In a separate-window-display map search-and-display unit, where a current position or a cursor position arrives at a predetermined area near the outer circumference of a screen image during cursor-moving map scroll display is performed, a map-display-scale calculation unit calculates a wide-area map on a predetermined scale for displaying the current position and the cursor position on the same screen and a two-point-display map-search display searches for and displays a predetermined map. A separate-frame-window-display detailed-map search-and-display unit displays a current-position-centered detailed map and a cursor-position-centered detailed map in separate-frame windows.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a map search-and-display method for capturing the positioned relationship between two points at a predetermined distance from each other and obtaining detailed maps showing the two points and areas therearound. The present invention further relates to a map display apparatus for performing the above-described method. The above-described method and apparatus may be used in a navigation apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, general navigation systems include a map-and-information data recording medium storing map data for drawing a map and facility-information data for searching a facility or the like. The map-and-information data recording medium can be a CD-ROM, a DVD-ROM, a hard disk, and so forth. Typical navigation systems further include a data capture device for capturing data of the map-and-information data recording medium, a display device for displaying a map or the like, and a vehicle-position detection device for detecting the current position and travel direction of a vehicle by using a self-contained navigation device including a GPS receiver, a running-distance sensor, and a gyrocompass. Subsequently, it becomes possible to capture map data including the vehicle current position from the map-and-information data recording medium, draw the image of a map showing areas around the vehicle current position on a screen of the display device based on the captured map data, display a vehicle-position mark on the display screen, scroll the map image according to the vehicle movement, and fix the map image on the screen and move the vehicle-position mark, so as to understand where the vehicle is located at a glance.
The map data stored in the map-and-information data recording medium is separated by a suitable longitude width and a suitable latitude width according to various scale levels. Data on a road or the like is stored, as a cluster of coordinates of nodes represented by longitudes and latitudes. The road data includes at least two connected nodes, and the map data includes a road layer having a road list, a node table, an intersection-forming node list, and so forth, a background layer for displaying a road, a building, a facility, a park, a river, and so forth, on the map image, and information data for displaying characters, map symbols, and so forth, of an administrative-tract name such as the names of a city, a town, and a village, the road name, the intersection name, the facility name, and so forth.
Further, the navigation systems have a route-guidance function so that a user can easily travel toward a predetermined destination or a passing spot (hereinafter referred to as an destination) without taking a wrong road. According to the route-guidance function, it becomes possible to set the destination by using various units that will be described later and calculate and propose a suitable route fulfilling various requirements from among routes linking a starting point with the destination. Further, it becomes possible to store the data on a route selected by the user, as guidance-route data, and display the guidance route, as a thick line of color different from that of lines of other roads, on the image map during traveling. Further, where the distance between the vehicle and an intersection where the vehicle should change its travel direction on the guidance route becomes shorter than a predetermined distance, the intersection is enlarged, an arrow mark or the like indicating the changed travel direction is displayed, and speech guidance on right or left turn is provided. Subsequently, it becomes possible to guide the user to the destination.
In the case of the above-described navigation systems, it is necessary to set the destination to which the vehicle travels at the current position where the vehicle starts traveling. For setting the destination, the address of the destination is inputted directly. However, the destination address is inputted according a guidance image, where the guidance image gradually changes from a wide-area name to a narrow-area name. Further, the phone number of a predetermined facility or the like stored in the map-and-information data recording medium with the location information thereof is inputted, so as to search a map showing a point where the predetermined facility exists. Otherwise, information of the predetermined facility is narrowed down according to a genre and an area, so as to search the map showing the point where the predetermined facility exists.
According to the above-described method for searching a destination, the user must remember the address of a predetermined point correctly for searching for the predetermined point by address. However, where the user does not remember the address correctly, it takes significant time and many procedures for searching the predetermined point. Further, even though inputting the phone number of the predetermined point is an easy method for searching for the predetermined point, this method is useless for searching a map showing a facility whose phone number is unknown or an area other than areas around a facility whose phone-number data is known.
However, a map-scroll search method performed by moving a cursor is widely used, as a map-search method that can be performed easily and smoothly by the user. According to this method, the cursor is displayed on a screen and moved from the current position displayed on the screen by using a remote control or the like, whereby a map displayed on the screen is scrolled in all directions. Further, the scroll speed is arbitrarily adjusted by detecting the cursor movement and the scale of the map is changed, as required.
The map-scroll search method performed by moving the cursor will be described as below. First, as shown in FIG. 15A, a current-position centered map on a first detailed scale, which is the most detailed scale of all, is displayed, for example. The user starts scrolling the map for performing a cursor-moving map search process. In this process, the user moves the cursor for setting a destination and displays and designates a predetermined point on the map, as the destination. Subsequently, a cursor-position centered map is displayed on the screen at all times. As a result, the cursor is fixed on the screen center and the map moves in a reverse direction, as shown in FIG. 15B. Therefore, the current position gradually moves in a direction reverse to the cursor moving direction, whereby a new map centered on the cursor regarded by the user is displayed continuously.
Accordingly, where the cursor is moved in the arrow direction, as shown in FIG. 15B, the current position often disappears from the screen, as shown in FIG. 15C. As a result, the current position is not displayed on the screen and only the cursor position is displayed on the screen center, as shown in FIG. 16A. Where the cursor is moved up and down, or from side to side on the above-described screen, it becomes difficult to know the current-position direction and the distance between the current position and the cursor position. In this case, the user changes from the first detailed scale to a predetermined scale for a wide-area map for displaying an area wider than the area shown in the map on the first detailed scale, so as to display the current position on the screen.
However, where the cursor is moved to a predetermined point distant from the current position, as shown in FIG. 16A, and the user wishes to display the current position and the cursor position on the same screen, it is often insufficient to change the first detailed map scale to the next detailed map scale, that is, a second detailed map scale. That is to say, the user often has to change the map scale several times for displaying a wider area map.
Because it is troublesome to repeat the above-described process for performing the cursor-moving map search, the applicant of the present invention has proposed a technology disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2002-286467. According to this technology, where the current position is disappearing from the screen, as shown in FIG. 15C, it becomes possible to display a map on a predetermined scale for displaying the cursor position and the current position on the same screen automatically, without changing the cursor position on the screen center regarded by the user on the currently-displayed map, as shown in FIG. 16B. The map is calculated based on data including the distance between the current position and the cursor position, the map-scale rate, the screen size, and so forth. FIG. 16B shows an example where the detailed scale is changed from the first detailed scale to the next detailed scale for displaying a wider area, that is, the second detailed scale.
According to the above-described technology, the current position can be displayed on the screen all the time irrespective of how the cursor is moved by the user. Subsequently, the cursor-moving map search process can be performed easily. However, where the cursor is moved away from the current position, a new map showing a wider area than the map on the second detailed scale is displayed, as shown in FIG. 16C. The scale of the new map is referred to as a third detailed scale. In the case of the map on the third detailed scale, however, only main roads are displayed in areas around the current position and the cursor position. Therefore, it is difficult to see the real road status around the current position and the cursor position by observing the map on the third detailed scale.
For example, where the user tries to find a predetermined convenience store on a predetermined point by scrolling a map showing an excessively wide area, the name of the predetermined point is often not displayed. Particularly, the predetermined convenience store is not displayed in most cases. Therefore, where it is estimated that the predetermined point is near the cursor position, the user changes the map scale manually, so as to display a new map on a more detailed scale than that of the currently displayed map. Then, the user determines whether or not the point or the convenience store exists by searching the new map. Where neither the point nor the convenience store exists on the map screen, the above-described operations are repeated, so as to perform a search for a predetermined map repetitively.
As has been described above, the relationship between the current position and the cursor position is clearly understood by displaying the map showing the two positions on the same screen. However, because the map shows a wide area, it becomes difficult to obtain detailed map information for the two positions. This problem is not limited to the case where the two positions are displayed during the map is searched by moving the cursor. For example, where a search is made for a facility, the position relationship between the facility and the current position is confirmed through a map displayed on the same screen. However, where the user wishes to obtain a detailed map for the facility, a detailed map for areas around the facility, a detailed map for the current position, and a detailed map for areas around the current position, the above-described problem also occurs. According to the known map display method, the map showing the current position and a searched facility is displayed and the map is switched to a detailed map centered on a facility to be searched. Further, display operations including a step of displaying a detailed map centered on the current position by moving the cursor, for example, need to be repeated.
Further, where the user is going to use a highway and wishes to select an interchange for entering the highway from an ordinary road, or an interchange for going from the highway to the ordinary road, a predetermined interchange is displayed. However, where the user wishes to make a search for an interchange more suitable than the first interchange, based on a highway route map, the user wants to see a highway route map displaying the first interchange and the more suitable interchange for understanding the position relationship between the two interchanges and a detailed map for understanding the ordinary-road status around each of the interchanges. In this case, according to the known map-display method, it becomes necessary to switch between a highway route map on a suitable scale and a detailed map showing the ordinary-road status around each of the interchanges by performing many display operations.

Method and apparatus for the display of detailed map information


An image processing device and method to select a field to use in interpolation, if an input image is a film image. The image processing device includes a field selector to select a field to use to interpolate a current field based on difference values in field data among first, second, and third fields being consecutively input in an input image, the field to use to interpolate the current image being one of the first and the third fields and the current field being the second field, a film detector to generate a pattern based on the difference values in the field data between the first, second, and third fields and to determine whether the input image is a film image based on the generated pattern, and an interpolator to interpolate the second field using the one of the first and third field selected by the field selector if the film detector determines the input image to be a film image. Accordingly, when the input image is a film image without a bad-edit, the interpolation process is executed by selecting two temporarily consecutive fields of a field to be interpolated, and using the field with a smaller difference values in field data from the field to be interpolated and a problem of judder in images can be resolved.

1. Field of the Invention
The present general inventive concept relates in general to an image processing device capable of selecting a field and a method thereof. More specifically, the present general inventive concept relates to an image processing device which is capable of selecting a field to use in interpolation if an input image is a film image, and a method thereof.
2. Description of the Related Art
Cinema films are typically recorded at 24 frames per second. Each frame is instantly stored on film and shot on a screen at one time, producing a progressive image together. On the other hand, TVs have different image processing speeds (or frame rates) that depend on TV transmission systems. For example, NTSC (National Television System Committee) runs at 30 frames per second, whereas PAL (Phase Alternation Line) and SECAM (Sequential Couleur Memoire) videos run at 25 frames per second. Since TV broadcasts transmit an image using radio waves, the number of scanning lines of each frame ranges several hundreds for photographing and transmission thereof, and the image is displayed on a cathode ray tube through scanning.
In order to show motion pictures more effectively with a limited number of scanning lines, TV usually adopts an interlacing method where a frame is divided into two fields, which are alternately scanned. Therefore, the NTSC system processes an image at 60 fields per second, whereas the PAL and the SECAM systems process an image at 50 fields per second.
On the other hand, when a cinema film is played back on a TV monitor at a TV frame rate, an image on an NTSC television system (which runs at 30 frames per second) will look faster because the number of frames per second differs in a movie screen and the TV monitor. Therefore, in a case in which a cinema film is transmitted to the NTSC television system, 60 fields must be obtained from 24 frames per second, namely, 5 fields from 2 frames, to synchronize the cinema film with the NTSC television system. In general, a 3:2 pull-down technique is most commonly used for converting 24 frame per second motion picture material to 60 field per second video and NTSC. In the 3:2 pull-down, one film frame is scanned into three fields and the next frame is scanned into two fields. That is, 2 frames are scanned into five fields. On the other hand, when a cinema film is played back on a PAL television system or a SECAM television system, 50 fields must be created from 25 frames per second, i.e., 2 fields from each frame. This method is called a 2:2 pull-down, where each film frame is scanned into two frames. Normally, one frame of a film is composed of a top field with odd lines and a bottom field with even lines. Thus, in order to create 3 fields for film to video conversion in the 3:2 pulldown, one of the top and bottom fields is repeated.
FIG. 1 is a block diagram illustrating a conventional image processing device.
Referring to FIG. 1, the conventional image processing device includes a pattern generation unit 10, a film determination unit 20, and an interpolation unit 30. The pattern generation unit 10 calculates a difference in pixel values between fields for three temporarily consecutive fields of an input image, and generates a pattern with respect to a predetermined threshold. For example, the pattern generation unit 10 calculates a difference in pixel values between two temporarily consecutive fields, such as a first field and a second field. If the difference in the pixel values is greater than the predetermined threshold, the pattern generation unit 10 generates a "1", whereas if the difference in pixel values is less than the predetermined threshold the pattern generation unit 10 generates a "0", thereby generating the pattern.
The film determination unit 20 determines whether an input image is a film image, based on the pattern generated by the pattern detection unit 10. Since a film image usually has a certain pattern, it is possible to determine whether the input image is a film image or not by comparing the pattern generated by the pattern detection unit 10 with a pre-stored film image pattern.
The interpolation unit 30 interpolates the input image according to the determination made by the film determination unit 20. That is, if the film determination unit 20 determines that the input image is not a film image, the interpolation unit 30 executes spatial interpolation using data of an interpolation target field only. However, if the film determination unit 20 determines that the input image is a film image, the interpolation unit 30 interpolates the interpolation target field using information of fields that are temporarily consecutive to the interpolation target field.
Accordingly, if the input image is a film image, the interpolation unit 30 of the conventional image processing device interpolated a current field using a previous field or a next field of the current field that is selected on the basis of the pattern generated by the pattern detection unit 10. However, judder may occur in an image processed by the conventional image processing device because the generated pattern might have an error, or a field that is not originated from the same progressive frame, such as a bad-edit, is used for interpolation. A bad-edit is detected when the sequence of a 3:2 pull-down image steam or a 2:2 pull-down image stream is inverted during the edition, losing the regularity of the pull-down.

Image processing device capable of selecting field and method thereof


A tent ventilation structure includes a vent window in proximity to a tent floor, and an awning coupled to a top edge of the vent window configured to extend outward from the tent to a position above the base of the vent window. Advantages of the invention include the ability to ventilate the tent at locations that improve air circulation and the campers' comfort and enjoyment.

Tents provide temporary shelter to campers and wilderness explorers. However, tents tend to become hot when exposed to the sun during the day and to trap moist air at night. Consequently, the campers' comfort and enjoyment often depends on the quality of the ventilation system employed in the tent structure.
Conventional tents structures are ventilated by screened windows located 18 to 24 inches above the tent floor. Since the campers sleeping in the tent typically lie on or near the tent floor, providing airflow at 18 inches above floor level is not effective in circulating air near the campers and keeping them cool.
One conventional solution to the ventilation problem is to add ground floor vents to the tent. However, the ground vents introduce a different problem, which is a lack of protection from rain and ground water entering the tent through the ground floor vent. Another conventional solution is to provide a vent at or near the top of the tent. While this may allow hot air to exit the tent, it does not provide a structure for cool air to enter the tent and it does not provide for air circulation near the campers at night.


A fuel supply system for a vehicle having an internal combustion engine and a fuel tank, has a reservoir, a fuel pump, a suction filter, a fuel transfer and a pressure accumulator. The reservoir is located in the fuel tank and is hermetically sealed. The fuel pump is configured to suck fuel from the reservoir and to supply the fuel to the internal combustion engine. The suction filter is configured to filter the fuel sucked by the fuel pump. The fuel transfer is configured to transfer the fuel from the fuel tank into the reservoir and to pressurize the fuel in the reservoir. The pressure accumulator is connected to the reservoir in order to control a pressure of the fuel in the reservoir.

This disclosure relates to a fuel supply system for supplying fuel from a fuel tank to an internal combustion engine of a vehicle such as automobile.
Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2010-71098 discloses a conventional fuel supply system. The fuel supply system has a reservoir cup, a reservoir lid, a fuel supply pipe, an electric wire, and a jet pump. The reservoir cup houses a fuel pump therein and is configured to reserve fuel in the fuel tank. The reservoir lid covers an upper opening of the reservoir cup. The fuel pump pumps fuel from the fuel tank through the fuel supply pipe to the outside of the fuel tank. The electric wire is connected to the fuel supply pump. The jet pump sends fuel from the fuel tank into the reservoir. The reservoir lid has an opening where the fuel supply pipe and the electric wire are inserted. Here, the reservoir is composed of the reservoir cup and the reservoir lid.
According to the fuel supply system, in a condition that the fuel supply pipe and the electric wire are inserted into the opening of the reservoir lid, an opening area between the reservoir lid, the fuel supply pipe and the electric wire is not decreased. Thus, it is not able to pressurize the inner space of the reservoir. Therefore, because the fuel and the air in the reservoir are sucked into a suction filter only by suction power of the fuel pump, there is a possibility that pressure loss of the suction filter increases, and that the load of the fuel pump increases. The increase of the load of the fuel pump may decrease efficiency and machine life of the fuel pump. Accordingly, there has been a need for improved fuel supply systems.


Disclosed is a method of inhibiting the growth of microorganisms in, at, or on a locus subject to microbial attack, comprising introducing to said locus an antimicrobially effective amount of at least one dihaloformaldoxime carbamate.

The present invention relates to a method for inhibiting the growth of microorganisms. In particular, the present invention relates to the use of certain dihaloformaldoxime carbamates as antimicrobial agents.
Antimicrobial agents are used commercially to prevent microbial growth in water cooling towers, metalworking fluid systems, paints, and other loci. Currently available antimicrobial agents include mixtures of 5-chloro-2-methyl-3-isothiazolone and 2-methyl-3-isothiazolones. While these isothiazolones are very effective in preventing microbial growth, they suffer from being slow killing and unstable under certain conditions. Nitrate salts are effective stabilizers for 3-isothiazolones, but the level of salt usually required can cause problems, such as coagulation of latices and salt build up in closed systems. There is therefore a continued need for antimicrobial agents which are stable, do not have a high salt content, have low use levels, provide quick speed of kill, degrade quickly upon use, and are safe to use in the environment.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,553,264 (Addor) discloses certain dihaloformaldoxime carbamates, methods for their preparation, and their use as postemergence herbicides. This patent also teaches the use of such dihaloformaldoxime carbamates as intermediates in the preparation of insecticides. This patent neither teaches nor suggests the use of such compounds as antimicrobial agents.

Dihaloformaldoxime carbamates as antimicrobial agents


A system and method for providing online multi-LiDAR dynamic occupancy mapping that include receiving LiDAR data from each of a plurality of LiDAR sensors. The system and method also include processing a region of interest grid to compute a static occupancy map of a surrounding environment of the ego vehicle and processing a dynamic occupancy map. The system and method further include controlling the ego vehicle to be operated based on the dynamic occupancy map.

Occupancy maps offer a useful representation of an environment for applications in automated driving and robotics. However, traditional camera-based methods are not robust enough. For example, such detection methods may not be able to be solely relied upon to detect arbitrary obstacles such as a rock on a roadway or oddly-shaped debris. Training of such models to detect arbitrary obstacles may be prohibitively expensive. Static occupancy maps only provide obstacle position information. For safe and smooth on-line operation of automated vehicles, it is necessary to estimate the velocity of moving obstacles.

System and method for providing online multi-LiDAR dynamic occupancy mapping


Methods for the delivery of genes to improve cardiac function including the use of viral vectors, isolation of the heart from systemic circulation, and induction of hypothermia/cardiac arrest are described. The method results in high-level, long-term expression of reporter genes and enhanced cardiac function in hamster models of heart disease.

Somatic gene transfer offers a myriad of possibilities for therapeutic usage in a number of diseases including congenital defects, as well as acquired forms of pathological abnormalities. There have been several critical limitations that have hindered the practical application of gene transfer in vivo. These include the duration of expression of transferred genes, the trade-off between tissue specificity and the efficiency of gene expression, and the adverse side effects of local inflammation provoked by vectors.
In the field of cardiovascular medicine, gene therapy has been focused on vascular gene transfer, mainly aimed at ischemic coronary disease. Many research groups have attempted cardiac gene transfer using adenovirus (Ad) vectors with strong, non-tissue specific gene expression cassettes driven by cytomegalovirus (CMV) or Rous sarcoma virus (RSV) promoters. Clinical trials of several angiogenic factors including vascular endothelial cell growth factor (VEGF), fibroblast growth factor (FGF) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) have been ongoing. The expectation is that transduction of cardiac cells with viral vectors will result in the secretion of these growth factors from cardiac cells, inducing the growth of new blood vessels and improving the blood supply to the heart to decrease ischemia.
A few publications have reported some success in the modification of cardiac function through gene transfer experimentation in rats and rabbits using intra-aorta or intracoronary injection of virus. However, in these reports, either the extent or the specificity of gene transfer was not described properly, or the gene expression was patchy in distribution. Ascending aortic constriction was created in rats to stimulate compensatory hypertrophy which frequently results in heart failure (Miyamoto et al., 2000). Activity of the sarcoplasmic reticulum Ca2+ ATPase (SERCA2a) is reduced in failing hearts, resulting in abnormal Ca2+ handling, and eventually leading to contractile failure. Intracardiac injection of an Ad-SERCA2a viral vector in rats was sufficient to induce some physiological improvement; however, there were a number of limitations. Ad vectors induced robust immunological response, resulting in myocardial necrosis. Such a robust immune response would prevent the re-administration of the Ad and may result in the clearance of the transduced cells by the immune system. Although the majority of the myocytes were claimed to express the transferred gene, there was no discussion in the report regarding the transduction of other cell types in the heart, or the tissue specificity of gene expression. In a similar study by the same investigators using normal rats, patchy expression of a reporter construct in the heart was reported. Additionally expression of the transferred gene in remote organs, including lung and liver was observed (Hajjar et al., 1998).
Other attempts to improve cardiac function have focused on the β2 adrenergic receptor (β-AR). Function of β-AR is decreased in heart failure and overexpression of β-AR in otherwise normal transgenic mice results in increased cardiac function. To determine if β-AR could increase cardiac function in normal rabbits, adenovirus expressing β-AR (Ad-β-AR) was injected into the left ventricle via catheter with the aorta cross clamped for 40 seconds (Maurice et al. 1999). The delivery method produced diffuse, multichamber myocardial expression, and cardiac function was improved; however, neither the efficiency nor the specificity of gene transfer was discussed in the report. Subsequently, β-adrenergic kinase inhibitor was delivered in the post myocardial infarction hearts of rabbits via an adenovirus vector to attenuate β-AR desensitization to achieve only regional improvement of cardiac contractility (Shah et al., 2001). Thus, the demonstration of the therapeutic effect of cardiac somatic gene transfer has been hampered by the lack of in vivo gene delivery strategies to effect long-term, high-efficiency, cardiotropic expression in the intact heart.
Dysfunction of one protein may be corrected by modulation of a regulatory factor of the protein. In a study by Minamisawa et al. (1999), it was demonstrated that deletion or disruption of phospholamban (PLB), a protein that inhibits the function of SERCA2, was able to rescue cardiac defects in a mouse in which the muscle-specific LIM protein (MLP) was deleted(Arber et al., 1997). A double-knock out (DKO) mouse was generated by crossing a PLB knockout mouse with a MLP knockout mouse. The resulting mice showed few of the defects of the MLP knockout mouse strain. In this regard, genetic complementation studies in a gene targeted mouse model of dilated cardiomyopathy have identified a pivotal role for defects in sarcoplasmic reticulum calcium cycling in heart failure progression (Chien, 1999).
Dominant negative mutants of a protein may be used to inhibit function of the protein, resulting essentially in a knock out mutation. A number of dominant negative mutants of PLB have been identified and characterized by various methods (WO 00/25804 incorporated herein by reference). These mutations include the point mutations E2A, K3E, R14E, S16N, S16E, L37A, I40A and V49A as well as the double mutation K3E/R14E, some of which have only been tested in vitro (Toyofuku et al, 1994). Neonatal injection into the ventricular cavity of an Ad viral vector expressing a dominant negative form of PLB (S16 E or V49A) inhibited function of the native PLB rescuing cardiac function. High efficiency long-term in vivo cardiotropic gene transfer in several forms of chronic heart failure model had been considered a critical test to evaluate the therapeutic value of functional modification of phospholamban.
It is known from studies on cystic fibrosis that transduction of all cells is not required for improved function. Expression of the wild type sodium channel in as few as 6-10% of cells within an epithelial sheet lacking a functional sodium channel is sufficient for normal sodium ion transport (Johnson et al, 1992). This is known as the bystander effect. It is likely that sporadic expression of a calcium channel or receptor may be sufficient to increase function of a diseased tissue; however, replacement of a structural protein would likely require more efficient gene transfer. To date, there are no reports of stable, high efficiency transfer of genes into cardiac tissue.
The naturally occurring autosomal recessive Syrain hamster cardiomyopathy (CM) in BIO14.6, UMX7.1 and TO-2 hamster strains have been identified recently as being due to a mutation in the δ-sarcoglycan gene (Nigro, et al. 1997; Sakamoto, et al., 1997). This mutation results in decreased stable expression of all of the sarcoglycan genes (α, β, and γ), resulting in decreased structural integrity in all muscle cells. The progressive left ventricular dilation, systolic and diastolic dysfunction, and cell loss in the CM hamster resemble many phenotypic features of human primary dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM) (Ryoke et al., 1999; Ikeda et al., 2000). In the hamster, these phenotypic changes are associated with increased myocardial cell permeability and rupture. In transgenic mice, disruption of the δ-sarcoglycan gene caused myocardial damage, reported to be associated at least partially with vascular smooth muscle abnormality (Coral-Vasquez et al., 1999). In transgenic mice, disruption of the δ-sarcoglycan gene has been reported to be associated with vascular smooth muscle abnormality and secondary myocardial damage (Coral-Vazquez, et al., 1999). The fragility of cells is believed to be due to the incorrect assembly of the dystrophin-associated glycoprotein complex (DAGC) (Sakamoto, et al., 1997). Normally the components of the DAGC exist perpendicular to the plane of the sarcolemma and bind to the extracellular matrix protein lanminin and the intracellular protein dystrophin, stabilizing the cell. In the absence of δ-sarcoglycan, the complex collapses and is no longer able to stabilize the cells, making them more susceptible to mechanical stress.
Rescue of skeletal muscle dystrophy of the CM hamster has been accomplished by intramuscular injection of Ad (Holt, et al., 1998) or adenovirus associated virus (AAV) (Greelish, et al., 1999) containing the δ-sarcoglycan gene. Rescue by Ad-δ-sarcoglycan was accomplished by direct injection of the Ad-δ-sarcoglycan into the quadriceps femoris. Expression was initially high (≧80%), and some expression was seen for up to 198 days post-viral administration; however, expression decreased significantly over time. There was no discussion of expression of the gene product, or lack thereof, at remote sites.
Direct injection of AAV-δ-sarcoglycan into a small muscle (i.e. tibialis anterior) was sufficient for gene delivery throughout the muscle; however, efficient gene delivery in larger muscles (i.e. hindlimb) required delivery via circulation with concurrent disruption of endothelium using histamine. The hindlimb was isolated from systemic circulation by tourniquets, followed by injection of papaverine in histamine, and finally virus into the femoral vessel. After 4 to 6 weeks, structural integrity of cells was tested in an ex vivo system. In both systems, treatment with the δ-sarcoglycan expressing virus resulted in increased structural stability of the muscle cells. There was no discussion of gene delivery to the heart. Additionally, the isolation of the heart from circulation by tourniquet to increase exposure of the virus to the tissue of interest would clearly be problematic; therefore, the same method could not be used for cardiac tissue.
In some cases of the hereditary dystrophies, such as Duchenne's muscular dystrophy, death is usually caused by heart failure due to cardiomyopathy rather than skeletal muscle myopathy, as is the case with CM in hamsters. As the sarcoglycan gene products are structural elements of the cell, efficient transfer to nearly all cells would be required for effective treatment of the disease. Therefore methods for efficient gene transfer into cardiac muscle would be useful in the treatment of a number of muscular dystrophies.
Efficient gene delivery to the heart presents a greater problem than delivery to striated muscle tissue due to structural differences of the tissues. Striated muscle cells are large, multinucleate cells that are derived from the fusion of multiple myoblasts. Therefore, delivery of a virus particle to a single cell would result in expression over a much larger area as the RNA transcribed in a single nucleus would be transported throughout the cell. Cardiac cells contain only one or two nuclei per cell and are much smaller (10-fold). Expression in the same percentage area would require the efficient transduction of a significantly higher number of cells.
Tissue specific promoters have been used to increase specificity of myocardial gene expression, but expression levels of the transferred gene were low (Rothmann et al., 1996). Another strategy to restrict expression of transferred genes to the heart has involved direct injection of the virus into the myocardium (Gutzman et al, 1993; French et al., 1994). Another attempt involved intrapericardial virus vector injection combined with proteinase treatment (Fromes et al., 1999). These manipulations achieved local gene delivery due to a lack of intense viral vector diffusion; however, the outcome of these methods is highly restricted gene expression with local tissue damage.
The efficiency of cardiomyocyte gene delivery by an AAV vector was documented in vitro using cultured rat neonatal cells, as well as in an ex vivo system using rat papillary muscle immersion (Maeda et al., 1998). Ex vivo AAV vector transfer followed by syngeneic heart transplantation was reported to achieve high efficiency marker gene expression (Svensson et al., 1999). Transcoronary delivery of AAV was attempted in porcine myocardium; however, extremely low gene transfer efficiency was observed (0.2%) (Kaplitt et al., 1996). To date, there is no report of high efficiency in vivo cardiotropic gene delivery system with long-term sustainable expression.
Development of efficient methods for gene transfer would likely allow the correction of a number of cardiac problems.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

The Regents of the University of California


The present invention is a system for reading information stored on a plurality of disk surfaces. The system comprises a plurality of channels each containing a preamplifier having first and second terminals for connection to an MR head. A bias circuit is provided common to all of the plurality of channels. The preamplifier in each channel includes first and second channel select circuits responsive to first and second channel select signals and current output from the bias circuit to output currents based on the current's output from the bias circuit. The preamplifier in each channel also includes first and second complementary output transistor circuits responsive to the current's output from the first and second channel select circuits and to the first and second voltages to provide bias current through the respective MR head connected between the first and second terminals of the respective channel. The system is entirely symmetrical around ground for improved common mode rejection. In another aspect of the system, first and second supply rejection circuits are provided to stabilize voltages at the first and second terminals for variations in the positive and negative power supplies.

The present invention relates to a preamplifier that provides a bias or driving current for an MR head, and more particularly to an open loop biasing circuit for an MR head providing improved common mode rejection, improved power supply rejection, and lower noise.
The electronic storage of data has become a universally accepted and utilized technology in various computer-related industries. A popular method of electronic storage utilizes magnetoresistive (MR) heads to store and recover data on a disk. An MR head employs an MR element that changes in resistivity with changing magnetic flux from data patterns on an adjacent disk surface. Multiple MR heads are employed in separate channels in systems where data is stored on a plurality of disk surfaces. A bias current having a constant value is passed through the MR element, and the change in resistivity is measured by sensing the change in voltage across the MR head. MR heads are extremely sensitive to noise introduced to it from its bias current source. Precise control of the operation of the MR head is necessary to minimize potential errors in storing and recovering data. Preamplifier circuits have traditionally been designed for that purpose.
Design of MR head circuits also has the competing constraint of limited head space to implement preamplifier circuitry. The limited space makes it desirable to share circuits among several MR head channels on an actuator arm or E-block whenever possible. Thus, each individual MR head channel occupies minimal space by not individually including the shared circuitry. The challenge in designing such a system is to share circuitry while preserving the precise operation of each MR head channel to minimize storage and recovery errors. considerations. A good common mode rejection ratio can be achieved by matching the impedances at each terminal of the MR head. A good power supply rejection ratio is provided when the MR head performs consistently despite fluctuations in the power supply of the MR head circuit.
Preamplifiers have taken a variety of forms to attempt to address these performance issues. Circuits have been designed to bias the MR head to control the current therethrough. In one form, a feedback loop adjusts the MR head bias to provide more precise control over the bias current. However, symmetry (and thus common mode rejection) cannot be optimally achieved in a feedback loop configuration. Other circuits have been designed to allow multiplexing of an off-chip capacitor to a plurality of MR head circuits. However, no solution has been developed to allow significant sharing of components by multiple MR head channels, to achieve optimum space implementation, while also providing superior performance characteristics such as good common mode rejection ratio, good power supply rejection ratio, and low noise.

MR resistive-biasing scheme providing low noise high common-mode rejection and high supply rejection


Disclosed is a dimple magnetic recording head in a transducer assembly for linear tape drives. The dimple head has a flat transducing surface extending laterally a partial width of the magnetic recording tape. Two parallel tape support surfaces extend laterally the full width of the magnetic recording tape, positioned on either side of and spaced from the dimple head in the longitudinal direction of the magnetic recording tape. The tape support surfaces form a plane, and the dimple head flat transducing surface is parallel to the tape support surface plane and projects above the tape support surface plane to form tape wrap angles with respect to the tape support surfaces within a range of approximately 1/2 degree to 2.5 degrees. The dimple magnetic tape head is mass produced by lapping a row of transducers on a substrate to form a flat transducing surface. The row of substrate elements is then diced into separate substrate elements. The two parallel, spaced apart tape support surfaces are provided, and one of the diced substrate elements is mounted intermediate the tape support surfaces with the flat transducing surface exposed for forming a tape facing surface.

Conventional recording heads for linear tape drives have small transducers incorporated into a large head assembly to span the full width of the tape. For recording heads fabricated using thin film wafer technology, this requires that the head either be fabricated individually on a wafer which is at least as wide as the recording tape and lapped individually to the proper shape, or be fabricated as a small part and assembled with larger pieces and the full assembly lapped individually to the proper shape.
The conventional shape of a tape head comprises a cylindrical or complex contour which is critical in maintaining the moving tape at the desired head to transducer spacing (called "contact" or "near contact" recording). The contact, or near contact, spacing is maintained by controlling the contour shape to "bleed", "skive" or "scrape" the boundary layer of air carried by the tape away before encountering the transducer to prevent the tape from "flying", or losing contact with the transducer.
The spacing between the magnetic head and the magnetic tape is crucial so that the recording gap of the transducer, which is the source of the magnetic recording flux, is in intimate or near contact with the tape to effect efficient signal transfer for recording. The spacing is also crucial so that the playback element is in intimate or near contact with the tape to provide effective coupling of the magnetic field from the tape to the playback element.
The full width of the tape in the prior art is contacted by the head assembly to prevent steering the moving tape as the head assembly is moved to access different data tracks. In addition, when a short span head is near an edge of the tape, the tape, without support, tends to lift from the head as the result of upward flex curvature as it travels over the protruding head. Thus, a wide head is used to provide support for the tape when the recording element is positioned near an edge of the tape. Even with full width support, there is an anticlastic bending effect that tends to lift the tape off the head near the edge of the tape.
FIG. 1 illustrates a conventional linear tape drive recording head 10. A small transducer 11 is incorporated into a large unit 12 to span the full width of the tape 13. FIG. 2 illustrates an example of one method of fabricating a conventional linear tape drive recording head of FIG. 1 using thin film wafer technology. In FIG. 2a, an individual chip 14 is assembled with wings 15 and 16 and closure 17 and glued together to form a full assembly which is shown in an end view in FIG. 2b. A portion of the top surface of the full assembly is then ground away to form the assembly shown in FIG. 2c, leaving a rooftop 18. The entire assembly is then individually lapped to the proper depth so as to attain the final stripe and throat heights for the magnetic transducer and to attain the desired contour 19 as shown in FIG. 2d. The resultant assembly is illustrated in FIG. 2e.
The conventional shape of FIG. 2 comprises a cylindrical or complex contour which is critical in maintaining the moving tape in contact with the transducer, as described above. The full width contour of FIGS. 1 and 2 serves three purposes. 1) It prevents tape steering as the recording element is moved to access different data tracks. 2) It provides support for the tape as the head is positioned near the edge of the tape 13. And 3) It prevents the edges of the chip 14 from damaging the tape. 13.
The contour of the head must also allow a low tension on the tape so as to not distort the tape. Typically, the contour is designed with a small radius 19 in FIG. 2d so the pressure on the head, which is proportional to the tape tension per unit width divided by the radius (T/wR), is high with tensions low enough not to excessively distort the tape. However, the contour of the head must be such that the pressure of the tape on the transducer is not so high that the surface of the transducer wears excessively.
Such full width heads are often provided with "outriggers" to maintain a small wrap angle over the recording elements of the head even though the wrap angle over the outriggers can change with different cartridges inserted into the tape drive. A change in wrap angle over the portion of the head containing the recording elements can lead to air entrainment and excessive flying height of the tape.
Like the head assembly, the outriggers must also be the full width of the tape in order to prevent distortion of the tape. Often, the outriggers must also be lapped to a contour which is coordinated with the contour of the head assembly.
Individual lapping of the tape head assembly and of the corresponding outriggers, especially to a contour, is very expensive and is a major contributor to the manufacturing cost of the tape head.
Partial span recording heads are used in helical scan tape recording and in floppy disks. They are individually assembled and then provided with a spherical or elliptical contour. Such heads have not been used in linear tape recorders due to the need for tape edge support and a requirement for substantial tape tension or contact pressure to maintain contact with the head. In addition, it is difficult to provide such a contour when a multiplicity of recording elements are required in the head.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,123,791, Rotter et al., describes a single element narrow tape head positioned between outrigger bars of 0.25 inch radius with radial centers 0.4 inch apart. An additional pair of stub outriggers aligned in the direction of tape travel, having the same shape as the head and spaced 25 to 30 mils on either side of the head, were required to support the edge of the tape. The narrow tape head and stub outriggers were required to allow the splitting and passage of the boundary layer of air.

Partial width mass produced linear tape recording head

International Business Machines Corporation


An optical system includes a first beam shifter and a second beam shifter configured to couple with one or more display screens. The first beam shifter is configured to shift first light from a first portion of the one or more display screens in a first direction, and the second beam shifter is configured to shift second light from a second portion of the one or more display screens in a second direction that is distinct from the first direction. The second portion of the one or more display screens does not overlap with the first portion of the one or more display screens. Also disclosed are a method for increasing an effective interpupillary distance of light provided by a display screen, and a head-mounted display including the above-described optical system and one or more display screens configured to project light through the optical system.

Head-mounted display devices (also called herein head-mounted displays) are gaining popularity as means for providing visual information to users.
Head-mounted display devices typically include a display. An image from a first portion of the display is provided to a left eye of a user, and an image from a second portion of the display is provided to a right eye of the user. In some cases, the images provided by the first and second portions are stereoscopic images, which provide the perception of a three-dimensional depth to the user.
Head-mounted display devices include large displays to provide a large field-of-view. However, the size and weight of large displays have limited applications of head-mounted displays.

Optical systems and methods for increasing interpupillary distance of a display device


The product includes a shell which is generally cup-shaped with a rim in the form of an annular flange which projects radially outwardly of the product. This rim avoids the risk of smearing when the product is grasped by keeping contact with it to a minimum while, at the same time, ensuring that the product is held securely in its packaging.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a food product and a food product-packing unit which provides for protectively packing a product and preventing smearing of the product during removal of the product form its package.
2. Description of Related Art
A wide variety of products of the type specified above is known in the art. This is true particularly as regards the shell-type containment layer which, especially in mass-produced confectionery, is typically a half-shell or cup made of wafer or the like (see, for example, the document U.S. Pat. No. 4 430 351) or, for example, in small bakeries, is often a pastry container and which is filled with a quantity of filling: this applies to all small-bakery products commonly known as "cup-cakes".
Over the last few years there has been a growing trend in the food industry, especially in the field of confectionery, towards the manufacture of products which are very similar to traditional bakery products, both in their appearance and in the way they are presented to the consumer. At the same time, however, this trend must take into account the fact that, unlike traditional bakery products which are intended to be eaten soon after they are made, and usually locally, industrial products must be transported (sometimes far from the place of production) and/or must be kept and displayed in conditions which will not spoil their appearance and appeal to the consumer. One may consider, for example, to products which include a creamy decoration (such as a twirl of cream on top, such as chantilly cream or the like); in products of this type which are to be mass-produced and mass-marketed, any decoration smeared on the packaging will certainly prove off-putting. A tendency to smear the consumer's hands as he grasps the product is another negative phenomenon which producers endeavour to avoid. This is all the more important since, unlike traditional cakes (generally intended to be served and eaten at a table, for example to finish off a meal), mass-produced confectionery is often served and eaten in conditions (in bars and other social meeting places and in vehicles, for example) where consumers object strongly to getting their hands soiled.

Container and filled food product assembly


A gooseneck trailer coupler lock which disables normal coupler operation by restricting movement of the lower latching plate of the coupler when the coupler is placed in the fully closed position. The locking device is a single piece of hardened metallic material which inserts into a gap formed between the upper coupler plate and a band attached to the lower latching coupler plate. The locking device is secured in place with a block type lock or other theft resistant lock. When the locking device is installed, the coupler opening is secured in a position which will not accept a typical towing ball without first removing the locking device.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a one piece locking device for use in association with a gooseneck trailer coupler to prevent the trailer from being stolen when the trailer is detached from its associated tow vehicle. The locking device disables normal coupler operation by restricting the movement of the lower latching plate of a gooseneck trailer coupler when the coupler is placed in a self-obstructing, fully closed position. When properly installed and secured with an appropriate padlock, the locking device prevents typical 2 5/16 inch, 2 inch, and 1⅞ inch towing balls from entering the gooseneck coupler, thus deterring theft of an unhooked trailer.
2. Description of the Related Art
According to law enforcement agencies, many thousands of trailers are reported stolen each year. Most are stolen while unlocked and/or unprotected from theft. This invention is intended to prevent thefts of opportunity. The invention is a locking device to be used by individuals and by those in the agricultural, construction, and other industries where gooseneck type trailers are used. It provides a theft deterrent for unhooked, parked trailers.
Most gooseneck trailer couplers in common use include safety features which are designed to prevent a coupler from becoming detached from a towing vehicle during normal towing operations. The safety features include spring loaded latching plates, vertical rods to secure the relative position of the coupler plates, and horizontal rods to reduce the size of the coupler opening. The couplers currently in widespread use do not provide any built-in means of protecting a trailer from theft when the trailer is unhooked from its tow vehicle.
There are distinct differences between the safety features incorporated into common gooseneck couplers and the present locking device. Safety features, such as spring loaded latching plates and vertically oriented rods used to secure the relative position of the top and bottom plates, provide a measure of safety to prevent the coupler from becoming detached from a towing ball while a trailer is being towed. Safety features allow a user to connect and disconnect a trailer using normal force of hand. The present locking device is, on the other hand, used to disable normal coupler operations, and provides theft protection for unhooked or parked trailers. The plates of the coupler are secured in a fully closed position which obstructs the coupler opening and prevents the trailer from being attached to a tow vehicle without first removing the locking device, either by unlocking it or by defeating the locking device by force.
There is a need for an effective, inexpensive, quickly installed locking device for trailers with gooseneck couplers. The vast majority of trailer thefts occur when a potential thief identifies an unlocked trailer in an insecure location. The time spent at the crime scene is critical in this type of theft. It takes less than two minutes to connect an unlocked trailer to a tow vehicle. Most people involved in theft have access to a tow vehicle equipped with a standard 2 5/16 inch towing ball. Other methods which do not require the use of a coupler and towing ball are used to steal trailers, but they represent a very small percentage of the overall numbers. A professional thief can steal a trailer whether it is locked or not. Thefts of opportunity can be deterred by using a locking device which will not allow standard towing balls, i.e. 2 5/16 inch, 2 inch, and 1⅞ inch towing balls, to be used to connect to the trailer.
To be effective, the locking device must resist the use of bolt cutters, hacksaws, pry bars, and hammers. Also, to be effective, considerable time and noise must be involved to forcibly remove the locking device from the trailer. The present invention is construction of metal and its shape makes it difficult to remove from the trailer without unlocking an associated lock that secures the locking device to the trailer.
The prior art is composed of locks which are relatively large, cumbersome, expensive, and time consuming to install and remove. Due to these characteristics, they are often left in the cab or bed of the tow vehicle, or in a shop or barn, and are not installed. Most of these prior art locks employ two or more components which can become separated and misplaced. These prior art locks are generally designed to prevent theft of a trailer by inserting an obstructing object into or over the towing ball opening of the coupler. The obstructing object is normally formed as a part of a complex casting or multiple welded components. The assembled unit of such a prior art lock surrounds the coupler and holds the obstruction in place when secured with an internal or external lock. Another method used to prevent the obstruction from being removed is to attach the unit to the coupler lever handle. Other designs incorporate a telescoping pole attached to an obstruction at the coupler end, and to trailer jack stand components at the other end.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,464,241 issued Oct. 15, 2002 to Daniel for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch, is an example of the widespread use of a vertically oriented rod to maintain the relative position of the coupler plates during normal towing operations. This design also incorporates the use of a spring to pre-position the lower plate of a coupler and assist the user when connecting a trailer to a tow vehicle. This gooseneck trailer hitch provides no theft deterrent protection features.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,263,735 issued Nov. 23, 1993, to Mann for Gooseneck Trailer Coupler is another example of the widespread use of a vertically oriented rod designed to maintain the relative position of the coupler plates during normal towing operations. This gooseneck trailer hitch also provides no theft deterrent protection features.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,264,229 issued Jul. 24, 2001 to Gill et al. for Gooseneck Trailer Coupler is an example of a coupler which incorporates the use of a chuck and pinion gear which rotate to position jaws that are designed to narrow the coupler opening and prevent the coupler from becoming detached from a towing ball. This coupler design is significantly different than couplers in widespread use which incorporate a fixed upper plate and a moveable bottom plate.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,315,315 issued Nov. 13, 2001 to Seale for Gooseneck Trailer Lock is an example of a type of lock that obstructs the coupler opening using a complex casting and an integrated lock.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,181,405 issued Jan. 26, 1993 to Wheeler for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Lock, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,255,545 issued Oct. 26, 1993, to Wheeler for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Locking Device, both provide examples of the type of lock that surrounds the coupler with multiple complex parts.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,322,316 issued Jun. 21, 1994 to Wheeler for Anti-theft Coupler Device, is an example of the type of lock that surrounds the coupler and inserts an obstruction into the coupler opening. The device is designed to work with couplers which use a horizontally oriented shaft to narrow the coupler opening versus a coupler with a fixed upper plate and moveable bottom plate such as the type for which the present invention is designed to work.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,513,871 issued May 7, 1996 to Johnson for Gooseneck Trailer Hitch Locking Device is an example of the type of lock that obstructs the coupler opening using multiple welded components which are secured in place by attaching to the coupler lever handle.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,520,030 issued May 28, 1996, to Muldoon for Gooseneck Trailer Lock, and U.S. Pat. No. 6,109,078 issued Aug. 29, 2000 to Marshall for Trailer and Jack Stand Lock Assembly are both examples of locks which use multiple components and incorporate a telescoping pole which extends from the coupler opening to the trailer jack stand assembly.
All of the referenced gooseneck coupler locks are relatively expensive and difficult to fabricate, and use additional materials to obstruct the coupler opening. The locking device of the present invention works in cooperation with existing coupler components and secures the coupler in a self-obstructing fully closed position. For that reason it is much smaller than prior art devices, is very simple to use, and is less expensive to produce. In addition, the present device can be attached to the coupler to prevent it from being lost and to keep it handy for locking a parked trailer. The lock to be used in association with the present locking device is a rectangular block style padlock with narrow shackle gap to resist bolt cutters, constructed with a hardened, rotating steel shackle pinned at both the toe and heel end to resist hacksaws; and employing hardened steel, anti-saw rods formed into the padlock body to resist sawing.


A fingerprint image enhancement method, comprising: receiving a fingerprint image; computing a horizontal variation image and a vertical variation image of the fingerprint image (300); computing a weighted image, wherein a weighted value of a first pixel corresponding to a finger ridge in the weighted image is greater than a weighted value of a second pixel corresponding to a finger valley (304); multiplying the horizontal variation image with the weighted image to generate a weighted horizontal variation image, and multiplying the vertical variation image with the weighted image to generate a weighted vertical variation image (306); computing a fingerprint orientation image according to the weighted horizontal variation image and the weighted vertical variation image (308); and performing fingerprint image enhancement on the fingerprint image according to the fingerprint orientation image (310).

With the advancement of technology, mobile phones, digital cameras, tablet computers, notebook computers and other portable electronic devices have become indispensable to our daily lives. Since portable electronic devices are mostly for personal uses, they contain a certain level of private information, and hence, the data stored therein, such as the contacts, photos, personal information, etc. are privately owned. Once the electronic device is lost, these data may be used by others, thereby resulting in unnecessary losses and damages. Although one can use the password protection to prevent others from using the electronic device, passwords can be leaked or cracked easily, and hence the security level of password protection is relatively low. Also, users have to remember the password in order to use electronic devices, and if the user forgets his/her password, it will cause a lot of inconvenience. Therefore, personal fingerprint identification systems have been developed to achieve the purpose of authentication so as to enhance data security.
On the other hand, with the advancement of fingerprint identification technology, invisible fingerprint sensors (IFS) have gained increasing favor from consumers, gradually. In the invisible fingerprint sensor technology, an optical fingerprint sensor may be disposed under the touch screen (i.e., an under-display fingerprint sensing). In other words, the user can press through the touch screen for implementing fingerprint identification.
Moreover, the current technology has developed the technology for performing fingerprint image enhancement according to the fingerprint orientation, which may enhance the fingerprint image, so as to improve the accuracy of identification. However, the user may have some scars or defects on his/her finger due to injury, thereby causing the misjudgment when determining the fingerprint orientation, and such erroneous fingerprint orientation will deteriorate the performance of the fingerprint image enhancement.
In view of the foregoing, there exists a need in the related art for further improvement.

Fingerprint image enhancement method and fingerprint image module


A structural attachment system for a vehicle is provided. The structural attachment system includes a first structural member and a vehicle component. The structural attachment system also includes an attachment assembly arranged relative to the first structural member and the vehicle component. The attachment assembly is designed and positioned to reinforce a load bearing area and to distribute a load of the vehicle component over the first structural member.

The present invention relates generally to vehicle structural systems, and more particularly to a structural attachment system having features for attaching components to one another within a vehicle, for providing reinforcement in load bearing areas of the components, and for allowing effective distribution of loads within the vehicle.
Typically, a steering assembly of a vehicle includes a steering column extending between a steering mechanism, for example, a steering wheel, and a torque distribution mechanism. The steering column is designed to translate rotation of the steering wheel by a vehicle operator to the torque distribution mechanism which correspondingly positions the wheels of the vehicle in accordance with the position of the steering wheel, thus steering the vehicle.
It is desired that the steering column be of a sufficient compressive, shear, and torsional strength to endure the above described usage. The steering column designed as such can have a substantial mass and thus must be properly supported within the vehicle for effective functioning of the vehicle steering assembly.
Accordingly, the steering column is supported by attachment to a cross-car structural beam located within the vehicle. The load resulting from the weight of the steering column and other loads encountered during vehicle usage are distributed through the cross-car structural beam to side walls of the vehicle and/or to other parts of the vehicle where the cross-car structural beam is mounted thereto. The weight of the steering column is thereby conveyed, through the side walls and/or other vehicle parts, to a steel frame of the vehicle. Other parts of the vehicle which lend to the structural support system include, for example, an engine wall, a front-of-dash, etc.
The cross-car structural beam is generally a load-bearing member that is also used to support an instrument panel assembly and a heating ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) structural duct system, both located about the beam. The structural beam further serves as a reaction surface for occupant protection devices such as air bags or knee bolsters.
The steering column is typically attached to the cross-car structural beam directly or by a steering column support structure. The steering column support structure is composed of a metal or a composite and is attached at a first end to the cross-car structural beam and at a second end to the steering column.
The steering column support structure must support the load of the steering column and other loads associated with vehicle usage and effectively distribute the loads to the cross-car structural beam for distribution to the side walls of the vehicle.
In addition to compensating for the various loads of the steering column, the steering column structural support must accommodate for a first natural frequency and the undesirable effects thereof. The first natural frequency is a vibratory level of the vehicle structural system which, when reached, can result in undesired vertical oscillatory displacement of the steering column within the vehicle.
The steering column structural support in combination with the cross-car structural beam are typically relied upon in vehicle structural systems to prevent the occurrence of such displacement. This is accomplished by designing the structural support and the structural beam to increase the first natural frequency beyond a level anticipated to be reached during various vehicle operating modes. Additional mass and materials are added to the structural support and structural beam in order to control the occurrence of the first natural frequency.
Where the steering column is directly coupled with the cross-car structural beam, the various loads and the first natural frequency must be accounted for by the means of direct attachment such as nuts, bolts, welding, etc.
Efficient load compensation and first natural frequency accommodation within the vehicle depends upon a proper attachment of the steering column to the cross-car structural beam.
Typically, the steering column structural support is mechanically attached at the first end to a load bearing area of the cross-car structural beam. The load bearing area is generally a portion of the cross-car structural beam and may be located, more specifically, at an underside of the beam. The steering column structural support is attached to the load bearing area by one or more threaded bolts and secured with fasteners such as nuts.
In the instance of direct attachment, where no steering column structural support is utilized, the steering column is typically directly attached to the load bearing area using one or more nut and bolt combinations.
The nut/bolt arrangement provides very localized points of attachment. The result is an inefficient transfer of the vehicle loads from the steering column to the cross-car structural beam and an insufficient attachment for accommodating the first natural frequency.
The load bearing area is often a part of the structural air duct. Light-weight air duct assemblies are composed of a molded plastic or a molded plastic composite and are mounted to the rigid cross-car structural beam. A metal-to-plastic interface between the nut/bolt arrangement and the air duct tends to degrade the plastic of the air duct. Hence, the overall attachment of the steering column and the cross-car structural beam is degraded. Thus, the use of extra parts, such as washers and the like, must be employed to preserve the plastic of the structural air duct.
The attachment of the steering column structural support and the cross-car structural beam using the nut/bolt arrangement must be performed manually and requires the handling of several parts and tools, thus valuable labor time is consumed and extra expense incurred.
Mechanical means of attachment, such as the nut/bolt arrangement, used in securing the steering column structural support to the cross-car structural beam constitute considerable localized mass within the vehicle. The mass of the mechanical attachment means must be compensated and accounted for in designing the vehicle and, particularly, the vehicle structural system.
Accordingly, it is desirable to have a structural attachment system for attaching a steering column to a cross-car structural beam that is light weight, simple to manufacture and assemble, provides an effective and efficient distribution of steering column loads, and prevents against occurrence of the first natural frequency.
According to the present invention, a structural attachment system is provided for attaching components to one another within a vehicle, for providing reinforcement in load bearing areas of the components, and for allowing effective distribution of loads within the vehicle.
The structural attachment system includes a first structural member and a vehicle component attached to one another by an attachment assembly.
In one exemplary embodiment of the present invention, the first and vehicle components are a structural air duct assembly and a steering column, respectively, and the attachment assembly is a steering column support unit.
The steering column support unit is a member which attaches the steering column to the structural air duct assembly at a load bearing area. The load bearing area is a portion of the structural air duct assembly which is subject to the steering column and the forces and loads associated therewith.
The steering column support unit includes mounting members for coupling with and supporting the steering column.
The steering column support unit also includes an attachment element for facilitating connection with the structural air duct assembly. The attachment element may be shaped and contoured to mate flush with the structural air duct assembly at the load bearing area.
The steering column support unit may be made of plastic or metal or any material sufficient for the purposes within the scope of the present invention.
The steering column support unit may be attached to the structural air duct assembly by any sufficient method including, but not limited to, mechanical attachment, chemical attachment, or thermal attachment (e.g., vibration or sonic welding), etc. Alternatively, the steering column support unit may be formed integrally with the structural air duct assembly by, for example, compression molding.
The steering column support unit may include reinforcing elements to provide added load bearing ability and rigidity to specified portions of the unit. The reinforcing elements include fibers disposed within the material forming steering column support unit. The fibers may be carbon. The fibers are selectively included in a binder used to form the steering column support unit. The binder may be the same as that used in the formation of the structural air duct assembly thus facilitating integral formation of the assembly and the steering column support unit.
In another exemplary embodiment of the structural attachment system of the present invention, the first structural member and vehicle components are the structural air duct assembly and the steering column, respectively, and the attachment assembly includes a load plate assembly and a steering column support unit.
The load plate assembly mechanically attaches the structural air duct assembly and the steering column support unit, the steering column support unit being coupled with the steering column.
In this embodiment, the load plate assembly is disposed within a plurality of structural ribs which are formed as part of the structural air duct assembly. The structural ribs provide a structure which disperses the load received by the load plate assembly due to the nesting thereof within the structural ribs.
The load plate is formed of a material which is designed to receive and transfer loads and forces associated with the steering column. Preferably, the load plate is formed of a metal.
The load plate assembly includes a plate member. The plate member is disposed within the structural air duct assembly at the ribs.
The plate member has a plurality of openings formed therein and a number of fastener members are formed above the plurality of openings. The fastener members are designed to engage and mate with an equal number of fasteners.
Fasteners extend through the steering column support unit and through the structural air duct assembly to mate with the fastener members. Fasteners provide secure attachment of the steering column support unit to the structural air duct assembly.
In another embodiment of the load plate assembly, the plate member does not have a number of fastener members formed as part thereof but rather has a number of fasteners which extend therefrom.
In this embodiment, fasteners are connected to a bottom surface of the load plate and extend therefrom. The load plate, again, is seated within the structural air duct assembly at the ribs. The fasteners extend from the structural air duct assembly and pass through the steering column support unit. The fastener members attach the steering column unit to the fasteners and hence the unit is mechanically attached to the structural air duct assembly by compression caused by the load bearing assembly.
The structural attachment system of the present invention, provides for the attachment of various vehicle components and distributes loads and forces associated with the components throughout the vehicle structural support system.
In one embodiment, the structural system utilizes a steering column support unit with to attach a steering column and a structural air duct assembly. In another embodiment, the structural system utilizes a load plate assembly in conjunction with a steering column support unit to attach the steering column to the structural air duct assembly.
The various embodiments of the present invention described attach and support the steering column, reinforce a load bearing area of the structural air duct assembly, regulate vertical oscillatory motion of the steering column, and distribute the loads of the steering column across the structural air duct assembly and elsewhere throughout the vehicle.
The structural attachment system of the present invention provides for a vehicle structural system of reduced mass. Particularly, light-weight materials such as plastic may be used to form the vehicle components due to the added support and rigidity provided at the load bearing area by the steering column unit and/or the load plate.
The assembly described herein reduces extra parts need for assembly and provides a simplistic design allowing for ease of installation.
The above-described and other features and advantages of the present invention will be appreciated and understood by those skilled in the art from the following detailed description, drawings, and appended claims.

Structural attachment system and method for a vehicle


A material handling system. The system includes a plurality of material sources for providing material to be transferred and a plurality of destination locations for receiving material from the material sources, wherein each destination location has a destination valve. The system further includes a distribution mechanism, a plurality of source conveying tubes each connecting a source location to an opening on the distribution mechanism, and a plurality of destination conveying tubes each connecting an opening on the distribution mechanism to a destination location. The system further includes a vacuum source operatively connected to each of the destination valves, a vacuum sensor disposed on each of the source conveying tubes configured to sense a change in pressure in the source conveying tube, and a programmable controller connected to each of the vacuum sensors for determining if a correct connection has been made.

This application discloses an invention which is related, generally and in various embodiments to pneumatic conveying. In factories that use pneumatic conveying methods to move material, it is common to have a fantail manifold, sometimes called a selector station, where material sources are connected to material destinations. This selector station is used to select which material is going to be conveyed to what destination. The selector station provides flexibility to permit various destinations to be connected to different sources depending on the material desired at the time. The flexibility of being able to connect various sources to various destinations also allows the undesired effect of connecting the wrong source material to a destination. In prior pneumatic conveying systems, the wrong material is prevented from being connected by radio frequency identification tags, mating connectors, machine vision, and manual inspection. Manual inspection is subject to the same human error that caused the initial problem and the other methods have deficiencies as well. Radio frequency identification tagging techniques are relatively expensive and involve calibration or paring of the mating connections. Mating connectors are reliant on discrete wiring that is subject to breakage. Machine vision proofing is relatively expensive and involves a camera system that is not effective in high ambient lighting conditions. A pneumatic conveying system using machine-identifiable indicia for verifying a physical connection between source locations and destination locations in material handling processes is disclosed in U.S. patent application Ser. No. 13/766,043, filed Feb. 13, 2013, the disclosure of which is incorporated by reference.

Pressure differential proofing method for pneumatic conveying


An interface between a wireless node and a network node includes an encapsulator for temporarily converting data frames into Ethernet frames for the link between the two nodes and de-encapsulating the Ethernet frames before the data is processed at the network node.

In recent years much attention has been given to the extension of wireless links to local area networks or other packet-based communication networks which normally consist of various forms of packet generating receiving and processing units linked by physical links constituted by, for example, twisted pair lines, coaxial cable or optical fibres. Various standards are being developed for the wireless communication of data to and from nodes which form part of a packet-based communication network. One such standard is known as 'Bluetooth'. The present invention in a preferred form is intended to be compatible with a Bluetooth standard but the subject matter of the invention is applicable to other systems.
It is known, from the systems operating in accordance with the Bluetooth standard, to provide a 'node' which is capable of receiving and/or transmitting a radio frequency signal, preferably in the form of a spread spectrum signal with 'frequency-hopped' coding. Such a node includes high level packet processing functions so that the node is immediately compatible, for example, with an Ethernet network. In such a node, the signals recovered from the baseband processing in the radio receiver are conventionally in a high speed serial data format. The transport layer for this high speed serial data is specified in the Bluetooth specification as using either USB, RS232 or UART. For a variety of reasons it is not feasible to include substantial error detecting or correcting facilities in such a format and accordingly it is not desirable to have any substantial physical separation between the radio section of the node and the high level packet processing section.

Interface system for wireless node and network node


The invention relates to the compounds or its pharmaceutical acceptable polymorphs, solvates, enantiomers, stereoisomers and hydrates thereof. The pharmaceutical compositions comprising an effective amount of compounds of formula I, formula II, formula III, formula IV, formula V, formula VI, formula VII, formula VIII, formula IX, formula X, formula XI, formula XII, formula XIII, formula XIV and formula XV and the methods for the treatment of chronic pain may be formulated for oral, buccal, rectal, topical, transdermal, transmucosal, lozenge, spray, intravenous, oral solution, buccal mucosal layer tablet, parenteral administration, syrup, or injection. Such compositions may be used to treatment of chronic pain.

Chronic pain is a common medical condition afflicting up to 35% of the adult population (40% are female). Patients with co-existing chronic pain are prone to exacerbation of their underlying pain condition following surgery. Both pre-existing pain and elevated analgesic requirements continue to be significant predictors of severe postoperative pain development. Specific approaches toward perioperative management of patients with co-existing chronic pain are not adequately described in the scope of current chronic and acute pain management guidelines worldwide
Epidural analgesia provides significant acute pain benefits in the early perioperative period, especially for major abdominal and thoracic surgery, and several large studies have demonstrated these benefits. However, the ability to prevent progression to chronicity has been less effective, with mixed results across several studies.
Good perioperative analgesia and minimization of surgical tissue injury will remain important goals for both anesthesiologist and surgeon in the perioperative period. The broader and more consistent use of multimodal analgesic techniques remain the simplest current method by which anesthesiologists could have a major impact on the development of chronic post-surgical pain.
The mechanisms of postoperative chronic pain are complex and not fully understood. Different mechanisms are responsible for different pain syndromes, even in one type of surgery. The surgical stimulus and tissue trauma that results from incision cause postoperative inflammatory reaction which only terminates with the final healing process; thus, facilitating the process of neuroplasticity and consequent changes in neuronal membrane excitability.
Furthermore, there is a possible reduction of the central inhibitory mechanisms and increased excitatory synaptic efficacy. Neuroplasticity can be divided into two interconnected types: peripheral and central. Peripheral neuroplasticity occurs from the release of inflammatory mediators (cytokines, prostaglandins, bradykinin, histamine, serotonin, H+ ions) by damaged tissues or inflammatory cells, with activation of intracellular cascades that culminate in reducing the excitatory threshold and may cause pain perception with a reduced stimulus (allodynia) or increased response to aggressive stimulus (hyperalgesia).
Persistent postoperative chronic pain is a complex entity whose etiology is not fully elucidated, which affects the quality of life of individuals. Neuropathic pain resulting from surgical trauma is still the most common expression of this entity. For its prevention, appropriate perioperative analgesia is essential and techniques that avoid nerve damage are recommended and should be used whenever possible.
Managing acute pathology of often relies on the addressing underlying pathology and symptoms of the disease. There is currently a need in the art for new compositions to treatment or delay of the onset of chronic pain and its associated complications progression.

Compositions and methods for the treatment of chronic pain


An artificial skin for use on a radar mannequin exposed to electromagnetic radiation having a predetermined frequency and a radar mannequin having the artificial skin are provided. The artificial skin and the radar mannequin with the artificial skin are configured to produce a radar cross section that closely approximates the radar cross section of a human. The artificial skin includes a conductive layer of material and a shielding layer of material. The conductive layer and the shielding layer are configured to reflect electromagnetic radiation at a level of an electromagnetic response of human skin exposed to the electromagnetic radiation. The shielding layer also electromagnetically shields an inside surface of the artificial skin from electromagnetic radiation.

Many vehicles make use of anti-collision systems to help reduce accidents between vehicles and hazards such as pedestrians, road obstructions, or other vehicles. These systems use interconnected sensor networks such as radar, optical sensors, infrared, or laser sensors to detect and track objects in the environment surrounding the vehicle.
While current anti-collision systems have become proficient and reliable in identifying objects like other vehicles and road obstructions, tracking pedestrians has proven more difficult. As collisions between vehicles and pedestrians are a very serious problem, the need exists for anti-collision systems that are capable of reliably identifying and tracking pedestrians.
Optical based sensors such as cameras usually can provide high-resolution images and wide observation field. However, these systems often require substantial computing and data processing to extracting target information. In addition, optical based systems are often limited by weather and lighting conditions.
While infrared technology can overcome some of the deficiencies of optical based sensors, these systems are still limited with respect to short range detection. Laser based sensor networks can provide accurate information regarding a target's position and distance. However, laser networks continue to have safety issues due to the lack of textured information about the targets.
Radar systems are well known in the art for measuring both distance and relative speed of objects surrounding vehicles. These systems can be used to improve the driver's ability to perceive objects when visibility is poor or in hard to see areas such as blind spots. Recently, the 76-78 GHz radar frequency band was allocated for automobile collision avoidance radar systems. Due to its longer detection range, better position resolution, and reduced sensitivity to various road and weather conditions, there is significant research and development on radar systems in this frequency range.
Compared to optical sensor systems, 76-78 GHz radar has the advantages of longer detection range, higher target position resolution, and better tolerance for poor weather and lighting conditions. In addition, radar data contains Doppler and micro Doppler signatures associated with motions of different moving parts of a target. This makes it ideal for pedestrian collision warning/avoidance systems on vehicles. Testing the effectiveness of such systems requires the use of special pedestrian mannequins that produce a radar response similar to a real human from different observation angles and in different postures.
The size and shape of an object are two of the factors that influence the response that the object will generate when exposed to a radar signal. Additionally, different surface materials produce different responses to 76-78 GHz radar. Therefore, to accurately test pedestrian collision systems, radar mannequins not only need to have body shapes that resemble real pedestrians, but also artificial skins that replicate the radar reflectivity of real human skin. In addition, the radar response generated by a real person is not consistent throughout their entire body. The response generated by a torso is different than the response generated by a lower leg. As such, the radar mannequin should be configurable to produce a non-uniform radar response.
It would therefore be beneficial to produce an artificial skin specifically designed for radar mannequins used in 76-78 GHz vehicular collision avoidance radar evaluations and testing. The artificial skin should enable a radar mannequin to produce radar cross section (RCS) pattern data that closely resembles that of a real person. A radar cross section is a measure of how detectable an object is with radar. The artificial skin is configured so that the radar mannequin, from the perspective of a radar system, appears like a human. In addition, as the radar response of a human can vary from one body part to another, the artificial skin should be easily configurable so that the response of specific body parts of the radar mannequin can match their real human counterparts.

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.

Indiana University Research and Technology Corporation


A receptacle, such as an ashtray, glove compartment or the like for vehicles, is described, comprised of a housing, a cover, which is hinged to the housing along a rim edge and extends over the housing with at least one curved guide arm, and a releasable detent device for maintaining the cover against the force of an opening spring in the closed position when the cover covers the housing. The detent device, which can be actuated by acting on the cover, has a heart-shaped control cam, which is arranged on the guide arm and embodied as a connecting link groove. A bolt, which is formed on a hinged lever on the housing side, acts against the cam and rests in a lockable manner therewith. In connection with this receptacle, it is provided in accordance with the invention that a blocking device, which reacts to extreme changes in velocity, is arranged on the housing. The blocking device prevents the hinged lever from relinquishing its position thereby maintaining the cover in the locked position.

Generally, a two-step directional locking mechanism has been used in known receptacles, in particular, ashtrays, such as has been long known from a ballpoint pen mechanism. Such receptacles have enjoyed increasing popularity because of their easy and simple handling (e.g., automatic tipping). However, an unpleasant disadvantage was noted in the actual use of these receptacles, which was that the ashtray drawer or the cover did not dependably remain in the locked position when the receptacle was subjected to extreme changes in speed. But such changes in speed of a receptacle in vehicles usually occur during normal driving operations when, for example, passing through deep potholes, strong undulations of the ground and the like, but in particular in case of accidents with abrupt changes of velocity. Also, dynamic pressure (deceleration impulse) when slamming a door shut can result in an unintentional opening of the detent device.
An ashtray for motor vehicles is known from German Patent Publication DE 39 30 271 A1, which comprised of a housing, which can be fastened in a wall recess, and an ashtray drawer which is movably seated therein. The ashtray drawer, after releasing a detent, can be moved from a non-use position into a use position by means of the force of an opening spring. In particular, the detent can be released by slight pressure on the ashtray drawer against the force of the opening spring so that the ashtray drawer can then be moved into an use position in the direction opposite the direction of pressure exerted by the opening spring. To prevent the unintentional opening of the ashtray drawer, at least one additional spring, which supports the opening spring, was provided with this ashtray. The pressure on the ashtray drawer which causes the release of the detent is made more difficult by the additional spring, and, therefore, also the unintentional release of the ashtray drawer detent.

Receptacle, such as an ashtray, glove compartment or the like for vehicles