Methods, systems, and apparatus, including computer programs encoded on computer storage media, for content recommendation using neural networks. In One aspect, a method includes: receiving context information for an action recommendation from multiple possible actions; processing the context information using a neural network that includes Bayesian neural network layers to generate, for each of the actions, one or more parameters of a distribution over possible action scores for the action, where each parameter for each Bayesian layer is associated with data representing a probability distribution over multiple possible current values for the parameter; for each parameter of each Bayesian neural network layer, selecting the current value for the parameter using data representing probability distribution over possible current values for the parameter; and selecting an action from multiple possible actions using the parameters of the distributions over the possible action scores for the action.

This specification relates to content recommendation systems.
Some systems that exist treat content recommendation as a contextual bandits problem. In particular, these existing systems receive contextual information for a content recommendation and select an action, e.g., a piece of content to be recommended, based on the contextual information and on rewards received in response to previous content recommendations made by the system. The received rewards generally depend on how successful the content recommendation was, e.g., on whether a user clicked on an advertisement that was recommended, or on whether a user elected to view a recommend piece of media content.
SUMMARY
This specification describes technologies that relate to recommending content using Bayesian neural networks.
In general, one innovative aspect of the subject matter described in this specification can be embodied in methods that include the actions of receiving context information for an action recommendation, wherein the action recommendation is a selection from a plurality of possible actions; processing the context information using a neural network that comprises one or more Bayesian neural network layers to generate, for each of the actions, one or more parameters of a distribution over possible action scores for the action, wherein each Bayesian neural network layer receives an input and applies a transformation to the input to generate an output from the received input in accordance with current values for each of a set of parameters, wherein each parameter for each Bayesian neural network layer is associated with data representing a probability distribution over a plurality of possible current values for the parameter, and wherein processing the context information using the neural network to select the action comprises: for each parameter of each Bayesian neural network layer, selecting the current value for the weight using the data representing the probability distribution over the plurality of possible current values for the parameter; and selecting an action from plurality of possible actions using the parameters of the distributions over the possible action scores for the action.
Other embodiments of this aspect include corresponding computer systems, apparatus, and computer programs recorded on one or more computer storage devices, each configured to perform the actions of the methods. For a system of one or more computers to be configured to perform particular operations or actions means that the system has installed on it software, firmware, hardware, or a combination of them that in operation cause the system to perform the operations or actions. For one or more computer programs to be configured to perform particular operations or actions means that the one or more programs include instructions that, when executed by data processing apparatus, cause the apparatus to perform the operations or actions.
The subject matter described in this specification can be implemented in particular embodiments so as to realize one or more of the following advantages. Actions can be selected by accounting for uncertainty using a neural network that includes Bayesian neural network layers. For example, advertisements to be served with Internet resources can be effectively selected and media content can be effectively recommended using Bayesian neural network layers. By training a neural network to learn approximations of probability distributions for Bayesian neural network layers rather than exact probability distributions, the neural network can be effectively and efficiently trained for action selection. Additionally, by selecting action using a neural network that includes Bayesian neural network layers, as the neural network is trained, the uncertainty in the parameters of the Bayesian neural network layers is adjusted. Thus, the exploration/exploitation trade-off is adjusted automatically to approximately match the inherent uncertainty in the data. At each training step, the neural network can be trained on a respective mini-batch of data to adjust the approximations of the probability distributions, resulting in faster training and more accurate action selections.
The details of one or more embodiments of the subject matter of this specification are set forth in the accompanying drawings and the description below. Other features, aspects, and advantages of the subject matter will become apparent from the description, the drawings, and the claims.

Recommending content using neural networks


A system for processing oil from algae is disclosed. Specifically, the system recycles byproducts of the process for use as nutrients during algae growth and oil production. The system includes a conduit for growing algae and an algae separator that removes the algae from the conduit. Also, the system includes a device for lysing the algae and an oil separator to remove the oil from the lysed matter. Further, the system includes a biofuel reactor that receives oil from the oil separator and synthesizes biofuel and glycerin. Moreover, the algae separator, oil separator and biofuel reactor all recycle byproducts back to the conduit to support further algae growth.

As worldwide petroleum deposits decrease, there is rising concern over shortages and the costs that are associated with the production of hydrocarbon products. As a result, alternatives to products that are currently processed from petroleum are being investigated. In this effort, biofuels such as biodiesel have been identified as a possible alternative to petroleum-based transportation fuels. In general, biodiesel is a fuel comprised of mono-alkyl esters of long chain fatty acids derived from plant oils or animal fats. In industrial practice, biodiesel is created when plant oils or animal fats are reacted with an alcohol, such as methanol.
For plant-derived biofuel, solar energy is first transformed into chemical energy through photosynthesis. The chemical energy is then refined into a usable fuel. Currently, the process involved in creating biofuel from plant oils is expensive relative to the process of extracting and refining petroleum. It is possible, however, that the cost of processing a plant-derived biofuel could be reduced by maximizing the rate of growth of the plant source. Because algae is known to be one of the most efficient plants for converting solar energy into cell growth, it is of particular interest as a biofuel source. However, current algae processing methods have failed to result in a cost effective algae-derived biofuel.
In overview, the biochemical process of photosynthesis provides algae with the ability to convert solar energy into chemical energy. During cell growth, this chemical energy is used to drive synthetic reactions, such as the formation of sugars or the fixation of nitrogen into amino acids for protein synthesis. Excess chemical energy is stored in the form of fats and oils as triglycerides. Thus, the creation of oil in algae only requires sunlight, carbon dioxide and the nutrients necessary for formation of triglycerides. Nevertheless, with the volume requirements for a fuel source, the costs associated with the inputs are high.
In light of the above, it is an object of the present invention to provide a system and method for processing oil from algae which reduces input costs. For this purpose, a number of systems have been developed, such as those disclosed in co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/549,532 for an invention entitled "Photosynthetic Oil Production in a Two-Stage Reactor," co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/549,541 for an invention entitled "Photosynthetic Carbon Dioxide Sequestration and Pollution Abatement" and co-pending U.S. patent application Ser. No. 11/549,552 for an invention entitled "High Photoefficiency Microalgae Bioreactors," which are filed concurrently herewith and assigned to the same assignee as the present invention, and are hereby incorporated by reference. Another object of the present invention is to provide a recycling system for feeding oil harvesting byproducts back to the conduit where high oil content algae is grown. Still another object of the present invention is to provide a system for supplying nutrients to algae cells in the form of processed algae cell matter. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for recycling the glycerin byproduct from the creation of biofuel as a source of carbon to foster further oil production in algae cells. Another object of the present invention is to provide a system for processing oil from algae that defines a flow path for continuous movement of the algae and its processed derivatives. Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a system and method for processing algae with high oil content that is simple to implement, easy to use, and comparatively cost effective.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Photosynthetic oil production with high carbon dioxide utilization


A compilation technique for computer programs forms a data flow graph of vertices which are analysed to form clusters C for parallel execution where those clusters are added to up to the point at which arbitrary selection between further vertices C, D to be added must be made. This data flow graph with these small clusters is then scheduled such that the clusters do not overlap with other clusters or with vertices outside of clusters. This starting point scheduled data flow graph is then subject to iterative processing whereby a window of timestamps is analysed to see if a candidate cluster formed by the parallel execution of the vertices within that window will result in faster execution whilst avoiding exceeding architectural constraints, such as register occupancy. If the rescheduled vertices do improve performance without exceeding architectural constraints, then this new schedule is adopted and the following vertices are subject to an adjustment in their timestamps to account for this. A window at a different point within the schedule is then adopted and an attempted rescheduling examined. This process is repeated until no progress is being made in reducing the overall execution time.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of compiling computer programs. More particularly, this invention relates to the compilation of computer programs to exploit available parallelism within a target processing system without exceeding the available processing resources within that target processing system.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It is known to provide compilation techniques by which a computer program written in a high level computer language can be automatically analysed by a compiler program to generate low level program, or machine instructions, which can be used by processing hardware to execute the high level program. It is important that the compiler should generate code which is able to efficiently and rapidly execute the desired high level program. Efficiency can be considered in a variety of different ways, and includes fast execution and execution which does not consume excessive processing resources, such as register resources, memory, bandwidth or the like.
A known class of data processing systems are VLIW (very long instruction word) processors which provide a high degree of parallelism through the provision of multiple processing units and independent data paths. Such VLIW processors are particularly well suited for many DSP type operations where large volumes of data need to be processed rapidly and efficiently. It is important within such VLIW processors with their high degree of parallelism that the computer program compilers are able to generate appropriate VLIW instructions that properly exploit the parallelism potential of the hardware concerned.
Within compiler operations it is known that a computer program to be compiled will be analysed to generate a data flow graph in which vertices represent data processing operations performed and the links between these vertices (edges) represent data sources or data syncs. When such a data flow graph has been generated, it can be used by the compiler to properly analyse the data flow and dependencies associated with the computer program to be compiled and accordingly facilitate the generation of efficiently compiled computer code as output. A typical known strategy when analysing a data flow graph and attempting to schedule the various processing operations represented by the vertices is to schedule these to be performed either as soon as possible, or as late as possible, in accordance with the dependencies discovered. Whilst this tends to improve the degree of parallelism achieved it can result in the available processing resources of the system being exceeded, e.g. the available number of registers for storing operands may be exceeded resulting in slow and inefficient spills to memory. It will be appreciated that simply scheduling an operation to be performed as soon as possible may not be efficient since that operation will consume register resources as soon as it is scheduled and may compete with other operations which will require those resources even though the overall speed of operation would not be adversely impacted if the processing operation was scheduled to commence later.
Within the field of VLIW processor, clustering is known based upon data flow and matrix heuristics. Such matrix heuristic assume certain behaviour and characteristic which may not in fact be generally applicable and may focus on only some limitations.
The present technique seeks to address the above problems and provide a system which is able to generate efficiently compiled computer code which exploits parallelism to high degree whilst avoiding exceeding available processing resources in an undesirable fashion.

Compiling computer programs to exploit parallelism without exceeding available processing resources


A camera module 100 of the present invention is arranged such that a lens barrel 32 is provided with an internal screw thread 32a on its internal side, and that a holding section 41, which is a portion of a lens holder 4, the portion holding a lens unit 3, is provided with an external screw thread 41a on its external side, the external screw thread 41a being engaged with the internal screw thread 32a. As a result, it is possible to provide the camera module 100 capable of preventing contamination by dirt into a light path and thereby reducing imaging defects.

A portable terminal (electronic apparatus) such as a camera-equipped portable phone includes a camera module (solid-state image pickup device). Many camera-equipped portable phones have a closeup mode (macro photography mode) used to photograph a flower and the like in a closeup manner, in addition to a normal photography mode used to photograph a person, scenery and the like.
Patent Document 1, for example, discloses a camera module having a macro photography function. FIG. 7 is a cross-sectional view illustrating the camera module of Patent Document 1. As illustrated in FIG. 7, the camera module 600 includes: a circuit board 601; a CMOS sensor 602 mounted on the circuit board 601; and a lens holder 604 containing the CMOS sensor 602.
The camera module 600 further includes a lens barrel 632 holding a lens 631, the lens barrel 632 being held inside the lens holder 604. Further, the lens holder 604 has a screw section 604a formed on its internal wall, and the lens barrel 632 has a screw section 632a formed on its outer periphery so that the screw section 632a is engaged with the screw section 604a. With the arrangement, when a macro lever 606 is operated for a mode selection, the lens barrel 632 is moved in sync with the macro lever 606. As a result, the lens 631 is moved so as to have a focal length in accordance with the mode thus selected.
However, the arrangement of Patent Document 1 poses a problem that imaging defects are caused by contamination by dirt in a light path.
Specifically, according to Patent Document 1, when a mode is selected, a friction between the lens holder 604 (the screw section 604a) and the lens barrel 632 (the screw section 632a) causes dirt and/or scrap. Since the lens barrel 632 is held inside the lens holder 604, the dirt thus caused adheres to an optical filter 605 present in the light path. Consequently, the dirt on the optical filter 605 casts a shadow on the CMOS sensor 602. This causes a black dot or stain to be reflected in an outputted image, thereby leading to a decrease in yield and reliability of the camera module 600.
As described above, according to Patent Document 1, the lens barrel 632 is held inside the lens holder 604, and therefore a contamination path for a foreign object such as dirt is formed in the light path. This causes direct contamination by the dirt caused as above into the light path, thereby causing an imaging defect.
[Patent Document 1]
Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 163707/2007 (Tokukai 2007-163707; published on Jun. 28, 2007)

Solid-state image pickup device including lens unit held by holding section included in same lens unit, and electronic apparatus including same solid-state image pickup device


The systems described herein include a system and method for redeeming multiple redeemable codes. For example, a mobile device can be configured to enable redemption of multiple redeemable codes in a single transaction. In some implementations, the mobile device can store the plurality of redeemable codes for obtaining discounts on the items obtained from the merchant store. Particular implementations provide at least the following advantages: A mobile device can store and manage multiple redeemable codes for a user. The mobile device can automatically select and provide the redeemable codes to a point of sale terminal when the user is making a purchase. The codes can be automatically selected and applied to the purchased goods or services to generate a discount for the user. Redeemable codes can be automatically removed from the user's device after they have been used. Thus, the user is relieved of the burden of managing redeemable codes.

Redeemable codes (e.g., coupons, discounts, rebates, etc.) are issued by manufactures or retailers to be used in retail stores as a part of sales promotions. Those redeemable codes traditionally were attached to paper certificates or downloadable printouts. However, those paper and printout codes are cumbersome and are subject to wear out, lost, being misplaced or just not being available when a consumer would like to use them. For example, when the customer is trying to use paper and printout codes, the customer must collect all paper and printed codes, bring the codes to the retail store, and present the codes to a store clerk who applies the codes to purchased items to give the customer a discount. This process is not efficient and is often labor intensive. Also, paper and printout codes are particularly vulnerable to forgery. For example, the multiple copies of the paper and printout codes can be duplicated and used to obtain multiple discounts on purchased items. Thus, a more efficient mechanism for allowing a user to store and redeem multiple redeemable codes at any retail locations is needed.

Redeeming multiple redeemable codes in a single transaction


A component mounting machine is arranged to perform a method for handling boards in a component mounting machine includes the steps of moving a plurality of boards substantially simultaneously from a first plurality of cassettes, arranged in parallel at the machine, onto a board carrier; processing said plurality of boards by mounting components thereon; moving said plurality of boards substantially simultaneously and in parallel from the board carrier into a second plurality of board cassettes arranged in parallel at the machine and moving a next plurality of boards from said first plurality of cassettes onto the board carrier; repeating the steps of processing and moving the plurality of boards until said first plurality of cassettes are empty; and exchanging cassettes and repeating the method from step a.

Today many types of component mounting machines exist. However, the ones relevant for the present invention are those initially defined, i.e. those where the boards are provided from cassettes. A prior art machine of this kind has an input cassette and an output cassette for carrying unprocessed boards, i.e. boards which are to be provided with components, and processed boards, i.e. boards on which components have been placed, respectively. In operation a board is fetched from the input cassette and placed on the board carrier. Then the board carrier is moved along a first axis, or y-axis and the mounting head is moved along a second axis, or x-axis perpendicular to the first axis, for positioning the mounting head relative to the board, while components are mounted on the board. Finally, the thus processed board on the carrier is put to the output cassette and another unprocessed board is placed on the carrier. When the input cassette is empty, and, consequently, the output cassette is full, an operator replaces those cassettes with new ones. There are other principles for the very mounting of the components, such as fixing the board on the carrier and then moving the mounting head in both x and y directions, or moving only the carrier both in x and y directions. Before continuing to discuss this prior art, a few definitions are to be made for the purposes of this application. By "board" is meant any carrier on which components can be mounted. By "component" is meant an electronic element, which can be mounted on a board. By "mount" is meant to pick a component and place it on a board. Within the technical field of this invention one type of relevant component mounting machine is often called a pick and place machine.
Since the size of a cassette, i.e. the number of boards that it can hold, is more or less standardised and relatively limited, the time used by the operator to exchange the cassettes is substantial relative to the useful time for mounting components on all boards held in a cassette. This also causes a substantial idle time for the machine, during which it is unproductive. Of course it would be impossible to increase the height of a cassette towards infinity in order to decrease the idle time per board. Further, the number of operator interventions per time period is high. These problems are larger the smaller the number of components mounted on each board is.
A prior art effort to solve the above stated problems, consists of a board handling apparatus which comprises a loader for providing boards to a component mounting machine and an unloader for fetching boards from the machine. Each one of said loader and unloader has an upper cassette holder, a lower cassette holder, each one thereof holding a plurality of cassettes, and an elevator device. An input cassette is fetched from the upper cassette holder, placed on the elevator device, and positioned for loading boards. For each board which is removed from the input cassette the cassette is lowered one step. When the input cassette is empty it is further lowered, and put into the lower cassette holder, while another full input cassette is positioned for loading boards. Alternatively the elevator is raised step-by-step while loading boards.
However, while reducing the problems discussed above, this prior art solution adds other problems. One major problem is that it adds a substantial degree of complexity by introducing a mechanism for moving the cassettes horizontally between the cassette holders and the elevator device. Further, the board handling apparatus requires a substantial amount of space.

Method for handling boards in a component mounting machine and a component mounting machine for performing the method


The present invention has for its object to provide a bias circuit capable of handling multiple frequency bands, which has a low number of parts and can be miniaturized. As a solving means therefor, the bias circuit of the present invention comprises: a first reactance means 2 and a second reactance means 5, one end each of which is connected to a bias point 210 to which an alternating current signal is supplied; a capacitive means 3 connecting the other end of first reactance means 2; and a direct-current circuit 4 supplying a direct-current bias signal to the connection point of first reactance means 2 and capacitive means 3. Then, the reactance values of first and second reactance means 2, 5 have been set so as to make the combined admittance, seen from the alternating current signal supply point toward the side of first reactance element 2 and second reactance element 5, zero.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to a bias circuit utilized in power amplifiers and the like for radio equipment operating in e.g. the quasi-microwave or microwave frequency band.
2. Description of Related Art
In recent years, accompanying the diversification of services offered by means of radio communications, conversion to multiband capability enabling the processing information in a plurality of frequency bands has come to be demanded of radio equipment. Together with converting radio equipment to multiband capability, the increase in the circuit size of bias circuits of power amplifiers has become a problem.
In FIG. 1, an example of a bias circuit of the power amplifier of a conventional piece of radio equipment is shown. To the gate electrode of a Field Effect Transistor 180 (below referred to as an FET), an active element carrying out power amplification, there is connected a transmission line 181 with a wavelength equal to a quarter of the wavelength λ of the used frequency, the other end of which is connected to ground via a capacitor 182. The connection point of transmission line 181 and capacitor 182 is connected to one end of a choke coil 183, the other end of choke coil 183 being connected to a DC power supply 184 generating a fixed DC voltage with respect to the ground potential.
In case capacitor 182 has a capacitance (a sufficiently high capacitance) with an impedance which becomes sufficiently small at the frequency of a transmitted signal with a wavelength λ, transmission line 181 operates as a line whose tip is short-circuited. At this point, the impedance with respect to a transmitted signal from the gate electrode of FET 180 to DC power supply 184 can be considered to be infinite. Also, the voltage of DC power supply 184 is impressed on the gate voltage of FET 180 through choke coil 183 and transmission line 181. As a result, FET 180 operates with the DC voltage of DC power supply 184 taken as a bias voltage. A bias circuit of this kind is shown in Paragraph 0005 and FIG. 6 of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 11 (1999)-150431 (hereinafter referred to as Document 1).
This conventional bias circuit has had the problem that a large value had to be set for the electrostatic capacitance of capacitor 182 due to the necessity of connecting one end of transmission line 181 to AC ground. In addition, there has also been the necessity of setting a large value for the impedance of choke coil 183 in order to block AC signals communicated to DC power supply 184.
In the conventional bias circuit shown in FIG. 1 as well, by taking a line length other than a quarter of the wavelength λ of the used wavelength for transmission line 181 and considering it as a reactance element, as well as by reducing the electrostatic capacitance value of capacitor 182, it has become possible to design the combined impedance of the reactance value thereof and capacitor 182 to be infinite and to aggressively miniaturize the bias circuit.
However, since capacitor 182 normally has a random variation of 5 to 10%, there has been no means of regulating the frequency characteristics fluctuations of the bias circuit due to the random variation, so the circuit could not actually be used in mass-produced articles. In other words, the conventional bias circuit determined the operation frequency by means of a quarter-wavelength transmission line 181 which could be formed by a geometric technique having very small random variation. The capacitor 182 at that time was for AC connection to ground, and it was acceptable for the value of the electrostatic capacitance to exceed a certain value, so random variation could be disregarded.
Also, in case a conversion to multiband capability is carried out in accordance with FIG. 1, there is a need to attain the reactance of the first reactance means with a variable-reactance element, but it is assumed that a large electric currents flow in the first reactance means, so it is difficult to realize a variable-reactance element which is able to cope with large currents of that kind.
A method of using a plurality of these conventional bias circuits to respond to multiple bands is disclosed in line 4 of Paragraph 0005 and FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2003-101440 (hereinafter referred to as Document 2). In the case of conversion to multiband capability, a further problem arises due to the need to use several of the aforementioned large-sized elements.
As another method of conversion to multiband capability, the method of changing the input and output impedances of the amplifier to change the matching conditions to respond to the conversion to multiband capability by varying the bias voltage of an active element is disclosed in Paragraph 0028 and FIG. 1 of Japanese Patent Application Laid Open No. 2001-267864 (hereinafter referred to as Document 3). As mentioned in lines 4 to 6 of Paragraph 0028 of Document 3, this method also assumes that a plurality of bias circuits are prepared in advance, so it has the same problem.
The problems of the aforementioned conventional technologies are summarized as follows. In the conventional bias circuit, there has been the problem that large-sized elements had to be used, so the bias circuit ended up becoming large. Also, in the conventional bias circuit, if miniaturization was attempted, there was no means of regulating frequency characteristics fluctuations due to random variation in the elements. Moreover, in the case of conversion to multiband capability, there is a need to realize the reactance of the first reactance means with a variable-reactance element, but a large electric current is assumed to flow in the first reactance means, so it is difficult to realize a variable-reactance element capable of handling large electric currents of that kind.
The present invention has been made to take these points into consideration and has for its object to provide a bias circuit which is constituted by miniature components and capable of regulating frequency characteristics fluctuations due random variation in components. Moreover, it is an object of the present invention to provide a bias circuit which can be miniaturized when converting to multiband capability.


To perform a network entry of a terminal to a wireless network including a base station, wherein the terminal has a maximum power capability, at least one attempt is performed by the terminal to establish communication with the base station with a power level within a terminal admitted power range. The terminal admitted power range extends up to the maximum power capability of the terminal. In the absence of a response from the base station, one or more repeated attempts are performed with power levels gradually increased over the initial power level within a terminal admitted power range. The admitted power range extends up to the maximum power capability of the terminal.

The invention relates to techniques for controlling entry of terminals in wireless communication networks such as mobile communication networks.
Network Entry is the procedure by means of which a terminal (mobile or fixed) "enters" a wireless communication network including any number of base stations. Basic telecommunication standards such as 802.16-2004 and 802.16-2005 specify the steps necessary to complete this task, i.e., Network Entry. One of the key factors that come into play in the related procedure is the maximum transmission power allowed for a terminal entering the network.
During normal operation, that is, once the terminal has already entered the network, the power level of the terminal is adjusted as a function of measurements performed at the base station. Conversely, during the initial steps of the Network Entry procedure, e.g., Initial Ranging, the maximum allowed power is determined by the terminal itself. For instance, the terminal seeking entry to the network may calculate a value for its maximum allowed power PTX—IR—MAX on the basis of the following relationship:PTX—IR—MAX=EIRxPIR,max+BS—EIRP−RSS+(GRx—SS−GTx—SS)
where:                EIRxPIR,max is the maximum equivalent isotropic received power at the terminal, that is the effective power measured at the antenna receiver,        RSS is the received signal strength at the antenna output,        BS_EIRP is the equivalent isotropic radiated power of the base station, that is the effective power measured at the antenna transmitter, and        GRx—SS and GTx—SS are the receiver and terminal antenna gain at the terminal.
The terminal will start the network entry procedure by using a given power level, e.g., the level PTX—IR—MAX calculated as indicated in the foregoing or, e.g., in case this value cannot be calculated, a minimum reference level (which may be lower than PTX—IR—MAX).
Typically, during the Network Entry procedure, the terminal attempts to establish communication with the base station expected to serve it until it receives a response from the base station. In so doing, the terminal starts from a given initial power level, and, in case no response is received from the base station, the terminal gradually increases its transmission power up to a maximum value, and possibly "wraps back" to the initial value, restarting the procedure from the beginning, if no response is received from the base station.
Typically, after a given number of repeated attempts without being able to establish communication (i.e., without network entry being achieved) a back-off procedure is initiated: since a limited number of entries is available, the terminal generates a random number in order to determine the entry to be used for network entry. In case of failure, a new number is tried up to a maximum number of retry attempts. Once this maximum number is reached, the channel is "marked" as unusable and the terminal looks for a new channel where the Network Entry procedure is re-started from the beginning.

Mobile terminal entry based on power control within maximum admitted power range


A device for inhibiting rotational motion of an article to be processed comprises a pressure plate assembly including a generally ring-shaped guide assembly. The guide assembly has and at least two guide pins extending from a first side in a transverse direction. The guide assembly further includes at least two resilient devices positioned over a respective one of the at least two guide pins and a container guide having an aperture for receiving an open end of a container moving in a first direction and for aligning the open end with a processing device. The container guide is positioned adjacent to the first side of the pressure plate assembly. At least two resilient devices are configured to be compressed in response to movement of the container guide in a first direction and are configured to decompress in response to movement of the container guide in a second, generally opposite direction.

In the container manufacturing industry, various approaches exist for fabricating and processing different container constructions, including bottles, cans, jars, and the like.
In the process of making a container (e.g., a can), several operations may create a rotational force applied axially on the can body. In particular, such forces may be undesirably applied during processes used in finishing the open end of the can such as, e.g., trimming, threading, curling, spin forming, and the like. These undesirable forces may result in defects to the containers such as, for example, an incomplete trim, malformed threads or curls, or the like.
Thus, it would be desirable to create an apparatus and method for reducing or eliminating rotational forces on a container during processing operations.

Method and apparatus for clamping a container during processing operations


A stereoscopic display device is provided for displaying a 3-dimentional image including a first slice, a second slice and a third slice arranged in the order written. The stereoscopic display device includes a first LCD, a second LCD, and a number of distance adjusting members between the first and second LCDs. Each distance adjusting member includes two magnetic elements. The two magnetic elements are aligned with each other and fixed to the first and second LCDs, respectively. One of the two magnetic elements is an electromagnet. The two magnetic elements are configured for cooperatively creating repulsion forces and attractive forces applied between the two LCDs such that the first LCD is reciprocally moved relative to the second LCD between a first position where the first LCD displays a contour of the second slice and a second position where the first LCD displays a contour of the third slice.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a stereoscopic display device.
2. Description of Related Art
Objects are seen in three dimensions because light reflects from them and generates a light field in space.
Stereoscopic imaging is one technique utilized to simulate 3-D images to viewers. Stereoscopic displays work by providing differing yet corresponding perspective images of the same object or scene to the left and right eye of the viewer. Typically, stereoscopic imaging systems utilize special parallax barrier screens: headgear or eyewear to insure that the left eye sees only the left eye perspective and the right eye sees only the right eye perspective.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,745,197 issued to Leung et al, discloses a "volumetric" display intended to provide a type of 3-D images. The Leung et al. volumetric display utilizes a physical deconstruction of a 3-D object that entails "slicing" the object into pieces by planes oriented perpendicular to the view path of the viewer. Images corresponding to the resulting slices are then displayed superimposed on a stack of transmissive display screens (corresponding to the perpendicular slicing planes) layered at sequentially increasing distances from the viewer. This essentially, is 3-D effect created in mechanical fashion. This type of volumetric display requires the layering of two or more transmissive imaging display panels to create the effect of depth, so the depth, number and distance between the various display screens on which the image slices appear limit its 3-D effect necessarily. However, the depth between each two various display screens is changeless such that the display cannot create a good 3-D effect. Additionally, large display screens mean higher associated cost.
Therefore, a stereoscopic display device that can overcome the above-mentioned problems is desired.


In order to enable switching control over power-feeding paths even in the event of a ground fault or an open fault in a power-feeding path, the submarine branching unit is provided with: a switching circuit which switches multiple power-feeding paths formed among a first through a third power-receiving ports; a control circuit which receives power from a power-feeding path formed between the first power-receiving port and the second power-receiving port and controls the switching circuit; and a connection circuit which connects the control circuit between the third power-receiving port and a sea-earth when no power is supplied to the control circuit from the power-feeding path formed between the first power-receiving port and the second power-receiving port.

In a submarine cable system, a network constituted of a plurality of submarine branching units (BUs) installed on a sea bottom and a plurality of land stations is configured for a purpose of handling meshing of the network and suppressing a construction cost. A submarine repeater and a submarine branching unit being used in such a submarine cable system generally operate by supply of electric power from a power feeding device installed at a land station.
FIG. 16 is a diagram illustrating a power feeding path of a general submarine cable system 900 using a BU. The submarine cable system 900 includes a BU 901 and a repeater 902. Power feeding devices 911 to 913 included in a land station are constant current supply devices, and electric power is supplied to the BU 901 and the repeater 902 by these constant current supply devices. The BU 901 includes a switching circuit 903.
FIGS. 17 to 19 are first to third diagrams illustrating a power feeding path of the BU 901. The BU 901 can change a configuration of the power feeding path according to a control instruction from any of the power feeding devices 911 to 913. The switching circuit 903 of the BU 901 receives the control instruction, and switches the power feeding path by operating a relay included in the switching circuit 903.
FIG. 17 illustrates a case where power is fed to the BU 901 from a power feeding path of a branch A and a branch B. For example, the power feeding device 911 connected to the branch A has positive polarity, and the power feeding device 912 connected to the branch B has negative polarity. In this case, a power feeding current flows in from the branch A, is fed to the BU 901, and flows out to the branch B. At this time, power is also fed to the repeaters 902 installed on the branch A and the branch B. Since power feeding is performed with a constant current, a current of the branch A and a current of the branch B are equal. A branch C is connected to the power feeding device 913. In FIG. 17, the branch C is not connected to the branch A and the branch B, and a power feeding current of the branch C is connected to a sea earth (SE) and is grounded.
FIG. 18 illustrates an example of a power feeding path after a ground fault occurs on the power feeding path at a place with an "X" mark of the branch A of the BU 901. The ground fault is a fault that an electric wire of a power feeding path is grounded under the sea. In other words, a ground fault place becomes a sea earth. At a point in time when the ground fault occurs, electric power is supplied to the BU 901 by forming a power feeding path of a path "sea earth—ground fault place—BU 901—branch B—power feeding device 912". Then, the switching circuit 903 switches a power feeding path inside the BU 901 as in FIG. 18, based on a control instruction received from any of the power feeding devices 911 to 913 that detect the fault. In other words, the switching circuit 903 connects the branch B to the branch C and reconstructs a power feeding path, and also connects the fault place of the branch A to the sea earth in the BU 901. Such connection achieves supply of electric power to the BU 901, and also disconnects the fault place from the switching circuit 903 and the power feeding path.
FIG. 19 illustrates an example of a power feeding path after a ground fault occurs on a power feeding path in the branch B of the BU 901. In this case, the switching circuit 903 connects the branch A to the branch C and reconstructs a power feeding path, and also connects a fault place of the branch B to the sea earth in the BU 901. When the ground fault occurs on only one of the power feeding paths, the BU 901 switches the power feeding path as in FIG. 18 or 19.
In relation to the present invention, PTLs 1 to 4 describe a switching circuit that switches a power feeding path.

Submarine branching unit and submarine branching method


An active balancing and battery charging system for a battery including a plurality of packs made up of cells. An H-bridge circuit having a nominal system voltage as an input generates a square wave output to a plurality of step-down transformers each associated with a pack, where the plurality of step-down transformers provide an active balancing voltage of about the nominal pack voltage. Each pack may include a balancing transformer including a common primary coil receiving the active balancing voltage from the associated step-down transformer or the pack itself. The balancing transformer also includes a plurality of secondary coils each associated with the respective plurality of cells of the pack. A voltage induced in the secondary coils causes a discrete charge current to flow to any cells in the pack that are undercharged relative to other cells.

Larger and evermore complex battery systems composed of many individual cells are being constructed to provide larger voltages and powers, such as used in electric and hybrid vehicles, backup stationary power for computing centers, homes and whole neighborhoods. Dividing the battery into packs of smaller groups of cells can be advantageous to assembly, safety, servicing and maintenance. However, large battery systems composed of one or many cells in parallel (a module), then connected in series configurations for higher voltages, typically are limited by the weakest module and/or cell in the amount of current that the battery system can supply. Battery management systems have been developed to balance these modules so they remain as close to equal charge as possible to provide the best performance. As these batteries are constructed with larger voltages, it is recommended to break the battery into separated lower voltage packs connected in series, so each pack works at reduced voltages, allowing lower cost and often fewer components to be used in the construction. Active balancing is more efficient than passive load balancing of cells in maintaining optimal battery condition.

Apparatus and method for active balancing of series cells and series packs in a battery system


A valve for controlling the flow of fuel within a gas turbine engine is provided. The fuel flow control valve includes a valve block disposed within a sleeve, and apparatus for displacing one of the sleeve or valve block relative to the other. The sleeve includes an inlet port and an exit port. The valve block includes an inlet gate and an exit gate. One of the sleeve or the valve block may be displaced relative to the other from a closed position where the gates close the ports and thereby prevent fluid flow through the valve via the ports, to a plurality of open positions where the gates less than completely close the ports, and thereby allow fluid flow through the valve via the ports.

1. Technical Field
This invention applies to gas turbine engine fuel controls in general, and to gas turbine engine fuel flow control valves in particular.
2. Background Information
Fuel control valves for high performance gas turbine powered aircraft must perform with a high degree of accuracy under a wide variety of operating conditions. A valve that meters too little or too much fuel to the combustor could cause a combustor to "blowout", or could hinder reignition within the combustor. To avoid such problems, valve design considers the difference in pressure across the fuel control valve and the mass flow rate of fluid through the valve. These two parameters are generally used to define the required performance of the fuel control valve within the aircraft flight envelope. The difference in pressure (.DELTA..sub.p) "across" the valve is by consensus defined to be the difference between the pressure of the fuel discharging from the fuel pump less component and piping head losses between the pump discharge and the control valve (P.sub.FPD) and the pressure of the fuel dispensed within the combustor(s) less component and piping head losses between the control valve and the combustor (P.sub.FC)
The mass flow rate of the fluid passing through the valve, on the other hand, may be determined by the equation: ##EQU1## where W.sub.f represents the mass flow rate of the fluid, K represents a conversion factor constant, C.sub.d represents a discharge coefficient for flow exiting the valve orifice, A.sub.v represents the cross-sectional area of the valve orifice, and .rho. represents the density of the fluid. The discharge coefficient (C.sub.d) is a coefficient that compensates for less than frictionless ideal flow through an orifice and is a function of: (1) the geometry of the orifice relative to upstream passage geometry; and (2) the Reynolds number of the fluid passing through the orifice. The Reynolds number of the fluid passing through the orifice, in turn, accounts for the velocity of the fluid within the orifice, the dimensions of the orifice, and the kinematic viscosity of the fluid. In instances where the ratio of pressures across the valve (P.sub.FPD /P.sub.FC) is no more than six (6), the discharge coefficient (C.sub.d) may be considered a constant for a particular point within the flight envelope. This is in part due to a relatively low fluid velocity through the orifice. In those instances, the mass flow rate of fluid (W.sub.f), and therefore the power setting of the engine, can be readily controlled by changing only the cross-sectional area of the valve orifice (A.sub.v).
In instances where the ratio of pressures across existing valves exceed six (6), however, the discharge coefficient (C.sub.d) often becomes unstable due to cavitation and cannot be considered a constant for a particular point within the flight envelope. Specifically, at pressure ratios greater than six, the velocity of the fluid passing through the orifice is great enough to cause cavitation which in turn prevents a consistent C.sub.d value from being empirically determined. Control of fuel flow rate through the valve in these instances must, therefore, consider at least two variables, one of which is unstable. Under those circumstances accurate fuel flow control through the valve is difficult at best.
To avoid having a ratio of pressures across the fuel control valve in excess of six (6), it is known to use a hydromechanical head regulator, which is a device designed to maintain a particular .DELTA..sub.p across a fuel control valve under all conditions. Although head regulators do provide the advantage of a constant .DELTA..sub.p across the fuel flow control valve, they also provide several distinct disadvantages. For example, head regulators used in high pressure applications tend to be of considerable size and weight, neither of which is desirable. Head regulators also add a second layer of complexity to the fuel control system; e.g. they require sensor input to operate and a flow valve to regulate a constant head across a metering valve. The sensors and the valves within the head regulator provide additional potential failure modes which are difficult, if not impossible, to diagnose. Head regulators also add significantly to the cost of most gas turbine fuel flow control systems. In short, the advantage of a constant .DELTA..sub.p across the control valve is offset by several distinct disadvantages.
What is needed, therefore, is a method for accurately controlling the mass flow rate of fuel within a gas turbine engine that accommodates high pressure differences across the valve, which does not add to the weight, cost, or complexity of the fuel flow control system.

Method for controlling the flow rate of fuel within a gas turbine


An extruder or other tool head of a three-dimensional printer is instrumented to detect contact force against the extruder, such as by a build platform or an object being fabricated. The tool head may also be instrumented to detect deflection forces and the like acting on the tool that might indicate an operating error. The resulting feedback data can be used in a variety of ways to control operation of the three-dimensional printer during fabrication or diagnostics.

Three-dimensional printers can be used to fabricate various desired objects based on computer models of those objects. However, components of the three-dimensional printer may degrade with time—i.e., become dented, warped, misaligned, etc. These errors may disadvantageously affect the ability of the three-dimensional printer to accurately fabricate objects. There remains a need for pressure-sensing extruders and methods for using same.

Three-dimensional printer with force detection


This invention is a set of magnetic building blocks. Each block or piece in the set is in the shape of a right golden rhombic pyramid. There are two important fixed proportions that dictate each block's shape. The first is that the pyramid's base is a golden rhombus. That means the ratio of its long diagonal to its short diagonal is 1.618, otherwise known as φ, or the “golden ratio.”

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to recreational mental stimulation devices (such as toys, puzzles, and games), and specifically to creativity building blocks.
2. Prior Art
Playing with building blocks is a wonderful way to activate one's creative abilities. The forms that can be constructed with such building blocks are—to a great extent—a function of the shapes of the building blocks themselves. For example, building blocks in the shape of cubes can be assembled in a certain way; building blocks in the shape of rectangular solids or cylinders lend themselves to other forms of assembly. In addition, the individual shape of each building block has an impact not only on how the block "feels" in the user's hand, but also on the amount of manual satisfaction it creates when the user plays with it in conjunction with other similarly shaped blocks.
There exist a variety of different sets of building blocks, and these come in a variety of different shapes. Some examples include: cubes, rectangular solids, rhombohedrons, dodecahedrons, and hexagonal pyramids. There are, however, no sets of building blocks in which the individual pieces are in the shape of a right golden rhombic pyramid.
Many sets of building blocks use gravity for individual blocks to stick together with one another. Some sets of building blocks, though, use a variety of different means, in addition to gravity, to join and/or assemble the different pieces together. Some examples include: a set using tongue and groove connectors, another providing "mounting structures and interlocking mechanisms," and, a third using interior strip magnets coupled with exterior "spigots and recesses" to prevent "slippage" between the adjoining faces. All of these attachment systems are cumbersome.

Golden rhombic pyramid-shaped building blocks

Abstract: The other important proportion of each block's shape is the height of the pyramid. The height of the pyramid as measured from the rhombus base centroid (the point at which the two base diagonals intersect) to its apex is (φ+1)/2 or approximately 1.309 times the length of the short diagonal in the rhombus base.

Abstract: Each building block has magnets embedded in its interior faces. This means that the pieces will stick together magnetically. The user can build various shapes and designs with the blocks. The set of building blocks can be used as a creativity tool, toy, puzzle, game, display device, creativity prop, and cognitive stimulant.


A method for performing an inter-system handover of a user terminal in a telecommunications network comprising a first telecommunications system operable according to a first protocol and comprising a first service subsystem and a first access subsystem and a second telecommunications system operable according to a second protocol and comprising a second service subsystem and a second access subsystem; the user terminal storing capability data indicative of the user terminal's capabilities for communication with the service subsystems and the access subsystems.

In a mobile radio telecommunications system user's terminals communicate by radio with base stations which are connected to control units which control the operation of the mobile radio system and to the wider telecommunications network. The user terminal is often referred to as a mobile station (MS) which could be a mobile phone; however, the location of the MS could be fixed.
FIG. 1 shows schematically the configuration of a typical cellular radio telecommunications network. The network comprises a number of base-stations (BSs) 1, 2, 3 etc. Each base-station has a radio transceiver capable of transmitting radio signals to and receiving radio signals from the area of a cell 4, 5 etc. next to the base-station. By means of these signals the base-station can communicate with a mobile station (MS) 6 in that cell, which itself includes a radio transceiver. Each base station is connected via a base station controller (BSC) 9 to a mobile switching centre (MSC) 7, which is linked in turn to the public telephone network 8. By means of this system a user of the MS 6 can establish a telephone call to the public network 8 via the BS in whose cell the MS is located.
The location of the MS could be fixed (for example if it is providing radio communications for a fixed building) or the MS could be moveable (for example if it is a hand portable transceiver or "mobile phone"). When the MS is moveable it may move between cells of the cellular radio system. As it moves from one cell (the "old cell") to another cell (the "new cell") there is a need to hand it over from communication with the BS of the old cell to the BS of the new cell without dropping the call due to a break in communications between the mobile station and the network. This process is known as handover. A need can also arise to hand over a MS whose location is fixed, for example if atmospheric conditions affect its communications with the old BS and call quality can be improved by handing it over to another BS or if there is a need to free up capacity of the old BS.
In a conventional cellular radio system handover is controlled by the BSC. Handover can be initiated by the network dependent, for example, on the quality of the signalling between the MS and the old and new BSs.
When a mobile station first established connection with the radio system, which could happen when it is turned or moves into an area of radio coverage of one of the base stations, the mobile station may send a message to the radio system to report its capabilities so as to allow the system to properly accommodate the mobile station.
In the GSM (Global System for Mobile Telecommunications) telecommunications system the reporting of such capabilities is done by way of messages indicating classmark information. In the GSM system the classmark information is divided into three separate classmark parameters, each of which includes information related both to the radio system and to the core network. One of these parameters is the MS classmark 2 parameter. That parameter is sent to the network in the paging response message (which a mobile station sends in response to a paging request message from the GSM network) or in the CM (connection management) service request message. Another of the parameters is the MS classmark 3 parameter. That parameter is sent in response to an enquiry from the mobile switching centre (MSC) of the GSM network (which is generally only made when the information is needed, for example to find the mobile station's encryption capabilities), or spontaneously if the MS supports services indicated in classmark 3.
In the proposed UMTS (Universal Mobile Telecommunications System) telecommunications system it is proposed that the classmark information will be rearranged into only two parameters: an access network classmark parameter (known as the AN classmark) and a core network classmark parameter (known as the CN classmark). This has been proposed because in the proposed UMTS system there is to be a clearer distinction between the radio access network and the core network than there is in the GSM system, and because the UMTS system is not to be subject to the restrictions on message size for classmark parameters that are enforced in the GSM system. An additional difference is that certain information in the GSM classmark that is specific to the GSM system is not required in the UMTS classmark. Similarly, the UMTS classmark includes additional information that is not present in the GSM classmark.
When a new cellular network is being introduced it can take some time to install all the base-stations and associated apparatus. Therefore, there is a delay before the new network provides full geographical coverage. FIG. 2 illustrates the situation: an existing cellular network provides full geographical coverage by means of cells 20–27 but the new cellular network provides incomplete geographical coverage by means of only cells 28 and 29. This presents a significant commercial problem for the operator of the new network. If the new network is launched for use before its geographical coverage is complete then customers will be dissatisfied, by its inferior coverage to the old network. However, the cost of the infrastructure of the new network is high and no return can be gained on it until it is in use.
It has been proposed to tackle this problem by allowing mobile stations using the new network to be handed over to cells of the old network when they move outside the coverage of the new network. For instance, when a mobile station moves from 30 to 31 in FIG. 2 it could be handed over from the base station of cell 28 (in the new network) to that of cell 21 (in the old network). This is known as inter-system handover.
To allow the UMTS system to be introduced smoothly and without significant disruption to current users of the GSM system it is proposed that the new UMTS system will be capable of a substantial level of interworking with the existing GSM system. One aspect of this is the aim to support inter-system handover of a mobile station between the GSM and UMTS systems. However, the differences in the treatment of classmarks between the GSM and UMTS systems presents a significant barrier to inter-system handover. In order to allow for inter-system handover between the UMTS system and the GSM system there is a need to address the differences between the GSM and UMTS classmark arrangements. One way that has been proposed to address these differences is for the mobile station to provide all its classmark information (for both GSM and UMTS) to the network in all circumstances. However, this would increase signalling load unnecessarily in cases when no inter-system handover is subsequently performed.
There is therefore a need for an improved method of dealing with data such as classmark information for facilitating inter-system handovers.


A region of the PspA protein of the Rx1 strain of Streptococcus pneumoniae has been identified as containing protection-eliciting epitopes which are cross-reactive with PspAs of other S. pneumoniae strains and which is cross-protective. The region comprises the 68-amino acid sequence extending from amino acid residues 192 to 260 of the Rx1 PspA strain.

Streptococcus pneumoniae is an important cause of otitis media, meningitis, bacteremia and pneumonia. Despite the use of antibiotics and vaccines, the prevalence of pneumococcal infections has declined little over the last twenty-five years.
It is generally accepted that immunity to Streptococcus pneumoniae can be mediated by specific antibodies against the polysaccharide capsule of the pneumococcus. However, neonates and young children fail to make an immune response against polysaccharide antigens and can have repeated infections involving the same capsular serotype.
One approach to immunizing infants against a number of encapsulated bacteria is to conjugate the capsular polysaccharide antigens to proteins to make then immunogenic. This approach has been successful, for example, with Haemophilus influenzae b (see U.S. Pat. No. 4,496,538 to Gordon and U.S. Pat. No. 4,673,574 to Anderson). However, there are over eighty known capsular serotypes of S. pneumoniae of which twenty-three account for most of the disease. For a pneumococcal polysaccharide-protein conjugate to be successful, the capsular types responsible for most pneumococcal infections would have to be made adequately immunogenic. This approach may be difficult, because the twenty-three polysaccharides included in the presently-available vaccine are not all adequately immunogenic, even in adults. Furthermore, such a vaccine would probably be much more expensive to produce than any of the other childhood vaccines in routine use.
An alternative approach for protecting children, and also the elderly, from pneumococcal infection would be to identify protein antigens that could elicit protective immune responses. Such proteins may serve as a vaccine by themselves, may be used in conjunction with successful polysaccharide-protein conjugates, or as carriers for polysaccharides.
In McDaniel et al (I), J. Exp. Med. 160:386-397, 1984, there is described the production of hybridoma antibodies that recognize cell surface proteins on S. pneumoniae and protection of mice from infection with certain strains of encapsulated pneumococci by such antibodies. This surface protein antigen has been termed "pneumococcal surface protein A" or PspA for short.
In McDaniel et al (II), Microbial Pathogeniesis 1:519-531, 1986, there are described studies on the characterization of the PspA. From the results of McDaniel (II), McDaniel (III), J. Exp. Med. 165:381-394, 1987, Waltman et al., Microb. Pathog. 8:61-69, 1990 and Crain et al., Infect. Immun. 58:3293-3299, 1990, it was also apparent that the PspAs of different strains frequently exhibit considerable diversity in terms of their epitopes, and apparent molecular weight.
In McDaniel et al (III), there is disclosed that immunization of X-linked immunodeficient (XID) mice with non-encapsulated pneumococci expressing PspA, but not isogenic pneumococci lacking PspA, protects mice from subsequent fatal infection with pneumococci.
In McDaniel et al (IV), Infect. Immun., 59:222-228, 1991, there is described immunization of mice with a recombinant full length fragment of PspA that is able to elicit protection against pneumococcal strains of capsular types 6A and 3.
In Crain et al, (supra) there is described a rabbit antiserum that detects PspA in 100% (n=95) of clinical and laboratory isolates of strains of S. pneumoniae. When reacted with seven monoclonal antibodies to PspA, fifty-seven S. pneumoniae isolates exhibited thirty-one different patterns of reactivity. Accordingly, although a large number of serologically-different PspAs exist, there are extensive cross-reactions between PspAs.
The PspA protein type is independent of capsular type. It would seem that genetic mutation or exchange in the environment has allowed for the development of a large pool of strains which are highly diverse with respect to capsule, PspA, and possibly other molecules with variable structures. Variability of PspA's from different strains also is evident in their molecular weights, which range from 67 to 99 kD. The observed differences are stably inherited and are not the result of protein degradation.
Immunization with a partially purified PspA from a recombinant .lambda. gt11 clone, elicited protection against challenge with several S. pneumoniae strains representing different capsular and PspA types, as described in McDaniel et al (IV), Infect. Immun. 59:222-228, 1991. Although clones expressing PspA were constructed according to that paper, the product was unstable and isolation from cell fragments following lysis was not effected.
While the protein is variable in structure between different pneumococcal strains, numerous cross-reactions exist between all PspA's, suggesting that sufficient common epitopes may be present to allow a single PspA or at least a small number of PspA's to elicit protection against a large number of S. pneumoniae strains.
In addition to the published literature specifically referred to above, the inventors, in conjunction with co-workers, have published further details concerning PspA's, as follows:
1. Abstracts of 89th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 125, item D-257, May 2989;
2. Abstracts of 90th Annual Meeting of the American Society for Microbiology, p. 98, item D-106, May 1990;
3. Abstracts of 3rd International ASM Conference on Streptococcal Genetics, p. 11, item 12, June 1990;
4. Talkington et al, Infect. Immun. 59:1285-1289, 1991;
5. Yother et al (I), J. Bacteriol. 174:601-609, 1992;
6. Yother et al (II), J. Bacteriol. 174:610-618, 1992; and
7. McDaniel et al (V), Microbiol Pathogenesis, 13:261-268.
In the aforementioned copending U.S. patent applications Ser. Nos. 656,773 and 835,698 (corresponding to published International patent application, WO 52/1448), as well as in Yother et al (I) and (II), there are described the preparation of mutants of S. pneumomiae that secrete an immunogenic truncated form of the PspA protein, and the isolation and purification of the secreted protein. The truncated form of PspA was found to be immunoprotective and to contain the protective epitopes of PspA. The PspA protein described therein is soluble in physiologic solution and lacks at least the functional cell membrane anchor region.
In the specification which follows and the drawings accompanying the same, there are utilized certain accepted abbreviations with respect to the amino acids represented thereby. The following Table I identifies those abbreviations:
TABLE I ______________________________________ AMINO ACID ABBREVIATIONS ______________________________________ A = Ala = Alanine M = Met = Methionine C = Cys = Cysteine N = Asn = Asparagine D = Asp = Aspartic Acid P = Pro = Proline E = Glu = Glutamic Acid Q = Gln = Glutamine F = Phe = Phenylalanine R = Arg = Arginine G = Gly = Glycine S = Ser = Serine H = His = Histidine T = Thr = Threonine I = Ile = Isoleucine V = Val = Valine K = Lys = Lysine W = Try = Tryptophan L = Leu = Leucine Y = Tyr = Tyrosine ______________________________________

Epitopic regions of pneumococcal surface protein a


The exemplary embodiments herein provide a mildly kinetic barbell having a flexible tube with a hollow center, a first end, and an opposing second end. The barbell preferably has a stiffening element within the hollow center, a first plate stopper attached to the flexible tube near the first end, and a second plate stopper attached to the flexible tube near the second end. The barbell may also have a first loading sleeve at the first end with a second loading sleeve at the second end. Some embodiments also include rack bumpers placed adjacent to the plate stoppers and/or a knurl positioned on a central portion of the flexible tube.

Weightlifting is widely recognized as an important component to a well-rounded exercise routine, specifically for its ability to increase muscle strength, blood flow, and joint stability. However, it has been discovered that for many users, standard weightlifting with traditional steel (or otherwise metallic) barbells can cause increased stress on critical joints such as shoulders, knees, lower back, hips, and elbows. For users already suffering from a reduced joint function or pain/inflammation in a joint, weightlifting with a traditional barbell can cause more harm to these joints, such that the harm to these joints will outweigh any potential benefit from weightlifting.

Joint protective and mildly kinetic barbell


Educational materials are presented in the format of games such as role-playing where participants progress through game storylines within a game environment. Each game participant is assigned a game character having unique and dynamic attributes that can be modified as the character progresses through the game storylines. The characters encounter challenges and participate in game actions that require the participant to answer questions that correspond to educational materials that are contextually unrelated to the game storylines. In order to successfully modify a character's attributes, obtain possessions for the character, progress through the storyline, to be successful in battle sequences or to obtain a desired reward, the participants must correctly answer the questions they are presented. To obtain a successful result, it is also sometimes necessary for a participant to recruit other participants having different assigned characters with different attributes to collaborate and work with the participant.

The present invention relates to games, as well as methods, systems, and computer-program products for promoting educational interests and social development through the use of games.
While the educational and gaming industries often find themselves at odds, competing for the time and attention of the younger generation, it will be appreciated that there are many opportunities for these industries to cooperatively work together in the development of new and exciting educational games. This is particularly true in view of the technological advances that have been made with the computing and communications devices that are heavily leveraged by the educational and gaming industries.
Improvements in technology have also reduced the manufacturing costs to the point that it is now relatively affordable for every household to own one or more computing devices. The affordability of manufacturing new and exciting technology is also readily apparent in the sheer volume of gaming and multimedia consoles that are manufactured solely for entertainment purposes.
While it can certainly be argued that technology has enhanced our educational and entertainment opportunities, it can also be argued that the excessive abundance of new and exciting technologies in the entertainment industry has actually had a negative impact on the educational and social development of our youth. For example, many youth spend more time watching television, surfing the Internet and playing video games than they spend in school, playing outside or working.
This new socio-technological environment that children are now exposed to provides many obstacles and challenges to their learning and social development. Among other things, the ever limited attention span of our youth appears to shrink even more in the presence of the new and exciting movies, games and other entertainment that is continually being presented in increasingly more affordable and convenient ways.
The difficulty for students to maintain the appropriate level of concentration, which is required to learn in this technologically advanced era, is particularly noticeable when the students are required to learn from traditional and, arguably, less stimulating teaching methods.
Technological advances have also had a significant influence on the manner in which we communicate. For example, it is now typical to use computing devices to communicate through email, telephone text-messaging, instant messaging and so forth. However, while computing devices can improve the ease and convenience of communicating, the increased use of computing devices for communication can also have a negative impact on the development of certain social skills. In particular, the increased use of computing devices to communicate can reduce the duration and frequency of face-to-face experiences that are sometimes necessary to develop and learn fundamental social skills. In fact, it is somewhat ironic that while computers have drastically improved the convenience of communicating with distant peoples in remote places, they have also created a crutch and refuge for further isolating the socially challenged people that we live with in our own communities.
The Internet, the television and personal gaming consoles have also reduced the demand for social interaction since many people find electronic entertainment to be a convenient and adequate substitution for social stimulation.
Notwithstanding these increasingly noticeable and grievous side effects of certain technologies, particularly in the entertainment industry, there does not appear to be any immediate end in sight. In fact, to the contrary, all signs appear to indicate that the entertainment industry will continue making new products that feed our insatiable demand for convenient and exciting entertainment.
In view of the foregoing, there is clearly a need to provide new and exciting teaching techniques, as well as opportunities for social interaction, which are capable of competing with the entertainment industry. It would also be desirable to provide new educational tools and techniques that utilize the technological advances that have been developed in the gaming industry and that utilize the technological experiences and skills possessed by children that are exposed to technologically advanced environments and devices.


A server device includes a memory and processor. A vehicle identification number (VIN) is stored in the memory. The VIN is associated with connection information for a vehicle associated with the VIN. The processor executes A VIN matcher stored in the memory, and denies a request for connection information in response to a mismatch between a supplied VIN from a connecting device and the VIN stored in memory. The processor executes a network connector stored in the memory, and sends connection information to a connecting device in response to a match between the supplied VIN from the connecting device and the VIN stored in memory. The connection information is sent through the network connection using a first communication protocol and contains information for the connecting device to connect to the vehicle through direct pairing using a second communication protocol.

This section is intended to introduce the reader to various aspects of art, which may be related to various aspects of the present disclosure, which are described and/or claimed below. This discussion is believed to be helpful in providing the reader with background information to facilitate a better understanding of the various aspects of the present disclosure. Accordingly, it can be understood that these statements are to be read in this light, and not as admissions of prior art.
Vehicles may include electronic components that interconnect with the vehicle itself as well as component systems such as navigation systems, audio systems, and media systems. A vehicle may include a networking component that can connect to the internet or other devices through direct pairing to the device based on commands initiated at both the device and the vehicle indicating they are ready to pair followed by a user action confirming that a particular pairing is approved.

Device and vehicle pairing using a network connection

Panasonic Automotive Systems Company of America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America


A disposable cleaning mitten for wearing over the hand when performing hygienic care. The mitten can be used to cleanse, bathe and refresh the skin of a disabled individual, baby, elderly person or oneself, and includes a finger portion to house the fingers and a separate thumb portion for the thumb. Both the exterior and the interior surfaces are intended for use as a cleaning surface. Tear lines or perforations allow the mitten to be converted into a single, elongated sheet, or two separate sheets, so that all sides of the sheet or sheets can be used for cleaning. The mitten can be sized so that the user can wear a latex or surgical glove beneath the mitten so that dirt or other soiled materials do not touch the skin of the hand. The mitten has a grasping means at its open end for grasping to pull the body onto the hand and to tear the body along the tear lines.

Over the years, consumers have shifted demand from cloth towels to disposable wipes for infants and toddlers. This shift in demand from washable to disposable products has helped to develop the disposable wipe business into a major industry. As this industry has developed, consumers have preferred and often demanded more efficient and easier to use disposable products, such as wipes with better absorbency which are easier to handle with infants and toddlers. Additionally, as the nursing home and elderly care industry has grown, the elderly and disabled individuals often have needed more cost effective and efficient assistance from nursing home or elderly care personnel, including bladder and bowel assistance.
Prior art cleaning wipes have attempted to provide disposable wipes having various different features. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 5,649,336 to Finch et al. discloses a disposable mitt wipe for wiping and cleaning waste from the body. The wipe is intended for use both by and on children, and includes a mitt body having a top layer and a bottom layer which form an interior space and an open end for insertion of the user's hand. The mitt can come saturated with a wet cleaning solution, and also includes an access flap for help in finding the interior space and a reinforcing cuff to keep the material around the open end secure.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,530,108 to Brown et al. discloses a cleaning/dusting mitt that includes a section for the palm of the hand, a central section for the fingers, and a compartment on either side of the central section for a thumb. The mitt can be worn on either hand and both sides of the mitt can be used for cleaning without moving the mitt from one hand to the other.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,516,469 to Schaetzel discloses a sanitary mitten for cleaning and wiping babies or older people with bowel control problems. The mitten includes an inner waterproof material and an outer extra-absorbent cloth-like disposable material containing moisturizers. The mitten also has an internal pull tab to aid in removal of the mitten from the hand after use.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,206,863 to Skewes et al. discloses a disposable mitten impregnated with a hydrating, non-ionic cleanser. The mitt can come in a microwave-heatable wrap and then heated up in a microwave prior for use in bathing a patient or for personal bathing. The cleanser is intended to evaporate into the air quickly (especially when heated), leaving the skin clean, soft, soothed, nourished and protected.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,811,338 to Manske, Jr. et al. discloses a disposable, semi-enclosed applicator for distributing a substance onto a target surface. The applicator has a first side, a second side, and an internal cavity between the sides for insertion of a user's hand. One side of the applicator includes "rugosities" for aiding in scrubbing, while the other side is suitable for quickly absorbing excess cleaning solution and buffing a surface to a streak-free shine.
Although the above inventions may be useful for their intended purposes, there remains a need for a disposable hygienic mitten which is easy to put on and to remove and which both the inside and the outside of the mitten can be used for cleaning.


The invention relates to a crucible for the crystallization of silicon and to the preparation and application of release coatings for crucibles used in the handling of molten materials that are solidified in the crucible and then removed as ingots, and more particularly to release coatings for crucibles used in the solidification of polycrystalline silicon. The objective of the inventor was to provide a crucible which does not require the preparation of a very thick coating at the end user facilities, which is faster and cheaper to produce and which presents a stronger coating with an improved adherence to the walls. It has now been found that these problems can be solved with a crucible for the crystallization of silicon comprising a) a base body comprising a bottom surface and side walls defining an inner volume; b) an intermediate layer comprising 50 to 100 wt. % of silica at the surface of the side walls facing the inner volume; and c) a surface layer comprising 50 to 100 wt. % of silicon nitride, up to 50 wt. % of silicon dioxide and up to 20 wt % of silicon on the top of the intermediate layer.

Crucibles of silica (either of fused-silica or of quartz) are typically used in solidification of polycrystalline silicon. Silica is chosen primarily for high-purity and availability. There are problems in using silica, however, as a crucible for the production of silicon by this method.
Silicon in its molten state will react with the silica crucible that is in contact with it. Molten silicon reacts with silica to form silicon monoxide and oxygen. Oxygen will contaminate the silicon. Silicon monoxide is volatile, and will react with the graphite components inside the furnace. Silicon monoxide reacts with graphite to form silicon carbide and carbon monoxide. The carbon monoxide will then react with the molten silicon, forming additional volatile silicon monoxide and carbon. Carbon will contaminate the silicon. Silicon can also react with the various impurities contained in the silica crucible (iron, boron, aluminum, . . . ).
The reaction between silica and silicon promotes adhesion of the silicon to the crucible. This adhesion, combined with a difference in coefficients of thermal expansion between the two materials, creates stress in the silicon ingot, causing it to crack on cooling. It is known in the art that a release coating applied to the inside of the crucible in the area of contact with the ingot can prevent the reaction between silicon and silica that leads to ingot contamination and cracking. To be effective, the release coating must be thick enough to prevent the silicon from reacting with the silica crucible, and must not adversely contaminate the silicon either by itself or from contaminants within it.
A variety of materials and techniques are described in the literature, which attempt to solve the problem of reaction and adhesion of the crucible in contact with molten material. For example U.S. Pat. No. 5,431,869 describes a multi-component release agent of silicon nitride and calcium chloride for silicon processing using a graphite crucible.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,741,925 describes a silicon nitride coating for crucibles applied by chemical vapor deposition at 1250° C. while WO-A1-2004/053207 discloses a silicon nitride coating applied by plasma spraying. U.S. Pat. No. 3,746,569 discloses the pyrolysis formation of a silicon nitride coating on the walls of a quartz tube. U.S. Pat. No. 4,218,418 describes a technique of forming a glass layer inside a silica crucible by rapid heating to prevent cracking of silicon during melt-processing. U.S. Pat. No. 3,660,075 discloses a coating of niobium carbide or yttrium oxide on a graphite crucible for melting fissile materials. The niobium carbide is applied by chemical vapor deposition, while the yttrium oxide is applied as a colloidal suspension in an aqueous inorganic solution.
Prior art references include specific references to powdered mold release agents for application to crucibles in the directional solidification of silicon. In addition, the use of chemical vapor deposition, solvent evaporation, high-temperature flame treatment, and other expensive and complex means are mentioned for application of crucible coatings. References are made to specific binders and solvents. References are made to mixing, spraying, or brushing for slurries of powdered coatings.
This silicon nitride release coating itself can lead to problems. The thickness of the silicon nitride coating necessary to prevent the silicon from reacting with the silica crucible is quite important (about 300 μm) making thereby the coating operation expensive and time consuming. Further, this silicon nitride coating is mechanically weak and can peel or flake off during or even before use. It is therefore recommended to apply this coating at the very last moment before use, i.e., at the end user facilities, leaving thereby the burden of applying this thick coating to the end user.
It would therefore be desirable to provide a silica crucible which does not present the above problems (i.e. which does not require the preparation of a very thick coating at the end user facilities, which is faster and cheaper to produce and which presents a stronger coating with an improved adherence to the walls).

Crucible for the crystallization of silicon


An electric vehicle with partitionable frame includes a chassis assembly, a head tube, a front wheel, left and right rear wheels, and a seat. The front wheel is assembled at the base of the head tube through a fork, and the bottom part of the head tube is pivoted and located in the shaft sleeve lying on the front end of the oblique bracket. The seat is assembled on a vertical seat tube lying on the rear section of the chassis assembly. The chassis assembly includes front and rear assemblies that are partitionable. Connecting ends of the two assemblies are set with at least two groups of opposite jacks and opposite punch pins, which appear to be horizontally opposite and mutually embedded and mounted when assemblies are aligned. At least one set of positioning pieces controls the fixed or partitioned state of the two assemblies after they are aligned.

It has been noted that, the body of existing electric vehicles is usually designed to be an integrated part. The frame of an electric vehicle is generally broader than that of an electric scooter, and the heights of its front and rear are quite different. Therefore, as to the manufacturers, these features really cause space waste during the process of storing and conveying vehicles, consequently bring about the increase in cost, and really do not satisfy the requirement of better economic value.
In the light of this, the inventor, based on the experiences of designing and developing related products for many years, aimed at the above objective, and after detailed design and cautious evaluation, ultimately obtained an invention of real practicability.

Electric vehicle with partitionable structure


A system/method of color match assessment for electronic documents includes receiving digital data defining a composite electronic document including a raster image object having an edge and a color graphics object bordering the edge of the raster image object. The pixel color values defining the edge of the raster image object are processed to estimate a local color variance of the pixel color values. The local color variance is used to determine if the edge can be color matched to the bordering color graphics object. If the edge can be color matched, a match color for the edge is derived. The match color is associated with the digital data defining the electronic document so that a downstream object color match system can use the match color as needed, e.g., to adjust the color of the bordering color graphics object to ensure a match with the edge of the raster image object when the electronic document is printed using a xerographic printing process.

Most electronic documents, i.e., digital images, to be printed or output on a particular device include multiple objects, such as text, photos, graphics and the like. Many electronic documents are a composite of other smaller documents and objects. For example, photographic objects might be pasted into a largely text document at different locations. Color graphic objects and monochrome image objects might occur on the same page. Individual objects of an electronic document that are intended to match in color may be represented in a variety of color spaces, a situation which might arise because those elements are derived from prior documents of differing origins. This situation will not be immediately apparent to the user, because the colors of the objects appear to match on the visual display. The color mismatch is typically only detectable when the electronic document is printed using a digital printing apparatus such as xerographic printing.
One problem arises when sophisticated color transformation is involved, such that different color definitions for the same color take different color transformation paths. For example, if one object's color is specified in sRGB, and another object's color specified in SWOP (Specifications for Web Offset Publications) CMYK, the color processing needed to produce the device CMYK for the specific marking process may produce a different device CMYK value for the two objects. This might be due to differing black generation/black preservation strategies, even if the two objects would have matched exactly on a SWOP press (where no conversion of the SWOP CMYK would have been necessary). Another problem arises when more sophisticated color transformation is involved, such that non-color differences in the source (e.g., differing object type) cause the objects to take different color transformation paths. One instance of this is the Xerox Corporation DocuSP color DFE (digital front end) that can assign different ICC rendering intents to different object types having the same nominal color. For example, by default text might be assigned a "Saturation" rendering intent, while graphics might be assigned a "Relative Colorimetric" rendering intent. Especially for colors near the edge or outside the printer's color gamut, the processing of the source color may produce visibly different results.
Application Ser. No. 11/178,129 discloses a system for color match verification and correction that solves many color mismatch problems in order to create printed output documents having color matched objects as intended by the original image data, even though different color definitions are used for the same color objects in the image data.
A difficult color match problem occurs when a raster image object (e.g., a bitmap or a bytemap or the like), such as a digital photograph, a scanned image or a computer-generated image, is bordered, surrounded or touched by a solid color graphics object that might be intended to match the color along an edge of the raster image object or that might be intentionally mismatched with the color along an edge of the raster image object to provide a contrasting border. This problem is complicated by the fact that the raster image object might have a color variance along its edge(s) that border(s) the color graphics object. The present application is intended to provide input to the method/apparatus of Ser. No. 11/178,129 to allow for color match between a raster object and a color graphics object, if color match was originally intended.

Determining the color match between image data and graphics objects