In some embodiments, a system and/or method may include accessing three-dimensional (3D) imaging software on a remote server. The method may include accessing over a network a 3D imaging software package on a remote server using a first system. The method may include assessing, using the remote server, a capability of the first system to execute the 3D imaging software package. The method may include displaying an output of the 3D imaging software using the first system based upon the assessed capabilities of the first system. In some embodiments, the method may include executing a first portion of the 3D imaging software using the remote server based upon the assessed capabilities of the first system. In some embodiments, the method may include executing a second portion of the 3D imaging software using the first system based upon the assessed capabilities of the first system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present disclosure generally relates to cloud based collaboration. More particularly, the disclosure generally relates to systems and methods for accessing three-dimensional imaging software on a remote server.
2. Description of the Relevant Art
Three dimensional (3D) capable electronics and computing hardware devices and real-time computer-generated 3D computer graphics have been a popular area of computer science for the past few decades, with innovations in visual, audio, tactile and biofeedback systems. Much of the research in this area has produced hardware and software products that are specifically designed to generate greater realism and more natural computer-human interfaces. These innovations have significantly enhanced and simplified the end-user's computing experience.
Typical 3D computing software requires intensive computational power. Even powerful systems designed and dedicated to execute 3D computing software may require computational assistance and/or additional storage at times. Additionally a user running a dedicated 3D system may wish to collaborate with others using the 3D computing software. One or more of these collaborators may be using computer systems with different and/or less capabilities than the dedicated 3D system.
Regarding this last point, some collaborators may have a computer system that does not have a 3D display and/or head tracking Some of the collaborator's computer systems may lack a stylus or, stated more generally, may have limited input capability. In addition, the local computational power and storage capacity of the collaborator's computer systems may be limited in absolute terms or in comparison to the dedicated 3D computer system. Computer systems having such reduced capabilities are sometimes but not necessarily referred to as "thin client devices."
Examples of non-dedicated 3D computer systems that can be used in a collaboration and that may have limited capabilities include laptop computers, tablets and smart phones. It should be noted, however, that tablets and smart phones usually have 3 axis orientation detection capabilities.
The simplest case of the collaboration situation described above has been partially addressed by current technology and product offerings. The simplest case referred is represented by the on-line collaboration between gamers. Such users might have a computer system that includes a 2D display and input devices such a mouse or trackball. A subset of such computer systems might have limited gesture recognition capability.
The on-line collaboration described above is accomplished by the user's systems communicating through the Internet with a server. That is, each user's computer system communicates with the server providing information developed, in part, from the user's use of their system's input devices. (In a first person shooter game, think user's point of view and weapon use.) The server integrates the input from all of the users and provides a harmonized output to each user's computer system.
In the configuration just described, the computational burden is generally local. That is, most of the computations required to produce the information sent to and from the server is accomplished at the individual user's computer system. If the user's computer has fast computational capability, the video imagery will appear without delay. If the user's computer has less computational capability, there may be a delay in the video imagery or a limitation in the user's ability to control the video imagery.
The challenge faced in a collaboration of 3D computing software users can be even greater than that of a collaboration of conventional gamers. This is due, in part, to the additional computational "overhead" associated with the wide range of capabilities resident in a 3D computer system. The additional overhead only starts with the 3D display being stereoscopic. It goes on to include determining the user's position and orientation (that is, point of view in 3D space) based on input from a head tracker. Added to this is overhead associated with the user's manipulation of objects in 3D space based on input from 3D input devices. These additional tasks can put a great burden on the local computer. With this in mind, dedicated 3D computer systems are designed with considerable local computational power and storage capacity. None-the-less, if the collaboration involves complex subject matter, it may be found desirable by the users to have access to additional capabilities.
Part of the incentive for this computational capability is the more stringent requirement on latency/delay that a head-tracked 3D system places on over system performance. Latency that would have been acceptable, for example, to 2D gamers are no longer acceptable for 3D rendering. This is due, in part, because the latency may cause physical discomfort or even headaches for the user. Low latency is no longer a "convenience" factor but a strong requirement for usability. This latency requirement has implications on both local computational capabilities as well as the network communication bandwidth.
The situation can be even more challenging if the collaboration includes both dedicated 3D and non-dedicated 3D computer systems. Those non-dedicated 3D computer systems having limited computational ability and storage capacity may have difficulty in "keeping up." As before, the result can be a delay in the video or a limitation in the user's ability to control the video imagery. Users of such thin client systems would definitely find it desirable to have access to additional capabilities.
A separate but equally important issue relates to the fact that, when some of the users in the collaboration do not have a dedicated 3D computer system, the inputs from the non-dedicated 3D computer systems can be quite different from the dedicated 3D computer system as well as from each other. As a consequence, it can be a substantial task for the server to harmonize the inputs from all of the collaborators.
There is, therefore, need for means to allow users and members of a collaboration to access additional computational capability and storage capacity. There is, therefore, need for systems and/or methods to enable a mixture of dedicated 3D and non-dedicated 3D computer system users to collaborate effectively is highly desirable. In as much as the systems/methods proposed in this disclosure are Cloud-based, there is also need for systems/methods to address the issue of what happens if the Cloud goes down.

System and methods for cloud based 3D design and collaboration


Methods and apparatus are provided for handling a STUCK-ON microphone push-to-talk (PTT) switch. The apparatus comprises an input device receiving the PTT output, switches for selecting a radio, and a controller that receives this information and determines whether the PTT switch is STUCK-ON. Until STUCK-ON occurs, the controller passes the microphone signal and a PTT initiated TRANSCVER-ON command to the radio causing it to transmit. When STUCK-ON occurs, the state of the PTT switch is ignored and the transmitter shut off. The status of other PTT switches and radios are not affected. In the method, the active PTT signal results in a TRASNCVR-ON command to the transmitter until a PTT-ON timer reaches a predetermined critical value Tc, whereupon the PTT-ON signal is blocked, the transmitter returned to stand-by and an alarm turned on to warn the pilot of the stuck PTT switch.

Modern aircraft are generally equipped with several means of radio communication between the pilot or other aircraft personnel and ground stations or other aircraft. For convenience of explanation the present invention is described in the context of pilot communication but persons of skill in the art will understand that it applies to any other flight crewmembers and even to passengers who may have access to communication facilities on the aircraft. Typically the pilot has several radios and several microphones that he or she may use. The pilot selects a particular microphone and radio by means of one or more switches on a control panel. The selected microphone itself is typically activated by depressing a 'Push-To-Talk' (PTT) switch whereupon the radio to which the microphone is coupled will transmit whatever message the pilot speaks into the microphone. The PTT may be a part of the microphone itself, as for example with a hand held mike or it may be remotely located. Pilots often wear a headset with a boom mike whose PTT switch is located on the aircraft control yoke. These are non-limiting examples of typical arrangements. The particular microphone and PTT switch arrangement is not critical.
Because of safety considerations it is important that a stuck PTT switch in a particular aircraft not preempt the particular radio channel being used, e.g., cause that aircraft's transmitter to stay on for an extended period of time, thereby preventing others sharing the same channel from communicating. A stuck PTT switch condition occurs when a PTT switch has been depressed or otherwise activated for a time exceeding a preset threshold Tc. A stuck PTT switch condition can result from several causes as, for example: (i) the pilot has held the PTT switch closed for a time exceeding Tc, or (ii) mechanical or electrical failure has occurred which prevents the PTT switch from returning to its OFF state. Typical present day avionics systems do not distinguish between these conditions. In either case, once Tc is exceeded the avionics system deactivates all of the pilot's PTT switches so that further transmission is precluded and the radio channel is cleared for use by others. The pilot's PTT switches remain disabled until the stuck-switch condition is cleared. Even when only one of the pilot's available PTT switches is 'stuck', for example on a hand mike, his other PTT switch, e.g. for a boom mike, is also disabled. Thus, when a 'stuck PTT switch' condition occurs in the prior art, all of the pilot's normal means of communication are disabled. This usually does not affect the copilot's communication capability in a dual control aircraft with duplicate microphones, PTT switches, and so forth. In addition, per RTCA/DO-207 the pilot usually has a safety over-ride switch that permits essential communication by the pilot in emergencies. This over-ride switch must be a protected switch so that it cannot be accidentally left activated. This arrangement while workable is inconvenient and more flexible means of dealing with a stuck PTT switch condition are needed.
Accordingly, it is desirable to provide a 'stuck PTT switch' response that allows non-stuck PTT switches and corresponding mikes to be used so that normal communications can continue on the alternative systems, despite the 'stuck switch' condition on one of the available mikes. In addition, it is desirable to provide this improved capability with minimum cost and little or no added complexity. Furthermore, other desirable features and characteristics of the present invention will become apparent from the subsequent detailed description and the appended claims, taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings and the foregoing technical field and background.

Stuck microphone deselection system and method


The invention relates to a brake disk, particularly for commercial vehicles, comprising a brake caliper covering a brake disk, a tensing device arranged in a brake caliper for clamping the brake pads on both sides of the brake disk in the direction thereof, and at least one regulating system arranged in the brake caliper in order to equalize the brake pad and/or disk deterioration by adjusting the distance between the brake pad and the brake disk, whereby the regulating system comprises a regulating rotational device. The invention is characterized in that at least one regulating rotational device is provided on each side of the brake disk to adjust the axial distances between the brake pads and the brake disk.

The invention relates to a disk brake, particularly for commercial vehicles, having a caliper reaching over a brake disk, a brake application device arranged in the caliper for the application of brake pads on both sides of the brake disk in the direction of the disk, as well as at least one adjusting system arranged in the caliper for compensating brake pad and/or disk wear by adjusting the distance between the brake pad and the brake disk. The adjusting system preferably has an adjuster device, particularly a rotary device. The application device arranged in the caliper has at least one rotary lever operable preferably by a rod, particularly a piston rod.
The invention particularly relates to novel constructions of disk brakes, particularly for commercial vehicles, which are actuated pneumatically and/or electromechanically.
According to the principle selected for introducing power, disk brakes can be divided into two basic designs:
1. The generation of power and the wear adjustment on both sides of the brake disk; for example, a hydraulic fixed caliper disk brake with a fixed brake disk relative to the axle, and the generation of power on both sides of the brake disk, and
2. the generation of power and the wear adjustment on one side of the brake disk and the transmission of the actuating power to the side which faces away, according to the reaction power principle; for example, a sliding caliper disk brake, a hinged caliper disk brake, or a fixed caliper disk brake with a slidable brake disk.
Pneumatically actuated disk brakes for heavy commercial vehicles with rim diameters of 15 inches or more normally use the reaction power principle because, as a result of the narrow installation conditions at the vehicle wheel, the arrangement of a pneumatic operating cylinder is only possible on the vehicle interior side of the wheel open toward the vehicle interior. Constructions of these types are shown, for example, in German Patent Document DE 36 10 569 A1, German Patent Document DE 37 16 202 A1, European Patent Document EP 0 531 321 A1 (see particularly the construction of the adjusters along the lines of rotary drives) and European Patent Document EP 0 688 404 A1.
Sliding caliper or hinged caliper disk brakes require a component which is fixed with respect to the axle—generally called a brake anchor plate (carrier)—which holds or guides the brake shoes/brake pads and, when the brake is actuated, absorbs their peripheral forces and carries the caliper which is slidably disposed coaxially to the vehicle axle.
The relative motion carried out by the caliper with respect to the component fixed relative to the axle can be divided into the working stroke and the wearing stroke. The invention makes surprising use of this effect.
The working stroke is carried out with each actuation of the brake in order to overcome the release play of the brake and to compensate for the elasticities of the brake pads and the caliper that result from the application of power. Depending on the extent of the actuating power and the amount of the release play, it is normally <4 mm.
In contrast, the wearing stroke is the wear adjusting travel which the caliper carries out over a large number of brake actuations in order to compensate for the wear on the reaction side of the brake. The wearing stroke is composed of the wear of the outside brake pad and the wear of the brake disk friction surfaces situated on the outside, and normally amounts to up to 25 mm.
In comparison, in the case of the brake design with a fixed caliper and a slidable brake disk, the working stroke and the wearing stroke are generated by sliding the brake disk.
The designs with the sliding caliper or hinged caliper have the disadvantage that the brake anchor plate, fixed relative to the axle, is required for absorbing the peripheral force of the brake pads and the holding and guiding of the caliper. This component results in additional cost and additional weight. Furthermore, the required sliding guidance or hinge system is susceptible to problems.
In the design with the slidable brake disk, in contrast, the problem is in maintaining easy slideability of the brake disk on the guiding area of the hub throughout the entire service life. An effective sealing-off can hardly be implemented because of the narrow installation conditions and the harsh environmental exposure.
It is known (for example, from European Patent Document EP 0 531 321) to provide the rotary lever 19 with an eccentric or eccentric section, which acts directly or by way of additional elements upon a traverse (cross-member) into which the thrust pieces are screwed.
It is also known to provide the rotary lever with lateral projections, which act upon the ends of the thrust pieces or on adjusting sleeves into which the thrust pieces are screwed (German Patent Document DE 36 10 569 A1).
Both concepts for the construction of the rotary lever are utilized. The lever has an approximately semicircular projection which, on the outer diameter, forms the slide-way for a roller bearing, in the interior of the respective semicircular projection, the eccentric is formed by means of a slide bearing half shell as well as a bearing roller accommodated therein.
Particularly in the case of the second described construction, this bearing arrangement makes it possible to keep the reaction forces of the eccentric bearing and of the outer roller bearing congruent in their position on the longitudinal axis of the lever.
As a result, it is possible to avoid bending stress or deformations on the lever as well as the resulting edge movement of the roller bearing and the slide bearing, which may clearly reduce the service life of the bearings.
Although in the case of the construction having a traverse, the deformation of the lever is reduced by means of the traverse, here also an increase of the service life is desirable, particularly by avoiding an edge movement.
A replacement of the roller bearing is also desirable on the side of the larger diameter of the eccentric projection of the rotary lever. The necessity to arrange the outer bearing shell as a semi-cylindrical projection in an enveloping manner around the eccentric necessarily leads to relatively large bearing diameters of the outer bearing. This results in the necessity of using a roller bearing on the outer bearing since, when a slide bearing is used, the higher resistances to friction in conjunction with the large friction diameters may lead to friction losses and application force losses and, as a result, to an undesirably high brake hysteresis.
With respect to eccentric-operated disk brakes, it should be mentioned that the prior art also includes German Patent Document DE 44 30 258 C1, International Patent Document WO97/22814 and German Patent Document DE 295 08 001 U1.
The disk brake of the construction of this type, particularly its brake application device, is to be optimized in that an extensive use of slide bearings with small friction diameters is achieved while the deformations of the rotary lever are simultaneously minimized.
The invention achieves this task by means of the claimed objects.
According to the invention, the construction of the brake application device per se is particularly simplified. The invention is suitable for calipers of many different constructions, such as sliding and hinged calipers but also for fixed calipers or (micro)-deformable calipers.
Accordingly, the rotary lever has a recess for receiving the end of the piston rod on one of its ends, and has recesses on its end area facing away from the recess on two of its exterior sides, into which recesses essentially cup-shaped bearing shells and/or essentially spherical bearing elements for bearing the rotary lever can be inserted, by means of which the rotary lever is disposed on the caliper and on at least one thrust piece for displacing the brake pad in the direction of the brake disk.
The rotary lever is thereby constructed as a traverse-type structural member, which makes the use of a traverse (cross-member) separate from the rotary lever unnecessary. The spherical bearing elements, which can be disposed in the slide bearing shells permit a durable stable bearing of the rotary lever and an overall compact cost-effective construction of the brake application device.
In a constructively simple manner, the rotary lever is directly, or by way of additional intermediately connected elements, disposed on the caliper—lever bearing—and directly, or by way of additional intermediately connected elements, disposed on the at least one thrust piece—eccentric bearing—.
The bearing shells are expediently constructed at reasonable cost as slide bearing shells.
Advantageously, the spherical bearing elements are arranged on the traverse-shaped section of the rotary lever on opposite sides with an opposed pressure direction.
Particularly preferably, the spherical bearing elements are arranged with their ball centers in the longitudinal direction of the traverse-type section—and thus perpendicular to the lever arm A—A—parallel to the brake disk as well as transversely to this longitudinal direction in a mutually spaced manner.
Advantageously, the mutually opposite spherical bearing elements or bearing balls of the lever and eccentric bearings are each arranged in the traverse-type section of the rotary lever such that the ball centers are situated almost or completely on a connection plane with the pivot of the operation on the lever arm. In particular, a compact arrangement of the ball elements of the bearing of the rotary lever is achieved thereby.
Expediently, the position of the eccentric bearing for achieving a defined change of the transmission ratio as a function of the lever position is offset by a given amount from the connection plane of the center of the lever operation to the lever bearing centers.
The slide bearing shells are preferably arranged in the rotary lever, or in the part of the caliper or the intermediate pieces which face away in each case, or on both sides of the spherical bearing elements or bearing balls, so that the bearing of the rotary lever takes place exclusively via slide bearings and bearing balls inserted into the slide bearings.
The lever cup advantageously has a toroidal shape.
Advantageously, the lever cup has a larger cup diameter in the swivelling direction than transversely to this swivelling direction.
When the brake is designed with, in each case, only one thrust piece or only one adjusting rotary drive on one or both sides of the brake disk, the rotary lever is advantageously and constructively favorably provided with two lever bearings at the ends of the traverse-type section and with only one eccentric bearing in the center.
Preferably, the essentially spherical bearing elements and their receiving devices have mutually corresponding devices for protecting against torsion, which devices are constructed as a butt-welded or friction-welded seat or, for example, as a dowel pin or spring dowel sleeve.
Expediently, the essentially spherical bearing elements and their receiving devices have, as a device for protecting against torsion, on their sides pointing toward one another, mutually corresponding torsion-proof geometrical shapes or, on their sides pointing toward one another, mutually corresponding flattenings and/or indentations and projections.
The indentations/projections expediently have concave/convex or ball-cup-shaped constructions.
Preferably, in each case, at least one of the adjuster rotary devices is provided on each side of the brake disk for adjusting the axial distances between the two brake pads and the brake disk.
Furthermore, preferably the generating of the reaction power on the side of the brake facing away from the application side is carried out by                the sliding of the caliper and/or        the swivelling of the caliper and/or        the sliding of the brake disk.
In each case, as the result of the sliding and/or swivelling motion, essentially only the length of the power stroke can be bridged.
The invention combines the advantages of the fixed-caliper principle—such as compact construction and implementation of the wearing stroke by the actuating system—with the advantages of the reaction power principle.
As a result of the additional adjusting device(s) on both sides of the disk brake, it is permitted to further develop the brake such that only a mobility, preferably a slidability and/or a swivellability of the caliper and/or the brake disk have to be ensured, which is dimensioned such that the working stroke during brakings can be bridged in order to apply the brake. In this manner, the sliding and/or rotary bearings and guides can be dimensioned to be correspondingly smaller and less expensive. Additionally, it is ensured that a smooth running takes place along the complete sliding or swivelling path since the latter is bridged during virtually every braking.
The brake disk is preferably constructed as a sliding disk which is slidably guided on a brake disk hub such that, as a result of the sliding, (only) a sliding path can be implemented which is limited to the power stroke.
As an alternative or in addition, the caliper can be constructed as a sliding caliper, which has a sliding caliper bearing which can be fastened directly to the axle flange and which is dimensioned such that (only) a sliding path can be bridged which is limited to the power stroke.
As an alternative or in addition, the caliper may be constructed as a hinged caliper which has a hinged caliper bearing, which preferably can be fastened directly to the axle flange and can be bridged by means of the swivelling angle which displaces the caliper relative to the brake disk essentially by the amount of the power stroke.
In particular, the disk brake according to the invention makes it possible to continue to arrange the power generating device—such as a pneumatically actuated and/or electric-motor-actuated brake cylinder or an electric drive—only on one side on the brake.
Additional advantages are achieved within the scope of the invention.
A variant, which can also be considered independently, of the invention solves the problem of the joint adjustment of the adjustable rotary drives on both sides of the disk brake. Here, the adjustable rotary drives on both sides of the brake disk are mutually coupled by means of a synchronizing device. The synchronizing device is preferably constructed as a coupling mechanism or as an electronic coupling system.
According to another variant, which can also be considered independently, of the invention, the adjusting system itself is further improved. This variant, in the case of which a particularly space-saving adjusting module is created, which can be produced particularly economically, is suitable for brakes of a conventional construction as well as for brakes of the type claimed.
According to another claim, the adjusting system on one or both sides of the brake disk is constructed as an adjuster module, which can be preassembled and which has at least                preferably an electric motor as the drive,        a reduction gear connected behind the electric motor,        which can be mounted jointly on a mounting preform, particularly a mounting plate or preferably between two mutually spaced mounting preforms, and        wherein the rotary drive(s) are inserted on/in the at least one mounting preform(s).

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Disk brake having a brake application system with a rotary lever

Knorr-Bremse Systeme fuer Nutzfahrzeuge GmbH


Mutants of steroid receptor ligand binding domains and synthetic ligands which have specific binding affinities for these receptors are provided. The use of these LBD-ligand combinations for construction of selective “molecular gene switches” is disclosed. Methods of regulating gene function using these switches are provided.

The ability to regulate gene expression in vivo in transgenic animals, including humans, is of vital importance both to the investigation of gene function and to the control and utility of therapeutic gene expression in gene therapy in animals or humans.
A variety of approaches have been attempted to develop a reliable system for controlling gene expression in vivo. The first attempts were based on the use of promoters that could be induced by endogenous transcription factors in response to a controllable stimulus such as heat shock (Wurm F. M., Gwinn K. A. and Kingston R. E., "Inducible overproduction of the mouse c-myc protein in mammalian cells" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 83: 5414-5418 (1986)) or heavy metal ions (Mayo K. E., Warren R. and Palmiter R. D., "The mouse metallothionein-1 gene is transcriptionally regulated by cadmium following transfection into human or mouse cells" Cell 29: 99-108 (1982)). However, it was found that induction ratios were low and the induction agent itself often activated a large number of unwanted endogenous genes.
To overcome these problems, attempts were made to develop inducible systems which use chimeric transcription factors that combine elements from mammalian, bacterial, yeast and viral transcription factors (for review, see Gossen M., Bonin A. L. and Bujard H., "Control of gene activity in higher eukaryotic cells by prokaryotic regulatory elements" Trends in Biochem. Sci. 18: 471-475 (1993)).
One example of the use of these systems is the use of the lac repressor, which can then be induced by isopropyl D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) (Baim S. B., Labow M. A., Levine A. J. and Shenk T., "A chimeric mammalian transactivator based on the lac repressor that is regulated by temperature and isopropyl D-thiogalactopyranoside" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88: 5072-5076 (1991)). This system is seriously limited by the toxicity of IPTG in animals.
In an alternative system, the DNA binding domain of the tetracycline (tet) repressor from E. coli is combined with the activating domain of the herpes simplex virus protein VP16 (Gossen M. and Bujard H., "Tight control of gene expression in mammalian cells by tetracycline-responsive promoters" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 89: 5547-5551 (1992)). The gene of interest is placed downstream of the multiple tet operator sequences. In the absence of tetracycline, the tet/VP 16 activator will bind the operator sequence and activate the downstream gene. In the presence of tetracycline, the gene of interest will not be transcribed because the binding of the tet/VP16 activator will be inhibited. This system has been shown to have the ability to control reporter gene expression in vivo in transgenic mice (Furth, P. A., St. Onge L., Boger H., Gruss P., Gossen M., Kistner A., Bujard H. and Hennighausen L., "Temporal control of gene expression in transgenic mice by a tetracycline-responsive promoter" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 91: 9302-9306 (1994)). However, this system and its variants suffer from the serious disadvantage that tetracycline is used as the repressor and must always be present to keep the downstream gene of interest silent. In addition, the bacterial protein components may be immunogenic in humans.
The disadvantages of the systems described above have provided incentives for an entirely different approach to the control of therapeutic gene expression in, for example, gene therapy. This approach creates an inducible gene control system by fusing the hormone binding domain (HBD) or ligand binding domain (LBD) of a steroid hormone receptor with certain proteins (Wang Y., O'Malley B. W., Jr., Tsai S. Y. and O'Malley B. W., "A regulatory system for use in gene transfer" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 91: 8180-8184 (1994)). In such a fusion product, a number of proteins will be inactive in the absence of hormone but resume normal activity in the presence of the hormone or hormone variant which binds at this domain.
The proteins used in such a system may have a wide variety of thus controllable activities. For example, these proteins may be regulator proteins specific for the control of the transcription of particular transgene. Many control systems of this type have been constructed using the HBD of the estrogen receptor (ER) (Hollenberg S. M., Cheng P. F. and Weintraub H., "Use of conditional MyoD transcription factor studies of MyoD transactivation and muscle determination" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 90: 8028-8032 (1993); Braselmann S., Graninger P. and Busslinger M., "A selective transcriptional induction system for mammalian cells based on GAL4-estrogen receptor fusion proteins" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. 90: 1657-1661 (1993); Roemer K. and Friedmann T., "Modulation of cell proliferation and gene expression by a p53-estrogen receptor hybrid protein" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 90: 9252-9256 (1993); Superti-Furga G., Bergers G., Picard D. and Busslinger M., "Hormone-dependent transcriptional regulation and cellular transformation by Fos-steroid receptor fusion proteins" Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. U.S.A. 88: 5114-5118 (1991)). The ligand of the ER, 17β-estradiol is readily available, relatively cheap and many cell types lack an endogenous estrogen receptor. However, these systems employing the HBD of the wildtype estrogen receptor are potentially disadvantageous in that use of the hormone to control the inducible system will also activate endogenous steroid hormone receptors and thereby alter the activity of endogenous genes. Furthermore, the systems will be influenced by levels of endogenous β-estradiol.
One approach to regulating transgene expression and avoiding the activation of endogenous and unwanted genes has been the modification and use of chimeric nuclear hormone receptors, such as a steroid hormone receptor. Steroid hormone receptors are responsible for the regulation of complex cellular events, including transcription. The ovarian hormones, estrogen and progesterone, are responsible, in part, for the regulation of the complex cellular events associated with differentiation, growth and functioning of female reproductive tissues. These hormones also play important roles in development and progression of malignancies of the reproductive endocrine system.
The biological activity of steroid hormones is mediated directly by a hormone and tissue-specific intracellular receptor. The physiologically inactive form of the steroid receptor may exist as an oligomeric complex with proteins, such as heat-shock protein (hsp) 90, hsp70 and hsp56. Upon binding its specific ligand, the receptor changes conformation and dissociates from the inhibitory heteroligomeric complex. Subsequent dimerization allows the receptor to bind to specific DNA sites in the regulatory region of target gene promoters. Following binding of the receptor to DNA, the hormone is responsible for mediating a second function that allows the receptor to interact specifically with the transcription apparatus. Displacement of additional inhibitory proteins and DNA-dependent phosphorylation may constitute the final steps in this activation pathway.
Cloning of several members of the steroid receptor superfamily has facilitated the reconstitution of hormone-dependent transcription in heterologous cell systems. Subsequently, in vivo and in vitro studies with mutant and chimeric receptors have demonstrated that steroid hormone receptors are modular proteins organized into structurally and functionally defined domains. A well-defined 66-68 amino acid DNA binding domain (DBD) has been identified and studied in detail, using both genetic and biochemical approaches. The ligand (hormone) binding domain (LBD), located in the carboxyl-terminal half of the receptor, consists of about 300 amino acids. Thus, these nuclear receptors, such as the estrogen receptor (ER), are ligand-activated transcription factors that include a DNA binding domain (DBD) and a hormone binding domain (HBD) also known as a ligand binding domain (LBD). The LBD also contains sequences responsible for receptor dimerization, hsp interactions and one of the two transactivation sequences of the receptor. See, for example, Nilsson et al., "Mechanisms of Estrogen Action" Physiol. Rev. 81(4): 1535-1565 (2001), incorporated herein by reference.
In order to make a system utilizing these elements as adaptable and useful as possible, these chimeric regulator proteins are preferably altered in their DNA binding specificity, to make them specific for control of the desired transgene (see WO 01/30843A1, which is incorporated by reference herein for all purposes) and they are preferably altered in their ligand binding specificity so they will respond to a ligand that will not cause altered activity of other endogenous genes.
For example, a preferred pharmacological profile for the LBD of the chimeric regulator would include the following features:    1) Physiologic levels of endogenous hormones normally found in man do not activate the receptor;    2) The receptor could be activated by a custom designed, synthetic compound at levels (doses) that can be achieved in vivo without toxicity; and    3) At the required dose for transgene regulation, the synthetic compound is inactive, i.e., is neither an agonist nor antagonist, on the naturally occurring endogenous hormone receptors.
Gene replacement therapy requires the ability to control the level of expression of transfected genes from outside the body. Such a "molecular switch" preferably includes the properties of: specificity, selectivity, precision, safety and rapid clearance. The steroid receptor family of gene regulatory proteins is an ideal set of such molecules. These proteins are ligand activated transcription factors whose ligands can range from steroids to retinoids, fatty acids, vitamins, thyroid hormones and other specifically engineered small molecules. These compounds bind to receptors and either up-regulate or down-regulate. The compounds are cleared from the body by existing mechanisms and the compounds are non-toxic.
The efficacy of a ligand is a consequence of its interaction with the receptor. This interaction can involve contacts causing the receptor to become active (agonist) or for the receptor to be inactive (antagonist). The affinity of antagonist activated receptors for DNA is similar to that of agonist-bound receptor. Nevertheless, in the presence of the antagonist, the receptor cannot activate transcription efficiently. Thus, both up and down regulation are possible by this pathway.
Modified steroid hormone receptors have been developed for use for regulated expression of transgenes (see, e.g., U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,874,534 and No. 5,935,934 and PCT publication No. WO 98/18925, which claims priority to U.S. Provisional Application No. 60/029,964) by modifying the ligand specificity of the LBD. In addition, the DNA binding domain of the receptor has been replaced with a non-mammalian DNA binding domain selected from yeast GAL4 DBD, a viral DBD and an insect DBD binding domain to provide for regulated expression of a co-administered gene containing a region recognized by the non-mammalian DBD. These constructs, however, have several potential drawbacks and generally lack flexibility. The non-mammalian DBD is potentially immunogenic and the array of sequences recognized by these DBD's is limited, accordingly limiting gene targets. Therefore, there remains a need for versatile and effective gene regulators.

Nucleic acids encoding estrogen receptor ligand binding domain variants


A semiconductor memory device comprising a memory cell array with a plurality of word lines, first and second dummy word lines, and a dummy word line driver suitable for separately driving the first and second dummy word lines for a wafer burn-in test where the word lines are driven by group.

1. Field
Exemplary embodiments of the present invention relate to semiconductor design technology, and more particularly, to a method of wafer burn-in test and a semiconductor memory device for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
An analysis of defective semiconductor products shows a high failure rate early in the products' life followed by stabilization. In order to stabilize the failure rate of early stage semiconductor products, the products are stressed in advance. Stressing the packaged semiconductor product requires exposure to high temperatures for a long duration, a process referred to as a burn-in test.
As the capacity of semiconductor memory increases, more time is required to complete the burn-in test for package level semiconductor products. To reduce the total amount of time required to conduct the burn-in test, the semiconductor product completes two burn-in tests, once at a wafer level and again at a package level. During the wafer burn-in test, the semiconductor memory is stressed with a high voltage supply and long-term exposure to high temperatures.
During the wafer burn-in test, all of the cell transistors are simultaneously turned on because the wafer burn-in test is not for checking normal operation of each cell in the wafer but for stressing the wafer out. To simultaneously turn on all of the cell transistors, the wafer is given high peak current. When the amount of peak current is not large enough, all of the cell transistors may not be simultaneously turned on and the wafer may not be fully stressed, resulting in an incomplete or failed wafer burn-in test.
Causes of early stage product failure may exist on defects in the dielectric structure, i.e., oxide between adjacent word lines as well as oxide between a gate and a channel.
A memory cell array is the smallest unit of cell groups in the semiconductor memory. The memory cell array includes a plurality of word lines, disposed within a certain interval, and a plurality of bit lines disposed within a certain interval, with the plurality of bit lines being perpendicular to the plurality of word lines. The memory cell array includes a normal cell, from which data is to be written and read during operation of the memory cell, and a dummy cell disposed outside the normal cell area for protecting the normal cell from external interference. Dummy cells include an upper set of dummy cells, each of which is connected at its gate to an upper dummy word line disposed at the upper border of the memory cell array, and a lower set of dummy cells, each of which is connected at its gate to a lower dummy word line disposed at the lower border of the memory cell array.
During normal semiconductor memory operation, all of the dummy word lines are provided with a negative word line voltage or a pumping voltage in a specific mode. The dummy word lines are not individually controlled but are provided with a single voltage. The memory cell array may have one or more upper dummy word lines and one or more lower dummy word lines. Biases of all the dummy word lines are combined and thus all of the dummy word lines may have the same signal.
Therefore, when odd word lines and even word lines are alternatively activated, or every Nth word line is activated during the wafer burn-in test, a normal cell right next to the dummy word lines, which are biased to a constant level, is not stressed enough.
Causes of early stage product failure may exist on defects in the gate oxide of a cell as well as in oxide between the cells. To detect such defects between cells, a bit line and the adjacent bit line are to have different voltages from each other. Therefore, upper and lower bit line sense and amplification units (BLSA) are provided with bit line precharge voltages, which are different from each other, in response to a bit line equalization signal. However, the dummy word lines cannot be individually controlled because the biases of the dummy word lines are combined and all the dummy word lines may have the same signal.
Therefore, when the bit line precharge voltages are alternatively activated, an equalized stress may not be applied to the normal cells and the dummy cells and early stage product failure may not be detected. Reliability of the semiconductor product is greatly affected by the wafer burn-in test for detecting early stage product failure.

Semiconductor memory device and method of wafer burn-in test for the same


Heat-shrinkable sleeves of relatively opaque polymeric material having a relatively transparent integral strip (or other formation) to facilitate positioning of the sleeve on an article about which it is to be shrunk. The opaque portions of the sleeves preferably incorporate sufficient flame-retardant additives to compensate for the absence of such additives from the transparent portions, which transparent portions preferably occupy less of the sleeve surface than the opaque portions.

Dimensionally heat-recoverable articles are well known and are used for enclosing many substrates, for the provision of environmental sealing, mechanical protection and/or electrical insulation for example. Depending on the use to which the articles are to be put, the material from which the articles are made is often required to have one or more of a variety of different properties. This `tailoring` of properties is often achieved by the incorporation of additives in a polymeric material. Examples of the types of additives that are used include antioxidants, reinforcing or non-reinforcing fillers, flame retardants, plasticisers, pigments, stabilisers and lubricants.


A method of measuring the tension of drawing an optical fiber by means of the oscillation waveform of the optical fiber being drawn according to the invention can accurately, reliably and easily detect a peak frequency in the frequency spectrum of an oscillation waveform without being affected by noise. With the method of measuring the tension of an optical fiber being drawn by determining the fundamental oscillation frequency of the optical fiber from a peak in the spectrum of the linear oscillation waveform of the optical fiber, the detection of a peak frequency in the frequency spectrum of a linear oscillation waveform comprises steps of conducting an initial detecting operation over a frequency range expected to contain a peak frequency and conducting subsequent detecting operations over respective frequency ranges obtained by sequentially aligning the median frequency with the peak frequency detected in the immediately preceding detecting operation.

This invention generally relates to the technology of manufacturing optical fibers and, more particularly, it relates to an improved method of accurately and reliably measuring the tension of an optical fiber when it is being drawn.
With a typical known method of manufacturing optical fibers, the source material is molten by heat and the molten material is pulled and thinned to form a line. The optical fiber obtained by such heating and pulling may be coated with an appropriate material such as resin forthwith. The operation of producing an optical fiber by heating and pulling a source material is referred to as drawing.
In the process of coating the surface of an optical fiber as it is drawn, the tension of the optical fiber is observed immediately before and after the coating in order to check if the fiber is coated properly or not. An optical fiber that shows drawing tension differently before and after the coating, it can more often than not become broken to give rise to a troubled manufacture line. If such an accident occurs, measures have to be taken to provide and maintain an appropriate level of optical fiber drawing tension before and after the coating process typically by changing the temperature of molten resin to be used for coating the optical fiber. The tension of drawing an optical fiber also affects the light transmitting performance of the produced optical fiber. For example, if an optical fiber is produced with an excessive level of tension and coated with strain remaining in the inside, the coated optical fiber will show a large transmission loss. Therefore, it is important to observe the optical fiber drawing tension and regulate the drawing tension according to the reading of the tension from the viewpoint of producing optical fibers with little transmission loss.
The use of the oscillation waveform of an optical fiber that is being drawn as means for measuring the tension of drawing the optical fiber is already well known. With this technique, the fundamental (natural) oscillation frequency f of the optical fiber is determined from the frequency spectrum of the observed oscillation waveform and the obtained value is used as substitute for f in equation [T=(2.multidot.L.multidot.f).sup.2 .multidot..rho..multidot..alpha.] in order to determine the tension T being applied to the optical fiber, where L may represent the distance between the optical fiber source material and the coating die (first coating die) for forming a first coat layer on the optical fiber or the distance between the first coating die and the second coating die for forming a second coat layer, n represent the linear density and a represent a correction factor.
FIGS. 4A and 4B of the accompanying drawing illustrate the spectrums of respective oscillation waveforms that were actually obtained at an optical fiber manufacture line. Of these, FIG. 4A shows the frequency spectrum of an oscillation waveform with a peak frequency of 5.664063 Hz observed when an optical fiber is moved with a line speed of 100 m/min., whereas FIG. 4B shows the frequency spectrum of an oscillation waveform with a peak frequency of 7.1289006 Hz observed when an optical fiber is moved with a line speed of 980 m/min.
It will be clear by comparing FIGS. 4A and 4B that the frequency spectrum of the oscillation waveform of an optical fiber obtained at an optical fiber manufacture line contains noise components in addition to the fundamental oscillation frequency and hence it is not possible to accurately determine and regulate the tension of drawing the optical fiber from such a frequency spectrum Thus, the net result of using the known technology of coating the surface of an optical fiber while it is being drawn will be an optical fiber manufacture line that cannot effectively avoid broken optical fibers nor provide optical fibers with little transmission loss.
In view of the above identified technological problem, it is therefore the object of the present invention to provide a method of measuring the tension of drawing an optical fiber by means of the oscillation waveform of the optical fiber being drawn that can accurately, reliably and easily detect a peak frequency in the frequency spectrum of an oscillation waveform without being affected by noise.

Method of measuring optical fiber drawing tension


A harmonic generator (20) converts an input signal (24) at a fundamental frequency (28) into an output signal (32) at a harmonic frequency (34). A non-linear device (22) converts the input signal (24) into an intermediate signal (38) in which the harmonic frequency (34) has a maximized amplitude (40) determined by a conduction angle (26). A harmonic filter (68) produces a filtered signal (70) proportional to the amplitude (40) of the harmonic frequency (34) within the intermediate signal (38). A detector (80) produces a control signal (82) proportional to the amplitude of the filtered signal (70). A control circuit (84) produces a variable bias signal (50) for non-linear device (22), bias signal (50) being proportional to the amplitude of the control signal (82) and determining the conduction angle (26). An output filter (88) converts the intermediate signal (38) into an output signal (32) at the harmonic frequency (34).

In microwave and millimeter-wave harmonic generators, the desired harmonic is often produced by passing a sinusoidal signal through a non-linear device while tailoring the conduction angle of the non-linear device so as to maximize the level of the desired harmonic. A well-known relationship between harmonic amplitude and conduction angle is demonstrated in a classic Fourier series. The desired harmonic, once optimized, can then be isolated through filtration and amplification.
When high-order (fifth or greater) harmonics are to be obtained, this conduction-angle approach poses several problems. The allowable range of conduction angles decreases rapidly with high-order harmonics, requiring tighter and tighter conduction angles as the frequency rises. The difficulty of maintaining a tight conduction angle rises with the frequency. Normal variation in the requisite non-linear devices requires that each generator undergo tedious individual conduction angle adjustment in order to maximize the desired harmonic output. Such adjustments are incompatible with low cost, high volume production environments.
An additional problem arises in that such adjustments, once made, will vary as the non-linear components vary over time, requiring periodic calibration or re-adjustment.
For these reasons, high-frequency microwave and millimeter-wave harmonic generators are usually low-order multipliers (doublers, triplers, etc.) cascaded and combined to produce the desired frequency. This approach is not without its own problems. First, being a series of individual multipliers, such a harmonic generator requires more parts and more unique circuits than a single non-linear device harmonic generator, thus increasing cost while reducing reliability. Second, being composed of a plurality of cascaded multipliers, it is not possible to produce high-order prime-number harmonics (5.sup.th, 7.sup.th, 11.sup.th, 13.sup.th, 17.sup.th, etc.).
What is needed is a high-order harmonic generator wherein the conduction angle of a non-linear device is automatically controlled to maximize the output of the desired harmonic, thus eliminating the need for manual adjustment and compensating for both initial and temporal device variation .


A method of treating hyperprolactinemia in an animal, including a human, administers one or more somatostatin type-5 receptor agonist(s) to, for example, lower abnormally high levels of prolactin in the blood of the animal. A method of treating a subject, including a human, afflicted by a prolactinoma, administers one or more type-5 receptor selective agonist(s) to, for example, lower prolactin secretion and/or decrease tumor size in the subject.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to the field of hyperprolactinemias, and prolactinomas. More specifically, this invention relates to the treatment of a subject afflicted with either condition, and the lowering of prolactin levels and/or the size of the tumor by administration of a selected family of pharmaceuticals.
2. Description of the Background
Prolactin hypersecretion, or hyperprolactinemia, may have anyone of a number of functional causes, including various neurogenic causes such as thoracic sensory nerve stimulation, stress, and psychogenic causes, various hypothalamic causes such as diffuse processes, granulomatous diseases, neoplasms, stalk section, empty sella, non-lactotropic cell pituitary tumors, and prostradiation treatment to sella, various pituitary causes such as prolactinomas and pituitary lactotropic cell hyperplasia, and various endocrine causes such as pregnancy, estrogen administration, hypothyroidism, and adrenal insufficiency. Prolactin hypersecretion may also be caused by the administration of drugs which impair dopamine secretion, such as psychotropic drugs, antihypertensive drugs, antiemetic drugs, H.sub.2 -receptor blockers, and opiates, among others.
Prolactinomas are pituitary tumors, in fact, the most common pituitary tumors, which are almost five times more common in women than in men. Some prolactinomas respond to, and may be treated with, the dopamine agonist, Bromocriptine. One-third of the patients afflicted with prolactinomas, however, do not respond to, and are therefore not treatable with, this drug. The latter are usually referred for pituitary surgery and/or, rarely, irradiation.
Somatostatin, also known as somatotropin release inhibiting factor or SRIF, is believed to exert its biological effect through a family of G-protein associated receptors provided with seven transmembrane domains. Somatostatin inhibits the secretion of growth hormone. Five subtypes of the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) have already been cloned, and named SSTR-1, SSTR-2, SSTR-3, SSTR-4, and SSTR-5. The SSTR-1, SSTR-2, and SSTR-5 receptors have been shown to be expressed by the human pituitary gland, and the SSTR-1, SSTR-2, SSTR-3 and SSTR-5 receptors by human pituitary adenomas.
A large number of somatostatin agonists have been synthesized, and shown to preferentially bind to selected subtypes of the somatostatin receptor (SSTR) (See, below). Up until now, only SSTR-2 selective somatostatin agonists were shown to inhibit prolactin secretion from normal fetal pituitary cultures.
Up to the present time, thus, it was not known which subtype(s) of the SSTR mediate(s) the regulation of prolactin production and secretion in the state of pathological hyperprolactinemia, such as that resulting, for example, from a prolactinoma.

Method of treating hyperprolactinemia and prolactinomas


There are included a plurality of record information recording areas (OPC areas PCA0, user data areas 109-0 or spare areas SA) for recording record information; a management information recording area (management area MA) for recording a plurality of management information for managing the respective ones of the plurality of record information recording areas; and a reliability information recording area (management area MA) for recording a plurality of reliability information (reliability flag group 150) that indicate, for each of the plurality of management information (120, 130 or 140), reliability as to whether the plurality of management information are correctly updated.

There is a known technique in which management which indicates the recording condition of data in a recording area, i.e., whether or not the data is already recorded, is recorded onto a recording medium, such as an optical disc.
Moreover, there is a known technique in which even if the above-described management information is not recorded onto the recording medium because of the cut-off of a power supply or the like, for example, it is detected by reliability information whether or not the management information is updated, to thereby prevent the inconsistency between the management information and the actual recording condition, and improve the reliability (e.g. patent document 1).
Patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid Open NO. 07-44431

Recording management information and reliability information in a recording medium for management of the recording medium


An adjustment pen, including a pen body, the pen body including a pen tip, wherein the adjustment pen further includes a light emitting unit, a control switch and a power supply module which are carried by the pen body, the light emitting unit is connected with the control switch and the power supply module to form an illumination circuit, the control switch is configured to control ON and OFF of the illumination circuit, and the light emitting unit is configured to emit a light beam toward the pen tip.

Printed Circuit Board (PCB) is an important part of a liquid crystal display panel and is configured to control image display of the liquid crystal panel. In the test of the liquid crystal panel, a flicker adjustment is generally required, and in the flicker adjustment of the liquid crystal panel, the magnitude of a knob type variable resistance (VR) in the PCB area is adjusted so as to adjust the flicker frequency of the liquid crystal panel. In this process, a tip of an adjustment pen is required to align with a hole of the knob type variable resistance, and then the magnitude of the knob type variable resistance is adjusted by rotating the adjustment pen.

Hefei Xinsheng Optoelectronics Technology Co., Ltd.


A fixing unit 8 is fitted with a rail 28 along which a rail guide provided inside an image forming apparatus can slide. This allows the fixing unit 8 to be extracted out of the image forming apparatus. When the fixing unit 8 is extracted out of the image forming apparatus, a transferring body separating member 26, which has thus far been prevented from rotating by the rail 28, is made to rotate by the force applied by a tension spring 27. An end portion of the transferring body separating member 26 presses a transfer roller bracket 24 and thereby moves a transfer roller 17. Thus, the transfer roller 17 is separated from a photoconductor drum 2.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus such as a digital copier or laser printer, and more particularly to a jam disposal mechanism that allows a paper jam to be disposed of from the side of a fixing unit.
2. Description of Related Art
The construction of a conventional image forming apparatus is shown in FIG. 8. Reference numeral 100 represents an image forming apparatus, which is here assumed to be a digital multifunctional product, for example. When the image forming apparatus 100 performs a copying operation, in an image forming section P arranged above a conveying belt 9 inside the cabinet of the multifunctional product, steps of charging, exposure, development, and transferring are performed to form a predetermined image based on original image data read by an image reading section 6.
In the image forming section P, a photoconductor drum 2 for carrying a visible image (toner image) is arranged. The toner image formed on the photoconductor drum 2 is transferred to a sheet (recording medium) 7 carried and conveyed by a transfer belt 9 that moves adjacently to the image forming section P. The transferred toner image is then fixed on the sheet 7 in a fixing unit 8, and is then ejected out of the cabinet of the apparatus. While the photoconductor drum 2 is rotated clockwise (in the direction indicated by arrow A) as viewed in FIG. 8, an image forming process is performed with respect to the photoconductor drum 2.
Next, the image forming section P will be described in detail. The photoconductor drum 2 is arranged so as to be freely rotatable. Around and above the photoconductor drum 2, there are provided: a charger 3 for electrically charging the photoconductor drum 2, an exposure unit 4 for exposing the photoconductor drum 2 to light representing image information; a developer unit 5 for forming a toner image on the photoconductor drum 2; and a cleaning section 10 for removing developing agent (toner) that remains on the photoconductor drum 2.
The surface of the photoconductor drum 2 is first electrically charged uniformly by the charger 3, and is then exposed to light by the exposure unit 4 so that an electrostatic latent image according to an image signal is formed on the photoconductor drum 2. The developer unit 5 is loaded with a predetermined amount of toner by a toner container 11. This toner is fed by the developer unit 5 onto the photoconductor drum 2 so as to be electrostatic ally adhered to the surface thereof, on which a toner image is thus formed according to the electrostatic latent image formed through the exposure by the exposure unit 4.
The sheet 7 to which the toner image is transferred is housed in a sheet housing section 12, which is composed of a plurality of paper feed cassettes 12a, 12b, and 12c and a stack bypass (hand-feed tray) 12d provided above them. The sheet is fed via paper feed rollers 13 and resist rollers 14 onto the conveying belt 9 so as to be conveyed into position on the photoconductor drum 2. The paper feed cassettes 12a, 12b, and 12c are detachably attached to the apparatus cabinet 1.
The conveying belt 9 is hung around and between a drive roller 15, disposed downstream, and a follower roller 16, disposed upstream. When the conveying belt 9 starts to rotate counter-clockwise, the sheet 7 is conveyed via the resist rollers 14 onto the conveying belt 9. At this time, an image write signal turns on, so that an image is formed on the photoconductor drum 2 with predetermined timing.
Under the photoconductor drum 2, a transfer roller 17 is arranged to which a predetermined transfer voltage is applied. At the nip between the photoconductor drum 2 and the transfer roller 17, the toner image on the photoconductor drum 2 is transferred to the sheet 7. The sheet 7 is held on the conveying belt 9 by electrostatic attraction. The conveying belt 9 is formed of a dielectric resin sheet, and is built as an endless or seamless belt by joining together opposite ends of such a sheet.
The sheet 7 having the toner image transferred thereto is separated from the conveying belt 9, and is conveyed to the fixing unit 8. On the other hand, after the transfer of the toner image, the photoconductor drum 2 is cleaned by the cleaning section 10 so that the toner that remains on the surface of the photoconductor drum 2 is removed in preparation for the subsequent formation of a new electrostatic latent image. Conveyed from the conveying belt 9 to the fixing unit 8, the sheet 7 is then heated and pressed by a pair of fixing rollers 8a and 8b so that the toner image is fixed on the surface of the sheet 7 to form a predetermined image. Having the image formed thereon, the sheet 7 then passes via pairs of conveying rollers 18 and 19, and is then ejected by a pair of ejection rollers 20 onto an ejected paper tray 21.
Although not illustrated, a charge removing device for removing the residual electric charge on the surface of the photoconductor drum 2 is provided on the downstream side of the cleaning section 10. Reference numeral 22 represents a cover provided on a side face of the apparatus cabinet 1. The cover 22 is so built as to be freely openable and closable in the direction indicated by arrow B about a pivot 23. Opening this cover 22 allows simple maintenance work, such as removable of a paper jam.
In the image forming apparatus constructed as described above, if the sheet 7 is stuck in the middle of image formation and causes a paper jam, for example, extracting the fixing unit 8 out of the apparatus cabinet 1 parallel to the paper conveying direction (that is, leftward in FIG. 8) makes it possible to dispose of the paper jam. Inconveniently, however, doing so involves pulling out the sheet 7 held between the photoconductor drum 2 and the transfer roller 17, and this may cause various problems, such as the sheet 7 breaking, or the unfixed toner splashing and soiling the interior of the apparatus.
To overcome this inconvenience, for example, JP-A-2002-72819 proposes an intermediary-transfer-type image forming apparatus wherein at least a secondary transferring member and fixing means are held with a holding member and wherein this holding member is so built as to be freely extractable in a direction that points away from the image forming apparatus and that coincides with the paper ejection direction. Certainly, this makes it possible to remove a jammed sheet without breaking it or soiling the interior and exterior of the apparatus with unfixed toner.
With the technique disclosed in JP-A-2002-72819 mentioned above, however, it is necessary to provide a holding member for holding at least the fixing unit 8 and the transfer roller 17. In this case, for the holding member to be able to hold the fixing unit 8 and the transfer roller 17, the holding member itself needs to be considerably large. Disadvantageously, this unduly increases the size and cost of the image forming apparatus. Moreover, to dispose of a paper jam, it is necessary to extract the holding member along with the fixing unit 8 and the transfer roller 17 it holds. Disadvantageously, this requires a wider work space than extracting the fixing unit 8 alone.


A nanofiber sensor includes a plurality of pairs of electrodes and nanofibers respectively bridging the gaps between the electrodes in the pair, between the electrodes in the pair, and between the electrodes in the pair. At least two pairs of electrodes of the plurality of pairs of electrodes are different from each other in structures.

As a related nanofiber sensor in a broad sense, a carbon nanotube sensor is disclosed in Japanese Unexamined Patent Application Publication No. 2006-329802 (PTL 1).
In the related carbon nanotube sensor, as illustrated in FIG. 1 of PTL 1, carbon nanotubes bridge the gap between only one pair of electrodes having the same structure, and the related carbon nanotube sensor detects a change in resistance between the electrodes caused due to adsorption of gas molecules on the carbon nanotubes, thereby detecting a gas concentration.
The related carbon nanotube sensor is an element having only a pair of electrodes having the same structure, and dielectrophoresis causes the carbon nanotubes to bridge the gap between the only one pair of electrodes having the same structure. Thus, the related carbon nanotube sensor provides an advantage that a bridging process is simple.


A data storage device is provided. The data storage device, coupled to a host, includes: a flash memory; and a controller, configured to control accessing of the flash memory; wherein when the host performs random data accessing to the flash memory, the controller retrieves address information of a corresponding block and a corresponding page in the flash memory associated with first data to be read based on a global mapping table, and pre-fetches the corresponding page from the flash memory based on the address information; wherein when the controller obtains the address information, the controller further determines whether the first data is located in a current buffer block based on a local mapping table; wherein when the first data is located in the current buffer block, the controller further cancels the pre-fetched corresponding page, and reads the first data from the current buffer block.

Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a flash memory, and in particular, to a data storage device including a flash memory and data fetching method of a flash memory.
Description of the Related Art
Flash memory is a common non-volatile data storage device, which can be erased and programmed electrically. For example, a NAND flash memory is usually for use in a memory card, a USB flash device, a solid-state disk (SSD), an embedded multimedia card, etc.
The storage array in a flash memory (e.g. NAND flash) includes multiple blocks, such as spare blocks and data blocks. Each block includes multiple pages. When some data are written into the flash memory, the intermediate data may be temporarily stored in a current buffer block of the spare blocks. When all pages in the current buffer block are written with data, the current buffer block may become a data block. When performing random accessing of the flash memory, some data may be still stored in the current buffer block. However, a conventional flash memory controller usually determines whether the data to be accessed is located in the current buffer block or in the data blocks, resulting in performance loss.

Data storage device and data fetching method for flash memory


The system of the present invention provides energy saving control for a water heater via an intelligent thermostat. This intelligent thermostat provides programmatic control over the HVAC system as is conventional, and provides coordinated control over the water heater temperature set point. This control over the water heater is accomplished via a communications network between the intelligent thermostat and the water heater. In one embodiment the communications are wireless, although wired and network bus communications may also be utilized. Enhanced and coordinated control is also provided so that different operational temperature cycles can be provided to coordinate with the intelligent thermostat's programmatic control of the HVAC system. Separate programmatic control of the water heater is also provided whereby different operational temperature modes may be commanded, e.g. Wake, Sleep, and Demand modes of operation.

With increasing energy costs, consumers and business owners alike are becoming more energy conscience. These consumers are demanding more energy efficiency from the products that they purchase. In response, many manufacturers have responded by producing products that are more energy efficient, and products that have energy saving modes of operation that allow additional energy savings when not in use. However, since many such energy saving modes inhibit the operation of the product until it can re-enter a fully functional mode of operation, such products generally allow the consumer to set or command when such energy saving modes are entered.
One product that is used in nearly every dwelling and building, and therefore allows the potential for tremendous energy savings, is a water heater. A water heater, in simplified terms, includes a large water storage tank and a heating element that is used to heat the water in the tank to a preset temperature. This preset temperature may be adjusted by a user via an onboard thermostat. Once a desired temperature is set, most consumers do not give their water heater another thought, as long as hot water is always available when desired.
Since the water heater works to maintain the water in its storage tank at the preset temperature, these water heaters are designed with efficient insulation to minimize heat loss to the ambient to minimize energy consumption. Many water heaters also include an energy savings mode that may be set by the consumer. This energy saving mode allows the temperature of the water in the storage tank to drop to a level, e.g. 68° Fahrenheit, so as to reduce the energy usage of the water heater. In this way, the water in the storage tank will not freeze and the energy usage of the water heater will be reduced. This mode is meant to be used during extended periods of non-use, such as for summer homes or when a family is on vacation. Unfortunately, while most consumers think to turn back the main heating/air conditioning thermostat when they are going to be gone, many consumers never think to set the water heater into this mode. This may be because the water heater and its onboard thermostat are typically located in a basement or other infrequently accessed area. As a result, these consumers needlessly incur energy costs associated with maintaining the temperature in the water heater at the preset temperature, ready for use.
There exists, therefore, a need in the art for a system and method of setting a water heater into its energy saving mode of operation without requiring the consumer to access the onboard thermostat on the water heater.

System and method for reducing energy consumption by controlling a water heater and HVAC system via a thermostat and thermostat for use therewith


A phase locked loop (PLL) clock divider is provided that, in one implementation, includes a divider and a delay locked loop. The divider is operable to divide a reference clock signal and generate a divided clock signal. The divided clock signal has a different frequency relative to the reference clock signal. The delay locked loop is operable to substantially align the divided clock signal to the reference clock signal.

The following disclosure relates to electrical circuits and signal processing.
High speed transmitters (e.g., a 10 GHz wireline transmitter) typically include a phase locked loop (PLL) clock divider for generating multiple clock signals, each having a different phase.
FIG. 1 shows one example of a conventional PLL clock divider 100. Phase interpolator 100 includes a voltage controlled oscillator (VCO) 102 and clock dividers 104–110. In the example shown, VCO 102 produces a 10 GHz clock signal that is respectively divided into a 5 GHz clock signal, a 2.5 GHz clock signal, a 1.25 GHz clock signal, and a 625 MHz clock signal by clock dividers 104–110. Due to an inherent delay associated with each of clock dividers 104–110, the 5 GHz clock signal is typically skewed (or delayed) with respect to the 10 GHz clock signal as represented by delay td1 in FIG. 1. Similar delays td2, td3, td4 are associated with the 2.5 GHz clock signal, the 1.25 GHz clock signal, and the 625 MHz clock signal.
In a high speed transmitter, the multiple clock signals generated by a PLL clock divider (e.g., PLL clock divider 100) can be used to combine parallel data streams into a serial data stream through a serializer circuit. FIG. 2 shows a conventional serializer circuit 200 including a four stage multiplexer 202 and a retiming circuit 204. As shown in FIG. 2, (16) low speed (e.g., 625 MHz) streams of data—i.e., data streams 1–16—are combined through multiplexer 202 to generate a high speed (e.g., 10 GHz) data stream. The clock signals generated by PLL clock divider 100 are respectively used to clock each stage of multiplexer 200 and to retime a final data stream through retiming circuit 204. Data streams 1–16 are typically delayed by each stage of multiplexer 202 as represented by delays td5–td8. Each delay td5–td8 is substantially equal to (1) clock-to-Q delay. A clock-to-Q delay represents an amount of time from assertion of a multiplexer clock until the multiplexer output becomes valid.
As a result of clock signal delays td1–td4 and data stream delays td5–td8, clock signals and data streams may lose alignment as lower speed data streams are combined into data streams of higher rate. Such loss of alignment may adversely affect the integrity and yield of data being transmitted from a high speed transmitter.

Method and apparatus for adaptive delay cancellation in high-speed wireline transmitters


A variable speed machine assembly includes an input shaft, a variable speed magnetically geared generator coupled to the input shaft, an electrical machine coupled to the input shaft, and a power converter coupled to the variable speed magnetically geared generator and the electrical machine. The power converter is configured to use electrical power output by the electrical machine to control a frequency of power output by the variable speed magnetically geared generator.

The embodiments described herein relate generally to a variable speed machine and, more particularly, to a variable speed machine assembly for use with a fluid turbine, such as a wind turbine.
At least some known wind turbines include machines for converting variable speed mechanical input from blades of the wind turbine into electric power that is compliant with an electrical grid. For example, some known wind turbines include a doubly fed induction generator (DFIG) for converting the variable speed mechanical input. The DFIG includes a converter that has a rating that is a percentage of a rated capacity of the wind turbine, such as about 35% of rated capacity. Such a converter is also referred to as a partial-rated converter. Further, the DFIG includes slip rings and may have less reactive power control and/or lower efficiency, as compared to other variable speed machines.
At least some other known wind turbines include permanent magnet generators (PMG) that have a higher efficiency than at least some known DFIGs. PMGs include a converter at the rated capacity, also referred to as a full-rated converter. Typically, full-rated converters include complex power electronics, which have disadvantages, such as large size, high maintenance requirements, and/or high cost, as compared to partial-rated converters.

Variable speed machine assembly and method for making the same


Acrylic compositions are provided which comprise a matrix of polymethyl methacrylate having dispersed within it particles comprising 75 to 90 weight percent of polymethyl methacrylate and greater than 10 to 25 weight percent of a comonomer comprising an ethylenically unsaturated monomer that copolymerizes with methyl methacrylate, wherein the particles further comprise more than 0.4 weight percent of a crosslinker.

Polymer products, particularly acrylic products, having a granite appearance and methods for their production are known in the art. Such products have found particular application in the spa and bathware industries.
In general, known methods for the production of acrylic compositions to form acrylic sheet products having a granite appearance comprise the addition of various inorganic or organic particles or fillers to an acrylic solution or syrup. For example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,159,301 and 4,085,246 disclose a simulated granite material comprising a matrix of acrylic polymer and various opaque and translucent particles having specific optical densities. U.S. Pat. No. 5,304,592 discloses a simulated mineral article comprising a plastic material suspended within a thermoplastic matrix. The plastic material comprises both a thermoplastic and thermoset plastic and the matrix consists essentially of a themoplastic material. U.S. Pat. No. 5,043,077 discloses a granite-like artificial stone comprising a matrix of radical-polymerizable monomers (containing methacrylate and an aromatic vinyl compound) and an inorganic filler, where the filler comprises radical-polymerizable monomers which may be the same or different than those used in the matrix. U.S. Pat. No. 4,959,401 discloses a composition suitable for making synthetic rock comprising an organic portion comprising one or more polymers and an inorganic filler portion comprising an oxide pigment, kaolin and a binder. However, each of these compositions have demonstrated difficulties in processing and later thermoforming.
In an attempt to advantageously affect the processing and thermoforming characteristics of the compositions suitable for forming granite-like products, U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,242,968 and 5,415,931 provide an acrylic product having a matrix of polymethyl methacrylate containing preformed particles of polymethyl methacrylate. The preformed particles are preferably scrap material and comprise 90% of polymethyl methacrylate and 1% of crosslinker, the remainder of the particles being comonomer.
The use of a polymeric material as the particulate or filler component of such compositions has been found to be preferred over the various fillers previously used. Such particles provide sufficient opacity to the composition for hiding and decorative purposes. However, care must be taken in formulating such compositions since the polymeric particles will swell due to the absorption of the matrix monomer to a volume that may be several times greater than their initial volume. The swelling of the particles will increase the viscosity of the composition and prevent the particles from settling.
Such compositions have been used in practice only with difficulty, as the size and swelling of the particles have not been heretofore optimized. In order to produce a material which is easily prepared, aesthetically pleasing and particularly suitable for further processing, the size and swelling rate of the particles must be controlled and optimized. In conventional methods for preparing granite-appearing acrylic materials, such as that disclosed in the U.S. Pat. Nos.5,243,968 and 5,415,931 patents, the particles are often made from cell cast, continuous cast or extruded sheet material. These particles are often difficult to use as they either swell to an extent or at a rate which does not provide optimum results.
If the particles swell too much, the composition may absorb nearly all of the liquid or matrix phase, making its viscosity so great as to be unworkable. Alternatively, the particles may dissolve, losing their character altogether. If the particles do not swell to a sufficient degree, the mixture may not increase in viscosity efficiently, allowing the particles to settle, thus detracting from the granite aesthetic. On the other hand, if the particles swell too slowly, the manufacturing process must be designed to accommodate a dynamic mixture which is constantly changing in viscosity or sufficient processing time must be allowed to allow the composition to reach equilibrium.


The invention concerns an NMR apparatus (1) comprising an NMR spectrometer (2) for sequential investigation of several samples in sample containers (6) of substantially identical geometrical design, at a measuring position (10) in the NMR spectrometer (2) comprising a supply line (8) for pneumatic supply of the sample containers (6) from a magazine (3) to the measuring position (10). The apparatus is characterized in that the magazine (3) is disposed within a temperature-controlled cabinet, in particular, a cold chamber (4) and the supply line (8) can be heated. This substantially increases the throughput of samples of the NMR apparatus (1) with simple technical means.

The invention concerns an NMR apparatus comprising an NMR spectrometer for sequential investigation of several samples in sample containers of substantially identical geometrical design and at a measuring position in the NMR spectrometer, with a supply line for pneumatic supply of the sample containers from a magazine to the measuring position.
A device of this type is disclosed in EP 0 502 444 A2.
NMR is used to an increasing extent in quality control laboratories. There, as well as in clinics and in combinatorial chemistry, a large number of samples are produced which must be investigated in a rapid and reliable manner (high throughput). This involves mainly screening applications which require rapid change and unambiguous identification of the sample.
EP 0 502 444 A2 describes a device, wherein several sample containers of substantially the same geometrical design are sequentially introduced into an NMR spectrometer. The sample containers are stored in a magazine and are transported from an output position of the magazine to an input position of a downpipe, which serves as a supply line to a measuring position of the NMR spectrometer, using a holder that can be displaced between the output position and the input position. The motion of the holder is controlled using a compressed air drive.
EP 516 111 A1 discloses a device having a design which is similar to that described above. The transfer between the output position of the magazine and the input position of the downpipe is effected through rotation of a drum. After the measurement, the sample containers are guided from the measuring position through a return line and into a container using compressed air.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,859,948 describes a device for introducing or discharging, a sample container into or out of a measuring position of a magnet arrangement. The sample container is disposed in a guiding tube which penetrates the magnet arrangement and can be displaced by compressed air flow. The sample container can be removed at the upper end of the guiding tube. To also ensure this with larger magnetic field arrangements without requiring auxiliary means such as e.g. ladders, a directional switch is positioned at this location which is connected to an inclined tube which connects the upper end of the magnet coil arrangement to a location which can be easily accessed.
In contrast thereto, it is the object of the present invention to considerably increase the throughput of samples in the NMR apparatus with simple technical means.