The present invention is related to optical non-invasive methods and instruments to detect the level of analyte concentrations in the tissue of a subject. The spectra of mid-infrared radiation emitted from a subject's body are altered corresponding to the concentration of various compounds within the radiating tissue. In one aspect of the invention, an instrument floods a body surface of the subject, such as the subject's eye, with radiation in the mid-infrared range and measures analyte concentrations based on mid-infrared radiation reflected back to the instrument.

Diabetes remains one of the most serious and under-treated diseases facing the worldwide healthcare system. Diabetes is a chronic disease where the body fails to maintain normal levels of glucose in the bloodstream. It is now the fifth leading cause of death from disease in the U.S. today and accounts for about 15% of the entire healthcare budget. People with diabetes are classified into two groups: Type 1 (formerly known as "juvenile onset" or "insulin dependent" diabetes, that are required to take insulin to maintain life) and Type 2 (formerly known as "adult onset" or "non-insulin dependent," that may require insulin but may sometimes be treated by diet and oral hypoglycemic drugs). In both cases, without dedicated and regular blood glucose measurement, all patients face the possibility of the complications of diabetes that include cardiovascular disease, kidney failure, blindness, amputation of limbs and premature death.
The number of cases of diabetes in the U.S. has jumped 40% in the last decade. This high rate of growth is believed to be due to a combination of genetic and lifestyle origins that appear to be a long-term trend, including obesity and poor diet. The American Diabetes Association (ADA) and others estimate that about 17 million Americans and over 150 million people worldwide have diabetes, and it is estimated that up to 40% of these people are currently undiagnosed. American Diabetes Association, "Facts & Figures."
Diabetes must be "controlled" in order to delay the onset of the disease complications. Therefore, it is essential for people with diabetes to measure their blood glucose levels several times per day in an attempt to keep their glucose levels within the normal range (80 to 130 mg/dl). These glucose measurements are used to determine the amount of insulin or alternative treatments necessary to bring the glucose level to within target limits. Self-Monitoring of Blood Glucose (SMBG) is an ongoing process repeated multiple times per day for the rest of the patient's lifetime.
All currently FDA approved invasive or "less-invasive" (blood taken from the arm or other non-fingertip site) glucose monitoring products currently on the market require the drawing of blood in order to make a quantitative measurement of blood glucose. The ongoing and frequent measurement requirements (1 to possibly 10 times per day) presents all diabetic patients with pain, skin trauma, inconvenience, and infection risk resulting in a general reluctance to frequently perform the critical measurements necessary for selecting the appropriate insulin dose or other therapy.
These current product drawbacks have led to a poor rate of patient compliance. Among Type 1 diabetics, 39% measure their glucose levels less than once per day and 21% do not monitor their glucose at all. Among Type 2 diabetics who take insulin, only 26% monitor at least once per day and 47% do not monitor at all. Over 75% of non-insulin-taking Type 2 diabetics never monitor their glucose levels. Roper Starch Worldwide Survey. Of 1,186 diabetics surveyed, 91% showed interest in a non-invasive glucose monitor. [www.childrenwithdiabetes.com] As such, there is both a tremendous interest and clinical need for a non-invasive glucose sensor.
The present invention seeks to replace the currently used blood glucose measurement methods, devices and instruments, including invasive measures and the use of glucose test strips, with an optical non-invasive instrument.
Various methods have been developed related to non-invasive glucose sensing using a dermal testing site such as the finger or earlobe. These methods primarily employ instruments which measure blood-glucose concentration by generating and measuring light only in the near-infrared radiation spectrum. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,882,492 (the '492 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, is directed to an instrument which transmits near-infrared radiation through a sample to be tested on the skin surface of a human. In the '492 patent, the near-infrared radiation that passes through the sample is split into two beams, wherein one beam is directed through a negative correlation filter and the second through a neutral density filter. The differential light intensity measured through the filters of the two light beams is proportional to glucose concentration according to the '492 patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,086,229 (the '229 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, is directed to an instrument which generates near-infrared radiation within the spectrum of about 600 to about 1100 nanometers. According to the '229 patent, a person places their finger in between the generated near-infrared radiation source and a detector, which correlates the blood-glucose concentration based on the detected near-infrared radiation. Similarly, U.S. Pat. No. 5,321,265 (the '265 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, also measures blood-glucose level using both near-infrared radiation and the fingertip as a testing site. The detectors disclosed in the '265 patent further comprise silicon photocells and broad bandpass filters.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,361,758 (the '758 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, is directed to an instrument which measures near-infrared radiation that is either transmitted through or is reflected from the finger or earlobe of a human. In the '758 patent, the transmitted or reflected light is separated by a grating or prism, and the near-infrared radiation is detected and correlated with blood-glucose concentration. This instrument of the '758 patent also comprises an additional timing and control program wherein the device takes measurements specifically in between heartbeats and can also adjust for temperature.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,109 (the '109 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, is also directed to an instrument for measuring blood-glucose concentration using near-infrared radiation and the earlobe as the testing site. The instrument of the '109 patent comprises four light sources of a very specific near-infrared emission spectrum, and four detectors having specific near-infrared detection spectra corresponding to the wavelength of the light sources. The signals detected by the four distinct detectors are averaged, and these averages are analyzed to determine blood-glucose concentration according to the '109 patent.
The technique of using near-infrared radiation, wherein the near-infrared radiation is transmitted through or reflected from a dermal testing site and monitored for measuring glucose in vivo, is known to be inaccurate. The glucose concentration of interest is in the blood or the interstitial fluid, not on the surface of the dermis. Therefore these methods must penetrate down into the layers beneath the top layers of dermis. There are a number of substances in the dermis that can interfere with the near-infrared glucose signal. Additionally, there is a wide variation in the human dermis, both between individuals and within a given individual. Moreover, glucose simply lacks a satisfactory distinguishable "fingerprint" in the near-infrared radiation spectrum. Because near-infrared radiation is not sufficiently adsorbed by glucose and because of the level of tissue interferences found in the dermis, this technique is substantially less desirable for the accurate measurement of blood-glucose concentrations.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,362,144 (the '144 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, discloses using the fingertip as a testing site, however, the described instrument uses attenuated total reflection (ATR) infrared spectroscopy. According to the '144 patent, a selected skin surface, preferably the finger, is contacted with an ATR plate while ideally maintaining the pressure of contact. In the '144 patent, the skin is then irradiated with a mid-infrared beam, wherein said infrared radiation is detected and quantified to measure blood-glucose levels. This technique is not ideal, however, if the surface of tissue from which the measurement is taken is very dense in the wavelength region of interest or is not amenable to direct contact with the ATR plate, such as an eye, nose, mouth, or other orifice, cavity or piercing tract.
The minimal depth of peripheral capillaries in epithelial tissues is typically about 40 microns. Again, there are physical characteristics as well as a number of substances present in the skin that can interfere with the desired glucose-specific signal. While useful in the laboratory, both the near-infrared transmission methods and the ATR method mentioned above are not practical, or may not be adequate for use in monitoring blood glucose concentration in patients.
Methods have also been developed related to non-invasive glucose sensing using the eye as a testing site. For example, in both U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,958,560 (the '560 patent) and 4,014,321 (the '321 patent), both expressly incorporated by reference herein, a device utilizing the optical rotation of polarized light is described. In the '560 and the '321 patents, the light source and light detector are incorporated into a contact lens which is placed on the surface of the eye whereby the eye is scanned using a dual source of polarized radiation, each source transmitting in a different absorption spectrum at one side of the cornea or aqueous humor. The optical rotation of the radiation that passes through the cornea correlates with the glucose concentration in the cornea according to the '560 and '321 patents. While this method would be termed, "non-invasive" because the withdrawal of blood is not required, it may still cause significant discomfort or distort vision of the user because of the need to place the sensor directly on the eye.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,230 (the '230 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, uses a polarized light beam of near-infrared radiation within the range of 940 to 1000 nm. In the '230 patent, the amount of rotation imparted by glucose present in the bloodstream of the eye on the polarized light beam is measured to determine glucose concentration. Again, the accuracy is limited because glucose simply lacks a sufficiently distinguishable "fingerprint" in this near-infrared radiation spectrum.
Both U.S. Pat. No. 5,209,231 (the '231 patent), and International Publication No. WO 92/07511 (the '511 application), both expressly incorporated by reference herein, similarly disclose the use of polarized light, which is initially split by a beam splitter into a reference beam and a detector beam, and then transmitted through a specimen, preferably the aqueous humor of the eye. The amount of phase shift as compared between the transmitted reference and detector beams are correlated to determine glucose concentration in the '231 patent and '511 application. U.S. Pat. No. 5,535,743 (the '743 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, measures diffusely reflected light provided by the surface of the iris as opposed to the aqueous humor of the eye. According to the '743 patent, the measurement of optical absorption is possible whereas measurement of the optical rotation through the aqueous humor is not possible. In the '743 patent, the intensity of the diffusely reflected light, however, may be analyzed to obtain useful information on the optical properties of the aqueous humor, including blood-glucose concentration.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,687,721 (the '721 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, also discloses a method of measuring blood-glucose concentration by generating both a measurement and reference polarized light beam, and comparing said beams to determine the angle of rotation, which is attributable to the blood-glucose concentration. The preferable testing site disclosed, however, is the finger or other suitable appendage according to the '721 patent. The '721 patent further discloses and requires the use of a monochromatic laser and/or semi-conductor as a light source.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,788,632 (the '632 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, discloses a non-invasive instrument for determining blood-glucose concentration by transmitting a first beam of light through a first polarizer and a first retarder, then directing the light through the sample to be measured, transmitting the light through a second polarizer or retarder, and lastly detecting the light from the second detector. The rotation of measured polarized light is correlated to the blood-glucose concentration of the sample measured according to the '632 patent.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,433,197 (the '197 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, discloses a non-invasive instrument for determining blood-glucose concentration using a broad-band of near-infrared radiation which illuminates the eye in such a manner that the energy passes through the aqueous humor in the anterior chamber of the eye and is then reflected from the iris. The reflected energy then passes back through the aqueous humor and the cornea and is collected for spectral analysis. According to the '197 patent, the electrical signals representative of the reflected energy are analyzed by univariate and/or multivariate signal processing techniques to correct for any errors in the glucose determination. Again, the accuracy of the instrument in the '197 patent is limited because glucose simply lacks a sufficiently distinguishable "fingerprint" in this near-infrared radiation spectrum.
Instruments and methods of using the body's naturally emitted radiation to measure blood-glucose concentration using the human body, and in particular, the tympanic membrane as a testing site have also been disclosed. U.S. Pat. Nos. 4,790,324; 4,797,840; 4,932,789; 5,024,533; 5,167,235; 5,169,235; and 5,178,464, expressly incorporated by reference herein, describe various designs, stabilization techniques and calibration techniques for tympanic non-contact thermometers. In addition, U.S. Pat. No. 5,666,956 (the '956 patent), expressly incorporated by reference herein, discloses an instrument which measures electromagnetic radiation from the tympanic membrane and computes monochromatic emissivity using Plank's law by measuring the radiation intensity, spectral distribution, and blackbody temperature. According to the '956 patent, the resultant monochromatic emissivity is variable depending on the spectral characteristics of the site measured, namely the blood-glucose concentration measured from the tympanic membrane. It should be noted, however, that the '956 patent equates skin surfaces of the body to a "gray-body" rather than a black-body with respect to its monochromatic emissivity. Therefore, according to the '956 patent, the accuracy of such skin surface-based methods utilizing natural black-body emitted radiation is not useful for analyte measurements, as compared to a method of subsurface analysis utilizing natural black-body radiation emitted from the tympanic membrane.
The human body naturally emits from its surfaces infrared radiation whose spectrum, or radiation signature, is modified by the presence, absence or concentration of analytes in the body tissues. The eye is particularly well suited as a testing site to detect this infrared radiation. For example, certain analytes, such as glucose, exhibit a minimal time delay in glucose concentration changes between the eye and the blood, and the eye provides a body surface with few interferences. Cameron et al., (3)2 DIABETES TECHNOL. THER., 202–207 (2001). There is, therefore, in the field of non-invasive blood analyte monitoring, an unmet need for a suitable instrument, and methodologies for using it, to accurately measure analyte concentrations, such as blood glucose concentration, as well as concentrations of other desired analytes, in subjects requiring this type of blood analyte measurement.

Methods and device for non-invasive analyte measurement


An npn bipolar transistor and a p-channel MOS transistor are formed on a p-type silicon substrate. The outer base electrode of the npn bipolar transistor and the gate electrode of the p-channel MOS transistor contain a p-type impurity and are composed of films consisting of the same material. The inner and outer bases are formed in a surface region of the p-type silicon substrate. The outer base is connected to the outer base electrode. The emitter electrode of the npn bipolar transistor is formed on the inner base. A laminated film constituted by a silicon oxide film and a silicon nitride film is formed on a p-type silicon substrate at a position between the outer base electrode and the emitter electrode.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an improvement in a semiconductor device (to be referred to as a BiMOS hereinafter) mounting both a bipolar transistor and a MOS transistor.
2. Description of the Related Art
In a BiMOS technique, a logic gate constituted by a combination of a bipolar transistor, which allows an integrated circuit to operate at high speed, and a MOS transistor, which allows an increase in integration density of elements constituting the integrated circuit and realizes a reduction in power consumption of the integrated circuit, is formed on a single chip.
In the process of manufacturing a conventional BiMOS, the gate electrode of a MOS transistor and the outer base electrode of a bipolar transistor are formed from the same film. In this case, in order to ensure a sufficient breakdown voltage of the gate electrode, the gate electrode is oxidized after it is formed.
In this oxidation step, however, an emitter opening portion of the bipolar transistor is also oxidized. This causes accelerated diffusion of boron in the inner base of the bipolar transistor, resulting in an increase in depth of the inner base. As a result, the performance of the bipolar transistor considerably deteriorates.
As described above, according to the conventional BiMOS, in the oxidation step after the gate electrode of a MOS transistor and the outer base electrode of the bipolar transistor are formed, the depth of an inner base is increased to cause a considerable deterioration in the performance of the bipolar transistor.

Method of manufacturing a semiconductor device including bipolar and MOS transistors


A service providing apparatus 100 capable of providing a service while effectively managing execution codes and screen configuration information stored in the apparatus includes: a display apparatus 108; a communication unit 101; an obtaining unit 151 for obtaining an execution code for providing the service through communication unit 101; an execution code storage 102 for storing the obtained execution code; a screen configuration information storage 103 for storing screen configuration information defining screen configuration to be displayed at the time of execution of the execution code; and a management unit 104 managing these units such that by the time the service is provided, the execution code and screen configuration information necessary for providing the service are stored in the execution code storage 102 and screen configuration information storage 103, and executing, in response to a service providing instruction, the execution code stored in the execution code storage 102 using the screen configuration information stored in the screen configuration information storage 103.

Approaches for providing various services to users of network-connected apparatuses, utilizing network technology, have been proposed and put to practical use. In a typical approach, a Web server and a data base accessible from the server are related to each other by a program running on the server side, the database is accessed using information input by the user, and the information to be presented to the user is output to a user terminal in HTML (HyperText Markup Language) or XML (eXtensible Markup Language) format.
In the present specification, such a service providing system that utilizes a program running on the server side will be referred to as a Web service.
In the Web service, it is necessary to form various HTML or XML documents in accordance with an input or a result of access to the database. Further, it is often the case that, depending on the service to be provided, screen of totally different formats must be formed even if related processes are almost the same, or screen impression must be consistent even if services are different. In the conventional Web service system, a portion describing the screen is embedded in a logic (program) portion for providing the service and, therefore, in such a case, modification such as a change to the screen only, or a change to the logic only while maintaining the screen intact is very difficult. Further, the conventional system also has a problem that program development on a so-called multiplatform is difficult.
Various methods have been proposed to solve these problems.
Patent Document 1 proposes a program generator for forming a source program to provide Web service. In this system, for forming the Web service, an XML program of a unique format describing attributes of items to be displayed on the screen and an HTML program controlling screen design are prepared as separate programs. The program generator converts the XML program and the HTML program to a source program to be usable on the Web, by adding general functions such as a log output function and a screen transition destination. According to the technique described in Patent Document 1, if only the screen design is to be changed, only the HTML program has to be changed. If only the display item is to be changed, only the XML program has to be changed. In either case, a source program in which only the screen design or only the display item is changed, can be obtained by activating the source program generator again.
Patent Document 2 discloses a display information fixing apparatus for substituting content to be embedded in a template. In the system, pieces of content specifying information are associated with a page template as an object of display. When the display conditions associated with each piece of content specifying information are fixed, the display information fixing apparatus substitutes the content to be embedded in the page template in accordance with the conditions. By this apparatus, various contents can be embedded in one same template depending on conditions and transmitted to the client, without modifying the server program. Therefore, the contents displayed on the client apparatus can dynamically be changed.    Patent Document 1: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2002-366352    Patent Document 2: Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 2001-51821


A communication system (100) is provided comprising a communication resource controller (110) which synchronously communicates with a communication unit (120). Communication range of the system is extended by adjusting transmission timing of a channel access request based on position information received from a global positioning system.

In today's point-to-point communications, trunked communication systems provide many advantages over conventional systems. The trunked communication systems provide efficient allocation of a limited number of communication channels to a large number of users. Additionally, many system features, such as channel privacy, user identification, etc., may easily be incorporated into the trunk communication systems.
In a trunked communication system, a communication resource controller and a plurality of communication units, such as portable and mobile two-way radios, communicate voice and data messages in a synchronous manner. The data messages, having a predetermined baud rate, are communicated on one or more control channels, and the voice messages are communicated on one or more voice channels. The communication resource controller, upon reception of an inbound channel request from one of the communication units, allocates a voice channel to that communication unit upon its availability. In conventional synchronous trunked communication systems, the communication resource controller receives only an inbound channel request during a predetermined access time interval. The access time interval equals duration of a predetermined number of data bits communicated between the communication unit and the communication resource controller. If an inbound channel request is received within the access time interval, a response is transmitted to the communication unit which then either indicates allocation of an available channel or indicates that all channels are busy.
The duration of the access time interval corresponds to the range within which a communication unit may properly communicate with the communication resource controller. For example, in a trunked communication system communicating data at a 3600 baud rate and having a 3 bit access time interval, the range of communication is approximately 75 miles. That is, a signal generated within a 75 mile range propagates during a 3 bit time interval before it reaches the communication resource controller. Therefore, the communication resource controller allows a 3 bit time interval for reception of an inbound channel request which translates into a communication range of 75 miles.
One of the problems associated with the 3 bit access time limitation is that a communication unit may be inhibited from accessing the communication system because the channel access request may reach the communication resource controller beyond the 3 bit time interval. This is especially true in mountainous communication sites where the radio frequency signals carrying the channel access request may be bounced off at many directions causing propagation delays of longer than 3 bit time interval. Also in ranges of longer than 75 miles, the communication unit may be inhibited from accessing the communication system even though its transmitter power output allows the communication unit to effectively communicate with the communication resource controller. Under these conditions the channel access transmissions from the communication unit may be ignored if the propagation delay exceeds the 3 bit time interval.
One prior art approach for solving the access problem discussed above causes the communication unit to transmit a channel access request and if a valid response is not received, the communication unit assumes that it is out of the communication range. Therefore, the communication unit advances transmission timing of the channel access in order to allow the channels access request to reach the communication resource controller within the 3 bit time interval. However, this method is iterative and time consuming. Furthermore, the decision to advance the transmission timing is based on an assumption which may not be true.
The access problem may also be overcome by utilizing asynchronous trunked communication systems. However, these systems have an inherently less efficient system throughput and do not offer many of the desirable features provided by synchronous communication systems.
It is, therefore, desired to extend the communication range of the trunked communication system, where the communication unit may access the communication resource controller when even when its distance prohibits access within the access time interval.

Method for accessing a trunked communication system


A terminal device for mobile communication and a screen display method are provided for appropriately correcting the amount of scrolling so that a display element should not be displayed across the boundary of a display screen when the screen with a plurality of display elements of different types mixed therein is scrolled. A scroll instruction unit outputs a scroll instruction such as one-line vertical scrolling based on the operation inputted by a user through an input unit. A basic amount determination unit determines a basic moving amount according to the scroll instruction. A display element searching unit calculates a provisional display start position based on the basic moving amount and a display start position held in a display element information holding unit, and searches for a display element that is supposed to be displayed across the boundary of the display screen. An offset determination unit determines one of the display elements as a reference display element based on priority information, and calculates an offset moving amount. A calculation unit calculates an actual moving amount on the display screen by adding the offset moving amount to the basic moving amount.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to terminal devices for mobile communication and screen display methods performed by such devices and, more specifically, to a terminal device for mobile communication to carry out data communications with an external server through a digital network and to appropriately scroll a display element such as a character and image on a display screen included in the device, and a screen display method performed by such device.
2. Description of the Background Art
In recent years, with the widespread use of the Internet, documents written in description language such as HTML (Hypertext Markup Language) have been exchanged. As well known, such description language allows free arrangement of a plurality of display elements such as characters and images composing a document.
The HTML is standardized by W3C (World Wide Web Consortium) and standardization of HTML Ver. 4.0 has been complete. The details on the HTML are disclosed in http://www.w3c.org/.
In general, a document written in such description language is displayed or scrolled by using a document processing software called Web browser. Such Web browser is also incorporated in personal portable terminals such as PDAs (Personal Digital Assistants) having communication functions and cellular phones to allow wireless access to the Internet. Therefore, irrespective of wired or wireless, Internet access has become active for a wide variety of purposes such as exchanging electronic mails.
The display screen of the personal portable terminals is so small for the purpose of portability that only a limited number of display elements can be displayed. Further, the resolution of the display screen varies according to models. Therefore, to display elements that cannot be displayed on a single screen in such portable terminals, the screen is scrolled a line or page to sequentially display those-elements. Therefore, how the scrolled screen is viewable on a limited size of the display screen becomes very important.
For scrolling, a technique of scrolling and displaying a screen based on the size of characters is disclosed in Japanese Patent Laying-Open No. 10-187136 (1998-187136), although this publication is not specifically for personal portable terminals.
The technique disclosed in this publication relates to a document processing device that displays a document with a plurality of characters of different sizes mixed in one line on a display screen for editing and creating. To achieve such device, the document processing device includes at least a cursor to be displayed for specifying a position (line) of a desired character displayed on the display screen, a move instructing unit instructing movement one line upward or downward from the line where the cursor is located, and a scroll unit scrolling up or down the display screen according to an amount of movement based on the height of the character if the character to be displayed after cursor movement is supposed to be displayed across a boundary of the display screen. With these components, the technique disclosed in the publication allows scrolling so that the displayed characters will not be interrupted on the boundary of the display screen.
As described above, the display screen of the personal portable terminal is so small that display elements that can be displayed at a time are limited. On the other hand, a plurality of display element of different types can be freely arranged on HTML documents. Furthermore, these elements on HTML documents can be set so as to be selected by users (such as xe2x80x9cexecutexe2x80x9d and xe2x80x9csendxe2x80x9d).
However, free arrangement of display elements greatly increases the possibility of causing a problem that some of the display elements might be displayed across the boundary of the display screen when the display screen is scrolled up or down a line or page. Therefore, the number of display elements that can be recognized in their entirety is reduced, thereby disadvantageously inhibiting recognizable display elements from being displayed on a single screen. Another disadvantage is that users may have to select a selectable display element without recognizing it in its entirety.
The above problems cannot be solved even with the technique disclosed in the above publication as long as a plurality of display elements of different types can be freely arranged.
Therefore, an object of the present invention is to provide a terminal device for mobile communication that, when scrolling a display screen of a document which a plurality of display elements of different types are mixed, searches for a display element that is supposed to be displayed across the boundary of a display screen and appropriately corrects the amount of scrolling so that the display element is not across the boundary, and a screen display method performed by such device. Therefore, it is possible to increase the number of display elements that can be recognized in their entirety by users on the display screen, select a selectable display element while being recognized in its entirety by the users, and further provide more recognizable information to the user.
The present invention has the following features to solve the object above.
A first aspect of the present invention is directed to a terminal device for mobile communication enabling data communication with an external server through a digital network and displaying a document composed of display elements of different types such as characters and images. The terminal device comprises a reception unit operable to receive a scroll instruction for scrolling a display screen from a user, a basic amount determination unit, responsive to the scroll instruction from the reception unit, operable to determine a basic moving amount according to the scroll instruction, a display element information holding unit operable to hold information required for displaying the display elements composing the document, a display element searching unit operable to search the display elements for a reference display element that is supposed to be displayed across a boundary of the display screen if the display screen is scrolled based on the basic moving amount determined by the basic-amount determination unit, by using the information held by the display element information holding unit, an offset determination unit, operable to calculate an offset moving amount based on the reference display element found by the display element searching unit, a calculation unit operable to calculate an actual moving amount from the basic moving amount determined by the basic amount determination unit and the offset moving amount calculated by the offset determination unit, and a display processing unit operable to scroll the display screen according to the actual moving amount calculated by the calculation unit.
As described above, in the first aspect, when a document composed of display elements of different types is scrolled on the display screen, the display element that is supposed to be displayed across the boundary of the screen is searched, and the scrolling amount is corrected so that the display element should not be displayed across the boundary. Therefore, it is possible to in crease the number of display elements that can be recognized in their entirety by users on the display screen, select a selectable display element while being recognized in its entirety by the users, and further provide more recognizable information in the users.
According to a second aspect, further to the first aspect discussed above, the offset determination unit previously has priority information indicating priorities of the-display elements that are possibly referred to. If the display element searching unit finds a plurality of display elements that are possibly referred to, the offset determination unit calculates the offset moving amount based on one of the plurality of display elements that is determined as the reference display element according to the priority information.
As described above, in the second aspect, if display elements of different types are supposed to be displayed across the boundary of the screen, the scrolling amount is corrected with reference to the display element having the highest priority to be displayed. Therefore, it is possible to correct scrolling with reference to a compound element that enables a user to perform instructing operation, a text element whose characters should be recognized, and the like, thereby improving operability such as to prevent users from erroneous operation and to enhance element recognition.
According to third and fourth aspects, further to the first and second aspects, respectively, if the display element searching unit finds the display element that is predetermined not to be referred to as the reference display element, the offset determination unit calculates the offset moving amount without considering the display element.
As described above, in the third and fourth aspects, the display element that is predetermined not to be referred to is excluded. Therefore, scroll correction is faster.
According to fifth to eighth aspects that are preferable, further to the first to fourth aspects, respectively, the reception unit receives the scroll instruction for one-line/one-page vertical scrolling, and the basic amount determination unit determines the basic moving amount according to the scroll instruction for the one-line/one-page vertical scrolling.
According to ninth to twelfth aspects that are preferable, further to the fifth to eighth aspects, respectively, the display element searching unit takes an upper side of the display screen (a line between upper-left and upper-right 5 ends) as the boundary.
As described above, in the fifth to twelfth aspects, a typical technique for vertical scrolling is described. Therefore, it is possible to correct scrolling always with reference to the upper side of the screen.
According to thirteenth to sixteenth aspects, further to the ninth to twelfth aspects, respectively, the offset determination unit compares a height of the reference display element on and/or off the display screen with a predetermined reference value, and takes the height equal to or smaller than the reference value as the offset moving amount.
As described above, in the thirteenth to sixteenth aspects, scroll correction is made vertically based on the positional relation between the reference display element and the boundary. Therefore, scroll correction can be varied according to the displayed screen so as to become appropriate most.
A seventeenth aspect is directed to a method of displaying a document composed of display elements of different types such as characters and images using previously provided information required for displaying the display elements. The method comprises receiving a scroll instruction for scrolling a display screen from a user, determining a basic moving amount according to the scroll instruction, searching the display elements for a reference display element that is supposed to be displayed across a boundary of the display screen if the display screen is scrolled based on the basic moving amount, by using the information, calculating an offset moving amount based on the reference display element found in the searching step, calculating an actual moving amount from the basic moving amount and the offset moving amount, and scrolling the display screen according to the actual moving amount.
According to an eighteenth aspect, further to the seventeenth aspect, priority information indicating priorities of the display elements that are possibly referred to is previously provided, and if a plurality of display elements that are possibly referred to are found in the searching step, the offset moving amount is calculated in the offset moving amount calculating step based on one of the plurality of display elements that is determined as the reference display element according to the priority information.
According to nineteenth and twentieth aspects, further to the seventeenth and eighteenth aspects, respectively, if the display element that is predetermined not to be referred to as the reference display element is found in the searching step, the offset moving amount is calculated in the offset moving amount calculating step without considering the display element.
According to twenty-first to twenty-fourth aspects that are preferable, further to the seventeenth to twentieth aspects, respectively, in the instructing step, the scroll instruction for one-line/one-page vertical scrolling is received, and in the determining step, the basic moving amount is determined according to the scroll instruction for one-line/one-page vertical scrolling.
According to twenty-fifth to twenty-eighth aspects that are preferable, further to the twenty-first to twenty-fourth aspects, respectively, in the searching step, an upper side of the display screen (a line between upper-left and upper-right ends) is taken as the boundary.
According to twenty-ninth to thirty-second aspects, further to the twenty-fifth to twenty-eighth aspects, respectively, in the offset moving amount calculating step, a height of the reference display element on and/or off the display screen is compared with a predetermined reference value, and the height equal to or smaller than the reference value is taken as the offset moving amount.
As described above, in the seventeenth to thirty-second aspects, a screen display method performed by the terminal device for mobile communication in the first to sixteenth aspects is described. Applying this method to various terminal devices for mobile communication can produce useful effects as described above.

Terminal device for mobile communication and screen display method performed by such device

Matsushita Electric Industrial Co., Ltd.


A circuit interrupter with an accessory case socket into which an accessory bell alarm member is disposed. A two-piece lever arrangement is provided in the bell alarm accessory case between the micro-switch button thereof and the operating mechanism of the circuit breaker. In the first stage of operation the operating mechanism rotates the entire two-piece member as a unit until the bell alarm button has been completely depressed, after which overtravel of the operating mechanism is accommodated by rotational movement of only one of the members on a common axis against the force of a hub located torsion spring.

1. Field of the Invention
The subject matter of this invention is related generally to molded case circuit breakers and more specifically to circuit breakers having accessory pockets with interfacing levers.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Molded case circuit breakers and interrupters are well known in the art as exemplified by U.S. Pat. No. 4,503,408 issued Mar. 5, 1985, to Mrenna et al., and U.S. Pat. No. 5,910,760 issued Jun. 8, 1999 to Malingowski et al., each of which is assigned to the assignee of the present application and incorporated herein by reference.
It is well known to provide circuit interrupters with accessory pockets accessible from the front casing thereof. It is also known to have levers and the like interfacing between micro-switches in the accessory case. The accessory case is inserted into the pocket and accesses the circuit interrupter operating mechanism through a convenient hole or opening in an inside wall of the circuit interrupter. Unfortunately, in some cases the amount of lever travel imposed by a circuit interrupter operating mechanism is more than the lever can accommodate. It would be advantageous therefore, if a way could be found to allow the full length of the travel of the operating mechanism and yet not exert excessive force on the intervening lever due to the limit in the amount of rotational movement it can accommodate.

Circuit breaker with two piece bell accessory lever with overtravel


An erasable, programmable read-only memory device comprises a plurality of memory cells of channel injection type. First and second impurity regions used as source and drain have different configurations such that when the same level of voltages are applied to first and second impurity regions, respectively, the intensity of electric field near the channel region in the depletion layer between the second impurity region and the substrate is weaker than that in the depletion layer between the first impurity region and the substrate. In the writing operation, a higher voltage in absolute value is applied to the first impurity region and channel current flows in one direction. Therefore, hot electrons can be effectively injected into the floating gate near the first impurity region. On the other hand in the reading operation, a higher voltage in absolute value is applied to the second impurity region and channel current flows in the opposite direction. The voltage in the reading operation is lower in absolute value than the voltage in the writing operation. According to such a device, the unintentional injection writing phenomenon in the reading operation can be suppressed.

The present invention relates to an erasable, programmable read-only semiconductor memory device (hereinafter referred to as EPROM device) having a plurality of erasable, programmable read-only semiconductor memory cells (hereinafter referred to as EPROM cells) of the insulated gate field-effect transistor construction provided with floating gate electrodes and control gate electrodes. More specifically, the invention relates to an EPROM device having EPROM cells of the channel injection type.
In the EPROM device, electric charges such as the electrons can be injected into the floating gate of the EPROM cell by the method of tunnel injection, avalanche breakdown injection, channel injection or F-N injection. The present invention is concerned with an EPROM device of the channel injection type in which the electric current is allowed to flow in a channel region, and hot electrons generated in this region are injected into the floating gate electrode.
In recent years, the EPROM device is widely used since it can be easily manufactured and it can hold the data with high reliability. Moreover, its memory capacity has been greatly increased owing to the reduction in the size of the transistors, i.e., owing to the reduction in the size of the EPROM cells. However, a problem is arising with regard to reduced withstand voltage between the source region and the drain region and reduced breakdown voltage between the drain or source region and the substrate accompanying the reduction in the size of the transistors. Therefore, limitation has been imposed on setting a programming voltage, i.e., on setting a writing voltage, and increasing demand has been placed for programming the memory cells with a low voltage.
In the conventional EPROM of the channel injection type, however, the electric current flows in the same direction both in the writing operation and the reading operation. Voltages of the same polarity are applied to the same impurity regions of drain and source both in the writing operation and the reading operation. Therefore, the voltage in the reading operation must be for lower than that of the writing operation. However, as mentioned above, the recent EPROM device is designed such that with a low voltage the writing operation can be achieved, that is, the writing operation voltage per se is low. Therefore, the difference between the voltage levels in the writing operation and the reading operation becomes small. In this case, hot electrons are gradually injected in the floating gate electrode during the reading operation. The same phenomenon has already discovered in the EPROM of avalanche breakdown injection type and called as unintentional injection writing by Kjell O. Jeppson et al. in "Solid-State Electronics", 1976, Vol. 19, pp. 455-457. The unintentional writing phenomenon must be taken into consideration with respect to not only an ordinary reading voltage but also a surge voltage that generates instantaneously. Therefore, this phenomenon triggers a serious problem from the standpoint of reliability such as change in the data that are held for extended periods of time. Moreover, this problem restricts the freedom of designing and producing the memory cell devices that operate with a low programming voltage.

Erasable, programmable read-only memory device


A method includes: communicating, by a base station, first UE specific information of UE with the UE in a UE source operating bandwidth resource; and sending, by the base station, information about a UE target operating bandwidth resource of the UE to the UE in a UE calibration bandwidth resource of the UE, where the UE target operating bandwidth resource is used by the base station to communicate second UE specific information of the UE with the UE, and the UE source operating bandwidth resource is not completely the same as the UE calibration bandwidth resource.

In a wireless communications system, when system bandwidth is greater than bandwidth supported by a UE, a base station may configure a bandwidth resource for the UE. The base station and the UE may consider the configured bandwidth resource as an operating bandwidth resource of the UE for the base station and the UE to communicate UE specific information. The bandwidth resource may be a part of a system resource, and bandwidth of the bandwidth resource may be less than the system bandwidth. When the base station and the UE have inconsistent understandings about the operating bandwidth resource of the UE, normal communication between the base station and the UE may fail.

Bandwidth resource configuration method, apparatus, and system


A laser optical system for scanning a laser beam using a rotary polygonal mirror made of plastics. In the laser optical system, a portion close to the edge on the side along the rotary direction of the mirror surface of the rotary polygonal mirror made of plastics is not used as an effective reflecting surface since the accuracy of this portion is difficult to be stabilized because of the problems caused in the process of molding. Due to the foregoing, a laser beam is always reflected on the effective reflecting surface close to the center of the rotary polygonal mirror, the accuracy of which is high. Therefore, it is possible to reduce the unevenness of writing in the laser optical system.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a laser optical system for scanning a laser beam using a rotary polygonal mirror made of plastics.
2. Description of the Related Art
Highly accurate smoothness and dimensional accuracy of a surface are required for a rotary polygonal mirror used for the laser beam optical scanning system. In general, rotary polygonal mirrors are manufactured by cutting aluminum materials. However, in order to reduce a load imposed on the motor by the weight and also to reduce the material cost, every effort is made in the design of rotary polygonal mirrors, that is, the rotary polygonal mirror is designed so that an effective reflecting surface of the rotary polygonal mirror on which a laser beam is irradiated corresponding to an effective scanning region on a surface of the image forming apparatus can be the same as the width in the rotary direction of the mirror surface.
However, it is difficult to machine aluminum materials accurately. Therefore, cost reduction can not be accomplished at present.
For this reason, it is recently attempted to manufacture a rotary polygonal mirror by molding plastics, however, a sufficient mirror surface accuracy can not be accomplished by the rotary polygonal mirror manufactured by means of molding plastics. Specifically, air in a metallic mold and gas generated from molten resin tend to stay at corners in the metallic mold, and there is a tendency that the surface accuracy at an end of the mirror surface is lowered.
Accordingly, when the rotary polygonal mirror made of aluminum is simply replaced with the rotary polygonal mirror made of plastic material in the laser optical system, unevenness is disadvantageously increased in the writing operation.


An improved continuous process of producing fatty alcohols by a catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acids wherein hydrogen is fed and distributed into the annular space through nozzles which are specially designed to effect a pressure loss of 15 to 30 bars is disclosed. Guide tubes having specific dimensions are disposed above said nozzles. The feedstock to be treated and the catalyst dispersion are fed separately. The new process results in milder conditions for the catalyst and in a higher throughput rate.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a continuous process of producing fatty alcohols by a catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acids or fatty acid derivatives at temperatures of 240.degree. to 330.degree. C. and pressures of 200 to 700 bars in the presence of copper-chromium oxide catalysts, which may be modified by additional components, comprising feeding the feedstock to be hydrogenated into a high pressure chamber, feeding hydrogen and feeding a dispersion of the catalyst into said high pressure chamber equipped with a return pipe, thoroughly mixing the ingredients, causing the reaction to take place in the presence of a large quantity of material which has been almost completely or completely reacted, withdrawing the surplus hydrogen and recycling it to the high pressure chamber, and withdrawing the reaction product.
A thorough mixing and an intense exchange of material are desired in such process, also a high yield of hydrogenated product and a useful life of the catalyst which is used.
2. Discussion of the Prior Art
In an attempt to meet these requirements it has been proposed to produce fatty alcohols continuously by a catalytic hydrogenation of fatty acid or fatty acid derivatives at temperatures of 240.degree. to 330.degree. C. and pressures of 200 to 700 bars in the presence of copper-chromium oxide catalysts, which may be modified by additional components, wherein the feedstock to be hydrogenated is continuously fed into a high pressure chamber, in which a large quantity of material which has been almost completely or completely reacted is thoroughly mixed with the catalyst and the hydrogen (German Pat. No. 1,112,056; U.S. Pat. No. 3,180,898).
In the known process, it is usual to carry out the reaction in a high pressure reactor, in which a return pipe for recycling the completely reacted material is disposed suitably in a central position. Hydrogen is fed and distributed at the lower end of the reactor. The hydrogen supplied in a surplus produces a mammoth pump effect, which causes the catalyst-containing fatty alcohol to rise. When the hydrogen has been separated, the fatty alcohol returns through the return pipe into the lower part (section) of the reactor. Generally, the "lower part" is a part from the bottom of the reactor, which is generally vertical and cylindrical, up to a point one-third of the vessel's height, preferably up to no higher from the bottom than one diameter of the vessel. In order to ensure that the mammoth pump action will be as effective as possible, the upper part (section) of the reactor is provided with suitable means for separating the hydrogen as effectively as possible so that the effect of entrained hydrogen bubbles to decrease the velocity of the return flow is minimized. A catalyst, which is usually mixed with fatty alcohol to form a dispersion, is also fed at the required rate into the reactor cycle. The acid is distributed as uniformly as possible at the lower end of the reactor and mixes with the circulating reaction mixture. The ratio of feedstock to circulating reaction mixture should be at least 1:10, preferably 1:100 to 1:1000. The resulting mixing will result in only a slight damage to the catalyst. Because the fatty acid is mixed with virtually completely reacted material and owing to the presence of surplus hydrogen, which is supplied to the high pressure chamber at a rate which is at least 3 times and suitably 10 to 50 times higher than the rate at which hydrogen is consumed, the fatty acid is rapidly diluted and is most effectively esterified with completely reacted material, consisting mainly of fatty alcohol. The resultant fatty acid-fatty alcohol ester does not attack the catalyst and is hydrogenated in the reaction chamber to form fatty alcohol. Surplus hydrogen leaves the reactor at its top jointly with the reacton water, the fatty alcohol and the catalyst at a rate which depends on the feed rates of fatty acid and catalyst dispersion.
It is an object of the invention to improve the mixing of the circulating material with the fatty acid feedstock so that the attack of acid on the catalyst will be further decreased and the catalyst will be damaged less than even in the process described above. Additionally, it is an object to increase the throughput and/or decrease the catalyst consumption.

Continuous process of producing fatty alcohols


A method is provided for writing directly to a frame buffer which provides signals to an output display of a computer system. The computer system has a first processor running a window management program controlling the furnishing of data in a first format to the frame buffer, and a second processor running application programs in a second format for display. A signal is provided from the second processor to the window management program indicating that an application program running on the second processor has information to be displayed. Then a window is set up for the display of the application program running on the second processor under control of the window management program. The second processor is signaled that the window exists and provided information regarding the position and clipping of the window. A data structure is set up for the window including a frame buffer address and clipping information for each address to be generated for displaying the application program running on the second processor in the window constructed. Data is transferred from the application program running on the second processor to the addresses in the frame buffer pointed to by the addresses in the data structure.

1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to multitasking computer systems having windowing programs controlling access to the frame buffer and, more particularly, to methods and apparatus for writing directly to the frame buffer in such a system.
2. History of the Prior Art
In its simplest form, a computer writes information from a single program to a frame buffer which stores the information so that it may be written to an output display. Usually, the display of this single program covers the entire output display. When it is desired to display more than one program at a time on an output display, each program is presented in a small portion of the display called a window (usually a rectangle). When a number of different programs are running on a computer system, a number of windows will appear on the screen of the output display. These windows may be moved about, may be changed in size (and sometimes in shape), and may often overlap one another. When one window overlaps another window in which a program is running, data must not be written to the portion of the window which is overlapped and in the background; that data must be clipped so that data in the foreground is not overwritten.
It is necessary, among other things, when running application programs in a plurality of windows to somehow set up the different windows into which each program is to fit, to direct the information from each application program to the correct window, and to take care of the overlapping of different windows so that the correct portions of each program are displayed.
If all of these tasks are done by the individual application programs, then there must be a great deal of checking among the programs to make sure that the different programs do not interfere with one another. This tends to slow the operation of the system and allows poorly designed software to distort the operation of the system. For this reason, more advanced computer systems have designed window management programs which take over the entire operation of writing to the frame buffer to control what is displayed.
A window management program controls the entire display, sets up the windows into which different programs may be written, controls the positioning of those windows, determines which information is displayed when windows overlap, and does all of the operations necessary to allow the simultaneous display of a number of application programs on a single output display device. When a program operating through a window management program desires to present information on the output display, it signals the window management program. The window management program assigns to it a particular portion of the display and sets up the window in which the program is to be displayed. Then, typically, as each pixel of information is furnished by the application program for presentation, the window management program determines the position on the screen at which that pixel is to appear, checks to see whether the pixel is obscured by some other window, and furnishes the results of the computation to the frame buffer for display on the output display. The window management program controls the positioning and repositioning of windows and any problems caused by overlapping. This guarantees that programs operate correctly in presenting their displays and relieves a programmer of the necessity of writing most of the procedures required for display purposes.
In such a system, only by going through the window management program can a program have its results displayed. Normally this is desirable because the window management program does all of the housekeeping which is necessary for a windows display and keeps the different programs from overwriting one another and otherwise interfering with each other on the display. However, such a method of presenting information has a significant overhead so that the frame buffer from which data is actually written to the display can be updated only about ten times a second. A computer system running such a windows management program does not update the frame buffer as rapidly as do individual programs in a system without a windows management program.
Many individual computer programs provide more satisfactory performance when the frame buffer is updated more rapidly than is possible using a windows management program. For example, live video such as television and animation programs require updating at a much faster rate than ten times a second. In general, thirty frames of video information are presented every second. If this information is to be presented in a window on an output display controlled by a window management program in which the frame buffer can only be updated ten times per second, the video picture which is presented will be distorted. It may appear to jump from one frame to the next, and frame tears may occur in which parts of different video frames appear on the display at once.
One way to present rapidly changing graphics information which is not distorted in a system using a window management program to control the display would be to bypass the window management program and write directly to the frame buffer. However, doing so creates all of the problems which a window management program was devised to solve. If an application program writes directly to the display, it may overwrite other programs or interfere in other ways with those other programs or may itself be overwritten by the window management program. Moreover, such a program must somehow overcome the delay caused by all of the cross-checking necessary to allow its existence with programs controlled by the window management program.

Method and apparatus for writing directly to a frame buffer


In an internal combustion engine, a thermostat valve for changing over between coolant circulation through a radiator-routing passage to coolant circulation through a bypass passage, is provided with a first valve for opening and closing the radiator-routing passage, and a second valve for opening and closing the bypass passage. The first and second valves and are operable concurrently. A cylinder coolant jacket around cylinder bores of a cylinder portion is partitioned into two in a cylinder axis direction to thereby form a main cylinder coolant jacket on a side of a cylinder head portion and a sub-cylinder coolant jacket on a side of a crankcase portion. The bypass passage is formed partly by the sub-cylinder coolant jacket. The above arrangement expedites warming-up during the engine start and achieves favorable appearance by a simplified structure.

A well-known cooling structure for an internal combustion engine includes a radiator-routing passage by way of a radiator and a bypass passage that bypasses the radiator. The radiator-routing passage and the bypass passage form a coolant circulation path through which coolant is circulated by a water pump through water jackets in a cylinder portion and a cylinder head portion of the engine. The cooling structure further includes a thermostat valve that changes over between the circulation through the radiator-routing passage and the circulation through the bypass passage (see, for example, Patent Document 1).

Cooling structure for internal combustion engine


A block for an order is received during processing of the order, wherein a reason for the block for the order is associated with the block for the order. A set of actions is identified based on the reason for the block for the order in response to receiving the block for the order. The set of actions is executed with respect to the order in response to identifying the set of actions based on the reason for the block for the order, wherein the set of actions comprises a stage at which processing for the order ceases, restarts, and executes recovery actions, as specified.

1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates generally to an improved data processing system and in particular to a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for improving performance in a data processing system. Still more particularly, the present invention provides a computer implemented method, apparatus, and computer program product for blocking orders during order processing.
2. Description of the Related Art
Electronic commerce (e-commerce) is the conducting of business communication and transactions over networks. E-commerce includes the buying and selling of goods and services, and the transfer of funds, through digital communications. E-commerce also includes inter-company and intra-company functions that enable commerce and use electronic mail, electronic data interchange, file transfer, fax, video conferencing, workflow, or interaction with a remote computer. Further, e-commerce includes other mechanisms for doing business over a network, such as buying and selling over the Internet, electronic funds transfer, and digital cash.
An e-commerce order processing system is a system responsible for handling an order submitted through e-commerce. An order is a commercial document providing specifications and quantities used to request a seller to supply something in return for payment. Order processing is a series of stages that typically begins with a customer submitting an order and typically ends with fulfillment of the order to the customer. A block for an order is a mechanism used in an order processing system to temporarily stop or suspend the processing of an order submitted by a customer. An e-commerce order processing system may set a block for an order for many possible reasons. A reason for a block for an order specifies why the block exists for the order.
An e-commerce order processing system may set a block for an order automatically or in response to a manual request made by an authorized administrator. Similarly, an e-commerce order processing system may resolve a block for an order automatically or in response to a manual request made by an authorized administrator. The effect of a block for an order is that either all order processing is suspended immediately for the order, or all order processing is suspended once the order processing reaches a pre-defined stage in the order processing for the order. A block for an order is resolved when the reason for blocking the order no longer exists, such that the block for the order is no longer enforced. At any given time, an order may be blocked for multiple reasons, in which case all the reasons must be resolved before the order processing is resumed.
One problem that many e-commerce processing systems encounter in blocking orders occurs when the blocked orders clog the e-commerce order processing system. Often these clogs of blocked orders occur at stages in the order processing that bear no relation to the reason for the block for the order. In many situations, even when an order is blocked, no need exists to stop the order processing. For example, an e-commerce order processing system may set a block for all orders at a given fulfillment center because the shipping bay at the fulfillment center is inoperative due to a malfunction. In this situation, there is no reason to prevent order processing from continuing all the way through inventory allocation, and perhaps even through picking and packing. However, traditional e-commerce order processing systems set blocks for orders that hold the orders, either at the stage in order processing at which the block is set, or at some pre-defined stage in the order processing. The processing for an order ceases, or holds, when a block for the order stops the execution of an order processing stage for the order. A shipping bay malfunction hold on the order processing may result in no picking or packing for any order even though picking and packing may be processed for any order. Another problem exists for traditional e-commerce order processing systems that use a pre-defined stage in the order processing for blocking an order. If an order is already past the pre-defined stage in the order processing for blocking an order, the order cannot be blocked at all.
Traditional e-commerce order processing systems deal with these and other problems in a variety of ways. Personnel manually interpret order blocks, using instructions regarding when to ignore blocks for orders and when to apply blocks for orders. This manual interpretation method applies only to a manual interpretation e-commerce order processing system, which is highly inefficient. An alternative to manual interpretation is the modification of the software in a traditional e-commerce order processing system to create a block at an appropriate stage in the order processing, a stage beyond which the order processing cannot proceed. However, the software modification method has several disadvantages.
Modifications to the software in a traditional e-commerce order processing system make the resulting software very complex, as the blocking logic is spread throughout the software. Therefore, software modification requires the blocking logic to be aware of order processing. This requirement reduces software modularity and increases connascence between order processing modules and order blocking modules. Connascence occurs between order processing modules and order blocking modules when a modification in one order processing module may require a modification in the corresponding order blocking module to preserve overall correctness, or when a modification in one order blocking module may require a modification in the corresponding order processing module to preserve overall correctness. Furthermore, connascence occurs between order processing modules and order blocking modules when a modification to software in a traditional e-commerce order processing system may require modification to both an order processing module and a corresponding order blocking module together in order to preserve overall correctness. Therefore, modifications to the software in a traditional e-commerce order processing system make the resulting software both difficult to enhance and difficult to maintain.
Additionally, modifications to the software in a traditional e-commerce order processing system do not offer any level of configurability. For example, if a seller decides to change the rules for what happens when a traditional e-commerce order processing system sets a block for an order, further modifications are difficult to implement. Therefore, neither the manual interpretation method nor the software modification method is very effective.

International Business Machines Corporation


An apparatus for sorting sheet-like items, in which the items, which are to be sorted to plural collecting sections, can be easily recycled to a feeder for sorting the items in multiple sorts in accordance with a desired sorting order or sequence. A stacker is provided on an upper portion of feeder. By pulling out a bottom plate of the stacker, the once sorted items in the stacker are caused to fall down into the feeder. The items can thus be rapidly recycled to the feeder for another sort, thereby reducing the time required for complete sorting or sequencing of the mail.

The present invention relates to an apparatus for sorting sheets or the like, which reads address codes, e.g., bar codes, applied to the sheets or the like such as mail, and distributes the introduced sheets or the like in accordance with the address codes. More particularly, the invention relates to an apparatus for sorting sheets or the like which enables carrier route sequencing of mail, i.e., sequencing the volume of mail by carrier route in accordance with address codes.
A conventional apparatus for reading address codes applied to sheets or the like such as mail and sequencing the incoming sheets or the like in the order indicated by the address codes is, for example, a carrier route sequencing system for sheets or the like which is disclosed in Japanese Patent Unexamined Publication No.63-287584.
In this conventional system, addresses of delivery points of sheets or the like are inputted, and the sheets or the like are sorted into portions corresponding to delivery zones in accordance with the inputted addresses. During this operation, the addresses and the number of fed sheets or the like for each of the delivery zones are stored in a storage unit. Then, the stored addresses are sequenced into the carrier route order and stored again. Next, each of the portions of the sheets or the like sorted in accordance with the delivery zones are taken out of stacking means and supplied to feeder means again. After that, the addresses are read again and checked with the addresses in the carrier route order stored in the storage unit, thus sorting the sheets or the like in accordance with the carrier route order.
In the above-described conventional technology, sheets or the like, such as mail, sorted and received in sections of the stacking means must be taken out and returned to the feeder means so as to perform carrier route sequencing. For this purpose, there are employed recycle means for shifting the sorted sheets or the like from the stacking means to the feeder means. In this case, in order to supply the sorted mail in the stacking means to the feeder means again, the mail taken out of the stacking means must be transferred about 3 to 6 m from the stacking means to the feeder means.
However, supposing the number of mail per deliverer is about 1000, the weight of the mail is totally about 10 kg, and consequently, for example, it is necessary to prepare trays for containing the mail in the vicinity of the stacking means, to introduce the sorted mail into the trays carefully without changing the order of the mail, to carry the trays to the vicinity of the feeder means, and to supply the mail to the feeder means successively in order. Such operations require much labor and time and involve a problem that if an error occurs in the order of the mail when moving the mail into or out of the trays, correct carrier route sequencing can not be carried out.

Apparatus for sorting sheets or the like


A toy tethered for orbital movement and connected to one end of a cable coiled about a drum in a circular housing rotatable about one end of a hollow handle which contains a coiled torsional spring connected to said drum to yieldably resist uncoiling of said cable from said drum, the handle being held manually, and said toy having noise-generating mechanism operable as the toy is whirled about the handle through the air. One embodiment of toy comprises a toy aeroplane having a propeller supported at the front end of a shaft supported axially in the forward end of the fuselage of said aeroplane and the inner end of said shaft supporting a rotatable impeller operable against a diaphragm in said fuselage to produce a staccato-like noise resembling that of a motor. The centrifugal force generated by the toy when rotating about said handle yieldably overcomes the resistance of said spring to permit said cable to extend and cause the toy to move circularly about said handle at varying distances corresponding to the centrifugal force generated by such movement of the toy.

This invention pertains to a toy which is tethered upon the outer end of a cable of suitable strength and flexibility, the inner end of said cable being connected to a manually supported handle or similar device whereby the toy may be rotated about said handle at the outer end of said cable which extends in various ways and at varying distances from said handle.
Various types of tethered toys, including toy aeroplanes, have been developed heretofore. Typical examples of these comprise the subject matter, for example of prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,968,119 to Glass et al, dated Jan. 17, 1961, and 3,030,733 to Crawford, dated Apr. 24, 1962. In Glass et al, the nose end of the fuselage supports a propeller mounted on the forward end of a shaft which is rotated by means of an electric motor, operation of which is effected by batteries in a manually supported handle from which an electric cord extends to the motor of the aeroplane, whereby the propeller drives the aeroplane for orbital movement about the handle and, incidentally, includes noise-generating means simulating the sound of a motor. The patent to Crawford shows an aeroplane supported at one end of an extensible cable mounted upon a power-driven drum in the manually-held handle, whereby the cable may be extended to various distances and the centrifugal force caused by rotating the aeroplane about the handle causes the freely rotatable propeller to revolve, the power means in the handle also retracting the cable when desired.
Certain types of power-operated toy aeroplanes also have been developed which are supported by cable means, usually consisting of a pair of cables and these extend from a hand-held mechanism, especially for purposes of controlling the elevators and/or rudder of the aeroplane to simulate various maneuvers when the aeroplane is in flight and propelled by a power-operated propeller which is activated, for example, by a small gasoline engine. Examples of such control cables and aeroplanes of the type referred to comprise the subject matter of prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 2,559,050 to St. Clair, dated July 3, 1951, and 2,573,219 to Pursell, dated Oct. 30, 1951. In the St. Clair patent, the aeroplane is not disclosed but self-propelled toy aeroplanes are well-known as indicated by the Pursell patent. Another type of tethered toy is represented by U.S. Pat. No. 2,958,156 to Schmahl et al, dated Nov. 1, 1960, in which a hat may be worn by a child or other human, the hat having a central pedestal to which one end of a string or cable is secured, while a rotating ball having a torsion spring-controlled reel therein permits the ball to be extended various distances from the pedestal on the hat so as to rotate orbitally about said pedestal and the distance of the ball therefrom depends upon the speed of rotation of the ball about the pedestal, the speed of rotation varying the centrifugal force produced by wobbling the head of the operator at various speeds.
Noise-generating devices to simulate the sound of a motor not only are found in toy aeroplanes as in the patent to Glass et al, referred to above, but the same are also found in other types of toys, such as the wheeled toy comprising the subject matter of prior U.S. Pat. No. 3,236,008 to Ryan, dated Feb. 23, 1966, and in which a rotatable impeller having loosely mounted lugs or rings thereon engage a resounding diaphragm in a staccato-like manner to simulate the noise of a motor.
In accordance with the present invention, a relatively simple type of tethered toy aeroplane comprises the subject matter thereof which is of a different and improved type over the ones described hereinabove, details of the present invention being set forth hereinafter.


A display mounting system for electronic instruments includes an elastomeric mount having a continuous frame that secures an electrically conductive, optically transmissive plate in alignment with a viewing surface of the display. A compressible ridge protruding from an internal surface of the frame is interposed between the plate and the viewing surface and disposed about the perimeter of the plate, forming an environmental seal between a rear surface of the plate and the viewing surface of the display. A first series of tabs distributed along a front edge of the frame adjacent to the internal surface engage the front surface of the plate while a second series of tabs distributed along a rear edge of the frame adjacent to the internal surface and opposite from the front edge engage a back surface of the display. Tension in the continuous frame between the first and the second series of tabs biases the plate toward the display and maintains the environmental seal between the plate and display during servicing of the display, eliminating the need for a controlled servicing environment. A planar mating surface protruding from an internal surface of the continuous frame uniformly distributes mechanical forces on the display, reducing mechanical stresses on the display when it is installed onto an electronic instrument. A pair of optionally included hinges enables a circuit board to be captured adjacent to the back surface of the display.

The compact size, high reliability and optical characteristics of flat panel displays makes them well-suited for use in electronic instruments. However, flat panel displays are sensitive to mechanical stresses imposed on the displays when they are mounted in instruments and the displays require periodic servicing to replace backlighting lamps for the viewing portion of the displays.
Presently, flat panel displays are mounted onto the front frame of an electronic instrument using screws that are threaded through a series of mounting holes provided on the display assembly. The front frame requires precision machining to achieve flatness so that mechanical forces on the display are uniformly distributed when the screws are tightened. Nonuniform forces induce mechanical stresses on the display that result in visible fringing patterns on the viewing surface of the display. While the precision machined front frame accommodates the display's sensitivity to mechanical stresses, the machining process is time-consuming and increases the manufacturing cost of the electronic instrument in which the flat panel display is used.
In order to protect the viewing portion of the flat panel display and to provide electromagnetic shielding for an electronic instrument, a glass plate, or optical window, is typically positioned between the flat panel display and the front frame. Additional hardware used to secure the glass plate to the front frame makes assembling and servicing the flat panel displays time consuming.
In presently available instruments, a compressible gasket placed between the flat panel display and the glass plate forms an environmental seal that prevents dust and moisture from entering the interstitial space between the glass plate and display and obscuring the viewing portion of the display. When the flat panel display is serviced, the seal is broken and the display needs to be reinstalled in a low moisture, low particulate environment to maintain visual clarity of the interstitial space. When such an environment is not present, the instrument must be transported to a suitable servicing environment to reinstall the display, adding to the inconvenience and cost of replacing the backlighting lamps in the flat panel display.
Accordingly, there is a need for a mounting system for flat panel displays that accommodates for sensitivity of the displays to mechanical stresses and that provides for quick assembly and servicing of the flat panel displays in electronic instruments.

Mounting system for flat panel displays in electronic instruments