roller supported in the cartridge frame.
One developing cartridge that has been proposed includes a developing roller configured of a metal developing-roller shaft, and a rubber roller covering the developing-roller shaft while leaving left and right ends of the shaft exposed. A bearing member is fixed by screws to a right wall of a cartridge frame for receiving and rotatably holding the right end of the developing-roller shaft (see Japanese Patent Application Publication No. 2009-042327, for example).
In this developing cartridge, the right endface of the rubber roller confronts but is separated from the right wall of the cartridge frame in a direction along the developing-roller shaft (hereinafter referred to as the "axial direction"). The bearing member restricts the developing roller from moving outward in the axial direction (rightward) relative to the cartridge frame.

Cartridge having contact member to mitigate damage to cartridge frame


According to one exemplary embodiment, a method for establishing subsystem boundaries is provided. The method may include receiving an input program having a plurality of subroutines and at least one inter-subroutine call. The method may include generating a graph having a plurality of nodes and at least one edge, wherein the at least one edge includes a first end connected to a first node and a second end connected to a second node. The method may include assigning an edge weight to the at least one edge wherein the edge weight is based on a number of second ends received by the second node. The method may include determining, based on the assigned edge weight, a distance value between each pair of nodes. The method may include generating a grouping of nodes based on the determined distance value between each pair of nodes.

The present invention relates generally to the field of computing, and more particularly to program structure analysis.
Modern software development and maintenance may often require thoroughly understanding the overall program structure of individual programs. Complex program structures inherent to many large modern programs may not be accurately understood by software development and maintenance personnel.

Establishing subsystem boundaries based on call flow graph topology

International Business Machines Corporation


A conveying apparatus includes a regulating portion which regulates the opening of the folded sheet bundle, and a conveying portion which pushes the sheet bundle from an upstream side in a conveying direction in a state that the regulating portion regulates the opening of folded sheet bundle.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sheet processing apparatus which processes bundled and folded sheets.
2. Description of the Related Art
A toner image is formed on a sheet at an image forming portion and then the toner image-formed sheet is processed. In such a sheet processing apparatus, a process of binding a bundle of sheets, for example, at near the center of the conveying direction with staples and folding it in half from the bound part to have a booklet shape and discharging it, a so-called saddle stitch binding operation, has been widely performed. Further, various methods which improve the appearance and quality of the booklet by evenly cutting the edges of the bundle of the sheets folded in half with a cutting apparatus and performing trimming have been proposed (refer to Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open (JP-A) No. 2000-198613).
Incidentally, there are the following problems to be solved in the conventional sheet post-processing apparatus including a sheet cutting method and a sheet cutting apparatus, described in JP-A No. 2000-198613. They will be briefly described with reference to FIGS. 15A to 15E.
An operational sequence in which a plurality of sheets is bundled and bound with staples in the central part along the conveying direction and then the edges of the sheet bundle T folded in half and discharged are cut, which are subjected to trimming will be illustrated with reference to FIGS. 15 (a) to (e).
At the stage before the sheet bundle T is conveyed to a trimmer, a width direction of the sheet bundle folded in half is regulated by side guides during the conveyance to reach the trimmer and the skew feeding is corrected. The sheet bundle is carried on conveying belts, which rotate to convey the bundle.
At this point, it is necessary to enhance a poor crease line of the sheet bundle T by pressing the crease with pressing members so that a space between the edges of the sheet bundle is not opened. This is because the space between the edges is opened as shown in FIG. 15B even when it is folded in half as shown in FIG. 15A. However, smooth conveyance of the sheet bundle T is interrupted by the resistance of the pressing force exerted by pressing guides. In some cases, the sheet bundle may not be conveyed. Further, when a color image is recorded on the top of the sheet bundle T, or alternatively smooth-coated paper or a thin paper sheet is used, the coefficient of friction between the conveying belts and the front cover of the sheet bundle T is low. Therefore, the sheet bundle T sometimes will not be conveyed due to its sliding. In order to support such a conveyance, a structure in which a claw-shaped pushing member that operates at the same speed as the running speed of the conveying belts pushes the rear end of the sheet bundle T from behind is also proposed.
However, because the claw-shaped pushing member operates at the same speed as the running speed of the conveying belts, the claw-shaped pushing member cannot surely push the rear end of the sheet bundle. Therefore even if it has such a pressing structure, only the front cover sheet of the sheet bundle T may be advanced due to the contact friction with the conveying belts as illustrated in FIG. 15C.
If the edges of the sheet bundle is cut in the state that the top of the front cover sheet of the sheet bundle T is advanced, the edges of the front cover sheet are protruded from the edges of the middle sheet as illustrated in a circle in FIG. 15D, resulting in a booklet with very bad appearance. As illustrated in FIG. 15E, it is desired that the edges of the sheet bundle T having a booklet shape are cut finely and evenly.
As an example of the problems, the problem that the edges of the front cover sheet of the sheet bundle after cutting are not evenly aligned with the edges of other sheets and they are protruded from the edges of the sheet bundle is listed. However, as illustrated in FIG. 15C, when the booklet is not subjected to the cutting process, its cover sheet is misaligned, which looks bad. Further, in the case where the sheet bundle is bound at the folded portion, as illustrated in FIG. 15C, when only the top of the front cover sheet is advanced, a large load acts on the bound portion with staples of the front cover sheet. At the part close to the bound portion with staples, breakage in which the front cover sheet is torn may occur.
When the sheet bundle is conveyed by the belts, the state of the sheet bundle becomes like that of FIG. 15C. This misalignment becomes significant in the case where the contact friction between the surface of the conveying belts and the front cover sheet of the sheet bundle is larger than the coefficient of friction of the inner surface of the front cover sheet and the middle sheet. That is, for example, in the case where a monochrome image is recorded on the front cover sheet and a color image is recorded on the inner surface of the front cover sheet and the middle sheet, respectively, the failure in which only the front cover sheet is advanced frequently occurs.


A web browser with a set of controls which allows a user to select several page hold modes of operation when selecting standard or plain hyperlinks. In a first state, the web browser software will display pages in a way unaltered from it""s standard functionality. In a second state, selection of any hyperlink on the parent page shown in the original instance of the web browser will result in the spawning of a new instance of the web browser in a new window showing the selected document, and the parent page will be xe2x80x9cheldxe2x80x9d in the original instance of the web browser. The user may select many hyperlinks on the parent page, and many new instances of the web browser would be spawned. In the third state, only one additional web browser instance will created to display most recently selected document, and the parent page will be xe2x80x9cheldxe2x80x9d in the original instance of the web browser. Finally, the web browser detects certain changes in the address of the document being viewed to the document selected by the user, and automatically updates the parent instance of the web browser to display a new parent page in the original instance of the web browser. The change criteria may be specified by the user, such as changes in host name and domain only, or change in host, domain or subdomain.

None.
Not applicable.
1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to the arts of web browser graphical user interface technology and web browser link history management. In particular, this invention relates to methods and systems for web browsers which allow the user to control the visual display of certain types of link and document retrieval operations.
2. Description of the Related Art
The Internet and the World Wide Web have become critical, integral parts of commercial operations, personal lives, and the education process. At the heart of the Internet content is Internet browser technology and Internet server technology. An Internet server contains content which is available to systems and browsers which have Internet connectivity. Web browser or xe2x80x9cclientxe2x80x9d computers may request documents from web addresses, to which appropriate web servers respond by transmitting one or more web documents, image or graphics files, forms, audio clips, etc. The most common protocol for transmission of web documents and contents from servers to browsers is Hyper Text Transmission Protocol (xe2x80x9cHTTPxe2x80x9d).
FIG. 1 shows the fundamental client-server arrangement of Internet and intranet communications. A client browser computer (1) is provided with Internet access (2) to the World Wide Web (3) through common means such as a dial-up telephone line and modem, cable modem, or local area network (xe2x80x9cLANxe2x80x9d). The web browser computer (1) is also provided with appropriate web browsing software, such as Netscape""s Navigator or Microsoft""s Explorer. A web server computer (5) is likewise provided with Internet access (4) to the World Wide Web (3) using similar means, or higher-bandwidth means such as T1 and T3 data lines, and a web server suite of software. Alternatively, client and servers may be interconnected via an Intranet (6), such as a corporate LAN. These arrangements are well known within the art.
The most common type of Internet content or document is Hyper Text Markup Language (xe2x80x9cHTMLxe2x80x9d) documents, but other formats are equally well known in the art such as Adobe Portable Document Format (xe2x80x9cPDFxe2x80x9d). HTML, PDF and other web documents provide xe2x80x9chyperlinksxe2x80x9d within the document, which allow a user to select another document or web site to view. Hyperlinks are specially marked text or areas in the document which when selected by the user commands the browser software to retrieve or fetch the indicated document. For example, the text
 less than A HREF=xe2x80x9chttp://www.patents.ibm.comxe2x80x9d greater than VIEW PATENTS less than /A greater than
when embedded into an HTML document will produce a specially marked or highlighted string of text in the web browser window which simply reads xe2x80x9cVIEW PATENTSxe2x80x9d. Most commonly, this text will appear in underlined blue text, but the HTML document may specify alternate display characteristics for hyperlinks, as well as the web browser may have options for the display of hyperlinks. If the web browser user selects the hyperlink, such as clicking on the hyperlink using a mouse, the web browser will request the base document from web address www.patents.ibm.com using HTTP commands. The appropriate server for this web address will respond to the request by transmitting a web document, such as index.htm, to the requesting web browser.
Ordinarily, when the user selects a plain hyperlink, the current page being displayed in the web broswer""s graphical user interface (xe2x80x9cGUIxe2x80x9d) window disappears and the newly received page is displayed. If the parent page is an index, for example the IBM web site www.patents.ibm.com, and the user wishes to visit each descending link (e.g. read the document with tips on how to use the site), then the parent or index page disappears and the new page is displayed (such as the help page). The user must click the browser""s xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d button to return to displaying the parent page if desired.
FIG. 2 shows an example partial xe2x80x9csite mapxe2x80x9d for a typical web site. A base document (21), or xe2x80x9chome pagexe2x80x9d, is transmitted by the hosting web server to a requesting web browser using HTTP whenever a web browser xe2x80x9cpointsxe2x80x9d to a plain web address without a file specification, such as www.corp.com. In FIG. 2, an example of a base HTML document xe2x80x9cindex.htmxe2x80x9d includes four hyperlinks. If the user selects or clicks on the displayed link for xe2x80x9chelpxe2x80x9d, the file xe2x80x9chelp.htmxe2x80x9d is transmitted by the web server to the browser. In the web browser GUI window, the display of xe2x80x9cindex.htmxe2x80x9d (21) is replaced with a display of xe2x80x9chelp.htmxe2x80x9d (22). The user can further select a hyperlink in xe2x80x9chelp.htmxe2x80x9d (22), such as xe2x80x9cProduct Axe2x80x9d, which will cause the web browser to transmit the file xe2x80x9chelpA.htmxe2x80x9d (23). This can continue many layers deep, and does not have to be organized as a simple tree structure, as shown, because hyperlinks can refer to files on other web addresses, to other parent files, etc.
However, web browser software maintains a xe2x80x9chistoryxe2x80x9d of visited files assuming a tree-like structure. The xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d button shows the previous page, and the xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d button shows the next page (if the xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d button has been used). Sometimes, a user may descend multiple layers into a web site in such a way that the xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d button must be pressed many times to return to this xe2x80x9cmainxe2x80x9d or top level page.
Coding of the HTML pages can ease this burden to some degree by using xe2x80x9cframesxe2x80x9d. In frames-based HTML pages, the user""s web browser GUT window is split into multiple xe2x80x9cpanesxe2x80x9d, and the code in the HTML of the page can control presentation of the information in each frame. Typically, a top-level list of hyperlinks or navigation bar is presented in one pane, while selected documents are updated in another pane. FIG. 3 shows an example of a frames-based display. On a portion (30) of a the user""s browser computer screen, a web browser (31), such as Netscape""s Navigator, is running in its own window. The browser is currently pointed (34) at the top or home page of the example web site. The web page xe2x80x9cindex.htmxe2x80x9d is configured to split the GUI display into three frames. The upper frame (32) is being used to display a general banner, the left frame (33) is being used to display a list of hyperlinks from the top page (or navigation bar), and the right-bottom frame (35) is displaying the contents of the currently selected page. If the user were to select the xe2x80x9chelpxe2x80x9d hyperlink in the left frame (33), the display might proceed to appear as shown in FIG. 4. As shown in FIG. 4, the web browser (31) is now pointed (34) at the file xe2x80x9chelp.htmxe2x80x9d, and the contents of that file are displayed in the bottom-right frame or pane (35). Two hyperlinks (40 and 41) are shown in the bottom-right frame, with the top-level hyperlinks of index.htm still available in the left frame (33). This illustrates how the HTML page can control which information is replaced and which remains visible when a hyperlink is selected. However, frames are not a generalized solution, and must be included in the HTML source. This requires the web page and site designer to anticipate or predict the most likely path a user will traverse the pages in the site, and of course cannot cover all possibilities available.
Still other HTML coding functions allow some web pages which have hyperlinks to launch or xe2x80x9cspawnxe2x80x9d a new web browser instance in a new window. Using this functionality, if a user selects a certain hyperlink in the currently displayed page, an entirely new instance of the web browser is initiated in its own independent GUI window. Again, the web page designer must predict or anticipate which links a user would desire to spawn new window and which links the user may want to simply replace the current display. FIG. 5 illustrates an example of such a multiple-window scheme. In such a case, when a user selects one of the hyperlinks in the base page in the first browser window (31), a new instance of the browser is spawned in a new window (31xe2x80x2) and the information for the selected page is displayed in the new window (31xe2x80x2). The new instance of the web browser is then completely independent of the first instance of the browser, and can be pointed to any web site or file as desired. Again, though, the web document designer must decide at the time of designing the web document which hyperlinks will spawn new browser windows and which will not. Additionally, this type of window spawning can be irritating to some web browser users, as the xe2x80x9cbackxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9cforwardxe2x80x9d buttons in the new instances of the browsers do not inherit the history of the parent instance and do not work as expected by the user. So, if several instances of the browser are running concurrently as a result of several link selections, it may become confusing to the user which browser is the original browser with all of the history.
The conventional addressing scheme of the Internet includes several xe2x80x9clabelsxe2x80x9d separated by xe2x80x9cdotsxe2x80x9d to create a domain name, as follows:
subdomn . . . subdom2. subdom1.host.domsub dir1 subdir2 . . . subdirn
where: subdom=subdomain,
host=host name,
dom=top level domain
subdir=subdirectory
The Internet addressing scheme is tree-like, with subdomains and host names descending from the top level domains. Top level domains are the main divisions of the Internet addressing scheme, such as xe2x80x9ccomxe2x80x9d, xe2x80x9cgovxe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9ceduxe2x80x9d. Top level domains also include the extension for foreign countries, such as xe2x80x9cco.ukxe2x80x9d for the United Kingdom, or xe2x80x9cco.jpxe2x80x9d for Japan. Host names are the highest level xe2x80x9clabelxe2x80x9d which can be registered to a particular web server operator, such as xe2x80x9cibmxe2x80x9d. Subdomains are addressing divisions within host names which are administered by the host name owner, such as xe2x80x9cpatents.ibm.comxe2x80x9d. Subdirectories are file structures within a particular server which serves a host name address, such as xe2x80x9cibm.com tech_suportxe2x80x9d. These addressing schemes are well-known within the art.
Therefore, there is a need in the art for an alternative method for selecting and viewing web documents from hyperlinks in other web documents. This method and system must allow the web browser user to select the type of advancement to the selected document, such as frames, spawning new windows, or traditional single window operation. Further, there is a need in the art for this method and system to allow some criteria to be specified to select between optional handling and advancement schemes based on changes in the addresses selected which may indicated movement from web site to web site. Additionally, this new method and system should be compatible with existing web document standards, such as HTML, browser packages and web server interfaces.

Method and system for control of spawned web frames

International Business Machines Corporation


Amidines derived from 3-aminoethyl indoles of formula (I) ##STR1## where R.sub.1 is an atom of hydrogen or a lower alkyl or alkenyl group: R.sub.2 is an atom of hydrogen or a lower alkyl or alkenyl , aryl, arylalkyl or cycloalkyl group; R.sub.3 and R.sub.4 may be the same or different and are an atom of hydrogen or a lower straight or branched chain alkyl group; and R.sub.5 is an atom of hydrogen; a straight or branched chain alkyl, alkenyl or alkynyl group, which may be substituted with an hydroxy group, alkoxy, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxyl, trifluoromethyl, halogen, carbonyl, cyano; a cyano group, phenyl, aryl, cycloalkyl, heterocycle or arylalkyl, optionally substituted with a hydroxy, alkoxy, halogen, amino, alkoxycarbonyl, carboxyl, trifluoromethyl, carbonyl, cyano, nitro, lower alkyl, lower alkenyl, or may form an optionally substituted heterocycle with R.sub.4 and with the nitrogen atom; and the physiologically acceptable salts thereof.

A large number of indole derivatives having activity in the treatment of migraine have been described. Thus, Spanish patent application ES-523 039 discloses indoles of the general formula (II): ##STR2## where R.sub.1 is an atom of hydrogen or a C.sub.1-6 alkyl group or a C.sub.3-6 alkenyl group; R.sub.2 is an atom of hydrogen or a C.sub.1-3 alkyl, C.sub.3-6 alkenyl, aryl, arylalkyl(C.sub.1-4) or cycloalkyl(C.sub.5-7) group; R.sub.3 is an atom of hydrogen or a C.sub.1-3 alkyl group; R.sub.4 and R.sub.5, which may be the same or different, are each an atom of hydrogen or a C.sub.1-3 alkyl gropu or propenyl; or R.sub.4 and R.sub.5 together form an aralkylidene group: and Alk is an alkylene chain having two or three carbon atoms, which may be substituted or unsubstituted, by no more than two C.sub.1-3 alkyl groups; and the physiologically acceptable salts and solvates thereof.
As disclosed in the aforesaid application ES-523 039, the compounds of the above formula have a vasoconstrictive action on the dog isolated vena saphena, rabbit isolated vena saphena preparation and on the carotid arterial circulation in the anaesthetized dog and therefore are potentially useful for the treatment of migraine.
In a later patent application ES-552 047 there is specifically selected and described within the field of the group of compounds described and claimed in Spanish patent application 523 039, a particular compound having special advantages in the treatment of migraine. This compound is 3-[2-(dimethylamino)ethyl)]-N-methyl-1H-indole-5-methane sulphonamide of formula (III). ##STR3##
This formula (III) compound potently and selectively constricts the carotid arterial circulation after intravenous administration, as shown in experiments on anaesthetized dogs. A potent, selective vasoconstrictive action has also been shown in vitro. Tests on anaesthetized dogs have shown that the formula (III) compound is effectively absorbed consistently well in the gastrointestinal tract after intraduodenal administration, quickly producing a sustained vasoconstriction in the carotid arterial circulation.

Amidines derived from 3-aminoethyl indoles and process for the preparation thereof


A pre-chamber system for an internal combustion engine has a pre-chamber having a wall, a spark plug having at least one electrode, and a gas introduction device, particularly a gas valve. A gas channel connects the gas introduction device to the pre-chamber via an inlet opening. A riser channel connects the pre-chamber (2) to a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine. A guiding device influences the flow of the gas in the pre-chamber, the guiding device being arranged adjacent to the inlet opening in such a manner that in operation, the volume flow of hot gas flowing into the pre-chamber via the channel (8) and reaching the electrode (13) of the spark plug (4) is reduced by the guiding device (9).

The present invention concerns a prechamber system for an internal combustion engine and an internal combustion engine, in particular a gas Otto-cycle engine, having such a prechamber system.
Internal combustion engines from a given structural size involve the use of gas-scavenged prechamber systems, the purpose of which is to cause ignition in a combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine in such a way that ideal combustion is achieved. In that case a given amount of gas is fed to the prechamber during the induction stroke of the internal combustion engine by way of a gas introduction device.
At the same time an overstoichiometric gas-air mixture is fed to the combustion chamber. During the compression stroke the overstoichiometric mixture flows into the prechamber by way of a communicating transfer opening (riser passage) and there mixes with the pure gas to give an approximately stoichiometric mixture (λ=1).
After mixing of the gas-air mixture with pure gas, however, local regions still remain in which the pure gas has mixed only very slightly with the overstoichiometric gas-air mixture. The partially homogenized mixture is ignited by way of a spark plug. By virtue of an increase in pressure the burnt hot gas flows by way of the communicating transfer opening (riser passage) into the combustion chamber of the internal combustion engine and causes ignition therein.
A disadvantage with such systems is, on the one hand, a tendency for soot to be produced in the so-called dead volumes, that is to say those volumes in which mixing occurs only inadequately, and on the other hand, a severe thermal loading on the electrodes of the spark plug by virtue of hot combustion gases.
Prechamber systems with guide devices are known from the state of the art and serve differing purposes (see for example U.S. Pat. No. 4,467,759 or U.S. Pat. No. 4,095,565).

Prechamber system for an internal combustion engine


A sight scope for an archery bow is provided which consists of a telescopic tubular housing having a first segment mounted to a handle of the archery bow, so that a viewing end of the first segment can be positioned in front of an eye of an archer, with a second segment of the archery bow being adjustable thereto. A cross hair is carried within the first segment of the telescopic tubular housing. A structure is for adjusting the height of the cross hair with respect to the adjusted length between the first and second segments of the telescopic tubular housing, so that the archer can focus on a target to try to hit the target with an arrow.

The instant invention relates generally to sighting devices and more specifically it relates to a sight scope for an archery bow, which provides an archer the ability to adjust a cross hair to focus on a target, so that an arrow can hit the target.
There are available various conventional sighting devices which do not provide the novel improvements of the invention herein disclosed.


A microcapsule adhesive for preventing the loosening of screws and the like, which is superior in storage stability, adhesive force and safety, and which is comprised of an epoxy resin as a core material; a urea-formaldehyde resin, a melamine-formaldehyde resin, a polyurethane or a urea-urethane resin as a wall material; a water-soluble polyacetal resin binder; and a non-volatile, water-soluble or -dispersible amine-based curing agent.

The present invention relates to a microcapsule type adhesive to be applied to a threaded surface of a threaded member such as screw, bolt, nut, or the like, to prevent loosening or impart a close-contact property (both hereinafter referred to as "prevent loosening") thereto.
Heretofore, as a loosening preventing adhesive to be applied to a threaded surface (screw thread) of a threaded member such as screw, bolt, nut, or the like, there has been known a composition comprising a microcapsule containing a reactive adhesive and a resin as a binder, using an organic solvent or water as a solvent, for example in Japanese Patent Publication Nos. 11051/1970 and 46339/1977 and Japanese Patent Laid Open Nos. 308876/1990 and 11883/1978.
However, such known microcapsule type adhesives involve drawbacks poor adhesion, poor storage stability and likelihood of causing an environmental pollution. For example, if there is used as a binder an emulsion, e.g. acryl emulsion, or a dispersion type binder, the emulsifying or dispersion stability is impaired by a curing agent used, resulting in increase of viscosity and difficulty of application in many cases. And in the case where polyvinyl alcohol or gelatin film is used as a wall film, it is difficult to prevent the deterioration of its performance due to swelling caused by water for example. Moreover, the use of an acrylic resin as a reactive adhesive causes deterioration not only in bonding strength at high temperatures but also in solvent resistance. Further, many conventional microcapsule type adhesives employ organic solvents, but the use of organic solvents not only causes the problem of environmental pollution but also may badly affect the worker's health during application to screw, bolt, nut, or the like.
It is the object of the present invention to solve the above-mentioned problems of the prior art.


The present invention comprises novel and modified peptides capable of inducing an HIV-1 specific immune response without antagonizing the cytotoxic T-cell activity in order to achieve an effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine against HIV. The peptides are based on conserved regions of HIV gag p24 proteins. Antigens in free- or carrier-bound form comprising at least one of the said peptides, vaccine compositions containing at least one of the antigens, immunoassay kits and a method of detecting antibodies induced by HIV or HIV specific peptides using such antigens, are described.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to novel peptides based on conserved regions of HIV gag p24, antigens in free or carrier-bound form comprising at least one of the said peptides, vaccine compositions containing at least one of the antigens, immunoassay kits and a method of detecting antibodies, induced by human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) or HIV-specific peptides, using such antigens.
2. Description of Related Art
There is an urgent need to control the global epidemic of HIV infection and the development of a vaccine against HIV is one of the major objectives in AIDS research. In general vaccines should activate antigen presenting cells, overcome genetic restriction in T-cell responses and generate T- and B-memory cells. The variability of the viral population poses a further difficulty in obtaining an effective HIV vaccine. A breakthrough in the ongoing attempts to develop a vaccine against AIDS has so far not been reported. It is now generally accepted that an induction of antigen-specific humoral and cell-mediated immunity is crucial for a development of an effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine. All three arms of the immune system including neutralizing antibodies; CD8+CTL and T-helper-1 (TH1) cells might be required for protective immunity to HIV. It is known that CTL can clear other viral infections (Ada, Immunol. Cell Biol., 72:447-454, 1994) and that CTL can lyse infected targets early in infection before viral progeny can be produced and released by cell lysis, Ada et al., supra. The focus has been on selection of antigens as well as on design and evaluation of different adjuvances. The antigens used in different in vitro and in vivo studies have all been from crude proteins to various synthetic peptides, mainly from gp160 and to some extent from p24. A large number of studies have been done on the V3 loop of gp120. Induction of both B- and T-cell responses have been observed; however, it has been reported from an in vitro study that a peptide from the conserved region of gp41 has indicated infection enhancement (Bell S. J., et al., Clin. Exp. Immunol., 87 (1): 37-45, (January 1992).
Naturally occurring HIV sequences in vaccine candidates are not capable of stimulating a stable immune response due to the virus's inherent ability to hide by changing the appearance of the epitopes presented on the cell surface of infected cells. The immune system is fooled into believing that a particular amino acid sequence is relevant when in fact the amino acid of importance is hidden.
A recent study of titers of antibodies against the gag p24 protein, has shown that slow progression towards development of AIDS is associated with high titers, while fast progression towards development of AIDS is associated with low titers. It is shown that persons with low p24 antibody titer develop significantly faster AIDS than persons with high p24 antibody titers (Zwart G., et al. Virology, 201, p. 285-93, June 1994), indicating that p24 can play a key role to control the development of AIDS.
New HIV p24 peptides are described in WO91/13360, wherein the peptides are used in a method of discriminating between a false and true diagnosed HIV-positive serum sample.
Johnson R. P., et al., The Journal of Immunology, Vol. 147, p. 1512-1521, No. 5, Sep. 1, 1991 describe an analysis of the fine specialty of gag-specific CTL-responses in three HIV-1 seropositive individuals. The gag-specific CTL-responses were found to be mediated by CD3+CD8+ lymphocytes which are HLA class I restricted.
EP-A-0 356 007 discloses antigenic determinants, in particular it relates to synthetic polypeptide sequences which are related to proteins present in the HIV-1 and which can be used as a basis for a potential vaccine against AIDS.
Rosenberg E. S. et al., Science, Vol. 278, 21 Nov. 1997, p. 1447-1450 describe that virus specific CD4+ T helper lymphocytes are critical to the maintenance of effective immunity in a number of chronic viral infections, but are characteristically undetectable in chronic human immunodeficiency virus-type 1 (HIV-1) infection. HIV-1 specific proliferative responses to p24 were inversely related to viral load. They conclude that the HIV-1-specific helper cells are likely to be important in immunotherapeutic interventions and vaccine development.
EP 0 230 222, EP 0 270 114, DE 37 11 016 and GB 2 188 639 all in the name of F. Hoffmann-La Roche & Co. Aktiengesellschaft concern recombinant expression and purification of an HTLVIII Gag/Env gene protein or fusion proteins. The proteins consisting of native sequences can be purified to homogeneity and used as a basis for diagnostic tests for detection of antibodies against viruses associated with AIDS. The gag/env protein may also be formulated for use as a vaccine for protection against AIDS through prophylactic immunization.
From a diagnostic and therapeutic point of view, the major problem with using p24 as part of an assay or therapy is associated with the high number of epitopes on p24 which stimulates production of a large number of antibodies with poor specificity, which through repeated boostering on potential mutated sequences can create autoantibodies (Autoantibodies to the alfa/beta T-cell receptors in HIV infection; dysregulation and mimicry. Lake D. F., et al., Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA, (23): 10849-53, Nov. 8, 1994). Further, it is reported that the p24 antibody titer does not reach the same high levels as for the envelope proteins (gp120 and gp41). Normally antibodies to p24 are developed in the early phase of the infection, but the titer is fairly quickly stabilized after the initial infection period. Later the p24 titer gradually decreases while the opposite happens with gp160. These findings can also be seen in relation to recent reports stating that cytotoxic T-cell activity is antagonized by naturally occurring HIV-1 gag variants (Klenerman P., et al., Nature, 2:369 (6479), p. 403-407, 2 Jun. 1994). This can be one of the reasons why a rapid stabilization of the p24 titer is seen and why it later starts to decrease.
Based on the above background data, we decided to investigate the possibility of designing novel synthetic peptides which can mimic the p24 epitope without antagonizing the cytotoxic T-cell activity, in order to meet the need for an effective prophylactic and therapeutic vaccine.
The initial work was based on one epitope which was published by Korber B., et al., Human Retroviruses and AIDS 1997 Eds. Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos, N. Mex. The amino acid sequence of this epitope (203-222) was:
K A L G P G A T L E E M M T A C Q G V G(SEQ ID NO: 26) R R M R T K   S I K D   L S S S   R   R(SEQ ID NO: 27)   G     V R               V(SEQ ID NO: 28)   S     A A(SEQ ID NO: 29)         S E(SEQ ID NO: 30)         Q Q(SEQ ID NO: 31)
The one letter as well as the three letter codes defining the amino acids in the sequences given throughout this specification are in accordance with International standards and given in textbooks, for instance Lehninger A. L., <<Principles of Biochemistry>>, Worth Publishers Inc., New York, 1982. The amino acids given below the head sequence represent the natural variation of the sequence. An initial study of a sequence containing this modified epitope was conducted on the sequence:
wherein X indicates 2-aminohexanoic acid, and the cysteine residues are in an oxidized state, i.e. are forming an intrachain disulphide bridge. The results (unpublished) from studies using this peptide as part of a diagnostic kit showed that the specificity became 87% (n=279) on a preselected panel of African sera. The sensitivity was surprisingly 100% on a panel of HIV-1 positive sera including HIV-1 subtype O sera, which is quite different from the other subtypes.
In order to improve specificity, i.e. define the amino acids which contribute to a pure non-crossreacting antibody response, a similar study was applied to a significantly shorter and further modified peptide:
wherein X has the above-mentioned meaning and the cysteine residues are forming an intrachain disulphide bridge.
The results from this study showed that the specificity of the assay increased to 96%, and (n=293) which is similar to the specificity obtained in the assay without using the p24 peptide. With a specificity of 87% to the assay where the first peptide was included, it would be likely that the peptide would induce an immune response to more than one epitope since it was recognized by unspecific antibodies, if it was used as a vaccine candidate. The latter, however, shows that the peptide sequence is picking up an immune response which is unique to HIV-1. Consequently, if a sequence based on this is used as an antigen in a vaccine candidate, it would most likely boost a unique immune response to HIV-1.
To further increase the number of T-cell epitopes and reduce the probability for development of escape mutants, three additional peptide sequences were based on the following three sequences from residues 264-284, 253-271 and 166-186, respectively, published in Human Retroviruses and AIDS 1997; A Compilation and Analysis of Nucleic Acid and Amino Acid Sequences, Eds. Theoretical Biology and Biophysics Group, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Los Alamos:
R W I I L G L N K I V R M Y S P T S I L D(SEQ ID NO: 34) K G V V M         M K       C   V G     E(SEQ ID NO: 35) D   M   V         V         Q   I       G(SEQ ID NO: 36)                                  S(SEQ ID NO: 37)                                  A(SEQ ID NO: 38) N N P P I P V G E I Y K R W I I L G L(SEQ ID NO: 39) S   Q A V     K D M L R K G M V M(SEQ ID NO: 40) G   G S N       K V     D   V   V(SEQ ID NO: 41) H     G T(SEQ ID NO: 42) A(SEQ ID NO: 43) P(SEQ ID NO: 44)and P E V I P M F S A L S E G A T P Q D L N T(SEQ ID NO: 45)   R I T T T L T E   A D     I S Y N I Y M(SEQ ID NO: 46)     L N       A L           V   H   V   I(SEQ ID NO: 47)               M             L           A(SEQ ID NO: 48)                                         V(SEQ ID NO: 49)
Several modified peptides have been synthesized in order to determine unique sequences which are both specific and sensitive towards HIV-1.

Method of producing an HIV-1 immune response


A portable, handheld electronic navigation device includes an altimeter and a GPS unit. An internal memory stores cartographic data, for displaying the cartographic data on a display of the navigation device. Accordingly, the device is capable of displaying cartographic data surrounding a location of the unit as determined by GPS and altitude information as determined by the barometric altimeter and GPS. The device provides an enhancement of the calibration and hence the accuracy of barometric altimeter measurements with the aid of derived altitudes from a GPS. The device is able to determine the need for calibration and perform the subsequent computations necessary to facilitate the calibration. Furthermore, the device is able to determine a correction quantity that should be applied to barometric altitude readings, thereby allowing the device to be calibrated while in motion. Both of these features ultimately result in a more accurate determination of altitude. In accordance with an aspect of the invention, the altimeter of the navigation device may be calibrated with altitude information entered by a user, with altitude information obtained from the cartographic, with altitude information derived from GPS or with any combinations thereof.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention is directed to enhancements for incorporation into an electronic navigation device. More particularly, the present invention is directed to an enhancement of the calibration and hence the accuracy of barometric altimeter measurements with the aid of derived altitudes from a global positioning system.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, altitude measurements are made using two methods of measurement. One method utilizes a barometric altimeter. Barometric altimeters are devices that sense local atmospheric pressure and use a standard model of the atmosphere to convert this pressure measurement into altitude. Altitude measurements are referenced to height above mean sea level (MSL).
It is well known that local atmospheric pressure at a given altitude varies widely due to the effects of weather, solar heating, and other factors. Thus, in order to provide an accurate altitude, barometric altimeters must be calibrated to correct for these variations. The Global Positioning System (GPS) is a worldwide navigation system that can determine a user's position in horizontal and vertical dimensions. However, GPS vertical measurements are currently all referenced to the WGS-84 ellipsoid, a purely mathematical construct that approximates the shape of the earth. The GPS receiver must use a model that relates the height above the ellipsoid to the height above mean sea level.
Further, it is well known that the vertical measurement of a GPS system is inherently less accurate than the horizontal measurements. This is due to the fact that GPS satellites are constrained to be above the horizon for signal reception to occur. This geometry is less that optimal for measuring the vertical component of a user's location simply because there can not be satellites visible below the user (an optimal configuration would have satellites above and below the user). All GPS receivers are able to take into account satellite geometry (Dilution of Precision) and estimates of other satellite-related errors (URA) and provide a statistical estimate of the errors in the horizontal and vertical measurements.
In practice, a barometric altimeter typically provides a more stable measurement of altitude than GPS over short time periods. However, over long time periods, pressure variations can be of such magnitude that the barometric altimeter measurement of altitude is less accurate than the GPS measurement. The pressure-indicated altitude of an uncalibrated barometric altimeter is typically in error by many tens of meters due to normal atmospheric pressure fluctuations, weather fronts and other sources. However, this error is of a bias like nature—it is slowly varying with time—resulting in less accurate barometric altimeter readings over long time periods. Accordingly, while an altitude determination derived from barometric pressure may be meaningfully accurate in a short time frame, over time, the accuracy of such a determination becomes undesirable. Conversely, because GPS derived altitude suffers from different complementary errors, over a short time period (typically minutes time frame), GPS altitude measurements are subject to much larger variations than barometric altimeter measurements.
In an attempt to overcome the foregoing, one proposal combines a GPS unit and a barometric pressure sensor in the same housing. However, in that proposal the pressure sensor is used to augment GPS derived altitude information.
In particular, McBurney et al., in U.S. Pat. No. 6,055,477, disclose a method of combination or integration of measurements made using two systems to provide better availability or accuracy in altitude measurements by estimating a barometric bias using the difference in altitude obtained from the two sources. The McBurney et al. method however, fails to recognize that utilizing the difference between a GPS derived altitude and a barometric altimeter altitude, as a term in calibrating the barometer altimeter, will common mode out any dynamic changes due to movement of the barometric altimeter and the GPS in tandem. As a result, the McBurney et al. approach undesirably requires that the user not change altitude during calibration periods.
Additionally, in the stated prior approach, an altimeter may only be calibrated using GPS derived altitude information when the user is stationary, often referred to as a "Calibration mode". The present invention makes no distinction between "calibration mode" and "navigation mode", indeed the barometric error is constantly being estimated and used to calibrate the system. Furthermore, the present invention provides a method to statistically determine the need for calibration which results in both the calibration and error estimation numbers being calculated and utilized without any user intervention, i.e. the user need not place the device in 'calibration mode' to obtain the required bias parameter for calibration computations.
There exists a need for a method to take advantage of the long term stability of the GPS altitude measurement and the short term stability of the barometric altimeter measurement to produce an altitude measurement that is stable and accurate over long and short time periods. Additionally, the need exists for a method that uses both GPS-derived altitude and barometric altimeter altitude to produce an altitude measurement that is more stable and accurate than either measurement taken alone. The need also exists for an improved method to calibrate a barometric altimeter and to compute a barometric altitude correction quantity. Particularly, the need exists for a method to have GPS and altimeter outputs to be self calibrating while the user is on the move. The present invention fills the foregoing identified needs, and other needs, while overcoming the drawbacks of the prior art.

Device and method for calibrating and improving the accuracy of barometric altimeters with GPS-derived altitudes


To reduce errors in determining a degree of arousal due to variations in blinking among an individual or between individuals.

Conventionally, a device for improving a degree of arousal of an operator when a reduction in the degree of arousal from the operator is detected has been proposed. For example, with technology described in Patent Document 1, a degree of arousal of an operator is calculated based on a parameter extracted from a blink of the operator.

Calculating a score of a degree of arousal of a user

Abstract: To execute the steps of: acquiring first biological information related to an ocular potential of a user from a processing device worn by the user; and calculating a degree of arousal of the user based on a distance between a projection axis parallel to an equal degree of arousal line and a point where the first biological information is plotted in a coordinate space where a height and width are the axes for an ocular potential peak.


According to an aspect of the invention, a structure is provided in which an array of trench capacitors includes a well contact to a merged buried plate diffusion region. The array, which is disposed in a substrate, includes a contact for receiving a reference potential. Each trench capacitor includes a node dielectric and a node conductor formed within the trench. Buried plate (BP) diffusions extend laterally outward from a lower portion of each trench of the array, the BP diffusions merging to form an at least substantially continuous BP diffusion region across the array. An isolation region extends over a portion of the BP diffusion region. A doped well region is formed within the substrate extending from a major surface of the substrate to a depth below a top level of the substantially continuous BP diffusion region. An electrical interconnection is also provided to the well region.

The invention relates to semiconductor structures and processing, especially those which include a trench capacitor array.
A goal of the semiconductor industry is to increase the circuit density of integrated circuits ("ICs" or "chips") by decreasing the size of individual devices and circuit elements of a chip. However, this reduction of size creates challenges for the design and fabrication of certain devices, including memory circuits. One particular problem relates to the design and fabrication of on-chip capacitors, such as those used as storage capacitors in on-chip memories. Capacitors that are provided above the surface of the semiconductor device layer, such as stacked capacitors, do not scale as well as transistors, such that they take up an increasing proportion of the area of the chip. Capacitors which are formed below the surface of the semiconductor device layer, such as trench capacitors, are being used increasingly because such capacitors can often be scaled in a better manner than stacked capacitors.
Trench capacitors are advantageously used because they allow capacitance to be increased without necessarily requiring an increase in the amount of surface area occupied by the memory cell. The capacitance of a trench capacitor can be increased by making the trench longer, i.e. deeper, or by widening a part of the trench that lies below the device region of the substrate, such process known as "bottling." The trench is typically filled with doped polysilicon, most commonly an n+ doped polysilicon, which serves as one plate of the capacitor, for example as a storage node, of a memory cell of a dynamic random access memory (DRAM). The second plate of the capacitor, referred to as a buried plate, is formed, for example, by outdiffusion of n+ dopants from a dopant source into a region of the substrate surrounding the lower portion of the trench. A dielectric layer separates the two plates of the capacitor.
FIG. 1 is a cross-sectional view illustrating a conventional trench capacitor array such as found in a DRAM. An array of trench capacitors 100 includes trench capacitors 110 formed in a substrate 101. Typically, the substrate is lightly doped with a p-type dopant. Each trench capacitor 110 includes a node dielectric and an n-type storage node 120, functioning as a storage electrode disposed in the trench. A buried plate region 130 is disposed in the substrate outside each trench and is doped with an n-type dopant, the buried plate thus surrounding the lower portions of the trenches.
One or more n-wells 170 are disposed at the periphery of the capacitor array 100, and may be provided as a ring structure surrounding the array 100. An n-band, shown at 160, connects the buried plate region 130 in the array to the n-wells. The purpose of the n-band is to maintain the buried plate of the array of trench capacitors at a uniform voltage, and to provide an electrical connection between the n-type buried plate region 130 and the n-type n-well 170. Contact to the n-band is made through the n-well, which extends downwardly from the surface to the buried n-band, permitting the n-band to be electrically biased.
Accordingly, it would be desirable to simplify the existing structure for contacting the buried plate and the method required to fabricate it.

Trench capacitor array having well contacting merged plate


A lens-fitted photo film unit includes a shutter for providing photo film with an exposure to create a frame. A flash circuit emits flash light to a subject to be photographed. The flash circuit includes a blocking oscillator for converting low voltage of a battery into high voltage of an alternate current by oscillation. An optical data recorder device includes a timer circuit, which starts in response to actuation of the shutter operation. The timer circuit measures predetermined time of lapse, and starts the oscillation of the blocking oscillator. A light-emitting element illuminates with voltage obtained from the blocking oscillator during the predetermined time measured by the timer circuit. Data is recorded optically in a position on the photo film respectively for the frame.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical data recorder device for a lens-fitted photo film unit. More particularly, the present invention relates to an optical data recorder device, incorporated in a lens-fitted photo film unit, and reliably capable of optical recording of optical data or dot indicia to photo film.
2. Description Related to the Prior Art
There is a lens-fitted photo film unit widely sold and used by many users. The lens-fitted photo film unit is pre-loaded with photo film, and incorporates a shutter mechanism, a photo film winding mechanism and a taking lens, all of which are simply constructed. Examples of the lens-fitted photo film unit include a type in which an electronic flash is built in. This type is specifically usable with convenience in photographing a dark or indoor field of view.
Also there is a system of providing photographic prints produced at plural aspect ratios selectably predetermined for increasing variety in enjoyment of photography. There are C, H and P printing sizes as examples of the aspect ratio of the photographic print. The C printing size is 89.times.127 mm, and used as the full-size, which is the most widely used format in the conventional photography. The H printing size is 89.times.157 mm, and determined similar to the aspect ratio of a display format of high-definition television (HDTV). The P printing size is 89.times.252 mm, and determined substantially two times as long as the C printing size in its longitudinal direction.
To obtain photographic prints different in the aspect ratio from a single strip of the photo film, there is a suggested method in which all imaging frames are created on the photo film at a common size. Optical data is recorded or imprinted to the photo film in a marginal region outside an effective exposure region for designating the aspect ratio of the photographic print intended for the imaging frame by the user. The optical data is hereinafter referred as print aspect ratio (PAR) indicia. In the course of producing the photographic print, the PAR indicia is detected to read the aspect ratio, for using the aspect ratio or a printing range in the printing operation of the imaging frame.
In a camera capable of photographically recording the optical data such as an exposure-taking date or the PAR indicia, a light-emitting element such as light-emitting diode (LED) is incorporated. The LED is driven in synchronism with movement of the shutter mechanism, to record the optical data to the photo film. The LED is typically inexpensive, has a long life, is stable in light emission, and is rapid in response.
The LED has a threshold voltage of about 2 volts as a minimum voltage to emit light. The LED requires voltage of 3 volts or more to illuminate stably. However a battery accommodated in the lens-fitted photo film unit of the flash built-in type or an inexpensive compact camera has electromotive force of 1.5 volts or so. It is impossible to apply the voltage of the battery directly to the LED.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,658 (corresponding to JP-A 8-248572) suggests a flash built-in type of the lens-fitted photo film unit in which the LED is driven to illuminate by a combination of a flash circuit and the battery as a power source having electromotive force of 1.5 volts.
In U.S. Pat. No. 5,784,658 (corresponding to JP-A 8-248572), a trigger switch for triggering emission of flash light is turned on in response to movement of the shutter mechanism to open fully. While the trigger switch is turned on, a blocking oscillator is operated. The blocking oscillator is constituted by an oscillation transistor and an oscillation transformer. Pulsed voltage is derived from a primary winding of the oscillation transformer. The pulsed voltage has a peak of for example 6 volts. The pulsed voltage is applied to the LED to emit light. The time during which the trigger switch is turned on is longer than a period of oscillation of the blocking oscillator. The LED emit light for a plurality of times while the trigger switch is turned on, to expose a position of the photo film to provide it with the PAR indicia.
As the trigger switch is a mechanical switch turned on in synchronism with operation of the shutter mechanism, the trigger switch is likely to have irregularity in the time during which the trigger switch is turned on. The number of times of light emission of the LED is changeable to vary an exposure amount of the optical data. Excess and shortage is likely to occur in the exposure amount of the optical data. Although the time of turning on the trigger switch is longer than the oscillation period of the blocking oscillator, it is somewhat short and insufficient in view of obtaining a light amount for exposing the PAR indicia on the photo film. The exposure amount of the optical data cannot be obtained sufficiently. In utilizing the PAR indicia as the optical data, it is likely that failure occurs in the operation of reading the PAR indicia in the course of producing the photographic print.

Timer-controlled optical data recorder device for lens-fitted photo film unit


A hand held device for sweeping cloth and other surfaces and to convey the sweepings to a self-contained dust pan. An endless flat belt rotating on two pulleys of unequal diameter supports a plurality of transverse brushes which do the sweeping and conveying. Rotation is derived from a motor contained within the larger pulley. The motor is driven by direct current batteries when the operator presses a switch in the handle. The smaller pulley resides near an opening in the housing. The brushes, one after another sweep through the opening picking up any residues on the surface being brushed and conveys them onto a flat surface which is parallel to the conveying leg of the belt. This plate cooperates with the brushes to convey the particles of residue to the center of the dust pan. Gravity traps the particles beneath the conveying plate in the dustpan until dumping is accomplished. The brushes continue on through a comb, on around the main pulley and back to the opening for another stroke. The residues are dumped by the operator placing the unit over a waste receptacle with the opening up and rotating the dust pan to the open position. The pan pivots about the axis of the small pulley. A storage receiver stores the unit and recharges the batteries.

Heretofore, prior art has identified several powered means for the pickup and containment of loose materials considered to be soil or litter. These are:
1. air movers, or those machines making use of high velocity air movement created by mechanically causing a partial vacuum to exist somewhere in the system; PA1 2. manual cylinder brushing machines such as the carpet sweeper; PA1 3. endless belts which have scrapers attached for doing work such as removing snow from a surface. PA1 (a) device using less power than a 25-watt light bulb allowing rechargeable battery power and requiring no cords; PA1 (b) a very quiet device which can be used continually in areas where the noise of a vacuum sweeper can become disruptive; PA1 (c) a device with the power to pick up nuts and belts as well as spills of nails, metal shavings and solid food particles; PA1 (d) a device with a mouth large enough to accept items the size of a ping pong ball; PA1 (e) a device that can remove paint and rust scale when fitted with steel bristles, emery cloth or sandpaper; PA1 (f) a device with the delicacy to brush dust from a suit of clothing, furniture and walls; PA1 (g) a device where air movement is still involved and aids in the process of dust particle removal without the involvement of a vacuum; and, PA1 (h) a device which when fitted with an integral dust pan can be emptied simply and quickly into a trash receiver, requiring no additional bag of any kind; PA1 (i) devices which can be very light in weight allowing the operator to support the units tirelessly when cleaning. PA1 (j) devices which can be stored on walls requiring no use of critical floor space.
Vacuum cleaners have been the cleaning appliance of choice over the past 70 years. Wherever electricity was available it was generally the most effective method of cleaning cloth and carpeted surfaces. The addition of the cylindrical brush and beating bar was effective in loosening soil from the material being cleaned. Unfortunately, vacuums are very energy-dependent requiring high speed to be effective. The better machines are incorporating a separate motor to run the brush and bar appliance allowing the high speed power to do the conveying via the high velocity movement of air. Speed generates noise, as a rule, and the vacuum sweeper is at the top of the list of noise makers.
Although there are attempts at powering hand-held units with batteries, they are not very efficient. To render them really effective would mean adding brushes of some sort, such larger motors and heavier batteries. The latter would be counter-productive.
There are areas where a vacuum is ineffective. The vacuum works by moving air from a nozzle through a filtering bag. It must do this at a high enough velocity to involve the target debris. If that debris is larger than the path tubes and nozzles, then clogging can and does occur. Increasing the passage cross-sectional area decreases velocity of air movement thus decreasing effectiveness for smaller, heavier objects. Consequently there are a lot of cleaning jobs where vacuum machines are impractical. For instance, in order to pick up something the size of a ping pong ball, a vacuum machine would be the last choice.
The carpet sweeper has been around for much longer than the vacuum sweeper. It has maintained a position in the marketplace in spite of the more efficient vacuum cleaner. On its behalf, it is quiet and, since it requires no electricity, is quick to use for small, dry spills of fine materials. And, it contains its own receivers. U.S. Pat. No. 4,823,422 to Yoshamura and Ishel of Japan was recently issued on a manual floor sweeper (1989). The carpet sweeper requires such energy from the operator and is only efficient for covered floor surfaces. As with the rotating brush of vacuum cleaners, these have the tendency to wrap up thread or string on the roller. If attached to anything it must be removed before continuing. Also, they will not clean horizontal corners such as a walls and around table legs.
The endless belt has been around for countless years as a means for transmitting power and conveying materials from one point to another. Only in more recent years has it been used in alternate ways. Two machines are available that make use of working endless belts. One is the well-known belt sander and the other is a recently patented Snow Blow With Vertical Endless Belt Digger issued to Cloutier in 1988, U.S. Pat. No. 4,765,073.
The sander cleans surfaces by removing integral particle from the surface to which applied. The belt also is integrated with the parts doing the actual work. A belt strand is always parallel with the work surface therefore, as will be seen, this machine is not similar in any way to this invention other than using an endless belt.
The snow blower incorporates an endless belt with transverse appliances referred to as diggers. The verticality of the belt strands is most necessary to the machine as it is the intent to accelerate the particles being conveyed upward and hurl them a distance forward and away from the machine. By the very nature of snow, it would be impractical to attach a container of any kind. Power requirements are significantly different being on the order of 250 times more than the machine being described herein. It is fitted with a rubber belt of some thickness and the resulting stiffness requires a great deal of power to drive. Of course, the weight of the snow produces the main work.
The endless belt snow blower configuration is designed strictly for cleaning of snow from a horizontal surface and would work in no other capacity. The belt strands operate solely in vertical planes and the digging appendages stand out rigidly in perpendicular directions from the strands of the belt. Again it will be seen that this machine has little in common with this invention other than incorporating an endless belt.
It is my purpose to show I have invented a basic mechanism for the brushing and sweeping activities for interiors of the home as well as surfaces restaurants, will find this machine quiet and very effective. Further, it will be shown that this tool will remove many of the disadvantages of the aforementioned implements and include some additional advantages and conveniences.


A shopping cart brake adapted for use on commercially available carts designed to provide an automatic brake which remains engaged to hold the cart in a stationary position, unless the user manually disengages the brake of the cart for moving the cart. Upon parking the shopping cart, the interaction of the forward basket portion of the last cart in the stack contacting the back panel of the preceding cart automatically disengages the brakes of the preceding cart so that the brakes of the last cart in the stack of carts will be automatically engaged upon parking the cart and a user must manually disengage the brake of the last cart in order to move the stack of carts.

The present invention relates to a shopping cart brake is automatically engaged in a stand-alone position and which must be manually disengaged by the user before moving the cart.
Typical shopping carts which are commercially available are manufactured to be free-wheeling and employ no brake system. These unrestrained free-wheeling shopping carts rolling freely around a parking lot causes damage from running into vehicles and shoppers, as well as causing accidents when the carts roll in front of moving vehicles. The present invention addresses the problem by means of a shopping cart brake. The shopping cart brake of the present invention is designed so that when the cart is left unattended the rear wheel or wheels will lock. If the carts are being stacked (put together) to be moved, the cart in back will automatically release the brake of the cart in front of it. Only the last cart's brake remains active. The brake of the last cart will stay activated until another cart is pushed into it and becomes the last cart in line, or until someone takes hold of the handle of the last cart, wherein the brakes of the last cart and all of the proceeding carts will be released so the "cart train" can be moved to the desired location.
Application of the shopping cart brakes of the present invention on existing free-wheeling carts will eliminate or at least cut down on the damage caused by parking lot attendants slamming the carts into one another, for the brake of the instant invention will require that the handle be depressed in order for user to move the carts.
There are other shopping cart brake devices known in the art; however, none of these devices have achieved commercial success due to the complexity of the devices, the cost, or because of the unadaptability of the brakes for a variety of difference style carts.
For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 3,501,164 shows a shopping cart in which brake shoe is connected to brake rod which is actuated by the pivoting of a cross member to actuate a rod through a pivot plate. When two carts are telescoped during nesting, the cross rod is contacted by vertical members of the upwardly pivoting gate pivoting plate to release the brake.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,095,211 shows a shopping cart having a brake plate with a brake cup for engaging the cart wheel and being actuated by arms through brake lever. During telescoping of the carts, the basket of one cart engages the rear wall of a second cart and raises the wall. This causes the wall to contact the arms of the brake lever, thus releasing the brake cup from engagement with the wheel.
A brake system for a shopping cart having a brake arm and a brake element which engages a wheel is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,537. During telescoping of two carts, an inclined rim of one cart engages the brake arm of an associated cart to thereby lift a link to release the brake. The control bar rides over a cam which is fixed to the side wall of the cart basket and releases the brake mechanism during telescoping of the carts.
Another shopping cart having a braking body for the wheel is shown in U.S. Pat. No. 4,840,388. The brake is actuated by an operating member through connecting straps. During nesting, the rear panel is pushed upwardly by the next cart, thereby raising the arm upwardly and releasing the brake mechanism.
In U.S. Pat. No. 4,018,449, a brake mechanism for a shopping cart wheel utilizes a wheel lock having walls with edges for engaging the wheel. A second cart engages the frame member of the rear gate during nesting and pivots it upwardly, thereby actuating the cable to release the wheel lock.
Five U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,061,049, 3,458,015, 3,500,965, 4,976,447 and 5,046,748 show various brake mechanisms for cart structures. In U.S. Pat. No. 3,061,049, a brake shoe engages a caster wheel of a dump cart. U.S. Pat. No. 3,458,015 shows a shopping cart with a brake shoe for a wheel. The device disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,500,965 shows a friction means for the wheel of a shopping cart. U.S. Pat. No. 4,976,447 shows a shopping cart having a concentric brake shoe for a wheel. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,046,748 shows a walker having a brake shoe for a wheel, which brake shoe is actuated by a cable and handle. Three other references, U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,785,906, 3,112,121 and 4,084,663 show other cart structures having brake mechanisms which release during nesting.
It is an object of the present invention to provide a shopping cart brake which is automatically engaged in the stand-alone position locking the wheels of the cart, whereby the user must manually disengage the brakes to move the cart.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a brake assembly whereby upon stacking of the carts, one behind the other, the cart in the rear of the stack will automatically release the brake of the preceding cart in the stack. Only the brakes of the rear cart in the stack will remain activated, until another cart is pushed into it and becomes the rear cart in the stack, or until a user takes hold of the handle disengaged the brakes of the rear cart allowing movement of the stack.
It is yet another object of the present invention for the shopping cart brake of the present invention to be adaptable to work on any size of shopping cart and any design.

Automatic shopping cart brake engaged by nesting of carts


A marine seismic data acquisition system includes a streamer spread including plural streamers; a first set of front sources configured to generate seismic waves; a streamer vessel towing the streamer spread and the first set of the front sources, in front of the streamer spread along an inline direction X; a second set of top sources configured to generate additional seismic waves; and first and second source vessels towing the second set of top sources directly above or below the streamer spread. A number NT of the top sources is larger than a number NF of the front sources.

In oil and gas exploration and exploitation, marine seismic surveys are used for making drilling-related decisions. Seismic data acquired during such a survey is processed to generate a profile, which is a three-dimensional approximation of the geophysical structure under the seafloor. This profile enables those trained in the field to evaluate the presence or absence of oil and/or gas reservoirs, which leads to better management of reservoir exploitation. Enhancing seismic data acquisition and processing is an ongoing process.
FIG. 1 is a vertical-plane view of a generic marine survey setup 100. A vessel 101 tows a seismic source 102 (note that, for simplicity, the source's full configuration is not shown) and streamers (only one streamer 104 is visible in this view) along a towing direction T. When the seismic source is activated, seismic energy is emitted into the water (as wavefields) and propagates into the rock formation under the seafloor 110. The seismic energy is partially reflected and partially transmitted at interfaces where the acoustic impedance changes, such as at the seafloor 110 and at an interface 112 inside the rock formation. The reflected energy may be detected by sensors or receivers 106 (e.g., hydrophones, geophones and/or accelerometers) carried by the streamers. The seismic data represents the detected energy.
However, the traditional marine seismic survey illustrated in FIG. 1 fails to collect high-quality shallow seismic data because of the positioning of the seismic sources in front of the streamer spread, which means that an angle of a wavefield propagation direction relative to the reflector normal, for a given subsurface reflection point, is large.
Thus, there is a need to provide data acquisition systems and methods that would acquire high-resolution seismic data with small reflection angles for both deep regions and shallow regions of the subsurface.

Method and system for seismic data acquisition with top and front sources


A developing device for developing a latent image formed on an image carrier of the present invention is generally made up of a developing section and a developer storing section. The developing section includes a developer carrier for conveying a one-component type developer deposited thereon, a feeding member for feeding the developer to the developer carrier, and a conveying member for conveying the developer toward the feeding member while agitating it. The developer storing section replenishes a developer stored therein to the developing section in a direction including at least a horizontal direction component. The developing section and developer storing section are formed with a plurality of openings in the lengthwise direction such that the replenishment of developer from the developer storing section to the developing section and the return of the developer from the latter to the former are executed via the openings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a developing device for use in a copier, facsimile apparatus, printer or similar image forming apparatus, an image forming apparatus using the same and a process cartridge.
2. Description of the Background Art
A developing device of the type using only toner grains, i.e., a one-component type of toner not containing carrier grains is extensively used. This type of developing device is configured to charge the toner grains in a casing by agitating them and then convey the charged toner grains to a toner carrier. The toner grains thus deposited on the toner carrier are regulated in amount by a metering member and then brought to a developing zone where the toner carrier and an image carrier face each other at the shortest distance. At the developing zone, the toner grains are transferred from the toner carrier to the image carrier to thereby develop a latent image formed on the image carrier.
While the toner grains deposited on the toner carrier should ideally be entirely charged to preselected polarity, some of such toner grains are, in practice, not fully charged. Should the toner grains with short charge be conveyed via the metering member, they would fly away from the toner carrier and would thereby smear the inside of the image forming apparatus as well as paper sheets or similar recording medium.
Further, toner and members that strongly rub against the toner, e.g., the toner carrier, a toner feeding member and the metering member vary with the elapse of time, and so does the toner electrifying ability. As a result, it soon becomes difficult for such members to electrify each other. In addition, it is likely that additives present on the surfaces of the individual toner grains are separated from or buried in the surfaces of the toner grains and fail to exhibit a fluidity enhancing function and an electrification control function expected thereof. Consequently, the ratio of toner grains with short charge to the entire toner grains is apt to increase, and toner grains of opposite polarity and short charge are also apt to increase. If such toner grains are conveyed to the developing zone by the toner carrier, then they smear the background of an image and thereby lower the quality of the image.
In light of the above, various devices have heretofore been proposed to control stress to act on toner grains or to discharge a developer from a developing device before the developer is critically deteriorated. Japanese Patent Laid-Open Publication No. 2002-333764, for example, proposes to obviate, e.g., the blow-off or the blocking of toner grains ascribable to the excessive replenishment from a toner replenishing or storing section to a developing section by returning excessive part of the toner grains to the toner replenishing section. At this instant, part of toner grains with short charge is also returned to the toner replenishing section because of the replacement of toner grains, so that image quality is maintained at a certain acceptable level.
However, the system proposed by the above document has some problems left unsolved. For example, toner grains replenished from the toner replenishing section are soon returned to the replenishing section or not smoothly returned to the replenishing section with the result that excess toner grains increase dynamic torque to an unusual level.

Developing device, image forming apparatus and process cartridge including replenishment openings