This invention provides a posture detecting apparatus capable of quickly determining, without depending on any complicated signal processing, which one of a plurality of reference postures a given human posture coincides with, or that it coincides with none of them.. Upon a hologram wherein images corresponding with a plurality of reference postures have been recorded by the help of the corresponding reference beams each having a different incident angle, focused is a beam which has been spatially modulated by the LCD (liquid crystal display) panel which has displayed the human posture to be detected. When the human posture in question coincides with one of the reference postures, from the hologram emanates a beam which takes the same path with that the reference beam corresponding with that reference posture takes for impinging on the hologram. A beam detector detects the beam emanating from the hologram.

To date a number of systems for detecting changes in human posture have been proposed which consist of taking pictures of a human body or parts of it with a CCD (solid-state imaging elements) camera, and of analyzing human posture or parts of it based on image signals (electric signals) delivered from the CCD camera.
With such human posture detecting systems, image signals from the CCD camera are processed by a signal processing system (computer), whereby the posture of the human body or its parts is analyzed and identified.
Such human posture detecting system has such a constitution that the identified posture of human body or its parts can be compared with reference postures stored in a memory. With such constitution, the system can be utilized for a game machine or a posture evaluating system.
For example, with such human posture detecting system, necessary data regarding a plurality of reference postures are read out from a memory, and displayed on a monitor one after another, so that, each time a reference posture appears on the monitor, it is compared with the posture of a human body or its part reproduced from the image signals delivered from the CCD camera, then whether or not the reproduced posture coincides with the reference posture is determined, and the number of coincidences is counted for determining the winner in a game, or the count itself serves as a score(mark).
With said posture detecting system, however, information the image signal carries is so huge in amount that, even though a high performance system is used for processing the image signal, it requires a long time for processing such a vast amount of information.
Accordingly, with this type of posture detecting system, it takes so much time to determine whether or not the reproduced posture of a human body or its parts coincides with a given reference posture, that comparison of the reproduced posture with a plurality of reference postures delivered rapidly one after another to determine the identity of the reproduced posture is practically impossible. In short, it is practically very difficult for this type of posture detecting system to be used as an element, as said earlier, of a game machine, or as a posture evaluating system.

Apparatus and method for detecting a posture


The present invention is a two piece plastic door latch for use with hinged doors. The invention is intended as a temporary replacement of a traditional doorknob system, and is specifically designed for use during construction of a building. A typical door includes a cutout for mounting the door knob assembly and a bore extending from the front edge of the door to the cutout, through which passes the door latch bolt. The invention consists of a tubular casing with a latch plate formed at one end and a latch bolt slidably mounted within a glide path formed within the casing. The casing is inserted into the bore and secured to the edge of a door by the latch plate. The latch bolt extends outwardly from the casing to engage a strike plate secured to the doorjamb. A rubber band secured to the casing engages the latch bolt to urge the latch bolt to its extended position, with the head of the latch bolt extending outward of the door edge. At the inward facing end of the latch bolt forms an xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring that is generally aligned with the cutout. The cutout provides access to the xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring. To open the door latch, an individual reaches through the cutout and grasps the xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring and slidably retracts the latch bolt back into the casing, allowing the door be opened.

NOT APPLICABLE
NOT APPLICABLE
NOT APPLICABLE
The typical door knob assembly consists of opposing doorknobs secured to the edge of a door through a cutout in the door. A bore is drilled from the front edge of the door to the cutout, and defines a path along which the door latch bolt travels. While use of these standard doorknobs is convenient in a finished building, such devices create issues when the building is under construction.
During construction, many contractors need to access the building site. When a door is first installed, it is installed without the door locks. The door locks are usually installed as part of the finish work. Since no door latch exists, the doors are allowed to freely swing in the wind. This frequently results in damage to the door, doorjamb and wall surfaces that the door may strike.
There are a number of options utilized for reducing or eliminating the damage potentially caused by such unsecured doors. One option is for a builder to shim the door shut or nail studs across the door to prevent the door from swinging open. This is inconvenient as the contractors accessing the premises must remove the shims or studs each time they access the premises, and the shims and/or studs must be re-attached when the contractor leaves. Such constant shimming or securing of the door can also result in damage to the door system and walls. With the confusion of many contractors on site at the same time, the door is frequently left unsecured when everyone has left the premises, leaving the door system and walls vulnerable to damage.
Another option is to install traditional doorknobs on a temporary basis. This is both inconvenient for the builder and expensive. Because the doors must remain unlocked to permit access to the premises by all contractors working in the building, the locks can be removed. Additionally, if the wind should catch the door and the door swings hard against a finished wall, the knobs tend to damage the walls, unless door stops are also installed. Additionally, sometimes contractors lock the outside door, which renders it impossible for the next contractor arriving at the premises without a key to obtain access to the building.
A further problem with installing temporary doorknobs during construction arises when the door is being painted. When painted, the doorknobs must be removed for the door to be properly painted, which again allows the door to swing freely, now with wet paint. In addition to the potential damage to the door and walls, the quality of the paint job is jeopardized.
The present door latch assembly is of two piece, plastic construction secured together with a common rubber band and is designed to be internally mounted within the bore and cutout of a standard hinged door. The door latch includes a one piece, plastic tubular casing with a latch plate formed at one end. The casing defines an internal guide path for receipt and movement of a latch bolt. A latch bolt is slidably mounted in the tubular casing with sufficient travel to protrude therefrom for latching engagement with an associated striker plate attached to the door jamb. An xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring is formed at the inward facing end of the latch bolt, which is accessible through the door cutout, so that the door latch may be retracted into the casing by digital movement of the xe2x80x9cOxe2x80x9d ring. The rubber band is attached to the casing and latch bolt to bias the latch bolt in a position causing part of the latch bolt to protrude from the casing for latching, yet allows manual retraction of the latch bolt within the casing.
One object of the invention is to provide an inexpensive plastic lock which is simple to install and remove, yet is durable and reliable when used in new construction.
Another object of the invention is to minimize the vulnerability of the door and structure to damage if the door should swing free.
Yet another object of the invention is to allow the door to be painted, without loss of the ability to secure the door in closed position.
Yet another object of the invention is to create a door latch which is easy to use by contractors who need to bring bulky or heavy product through the doorway.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a lock mechanism constructed primarily of molded plastic resin material, with a minimum number of parts for easy assembly, installation, use and removable.
With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of the construction, arrangement and combination of the various parts of the lock mechanism in a manner intended to attain the objects contemplated herein.


A system and method for providing prepaid billing for users of an instant messaging system. A method includes determining whether a prepaid account balance associated with an IM client request satisfies a pre-determined criteria, establishing a regular IM session if the prepaid account satisfies the criteria, and establishing a limited IM session if the prepaid account does not satisfy the criteria. The system includes a prepaid account screener operable to determine whether a prepaid account balance satisfies the criteria, establish a regular IM session if the prepaid account satisfies the criteria, and establish a limited IM session if the prepaid account does not satisfy the criteria.

The present invention is directed generally to messaging services, and more specifically, to a system and method for providing a prepaid billing function for instant messaging (IM) users.
Millions of people around the world use data services over wire line networks, wireless networks, or both. One of the most popular types of such data services is messaging services, for example, instant messaging (IM), short message service (SMS), email, or voicemail. Payment for such messaging services may be made by a monthly fee, purchase of a set amount of network resources (e.g., minutes of use) under a contractual arrangement that commits the purchaser to a certain contract time, or another type of contractual arrangement. However, in addition to traditional subscription plans, some phone carriers offer prepaid plans. Under such a plan, users pay only for the minutes they actually use with no contractual commitment. Thus, in a typical prepaid situation, there are no contracts, call plans, or monthly bills. As the user talks or utilizes a particular messaging service, money is deducted from a prepaid account, the balance of which can be adjusted by purchasing additional credits or minutes from the carrier directly or by purchasing prepaid cards having a specified balance.
One operational issue that arises when using prepaid messaging systems and methods is that of notifying a user of a shortage of funds in their prepaid account, and controlling access to such messaging services when a shortage of funds occurs. Some prepaid instant messaging systems use out-of-band communication methods (i.e., a messaging method different from the one being utilized and that has encountered the shortage of funds), such as Short Message Service (SMS) text messages or the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP)-push function, to notify users when their prepaid account balances do not have enough credit to complete a particular messaging transaction. This generally means that the messaging service being utilized (e.g., IM) is discontinued and additional network resources are used to notify the user of the low account balance problem. In addition, when out of band communication methods are used to inform a user of a shortage of funds, the out of band message must be accessible to the user. This requires the ability to utilize the out of band messaging service (i.e., the out of band service is configured for use on the user's device and that messages from the out of band service are accessible to the user during or at the termination of the messaging service that has a shortage of funds).
What is desired is a system and method for notifying users of a prepaid instant messaging service of a shortage of funds in their account and which overcomes the disadvantages of present approaches to the problem.

System and method for providing prepaid billing for instant messaging users


The invention provides an echo-cancelling system for an optical microphone, for eliminating acoustical echoes from a source of acoustical signals to which the microphone is connected, the system including a source of light for illuminating the acoustical membrane; a photodetector for receiving light reflected from the membrane and for producing output signals; means for supplying power to the source of light; a preamplifier for amplifying the output signals; an input terminal for receiving electrical signals from the source of acoustical signals; a time delay circuit for receiving signals from the source of acoustical signals, and a circuit for regulating the amplitude of the delayed electrical signals, connected between the delay circuit and the source of light, for changing the current supplied to the source of light by the light source power means.

The present invention relates to optical microphones, and more particularly to an echo-cancelling system for optical microphones.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,771,091 discloses an optical microphone/sensor including a source of light for producing light used in sensing measurements, which light is transmitted to a reflective membrane either directly from the source or through an optical guide, e.g., an optical fiber or a solid body. Light reflected from the membrane is propagated to a photodetector, either directly or through another light guide. Output signals from the photodetector are proportional to the intensity of the reflected light.
As is experienced by many, echoes emanating from a nearby loudspeaker or other source present disturbances and impair quality communication.
It is therefore a broad object of the present invention to provide an optical microphone system which substantially eliminates echo signals in communication systems to which it is connected, thereby improving the quality of communications.
The invention thus provides an echo-cancelling system for an optical microphone, for eliminating acoustical echoes from a source of acoustical signals to which the microphone is connected, the system comprising a source of light for illuminating the acoustical membrane; a photodetector for receiving light reflected from said membrane and for producing output signals; means for supplying power to said source of light; a preamplifier for amplifying said output signals; an input terminal for receiving electrical signals from said source of acoustical signals; a time delay circuit for receiving signals from said source of acoustical signals, and a circuit system for regulating the amplitude of the delayed electrical signals, connected between said delay circuit and said source of light, for changing the current supplied to said source of light by said light source power means.


A telescopic assembly comprises a first portion and a second portion and a support bearing assembly that acts between the two portions; the two portions being able to move relatively along a common path during telescopic adjustment; the support bearing assembly being located between the two portions and locating the two portions relative to one another to remove free play between the two portions that would otherwise occur in at least one direction orthogonal to the telescopic movement; characterized in that the support bearing assembly is fixed in position between the two portions by a release mechanism that is arranged, in use, to cause the support bearing assembly to grip both the first and second portions when they are not moving telescopically, to automatically release that grip upon relative telescopic movement of the two portions that exceeds a predetermined distance, and to automatically re-engage.

This invention relates to an improved telescopic assembly, and in particular but not exclusively to a telescopic steering column shroud.
There are many applications in which it is desirable for an apparatus to be telescopic so that the length of the apparatus can be adjusted. One common application of a telescopic arrangement is the steering shaft for a vehicle, and another related application is the shroud that surrounds the steering shaft. By allowing part of the shaft or shroud to move telescopically over another, the steering assembly can be adjusted for reach. In a crash, where a driver impacts the steering wheel, this can also allow the wheel to move and by controlling the rate at which the telescopic movement occurs, it is possible to absorb the energy in the crash in a controlled manner.


A collapsible, foldable transport surface capable of supporting an individual when carried by one or more assisting personnel utilizing hand hold components. The transport surface includes a primary body support surface and a secondary leg extension support surface that are connected together. The primary body support surface incorporates an array of straps extending across the back side thereof to form loop based hand holds positioned on the side edges of the transport surface. A set of longitudinally oriented straps are positioned on the support surface and extend from a top edge to form two loop based hand holds which further together terminate into a single loop hand hold at the opposite edge. The secondary leg extension support surface includes a smaller array of straps that extend across the extension support surface forming additional hand holds on either side. The secondary leg extension surface may be retained against the primary support surface when not in use. Each of the loop based hand holds are constructed from flexible tubing through which the support straps are threaded. The balance of the support straps likewise extend across and are sewn to the underside of the support surface. The device may be rolled into a cylindrical configuration and secured utilizing a closure tab. A peripheral strap is positioned on the upper and side edges of the primary support surface to open and fully extend the body support surface.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to systems and methods for transporting incapacitated individuals in emergency and non-emergency situations. The present invention relates more specifically to a collapsible, foldable, transport surface capable of supporting an individual when carried by one or more (preferably two or more) individuals with handhold components incorporated onto the edges of the surface.
2. Description of the Related Art
There are many existing devices designed to facilitate the transport of incapacitated individuals in either emergency or non-emergency situations. For the most part these devices comprise rigid, full body length, platforms onto which the incapacitated individual is placed and strapped down or otherwise retained while two or more emergency personnel or healthcare personnel carry or otherwise transport the individual along with the platform on which they have been placed. These existing devices take the form of simple backboards, often configured with foam padding for assisting with the retention of the individual on the backboard, or more complicated stretchers and gurneys that allow transport of the individual over smooth flat surfaces. Most of these devices are designed to be rigid and to accommodate the full body length of the incapacitated individual primarily because spine and neck injuries are frequently associated with the emergency situations wherein the transport surface is called for. In many cases, however, it is clear to those providing the assistance to the incapacitated individual that no such injury is present and a full sized rigid transport device is unnecessary and cumbersome.
A significant problem associated with all of the rigid full length patient transport devices currently in use is the difficulty with which such devices are initially transported to the location of the incapacitated individual and thereafter the difficulty with which the individual and the transport surface are removed from the location. There has been significant need, therefore, for a patient transport surface or transport device that is easily movable in and out of tightly confined environments, both with and without the patient placed on the surface, in a manner that is generally not possible with full sized rigid based transport surfaces.
Some efforts have been made in the past to provide slings, harnesses, and other flexible mechanisms for securing, positioning, and transporting incapacitated individuals. For the most part these devices are difficult to manipulate and place on or around the incapacitated individual and at the same time provide great discomfort to the incapacitated individual during transport. Any number of compact sling or harness devices have been designed and utilized, every one of which is it difficult to safely secure the harness to the incapacitated individual and thereafter to easily facilitate the transport of the individual by two or more assisting personnel.
It would be desirable if a patient transport surface was available that had the size benefits of a smaller, collapsible harness or sling, and at the same time provided the ease of patient placement that is associated with the full sized rigid platform transport surfaces. It would be desirable if such a device were easily collapsible or foldable into a compact transport configuration that could be readily moved to the individual to be assisted. It would be further beneficial if once located near the individual to be assisted, the device could easily unfold or unroll into a configuration that provided simple and direct placement of the patient onto the support surface. Thereafter, it would be desirable if the transport surface could be carried by as few as two, and even possibly only one assisting individual with comfort for the patient being transported. It would be further desirable if the device were adaptable for use by more than two assisting personnel in such a manner that even greater comfort and greater mobility could be afforded the incapacitated individual in tightly confined environments. It would be beneficial if the compact foldable device were adaptable for use in conjunction with the core body components of the incapacitated individual (i.e., did not necessitate support of the legs) or could easily be altered in configuration to provide support of the legs to the incapacitated individual.


A soft magnetic powder material includes an iron powder, and a plated layer formed on a surface of the iron powder and possessing a lubricating property. The plated layer includes a lubricant material and a matrix in which the lubricant material disperses. The soft magnetic powder material is manufactured by an electroless deposition process, by which a plated layer is formed by depositing, on a surface of an iron powder, at least one element building a matrix, along with a micro-powdered lubricant material.

Recent attentions have focused on a powder molding method, whereby a powder made from a soft magnetic material (hereinafter, referred to as a soft magnetic material powder) mixed with a resin is compression-molded, and is then heat-treated (i.e., curing method). The soft magnetic material powder can, for example, be made from an iron powder of a high degree of purity. Moreover, particles of the soft magnetic material powder can be coated with insulating films on surfaces thereof. As a resin to be mixed in the soft magnetic material powder, it is preferable that the resin possesses properties such as a behavior as a binder and for insulating at gaps of the soft magnetic material powder particles. A soft magnetic material powder compact molded as described above is employed for a motor core having a rotor and a stator.
More specifically, recent attentions have focused on some of the benefits which can be obtained, with high contribution, from the powder molding method: (1) expanding a possibility of shape design, downsizing a molded component (i.e., a compact), and cost reduction in manufacturing a compact; (2) improving a material yield ratio, and cost reduction in manufacturing a compact; (3) a simple process and cost reduction in manufacturing a compact; and (4) improving a material recycling efficiency so that an environment and resource can be conserved.
On the other hand, considerations should be given to points which should be improved about the powder molding method: (1) difficulty in assuring mechanical strength of a compact, especially at a high temperature atmosphere; (2) special design applied to a die, the special design which can facilitate a compact, to be taken out, or, to be ejected from the die; and (3) a magnetic property being inferior to the one of a pure iron plate.
In order to improve the aforementioned points of the powder molding method, JP2003-183702A discloses that a mixture of a polyamide based resin with a lubricating property, a polyphenylene sulfide resin (PPS) with a high melting point, and a soft magnetic material powder can contribute, at a high temperature atmosphere such as 200 degrees Celsius, to improvement of strength of a compact made from the mixture. However, recent requirements have led to a compact, which can possess a high degree of strength at a higher temperature atmosphere.
JP2002-329626A discloses, in order to enhance strength and a magnetic property of a compact, a method of applying a lubricant, such as a lithium stearate, at an interior of a die, thereby enabling to mold a compact with a material not including resin material. However, in this method, a process of applying a lubricant at an interior of a die is essentially required. In such circumstances, it has been found that there is a danger of lowering productivity of a compact, and of undesirably increasing a molding cost, especially when a lubricant is required to a complicatedly shaped die. Accordingly, the method of applying a lubricant at an interior of a die disclosed herein may not be readily applied to industrial uses.
JP2002-280209A discloses a technology, whereby a compact is made from a mixture of a thermosetting resin, a lubricant and an iron, the compact can possess, in favor of a thermosetting resin, a sufficient degree of mechanical strength at a high-temperature atmosphere, and, in favor of a lubricant, a sufficient degree of lubricating property. However, it has been found that a remaining lubricant may become a source of corruption of the compact, and moreover the remaining lubricant may permeate outside.
The present invention has been made in view of the above circumstances, and provides a soft magnetic powder material, which can be readily molded, can assure a high degree of strength of a compact at a high temperature atmosphere, and is excellent at a magnetic property. Moreover, the present invention provides a method of manufacturing a soft magnetic powder compact made from the aforementioned soft magnetic powder material.

Soft magnetic powder material containing a powdered lubricant and a method of manufacturing a soft magnetic powder compact


A method determines motion between first and second coordinate systems by first extracting first and second sets of keypoints from first and second images acquired of a scene by a camera arranged on a moving object. First and second poses are determined from the first and second sets of keypoints. A score for each possible motion between the first and the second poses is determined using a scoring function and a pose-transition graph constructed from training data where each node in the post-transition graph represents a relative pose and each edge represents a motion between two consecutive relative poses. Then, based on the score, a best motion is selected as the motion between the first and second coordinate systems.

Visual odometry refers to the problem of determining a motion of a moving object, e.g., a vehicle or a robot, from one position to another using features from images acquired by, e.g., one or more camera mounted on the object. Numerous methods are known for estimating the motion using geometric primitives, such as points. For example, one can determine the motion using correspondences between 2D points in one coordinate system to another coordinate system using 5 or more point correspondences, see Nister, "An efficient solution to the five-point relative pose problem," PAMI, 2004.
There are also 2D to 3D pose estimation methods used to estimate the position of a moving object based on partial 3D point cloud reconstructed by the previous stereo images, Kitt et al., "Visual odometry based on stereo image sequences with ransac-based outlier rejection scheme," IV, 2010.
One method uses 3D to 3D point correspondences in an iterative closest point (ICP) method for determining motion between stereo cameras, Milella et al., "Stereo-based ego-motion estimation using pixel tracking and iterative closest point, ICCVS, 2006.
Voting strategies have been used for computing visual odometry, U.S. 20120308114, "Voting strategy for visual ego-motion from stereo," and machine learning procedures have been used to estimate the camera pose WO 2014130404, "Method and device for calculating a camera or object pose."

On-road stereo visual odometry without explicit pose determinations

Mitsubishi Electric Research Laboratories, Inc.


A method for controlling an engine output with at least two actuators, including applying inputs to actuators which regulate a variable of an engine, evaluating the response of the system, determining the ability of the actuators to change the engine variable, determining the capability of the actuators to reject a disturbance, calculating an optimum actuator feedforward control function based upon the ability and capability determined and controlling the actuators using the calculated function and a feedforward control algorithm.

Generally, when mapping an engine on a dynamometer, coolant and oil temperatures must be regulated to specific setpoints. To achieve such specific setpoints, a heater and heat exchanger are employed to heat and cool parallel liquid flows. These flows are subsequently combined using a mixing valve to achieve a desired setpoint.
In most systems of this type, the heater and mixing valve are used at different times. Specifically, the heater is controlled to raise the temperature when the actual temperature is below the setpoint, and the mixing valve is controlled in other situations when the actual temperature is above the setpoint. Accordingly, the heater is used for temperature increases and the valve for temperature decreases. However, such systems can suffer from slow setpoint response, ineffective calibration and, ultimately, inaccurate temperature regulation. Accordingly, there is a need for systems and methods that achieve accurate temperature regulation and fast dynamic response. There is also a need for improved methods of control and/or assessing control authority of actuators of a powertrain system.

Systems and methods for regulation of engine variables

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

The Regents of the University of Michigan


This application provides method and apparatus for RRC state control. An access network device obtains RRC connected inactive state indication information of UE. When the UE leaves an RRC connected state, the access network device determines, based on the RRC connected inactive state indication information, that the UE enters an RRC connected inactive state or an RRC idle state, so that the access network device can control, based on a state of the UE, the UE to enter an appropriate RRC state, thereby reducing signaling overheads and improving system performance.

in a long term evolution (LTE) system, two RRC states: RRC idle (an idle state) and RRC connected (a connected state), are defined for user equipment (UE). When the UE needs to perform a service, the UE needs to set up an RRC connection to a network, to be specific, switch from the idle state to the connected state, before performing service data transmission.
In a process in which the UE switches from the idle state to the connected state, relatively high signaling overheads am generated, and a switching time is excessively long, leading to an excessively high transmission delay. A next-generation network is an upgrade version of the LTE system, and can provide a higher transmission rate than that of the LTE system, and the next-generation network is also referred to as 5G. In the next-generation network, UE also has an RRC idle state and an RRC connected state. In a process in which the LE switches from the idle state to the connected state, relatively high signaling overheads are also generated, and a switching time is excessively long. As a result, advantages of the next-generation network cannot be leveraged.

Method and apparatus for controlling radio resource control (RRC) state of mobile device


An improved cascade aerator is disclosed, comprising a trough having a low profile slope, whereby the trough is divided into a plurality of adjacent longitudinal channels. In one embodiment, a plurality of low head baffles are mounted in spaced relationship and transversely of the longitudinal channels and are spaced apart from the floor of the trough.

Today, stringent water quality standards are imposed by Federal Regulations governing the effluent limits of treatment facilities. Current criteria specify a DO concentration between 3 and 6 mg/l, depending on the receiving stream requirements. Most existing wastewater treatment facilities cannot meet the newly implemented DO criteria. Consequently, post-aeration measures must be added for compliance with these criteria and regulations, and is often desirable for various water treatment systems regardless of the requirements of the system(s).
Several known post-aeration methods have been employed for oxygen transfer. In general, the most common methods involve various types of mechanical or conventional cascade aeration. Each of these methods has the disadvantage of being an expensive addition to existing wastewater treatment facilities. For example, mechanical aeration requires the addition of an aeration basin with adequate liquid retention capacity for oxygen infusion by electrically powered aeration equipment. This is a less desirable method of boosting oxygen levels in the liquid, but in the past was the only available solution. There are also two aggravating cost factors involved with mechanical aeration: the high initial investment for the basin and equipment, and the ongoing maintenance and operating expense.
In general, cascade post-aeration installations are more desirable and cost effective. There is no power consumption or maintenance expense, the primary requirement for the application of a cascade aerator being sufficient elevation to produce a waterfall. The normal requirement for oxygen transfer through prior art cascade aeration is twelve inches of water fall for each mg/l increase. For example, to raise the oxygen concentrations in water by 6 mg/l, a minimum fall of six feet is typically required. However, most existing facilities lack ample elevation change for the utilization of prior art cascade aerators and it would unnecessary expense to create the required elevation change is an established facility.
Therefore, a present need is felt to provide an improved cascade aerator assembly that comprises a plurality of transversely oriented baffles, which in a preferred embodiment are spaced apart from the floor or "trough" of the cascade aerator. Other benefits and advantages will become known upon reviewing the Summary and Detailed Description below, and upon review of the appended drawing figures. The benefits, embodiments, and/or characterizations described herein are not necessarily complete or exhaustive, and in particular, as to the patentable subject matter disclosed herein. Other benefits, embodiments, and/or characterizations of the present disclosure are possible utilizing, alone or in combination, as set forth above and/or described in the accompanying figures and/or in the description herein below.


Aspects of the present disclosure provide methods for determining the eligibility of a subject having a malignancy for treatment with an anti-PD therapeutic agent based on a Combined Positive Score (CPS) for a tumor tissue sample from the subject. Compositions and kits or performing the disclosed methods are also provided.

Programmed cell death 1 ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression is implicated in evasion of immune responses involved in many contexts, including suppression of anti-tumor immune activity. PD-L1 expression has been shown in situ on a wide variety of solid tumors including breast, lung, colon, ovarian, melanoma, bladder, liver, salivary, stomach, gliomas, thyroid, thymic epithelial, and head and neck cancers (Brown J A et al., 2003. J. Immunol. 170:1257-66; Dong H et al. 2002. Nat. Med. 8:793-800; Hamanishi J, et al. 2007. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104:3360-65; Strome S E et al. 2003. Cancer Res. 63:6501-5; Inman B A et al. 2007. Cancer 109:1499-505; Konishi Jet. al. 2004. Clin. Cancer Res. 10:5094-100; Nakanishi Jet. al. 2007. Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 56:1173-82; Nomi T et al. 2007. Clin. Cancer Res. 13:2151-57; Thompson R H et al. 2004. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:17174-79; Wu C, Zhu Y, Jiang J, Zhao J, Zhang X G, Xu N. 2006. Acta Histochem. 108:19-24). In addition, PD-1 expression can be upregulated on tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs), and this may also contribute to tumor immunosuppression (Blank C et al. 2003. J. Immunol. 171:4574-81).
In ovarian cancer, PD-L1 expression is inversely correlated with intraepithelial, but not stromal, infiltrating CD8 T cells, suggesting that PD-L1 inhibits the intratumor migration of CD8 T cells (Hamanishi J et. al. 2007. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104:3360-65). Translation of PD-L1 mRNA is enhanced by loss of PTEN and the ensuing activation of Akt, a common event in tumorigenesis (Parsa A T et al. 2007. Nat. Med. 13:84-88). Studies relating PD-L1 expression on tumors to disease outcome show that PD-L1 expression strongly correlates with unfavorable prognosis in kidney, ovarian, bladder, breast, gastric, and pancreatic cancer (Hamanishi J et al. 2007. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 104:3360-65; Inman B A et al. 2007. Cancer 109:1499-505; Konishi J et. al. 2004. Clin. Cancer Res. 10:5094-100; Nakanishi J et. al. 2007. Cancer Immunol. Immunother. 56:1173-82; Nomi T et al. 2007. Clin. Cancer Res. 13:2151-57; Thompson R H et al. 2004. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 101:17174-79; Wu C, Zhu Y, Jiang J, Zhao J, Zhang X G, Xu N. 2006. Acta Histochem. 108:19-24). In addition, these studies suggest that higher levels of PD-L1 expression on tumors may facilitate advancement of tumor stage and invasion into deeper tissue structures. Studies in animal models demonstrate that PD-L1 on tumors inhibits T cell activation and lysis of tumor cells and in some cases leads to increased tumor-specific T cell death (Dong H et al. 2002. Nat. Med. 8:793-800; Hirano F et al. 2005. Cancer Res. 65:1089-96).
Non-malignant cells have also been implicated in playing important roles in tumor maintenance and growth. For example, tumor-associated APCs can utilize the PD-1:PD-L pathway to control antitumor T cell responses (Curiel et al. 2003. Nat. Med. 9:562-67). In this study, PD-L1 expression on a population of tumor-associated myeloid DCs was shown to be up-regulated by tumor environmental factors.
Given the role PD-1/PD-L1 plays in tumor biology, therapeutic agents that target this molecule have been of significant interest. Indeed, anti-PD-1/PD-L1 therapy (or anti-PD therapy) has generated significant clinical benefits by inducing regression of advanced and metastatic tumors and improving survival. Anti-PD therapy can have durable effects, tolerable toxicity, and is applicable to a broad spectrum of cancer types, especially in solid tumors.
Examples of anti-PD therapeutics currently in use or in development include the following:
Nivolumab, Bristol-Myers Squibb (also known as Opdivo, MDX-1106, BMS-936558, and ONO-4538), was the first mAb targeting PD-1 to show significant clinical activity in unresectable or metastatic melanomas, non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), and metastatic renal cell carcinomas.
Pembrolizumab, Merck (also known as Keytruda, lambrolizumab, and MK-3475), is an Anti-PD-1 monoclonal antibody that has shown similar efficacy and safety compared with nivolumab in a phase I clinical trial in advanced melanoma (NCT01295827) and is now an FDA-approved second-line drug for the treatment of melanoma. Pembrolizumab is also effective in patients with advanced NSCLC and has shown promising effects in other solid tumors, including advanced gastric cancer, advanced bladder cancer, head and neck cancer, classical Hodgkin's lymphoma, and triple-negative breast cancer.
BMS-936559, Bristol-Myers Squibb (also known as MDX-1105) is a fully human IgG4 anti-PD-L1 mAb that inhibits the binding of the PD-L1 ligand to both PD-1 and CD80 and has demonstrated therapeutic efficacy in a phase I clinical trial (NCT00729664).
MPDL3280A, Genentech/Roche, is an engineered anti-PD-L1 IgG1 mAb that can inhibit PD-L1 interactions with both PD-1 and B7-1. A study of metastatic urothelial bladder cancer (UBC) demonstrated that MPDL3280A has marked activity in controlling tumor growth. Moreover, owing to the mild side effects, including a lack of renal toxicity, patients with UBC, who are often older and have a higher incidence of renal impairment, are thought to tolerate MPDL3280A better than chemotherapy (NCT01375842). In an expansion phase I trial across multiple cancer types, including NSCLC, melanoma, renal cell carcinoma, and other tumors, responses to MPDL3280A were observed in patients with tumors expressing high levels of PD-L1, especially when PD-L1 was expressed by tumor infiltrating lymphocytes TILs.
Pidilizumab (Medivation/CureTech), MEDI4736 (AstraZeneca), and Avelumab (MSB0010718C; Merck-Sorono) are additional PD-L1 targeting antibody-based therapeutic agents that show promise in the treatment of multiple human cancers.
In addition to developing anti-PD therapeutic agents, work in this area has included performing more detailed analysis of not only the malignant cells in tumor biopsies, but also non-malignant cells to identify patients who may respond to these therapies. For example, some published scoring methods for PD-L1 immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining are either capturing percentage of staining and or staining intensity on tumor cells or the PD-L1 staining and staining intensity on tumor-associated immune cells (Phillips et al. Appl Immunohistochem Mol Morphol. 2015 September; 23(8): 541-549) (Garon et al. N Engl J Med. 2015 May 21; 372(21):2018-28. doi: 10.1056/NEJMoa1501824. Epub 2015 Apr. 19). More and more clinical trials indicated that in some tumor indications PD-L1 staining on both tumor and tumor-associated immune cells is associated with clinical outcome (Rosenberg et al., The Lancet, DOI: dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(16)00561-4; Allred D, et al. Mod Pathol. 1998; 11:155-168).
While progress has been made in this area, it is clear that using current scoring methods to capture PD-L1 expression on tumor as well as non-tumor cells (e.g., immune cells) is not practical from an assay development standpoint, as it can double the pathologist's workload and/or lead to confusion with respect to having 2 different cutoffs (one for tumor cells and one for non-tumor cells). There is thus still a need to improve tumor tissue scoring methods for identifying patients that will respond effectively to anti-PD therapy.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Scoring methods for anti-PD therapy eligibility and compositions for performing same


Systems and techniques for transmitting data stream to a client include transmitting a data segment from one of a plurality of nodes of a continuous media server to a client according to a scheduler on the node. A system includes a plurality of data processing devices, each data processing device coupled with at least one storage device. Each data processing device includes a scheduler to schedule transmission of the data segment to a client in sequence with other data segments, and a module to transmit the data segment to the client.

Continuous media systems may be used to provide real-time data, such as video data, audio data, haptic data, avatar data, and application coordination data, to end users.
Continuous media systems face a number of challenges. First, the systems may need to be able to transmit the data from a storage location to a client location so that the client can display, playback, or otherwise use the data in real time. For example, the systems may need to provide streaming video data for real-time display of a movie. If the real-time constraints are not satisfied, the display may suffer from disruptions and delays, termed "hiccups." In order to reduce disruptions, continuous media clients generally include a buffer for storing at least a portion of the media data prior to display to the user.
Additionally, continuous media systems need to deal with large data objects. For example, a two-hour MPEG-2 video with a 4 Megabit per second (Mb/s) bandwidth requirement is about 3.6 Gigabytes (GB) in size.
Available continuous media servers generally fall within one of two categories: single-node, consumer oriented systems (for example, low-cost systems serving a limited number of users), and multi-node, carrier class systems (for example, high-end broadcasting and dedicated video-on-demand systems).


The present invention discloses a disposable absorbent pant or diaper having a crotch portion and front and back portions adjacent thereto which are joined to form a waist portion surrounding the waist of the user. The waist portion is circumferentially elastic around the waist of the user. At least one cover layer extends from at least the front portion to the back portion and an absorbent body is disposed adjacent to the at least one cover layer. The absorbent body is held tightly against the body of the user by the elastic waist portion. At least portions of the surface of the waist portion facing the skin of the user are provided with a friction agent to form a friction increasing surface against the skin of the user.

The present invention relates to a pair of absorbent pants or a pant diaper for one-time use, comprising a crotch portion, front and back portions adjacent thereto, which are joined to form a waist portion surrounding the waist of the user, said portion being circumferentially elastic, an absorbent body, which is held tightly against the body of the user by the elastic waist portion. Such an absorbent pant diaper is known by our own Swedish patent application 9200663-4, having around the waist elastically extensible elements, for example elastically extensible strings, strips, film, fibre fabric, laminates or the like, which are designed to hold the pant diaper in place on the user and prevent it from slipping down from its intended position of use. In order to prevent the elastic tension from being uncomfortable for the user, the known pant diaper is provided with a large number of elastic elements, which, by virtue of their number, on one hand exert a sufficient total tightening force around the waist of the user for the pant diaper to not slip down, and, on the other hand, each does not exert an excessive local pressure on the user. However, the use of a large number of elastic elements involves a relatively high material cost. It is therefore desirable to be able to reduce the need for elastic elements in the waist portion of the pant diaper without having to deviate from the requirement that the pant diaper should stay up comfortably on the user.

Absorbent pant diaper having friction increasing means


The present invention is an apparatus and method for urging proper breathing. The apparatus comprises an oral barrier placed in or over the mouth having an air impervious layer to prevent airflow into the mouth and through an oral air passageway. The oral barrier may also have an appendage extending into the mouth to engage the tongue and teeth. The apparatus may also comprise a mouth closer urging the mouth into the closed position to prevent the entry of air through the mouth and into the oral passageway. The mouth closer further secures the tongue in the mouth.

The present invention relates to a method and apparatus for breathing. Breathing improperly is known to cause problems due to a body receiving an inadequate quantity of oxygen causing physiological effects. For example, failure to breathe properly during sleep is known to cause a person to indicate symptoms of sleepiness during waking hours, fatigue and reduced health.
While sleeping the problem known as obstructive sleep apnoea is a common disorder, particularly in middle age people. The problem is a sleep-induced blockage of the airway which results in apnoeic episodes during sleep. The sleep is fragmented causing continuing degeneration over months or years. This continuing degeneration worsens the problem with the apnoeic episode frequently exceeding two minutes in a sleeper and causing the blood/oxygen saturation level to fall below 90%.
As a person sleeps, the nasal air passageway from the nose to the lungs may become partially blocked or interrupted by tissues, such as the tongue, in the throat and mouth area. The obstruction of the airway causes a degree of asphyxia in the sleeper due to reduced oxygen being absorbed into the body. This obstruction may cause the sleeper to wake frequently during the sleeping time to breath, resulting in insufficient rest. Major symptoms of the sleep apnoea problem are excessive daytime sleepiness and snoring. The daytime sleepiness is due to the problem preventing a sleeper from getting sufficient rest while sleeping. Snoring may be associated with this obstruction as an indication of blockage of the airway leading to the lungs. The partial asphyxia may cause a variety of problems in the sleeper including hypertension, heart problems, headaches, and personality changes.
The obstructive sleep apnoea has also been linked to stroke mortality, myocardial infarction and sudden cardiac death. More than 75% of patients with obstructive sleep apnoea have been reported having a variation in heart rate referred to as Brady tachy-arrhythmia. Studies have shown that the heart rate slows with the cessation of ventilation during obstructive sleep apnoea and the extent of slowing correlates to the duration and amount of oxygen desaturation caused by the problem. The heart rate increases suddenly as the sleeper wakes and the obstructive apnoea is terminated. This variation in heart rate has been shown to reduce the amount of oxygen distributed to the body. The combination of reduced heart rate and reduced oxygen distribution have been linked to the problems of myocardial infarction, sudden death and stroke.
The problem of obstructive sleep apnoea may be caused by reduced pressure in the body airway during inspiration which urges the tongue and soft palate to block the body airway. There has also been evidence that failure of muscles in the throat may further allow blockage of the body airway. Furthermore, the suction created by a sleeper having airway resistance in the mouth or nose region may cause additional pressure causing the body airway to collapse. Gravity may also force the mouth into an open position allowing the tongue, soft palate and pharynx to block the body airway (FIG. 2).
Surgically opening the airway at the throat of the sleeper and the use of a pneumatic pressurizing system have been tried to prevent blockage of the airway and allow a sleeper sufficient airflow into the lungs to prevent these problems. The pneumatic pressurizing system (FIG. 3) has been used to provide a continuous positive body airway pressure acting as a pneumatic splint in holding the body airway in communication with a pressurizing device which supplies air to the nasal air passageway. Surgically opening the airway through a tracheostomy is left open at night and is affective at relieving the obstructive sleep apnoea. Both of these previously tried solutions are expensive and difficult to tolerate.
Improper breathing can also be a health problem during exercise or other activity during the non-sleeping hours. By breathing through the mouth, phlegm is allowed to buildup in the nose and upper throat. Furthermore, the tongue, soft palate, or other soft tissues may block the oral air passageway allowing an insufficient amount of air into the body airway. This blockage may result in reduced oxygen levels in the blood and associated drowsiness or other health problems. The present invention is designed to alleviate these problems with a sleeper while avoiding the cost and complications of the previously tried solutions.


A cover positioning structure of a dual-usage portable computer is disclosed, which comprises a base, at least one slide block sliding on the base, at least one elastic slice imposing a pressure to the at least one slide block, and a rotary member rotated relative to the base. When rotated, a positioning protrusion of the rotary member is correspondingly positioned to a positioning recess of the at least one slide block. Therefore, the structure aforesaid not only achieves the positioning purpose of being damage-free, but also is cost-effective in having a minimum of elements and manufacture processes.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a cover positioning structure and, more particularly, to a cover positioning structure of a dual-usage portable computer.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a dual-usage portable computer has a base member, and a display. The base member has a keyboard and the display pivoted to and rotated relative to the base member. When the screen of the display rotated and faced to the base member, the dual-usage portable computer functions as a notebook. When the screen of the display rotated and backs to and laid over the base member, the dual-usage portable computer functions as a tablet PC.
Referring to FIG. 1, which shows a dual-usage portable computer 9 with a base member 91, and a display 92, and the display 92 is pivoted to the base member 91 to form a notebook or a tablet PC.
After the display 92 is rotated relative to the base member 91, the display 92 must be positioned to the base member 91 to prevent the movement of the display 92. According to the traditional way, the base member 91 comprises two protruding portions 93 respectively at two opposed ends of the base member 91, and the two protruding portions 93 can be pushed toward or from the base member 91. Each of the two protruding portions 93 has a raised portion 931, and the display 92 comprises two holes 921 corresponding to the two raised portions 931 of the two protruding portions 93. Therefore, when the display 92 is rotated relative to the base member 91, the two protruding portions 93 are pushed out to let the two raised portions 931 engage with the two holes 921 respectively to limit the movement of the display 92.
However, the aforesaid traditional way requires the design of the two protruding portions 93, such that the cost of the positioning structure is increased. Further, the two protruding portions 93 must match the appearance of the base member 91, whereby the two protruding portions 93 must undergo extra manufacture processes, for example, spray painting. Further, the two protruding portions 93 will be damaged unless the user very carefully and directly rotates the display 92 when the two protruding portions 93 are engaged with the two holes 921 respectively.
Therefore, it is desirable to provide an improved cover positioning structure of a dual-usage portable computer to mitigate and/or obviate the aforementioned problems.

Cover positioning structure of a dual-usage portable computer


Disclosed is a system for generating and synchronizing video across multiple displays during a theatrical performance. In particular, the disclosure relates to individual handheld video monitors that can be arranged to create larger images or video. The system is adapted for use in theatrical performances during which performers manipulate and selectively arrange the monitors to produce differing visual effects. Each of the video monitors includes a computer and associated software for playing back still or video images. A control computer can wirelessly access each of the individual laptops to increase or decrease the rate at which the video or images appear. This allows all of the video monitors to be synchronized during the course of a performance.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates portable video monitors. More specifically, the present invention relates to portable handheld video monitors that are adapted for use in theatrical performances.
2. Description of the Background Art
It is known in the art to combine individual displays to generate a larger image. For example, U.S. Pat. Publication 2012/0062475 discloses an apparatus, system, and method are disclosed for combing multiple displays on multiple portable electronic computer devices to form a larger display. U.S. Pat. Publication 2013/0265487 discloses a video playback system for jointly displaying video with multiple screens, includes multiple portable communication devices. Yet, neither of these disclosures relates to the use of video displays in the context of a theatrical performance. As such, none of these references allows for the synchronization of displays by a director or choreographer.
Wearable or handheld displays are also known in the art. For instance, U.S. Pat. No. 5,973,607 to Munyon discloses a portable programmable electronic sign. U.S. Pat. No. 7,265,970 to Jordan discloses an apparatus for supporting a mobile electronic display system. The apparatus includes a power source, a wearable computer, and a display element. Although wearable or handheld displays are known, it is heretofore unknown to incorporate multiple displays for the creation of a larger composite image. Nor is it known to generate such a composite image in the context of a theatrical performance.
Thus there exists a need in the art for handheld video monitors that can be manipulated by performers during a theatrical performance and that allows for the associated images to be synchronized during the performance.

Portable handheld video monitors adapted for use in theatrical performances