A zoom lens system includes a negative first lens group, a variable diaphragm, a positive second lens group, in this order from the object.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a zoom lens system suitable for a single lens reflex (SLR) camera, and especially suitable for a digital SLR camera.
2. Description of the Prior Art
A conventional zoom lens system for a SLR camera has a zoom ratio of approximately 2 to 3, and has an angle-of-view covering from a wide-angle range to a telephoto range (a standard zoom lens system). In such a zoom lens system, a retrofocus two-lens-group zoom lens system, including a lens group having a negative refractive power (hereinafter, a negative lens group) and a lens group having a positive refractive power (hereinafter, a positive lens group), in this order from the object, has often been employed.
On the other hand, a conventional zoom lens system of a digital SLR camera has widely employed an imaging device having an image plane which is smaller than that of a silver-halide-film SLR camera with a 35 mm-film format. This is because it has been difficult to increase the size of an imaging device in a digital SLR camera.
Accordingly, the angle-of-view of a digital SLR camera becomes narrower than that of a silver-halide-film SLR camera even in the case where a common exchangeable lens which can also be used with a silver-halide-film SLR camera is mounted thereon. Therefore a zoom lens system of a shorter focal length is preferable and suitable for a digital SLR camera.
Furthermore, in a digital SLR camera, if an attempt is made to design a lens mount and a flange back so that these lens mount and flange back can also be used for a widely-used exchangeable lens of a silver-halide-film SLR camera, a longer back focal distance is required, compared to the focal length of the exchangeable lens.
As explained, it is more difficult for a digital SLR camera to make the focal length at the short focal length extremity shorter than for a silver-halide-film SLR camera to do the same. Moreover, pictures taken by a digital SLR camera have frequently been enlarged and viewed on a personal computer and so forth, though the image plane of an imaging device is smaller than that of a silver-halide-film SLR camera with a 35 mm-film format. Due to these reasons, an imaging device of a digital SLR camera is required to have higher optical performance over the entire image plane of the imaging device.
However, in a conventional retrofocus zoom lens system of the two-lens-group arrangement having a negative lens group and a positive lens group, in this order from the object, the number of lens elements is larger; and miniaturization of the zoom lens system and the cost reduction on manufacturing the zoom lens system have not been sufficient. Moreover, the zoom ratio is less than 2, and the angle-of-view at the short focal length extremity is insufficient, i.e., the focal length cannot be made sufficiently shorter thereat.
The present invention is applied to a two-lens-group zoom lens system which includes a negative first lens group and a positive second lens group, in this order from the object, and has a smaller imaging device. In such a zoom lens system, the objective of the present invention is to provide a zoom lens system of a two-lens-group arrangement with the following features by suitably distributing refractive power over each lens group:
(i) the angle-of-view of 75° or more is attained;
(ii) the zoom ratio is 3 or more;
(iii) the focal length at the short focal length extremity is longer, compared to the back focal distance;
(iv) off-axis aberrations at the short focal length extremity and the on-axis aberrations at the long focal length extremity are maintained in a well balanced manner, while peripheral illumination at the short focal length extremity is secured; and
(v) the zoom lens system is miniaturized with lower production costs.

Abstract: Zooming is performed by moving the negative first lens group and the positive second lens group.

Abstract: The negative first lens group is constituted by at least two negative lens elements and at least two positive lens elements.

Abstract: The zoom lens system satisfies the following conditions:1.5<|f1/fw|<1.8  (1)1.0<|f2/(fw×ft)1/2<1.3  (2)1.0<|f2/f1|<1.2  (3)wherein                f1 designates the focal length of the negative first lens group;        f2 designates the focal length of the positive second lens group;        fw designates the focal length of the entire the zoom lens system at the short focal length extremity; and        ft designates the focal length of the entire the zoom lens system at the long focal length extremity.


A method of monitoring a plating bath which combines ac and dc voltammetry to accurately measure major and trace constituent concentrations. The method involves applying both ac and dc voltammetric signals to a pretreated electrode in contact with the plating bath solution, measuring the ac and dc response current spectra, and comparing the resultant spectra to determine which provides maximum spectral detail for monitoring particular constituents with minimum interference from other constituents. Then, the ac and dc response current spectra are each used to monitor the particular constituents for which each provides the best accuracy. The method complements and is easily integrated with known voltammetric techniques and equipment.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to plating baths and methods for monitoring the constituents contained therein. More particularly, the present invention relates to a method for systematically applying both ac and dc voltammetric signals to a plating bath solution in order to obtain ac and dc spectra which accurately indicate constituent concentration levels. The method can be used to maintain desired major and trace constituent concentrations in order to ensure optimal plating bath performance.
2. Description of Related Art
A typical plating bath solution is comprised of a combination of several different electrochemical constituents. The specific constituents vary depending upon the type of plating bath, but in general can be broadly divided into what are commonly known as major constituents and trace, or minor, constituents. The major constituents are those electrochemical constituents which make up about 2 to 50 percent of the total bath weight or volume. Trace constituents, on the other hand, are present in smaller quantities, usually less than one percent of the total volume. For example, in an acid cadmium plating bath, cadmium ions and sulfuric acid are major constituents, and organic addition agents, degradation products and chemical contaminants are typical trace constituents.
The concentration levels of both major and trace constituents are important determinants of the quality of the resultant plating deposit. Trace constituent concentrations influence certain characteristics of the plating deposit, including tensile strength, ductility, solderability, uniformity, brightness and resistance to thermal shock. Monitoring and optimization of trace constituents assumes that the major constituent concentrations within the bath are already properly set and maintained. Should the major constituents fall outside of required concentration ranges, however, the bath may fail to satisfactorily perform its plating function. It is therefore important that both major and trace constituent concentrations be regularly monitored.
Current major constituent monitoring techniques typically involve removing a sample of the electrochemical solution from the plating tank for subsequent wet or instrumental chemical analysis. Typical methods of measuring major constituent content in various types of plating baths are disclosed in K. E. Langford and J. E. Parker, "Analysis of Electroplating and Related Solutions," pages 83-100, 65-68 and 174-180. Wet or instrumental chemical analysis methods such as these usually must be performed by highly skilled personnel. Specialized and costly chemical analysis equipment and supplies are required. Furthermore, the delay between drawing samples and receiving measurement results can be anywhere from several hours to several days. It is thus very tedious and expensive to monitor major constituent concentrations using currently available techniques. Moreover, the slow response time of some wet chemical analysis limits the extent to which a high quality plating bath can be continuously maintained.
Trace constituent monitoring techniques, however, can provide accurate results in real time without wet chemical analysis. The method disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,116, assigned to the present assignee, uses ac voltammetry to produce response current spectra which vary as a result of changes in the concentration of various trace constituents. Other techniques, such as polarographic stripping, use dc voltammetric signals to analyze the plating bath. Both ac and dc voltammetric techniques have been found to produce accurate results in real time for trace constituent analysis. However, these techniques have not yet been considered for analyzing major constituents.
Furthermore, a single ac or dc voltammetric technique is unlikely to produce optimal measurement results for all trace constituents in all types of plating baths. In any constituent measurement, it is important that the measurement be selective, that is, substantially unaffected by other constituents in the bath. The measurement should also be very sensitive to the presence of the desired constituent. However, in certain cases, the ac or dc voltammetric signal response to one constituent is susceptible to interference from other constituents, which leads to decreased sensitivity and ambiguous measurement results. For example, the ac technique of U.S. Pat. No. 4,631,116 does not produce completely unambiguous response current spectra for multiple organic addition agents in the acid cadmium bath discussed above.
Under current practice, therefore, no single technique or set of equipment is sufficiently flexible to measure a wide variety of major and trace constituents. Wet or instrumental chemical analysis is typically used for major constituent measurement, and a variety of ac or dc techniques for trace constituent measurement. No integrated measurement system is available which combines the attributes of several measurement techniques. As a result, plating bath users must bear the additional expense of maintaining several sets of equipment for measuring different constituents. Furthermore, there is no efficient strategy for selecting among the various voltammetric techniques available. Users must rely on trial and error to select the most appropriate ac or dc technique for a given application.
As is apparent from the above, there presently is a need for an improved method of monitoring plating bath major and trace constituents which combines and extends the capabilities of existing techniques. The method should provide a systematic strategy for obtaining the most selective and sensitive response spectra for measuring a particular major or trace constituent. Furthermore, the method should be capable of providing the advantages of different voltammetric techniques using a single set of measurement equipment, resulting in a flexible and efficient overall plating bath analysis system.

Method of monitoring constituents in plating baths


To provide a positioning system, a positioning method, and a positioning server, which are capable of improving accuracy in detection of a position. In a positioning system, three or more access points connected to a terminal station by wireless communication are connected to a positioning server through a network, the access points transmit, to the positioning server, information regarding times of having received a signal transmitted from any one of the access points or the terminal station, and the positioning server measures a position of the terminal station based on the information regarding the times, the information having been received from the access points. In the positioning system, the access points select a communication method for maximizing a strength of the signal received from the terminal station and receive the signal from the terminal station, and the positioning server measures the position of the terminal station based on the information regarding the times, the information having been received from the access points.

This invention relates to a positioning system, which measures a position of a node having a wireless transmission function, and particularly to a positioning system, a positioning method, and a positioning server, which are highly accurate in position detection.
As a conventional representative method of measuring a node position, there is a method of measuring the node position by use of a signal from a satellite such as a GPS.
As another conventional method of measuring the node position, there is a method, in which the node receives signals from a plurality of access points, and the node position is calculated from differences among received times of the signals.
Specifically, there has been proposed a method of detecting a position of a terminal station, which is used for a cellular phone system, and in which differences among received times of signals transmitted from access points to the terminal station (time differences T1−T2 and T3−T2 between propagations of the signals from the respective access points to the terminal station) are calculated, the time differences between the propagations are multiplied by the velocity of light, and distance differences between the propagations of the signals from the terminal station to the respective access points are calculated, the distance differences being represented as:D1−D2=c(T1−T2); andD3−D2=c(T3−T2)(for example, refer to JP 07-181242 A).
Moreover, there has been proposed a method of detecting a position of a node, which is used for a wireless LAN system, and in which time differences among receipts of a signal transmitted from the node (terminal station) by the access points (time differences Ti−T1 among the receipts by the respective access points) are calculated, the time differences among the receipts are multiplied by the velocity of light, and distance differences {|P−Pi|−|P−P1|}=c(Ti−T1), i=2, . . . , n among propagations of the signal from the node to the respective access points are calculated (for example, refer to "Integrated Wireless LAN Access System—Study on Location System", Atsushi Ogino and 5 others, Proceeding of the 2003 IEICE Society Conference, The Institute of Electronics, Information and Communication Engineers, B-5-203, p. 662).

Positioning system, positioning method, and positioning server


The invention describes a heating system (13) for heating a body (1) of a preform having a material thickness bounded by a first surface (2) and a second surface (4). The heating system (13) comprises at least a light source arrangement (12) which is arranged to emit a number of directed light beams (17) and a coupling arrangement (15, 21) realized to deliberately couple light from the light source arrangement (12) in a specific direction into the body (1) during at least a certain minimum period such that the light is essentially guided along a longer path (19) between the first (2) and second surface (4). Furthermore, the invention concerns a method of heating a body (1) of a preform.

Preforms, in particular plastic preforms, are widely used for producing a variety of products ranging from curved surfaces to beverage bottles, for instance. Commonly, before forming such preforms into a desired shape, they have to be heated up to a temperature close to the melting point of the material of the preform. Shaping tools will then alter the shape so that a completely new product evolves. Such shaping methods include deep-drawing or blow-moulding of plastic preforms.
A well-known application of (blow-)moulding heated preforms is the production of PET (polyethylene therephthalate) bottles which are used for a variety of beverages such as mineral water, juices, lemonade and beer. In order to produce such bottles, a PET preform having a tubular shape is heated by means of halogen lamps. FIG. 1 shows a schematic sectional view of such a heating arrangement according to the state of the art. A body 1 of a preform having a first, outer, surface 2 and a second, inner surface 4 is heated by three halogen lamps 5. For that purpose, mirrors 7 are used to reflect parts of the divergent light 3 emitted by the halogen lamps 5 and to direct the light rays essentially into a traversal direction T of the preform 1. The traversal direction T is defined by a shortest direct line between the first surface 2 and the second surface 4 at a point where the light is coupled into the body 1. Because the light 3 is divergent, i.e. undirected or only partially directed, and consisting of light of many different wavelengths, it does not completely traverse the body 1 in the traversal direction T, but this direction is nevertheless the principal direction of traversal in general. Usually, preforms are moved on a production line along which a multitude of halogen lamps 5 are arranged. This leads to an increase of the temperature to a point where the preforms can be shaped by blowing them inside a mould or also by merely pressing them into the mould.
Halogen lamps emit a broad spectrum of visible and invisible light rays which ranges into the infrared region, as can be seen in FIG. 2. Here, the wavelength spectrum of a halogen lamp (in nanometers) is plotted on the x-axis, while the left y-axis refers to the corresponding absorption spectrum of PET in % and the right y-axis refers to the emission energies of typical halogen lamps in Watts. The first curve A corresponds to the PET absorption spectrum (left y-axis) while the second curve B corresponds to the emmission energy spectrum (right y-axis). It can be observed that the absorption of PET is notably low in the visible and near infrared wavelength ranges up to about 1010 nm, while a higher absorption rate of PET can be realized in between 1010 nm and 2000 nm. Above 2000 nm, PET is basically opaque. The wavelength spectrum of halogen lamps therefore produces an in homogenous heating result, since a significant portion of the halogen lamp spectrum is at wavelengths with a very high absorption by PET, i.e. above 2000 nm. Therefore, the larger portion of the emitted light is absorbed at the outer part of the preform, while its inner part is heated to a much lower extent. For that reason, it is often necessary to cool down the outside of a preform, for instance by spraying water on it, while prolonging the heating process at the same time in order to get the inside of the preform heated up as well. In sum, this leads to a more energy-consuming and longer heating process than would be necessary if a homogeneous heating was applied.
A way to circumvent these drawbacks is to choose a different light emitting system, such as lasers, which only operates at a certain wavelength. This way, the wavelength can be adjusted to the necessities of the heating process, which are mainly determined by the material and the thickness of the preform. For instance, heating a PET preform by means of laser wavelengths at an absorption rate by PET of less than 50% would mean that a more continuous absorption could be achieved, resulting in a lower overall energy input being necessary, i.e. the heating process could be carried out in a more effective way. However, such suitable laser wavelengths are not emitted by typical lasers for everyday use which emit at typical wavelengths of 800 or 970 nm. Unfortunately, in this wavelength range, only a quite low absorption rate of PET of about 15% can be achieved.
Against this background, it is highly desirable to provide a possibility to heat a body of a preform by means of a laser beam—or more broadly—by means of a directed light beam, more effectively and with less regard to the wavelength of the light beam which a light source emits.

Heating system and method of heating a body of a preform


Multi-site disaster recovery mechanism performed by the following steps: (i) providing a disaster recovery (DR) system that includes a plurality of sites where each site of the plurality of sites actively serves infrastructure-as-a-service to a set of tenant(s); (ii) for each site of the plurality of sites, determining the following characteristics of the site: workloads that require DR, workloads characteristics, tenants and capabilities; (iii) for each site of the plurality of sites, determining a plurality of associated sites; and (iv) on condition that a disaster occurs which impacts a first site of the plurality of sites, distributing a primary site workload of the first site across the associated sites of the first site. The determination of the plurality of associated sites associated with each site is based upon at least one of the following characteristics: capacity, workloads that require DR, workloads characteristics, tenants and/or capabilities.

The present invention relates generally to the field of data storage, and more particularly to disaster recovery.
Disaster recovery (DR) is the process, policy, and/or procedures that are related to preparing for recovery, or the continuation, of a technology infrastructure. Disaster recovery is vital to an organization after a natural or human induced IT (information technology) disaster. Disaster recovery focuses on the IT systems that support some or all functions of a company or business. IT disaster recovery control measures can be classified into one of the following three (3) types: preventive, detective, and/or corrective. Normally, disaster recovery plans document these three (3) types of control measures and are exercised regularly by companies and businesses using disaster recovery tests or drills. Some of the most common strategies for disaster recovery and data protection include: (i) backups made on magnetic tape and sent off-site; (ii) backups made to hard disk on-site and automatically copied to off-site hard disk; (iii) backups made directly to off-site hard disk; (iv) replication of data to an off-site location which overcomes the need to restore the data; (v) hybrid cloud solutions that replicate to on-site and also to off-site data centers; (vi) and/or (vii) the use of systems that are highly available, where both the data and system are replicated off-site. Sometimes a business will use an outsourced disaster recovery provider that utilizes cloud computing/storage, rather than using their own remote facilities.
Active-Passive DR software controls datacenters/sites which operate with a backup infrastructure other than the production site. The backup site is not in use unless a disaster forces the Active site workloads to move to the backup site. Similarly an Active-Active DR software considers that two, or more, sites participate in Disaster Recovery with both the sites running production workloads. Each site shares a reserved infrastructure that can be used to accommodate other active site data in case of a disaster.
Infrastructure as a service (IaaS) is a known way of doing business over a communication network. Providers of IaaS offer typically computers, such as physical machines, virtual machines, and/or other resources. For example, a hypervisor of the IaaS provider may run the virtual machines as guests. Pools of hypervisors within the cloud operational support-system can support large numbers of virtual machines and the ability to scale services up and down according to a customer's requirements, which will generally vary over time. Some IaaS providers offer additional resources such as the following: a virtual-machine disk image library, raw (block) and file-based storage, firewalls, load balancers, IP addresses, virtual local area networks (VLANs), and/or software bundles. Some IaaS providers provide these resources on-demand from their large pools of hardware resources. Customers can use either the Internet or carrier clouds (dedicated virtual private networks) for wide area coverage. IaaS providers typically bill IaaS services on a utility computing basis so that cost reflects the amount of resources allocated and consumed.

Multi-site disaster recovery mechanism for distributed cloud orchestration software

International Business Machines Corporation


The results herein identify Sp17 as a novel cancer-testis antigen in multiple myeloma. Sp17 recombinant protein was generated from E. coli. A CD8 predominant CTL line was generated that was able to lyse autologous targets in a Sp17-dependent HLA class I-restricted manner, using dendritic cells as the antigen-presenting cells and DOTAP to deliver the Sp17 protein to the dendritic cells. A combination of HLA-matched and mismatched antibody-enriched fresh myeloma tumor cells and myeloma cell lines were used as targets for the recombinant protein-propagated CTL. The findings of target cell lysis suggest that the Sp17 protein produced by Sp17+ tumor cells are processed and presented in vivo and that the CTL epitopes are presented in association with HLA class I molecules in a concentration and configuration recognized by recombinant protein-propagated CTL.

Throughout this application various publications are referenced, many in parenthesis. Full citations for each of these publications are provided at the end of the Detailed Description and throughout the Detailed Description. The disclosures of each of these publications in their entireties are hereby incorporated by reference in this application.
Biological therapy (sometimes called immunotherapy, biotherapy, or biological response modifier therapy) is a relatively new addition to the family of cancer treatments that also includes surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation therapy. Biological therapies use the body's immune system, either directly or indirectly, to fight cancer or to lessen the side effects that may be caused by some cancer treatments.
The immune system is a complex network of cells and organs that work together to defend the body against attacks by "foreign," or "non-self," invaders. This network is one of the body's main defenses against disease. It works against disease, including cancer, in a variety of ways. For example, the immune system may recognize the difference between healthy cells and cancer cells in the body and work to eliminate those that become cancerous. Cancer may develop when the immune system breaks down or is not functioning adequately. Biological therapies are designed to repair, stimulate, or enhance the immune system's responses.
Immune system cells include lymphocytes and monocytes. Lymphocytes are a type of white blood cell found in the blood and many other parts of the body. Types of lymphocytes include B cells, T cells, and Natural Killer cells. B cells (B lymphocytes) mature into plasma cells that secrete antibodies (immunoglobulins), the proteins that recognize and attach to foreign substances known as antigens. Each type of B cell makes one specific antibody, which recognizes one specific antigen. T cells (T lymphocytes) directly attack infected, foreign, or cancerous cells. T cells also regulate the immune response by signaling other immune system defenders. T cells work primarily by producing proteins called lymphokines. Natural Killer cells (NK cells) produce powerful chemical substances that bind to and kill any foreign invader. They attack without first having to recognize a specific antigen. Monocytes are white blood cells that can swallow and digest microscopic organisms and particles in a process known as phagocytosis. Monocytes can also travel into tissue and become macrophages.
Cells in the immune system secrete two types of proteins: antibodies and cytokines. Antibodies respond to antigens by latching on to, or binding with, the antigens. Specific antibodies match specific antigens. Cytokines are substances produced by some immune system cells to communicate with other cells. Types of cytokines include lymphokines, interferons, interleukins, and colony-stimulating factors. Cytotoxic cytokines are released by a type of T-cell called a cytotoxic T-cell (CTL). These cytokines attack cancer cells directly.
Cancer vaccines are a form of biological therapy currently under study. Vaccines for infectious diseases, such as measles, mumps, and tetanus, are effective because they expose the body's immune cells to weakened forms of antigens that are present on the surface of the infectious agent. This exposure causes the immune cells to produce more plasma cells, which make antibodies. T-cells that recognize the infectious agent also multiply. These activated T-cells later remember the exposure. The next time the agent enters the body, cells in the immune system are already prepared to respond and stop the infection.
For cancer treatment, researchers are developing vaccines that may encourage the patient's immune system to recognize cancer cells. These vaccines may help the body reject tumors and prevent cancer from recurring. Cancer vaccines given when the tumor is small may be able to eradicate the cancer. Early cancer vaccine clinical trials involved mainly patients with melanoma. Currently, cancer vaccines are also being studied in the treatment of many other types of cancer, including lymphomas and cancers of the kidney, breast, ovary, prostate, colon, and rectum.
Multiple myeloma (MM) is one form of cancer. Allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been applied to patients with multiple myeloma (MM) to induce disease remission, but many patients still experience disease relapse and die of the disease. There is a strong correlation between graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) and graft-versus-myeloma (GVM) in MM patients, so those patients who develop GVHD have a lower risk of disease relapse (Desikan et al. 2000). This observation suggests that the GVM effect of stem cell transplantation may be part of the more global GVH reactions due to minor histocompatibility differences between the donor and the recipient. Therefore, GVM is achieved at the expense of GVHD. As a result, although these patients have a lower risk of disease relapse, such advantage may not be translated into improved survival because a high proportion of these patients die due to complications associated with GVHD. If a myeloma antigen can be specifically targeted, tumor-specific donor CTL could be generated and administered to these patients following T cell-depleted allogeneic stem cell transplantation to enhance the GVM effect without inducing GVHD. The myeloma idiotypic protein is clone specific and has been previously used in the autologous settings (Lim and Bailey-Wood 1999; Wen et al. 1998; Reichardt et al. 1999; Massaia et al. 1999; Osterborg et al. 1999). However, the clinical results in the autologous settings have been disappointing due probably to the weak immunogenicity of the idiotypes and low effector:target ratio generated by the vaccines.
Therefore, there is a need for studies into other novel tumor antigens in MM that elicit consistent and strong tumor-specific immune responses that produce effective antitumor effects.
In addition to the idiotypes, T lymphocyte targets on myeloma cells that may be suitable molecules for enhancement of GVM without inducing GVHD include MUC-1 (Noto et al. 1997), mutant ras oncogene protein (Corradini et al. 1993) and the new class of tumor antigens, known as CT (cancer-testis) antigens (Olds and Chen 1998). The CT antigens include members of the MAGE family, BAGE, GAGE and NY-ESO-1. They are normal testicular antigens expressed aberrantly in tumor cells. Their restricted normal tissue expression makes them ideal molecules for immune targeting. CT antigens are expressed in some myeloma cells (Lim et al. 1999; Van Varen et al. 1999). Anti-MAGE-A3 CTL clones raised from normal healthy donors could lyse myeloma cells in an HLA-A1- and HLA-A2-specific manner (Van Baren et al. 1999).
Sp17 is a protein of apparent molecular mass of 24.5 kDa that is involved in acrosome reactions in spermatozoa. It has, in the last few years, been the target of investigation as an immunocontraceptive. It is a highly immunogenic protein in vivo, and previous studies have shown a high incidence for the spontaneous development of autoantibodies against Sp17 in vasectomized normal healthy males (Lea et al. 1997). Both B and T cell epitopes of Sp17 have also been defined in mice (Lea et al. 1998).

Sperm protein 17 for the diagnosis and treatment of cancer


A system and methodology for implementing an all-Internet Protocol for voice and data communications on a code division multiple access (CDMA) network. An access control server is employed to handle packetized communications within the CDMA network. The methodology is preferably also employed when migrating from a legacy, circuited-switched system to the improved packet-switched, all-IP CDMA system of the present invention.

1. Technical Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to the field of mobile telecommunications and, in particular, to an all Internet Protocol (IP) code division multiple access (CDMA) mobile telecommunications system, and methodology for the implementation thereof.
2. Description of Related Art and Background
The evolution of wireless communication over the past century, since Guglielmo Marconi's 1887 demonstration of radio's ability to provide continuous contact with ships sailing the English Channel, has been remarkable. Since Marconi's discovery, new wireline and wireless communication methods, services and standards have been adopted by people throughout the world. This evolution has been accelerating, particularly over the last ten years, during which the mobile radio communications industry has grown by orders of magnitude, fueled by numerous technological advances that have made portable radio equipment smaller, cheaper and more reliable. The exponential growth of mobile telephony will continue to rise in the coming decades as well, as this wireless network interacts with and eventually overtakes the existing wireline networks.
While the advantages of wireless communications are numerous, the limitations are also clearly defined, most notably the finite bandwidth available for cellular services. While the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) may, from time to time, provide additional bands for cellular services, wireless bandwidth is inherently limited. Thus, the technical challenge is to maximize the utilization of the available capacity, a strategy demonstrated by the dominance of digital cellular over its analog counterpart. Through digitalization of wireless communications, the advantages of multiplexing and voice compression by way of voice coding are achieved, both providing additional channels for a given bandwidth. Although digital multiplexing systems have proven efficient and successful on enormous scales, e.g., the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM), the drive for increased traffic over a limited bandwidth continues. Most recently, the emergence of code division multiple access (CDMA) has promised to reshape the industry.
CDMA, in general, converts a narrowband modulated signal and spreads it across a much wider bandwidth, e.g., over 1000 times the source bandwidth in some systems, by multiplication of a pseudorandom code sequence, e.g., the well-known Walsh codes. Originally developed for military applications in its simplest form, i.e., frequency hopping, spread spectrum modulation techniques have been used in some American military satellites for over twenty-five years in large part to capitalize on the inherent security offered by spread spectrum transmissions. CDMA has recently emerged as a viable cellular telecommunications modulation scheme, as demonstrated by the numerous commercial CDMA networks now in operation.
Packet data services are not new to the cellular world. GSM, for example, provides packet services through the use of a packet assembler and disassembler (PAD) device, although currently the GSM standard is a circuit-switched architecture. Thus, in order to access a packet-switched data network, e.g., the Internet, a packet assembler and disassembler must transform the asynchronous data streams from GSM to data packages for transmission across a packet data network. In GSM, for example, the packet assembler and disassembler is invoked by command of a mobile services switching center (MSC), which also directs the circuit-switched voice allocations, as is well understood in the telecommunications arts.
Until recently, the prospect of an all Internet Protocol (IP), i.e., substantially all-packetized communications, mobile telecommunications network has been technologically unfeasible. Packet services in cellular telecommunications have heretofore generally been limited to data services where latency issues may have low priority. More specifically, the potential for an all-IP cellular service has been hindered by unacceptable time delays introduced into the delivery of packets, particularly, packets carrying speech data. However, with continuing advances in switching speeds and the continued development of additional cellular infrastructure, for example, packet latency in cellular applications has been reduced to levels where cellular voice IP services are now considered viable. The present invention proposes an architecture for a cellular telecommunications system for providing all services, whether voice or data, according to an IP protocol.
By combining bandwidth efficiencies of a CDMA protocol cellular telecommunications system with all-IP delivery, a more efficient utilization of radio resources is realized, providing advantages over all currently employed cellular systems including analog, Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) and CDMA.
With the evolution of CDMA as an increasingly viable standard for wireless communications, current CDMA architectures, e.g., the cdma2000 packet data architecture, must adapt to the growing data servicing needs. One difficulty of the current cdma2000 architecture is an inherent tight connection between the conventional circuit-switched (CS) functions or domains and the increasingly important packet-switched functionalities or domains. For example, the cdma2000 architecture requires a Mobile Switching Servicing Center (MSC) for handling not only the typical CS voice calls but also setting up and maintaining packet data session and services. The justification for this tight connection was to reuse, where possible, existing functionality and readily available equipment.
Applicant believes that legacy voice services, i.e., CS-based connections, should evolve towards Internet Protocol (IP) transport, but that this evolution should be independent of that of PS services, enabling the different domains to advance at different paces. A step-wise evolution also enables a network carrier to stop evolving at any step and jump steps to provide enhanced services. As circuit-switching modalities become more outdated and are replaced, all-packet data networks become more and more a reality.
As mentioned, a current CDMA standard is the cdma packet data architecture (TIA PN-4286/3GPP2 PS0001), which embraces IETF protocols, particularly, mobile IP with Authorization Authentication and Accounting (AAA) bundling. With the tight connection between the CS and PS domains in this architecture, it is currently impossible to build a packet data network without a conventional MSC, which, because it is CS-based by its very nature, limits advancements to packet data services throughout the network, thereby hindering progress in the telecommunications and by limiting bandwidth capacity.
In view of the growing demand for and anticipated emergence of an all-packetized cellular system and protocol, there is clearly a need for a methodology addressing these emerging advances, particularly, regarding movement toward an all-IP CDMA implementation. Since most companies would rather not be on the cutting or bleeding edge of technological advances, the methodology should provide a mechanism for supporting legacy equipment, i.e., non-all-IP or voice circuit-switched devices, for a non-bleeding edge conversion to an increasingly packet-switched voice and data protocol and telecommunications network.
It is, therefore, an object of the present invention to provide an economically improved methodology to enable telecommunications system operators to stepwise migrate from conventional circuit-switched networks and mixed circuit-switched and packet data networks to an increasingly predominant packet data switching network.
It is also an object of the present invention to, in addition to evolving a network to packet switching, offer the simultaneous and independent ability to allow the telecommunications systems operators to evolve the voice circuit-switched domain to accommodate local traffic needs.
It is a further object of the present invention to improve upon existing standards e.g., the current cdma2000 architecture, that tightly bind CS-domain functionalities with the PS-domain functionalities, particularly, by routing all communications, whether CS-based voice of PS-based data, through an MSC, the improvements resulting in enhanced efficiencies.

CDMA internet protocol mobile telecommunications network architecture and methodology


Techniques and systems are described for generating and using a sound localization model. A described technique includes obtaining for a building a sound sensor map indicating locations of first and second sound sensor devices in respective first and second rooms of the building; causing an autonomous device to navigate to the first room and to emit, during a time window, sound patterns at one or more frequencies within the first room; receiving sound data including first and second sound data respectively from the first and second sound sensor devices that are observed during the time window; and generating and storing a sound localization model based on the sound sensor map, autonomous device location information, and the received sound data, the model being configured to compensate for how sounds travels among rooms in at least a portion of the building such that an origin room of a sound source is identifiable.

Systems such as alarm systems and home automation systems can trigger various types of events based on sensor input. For example, a door sensor can produce a door opening event, and if the alarm system is armed, the door opening event can trigger an alarm. A motion sensor can produce a motion event, and if the alarm system is armed, the motion event can trigger an alarm. Some systems can use sound to trigger events including alarm events or home automation action.

Drone assisted setup for building specific sound localization model


A component for an interior of a vehicle including a substrate, a skin cooperating with the substrate to define a cavity, and foam disposed within the cavity. The skin includes first and second skin components cooperating to define an outer show surface and a hidden support portion that extends away from the show portion. The skin components matingly engage each other along the length of the support portion to substantially prevent the foam from leaking therebetween. Additionally, the support portion includes an deformable portion to improve the soft-touch feel of the component.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to a component for an interior of a vehicle. More particularly, the invention relates to a soft-feel component for an instrument panel having two colors adjacent to each other in the skin covering.
2. Related Technology
Vehicle interiors, such as instrument panels, usually include a component having a soft-touch feel. For example, the soft-feel component typically includes a generally rigid substrate or carrier layer over which is a foam layer and a soft-feel skin layer. Occasionally, for aesthetic purposes, it is desirable for the component to have a bi-colored appearance. More specifically, it is desirable for the portion of the soft-feel skin that is exposed to the vehicle occupants, which is commonly known as the show surface, to have two or more differently-colored sections. Additionally, or alternatively, it may be desirable for the soft-feel skin layer to have two or more sections with different textures or patterns so that the component has a bi-textured feel.
One currently-known design for a bi-colored component is a soft-feel skin having a first area that is painted a first color and a second area that is painted a second color. In an alternative design, the soft-feel skin only includes a first painted area and the remaining portion of the skin remains its natural color. Both of these designs, however, may have an undesirably irregular or non-continuous border between the respective skin areas. The painted design may also require the skin to be pre-treated, thereby increasing the complexity and cost of producing the component. Moreover, painted areas of the soft-feel skin may be more prone than non-painted areas to premature color fading and/or paint chipping or cracking. Furthermore, it may not be possible to produce a component having a bi-textured skin through painting alone.
Another currently-known design for a bi-colored component includes a soft-feel skin manufactured through a powder slush process. More specifically, a mold conforming to the shape of the soft-feel skin is provided and a portion of the mold inner surface is coated with a powder having a first color. The mold is then heated sinter the first color. Next, the remaining portion of the mold inner surface is coated with a powder having a second color. The mold is again heated, sintering the second powder/color and bond it to the first. The skin is then removed from the mold for foaming and further manufacturing. However, as with painting the soft-feel skin, the powder slush method may require the time-consuming and/or costly steps to ensure accurate delivery of the powder coating to the mold surface. Moreover, the border between the respective powder sections may be irregular or non-continuous, although the irregularities may be masked or partially-hidden by forming a groove in the skin at the transition.
Yet another known bi-colored construction is to separately form a pair of soft-feel skin components and then assemble the two, prior to foaming, by gluing or a tape deposit at the seam. However, this design may have an aesthetically undesirable non-soft transition, raised ridge or depressed indentation along the transition of the respective skin components. Additionally, the component may be susceptible to foam leakage between the skin components. Moreover, design modifications and additional components intended to reduce or alleviate the above-mentioned aesthetic irregularities and sealing weaknesses may reduce the soft-touch feel of the component.
Therefore, it would be advantageous to provide a component for an interior of a vehicle having two skin components engaged with each other such as to substantially prevent foam from leaking therebetween without substantially diminishing the soft-touch feel of the component.

Component for a vehicle interior having a soft-feel touch


An apparatus and method for configuring a transmission resource of a beam failure recovery request, apparatus and method for responding a beam failure recovery request, and a communications system. The apparatus for configuring a transmission resource of a beam failure recovery request includes: a configuring unit configured to transmit configuration information to user equipment, the configuration information being used to configure a transmission resource of a beam failure recovery request related to coordination network equipment. The apparatus for responding a beam failure recovery request includes: a responding unit configured to transmit response information related to a beam failure recovery request of coordination network equipment to user equipment. A case where beam failure occurs in the coordination network equipment may be dealt with efficiently, and normal communications between the network equipment and the user equipment may be ensured.

Massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) technology is a key technology in a new radio (NR) system, which includes studies of the frequency bands below 6 GHz and above 6 GHz. With the increase of the transmission frequency bands, the fading and loss in the transmission will increase accordingly, and a beamforming technique becomes a key technique in the massive MIMO as it may effectively compensate for the fading.
At present, the beamforming technique includes analog beamforming (ABF), digital beamforming (DBF), and analog-digital hybrid beamforming (HBF). In the ABF, beamforming is performed on an analog domain, which is less complex to implement than the DBF, but beamforming factors over the entire time domain symbols are identical. When the number of users is relatively large, the ABF may impose certain restrictions on scheduling or user performance. In the DBF, the beamforming is performed on a digital domain, and each resource element in the time-frequency domain may adjust the beamforming factor as needed, but the complexity increases with the increase of the number of antennas, hence, it is not applicable to a massive MIMO system. And the HBF is a compromise between the ABF and the DBF in terms of performance and processing complexity, in which beamforming may be performed on both the analog and digital domains. However, the HBF is still limited to beamforming operations on the analog domain, and the amount of beams supported on each symbol is limited.
In the study of the NR, in order to improve the reliability of transmission, a beamforming technique in which multiple beams are simultaneously transmitted for a physical channel (such as a broadcast channel, a data channel, and a control channel, etc.) is allowed. However, in the multi-beam beamforming technique, there still exists a case of transmission failure, referred to as beam failure, due to a transmission characteristic of a high frequency band, rotation of a mobile station, and occlusion of an obstacle, and the like, in which case by adjusting service beams, it is possible to solve a problem of transmission failure at a physical layer and a media access control (MAC) layer. Therefore, a beam recovery mechanism is introduced in the NR: configuring physical resources for monitoring and/or pairs of beams monitored by the physical resources by the network equipment (e.g. a transmission point, TRP) for a user equipment, and the user equipment monitors a transmission state of pairs of beams of the control channel based on the configured physical resources. In a case where the user equipment (UE) detects a transmission failure of the control channel (e.g. an NR physical downlink control channel, NR-PDCCH), it may notify the network equipment (such as a transmission point) of transmission failure of a current link and/or a suggestion for new service beam pairs by transmitting an uplink signal, and the transmission point may correspondingly select new service beam pairs for the UE to recover the transmission.
It should be noted that the above description of the background is merely provided for clear and complete explanation of this disclosure and for easy understanding by those skilled in the art. And it should not be understood that the above technical solution is known to those skilled in the art as it is described in the background of this disclosure.

Apparatus and method for configuring transmission resource of beam failure recovery request, apparatus and method for responding beam failure recovery request and communications systems


A multiple sensory message center apparatus is disclosed which allows for the transmission of a message using the maximum number of transmission paths afforded by the humans senses as possible. The disclosure comprises an electronic display screen capable of displaying video images, sound generation electronics and equipment for the production of odors to stimulate the human olfactory senses as well. The apparatus is capable of display video images from pre-stored computer-based images, hand drawn images from an optical light pen, and video images from a security surveillance camera. The apparatus is capable of playback of audio messages from a tape unit, pre-stored computer based sound files, and an internal electronic-based message machine. Additionally, the apparatus is capable of the distribution of odors from pre-stored wax-based cartridges to assist in the conveyance of a message.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to apparatuses that provide for the displaying and conveying of messages and, more particularly, to an apparatus that provides for the displaying and conveying of messages using audio, visual and olfactory human senses as the transmission medium.
2. Description of the Related Art
The problems associated with the displaying and conveying of messages whether for personal or commercial use are well known and have been addressed somewhat by the prior art. For example, in U.S. Pat. No. Des. 344,505 issued in the name of Traldi, a multimedia display is disclosed. An invention made according to the Traldi reference would provide for the displaying of visual messages in an attention gathering manner. However, a device as envisioned by Traldi presents several problems. Perhaps the most significant problem is that the device only provides for visual messages and does not engage the maximum number of human senses. It can be envisioned therefore that many messages displayed by the Traldi invention do not get noticed by the intended recipient. Thus, the main objective of the invention is unaccomplished.
Consequently, a need has been felt for providing an apparatus for the displaying and conveying of messages using the maximum number of transmission paths allowed by human sensory input means as possible.

Multiple sensory message center apparatus


A magnetic resonance device is disclosed including a patient receiving zone, at least one diffusion gradient coil, at least one magnet for generating a basic magnetic field, and a plurality of gradient coils for generating gradient fields overlaying the basic magnetic field. The basic magnetic field extends substantially along a first direction in the patient receiving zone and a first gradient of a first gradient field runs in the first direction and at least one further gradient of a further gradient field runs in a further direction orthogonal to the first direction. The diffusion gradient coil has at least one conductor loop running in one plane or a plurality of conductor loops each running in parallel planes.

In magnetic resonance (MR) imaging, a diffusion gradient coil serves to generate a strong magnetic field locally by means of a diffusion pulse, in addition to the gradient fields generated by the gradient coils, which magnetic field strength is generated instead of or in addition to a diffusion gradient generated by the gradient coils. For this purpose, the diffusion gradient coil is positioned in the patient receiving zone and can at least partially enclose in particular a part of a patient's body, for example the head. Because of the comparatively small dimensions of the diffusion gradient coil, the spatial distribution of the field of the diffusion gradient coil will not generate a linear gradient, but will exhibit a strong local variation.

Magnetic resonance device and method for producing a diffusion gradient coil


There is provided a variable-gain amplifier, including two cascode amplifiers and an attenuator. The cascode amplifiers are mutually connected in parallel via the attenuator.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a variable-gain amplifier.
2. Related Art
Latest progress in fine gate processing technique has made it possible to apply a CMOS transistor to a GHz RF band, thereby fabricating a wireless system IC including a single chip, through a CMOS process that can integrate a RF-IC and a baseband-IC.
FIG. 11 is a block diagram showing a system configuration of a popular wireless communication terminal. The system includes variable-gain amplifiers at some key points, for absorbing gain fluctuation in a transmitting circuit and a receiving circuit, and adjusting and securing the total gain. Regarding the first-stage amplifier in the receiving circuit in particular, when a signal output from the antenna is weak the amplifier has to have a low-noise and high-gain characteristic for amplifying the signal, and when the signal output from the antenna is intense the amplifier has to have a high linearity in a low gain range, for attenuating the signal. Especially for preventing degradation of a desired wave by a disturbance wave having high signal intensity, such as an adjacent channel disturbance wave, a second adjacent channel disturbance wave or an in-band blocker, strict communication standards are generally provided. Thus, the amplifier employed at the first stage of the receiving circuit is required to provide wide variable range, low noise and high linearity at the same time.
FIG. 12 is a circuit diagram of a variable-gain amplifier disclosed in Japanese Laid-open patent publication No. 2005-136846. This amplifier includes three bipolar transistors Q1, Q2, Q3 that amplify a signal, and a base current control circuit 201. The collector of each transistor Q1, Q2, Q3 is connected to an output terminal "Output", as well as to an end of a resistor RL, which is a common load resistance. The other end of the resistor RL is connected to a power supply line Vcc to which a source voltage is applied. An input terminal "Input" is connected to the base of the transistor Q1 via a capacitor Csr1. The input terminal "Input" is also connected to the base of the transistor Q2, via the capacitor Csr1 and an attenuator AT1 which serves to attenuate an input signal.
The attenuator AT1 includes a capacitor Csr2 serially connected to the base of the transistor Q1, and a capacitor Csh2. The capacitor Csh2 is shunt-connected between a signal path posterior to the capacitor Csr2 (signal path connecting the capacitor Csr2 and the base of the transistor Q2) and the ground. Likewise, the input terminal "Input" is connected to the base of the transistor Q3 via the capacitor Csr1, the attenuator AT1 and an attenuator AT2 serving to attenuate the input signal. The attenuator AT2 includes a capacitor Csr3 serially connected to the base of the transistor Q2, and a capacitor Csh3. The capacitor Csh3 is shunt-connected between a signal path posterior to the capacitor Csr3 (signal path connecting the capacitor Csr3 and the base of the transistor Q3) and the ground.
With such structure, the variable amplifier allows switching between the unit amplifier, and the plurality of attenuators connected in parallel between the signal input terminal and the signal output terminal, and thereby varying the gain and linearity of the variable amplifier as a whole. The number of switch stages may be determined as desired if not fewer than two, and the example of FIG. 12 has three stages.
FIG. 13 is a circuit diagram of the base current control circuit 201 shown in FIG. 12. Referring to FIG. 13, working principle of the circuit of FIG. 12 will be described. With changes of the control voltage Vctrl, the variable-gain amplifier works as follows. While the control voltage Vctrl is sufficiently higher than reference voltages Vr1, Vr2, the transistor Qb2 and the transistor Qb4 of the base current control circuit 201 are turned off. Accordingly, an entirety of a total base current determined by a current mirror circuit for setting the total current is supplied to the base of the transistor Q1 of the amplifier, via the transistor Qb1. The remaining transistors Q2, Q3, are, therefore, turned off.
Under such state, the transistor Q1 receives the signal input to the input terminal "Input" without mediation of the attenuator. Accordingly the gain becomes maximal, and IIP3, which is an index of the linearity of the variable amplifier as a whole, reflects the linearity of the transistor Q1 itself as it is.
As the control voltage Vctrl becomes lower, a part of the current supplied to the base of the transistor Q1 starts to be supplied to the base of the transistor Q2. In other words, with the drop of the control voltage Vctrl, the base current of the transistor Q1 gradually decreases, while the base current of the transistor Q2 gradually increases. Accordingly, transistor Q1 gradually loses the gain with the decrease in collector current. In contrast, the transistor Q2 obtains higher gain with the increase in collector current. As already stated, the gain of the signal path through the transistor Q2 is lower than that of the signal path through the transistor Q1 provided that the base current is equal, and hence the overall gain of the variable amplifier decreases (Ref. FIG. 4 of Japanese Laid-open patent publication No. 2005-136846).
Also as already stated, the signal path through the transistor Q2 has higher linearity than the signal path through the transistor Q1 provided that the base current is equal, and accordingly the overall linearity of the variable amplifier increases. When the control voltage Vctrl becomes still lower, the increase in collector current of the transistor Q2 increases the gain of the transistor Q2, thereby nearly turning off the transistor Q1. Since the input of the transistor Q2 is made via the attenuator AT1 the overall gain of the variable amplifier becomes lower in this case, and the IIP3 of the variable amplifier as a whole presents a value obtained by summing the characteristic of the transistor Q2 itself and the attenuation factor expressed in decibel (dB).
When the control voltage Vctrl drops even further, the transistor Qb1 and the transistor Qb3 are turned off. Accordingly, the entirety of the total base current set by the resistor Rref and the transistors Qref/Qbcs of the base current control circuit 201 is supplied to the base of the transistor Q3 via the transistor Qb1, an the remaining transistors Q1, Q2 are both turned off. Under such state, the signal input to the input terminal "Input" is provided to the transistor Q3 via the attenuators AT1, AT2, and therefore the overall gain of the variable amplifier becomes minimal, while the IIP3 of the variable amplifier as a whole becomes highest.
In the variable-gain amplifier, a sufficient isolation characteristic has to be secured between the input terminal and the output terminal. The amount of isolation of the input/output (hereinafter, I/O) terminal of the first-stage unit amplifier (transistor Q1 in FIG. 12) determines how much attenuation range can be secured. For example, it will be assumed that the amount of isolation between base and collector of the transistor Q1 in FIG. 12 is −20 dB at the frequency of 1 GHz, while a minimum gain of the variable-gain amplifier to be achieved by the combination of the attenuator and the unit amplifier is −30 dB. In this case, since the amount of I/O isolation of the transistor Q1 is −20 dB at 1 GHz, the minimum gain cannot be lowered to −30 dB, but instead determined around −20 dB, which is the amount of isolation of the transistor Q1. Thus, in order to secure a sufficient attenuation range, it is essential to secure the matching amount of I/O isolation of the first-stage unit amplifier.
FIG. 14 is a circuit diagram of another variable-gain amplifier disclosed in Japanese Laid-open patent publication No. 2005-136846. FIG. 15 is a graph for comparing control voltage dependence of the gain and the IIP3 characteristic of the amplifier of FIG. 14. Performing thus a multi-stage cascode connection enables attaining higher isolation. However, because of employing bipolar transistors, which have to be vertically stacked, effective operation cannot be performed unless the source voltage is increased. Consequently, such structure does not provide a sufficient characteristic.


A top of form setting apparatus for a printer, which has a printing device for printing on paper, a paper storage for storing the paper, a paper feeding device for feeding the paper in a forward direction toward the printing device and in a reverse direction toward the paper storage, a controller for controlling the printing device and the paper feeding device, a paper top detector for detecting a top of the paper fed by the paper feeding device, a paper reverse feeding device for reversely feeding the paper which has been set at a printing position until reaching a detecting position of the paper top detector, and further for reversely feeding the paper by a predetermined amount, and a paper forward feeding device for forwardly feeding the paper which has been fed in a reverse direction by the paper reverse feeding device until reaching the detecting position of the paper top detector, and further for forwardly feeding the paper by a predetermined amount, thereby setting the paper top at a predetermined position.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a top of form setting apparatus for a printer, in regard to a printer which carries out the printing on a continuous form of paper such as a series of vouchers, and, more particularly, to an apparatus for a printer which is sure to set the top of form of paper at a predetermined position, through amendment of position when an operator mistakenly set the paper at an inaccurate position.
2. Description of the Related Art
When a printer carries out the printing on a continuous form of paper, such as a series of vouchers, the top of continuous form of paper is manually set at a predetermined position by an operator, which is illustrated in FIG. 18 as an example of the prior art. There is a printer 201, in which a paper feeding means and a printing means are mounted. A paper holder unit 203 is mounted on the outside of the printer 201 (on the left side in FIG. 18). The paper holder unit 203 consists of a paper holder 205 and a holder cover 207, in which, paper 209 is stored. The paper 209 is a continuous form, such as a series of vouchers, and it can be cut into a separate form at the perforation.
A case 211 of the printer 201 is provided with a paper inlet. Although there is no illustration in FIG. 18, the paper inlet is positioned at the left side of the case 211 in FIG. 18. The case 211 is further provided with a paper outlet 213 at the top thereof so that the printed paper 209 can be output. There is a knob 215 on the side of the case 211 in FIG. 18. The knob 215 is used for a manually-operated mechanism mounted in the printer 201, and when an operator rotates the knob 215, the paper feeding means mounted in the case 211 can be actuated by such a manually-operated mechanism.
With such a structure, when the top of the paper 209 is set at a predetermined position through manual operation, an operator 217 firstly holds the top of the paper 209 in one hand, inserts the paper 209 into the case 211 via the paper inlet, and puts the top of the paper 209 on the paper feeding means. The operator 217 then rotates the knob 215 in the other hand, and drives the paper 209 until the top of the paper 209 reaches the predetermined position. In this case, for example, there may be any mark in the vicinity of the paper outlet 213 of the case 211, so that the operator 217 can visibly confirm that the top of the paper 209 is set at the predetermined position when the top of the paper 209 reaches such a mark.
However, the manual operation by the operator 217, as above described, is very complicated and troublesome. Consequently, there are provided apparatuses which automatically set the top of paper 209 at a predetermined position. Such apparatuses are disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. Sho 60-76373 and 61-205160.
With regard to the apparatus for automatic setting of top of paper disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 60-76373, the operator 217 (hereinafter the same reference numerals, such as the operator "217", are given to those in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication Nos. Sho 60-76373 and 61-205160 for easy reference) firstly inserts the paper 209 into the case 211 and puts the top of the paper 209 on the paper feeding means. The operator 217 then operates a top of form switch. Through operation of the top of form switch, the paper 209 is automatically fed by the paper feeding means. Then the top of the paper 209 is detected by a paper top detecting sensor. The paper 209 is fed by a predetermined amount after detection of the top of the paper 209, until the top of the paper 209 reaches the predetermined position.
With regard to the apparatus for automatic setting of top of paper disclosed in the Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 61-205160, there is a marking provided in advance on the paper 209. The inserted paper 209 is automatically fed, for example, by the paper feeding means through operation of the top of form switch. There is a sensor provided in the apparatus, and the paper 209 is fed to the position at which the sensor detects the marking on the paper 209 in order to position the paper 209 at the predetermined position.
However, the prior art discussed above has the following problems:
Firstly, with regard to the apparatus for automatic setting of top of paper in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 61-205160, it is necessary to put the marking in advance on the paper 209. Therefore the paper for universal use cannot be utilized, and instead, only the special paper with the marking can be used, which leads to increase in the cost. PA1 Secondly, with regard to either of the apparatuses for automatic setting of top of paper, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 60-76373 or No. Sho 61-205160, there may be a case that the paper 209 deviates from the accurate position due to operation of the operator 217.
As above discussed, the operator 217 inserts the paper 209 into the case 211, and puts the top of the paper 209 on the paper feeding means. After that, the paper 209 is automatically fed by the paper feeding means. However, as shown in FIG. 19, during the automatic paper feeding, when the operator 217 holds the paper 209, or when the operator 217 pulls the paper 209 in the opposite direction of paper feeding, the paper feeding by the predetermined amount will not be carried out, which results in the deviation of position of the paper 209.
When the operator 217 obliquely inserts the paper 209 into the case 211 by mistake and puts the paper 209 on the paper feeding means, the paper feeding means automatically feeds the paper 209 without any amendment of such an oblique position, which may sometimes result in the state such as jamming of paper.
With regard to either of the apparatuses for automatic setting of top of paper, in Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. Sho 60-76373 or No. Sho 61-205160, when the top of the paper 209 is set at the predetermined position, printing is done, and the printed paper 209 is cut and output, then the printing position of the following paper 209 is set subject to the state of the former printing of the paper 209. At that time, as shown in FIGS. 20 and 21, when the operator 217 cuts the printed paper 209 by using the tearing bar which is positioned at the paper outlet 213 in order to cut the paper, there may be a case that the operator 217 pulls the following paper 209, which results in the positioning of the following paper 209 in a deviated state.
In addition, as shown in FIG. 22, there may be a case that the operator 217 operates the knob 215 by mistake, which also results in the positioning of the following paper 209 in a deviated state.
In general, the form such as a voucher has been "pre-printed", in which the printing positions thereof have already been specified. Therefore, if the paper 209 is set in a deviated state, the necessary information is not printed in the accurate position. Such printings in inaccurate positions may cause serious errors. For example, when the statement of credit card is issued, the amount of bill will not be printed in the corresponding box (position) which indicates such an amount, and instead, the amount will be printed in any other box (position) which should correspond to any other indication.

Top of form setting apparatus for a printer


The invention relates to a circuit board connector capable of establishing an electrical connection between circuits on a circuit board and a mating electrical connector at a mating side of said circuit board connector. The circuit board connector includes a connector housing accommodating a plurality of terminals for establishing said electrical connection and an electrically conductive shell at least partially enclosing said connector housing. The shell includes a top wall and a rear wall, wherein said rear wall is connected to said top wall and is arranged opposite to said mating side. The shell further has a first and second extension connected to opposite sides of said rear wall and bent with respect to said rear wall to extend towards said mating side. First and second mounting posts are connected, respectively, to said first and second extension and third and fourth mounting posts are connected to said rear wall, wherein said mounting posts are arranged for mounting said shell on said circuit board.

Circuit board connectors typically include an insulative connector housing accommodating a plurality of terminals for establishing an electrical connection between circuits on a circuit board and a mating electrical connector.
The connector housing is at least partially enclosed by an electrically conductive shell of the circuit board connector for electromagnetic shielding purposes. The electrically conductive shell is mounted on the circuit board by mounting posts. The mounting posts serve to mount the shell on the circuit board. The shell provides a reference for the connector housing accommodating the terminals. Furthermore, the mounting posts are in contact with contact pads of a grounding circuit of the circuit board in order to convey electromagnetic interference signals away from the connector. The latter function is essential in order to avoid disturbance of the electrical signals carried by the terminals of the circuit board connector and to preserve the integrity of these signals.
There is a need for a circuit board connector comprising an electrically conductive shell with improved electromagnetic shielding characteristics.


Methods for validating manufacturing equipment for use during the production of a motor vehicle include identifying touchpoints on the underbody of a vehicle, machining a foam underbody, and validating manufacturing equipment using the foam underbody. A three-dimensional model of the underbody of the vehicle may be used to identify the touchpoints and for machining the foam underbody. The foam underbody includes a polyurethane foam. At least the touchpoints of the foam underbody are machined to a tolerance of less than or equal to +/−3 millimeters with reference to the touchpoints on the three-dimensional model.

The mass production of a motor vehicle requires the use of various pieces of equipment. As examples, equipment may be used to move the motor vehicles through a manufacturing facility and robotics may be used for various functions during of vehicle production. In addition, structures that support the motor vehicle while manufacturing processes are conducted are used. When a new vehicle is to be mass produced, these pieces of equipment must be adapted to the design of the new vehicle. Accordingly, there is a need for methods for validating manufacturing equipment for the production of a motor vehicle.

Methods for validating manufacturing equipment for use during production of a motor vehicle

Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing North America, Inc.


A method of manufacturing an alloy circuit board including an alloy circuit made of an alloy of first metal particles and second metal particles includes forming a first circuit layer, by printing ink containing first metal particles on a board; stacking a second circuit layer on the first circuit layer, by printing ink containing second metal particles on the board; and sintering the first circuit layer and the second circuit layer by heating so as to form the alloy of the first metal particles and the second metal particles.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a method of manufacturing an alloy circuit board.
2. Description of the Related Art
These days, there are ongoing advances in inkjet technology, and a wide range of research efforts are focused on methods of using inkjet printing in processes involving color filters, printed circuit boards (PCB's), etc. However, despite the developments in ink in which pure particles are synthesized, such as silver ink and copper ink, etc., it is difficult to synthesize two types of ink, and control is not easy at the particle level.
There is as yet no technology for forming alloy circuits using inkjet technology, but as shown FIG. 1 and FIG. 2, there is a method of using ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition) in the semiconductor process to form an alloy thin film. The principles and processes of this technology are as follows.
To form an alloy thin film using ALD (Atomic Layer Deposition), a board is placed in a vacuum chamber and sources are selected that supply each element for the desired alloy, after which the elements are flowed into the chamber per cycle and plasma is generated to form an element atomic layer.
For example, a silver atomic layer may first be formed by flowing silver in, generating plasma on the board and depositing the silver particles. Then, in the next cycle, lead may be flowed in and plasma may be generated to form an atomic layer of lead as a second atomic layer. The cycles may be repeated to form a pattern of a desired thickness, after which thermal treating may be applied to form a AgPd alloy thin film.
However, the above method is for forming thin films in the order of nanometers, and requires additional devices such as the vacuum chamber and plasma generator. It is an expensive process, and also consumes too much time to be applicable to forming circuits of micrometer-level thickness. Furthermore, due to the inconvenience in having to prepare additional masks for selective deposition in order to form circuit patterns at particular positions, this method is virtually impossible to apply to forming circuits having a thickness of several micrometers.

Method of manufacturing alloy circuit board


Remote enforcement of operational protocols is provided. In a remote environment, such as that found with a police environment, voice recognition technology is used to determine the situation and invoke actions according to an appropriate protocol. Actions may be set to be mandatory or discretionary. A secure log is maintained of the actions undertaken. Actions include automatically retrieving data from a remote database, automatically communicating with another unit or headquarters, and automating devices used in the remote environment. Voice recognition technology also extracts data from the user's speech and builds variables used as parameters in performing the actions. Data is returned to the user in either audible or textual form and either played to the user on a speaker or displayed on a display device.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates in general to a system and method for remotely enforcing operational protocols, such as those found in law enforcement environments. More particularly, the present invention relates to a system and method for forcing particular actions to be performed in light of a given operational situation being encountered by a user of the system.
2. Description of the Related Art
Some operational environments, such as those encountered by law enforcement personnel, are high workload environments. These types of environments often allow the worker, such as a police officer, to have a certain amount of discretion when faced with a given operational situation. On the other hand, for protection of both the officer and others, certain actions are deemed mandatory because of the situation. These mandatory actions may be a result of organizational policy, such as that set forth a police department, and may also be statutorily required, such as steps that legally must be taken to place a person in custody.
Modern operational environments, such as that of modern day law enforcement officials, includes a myriad of actions that should be taken or must be taken given an operational situation. Failure to abide by these actions in a law enforcement setting can result in difficulty convicting a potential wrongdoer because of an improper arrest as well as potential danger to the officer or the public. The number of actions that should, or must, be taken, coupled with the dynamic, fast paced environment causes difficulty in personnel remembering and carrying out the appropriate actions.
Moreover, because these environments are remote, little or no direct oversight or supervision is available. While two or more personnel may be assigned a particular location or vehicle, this is not always the case. In addition, personnel "partners" are often not supervisors of the other personnel. Furthermore, budget constraints in many areas, such as law enforcement, often force or encourage the assignment of a single person to a vehicle or location.
What is needed, therefore, is a system and method that remotely enforces operational protocols. Furthermore, what is needed is a system and method that uses voice recognition technology to allow hands-free device automation, automated communications, and automated data retrieval.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Remotely enforcing operational protocols


The invention includes a template comprising one or both of CdS and CdSe adhered to a base in a desired pattern. The base can be any transparent or translucent material, and the desired pattern can include two or more separated segments. The template can be utilized for patterning a plurality of substrates. For instance, the substrates can be provided to have masking layers thereover, and the CdS and/or CdSe can be utilized as catalytic material to sequentially impart patterns in the masking layers. The imparting of the patterns can modify some regions of the masking layers relative to others, and either the modified or unmodified regions can be selectively removed to form patterned masks from the masking layers. Patterns from the patterned masks can then be transferred into the substrates.

There are numerous applications in which it is desired to accurately form patterns across surfaces. For instance, semiconductor processing frequently involves formation of patterns across various surfaces associated with a semiconductor substrate. Photolithography is currently commonly utilized for creating the tiny and highly-detailed patterns associated with semiconductor processing. However, the limits of photolithography are being reached as semiconductor circuitry becomes ever more highly integrated. It is therefore desired to develop new methods of patterning surfaces which can enable very small features to be reproducibly and accurately formed. Although the invention discussed herein was motivated, at least in part, by a desire to improve patterning during semiconductor processing, it is to be understood that the invention can also have applications beyond semiconductor processing.


A method for attaching technetium-99m to proteins using reducing metal reagents to achieve binding to high affinity binding sites and high specific activity. The reagents play a dual role under the given experimental conditions by reducing disulfide bonds in the proteins to sulfhydral groups suitable for binding to technetium, and reducing pertechnetate from Tc(VII) to Tc(III) or Tc(V). Reduction of disulfide on the protein is conducted initially with an excess of reducing metal reagent, a pertechnetate reagent is added at the end of the protein reduction reaction and allowed to continue to reduce the technetium. Thereafter a chelator scavenger is added to remove poorly bound or unbound technetium.

Prior art methods for labeling antibodies with technetium-99m used stannous chloride as a reducing agent to generate sulfhydral groups on antibodies. At the same time the antibodies were contacted with technetium and a chelator, typically DTPA, to achieve binding of the technetium to the antibodies, while scavenging unbound technetium with the DPTA present in the reaction medium.
Paik et al. reported that carrying out technetium-99m labeling in presence of excess DTPA (MoAb:DTPA=1:10) one could selectively attach technetium-99m to high affinity sites. Stannous chloride was present in 10-fold excess over the protein. Their typical reaction conditions (Paik et al.) are as follows: EQU [MoAb]=10 .mu.m EQU [SnCl.sub.2 ]=100 .mu.m EQU [DTPA]=100 .mu.m
Selective binding to high affinity sites, however, was obtained only under experimental conditions where both DTPA and antibody were competing for the reduced technetium ion. Paik et al. reported that about 10 times molar excess of DTPA was required to avoid technetium-99m binding to low affinity sites. Unfortunately the presence of excess DTPA resulted in reduced specific activity (.sup..about. mCi/mg). Following their procedures with antibody 88BV59, an IgG.sub.3, the yield was only 0.01-0.5 mCi/mg.


A selective plating apparatus for applying selective electrolytic plating to a metal member includes: a mask member having a recess portion so that a space is formed to which predetermined parts of a surface of the metal member are exposed when the mask member is attached to the metal member, and having at least one supply opening for supplying electrolytic plating solution into the space and a discharge opening for discharging the electrolytic plating solution from the space both formed in a bottom portion of the recess portion; and at least one injection nozzle which injects the electrolytic plating solution in an oblique direction with respect to the predetermined parts of the surface of the metal member, and is arranged in vicinity of the supply opening.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a selective plating apparatus and a selective plating method, and more particularly, a selective plating apparatus for applying an electrolytic plating to a metal member onto which a mask member is attached so as to expose predetermined parts of a surface of the metal member, and so as to cover the predetermined parts of the surface with a plated metal layer made of a desired metal, and a selective plating method using this selective plating apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a lead frame used in a semiconductor device as shown in FIG. 8, a plurality of leads 10a are formed on a belt-shaped metal member 11 so as to surround a stage 10 on which a semiconductor element is mounted.
In the lead frame shown in FIG. 8, respective electrode terminals of the semiconductor element mounted on the stage 10 and corresponding tip end portions of the leads 10a on the stage 10 side (sometimes referred simply to as "tip end portions of the leads 10a" hereinafter) are bonded via wire and connected electrically. In order to make sure of the electrical connection, normally selective electrolytic plating such as electrolytic silver plating is applied to a shaded portion shown in FIG. 8, i.e., a whole surface of the stage 10 and the tip end portions of the respective leads 10a.
In JP-A-58-174589 (FIG. 3), for example, it has been proposed that the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 9 should be employed in such selective electrolytic plating.
In the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the lead frame is put between a pressing plate 100 and a mask member 102. An overall surface of the stage 10 of the lead frame and the leads 10a are exposed to a space 110 formed when the mask member 102 is attached onto the lead frame.
In such mask member 102, a mask plate 102b in which a supply opening 104 and discharge openings 106 for the electrolysis solution are formed is sandwiched between mask plate holding members 102a, 102c, and thus a recess portion 108 is formed by the mask plate holding member 102a and the mask plate 102b. This recess portion 108 constitutes the space 110 when the lead frame is held between the pressing plate 100 and the mask member 102.
Also, an injection nozzle 112 for injecting electrolytic plating solution is provided immediately under the supply opening 104 which is formed in the mask plate 102b, at a right angle to the mask plate 102b.
In addition, a mesh-like anode 114 connected to an anode of a DC power supply is held between the mask plate 102b and the mask plate holding member 102c.
In this case, the lead frame is connected to a cathode of the DC power supply.
According to the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the electrolytic plating solution injected from the injection nozzle 112 is passed through the mesh-like anode 114, then enters into the space 110 toward a center portion of the stage 10 of the lead frame from the supply opening 104 in the mask plate 102b. Then, the electrolytic plating solution moves toward the discharge openings 106 while depositing a plated metal on the overall surface of the stage 10 of the exposed lead frame and surfaces of the respective tip end portions of the leads 10a, and is discharged from the discharge openings 106.
However, according to the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 9, the plated metal layer that is thicker than the plated metal layers on the tip end portions of the leads 10a is formed on the stage 10, as set forth in JP-A-58-174589, page 2, left lower column, lines 9 to 12.
In this manner, according to the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 9, there is unevenness in thickness between the plated metal layer formed on the stage 10 and the plated metal layers formed on respective tip end portions of the leads 10a.
As a consequence, the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 9 cannot be applied to the selective plating of which a uniform thickness of the plated metal layers formed on the stage 10 and respective tip end portions of the leads 10a is required.
Also, in some cases the electrolytic plating should be applied to a shaded portion of the lead frame shown in FIG. 10, i.e., only the peripheral portion of the stage 10 and the tip end portions of the leads 10a on the stage 10 side.
In this case, as shown in FIG. 11, a column portion 120 whose top end face comes in touch with a surface of the stage 10 is formed on the mask member 102 such that the plated metal is not deposited on the surface of the stage 10 other than its peripheral surface. When the lead frame is sandwiched between such mask member 102 and the pressing plate 100, an annular space 110 surrounding the column portion 120 is formed by the recess portion 108 formed in the mask member 102.
The electrolytic plating solution injected from the injection nozzle 112, which is provided at a right angle to the lead frame, is supplied into the annular space 110 shown in FIG. 11 from the supply opening 104. The electrolytic plating solution supplied into the space 110 is discharged from the discharge openings 106 while depositing the plated metal on the surface of the peripheral portion of the stage and the surfaces of the tip end portions of respective leads 10a on the stage 10 side.
However, it is found that, according to the selective plating apparatus shown in FIG. 11, unevenness in thickness between the plated metal layer formed on the stage 10 and the plated metal layers formed on respective tip end portions of the leads 10a is further increased.

Selective plating apparatus and selective plating method


The present invention is directed to a variable coding of the bit-planes for a particular source signal. This includes first partitioning or grouping the different bit-planes into embedded sub-signals and then coding each sub-signal. This technique enables an encoder according to the present invention to control and achieve a desired trade-off point between scalability and coding-efficiency. Therefore, in cases where bit or bit-plane level granularity is not required, coding efficiency can be improved by combining two or more bit-planes prior to coding. In addition, since the statistical nature of each bit-plane is different, the level of grouping used across the bit-planes can vary.

The present invention generally relates to signal compression techniques, and more particularly to a compression technique that includes dividing the source signal into sub-signals and then encoding each of the sub-signals.
Bit-plane compression of digital signals is a popular coding method for many multimedia applications. For example, bit-plane coding of audiovisual signals enables progressive and scalable transmission of these signals. Typically, an audio or a visual signal undergoes some type of a transform prior to bit-plane coding. Examples of such transforms include the Discrete Cosine Transform (DCT) or the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT).
After performing one of the above-described transforms, each bit-plane included in the signal is then scanned and coded starting with the Most-Significant-Bit (MSB) representation of the signal and ending with the Least-Significant-Bit (LSB). Therefore, if each of the transform coefficients is represented by n bits, there are n corresponding bit-planes to be coded and transmitted.
Depending on a particular fidelity criterion (e.g., maximum allowable distortion) or a bit-rate budget constraint, the coding of the signal may be limited to a particular bit-plane. This approach provides the progressive feature of bit-plane compression especially when the coding is taking place in real-time, which can be at the same time the signal is being transmitted. For signals coded off-line or prior to transmission, bit-plane coding results in an embedded and scalable bit-stream. This enables the sender to limit the transmission of the stream at or within a particular bit-plane in response to, for example, to network conditions such as available bandwidth.
Consequently, bit-plane compression, in general, provides a very Fine-Granular-Scalability (FGS) coding of the signal. Depending on the particular method used for coding the bit-planes, this granularity could be as fine as a single bit or as coarse as an entire bit-plane. Therefore, if a signal is bit-plane coded using n planes and a total number of b bits, the resulting compressed stream could include anywhere between n and b progressive representations of the original signal embedded in that stream.
The present invention is directed to a method for compressing a signal. The method partitions the signal into a plurality of sub-signals and codes each of the sub-signals according to a different coding technique. Further, the sub-signals either include different bit-planes or different bits from the same bit-plane of the signal.
The present invention is also directed to method for compressing a signal that determines a xe2x80x9cbest choicexe2x80x9d partition for the signal. The signal is partitioned into a plurality of sub-signals according to the xe2x80x9cbest choicexe2x80x9d partition and then codes the sub-signals. The xe2x80x9cbest choicexe2x80x9d partition is determined by defining a number of different partitions for the signal. Further, an entropy value for each of the partitions is calculated and the partition having a minimum entropy value is selected.
The present invention is also directed to a method for de-compressing a signal including sub-signals and partition information indicating how the signal was partitioned into sub-signals. The method includes decoding each of the sub-signals and then combining the sub-signals according to the partition information.