A method and device for improving the detection of a vibrotactile stimulus. Such method may include the steps of temporarily altering the threshold of vibrational detection prior to the onset of a vibrotactile stimulus. This allows the vibrotactile system to achieve improved detection of the intended vibrotactile alert or communication stimulus without necessarily increasing the vibratory displacement amplitude of the stimulus. A corresponding enhanced vibrotactile transducer device is able to produce, over a wide frequency range, or at multiple frequencies, a vibrational stimulus against the body of a user.

The sense of feel is not typically used as a man-machine communication channel, however, it is as acute and in some instances as important as the senses of sight and sound, and can be intuitively interpreted. Tactile stimuli provide a silent and invisible, yet reliable and easily interpreted communication channel, using the human's sense of touch. Information can be transferred in various ways including force, pressure and frequency dependent mechanical stimulus. Broadly, this field is also known as haptics.
Haptic interfaces can be used to provide additional sensory feedback during interactive tasks. For example computer games make use of portable game consoles that can often include various motors and transducers that apply forces to the housing of the console at various vibrational rates and levels—these forces correlate to actions or activities within the game and improve the users gaming experience. Similar haptic interface techniques can be used for a variety of interface tasks including flat panel touch screens and mobile devices. Many human interface devices, for example a computer interface device, allow some form of haptic feedback to the user. Vibration feedback is more intuitive than audio feedback and has been shown to improve user performance.
A single vibrotactile transducer can be used for a simple application such as an alert. For example discrete temporal information may be provided in a message construct. A plurality of vibrotactile transducers can be used to provide more detailed information, such as direction information. For example, the spatial orientation of the person relative to some external reference can be provided by a body referenced vibrotactile cue. Using an intuitive body-referenced organization of vibrotactile stimuli, information can be communicated to a user. Such vibrotactile displays have been shown to reduce perceived workload by its ease in interpretation and intuitive nature (see for example: Rupert A H 2000, Tactile Situation Awareness System: Proprioceptive Prostheses for Sensory Deficiencies. Aviation, Space, and Environmental Medicine, Vol. 71(9):II, p. A92-A99). Tactile displays further can be used as a communication device for implementation under conditions of high physiological stress, such as the conditions associated with communication of army hand signals to personnel in vibrating vehicles or to dismounted soldiers under battle conditions (fatigue, stress and physical activity).
Tactile signals can be represented as variations in pulse, pulse length, amplitude, frequency and rhythm. There are well known limitations in the body's ability to resolve amplitude, frequency, pulse length and spatial acuity (especially for hairy skin).
The body's response to tactile stimuli is somewhat complex depending on stimulus characteristics, body location, transducer geometry and a large number of psychophysical factors. For example, the threshold of vibration detection vs. frequency (Bolanowski, S., Gescheider, G., Verrillo, R., and Checkosky, C. (1988). "Four channels mediate the mechanical aspects of touch", J. Acoust. Soc. Am., 84(5), 1680-1694.
Bolanowski, S., Gescheider, G., and Verrillo, R. (1994). "Hairy skin: psychophysical channels and their physiological substrates", Somatosensory and Motor Research, 11(3), 279-290.) is shown in FIG. 1 for two different skin classifications; smooth 12 (such as the hand) or hairy skin 10 (such as the torso). Sensitivity threshold for hairy skin 10 is about 20 dB higher in the high-frequency range than the glabrous skin 12 curve. There is also a "window" in the sensitivity threshold between about 200 and 400 Hz where the Pacinian (or "Pacinian like") receptors in the body are most sensitive to vibration. This region is usually chosen for intended tactile signals.
Effective vibrotactile alert or communication display systems require both the detection and localization of the vibrotactile stimulus. Reasonable vibrotactor transducer requirements would include a vibration displacement amplitude that is equivalent to or above the human receptor system's sensitivity thresholds. It is known that the human sensitivity to vibration detection depends on body location and frequency. In practical vibrotactile display systems, it is also known that the vibrotactile detection threshold may vary with user physical activity, stress, fatigue and environmental conditions. Reasonable system technical requirements may include limiting the vibrotactile device frequency response to frequencies less than 300 Hz, vibrotactile devices that produce a displacement output that exceeds 24 dB above the threshold for sensitivity for a hairy skin body location (to account for noise), and vibrotactile devices that have a rise time of less than 5 ms (to avoid the accumulation of any delays or lags between the vibrotactile display and any the information provided by other display paths such as the audio or visual senses).
It is known that when a stimulus is sustained at some given level, a decrease with time is generally observed in the output of the activated nerve fibers. The decrease is usually a decrease in the rate of discharge (firing rate) of the neuron and it is accompanied by a decrease in the magnitude of the sensory response. This is known as adaptation. The sensory adaptation rate depends on the vibrotactile stimulus frequency and duration. Generally in tactile communication systems, it is important to keep vibrotactor durations considerably less than what would be required to cause adaptation. Alternatively, in systems where the vibrotactile stimulus is intended to be continuous, the displacement level of the stimulus must usually be kept below the sensory threshold to prevent adaptation.
Vibrotactile transducers can be wearable, mounted within a seat back and/or base, or included within an interface device such as a PDA or gaming interface. In each case, the requirements for the vibrotactile transducer are that the vibrational output be sufficient to illicit a strong, localized vibrotactile sensation (stimulus) to the body. These devices should preferably be small, lightweight, efficient, electrically and mechanically safe and reliable in harsh environments, and drive circuitry should be compatible with standard communication protocols to allow simple interfacing with various avionics and other systems.
Prior art describes a variety of alternative vibrotactile transducers (tactor) design configurations. The design challenge is to maximize vibrational output while minimizing size and weight in order for the device (or multiple devices) to be effectively applied against the body of a user. This trade-off is especially important in wearable vibrotactile applications. Often mechanical resonance is used to increase vibrotactile device efficiency with an associate narrowing or reduction in the usable frequency range.
It is known that sensitivity of skin receptors may be altered by the addition of a sub-sensory vibrational noise stimulus. Such mechanism is believed to be described by the phenomenon of stochastic resonance, whereby the cell sensory threshold for activation is reduced thereby enhancing the function of these detector cells and reducing the threshold of sensitivity. Prior art (U.S. Pat. No. 5,782,873) describes the use of stochastic resonance as a mechanism for stimulating sensory cells and enhancing receptor cell function. This patent teaches a method for introducing a sub-sensory band-limited noise signal to the sensory cell using vibration or electrical stimulation to the skin. Prior art further teaches that the stimulus should be approximately 90% of the sensory displacement sensitivity. Sub-sensory stimuli are presumed necessary as the body is known to adapt to continuous stimuli which would then render the stochastic resonance process ineffective.

Device and method for enhancing sensory perception of vibrational stimuli


A universal bookholder which receives a book therein in a folder type, and which is portable and usable anywhere at any time to allow a user to read a book thereon is disclosed.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a bookholder, and more particularly to a universal bookholder receiving a book in a folder type so that the book may be carried easily, thereby enabling users to read the book anywhere at any time.
2. Description of the Related Art
A bookholder is generally mounted on a table to facilitate reading a book. The bookholder basically includes a stand for putting a book thereon, a support assembly for adjusting the stand at a certain angle to conform to the level of vision, and a clamp for biasing papers of the book. There have been proposed various kinds of bookholders with such basic configuration.
However, these bookholders are designed to be used on a table in a school, library or study room, so they are not useful while a user is moving outdoors. Thus, there is a need for a portable bookholder which allows a student who is struggling for studying even on their way to school and home, or a worker who uses public transportation for commuting to enjoy reading during his/her movement, not in a limited places such as a table. Portable bookholders which are improved for easy carrying it by reducing its weight and size are also proposed. However, they are inconvenient because a user should carry a book separate from the bookholder.

Abstract: The universal bookholder includes a pair of cover members for forming an inner space to receive a book therein when being folded and for supporting both sides of the book when being opened, a supporting unit combined between the pair of cover members so as to be folded with the cover members, a string installed in the supporting unit to traverse papers of the book for fixing the received book, at least one guide member mounted in the pair of cover members, and a clamp movably combined to the guide member for fixing a paper of the received book.


A moving object detection apparatus comprises a transmitter, a receiver, a detection portion, a binary conversion portion and a judgment portion. The transmitter emits energy waves with a first frequency to a detection area. When receiving incoming energy waves from the detection area, the receiver generates an electric signal corresponding to the incoming energy waves. The detection portion obtains a detection signal from a reference signal with the first frequency and the electric signal. The binary conversion portion compares the detection signal with a conversion threshold signal to obtain a binary signal. The judgment portion judges whether or not a moving object approaching or leaving the receiver exists in the detection area based on the binary signal.

This sort of moving object detection apparatus is used as, for example, a crime prevention device or the like. For example, Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H09-272402 issued Oct. 21, 1997 discloses ultrasonic Doppler type intrusion detection apparatus for vehicle (hereinafter also referred to as "first conventional apparatus"). This apparatus comprises first and second judgment means, and is configured to operate intermittently. The first judgment means judges whether or not a Doppler shift value is in a set range representative of unlawful entry of a person into a vehicle. At this point, the apparatus counts the number of times the first judgment means judges that a Doppler shift value is in the set range, and then obtains a count value. The second judgment means judges whether or not the count value reaches a predetermined value. When the count value reaches the predetermined value, the apparatus gives an alarm. In this apparatus, unlawful entry can be detected without the influence of disturbance. Moreover, since the apparatus operates intermittently, power consumption can be reduced.
Japanese Patent Publication No. S62-43507 issued Sep. 14, 1987 discloses moving object detection apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as "second conventional apparatus"). This apparatus is configured to extract cosine and sine component signals from an output signal for generating ultrasonic waves and an input signal obtained from incoming ultrasonic waves and to convert the cosine and sine component signals into binary signals to set to X and Y coordinates of X-Y coordinate system, respectively. Since an X coordinate value is 1 or 0 and a Y coordinate value is also 1 or 0, a coordinate point (X, Y) corresponds to any quadrant of the coordinate system. And the apparatus judges that a moving object approaching the apparatus exists in a detection area if (X, Y) turns counterclockwise around the origin of the coordinate system, and judges that a moving object leaving the apparatus exists in the detection area if (X, Y) turns clockwise. In this prior art, existence of a moving object approaching or leaving the apparatus can be certainly detected without frequency analysis.
Japanese Patent Application Publication No. H01-189582 issued Jul. 28, 1989 discloses moving object detection apparatus (hereinafter also referred to as "third conventional apparatus"). This apparatus judges whether or not a moving object approaching or leaving an ultrasonic receiver exists in a detection area based on two Doppler signals in the same way as the second conventional apparatus. The apparatus then increases a count value for an alarm in response to the existence of the moving object approaching the receiver and decreases the count value in response to the existence of the moving object leaving the receiver. In this apparatus, the influence caused by the swing of a curtain(s) can be avoided.
In case of the first conventional apparatus, since the apparatus operates intermittently, power consumption can be reduced. However, since the apparatus includes a microcomputer and needs to take a Doppler shift value through an A/D converter, there is an issue that power consumption is increased with the A/D conversion.
In case of the second conventional apparatus and the third conventional apparatus, since each apparatus includes a pair of binary converters, a pair of level detection circuits and an OR circuit, simplified construction is desired in addition to reduction of power consumption.


A charge pump circuitry for generating a charging voltage for programming a one time programmable (OTP) memory includes a charge pump sub-circuit for generating the charging voltage in a second voltage range when the charging voltage exceeds a threshold level. A precharge circuit generates the charging voltage in a first voltage range when the charging voltage is below the threshold level. A voltage measurement circuit determines the charging voltage. A first control circuit enables the precharge circuit and disables the charge pump sub-circuit in a first mode of operation responsive to the charging voltage being determined to be below the threshold level and disables the precharge circuit and enables the charge pump sub-circuit in a second mode of operation responsive to the charging voltage being determined to exceed the threshold level. A second control circuit provides an indication that the charging voltage has reached a charging level for programming the OTP memory responsive to the determined charging voltage.

One time programmable (OTP) memories are a cost effective alternative to flash memory technologies and may be used in applications where the memory does not need to be erased or overwritten. OTP memories are fabricated using standard CMOS processes which do not require additional masking steps. Similar to flash memories, OTP memories require high programming voltages in order to program information into the memory. Such high programming voltages are normally generated off chip in the case of an OTP memory since these voltages far exceed the highest voltage rating of available devices in standard fine line width CMOS processes that are used to manufacture microchips containing an OTP memory.
Within flash memory technologies, charge pumps are often integrated with the memory to enable the on chip generation of required high programming voltages necessary to program the flash memory. Building high voltage charge pumps within a flash memory process is fairly straightforward. Unlike standard CMOS processes used for OTP memories, flash memory manufacturing processes include special very high voltage transistors and diodes for use in the memory design. These devices allow the flash memories to tolerate the high programming voltages required to program the memory without incurring damage. These special high voltage flash devices can thus likewise be used in the design of the charge pump itself in a straight forward way, so that the charge pump can also tolerate the high programming voltage it generates for programming without incurring damage.
OTP memories are significantly less expensive than flash memories and OTP memories may be easily substituted for flash memories in many different types of applications. In these applications where an OTP memory has been substituted for a flash memory, it would be desirable to have the ability to program the OTP memory using an on chip charge pump without running the risk of damaging the circuitry of the charge pump with the necessary high programming voltages that the charge pump must itself generate for programming. It would also be desirable to allow the alternative option of programming the OTP memory using a high voltage applied external to the charge pump via an alternative source, e.g. via a programming pin on the chip package, while concurrently protecting the charge pump from the external high voltage source and consuming very low power within the charge pump. Solutions to these problems would be of great benefit to circuit designers.

Charge pump with low power, high voltage protection circuitry


In accordance with an embodiment, an integrated circuit has a first transistor made of a plurality of first transistor segments disposed in a well area, and a second transistor made of at least one second transistor segment. Drain regions of the plurality of first transistor segments and the at least one second transistor segment are coupled to a common output node. The at least one second transistor segment is disposed in the well area such that an electrostatic discharge pulse applied to a common output node homogenously triggers parasitic bipolar devices coupled to each drain region of the plurality of first transistor segments and the drain region of the at least one second transistor segment.

Variable strength output drivers are used in a variety of electronic devices. For example, in some memory systems, a driver with an adjustable drive strength may be used to match the capacitance of the address lines being driven, or to adjust the response times of the driven signals. Integrated circuits (ICs) may also contain variable strength output drivers to provide more flexibility in their target application. For example, a single general purpose IC may utilize a variable strength output driver to allow it to be used on a circuit board having a low parasitic load, or in a system having requiring a high drive strength. By adjusting the drive strength of a particular output driver to match the requirements of the target application, power consumption may be optimized and RF emissions caused by unnecessarily fast edge transitions may be reduced.
Variable strength output drivers may be implemented using parallel output drivers that are selectively activated according to a desired drive strength. These parallel output drivers may have different drive strengths, different gate lengths and different gate widths for each parallel output drive stage. In many cases, these variable strength output drivers are included in input/output (I/O) cells disposed near the periphery of the integrated circuit.
Such variable strength output drivers pose some difficulties with respect to sensitivity to electrostatic discharge (ESD). In the event of an ESD pulse at an I/O pin coupled to an output of the variable strength driver, selected parallel output device elements may conduct high ESD currents, while deselected elements may maintain a high impedance, thereby causing only a subset of the parallel output devices to handle large ESD currents. One way in which this issue has been addressed is by attaching ESD protection devices to the I/O pin coupled to the output of the variable strength driver.

System and method for an integrated circuit having transistor segments


The invention provides compositions and methods for reducing healing wounds and reducing scars and blemishes. The compositions and methods of the invention include at least one EP4 agonist set forth herein. Wounds and or scars that can be treated by the compositions and methods of the invention can arise from events such as surgery, trauma, disease, mechanical injury, burn, radiation, poisoning, and the like.

Prostanoid EP4 receptor is a G protein-coupled receptor that mediates the actions of prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and is characterized by the longest intracellular C terminus loop when compared to other prostanoid receptors. The EP4 receptor is one of four receptor subtypes of prostaglandin E2 receptors. Mainly, EP4 receptors couple to G proteins and mediate elevations in cyclic-adenosine monophosphate ("cAMP") concentration, although they do participate in other pathways as well. There are some redundancies in function between EP2 and EP4 receptors. For example, both receptors induce PGE2-mediated RANKL through cAMP. However, EP2 is involved in cumulus expansion in ovulation and fertilization, whereas EP4 regulates closure of the ductus arteriosus. Expression of EP4 receptors is controlled by various physiological and pathophysiological processes as these receptors participate in ovulation and fertilization, induce bone formation, protect against inflammatory bowel disease, facilitate Langerhans cell migration and maturation and mediate joint inflammation in a model of collagen-induced arthritis, among others.
PGE2 represents the major prostaglandin in human and rat skin (Jonsson and Ängg{dot over (a)}rd, Scand J Clin Lab Invest, 29, 289-296, 1972; Jouvenaz et al, Biochim Biophys Acta, 202, 231-234, 1970). Studies of keratinocyte proliferation modulation indicate that PGE2 is a growth-promoting autocoid for the epidermis, and that epidermal PGE2 synthesis may be enhanced in wound healing and disease states characterized by the disruption of epidermal continuity (Pentland and Needleman, J Clin Invest, 77(1), 246-251, 1986). Moreover, endogenous PGE2 has been shown to modulate human skin keratinocyte differentiation (Evans et al, Prostaglandins Leukot Essent Fatty Acid 49: 777-781, 1993). The observed differential expression of EP4 receptor mRNA in fetal and adult rabbit skin before and after wounding, with EP4 mRNA up-regulation in fetal skin, supports a role for PGE2 in the regulation of intracellular signal transduction via binding to EP4 receptor during fetal wound repair (Li et al, Arch Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg 126, 1337-1343, 2000). At least the preceding findings indicate that PGE2 production is essential for cutaneous wound healing.
Skin blemishes such as flesh wounds, scars and wrinkles can occur on any area of the body. Scarring may occur in all parts of the adult body, following local or systemic traumas such as mechanical injury, surgery, burn, radiation and poisoning, and represents a failure of homeostatic processes to restore normal structure at the wound sites. Wrinkles occur for a variety of reasons and are a common sign of aging. Both scars and signs of aging can typically be considered undesirable.
Accordingly, an agent that safely and effectively treats or prevents such skin blemishes is highly desirable.

15-aryl prostaglandins as EP4 agonists, and methods of use thereof


The present invention provides efficient mechanisms for passing localized resources into an executed file. To pass those localized resource values into an executable program, the invention provides for iterating over a resource file, and identifying one or more of the resource references contained within the resource file. The invention also provides for generating one or more corresponding program classes that flexibly treat the identified resource as a function or a property, depending on how one such as a developer calls the generated class. Thus, a developer will only need to refer to the generated class, rather than write a specific routine for a given resource within the resource file. And since a developer passes the generated class as a constant, a developer is more likely to find program errors at compile time before sending out the final product.

1. The Field of the Invention
This invention relates to systems, methods, and computer program products for generating computer program code for use with localized resources on a client computer.
2. Background and Relevant Art
Computerized, electronic systems are increasingly common, in part because such computerized systems automate much of what people previously had to perform manually. Accordingly, computerized systems have added a certain amount of efficiency to people's ability to perform tasks. In general, computerized systems may comprise a wide variety of devices such as desktop or laptop computers, personal digital assistants, wireless and corded telephones, televisions, software applications, and even such seemingly mundane devices as toasters, and refrigerators. Computerized systems can be part of a platform and can run (or can be made to run) an operating system. Thus, for a computerized system such as a personal computer or wireless telephone to perform a requested function, the computerized system must be able to read and execute operating system (OS) or platform specific executable instructions that cause the computerized system to perform the function.
The process of generating executable instructions for a computerized system is somewhat involved. Ordinarily, a software developer must first think of the desired functions or results that the executable instructions are to perform and then enter corresponding text-format instructions, typically in the form of programming source code, into an electronic text file. In some cases, such as with interpreted programming languages (e.g., Javascript, Perl, etc.), a computerized system directly interprets entered text-format instructions, and performs the desired function. In other cases, such as with compiled programming languages (e.g., C#—pronounced "C sharp", C++, etc.), text-format instructions are first compiled into object or machine codes that the computerized system can execute. The computerized system can then execute the compiled object or machine codes to perform desired functions. Thus, executable instructions can be text-format instructions that are "interpreted" or can be compiled object or machine codes that are run.
After a software developer creates executable instructions (whether that be text-format or compiled instructions), a device manufacturer or end user must then enter or load the executable instructions into a computerized system for the instructions to be useful. This may be done by running an executable install file from a CDROM, downloading the executable instructions from a local or wide area network file server (e.g., Internet website), wireless uplink, etc. In short, there are a variety of ways to load executable instructions into a computerized system so that the computerized system can execute the executable instructions. Regardless of the loading procedure, however, for loaded executable instructions to be useful, a computerized system must be able to read the loaded executable instructions (hereinafter referred to as a "software program").
Computerized systems, however, can be less efficient for a desired function or may not even be able to perform a desired function when a software program that is to perform a desired function does not operate as intended. Failure to operate as intended can result from inadequacies in the software development process and/or software program malfunctions (often referred to as "bugs") when a software program is executed. Some software program malfunctions can have a significant detrimental effect on the operation of a computerized system, causing a complete inability of the executed software program, and potentially other software programs, to appropriately run on the computerized system.
Other software program malfunctions may be as mundane as the executed software program failing to output a correct word. For example, a software developer may misspell words or phrases in text-format instructions that are necessary to perform a function when the software program is executed. Sometimes these types of software malfunctions can be obvious to the programmer (e.g., every function but the misspelled function works), or can be unobvious (e.g., a video display goes blank and a generic "exception" message appears on the screen). Software malfunctions in a software program, especially those that are difficult to detect, can disrupt the intended functionality of the software program. More mundane software program malfunctions can also reduce a software developer's efficiency in writing text-format instructions as the software developer must often spend time trying to identify unobvious errors in text-format instructions.
Not surprisingly, there are a variety of automated ways that software developers develop and compile software so that the software developers can identify errors before they install, use, or sell the software program. As previously mentioned, a software developer may use a compiler to compile text-format instructions into object or machine codes that can be executed by a computerized system. Many compilers check text-format instructions for errors, and allow the software developer to "debug" errant text-format instructions. Such compilers, however, ordinarily look for illogical program code sequences (a missing bracket, missing if/then congruity, etc.).
In addition, there are of course non-automated (i.e., human) ways of checking text-format instructions for errors. For example, it is fairly common for teams of software developers to write code for a software program (or group of interrelated software programs). Utilizing a team of software developers has the added benefit of allowing several people familiar with or expert on the software product to check each other's code for errors. Utilizing a team of software developers, however, also has the added detriment of a greater potential for human errors, such as spelling errors. In addition, human error checking is often less desirable since software developers on very large projects may have limited time to review another's work. Thus, similar to automatic error detection mechanisms (e.g., in a compiler), software developers may be more inclined to look for overall program logic errors, and thus disinclined to review a text-format instructions with the specificity necessary to pick more mundane errors, such as, for example, spelling errors. Consequently, software programs having more code and greater numbers of software developers have the potential for greater numbers of such mundane errors that can cause a software program to fail, or deviate from the intended functionality.
As an example in some platforms, a software developer may write a software program that passes in localized resources, such as "string" resources (e.g. welcome_string="Hello '{name-id}', welcome to the program") and other related resource parameters, from a separate resource file that exists on the computerized system executing the software program. The resource file may include a number of resource identifiers such as string identifiers (e.g., name-id, language-id, or OS-id, etc.), and a series of corresponding resource (or string) values (e.g., "John", "Spanish", or "WinXP") that are used to represent different resources. For example, a resource file could contain the following resource identifiers and corresponding resource values written in text-format:                Welcome_String=Welcome        Earnings={0} earned ${1} last yearThese sorts of resource identifiers (i.e., Welcome_String, Earnings) and corresponding resource values represent resources that can allow a software program to be platform, or end-user-specific for a wide variety of parameters, even after the program is compiled. Treating resources separately from the main code in this manner facilitates a number of functions, such as translating (or "localizing") the string resources into different languages.
In some development environments, to cause a software program to access a certain resource such as a string value from a resource file, the software developer must enter another sequence of text-format instructions, or a "routine", that accesses the resource file for the corresponding certain resource identifier (e.g., string identifier). Accessing the resource file may occur prior to or after compiling the routine. In at least one case, the software developer enters text-format instructions enclosing a string identifier in quotation marks so that the compiler will not try to interpret the string identifier as a function or variable. Thus, a software developer might write, for example, get("Welcome_String"), rather than get(Welcome_String), where "get" is a function and "Welcome_String" is a string identifier that references a string value (i.e., "Welcome").
Software developers in such a development environment may also be required to write out a separate function each time the software developer wishes to pass this or a similar string resource from the resource file into the routine that will eventually be compiled. For example, a software developer might write text-format instructions to reference the named string identifiers from the previous resource file as follows:    ResourceManager resources=new    System.Resources.ResourceManager("ClientStrings",    this.GetType().Module.Assembly);    Console.WriteLine(resources.GetString("Welcome_String"));    String s=resources.GetString("Earnings");    s=String.Format (s, "John Doe", 5000);    Console.WriteLine(s);Writing text-format instructions that access resources in a manner similar to the above example text format instructions is problematic for at least a few reasons. One reason is that using quotation marks around the string identifiers (i.e., "Welcome_String", and "Earnings") typically prevents compilers from checking for spelling errors in the string identifiers at compile time, making them harder to detect. Thus, the resulting software program may generate an "exception" at run-time (i.e., during an end-user's execution of the software program), as opposed to being identified by a developer during development of the software program.
For example, if the software developer enters the text-format instruction get ("Wel9comee_String") and the resource file instead contains a string identifier "Welcome_String", a compiler may not identify an error in this text-format instruction if other text-format instructions (e.g., a "get" command) that access the corresponding string resource are properly invoked. That is, the compiler will check the logic of the text-format instructions but typically will not check what is contained within quotes. A software program malfunction resulting from the spelling error may only become apparent when the software program containing the text-format instruction is executed by an end-user. For example, a software program could malfunction when trying to output a string from the resource file that corresponds to the "Welcome_String" identifier (i.e., "Welcome_String" exists in the resource file, but "Wel9comee_String" does not). In most cases, this will show up as a run-time "exception" that will be difficult for either the end-user or software developer to decipher (e.g., "exception error 10×01001—missing identifier") and/or correct.
To catch errors such as these, a software developer would ordinarily have to run all the code (before shipping the software program) that loads every string to make sure each string works properly. Presumably, normal software developer testing in this manner could identify many string errors (some strings, however, may be loaded in obscure error conditions). Unfortunately, in part due to the large number of text-format instructions in many end-user software programs, it is generally fairly easy for a developer to introduce an error late in the development process without realizing it.
Accordingly, systems, methods, and computer program products that aid software developers in developing software programs that have fewer errors and that reduce the lines of code a software developer enters to develop a software program would be advantageous. More particularly, systems, methods, and computer program products that reduce the potential for bugs to be entered into a computer readable program would also be advantageous.

Generating program classes for use with localized resources


A mine field layout method suitable for fluidized mining of coal resources is provided. A main shaft and an air shaft are provided in the mine field, the bottom of the main shaft is located in the shallow horizontal coal seam zone, and the bottom of the air shaft is located in the deep horizontal coal seam zone. The horizontal main roadways are arranged at two boundaries along the strike of the coal seam, and inclined main roadways are arranged at two boundaries along the dip direction of the coal seam. Connecting roadways are located inside the mine field and are in communication with the horizontal main roadways. In the coal mining stage, the coal resources can be converted into the fluidized energy product and/or electricity by an unmanned automatic mining machine.

During the underground mining of coal mines, a mine field generally has a large area, a strike length of the mine field can reach several kilometers or even tens of thousands of meters, and the length in the dip direction can reach several kilometers. Therefore, in order to regularly mine underground coal resources, the mine field should be divided into several small parts.
The mine field is usually divided into multiple stages and levels, and further divided into several mining areas in each stage, or the mine field is directly divided into multiple panels or strips. Regardless of using which division method, in order to meet the requirements such as coal lifting, coal transportation, ventilation, drainage and power supply, mine workings such as multiple shafts, a large number of roadways and chambers must be excavated. It can be seen that the mine field division method suitable for the traditional mining method requires a large amount of roadway excavation, and high construction and maintenance cost of the roadways.
In addition, in order to maintain the stability of the roadways, a large number of coal pillars are left among the coal mining working faces, sections and mining areas, so that a large quantity of coal is wasted and the recovery ratio is low; and even if the recovery of residual coal pillars is carried out later, the process is complicated and the cost is high.

Mine field layout method suitable for fluidized mining of coal resources

CHINA UNIVERSITY OF MINING AND TECHNOLOGY, BEIJING


A nonvolatile semiconductor memory on a semiconductor chip includes: a cell array region configured with a memory cell transistor having a first metallic salicide film, a first control gate electrode electrically coupled with the first metallic salicide film, and a floating gate electrode adjacent to the first control gate electrode; a high voltage circuit region including a high voltage transistor made of a second metallic salicide film, a first source region and a first drain region, and a first gate region arranged between the first source region and the first drain region; and a low voltage circuit region including a low voltage transistor made of a third metallic salicide film, a second source region and a second drain region electrically coupled with the third metallic salicide film, and a second gate region arranged between the second source region and the second drain region and is electrically coupled with the third metallic salicide film.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory. More specifically, it relates to a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, which employs a metallic salicide film as an electrode film.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventionally, an electrically erasable programmable read-only memory (EEPROM), which electrically performs data write-in and erasure, for example, has been known as a nonvolatile semiconductor memory (R. Shirota, 'A Review of 256 Mbit NAND Flash Memories and NAND Flash Future Trend', Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Workshop (NVSMW), 2000, p. 22-31). In this EEPROM, especially a NAND type, a memory cell array is configured by disposing memory cell transistors at the respective intersections of word lines in the row direction and bit lines in the column direction. A MOS transistor having a stacked gate structure configured by stacking a floating gate and a control gate, for example, is typically used as a memory cell transistor.
As presented in R. Shirota, 'A Review of 256 Mbit NAND Flash Memories and NAND Flash Future Trend', Nonvolatile Semiconductor Memory Workshop (NVSMW), 2000, p. 22-31, a NAND-type flash memory has a structure with multiple memory cell transistors connected in series forming a NAND string, and select transistors are arranged on both sides thereof, respectively. Furthermore, a memory cell array is configured with device isolating regions arranged in parallel to device activating regions in the memory cell transistor. Typically, the gate length of each select transistor is longer than that of a memory cell transistor, preventing deterioration in transistor cutoff characteristics due to a short channel effect. In addition, the select transistor is typically configured with an enhancement-type MOS transistor.
A structure of a nonvolatile semiconductor memory, which uses a memory cell transistor configured from two types of transistors such as a memory cell transistor and a select transistor and has differing gate oxide thicknesses for the memory transistor unit and the select transistor unit, respectively, has already been disclosed (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2000-269361).
In addition, a structure with the film thickness of the gate oxide of the gate electrode of a select MOS transistor differing from that of a peripheral circuit MOS transistor has already been disclosed (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei 04-165670).
Furthermore, a structure of a flash memory having the peripheral transistors being formed through a salicide process and the memory cell transistor region being formed with the salicide-covered control gates and the not-covered salicide diffused layers in a memory cell unit, and a fabrication method thereof has been proposed (Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. 2003-60092).
With a conventional nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash EEPROM and the like, a high voltage circuit region is necessary for supplying a high-voltage pulse such as a write-in voltage, an intermediate voltage or an erasure voltage to a memory cell array region. There are also conventional low voltage circuit regions that must operate at a low voltage and high speed.
However, usage of a transistor in the low voltage circuit region capable of operating with a higher driving capability at a higher speed is advantageous. In the low voltage circuit region of a flash EEPROM, which is operable at a low power supply voltage, ensuring the transistor driving capability is a particular objective. As the large scale integrating capacity of a memory cell array increases, improving write-in and read-out speed by decreasing the resistance on word lines in a memory cell transistor region becomes a more significant issue.
A transistor with an improved transistor driving capability and higher speed performance is necessary in the low voltage circuit regions. With the high capacity memory cell array, formation of a metallic salicide film on a gate or a diffused layer is one method for decreasing the resistance on word lines in the memory cell transistor region so as to improve write-in and read-out speed.
However, with the nonvolatile semiconductor memory such as a flash EEPROM, when forming a metallic salicide film on the gates or diffused layers of all circuit regions, as with CMOS logic circuits, avoiding an increase in junction leaks or degradation in junction withstand voltage or surface withstand voltage is an objective with the transistors in the high voltage circuit regions, which are arranged for generating a high voltage of 15V or higher such as a write-in voltage Vpgm or erasure voltage Verase.
Especially with a NAND-type memory cell transistor, a problem of junction leaks or junction withstand voltage becomes evident since it requires a higher voltage than an AND or NOR type.


A sunblind is disclosed for use with a window of a vehicle. The sunblind comprises a rigid frame has a closed-loop configuration and a panel of flexible material secured to the rigid frame. The panel has a desired degree of opacity to sunlight and extends over the interior of the rigid frame. The sunblind further has means for fixing the rigid frame to an interior surface of the vehicle such that the panel occludes at least part of the window to sunlight.

This invention relates to sunblinds and in particular to sunblinds for absorbing or reflecting sunlight incident on the windows of a vehicle.
On a sunny day, the temperature inside a vehicle can rise to uncomfortable and even dangerous levels. Sunlight, which can be very intense during the summer months, passes through the windows of the vehicle and heats the air inside the vehicle until an equilibrium temperature is reached. The equilibrium temperature can be very high because the air inside a vehicle is predominantly trapped within the vehicle, and therefore heat transfer to the atmosphere surrounding the vehicle is low. Such a high temperature inside a vehicle can be highly uncomfortable for adults and potentially dangerous, or even deadly, for pets and small children.
One method of reducing the equilibrium temperature inside a vehicle on a sunny day is to use sunblinds to absorb or reflect sunlight incident on the windows of a vehicle. The less sunlight reaching the interior of the vehicle, the lower the equilibrium temperature will be inside the vehicle. Sunblinds are also used simply to shade the occupants of the vehicle, particularly young children, from direct sunlight.
Conventionally, a sunblind comprises a panel of completely opaque or semi-transparent fabric and means for fixing the fabric panel to an interior surface of the vehicle such that the fabric panel either partially or completely occludes the window to sunlight. A variety of different types of fixing means are used for conventional sunblinds. One such type of fixing means is the use of a suction pad at each corner of the fabric panel to fix the panel to the interior surface of a window. Another form of sunblind for vehicles includes a roller blind mechanism that is fixed to an upper edge of the window frame, for example.
However, conventional sunblinds for vehicles suffer from numerous problems. In particular, conventional sunblinds are often awkward and time consuming to position over a window, and then fix to an interior surface of the vehicle, so as to occlude at least part of the window to sunlight. In addition, many conventional sunblinds are only available in a limited number of different configurations, which each have a standard shape and standard dimensions, that are not suitable for use with certain windows in many makes and models of vehicles. Furthermore, where the sunblind does not occlude the whole of the window, it may be ineffective in shading the occupants of the vehicle from the sun. For instance, the sunblind may be positioned to provide effective shade prior to the start of a journey, but a change in direction of the vehicle will alter the angle of incidence of the sunlight. This may necessitate repeated adjustment of the position of the sunblind, which is clearly undesirable and inconvenient.


A system for providing management protocol mediation between wireless networks includes a first wireless network (10) operable to communicate with a mobile station (12) over a wireless interface (48). The system also includes a second wireless network (44) having an operations and maintenance center (OMC) (78) coupled thereto and operable to execute an application to manage the first wireless network (10) using a first management protocol. The OMC (78) is further operable to manage the second wireless network (44) using a second management protocol. The system further includes a protocol mediator (166) coupled to the first and second wireless networks. The protocol mediator (166) is operable to translate between the first management protocol and the second management protocol.

Private branch exchanges, or PBXs, are well-known in the art of telecommunications. Corporations, organizations, and other enterprises typically use PBXs to provide internal telephone services to their personnel. The personnel may call one another without using an external switched public telephone network, although the PBX is coupled to the public telephone networks for making external local and long distance calls. Telephones are usually coupled to the PBX by wireline connections. PBXs also typically implement a variety of features, including call waiting, call forwarding, conferencing, and call blocking.
Packet-switched computer networks are also common. Corporations and other enterprises typically use the computer networks to provide computer and data services to their personnel. The networks often take the form of a Local Area Network (LAN), a Wide Area Network (WAN), or a Metropolitan Area Network (MAN). These networks typically are used to transfer and share data files and to send and receive e-mail. In addition, developments in the area of Voice over IP (VoIP) allow the packet-switched networks to transmit voice messages.
Recently, interest in wireless networks has increased. Wireless networks allow mobile stations, or wireless units, to communicate over a wireless interface. The mobile station may be a wireless telephone communicating with a voice network over the wireless interface. The mobile station may also be a computer communicating with a data network over the wireless interface. Wireless communications may be over private or public networks. Operators of the wireless networks often wish to integrate the wireless networks into the existing PBXs and computer networks.
The PBX, wireless network, and computer network are usually separate networks since each of them often uses different protocols to transfer messages and manage elements of the network. The inability to fully integrate the wireless network with the PBX and computer network inhibits the wireless network from performing several key functions. Without full integration, mobile station users may have difficulty accessing the PBX and the computer network. Also, the mobile station users may not be able to roam between the private wireless network and the public wireless network. The mobile station user cannot move in and out of the private wireless network while talking. Instead, the user has to terminate the call, move to the other network, and reestablish a connection. In addition, the inability to fully integrate the networks may force the mobile station users to have two different wireless phones, one for the private wireless network and one for the public wireless network. Further, to provide PBX features in a wireless network, the wireless network operator typically installs substantial hardware and/or software in the wireless network to provide these features. However, even though the PBX-like features are implemented in the wireless network, the PBX and the wireless network still remain separate.

Method and system for providing management protocol mediation in wireless communications networks


An extender system is configured to couple a vertebral bone anchor that has been previously implanted in a vertebra, or is newly implantable in a vertebra, to an adjacent bone, which can be an additional spinal level or an occiput, for example. The extender system includes an extension member having a body and an engagement member coupled to the body. The extension member defines an aperture extending through the engagement member. A screw is configured to attach the extension member to the vertebral bone anchor. The extension member can be fastened to the adjacent bone.

The options that exist for revising and/or extending a posterior vertebral screw and rod construct in a patient are limited. Patients who have undergone previous spinal surgery often develop symptoms in adjacent spinal levels, which often cause pain and require additional surgery. Such additional spine surgeries often require existing hardware constructs to be extended one or more additional spinal levels. In such cases, a surgeon must decide if he can 1) extend the construct using the same hardware as the patient's existing hardware, 2) extend the construct using different hardware while leaving some of the patient's existing hardware in tact, or 3) remove all of the patient's existing hardware and replace it with new hardware, including the new spinal levels to be instrumented. Several disadvantages, however, characterize these approaches.
First, the patient's existing hardware must be identified via X-rays or fluoroscopy and, once identified, the surgeon must determine if the same make and model of hardware is available to the hospital or still on the market. The surgeon must also determine if his experience will allow him to revise and the existing hardware and/or add on new hardware, as some existing hardware systems are more difficult to revise or install. Based on these determinations, the surgeon may decide to revise using new hardware. Although a surgeon can choose the hardware of his choice, a connection between the existing hardware and the new hardware must be made, most often accomplished by creating a long incision long enough to uncover all previously fixed vertebral bodies along with the new vertebral body or bodies to be fixed, removing the underlying rod, implanting the new screws, and then inserting a new rod to the previously implanted rod and the newly implanted rod. Concerns exist, however, that such a technique may disturb certain spinal levels that were previously asymptomatic and, thus, results in pain that previously did not exist. Further, many verterbal screw systems are not compatible with one another, significantly limiting the new hardware options for adding to the existing construct. If the surgeon decides to remove all existing hardware and replace it with new hardware of his choice he again is disturbing some spinal levels that were previously asymptomatic. Each of these options for adding and replacing hardware is time-consuming, especially if the surgeon is unfamiliar with the patient's existing hardware.

Revision connector for spinal constructs


The invention generally relates to a universal, generic content collection method and system for collecting, storing, and sharing content on the Internet using computers, mobile and/or electronic devices. In one aspect, the invention relates to methods and systems for collecting multiple types of content using a user interface. The method includes activating the user interface associated with the content, wherein the user interface is configurable to be associated with at least two types of content; optionally, providing a list of one or more content collections services, wherein a first content collection service is configured to collect a first type of content and a second content collection service is configured to collect a second type of content; and directing the content to one or more content collection services. The user interface may be a virtual button on a webpage, browser or other screen device, or a physical button on a piece of hardware such as a PDA, mobile phone, watch, etc.

The Internet contains many types of content that users may wish to collect and share. In response to this desire, services have developed to enable users to collect and share particular types of content. For example, for bookmarks, services such as del.icio.us and Google Bookmarks allow users to easily capture and store bookmarks. Similarly, services are available to capture feeds. For example, Bloglines, MyYahoo, Google Reader, and others provide services to capture and store feeds. However, each service is configured to capture only one type of content. Thus, a user would choose between numerous bookmark services displayed on a page in the form of user interfaces (e.g., buttons on a screen or webpage) and select one from the list displayed to bookmark that page, for example, using the del.icio.us button or user interface for collecting bookmarks. The user however may later accidentally use a different service for collecting bookmarks and file similar content in different services thereby adding complexity and obstacles in retrieving the information. Similar complexities and obstacles exist for other content types.
The web publisher has a limited area on the screen to provide these various content collection buttons or user interfaces and must choose which to include and exclude as well as how to fit them on the web page along with the content. Too many buttons use valuable screen space for displaying buttons rather than for displaying the content of the web publisher. This does not benefit either the web publisher or the user.
FIG. 1 provides a diagram illustrating the relationship between content type on the Internet, content collection buttons or user interfaces, content collection services, and content destination using a current bookmarking service 5. Content 7 displayed on the Internet may have one or more bookmarking buttons (i.e., user interfaces) 10a, 10b, 10c, 10d, . . . . 10n associated with it. Examples of bookmarking buttons associated with content include buttons from del.icio.us, Google bookmarks, Digg, etc. Pressing, clicking, or otherwise activating the button causes the content associated with the button or interface to be sent to its corresponding bookmarking service 15a, 15b, 15c, 15d, . . . 15n. Thus, pressing the del.icio.us bookmark button 10a will cause content to be sent to the del.icio.us bookmarking service 15a, just as clicking the google bookmark button 10b and the Digg button 10c will cause content to be sent the corresponding bookmarking service 15b and 15c, respectively. In particular, the content will go to the specific bookmarking service and at that service it will go to the account of the user who has activated the button on the specific bookmarking service. The content will neither go to another service nor to multiple service simultaneously. As a consequence a user is reliant upon the web publisher to include the bookmark service buttons 10 on the page. The web publisher may select one, two or more of the buttons but leave off other buttons. As a consequence, the user is inconvenienced by the need to set up multiple bookmark accounts with the various services in order to be capable of bookmarking from any web page.
It should be noted that the bookmarking example of FIG. 1 operates similarly to other current content collection methods. For example, there are numerous feed services with feed service buttons for collecting feed content. Activating one of the feed service buttons will send the feed to that corresponding feed service. Similar configurations exist for podcast services, wish list services, etc. In general a content collection service will have a button on a web page and activating that button will send content to that service.
In summary, the prior art content collection methods generally relate to collecting content using a button or user interface in which the method includes activating a user interface associated with one type of content. Activating the user interface directs the content to a content collection service.
In contrast, one invention described herein includes a method and user interface or button that provides the ability to use a single interface or button that is configurable to collect digital content without being limited by the type of digital content collected. Another invention described herein includes a method and user interface or button that provides the ability to use a single interface or button that is configurable to collect digital content without being limited by the collection service for the particular type of digital content collected. It should be noted that in general the user interface and button are used interchangeable herein to describe a button that a user can press or otherwise activate to collect content.


A vehicle-mounted antenna system includes a combined antenna apparatus that has a GPS antenna and a short-range wireless communication antenna. The GPS antenna is directional in a vertical direction and the short-range wireless communication antenna is directional in a horizontal direction. The combined antenna apparatus is mounted below an instrument panel of the vehicle by a mounting bracket in such a manner that the short-range wireless communication antenna is directional in the horizontal direction toward an interior of a vehicle. This approach ensures adequate performance of the short-range wireless communication antenna and standardizes a manner in which the short-range wireless communication antenna is mounted to the vehicle.

An example of a short-range wireless communication antenna for in-vehicle communication is a Bluetooth antenna for Bluetooth communication. Bluetooth is a registered trademark.
In one type of in-vehicle Bluetooth communication system, the Bluetooth antenna and a Bluetooth module including a high frequency circuit, a signal processing circuit, and a power supply circuit are mounted on a single circuit board, and thus assembled as a Bluetooth sub-assembly. The Bluetooth sub-assembly is built in an in-vehicle display.
In another type of in-vehicle Bluetooth communication system, the Bluetooth antenna is separated from the Bluetooth module and mounted behind a front wall of an instrument panel of a vehicle to ensure adequate performance of the Bluetooth antenna. This type is generally used when the vehicle has no in-vehicle display.
As described above, the manner in which the Bluetooth antenna is mounted to the vehicle depends on whether the vehicle has the in-vehicle display. Further, the manner needs to be changed depending on shape and material of equipment of the vehicle in order to prevent a metal part of the vehicle from affecting the Bluetooth antenna. Therefore, the manner varies from one type of vehicle to another.
Recently, there has been an increased demand for short-range wireless communication (e.g., hands free communication) in the vehicle. In view of the increased demand, an increase in development time and design time of the in-vehicle Bluetooth communication system may be caused by the fact that the manner in which the Bluetooth antenna is mounted to the vehicle varies from one type of vehicle to another. Accordingly, manufacturing cost of the in-vehicle Bluetooth communication system may be increased.
In a touch panel display disclosed in JP-A-2003-280815, a microstrip antenna is mounted to an upper electrode plate of the display. However, this approach cannot overcome the problem of the increase in the development time, the design time, and the manufacturing cost.


Path computation involves determining (120, 930) an aggregate cost for a portion of the path, based at least on the power consumption attributable to use of interfaces along that portion, comparing (130, 930) the portion of the first possible path with a different portion corresponding to a different possible path for the traffic request, based at least on their respective aggregate costs, and selecting (140, 930) which portion to use for the traffic request based on the comparison. Having path selection influenced by the power consumption values, can lead to lower overall consumption in operation than relying only on optimizing nodes individually without regard to how the nodes are used. Path selection can take into account indications of which parts are in a power down mode, and can involve powering up such parts if needed.

It is known to try to reduce power consumption of nodes in a network, for example by installing less power consuming nodes such as optical nodes, and by defining node architectures where different switching technologies such as packet and optical are included in order to limit the electrical processing of the traffic and favor traffic off-load towards the optical layer. This can involve providing optical bypass paths around a router. Another known way to reduce power consumption of an individual node is to switch off unused ports when the node determines that they are unused.
In other words, equipment vendors have tried to provide efficient node architectures including providing more optical switching and favoring optical bypass. This is useful but it is not enough.


Off-chip driver and receiver circuits for multiple level memory applications including a voltage sensing circuit that provides an output voltage adjust signal having different voltage levels corresponding to different external voltage levels of the memory circuit. The off-chip driver circuit is connected to the voltage adjust signal and has an output signal transition slew rate that varies in response to the voltage level of the voltage adjust signal. The circuit is also connected to the voltage adjust signal and includes a filter circuit having a time constant that adjusts the noise immunity of the receiver in response to the voltage level of the voltage adjust signal.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to interface circuits for dynamic random access memory circuits (DRAMs), and more particularly to off-chip driver (OCD) and receiver circuits for multiple voltage level DRAM circuits.
2. Background Art
DRAMs that operate with multiple voltage levels, such as 5 volt and 3 volt parts, use a different metal level for each voltage. The base design of the DRAM is thus "personalized" and the off-chip driver and receiver circuits are optimized for their respective voltage of operation, for example, in either a 3 volt or a 5 volt environment.
The personalization fabrication mask and the resulting two voltage parts must be managed through wafer and module build and test. This results in increased complexity and cost. An omission of the personalization masks reduces the complexity and cost, but results in a non-optimum design point for either or both of the 3 volt or 5 volt off-chip drivers and receivers.
The following U.S. patents represent typical background references related to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,663,663 issued Sep. 2, 1997 to Cao et al. entitled MIXED VOLTAGE INTERFACE CONVERTER.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,479,123 issued Dec. 26, 1995 to Gist et al. entitled EXTERNALLY PROGRAMMABLE INTEGRATED BUS TERMINATOR FOR OPTIMIZING SYSTEM BUS PERFORMANCE.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,469,082 issued Nov. 21, 1995 to Bullinger et al. entitled PERIPHERAL COMPONENT INTERFACING SYSTEM WITH BUS VOLTAGE/LOGIC SUPPLY COMPARISON MEANS.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,066,873 issued Nov. 19, 1991 to Chan et al. entitled INTEGRATED CIRCUITS WITH REDUCED SWITCHING NOISE.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,021,684 issued Jun. 4, 1991 to Ahuja et al. entitled PROCESS SUPPLY, TEMPERATURE COMPENSATING CMOS OUTPUT BUFFER.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,719,372 issued Jan. 12, 1988 to Chappell et al. entitled MULTIPLYING INTERFACE CIRCUIT FOR LEVEL SHIFTING BETWEEN FET AND TTL LEVELS.

Off-chip driver and receiver circuits for multiple voltage level DRAMs

International Business Machines Corporation


A data communication terminal carries out data communication via a first communication network in which accounting is made according to a transmitted/received data amount, and via a second communication network in which accounting is made according to a connection time. The terminal calculates a communication charge according to the transmitted/received data amount of the data communication carried out via the first communication network, and according to the connection time of the data communication carried out via the second communication network. The terminal sets a communication charge limit amount for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received, selects one of the first and second communication networks to carry out data communication, calculates the communication charge for the data communication carried out by the selected one of the first and second communication networks, and judges whether the calculated charge has reached the communication charge limit amount to warn a user.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a data communication terminal for conducting data communications by use of a communication network where accounting is carried out according to an amount of transferred data, and a method thereof, and a computer readable recording medium that stores a program including commands which instruct a computer to act as such a data communication terminal.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the prior art, in the accounting methods of communication charges in data communications, there have been an accounting method according to connection time, and an accounting method according to the transmitted/received data amount, and communication charges by these respective methods are accumulated, and charges are demanded to users periodically, for example, an monthly basis or the like.
In order to avoid such a case where a monthly bill for such higher charges as users do not forecast should not be made, connection time or the transmitted/received data amount is calculated at a terminal device of each user, and the accumulative charges are calculated according to the accounting method, and the charges at the moment are displayed at necessity so that each user can see his charges at sight.
A technique that gives a warning to a user in the case when the charge limit set by the user is exceeded is well known. Thereby, a user who has been given such a warning may keep from using connections, and accordingly unexpectedly high charges may be avoided.
In the case of the accounting method according to the transmitted/received data amount, when the amount of data to be transmitted/received continuously is small as in text data, the charges appear smaller than in the case of the accounting method according to connection time, and hence the accounting method according to the transmitted/received data amount is convenient. However, when the amount of data to be transmitted/received continuously is large as in downloading image data, charges will become higher. Especially, in the case of using an extremely high speed communication line, users may transmit/receive a large amount of data without noticing, and as a result, communication charges will become enormous in a short time. If the transmitted/received data is really necessary for a user, then it is all right; on the other hand, if data is unnecessary or valueless, then a user feels it very wasteful, and the cost performance of communications as a whole will be deteriorated, which has been a problem seen with the prior art.
In other words, in the prior art mentioned above, users keep from using further connections when the preset limit amounts are exceeded, so that unexpectedly high charges may be prevented from being issued to users. However, the prior art has failed to improve communication cost performance by reducing receiving and sending of unnecessary data, which has been the problem with the prior art.

Data communication terminal for conducting data communication for a set of objective data to be transmitted/received


Disclosed is a hydraulically damping elastomer bearing having an outer bearing sleeve, an inner bearing sleeve, and an elastomer body arranged between the inner and outer bearing sleeves. At least one chamber filled with liquid is arranged between the bearing sleeves. A substantially inelastic stop body is arranged in at least one of the chambers and, in the unloaded state of the elastomer bearing, has a predetermined distance to a reference surface. The stop body projects into a cavity of the inner bearing sleeve, and a flow connection runs from the cavity into one of the chambers.

The invention relates to a hydraulically damping elastomer bearing with an outer bearing sleeve, an inner bearing sleeve, and an elastomer body arranged between the inner and outer bearing sleeves, whereby at least one chamber filled with liquid is arranged between the bearing sleeves.
Hydraulically damping elastomer bearings in which an elastic element is arranged in an axis-parallel oriented manner between an inner tube and an outer tube are known (DE 40 15 213 A1). The elastic element is connected to the two tubes and has a radially arranged stop body in one of the chambers. The stop body is a metal element and is connected to the inner tube. The stop surfaces have an elastic coating. A disadvantage of this construction is that, after a certain useful life, the elastic surface is destroyed and the metal inner part comes to rest on the outer tube. The object of the present invention is to provide a hydraulically damping elastomer bearing that has a stop body with a long useful life, and which also is securely fixed in the component that carries it.


Method and system to identify, verify and remediate subterranean anomalies. Infrared (IR) thermographic scanning [10] of a selected surface area obtains image area data [12, 14] inferring such an anomaly. Ground penetrating radar (GPR) is used [22] at predetermined surface locations penetrates subterraneously to a depth including the anomaly, creating vertical dimension radar data [120] showing anomaly depth. Surface image IR data is correlated with GPR data to verify the anomaly and its vertical dimension and finds [124] a central location in the anomaly. Anomaly volume is predetermined from the area data and vertical-dimension data. Grout injected [26, 124] into the central location at first pressure secures the anomaly by surrounding the central location. After verifying centrally securement, more grout is injected [32, 126] into the anomaly region at second pressure at least as great as the first pressure until the total grout injected approximates the predetermined anomaly volume.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to methods and systems for detection of subterranean anomalies such as voids and leaks by the use of infrared thermography and, more particularly, to methods and system for using infrared thermography together with ground penetrating radar to map subterranean leakage voids and to repair such voids and terminate such leakage in a very highly accurate, reliable, rapid and cost-effective manner.
2. Related Art
The present inventor is the patentee of Weil U.S. Pat. No. 4,910,593 issued Mar. 20, 1990, entitled System for Geological Defect Detection Utilizing Composite Video-Infrared Thermography, hereinafter referred to as the "Entech INSITE I System" or, more simply herein, the "Entech System." This patent, which is herein incorporated by reference, discloses a selectively mobile system with an infrared ("IR") scanner and video camera having a common area of focus and apparatus for detecting location permits detection of subterranean geological anomalies. Infrared and visual images are simultaneously successively recorded on videotape together with related location data and other relevant information. Video recorded infrared, video and location data are selectively captured on successive frames. Such frames are recorded for further analysis such as for determining the location and extent of subsurface anomalies such as leaks. That system, which is especially useful for mapping such anomalies along a route of travel, as across bridges, highways and other traffic surfaces such as paved surfaces or for examining surfaces that extend over elongated passages such as buried sewer and water lines, does not involve the additional use of ground penetrating radar, nor does it disclose methods for repair of anomalies detected by the use of the patented system. That system has advantageously led to the development of a pipeline leak and erosion void sensing and non-destructive testing.
3. Background Information
Most underground conduits or pipelines, whether they contain oil, chemicals, water, steam, gas or sewage, have a design life of 25 to 50 years, and when they begin to fail, they do so slowly at first through defective construction joints, corrosion and small cracks, and gradually progress to a catastrophic ending. This disastrous failure can be expensive in terms of both dollars and lives. But this scenario can be avoided. Planned maintenance can extend the life of all types of pipelines almost indefinitely, and regular testing of pipelines form the basis of economically viable restoration. In order for any testing technique to have widespread advantage, it needs to have the following qualities:                It must be accurate.        It must be non-invasive and non-destructive.        It must be able to inspect large areas and localized areas.        It must be efficient in terms of both labor and equipment.        It must be economical.        It should not be obtrusive to the surrounding environment.        It should not inconvenience the pipeline's users.
Chemical refineries, in particular, contain hundreds of miles of buried pipelines. In addition to a typical proliferation of oil and gas pipelines, such refineries have dozens of other types of pipelines such as sewer, water, steam, condensate, firewater and chemical pipelines that are often part of refinery support systems. Their integrity is crucial to the economic well-being and safety of these facilities.
Heretofore, project, typical buried sewer pipelines have been inspected by using closed circuit television, ultrasonic and/or sonic listening devices, or traveling inspection devices ("pigs"). None of these work satisfactorily on a refinery pipelines or sewers because: 1) Such lines may range in size from 1″ to 72″ diameter, for example; 2) They may be either gravity and pressurized systems; 3) They typically are buried beneath major pieces of refining equipment and mixed in with hundreds of other types of pipelines; and 4) Nearby pipelines and equipment produce prodigious amounts of auditory noise which interferes with testing. The lack of any accurate method or system of investigating the buried conduits, pipelines or sewer lines, for example, can lead to many unknowns that can significantly increase the rehabilitation costs of the traditional excavation and concrete encasement methods of repair.
Since 1998, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has focused on refinery sewers as major ground and water pollution sources. In the wake of enforcement legal proceedings, refineries have increased inducement to inspect these sewer lines and other pipelines for leaks and to repair contamination sources therefrom.

System of subterranean anomaly detection and repair using infrared thermography and ground penetrating radar


An oil recovery and storage ship having a general tank configuration of a conventional crude oil carrier is modified by providing inlet doors along opposite sides of the ship and a deployable floating boom arrangement for maximizing the floating oil gathering swath. The side inlet doors open into sluice or sea-calming compartments which have adjustable weir doors opening into primary separation tanks on port and starboard sides. Adjustable weir doors open from the primary separation tanks into a secondary separation tank. A selected number of cargo tanks are interconnected by conduits which permit the flow of liquid from one tank to the next in a series or cascade manner to decant oil from oily water and to discharge substantially oil-free water overboard from the last tank in the cascade. The ship may be used as a conventional liquids carrier when not required for oil spill recovery operations.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention pertains to a large, self-contained and self-propelled oil spill recovery and storage ship for recovering relatively large quantities of oil or other floating liquid pollutants as would be encountered in a large-scale marine oil spill, well blow-out or pipeline rupture.
2. Background
As described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,156 issued Sep. 10, 1991, to John L. Sullivan and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, several proposals for oil spill recovery ships have been disclosed in the prior art including those described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,690,464 to Heinicke, 3,744,257 to Spanner, 3,847,816 to DePerna, 3,884,807 to Heddon, 3,929,644 to Fletcher, 3,966,615 to Petchul et al, 4,033,876 to Cocjin et al, 4,067,811 to Dallamore, 4,120,793 to Strain, 4,257,889 to Wober et al, 4,308,140 to Pierson, Jr., and 4,653,421 to Ayers. These patents disclose various systems, some of which are alleged to be capable of open ocean recovery of floating oil.
The above-mentioned patent to Sullivan describes a large-scale oil recovery vessel having opposed bow doors which open to allow oily water to enter a sluiceway for skimming oil from the water by the adjustment of a weir disposed in the sluiceway. The ship described in the patent application also includes an improved storage and decanting system. This vessel is capable of ingesting and processing large quantities of oil-covered sea water wherein the oil layer may be up to several inches thick and wherein the sea state may be something greater than calm during recovery operations.
Experience with prior art oil recovery methods and devices has revealed that a ship capable of recovering large quantities of oil must also be capable of storage of large quantities of oil in order to effectively recover a spill before significant environmental damage occurs. In this regard, shipboard oil and water handling facilities should be arranged such that a minimal amount of mixing of water and oil occur. If this objective is not achieved, the oil separation and storage capacity is severely limited even in a large vessel such as a very large crude carrier.
Although the recovery vessel described in U.S. Pat. No. 5,047,156 has significant separation and storage facilities, it has been determined that a wider swath of oil should be recovered with each pass of the vessel through the oil slick than is typically easily achieved with a vessel having the bow door and booming arrangement described in the aforementioned patent application. Just as important, perhaps, is the requirement that the vessel, when not being used for oil spill recovery and storage, be capable of serving as a liquids carrier in commercial trade, or at least as a floating storage vessel. In this regard, modification of conventional liquids carriers as provided for in the aforementioned patent application is not as effective as a modification of an existing or conventional liquids carrier in accordance with the present invention.
Accordingly, it has been determined that it is important to be able to efficiently convert a conventional liquids carrier having multiple liquid cargo and ballast tanks to an effective oil spill recovery and storage ship while minimizing the structural modification to the ship. Concomitantly, it is important to provide an effective oil recovery system which (1) will minimize the amount of oily water which must be handled by the ship, (2) is capable of recovering relatively large spills in the open ocean as well as in more protected waters, and (3) is capable of settling relatively large quantities of oily water to allow gravitational separation before final processing and storage of the oil.
The present invention meets the desiderata mentioned herein in accordance with the summary and detailed description set forth below.


Provided is a method of producing D-psicose using a D-psicose epimerase derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens. Provided are a protein having an amino acid sequence of SEQ ID NO:1 and having a psicose 3-epimerase activity, a gene encoding the protein, a recombinant expression vector containing the gene, and a method of producing D-psicose by reacting the protein produced on a mass scale with D-fructose. The method of producing D-psicose is an environmentally friendly method using a new enzyme, in which an inexpensive substrate is used, and the activity of the enzyme can be retained for a prolonged time period. Thus, the method can be efficiently used for the mass production of D-psicose.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a method of producing D-psicose using a D-psicose epimerase (hereinafter, referred to as psicose 3-epimerase) derived from Agrobacterium tumefaciens.
2. Description of the Related Art
In general, D-psicose is an epimer of D-fructose, and is very similar to D-fructose in the aspects of intensity and type of sweetness. However, unlike D-fructose, D-psicose is hardly metabolized during assimilation in the body, and has a low degree of caloric contribution. Thus, D-psicose can be used as an effective ingredient of diet foods. While sugar alcohols, which are widely used as a non-sugar sweetener, cause side effects such as diarrhea when more than a stipulated dose is ingested, D-psicose has no such side effects. Furthermore, D-psicose has a calorie value of nearly zero, as it is almost non-metabolizable in the human body, and has a function of reducing abdominal fats by suppressing the activity of lipogenic enzymes. Therefore, D-psicose can be used as a sweetener which is also helpful in weight reduction (See, for example, Matsuo, T., Y. Baba, M. Hashiguchi, K. Takeshita, K. Izumori and H. Suzuki, "Dietary D-psicose, a C-3 epimer of D-fructose, suppresses the activity of hepatic lipogenic enzymes in rats," Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr., 10:233-237 (2001); and Matsuo, T. and K. Izumori, "D-Psicose, a rare sugar that provides no energy and additionally beneficial effects for clinical nutrition," Asia Pac. J. Clin. Nutr., 13:S127 (2004)).
In this light, D-psicose is attracting great interest as a dietary sweetener, and there is an increasing demand in the food industry, for the development of a method of producing D-psicose efficiently. This is because D-psicose only exists in a very small amount in nature as an intermediate during the process of theriae treatment or glucose isomerization reaction, and cannot be chemically synthesized.
Therefore, in order to address such problems as described above, research is being conducted on methods of enzymatically producing D-psicose using D-fructose as a substrate.
However, there is a problem in the methods developed so far, that the production costs are high, owing to the low yield of D-psicose.

D-psicose production method by D-psicose epimerase


A method for reducing crosstalk in a headset connected to an audio device, in which the includes a left headphone, a right headphone and a common ground for the left headphone and the right headphone includes determining a frequency dependent impedance of the headset. The method also includes determining a frequency dependent impedance of the common ground, and determining a frequency dependent substantially optimum cross feed for attenuating crosstalk in at least one of the left headphone and the right headphone based on the impedance of the headset and the frequency dependent impedance of the common ground. The method further includes applying the frequency dependent substantially optimum cross feed to attenuate the crosstalk in the at least one of the left headphone and the right headphone.

Crosstalk in headsets is an unwanted phenomenon in which a sound played in one stereo channel is also heard in the other channel. All stereo and multichannel audio equipment suffer from varying degrees of crosstalk. Crosstalk in audio transmission applications is normally declared in specifications of audio performance parameters, such as frequency response, distortion, etc. Audio transmission applications have varying degrees of sensitivity to crosstalk (e.g., crosstalk in these applications may have different distortion effects and/or perceptibility). For example, three-dimensional (3D) audio with audio filtered by head related transfer functions requires low crosstalk.
Crosstalk in headsets arises mainly due to the wiring of the headphones. The wiring in audio headsets includes a common ground lead that connects both ear speakers to the input/output jack. There are impedances in all the leads, so that an applied voltage (i.e., a music signal) is divided over the resistances in the leaders and the speaker element. The part of the signal separated by the common ground impedance is heard in the second channel because the common ground is directly fed to the second ear speaker. Crosstalk may be reduced in headsets by specifying a maximum allowed impedance in the leads and in the input/output jack (e.g., a 3.5 mm connector).


Portable electronic apparatus is disclosed having a sensor for sensing the portable electronic apparatus coupled in intimate proximity to a rest. The rest may be a desk top, car instrument panel top or a special stand for the portable electronic apparatus. The portable electronic apparatus also has an inhibitor which inhibits operation of or locks the portable electronic apparatus, when the sensor senses absence of intimate proximity to the rest.

Portable electronic apparatus such as personal organisers, portable computers, radio telephones and the like are common place. By virtue of their portability such electronic apparatus are easily misplaced or stolen. This makes such apparatus vulnerable to misuse by an unauthorised person, such as accessing personal or confidential information. More particularly, in the case of a radio telephone an unauthorised person is able to make telephone calls which are charged to the owner of the radio telephone, mischievously reset settings for the radio telephone or access personal or confidential information such as the telephone numbers of other telephone subscribers.
To overcome such problems it is known to provide portable electronic apparatus with security locks capable of being activated and/or deactivated manually by the use of passwords or codes for example, known only to authorised users of the apparatus. However, it is typically the case that a user places the apparatus in a charger or desk stand on their desk during normal use, and wishes to have the apparatus unlocked and available for use most of the time, such that they can be contacted on it. The user does not wish to bother themselves with activating any locks or security access codes for momentary absence from the apparatus, such as temporarily leaving their office However, such momentary absence still leaves the apparatus vulnerable to theft and misuse.


A mode-monitoring system used in connection with discrete beam frequency tunable laser provides optical feedback that can be used for adjusting the laser or for other processing associated with the use of the laser. For example, the output of a frequency tunable source for a frequency-shifting interferometer can be monitored to support the acquisition or processing of more accurate interference data. A first interferometer for taking desired measurements of optical path length differences traveled by different portions of a measuring beam can be linked to a second interferometer for taking measurements of the measuring beam itself. The additional interference data can be interpreted in accordance with the invention to provide measures of beam frequency and intensity.

1. Field of the Invention
The invention relates to optical feedback systems, including beam monitors for acquiring information for adjusting the output of coherent beam sources or for processing interference data related to the characteristics of measuring beams. For example, measuring beam frequency and intensity information can be acquired from the measurement of phase variations apparent from other interference data. Particular applicability is found for use of the frequency and intensity information with the tunable sources of frequency-shifting interferometers.
2. Description of Related Art
Interferometers, particularly frequency-shifting interferometers, rely on assumptions regarding measuring beam frequency for interpreting interference information. For example, interference patterns are generally interpreted on a pixel-by-pixel basis by converting intensity information into modulo 2π phase offsets between the interfering portions of the measuring beam. The angular measures of phase are then converted into measures of distance as fractional portions of the measuring beam wavelength.
Frequency-shifting interferometers convert the intensity information of interference patterns into measures of distance by producing a succession of interference patterns at different measuring beam frequencies. Pixel intensity data fluctuates in accordance with the change in measuring beam frequency at different rates corresponding to the distance offset between the interfering portions of the measuring beam. Calculations generally assume that the succession of interference patterns are produced by evenly spaced measuring beam frequencies, and measurement accuracy depends upon the correctness of this assumption. Measurement accuracy also depends upon the assumption of an invariant overall intensity of the different measuring beams.

Optical feedback from mode-selective tuner