The system and method of the present invention provides consumers with credit information including information which can help the consumer evaluate the consumer's credit report or credit worthiness. The present invention can also provide consumers with suggestions to help consumers better their credit rating. The system and method of the present invention also provide consumers with pre-approved credit offers from a consumer-selected group of merchants, where the consumers are anonymous to the merchants, and the merchants do not receive copies of the consumer's credit report. Additional functions of the present invention include allowing users to opt-out or opt-into solicitation lists, and enabling users to automatically monitor their credit report. The present invention offers these services through a third party agent of the consumer which can be accessible to the consumer via the Internet. Through this agency relationship, the third party can request consumer information and determine pre-approved offers from a plurality of merchants while protecting the confidentiality of consumer credit information without negative consequences on a consumer's credit.

Consumer credit information is typically utilized by merchants, such as credit card issuers and banks, to determine the credit worthiness of a consumer. The credit worthiness of the consumer is in turn used by the merchants to determine if the merchants will enter into a transaction with the consumer. In many instances, the merchant may be a lender which determines if it will enter a loan transaction with the consumer, what amount it will lend to the consumer, and the terms of the transaction, such as interest rate, based upon consumer credit information. To receive merchant offers, consumers must give merchants permission to look at the consumer's credit information, such as credit reports maintained by credit bureaus, such as Equifax, TransUnion and Experian. The credit reports maintained by these credit bureaus contain information regarding the consumer's credit, such as outstanding accounts, account balances, and other relevant information such as accounts placed for collection by creditors.
In a typical consumer-merchant transaction, the merchant receives permission from the consumer to view consumer's credit report. A consumer's consent to allow a merchant to view the consumer's credit report, however, can have a negative effect on the consumer's credit rating. This is due to the credit inquiry being merchant driven, along with the general proposition that the higher number of accounts a consumer may have or apply for, the higher risk that the consumer will default on one or more credit transactions. In addition to utilizing the consumer's credit information to determine the consumer's credit worthiness for the purposes of the merchant's own transaction, the merchant can use the consumer's credit information for other purposes, such as future solicitations.
With the increase of electronic transactions, credit reports are becoming increasingly important in evaluating consumer transactions. Where consumers were once judged on a combination of subjective and objective information, today credit reports are increasingly used as the sole or primary criteria used by lenders and merchants to evaluate the credit worthiness of a consumer. And although consumer credit reports are becoming increasingly important, consumers presently do not have readily available up to the date information regarding their credit, as well as information indicating what factors help or hurt consumer credit ratings. Furthermore, consumers often do not understand how lending decisions are made based upon credit, credit scores, and what components can contribute to credit scores. Currently, consumers can often only receive information regarding negative items listed on their credit report through being denied credit. Even after being denied credit, the consumer may only then be provided standard statements as to the items that led to the deny of the credit or loan, such as too many recent new accounts, or too many accounts having high balances.
What is needed is a system and method enabling consumers to obtain up to the date credit information, including customized information that helps consumer evaluate positive and negative aspects of their credit report, as well as how the consumer can go about improving their credit rating. Moreover, what is also needed is a system and method that allows consumers to receive pre-approved offers from merchants, where the merchants do not make merchant inquiries into the consumer's credit report that can negatively affect the consumer's credit rating. A system and method for obtaining pre-approved offers would also be advantageous where the merchants can provide consumers offers without seeing the consumer's credit report so the consumer's credit report can be maintained in confidence. Finally, it would be advantageous for the consumer to be able to obtain credit report information and merchant offers through a trusted third party agent that can receive the consumer's credit data, maintain the data in confidentiality, receive merchant criteria for pre-approved offers, and identify to consumers those merchants offers for which the consumer has been pre-approved.

Systems and methods for providing consumers anonymous pre-approved offers from a consumer-selected group of merchants


A collision warning system for a subject vehicle is disclosed. The collision warning system uses data relating to the subject vehicle and a target vehicle in an algorithm to estimate the intention of the driver of the subject vehicle. The system uses historic data to improve the algorithm to obtain more accurate estimates.

1. Field of the Embodiments
The present embodiments relate to motor vehicles and in particular to a collision warning system including a driver intention estimator for a motor vehicle.
2. Description of Related Art
Collision warning systems have been previously proposed. Collision warning systems can alert a driver to potential hazards posed by other vehicles or objects near or on a roadway. Some collision warning systems use visual and/or audible messages to alert a driver of potential collisions.

Collision warning system using driver intention estimator


A method for in situ anaerobic dehalogenation of a halogenated organic compound in a groundwater plume reduces or prevents indigenous aerobic microorganisms from competing for a supplied electron donor with an anaerobic microorganism that reductively dehalogenates the organic compound when an electron donor is available. The method includes the step of injecting in situ into a groundwater-saturated matrix within or upgradient of a source of the organic compound a deoxygenated aqueous solution that comprises an electron donor to facilitate reductive dehalogenation of the organic compound.

Halogenated organic compounds, particularly aliphatic organics such as the chloroethanes and chloroethenes, especially tetrachloroethene (also known as perchloroethene or PCE), trichloroethene (TCE), dichloroethene (DCE) and vinyl chloride (VC), are common groundwater contaminants in the United States and elsewhere. PCE is a solvent used to clean machinery, electronic parts, and clothing. Many halogenated organics and their degradation products are suspected carcinogens. The degradation products can often be degraded by indigenous aerobic microorganisms, but, PCE and other recalcitrant halogenated organics, are degraded anaerobically. Enhancing or modifying subsurface conditions can provide anaerobic conditions that promote reductive dehalogenation. PCE impacted groundwater, for example, has historically been treated using conventional pump and treat or air sparging methods. These approaches require large capital, operation, and maintenance investments and still take a long time to remediate the groundwater. Therefore, efforts are underway to develop biological methods for remediating the more recalcitrant halogenated organic compounds typified by PCE.
PCE and other recalcitrant compounds can be degraded by anaerobic microorganisms under reducing conditions. In the laboratory, anaerobic PCE degradation can be enhanced by adding trace nutrients, and an electron donor substrate such as lactate, under reducing conditions. Although the chemistry has been conceptually demonstrated in the laboratory, the laboratory results are not necessarily applicable to in situ remediation because of numerous differences from the controlled laboratory environment. In particular, aerobic bacteria, not present in the laboratory models, can utilize the electron donor as an energy source and can grow to high numbers when the substrate is added. Moreover, the aerobic bacteria, which have little if any capacity to degrade the recalcitrant halogenated organic compounds, deplete the added substrate and require that additional substrate be added to accomplish the original purpose of degrading the halogenated organic compounds.
In prior field methods, an anaerobic environment is created over a long time frame, by allowing aerobic bacteria to use the added excess electron donor, typically lactate, as an energy source, thereby depleting oxygen from the groundwater and the saturated matrix, which can include soil or rock. Once the level of dissolved oxygen in the groundwater reaches approximately 1 mg/L, indigenous anaerobic bacteria can begin to degrade the PCE.
However, the prior field method is disfavored because once the dissolved oxygen reaches a suitably low level, and before any PCE is degraded, a substantial amount of the added lactate has been utilized by the aerobic bacteria, thereby requiring input of additional electron donor. Existing biological methods are further hampered by the fact that the aerobic growth that reduces the dissolved oxygen concentration has the undesirable side effect of clogging the subsurface, soil matrix or injection well. Accordingly, it would be desirable to devise a method that facilitates in situ anaerobic dehalogenation while avoiding an aerobic growth stage.


Disclosed are: a method for activating a helper T cell, which comprises the step of adding a WT1 peptide to an antigen-presenting cell to activate the helper T cell, wherein the WT1 peptide is capable of binding to any one selected from an HLA-DRB1*1501 molecule, an HLA-DPB1*0901 molecule and an HLA-DPB1*0501 molecule; a composition for use in the method; a therapeutic and/or prophylactic method for cancer by activating a helper T cell; a pharmaceutical composition for use in the therapeutic and/or prophylactic method; and others.

WT1 gene (Wilms' tumor 1 gene) was identified as a gene responsible for Wilms tumor which is a renal cancer in children (Non-Patent Documents 1 and 2). WT1 is a transcription factor having a zinc finger structure. At the beginning, the WT1 gene was considered to be a tumor suppressor gene. However, subsequent studies (Non-Patent Documents 3, 4, 5 and 6) showed that the WT1 gene rather functions as an oncogene in hematopoietic tumors and solid cancers.
It was shown that a WT1 peptide-specific T-lymphocyte (CTL) can be induced by in vitro stimulating a peripheral blood mononuclear cell with a WT1 peptide, and such a CTL damages a cancer cell such as a hematopoietic tumor cell and solid cancer cell which endogenously expresses WT1. The CTL recognizes the WT1 peptide as the form of the complex in which the WT1 peptide binds to an MHC class I molecule. Therefore, such a WT1 peptide is different depending on the subtypes of MHC class I (Patent Document 1, Non-Patent Document 7, and Patent Documents 2, 3 and 4).
The existence of a helper T cell specific for an cancer antigen is important to induce a CTL effectively (Non-Patent Document 8). The helper T cell is induced and activated by the recognition of a complex of an MHC class II molecule and an antigen peptide on an antigen-presenting cell. The activated helper T cell produces a cytokine such as IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6 or interferon to help the growth, differentiation or maturation of a B cell. The activated helper T cell also has a function to facilitate the growth, differentiation or maturation of other T cell subsets (for example, Tc and TD cell). Thus, the activated helper T cell has a function to activate an immune system by facilitating the growth or activation of a B cell or T cell. Therefore, enhancing a function of a helper T cell through an MHC class II-binding antigen peptide (a helper peptide) in a cancer immunotherapy to increase the effect of a cancer vaccine is considered to be useful (Non-Patent Document 9). Only a peptide binding to an HLA-DRB1*0401 molecule (Non-Patent Document 10), a peptide binding to an HLA-DRB1*0405 molecule and a peptide binding to an HLA-DRB1*1502 molecule (Patent Document 5) were found as a helper peptide of WT1 to date. Therefore, there is a need to find peptides each biding to an HLA-DRB1*1501, HLA-DPB1*0901 or HLA-DPB1*0501 molecule.
Furthermore, it was shown that among the helper peptides, there is a promiscuous helper peptide which can bind to multiple MHC class II molecules, and induce helper T cells (Non-Patent Documents 11 and 12). However, it was very difficult to identify a promiscuous helper peptide which binds to three or more types of MHC class II molecules and exerts a sufficient effect.    Patent Document 1: WO 2003/106682    Patent Document 2: WO 2005/095598    Patent Document 3: WO 2007/097358    Patent Document 4: International Patent Application No. PCT/JP2007/074146    Patent Document 5: WO 2005/045027    Non-Patent Document 1: Daniel A. Haber et al., Cell. 1990 Jun. 29; 61(7):1257-69.    Non-Patent Document 2: Call K M et al., Cell. 1990 Feb. 9; 60(3):509-20.    Non-Patent Document 3: Menke A L et al., Int Rev Cytol. 1998; 181:151-212. Review.    Non-Patent Document 4: Yamagami T et al., Blood. 1996 Apr. 1; 87(7):2878-84.    Non-Patent Document 5: Inoue K et al., Blood. 1998 Apr. 15; 91(8):2969-76.    Non-Patent Document 6: Tsuboi A et al., Leuk Res. 1999 May; 23(5):499-505.    Non-Patent Document 7: Oka Y et al., Immunogenetics. 2000 February; 51(2):99-107.    Non-Patent Document 8: Gao F G et al., Cancer Res. 2002 Nov. 15; 62(22):6438-41.    Non-Patent Document 9: Zeng G, J Immunother. 2001 May; 24(3):195-204    Non-Patent Document 10: Knights A J et al., Cancer Immunol Immunother. 2002 July; 51(5):271-81.
Non-Patent Document 11: Sotiriadou R et al., Br J Cancer. 2001 Nov. 16; 85(10):1527-34.
Non-Patent Document 12: Hural J A et al., J Immunol. 2002 Jul. 1; 169(1):557-65.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Method for activation of helper t cell and composition for use in the method

International Institute of Cancer Immunology, Inc.


A circuit unit connects outputs from a first power supply and a second power supply in parallel, and simultaneously supplies powers from both power supplies to a load. A control unit controls an output current from the first power supply to an upper-limit value or lower, and controls an output current from the second power supply to a value obtained by subtracting the upper-limit value from a current detected by a current detector. An abnormality detector detects an abnormality in simultaneously supplied power, based on a reference current value associated with an operating state of the power supply apparatus and the current detected by the current detector.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a power supply apparatus provided with an auxiliary power supply in addition to a power supply that uses externally-supplied power in a steady state. The auxiliary power supply has a power storage device and a power supply circuit that uses electric power from the power storage device as a power source. More particularly, the present invention relates to, although the example is not intended to limit the invention, a power supply apparatus that supplies electric power stored in a power storage device to a direct current (DC) load when a large amount of power is required by entire equipment, thereby leveling power consumption by the equipment so as not to exceed an amount of available commercial alternating current (AC) power. Examples applications of the invention include a power supply apparatus, a printer, a copier, and a facsimile that supplies backup power when power supply from the outside is disrupted, supplies high-load power exceeding a maximum capacity of the externally-supplied power, or levels power consumption of the externally-supplied power.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a copier, a printer, a facsimile each utilizing an electrophotographic process, and a multifunction product having two or more functions thereof have been increased in versatility, which has increased the complexity of the products and thereby increasing maximum power consumption.
Power supply to a fixing heater has been increased in amount to reduce factors inherent to an image forming apparatus, such as a warm-up time of a fixing unit or a suspension time due to a drop in the temperature of the fixing heater during a printing or copying operation, or to reduce a waiting time of a user. However, electric power available from a normal power supply line is limited in its amount. This constitutes a large restriction on apparatus design. Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2004-236492 describes a power supply apparatus and an image forming apparatus devised for not exceeding a maximum available power of a power supply line. To achieve this, power consumption is predicted. When the thus-predicted power consumption exceeds a maximum available power of a main power supply, the apparatus supplies power to some of loads while switching power source therefor between the main power supply and an auxiliary power supply using a switching circuit.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-221674 describes an image forming apparatus that uses a constant voltage power supply circuit as an auxiliary power supply, and sets an output voltage therefrom higher than an output voltage from a main power supply. A first diode for preventing backflow of power to the main power supply is provided on a power supply line from the main power supply to the load, and a switch or a second diode is provided on the power supply line at a point between the first diode and the load. The output voltage from the auxiliary power supply is applied to the load via the first diode, and the switch or the second diode. In a period in which the output voltage from the auxiliary power supply is higher than the output voltage from the main power supply, power is supplied to the load only from the auxiliary power supply.
However, according to the conventional techniques, the power storage device uses a constant-voltage power supply as the power output circuit; that is, as the power supply circuit for the load. Hence, when power supply source is switched between an AC/DC power supply (main power supply), which is a constant-voltage power supply, and an auxiliary power supply, which is also a constant-voltage power supply, voltage undesirably fluctuates due to a difference between two output voltages from the constant-voltage power supplies. The irregular rotation of the motor can result in an anomalous image formed by the image forming apparatus. For example, when the apparatus is a color image forming apparatus, the irregular rotation can cause color misregistration.
Information on Prior Application
The present inventors have proposed a power supply apparatus that supplies electric power to a load. The apparatus includes: a first power supply that supplies a constant voltage by using externally-supplied electric power as a power source; a second power supply that has a power storage device and supplies a constant current by using electric power of the storage device as a power source; a circuit unit that connects an output from the first power supply and an output from the second power supply to the load in parallel, thereby simultaneously supplying electric power from both the first power supply and the second power supply to the load; a current detector that detects a load current value, which is a value of an electric current supplied to the load; and a control unit that controls an output current from the first power supply to within an indicated maximum value, and controls an output current from the second power supply to a value obtained by subtracting the indicated maximum value from the load current value detected by the current detector (Japanese Patent Application Laid-Open No. 2006-49221, filed on Feb. 24, 2006). According to the technique, power is supplied to the load from the first and second power supplies simultaneously. This eliminates the need of switching between the two power supplies, thereby suppressing voltage fluctuation due to the switching.
In the apparatus, detection of the current supplied to the load and indication of a current to be supplied to the second power supply are implemented via analog circuit units. When an abnormality occurs in the circuit units, power consumption by the power supply apparatus can increase to exceed a rated power, and cause a voltage drop or the like of commercial power source from which power is supplied to the power supply apparatus.

Power supply apparatus and image forming apparatus


An apparatus for generating non-electric control signals for a brake system, which has a first supply source, including: at least one interface configured to be connected to a pressure accumulator; and at least one interface to output the control signals; in which the apparatus is configured to be supplied via a second supply source. Also described are a related module and an electronic brake system.

Vehicles, in particular commercial vehicles, with highly automated driving functions which relieve the driver of the driving task and the driving responsibility (at least for a limited time) have to continue the vehicle driving in the case of an occurrence of an arbitrary fault, until the driver re-assumes the responsibility. The "fail-operational" system property which is derived herefrom requires that the basic functions continue to be ensured, in particular, on the execution level, possibly with functional restrictions. For the brake control operation, this means that the vehicle can still be braked in an electronically controlled manner even in the case of an arbitrary fault, and that said vehicle is therefore of redundant configuration.
Embodiments of electronically controlled, in particular pneumatic, brake systems are known from the prior art.
Patent document EP 2 398 684 B1 discusses, for example, an electropneumatic brake system of a vehicle with separate pressure regulating channels.
Since doubling of the elements of existing brake systems is excessively expensive and complex, redundancy systems are to upgrade and/or supplement existing brake systems to the extent that a similar functionality (even restricted in some circumstances) is ensured in the case of a fault in comparison with fault-free operation. For autonomous driving operation, this means that an existing brake system has to be upgraded in such a way that an automated braking operation of the vehicle is also possible.

Brake redundancy concept for highly automated driving

KNORR-BREMSE SYSTEME FUER NUTZFAHRZEUGE GMBH


Provided is an inflator for providing propellant gases to inflate a bag of an automotive safety system for restraining an occupant of a vehicle in which the inflator is a pure pyrotechnic inflator that generates propellant gases that are substantially free of metal-containing particulate and condensable materials without requiring storage of a pressurized gas. The propellant gases are generated from a solid gas-generating propellant composition including two components. A first component is fuel-rich and has a fast burn rate. The second component is a oxidizer that, although having a slow burn rate, operates in combination with the first component at an acceptably fast burn rate to oxidize carbon monoxide and/or hydrogen produced during combustion of the first component to carbon dioxide and/or water, respectively.

Inflatable safety systems have gained wide use in vehicles, particularly automotive vehicles. Such inflatable systems restrain an occupant of the vehicle during an emergency situation by inflating a bag, that acts as a restraint mechanism to protect the occupant from injury. During operation, the bag is inflated by filling the bag with a gas that expands the bag a desired amount to satisfactorily restrain and protect the occupant.
The gas used to inflate the safety bag is typically provided by a device called an inflator. One type of inflator holds a highly pressurized gas that is allowed to expand into the bag to inflate the bag. A second type of inflator has a propellant material that chemically reacts in a combustion reaction to produce gases that inflate the bag. A third type of inflator uses a combination of gas production from a propellant material by chemical reaction and gas supplied from a pressurized gas source.
Desirable features of an inflator, from an economic standpoint, include (i) small size so that the inflator may be easily incorporated into the vehicle design; (ii) light weight so that the inflator does not detrimentally affect fuel efficiency of the vehicle, and (iii) the use of low cost materials and designs so that the inflator does not excessively impact the price of the vehicle. Important technical considerations include making sure that the inflator is capable of inflating the bag to a desired amount in a desired time and that gases used to fill the bag do not create a health or safety problem. For example, it is desirable to inflate the bag with gases that do not contain dangerous amounts of toxic materials, such as carbon monoxide and oxides of nitrogen, that could injure vehicle occupants. The gases also should not contain dangerous amounts of flammable materials, such as hydrogen, that could ignite and create a hazard for vehicle occupants. Furthermore, it is desirable that the gases not be smokey, because the presence of a smoke during an emergency situation tends to create confusion or panic among vehicle occupants even if the smoke is not itself harmful.
The use of a stored, pressurized gas in an inflator provides the advantage that it is easy to avoid the presence of toxic or otherwise unsafe gases. The use of such a stored gas in inflators is, however, generally uneconomic because the pressure vessels required to store the gas are bulky, heavy and expensive. Inflators using gas-generating propellant materials have the advantage that the inflators are less bulky, are smaller, weigh less, and are generally less expensive than inflators having a stored gas.
One disadvantage of using gas-generating propellants, however, is that many of the available propellants produce significant quantities of toxic gases, such as carbon monoxide, and/or flammable gases, such as hydrogen. Also, many propellant compositions contain metals that, upon combustion, form undesirable metal-containing particulates and/or condensables that can create undesirable smoke. It is generally required that undesirable particulates and/or condensables be filtered out of the gas prior to introduction of the gas into the bag. As used herein, a condensable is a component that is initially in a gaseous state with the propellant gases immediately following combustion of a gas-generating propellant material, but that is transformed into a liquid or solid form as the propellant gases cool. Also, many propellants have components that include a halogen, such as chlorine, that may form a combustion product that may be toxic or that may contribute to formation of undesirable particulates and/or condensables. Furthermore, many propellant materials are expensive and can add significantly to the cost of the inflator.
One method for reducing the amount of carbon monoxide and hydrogen produced by a gas-generating propellant is to use a hybrid inflator design, such as is described in any of co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. Nos. 08/210,668; 08/328,657 and 08/389,297, the contents of all of which are incorporated herein by reference in their entireties. In a hybrid inflator, both a stored, pressurized gas and a gas-generating propellant are used in order to reduce the aforementioned problems that have been encountered with the use of propellants alone. Although such hybrid inflators perform well, it would be desirable to avoid the complexity, bulk and cost associated with storage of a pressurized gas.
There exists a need for an improved inflator that avoids the cost, bulk and complexity of storing a pressurized gas and that is capable of delivering safe propellant gases to inflate an inflatable safety bag without the need for expensive designs, materials or equipment.

Substantially smoke-free and particulate-free inflator for inflatable safety restraint system


The present invention is a natural bait holding fishing lure, available in multiple sizes, to use with dead bait fish and/or dew worms. This minnow head shaped lure is preferably molded from resin plastic and includes a rod for the trailer model, or tube for the pull-through model, to impale the bait as it is inserted head first into the cavity of the lure. Also connected to the lure is a pivoting L shaped barbed locking pin device, and a metal foil which deflects water to simulate the swimming motion of a live minnow when trolled through the water with the bait attached, and thus promotes attraction of the target fish.

With the arrival of new laws and rules prohibiting the use of live bait fish in many of our waters, this lure was designed to use dead bait fish or dew worms as an integral part of a fishing lure that would simulate the swimming action of a live bait fish when trolled through the water, enticing game fish to attack.
As most all avid fishermen know, the art of attracting and catching fish is embroidered with enumerable imaginative gadgets and strategies.
There is an endless proliferation of lures and rigs of many forms, employing many techniques. However, it is well-established fact that many varieties of fish are predators and feed on bait fish. Thus, by imitating the actions of the bait fish we can attract the predator.
Since live bait fish fishing has been virtually banned, and methods available to rig dead natural bait fish or dew worms to simulate real live bait fish motion when trolled left us wanting, this design and method of natural bait attachment was invented.
The present invention provides a very carefully designed trolling rig, and a method of combining same with natural bait in two different models hereby called the Trailer Model and the Pull Through Model. Each model can be produced in different sizes to accommodate the range of sizes of available bait fish. The present invention provides a cap made, preferably by molding, to resemble the head of a minnow that has a hollow cavity of a size and shape that will be compatible with the size and shape of the bait minnow specified. This conical cap, which is preferably molded or cast from plastic casting resin, is equipped with a metal foil or bill, counter weighted as required, a stabilizer rod (Trailer Model) or tube (Pull Through Model), and a metal rod with two eyelets on the Trailer Model all anchored within the head.
Also the device to lock the bait to the cap is a barbed L shaped device is attached to an eyelet anchored to the top of the lure. This L shaped device pivots down into the hard back of the bait and held in place by a barbed end.
All these elements combined have resulted in a simple to use, novel trolling rig for natural bait.
On the trailer model, a single wire is used to form an eyelet at the front end of the lure for connection so the forward leader, and an eyelet protruding out of the bottom of the lure, behind the bill, for connection to the hook leader, after being embedded within the molded head. The hook is attached to the free tail of the bait. On the Pull Through model, the solid pointed rod is replaced by a tube which has a bore, opened for the front of the lure to the back of the tube. The diameter of this bore is smaller than the eye of the hook specified for the model size. On this model the hook is attached to a leader, and this leader is threaded through the cavity of the bait and then threaded through the bore of the tube. When the bait is impaled onto the tube the leader is pulled until the eye of the hook is buttressed against the end of the tube and then the leader is attached to the line.
All models have eyes painted with luminous paint, so that the eyes will glow when the ensemble is trolled at depths when there is little light, to attract predator fish.
This combination of the bill to impart the life like minnow motion in the free tail of the bait, the locking device to hold the bait securely from the front half of the bait, leaving the tail free to wobble, the luminous eyes, the stabilizer rod or tube that impale the bait and help hold the bait in the cavity of the lure, and the two hook attaching arrangements have resulted in a simple to use novel rig that will simulate the action and smell of live minnows when trolled through the water. The ensemble is weighted and balanced for each size so that it remains underwater.


A method of automatically switching on/off a low noise amplifier that serves to boost weak video signals in a TV tuner (2). The method involves determining whether there is a signal present in the reception, and if so, whether the signal requires boosting. Thereafter, the method determines whether the booster has caused an overall improvement in the reception and accordingly maintains the booster amplifier switched on or switches it off.

Television broadcasts are transmitted using high frequency RF carriers. These high frequency carriers are easily deflected, reflected and blocked by obstructions such as concrete walls of buildings, trees and mountains. As such, the strength of television broadcast signals varies greatly from one area to another. The quality of the reception of a given television station depends on many factors, including the location of the television receiver, the position of the television receiver, the quality and type (indoor or outdoor) of the receiving antenna used and the quality of the antenna cable used. The shielding effect of the antenna cable used will also have a substantial effect on the quality of a received television signal.
Generally, in an area where the signal of a particular television station is very weak, the use of a television signal booster (RF amplifier) to increase the signal strength for that particular television station is very favourable. However, as signal strengths from other television stations are often already more than sufficient, it may be necessary to turn the television signal booster off when the television receiver is receiving program from a television station with a strong signal. Otherwise, the received RF signal will be over-amplified, causing the signal to saturate in the receiver's amplifier, adding more noise to the original signal.
If a television station broadcasts at a frequency sandwiched between two stronger television stations, turning on the booster while receiving signal from that station may result in signals from the adjacent television stations being amplified, causing interference and adding noise to the original signal.
Conventional television receivers incorporating an internal television signal booster require the user to either switch on or off the booster manually, depending on the condition of a received television signal. This will become a nuisance when the user has several or many television stations to choose from, as every television station will have its own particular signal strength, and a substantial number of television stations may be broadcasting at frequencies very close to each other. Moreover, the lay user cannot be expected to understand that the booster can worsen his TV picture if it is switched on when not required.
Japanese patent application publication 2001-244836 discloses reducing interference due to beat noise components, by lowering the gain of the high frequency amplification during channel search. This is achieved by lowering the AGC signal feedback to the RF amplifier during automatic channel search.
Japanese utility model H05-20472 teaches disabling the operation of the RF amplifier during channel preset, to avoid cross modulation and hum modulation.
Japanese patent application publication H05-304640 discloses bypassing an RF amplifier when the AGC voltage satisfies a predetermined voltage.
Japanese utility model S58-138465 discloses turning an RF signal booster on or off depending on the strength of the input signal.


A novel pager and paging system assist a patient with treatment reminders. A database containing information about the treatment regimen or appointment schedule of a patient is maintained by a paging system service provider. At appropriate times, the paging system transmits reminders to the patient's pager that a treatment is to be taken or an appointment kept. The reminder may further include instructions or information to assist the patient in taking the treatment or keeping the appointment.

Portable radio receivers and transceivers, such as wireless pagers, have become increasingly popular as a means of communication. Pagers are typically carried by users who wish or need to receive communications when they are away from a telephone or computer, or are unable to predict where they may be reached at a given time.
In general, the user of a pager purchases the unit and enters into a contract with a service provider. As shown in FIG. 1, when someone 12 wishes to page a particular user, they contact the user's service provider 11, identify the user to be paged (perhaps with a personal identification number), and may give a message to the service provider 11 that is to be broadcast to the user's pager 15.
The service provider 11 maintains a network of radio transceiver base stations 13, 14 which are spread throughout the service area covered by the service provider. The transmitting base stations 13 are distributed so that transmissions from at least one base station can be received by a pager 15 anywhere in the service area.
In a simplistic system, when the service provider 11 receives a request to page a user 15, the page is broadcast by all the base stations 13 in the system. Thus, if the pager 15 is located anywhere in the service area, it will receive the page. The pager 15 will then alert the user that a page has been received with, for example, an audible or vibratory alert signal.
In a more sophisticated system, the pager 15 may have the capability to not only receive a transmission from the service provider's system, but may have the capability to transmit an answer back to the system. This is referred to as two-way paging.
With these advances, the usefulness of pagers as a means of communication has expanded rapidly. Service providers have encouraged this expansion by experimenting with pagers as a means to disseminate information of interest to pager users. For example, as described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,508,695 to Nelson et al., incorporated herein by reference, a one-way pager system is used to relay sports or financial information to a pager user who has contracted with the service provider for that service.
However, there are many potential, undiscovered applications of pager technology which may provide pager users with, as yet unheard of, abilities to communicate. This is particularly true of the developing two-way pager systems. Accordingly, there is a need for improved methods and applications of pager technology to meet the information and communication demands of pager users.
Similar to the growth in the field of communications, modern medicine constantly provides new treatments, techniques and drugs to improve health and quality of life. However, advanced medical care may often require a complex and regular regimen of a variety of medications and/or frequent appointments with a medical practitioner. For some patients, particularly the elderly, who requires such therapy, the array of medications and/or office visits may be confusing or difficult to maintain. Accordingly, there is a need to simply the burden complex medical therapies impose on patients.

Medication alert pager and paging system


A one-component room temperature vulcanizable silicone rubber composition comprising (A) silanol end-terminated polyorganosiloxane base polymer, (B) organotriacyloxysilane cross-linker, (C) polysiloxane-polyether copolymer rheology modifier, and (D) particulate silica. The rheology modifying agent is particularly useful for adjusting the viscosity and plateau stress of the silicone rubber compositions.

The present invention is a one-component room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber composition comprising a silanol end-terminated polyorganosiloxane base polymer, an organotriacyloxysilane, a polysiloxane-polyether copolymer as a rheology modifying agent, and a particulate silica. The rheology modifying agent is particularly useful for controlling the viscosity and plateau stress of such silicone rubber compositions.
One-component room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber (RTV) compositions are well known in the art. Examples of such silicone RTV compositions are described in U.S. Pat. No. 3,035,016, U.S. Pat. No. 3,133,891, and U.S. Pat. No. 3,296,161. These silicone RTV compositions generally consist of a silanol end-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer, a silica filler, an organotriacyloxysilane as a cross-linking agent, and a metal salt of a carboxylic acid as a catalyst. The silicone RTV compositions cure to a solid elastic state at room temperature upon exposure to moisture commonly present in the atmosphere. Silicone RTV compositions are very useful in sealing and caulking applications where strong adhesion to various surfaces is important. Such uses of silicone RTV compositions often required that the compositions be placed in cracks and on surfaces having a vertical orientation or positioned overhead, therefore it is important that such compositions have viscosity and slump properties that allow them to be extruded freely into or onto cracks and surfaces and after placement the composition has limited slump.
Silica is used as a primary rheology control agent in many silicone RTV compositions. However silica is often the most expensive component of silicone RTV compositions, and therefore it is desirable to reduce the amount of silica in such compositions while maintaining the desired rheology properties. The present compositions comprise a novel group of polysiloxane-polyether copolymers as rheology modifiers. The degree of polymerization of the polysiloxane segment of the copolymers as well as the size and functionality of the polyether components can be varied within the described ranges to provide for silicone RTV compositions having rheology properties desirable for a particular application. Furthermore, these rheology additives can allow for the reduction of silica levels in silicone RTV compositions while maintaining desired rheology properties.
Wright et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,261,758, teach a silicone RTV composition with sag-control comprising a silanol end-terminated polydiorganosiloxane polymer, at least 3 parts by weight of a fumed silica and as the sag-control ingredient, from 0.03 to 2 parts by weight of a polyether.
Bluestein, U.S. Pat. No. 4,304,897, teaches a silicone RTV composition having improved flow characteristic consisting of a silanol end-terminated linear polydiorganosiloxane base polymer, a filler, an organotriacyloxysilane cross-linker, a catalyst and a polyorganosiloxane copolymer consisting of a polysiloxane chain and a polyether chain which are linked together through various carboxyl alkyl radicals.

Room temperature vulcanizing silicone rubber compositions and process for making


The present inventions relate to folding carts for use with grills, the carts securing the grill upright for use and folding for transport. The present inventions also relate to fuel tank support systems for use with grill carts or stands.

Grilling is extremely popular throughout the world. Increasingly, portability of grills is desired. For example, campers, boaters and the like desire to have a grill available on their outings. In addition, those that live in more densely populated areas desire to have a grill for their apartment or condominium, but do not have the space for a typical full sized grill. One example of a popular portable grill is described in U.S. Pat. No. 6,976,485 (assigned to Weber-Stephen Products LLC). Similar portable grills are sold by Weber under the trade names Q® 100 and Q® 200.
While portable grills are desirable, it is also desired to easily transport and conveniently use portable grills in a variety of different locations. Some users may simply transport the grill itself and may place the grill on a table top or the ground for use. Others may place the grill on a stand so that the grill may be conveniently used. However, moving the grill and a separate stand can be unwieldy, difficult and inconvenient. Thus, there is a need for a cart that can be used to securely support the grill during use and which may also be used to easily transport the grill to different locations for use. It is also become desirable to securely and safely transport portable grills from place to place, again, while also providing a support surface for convenient use of the grill.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a folding grill cart that folds for easy transport, can be pulled as a trolley similar to wheeled luggage and can be unfolded into an upright position for use.
Another object of the present invention is to provide a folding grill cart that supports the grill for use when in an unfolded and upright position.
An additional object of the present invention is to provide a folding grill cart that securely locks the grill to the cart for use and during transport.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a folding grill cart that locks into an unfolded position for use and is easily collapsed for transport.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a folding grill cart that includes a table top assembly, the table top assembly including toe clips into which the legs of a grill may slide into engagement.
Yet an additional object of the present invention is to provide a spring loaded lock button used in conjunction with the toe clips on the table top assembly to further secure the grill.
Yet a further object of the present invention is to provide a folding cart having a support frame assembly, the support frame assembly including leg lock members to secure the cart in an upright position.
Yet still a further object of the present invention is to provide a folding cart having a support frame assembly, the support frame assembly including leg lock members, at least one of which has a locking tab to secure the folding cart in an upright and locked position and to prevent undesired folding or collapse of the folding cart.
Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide a folding grill cart that accommodates a tank support assembly.
Still yet an additional object of the present invention is to provide a foldable tank support assembly to keep the fuel tank off of the ground.
Still another object of the present invention is to provide a folding grill cart that can accommodate a variety of portable grill sizes.


In a semiconductor laser device having an oscillation wavelength of larger than 760 nm and smaller than 800 nm, on an n-type GaAs substrate (101), there are stacked in sequence an n-type first and second lower cladding layers (103, 104), a lower guide layer (106), a strained InGaAsP multiquantum well active layer (107), an upper guide layer (109), and a p-type upper cladding layer (110). Since the lower guide layer (106) is formed of InGaP, leakage of carriers from an active region is reduced. Also, since the upper guide layer (109) is formed of AlGaAs, an overflow of carriers (electrons in particular) is suppressed.

The present invention relates to a semiconductor laser device and an optical disc unit, in particular to a semiconductor laser device that can realize high output and high reliability, and an optical disc unit using the same.
Semiconductor laser devices are used in optical communication devices, optical recording devices and so on. Recently, there are increasing needs for high speed and large capacity in such devices. In order to meet the demands, research and development has been advanced for improving various characteristics of semiconductor laser devices.
Among them, a 780 nm band semiconductor laser device, which is used in an optical disc unit such as a conventional CD or CD-R/RW, is usually made of AlGaAs materials. Since demands for high-speed writing have been increasing also in the CD-R/RW, high-output semiconductor laser devices are requested in order to satisfy these demands.
As a conventional AlGaAs semiconductor laser device, there is one as shown in FIG. 10 (see, e.g., JP 11-274644). The structure of the AlGaAs semiconductor laser device will be briefly described. As shown in FIG. 10, on an n-type GaAs substrate 501, there are an n-type GaAs buffer layer 502, an n-type Al0.5Ga0.5As lower cladding layer 504, an Al0.35Ga0.65As lower guide layer 503, a multiquantum well active layer 505 composed of two Al0.12Ga0.88As well layers (each layer having a thickness of 80 Å) and three Al0.35Ga0.65As barrier layers (each layer having a thickness of 50 Å) disposed alternately, an Al0.35Ga0.65As upper guide layer 506, a p-type Al0.5Ga0.5As first upper cladding layer 507 and a p-type GaAs etching stopper layer 508 that are stacked in this order. A mesa stripe-shaped p-type Al0.5Ga0.5As second upper cladding layer 509 and an eaves-shaped p-type GaAs cap layer 510 are sequentially formed on a surface of the etching stopper layer 508. An n-type Al0.3Ga0.3As first current blocking layer 511 and an n-type GaAs second current blocking layer 512 are stacked on both sides of the second upper cladding layer 509, so that regions other than the mesa stripe portion are defined as current constriction portions. A p-type GaAs planarizing layer 513 is formed on the second current blocking layer 512, and a p-type GaAs contact layer 514 is laid on the entire surface thereof.
The semiconductor laser device has a threshold current of 35 mA and a COD (Catastrophic Optical Damage) level of about 160 mW.
However, in the semiconductor laser device that employs the AlGaAs materials, "end-face damage" caused by COD is liable to occur on laser light-emitting end faces during the high-power operation, due to influence of active Al (aluminum) atoms. As a result, such a semiconductor laser device only had a maximum optical output of about 160 mW. The end-face damage caused by COD is presumed to occur by the following mechanism. In the end faces of a resonator, because Al is easily oxidized, a surface level is formed thereby. Carriers injected into the active layer are relaxed through the level, when heat is emitted. Therefore, the temperature increases locally. The increase in the temperature reduces the bandgap of the active layer in the vicinity of the end faces. As a result, absorption of laser light in the vicinity of the end faces increases, and the number of carriers that are relaxed through the surface level increases resulting in further generation of heat. By repeating such a positive feedback, the end faces are finally melted resulting in stop of oscillation. Since Al is contained in an active region in the conventional semiconductor laser device, the end-face damage on the basis of the above principle becomes a big problem.
The present inventors have proceeded with the study on high-output semiconductor laser devices that employ InGaAsP materials that contain no Al (Al-free materials). As a result, a semiconductor laser device having a maximum optical output of up to almost 250 mW was realized, but sufficient reliability and temperature characteristics were not obtained. Inspecting this semiconductor laser device, the inventors found the possibility that carriers injected in the active region were liable to leak to the outside of the active region under high-temperature atmosphere or in high-power operation.

Semiconductor laser device and optical disc unit


A self-adjustable current source control circuit utilizes a replica output stage, a sink current source that generates a reference current, and a negative feedback circuit to generate a sink current between a linear regulator output terminal and ground only when a load circuit connected to the linear regulator is in a low power consuming state. The replica output stage includes an 1:N scaled replica of the linear regulator's NMOS (or NPN) output stage transistor, and the negative feedback circuit utilizes two PMOS (or PNP) negative feedback transistors having the same N:1 size ratio and connected as a common gate amplifier, whereby one of the two negative feedback transistors turns on to draw the desired sink current from the regulator output terminal only when the load current falls below N times the reference current (i.e., only the load current is drawn through the output stage transistor during high load current conditions).

DC linear voltage regulators are circuits utilized to supply a regulated output voltage to a load circuit, and typically include an output stage transistor (e.g., a power FET) and a differential (operational) amplifier (error amplifier). The differential amplifier compares a fraction of the regulated output voltage (which is fed back by way of a voltage divider to the non-inverting input terminal of the differential amplifier) with a stable (bandgap) reference voltage that is supplied to the amplifier's inverting input terminal, and generates a gate voltage that is applied to the gate terminal of the power FET, which is connected between an unregulated voltage supply and the load. During operation, the differential amplifier adjusts (increases or decreases) the gate voltage as needed such that the output voltage is maintained at the desired regulated voltage level. For example, if R/C load conditions change such that the output voltage increases relative to the reference voltage (e.g., by way of the load circuit entering a hibernation or sleep mode), the differential amplifier reduces the gate voltage applied to the power FET, thereby adjusting (reducing) the output voltage to the desired regulated voltage level. Conversely, if the output voltage decreases relative to the reference voltage (e.g., due to the load switching from a sleep mode to a normal operating mode), the differential amplifier increases the gate voltage applied to the power FET, thereby adjusting (increasing) the output voltage to the desired regulated voltage level. By constantly adjusting the output voltage in this way, the LDO regulator maintains a constant regulated voltage across the load.
A low-dropout (LDO) regulator is a type of DC linear voltage regulator that can operate with a very small input-output differential voltage, which provides advantages over other linear voltage regulators by supporting lower minimum operating voltages, providing higher efficiency operations, and reducing heat generation. LDO regulators utilize a current source circuit to stabilize and maintain the regulated output voltage under low or zero load current conditions. The current source circuit is typically coupled in parallel with the load between the regulated output voltage and ground, and functions to draw a minimal sink current through the power FET. That is, when the load enters a standby or sleep mode (i.e., is drawing zero or a very small load current), the current source functions to draw a minimum sink current from the FET in order to maintain the desired regulated voltage across the load.
During periods of zero or low load current, the energy consumption and heat generation produced by the current source circuitry of an LDO are considered acceptable because the generated sink current serves the beneficial purpose of maintaining the regulated output voltage at a stable operating bandwidth, and also because the total amount of heat generated by the LDO is relatively small during these periods. However, under normal operating (i.e., high load current) conditions, unless the current source circuitry is disabled, the current through the power FET is higher than load current (i.e., by the amount of the sink current) without providing a functional benefit, which unnecessarily increases power consumption and heat generation. That is, during high load current conditions, the sink current drawn through the current source circuit provides no benefit in exchange for the consumed energy and generated heat because the high load current facilitates stable LDO operating bandwidth. Moreover, because the sink current flows from the FET output to ground, the amount of heat generated is proportional to the regulated LDO output voltage. As such, in circuits requiring high regulated voltages, heat dissipation in the current source is a significant factor in overall LDO heating, and thus may become a critical factor limiting overall performance of the LDO circuit. Accordingly, although the use of current source circuitry is beneficial during periods of zero or very small load currents, the current source circuitry effectively becomes a liability by undesirably consuming energy and generating heat during periods of high load current.
To reduce power consumption and to avoid possible overheating problems, LDO regulators typically include a mechanism for turning off the sink current source during periods when the load consumes more than the minimum sink current (i.e., when the load is in a normal operating state). Prior art approaches used to turn off the sink current source during high load current conditions use control circuitry to monitor (sense) the load current (or LDO output voltage), and to turn off the sink current source when the load current is higher than the minimum sink current (or when the output voltage falls below a minimum voltage level). A problem with these prior art approaches is that the control circuitry remains active (i.e., continuously draws current) in order to monitor the load conditions. That is, the prior art solution control circuitry continues to draw operating current through the output stage/amplifier at all times in order to continuously monitor the load current, so even when the bias current provider/transistor has been turned off because the load current is greater than the minimum sink current, the control circuitry continues to generate heat and to draw a significant amount of power that reduces battery life in portable devices. Moreover, the complicated control circuitry of the prior art approaches requires a significant amount of chip area, which increases production costs.
What is needed is a linear regulator having an self-adjustable sink current bias source that reliably draws a sink current through the output stage during zero or low load current conditions, and that reliably turns-off the sink current to reduce power consumption and heat generation in the output stage during high load current conditions without requiring a complicated and continuously active control circuit.

Self-adjustable current source control circuit for linear regulators


A control system has an air conditioner that communicates with a file server via a network. The file server includes a lifestyle log in which information associating lifestyle information indicating a lifestyle with a control method of the air conditioner is accumulated. A first control-operation functional unit operates the air conditioner based on a first control request acquired from a first device. A second control-operation functional unit selects a control method from the lifestyle log based on a second control request acquired from a second device with higher functionality than the first device, and operates the air conditioner using the selected control method.

Compared with those in the past, current air conditioners have capabilities that allow various types of operation, such as an extended variable range of capacity, an extended variable range of air flow speed, and diversified air flow control. However, even in an air conditioner that allows various types of operation, the details of operation that can be requested by a user through the air conditioner itself or a remote controller are restricted due to the number of control-operation switches or physical restrictions in a display unit.
Patent Literature 1 discloses a technology in which, in an air conditioner, a control command from a remote controller dedicated to the air conditioner and a control command from a communication terminal via a wireless local area network (LAN) are executed.

Control system, air conditioner, and control method based on lifestyle log


A mode changeover control device for a hybrid vehicle includes an engine, a motor/generator and at least one driving wheel. A changeover between an electric drive mode using only the electric motor to power the at least one driving wheel and a hybrid drive mode using both the engine and the electric motor to power the at least one driving wheel is controlled. The drive mode is changed from the hybrid drive mode to the electric drive mode if the accelerator opening is less than a first threshold level, and the drive mode is changed from the electric drive mode to the hybrid drive mode if the accelerator opening is greater than a second threshold level. A hysteresis value is defined between the first threshold level and the second threshold level, and the hysteresis value is changed based on a vehicle operating state.

Typical hybrid vehicles are equipped with an engine and a electric motor as propulsion sources so as to allow a changeover between an electric drive mode (EV mode, motor drive mode) in which the vehicle is propelled only by the electric motor and a hybrid drive mode (HRV mode, combination drive mode) in which the vehicle is propelled by both the engine and the electric motor. In order to switch between the electric drive mode and the hybrid drive mode, various hybrid vehicle mode changeover control devices have been proposed.
For example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 6-48190 discloses a mode changeover control device that causes a changeover to the HEV mode from the EV mode when the accelerator opening exceeds an EV-to-HEV mode changeover judgment threshold level. When the vehicle is operating in the HEV mode, the mode changeover control device causes a changeover to the EV mode when the accelerator opening decreases below an HEV-to-EV mode changeover judgment threshold level. In order to prevent frequent changeovers between the EV mode and the HEV mode, the EV-to-HEV mode changeover judgment level is set higher than HEV-to-HV mode changeover judgment level so as to provide hysteresis between these judgment threshold levels.

Mode changeover control device for a hybrid vehicle


An optical fiber assembly includes a lens block with a plurality of beam expanding and collimating elements. Each beam expanding and collimating element includes a first lens and a second lens. The first lens includes a generally arcuate first lens surface and the second lens includes a generally arcuate second lens surface generally complementary in shape and in contact with the first lens. Each lens has a different index of refraction. An optical fiber assembly may include a housing with a plurality of beam expanding elements. A front portion of each beam expanding element has a generally planar front surface. A compliant layer is positioned on the generally planar front surface of each beam expanding element.

The Present Disclosure relates, generally, to optical lens assemblies, and, more particularly, to a molded optical lens assembly for use with optical fiber expanded beam interfaces.
Optical fiber systems used in harsh environments often utilize an expanded beam interface to improve light transmission reliability. Expanded beam connectors include a lens mounted adjacent an end face of each fiber that expands the optical beam to minimize the impact of any foreign objects such as dust or debris between the optical fibers at the optical interface that may interfere with light transmission. Expanded beam connectors are also commonly used with optical fiber systems in high vibration environments since the expanded beam minimizes the effect of misalignment due to vibrations.
Some connector assemblies utilize an individual ball- or sphere-shaped lens aligned with each optical fiber. Other assemblies utilize a lens assembly having a plurality of lenses with each lens aligned with one of the optical fibers. Such multi-lens assemblies often have a generally planar rear face positioned adjacent front faces of the optical fibers and a front face including a plurality of convex lens elements. Other lens assemblies have generally planar front and rear surfaces with the front surface including a plurality of gradient or graded index lenses. Multi-lens assemblies may be somewhat costly due to their complexity and the tight tolerance control required during manufacturing. Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a multi-lens assembly that is relatively low cost with improved manufacturability.


A low-current input buffer is disclosed. The buffer uses self-biased N and P channel differential pairs with their outputs tied together. The self-biasing assists in reducing current consumption. The combination of N and P-channel differential pairs results in symmetry across a wide range of reference and supply voltages.

There is a need for differential buffers that have uniform, symmetrical rise and fall trigger characteristics. Bazes buffers sense both low-to-high and high-to-low transitions equally, symmetrically, and with high speed. However, Bazes buffers tend to consume a lot of current, and also sometimes function inconsistently depending on the reference voltage and Vcc supplied thereto. Therefore, a low-current symmetrical buffer that can work across a wide range of reference and supply voltages is desired.


To enable puncture of a body wall with a greater degree of sensitivity with a surgical obturator for puncturing the body wall having a knife, the cutting edge of which extends outwards from a tip of the obturator in the direction of various sides and backwards in relation to the tip, and which is orientated throughout its entire length parallel to the puncturing direction, so that the cutting edge points in the puncturing direction, it is proposed that the cutting edge be of helical line-shaped configuration.

The invention relates to a surgical obturator for puncturing a body wall with a knife, the cutting edge of which extends outwards from a tip of the obturator in the direction of various sides and backwards in relation to the tip, and which is orientated throughout its entire length parallel to the puncturing direction so that the cutting edge points in the puncturing direction.
Obturators of this kind are used to form an opening in a body wall, through which a cannula or tube can be inserted into the interior of the body, for example, to prepare for minimally invasive surgery.
Obturators with cutting edges pointing in the puncturing direction and extending outwards and backwards from the tip are known, in which the cutting edges of the knife have a V-shape, i.e., the straight-lined cutting edges are inclined in relation to a longitudinal axis of the obturator that runs through the obturator tip. Clean cuts can be made with such obturators when the obturator is advanced through the body wall, but it is difficult to perform this puncturing operation with such a degree of sensitivity that internal organs are not inadvertently injured after the puncturing. Once the cutting operation has been initiated, it progresses with relatively little resistance, so that the surgeon is unable to precisely determine the extent to which the obturator has already penetrated the body wall.
The object of the invention is to so construct a generic surgical obturator that with it puncturing of a body wall is possible with a greater degree of sensitivity.


An issuing system for a newly-issued security or fixed rate financing instrument includes a server and a plurality of issuing machines connected to the server via a network. Each of the issuing machines receives an ID recording medium provided by a potential purchaser, retrieves an identification recoded in the received ID recording medium, requests the potential purchaser to input request for a transaction of the security or fixed rate financing instrument, processes the requested transaction by retrieving information via a network from the server, and prints out on demand a hardcopy of the security or fixed rate financing instrument as purchased by the potential purchaser. A method for forming a new market with the issuing system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an issuing system including a plurality of issuing machines for selling, generating, and printing newly-issued securities or fixed rate financing instruments that include selected features of common stock and bonds, and a method for establishing a market with the system. In particular, the fixed rate financing instruments attract private funds and investments to finance public works or projects, such as infrastructure improvement projects.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Stock certificates are a well-known type of certificate of securities that represent the positions or rights of stockowners. A business operator issues stock certificates that represent the positions or rights of investors in return for acquiring funds from the investors. Those who purchased stock certificates (i.e., stockholders) are allowed to participate in the operation of the company that issued the stock certificates based on the positions and rights given to them in return. In other words, stockholders can attend stockholders meetings, participate in voting, and demand dividends from the company that issued stock certificates.
Moreover, stockholders are allowed to sell the stock certificates to third parties. By selling the stocks at prices exceeding the original purchase prices, they can earn profits that are equal to the differences between them.
Bonds are another type of well-known securities that are issued by national or local governments, entities established based on special laws, or private enterprises for obligations they have to the public as a whole. Bonds are characterized in that they have predetermined redemption dates, after which the bond issuers are to pay to the bond owners corresponding principals and interests. Bond owners are also allowed to sell bonds at prices exceeding the original purchase prices and earn profits that are equal to the differences between them.
However, a business operator sometimes may not be able to acquire sufficient funds only by stock issues. Moreover, by issuing bonds, a business operator becomes obligated to pay the principals and interests after the redemption dates, so that bond issuing results in a high burden for a business owner.
US. Patent Application Publication No. 20020107766 provides a financial instrument certificate purchasing system for issuing, transferring and redeeming financial certificates which are representative of underlying publicly-traded property. The system permits an individual to gift a third party with a certificate which represents a company's security or other financial instrument, while not itself consisting of the financial instrument. However, the system does not sell, generate or print the financial instrument itself. In addition, the certificates are ordered via a personal computer, rather than any publicly-available standing-alone issuing machine like an ATM.
There is a need for a securities issuing system with a plurality of issuing machines placed at various convenient locations to for potential customers to offer to buy securities, to buy securities, to transfer bought securities to a depository, or to print out the bought securities.

Method and system for issuing securities and fixed rate financing instruments, method for establishing a market with the system


The present invention provides for a method and apparatus for using the complete resource capacity of a synchronous digital hierarchy infrastructure, with a protection system, in the presence of a data (packet) network, in which the complete SDH/SONET protection (spare) capacity is used to carry data traffic in both normal and failure conditions.

When a data packet network is deployed over a synchronous digital hierarchy network (as SDH or SONET) infrastructure, both TDM (Time Division Multiplex) and Data (packet) traffic are carried. In the following the synchronous digital hierarchy network will be identified with the term SDH/SONET.
In the SDH/SONET network, when it is organized in a ring configuration, one of the most common protection systems deployed is the well known MS-SPRING protection mechanism, as described in the standard ITU-T G.841, whereby the transport capacity is divided between Working and Protection capacity/channels. Every Working channel has a corresponding Protection channel to be used by the MS-SPRING protection mechanism to restore the traffic of the working channel in case of failure.
In normal non-failure conditions the Working channels carry data and TDM traffic, and the Protection channels may be used to carry the so-called low-priority "extra-traffic".
However in case of failure, the low-priority "extra-traffic" in the protection channels is pre-empted by the MS-SPRING protection mechanism to allow restoration of the traffic of the Working channels.
Therefore this protection mechanism has the main drawback that in practice 50% of the global SDH/SONET capacity resources are wasted and typically are not used for transporting traffic, just because this traffic should have to be pre-empted in case of failure, this way reducing drastically the reliability of the transmission of the extra-traffic.
This problem is particularly important due to the strong need to transport data over SDH/SONET, and therefore the SDH/SONET capacity must be used in a more efficient way.
The same considerations are applicable to the more general situation of ring or meshed networks with other types of protection deployed, such as ring SNCP (Sub-Network Connection Protection) where a protection capacity is shared among N working capacities.

Method for using the complete resource capacity of a synchronous digital hierarchy network, subject to a protection mechanism, in the presence of data (packet) network, and relating apparatus for the implementation of the method

Abstract: In case of failure the working capacity is cut, and the TDM traffic is subject to a protection mechanism and is shifted over the protection capacity; the part of high (and medium) priority data traffic is shifted over the protection capacity; a part of the data low-priority extra-traffic (transported over the protection capacity in normal conditions) will share the remaining protection capacity with the low-priority best-effort part of the data traffic transported over the working capacity.


A rectangular case of a battery has cover, which is inserted into an open end of the case with the peripheral edge thereof butted against an inner periphery of the case, forming an interface to be welded. In order to form an equal weld penetration depth, the welding of the corners of the weld interface and straight sides thereof is carried out differently. For example, when the corner of the weld interface is welded, the laser beam is aimed at a portion offset outside the corner of the weld interface while the laser beam is applied right on the weld interface when the straight side is welded. Each portion on the straight sides is, preferably, welded before the above main welding for temporary setting.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing a battery having a polygonal case and, more particularly, relates to a welding method of a polygonal battery case.
2. Description of the Related Art
Japanese Patent Laid Open No. 6-54660 discloses a battery having a rectangular metal case, which has a cover plate welded to an open end of the case by a laser beam welding device. The rectangular case is placed on a table, which moves a set time before the laser welding is started and continues to move for a while after the laser welding is completed in order to provide equal welding speed. A rectangular battery is, generally, effective to save the mounting space, and the laser beam welding provides good working efficiency without causing bad influence on the electrolyte and insulators of the battery as compared with other welding methods.
In general, since the rectangular battery case is formed from a metal plate to have corners with small curvature, the cover plate is also formed to have the corresponding corners with small curvature.
Some of the above described batteries, however, have problems of electric short circuiting, leaking of the electrolyte and other sealing problems.
The laser welding is usually carried out, as shown in FIG. 20, with a spot welding 201 along the interface line (hereinafter referred to as the weld interface) of the open end of the case 10 and outer edge of the cover 2 at a constant speed with regulated power. The straight line of the rectangular weld interface 200 is, therefore, melted to form a weld penetration area (portion melted by welding and thereafter becomes solid) having a V-shaped cross-section. On the other hand, the corners 202 of the rectangular weld interface 200 are melted more to have deeper V-shaped cross-section than the straight sides due to increase of the welding power per unit area, and the bottom of the V-shaped cross-section shifts to the inside due to difference in length between the outer periphery and the inner periphery of the weld bead 200 shown in FIG. 20, whereby a melted metal piece of the welded penetration area may get into the electrolyte contained inside the case and cause short circuiting, leakage of the electrolyte or breakdown of the battery.
In addition, when the cover 2 is put on the open end of the case 10 to be welded to the case 1 as shown in FIG. 21, the weld interface loses rigidity and the cover 2 may fall into the inside of the case 10 or pinholes may be formed in the weld interface.
If the case 1 is made of a thin metal plate, sags of the weld beads may be formed on a peripheral portion of the open end of the case 10 as shown in FIG. 22.

Method of manufacturing battery having polygonal case


A cup holder includes a movable adapter ring for use in selectively reducing the inner diameter of the larger upper socket that is the primary cup support. The large upper socket is movably secured to an underlying base member having an outer diameter sufficient to securely fit into the stationary cup holders found in most late model vehicles. The upper socket is movable in a lateral direction to accommodate use of two such supports in vehicle that provide two adjacently positioned cup holders.

As evidenced by the addition of beverage cup holders in almost all late model vehicles, there is an increased need for such devices by a public who frequently eat and drink while traveling. Most are stationarily positioned and accommodate containers of relatively small outer diameters, generally that of a conventional canned beverage. Unfortunately, however, other beverage containers are of many sizes, frequently of large diameter. Additionally, where two cup holders are provided in a center console in a vehicle, generally they are so closely adjacent each other that it is impossible to accommodate large-diameter containers.
A search of the prior art reveals great activity in this area; most patents being directed to devices for insertion into existing cup holders to increase the size. None, however, are adequately designed to accommodate a variety of sizes and to be laterally adjustable for use in adjacently positioned, stationary cup holders.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,008,673 teaches an adapter device having a large diameter cup holder with a small diameter pedestal to fit the pre-existing holder.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,195 teaches an adapter with varying notches to accommodate cup or mug handles, and an inner, flexible flange for securing smaller cups.
U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,174,534 and 4,088,250 teach multi-part adapters; and U.S. Pat. No. 4,854,468 teaches a base member with a truncated support member.
While it is readily apparent that there is a great variety of types of holders, none is a unitary member, adjustable laterally for position and internally for diameter.
The present invention overcomes many of the disadvantages of the prior art in that the device is designed and structured to adjust to cups of various sizes, and with a laterally movable, cup-receiving socket so that a pair of the devices can be used in closely adjacent stationary cup holders.
The preferred embodiment of the present invention includes a base portion formed of heavy, molded rubber or rubber-like material, having a substantially tubular configuration and an outer diameter enabling a secure fit within an existing cup holder. The tubular base member has a closed upper end, on top of which a socket-type cup-holder is mounted.
As will be described in more detail below, the upper socket includes an inner adapter ring for changing the diameter; and the attachment of the socket to the base includes a slide means for moving the socket in either lateral direction to adjust the center of the socket relative to the base.
A study of the detailed description in conjunction with the accompanying drawings will reveal that the present invention provides a highly improved device for adapting existing cup holders to hold a variety of cups. It should be understood that while the present description is directed to use of the device in existing vehicle cup holders it is not meant to be limiting and the device may readily be used in other types of cup holders or supports.


Power reception equipment (20) is provided with: a secondary side resonance coil (21b) which receives power from a primary side resonance coil (13b) of power supply equipment (10); and a rectifier (23) which rectifies the received power. The power reception equipment is further provided with: a secondary matching unit (22) which is provided between the secondary side resonance coil (21b) and the rectifier (23); a charger (24) to which rectified electric power is supplied; a power storage device (25) which is connected to the charger; and a control unit (26) which adjusts the secondary matching unit when the power storage device is being charged. The control unit stores, as data on a storage device (33), the relationship between the charge power from the power supply equipment during the power ascension phase and the matching status of the secondary matching unit (22) when charging. During the phase in which the power output from the supply equipment is reduced, the control unit adjusts, on the basis of the data stored in the storage device during the power ascension phase, the secondary matching unit (22) so as to reach a suitable status corresponding to the charge power.

Conventionally, a charging system has been proposed that is capable of charging an electrical storage device mounted in a vehicle by wirelessly receiving charging power from a power source provided outside the vehicle through a resonance method (see Patent Document 1). The charging system of the document includes an electric vehicle and a power supply device, and the electric vehicle includes a secondary self-resonance coil (secondary-side resonance coil), a secondary coil, a rectifier and an electrical storage device. The power supply device includes a high-frequency power driver, a primary coil and a primary self-resonance coil (primary-side resonance coil). The number of turns of the secondary self-resonance coil is set on the basis of voltage of the electrical storage device, the distance between the primary self-resonance coil and the secondary self-resonance coil, and the resonant frequencies of the primary self-resonance coil and the secondary self-resonance coil. The distance between the power supply device and the vehicle varies depending upon the conditions of the vehicle (loading state, air pressure of the tires and the like), and the resulting variation in the distance between the primary self-resonance coil of the power supply device and the secondary self-resonance coil of the vehicle, which brings about a change of resonant frequencies of the primary self-resonance coil and the secondary self-resonance coil. Hence, the document discloses that a variable capacitor is connected to a conductor wire of the secondary self-resonance coil, and when the electrical storage device is charged, charging power to the electrical storage device is calculated on the basis of detection values of a voltage sensor and a current sensor. Further, the document discloses that the capacity of the variable capacitor of the secondary self-resonance coil is adjusted so that the charging power to the electrical storage device becomes the maximum, thereby adjusting LC resonant frequency of the secondary self-resonance coil.

Power reception equipment for resonance-type non-contact power supply system


Disclosed is a washing machine including: a tub provided inside a cabinet and storing washing water; a drum rotatably provided inside the tub and accommodating an object to be washed; a circulation pump for circulating, inside the drum, the washing water discharged from the drum; an air pump for compressing air; an air mixer for mixing the washing water supplied by the circulation pump, and the air compressed by the air pump; and a plurality of nozzles for spraying, toward the object to be washed, a mixed fluid in which the washing water and the compressed air are mixed by the air mixer.

Generally, a washing machine is a home appliance in which an object to be washed (clothes, laundry, etc.) and washing water are introduced into a drum and the drum is mechanically driven to remove contaminants of the laundry by mechanical energy such as frictional force or impact energy between the washing water and the laundry and a chemical action between a detergent and the laundry.
Such washing machines may be roughly classified into a pulsator type using a water flow by rotation of a pulsator and a drum type using impact force due to a vertical drop of the laundry to be washed in response to rotation of a drum.
In a drum type washing machine according to the related art, as a drum fast rotates instantly in a forward/reverse direction, a detergent is dissolved by friction between the drum and water.
In recent years, various devices are additionally equipped to increase washing efficiency of the washing machine. For example, a washing water circulation and spray apparatus is additionally equipped.
The related art washing water circulation and spray apparatus includes a circulation pump for circulating washing water discharged from a tub back into the tub.
The washing water discharged from a bottom of the tub is pumped upward by the circulation pump along a circulating hose to be resupplied into the tub. The washing water is then sprayed onto the laundry introduced into the drum such that the laundry can be soaked.
However, the circulation pump used in the related art washing machine has the following problems.
First, since a low-pressure pump having low discharge pressure is used to lower a pump unit cost, a spraying (or injection) force of the washing machine which is circulated back to the drum by the circulation pump is weak.
Second, in order to further improve the washing efficiency, it is preferable that the washing water circulated to the drum 3 is sprayed in an atomized state. However, when the spraying force is weak, sufficient atomization cannot be achieved.
Third, when a large amount of objects to be washed occupy most of an internal space volume of the tub and the drum, for example, ⅔ or more, and a spraying direction of the washing water is limited to only one direction, it takes long time for the objects to be washed (referred to as 'clothes') to be soaked by the circulated water and there is a limit in wetting the clothes uniformly.
Fourth, when a less amount of washing water is circulated, concentration of the detergent dissolved in the washing water is low. Therefore, the amount of washing water needs to be increased in order to increase the washing efficiency.


A method for capturing breakpoint information from a debuggee software process includes generating a breakpoint condition based upon a breakpoint request received from a user computing device corresponding to a user and transmitting the generated breakpoint condition to debuglets, each corresponding to a software process executed by a debuggee service. The debuggee service executes on a distributed system, and each debuglet translates the generated breakpoint condition to a physical breakpoint condition set to the respective software process. The method also includes receiving a request from one of the debuglets to update active breakpoint information captured by the debuglet upon the physical breakpoint condition being hit by one of the software processes and transmitting a notification from the processing device indicating the physical breakpoint condition being hit to the user computing device.

A conventional development cycle for computer software code includes repeated steps of authoring, testing, debugging and modifying the code during initial development phases or long after deployment of the product. Traditional debugger tools, however, are generally ineffective for debugging computer software code developed on distributed systems, such as the cloud environment. As a result, developers resort to printf debugging or no debugging at all. This lack of debugging capabilities on distributed systems leads to increased time spent fixing problems as they occur or preventing them in the first place.
Known debuggers are primarily directed toward process state debugging rather than distributed service debugging. Developers on the cloud environment have an increased need to debug their services or requests, rather than simply debug a specific software process or thread. Developers generally debug software processes on distributed systems by collecting monitoring and tracking information to draw conclusions. This process can take minutes to days to carry out. The product is only pushed back to production once it has been fixed. In fact, most available debugging tools are directed toward achieving the highest fidelity by resolving every aspect of symbols, variables and memory while the software process is stopped. Thus, live debugging of the process cannot be achieved because the software process must be stopped to perform the debugging.

Debugging computer programming code in a cloud debugger environment


An induction generator having a pair of magnetic poles of the same polarity opposed to each other with respect to a rotation shaft is characterized by a high energy conversion efficiency. The induction generation has a rotation shaft driven by an external means; an even number of (more than three) stator cores provided to encircle the rotation shaft, predetermined gaps being provided between the adjacent stator cores; a first monopole rotor provided in the rotation shaft, surrounded by the even number of stator cores, and having first and second magnetic poles of the same polarity, the first and second magnetic poles being opposed to each other with respect to the rotation shaft in a cross section; a second monopole rotor provided in the rotation shaft so as to face the first monopole rotor at a predetermined distance along the rotation shaft, surrounded by the even number of stator cores, and having third and fourth magnetic poles of the same polarity opposite to the polarity of the first and second magnetic poles, the third and fourth magnetic poles being opposite to each other with respect to the rotation shaft; a plurality of windings provided in the even number of stator cores and connected according to a predetermined configuration.

As is well known, an induction generator is operated on the principle that an electromotive force in proportion to a rate at which the magnetic flux crosses a coil decreases is induced in a coil (Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction). According to Lenz's law, an induced electromotive force is generated in a direction in which a current that acts against a change in the magnetic flux is generated.
For example, as shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B, assuming that the magnetic flux .phi. crossing a circular coil 1 at a perpendicular direction moves in the A.fwdarw.B direction as indicated by the arrow, a current I.sub.1 flows in accordance with Faraday's law of electromagnetic induction so that the pointer of a galvanometer 2 swings clockwise (+ direction) and then returns to the zero position. When the magnetic flux .phi. moves in the B.fwdarw.C direction, a current I.sub.2 flows so that the indicator of the galvanometer 2 swings counterclockwise (- direction) and then returns to the zero position.
Generally, an induction generator is constructed such that an electromotive force is induced according to Flemming's right-hand rule by a conductor cutting magnetic flux lines (FIG. 1A) or by the magnetic flux lines crossing the conductor (FIG. 1B).
A rotor in an induction generator is usually embodied by a one-piece body having alternately disposed N-poles and S-poles. When there are two magnetic poles, the N-pole and the S-pole are opposite to each other. When there are more than two magnetic poles (for example, four magnetic poles or six magnetic poles etc.), the N-pole and the S-pole alternate, resulting in a N-S-N-S- . . . succession.
In this background, a unipolar induction generator is a special case wherein an electromotive force is generated by a conductor cutting the magnetic flux while moving or rotating, and a direct current is supplied through a slip ring. In other words, a unipolar induction motor is unique in its construction characterized by a non-alternating magnetic field traveling in the same direction.
In the conventional induction generator such as the one described above, improvement in energy conversion efficiency is attained such that the rotor is constructed of a ferrite or rare-earth magnet characterized by a high energy product and a small reversing permeability (recoil permeability). Alternatively, the extent of demagnetization due to generation of a counter magnetic field in an induction coil is reduced allowing the single polarity of the rotor to interact with the stator in forming a magnetic circuit. However, despite these measures, reduction in energy conversion efficiency due to a counter magnetic field of the rotor core, more specifically, due to demagnetization resulting from the counter magnetic field caused by armature reaction presents a serious problem.
The present invention has been developed in view of the above points, and its object is to provide an induction generator having a pair of magnetic poles of the same polarity opposed to each other with respect to a rotation shaft, wherein a high energy conversion efficiency is attained.

Induction generator having a pair of magnetic poles of the same polarity opposed to each other with respect to a rotation shaft