Magnetic resonance elastography (“MRE”), or other imaging-based elastography techniques, generate estimates of the mechanical properties, such as stiffness and damping ratio, of tissues in a subject. A machine learning approach, such as an artificial neural network, is implemented to perform an inversion of displacement data in order to generate the estimates of the mechanical properties.

Magnetic resonance elastography ("MRE") is a magnetic resonance imaging ("MRI")-based technique for measuring tissue stiffness, akin to manual palpation, which has a long history in the practice of medicine. MRE includes introducing shear waves into a tissue-of-interest by mechanical vibration. Next, the resulting tissue displacement is imaged by a phase-contrast MRI pulse sequence with motion encoding gradients that are synchronized to the motion. Finally, these displacement images are mathematically inverted to calculate tissue stiffness.
MRE is growing in clinical impact, particularly for applications in the liver, where it is used to noninvasively assess fibrosis with high accuracy. Furthermore, brain stiffness has shown sensitivity to a number of physiological processes including neurodegenerative disease, normal aging, and even behavioral performance. Still, there remains a motivation to improve the effective resolution and robustness of MRE to enable further investigation into the spatial relationship between tissue mechanical properties and pathophysiology, and to open up new applications in focal diseases.
Elastography can also be performed with other imaging modalities, such as ultrasound and some optical techniques. Many of these elastography techniques are similar to MRE in the sense that shear waves are introduced into the tissue, or material, and the resulting displacements are measured by the imaging modality. To this end, the inversion algorithms used to compute stiffness and other mechanical properties from these displacement data, and the issues facing such algorithms, are similar to those faced in MRE.
Currently, the inversion algorithms used to compute stiffness from the displacement data represent one of the greatest limitations on the resolution of MRE and other elastography techniques. A number of methods exist for performing the inversion calculation, each with its unique set of advantages and disadvantages. Popular algorithms in the field include, but are not limited to, variations of direct inversion ("DI"), local frequency estimation, and non-linear inversion. Each model relies on underlying assumptions that will impact its performance in in vivo data, as well as a number of implementation choices (e.g., tuning parameters and filter settings) that affect the tradeoff between resolution and numerical stability. An algorithm that can provide stable estimates in the presence of noise while maintaining a small spatial filtering footprint could substantially improve the effective resolution of MRE and other elastography techniques, either by mitigating the need for smoothing or by allowing reliable estimation in smaller regions.

Methods for estimating mechanical properties from magnetic resonance elastography data using artificial neural networks

Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research


An insulated icemaking compartment is provided in the fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator. The icemaking compartment may be integrally formed with the liner of the fresh food compartment, or alternatively, may be modular for installation anywhere in the fresh food compartment. A removable bin assembly with a front cover normally seals the icemaking compartment to maintain the temperature in the compartment. A cold air duct formed in the rear wall of the refrigerator supplies cold air from the freezer compartment to the icemaking compartment. A return air duct directs a portion of the air from the icemaking compartment back to the freezer compartment. An air vent with a damper in the icemaking compartment directs another portion of air into the fresh food compartment. A control system provides for controlling refrigerator functions in a manner that promotes energy efficiency, including movement of the damper between open and closed positions. An improved latch and seal are provided for the ice bin assembly to allow removal of the bin assembly and to ensure a positive seal between the bin assembly and the front cover of the ice compartment.

Household refrigerators generally come in three structural styles: (1) a side-by-side model wherein the freezer and refrigerator compartments are side by side; (2) a top mount model wherein the freezer compartment is located above the refrigerator compartment; and (3) a bottom mount model wherein the freezer compartment is mounted below the refrigerator compartment. An icemaker is normally provided in the freezer compartment of all three models. A door mounted ice dispenser is often provided in a side-by-side refrigerator and in a top mount refrigerator so that a person can add ice to a glass without opening the freezer or refrigerator door. However, a door mounted ice dispenser normally is not been provided in bottom mount refrigerators, since the freezer door is too low, and there are difficulties in transporting ice from the freezer compartment to the refrigerator compartment which precludes a dispenser in the refrigerator compartment door. However, it is desirable to have an ice dispenser in the refrigerator compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator.
Providing an icemaking compartment within the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator presents numerous issues, both structural and functional. For example, the fresh food compartment is normally about 40° F., while an ice compartment needs to be less than 32° F. in order to make ice effectively and efficiently and is typically at, or about 0° F. Maintaining and controlling the temperature within the icemaking compartment requires insulation, seals, appropriate airflow, and a control system. Placing the icemaking compartment within the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator also requires consideration of electrical connections of the icemaker and the supply of water to the icemaker. The method of manufacturing of such an icemaking compartment within the fresh food compartment of a refrigerator also raises novel and unique considerations which are not factors for an icemaking compartment mounted in a freezer.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,735,959 issued to Najewicz discloses a thermoelectric icemaker placed within the fresh food compartment of a bottom mount refrigerator that may be dispensed through the fresh food door. Najewicz forms ice within the fresh food compartment using the thermoelectric icemaker even though the compartment is above a freezing temperature. Although Najewicz provides for a duct that runs from the freezer compartment to the thermoelectric icemaker, the cold air from the duct is used to remove heat from the thermoelectric icemaker. Najewicz has many problems that must be overcome in order to be practical including the removal of unfrozen water, rapid ice body formation, prolonged ice storage, etc. The present invention overcomes these problems.


A tracking device can securely communicate with a secondary device. The secondary device can provide locations associated with the tracking device to a tracking system. When the secondary device determines that the tracking device is lost (for instance, in response to no longer receiving communications from the tracking device), the secondary device can provide additional locations associated with the secondary device to the tracking system. The tracking system can store locations received before and after the tracking device was lost, and can provide these locations to the user for display within a map interface, enabling a user to digitally retrace the user's steps in order to aid the user in locating the lost tracking device.

This disclosure relates generally to locating a tracking device, and more specifically, to providing a location history for a lost tracking device that allows a digital retracing of the locations of the tracking device.
Electronic tracking devices have created numerous ways for people to track the locations of people and/or objects. For example, a user can use GPS technology to track a device remotely or to determine a location of the user. In another example, a user can attach a tracking device to an important object, such as keys or a wallet, and use the features of the tracking device to more quickly locate the object, (e.g., if it becomes lost).
However, traditional tracking devices and corresponding systems suffer from one or more disadvantages. For example, traditional tracking devices provide only a last known location of a tracking device. The tracking device may have been lost a long time before the user realizes of the lost tracking device, or may have been lost a long time after the last known location of the device was determined. Further, a user may have forgotten the route taken by the user when the tracking device was lost, making retracing the steps of the user more difficult.

Location history access for lost tracking device


The invention provides a novel human ATPase inhibitor protein (HATPI) and polynucleotides which identify and encode HATPI. The invention also provides genetically engineered expression vectors and host cells containing the nucleic acid sequences encoding HATPI. The invention also provides pharmaceutical compositions containing HATPI or antagonists to HATPI, and in the use of these compositions for the treatment of diseases associated with the expression of HATPI. Additionally, the invention provides for the use of antisense molecules to polynucleotides encoding HATPI for the treatment of diseases associated with the expression of HATPI. The invention also provides diagnostic assays which utilize the polynucleotide, or fragments or the complement thereof, to hybridize to the genomic sequence or transcripts of polynucleotides encoding HATPI or anti-HATPI antibodies which specifically bind to HATPI.

The main cellular source of energy for all cell processes is ATP. Most of the cell's ATP is made by H.sup.+ -ATP synthase, a 14 or more subunit protein complex that spans the mitochondrial inner membrane. One subunit is a small, basic ATPase inhibitor protein, designated as IF. IF has been identified and studied in several species, including ox (Walker J. E. et al (1987) Biochemistry 26: 8613-8619) and rat (Higuti T et al (1993) Biochim Biophys Acta 1172: 311-314).
Bovine IF has a 25 amino acid N-terminal signal sequence that is weakly conserved among several other ATPase complex proteins and may direct the proteins into the mitochondrial matrix (Walker et al, supra). Amino acid homologies in a highly conserved region in a central portion of IF may constitute an inhibitory motif that is believed to regulate the activity of ATPase by binding to the C-terminus of the F.sub.1 B-subunit (Polgreen K. E. et al (1995) Biochim Biophys Acta 1229: 176-180). Mammalian IF may exist in two stable conformational forms, a low pH (active) form and a high pH (inactive) form. The interconversion may be due to ionizations of histidine residues in the carboxyl half of the protein resulting in changes in secondary structure (Polgreen et al, supra; Sah J. F. et al (1993) Biochem Biophys Res Comm 194: 1521-1528).
There are strong indications for a role of ATPase regulation in ischemic injury. In animal experiments, blockage of the coronary artery for 10 to 20 minutes was found to result in inhibition of ATPase in cardiac mitochondria (Rouslin W (1983) J Biol Chem 258: 9657-9661). Experimental results on cardiac mitochondria suggest that ATPase may be down regulated during ischemia by IF binding to ATPase (Rouslin W et al (1990) Arch Biochem Biophys 280: 103-111). Genes for components of ATPase are differentially expressed following ischemia-repurfusion in a non-stress specific manner (Knoll R et al (1996) Biochem Biophys Res Commun 221: 402407). Thus, changes in mitochondrial ATPase occur during and after ischemia.
Heart disease and stroke, the most common causes of death in the United States, are ischemic diseases. Ischemic injury can be caused by a gradual narrowing of arteries (arteriosclerosis) or complete blockage by blood clots (thrombosis), leading to tissue disfunction or death. The polynucleotide sequence and polypeptides of novel ATPase inhibitors would satisfy a need in the art by providing a new means for the prevention and treatment of ischemic conditions by regulating ATPase activity.


A brush bag, a brush and a current transfer unit for a dynamo-electric machine comprising a commutator, in particular for an electromotor. The current transfer unit comprises at least the brush, which is embodied, in particular, as a multi-layer carbon brush, and a brush bag. The brush bag is configured in such a manner that the distance between the brush and the brush bag in a front guiding area is smaller than the distance in a rear guiding area. Beating of the brush on the brush bag is visibly reduced due to the configuration thereof and noise caused by the beat is avoided.

The invention relates to a brush bag for a current transfer unit of a dynamo-electric machine, comprising a commutator, especially for an electric motor, wherein the brush bag, which is especially made of metal, has guiding areas for guiding a brush which is displaceable with respect to the longitudinal extension, which is especially embodied as a multi-layer carbon brush, and a spacing is provided between the guiding areas and the brush transverse to the longitudinal extension of the brush. In addition, the invention relates to a brush for the brush bag, a current transfer unit for a dynamo-electric machine comprising the brush bag and/or the brush or a dynamo-electric machine comprising such a current transfer unit and a method for producing the brush bag.
The current transfer unit is a so-called sliding contact system which ensures the electrical connection between a power supply or external connections of the dynamo-electric machine and windings of an armature. For this purpose, in known dynamo-electric machines, such as electric motors an arrangement comprising spatially fixed brushes which usually consist of carbon and are in grinding contact with a rotatable commutator are provided. The commutator consists of individual electrically conducting segments which are connected to the windings of the armature. The brush slides along the segments to produce an electrical contact between the segments and the brush.
Different designs of current transfer units are known. One of these designs provides that a brush is slidingly guided in a spatially fixed brush bag which is also designated as a brush guide or brush sleeve. The brush is loaded with a spring in the direction of the commutator, that is in a radial direction. This ensures a substantially uniform contact pressure of the brush on the commutator. Likewise, the brush is tracked by means of the spring force inside the brush bag to compensate for any wear of the brush.
Especially in AC motors, for example, in AC universal motors, so-called multi-layer carbon brushes are used in the known current transfer units. The multi-layer carbon brushes have high-resistance or electrically non-conducting layers between individual carbon layers to reduce so-called shunt currents or short-circuit currents inside the brush. These shunt currents can occur if a brush is in contact with two adjacent segments of the commutator or if a brush or individual brush layers come in contact with an electrically conducting brush bag in such a manner that a current can be formed transverse to the brush. Electrically conducting brush bags, usually made of metal, are frequently used in dynamo electric machines as a result of their inexpensive manufacture. In order to avoid contact between the brush and the brush bag, whereby a shunt current can form in the brush, these brush bags have a relatively large lateral play between the brush and the brush bag. For example, a carbon brush of an AC universal motor of a washing machine is usually 0.04 to 0.05 mm narrower in its transverse extension than the inner guiding area of the carbon brush bag allocated in this transverse extension. In the case of a carbon brush located centrally in the carbon brush bag, the relatively large play between the carbon brush and the carbon brush bag in such a case is therefore 0.02 to 0.025 mm on both sides.
Whilst the brush is used as prescribed, the brush undergoes wear whereby it is abraded. The brush dust thereby produced enters between the brush and the brush bag. In order that the brush cannot jam as a result of the brush dust in the brush bag or so that no shunt currents are induced in the brush by the partially unburned and therefore electrically conducting dust particles, a large lateral play between the brush and brush bag is also favourable. Dust particles which enter into the intermediate space between the brush and the brush bag can easily escape again if there is a large play.
A disadvantage with the large play is that noise is produced during operation of the dynamo electric machine. As soon as the brush impinges upon a segment edge, the brush impacts against the inner walls of the bag. In this case, the brush impacts twice per segment.
A known solution for avoiding noise provides that the commutator surface provided with segments should additionally be treated by so-called pumices or fine grinding. During after-treatment of the commutator, dust particles are again formed which must be laboriously removed so that these dust particles cannot cause a brush jam again.
A brush bag which is especially suitable for guiding multi-layer carbon brushes and which has a spacing transverse to the carbon brush to be guided is known from DE 101 57 604 A1. The brush bag is made of tin-plated steel sheet and is coated with an insulating layer. The insulating layer applied in the brush bag is used to avoid a short circuit current or shunt current between individual layers of a multi-layer carbon brush. A varnish such as phenol resin, epoxy resin or polystyrene varnish is applied as an insulating layer to the steel sheet of the carbon brush bag. When such insulation is used between the carbon brush bag and the multi-layer carbon brush, the intermediate space or the play between the brush bag and the carbon brush can have close tolerances. Such a narrow play avoids any impact of the carbon brush on the brush bag. A disadvantage with the small play is that the brush dust which enters into the intermediate space can deposit in the intermediate space whereby the brush jams in the brush bag or the layers of the brush are short-circuited by unburned brush dust. In addition, such an insulating layer cannot be subjected to such strong thermal and mechanical loading as a pure metal guide.
On the other hand, in the prior art according to U.S. Pat. No. 2,430,279, an arrangement is proposed whereby the brush is laterally pre-stressed towards a brush holder wall by means of a ball-spring element connected to the brush. A disadvantage with this design however is that the spring provided to track the brush inside the brush holder must have a significantly higher spring force than is the case in embodiments which provide a play between the brush and the brush holder. However, the spring force required to overcome the friction between the brush and the brush holder can result in higher wear of the brush on the commutator.


Soluble chalcogenido clusters together with transition metal ions and main group elements are shown to provide gels having interconnected, open frameworks. Following supercritical drying with liquid carbon dioxide, the chalcogels may be converted to aerogels. The aerogels possess high internal surface areas with a broad pore size distribution that is dependent upon the precursors used and the aging conditions applied. Some of the gels are encompassed by formulas such as M4[M′4Qx]n, M4[M′2Qy]n, M4[M′Qx]n, M3[M″Qx]n, or Me2[M′″Qx]n, where M is a divalent, trivalent, or tetravalent metal ion; M′, M″, and M′″ are typically Ge, Sn, P, As, Sb, Mo, or W; and Q is typically S, Se, or Te. Methods of preparing the chalcogenido clusters are also provided.

Inorganic porous materials are at the foundation of broad applications such as molecular sieves, ion exchangers and catalysts. Zeolites and aluminosilicate mesoporous materials constitute the vast majority of the materials in this class. Aerogels are another kind of porous inorganic polymer in which nano-sized blocks are interconnected to yield high internal surface areas, low densities, and large open pores. Although the sol-gel chemistry of oxide-based materials (e.g., SiO2, Al2O3 and TiO2, etc.) is well known, successful attempts to apply this approach to non-oxide-based systems, especially to chalcogenides, are quite rare. Such systems would be capable of combining the electronic properties of chalcogenides with internal porosity, which could lead to new fields of study.

Semiconducting aerogels from cahacogenido clusters with broad applications


A loop-filtering method for reducing quantization effect generated when an image data is encoded and decoded, and an apparatus therefor. The loop-filtering method includes the steps of extracting a flag indicating whether the image data requires loop-filtering using the distribution of inverse quantized coefficients (IQCs) of an inverse quantized image data and a motion vector indicating the difference between the previous frame and the current frame. The image data corresponding to the flag is then filtered by a predetermined method if the extracted flag indicates a need for the loop-filtering. Using the flags and an adaptive filter reduces the quantization effect and is useful to reduce the amount of computation required for the filtering. Also, the filtering can be performed through parallel processing without multiplication and division, so that the complexity of hardware can be reduced.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to image data processing, and more particularly, to a method for loop-filtering image data to reduce a quantization effect and an apparatus therefor.
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, picture encoding standards such as MPEG of the International Standardization Organization (ISO) and H.263 recommended by the International Telecommunication Union (ITU) adopt block-based motion estimation and discrete cosine transform (DCT) blocks. Most picture encoding standards utilize the DCT in 8×8 pixel block units in order to pack information with a small number of transform coefficients. This block-based DCT scheme is based on the local spatial correlation properties of an image.
However, when the block-based image data is restored, considerable image deterioration, for example, blocking artifacts near the block boundary, corner outliers at the cross points of blocks, and ringing noise near the image edges, occurs. This is because the image data go through the DCT in 8×8 pixel block units prior to quantization. Such deterioration is serious when the image is highly compressed.
Blocking artifacts are caused by grid noise generated along the block boundary in a relatively homogeneous area. The grid noise shows traces of the block-based process at the edges between blocks when the compressed data is displayed on a screen after being restored. Thus, the edges between blocks are noticeable. The corner outlier is generated where the corners of the 8×8 blocks meet. Also, the ringing noise is a typical Gibb's phenomenon occurring by truncation when the coefficients of high-frequency components of the DCT are quantized so as to highly compress the image. Due to the ringing noise, one can notice overlapping of images with a predetermined interval.
In order to reduce the blocking artifacts, the corner outliers and the ringing noise occurring when block-based coding is performed, several methods have been suggested. A single-adaptive filtering (SAF) method has been introduced in order to reduce the quantization effect of JPEG-decompressed images by Y. L. Lee, H. C. Kim, and H. W. Park ("Blocking Effect Reduction of JPEG images by Signal Adaptive Filtering" in Press IEEE Trans. On Image Processing, 1997]. B. Ramanurthi and A. Gersho have suggested a method in which a two-dimensional (2-D) filter is used to reduce the blocking artifact while a one-dimensional (1-D) filter is used to reduce staircase noise ["Nonlinear Space Variant Postprocessing of Block Coded Images", IEEE Trans. on ASSP, Vol. 34, No. 5, pp 1258-1267, 1986]. Also, an iterative image-recovery algorithm using the theory of projections onto convex sets (POCS) has been proposed by Y. Ynag, N. Galatsanos and A. Katsaggelos ["Projection-Based Spatially Adaptive Reconstruction of Block-Transform Compressed Images," IEEE Trans. on Image Processing, Vol. 4., No. 7, pp 896-908, July 1995]. Also, an article entitled "A Deblocking Algorithm for JPEG compressed Images Using Overcomplete Wavelet Representations" has been disclosed by Z. Xiong, M. T. Orchard and Y. Q. Zhang [IEEE Trans. Circuits System Video Technology, Vol. 7, No. 2, pp 433-437, 1997].
However, the above methods require complicated computations.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Loop-filtering method for image data and apparatus therefor

Korean Advanced Institution of Science & Technology


In a folder type or a swing type terminal including a pair of housings or triple housings for attaining composite opening/closing operation, information transmission with a higher speed and larger capacity is available using optical devices for establishing communication lines between circuit devices in the housings. Also, a stable maintenance of the communication lines is possible between the circuit devices of the housings in spite of repeated opening/closing operation of the housings.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a portable terminal, and more particularly to the portable terminal in which more than a pair of housings are pivotally coupled to each other and circuit devices installed in each of the housings are communicatively interconnected to each other.
2. Description of the Related Art
As generally known in the art, the portable terminal is a device providing wireless communication function between users or between the user and a service provider via a mobile base station. Using the portable terminal, the user is provided with various kinds of service contents, such as voice communication, message transmission, mobile banking, television broadcasting, online game, VOD (video on demand), etc.
The portable terminal may be classified into the following categories depending on its exterior shape: a bar type terminal including a one-piece housing installed with a communication circuit and an input/output device, such as a transmitting portion and a receiving portion; a flip type terminal including a flip cover installed to the bar type terminal; a folder type terminal including a pair of housings, which may be pivotally opened/closed and in each of which the input and the output devices are respectively disposed. Recently, a sliding type terminal and a swing type terminal have appeared on the market and increased portability and convenience in use.
Amongst all the phones, the user tends to prefer the terminal including two or more housings connected to each other, such as the folder type terminal, the sliding type terminal and the swing type terminal. It is because the housings can be folded to each other which enables the user to carry around more conveniently. Also, it is because one of the housings can be unfolded or extended from the other to make the terminal operated more conveniently while in use.
In the terminal having a plurality of the housings as described before, a flexible printed circuit is used for establishing communication lines between circuit devices installed in each of the housings. Here, repeated opening/closing operations of the housings increase fatigue of the flexible printed circuit, so that there is a risk that circuit patterns formed thereon may be damaged. Further, in information transmission mode requiring a larger capacity, such as multi-media service, there is a problem in that the flexible printed circuit is not adequate for such transmission requiring a higher speed and larger capacity.
As an alternative to solve the above-stated problems in the flexible printed circuit, a number of proposals are provided in that a plurality of flexible circuits are overlapped to couple the circuit devices in the terminal housings to establish the communication lines for a higher speed and larger capacity. However, if a number of flexible printed circuits are overlapped to each other, there is another problem in that the terminal cannot be smoothly operated due to degradation of the flexibility or there is enhanced risk of damaging the flexible printed circuit further.
Accordingly, there is a need for an improved portable terminal to solve the above-mentioned problems.

Portable terminal having optical transmitter/receiver

Maetan-dong, Yeongtong-gu, Suwon-si, Gyeonggi-do


A machine for dosing powdered pharmaceutical from a container in which the powdered pharmaceutical is present as a layer. An element is driven by a first drive to undergo horizontal translation between a first position for sampling powder in the container and a second position for release of the powder into a receiving seat. A device which supports a dosage unit is moved by the element and when the element is in the first position a second drive translates the device vertically in relation to the element so that the dosage unit penetrates into the powder and removes a measured amount thereof. A third drive operates the dosage unit to release the powder therefrom into the receiving seat when the element is in the second position. The first and second drives are independently operable to displace the dosage units respectively in horizontal and vertical directions.

The present invention relates to a machine for dosing powdered pharmaceuticals. Mainly two types of machines for dosing powdered pharmaceuticals are known to be available; the first type is called a "rotary machine" and the second an "alternating machine". The rotary machine presents noticeable advantages compared with the alternating machine such as, for instance, a higher precision of the amount to be dosed and a higher hourly production. But it has the drawback of not being fit for dosing on the sheets of the blister packing system. On the other hand, though being less convenient than the rotary machine, the alternating machine can perform the dosage within any seat whether defined by a blister of the blister sheet, by a bottle or by a gelatin capsule. Current alternating machines mainly comprise two plates provided with a plurality of measurers and carried by a respective arm radially extending from a rotating shaft and axially translatable. Naturally the plates carrying the measurers diametrically oppose each other. The operation of the alternating machine provides the translation of the rotating shaft downwards so that while the measurers of a first plate go and take the powder out of the container the measurers of the second plate go and dose the powder, for instance on the blister sheet. Then the shaft goes up again and rotates by 180.degree. so as to allow, with its successive lowering, a new powder sampling and a new dosage. The aforedescribed alternating machines present some drawbacks.
Particularly, the rotation of the shaft produces vibrations which are transmitted to the measurers and part of the powder can drop therefrom. Therefore, in these machines, we notice an insufficient precision of the amount of product to be dosed. Besides, said dosage precision also depends on the perfect levelling to be defined between the two plates carrying the measurers. It is apparent that a perfect levelling requires that the machine should be provided with high-precision mechanical components and, consequently, high production costs of said machine. Finally, it should be underlined that, considering that said machines operate at a sustained rate, the wear of some of said components produces a progressively small shift between the levels of the two plates.

Machine for dosing powdered pharmaceuticals


This invention relates to novel cyclic malonamides having the formula (I):

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a degenerative brain disorder characterized clinically by progressive loss of memory, temporal and local orientation, cognition, reasoning, judgment and emotionally stability. AD is a common cause of progressive dementia in humans and is one of the major causes of death in the United States. AD has been observed in all races and ethnic groups worldwide, and is a major present and future health problem. No treatment that effectively prevents AD or reverses the clinical symptoms and underlying pathophysiology is currently available (for review, Dennis J. Selkoe; Cell Biology of the amyloid (beta)-protein precursor and the mechanism of Alzheimer's disease, Annu Rev Cell Biol, 1994, 10: 373-403).
Histopathological examination of brain tissue derived upon autopsy or from neurosurgical specimens in effected individuals revealed the occurrence of amyloid plaques and neurofibrillar tangles in the cerebral cortex of such patients. Similar alterations were observed in patients with Trisomy 21 (Down's syndrome), and hereditary cerebral hemorrhage with amyloidosis of the Dutch-type. Neurofibrillar tangles are nonmembrane-bound bundles of abnormal proteinaceous filaments and biochemical and immunochemical studies led to the conclusion that their principle protein subunit is an altered phosphorylated form of the tau protein (reviewed in Selkoe, 1994).
Biochemical and immunological studies revealed that the dominant proteinaceous component of the amyloid plaque is an approximately 4.2 kilodalton (kD) protein of about 39 to 43 amino acids. This protein was designated Aβ, β-amyloid peptide, and sometimes β/A4; referred to herein as Aβ. In addition to its deposition in amyloid plaques, Aβ is also found in the walls of meningeal and parenchymal arterioles, small arteries, capillaries, and sometimes, venules. Aβ was first purified and a partial amino acid reported in 1984 (Glenner and Wong, Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 120: 885-890). The isolation and sequence data for the first 28 amino acids are described in U.S. Pat. No. 4,666,829.
Compelling evidence accumulated during the last decade revealed that Aβ is an internal polypeptide derived from a type 1 integral membrane protein, termed β amyloid precursor protein (APP). β APP is normally produced by many cells both in vivo and in cultured cells, derived from various animals and humans. Aβ is derived from cleavage of β APP by as yet unknown enzyme (protease) system(s), collectively termed secretases.
The existence of at least four proteolytic activities has been postulated. They include β secretase(s), generating the N-terminus of Aβ, α secretase(s) cleaving around the 16/17 peptide bond in Aβ, and γ secretases, generating C-terminal Aβ fragments ending at position 38, 39, 40, 42, and 43 or generating C-terminal extended precursors which are subsequently truncated to the above polypeptides.
Several lines of evidence suggest that abnormal accumulation of Aβ plays a key role in the pathogenesis of AD. Firstly, Aβ is the major protein found in amyloid plaques. Secondly, Aβ is neurotoxic and may be causally related to neuronal death observed in AD patients. Thirdly, missense DNA mutations at position 717 in the 770 isoform of β APP can be found in effected members but not unaffected members of several families with a genetically determined (familiar) form of AD. In addition, several other β APP mutations have been described in familiar forms of AD. Fourthly, similar neuropathological changes have been observed in transgenic animals overexpressing mutant forms of human p APP. Fifthly, individuals with Down's syndrome have an increased gene dosage of β APP and develop early-onset AD. Taken together, these observations strongly suggest that Aβ depositions may be causally related to the AD.
It is hypothesized that inhibiting the production of Aβ will prevent and reduce neurological degeneration, by controlling the formation of amyloid plaques, reducing neurotoxicity and, generally, mediating the pathology associated with Aβ production. One method of treatment methods would therefore be based on drugs that inhibit the formation of Aβ in vivo.
Methods of treatment could target the formation of Aβ through the enzymes involved in the proteolytic processing of β amyloid precursor protein. Compounds that inhibit β or γ secretase activity, either directly or indirectly, could control the production of Aβ. Advantageously, compounds that specifically target γ secretases, could control the production of Aβ. Such inhibition of β or γ secretases could thereby reduce production of Aβ, which, thereby, could reduce or prevent the neurological disorders associated with Aβ protein.
PCT publication number WO 96/29313 discloses the general formula:
covering metalloprotease inhibiting compounds useful for the treatment of diseases associated with excess and/or unwanted matrix metalloprotease activity, particularly collagenase and or stromelysin activity.
Compounds of general formula:
are disclosed in PCT publication number WO 95/22966 relating to matrix metalloprotease inhibitors. The compounds of the invention are useful for the treatment of conditions associated with the destruction of cartilage, including corneal ulceration, osteoporosis, periodontitis and cancer.
European Patent Application number EP 0652009A1 relates to the general formula:
and discloses compounds that are protease inhibitors that inhibit Aβ production.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,703,129 discloses the general formula:
which covers 5-amino-6-cyclohexyl-4-hydroxy-hexanamide derivatives that inhibit Aβ production and are useful in the treatment of Alzheimer's disease.
Copending, commonly assigned U.S. patent application Ser. No. 09/370,089 filed Aug. 7, 1999 (equivalent to international application PCT US99/17717) discloses lactams of general formula:
wherein the lactam ring B is substituted by succinamide and a carbocyclic, aryl, or heteroaryl group. These compounds inhibit the processing of amyloid precursor protein and, more specifically, inhibit the production of Aβ-peptide, thereby acting to prevent the formation of neurological deposits of amyloid protein.
None of the above references teaches or suggests the compounds of the present invention which are described in detail below.

Cyclic malonamides as inhibitors of Aβ protein production

Abstract: to their pharmaceutical compositions and to their methods of use. These novel compounds inhibit the processing of amyloid precursor protein and, more specifically, inhibit the production of Aβ-peptide, thereby acting to prevent the formation of neurological deposits of amyloid protein. More particularly, the present invention relates to the treatment of neurological disorders related to β-amyloid production such as Alzheimer's disease and Down's Syndrome.


An improved evacuation pump system with dual inlet check valves uniquely designed to evacuate both lidded rigid containers and sealable flexible containers. A vacuum cup fixed to one end of a reciprocating piston pump attaches to the lid of rigid containers for their evacuation and a flexible probe connects to the pump for flexible container evacuation. To achieve this dual function two check valves mounted in the lower end of the pump are provided for the flexible container evacuation mode. One prevents discharge flow into the flexible probe and the other maintains suction in the cup to keep the pump attached to its supporting surface.

This invention relates to a pump apparatus for evacuating containers. The invention is particularly adapted to evacuate air from food storage containers, such as jars and plastic bags.
The prior art is prolific in patents that disclose various types of pumps for evaluating air from food containers. The most pertinent patents to the present invention are believed to be the following:
Gill, U.S. Pat. No. 29,582 PA0 Winters, U.S. Pat. No. 638,383 PA0 Desmond, U.S. Pat. No. 882,874 PA0 Staunton, U.S. Pat. No. 1,601,705 PA0 Herzog, et al., U.S. Pat. No. 2,401,638 PA0 Crook, U.S. Pat. No. 2,648,474 PA0 Haley, U.S. Pat. No. 2,695,741 PA0 Reisinger, U.S. Pat. No. 3,312,256 PA0 Katell, U.S. Pat. No. 3,313,444 PA0 Ruberg, U.S. Pat. No. 4,278,114 PA0 Maruscak, U.S. Pat. No. 4,337,804 PA0 Scanlan, U.S. Pat. No. 4,478,025 PA0 von Bismarck, U.S. Pat. No. 4,575,990 PA0 Hawkins, U.S. Pat. No. 4,583,925 PA0 Bartle, Sr., U.S. Pat. No. 4,745,730 PA0 European Patent No. 0 117 247 PA0 German Patent No. 33 35 001 PA0 Swiss Patent No. 200,360
These patents disclose pumps for evacuating either rigid containers (jars) or deformable containers(plastic bags), but not both. Additionally, the arrangements most pertinent to this invention employ complex and difficult to apply check valves to the covers(or lids) of rigid containers to be evacuated.
The present invention is an improvement on my U.S. Pat. No. 4,975,028 and portions of the specification thereof have been included in this application.
The pump apparatus in my prior patent consists of three principal components; in particular, (1) a specially designed disposable/reusable, pressure-sensitive, adhesive-tape check valve that adheres to a container lid and covers a small air evacuating hole, (2) a reciprocating two-stroke piston pump that features an efficient piston check-valve and a vacuum cup which cooperate with plugable porting to provide for evacuation of both rigid and deformable containers, and (3) an accessory probe which is plugged into side plugable port of the pump to evacuate deformable containers such as plastic bags, while the bottom plugable port is plugged, thousands of times.
With this pump apparatus, a jar can be reused to store anything that will fit and which will keep better in a vacuum. The apparatus also pulls a vacuum on an ordinary plastic zipper-lock type bag and allows the zipper to be closed without losing the vacuum. The apparatus will also evacuate any leak proof bag that might be sealed with a commercial home-style hot-sealing machine.
A principal object of this invention is to provide relatively simple, inexpensive and effective apparatus for evacuating both rigid and deformable containers, such as jars with lids and also plastic bags.
While my prior patented design works well and has achieved considerable commercial success, I have devised an improved pumping system that eliminates the need for a check valve in the flexible probe assembly and the requirement for a removable plug to maintain cup suction. The prior in-line check valve has many parts and is difficult to manufacture and expensive to purchase preassembled. The removable plug works well in maintaining suction in the cup but it is easily lost and its use requires careful operator instruction.
Therefore, it would be desirable, and it is the principal object of the present invention to not only eliminate the need for the in-line check valve in the flexible probe assembly and the removable plug for the vacuum cup, but also to provide an evacuation apparatus that is simpler to use and requires less operator instruction.

Evacuation pump system with check valves for both rigid and flexible containers


In an optical scanning device, a lateral magnification in a direction corresponding to a sub scanning direction of an optical system is adjusted to be small by a coupling optical system that includes a first lens and a second lens. As a result, scanning by a plurality of light beams can be performed with high precision while avoiding high costs.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an optical scanning device, a method for adjusting an error, and an image forming apparatus.
2. Description of the Related Art
Recently, there has been a demand to increase the printing speed and improve the image quality (image density) in image forming apparatuses such as laser printers and digital copiers. To cope with this demand, a new technique was developed that employs a multibeam light source, instead of a single light source. The multibeam light source emits a plurality of light beams simultaneously. To back up this new technique, various optical systems compatible with multi beams light sources have been developed.
For example, Japanese Patent No. 3445050 discloses a multibeam scanning optical device that reduces changes in F number in a sub-scanning direction in accordance with an image height produced by an incident beam onto a scan target. This has been achieved by continuously changing a curvature in a sub scanning direction from on-axis toward off-axis for both lens surfaces of a single lens.
Japanese Patent No. 3768734 discloses an optical scanning device that employs a scanning image-forming lens having a doublet lens or a multiplet lens that has at least two special surfaces on which the sub-scanning curvature changes from the optical axis of the lens toward the periphery of the lens in the main scanning direction. On at least one of the special surfaces, the change in the sub-scanning curvature is asymmetrical relative to the main scanning direction. Moreover, the sub-scanning curvature has a plurality of extreme values.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2005-338865 discloses an optical scanning optical device that reduces changes in F number in the sub-scanning direction in accordance with an image height produced by an incident beam onto a scan target. This has been achieved by making the position of an on-axis main plane in the optical axis direction in the sub-scanning direction closer to the scan target than the position of an off-axis main plane in the sub-scanning direction, and by continuously changing a curvature in the sub scanning direction from on-axis toward off-axis.
Finally, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 2002-287055 discloses an optical scanning device that includes a light source on which a plurality of light emitting elements is arranged two-dimensionally to scan the same scanning line or different scanning lines and a defecting unit that collectively scans a plurality of light beams from the light source in a main direction. The optical scanning device rotates and adjusts the light source around an optical axis, whereby an exposure energy distribution in a sub-scanning direction formed by the light beams in the same scanning substantially equals to a desirable exposure energy distribution.
A light source that has a plurality of the light emitting elements arranged one-dimensionally can adjust all the intervals between the light emitting elements in a sub-scanning direction simultaneously by rotating the light source around an optical axis direction as a rotation axis (i.e., γ-rotation). By contrast, a light source that has a plurality of light emitting elements arranged two-dimensionally in a high density such as so-called a surface-emitting laser array is advantageous for high density writing. However, the two-dimensionally arranged light emitting elements have difficulties in adjusting intervals of scanning lines on a scan target to be uniform with high precision that is to be required for obtaining high quality images by the γ-rotation because intervals between the light emitting elements do not change uniformly when γ-rotation is performed (see FIG. 12). Intervals between the light emitting elements means a center-to-center distance between two adjacent light emitting elements.

Optical scanning device and method for adjusting errors


An arc suppression arrangement suppresses arcs in a gas discharge device that is operated with an alternating voltage from a power supply. The arc suppression arrangement includes an arc suppression device and an arc identification device that controls the arc suppression device. The arc suppression device includes at least one controllable resistor that is connected in series in an electrical line that extends from an alternating voltage source to an electrode of the gas discharge device. An arc can thereby be prevented from being provided with energy.

Vacuum plasma generators can be an integral component of an alternating voltage gas discharge excitation arrangement that couples to a gas discharge device for treating a workpiece. Vacuum plasma generators can have different power classifications and different output signal forms.
In vacuum glass coating, for example, medium frequency (MF) vacuum plasma generators are used that have an MF output signal with power levels of between 30 and 300 kW. The MF output signal is mostly a sinusoidal signal having frequencies of between 10 kHz and 200 kHz. The output voltages may be from several 100 V to above 1000 V. In order to ignite plasma in the gas discharge device, the output voltages of vacuum plasma generators are often much higher than during normal operation.
In the plasma, brief and also longer-lasting spark-overs, so-called arcs, may occur, and such arcs are undesirable. An arc is generally identified by a break-up or a drop in the voltage at the vacuum plasma generator and an increase in the current at the vacuum plasma generator, for example, at the output of the vacuum plasma generator or at another location in the vacuum plasma generator. If an arc of this type is identified, it is extinguished or prevented from reaching a maximum level.
For example, in DE 41 27 505 C2, the output of the alternating current generator is caused to short circuit when an arc is identified, which is a suitable method for low-power MF generators. The higher the power levels become, the higher the voltages and currents also become and a switch for short circuiting would have to be able to short circuit such higher currents. Components of such a switch are usually larger and more expensive to fabricate. In some cases, components of a short circuiting switch would be connected in series and/or in parallel in order to be able to switch off the high voltages and currents. When arcs occur, the MF generator should supply as little residual energy as possible into the gas discharge device. For example, in MF generators for Flat Panel Display (FPD) production, an arc may lead to pixel errors, and a single pixel error can have a significant influence on the quality of a large surface-area (for example, for 19″ thin film transistor monitors) and consequently can cause a comparatively high level of damage.
In some designs, when an arc is identified, control to the vacuum plasma generator or to parts of the vacuum plasma generator is switched off so that no further energy flows into an output oscillating circuit of the generator. This procedure may not be sufficient for FPD production since there can still be too much residual energy in the output oscillating circuit of the generator, in the inductors of an output transformer that may be provided in the generator, and in the supply lines to the generator.


Methods and systems are provided for secure switching of a roaming wireless terminal. The system includes a network having a plurality of access points for communicating with a wireless terminal. The network includes a first access point configured to couple with the wireless terminal, and a second access point configured to couple with the wireless terminal. The first access point is further configured to generate a first authentication information with the wireless terminal, and connect the wireless terminal with the network upon an authentication of the wireless terminal based on the first authentication information. The first access point is further configured to transmit the first authentication information to the second access point via the network upon the authentication of the wireless terminal. The second access point is further configured to connect the wireless terminal with the network using the first authentication information. The method includes the steps of generating a first authentication information during authentication of the wireless client with a first access point, broadcasting the first authentication information from the first access point to other access points of the network via the network, and connecting the wireless client with the network at a second access point using the first authentication information.

As a client, or terminal, roams from one access point of a network to another access point, the client may encounter a drop in connectivity or a gap in communication. When switching to a new access point, the client performs a variety of house-keeping or handshaking operations before establishing a connection with the network at the new access point. In general, wireless networks have seen an increasing demand for Quality Of Service (QOS) and security features that both contribute to the house-keeping or handshaking operations. Clients may consequently expend a significant amount of time to establish a proper environment with an access point to permit the connection with the wireless network.
When a client connects with an access point in a wireless network, the client undergoes an authentication process with the access point and/or network prior to connection, and this authentication process typically consumes a significant amount of time. During authentication, the client typically communicates with an authentication server, that may be a part of the access point or may be separate from the access point, and the client mutually authenticates with the authentication server. At the successful completion of a mutual authentication, the authentication server notifies the access point of a successfully completed authentication and transfers enough of the authentication information to the access point to allow secure communication between the client and the access point (e.g., the client can decrypt encrypted communication from the access point and the access point can decrypt encrypted communication from the client). Although the client is allowed to communicate with the authentication server during authentication, the access point denies all other communication between the client and the network, and when switching from one access point to a new access point of the network, the client may experience gaps or delays in communication with the new access point as a result of the authentication process. Each time a client roams to a new access point, the new access point treats the client as a new arrival, and any on-going applications between the client and the network typically experience interruptions from the delays related to the authentication process of a new arrival.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a network system having reduced authentication delays when a terminal roams from one access point to another access point in the network system. In addition, it is desirable to provide a secure access point for a wireless network having reduced authentication delays with secure switching between access points for an authorized client. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description of the invention and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and this background of the invention.

Secure switching system for networks and method for securing switching


The present invention compensates for transmit power control time delays between a radio transmitter and receiver that adversely affect the transmit power control process. A time delay associated with a power control loop is compensated for by adjusting a detected signal quality value of a received signal, e.g., signal-to-interference ratio (SIR), based on one or more previous power control commands already sent but whose effect has not yet been experienced. Because the determined signal quality value of the received signal is adjusted based on one or more power control commands already sent but yet to take effect, the transmit power level control command is appropriately determined so that it also takes into account a power control loop time delay. The delay compensation value may be determined based on the output power of a single, previously generated transmit power control command, or on plural previously generated transmit power control commands, depending upon the length of the time delay. If the adjusted signal quality parameter exceeds the target signal quality parameter, the generated power control command directs a decrease in transmit power, and the compensation factor causes a decrease in the subsequently determined signal quality parameter. If the adjusted signal quality parameter is less than the target signal quality parameter, the generated power control command directs an increase in transmit power, and the compensation factor causes an increase in the subsequently determined signal quality parameter.

The present invention relates to wireless communications, and more specifically, to radio transmit power control in a mobile radio communications system.
In cellular communications systems, the mobile radio station communicates over an assigned radio channel with a radio base station. Several base stations are coupled to a switching node which is typically connected to a gateway that interfaces the cellular communications system with other communication systems. A call placed from an external network to a mobile station is directed to the gateway, and from the gateway through one or more switching nodes to a base station which serves the called mobile station. The base station pages the called mobile station and establishes a radio communications channel. A call originated by the mobile station follows a similar path in the opposite direction.
Due to the rapid expansion of wireless mobile communications and the need for wideband multimedia services, there is a continuing need to better utilize the available frequency bandwidth. A common strategy in Frequency Division Multiple Access (FDMA)/Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) systems is to reuse the frequencies in the network. The challenge with frequency reuse is to counteract or at least reduce the interference between transmitters in the system using the same frequency by controlling the transmit power levels of the radio signals and by separating to the extent practical the transmitters by a sufficient geographic distance. The radio transmit power levels of the mobile stations and base stations are ideally lowered so that only the minimum transmission power necessary to maintain satisfactory call quality is used. By reducing mobile and base station transmission power, the other radio communicators experience lower interference which means that the system capacity can be increased. The capacity of a transmission power regulated system can arguably be increased by approximately 70% compared to an unregulated system. Another reason to maintain lower transmit power levels, at least for battery-operated mobile stations, is to reduce the energy consumed by mobile stations during transmissions.
In a Code Division Multiple Access (CDMA) mobile communication system, spreading codes are used to distinguish information associated with different mobile stations or base stations transmitting over the same radio frequency band-hence the term xe2x80x9cspread spectrum.xe2x80x9d In other words, individual radio xe2x80x9cchannelsxe2x80x9d are discriminated upon the basis of these codes. Various aspects of CDMA are set forth in textbooks such as Applications of CDMA and Wireless/Personal Communications, GARG, Vijay K. et al, Prentice-Hall 1997.
Spread spectrum communications permit mobile transmitted signals to be received at two or more xe2x80x9cdiversexe2x80x9d base stations and processed simultaneously to generate one received signal. With these combined signal processing capabilities, it is possible to perform a handover from one base station to another, (or from one antenna sector to another antenna sector connected to the same base station), without any perceptible disturbance in the voice or data communication. This kind of handover is typically called diversity handover and includes both soft and softer diversity handover.
Because all users of a CDMA communications system transmit information using the same frequency band at the same time, each user""s communication interferes with the communications of the other users. In addition, signals received by a base station from a mobile station close to the base station are much stronger than signals received from other mobile stations located at the base station""s cell boundary. As a result, distant mobile communications are overshadowed and dominated by close-in mobile stations which is why this condition is sometimes referred to as the xe2x80x9cnear-far effect.xe2x80x9d
Interference is therefore a particularly severe problem in CDMA systems. If one mobile station transmits at a power output that is too large, the interference it creates degrades the signal-to-interference ratio (SIR) of signals received from other mobile radios to the point that a receiving base station cannot correctly demodulate transmissions from the other mobile radios. In fact, if a mobile station transmits a signal at twice the power level needed for the signal to be accurately received at the base station receiver, that mobile""s signal occupies roughly twice the system capacity as it would if the signal were transmit at the optimum power level. Unregulated, it is not uncommon for a xe2x80x9cstrongxe2x80x9d mobile station to transmit signals that are received at the base station at many, many times the strength of other mobile transmissions. Such a loss of system capacity to excessively xe2x80x9cstrongxe2x80x9d mobile stations is unacceptable.
Additional problems are associated with excessive transmit power. One is the so-called xe2x80x9cparty effect.xe2x80x9d If a mobile transmits at too high of a power level, the other mobiles may increase their respective power levels so that they can xe2x80x9cbe heardxe2x80x9d compounding the already serious interference problem. Another problem is wasted battery power. It is very important to conserve the limited battery life in mobile radios. The major drain on a mobile""s battery occurs during transmission. Thus, a significant objective for any power control approach, therefore, is to reduce transmit power where possible. Except for battery consumption, the above-described problems with setting transmission power also apply to downlink radio transmissions from base stations to mobile stations.
In some mobile radio communications systems, power regulation is performed relatively infrequently being based on the unrealistic assumption that the disturbance level is more or less constant. The mobile""s transmission power is only coarsely controlled, with the objective being to maintain the received desired signal level over the interference level. In practice, however, radio conditions and interference levels vary considerably with both time and place so that infrequent power regulation is not optimal.
One common approach to power control is to try and balance the transmit power level of signals on each radio channel so that all mobile stations or base stations receive signals with the same Signal-to-Inference Ratio (SIR). For every traffic scenario, there is a maximum SIR that can be obtained at all radio receivers at the same time. Ideally, if all information is available at one location, a global or centralized power control scheme may be employed to determine and assign the various necessary transmission powers so this maximum is achieved. But this approach requires extensive overhead signaling to keep the centralized intelligence entity fully informed and up to date. Another approach, less onerous at least with respect to control signaling, is to perform power control in a distributed fashion using only local SIR type measurements.
In both approaches, the appropriate target SIR must first be determined. If the SIR target value is set too high, the radio transmit powers might be increased to maximum levels determined by the physical limits of the system without achieving the specified SIR target value. Should that be the case, xe2x80x9cgraceful degradationxe2x80x9d by uniformly reducing transmit power levels of all active radios can be employed to minimize the impact on the quality of service provided.
A significant goal for most if not all radio transmit power control procedures is to keep the signal strength and/or quality of the signal detected by a receiver above a threshold without using unnecessarily high transmit power. In contrast to infrequent power regulation schemes mentioned above, most CDMA-based systems employ a relatively high sampling rate for the power control algorithm, e.g., 1600 times per second. To minimize overhead control signaling, only one bit is used to communicate power control adjustments to the radio transmitter.
In the IS-95 CDMA standard and similar systems, the power is stepwise increased or decreased based upon a comparison of the received signal strength or other signal parameter like SIR with a threshold. The receiver controls the transmitter""s power by issuing power control commandsxe2x80x94power up or power downxe2x80x94at the same high sampling rate based on measurements of a signal-to-interference ratio. If the measured signal parameter value is less than a target signal parameter value, the power up command is issued; otherwise, the power down command is issued. The radio transmitter responds to the power control commands by increasing or decreasing its transmit output power level P, for example, by a certain incremental power step xcex94, i.e., P←P+xcex94 or P←Pxe2x88x92xcex94.
At the example sampling rate noted above, either a power up or a power down command issues every 0.625 msec. As a result, the transmit power level is never perfectly constant or static. Accordingly, even in an ideal radio environment, the incremental power control commands continually alternate between power up and power down so that the transmit power level and the received signal quality oscillate up and down an incremental step around a target value. In order to maintain the quality of the received signal always above a prescribed limit, the target value needs to be set slightly higher than that limit so that the received signal quality after the power down step is still above the prescribed limit.
There is a problem with this type of power control algorithm, namely, the sometimes considerable delay between the time a transmit power control command is issued by a radio receiving and evaluating the signal quality of the received signal and the time when the effect on the transmit power level of the transmitting radio is experienced. This delay is referred to generally below as xe2x80x9cpower control delayxe2x80x9d and can include a total time delay period or some portion thereof.
Indeed, if the delay between the issuance of the command and its effect is larger than the time intervals separating issuance of two consecutive power control commands, the transmit power level will be increased or decreased more than it should or otherwise needs to be. For example, if the receiver determines that a received signal is below a target SIR value, a power up command is issued to the transmitter. However, due to the power control loop delay, the power up command does not take effect until after the radio receiver again samples the received signal quality, determines that it is still below the target value, and issues another power up command. As a result, the transmit output power level is adjusted upwards twice even though, at least in some instances, a single power up adjustment would have been sufficient. When the received signal quality is finally detected as exceeding the target value, the same over-reactive power control procedure is likely repeated with power down commands.
Such over-reactive power control is undesirable for several reasons. First, the transmit power levels have higher peaks resulting in greater interference for other users of the system. Second, the higher peak oscillations may lead to instabilities in the radio network. Third, because the oscillation peaks have a higher amplitude, the target signal quality will have to be increased so that the negative oscillation peak does not dip below the minimum desired signal quality. This results in a higher average power increasing the battery drain for mobile stations and the interference to other users.
Reference is now made to FIGS. 1 and 2 which illustrate the various aspects of the power control delay characteristics described above. FIG. 1 shows two signal graphs for the transmitting station including power commands received and transmit output power level. FIG. 2 shows two signal graphs for the receiving station including detected signal quality, e.g., SIR, and power control commands issued. A power down command is first received. Shortly thereafter, the transmit output power is decremented by a predetermined xcex94 amount which, after time delay Ta results in a reduction in the detected signal quality at the receiver. There is also a delay Tb needed for the receiver to detect the current signal quality of the received signal and then issue an appropriate power control command, in this case, a power down command. Yet another delay Tc is incurred from the point when the second power down command is issued until it is received at the radio transmitter. A fourth delay Td occurs between the time when the second power control command is received and then executed.
Thus, FIG. 2 shows signal graphs similar to those shown in FIG. 1, but with larger power control delays. In general, because of the larger delay, the power control algorithm overreacts causing greater oscillations in transmit power and in the received signal quality. Consider the time during Td during which the signal-to-interference ratio is measured and found to be slightly below the target signal-to-interference ratio resulting in the issuance of a power up command shortly before the expiration of time period Td. For the next measurement time interval, the power up command has not yet taken effect (at the least, the receiver has not yet seen its effect), and thus the signal quality measurement still indicates that the detected SIR is below the target. Therefore, another power up command is issued. As a result, the transmit power is adjusted upwards twice when a single power up command would have been sufficient. When the received signal quality finally exceeds the target SIR, the same process is repeated with the power down commands.
Even in a static radio environment, the power control oscillation period for this kind of incremental method is six SIR measurement time intervals, including three power up and three power down control command intervals. The difference between the highest and lowest transmit output power will be three times that compared to the case where there is no delay between the time a power command is issued and the time its effect is experienced. Of course, the time delay associated problems are further exasperated with increasing delay. The larger the number of pending issued power controls commands that have not yet taken effect, the greater the oscillation, instability, interference, power consumption, etc.
These and other problems are solved by the present invention which compensates for a transmit power control time delay that adversely affects the power control process. Time delay associated with the power control loop is compensated for by adjusting a determined value of a received signal, and in particular, based on a previous power control command already sent but whose effect has not yet been experienced. Because the determined value of the received signal is adjusted using a delay compensation value, the transmit power level control command is appropriately determined so that it also takes into account the power control loop time delay. The delay compensation value may be determined based on the output power of a single, previously generated transmit power control command, or on plural previously generated transmit power control commands, depending upon the length of the time delay.
Initially, a signal quality parameter of a signal received from the transmitter is determined such as a signal interference ratio or a received signal strength. The determined signal quality parameter is adjusted using the compensation factor, and compared to a target signal quality parameter. In response to the comparison, a power control command is generated which takes into account the signal quality parameter compensation factor. The compensation factor is thereafter modified to take into account the generated power control command. The power control command may include an incremental power up as well as an incremental power down command. The incremental value may be a fixed constant or a variable. Alternatively, the power control command may be a designated transmit power value.
In any event, if the adjusted signal quality parameter exceeds the target signal quality parameter, the generated power control command directs a decrease in transmit power, and the compensation factor causes a decrease in the subsequently determined signal quality parameter. If the adjusted signal quality parameter is less than the target signal quality parameter, the generated power control command directs an increase in transmit power, and the compensation factor causes an increase in the subsequently determined signal quality parameter. As the time delay associated with the power control command decreases, the number of power control commands used to determine the compensation factor may decrease. Alternatively, as the time delay associated with the power control command increases, the number of power control commands used to determine the compensation factor tends to increase.
The present invention may be employed advantageously in a radio station for use in a mobile radio communications system. The radio station includes a transmitter for transmitting a power control command to another radio station and also includes a receiver for receiving a signal transmitted by the other radio station. A detector detects a signal quality parameter associated with the received signal. A processor predicts an effect the transmit power control command will have on the detected signal parameter. More particularly, the processor predicts the effect that the transmit power control command would have if the transmit power control command had already been received and implemented in the transmitter. Using the predicted effect, the processor adjusts the detected signal parameter, and generates the power control command based on the adjusted signal parameter. The prediction and the adjustment compensate for a time delay associated with controlling the transmit power of the radio transmitter.

Transmit power control time delay compensation in a wireless communications system


A recirculating powder applicator includes an applicator body having an inlet on an upstream surface and an outlet on a downstream surface, wherein the inlet and outlet define a passage that extends transversely through the thickness of the applicator body, a powder conduit, an air inlet, an exhaust aperture located on one of the upstream or downstream surfaces, and a circulation chamber located on the interior of the applicator body. The powder conduit and air inlet are in fluid communication with the passage and the passage is in fluid communication with the circulation chamber. A method of applying powder to a substrate during a continuous process includes using a recirculating powder applicator.

The disclosure relates generally to a powder applicator and more particularly to a powder applicator for a continuous process line. Various types of powder can be applied to products for a variety of reasons, such as to provide lubrication, to absorb moisture, and to color a surface. Often the object to which the powder is applied is produced on a continuous process line. Because powders are a collection of unconnected particles, powders can be difficult to control, especially when dispersed in the air. Additionally, powders tend to clump when exposed to moisture. Machinery for the application of powders often tends to be messy and inefficient (i.e., much of the powder is wasted during application) at applying powders to the substrate. Further, in a continuous process, clumps in the powder can disrupt the process line either by clogging the powder applicator or by creating a jam in downstream machinery.

Method of applying powder to a substrate during a continuous process


Aqueous solutions are disclosed which are supersaturated with respect to calcium phosphate(s) and which further comprise a stabilizing agent in an amount sufficient to enable the calcium ions and phosphate ions to remain in supersaturated solution so that it may be used as a dental rinse or mouthwash. Such solutions are suitable for treating patients having dental caries or other conditions of the oral cavity.

By "supersaturated" with calcium and phosphate is herein meant that higher concentrations of calcium ions and orthophosphate ions are present in the solution than would be present in a saturated solution of those ions.
British patent specification no. GB 1 090 340, published in 1967, discloses compositions for rehardening dental enamel comprising fluoride, calcium, phosphate and sodium chloride which yield, on contact with saliva, supersaturated solutions to form hydroxyapatite. Because saliva is required to form the supersaturated solution, the preferred compositions are in the form of confectionery such as chewing gum. However, it is known that, under most circumstances, saliva is already supersaturated with calcium and phosphate. No disclosure is given of how to make a supersaturated solution ab initio which can then be used effectively in the form of a mouthwash or dental rinse. Furthermore, no mention is made of the possibility of excluding fluoride; or of the formation of octacalcium phosphate by the supersaturated solution in the saliva. In any case, in the absence of or where there is a significantly reduced amount of saliva, these compositions would not work as described.
A supersaturated solution is disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 5,427,768 which is supersaturated with calcium phosphate and carbon dioxide and used to deposit apatite on the teeth. However, in this case, the supersaturation is caused by release of carbon dioxide, and carbonate is absorbed by the teeth which results in a deposited mineral phase with decreased resistance to dental caries.
British patent specification no. GB 1 408 922, published in 1975, discloses an oral treatment pack which comprises two phases for sequential application to teeth, the isolated phases comprising calcium (50 to 35000 ppm) and phosphate (50 to 40000 ppm) compounds, respectively. However, there is no disclosure or teaching regarding how to make a single phase, supersaturated solution within these concentration ranges which cover four orders of magnitude. Indeed, Example 3 thereof teaches two phases which, if mixed, would result in immediate precipitation of calcium phosphates.
A further solution containing calcium and phosphate is disclosed in British patent specification no. GB 1 509 977, published in 1978. This solution comprises one component containing calcium ions (at least 30 ppm) and another component containing at least 100 ppm fluoride, one or both components also containing phosphate ions (at least 0.1 M) such that on mixing the components hydroxyapatite can be deposited therefrom on teeth. However, such solutions are not stably supersaturated (indeed, this patent teaches that the phosphate ions can be incorporated only in the solution containing calcium ions (at low concentration) which would not allow for the preparation of a stable, non-precipitating, supersaturated solution), and contains greater fluoride than considered to be clinically safe if accidentally swallowed. Again, no reference is made to producing octacalcium phosphate deposits.


An asynchronous circuit is described for processing units of data having a program order associated therewith. The circuit includes an N-way-issue resource comprising N parallel pipelines. Each pipeline is operable to transmit a subset of the units of data in a first-in-first-out manner. The asynchronous circuit is operable to sequentially control transmission of the units of data in the pipelines such that the program order is maintained.

The present invention relates to asynchronous system architectures with orders greater than single-issue.
The goal of a dual issue system in a processor architecture is to be able to execute two instructions per cycle. This is accomplished with two parallel pipelines for handling the tasks for each of a pair of instructions. In the standard synchronous design, a pair of instructions are simultaneously received each clock cycle. Because of the interdependency between instructions and the limitation that the instructions be issued simultaneously (i.e., at only one time in each clock cycle), there are inherent system complexities which prevent system performance from approaching the desired goal. That is, when the instructions are issued simultaneously, there are issues relating to program order and data dependency which require complex schemes for determining, for example, whether two instructions may be executed at the same time. These complex schemes not only hamper system performance, but make multiple issue architectures difficult to verify.
It is therefore desirable to provide circuits and techniques by which multiple and mixed-order-issue system architectures may be more readily implemented.

Asynchronous multiple-order issue system architecture


A quick removal socket tool includes: a rod body that has a surrounding wall defining a recess for receiving a screwdriver head and formed with a retaining hole in spatial communication with the recess; and a sliding sleeve sleeved movably on the rod body, formed with an annular groove, and being movable relative to the rod body between a retaining position, where the annular groove is misaligned from the retaining hole so that the positioning ball is disposed within the retaining hole and a groove of the screwdriver head to retain the screwdriver head within the recess, and a release position, where the annular groove is aligned with the retaining hole so that the positioning ball is disposed within the retaining hole and the annular groove to allow for removal of the screwdriver head from the recess.

Referring to FIG. 1, a conventional socket tool for mounting removably a screwdriver head 10 includes a rod body 11 having an insert recess 111 and a front end opening 112, a sliding sleeve 12 sleeved movably on the rod body 11, a sliding member 13 disposed movably in the insert recess 111, a spring 14 abutting against the sliding member 13, two positioning balls 15 contactable with the screwdriver head 10, and a retaining ball 16 contactable with the sliding member 13.
When removal of the screwdriver head 10 is desired, the sliding sleeve 12 is moved forwardly on the rod body 11 to remove the positioning balls 15 and the retaining ball 16 from the screwdriver head 10 and the sliding member 13, respectively, thereby allowing the screwdriver head 10 to be removed from the rod body 11, as shown in FIG. 2. However, after a long time period of use, wear is experienced by the retaining ball 16, thereby resulting in difficulties in positioning effectively the sliding member 13 in the rod body 11. Moreover, the retaining ball 16 is located at one side of the rod body 11 so that a retaining force is applied to the sliding member 13 by the retaining ball 16 from only one lateral side of the rod body 11. As a result, the sliding member 13 cannot move smoothly, thereby affecting adversely quick removal of the screwdriver head 10.


An arithmetic logic unit capable of executing an instruction belonging to a user-defined instruction area at the same clock frequency as a hard-wired logic includes a memory storing data at an arbitrary address and outputting the data stored in the address when an instruction code and an operand data are applied as an address. When an instruction decoder decoding part of the instruction code for setting the memory to read mode or write mode is provided, contents of the memory can be re-written, and therefore the content of the memory can be readily changed even after delivery. The arithmetic logic unit may include, in place of the memory, a programmable logic device adapted to receive an instruction code and the operand data and capable of organizing a desired logic.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a microprocessor and an arithmetic logic unit (ALU) used in the microprocessor. More specifically, the present invention relates to a microprocessor and an arithmetic logic unit allowing user setting for effective operation for specific application.
2. Description of the Background Art
An RISC (Reduced Instruction Set Computer) or a DST (Digital Signal Processor) contains an ALU. FIG. 7 schematically shows a structure of a conventional DSP. Referring to FIG. 7, DSP 100 includes an instruction memory 110, a program counter (PC) 114 designating a specific address in instruction memory 110, an instruction decoder 112 for reading and decoding an instruction from an address of instruction memory 110 designated by PC 114, an incrementor 116 for incrementing by one (adding one to) the output of PC 114, an adder 118 for adding a relative branch address output from instruction decoder 112 to the output of PC 114, and a multiplexer (MUX) 140 for selecting and setting in PC 114 one of the output from incrementor 116, the output from adder 118 and a constant "0". The constant "0" is set in PC 114 at the time of resetting. PC 114, incrementor 116, adder 118 and MUX 120 control order of reading instruction from instruction memory 110 in accordance with a result of processing by ALU 124.
DSP 100 further includes an ALU 124 for performing an operation on two input operands and for outputting result of operation, based on an instruction code Op applied from instruction decoder 112, a register file 126 for storing an output from ALU 124 at an address R output from instruction decoder 112 or for outputting data from address R, an RAM 122 receiving and storing an output from register file 126 at a prescribed address, and two MUXs 128 and 130 each receiving output from RAM 122 and register file 126, selecting either of these under the control of instruction decoder 122 and applying the selected one to ALU 124 as operand data.
The operation of DSP 100 shown in FIG. 7 will be briefly described in the following. First, MUX 120 selects "0" and sets it in PC 114, and an instruction read from address 0 of instruction memory 110 is decoded by instruction decoder 112. Consequently, DSP 100 starts its operation. Instruction decoder 112 decodes an instruction and outputs instruction code Op and address or addresses R of register file 126, which are applied to ALU 124 and register file 126, respectively. When the instruction is a branch instruction (in this case, only a relative branch), instruction decoder 112 applies relative branch address to adder 118.
Register file 126 outputs data from address R applied from instruction address 122, and RAM 122 also outputs data from an address designated by instruction decoder 122. Each of MUXs 128 and 130 selects either the output from register file 126 or the output from RAM 122 under the control of instruction decoder 112, and applies the selected one to ALU 124. ALU 124 performs a processing designated by instruction code Op applied from instruction decoder 112 on two operands, and outputs the result of processing to register file 126. Register file 126 stores the data at an address designated by instruction decoder 112.
Incrementor 116 increments by one the output of PC 114 and applies it to MUX 120. MUX 120 selects either incrementor 116 or adder 118 in accordance with control of instruction decoder 112, and sets an output of the selected one in PC 114. MUX 120 generally selects the output from incrementor 116 and it selects the output from adder 118 only when the instruction is a branch instruction.
FIG. 8 shows examples of number of input/output bits and number of bits of instruction codes to ALU 124. It is assumed that instruction code to ALU 124 has i bits, each of first and second operand data has n bits, and resulting data has n bits.
In an arithmetic logic unit represented by ALU 124 and in an arithmetic logic unit as a single chip LSI (Large Scale Integrated Circuit), all the available instruction sets are determined in advance, an example of which is shown in FIG. 9.
When an instruction code has i bits, there may be 2.sup.i different instruction codes from 0 to 2.sup.i -1, as shown in FIG. 9. These instruction codes have corresponding processing contents determined respectively. The contents of processing are all determined in advance by the supplier of the ALU, and the contents cannot be changed by the user, since ALU 124 is realized by hard-wired logics and ROMs, of which logic cannot be changed by the user.
However, in the arithmetic logic unit in which all the instruction sets are determined in advance, these instructions are provided for general purposes, and therefore these are not always very effective when applied to a specific use. It has been known that performance of an arithmetic logic unit used in a specific application is remarkably improved by providing an instruction dedicated to the specific application and allowing effective execution of that instruction. One such example includes an underflow/overflow processing in integer operation.
Let us consider signed 8 bit addition in an 8 bit ALU, as an example. In this case, the signed 8 bit data is in 2's complement representation and assumes a value within the range of -128 to 127. Here, "overflow" refers to a case where result of addition exceeds 127, and "underflow" refers to a case where the result is smaller than -128. Consider an addition of "7F+7F" in hexadecimal notation. In general addition, the result is FE (hexadecimal notation). However, since this result is regarded as a signed integer in a conventional ALU, it is interpreted as "-2", which value is meaningless when viewed as the result of operation.
This problem causes lower efficiency in processing especially in the field handling image and video data. A large amount of data must be handled in the field of image and video processing. Therefore, the number of bits of each data is reduced to be as small as possible, and processing is performed with the minimum length of data. This tends to cause the aforementioned problem of underflow/overflow. In other fields, sufficient number of bits are generally allotted to data so as to reduce the possibility of underflow/overflow. Therefore, the problem of underflow/overflow is less likely.
In the field handling image and video data, the problem caused by such underflow/overflow has been solved by programming. For example, in the signed 8 bit addition described above, the range of the value of the result of operation is limited such that when the result of operation is below -128, -128 is output, and when the result exceeds 127, 127 is output.
This example is represented by the following equation. EQU 7F (hexadecimal notation)+7F (hexadecimal notation)=7F (hexadecimal notation)
In the conventional ALU, this process is realized by using a plurality of instruction steps. However, this is one reason why the processing is not efficient enough for the processing of this field by the conventional ALU. When an addition instruction involving underflow/overflow processing is prepared in advance and the hard-wired logic of the ALU is adapted to execute such instruction in the similar manner as other instructions, it is clear that the actual processing efficiency in the field handling image and video data can be significantly improved.
Consider a simple IIR filter (Infinite Impulse Response Filter) shown in FIG. 10, for example. The processing shown in FIG. 10 is to multiply an input by .alpha., add the result to an output Z.sup.-1 of this processing of the last cycle multiplied by .beta., and to output the result of addition. When this processing is executed by the conventional ALU and a microprocessor containing such an ALU, the following sequential processing was necessary.
(1) The input is multiplied by .alpha. and stored in a register.
(2) The value (Z.sup.-1) stored as an output of the last cycle is multiplied by .beta..
(3) The stored input multiplied by .alpha. is added to the output of the last cycle multiplied by .beta., and the result of addition is stored.
(4) The stored value is outputted as a result of operation.
(5) The output value is stored as the value of the last cycle.
Since such a processing including five steps is carried out sequentially, five steps (five cycles of DSP) have been necessary to realize an IIR filter, when the conventional DSP is used. When a DSP having clock frequency of 50 MHz is used, the maximum rate of processing of the IIR filter is 10 MHz, and higher rate of processing is not available. When the rate of processing as high as 50 MHz is required of the IIR filter, a DSP having operational clock frequency of 250 MHz is necessary, which means that it is difficult to realize such a filter as long as the conventional DSP is used.
Further, various and many filter characteristics are desired in filtering using IIR filter or the like. Sometimes filters of different characteristics are required simultaneously in a specific application. Higher speed operation to some extent is possible when the IIR filter is implemented as a hardware (hard-wired logic). In that case, the hardware logic must be changed on each occasion in accordance with the user's request, and when the application is changed, a different logic must be prepared.
Some of the conventional CISCs (Complex Instruction Set Computers) have control storage implemented by RAM. In such a CISC, it is possible to describe a relatively complicated processing in one step as a macro instruction to be applied to the CISC, by reforming the contents of the control storage. However, since the ALU is built-in, execution of the macro instruction means execution of a plurality of steps of the micro instructions stored in the control storage, and therefore operation at the same clock frequency as the hard-wired logic is not possible.

Arithmetic logic unit and microprocessor capable of effectively executing processing for specific application