A surgical instrument for the treatment of stenotic and occlusive coronary artery disease is described whereby the lumen of the coronary artery is longitudinally incised sub-epicardially through an area of narrowing or obstruction immediately whereafter dilation of the arterial lumen at the site of the stenotic blockage and arterial incision is effected by expansion under pressure of a balloon passed to the site through the artery. This coronary artery cutting and dilating instrument has a flexible probe at the distal end for guidance through the coronary artery, followed, in succession, by one or more radially extending knife blades for making the coronary incision and an inflatable balloon for dilating the stenotic artery zone immediately after the incision. A flexible inflating and control tube extends from the balloon to the proximal end, whereat a surgical syringe is connectable to effect hydraulic inflation of the balloon. The proximal tubular extension of the instrument is either short for use in exposed heart surgery on the beating heart by passage through the coronary artery beneath a purse-string incision made in the epicardium overlying the affected artery within a few centimeters from the blockage, or comparatively long for application through a catheter introduced via a peripheral artery.

This invention relates generally to coronary artery surgery and is directed particularly to an improved method and means for the surgical treatment of stenotic or occluded major coronary vessels while the heart is beating and without the use of the heart and lung machine, although it can also be used with these modalities with the heart in fibrillation or arrest.
In recent years occlusive coronary artery disease has been surgically treated with the use of various artery by-pass techniques involving cardiopulmonary by-pass. Although these techniques have been highly successful and can be performed with minimal risk, the unusual surgical skill required, and the complexity of the procedure, limits the operation to a small percentage of those patients who could otherwise be benefited. In attempts to surgically treat the vast number of coronary artery disease patients to whom the usual open heart coronary artery by-pass operation was not available or otherwise not indicated, various surgical techniques have heretofore been devised to effect myo-cardial revascularization and neo-vascularization. These procedures can be performed on the beating heart without cardio-pulmonary by-pass, thereby greatly simplifying the procedure with an attendant lessening of the risk. These new techniques, moreover, have been greatly advanced by the comparatively recent development of cine-coronary arteriography.
Most promising of the new surgical techniques has been the direct approach to increase the diameter of the coronary arteries narrowed or obstructed by the disease. One technique involves longitudinal incision of the myo-cardial side of the coronary artery at the site of the stenosis or occlusion, with the insertion of a scalpel through a small incision made in the wall of the coronary artery distal to the occlusion. This procedure effects an immediate increase in the size of the lumen for restored blood flow, but in the calcific rigid artery the lumen may remain small. Upon healing, the inside myo-cardial tissue assumes an intima-like surface defining, with the contiguous decompressed arterial zone, a new lumen having an approximately normal diameter.
In another of the new surgical techniques, known as percutaneous translumenal coronary angioplasty, an inflatable balloon carried at the end of a catheter or the like is passed through the affected artery to the site of the stenosis as observed in cine-coronary arteriography, and then inflated to compact the stenonic plaque and thereby increase the lumen size by dilation. A distinct advantage of this technique is that the catheter can be inserted through a peripheral artery, thereby obviating surgical opening of the chest wall to expose the heart. This technique, however, has limited application because of major problems in its use in the treatment of stenoses associated with coronary artery rigidity, obstruction, and with single severe and multiple stenoses.

Coronary cutting and dilating instrument


A comparator that may be used in data communications transmission lines, in particular, an Ethernet Twisted-Pair line. The comparator accepts as input the differential voltage from the transmission lines. The comparator uses feedback circuitry to monitor particular voltages within the comparator and adjust them as necessary to mitigate the effect of bias offset within the comparator that may result from, for instance, temperature driven device parameter variations. The comparator also minimizes the effect of power supply noise. The feedback circuitry ensures that as the comparator input differential voltage approaches zero (i.e., when the comparator outputs should switch from a high voltage to a low voltage or vice versa), the input of a comparator output amplifier is situated in the middle of the high gain region of the output amplifier, ready to quickly trigger switching of the comparator output when the comparator input differential voltage crosses zero volts. In one embodiment, the feedback circuitry comprises an operational amplifier and two resistive-capacitive structures.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to data communications comparators and, in particular, to integrated circuit data communications receivers of the comparator type.
2. Description of Related Art
Integrated circuit receivers enjoy widespread use in data communications. For example, in an Ethernet system, data signals are differential signals transmitted over a twisted pair. The data signals are generally of a sine wave character. The data signals are shaped in a receiver, which typically is a type of comparator.
An example of a comparator for receiving Ethernet signals is shown in FIG. 1. Input signals enter the comparator 10 at nodes 11 and 12. The input signals are amplified and buffered by the network consisting of transistors 51, 52, 55, 56, 61, 62, 63, and resistors 53, 54. The amplified and buffered signals at nodes 15 and 16 are then amplified by inverting amplifiers 81, 83 and 82 84, respectively, to yield the output signals from the comparator 10 at nodes 19 and 20.
One problem encountered with the use of comparators to shape transmitted signals is that an unpredictable bias offset (which is the deviation of bias levels from their ideal values) can arise in the comparator so that the relative transitions between logic levels at the comparator output are distorted. Types of distortion typically encountered include, for example, phase distortion and duty cycle distortion. In phase distortion, the rising and falling edge of the comparator output waveform jitters or appears faster or slower than would be expected. In duty cycle distortion, the duty cycle of the comparator output differs from the duty cycle of the transmitted data signal at the comparator input. The bias offset results from, for instance, fluctuation in circuit parameters due to process and temperature changes and power supply noise.
In the comparator 10 shown in FIG. 1, bias generation circuitry consisting of differential amplifier 70, inverting amplifier 74, transistors 71, 72, 75 and resistor 73 is provided to overcome the problem of bias offset. The bias generation circuitry generates a current through the transistor 75 which, in turn, is mirrored in the transistors 61, 62 and 63. The components in the bias generation circuitry are matched With other components in the comparator 10 so that an appropriate amount of current will flow through the transistors 61, 62, 63 to keep the inverting amplifiers 81 and 82 biased in their high gain region when the inputs at nodes 11 and 12 are equal.
This circuit is inadequate for some applications because mismatch of currents in the transistors 75, 61, 62 and 63, or mismatch of device values between transistors 71, 55, 56 or resistors 73, 53, 54 will prevent the inverting amplifiers 81 and 82 from being properly biased. This circuit is also inadequate because it does not act to minimize the detrimental effects arising from the presence of noise in the power supply.
It is desirable, then, to provide a comparator in which fluctuations in the bias offset and the effects of power supply noise are minimized.

Comparator with application in data communication

Winbond Electronics North America Corporation


An improved electron beam deflector with incorporated permanent magnets for picture correction, where the magnets and the magnetic field generated by these magnets are surrounded by an auxiliary magnetic shielding that forms one piece with the deflector and is positioned with high geometrical precision with respect to the magnets. This auxiliary shielding causes the picture correction efficiency to be unaffected by the shape and geometry of positioning of the metal elements in the vicinity of the deflector when it is being assembled and during its operation. The deflector can be used with picture tube devices, particularly of the cathode-ray type.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention concerns electronic picture tubes and, more precisely, electron beam deflectors associated with these tubes.
Electron beam tubes concerned by this invention are electron beam tubes in which the deflection of the beam is used either to depict the picture on a display screen, in the case of cathode-ray tubes (CRTs), or to pick up the picture in the case of camera tubes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
It will be recalled that a CRT is formed by a vacuum chamber in which there is an electron gun to form an electron beam, and a display screen that emits light when it is struck by the beam. Means for modulating and deflecting said beam enable the picture to be depicted. These means may be located inside or outside the vacuum chamber.
The electron beam may be modulated or deflected by electromagnetic fields. Said means of deflection and modulation are therefore, generally, devices to create appropriate electromagnetic fields to obtain the desired picture
While the modulation and electrostatic deflection are often obtained by means of electrodes taken to high voltages and placed within the tube, the electromagnetic deflection is generally obtained by means of magnets, electromagnets or coils mounted outside the tube.
The geometrical precision of the image depends on the precision of modulation or deflection obtained by the means used, and may be spoiled by stray electromagnetic fields coming from the environment of the tube when it is set up in a piece of equipment. For this reason, CRTs designed to work in complicated environments are generally surrounded by an electromagnetic shielding device designed to prevent the surrounding electromagnetic fields from penetrating the tube and thus avoid disturbances in the picture.
This electromagnetic shielding device may be a casing made of a material that is a good conductor of electricity and has high magnetic permeability. Electromagnetic shielding means such as this are commonly used for CRTs placed on board aircraft, tanks, ships or helicopters, for example.
In certain improved CRTs of the prior art, corrections are made to the geometry of the picture by means of electromagnetic fields given by permanent magnets. The tunings of these correction fields are done in the factory. These tuning operations consist in positioning the permanent magnets so as to obtain the desired picture geometry. To be effective under the operating conditions of the CRT, these tunings must be made under similar electromagnetic environmental conditions, namely the CRT should be surrounded by its electromagnetic shielding during these correction field tuning operations. This is because, as we know, the magnetic fields are disturbed by the metallic masses that surround them. Hence, the picture geometry correction obtained depends on the relative position of the magnets and of the shielding: this positioning becomes critical for the quality of the picture.
This point entails several drawbacks for the industrial scale manufacturing of the assemblies of shielded CRTs, among them the drawbacks indicated here below. Since the manufacture of CRTs comes rather within the field of glass technology while that of the shielding comes rather within the field of plate work, the tube manufacturer often entrusts the making of the latter to a sub-contractor. The CRT manufacturer must have the shieldings available in order to make the correction tunings, and must therefore keep them in store. If a shielding of a different geometry is used, the correction field of the magnets has to be modified. A deflector designed for one shielding cannot be used for another shielding of a different shape. This means that the manufacturer has to manufacture different shieldings for each type of CRT, hence often for a large number of different CRTs. Also, there will be as many different deflectors as there are different CRTs and different shieldings.
If the deflector and the shielding are not perfectly aligned, the "shunt" effect of the electromagnetic field of the magnets due to the metal of the shielding is dissymmetrical, and this introduces a distortion into the picture.
The aim of the present invention is to overcome these drawbacks by proposing a deflector, with field correction by permanent magnets, that is sensitive neither to the shape nor to the relative geometry of assembly of the electromagnetic shielding.
The device according to the invention makes it possible to avoid the need for lengthy tuning operations in which additional magnets are added on as well as for tuning operations that are individually adapted to the shieldings. The device according to the invention enables the use of practically any geometry and shape of shielding and therefore enables a considerable reduction in the number of different deflectors used by a CRT manufacturer.

Electron beam deflector with magnetic correction field and incorporated auxiliary magnetic shielding


Provided herein are pharmaceutical compositions comprising nitrogen mustard, for example bendamustine hydrochloride, solid dispersions substantially free of degradants. Also provided are methods of producing and administering nitrogen mustards and in particular bendamustine hydrochloride solid dispersions substantially free of degradants. The pharmaceutical compositions can be used for any disease that is sensitive to treatment with bendamustine hydrochloride, such as neoplastic diseases.

The following description includes information that can be useful in understanding the present embodiments. It is not an admission that any such information is prior art, or relevant, to the presently claimed embodiments, or that any publication specifically or implicitly referenced is prior art.
Because of their high reactivity in aqueous solutions, nitrogen mustards can be difficult to formulate as pharmaceuticals, and they are often supplied for administration in a lyophilized form that requires reconstitution, usually in water, by skilled hospital personnel prior to administration. Once in aqueous solution, nitrogen mustards are subject to degradation by hydrolysis; thus, the reconstituted product should be administered to a patient as soon as possible after its reconstitution.
Bendamustine, 4-{5-[Bis(2-chloroethyl)amino]-1-methyl-2-benzimidazolyl}butyric acid, includes a benzimidazole ring and an active nitrogen mustard, according to Formula I.
Bendamustine is also identified by the following: 5-(Bis(2-chloroethyl)amino)-1-methyl-2-benzimidazolebutyric acid; HSDB 7763; SDX-105; and UNII-9266D9P3PQ. Bendamustine is further identified by the Chemical Abstracts Service registry numbers 16506-27-7 and 3543-75-7 (hydrochloride).
Bendamustine was initially synthesized in 1963 in the German Democratic Republic (GDR) and was available from 1971 to 1992 in that location under the name Cytostasan®. Since that time, it has been marketed in Germany under the tradename Ribomustin®. It has been widely used in Germany to treat chronic lymphocytic leukemia, Hodgkin's disease, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma, multiple myeloma, and breast cancer.
Due to its degradation in aqueous solutions (like other nitrogen mustards), bendamustine is currently supplied as a lyophilized product. The current lyophilized formulations of bendamustine (Ribomustin®, Treanda®) contain bendamustine hydrochloride and mannitol in a sterile lyophilized form as a white powder for intravenous use following reconstitution. The finished lyophilisate can be unstable when exposed to light. Therefore, the product is stored in brown or amber-colored glass bottles. The current lyophilized formulations of bendamustine contain degradation products that can occur during manufacturing of the drug substance and/or during the lyophilization process to make the finished drug product.
Currently the bendamustine drug product Ribomustin® is formulated as a lyophilized powder for injection with 100 mg of drug per 50 mL vial or 25 mg of drug per 20 mL vial. The vials are opened and reconstituted as close to the time of patient administration as possible. The product is reconstituted with 40 mL (for the 100 mg presentation) or 10 mL (for the 25 mg presentation) of Sterile Water for Injection. The reconstituted product is further diluted into 500 mL, q.s., 0.9% Sodium Chloride for Injection. The route of administration is by intravenous infusion over 30 to 60 minutes.
Following reconstitution with Sterile Water for Injection, vials of Ribomustin® are stable for a period of 7 hours under room temperature storage or for 6 days upon storage at 2-8° C. The 500 mL admixture solution must be administered to the patient within 7 hours of vial reconstitution (assuming room temperature storage of the admixture).
Currently, the bendamustine drug product Treanda® is formulated as a lyophilized powder for injection with 100 mg of drug per 50 mL vial or 25 mg of drug per 20 mL vial. The vials are opened and reconstituted as close to the time of patient administration as possible. The product is reconstituted with 20 mL (for the 100 mg presentation) or 5 mL (for the 25 mg presentation) of Sterile Water for Injection. The reconstituted product is further diluted into 500 mL, q.s., 0.9% Sodium Chloride for Injection. As an alternative to 0.9% Sodium Chloride for Injection, 2.5% Dextrose/0.45% Sodium Chloride for Injection can be considered. The route of administration is by intravenous infusion over 30 to 60 minutes.
Following reconstitution with Sterile Water for Injection, vials of Treanda® are stable for a period of 3 hours under room temperature storage (15-30° C.) or for 24 hrs upon storage at 2-8° C. The 500 mL admixture solution must be administered to the patient within this period.
The reconstitution of Ribomustin® lyophilized powder is difficult. Reports from the clinic indicate that reconstitution can require at least fifteen minutes and can require as long as thirty minutes. The reconstitution of Treanda® is also difficult. Treanda®'s label indicates a 5 minute requirement for reconstitution. Besides being burdensome and time-consuming for the healthcare professional responsible for reconstituting the product, the lengthy exposure of bendamustine to water during the reconstitution process increases the potential for loss of potency and impurity formation due to the hydrolysis of the product by water.
Thus, a need exists for solid dispersions of bendamustine that are easier to reconstitute and which have a better impurity profile than the current lyophilisate (lyophilized powder) formulations of bendamustine. Also a need exists to reduce the exposure of bendamustine to water, for example during a reconstitution or infusion process, and therefore minimize or eliminate a potential loss of potency and/or impurity formation due to the hydrolysis of the compound by water.

This patent is subject to a terminal disclaimer.

Bendamustine solid dispersions and continuous infusion


When a user enters an email address associated with a remote message server account in a configuration area on a display, one or more suggestions for other field inputs are made based on canonical data or historical data from a variety of users. If the user cannot find a desired entry in the suggestions, the user may enter new information. The newly entered information (once validated) improves the prediction capability for subsequent users. A database stores information associated with each email address domain name including one or more remote message server names, one or more username patterns and ranking values. When more than one suggestion for a field is presented to a user, the suggestions are ranked in accordance with the respective ranking values such as by the popularity of a particular configuration.

The Post Office Protocol (POP), commonly known in its third version as POP3, provides a way for electronic messaging programs such as Outlook (from Microsoft Corporation) and Thunderbird (from Mozilla.org) to interface with a central, remote message server. Oftentimes, a user may not have the messaging program up, running and connected to the central message server for number of reasons. POP provides a simple protocol for retrieving messages from the central message server so that the messages can be manipulated on the user's client computer without requiring continuous connection to the central message server.
Messaging programs such as Outlook and Thunderbird, however, must be configured to interact with the message server implementing POP. Typically a user is required to specify at least the following parameters in order to establish a valid POP connection: email address, password, user name, POP server name, and whether the POP server requires "secure password authentication". Unfortunately, knowledge of the user's email address and password is not sufficient, and the other POP setup parameters cannot be simply guessed from the user's email address. For instance, different POP service providers use different naming conventions for naming their POP servers, and may also use different POP servers for different sets of users, thereby making it difficult to determine the POP server name if one knows the domain name portion of the user's email address but does not have access to the POP setup instructions provided by the POP service provider.
It would be desirable to provide assistance to users with one or more of these inputs as they configure a messaging program to interface with a POP server.

System and method for assisting in remote message server configuration


A complete-contact type image sensor includes matrix-driven sensor elements arranged on a light transmitting substrate. Both input contact members connected with the sensor elements at their input side and output contact members connected with the sensor elements at their output side are formed at one same side on the light transmitting substrate. By virtue of this arrangement, the sensor elements and an original are brought into close contact, thereby improving the MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) and reducing the width of the light transmitting substrate.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image sensor for use in a small size facsimile device the like, and more particularly, to a complete-contact type image sensor capable of reading an original without reducing its size.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Since a contact type image sensor is capable of reading an original without using a reducing optical system, it has a shorter optical path and the sensor itself can be miniaturized. Therefore, sure a sensor is widely used in such reading apparatuses as small size facsimile device and bar code readers.
Among contact type image sensors in the prior art, there is one which uses, instead of a reducing optical system, an actual-size optical system represented by a SELFOC lens system, thereby forming an image on the sensor elements. Alternately, in order to lower the cost of the contact type image sensor, there has been developed a contact type image sensor of a system in which the SELFOC lens is not used, but instead the sensor elements are adapted to be brought into close contact with the original for reading an image. Hereinafter, the contact type image sensor of such a system will be denoted a "complete-contact type image sensor".
A complete-contact type image sensor includes a glass substrate, sensor elements formed on the glass substrate, input contact members connected with the sensor elements at their input side, output contact members connected with the sensor elements at their output side, driving ICs for driving the sensor elements, a light source disposed in the rear of the sensor elements, a roller to press an original against the sensor elements, and a casing for housing the sensor elements and the like. The input contact members are provided by patterning on the glass substrate set to one side and the output contact members are provided by patterning thereon set to the other end portion and the sensor elements are formed between both the contact members (Japanese Laid-open Patent Publication No. 62-126665).
A light beam emitted from the light source is reflected by the original and introduced into the sensor elements to be converted into electric signals. The driving ICs sequentially drive a large number of the sensor elements formed on the glass substrate through the output contact members and input contact members and read the electric signals photoelectrically converted by the sensor elements.
The complete-contact type image sensor (hereinafter to be also denoted simply as a "sensor") is desired to be arranged such that the distance between the original and the sensor elements is kept as small as possible because the resolution deteriorates if the original is held apart from the surface of the sensor elements. In the prior art sensor, the sensor elements are formed virtually in the center on the glass substrate and the input contact members and the output contact members are formed at opposite side end portions on the glass substrate with the sensor elements therebetween. In such a prior art sensor, there are formed protruded portions on the glass substrate at both its side end portions due to the presence of the contact members with the sensor elements disposed between these protrusions. Hence, if the width of the glass substrate is small, it is difficult to bring an original into close contact with the sensor elements. There has therefore been a problem with the prior art small-sized complete-contact type image sensor is that its MTF (Modulation Transfer Function) is rather inferior.
Further, since the input contact members and the output contact members are formed apart at opposite side end portions on the glass substrate in the prior art complete-contact type image sensor, if the distance between the input contact members and the output contact members is small, the roller comes into contact with holders covering the contact members and the like when the roller operates to bring an original into the close contact with the sensor elements. Therefore, in the prior art complete-contact type image sensor, it has been necessary to use a relatively wider glass substrate to space the input contact members and the output contact members sufficiently apart from each other, and this has made it difficult to miniaturize the module of the total sensor elements including both the contact members.


A robot includes a first member, a second member provided to be capable of turning with respect to the first member, and a gear device configured to transmit a driving force from one side to the other side of the first member and the second member. The gear device includes an internal gear, an external gear having flexibility and configured to partially mesh with the internal gear, a wave generator configured to be in contact with the external gear and move a meshing position of the internal gear and the external gear in a circumferential direction, and lubricant disposed in at least one of a meshing section of the internal gear and the external gear and a portion where the external gear and the wave generator are in contact with each other. A last non-seizure load of the lubricant is 300 N or more.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a robot, a gear device, and a manufacturing method for the gear device.
2. Related Art
In a robot including a robot arm including at least one arm, for example, a joint section of the robot arm is driven by a motor. In general, a driving force from the motor is reduced by a reduction gear, which is a type of a gear device.
For example, a reduction gear according to JP-A-3-179094 (Patent Literature 1) is configured from a circular spline (a rigid internal gear), a flex spline (a flexible external gear), and a wave generator. When the wave generator is rotated, the flex spline sequentially moves a meshing position with the circular spline while being elastically deformed. Since the wave generator has a smaller number of teeth than the circular spline, the circular spline rotates in a direction opposite to a rotating direction of the wave generator according to the rotation of the wave generator because of the difference in the number of teeth.
In the reduction gear according to Patent Literature 1, the circular spline and the flex spline mesh with each other with an extremely small backlash. The flex spline and the wave generator frictionally slide with a high load. When characteristics of lubricant used in a meshing section of the circular spline and the flex spline and a frictional sliding section of the flex spline and the wave generator are insufficient and the reduction gear is used in a robot, there has been a problem in that seizure, wear, and the like easily occur relatively early.

Robot, gear device, and manufacturing method for gear device


A double-lay stranding machine for laying a predetermined amount of wire or stranded material on a reel comprises a lifting table for transfering empty reels to a reel carrier and for removing the full reels therefrom, the lifting table being provided with a pair of rollers for enabling the unwinding of a predetermined length of wire or strand from a wound reel during the removal process. The portion of the strand extending between a removed reel and a laying roller is automatically cut and held by a gripping and severing device. Upon the loading of an empty reel into the carrier, the leading free end portion of the wire or strand is automatically clamped to the outside surface of a reel flange and brought over the rim of the flange prior to a winding operation.

This invention relates to a method and an apparatus for laying stranded rope-like material on a reel having a sleeve flanked by a pair of flanges.
In conventional stranding or winding machines, most of the necessary procedural steps are manually performed. The loading and unloading of the reels has been automated to enable the employment of female operators incapable of moving heavy loads. See, for example, East German Patent No. 79 237.
Inasmuch as a major portion of the procedural steps, such as the severing of a strand or wire extending from a full reel and the refastening of the free end portion of the severed strand to an empty reel, is manually performed, the reduction of the setting-up time attributable to the automation of the unloading and loading processes is small, particularly when the cost of automation is considered. The decrease of the setting-up time is also relatively small in conventional partially automated double-lay stranding machines which operate with enforced control over a limited program cycle.
An object of the present invention is to provide an improved method and an improved apparatus of the above-described type.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which operates fully automatically over extended periods of time, e.g., at least for the duration of a personnel shift.
Another object of the present invention is to provide such an apparatus which operates fully automatically over an extended period of time without an appreciable change of the length of lay at a reel change and without excessive stretching of the strand of material.
Yet another object of the present invention is to provide a double-lay stranding machine suitable for an S- or Z-lay, which machine operates fully automatically over extended periods of time.
Another, particular, object of the present invention is to provide a method and apparatus for winding a strand of material on a reel in such a manner that an inner end of the strand of material is accessible without an unwinding of the coiled strand.

Method and apparatus for laying stranded rope-like material on a reel


A display device includes: an optical member that guides incident image light; a frame member that includes an opening in which a part of the optical member is inserted and holds the optical member; and a water repellent layer that is located between the optical member and an inner surface of the opening.

1. Technical Field
The present invention relates to a display device and a head mounted image display apparatus.
2. Related Art
In the related art, there are known head mounted image display apparatuses mounted on the heads of users. A video display apparatus that has a waterproof structure is known as the head mounted image display apparatus (for example, see JP-A-2009-157290).
The video display apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-157290 includes a display element, a prism (light-guiding member), a casing that contains and holds the display element and the prism, and a packing. Of the elements, the packing is disposed to come into contact with the casing and a portion from which video light in the periphery of the prism is not reflected. Thus, the video display apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-157290 suppresses infiltration of a fluid such as water into the casing.
Incidentally, in the video display apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2009-157290, the light-guiding member guides image light to the eyes of a user. Therefore, it is necessary to dispose the light-guiding member within the casing (the video display apparatus) with high precision.
However, the configuration disclosed in JP-A-2009-157290 has a problem that the light-guiding member may not be disposed with high precision since a waterproof member is pressed when the waterproof member such as a packing is disposed between each surface of the light-guiding member and an external case forming the casing and is pressed, and thus the light-guiding member is moved from a position to which the image light can reliably be guided. Even when the position of an image projection unit is not changed with respect to the light-guiding member, an entire optical system is considered to be moved. In a binocular video display apparatus, a user can view an image. However, since right and left image display may be deviated, there is a problem that an image (in particular, a 3D image) may not be recognized accurately.
Since it is necessary for an external surface of the light-guiding member to guide image light to the eyes of the user while internally reflecting the image light, the waterproof member is not installed in a portion contributing to reflection of the light-guiding member. However, for example, in a case in which the waterproof member is not installed in the circumference of the light-guiding member, a fluid may be infiltrated into a frame member from a portion between the light-guiding member and the casing (external case).
However, even in a case in which the waterproof member is installed in a portion that does not contribute to reflection of the light-guiding member, there is a problem that a slight gap occurs between one surface of the light-guiding member and the external case due to tolerance and heat of a material of which the light-guiding member and the external case are formed, and thus a fluid such as water infiltrates into the casing via the gap due to capillarity.

Display device and head mounted image display apparatus


The invention concerns a method (200) and system (100) for performing a trick mode on a video signal containing a plurality of original pictures. The invention includes the steps of, in response to a trick mode command, selectively repeating (216) at least one of the original pictures to convert the video signal to a trick mode video signal having the original pictures and at least one repeated original picture and selectively displaying (218) at least a portion of the original picture and at least a portion of the repeated original pictures in accordance with a predetermined sequence to avoid a vibration artifact. Each original picture and each repeated original picture can contain at least two fields.

1. Technical Field
The inventive arrangements relate generally to video systems and more particularly to video systems that record or play back digitally encoded video sequences.
2. Description of Related Art
Many televisions employ the interlaced scanning technique. Under this format, the video signal is typically divided into a predetermined number of horizontal lines. During each field period, only one-half of these lines are scanned; generally, the odd-numbered lines are scanned during the first field period, and the even-numbered lines are scanned during the next field period. Each sweep is referred to as a field, and when combined, the two fields form a complete picture or frame. For an NTSC system, sixty fields are displayed per second, resulting in a rate of thirty frames per second.
As a moving object moves across the screen in an interlaced scanning television, each field will only display a portion of the moving object. This partial display occurs because a field only displays every other horizontal line of the overall picture. For example, for a particular field n, only the odd-numbered horizontal lines are scanned, and the portion of the moving object that will be displayed in field n is the portion that is scanned during the odd-numbered horizontal line sweep for field n. The next field, field n+1, is created 1/60 of a second later and will display the even-numbered horizontal lines of the picture. Thus, the portion of the moving object that is displayed in field n+1 is the portion that is scanned during the even-numbered horizontal line sweep for field n+1. Although each field is temporally distinct, the human eye perceives the sequential display of the fields as smooth motion due to the speed at which the fields are displayed.
If a viewer activates a trick mode while viewing interlaced video, the trick mode video signal may contain repeated non-progressive pictures. For example, if the viewer initiates a slow trick mode, each non-progressive picture can be repeated a predetermined number of times to create a slow motion effect. The display of each repeated non-progressive picture, however, is in accordance with the normal display of a non-progressive picture, i.e, the fields that make up the non-progressive picture are alternately displayed. As an example, if a non-progressive picture were to be repeated three times (and assuming that the top field is displayed first), the repeated display of the picture would follow this order: top field, bottom field; top field, bottom field; and top field, bottom field.
If a moving object appears in the pictures recorded under the interlaced scanning format, each field will display the moving object in one specific position. Thus, as these fields are alternately displayed during the slow motion trick mode, the moving object in the display rapidly moves from one position in the display to another; in effect, the moving object appears to vibrate. This phenomenon, commonly referred to as a vibration artifact, is created because the interlaced fields are temporally distinct, and the moving object appears in a different position for each field.
This problem is also present in certain televisions that include a deinterlacer. As is known in the art, a deinterlacer can construct complete frames from an interlaced field. Thus, a deinterlacer can construct complete frames out of the fields that comprise the repeated non-progressive frame. Nevertheless, these complete frames constructed from the interlaced fields will also be displayed in an alternate fashion thereby creating the possibility of the vibration artifact. In addition, this vibration effect appears in not only a slow trick mode but may also be present in any other trick mode in which non-progressive pictures are repeated, such as a freeze trick mode. Thus, it is desirable to eliminate the vibration artifact without increasing system costs or complexity.


A device for opening, or re-closing, and holding lids of containers, each provided with an oblong spout, comprises a removal head of the pneumatic type which has a through housing channel which develops along an axis and in which the spout is at least partly housed, and a holding member, associated to the removal head, to cooperate with the spout. The holding member is actuated pneumatically to define at least a reversible condition of holding the spout inside the housing channel and comprises elastically deformable means which laterally delimit the housing channel. The elastically deformable means are configured to be deformed elastically by means of a fluid under pressure, so as to selectively define a reduction in section of the housing channel suitable to hold the spout.

Machines are known, at least partly automated or manual, used for washing containers for liquids, for example, but not only, for bottles, feeding bottles, drinking troughs or others, used for feeding, by means of spouts made on the closing lids, of animals such as for example laboratory guinea pigs or rodents or others. The containers and the corresponding spouts can be of different sizes and volumes, in order to adapt to the different sizes and needs of the animals to be fed. In particular, the diameter of the spouts normally available on the market varies inside a range between a minimum value, suitable for small animals, and a maximum value, for bigger animals.
Such washing machines are generally structured with several operating stations disposed in succession with respect to each other, including a loading station for the closed containers, a removal station to remove the lids from the containers, or de-lidding station, a washing station, a filling station and a closing station, of the washed and re-filled containers, in which the lids, washed in their turn, are repositioned on the containers.
The lids are normally constrained by a water-tight seal to the containers, therefore, in known solutions which provide the removal station, the closed containers are opened by removing the lids using suitable opening devices.
These known devices are provided with mechanical holding members of the lids, once they have been removed from the containers, driven mechanically and with the function of generating a friction force on the spouts of the lids, both to prevent these falling due to gravity after opening, and also to allow handling during working.
Known mechanical holding members however are limited because they are not effectively adaptable to the different sizes of the spouts and are therefore not very versatile and not completely reliable above all in holding spouts with smaller diameters. This is even more disadvantageous with an increased variability of the diameters of the spouts treated in a single washing machine.
An example of an opening device is described in the international patent application WO-A-2001/045256 in the name of the present Applicant, in which a pneumatic action is exploited, induced to separate the lid from the container and in which such devices are provided with mechanical holding devices of the pliers type, which actuate a radial gripping action on the lid in order to hold it in the steps of extracting or separating and transporting the lid.
However, even if they are effective in guaranteeing a correct holding of the lid during said steps, these mechanical holding members need specific actuator mechanisms, both to define the holding and also the release of the lid.
Actuating these actuator mechanisms either to grip or release requires specific commands and controls, with corresponding times and costs of programming and coordination with the other units and working stations.
As well as having their own programming and manufacturing costs, these commands can have malfunctions that can cause slowing down or operating interruptions, and also require periodic maintenance and control interventions.
A device is also known and described in the international patent WO-A-2001/158085 in the name of the present Applicant, for opening containers and for holding corresponding lids which uses an elastic member, deformable by means of mechanical elements, such as pins or pegs, in order to keep clamping and holding elements radially thrust against the spout of the lid.
This known device also comprises one or more extractor elements which, located inside the air passage pipes of the corresponding removal members, exert an axial thrusting action on the spout of the lid, overcoming the elastic action exerted by the holding means, so as to bring it outside the air passage pipe.
Even though this device allows to limit the times for opening the containers and to carry out this operation simply, it is not completely reliable because of the possible variability of the diameters of the spouts, in particular for spouts with smaller diameters, in cases where there is a wide variability of the diameters of the spouts. Indeed, since the holding members are the mechanical type and are generally calibrated on larger diameters, they are not normally suitable to effect a grip or apply a force that is reliable and sufficient to hold the spouts of smaller diameters.
A further disadvantage derives from the fact that the thrust force exerted by the extractor elements on the spouts, if not suitably controlled, can cause the latter to be deformed or damaged and can render them useless.
A device to hold lids of containers is also known from the international patent application WO-A-2011/138661 in the name of the present Applicant. This known device comprises a holding member provided with a mechanical clamping member selectively activated to grip the spout of a corresponding lid.
Furthermore, application DE-A-3401386 describes a closing head to screw a screw top to a threaded opening of a bottle. The device described in DE-A-3401386 is not suitable to open and also hold the lids removed from the container, in particular it is not suitable for containers with lid with a spout as discussed here. This known device comprises a single circuit for a fluid under pressure by means of which to deform an elastic diaphragm member fitted on the screw top. In this way, the diaphragm elastic member grips on the top, and the closing head, by means of rotation, can screw the screw top.
It is therefore a purpose of the present invention to obtain a device for opening containers and holding the corresponding lids that is effective and reliable in the holding of the lids, irrespective of the variability of diameters of the spouts of the lids to be treated.
It is also a purpose of the present invention to obtain a device that allows to open the containers simply, economically and efficiently, that allows to reduce the overall execution times to a minimum, without damaging the spouts of the lids.
The Applicant has devised, tested and embodied the present invention to overcome the shortcomings of the state of the art and to obtain these and other purposes and advantages.

Device for opening containers for liquids and for holding the corresponding lids


The present invention is concerned with delivering a pharmaceutical composition to a tissue target of a mammalian subject for treating brain diseases or disorders. The process includes the steps of: (i) providing a dispersion of the pharmaceutical composition as particles having an average particle size of from about 150 nm to about 100 microns, and (ii) administering the dispersion to the mammalian subject for delivery to the tissue target of a portion of the pharmaceutical composition by cells capable of reaching the tissue target. The dispersion of the pharmaceutical composition as particles, for example, can be phagocytized or adsorbed by the cells prior or subsequent to administration into the mammalian subject. The dispersion of the pharmaceutical composition can be administered to the central nervous system or the vascular system. After administration, the loaded cells transport the pharmaceutical composition as particles into the tissue target.

1. Technical Field
The present invention is concerned with delivering a pharmaceutical composition to target tissue of a mammalian subject for treating diseases and disorders. The process includes providing a dispersion of the pharmaceutical composition as particles and administering the dispersion to the mammalian subject for delivery to the target tissue of a portion of the pharmaceutical composition by cells capable of reaching that tissue. The present invention further contemplates intracellular uptake of the dispersion of the pharmaceutical composition as particles by the cells prior to administration into the mammalian subject. The process of uptake of the particles by the cells can occur, for example, through phagocytosis or adsorption.
2. Background Art
Many drugs or pharmaceutical agents are formulated for oral administration. Some drugs/pharmaceutical agents, however, cannot be formulated for oral delivery. Such drugs, if had been possible, were formulated for parenteral delivery. Other would-be drugs, due to their poor oral bioavailabilty or effectiveness and poor solubility have not been developed into commercially useful parenteral drugs.
Drugs or pharmaceutical agents that are used to treat brain disorders or diseases are usually administered orally. However, most of the ingested drug does not target the brain and is, instead, metabolized by the liver. This inefficient utilization of drug may require ingestion of higher drug concentrations that can produce toxic effects such as, for example, cardiotoxicity, hepatotoxicity and nephotoxicity. Furthermore, lower amounts of drugs are able to reach the brain thereby requiring an increased frequency of doses. More efficient use of the drug can be realized both by eliminating liver metabolism and directly targeting the brain.
Many therapeutic or diagnostic agents are poorly soluble or insoluble in aqueous solutions. Such drugs provide challenges to delivering them orally or parenterally. Compounds that are insoluble in water can have significant benefits when formulated as a stable suspension of sub-micron particles. Accurate control of particle size is essential for safe and efficacious use of these formulations. Particles must be less than seven microns in diameter to safely pass through capillaries without causing emboli (Allen et al., 1987; Davis and Taube, 1978; Schroeder et al., 1978; Yokel et al., 1981). One solution to this problem is the production of small particles of the insoluble drug candidate and the creation of a microparticulate or nanoparticulate suspension. In this way, drugs that were previously unable to be formulated in an aqueous system can be made suitable for intravenous administration. Suitability for intravenous administration includes small particle size (<7 μm), low toxicity (as from toxic formulation components or residual solvents), and bioavailability of the drug particles after administration.
Bender et al. disclose the treatment of HIV-infected monocytes/macrophages with polyhexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles loaded with either the nucleoside analog zalcitabine (2′,3′-dideoxycytidine), or saquinavir, a protease inhibitor (Bender et al., Efficiency of Nanoparticles as a Carrier System for Antiviral Agents in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-Infected Human Monocytes/Macrophases In Vitro, Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy, June 1996, volume 40(6), p. 1467-1471). The polyhexylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles were prepared by emulsion polymerization and tested in-vitro for antiviral activity in primary human monocytes/macrophages. An aqueous solution of saquinavir showed little antiviral activity in HIV-infected macrophages, whereas the nanoparticulate formulation demonstrated significant antiviral activity at one-tenth the solution concentration. At a concentration of 100 nM, saquinavir in solution was completely inactive in chronically HIV-infected macrophages, but when bound to nanoparticles it caused a 35% decrease in viral antigen production. In this study, the drug was entrained in a polymer (polyhexylcyanoacrylate) matrix. The idea of preparing pure, solid drug nanoparticles for delivery to macrophages was not disclosed. Particles were only delivered to macrophages in-vitro and did not contemplate drug delivery by administering nanoparticle-treated cells that are capable of reaching the brain to transport the drug. Von Briesen discloses the phagocytozation of nanoparticles of entrained in polymers (e.g., polyhexylcyanoacrylate) by monocytes/macrophages (H. von Briesen, Controled Release of Antiretroviral Drugs, AIDS Rev, 2000, volume 2, pages 31-38.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,973,465 (Baurain et al.) and U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,591 (Leclef et al.) discloses lipid microparticles of nystatin, amphoterin B and other anti-fungal compounds, potentially having enhanced targeting for macrophages.
The present invention provides a solution to effective dosing or particulate drug compositions to various tissues of the body. In particular, the invention is useful in delivering drug to tissues that come into contact with macrophages. Specific tissue target include, but are not limited to, the lymphatic system and the brain and associated neuronal tissues. The present invention involves delivering a drug by using cells that are capable of reaching such tissues to transport the drug. For example, one particular mode of delivery involves utilizing macrophages present in the patient's cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) to deliver drugs to the brain. This process requires that the pharmaceutical composition is in a particulate form that readily permits macrophage uptake by phagocytosis.

Method for delivering particulate drugs to tissues

Board of Regents of the University of Nebraska


A wireless multi-carrier communication system having designated control sub-channels that enable a receiving device to operate in a low power decoding mode. A sending device may send control or payload information via the control sub-channels. The receiving device operates in a low-power decoding mode to decode the control sub-channels, yielding the control or payload information. If the sending device has payload information directed to the receiving device that can not fit within the control sub-channels, it sends the information to the receiving device in one or more payload sub-channels. The receiving device operates in a second, generally higher power decoding mode to decode the payload sub-channels, yielding the payload information.

Communication systems, such as land mobile radio and cellular communications systems, are well known. Such systems typically include a plurality of radio communication units (e.g., vehicle-mounted mobiles or portable radios in a land mobile system and radio/telephones in a cellular system), one or more base stations/repeaters (usually located at a fixed base site) and other equipment used in the processing and monitoring of communications. The base stations are typically connected to other fixed portions of the system (i.e., the infrastructure) via wire connections and communicate with communication units and/or other base stations within the coverage area of their respective sites via wireless link(s).
Generally, the amount of information that may be carried by any communication system is a function of the available bandwidth. In recent years, wireless communication systems having increasingly wide signal bandwidths (called wideband systems) have been developed to transmit increasing amounts of information across wireless link(s). For example, wideband systems have been developed to support communication of streaming voice and video over wireless link(s), enabling communication units to participate in voice calls, video calls, web browsing, video-conferencing and/or internet communications with other communication units or infrastructure devices. Oftentimes, wideband systems use multi-carrier modulation whereby the information is divided into a plurality of sub-channels. Larger bandwidths may be accommodated by increasing the number of sub-channels, to the extent that the bandwidth of the total number of sub-channels does not exceed the available bandwidth.
A problem associated with wireless communication systems, and especially wideband systems, is that the power required for communication units to receive and process a signal is roughly proportional to the bandwidth of that signal. This is a concern because communication units are usually powered by limited power supplies (e.g., batteries) that are challenged, even in narrowband systems, to provide power for an eight-hour work day. As an illustration, in a wideband system using multi-carrier modulation with 24 sub-carriers, a communication unit desiring to process the signal will require approximately 24 times greater processing power than would be required in a narrowband private radio system, such as an APCO 25 trunking system. Hence, battery life will be expended roughly 24 times faster in the wideband system than in the narrowband system.
Thus, there is a need for a system and method for communicating messages in wireless multi-carrier communication systems in a manner that enables reduced power consumption of receiving devices (e.g., wireless communication units). Advantageously, the system and method will not introduce significant delays that would counteract the ability of the communication unit to support voice calls, video calls, web browsing, video-conferencing and/or internet communications. The present invention is directed to addressing these needs.

Control channel to enable a low power mode in a wideband wireless communication system


A catalyst system for treating sulfur and nitrogen contaminated hydrocarbon feedstock including a matrix, at least one support medium substantially uniformly distributed through said matrix, a first catalytically active metal phase supported on said support medium, said first catalytically active metal phase comprising a first metal and a second metal each selected from group VIII of the periodic table of elements, said first metal being different from said second metal, a second catalytically active metal phase supported on said matrix, said second catalytically active metal phase comprising a third metal and a fourth metal each selected from group VIII of the periodic table of elements and a fifth metal selected from group VIb of the periodic table of elements, said third metal being different from said fourth metal. The catalyst system is prepared in a method which provides the system with excellent hydroisomerization, HDS, and HDN properties.

The invention relates to a catalyst for hydroisomerization of sulfur and nitrogen contaminated hydrocarbon feedstocks, as well as a method for preparing the catalyst and a hydroisomerization process using the catalyst.
A persistent problem in the field of hydrocarbon processing and refining is the treatment of hydrocarbon feedstocks which are contaminated with sulfur and nitrogen. Sulfur and nitrogen contaminants tend to rapidly deactivate process catalysts and, furthermore, are undesirable fractions in the final product.
Numerous disclosures have been made proposing solutions to the sulfur and nitrogen contamination problem. Known processes include multi-stage treatments, severe limitations on the upper level of sulfur and nitrogen contaminants in the feedstock, and limited ability to remove sulfur and nitrogen from the process product. There thus still remains the need for a catalyst system for treatment, especially by hydroisomerization, of sulfur and nitrogen contaminated feedstock.
It is therefore the primary object of the present invention to provide a catalyst system for hydroisomerization of a sulfur and nitrogen contaminated feedstock which is not rapidly poisoned by the contaminants in the feedstock.
It is a further object of the present invention to provide a catalyst system for treating a sulfur and nitrogen contaminated feedstock which serves to reduce the level of sulfur and nitrogen in the feedstock.
It is a still further object of the present invention to provide a catalyst system for treating a wide variety of hydrocarbon feedstocks so as to provide increased fractions of isomers in the final product.
It is another object of the present invention to provide a method for preparing a catalyst system according to the present invention.
It is still another object of the present invention to provide a hydroisomerization process using the catalyst system of the present invention for treating sulfur and nitrogen contaminated feedstocks.
Other objects and advantages of the present invention will appear hereinbelow.

Catalyst for the hydroisomerization of contaminated hydrocarbon feedstock


The present disclosure discloses a controlling device and method for a Heating Ventilation and Air Conditioning system. The controlling device includes a building heat load module, a data collecting module, an optimization module, and a controller. A building heat load model is established according to building envelope data. Field information data and setup data are collected. The building heat load model, the field information data, and the setup data are integrated to produce optimal setup data by optimal computation. According to the optimal setup data, the HVAC system proceeds to modulate room temperature, room humidity, or gas concentration to achieve functions of maintaining indoor thermal comfort and energy conservation.

1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to controlling devices and methods, and, in particular, to a controlling device and method for an HVAC system.
2. Description of Related Art
The air conditioning system is used for controlling and maintaining temperature, humidity, pressure, wind, and cleanness inside a building in a predetermined range to make personnel live comfortably inside an environment of the building. A heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) system is one of the air conditioning systems as know by person having ordinary skills in the art.
However, as traditional controlling method of air conditioning systems is predetermined in fixed values, therefore, it can not be applied to suit the measure to local conditions in different situations. If the predetermined fixed values are not appropriately set up, not only the environment thermal comfort inside a building is reduced, but also power consumption of an air conditioning system is increased without considering environment factors in many ways.
Meanwhile, as environmental protection issues raise, everyone is dedicated to energy conservation and carbon reduction. In ordinary daily life, an air conditioning system takes a great majority ratio of power consumption, and it would make a major progress, if the air conditioning system proceeds energy-saving.
Therefore, it would be problems to be solved that are how to take indoor environment factors such as temperature, humidity into consideration, and to maintain environment thermal comfort for indoor personnel and reduce power consumption in the same time.

Controlling device and method for HVAC system

INDUSTRIAL TECHNOLOGY RESEARCH INSTITUTE


There is provided an workpiece etching method executed in manufacturing a magneto-resistive effect element, the workpiece including first and second multilayer films, the first multilayer film including first and second magnetic layers and a tunnel barrier layer formed between the first and second magnetic layers, and the second multilayer film being a multilayer film constituting a pinning layer in the magneto-resistive effect element. The method includes: etching the first multilayer film; generating plasma of a first gas including hydrocarbon and noble gases inside a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus to etch the second multilayer film inside the chamber; and generating plasma of a second gas including gas containing carbon and oxygen, an oxygen gas and a noble gas and not containing hydrogen inside the chamber to remove a carbon-containing deposit formed on the workpiece in the generating the plasma of the first gas.

A magneto-resistive effect element including a magnetic tunnel junction (MTJ) is used in a device such as, for example, a MRAM (Magneto-resistive Random Access Memory) or the like.
When manufacturing a magneto-resistive effect element, a multilayer film is etched. In the etching performed to manufacture the magneto-resistive effect element, plasma of a hydrocarbon gas and an inert gas is generated inside a chamber of a plasma processing apparatus. Ions and radicals generated from the plasma are irradiated to the multilayer film. Thus, the multilayer film is etched. In such etching, a nitrogen gas and a noble gas are used as the inert gas.
When the plasma of the hydrocarbon gas is generated to etch the multilayer film, deposits are formed on the workpiece including the multilayer film. The amount of the deposits should be reduced. As an etching method that makes it possible to reduce the amount of deposits, it is conceivable to use an etching method that alternately performs a step of generating plasma of a hydrocarbon gas and a noble gas for etching of a multilayer film inside a chamber and a step of generating plasma of a hydrogen gas and a nitrogen gas for removing deposits. However, this etching method requires further improvement in suppressing deterioration of magnetic characteristics of a magneto-resistive effect element.


A shift control method for an automatic transmission of a vehicle allows a kick down piston of a kick down brake in the automatic transmission to fully return after a 4-3 speed downshift operation before performing a 3-2 speed downshift operation. If it is determined that a 4-3 speed downshift signal was output by the transmission control unit, the transmission control unit is monitored to determine if a 3-2 speed downshift signal is output. A 3-2 speed downshift operation in response to a detect 3-2 speed downshift signal will then be prohibited for a predetermined period of time for the kick down piston of the kick down brake in the automatic transmission to fully return after the 4-3 speed downshift operation. Next, the 3-2 speed downshift operation will be performed in response to the 3-2 downshift signal after the predetermined period of time.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a shift control system for an automatic transmission of a vehicle and more particularly, to an improved shift control system for a vehicle automatic transmission, which can prevent a shift shock of the automatic transmission.
2. Description of Related Art
Generally, a transmission increases or decreases rotating power and rotating speed of an engine according to a driving condition of a vehicle, and functions in an off-position between the engine and driving wheels for a certain period of time so as to warm-up the engine. The transmission industry classifies a manual transmission by manual operation, and an automatic transmission by automatic operation.
The automatic transmission related to the present invention is convenient to operate, enables the vehicle to start smoothly, to increase and decrease the car speed, and is less likely to stall when driven by a beginning driver. Therefore, this automatic transmission is a popular choice among drivers.
The automatic transmission comprises a "D" range which shifts in multiple stages according to a pushing degree of an accelerator pedal in driving of a vehicle, a "2" range which matches with a long downward slope of a driving road, and an "L" range which matches with an extreme downward slope and a long extreme curve.
The automatic transmission further comprises an "N" range which ignites the engine free of all elements of the engine, a "P" range which fixes an outputting shaft while the vehicle is parking, and an "R" range which operates a reverse motion of the vehicle.
The shift motion in the "D" range starts the vehicle in a 1-speed or 2-speed state without any relation of an opening degree of a throttle valve, and causes an up-shift to the 2-speed or 3-speed according to the car speed.
Also, if the throttle valve is gradually opened, a driving gear of the 1-speed, 2-speed, and 3-speed has an increasingly higher shift point thereof. If the car speed is down, the downshift automatically occurs in the 3-speed, 2-speed, and 1-speed. In this 3-speed or 2-speed state of the "D" range, if the accelerator pedal is pushed completely in order to suddenly accelerate the car speed, the automatic transmission conducts a kick down state by down-shifting in the 3-speed to 2-speed or the 2-speed to 1-speed over the shifting point thereof.
The automatic transmission is provided with a hydraulic control system for shifting by automatically operating brake bands of start gear unit and clutches according to the car speed, the engine loading degree, and the shifting lever.
Each valve of the hydraulic control system is controlled in an open loop system by a transmission control unit TCU and a fluid load of a line pressure can be controlled from the manual valves. Therefore, the star gear shifting device located at a rear portion of a torque converter conducts a shift of the upshift or the downshift.
In the "D" range of the driving function, the 1-speed to 4-speed, or recently, the 1-speed to 5-speed is accomplished in multiple stages. In detail, a rear clutch and a one-way clutch operate in the 1-speed shift, the rear clutch and a kick down brake band operate in the 2-speed shift operation, a front clutch and the rear clutch operate in the 3-speed shift operation, and an end clutch and the kick down brake band operate in the 4-speed shift operation.
Each element of the star gear device in order to accomplish the shift operation conducts one of the shift control solenoid valves operated by a control signal which is permitted from the TCU according to the driving state of the engine and the car speed, operates one of the shift control valves of valve bodies, and a pressure control solenoid valve controls the pressure which is permitted from each element of the vehicle.
However, such conventional shift control systems suffer from a number of problems, such as for example, a shift shock occurs since such conventional shift control systems do not utilize a feedback control method by the TCU due to an incomplete return operation of a kick down piston in the 3 to 2-speed downshift operation while a downshift proceeds to shift from 4-speed to 1-speed when the engine and the vehicle drive in a lower speed.

Shift control system for an automatic transmission of a vehicle


A peripheral card securing apparatus for removably securing a plurality of peripheral cards to a chassis. The apparatus can comprise a securing clamp comprising a top portion and a bottom portion. For example, the securing clamp can be slidably coupled to the chassis, and sliding the securing clamp from an open position to a locked position secures the plurality of peripheral cards to the chassis. In some implementations, the top portion can comprise a first sliding aperture, a second sliding aperture, and a securing portion. For example, the first sliding aperture can be slidably engaged with a first securing point, and the second sliding aperture can be slidably engaged with a second securing point, such that the securing portion secures the plurality of peripheral cards to the chassis in the locked position.

Conventionally, peripheral or accessory cards (e.g., PCIE cards) are secured to a computer chassis (e.g., server) using screws. The peripheral cards, typically in a parallel orientation with each other, are first coupled to a motherboard. The peripheral cards are then secured to the chassis one by one using screws. As is oftentimes the case, especially with regards to servers, many peripheral cards can be mounted and secured to a computer chassis to provide different functions, such as network communications, graphics processing, or other functions. However, securing many peripheral cards one by one in a server using screws can be burdensome and time consuming for the user.


In general, in one aspect, a method includes forming a spacer layer over a substrate having patterned stacks formed therein and trenches between the patterned stacks. A sacrificial polysilicon layer is deposited over the substrate to fill the trenches. A patterning layer is deposited over the substrate and patterned to define contact regions over at least a portion of the trenches. The sacrificial polysilicon layer is etched using the patterned patterning layer to form open regions.

Semiconductor devices continue to be scaled to smaller sizes. Various design and/or process parameters may limit the scalability of the devices. The alignment of contact holes formed between layers in a semiconductor substrate is one area where scaling is limited due to the need for sufficient contact space on the lower layer to allow for alignment of the contact holes. Self-aligned contacts (SAC) are one approach to aggressively scale the contact space. SAC relies on lithographic patterning and etching of an oxide gap fill material to create the contact holes in the below layers. Due to the etch selectivity of the oxide gap fill material and spacer layers (e.g., nitride) the resultant contact holes may have a sloped or eroded profile. This can lead to undesired process variability and variability in the fill density of the SAC. Furthermore, the patterning of the oxide layer is not easily scalable for lithography and presents increased risk for resist island lifting defects at smaller feature sizes. Moreover, the SAC flow may require the purchase of an advanced dielectric etch tool to support the high selectivity and control requirements.

Self-aligned contact formation utilizing sacrificial polysilicon


Synchronization of presence information is established between different presence services. Presence information of each user is stored on the presence server 27 of the presence display system comprising mobile phones. Presence information of the SIP phone system comprising the SIP phone 29 and the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30 is stored in the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30. When presence information of the presence server 27 has changed, the presence server 27 notifies the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30 of the change in presence information via the SIPG/W (mobile communication network side) 31. Conversely, when presence information of the SIP phone system has changed, the SIPG/W (enterprise side) 30 notifies the presence server 27 of the change in presence via the SIPG/W (mobile communication network side) 31.

In recent years, instant messaging (IM) has attracted attention as communication means on IP networks such as the Internet. IM is a service that combines presence services to permit referencing of the states (presences) of partners such as whether partners are connected to the network and message exchange services that perform character-based conversations in real-time such as chats and progress has been made in standardizing such services (See RFC2778 and RFC2779).
Further, the application of such IM services to mobile phones has also been proposed and Wireless Village, the Mobile Instant Messaging and Presence Services (IMPS) Initiative, which is standards body for IM service-related technology using mobile phones has been established, and common specifications that are also used for the exchange of presence information and messages between Internet-based services instead of between mobile devices have been decided on.
Further, in recent years, there has been a progressive focus on SIP (Session Initiation Protocol)-compliant IP telephone systems, SIP is a signaling protocol for multimedia conferences and VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol). These SIP-compliant IP telephone systems are also capable of providing presence services (RFC3261).
An SIP-compliant IP telephone system is called an 'SIP phone system' hereinbelow. Further, VoIP clients, which are terminals of an SIP phone system, include multifunctional telephones, PCs and PDAs (soft phones) and so forth comprising SIP-phone client functions, and are referred to collectively as 'SIP phones' or 'SIP phone terminals'.

Presence display system and gateway apparatus


An interactive cable television system, such as a one way system, simultaneously provides both regular television programmings for one or more television reception channels and subscriber selectable multi-information television programming for a designated common one of those channels to a plurality of subscribers. Each individual subscriber having a multi-information interface network connected to the multichannel television receiver input may independently choose between reception of the regular television programming on any of the channels, including the designated common channel, and reception of the multi-information television programming which comprises a plurality of multi-information packets. Each packet comprises a plurality of simultaneously transmitted different information message signals which are related in real time and content to each other but which are transmitted at a different frequency from each other and from the associated frequencies of the television reception channels. The interface network, which includes a plurality of selection keys, converts the associated frequency of the desired information message signal in the transmitted packet to the common designated channel frequency to enable television reception thereof in accordance with the key selected. Another subscriber having the interface network may independently choose to receive either the regular television programming on that, or another channel, or a different information message signal, while subscribers not having the interface network may still receive the regular television programming. Labels for the selection keys may be visually presented on the television screen during reception of multi-information programming and may be dynamically varied in accordance with message content, such as in a decision tree or memory accumulation type of programming format.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to cable television systems and particularly to interactive cable television systems.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Real time conversational student response teaching apparatus are known such as described in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,947,972 and 4,078,316. In addition, multiple choice student response systems are well known, such as exemplified by the systems disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,921,385; 3,020,360; 2,826,828; 3,623,238; 3,546,791; 3,273,260; 3,665,615; 3,245,157; 3,284,923; 3,538,621; 3,477,144; 3,708,891; 3,255,536; 2,777,901; 2,908,767; 3,774,316; 3,194,895; 3,484,950, 3,343,280; and 3,763,577, by way of example. None of these prior art systems, however, has been adapted to be employed in connection with conventional cable television in which an essentially one way system is convertible on a subscriber-by-subscriber basis into what appears to be a two way interactive network in which the television programming information to be received by the individual subscribers is individually selectable to enable the subscriber to receive either selectable multi-information television programming and/or regular television programming on the television reception channels of a conventional multichannel television receiver. Moreover, although prior art subscription cable television systems per se are known in which a plurality of unrelated television programs, under control of a computer, are transmitted over a common television channel for selection by the individual subscribers, such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,814,841 and 3,757,225, no such systems are known to applicants which are one way interactive systems capable of independent subscriber selectable reception of simultaneously transmitted multi-information television programming and regular television programming over a common designated television reception channel. Such an arrangement would greatly expand the educational and entertainment capabilities and horizons of cable television systems with the prior art essentially being concerned with a severaly limited quantity of users. The desire to expand the educational capabilities and horizons of mass entertainment media has greatly increased with the advent of cable television in which considerably more channels than were previously available are present. Nevertheless, even though cable television has existed for a number of years, it has not been employed, to applicant's knowledge, in an interactive conversational type teaching or interactive entertainment system in which a mass audience of people, in addition to their regular programming, can receive individually controllable instantaneous real-time effective interaction with the questions being asked, and/or individually tailored messages or entertainment. These disadvantages of the prior art are overcome by the present invention.


Down hole assembly and method for forming a longitudinal window and a key-way in communication with the longitudinal window used in drilling multi-lateral well bores and for entry and reentry thereafter comprising, a first milling drill bit for milling the longitudinal window, a first whip stock having a guide surface, and orientation and positioning members located on the first whip stock for orienting and positioning tools to be used in forming the key-way in communication with the longitudinal window. A guide surface member is provided on the first whip stock member for guiding the first milling drill bit for milling a longitudinal window. A housing member for slidable mating with the first whip stock having a second drill bit member mounted in the housing member is provided for forming a down hole orientation key-way in communication with the longitudinally milled window. A second guide surface member positioned along the center line of the one surface guide member on the first whip stock is provided for guiding the second drill bit to drill a down hole orientation key-way in communication with the longitudinal window. A second whip stock having a forming member for forming an up hole orientation key-way in communication with the longitudinally milled window is provided with at least one guide surface member on the second whip stock member for guiding the forming member for forming the up hole orientation key-way in communication with the longitudinal window.

This invention relates generally to apparatus and methods of using the apparatus for drilling lateral or multi-lateral wells from an existing well bore, for the purpose of producing more oil and gas from the subsurface formations and for entry and reentry into said multi-lateral wells after they have been completed and for orienting and placing packers and/or other completion equipment in relation to these laterals and multi laterals. Specifically this invention relates to novel and improved assemblies and methods for the down hole milling of down hole windows and key-ways in communication with the down hole window for use in drilling and reentry of multilateral wells installation and completion of lateral well bores emanating from a main casing or a tubular walled member which may be vertical, deviated or horizontal and their entry or reentry.
Since it's inception horizontal drilling has offered a more efficient and cost effective means to produce oil and gas. This is primarily due to the advantage that horizontal drilling affords of economically exposing more of the hydrocarbon bearing reservoir to the wellbore. The recent introduction of multilateral drilling in which multiple horizontal or near horizontal wells are installed from a single vertical wellbore has extended the advantages of horizontal drilling while reducing the cost per foot of subsurface reservoir exposed, as well as reducing the amount of surface facilities required to develop an oil field. This has led to increased hydrocarbon production from multilateral wells. Until recently individual laterals were not cased or tied back to the main production casing. This meant that it was difficult or impossible to reenter these laterals in the event that workovers or stimulation was required.
The technology now exists to drill, tie back and complete multiple laterals in vertical, deviated, directional or horizontal wells either at the time the well is drilled or at a later time in the life of the well. More than one lateral can now be drilled, i.e., "Kicked Off" at the same elevation of the main casing in a well, and there is no limit as to how many laterals can be installed from a single main casing. However this has made the need for accurate placement of the positioning and drilling tools a crucial part of the drilling operation to achieve the desired results. The industry has relied on the accurate placement of "whipstocks", which are used to deflect the drill bit from the main casing at the desired location in a well to have a lateral drilled therein. In some cases a liner may be installed in the lateral and tied back to the main casing. Alternatively the laterals may be left unlined. In either case the whipstock is generally removed from the position of the drilled lateral, thus taking away the means to position or located the point of entry into the lateral well drilled unless some other positioning device is provided. As laterals in wells can be installed at the time the well is drilled or may be added at a future time if it is determined that incremental reservoir exposure is needed and it is determined that additional reservoirs may be accessed from the same wellbore, thus the industry has placed increasing importance on being able to selectively re-enter these laterals for workover operations, which makes accuracy of location of the lateral in the well bore important.
The equipment currently available in the industry is limited in allowing access to these laterals. Multilateral systems that employ premilled windows generally have a remotely located slots that are engaged by spring loaded lugs located on the whipstock which insure correct orientation to the window opening. These slots may be either tubular or rectangular in nature, and are located below the window opening. However these slots are limited to new wells as they must be installed in the casing string prior to the time that the casing is run. Also to reenter an existing well the general approach has been to set a packer below each window. This packer is used to land, anchor and orient the whipstock for both the drilling as well as any future reentry of the lateral for workover operations in the future. However allowing this packer to remain in the well restricts the ability to access the wellbore below this point. Alternatively removing the packer eliminates the possibility of reentering the lateral at a later date.
More recent prior system have been introduced to allow some type of reentry or detection device to land and anchor at the bottom of the window to allow the reentry of the lateral for workover purposes. Some drawbacks of these systems is their inherent inaccuracies in placement and unreliability in securing the deflection apparatus involved due to the inexact nature of the window which are milled downhole. These systems have been difficult to use because of the jagged, rough edges and metal shavings produced by the down hole milling of the window and can prevent the proper setting and alignment of such reentry tools. Up to this time all reentry systems have relied almost solely on using the raw cut bottom portion of the milled window to land and orient reentry devices.
Thus while there has been an increase in usage of the more advanced systems for lateral or multi-lateral well drilling in new wells, their use in existing wells has lagged behind. Though the number of multi laterals being drilled in existing wells has also increased, there has also been an increase in the problems associated with their installation because they are being used in more and varied well conditions and at more extreme angles of deviation from the vertical well bore than ever before. While there have been developed, many techniques to solve some of these problems they have only resulted in creating other and different problems. One of the most basic is providing a simple and universal assembly or assemblies and method or methods which can be used for both drilling and completion and also entry and reentry at a later date of a previously drilled well, even if that well has been drilled many years before because the cost are too great to pull or mill away the casing and set new casing with premilled window for drilling the desired multilateral wells needed in these wells.
The prior art has many approaches to solve this problem but most of them have required the mounting of keys, key-ways, slots, and packers permanently on the inside of the well bore and casing. While these approaches have had some success they have limited use because they reduce the access to some producing zones because they often project inwardly to the well , or in the case of an old well use a packer, which restricts access below this point in the well casing. Any system which restricts the operating diameter of the well bore also restrict the ability to operate other tools in the well passed the area were a multilateral has already been drilled. Due to the large forces used in wells created by the pipe and tools being moved up and down, these internal projections are subject to being damaged or destroyed by tools working in the casing, which would render the projections useless for their intended purpose. This is especially true for reentry of a drilled multilateral at a later date for additional workover of the multilateral. Thus the expense of the first multilateral well drilled could be completely lost, as well as access to that oil bearing strata without undertaking great additional expense.
Clearly multi-lateral drilling assemblies which have come under use in deeper and more complex older wells are more likely to have problems associated with retrieving and manipulating them in the well bores and successfully completing a multilateral. This is because the record keeping associated with these wells may have been lost or even if it exists, may not be as accurate as the records which are kept today. It is also more likely that numerous reentries or production operations undertaken on these wells over the years may have led to damage of the casing in certain areas.
In older well at greater depths a yet further problem is finding the exact location of the window which has been milled downhole and to properly orient the completion and production equipment to put that multilateral well in service. For example in a well have a depth of 10,000 feet, the spring in the drill string running tools can have several feet of movement or "slack" between the surface and downhole window. Further these well bores may not be straight down but instead contain sections, or "Cork Screws" in them from the previous drilling operations. The prior art has used spring loaded keys, for locating and orienting operations related to the geological formations for these lateral well bores. However many of these keys were equipped with multiple sets of keys which must mate with mounted key-receivers which were located in the main casing as part of the multilateral drilling process. This mating process could be a relatively complex arrangement and require diligence and accuracy in finding the correct key system. Also it required a very detailed and complicated record keeping procedure for any future work which might be done in the well for the future. Also as the various key-receivers for each well could be different it required the maintenance of a large inventory of each key system and this problem is growing as the number of such systems is increasing around the world.
In many of the prior art spring loaded key systems, the keys while easy to engage once the key was directly over the key hole or key way, these key holes and ways are normally of relatively small square area and a significant amount of time could be required for manipulating the drill string and tools to find the exact position to allow the key to spring out and mate with the key holes and key ways so that further work could be do. In most cases the keys had to hit key holes and ways with target areas measured in 25 to 50 square inches.
As the prior art often dealt with existing wells, which often used small target areas and which by nature are somewhat messy and unclean, these target areas can be completely fill up with metal shavings from earlier milling operations or formation cuttings which were generated when the lateral was drilled. In this case the spring loaded key would not have a space into which it could engage, with the corresponding problems of not being able to set other tools without additional work and runs back into the hole to clear the key hole or key ways.
Yet another problem in the prior art is the reentry of the at least one multi-lateral well once it has been drilled and completed, without leaving the whip stock and other orientation devices in the well. Leaving any of this equipment in the well would block other formations from having multilateral wells drilled in them, which is often not acceptable. Unfortunately removing this equipment left few if any means of identifying the entrance to the at least one multi-lateral well bore.
A further problem was even finding the down hole milled window because if the well is an older one many of the keys or indicators which were originally attached or fixed in the casing or tubular walls have been damaged or destroyed by other work that has occurred in the well since the drilling of the at least one multi-lateral well.
Also in the prior art the ability to reenter a well is many times totally dependant on the accuracy of the historical records kept on a well and the older the well the less likely the well records were likely to be available for use in the reentry process which rendered reentry either impossible or very expensive.
Further in the prior art the accuracy of reentry was not very good and while reentry was made it was not very accurately done with the corresponding wear and tear on the windows and key systems used, with a corresponding shortening of the life of the downhole milled window and it's keying system of what ever kind.

Down hole assembly and method for forming a down hole window and at least one keyway in communication with the down hole window for use in multilateral wells