A memory that includes a plurality of packet pins, a synchronous memory, and a packet controller. The synchronous memory receives address and control signals in synchronization with a clock signal. The packet controller sequentially receives packet data bits through the packet pins in synchronization with the clock signal when a packet enable signal is activated, and converts the inputted packet data into the address and control signals. Specifically, packet data bits that are first inputted through the packet pins represent an operation mode.

1. Field of the Invention
Embodiments of the present invention relate to a memory system using a packet manager.
2. Description of the Related Art
Mobile applications (e.g. personal digital assistants (PDA), third-generation (3G) mobile phones, and digital still cameras) may require miniaturization and flexibility. Such miniaturization and flexibility may be accomplished through semiconductor fabrication. However, miniaturization through semiconductor fabrication may be limited due to development lag and the cost of enhanced fabrication. Multi-chip package (MCP) technology has been developed for mobile applications in order to obtain miniaturization. MCP includes multi-chip products in which various memory chips (e.g. NOR flash memory, NAND flash memory, SRAM, and UtRAM) are mounted on one package and are fabricated at a level almost equal to general memory, using cutting-edge package technology. Compared to using separate components in mobile equipment, the MCP technology can reduce inner package area by more than 50% and may simplify interconnections, thereby reducing manufacturing costs and enhancing productivity. System in package (SIP) technology has been adopted in mobile applications. SIP includes products in which non-memory components and memory components are mounted on one package. In SIP, chips are stacked three-dimensionally and internally connected with each other. This stacked structure can reduce package area and obtain various effects (e.g. reduction in development lag, reduction of cost, high speed operation).
However, MCP components and SIP components may include a large number of chips and thus a large number of pins are present. This is an obstacle in the configuration of a system. Further, a memory may also include a large number of pins (e.g. address pins, data pins, and control pins), which is an obstacle in the configuration of a memory system adopted in mobile applications.

Memory using packet controller and memory


A detachable base insert for use with a traffic delineator post assembly to enhance durability of the post assembly is provided. The traffic delineator post assembly includes a tubular post member and a post base comprising a central opening able to receive the tubular post member. The base insert includes a tubular insert member disposed within an interior wall of the bottom portion of the tubular post member, and a base ring coupled to a bottom portion of the tubular insert member. The base ring serves as a barrier between the bottom of the tubular post member and the ground surface, thereby minimizing surface wear of the tubular post member. The detachable base insert replaces a worn out base retention ring on the tubular post member.

The embodiments herein relate generally to traffic delineator posts or cones.
Delineator posts are used in a variety of locations such as roadways, sidewalks or other fields to direct vehicular and pedestrian traffic. The delineator posts typically comprise a post member having a highly visible color such as orange and a weighted base member. The weighted base member has a central opening that receives the post member. Once the weighted base member is placed over the post member and positioned to contact the ground, the post member is retained in a vertical position.
Current delineator posts comprise a bottom ring, also known as a base retention ring, which contacts the ground when in use. Over time, the bottom ring wears out, as the delineator cone is often dragged along an abrasive ground surface. This renders the delineator post ineffective and/or unusable in certain applications. In many instances, individuals have to discard these worn posts and purchase new ones. This is impractical and not cost effective.
As such, there is a need in the industry for a base insert for use with traffic delineator posts that replaces the existing bottom ring after it becomes worn out. This enhances the lifetime and durability of the traffic delineator post.

Base insert for traffic delineator posts


A method and system are provided for detecting blockage in a spray gun of a liquid spray system wherein a first transducer is positioned to detect the pressure of paint or sealer in a supply line at an upstream position and a second transducer is positioned immediately adjacent and upstream a spray orifice of a spray gun to detect a second pressure of the liquid wherein a pressure drop of the liquid is calculated and a blockage signal is generated when the pressure drop is less than a predetermined amount. Preferably, the line and the spray gun are sized so that pressure drop is at least 10 psi and preferably approximately 350 psi in the absence of any blockage.

In spraying articles with liquid such as paint or sealant, it is important to completely cover the article. In automatic systems, if there is a malfunction in the paint spray system, the articles may be insufficiently coated. If the malfunction is not detected, the articles may have to be manually painted or must be passed through the system a second time. This obviously results in inefficient use of relatively expensive equipment, and potentially expensive manual rework.
A typical malfunction of such a liquid spray system is that the nozzle or spray tip of a spray gun of the system becomes plugged or clogged. This clogging or plugging may be either partial or total.
Tip blockage detection has been accomplished by using a single pressure transducer or sensor as illustrated at 10 in FIG. 1. This system works on the principle that if the pressure increases at the nozzle 12 of a spray gun 14, the spray gun tip is blocked. The transducer 10 may be placed anywhere in the system close to the gun 14 remote from a source 15 of pressurized liquid. Pressure limits are set in the software contained within a controller 16 of the system to flag a high pressure condition. In addition to the pressure transducer 10, a flow meter 18 may optionally be located in a liquid supply line 20 of the system.
One problem with the single transducer approach is that such a system is very sensitive to material viscosity changes and incoming material pressure changes. This is because the system works on the principle that a change in pressure indicates a plugged spray orifice. Pressure changes due to changes of the material causes enough of a change in pressure to indicate a plugged tip or a low pressure condition, which may or may not be true.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,430,886 to Rood discloses a method and apparatus for sensing a clogged nozzle in a spray gun by placing a restricter in the liquid flow path upstream of a valve and a pressure transducer between the restricter and the valve for measuring the pressure drop when the valve is open.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,482,781 to Sharpe discloses a spray gun including a pressure gauge that directly reads the pressure of air applied to the nozzle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,368,852 to Sharpe et al discloses a combination spray gun and pressure regulator for providing even pressure of the liquid supply to the gun.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,385,522, 4,181,017 and 5,096,120 to Kock, Markle and Luckarz, respectively, all disclose pressure regulated spray systems. The '120 patent discloses the use of one sensor associated with a recirculating line and a second sensor associated with a tapping line.

Method and system for detecting blockage in a spray gun of a liquid spray system


Sustained delivery formulations comprising a water-insoluble complex of a peptide and a carrier macromolecule are disclosed. The formulations of the invention allow for loading of high concentrations of peptide in a small volume and for delivery of a pharmaceutically active peptide for prolonged periods, e.g., one month, after administration of the complex. The complexes of the invention can be milled or crushed to a fine powder. In powdered form, the complexes form stable aqueous suspensions and dispersions, suitable for injection. In a preferred embodiment, the peptide of the complex is an LHRH analogue, preferably an LHRH antagonist, and the carrier macromolecule is an anionic polymer, preferably carboxymethylcellulose. Methods of making the complexes of the invention, and methods of using LHRH-analogue-containing complexes to treat conditions treatable with an LHRH analogue, are also disclosed.

A variety of diseases and clinical disorders are treated by the administration of a pharmaceutically active peptide. One such example is prostate cancer, which is a sex hormone dependent cancer and which can be treated by administration of a luteinizing hormone releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue that disturbs the production of luteinizing hormone (LH), which regulates the synthesis of male hormones. In particular, to decrease LH production, peptidic analogues of LHRH that act as superagonists of the luteinizing hormone releasing hormone receptor, such as leuprolide and goserelin, have been used.
In many instances, the therapeutic effectiveness of a pharmaceutically active peptide depends upon its continued presence in vivo over prolonged time periods. To achieve continuous delivery of the peptide in vivo, a sustained release or sustained delivery formulation is desirable, to avoid the need for repeated administrations. One approach for sustained drug delivery is by microencapsulation, in which the active ingredient is enclosed within a polymeric membrane to produce microparticles. For example, LHRH superagonists, such as leuprolide and goserelin, typically are encapsulated within a microparticle comprising a poly-lactide/poly-glycolide copolymer to prepare formulations suitable for depot injection that provide sustained delivery of the superagonist over several weeks to months (see e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,675,189; 4,677,191; 5,480,656 and 4,728,721).
Additional sustained delivery formulations for administering pharmaceutically active peptides in vivo continuously for prolonged time periods are needed.

Pharmaceutical formulations for sustained drug delivery


The present invention relates generally to an apparatus for and a method of measuring and selecting grain for use in milling, or seed for use in plant breeding. Said method is adapted to optically analyze seeds/grains to qualitatively and quantitatively characterize the seed/grain, and more particularly, to analyze the gradation of color, whiteness, and hard endosperm of the seed/grain. This method and apparatus perform color image analysis of seed/grain sample(s) to characterize multiple quality traits.

Billions of bushels of grain (corn, soybeans, wheat, sorghum) are grown each year in the United States and enter a distribution network for purchase and utilization by various consumers, including animal feeds, industrial uses and human food processing. Grain varies in its quality and physical attributes from location to location due to genetic differences, local environmental conditions, agronomic production practices and physical handling and shipping treatment. Grains from different locations are combined in large storage and shipping containers for both domestic and export use.
In order to protect the consumer and provide assurances that the product purchased meets consumer needs, the U.S. Congress enacted the United States Grain Standards Act (USGSA) (Aug. 11, 1916, ch. 313, 39 Stat. 453 (7 USC .sctn. 71 to 87, 111, 113, 241 to 273, 2209; 16 USC .sctn..sctn. 490, 683) in 1916 to provide a uniform descriptive system for long distance trading of grain. The Federal Grain Inspection Service (FGIS) was created within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to: (1) establish uniform Grades and Standards, and (2) to implement nationwide procedures for accurate and unbiased test results. In general, the Grain Standards factors assess physical condition or biological stability of the grain and generally fall into at least one of the following categories:                Grade determining: provides a numerical Grade based on the level of the poorest of factors including test weight, heat damage, total damage, broken corn/foreign material (BCFM).        Mandatory non-grade determining: grain moisture, broken corn, and foreign material.        Class: grain color or type—yellow, white, mixed.        Special Grade designations: special situations, i.e., insect infestation, type of grain endosperm, i.e., waxy, flint.        Optional official criteria: factors requested by party requesting inspection, i.e., protein percent in wheat, which is a measure of end-use value.(See, "Quality Corn; The United States Grades and Standards"; Iowa Corn Growers Association, January, 1990, No. 2 of 6.)
Since the inherent quality of grains is not routinely measured and included in the USGSA, end-users have set their own internal standards to assure the grain purchased for their processing needs provides the greatest efficiency and return. Such factors may include, but are not limited to, color gradation, percent protein, oil, starch and hard endosperm. These traits are of particular interest to wet and dry millers of corn.
Wet millers process grain by steeping the grain in liquid(s) of varying composition to extract the starch, protein, gluten, oil, and hulls. Starch is further processed for various industrial starch uses, or converted into sweeteners or alcohol. Protein and gluten fractions are generally sold as animal feeds.
Dry millers process grain by mechanically breaking and separating the grain fractions through a series of rollers and shakers into the various sized components. Based on size and composition, these components are referred to as grits, meal, flour, germ and bran. These fractions are purchased by end-users for processing into cereals, snack foods, baking products, brewing and other industrial uses. Larger grit particle size is of the greatest value. A variant of dry milling is alkaline-cooking which produces dry masa flour for Mexican foods such as tortillas and snack foods.
In recent years, the ability to identify, preserve, ship and distribute grains with specific traits of added value to the seedsman, the grower, and the end-user, has increased interest in a systematic means of consistently characterizing grain for those specific traits of interest. Further, plant breeders need quick, accurate, reliable analysis methods on which to base individual plant selections in their breeding schemes. The specific traits of particular interest to millers vary from mill to mill depending upon the milling process and the type of product manufactured by the end-user. In general, for wet milling, if grain is US Grade No. 2 or 3, no other additional requirements exist for acceptance. There are some exceptions, such as wet mills that require highly extractable starch, or starch with unique cooking attributes.
In dry milling and alkaline cooking, where food products are manufactured, a host of grain characteristics may be evaluated to determine which hybrids produce grain which best meet the specific needs. In general, color gradation and hardness are two grain characteristics of particular interest because of consumer preference in the appearance and texture of the food. Grain color has a direct impact on product color, especially in alkaline cooking. Hardness affects ease of milling as well as product texture and yield, and is essentially a function of the relative proportion of vitreous (hard) to floury (soft) endosperm in the grain. Some grain cooking characteristics, such as pericarp removal, are also critical in the manufacture of food products, but these traits cannot be evaluated without expensive milling/cooking trials (actual or simulated), and therefore are not measured by millers until the final stages of hybrid selection.
White corn processors prefer a "clean" white color, without tones of yellow, red or a "dirty" (i.e., gray) cast. Yellow food corn processors prefer a "bright, medium-yellow" color. As the descriptions suggest, color ratings are highly subjective. Some analyses attempt to compare grain to a standard color chart, e.g., Hunter Color Scale, to evaluate grain (see, "Intrinsic Value of Nebraska Corn: 1994 Crop Year Report"; Jackson, Nebr. Corn Board, P.O. Box 95107, 301 Centennial Mall South, Lincoln, Nebr. 68509-5107); but more often ratings over a scale of 1-5 are given based on the expertise of the observer. Ratings of 4-5 are too dark, and 1-2 may be too light or pale in color. Grain with unacceptable color results in products that have unsatisfactory consumer acceptance. To date, the color analysis of seeds and grain for milling purposes is still commonly based upon subjective ratings.
Quantitative characteristics of grain seed including protein, oil and starch content as well as methods of qualitatively distinguishing between seed types have been available for some time. Some examples of such methods are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,385,434 to Nelson, U.S. Pat. No. 3,830,289 to Gray, U.S. Pat. No. 4,260,262 to Webster and U.S. Pat. No. 4,734,584 to Rosenthal.
Nelson teaches a method of sorting seed corn from field corn based on the transluminescent characteristics of each. The apparatus described by Nelson contains a strong light beamed from multiple directions against the kernels of corn in a manner that allows for detection and comparison of reflected and transluminescent light. Nelson then sorts the kernels according to their transluminescent characteristics while ignoring the surface reflected light.
Gray teaches that Nelson's method is relatively unreliable in practice because of the unpredicted effects of reflected radiation and because of the size difference of the seed corn kernels. Gray provides a sorting method based on measuring and comparing the shadow pattern of at least two areas of light attenuation through a seed. Neither Gray nor Nelson teach the existence of a correlation between hard endosperm percent and the amount of transmitted light or a manner of calculating same.
Webster describes the use of photo-optical grain quality analyzers that calculates seed characteristics, such as oil percentage, water percentage, and protein percentage, from measurement of reflected infrared light.
Rosenthal provides an apparatus for near infrared illumination of seeds and detection of reflected light from same for calculation of seed characteristics.
See also the Abstract of a presentation by M. R. Paulsen, (Machine Vision for Corn Inspection, Abstract of presentation at the 1992 Grain Quality Conference in Champaign, Ill., Mar. 17, 1992) wherein is disclosed a machine vision system containing an image processing board, a microcomputer with monitor, a display monitor, a solid state CCD camera, and a lighting chamber for holding samples. Paulsen describes the following four applications for his system which include measurement of kernel length, detection of stress cracks in kernels, detection of cracks in the pericarp with the use of dye staining and distinguishing between whole and broken kernels. Paulsen states that development of his system is continuing in an effort to detect corn color and kernel hardness. The Abstract does not include a detailed description of how to repeat Paulsen's work or detailed results of the accuracy or reliability of the methods employed.
One of skill in the art will appreciate that a corn kernel consists of a germ (embryo) and endosperm covered by a seed coat or pericarp. The germ is the major oil source within the kernels and accounts for about 11% of the kernel. Approximately 83% of the kernel consists of endosperm with a composition mostly of starch but also protein and other constituents. The pericarp (bran) accounts for another 5%, and the tip cap constitutes the remaining 1% of the kernel. The makeup of the endosperm determines the processing usage of the grain. Endosperm consists of varying percentages of soft and hard endosperm. Generally, soft endosperm grains are preferred by wet millers and hard endosperm grains are preferred in dry milling and alkaline cooking. Starch is typically more easily extracted from soft endosperm grain types. Kernels with a high proportion of hard endosperm are less likely to break during shipping, will produce a high dry milling yield of large more valuable grit components, and in the alkaline cooking process are less likely to be overcooked or damaged. There is an optimum hardness for alkaline cooking, however, and hybrids with very hard (flinty) grain are undesirable because they require too long to cook.
Numerous ways of estimating grain hardness have been employed over the years. Hardness, as the ratio of hard/soft endosperm, has been quantified directly with time-consuming measurements on dissected kernels, and has also been estimated with subjective ratings. Another aspect of hardness, the resistance to crushing or breaking, has been approximated using various physical devices designed to simulate milling processes or grain handling stresses. Hardness has also been estimated in an indirect way by measuring grain density (weight per unit volume), which is a highly correlated trait. Measurements of both density and resistance to breakage are influenced by grain moisture content, and require either that all samples be of similar moisture or that a correction factor be used.
Visual observation of grain over a light box, followed by a subjective rating given by an experienced person, has long been a common screening method for grain hardness. Soft endosperm is more opaque and does not transmit much light, while hard endosperm is more translucent and transmits more light. Although an important benefit of this method is time efficiency, such ratings depend on the "eye of the beholder" and vary based on the person rating the grain, so that hybrids producing acceptable grain for one processor may not be acceptable to another. In a breeding program to improve grain texture of the plant's seed or of the final grain, high data variability often occurs due to multiple raters. To counteract this a single person bears the burden of observing and rating thousands of samples to minimize such variation. Even then, variation occurs due to fatigue and observer errors.
A convenient and commonly accepted method of estimating hardness in the grain industry is the measurement of test weight, a density-based assessment. Actually, test weight is not a measure of true density but bulk density, and is obtained by weighing a given volume of grain and making an adjustment for moisture. Test weight is widely used as a quick test for quality (and grade determination) of commodity grains at points of sale, in breeding yield trials, and even in the approval of grain for wet milling applications. Test weight has also been shown in some instances to be positively correlated with dry milling yield and is used by some food grade end-users. It is known, however, that test weight data can be misleading due to the confounding of other grain characteristics such as kernel shape, and therefore it's value is limited.
Another conventional and commonly performed test is the "floaters" test. Although this test purports to provide an indirect measure of kernel hardness, it is actually more a measure of the uniformity of the grain in regard to density. In this test, the number of kernels which float in a 1.275 specific gravity solution are counted, and relative hardness is read from a chart which accounts for grain moisture. Processors generally specify a maximum percent floaters allowable. This is a fairly time consuming process of counting a given number of kernels per sample, involving placing the kernels in the solution, counting and removing same from the solution.
Another commonly used device for evaluating density is the pycnometer, which depends upon the displacement of gas. A weighed grain sample of optimum moisture is placed in a sealed chamber followed by pressurized gas, such as nitrogen, which displaces the atmospheric air in the chamber. The amount of gas entering the chamber is related to hardness, and is a function of grain porosity, endosperm texture, as well as inter-seed space.
Scientists and end-users have also attempted to quantify hardness based upon resistance to physical damage. A hardness index developed using a tangential abrasive dehulling device (TADD) was used in a 1995 Texas Foodcorn Performance Test, as described by Bockholt et al. (1995 Texas Food Corn Performance Test; The Texas Agricultural Experiment, Station/Department of Soil & Crop Sciences, Texas A&M University, College Station, Texas). In that test, the amount of material removed, expressed as a percentage of the total sample, is related to the relative proportions of hard to soft endosperm, kernel size and shape, and type of denting. It requires 45 gm of whole kernels and is a destructive technique. Seeds cannot be later used for any purpose, which is a major drawback in a breeding program, where it is desirable to select and plant the best kernels.
Near-infrared reflectance (NIR) and near-infrared transmittance (NIT) analyzers are becoming increasingly popular for quick estimation of numerous grain traits including moisture, extractable starch, test weight, and kernel density. Grain samples are irradiated with light of varying wavelengths over a range from about 400 to 2,500 nm. Electronic detectors measure the absorbance of light by the grain at the different wavelengths. The pattern of absorption is a function of the type and concentration of chemical bonds in molecules within the grain. Statistical programs are available to solve the complicated calibrations which link the absorption patterns to actual grain properties measured with standard procedures. NIR and NIT analyzers offer some advantages because they are rapid and non-destructive. The reliability of the results depends upon the quality of the calibrations, and precision can only approach but never equal that of measurements obtained directly with actual procedures.
More recently, a method and apparatus disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,835,206 to Tragesser, the entire disclosure of which is hereby incorporated herein by reference, describes the use of a color image analyzer for quantifying seed/grain quality traits. The main benefit of Tragesser's disclosed method and apparatus is a fairly quick and subjective estimate of grain hardness, through the calculation of hard endosperm area as a percent of total kernel area. With Tragesser's apparatus, a color video camera and a computer are used to capture and analyze white light that is passed through a back-lit seed/grain sample. FIG. 1 shows an example of Tragesser's apparatus. As illustrated, light is directed through a first linear polarizing light filter (25) and then through the seed sample (10). Light transmitted through the seed sample is collected by a video camera (15) after having passed through a second linear polarizing light filter (7) that is oriented with its direction of polarization orthogonal to that of the first polarizing filter (25). The use of cross polarizing filters in this manner prevents extraneous background/ambient light that does not pass through the seed/grain sample from interfering with the analysis of light passing through the sample. Pixel intensity and color data are acquired from the camera and analyzed, using conventional software, to quantify certain grain traits such as hard endosperm percent, kernel area, hue (gradation of color), saturation (whiteness), and intensity. Since the quantification of grain hue and saturation is based on whole kernel images, it is influenced by embryo color and size, as well as grain texture. For certain end-users, the estimations of grain hue and saturation using this method can be occasionally inappropriate because unused portions of the kernel (embryo, soft endosperm) can influence the results.
There remains a need for a convenient and accurate method and apparatus for evaluating important quality indicative characteristics of seeds/grains such as, for example, grain color. There remains a need for a method and apparatus employing non-polarized visible light. There furthermore remains a need for a method and apparatus that does not employ near-infrared reflectance (NIR) or near-infrared transmittance (NIT) analyzers, or external polarizers but instead uses direct visual range light.

Method and apparatus for analyzing quality traits of grain or seed


An endoscope includes a cylinder body having an opening leading to a suction channel and an opening of the suction channel leads to a suction device both of side bath of these openings are provided in an adjacent, parallel relation. A cap member is detachably mounted on the cylinder body and is made of an elastic member. A piston is provided on the cap member to allow one of the openings to be opened or closed through the movement of the piston. A suction control unit thus achieved has a simpler arrangement and enables easy and positive cleaning.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an endoscope having a suction control unit for sucking, for example, waste in a body cavity, cleaning water injected, etc., and removing them.
2. Description of the Related Art
Published Examined Japanese Utility Model 128 Registration corresponding to U.S. Pat. No. 4,412,531 and Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application 63-214228 disclose known ordinary endoscopes whose suction control unit includes a cylinder incorporated into a control section and a control piston inserted into the cylinder and having a suction tube leading to a suction unit and suction channel for the endoscope which are connected to the cylinder.
One end of the suction channel and one end of the suction tube are connected in a mutually orthogonal relation to the cylinder. For this reason, upon the cleaning of the suction tube, a cleaning brush is externally pushed into the cylinder so as to force waste into the cylinder. Then the brush is inserted via the opening side of the cylinder to allow the waste to be discharged out of the distal end of an insertion section.
If a sequence of operation is wrongly done, it is sometimes impossible to completely discharge remaining waste out of the whole tube. Further, the operation sequence is also important from the standpoint of preventing the infection of diseases, etc. Since the suction channel and suction tube are connected in an orthogonal relation to the axial direction of the cylinder, it is cumbersome to perform a cleaning operation by the cleaning brush.
Published Unexamined Japanese Patent Application No. 63-203127 discloses an endoscope having a suction control unit of such a type that a suction channel and a suction tube leading to a suction unit are provided in a parallel relation, but that they have to be individually connected to a corresponding connector body. The arrangement includes, in addition, an elastic control valve, etc., and becomes complex and hard to clean by a cleaning brush. In particular, the control valve per se is liable to be soiled with deposited waste, thus leaving something to be improved.

Suction control apparatus for an endoscope


A method and apparatus for noise burst detection in a signal processor is provided. The method and apparatus is based on the zero-crossing rate (ZCR) of the received signal, which is defined as the number of times the magnitude of the received signal becomes zero during a specific counting period, to determine whether the received signal is a noise or a normal signal. The received signal is sampled at a specified sampling rate. Whether the signal waveform undergoes a zero-crossing is determined by comparing the polarity of the current sampled magnitude with that of the previous one. If the polarities are different, it indicates that the signal waveform has undergone a zero-crossing during the current sampling period; otherwise, it indicates that the signal waveform has not undergone a zero-crossing. The count of zero-crossing during each counting period is compared with a preset threshold value. If the count is larger than the threshold value, it indicates the received signal is noise; otherwise, the received signal is a normal signal.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to signal processors, and more particularly, to a method and apparatus for noise burst detection in signal processors.
2. Description of Related Art
Thanks to the advances in semiconductor technologies, many electronic devices, such as digital cordless telephones, can be now made compact but nonetheless provide an increased level of functionality with high integration and low cost. The digital cordless telephone includes a handset which is provided with a microphone for receiving and converting a human voice into an analog speech signal. The analog speech signal is subsequently converted into digital form which is compressed and then modulated into a radio frequency (RF) signal for transmission by means of an antenna through the ether to a nearby base station. The base station serves as a relay to retransmit the RF signal to the destination telephone set. Upon receiving the RF signal, the circuitry in the destination telephone set first demodulates the RF signal into digital form, then decompresses the digital data, converts the digital data into analog form, and finally broadcasts the analog signal (which represents the original voice of the caller) on a speaker on the destination telephone set.
The UK (United Kingdom) Cordless-Telephone Second Generation CT-2, for example, sets forth a standard for cordless telephone communications. In compliance with the CT-2 standard, the handset on the caller's site will process the analog speech signal generated by the microphone by means of the so-called Adaptive Differential Pulse Code Modulation (ADPCM) encoder for pulse code modulation (PCM) of the analog speech signal into digital form, and then transmit the modulated signal via the so-called Common Air Interface (CAI) to the base station.
The handset and the base station are continuously linked until the communication therebetween is over. In some circumstances, for instance when the handset is moved beyond the reception range of the base range, the link is broken. When this happens, high volume white noise will be output to the speaker. This noisy broadcast of the white noise is usually annoying to the user. The speaker will be muted only until the handset detects that the link is disconnected. To detect whether the link is connected or disconnected, the CT-2 standard sets forth a so-called "shake-hand" signal which is embedded in the transmitted signal for the handset to determine whether the link is still connected. One drawback to this solution, however, is that the interval of the shake-hand signal will last for several seconds, which is quite a long duration for the user to tolerate the noisy broadcast from the speaker on the handset. A conventional solution can reduce the interval of the shake-hand signal down to some hundreds of milliseconds (ms). However, users still consider this period too long to tolerate the noisy broadcast from the speaker on the handset when the link is broken.
Various noise burst detection techniques have been proposed for use on digital signal systems, such as the above-mentioned ADPCM-based digital communication system, for quick detection of the appearance of noise burst to thereby prevent them from being broadcast on the speaker on the handset. Conventional noise burst detection techniques include, for example, the U.S. Pat. No. 5,317,522 to Bonnet et al. and the U.S. Pat. No. 5,319,573 to Corleto et al., which are particularly used on ADPCM encoders to detect noise burst and, in the event of the occurrence of a noise burst, shut off the speaker so as to mute the noise.
However, it is a drawback of these two patents that, since multiplexers and accumulators are required for signal processing to determine whether the received signal is noise or a normal signal, the hardware is very complex. The manufacturing cost of the two patents is therefore high.

Method and apparatus for noise burst detection in signal processors


A swimming pool cleaning assembly that has at least one ultrasonic generator, a swimming pool cleaning machine including a support frame, a housing shell provided with a bottom wall and arranged around the support frame, a driver located in the housing shell, advancer supported by the frame and arranged to be place, in use, on a surface to be cleaned of a swimming pool and driven, at least one water suction opening provided in the bottom surface of the housing shell, which is designed to be put in fluid communication with water suction, driver being tightly sealed in the housing shell and electrically connectable to the supply, the ultrasonic generator being arranged at the bottom wall facing, in use, the surface to be cleaned.

Swimming pool cleaning machines are known and largely adopted at present, which comprise a frame supported by driving means, e.g. an electric motor designed to drive a number of small wheels or tracks arranged to move the cleaning machine backward and forward on an inner surface of a swimming pool, and one or more inlet openings arranged to suck from the bottom of the machine, the whole assembly being arranged in a housing shell.
The driving means is tight sealed in the housing shell and generally electrically connected by means of an electric cable, preferably provided with a float, to power mains through a transformer or a low-tension power supply located near to the swimming pool.
Generally speaking, the electric motor also drives a pair of rotatable brushes having their axes of rotation parallel to one another and arranged at two opposite sides of the cleaning machine, i.e. one in front and the other at the rear of cleaning machine.
In bottom of the housing shell, i.e. the housing shell surface designed to be facing, in use, against the swimming pool surface to be cleaned, a plurality of inlet openings are formed, through which swimming pool water can be sucked. The water thus sucked drags impurities and debris with it, e.g. fungi, algae, scale pieces, etc., from which the swimming pool itself must be cleaned, without the need for the swimming pool to be emptied before proceeding to a cleaning operation thereof.
The inlet openings are connected to suction means and filtering means generally comprising a pump arranged to suck water to be cleaned through the inlet openings and to send it to a filtering bag arranged within the housing shell of the cleaning machine. After filtration through the filtering bag, any sucked water is discharged into the swimming pool.
However, cleaning machines at present available on the market have some drawbacks. First of all, conventional cleaning machines are unable effectively to remove limestone and "rust" accrued and attached to the swimming pool walls. Limestone and rust removal requires hard manual work by the operator, who after a cleaning operation by means of a cleaning machine has to remove manually any scales on the swimming pool walls by means of brushes and the use of chemicals.
The filtering bag is thus liable to became obstructed quite rapidly especially if leaves, wooden fragments or other polluting elements of substantial size with respect to the dimensions of the filtering bag or through openings thereof.
When limestone, rust algae and fungi are firmly attached to the swimming pool walls, the two rotary brushes of a cleaning machine are fully inadequate to insure that the swimming pool floor and walls are satisfactorily cleaned.
Moreover, the electric cable, which plunges into water from the outside of the swimming pool for supplying the cleaning machine, represents often a risk of current escape.


A power controlled sub-band assignment and power allocation among users in a multiband UWB system aims to reduce power consumption without compromising performance. The overall transmit power is minimized under the practical constraints, including packet error rate, transmission rate, and FCC regulations. To insure the system feasibility in variable channel conditions, an optimization scheme manages the assignment of UWB devices to respective channels subject to their suitability to the requested users' transmission rates. An inexpensive suboptimal approach reduces the complexity of the optimization procedure and achieves a comparable performance to those of the complex full search optimization routine. The suboptimal scheme obtains the feasible solutions adaptively when the channels assignment, initially calculated under the optimization criteria, is not feasible for the user's rate requirement.

Ultra-wideband (UWB) systems is an emerging technology that offers promise to satisfy the growing demand for low cost and high-speed digital wireless home networks. A traditional UWB technology is based on single-band systems (M. Z. Win and R. A. Scholtz, "Impulse Radio: How It Works," IEEE Commun. Letters, vol. 2, no. 2, pp. 36-38, February 1998; M. Z. Win and R. A. Scholtz, "Ultra-Wide-bandwidth Time-Hopping spread-Spectrum Impulse Radio for Wireless Multiple-Access Communications," IEEE Trans. On Commun., vol. 48, no. 4, pp. 679-691, April 2000; M. L. Welborn, "System Considerations for Ultra-Wideband Wireless Networks," IEEE Radio and Wireless Conf., pp. 5-8, August 2001; J. R. Foerster, "The Performance of a Direct-Sequence Spread Ultra Wideband system in the Presence of Multipath, Narrowband Interference, and Multiuser Interference," IEEE Conf. on Ultra Wideband Systems and Technologies, pp. 87-91, May 2002; Z. Feng and T. Kaiser, "On Channel Capacity of Multi-Antenna UWB Indoor Wireless Systems," IEEE Int. Symposium on spread Spectrum Techniques and applications, Sydney, Australia, Aug. 30-Sep. 2, 2004) that directly modulate data into a sequence of pulses which occupy the available bandwidth of 7.5 GHz. Recently, innovative multiband UWB schemes were proposed in (J. R. Foerster, et al., "Intel CFP Presentation for a UWB PHY," IEEE P802.15-03/109r1, Mar. 3, 2003; E. Saberinia and A. H. Tewfik, "Multi-User UWB-OFDM Communications," IEEE Proc. On Pacific Rim Conf. on Communic., Computers and Signal Processing, vol. 1, pp. 127-130, August 2003; J. R. Foerster, V. Somayazulu, S. Roy, "A Multibanded System Architecture for Ultra-Wideband Communications," IEEE Conf. on Military Commun., vol. 2, pp. 903-908, Oct. 13-16, 2003; A. Batra, et al., "Multi-Band OFDM "Physical Layer Proposal for IEEE 802.15 Task Group 3a," IEEE P802.15-03/268r3, March 2004).
Instead of using the entire UWB frequency band to transmit information, multiband techniques divide the spectrum into several sub-bands. Each sub-band occupies a bandwidth of at least 500 MHz in compliance with the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) regulations (Federal Communications Commission Report FCC 98-153 "Revision of Part 15 of the Commission's rules Regarding Ultra-Wideband Transmission Systems, First report and Order," Feb. 14, 2002).
By interleaving the transmitted symbols across sub-bands, multiband UWB systems can still maintain the average transmit or transmission power as if a large GHz bandwidth is being used. The advantage is that the information can be processed over much smaller bandwidth, thereby reducing overall design complexity, as well as improving spectral flexibility and worldwide compliance.
A proposal for the IEEE 802.15.3a wireless personal area networking (WPAN) standard (IEEE 802.15WPAN High Rate Alternative PHY Task Group 3a (TG3a). Internet: www.ieee802.org/15/pub/TG3a.html) is based on multiband Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing (OFDM), which utilizes a combination of OFDM and time-frequency interleaving (A Batra, et al, "Multi-Band OFDM Physical Layer Proposal for IEEE 802.15 Task Group 3a," IEEE P802.15-03/268r3, March 2004).
The OFDM technique is efficient at collecting multipath energy in highly dispersive channels, as is the case for most UWB channels. Time-frequency interleaving allows the OFDM symbols to be transmitted on different sub-bands. By using proper time-frequency codes, multiband UWB systems provide not only frequency diversity, but also multiple access capability (A. Batra, et al., "Design of a Multiband OFDM System for Realistic UWB Channel Environments," IEEE Trans. On Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 52, no. 9, pp. 2123-2138, September 2004).
To this date, most research efforts on multiband UWB systems have been devoted to the physical layer issues (A Batra, et al, "Multi-Band OFDM Physical Layer Proposal for IEEE 802.15 Task Group 3a," IEEE P802.15-03/268r3, March 2004; A. Batra, et al., "Design of a Multiband OFDM System for Realistic UWB Channel Environments," IEEE Trans. On Microwave Theory and Techniques, vol. 52, no. 9, pp. 2123-2138, Sep. 2004; E Saberinia, J. Tang, A. H. Tewfik, and K. K. Parhi, "Design and Implementation of Multi-Band Pulsed-OFDM System for Wireless Personal Area Networks," IEEE Int. Conf on Commun., vol. 2, pp. 862-866, Jun. 20-24, 2004; Y. Nakache, et al., "Low-Complexity Ultrawideband Transceiver with Compatibility to Multiband-OFDM," Technical report, A Mitsubishi Electronic Research laboratory. Internet: www.merl.com/reports/docs/TR2004-051.pdf).
Nevertheless, research and development related to medium access techniques and cross layer design is still limited. Some of the key issues that remain largely unexplored are resource allocations such as power control and channel allocation. The multiband technique (A Batra, et al, "Multi-Band OFDM Physical Layer Proposal for IEEE 802.15 Task Group 3a," IEEE P802.15-03/268r3, March 2004) divides the sub-bands into groups, each comprising 2-3 sub-bands. A set of predetermined time-frequency codes is used to interleave the data within each band group. Each user's transmit power is equally distributed among his/her assigned sub-bands. This strategy lacks the ability to allocate sub-bands optimally since the available sub-bands are not assigned to each user according to his/her channel condition.
Since many applications enabled by UWB are expected to be in portable devices, low power consumption becomes a fundamental requirement. The low transmit power of UWB emissions not only ensures long life-time for the energy-limited devices but also reduces co-channel interference. There is a desire to design a proper cross layer scheme that allows UWB systems to operate at a low transmit power level, while still achieving desired performance. In addition, UWB systems are expected to support integration of multimedia traffic, such as voice, image, data, and video streams. This requires a cross layer scheme that is capable of allocating the available resources to a variety of users with different service rates in an effective way. An innovative design of multiband cross layer protocols is important to fully exploit the benefits of UWB systems.
Therefore, adaptive optimization of the sub-band assignment according to channels conditions and power control can greatly improve the system performance of multiband UWB.

Method and system for power controlled effective allocation of sub-bands in ultra-wideband communication


The present invention provides for apparatus and methods for operating a garage door. An embodiment of an operating assembly for a door includes a shaft, a graduated drum, and an energy storing member. The shaft is coupled to the door such that the shaft rotates in a first direction as the door is opened and rotates in a second direction as the door is closed. The coupling of the shaft to the door is typically accomplished by a cable. The graduated drum is coupled to the shaft and the energy storing member is coupled to the graduated drum by another cable. The energy storing member is arranged such that the energy storing member stores energy as the door is closed and releases stored energy as the door is opened to assist in the raising and lowering of the door.

The present invention is an improvement upon the invention disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,785, issued on Jan. 10, 2006, and titled DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM AND METHOD OF USING THE SAME, which is hereby incorporated in its entirety by reference.
Most systems for operating garage doors utilize torsion springs to assist in lifting the garage door. Such torsion-spring-based systems function as follows. A shaft is normally located above the door opening. A pair of door drums are attached to the shaft. Cables connect the door drums to the garage door. As the garage door is raised, the cables wind around the drums; as the door is lowered, those cables unwind. A torsion spring is positioned along the shaft. One end of the torsion spring is connected to the shaft and the opposite end of the spring is anchored to the door opening. The torsion spring is preloaded during the installation process. This preloading provides the necessary torque to counterbalance or offset the torque that the garage door imposes on the shaft by its connection to the door drums. When the garage door is raised, the shaft rotates in a first direction, and the torsion spring releases stored energy, thus assisting in lifting the door. When the door is lowered, the shaft rotates in the opposite direction, and the torsion spring is reloaded with energy, thereby, assisting in offsetting the weight of the door and slowing its decent.
However, the use of torsion springs to assist in the lifting and lowering of garage doors offers disadvantages. For example, since torsion springs must be preloaded at installation, a technician performing that installation is exposed to risk of injury. If the technician overloads the torsion spring or the torsion spring includes a material defect, the spring may fail suddenly. Due to the preload, such a failure of a spring is unpredictable and may cause the spring to strike the technician or a garage surface with great force, causing significant bodily injury or property damage. In addition, the very process of preloading a torsion spring is difficult and laborious, and many individuals are physically incapable of completing such a task. Therefore, there is a need to replace torsion springs commonly used for garage door mechanisms with safer and easier apparatus and methods.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,983,785 discloses the use of gas springs as an alternative to torsion springs. A gas spring is fixed at one end and slideably mounted along a track on the opposite end. A cable connects the gas spring to a side drum, which is attached to the shaft above the garage door. As the door is lowered, the cable winds around the side drum, causing the gas spring to compress and store energy. This compression serves to counterbalance the weight of the door and slow the decent of the door. As the door is raised, the compressed gas spring extends and releases energy, pulling the cable attached to the side drum and assisting in lifting the door.
The present invention provides alternatives to the use of torsion springs in assisting the operation of a garage door. The elimination of torsion springs overcomes disadvantages in the prior art. In addition, the present invention provides for novel arrangements of apparatus and methods for using these alternatives to torsion springs.

Garage door operating apparatus and methods


An intracoronary sheath for use in catheter exchanges has an elongate tubular body with a proximally facing funnel at the proximal end of the sheath. A proximally extending wire for manipulating the sheath is attached to the proximal end of the sheath. The intracoronary sheath is advanced by manipulation of the wire over a first catheter positioned in a guide catheter and extends beyond the distal end of the guide catheter into the patient's vascular system. After the first catheter is removed, a second catheter advanced through a guide catheter is guided by the funnel into the intracoronary sheath and through the vascular system to a desired position in the patient's body. A second embodiment provides for the exchange of a second guidewire for a first guidewire. A first guidewire is positioned within a monorail-type catheter extending into the patient's vascular system. The monorail type catheter is provided with a proximally facing funnel on a proximally facing opening leading into the lumen of the monorail catheter which receives the guidewire. After the first guidewire is removed, the second guidewire introduced. The funnel guides the guidewire into the proximally facing opening and then into the guidewire lumen of the monorail-type catheter.

This invention relates to improvements in devices and techniques used with small diameter low profile dilatation angioplasty catheters, particularly in coronary angioplasty. More particularly, the invention concerns improvements in systems for effecting catheter exchanges when one of the catheters is of the "fixed wire" type which incorporates a wire-like shaft that is sufficiently torsionally rigid so as to be steerable thereby enabling the catheter to be selectively guided and steered to the desired location in the patient's coronary arteries.
In performing coronary angioplasty, it often occurs that the physician may wish to use a catheter different than the one originally inserted into the patient. For example, this may occur if the initial selection of catheter balloon size was inappropriate to treat the patient's stenosis or some other event occurs that would make use of a different catheter desirable. When the catheter is of the type that uses a separate movable guidewire, the catheter may be exchanged in a well known procedure in which an exchange wire is substituted for the movable guidewire (or the length of the guidewire is extended with an extension wire); then the catheter is withdrawn over the exchange wire and the replacement catheter is threaded over the exchange wire and is thereby guided to the stenosis. By maintaining the guidewire in position during the exchange procedure, the replacement catheter is easily and quickly advanced to the stenosis.
The foregoing catheter exchange procedure has not been usable with small diameter low profile dilatation catheters of the type that incorporate an integral guidewire because the balloon catheter cannot be separated from the guidewire. Thus, when it is desired to exchange one such dilatation catheter for another, the typical procedure is to withdraw the entire catheter and integral guidewire and then replace it with the desired catheter. Withdrawal of the catheter, however, results in loss of position of the catheter in the stenosis. As a result, the next placed catheter must be re-manipulated through the patient's arterial system to position the balloon in the stenosis. The replacement of the catheter typically involves time consuming manipulation and steering to guide the catheter to place its balloon within the stenosis. The additional procedure increases somewhat the risk of trauma to the patient.
A similar problem is presented when it is desired to exchange a conventional movable guidewire dilatation catheter for a catheter of the type having an integral guidewire. Again, in order to make such an exchange, it has been customary to remove completely the movable guidewire and the dilatation catheter to permit insertion of the integral guidewire type of catheter. Because there is nothing to guide the catheter directly to the stenosis, it is necessary for the physician to go through all the manipulations necessary to steer and guide the new catheter to the stenosis.
A problem again occurs in the use of a monorail type catheter. It may be desired to exchange the indwelling guidewire with another guidewire of a different size or stiffness. Presently, if the guidewire is removed with the monorail catheter, the replacement guidewire must be re manipulated back through the patient's arterial system, a time consuming task. If the monorail catheter is left in place and only the guidewire removed, it is not possible to re-manipulate and steer the replacement guidewire to the opening or entry port of the lumen of the monorail which accepts the guidewire because the entry port or opening is of small diameter and of unsuitable orientation.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a system by which guidewire exchange may be facilitated with the use of a monorail-type catheter.
It would be desirable, therefore, to provide a system by which catheter exchanges involving small diameter low profile dilatation catheters having an integral guidewire could be effected easily, quickly, without loss of position and with minimal trauma. It is among the objects of the invention to provide such a system.

Intracoronary exchange apparatus and method


A pixel may include an organic light emitting diode (OLED) with a cathode electrode coupled to a second power source, a first transistor with a first electrode coupled to a data line, with a second electrode coupled to a first node, the first transistor being turned on when a scan signal is supplied to a scan line, a first capacitor coupled between the first node and a third power source to charge a first capacitor voltage corresponding to a data signal supplied from the data line, and a pixel circuit charged by the first capacitor voltage to supply current corresponding to a charged first power source voltage from a first power source to the second power source via the OLED.

1. Field
Embodiments relate to a pixel capable of being driven at a low driving frequency and an organic light emitting display using the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, various flat panel displays (FPD) capable of reducing weight and volume have been developed. Weight and volume are disadvantages of cathode ray tubes (CRT). The FPDs include liquid crystal displays (LCD), field emission displays (FED), plasma display panels (PDP), and organic light emitting displays.
The organic light emitting displays display images using organic light emitting diodes (OLED) that generate light by re-combination of electrons and holes. The organic light emitting display has high response speed and is driven with low power consumption.
The organic light emitting display includes a plurality of data lines, scan lines, and a plurality of pixels arranged in a matrix at intersections of power lines. Each pixel includes an organic light emitting diode, at least two transistors including a drive transistor, and at least one capacitor.
The organic light emitting display includes four frames in a period of 16.6 ms as illustrated in FIG. 1 in order to realize a 3D image. Among the four frames, a first frame displays a left image and a third frame displays a right image. A second frame and a fourth frame display a black image.

Pixel and organic light emitting display using the same


An intelligent electronic device (IED) for monitoring at least one power parameter in a power system is disclosed. The IED comprises at least one voltage input operative to be coupled with at least one power line in the power system and operative to sense at least one voltage in the power system. The IED further comprises at least one current input operative to be coupled with the at least one power line and operative to sense a current flowing through the at least one power line. The IED further comprises at least one analog to digital converter coupled to the voltage input and the current input and operative to produce digital samples indicative of the voltage and current. The IED further comprises a processor coupled with the at least one analog to digital converter and operative to calculate the at least one power parameter. The IED further comprises a power supply operative to supply power to the IED. The IED further comprises a transceiver operative to communicate at least one data packet comprising the at least one power parameter via time domain pulses of RF energy occupying a wide range of frequencies and an antenna coupled with the transceiver operative to transmit the RF data packet.

Intelligent Electronic Devices (IEDs) are coupled with electric power lines for the purpose of monitoring at least one power parameter of the electric power lines. IEDs may be coupled with the power lines through an intermediate device, such as a sensor device, via a digital communications link between the intermediate device and the IED. Power parameters include, but are not limited to, rms voltage, rms current, kilowatts (kW), kilo volts-amps reactive (kVAR), kilo volts-amps (kVA), kW hours (kWh), kVA hours (kVAh), kVAR hours (kVARh), harmonics, power factor, symmetrical components, etc. IEDs may also be capable of communicating these power parameters to a user or to a remote computer via a display and/or a communications interface. Some examples of IEDs include digital power meters, microprocessor based energy meters, numerical protective relays, digital current sensors, digital voltage sensors, power quality measurement devices, etc.
Exemplary communications interfaces provided by an IED may include an RS-485, Ethernet, fiber optic, or IRDA, etc. compliant interface. Typically, multiple IEDs are coupled with a network to which a computer is also coupled. The computer may then retrieve power parameters from the IEDs, may instruct the IEDs to perform various control actions and/or may configure the IEDs via the network.
In place of wired interconnections, the use of various wireless radio frequency (RF) technologies for networking IEDs together has been proposed. These technologies include Bluetooth®, IEEE 802.11a, b and g, GSM, CDPD, CDMA, TDMA, radio modems, and other similar wireless communications technologies. Due to the harshness, i.e. RF-inhospitable characteristics, of the industrial environment where IEDs are typically installed, acceptance of wireless technology has not been widespread.
The reasons that wireless technologies have not become widespread for use with IEDs vary. Industrial facilities typically contain a large number of metallic enclosures and other machinery that is composed of metal. This abundance of metal causes various problems with RF transmission including multi-path interference and a shielding effect depending on the relative location of transmitting and receiving antennas used in the system. Various wireless technologies have been developed to address these environmental and reliability issues. Some technologies offer high speed communications, but use a relatively large amount of power. Some technologies use a small amount of power, but offer relatively slow speed communications. Some technologies offer enclosure penetration capability, but are relatively slow speed or relatively high power. Some technologies require expensive circuitry to overcome the problems of multi-path interference. Some technologies (for example the wireless phone standards GSM, CDMA, TDMA and CDPD or satellite based communications technologies) require, and are dependent upon, an expensive infrastructure of support and therefore are not autonomous, i.e., if the wireless phone network suffers a communications outage, so will the network of IEDs.

Wireless communications system incorporating intelligent electronic devices


A surgical apparatus for attaching two portions of cutaneous body tissue includes a pair of opposed elongated jaws having members thereon at one end and which are movable toward each other to a closed position to engage two body tissue portions positioned within the members to move the bodily tissue portions into close approximation. Manually gripping systems of several alternative configurations are provided to actuate a mechanical transmission system to close the jaws. In a preferred embodiment, a fork is movable from a first position to a second position by manually operable devices to move the jaws toward each other. A pair of cam faces is located adjacent the opposite ends of the jaws. As the fork moves to its second position, the tines of the fork engage against the cam faces to move the opposed jaws to their closed position. A plurality of rod-like fasteners are carried in a stacked configuration proximally of the jaws such that when the jaws are in their closed position and the two body tissue portions are held in close approximation, each rod-like fastener is movable to a position of ingress to penetrate the body tissue portions to attach the two body tissue portions together. A method of attaching cutaneous body tissue portions is also disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an apparatus and method for subcuticular attachment of skin surrounding an opening wherein the opening is either caused unintentionally or by surgical procedure.
2. Discussion Of The Prior Art
Modern day surgery using sutures and staples or the like is well defined. Generally, the key to successfully attaching cutaneous matter is the utmost gentleness in handling all tissue. Damaged and injured tissue leads to necrosis followed by fibrosis and scarring.
In handling tissue for attaching the surgical ends adjacent an opening, care must be taken in attaching the open ends to provide a minimum of the usual well-known telltale marks in the skin. For example, the application of sutures in cutaneous surgery will often result in the appearance of telltale crosshatch markings, whereas the use of sutures subcutaneously allows for early removal to minimize the telltale marks. Application of subcutaneous sutures generally refers to introduction of sutures at well below the epidermis and dermis. Subcuticular sutures generally refer to sutures introduced beneath the epidermis. In any event, reference to attachment of cutaneous matter below the epidermis at any level is sometimes referred to as "subcutaneous."
Surgically attaching cutaneous matter is also accomplished by application of staples which are generally of a metal material and are closed by action against an anvil which causes the ends of the staple to close after piercing the skin surrounding an opening. In either case, the portions of skin are first drawn together and then stapled or sutured so as to hold them together until natural healing takes place. The steps are often cumbersome to the surgeon since holding the skin together requires one motion and stapling or suturing requires another.
To date, there does not appear to exist an apparatus which is capable of gripping the portions of cutaneous matter surrounding an opening and drawing them together, followed by introduction of a staple at subcuticular levels, i.e. below the epidermis. Neither does there appear to exist an apparatus which is capable of drawing the cutaneous matter together and firing a staple in the subcutaneous region, i.e. in the region below the dermis. The present invention is directed to such an apparatus and method for attachment of cutaneous matter.

Apparatus and method for subcuticular stapling of body tissue


A vehicle transmission comprising a multi-ratio gearbox having a gearbox input shaft and a gearbox output shaft, the gearbox being operable to provide a driving connection between the gearbox input shaft and the gearbox output shaft at a selected one of a plurality of gear ratios, a torque converter having a torque converter input for connection to an engine, and a torque converter output driveably connected to the torque converter input by fluid coupling within the torque converter, a first driving connection between the torque converter output and the gearbox input shaft, a second driving connection between the torque converter input and the gearbox input shaft, and a selection means to select one of the first driving connection and the second driving connection.

This invention relates to a vehicle transmission, particularly but not exclusively for material handling vehicles.
It is known to provide vehicle transmissions, particularly automatic transmissions, and otherwise mechanical transmissions for vehicles where engine load is likely to be highly variable such as material handling vehicles, with a torque converter. The torque converter provides a fluid coupling between the engine and the mechanical transmission which accommodates a variable load and also provides a degree of torque multiplication when the engine speed is higher than the transmission speed for example, when the vehicle is starting to move or is otherwise under load.
The presence of a torque converter can however be disadvantageous in some circumstances. At speed, where the engine speed generally matches the transmission speed, the torque converter only operates at 90 to 95% efficiency, at the maximum, the remainder of the power being converted to heat within the torque converter. When a vehicle is driven through a torque converter encounters, for example, a hill, the efficiency of the torque converter will fall as the difference between the engine speed and the vehicle speed increases, resulting in the vehicle slowing down in an undesirable manner.
To overcome these problems it is known to provide some means of locking the torque converter, such as an internal clutch as shown in our earlier application number GB 2389155. To solve the problem of the vehicle travelling along a road at a relatively high speed, it has also been proposed to bypass the torque converter to provide an additional top gear available when the highest gear transmission has already been selected, as shown in our earlier application number GB 2304834.
The known solutions are however not completely satisfactory. The use of an internal lock up clutch is constrained by the available volume within the torque converter casing, imposes significant manufacturing costs, and in general has a limited capacity since only one clutch plate is provided. It is possible to provide more plates with still greater manufacturing costs and complexity. In addition, the internal clutch must be operated by high fluid flows within the torque converter.
An aim of the present invention is to reduce or overcome one or more of the advance problems.


According to this invention, a printed board connector includes a first connector, a second connector, and a third connector. The first connector is mounted on an upper surface of an edge portion of a printed board and constituted by a first housing and a first contact. The second connector is mounted on a lower surface of the edge portion of the printed board at an opposite position of the first connector with respect to the printed board and constituted by a second housing and a second contact. The third connector is constituted by a third contact formed on one of the upper and lower surfaces of the edge portion of the printed board by a conductive metal layer and a third housing formed by opposite side surfaces of the first and second housings.

The present invention relates to a mounting structure of a connector for a printed board used in an electric equipment or the like and, more particularly, to the structure of an edge connector mounted on an edge side of a printed board.
In a conventional printed board used in an electric equipment or the like, the following connecting method is often employed. That is, a connector is mounted on an edge side of a printed board, and a cable from an external equipment is connected to the connector. In recent years, as a mounting density is increased, a plurality of connectors must be mounted on an edge side.
As a mounting method, a mounting structure disclosed in Japanese Utility Model Laid-Open No. 57-7177 is known. That is, in this mounting structure, as shown in FIG. 4, a first-stage connector 11, a second-stage connector 12, and a third-stage connector 13 each having a housing 15 and a plurality of pin contacts 14 are stacked on a printed board 16.
In the above conventional connector mounting structure, since the connectors are independently stacked, the height of the mounted connectors and an area for mounting the connectors are disadvantageously increased. In addition, in the second- and third-stage connectors, since the conductor lengths of contacts are increased, the following drawbacks are caused by an increase in conductor resistance. A signal is delayed, and electric noise is generated.


Disclosed is a therapeutic regime for treating patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) Supplemental growth hormone is periodically administered to raise insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) levels, and the IGF-1 levels are monitored until they reach optimal levels and RA symptoms subside.

Fibromyalgia (FM) is a common rheumatic condition with core symptoms of musculoskeletal pain and fatigue (1,2). Specifically, FM is a group of common nonarticular rheumatic disorders characterized by achy pain, tenderness, and stiff muscles, tendon insertion areas and adjacent soft-tissue structures (47). Although patients with this condition are readily recognized, there is an ongoing controversy as whether it is or should be considered a distinctive pathophysiological entity (3). As most FM patients have multiple somatic complaints such as irritable bowel syndrome, unexplained paresthesia, cold intolerance, recurrent headaches and intermittent cognitive problems (4), it seems intuitively unlikely that a single etiologic mechanism is at play (5).
FM occurs mainly in females. It may be induced or made more intense by physical or mental stress, insufficient or subpar sleep, trauma or exposure to cold or dampness. It further may have its origin in or be intensified by a systemic disorder, usually rheumatic in nature, or a viral or other systemic infection, such as Lyme disease (47).
Rheumatoid arthritis (RA), on the other hand, is a chronic autoimmune disease characterized by non-specific but usually symmetric inflammation of peripheral joints. RA has the potential for causing progressive destruction of articular and periarticular structures. An unknown initiating agent causes an autoantibody response that is responsible for joint destruction and the concomitant symptomology of RA.
Polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR) occurs in females more than males by a 2:1 ratio and is more prevalent in people greater than 50 years old. PMR is characterized by severe pain and stiffness in proximal muscle groups, particularly those in the neck, pectoral and pelvic girdle regions. PMR is distinguished from RA by a lack of synovitis, erosive or destructive disease, rheumatoid factor or rheumatoid nodules.
It has been suggested that there is an intimate link between disordered sleep and a heightened awareness of pain (6,7). Although the mechanisms of such an association is not well understood, it could be relevant to a more complete understanding of the FM syndrome. Most FM patients have non-restorative sleep, i.e., they wake up feeling unrefreshed (8), and this has been associated with frequent awakenings and, in particular, alpha intrusion during non-REM sleep (9). Growth hormone (GH) is maximally secreted during stages 3 and 4 of non-REM sleep (10) and this led to the notion that FM patents may have impaired GH secretion (11). Low levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in patients with FM has been previously described (12, 48); two recent reports support this finding (13,14).
My current study was initiated to attempt to answer the following questions: (i) can the previous observation of low IGF-1 in FM be replicated in a larger cohort of patients? (ii) what are IGF-1 levels in other rheumatic diseases? (iii) do IGF-1 levels in FM patients vary with time? (iv) are low IGF-1 levels due to an impaired secretion of GH? (v) do medications or the clinical features of FM contribute to low IGF-1 levels? (vi) can FM patients, with low IGF-1 levels, secrete GH in response to standard provocation testing?
To answer these questions, I undertook to investigate the serum levels of IGF-1 in patients with fibromyalgia (FM) compared to healthy controls and patients with other rheumatic diseases, including RA, and to explore possible mechanisms for low IGF-1 levels in patients with FM.
Five hundred primary FM patients and 152 controls (56 healthy blood donors, 26 myofascial pain patients and 70 patients with other rheumatic diseases) were studied. All had measurements of acid-extracted serum IGF-1. A subset of 90 FM patients were evaluated for clinical features that might explain low IGF-1 levels. Twenty-five FM patients underwent growth hormone (GH) provocation testing with L.DOPA and clonidine. Fifty FM patents with proven GH deficiency, were blindly randomized into two groups and gave themselves either daily GH or saline injections and IGF-1 levels were measured monthly for 9 months
The mean serum IGF-1 level in FM patients was 138.+-.56 ng/ml and in the controls was 215.+-.86 ng/ml (p=0.00000000001). Low levels of IGF-1 were not due to depression, tricyclic medications, NSAIDS, poor aerobic conditioning, obesity or pain level. In general, patients with focal myofascial pain syndromes had normal IGF-1 levels (249.+-.70), as did patients with other rheumatic disorders, unless they had concomitant FM. Fibromyalgia patients with initially normal levels often had a rapid decline of IGF-1 over a period of one to two years Patients receiving daily injections of GH experienced a two to three fold increase in IGF-1 levels. Most FM patients with low IGF-1 levels failed to secrete GH in response to stimulation with clonidine and L.DOPA.
A significant finding from my study is that an analysis of variance for all categories, omitting age as a factor, suggests that patients with RA and patients with PMR can surprisingly have suboptimal IGF-1 levels that are not significantly different from the FM patients, even though the etiologies of each disorder appear to be distinct. The results of my study further indicate that hypothalamic-pituitary axis dysfunction is responsible for impaired GH secretion which leads to the low IGF-1 levels.

Therapeutic treatment of rheumatoid arthritis and polymyalgia rheumatica


A stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights includes a pair of first and second sockets stepwise combined together with the first socket higher the second socket, a vertical space form between the pair of socket slightly extended into second socket, a first inlaid groove in an inner periphery of the second socket and pair of second inlaid groove respectively formed in an inner periphery of the sockets opposite to the vertical space for engaging a pair of single contact plates from a first and a second electric wires, a bent common contact plate striding over the two socket having an upper vertical portion disposed into the first socket a transverse portion stopping on the bottom of the vertical space and a lower vertical portion engaged within the first inlaid groove in the second socket, a wrapper ring wrapped the upper rim of the first socket having a downward projection from a side thereof blocking the vertical space, the projection having a lower end stopped against the transverse portion of the common contact plate and a third inlaid groove in an inner side to engaged with the upper vertical portion of the common contact plate, and a pair of lamps respectively inserted into the upper rim of the socket each including a base, a bulb on the base and pair of lead-in wires attached to the outer lateral sides of the base respectively engaged with the common contact plate and the single contact plates.

The present invention relates to Christmas lights and more particularly to a stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights which effectively uses a common contact plate and tightly fix the lamps in the sockets that is featured in the readily assembly and good electric conductivity without structurally breakaway.
Normally, the Christmas lights is a string of plurality of lamps which is used to suspend from a Christmas tree or suitable objects to enjoy people in the Christmas eve. However, this type of Christmas lights becomes more and more out of fashion. So that the producers begin to manufacture a gang type sockets which is integrated a number of the socket together to shorten the distance between the lamps for brightening the Christmas light to delight people. Nevertheless, the combined sockets leave a small space that is usually difficult to assembly the component such as a common contact plate and the electric wires, causing a poor conductivity and a breakaway of the components. This is the reason that structure of combined socket is still unpopular in the market.

Stepwise combined sockets for Christmas lights


A computer peripheral device mounting arrangement has a pair of computer peripheral device mounts. Each computer peripheral device mount includes a computer peripheral device side bracket that is mounted on an exterior sidewall of the computer peripheral device. Each computer peripheral device mount also includes a drive bay bracket fixedly positioned in a drive bay. Clips and slots provide a non-locking securement arrangement on the computer peripheral device side bracket and the drive bay bracket. The computer peripheral device side bracket and the drive bay bracket of each computer peripheral device mount is secured by a single screw that prevents relative movement between the computer peripheral device side bracket and the drive bay bracket.

The mounting of computer peripherals, such as computer peripheral devices, into a rack mount enclosure or other structure, typically poses a number of challenges. For example, a typical mounting configuration requires the use of four to six screws. A four screw mounting solution in a typical mounting configuration creates problems in that the screws can only be accessed from the sides of the computer peripheral device and requires special tooling and/or processes. The special tooling and/or processes are not only costly but can be prohibitive in field repair of the unit. Another problem with the four screw mounting arrangement is that it does not provide enough support to meet shock and vibration requirements of many computer peripheral devices, such as typical tape drives.
Increasing the number of screws to six screws resolves many of these concerns but adds increased costs due to the additional tooling and hardware required. Hence, in practice, a six screw mounting solution is not desirable.
In addition to meeting computer peripheral device shock and vibration requirements, a successful mounting arrangement should allow a computer peripheral device to mount from the top and/or the front of the drive bay, and require very minimal disassembly other than removing a top cover to install or swap devices. Additionally, the mounting arrangement should be compatible with a standard 5.25 inch half high device, or adaptable for use in other configurations, such as 5.25 inch full-high, 3.5 inch full-high and half-high devices. Further design considerations are ready manufacturability and low cost of the mounting arrangement. Easy assembly is a design concern, as well as reducing the number of screws to avoid costs created by added tooling and additional hardware.

Computer peripheral device mounting arrangement with two locking elements


A vehicle seat for a vehicle occupant has a backrest, a headrest arranged adjustable on the backrest and being movable from a normal starting position into a restraint position approximating the head of the vehicle occupant, a vehicle-sensitive activatable positioner and a flexible traction transmitting means connecting the headrest and the positioner. The positioner moves the headrest in the case of a rear end collision of the vehicle from the normal starting position into the restraint position by transmitting force via the traction transmitting means. The traction transmitting means extends through the backrest.

A headrest prevents among other things in the case of a rear end collision that the head of a vehicle occupant is catapulted rearwards relative to the vehicle. It is usually the case that headrests are insertable and height-adjustable in the backrest. In addition headrests also exist which are configured as an elongated, fixed part of the backrest of the vehicle seat. In the case of headrests currently available in vehicles, irrespective of whether the headrests are adjustable or non-adjustable, the nape of the neck of the vehicle occupant is exposed to high loads during a rear end collision because the distance of the head from the headrest, despite the pad of the back on the backrest, may be relatively large (up to 160 mm).
To relieve these loads it has already been proposed to accommodate a small gas bag in the headrest. In a crash situation, an inflator, controlled via a sensor, is activated which inflates the gas bag within a few milliseconds. Since, however, the spacing of the head from the gas bag may differ very appreciably, a very short head-to-headrest spacing, for instance, would even bump the head from the gas bag, representing an undesirable load.
Means have also been proposed which by spring storage energy or pyrotechnically in a crash situation keep track of support for the head via a corresponding activation means such that the means instantly halts in the current position in the case of head contact. However, no satisfactory solution has been found for transmitting the force to the head support.

Vehicle seat with headrest adjustable on the backrest


A cargo truck is provided having a loading ramp assembly to aid in loading and unloading items from a cargo box on the truck. The loading ramp assembly is adjustable between a loading position wherein a ramp is provided between a deck of the cargo box and the ground, and a storage position to allow transport of the cargo truck. The loading ramp fits within a pocket between the truck frame and the cargo box when in the storage position. The pocket is formed by long C-shaped box sills that support the cargo box. The ramp is formed by two side rails, a ramp floor between the side rails, and support braces between the ramp floor and the side rails to prevent buckling of the side rails upon application of a load to the ramp. The braces extend below the bottom of the box sills when the ramp is in a storage position. The braces allow for lower profile side rails, thereby reducing the amount the cargo box must be raised above the truck frame to accommodate the ramp assembly. The cargo box has cross members which set directly on the box sills without the need to be cut.

The present invention relates generally to loading ramp assemblies and cargo trucks having loading ramps, and more particularly a loading ramp which has low profile side rails for convenient storage between the cargo box and the truck frame of a cargo truck.
Cargo trucks having loading ramps are well-known in the art. One typical design for the ramps is to provide two long C-shaped sills between the frame of the truck and the cargo box. The sills are mounted so that the legs of the sills are facing each other. The ramp fits within the sills. The ramp itself consists of horizontal cross members which form the ramp floor between two side rails. To move the ramp to a loading position, an operator pulls the ramp out the back of the truck until it is free from the sill. Typically there is some means provided to hook the front end of the ramp to the deck of the cargo box.
Generally, past designs have effectively allowed for the storage of the ramp on the truck and have been sufficient to aid in the loading and unloading of the cargo box. However, some problems do exist with the ramps disclosed in the prior art. The side rails were required to be of a large height in order to have sufficient structural modulus to prevent excessive deflection or collapse of the ramp upon the application of a load during loading and unloading. This high profile of the side rails means that the ramp takes up a lot of space during storage. Typically this space was created by raising the floor of the cargo box. A raised cargo box can be undesirable because it can be more difficult to load, can cause increased wind drag during transportation, can raise the center of gravity, and can cause clearance problems at the top of the box.
Also, because of the height of the side rails, the deck of the cargo box was typically set directly on to the long sills. This meant that the cross members that supported the deck had to be terminated at the sills. This created three different cross members out of a single cross member that went all the way across, thereby weakening the deck. It also meant that the ramp assembly could only be used with specially adapted cargo boxes, without raising the floor of the cargo box. The difficulties encountered in the prior art discussed above are substantially overcome by the present invention.


A sensor-incorporated wheel support bearing assembly including double rows of rolling elements interposed between respective raceways of outer and inner members opposed to each other, a to-be-detected ring having an eccentric or multangular outer diametric shape provided in the inner member and displacement sensors provided on the outer member confronting the to-be-detected ring. In the bearing assembly, the displacement sensors have facing portion areas, variable and invariable, respectively, arranged with rotation of the to-be-detected ring.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a sensor-incorporated bearing assembly for wheels, having a built-in device that serves as a load sensor for detecting a load acting on a bearing portion of a wheel and/or an angle sensor for detecting the rotation angle of the wheel.
2. Description of the Prior Art
For safety travel of an automotive vehicle, the use has hitherto been made of a sensor on wheel support bearing assemblies for detecting the respective rotational speeds of wheels. In such a wheel support bearing assembly, it has been suggested in, for example, the Japanese Laid-open Patent Publications No. 2002-340922, published Nov. 27, 2002, and No. 2001-21577, published Jan. 26, 2001, to provide the bearing assembly with at least one extra sensor such as, for example, a temperature sensor, a vibration sensor or a load sensor so that in addition to the rotational speed, a parameter indicative of a condition useful in travel of an automotive vehicle can be detected.
While the measures for assuring the running safety of the automotive vehicle hitherto generally employed is practiced by detecting the rotational speed of each of vehicle wheels, it has however been found that the detection of only the rotational speed is insufficient and, therefore, it is increasingly desired that the control on the safety side can be accomplished with the use of any extra sensor signals. To meet this desire, it may be contemplated to control the vehicle attitude based on the load imposed on each of the vehicle wheels during the run of the automotive vehicle. By way of example, during cornering of the automotive vehicle, a larger load acts on outer vehicle wheels; during running on a transversely tilted surface, a larger load acts on vehicle wheels on one side of the automotive vehicle; and during braking, a large load acts on front vehicle wheels. Thus, the load does not always act on the vehicle wheels uniformly at all times during the run of the automotive vehicles.
Also, even in the case of the uneven live load, the loads acting on those wheels tend to become uneven. In view of this, if the loads acting on the wheels can be detected as needed, suspension systems for the vehicle wheels, for example, can be controlled beforehand based on results of detection of the loads so that the attitude control of the automotive vehicle during the run thereof (for example, prevention of a rolling motion during the cornering, prevention of diving of the front wheels during the braking, and prevention of diving of the vehicle wheels brought about by an uneven distribution of live loads) can be accomplished. However, no suitable space for installation of the load sensor for detecting the load acting on the respective vehicle wheel is available and, therefore, the attitude control through the detection of the load can hardly be realized.
Moreover, in the event that in the near future a steer-by-wire system, in which the wheel axle and the steering system are not coupled mechanically with each other, is introduced, transmission of information on the road surface to the steering wheel then held by a driver would be required by detecting a load acting in a direction parallel to the wheel axle.

Sensor-incorporated bearing assembly for wheels


There is provided an information processing apparatus, an information processing method, and a program that make it possible to recognize a state of telecommunication among multiple points more easily. Information regarding telecommunication performed among telecommunication apparatuses is received, and an image that indicates a state of telecommunication between a first telecommunication apparatus and another communication apparatus and a state of telecommunication between a plurality of other telecommunication apparatuses is generated on the basis of the received information, and then the generated image is displayed. The present disclosure can be applied, for example, to an information processing apparatus, a telecommunication apparatus, electronic equipment, an information processing method, a program, or the like.

Conventionally, a system (for example, a videophone conference system) is available in which multiple points (three or more points) are connected to each other to perform telecommunication. Further, it has been proposed that, in such a system as just described, distances to a great number of telecommunication partners are produced by using a three-dimensional representation for connection of spaces to implement more comfortable communication (for example, refer to PTL 1).

Information processing apparatus, information processing method, and program


The present invention has its object to provide a method for producing an L-amino acid comprising reacting a keto acid with an amino acid dehydrogenase and an enzyme having coenzyme regenerating ability to convert to a L-amino acid, wherein a coenzyme is added in two or more portions in the reaction. The method of the present invention enables efficient production of an L-amino acid useful as a synthetic intermediate such as a pharmaceutical intermediate with high optical purity by an enzymatic reductive amination independent of the purity of the keto acid used as a substrate.

L-amino acids are useful as synthetic intermediates such as pharmaceutical intermediates. Various methods for producing an L-amino acid are known such as an extraction method, a chemical synthesis method, a fermentation method, and an enzymatic synthesis method. The extraction method requires large-scale purification equipment for purification of a target amino acid from protein hydrolysates. Because amino acids produced in the chemical synthesis method are typically racemates, the chemical synthesis method requires an expensive resolving agent, asymmetric catalyst or the like for production of the optically active isomers. The fermentation method produces products at low concentrations, and requires large-scale purification equipment like the extraction method. In addition, the fermentation method is not suitable for synthesis of normatural amino acids. The enzymatic synthesis method can be used to provide a lower-cost, efficient production method that overcomes these problems by using an inexpensive biocatalyst. For example, a method for producing an L-amino acid in which a keto acid corresponding to a target amino acid is reacted with an amino acid dehydrogenase and an enzyme having coenzyme regenerating ability to produce the target L-amino acid (Non-Patent Document 1) is known as an enzymatic synthesis method for producing an L-amino acid. However, the above-mentioned method requires an expensive commercial enzyme or an enzyme purified from a microorganism, and its industrial use has been problematic.
In order to solve such problems, high production methods of these enzymes have been under development in which DNAs encoding these enzymes are cloned using gene recombinant techniques to obtain a transformant, and the transformant is cultured. For example, a method has been known in which a transformant containing a gene encoding a coenzyme-dependent amino acid dehydrogenase and a gene encoding a coenzyme regenerating enzyme is prepared and cultured, and then allowed to act on a keto acid to produce an L-amino acid (Patent Documents 1 and 2). However, the reaction described in Patent Document 1 produces an L-amino acid at a concentration of about 10 mM, which is low for industrial production. In the method described in Patent Document 2, a keto acid is needed to be controlled at a concentration in a reaction fluid of not more than a specific value by adding the keto acid in portions or continuously.
Patent Document 1: JP-A Hei10-23896
Patent Document 2: WO 95/093081
Non-Patent Document 1: Ramesh N. Patel, "Enzymatic synthesis of chiral intermediates for Omapatrilat, an antihypertensive drug", Biomolecular Engineering, 2001, No. 17, p. 167.